Voicemail

[codeforhope]

Hello... you've reached Chihiro Fujisaki. I apologize for missing you, but, um... please leave a message and I will get back to you as soon as I can.

[Beep!]

Comments

[Voice]

[kingofthetvworld]

[There's a whole lot of ruckus going on in the background. Good luck trying to guess what it is.]

Chi-chan, I'm begging you! Pick up the phone, HURRY! I'm gonna-

[Before he could finish, there's a high pitched yell and something goes crashing. Probably the gear, which abruptly ends the call.]

[Voice]

[codeforhope]

[...oh dear. Chihiro calls back as soon as he hears the message, sounding clearly worried once he does.]

Teddie-san? Hello? Is everything alright...?

[text]

[dangerousidol]

Hey Chihiro-kun!

It's Rise! If you have a moment, could you call or message me please?

[text]

[codeforhope]

Good morning, Rise-san. How have you been?

text; | PREPARE YOURSELF FOR SHENANIGANS THAT'S ALL THIS IS

[occultigen]

h e ll o h eeeeee lll o h e l l o

text; | I AM ALWAYS HERE FOR SHENANIGANS

[codeforhope]

[...? Well this is...from Meridiana's number, isn't it?]

Hello?

[July 18th - voice]

[pinnedbangs]

[Fujisaki said not to be a stranger! So here he is, not being a stranger! Voicemail made it easier to ramble - which he was trying NOT to do, but that's just how it is sometimes.]

When we were talkin' that day, I said I was gonna give you some more pokemon snacks- not the sweets, that's for the gift. I just finished making a new batch so they're really fresh! ...It's not something super fancy, but Poochy likes it. And she's the pickiest eater I have.

So. [th-the rest comes out in a rush]

If I want I can stop over your place today and hand 'em over? We're leaving for Olivine in a couple of hours.

[voice]

[codeforhope]

[Oh, they're leaving already? It felt like they just got to town, too.]

That would be fine. I'll be home all day, so you can come over whenever you would like.

[voice]

[faintwaves]

Hi, Chihiro, it's Xion--when you can get back to me, I wanted to ask what your favorite color is?

--It--it's for a good reason, I promise.

Um, anyway, whenever you can get back to me is fine, bye.

[voice]

[codeforhope]

[Chihiro answers promptly just a bit later.]

Ah- hello, Xion! My favorite color is green.

[...but now he's curious as to what the reason is, obviously.]

text; 8/19

[freshprints]

Fujisaki-kun, do you have a moment?

text;

[codeforhope]

I do. Is everything alright?

Pidgey post; early November

[faintwaves]

[Chihiro will find a package containing a bracelet with a Staryu charm on it along with a written note.]

Sorry it took so long, other stuff started happening and I didn't feel up to making bracelets. I hope you like it! And I hope it fits, I used my own wrist for measurement since we're kinda the same size.

Hope you've been doing well,
Xion

[Video]

[monge]

[Okay, here we go, time to make a video call all by himself. It can't be too hard, it's like making a normal call, right? Hopefully Chihiro is up, the call comes in rather late at night, but not so late that it might be considered absurd.]

H-Hi, Chihiro, z-zura! [It's still kind of weird talking to someone you barely know like you're already best friends, but he tries anyway.] Are you around? Can you talk right now, zura?

[Judging by his surroundings, it looks like he made it to the Cherrygrove Pokecenter in one piece.]

[Video]

[codeforhope]

[Chihiro is up, as a matter of fact. He'd been working with some codes on his laptop with his Linoone curled up by his side when his Gear made a soft noise to signal that he'd gotten a video message. He quickly finishes up with what he'd been doing on his laptop before reaching for his Gear.

When he comes on the feed, Komasan will see Chihiro sitting up in bed with one arm resting on his sleeping Linoone's back, all dressed up in his pajamas and pretty much ready for bed, just not asleep yet.]

Hello, Komasan-chan. Is everything alright?

12/8 | afternoon | voice

[soundmind]

[Well, she shouldn't be surprised that she got the voicemail--Chihiro's got to be busy doing other stuff. Maka's tone when she speaks is conversational, though a little worried.]

