Let's Talk About Being In and Out of Place

Ash: I guess we're talking today.

Pikachu: Pika chu. ["Guess so."]

Me: Uh-huh.

Goh: First time this year. This must be about something that you did, and you also sent Ash for that.

Me: In a way, but as always, it goes beyond that and so much more. That of course has to do with our discussion topic today.

Goh: So... being in places or out of them. 

Me: Essentially, we're considering where we are or have been, and whether the circumstances of being there have or had been appropriate for us.

Goh: OK, that's a bit weighty, but I think I understand. I remember that time when I battled in the Flute Cup. I was so tensed up and felt out of place, and I ended up losing. On the other hand, Ash did great.

Ash: I did! I guess you can say that was my place, wasn't it? But Goh, I think you did find your place after all: battling on the field.

Goh: Well, you know, that's got to be true too. Even on the field we had to do some battling, and I was definitely great on that.

Me: There you go. Even for me, I've had to discover the best places for me to battle, and I wasn't always successful.

Ash: Oh, um... That reminds me. There was that one time I put on a dress so I can get into a battle. It was so out of place for me to get in place.

Goh: You put on a dress?!

Pikachu: Pika chu, pika. ["It was real, surely."]

Me: Oh yes, that was a thing. I'd be out of place myself if I had to do that.

Ash: But everything worked out in the end, so I couldn't have it any other way.

Me: That's very true. Now I guess we should talk about that thing of mine and Ash.

Ash: Yeah, let's get it done.

Me: Last Saturday, I sent Ash somewhere to be in place for something.

Ash: And I was! But then I wasn't, so I just went back to our friend.

Goh: What happened there?

Ash: Not much...

Me: At the least, not that we can say. Go on.

Ash: The part of getting back to you was so hard. The street was full and it was rainy!

Goh: Oh, I'm starting to see why. But you did get back.

Ash: Yeah, after I stopped to get food for our friend. Just in time too before our friend got busy.

Me: Luckily. So in summary, the thing I sent Ash to was really out of place, especially since it was one day before the last day of the year.

Goh: So it was. You must have had some regrets.

Me: Indeed. Given where it was, how things went down, and what time of year it was, I was in no place - that is, out of place - for sending Ash. You did have a hard time getting ahold of transportation, didn't you?

Ash: Yeah...

Pikachu: Pika chu. ["Very much."]

Me: In short, as Goh said, I regret sending Ash that day. Especially given as I also had something to do before that - although now I think about it, with or without that, the above would have happened anyway.

Goh: I get now why you're more selective in sending Ash these days.

Me: That, and there always seems to be a catch of some sort. I'm dealing with them even now.

Ash: Next time, you may not want to send me there.

Me: No, not unless there is assistance or a better plan. And definitely not around that time of year.

Goh: Be careful next time. You never know what might happen.

Ash: I agree with Goh!

Pikachu: Pi! ["For sure!"]

Me: As they say, there's a place for everything and everything in its place - hopefully not out of them.

One year ago: Three to Get Ready, Go

Two years ago: TCG 25th Anniversary (Plus Localized Content)

Three years ago: New GBL Novelties

Four years ago: On Third Parties

Five years ago: The Loading Screen of Go

Six years ago: Team Assistance and Secrecy

Seven years ago: "They can imitate you, but they can't duplicate you..."