[Video]/[Action]

[grapeeater]

[There's an unfamiliar face peering into the Pokegear. One would be forgiven for thinking that it's a newcomer, except...]

Ah. Well... this is a problem...

[He brushes his hair back, looking a bit... troubled.]

I woke up this morning like this. Somehow I've aged ten years in one night. Is anyone else having a problem like this?

[Later, he can be found wandering around Goldenrod, with a Lucario, shiny Greninja, and shiny Pawniard trailing after him. The two shinys look pretty calm, but the Lucario looks slightly distressed at his trainer's predicament.]

Comments

[dancermai]

[The young girl peers out. A lot of people seem to know her name. She seems rather curious and the aipom tries to scramble up her tiny body to get to his usual perch. Which isn't quite stable when it's so small. When Mai feels the weight of Jam, there's a little cry so Jam instead tries to climb up on Micchy's shoulder instead to get a closer look at the woman.

There was a little pout now as Jam almost hurt her with the climb and she clings a little more to Micchy's leg, her fingers digging into the fabric.]

Do you know my parents at the shrine too?

[donoteateither]

No, not exactly...

[She did say "young woman," but she didn't mean that young. Yachi almost excuses herself to leave, but Eli's ball wiggles on her belt, wanting to be let out for the first time since he saw that Yachi's changed.

She steps back a pace to let the Totodile out, but before she can scoop him up in her arms just in case little Mai is scared of bitey little creatures, he leaps up in front of Micchy, barely reaching waist level but intent on saying hi to the Pokemon on his shoulder.]

Eli, please-- Oh! [These two may be strangers, but that Pokemon is familiar, and one Eli recognizes.] Are you Jam? Mai, is this your Pokemon?

[grapeeater]

It seems like a lot of people have changed. I'm not this old, usually. So is it that hard to believe that Mai's this young?

[He pats Mai on the shoulder, trying to calm her.]

If you know Mai and Jam... are you Yachi?

[Jam please get off of his shoulder, this is weird.]

[dancermai]

[With a loud POM! Jam pounces off Micchy's shoulder and tackles the Totodile with full recognition. It has been a long time since they've been able to play together.

Mai sniffs a little and then moves out between the two adults now.]

Jam is my friend.

[She keeps a hand clinging to the fabric of Micchy's pants as she watches the two pokemon excitedly catching up. A part of her wants to also join in and in that moment she lets go and tries to physically pounce onto the two pokemon herself.]

[donoteateither]

[She nods at Micchy, surprised that he guessed who she is.]

That's right, I'm Yachi. I was fifteen yesterday, but... Well, I don't think I've met you before though?

[The Pokemon on his shoulder is undeniably Jam, but Yachi still struggles to believe that is Mai, even with a grown up body herself... Letting their Pokemon play!fight it out, Yachi crouches down in front of Mai so they're at a more comfortable level, and unclips a second Pokeball from her belt. She can still make good of one of her promises: she lets her Swablu out; Mai wanted to feel Poppy's wings, didn't she?]

Oh, and this is Poppy, Mai. She wanted to meet you too.

[grapeeater]

I'm -

[No, Mai wouldn't have called him 'Mitsuzane'.]

I'm Micchy. I'm usually around seventeen, but... well. Right now, not so much. I know Mai from home.

[He has no idea how much Mai has told Yachi, but... he's prepared for the worst if Mai's told her about why she was upset.]

[dancermai]

[Luckily for Micchy, Mai hasn't actually talked to Yachi about him. At all really. As she didn't really know what to say. Especially since that last text message incident. None of that mattered now though. There was now a really fluffy pokemon distracting her from wanting to wrestle the Totodile and Aipom.]

Poppy...

[She smiled brightly and tried to scoop up the large ball of fluff into her arms while simultaneously, somehow, trying to bury her face into its wings.]

[donoteateither]

Micchy. [Yachi nods to herself, going through the list in her head of names she's heard of, but he isn't on there. Or maybe he is and she doesn't remember-- but it's the bad names, the people to must! avoid!! that stand out the most, so him being Mai's friend makes him good in her books.

She lets Poppy go to Mai so she can stand up again and talk with Micchy, the little Swablu hopping out of Mai's grasp just to turn around and press her fluff into Mai's face, like any touching's got to be on her terms.]

