001. Action for Goldenrod City/Video

[ardent]

[ACTION FOR GOLDENROD CITY]

[Well, if you're on the streets this evening in the general vicinity of the Radio Tower, you will likely come across a figure in what looks like a cross between a white gakuran and a military uniform (no, seriously, those boots cannot be school issue, can they?); he's got his arms folded tightly across his chest, almost as though he's cold despite being nothing of the sort, and he's staring rather intently upward.

Not at anything in particular. Just looking up at the sky.

However, if you're close enough (and you're probably close enough because he is pretty much the opposite of subtle), it'll be fairly obvious that he's probably not seeing much of anything despite the intensity of his gaze, given that he's got an impressive amount of tears going on. Like, "that should probably not be coming out of human eyes" levels of impressive. Holy shit. Tears. All over. Like he's seen the face of God or something.

Someone might want to poke him or make sure his brain hasn't just shorted out or something, he'll be here all night otherwise.]


[VIDEO]

[Hello, Johto! Sometime this evening you are being treated to some serious jittercam, courtesy of one of your newer arrivals (after he's come out of whatever trance he was in earlier because good lord almighty there is sky out here). It's not quite enough to make you seasick, but more than enough to make you wonder exactly how it is your life has come to this and who gave the complete amateur a camera before everything seems to even out. The video eventually seems to settle on a rather...uh, severe-looking kid with short, dark hair, red eyes and eyebrows that go forever, and whatever he's doing, he seems deeply annoyed with it, goodness. Who invited the spawn of Satan to the Poképarty...

And then he seems to figure out that he is, in fact, filming, and his response is so immediately joyful it'll give you whiplash if you are not properly strapped in. His grin is open and incredibly genuine, the expression entirely unguarded; he sets the device down on a table in front of him, as he appears to be outside still, and he immediately starts waving at it a bit - both through utter glee and trying to see if it actually is tracking properly.]

Ha ha ha - so it does work! This is excellent news, excellent! Now, if I can get it to -

[His voice is a bit odd - it's loud and enthusiastic, but it's strangely blunted, as though he hasn't...quite worked out how voice inflection works but dammit, he's trying. He reaches out while he talks, the conversation dissolving into rather pleased muttering to himself as he tries to turn off the 'Gear and promptly...uh, sends the video, good job.]


[VIDEO, TWO MINUTES AFTER THE FIRST]

[Well, Captain Eyebrows here seems to have gotten himself under a bit more control, though the amount of volume is still going to make people why he even bothered with a video - surely he can be heard in Kanto by now. He's clearly trying to sound authoritative; the effect is just...horribly shouty.]

My name is Ishimaru Kiyotaka, a student of the 78th annual class at Hope's Peak Academy! It's excellent to have a way to contact all of you, even if the situation that's brought it about is very weird indeed!

Whoever is responsible for this turn of events, I would like to both thank you for your generosity regarding the situation, and yet express my general confusion at what it is you expect me to do here! It would be appreciated if I could thank you in person - or...speak to you properly or knew who you were...hm.

[He...seems to have lost himself for a moment, hang on - ]

At any rate - if I've learned anything in my studies of others, it's that cooperation is the best way to ensure success! If you could introduce yourselves and tell me where it is you come from, I would be very grateful - let's make the most of this weird situation by working hard and working together!

[End feed!

...Ishimaru, please...]

Comments

[ardent]

[Well, actually.]

I've already decided what's going to be done about it, aniki, don't worry about that!

[diamondo]

Huh, really? What are you gonna do?

[ardent]

Isn't it obvious? I should turn myself in immediately!

[diamondo]

[..............]

What? Are you fucking serious? That's the stupidest thing I've ever heard! You're gonna get thrown in jail for that, you know that right?

[ardent]

And as a -

[...wow, yikes. This may be the one time when he will actually stop screaming in public because he realizes that screaming this is a really bad idea - savor it while you can, now let him tone down the volume.]

And as a member of a criminal organization, wouldn't I deserve it? I'm not about to actually do as they say!

[diamondo]

[Wow, Ishimaru being quiet? Shocking!!]

You just happened to end up in this organization. That doesn't make you a criminal or anything. 'Sides, this could be beneficial! If this organization's just allowed to run free, then obviously someone needs to put a stop to them. All I've really gotten so far is that they steal Pokémon, but I bet they're probably up to all sorts of other illegal shit. Since we're already in the organization, why not take it down from within?

[That will be much easier said than done, but it's better to have more allies!]

[ardent]

[aniki are you high that sounds like a terrible idea - ]

...What are you suggesting? How would we even go about that?

[diamondo]

[What are you talking about? It's the greatest idea!!]

