There is little to no modicum of interest Valerio has for cleaning shrines especially when he's not paid to do it. He considers doing such good deeds unproductive, especially if it will just make the League like they're actually doing something, however small it is. But then again he finds himself bored and without anything to do that one winter morning and he decides to be there at the aforementioned shrine cleaning activity.

Only to find that others find it boring as well and probably choose to snitch.

“Hey kid.” He calls the fellow youngster who seems just about 30 minutes early than him. “Are people really not coming?”

SOCIAL

Hideo Kino

Hideo looked up when he heard someone talk. He didn’t recognize their voice, but from the sound of it, they were here to help clean the place up. He wasn’t hurting for help, but every little bit mattered, and he didn’t want to be the only one cleaning up today.

“I hope not.” Cleaning was always more enjoyable when he had someone to talk to. At least, someone he could understand. “You the only other person that came here?” Maybe there was someone else he wasn’t hearing.

Whatever the case, there was still plenty to do. “I got some water-types washing stuff that’s safe to wash. My Ambipom and Beheeyem are helping with trash. I’m helping sweep the steps.” With his Beheeyem’s help, of course; the psychic-type was focused solely on Hideo, despite what Hideo said. “I think there’s a shrine attendant still around here you can ask for specific stuff, though I haven't talked to him for a while.”

Valerio Dachev , @open

“I'm actually just a bystander, trying to see what's up with this cleaning drive they speak about.”

It is true, since he finds it difficult to be doing menial jobs like this. His presence at michiko maeda's house is just a one time thing, so imagine his surprise when he finds himself in this kind of activity.

“And besides, I don't even know if my pokemons can actually clean.”

SOCIAL

Hideo Kino

“Oh.” The boy’s brief optimism fell through, and his small smile disappeared. Either the people who were supposed to come here were going to be late, or he was going to be the only one cleaning here today. Well, him and his Pokemon.

Though he did have one objection. “I mean, even if they’re super-big or something, your Pokemon could help move stuff around. Every Pokemon can help when it comes to cleaning.” He knew; he had Pokemon of many shapes and sizes, and he found ways to get them to help him out when it came to this kind of stuff.  Even his Dragonite and Aggron could pitch in.

“But if you’re just here to check things out, I can’t really stop you. No rule saying you can’t just watch. Just watch your step; it may be a little slippery up there.” No doubt by now the stone ground was soaked by his water-types’ work. “You’re free to go pray to Vicinti if you want. A lot of people come here to pray for victory. I think the shrine attendant can help you if you need it.”

Valerio Dachev , @open

Valerio doesn't bother explaining that what he means when he said he doesn't know if they can clean is that they aren't trained to do menial stuff... or at least menial stuff their trainer considers to be. They are trained killing machines more than anything else. But that doesn't say a lot how affectionate Valerio is to his pokemons.

Perhaps, he's just concern in getting their furs dirty.

“Victini... didn't it like... die or something?” He isn't sure with the details. Perhaps others people are more adept at explaining what exactly happened.

SOCIAL

Hideo Kino

Hideo stopped his sweeping when the man mentioned Victini’s death.

Truth be told, he wasn’t much of a worshiper himself. His family was never that religious - but he understood why others were. Even for things that were gone. “Yeah, I heard it died too. But even if Victini died, its sacrifice is remembered by many. I was told that’s why Pokemon can Mega Evolve here. Even if it’s gone, people still pray to it.”

He once again resumed his psychic-assisted sweeping. “They might come like it’s some kind of memorial. To be thankful for what it gave us all in exchange for its life. In one way or another, they want to pay their respects.”

“And maybe some amount of its power is still around, so people pray to that? I dunno. I’m just here to help clean.” It wasn’t like he visited these shrines to pray anyways.

Valerio Dachev , @open

“I see. Then it's good for it to die then?”

He huffs a chuckle, not sure if the humor is what the little kid considers funny as well. The way he phrased what he says, perhaps people are thankful that at least a good thing comes from its death. It's the least they can say for the things they don't have control anymore. Something to make them feel better.

“Alright, I've decided.” Valerio claps his hand, a gesture he's taken to demonstrate his conviction. “Let me help you with the cleanup. You're all going to help me, right?”

His dragons look at him with a nervous look in their eyes. They are not really the trained to be the cleaners in the group.

SOCIAL
Hideo Kino

Hideo frowned, his cheeks slightly puffed out. “Well that’s a mean way of putting it.” The dark humor was completely lost on him. “I’m sure we would’ve gotten Megas later if Victini were still around, and it’d still be alive. We should be grateful it gave that to us in its last moments, but we shouldn’t celebrate its loss.”

