victory_road | ⊕ 001 & action option

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⊕ 001 & action option

[ he's not into showing his face off. once he verifies there's a public network and an audio option, he begins to opt for that. but then he looks at all the videos of people and their pokemon, and decides o a different option.

the video opens on the sandy beaches of cherrygrove. his rockruff, bandit, is in the surf, chasing what looks like a stick. he brings it back to jack, who pets his head and then throws it again. his location will also ping as cherrygrove. ]

The name's Jack.

[ his voice is distinctly older, and very rough. it sounds like he may have damaged his throat at some point in his life. his hand, when he throws the stick or pets bandit, is gloved. ]

I've been looking around this place and it looks like the consensus is that people can't go home on their own. I'm not here to ask how to get home, since it seems like that's been covered pretty well.

I wanna talk to those of you that have gone home, or know people that did. And... for those that don't, how you're dealing with not being able to.

[ he ends the video on that note, throwing the stick again for bandit. ]

( cherrygrove )

[ for those actually in his vicinity, they can likely hear jack make the post. other than that, he's spending some time on the beach, playing with bandit and getting his energy out. he's just as open to a battle if you two have similarly leveled pokemon.

or maybe bandit, with all his energy, comes running up to your pokemon and headbutts them. at which point jack follows. ]

Bandit. Come back here.

[ the wagging of his tail doesn't amuse jack. ]

Sorry about him.

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So... you studied magic and ghosts back in your Earth?

[ jack sounds a little dubious, but not dismissive. at the same time, he's witness genji literally summon a dragon out of his blade, so magic isn't terribly much of a stretch. ]

I suppose that'd make sense over here. Nothing about Pokemon strike me as anything normal.

[ he looks over at bandit, who is sitting next to them, and cocks one ear. ]

I mean, I like dogs. But he's damn smarter than any dog I've ever met on day one.

That's because he isn't a dog. He's a little walking energy generator who happens to look like a dog, but I imagine if you were compare his DNA to an Earth beagle you'd find almost no commonalities-- ah, thank you.

[DRINK'S HERE! Hell yeah hell yeah hell yeah martini. The Ambipom sets Jack's drink down in front of him as well, chitters, and then scampers away to check on a couple at the other end of the bar.]

Cheers?

[ jack raises his glass to ford's, giving it a clink. ]

Cheers. To our walking energy generators.

[ jack's lips quirk up in a smile, before he pulls his drink in and pretty much downs half of it in one go. that sure is one.. way... to drink whiskey.

jack doesn't have a problem. ]

[Ford hasn't seen someone down whiskey like that since Fiddleford. For a whole couple of seconds he allows himself to feel wistful, before he shakes that off and chases it away with a maybe too-long sip from his own drink. He's made a home here and he's made more friends than he ever thought he was possibly capable of having, but part of him is always going to miss his best friend.

But it's fine! He's fine. Really. He's gotten very good at focusing on what's in front of him instead of what's behind.

Luckily he's saved the awkwardness of explaining the Thoughtful expression his face just did for the past couple of seconds when the television behind the bar starts in on a recap of the growing Aurora League and its current roster of Champions-turned-Gym-Leaders. It's been months and it's still weird to see his face up there with Cecil and Sion and Ryner. What a weird crew they are: three beautiful anime men, two punky young adults, and grandpa. It segues into speculation about what type of gyms the latter three might open, since there's been no official word on any of them, only rumors.]

Ah, see? I think it speaks a lot to how welcoming this world is to non-native that they allow us into one of their most venerated social positions.

[ he has some decorum, so he's not drinking it all in the one go at least. they're quiet but it doesn't feel uncomfortable. jack himself is considering what he's left behind. he's never been one for vacations, even when he and vincent were together. there's plenty to do, it seems, but he's not sure how much it will occupy him.

although, he always loved training dogs. and if the pokemon are smarter, more like kids, that could help.

he looks up when the television starts yelling about champions and aurora leagues. he sees a few people he doesn't recognize - then, of course, one that he does. there's a recap on the battles before it segues. ]

So that means you beat everyone who's the best at this battling thing? Pretty nice.

