victory_road | ⊕ 002

Anyone got a recommendation for good batteries in this damn place?

[ the video feed opens not on jack's face, but on a hotel room desk. he's got several batteries that look like they could fit into a flashlight or other types of utilities sitting on the desk, spread out. the only other things visible are his scarred hands and most of his upper body, wearing a black shirt. the feed cuts off at the shoulder.

his skitty, crybaby, is also in the shot, gently batting at some of the smaller batteries. ]

Every single one of these has died after an hour of use, maybe. Some were dead when I put them in.

Back in my world, batteries actually lasted for a decent amount of time.

[ jack makes a scoffing noise and leans down out of sight of the camera to get something. meanwhile, the skitty on camera stiffens, and then wiggles, running across the screen to chase something, clattering some of the batteries.

... that something being a joltik, bouncing across the screen as crybaby chases it to the other side.

jack can be seen looking up, a flash of a scarred face and white hair. ]

What are you --

[ he reaches up to turn off the gear as he gets up after his skitty. ]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Yeah, well... I think he could use Connor's coin for a tapdancing routine right now. [Which might be a slight exaggeration but not by much.]

I've gotten used to Charlotte. She used to be a lap spider before she evolved. And now she thinks she is smaller than she is.

He's pretty small now, but he's got a big personality to match.

[ gizmo gives a little chirp - the first noise he's done - and scurries back down jack's arm. ]

Sounds like the Galvantula's are about three feet long. Big for a spider, but not too big for these guys. Hell, Scout is bigger than that.

Yeah Connor's Ariados is something like seventy pounds? Somewhere in there?

She's a big girl. So at this point I'm used to it.

Fuck, I remember when real fuckin' dragons felt like a pretty amazing thing. They're still not bad, but when a lot of people pick Charmanders to start out with, the wonder wears off.

[He doesn't mean to lose his wonder so easily. It's cleaning up dragon sneeze scorch marks that does it.]

[ gizmo rests on the tip of jack's fingers, wiggling his mandibles. he's not planning on biting, he's just looking at the pokegear, and hank's face, observing. ]

I admit, even though I'd met Tubbs I was still surprised by how big Scout got when I evolved him. But I guess that's how it goes, in this place.

Will Gizmo want to be a lap spider, though?

[ jack raises his other hand to nudge the top of gizmo's head. he chirps a little bit. ]

Yeah. It's like... they go through phases. Something like 'cute stuffed animal' and then 'normal animal', and then big fucking monster thing. I'm sure there's some cultural reference shit I never got associated with that but I never cared enough or knew enough to have a serious discussion about the 'mythological overtones in Pokemon.'

[Again, it's a little meta. Maybe the nerds would know more.]

A friend of mine, Ford, has a theory that the Pokemon existed first, and then we came later - maybe through means like how we ourselves arrived. Which would explain why things seem so different.

Also that certain things were probably named after Pokemon and not the other way around.

Well, we know we got here second.

[Even if he remembers the Charizard card he sold as a young teen to afford a date that was ultimately forgettable. Shame he's not picked up a Charmander yet. He hums thoughtfully. Ah well he can't say anything at this point.]

Still miss my car, though. I can get why they wouldn't be great here? But god.... Ever had to ride away from a tense conversation on a dog? Fuckin' undignified.

That's definitely not in question.

[ live your dream, hank, get a charmander and have the best fire lizard.

jack, however, gives a little laugh. ]

You could always get one of the horse pokemon. Saw plenty of people ride out of a tense conversation like that in Indiana, and it's got its own kind of flair.

I got one. He's a big Mudsdale. Has a temper, too.

[And they spit weird mud and he's not sure what he thinks about that.]

I think Connor wanted to get one of the 'Ponyta' things.

[He freaking hates these names.]

Most horses do. That, or they're terrified of plastic bags and balls.

[ ponyta? jack actually pulls out his pokedex to look that up, and then whistles. ]

Okay, riding away on that would be pretty badass, I gotta admit.

I'm a fuckin' city boy. I had no idea what horses were really like until I got this one. Luckily I got a lot of practice riding the dogs that the Mudsdale's actually been a break.

And look at that thing's evolved form, if you think that's a good one.

That's right, you grew up in the city.

[ jack grins, finishing off his glass as he looks up a rapidash. ]

Kinda makes me nostalgic.

Yeah. I didn't get to experience much nature except for the occasional camping trip. My version of roughing it was to walk my cousin through the bad part of town.

You should probably get one, then. It takes a hell of a lot less time to get around when you have one of those.

I grew up on a farm. It was mainly corn, but we had a few chickens and a couple pigs too - so horses were a thing we definitely handled a few times.

I might consider it. Kind of waiting on Scout to level up so I can use him to get around, though.

Ah, and I've got a second Growlithe now, though she won't listen to me.

You a breeder or a trainer?

[Because he knows they're supposed to be nicer with breeders. Even then he's met some hellions.]

Trainer. Though I'm thinking about switching over to Breeder when the pokemon are a little older.

You're a breeder, right?

Good way to do it. It takes me fifty fuckin' years to level anything up.

But if you're a breeder, pokemon are less assholes to you. I mean, I guess I would be too. "Here, you can throw down with something that might kick your ass, or you can have whatever is the equivalent of sex." I know which one I'd be happier about.

It still takes forever, if you've got enough of them.

[ crybaby chirps from the counter - she can fight! let her fight, she'll defeat anything. ]

I don't even know what they do or how they do it. Not sure I wanna, but apparently I don't have to as a breeder, oddly.

Yeah I'm ninety-nine percent sure I shouldn't know. That one percent curiosity is there, but honestly I'm pretty sure that I wouldn't be able to unsee it so I'm alright living in mystery.

⊕ 002

I'm sure they look amazing in their nanny gear. Two guys who have no idea how they got this job.

listen... i'm getting that raise the steaks apron somehow

I was deeply hoping so.

then he'll just need some socks and some sandals

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