01 - video, filtered from archie

[dexnav]

[ the feed flickers on to the image of a young girl, sporting her trademark red bandanna. unlike may's usual chipper attitude, her expression at the moment looks a bit uncertain and serious. ]

So... I have a question for you guys. You know Archie, right? The big buff Pokémon Trainer that wears wetsuits a lot? Talks like a pirate?

[ she'll even hold up a drawing to the feed for a visual - it's a bit of a simple, cartoonish sketch (she's 12, cut her some slack), but the blue bandanna, cross-shaped face shadow and shapely beard should be enough to give the right idea to who she's describing. ]

I kind of wanted to know if he's been... "up to" stuff here - like, crime stuff. I don't think you should be worried - I mean, he's a good guy! He just has a really extreme way of going at things, you know? And sometimes those extremes end up being super illegal.

[ she wants to trust his word that he's reformed, but there's a lingering worry in the back of her mind. some of the people here must have been talking to him since before she showed up, and she wants their honest observations to put her . ]

I just wanna know if he's behaving himself like he promised me back home. You guys HAVE to tell me, okay? I think I'm kind of responsible for him at this point. [ she reaches to click the feed off, but before she does- ] And don't tell him I asked!

[ yes, she's basically his tiny parole officer. please report any and all suspicious activity. ]

Comments

[dexnav]

No one! I surfed across the surface on my Gorebyss' back.

[ and it was awesome! she and gorebyss had a grand old time exploring the water together, even if they were tailing a criminal organization along the way. ]

Totally. I think that's the kind of person he really is.

[taraincognita]

What's a Gorebyss?? I'm assuming another one of those--uh, Pokemon?--but it doesn't sound like a real animal. Like, at least Sharpedo and Crobat sound like 'shark' and 'bat.'

Anyway, what. Were you like, the superhero to his pirate-thing?

[ she will not call archie a supervillain. no way. he is too goddamn pure. ]

[dexnav]

Yeah! She's a really pretty Water-type Pokemon, but she's super strong, too. She's long and pink, and has a pointed mouth...

[ she trails off, because tara's next question is a little more important. ]

I guess. I just sorta cleaned up the mess he got himself into, you know? But we're friends now!

[taraincognita]

Sounds, uh. Cute, i guess.

[ cute is hardly tara's thing, but, like. okay. ]

What, did you like--redeem him?Is that how that works?

[dexnav]

She is!

[ may's team is a healthy balance of cute and badass, and gorebyss is no exception. but as tara presses for more details, her smile falls a little bit. ]

Well... not exactly. He sort of did that himself, I guess? [ he apologized several times, and took responsibility. that's enough for her. ] I mean, he kinda almost destroyed the world, so I saved it.

[taraincognita]

Wow. Huh. You saved the world, all by yourself?

[ okay, that's a little impressive. for a kid, anyway. ]

How'd he screw up that bad?

[dexnav]

Kinda. I mean, I wasn't totally by myself - I had some people backing me up, and my team was with me the whole time.

[ but yeah, she basically did all of the brave stuff. ]

Woke up a super-ancient Pokemon that had control over the oceans. He wanted to expand the water, but I guess he didn't really think it through...

[taraincognita]

There are Pokemon that have control over the oceans where you're from? Like, they have that much power?

[ kind of like people where tara's from, she guesses. maybe tara is kind of like a pokemon. it feels like it. ]

Can you--control them? The Pokemon? Is that what the balls are for?

[dexnav]

Uh-huh. Kyogre is pretty much the stuff of legends - all of the old Hoenn folk stories say that it actually made the oceans.

[ and that kind of power isn't something to bat an eye at. still, she nods at tara's question. ]

I did. It was one of the hardest things I've ever done... and one of the scariest.

[taraincognita]

Why would you do that? Sometimes, super-powerful things are kinda a lost cause, yanno?

[ but, hey. might as well keep asking some questions. ]

So, then, who made the land?