[video]

[meteorman]

[It's been a while since Ford actually posted to the network. One of his greatest flaws is his tendency to hyperfocus and forget to do other things, like check in with his fellow travelers, or eat. It's fine. His Beheeyem has been reminding him. If he didn't have his very powerful psychic research assistant he'd probably be having a much harder time. As usual, she holds the 'gear camera while he talks. The trees of Ilex forest are visible all around him.]

Greetings! My apologies for my long absence to those of you who may have wondered where I was; I have been incredibly busy as of late, primarily with exploring areas I had not yet had a chance to visit. Several of the weeks I was missing can be blamed entirely on the Ruins.

[It should only take a couple of days to get through the ruins, particularly for a man who loves codes and puzzles, but... look. He saw a Sigilyph. He couldn't leave until he caught it. In fact...]

I would like you all to meet Nazca.

[Sometimes naming Pokemon takes him a while. This time it did not. He pulls a ball from his coat and from it pops a Sigilyph. It immediately turns and runs smack into him.]

He, ah -- he still hasn't unlearned his old flight patterns. We're working on it. Have any of the rest of you had particularly difficulty working around the quirks of your partner's species?

Comments

[video]

[no_ufo_ending]

My starter Pokemon was a Shellder. It was pretty tough getting to know him. He opened up so rarely it was sort of like having a giant Pokeball for a partner.

[meteorman]

Ah, yes. I've read that Shellder can sometimes be timid. I imagine that would make battling difficult.

[no_ufo_ending]

_{[A nod.]}

He's pretty shy. I guess that's why they put 'em with me. He's still a Shellder but we've been training a lot more recently...have you encountered a Litwick?

[meteorman]

Not as of yet, no, though I would dearly like to. Ghost pokemon are of particular interest to me for a variety of reasons.

[Wait a moment.]

You believe you were assigned your original partner for a particular reason?

[video]

[toothaches]

Woooah, what is THAT guy supposed to be?

_{[Until now, every Pokemon Maurice has met looked like some kind of Earth animal. But Nazca...]}

[meteorman]

From the best guess of those who have studied the lines, a Condor.

[This conversation is going to get worse before it gets better.]

[toothaches]

_{[.........S..squint.]}

I don't...I mean. I aint no scientist, but I don't think that's a bird. That looks like a weird vase my sister would buy.

video;

[sunnysidewalkstreet]

[ Have a Prompto, his Type: Null visible in the background. ]

The ruins are that interesting, huh? Me and Noct are heading over there for some cool snaps.

[meteorman]

Oh, yes. There's quite a lot to find, and many Pokemon that as far as I know are not native or exceedingly rare anywhere else. I admit that once I started trying to catch Nazca I lost sight of most of --

[Wait what the holy Moses playing hopscotch is that.]

I'm sorry -- is that a Pokemon, behind you?

[sunnysidewalkstreet]

[ ...Oh, somebody who hasn't seen him? Prompto puts on a bigger smile - he can do this. ]

...That's Null - uh, Type: Null. He's my starter. Come on, Null - don't be shy.

[ ...Nope the doggo is shying away a little more. He is scared okay. But Prompto gives a little nod to himself. ]

He's a normal-type and a good boy. And totally a Pokemon.

video;

[bertall]

It took me time to get used to mine, uh... Burning almost everything he chewed on.

_{[A beat, and his face scrunches up a little as he remembers something--]}

Size, too. The only thing I was around that was even close to his size was a horse, but that was back home.

[meteorman]

If I may ask, what species is your partner? A Growlithe would be my guess -- I've seen those grow to incredible size, and they get even larger once they evolve.

[bertall]

He's, ah... Actually, it's better to just show you.

<sub>[He fumbles with his gear for a few moments as he stands up, and starts to take it for a little 'journey' through the place he's staying at with Armin and the others. Eventually Bertolt comes to a bedroom and carefully opens the door to stick the corner of it into the room to show an Arcanine - bigger than the norm - zonked out on his back in the middle of Bertolt's bed.

