January - February Test drive

[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

[heartofalioness]

That is what everyone is figuring out. Arrival, departure, home reality, are all at random, and even people from the same reality may be brought here from wildly different timepoints, and yet returned to our exact points in time without any memories of this place. Sometimes not even remembering we've been here before. And those that are from different species are somehow changed to be more in line with humanoid aesthetics and abilities.

[Yeah, it's... a trip.]

There are theories that this might be the work of Arceus, a "creator Pokémon" of sorts, but that guess is no better or worse than others at the moment.

video

[sassymaru]

"Log out"?

My apologies, I... do not believe that is a feature of this world. This is, you see, not a game.

[lightnflash]

How would this be anything other than a gaming world?

Network

[lightnflash]

I don't think you're taking this as seriously as you should be.

cherry grove

[doublefist]

Kirito's got a snack in one hand that he had been just about to bite into when he heard the sound of someone crying. He's not surprised; after all, being kidnapped, no matter the circumstances or the bright cheery atmosphere of the place, it's still a lot to take in. It's an emotional roller coaster to think you'll never see home again, or that you at least may not be able to see it for a long, long time.

He sighs, going to tuck his snack back into his bag, before he follows the sound of sniffles. He wasn't expecting to see the familiar long, red hair tied in that classic braided style that Asuna always wore. He stares for a moment, trying to process through the shock, before he goes to slowly approach her. Maybe it's just someone who looks like Asuna...

But then she's wiping at her eyes and apologizing without really looking at him and he knows for sure it's her. He doesn't even hesitate as he goes to all but tackle her, arms wrapping around her tightly as he knocks them both into the grass. His head is getting buried against whatever part of her he's landed on, his eyes shut tight.

"You're here."

[doublefist]

[ Memory mishaps in both directions consistently happen with fluclight dives if they aren't executed properly and people are automatically adjusted to fit the world rather than the other way around. Okay, the whole thinking they're from other realities is a little weird, but maybe those are just AI thrown in to help with the realism. ]

Mm, yeah, that sounds right. [ He mutters that more to himself before he remembers that she's. Y'know. Still there and definitely able to hear him. ] Ah, I mean, that all... sounds pretty complicated to deal with. Seems weird that a creator Pokémon would want to gather people from around the universe just to have a good time, but I'm not exactly a poképsychologist or anything.

Is that a thing? I hope that's a thing.

[doublefist]

It's Pokémon. When it comes to the scale of dangerous situations that we've landed ourselves in, this lies somewhere around a negative ten.

[sassymaru]

I beg your pardon. I am unfamiliar with an... SAO incident.

[lightnflash]

It's still being trapped in a world that isn't ours. It's a place not even connected to home. So maybe you are living your boyhood fantasy, but we were just getting settled into the real world again.

[ She sounds tired. Very, very tired. ]

[doublefist]

Really? Sword Art Online? That was uh... a pretty big international crisis to miss the memo on.

[sassymaru]

Do games normally require their participants to feel hunger or thirst, where you come from?

[doublefist]

[ He sighs, his good mood deflating slightly. ]

Alright, alright. I get it. It's not... ideal. But since when is it ever? I'm starting to think getting stuck in games is just another Tuesday for us.

[sassymaru]

Likely it did not occur in my world, then.

... I take it that concept has not been explained to you, yet?

[doublefist]

Right. Sure. [ He sounds genuine in that, it's not sarcastic, honest. He just... thinks he's AI now, it's fine. ]

I guess not entirely. "Mom" [ Actual air quotes. ] was pretty basic with her script when she kicked me out.

[lightnflash]

Yes. I chose cooking as one of my skills because I learned that cooking and eating could be a pleasurable activity and not just a requirement. I even maxed my cooking skill level. In some worlds it's more important than others, but it's always critical to keeping the mind alert.

[lightnflash]

The question is how did we end up in this world and who is at fault this time.

[doublefist]

I'm guessing that our memories were blocked to make it as difficult as possible to get answers to either of those.

Buuuut my bet's are on a crazy developer who doesn't understand just how many people would jump at the chance to live full-time in a Pokémon world.

[forleaving]

Adam blinked, looking up. "Oh- they're tarot cards," he explained. It was a good thing an unusual angle was taken with him; he was exactly the type to go 'oh no, I'm fine' and worry about being a bother. But the cards, on the other hand? Those he could talk about.

