victory_road | [video]

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[ to recap recent events…

sandalphon is a very confused angel, but for the most part, has adapted to the new world. it helped that his milcery had a general dislike of her pokéball. constantly seeing her was a reminder that this was indeed a new experience. homesickness aside, there was a small part of him that was curious as to what this new place would bring. he’d been poking and prodding away at the pokégear, figuring out the map and pokédex features during his travel on route 29, but the pokégear connect feature was something he had not fully understood just yet.

that is, until milcery gleefully hit the ‘start video’ feature with a knowing smile on her face. ]

—briel, what did you do?

[ the milcery cooed once, as if saying ‘introduce yourself!’. sandalphon just stared at her as if she was insane. as he tried to hit end, milcery pushed his hand away, still cooing and expecting her partner to say at least something. the angel just sighed. there was no winning this fight, it seemed. ]

At the insistence of my Milcery, who I simply call Gabriel… [ she waves a blobby hand as if to say hello. ] I am Sandalphon… and I’m new. Quite frankly a lot of this is new, but thankfully I haven’t been too lost.

[ he wants to end it there, but gabriel stares at her partner. go on……. ]

If… any person has any advice as to where to go and what to do after the town I’ll be arriving in soon— it should be Cherrygrove— please, go ahead and tell me. Astrals knows I’d rather have something rather than nothing.

[ sandalphon then turns to gabriel. ] Can I please end it there?

[ gabriel nods, completely satisfied with herself, and the feed goes dark. ]

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Hello. I'm Romelle. [The blond with violet eyes, pointed ears, and teal markings near her eyes gave a small wave in return. Though her appearance hadn't changed, she hadn't retained anything else from home.] I personally have been going through the Gym Challenge here. It's something a lot of people who ended up as trainers are doing while they're here. That and completing their "pokedex". If you're a breeder, you can also cultivate Pokémon eggs.

A pleasure to meet you, Romelle.

[ honestly, sandalphon wasn’t expecting any sort of response, but he appreciates it nonetheless. ]

Gym challenges…? Breeding these Pokémon…? [ so much information packed in those sentences alone… but sandy was a determined angel. ] I can sort of understand breeding, but there are challenges we can partake in?

Mm-hm! You challenge the various gyms in each city across Kanto and Johto to earn badges. Each gym has a theme and focuses on a particular type of Pokémon, and you can test your strength, skill, and strategy against the top trainers that work at those gyms. Some trainers who have come here in the same way we have also have started their own gyms as well, so you can even go to them as part of your journey.

It's a very common thing to do here, and is considered a sort of right of passage or coming of age tradition in the culture of this world.

I see… so I’m guessing those marks with the symbols resembling these on the map are those gyms, correct?

[ sandalphon held out gabriel’s pokéball, to which said pokémon blew a raspberry at. no thank you to staying inside!! sandalphon only gave the milcery a look. ]

Yes, yes, I know you don’t like them. [ he rolls his eyes before addressing Romelle again. ] Forgive her. Anyways, where exactly do you pick up more of these contraptions anyways? I have currency, but… no true idea as to where it is accepted.

Oh, those you can get at PokeMarts. You can also get medicines for your Pokémon there, too. Different PokeMarts in different towns sell different kinds of them, depending on what you need them for. The red and white ones are your basic kind, and everyone can get those. As you earn more badges, you'll have access to more kinds of balls.

Kanto and Johto both each have a large department store, as well, where you can find lots of things once you get to the bigger city in each region. In Johto, it's Goldenrod City. In Kanto, you should head for Saffron.

[ sandalphon makes mental notes, finally realizing that being a trainer was a lot more jam packed than it should be. he definitely liked the challenge, however. ]

That… is going to be rather lengthy in terms of travel time, if I want to make it to the mall. I have to do so on foot. But I assume that if it’s a long trek, then it must be worth it…

Mm! [Romelle nodded.] It isn't that bad once you get used to it. I was pretty put off by a lot of it early on, too. It's gotten better as I go along, and you can always count on your Pokémon partners to help you when you need it.

[This was coming from someone who liked learning, but hated "adventure", so there was that, too!]

I’m already put off, as heeled shoes are my current predicament. [ heels are not ideal for long trips!! but sandalphon soon spares a glances at milcery for a moment or two. ] As for Pokémon help… We’ll see how that works out with Gabriel here…

[ cue indignant cry from milcery. ]

You'd be surprised. What I thought was a cute little klamuirl turned into this!

