griptape | one hour of muttering and rambling || video

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[A small Swinub with a rather well-made flower chain on its head appears on screen. It bounces back to reveal the face of a young boy with dark hair, its trainer.]

My clothes are going to get dirty because of this grass and I bet it wouldn't be easy to wash them around here, they did give me spares but I'm not going to undress in this place, there are people nearby and I'm not an exhibitionist, I'd rather look for a place where it will be possible to wash it... or wash the furball, he's going to need it soon.

[He pauses for a litle while, like he had just noticed that the device was recording.]

Oh right, this thing is supposed to broadcast, now isn't that stalkery, what if it accidentally records something it shouldn't have... not that I'm planning to do anything of that sort while I'm here... [He turns around to see Swinub sniffing his backpack.] Now wouldn't you just leave this, little furball, I don't know what I'm going to eat if you take this away from me, there's bound to be something else edible for you here somewhere...

[Shinji pulls the bag out of the Pokémon's reach, ignoring the disappointed swii sound.]

Well, if it's being recorded already I might as well make use of it... Tachibana-san, Akira, are you here as well? Anyone? You probably aren't and I'm left all alone again but that's probably better for you since it means you are safe at home instead of being eaten by wild creatures and it would make me an egoist to wish you were here but maybe is was Apocalypse which sent me to this place and that would mean I'm the sole survivor...

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[Greetings, Johto! Shinji is sitting somewhere close to where Route 29 connects to New Bark Town. The handbook that was included in his backpack is open and lying on the ground next to him, he has just finished reading it. Seems that Shinji put together all these bits of information from the handbook and Professor, meaning that he finally got a good idea of where he ended up. You'll be spared the two hour long talk about whether Pokémon are really alive or not and if this is some kind of reality show making fun of him.

If anyone's nearby, there's a boy on Route 29 sitting on what appears to be a jersey and observing people and Pokémon. He's muttering something but the volume is low enough to be inaudible unless you come closer. He is also attempting to braid his Swinub's fur and keep it away from his food. There are some flowers lying around that he picked and attempted to use while making his Pokémon's accessory but ended up not needing them. He's totally going to try Pokémon battling but not before his work on Swinub's fur is finished.]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

There are berries and other plants along the route that your pokemon can eat. Ah, but you shouldn't eat any of the berries yourself, they might make you sick.

I...don't think the Apocalypse sent you here, or everyone else that's here. I hope not anyways.

I've read about them in the handbook, but I don't know if I can stop the furball from eating my lunch before I find something that could pass as food for it...
[Shinji disappears from the screen for a while and after a few loud swii swinub he returns, firmly holding his backpack.]

It's unfair, the furball can eat the plants that grow here but it still prefers to eat my stuff, maybe it's trying to kill me and if I starve to death, they will never find my body...

He's still young, I'm sure that's not his intention... There are some plants that people can eat too um... [ he has to go digging around to see if he can find that information. he's just clicking through the things he has saved on his gear for a while. ]

Here it is! [ he sends a link to the beginners/survival guide. ]

Um...if nothing else there should be a small restaurant even in New Bark. A lot of people aren't used to camping and wilderness survival when they get here but I think everyone does okay. People are really helpful here.

[Shinji wasn't actually expecting to get any information that's actually really helpful, this came as a pleasant surprise for him. Though really, eating grass roots?]

I should be okay as long as... now wouldn't you calm down for a while, I'll search for some of these berries in a few minutes, okay? Oh wait...

[The video shakes as the Swinub knocks Shinji's Pokegear out of his hand. When he picks it up again, the first thing to show is the pig Pokemon happily eating a berry it probably found on its own, tired of the trainer's mumblings]

That hopefully settles it and I won't have to protect my bag from the furball anymore... then again, I could try returning it to the capsule I got it in if it ever causes trouble again. Thank you for your help, stranger.

[He's interrupted by sniffing sounds coming from somewhere dangerously close to his backpack.]

...just how much do these things eat?

You're welcome, I know it's confusing when you first get here... [ wow, what a persistent little guy. he grins a bit at that, though it's probably troublesome more than endearing for his trainer. ]

Um...it varies from species. Most of mine don't eat too much but my starter was a bird-like pokemon so she didn't really have a big appetite. I think if they resemble any animal you're familiar with you can assume their diet is somewhat similar to that.

