video - remember ground force?

[h2no]

[viewers of the network, today, have been blessed. a video pops up, showing archie's crobat tending to its little garden patch in his backyard. it involves using air cutter on the soil to chop it up before sweeping it away with the smaller set of wings lower on its body, then carefully dropping what look like blueberries into the mini trench, before sweeping the soil back over it. pretty cute, right? the camera shifts to bring a bush into frame. a... bright pink bush, with those blueberries hanging off it.]

So, ah... [oh hey, it's archie.] I never really paid much attention before, but I guess the berry bushes from berries native to our world are pretty weird compared to some of the ones here, huh?

[the camera shifts, showing another bush that's bright blue, with pink and red berries hanging off it.]

Not to mention they grow in half a day... it's fun to watch them, sometimes. I guess anyone that knows anything about vegetation might be worried about it being a massively invasive species, but it hasn't been. Uh, so far? I mean, the berries are really good for our Pokémon so we're not gonna stop growin' em, but they're easier to keep contained when there's two grass types tending to them. That's basically earth elementals for those of you that know what those are.

...If you don't know what either grass types or earth types are, then use your imagination.

Anyway! [he grins.] There was a point to this. I was just wonderin'-- what's the native fauna and flora of your world like? Or any worlds you might've visited in your lifetime. Would you bring any of it here if you could? For better or worse.

[he's about to turn the camera off but stops, remembering something.]

One more thing-- I have a new Pokémon I got when I was briefly Ported out a month or so ago. She's a Wailmer, the equivalent of this world's whale. Still a baby though, and she needs to get as much socialization with as many different people as possible so if you wanna hang out with her and can stand me being around to keep her calm, gimme a shout. [...] She's called Alberta, for the record. Not just Wailer. Hange named her.

Comments

[fource]

Thank you, [he says when he takes the mug. He's a polite boy. He's not sure about the dynamics of everyone from their world yet, but apparently it's not as straightforward as it might have been. He frowns slightly at the... guilt? Hm.]

It sounds like you're all leaders of your team more than anything else. [Except for Niko. Nikolai? He hadn't seemed too thrilled about the others either. In any case, Quatre glances up as if he expects to see the giant bat right now, smiling away the puzzle of the misery of the trainers in favor of the pokemon themselves.] No, I think I missed him. So you have Crobat, the wha-- Alberta... do all of you have four?

[h2no]

In a way. We're all equals in it, really. [he could never understand trainers that wanted their pokémon to be a rung below them. you could never get true teamwork that way, if they always have to look back no matter what.] Or that's how it's meant to be, anyway.

[he takes his own drink with a shrug.]

Yeah, Blue and Red have the League allowed six on their team, but only came in with four. It's weird... but I'm just glad they came with us at all.

[fource]

Sorry, I didn't mean to imply otherwise! I don't think a leader should be separate from his team at all. More like someone who cares about the others, and wants to make sure that everyone makes it out okay.

[It's way cuter to talk about teams of animals than, like, armies.]

What are your other two?

[h2no]

S'fine. [he says, raising a shoulder in a shrug.] 'm just used to people not gettin' it, I guess. Awful lot of people here like to think they know our world better than us.

[he holds up two shrunk-mode pokéballs between his fingers. like some kinda penny trick.]

In here. They're water types, so they can't be out here without hurting themselves. I was gonna let 'em into the river when we got down there.

[fource]

[Quatre can't really argue this, since he was one of those very same people, wondering things about how to take care of a baby whale in the middle of whatever city Archie lives in I'm too lazy to check. Instead he just smiles apologetically.] Sorry. It's pretty silly, isn't it? After all this time I'm still surprised when things don't work the same way as they do back home.

[Speaking of, he's super interested in those pokeballs; he leans forward to get a better look, nodding seriously. Gotta have the utmost care for the water pokemon.]

Oh, of course. [He looks at the full cup of tea in his hands, suddenly conflicted.] Give me a moment and we can head over whenever you're ready.

[h2no]

Yeah. I feel the same sometimes, but it gets annoying with the Pokémon.

[he could go off, but he doesn't.]

Take your time, I'm hardly gonna throw you out after a limit.

[he says, downing his own cup.]

[fource]

No, of course. [Archie may say that, but it's still awfully rude of Quatre to keep him waiting... he does his best to finish his tea as quickly as possible without straight up pouring hot water down his own throat.] Do all Pokemon need a lot of socializing with humans? I'd assumed all of Blue's were fully grown.

[Deeeep swig of tea.]

[h2no]

They are.

[archie's at that weird age where he can seemingly ingest boiling water with no trouble? it's weird.]

It's not required, but sometimes they like to be around humans a lot. Wailmer is very fond of us, so she likes to have contact multiple times a day and meet new people when she can. Especially with the limitations on her here.

[fource]

[A machine. Quatre sips a little faster to try and fucking keep up.]

That's so sweet. I'm glad so many people are willing to help. [Another sip!! He wants to meet this cute whale friend asap.] Limitations, because she's in the pokeball so often?

[h2no]

No, just people not bein' used to her. Seein' a Wailmer around won't mean shit to anyone back home, but it's a whole production here.

[he shrugs. you're doing it again, quatre.]

She's not in the Pokéball a second longer than she wants to be.

[fource]

[Because you just told Quatre you can't take out your water types without them asphyxiating on dry land, Archie!!! But no, now he just looks concerned at his own slip-up.]

