Test Drive Meme - Spring 2025

[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!

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OTHER USEFUL LINKS:
NAVIGATION | RESERVES | APPLICATIONS

Comments

!! <3

[prodigaltrickster]

After getting lectured by one of the two people whose opinions he's willing to fully absorb (sorry Emporio), he has finally stopped grabbing his Charmander's mouth. And Rush in turn has stopped breathing fire at him, at least for now. Joseph has been pretending to look at things in the store front, just because Rush still won't follow or come when called, and Joseph doesn't really want to leave the gym without him.

"Oh, what now?"

What now is that there's a stampede of tiny pink kittens zeroing in on him. Joseph lets out an undignified yelp and hops up in the air, landing gracefully with his feet on the arms of a nearby chair. It's impressive for someone his size, but not enough to stop several of the Skitties from jumping up into the chair with him.

"God d- Rush, do something, please?"

Rush is definitely doing something. That something is moving far enough away that he can watch the drama in peace, curled into a lizard loaf.

[loopsiedaisy]

Loop notices the new person as all but a few Skitties abruptly abandon them. For a moment they're tempted to just let this happen - it means they get a break from the kitten swarm! But... Emporio probably wouldn't appreciate it if the mass of Skitties chases off a customer, or a challenger, or whoever this is.

They abandon the tools against a wall and wade back in.

"Hey, hey! Leave him alone, he doesn't have any food!"

The Skitties seem unconvinced, beeping joyously. One that made it to the chair jumps up to start clawing its way up Joseph's pant leg - Loop manages to snatch it out of the air before it makes contact, but misses a second one. They do grab a third, but then they're out of hands.

Orrery the Metang wants to help, but she's still stuck where Loop dropped off the rake and shovel, divesting herself of all the stuff she was carrying. Please hold.

[prodigaltrickster]

"Yeah, I don't have any food- hey!"

Joseph grabs one of the Skitties by the scruff, and they squeak in protest as he pulls them off his leg, and drops them onto the chair. He is trying to be careful with them - they're babies after all - but that just emboldens them to keep climbing up his legs with their tiny little claws.

"Why do you even have this many cats!? OW!"

That second one that Siffrin missed has gotten up far enough to dig their claws into the exposed skin on his midriff, and he doesn't manage to be careful with that one. He shoves them off hard enough that they fall to the floor, not seeming to take much fall damage from it but making Joseph wince.

[loopsiedaisy]

Loop also flinches when the Skitty hits the floor, watching it with concern until it bounces back to its feet, unbothered. They give Joseph a bit of a look, but... well, he clearly didn't mean to do it.

"They're not mine," they say, without further explanation. The two kittens they're holding get deposited to the floor, and Loop uses their freed hands to try and peel another kitten off Joseph's leg... which is easier said than done.

Fortunately, here comes Orrery to the rescue, finally! She hovers directly behind and above Joseph's head, looming over all the Skitties, and uses Scary Face.

The kittens poof up and scatter. They peek out from behind various shelves and other hiding spots, watching the two trainers and the Metang with wide, still-curious eyes. Loop releases the single last kitten they did manage to retrieve - it darts off and hides behind Rush.

[prodigaltrickster]

Joseph also flinches at the Scary Face, instinctively moving his hands up into a martial arts stance. But he lowers them a moment later, and tentatively hops back down to the floor.

"What the hell is that thing?"

He doesn't really sound afraid, more-so genuinely curious, and he raps his knuckles against Orrery's face as though she's a machine and not... a creature.

Rush, meanwhile, has sat up, just so he can sniff the Skitty that's hidden behind him. It looks like he's fully uninterested in any danger his owner might be stumbling into - although he is keeping an ear out, in case anything serious happens.

[loopsiedaisy]

It's almost impressive how quickly Joseph has edged into getting on Loop's nerves - they're a lot more defensive of their Pokemon than they realized, as it turns out! Nobody else has ever called Orrery a thing, so it's never come up.

"What, it's not easy to guess? She must be a kitten repellent~" Their tone sounds cheerful and joking enough, but they're definitely bristling a bit, behind it.

Orrery, on the other hand, doesn't seem too bothered. She waves Joseph a hello... and then reaches out to gently rap her knuckles against Joseph's face playfully. Or, well, the metal rim of her hand. No actual knuckle-analogue to be found.

