TEST DRIVE - NOVEMBER & DECEMBER

[indigo_league]

➞ 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

Botan | Yu Yu Hakusho

[styxiedust]

New Bark route // [Network Video]

[Oh.

Here again.

And it was chilly, of course.

Fortunately, Botan could at least say she was not in a state of distress, besides being in a familiar-yet-not place and lacking all of her Pokemon except one that...didn't look familiar to her. It looked like a Ponyta but...strangely cloudy. It must have been one of the "new" ones that had started trickling in before she left. Regardless, she puts on a smile and turns on the video.]

Hello, this is Botan! I'm terribly sorry to be a bother, but I am aware that I'm no longer in my own world! [A little boring, right...? What did people usually do on these introductions, call for people they knew?] And I see scrolling through the directory that nobody from my world is here, so no, I won't bother asking. [Hardly anybody she knew before, either, there were some, but...there probably wouldn't be a purpose in asking after them. It might cause too much turmoil——if they even remembered, at any rate.]

I suppose a better question might be: what have the Pokemon breeders been doing since I've been gone? Any organization or are we all still just throwing our eggs to the wind? Thank you. [She ends the feed there.]

[Botan will be making the journey, of course, since she has no other choice but to until she can save up some money. It's most likely her shop is gone and there won't be a purpose in bringing it back.]

[A little later, up to a random route.]

[Now for the other dilemma: what should she name her Ponyta?]

I know you're a Ponyta, it's just...over in that place you're a Psychic type for some reason. [She kneels to be at level with it, staring it right in the eyes.] You haven't said a word to me yet, though. Why is that? Shy? Or too young? You seem like you're a little young to be making this journey with me.

[As strange as it looks for a grown woman to be talking to a pony-creature like it can talk back, that is what's happening!]

((ooc: Botan is a returning character! And I am, too, I have not RPed in years, so please bear with me while I try to get the hang of it again.))

network

[nellacerniera]

I'm not a breeder myself, but from what I can see since I've been here, it's more or less the latter.

[As he says this, he maneuvers his gear so that the overeager and curious Phantump in his lap doesn't go shoving his face into the camera.]

[styxiedust]

Ah, yes, I suppose also the periodic broadcast of "oops! All these eggs!" happens still?

[It's a teasing comment, almost affectionately said. She smiles at the Phantump.]

Hello, sweetie! What's your name?

[Yes, in fact, she did just address the Phantump as though she could understand anything it said (well, she can, but).]

[nellacerniera]

[He chuckles.]

Oh, absolutely.

[The Phantump perks up when he's addressed, beaming brightly.]

"Hello, miss! My name's Acero! It's very nice to meet you!"

[styxiedust]

The more things change and so on, hehe.

[At least people are still friendly, even while others could be deeply unpleasant in the World of Pokemon.

She beams back.]

Acero! What a nice name, I'm pleased to meet you as well!

[nellacerniera]

There's something to be said for consistency, I suppose.

[Acero giggles and gestures at his trainer.]

"And that's Bruno! He and I met on Halloween!"

Network

[bent_the_world]

.....Botan?

[Korra can hardly believe it. It's been so long...she'd pretty much stopped hoping at this point.]

Is it really you?

[styxiedust]

[...!

A name, a face that she had been hoping to see.

But...Botan was also fully aware of how things could be...complicated. She had to have been gone for a while, and...it's possible that...

She can't look too sad, or too eager, or say anything that would put pressure on Korra. It wouldn't be fair to her.]

Well, I suppose I should answer your question with another question: is this Avatar Korra, the legendary damsel rescuer?

[bent_the_world]

The one and only.

[It's real. This is real. Korra breaks into a wide grin and can barely contain a whoop of excitement.]

Where are you now? Are you coming home? I can come get you....

[She has no such worries or concerns. And while she's had a casual fling here and there, and a friend with benefits, nothing's changed for her on the romantic front. Even if she hadn't been pining, she just hadn't moved on and hadn't tried to rush it.

And now Botan is here.]

[styxiedust]

You're going to think it's silly, I...was worried that there wasn't a home to go back to. I've seen it happen so much—

[And what does any of that matter?

She's home, and Korra is here, and she said it was still "home."

Any place was home as long as Korra was there.]

I'm all the way back near New Bark, of course. I only have this little one with me—[She turns the camera over to her Ponyta, who sneezes with an ~ethereal glow~]

[bent_the_world]

It's not silly. But there's nothing to worry about. It's...not that different than when you left, really. Some new Pokemon and some new curtains, but that's about it.

And that's fine. I can meet you along the route. And speaking of Pokemon, I've been looking after some of yours. They're gonna be really glad to see you.

[schachmeister]

[That is a familiar face, even though Armin hasn't seen it in years. It's one of those cases where it actually takes a moment to click --it just has been so long-- but when it does, his eyes widen almost comically huge.]

