Video; Horseshoe 16, a few hours before new arrivals

[mtsilver_conquor]

That's the second time I've been called to the conductor right before a mission!

[Despite the rather impressively disgruntled face Eva's got going, she just sounds resigned, if not a bit choked with emotion.] If someone could fill me in, I'd appreciate it.

That's not all. I saw the roster and- we've got several team Leads in gold and- in the worst case-

[She doesn't want to bring it up.]

Maybe I'm wrong. I hope I'm wrong and can bail on these thoughts. But...

[She hates Horseshoe, thanks.]

Comments

[10billionpercent]

[ If nothing else, she might find that to be his biggest contribution to the link. He doesn't typically have wild mood swings, and he clamps down on his emotions very thoroughly. Someone could mistake him for being indifferent or not having many emotions at all. ]

What's significant about a psy-type, compared to other types of pokemon?

I've never had a creature I needed to look after before, so I don't really know what my needs would be.

[mtsilver_conquor]

They're psychic, for one. Think like telekinesis, or empathy. They do link with people on instinct, but it's more... like we have another part of our body almost?

[She grins.] It's less that and more how it'd fit into your lifestyle while still being able to defend you when required.

[10billionpercent]

I'd be offended, but we both know I can't defend myself if I had to.

[ He hums, thinking it over. ]

Does that make it easier to bond with then?

[mtsilver_conquor]

Sort of.

[Eva taps her chin as she tries to put into words what she's known her entire life.] They're born or hatched with the instinct to mentally reach out to the world around them, so it can help with forging a bond.

There's always slaving the thing to your mind, but that has its drawbacks.

[10billionpercent]

Sounds a little cruel and not at all my style.

[ He looks like he's considering it. ]

I wouldn't mind, but I wouldn't know how to take care of it, you'd have to teach me that. I couldn't say no to something that could defend me after all.

[mtsilver_conquor]

Sometimes it can be the only way to control a monster without having to put it down because what it boils down to is that whatever's slaved to your mind can't disobey whatever you tell it to do outside of automatic functions such as breathing.

[Make of that as you will, Senku. If she sounds blase, it's because she... is, after a fashion, and she can go from that to-]

That said, of course I'd teach you how to take care of a pokemon, and not just the surface stuff either. It's all good and well to have one as a pet, but if you want it to defend you, you'll need to train it for battle.

[10billionpercent]

[ He doesn't like the sound of that at all, and he would want to try anything else first, but he's not going to tell her how her world should work. ]

I suppose that's true, no creature can get by without training, probably. Most people aren't gifted that way.

[mtsilver_conquor]

[He'd be right not to like it, but if she was ever called out on it, she can and will happily pull out examples of why it's a 'good' thing.]

Yeah, and it goes double for pokemon. I'd also be training you when it comes to keeping the 'ball on you at all times, and being able to have it on the field in a few seconds. The same with being able to recall it at a moment's notice.

[For all she's leaning against him, wasn't the pokeball on her belt not seconds ago? not being tossed up and done almost carelessly??]

I'd probably start with getting you to look after one of mine, of course. It's what mum and dad did with me and my sisters.

[10billionpercent]

[ He nods a little bit, that made sense, having to keep the pokeball on him if it was going to work. He understood the logistics. ]

Shouldn't be a problem. I'm a creature of habit anyway, once I incorporate something into my routine, I shouldn't forget it.

[mtsilver_conquor]

[Eva grins.]

Trust me, by the time I'm done, that pokeball'll be like another limb.

Though, I'll probably make you one of the old fashioned belt-pouches we used before modern belts.

[10billionpercent]

Oh yeah? What's the difference then? I mean, I'm not that picky about a good utility belt.

[mtsilver_conquor]

Aesthetics mostly, as a good pokebelt, modern or old, will keep the 'balls secure against a hard tumble in bushland. Though, I personally like the modern ones because it's near impossible to steal 'balls off the belt.

[10billionpercent]

[ He snorts lightly. ]

You can try and make it as impossible as you want. The Mentalist will just see it as a challenge.

[mtsilver_conquor]

-The Mentalist?