Loop, seeing this, relents slightly. Orrery is one of the odder Pokemon out there, though not the oddest. (They've seen a trainer with a living ice cream cone, okay. And a ghost balloon!)

"She's a Pokemon like yours, not a thing. Her name's Orrery."

[prodigaltrickster]

Joseph flinches and rubs his face - a little melodramatic, since it didn't hurt that much, but he's curious if he can fool Orrery into thinking she hurt him for real. "Ow... well, they're animals, which are things."

It's always something new with these weird little creatures. He tips his head, inspecting her a little more and making a few mental notes. He's going to have to read through everything his PokeGear will tell him later - these creatures are so alien to him, he can't begin to categorize them on his own. He's making a few notes about Loop too, while he's at it - so far he can tell that they're not from his world (unless fashion gets crazy in the future), although he doesn't know enough about this world to know if they're a native.

"...Mine is Rush. He's a...." he snaps his fingers a few times, "...Charmander. And a real bastard."

Rush yawns, and settled back into a loaf.

[loopsiedaisy]

Orrery tilts her head - or more like her whole body. She knows she didn't put any real force into that nudge, and she's unconvinced that Joseph is hurt... but maybe he's especially sensitive.

So... verdict unclear?

"Strange. I wonder why that could be." Loop's tone is back to how it was before. They've fulfilled their responsibilities, they decide, and turn back to the wall to pick up those tools again.

Some of the Skitties start creeping closer.

[prodigaltrickster]

Everyone is so judgemental about his terrible animal magnetism - don't think he doesn't notice. He tries to share an annoyed look with Rush, but the Charmander makes a point of pretending he doesn't see Joseph. Ugh.

"Do you need... a container or something for these things?" He picks up the Skitty that was sitting near Rush, although he's hesitant to get too close to the rest of them. "Seems dangerous to let them all roam free... or at least a tripping hazard."

[loopsiedaisy]

Loop stands up with the rake and shovel back over their shoulder, and a bucket Orrery was holding earlier in their other hand. Orrery floats back over to pick up her remaining baggage.

"If you'd like to get them into a box, be my guest~" They wouldn't object to seeing Joseph try, actually, and experience the Horrors(?) of two getting out for every one he sticks in. It'd be funny!

Loop lets out a resigned huff of breath when Orrery nudges them. Fine, alright. "They'll be gone when the lady across town calls them for dinner. Should be soon."

The Skitties hear the word "dinner" and all start squeaking excitedly. A cacophony of kittens! This includes the one Joseph's picked up, which is now wriggling.

Loop ignores this. "...did you need something in here, anyway?"

[prodigaltrickster]

Joseph panics a bit and lowers the Skitty down, just so that it doesn't drop too far when it wriggles out of his grasp. At Loop's question he just lets out a quiet huff, and shakes his head.

"No, just wandering around. I'm stuck in town until I can get Rush under control enough to travel with... and this is the most interesting building around."

He's trying not to sound sheepish about it, although that tone still creeps in a bit.

[loopsiedaisy]

Okay, well. Loop guesses this guy is probably inflicting enough misery on himself with his attitude toward Pokemon that they can probably lay off him. (And at least he's being careful with the Skitty.) But can they give Rush a little covert thumbs up, maybe...?

"Yeah, this place is pretty quiet. There's a ferry that goes out sometimes, but not much else until you get to the city three days west. Though I think it's been getting busier since Emporio built his Gym...?"

Loop basically booked it out of New Bark immediately when they first showed up, so they don't have a great basis for comparison, but they definitely don't remember as many people being around before.

There's a very distant sound - maybe someone ringing a cowbell? All the Skitties immediately abandon ship, rushing in a wave towards the door.

[prodigaltrickster]

"I guess if everyone wakes up here, no one will want to stay for long."

Especially if everyone else is out exploring the world. Oh, how he wants to be out there, but even if he and Rush had gotten off on a better foot he feels naked without his Hamon energy.

He startles slightly when the Skitties run off, and lets out a frustrated sigh. At least it's easier to hear himself think without all of the mewling. (He really doesn't like cats.)

"It is a nice Gym... not that I really have a point of comparison, they don't have these in my world."