victory_road | 010

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010 - video

Greetings, everyone. It seems as though autumn is upon us once more. It is good to see that everyone is doing well, but I have a question.

[Dimitri would say all of this calmly, but, well... While he's very clearly holding the Gear with his hand, like a normal person, he's... Is he tilted to the side for some reason? Is that the hint of a knee?]

[He might be trying to hold something back with his foot, from where he's sitting in his backyard in Vermillion.]

For those who have also had the pleasure of raising the creatures known as Nulls, from Silph Corporation, what has your experience with them been like? More specifically, when it comes - Ciannwn, down. Specifically, when it comes to their helmets.

Has yours ever had theirs broken, from rough housing? Or battle? Perhaps from use of a certain move? I would also wonder if they are expensive, if only because I may have to reimburse a business. Because mine - Ciannwn, no!

[TOO LATE. Because Dimitri is suddenly barreled over by something huge, with white fur, and maybe some metallic bits attached. There's only a blur that can be seen, because the Gear goes flying, and lands awkwardly on the ground to focus just on the mildly cloudy sky.]

[Is that the sound of a dog or a horse? Who knows! Silvally are just weird sometimes.]

[Dimitri will get back to the Gear soon. He swears. He just has to get a 7 foot troubled dog off of him first.]

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[What.]

...It just evolved. They do that.

[Dimitri comes back with his hair sticking up, probably from slobber. The Silvally is nowhere to be found, at least on screen.]

Really? I did not think they would evolve....

Are you familiar with the breed?

{Cassandra is just... going to pretend not to notice that.]

Blade... my starter is a Silvally. They evolve when they feel they can trust you fully, and the helmet comes off.

I see...

[Dimitri's expression softens at that. He knows that some Pokemon evolve that way, but... Well, it means a lot, with Ciannwn.]

I had to admit I was surprised... A good many of my companions have evolved, but a Silvally's evolution is quite different.

Yes, a lot of evolutions are based on strength, but for some pokemon it's trust.

[And for some, it's more esoteric - ask Cassandra about her Scizor someday.]

Not only that... But the evolution seemed somehow more physical, if that makes any sense.

For example, when Hafren, my Cubone, evolved into a Marowak... Her helmet simply changed shape, like a part of her. For Ciannwn's own helmet to shatter like that, well, it was quite a surprise.

The helmet limits their power. I think Blade was ambivalent about it - someone tried to take the helmet off when Blade was still a Type: Null and Blade reacted badly, but at the same time it was a limiter, and I don't think it was comfortable to wear at all.

I see... Perhaps it hurt, if one tried to remove it carelessly.

[Like trying to remove a pinched ring, or an arrow from a wound.]

I still feel it would be better to not have a limiter at all... At least if it does something like this.

It probably would. But also, I wonder if there isn't some... not reassurance, but safety? The control helmet is supposedly there because the first ones went out of control, so they may be afraid of their power too. Or afraid it will go out of control. That doesn't mean they like it, but... If you have a lot of power, and losing control of that power could be disastrous, then I don't think it's so strange that you might be afraid of it, or what you could do if you lost control of it.

[Granted, many Silvally don't have access to said power, but still.]

....I understand what it means to be afraid of such uncontrollable power well. [Such is what had him interact so carefully with others, and why he wore gauntlets so constantly, even at school.] Yet there are other routes as well...

There must be, and to not look for them in favor of something like this would just be cruel.

[Cassandra is quiet for a moment.]

I'm sorry you have to understand that too.

[Hopefully losing control in Dimitri's case doesn't mean eating people.]

I am not certain Silph Co cares that much.

[No, but it does mean always thinking on if he might shatter someone's fingers by accident just by holding their hand. That's fine too-]

[What's not as fine is Silph Co's treatment of Nulls, and Dimitri scowls.]

I am starting to suspect that. I wrote them a letter regarding Ciannwn's evolution. Depending on their response, I may have to get quite insistent on this matter.

[Oh, Cassandra knows that one too.]

