Video

[hundredeyesoni]

[As a Meiji era child, keeping on top of all the latest devices can be a bit of a whirlwind. It's an exciting one, though, always getting to learn something new! But for the next iteration of video calls to be.. a magical pearl...

Something feels backwards.

Rather,

Establishing a connection comes too easily the moment Akira thinks of it. Why wouldn't it? It's his own vision at first, a mess of tablets on types, moves and status effects, before he closes his eyes to seamlessly transfer to the grumpearl's perspective. Its holder is revealed to be a Slowking, the one previously bound to the clinic using his newly attained guild status to scour the archives instead. As he reopens his eyes with the view unchanged, he laughs.]

Sorryyy, force of habit.

[Sharing his own sight, and all.]

Anyway!

It seems our bodies are designed for combat, but I'm not really a fan of fighting, myself. So I've been researching Status moves instead.

A lot of them are pretty straightforward, right? Like inflicting and curing basic conditions, or boosting and suppressing our innate strengths. I'm not talking about those. More specifically, I've been learning about Terrains-- large scale effects that benefit friend and foe alike, and seem to have preventative capabilities. It sounds like some Pokemon even form these fields without thinking about it.

[So... On to the point. He soon looks determined.]

Does anyone have one? Can you show me how it works? I'm afraid I'm not strong enough yet to use one myself.

[Or to those more perceptive, maybe Psychic Terrain just isn't what he's searching for.]

Comments

video

[moondregs]

[ Oh. The Slowking he’d met in the clinic.

Junpei leans in, clearly interested. ]

How do we know if we have one? I … don’t think I do.

[ Baby-Doll Eyes probably doesn’t count as benefitting everyone, even if it earns a few ‘awwws’ everytime. ]

[hundredeyesoni]

[That little doll again? Ahh, he still needs to find out for himself whether Stufful are animal or inorganic. They'll have to study that later!]

Right? I'd like to know how to tell everyone's progress, too. When I first heard we all had such a wide range of capabilities, I'd thought our moves might be action based to differentiate them and aid in practice. Having them tied to our will does provide more versatility in the moment, but it makes the learning process so much more difficult to observe... [And case in point as he whines about it, Growl's somehow set off within his speech. He can sense that he's done something, but... ... Well, nevermind that.]

It should be a noticeable effect that spreads across a surface. Let's see... You're a Normal and Fighting type, right? You should try altering the ground by force.

[It just.. probably won't end up being a Terrain move. But let the little guy learn!]

video

[telewarped]

No clue. Never heard of 'em.

[Which is... not helpful, but she's replying anyway simply because she's curious. She does love battling, after all, and yet this is a type of move she isn't familiar with.]

Why the hell would I give my foes a free boost?

[hundredeyesoni]

[... It's a good point.]

Well... In my experience, knowledge provides the greatest advantage. How does my opponent act? What kinds of skills do they have? If I increase the strength of our Psychic moves, do they have any to begin with?

A beneficial effect isn't any danger in the hands of someone who won't use it.

[telewarped]

Fair.

Anyway, I hate to disappoint, but I'm pretty sure I don't have any moves like that... Yet, at least. I can make copies of myself, I guess? But that only gives me an advantage, as far as I can tell.

[And everything else in her current arsenal is a pure attacking move.]

[hundredeyesoni]

[Yet?]

If you happen to gain one in the future, I'd like to hear about it. It seems Electric and Fairy types should be able to help with-- Ah! Nevermind that! You can make copies!? I wanna see!

[Forget the actually important research. Something new and available on demand is far more interesting, any time.]

[moondregs]

[ There’s some hesitation - in spite of how cute and soft his paws look, he’s learned what they can do to trees and rocks.

Still, he’s outside, and a quick glance tells him nobody is around. What could it hurt to try?

To his credit, he winces only slightly as he swings one front leg in the air and slams it down on the ground.

It leaves an impressive pothole for his size, and he looks up at Akira as he shakes dirt from his paw. ]

… well … it’s certainly altered. Is that really all it is?

1/2

[hundredeyesoni]

[Was that.. even a move..?]

2/2

[hundredeyesoni]

I see! Your physical strength is incredible! How does it compare with your original body? Is this a Stufful's natural ability? Without using a move at all?

[telewarped]

If you insist! Not sure how it'll show up onpearl, but...

[But she likes showing off, so she'll give it a shot!

She starts to sway from side to side where she sits, disguise-head bobbing, and as she does, her form seems to blur into an indistinct smear, then split apart into two, then four identical copies of herself. They spread out on either side of her, forming a semicircle around her Grumpearl. They're only illusions, the products of a Double Team move, but they definitely look convincing—so much so that it's hard to tell which one of them is speaking when she pipes up again:]

How's that?

[hundredeyesoni]

[It's motion based? He still can't help being fascinated by anything fast.]

Wow! So they're after images? But with these eyes, they all look like they could be real! So this is the power of using a Pokemon move rather than your speed alone?

[truthdecided]

[Well, that's fascinating. A water type? Other than A.B.A, they've been sorely lacking...