It's a good thing you're here for her. I don't suppose you know what's going on, or you'd have done something already... [She sighs softly. It's nice being tall, but it's weird. It's too weird. Everything looks different from up here.] Is this how it's going to be forever? I'm going to die twenty years earlier? At least Mai can grow up and be herself.

[grapeeater]

No, but usually when weird things go on here they go back to normal after a few days. You'll be fine.

[He sighs and watches Mai, smiling slightly. She's happy and laughing and safe, and he kind of wants to keep it this way. ... But he knows she can't stay like this forever.]

It's... good to see her happy like this, though. I promised to keep her safe... but she's a little bit of a handful like this, even with my Pokemon.

[dancermai]

[She buries her face into the fluff and giggles. It feels just like it looks. A white fluffy cloud. She remains that way for a few moments longer, before she excitedly looks up and grins towards Yachi.]

Meet Mai's friends too!

[Then, without skipping a beat, she performs a happy little twirl and throws all of her pokeballs into the air. Out pop an angry chattering cherubi who rushes to Mai's side, an all too happy espurr, a rather worried looking hoppip and newborns togepi and amaura.]

This one's always angry. [She motions towards the overprotective cherubi.]

[donoteateither]

[A few days is a comfort, pushing back the thought of "what if it isn't just a few days??!" but Yachi can't help but smile at Mai too. She always makes her smile.]

Even when we're being hailed on, I never see her not happy. Isn't that right, M- Mai--?!

[Yachi moves out of the way just in time to avoid a face full of Hoppip. So many Pokemon! Eli pokes his snout past Jam's tail to get a better look at the newcomers, but her Anorith is the one that jumps forward and stands his ground in front of Yachi, clicking its claws defensively at the Cherubi.]

Ack, no! We're not battling, Bell! Why is it always angry?! Micchy!!? [She turns to him as if he knows the answer. What to do???]

[grapeeater]

[Micchy resists the urge to bury his head in his hands and goes to stand in front of the Cherubi, not caring if it attacks him or not.]

Hey! Both of you, cut it out! We're all trying to get along here. Ryugen, stand down. I know what it looks like, but calm down. She's not going to get hurt.

[He looks over his shoulder at Yachi, smiling a little apologetically.]

Sorry. She named him after me... sort of. It's fitting in too many ways.

[dancermai]

[Mai then pulls out her fan and moves a little ways into an open space. Her pack of pokemon surround her and sit in a large circle while Jam and Ryugen join her in the centre. As she starts her traditional dance, Jam mimics each of her dance moves using his tail in replacement of the fan. Ryugen joins in, improvising what he can and generally just following Mai around with each step.

Dancing was the one way to corral her pokemon. They seemed to start paying attention when she did it and each step calmed everybody down. It was something Mai did in her normal teenage form as well.

After a few moments she smiled brightly and dropped into a sitting position, now being jumped on by all her pokemon. She laughs brightly and cuddles each of them before she sits up and looks towards the other two again.

One day, I'm going to be the priestess for my shrine and I'll dance at all the festivals.

[donoteateither]

[Two thoughts ran through Yachi's head: 1) This guy's name is Ryugen, and like his namesake, he probably used to be short and angry and... red?... round?? or something; Cherubi's such a cute Pokemon when he's not hopping around like a cherry bomb, so she can't see the similarities between the two at all despite what he said. and 2) Mai, little Mai, has such a way with Pokemon that it should put Yachi to shame that the only way she could control her Pokemon is by stammering and fretting and Mari being the one to intervene.]

Wahh... You're so capable, Mai. I bet you'll dance everywhere. Right, Ryu-- er, Micchy? [She looks over at him, waiting for validation.]

[grapeeater]

[The slipup makes him laugh a little bit.]

Ryugen was my... title. Sort of. It's a long story...

[He turns back to Mai and nods.]

She will. She's been good at dancing as long as I've known her.

[He... wants to say more, but he doesn't want to burden this small Mai with future events.]