A letter?

That is right. Ah, if yours was your starter... Well, when one goes to Silph Co, they request that people let them know of any issues with one's Type Null, or if anything of note occurs.

I thought this was something of note, of course, so I sent them a letter about what was happening. I also, of course, made some mention of my thoughts on the helmets.

That's understandable.

The helmet design is... it seems unnecessarily restrictive. There must be better ways to design something like this even if it is necessary.

I was honestly quite worried on how Ciannwn could eat, when I first saw the design of the helmet. There has to be a better way...

Especially in this place, where things like the Pokeballs exist. Surely there must be a way to make something small that has the same abilities. Why must it be a helmet instead of, say, a collar?

...Type: Null is a miracle of mad science, and frankly I'm starting to wonder if they lose the helmet when they evolve, or if they evolve because they lose the helmet.

Worry not, though; even after SID evolved, no one tried to send me a bill, so you should be fine too.

[Dimitri comes back to the camera with his hair licked into a mess and some grass sticking to one cheek. That's... fine, honestly. As he adjusts the Gear so the camera is focused a little better, Ciannwn can be seen coming around behind him, leaning her head over his shoulder, and just... dropping a rock onto his lap.]

[So his troubled dog seems happy.]

That's good. I was worried that they would have wanted to put a new helmet on, and I would rather just pay a fee for breaking something important.

[Or becoming a criminal and going on the run again, either or]

[Aww, that's so sweet. Ash can't help but smile. Ciannwn even gets a little wave in greeting!]

Ah! If they'd wanted to force new helmets upon every evolved Null out there, the Silph Co. building would have been reduced to ashes long ago. They may be odd critters, but I can't think of any trainer who hasn't gotten attached by now.

I can imagine so. They are sweet creatures... [Dimitri manages to pat Ciannwn's side a bit, just before she trots off again.] She seems to have become much more lively since the helmet was removed as well. Before, she was a lot more calm, although no less inquisitive.

[It's just that, now, she has the full access of her mouth to pick up rocks with.]

It's not like we know exactly what that helmet does, do we? For all we know, it comes with side effects. And even if it's merely decorative, that's still a decent weight off her shoulders and neck.

[Ash has reached that age where he can appreciate the absence of neck and shoulder pain, so he sympathizes.]

[Dimitri is an Old Man in spirit, so yeah, he gets it.]

I feel that if it were just decorative, it wouldn't have shattered so spectacularly like that...

Well, regardless, I'm glad that she has it off. I never liked that helmet staying on a living creature like that, especially when there was never even an opening for her to feed through.

...And she did not like the straw the receptionist offered.

Oh, that could be a color thing!

[Maybe. Possibly. Each specimen appears to have its own unique oddities, but who knows?]

SID rejected every straw I found, until I got an orange one. Of course, things are much better now that there's no need for a straw at all, but those poor Null tend to fixate on the smallest details.

[!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!]

I did not even think to consider color! Which is really quite the silly oversight on my part. That can be such an important aspect of mealtime!

[It all tasted like Nothing in his mouth, after all, and so Dimitri definitely took what he could get in his own situation.]

I wish I had thought to try such a thing earlier...

Considering the number of potential triggers for their... quirks, it's not surprising one or two slipped your mind. Especially since that one is less common in people past a certain age.

[Would his old mentor have rejected a straw that wasn't white? Ash doesn't think so, but he can't be sure.]

SID's love of orange didn't change after evolving, too, so you can still identify the optimal shade for yours, should you ever need it.

I see... It is always a good thing to know about one's partner. While she may no longer need a straw, Ciannwn may still appreciate other gifts given to her that a particular color.

I wonder if maybe the influence of her own particular quirk would mean anything.... She glows in the dark, you see.

...You've got a free, environmentally-friendly all-terrain nightlight, nice. First time I hear about a case like that, though. Is her glow somewhat green, or does she just... light up somehow?

