hashtagafreakingghost | First 👻 Story [Video/Action for New Bark]

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First 👻 Story [Video/Action for New Bark]

[VIDEO]

--on't want to, oh my--

[Hello, there, world! You know how a camera looks when two people are fighting over it? ...Or, well, one person and one blob-like candle-thing, in this case. Point is, you do now; the lens is covered in little waxy marks, leaving the girl it's now focused on- the girl who keeps trying to snatch it back from the surprisingly nimble candle- in a light haze. Through the viewpoint, at least, emotionally she appears rather annoyed and frustrated.

Probably because of that Litwick urging her to do an impromptu vlog, huh.

Ashley's kneeling on the ground, her backpack open on her lap and her Trainer's Handbook gripped firmly - open, looks about halfway done - in on hand, as the other keeps swiping at the camera.]

Please give that back to me, you little-- [The angle evens out and Ashley's eyes go wide. Deer, headlights, hello.] It's on. Isn't it? [Bobbing, up and down.] Oh.

[Well. Let's just- ...keep staring straight ahead, okay, good job. A+ kid, gold star. Stage fright?]

I, um. Uh... Is...it broadcasting...? [Dumb question. ] Okay. I...uh- I'm not- ...this isn't anywhere near Canada, is it? Because. I read the- this. [She holds up the manual, a little dismally. Her tone of voice is frazzled, a little weak and helpless.] I know, it said um...New Bark Town, Johto? B- but...I'm just trying to figure out how I...got here. B-because no one's really...been forthcoming about that.

[Maybe she should broach this question carefully-]

And I really really would like to be sure if I'm going crazy or not, because there's a- a candle filming me, and I do not have blood on me and that is not at all what I remember, and I should get back t-to the ranger station because they might still need to- ask me questions- about...

[OH OKAY WOW NEVER MIND THEN

Ashley trails off as it seems her brain catches up with her mouth and oh boy that sure is something to say uh. She pales considerably.]

I- swear that's not what it- I- haven't um- killed...anyone...or...

[Either Litwick is going in for a dramatic close-up or actually wants to see if she's alright (jury's out on which one frankly) because the view of Ashley gets ever-so-slightly bigger- and when it's close enough she reaches out in one fluid motion and snaps it up with one more quick, muttered whimper:]

Sorry, bye.

[So. That's that, then.]

[ACTION FOR NEW BARK]

[If you happen to be around New Bark, you might find Ashley just kind of kneeling on the ground, around the houses, with her Litwick bouncing impatiently next to her. It doesn't look like she's in the mood to leave, not just yet, or. Even stand, really, she hasn't had a great time, lately.

...Though at some point she has decided to get herself up off the ground, because she's really had it with being all crouched in the snow and it KEEPS HAPPENING. Really she's so exhausted after the last...what, twelve hours? Thirteen? She'd kind of lost track, with all the bustling, questioning, waiting. Last she remembers, had...she finally fallen asleep? Waiting for the others to be done, the rhythmic ceiling fan, the distant sounds of the others being interviewed, the dim awareness of Emily glaring daggers at her every few minutes, the feeling of her cheek against Chris' shoulder...

She has to walk. To do something. Litwick trails along with her, pointing toward the trail, but Ashley ignores her insistent taps and pokes. She leaves a trail of footprints, occasionally rubbing her eyes with one hand, looking...rather exhausted, honestly.

There's nothing to do but read the handbook, so she finds a little bench and opens it and browses...and the PokéGear, at some point, she just kind of. Ran from that. Not her finest hour.]

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Just like...birds and squirrels and stuff? Okay. O- okay. [She lets out a slow breath.]

It's...like a game, where they scale and get...stronger later on, just gotta keep telling myself that.

...What do the rest of yours look like? How many do you even have?

--yeah, basically!

A game.

_{[She usually tries to avoid describing it that way... because it can make for some alarming moments later on when your pet animals behave like ACTUAL ANIMALS rather than Tamagotchis.]

[But, well, if it helps.]}

And, uh... gosh. I've lost count.

More that I've inherited than ones that I actually went out and caught myself, but... uh... damn.

Gotta be at least thirty by now. If not more.

Here, I'll show you some of the others.

_{[The camera turns, revealing more of the surroundings-- she seems to be in a fairly normal, suburban house, heading for a sliding glass door.]}

Some of 'em are big, so if they're out of their Pokeballs-- those, uh, little ball capsule things that you can put them into-- they gotta stay outside.

Inherited? How- [Her question's cut off by the sight of the house. God, she misses home right now. She wishes she was home, with her parents, her friends.]

oh. Huh, I...haven't really put Litwick in hers yet. It just seems... Do they really like that?

_{[Yeah she's... she's gonna leave off the 'inherited' bit for now. Because, if this girl really DID come straight out of the sort of situation that would leave a person covered in blood, the last thing she needs to be told right now is that you could be sent back to your own world at any time, without warning.]

[Instead she heads out across the yard (it's a healthy size, although the trees are still winter-barren) towards an in-ground swimming pool.]}

Like it? Well, it depends on the Pokemon. Some don't, definitely. But it's kinda like having a crate for a dog, or a... cat carrier, you know?

Better to put them in one of those than try to like, squeeze something the size of a horse onto a train or into a cafe. They're not uncomfortable, although obviously I wouldn't recommend keeping your Pokemon in there all the time.

_{[She's speaking as she walks, although... wait a minute. Are those... SHARK fins moving around above the surface of the pool water???]}

That makes se... [GUESS WHO'S SPOTTED THE SHARK FINS

Ashley tenses and her eyes widen at the sight of them.] Wh- hey, uh- [she doesn't know her name] y-you, there are sharks in your...?!

