Riku

[The feed opens with ominous music. The camera's shaking. The town's dark. Everything appears rigid. Sharp. Off camera, a voice can be heard, slightly distorted.]

N-no way. Not again!

[The camera pans, ever so slowly, to show the following...]



[Seven feet of stiff pixels. It's not alone, either. Off to the side, viewers are treated to...]



[And as the camera continues to pan, more and more monsters seem to have met the same fate.]



[They flicker. Briefly, they move and look like normal Pokémon, only to stiffen up again. The music drones on and one. And on...

The camera pulls away. Riku looks to the screen, trying to keep his expression blank, but his lips twitch, trying to form a frown.]

This happened before. It's just like the first Halloween I spent here. The lanscape's blocky. My Pokémon are barely moving. Bet you anything there's a MISSINGNO. just waiting to pop up.

[The camera shakes a bit. The hallway, dark and pixelated as it is, seems to scroll behind him. Off to the side, images of more blocky creatures emerge, some in better states than others.



He passes through a doorway. The scenery abruptly shifts to Celadon City, not that you'd recognize it with everything reduced to pixels. Outside, Riku slumps against the wall of the Training Center, its graphics slightly garbled and vaguely resembling a Gym Sprite. File not found...?

When Riku speaks again, the audio shifts up and down in pitch. Static distorts the feed, though Riku doesn't take notice at first.]

D̮̦͕̳̳̳̖̬ͅo̺e͉̘s̢̟̱͙̬̩̼͢ͅ ̜̩̻̖̘͟a͕̰̙̫̦̟̻͇̕n̛̮̞̖̲͈͖͇͚̼ỳ̀͏̠͇̜̘ơ̮͙͉̬͕͔͍͜ṉ̴̝̦͚̕e̴͕ ̢̹͓͚̗r̞̩̜̳̹̥̝ḛ̷̘̫̫̰̱m̨̩̭̝͔͉e̜̙̭͖͓͙̜̩̝͟͞m̛̫̦̮̲͈͓̲͘b̺͓͔̺̀͞͠ȩ̬̳̬̬̤r̵͓̺ ̶̵͕̰̝̩͓̰̦͜t͈̟̬̬̬̟̘͍h̵͕̤̰̳͔͍́͘e̝̭͚͈̪͉̲ ̪̺͙̤͕͖͡f̩̟̱̤͘ͅì͔͖̼͙̀͘r̫̞̪̥̙s̮̪̰̗̼̙̦̯t̶̛̝̝͎̠ ̘̹͉̙̬̲̥͠͡t͕̺͟͞i̵͏͕͚̬̬̟ͅm͚͓̠̪͕̘͖͘͘é̥̳͕̫̦̻̜̱ ̷̟͖̩̼̱̻͇́ṯ̗̪̖͚̞͓͠h̛̬͔̘̲̙͈̪͘i͟͞҉͈̜s͏͉̞͉̬͉̫̰ ̘̼̯͉͓͎͝ẖ̙͙̥̲͕̺̖̮͘à̭p͏̤̞̟̣̮̯̜̰̀p͍̥̱̦̥̱̤ͅe̥͎͎̫͙͔̹͠͡ͅn̢͔̤̪̹̣͈͖̝ḛ̳̼̙̻̥̲͘ḑ͕̤̰?̸̹̠̟͕̠͟ The music kept going, playing this same stupid song for days. Everything was so l̘̗̗̲̟̱̪͚͔̰̻͇̟̤̫̋̑̆ͦ͝͡į̧̭̖̭͉̥̰͛͌̎ͯͪ̍̊͆ͥ̄f̴̺̹͉̖̤̦̲̺̩̯̓̆̐̉̾͗̂ͫ͌̈́ͯ̑ͪ́͟e͆̔̋̄ͮ̒ͫͭ̚͏̧̩̙̫̗̜̗̘̦͇̻̪̪̮̘̼͘͝͝ͅl̴̛̯͈͚̘͇̱̣̲̝̘͓̣̬͂̐̄ͧ̓̍̀ͮ͊ͣ̃ͅe̴̛͙̣̘͍̪̹̖̘̣̺̞̣̱̮̻̖̙̾ͫ̀́̉ͭͧ̃͆͋́̍̾͐͂ͪ̒ͨ̔̀͢͡s̨̛̔ͪ̒̋ͫ̾͋̚͟͞͏̹̖̱͔̠͈̤̹͇̙̭̩͍̪̗ͅͅsͨͩ̉̈̋̃ͣ͌̓̎ͭ҉͓̫̱̭̣̟̬̗̕.̀̄͑̍̂ͪ̉́ͣ̑ͤ͋̉̌̋̚͠͏̨͍͕̮̹.̵̷̡͉͍͇͔̖͙͍̜̞͓͔ͫͮͣ̏͛͂͋͂ͧͦ̽̃̈͌͘͟.̷͙͉̘͇̤̜̱͙̰̣̩̂ͥ̈̀͟

It's probably the same across the board, but just in case, is there anyone who isn't surrounded by pixels? I'm gonna do some recon, see how the locals are taking it, but if anyone's confused, I can try to--

[The screen ripples, then fills with a flash of static as this sound starts to play, if only for a moment.

