14th Grail: [Video]

[dressofheaven]

I don't tend to make a big deal out of this sort of thing, ordinarily. But under the circumstances it seems appropriate.

[Ilya holds up Claire's Rising Badge to the camera, then shows off the other seven badges pinned to her collar. She adds the last one and makes no effort to restrain her victorious smirk.]

That's the eight badges of Johto collected. I hope the elite battles over in Kanto give a bit more of a challenge. I don't suppose anyone can give me an idea of what to expect from them. I'd like to hear any stories you might have.

Oh, but I'm feeling nostalgic. Even if you haven't fought the elite matches yet, even if you only have one or two badges, why don't you tell me about them? It seems like as good a way as any to celebrate, at least until I get my little gathering underway.

Also, Claire, if you're listening. Gyarados still isn't a dragon type.

Comments

video;

[wing_attack]

My first Pokémon was a flying type, and by the time I fought Bugsy he'd evolved, learned all of his attacks, and couldn't really get much stronger. ... So Bugsy wasn't exactly a problem.

video;

[dressofheaven]

Oh dear. Did any of his Pokemon last more than one hit?

[She doesn't sound too sympathetic to poor Bugsy's plight.]

video;

[wing_attack]

... Not really, no. Braviary are supposed to be ferocious battlers, but I think mine missed the memo. I think he thinks of battling as mostly goofing around.

video;

[dressofheaven]

Well if he's that high a level, maybe it's just that nothing he's fought has been able to challenge him enough to take it seriously. At least not for a while. You should find something really difficult for him to fight, like a high level rock-type.

video;

[wing_attack]

Even before that, I mean. He's always been more friendly than anything else.

video;

[dressofheaven]

Hmm. Well, I guess they can't all be fighters. It's good for him he has a trainer, though. That sort of attitude wouldn't serve him well in the wild.

video;

[wing_attack]

... No, it wouldn't. But I'm glad he's with me. He's been really helpful, and not just with battling.

video;

[dressofheaven]

Is he the one you use to fly from place to place? Harpy, my Aerodactyl, is very useful for that.

video;

[wing_attack]

He is, but he's been a good friend through my time here.

video;

[dressofheaven]

Oh. Well naturally. They're all good at that. At least all of mine are.

[Unspoken is her belief that if they aren't, the trainer must not have put in much effort to bond with them.]

video;

[wing_attack]

Most of mine are. Some are less... friendly than others.

video;

[dressofheaven]

Those type just need a little more work. Remember, they do need you, as their trainer, even if sometimes they seem to be against admitting it. Don't hesitate to use that fact.

video;

[wing_attack]

Oh, I know. Nacho - my Hawlucha - takes a lot of work. But I'm working with him on it. At least he listens to me now. He didn't want to take any orders at all at first.

video;

[dressofheaven]

Was he a traded Pokemon? I've heard that can cause those sort of problems, sometimes.

video;

[wing_attack]

He was, though I asked the person who traded it to me to give me the most difficult of the group he found. I have an... understanding with birds. I know how to read their body language and I can usually get a pretty good guess of what their cries mean.

video;

[dressofheaven]

What a useful set of skills! Were you a falconer back home?

video;

[wing_attack]

Oh uh... not exactly. I... I was a hawk, most of the time.

[dressofheaven]

Oh! Like a Magus specializing in transformation magic, then. That's an interesting form to focus on though.

[wing_attack]

I kind of got stuck. I got the power back but then hawk was my default form.

[dressofheaven]

Oh dear. You were quite fortunate not to just lose your mind to the animal instincts when that happened. Transformation magic is really dangerous like that.

[wing_attack]

Yeah, instincts can be... tough to deal with. But I spent enough time as a hawk to be able to overcome those instincts most of the time.

[dressofheaven]

I would think it would make it harder to hold on to your mind in an animal's body... but, well, you're the expert on this, I suppose.

[wing_attack]

Not really? I mean, it's just kind of like... learning what things you're going to end up doing anyway and turning it to what you need to do. Like... if you're trying to attack something, you just pretty much tell the hawk instincts "okay, this is prey" and let go for a moment.

[dressofheaven]

And what happens if the instincts are fighting what you want to do, or you can't let them do what they want?

[wing_attack]

Well... then you have to hope your teammates can rein you in.