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ohmyarceus2023-01-01 03:57 pm
indigo_league) wrote in ohmyarceus2023-01-01 03:57 pm
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no subject
[As usual, Chazz started spouting off a rebuttal before really taking into account the person who was addressing him or the very generous offer they were willing to extend to him. As he whipped towards the presumed interference, the tails of his coat whipped dramatically from the motion.
That ire ebbed when his eyes locked onto the other duelist, his jaw dropped as he sunk into a few moments of surprised silence.
Then he proceeded to go through a whole attitude adjustment before he found his tongue again.]
No way! You're Joey Wheeler! [
You know- in case you had an identity crisis and suddenly forgot.] I've seen all of your duels... [..Or most of them] ... but what are you doing here?no subject
Oh hey! You know'a da great Joey Wheeler?
[His tone is playful rather than boastful, but he strikes something of a heroic pose all the same. Hands placed adventurously on his hips, he flashes a wide smile.]
I take it den dat you're a duelist ya'self?
[He rubs his chin thoughtfully.]
All da more chance dat dis place is a virtual world if dey're pullin' more and more duelists in here... I realize dat doesn't answer ya question though.
[Joey resumes his normal posture and moves a bit away from the ferry attendant, gesturing for Chazz to follow. Provided he does, Joey would then continue.]
Der's apparently a bunch of people from otha worlds n' such brought here. Dat probably sounds crazy, but it's da truth. I was pulled in here same as you, and der's people from all kinds'a places in here too. I'm thinking dis is some kinda big game world, so I'm shootin' straight for da top!
[Looking Chazz up and down Joey thinks a minute and then clasped his hands together, having made a decision.]
I tell ya what. If you just blew inta dis place why dontcha come along with ol' Joey Wheeler? I've got all da spots already mapped-out so you can ride on one'a my Pokémon, and we'll getcha someplace more comf'table den dis lil' burg.
no subject
Course I do! Any duelist that knows anything about the game knows who you are.
[.. And Kaiba, and the King of Games himself: Yugi. If it had been anyone else the pose might have been cheesy but as a legendary duelist you can act however you like.]
You know it. I'm Chazz Princeton, maybe you've heard of me too?
[He can try, even if it was unlikely that Joey would have been following the school-based Genex tournament there was a chance that he had.]
Huh? You think we're all like trapped inside a computer game or something?
[That would be a first, for Chazz. He does relinquish his position in line at the dock to accompany the blond elsewhere.]
I mean- I guess it could be something like that. [.. but he sounded very uncertain] Do you think it's like a rival corporation or something that Industrial Illusions and Kaiba Corp came up with? [Actually, now that Joey put the idea out there it started to make total sense to him. When he'd had to duel his brothers to save the school from being bought out, Kaiba was aware of his selection... then with his winning the tournament recently.... he was finally getting the recognition he deserved!] Well you can keep on shooting for it but I'll be waving at you from the top spot. [It was said with a smile despite the competitive edge to it]
I mean... sure. What have I got to lose? [LIKE HE WAS GOING TO SAY NO]
no subject
[He gives him a reassuring pat on the shoulder.]
You got pretty doggone close to my own idea about what's goin' on here, so bullseye on dat front!
[Joey gives an enthusiastic thumbs-up. For as many people as have taken the piss out of him over the years, having someone come to largely the same conclusion as him was reassuring.]
See before I got brought in here I was in dis big Kaiba Corp. game called Duel Links dat's all in virtual reality and, before dat, I'd been in a couple'a otha virtual worlds made by Kaiba Corp. as well so dis fits the bill for dat pretty much right on da money. Dis place we're in now has monstahs you can collect who've got different attacks n' levels, and all da people who weren't brought in here from otha worlds are basically NPCs. You can talk to 'em and dey'll start repeatin' dialogue in no time flat... dat's why I scooted over here instead of talkin' in front of da attendant.
[He gestures over towards the Ferry counter in a surreptitious manner.]
My thinkin is dat, with Kaiba himself here and him sayin' he's got no paht'a dis thing, it must be a virtual world cooked-up by some other big company. Whether it's someone aftah da top spot on da gamin' circuit or not doe, der's a heckuva lot ta see here.