Soon after, the following message appears.]

An error has occurred. To continue:

Press ENTER to return to POKéCONNECT or

Press CTRL+ALT+DEL to restart your device. If you do this, you will lose any unsaved information in all open applications.

Error : 0E : 016F : BFF9B3D4

Press any key to continue_

[Following the broadcast, he can be found wandering from Celadon across the various cities. He's a man on a mission, determined to sort out what's going on and find someone, anyone who isn't completely clueless about the situation.]

[It's around evening that the feed clicks on to show Riku... seated on a rooftop overlooking the ocean because hey, sunset. It's a great view, an even greater backdrop, and there might be some greater reason behind it.

In fact, there most certainly is.]

So, summer. Probably the best time to hit the beach. The sun, the sand, the surf... What's not to like? For all my complaining about the islands, I'd be lying if I said I didn't miss them sometimes.

[He pauses, shaking his head.]

But this isn't about me. It's about Sora. See, his birthday's coming up on the 23rd, so we're gonna be having a party down in Vermilion. A beach party.

[He raises an index finger, grinning.]

But, see, Sora's a sap. He'd make friends with just about anyone, so this party's gonna be open to anyone who wants a good time. Might even make it a potluck-- celebrate the summer with a bang, before the temperatures drop. It is almost August now...

[After a few moments, his grin fades, and he looks toward the ocean with a calmer expression.]

Though I've gotta wonder. What do you think the average age is for guys like us? And for that matter, I wonder how many people have stuck around for more than a year... Seems like there aren't as many kids as adults nowadays. Kinda funny when you think about it.

[The locals start their journeys at age ten, yet so many of them are twenty and up...

He shrugs, waving a hand.]

Anyway, we can set up transportation if you're outta town. Otherwise, I'll catch you later.

[It's around sunset when the video clicks on, as evident by the sky in the background. Seems Riku's sought to film this post outside, and when the feed starts up, he has a rather forlorn look on his face.]

Can't believe this...

[Sighing, he runs his hand through his hair, finally looking to the camera.]

Next month, I'll have been here for five years. When I first popped up, I was only fifteen, and now I'm twenty. That's a fourth of my life spent in this place.

[And yet, what all does he really have to show for it? He has a business, sure, he's collected all the badges, trained an enormous team, and explored both regions. He leads the PGC, though they've hardly done anything in recent months. Part of it's the stress, part of it's the relative peace.]

I always thought growing up would feel... I don't know, bigger. And maybe it's this place. Most people just become trainers. They don't go to college, they don't develop a career. Outside of badges, what is there to really strive for in a place like this? When I look back at how I was and how I am now, I've definitely changed, but at the same time, I don't feel different.

Never finished high school, since the schools here focus on training. Can you believe I'm actually starting to miss homework?

[Ha. How times change.]

I don't know. Anyone else ever feel this way? Maybe I'm just over thinking things...

[Here we have Riku. Or more specifically, we have Riku and a book. When he looks at the camera, it's with a soft chuckle. Then he starts reading off the page.]

A young man, callow and foolish in innocence came to own a sword. With it, he smote Pokémon, which gave sustenance, with carefree abandon. Those not taken as food, he discarded with no afterthought. The following year, no Pokémon appeared. Larders grew bare.

Just let that sink in for a second. A sword. Killing and eating Pokémon. Still with me?

[Then he'll continue.]

The young man, seeking the missing Pokémon, journeyed afar. Long did he search, and far and wide, too, until one did he find.

Asked he, "Why do you hide?" To which the Pokémon replied...

"If you bear your sword to bring harm upon us, with claws and fangs, we will exact a toll. From your kind, we will take our toll, for it must be done. Done it must be, and for it, I apologize."

To the skies, the young man shouted his dismay. "In having found the sword I have lost so much. Gorged with power, I grew blind to Pokémon being alive. I will never fall savage again. This sword I denounce and forsake. I plead for forgiveness, for I was but a fool."

So saying, the young man hurled the sword to the ground, snapping it. Seeing this, the Pokémon disappeared to a place beyond seeing.

