Interesting meowth fact:
In Japanese, meowth is called nyanth. Anyone make the connection? No? Nyancat? Well, the Japanese think that the sound a cat makes is 'nyan', whereas in English, it is 'meow'. So the translators for the English version just replaced the culture specific sounds, and left 'th' On the end. The result was 'nyan'th becoming 'meow'th.
To make matters worse, Jay bursts up from behind her, clearly having been running to see what made Bianca shout. If I was Bianca's prospective mate, I wouldn't have left her side in the first place. He reaches for her and immidiatly pulls her into a hug, her burying her face in his coat.
"Oh Banksy, you okay?"
Banksy? Seriously? It's actually like he's having a competition with himself to see how bad a nickname he can find for Bianca. At any rate, she's overreacting a tad. I mean, yes, the scyther has been ripped in two, and yes it's vaguely humanoid, but she's seen us make bigger messes of eating. I think...
Jay looks up and at us, the does a double take on the dead scyther.
"Is that, Oh man, I mean, like, Woah, is that? It is!"
Yes, nonce, it's your father, he finally came back after seeing your ugly face. Oh wait, he's on about the scyther.
He let's go of Bianca and takes a step forward, towards my kill, which is a bad thing to do for 2 reasons. Latias and me being those respective reasons.
Latias lowers her head back over the meat, protecting her section but keeping her eyes on Jay and her teeth barred, and starts growling. A tad unnecessary, given he's unlikely to start trying to steal her food.
What I'm worried about is my kill. I worked hard on that, and knowing Jay he's the kind of person who'd set it on fire if it made him look more dominant. Which it wouldn't, because I'd rip off his head and use it as a beach ball if he did. So I let him know that.
"Back off, Jay. It's mine."
Of course, I forgot that Jay lacks even a basic sense of self preservation, and he takes another step towards our food which is also another step towards Latias, who still has her teeth barred and looks set to pounce on Jay if his shoe so much as brushes the scyther's legs. Cubone is watching and chewing on the leg like the situation is a film and the leg is his popcorn.
"Cool it guys" - Jay holds up his hands, like that's going to stop either of us if he gets any closer - "What was this anyway? A scyther? Nasty looking blade thingies, must have been difficult to catch. Who did this then?"
Admittedly he says that with some sense of commendment, like he's pleased that I managed to take it down. But he's still getting closer to my kill and thats got to stop.
"ITS MY KILL, SO YOU CAN BACK OFF!" I shout so loud it echos, and Jay stops in his tracks. I growl a bit too and he backs away, towards Bianca, who provides a commentary for the inexperienced Jay, having recovered from her drama fit.
"If it's something that big, it's one of Latios' kills. Latias could do that too, but she collects those berries there " - she points out the pile of berries - "instead. But don't get too close if they're eating their own catch, they are VERY territorial" Bianca says a lot more calmly. She sounds like a pokemon watching program.
Jay has backed off enough that he's next to Bianca, and he asks her about the earlier over reactive hysteria. I keep watch on him though as Latias has gone back to eating. I don't trust him out of my eyesight.
"Oh that, yeah. When I first saw it I thourght it was a human". Bianca says, giggling at her own stupidity. Jay goes pale.
"They do that?"
"No. But, well, there's a first time for everything."
Indeed there is, and I for one hope Jay volunteers. Which judging by his next action, he wants to, as he leads Bianca around Latias and towards the scyther's decapitated head, even closer to the area were eating. As it is Latias doesn't like having people behind her when she's eating, not even walking past like they were. I growl again, but it has less effect this time. And by less effect, I mean he gets even closer to the head of my kill, and Latias' lunch.
This is why humans aren't very adapted for survival. Yes they have opposable thumbs, but they are also quite stupid. Not all of them. But certain ones. Like Jay, who despite having two very dangerous animals now growling and barring their teeth at him, is STILL about to touch the scyther head with his boot.
Luckily for said appendage, Bianca stops him a pace short, grabbing hold of his shoulder.
