Test Drive Meme - 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

Goro Akechi | Persona 5 Royal

[bleakdecember]

[early routes]

“Oh, you’ve got to be kidding me—“

He’s not dressed for travelling through a rugged routes and forests. If anything, he looks more suited for winter, with a heavy coat and scarf.

But he looks vastly out of his depth in many more ways. Especially how he scowls up at the trees. He’s a city slicker, and his eternal damnation is apparently going camping with fuzzy creatures.

Speaking of. A pale furry thing runs away from him, nearly tripping him.

“Hey—“

His zorua darts away. Then out of the bushes comes… two Catepies. Which is the real, and which is the illusion?

Akechi groans and rubs his forehead. “I really do not have time for this today.”

Maybe you’d like to give him a hand?

[network, video]

[The video is well framed, with a smiling Akechi waving slightly. He has a charming, easy air to him — someone who’s used to smiling for TV]

Hello everyone! I had hoped to introduce myself on better terms, but today I need some assistance…

[A Pokémon darts around behind him. It’s hard to tell what it is.]

I understand that these… creatures are common companions, but I don’t really have time to take care of a pet. Does anyone know the best method for rehoming these?

[Sorry, Akechi, you’re gonna be a trainer whether you want to or not.]

video

[livlaughlove]

[The feller who answers is far less formal about the video; it seems like he's just pulled it out and turned it on in a rush before it's all the way fixed on him. Sorry for the motion blur.]

Oh, no, you don't wanna do that. 'least not unless ya got another one. There's some pretty tough critters out here that people don't stand a chance against. And they don't let ya have weapons.

[Not that such a polite young man would need a gun, right? Right???]

[bleakdecember]

[Ah…? He keeps smiling. He does not let the seething rage below become obvious. The only sign of displeasure is a twitch at the corner of his smile.]

Then we have no means of self defense, aside from…

[Something bumps the camera. Akechi quickly fixes it.]

I can’t imagine how a small creature like this could provide any genuine defense.

[livlaughlove]

[If Livio catches that little twitch, he sure doesn't acknowledge it.]

Ah, well... They ain't too powerful when they're little, sure, but they'll get a helluva lot stronger given some time. Why, I got a lil... floatin' berry? what hardly weighs a pound but can drain the life right outta things.

[Said Hoppip drifts aimlessly past in the background as the Gear finally gets straightened out. Its smile is dopey and vacant... A true killer.]

Say, what is yer partner?

[bleakdecember]

[That thing looks like stuffed toy, like a corporate mascot. Yet it can drain life…? He narrows his eyes. Even the most childish shadow or Persona looks like more than that.]

Ah. One moment.

[His eyes track something offscreen. Then he lunges forward and grabs something. He pulls up a fluffy fox — a Hisuian Zorua. And then it bites him, and he drops it.]

I’ve never been particularly skilled with animals.

[livlaughlove]

[Maybe Livio jumps at that just slightly more than is reasonable. Maybe.]

Ah! Jeez, are ya okay?

[He winces, eyes now slightly averted from the camera.]

I ain't good with... little doggies, either, exactly, but I'm pretty sure they don't like bein' yanked around...

[bleakdecember]

[He examines his hand offscreen, but keeps it out of frame. He doesn’t seem to rattled though.]

It’s nothing serious, haha… is there a way I can trade this one for one less, ah… with smaller teeth?

[livlaughlove]

[Well, as long as Akechi isn't concerned, seeing as he's the one who has to deal with the little rascal.]

You might could catch another one, or find somebody to trade with... I got no experience with the latter, or... gettin' rid of 'em in general. I just know I never heard of somebody goin' around with none, y'know?

[bleakdecember]

[He also just doesn’t want to admit weakness to a stranger. It’s fine.

The zorua returns to sniff at the corner of the camera. He tries to show it off, briefly showing he’s bleeding a bit.]

