01. video

[offtracks]

[ There seem to be two Pokemon on this dispatch! You get a sense of both a Hisuian Typhlosion AND a Hisuian Zoroark, though the perspective is a little dizzying before settling down into (mostly) one psychic perspective. The Typhlosion's, probably; it's mostly his perspective with a vague sense of what he thinks he looks like now. Psychic pearls are hard, who knew? ]

Good afternoon, fellow passengers! I am Ingo, and this is Emmet - my brother.

[ So so smooth, it comes so naturally to introduce someone as his family member! ]

We are both from a world with Pokemon originally! We were humans there, and I'm afraid we do not have any idea how this might have happened - this is not the sort of thing that is supposed to be possible! But we would like to offer our help in navigating these new tracks! Between the two of us, we can help to identify your species and typing, as well as other facts about your new forms! We are also both very familiar with Pokemon battling! If you wish to learn to fight, we can provide assistance! I'm very excited to have battles in this new way, and the more people who can participate, the more fun it will be!

If you would like to speak in person, we are both in the Oran Berry Guild!

[ The perspective warps and shifts a bit, as you see Emmet moving forward, and also Emmet's own perspective as he does so. ]

— I am Emmet. What Ingo says is true! Yup! But also, we are willing to come to you if necessary? It would not be a good idea to start a battle near any housing, after all.

[ Emmet, it seems, is a man of much fewer words than his brother! At least when they're in the same space, anyway. His address is also smooth, very smooth, picking up after Ingo's like clockwork.

... for those who have already met them both and / or have heard at least some amount of their circumstances already, isn't there some kind of explanation missing? Oh well, must not be important. ]


(( Responses may come from either or both of them! ))

Comments

[outbounds]

Whiskers, probably not! Your claws ... it might be possible, maybe? Depends. Might take more effort, might need to be taught. Don't remember for sure.

Have you noticed any secretions from them?

[bladeofnymeia]

I have not, I've just...worried, is all. But if it takes conscious effort...[Mm, she's not sure where that thought leads. Firoza shakes her head to clear it.] Keeping my horns and barbs to myself ought to be easy enough. Except, it would be advantageous for combat, I assume. Are there skills I can learn that can put them to use?

[outbounds]

Poison Sting is most likely early on. Toxic Spikes and then just plain Toxic. Possibly Poison Fang, Poison Tail, Sludge Bomb among others depending later. Mostly fairly self-explanatory.

[ Hit them with the part that makes poison, or just figure out how to manipulate and lob the poison itself, as you do.

That trailed off thought... she might notice how the Zoroark's telepathic perspective tilts a little. He's cocking his head physically, but well, first person point of view. ]

Poison is not the only thing you can do, though.

[bladeofnymeia]

[O-oh it's shifted

Also that's a Lot of potential avenues for inflicting toxic substances upon people...unnerving...]

Hm...well, I would assume I can do other things. But what specifically do you mean?

[outbounds]

If you evolve. Twice. You get a lot bigger than you are right now. More weight to throw around, more strength. Gain a ground typing.

This means you can perform moves like Superpower and Earth Power. But also, you are not limited to just these? Most Pokemon can learn to use at least a couple of types that aren't their own or normal. With some effort, anyway. Some are more flexible than others. Or might need to be taught by someone more familiar. But I am pretty sure you can learn Thunderbolt and Ice Beam, for example.

[ which are exactly what they sound like, and very not 'clawing or biting the opponent physically' or 'apply poison to opponent'.

(he's picked up on a general sense of overall unease with poison throughout this conversation— also, the overheard mention of bad experiences with it— so... hooray, options?) ]

[bladeofnymeia]

[Oh bless for the getting the anxiety]

So I can do the evolution? I meant to speak to Doctor Denne about it when I saw him next. It's good to have the confirmation.

Would I...still be walking on four legs if I changed?

[outbounds]

Female Nidoran can become Nidorina can become Nidoqueen. Nidoqueen walk on their back legs, front are free. Bigger tail means it can be used to counterbalance, I think? Not personally very familiar with them but it seems that way. Nidorina are sort of in the middle.

[bladeofnymeia]

So the next forms have totally different names as well as abilities...I do not think we have anything quite like that where I am from. Such sudden changes in creatures would surely frighten people.

[outbounds]

Good way to think of them is that they build on the previous somehow. It is not a complete remodel, generally.

People fear creatures like these [ he very nearly says 'us', and the thought probably bleeds over a little, ] where you are from, then?

[bladeofnymeia]

Well...the various creatures of my star are no less unique and powerful. They just don't go through such a...mm...change? Big change? Large, impressive change? Not unless there's something strange with the surrounding aether, or they're forced into it.

[She keeps a clamp on the most, um, shocking of these metamorphoses in her memories. Because they're kind of body horror terrifying.]

But if the aether of an area has changed, it's usually because of an outside force tipping the balance - and this evolution sounds more natural than something put into motion by man.

[outbounds]

[ A sense of confusion comes through the link. ]

Aether? Wait, switch tracks, reverse for a moment— you are right that it is supposed to be natural. There are some conditions that are hard to find or replicate in the wild, yes. But generally wild Pokémon evolve all the time without the need for a human partner.

Maybe things aren't exactly the same here, but the guild leaders here are all evolved Pokémon.

[bladeofnymeia]

...How exactly do Pokemon evolve? What is the catalyst?

