[He wiggles his fingers near the little Flabebe and then points at the massive Onix.] See? A lot bigger than you.
[The Flabebe's expression actually goes a little flat, as if she just realized that massive pokemon isn't just some sort of rock formation or landmark, now that she's out of the pocket. And her little confused gaze shifts between Hank and Connor.]
[When it moves in she topples trying to look up at him, wrapped around the stamen of her little flower. She looks at Hank and says a quiet 'Bebe' like she's asking if it really is okay. Because she is very small and she doesn't think she could defend herself very well.]
Yeah. [Hank assures her.] He's Connor's so he's your friend.
[Then to Connor, Hank says.] I think he's about to go cross-eyed trying to look at her.
[It's a little like a dinosaur movie, the way she pulls up her flower to half hide her face, like the Tyrannosaur looking in the window. Hank can't help but be amused as she pulls another soft questioning 'bebe' at it.]
Maybe. I was thinking we could still stand to go to one of the department stores. I know you want to stick around until you won the gym but couldn't we use some more supplies and some more moves.
[He reaches out to rub the top of her tiny head, only she decides to grab Hank's finger so his hand is over hers and she's sort of clamshell hidden between Hank and Connor's palms, peeking out from between them.]
[It's a strange conversation to have, what with his Flabebe hiding between their two hands and peeking out at the big Onyx. She's trying to be brave, summoning up her gumption as she pushes her little crowned head out from between their hands.]
[Hank, in the meantime, just looks at Connor giving him the well-learned 'I need a little more time, Hank' treatment.]
I should have never let you get so practiced at that. You're too good at it now. [He jokes lightly, before sighing. Stupid big brown eyes and his fucking weakness for them.] Alright. We got all the time in the world. I don't mean to be impatient. I just want to be prepared. Remember, we can always go back. And most of the people that have bothered with these gym leaders have been here for years.
Don't worry about it too much, alright? We won't do anything until you're ready.
[He knows that he will, but just as he's reassured him for previous failings.]
I'll take the opportunity to save up some money in the meantime, that way we can stock up when we get there. [He says 'he'll' save it up, but honestly he'll be shoving it all into Connor's pocket. He's the man with the discounts.]
You'll do fine. [He reassures him again, confident in the idea. Also confident that he'll need to be there to catch him if he doesn't do fine. And with his hand still hovering over Connor's he leans in for a kiss.]
[Though the movement makes the Flabebe decide her handcave is too stifling, and she pushes out between their hands and drops down to the ground, making Hank break it quickly to look away and around and then down.]
Just remember that we'll be there a while. We both want a Porygon, remember?
[And that's going to mean a few weeks of hard gaming. He leans in to return the kiss, but then Connie drops to the ground and Connor repeats Hank's motions, before bending down to scoop her up and giving her a faux-cross expression.]
Connie, you should be careful. You're very small. You could get lost.
[The Onix roars in agreement, and Crockett has taken to spinning around Rocky's head.]
[A horrible karmic justice falls upon Connor in that moment, because the sweet little angel of a being, this Flabebe, gives him the most pathetic of apologetic looks and says, very softly, her name to the tune of, 'I'm sorry'.]
[She effectively renders Hank helpless though.]
He's not mad. [Hank insists like the big tough grumpy guy that he theoretically is.] He's just worried.
[Connor's expression softens, and he just looks at Hank helplessly, still holding the little Flabebe in his hands. Between him and the pokemon, Hank is getting two sets of puppy eyes.]
I'm not mad.
[He repeats it, looking distraught that he might have upset her.]
You two are the fuckin' worst, you know that? [Hank swears, before Connie's own expression eases up and she hugs Connor's thumb along with her flower, holding them both close in her tiny little arms and smooshing her cheek against it.]
[Which makes Hank smile, and he reaches to disentangle her before she destroys their souls.]
She doesn't look like it, but she's got vine whip down now, by the way. She's getting it all worked out.
Hell no. I'm not gonna change my entire personality 'cause a magic parrot went state's witness.
[He gestures to the chatot.]
If it wants to go be a bastard, let it. I wouldn't be surprised if half the shit I say can't even be heard by the local human inhabitants. I'm sure I come with censor bleeps or some sort of word replacement.
You would be impossible to understand if you came with censor bleeps.
[He says it fondly, obviously charmed by Hank’s crass language. He just wouldn’t be the man Connor possibly loved if he didn’t swear every other word.]
Well, electric types have an advantage against flying types. Crockett and Buntz are both electric types. Hoffs will be a dual bug and electric type when he evolves, too. The electric type cancels out the weakness he would normally have to flying types as a bug type, so he should be useful too. Flying types are also vulnerable to ice and rock types. Rocky will be useful if I can level him up enough. I was considering using Snowflake, too.
[It’s clear he’s thought a lot about this.]
Afterwards, I assumed we would start to make our way to Goldenrod.
About how strong do they have to be, do you think?
[He needs to know for his own reasons, too, though he might contact that girl that decided to go through all the gyms after years of being here. Mostly, he doesn't want Connor to be doing this alone. But he isn't willing to admit he's thinking about it. He wants to try, knows he might fail, but he thinks it might be a nice surprise at the end of everything.]
[If he fucks up though, he'll be disappointed but not destroyed. Connor is crushed by failure. Hank's mildly annoyed by it and can always try again.]
Got ya. [Hank says, glancing at the hovering Magneton. And then at Luann, who is making scraping noises as she scratches behind her ear. He wonders how well she'd be able to hold her own.]
[Right now she looks like a gangly rock dog though, because the moment she's looked at she starts panting at her person.]
Still, take your time in general. I mean, most of the people that have bothered with the gyms have been here for... a while. [That's what it sounds like, anyway.]
