video (OTA) and a closed log

[phdepression]

[The video opens at New Bark Town, overlooking Professor Elm's lab. While the camera is bobbing up and down slowly, the picture seems clear despite something blue is covering top right of the screen.]

"Star Platinum. Over here."

[There's a very loud gurgle from whoever is holding the camera. The camera turns to a man standing by the water, clad in snakeskin pants and a bright purple hat and jacket.]

"I could have used text but I figured this would be best for getting my name and face out there." [He sighs, muttering 'good grief' before continuing]. "My name is Jotaro Kujo. I'm a marine biologist and an oceanographer. I figured since I'm here, might as well put my skills to use and do some research. So... how do I get grants here? Do I need to reapply for my doctorate so it's more Pokemon-orientated? Or is there someone I battle in order to get my degree? I wanted to ask the professor here but he's not in so... answer."

[Thanks Jotaro]

--------------

[Ordinarily, Jotaro was pretty sure he could make it from New Bark Town to Cherrygrove City in two days. However, with the snowfall, the hike may be longer than three days, especially if he gets lost. Not that he will but Jotaro likes preparing for these things, even if prep is prolonged by the lack of stores in the town. But Jotaro makes do with what he has and he's confident he can make it surviving a week if need be.

He just has to do his final checks. Bag? Safely strapped to him. Pokemon? Star Platinum is in his ball. Map? Got it. Messages? Well, he doesn't need to send it again (he sent one to both Jolyne and Emporio when he got here). So... good. He's ready. He just needs to scan the horizon, try to predict the next snowstorm and...

...

Is that a green dragon over the horizon?]

Comments

[strings_theory]

[A very green dragon that has two very not doing so well passengers on her back, but at least Tear mostly understands the assignment of what is going on here. And is doing her best to land mostly softly enough to not entirely jostle her passengers.

Not that it lasts too long as Jolyne's just kind of sliding off said dragon and, uh, giving herself a minute of using her to keep her balance and taking a deep breath. Warp sickness fucking sucks and she always forgets this until after the fact.]

Never again.

[insidescoop]

[The first woman is joined by a second- rather, the first woman slides off and is immediately followed by a second, who naturally faceplants into the half-melted snow when her wife stands without her.]

WOO-GH-

[halp

Well, eventually she's standing, if it can be called that. Tear's wings are great supports! (Sorry Tear)]

It was... HHgng-

[Scuse her, she's trying not to hurl,]

...It was the fastest way to get here in person...

[They appear not to have quite noticed Jotaro yet.]

[phdepression]

[Jotaro recognises Tear, even before he sees Jolyne and another mysterious woman stumble off the dragon. He nods his cap towards the dragon in greeting before he begins to slowly walk over. Jotaro has very much noticed them.]

I'm surprised... I said I was heading to Cherrygrove. I didn't think you would get here so quickly, Jolyne.

[strings_theory]

[Tear just rumbles in acknowledgement since, well, she's kind of being the support here between her trainer and doofus wife, clearly. She is stuck.

Jolyne's groaning in response at Carly's words before mostly pulling herself together and rubbing at her face. Oh, right, her dad. Duh, the reason they're here.]

Took some doing but, uh, when I said I was going to get here I meant it. Though Carly's mostly the one that, uh, figured out the logistics.

[insidescoop]

[The way Carly perks up it's like someone waved smelling salts in her face.]

THAT'S RIGHT!

[So she cheers, standing straight up.] It was obvious that putting things off was just going to be upsetting, so we went straight for the warp pad! ...besides, being honest I think the investigation's stalled enough that we can take our sweet time getting back, and we may as well pass a tent along while we're at it...

[Unless you wanna sleep under the stars in the snow. That could be arranged.

....she's missing a step here isn't she.

(The step is introducing herself)]

[phdepression]

I know but I wouldn't have minded if you had taken longer, Jolyne. [The man had no doubt she'd meant it but he at least thought he'd be traveling down that first route already. He is grateful, though. He had been eager to see her again.

