|5.5| [Action]

[wing_attack]

[Today is a good day. Not because of the weather, but because when Tobias wakes up, he's back in his old body. Not the human one, but the one that's become incredibly comfortable for him over the past few years.]

[You might catch him flying high above people, but he's more content to perch in a tree and watch as people go past. The local birds seem uncomfortable with him, but that's okay. He can't exactly use a Pokeball while like this anyway.]

[Eventually though he calms down and morphs to human (and puts on clothes) long enough to make a post.]

[Video]

[Tobias' cheeks are flushed with excitement, and he's grinning from ear to ear.]

They're back! I mean I'm back. I mean I can do it again. Is anyone else getting... uh... 'abilities' back? I'm kind of curious...

[Regal butts his head into the shot and Tobias jerks his head away to avoid getting a feathery mouthful.]

Sorry, Regal. I can't exactly ride you like that...

Comments

[wing_attack]

[Tobias lands on a tree branch nearby, dropping his bag down to the ground.]

<Reach in there and grab the red and white ball that has a dent near the button, and press the button. The creature that's in there will keep us safe.>

[Even if Regal had been incredibly confused this morning, he should still listen. His voice is the same, at least.]

[sincereheart]

Whoa!

[ Mimi steps back. Okay, so it's Tobias-san, but it's also a big wild bird, and she's not supposed to touch those! ]

Did you just talk to me in my head? Like that big llama Pokémon did before? [ She points excitedly at the side of her head to illustrate. ] That's so cool! Can you read my mind! Can you still turn into stuff or do you have to keep being a hawk? Can you turn into a Pokémon? Can you turn into me?!

[wing_attack]

[He folds his wings in, and tilts his head.]

<Yeah, it's in your head. I can't read your mind. I can turn into things, but only if I've touched them before. And I wouldn't turn into anything sentient unless I've gotten their permission first... and most Pokemon are too close to sentient for me to really be comfortable turning into them without their permission.>

[sincereheart]

Aww! [ Mimi pouts. ] That's so boring! Well, you have to at least turn into an animal so I can see! I mean, a different animal, of course! Do you have any gross diseases, since you're a wild animal and all? Can I touch you?

[ Mimi you're wearing gloves... ]

[wing_attack]

<I'm pretty sure I'm disease-free. You can touch me if you want.>

[He just has to think of what he can turn into that's not kind of... gross or scary.]

[sincereheart]

[ She reaches out a finger and pets his tiny bird head, keeping a close watch on that beak. Yes, it's Tobias-san in there, and he's probably not going to bite her, but that thing looks vicious! You can't be too careful. ]

And at home you're just a bird like this all the time? Wow! I don't think I could be a bird all the time! I'm not sure I could even be a bird once!

[wing_attack]

[He keeps himself still, ignoring his instincts. It's okay. She's not dangerous.]

<It took a little bit of getting used to, but it's not so bad.>

[alonearisth]

[Ax starts in spite of himself when the bag drops, not because he didn't see it, but because all of this excitement just has him that on edge. He bends down to pick up the bag and carefully pulls out the ball in question, the slits on his face flaring slightly when he sees it.]

< The human children here have been throwing these capsules at me. >

[His voice is both tense and unsure as he stares at the ball. He trusts Tobias, but why on earth have they been using these things? In an effort to capture him? It's been rubbing him the wrong way, and all he can think of is how the Yeerks must be involved.

Nevertheless, he does press the button after a moment.]

[Video]

[stitchedupbodyguard]

I guess... [Her expression saddened, and quickly scrunched up. It was likely a little childish to pout, but since when did you wake up and sudden get the chance to do everything you usually did but couldn't?

It would be a crime that she didn't take advantage of this.

She was going to be so angry when it was over.]

So, your abilities are back too? [A quizzical tilt of the head.] What are they?

[Video]

[wing_attack]

Uh... I can turn into other things. I'm usually not like... this.

[He gestures to his... general appearance. Humanness. Thing.]

[wing_attack]

[A very large bird pops out, ruffling his feathers. Tobias glides to a branch nearer to the Braviary, and looks right at him.]

<Regal! ... Yeah, it's me. You recognize my voice, right?>

[The Braviary looks... confused, but he does recognize the voice! He chirps happily.]

<Okay. The creature behind you? He's my friend. Don't let anyone try to catch him, okay?>

[Regal puffs up. He can do that! He turns his back to Ax and stands guard.]

