Oh. Right. Hideo should’ve considered that Andy might want to know why he knew about sex already. “It’s a...well, long story short, I caught my sister playing a game she didn’t want anyone knowing she was playing. I told my brother, and he told me it was one of those weird anime sex games, so I asked him what sex was. My oldest sister heard me ask, so she...gave me the talk so I wouldn’t ask my parents.”

Probably helped he knew his oldest sister was somewhat experienced in that matter - her room was right above his. “Think it was a few years ago when that happened. I’m just gonna pretend I don’t know when my parents try to give it to me. ‘Course, if Doug tries to give it to me, I’ll tell him I already got it.”

It didn’t occur to him that maybe, telling Andy he learned about sex so early wasn’t the best idea. Didn’t help that he was distracted by the thought of Doug actually trying to explain it to him, nor did Pom refusing to stop Hideo from talking about it.

But it helped that there was a convenient topic-changer staring him in the face. Though it took him a moment to come up with a response.

“Oh. That’s rou-” Hideo was interrupted by the sound of a chair dragging along the ground. He didn’t hear Pom move at all, and he doubted Andy would interrupt himself like that; was Epitaph trying to stop him from getting too depressed? Andy didn’t sound like he was upset by it.

Still, maybe Andy was just good at hiding his distress. Maybe he was expressing it, but was just doing it visually.  This would be a lot easier if he had his Beheeyem around to help.

“That’s rough. It must be hard trying to look for your dad like that...but maybe it’s not so bad? I’m guessing that Ghastly was Epitaph over there, so you made a great friend, right? And maybe you just haven’t found your dad’s ghost because he’s still alive?” Focus on the positive. “And you were able to find your uncle as a Yamask, so that’s progress!”

Andy Blackadder

Best that they ended the sex talk there. Hideo could only make it sound worse at that point.

But before Hideo could push the conversation somewhere brighter, Andy brought in the storm clouds. "Ah, jeez. Yeah, I can get you're mad they left outta nowhere. I'd be real mad if my parents did that too." Not that he thought they ever would run off. Not without taking him along too. "But maybe they are alive somewhere, so that’s why none of your ghosts could find them?...tho I dunno what ghost Pokemon could contact spirits like that."

It was entirely possible that if they were dead, Andy's parents could've also been reborn as Pokemon... though that would make it difficult to get answers out of them.

Hideo was taken aback by how poorly Andy was treating his - well, his aunt's - Yamask. "Oh...you don't take him out to do anything? Not even just for a walk? He is your uncle." Even if his aunt didn't want him, that didn't mean Andy should effectively abandon him too. Seemed like a cruel way to treat someone, human or Pokemon. "I mean, does he do any bad stuff? Worst he seems to do is play with people's cheeks." Annoying, but not neglect-worthy.

Of course, Hideo could read between the lines there; if his aunt wanted to get rid of her Pokemon/husband, leaving him around the house was more to spite her. But that still seemed like a poor way to treat a Yamask.

Though it did tell Hideo that Andy may not be on the best terms with his aunt. But she let him live here, so it couldn’t be all that bad. Right?

Andy Blackadder

“Sounds like he’s doing it more for attention than help.” Hideo could actually understand that kind of behavior; trying to get people to help you so they’d spend time with you. He’d be lying if he said he never did that himself when he was younger, when he wanted his siblings’ or parents’ attention. It was something he cut out once he wanted his parents to take him seriously.

But he wouldn’t push it further, in part because he could hear the wheels of a cart approaching. And if rich-person stereotypes were still accurate, that was the sound of some high-quality food approaching them.

The moment the top was taken off the plate, Hideo’s Ambipom squealed once in delight; though Hideo couldn’t see it or smell it, her excitement alone was enough to build up anticipation and make his mouth water ever so slightly.

Hideo (and, thankfully, Pom) had enough restraint to wait until the plates and pies were distributed. But while Hideo also waited to get a utensil, that was where Pom’s restraint ended, tearing a chunk of hers and shoving it right in her mouth.

