[video - 001]

[onetwoboom]

[The video flickers to life, and there's a young redhead leaning up against a bright red shell, throwing up a peace sign with a metal hand and the practiced familiarity of someone used to taking selfies.]

Hey guys, what's up. It's Gaige coming to you live from - [She looks around.] - Route...twenty nine? We're still on that? Ugh, I feel like we've been walking for hours! My arm's jamming up from the cold! What kind of place doesn't have fast travel?

[She looks up to Turtonator, face cut off from the screen, who gives a non-committal grunt in response.]

Right, a place that's not a post-capitalist wasteland and full of people trying to kill you everywhere.

[She sighs, and shifts herself to a more comfortable position.]

Sooo...quick update. I don't think we're in Pandora anymore, haha. I just woke up in somebody else's house with someone that is NOT my mom pushing me out of the door -I don't even know what's up with that - and then, then I'm just, thrown out to the cold and I can't even summon my bestest robot buddy! And I know that's not a problem with the digistruct console, I don't make...[A scoff, and she scrunches up her face.]...mistakes.

But! Good news! I've got this big guy with me! [The camera turns to Turtonator briefly, who waves back.] Check this out - his real, scientific name, is TURTONATOR! FREAKIN' TURTONATOR! AND HE BREATHES FIRE! Isn't that just the COOLEST. FREAKING. THING?

[She beams, Turtonator makes a coy grunt.]

Any of you guys out there got any cool dudes like him? Well not like him. You're not gonna get on that level so don't even try. But you get what I mean.

...Oh, and we're officially in the business of kicking monster butt now. So if you wanna line up and get it out of the way, come at me bros.

Comments

[video]

[pkemeter]

[Post-capitalistic wasteland? Robotic arm? A place that he's never heard the name of? These all immediately pique Spengler's interest as he leans forward, staring at the camera. His expression never nudges beyond being absolutely deadpan.]

Yes, the entity called "mom" apparently does this to every newcomer to this dimension. I have yet to investigate her further, but my current standing theory is that she is possessed by some sort of spirit, or perhaps a 'glitch' in the dimensional fabric that helps bring new people into this world.

[A pause.] Speaking of this world, the people I have asked have yet to give me a name for this dimension beyond "this world".

[Faraday floats into the frame and makes an "ooo" sound, like what you would hear from a ghost. Egon turns to gesture to her with a pencil.]

The spirit you see before you is called a Phantump. When I arrived here, the Class 3 free-floating vapor was in the containment unit I had on me. Apparently, she is possessed by the spirit of a dead child who wandered into the woods. I have subsequently named her Faraday, and I hope to eventually communicate with her regarding her time spent as a living child.

[onetwoboom]

[Oh hey, look! It's a nerd! Gaige grins to make up for Egon's inability to.]

The entity called "mom". [God. What a title. She loves all of this.] You think she might be one of those horrorterrors that are all void and tentacle-

[She is suddenly interrupted by her train of thought by the presence of the little ghostie.]

Oh my gosh! A ghost?! That's so cool! ...You know, minus the...dead...infant...part.

[She inhales through her teeth, and says a small "yikes" under her breath.]

Kind makes you wonder though, right? Like...if we die, do we become Class 3's like Faraday? Only destined for an afterlife of battling and domestication? ...Feels kind of unethical when you put it like that. Huh.

[Maybe she should stop thinking about it.]

[pkemeter]

Possibly. It could be that our fallible human minds cannot comprehend her true form, and thus she takes on the form of something that seems familiar to us.

[He barely reacts when he hears Gaige say "yikes".]

We would hardly all become Class 3 free-floating vapors. Some of us may even become Class 5 torso apparitions or, if we were very lucky, Class 8 poltergeists. Though that would be more trouble for the living.

[He doesn't seem to have...fully understood what Gaige was driving at.]

Ah, I should mention I am a doctor of parapsychology. I study ghosts for a living.

vid

[neverstudied]

[The video on the other side is pitch black at first, and a man curses quietly to himself as he fiddles with the settings. After a moment, the Pokegear camera switches to night-vision mode, and Gaige can see this asshole in all his not-glory. He waves casually at the camera, and the Fletchling on his shoulder pecks at his hand as he does so. Venkman gives it a Look before turning his attention to the screen again.]

Hey, you've got fire before you started trying to trudge through the snow! You're already doing better than my partners were.

So far I've got a two-headed ostrich, little demon fire bird[He points at the Fletchling with one thumb. She "spits" a tiny ember that barely misses his hand.], a cat with fire hairballs, and a giant isopod. So I guess you're beating me on the cool factor already with... whatever that thing is.

