cyan_maid | Victory Road IC Inbox

By my calculations, you should be on or arriving at Route 31.
Am I correct?

Here's the first bit of our new radio drama! Casting is listed at top, we'll record through the week. It's called The Black Cofagrigus of Death, and it's appropriately spooky.

Attached file of script.

[On the day of February 14th, should they look at their communicator, they might see a message from one young Mabel Pines!]

Hey, you! You there! Yes, I’m talking to you! I’m just here to wish you a super duper Happy Valentine’s Day! May you get a lot of love and candy from everyone around you!

Because I know you definitely deserve it!

look what i found!!!!

ATTCH: BOWS!!!

its a special vulpix!!!
i havent even got a regular vulpix yet but omg look at this one shes soooo cuuuuute!

I didn't realize that it was your birthday!

The following questions are in need of answering:
1. How long does one have to wait before they can legally report someone as missing and have the Officer Jennys go on a manhunt?
2. Are you currently in possession of a rowdy bunch of Pokemon belonging to one (1) Dirk Strider? Are you willing to part with them?
3. Do you accept apologies in the form of bento boxes from "Mom"? Because that's all I have due to an unwarranted forced-reset.
Considering my original arrival involved being in what can only be described as a glitch, it may have been that I was living out my blissful Pokemon life with corrupted data. It's only a matter of time before incorrect code is detected in a system and corrected. Rebooting often helps fix an error.
And to quote an ancient meme, "I am Error."

Jane

Jane

It's Penny

I'm sorry

Did Rakka get home ojay???M?

Jane

I think I might have messed everything up.

I just finished reading a new mystery novel, and I think you'd like it.

It's one of the ones about the pair of Skitties and the Houndour who are also amateur detectives and their trainer has no idea. Have you read any of those? They're darling.

[Since Jane's network post, Mabel had thrown herself into working hard on a care package for the older girl, wanting to surprise her with something since she was sad about her friends going home.

Good thing Mabel was a pro at making sweaters! (It still took the better part of three days though.)

Jane will find herself visited by a Dartrix who looks rather exhausted but proud nonetheless, having traveled all day to reach Goldenrod and make the delivery for his trainer. The lumpy package is attached to his leg and he'll promptly stick it out for Jane to take with a soft hoot, fluffing himself up more than normal.

Here lady!

Inside is a sky-blue sweater with a yellow smiling sun on the front of it along with some dinosaur stickers that Mabel had picked up in Pewter City. There's also a note!]

Jane,

Dipper and I can't visit yet but I wanted to make sure you had something to cheer you up until we can! I know you're sad but don't worry! Your friends will come back! I know it!

<3
Mabel

Easier gift to deliver. But have a package for Christmas, housemate.

Inside in an interesting cook book, some pokemon treats and a board game. It’s the pokemon version of Scattergories.

A package arrives on Christmas Eve labeled from Lust, containing a boxed set of vaguely fantasy books featuring the adventures of a Clefairy princess who runs away from the moon to have adventures across the regions. Merry Christmas, Jane!

Not doing the voice mail thing.

Call me.

They probably do an actual celebration! But also, this has been a busy couple of months and John doesn't have that much money this Christmas as a result. So Jane gets a bunch of detective novels he didn't see when searching the house, and a Detective Pikachu pin he found because holy crap that's cute?

He feels a little bad he can't match Jane for sheer thoughtfulness this year but at least he has the remainder of his shortbread cookies to casually offer her for the next few weeks until they're gone.

Hey.

Had any thoughts about that dollhouse yet? If not, I encourage you to put some time aside for that. If you have, don't be shy about spitballing in my vicinity. I made it more of an intuitive, free-association concept piece for you, so don't try to overthink it.

But if you've got a moment, I got another puzzle for you.

[I've attached a video. It's out in the weeds, off path at the park so no one sees this thing. "This thing," such as it is, looks something like this, and is just floating there, suspended approximately two centimetres off the ground. Its flat, glassy fish eyes stare out of its expressionlessly bony face.

I walk up to it, slap the broad palm of my hand against the side of its big head, and it "swims" upwards, slowly, eventually doing a full loop-the-loop but not really going anywhere.]

What the shitting fuckload is this.

[On her birthday, Jane will wake up to a present on her door. The paper is covered in pictures of that timelessly popular movie character, Detective Pikachu. It's wrapped very carefully, so that no tape shows and the various Detectives Pikachu are perfectly lined up over each other on the edges.

Inside is a new doll: a gothic lolita-style magical girl take on Jane's new partner.

There is also a relatively normal pocket watch. It's a simple three-hand pocket watch, but its simplicity may be explained by the presence of a second, matching, tiny pocket watch for Jane's doll. The coverplates of both are etched with a simple Platonic isosceles of 45-45-90 degrees.

There is, of course, a note. Or, well. There's an origami moustache that unfolds into a note.

One side reads

HAPPY BIRTHDAY

The other reads

If you want a clue, you need only ask.

-DS]

[On 4/13/2020, Jane receives an unexpected delivery. There are actual delivery people at her door (ok, one is probably a buff pokemon), asking if she's Jane Crocker before handing over a letter addressed to her in blue handwriting and bringing in an upright piano!?

