ghostytrainer | prank #19 | video / action for Dave if he's in the hotel room.

[For once, there is no smile on John's face when he turns on the video feed. Instead there is a look of tired, barely-restrained panic on his face. Also unusual are the stacks of books surrounding him. Someone went to the library. Someone found every book they could on ghosts and legends.]

[Someone stayed up all night reading all those books, and it definitely shows.]

[Barely visible on the couch behind him is a lavender-clad body laid out on the couch. The face isn't visible, but to anyone who knows her, the clothes should be recognizable as those of Rose Lalonde.]

Has... [His voice is the tiniest bit shaky. He's really trying his hardest to stay calm here.] Anyone figured anything out yet? About the people who were taken, I mean? And how to get them back? I talked to a few people about it last night but...heh, it's a different day now, right? [There's a very forced, weak laugh.] I read every book I could find...but they aren't telling me anything more than the pokédex did.

[It's a little late for "don't look in their backs."]

So...yeah. If anyone knows something, I would appreciate it.

[He gives the camera once last slightly desperate look before clicking it off.]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

So I've seen. It's very...bright.

Fifteen? That must be quite the handful. What are they?

[She turns the video to show her Absol, seriously patrolling around her little campsite] I only have Kutabe, my Absol. But he's a good companion for me.

Bright? What do you mean by that?

They can be at times! But I love all of them so I really don't mind a little trouble every once in a while. As for what they are, well...there's Casey. [He turns the camera to the end of the couch. Curled up near Rose's feet is a sleeping Lopunny. He then turns it back to himself.] She's a Lopunny. And I can't carry all of them with me at once, sadly. But...

[He releases a Dunsparce, an Umbreon, a Haunter, a Spiritomb, and a Rotom (who immediately starts darting around the room like a loose firecracker).]

This is Sassacre, Lestat, Slimer, Tera-Geist, and...the little orange and blue blur is Tron. [He points to each in turn (save for the Rotom), in the order in which he released them.] They are all very good friends of mine. Like Kutabe is for you!

Ah... Where I'm from, it was a...dark place. And it was a rainy season, so I hadn't seen the sun in a good month or more.

[Kutabe looks up at his name and pads over to peer at the creatures. Rei's eyes are briefly locked on the Haunter, her face grim and her lips pursed. Ghosts. How charming.

Only not at all.

Her gaze goes to the Absol at her side, and she absently starts petting his head] Mm.

[She tilts her head, a small smile on her lips] I suppose I have some work to do then, if I'm to catch up to you.

Ohhhh. Well that makes sense then. It's too bad that you came right in the middle of summer when the sun is scorching. That had to be hard to adjust to.

[Sorry, Rei. He loves ghosts...though now he's not so fond of Shedinjas. Though he completely missed that look you gave Slimer as he chose that moment to call back all of his pokémon. Save for the snoozing Lopunny, of course.]

Heh, I bet you will catch up fast. It's not like I am all that great of trainer or anything. I had to be pushed a lot to get to the level that I am now. Almost half of my pokémon weren't even mine originally.

As I said, I haven't seen the sun in months. It's..nice. if a bit strange.

[Yeaaahh Rei has had to deal with scary, vengeful ghosts first-hand, trying to kill her and all.]

Still, it's impressive. They seem to get along well with you, so it must say something about you.