victory_road | (no subject)

May 17th | Video

[The video turns on to show Cherrygrove City at the beach and focuses on a man that hasn't posted to any network yet. He's seemingly early middle-age with some facial scars along his cheeks half hidden by his beard, sleeves on a new button up shirt rolled up, wearing a twined snake necklace with a red string, barefoot in the sand and flanked by a Seviper, a Psyduck holding its head. Another unseen Pokemon is doing the filming. He's also surrounded by a mostly-empty box of donuts, a milkshake he's still working on, some fruit rinds and cores, a plastic container of some rice dish or another that's now down to a few grains, and a watermelon that's been reduced to hollow green hull halves.]

[He has torn through this meal in one sitting.]

So I gotta admit, I was sorta expectin' the other shoe to drop, but I ain't ever seen anything like this in a long, long time. [He has a thick southern drawl when he speaks.] I walked all the way here, three days, without a single thing attackin' me. No ambushes. No crazy four-armed assassins outa nowhere. No floating angry three-eyed women throwin' fire.

[He doesn't have any of his guns, though. That bit bothers him but as guns don't seem to be a big thing here he'll just be grabbing berries instead of scrounging for ammunition and weapons.]

Now, I guess I gotta amend that thought. I did read that supposedly there's things that'll throw fire but this lady? [He motions to the Seviper over his shoulder, who is just basking like a happy reptile in the sand.] Her name is Fortune, and she's been takin' care of everything. [He gets the gist that she's supposed to, and that it's like having a game rep going into battle for you (something he's very used to). This is so much of a better situation.]

So uh, me an' Fortune are gonna be makin' our way all to one of the bigger cities. But I read about this one called an Ekans? I really wanna get my hands on one, if someone could do me the favor. I heard there was some breeders that might be amenable.

[As he talks, he pulls out a single jade coin and walks it over his fingers. Though with some monstrous slight of hand, that one coin is followed immediately by three more being passed over his knuckles. Just a casual fidget as he talks, and someone with a keen eye might notice the coins are double-sided with two wrapped snakes that match his pendant.]

You can call me Wu Ming. ...And don't worry, I'll take care o' this mess. [He won't leave garbage on the beach. He can't afford to deal with fines right now if he's caught.]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[Connor shifts slightly, pulling his coin out from his pocket and running it over his fingers.]

I am. I don't practice as much as I should anymore, though. Pokemon have a way of keeping you busy.

[He still does it without thinking, as it's a habit more than anything. He's not good at keeping his hands still. But having a house full of critters often takes up a lot of his attention.]

[He flips the coin and catches it, which is simple and average, but obviously not showing off but rather a man just being happy he has a coin.]

I get it. I do a lotta engineering back home. And some energy research and that took up most of my time. ['Energy research', hah! Makes him sound like a Vanguard warlock, talking like that. He'd just love to hear what Ikora had to say (so long as her shotgun wasn't nearby).]

Been a while since I had anything close to a pet. I mean, I wanted one? [A pet Hive would be a hoot.] And the dreg that tagged along with us, he turned traitor- Dregs are part of this scavenger race. Lotta backstory. Not enough booze in anybody for anyone to get into it right now. Anyway, first time in a long time I took care of something like this. ['Like this' meaning 'something he's pretty sure doesn't want to kill him'.]

You'll find Pokemon are very loyal.

[No traitorous Pokemon in his experience, anyway.]

I had never owned any kind of animal before I came here, either. Now I have a whole team.

[Crockett comes floating into the background, and makes a series of beeping noises.]

Crockett says hello.

[There is dead, mildly confused silence from Drifter as he listens to the sounds coming out of that thing.]

That sounds like a Heavy Shank. [He finally mentions.] Or a Servitor. You wouldn't think that sorta noise would pop up in two-

[And then his own camera turns. And there's an Espurr staring at the screen. She has wide, unblinking eyes and an expressionless face and she's just staring at whatever other pokemon she can see (and Connor).]

Orin. Orin, I'm over here. ...Orin! Come on, Orin. Stop bein' weird at the poor man -your namesake is weird enough- just come on, don't be messin' with nobody's heads, an' look back here.

[And she does, finally, but that was a long good stare Connor just got.]

[Connor looks pretty baffled by the whole Espurr thing, and Crockett gives a questioning beep. Connor shifts again to put his coin away, and then gets up to go climb onto the Magnezone, sitting on it and letting it carry him around for a while. It seems to enjoy letting people and Pokemon ride on it.]

I'm not sure what a heavy shank or a servitor is, but I assume they're some kind of machine?

Uh... sorta? They're somewhere in between machines and worshipped like deities. AIs that make food for the race that makes 'em. Weird cycle there. The Fallen make 'em, and then the Servitors feed 'em and get put up on a pedestal for it.

Shanks are just kinda shooty shits. That guy seems more personable. The heavy shanks got good strong shells in you can get under when it's rainin'.

Machines worshipped...?

[Connor isn't sure what to think of that. He supposes it beats the treatment he had back home, but he doesn't really desire any kind of worship either.]

Crockett here is a Magnezone. I've had it since I arrived here, though it was smaller then. It has evolved twice since.

[He pats Crockett, and gets another happy beep in return.]

It likes people.

Yeah, sorta gathered that... Were it a servitor, probably would be havin' a lot worse time.

Well, wait. I know a guy...

[He thinks of Spider at the shore.]

His servitors are pretty personable.

[Connor pulls a chocolate bar out of his pocket, but rather than start eating it he breaks off a piece and hands it to the Raichu that immediately appeared the moment it heard the wrapper crinkle. Buntz sits himself on Connor's shoulder, looking at Drifter as he nibbles the chocolate.]

If you're looking to collect snake Pokemon perhaps an Onix would be good too? It's known as the "rock snake" Pokemon. I have a Steelix, the evolved form. They're very good in battle, and given their huge size they make good travel Pokemon too.

Sounds like a good deal, Brother. I'm thinkin' that might be a good plan. I had it pointed out to me that some of these are easy enough to catch, but what's the shame in formin' a little system of commerce, am I right?

[But he has to ask, because that looks tasty-]

Is that dark chocolate?

[Because if that's dark chocolate he's already feeling hungry again and he's going to have to make a run for it.]

I wouldn't mind breeding my Steelix, too.

[After all, he got his Onix through a breeder.]

Bred Pokemon often come with more moves. And I do think it's nice that they get raised from an egg.

[He looks down at the chocolate.]

Yes, it is. Buntz isn't fussy, though. He just likes food.

Well, I do admit that I'm not real good at takin' care of nothin'. Hell, I can barely take care of myself. [It sounds a little disparaging but mostly it's just said wryly.] Seems like these guys grow up real quick on their own, though. Don't require too much work and don't need diapers.

Well, Buntz, seems you got good tastes. And you remind me there are places around here I can pick some up.

[Somehow this bottomless pit is ready for more food even with the disaster scattered around him.]

Well, it seems like you'd at least remember to feed them.

[He pauses though, scratching Buntz behind the ears.]

Pokemon do require a lot of love, or at least mine do. As long as you can give them that, they should be happy.

[He can fake it pretty well. That counts, right? If he wants something, he can definitely fake love.]

I think I can manage that.

[Though the camera turns and there's an Espurr. She's staring at the camera. No, she's hyperfocused on that mouse eating a chocolate with a horrifying intensity.]

...Orin. Come on, are we doing this again?! [Drifter can be heard saying in the background.]

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I lost this notif

unforgiven, unfollowed, blocked and reported

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