[ he takes another sip, clearing about half of what's left. ]

... Why are they asking about a fox?

[Ford definitely thinks of them more like kids-- or at least, the less intelligent and smaller ones. The smarter ones he just treats like he'd treat any other adult of a species not his own, which thankfully is something he has a lot of practice with. Maybe that's given him a unique perspective on this world, and why he really never had a phase of thinking of Pokémon as 'just animals'.

Jack asks about the fox and his smile turns rueful. Oh good. Now he gets to explain that awkward thing.]

Oh, it's silly, really. While collecting the badges I attempted to beat Misty with just a Ninetales. Ah-- the equivalent of trying to fight against a fire-hose with a single lit match.

[There's a little footage of that up on screen, actually, since it's still such a cult classic of recent battles.]

It was televised and people thought it was funny, so it became something of a running joke. A, ah, 'meme'.

[As Chloe would have put it. Gosh, he misses Chloe.]

[ jack finishes off his whiskey as ford is explaining the story. it doesn't make much sense to him, until he mentions the fire hose and the match, and jack's grin turns rueful as well.

it gets a lot wider when ford mentions memes, though. ]

So, you just had to do it to 'em.

[ since he... hasn't quite cottoned onto ford being from a time period that much older than him, he doesn't get that the joke is going to fall flat. ]

But things like that, people will run with it until it's a dead horse, really.

[ he waves the bartender over - now the trainer who owns this place, he supposes - and orders a second whiskey. he glances at ford just in case, but he doesn't expect the man to be finished with the martini yet. ]

Edited (HE HERE TO GET DRUNK) 2019-02-02 03:10 (UTC)

Oh, I didn't have to. I just like a challenge.

[Even if it's a dumb challenge that makes it almost impossible for him to win. That's just how he do. He also didn't even catch that that was a joke at all. It didn't fall flat so much as it just kind of smoothly sailed over his head.]

I didn't realize it would resonate with the public quite so much. There's going to be a riot when the fox isn't on my gym team.

[He's got that much worked out, at least. The easiest part was selecting a team.

He also isn't quite done with his martini, though he's been idly sipping it between sentences. Today isn't really a 'down a drink in two swallows' sort of day for him. He's definitely had those, but he's actually been in a good mood the past couple of weeks.]

[ while he waits for the second drink, he listens to ford. ah, too bad he apparently missed that meme. the amount of people who remember jack's era of them is just getting smaller and smaller. ]

So you're into the self imposed challenges?

[ it's an honest, not-mocking question. jack chuckles a little when he mentions riots. ]

Well, you could always have him set up at a petting booth or something like that.

[ the next drink is set in front of him. he's not as quick to down this one, instead taking a normal sip. ]

Now that's an idea! I think he'd enjoy the attention.

[Mr. Fox is... conceited is probably the right word. He's pretty sure all the memes at his expense are just plain old praise and Ford doesn't have the heart to tell him otherwise.

Now he's done with the martini. He downs the olive (he saved it for last, because you're supposed to and it's also a tasty treat reward) and then waves over the human bartender. Said human bartender has clearly recognized him and doesn't quite know how to go about addressing it, which is fine and also a little gratifying. He did want to be well-known once, didn't he? Anyway. Time to order a Paloma. Hell yeah hell yeah fizzy fruit drink.]

But yes. A healthy challenge is always good. After a while battles became uninteresting without introducing new elements to make them more difficult, I've found. Winning by sheer brute strength is less rewarding in an arena that is explicitly geared toward battles of skill and strategy.

[Non-obnoxious version: I wanted to prove beyond a shadow of a doubt that I'm really good at Pokémon training and not just riding on the backs of all my level 100 children as they carry me effortlessly across Kanto.]