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[He wiggles his fingers near the little Flabebe and then points at the massive Onix.] See? A lot bigger than you.
[The Flabebe's expression actually goes a little flat, as if she just realized that massive pokemon isn't just some sort of rock formation or landmark, now that she's out of the pocket. And her little confused gaze shifts between Hank and Connor.]
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It’s alright, he’s friendly. He won’t hurt you.
[He gives Hank a smile that says he clearly finds this situation adorable.]
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Yeah. [Hank assures her.] He's Connor's so he's your friend.
[Then to Connor, Hank says.] I think he's about to go cross-eyed trying to look at her.
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Well, he is very big. And she is very small.
[He lifts Connie to Rocky's nose, where the Onix actually does go cross-eyed trying to look at the pokemon. Connor chuckles to himself at the sight.]
We should train together sometime. We haven't done it for a while.
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Maybe. I was thinking we could still stand to go to one of the department stores. I know you want to stick around until you won the gym but couldn't we use some more supplies and some more moves.
[He reaches out to rub the top of her tiny head, only she decides to grab Hank's finger so his hand is over hers and she's sort of clamshell hidden between Hank and Connor's palms, peeking out from between them.]
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It shouldn’t take me much longer. I just want to make sure I’m ready. I don’t want to lose.
[He places his other hand on Hank’s arm.]
Can you give me a little more time?
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[Hank, in the meantime, just looks at Connor giving him the well-learned 'I need a little more time, Hank' treatment.]
I should have never let you get so practiced at that. You're too good at it now. [He jokes lightly, before sighing. Stupid big brown eyes and his fucking weakness for them.] Alright. We got all the time in the world. I don't mean to be impatient. I just want to be prepared. Remember, we can always go back. And most of the people that have bothered with these gym leaders have been here for years.
Don't worry about it too much, alright? We won't do anything until you're ready.
[He knows that he will, but just as he's reassured him for previous failings.]
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I know. Perhaps I should try to slow down a little, too. After I get this badge, we can go to Goldenrod.
[There's no ifs about getting the badge. He doesn't fail. The idea of actually losing freaks him out.]
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You'll do fine. [He reassures him again, confident in the idea. Also confident that he'll need to be there to catch him if he doesn't do fine. And with his hand still hovering over Connor's he leans in for a kiss.]
[Though the movement makes the Flabebe decide her handcave is too stifling, and she pushes out between their hands and drops down to the ground, making Hank break it quickly to look away and around and then down.]
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[And that's going to mean a few weeks of hard gaming. He leans in to return the kiss, but then Connie drops to the ground and Connor repeats Hank's motions, before bending down to scoop her up and giving her a faux-cross expression.]
Connie, you should be careful. You're very small. You could get lost.
[The Onix roars in agreement, and Crockett has taken to spinning around Rocky's head.]
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[She effectively renders Hank helpless though.]
He's not mad. [Hank insists like the big tough grumpy guy that he theoretically is.] He's just worried.
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I'm not mad.
[He repeats it, looking distraught that he might have upset her.]
Please don't look at me like that.
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[Which makes Hank smile, and he reaches to disentangle her before she destroys their souls.]
She doesn't look like it, but she's got vine whip down now, by the way. She's getting it all worked out.
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[He protests to Hank's statement, but Connie hugging his thumb makes him smile, too.]
I'll have to see her fight sometime soon. Perhaps when we train together.
[The Chatot flies down from where it had perched elsewhere just in time to add "holy shit!" to that.]
Please stop repeating that.
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You know, it's bad enough if he catches me fuckin' cursing up a storm but you're really gonna have to put him up next time we sleep together-
[He gestures, briefly worried if he says more out loud the bird will hear and start yelling at everyone about the sex that he and Connor have.]
[Now all it needs is to go after people yelling 'sleep together' and that's bad enough.]
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[He doesn't seem mad about it, though. Just mildly exasperated.]
But don't worry. He'll go in his ball when that happens.
[Luckily, the bird just tilts its head at Hank and mutters a quiet "fuck" to itself.]
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[He gestures to the chatot.]
If it wants to go be a bastard, let it. I wouldn't be surprised if half the shit I say can't even be heard by the local human inhabitants. I'm sure I come with censor bleeps or some sort of word replacement.
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[He says it fondly, obviously charmed by Hank’s crass language. He just wouldn’t be the man Connor possibly loved if he didn’t swear every other word.]
I won’t ask you to change.
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[He points to the chatot.] I can't promise he won't, though.
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[He sighs and rubs the Chatot under the beak.]
It’s still your fault, though.
[But he’s smiling at Hank all the same.]
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Alright, so. What is your plan in general for fighting the gym leader and then after. Lay it out for me.
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[It’s clear he’s thought a lot about this.]
Afterwards, I assumed we would start to make our way to Goldenrod.
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[He needs to know for his own reasons, too, though he might contact that girl that decided to go through all the gyms after years of being here. Mostly, he doesn't want Connor to be doing this alone. But he isn't willing to admit he's thinking about it. He wants to try, knows he might fail, but he thinks it might be a nice surprise at the end of everything.]
[If he fucks up though, he'll be disappointed but not destroyed. Connor is crushed by failure. Hank's mildly annoyed by it and can always try again.]
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[The Magneton spins in place happily from beside Onix’s head.]
The highest level pokemon on their team is 35. I’ll need Buntz to be around that level when I try, at least.
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[Right now she looks like a gangly rock dog though, because the moment she's looked at she starts panting at her person.]
Still, take your time in general. I mean, most of the people that have bothered with the gyms have been here for... a while. [That's what it sounds like, anyway.]
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