SEPTEMBER - OCTOBER TEST DRIVE MEME

[indigo_events]

➞ Post with a character you wish to test drive in this game's setting.
➞ Tag other people's starters and thread out shenanigans!
➞ Invite your friends! Try out new characters! Come play with us!
➞ Have fun!

NOT SURE WHERE TO BEGIN YOUR TEST-DRIVE JOURNEY?
CHECK OUT ALL THE LOCATIONS WE HAVE AVAILABLE IN:

JOHTO | KANTO | SEVII ISLANDS

Feel free to make various prompts in multiple locations!

✭ ✭ ✭


OTHER USEFUL LINKS:
NAVIGATION | RESERVES | APPLICATIONS

Comments

Kayo Hinazuki | Boku Dake ga Inai Machi (Erased)

[pretendingto]

Network; video

[The video opens on New Bark Town, and the camera pans down to a Hoothoot, standing there looking pleased with itself, head cocked slightly to the side as it regards whoever must be filming. There is a soft, low-timbre girl's voice.]

Can someone tell me what kind of owl this is? I have never seen one like this before. Also it won't stop following me around.

Action; Azalea Town

Just outside of town, near the slowpoke well, Kayo has taken a seat on a bench meant for travelers to rest on. A slowpoke is making its painstaking way toward her, and she's watching it and crocheting something alternately.

When at last the pokemon gets within range, and slowly sits down on its rump, a tiny little smile forms on her face. "You're very stupid." She says in a slightly indulgent tone. "Pooooooke?" The pokemon responds.

video;

[spacebolin]

That little guy is called a Hoothoot! And it's probably following you around because it wants to be your friend.

[Hunk knows how silly the name sounds, and he's long since made peace with that. As for the explanation, though, well, it makes about as much sense as anything else he might have come up with.]

[pretendingto]

[The video starts back up again with Kayo's face in frame, looking distinctly unimpressed.]

Hoot.... hoot?

[You're fucking with her, right? Meanwhile, the pokemon in question "hoooo!"s cheerfully off screen and Kayo's eyes scan over to look at it.]

You have a stupid name, [She tells it.] I'm not calling you that.

[spacebolin]

Yep.

[Listen, he didn't name the thing. He's also having a hard time not chuckling at that reaction.]

What would you call it, then?

[pretendingto]

[She is a snarky child. His question is considered, Kayo peering closely at the round owl pokemon for a moment.]

Fukuro. [She decides. After the Ural Owls she's seen back home.

Hoothoot decides it likes this, and "oooo"s happily, hopping in closer and jostling the camera.]

[spacebolin]

[At the very least, he can appreciate the snark.]

I think I like that better than Hoothoot.

[It's possible that he's just determined to find things to be annoyed by, but her suggestion isn't anywhere near as cutesy as some of the ones he's heard.]

You should know; a lot of the critters here have similarly silly names.

[pretendingto]

[There's a long moment where Kayo has to deal with Fukuro getting in the way of her filming, and eventually he settles down by getting headpats. When her face comes back into screen, Kayo looks put-upon but slightly amused, and her hand on top of Fukuro's head is visible.]

This place is weird. Why would that woman pretend to be my mom? Where's my grandma?

[Clearly you have all the answers.]

[spacebolin]

[By this point, Tiramisu has realized that Hunk is paying attention to something that isn't her. Which means, naturally, that she is immediately obligated to come over to investigate, earning a chuckle from Hunk before he tilts the 'Gear so the Lycanroc can see what's happening.]

Y'know, I've been here for months and I still haven't figured out the answer to that first question. I'm not entirely sure she's pretending, though. And your grandma is probably still at home. In your world.

[pretendingto]

[Kayo is instantly more interested in the Lycanroc than in Hunk. She breathes a soft "woah" as the pokemon comes into view. She'll remember she's talking to someone in a moment. The heck do you mean "not pretending"?]

So how did I get here and where is home?

[spacebolin]

[Hunk can't even blame her for being more interested in Tiramisu. Aside from her at-times inconvenient love for battling, the Lycanroc has been an amazing companion. The fact that she's also pretty adorable doesn't hurt, either!]

The same way we all got here. For me, it was a matter of just... waking up here instead of there.

[That is to say... he's not entirely sure.]

Home is likely where it always is. You're just here now. As far as the woman in New Bark goes, she's pretty much harmless and she means well. Have you looked in the bag yet?

