Track 2 - [Video / Action for Route 29]

[toothaches]

[ACCIDENTAL VIDEO]

_{[The feed comes alive with a beautiful blue sky streaked with clouds...and then the ground. And then the sky. And then the ground. A brief glimpse of the eastern side of a western-bound Rhyhorn enveloped in a cloud of dust. Atop the beast is a very alarmed looking trainer facing backwards with one arm outstretched for the tumbling Poke'Gear and the other struggling to keep his hat on. The sky. The ground. The sky. And then finally, all is dark.]}

[ON-PURPOSE VIDEO]

<sub>[This video comes much later in the day. The sky has turned from blue to amber and the familiar scenery of Route 29 passes lazily behind Maurice. He had bemoaned the idea of it taking three days just to get to another city, but from the back of a Pokemon? That just might be tolerable! So long as they took things nice and slow at first. Maurice is exhausted, a little scratched up with a fresh bandaid on his chin, but still grinning. It's hard to tell if his cheeks are red from exertion or sunburn.]

[It's probably both to be honest. He's a pretty pasty guy.]</sub>

Did..._{[A wheeze.]} Did you guys know that a Rhinosaurus can only run in one direction? I didn't.

_{[Meatloaf rumbles from off-screen and Maurice laughs, leaning down to pat the Rhyhorn's forehead.]}

At least it was the direction we were goin'! Had to call him back into his ball to get him to stop. And then we had to walk all the way back and find my computer thing. And fight a couple of birds that were fighting over it.

_{[Maurice goes quiet. Thoughtful. He looks away from the camera and watches the trees pass him by.]}

I guess...I was too busy worrying about taking care of him that I didn't let him take care of me. That's what we're supposed to be, right? A team?

_{[A much louder, happy rumble comes from his Pokemon and Maurice flops forward, arms outstretched, so that the camera can at least get one of the beast's eyes in the shot along with his face.]}

Watch your butt, Cherrygrove! Team Heavy Metal is comin' for you!


[ACTION FOR ROUTE 29, June 30]

<sub>[The following day, it isn't terribly hard to come across the pair as they make their way down the route. They stop occasionally for Maurice to hop down and stretch his legs and also to lay face-up on the path and groan because riding a rhino made of rocks makes you about ten times more sore than riding an animal that's supposed to be ridden. You know, like a horse.]

[It's going to take a little longer than Maurice thought to get there. At least so far he hasn't seen any scary-looking Pokemon! Sleeping curled up next to a walking army tank does wonders for the nerves.]</sub>

Comments

video;

[pipers_son]

S'the definition for bein' a team where I'm from, at any rate.

So, doin' a little better after that, uh... interestin' run?

[toothaches]

_{[Maurice's response is a little delayed though he's got his feed on. Maybe he isn't sure if it's recording or not? No. No, he's just admiring Joker's hair. How did everyone here have SUCH GOOD HAIR?]}

Oh, yeah! Much better! It's like...it's like ridin' a bulldozer with a mind of its own!

[pipers_son]

Tell me about it! Someone should make saddles for Pokemon like that, huh? Can’t imagine yer end is gonna enjoy the whole trip like that.

[It’s one thing to ride, say, a Rapidash saddleless. Something like a Ryhorn? Jeez.]

action;

[oldestfriend]

[As Maurice is riding, someone down the road spots him coming from her spot underneath the shade of a tree. Standing up, she strikes the classic hitchhiker's pose. Even from a distance, her bright smile can be seen.]

[toothaches]

<sub>[Now there's a gesture Maurice would know anywhere! Though he and Meatloaf are going at a bit of a lumber, there is still a lot of dust being kicked up. It's summer and the road is dusty. When the Rhyhorn approaches, said dust envelops them both until Maurice manages to get the critter to stop.]

[He waves at the cloud with his hat and once it's clear enough to see, he puts it back on and coughs. Her appearance makes something in his chest buck. She looks...a little like someone from home. Or maybe someone he's seen in a dream.]</sub>

Where ya headed?

[oldestfriend]

[As the dust is waved away, Dee grins at him like someone who hasn’t seen him in ages and missed him- bright and warm.]