But he perked back up when the man offered to help. Maybe a way of making up for that bad joke? “...oh. Well, you could go talk to the shrine attendant then. If your Pokemon are strong enough, they could lift some stuff around.” He did bring one Pokemon that could lift stuff, but he felt her efforts were better focused on cleaning.

“I think there’re some dead trees around here that need to be cleared out too. None of the Pokemon I brought are good with that kind of stuff, but maybe some of yours could help with it?” Not to mention none of his Pokemon that were capable of such, were ones he wanted helping clean a shrine. Too likely to cause collateral damage.

“And maybe there’s some other stuff you could help with. I only really know about the stuff the attendant suggested I could help with.”

Valerio Dachev , @open

“Oh! That I can help with.”

Valerio doesn't bother going to the attendant to ask what he and his pokemons can do. Too much people to talk to. And it's not like he's being payed to do the job.

His real intention of helping the cleanup is unknown even to his pokemons. It's not like he has remorse to anything that he says about victini gone missing. If it gives a good result, then why not celebrate it, right?

Not much long that he's gone from the boy, the people around the area will defintely start smelling something burning. Technically, the boy said to clear the trees but he doesn't mention any method that is to do with that stuff. With as simple words as “dispose of it,” they only translate to something between “destroying” and “killing something.”

And of course, you can't kill something that's not alive, so his dragons resort to doing the former.

SOCIAL
Hideo Kino

Hideo breathed a sigh of relief. Even if it hadn’t been the person who was supposed to come here, he was finally getting some help.

Though he expected the man to at least go up and talk to the attendant first. But maybe it was pretty obvious what trees needed removing; dead trees had to look different from live trees, right?

So he went back to his sweeping, even as he heard some Pokemon use some pretty hefty attacks to take down the trees. They sounded like pretty strong Pokemon too; maybe they were trained more for battling than cleaning. Some trainers were like that.

But it wasn’t long until he started to smell something off. Like a campfire.

…

“Were you...trying to burn them down?” Hideo asked. He stopped his sweeping - and fortunately, his Seismitoad and Dewott had taken notice and were already dousing the trees with their water attacks. ”Maybe it’s a better idea to just cut them down? Safer than just lighting them, and you won’t burn any of the good trees. Or the shrine.”

“They sound like pretty big Pokemon, so I’m sure they could cut them down instead. Or even just pull them out. Just make sure to get the dead ones only; don’t wanna kill any good trees.”

Valerio Dachev , @open

“... What are you doing?”

Technically, his dragons have not done anything wrong. The boy did say "clear the dead trees out," and it's one of the ways they know how to do it. It's one of the ways he prefers them to do it.

“At least we don't need to deal with the cut logs anymore, right?”

He scratches his heads at the boy's suggestion. Well, technically, they really do can carry the logs somewhere else. It's just that it's a lot of work.

“So if that's what we're doing, where are we taking these?”

SOCIAL
Hideo Kino

It took a moment for Hideo to come of a response for the man; he had to think over whether or not the man was being serious about his objection or was just messing around with him. He was leaning towards the former, mainly because most people don’t just light a forest on fire as a joke.

But at least the man sounded like he was complying with his request. “I...guess we don’t have to do much with them after they’re cut?” he said, unsure. “You can try asking the shrine attendant what to do with them. He’s probably still up at the shrine keeping an eye on the Pokemon washing it down. He can tell you where to put them.”

The shrine attendant that had fallen asleep on a bench, magazine in hand. Wouldn’t be much help unless he was woken up.

“So I guess just leave them in a neat pile until you know where to put them.  Maybe even cut'em up so they can be firewood. Just...try not to knock down any good trees. I hear the trees here have a real pretty bloom, and they can’t do that if they’re cut to pieces.”

His water-type Pokemon had managed to put out the blaze, and moved back to their original cleaning job - though they were going to keep an eye on the man’s Pokemon now. Just in case they decided to light the dead trees again.

Valerio Dachev , @open

“Uhh...” I guess not.

Valerio is too proud to ask and confirm that he's wrong with his decisions so he lets the kid say all what he wants. Moreso that the shrine attendant is already asleep when they're the ones doing the hard work. After all, Valerio is just "helping" with all that he can, and it's not like he is getting help from other people.

“Ya'know what? Why don't you teach my dragons how to do the sweeping thing so we can do something more acceptable?” He laughs. The humor gets him because inside his head, the boy is probably thinking the man is plain crazy for bugging a child in an uneventful cleanup drive.

SOCIAL
Hideo Kino