prank #48 | video

[ghostytrainer]

[John seems somehow distracted when he turns on the video today. He's sitting at the kitchen table in his house, chin propped in his hand and eyes on a Pokéball he's rolling idly on the table in front of him.]

You ever wonder what it is that determines what happens to a Pokémon after its trainer goes back home? I mean, I've thought about it before but never really thought about it if that makes any sense? This is really the first time I've inherited one that wasn't from a friend so it just got me thinking.

Granted, it originally belonged to someone who was... [He pauses, seeming almost hesitant to finish that sentence. Or perhaps unsure of how he wants to end it.] ...a friend. At...one point in time... [He trails off, brow furrowing as he stops rolling the ball around.] So maybe it has less to do with Eridan and more to do with her.

[He leans his chair back on two legs, picking the ball up and passing it back and forth between his hands, finally looking at the camera.]

So yeah. Anybody have any good conspiracy theories on the matter? I'm curious.

Comments

[video]

[quickattackjack]

That is a very good question...I once received a pokemon from someone I had met all of twice perhaps...

[video]

[ghostytrainer]

I had that happen recently too, but I mean...she was a nice girl and we were on good terms at least? So it was a little different than this.I didn't even like Eridan and I am positive that the feeling was mutual. So it was just weird that I got anything at all from him.

text;

[freshprints]

I've received more than one from people I've never met.

...

We also received a house from an unknown benefactor.

text;

[ghostytrainer]

that's weird.
i mean...i once had an egg show up in my box. to this day, i have no idea who it originally belonged to since pokemon don't register a trainer until they hatch.
but with as often as my friends left back then, i always just kind of assumed it was from somebody i knew.
but a hatched pokemon from somebody you never met? multiple times, even?
weird.
it's like you're some kind of orphan pokemon magnet.

double weird. who leaves a house to somebody they don't know?
convenient though, i guess.

[video 5ever]

[soundmind]

Conspiracy theories?

[John you say weird things sometimes.]

I haven't inherited anybody's Pokemon yet...I mean, unless you count Pokemon from when I was here before coming back to me. So I don't know if I can really comment on that or make, um..."conspiracy theories." Maybe whoever runs the PC system picks someone that associated with the person that left?

[video 6ever]

[ghostytrainer]

[There's a silence as John stares blankly at the screen.]

...I hadn't thought of that. But I suppose Bill probably would have access to that, wouldn't he? At least the ones that are actually kept in storage.

Huh.

[SUDDENLY IT ALL SEEMS SO OBVIOUS. WHY DIDN'T HE THINK OF THAT?]

text;

[capax_infiniti]

It may be simply chance meeting in many cases as the monsters wander to make their own way, or perhaps they seek out others that their trainer had a connection with.

Or perhaps there's a random distribution system set up to ensure that not all homeless monsters stay so.

Those who have left and returned have started with a new set of pokemon, so it is curious to see if they will run into their old ones at some point.

text;

[ghostytrainer]

i think the latter is definitely true in some cases.
there have been times where, when a friend I have been traveling with has gone, their Pokémon have literally shown up on my doorstep. as opposed to showing up in my box the next day or something like that.
in those instances, i kind of...couldn't help but feel like they'd sort of picked me in a way?
though maybe it's not actually as poignant as that makes it sound.

[Maybe he was just the first familiar face they found.]

anyway, i know for a fact that that happens sometimes.
people finding their old pokemon, i mean.
i don't think it's a super common thing, but my friend maka has found some of her old 'mons from the last time she was here two years ago.
the ones that didn't find their way to her friends, that is.

Action;

[tentacletrainer]

[[It's not Rose who shows up in the kitchen to bother him. No, instead of a tap on his shoulder or her saying his name, he gets a gentle bump from behind. When he turns around, there's Yidhra floating there. The Musharna makes a little noise before bumping him again.

Though she's not the only one there. A Mienfoo and a Quagsire follow. The latter should be very familiar, but the Mienfoo doesn't make many appearances.

Those two are just staring up at John while Yidhra continues to gently bump against him.]]

Action;

[ghostytrainer]

Hm? [John sets his chair back down on all fours, turning his head and expecting to see Casey or one of his ghosts. He's actually kind of surprised to see Yidhra instead. He sets the ball down on the table, turning in his chair to face the Musharna.]

Hey there Yidhra, what's up girl? [He smiles at her, patting her lightly on the head before noticing the her entourage.] Oh, what's this? Hehehe, quite the little crew here, huh? Hello, Bee, nice to see you out and about. [He nods to the Mienfoo, whose proper name he DOES actually know but since she got one of the weirder, more unpronounceable Eldritch names...lol no.]

'sup, Prick? How you doin'? [He extends a fist out to the Quagsire.] Give me some flipper, come on. Don't leave me hanging.

[video]

[solas_ion]

...huh. That's a pretty good question. I don't think I've ever thought about that before.

