[video]

[pidge_out]

[Unfortunately for the current residents of Johto, they might be unfortunate enough to find what might be one of the worst video feeds ever on the network. It seems to cut in and out at first, and even after it manages to stay on for longer than ten seconds, the video is really just... the world spinning endlessly. Ground, leaves, sky, ground, leaves, sky -- Occasionally a tree is visible for half a second and the direction of movement seems to change, but other than that, it's an endless loop of ground-leaves-sky.

It might eventually be obvious that the camera appears to be attached to something that is rolling quickly down a hill. It probably helps that the entire feed is accompanied by the sound of what's clearly a Pokémon "hooting" over and over - rather excitedly, at that - and a voice somewhere in the distance. Pay close enough attention and the words being yelled out are things along the lines of--]

Wait!! Come back!! Just-- Spread your wings and stop rolling already!!

[Does that sound like a new trainer in need of help? That's probably because that's more less exactly what it is.]

Comments

[pidge_out]

Maybe. [Pidge watches him for a moment longer as he gets settled, using Pidge's lap like a makeshift nest. Which of course only earns him an odd look from his trainer.]

...He seems to like me enough. Clearly he just doesn't want to listen to me.

[icecastlemadonna]

That's somewhere I've been before... [Yuuko's own daughters back home tend not to listen to her about certain things.]

I think in the case of Pokemon, you just have to get to know each other as well as you can. I've heard battling with your Pokemon can help bring them closer to you. [Yuuko's a breeder, but she has been in a few battles already, at least.]

[pidge_out]

[That gets the lady on the other end of the call such a weird look from Pidge. Battle with them? Seriously?]

How would fighting him make us friendlier toward each other?

[Though to be fair, Rowlet's feathers poof out a little more and he makes a pleased noise. Battling is fun.]

[icecastlemadonna]

Ah...no, no, I meant the two of you would fight as a team. Against wild Pokemon or other trainers. Most Pokemon I've seen don't seem to mind battling, from what I've seen. [Otherwise she'd feel bad about making cute animals fight each other...]

[pidge_out]

[What kind of alien planet is this...]

Oh...kaaay. So we battle other creatures together in order to... become friends?

[icecastlemadonna]

I guess so...? Though that's just one way to go about it. [Really, there are some things about this world that she's still trying to wrap her head around.]

It seems like there's a lot you can do with Pokemon here, not just battling. Honestly, this whole place seems to revolve around them a lot of the time...

[pidge_out]

Other things?

[You have Pidge's full attention now, head tilted thoughtfully, eyebrows arched, leaning toward the PokéGear's screen.]

What kind of other things?

[icecastlemadonna]

Well, you can battle the gym leaders at all the different gyms and earn badges...or you can breed Pokemon and sell the eggs to other people...or you can just keep them and raise them how you like if you want to pursue something that isn't Pokemon-related.

[Yuuko gives a slightly embarrassed laugh.] I'm fairly new here myself, so I'm still exploring different options at the moment, but right now I'm looking into breeding.

[pidge_out]

[Pidge's eyes go just the tiniest bit wider. Because suddenly the whole thing has started to sink in. Perhaps in a different way than it should, considering this lady has mentioned battling more than once, but...]

So... Essentially, they're like pets. [Rowlet tilts his head upward toward his trainer, and Pidge's eyes meet his for a second.] But more capable of understanding human language?

[icecastlemadonna]

Pretty much. They're definitely smarter than regular animals, and they've got all these different kinds of abilities, too. Right, Flip?

[Flip barks in response, and then apparently decides to demonstrate her own moves by using Water Sport and spraying water up into the air...which then promptly rains down on both of them. Flip seems to enjoy it, but Yuuko not so much.] Flip...!

[pidge_out]

[Pidge can really only blink in surprise at the display. Did that seal just spit up water from out of nowhere? How does that work?

Rowlet flaps his wings and hoots excitedly, and then it goes and uses Leafage, kicking up a bunch of leaves and sending them flying out toward the nearest tree.]

Wh-Whoa!! What the-??

[icecastlemadonna]

Like I said, they have different abilities... [Yuuko's still wringing water out of her hair.] And that depends on a Pokemon's typing. There's a whole bunch of different types; Flip is a Water type, and I think yours is a Grass type by the looks of it.

[pidge_out]

[Another blink, and Pidge then moves to pick the little owl up and hold him out at arm's length. Just to give him a solid once over.]

Grass type.

[Because of course he is. How does the universe always seem to know exactly when to remind Pidge of what it means to be the Green Paladin, Guardian of the Forest.]

So if there's water and grass, there must also be fire, earth, and... [What does "sky" translate to...] ..Flying?

[icecastlemadonna]

Yep! Though I think the earth type is called "Ground" here. There are a lot of other types besides that, like Ghost and Fairy...I also have an Ice type.

There's a lot to know about Pokemon, but it's not too hard to remember once you've learned it. [Just like with anything, really. And this kid seems pretty smart.]

[pidge_out]

["Ghost and Fairy"? That gets Pidge to blink back at the camera, stunned. It's easy to get behind other aspects of nature - ice makes sense, maybe there's also light and dark or something - but ghost and fairy feels like a whole other concept.]

...I... guess I'll have a lot to learn before I get used to it.

[icecastlemadonna]

There's a lot to take in, I know. There are some things I'm still trying to process, myself. Ghost and Fairy types do seem pretty out there, don't they? [There's also the question of, you know, how people manage to get here in the first place, though she does remember Armin theorizing about how it could be the work of legendary Pokemon.]

But I'm sure you'll catch on before too long. It never hurts to ask people on the network if there's anything you're wondering about.

[pidge_out]

[Pidge nods slowly, thoughtfully, lowering the Pokémon again.] They do. So do a lot of other things about this place.

[But really that's neither here nor there at the moment...]

Thanks for your help, by the way. [And, after the smallest beat of hesitation-] I'm Pidge.

[icecastlemadonna]

I'm Yuuko Nishigori. Nice to meet you. Though I guess I'd probably be more help if I were there in person and not just a face on the screen...

[pidge_out]

[That gets a small, awkward smile.] That's okay. It's still nice to meet you.