video

[hottemper]

[The feed opens on a Sobble dancing and singing, bundled up in a little Sobble-sized sweater that Ember bought for him. The video plays out for a little bit, and then as the Sobble finally finishes, he plops down looking happy with himself. Ember turns the camera to herself and smiles.]

I didn't think I'd get attached, but he reminds me so much of Wade. I guess he has Wade's spirit in him. I named him Tide - guess I don't have to look for the perfect water type anymore.

Anyway, you're supposed to do a New Years resolution, right? I think mine is to leave Goldenrod and do the gym challenge. Yeah, yeah - leaving in the middle of winter when you're a fire elemental is not the best idea, but I've felt so... stuck lately. I think I need a change. I'm packing up and leaving tomorrow!

Which means... I'm going to miss the next episode of Legit Crime! I'll... have to catch up on it in the next town I'm in. NO ONE SPOIL THE EPISODE FOR ME, OKAY?

Happy New Years, everyone!

Comments

[viscora]

Happy new year! I never bother with the resolutions myself, but I suppose that if we are doing that, I should at least have something to pretend to work on.

[hottemper]

Happy new year! I never really committed to resolutions before, but what are you thinking about working on?

[viscora]

Nothing, really. I always found this pointless.

If anyone asks, I suppose it'll be to stop smoking. Which I will fail at.

[hottemper]

Stop smoking? Why's that a bad thing?

[Fire elemental who does not know what actual smoking does to a human body.]

[viscora]

In my defense, we didn't know it caused cancer when I started.

[ They REALLY don't want to explain what that is, Ember. It's uh. It's Bad. ]

[hottemper]

I'lllll... assume that's bad. Sometimes I forget human bodies are like, WAY different from elementals.

[viscora]

I've never met an elemental before, but I would imagine it's quite different.

I was a human once before this, but I'm not sure I enjoy being brought back.

video

[senorita_perfecta]

Wow, congrats on finding a new friend and Pokémon in Tide. That is really amazing, Ember. I think that I unknowingly got into a weird situation involving a bull wanting to challenge Luisa for some time. Seems to be a very persistent fellow if you ask me.

And don’t worry: I won’t spoil anything from Legit Crime while you’re traveling, I promise. Plus I was able to find a new friend from the egg I got last Christmas.

(A Maractus pops in, hopping behind Isabela and waving at Ember energetically. Quite a benefitting choice of a new friend for a lady known to be a fan of anything with cacti.)

I believe this is what people call Maractus. He is quite happy to be meeting a lot of new people right now.

video

[hottemper]

Oh, I didn't just meet Tide! I got a Ponyta egg as well, except when she hatched, her flames were blue instead of red?

And a bull has been following you around? That's gotta be a weird situation... oh! And a cactus Pokemon! We have a cactus people back home. I have to take care not to get too close to them. Fire and earth don't mix very well...

Oh yeah, and thanks for the gift you got me for Christmas!

[senorita_perfecta]

Whoa! Blue flames instead of the regular red? That is pretty amazing. My Maractus doesn’t come in shiny form but he does have a rare ability which might come in handy in battle. Antonio would be very happy to meet another Poynta someday.

Yeah, that bull didn’t just followed me around. He also wants to challenge Luisa in a battle too. Apparently he seems to get her approval as he seems to have a crush or something. Pretty weird time to be followed by a persistent bull in the Sevii Islands.

You’re welcome Ember. I thought that the figurines will get you so excited in finding more Fire types in your journey.

[hottemper]

A shiny? Is that what my Ponyta is?

... Oh wow, huh. That's pretty weird! Did you catch the bull eventually? What happened to it?

And it totally did!

[senorita_perfecta]

Yeah, as it turns out, Pokémon do have shiny forms. They seem to be very rare and, from what I have heard, some trainers would search high and low to find them. Some people might even breed for shinies as well.

I happen to have one too and he happens to be a dog too. An electric shiny good canine boy at that.

(The Maractus happily dances about as Isabela explains about shinies, completely oblivious to Isa’s next answer.)

