garbagechild | 004. [Video/Action for Rocket HQ]

_{[There are plenty of newborn Pokemon that enter the world squalling or cooing.]

[This one entered with a whole lot of growling and then nearly took somebody's finger off.]

[The little Deino on the screen, which happens to have a faintly-sparkling green coat rather than the customary blue, is yanking and worrying at the end of one of the scarves that its trainer had received for Christmas as well as the egg it had just hatched from. It's been in the world outside its eggshell for about five minutes and it's already filled with fury at the fact that this long soft thing exists in its general vicinity.]

[Wrath is thrilled.]

[He turns to the camera (which is presumably held by his Kangaskhan) proudly, apparently unconcerned that the tiny dino-dragon is nearly tugging the scarf right off of him.]}

The rock turned into a sparkling animal!

Her name is Mad.

Mad likes to bite.

_{[... A little like her trainer, actually. They also share the same hairdo aesthetic. This is clearly a match made in heaven.]}

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

I... see.

[He's trying very hard to understand the link between the Pokémon/trainer resemblance and that name. He's failing.]

Perhaps whoever gave us those eggs somehow knew that you'd get along. That might be why you received her.

_{[It would probably help if Wrath actually thought to mention his own name.]}

You think so?

I didn't even see anybody come in!

The egg was just on my bed when I woke up.

[It might! Then again, it's not like Cecil remembered to introduce himself either...]

That's always the case. That was the third Christmas egg we received, but no one has yet managed to catch our mysterious gifter. They must be very talented.

Really?

The third?

Wow!

Next time there's a Christmas, I'll stay up and see who it is!

...I suppose staying up for one night would have very few effects on your health. And if you were helped by a Pokémon with the ability to resist sleep, perhaps you'd be able to catch them.

I didn't NEED to sleep back where I came from.

So I'm pretty used to staying up.

I bet I could do it.

[...That says both a lot and very little.]

Perhaps, but it'd be best if you did not make a habit of it. This world tends to weaken our bodies, to fit its own criteria of normalcy.

_{[Y E P]}

Well, yeah, but...

Aren't you supposed to get better at things by practicing them?

_{[HOW ELSE IS HE GOING TO ELIMINATE THIS BODY'S NEED FOR SLEEP???]}

You are, but each body has its own limits. Needing a certain amount of sleep to properly function is one of those limits, especially for one who is still growing.

[COFFEE. ALL THE COFFEE.]

_{[Dear god NOBODY INTRODUCE THIS CHILD TO COFFEE.]

[Wrath tilts his head.]}

Still growing?

I don't think I'm going to do any more of that.

[Why not? There's no way it could possibly go wrong!]

Truly? You look young enough to still have a few years of growth in you, unless both of your parents were particularly slight and short.

_{[Wrath shrugs.]}

Things like me that change while they get older are really rare.

I was able to do it for awhile but I dunno if it's gonna keep happening.

_{[Every so often, Wrath kind of... forgets to apply the whole 'You're human now' thing to every aspect of his life. He's new at this.]}

[Cecil doesn't forget, luckily. Probably because it's been a long time, and because he lost so little in the first place.]

Everyone is human, here. You appear to be at an age when humans still grow; therefore, it's likely that you have plenty of inches to gain still.

... Oh!

Really?

I guess I wouldn't mind getting a little taller.

It would make things easier to reach.

That it would. It'd also allow you to travel more swiftly, with your longer legs. ...Though it'd still not help with the ledges.

[That is a very important detail that everyone should know.]

Ledges?

_{[In the couple of months that Wrath has been here, he hasn't yet left Goldenrod City.]

[He has no idea what he's in for.]}

[Cosmos have mercy.]

...You've not yet had the... displeasure of dealing with ledges? How lucky.

[How strange.]

They dot most routes, allowing us to quickly travel down... but never up. Dozens have tried; none have succeeded. Many a limb has been broken in the attempt.

Nuh uh.

I've sat on some walls, and one time I found a really steep staircase.

But I was able to climb it. I just had to step real high.

_{[What Cecil's describing sounds weird. Wrath is pretty sure he could climb a ledge!]}

Stepping very high is not a solution in this particular case, I'm sorry to say. Neither are ropes or ladders, for that matter.

[Why yes, he's tried both before.]

That sounds silly.

Even humans can climb things!

I've seen them!

Believe me, I've seen humans climb and jump over much higher obstacles, too. The ledges... I'd almost call them cursed.

004. [Video/Action for Rocket HQ]

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