<We'll be okay for now. He's pretty strong, and he's been traveling with me for a while. He's smart, too. It's okay to talk openly about things, though. There's no Yeerks here - not that I've seen in a few months, at least.>

[alonearisth]

[When Tobias mentions that there are no Yeerks his tail lowers just a hair, though the attention of his eye-stalks remains rigid on Regal up in the tree by Tobias. He's still got the ball in his hand, turning it over cautiously as if trying to decipher how it functions just on a glance.]

< How can you be so sure? The actions of these humans are too suspicious for me to believe otherwise. >

[Then he pauses, actually turning his head up to face Tobias now.]

< You said they are trying to capture me. Who else would be trying to do such a thing other than the Yeerk forces? >

[Not to mention he says it's been months, but he can get to that later.]

[wing_attack]

<The 'animals' here are called Pokemon. People catch them and train them for a lot of reasons, though a lot of people do it for battling each other. It's not considered cruel, and the Pokemon like it. It's kind of a measure of strength of heart and conviction rather than just physical strength, since there's some Pokemon that are better against others, and a lot of Pokemon just won't listen to someone who's cruel. They probably thought you were a new type of Pokemon, since there's some that showed up recently that haven't been seen in this region before.>

[Yeah he notices that eying.]

<I've got some spare Pokeballs if you want to look at them. That one's Regal's though, so I'd kind of like to keep it intact.>

[alonearisth]

[Ax falls silent for a moment, thankfully having stopped prodding at the ball before he could force it open or something. He moves to put it back in the bag as he replies.]

< I can understand fighting for measuring strength or preserving honor. That is, only when both sides have come to an agreement to do combat in the first place. >

[There's a note of disdain in his thought-speech as he takes a slow step back, one hoof pawing the ground. Clearly he is still a bit miffed at having balls lobbed at him.]

< Perhaps some other time. Right now I want to know what happened. I was just speaking to you at my scoop approximately an hour ago, and you speak as if I have not seen you for days. >

[wing_attack]

<Most Pokemon know either to run or to fight. Most also can't talk back like you can. ... But yeah. I haven't seen you for months. Either time stands still in this place, or people are taken from different times. Or both. Trying to figure it out makes my head hurt.>

[Oh yeah. There's something else he should mention.]

<And normally anyone who has any kind of superhuman ability has it taken from them, and anyone not human gets turned human. I don't know why it's not happening right now, but I'm glad that I can fly again. I've been riding around on Regal over there since he got big enough.>

[siberians]

What about the others? Any sign of them?

[Marco, Rachel. Cassie. He hasn't noticed anyone being missing for months, including Tobias, but if the time displacement is true, then that's an explanation right there.]

[wing_attack]

<No. Not yet, at least.>

[He's not bringing up that he named Pokemon after them until he has to, okay.]

[alonearisth]

[Well that earns a bit of a pause.]

< When you put it that way, I cannot help but wonder if this may be the work of the Ellimist. Otherwise, I would find the fact of you apparently existing in two different realms at the same time to be highly unusual. >

[It is highly frustrating, but there isn't really anything he can do about it right now.]

< Are Prince Jake and the others here as well? >

[wing_attack]

<I don't know whose fault it is. Apparently people from other worlds have been showing up here for years and no one knows why.>

[The second part makes him pause, and there's a noise in his thought-speech almost like a sigh.]

<No. I was on my own for a bit, but I ended up traveling with someone else. She knows about... well, some of the things about me. A lot of people here know about other worlds, and a lot of people have also fought things from other worlds. Our situation is weird but not unheard of here.>

[alonearisth]

< Strange, but not unheard of... >

[He echoes, his tail blade finally settling into a more relaxed posture, instead of sharp and at the ready over his back.]

< And you are positive there are no Controllers here? No Yeerk activity of any kind? >

[He knows you, Tobias. You might not be quite as soft hearted as, say, Cassie, but you're the next closest one. Knowing that he's shared information with these strangers makes him a bit uneasy.]

[siberians]

So it's just you and me for right now.

[All right. This isn't...great, but we'll get it figured out. Sure. All right.]

...You want some help with that bag?

[wing_attack]

<As positive as I can be without actually looking inside the heads of people here.>

[And it worked for Jara, but most people here don't heal that well.]

[wing_attack]

<If that's okay.>

[He doesn't want to ask a favor for nothing, but... that's what friends are for.]

<I didn't exactly plan on a lack of fingers today.>

[alonearisth]

< ...I trust you, Tobias. The Yeerks have just traveled so far throughout space...it is hard to imagine any one planet not yet inhabited by them. >

[wing_attack]

<I know. But I think this isn't even in the same universe.>

[At least, he hopes not.]