Notes; So, this chapter and the next couple are all pretty short, but it wouldn't feel right to smush them all into one post, so I'm just going to dump a couple chapters tonight so you guys actually have something to enjoy. As always I request that you give me your thoughts.
The more times Lillie came across Holtz on his island challenge, the more obvious it became that however hard of a time he had opening up to people, Holtz was right at home with his Pokémon. He'd speak to them each individually as if they were people, much the same way Lillie herself would speak to Nebby. And just like Nebby, every one of Holtz's Pokémon would get its own nickname. Granted, Holtz' nicknames tended to be a bit strange for Lillie's taste; Pikipek was "Magno", Makuhita was "Jumba", Meowth was "Irma", Slowpoke was "Sanchez", Gastly was "Ed", and that was just naming a few. And of course, little Litten was "Beady" on account of what Holtz called "his beady eyes".
Lillie herself had always been a bit self-conscious in regards to how she spoke to Nebby. Talking to one's Pokémon was a matter of course, but she'd never heard of a trainer carrying on full conversations with them the way she tended to. She couldn't help it, she could just tell what Nebby was saying to her at any given moment, language barrier be darned. But maybe...maybe she was just projecting?
So she couldn't help but smile when she caught Holtz muttering to his companions as he groomed them (something he seemed to do compulsively after any battle they fought).
"Was that a trip or what, Bead? ...Yeah, yeah, don't let it get to your head, big guy...I'm not-listen, it's just constructive criticism, ok? You did good...Do you want a bean? Gotta say, I never saw giant multicolored beans before I came to Alola. This place is weird."
