victory_road | [video]

[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.]

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Scavenger hunt... [She echoes the words back, her eyes taking on a thoughtful kind of glaze.] I do remember hearing something about that.

[Pidge looks back towards where she left her bag and would absolutely be rolling toward it to start digging around, but Rover makes a sleepy, indignant hoot. So she just frowns and settles back down.]

That's pretty cool. uh- How's it going so far?

Pretty good, I think. I caught a Ditto.

... though that actually doesn't have anything to do with the Scavenger Hunt.

[Help. Everybody knows nerds have a 2x weakness to conversation.]

[Seriously, someone send help.]

What's a... ditto?

[Wait, this is better. Now he can recite facts and knowledge.]

Ditto is a type of pokemon. A very unusual pokemon actually. Could you aim your gear at your Rowlet for a moment?

Edited 2018-07-23 20:51 (UTC)

[Pidge just blinks at that, head tilting slightly.]

What? Yeah, but- why?

A lot of people find it hard to believe what Ditto is capable of until they've seen it for themselves.

[Armin had been among that number! It's just... a tall thing to believe, the idea that there is a creature that can turn into whatever it wants.]

[She raises an eyebrow slightly, still unsure, but then Pidge is shifting around to make this work. The 'gear gets propped up on something nearby, Pidge pulls Rover off of her head, and sets him down someplace where the camera can fully see him.

Rover seems to be making an annoyed face at the camera, but is otherwise staying put for the moment. It helps that Pidge has laid a hand on top of his head.]

Okay, now what?

[Armin disappears off screen for a moment, but when he returns, he has his arms full of... gelatinous, amorphous pink blob. With a face. It is like their food goo come to life, just in pink.]

All right, Ditto. [He's only just caught this pokemon and hasn't yet had time to name it. Because naming is a Process with Armin.] Transform.

[The Ditto makes a content globby sound, that might be some sort of 'aye aye'. It studies Rowlet for a moment before it starts to bulge and shift and glow until there is another Rowlet sitting on Armin's knees. The resemblance is, uh, uncanny. Sort of.]

[Facial imperfection or no, Pidge is actually... pretty damn impressed. Because really what the fuck are these creatures and this place.]

Whoa!! How'd it do that??

[On the other hand... Rover is not pleased by this attempt to copy his essence. He nearly starts pecking at the screen before Pidge pulls him aside.]

Ditto is capable of copying an opponent's molecular structure and then changing its own to match. It can even transform into different objects as well.

[Rover might not be pleased, but Ditto sure is. It leans in, a hopeful smile on its goofy face. Friend? Yes, please, friend?]

It even copies an opponent's stats and battle moves.

What? [Pidge shakes her head a little, trying to think this through.] Altering the molecular structure to change shape is one thing, but to be able to do more than just mimic and take on the same physical qualities as well...

[This place is so crazy.

[And Rover is puffing his feathers up more as he looks through the screen at the Ditto. Fight me.]

Isn't it incredible? Some of the things pokemon are capable of are just hard to believe. There are even myths about Pokemon that control time and space itself.

[Fight? Ditto lets out a distressed soft 'hoo'. No fight. It is a lover, not a fighter.]

[That gets Pidge to look completely stunned.] What?? But-- if that's true, the implications of something like that existing is just- just--

[The words Pidge is looking for is "mind-blowing." But somehow she can't manage to say it out loud.]

[Unfortunately for Ditto, Rover is needlessly aggressive. Every other Pokémon in existence is there to fight him.]

It might not be true, of course. It is incredibly hard verifying anything regarding legendary Pokemon due to how elusive they are. But some parts of the myths have been proven to be true. So at the very least, we need to keep an open mind and--

[Ditto lets out another distressed hoot, before it starts glowing and bulging against and transforms into... a rock. No sir, he is not fighting, not at all. Please leave it be, it is just a simple rock, trying to live its life.

Armin, feeling the pokemon on his lap go from soft round owl to rock, stops talking and glances down.]

Ditto?

Honestly, I'm hoping it's more an exaggeration than an actual truth. [Pidge glances to one side with a small, thoughtful frown.] This place is a lot to take in--

[She stops herself when Armin trails off, finally looking back at the 'gear and noticing the way Rover's getting all puffed up and super HOOTy at the Ditto. It has her rolling her eyes and quickly pushing Rover somewhere off camera.]

Rover, cut it out.

[Armin's hand drops down to Ditto, awkwardly giving the rock a few pats.]

It's all right. Nobody got hurt. [They are a region apart, after all.] Looks like your Rowlet is going to be a pretty eager battler.

[Pidge keeps shooing him away even once he's off-screen. Only once he's gotten far enough does she turn back to the 'gear with a little sigh.]

He's a handful. We just got here and he's already tried to pick a bunch of fights with Shiro's bigger Pokémon.

My Dhelmise is like that. He's been wanting to pick fights with everything he sees since the moment he hatched.

[video]

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