Miss-- Miss Botan?

[Remember that cute coconut boy, Botan? He got tall-- okay, he didn't get tall. But he did get older, and more mature, and his hair isn't a bowl cut anymore, so he has that going for him.]

[styxiedust]

[Now, as far as she could recall, only one kid called her "Miss Botan" consistently—]

Armin? Goodness gracious, I turned around and suddenly you grew up!

[Ha ha, it's a joke, of course, just a little levity.]

I was expecting you wouldn't remember me, I can't imagine it's just been ~a couple of days~ since I left!

[schachmeister]

You leave quite the impression.

It's been... quite a while, honestly. What is the last thing you even remember of this place? [A slightly wry smile.] Or perhaps it is easier to remember what the last prom disaster you remember is?

[styxiedust]

Oh, are prom disasters still a thing? I'm surprised we even still have those considering they never go right. The last one I remember...was those strange creatures attacking, the ones that seemed to come from another world.

[That's especially potent to her since the creatures could not be communicated with at all and only created static and loud noises for her, very unpleasant.]

Suicune had been injured or something as well, then new Pokemon started coming.

—But enough about me, what's gone on with you?

[schachmeister]

[He knows exactly what she is talking about, but wow, so many disasters happened since then. Still, she is asking him about how he is doing, and he supposes there is no sense in dredging up old disasters long since dealt with.]

Oh, uh. Well, I'm a gym leader now. I don't-- I can't remember if I had already taken on the Elite Four when you left, but I eventually opened my own gym. It's on the Sevii Islands and it is all about battling underwater. I'm still running the Lapras Breeding project too. That's part of why I opened a gym, so I'd have the resources to continue the project.

Oh, and.

[His cheeks pinken a little as he reflexively reaches up to tuck his hair behind his ear, even though it is now too short to do so.]

I'm engaged? I should've led with that maybe.

[Network]

[cyan_maid]

[Oh! Oh isn't that-]

Goodness me, it's certainly been a hot minute, hasn't it? Welcome back?

[Jane waves, happy to see a familiar Victory Road face with the air of memories of former times to go along with it. Like...fucking finally!]

[styxiedust]

Hello, Jane! How lovely to see you! Still the greatest baker in the Pokemon World?

[Tis a little tease, of course, she can get away with that.]

I can't say I'm unhappy about being back! Although—[She gestures to her Ponyta.]—This is new, to me, somewhat.

[cyan_maid]

Oh, shucks, I don't know if I count if I'm not from here - I'm part of the Aurora League now, though! And having my own gym is pretty darn exciting, all things considered.

[Jane makes a sound of understanding.] Mm, that's a new-to-us type of regional variant of Ponyta from a region called Galar. They're Psychic and Fairy typed, if memory serves.

[styxiedust]

Psychic and Fairy, hm? [Then she supposes that's PokeGod's little joke to her.] I'll have to think of an appropriate name for it in that case.

[Right, it's coming back to her, ever so slowly, she remembers the chatter about the Aurora League, though it never mattered to her since she was designated a Breeder. The universe did it again, of course.]

I suppose you don't get a fancy castle like the Elite Four does, do you?

I SWEAR I DIDN'T FORGET THIS november just kicked me in the face

[cyan_maid]

It's a rather intriguing combination, if I do say so myself.

[Jane laughs, shaking her head.]

Nope! No fancy castle for me, just a fun gym full of puzzles. It's set up like a series of escape rooms, and I even run it as that for folks who aren't looking to challenge me - but I also run my own detective agency out of it.

network

[shiro2hero]

... Botan?

[Wow, he really should say more, shouldn't he. But here he is, just staring at the feed. Little older, little more tan. The white fluff of hair streaked with fading rainbow colors.]

That... Botan?

[styxiedust]

Hello, Shiro. I was waiting to hear from you.

[By nature of what she is, Botan doesn't change, that remained true until she became a human and stayed in the same place for nearly a decade. The fact that she can look at someone and recognize them even though they have aged is an inexplicably striking feeling to her.]

I hear our Armin is getting married now and, fortunately for me, my house with Korra is still around. How about that?

[shiro2hero]

He... yeah. Yeah, he is. To Angel.

[And it's adorable and sweet and - wow he's getting a little misty-eyed here. Come on, Shiro, keep it together.]

It's really good to see you again.

Video

[crystalmaster]

Hi there! Welcome back?

[Radley doesn't know her, but he has many questions for a returning person. He won't bombard her with them all at once, though.]

I'm Radley. I'm a breeder. There's definitely some of us who are trying to bring some organization to what we do. I won't sell to just anyone; I have to think they look like they'd make a good Eevee mom or dad.

[Several Eevees pop up and warble.]