[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

[shiro2hero]

Most of us. [Since Keith would probably look at her like she'd grown a second head. Which isn't really anyone's fault, all things considered.]

[He falls into step behind her, trusting Skarmory to stick around, and behave herself.]

It's quiet. Really quiet. There's been a crisis here and there, but most of the time, it's ... it's like having a second chance at normal. [Which is something he never thought they'd have. Any of them. He shoots her a wry smile.] I've got a couple on my crew who make it their mission to put me to bed and keep me there. So that probably explains why I look all right.

[That and the tan.]

[Skarmory just. Turns again. Absolutely ignoring the owl orb.]

[pidge_out]

[She shrugs one shoulder.] Meh. I'd make him learn.

[It's a joke, really. It'd be too much work to make him learn.

Pidge sits down cross-legged in the grass while she listens, head tilted ever so slightly as the information is carefully absorbed and mentally filed away.] So... No space war to worry about? We could actually sleep in on weekends and just play video games like other earthlings? [She snorts, giving an amused, playful smirk.] Sounds fake.

[Okay Skarmory that is just rude. Rover's gonna flutter back into view again and hoot louder. DON'T IGNORE ME.]

[shiro2hero]

Oh really now?

[He's mostly kidding. He gets the idea it's just a joke.]

No space war. [He sinks down next to her, sitting cross-legged too. Some old habits never die.] You can do anything you want to. Sleep, research... heck, Matt's even working in an observatory. Lance has a job in a coffee shop.

[Despite the more "mundane" job titles, he still sounds as proud of them as ever.] It's amazing, what we can do here.

[Skarmory... keeps turning around.]

[pidge_out]

Yep. [But no, not really.] [Mundane actually sounds amazing to her right now. She can't help but smile a little, imagining what her friends must be like when they aren't scrambling around the castle to get into their giant robot lions.] An observatory sounds like fun. And a barista job totally sounds like Lance. [She then turns a curious look on Shiro.] What about you? [So rude, Skarmory. Rover's just gonna have to fly up and land on your damn head. :|]

[shiro2hero]

I'll warn him. Ahead of time.

[A shake of his head, the slightest laugh. It took a lot of adjusting to, originally. But now... now it's actually... it's like a dream come true, sometimes.]

It is -- he's probably the smartest person they have over there. One day, he's going to discover something no one else has. [There is literally no way to keep the fondness out of his voice. The affection.] Me? I train my crew. Make sure the house stays standing.

[He's a fucking stay at home dad.]

[No, you're rude, Rover! Skarmory rears her head back. And snaps at him instead.]

[pidge_out]

[That makes Pidge snicker a little. Pre-Voltron Keith will be fun to talk to.]

[And don't think Pidge doesn't hear that tone in Shiro's voice when talking about her brother. She's not sure if he's always sounded like that when it came to Matt, but... She can't quite tell what it means. For now, she'll just direct her energies into teasing him.]

Holy crow. You're like an old-fashioned stay at home dad or something. [Which is equal parts amazing and hilarious.]

[ROVER IS ON A MISSION HERE. He moves out of the way of that snappy beak with an indignant hoot, backs up a bit, and... Leafage.]

[shiro2hero]

[Fun is one word for it, Pidge.]

[He doesn't even realize he's done it. Like how he slipped up with Lance, earlier. Saying "we" in place of "I". Thankfully, both of them are distracted by her whole line of teasing there.]

What--? No. I'm not. Someone has to do it! [Ouch, Pidge, calling it like it is.]

[Rover... Rover. Skarmory is literally a max level pokemon. Your Leafage just bounces off her. Her Peck on the other hand...]

[pidge_out]

[It's a good word for it.]

[Shiro is lucky. Pidge is just the tiniest bit preoccupied with teasing him and gleeing over the way he reacts.] There's nothing wrong with that, Shiro. You've definitely always been good at watching over the team, soooo... [SHRUG.]

[Well shit. Leafage did jack, and now Rover's gotten the smackdown laid on him with a single peck. It sends him flying back toward where Pidge and Shiro are, bouncing once and then rolling toward the grass... And then he somehow manages to get back on his feet, feathers ruffled and hooting angrily in Skarmory's direction. DICK MOVE. CHEATING. RUDE RUDE RUDE.]

[shiro2hero]

I'm not anyone's dad... there's no way. [Except Jean literally called him "dad". He makes a face -- Pidge is totally winning this one.] Anyone's actual father.

That's just not... possible.

[Not even remotely. For so, so many reasons.]

[Skarmory regards him silently. And then? Resumes pecking the grass. There's some tasty bit of grass seed right here and she is into it. Forget you, tiny orb.]

[pidge_out]

[She just can't help herself. Shiro is almost never one of her trolling targets, but he's just made it so easy for her right now. Even better, she can tell that she's winning.]

