There's bound to be a ghost at the back of your closet

[fivenareff]

WHO: Trip and Jean-Pierre Polnareff
WHAT: Pokemon showing off! Stand comparisons! Feeling bad because your Stand died! All the usual fun stuff.
WHEN: Let's call it around 8/15
WHERE: Nicholson Park, in the City of Romance.

[It's not a Stand, Polnareff knows. That Lampent that had floated in front of the camera and chirped its own name-- it's something entirely different. Linked to Trip, maybe, but it might not even be something so intimately interwoven as a Stand is. That being said: it's not the same, no, but it's still interesting.

Maybe he's torturing himself a little. Why expose himself to others' abilities when his own was lost forever? But he isn't about to turn away an interesting source of information just because of hurt feelings. It isn't as if sitting in Giorno's mansion all day is going to help. So he might as well set out and meet the kid-- Trip-- in person. If his own Chariot comes to mind, well, he'll just push the thought away. It's been six months. He has to learn to let it go.

Polnareff waits patiently in the park. He'd pushed to meet in the City of Romance, leery of being caught by Dio anywhere else. Setting up his wheelchair beneath a tree, he skims through old entries on the network, waiting idly. Hopefully the kid will actually show up. He'd seemed game, but he's also pretty young; Polnareff doesn't have a whole lot of faith in the reliability of kids.]

Comments

[shootaro]

[A demonstration? This, he can do. Hm, what's the best way to showcase their individual strengths, but also not make one outshine the other? (It would grieve Serperior to be outshined, Lampent would not care to be nothing more than a staging post for his partner Pokemon either).

Flashy attacks, like a Contest battle, maybe... they'll be showcasing their abilities, right now.]

Alright, Serperior! Use Frenzy Plant!

Lampent, counter with Flamethrower!

[Serperior's leafy tail rattles, glows with a light, then, it strikes the ground, sending large, thick, and twisting roots ripping through the ground, weaving in and out of the earth, covered in, sharp thorns. The ends shoot out towards Lampent, but with a quickly executed flamethrower, it scorches the roots, stopping them dead in their tracks.

They fall heavily to the ground, then, they, along with the rest of the roots from the point Serperior struckk the ground, wither and crumble away, as if they never were.

Trip glanced Polnareff's way with a proud smile, assessing his reaction.

More to come if he's interested! It'll be Serperior's turn to shine next.]

[fivenareff]

[And he most definitely is interested. Polnareff watches the demonstration eagerly, eyes darting between the two Pokemon as they move and twist. It's like two Stands sparring, really, and that comparison makes his heart ache as much as it brings him cheer.

When Trip looks towards him, he grins. That's rare for him nowadays, but the display is well worth it.]

Well done! Any others, or should I start applauding now?

[shootaro]

Hold your applause! [He says it confidently, but he's actually a little bit scared of messing this up, he's never choreographed anything? He's not a Performer or Coordinator or anything! He decides he can't keep up with multiple Pokemon showing off, so Lampent get waved down to simply fly in place, Serperior gets a flicking, beckoning hand (he seems to use really broad, sweeping hand gestures a lot in giving commands, which is probably why he dropped his bag on the ground...).] Next up, Frillish!

[He calls out Frillish, this time an eerie, but also cute-looking creature that looks like a cross between a jellyfish the size of a human child and a fairy tale prince replete with a broad, frilled collar and a small crown. Its eyes are blue, blankly staring and unblinking, with red sclera and dainty lashes.

It swims in the air as if it's water, gliding quite effortlessly.]

Water Pulse!

[It brings up two of its frilled tentacles in front of it, forming an orb that quickly grows, filling with churning, turning water.]

Serperior, Dragon Tail!

[Serperior's tail glows white, sharpens, and when Frillish's Water Pulse has reached the appropriate size to launch Serperior's way, Serperior knocks it away with a strike of its tail that's almost too fast to see. The orb flies off and collides with a tree a little way off, surrounding the tree as though it were its target, locking it inside as waves crash around it in a pulsing manner, like being trapped in a miniature ocean at high tide. After thoroughly dousing the poor tree and shaking its branches rather roughly, the orb breaks and the water crashes out in all directions, before being swallowed up by the earth.]

Well, what do you think?

—I've actually got two more that battle and one that's still learning.

[The last one is more likely to hug Polnareff and try to make friends while ignoring any battling than battle without direct orders...]

[fivenareff]

[The demonstration itself is quite a show. Polnareff watches each Pokemon in fascination, their battle moves earning grins and claps as needed. Each move is a little stunning in its power, truthfully, and he wonders how well each one would fare in a true battle.

But it's the question, proud and yet eager for praise, that has him truly smiling. He's always liked kids; that trait, at least, the years haven't crushed.]

I think they've been taught very well. You've obviously trained hard with them.

[It isn't just mindless praise, either: he'd trained often enough with his Chariot to recognize someone who's done the same.]

How do you teach them?

[shootaro]

[Despite the confident air, he blinks, looking stunned for a moment, cheeks colouring, then just breaks into a very bright smile, clearly touched.]

Uh-huh, we really did!

[Erk, speech slipped, a bit, and maybe he nodded a bit too eagerly saying that. Hands in pockets, straightening his back, raising his head to look proud and dignified again and not so... boyishly seeking approval.

(Do you see what easy prey this child is?)]