Well first we'd need to gather allies both from within and outside the organization. We'd obviously need to get more information as to what this group's up to and figure out where to go from there. But I'm guessing in a group like this, you can advance through the ranks and get access to more information. It might take awhile, but that's what I plan on doing. It's...

[He hesitates there, glancing away momentarily before he forces himself to look back at Ishimaru, grinning awkwardly.]

It's a way to help out here, y'know?

[ardent]

[Oh, come on, that last part wasn't fair. He was fine calling you an idiot for this until you went and did that...]

Aniki, I understand what you're trying to do and I support the sentiment behind it - you know I do! But if it were that easy to do something like that, don't you think someone would have already?

[But...siiiiiiiigh. All right. All right, fine, if that's how we're playing it...]

We'll see what we can discover about it first, and then draw up a plan of action!

[diamondo]

I'm not saying it's gonna be easy! But someone's gotta do something, and I'm not just gonna sit around!!

[But it seems Ishimaru finally agrees with him and Mondo grins widely.]

Fuck yeah, that's what I'm talking about!

[ardent]

And what I'm saying is that we don't know if anyone's already tried!

[...aniki, this is gonna suck.]

We should check that...device we got for any signs of others from Hope's Peak - outside of our current situation, we also need to keep in mind that we haven't seen anyone else here. They may still be back in the school...

[diamondo]

Ah, that's--!

[...a very good point, and another one he hadn't considered. That dampens his mood quickly enough.]

Yeah, you're right. Hopefully they're here too! And if they aren't then surely there's some way to bring 'em here, right? I mean, we're here, so they should be too!

[ardent]

[This would be why he's the one in charge.]

Well, we won't know for sure until we've looked into this world a little more. For the time being we should treat it like we were in the academy; investigate what we can, and pool any information we might find - if anything, it's going to be more difficult here, due to the lack of grates, bars, and steel plates! It isn't anything to complain about, for sure, but it's also going to make our job that much harder!

[diamondo]

At least we're outside though!

[He seems pretty pleased with that. But he does understand what Ishimaru's saying and he nods.]

Yeah, it'll be difficult, but it's nothing we can handle together, aniki! We'll figure this place out!

[ardent]

[Thank you for continuing with that, Mondo, as he would have had to facepalm at you otherwise; at the same time, he...actually does understand the sentiment, and he's quick to grin after that's out there.]

It really is good to be outside again, isn't it?! You can actually see the sky here; it's beautiful!

[...]

...at least, I imagine it would be, if it weren't so dark!

[diamondo]

Hey, the sky can be just as beautiful at night! I mean, fuck, the sky's gonna be beautiful no matter what since we haven't seen it in so long!

[ardent]

[That subdues him a bit, though he's not displeased; it's difficult to tell, maybe, since his tone is as blunted as it always is and his expression is no less severe, but still.]

And we'll bring the others here one day to see it - we'll all be free of that place. They deserve to experience this just as much as we do!

[Well, not...all of them; there's nothing to be done about Enoshima, Maizono and Kuwata. At the same time, as much as he hates to think of it this way, their priorities have to remain with the living - they have to save the ones they can.]

[diamondo]

Yeah, 'course they do! There's gotta be some way to bring 'em here, I mean fuck, we're here! So all we've gotta do is figure it out and bring the rest here! Simple!

[Of course that's probably easier said than done. Still, there's reason to believe that they can do this and Mondo seems pretty excited with that idea. ...Even if that does mean bringing Togami here.]

[ardent]

[Of course we're bringing Togami here, what is wrong with you.]

There's no deterring you, is there? I really don't think it's going to be that "simple"...

[diamondo]

Of fucking course there isn't!

[He seems pretty proud of that, actually...]

Well, no, maybe not, but we've got each other! We'll figure it all out together, aniki!

[ardent]

[...siiiiigh. Mondo, as much as he would love to stand around with you and scream the same six inspiring sentences at each other ad nauseum...]

And all of that will mean nothing if we don't put work into it! We have an entire city to explore right now, don't we?!

[diamondo]

Good point! I've done a little exploring on my own, but this city is fucking huge! There's a giant department store over that way, exits from the city in the north and the south, and there's some kinda casino not too far from here. That's what I've got so far, anyway. But c'mon, surely there's plenty of other shit we can find!

[ardent]

Already that far ahead of me, are you...?

[Ahahaha, he approves, despite his words.]

Believe me, my fighting spirit is more than up to the task! Come on!

[diamondo]

Fuck yeah, now that's what I'm talking about! Where do you wanna head first?

[ardent]

Well, I think it goes without saying that we aren't going anywhere near that casino!

[AND THAT IS FINAL. >:| ]

How far off the main road have you gotten? You mentioned the north and south exits, nothing to the east and west. Is there even anything there, have you checked?