[ though he's not sure what exactly a swinub resembles. maybe a guinea pig? ]

[There's pretty much nothing besides grass on the Pokegear screen for a few seconds, the device has been left on the ground. If you look close enough, you can see Shinji's feet in the background a few meters away. He actually ran to the nearby bushes and is now desperately searching them for any berries that his Pokemon would be able to eat.

However, the screen doesn't stay empty for long. Suddenly, an unknown object covers it. Once it starts making sniffing noises followed by a loud swii, it becomes clear that it was actually Swinub's nose and its owner was definitely interested in the Pokegear. Sadly, the device didn't seem edible, but at least it was shiny and made beeping sounds! Swii swi swinub nub!

The lovely recording of the Pokemon's nose would have lasted much longer if not for his trainer finally noticing what's going on.]

...hey, furball, what are you doing, you're going to break this thing and what I'm going to do then, I don't have a spare. Besides that this thing records videos and you are not a cat so I don't think anyone would like to watch silly videos of you... and I finally brought you something to eat that's not in my bag so maybe you'd be interested in that...

[Shinji hastily stops the recording.]

[Shiraishi was a little unsure about if the guy talking was actually from their world, but after watching the whole video it was clear enough. Especially after hearing 'Tachibana-san'.]

Unfortunately neither of the one's your looking for are here. No one from your team currently is... there's just me and two from Rikkaidai.

[Which is... a little sad.]

[Shinji did call for his teammates in the post but he didn't really expect to see anyone he knew here. There's so much stuff he would like to ask about so obviously, the best way to start would be with the most useless and random questions.]

Shitenhouji's Captain Shiraishi? What are you doing in this place, doesn't your team need you? Come to think about it, how these two from Rikkaidai get away with skipping practice, I always imagined their team to be quite strict with it...

[Oh wait, now that he thought about it...]

...is there a way I could inform Tachibana-san that I won't be attending practice tomorrow?

Well, the thing is. We're in a completely different world. So missing practice is the least of your worries right now.

[Even though that was one of his worst worries when he arrived too, so he can relate.]

It's a rather complicated thing and most likely really hard to believe but that's how it is. Either than or I've been dreaming for eleven months.

[The different world thing doesn't even shock him that much at this point, he's had enough surprises for one day.]

Eleven months? But you certainly were there with your team during the Nationals not so long ago... or was it your twin brother or a clone? If these higher powers are able to transport people between worlds, probably making a clone wouldn't be beyond them... what if there's a clone of me taking my place right now?

[... he sure talks a lot, doesn't he?]

Time works a little differently here, so you saw the real me back there. Somehow time has stopped in our worlds when we came here - no matter what time anyone comes from.

But if time had stopped in our world when you came here... wait, when exactly did you come to this place? As in our world's time? Also, why did they take you and me and the Rikkaidai guys, are we somehow special? If their choice was based on tennis ability, Tachibana-san would probably go in my place...

[Not really an expert on this multidimensional time and space thing but you can't really blame him, it's his first time getting abducted to another world.]

I actually arrived here when I was a second year student, but I've sort of been home twice so that I know what happens in the Nationals on my third year.

[It's another complicated thing, that.]

I don't know why were chosen, but apparently we aren't the only ones from our world who have been here... they're just not here anymore.

Wait, so there is a possibility to go home? Where do I sign up for this so I can at least notify Tachibana-san that I'm stuck here... [A pause.] Oh and I guess it would be good to tell my family as well.

[Well, that was contradictory. Being able to go home means not stuck at all.]

What happened to them? Were they killed in some horrific way? I wouldn't be surprised if this place just pretended to be a cute garden and in reality wanted to murder us all...

...was Tachibana-san here? Or Akira? Anyone from my team? Maybe they would still be here somewhere...

It's not up to us. This place decides on random who it sends home and who it sends here... at least it seems that way.

[He shakes his head.]

I have no idea who all were here. I think Yagyuu-san has been here the longest, so he might know.

one hour of muttering and rambling || video | action for route 29

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video | now with the right journal ;;

video | np!

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