Just breathe, Chazz
WAIT. Joey Wheeler patted him on the shoulder, not just... someone. This is the most bizarre situation he's ever found himself in, and that's saying a lot, but it was paying off now.Joey sounds so sure of himself that it's hard not to get swept into the theory.]
Duel Links? I wonder why I've never heard of it. [Maybe it was still in beta testing. You'd want the best of the best onboard to help you ensure that the system was ready to release to the public.] No way, they do? [Shooting a glance over his shoulder to the dock and back.] .. and that's why all this elevator music is playing on loop! I just thought their were hidden speakers everywhere.
[Hold the phone.] Seto Kaiba is here too?! [How much he wanted to try and play it cool but he'd already blown that 100 times over by now.] I just... I don't believe this. This is the most incredible thing that's ever happened. [Sure, Kaiba footed the bill for Duel Academy, and Chazz had seen him in a video chat once.. but the possibility that they could be sharing the same space was almost too much excitement to handle]
Re: Just breathe, Chazz
[Joey gives him another triumphant thumbs-up.]
You're sure ta ge' used'ta it due to it playin' nonstop, but make sure ya never go numb ta whatcha hear playin'. Dat's anotha big thing dat makes me think dis is a game world, ya see, since da music tells ya exactly what's goin' down.
[Joey points towards the exit to town.]
See, da minute you go outside'a one'a da cities here you're gonna staht seein' wild Pokemon and even otha trainahs lookin' ta battle. Any time one'a dem trainahs sets their sights on ya, or a wild Pokemon draws near, da music will change to reflect dat.
[Doing his best to imitate the sounds of the given songs, Joey gives a quick sample of the trainer and battle themes.]
Even if you don't even see da enemy dat's comin' atcha, hearing da music change will let you know it's comin'. It's wacky, but pretty friggin' cool. Let's ya practically have eyes in da back of ya head!
[He pumps his fist enthusiastically as he finishes his sentence, clearly excited about the game mechanic he's explaining.]
Der's tons of othah cool stuff here too. It's a friggin goldmine!
no subject
Huh, that is really telling. I wonder why none of the others pointed this out before.
[
Clearly, no one is as useful or smart as Joey Wheeler is right now.]You know some jerk even tried to convince me that this was the afterlife?
[His gaze followed the direction Joey was pointing in with marked curiosity]
.... Is there a way to get my own theme song and have that play instead?
[Of course this is what he asks]
Guess in a way, that levels the playing field. Keeps other trainers from getting in any cheap shots.
[Not entirely sold on the whole soundtrack thing yet, he could at least accept it's usefulness. Joey seemed really keen on all this, so maybe it wasn't such a bad thing to be abducted here afterall.]
So there's these other battles and all here.. but don't you miss dueling? Or, are you still getting a chance to hone your skills?
no subject
Who in da heck would think dis is heaven? I swear, der's some weird people here.
[That's a good question on the music front. Joey hadn't thought about that but, considering he's shooting at being a Gym Leader, it'd be a damn good idea to know if he could blast his own tunes or not.]
Ya know, I actually hadn't thought'a whethah or not we can get our own themes. Dat'd be pretty badass if we could doe'. I wondah if da world would pick 'em for us, or if dey'd be somethin' we gotta pick off'a Staryutube. Eitha way, I'd be down ta have my own theme music! Den people would know beyond'a shadow 'a doubt dat da Joey Show is about ta begin!
[On the dueling front, boy oh boy, that's definitely something Joey has missed. He's even put some pretty doggone heavy effort into getting the duelists that are here together to form some kind of club, but there's just nothing doing on that front. Joey's been missing it for sure, but he's done his best to switch focus onto the task in front of him.]
A'course I miss it. Der's duelists here too, but it just seems nobody actually wants'ta duel. It's real hard tryin' ta get anything else goin' with it too doe, since we only got da cahds we came in here with and nothin' else. Dey've got a cahd game for all deez friggin' Pokémon, but dat just ain't my speed.
[Joey looks a bit sad at the prospect, but also appears resigned.]