[Riku snaps the book shut, placing it down. Afterwards, he shifts into a more comfortable position, arms folded over his chest.]

So, ignoring the obvious anti weapons message here, this story's pretty interesting. It's an old legend from the Sinnoh region, and if it holds any truth, it means that the people in this world used to use real weapons and actually hunted Pokémon. Plus, when you look at stuff like Skarmory's Pokédex entry, you see bits about forging swords from their feathers. You gotta wonder why they stopped and why they're so paranoid about people defending themselves.

You think it's because people abused that power?

[Either way, he's glad he swung by the library. Sometimes they actually do have interesting reads.]

Option A;

[So, early in the day, Riku happened to stumble upon a pretty wild discovery.

Those watching may notice some eerie music. Anyone around for the Missingno event of '09 is sure to recognize it...

Though the music abruptly fades to this a few seconds later as a small group of MISSINGNO. appear.]

So, anyone else feeling a little nostalgic? Because, seriously, these things take me way back.

[Now he can only hope that his team hasn't reverted to pixels again.]

Option B;

[When the camera turns on again, there's a strange darkness to the images presented. Black pools form along the ground with bulging yellow eyes, and Riku stands in the very center with his back facing the screen...

He lets out an eerie chuckle before turning to face everyone. The smirk on his face seems a bit more sinister than the norm, and when he speaks, there's another voice underlying his own.]

What a peculiar world... Here the denizens seem content to partake in childish spars. They are reliant on other creatures to suit their needs and therefore fail to function without these beasts as their crutches. They are everywhere, as if worshiped like gods.

[He folds his arms over his chest.]

Such a peaceful place... I do wonder how long this will last. After all, darkness claims all worlds in time, as well as every beating heart. This boy was a fool to think he could resist me. His stay has only delayed the inevitable, as you can plainly see.

[Why yes, that would be Billy Zane Ansem speaking through Riku. It was quite a pleasant surprise, too, finding him so vulnerable. Too bad it can't last forever. He just might need some help to dispel this creeper.]

[The feed clicks on inside a bedroom of some kind. There's a shiny Charmander wriggling around in the background, trying to hide under a pillow. Pay her no mind for now. Riku, in the mean time, faces the camera with a slightly deadpan look.]

Okay, since the data version of me came back, I figured it's time to do a little PSA. Basically, if you see two guys who look like younger versions of me, don't freak out. They aren't me. They're just based on me. One of them goes by Evan, and the other's got a black coat and took up the name Rin, I guess.

Also, since this is a newbie wave, I went ahead and updated my Training Guide, including a new section on Pokémon care. It also covers the basic questions most newbies toss around and some Pokémon recs. Like Toxicroak. I'm seriously surprised at how scarce they are.

[He shrugs.]

And don't forget to check out the Pokémon Rental Service if you need a quick trip to the next town. Newbies get a reduced price, since you guys are short on funds as it is.

[Okay, advertising's done. Now he can toss something up for the old crowd...]

And to wrap things up, I've got two questions for you. First, how do you decide to nickname your Pokémon? Or if you don't... why the heck don't you? I never got the point in referring to them by species when they're all individuals.

As for the other question... Do you think it's necessary to be friends with all your Pokémon? Even if said Pokémon is vicious, bloodthirsty, and only cares about fighting?

[And with that, he'll click off the feed. Well, after throwing up two private messages and slapping on the following attachments...]

ATTACHMENTS:

Training for Dummies.txt.

( PGC FILTER )

( Filtered to Ven )

So, I already mentioned this to Rainbow Dash, but I figured I might as well clear things up for all the other newbies coming in. A lot of people suggest booking it to Cianwood to get Fly, but here's a fun fact: You can save yourselves weeks of travel if you hitch a train to Saffron instead.

Sabrina gives out the Fly HM if you haven't earned it already, so why waste time when you can hop from Goldenrod to Saffron in a few hours? And if that's not enough incentive, Misty's badge lets you use Surf outside of battles, Surge's lets you use Strength, and Erika's lets you use Fly on the off chance you missed Falkner.

[He smirks, tossing a Pokéball up and down.]

Heck, if you wanted to, you could Fly over the bike path and grab Surf from Janine for good measure. So, basically, you can region hop and get everything you need to make travel a breeze. Besides, Kanto's worth exploring on its own merits. Bigger cities, mountains, caves, and volcanoes... Without ice to make you slip.

Just some food for thought.

( PGC filter... )

[It was kind of strange, really. After their match in the tournament, Riku hadn't seen hide nor hair of Xion. He thought he might've kept missing her and that she was somewhere in town; the city's huge, after all, and with so many trainers, it'd be easy to lose her in the crowds.

