level 1 • video

[necrodentia]

[ The video opens with a cheerful, excited voice issuing directions to the slowly drifting camera. It would seem that Rainer has gotten in the habit of using her starter Duskull as a cameraman. ]

No, this way, Dusky! Over here!

[ The camera pans over to show a smiling blonde woman in a wheelchair, cradling a newborn Yamask in her lap. ]

Hi, everybody! My name's Rainer, and I'm new here, but I just wanted to say thanks to everybody who's helped me get acclimated so far! I know I still have a lot to learn, but before I do, I want to say a little something about Sweet Potato here.

[ The Yamask 'mrrp's and looks up at her, looking somewhat bashful. ]

Now, Sweet Potato only just hatched today— thanks Morgan for the egg, again!— but I understand that a bunch of these little fellas were to blame for a big shindig going sideways recently. I just wanted to remind you all not to judge a book by its cover! My new Yamask is the sweetest, gentlest little creature you've ever met! She'd never hurt a fly! ...Outside of a battle, I guess... But I digress! She's so sweet, and so gentle. That's part of why her name is Sweet Potato! Just because she's a Yamask, or just because she's a ghost, please don't think that means she's out to get you or anything. I promise that's not the case.

[ Sweet Potato, for her part, looks happier to hear her trainer day such nice things about her, and she floats up to give Rainer a hug with her ghostly arms, before zooming away to join Dusky behind the camera. ]

I will admit, it's a little weird to think of a ghost hatching out of an egg, but... Oh well. I can roll with it.

[ That is definitely not the weirdest thing she's heard of when it comes to Pokemon. ]

Oh! Before I go! I need help thinking of a name for my rat— uh... Rattata. Big purple rat I caught. So far I've got Dusky the Duskull and Sweet Potato the Yamask, but I can't think of a good name for the Rattata. So I'm open to suggestions!

Thanks!

... Okay, Dusky, you can turn it off now, I'm don— [ End of video. ]

Comments

VIDEO...

[standless]

Goodness, what lovely fellows you have!

[The video connection opens up to a young man in his cabin, specifically in a room that seems one part greenhouse and one part incubation room. There's berry plants, there's carefully marked boxes holding eggs...

No pokemon actually with him, or so it seems right now- oh, no, he's got an egg in a case actually.] I shall assure you however miss, while perhaps in many realms one would find the idea of spectres quite terrifying, the majority are very much likely to be similar to your dear Sweet Potato. At the very worst, I've found them to be somewhat mischievous perhaps!

[That aside. Hm.] Rattata? Oh, and of the native sort, if it is purple...I suppose that my greatest advice would be to consider their temperament, but I shall confess that my own nicknames for my pokemon did not quite stem from such a thing.

Re: VIDEO...

[necrodentia]

Thanks!

[ She really is proud of her little Poké-nagerie! If she can't have her animal skeletons, at least she can have some cute ghosts and rodents to make up for it. ]

Oh, is that so? That's good to know then! I guess I'm the one who shouldn't have judged ghost types based on preconceived notions!

[ She laughs at her own joke. ]

His temperament, huh? Well, so far, he seems kind of... sassy? I kept him in the ball for a few days because I was sort of afraid that he would be upset with me for catching him, and when I finally let him out, he seemed to make fun of me for being such a scaredy cat.

[standless]

Hahahaa! Admittedly, the notion is certainly an unfortunately popular one all the same- it is but a matter of those who have the wonderous opportunity to discover otherwise.

Now then...sassy? That does certainly seem correct with such description. Perhaps you could consider fictional figures of a similar sort as namesakes?

[necrodentia]

Fictional figures, huh?

[ For some reason, the first thing that popped into her head were those Larry the Lime books that Argo was always raving about. Maybe if the Rattata was green like a lime, she might be able to name it Larry. Were there any purple characters in those books? Percy the Plum? Griffin the Grape? ...Maybe? Is that a thing???? ]

I'll have to think on that one!

[standless]

Authors and figures of myth are also quite good options if one asks me!

...though I suppose it could also work well to follow what trend has been set by the others as well...

[text]

[neverfinishanyth]

[Please ignore that there's an 80% chance that he's texting her from Camp Awful Squad along the road, which is probably not far from where she is.]

Perhaps Viola? It is how you usually say 'purple' in my language.

[necrodentia]

[ ......... ]

[ Rainer looks over to where she knows Leo is, well within walking distance or even shouting distance. Buuuuuuut, if he wants to write instead of talking then she'll follow suit. ]

Viola is nice! I'll definitely enter it into the running.
How do you say "rat" in your language?

[neverfinishanyth]

Ratto, simply enough. And topo is what you call a mouse.