"They're for telling someone's future." Or communicating with a magic forest, as the case might be. Adam had been hoping the cards would tell him something about this place, just...communicate something with him. But something was off and he couldn't place his finger on what. Maybe it was him. Could it be the 'something off' was him? "They're different than I'm used to, too."

[lightingway]

"Well!" Taiki clapped his hands, beaming brightly. "Would you believe that a very close friend of mine has taught me a thing or two about something very similar? I always found it fascinating. Perhaps you could explain how it works to me?"

He took a seat on the park bench, beckoning a torchic into his lap. "I don't mind returning the favor, of course. I'm Taiki, yourself?"

[vrdantwind]

Embarrassed of what, Lorenz? Nobody's watching or judging here but me, and you know I'm not the kind of guy who demands people keep up appearances. If you need to just let yourself be overwhelmed for a few minutes, then I'm here to help you with that, and I'm not going to think less of you for it. [Claude pauses, then huffs out a smile.] But it's not me that's judging you, is it? It's you. Although I'd say if it's only your own standards you're not living up to, you don't have to make any show of apologizing to me. I'm not the one you feel like you're letting down here, am I? You know me better than that.

[He shakes his head.] I think under the circumstances, you'd be more than justified in cutting yourself some slack here...but despite my sterling example, you've never really learned how to do that, have you? Not that you've had much freedom to follow that example, with Count Gloucester always looming over you. But now that we're here...just remember that you do have that freedom now, okay? I know you're not going to unwind all at once, but...you can still loosen a little.

[He reaches out to lightly touch Lorenz's wrist.] C'mon, let's go grab some food. I'm not feeling sick anymore, and you feel like you've missed a few dozen meals.

[sassymaru]

[Well, one of them technically is an AI...]

She always is, isn't she.

Well then. As I understand it, the current theory is this is some sort of nexus of worlds. We awaken based upon the whims of Arceus.

[sassymaru]

Truly? How fascinating.

Is the same true of illnesses? The common cold and the like?

[doublefist]

[ Wow, this is sounding more and more like a video game every second. ]

Mm. I'm going to take a shot in the dark here: no one knows their true motive?

[silky_bearing]

[In some ways he does know Claude is right. There's so much going on, being overwhelmed is understandable. He'd expect nothing less of someone else in his position and would be more than happy to support them.

But that doesn't make it any easier to accept his own spiraling thoughts as being in any way reasonable.

I'm not the one you feel like you're letting down here, am I? Perhaps... perhaps not, logically. Still it's been so long and he's just so grateful to have Claude here with him that he can't help feeling like every little hiccup is going to finally break the other man's seemingly endless patience with him. Surely there must be a tipping point that his failings will make Claude give up on him once and for all.

Maybe he'd already reached it. Maybe that was why Claude had never come-

He frowns hard, shaking his head, lip still trembling and eyes damp. No, he knows that's not true however many times he'd wondered when things were at their darkest... when he'd thought Father would get tired of his endless resistance and simply give him over to them.]

I'm- [Stop it. He's not some fragile damsel in distress that needed Claude to come rescue him and continuing to apologize for being bothersome is only going to grow tiresome and that's precisely what he's trying to avoid. He lets out a shaky breath and when Claude touches his wrist he finds himself clinging to his hand before he can stop himself.

Something he immediately remedies, releasing the hold he has on his friend and rolling his eyes at himself, huffing out an irritated breath so that he can do his best to act as normal as possible.] Must you really be so clever now of all times?

[You can't just call him out like this Claude, his heart can't take it.]

Dinner... would be nice. And I will do my best to remain presentable this time.

[A weak, half-hearted smile. A subtle reminder that perhaps eating in public would be even more embarrassing because of... everything weighing on him right now. Even if he does tug his jacket tighter around him as if he can simply deny the suggestion that he hasn't been eating if he somehow blocks Claude from seeing how much space there really is in what was a perfectly fitted suit.]

[godzen]

And there it is: proof that even returned to human form Hollow are still beings ruled by fear. Although, in this case it is warranted.

"Kurosaki Ichigo is interesting, isn't he? Unlike with so many others, the time and effort I put into him was not wasted." Aizen's expression doesn't change from his usual slightly smug mask. His pokemon sticks close to him and when they both stop it cocks its head to the side a bit.

"Cubone?"

Aizen gives it a glance and it seems to take this as encouragement to run over to the Caterpie itself. There is a moment's hesitation and then instead of hitting it or anything aggressive, Ditto transforms into a Caterpie.

Aizen's doesn't say anything about this or answer the question. After all, why should he give out such direct answers when it's so much more interesting to leave people guessing?