Her eyes practically twinkled in delight, giggles escaping her gob as she eagerly went in for another.

“Well with a review that good...” Hideo said, chuckling at his Pokemon’s delight. In contrast to the Ambipom and the Gengar, Hideo took the fork in one hand and the plate in another, taking a small piece of the tart. He raised it up, gently putting the piece in his mouth.

…

Wow.

Oh wow. That was good.

Hideo was practically glowing in delight. It was a wonderful mixture of chocolate, cookie, and whipped cream. Creamy pudding complemented the light cream, all in service to the solid chunks of cookie and the sweet crust. It had to have been the sweetest chocolate confection he’d even had, and he loved it.

If his glowing smile hadn’t been enough to show that, his words would; “Thish ish amazhing!” he exclaimed, not even swallowing the first bite before picking out another. “And you get to eat this shtuff every day?”

Andy Blackadder

It wasn’t long until Pom finished her piece, constantly trying to regain the high of that first bite. She didn’t go as far as to eat the silverware or the plate, but there wasn’t a single crumb left by the time she realized she was done. And with her own piece done, she looked over to her trainer, who was slowly enjoying each tiny slice of his piece…

And she didn’t do much else. As much as she wanted more, she wasn’t going to take any of his; she had some standards. Sneak up on him and surprise him by poking his face? She loved to do it. Grab the hats off random passersby and put them on Hideo’s head? Still got a laugh out of her. Stealing his food was one of the few things she’d never do.

And he seemed to be enjoying it so much. Taking it away would probably get a reaction out of him, but she’d feel bad about it. Especially after his little crying session before. So she’d just sit there, propping her head up with her hands as she watched her trainer.

So Hideo was able to happily enjoy his tart. “Cooking, cleaning, ordering stuff...geez, that Ribombee does more than all of my Pokemon combined.” Maybe not true, but it was crazy how well-trained that Ribombee was. Let alone how it was possible for a non-psychic to do so much on their own.

That offer to teach him did get a giggle. “I’d love to know...but uh, I don’t really understand Pokespeak, so I dunno how he’d teach me.” Even with Elga helping to telepathically translate, it’d be a hassle. “Best chance we’d get is finding the recipe written down somewhere. I could show it to my parents and they could help me from there...unless Reginald there can write too.”

Not even Elga could write. Reading he could do, but writing was still beyond his ability, since it was difficult when you had no fingers. If a fingerless Pokemon like a Ribombee could do all that, Hideo would seriously have to find who taught him, and learn their training secrets.

Andy Blackadder

For someone whose awful handwriting could only be comprehended by the people who lived with him, typing was pretty much writing to Hideo. So he was just as amazed to hear Reginald could even do that, looking over at Andy with his mouth slightly open.

Though he had to imagine a Ribombee typing on a computer; would he be stepping letter to letter like a dance, or would he be flying from letter to letter and punching them with fingerless hands? Both possibilities got a snicker from Hideo.

Hideo finally finished his slice of tart - and by Arceus did he want more. That wasn’t nearly enough to put him down - and he jumped at the opportunity to get more.

“Yes!” “Pom!”

Oh. Sounded like Pom wanted some too. Though that was obvious to anyone who could see how intently she watched her trainer go through each forkful. “Guess we can both have a piece. Or if there isn’t much left, me and Pom can split it. Sound good, Pom?”

“Pom!” She pat him on the head - a confirmation. Nevermind that she could tell that Epitaph wanted some too, but splitting it three ways meant less for her.

“Yeah, I guess we’ve had enough dancing for today.” Not that the tart was hitting him particularly hard. He just knew that it probably wasn’t a good idea to dance right after stuffing himself on sweets. Especially if his host didn’t feel up to it. “We had an alright start. I’m sure we can do this again another day, when we aren’t full of chocolate.”

And now that he thought about it...“I could probably think about heading back home. My parents said I could spend a couple hours here before I need to go back.” He hadn’t checked the time since he got here, so he wasn’t too sure how long he'd spent here.  Time always flew by when he was having fun.

Andy Blackadder