It's one of those older ones, a mid-tone wood that's in grandparents' houses and school music rooms across North America.

The letter is as follows:
Part 1
Part 2]

[Jane receives a short text message with a photo attached: in it, a beedrill wearing a Champion's ribbon around its neck hovers above a.... let's say a 'distinctively shaped' Banette, which is holding its own ribbon up in its creepy little hands, apparently showing it to the Beedrill.

The shot provides a really great view of the Banette's bulbous and impudently-jutting derrière.

The text reads:]

Remember the posse you suggested for me?

You didn't even tell me they came in extra spiky.

So yeah. I'd say those 'large fuckoff bees with giant stingers to hurt everyone that comes in contact with them' were as effective as advertised. Five out of five stars.

Edited 2020-08-14 03:29 (UTC)

[A letter arrives by Pidgey Post a day or two after Christmas, with a drawing of an odd little green creature in a santa hat below the text:]

Thank you very much for the cookies! They're really good!

Chip Abaroa

[This is slightly backdated, but somewhere around the fifth/sixth of January, every Aurora League member is going to get one of these. It's a hand-written letter with a Pelagic gym letterhead leaving no doubts as to the sender.

It reads:]

I hope this letter will not be seen as me overstepping my bounds but --

I think the Aurora League should meet.

I'm sure I'm not the only one who has noticed that strange things are happening -- first the wild rumours about pokemon losing control, then the incident at the Safari zone, and now the message that was visible in the sky during the New Year.

Perhaps I'm worrying too much, but it is starting to feel like what happened a year ago when that creature managed to find its way into this world. That didn't come out of nowhere either; there were several smaller events that preceded it though we didn't see the connection at the time. I'm not necessarily saying that this is because of that same creature (though 'He will be back' could certainly be a reference to it) but something certainly seems to be going on. And perhaps this time, if we act early enough, we can put a stop to things before it gets that bad.

I know the Pokemon League is undoubtedly monitoring this situation too, but there is no reason why we of the Aurora League couldn't look into things as well. Or at the very least share our thoughts. Several of us are gym leaders and come into contact with a lot of trainers. Someone may have heard or seen something that, on its own, isn't particularly troubling, but if put together with other, similar accounts, could indicate something brewing.

Plus, even if there is nothing to share of that sort, I think it would be good to get to know each other a bit better. Several new members have joined us since that November. Who knows, we might need to depend on each other again in battle, and wouldn't knowing more about each other and how we fight help if it ever comes to that again? It's easier to trust someone at your back if you know what kind of person they are.

I know all of us are pretty busy, but I'm hoping you could all make time to meet on the 27th of January. That is still nearly three weeks from now, which should give those of us with gym schedules and other jobs enough time to arrange for some time off. I've even found a good place to meet at, where we can both talk and even battle if people would like. I've enclosed the address on a separate card in this envelope.

I hope to see you all there, though please let me know if you cannot make it.

Yours truly,

Armin Arlert

PS. Please do not worry about the costs involved. When I asked Lance for suggestions on where to meet, he told me the Pokemon League has a discretionary fund for these kinds of things.

[As mentioned, there is a card inside the envelope with the address of a battle club in Viridian City.]

[At some point later in the day, perhaps near evening, a large Pidgeot arrives at Jane's home. She might recognize it as Dimitri's, depending on how good she is at recognizing individual Pokemon. Either way, he waits patiently for Jane to approach before he leans over to offer her up a small package.]

[Part of the package is a postcard, detailing a Ninetales and Vulpix walking up some temple steps. The other part of the package is a small keychain with a little cartoon Fennekin laying on top of a macaron.]

[The postcard has rather nice handwriting, and says: ]

Dear Jane,

We have all arrived at Ecruteak safely, and with little delay. Thank you for letting us stay at your home, especially with Sylvain and Felix lingering behind to wait out the snowy weather. You will be relieved to know that they caught up to us with no trouble, and we all met up at the National Park.

It was a rather interesting stop. Felix insisted on participating in the contest that they seem to hold regularly there, and managed to be rather successful. He caught a Scyther, a Palien I know which has held his interest ever since he became familiar with the Azalea Gym. I imagine they will get along quite well.

A few of us also came into possession of new Paliens while we were there. I myself now am the partner to a Snom, a small and peculiar bug whose typing I have never seen before. Gaibhenenn found the small creature having snuggled up in our cooling box, and insisted on battling them, although I do not think her opponent had such an interest.

She is growing up quite well. In fact, just recently, it seems as though her horns have started to come in and her udders seem to be developing. This is her first trip along the routes of this place, and Ecruteak has captured her fascination since we have arrived. We did not have much time to go sightseeing, and we will have to watch Chip's battle later. However, once that is done, I will be certain to indulge her and Adarllwchgwin.

The owners of the inn we are staying at are very understanding of what is necessary for raising young Pokemon, and are willing to be flexible to some degree. They have a Gardevoir who assists in maintaining the inn, and who will help me learn a bit more when it comes to electrical appliances and other such things. I think Gaibhenenn likes her.