[ bandit hops up a bit when the bartender comes by again. after ford orders the paloma, jack asks for a cut of water, too. bandit is looking a little thirsty, after all.

but he takes another long drink of his whiskey as he listens to ford. he isn't versed entirely in ford's talk yet, but he gets the gist - that he wanted to make it interesting for himself, and not just use brute strength. ]

I can see that. Sure, maybe it's possible to brute force your way through a battle, but it doesn't benefit anyone that way. Using your brain or a different method helps you in things other than just pokemon battles.

For kids, I mean - it teaches them that you don't have to be a dick to get where you should.

Indeed. That's a useful lesson regardless of age.

[Not that he's speaking from experience, heavens no.

His Paloma shows up and it is bright pink and has a grapefruit wedge on the rim and it's everything he ever dreamed. Hell yes.]

And eventually you will run into an obstacle that you can't just smash your way through.

[ it's bright pink and very cute. jack raises his glass in an informal toast to ford before he takes another sip. ]

Yeah. I'm not sure how much I'm gonna get into this battling thing. I kinda always wanted to retire with a bunch of dogs back home. Didn't go as planned, but - could be fun to work on that here.

This world is entirely what you make of it. A small house in the woods full of canine Pokémon is a perfectly serviceable goal.

[It wouldn't have satisfied him, but then, he's the kind of person who always needs to be busy. He needs to be moving, pursuing something, traveling, learning new things -- something. A quiet life settled somewhere comfortable would never have agreed with him. Even now that he's planning to settle it's in the context of letting battles come to him, and giving himself ample off-time to pursue new research projects. That should be enough.]

All joking aside, Vulpix and Ninetales are excellent Pokémon. They're highly-intelligent and loyal once you earn their respect.

The woods, on a beach, near the city. As long as I can have a vegetable garden too. I grew up on a farm.

[ so, that's what he likes to do with his hands. ]

Don't know how it'd go over, though. I've been on the move for a while.

[ and that thought gets him... draining the rest of his whiskey in one go while ford talks about vulpixes. ]

What type of Pokemon are they?

That's the beauty of it. Currently you have no obligations. You are at the moment a free agent able to go anywhere you like until you find somewhere that agrees with you.

[He's definitely found places he'll want to be returning to. He's setting up across from the most important one -- he could spend the rest of his life in the Ruins of Alph if given the chance -- but that doesn't mean he won't be taking day trips to Goldenrod and Olivine. The ocean will always call to him.]

They're Fire types, vulpine in nature, with an over-abundance of tails. I would liken them to Japanese kitsune, particularly given their fabled long lifespan and capricious nature. It's said an adult Ninetales will curse humans it dislikes, but I've never witnessed this first-hand or read accounts that aren't simply ancient folk tales.

[ jack doesn't look happy about that, for whatever reason. then again, he's lived a life that's always had an immediate goal. the military, and the SEP program, for the omnic crisis. overwatch, helping others. and then as a vigilante, getting more information on those who had infiltrated overwatch.

ugh.

he examines his empty glass for a moment, listening to ford speak yet again about the vulpixes. ]

A fire type fox that kind of looks like a kitsune, huh? That sounds pretty cool. I was into that kind of thing as a kid.

[ believe it. ]

I guess this place has legends that aren't true just like back home. You said they're very loyal, though?

[ jack already seems intrigued. bandit gives a little bark that sounds like he might be jealous. ]

[Get one and name it Naruto. Fuckin' dare you.]

In my experience, yes. Each is individual, much like any other sentient being, but on the whole they are a proud species that takes earned respect seriously. Unfortunately I didn't bring the Ninetales today [canned_laughter.wav] or I'd introduce you.

You had an interest in legends as a child?

[SAME HAT]

[ he wouldn't, but he might name one kyuubi, after the actual nine-tailed fox spirit in naruto. ]

Well, there's always a chance we can meet later. You've already been a big help to me.

[ jack pretty much figures if he gets ford's contact information, it'd be good to have a knowledgeable person on his side.

on the legends question, jack sets his glass down. ]

As much as any kid growing up in Indiana was. I wasn't particularly superstitious but there were things you just didn't do, growing up, because the 'or else' was out there.

