01 🐾 Video

[bigsadwolf]

[The video feed that appears on the network is, as some are, unintentional. Instead of being caused by a mischevious Pokemon though, it looks like it's due to the Gear being dropped in haste. With the camera pointed facing upwards at a canted angle, it shows half of the visage of an extremely tall young man with his unkept hair so grey that it wouldn't be unusual to mistake him for being much older than he is. He's panting like he just ran a marathon, which he sortof did...that being, he'd fled "mom's" house before she could really force him out on her own. One look to her, then happening to catch himself in the bedroom mirror...yeah.

This is...a nightmare. It must be. Nothing else could explain it.

He'd only made it about as far as beyond the front step before eating shit on the road, something that would become a running theme until he found someplace suitably secluded to sit in the grass just inside of the route beyond New Bark. Because of all of that, Legosi's very human face is peppered with small scratches and growing bruises from multiple tumbles (beyond the three older looking claw-mark scars above his right eye), the same visible on his arms and stupidly large hands that tremble as he turns them in front of his face. He can't see his muzzle, he can't feel the wind rustling his fur. His nails are blunt and he can see his skin, like something shaved him down to nothing overnight. That would be bad enough on his own, if it weren't for the physical changes tipping him off. His ears and tail? Completely gone. And as if to act as a cherry on the cruelty filled cake, his hearing has gone muffled, and he may as well have lost his sense of smell entirely.

For the first time in a while, he can honestly say he feels genuinely terrified.]

I don't understand...what's...happened to me?

[Is what he says when he finally speaks, his voice low and only audible because the Gear is close enough to pick it up. That is probably not something most people ask. It's more along the lines of "Where am I? How did I get here? What's with that music?" Legosi had put his face in his hands initially, only to quickly draw them away upon realizing that being unable to feel his snout was making him feel worse.

His Gear wasn't the only thing he dropped during his scramble to get away from town, though. Astute viewers will notice an open Pokeball half-visible on screen near his shoe, and something fluffy with two paws resting against his knee that he's been spacing out too hard to notice just yet. The Pokemon- a little Buneary- gets up on her tiptoes and...immediately starts trying to climb into Legosi's lap, to which he does in fact notice. How could he not notice.

Luckily this isn't the first time he's encountered this little rabbit since the Gear came on, so his reaction isn't quite as strong as it was initially. That...doesn't mean it's any less odd to see the way this grown man startles like a spider just crawled into his lap, gasping so sharply it sounded like it hurt. Before the bunny can go too far, he quickly- GINGERLY- picks her up beneath her arms and rockets upright, walks offscreen as the Gear gets knocked askew by his shoe as he passes, providing a half-view of the way he just...sets the Buneary down as far away from where he was sitting as he can manage, holding up both hands like he expects her to just. Stay there? Only for him to retreat off screen back to his panic-tree.

The Buneary stays put for all of a few seconds before she's bouncing after him, happening to walk over the Gear as she goes in a way that finally shuts it off.]

Comments

Video

[zodiheart]

[Elidibus bears his mask and casual attire as the camera records him in a quiet space. His voice is calm, collected, and soothing.]

No doubt you are experiencing confusion. Arrival can be incredibly jarring, especially when circumstances one comes from are not ideal. Should you have questions, and should this find you in a timely manner, I would be happy to assist. I am known as Elidibus.

Audio

[bigsadwolf]

[In spite of everything he's dealing with, Legosi is fortunately not technologically inept. It's about an hour later still before Elidibus will get a response though, mainly because he'd been...occupied with other things.

His response comes with the video feed turned off, though. He just isn't comfortable using it right now, hopefully he understands. Strangely enough, something about this individual wearing a mask is as calming to Legosi as his voice...probably because it's difficult to tell what his species is with it on.]

...My name is Legosi.

[His response is simple, quiet. A bit less frantic than the way he was talking earlier, but definitely still guarded.]

Can you tell me where I am?

[That's the first question, he supposed. Because upon actually surveying his surroundings, it's abundantly clear he is not in his hometown.]

Video in Response to Audio

[zodiheart]

[Elidibus nods upon hearing the other's name. He pulls up a map and gently points to New Bark Town on the map.]

You are currently in or near New Bark Town, which is where all of us awaken here. The region is called Johto, but I am still unsure of the name of the world at large, if it has a unique one of its own. We are all taken from our own worlds and brought here, with modifications made should we not be fully and mundanely human.

[A small sigh.]

It is incredibly frustrating, I assure you. Though should you have further questions, I will answer to the best of my ability.

Video;

[schachmeister]

[Armin has no idea what the newcomer on the network is panicking about exactly, but that he is panicking is all too clear. He can guess, of course. Suddenly turning up in a completely different world, one that might be very, very different from their own is not a relaxing experience to most people. It hadn't been to Armin.

What Legosi can see on the video is a young man, short blond hair and a very earnest, concerned expression sitting in what seems to be an office of sorts. Behind him, the large windows show nothing but ocean.]

