who could have guessed

[beholdmydemons]

Who: Walter (beholdmydemons) and Cecil Harvey (paladinlost)
Where: Cecil's house in Celadon City
When: December 22nd (backdated)
Summary: Someone didn't come home as expected, someone else is getting concerned, and someone else...else has the answers.
Rating: G unless Walter swears I guess
Log:

[Ramza had left on the 10th, and he'd said he'd be back on the 20th. One day's delay was nothing to worry about. Two days' delay raised some questions, and NUMBER NOT FOUND didn't shed any light on the subject.

Somewhere on the way back to the house, Walter remembers that Ramza had made the arrangements to stay with Cecil in the first place. He'd be a good one to ask about this, then; see if maybe he'd been sent any explanation.

Walter lingers in the foyer after shutting the door behind him, shaking snow off of his clothes.]

Cecil?

[He raises his voice, hoping the man is still home.]

Comments

[paladinlost]

In the living room!

[Cecil sounds perfectly cheerful, and indeed not like someone who wonders where his guest could possibly be. Not that it's too surprising; between the wintry weather and time going by faster when you're catching up with someone, there are a thousand reasons why someone might be late by a day or two. As long as he's back by Christmas, why worry about the details?

Which means he's currently on the floor, wrapping presents with his Clefable's help and expecting a perfectly innocent and incidental question.]

[beholdmydemons]

[Walter rounds the corner and stops in the doorway, bracing his hands on the frame and leaning in a little to stare at the...production that's going on down there.]

You've been busy. [Walter's Skarmory comes trotting down the hall and slips under his arm, slinking around the edge of the room to grab a bow from the stack of wrapping materials.

He ignores whatever she's up to. Right to the important stuff - he reaches into his coat pocket, digging for his Pokegear.] Have you heard from Ramza as of late? He'd planned to be back before now.

[paladinlost]

[He looks up with a smile when Walter enters the room, but soon returns to his wrapping. He folds quickly and precisely, even as he starts to speak.]

I have indeed. It's a local tradition.

[Rosie sets the scissors she was holding down on the floor and turns towards the Skarmory. Need help putting that on?]

I've not heard from him since I returned, but that's not too surprising. If he was looking forward to meeting that person in the flesh, he must have lost track of time.

[beholdmydemons]

[oh yes just stick it on c: Gertrude wants to be festive]

I've tried sending him a message, but this is all I've gotten. [He does it again as he speaks, turning the 'Gear around to show Cecil the error message.] It's never done that before.

[paladinlost]

[Excellent! Just hold on for a second-]

'That'? What do you- No.

['No' must be an understatement, as the paper suddenly crumples in his hands and a bright red line appears where the edge touched his skin. Even Rosie drops the bow she was placing; she knows what those messages mean, and she knows how her trainer reacts to them.]

[beholdmydemons]

[That sure was a reaction. Walter instantly looks wary, alarmed by Cecil's reaction but not sure what to make of it.]

What? What does it mean?

[paladinlost]

...Damn this world. At a time like this...

[It comes out almost muttered, as if Cecil did not quite mean to say it out loud. But after a few instants he lets go of the wrappings and looks directly at Walter.]

When did you first see this message? Did you look at a PC since then?

[beholdmydemons]

This morning, when I first tried - and no. Cecil, what's going on? [Walter doesn't like being left in the dark, and it shows.]

[paladinlost]

That message is only displayed when a Pokégear number is completely disconnected.

[He stands, going straight for his coat and boots.]

Which only happens when people are sent back to their own worlds. Meaning that not only you'll not find Ramza, but his team must be panicking at the moment, if they're still out there.

[beholdmydemons]

[Wait. What?

...Oh.

Walter just stops for a moment, processing that.]

So, he's. [Gone. That's. Abrupt?

He steps aside, pulling his coat back up over his shoulders.] Gertrude, call Orthrus to me. [She jogs off.] Where are we going?

[His voice is flat and serious, though a little hesitant now, caught off-guard as he is by the news. Walter's not sure how to feel about this right now, as long as there's work that needs doing - he'll figure it out later, he supposes, and walk it off.

(It might take a nice, long walk.)]

[paladinlost]

To the Pokémon Center, to use their PC. There's a chance one of us might have received Pokémon from him, and if that's the case it'd be best to know as soon as possible.

[Perhaps Cecil should be kinder about this, more thoughtful in his decisions. But this is far from his first disappearance, and having a clear short-term goal is what keeps him calm.]

Rosie, we might have to deal with very upset Pokémon. Prepare yourself.

[beholdmydemons]

[Gertrude returns not with Orthrus in tow, but with a full belt of Pokeballs hanging from her beak; Walter looks a little confused, but takes it anyways, slipping it around his waist and recalling the Skarmory herself.

He doesn't wait around very long for Cecil, heading out the door himself and starting on the way to the Pokemon Center. No time to dwell.]