Hey, Chihiro, it's Maka. Um...I was just calling to check and see how you've been, it seems like it's been a while since we talked. I'm really sorry about that, I've been busy with a lot of things.

Talk to you later.

[codeforhope]

[Chihiro doesn't answer promptly, exactly, but he calls her back soon enough. Working on breeding projects, u kno.]

Hello, Maka. It's okay, I've been a bit busy lately too. It's good to hear from you, though.

How have you been?

[Video]

[monge]

[Well, it's that time again. Time to check in and let Chihiro know he isn't dead yet. Only this time instead of a straight up call, Chihiro will find a video message waiting for him whenever he gets back to his 'gear.

The video starts off simple enough. Komasan can't be seen, but he's definitely heard as what looks like a Dunsparce slithers around the floor of the Violet City Pokemon center. She's just minding her own business, checking things out.]

Monge~ Noko-chan is so cute, zura~ Hey! Hey Noko-chan, zura!

[The tiny fat snake looks up at the feed.]

Show Chihiro your trick, do that thing you always do, zura!

[Immediately Noko sits herself up as she continues to look into the feed, then tilts her head quizzically much like a dog does. She even somehow manages to give a little snakey blush! Komasan absolutely loses it.]

Monge~~!! Isn't she the cutest thing in the world, zura?! Ohh, Noko-chan, you make me so happy, zura~

[As Komasan fawns over her, very publicly, the cries of Shiro can be heard in the background, his failed attempt to get his trainer to stop embarrassing him.]

Ah, okay, we need to get everyone their checkups now, zura. Noko-chan! Say bye-bye to Chihiro, zura!

[Noko, still balancing on her end, waves her little spear-shaped tail and smiles for the camera before Komasan turns the feed onto himself. Shiro can be seen floating behind him, still looking somewhat embarrassed. They're also joined by Hogosha, who makes up most of the background.]

Heh, that's all I wanted to show you for now, z-zura. This should be the last city before I hit THE city, s-so you can call me if you want to talk before I get there, zura! Um...bye-bye, zura!

[The video ends.]

[Video]

[codeforhope]

[...that was quite possibly the cutest thing he's ever seen, oh my god.

Chihiro calls back straight away from where he'd been working at his desk. He has a notepad in front of him where he'd been jotting down some things- information for his next clutch- while petting his Flareon curled up in his lap.]

I hope I'm not bothering you in the middle of getting your Pokemon seen to, Komasan-chan. It's good to hear from you again. Noko-chan is very cute! You must have caught her while you were traveling, right?

1/11 [Text]

[doesntdomuch]

[Perry had tried so hard to shut himself from society, but he guessed he was weak. Of course it was mostly his Pokemon's "fault", since they convinced him that trying to become a hermit for who knows how long was a bad idea and that, best case scenario, it would only make him feel neutral about living here.

And, as selfish as it felt, even with his pokemon, there was a deep anchor of loneliness lodged inside of him. And he knew at least one person offered to talk to him.]

Chihiro, can I talk to you?

About anything.

[Text]

[codeforhope]

[Chihiro had been expecting a message from Bartholomew, sometime. Maybe not that same day, or even within the next few days...but soon, he hoped. But this...doesn't seem like the Golduck.

There's only a small delay before he answers.]

Is that you, Perry-san?

[Action]

[monge]

[Komasan's coming over to the house on his own today, because surprises are fun. ...Well, some surprises are fun, Fridays have gotten kind of nerve-racking after the ordeal that was whatever you want to call that laziness spell. He probably waited the majority of the day, expecting some horrible symptoms to crop up, only to find that things seemed...fairly normal.

So this calls for celebration. Komasan's armed with bags of groceries, Shiro carrying his own bag to help lighten the load. Noko happily rides in a weird make-shift hood he created with his scarf, because she has no arms and can't carry anything. That's her excuse and she's sticking to it.

Confidently, he knocks on the door, turning to his floating ice cream cone.]

See, I'm not scared this time because I know it's coming, zura.

[He's referring to Chihiro's Garchomp. Why he decided to tell this to Shiro is anyone's guess.]

[Action]

[codeforhope]

[It's Komasan's lucky day, because Horu doesn't answer the door this time. He just answered back then because Chihiro wasn't really up for getting the door himself. Today, Komasan will actually be greeted by the person he's come over to see.

