[video / action for new bark town]

[meteorman]

[Ford is perhaps better-equipped than most to deal with suddenly being dropped into a strange world unlike anything he's ever seen before. That was his life for thirty-odd years, and that it's begun again doesn't trouble him much. He'll adapt; he always has, with time. The woman (clearly younger than him) calling herself his mother is a little strange, but further inquiry and a cursory scan of the literature included in his new backpack answer most of his questions. In particular, they explain the neat little device that looks very much like an odd cellphone. This 'Pokégear' can be used to communicate with other people, and so that is exactly what Ford decides to do. If he's learned anything in his prior experience with this sort of thing, it's to ask questions.

The camera shakes a little, and his face is sort of awkwardly off to the side of the frame, but he managed to get it working and that's the important thing. For a first try he's not doing all that badly. Behind him, trees and a couple of quaint New Bark Town roofs are visible.]

Greetings! Is greetings the polite form of salutation in this universe? My name is Stanford Pines, and like what I assume must be the majority of you, I am not a native of this world. I only just arrived today, in fact. This is probably the warmest welcome I've seen since the universe where every day is your birthday.

[That place got old really fast, honestly (and you got old really fast if you stayed there too long).]

But, to business. [He holds up a pokéball with the hand not holding the 'gear.] How do you open--

[As if on cue, the Pokéball pops open and out of the light materializes a small green creature. It takes one look at him, lets out a surprised trill, and zips away out of frame.]

Oh! [Ford peers in the direction it went, clearly thrilled to bits.] I think it hid in those bushes, hold on --

[Those who reply by 'gear will get to follow what is essentially Ford Pines liveblogging his attempts to recapture his own starter. Or perhaps, if you're in New Bark Town as well, you'd like to help in person? An old man crashing around in the underbrush on the outskirts of town is sure to draw attention.]

Comments

[voidedgoddess]

[A skitty approaches the bush and prepares to pounce. This can surely only be helpful, right? The teenage girl following the feline will actual help. Just give her a moment to get over the fact that there is an actual adult here. That is so weird. Okay, moment over. She smiles.]


Need a hand?

[meteorman]

[Oh, yes, pouncing on the poor little alien hiding in the bushes is absolutely going to help it feel more calm.]

Potentially. I -- is that yours?

[Guess who just got completely distracted by the skitty. Holy shit, look at it.]

[voidedgoddess]

Hey, Gastrell. [The Skitty glances back. He almost goes back to the bush, but instead pounces on the thin stripe of fabric or her mask. He pounces.]

This is a Skitty. [He’s a fucking pink cat. It’s like two of Roxy’s favorite things in one adorable package. Ford, you don't understand. Pink cat.] Do you know what yours is?

[Video]

[cyan_maid]

[Holy beans that's an adult. An adult who definitely just showed up here and was "kicked out" of a house by "Mom" and given a Pokemon.]

Sir? Sir, you might want to try coaxing it back to you a bit more calmly? You can return it, but I'm going to assume that's your first Pokemon, and that you'd like to get to know it better and not just keep it in its ball.

[meteorman]

[He's very calm, just... obnoxiously enthusiastic. Shh. It's fine.]

I absolutely would! I barely got a good look at it earlier.

[The frame moves as he walks, following a blurred green form as it zips from bush to bush.]

Are they always this skittish?

[Video]

[meowbel]

[The moment that Mabel heard a certain voice, she wasted no time in responding right back! Sure, he probably needed help getting use to this new setting and being rather shocked at the sight of a Pokemon but that's not important right now!

Instead? Hope you like a rather excited teenager shoving the communication gear up at her face!]

Grunkle Ford! Grunkle Ford, can you hear me!? It's me, Mabel! Why didn't you tell me that you were here sooner?!

[meteorman]

Mabel!

[He looks away from the indistinct form of the Pokémon he's following and even stops walking entirely. A familiar face is certainly enough to earn his full attention, even if his eyes do flick up occasionally to be sure he can still spot his quarry. Luckily it stopped moving when he did; he can see two green eyes peering at him from around a tree trunk.

He had assumed that whatever wormhole he fell through, he fell through alone. That's how things tend to work for him. But this...]

Why, this is wonderful! How long ago did you arrive? Where are you?

Video

[veggie_vamp]

[Having only been familiar with Stanford's twin brother, and not knowing he was a twin, 'laura here is considerably confused.]

Mister Pines? You seem kinda different. I mean, I get that people lose their memories, but usually by now you would have said the word 'money' or 'cash' or 'new-fangled'.