Yeah, it is a weird experience. I still can’t get over how much that Tauros is head over heels for me and I never have an animal or a Pokémon crushing on me this hard before. So far not yet, he seems to be more interested in fighting Luisa right now. And he’s still following after us all over Sevii too.

(OOC: Isabela will catch that pesky Tauros at the end of the month/start of February and he is going to be a tanky high level fellow too.)

[hottemper]

Oh wow! I didn't know they came in rare colors! That's awesome, and I got lucky enough that my fire horse was one of them!

And geez, it must really like you! I hope it doesn't ruin your vacation.

[senorita_perfecta]

Yep, it is always cool to have Pokémon in these rare colors and I’m pretty happy to hear of both Tide and your horse having them. Maybe I can try to catch another Shiny someday too. If I get lucky during walks with my team, I might see one and catch it to add into the team.

Oh why thanks. He must have liked me enough to follow us around in the islands for sure, so that might be something good. I do hope that the Tauros won’t make things harder for us as well.

Video;

[mywayistheway]

Doing the gym challenge sounds like an excellent resolution. It's certainly a good way to keep you busy.

[She would know. Bo-Katan can definitely relate to the stuck feeling.]

Video;

[hottemper]

I think so too! A lot of trainers do the gym challenge, right? And I think my Pokemon are pretty strong now!

[mywayistheway]

They do. That seems to be the thing to do, actually. I’m almost halfway through it myself.

[hottemper]

Oh really? How is it - wait, no no don't tell me. I want to experience it myself! I... probably need to catch more of a variety of Pokemon.

[mywayistheway]

[An amused smirk crosses her face. She likes you Ember.]

I would recommend that. Having variety is the key to good strategy.

[hottemper]

[She loves a good challenge!]

I've had a... flying type up until now? And now with Tide, a water type. But everyone else has been fire.

[mywayistheway]

[Good because she will definitely have it.]

There’s nothing wrong with having a favorite type, but you’ll need others. Fire types won’t work well in some gyms.

[hottemper]

Ground and water types especially, right? Yeah, I gotta think about how I'm gonna handle gyms who bust out those types.

[mywayistheway]

Get a few grass types and that should cover it.

[hottemper]

Grass types! Great! I think I've seen a few of those around already...

[mywayistheway]

They’re easy to find and some have useful secondary types also.

[video]

[soupguy]

You know, I've read about the resolutions, but I don't think I've ever seen anyone bring it up since I got here... So I kind of forgot about the whole thing.

It does sound better than having to make a speech for the new year, though...

[video]

[hottemper]

Well, I need something to work on... at least while waiting for Wade to hurry up and get here.

[She still misses him so much.]

Oh, I couldn't do a speech. Or wouldn't want to.

[soupguy]

I hope you're not waiting for nothing.

[He doesn't mean it unkindly, but he isn't great at hoping for the best.]

Yeah, I didn't want to either! I don't understand how anyone would... But it's a tradition, where I'm from. Someone has to do it, and you don't get to decide, it's if you can catch the Skitter Stone. Or apparently [a scoff] if she lands in your laundry. They count that too.

[hottemper]

... I hope not either.

[This world wouldn't be that cruel... right?]

Skitter Stone? What's that?

[soupguy]

Right, so, one tradition we fraggles have is that our year starts when the flutterflies mature through a cycle and are ready to fly. And for it, we play a game of skitter-scatter where the Skitter Stone gets thrown out to all of us, and whoever ends up with it has to make a speech.

Well, most fraggles would say you "get" to make the speech. It's supposed to be exciting and about new begins and... Hmph. It just never felt like the holiday for me.

And then-- then last time, the Skitter Stone fell into my laundry! She just fell in there and everyone said that counted anyway! Even the Skitter Stone herself, and I didn't even know she could talk! No one did, except Jamdolin because he's the one who leads the holiday and, I don't know, her best friend?

[A bit of ranting there that he cuts off with a tired sigh.]

So that all happened.

[phdepression]

Happy New Years to you as well.

Make sure you pack a tent before you leave and dress warmly. Route 35 and 36 were particularly snow-covered when I was traveling it two weeks ago.

