Test Drive Meme - January & February edition

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Reki Kyan | SK∞ | OTA

[the_redhead]

A. New Bark Town

[By the time he's shoved out the door with his backpack strapped in place and a pokéball in his hand, Reki is still yawning and blinking his eyes to clear the bleariness of sleep. Absentmindedly, he even raises a hand to wave at his "mom" as if she were actually that.]

Ok, ok.. I'm going mom. I won't be late for school, I promise.

[He definitely hadn't heard everything that woman said to him, nor was he conscious enough of his surroundings to realize that something had gone horribly wrong. Reaching for his skateboard out of habit, he was even more bewildered to come up empty-handed.]

Huh..? But it's always strapped to my bag... [Shrugging the bag off he finally got a good look at everything.] Whose bag is this? [In a sharp recoil, he dropped everything and whipped his head back and forth to take in the scenery.] More importantly, where am I?!

B. The Network

Ok... so...... This is different.

As far as I can tell, or I've been told, we're supposed to take these pets and go battle other pets, in order to prove to everyone else that we are the best at battling pets?

Stop me, if I'm missing something... but does that seem messed up to anyone else?

A. New Bark Town

[incredibulukami]

( amaterasu is a little lost because that woman wasn't her mother and she's not used to being without her abilities, but, she's managed to leave the house and is trying to make sense of things when someone else nearby drops their items and seems to be toootally freeeaking out! she's not sure where she is, either, so she takes a few steps toward this stranger and lifts the foreign bag, too. )

Are you as lost as Amaterasu is? My mom is not my mom, and, this place is weird. This is Midgard, right? Is... Is that where Amaterasu is? It isn't Yamato though...

[the_redhead]

[It might have been prudent to be more careful with his newly acquired items, but this redhead tended to air more on the reckless side when it came to inanimate objects. If he applied that to his skating then maybe he wouldn't find it as difficult to keep up with the other boarders at Crazy Rock....

When he's approached by the cute girl, it helps to focus him a little but he can't entirely quell the full onset of his panic.]

I might even be more lost than that! [What does that even mean? He shook his head and attempted to get it together for her benefit.] I... I'm not really sure what this place is, or where. Before I woke up here, I was in Okinawa. At least we're both from Japan, right? So maybe we're not too far from home.

[incredibulukami]

( that's a plus! at least they're both from japan, that's some common ground to start with. she arches a brow at the sight of the bag and items being strewn about though and kneels, poking the red and white ball that seems to have rolled out of his bag. )

Hmmm, at least we're both from the same area. That's a bonus! Amaterasu hasn't been to Okinawa though. Have you been to Yamato? Maybe there's something about Japan...?

( she pokes the ball again. ) What's this anyway? I have one too...

[the_redhead]

[That actually goes a long way towards easing his mind. If he's not the only one in this predicament then there must be some kind of answer to it. Besides, it's just better not to be completely alone]

[To her question he quickly shook his head]

Nuh-uh, I've never been able to travel much. That's so strange.. [He studied her a moment to see if there was any chance that they'd met before but the only person he knew with blue hair was Adam, and she couldn't possibly be related to that psychopath]

Huh, that? I don't know. That lady gave it to me. She should know what it is. [He turned back to the house but found the door locked. Then he knocked but there was no answer] ... What is up with this place? [Shrugging his shoulders he moved back over to start collecting the stuff he dropped] Maybe there's something that could help us in our bags... [He reached for the ball last]

[incredibulukami]

Hmm, Amaterasu travels sometimes but not usually this far from home. There's too much work to do at Takamagahara to venture off too far. ( she arches her brow when he attempts to go back to "his home" and is seemingly barred from it. blinking, she kneels to help him pick up the items that fell. )

It has a button! Press it! Maybe a map will fall out?

[the_redhead]

Oooooh so that's where your from, near Mount Takamagahara. [He paused to scratch his cheek for a moment. Not up on his geography, he legitimately wasn't sure if there were any sizable cities near there. It always conjured up thoughts of vast wilderness.]