Chihiro pulls the door open a little further when he sees who it is, smiling slightly.]

Oh- hello, Komasan-chan!

[Komasan will be able to see two Porygon hovering behind Chihiro, both of them beeping in greeting. One is at a higher octave than the other.]

How are you today?

[...not sleepy, he hopes.]

1/29

[freshprints]

Fujisaki-kun, please get in contact with me when you receive this text, at your earliest possible convenience. Thank you, it's appreciated.

[codeforhope]

[It isn't very long before Chihiro responds, so Kirigiri won't be kept waiting.]

I'm here. Is everything okay, Kirigiri-san?

[Action]

[monge]

[It's been a little over three weeks after that Friday where Komasan almost ruined his life. By some sort of miracle, he didn't, but that didn't change the fact that he could have. Instead, he foolishly found himself on a """date""" thanks to his uncontrollable mouth, and now it's finally time to follow through.

At least it wasn't another Friday.

These three weeks have been especially difficult for Komasan as he mentally prepared himself for what he considered his first date ever. He read books, talked to people, practiced on Noko, ordered chocolate he hoped got delivered on time, studied television shows... Everything you could think of, but nothing truly helped his confidence. It shows as he stands at Chihiro's door, like he's done a million times before since he arrived in Goldenrod, only to hesitate despite all his prepping.

His Pokemon even helped out, mostly Chairo. She got him out of bed early, brushed his hair, even tied a little bow around his neck like any embarrassing mother would. Noko somehow managed to find a flower in this cold weather and gave it to him for good luck, which he placed behind one of his ears to make sure Chihiro would see it. She insisted upon it, she would've cried otherwise. But all this dressing up and tip-top grooming didn't seem to cut it for Komasan, it felt more like a mask to cover up all his insecurities.

Even though Chihiro pointed out he wasn't a youkai anymore, it didn't make him feel any less stranger. No one wants to date a former monster, that's what he told himself, that's like if someone's Pokemon became a human and wanted to get together with you. That's...weird. But he agreed to it anyway and Komasan couldn't for the life of him figure out why.

Still...he's already here, did he really want his hangups to cause him to stand Chihiro up? Maybe he was looking forward to this... That thought alone is almost...exciting, Komasan could feel his heart racing. Besides, he said it himself, it was only to see what would happen. Nothing's riding on this, he could do it...]

Here goes nothing, zura...

[He says to no one in particular, but looks at the empty space next to him as if Shiro were right beside him per usual. His Pokemon wished him well, but stayed at home. This is his thing, not theirs.

With a small, defeated sigh, he knocks on the door.]

[Action]

[codeforhope]

[It was funny. Whenever Chihiro ever thought about what it would be like to be asked out by someone, it always felt like it would be a huge deal. And it is, make no mistake, but...somehow, it's different. Komasan had asked (albeit a bit bluntly, given how he was affected previously), but he'd also asked honestly. Chihiro had agreed and...that was it. Perhaps the fact that it didn't seem like a huge deal made him feel a bit better, even though that didn't mean he was without nerves. Far from it, really. He's probably nowhere near as nervous as Komasan is right now (for once), but it's certainly up there.

He looks up from where he had been working away at his laptop when he hears a knock on the door, looking over briefly at where his Linoone is lounging on his bed. Fast asleep, unsurprisingly. Chihiro decides not to bother him, instead grabbing his Gear just as Zip disappears into it before carefully pushing it into his bag. He takes a slow breath before heading to the door, wearing a cream peacoat with thick leggings to keep warm. He's also wearing one of those terrible scarves, but he seems more interested in showing off his Pokemon's work than being fashionable.

Chihiro can't help but smile when he sees how cleaned up Komasan is. It's definitely surprising, but not unwelcome in the least.]

Good morning, Komasan-chan. You look nice.

[Action] Backdated 2/19

[monge]

[It's so standard now, do I even have to say anything?

Guess who's at the door.

Guess who's determined not to scream when it opens this time.]

I-I can do this, zura!

[The Pokemon next to him for support isn't Shiro this time around, but rather his Nidorina, Ao.

Yes, he named the blue Pokemon "Blue."