[hottemper]

Ugh, snow... if I had my fire back, I'd probably be okay. But everything feels COLD right now. Thanks for the heads up, I'll pack a tent and a few layers.

[phdepression]

Good. It's a surprisingly long path.

[Right, she mentioned being a 'fire elemental', whatever that means. ... Okay, he has to ask...]

...You had fire powers before ending up here?

[hottemper]

Well, I wouldn't call them "powers". Before I got here and got all... human-y, I was made of fire. I really miss being a fire person, but... I kind of enjoy things like rain and snow now.

Well, I only sort of like snow. It gets way too cold here!

[phdepression]

Ah, that makes sense. [Jotaro thinks of an old friend of his and his Stand. Magician's Red was made of fire but also a bird person... He figured that it was just a more... humanoid/independent version of that.] Sounds like being human has been a big change for you.

The Sevii Islands has good weather for most of the year. Should consider coming around next time it gets too cold.

[hottemper]

Oh it has, for sure! For one, I didn't realize water could be so... interesting? Like it's cool on your skin and feels really nice. I don't know if I'm making any sense. It's kind of hard to describe it for the first time.

Oh really? I'll definitely be heading there next winter. Screw this cold!

[phdepression]

No, that makes sense. Those are nice things. I'm an oceanographer and I'm often in the water... but even now those things are nice. [Jotaro loves the ocean. It's so peaceful...]

Fair enough. Just don't freeze before then.

[hottemper]

Oh wow, really? That must be a cool job! There's a lot of creatures that live in the water, right?

[phdepression]

So many. The ocean takes up more than twice the space land does. And even now we don't know all the creatures that live in it. We find new species every day and that's not including those that live in the depths. [Jotaro doesn't usually talk much but he can't help it when it involves the ocean.]

There are a lot of water Pokemon in this world. I'm hoping I can study them here as I do at home.

[bloodysnarky]

I’m sorry, darling, what was that about crime?

Ah, and yes, happy new year.

[hottemper]

Happy new year!

And I'm talking about my favorite show ever, Legit Crime. It's a show that documents all the most heinous, gruesome criminal acts that's happened all over Johto. Sometimes it's hard to sleep after an episode, but I'm totally hooked!

[bloodysnarky]

Gruesome acts? Criminal activity?

[A sly smile appeared.]

Well, go on, darling! You have to explain how one can give this whole show a chance.

Consider me intrigued, so out with it!

[hottemper]

Ok ok, well with the last episode I watched? This guy would break into stores and use his Pokemon to attack the shop owners... but the weird thing is, he never stole anything! He'd just let his Pokemon on the attack and then bust it out of there right after! They arrested him, but he wouldn't explain why he was just letting his Pokemon attack random innocent people!

And the whole show is stuff like that! Pokemon kidnapping people, people going missing, people using their Pokemon for some really crazy stuff!

[bloodysnarky]

Ooooh...

[Grinch smile. He's definitely interested in THIS.]

Well, you sound awfully excited to hear such dreadful things, darling.

I like it. You clearly have a taste for thrills and shrills.

Where do you see this "podcast"?

[hottemper]

I do love the thrills! And it's a TV show. It airs on [she lists the date and time for the show]. I think you'll enjoy it a lot!

[Video]

[gobetween]

Aww, that looks like a really happy little Pokemon!

You know, I never thought about doing a resolution at the beginning of a new year. That's a really cool idea; I think mine would probably be something like, learning more about my Pokemon and how to help them be their best selves.

Good luck on your gym challenge! That's really tough, isn't it?

[Video]

[hottemper]

He really reminds me of Wade, it's almost uncanny.

Oh that's a pretty cool resolution! I think that's pretty achievable too. And thanks! I hope it's pretty challenging!

[gobetween]

That's really cool that you've got a little Pokemon that reminds you of a friend back home. Then it's like a little part of them is here, right? In its own little funny way.

[He just has to laugh, in a fond kinda way.]

Speaking of, you sound like a friend of mine from home. All in for something super challenging, definitely sounds like something Red would do.