sunpendant | Four | Video/Action for Goldenrod

Four | Video/Action for Goldenrod

[Action]

[Originally, Raven planned her trip to Goldenrod to take longer. It started out that way. She wanted to take in the sights, so to speak, now that winter wasn’t trying to kill her and there might be more monsters about. Then that announcement came over the gear and things changed. Anyone along the Sudowoodo Area would have seen her storming toward Goldenrod at a pace that took effort to maintain, feeling under the weather as she is. A worried Swablu chirps atop her head for most of the way.

And now she’s here. The big city. She was supposed to tell Ondorus when she was coming, but she’s too wrapped up in finding…something. Information? The person who would do terrible things like that? Oh, she’d love the second one.

She succeeds in neither, managing only to wind up hopelessly lost on the streets that circle the department store. It’s a tall building and a nice landmark…unless you have no idea where to go from there. He wasn’t kidding when he said it was like nothing he’d ever seen before, was he?]

[Video]

How do I get to the “breeding center” from here? [Raven’s face and the top of the tower are in camera view. She looks irritated and pale and tired.]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Oh. [Give her a bit] Mmh. It's right there.

[But she will get lost again and Hayate is probably going to end up bringing her there.]

[aaand ondorus will be hanging around in the lobby when she comes in. he's off shift, but obviously wasn't going to head home before she showed up.]

[She still looks tired. The first thing she notices is the lack of horn, but why bring attention to it? Instead, she pulls out her gear and approaches him, clearly thinking there's a more important matter at hand than her comfort levels.]

Did you see this?

Welcome, Raven. [he says as he stands up, with a smile. But - now she's showing him something? What is-

....

His face darkens as he recognizes the content of the post.]

Yes.

[...might this have something to do with her rapid travel to Goldenrod...?]

How do I find them?

[For a moment he just blinks.

And then his expression shifts again, into something worried and uncomfortable.]

Team Rocket is far too dangerous for anyone but the most powerful of Pokemon and their trainers to confront, especially the individual who committed this villainy. That aside, I haven't the first clue where that video was taken.

I don't care. They can't stay in those cages and he's hurting them.

He would kill you and nothing would be gained. [Yes, he knows, it's completely awful.]

[You know, she kinda liked you, Ondorus, until you started unilaterally shooting her down like this.]

You should care. You're a monster, too.

[whooaaa whoa whoa whoa why is their first meeting going like thiiis]

I care more than I could reasonably express. But neither I nor the Pokemon I rely on are strong enough yet to face down a member of Team Rocket on our own.

[Ondorus isn't getting visibly riled up, but he looks a little hurt at the accusation.]

They're not just one person with a twisted agenda. They're an army, and they hide away in fortresses. To even begin to impede them takes planning and coordination and far more strength and skill than you or I possess.

[Raven is about to argue back when drowsy but insistent chirping pipes in from her left shoulder. Melody was obscured by the hair until now; she flaps her cotton wings enough to hover in the air around Raven's face, obviously scolding her like a nestling.

Well, it's obvious when one is a bird, anyway. They may not speak each other's language, but the message is pretty clear. Raven's shoulders slump.

Of course he wouldn't understand why it's so important to her. It's not like he knows.]

Fine.

[...nggh. That's not how that was supposed to go.]

I'm sorry.

[The mood is wrecked. It's clearly up to a Xatu to salvage it. Olivia comes trotting in from another room, oblivious to what just transpired. She coos to herself and looks in Ondorus' direction - then she slows down as she notices Raven, and tucks her wings in against her chest in a proper posture.]

Good afternoon, welcome! You're Raven and Melody, aren't you?

[...wait, something is off about the atmosphere in here...]

[Something is definitely off. It's one thing if Ondorus has no idea how to find "Team Rocket", or someone with them who knows about this despicable behavior. It's another thing entirely to imply that he does know and doesn't think it would be wise to tell her.

She's stewing. Breathing hard, too. When she addresses the new greenish bird it's sharp.]

Hey.

[Melody is much more polite and will make their introductions for them.]

[Olivia looks slightly affronted at Raven's tone, trying to brush it off by ruffling her wings a little. She shuffles her feet and listens to Melody, glancing at Raven a few times.]

You know, I didn't think you'd get here so early. You're coming to the house, right? I might go back. [She looks over at Ondorus, who is very determinedly staying quiet and mulling something over.] Ondorus? Oh, what happened? The Xatu looks back at Raven and Melody, "sounding" a little displeased.]

It's not important. [This is so very obviously a lie. Raven shakes her head like that makes it less noticeable, shifting a little from foot to foot.]

I thought you lived here.

The Center and the boarding house don't occupy the same building. It's a short walk away. [Meanwhile, Olivia looks a little poofy with barely-restrained indignation, though she's not going to say anything outright. What a questionable individual you are, Raven...she's got her eye on you.]

[Olivia is in luck! Raven speaks bird. She holds her gear screen toward the Xatu instead, looking sincere.]

I want to help them.

[Olivia tilts her head in confusion and walks forward to peer at the screen.

...and has about the same reaction as Ondorus, except her displeasure is less sad and more grouchy. She shivers all over and preens at her wing. You can practically hear the quiet "h-hrmph!"]

Then you've got a lot of work to get to, don't you? Melody should train with us. [She swivels at a ninety-degree angle, facing away from Raven and tilting her beak up haughtily.] There are many strong Pokemon that live at the house, too. It's a good idea to stay there.

[Oh.

She doesn't like me, Raven thinks. It's not that unusual, really. She just got used to friendliness here.

Her own fault. Trilling softly, Melody lands back on her shoulder and rubs her face with one wing. Fine, not every pokémon had to like her. But she wanted this one to.

Wordless, she puts her gear away and stares quite hard at the nearest side wall.]

[...Ondorus can see this careening downhill. He steps forward and clears his throat softly.]

We should go ahead and show you the house, then. Olivia, can you get our bag from the hall? [The Xatu unruffles herself and nods quickly, hopping off and out of the room. Ondorus lets out a long sigh.]

That's her way of saying she wants you to move in, you know.

Move in? [Not what she expected to hear.]

There are rooms open at the boarding house. Olivia has a bit of an aversion to saying what she wants outright...I'm not sure where she got it from. [mm.] But I'm reasonably certain that that was an attempt to get you and Melody to stay around.

Didn't you watch her? I don't think she trusts me. [A notion which Melody immediately tries to disabuse her of. Stop that, you. Listen to the trainer who knows the girl.]

I can't pay enough to stay somewhere big.

Well, she has only just met you. I don't think she has any strong feelings one way or the other yet. But if I've learned anything about Olivia, it's that she waits for the other person to take the first step. [He looks up to the doorway a second before the aforementioned Xatu comes through it, now wearing a backpack.]

As for the house - actually, there was something else I needed to let you know. I asked around about jobs for blacksmiths, and Saber - the red one, there are two women similar in appearance who go by the same name - told me that she has a business making and selling practice weapons. They're wood, not metal, but I think that's the closest you can get in this world. You might want to speak with her, if you're sticking to your first idea.

[Raven is no first-step-taker. Not now and not ever.]

I don't know how to work with wood...but maybe. The city doesn't look like it needs blacksmiths. And the accessories wouldn't work.

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