[She'll come back to the rest of that in a second.]

[10billionpercent]

Yeah, Gen. That's what I call him, mostly because he said he wanted to be called a 'mentalist'.

[ And Senku was a bit of a dick about it, except now the word only evoked fondness. ]

He doesn't mind. But he does have a habit of taking my things out of my pockets. I don't particularly care, he's been doing it for years at this point. My pouches at home are pretty wide, mind you no one else would just take my tools.

[ He shrugs a little bit, it's not like he doesn't do the same, he'll just help himself to Gen's things. ]

[mtsilver_conquor]

A nickname then. What about me?

[As long as it's not Leaf, she can live with almost any nickname. Probably.]

Hmm. It's why I said nearly impossible. I'd notice it happening at the very least due to the tug and the missing weight. Plus he'd find the pokemon wouldn't obey him, and if he wanted to nick one from the belt-pouch, he has to get it open and extract the 'ball without you noticing.

[10billionpercent]

Hmmm, I haven't settled on one for you yet. Yours seems like it has to be the kind of thing I can torment you with.

[ He grins, it's a bit on the wicked side, but it's all in good fun and it's a reflection of how he sees Eva. Teasing is just as fond as something sentimental or sweet. ]

I don't think he'd want to use the pokemon, he'd just nick the ball to prove he could if I told him he couldn't do it. He's a hack magician, but, I'll admit he's good at what he does.

[mtsilver_conquor]

Just use 'Leaf'.

[The word is clearly not in her native tongue, and the delivery blank of emotions. If he thinks back, he'll recall it being used in one of the shared memories.

Yet the blankness is going just as swiftly.

If only because another magician?? That she would possible learn more magic from??]

Magician? What, like Kaito-kun with card tricks and such?

[10billionpercent]

Nah, see, you just look annoyed. That's not getting a rise out of you at all.

[ He nudges her with his elbow slightly. ]

I call Kohaku 'Lionness' because she gets indignant every time.

[ He snickers a little bit, that's some mischief he's leaking. He thinks of her in a sibling-like context, not entirely unlike Eva. ]

Just like that. Except he calls it mentalism, but if he tells you he can read your mind he's spinning bullshit.

[mtsilver_conquor]

[There's relief/thankfulness down the bond, even as she grins and shakes her head at the mischief she's getting in return.]

One day she'll catch on, probably, then you'll have to think up a new one-

[And then her brain catches up to the rest of it and she bursts into laughter.]

Trust me, if he pulls that trick, I'm going to ask him to tell me exactly what I'm thinking. Fastest way to expose a false psychics, especially when they rely on sleight of hand and diverting attention.

[10billionpercent]

[ He snickers a little bit. ]

I don't think so, but yeah, when she does that it's pretty entertaining for me. If she really hated it though, she'd probably smack me upside the head or something.

[ He shrugs, looking all too amused by that. ]

You'll have to try that on him, I'm confident he can worm his way out of it. He's a real smooth talker.

[mtsilver_conquor]

Or give you the silent treatment, but she's not the type, is she?

[Eva shrugs a bit; she can only go off memory and what she's heard of Kohaku.

That said, there's a pulse of pure amusement now as Eva shakes her head, hands on waist.]

I think I will, if only for the fact I grew up in a world with literal psychics, so... [A shrug. It sounds like fun at the very least.]

[10billionpercent]

Nah, not at all. She's very opinionated, so that would probably last all of ten minutes.

[ He smirks. ]

Let me watch.

[mtsilver_conquor]

I hope I get to meet her one day; she's starting to sound like a few of my friends back home.

Sure, and if you can't, Roro can record it. [A pause, then:] Though I'd have it record it anyway.

[10billionpercent]

[ He enjoys seeing Gen escape from situations in which he finds himself pinned down somehow. It's incredibly amusing for him, but he kind of has faith he can do it somehow. ]

Now that sounds good. [ He leans against her slightly. ]

Yeah, I think you'd like Kohaku. She's a bit of a forward-thinker. At least, she's open to thinking differently. It's a good quality, I think some of the villagers struggle with that a little bit. Not that they don't trust me or anything.