#ruthrambles

-@mmaxie-musings

Yep, good ol’ Soul! Seems we both ended up with shy swords, huh?

From what I can tell, he seemed more comfortable to be out of his ball when Red Tide was also out, so perhaps you could see about introducing your new pal to a similarly chill Pokémon? Someone to look to for reassurance when he’s nervous or uncertain, essentially taking cues that things are fine and it’s ok to relax. Though that’s probably going to be based on the sorts of Pokémon he’s comfortable with to begin with, rather than just how well their personalities theoretically mesh. Soul more or less picked Red Tide to be that stable figure on his own, so I don’t really have advice on how to go about potential introductions.

Once he was spending more time out of his sheathe I bought one of those densely woven practice target things made for Pokémon to train their cutting or slicing moves with; it seemed like a good way to get an idea of if/how he’d battle in the future, and helped him build up his confidence a bit. Probably also helps that having something to focus and spend energy on can distract from anxiety or the like if it’s present. Only downside was that finding a decent one that’d actually hold up took a few tries, and it wasn’t exactly cheap— make sure it’s rated for stronger Pokémon. Though, I suppose encouraging him to practice on trees might be a valid alternative, so long as it’s not inhabited by wild Pokémon that wouldn’t appreciate the disturbance.

I’d try to give advice on what to do if he evolves, but Soul wasn’t a Doublade for very long before The Rock Shop Incident took place. All I can say for sure is that it seemed better to not treat him much differently than before. Interacting with the two swords as separate entities confused him even when they were both unsheathed.

If a hulking red Dhelmise

Went silly mode as you gave it beans

So what if Red Tide is big and tall and strong, I don’t see y’all questioning champion Dragons Georg about his trio of Dragonites, and yet they can use fricken hurricane if they want on top of being ridiculously strong and fast! Maybe my partner just wants to hang out and eat beans and photosynthesize, you ever thought of that? Huh? Maybe you shouldn’t judge an entire species based on the biased storytelling and such you see on TV and in movies as if they aren’t like any other Pokémon with various personalities and temperaments and goals. Have you ever seen a Dhelmise go silly mode like a Meowth on catnip? I have.

So what if Soul is an Aegislash, he’s also constantly startled by the doorbell and gets freaked out by the vacuum cleaner and rarely changes into blade form for any reason other than being able to “hide” behind his shield. “What if he possesses you to control your life” he doesn’t even like making his own decisions for his own life, I’ve seen him have the others pick out what treat he wants, I don’t think he would willingly take on the pressure of being in control of a whole person. He’s content to be a follower rather than a leader, and that’s ok! It just means he’s usually about as imposing as a Hoppip.

Lumen

So what if Kazoo is a big spider who can shoot lightning, he’s also a silly little guy who sounds like his namesake and doesn’t always pass the mirror test. He’s the type to get in the sink under the faucet and take a few minutes to figure out where the water is coming from and piece together that if he moves he will stop getting dropped on. When he was a Joltik he used to try and sit on top of Red Tide’s wheel and keep going around and around every time it turned and ended with him upside down, like an unintentional reverse Morpeko wheel. He’s also fuzzy and likes being pet and tries to share electricity with Cheerio. One time he freaked out because a balloon got stuck to his abdomen via static and he didn’t know what to do about it.

Ok joke aside, Lumen isn’t gonna go around burning souls indiscriminately, nor are most Chandelure if we’re being realistic. People tend to notice when you bring grief everywhere you visit and usually don’t respond in a way that’s beneficial. She prefers outdoor potted plants, candles, and whatever will get someone’s attention quickest. She’s an agent of chaos, not a harbinger of death. Unless you’re a lawn or plant that’s already seen too much sun and not enough water. In which case I’m very impressed that you’ve managed to read this far; mayb

… Huh. That’s what I get for going based on what I remember them looking like normally instead of just looking up pictures of them and making direct comparisons. Glad to know the little creacher is healthy.