"What did I say about disturbing their catch when they're eating? Seriously, don't."
"What? They're not eating this bit"
There's reasons for that. One, facial muscles are not incredibly nutritious. Two, the brain is not that tasty most of the time. And three, apparently if you eat the brain you sometimes catch pokerus.
"They don't normally eat the heads. Why do you even care?"
"Just interested, is all". Honestly, he sounds like a human toddler. No reason, just 'want to'. It's just stupid.
Bianca sighs and looks at me. I try and relax my facial features a bit. No need to tell her to back off, she knows the rules.
"Latios, can Jay take the head?"
Well, since she's asked nicely, I guess he could. I'm not going to eat it, I doubt Cubone would and Latias won't care. I ask her first though.
"You want the head?"
"Let the boy have his toy" is Latias response. I don't know why he wants it either, but I appreciate his interest in my kill. Yet again I've shown him how my raw power is no match for his idiocy. He proberbly struggles putting on trousers.
I fly up and - with my snout - roll the head towards Bianca. It rolls funny because of the shape of the reptilian skull, but I eventually stop it at Bianca's feet. I wait for my reward and after a few seconds I get the pat on the head I was waiting for. "Your welcome!" I say as I fly back over to where I was eating. I keep my eyes on Jay though.
Bianca steps aside and Jay stands next to it, before rolling it over with his foot.
"Oh cool! You can see it's spine and the nerve thingies and everything!"
Bianca slaps her forehead and groans.
"Honestly Jay, you sound like you're about eight."
Jay's too engrossed in the scyther head to listen to her. Personally, I can see why he might be interested. Males of any species - as a default - like dead things, which is either morbid or curious depending on your outlook. Bianca gives up on him in the end and concentrates instead on the initial reason she actually came to see us. She speaks up and puts on the higher pitched voice she always uses when we're engrossed in a different activity to the one she's trying to get us to do.
"Anyway, you three?"
Me and Cubone are listening, but Latias is still eating. Bianca makes the tounge clicking noise to get Latias' attention, making her raise her head from dinner. In the background, Jay continues to move the skull around with his foot.
"People have started to arrive now, so when you've finished that, pop over and say hello, okay?"
Me and Latias nod, and Cubone makes a 'yes' kind of noise.
Bianca is about to drag Jay away when she remembers one other thing.
"Give yourselves a wash BEFORE you come over"
Good point. Less people would like to tell Latias how fluffy she is if she's got bits of scyther lung all over her snout. Me, I don't care, but it might scare the guests and that would ruin the party.
Another round of nodding and Bianca walks around behind me, dragging Jay with her. Latias watches with a keen eye as they go near her prized berries, and I turn around too to make sure Jay doesn't step on any. Bianca looks at it and asks Latias.
"Can I have a berry Latias?" She asks.
Latias doesn't mind people having the berries that she's picked, she takes it as a compliment if anything. So long as they ask. If it's a pokemon and they just try and steal it, they generally end up as dessert. If they ask, she's really motherly (Well, sisterly) and'll point out the best ones for their ailments and that kind of thing. If they ask. And she's in a good mood. If not, well...
"Sure, take some!" she coos at her, a nod of the head assisting Bianca's interpretation.
Jay looks wary as Bianca leans over and takes a handful of berries from the pile. Standing back up, she extends the hand with the berries out to Jay.
"You want one?"
Jay inspects them suspiciously.
"Are they safe to eat?"...
No, Jay, Latias deliberately picked the berries that explode into tiny needles the moment they enter your mouth. Of course they're safe, otherwise neither female would let him eat them.
"Uh, Yeah. Otherwise I wouldn't be offering them would I?" Is Bianca's response.
Jay picks up the topmost berry from her hand and looks at it even closer. He glances up like he's really not sure about eating the edible thing, but Bianca chucks the whole load into her mouth and now Jay doesn't have an option not to eat them unless he wants to look weak. He grudgingly puts the berry in his mouth and chews a few times before swallowing. Thankfully, he doesn't pass a comment.
