[ Hello! You have reached: "Walter Sullivan". Unfortunately they cannot answer the phone right now. Leave a message after the beep and they will return your call. ]
Walter had noticed Manaka's absence. Along with her messages, it seemed the girl had taken a trip - whether for Rocket business or pleasure, it wasn't his place to know. He wasn't sure how to feel about her being gone. He was still uneasy around children but he had become somewhat used to her occasionally finding him in the base and walking alongside him, talking about nothing in particular. Since she had left Walter had picked up a lab coat, spending more of his time assisting in the research going on under the Radio Tower.
Upon seeing her, Walter gave her a polite smile and nod. "Hello Manaka." At the mention of a gift, he stumbled. His smile gave way to a confused look. "...for me?"
Normally he had Chaos or Darkness with him around the base but today someone else had been spending their time trying to 'bond' with their trainer. But they were currently hiding.
Manaka's smile didn't falter at his uncertain response. Instead, she leaned up on her toes, making a show of peeking around him and scanning the rest of the cafeteria. "I don't see any other 'Mr. Sullivans' around, do you?"
With that said, she dropped her heels back to the floor, giggling as she concluded, "Of course it's for you, silly." She didn't wait for his response before turning her gaze toward the bag she was toting over her shoulder, rooting around until she withdrew a pokéball. "Here— I want you to have her."
Surprise was painted over Walter's face. "...Her?" At the sight of a Pokeball, he hesitated. "Do you mean as a trade?" He didn't see why Manaka would give him a gift. He didn't understand why anyone has ever given him a gift. He didn't have anything to give back, even if she did want to trade Pokemon. Except the one currently with him.
When given the Pokeball, he pressed the release button to see what was inside.
"No, I mean it as a gift." It was the kind of reply that could sound snappish and exasperated, but the way she delivered it, she merely sounded teasing—and maybe even a little fond. "Since I went on a trip, I wanted to bring a little something back for everyone. Like a souvenir! But... I couldn't figure out what you would like. That's when she appeared!"
As if on cue, the top of the pokéball swung open, releasing the Drifloon inside. It didn't seem particularly startled by the change in its surroundings, but it did turn in a slow circle where it floated, taking stock of them. Manaka took the opportunity to continue, "She just...took my hand, like she would blow away in the wind if she didn't have something to hold onto. It reminded me of you, a little."
Walter looked at the Drifloon as she floated lazily in the air, spinning in place. "She...reminded you of me?" By taking Manaka's hand? He had never taken Manaka's hand in any situation.
He was still unsure about this gift. He hestiated, before extending his hand towards the Drifloon. Seeing him reach towards her, she wrapped one of her strings around his wrist, allowing him to draw her down so he could get a better look at her. "Does she have a name?" He eventually asked, still looking at the Drifloon in wonder.
"Oh! I'm sorry, I didn't mean anything bad by it." She flashed him a smile, the expression a little apologetic and a little encouraging. "Mm, it's just... Maybe it's because of the things you've told me about yourself, but you always seem like you'll fade away if I take my eyes off you for too long. I felt the same, when I looked at her."
Her smile turned brighter as she watched the Drifloon twine itself around his wrist, pleased that it seemed to have accepted him. Humming an answer in the negative, she said, "I thought you should be the one to name her. Though I can help, if you want!"
"I did not assume you meant something negative. I was only confused." For the first time in front of Manaka, a smile reached his eyes as he spoke to Manak, before turning to the Pokemon hanging onto his arm. "It would be nice to fade away, wouldn't it?"
"I'm not sure what to call her...normally I take a little while, to figure out what name to give a Pokemon." He would go over the information his Gear could give him and their species and what they would evolve into, to find a fitting name for them.
His smile was unexpected, and the sight of it sent an odd jolt through Manaka. Not just surprise. Not just the satisfaction of getting a desired response. She felt genuinely happy, her own expression brightening at the sight of his.
He was like her. She wanted to be his friend. Had this made them closer?
"Oh!" She had to jerk her thoughts back to the conversation at hand. "Well, you don't have to name her right now. You can do whatever you like with her. But I've been told I'm pretty good at naming things, in case you need ideas!"
"I will keep her." He promised. He never let go of the few things given to him lightly; it was so rare and so precious that anyone gave him anything. Especially something like this. "I would like the help. You did give her to me, so it seems right you would influence her name." The Drifloon was quite content to hold onto Walter's wrist, tightening when she thought he was trying to pull away.
He hadn't known the name of the doll Eileen had given him and had never given it one in the end, but the memory of that gift was what had caused him to name his Shuppet 'Doll'.
"Well, if that's how you feel..." She had thought that naming her might make him feel closer to his new Pokémon, but the Drifloon was his now; she wouldn't argue with any decision he made. "She seems like a 'Psyche' to me. It's a name that can mean one's mind, or the soul, or breath of life. All of those seem fitting for her, don't you think?"
And it seemed to fit with the names of Walter's other Pokémon, or at least those whose names Manaka had heard. Despite her preference for cute names, that seemed an important factor to consider, too.
"Psyche." He repeated. It did seem a little ironic to name a ghost-type 'the breath of life' but in a way, he liked that. Walter smiled to her gratefully. "I owe you for this." He truly meant that; when he travelled he fully intended to try and return the gesture by catching a pokemon for her.
Just then, her Pokegear would begin to strangely hiss...
If she had anything further to say, though, she was cut off by the sudden hiss. Her smile immediately faded into a blank-faced stare, Manaka blinking owlishly as she turned her head toward her bag and began to root around for the device. She had never heard her 'Gear make such a noise, and she didn't know if it was even turned on; what could be the problem?
Before Walter could explain, a spark of electricity harmlessly jumped from the Gear, before it made a loud, screeching sound.