Yes, it has made training slightly easier as night falls upon the land a little quicker. Of course, she is also easier to avoid when training against wild Paliens...

[So, you know. It balances out.]

Her light is actually more of a warm, red hue. I believe it may have something to do with her typing, actually - she is a fire type. I wonder if she would have still glowed as another typing, or if the glow would have simply changed color...

[Null are weird.]

Red? Unlikely to be radioactive, then. That's good.

[What's that? A lack of trust in Silph Co.? Surely not!]

Some moves and abilities can change a Pokémon's type in battle. Has she ever been affected by one? It might modify her color temporarily.

Radioactive...?

[Sir, he comes from a world where bombs are made out of a barrel you set on fire and then roll towards your enemy. He doesn't even know much about chemistry. What are you talking about.]

[Dimitri shakes his head after a moment, refocusing.]

I have not noticed any change in her typing, or appearance. I could inquire a bit more about it, I suppose, or see if different weather affecting moves may do something.

Radioactivity is an extremely dangerous property inherent to certain materials. Let's just say the first glow-in-the-dark items sold in my world had a nasty tendency to kill both the people who made them and the people who bought them.

[That is not a particularly helpful explanation, certainly, but surely it explains his initial worries.]

Does the weather affect her in general? I have no idea if there's a difference between regular rain and rain created by Rain Dance, honestly.

[KILL BILL SIRENS]

Is that a common problem with glow-in-the-dark items?

[How concerned should he be about the stick on stars that are almost certainly in Chip's rooms-]

I have not noticed anything... Really it is only if it is dark or light, and that is because she glows. [...] I wonder if she is actually always glowing, and I simply do not notice in the daytime...

Only those made with very specific materials. If the packaging doesn't mention words like radium or tritium, you're fine.

[Probably! He's mostly certain of that.]

There's gotta be a harmless way to test that somehow. Beyond just asking her to hang out in a dark room for a few minutes.

Radium... Tritium... [Dimitri picks up the Gear so that he can get to his feet, absentmindedly accepting a decorative Poke-gnome from Ciannwn that she gives to him from her jaws.] I will have to write that down...

As for Ciannwn, are there things which can sense such abilities?

Keeping an eye out is always a good idea. I've yet to see any product that contains them in stores, but you never know.

[He's never heard of a product recall either, but. You never know.]

There would be equipment that could help back in my world. Whether or not it also exists here... Silph Co's the most likely to have it, really.

[Ugh... Dimitri's nose wrinkles ever so slightly.]

It is likely simply because of my initial impressions with Null and their helmets, along with how much happier Ciannwn is without them, but... I find myself reluctant to request help from Silph Co as of right now.

Yet to find something on my own, when I lack any particular knowledge on it all.... Well, it is difficult, but by my own fault.

Oh, they are shady as hell. One of their scientists admitted in public that they stole the blueprints to create Type: Null, after all. Which doesn't make them any less responsible for the helmets, mind you.

[He still wonders what happened to that particular scientist, once in a while.]

[On one hand, it really is nice to see that someone else agrees with him that Silph is incredibly strange and frustrating to deal with, and that it isn't just him being unused to the strange culture in this world that still occasionally throws him for a loop.]

[On the other hand.]

What. From where on earth did they steal it from!?

From the equally shady Aether Foundation, who were involved in some nasty business a few years back.

[Years? Yes, years.. Saying it out loud almost hurts. Time sure is flying by far too fast...]

They showed up after an incident, to help with the cleanup, and remained a constant presence around the regions until that mess with the Pokémon-like species that came from another universe. They've been very, very quiet since then.

[Why are there so many incredibly shady organizations? At least, there are apparently three that Dimitri does not like, and it's getting on his nerves.]

The Aether Foundation... That is not a name that I have regularly seen in Johto.

[It may exist, but it is not something he has seen with regularity. Not in contrast to Silph Co.]

Having your president arrested after a drawn-out battle with dozens of foreign trainers is not the best publicity stunt. Advertising any link with them would be professional suicide, these days. But for a few months, they were everywhere.