She looks up at him, just a bit concerned, this is obviously her first time dealing with the fabled door. In fact, she's so confused, she just knocks for him, prompting him to nearly jump out of his skin.]

[Action]

[codeforhope]

[Chihiro has gotten into the habit of answering the door himself, not wanting a repeat of...well, the first incident that seems to have carried over for poor Komasan. Since then, Chihiro has made sure that he doesn't let either of his Garchomp open the door for him, no matter who it might be. But beyond that, it's just more polite to answer it himself, isn't it?

He pulls the door inward, already smiling even before he sees who it is. His Flareon stands just behind his ankles, peering past at Ao with a curious twitch of her long ears.]

Ah- good afternoon, Komasan-chan!

[Oh...well that sure isn't Shiro, is it? Chihiro blinks, tipping his head slightly to one side as he looks down at Ao.]

Oh...is this your friend?

[Guess what, it's Action]

[monge]

[Haha, boy, living with humans has certainly made a lot of dates suddenly important. Like birthdays, Komasan didn't really care about those as much before. He can barely keep track of his own age without having to ask his brother, and even then he doesn't have an exact number. So imagine his surprise when he found out Chihiro's birthday was coming up.

Imagine his horror when he realized he didn't have a present. In his defense, he's been preparing for a trip. ...But even then, Chihiro managed to give him an egg, and he didn't even do anything to earn that. Komasan can't give him anything nearly as great, so he had to do some scouting around Ecruteak to get some ideas.

Eventually he comes back, standing in front of the hotel door much like how he used to stand in front of Chihiro's door countless times in Goldenrod. Some things never change.]

C-Chihiro? [He calls as he knocks, Shiro and Noko next to him as they wait patiently. Noko is wearing some sort of elaborate outfit, and there's a very good reason for that.] Do...do you wanna go out for your birthday, zura?

[/smooth]

[codeforhope]

[In all honesty, Chihiro knew his birthday was coming, but he just hadn't really made much of a big deal about it. He never did with birthdays, even though the past couple involved pretty elaborate parties and get togethers with friends and classmates. This year it would be a bit different. A little quieter for a multitude of reasons, but Chihiro wasn't going to let it bother him, not when he was enjoying a trip with Komasan.

Even so, when he hears Komasan calling from the door, he can't help but smile to himself. Komasan could just come in...they're sharing the room, after all.

He walks over and pulls the door open.]

If you would like to, I-

[...he pauses, looking down when he notices Noko. How can't he notice Noko? And oh my god it's cute]

[monge]

Hm, the weather is still kinda cold, zura...

[Komasan stood outside the inn they're currently staying at, waiting for Chihiro to join him for...something he's honestly trying to not think too much about. The only Pokemon joining him for this outing is Noko as per usual, and that's only because she's claimed Komasan's bag as her own and so help anyone who wants to remove her. Although he does consider letting Shiro out, the weather not being snow-meltingly terrible enough where the ice Pokemon would be comfortable, he'd rather not overwhelm Chihiro with his need to be surrounded by his monsters. If he let Shiro out, then he'd have to go grab Komajiro. And then if he grabbed Komajiro, that isn't fair to anyone else, and so on and so forth. Everyone understood Noko had special privileges.]

It doesn't feel like it's changed much either, zura...

[Making comments to himself about the weather might be strange, but it helped Komasan distract himself. He knew what a swimsuit was, and he'd wear one as a dog even if it wasn't necessary, this wasn't a new idea or anything. But as a human...well that's a whole different ballgame. He couldn't explain it, he doesn't even want to understand it, but it felt different somehow. More exposed? Fur did have a certain feel to it, like you were always covered.

And now he has to deal with this awkwardness with Chihiro. Good. Great.]

[codeforhope]

[For Chihiro, shopping is something he's gotten used to doing frequently on his own. Clothes shopping, though...he's had to slowly gain more confidence about over time. It's gotten a lot better, and nowadays he chooses things that he likes, as opposed to things he "should" wear. Today's even easier, because he's not shopping for himself, but Komasan.

Chihiro has Shiruku with him today, his Leavanny who adores fashion and all things related to clothes. She comes bouncing out the door ahead of him, flashing Komasan and Noko a cheerful smile as she waves with a hand that isn't holding a cloth shopping bag as Chihiro appears behind her.]