Cherrygrove. Think you two could handle having a lady along for the ride?

video

[dashdash]

[A rhino Pokemon is definitely impressive; Mafuyu wishes she had a Pokemon like that one.]

Yo~ Team Heavy Metal, huh? Such a cool name! Is it just you and Rhino there?

video

[toothaches]

Why thankyuh!

_{[Excuse him while he preens. He came up with it all by himself.]}

Yeah, so far! I've seen plenty of Pokemon up in the air or running across the path but haven't really stopped to do any battles beyond gettin' my computer phone back.

[dashdash]

Ah- really? Isn't everyone fighting and catching as much as they can?

[Or is that just her and her bloodthirsty drive to accumulate friendship. Maybe the reason she's so slow getting through the routes is because she keeps stopping every few minutes to chase after Pokemon.]

I'm in Cherrygrove right now, but there's no gym here. I thought when you said "watch your butt," you meant you were lookin' for a gym leader.

video;

[gainedlove]

Oh! I didn't think up a name for my team yet! That's a good idea! Umm...

[Frisk frowns and thinks very intently, before grinning and apparently jumping in place, with how the background and their hair moves.]

I got it, I got it! We're Team Buddy Power!

[From somewhere off-screen, there's an almost offended sounding bleat.]

video

[toothaches]

Woah, hey there! Team Buddy Power, huh? We better watch our tails!

_{[He laughs good-naturedly, but then something occurs to him.]}

OH! Dude, dude, do you uh. Happen to--you know, possibly maaaaaaybe have, I don't know. That book I gave you the other day?

video

[gainedlove]

Ehehe! Yeah, we're gonna be the best!

[Like noooo oooone ever was--AHEM. Frisk pauses for a moment, thinking, then sets the Gear aside to pull over their bag and start rummaging around in it.]

Um, I think I got it...yeah! Here it is!

[They pick the Gear back up and proudly present the book to the camera, smiling happily.]

Um, I'm in Cherrygrove right now 'cuz the road's all messy, but I can come give it to you!

Video

[foolishwren]

... Heh, hey, you seem to've gotten the hang of things!

_{[CONGRATULATIONS]}

Video

[toothaches]

_{[Oh hey! It's his survival guide!]}

Hah, yeah. I'm on the road anyway. I'm sure there's a lot I have to learn...did you know there are dragons on fire in this place!

_{[Guess who saw his first Charizard and now wants one.]}

Video

[foolishwren]

I sure did.

Would you believe me if I told you I rode one once?

_{[It had been WAY MORE TERRIFYING than floating gently above the trees on Marshmallow Mom.]}

[Video]

[killer_sweets]

Once you stay around long enough things balance themselves out, but the team you have is unique to you after all.

[Video]

[toothaches]

Balance out? How's that?

[Video]

[killer_sweets]

It's simple. The more time you spend around each other, the better you can understand each other or something sappy like that.

video;

[crouching_sin]

... Rhyhorn, not Rhinosaurus. But yes, I suppose you're a team.

video;

[toothaches]

Rhyhorn, right! I forgot the type of Pokemon he was since I gave 'em a name.

video;

[crouching_sin]

Heh. I suppose that I should be surprised it doesn't happen more often.

video

[islandshore]

...Huh. Maybe it's because I've never worked with a Rhyhorn before, but I had no idea.

[He'll have to make note of this, should he ever decide to expand the Breeding Center's catalogue. Briefly, he pauses, just long enough to write something down, then his eyes go back to the camera.]

But hey, at least you've got a tough starter to work with. There are a lot of bugs and flying types on the early routes, so his rock typing's gonna be a huge lifesaver.

video

[toothaches]

_{[Maurice flashes Riku THE DRAGON MASTER a confident smile.]}

Oh, he's already showed me that! Booted this big ugly caterpillar thing sky high with his horn!

2nd video

[mttbrandlegs]

[Oh my god. First off, that guy was pretty adorable. Just...look at how innocent he is!

But on the other hand...]

Where did you get one of those?! I would love a friend I could use as transportation!!!

[toothaches]

_{[Maurice is out of breath, but still smiling.]}

He was in the ball in my bag! So I guess this place just gave 'em to me. I couldn't tell ya where to find one in the wild.