You know that two years is plenty of time to create a baby, right? Technically it's not at all impossible.

[Technically. Reasonably is a whole other thing.]

[Meanwhile, Rover is having a difficult time admitting defeat. Skarmory kicked his ass with one move and he definitely doesn't have the energy to fly back over and start shit up again. So he's just going to... fluff up at her indignantly from over here.]

[shiro2hero]

[He just. Sighs. There are so... so many reasons why that is impossible. And none of them are ones he'd like to discuss right now.]

Okay, moving on. You're going to want to put your friend in his ball for the flight over.

[He'll just nod to where Rover and Skarmory are. Or, rather, where Rover is fluffy indignation, and Skarmory is doing a weird... bark sound of displeasure. Looking toward her trainer for assistance.]

[Please put this brat away before she eats him.]

[pidge_out]

[She follows that line of his nod with her eyes, blinking.] You mean Rover? [And then she looks back over at Shiro with a slightly sheepish grin.] Okay, here's the thing. I'm still not entirely sure how to do that part. [Rover puffs up some more. Come at me bros.]

[shiro2hero]

Ye-- you named it Rover?

[He sounds amused, though. Shaking his head at them both.]

It's okay. Grab a ball and I'll show you?

[To which Skarmory trills something. Haha, serves you right, orb boy.]

[pidge_out]

[Pidge's cheeks color slightly in embarrassment.] Well- Yeah. He kind of reminds me of him.

[But then she does as Shiro says, pulling out one of the balls and holding it up in the space between them.

Rover finds a way to scowl in Skarmory's direction. She is one rude old lady, and clearly that's the best way to deal with rude old ladies.]

Okay, now what?

[shiro2hero]

Hey, my usual crew is Red, Blue, Green, Yellow and Kuro. So...

[Plus Haunter. But she'll meet Haunter soon enough.]

[He holds his hand up when she does, miming holding a ball of his own.] All right. Just point it at him.

And tell him to come back. It'll do the rest.

[pidge_out]

[Okay, Pidge has to grin at that. And let out a small, self-deprecating sort of chuckle.] Wow. We're really creative.

[Anyway. To business. She focuses on Shiro's instructions, holding the ball up the way his hand seems to be miming her to. Turns to point it at Rover. Opens her mouth to speak. And--]

Wait- Really? That's all I have to do?

[shiro2hero]

Yeah, yeah, it's hilarious. The rest are better, I swear.

[No they're not. They're named after planet nonsense. And Haunter is Haunter.]

[He blinks at her, surprised.]

Yeah, it is. Did... no one tell you that?

[pidge_out]

[Yeah, she doesn't believe that for a second.

Also she's too busy turning to look at Shiro in just... total disbelief. Look at her, man. She's still covered in dirt and grass stains and there may in fact still be some twigs and leaves stuck in her hair. Does this look like someone who knew her rolling Rowlet problem could've been solved by a few very simple instructions?]

[shiro2hero]

... ah.

Got it.

[He just. Gingerly reaches out to pluck some bit of branch out of her hair. He's trying, okay, Pidge? He's trying his best here.]

If it's any consolation, my starter liked to try and chew on my arm for weeks after I got him.

[pidge_out]

Yeah.

[She doesn't mean to sound mad at him. Because really, she's not mad at Shiro. She's mad at the fact that she hasn't figured out how everything in this place works yet.

And she's also mad at Rover. But that might just be the way things are from now on.]

Is that what he is? A starter? [Her tone as she says that is much flatter than before, if only because she's trying to calm herself down. It helps that following Shiro's instructions and saying "Come back" does in fact put Rover away quite neatly.]

[shiro2hero]

[It's okay, Pidge, he's got it. It's always annoying to get news like this. Especially after literally everything she just went through with her round little owl buddy.]

[Hopefully they'll settle down. Both of them. Or, really, just the owl.]

Yeah. Everyone gets one when they show up here. Your first partner. He's supposed to help you battle and catch more of them.

That's how I ended up with so many.

[pidge_out]

[She examines Rover's little ball from all sides before actually moving to put it away. Curious.]

So... is there a specific reason we should get more of them? Or-- Or what?

[shiro2hero]

Because most of them like to fight.

[Kind of like you, he adds, internally. She probably knows that, too. He inclines his head toward Skarmory, instead.]

And all of them have a certain type. Some are stronger against others. Some are weaker. So you have to get a team together to compensate.

[pidge_out]

[Pidge blinks at that. Oh, that makes sense. Or at least, now Rover's behavior makes sense.]

What do you mean by "types"? What type is your- your bird?

[shiro2hero]

Like the elements. And some other... random things.

[He nods toward Skarmory.] She's Flying and Steel. My starter was just pure steel.