[Video]

[crouching_sin]

[Normally Naoya wouldn't bother with a post like this, but he's at his wit's end. He's done his best to try to solve it himself, but it's not working... so it's a rather frazzled-looking Naoya who appears on the screen, barely holding on to a very frightened-looking Ralts.]

[The Ralts in question is making tiny squeaking noises and looks like she wants to cry and hide rather than be anywhere in the area. Any Pokémon watching can probably hear her squeaking 'he is a bad and scary man'.]

Most of my Pokémon are rather well behaved. This one, however... doesn't seem to want to be anywhere near me. I haven't done anything to scare her. She just hatched a few days ago.

Has anyone else had problems with a Ralts that... doesn't seem to like them?

[He just... turns the video off. He'll put her back in her Pokeball now because... he doesn't know what else to do.]

Comments

[crouching_sin]

Oh, excellent. That's very helpful.

Alice is still too young for me to let her use the Gear on her own, but I've been trying to calm her down for a while with no success. It's not as if I don't know how to handle babies, even those that aren't human, but she just doesn't want anything to do with me.

[unkinder]

She hasn't spoken to you at all?

[crouching_sin]

I assume you mean telepathically, but no.

[unkinder]

I do, yes. She seems very frightened. What I can tell you is that Ralts, as well as most of our species, can sense the emotions and intentions of those around them. I do not know if that means anything to you, but that may help shed some light on why she is so upset.

[crouching_sin]

So I've read. I do have a Spiritomb and a Shuppet who enjoy my company if that explains anything.

[unkinder]

[...oh dear.]

Somewhat. Though, all Pokemon are different, so that can be subjective.

...is there perhaps any possible way she could speak to me for a moment? Through audio is fine; I will return to text after.

[crouching_sin]

Sure.

[He switches to video and sets it down in front of Alice, who looks down at the video.]

H... hello?

[unkinder]

[The Gardevoir switches the Gear to video herself so she can talk back. She considered just using audio, but perhaps seeing her would help her to calm down. She's careful to direct the video at only herself so Nagi doesn't have to worry about being seen.]

Hello. My name is Uchikina. What is yours?

[crouching_sin]

[Yeah Naoya is just going to... step away. Not so far that he can't grab the Gear if something goes wrong, but... enough to give her space.]

... Alice. M... my name's Alice...

[unkinder]

It is nice to meet you, Alice. Would you mind talking with me for a few minutes?

[crouching_sin]

... Okay. Um... about what?

[unkinder]

About your trainer. I will not tell him anything you have told me. You can speak to me safely. I know you are frightened right now, so please do not worry.

[crouching_sin]

I... he's scary! He didn't... do anything bad to me or anything but he's just scary! He has mean thoughts a lot and I can feel a lot of hurt from him and the hurt hurts!

[unkinder]

Oh...it is alright, young one. I felt the same way when I first hatched and found myself in my own trainer's presence.

Would you believe me if I told you that I wanted to run away from him when I was still a Kirlia? I actually attempted it, though I never got caught when I did come back.

[crouching_sin]

... I don't want to hurt. I don't want him to hurt either but I can't fix it. So I don't want to hurt.

[unkinder]

If your trainer is hurting, it isn't going to be easy. Mine still hurts, even now. But you have to learn to protect yourself; you cannot let his emotions negatively affect yours. It will come more easily in time, but he doesn't seem interested in causing you any harm directly. Speaking to him now and then may help you, since- at the moment- he is a complete stranger to you. It is hard to empathize, and that makes his own pain even worse on you.

[crouching_sin]

... I can catch little bits of things but I don't understand it. Why are humans so weird? There's not even a place with that much sand anywhere!

[unkinder]

Sand? What do you mean?

[crouching_sin]

He was thinking about sand. And lots and lots of it!

[unkinder]

...perhaps he is thinking of his home, then. He may be homesick.

[crouching_sin]

But that's too much sand!

[unkinder]

Humans are surprisingly resilient. But that may just be a place he was passing through, or where he was before he arrived here. Is the sand particularly bothering you, Alice?

[crouching_sin]

No, it just doesn't make sense.

He's really weird. And there's a lot of ghosts with him. He has um. ... Seven Pokemon. And three of them are ghosts!

[unkinder]

Mmm...some trainers specialize. Mine has many, many Psychic types with him at the moment. Would you say that Ghost types seem drawn to him?

[crouching_sin]

Yeah. And Dark types, too. He only has two Pokemon that aren't Dark, Poison, or Ghost and that's me and a Ditto.