[She swung her gear around to show her Bewear.] He's really big and really tough.

[ sandalphon gave a bewildered look at the bewear. pink. and large. it reminded him of one of the crewmates aboard the airship. ]

… I’ll be honest, it looks like it won’t harm a fly. But even I recognize that looks can be deceiving.

[Romelle giggled a little.]

They can be pretty rough when they want to be. Bewear likes battling, too, so usually I have to calm him down. But, for the most part, you're right. He loves to cuddle and hug.

I'm not sure if I'd appreciate the cuddle aspect, but I'm at least relieved to hear that you appreciate it.

[ he looks at the milcery once more, who's now decided to sit atop his head in glee. ] Maybe I'll learn to appreciate them as well.

They're hard not to like. [Romelle giggled just a bit.]

Good luck to you and your new friend.

[Razor is usually at a loss for advice to newbies, but he spent quite a while in the first couple of cities here... Granted, it's up to Sandalphon's judgment whether a disheveled boy covered in rags and dirt is a great counselor or not.]

Oh, after that, is... the Violet City. There, is a tower to climb, and human caves for exploring. Lots of 'mons, and lots of puzzles.

[The boy makes a confused face when he catches a glimpse of Gabriel.]

Your, um... milk... is getting away?

[ sandy is at the point that caring for one’s appearance is the least of his worries. as long as it was something good to know, he would talk to anyone. ]

A tower…? Human caves- do you mean man made caves? Or are they natural? That sounds interesting to figure out. What kind of Pokémon are there?

[ at the mention of gabriel, sandalphon turns his head to see her trying to sneak into the grass. he suddenly sets down the pokegear to fetch her before she could go anywhere. it takes some time, but eventually the pokegear was picked back up. sandalphon looked disheveled while gabriel was giggling happily. ]

Thank you… I don’t know what I would’ve done…

Oh, yes. Made by humans. Lots of ghosts, birds, lizards... some fish.

[As he speaks of the tower and ruins, a couple of Pokemon float into view behind Razor; a rather standoffish Doublade and a Swoobat with a little bronze medal tied around its... neck? Shoulders? This is one compact bat.

Razor pats Swoobat as it lands on his shoulder, and smiles awkwardly into the camera.]

Oh... It's a 'mon. Like Snoot, and Soul. From Violet.

I see, a human-made cave… I’ll mark that point for future exploration, thank you.

[ the doublade looks rather familiar— in fact, he remembers felix having one, but it was singular rather than a pair. the simmering curiosity really wants him to ask… he points at the doublade. ] That one looks like a Honedge… what’s the difference?

[ the fact that it seemingly could be found in Violet City gave him an even bigger urge to get there, despite nothing really showing on his face outside of passive interest. just how many other pokémon were there? ]

Oh, yes. You are welcome.

Soul was one fang when... we met. She ah... ascend -- um... [No, that's not right...] ... evolved. Now, she is two.

[Doublade takes all this talk to be high praise, and she unsheathes herself with twin glints of shiny steel. She is pretty impressive, huh?]

She evolved from one to two? [ he couldn’t help that slight excitement that was laced in his voice. ] Do all of these creatures evolve…?

[ he needed to know. he wanted to know. sandy’s going to test this later. or maybe razor will answer? who knows…

he notes the doublade’s pride. ] I see it’s very happy with it’s new form.

I think so. Maybe? I think... they grow up, when they are ready. Like a baby bird, leaving nest.

[Razor lifts a hand, and though the Doublade hesitates for a moment with the camera, it pushes a pommel into his palm and rubs. Almost like a nuzzle.]

Oh, yes. She is stronger, and braver. Maybe, if we fight Jim more, she gets even bigger!

Oh, so with practice, they grow and evolve… interesting.

[ definitely taking mental notes. he nods to himself; he thinks he knows what he wants to do now. just one thing though… ]

Do you mean ‘gym’?

"I think it depends on what you want to do?"

There's no video feed to confirm one way or another, but by the sound of the voice, it's a kid who hasn't even gotten through puberty yet.

"If you want to travel, or go to those gyms, or something else..."

“What I want to do…”

He doesn’t mind the voice-only mode. In fact, he welcomes it. And even if it was a kid on the other side, it at least asked a question Sandalphon hasn’t even asked himself.

