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Post by DataNinja on Jan 24, 2021 6:04:48 GMT
"Good, good, everyone's here," the voice of Captain Bryan Armstrong says, preceding him strolling into the room. "If I may make a suggestion, though, Trainee Jacobs," the blond man says, sweeping hair that really needs a bit of a trim out of his eyes, "maybe arrive a little bit sooner than running for the staging point while I have view of the doorway."
"...sorry, sir," Shane says, looking sheepish. And out of breath. This is not an unusual occurance for them. "I overslept."
"Well, not everyone'll be as lenient as I am," Armstrong says, not looking entirely convinced, before laughing. "Anyways, take a seat and catch your breath. I hope everyone else is ready and has their camping gear."
There are murmurs of assent and nods. The Trainees would be led out into this dimension - a peaceful Gamma-classified world - and left to make light camp there overnight and adapt. There they would have to find their way home, using only their ability to sense a homeward portal.
"If you think I haven't been ready and packed for days, Captain," Erica says, the girl clearly antsy, "you clearly don't know me. This is the first time that we're going out without supervision. I need to show that I'm ready."
"I would expect nothing less from someone like you, Trainee Perry," the Captain says, grinning. "Just remember to stop and smell the roses there. Or whatever it has there, I can't remember. I just know it's tropical. A good Explorator can't just go rushing through everything. Otherwise I'd never have made it." He grins.
"So, on that topic... the person who does the best job during this excursion, I've got a bit of a prize at the end. But I'll let you know at the end what it is. Now! Keep in mind that best doesn't mean fastest. So explore around! Catch a Pokémon or two! Do whatever over the next few days!"
"...how will you know who does what?" Faith asks, gingerly.
"Oh, well! I may not be going with you, Trainee Dawson, but you'll still have company in the form of an Operator! It's why you still needed to wear your glasses and earpieces."
"Oh... right. That... it should have been obvious." She flushes, and seems to wish she was a Kecleon judging by her body language.
"Yo," the voice of the Trainees' Operator, Rebecca Mitsaru says, chiming in. "If you need anything... well, for the most part, you'll be on your own unless you just want to keep me company, but if you really need something in an emergency situation, I'll be here to help. I just get to watch you all otherwise."
"Eh, don't worry. When I say you won't have any of us around, I don't really remember the Operators either." "Thanks..." "Anyways, any last questions or using the bathroom or anything, now's the time." He laughs. "I find it's far preferable to use the facilities here, rather than the wilderness."
"Nope, I'm good, sir," Mason says, "and I'm sure Parish over there will feel right at home." There's a bit of a mocking grin to go with the backwaters implication.
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Post by Robot on Jan 24, 2021 19:09:14 GMT
"Well, I did get by without electricity and running water for a long time before coming here." Parish declared proudly without batting an eye at the barb. "So... Captain is this experience more to gauge what we value as part of our duties then it is an actual contest? It seems really subjective." A round lump slowly rolled from the boy's armpit, along the back of his uniform, a single baleful eye peering from out of the edge of his now stretched collar. "Oops, you stop that." Pushing at the Phlask got him some bubbly grumbling for his trouble.
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Post by DataNinja on Jan 24, 2021 19:25:38 GMT
There's some rolled eyes from Mason at the fact that he doesn't seem to be getting through, but he pipes down.
"Oh, it absolutely is subjective," the Captain says, laughing. "If I told you what the criteria was, now I'm sure many of you would only do that. Nope, I want you to explore to your hearts' content! Ah... I remember my first excursion like this as a Trainee. Rushed all the way home. Missed out on so much. I'm trying to make sure the same thing doesn't happen to you."
"If we don't have a love for the places we visit? Well, why are we doing this then?" It at first sounds rhetorical, but he does seem to be a bit expectant of an answer.
"I mean..." Erica says, "wanting to make sure that we're exploring more places for humanity to spread to seems pretty good. That's why we were first founded, right?"
"Ha! Good reading, but, that's not really a good reason. We've got hundreds of worlds we don't have the manpower to even properly touch and survey, let alone settle. If you're just wanting to feel like your specific discovery is important... this may not be for you. You have to explore, to catalogue, everything... for you."
"It makes sense," Faith says, speaking up again. "We're not the first. We won't have our names in history books," she glances at Erica. "All we can do is do things for our own values."