Most moves are learned as they level up, so we have to find and battle stronger and stronger opponents. It's absolutely vital to get stronger and learn more. Others require special training just to activate them. Serperior had to try and concentrate on focusing its power and striking at boulders with its tail for a long time before it could use Dragon Tail— it's a Grass Type, not a Dragon Type, so that kind of thing requires special training.

Vanillite was specifically bred for to hatch with a move it can't learn naturally, like Ice Shard— got that one by the mother breeding with a Snorunt. Inherited the ability from its father. Basic stuff.

One thing's the same, all moves are refined with practice

[Oh, right, he mentioned Vanillite without bringing it out— he casually take a pokeball out of his pocket, unshrinks it, and releases it at his hip, not tossing it this time.

This one is an unexpectedly adorable creature! It's the size of, perhaps, a teddy bear and looks about as darling. It honestly looks like soft-serve ice cream with an ice crystal-covered cone. And it immediately takes an interest in Polnareff, flying over with a wiiiide smile, breathing smoky-white puffs of air as though it carries winter's frost with it, leaving a trail of snowflakes in its wake.]

[fivenareff]

[He bites back his laugh. God, he really is just a kid, isn't he? Intelligent, sure, and good at directing a fight, but still a kid. The arrival of Vanillite has him really grinning, though. Polnareff strokes two fingers against the pokemon, murmuring wordless praises for a few moments.

Focusing back on Trip, he says:]

I've a pretty good mind for tactics, if you ever want to learn some more.

[Because that seems to be what fighting with pokemon is: tactics, and directing his animals to fight to the best of their abilities. Pretty good isn't quite a fair description for what Polnareff can do, but he won't go around bragging to a kid.]

[shootaro]

[Vanillite happily leans into the touch, giggling a bit, breath turning white as thiugh it were winter. The Pokemon is soft and certainly feels as though it were formed from ice and snow, and a few snowflakes might settle on his skin, his two fingers thinly coated with frost.

He likes Polnareff more and more! He'd be bothered if he actually knew he was being treated like a child, but as far as he knew, he was respectful without the aggressively overpowering aura Dio had. He did like the raw power Dio exuded, but Polnareff's subtler confidence wasn't offensive either. He suspected he was stronger, smarter than he let on!

He certainly felt safer to be around, which could only be a bad thing if that made him lower his defenses.

Polnareff's phrasing earns a few reactionary blinks and a funny sort of expression, as though he said something very strange:]

Of course! What sort of trainer would I be if I stopped learning? I'm still a long way from defeating that man, so I need to learn everything I can!

Teach me, please.

[fivenareff]

Just like that?

[But it's not cruelly meant. Just a little surprised.]

Before I can teach you, I'll need to know a little more about you and your pokemon. My Chariot was based on speed and precision-- he fought with a blade, you see. Most of my initial lessons in tactics came from there. But applying those lessons to a pokemon that fights at long-range, or uses fire, or what have you, would be foolish.

Your Frillish seems based in water. I can guess that Vanillite is based along the theme of ice, hm? [He strokes the pokemon again, smiling as he does.] Serperior, you said, was based around . . . Grass? What does that mean, exactly?

[weeeeell, you asked for it]

[shootaro]

[Vanillite wiggles a bit, fussing— it's had enough of petting and decides to blow frost onto the side of Polnareff's face. It seems to think that's funny... Trip hadn't noticed yet, frowning a little.]

I... never had anyone help me train, sorry. [That did seem to hurt him, but he tried to brush it off.]

You're right about the elemental attacks.

Serperior is bred for speed! Opponents can't follow its movements, so it's very good at sneak attacks. Primarily short-range, physical attacks. Frenzy Plant and Solar Beam are its long range attacks. What that one means is that Serperior can absorb energ from the sun and fire it at opponents. It's pretty strong! It can wrap its opponents tight too, strangle them into submission. It's very powerful! But its endurance... I didn't really train it for that.

Frillish... is Water, but also Ghost, and it's bred for overpowering strength, to induce helplessness.

Cursed Body means any attack that makes physical contact on its body is cursed. Sealed away for the rest of the battle, so the opponent can only land a hit with a physical attack once.
Hex increases damage on a Pokemon already suffering from confusion or poison or anything else. Night Shade locks the opponent in nightmarish visions in order to paralyze them...

Oh! Speaking of paralysis, Frillish naturally secretes a numbing, paralyzing poison from its tentacles. Its mostly used for hunting, when it needs to drag its prey underwater to consume its body... oh, and soul too. It eats human souls, like Lampent, you know.
That's why sailors consider them bad omens. Lampent's considered an omen of death too.

[He lists off these horrors with a surprisingly casual, conservational tone. He might've gotten a bit side-tracked... the Ghost Types definitely seem to be his favourites, after his partner, Serperior.]

... in fact, the only one with great defense is Vanillite. You know, it can take on fire head-on? It's pretty gutsy. All its attacks are long range and ice-based.

[fivenareff]

[Vanillite. Please. Polnareff waves a hand, not so much shooing it as trying to discourage that particular behavior. And as he does that, he listens, which . . . good grief. All of that information is fascinating, of course. Some of it is a bit creepy, and some of it is familiar, but all of it is interesting.

Better to just focus on one at a time. Polnareff nods towards Serperior.]

He sounds like the one I'm most familiar with, so why don't we start there?

[Not that he doesn't like the others.]

You said you didn't train him for endurance. Is there a reason for that, or is he simply not built for it?