The Nature of Ponch

[Bob]

maybe he is one of the powers that be

[wildflower]

I think he would have told them, though, when they found out what Peach was. Or Peach would have been able to tell, probably.
I think it's more likely he's just overly affected by the wizardry leakedge. It would be neat if he was a wizard, though. . .


I don't think Helena's a wizard- she seemed really anti-the whole thing, judging by what Kit said she was like when she found out.

[Ankaa]

this was mentioned a while back, but I still think Ponch is something like teh Transdescent Pig(not that Ponch is also transdescent, but he's in the same classification of beings), and he's coming into his power as Kit and his wizardry develop. sort of like how some diseases wait for years until they are triggered by something seemingly unrelated, and then they strike suddenly. also, it seems like Ponch's weirdness seems to be picking up speed--he didn't really start changing that much until WD, and suddenly he's becoming more of a major character, and he's doing more and more.

[wizardsrreal]

I just think that Ponch is becoming more weird because of Kit being a wizard, but in some way I think that Ponch is also becoming weirder because of Darrel, because of his autism, and I also think that Ponch became this way to help darrel(in AWA) and to help Kit(in TWD).

[Nathan]

First let me give (very belated) greetings to Nitafan: My apologies for not responding to your Shoutbox message immediately, but I was composing a reply to one of the threads and didn't see your message until later (and am responding here in typical dilatory fashion). Just so you know, I'm probably a lost cause as far as participating in chats--I have never chatted online and don't plan on starting anytime soon. (I have toyed with the idea of joining one of the chats with DD, but they're scheduled during the weekly opera broadcast, and that takes precedence.)

For a contribution to this topic (and the reason I finally got around to finishing this message), here's some more fodder for speculations about the relationship between Kit and Ponch's talent. (I came across these tidbits while re-reading Alone and haven't seen them commented on either here or elsewhere.)

Kit twice remarks that he experiences a "draw" on his power while participating in Ponch's world-finding: Once to himself in Chapter 4, 'Conversations': "...it seemed to Kit that Ponch drew on his own power somewhat." And once to Nita in 'Quandaries' (Chapter 5): "What Ponch does ... takes a lot out of me, too, maybe more than I realize." These observations must be treated with caution, however, as they may very well be artefacts of Kit's susceptibility to Darryl's autism (considering that the remarks come after Kit has been traveling in Darryl's 'inner universe'). Kit doesn't qualify this as only being a recent occurrence, which argues against this interpretation, but the evidence is not overwhelming. In particular, I don't remember any mention of this in Dilemma or Holiday. <Edit>In fact, Kit specifically remarks in Dilemma [Chapter 6, 'Saturday Afternoon and Evening'] on the ease with which he is able to create new universes while exploring with Ponch, contrasting this with the outlay of personal energy required for wizardry. The above quotes from Alone seem to specifically deal with Ponch's abilities as a Finder, but that talent is intimately linked to that of universe creation, as Ponch remarks in Chapter 18, 'Friday Morning' of Dilemma: "We can make some of that one [i.e., the universe that Nita is in] as if it's new. The part she's in." This lends support to the argument that the comments from Alone are influenced by Darryl's autism, but again, this is far from conclusive.</Edit>

I leave an analysis of the implications of the foregoing material to someone with more speculative facility, for, while I am not uninterested in 'the Ponch problem', I have been singularly uninspired when it comes to speculating about it, so I usually expend my 'speculative energies' on other YW matters that I find more congenial in this regard.

Nathan

[Lady Rhiannon]

It's really amazing what you notice when you're actually looking for certain things when you're reading. I was reading WH again, and in the first few chapters or so there is some mention of Ponch. One of those being Nita's dream. It sounded very much like it was foreshadowing events in W@W. The darknesss in between stars? And Ponch's barking seeming much bigger thyan usual may indicate that he has a larger than usual role?

But it also talks about Kit trying to figure out where the wizardry leakage was coming from, because he had to know that before he could stop it. If it was comming from him, I think he would figure that out pretty easily. IMHO, I think Ponch is the source of the leak. How else do you explain the neighborhood dogs' strange behavior? If the leak was from Kit, I think it would affect only the people immediately around him(his family, just Ponch, etc.).

