[Good afternoon, Johto! Hopefully your days are going way better than Archer's, because his day has been awful. The video is focusing on a Wobbuffet, a Metagross, and an Alakazam sitting on top of the Metagross like it's the world's most amazing living steel throne. They're all outside some distance away from Goldenrod City, so they won't damage anything while battling.]

...Has anyone here trained a Wobbuffet before?

[Archer sounds even more irritated than usual, but he doesn't appear onscreen.]

I've tried everything I can think of to make his training less painful, but nothing's been helping. From what I've read, he has to rely solely on countering moves to attack, which require him to take damage first. It seems easy in theory, but most Pokémon have both attack and special attack moves, meaning that it's nearly impossible to predict and react accordingly.

[The Wobbuffet salutes and shouts his species name. Archer sighs.]

There's one other problem with this particular Pokémon. He refuses to defend himself if he's not given orders to do so. Watch.

[Both the Metagross and the Alakazam turn their attention toward the 'Gear. It seems like Archer's given them some kind of silent command because the Metagross strikes first with a Hammer Arm attack, slamming it into the Wobbuffet. The Pokémon takes the hit and bounces back, though he doesn't attempt to counter it at all. The Alakazam attacks next with a Psychic attack, which the Wobbuffet also doesn't counter. To his credit, the Wobbuffet is still standing and seems perfectly fine.]

If I order him to use either Counter or Mirror Coat, he'll obey, but otherwise he won't do it. Does anyone else have a Pokémon that refuses to fight?

This is getting ridiculous.

[Well that certainly sounds like Archer, though he's not on screen. The background appears to be a very boring room in what looks like a hotel, with a window showing that it is indeed still raining dogs. Apparently it was fine while it was raining cats, but Archer has finally lost his suspension of disbelief at the dogs.]

Does anyone have any idea why this is happening? I was willing to write the sharks off as a freak storm, but this? It's been two days of this now. How long is it going to rain animals?

[The camera turns then to focus on two Espurrs sitting on the hotel bed. They look as traumatized as any normal Espurr, but they're sitting upright and clutching each other's paws for dear life.]

I have another question. Has anyone ever had a Pokémon that has simply refused to do anything without being accompanied by a partner?

[Archer moves into the shot, proving that he's not actually filming this. He reaches out and scoops up the Espurr on the left, pulling it away from the second one. Immediately both the cats start wailing. It's very loud and the both of them immediately attempt to reunite, the one on the bed clawing at Archer's uniform and the one in his arms squirming frantically. Archer sighs and drops the cat on the bed and the two quickly join hands again and go silent, staring up at Archer like he's committed the worst sin possible.]

I can't get them to do anything. I didn't even want two, but when I caught the first one the second one wouldn't stop following me and crying.

[He sounds annoyed, but it was really just kind of depressing.]

I've never had two Pokémon this dependent on each other. Has anyone else had experience dealing with something like this?

[ AUDIO ]

--what do you mean you have no idea how this happened!?

[Oh look, it sounds like Archer's in the middle of shrieking at someone. Isn't this the best way to let everyone know he's alive and well and back in Johto again?]

No, I don't particularly care that you're not the one responsible for it; someone needs to take the fall for this!

[The post is audio only so it's impossible to tell just who Archer is yelling at. The man that answers sounds like a generic NPC and it's difficult to make out what he's saying since Archer just interrupts him again and continues on loudly.]

This is the second time this has happened and I demand an explanation!

[A sudden clattering sound obscures anything else he says and for a moment there's dead silence.]

...Have you been recording this?

[More silence. Then there are footsteps that sound like they're approaching the 'Gear and abruptly the feed shuts off.]

[ TEXT - PRIVATE TO KIMBLEE & COBRA ]

[An hour later Archer sends out two identical private texts to Kimblee and Cobra, since they're the only two people in Johto he really cares about.]

My apologies for suddenly disappearing like that. I understand it must have been inconvenient. I am back in Goldenrod and expect to hear from you soon. I would like to know what has happened in my absence.