I've just been tryin' ta do what I can with what I got ya know?
no subject
Huh.
There's a blessing.
Even if he actually had grown closer to said monsters. They would probably speak up later to whine about being replaced or something.. whatev.Chazz has no idea that the spirits might not have travelled with him]I don't know. Some guy that sounded like he had a screw loose anyway. That's why you can't trust anything said over the internet.
[Or network, as it were.
Get on that Joey, every gym leader needs a rocking theme.]
You really haven't? Huh. [Heck, he'd even want a theme song in his own dimension.] They better let us pick them, because whoever "they" are don't exactly have the best ear for music. Are they trying to put us to sleep here?
[What follows next has to be among some of Chazz's greatest disappointments. Imagine, gathering all the elite duelists into one arena and then........ nothing. Maybe this music is actually meant to cool people's passions to a manageable level so whoever is behind it never faces retribution for abducting everyone?]
Nobody.... at all? [It's hard for him to accept that some of his idols would just slip calmly into retirement] No new cards, no booster packs, no tournaments.... [He had just been starting to come around to the idea of making the most of this game while he was here to impress anyone watching, but ... NO DUEL MONSTERS?! Cupping the side of his head with both hands, he leaned slightly forward, looking like he was about to lose it] I got to get out of here! [Sure he'd been riding on a high from his recent duels, but he didn't want to lose all that progress]
no subject
[Joey's got no idea how the world goes about picking out what songs to bust-out at what times or for what reasons, but he full-well knows that he would lose his shit if he went to all the work of putting together a team of not-Duel Monsters just for it to play some early 2000s slow jam crap. That is, without a doubt, not the kind of atmosphere the Red-Eyes Duelist is trying to cultivate.]
For duelin'... it sucks. Der's duelists from all kinds'a places in here. Some places I ain't even heard of, and yet we ain't got da stuff needed ta make it work. Some of us got mats like we used'ta duel on, but der's like one duel disk in da whole place and all we got for cahds is what everyone came in with. I hate ta say it, but without dat creepy Pegasus ta crank out new cahds it's real tough makin it work.
[Joey looks disappointed, but not deflated. Between all the duelists present in the world there's a decent catalog of cards, but it's still a drop in the bucket. Having something to pull from would be the perfect touch, but he just doesn't know how he could make it work. Still, hope springs eternal, and Joey's not one to give up on a dream.]
Joey Wheeler never went down without a fight doe', so you can betcha butt I'm still workin' on ways ta make it all work!
no subject
Someone here really needs to invent the mute button. Sheesh! ... You're opening a gym? [Hello, he's a new trainer that doesn't get the reference. Joey's in shape, he could totally open his own gym if he wanted...] Gotta fill the time with something. I guess.
No holograms?! [There was something Chazz hadn't even considered. Sure, you could just play the game on a tabletop or a mat, that was primarily what they had done in prep school but duel disks heightened the whole game. You could actually feel as if you were part of the action.] Did I say this was the most incredible thing that's every happened to me? I take it back. [Even if he found someone willing to duel him, there were only so many strategies to work with without being able to refresh your deck with new cards. He wondered briefly, which of his decks was with him- or if he had more than one on his person at the time..]
That's uh.... reassuring. [Though not sounding all that reassured. Chazz was deep into panic mode, so give him a minute. Besides, Joey might be a great duelist but he was not a mover and an innovator like Pegasus or Kaiba. KAIBA! Right! All Chazz would need to do is find Kaiba and convince him to take a more active role in growing Duel Monsters here...
Chazz, pls]no subject
Dis place is pretty much da exact opposite of dat Duel Links place I was in before. Dat place had nothing but places ta duel and cahds just waitin' ta be snatched-up. I was even able ta upgrade my deck to a whole new level of butt-kickin' in dat place, so you can bet I wish der was some'a dat goodness here.
[Tapering-down from his excitement about Duel Links, Joey shifts gears and points Chazz to look at the Pokeballs on his belt.]
Dis place has it's own kinda game doe', n' der's a lot ta learn in order to get good at it. It's got a lot in common with Duel Monstahs doe' so it's not all stahtin' from scratch.