It's a lot to take in, I know. I can try and answer any questions you might have, though the answers might not all be ones you'd like to hear.

Audio

[bigsadwolf]

[Legosi is sticking with Audio until further notice, which he hopes doesn't make him appear rude...it's just what he's most comfortable with right now. This young man, though...with his blond hair and earnest expression...

His heart hurts. He reminds him of Jack.]

What...do you mean by that, exactly? Have I been kidnapped?

[He can't imagine by who or why, but it wouldn't be the first time he's woken up somewhere unfamiliar in someone else's "care", strangely enough.]

Audio

[schachmeister]

[It's perfectly fine by Armin. If you can't be a little rude when you just got dropped in a strange world as some weird hairless primate, then when can you be rude?]

Not... exactly.

[He leaves his video on. Just in case he might like to show this newcomer something.]

I know this will sound really hard to believe but you'd ended up in a completely different world -- probably even a completely different universe from your own world. Nobody knows exactly how or why it happens, but sometimes people from other worlds get stuck here. Some people believe it is the work of one of the gods of this world, but I think it might be a natural phenomenon of sorts.

[A small shrug, because he realises very well that that is a meaningless little detail that is not going to interest this guy right now.]

In any case, you'll be living here for a while. Unfortunately, it is not possible to leave this world by your own design. People do go home to their own worlds all the time, but it happens as sudden and as randomly as your arrival here.

[He hurries to add though:]

But, time in your world doesn't move! So no matter how long you are here, whether it is weeks or years, when you go back to your own world, you'll go back to the exact same moment you left. So whatever might be going on back in your world, you don't need to worry about your friends or family missing you.

[ video ]

[deathknightdestroyer]

[ Oh, oh no. This poor man. Almost immediately, she clicks in. ]

You're extremely shaken up, but you're not alone. We all experienced that place, though, and most of us are willing to help. My name is Lysithea. Can you tell me yours?

[ It's both a conversation starter, and making sure that he can truly hear what she's saying. What was that anxiety exercise her mother had taught her...? ]

Audio

[bigsadwolf]

...Legosi.

[Comes his reply eventually, after a considerable pause. Just like all of the others who have responded to his accidental cry for help...strangely smooth faces with no snouts, fur, large ears or horns...he can't place it, and it makes everything feel so much more alien.

But they speak as clearly as he does and seem to know much more about what's going on, so he's not about to ignore the offer of information and help.]

How many of us are there?

[She stressed there being a "we". "We all experienced that place". That's...a terrifyingly ominous thing to say.]

[ video ]

[deathknightdestroyer]

I'm afraid I don't know for certain- I'm relatively new myself, but I had friends who were already here to help me out, but I've seen a lot of people on the Network as well.

[ She's doing her best to keep her voice reassuring, but she's not really the best at comfort. ]

I'm sure there's been a few people here to help, but if you have any questions I'll do my best to answer them. But I can tell you that despite everything, you are safe- and so is your home. When you go back, it'll be like you never left. Some consider it an act of one of the Gods here.

[video]

[neverfinishanyth]

[Leonardo slowly and deliberately turns on his camera, and when he speaks, it's with an Italian accent. Behold, a man wearing a red beret, a Pidove sitting in his lap and pecking at some food.]

Are you hurt or injured? You did not look well, on the phone.

Audio

[bigsadwolf]

[A MAN...

Legosi is still responding to people with audio only, but he's not ignoring them at least. This, this right here though?

What the fuck. This man...he's holding a bird. A baby bird. Which means there are more animals here than just the rabbit he can't seem to shake, but it only leaves him more confused than anything.]

No. Er, well I...yes, but I'm fine. I fell.

[A lot.]

video

[demonpuppy]

[Chip is quiet for a few moments when they start recording, trying to decide how to ask what they're wondering.]

...what d'you look like usually?

Audio

[bigsadwolf]

[There is a bit of a pause at Chip's question, but it isn't one that lasts very long. Legosi answers matter-of-factly, in a way that sounds like he's simply answering as opposed to attempting to mess with them or something.]

I am a grey wolf. A large-breed carnivore.

video

[insidegalra]

[Thace very much recognizes the reaction and the question. He had a similar one when he arrives. His only sign of being not human originally is the bright gold of his irises (and if one looks close enough, the gray streaks in his hair are an incredibly pale lilac). So his voice is soft and gentle when he speaks.]

Everyone brought here is forcibly changed in appearance and species until they pass for what's called human. I wish I could tell you that it can be reversed permanently, but there are short periods where everyone has their own bodies and senses again. We should be having one soon. A couple months, perhaps?

[He crooks a kind of sad smile.] I'm Thace. I was something called a Galra before I arrived. If you have any questions about adjusting, I might be able to help.

Audio

[bigsadwolf]

[Oh thank his dinosaur ancestors someone knows what he's feeling...even if Thace isn't a species he's familiar with. It's a similar sort of scenario and that's what matters right now.]

