2023-12-23: A Worry Shared
- Cutscene: A Worry Shared
- Cast: Eleanor Klein, A Mysterious Old Man, and a Rash Pikachu
- Where: Outside Viridian Forest
- Date: December 23, 2023 (505 PC)
- Summary: While Eleanor lags behind her friends on the road to Viridian City, she starts to brood--and then runs into someone who's just been in a fight.
Eleanor Klein comes to a stop some ways outside Viridian Forest, leaning on a tree for a moment as she watches the others move into Viridian City ahead. She smiles, to see civilization, and to see the Eevee with her wife. Such a cute little creature.
But they're alive, and they've been through a lot already. She's /still/ worried about Anastasia, and Eleanor finds herself brooding about it a little, staring into space and dwelling on the way she spoke of what she 'deserved'. She pulls the strange capsule she got earlier, the red-and-white ball with the Symbols on its metal ring center. She stares into it, thoughtfully.
"What a strange world we've come to..."
But before she can really get to worrying--
"Pikaaaaaaa!"
A small shape /bursts/ from the treeline, trailing a tentstake connected by a bit of fabric wrapped around its leg. "Pikapikaaa!" It flails, having mostly escaped a tent that it saw earlier.
"Oh no," Eleanor says, kneeling down as she looks at it. "Oh--"
An old man she hadn't noticed there regards her with a look and then looks at the Pikachu, "It's in distress, all right. ...Kind of thing makes it easier to catch! Are you gonna help it out, young lady?"
"Hm?" Eleanor says. "Well, if it'll allow me..."
"Of course, of course. Here, give it one of these..." The old man presents Eleanor with a few Berries that Eleanor looks down at. "Oh! You think it'll let me untangle it if I give it something to eat?"
Eleanor says, "Ps ps. Come here, little one..."
"Pikaaaaaaa?" The pikachu regards her dubiously--but sniff sniff, sniff sniff, approaches the berry in her hand.
"Yes, that's right--"
Pikachu comes over, dragging the fabric and tent stake along with it. "Pika..."
"Here," Eleanor says, and very gently and carefully reaches out to untangle the strap.
"Now then, young lady," says the old man, "That poke ball in your hand won't do you any good if you just hold it!"
"Oh!" Eleanor blinks. "This?"
"That's right. While it's eating, now, toss it at the little one."
"...That seems a little..."
"Ha ha ha! You act like you've never seen one! Here, give it a try!"
"Well..." Eleanor more drops than throws the pokeball, and the Pikachu looks up thoughtfully before it bops its nose, Berry finished. "Piii--!"
Just like it did Avile, the ball captures the Pikachu. Rock, rock. Rock, rock. Rock, rock.
Ding!
"There you go!" he says. "Gosh. It's almost like that's your first! Well, no judgement, no judgement. Take care," he says, and starts to wander off.
"W-wait," Eleanor starts, seeing a chance to get some answers, but he can move awfully quickly, as it happens. "..."
"...Well," Eleanor says, "Looks like you're coming with me, little one." She holds the Poke Ball carefully in both hands. "...I'll show you to everyone!" She stands up again, and hurries along to catch up with her wife and friends.
...She /is/ less worried than she was before.