[meteorman]

[Pretty reasonable. A good rule of thumb is to look at the sideburns. Are they ridiculous? It's Ford.]

Mister --? Oh. No, no, you have me confused for my --

Is Stanley here?

[His voice goes a little high at the end there, as it tends to when he's particularly worked-up. If Stanley is here he needs to find him immediately.]

[heartdive]

There's... A much easier way to do that.

[ well. that's one way to introduce yourself at least. ]

[meteorman]

Oh? Is this the 'returning' someone else mentioned? Because if possible I would like it to remain outside so that I can observe it.

video;

[shiro2hero]

... Pretty sure you just have to call it and it comes back.

[At least his does.]

[meteorman]

I've attempted calling out to it, but it doesn't seem to respond. It doesn't help that I am not entirely sure how to address it.

[He doesn't know what its species is called (he hasn't been able to get a good read with the 'dex) and he certainly doesn't know if it has a name.]

[Video]

[foolishwren]

<sub>[WELL, Heather was going to make some kind of helpful reply here, even if it was just telling him how to open the Pokeball (OLD FOLKS AND TECHNOLOGY HURR HURR HURR). But then he just... manages to lose his own starter within five seconds of meeting it.]

[Heather pauses the video, gets up, and leaves.]

[Then she comes back, with a bag of chips.]

[JUST GONNA WATCH THIS SITCOM UNFOLD]</sub>

[meteorman]

[To be fair, watching an old man stumble around like a gleeful idiot has got to be entertaining. Every time he gets even a little bit close to the rogue Elgyem, it zips away behind another tree or into another bush. It doesn't seem like it's trying to get away from him completely -- it never strays too far -- but it is quite obviously very shy.]

Come on, now. I only want to have a look at you --

[video]

[defyingfrigidity]

[As Elsa watches, she can't help but laugh at the older man. It's good to see someone just dive headfirst (literally!) into things like that! Too many new arrivals are so mistrusting or downright fearful of this place.

She doesn't watch for long, though. Something he said definitely piques her curiosity, so she can't help but interrupt.]

You speak as if you've been to different realms before.

[meteorman]

I have! Never one quite like this, however. Generally most of the universes I have visited don't have such an extensive starter kit to aid with acclimation.

[Which, translated into words that aren't obnoxiously nerdy, basically means he's quite pleased with the welcome wagon.]

video;

[secondhandsome]

[...Well, that sure is an introduction.]

Uh... You doing alright there? Geez, I didn't even think these things ever ran away.

[meteorman]

Oh, yes, perfectly fine! I think that perhaps it's just skittish.

[He pushes some branches aside; they spring back into place in-frame behind him as he moves on.]

[action]

[journalname]

[After a short time looking, a giant blonde man with some kind of living seed creature riding in his beard approaches. This human also seems like a new arrival; perhaps they should stick together, if only for the moment.]

Excuse me - do you need some help?

[meteorman]

[Oh, boy. That sure is a big man, which says something coming from Ford (who is quite Big himself!).]

Thank you, but -- oh!

[What the fuck is that in your beard, sir?]

What is that?

[Video]

[questionmarksthespot]

Dude, Mr. Ford!

[First Dipper and Mabel show up on the same day, now the cool old mad scientist? Who's next, Stan? Let it be Stan or Melody.]

[Either way, this place has only gotten better since his arrival.]

Welcome to Pokémon-world, man. This place is nuts in the greatest ways.

[meteorman]

[Oh, hey, it's this guy! Him and the kids are here? It's funny, but Ford always kind of assumed the whole weird anomalous phenomena was something reserved just for members of the Pines family. That Soos is practically a member of the Pines family is something he didn't quite have time to pick up on, though he's well-aware there's a strong bond there.

At any rate, a familiar face is something he won't turn his nose up at.]

I'm starting to realize that, yes! I've barely been here a day and already there's so much to investigate. As soon as I wrangle my partner -- I believe partner is the correct term? -- I can get things truly underway. I must say it's a pleasant change to see so many faces I recognize.

video

[thatwasours]

[despite having been in precisely the same boat two months ago when he was attempting to catch his rogue, highly aggressive Houndour five minutes after arrival, Kaz offers no help in that department, on account of the fact that there's no real logic besides 'hunt it down, tackle it to the ground, and belatedly remember it's supposed to go in the ball thing'. instead, he asks the more pressing question.]

So you're accustomed to inter-universal travel. Did you come here on purpose?

[meteorman]

[But see, he wants it outside the ball thing. How can you properly observe something when it's in a ball? Duh.]

Oh, absolutely not. My assumption is that I accidentally stumbled through some sort of wormhole; it would not be the first time.