victory_road | 1st blade [Video]

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1st blade [Video]

[The screen flickers to life, capturing a quick glimpse of the morning sky, bright and blue, before it quickly shifts in a blur of movement-]

-pretty sure it's working.

[And a voice comes through, very close. Thankfully a sign that the video is still going, seeing as now all that can be seen is a dark haze.]

Hello? How about someone that isn't that weird woman in the house claiming to be my mother? [Which is a whole other can of worms she won't even touch, aside from the general information she'd gotten.] I mean, I heard the instructions, so I'm just guessing here. Most of the time I see things like this, they tend to explode!

[The screen shifts, again. On the upside, you can see the sunlight again! And now, a person, with a short bob of curling hair, and an unimpressed look staring down at you. A pokemon - Rowlett, to those familiar with the type - perches on her right shoulder, trilling as it rubs its face into her neck.]

I mean, how do I know if the light means it's working? This is my first time handling a magic mirror like this.

[Hoo? Goes Rowlett, who chooses to barely even look at the screen. Because it seems she's speaking to it. Such things are possible for Disney characters.]

Okay, sorry. It's technology, alright? [A frown, a sigh, but she presses on.] Hello? If I'm reading the map correctly I'm in... New Bark Town? A place I've never heard of. Don't exactly like how I can't remember getting here, or waking up in a bed I didn't pay for. So... yeah.

[Seems that's good enough for her. For now.]

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[?????]

Cass????

[!!!!]

Cass!! [If there was any doubt that this was really Rapunzel from her looks, that voice, and the happy squeal she lets out when she finally gets a good look at the video would leave no room for any doubt.] Ohmigosh Cass!! You're here! Or... is this where you've been??? No, wait, you sound just as confused as I am...

[Right, c'mon, focus on her words Raps!]

Ohhh wow, it feels like forever since I've seen you!

[What's funny about this is the fact that they are almost definitely within fifty feet of each other.]

Rapunzel?

[!!! It's Raps! Hearing those happy squeals and that excitement, there's no doubting it. This is the best thing to happen to her today, aside from being given a strange new owl.]

Uh... Wow. [Cass laughs, a bit beside herself. Hard to say how to feel about this.] Yeah! It's been a few weeks, at least. I... sure didn't expect to see you like this.

[...]

You're not trapped in this thing, are you?

[New Bark Town may not be the biggest town, but there are still enough people milling around that she can't immediately see her friend. Still, Rapunzel looks away from her device, still talking to Cass but scanning the people nearby.]

No, I'm in the same town as you! I woke up to that... that weird lady talking to me too.

[Rapunzel isn't one to judge, but that... that's kind of a sore subject.]

Cass, where are you?? I gotta see you outside of this-!

[Definitely plenty of people, trying to mind their own business while Rapunzel searches for her best friend. Cass, meanwhile, is locked on her little device, and Rapunzel's face.]

You are? [She didn't catch wind of Corona's princess leaving the kingdom??] Then... we must have just missed each other.

[Well... Now she really can't move at all, can she?]

I think I'm at the center of town. There's... [A glance off to the right.] some kind of boat service here.

Boat service... [She's still close to the lab nestled in the north edge of town, but in the distance, she can see the glint of the sun off the water.] Okay, stay right there!

[Rapunzel is quick to gather up the items she'd strewn about while investigating what was in her backpack, and immediately takes off in the direction of the port. The sight of an eager new trainer isn't really one to turn the heads of many people, but the fact that she's currently running down the street barefoot is kind of weird; still... over the years, the amount of quirky people showing up in New Bark Town has kind of numbed them to everything at this point. So nobody stops Rapunzel as she closed in on her goal; the sound of gulls cawing overhead, the smell of the sea, the sight of such strange ships moored by the docks, and-]

Cass!

[Without even slowing down, Rapunzel runs straight towards her best friend, nearly colliding with her as she wraps her arms around Cass in a tight, tight hug.]

I missed you so much...!

I - okay!

[Her connection to Rapunzel's Pokegear goes dead, and she's.... alone. Standing out in the open, staring down at the device while she thought about... well, a lot of things. She's trapped in another world, and about to see Rapunzel again. No pressure, it's just the first time she's seen her - in person, no less - since they said their goodbyes in the castle.

As far as newcomers to New Bark Town went, Cassandra wasn't particularly strange, though her attire was definitely behind the times (a cape? And what was that necklace?), but nobody seemed to mind. Just as well, Cass wasn't sure if she could handle too many people right now.

She was just musing over whether attempting to sail home was worth it as she hears, over the din of seagulls crying, people chatting, and the waves lapping at the shore... a voice.

Rapunzel was here.]

Oof!

[Just as quick as ever, Cassandra barely has time to open her arms before the princess launches herself at her, Cassandra managing to hold her in that embrace for a moment before she tumbles back into the grass. Her Rowlett already hopped off in her shoulder to take flight, circling over the two women.]

Hey, Raps... I miss you too.

[Rapunzel can only laugh as Cass stumbles back, her grip tightening just ever so slightly so that she won't fall out of her arms. She'd almost warned the other woman before she made contact, but she just really wanted to surprise her! And it worked!]

It's felt like forever since your last letter... you have to tell me all about what's been going on with you! And this world- Cass, have you talked to any of the others here? They make this place sound so amazing....

The only sounds I'm hearing right now are you... and that weird, little... droning music. Do you hear that?

[Since when did their lives have a soundtrack? ~~Since forever.~~]

You know how it is, Raps. Life can get busy, but it looks like I've got time to tell you all about my latest adventures while we're stuck here.