[Clearly having thought of the similarities beforehand, Joey starts to list them off at a rapid-fire pace.]
- You can only keep six monstahs on ya at a time, just like da cahds in ya hand.
- Some Pokemon can straight-up evolve, so der's some real close similarities to level monstahs like da Silent Swordsman dat Yuug would use.
- Der's a bunch'a different types of Pokemon and dey're all a lot like da different monstah types we already know. You got Pyros, Warriors, Dragons, Spellcastahs, and all kinds'a stuff all right here as Pokemon so if you're used'ta running a specific thing odds are dat you'll know exactly what'ta look for.
- Pokemon can all have different items dat help ta make dem strongah, so der's even friggin' equip spell cahds in here and dey ain't even tryin' ta make it subtle. Dey're hahd ta get doe', so I was lucky to come in here around Christmas when dey're up for grabs.
[Joey breathes-in again, readying to continue his list, but realizes he's ranting and think better of it.]
Err... yeah. Der's a lot more stuff like dat, but I don't wanna talk ya leg off. I kinda got carried away der for a sec, but let's just say dat der's a lotta cool stuff ta learn about da new system if ya let yerself get into it.
no subject
Where do I sign up for Duel Links instead?
[There was only a hint of bitterness in his tone. It wasn't directed at his current companion, just the Pokémon world in general]
I guess it's not like I really have a choice.
[The last thing he wants to become is the local chump, so lay the details on him
senseiJoey.]Only six? That's not a lot for variety.. [That must be part of the strategy. By limiting the number, a trainer has to be more selective with their monsters] ... Or like my Armed Dragon! [Which also levels up, tyvm. Chazz brightens up a little when he can connect something to his own monsters. Somewhat ironically his Druddigon does not evolve.]
Sounds like I have a lot to learn about this place and how it functions..
[It's going to be like starting school all over again- but not entirely]
Hey, whatever- it's cool.. and at least I'm not sitting in a lecture hall while you're telling me all this.
no subject
[Joey puts holds his chin thoughtfully.]
I think it was da eggheads at Kaiba Corp. dat hit me up, but I got an invitation sayin' I'd been chosen for pahticipation in da second phase'a Duel Links. I didn't know what it was but, considerin' I'm shootin' for bein' a Pro Duelist, der was no way I was turnin' down somethin' like dat. When I got der doe' it was just a big computah room, and I had to put on dis big egg helmet. Next thing I knew I was in da game!
[Looking at the upset expression on Chazz's face as he's telling about his entry to Duel Links makes Joey realize that he likely wasn't genuinely asking how to get into the game. Not wanting to pile on any further than he'd already accidentally done, Joey quickly shifts topics.]
Oh six ain't da limit on all da Pokémon you can have. Dat's only da amount you can bring into a battle at a given time. It's like da limit on cahds in ya hand, but you can have way way more den dat kept in da computah. Think of dat like ya deck, since you can have a bunch in der' and draw from 'em between ya "turns".
[Recognizing the mention of Armed Dragon, Joey snaps his fingers.]
Exactly! Think'a stahtin' off with a Dragon Pokémon and it's like da Level 3, but you gotta fight in battles ta build him up and den it'll evolve and be da Level 5. Keep goin' and dey keep levelin', but every Pokémon tops-out at different points. You'll be able'ta find da Pokemon dat best fit with what you're lookin' for in ya Pokégear, and dat'll tell you where you can find 'em and what dey turn into so ya don't spend weeks lookin' for it or catchin' something you don't want.
[Joey opens his own Pokégear up and shows the various navigation tabs to Chazz.]
Think of it da same way as ya deck. You wouldn't just put whatevah in der, so make sure you're bein' thoughtful when it comes ta catchin anything out in da wild too.
[What Chazz said registers on him in the middle of his thought.]
Wait wait wait. Did you say you gotta sit in a friggin' Lectchah Hall for Duelin'? Dat sounds terrible! Goin' ta school sucked enough already. I don't wanna go ta school for Duelin' too!
no subject
It would have been such an honor to get invited to participate in something like that..... weird egg helmets aside.