But when he tried contacting her over the Pokégears, he got no response. Then, when he checked his PC, he caught several familiar Pokémon inside what would've been an empty box (the others were safe at the TC, after all). Then there was that note... Really, it didn't take much to add two and two together.

So, when he addresses the network, it's with a somber expression. There's an Arcanine bounding around in the background, but Riku doesn't pay him much mind. Making it to the semis in two cups is worth celebrating, sure, but not when he's lost a close friend.

He hesitates before, finally, he speaks up.]

To those of you that knew her, Xion's gone. I've got Bahamut and a handful of her other Pokémon, but if anyone else wound up with some her roster, could you let me know?

She probably wouldn't want us to worry about her. If anything, she'd probably want us to keep smiling, but I know she made a lot of close friends here. It's only fair of me to give you guys a heads-up.

[There's a pause, followed by a sigh.]

And good luck to everyone else in the tournament.

[With his message complete, he shuts off the gear and wanders out to the docks with Flare by his side. It's still mind boggling to think about. After over a year, he hadn't expected her to just... vanish. And after he beat her in the tourny, too.

How ironic... depressingly so.]

[The feed begins with a shot of... eggs. Eggs lining the floor, gathered in corners, against walls, in piles.

Some big, some small. As the camera pans around the room, viewers can find the following types of eggs. There are forty in total.



Finally, Riku turns the camera towards himself, heaving an airy sigh.]

Okay, looks like my Pokémon went overboard again, so I've got a huge egg batch for sale. Every egg sold will guarantee more money towards the Training Center's grand opening. So, if you see something that catches your eye, just let me know, and we can arrange something.

I've got Scyther, Aerodactyl, Deino, Dratini, Swablu, Gible, Squirtle, Snivy, Drilbur, Pichu, Emolga... [He pauses to catch his breath, turning towards the eggs again.]

Shinx, Axew, Larvitar, Timburr, Zorua, and Riolu. They all come with egg moves. Some with complete movesets from the start, so if you're looking for powerhouse Pokémon, I've got you covered.

[He stumbles across the floor, nudging some eggs outta the way as he slips into the hall.]

With that said, I'm still looking for some more staff at the Center. Especially Pokémon caretakers. Bonus points if you can handle temperamental dinosaurs. If you want more details, just let me know. I'll go ahead and attach some information on the Center for good measure.

[And with that, the feed ends with a click.]

ATTACHMENTS:

Training Center Information

[Once he's finished his announcement, Riku will spend some time cleaning up his business, making sure the eggs are all in order, checking in on his friends, and then he'll step outside with his Charizard in tow to set up more posters.

Folks around Celadon are free to bump into him. The posters this time around include information on the egg sale, and once he's made a full loop around the city, he'll stick by the porch of his business and relax. There's a sign at the top of the TC that reads "COMING SOON!"]

[ooc: There are still eggs available! Note that the ones labeled Pikachu are actually Pichu. Derp.]

... I'm tired of this.

[The feed starts up with a kind of exhausted looking Riku leaning over the edge of his bed in the Inn. In the background, an angry looking Dragonair proceeds to let out a series of scratchy roars while whipping a Deino in the face. Riku cringes, looks over his shoulder and groans.]

Slash, do something about them.

[There's some ice flying into the two dragons, and Riku turns his attention back on the screen.]

I think I've been here for so long that Johto's just plain dull. I'm tired of hanging around here; there are still gyms to beat back in Kanto. Sora, Ven... you think we can get moving soon? I'd hate to fall behind.

[There's a long pause before he says anything else. That stinking Dragonair lets out another roar and attempts to wrap himself around Riku's Weavile. At that point, Riku reaches for one of his Pokéballs.]

So, it's been about two years since I got here. Who else is left from that first batch? And how do you guys feel about being here for so long?

[And one last thing, which he'll switch to text for.]

And for you newcomers, don't forget to check out this training guide. It explains most of the basics around here.

[With that, he'll be hanging around the inn, wandering through town, and doing some training along the routes with his ridiculous dragons. Feel free to encounter him in person if that tickles your fancy.]

[It's been a stressful week for Riku. Between his unruly Gible causing trouble for his older Pokémon and Sora falling into a deep sleep, there's really been no end to the madness. He also got yet another new Pokémon egg. This isn't necessarily a bad thing, but it means he's had to train another monster from square one, rather than focusing his efforts on his stronger team members.

And given that he can't exactly leave town yet, Riku's opted to hang out around the Inn with his Nidoking by his side. The two are propped up against the front of the building, and the camera shakes a little as it records the duo.

