sculpted | MISSION 008 [VIDEO/ACTION FOR JUST OUTSIDE GOLDENROD CITY]

[The feed opens to the sight of a rather frazzled-looking Alex Louis Armstrong, who is in the middle of placing his Gear down on a flat surface. He’s shirtless, squatting down in front of the camera with a bemused expression on his face.]

Greetings, my friends! I was wondering if any of you had advice for dealing with a Pokemon who doesn’t really-

[Suddenly, Armstrong rises quickly, twists, and opens his arms, just in time to take a rather furious charge from a rather furious Mamoswine. Digging his feet into the earth, Armstrong fights to keep the Pokemon from trampling him, managing to stay standing and refusing to budge. Grunting and growling, the two struggle for a minute before the beast backs off, galloping away to prepare for another attempt.

Wiping sweat from his brow, Armstrong places his hands on his hips and turns back to the camera, exasperated.]

-doesn’t...really seem to like you all that much. I raised my dear Seldi from an egg, but she’s never taken to me.

[In the background, Seldi is scraping a foot against the ground, kicking up a small cloud of dust as she prepares to charge once more. Armstrong’s frown deepens; he doesn’t appear scared, just frustrated.]

I must admit that I am at a loss at what to do. Nothing seems to help! So, if any of you have been in this situation before and have any advice, it would be most appreciated-!!!

[The next charge is far faster than the last and far more aggressive, the Mamoswine roaring angrily as she pounds towards her trainer, who grimaces and prepares to intercept her, fists flexing. Again, she slams her tusks into him, but even with all her force he manages to stop her cold, dirt piling up around his boots as he forcefully digs his feet into the ground, sweat pouring down his back as he fights to stay up, teeth clenched and (exceptionally beautiful) muscles straining.

For a moment it looks like she might have overwhelmed him, as Armstrong drops to one knee, but it’s all part of his plan; suddenly unbalanced by the lack of force from one side, Seldi stumbles, allowing her trainer to hurl her sideways onto the ground. Once she’s down, he collapses onto hands and knees for a moment, panting, before straightening up and returning his eyes to the camera.]

Thank you very much for listening.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[...It's something he's seen plenty of times before, both from personal experience and with other trainers. Applejack's 'Dozer comes to mind. Pardon Riku if he shuddered a little-- if Armstrong weren't so... well, massive, those charges could've flattened him.]

So she was like that even as a Swinub?

[Armstrong nods grimly, crossing his arms over his chest.]

She was always angry and standoffish, but it really only came to this level of aggression once she evolved to her final form. I can't get her to do a thing I say.

[...that's because she's got a Rocket Microchip, but Armstrong doesn't know that...]

Have you ever suffered this sort of thing from any of your Pokemon, my friend?

Sometimes evolution does that. I mean, they do get bigger and stronger. Heck, it's possible she wasn't as aggressive before because she was too small to do any real damage.

[He sighs, pinching the bridge of his nose.]

But I've definitely gone through it before. Got two aggressive dragons, for one, but they cooperate... sometimes. And, actually, my Mamoswine's got similar issues. Always angry, picking fights...

[It's a little eerie, actually. This'd be the third Mamo he's known to have anger management problems.]

Have you tried letting her blow off some steam? I don't know how many badges you've got, but if you redirected her at some other target, maybe it'd cool her off.

[Then again, that doesn't always work... Depends entirely on the Pokémon.]

I have contemplated using her in a high-level battle, purely for that purpose, but I'm concerned that she will ignore the opponent and instead go for me; she's done that in the past, against wild Pokemon.

[Sighing, Armstrong massages his temples.]

Did you find your dragons got better with time, or do they still cause you grief?

Maybe it's because the wild Pokémon don't meet her standards. Depends on where you're battling, I guess. I know that if I was a giant mammoth pig, I wouldn't want to tussle with Pidgeys.

[Then again, he's met Pokémon who'll bully everything ever. So far, it sounds like this is not one of those cases, which makes Riku pause a little longer to think. What works for Quake might not work here...]

As for the dragons... Well, they cooperate as long as I let them fight. Battles are what drive them, especially Draco, but the problem there is that if they lose, they throw a fit. And one time Quake attacked a good friend of mine for it...

[He closes his eyes, tapping his fingers against his hip.]

Do you know if there's anything she likes besides attacking you?

[Armstrong actually chuckles a bit at that, although it's rather flat.]

Alas, I wish I could answer that question differently, my friend, but I think the only thing she actually does enjoy is trying to injure me.

[She's almost succeeded a few times, too; fortunately his other Pokemon are rather protective.]

Although should she ever attack a good friend of mine, I would not hesitate to discipline her harshly - I don't mind if she attacks me, but if she dares to assault my friends....she would find herself regretting it most terribly!

[And he does look very serious while he says that; that isn't something he could just ignore.]

It must have been greatly distressing for you to have your Pokemon do that; was your friend alright?

Sheesh, and here I hoped she had a secret love of daisies or something...

[It's not a very serious example, but it definitely sounds as though Armstrong's got his hands full with this one. Yeek.]

And believe me, it was a nightmare. She made it out okay, but it left a lot of people upset, and she still got injured when she really shouldn't have. I almost feel like it's not only his fault, but mine for not keeping him in line.

[He shakes his head, heaving a sigh.]

Maybe discipline's a necessary evil in some cases. If your Mamoswine really won't answer to anything else, there might not be any real alternatives.

You shouldn't blame yourself, my friend; even though we are their masters, Pokemon are still creatures with their own free will. There is only so much we can do to control them. I'm sure your friend bears no ill will towards you.

[Well, presuming she's the reasonable sort! And...well, that the injuries weren't too severe and/or permanent...]

I don't want to have to go down that path as it's a slippery slope; until I exhaust all possibly methods of trying to identify her problems, I will hesitate to be harsh with her.

[...and...even then, he probably won't be....]

True. She didn't blame me-- if anything, she blamed herself for what happened. Not that that's a better alternative...

[And said friend isn't even around anymore, but he's trying not to delve into that.]

And I understand why you'd hesitate. It shows empathy-- some people are way too quick to jump into violence. I've done it myself, but sometimes it can make behavioral problems even worse.

MISSION 008 [VIDEO/ACTION FOR JUST OUTSIDE GOLDENROD CITY]

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