001; video

[soulcomet]

[boy, has it been a morning.]

[after she woke up, and after the standard good-luck-sweetie-you're-gonna-do-great! shove out the front door from Mom, Madoka spent a good hour wandering about New Bark Town, poking tentatively at plants and buildings, trying to determine if she had wandered into a labyrinth.]

[and to be honest, she's not entirely convinced she hasn't. but, on the bright side, at least this one came with an instruction manual! so she spent another hour or so poring over the details, and eventually figuring out which pokéball exactly contained her "starter."]

[when the feed begins, Madoka's standing right at the edge of Route 29, just at the edge of the tall grass. she offers a warm, if unsure, smile, layered neatly over the "what on earth have I gotten myself into?"]

Hello! My name's Madoka — the people back in town said you all might be able to help, so ...

[the feed lowers to her feet. the tiniest of tiny Eevee has somehow wrapped itself around her ankle, and squeaks in protest when Madoka tries to lift her foot even a half inch off the ground. when the feed returns to her face, her smile's morphed into something a bit more sheepish.]

I don't have to battle anything to get all the way down this route, right? I can just run for it? [Madoka might know a thing or two about not forcing someone to fight if they don't want to. but she also doesn't think the two repels in her backpack are going to get them safely all the way to the next town.]

Oh — thank you for your help!

Comments

[Text]

[bleedingunversed]

The whole point is to fight to make our weak monsters stronger apparently.

Which is a waste of time if you ask me but whatever.

Fight or get nowhere. Those are your choices.

[Text]

[soulcomet]

So you're just supposed to force them to fight That's so mean, though!

[Text]

[bleedingunversed]

They're animals made for fighting.

Who cares.

[Text]

[soulcomet]

That doesn't mean that they'd like getting hurt, though. That's worth caring about, right?

Does everybody force them to fight? [first impressions are important, and you're leaving a great one for her, Vanitas!]

[Video]

[better2do]

Uh...it's...kind of a long road to run all the way down. It took me a couple days just from walking.

[The short, fair boy rubs the back of his head and grins sheepishly. A yellow flower tucked behind his ear shifts until a Floette is peeking out around his head at the 'gear.]

But, usually you can run, if Pokemon jump out and try to fight you? And most of the time they'll leave you alone if you get far enough. A couple aren't as easy to avoid...but, it's really okay to fight if you don't have another choice. Just try to go through all the other choices first.

[You know, ACT, ITEM, and MERCY.]

[Video]

[soulcomet]

Really? That's actually a huge relief, thank you. [neither she nor the Eevee could put up much of a fight at this point, but running? mercy? you bet!]

[Madoka tilts the 'gear slightly to look down at the tiny Eevee accessory on her foot.] Did you hear that? We have a really good chance of getting through without you having to fight. Do you want to try?

[the Eevee looks up quizzically, straight into the 'gear. it might need a bit more convincing, but they're definitely on the right track here.]

[Video]

[better2do]

[Mercy is the most excellent option. Asriel's Pokemon just like being able to protect him and help him run away rather than just flat out run.]

Yeah! It's worth a try. And there's no trainers on that first route who'll wanna battle, so it's okay.

[Video]

[soulcomet]

[one can pretty much see the gears turning in Eevee's little head. after a moment, it tilts its head and chirps in agreement — all right, it'll go! but only on one condition.]

[the Eevee scampers up Madoka, not unlike a kitten, and plops itself right down on her shoulder. at this height, it can easily see any threats coming, and would be ready to alert them at a moment's notice.]

... Well, at least I can walk like this. Does that mean you're willing to try?

[another squeak in the affirmative.]

Video

[pikapikajankenpo]

I'm Yayoi. And it's a bit of a trip down to the first city depending on where you started at least, and I'd imagine it'll be hard to get through the tall grass without some kind of Repel.

That being said, battling Pokemon is a fundamental of this world and Pokemon can get stronger, and healthier by battling with other wild Pokemon and trainers. it depends on what your trainer ID says, if you're a Trainer or Breeder or what not.

That being said, Pokemon like to battle, it's instinct, and they enjoy healthy competition.

Video

[soulcomet]

[Madoka's at rapt attention while Yayoi speaks, head tilted slightly — she steals a glance at the Eevee attached to her leg at the mention of instinct.]