"Now come on, we've got to get all the guests sorted!"
With that, she starts pulling Jay along by the crook of his arm.
Once they're out of earshot, Latias gives her opinion of Jay.
"I really, really, Really, REALLY, hate that guy. I mean, firstly, he asks for a bit of our food and then just kicks it around, then he thinks the berries I get aren't safe to eat, it's just... It's..." at this point she's lost for words so she just growls for a bit.
Eventually, she finishes off her growling spree with "Males! All the same!".
Than continues tucking into the food that I caught.
Bianca is right, Latias is definitely in heat. Irrational, mood swings and I may be mistaken but she's starting to smell a lot more pleasant all of a sudden. Which is apparently a natural animal thing, but I won't dwell on it for now...
Cubone glances at me and does a mini 'you're on your own' shoulder-shrug, before going back to his scyther leg, which is almost picked clean. I still feel sorry that he hasn't eaten much, so I offer him a trade.
"Cubone?" He looks up from his leg. "If you want some of the meat from here, we can swap? I can try the other leg". It's a fair trade. There are more insides to be had in the torso, but it's more squishy organs than tough muscle, which the legs look like they have plenty of.
"Really? Okay!".
I take one last nibble from the scyther's chest before swapping places with Cubone, biting off and starting to eat the remaining leg as Cubone delves into the remains of the scyther's torso.
We must have been eating for an hour when Latias finally flies away from the scyther and tells us she wants to meet Bianca's friends. By that time, all that's left is bone.
"I think we should join the party now" she and announces, flying in front of both me and Cubone.
Judging by the sun, it's not even 3 o'clock yet, so they must have arrived early. But never mind, there's not much else to have here. Cubone's even eaten the skin, which me and Latias don't find particularly tasty. Then again, we all have different tastes.
"Sure, why not?" Me and Cubone both say in unison.
"Wash first though!" Latias shouts out, before unexpectedly hydro pumping both me and Cubone.
You know what I said about irrational behaviour?
After she stops, she laughs at both of us, a sweet coo that sounds chopped up. I got to admit, it took me by suprise. So Cubone wouldn't have had a single clue what was going to happen. But it wasn't that funny. I turn my neck to cast a glance at Cubone, and realize why Latias is laughing.
Whereas I have feathers that water will just slide off, Cubone has fur. The water hasn't slid off him in the same manor, and it looks like he absorbed most of it. All of his fur, from head to toe, even around his eyes near his skull mask, is soaking wet and sticking to itself.
"Not. Funny." He manages to spit out, which just makes Latias laugh harder. I've got to admit, he looks quite funny. Before he looked like some kind of child's furry cuddly toy. He now looks like said toy had been through the washing several times. I do a tiny chuckle and he looks at me.
"Don't just stand there! Revenge?"
He's got a point actually.
I use a water cannon on Latias, who's cute little laugh turns into a kind of blubbering noise in an instant. After a few seconds, I stop and observe her reaction.
She's glaring at me, and not in a nice way. Normally neither of us mind the other cleaning us. In fact, Latias just loves to mess with my down (which is what I've been informed a coat of feathers is called) at the most inappropriate of times, but I think she draws the line between sibling duties and suprise bath to the face.
She shakes herself to get dry (She always does, even though it's pointless because water doesn't stick to us), before casting an evil glare at Cubone, like he's the one to blame for the suprise bath even though he didn't fire the water beam.
"I think someone needs drying off".
Cubone makes the connection between 'Drying Off' and an animal that can breathe fire, and immidiatly jumps to the right. He needn't though, Latias was only joking. Cubone does look quite flammable, and that wouldn't be nice at all.
"Anyway, we're clean. Lets go meet the party!" Latias cheers before flying round in a circle a few times and then setting off in the direction of the clearing.
I sigh and look at a still-soaking Cubone. "Hop on"
I lower a wing down for him and he walks onto my back, grabbing ahold of my scruff like it's a saddle. No need to tell him to hold on then.
