what would you do if you just got launched into THE WORLD OF YOUR DREAMS huh

[shirimasen]

[...who isn't experiencing culture shock as much as he is the total immense joy of being able to play with his Pokémon. He's got an interesting crew out with him (a Typhlosion, a Clefable, a Wigglytuff, a Bellossom, a Smeargle, and an Abra), and he's cuddling with them, as one is prone to do when one has never had the chance or thought of Pokémon being real.

(Well. He thought so, when he was like, eight or something? But he was a kid, and it hadn't been real. But these Pokémon -- they were! And his team from his Soul Silver game had been brought to life, just like that!!)

To the undiscerning eye, it might look like he's asleep. But he definitely isn't. Totally. 100% awake here. Really!! Just go over and see for yourself, he's seriously awake. It's not like he's his Abra or something, guys, hahaha, who the heck falls asleep in random places right --]

Comments

[globetrotting]

[Even if he were sleeping, there's nothing wrong with that -- though the sight of him totally not asleep does making this trainer laugh quietly to herself upon spotting him, but only at how pleasant it looks. A cuddle pile - who didn't like one of those now and then?

And the location isn't so bad; the weather is good and there's trees and good patches of grass for butts to rest on or against. Blue doesn't want to surprise the boy or his pokémon if they should wake up, but she decides, with a person around already, why not take a break herself? She's been looking around and exploring the island for a while, and she could do with sitting down and taking a drink of the water in her bag. There's a nice flat stone to perch upon, too, nearby but not intrusively close.

Hope the sounds of bag rustling aren't too noticeable. But then, the boy isn't really asleep, is he.

And if that doesn't alert them, a problematic apple escapes Blue's bag and goes rolling off towards their direction. Oops!]

[shirimasen]

[The bag rustling gets a little grumble, but it's the apple coupled with his food appreciating Abra lifting off of his chest that gets him to sit up. He watches her air-tumble towards the apple and snatch it up, halting a few feet short of Blue.

Oh, a girl -- a pretty girl -- maybe, even a Pokémon Trainer? Or someone like him, who'd come from a world without it?

In the games, if you locked eyes with another trainer you'd have to battle them, so he pointedly looks at a place over her shoulder when he gives her a totally not tired wave. His other Pokémon, at least, stay asleep.]

Good morn... er... afternoon? [Um... Manners, manners -- Abra floats back over to Hibiki and presents the apple to him. Oh, that's not his. He holds it out in Blue's direction, raising his voice a little because everything is blanketed in the muted sounds of totally-wasn't-asleep.] Is this yours?

[globetrotting]

[She's up soon after the apple goes rolling, but fortunately she doesn't need to go too far when the abra gets to it first. ... Except it keeps going in the direction opposite of her. Better go and collect that, if it isn't going to be lost to her forever!

Which thankfully it looks like it isn't. She bows her head with a sheepish laugh.] Sorry, that's right! My bag is such a mess.

[Once she's standing before him and his crew, she flashes him a smile, holding out her hand to take it back.] Afternoon, sunshine.

[Looking directly at you, boy. Shock horror. And no battle music starting!]

[shirimasen]

[SHOCK HORROR oh. There's no music -- no challenge -- Hibiki feels himself blush in embarrassment at the thought that, well, it'd be exactly like the games...

(...but, really, what else was he supposed to think?)

He hands her back the apple anyway, ignoring his Abra's mental anguish. She really doesn't look it, but she's so, so disappointed that he didn't let her have a snack.]

I guess it's not all the same -- [He bites his tongue - fourth walling people isn't nice, and while the best of his comedy anime did it his life wasn't exactly a comedy. More like a tragedy. A really, really big tragedy.] I mean, er, here. Cadachible loves eating things, but... luckily for your apple, I guess, she doesn't like fruit peels.

[He's learned a lot about his team in the few hours he's met them.]

[globetrotting]

Thanks. [She says when he hands back the apple. As for that slip of the tongue, it doesn't sound at all fishy to Blue's ears. Good save there.

She looks at his abra instead- Cadachible, she guesses- and puts a finger against the side of her jaw.]

No? Lucky me. [She looks back to the boy.] But if she's hungry, that's not good. Do you have anything for lunch? I was just thinking about heading to the beach to eat with my boys and girls. If none of yours mind apples, I've got plenty to spare.

[Her apple-holding hand motions back to her bag against the stone she was sitting on before, full with miscellaneous - and particularly apples, peeking up from the top, all of which she had picked up on the road earlier.]

I've got a pocket knife too, so Cadachible doesn't have to worry about the peel either. [How does that sound, Cadachible?]