[paladinlost]

[No time to dwell indeed. Both Cecil and Rosie walk briskly towards the Center, matching frowns on their faces. It's only a few minutes later, once they're inside and in front of the PC, that Cecil speaks again.]

Would you like to go first? You were closer to him, after all.

[beholdmydemons]

[Walter accepts the offer without indication, reading out and logging onto his account. He has three Pokemon in storage, and he's quiet for a moment.]

None of those were there before.

[What he can't read well enough to tell: only two of those have Ramza listed as the OT. The other appears to be his own capture.]

[paladinlost]

['None' implies more than one. Oh dear. Cecil takes a look at the screen over Walter's shoulder.}

...Two of these were his up until his disappearance. The other... Have you caught a seventh Pokémon recently?

[beholdmydemons]

[He glances back at Cecil with an eyebrow quirked.] Not that I recall.

[It's not as big a mystery as it seems; he just doesn't remember catching a Torchic during the fourth-wall event. The others are Delita the Mienfoo and Tietra the Litwick (both Ramza's, of course.)

Walter goes ahead and enters the command to withdraw all three, regardless.]

[paladinlost]

Perhaps one of your Pokémon did. That is how Malboro joined my team, I believe.

[Also during one of those events, funnily enough.

Rosie approaches while Walter deals with the PC. Better to be close by, if her singing talents are to be needed.]

[beholdmydemons]

[...Okay, whatever. That's a mystery for another day.

Walter opens one Pokeball experimentally. It lets out-]

Tietra?

[He has a feeling as to what the other one might be. The Litwick seems confused and a little distressed, spinning slowly in midair with a confused noise. Walter shoves his hands into his pockets and waffles for a moment before going ahead and saying:]

...Ramza's gone.

[MASTER OF TACT. Of course, that doesn't make the Litwick any happier...and Walter seems either unwilling or unprepared to comfort small candle-shaped ghosts. He watches her fret, looking slightly uncomfortable when she darts up to him and clutches the front of his coat.]

[paladinlost]

Tietra, was it? I should have known. You look as lovely as your namesake.

[Cecil's voice takes a different tone now, closer to one used by a king soothing the townschildren after a monster attack. He bends a little to be closer to her height.]

Walter will be taking care of you now, along with another of your comrades. Do you know other trainers Ramza knew well? People who might know where the rest of your friends are?

[beholdmydemons]

[Tietra doesn't let go of Walter's coat, but she does make a bit of noise in reply, clearly about to start crying.

...Yeah. You handle that. In the meantime, Walter opens the other Pokeball.]

Ah. [He doesn't sound surprised.] It's you, of course.

["You" is Delita the Mienfoo, who looks thunderous once he gets an eyeful of the crying Litwick. Walter cuts him off before he decides on who to kick.]

Ramza...vanished. The both of you fell under my command. [Walter stares the Pokemon down, not turning or leaning down just yet, like he doesn't quite trust Delita to not turn on him.

For his part, though, Delita does seem to understand. He looks sad, but more angry than sad; possibly at the distress the situation is causing his charge.]

[paladinlost]

See, your friend is here too.

[He gives Delita a quick look before turning back to Tietra. Better calm the one who can burn the whole Pokémon Center down first of all, for their own safety.]

We'll try to find the others, if we can. You'd be able to recognize them all if needed, right?

[Almost absentmindedly, Rosie starts humming under her breath in a reassuring manner. It sounds quite a lot like a lullaby... or Sing.]

[beholdmydemons]

By sight. [Walter relaxes a little - but only a little, as Tietra fades off into sniffles and Delita marches up to take her from their new trainer.

As soon as they've moved away, Walter shoves his hands in his pockets and squints at them a little, like he's watching for something. Whatever it is, he doesn't seem to be finding it.]

They'd have gone to other people, would they not?

[paladinlost]

They might have.

[That is a yes, and that is a no, and that is Cecil now looking at his own PC box, a slight frown on his face.]

Not all Pokémon are found again, once their trainers disapear. Sometimes starters will reappear in New Bark Town with confused trainers, but sometimes not.

[beholdmydemons]

...They should be able to take care of themselves. [Walter still sounds oddly abrupt. He doesn't know what to feel about this, except to just carry on as usual. It's not like he's dead, right?] He didn't leave any of them untrained.

[paladinlost]

I'm glad to hear it. They'll be upset at first, but that's always the case.

[He finally steps away from the computer.]

Nothing. Perhaps others will have more luck.

[beholdmydemons]

...

[Delita is sort of glaring at Walter. Maybe he doesn't like his attitude?

Walter meets the Mienfoo's eyes briefly, then...the tension around him suddenly eases, and he rolls his shoulder, sighing lowly and not looking quite as severe.]

I'll...ask about.

[paladinlost]

Good. It's best not to leave such matters for much later; their new trainers might disappear, too.

[His tone might be one of weariness, or one of resignation. Or even both, perhaps.]