yarn

[the_very_best]

Bella leaves in due time. She calls Sherlock a week later with one of her father's Pokémon on the other end of the line; it is learned that being boxed is sort of like having almost fallen asleep or woken up but not quite, a drowsy half-conscious state with little attention to the passage of time. It is not unpleasant, at least in this 'mon's opinion.

Three weeks later, Bella flies to Lake Acuity again.

Comments

[the_very_best]

"Hey guys! Who wants to dress up like an Umbreon?" she asks, brandishing that sweater.

[toblameforit]

"Porygon! Porygon!" says one at the rear of the pack, hopping up and down. The others make way for it and it scoots up to her.

[the_very_best]

Bella helps it into its new sweater. "Who wants this one?" she inquires, holding up the one with the inferior sock.

[toblameforit]

"Pory," says one Porygon, and "Pory! Pory!" says another. The two argue back and forth like this, gently headbutting each other; then one scoots back and lets its friend have the first turn.

[the_very_best]

Bella sweaters the winning Porygon and offers up the orange-and-white sweater with the green... accent.

[toblameforit]

This one is universally despised, apparently.

Then one small Porygon from somewhere in the middle of the pack says, "Gon?" and trundles forward.

[the_very_best]

Bella puts that Porygon in that sweater.

"And this is the last one," she says, holding up teals-and-puffballs enticingly.

[toblameforit]

About half the remaining Porygon become very excited about the puffballs.

[the_very_best]

Bella laughs and waits for them to sort it out amongst themselves.

[toblameforit]

Eventually they seem to come to an agreement, and one Porygon zooms forward and stops right in front of her, looking up, while the rest back off.

[the_very_best]

Bella puts it in the fourth and final sweater.

[toblameforit]

It bumps affectionately, and now puffily, against her shins.

[the_very_best]

She scoops it up and pets it. "There," she says. "That should alleviate the pointiness problem."

[toblameforit]

"Pory pory," says the Porygon blissfully.

"That is the cutest thing I have ever seen," says Tony from the door.

[the_very_best]

"Porygon in terrible sweaters getting cuddled?" laughs Bella. "It's pretty cute, but I dunno, you saw Dusk's baby pictures."

[toblameforit]

"Yes I did," says Tony. "This is cuter."

He comes in the rest of the way and scoops up the one with the funny sock.

[the_very_best]

Bella laughs. "Where's Sherlock?"

[toblameforit]

"Sleeping!"

[the_very_best]

"Well, I guess the sweaters aren't going anywhere. Who are the lucky four?"

[toblameforit]

"Orange, white, and green is Flob," says Tony. "I'm holding Butterfingers," he gives the Porygon a pat, "you're holding one of the -obs but I'm not sure which one, some of them don't answer to their names anyway."

[the_very_best]

"Who's cosplaying an Umbreon?" Bella asks.

[toblameforit]

"I can't tell under there!"

[the_very_best]

"How do you tell them apart anyway?" Bella asks, gazing at the sea of less-distinguished Porygon.

[toblameforit]

"Um... I dunno," says Tony. "I just kind of do. I mean, there's distinguishing features, I just don't really think about them much anymore? Like, when you look at somebody you know, you don't go 'oh, she's dressed like a trainer on the road and she has a cute nose and her jaw goes in a little at the sides, she must be Bella'."

[the_very_best]

Bella feels her nose. "I have a cute nose?"