[powerfulwarrior]

[Hilbert's one of those people that do, for sure, but he's not asleep today. He's too busy wondering if there's a shrine to Landorus here like there was on that floating island (in his dreams?) and if he could find N here. Maybe. But this place is so big! It'd be impossible to find someone like that guy, even with that odd hair of his!

See? He even found someone who wasn't N. Hilbert stares down at Hibiki for a bit, fondly thinking of his own nap adventures, and plops down a little ways away from the Poképile.

... Was the kid really asleep? Maybe a poke with his foot'll go over well.]

[shirimasen]

[About as well as any foot poke. That is, uh, Hibiki really wasn't sleeping! Definitely! He was just jumping to, uh, meet Hilbert. Sure. Startling the poor Abra on his chest and the rest of his crew, too, with his definitely-not-startled-out-of-sleep jumping.

Hahaha. Haha. Ha. Hilbert's taller than him -- and he looks a lot older too -- so Hibiki feels just fine not looking him in the eyes. Don't want to start anything while he's half-asleep -- er, uh, not prepared?]

Can I-- Can I help you?

[powerfulwarrior]

[Whoops. Guess he really was sleep. He scratches the back of his head and smiles apologetically.]

Oh, uh, not really. I was just wondering if you were really sleeping and it's kinda creepy to watch someone sleep... I mean, I was walking around when I saw you and your pals, so I thought I'd make a friend or two. Sorry if you were having a nice dream or something - you looked pretty happy!

[It's the truth!]

[shirimasen]

[Weirdo. Hibiki furrows his brow a little, but shrugs.]

I'm more happy this isn't a dream. [-- Okay that sounded out of place. He has the decency to look appropriately embarrassed and clears his throat. The ground's pretty interesting too!] Er, I mean, I... It's okay. It wasn't that good of a dream.

[powerfulwarrior]

[...

Hilbert colors a little - happy it isn't a dream huh - and sits back on his hands, shaking his head. The kid's younger than him. But he won't lead him on, if it happens to be like that. Just tease him. Yeah. Even if it feels kind of embarrassing himself, since it sounds like something a friend of his would say...]

Am I better reality?

[goldenlyre]

[Ethan, spotted at ten o'clock! Not a time, a direction! Sure, he has a vastly different team than the jerk she knows and one naturally different than her neighbor and his Marill... But an Ethan's an Ethan, like a Silver is a Silver.

So he gets the Ethan Wake Up Call - a good ol' fashioned dive.]

Wake up!

[shirimasen]

[His Abra is smart enough to Teleport away almost as soon as she sees danger, but Hibiki - and the rest of his snooze crew - aren't so lucky. Hibiki coughs like he's just got the breath knocked out of him (which he did, so) and--

Uh uh --??]

K-Kotokuma?! [Wait she doesn't like that nickname.] Er, I mean... Kotone-kun?

[goldenlyre]

[Lyra sits back and shakes her head at the name, and grins widely as she leans closer. Sorry, Hibiki. You are her best friend. Lookalike. You get this treatment.]

Your girlfriend?

[shirimasen]

[He can't remember the last time Kotone -- or someone who looks like her, he guesses?! -- was so close to him --

it kind of makes him nauseous. Not in the "this is so gross" way, but the anxious way.]

N-No, she's my best friend -- you look like her, so I thought you were her, but you're not and-- um-- c-could you... get off of me?

[goldenlyre]

[She doesn't pout like she would with Silver, instead moving back off him and studying him. Wonder what his name was then, if her lookalike's was Kotone... It sounded like a pretty name. Musical!

Meanwhile, prepare for an onslaught.]

You look like my best friend, actually! But lookalikes are pretty common around here so I'm okay with it. My name's Lyra, but you can call me Lyly! What's your name? Your Wigglytuff is so cute! I know someone with a Typhlosion too, and they're pretty strong even if I can beat them. What're their names? I have a Meganium myself, his name's Sprouty, but I kinda left him behind when I spotted you resting...

[To Sprouty's credit, he's being used as a perched for several bird Pokémon as he trudges over. Sigh. Ferry service. As usual.]

[backcap]

[ The sight of his double cuddling with a bunch of pokémon excite Ethan in - promise - a non-creepy way. It's fun! It's amusing to see a double, and he knows how amazing the feeling is to sleep under the sun with his pokémon. He hasn't realized that he is not totally sleeping, though, as he tiptoes his way around Hibiki, inspecting his pokémon from afar not planning to wake any of them up. His Marill cautiously follows behind him like a personal chaperone, seems like she catches on sooner than Ethan that his doppelganger is awake.

But, not telling. ]

Look, Mary.. [ Then he remembers to lower his voice to a whisper. ] A double!