[necrodentia]

HmmmmmMMMMMMMM...
He's too big to be a mouse.
Well, he's too big to be a rat, too but he IS called a Rattata. Not Mousettata.

What is your language, by the way? I've never seen it before.

[neverfinishanyth]

My language is called italiano. I'm usually speaking it, but this device has a setting that automatically translates it into common speech.

Video

[cometkin]

Hiya Rainer.

[A balding, middle-aged man, with a farmer's tan and a scruffy beard, peers back at her.]

How about Ben? That's what I'd name a Rattata.

[necrodentia]

[ No offense, but Ben is exactly the sort of Rattata name one might expect from a balding, middle-aged man with a farmer's tan and a scruffy beard. ]

Hi! Nice to meet you, whoever you are! I think Ben is a cute name! Definitely adding it to the list of possibilities.

[cometkin]

Oh right! I'm Greg. Greg Universe. But you can call me... [dramatic pause!] ... Mr Universe!

[necrodentia]

Well heck, Greg! Way to bury the lede!

[ Congrats on having the coolest name ever!!! ]

Nice to meet you, Mr Universe!

[cometkin]

You too, Rainer! How do you like it here so far?

Text | If the font is too bothersome lmk and I'll change it!

[rollstoseduce]

[Sorry about the text, Rainer, but Jaskier is currently flying and he won't appear on a shaking camera. Artist pride! Or something.]

Ghosts, dogs, horses - everything hatches out of eggs here! Not to mention their ability to procreate with each other, regardless of their breed. It's peculiar, to say the least.

As for your new little friend, knowing its sex would help! But may I suggest Brie, after the cheese? Or mayhap we could play around with real names, like Conrat or Dorathy.

please don't I love it

[necrodentia]

Whoa, how do you get your writing to come out like that??? It looks like actual handwriting instead of uniform block letters!

[ Somebody is just now being introduced to the idea of "fonts." ]

As for my Rattata friend, I think he's a he. So definitely more Conrat than Dorathy. But both are very good entries! I almost want a female rat to match just so I can use both!

[rollstoseduce]

A lady of fine taste! The uniform black letters do get boring extremely fast, don't they? Writing should carry each writer's personality!

[He attaches a screenshot of the color and font option menus and how to find them.]

If it's a second Rattata you want, I assure you won't have any issues finding it. They nest all over the region! Even inside caves! Ah, but the ones that live in the islands are black, and I believe their type is different as well.

[necrodentia]

[ Oh, Jaskier... You don't know what you've just unleashed. ]

Thanks for the guide! I'm going to have a lot of fun with this!

[ Just give her a moment to fiddle with the settings. ]

Type? Oh, you mean like ghost or water or flying or things like that? What type are the black ones, do you know? (If you ask me, “Normal” is kind of a strange name for a type.)

[rollstoseduce]

[Oh! It's so beautiful! Jaskier is proud of what he's unleashed.]

You're welcome! That's a lovely color for a lovely lady.

[Now give him a sec to check the type on the Pokédex - he knows he's seen it because Kiri has one.]

The black Rattata are Normal/Dark. And trust me, when I arrived, I had the same concerns as you do. But for the sake of your sanity, allow me to share this piece of advice: don't try to find sense in this utopic yet very peculiar world. "Fighting" and "Normal" are types, your rats are capable to breed with ducks and seals, and while they insist they do not possess magic, there are teleporting portals at every Pokécenter. Logic could never convince the heart, the poem says - then this realm is made out of only heart, I say.

Video

[adandyinspace]

Wait a minute...

...That's exactly what I'd expect someone to say if they were up to no good! Oh, I am so onto your sleazy potato.

[Sweet potato... It was sweet potato.]

[necrodentia]

[ LE GASP. How very dare. ]

Sweet potato. The only sleazy one here is the guy accusing an innocent baby of having nefarious plans!

[adandyinspace]

Fair enough!

But I don't see anyone else having to make announcements about how "totally innocent" their little monsters are!! This is Letting Their Guard Down 101, baby.

[Dandy didn't even go to prom, so why he cares is anyone's guess.]

[necrodentia]

You show me other people with totally innocent little monsters whose brethren just got done ruining a big lavish party, and I'll make you eat your hat.

Imma just slide on in here, I'm so sorry he's a dick

[maplecourt]

[Fine, he wants to use video, Fitzroy will use video.

And not look intimidating at all with a krabby on his shoulder.]

I'm fairly certain that Rainer has more knowledge on this matter than you would. Given her knowledge of undead things in general and, you know, the whole keeping your guard up thing.

But please do continue being paranoid about a ghost that just hatched, it's honestly entertaining in a pathetic sort of manner.