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

[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. ]

[shirimasen]

You can't ask me the same thing I asked you! [Or... maybe he can, because he's his double? Regardless, Hibiki frowns and sets to concentrating on fixing his Bellossom's bedhead. Or as bedheady as flowers can get.

On the other hand, the frown starts to slip and he glances back up to his double with a smile.] You know a Silver too? Is he grumpy and kind of a crybaby when you pick on him too much, but he'd definitely definitely definitely deny that he'd ever cry?

[......okay the only time he'd ever seen Silver cry was like three years ago, when Kotone picked on him for losing battles all the time. "You even lose to Hibiki," she'd said. Now that he's thinking about it, his best friend was always kind of the mean sort, huh -- well. That's just how she showed she liked people. Maybe.]

[backcap]

[ This conversation will flow really smoothly as Ethan is easily distracted, and apparently so is Hibiki. Ethan relaxes his shoulders for a little bit, allowing his Marill to make a jump back to the ground, only to hold onto his ankle. ]

I'm not sure if he's a crybaby. [ Maybe he is? Not sure, Ethan is too busy being a crybaby himself. It takes a Lyra to make either of the boys function - same goes for any of them, actually. ]

But he is a grump! He'd also deny we're friends, but we're absolutely the best..est friends!

[ And the talk about his best friend is sure to bring the smile back onto his face, Ethan makes a tiny fist pump for himself, the thought of his friends making him giddy. ]

[shirimasen]

[It's because he watches so much television, or so his mom would say. Shortened attention spans are so not because of that!!]

Silver-kun and I are pretty good friends, too, but he likes hanging out with Kotokuma more than me. He doesn't make fun of my hobbies though and he still plays games with me, so I guess it's not all bad.

[Life is truly suffering for the apparently uncool and totally pathetic middle school boy. Or something.

It probably helps that Hibiki cut the cutesy Sil-chan act real quick though.]

[backcap]

[ that sounds like Silver all right, though he's wondering what sort of games they play together. Everything in his head is a little game, but that doesn't mean other Ethangoldbiki has the same idea of a game as he is! He tilts his head. ]

Who is Kotokuma?

[ He's heard Kotone, Hibiki, Gold and the likes, but never that name before... He's also concerned because apparently this Silver likes playing with them more than with his double? What is this! His Silver would never do that (in his head)! ]

[shirimasen]

[...he really should stop calling Kotone by that name, since she hates it, but it's pretty much one of the only guaranteed ways to get her to talk to him.]

Kotokuma's my nickname for Kotone-kun. She's kind of cute, or she used to be, but she's gotten pretty mean. She used to like the name too, but she really hates being called it nowadays. [Aside from aforementioned way of getting her to talk to him, it's just a friendly reminder that they're friends.] She used to call me Hibichi in return, but now it's just Kiyosumi-kun or something worse.

[...Hibiecchi...]

[backcap]

[ He would've commented on the funny nicknames, but there is a more pressing matter here. Matters such as Lyra / Kotone being mean. He considers his Lyra an angel on earth, the best person he could ask for (despite her being a hyperactive, difficult child herself, oops) and the idea of her double being mean just doesn't strike Ethan as right. ]

What do you mean she's gotten mean? There's no way-!! [ He stops himself there, because he shouldn't be insensitive if it's true. Different worlds and all. He doesn't correct himself, though, not sure how to continue. ]

[shirimasen]

[Hibiki winces, drawing closer to his Typhlosion -- who doesn't move much, except to give him a little more room. He tucks his chin into his chest, watching the ground with a frown.]

... We're in middle school now. [He's muttering, he knows, and he tries to make his voice louder, but it's a hard topic.] We're, um, older now, so she thinks we should be too old to like the things we used to. Since I kind of think we're still kids so we should stay the same as we've always been, we butt heads a lot. She hangs out with people who don't watch cartoons or read manga or anything like that now too.

[It's a hard knock life. Hibiki really, really wants to be Kotone's friend! She's just... She's nice to everyone, except him. She's her happy, cheerful, nice, sweet self to everyone who isn't him.]

[backcap]

[ There are words that slip through Ethan's head because they have no meaning, words such as middle school and manga (thanks, pokémon world). But he is too busy being sympathetic to actually pay attention to words he doesn't understand. This is wrong. There is no way there is an incarnation of Lyra that is ignoring someone on purpose-!

The tension in his body is gone completely as Ethan sways his hands behind his back, fiddling his fingers together as he tries to put words together while imagining his Lyra being mean. He doesn't succeed. Which is why his next comment comes more strained than usual, no hint of his usual cheeriness. ]

That doesn't sound right..

[ he_tried.jpg ]

[shirimasen]

It happens. [Hibiki hunches his shoulders together; he's trying to make himself as small as he feels.] Silver-kun says that people drift away when they don't have the same interests anymore, and that that's just how stuff works, but Kotone-kun and I have been best friends since we were babies...

[its_sad.jpg]

[backcap]

[ This won't do. He can't let someone he shares his face with to be sad for so long, regardless of the reason. ]

Um! [ He starts. Give him a moment. ] Don't you know that Silver says things he doesn't really understand once in a while just for the purpose of being mean? His face can turn as red as his hair when he's found out, though!

[ Because clearly, if this double shares the same brain wave as him, they'd get along so well while making fun of Silver(s). ]

your ethan's really cute btw! i wish i was half as solid on this one as you seem to be ahaha

[shirimasen]

[Not quite a big topic change, but it's enough to give him a start and wonder where it came from. Ah!]

Yeah, and then he tries to brush it off! [Heh. Definitely the same wavelength over here.] Does he ever say something kind of nice and then get embarrassed about it afterwards too?

thanks!! it's been forever since i last played him tho. yours is equally cute if not more ♥

[backcap]

[ It's only a slight diversion! Ethan is too dumb to do an absolute topic change, despite his tendency to be distracted whenever someone else pulls it on him. His capability to do so is slightly increased when there is someone in need in close proximity, though! Which is what is happening now. His smile is softened as he sees Hibiki's face brightens up. ]

Uh-huh, all the time. [ Sighs. ] I'm glad Silver is still the same old Silver in your world.