SEVENTH RIDE ✦ VIDEO

[diamondo]

[Guess who woke up inside the Team Rocket base today? Guess who's apparently been gone for at least a month? And guess who's currently staring at the camera like it's the source of all his problems?

If you guessed Mondo then congratulations!]

Okay, what the hell happened? Apparently I can't even go to fucking sleep without something stupid going down. Did I get sent home?

[He rests his elbow on his knee and then places his chin on his hand. It's apparent that Mondo is still in the base - to those who recognize the base, that is - and it looks like he only just got up. Somehow or other his hair is completely unaffected. Don't question it.]

I don't really give a fuck either way, but I've got a major problem.

[He reaches out offscreen to grab something that makes a high-pitched shrieking sound. It's revealed to be a Scraggy who is trying vainly to get Mondo to let go. Those of you who know the biker gang leader might remember that he had a really bitchy Scrafty at one point. ...Yeah.]

Ryder's de-evolved. Unevolved? What-the-fuck-ever. She's not a Scrafty anymore. And she's fucking level thirty. She was level 100 last time I checked! Does this shit happen here? I've never heard of it happening. So what the fuck's going on?

[He finally lets her go and she scurries offscreen. Mondo resettles and while he still looks annoyed, his tone is at least a bit more conversational.]

...So what did I miss anyway?

Comments

[ardent]

Well, what else am I supposed to do with them?

[diamondo]

...Train them? Like, get them to level up so they're not all really weak?

[ardent]

Yes, of course! But we can't do that all the time - and besides, they need something to do that isn't swarming people and pestering Celes-kun!

[diamondo]

...Well, I think it's kind of amusing when they annoy Celes...

[But that's not the point!]

I guess you're right though, they're not cut out for training non-stop.

[...Oh well!]

So what did I miss while I was gone? Anything interesting? You seem to be doing better, at least! I... I'm sorry I wasn't here to help. I mean, it's not like I wanted to leave or anything like that, but it still feels pretty shitty to have disappeared when you were... hurting like that.

[ardent]

[Why do you think he hasn't made them stop...

That said, though, he kind of pauses a bit before he continues; that last part is striking him oddly and it's obvious.]

...It's okay, kyoudai; I'm not mad at you - but...hm. Naegi-kun and I have been travelling a bit, like I said, and he makes sure I eat things instead of just thinking too much about them, and he tries to make me sleep.

[So he's still not functioning nearly as well as he should be, but at least he seems a little more put-together.]

There were a few people from Team Rocket doing things recently - the silent one with the anonymous posts set bombs all over a city and threatened to kill everyone, but he was stopped eventually. And the really shouty one that likes to destroy things was threatening to torture Pokémon that he was selling, and Alice-san and I are going to do something about that.

[diamondo]

...I'm glad you were with Naegi, then. Like I said, you seem to be doing a lot better!

[But there are other things to focus on, so he'll leave that be for the moment.]

Shit, that guy attacked a city? What the fuck's wrong with him? And the other one's trying to torture Pokémon? What the fuck?

[That's more to himself than to Ishimaru, however.]

So what are you gonna do? Do you need my help? I can't really do shit in terms of Pokémon 'cause I've only got Ryder and Blake and they're both... really low levels... But if there's anything else I can do, you know I'll help out!

[ardent]

...We can use all the help we can get, I think; I plan on talking to her about it once I'm back in town, and you can join us if you want!

I have...ideas about how we're going to do it, but I'll talk to you about them in person.

[diamondo]

Yeah, sure! I'd definitely like to help. There's no fucking way I'd let that bastard get away with hurting innocent Pokémon like that.

[ardent]

...They're getting more aggressive, it looks like. The lot of them.

[diamondo]

We're going to have to figure out something to do about them. 'Course my timing fucking sucks and now I can't do shit with my Pokémon.

[And as much as he'd like to physically confront these assholes, he's fully aware that he doesn't stand a chance against a Pokémon, much less one at level 100, which these guys most likely have.]

[ardent]

Don't worry. Like I said, I have ideas.

[...]

It's good to have you back, kyoudai.

[diamondo]

It's good to be back.

[.........]

Well, it didn't feel like I was gone, but you know what I mean!

[ardent]

I do, yes!

[......]

I've been all right, though, I think. Better than I was before, anyway.

[diamondo]

I'm really glad to hear that.

[He hesitates for a moment then decides what the hell, he might as well say it.]

...I was kinda worried about you, y'know. Not that you wouldn't recover or anything like that! Just that you had to go through all that shit in the first place.

[ardent]

[...Oh.

Just...give him a moment, Mondo, he isn't sure what to do with that.]

...It's been a hard month.

[diamondo]

Yeah. I know. But you're working through it, so that's good! I mean, shit, I don't know how the fuck I'd handle something like that.

[...]

There'd probably be a lot of violence involved. Yeah, definitely a lot of violence.

[ardent]

...I would be surprised if everyone's bodies remained intact, yes!

[Ishimaru.]

[diamondo]

Oh come on, it's not like I'd go fucking berserk and punch all you guys out!

[....................okay maybe it's exactly like that...]

[ardent]

How are you defining "a lot of violence," then?!

[diamondo]

Um, like breaking shit? I mean, fuck, I'd never forgive myself for hurting you guys.

[...]

'Specially not any of the girls. Though I don't think I'd do that.

[Not that he can really say for certain, thanks blackout episodes.]

[ardent]

[...you tried, anyway...]

...It doesn't matter, I think - everything's going to be okay now.

[diamondo]

...Yeah. I think things'll be just fine now. I'm not gonna go anywhere again.

[...]

Well, I mean, it's not like I had a choice there, but if I do have the choice I'm not going to-- You know what I fucking mean!

[ardent]

Well, at least we know it's a possibility now, both the coma and people just...leaving and then coming back -

[...oh god.]

...Nothing...happened to you back home, did it?

[diamondo]

Huh? No. At least, I don't remember anything happening. My memory's not that shitty, so I guess I didn't really go home, or if I did, time stood still or something? Shit, I dunno.

[ardent]

[Ishimaru stares at the device for a few seconds too long at that, as though he's trying to work through something in his head; whatever it is, he dismisses it soon enough in favor of relief.]

...I'm glad to hear that, then.