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!

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OTHER USEFUL LINKS:
NAVIGATION | RESERVES | APPLICATIONS

Comments

[braveloyalhugs]

"Huh. I guess I'll have to pay attention in the training then, if it's not going to be a repeat."

Scorpia wonders if it's like the gangs in the Crimson Wastes; Scorpia had fit in really well there without much trouble.

"So what do these bosses do with the Pokemon? They're really cute! I wouldn't mind having a whole bunch, but if they're not that hard to catch, why don't the bosses do it themselves?"

[fingersandteeth]

"I'm— not entirely sure," Steven admits. "I suspect they sell them overseas for large amounts of money, but I don't actually have proof of that. And honestly, I'm not sure why they don't catch their own. Maybe they're lazy—or quite possibly they can't leave the base anymore due to being wanted by the local authorities. Boss Giovanni is definitely a wanted man these days—I wouldn't be surprised if the admins are too."

[braveloyalhugs]

Scorpia scoops up and hugs her Oddish and Skorupi close. "Well, if I lived somewhere without these guys, and I could get them by spending a little money, I sure would! They're so cute!"

She's not sure why that would get somebody wanted though, unless... "Is it illegal to sell them?"

[fingersandteeth]

Steven shakes his head. "It's not," he says. "Not here in Johto and not in Kanto. Not in Sinnoh either. But there's a lot of different regions out there and I wouldn't be surprised if some of them restrict importing Pokemon from other regions, leading to the Team turning smuggler. Unova, especially--I'm told that they don't have any species there that originate from other regions. It's a far cry from here where you'll find Alolan, Galarian, and Kalosian living alongside Johto Pokemon."

[braveloyalhugs]

"That doesn't sound evil?" Scorpia chews on her lip and taps her chin with her fingers. "It's like they're really trying to be evil. I recognize the signs; I grew up in the Evil Horde. But they're not conquering the world, or kidnapping kids to be soldiers or destroying the land so it's a desolate wasteland..."

She leans in to whisper. "Are the big bosses just really bad at evil, or...?"

[fingersandteeth]

Steven stops in place. "Yes," he says decisively. "Yes, they are. Which is why they're just doing a lot of penny ante crimes, like stealing things and smuggling and so on and why they don't even murder people. In a way it makes it easier for people like me, with little to no criminal background before coming here."

[braveloyalhugs]

Scorpia nods sagely. "I get it. I'm so, so bad at evil too. I mean, I stayed until I couldn't anymore because scorpions are loyal and brave! We give great hugs too! I was going to go back after rescuing Entrapta? And then that didn't really happen. Everything with the rebellion felt so much more like home, you know? So right now, I'm kind of worried that I won't fit in here. So, do the bosses ever let people go because they don't fit in?"

[fingersandteeth]

"Not that I know... wait," Steven says. "You know Entrapta? Tiny, long pigtails, fears nothing, talks your leg off, scientific and engineering genius Entrapta?"

[braveloyalhugs]

"Oh yeah! She's one of my very best friends! Is she here? Where?! Of course she would end up here too. Why wouldn't the guys trying to be evil want a real genius?"

Scorpia says that all in a very excited rush, and then gets a little worried. "Are they treating her okay? I mean, she's the most unique person, and so kind and smart, but sometimes she's not so good at people. And people have taken advantage of her before because of that."

[fingersandteeth]

"She's not at the base," Steven says apologetically. "Remember how I said that people will either end up being found by Team Rocket or the Fake Mom? Entrapta... she got found by the Fake Mom. She's traveling with a man named Winter right now. He's like an older brother to her and very protective. I traveled with her for a while too after they got separated from each other, until they could find each other again, oh months ago.

"But she's being treated fine by everyone—well, except she's not allowed to use the Pokemon center in Violet because safe broke the warp there—and she and Winter are having a good time traveling together and later, if you want, I can teach you how to contact her on your pokegear. Once you're done with your week of training, I bet you can join in traveling with her."

[braveloyalhugs]

"Warp? She was trying to figure out how it worked, wasn't she? That's Entrapta!"

Scorpia takes it all in eagerly nodding, and possibly taking notes on the back of the Rocket letter. Her Skorupi has settled on her shoulder and her Oddish in the crook of her arm, and she does a pretty good job of holding both of them while doing other things.

Then she looks up, taps the pencil against her chin, and says, "that's all great, but wait a minute! You didn't actually answer the question."

She has a sinking feeling it will be a no at this point, but maybe it won't matter.

"she broke" not "safe broke"

[fingersandteeth]

"Right," Steven says sheepishly. "Sorry, I got distracted by Entrapta. They aren't going to let you quit, sorry, even if you don't fit in—but I wouldn't assume you won't? All of us from other worlds sort of have a crew together, under our Alpha, Handsome Jack, and I think you'd fit in well enough with us."

[braveloyalhugs]

Scorpia draws in on herself a little bit, voice soft. "I didn't know how much I didn't fit in in the Horde until I left."

Then she straightens up, puts a hand on her hip and smiles. It's just a little bit forced. "But I never let it stop me! I'm brave, loyal and I give great hugs. Hold onto that and not even not fitting in will get to me!"

[fingersandteeth]

"I just bet you give great hugs," Steven says. It's not sarcasm. He's even got a small little smile on his face. "And— once the week of training is over, I'll arrange things with Entrapta and Winter so they can meet us here in Goldenrod and you can see her again—even start traveling with her if you want. Promise."

[braveloyalhugs]

Scorpia grins. "Thank you!"

And Steven gets a hug, a great big warm one, although Scorpia does have enough sense to keep it short. "So what is this training about? I've had plenty of military training, but never anything else."

[fingersandteeth]

It's a really nice hug, just like she said. Steven's grinning when she lets him go, before giving her a quick squeeze of his own.

"How to be a thief, essentially," Steven says, after releasing Scorpia. "Pick-pocketing, basic breaking and entering, stuff like that. Honestly, I think we learn best on the job, but training week does give everyone a good foundation to work with."

[braveloyalhugs]

"Ohhh, so sneaky stuff! Gotcha!" Scorpia blushes a little and looks away. "I should probably tell somebody that I'm really bad at lying. But I'm pretty good at being quiet, I think! And singing!"

For Scopria, that is somehow a perfectly normal progression.

[fingersandteeth]

"Right," Steven says, not at all bothered by the weirdness of said progression. "Well, I often find that telling the truth in a misleading fashion is the most effective kind of lie, anyway."