4 ♫ video

[imprinting]

[greetings, you lot. you've obtained +1 Neku, looking kind of tousled and confused. he's sitting in a PokéCenter! those of you who've met him may be wondering why he dropped off the face of the planet.]

So, uh. Anyone else go to sleep and then not wake up until- [a pause.] -ugh, like a week later?

[...at least his sunburn has gone. Neku frowns and rubs the back of his head, looking around before giving the 'gear another perplexed look.]

This is freaking bizarre. Uh. Hey. There are people still coming in, right? Hi. I'm Neku.

[awkward silence.]

Well. That's it, I guess.

Comments

[imprinting]

[...that certainly. is a duck.]

Cherry- You named your duck Hachiko?

[uh oh, Mr. H, you made Neku snicker.]

[usedsketch.livejournal.com]

[ Neku has no right to criticize anyone else's naming skills, okay. ]

Nah, see, I'd come home from work every day and he'd be there waiting for me. Tried coming home hours late, and he was still at our spot. Started callin' him Hachiko as a joke, and it stuck.

[ Meanwhile, Hachiko has stopped looking FIERCE and is now blinking slooowly at the camera. ]

[imprinting]

[that doesn't mean it's not funny!]

Right. Really loyal...duck you've got there, Mr. H.

[usedsketch.livejournal.com]

I wasn't gonna keep him, but if I'd left town without the thing, he'd probably be stuck out in the rain waitin' for me forever. Some folks over the network convinced me to take pity on him.

Might come in handy sometime, though. He keeps Java company.

[imprinting]

Does he do anything? Or just - I dunno, quack at stuff?

[usedsketch.livejournal.com]

He can scratch stuff, like Java does. And shoot this jet of water outta his mouth.

Not that I'm the best at givin' battle orders. [ He is the most fail chill battler ever, is anyone surprised. ]

[imprinting]

Not really surprised, Mr. H.

...

But uh, how does a duck scratch stuff?

1/2

[usedsketch.livejournal.com]

Well, he doesn't really have wings, y'know? Uh.

[ He glances down to the derpduck. ]

Go on, boss, scratch that... tree.

2/2

[usedsketch.livejournal.com]

[ Hachiko blinks very slowly, and then he waddles on over to a nearby tree.

Heeeaaadtilt.

...

And then, being the VICIOUS ATTACK DUCK that he is, he lashes out suddenly with the not-quite-claws on his arm wing arm and etches three clean lines into the bark.





Hanekoma shrugs. ]

[imprinting]

[oh god, even Mr. H's stupid duck is cooler than Fish and 2. Neku's Pokémon don't even have arms.]

Oh.

That's. Well there it is.

[usedsketch.livejournal.com]

It's... something, yeah.

[ HE SHOULD PUT ON THE DORKY HAT AND GO CATCH SOME BUGS TO MAKE HIMSELF FEEL BETTER anyway Hachiko is water-gunning the tree now. Mr. H doesn't even bother to look. ]

How're yours doing?

[imprinting]

[Neku doesn't really have a response to that. instead, he turns the camera on Fish, who is bobbing up and down excitedly by the window where the rain is visible. occasionally, he hits his head on the wall, staggers a bit, and keeps at it.

AND THEN BACK TO NEKU.]

The other one is even more useless.

[usedsketch.livejournal.com]

[ ....




Wow, man, and he thought his duck was bad. ]

Huh. That's... hey, maybe it'll evolve into something good?

[imprinting]

[at least Fish loves Neku dearly. with his...poisonous skin coating that stings every time he wants TRAINER CUDDLES!!1 Neku has a hard life, go away. look at him scowl.]

Yeah, sure.

[usedsketch.livejournal.com]

[ Just like how Java is his bff and likes to ride around inside his coat, in a cute furry adorable sort of way. but. with her claws all digging into him. ]

Could do. It's a strategy game, yeah? So maybe if you raise him right, he'll turn out the way you hope.

Not sure about my two -- both pretty decent already, so I'm thinkin' Java'd just turn into a bigger cat. And maybe the duck'll get actual wings.

[imprinting]

[you have unlocked super defensive must-look-good-in-the-eyes-of-Mr.-H mode. NICE GOING.]

I-I'm doing it right!

[oops everything else went right over his head.]

[usedsketch.livejournal.com]

[ oh Neku. ]

... that wasn't an accusation, boss, I was just talking.

[imprinting]

Oh.

Right.

... I knew that.

[usedsketch.livejournal.com]

... right.

...... you seem to be doin' fine with him, if it helps.

[ okay now he just looks kind of amused NEKU ARE YOU MORTIFIED YET ]

[imprinting]

[PRETTY MORTIFIED OH GOD MR. H THINKS I'M A LOSER DJGMFSGLKFJKL]

Uh. .... Thanks.

[usedsketch.livejournal.com]

Sure.

[ Not really a loser but definitely the most derpily awkward teenager he's ever ever seen ]

Hey, when Beat comes to, you guys oughtta come meet me and J in Violet. Might be a good idea to stick together, y'know?

[imprinting]

[it's not his fault he has nothing going for him when you take away his dead psychic powers.]

Yeah, sure.

... No idea how long that'll be, though. Sure Josh won't get bored?

[usedsketch.livejournal.com]

I'll keep him entertained. Believe me, Phones, I've known Josh long enough to know how to handle him.

[ Well, as much as anyone can know how to handle Joshua. ]

[imprinting]

[that all sounds very dirty and it's your fault.]

Right.

So were you doing anything in Violet? Before the rain and all.

[usedsketch.livejournal.com]

[ Whoa hey, it wasn't even intended that way


this time ]

Not actually there yet! Still on the road.

I woulda rather stayed in Cherrygrove, really, but J wants to find a bigger city. Guess I can't blame him.