[ he shrugs. ]

Some legends were just that - legends. But I also met a kid from Japan who could summon a dragon from his sword. So I tend to keep an open mind about it.

Oh, Indiana! The Beast of Busco, the Meshekenabek, Mud Mermaids -- I believe you also have a thriving community of Pukwudgies? The midwest has a fantastic extra-human ecosystem that I unfortunately have had precious little time to do any practical research into.

Though I'm curious -- when you say a dragon, do you mean a full flesh-and-blood drake or a spiritual imprint? I only ask because I've heard of spirits bound to treasured objects like swords and mirrors, but never an object with the ability to summon a living creature.

[He considers, one hand tucked up under his chin.]

Unless it was some variety of very specific, very complicated teleportation spell.

I'm afraid I can't help you there. I mean, yeah, I've heard of all of them, but we mostly dealt with not going out into the corn fields after dark or hitchhikers.

[ he doesn't even specify which kind - ford probably can guess. ]

And honestly, I'm not sure. According to what we got out of the kid, it was because they were a part of his clan - the Shimada clan. The dragon was actually a part of him - not his spirit or soul, but a distinct being joined to him. Said her name was Soba.

But I never saw the thing unless he was summoning her. Then she'd be glowing green, running up and down his body like energy, and his sword would change. He didn't like to talk about it much more than that, and I never really got to ask him about it in person.

[ and, talk of genji's weird noodle dragon done, he flags down the bartender again for his third whiskey of the night. he gives him a bit of a concerned look but since jack doesn't seem surly, he apparently lets it pass for now. ]

Edited 2019-02-03 08:29 (UTC)

[Sometimes it just be like that. Sometimes you just need to start a third whiskey while your drinking buddy is only halfway done with his Paloma. Ford isn't really the type to be concerned, either; he figures most people Jack's age already know how much they can drink. He's not a nanny.]

That is... unlike anything I've ever heard of.

[The way he says it makes it very clear that that's a very good thing. This is why he loves what he does. There really always is something new to learn.]

But back to Indiana -- did you ever personally encounter a ghost, or were you adept at avoiding them?

[ he's not a nanny, but jack is soon to get a very unfortunate discovery of this world: that his genetic enhancement haven't stuck, and so he won't process this nearly as fast as he used to.

but now, blissfully unaware, he gives a chuckle. ]

It sure was to me, too.

[ at least ford is interested and not horrified. then again, jack left out the part where his brother's two dragons sort of ate half of him up. ]

I mean, for the fields, I never encountered anything. I wasn't going to tempt that fate. I definitely picked up a hitchhiker once?

[ he raises a hand to scratch the back of his head. ]

You know, cute guy by the side of the road with his thumb out. And by the time I got him where he'd asked, he was gone.

[As if learning that the dragons were capable of eating humans would put him off any. I mean, sure, yikes, but that's also very interesting information about the nature of their 'bonded' relationship. Maybe if a Shimada ever shows up here he'll get to learn about it.]

Yes, that sounds right. I would place that at a category one -- fairly harmless, but preoccupied with one specific goal. In the case of the hitchhiking variety it tends to be reaching a set destination. Often they make the journey multiple times; I've heard of hitchhikers who repeat the same ride upwards of ten.

You're lucky. The category one I dealt with wanted to be my best friend and take me on G-rated adventures, despite my being a man of thirty. Awful little pest.

[ as they are talking ghosts, the drink is set in front of jack again, and he takes a sip - more reserved at this point with it. especially since the bartender gave him a look before he took the order. ]

He was headed back into town, to a specific house, so - sounds about right. Probably just a kid trying to make it home.

[ sad thought, so he focuses on ford's category one ghost instead. ]

You ended up getting followed around by Dora the Explorer?

my roomie is playing KH3 and its Distracting

dont get norted!!!

n-norted?

isn't that a kingdom hearts thing i know jack shit about kh

i also know jack shit

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