Re: Kayo Hinazuki | Boku Dake ga Inai Machi (Erased)

[ohmylord]

"They're called Slowpokes," another girl tells her, dressed in a baggy sweater (patterned like an Azumarill's belly) and leggings. She looks like she's about old enough to be going to high school. "Most of them live in that well there."

[pretendingto]

Kayo blinks at the girl, clearly thinking that name hits the nail a bit too on the head. "So they live in the water." She turns to look back at the slowpoke, tilting her head. It... kind of looks aquatic? Maybe?

[ohmylord]

"Yep," the girl says. "I dunno if they can breathe under water, though. Old Mister Kurt says that they fish for food using their tails."

[pretendingto]

"With their... tails." Kayo looks unconvinced, her eyes trained on the smooth tail draped gently around the seated slowpoke. It stares back at her in kind.

"What fish are in the well?" Usually wells are just for... water, right? You fish in a pond, river, or lake, not in a well. This place is weird.

[ohmylord]

"... I'm not sure, actually," Claudia admits. "I'll ask him when we go back so Thace can get more balls."

[pretendingto]

A beat. Then, "Who's Mr. Kurt?"

[ohmylord]

"He's the old man who makes pokeballs from scratch from Apricorns," Claudia explains. "Thace only uses his balls now. He doesn't trust Silph Co."

[pretendingto]

This girl sure uses a lot of unfamiliar words. "Apricorn?" Sounds fake, but okay.

[ohmylord]

"They're fruits... or maybe nuts? Uh. You can make balls by hollowing them out." She's not sure how to explain it any better than that.

Action;

[meteorman]

"Actually, being stupid is something Slowpoke is notable for. Its official classification is the 'Dopey Pokémon' and there is a notable delay often exceeding five seconds between when it observes stimulus and when it reacts."

Ford isn't at his museum but that isn't going to stop him being a walking Pokédex. He crouches down on his haunches and gives the Slowpoke a pat on the head that it completely fails to react to. Meanwhile the Shiinotic that's with him decides to attempt to scramble up onto the free side of the bench. She has little legs, she needs a rest.

[pretendingto]

Kayo stares up at Ford with big, unexpressive eyes. She blinks, showing that she's listening, and looks back at the Slowpoke with a tiny smile on her face. She counts inside her head to five, and it finally closes its eyes and sways a little in response to the patting. Kayo's smile grows.

"Are you a teacher?" She asks, turning to see Shiinotic struggling to get up on the bench. She hesitates for a second, and then offers a hand out to help.

[meteorman]

The Shiinotic reaches out with one wiggly root-like arm and takes her hand. With a little more leverage she manages to pull herself up onto the bench. Her expression doesn't change much -- she's pretty much always smiling -- but she gives Kayo a thankful pat on the cheek.

"Not in the strictest sense of the word. That is, I'm not employed by a school." It wouldn't be Ford if he wasn't excruciatingly pedantic. "I'm a researcher and more recently I've stepped into the role of museum curator, so you could call me a teacher if your definition is someone who likes to share knowledge and foster a love of learning in others."

[pretendingto]

Spoken like a guy who's a teacher. Kayo stares at him as he goes through his whole out-loud thought process. "So you teach at a museum." It isn't a question, it's a statement.

She startles a little at the pat to her face, that feels weird. Fukuro the Hoothoot pops out of his pokeball without notice because he also wants to make friends. Ford is getting gently tackled.

[meteorman]

Ford looks at her for a long moment and then his expression breaks into a grin.

"Yes, that's more or less -- oh!"

Given that he's kind of a brick wall, Fukuro isn't able to completely knock Ford over. What does happen is that Ford has to lean back and catch himself on one hand, which means he can no longer pet the Slowpoke, who predictably doesn't notice the petting hand is gone.

"Real perceptive kid you have," he says to the Hoothoot, like it can answer back.

[pretendingto]

"Fukuro! That isn't nice!" Kayo immediately scolds the pokemon for bonking without warning, and immediately he "hoooo"s sadly and looks all crestfallen. Kayo crosses her arms at him and frowns slightly.

Her stern look softens a bit as Ford seems unbothered. Well, he is a large dude, maybe Fukuro didn't hurt him...

The Hoothoot "whooooo"s approvingly, flapping his little wings.