It's nice to meet you, Yayoi. I wonder if maybe my pokémon is just nervous? — I guess this would be her first battle, after all.

Re: Video

[pikapikajankenpo]

It could be. Some Pokemon are nervous, or shy or timid. It's all due to their nature, and it affects their confidence. The best thing to do is to start building a bond with your Pokemon. It usually likes you first off, but a few exercises like games, training and otherwise spending time with them helps a lot.

[Aww that's cute, at least they seem very good together as friends so far.]

Making friends with your Pokemon helps. Are you in Johto or Kanto right now? You might be able to make your way to the major cities depending on where you are at the moment, and they have few wild Pokemon but a lot of resources for Trainers and Breeders.

Video

[soulcomet]

I'm on Route 29 right now, so ... Johto? [let her take a quick peek at her map to confirm.]

[and once she does, she crouches down, set on taking Yayoi's advice. after putting the 'gear down, gently pries the Eevee off of her leg and sets it down on the ground before her.]

What do you think about doing some training? I promise I won't let you do anything that could really hurt you — and it sounds like you'll have a lot of fun!

[the Eevee stares, wide-eyed, at Madoka. then it turns to look at Yayoi on the 'gear. back to Madoka. back to Yayoi.]

[and then it places a paw on the toe of Madoka's shoe, chirping in an almost scolding tone. it wants the pokémon version of a pinky promise.]

[video]

[captainash]

...If you don't go anywhere near the tall grass that might be doable, but I can't remember if you can avoid it completely. I mean, you can run if you get attacked, but that's not completely foolproof. It'd be easier if you had a Pokémon that's large enough to ride, sadly.

[video]

[soulcomet]

[the current list of pokémon Madoka has seen so far contains pokémon that are both a. tiny and b. pretty stinkin' adorable, honestly. she was starting to think that's the norm.]

I think you're right ... wait, how big do pokémon get?

[video]

[captainash]

That depends on the species, but the biggest ones can't even fit inside a house. That usually takes a few evolutions, though.

[video]

[soulcomet]

[Madoka pauses, and the feed tilts down slightly to look at the Eevee that's still attached to her. she's trying to picture it as bigger than a house.]

Wow ... that sounds like it would take a lot of training.

Video

[bent_the_world]

Hi Madoka!

You don't have to fight, but you may get challenged by wild Pokemon. A lot of them like to fight. It's sometimes not easy to run away.

Video

[soulcomet]

Hello! It's nice to meet you.

I do have these two repels, but I don't think they'll last us all the way to the next town. Maybe I could ... [swing her backpack wildly at any pidgey that approaches? chase wild pokémon off herself? both scenarios would probably be entertaining to watch.]

— Ah! What if I caught a new pokémon that likes to fight?

Video

[bent_the_world]

That's exactly what most people do! I started off with one that likes to fight, but not everybody does. Wild ones that challenge you, you can be sure they want to!

[islandshore]

You can run, but I wouldn't recommend it. Without battling, your starter won't get any stronger, which could cause some problems later on.

[Though it's said with a soft tone and a small smile. He knows a lot of people have trouble accepting the circumstances. It's a lot to take in.]

I'd honestly recommend training, capturing a few more Pokemon... Just so you're prepared for the worst, y'know?

[soulcomet]

[it is, honestly — but, aside from a series of rather rude text messages, Madoka has a lot of notes she's been jotting down in her breeder's notebook, thanks to the people who have answered her call for help.]

[she nods emphatically.]

Yes, sir! I'm having a hard time with my Eevee, though ... I don't know how to convince her to battle.

[islandshore]

Hmm... What exactly is her issue? Is she intimidated? Lazy? You might be able to find some wild Pokemon that'd join you without battling, but it's definitely trickier.

[Still, he'd rather consider options than rule it as a lost cause. That won't help anyone, especially a newcomer.]

Video

[dreamsofahero]

Technically, yes, I suppose you could, but it would probably be more trouble than otherwise...

Video

[soulcomet]

That's how it's looking ... I don't want to force my pokémon to do something she doesn't want to, though.

Do you think I could catch a new one without having to actually battle it?

Re: Video

[dreamsofahero]

It's possible, particularly with some of the weaker ones, but you're just as likely to end up wasting your pokeballs if you try.

Do you know why yours doesn't want to fight?