001 - [Video | un: Uravity]

[floatsaway]

[It has been...a long few days for Ochako Uraraka. A long, long few days. After arriving in Newbark Town, like everyone else, she was given little to no information about, well...anything, and left to her devices. Like. Everyone else. Honestly, you'd think that there'd be an actual system put in place for all these newcomers or something. Like a Welcome Center, with information and helpful things to know. Hell, and some spare clothes...one single pair of pants and a t-shirt, alongside her pajamas, are not going to last a grueling journey like this, seriously. Thank goodness Ochako is as frugal as frugal comes. She can most certainly make her money last, and knows all the tricks to ration her food and take care of her belongings.

One of the few perks of being dirt poor.

The first day or two was spent mostly just acclimating to the new normal. Getting to know her Pokemon - a cute and very pink Cleffa, which Ochako finally decided on a name for...Parfait. It was cute and sweet, just like her little, meeping partner. Next in line was, uh...actually training up the little thing. It was weird thinking that this tiny, pudgy, pink cream puff could fight, but...then again, a lot of people underestimated her, and Ochako had one hell of a punch, and her high kick was, by Gunhead's standards, top shelf. So, after a few fumbled first battles (Ochako learned quickly that birds are jerks in this world), she eventually got the hang of it, hanging around the outskirts of Cherrygrove (in the early part of route 29 and 30 respectively), battling Pokemon and looking to expand her growing team.

And boy did she find one hell of a Pokemon to add. The video feed comes one with Ochako looking quite disheveled, her hair standing up in a few spots and a spattering of...some sort of food item on her cheek.]

Mmh... H-Hello, everyone, um. M-My name is Uraraka. U-Uraraka Ochako... [She tries to smooth her hair down, but to no avail.] I-I'm new here and. Ehh...

I-Is it normal for Poke...Pokey...Poker--...for your critters to refuse to eat? D-Do they have preferences? Because, um... [Ochako switches her Gear's camera to show off a very petulant looking Espurr, sitting on its butt on a stone with arms crossed, a little bowl in front of it floating around and smacking on the side of the rock every few seconds.] Th-This one won't accept anything I've given her. She's like a picky child...

[Ochako heaves a big, heavy sigh, shoulders drooping.] I don't want to waste all my food, but I don't want her to not eat, either!! Mmmaahh...Eclair-chaaan...please eat something. Maybe some water? At least a drink?

Comments

[nastyboy]

I am glad to help. This land is extremely kind and generous to those that decide to go on the path of a trainer - or, well, have it shoved upon them.

With all of that said... I hope you do not mind if I ask a favor of you?

Should you ever make the decision to battle a gym, could you film it for me? I like to learn more about how different people approach them, especially since their teams can vary so much. It is helpful to me and my own traveling group, I've found. If it is no trouble, of course.

[Hopefully, it's something that helps make her feel less indebted - and it's also something that she may very well end up doing regardless, with not too much extra effort.]

[floatsaway]

[Less indebted, but a lot more nervous now. Ochako jerks a bit, and then she tucks her head into her shoulders and chews at her lower lip nervously. Oh lord, he really does seem a whole lot like Aizawa-sensei...and now just gave her an assignment, too...ahaha. Gosh. But it wouldn't hurt, since he's been so nice. She's just afraid of making a complete fool of herself, especially if she loses or fails spectacularly. Like she expects to. Ochako is the very definition of a Newbie Trainer.]

Eh? Um...w-well, I-I don't mind much!! Of course you may, i-if I don't forget about it. Um. Just don't expect much from me, Dimitri-san, I'm still trying to figure out how everything in this world really works, and battling those wild animals can get a bit difficult, sometimes, too. I can't imagine how hard an experienced fighter is going to be to beat...

But if it'll help you, I don't mind at all. Just please, don't share it with anyone else but who you're traveling with, i-if that's alright? [She'll be mortified if anyone else sees her blunder all over the place.]

[nastyboy]

Of course. I will keep it purely to myself. [And he says it seriously enough as well. Dimitri never makes promises he intends to fail on. If she doesn't want such things spread around, he will make sure not to do that.]

Still, you do not have to be so nervous. The same way that the money goes up as you challenge gyms, so too is it in terms of difficulty. That means Violet's Gym, should you choose to start with that, will be manageable if you train a little bit for it. Although...

[Hm. Is there anything he can do to help there?]

[Fortunately, he has Pokemon with him that remember more about Violet City than he does. Dean taps his shoulder, and Dimitri looks up at the Emboar, listening to the low snuffling noises. Gremlin perks up immediately, and leaps from his shoulder. Is that the sound of keys clicking?]

Oh, excuse me. [He leans out of frame for a moment, before pulling back with a smile.] Of course. Thank you, Dean, Gremlin. I forgot that was there...

But Ochako, there is a school for Pokemon battling in Violet City. Perhaps going there might help assuage some of your concerns about going against a gym? They let people sit in on lessons, apparently. I did not attend myself, but I am sure it would be useful...

[floatsaway]

[It's just embarrassing, because Ochako really and truly is so new and inexperienced she just...doesn't want to be laughed at, really. Her first few battles against wild Pokemon alone weren't exactly easy, and it's kind of frowned upon to fight these wild animals yourself, e-even if she probably could (though the emotional toll of punching a cute animal would be Rough™).

Though the mention of a school immediately piques her interest, and there's but a teensy gasp and a look of sheer delight and relief on her face along with a heavy sigh. Thank goodness...somewhere she can actually get some real tutelage...and experience before making a right fool of herself in a professional setting.]

That's wonderful!! I'll be sure to go there for a few lessons when I arrive! I want to get stronger to catch up to my friends who came here before me, so...I think it's a good idea to take on these Gyms, but getting to know how to really fight would be great. I, um...I actually really miss being in school, too, as weird as that may sound, ehehe. So it'll feel kind of nostalgic, maybe.

I really can't thank you enough, Dimitri-san, and your friends as well!! Dean-chan, Gremlin-chan, you all are the best!

[nastyboy]

[Of course she's still a student. Dimitri thinks back to his own schooldays, to the occasions when there wasn't yet another catastrophe or horrifying event.]

[Watching Seteth prepare a fishing competition just for his sister, how Ingrid had so determinedly tried to win while Alois had laughed and made every fish pun he could imagine, only for the Professor to blow them all out of the water...]

[For the White Heron Cup, everyone doing their best so that they could prepare for the dance, the smiles and exchange of words...]

[Dimitri smiles a bit.]

I hope you enjoy your time back in school, then, and make good friends. Violet City is a wonderful place to stay at as well, so I'm sure you will have fun.

If you ever would like to have someone to practice battle against, do let me know. We-

[And that's around the time Gremlin comes back on screen, just to shove his face into the camera with an excited and happy chitter. Patiently, Dimitri picks him up by the scruff of the neck so that he can pull him away.]

As you can see, we would be glad to see how you are doing.

Do take care.