Are we ready to go?

[Text/Action]

[monge]

[The text comes from Komasan's gear, but it's...obviously not Komasan who sends it.]

Hello friend! It's me, a Drifblim. The one that goes by some name you probably know and that I refuse to use.

How are you doing? I'm great!! Hope I didn't interrupt any important counting-the-hours-of-your-death or whatever it is humans do in their spare time, but I'm in a bit of a pickle here! I'm not sure if you noticed the terrible screeches of horrifying youth on the feed this morning, but there seems to be some sort of "thing" going around. Normally I'd find this hilarious and see how many I can trick into walking into a ditch or something, but then it turned out the same thing happened to our buddy Jeff. ...Or whatever you call him.

Anyway long story short he ran away and I don't know where he went. If you could help me locate this new horrible tiny abomination, that would be swell! ...Unless the same thing happened to you and you've regressed into some sort of useless human spawn stage where you can't read and I'm typing to no one. In that case, should you not respond, I might rob you. No hard feelings!!

I'm waiting outside this house I'm honestly not sure how you afford with one of the other Pokemon small and stupid managed to not drag away with him. Funny enough, it's the Growlithe, so he should be able to sniff him out! See, it's funny because I could've totally done this on my own if Sparkles here would just listen to me.

He won't.

But I think he likes you.

Hope to hear from you soon,
-A Drifblim

[Should Chihiro look outside, Komasan's giant Drifblim, Murasaki, is actually waiting there! Next to him is the familiar shiny Growlithe pup, who can't seem to stay focused on anything, much to Murasaki's annoyance.]

[Action]

[codeforhope]

[Yeah, Chihiro...definitely noticed. He's not really sure what to do either, other than sit back and hope that those effected have people close by to help them. Truth be told, he's been afraid that it'll be his turn, next...he's managed to skate by unaffected by Route's strange happenings for a while now, and that doesn't usually last forever.

But of course, that doesn't mean he's going to be immune from the affects t all, even if he's not the one affected. And seeing this message from Komasan's Gear is immediate cause for worry, prompting Chihiro to rush outside with Henko and Isamu following close behind.

The message's wording isn't helping him feel better. At all.]

O-oh!

[Quickly, Chihiro walks over to the little Growlithe, crouching down in front of him before looking up at Murasaki.]

We need to hurry! Komajiro, can you help me find him? Please?

Henko, you can help too!

[monge]

[Another day, another event to plague the population. It's like this month decided to take everything terrible about those awful Fridays and bring them into full force. ...And leak into every other day.

Not that Komasan's aware of anything going on, he's still recovering from that...age thing to notice. In fact, that's exactly why he heads over to the house, to somehow make it up to Chihiro for looking out for him. This time around it comes in the form of lunch, Komasan carries in a bag containing exactly two bento boxes, because he's a sap and has to be as cliche as possible.

It's gotten to the point where he no longer hesitates or knocks on the door, he just lets himself in. A bag in his hand, a snake on his back, all just casual, normal things.]

Chihiro?! I made lunch, zura!!

[Wait. Maybe he should've asked if he had eaten already...

Oh well, too late now. But when Komasan doesn't get an answer, he starts to wonder if he should've asked if he was even home. That...that would've been a good thing to check into.

Well, maybe he's taking a nap. ...Or more realistically, maybe he's too busy with his computer and currently deaf to the outside world. No big deal, Komasan understands. Placing his bag in the kitchen before he heads up, he makes the journey to Chihiro's room, peeking his head inside to check up on things.]

...Chihiro? Chihiro, are you hungry, zura?

[codeforhope]

[...Well. Komasan's going to be met with a very unusual sight.

There's Chihiro, laying flat on the bed with his gaze upturned toward the ceiling. Zip and Whiz the Porygon hover anxiously nearby, letting out rapid beeps of confusion as they chatter among themselves. The rest of Chihiro's Pokemon seem to be absent, either in their balls or elsewhere. His laptop is open nearby, which explains why the Porygon are out...

So maybe he really is taking a nap?

He sure is being still, though...his arms are drawn oddly to his chest, his hands held curled up along with his legs, as if he doesn't know what to do with them.

...strange.]