I'm sorry. I'll try not to make it a production either. [He takes another sip of his tea, legitimately worried about this, before he offers as a partial explanation.] I mentioned low-gravity environments earlier-- I grew up on a resource satellite in outer space, so we didn't have... any sort of large animals, honestly. Animals and Pokemon both are pretty new to me.

[h2no]

[?? know the unknown??]

I mean, you ain't comin' in here accusing me of animal abuse - least of all to note they're not even animals - so you're doin' pretty well so far.

[trying to ease it out? this kid is almost as bad as martin in terms of being sensitive to perceived wrongdoings.]

What did you have?

[fource]

[He has to think about it, swirling the tea around in his cup.] Some colonies have horses-- I went riding a few times when I was much younger. I think a few of the agricultural resource satellites have livestock. But dogs, cats, some birds, fish... people's pets, basically. They're completely man-made environments, and outside of scientific research people mostly brought animals that would make it feel more like Earth. It's too hard to recreate the environments most animals need to survive.

[He smiles delightedly after a second.]

Though my friend works in a circus that brought its animals when they started touring the colonies! Imagine bringing a lion to space. He's the only one who could have done it.

[h2no]

Hmm.

[sorry quatre, archie is kind of a bummer here. he doesn't seem very enthused about this concept.]

Well, at least the effort was made.

[fource]

[he didn't shittalk your home, pirate man.]

To make the colonies resemble Earth? I think they had to. I can't imagine how the first colonists would have handled it if they didn't have grass and trees... It's all I knew before I came to the planet, but it's definitely very different.

[h2no]

That's how humans always work, ain't it?

[there's a note of bitterness, but it's not directed at quatre. this guy sure does feel a lot, huh.]

I'm glad you had that, at any rate. It's important to have something organically familiar.

[fource]

[Why is the entire Pokemon cast emotionally uncomfortable weirdos... Quatre takes this moment of weird bitterness as an opportunity to chug the rest of his tea.]

Well, like I said, I was born in outer space, so that is what's familiar to me... should I wash this out? [He holds out the empty teacup to demonstrate that he's ready to look at the baby wheel now instead of dwelling on whatever the fuck that was, Archie.]

[h2no]

No, no, it's fine.

[he takes the teacup, putting it back by the sink. whatever dawg.]

What's the moon base like for you? Is that more like home than here?

[archie takes the ball out again, gesturing for quatre to follow him. it's a short walk down to the river.]

[fource]

[Quatre follows happily, successfully avoiding unpleasant emotions with minor household chores.]

No, the colonies are... picture a city wrapped around the inside of a ring. [He makes a little circle with his finger as if that demonstrates anything.] New York City actually felt a little similar in some areas, when you're surrounded by tall buildings. It's like you're standing at the bottom of a valley, except the ground keeps curving up and out of sight instead of a horizon. The open sky is mesmerizing. [He glances up as if to demonstrate, smiling.]

The lunar base is... It's nice to have a chance to go to space, but it doesn't remind me of home. The lunar base in my universe is a military manufacturing facility, in any case. [And a secret military prison for naughty terrorists!! fuck the moon base.]

[h2no]

[he listens, as they walk, and while he has his reservations, logically knows that it's just his own issues. he can't judge them for how they live; he doesn't know their universe. he should really stop that kneejerk feeling...]

I couldn't even imagine what it would feel like, [he admits, glancing back to quatre.] I'd imagine it would look quite amazing during the night.

[however it would work. he idly tosses wailmer's ball up and down a few times as they walk, holding it tight when they get to the river.]

I see. That's a shame, but... 'least you got the sky, huh?

[it's something? anyway, he tosses the ball out, releasing alberta in a bright flash of white light. she's floating in the river when she comes to - a giant, 6ft tall at least, and greets the two with a happy little trill.]

[fource]

[Thanks for practicing what you preach, Archie.]

Mm. I love the colonies, but Earth really is beautiful. [Quatre seems to think this is a normal thing to say in response. Thankfully Alberta pops out and his eyes light up in delight.]

Oh, wow. [Don't make a production, right-- Quatre waves his arm over his head to say hello, breaking out in a grin.] Hello, Alberta!

[h2no]

[archie smiles lightly too-- it's incredible how she can make everyone present feel better. alberta just coos at quatre, flapping one of her flippers in a similar greeting.]

Waaaai... [she says in greeting.]

[fource]

[What a pure, beautiful creature. Quatre could waive at her all day.]

It's nice to meet you. I'm Quatre. [He glances back at Archie, not sure if he's going about this the right way, but Archie did stress quite a bit that pokemon weren't animals, so he's going to err on the side of oversocialization instead of condescension.] I'm not from a universe that has Pokemon, so you're the first Wailmer that I've met.

[h2no]

[she seems happy regardless, trilling back at him.]

I think she's proud to be the first one, [archie supplies.] She can understand you, but can't speak any other language than her own. You wanna ride on her?

[fource]

[Like the Gundams, then-- understanding everything around them, even if they couldn't communicate it back out loud. He nods in understanding, and says] You must care a lot about her.

[Because Archie can translate, even if it sounds nonsensical without Quatre explaining his logic here... Anyway, Quatre's eyes go wide in surprise when Archie asks if he wants whale rides.] Really? Is that okay? [and then a second time, directed at Alberta:] Is that okay?