Oh... right. The other person. Jotaro's attention locks on Carly and he looms over her. His sharp eyes scan her up and down critically.]

And you are my daughter's... wife, right?

[She has... a lot more energy than he expected.]

[strings_theory]

The less I have to be in this cold bullshit, the better~ [Mostly she was just eager, but this totally saves face and makes her not sound desperate, right? Right.

...

Oh boy, she really shouldn't be surprised that he's coming off like that.]

Gooood luck with the intimidation tactics there, I don't think that's gonna work out too well for anyone. [Had she warned her? Yeah, probably. But also she knew exactly the bullshit she was marrying into, let's be real.]

[insidescoop]

Well, the nearest public building is the Professor's place so...

[Oh-

Oh hello mister professor kujo sir, you're real tall huh

Uhhh] Uhhhhh...

Sure am! Is, uh, did some of the ice get stuck to my hat or something? You're pretty close there..!

[Even with warnings, Carly is Carly.]

[phdepression]

[Jotaro raises an eyebrow and looks at Jolyne.]

I'm not trying to intimidate her. [Clearly, he's meeting his new daughter-in-law. Oh... does he have to make it more obvious? Okay.]

... I'm Kujo Jotaro. It's good to meet you. [He nods his cap to her.]

[strings_theory]

... Coulda fooled me. [Times like these it becomes real clear that she still has a lot to learn about his mannerisms. But that's something she'll figure out in due time since she's able to this time around.

A little sad, in hindsight.]

[insidescoop]

Well hey~ Nice to meet you too then!

[At least someone here is all smiles.] I'm seeing where Jolyne gets some of it actually, wow~!

[forbidden perception-]

Anyway like I was saying I'm glad we caught you, the sleeping bag just doesn't cut it in these parts...I'd have tracked down my old caravan but you'd need a pokemon to pull that thing anyway...plus it can't go in caves, so...

[Ahem.] So, how much do I still have to fill in~? Jolyne was saying you saw each other just a couple weeks ago!

[phdepression]

[Jotaro raises his other eyebrow but he's relieved for Carly's intervention before he could think of something to say back to Jolyne. Man, her attitude is quite nostalgic, somehow.]

I could have survived. [He ends up grunting but he is grateful all the same. He lets Carly ramble before he gives a small nod.]

I know most things. Jolyne filled me in, even if she was confident I wouldn't be around to use that information.

...I don't know what a breeder's objective is. Trainers are straight forward enough but not breeders. [And he's already gone through the handbook, before you ask.]

[strings_theory]

[Oh my god, of course he's a breeder. How does it keep ending up that everyone but her in this damn family ends up a breeder? But she's biting back that comment for now, glancing towards Carly for a moment before huffing in turn.]

Something something make Pokemon stock better something something, one of our, uh, ancestors was here a while back that made a whole damn business venture out of it, more or less. Also means you don't have to do the gym battle shit to get anywhere like some of us had to. [She's still mad about the second time around, it's fine, really.]

[insidescoop]

We fixed that though, Bede sorted it out... [It's unclear if she's saying that to reassure Jotaro, or her wife, but evidently 'Bede' solved the gym battle stuff. Somehow? Hm.]

Mmmm, I remember that guy though! Walked Jolyne down the aisle actually, I think he was...hooo. Great, great...great...? Grandpa? Three greats?

[It's hard after the second great.] That was before this breeder's association cropped up...you'll want to send a message their way, I haven't kept up with it since we have a gym to run, but it's pretty much the Pokemon Breeder's equivalent of a gym challenge I'm pretty sure...

[It is Not.]

[phdepression]

[Not grandpa Joseph? Three greats for Jolyne? So then that would have to be the Joestar that DIO was obsessed with. A chill runs down Jotaro's spine as he remembers DIO but the tension doesn't reach his face. It almost distracts him from the stabbing guilt that came with being reminded again he was missing important milestones in Jolyne's life. Almost.]

Breeder's association. I'll pay them a visit then. Get answers.

... So what was your plan now?