My name is Legosi. I am...was a grey wolf.

[It's going to be a very long time before he's used to this.]

What type of animal is are Galra?

[Text]

[cyan_maid]

[...Oh, that's. Hm. That's not usually a question a lot of people ask, is it? Jane can take a guess as to what it could mean, but the, uh, the tone is. She is not sure she wants to directly toss a possibility into the void?]

Well, I can tell you one thing that...might put something into perspective?
That creature that keeps trying to come up to you is called a Buneary, and they are likely your starting partner here. They'll be able to keep you safe from other creatures who would want to battle.
Which is likely why they keep coming back to sit with you.
While he was not my starter, I have one as well, named Chuck.

[Attached is a picture of a Buneary doing his best to ignore his picture being taken as he doodles wobbly angry emojis over the surface of several spread-out sheets of computer paper.]

Text...eventually

[bigsadwolf]

[Text...Legosi is not good at texting. Just ask Haru. But he knows how to, and it's not particularly hard to figure out that function on his Gear when he goes searching for a way to respond. It just takes him a bit, waiting for his hands to stop shaking long enough that he can actually formulate a proper reply.

Also, it's very noticable how much his claws are just gone right now.]

My...partner.

[That was such poor choice of wording but it's not Jane's fault at all that Legosi doesn't immediately think like, battle partner.

Oh, god, okay. The mention of battle is a relief, but also what. The way she speaks about him- Chuck- it's like he's a pet, not a person. It's causing Legosi's head to spin after his conversation with Leonardo. Wasn't...that bird a baby?

What on earth is going on?]

I don't understand.

[That's a good enough place to start.]

I have a few questions. Give me a moment...

1) What do you mean by creatures wanting to battle?
2) I've tried a few times to speak with my...with her, but she will only say one word. [And judging by the way Chuck is drawing on paper like that...] Is she a child? I spoke with someone else earlier with a baby bird, but I didn't want to assume the same of her...just because rabbits are small doesn't mean they're young.

[video]

[braveloyalhugs]

Oh gosh, are you okay?

[There is a young woman staring into her camera with so much concern right now.]

Oh no. You got changed too, didn't you? I'm so sorry. It happens to a lot of us! I'll do my best to help you get through it!

[She pumps her fist, suddenly all smiles. The wider angle gives a good enough look at her to show that she's very tall and very, very buff.]

Audio

[bigsadwolf]

[He isn't okay! But he's getting better, slowly. Having people talk to him helps, as strange as that is. Never would he have thought that the company of others would be as comforting as it is, but hey.

It's funny, he doesn't consider her to be intimidating at all even though he knows she probably would be to everyone else she meets. It's actually something he can very much relate to, being a hulking giant of a carnivore himself.]

Thank you. Would it be strange of me to ask...what species you were, before?

video

[fingersandteeth]

[There's a middle-aged man, bespectacled and lightly bearded, that's peering at the screen with an slight frown.]

... please correct me if I'm wrong, [he says after a long moment,] but when you woke up in Fake Mom's house, was your body changed?

Audio

[bigsadwolf]

[More humans...at least now he's starting to get used to seeing them, even if it's still a bit startling.]

No, you're correct. My body was changed from the moment I woke up. I didn't notice until I tried to stand and couldn't get my balance...then I saw myself in a mirror.

[And well, here we are.]

[SLAMS IN HERE with video]

[lightningfang]

[Razor is hardly the type to leave someone in distress, regardless of whether they're within physical distance... which in and of itself is something he's still growing used to. Nonetheless, he clicks into the young man's feed and peers into his Gear's camera, face fairly stoic, but tone obviously concerned.]

You are hurt. Don't panic -- make it worse. Find safe place, calm down.

RAZOOOOR also Audio still

[bigsadwolf]

[It's funny; even though Legosi is a wolf, the forest isn't necessarily the first place he'd clock as being safe. It is quiet, and there don't seem to be people here...which is all he could hope for right now. He's fortunate that whatever Pokemon are in the grass and trees are giving him a wide berth right now, probably because his Buneary had been scaring them away while he wasn't looking.

So at least when he finally answers Razor, he sounds a lot calmer, if a bit breathless.]

I'm outside of town near a path, right now. Maybe I should have stayed there, but...it feels safer out here.

[Video]

[goldeneyeball]

_{[JW notes poor Legosi's stress and concerns and he scrolls though all the comforting messages that seem to be doing a pretty good job at setting him up for success as a human and Pokemon trainer but there's one thing nobody has mentioned (that he's seen.)]}

Be not afraid. This land has no taxes.

Audio

[bigsadwolf]

[You know, Legosi isn't sure if this guy is being genuinely helpful or joking.]

...that's one less problem to worry about, I guess.

[He only just started living on his own, he's had to do taxes maybe once? Maybe? It's awful.]