Video 1: A Challenger Appears!

[justanexpression]

[The angle when the gear turns on is... strange. Like it’s being held by someone too distracted to pay attention to where it might be pointing. There’s part of a chin, a shoulder, and plenty of scenery. The top of a whitish blob flops past the bottom of the screen. From the sound it makes, it must be a Seel.]

This is really weird. You know that?

[The Seel gives a cheerful affirmative from somewhere. Suddenly, the picture shifts, moving erratically until it stops with a soft thud as the gear is dropped and lands in the grass. At least it has a good view, now, framing most of a boy in his teens, crouching on his toes next to a backpack as he rummages through it, occasionally pulling things out for a closer look. His blue hooded sweatshirt has seen better days, and his pants don’t seem to be from quite the right century. Together with the ice-white hair, it makes something of an odd picture.]

If this is... Naw, it’s way too cutesy to be one of Pitch’s tricks.

[He looks up, past the gear at where the sounds of the Seel are coming from. His smile grows, just a bit.]

You sure you’re not a Selkie?

[A negative. The gear is nudged closer, and he laughs as he reaches for it.]

Okay, okay. Remind me to introduce you to Sandy sometime.

Now what am I supposed to do with it?

[Cue the random pushing of buttons. Electronics-abuse is always the answer, right?]

Comments

[Video]

[justanexpression]

[Cue more digging, then. Jack isn't the biggest fan of reading at the best of times, so he'd probably just ignored it the first time through.

He does eventually surface with his card. It's a bit messy in that pack now, oops. He flips it front and back before squinting to read it.]

Uh... it says I'm a trainer? [a glance at his Seel] That explains the 'training to be a warrior' thing, I think.

[Video]

[moveslikestrider]

You'd think they'd realize they needed to include more detailed instructions, but no. She says the same thing every time. Anyway, trainers have to earn badges to use the special abilities of their partners like rock climb, etc. badges you earn by taking on elite trainers called Gym Leaders.

All of this follows game logic, if you know what I mean by that. If not, basically it makes no sense if you try to pick the reasoning apart. It is what it is.

[Video]

[justanexpression]

[Eh, more reading. He probably won't read the information he already does have. Trial and error works just about as well, right? Sure. He does pick up on 'game logic,' though. He's never heard the actual phrase, but it reminds him.]

So I'm not crazy. I mean, I've never played it, but I know I've heard some of the kids mention pokemon before.

[Video]

[moveslikestrider]

That's right. You're 100% sane. This is the land of pokemon, for some weird reason we're all here from various universes. How ow why isn't explained and any abilities we have beyond the normal scope get yanked from us like bus passes.

Turns non-humans completely human and all weapons are snatched up because apparently weapons are illegal here. Never figured out how that made much sense.