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

[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.]