[Well, he certainly seems to be thinking on it now.]

[video]

[ghostytrainer]

I know, right? It's something you don't really stop and think about until something weird like this happens. I didn't really even think about it much the first time because I was more concerned over the fact that my best friend was gone. At the time, it didn't seem strange that his Pokémon found their way to me. Especially since we were rooming together.

[video]

[ardent]

[...oh, that's...well.]

I don't know about conspiracy theories or anything, but I've gotten a few Pokémon from people I've never met before, and one from...someone I knew. I considered him a friend, but I don't know how mutual that was.

[...]

Are you all right, John-kun?

[video]

[ghostytrainer]

Oh yeah, I'm fine. Just... [He exhales with a pfftttbbbttt sort of noise.] I dunno. [He waves a hand.] It's just dumb girl stuff, no big deal.

[He really thought that he was over this shit by now. But then Vriska's Galvantula showed up in his box thanks to Eridan leaving and lol, NOPE.]

Anyway, the conspiracy theories thing was mostly a joke. But I am kind of surprised at how many people seem to have inherited Pokémon from people they never met. I didn't really think that happened all that often.

VIDEO

[usedswift]

I've been wondering that myself.

[Late to the party, but Tenten's sitting curled up in a literal pile of Arcanine, sandwiched between two of them with a Marill in her lap.]

Sometimes I get ones from people I didn't even think I was close to, you know? And then other times I don't get some from people I'd think I would.

[She shrugs, rubbing her fingers between the Marill's ears -- Tenten the Marill, as a matter of fact -- and sighs.]

Maybe it's a last-ditch effort to warn people? Like, maybe the Pokémon were supposed to deliver a message, when someone went home, but the message gets lost along the way.

VIDEO

[ghostytrainer]

Yeah, I've had that happen before too. Not very often but...occasionally, and usually more the former than the latter.

But what you mean like...the Pokémon know before hand that their trainers are about to leave?

[Video]

[guardianjoker4]

I've wondered about that too!! I got one when one of my friends left, but I've heard all about people suddenly receiving pokémon that belonged to those who've left.

Maybe it's like a lottery?

[Video]

[ghostytrainer]

Maybe in some cases. But the fact that so many people inherit orphan Pokémon from somebody that they know kind of makes me think that it's not such a coincidence in those cases.

But perhaps people who don't have many friends...

[He scratches his chin.]

[heartdive]

Maybe it's planned that way?

[ghostytrainer]

What do you mean?

[Action]

[moveslikestrider]

Yeah I got one theory for that. It means this place likes shitting the bed in the most gross of ways. [Dave says as he takes off his shades to clean them.]

Ew man why did I go there.

Anyway, instead of stewing on the network like you're about to explode. How bout you come out back and spar. No holds barred. We've never just went at it. As your bro it is my solemn duty to know just what happens if you ever snap and go off the deep end.

[Action]

[ghostytrainer]

Ew.

[Really, Dave, that was gross. Thank you for that mental image, oh wait you had more to say beyond that. Thank god.]

[Except that was perhaps not the best choice of words there: go off the deep end.]

Okay, one: I'm not stewing. [Lies.] I'm just asking a perfectly valid question in response to A Thing That Happened. Thank you for the idea for what to try and throw together for dinner tomorrow night though. And two: come on, me? Go anywhere near the deep end, much less off it? You must be thinking of somebody else.

[He puts his chair back down on all fours, setting Minifang's ball down on the table before getting to his feet.] But sure, we can go a round if you want. Though are you sure about the no holds barred thing?

text;

[timelymaid]

i would really like to know that too
i mean admittedly i have known and liked most of the people who have left me pokemon
but that does not appear to be a hard and fast rule

text;

[ghostytrainer]

yeah same. i've only once gotten one from somebody i didn't know.
but since that was technically an egg, for all i know it COULD have belonged to somebody i knew.
so that might not count.
so i'm kind of surprised to hear a decent amount of people saying they've gotten things from people they didn't know? it's weird.

[video]

[uncagedforjustamoment]

[He's only been given two, and given their names and original trainer he'd simply assumed that Shino had set something up to be sure they were handed out appropriately should he...leave. It wasn't something he'd bothered with, as he simply didn't consider the possibility of returning viable, but there might be something if he chose to look into it...

If that isn't the case, though, that does raise the question of how they are chosen.]

Perhaps there is a...[jutsu] --n effect in place that sends out pokemon randomly to other existing trainers rather than release them to the wild. Those with some connection to the previous trainer or to the pokemon itself might receive higher priority in the draw.

[video]

[ghostytrainer]

Someone else suggested lottery but I wasn't really sure about it given how often they seem to wind up where there is a connection of some sort. But when you put it that way, it does seem like a more viable option.

[John scratches at his chin.]

If it is a lottery system though, I can't help but feel like it could be potentially even more complicated than that. Like how certain people sometimes seem to attract certain kinds of Pokémon, albeit from different sources.