[shirimasen]

[In actuality, the only one of the group that isn't asleep is Cadachible, the Abra Who Will Eat Anything. Hibiki's just on the edge of waking, so he naturally stirs when he feels his Abra lift away from him.

And... well, he caught a Marill in his game, like once; he never kept it around though, because his character's neighbor already had one, so walking with it felt a little silly. His character walking with it, that is.

It's just plain weird to see someone who looks like him snooping around, like he's... stalking some sort of prey, or being one of those wildlife observers Hibiki'd see on TV. "Look," they'd say. "A wild lion, sleeping peacefully!" And then they'd do some sort of informational lecture on it.

Hibiki doesn't think he's interesting enough to warrant it and he's starting to consider he might just be dreaming... but, no, he might as well see what he wants. The other him. The look-a-like.]

Your Marill's really cute! [...is what he says instead. Not exactly as planned, but it's true!!] Er, I mean -- Doppelganger-san, what are you...

[...doing?]

[backcap]

[ That comment is absolutely not startling, which is why Ethan's shoulders stiffen and takes a step back in defense, if he were in a cartoon (ha ha), he'd have jumped ten feet from the surprise. It's not as if he's the one creeping in his doppelganger sleeping, anyway!

Ethan puts a hand on his chest, after realizing it's his own double talking to him, then smiles sheepishly. ]

Thanks! [ His fists curled in response, like a kid getting too enthusiastic. Which is what he is, really. ]

I'm sorry for disturbing your rest!! I didn't mean to, I just thought your pokémon is really cool.. 'Doppelganger-san'?

[ Which is half true? He doesn't have a Typhlosion, thanks to the stubbornness of letting his Cyndaquil having a choice of its own and also because both Lyra and Silver both keep their pokémon in their starting forms. He doesn't exactly train those pokémon either, albeit keeping them in his PC. ]

[shirimasen]

Doppelganger-san, because you look like me. [See? Easy to understand --

he grins though.] Thank you very much! They're my prized partners.

[...and all this shouting has roused, at least, his Bellossom. She rises with a gentle yawn, glance to her trainer -- then to his double -- then -- and -- ???

???

She puts her hands over her mouth and makes a small sound of confusion.]

Ah, Kireihime-chan, it's okay -- I think -- he seems pretty harmless. [Hibiki pets his flower girl's head until she settles back into sitting next to him.] At least, I think he is... Doppelganger-san, you're not here to try and take my place or something, right? It's kind of a joke back home that if you see your double, it'll try to kill you and take your life completely. I wonder if Kotokuma would like a different Hibiki...

[backcap]

What? Of course I'm not going to take over your place or... kill you! [ The 'kill' is said as if it were a taboo word, almost as if he were afraid of saying it. Ethan takes a step forward, completely ignoring every bit of Hibiki's remarks to protect his maiden's pride as a harmless soul!!

Then, very carefully: ]

Are you? I'm not going to hand over my Silver and Lyra! Not ever!

[ He makes a point by collecting his Marill from the ground and hugs it, as if Silver and Lyra are at the same position as the Marill. ]

[firstgirlwins]

[Well, since he's most certainly not asleep, maybe he won't mind the Umbreon that crept over to check out him and the whole cuddle pile.

And hopefully he won't mind the trainer who's trying to coax said Umbreon away and trying to keep quiet while doing so. And failing.]

H-hey, come on...! Get back over here, Vee...

[shirimasen]

[He... He doesn't mind it, but Cadachi does. The Abra dives from her place on his chest to between his side and his Typhlosion. Hibiki himself, though initially irritated, gets to have a great wide-eyed moment about the Umbreon checking them out.

...he's hesitant to pet it, since there's at least one Pokédex entry that says their rings emit poison, but he has no problem with scooting back a little. Ha--haha, hi, Umbreon.]

Is, um -- is it yours? [Dumb question. She wouldn't be calling its name otherwise. Darn.] It-- It looks pretty strong!

[It's not like he's afraid of it!

He's just, uh. In awe of it. Surely.]

[firstgirlwins]

Yeah, he's mine. Sorry if he was bothering you. [She clicks her tongue and the Umbreon trots back over, somewhat reluctantly.]

He's a bit too curious for his own good. You've got some cute friends there, yourself. [She'll just plop down nearby, Vee curling up by her side.]

[shirimasen]

[None of his Pokémon are overly curious - though his mischievous Wigglytuff comes really, really close.]

It's fine, and thank you. [None of them are the type to resist being called cute either!! It's a blessing.] You said his name was Vee, right? That's pretty cute, compared to mine.

[firstgirlwins]

It's not very creative, honestly... "Vee" coming from "Eevee" and all. [She chuckles a bit sheepishly.] Oh, speaking of names, mine's Alessa. What's yours?