Any one think that maybe the wiazardry didn't come from Kit's mother's side of the family, but that she too is being affected by the wizardry leakage? Just a thought.

[Peter Murray]

Oh dear. That leads on to scary thoughts... like perhaps the wizardry comes from Ponch's side of the family, but instead of realising it, his power leaked to Kit (because they spend most time together) - so that Kit's only a wizard because he's Ponch's owner.

I still want to know what Darryl recognised Ponch becoming. I suppose we'll eventually find out - maybe in Wizards at War, maybe in The Wizard of Mars, maybe a later book...

[Ankaa]

i understand what you're saying, PM, but Ponch had nothing to do with Kit being offered the Oath. Maybe Kit's wizardry developed in certain directions because of Ponch, but the leackage started after Ponch had shared the world-finding/creating thing/technique/? with Kit. Maybe the leackage started because Kit's human and Ponch isn't? because the leackage is only affecting the dogs...

[semiramis]

Actually, I think the leakeage is affecting other things too... like Kit's DVD player and remote, and his family (who are--apparently--starting to be able to understand things through the Speech).

...I'd always assumed that Ponch was the reason for the leak, actually... huh.

[Peter Murray]

Originally posted by Ankaa:
i understand what you're saying, PM, but Ponch had nothing to do with Kit being offered the Oath.

It hadn't occurred to me before Lady Rhiannon's post, but what was the first bit of wizardry Kit ever mentions using? He healed Ponch's nose when a wasp stung it. Maybe Kit's only a wizard because Ponch needed a wizard, consciously or unconsciously .

Do you think this topic scares DD?

[After reading Nathan's updated post:]
Hmmm. Either creating universes/worlds is easier than changing what's happening in an existing one (possible, but not intuitive), or Ponch is supplying the energy for world-building but not for routine wizardry. Maybe the draw on Kit's power is when Ponch is tired for some reason?

[Ankaa]

the idea that Ponch..uh... made Kit a wizard is kind of...strange...but then if Ponch played that large a role that early, Kit's Ordeal would probably have involved Ponch somewhat... Also, if Ponch was more than mortal, would he have been able to heal himself? Or did he "make" Kit a wizard because he was lonely? ------ I don't know if this is scaring DD, but it's definately beginning to scare me...

[Lady Rhiannon]

That is something I hadn't thought of before. Ponch being the reason that Kit became a wizard. It's an interesting enough idea. Kit was offered the wizardry pretty early, right? He and Nita were obviously the right raw materials at the time of their Ordeal, but there was an interval between Kit taking the Oath and their Ordeal. For Nita, the interval was much shorter, only a day or two. Maybe it did have something to do with Ponch's influence.

<.< Hmmm...

We noticed Ponch was getting smarter by DW, right? We didn't get to hear much from him in HW or in AWAbroad (something about him still burying bones between wasps nest). So maybe he was getting stranger the entire time, we just didn't know it. Did something happen to him while Nita and Kit were gone?

Just theorizing...

And this topic scares me as well...^_^

[Peter Murray]

Originally posted by Ankaa:
the idea that Ponch..uh... _made_ Kit a wizard is kind of...strange...but then if Ponch played that large a role that early, Kit's Ordeal would probably have involved Ponch somewhat...

Unless of course Ponch was already... well, whatever he is... and didn't need another Ordeal? Though Nita and Kit helped with Dairine's ordeal, didn't they? It looks as if they were needed to finish her ordeal.

[Fox]

I love all these crazy idea's about Ponch's sudden iteligance and the like. I was thinking I could add in another one, what if once Ponch was already a wizard as in the Human Viriaty? Just like in DW Nita and Kit were told not to forget to be human cause once that happens the change becomes perinant! what if that happened here? and now being around wizards again he is starting to remember? hahaha i love crazy Idea's!!!
Foxy

[Peter Murray]

Do you mean a wizard turned himself into a dog, forgot himself and effectively became a dog, and Kit happened to become his owner? In which case, his memories of this life are coming back, as you suggest.

Or do you mean he was a wizard in a previous life, and reincarnated as a dog, and being around Kit and Nita so much has revived his memories of his previous life?