I like to think Teddie is a very real bear in some ways (not... literally, obviously but... let's say spiritually? haha) because I think the idea of Teddie getting really sleepy in the winter (kotatsu fixation explained? =P) and inexplicably able and willing to catch fish with his teeth, growling at people without thinking, stuff like that is so cute and funny... BUT... also...
He's so committed. Whatever part of himself/the collective unconscious decided he was going to be a bear was EXTREMELY dedicated because he *knows* way too much about bears as the animals they actually are for what we otherwise know about him as a person. By that I mean: being the silly, easily distracted not-literal-bear that Teddie is, one would think he wouldn't really care to know things such as any other species of bears, their habits in the wild, terminology, yet... he does.
So he either researched them intensively (which is uncharacteristic enough to imply if he did it - it meant more to him than eating snacks, reading comics, or bugging Yosuke for a while, and remembered what he learned) or he has always had such specific knowledge because whatever compelled him to create his form as a bear was just THAT significant, even moreso than just for the sake of a cutesy mascot-y design choice to appeal to humans.
If he just wanted to be lovable, there would be no need for him to know any bear species, habits, diet, terminology... other than the basics of what people know about bears for the sake of his mascot 'theming'. Not only that, his instinct to embrace the violent side of being a bear is almost antithetical to being a lovable mascot, yet he does it with gusto.
He puns on 'kodiak arrest' and I'll never get over him saying "to err is human, to forgive, ursine", I'm not sure that's even the most hyper-specific knowledge he's expressed in reference to bears or being a bear. I find that so incredibly interesting and charming.
As a random aside I love when Teddie accidentally slips up and reveals he's a lot more intellectual than he lets on, which I hinted at in my post about him using 'nihil hand'. I guess I'm not sure I'd call moments of bear trivia to be 'slip ups' on their own since he chooses to express them, but I have a feeling if someone called him out on how much research he must have done he'd try to play it off like he had no idea what you were talking about and can't even remember where he learned the words instead of admitting how much it means to him/interests him.
The passionate battle cries of his companions filled Samejima with even more disposition to kick his enemy’s ass, which he promptly went to do the next few seconds. The started a combo sequence of punches and kicks against the leader slime, not seemingly minding the flames that were taking over his clothes. In the middle of his barrage, the Fire Slime (as I’ll call it from now on) casted a fire spell that hit him fully, consuming his body in flames. Is that it? Was that the last assault of our man?
“Whew, that was a close one! Thanks for the help, Sensei.” All of a sudden, Samejima reappeared by Xion’s side, completely unharmed by the spell while looking at a mental figure of his (supposed) mentor. Seems like his Manly Aura acted just in time for him to deny all the damage he suffered until now via a bullcrap manly excuse yet again.
“Woooooow! You have a Sensei too!!”
Teddie was feeling like among kindred bears!
Meanwhile, Xion’s logical mind had kicked in and was alarming her to how much BS exactly had just happened.
“B-But... You just burned... Fire... I saw... How are you...?” She shook her head. “This. Makes. No. Sense.”
“Who cares about making sense!? We’ve got an ass to kick!!”
Emil threw himself at what was left of the enemy slime to make sure it would be deader than dead.
Given how Ratatosk was very prone to the Worf Effect, this could clearly only end well.
There were a lot of things Teddie was allowed to do that he enjoyed doing. Like, working at Junes (most of the time). Eating snacks. Running down Samegaway Riverbank really fast. Trying to make himself useful.
There were also a lot of things Teddie was NOT allowed to do and still enjoyed doing. Like, for example, sneaking after Xion through those strange holes that she was making into the air sometimes, because he was curious to see where his cutie-babe-housemate was going all this time.
“Hmm... This sure is a place... A strange place. It smells weird, too...”
You are not even supposed to be here, Teddie. Stop starring at the marble statues of half-naked female angels with so much fascination.
