princelyspirit | Duel 01 // Video & Action // New Bark Town

[A blurry splotch of white and red fills the screen, before the camera zooms out to show a Ponyta standing in an open field. It sniffs the air curiously before it faces the camera again, and trots over as a girl speaks in the background]

Hey, careful there-oof!

[The Ponyta's face fills the screen and the camera jerks around wildly, before focusing on a large, blue eye. It blinks as it zooms out again, finally revealing the owner of the pokegear: a young girl in her early teens, with an angular, heartshaped face and long, bright pink hair. The pokemon nuzzles against her, and she sighs as she strokes its nose with her free hand. Compared to a human, it appears quite small; about the size of a miniature horse. Once it settles down, the trainer turns her attention to the camera. Her brow furrows as she begins to speak]

Is anyone out there? I just got done with that professor guy, and – look. I don't know what you want us to do with these “battles”, but first of all, I don't have any time for that. I've got more important things to worry about right now than some silly game! And second...

[looks back at her Ponyta] Even if I was interested, these guys don't really look like fighting material to me. Maybe if they were bigger, or stronger, or....huh?

[Pauses, and blinks while Ponyta moves away – there's a rustling sound as it nudges the bag off-camera. She sighs, and the camera jerks a bit as she pulls it away from him]

...look, all I need is a way out of here. If any of you guys know something... well, I'm all ears.

[and off goes the transmission]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[nods]

And if those people - the trainers who aren't so good at battling - go up against Team Rocket, is there anyone around who can help? I mean, they seem like they'd be worse off than anyone else...

Ryo-san told me there's a few people who have really high level pokemon who help people train in some of the major towns. That's a good way to level up?

That doesn't sound like a bad idea, but that's not the help I was thinking of. I meant more like... who's going to help them until they get strong enough to help themselves?

I really don't know... maybe they stick together until they're past a certain level? There's strength in numbers.

I guess...

[sighs]

I don't know. I just wish there was a way to stop these guys for good, you know? They all sound like a bunch of bullies... well, a lot worse than just bullies, but I feel sorry for anyone who had to deal with them.

Wanting to stop them is a very noble goal. It's something the hero of a manga would yell out in the first chapter as they set off on a journey.

Er- [Looks embarrassed for a moment, but she quickly composes herself]

I'm not being that dramatic. But... thanks.

[is about to hit send, when she thinks a bit more on what Eri said]

...but you do have a point - this place is kind of like a manga, isn't it? I mean, we're all trapped in the middle of nowhere, we have cute little animal friends, and we're all supposed to go on this big journey... it reminds me of something I read when I was a kid.

The normal fail safes of a manga don't seem to apply here though. [ There's an unsure look for a second. ] but there's some natural order? I think I would prefer if it was just a normal manga or old children's book. Those have happy endings.

Hey now, we're not at the ending yet. We still have a long ways to go, so don't write out a happy ending yet, okay? Besides, this place isn't all bad. Kinda weird, but not bad.

Duel 01 // Video & Action // New Bark Town

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