“I… Can’t exactly say I know. All of this is new.”

Shrike is still far too shy to show his face--even hooded--over these fancy devices. But at least he's starting to get a little better at initiating conversations over them.

"You don't have to go anywhere else if you don't want to yet."

There's plenty of reasons other people find to want to, but that doesn't mean one has to, right?

“… Yes, that does make sense. But even so, I don’t exactly want to stay in a cave for an extended amount of time.”

Autonomy was still something new to him, but even he had his limits. He preferred not worrying if the elements will destroy what he has.

“Even so, I take it you’ve been here longer than I have?”

"There's places to stay in the town. Cherrygrove City."

He could do like Shrike's been doing and just stay in town until figuring out what to do and where to go next. Or so Shrike's trying to get across. He's still not very used to talking to people much so he's not very good at explaining things.

"I got here about two months ago."

Yes, he's still been hanging out in the first proper town he reached since for the most part.

Two months ago, and still in Cherrygrove…? Something told him that the person he was talking to didn’t like to do much in terms of exploration.

“I see… but the question lies in if they ask us to pay for lodging. I only carry so much money…”

Whatever this “pokemoney” was, it certainly wasn’t rupees. “How do you earn money in this place, anyways…?”

Exploration is fine... if Shrike can do it without having to stop and interact with people along the way. Unfortunately, this world isn't very accommodating for that kind of hunting and gathering lifestyle, so he's more than a little slow to adjust.

That, and there's been a few big things that have happened since his arrival that might have impacted matters just a bit.

"Oh! You can work for people in the towns." He's a little knowledgeable on this topic, at least, so it's easier to explain. "And... I think you can win money from Pokémon battles?"

“You can win money from battling other Pokémon?” That just left even more questions in Sandalphon’s head. Working for others, that’s easy enough to understand. But battling others…?

He looks at Milcery. He had a lot of work to do, if he wanted to do any sort of traveling.

"Um, from winning against other trainers. I think."

He hasn't exactly done much of that, himself, so it's all hearsay to him.

“I’ll be searching for some then. I need to be able to feed everyone.”

He was about to cut off the feed there, but remembered something important. “… Thank you, for all the information you’ve given me.”

"Oh, um. Other people can probably tell you more..."

He's not used to being thanked.

“Regardless, you assisted. Have some confidence. Thank you again.”

He cuts the transmission there, having a lot to think about.

Honestly, there's a whole lot of potential things to do, although it's going to depend on what you're actually interested in doing. Also, whether you're a trainer or breeder can be a factor - they're basically specialties that make certain things easier or harder to do, depending on which you are.

The big thing you can potentially do is the gym challenge. There are eight gyms in each region that you can challenge with a team of pokémon; win, and you earn a badge. You also get some money, and items that let you teach special moves to your pokémon. Some of them are pretty useful, too; for instance, once you've earned the right to fly on your pokémon - you have to show a certain level of proficiency in pokémon training to get a license - you can fly between locations and save some wear and tear on your feet. It's a lot faster than walking, too. Or you can get a license to take your water pokémon across bodies of water. So you can earn the right to some real conveniences. So there's a lot of benefits...also, it's just a fun challenge. And it helps your partners grow stronger.

Some people - especially breeders - focus on breeding pokémon. You can get special kinds of pokémon that way, and you can even sell - or just give away - the eggs to other people who might be looking for certain types for their own teams.

But you can also just do your own thing, if you prefer. I know a friend of mine built an inn that helps rehabilitate people and pokémon. So you can make your own goal, if the stuff this world offers doesn't necessarily appeal.

[You could totally open your own coffee shop, Sandalphon.]

[ well that was certainly a wall of text he did not expect. but there it was. ]

Thank you for all that information… quite frankly, seeing it in writing makes it a lot more easier for me to properly understand it.

So it’s possible for a person to build a business here as well? I suppose the appropriate phrase here is “the world is your oyster.”

[ don’t give him ideas, claude. ]

[Listen, Sandalphon, Claude only knows two ways of sharing information: not at all, or way too much. Claude loves deer, but despite what his old house might suggest, his favorite color of deer is actually teal.]

Hey, I'm glad to hear it was helpful. All us otherworlders have been dropped here without warning once. It's hard not to jump right into 'what I wish someone had told me'. Or 'what people did tell me that was really helpful'.