I set off in pursuit of Latias, going as fast as I can partly to catch up with her but also because it might dry off Cubone in the process.
By the time I reach the clearing, Latias is already surrounded by 5 of Bianca's girly friends, each of which is petting her in some way. Latias knows each of them by name, too, whereas I'm just about aware that the long hair means they are female.
As she's being petted, she's going around and complimenting each person outloud. Though they still can't understand her.
"Wow Emily is that a new blouse? Love the way you caught that bag thief! Ooh Katy, great the hair! Wait, wait... Who's that?"
As me and Cubone arrive, Latias backs away from the group, looking at one of the group that doesn't look familiar.
"Who are you? Are you Bianca's friend? Did she say you could come here? INTRUDER! BIANCA! LATIOS!"
Latias flies lower and further away from the unknown person. I'm torn on what to do: Bianca let the person in, but I don't recogniser her apperence and Latias clearly considers her a threat. Before I can come to a decision, though,, Bianca herself appears from the food table and grabs ahold of Latias by the wing tip.
"Cool it Latias!" - in her confusion, she's pulled her ears back and started to growl a bit - "Take a sniff. See, it's just Jade."
Latias looks unsure before edging towards 'Jade'. After a tense few seconds, she gets within half a meter of her. 'Jade' has (Very bravely) held her hand out for Latias to smell, at waist height where Latias is floating. Latias gives it a quick sniff before recognising the smell and cooing happily, rubbing her head against the outstretched hand.
"Oh it's JADE! You didn't look like Jade!" She squeals as she goes to give jade an apologetic rub on the cheek with her snout. Bianca explains.
"Sorry about that. She didn't recognise you because you'd dyed your hair."
Now Bianca mentions it, I remember who it is. She's right, it's Jade, just her hair - which used to be a bright shade of red - is now an even brighter shade of blue. We couldn't identify her smell from a distance because they're all wearing different 'perfumes'. Because apparently the natural scent they produce isn't enough to attract a mate.
All this happens with me completely ignored in the background, which is fine by me. Cubone has other ideas though.
"Bianca! Bianca? Us?!"
His grunt-like communications travel surprisingly far and Bianca turns to face us, as well as two of the group who weren't tickling Latias' chin/ears/wings.
"Cubone! What happened?"
Bianca is obviously referencing the fact that Cubone is absolutely soaked. I fly closer to the group as Cubone answers.
"Latias. That's what happened"
"Did Latias water cannon you?"
"Uh Hu"
"Yeah, sorry... I think I've got a towel under the tables that I was going to put berries on, but it looks like you need it more..."
Bianca rushes off to fetch the towel and one of the girls waves her hand at me. It looks like they want me to join in.
I fly over and give a little cheering for the benefit of those there. I immediately regret doing it when I see the one person that I do know by name. And the only reason why I know that is so I know to avoid them at all costs.
"Hi Latios!" she screeches when she sees me. "How are you?"
Her name is Amy. I'd just call her annoying though. Actually, it's not just annoying, her obsession with me borders on creepy.
"I'm okay, Thanks. Cubone wants to say hi too"
On my back, Cubone gives out a "Hi", but it goes ignored/unheard by everyone. Amy starts stroking my neck for no reason, and it's all I can not to bite her hand off.
"Your coats gotten shinier! I bet you spend forever cleaning yourself!"
Now, normally, I wouldn't mind this attention, but it's coming from this obsessed thing. If money was worth anything to me, I'd bet all of it that she won't leave me alone for the whole party. She's oblivious to my distaste though and continues talking to me.
"You've gotten plumper too! What are you eating?"
Cubone can sense my discomfort and laughs. "Look at you, Latios. Babe magnet here"
I turn my head to the side. I'm not able to see him, but he gets the idea that I'm talking to him.
"I'm not the one who's about the be wrapped up in a blanket and carried around in someone's arms." I retort, a flick on the head directing him to Bianca and the impending blanket.