[Aw fuck please let there not be weird aether shit going on]

[outbounds]

It is ... sort of like growth, sort of not? Kind of related but not exactly the same. Some Pokemon may live their entire life without evolving. There is nothing wrong with that. Just as there is nothing wrong with evolving under normal circumstances. There is typically a correlation with reaching a certain threshold of experience in battle before being able to evolve. Some species may require catalysts like specific locations or weather conditions or the presence of the sun or moon or other such things in additon to or instead. There are even some species that will typically not evolve until they have truly bonded with another!

[ in other words, the catalysts are many. ]

Ah, but. Some Pokemon, if made to evolve too soon. They miss out on being able to learn things they should have naturally done during a previous stage. Usually see this in Pokemon which use an outside catalyst to evolve, such as an elemental stone. Not entirely unfixable. They can still learn new, different things with proper instruction but the window for those skipped, instinctive things is lost.

[ meanwhile, the lurking thought of 'what is aether?' clings to the edges of the explanation. ]

[bladeofnymeia]

Ooh. I see.

[Yeah picking up on that lurking thing.]

What you described is definitely not the kind of aether I am thinking of. Aether is...well, it is part of every living thing. It's not tangible, it's more of an energy assigned to a specific element. I don't quite remember the order they're supposed to go in, but they are Fire, Water, Earth, Wind, Lightning, Ice, Light, and Darkness. So long as those are in balance, you're fine - but if the environment skews towards, say, Lighting aether, you'll see that reflected in the land, in the weather...and eventually the living beings. That would cause a significant change.

[outbounds]

Hmm. There were some criminals trying to experiment with something kind of like that in another region some years ago. Didn't really work out all that great for them. Couldn't control the Magikarp they forced to evolve after they became Gyarados. Made the news even in other regions. The regional champion got involved even.

[ but... huh. that's... interesting? it almost gives him more questions than it does answers. is aether supposed to be in complete balance for all things? or does a fire type have more fire aether than the rest? or would it only be fire type at all because of the imbalance? ]

You mentioned eight elements. For Pokemon there are eighteen known types. Not counting the question-mark one that's just an umbrella for moves that can't be categorized otherwise. Or the Stellar thing they're doing in Blueberry Academy— sorry, sorry, derailing.

Anyway. Types are not ... they do not usually affect the environment the way you describe aether to. Many Pokemon can call rain on demand. Kyogre does it just by existing. So much that if left unchecked it can cause great floods. But I would not say that is an imbalance of 'water energy' so much as just an ability they have?

[bladeofnymeia]

[She hasn't seen something with an imbalance of fire Aether yet...nor does she really want to. The examples of other kinds are more than enough.]

Hm...then perhaps, aside from how they look, aether and Pokemon don't have much in common. Or, maybe it works completely differently. I'm not...I have never been a scholar, so I couldn't say for sure.

[outbounds]

Can aether be living creatures now or does it just affect them?

[ he thought he loosely understood the idea of aether for a moment but apparently it turns out he was not, in fact, on the right track. ]

Because that is what Pokemon are. Living. Mostly living. There are some ghost types that are questionable but for the sake of clarity we will ignore them right now.

[bladeofnymeia]

It makes up all living things. I don't really know how to explain it deeper to someone not familiar...it's just what I've known all my life.

[But maybe, in some form, that does mean Pokemon are aetheric beings. But belonging to specific aspects doesn't corrupt them like it does where she's from? Perhaps they can channel it differently, or have grown over time to not be harmed by it...Emmet does get a sense of these thoughts as Firoza mulls them over, mostly because she doesn't have the wherewithal to clamp down on errant musings when the concepts are so nebulous.]

...Mm...it's interesting to think about it like that...

[outbounds]

This is my understanding so far: it makes them up but it is not capable of being a living thing on its own. You cannot point at a glob of aether and call it a living thing. ... Can you? Correct me if this is wrong.

[ Maybe a living glob of aether might actually be something like a ghost type, actually ... one of the ones without more solidly defined forms? The way Firoza's been explaining aether is very- all energy based, without ties to anything more solid, or at least it sounds that way, so Emmet's trying to put that together with the fact that they're talking about real, physical beings here. ]

[bladeofnymeia]

Broadly speaking? No. But encountering aether as it is in such a form would most likely be either an elemental force, or the spirit left behind after a traumatic death. "Globs" are more likely to be found in the aetherial sea, where they're souls that have yet to renew themselves and be reborn.

[She is...trying her best...!]

[outbounds]

[ oh, they are going to need to lean on the oddities of ghost types more for this conversation, huh. ]

So aether is kind of like ... typed soul energy or life force, [ maybe mostly life force but not quite, she says it's in everything after all, ] but it isn't necessarily? Since you mention souls as a separate thing. But it is also capable of warping them. Not just internally but physically as well. And it affects the surroundings, even the parts that have no living component.

[ like the weather. ]

Am I following you right?

[bladeofnymeia]

Yes, that's about right. My apologies, I know others who could explain it much better than I could.

[outbounds]

No need to apologize! We got to the correct destination in the end. Though I think we have gotten a little off track from our original discussion.

Was there anything else you wanted to ask?

[bladeofnymeia]

Oh...um. Well...would you be willing to...train me? I want to be able to defend myself here.

[outbounds]

I will not say no to more sparring or training partners! I am Emmet. You will learn that I am always up for a battle.

That is to say. I am willing, yes.