one; video in New Bark Town

[notvaljean]

Okay, seriously, this is just stupid.

[For someone who had never seen a camera or a video until a couple of hours ago, Jean has taken to both rather quickly. He always did enjoy fooling around with things and learning about them through experimentation, and while the angle of the camera is distinctly unflattering—somehow stretching his long face out even longer while simultaneously giving him six chins—the sheer indignation in his eyes comes across perfectly.]

Everyone else gets something cute, or useful, or sweet or whatever. And I get this.

[The camera swings around, jittering wildly out of control for a moment, and then focuses on a round, red and white ball with glaring eyes. The ball’s eyes narrow further when it realizes the camera is on it, and it lunges forward with a crackling sound. Jean yelps and jumps backwards, making the camera swing wildly for a moment.]

See! He’s crazy!

[The Voltorb crackles ominously but doesn’t try to come any closer, watching Jean from where it hovers.]

So how am I supposed to make friends with this thing? Because that’s what we’re supposed to do, right? Make friends with them?

[Jean sounds almost condescending about the idea of befriending the Pokemon. Anyone listening very closely might notice how his voice is trembling the tiniest bit, betraying all his uncertainty that he will vehemently deny if he gets called out on it. His hand stretches into view, pale with callouses across the palm, and he extends it towards the Voltorb.]

You want to be friends, asshole?

[The Voltorb lunges forward again, and the camera falls to the ground, pointing upwards towards the sky, capturing cheery blue and recording the sounds of electricity crackling and Jean shouting.]

Ow! OUCH! You dick, what was that for?!

Comments

[notvaljean]

[Yeah yeah yeah, he gathered all that from the lady at the place where he woke up, and it's startlingly familiar to things he's heard before, back at home. Except that the epic quest part at home usually involves almost getting eaten by giants, so...]

[So yeah, he's going to zero in on the one extremely relevant thing the guy just said.]

It can explode?!

[What the hell?!]

[islandshore]

[He takes a deep breath. Maybe he shouldn't have mentioned it so soon, but...]

Yeah. They're... kinda like bombs, I guess. Doesn't mean they'll do it constantly, but they get this move called Selfdestruct that's... well, pretty destructive.

[notvaljean]

[Shit.]

[Jean takes another look at the ball, and scoots a few inches away from it. When he speaks again, he's dropped his voice into a rough whisper.]

So how do you make them not explode?

[islandshore]

Hmm... Well, most Pokémon are decent at following orders. If you're lucky, yours won't explode unless it's told.

[Folding his arms, he tips his head down and sighs.]

But if yours is more unruly, you might have to put your foot down. Make it clear that you're the boss.

[notvaljean]

[That is interesting information, and Jean ponders it a moment before answering.]

So I should be able to teach it to explode on command, then?

[The Voltorb knows they're talking about it, and floats closer.]

[islandshore]

You could, yeah. But they've got other tricks that might be more practical. Electric attacks, for one.

[It's there that he flashes a small smile.]

Why make it KO itself when you can make it shoot lightning?

[notvaljean]

So instead of shocking me, it can shoot lightning?

[Jean smiles back, pleased with this info, and looks at his ball.]

Can you shoot lightning, Blitz?

[The Voltorb considers the request, then an arc of white lightning shoots from it and hits the ground near Jean, making him jump.]

Shit!

[islandshore]

Heh. Looks like someone's enthusiastic.

[Heh. With proper training, that should help in battles. It's just a matter of keeping it on its best behavior.]

Well, one tip I have right off the bat: try to get your hands on some rubber gloves. It'll make handling electric types a whole lot easier.

[notvaljean]

Thanks, someone else mentioned that.

[Jean is over his fright from the lightning bolt pretty quickly; after what he's used to in his own world, a ball shooting lightning at him isn't bad at all.]

There's more than one type, right? Like he's electric, and my friend has one that looks like an owl. What types do you have?

[islandshore]

...Every one.

[It's said with a flat tone before he pinches the bridge of his nose.]

Over seventy Pokémon, and there are... geez, eighteen types now? Plus, some Pokémon are dualtype, so there's a whole extra component you gotta consider with strategies.

But I've spent years thinking way too hard on this stuff.

[notvaljean]

That's a lot of Pokemon.

[Jean is suitably impressed. He can barely wrangle one, and this guy has seventy.]

How long have you been here?

[islandshore]

Over six years.

[Shrugging, he loosely folds his arms.]

But I'm the exception and not the rule. Seen people come and go more times than I can count.

[notvaljean]

[Jean mulls this new information over a little. He's heard from other people that sometimes you can be here for a really long time, but it's hard to imagine over six years in one place.]

Can I ask you a question? [He's going to, regardless.] Have people who are... not doing so well back home... have they ever showed up here from an earlier time? When they were well?

[Or alive, as the case may be.]

[islandshore]

[There's a pause on Riku's end. He can tell this is a delicate question. Reading between the lines, he has a few ideas. Someone who died, maybe? Someone on the verge of death? Someone who suffered a severe injury?

He takes a deep breath. In, then out.]

Yeah. Happens a lot. In fact, I'm from years behind the other people from my universe.

So... there's hope. And even people who died can get second chances.

[notvaljean]

[Jean doesn't answer right away, and when he does, his intake of breath is shaky and a little watery. Yeah, Riku was right with that first mental guess.]

... thanks. Like, really. Thank you.

[The Voltorb seems to realize this is an emotional moment, and nudges himself up under Jean's arm.]