Riku rolls his eyes.]

Knock it off, Phantom. You don't need to record this.

[The feed turns upside down for a split second, and Riku groans. The things he puts up with.]

Well, better this than those pranks of yours, especially at this hour.

[Oh, but pranks are so much fun! And he's got quite a few ideas of how to paint the town red... Of course, that'll have to wait. And why?

Because, up above, there's a horrifying shriek, as a Pokémon dives down from the sky.]


Gyaaaaaaarr!

[Riku steps back, eyes wide, while Slacker screams. Why? Well, as shown by the lovely footage Phantom's displaying here, the Aerodactyl's got a limp pidgey in her mouth.

Riku quickly rushes up to the baby Pokémon, trying to knock the bird from her mouth. Slacker joins the Fray, charging head-first towards the 'dactyl. However, she's a flying type, and she manages to dodge both of them. The two crash into one another and land on their rumps. Meanwhile, the Aerodactyl swallows the Pidgey whole. At this point, Phantom's got an extreme closeup.

The feed ends with the Aerodactyl spitting out the feathery remains, followed by Phantom's shrill laughter.]

[Today, Riku's decided to head out towards the Daycare to check up on the Charmander and Totodile eggs he's been planning to sell. Joining him is his new Riolu, who curiously looks around at all the snow while Flare, his Charmeleon, stomps around, occasionally looking up at the sky and swishing his tail.]

Oh, c'mon. We can train in a bit. I just want to fetch the eggs real--

Rrrah!

[The Riolu chimes in with some barking, looking at some nearby grass. Training!]

Don't even think about it. You're not at the right level to battle on your own. Now, c'mon.

[He continues towards the Daycare with his Riolu at his side, but Flare doesn't seem to care. Instead, he wanders off into some grass and starts spewing flames. Eventually, an angry Drowzee appears, hitting the Charmeleon with some psychic attacks. However, there's a huge level gap between the two, and Flare is barely phased by the attack. Instead, he retaliates with a slash attack and roars. Before long, he's defeated the Drowzee and starts to glow.

His roars get louder and deeper as he increases in size, eventually sounding something like this. After that, the glow fades, revealing a newly evolved Charizard, and a big one at that.]

Heh, so that's why you were in a hurry.

[A little bit later, the video feed starts up again, this time inside the Daycare.]

A while back, I mentioned breeding some Charmander eggs. Well, I've got them now. If anyone's interested, I'll be selling them for about 10,000. I've also got a few Totodile eggs to go around. Just let me know if you want one, and I can send Highwind over with the eggs--

[There's a grunt in the background.]

Or I guess Flare could handle it.

[Oh dear. What have we here? The feed starts with a very nice close up of a Haunter, who sticks out his tongue and floats back. Behind him are Riku's Nidoking, Pidgeot, and Feraligatr. Given the soft whirring going on in the background, it's likely that his Rotom's out too, just out of sight.

Phantom stops just a few feet in front of them, quietly making some quick gestures and then pointing at the other Pokémon.]

Grrrrgh...

Rgh?

[Jaws and Slacker look at one another, then to Phantom, while Highwind huffs and ruffles his feathers. Phantom clenches one hand into a fist and slams it into the other.

A few seconds later, Slacker and Jaws reluctantly puff out their chests, put their shoulders back, and roar, and Phantom looms behind them with his mouth open wide. The only one who doesn't pose for the video is Highwind, who screeches and flies off camera.

The Feraligatr and Nidoking continue to strike ridiculous poses in the mean time, flexing and grunting. It gets to the point where Phantom cracks up, pushing the two of them forward, onto their chests.

Aaaand right about then Riku shows up, snatching his Gear from his Rotom and rolling his eyes.]

I look away for five minutes, and this happens?

[Silly Pokémon. He groans, running his free hand through his hair.]

Anyway, we're heading back to Violet now. Should be back in a few days. When I get there, I'm thinking of putting my Ivysaur up for trade again. She's level 32 and rotting in the PC. I might be willing to trade her for a Charmander or a Sneasel.

[ooc: Purple = Slacker. Blue = Jaws. And as a side note, it's hilarious how Nidokings are only 4'6''.]

I need to know the quickest way to Goldenrod.

[So says Riku, who appears a bit tense as the feed starts up. In the background, there's the sound of chatter from a Croconaw and Nidoking, but Riku remains focused on his gear.]

There's something me and Sora need to take care of, so the sooner we get there, the better.

[After that, the feed ends. It's short, sweet, and to the point; he's not in the mood for much idle chatter.]