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[rocketman]

✆ Crystal | Messenger Bird | In Person

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[rocketman]

That fog actually happened?

[He remembers being in town for it. He'd seen the shape of his fiancée in the mists, walking towards him with a whip, a Vileplume trailing behind her. That had all been a bit much to process on top of everything else so James's body and mind both shut down for a while. He'd fainted.

By the time he woke up things were starting to clear and he'd decided to blame the whole ordeal on stress nightmares.]

I thought I hallucinated the whole thing.

[broceanic]

Ah...

[archie stops, frowning for a moment. looking concerned again.]

No, it was real. [he doesn't know about the different strokes thing, but... it was an unpleasant feeling nonetheless. he saw how bad ash was freaking out.] You didn't get hurt or anything in it, did you?

[rocketman]

Me? No. I had a panic attack and passed out in an alley somewhere. Slept right on through most of it.

[James steps into the bar, hands in his pockets. He says all of that matter-of-factly. This sort of thing happens a lot.]

That storm, now, that was something, wasn't it?

[broceanic]

Oh. Well. I guess that's something?

[...ah. yeah.]

Yeah. I don't want to talk about it.

[rocketman]

Falling feels like flying 'til you hit the ground, eh?

You do get used to it.

[James reaches out and gives Archie's shoulder a sympathetic squeeze. He won't pursue the topic if the other man doesn't want to.]

Where do you want to sit? As long as my rump can rest I don't care where I'm at...

[broceanic]

[he's continually surprised by james's empathy towards him on the matter-- especially seeing as he was apparently almost killed several times by his actions.

well, he won't question it for now. he laughs at the comment.]

Maybe a side booth? Where ain't no-one gonna bother us. [he points over to an empty one.] Close to the bar, too...

[rocketman]

[James takes a seat and draws a breath to say something about the lake when another thought chases the words from his lips.

A very important thought.]

You're paying, right?

[broceanic]

I'm going to start a tab.

[sage nod.]

Then the me in a couple weeks can worry about paying when I get Ash at my door with a baseball bat. Assuming I haven't come into enough money by that point. I'm thinking of going diving in the lake with Sharpedo, seeing as he'd be able to help me pull up anything big that's down there.





...Or I'll get a job, or something.

[rocketman]

[James moans.]

I suppose I'll start baking again.

I d-

[Wait]

Wait...

[WAIT!]

Wait, what? Ash? Here!? The Twerp!?

[It doesn't occur to him that it might be a different Ash. After all, the Twerp is always around. He tangles his fingers in his hair and makes small, whimpering noises.]

Nngh... of course.

[broceanic]

Eh?

[the reaction throws him to the point it takes a couple of moments for archie to even properly react. there's a lot to unpack there.]

Er... the bouncer? [nani] --Wait, he's from our world??

[rocketman]

What, you don't remember him? I'm sure you've met...

[James drops his forehead against the table.]

He turns up everywhere. It's not fair.

[broceanic]

I've never met anyone called Ash, other than the guy I just mentioned.

[he frowns.]

What's your Bouffalant with him?

[rocketman]

[James visibly wilts and lifts his head weakly.]

Oh, he beats me up on a near weekly basis...

[His voice drips with shame.

Beaten up routinely by a ten year old, what is his life?]

[broceanic]

[just... this look.

explain?]

[rocketman]

I come up with some kind of cunning caper and he shows up with his brat brigade to knock me into the stratosphere.

[He sneers.]

Ever belly flop into an ocean from ten thousand feet up?

It hurts.

[broceanic]

No. I thought you'd die from that?

[he's not drunk enough for this.]

Why's he get in the way so much, then?

[rocketman]

Hero complex, maybe?

Who knows?

Maybe he's intimidated by my sense of style.

[Or maybe it's the fact that James is always trying to rob him?

...

Nah.]

[broceanic]

What... are you doing that makes him feel the need to interfere?

[did you... let something slip there...]

[rocketman]

[James goes a shade paler.]

Just my job!

Not my fault he doesn't like it!

He should try flipping the script, I do it all the time!

[broceanic]

[that seems to placate him.]

You ain't ever just beat him in a battle or somethin'?

[all these questions!]

[rocketman]

[Sore point.

James clutches his hands into fists.]

My bag is full of tricks but the Twerp has one very good one.

It's super effective against living things.

[The scowl is quickly replaced by a sigh.]

Somehow even if I win I end up losing.

[broceanic]

He seemed nice when I met him earlier...

[archie shrugs.]

What is it? Last question, promise. [said with a light laugh.]

[rocketman]

His trick is a painful and preternaturally powerful Pikachu.

[James makes a vague gesture in the air.]

You can feel its jolts down to your tailbone!

Usually it rides on his shoulder, did you see it?

[broceanic]

Ah... electric types...

[he understands that pain.]

Catch a ground type! I recommend a Quagsire, because people think they're only water and forget about the ground typing. Those are always fun to bust out against someone with an electric type that thinks they're some kinda hot Shuppet.

[housewareshero]

[oh, he'll knock you into the stratosphere if you call him a twerp again, that's for sure]