[....hm. That is sure a statement. Dimitri supposes he should not be particularly surprised that it ended up like that. It's completely in line with his experiences in Johto.]

[Still, he does have to wonders something that has him frowning...]

What kind of team did she have if she was able to withstand dozens of trainers?

Oh, it evolved! That's not a Type: Null anymore, it's a Silvally!

[Kazuki whistles, and there's a metallic clanging in the background as his Silvally, Sarge comes on screen.]

They evolve when they really come to trust you, so you must be doing something right!

[Though Scrooge had no idea what a Null or even a Silvally was, the video caught his interest if only because it was new and curious; and he knew what it was like to be besieged by roughhousers, besides.

But the sudden BLUR OF MOTION surprises him a little, which can certainly account for-]

Curse me kilts! What in the blue blazes-??

[He hides a chuckle (mostly) qith his next question, because man is he familiar with being tackled by giant dog-like things too.]

Are you alright?

[It takes a minute for Dimitri to get back on the Gear properly. When he does, his hair is in an unbelievable state of disarray that can only be caused by the tongue of a large animal, and he is using a free hand to accept a large branch from the same white blur of an animal from before. She only stays in frame for a second or two before tromping off again.]

Ah, yes... I am, thank you for your concern. Ciannwn has simply become a lot more energetic since she has evolved. She was called a Type Null before, but now she is a Silvally. Of course, it is good to see her so cheerful...

[The tromping returns, getting steadily louder before she leans her head into frame again, and, with the utmost delicate care, lowers her head down to Dimitri's lap and... Is that an egg? Dimitri sighs.]

Ciannwn, did you ask Grant if you could pick up one of his eggs...?

Certainly very cheerful, rather fitting for a hound of a nickname.

[Not gonna laugh, not gonna laugh...]

You said she came from a corporation?

Would you believe that she used to be a rather calm creature? She listened quite well to any requests and commands in battle, and was very careful. Well, I suppose she is still careful now... [He's inspecting the egg for any cracks as he says it.] I wonder if this is a brief burst of elation, or something more permanent.

[At least she seems happy, so Dimitri can't complain.]

And yes, I did. Silph Corporation is quite a large business here, it seems, and one of the things they have been research is... the creation of such creatures.

[Dimitri has to pause, because Ciannwn is back. This time, she's... Hm. That's sure a cooking pan she's just handing to Dimitri. Or, well, she keeps her head in frame until Dimitri finally accepts the pan. Off she go again!]

Apparently this is not the first time they have done such a thing. Are you familiar with Porygon? Apparently those are other creatures which they have made before, in the nontraditional sense of most living creatures.

[No birds and the bees here.]

It is strange to me... but the corporation at least seems invested in making sure that Null are properly cared for and have good homes. They have a program to adopt them, although only those who have shown their skill well enough in the gym challenge can battle alongside theirs.

I suppose that is a show of care... [Or something. Dimitri is clearly still thinking on how he feels about it.]

I would actually believe she used to be calmer...

[But that's only muttered under his breath, while everything else is in a more normal tone.]

I actually hadn't heard o' Porygon, but considerin' what I've seen possible with technology just in my own world, I've no doubt that entire Pokemon can be created like that here.

[Hmm. Battleworthy Type: Nulls for those who've gone through part of the gym challenge, eh...]

I suppose they are at least invested in the thing's wellbeing. I know more than a few who'd create something like that, throw it out the door, an' hardly give it the time of day afterward.

It seems your homeland must be quite advanced as well...

[It really does put things in perspective for Dimitri, sometimes, being from ye ol' medieval fantasy world. Vaccines, Gears, entire creatures created... It's all so incredible to him. What's holding Fodlan back?]

[~~Besides the natural progression of time and civilizations.~~]

Those kinds of people... [Dimitri's lip curls.] They are despicable, truly. Whatever the circumstances of their birth, Type Null are still living creatures. They cannot be discarded so easily. They should not.

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