Lucas can't give verbal orders, and Barry can't focus on the right things sometimes-- but they leave Twinleaf, get a Pokedex, and try becoming trainers anyways.
"...are you guys teaching Chimchar sign language?"
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※ Current Progress: Veilstone City...
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Luce wakes up to a gentle prodding on his hand.
Looking to the side, his eyes meet Chimchar's, catching the monkey right in the middle of squishing his palms. Chimchar squeaks in surprise, jumping out of the way, his tail flame lighting back up. Quickly extinguishing the flame, he ducked back under the covers.
Luce lets out a quiet laugh.
Then he points at the veranda. Chimchar catches what it means and nods.
He's slept with the shawl around him, so he adjusts it, making sure it fully over his neck, before making his way over.
They sit side by side, watching dawn break in from the sky. Luce sets a hand on his chin and gestures outward. Right hand on his left elbow, he brings his left hand up.
Clumsily, and with the wrong hand, Chimchar imitates him.
So Luce does it again.
Bit by bit, they learn new words. With the help of his little notepad and a lot of emotive gesturing, Chimchar memorizes signs. From Barry's name, to everything around the garden, to Chimchar and Piplup and casual greetings.
Chimchar knew how to sing the alphabet song too, though he could also say it in intones of his name. He'd probably learned it from a child in town, or something. Luce teaches him how to sign the letters anyways.
It's nearly eight in the morning when Barry comes in with a loud yawn.
"Woah, Chimchar's one quick learner," he says, crouching down beside it. "Do you understand a thing you've just done, boy?"
Chimchar cheers proudly, one hand raised in the sign nickname Luce had chosen for him, the other hand pointed at himself.
"Ooh, you got yourself a sign nickname. That's nice. Luce picked mine too," Barry says. Then he signs 'good morning', and Chimchar, with all the excitement in his little tiny body, signs right back.
It's nice that Chimchar has a full set of five fingers.
"Are you two teaching Chimchar sign language?"
They turn to the wall to find Dawn looking over, two paper bags in her hands and her features set in a pleasant surprise.
"Morning!" Barry calls, and Luce signs similarly in greeting. Chimchar eagerly follows.
Dawn unlocks the latch on the gate, making her way in. "Good morning to you too," she greets them. "Your clothes are washed and dried. I brought them over first thing."
"They're already dry? That's quick!"
"Yeah, I have a dryer in my house. We don't exactly have a lot of spare lab coats, after all. Here you go," she says with an almost bashful grin, handing the paper bags to the boys, who inspect the contents in muted amazement.
