garbagechild | 001. [Video/Action for Goldenrod Rocket HQ]

[Video]

_{[Victims of motion sickness beware, because there's about to be a good two minutes of jerky, dizzying footage of the floor, the ceiling, an upside-down bed, and what appears to be the foot of a small child. The telltale sounds of hands grappling with a PokeGear are what dominate the audio feed, but murmuring in the background are what sound like deep, rumbling growls and a youthful, high-pitched voice-- probably belonging to the owner of that foot.]

[And then all at once the camera stops and gives everybody a great view of a pair of nostrils and, somewhere above them, a slightly more pleasant-to-behold pair of bright blue eyes.]}

--ink... I think it's a toy.

But not the kind you chase.

The other kind.

Um.

A puzzle.

_{[The screen jitters again-- now it's mostly tangled black hair on the screen, and a bony shoulder poking out a shirt that's way too big for it. Behind it is an expanse of leathery-looking flesh probably belonging to whatever's doing all that growling.]}

Ahuh... yeah, it's definitely a puzzle. I can tell 'cause it's got a lot of buttons.

_{[A chorus of deafening beeps sound as the kid promptly sets about trying to solve the puzzle by PRESSING EVERYTHING until the PokeGear is gently removed from his grasp by a set of bulky, blunt-clawed hands. And then, at a proper angle for the first time in this entire broadcast, a Kangaskhan's face appears in front of the screen, rumbling softly in greeting. She knows what a PokeGear is for! ... But then almost immediately a pair of pale little hands pop over the Pokemon's shoulder and try to grab the camera back.]}

No, no, I wanna solve it! I wanna solve the puzzle! Please? Please! Pl-- whoa!

_{[Standing all the way up, the Kangaskhan holds the camera in front of her and starts to plod across the small, undecorated dormlike room they're in, presumably towards the door, and presumably with her pint-sized trainer dangling from the 'puzzle'. Aaaand after some jostling, the feed cuts.]}

[Action for Rockets]

_{[In a building full of sneaky people, another sneaky person doesn't really stand out unless they're particularly bad at sneaking.]

[It just so happens that Wrath is not exactly the best at this.]

[Give him trees or bushes and sure, he can creep around like a good little let's-not-run-into-this-thing-in-the-dark. But all these winding hallways are slightly more alien territory, and there's only so many ways you can hide behind a corner without getting spotted. Especially when your GIANT KANGASKHAN STARTER KEEPS ON MARCHING STRAIGHT DOWN THE HALL LIKE SHE DOESN'T EVEN CARE IF THEY'RE SPOTTED.]}

Mama!

_{[This flustered hiss comes from behind an open door, where Wrath had ducked upon seeing a couple of much-taller Rocket Grunts go strolling past. Now he's peeking out, expression somewhere between frustrated and oh my god WHAT ARE YOU DOING AAAA]}

Don't do that, they'll see you!

_{[HE DOESN'T KNOW WHO THESE PEOPLE ARE. Only that they're humans, and they're wearing uniforms. Uniforms that are drastically different from the ones he's used to seeing, of course, but he's had precisely one (1) significant experience with dudes in uniforms, and it was a really bad one. MIGHT AS WELL NOT TAKE CHANCES.]

[The Kangaskhan, however, has other plans. She's marching towards the Mess Hall and seems a little exasperated that her trainer isn't following her. :I HUMANS.]}

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[Archer's reflexes have never been great and being in Johto for three years hasn't helped at all, but Alekhine - the Alakazam standing beside him - senses the danger well before Archer does and immediately throws up a Protect to shield his trainer from said danger.

..."Danger".

Archer turns to look at what the hell just happened, looking more confused than anything else at first. Alekhine just looks amused, but that's nothing new.]

What...?

[And that's about when he recognizes the wild hair and pale skin.]

You--!

Edited (html.....) 2014-12-21 07:30 (UTC)

_{[The plant snaps against the Protect and Wrath's war howl sputters out like a candle. He stares down at the ruined decoration in his hands for a second or two, baffled, before throwing it aside and assuming a fighting stance, baring his sharp, awful little teeth at the man and his Pokemon.]}

YOU.

You brought me here!

_{[IT ALL MAKES SENSE NOW.]