[onetwoboom]

[Being who she is, Gaige can't help but snicker at Fletchling's attempts at antagonizing Venkman.]

Hey, a demon fire bird sounds pretty bad-ass. Don't diss the little guys.

[She's known this bird for about a minute and she's gonna stan it.]

...What's up with your feed, by the way? You trying to go all "ecto escapades" in some spooky mansion?

[A joke, but she has also spoken to Egon.]

[neverstudied]

"Demon" in attitude more than anything. She's just a regular bird, mostly. Aside from the fire.

[A swift peck to the ear. Venkman barely even flinches. Gaige might get the sense that he's very used to this bird attacking him by now.]

I'm in "Diglett Tunnel", actually.

[He picks up the Pokegear and turns it around, so Gaige can get a look at the cave system. The path is pretty claustrophobic, with the ceiling only a couple feet above Venkman's head. In the distance, Gaige may be able to make out a few Diglett, steadily trudging along their path or popping out of the walls.]

It's a shortcut to a city- one that means I don't have to go through a mountain, a forest, and two cities to get to Saffron City- just have to keep trudging through here for a few more days, and get through Vermilion.

By the way, I hope you like walking. Unless you can ride that turtle, you're gonna be doing a lot of it. I've got my ostrich, but they're taking a break for now.

[IE: they threw Venkman off for the third time today and he's tired of hitting his head on rocks.]

[ghoststanning]

[Talking about cool dudes, huh, well Ray's on it!]

I got Jackie!

[He lifts a giant pumpkin cat up so that she's visible on the Pokegear! She cheers happily.]

[onetwoboom]

[Gasp! It's a pumpkin kitty!]

Look at the size of that little guy! Gal? ...Buddy. [The eternally gender neutral buddy.] Hiya Jackie!

[She gives her a wave, heart thoroughly warmed, and then her metal fingers curl inward as she stops, hand hanging awkwardly.]

...Sorry you kind of almost share a name with a guy who sucks. Sucked. Past tense. You're better than that.

[This sweet vegetable ghost does NOT deserve that association. But enough on that topic!]

Where'd you find 'em? On someone's doorstep with a candle?

[ghoststanning]

[Ray frowns and lowers his baby slightly.]

Aww, what do you mean? I just named her after Jack-o-Lanterns and the legend of Jack!

[:C He doesn't want people to think that he named her after someone shitty!]

Nah, she was given to me when I woke up in this dimension! They apparently come in a lot of sizes but I was lucky and got a big one!

video

[thumbsdown]

Yeah, the whole not being a wasteland thing is kinda hard to deal with at first. That and the fact that no one wants to kill you.

[A Drapion peers into the camera as Boone talks, then roars in greeting.]

I've got a pretty cool dragon pokemon, though. It's a Garchomp. I've got a Tyrantrum, too.

[He sends over pictures of both pokemon, before getting nudged by the Drapion.]

You're cool too, Pointy. Jeez.

[onetwoboom]

Someone gets it! [She sighs a little wistfully.] I'm gonna miss all that murderous intent.

[A shake of her head, and she gets looking to the pictures.]

Yeah, you could say they're pretty cool. Pointy, too. [A little wave to the Drapion.] But, you know, they're no Turtonator. Nothing personal.

[Their backs don't explode! They've got a lot to make up for!

She's still looking at the pictures though, examining them a little more intensely.]

I like the blue guy. He looks like he goes fast.

[A pause, and a little more seriously, as if considering something.]

...How fast does he go?

[thumbsdown]

Heh, yeah. Seems kinda weird not having to judge whether or not someone's gonna pull a gun on you when you first meet them.

[Boone checks his pokegear.]

Let's see... It can fly at speeds rivalling jet planes. It dives into flocks of bird Pokémon and gulps the entire flock down whole. So uh, pretty damn fast. Never seen a jet plane myself, but it sounds fast.

video; once more, with feeling!

[fuelthefire]

[Holy skagsacks, it's Gaige! He would recognize that face and that voice instantly, anywhere, anyhow, anytime!

There is so much to address, as always when she opens her mouth and starts chattering - the super badass-looking turtle, her apparent bout of amnesia, the spikey, super badass-looking turtle, her location (all the way back at Route 29? Again? Seriously??, the spikey, fire-breathing, super badass-looking turtle -

His face, when he finally taps the reply function, is riiiiiight up close and personal with the 'Gear in his hand.]

If you don't have that line cleared out by the time I get there I'm cutting to the front!!

[Beatdowns optional; hugs mandatory.]

[onetwoboom]

[Even with that super close camera angle, there's no mistaking that voice. Or that quarter section of a face, for that matter.