Briefly, the shadow of a large fish drifts through his thoughts, but that's a matter for another time.

No, best to stay on track.]

While I lack any terrain moves, I do have a move that increases the speed of myself and my allies for a short amount of time.

audio

[wolfcut]

[ A disgruntled Morpeko appears on video for more than a second before managing to switch to voice only. ]

I can barely paralyze anyone with my one electric move. Changing the whole terrain might be pushing it. [ But he does sound intrigued. ]

[hundredeyesoni]

Hmm. I'm not sure speed will help...

But you can support all your friends at once? Is there a range? Or will it apply once they're by your side? That kind of versatility must be great. If you can coordinate with your teammates, your opponents might not know what to watch out for. I'd like to see it in action some time!

[hundredeyesoni]

[This one can hide from him? Well, it's not like the grumpearl's similarities to his magic had meant he'd gained it back. Of course it'll have limitations he's not used to. More importantly-- Paralysis? An Electric move?]

Does that make you an Electric type, then? That's the one I'm most interested in!

Since I haven't been here very long, I thought it might be the case that I'm lagging behind everyone in terms of skills, but maybe these ones are beyond all of us right now? If there's a chance you'll learn it in the future, I'd like to try helping you get there sooner.

[firealone]

I can use Lick... which can paralyze other Pokemon. Sometimes. I don't completely understand which ones it works on.

[Although Littens don't get many status moves in general... and Firepaw has genuinely forgotten that Growl is an option.]

[truthdecided]

True. I suppose not every Pokémon benefits from a speed boost, especially if they're on the slower side...

[Still, it's a fair question. How to put this...

He tries to create a mental diagram of sorts, with himself, a sprigatito, and a cyndaquil as just an example.]

At any rate, the move effectively whips up a breeze behind all of us, propelling us forward at greater speeds.

[His mental diagram demonstrates this further, by way of showing just that: wings beating, a powerful breeze.]

Anyone nearby benefits from the doubled speed, though I have to repeat it in order to maintain said speed boost. Still, I imagine that even these terrains only work for a limited time.

[hundredeyesoni]

[A cat? Hm. The rough surface might be startling, but there shouldn't be anything harmful on their tongues. So rather than a biological reason...]

Some people consider cats to be supernatural creatures, able to control fire and reanimate the dead. Maybe the paralysis in that sense is a result of fear?

[technusrulez]

[There are a series of rapid-fire first-person clips of a man in green gloves using electricity in a bunch of different and creative ways, before abruptly cutting off to a Rotom spinning a web from electricity and draping it across the floor of a cave.]

Is this a terrain? I have no idea what I'm doing, but it's on the floor, does that count as a terrain? Maybe it does. Do these "moves" really have names? I didn't get around to that when I was in the archive. I'm just doing what I feel like. Electricity on the floor seems like a terrain. Someone come step on it to see if it disperses or stays!

[It's not a terrain- it's Electroweb. Technus has no clue what moves he has.]

[hundredeyesoni]

[Or on the unconscious side-- but the visuals quickly provide an impressive distraction, even bringing about entertained laughter.]

It's such a powerful looking move from such a small bird!

[He's not.. intentionally making fun of him.]

So once your teammates are in position, they can more or less ride your tailwind. The directional limitations might not be the best for an ambush, but it should be an invaluable asset in turning the tides or escaping! Even a limited duration can be enough if it's used at the right moment.

[hundredeyesoni]

[The other's sight? No, it has to be memory. Ahh, these connections are so interesting. ... It is electricity, though, and capable of affecting a wide area. The Slowking's definitely giving this one his full attention, raising the grumpearl closer.]

Let's see. Do you feel stronger if you land on it? It's your own move, so there shouldn't be any negative effects. Go ahead and try, for me.

[Can this Pokemon land to begin with? He might not be aware of the effects of Levitate just yet.]

[moondregs]

My original body was human ... and not capable of anything even close to that.

I mean, I guess it's just the same 'move' I use to break stumps and rocks. If I was putting that strength into everything it'd be a disaster.

[hundredeyesoni]

[A human! Just like he'd suspected earlier.]

So you became stronger when you arrived here! Isn't it exciting, learning how to handle the difference in capabilities? I was never even this frail as a child!

[But there was something a little more important in that answer. He can't just let it slide.]

Say, if you're telling me you were human, that must mean there's others here who weren't. I'd love to hear more about them.

[technusrulez]

I cannot land! I have tried! It seems I'm only solid sometimes. Not all times.

[Many emotions rush through the call. Distress, annoyance, curiousity.]

It reminds me of when I first died! Except I no longer have arms. I miss my arms. At least I can still use electricity!

[wolfcut]

[ For someone just used to landlines, being on camera still feels entirely too invasive for a variety of reasons. ]

Electric and Dark, but not sure how that might change things. Seems like most of the advance stuff either comes with experience or the right kind of pressure. [ More or less. He hums in thought. ]

It would be pretty useful to learn... for me. Unless you have a hidden Electric move up your sleeve?