[... OKAY NOT REALLY, but, you know, eight-year-old logic. Archer had kidnapped him once, so obviously waking up in an unfamiliar building and running into him meant that the same thing had totally happened again!]}

[Archer rolls his eyes and sighs. Of all the things he's ever been accused of, this is definitely the strangest.]

Of course, because I have magical world-hopping powers that allowed me to bring you here. Why would I even bother with that? It's been months since you escaped.

[...And years since he's been here, but that isn't the point.]

I take it you've just arrived.

_{[Well... yes, it had been months, but... but...]

[Wrath's look of angry confusion only deepens, and he scowls deeply, one canine jutting out over his lip. He'd already made contact with Lust and Alphonse, both of whom had at least somewhat tried to explain the time disparity to him, but all that had done was tie the young ex-Homunculus's brain into pretzels and on one occasion make him fling the 'Gear across the room.]

[So yeah, Wrath's growing comprehension of the logic behind this strange place he was plopped into is going great.]}

I woke up in a room. There was a bed. And her.

_{[He points to 'Mama', who is looking absolutely horrified. Her... her trainer just tried to assault a superior officer. WITH A WEAPON. OH GOD.]}

And a picture phone.

_{[He'd heard the word 'Gear' bandied about, but 'picture phone' made more sense to him.]}

And now you.

Yes, that's correct. This place is called Johto and it's nothing like home. There's no way to return home right now, so you'll have to live with it.

[...Is it obvious he has no idea how to deal with children? Because he has no idea how to deal with children.]

In this place people raise creatures like these to battle.

[...For...some reason...]

Have you spoken with anyone else here?

_{[There's a pause-- although it's obvious that whatever the kid's got for a brain in there is definitely ticking, not once does his smoldering, malevolent glare change.]

[Archer is the last person he wants to be talking to. Even talking to Lust the traitor is a more appealing prospect.]

[But this place is so utterly alien and the people here are strange and he's already realized that he can't use his alchemy.]}

... A few.

_{[He says this grudgingly.]}

Good, then I'm sure someone can explain anything you have questions with.

[You're probably on good terms with Envy, surely he'll get in contact with you eventually!]

_{[... YEAH, that conversation is... not gonna go too well.]
[It's around this point that 'Mama' shuffles hurriedly around Archer and Alekhine to put herself between them and Wrath, just in case the kid got any crazy ideas about attacking again. Shooting apologetic looks at the Alakazam the entire time. Amused he may be, but this is so humiliating!]

[Wrath's eyes narrow, but he makes no move to go past the Pokemon. She's proven already that she could probably pick him up by the hair and throw him fifty yards if she wanted to, and he wants no part in that, thanks.]}

I wanna know how to get out of this building. Tell me now.

_{[He'd been hesitant to admit to that to others he'd talked to (especially the one who'd brought up punishment for rule-breakers, but Wrath doesn't give a hoot about being 'good' for Archer.]}

Edited (ugh HTML) 2014-12-21 08:11 (UTC)

[Oh don't worry about it, Alekhine's just a jerk but he's seen some pretty ridiculous things happen in Johto, so there's no reason to feel embarrassed!

Wrath's demand earns a cold look. Archer hates kids trying to boss him around.]

You'll find the way out eventually, but you should know that if you mention anything about this organization or this place, you'll be thrown in jail. That's not to mention the punishment Team Rocket will rain down on you, so I suggest you keep your mouth shut and your head down.

[He would continue on about how Wrath should respect his elders as well, but he's pretty sure that's not going to do any good.]

Did you read the note in the room you woke up in?

_{[If Archer notices a twinge of something like fear creep into the boy's eyes, it's not his imagination.]

[Wrath is more than familiar with the concept of being punished for stepping out of line. And as hot as his animosity burns for his old captor, he's not actually willing to risk his neck now that it's been brought up again. Jail doesn't scare him, but the nebulous 'rain' of punishment from above does.]

[So although he continues to scowl, there's no bratty comeback for that.]

[He does, however, shake his head at the question. He hadn't even seen the note.]

[At which point Mama decides to make herself useful, and helpfully pulls said note from her pouch. She'd thought ahead and grabbed it on her way out of the little dorm.]}

001. [Video/Action for Goldenrod Rocket HQ]

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