[
Feel free to redesign those Kaiba.Wow, since Duel Links wasn't public knowledge wasn't Joey breaking an NDA or something to tell him all this? That made this intel beyond exclusive and it was being offered up to him on a silver platter. It wouldn't be a stretch to say that Chazz was on an emotional roller coaster right now and his highs and lows were a little difficult to keep up with as he went from revelation to revelation.]Now I see what you're saying. So you do have options, but it depends on what you want to sink your time into.
[Nodding to what he's just heard he makes a mental note of it.]
Uh.. yeah. That's kind of the whole point of Duel Academy. [It's by this point that Chazz realizes this is the first he's mentioned it by name] It's not that bad since it's for Duel Monsters but.. some professors are better than others. Didn't you know there were schools that specifically taught about the game? I mean... maybe not...? Kaiba was the one that funded it.
Sorry for the delay. Had a busy past couple of days.
[He pats a series of deck boxes on the left side of belt reassuringly. Seeing all the Red-Eyes support in the game had certainly been a surprise for Joey upon entering into Duel Links, but he'd been overjoyed to see shiny new coats of paint for the monsters he loves.]
I think da game is still in some kinda testing, so who knows if it'll hit da mahket normal-like in da future eh? Kaiba's always rollin' new stuff out, even if it means I can't keep up with gettin' it.
[Joey shakes his head, half-amused and half-disappointed, and thinks about all the different generations of Duel Disk he'd seen by this point but hadn't been able to get.]
I'm still usin' a Battle City Duel Disk so I ain't exactly been keepin' up on da newest stuff. Here in dis Pokémon place, doe', I got all da good stuff!
[The idea of a school for Duel Monsters sounds like the kind of thing that would cause Joey's eyes to glaze over and roll into the back of his head. Just graduating was hard enough, so the last thing he'd want is to jump into a Kaiba-funded school specifically based around the crap Yugi's Grandpa already beat into him all the back during all the drama with the Fourth Blue-Eyes.]
A Duel Academy still sounds like somethin' outta one'a my nightmares. I had da same duelin' instructah as Yuug a'course n' he taught me all da stuff I needed ta become a champion, but that wasn't a full-time gig or nothin'. Dey got schools for learnin' ta battle Pokémon here in dis place too, but you can betcha butt I ain't been hittin' one'a dem up nor do I plan on doin' so anytime soon.
[Not wanting to rain on Chazz's parade in the event that the school life was his thing, Joey switches gears a bit.]
Who knows doe'. Dat might be just da kinda thing you're lookin' for! We can swing by one'a dem if you're interested in jumpin'-in feetfirst, but dey're only in a couple'a da cities so we'll still need to get der ta see 'em.
No worries!
Wait. Recreation? Why would it need to be recreated...? Did things really change that much between then and now? We went on a field trip there once and it seemed like all the landmarks were in place...
[The new cards definitely were appealing too. Ah, if only he could punch up his deck with something other than Ojamas...]
If it's all digital, do you still get the same sense of exhilaration when you duel?
[It woudln't be the same without being able to feel the cards between your fingers, would it? Since it was a creation of Kaiba's making, that was hard to say for sure.]
Those were like the first duel disks ever released, and you're complaining? [Said a bit airily as his envy was mixed with another dose of awe] That thing has to be worth a fortune now. A piece of dueling history.
[How opposite they were on this subject.]
Huh? Your nightmares? ... but it's based around the game we're both passionate about? [And man is there a lot of bullying at Duel Academy too.] You disliked school that much? [Hard for someone that took 3 years of prep school before attending Duel Academy to believe.] ... I mean, sure, the routine can get stale and all but...
I wouldn't know what to look for in a school here.. [..and he wasn't sure he wanted to have to find his place in a third institution so soon after North and Duel Academy] .. but I don't know much about Pokémon other than what you just told me.
Re: No worries!
[Joey thinks for a moment, tapping his finger against his chin as he tries to tally-up all the things Kaiba had built between the tournament and the business with the Quantum Cube.]