But yeah, provided it's not against any laws or harming anybody, people more or less seem to have free reign to live whatever kind of life they want here. I won't deny it's nice. Between wars and obligations back home, this place has definitely been kind of a vacation for my friends and me.

I suppose you have a point. Astrals knows I would’ve acted like a headless chicken had I not asked.

[ the milcery in the background was acting all smug. she had been right and sandalphon wasn’t acknowledging it! the angel just… didn’t care at the moment. right now, he had a growing interest in speaking to the stranger on the other side. ]

War? Obligations? I won’t pry, however I suppose things like that are near constants, no matter what world you’re in. And to an extent, I understand. It’s freeing.

[ freedom from being anything but himself. he fears it might be too intoxicating, but doesn’t want to speak it into the world. ]

Astrals? Well, now you're just making me curious about your world in turn.

I don't mind a bit of prying, honestly - I'd be a hypocrite if I did, considering how nosy I am myself. But also I doubt that the political ramifications of some strange world you're not likely to ever see would really be that interesting to you. It's like you said - some unpleasant aspects of society are pretty universal. And being able to set them aside in a nice, peaceful world is a nice break. Knowing that we'll return to our own worlds with no time passed once our time here is up even liberates us further to just enjoy as much vacation as we're allotted.

Astrals are a kind of being that have no right existing. It’s as simple as that.

You would be surprised— I know little to nothing as to how humanity governs itself, much less the society it harbors. I only know as much as I do due to books. Knowing such things would be interesting, especially if it were from another world. After all, where would I start to learn how people travel, if they’re bound to the ground?

[ he was spoiled by flying, okay, plus there’s no cars in the sky realm. ]

That doesn't really sound simple at all. It sounds...kind of alarming, actually.

I admit I don't know how your world works at all, so maybe with context that doesn't sound quite as bad as it does without it, but...saying some beings don't even have the right to exist, without context, is - well, I'm just going to use the word alarming again.

You talk as though you're not human yourself, though. What would that make you?

As for being bound to the ground...well, that's variable here. People can fly around on pokémon as a form of travel here. Of course, you can also ride some land-bound pokémon, like horse pokémon. There's the occasional boat or train...but mostly the standard form of travel seems to be walking here.

It’s not as alarming as it sounds, if I told you that Astrals are world destroying beings, now is it? So regardless of world, they are very capable of destruction if put on the wrong side of the morality spectrum.

I do speak as non-human, that much I am aware. Most humans simply call me an archangel, as my more specific classifications are unknown to most.

[ that response makes sandalphon groan. he’s very much used to heels, but the pain that came with them if worn for long… he’s going to work hard for a mount, that’s for sure. ]

That’s so inconvenient… I’m starting to miss the airships of my home world already…

Ah, yeah. Like I suspected, context is important there. Although implying that they can be on the right side of the morality spectrum still makes me think that maybe it's only specific Astrals who are the problem...? But maybe I'm reading too much into it.

Archangel, huh? People talk about angels in my world, but not as real things that exist or can be communicated with. Or, well, if they do exist, there's definitely no hard evidence. So talking to one is pretty fascinating...even if an archangel from your world could be a whole different creature than what we picture in mine.

But you have to tell me more about airships. Are we talking about ships that sail through the air instead of the water? Because that sounds incredible!

[ sandy shudders. no, none of them are good news, ever. ]

You are reading too much into it. They are too much for the world, simple as that.

I doubt it— most humans think of archangels as humans with the addition of wings and a ‘holy’ aura back home. However I’m not here to presume, so take that as you will.

Those are exactly the airships I speak of. They fly through the sky using the tetra-elements’ buoyancy, something that my fellow archangels controlled until they seceded those roles to nature. Actually, the buoyancy is the main thing keeping my world in order, given everything is in the sky…

What can I say? I'll take your word for it, since I'm not familiar with them. But it does seem to follow that anything that can destroy a world is bad news.

Belief about angels varies by belief system back home. My country doesn't really subscribe to the idea at all, but I'm aware of the concept.

Wait, what do you mean that everything is in the sky in your world? Do you mean everything floats?

Good to know that people here know common sense.

I see… back home most only know of us through what’s known as the creation myth, but that’s another book I don’t plan on cracking open any time soon.

Yes, everything floats. It’s known as the Sky Realm for a reason. I had the benefit of flying wherever I needed, however the lack of my wings has made that impossible. Regardless, I’m… adjusting.

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