Thanks. [He offered her a smile for her efforts and soon shoved everything back into the bag, except for the ball. In a way, she kinda reminds him of one of his sisters] A map? You sure one would fit in here? Ha. What do we have to lose? [Per her instructions, he found the button and pressed it down. The ball did open but what came out was a living breathing creature that logically could not have fit inside the thing.]

This can't be real, can it?! [He reached out to poke the Fennekin but it startled and snapped at his finger] It feels pretty real.. [ He grimaced then proceeded to retrieve his now smarting digit.] Geeze.. it looks like Sketch and acts like him too.... maybe you should try yours?

[incredibulukami]

Yes! Amaterasu lives in Takamagahara. ( that's right. in heaven. honestly, she isn't sure of the places around there also because she tends to be focused on the humans in yamato more than anywhere else. )

Maybe! If it's rolled up or folded, it could be like a secret hiding spot! ( as he presses the button down, amaterasu watches with baited breath hoping for a map but instead it's a small, furry creature. she blinks a few time and even winces just a bit when it chomps onto this guy's hand. ) Ouch...

Hm? Okay, well, I'll see if mine is a map! ( she plucks the red and white ball from her own bag and pushes the button. it splits apart and in a ball of light, another creature takes form and-- it's another fennekin. ) Gasp! ( she says the word instead of just actually gasping. ) It's another one of the fox thingies!

[the_redhead]

[Reki is totttallllly not thinking of heaven, or of deities despite her literally calling herself Amaterasu.] ... That mountain is pretty tall, right? I wonder... if there are any good paths for skateboarding on it. [You can take the boy away from everything he knows, and he's still obsessed with his hobby/craft]

I mean... I guess. [Though he sounded unsure. The Fennekin looked as abashed as a creature could, since it wasn't it's intention to make such a first impression but it doesn't seem to know how to communicate that yet.]

Well.. if it isn't, you better stand back just in case. [It's his turn to play audience and watch as the next ball reveals....... another fox. He droops his head forward and bites back a sigh.] I think I'm more confused than I was before, and I thought that would be impossible.

[incredibulukami]

( she tilts her head in confusion. what in the name of the gods is skateboarding? ) What is ... Skateboarding?

( amaterasu is left just as confused and lost as her new friend is -- friend, even though she doesn't know his name or anything else about him. she sighs, setting her elbow to her knee and her chin into her palm at the sight of the newer of the two foxes. ) What are we supposed to do with these? Are they... pets?

( her own fennekin opens it's mouth-- amaterasu is expecting a howl or a bark, but instead, the creature just states it's name with a soft, sweet fennekin! ) --what did this dog just say?

[the_redhead]

[Oh....

oh no.

Amaterasu, what have you done? Why would you ever ask that? At first Reki is stunned that she's completely in the dark about the sport, but then again Langa was pretty oblivious when they'd first met too. If there was on person on this planet that was only oooo so willing to explain this subject to her it was Reki.]

You really don't know? [His eyes seemed to sparkle with newfound light as he balled a fist to the side of his face and spouted his praises] It's only the most versatile, thrilling sport to ever have been invented! If you're from Takamagahara you at least know what skiing is, right? Or Snowboarding? Skateboarding is like a snowboard with wheels, so you can literally skate anywhere. If I had my board here... I could show you.... I can make one but I'd need some supplies and a little time... I'm not even sure they have the parts here...

[It's cool. He'd consider her a friend too under the circumstances. Names can come later... or name. She's given hers already] I guess? What else could they be... I'm just not sure why anyone would just hand someone a pet and shove them out into the street.

[Reki squinted at the animal and tilted his head to one side] Um... I'm not sure. [His own Fennekin pranced over to meet with Amaterau's giving an excited sounding yip of it's own which... also sounded like Fennekin.] You know.. they are kind of cute though.

[incredibulukami]

( wow... that sure was a reaction. not one for listening to long explanations, amaterasu is bored about halfway through and looks to the pokemon again, wondering about them and what to do about them. does... she even have food for it? how much food does it need? wait, does it need food? ) ... What's skiing? ( why did you ask... )

Maybe "mom" didn't want the pet anymore because "mom" is lazy and wants someone else to take care of it for "mom?" ( she drums her fingers against her cheek. ) They are cute, though. Maybe we can find someone to ask about what to do with them?

