[Video]

[whateveryoueatliveitspart]

[The video comes on to show an adult Vespiquen and Combee, along with 54 baby Combee, slowly flying over the surface of the Lake of Rage. Now and then one falters in the air, but quickly recovers and returns to its position in the flight. Fearow and Archeops (who has been thoroughly instructed that she's not allowed to attack any of the baby Combee) are escorting the swarm on the sides, wings spread to glide and only occasionally flapping in slow, graceful arcs. Apollo's following behind on the shoulder of his Golurk, as evidenced by the sound of thrusters in the background. The sun has begun to set, casting a golden red light over the scene and reflecting off of the lake's surface. Several Magikarp poke their heads out of the water briefly to watch the swarm fly overhead, and several Gyrados surface to watch as well, the roar of one off-screen echoing across the lake. Just before the feed ends, a Milotic leaps out of the water, sending droplets flying to catch the light and glitter, forming a faint rainbow in the air for an instant.

Apollo remains silent. He has nothing to add to this scene.]

Comments

[whateveryoueatliveitspart]

They would. Pokémon seem to be able to understand more complicated things than the animals back home could. That deer still lives on inside of me, so maybe she understands the things that I can now?

[captainash]

...I wouldn't know. I don't have much experience with the spirits of dead animals.

[whateveryoueatliveitspart]

I don't either. I've sometimes felt Grandpa's spirit in the forest, but I've never felt the spirits of anyone else.

[captainash]

You've... felt him? Was he trying to communicate with you, or was he just there?

[whateveryoueatliveitspart]

I sometimes feel like he's trying to say something, but usually he's just there for a moment.

[Despite all of the supernatural occurrences in his canon, my personal headcanon is that Apollo's imagining his Grandpa's presence.]

[captainash]

...Maybe he's trying to look after you, and that's the only way he can.

[That's kinda sad.]

[whateveryoueatliveitspart]

I think that that must be what he's doing.

[Well reincarnation is a major thing in his canon - Apollo's past life is a major plot point - so I assume that souls don't hang around. Then again, the reincarnation is on a 12000-year cycle, so there's time to stick around, but my sense from the scene is more that Apollo's attributing the voice of his conscience to his Grandpa.]

[captainash]

That's good to hear. Family should care about each other even beyond death, after all.

[The Grandpa!conscience is the more interesting possibility, really.]