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1; Video

[The only sound for a moment is the knock of the gear being tapped against something semi-hard, and similarly the only thing in focus is a white eggshell with the corners of red and blue shapes.

Also the sound of the 'Gear being chewed on. Omnomnomnom.]

Are you getting into trouble already, you little scamp?

[The voice is deep, warm, and affectionate.]

That's not food, here, let me trade you-

[The feed is a little smeared on one corner, and the camera unknowingly focuses on a large, pale hand offering one of the ~~donuts~~ rice balls that Mom packs standard in her bento to a very small Togepi, who takes it in its little hands and shoves the whole thing into its mouth at once. The voice laughs offscreen, and the camera gets a closeup of his green overalls as he untucks his purple t-shirt to wipe the drool off the corner.

It's then that he notices that the camera's on, and finally brings his face into focus.]

...Sorry about that, I hope he didn't bother anybody.

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[York practically drops his PokéGear in his attempt to get it open faster than the speed of sound. Because this sound? The sound of this guy's voice is way too familiar for him to let even a second pass.

Too familiar and too important.]

North?!?

[Fuckin--

HE SURE KNOWS WHO THE FUCK THAT IS

His own voice is within acceptable deviations of loud, despite being startled by York yelling his name through the 'Gear's speaker.]

York?

[Fuck your acceptable deviations.]

North! North, oh my god, you're--where are you? Hold on, we'll come pick you up!

[Does someone sound like an excitable puppy? Someone sounds like an excitable puppy. It has been a very long time, okay. York hands the 'Gear off to--who knows, someone--and turns to call for someone off-screen.]

Carolina--Carolina!

[This was not the welcome that North expected. This was not really the anything that North expected, he didn't really know what to expect when he died but not this. Not York, and definitely not-]

Carolina's here too?

[It's a good thing there's no one but NPCs around to witness the giant pale man as he just kind of plops down on the side of the road like his strings have been cut.

Togepi climbs into his lap and settles in the crook of his legs.]

[Carolina isn't expecting something like this, either. She's been playing with Stripe, trying to discourage him from chewing on everything, and heard York being loud initially but hadn't thought too much of it at first. Because he's York.

She heads over at the call of her name, though.]

Alright, Alright.

What is i--

[But York's pokégear is just in sight as she heads over, and her speech halts suddenly.]

...It can't be.

[Two? Two dead freelancers?]

It sure is.

[Why does York sound so proud. It's not like he actually went out to FIND North, he just happened to be in the right place at the right time. And by in the right place, we mean on his PokéGear, checking out options, trying to see what he can and can't get it to do.]

North, did you know that our Carolina here survived that crash? And got herself adopted by a tribe of wild sim soldiers? And calmed down so much she didn't kick me in the face as soon as she saw me? Hard to believe, I know. Anyway, what's your location, you obviously gotta witness the transformation for yourself.

God-- York!

[What the hell are his priorities?

She punches him in the arm and grabs the pokégear from him, focusing on the screen.]

North-- your location?

[Okay so maybe York already asked that BUT HE ASKED IT TERRIBLY]

[Well, isn't this an adorable sight. Cecil is quite content to watch the young Togepi's attempt at making a meal out of the Gear, until his trainer intervenes.]

Hardly. The young ones are curious by nature; accidentally turning the Pokégear on is almost a rite of passage for them, unless they quickly learn to do so deliberately.

[If he needed any other proof that this is actually them, it's really York and Carolina and not just some kind of dying fever dream, the exchange that he watches proves it.

In a way, that makes it worse. The way they're acting, so casual and happy, it's like old times again. Except too much has happened to go back to the way things were.

He stares at the screen for a long moment in silence, not even registering they were speaking to him.

Toge? Togepi looks up at him and pulls on the pocket of his overalls, and that's enough to clear the distant, numb look from his face and replace it with a weary smile.]

Pretty sure it's called New Bark Town.

[Who doesn't like videos of babies being cute tbh]

They're kind of like babies that way, huh. It is pretty cute.

That it is. It'd be rather more alarming coming from, say, an Onix or a Rhyhorn, but young Togepis are rarely destructive, unless they use Metronome.

