002 | Cherrygrove City | Action;

[usedlaserbeam]

[After a productive (but admittedly somewhat boring) five hours of work sorting and filing papers at the Cherrygrove Pokémon Center, it's finally time for Yagyuu to head for home--or at least, for the room at the Cherrygrove Inn he's been sharing with Kirihara-kun since they both arrived in the city yesterday. He'd gladly work longer hours if they'

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action.

[futariniousama]

[ Niou slides off the Flygon without ceremony, seemingly disregarding his companions as he heads over to Yagyuu.

This is not going to be a hug. Not a hug not a hug not a hug not a hug-

He punches Yagyuu in the arm, and says nothing, because 'hey, loser' is the only thing he can think of, and that's stupid. ]

action.

[usedlaserbeam]

[A cat, indeed. And for a minute, the question of her name goes by the wayside entirely as Yagyuu just watches the two of them. It had been partly facetious when he'd dubbed her the best-loved cat in all of Johto, but the other part of him knows his partner, and that half wasn't far off the mark.]

She's lovely.

action.

[futariniousama]

[ She notices him then - she rushes a few steps forward to get in front of them, and then she's trotting somewhat awkwardly sideways before Yagyuu, looking eagerly up at him and meowing melodically and loudly.

Niou chuckles. ]

And she makes money, too.

action.

[usedlaserbeam]

You're just full of enterprising ways of supporting yourself, aren't you, Niou-kun?

[And he leans forward a little, slightly more toward the Persian's level.]

Ah, hello.

action.

[futariniousama]

Absolutely.

[ She seems delighted to be spoken to, if the little prance she does upon being greeted is any indication. There's almost no delay between his greeting and hers, either - she rushes to his side and winds skillfully around and between his feet as he walks, without so much as beginning to trip him. ]

action.

[usedlaserbeam]

[There's a fond sort of look crossing Yagyuu's face at that, one that's not quite a smile, and it's hard to say whether it's more because of the cat's antics or because she's so clearly the right cat for Niou.]

And do I pass inspection, then?

[He's talking to the cat. Probably.]

action.

[futariniousama]

[ In reply, she comes to walk between the two of them, adopting a swaying sort of gait that lets her rub against each of their legs in alternating steps. Her purring can be heard from their standing height. ]

Everyone passes inspection. [ Dryly. ] She likes everybody.

action.

[usedlaserbeam]

And to think, I'd hoped I would be considered special.

action.

[futariniousama]

She's the special one.

[ It's said with just enough sarcasm for 'special' to become a subtle jab, but of course, the Persian doesn't notice. ]

action.

[usedlaserbeam]

Yet you keep her anyway. Are you getting sentimental, Niou-kun?

action.

[futariniousama]

Are you gettin' sentimental?

[ Completely petulant. This is how Niou lets you know you've won. ]

action.

[usedlaserbeam]

[Sweet victory. It never gets old.]

At the moment? Of course.

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[futariniousama]

[ Niou rolls his eyes and reaches down to scratch the cat's ears. She walks a few steps on her tiptoes, her happy rumbling growing louder.

Well, he's already lost, hasn't he? Besides, there's really no point in pretending he doesn't miss his cat. ]

Her name's Sudoku.

action.

[usedlaserbeam]

[And up go his eyebrows, though he manages to resist the urge to push up his glasses in accompaniment. Yukimura naming his Pokemon in tribute to his absent team was one thing, but for Niou to choose that name in particular for this faithful, adoring cat--

--and his mind goes back to Hirochii the supposed gremlin-ghost, but this time in an entirely different way.]

It's a good choice.

action.

[futariniousama]

[ He lifts his shoulders a little, shrugging off the apparent significance of it. ]

Well, yeah.

action.

[usedlaserbeam]

Niou-kun--

[But no, this isn't the time. Later. A few hours won't make that much of a difference.]

--You'll have to introduce me to the others sometime, as well.