... You know, now that you mention it... the music is kind of weird.

[Huh. It's nice music, that's for sure. But where's it coming from? Rapunzel reaches into her pocket - nope, not from the device. And it doesn't sound like it's coming from anywhere. It's just... drifting through like the wind.

Weird. But cool!]

But don't think you can get off that easy, trying to move around the subject like that!! [She laughs, poking Cass in the shoulder before placing her hand on it, squeezing gently.]

I'm... I'm so happy to see you again. Everything feels almost right again, except now we're missing Eugene...

I assure you, it is, in fact working. Not to worry.

[As he ... opens the video with an honest to goodness bow.]

A pleasure to meet another new face in our strange world. Rest assured - very little in this place shall explode.

Save, of course, some of the creatures.

[huh. Courteous. Good manners were either good thing or a bad thing in unexpected places.]

If this thing wasn't made by a friend of mine, I hope not- W-wait, did you just say that creatures explode?

[nervous glance at the Rowlett on her shoulder-]

Wait, what do you mean, "strange world"?

I did indeed. My apologies. I should have prefaced the statement better, I see.

[But that's what happens when you just drop the "sometimes pokemon explode" info.]

Not all of them do so. I believe they require a certain specialized move - known as 'self destruct'.

You have found yourself in another world, miss. Am I the first to broach the topic?

Oh boy.

[Today is going to be one of those days, she can feel it already.]

You teach animals to - hang on. [This is entirely too much to fathom upon being booted out of a house by your not-mother. Cassandra is, perhaps understandably, ready to snap back.] Gee, I think maybe you are the first to tell me I'm in another world. Am I trapped here?

[Welcome to the Pokemon World, Cassandra.]

Goodness, no. It's something they learn naturally, as I understand it. Though none of mine are capable of doing so.

[He doesn't think so, anyway.]

I apologize. Usually I am not the first to greet new faces. But alas, yes. For the time being, you are more or less stuck here.

[A young girl pops into view, with a Cubone trying to climb up into her arms.]

Hi! It's definitely working. And sadly not magic. I'm Luz!

...Cassandra.

[Congrats, Luz. You're the first person to actually introduce themselves to Cass today.]

So, it is science then. That's... less worrying thank I thought.

[Still not great, but it's far easier to deal with.]

I'm sorry, but... what is that?

[Luz looks down at the Cubone.]

You mean King Jr. here? He's a Cubone. A Pokemon. I think everyone gets one when they get here.

The woman in the house does that to everyone who shows up here. We're still not really sure why.

[It's not a great way to wake up here.]

The gear- the thing you're holding should be fine though. The technology in this place is usually pretty sturdy.

Well, can't say I appreciate it. Besides giving me some stuff and pushing me out the door.

[It's not great! Some of the people who wake up in that situation may have parent issues! Imagine!]

Let's hope so. I guess if I want to find a way out of here, I'll need every bit of help I can get.

There are very few people who find it anything but creepy as hell.

[Yeah, parent issues +surprise mom is not a fun wake up.]

Get out of where you are at the moment, or back to your own world? Because, this is probably the last thing you want to hear. But we've had people here for a decade at least and no one knows for sure how or why we get taken or returned to our worlds.

Fear not; the light does nean it's working, and I've never heard of a Pokégear that exploded.

[Key words: heard of.]

Once you wake up in New Bark Town, you've two options: walking west to explore the Johto region, or going east by boat to visit the Kanto region. But neither option will lead to lands you know, I'm sorry to say.

Guess it would be just my luck if it did, but thanks for letting me know.

[Appreciated! At least she can scratch one potential concern off of the rapidly growing list.]

So I've heard, apparently I'm in an entirely new world. And I'm going to go out on a limb and believe there's no way back to where I just was.

[Because, again, just her luck.]

None that we can control, sadly. People arrive and disappear at random, sometimes after weeks, sometimes after years. There's the occasional coma that involves going home for a week while our bodies remain unconscious here, but those are temporary and unexplained.

[Which, now that he thinks about it, describes most of what happens in this world.]

[And here we have a silver-haired mid-20's guy, trying not to chuckle at the reaction. Magic mirror? Heh. Must be from a less 'advanced' world.

But it wouldn't be the first time.]

Congratulations: You've just landed in a parallel world. You've probably gotten some of the basics by now, but just in case...

Don't eat the berries unless you can stomach some nasty side effects, and don't bother trying to climb most ledges. They've got some weird properties that make 'em near impossible to climb without a goat for some reason.

[The last white-haired person that laughed at her, well... it didn't end well for either of them. Fortunately, Riku is chuckling through a magic mirror/Pokegear, so he has nothing to fear from Cassandra's wrath...]

Don't eat the berries, watch out for ledges, bring a goat. Fantastic advice.

[Which is actually not that hot. Simmering, maybe, on account of all the things she needs to digest.]

Feels like I never stopped traveling.

[Hey, at least he managed to suppress it. Just a quick, quiet thing.

He can read the room, so any hint of amusement peters out here, and he offers a smaller, sympathetic smile.]

I know it sounds crazy- that's the thing about this place, though. When you go to a world with endless background music and dogs that shoot fireballs, you gotta expect a certain amount of insanity. You get used to it after a while- there's definitely a method to the madness, but I'd say take it at your own pace.

[He pauses.]

...And if that means taking it easy after a long journey, the next town's not too far. And there's always a ferry if you don't wanna do all that legwork.

[But travels, huh? Now that's interesting to hear...]

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