[dancermai]

[She now slips her small fan into her kimono and jumps back into the pokemon pile, wrestling with Jam while Ryugen is making desperate ryu noises like she's going to get hurt someday. She continues playing until the she sees something big and interesting in the distance and as quick as a shot, digs herself out and is now making a mad dash towards--]

DINOSAUR~

[The rest of the pokemon pile kind of ignore her and continue playing while the one overprotective little cherry also makes a mad dash to follow her like doom is about to present itself.]

[donoteateither]

[MAI NO..... Yachi's first instinct upon hearing the word "dinosaur" is to run away from it, not towards!!]

Ryugen, you go ahead!! [It's his title... She uses it the say way she calls someone Captain] I'll catch up!

[It's not (entirely) like she's staying behind because she's scared! But with so many Pokemon out of their balls, they can hardly be left behind either, while they chase down the little girl before she ends up in a T-rex maw. Mai's Pokemon may not listen to Yachi if she tries to get them to quiet down and follow, but maybe--] Poppy... [If she can just unearth the little bird from the pile] Poppy, sing!

[grapeeater]

[Oh great. Micchy dashes off to try to follow Mai, diving to try to scoop her up. Even with a body that's ten years older, his training has to be good for something, right?]

Mai, don't just run off after a strange Pokemon!

[dancermai]

[She managed to get somewhat closer to the tyrunt before Micchy somehow grabs onto her and in a last ditch effort, she fishes out a pokeball from her kimono and throws it out. It was a dinosaur. And she wanted it.

Somehow...the pokeball manages to hit the tyrunt and trap it. Lock down. Then disappear as she had reached her pokemon limit. Must have been a lucky catch due to the strange change in the environment affecting everybody.]

...Gone...

[There was a sniff and then she struggles desperately against Micchy, looking around for her newly captured friend.]

GONE!

[donoteateither]

[Yachi looks a lot more tired than usual as she staggers up to the pair a few moments later, arms full with a dozing Aipom and Hoppip, two of the Pokemon she felt would most likely run or float away unattended.]

Ryugen, do you have Mai's Pokeballs? I managed to--

[Is... Is Mai crying? In the less than five minutes since Yachi saw them last?]

What did you do to her?!!

[grapeeater]

[Micchy pulls himself up from the awkward landing position he managed to get himself in, and looks at Mai, then looks at the Pokeball, and groans.]

He's not gone... shh, Mai. Here. It's okay.

[He bounces her gently, stroking her hair.]

You know those round balls that your other friends came out of? When you have too many, the extra ones get put on the computer. So if we go to the Pokemon Center and check your account, he'll be there and you can switch him out for someone else on your team and play with him. All right? He's not gone, I promise.

[dancermai]

[She bundles up against him, a pout all over her expression as she sniffs a few times more and rubs at her eyes with the kimono sleeve. Definitely not an action that would have been approved by her father.]

Not gone...

[She watches Micchy very intently. Trusting his words more than anything. Her hands grab onto the fabric of his top as she settles down and nods her understanding of what he's saying. Micchy is more than likely a lot better with children than he thought. Or...there was something in Mai that inherently trusts him. Probably the latter. ]

[donoteateither]

[Mai might trust him, but Yachi sure doesn't. Because come on, Pokeballs disappearing out of thin air and ending up in a computer? That sounds as much a lie as any, like something you tell a child to soothe a situation, and she doesn't want to be there for the fallout when the lie is uncovered.

Here, Mai, take your Aipom and Hoppip back, they're getting heavy. While she transfers the Pokemon to Mai's arms, Yachi looks over at her caretaker.]

Are you two staying somewhere in Goldenrod, or staying at the Pokemon center?

[grapeeater]

Not gone. I promise.

[He smiles at Yachi's question. She really does care about Mai, doesn't she?]

I paid for two rooms at the inn. Mai has her own room, but I'm nearby in case she wants to talk.

[Him staying in her room just... isn't right.]

[dancermai]

[The promise is all she needs and the return of Lindyhop and Jam brighten her up even more. She cuddles the two of them gently before returning both of them to their pokeballs. Possibly odd behaviour for Mai as she never would have put Jam into his ball before but little Mai doesn't know that. She smiles earnestly up at Yachi.]

Onii-san lets me eat cake.

[She then hops up and dashes back to her other pokemon, returning each of them into their balls after giving them a small cuddle.]