YEP.

Sure are.

_{[She reaches the edge of the pool and crouches down. The fins immediately turn in the water and make a beeline for her, the dark, bullet-like bodies of the Sharpedos rising to the surface and clustering in front of the camera.]}

These guys belong to the owner of the house, actually, so they're not mine.

Believe it or not, they're super friendly.

_{[Her voice goes up an octave in that talking-to-animals way.]}

Heeeey, guuuys!

_{[Her hand appears from off-camera and reaches out to pat the big blunt shark noses bobbing on the surface.]}

[And Ashley just kind of stares in this abject horror, as if waiting for Heather to get her hand bitten off-

And when that doesn't happen and instead the Sharpedos are kind and receptive she- well, she doesn't quite know what to do with herself.]

...Huh. That. ...That doesn't even look like...a full...

[They're half a fucking shark.]

Weird, right?

Kinda like somebody took a shark and squished it lengthways in Photoshop or something. They can move real fast if they put a mind to it, though.

But anyway, they're not actually the ones I was gonna show ya.

_{[She clears her throat and splashes at the water slightly.]}

ZILLA! HEY!

GET UP HERE!

_{[A burst of bubbles comes billowing up from the very bottom of the pool. And then the Sharpedos scatter as something VERY LARGE comes rising up to the surface. A big blue reptilian head lifts from the water, dripping, and then shakes, blowing sprays of water from its nostrils. It's a Feraligatr and its jaws alone are the size of a small motorcycle.]}

There you are! Hey, smile for the camera!

[The first, immediate reaction she has is a little surprised squeak and a jump. Ashley almost drops her PokéGear, because of course she does, but we're at least batting like a hundred today or something, so it does not go camera-first into the snow.]

Oh oh oh what is that a giant freaking alligator?!

[...Litwick slowly appears to have more interest, on her end. Peering forward- do not fight the water-type, Litwick.]

Pretty cool, huh?

_{[Heather isn't even on the camera, but her GIANT GRIN is perfectly audible in her voice.]}

I've had this guy since he was a baby. He used to be the size of, like, a basketball.

_{[The Feraligatr leans over, making an inquisitive, vaguely Wookiee-like gurbling sound. What's going on, Trainer?]}

Say hi, Godzilla.

_{[He lifts a giant webbed hand and waves, somewhat sheepishly.]}

That's...fitting.

[While Ashley continues to appear utterly shocked in so many ways, but how almost shy the giant gator looks relieves a little anxiety.]

Hi, Godzilla. You've certainly undergone um, a growth-spurt.

He sure did!

Pretty recently, too!

Remember what I said about how your Pokemon'll get stronger over time? Obviously I don't know what kinda things you're gonna wind up catching for yourself, but picture literally any mean wild animal trying to go up against this guy.

_{[She jerks her thumb towards the Feraligatr, who turns his head aside bashfully.]}

[Naturally, her mind goes right to the most bizarre combination possible, which is like...a squirrel. She tries not to laugh.]

Something like that? Ha. Well... That's kind of cool. An even playing field. ...Maybe even my- what are you doing...

[Her Litwick's balled up her little stubs to fists. She wants to take on the big Feralgatr!] Don't make a scene, please...

_{[HEY HEATHER HAS MET SOME MEAN PACHIRISU IN HER TIME!]

[At the sight of the tiny candle raring to go, Heather throws her head back and laughs openly-- not unkindly, though.]}

Holy shit!

She's a little fireball, isn't she!

_{[Yeah, this girl's gonna do just fine. Heather can tell.]}

She's a handful is what she is.

[Ashley rolls her eyes and shakes her head while the Litwick slowly realizes there is no way for a fight to be had and huffs out a sigh.]

At least if anything tries to [hard swerve right] I mean- she'll probably attack anything that even looks at me funny.

[There'll be a lot of apologizing for burned fingers she bets.]

_{[The screen briefly fogs up as Godzilla leans in to get a better look at the pint-sized contender and inadvertently breathes on it, but Heather just wipes it off with one thumb and nudges his enormous nose out of the way.]}

The best ones always are.

You'll be fine on the road-- she won't let anything hurtcha.

And you'll pick up others along the way, so before too long you'll have an entire little team of your own personal guard-animals. Pretty cool, huh?

[The sight of Godzilla's big muzzle causes a smile to flicker on to her face. These things are kind of sweet, despite appearances... A delightfully strange bunch of creatures.]

Yeah. Yeah, it is, kinda... Thank you, for all this. Just making sure a scared kid's not- um, too freaked out.

_{[Heather returns that ghost of a smile with one of her own, slightly softer than the big toothy grins she's been wearing throughout the conversation.]}

Hey, no worries.

I've been there more times than I can count, so I get it.

And if your situation's anything like mine... this place is gonna be real good for you. I guarantee it.

[Her "situation." Ashley swallows and tries to keep the smile up. The screaming, screeching monster, the roar of saw-blades. The heat of the lodge, still, still just keep so still.]

...What's your name? I'm Ashley.

It's Heather.

Nice to meet you, Ashley.

It's... [She considers, and...]

Yeah. It's nice to meet you too. Really.

The pleasure's all mine.

Anyway, you're gonna have some walking to do before you get to the next town over, so I'll let ya go.

But hey, if you ever need help with anything, don't be afraid to ask the network for help. There's plenty of folks like me who've been here awhile and we usually know what to do.

I'll keep that in mind. If I have a problem, or a question...and I'll ask. Thank you, again.

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First 👻 Story [Video/Action for New Bark]

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