001 [voice | CALL | un: ghostprince]

[shootaro]

[CALL]

[The call begins with the sound of something flapping incessantly, as if blown by very rough winds. It soon settles into eerie howling. Pleasant!

It's not entirely a creepy silent call, though, and soon enough, a cool and quiet, young-sounding voice that's a bit hard to place, filters in:]

—one hear me? Sorry, the wind picked up.

I'm going to check out the temple.

Will anyone else be coming? I won't be needing your help [—rude.] I'm asking for your safety. I don't advise sneaking up on my partner and I, unless you don't consider your soul valuable.

[End call. Not so much as an introduction! He thinks he owns the place, doesn't he?]

Comments

no worries!

[fivenareff]

Yes.

[That's short, but it's not an answer he has to think about.]

[thank you! ;3;/]

[shootaro]

[He wants to play it off as if he's not affected, but there's still a lengthy pause before he replies.]

Okay.

[All that wait for this? He decides one more is needed to make the wait feel more natural.]

What if they thought they were doing the right thing at the time, but then, it turned out to be unnecessary? The violence, I mean.

[fivenareff]

That's a bit of a complicated question, but: I think the intention there matters. And it would be holding everyone and anyone to an impossible standard if I said "no, that's the exception". Intention doesn't absolve you of everything, especially if who you killed was an innocent, but it counts for something. Especially if what you were trying to do was unquestionably the right thing.

In my opinion, anyway.

[1/2]

[shootaro]

[That's... a very comforting answer, actually.

It might be a little bit naive, but he feels he can trust him now. He had no reason to lie to him and had no stake in this, so he felt he was being genuine the whole time.

He switches to video and finally shows his face.

He's a very young boy, looking about ten, with a crooked smile. There's something near him that's casting an eerie, blue-purple glow, dancing like firelight.
He looks a bit shy and uncetain, hesitating for a moment before he speaks, but when he does, it sounds calm:]

It was for the sake of saving a city full of innocents. At the time, I thought peaceful means were doomed to failure. Naive.

[2/2]

[shootaro]

My name is Trip and what we, my parner Lampent and I... are capable of, is the draining of spiritual energy and the burning of souls.

[Lampent floats into view now, as Trip moves away to give it room.]

[fivenareff]

[Oh. Another Stand user.

Or, well, no: probably not. Probably he calls it another name, but surely that's what it is. Polnareff blinks at the screen, honestly taken aback for a few seconds. He doesn't switch to video-- he can't, not right now-- but he smiles nonetheless.]

I would definitely say that was a reason worth committing violence for.

[He can't bring up Stands. Not his own, not Giorno's, and not Abdul's, though he wishes he could. Magician's Red would like this Lampent quite a bit, he suspects.]

What's your name?

[shootaro]

[He seems to encounter those a lot here.]

Lampent reponds simply with:] La~mpent.

My team keeps their species' names, like their cries, I don't like giving them cutesy nicknames.

[Some trainers do that, but he doesn't see it as necessary at all. They aren't human, so there's no reason to give them human names unless they want them, and they seem happy enough with their own. Besides, a lot of Pokemon have cutesy names to begin with!]

It's a Fire and Ghost Type Pokemon.

[As would be plainly obvious! There's some other things Lampent can do, but he isn't going to talk about those yet. When the time comes...]

[fivenareff]

[He wants to meet it, though. It looks adorable. And that's an interesting name for a Stand: Pokemon. Weird, but no worse than Stand.]

Does he have fire attacks, then?

[had to get help to pick two other moves for Lampent because only two were shown in canon ^^;]

[shootaro]

[Pocket Monster is pretty straightforward, but unyieldy!

He nodded.]

Fire Types primarily use Fire Type moves, yes, that's basic. [Matter-of-factly.] But other Type moves can be taught with training for more balance.

Lampent can use Flamethrower, aside from drawing out spiritual energy to burn. Its others moves are Shadow Ball, Psychic, and Energy Ball.

Flamethrower's usually all we need, though! [He sounds quite proud of it! Lampent, mostly, seems very calm and quiet by contrast, simply watching.]

... if you want a demonstration or a battle, we're always up for those too! Are you a trainer too?

[The question didn't really entirely give him away.]

[fivenareff]

No.

[That hurts, even six months later. It's not Trip's fault, he didn't know, but something in Polnareff's stomach still twists awfully at that question.]

But I'm familiar with the concept. I'd like to see a demonstration, whenever you're up for it.

[shootaro]

Oh. It's just that you didn't seem very surprised, so I thought you might be one.

[He couldn't have known, but even if he had, Trip still be unintentionally hurtful.]

I should be free tomorrow or the day after. Depends on what time we could meet up.

[He makes the most of his time, so even at dawn, he and his team would be out training. Today, he'll probably be busy with ghosts, though...]

[fivenareff]

Whenever's best for you. Just name a time and place.

[He'll address the rest later. Some of it he doesn't mind disclosing, but not where anyone can read it.]