[the_redhead]

[How you break his heart, Amaterasu.] What's skiing?! [Who cares about skiing?! Luckily for her, he is not near as adamant about that sport, and he can tell she ignored 90% of what he said so he drops it. It's just like when he tries to talk to his classmates at school...] Whatever. Skateboarding isn't for everyone, I get it.. but you're missing out.

Uh... that's sick, but it's possible? Why do these moms have so many pets if they don't want them in the first place? [That's pretty cold] I don't think we have any alternatives. Oh.. hey. I just realized that I never told you my name. I'm Reki Kyan. You can just call me Reki... If we're going to be trying to figure this out together it would be better if you had something to call me.

b, text

[4play]

Only until you realize that those little pests are really into it. And hey, it could be worse! Nobody's dying here at least.

Of course you don't HAVE to go around battling or something like that. But it helps a lot when you want to move around on something that isn't a bike.

b, text

[the_redhead]

I'm just going to assume that "pests" was a typo...

[For now. Reki hasn't really had a chance to form a bond with his Fennekin yet, but it seems harsh to put the creatures down as a whole.]

Even if they do like fighting, what's to prevent them from getting themselves really injured?

How does that work out? [Not equating battling other trainers to winning local currency yet]

[4play]

Not since my so-called "partner" made off with my breakfast this morning, and the other one tried to eat a monster that's twice his size and is a land animal, which is both amazing and amazingly stupid because said partner is a fish!

[IV's bond with his partners is ...special.]

See the ball they're housed in? If they get hurt too much they can simply retreat there and stay in suspension until you get them to the next hospital or similar. They also recover really quick.

Take a look around. Are you seeing many cars or other things that move on wheels?

[the_redhead]

Ok, so both of those things are legitimately annoying. I retract my last statement.

[Those stories vaguely remind Reki of his relationship with his boss's pet fox Sketch. The little guy was deceptively cute, but had a large attitude. He would totally swipe your food if he wanted.]

You have to take them to the hospital?! That's not making this sound any better, dude.

Uh, not really. So does everyone just walk everywhere or bicycle?

haha, no worries! I've been there too, sometimes grammar and co just hates us

[4play]

Just make sure that yours are better trained than mine. I went straight from 'how the hell do you expect me to do this' to 'they're capable in everything, except listening.' It's almost as bad as with the real dog I once had.

[He adds an emoji of a sad headshake.]

Eh, it's not that bad. From what I understand they can fix even the most grave of injuries within a day or two here, and it's essentially for free too. And you can call them back and end the battle whenever you think things are going too far, too. It's still very different to the kind of battling that I'm used to.


Pretty much, yeah. There's also some trains and ferries, but most people use their monsters to ride or fly on them. But you need monsters that are strong and well-trained enough for that, naturally, and some badges that are like the local version of a driver's license here. At least that's the nutshell version of it as far as I'm understanding. I haven't been here for that long yet, either.

It's too true!

[the_redhead]

That could be a problem, I've never really had a pet to train before. You got any tips?

[It never hurts to ask, right?]

They don't work on people, do they? [As someone that has incurred plenty of injuries from his hobby of choice, Reki could use some free, instantaneous medical care.] Still, if your animal breaks a leg or something that's going to take a few weeks to knit, right? [He's not getting how this works] You used to battle before? That might explain why you're here but outside of S.... [The letter was tapped out before he remembered that he should keep the super secret skateboard races a secret..] I mean... I just skateboarded in a few competitions here and there.. so I don't know why they bothered bringing me here.

[After a pointed pause, he tapped out more of a response]

Unless this guy can lift 10 times his own body mass I don't think he's going to be carrying anyone, anywhere.

[4play]

I might actually, depending on what you have and what you'd like to teach to them. I'm currently stuck in Goldenrod City due to a bit of bad planning on my end, but I'll gladly answer any questions you have. The name's IV by the way. It's read and pronounced like the number.

[Never let it be said that a member of Team Rocket can't be helpful as well.]

Do I want to know what you're asking about hospitals for people already? You're not planning on climbing up something and jumping off of there as a hobby, are you?

[He sees that typo(?) and quick retreat, and makes a mental not to himself.]

