gratitude

[the_very_best]

Bella flies away. She visits her parents, hits up the guild for matches and wins enough to pay her guild dues, and tools around random wilderness beating up on the wildlife.

She doesn't really expect to hear from Sherlock and Tony again.

Comments

[bitofafiction]

"How do Pokéballs in fact work? I don't actually know. Tony undoubtedly does."

[the_very_best]

"I don't know about the mechanics of it. Let alone how people can get 'mon into PCs, which is part of why I don't do it and have never owned more than six. I was just using an instruction booklet on hollowing apricorns that gave step-by-step walkthroughs for various apricorn colors but didn't say anything about the whys and wherefores."

[bitofafiction]

"Hm," he says. "Any interesting conclusions about how to address immortal Pokémon?"

[the_very_best]

"I figure I should come at the ulterior motive obliquely," Bella says. "Probably should spend some effort demonstrating myself harmless and indicating that I do not intend to try to catch them, because I bet they get that a lot and it hasn't yielded results so far anyway."

[bitofafiction]

"How does one demonstrate harmlessness to a legendary pokemon, I wonder. Perhaps you should bring Tony along. He's very charming."

[the_very_best]

"And you too, maybe, in case I track down one that can't speak human."

[bitofafiction]

"I would be happy to help."

[the_very_best]

"Awesome. The explorer and the charmer and the psychic translator."

[bitofafiction]

"Hm," says Sherlock.

[the_very_best]

"Hm?"

[bitofafiction]

He shrugs.

"'Psychic' sits oddly with me, but I cannot actually offer a competing explanation."

[the_very_best]

"The magic translator?" suggests Bella archly.

[bitofafiction]

He laughs.

[the_very_best]

"The translator who studied audio of chattering 'mon in such exhaustive detail as to have learned what has eluded all linguists, for forever," she says with a dramatic gesture, "and who should really publish if it's that."

[bitofafiction]

"It is not that."

[the_very_best]

"Then I can overlook your failure to publish! Do you know what it is?"

[bitofafiction]

"I have my suspicions, but I don't imagine they are especially plausible."

[the_very_best]

"You could tell me anyway."

[bitofafiction]

"Perhaps I am a Ditto in disguise," he deadpans.

[the_very_best]

"...Okay, I know I offended you last time you suggested you had an unusual theory about a thing, so I'm not even going to address that one."

[bitofafiction]

He laughs. "Sorry."

[the_very_best]

"No big deal."

[bitofafiction]

"Do you suppose it's dinnertime yet?"

[the_very_best]

"Nah, not really, unless you guys eat really early."

[bitofafiction]

"Our schedule is flexible, insofar as it can be said to exist at all. But you're right, it's early. How shall we pass the time? Beat up the wildlife? Go ask Tony how Pokéballs work?"