[Sadly, Cecil has forgotten that those words will mean nothing to someone still stuck hearing New Bark Town's music. What a shame.]

From...a what or a what?

[He's guessed the Togepi part, although he wouldn't be able to tell you the spelling since the little guy's diction isn't so great.]

[York's not riding the EX-GIRLFRIEND AND BEST FRIEND ARE HEEEEERE high so hard he doesn't notice North's face, the exhaustion in it. He glances at Carolina, remembering what she'd told him about North's fate, and if his voice gentles some when he looks at the screen again, he also keeps it light.]

Great. We haven't gone from there. Got kind of caught up in this local wildlife thing.

[He quits rubbing his arm where Carolina punched him and goes to pick up his backpack. His Elgyem wanders over to Carolina and taps her leg meekly, hoping to see what's got her Trainer all worked up.]

How long you think it'll take us to get back if we just barrel straight through? Carolina?

[After all, the ledges only prevent them from climbing up, not hopping down.]

We're a few hours walk out. We can make it, maybe a third of the time back if we get a move on.

[Man, she misses the warthogs.

She looks to D-2 for a second, not sure what to make of her still-- and just makes an attempt to give... everyone orders.]

We'll meet you by [XX]00, North. Try to stay near the center so we can locate you. Stripes, c'mere, boy-- and D-2, stay with York.

S-sync?

[She unintentionally stutters on the word-- realising that she's said it at all again gives her pause. She'd fallen out of the habit with the reds and blues ~~because they are untrained babies who don't understand instructions anyway~~ but being around the other freelancers makes saying it feel like what she's supposed to do.]

Edited 2015-09-23 00:33 (UTC)

[That little trill at the end makes guessing the proper spelling a little tricky, yes.]

...From a nine meter long rock snake or a meter tall rhinoceros; newcomers have been known to receive them as starters. My apologies, I sometimes forget that learning the names of all Pokémon takes time, especially for new arrivals.

Sync.

[His tone is level and careful, like all this is too good to be true, (it is, it has to be) like he's about to wake up (he never will, he knows it, the emptiness in his own mind is too real to forget).]

We'll be right here.

[He means him and Togepi, who gives a worried little trill from just offscreen.]

[...Both of those sound horrifying.]

...I should probably be glad I got this little rascal, if that's some of the alternative options.

[Good thing their evolutions weren't brought up, then.]

They're not the easiest species to start with, but they are very helpful if you wish to travel quickly. Togepis grow to be extremely strong, with enough affection and time, but the little one cannot yet chase away the wildlife with his mere presence.

I'll let it slide this time.

[Blake eyes the guy. Doesn't look familiar.]

You new?

Sync.

[There's no real point in syncing when their numbers are so rough, but, well. It feels a bit like home. York drops to one knee to pick up Delta Two and settles her easily on his hip.

He hasn't told Carolina he's been designated a Pokémon Breeder yet and not a Trainer, but he's starting to cotton to the idea.]

I can stay on the line in the meantime, man. Trust me, the music gets old fast, you might want something else to listen to.

[He waggles his fingers at Carolina. Hey, that 'Gear's his, it has his name on it. In it. Registered within its databanks. Whatever.]

Oh my gosh! That little guy is so cute! Is that really a Togepi?

[This girl loves cute things if the Sylveon next to her is any indication.]

It's so tiny...

[Well, he'll either get used to it or he'll just amass an army of tiny cute fairy-types. ...Probably the latter.

Something sad and wistful overcomes his expression, briefly, as he looks down at the little egg trying to climb his pantleg. He reaches down and scoops it up in one arm.]

You know, this isn't the first time I've been paired with a little guy who needs a little extra love and encouragement to succeed.

[North gives him a look right back.]

'Fraid so. I take it you've been stationed here a while?

[dat voice tho]

I don't think anyone will mind. I think it's kind of nice, actually!

[Little innocent interactions, accidents that did no harm... It was nice.]

That's what everyone's been telling me. Including him. Come on, buddy, say hi.

[He tilts the camera back down to show her, but Togepi's lip wobbles and he hides behind North's lime green pantleg.]

Sorry, he's a little shy. Which one do you have there?

[It's pink and blue and white all over which apparently piques his interest]

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