"As long as I don't have to read more history books," Shane says, wryly, "I'm good."
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Post by Robot on Jan 24, 2021 20:09:17 GMT
"There are more dimensions then there are people back home, so I'd say they're kind of like people. You won't know if you'll love them or not till you've been. Even after that, you won't really appreciate the nuances until you've gotten to know them better." Parish thought it was really cool that Pokemon seemed to be a constant. "Grandma says it's about the journey."
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Post by DataNinja on Jan 24, 2021 23:49:04 GMT
"So, you're going to marry a dimension, got it," Mason comments. "And it's not hard to have more people than your home." There's a bit of a frown, though, as he concentrates elsewhere, likely getting a verbal Operator chiding.
"That's a good observation, Parish, and a unique way to look at it," Armstrong says, smiling. "Just think about your hometown. How difficult it would be for a visitor to see every unique thing that makes it worthwhile. New dimensions may not be built up with cities and societies like that... but often, even if they don't have Pokémon, they'll still have something to surprise you."
"I know you're from Alpha-Two, so is there any interesting observations you can make about A-One during your time here on this campus? I know you probably haven't had the chance to travel much past Mossdeep, but there's still plenty of sights to see.
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Post by Robot on Jan 25, 2021 2:52:45 GMT
"A living dimension would be pretty cool..." Parish stated distractedly, his eyes and mind wandering until the Captain spoke up once more. There weren't many people back home cause things went super bad for a really long time. That wasn't a nice thing to poke fun at. It didn't register until the moment was past, and by then he was asked differences between Home and here.
"Well, A-One is less about direct personal connections then A-Two is. Cooperation became a fundamental part of life for a few thousand years. No electronics to distract, more effort going into the basic survival skills that have to be taught here then entertainment. There aren't many full hybrids left back home now that humanity is coming back into its own, so seeing them around here is pretty cool. I like what you did with the Castle, well... what counts as the Castle back home. Podcasts are pretty great, it reminds me of a lot of the oral traditions we have, even though it is all digital. It's nice to see what could be back home if we keep working hard."
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Post by DataNinja on Jan 25, 2021 3:24:54 GMT
"See? That's what I love to hear," the Captain says, grinning. "The appreciation of the little things a person who was born in a realm would take for granted. Alright, let's head out!"
He leads the group through the portal in front of them, to a room that looks basically the same though is the opposite facing. Already, though, it's clear that the heat is even warmer than the typical tropical Hoenn climate. An impression that's confirmed when the group steps out the door into the realm proper.
A brilliant blue sky, and picturesque clear water spread around, along with tall, feathery trees. The cries of unfamiliar Pokémon fill the air, and brilliant underwater plants fill the water. ...and there is a lot of water. It feels like there's only periodic islands in a vast warm ocean.
"Alright!" Armstrong says, clearly excited. He pulls out a box that's recognizable as a portable portal generator. Used for same-dimension travel, rather than between realms. Setting it up, the other end seems to be a similar island to the one the group's on right now, though probably far, far away. "Remember! Set up camp there for the night, and try and figure out how you should adapt. Happy swimming, it seems, folks."
"Yeah, yeah," Mason says, pushing right past and into the portal, immediately staking a spot for his bedroll on the other side.
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I'm not going to say it was damage, but it was damage.
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Post by Robot on Jan 25, 2021 4:04:37 GMT
Parish considers the skyline, tests the water temperature with his hand, before shaking Oops out of his pantleg. The ghost does a lazy spin in the air before righting itself, toothy maw closed. "If you hadn't burnt a hole in my favorite cargo pocket you wouldn't keep ending up in my pantleg." The boy chided lazily, with the Pokemon vocalizing back. "Yes. No?" The Pokemon narrowed its eyes. "Hang on, I can't understand you." Gripping either side of the bauble, he gave it a playful slosh. (Channeling Oops! and binding Shared Senses) "You can wander, but don't bother the other campers, okay? Okay. We want a spot out of the sun, definitely, which should be easy for you to find! I'll be along after I do some poking around in the sand."
Parish spends a few moments dowsing along the beach, just letting himself wander for ten minutes, with a small handful of reflective violet fragments, and a little ingenuity, he fashions a solid topper with a square handle on it from electrically fused crystal. Oops would probably appreciate the protection from biting. Periodically he'd look up from what he was doing and consider his Pokemon's relative position. (Four violet shards gained, Dark Brace crafted.)
