ohmyarceus | SEPTEMBER - OCTOBER TEST DRIVE MEME

Entry tags:

test drive

SEPTEMBER - OCTOBER TEST DRIVE MEME

➞ 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

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[Ryou jumps at the cackle. Banshee jumps too, but also starts charging up a Bitter Malice attack.

Then Marik steps out and Ryou hurriedly calls off his Zorua before she can attack, realizing this isn't a wild Pokémon.]

...Marik? How long have you been here? [He certainly seems unfamiliar with Marik, considering he doesn't really know him that well.]

[Marik realizes.... he doesn't actually know the difference between the two appearance wise. Shoot. The tone is hard to place as well. Guess he'll just roll with it and see how things turn out.

He steps a bit closer, Usi looming over his shoulder with a big grin.]

At the Ruins? About an hour or so. I've been outside in the fields watching the Yamasks since this place is far too...

[Marik looks around and sneers.]

... touristy for my tastes. Disappointing, honestly.

[Like really disappointing. Alphabet pokémon and nothing about the actual civilization that used to live here. Ugh.]

What about you?

[Honestly, yeah, this place is a bit touristy. It's interesting enough for Ryou since he's still new here, but he can see how it might be disappointing for someone who's been here longer.]

I just got here. I wanted to look around since I haven't seen the ruins yet.

[Meanwhile, Banshee just sits there and watches Usi, apparently not trusting the Haunter after that scare.]

[Not to mention that he's keenly aware of the tourist trap that is his home.

... The Unown spelling out "FARTZ" didn't help either but he'll let Ryou discover that on his own.

Marik should probably be less of a Debbie Downer and let the teen have some fun. He... assumes this is Ryou. Now that he's studied his cadence a bit, it doesn't match the Spirit's. Either that or he's acting again.

Why is he so damn confusing?

Banshee is smart in not trusting the massive Haunter. If Chenzira is Marik's shoulder angel, Usi's his shoulder devil. He disappears into the darkness of the Ruins again until-]

Stop it, Usi.

[Aww... The ghost reappears in front of Marik and slumps over disappointed. The teen uses this opportunity to be lazy, leaning against him with his forearm.]

Have you tackled any of the puzzles yet?

[Banshee bristles as Usi vanishes, growling as she looks around for the Haunter, before huffing and continuing to stare as it reappears.]

Hey, settle down Banshee. [Ryou speaks to his Zorua before returning his focus to Marik. Banshee does not settle down.]

I haven't tried any of the puzzles yet, I wanted to look around first. Have you done them? [Ryou's quite curious about the puzzles and fully intended to get to them later.]

[Usi behaves... for the time being. He can't really do much with Marik using him as a makeshift shelf. Such is the life of a giant somewhat corporeal spikey ghost.]

Sorry about him. He's a bit of a trickster. He... mostly means well.

[Although he's not sure why the Haunter went off on his own. He never strays too far. Perhaps Ryou has a similar aura due to the Ring's influence? (Which he has no idea the teen has finally been rid of.) Whatever the case, he'll need to look into that later on.

Marik turns his attention to the wall that contains the current floor's puzzle.]

No. I had looked at it briefly but-[felt it was too gimmicky]-it didn't really hold my interest. I wouldn't say no to watching you try your hand at them though. I've heard this kind of stuff is right up your alley.

It's fine, it's nice to meet him. [Ryou adores anything creepy, and Haunter is no exception to that. Now that the initial surprise has worn off, Usi's prank was actually kind of funny.

As for the puzzle, Ryou looks at it, approaching but not trying just yet.]

I don't mind a good puzzle. I was putting them off to look around first, but I could try this one now.

[At least he enjoyed it. Marik mutters something to Usi then lets him go, instead walking up next to Ryou. The Haunter disappears again for the time being. He's got a baby to retrieve from the fields outside.

The tomb keeper doesn't know the mechanics behind the puzzles. He's certain they're traps. Why wouldn't there be? It's just a matter of what kind. They're probably nothing too dangerous given the world they're in though.]

By all means, do whatever you want first. I'll just follow your lead.

[Jigsaw puzzles are... boring to him. Now watching someone else figure things out, that's much more interesting.]

I think I saw an inscription or something a little further back the other way. Didn't read it though.

[Banshee stares around as Usi vanishes again, but after a moment walks over to rejoin Ryou next to the puzzle.

Ryou, meanwhile, is just looking at the puzzle before doing anything with it. After a moment he places a piece where he thinks it goes, officially starting the puzzle.]

You did? Wonder if it had to do with the puzzles. [Or why the ruins were abandoned, that would be neat too.]

It might? I only glanced at it.

[He looks off in the direction of the inscription.]

