video;

[schachmeister]

I hope you don't mind me taking a few minutes of your time, but there are two things I wanted to discuss.

[Always so proper, Armin is.]

First -- because I know it has been a while since I last mentioned this and there are new people here that might be interested in this -- I wanted to remind people that we have a little pen-pal project set up with people from the Sinnoh region.

For those of you unfamiliar with Sinnoh, it's another region in this world. Unfortunately, we are not allowed to travel there, though last year they did invite us over for a short trip. Since last year I, as well as some others, have been exchanging letters with people living in the Sinnoh region. It's just ordinary people for now, but my hope is that if they learn more about us, maybe one day we'll be able to travel to Sinnoh in the same way we can travel to Johto and Kanto.

If you'd like to participate, you can send your messages to Lance marked 'pen-pal project', and he'll take care of getting it to a participant Sinnoh. Or, if you have any questions, I could try and answer those, though really, there isn't much more to it than just writing letters.


[And with that first subject out of the way, onto the second.]


And the second thing I wanted to ask is 'what information about this world was most important to you when you first arrived here?'

If people who recently arrived here could answer that, that's would be really great. The experience would still be fresh to you, after all.

I just feel there is more we could do to help people who are new to this world. The network helps, of course, but it isn't the best way to get information out to everybody. Especially for people who are not familiar with technology like this. And 'mom' [you can hear the air-quotes in his voice] is more of a hindrance than a help.

A long time ago, I discussed the idea of making creating some sort of... sign or information post in New Bark Town with a friend of mine, but there is no point in doing that if we don't know what sort of information is actually helpful.

Comments

[brokencode]

[Hi, Armin. Normally Angel would be thrilled to fawn over him but because this is all business, she'll be perfectly professional. Even if she is smiling a little shyly the whole time.]

Information regarding the dampening of our abilities would be important. Doubtless many realize their condition straight away, but many others either are not aware, or do not understand the extent of it all, when they first arrive. I think it would be helpful to detail.

[schachmeister]

[They can do this in a very adult, totally professional manner and then coo at each other like love-sick pigeons once they are done.]

That's definitely good information to give out.

What do you think might be the best way to explain that? You know more about this sort of thing than I do. After all, I never had any abilities to lose.

Video;

[amaure]

[The pen-pal project interests him for similar but different reasons. While he would not mind gaining access to Sinnoh, particularly when he had missed the opportunity before, he's more curious about the accidentally ingenious way Armin is seeking access.

Physically there is nothing they can do to arrive there, but if Armin continues to engage with the region that supposedly still exists, their jailer would have little excuse to keep it out of reach. Armin may very well be accidentally forcing Arceus (or whomever may be behind Arceus and this world) to make it a permanent feature in this simulation.

After all, you can only keep the karakul's wool over the eyes of your captives for so long, especially when you continue to tantalize them with word of other lands beyond their bounds.]

Ever the clever boy, aren't you?

I had not considered such an approach, for I doubted we would be granted such an extension to our leash again. However, as I think on it, your plan may yet succeed. Wouldn't that be marvelous?

[As for the arrival question, it seems he has nothing to offer. He's not particularly interested in assisting the newly arrived. Besides, what was helpful to him is not likely going to be shared by the plethora of mortals who arrive.]

Video;

[schachmeister]

[Armin has never been good with compliments, but there is something so abjectly patronising about this one that it doesn't fluster him so much as it makes his lips flatten a bit. He's still polite, but certainly, a lot more cautious about his words.]

That would be wonderful, yes, but my plan, as you call it, has already been successful. I've gotten to talk to people from another region and tell them my story. Anything that happens further is a bonus.

Video

[dejabrewed]

It would help if said sign provided information about Pokémon in general. Imagine my surprise when I woke up to a blob of… this.

[ he motioned to the the milcery atop his head. the culprit only waved happily. sandalphon rolled his eyes for a moment before continuing. ]

You are correct, however. This network is very much lacking in information needed to orient oneself here in this world. I was one of them. [ his annoyance was palpable. ]

Video

[schachmeister]

Some pokemon are... a bit more out there than others.

[Armin had started this journey with a Hoothoot. Still plenty unknowns there, but at least there had been the general resemblance to an owl to help him. A creature like a Milcery would've been much more confusing.]

What information do you think would've been helpful? Unfortunately, it'd be impossible to offer information on every kind of pokemon out there [Unless Armin gets like, a really big sign.] so it would have to be generalised to some degree.

Also, I hope you've gotten answers to your questions by now at least. Though if anything is still unclear, I could try and answer any questions you might still have.

[video]

[talkyourwayout]

Yeah, a sign sounds like a good idea. The two most important things people told me when I got here were how to make extra money and how to get around more easily.

Oh, and I know I'm not the only one who wasn't a human before coming here. Explaining that change would be important.

[video]

[schachmeister]

Making money was really one of your first concerns?

[He's absolutely not being judgemental. It had not been something Armin had worried about at all (perhaps because having no money was more or less a default state where he's from) and now he is wondering if that is a first concern for more people. If it is, it definitely ought to go on the sign!]

I will definitely be including information about the physical change, but if I can ask you, what sort of information do you think is most important regarding that subject? I've always been human, so I can't say what is the most shocking about being one if you are normally something else.

Video

[lifebloomsanew]

Oh money was very important to learn about quickly!

Video

[schachmeister]

You are actually the second one to bring that up.

[Definitely moving up the list of important topics now!]

What sort of things would've been important to know for you?

video;

[machismost]

Why aren't we allowed to go to Sinnoh? Are we talkin' off-worlders or just anyone?

video;

[schachmeister]

Just us otherworlders. The people who are actually native to this world can travel there as much as they want.

And as far as I understand it they are... afraid of us. It's not just Sinnoh either. There are other regions in this world as well that won't let us come there.

VIDEO

[insidescoop]

[Is this technically via Jolyne? It is, she's ripping off Jolyne's experiences.

The Rocket Eye just doesn't help here.]

Honestly, I would say more than that, there needs to be some kind of camping outpost in New Bark. I mean, Jolyne arrived in the dead of winter with nothing but the snowsuit in her bag! ...Well that and a sleeping bag, sure, but still.

I was luckier coming in the summer, but heading out with some snacks and a sleeping back is just...hooof. It's rough, I mean we make it in the end, but the nearest town is days out!

VIDEO

[schachmeister]

It would be great if we could put together something like that. There'd be so much more help we could offer that way. But I guess the question becomes, who will run it? We can't predict when people will show up, so someone would have to be in New Bark all the time. I'm not sure if someone would be willing to do that.

video

[epitaffio]

Actually... I remember you talking about it before, but I don't think I ever asked. Why can't we go to Sinnoh?

[Is there something dangerous there that they can't trust outsiders with?... Something valuable?]

video

[schachmeister]

From what I understand it's because they are scared of us. They don't know anything about us or the worlds we come from, so they automatically assume we might be trouble or we won't know how to handle pokemon.

[forsaintcecilia]

A sign sounds like a great idea! Maybe something like pamphlets too? I get a fair amount of newcomers at the Silver Horn, I should ask them...

[schachmeister]

People are suggesting so many topics, pamphlets might be better, yeah. At least that way people could pick the ones that would be relevant to them. Some things will be useful for everybody, but not every new person will need an explanation about human bodies.

text;

[shiro2hero]

I think an information post of some kind is a great idea, Armin. Let me know if you need help with it.

Beyond the information part, I mean. You've always had that covered.

text;

[schachmeister]

Right now, I'm trying to think of the best way to distribute it. I'm starting to think this is becoming too big for a single sign.

Voice

[fayblood]

"That Pokémon battles are more like... games? They aren't fighting to hurt each other or get really hurt."

This was definitely a very important point to Shrike that he spent a good amount of time being concerned about until it was proven that yes, the 'mons would be fine.

Voice

[schachmeister]

That will definitely be included. I don't think it will be possible to give information on all the different pokemon out there, so I was thinking of just giving a bit of a... general guide to them -- things like types and evolution and battling.

Voice;

[heir_conditioned]

[He's busy or it would be video but the idea of friends from far away just as much as on this bulk of land seems great.]

What do I write about? Do you know who it would go to and do you have any information about them? I would like to participate but I don't write many letters.

[Texts, yes and mainly to people he knows already.]

I found out I can't use the same things I could back home to protect myself and other people. That's somewhere akin to learning we couldn't contact home.

Voice;

[schachmeister]

Not exactly. As far as I understand it, the Elite Four in Sinnoh have a list of people who are interested in becoming penpals on their end. And Lance has the list of people who are willing to send letters on our end. If you want to talk to a specific type of person, you can write that on your letter, but for the most part, you won't know who you'll be writing to until you get a response back. And if you are interested in it, you can even correspond with multiple people.

So, as a bit of general advice, it's probably good to use your first letter to introduce yourself and who you are, and after that-- well, it depends a little, but I've found that most of the people I write to are very interested in the world I come from. I think that goes for other people involved in this project too. If you have any sort of special interest or skill, that is usually a good topic too.

Personally, I think talking about your own world is always a good topic. These people want to get to know us, and the worlds we come from are pretty influential in shaping who we are.

[breathes. pauses.]

I'm sorry, that might have been a lot of information at once.

[fortuna_tenax]

Not everyone is even going to know how to camp and the like- I definitely think there should be something to help people who show up in dead winter. That was a nightmare and a half, honestly- especially when the snowstorms hit.

( shoutout to jojo, sent her a tent with a stove and shit. )

[schachmeister]

You are right. That's definitely something to look at. The supplies given are really minimal for winter camping, it's true. At the very minimum tents should be included. And warm clothing.

I know people receive an extra outfit in the backpack when they first arrive, but most of those are pretty useless. I mean, they gave me a lab coat and slacks? Not the worst, but you would not have been able to camp out with those in the winter.