007. [Video]

[garbagechild]

<sub>[It's not uncommon for Wrath to be sharing screentime with his Pokemon, but in this case, he looks distinctly irritated about it.]

[Behind him is a Lopunny that's a good foot or so taller than him, clad in a dress that is... DAMN FANCY-LOOKING, ACTUALLY. There's like... frills and ribbons and junk.]

[Wrath glares directly into the camera, appealing to the hypothetical audience to side with him.]</sub>

She wasn't gonna be happy until Mama and I bought her a DRESS.

And she's still not happy!

Why does she like clothes so much?

Pokemon don't even need to wear clothes like people and things that look like people do.

I wish I was a Pokemon, because then I wouldn't need to wear clothes.



<sub>[The Lopunny-- a recent acquisition from the raid he'd performed with Ralph of a wealthy socialite's all-night dinner party, aka Wrath's first Real Mission (tm)-- lets out a huff and taps her long, curved claws impatiently on her arm. She clearly is about as pleased to be paired with Wrath as he is with her.]

[He responds with a huff of his own.]</sub>

Hmph.

Anyway, she's brown.

So her name is Dirty.

_{[The rabbit Pokemon's head whips around, outraged, but Wrath yells right over her angry growl.]}

I DON'T CARE, DIRTY!

Comments

[audio]

[stonebones]

Stilzchen sometimes wears a sash, like I do...

[It had weirded him out at first, too.]

Maybe...it just makes them feel better. You probably have things you don't have to do but that make you happy, right?

[audio]

[garbagechild]

... Well. I guess I don't really need pudding cups.

But they do make me happy.

... But, that's still real different from clothes! You can't eat clothes.

_{[A pause.]}

...Or... well... you can, but people will yell at you.

[audio]

[stonebones]

[Emil giggles a bit at that. Has he ever known someone with such a goofy thought process?]

No, that probably wouldn't taste very good. I guess that means she really likes clothes, though, for her to want them so bad when she can't eat them!

[audio]

[garbagechild]

<sub>[Wrath experiences the world just a liiiiiiiiiiiittle differently than most people.]

[Emil makes a fair point, though, and Wrath stops to consider that. It makes sense... but also it doesn't!]</sub>

I don't get it.

[audio]

[stonebones]

[This kid must really love food... Or hate clothes...

Both, probably.]

Hmmn? Some people just have different tastes. Pokemon shouldn't be any different, right?

[audio]

[garbagechild]

_{[He likes clothes just fine in the wintertime when it's cold and he NEEDS them! But now that it's warm out, he could honestly take 'em or leave 'em.]}

I guess, but still, if I gave her what she wanted, shouldn't she be happy?

[audio]

[stonebones]

Oh... Yeah, that's right.

[He knows things are probably more complicated than that, but can he really explain it easily?]

Was there a reason that she wanted the dress other than just to have it?

[audio]

[garbagechild]

I dunno.

I guess she was just used to havin' dresses?

[audio]

[stonebones]

Ah... So you didn't catch her from the wild? Would you be able to ask her previous trainer, or...?

[He trails off, sounding uncertain. Who knows what the situation surrounding the inheritance of the Lopunny is, and he doesn't want to bring up bad memories if he doesn't have to.]

[audio]

[garbagechild]

_{[W'uh oh. There's no non-incriminating way to say that the Lopunny had belonged to a super rich tourist from Sinnoh and certainly had not handed her off willingly.]}

Um... nope.

They're gone.

_{[.... i-it's not technically a LIE, they're probably three regions away on their cruise by now and may or may not have noticed that their spoiled Lopunny is gone...]}

[audio]

[stonebones]

Oh, I'm... I'm sorry.

[There was something in Wrath's voice that hit his ears weird, but Emil shrugs it off as just not wanting to talk too much about that situation.]

Maybe she's still upset about that, then. It might take her a while to warm up to you, and she's probably just trying to find things that are familiar to comfort her.

[audio]

[garbagechild]

Sorry for what? Gone is gone.

<sub>[Not to say that Wrath doesn't... er... mourn... in his own way... but he isn't really grasping the obvious conclusion that Emil has come to.]

[OH WELL. MOVING ON.]</sub>

Hmf. Well, I wish she'd stop being upset.

It's annoying.

[audio]

[stonebones]

Mn... I guess...

[Emil doesn't sound so sure, though. Really, he's just trying to not figuratively step on the younger's toes. He could just not know how to deal with his emotions, after all.]

She'll get better with time, probably. In the meantime, maybe just give her some space? It can be hard to lose someone.

[audio]

[garbagechild]

_{[... Well, he wouldn't exactly be wrong in that assumption...]}

I'm already giving her space.

I don't wanna get close enough to be scratched again.

[audio]

[stonebones]

Scratched? [Oh...] So it's like that...

Do you have other pokemon that can help you if she gets too out of hand? I mean, I'd hope she stops being upset soon, but just in case...

[audio]

[garbagechild]

OH, if she ever tried to kill me, Mama and the rest would handle it!

THAT won't be a problem.

_{[... that's not exactly what he asked, Wrath.]}

[audio]

[stonebones]

[Yeah okay... This kid's got some problems... That's fine...]

I don't think she'll try to kill you... I mean, every pokemon I've met has been nicer than I thought.

[audio]

[garbagechild]

_{[He doesn't have any objective proof that Dirty would try to kill him, and he knows it. So instead he just scowls off-camera and mutters murkily--]}

... Well. I wouldn't put it past her to try.

[audio]

[stonebones]

[If that was the case, then -- ]

Are you...sure you want to keep her? If you can't trust your partners, that isn't good, even if you're each capable on your own.

[audio]

[garbagechild]

I have to.

She's seen too much.

[audio]

[stonebones]

Ah...

[For a moment, he's reminded of Gideon. Emil never knew him when he was little like this kid, but the distinct feeling of Something is Not Right is enough. At least...he probably wasn't too far gone, like Gideon. The start of the conversation had been...normal.]

I see.

I know it sounds...hard, but, um. If you rely on her, show her you trust her... Maybe that will be enough to start changing things? [Sometimes Emil was too naive for his own good.] I mean, if you keep acting like she'll kill you or betray you, then she won't really have a reason to start believing in you as her new trainer, right?

[audio]

[garbagechild]

_{[Well, Emil's not... wrong. There is very definitely something Not Right about this kid.]}

Well, I've done that before, and it didn't work.

At all.

[audio]

[stonebones]

[Hoo boy, he wasn't any good at this...]

It...has to eventually, though, right? Don't you think? Nothing will always be the same, so one day, it'll work out.

[audio]

[garbagechild]

_[Puff.]

Yeah. Maybe.

_{[He's not buyin' it.]}

[audio]

[stonebones]

...Mmn.

Um, well... Good luck, okay? I'm sorry that I can't do more for you. If you think of a way you think I can help though, just let me know, okay? I'm Emil.