I mean, Kaiba's got a big new stadium now and da big theme park, Kaibaland, dat he and his brotha Mokuba've been workin' on is open now. Oh! Kaiba's got a space station now too! Der's a big orbital thing ya can take to go ta friggin' space! It's real cool, and dey've got all dat stuff in Duel Links' later version'a Domino.
Far as duelin' goes doe', it's all like jumpin' ya mind into a digital world. You might be in a video game, but everythin' looks and feels like you're in da real thing. While it means ya might not get'ta bring da cahds back with ya' da duels are still just as fun so long as you're still in da place. I know it lit a fire unda' me doe', losin' all'a those awesome cahds I got when I logged-out, so I'd be lyin' if I said I didn't buy my body weight in packs from Gramps' place right aftahwards!
[When the conversation steers back towards school Joey purses his lips. Academia was never his strong suit, nor was it a scene he would relish returning to. Chazz seems infinitely more welcoming to such surroundings though so Joey doesn't want to present himself as a dummy or anything like that to what could well be his very first actual fan.]
It ain't dat der's anythin' wrong with school or anythin'. It's just I think people learn bettah when dey get da chance ta just do it, y'know, organically...
[That's a big word there Joey.]...out in da field. Here in Pokemon ya little doohicky's got all the Pokémon listed for ya and you'll learn all about battlin' just by getting out there and doin' it. That's da Wheeler way at least. Not knockin' it if da sitdown kinda deal anyone's thing though. Different strokes, different folks right?[Nailed it Joey.]
no subject
Kaibaland, I definitely know about. [What? Does he sound like a newb? Please. Then again, he didn't know about Duel Links. There must not have been anything leaked to the press yet.] Come again now? [Eyes widening at the whole, space station thing.] Is that why he was shooting those Duel Monsters cards into space? I mean- that part always seemed a little eccentric.. but when it's Kaiba, you don't really question it. But, sure. That must have been a tie in to opening up the space station.
[Chazz smiles and nods approvingly. Anything worth doing is worth going over the top for.]
Awesome. [There was that glowing enthusiasm again, that Chazz usually tried not to show around campus so he wouldn't look like a huge dork. Here, it was fine though.] You wouldn't be limited to just the basic sort of arenas available in the real world. In a digital setting you could literally be .. anywhere!
[Look, it's only because of the structure a school can provide.
And his being terrified of having to start living in the real world... hah...]Gotta admit, I'm not going to miss filling out duel request forms or cramming for one of Crowler's exams. [He can see some benefits in this] Huh- the Wheeler way. [The boy considered the words thoughtfully, envisioning himself following in a legends footsteps. Maybe Duel Academy was just holding him back...] It couldn't hurt to get some experience... the other way.
no subject
[Joey makes a surprised face but, as it registers on him what Chazz said, the suprise slowly fades. They're talking about a guy who invents a functional jetpack just for a more marketable entrance and manufactered a fighter plane crash as the launch of his new line of virtual technology. Launching cards into space seemed almost tame by comparison once he thought about it like that.]
Seems Kaiba'd been messin' with space stuff more den I thought. Huh. I wish I had da kinda scratch'ta do dat kinda stuff. You just wait doe'. Once ol' Joey's gotten his ducks-inna-row for bein' a Gym Leadah der's gonna be one heckuva badass Joey Gym poppin'-up somwhere in here.
[He crosses his arms as he talks about building his Gym and nods in affirmation of his statements. At the mention of virtual stadiums, though, a thought occurs to him.]
Hey you didn't happen'ta come into dis' place with ya duel disk did'ja? If ya did make sure you hold onta dat thing. There's no way ta get anothah one in here so dat thing's worth its weight in gold.
[Reaching a hand back towards his backpack, Joey gives it a reassuring pat to show that he's been following his own advice in that regard. The sound of Chazz's dueling academia brings a grimace to Joey's face, however, as the more he hears the more grateful he is for having gone through Grandpa's tutoring instead of some acadamy.]
Did... did you say Duel Request Form? Like, you can't just duel someone? You gotta have permission n' stuff?
[Joey shakes his head in disbelief.]
Dude, forget that. If I had'ta wait for friggin permission every time I wanted ta duel I'd be a geezah by da time I got into a single tournament. No way, no how!