Exactly. They tend to get bigger and stronger the higher a level they are, so who knows? Your partner might be able to carry you later on.

I've got a working theory on what connects most that seem to have been brought here, but I don't think you'll want to hear it. Why not just enjoy this absurd pg-13 ride while you can?

[the_redhead]

I have a.... well.. it's a small sort of fox-like creature? [The newness is almost painful, but he has not in fact tried the pokedex feature yet] Being housebroken would be a good place to start, but I don't really have a house.. so kind of a moot point. [What else is there to teach? Pets eat, sleep, and play on their own schedules] What about teaching it a few tricks like how to sit or play dead? [So so new] .... So that's.... 15? [Roman numerals aren't his forte either] Weird name, is it like a nickname or your real one?

I never plan to get injured but sometimes it just happens! [Or you occasionally skate against a sociopath that delights in injuring others but that shouldn't be an issue here.]

[Luckily for Reki the information can't cause much damage. Not unless someone manages to report it to the Okinawan police]

Maybe, but I'm not so sure about that yet. How much bigger can he get? Even if he's a kit, it couldn't be that much more.

Now I'm just going to be curious. How bad a theory can it be?

[4play]

4. Four. It's a stage name, but I'm so used to it that I'm responding to it more naturally than my first name by now.

[If this mistake with his name would have happened in private IV would have had Reki's head for it, especially if he would have any reasons to suspect that that was intentional. But since written text is patient and Reki's speaks of just a lot of confusion, he can let it slide. For now.]

They generally already know how to take care of the basics like good house manners -- the 'my food, your food' case excluded. Try asking it to do those things. Most of these monsters seem to understand the human language good enough for at least basic communication.

What kind of noises does it make?

[The naming senses of this world are so weird, but at least they can be useful sometimes.]

We-ll, I noticed that an alarming number of people were badly injured before they arrived here. Myself included.

[the_redhead]

Oh! That's a 4! My bad. [It's a good thing there was a universal translator here or there are so many other foreign words he could mix up.] That's cool, I have a lot of friends that go by nicknames more often than their given names. So if you have a stage name does that mean you've been in a tv show or a movie?

[Reki has no idea how lucky he got!]

Hey, I'll take it. So usually these little guys are low maintenance from the sound of it.... unless they get into too many scrapes.

[Eventually he's also going to have to learn that his "little guy" is actually a "little girl" too... sigh.]

Kinda sounds like.... Fen na kin? Fennikan...Fen....

[He types it out as his pokemon speaks to him, and sends all his attempts]

Are you saying, you think we're all dead?! [Oh what a terrible thing to tell a fairly superstitious person that has an aversion fear of ghosts] No! I couldn't be dead! Just from skating against Adam, once?! I just broke an arm... I got better! [The mental scars were far worse than the physical ones, anyway]

[4play]

No worries, it's all good. [About as good as calling Cherry Peach or Spinach would be, that is.]

Nah, I'm the Asia Champion in the competitive sport I'm doing. Not that that means very much here. So you're not going by a nickname like your friends do?


Yeah, that's right. They're a lot like your summoned Duel Monsters, if they were actually real. The sound it makes is most likely what it's called. You can use that little pocket computer they gave you to check.

And I told you you wouldn't like my theory. At least I don't think we're dead yet. More like in a version of a limbo.

[the_redhead]

[Sometimes just calling Cherry, Cherry is a dicey situation- if it's during the daytime working hours.]

A competitive sport?! No way! Which one? [There were so many sports to choose from, but Reki clung to the hope that he might have found a kindred spirit in this bizarro world.] Not currently, no. A nickname is usually something you just kind of earn.. [As he types that out he has a bitter memory of being called "that redhead that comes here with Snow". Let's just not mention that one..]

Ok, you're losing me again. What's a Duel Monster? [As for the pocket computer, he'd give it a look-see in a minute.]

You weren't kidding! We better not be either! [Dead or in limbo. There were still so many things he needed to do with his life, and what about his mother and his sisters?! What would they be going through right now?!] There has to be a way out of here.. or a way to check. [He gives himself a pinch, and it does sting so... isn't that proof that he's alive if he can still feel things?]