he'll help you understand

[noodlegoggles]

Who: Daisuke Motomiya (noodlegoggles) & Ken Ichijouji (empireofmymind) [closed]
Where: Cherrygrove PokéCenter
When: TODAYYYY
Summary: DAISUKE HAS TOO MANY FEELS and lets it all out with a very helpful/needed venting session with his bestest biffle.
Rating: G
Log: [As soon as Daisuke stepped foot into Cherrygrove he instantly shot Ken a message and made a beeline for the center. Because that's all that was there-- other than hotels. But anyways!! As he waited for his friend to show he started to think of what he should say first. Besides the usual welcome back bit. What... what would be best? He'd definitely start out small and move on to the bigger points, that was a given. As he did this his Scraggy who had been out of his ball for some time tried to cheer his trainer up by dropping his skin flap.

Well-- it worked, to an extent. Daisuke smiled softly as he looked at the fighting type pokémon.]

Comments

[empireofmymind]

They're that difficult? No...

[Not the right thing to say, even if it was his first worry. Ken rushes to catch up with the rest of what Daisuke'd said.]

You've been - doing a lot of other things, right? And with all the time you've spent training, you'll surely gather the rest.

[noodlegoggles]

No, it's not that... It's just they're all over the place. And every time we all think about moving on someone new comes in. Or someone leaves.

[empireofmymind]

[Oh. He hopes he wasn't interrupting anything when he arrived!]

...I see.

....let's...go through them together, then. You'd - have to wait for me, a bit....but every step forward also counts towards the goal.

[He proposes it almost hurriedly, at first, and almost as if it's a question. Asking Daisuke to rush feeling better about everyone who's left isn't only unfair, it's impossible. But the people who left also wouldn't want their memory to hold Daisuke back. Ken can't accept any other theory.]

[noodlegoggles]

[he nods.] Yeah sure, I don't mind! I've got Violet's badge anyways. It was reaaaal easy. I found that electric types makes the battle go by a lot quicker.

[empireofmymind]

[Great! If he can just get through those first three quickly...]

Electric types?

--ah-

[Something's crawled back onto his shoulder, sparking cheerfully. You just said the magic words, and now Joltik is excited. He's gonna fight in a Gym battle!

Someday. Seeing as he's newly hatched.]

[noodlegoggles]

Oh hey, that's an electric type! [he points]

[empireofmymind]

[Joltik jumps up and down, hair fluffed with excitement. Ken glances over and picks the Pokémon up, cradling it in his palm.]

Joltik? Yes, he is....you think if we train, he could beat that Gym?

[Joltik puffs up its tiny chest even further. Come at him, bros.]

[noodlegoggles]

[he grins and nods.] You bet dude! But, not trying to-- uhhh... psyche? Is that it? Anyways, don't wanna do that, but the gym leader here is pretty strong. His pokémon are in their 30's? I think? It was a cake walk for me because I just got it recently and all have higher level pokémon. But still. I just want you to know and stuff...

[empireofmymind]

Their thirties?

[Joltik chirps. Ken stares at him, but what kind of trainer would he be if he didn't have faith? Who knows what Joltik can do, if given the chance...]

Understood. We'll train even harder from now on.

[noodlegoggles]

[he nods.] Mmm, yeah! You can do it Ken! I believe in you.

[empireofmymind]

[All of the grins. Because you're grinning. This journey isn't just important for himself, or his Pokémon. His friends are rooting for him and care about him, too.]

Mm.

[And Joltik sparks again, to show just how on board with this he is.]

[noodlegoggles]

So-- OH! Who's that girl that's gonna be traveling with us?

[empireofmymind]

Ah, Kyoko-san....her name's Sakura Kyoko.

Since reaching the city, she's kept to herself....

[Ken wonders whether she's even staying where he's seen her last.]

[noodlegoggles]

I wonder why....

[empireofmymind]

[Ken shrugs, looking away.]

I'm - sure we'll find her, later, if you'd like to meet.

[noodlegoggles]

[he nods.] Sure! Sounds good to me.

[empireofmymind]

[Ken's shoulders relax.]

We - should find the others at some point, as well.

If that's all right.

[Is it going to be a problem, seeing Takeru and Hikari?

....and wait, does this mean they're - and he's been talking to them in person and didn't -

He feels like the most unobservant person ever. Not that he even knows what to look for, but isn't this kind of thing supposed to be, uh, obvious?]

[noodlegoggles]

[he deflates a little.] Oh... right. [a pause.] Do you... Do you think we could-- can we go later? I wanna hang out with you some more... If... If that's okay.

[empireofmymind]

[Ken just smiles. He gets it. (Or hopes he does.)]

Then let's - "hang out". As long as you want.

However you want.

[noodlegoggles]

[SUPA EXCITE--]

Really?

[empireofmymind]

[He nods. Anything's fine!

Whatever "anything" might be.]

Your call, Daisuke.

[noodlegoggles]

Cool [a pause.] Do you think we could just sit here some more?

[empireofmymind]

[A beat, and then Ken just relaxes against the seat. He's learned the beauty of doing nothing, himself.]

Sure.

[And he moves his hand close enough to Daisuke's that his friend could take it, if he wanted. Everyone heals at their own pace.]

[noodlegoggles]

[hesitantly, he reaches forward and takes Ken's hand into his own. and with that he gives it a soft squeeze.]

Thanks Ken.

[empireofmymind]

[Ken squeezes back, inclining his head with a little sound. He gets it.

And he's here, as long as you need him.]