[strings_theory]

Yeah, right. Fixed it. [She still hates that Bede is the one that got that fixed, but whatever, that doesn't particularly matter at this juncture.]

Three greats sounds right, kinda sucks that he disappeared since he was... interesting. [Too nice and all, but she sure got a lot of history she didn't have otherwise thanks, dad from him.

But this is fine, it's fine, what do you mean it's not fine and normal?]

From, like, directly this point or just in general...?

[insidescoop]

[jolyne they can't hold a grudge forever it wasn't even his doing-

it's not his fault that his competition was hot-]

Maybe he'll show up again some other day... [Carly hums wistfully, only to blink out of her daydreaming.] Us? Oh, I mean we'll be heading back to Blackthorn to finish up the investigation, but from there I was planning to set up a stall at the Christmas Market while Jolyne looked after the gym.

...actually on that note, you might want to take the north route to see if you can make it there before the Holidays, easier on the gift shopping and holiday visits that way.

[She will Fucking Find You if you Don't]

[phdepression]

[Jotaro merely grunts. Honestly, it sounds like the girls liked him, which is good. At least someone from the Joestar lineage could be there at the wedding. You weren't supposed to know, Jolyne. You were never supposed to know.

The man nods, though he's trying to break down the torrent of information Carly has dumped on him with no context. Investigation? Christmas Market? What was she talking about? Help????]

I can go to Blackthorn. That's fine. I'll hunt down the Breeders' Association later.

[strings_theory]

[THEY COULD HAVE HAD A HOT WOMAN ON THE ELITE FOUR, CARLY. NO APOLOGIES.

Too bad, she knows and she's not entirely sure why she didn't know, but it's not like it really matters here when there's no way of going home and being dead and all that doesn't... change... much...

...

Hold on did her wife just subtly threaten her dad.]

Uhhh, babe? Maybe break it down a little bit, that was a fuckload of words all at once.

[insidescoop]

[Carly just smiles, indulgent. Nods, nods again.] Right, right...

First of all you're going to have to call the Breeder's Association. But second of all, it's just like I said! I have stuff in Blackthorn, then we have stuff in Goldenrod, and then it's Christmas, and I'll be seeing you there~

[phdepression]

I meant more now. At this moment. To get to Blackthorn. Are you walking with me North or are we taking Tear?

[And more to Carly...]... I already agreed to come. [Why does she think he needs to be threatened? He knows he doesn't have the best rep with Jolyne and then Carly by extension but still???]

[strings_theory]

[Man, it's not even her that's holding this particular grudge at this point. She's over it. Mostly. It's only been like four years or something at this point.]

Fuuuuuuck if I know. [... Oh, that's real comforting.] Probably taking Tear to the next city over and then using the warps or... something? Again, not the logistics person here.

[That's fully a Carly problem.]

It's at least warmer on the Islands, unlike this snow and ice and below freezing bullshit?

[insidescoop]

Errr...I honestly thought we were splitting up once we finished chatting...

[And hey!] And of course you did! I know that, but I thought you were asking for a breakdown of a bullet list! Repeating a list isn't assuming you didn't agree!

[But, it definitely Sounds that way when one isn't expecting a list, so...]

Mmmmm. Really, even if we stayed together we'd need to split up as soon as you were in Cherrygrove- and that'd be a flight, I don't want to leave the Jenny's investigations unwatched for too long...

We'd be taking a different pokemon though, Tear needs rest first.

[Tear gives what might well be a grateful grumble in reply to that.]

[phdepression]

... good grief.

[What was the point of this? If you're going to just leave after telling him what to do, why didn't you just leave it to a call? Jotaro would have been happy just seeing Jolyne's face again - there was no need for the two of them getting sick like this from warping. They could meet up afterwards (he definitely would have survived the trek).]

[He doesn't say much more than that. Not much he can add.]

[strings_theory]

[Sir, sir she knows what that means and she's just pursing her lips and crossing her arms over her chest. Defensive? Just a little.]

You were getting the tent whether you liked it or not, I'm not gonna risk you turning into a damn popsicle out here or something since these winters ain't a joke.