[Video] [Action for Mahogany Town]

[whateveryoueatliveitspart]

Yamask finally stayed out long enough for me to talk with him.

[After almost a year of trying to get the Pokémon who possessed him for Halloween to actually have a conversation with him, you think he'd be in a better mood. Except not, because Yamask used to be a human.]

His name's Tim Balkie, but he says that I can call him "Punk" if I want. He was 17 years old and lived in Goldenrod City. He likes listening to "punk rock" music and getting into fights, and he wanted to make it so that everyone in Johto is free and no one can tell anyone else what to do. He says he died when he got into a fight and someone hit him on the head with a baseball bat.

[Talking to the ghost of someone who died. Could this get any more depressing?]

Today's his birthday.

[It can.]

He says that he was staying in the PC Box because he'd heard that Pokémon can't die if they're in there, and he didn't want to forget about his life again like he did before we met.

[It really can.]

...I don't know how to cheer him up. I don't even know if I can. Is this even something that someone can be cheered up from?

[Anyone in Mahogany Town will be able to find him sitting under a tree with a pokéball on his lap, fiddling with the pokégear. From what it's reading aloud, he's going through the pokédex data for Yamask, specifically the moves that they can learn.]

Comments

[video]

[hipstermark]

[Vanille comes onto feed, her Yamask hiding a little.]
Happy birthday, Tim!
[She's smiling, though Yamask worry and scare her. But, she does frown, as she looks to the ground.]
I don't know if it can be cheered up from...

[Video]

[whateveryoueatliveitspart]

He's in his ball right now. I think he wasn't happy that he had to explain what a birthday was to me. If he comes out again I'll let him know you said that though.

It really doesn't seem like something that you could cheer up from.

[Oh wait, she has a Yamask too.]

How has the Yamask who's with you done with... this?

[Video]

[hipstermark]

It was my birthday recently, too...
[But, a pause.]
Lucy... well, we've been dealing with whatever comes. [She's not near to her friends... can she admit it? This person doesn't know her. He probably won't think she's thinking of herself. No... this will be good enough for her, to let out some of her fears.]
I haven't really been able to talk to her - but she and me? I think she wants to beat the gym leaders.
[Another pause, as Vanille frowns. Yeah...]
I still can't believe it. Pokemon who used to be human... I'm trying to teach Lucy how to speak again, but it's taking a long time.

[Video]

[whateveryoueatliveitspart]

I can talk to Pokémon, but to learn things like Tim's name I had to get Solrock, a Psychic-type Pokémon, to help me. I'd think that it would be easier for them to learn to use human words since they were humans, but I guess not.

I would think that Tim would want to fight at the gyms, or fight other Pokémon, since he said that he likes fighting, but he didn't seem very interested. It might be because the type of fighting that he was talking about was with his fists, and the only move like that that Yamask learn is Astonish. All the rest of them are ranged moves. I'm going to check if any of the TMs that they can use are punching moves, but I'm guessing that there won't be many. That's probably not going to help.

It makes me wonder if something like this happens in the world that I'm from though. Is there a kind of animal that humans become when they die? Grandpa never said anything about that, but maybe he didn't know.

[The answer, if you're wondering, is yes, people in Apollo's canon reincarnate every 12000 years. Apollo's past life is an important plot point.]

[video]

[captainash]

Now that you know what's his birthday, you could try buying him a birthday present. Since he told you what he likes, I bet you could find something. ...Though I guess he might not want to be reminded that he's not alive anymore.

[Video]

[whateveryoueatliveitspart]

A present? Is that what you normally do for someone's birthday?

[Video]

[captainash]

You get them a present and a card, you do something they enjoy together... The important part is that you must do it with their happiness in mind.

[Video]

[tearsofademon]

[So there's a Yamask here who was just borrowing her current guardian's 'gear for a moment, she was interested in finding out the news, that was all, really, and she sees this and just has to say something.]

Oh, I'm so sorry... If I had known, I would have baked a cake for him.

[(If you recognize the signal, didn't the guy this 'gear belongs to claim that he doesn't know anything about Yamasks a while back...?)]

[Video]

[whateveryoueatliveitspart]

[Apollo doesn't have a good memory for which ID goes with which person, so as long as the gear's owner doesn't make an appearance his secret's safe for now.]

A cake? Why a cake?

[Video]

[tearsofademon]

Well, it's his birthday, isn't it? Everyone should be able to have a cake on their birthday.

Video;

[usedwatergun]

[She had no idea that people in this world could be reborn as Pokemon, or- turn into them- she's not sure which it is.]

I'm not sure how much it would help, but maybe something from his life as a human...? [Her hand goes to the necklace around her neck without thinking about it.] Something to help him remember.

Video;

[whateveryoueatliveitspart]

Maybe. I'll have to see if he'll tell me more about where he lived so that I can see if any of his things are still there. He probably won't be able to use most of them anymore now that he's a Yamask though.

Video;

[usedwatergun]

If you find something small you could make a charm with it, something he can wear? A locket, maybe, with one of those "photos".

(ooc: Sorry, I must have accidentally marked this tag as already done in my inbox clearing last month. No rush, or anything! :<)

[Video]

[francia]

[France's expression is grave and unhappy.]

I think the right question isn't so much if you can cheer someone up regarding their own death, more to see if there is way to make their current existence better.

[Video]

[whateveryoueatliveitspart]

Isn't that kind of the same thing? Feeling better about something doesn't change what's already happened, it just lets you keep living without worrying about it as much.

[Video]

[francia]

[France smiles ruefully.]

You're right. I suppose I was caught up in the semantics.

Have you tried asking him if he remembers how his existence was different before the two of you met? I would think if he can remember that time as clearly as he remembers the time he's spent with you that it shouldn't be a concern that he would suddenly forget what knowledge he's gained so far.

[silentscales]

He has a chance to live his life again, even if it is as a pokèmon now, and while he should cherish his old life, he should not waste this one, says Elizabeth.

[If Apollo has a pokèmon out, they would probably notice that it is word-for-word what the Dunsparce on Snake's shoulder just said. Snake actually looks a little surprised at Elizabeth as he finishes translating. She had been rather quiet, not often saying much, but he is rather impressed with the advice she is offering now.]

[whateveryoueatliveitspart]

That's a good point. I'm not sure if Tim will see it like that, but I'll tell him the next time that he comes out of his ball.

[silentscales]

[Snake considers a moment,]

There is someone named John that likes ghost pokèmon, he might be able to help too, says Elizabeth.

[video]

[exeggutorhead]

He's not going to cheer up until he quits dwelling on who he was before. There's no reason for him to cling to who he was before, he might as well move on with his new life.

[Video]

[whateveryoueatliveitspart]

Is it really a new life though? He has a different body now, but he's still the same person, isn't he?

[Video]

[exeggutorhead]

Once someone's dead, they're dead. Sharing some memories doesn't mean they're the same person.

Your friend'd probably be happier if he accepted that and started over.

[voice]

[usedfeatherdance]

Many people can get over their own deaths, but it's likely going to be neither quick nor painless.

You said he wanted everyone to be free?

[Video forever on Apollo's end]

[whateveryoueatliveitspart]

Yeah, that's how he explained it. He called it "anarchy".

[derp that's what I get for letting auto-complete go, I meant video]

[usedfeatherdance]

As long as he dwells on the life he can no longer live, he won't be able to find happiness. His best chance is to realize what's most important to him and make that a part of his existence now. Build something new around that core and accept that he'll have to leave the rest behind. The quest for anarchy is a good place to start.