victory_road | [video]

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[This transmission comes through late in the day on the 28th. The frame shows a tiny hotel room -- there's not much room in it for more than a bedside table, a tv stand, a tiny chair, and a bed with a truly horrendous Comfey flower pattern duvet. Through the window the Saffron skyline is silhouetted against the setting sun.

There are five Pokémon and their trainer sandwiched into this room, though it's hard to spot all of them immediately. Fay the Zoroark is easiest to see where she's curled up at the foot of the bed, but it's more difficult to spot Alice the Gothita where he's tucked into her mane. The only thing that gives Alice away is his luminous eyes reflecting the light from the television. The Togepi that Ford has taken to calling Kid (since he got too used to the phrase 'don't cry, kid' and thinks it's his name now) is sleeping in the chair, blessedly quiet for once. Fantastic Mr. Fox's nine yellow tails are visible on the other side of the bed where he's snoozing on the floor.

But wait. That's only four -- and Ford, who's sitting next to Fay and looking at the camera with an expression of barely-restrained excitement.]

Greetings, all! I have some marvelous news. Today I --

[The helmeted head of a Type: Null pops up out of the pillows at the head of the bed. The pillows do not move. The Null's neck is just sort of sticking out of them like a badly-clipped model in a jenky video game. It notices the 'gear and pulls itself up out of the bed, like somehow its feet only realize the bed is solid when they've come down on it from above. Each one does that doggy paw waggle before the Null sets it down. You know the one. It settles itself in next to Ford with its head against his shoulder (or as against his shoulder as it can be with that helm) and peers at the screen. The bed creaks under the weight of two fairly-large Pokémon and one old man).]

Yes, yes, hello. [He redirects his attention back at the screen.] Given that I meet the badge requirement I applied for a Type: Null. MIPS here is a Ghost type, and thus-far has displayed the remarkable ability to swap between corporeal and intangible states.

[Not always on purpose, but Ford doesn't say that. Let him talk up his Frankenstein doggo. He also doesn't want to invite more people yelling about how Nulls are defective and don't deserve to exist because he will fight every one of them personally bare-knuckled in the pit.]

My goal here is to research a type of Pokémon that is as of yet relatively unknown. What we know already comes down to code that was written in a vacuum; I intend to study MIPS as a Pokémon, a social creature meant to interact with the world around it to learn and grow.

[While he talks, MIPS is slowly sinking down through the duvet. There it goes. Its folded front claws poke out through the side of the bed, just visible at the bottom of the frame.]

Which all leads me to a question: are there quintessential experiences you think a Pokémon should have? Battling is the standard answer, but I'm looking for other ideas. MIPS will be doing much of its exploration of the world around it organically, but finding positive novel stimulus to expose it to occasionally can only help.

[Just the top of MIPS' helmet sticks out above the bedsheets now. Ford gives it an encouraging pat, which only kind of half works what with it being intangible. The feed cuts.]

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_{[--Oh.

Oh, it's actually cute. A little terrifying when he only sees its head sticking out of the pillows like that, but once it comes into view? Let him pet it. Please. Please, let him touch it.]}

W-Well, uh...

_{[Sorry, he's trying not to laugh a little as the poor thing starts to sink. It makes him think of when his Aggron would get himself caught in his Trapinch's sand traps when he was a tiny little Aron.]}

Getting it used to being groomed couldn't hurt, could it? If I didn't start brushing Marcel out while he was a Growlithe, I might've had a lot of trouble when he got bigger and came back covered from head to toe in mud. _{[And if a 500 pound dog doesn't want to do something, he is not doing it.]}

[Alright this..is a Pokemon that Newt isn't familiar with. He's got a fascinated and charmed look on his face when he comes over the network, Queenie the Audino in his lap looking just as curious--and delighted. She twills in greeting to the Null and waves a wave while Newt nods to Ford.]

A Type: Null, you said?

Well I mean other then battle, one thing that a lot of pokemon do is travel.

You've probably seen it yourself right? Trainers going from town to town doing their thing but always keeping one pokemon out for company?

So you gotta take that precious, adorable sweetie and take him on hikes! Take him to the beach! Let him see what it's like to walk through places that aren't his usual territory.

....uh where exactly do you get something like that anyway?

[Armin looks thoughtful. You know he is always here for helping with research.]

Well, the first thing that came to mind is showing him different places and weather conditions. Snowy mountains and sandy beaches and that sort of thing. Though I suppose he might already encounter those during normal travelling.

[And he knows Ford does a good bit of travelling.]

Also I've noticed that some of my pokemon really enjoy meeting other pokemon with the same type as them. I think it might be because they share certain experiences. Mr Newt recently gave me a Wingull and Amadeus immediately took her under his wing. You said he is a ghost type, right? Maybe it would be a good experience for him to meet other ghost types or visit areas where they are more common.

[hello Ford have a VERY EXCITED-LOOKING REDHEAD]

Woah! That's the most amazing dog I've ever seen!

[She may or may not have taken to referring to most Pokémon as dogs.]

Does it...hurt him? When he disappears like that?

[Um. That sure is a lot of words he's saying, but Rakka can definitely get the gist of what's happening here. That dog, that sweet pooch, is one of those experimental creatures, given out to trainers. She'd seen one before, and honestly... she doesn't have the badges yet, but let her hug it.

Please?]

It's, um, great that you're planning to do that, Ford! Uhh, maybe an experience all Pokemon should have would be... [She has to think. She hasn't. been to half the region yet. What can she say?] Maybe you should take them to the Ilex forest? Or the Slowpoke well! My Pokemon are always interested when they go there.

_{[Ever since getting Snitter, Heather's interest in everybody else's weird robot dogs has been piqued. Especially since they all seem to wind up so different.]}

Oh, man, a Ghost-type one?

That's honestly freaky.

_{[For once, she doesn't really mean it in an insulting way. As much as she generally dislikes ghosts, seeing MIPS' doopy head popping up out of the pillows is weirdly cute.]

[And she's got her own Null next to her, halfway piled into her lap for neck scritches.]}

Anyway, I don't think battling is necessarily a required experience... but I feel like every Pokemon should get the chance to run around outside every so often. Day or night, doesn't really matter.

They just gotta feel the grass on their feet, y'know?

... Then again... Snits here is a Grass-type, so... maybe he just likes that extra.

[ guess who didn't actually listen to any of this ]

You just like hearin' yourself talk, don't you?

[Elsa makes sure to see what other people suggested before she starts thinking of her own. It's an interesting question. What sort of things do you take for granted that might be an integral part of a good experience in life?

She starts to think back on all of the things she would've liked to have experienced growing up and as silly as it is, she settles on at least one thing to present to Ford.]

Make sure you celebrate it's birthday!

Make sure it goes to the beach!

[Yes, that's Xion's first suggestion. Yes, she is somewhere in the neighborhood of late teens.

Yes, she also has a Null with her wagging its head back and forth in a slightly drunken way. But still weirdly cute.]

You have to make sure it has lots of fun outside, and--and give it ice cream, too! Give it all the stuff it wouldn't have had if it lived in a lab! [How would she know about living in a lab, either she's a scientist orrrr--] Oh--and it should have friends to eat the ice cream with, too, ice cream tastes better when you eat it with friends!

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