I guess I could go check it to see if it provides any clues while you fiddle with that.

[Marik heads back the way he came, dissappearing behind some of the pillars as he looks around for the carving he saw earlier. It doesn't take him too long and he eventually returns to Ryou with a disappointed expression.]

... It was just a dedication to the archeologist that discovered the place.

[Ryou continues to make slow but steady progress while Marik is gone, putting together more of the puzzle by the time he gets back.]

Oh. That's disappointing, but I don't think I need a tip now.

[Not now that the puzzle is coming together enough to see roughly what the design is.]

That's good at least.

[He stands next to Ryou but not uncomfortably close. Gotta give him space to work, after all. But he is giving the puzzle a look over.]

Huh... Looks like a pokémon of some kind? I've never seen one like that before... I wonder what the significance is... The pokégear probably can't register a carving to identify it...

[Little do either of them know, they're in for a nasty fall when Ryou does finally solve the puzzle.]

I'm not sure. I haven't seen any Pokémon like that before.

[Ryou hasn't been here long enough to have an idea just what is on the puzzle, outside of 'probably a Pokémon'. Still, it's coming together enough that he's starting to pick up the pace at putting together the remaining pieces.

Soon there's only one piece left, which Ryou places in its spot.]

There-

[And there goes the trapdoor under his feet!]

[The fact that there's a trap in this place really should have occurred to him. He's a gods damned tomb keeper, after all. But nope. Had to lower his guard and think it was a tourist gimmick.

The floor falls out from under them and Marik tries his best to reach for anything but it's futile. He just had to send Usi out to retrieve Chen, didn't he? They could have really used him as a giant pillow right now. None of his other pokémon are capable of helping.

His life flashes before his life as they continue to fall. It doesn't last as long as he thinks though. Marik lands on his back when they do hit the ground, the wind getting knocked out of him in the form of a swear. It takes him a few minutes before he's able to sit up, his entire body in pain but nothing seems to be broken.]

Hhhfff... Bakhhura... You there...?

[Ryou briefly screams as he falls, though that scream is cut off as he lands flat on his back at the bottom of the drop. Banshee is more fortunate; managing to land on her paws like a cat and taking a moment to shake herself off before wandering over to sniff at her trainer.]

...Yeah...'m sorry... [Ryou wheezes out, slowly sitting up as his breath comes back and looking to see that Banshee is okay before checking himself. Thankfully he's okay, just sore from the fall, but now there's the problem of where they are.]

[Marik groans now that he's able to breathe properly again.]

Ugh... Don't apologize... Not like you... hhf... knew that would happen.

[He reaches his arm around to rub his lower back.]

Why in oblivion would they think that was a safe mechanic to implement...?!

[Marik huffs, forcing himself to stand up but he leans over with his hands on his thighs, not quite ready to straighten his back.]

"You solved the puzzle! Enjoy breaking your bones!"

Would have been better just getting a damned shirt...

[Best to just get it over with. The blonde whips himself upright and hisses loudly at the loud crack that comes from his lower back. It shouldn't make that sound.

He'll just... stand there for a bit to catch his breath again. He'd offer to help poor Ryou but he's pretty certain if he takes a step forward he'll just fall back down.

Once he's recovered a bit, Marik looks around the chamber.]

Huh... looks like the same as the upper floor...

I don't know...

[Ryou's taking his time to stand up, still aching from the fall from the floor above. Shoving himself upright (and stumbling a bit as he finds his balance), he glances upward at the ceiling to see if there's any chance of climbing back out.]

I don't think we're getting out that way. [Taking a look around the chamber, Ryou sees what looks like a message on one of the walls, only to find that it's entirely in Unown script.]

There's some sort of message over here...

[Meanwhile, Banshee is wandering around the chamber, apparently trying to help look around.]

[Once he's confident enough he can move without making a fool of himself, Marik very carefully looks over to where Ryou is.

... His shoulders visibly droop but he doesn't say anything. Of course it's spelled in the shapes of those pokémon he briefly saw above ground. The ones that spelled out immature words.

Ruins of Alph. Alphabet pokémon.

RUINS OF ALPHABET?!

Marik lets out an exasperated groan, not from the pain, but from the sheer disbelief of what this place really is. He doesn't want to spoil Ryou's fun though so he plays it off as if it's his back that's still bothering him as he walks over to the message.]

Looks like... they're based on English letters.

[He knows they are but. You know. Party pooper.]

Our clan...

[He squints and traces out the letters with his finger.]

... engraved words... in... this place?

[Tsk.]

That's rather vague, isn't it?

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

SEPTEMBER - OCTOBER TEST DRIVE MEME

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject