hashtagafreakingghost | 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.]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Oh! That's great then! You'll always have a source of warmth! You can even use her to melt the snow! She probably knows a Fire-type move, right?

[NOWI THAT'S A TERRIBLE IDEA oh my god]

I.

[......you fucking know what]

Alright. Okay. Sure. Litwick, do you...fire?

[Cue a small Ember attack- which presumably melts something off-screen.]

Great. I'll take it.

See, you've totally got this! You're on fire!

[NOWI I SWEAR TO GOD]

I'm sure you'll be okay! It'll be kinda rough until you get here, but the rooms are pretty cheap and they're really nice!

[...She literally lives in the hotel too. It's cheaper than getting her own place!]

...because I have to pay for just- of course I do, ugh... I don't really want to do the whole money-by-battling thing, but I have to find some way to. Dunno, get more money, so I'm not kicked out on the streets eventually.

[MAYBE SHE'LL ALSO LIVE IN THE HOTEL......]

Oh, you can work once you get here! There's the Pokémart and the Pokémon Center, they're both nice! I haven't worked at either of them, so I can't tell you much about that, but I take care of peoples' Pokémon when they come here for vacations!

[...she's a babysitter. Who allowed this.]

[At least the children must get along with her...]

Straight into the workforce and not even through college. Yaaay. Ugh.

[A...small eyebrow raise though-]

Even someone your age has to work, though? That's so...unfair.

[She's already got two ages wrong let's go for a third]

What's a college?

[AS FOR THAT QUESTION--]

Why does everyone think that? I'm older than most of you, you know! I'm over a thousand!

[She certainly looks proud of herself...]

[SORRY ABOUT YOUR QUESTION, NOWI, IT IS GOING TO GO UNANSWERED, BECAUSE-]

Excuse me, what?!

Yep! I'm a Manakete!

[...oh wait, that probably doesn't explain it--]

A dragon. Well, I was. I'm human here, like everyone else. But! Back home I could turn into a dragon and it was really great!

[MAN SHE MISSES BEING ABLE TO FLY AND SET THINGS ON FIRE...]

A dragon. You were a dragon?! Wh- bu- how?!

[Look, looks young and is 24, sounds young and is 28, sure, Nowi is something else.]

That's like asking how you're a human! I was just born that way!

But I'm one of the last Manaketes left, so... I can't really tell you much more than that!

[NOWI IS AN EXPERIENCE]

[Ashley gapes. And gapes. And gapes. Until-]

You know what? Fine. Okay. If all the rest of this stuff can be real, then why not The Last Dragon too.

Well, I'm not really the last one. Tiki's around too, but I don't really know her.

[...oh right, the point--]

But yeah, of course! There are a lot of us who aren't human normally here! Buuuut for some reason everyone here is turned human. I don't really get it.

You... Really? Why?

[Silently not complaining about it, in case for some reason a freaking wendigo gets dragged in, but-]

No idea! But there are some people like us who were dragged in here who were turned human, so it's not just me!

It's not all that bad though. I found it pretty easy to get used to!

[Probably because she looks like a human most of the time anyway...]

Really. That sounds...strange, honestly. I would've thought that was a lot...more disorienting.

Well, I can't transform without a Dragonstone, so it wasn't all that weird. I just miss my ears...

[DRAMATIC SIGH...]

A Dragonstone?

[This all sounds so much like a fantasy novel.]

No, um- do...you mind questions about that? At some other time. I've never actually talked to a dragon before, but...I'm still, you know. Adjusting.

First 👻 Story [Video/Action for New Bark]

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