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Post by DataNinja on Jan 25, 2021 4:55:43 GMT
Wandering around, Oops gives him the sensation of trying to relax while still appearing to look busy. Which isn't very practical when linked emotionally with someone. He doesn't always seem to entirely get the whole 'empathic communication' thing. There is a hint of actually looking, but it's certainly not his priority.
Eventually, the Phlask does seem to come back with a decently shaded spot (which seems to be the minimum distance away that's acceptable), as Parish fuses his crystals.
"That's interesting," Faith says, walking along the sand, and looking over his shoulder. "Not seen someone do that before. How's it work?"
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Post by Robot on Jan 25, 2021 5:07:47 GMT
"Well... Fragments of elemental crystal exist in most worlds, how they occur is still largely unknown, but they typically align along elemental vectors based on color. By a number of means, they can be fused into a larger mass and take on additional qualities. This will make Oops! more resistant to Dark attacks. Crystal tech isn't in heavy use on A1, but refinement methods and energy generation aren't at the same tech level a home. So it's our analog.". Parish explained as the ghost puttered over and he put the new lid in place.
"I'm thinking of attempting a deep dive tomorrow. Probably go with Glow, Heater, and Gilled... Not sure if pressure tolerance will be needed or not."
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Post by DataNinja on Jan 25, 2021 5:26:57 GMT
"Interesting," Faith says, though - like usual - it's impossible to actually read her tone. She seems to perpetually be quietly neutral. A state of being which seems to annoy Oops. Pick one feeling or another, lady. Middle of the road is boring. Hot or Cold! "I wouldn't have imagined that to be possible. What sorts of uses does it have? Just elemental resistances?"
"I don't know how much deep diving there will be," she muses. "So far the water seems fairly shallow. Especially on this side, where the portal's direction is."
Indeed, Parish can feel the gentle mental guide pointing him towards the compass magnet that is... well, not strictly his home, but the portal leading to the portal which leads to his home. It was a lot of training to be able to recognize A-1 as the primary spot for his mental anchor. The first little while before he was able to figure out how to shift it was constantly having to ignore his brain's instinct to point towards his home of A-2.
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Post by Robot on Jan 25, 2021 12:30:52 GMT
"It bolsters or resists elemental forces, and can be used to focus the energies in the human body to bring out greater potentials. Sharpening the mind, bringing tranquility, or neurologically speeding along along physical biological processes to further enhance abilities. In the field these are known as Chakras, fonts of the energy of life contained in each body. Where A-2's most valuable resource is its people, every little bit helps." Gently cupping Oops! in a palm, he listed the Pokemon very near his face. Well used to the acrid smell, he considered it.
"What do you think buddy, not too heavy? It's like my armor, it'll keep you safe." Glowing eyes flitted upwards. There was an impression of comfort and a desire to soak in the heat. "Really? You like this temperature? It's a bit much for me with all this gear. Definitely going cold tomorrow. Probably a good idea to figure out something for the sun while we're swimming too."
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Post by DataNinja on Jan 25, 2021 18:15:35 GMT
"Interesting..." Faith says, nodding. "It's amazing how much there is out there that we may not know."
"The heat is nice, to me. It's a comfort." She looks over the area, before wandering off with no further comment, releasing a small bug Pokémon with a pink cloak, who drifts through the air next to her.
There's a bit of a 'hmph' from Oops!, as the boy discusses temperatures. A feeling of betrayal when wanting cold temperatures is mentioned wafts over, but also resignation. It's fine... more heat for him, he supposes.
There's not a whole lot going on around the camp area, not even much Pokémon activity. It's such a small island, it's not really a surprise, though. The sun goes down as the humans settle a bit, antsy for the new day. But the world's not done with surprises, as the water and sand almost seems to glow with a brilliant rainbow of lights as the sun disappears over the horizon.
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Post by Robot on Jan 25, 2021 18:53:55 GMT
Having made his own space above the high tide line at the head of the beach, Parish looked up from frittering with a broad leafed plant that had a sweet smell to it. He had buried Oops! In the hot sand through the majority of the day, letting the Pokemon laze about the campsite with all the warmth it could ask for. It was striking, that light. Like an aurora in the water, but agitated photons wouldn't explain this.
Bioluminescence might also, if the ocean was teeming with life. Prodding the Pokemon from his sand mound, and the constant sense of darkness and comfort he got back. "Oops, you've gotta see this."
Down on his knees the boy moved into the tide line. Felt the wet sand and the rush of the glowing waves, listened, smelt, and tasted. The dull crunch of sand in his mouth wasn't unfamiliar. Besides, plenty of this exact water was going to pass into his system tomorrow. If a little bit made him sick now, gilled would be a bad call.
"If we wait till tomorrow, it'll be night before I will wanna swim again... This is so cool."
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Post by DataNinja on Jan 25, 2021 19:16:10 GMT
The other Trainees seem to take this opportunity to also enjoy, just away from classes or training. It's just a nice vacation. That's also training, but... it doesn't feel like it. Yet.
The sand tastes... well, like sand. There isn't really much in the way of difference in taste or texture between that and any rocks or water back home. Certainly doesn't seem poisonous. At least not yet.
"...what is wrong with you?" Mason asks, coming over. "Seriously, acting like that, you should have just stayed back home. You're an embarrassment. What kind of Explorator acts like that?"
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Post by Robot on Jan 25, 2021 19:40:33 GMT
"Just because you don't understand something, doesn't make it any less important.". Parish spat a bit of the sand and saltwater off to the side. "I know you don't like water getting in you Oops! But you have a lid now so it should be okay."
Brushing his pants off, Parish didn't make eye contact with Mason. He had never been called an embarrassment before. "Operator.". There was a quaver in his voice. "Please monitor my vitals, I'll be diving shortly.". Giving Mason a hurt look, he started into the surf.
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Post by DataNinja on Jan 25, 2021 20:17:00 GMT
"What do you understand about things?" the other Trainee asks. "Seriously. You're always so weird, and frankly I don't know why you even bothered to come here from your backwater. If you're their best, I don't have high hopes." He turns and walks away as Parish enters the water.
"Just... be careful. You haven't adapted yet..." Rebecca's voice comes back. He hears a sigh. "Parish, don't bother with anything he says, really. We take in a lot of... confrontational personalities here. Who want to be the next biggest thing, and think they'll make history. Got at least two of them in this little squad."
"It sucks, but... you can't let them get to you. Because, in the end, they'll be the ones disappointed, and people like you are the ones who'll matter. The ones who can see wonder everywhere, even if it's a little... unorthodox." He can hear a hint of a smile in the girl's voice.
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Post by Robot on Jan 25, 2021 20:28:00 GMT
"The water is warm and doesn't taste different then normal ocean water. If it was poisonous, slight exposure would produce a smaller reaction then allowing it direct access to my vascular system by way of gills. Adaptation isn't everything, but I promise I will be careful."
He started wading further out into the surf, with Oops floating in tow. "Why does it matter where any of us is from anymore.". He pouted a little as the seafloor fell away and he started to tread water. He makes eye contact with his Pokemon. He really wanted Oops to be his fish eyes. Oops didn't like that. "The water is warmer then the air Oops, like a big thermal battery, and you have your lid. I'll be right here... Please?"
Eventually they compromised. He would tread water along the surface, holding his friend under him like a little camera. Not having true eyes, it gave a clearer view through the lit waters without the burning salt water.
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Post by DataNinja on Jan 25, 2021 21:18:05 GMT
"I meant going too far out, or too deep," Rebecca says, gently.
"And... the reason it matters to people is it makes them feel special. It sets them apart. If they admitted everyone was the same, they wouldn't be able to raise themselves above others. It's... something that will never go away, unfortunately. Not truly. I hear tell that your realm had some unprecedented coordination due to... well, extinction threatening, but I imagine it's fractured some more now."
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Post by Robot on Jan 25, 2021 21:27:45 GMT
"A little. Some people still cling to the old ways, being comfortable with the monarchy, and full hybridization. The old naming scheme that defines fully who you are.". Cupping the glass sphere in both hands, he submerged Oops and closed his eyes, swimming in a lazy circle, watching what the Pokemon could see. Listening to what he could hear.
"Bullying was a concept I didn't know until I got to A-1. Infighting wasn't tolerated two generations ago, and the adults really dont tolerate it now. There is more, but not much at all. What's it like Rebecca? Living with someone else like this? Through their eyes and their ears.". A smile crept onto his face.
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