Alright. How would I tell the general power of each one of these? I assume mine is stronger than those small bugs I’ve seen, but there much be something more powerful than this…

[livlaughlove]

The Gear should have an app with data on your team. Y'can use it to scan wild Pokemon, too, to get an idea of how they'll match up. Power seems to be... kinda subjective, though? Most folks think of Bug as weak and stuff like Dragon as strong, but I'm pretty sure there's variations...

[Again, he's trying not to look directly at Zorua, the poor attention-starved thing, but he trails off as he sees the red on Akechi.]

Uh... you sure you're good? Might wanna clean that if you're able...

[bleakdecember]

[Dragon, huh… that’s different from shadow types, clearly. He wonders how many, and then opens his mouth to ask. But then.]

Oh, yes. Give me a moment. You know what—

[He adjusts the gear so it’s sitting in the ground. His Zorua clearly comes to investigate, and watches the video feed. Akechi appears to be putting in a bandage of some sort in the background.

He allows Zorua to investigate more.]

And what… type of these creatures do you prefer?

[livlaughlove]

[You know, Livio is just gonna coax Hoppip over into his lap so she can watch the screen instead. Maybe he will even play with her nubby little paw-legs.]

Say hi, June.

[And she does so, with a pleasant little trill.]

I'm pretty fond o' Grass types. Ain't really any where I come from, so it's nice. Ghosts've grown on me, too. I like their moxie.

Early Routes

[furyrider]

"I dunno. From what I've heard we've got all the time in the world."

That voice coming from not too far away in the tall grass. This REALLY tall grass. By the gods how does it grow like this here? Hiccup emerges with some of the foliage sticking in his hair, and a little land shark following after him.

Judging by the fact that this guy is wearing a bunch of leather covered in black dragon scales, he's definitely not a city slicker. Looks more the rustic type. The Pokemon with him eyes the Caterpies, his mouth watering as he starts to move towards them.

"Shark Face, no. I don't think they're for eating."

[bleakdecember]

He turns after a moment, narrowing his eyes at the stranger coming out of the bush. Someone who seemed far more at ease in this rough wilderness. Was it worth it to him to try and play nice and gain an ally? Maybe. But he'd seen children wandering the routes with no supervision. He could manage.

"I'm not satisfied wasting my life doing -- whatever this is."

One of the Caterpies startles and runs. The other tilts its head, and shifts -- taking the form of Hiccup's Pokemon with an illusion. Akechi just sighs.

"Well, that answers that question..."

[furyrider]

"Hey I get it. Getting somehow yanked to this world against our will? Not ideal. Believe me, I have things I'd like to get back to. If I'm not dead."

Ruffling his hair, he gets rid of the bits of grass.

"But this is a whole new world to explore! How can that be a waste of anyone's life? Especially if we go right back to what we were doing when we leave? If any of that's true."

He's doing his best to be positive okay? And then the Caterpie runs off and the other turns into... a second Shark Face. Causing Hiccup to gesture empathically at the Pokemon.

"See! Who knew that a worm could turn into a dragon! This place is amazing!"

early routes

[islandshore]

Riku doesn't typically visit the early routes much nowadays, but sometimes you need a change of scenery, and so here he is, out and about with his trusty Charizard, Flare. ...Probably best not to have a dragon with a flaming tail around so much greenery, but when he sees Akechi's overall disgruntled vibes and the two caterpies, he can't help but chuckle under his breath.

"Heh. Lemme guess. One of them's a Zorua, right?"

He's been there. Had his share of tricky teammates, too.

voicetesting.there really aren't enough threads in new tdm anyway, so...feel free to ignore (or not)

[hadaeemadatawila]

Network

They're not our pets, I don't think. They're our- companions. Like our shadows? Well, they're not shadows. So, hm, our lights? Only in a pet form. That's how it looks to me.
[And how could you? rehome your own...? Noriaki Kakyoin pointedly does not say outloud]