Amy moves out of the way - irritated by me ignoring her, no doubt - as I fly over to Bianca, Cubone on my back. She says hi and leans across to start wrapping Cubone in the blanket, but I can't see it properly because he's on my back and I can't turn my neck enough. As she does this, she mutters me a thank you.
"Thanks for holding him, Latios"
She lifts him off my back and I'm no longer limited in my movements to keep Cubone on my back. I do a barrel roll, just because, and rember to respond to Bianca's thanks.
"You're welcome!" I tell her back. Humans love it when people say "Thank you" or "you're welcome". I fly over to join Latias, who is still complimenting each girl and letting them feel how soft her feathers have gotten. Especially her wing feathers, which I don't like getting touched because they're a lot more fragile. But Latias loves the attention too much to let that bother her.
"Hi!" I coo to the group, and they part to let me fly next to Latias. Amy rejoins the group, looking right at me the entire time. It's disturbing, because most humans tend to let their eyes wander. And most of them focus on what they're looking at. Amy is looking at me, doing neither, and biting her bottom lip. Why? It's like she's looking at me but thinking about something else. I make a note to avoid eye contact with her, that would just make it even weirder.
Meanwhile, Jade has pulled out some oversized sun glasses from who knows where. "Oh! I SO know what would suit you!".
She unfolds the glasses and holds them facing away from her, bringing her arms to her chest level, the same level I'm flying on. Every single one of us realizes what is going to happen at the same time. By the looks of it, she's going to try and put the sunglasses on my head.
Not that I have anything against that, but I prefer my eyesight unhindered. I back away, half hoping that Latias will stop them, but she's not doing anything. Except from smiling at me, which I think means she thinks me wearing the glasses will be funny.
Luckily for me, Bianca - with a wrapped up Cubone in her arms - joins the group. Unluckily, she must also think the glasses are a humorous idea, and just stands and watches with Cubone in her arms. I'm still backing away, but now Jade is advancing towards me.
"No. NO! No glasses!" I shout at her, but they all just giggle. I float lower and growl a bit too, but Bianca knows I'm not serious and just tells Jade that I "Don't mean it"
Which is true. I'd never bite one of Bianca's friends for something so trivial as putting glasses on me. Come to think of it, they'll probably just find the glasses funny, which isn't really a problem. Latias is here, and she'll be able to warn me if there's a threat I can't see because of the glasses.
I stop flying backwards and let Jade put the glasses on me, which admittedly she does with great care, placing the arms of the glasses on the bits between my head and ears, before gently lowering the lenses over my eyes.
It's darker than I expected, and vision is limited either side by the frames. Nevertheless I can still see the group of girls all burst out laughing.
"What? What's funny?"
I ask them, but their own babble is much more engrossing then my inunderstandable speach. Said babble includes phrases like "Deal With It." in a very intentional deadpan voice, to "Soooo Cute!" in a high pitched voice.
Latias flies round so she's facing me, her snout a few centimeters from my covered eyes. Instead of staying still, she's moving around, moving around the entirety of my head but staring into the glasses lenses the entire time.
"Oh cool I can see myself. HELLOOOOOO?"
It is VERY dark behind these glasses. I can barely see the furthest tree away. Admittedly its about 15 meters away, but all the same. Do not like.
"Latias. The glasses. Take them off. Please? Latias? Glasses?"
She's too busy admiring her reflection, and the girls are too busy laughing to help or understand me. I unfold my arms to try and take the glasses off, but as expected, they don't reach far enough. I fold my arms back in and try shaking my head, which makes Latias startled, but still nothing. I can't see either side of me either, there could be anything there, and I wouldn't be able to see it.
"SOMEONE! TAKE THE GLASSES OFF! PLEASE! DO NOT LIKE!" I shout, shaking my head the entire time, but the glasses are NOT coming off.
At this point, someone realizes that I don't like the glasses. Unluckily for me, that someone is Amy.