And then a Rotom suddenly appeared, grinning and laughing at it's clever prank! Walter gave it an unimpressed look. "I apologise, Manaka. Radio is not a- sensible creature." Radio merely zipped over to Walter, bolting for his Poke'Gear to hide in next.
Radio was rewarded with one of Manaka's typical surprised reactions: entire body locking up like a startled colt's, she stared, eyes wide and mouth parted into a tiny 'o'. Seeing the Rotom abandon her 'Gear, though, her rigid posture began to relax again, and by the time it had made it back to Walter's side, Manaka was back to all smiles.
"Oh! You have one of those, too?" In fact, she seemed really chipper as she moved to retrieve another one of her pokéballs. Pressing the release button, she let Eclair out into the air between them. "Don't worry! I know he was just playing. Mine does things like that, too."
At the sight of another of it's kind, Radio paused. Then laughed impishly, waving to Eclair with one of it's strange, eletricial apprendages. Walter watched the pair of them like a hawk, expecting them to immediately bolt for the nearest electrical appliance to possess and cause chaos with.
"I've been trying to train it to behave, but Radio is a persistant ghost." So had he, but he hadn't spooked people just for the sake of it. His hauntings had a purpose, while Radio just seemed to try and get a reaction out of people. Including Walter himself, who was clearly not impressed with it.
The ever-present grin on Eclair's face split wider as Radio waved. Echoing that laughter with a mischievous giggle of its own, it zipped in the other Rotom's direction, playfully flipping itself upside-down as it jerked to a stop again.
Of course, Walter's fears were completely unfounded. They had to talk first, Eclair chattering under its breath and leaning in close.
Manaka, on the other hand, waved after Eclair like an indulgent parent, turning her attention back to Walter once she felt confident that the pair of Pokémon would get along. "Maybe you should try working with it, instead! Rotom are clever little ghosts, so I bet you could put all that energy it has to good use."
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YAY
Upon seeing her, Walter gave her a polite smile and nod. "Hello Manaka." At the mention of a gift, he stumbled. His smile gave way to a confused look. "...for me?"
Normally he had Chaos or Darkness with him around the base but today someone else had been spending their time trying to 'bond' with their trainer. But they were currently hiding.
no subject
With that said, she dropped her heels back to the floor, giggling as she concluded, "Of course it's for you, silly." She didn't wait for his response before turning her gaze toward the bag she was toting over her shoulder, rooting around until she withdrew a pokéball. "Here— I want you to have her."
no subject
When given the Pokeball, he pressed the release button to see what was inside.
no subject
As if on cue, the top of the pokéball swung open, releasing the Drifloon inside. It didn't seem particularly startled by the change in its surroundings, but it did turn in a slow circle where it floated, taking stock of them. Manaka took the opportunity to continue, "She just...took my hand, like she would blow away in the wind if she didn't have something to hold onto. It reminded me of you, a little."
no subject
He was still unsure about this gift. He hestiated, before extending his hand towards the Drifloon. Seeing him reach towards her, she wrapped one of her strings around his wrist, allowing him to draw her down so he could get a better look at her. "Does she have a name?" He eventually asked, still looking at the Drifloon in wonder.
no subject
Her smile turned brighter as she watched the Drifloon twine itself around his wrist, pleased that it seemed to have accepted him. Humming an answer in the negative, she said, "I thought you should be the one to name her. Though I can help, if you want!"
no subject
"I'm not sure what to call her...normally I take a little while, to figure out what name to give a Pokemon." He would go over the information his Gear could give him and their species and what they would evolve into, to find a fitting name for them.
no subject
He was like her. She wanted to be his friend. Had this made them closer?
"Oh!" She had to jerk her thoughts back to the conversation at hand. "Well, you don't have to name her right now. You can do whatever you like with her. But I've been told I'm pretty good at naming things, in case you need ideas!"
...Mostly by Mabel Pines, but, you know.
no subject
He hadn't known the name of the doll Eileen had given him and had never given it one in the end, but the memory of that gift was what had caused him to name his Shuppet 'Doll'.
no subject
And it seemed to fit with the names of Walter's other Pokémon, or at least those whose names Manaka had heard. Despite her preference for cute names, that seemed an important factor to consider, too.
no subject
Just then, her Pokegear would begin to strangely hiss...
no subject
If she had anything further to say, though, she was cut off by the sudden hiss. Her smile immediately faded into a blank-faced stare, Manaka blinking owlishly as she turned her head toward her bag and began to root around for the device. She had never heard her 'Gear make such a noise, and she didn't know if it was even turned on; what could be the problem?
"...Eh? What's this?"
no subject
And then a Rotom suddenly appeared, grinning and laughing at it's clever prank! Walter gave it an unimpressed look. "I apologise, Manaka. Radio is not a- sensible creature." Radio merely zipped over to Walter, bolting for his Poke'Gear to hide in next.
no subject
"Oh! You have one of those, too?" In fact, she seemed really chipper as she moved to retrieve another one of her pokéballs. Pressing the release button, she let Eclair out into the air between them. "Don't worry! I know he was just playing. Mine does things like that, too."
no subject
"I've been trying to train it to behave, but Radio is a persistant ghost." So had he, but he hadn't spooked people just for the sake of it. His hauntings had a purpose, while Radio just seemed to try and get a reaction out of people. Including Walter himself, who was clearly not impressed with it.
no subject
Of course, Walter's fears were completely unfounded. They had to talk first, Eclair chattering under its breath and leaning in close.
Manaka, on the other hand, waved after Eclair like an indulgent parent, turning her attention back to Walter once she felt confident that the pair of Pokémon would get along. "Maybe you should try working with it, instead! Rotom are clever little ghosts, so I bet you could put all that energy it has to good use."