It's even dipping a little in the middle.]</sub>

This is him now.

[agent3]

[OH WHAT A DELIGHT it's Thida's second favorite old guy. (The first is Cap'n Cuttlefish, so don't be sad Ford.) She beams, waving excitedly.]

Y'got a bird! 'S cool! Good name!

[As if she would understand what it's referencing. It just sounds similar enough to the two-syllable, Japanese-esque names she's given her own Pokemon. Thida bounces a little.]

Got Judd. He's a Luxray...so, a big cat, 'n, he's just like a cat. 'Cept more of a lazy butt. But he used t'be the worst lazy butt ever.

[meteorman]

[He would never be sad about coming in second to a man named Cap'n Cuttlefish. Really he'd expect it. At seeing Thida his expression brightens in turn. He's come to expect interesting conversations out of her, so her face is always one he's pleased to see.]

Used to be? So his demeanor has changed in the time that you've known him?

[agent3]

[She nods. Gosh, Ford, just. Come to Inkopolis sometime, you'll think you've died and gone to evolutionary heaven.]

Mhm. Didn't wanna listen. But...then he 'volved, 'n I guess...saw others gettin' strong, 'n didn't wanna be left behind. So he changed.

Video;

[schachmeister]

Ah, that's a Sigilyph, isn't it! I've read about those. I'd hoped to see one back at the Ruins of Alph, but I never did manage to find one.

[But he found enough other cool nerd things to keep him occupied.]

[meteorman]

It is! And the Ruins of Alph are precisely where I caught it, though it did take me quite some time. Apparently Sigilyph are particularly elusive.

[he should have just picked up a Natu honestly but he was stubborn.]

[schachmeister]

I had sort of hoped to catch one, but I didn't even managed to see one. In the end, I managed to catch Juniper there though, so I can't say I entirely regret what happened.

[Because Juniper is a Good and Beautiful pokemon. She had been perfect to ease Armin into the whole pokemon capturing business. A wonderful first catch.]

That's an interesting name you gave it. Does it mean anything in particular?

text.

[torsion]

Were you stuck in the ruins that long or were you trying to find something in particular? I'm sure there's something to be made of them, but it's not really my area of expertise.

[ Puzzles, though? She and Chris blasted through them. They might've just missed one another in this case. ]

My partners are all pretty easygoing; one of those like attracts like sort of things, maybe? My friend's Stufful has been a handful, though.

Wonder if there's as much meaning in how alike some of our partners are as there is differences?

[meteorman]

I have seen that posited before, yes. That our partners and particularly the ones given to us upon arrival are tailored to our strengths and personalities or meant to compliment us in some way. I think there may be some truth to it but I have yet to do any extensive research into the matter. Is it only similarities in personality that made you draw that conclusion, or were there other factors?

As for the ruins - I was not stuck. I could have left very easily. I did not WANT to leave without first obtaining a Sigilyph. Thus-far they are one of the most fascinating Pokemon I've been lucky enough to encounter in the wild.

[torsion]

I have a hard time seeing similarities between my pokemon and myself, I guess? Though I've heard normal types are extremely versatile, I think I'd probably be more suited to some of the fighting types I've seen.

Although my partner's typically called "cute," so maybe we do have something in common, ha ha. :) As for my friend, he's really easy to work with and was partnered with a pokemon that broke his finger on the first day he was here. It wasn't easy to read or work with and flailed around a lot. It's pretty opposite of him.

I see! I was curious if there was more to it than just that. Unfortunately, I don't know all that much about them. It's a psychic type, isn't it?

Video

[coolskeleton_95]

OOOH, LET ME GIVE HIM SOME ADVICE! I'M EXCELLENT AT BIRD CALLS, YOU KNOW!

[Hope you have your volume down, because what follows is some impressive screeches.]

[meteorman]

[GOODNESS GRACIOUS]

Ah -- yes. Impressive. What kind of bird was that, exactly?

[coolskeleton_95]

MOST LIKELY ONE THAT CARRIES YOU OVER A SMALL GAP!