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Gecko opened Machop's ball. Machop appeared, sitting weakly---Machop still had not recovered from the battle.

"Hello. My name is Gecko." Gecko introduced amiably. He didn't think he introduced himself before.

"Machop." The Machop replied.

"Er, that's...strange. But my name is Gecko, so it doesn't matter."

"So, uh...tell me...I feel like Professor Oak in the satire cartoons saying this, but are you a boy or a girl?"

"Machop."

Gecko furrowed his brow. "I can't understand that...are you a boy?"

Machop shook its head 'no.'

"A girl?"

Machop nodded.

Gecko always assumed Machoke---Machop's evolution---were exclusively male, due to their similarities with all-male Sawk and Throh and their physiques. Machop being a girl surprised him.

(Sent a burst of warmth into the air)
Gecko thought about asking if anyone had brought a more conventional flashlight, but he decided against it---he hadn't brought one. He wanted a light load.

Since they immediately resumed traveling, Gecko hadn't recalled Machop. Machop, despite still looking tired, trudged beside him. After a while, Machop cautiously ventured a question. "Mach?"

"What?"

"Mach...mach." Machop shook her head and again focused on the path.

"Can you write?" Gecko asked. He felt brainless to ask this, since of course Pokémon didn't write, but he didn't want to let the communication barrier dispirit Machop.

Machop shook her head no.

"Can you use sign language?" After saying it, Gecko realized its pointlessness---he didn't understand sign language.

"Mach..." Machop shrugged and hastily configured her hands, forming a simple sign. Then, realizing Gecko had no idea what she was talking about, mimed a walking human with her fingers. With her left hand, she imitated something animatedly talking, and with her right, she showed the 'human'. The 'human' walked past the talking hand.

"You learned it from a person with a chatty companion?"

Machop frustratedly shook her head no. She glanced at Gecko and then pointed to the side of her head, where a human's ears would be. "You learned it from a person with no ears?" Machop shrugged and gave him an querulous look. Gecko guessed it meant "not quite." "A deaf person?" Machop nodded.

(Actually Machop wasn't owned by a previous Trainer. Machop can't tell the specifics, however, because of the communication barrier.)

Gecko headed for the Pokémon Center. He didn't want to go through the ritualized chat, so he put his Poké Balls on the counter and hoped the nurse would understand.

The nurse looked up at him tiredly. "You do realize I derive much of my entertainment from conversations, right?"

"No."

The nurse lifted an eyebrow. "Why else would we Nurse Joys be so chatty?"

"I didn't think what was true for one was true for the other. Isn't that...assumptive?"

"Not when you're dealing with Nurse Joys, kid. We'll all the same. It's creepy when you think about it."

"I'll not think about it then." Gecko replied, trying to be polite.

Finally the nurse took his Poké Balls and healed the Pokémon inside.

"They're bigger, but that might be because the Poké Marts are in the same building." Gecko replied. "I read an editorial about that once. It's because Poké Mart owners in Unova think they will gain greater profits by increasing accessibility."

"Do you know where the...er..Pokedome is?" Gecko asked the nurse. 'Pokedome' was an awkward name; it brought to mind athletic events about poking people.