"The things that move around besides humans where we're from are either animals or elementals, never both. Elementals resemble humans, with various halos - Fireflower looks a little bit like a horse with a Fire halo. Horses are a species of animal. Apart from Fire, Earth, and Lightning, the other single elements are Adamant, Air, Glass, Ice, Shadow, Shine, Stone, Water, and Wood."

"Huh. Some of those are also Pokémon types - ice and water and fire. And some of the others are close. But yeah, you are not Pokémon. Sorry for thinking you might be."

"Is that the sort of thought one apologizes for?" asks Earth.

"I would be mildly put out if I were mistaken for one? I'm not sure how that would happen, but if it did. I'd be more put out if they thought I was one long enough to attack me or try to capture me."

"Well, you'll notice I didn't have Fireflower try to set you on fire right away, and I don't even want any more, I have six - if you don't have your 'mon attack a wild one that gets in your space, though, it'll basically kill you unless you're very lucky. People who don't have at least one 'mon of their own pretty much can't leave cities."

"You're welcome. I hate indoor battles anyway, unless they're in adequately sized purpose-built stadiums, those are okay."

"Hmm?"

"Oh, I guess if you don't have Pokémon - they're good for keeping the wildlife off you but lots of people also battle them recreationally and to get them stronger so they're more effective at the wildlife thing. I enter tournaments sometimes to stay in good guild standing, I'm not great at it but I'm all right - mostly mine spar with each other or wild ones, though, I travel a lot."

"Depends heavily on the 'mon. Mostly by individual, not species. My smartest is Zag. Except for legendaries basically none of them can talk, unless you count Chatot, but those are dumb as bricks and just do mimicry."

"And what's a legendary?"

"'Mon that you can't prove exist but that there are stories about, basically. Now and then you'll hear of a really bright Meowth or something picking up some human language, but it's - tabloid stuff, I'm not sure whether to buy it or not, Zag's quite bright and doesn't talk."

"It's an interesting world you seem to have," says Earth. "Very different from ours. Did I understand you right when you seemed to imply earlier that there's no magic, or nothing you're used to calling magic, there?"

"We don't usually call 'mon and the things they do magic. Magic's a fantasy stories thing. But some 'mon powers are big and poorly understood enough that people call it that as a shorthand. Fireflower's just... firey, but, like, my Dusk has a psychic attack, that's more arguable."

"Elementals and the things we can do are generally considered magical, and there are humans who use magic as well," says Earth.

"I'd need to know more to account for that. Come to think of it, it's pretty strange that we can understand each other."

"Not exceptionally strange, to me," says Earth. "Elementals speak all the languages that exist on the planet when we coaelsce. I'm used to being able to understand most people. But you're right, it is a little odd. I wonder if it's a property of this place? Seems likely."

"Does that apply to us, too?" asks Earth.