And in that moment, Gaige is flooded with so many emotions. Excitement, surprise, confusion, relief, comfort, EXCITEMENT.]

Krieg!! Oh my GOD!! [The pokegear is almost crushed in her robot grip as she brings it closer.] You KNOW you've got a VIP pass right to the front of any of Gaige's wild rides!

[Which is mostly acts of chaos and ass kicking. This is why they're buds.]

What are you even - how - [Too many questions. Breathe. There's only one that matters right now.] Where are you?!

[fuelthefire]

[They are the best at chaos and ass kicking! Murder Buddies for life!]

I'm at Sugar's place! But not for lo~ong!

[He sing-songs the last syllable with a happy little giggle thrown in for good measure.

Does she remember who Sugar is? Does she remember where he lives? It doesn't matter, because Krieg is already ready to go. He's not even a little put out that he's going to have to put on a sweater when he gets to Olivine because winter is stupid and cold and he can't even breathe his own fire to keep himself warm anymore. Gaige is back and she is all that matters!!!]

D'you need anything?

Audio

[thedifferencebetween]

Oh for the love of....not you again.

Whatever, my dragons are bigger.

[onetwoboom]

[On the feed, there's a brief flash of confused panic, which she then scoffs off, throwing a challenging look to the camera.]

Sounds like someone's overcompensating. [Oh, burn.] You want to turn your video on for a sec? Need to know if you're the biggest jackass the galaxy's ever seen or if you've just got a really unfortunate voice.

Audio

[thedifferencebetween]

Nah, I prefer being a voice over the waves. Like old times!

Now piss off. I didn't actually wanna talk to you, just...make myself known.

Video!

[brokencode]

[Being that Angel is rarely far from Krieg's side, and that Krieg is abruptly in an excited frenzy and putting on a sweater, of all things, it's easy to tell that something's up. A little bit of scrolling through her feed tells her exactly what's got the psycho almost-literally fired up.

Angel flicks on her own video feed, offering a warm smile. It doesn't immediately occur to her to think anything is different about Gaige. She's heard of people not retaining their memories of the Pokemon world upon their return, but she's never personally experienced it.]

The monsters would do well to be very afraid, I think. [A smile.] Welcome back. We've missed you.

[onetwoboom]

[What crosses Gaige's face is nothing short of surprise, then joy, then confusion, then joy right up again.]

Angel! I've missed you too, oh my god-

[She's here, and...she's here.

Gaige has interacted with enough people already to get an idea that they're dragged in from all sorts of worlds, so different timelines shouldn't be too out of the question. This is an issue that had to be approached with tact.]

Are you from, like, a diverging timeline where nothing shitty ever happened to you ever, or did you get put into some kind of sick new robot body sometime in the future I don't know about?

[Nailed it.]

Wait- hold up, what do you mean 'welcome back'?

[brokencode]

[Talking about her past is often difficult, even with those that had played a role in her rescue. Somehow, Gaige manages to bypass that. Angel's pretty sure it's the boundless energy and ridiculous questions.]

Nothing so... creative. Some entity here was able to purge the bulk of the Eridium poisoning. It isn't so hard to believe, considering they managed to pull us all away from Pandora.

[She pauses, chewing on her lip as she does. She's almost certain she's talked to Gaige about this before. She's absolutely certain the mechromancer had already asked about this before.]

You... don't remember being here, do you?

[badluckbabe]

Heh, a fire Turd-en-ator huh? I guess if you like that sort of thing.

But he can't hold a candle to my Incineroar!

[There's a woosh of flames behind her and a pair of massive cat monsters fill up the screen, one black and one white positively glowing with heat as they pose like the badasses they know they are.]

[onetwoboom]

[Oh no she didn't. Gaige was not gonna let some goth trash-talk HER turtle.]

Is muscle all they've got? YAWN. I mean - good effort, or whatever, but call me again when you've got something, you know, explosively bad-ass.

[They actually are kind of cool, but, war has been waged. She has to stand her ground.]

[video]

[toxicodendron_isley]

[Ivy has a brow raised in interest as Jumpluff and Whimsicott rest on her shoulders and peer into the camera.]

Oh, you're back. Do you remember being here?

[onetwoboom]

[Oh hey. Pretty redhead with sentient plants. Cool.]

Uhh, no. Am I supposed to? Not like, I know about the- the whole being here before thing. [A dismissive hand wave.] That ice has been broken. I mean the part about forgetting I was ever here. Is that a thing, or am I just one lucky amnesiac? Or an alternate dimension Gaige or something, I guess.

...Gotta say, that one sounds coolest.