"Oh come on girls, stop laughing. Look, the poof guy's clearly scared."
She walks closer, extending her arms out and speaking in a friendly voice.
"Hold your head still". I stop shaking my head and Latias flies out of the way to let Amy past, though personally I can't see why Latias couldn't have taken the glasses off.
Amy reaches forwards and does something with the back of the glasses, working them loose from my ears. I help her and move my ears back. The glasses come off without so much as bumping my eyes. Amy took more care taking them off than Jade did putting them on.
"Thanks Amy!" I coo to her, flying to head height and trying to immitate what Latias does when she's thankful to one of Bianca's girly friends. From what I can remeber, Latias just makes a lot of noise while licking them on the cheek.
The key to thing to point out is that Latias does that instinctively because she thinks that she's cleaning them. I, on the other hand, know that that isn't the case most of the time. Humans can get more 'germs' (Which from what Bianca says I think that they're small animals that live in liquids like saliva) from us than they can get clean. An example of this is that my tounge still has scyther blood on it, and Lorenzo always makes a point of not touching any blood that isn't his own, because it can make him ill.
I content myself with a lot of cooing near her ear and nudging her head with my snout, which I think is a thankful gesture. And she's laughing, so she clearly likes it. Although unlike most people who lean away when Latias harasses them, it's almost like Amy is leaning INTO my head.
"Awww thanks Latios!"
It's while everyone is looking at me that Cubone draws attention to himself.
"Really Latios? Those glasses made you look ^really^ cool".
I don't have chance to retort with an equally sarcastic comment on his attire (and by that I mean 'Damp Blanket'), because before I can, the girls turn around to see what made that noise, and instantly swoon. I guess the blanket increases his baby like apperence.
For some reason, the moment everyone starts talking to him, they develop a speach impediment, because they all start talking high pitched and making' guchi-goo' noises.
"Isn't he just adorable in that little blanket?"
"Soooo cute! "
"Who's a little brown ball of fur?"
"Awwww why is Cubone wrapped up in a blanket?"
Cubone looks suprised by the girls all of a sudden trying to be as close to him as possible. He looks up to his carrier, Bianca, for assistance.
"Bianca! Big people! Very close! Back off a bit! Please?"
To the girls, it must have sounded like he was crying or something, because they all back off and try blaming each other. "Now look, you've upset him! Poor Cubone!"
I fly over so I'm directly infront of him, the crowd now dispersed. I think they've all gone to look at the cake, having left Cubone on his own. I can tease him about that.
"I didn't have you down as that way inclined". Gay pokemon are rare, but not unheard of. Rare because they are normally the weakest ones and so easier to attack.
"What?"
"You made the females go away. Don't you like them?"
"Well yeah, but they're the wrong species. Unless you'd mate any of them?" He says with a somewhat cynical tone.
I take a brief glance behind me and agree with his tone. There's just nothing attractive about the human females, to me at least. Jay, on the other hand, can probably find at least 20 separate attractive features, and is probably steaming that human etiquette forbids multiple mate partnerships. Especially with all these females in sight.
At the same time, making he probably can't define a single characteristic that makes a Latias attractive to me. For me, a nice vivid red color, a good coo and good sized wings are the 3 thing I like most. Also, I doubt Jay chose Bianca for a mate based upon her ability to pick berries, whereas I consider that an important feature too.
During my glance around I notice that Amy is still looking at me. It reminds me of a programme about brain damaged toddlers that have fixations with things like screwdrivers or scraps of paper. Except when I turn around, she stops doing that lip biting thing and looks away quickly. I go back to talking with Cubone.
"Your right. I bet Jay's really stressed though. All these females but he can only mate the one."
Considering Bianca is within whispering distance, she'd find our loud conversation a bit vulgar, even though it's just natural. But she can't understand our language, and so is happily shouting to the girls who have started crowding around the table with the cake on.
As Bianca walks Cubone over to the table to join the group, both me and him have a chuckle at Jay's expense.