I imagine we will all be staying here for a week or two, and fortunately there is no shortage of things to do. I have heard there are reconstruction efforts going on as well, so perhaps I will look into them later on. I would like some spare money, as I hear there is another holiday approaching which has to do with a person's loved ones. Staying with you helped greatly in saving our funds, but I would still personally like a bit more on hand for an event such as this.

If you are ever lacking in company, let me know, and I will see if I can arrange a quick visit to Goldenrod.

Hoping that you remain well,

Dimitri Alexandre Blaiddyd

[Dimitri has been having such an End Of February. So much has happened. It kind of keeps happening? He'd like for it to stop. Ecruteak was supposed to be nice.]

[As it is, it's been full of secrets, and comas, and a small child suddenly running away because depression. It's been So Much that Dimitri almost forgets something that he wanted to do... but, as they're on the road and he's riding in the rat sleigh, it hits him again.]

[Right. He should start making some calls.]

[So after waking up from one of his twenty minute naps, Dimitri stays inside so that he can start hitting up people. Just... ignore the fact that it doesn't look like he's been sleeping at all. He has! Just, you know. Not great!]

Good day, Jane. I apologize - I hoped to send you one more postcard before we left Ecruteak, but things happened. [Things just don't stop happening.] However, the reason I am contacting you is that I was curious if you had any plans for later in this month? I was hoping to plan a picnic, then, you see, and I was told that flower viewing is an experience one should always have.

[After everything happening So Much again, Dimitri finally sends a letter via Elshot in Jane's direction. The Pidgeot carefully deposits another postcard, gift, and letter to her... but she'll be able to see he's also carrying a couple of other letters, too, and which is why he promptly takes off again.]

[No worries. He comes back later, just as a stopping point and to see if she wants to return anything.]

[The postcard is a rather artsy one of a Miltank, using a limited palette to depict the friendly cow Pokemon from the side. There's also a small little Magneton plush that's with it - hopefully no one wrecks its shit.]

[Dimitri's letter this time is back to the usual length.]

Dear Jane,

I apologize for worrying you recently, both with my last letter and how I was acting the other day when I contacted you over the Gear. The latter half of February proved to be a rather tiresome time that has taken all of our energy.

I mentioned previously that Dedue had been taken back to our home, but I am afraid that was only one even out of many which happened during that period of time. There were also the various strange messages we received from the Indeedee, private matters which I am afraid I cannot in good faith tell you about. Needless to say, they started up a great deal of conversation throughout our group.

If there is a bright side to this, it is that I gained a new companion out of the event. Silkie is one of the Indeedee who opted to stay behind, and her help has proven to be invaluable. She is an incredibly capable individual, and I can only hope that she does not work herself too hard in the future, as it was inevitable during February.

You see, shortly after the holiday, Sylvain fell into a similar sleep as you had, and the rest of us became incredibly worried. Felix especially was in a state, as the two of them have become engaged in the time we have been in Johto. It has lead to some tension, and no end of worry. When he finally awoke, he bestowed upon us some mixed news that I believe we are all struggling to deal with.

It did not help that, the day Sylvain awoke, Chip ran away. Please do not be too concerned over that sentence, as we fortunately found them with only a few days of searching along the path to Olivine.

So you can see why I was not able to write my letters to you on a more regular basis for a short period of time.

Ecruteak was admittedly something of a pleasant place, before all of that began to happen. I am indebted to the family which ran the inn where I apprenticed myself, and their Gardevoir taught me a great deal in regards to handling plumbing and temperature units. I also rather enjoyed participating in the art class where I did my modeling job. I know you were concerned about the matter, but the students and teacher were all incredibly cordial to me. It also paid extremely well, a fact which I can contribute to having a healthy body and also a willingness to occasionally bring my armor in as a matter of study.

However, with the presence of a ghost themed gym, the intense devotion to Halloween I can distantly remember the city having, and our own bad experiences, I do not believe that we would have stayed in the city much longer regardless. I hope that Olivine will prove itself to be a city where we can rest in peace, for once.

Would you believe that we have not had a calm experience all the way through any of the cities we have stayed at in the past? Cherrygrove is the only exception, and I am not entirely certain that counts.

Honestly, I have more particular reasons for putting my hope in Olivine City then merely wishing for a moment's respite. You see, some in our number have been longing for a slightly more permanent residence that we can all return to at any given time, and perhaps a preference for anchoring somewhere instead of constantly traveling. We have only just arrived in Olivine today, but I hope that perhaps we can find somewhere to rent.

It would be nice if we could find somewhere more like a traditional house or cabin to stay at. While I am certain that the apartment buildings I have caught glimpses of work for some people, our group has grown to be rather large. I do not believe that an apartment would work very well for our needs.

That reminds me, while Dedue did return to Fodlan, we have had the good fortune of two more from there arriving in Johto. We picked them up while we were still staying in Ecruteak, and they are traveling with us now. Their names are Lysithea and Annette. I would like to have the opportunity of introducing you one day. Perhaps, if they show themselves to be interested, that can be at hanami.

I'm afraid I have been in something of a state, so I apologize if this sounds repetitious, but I simply want to make sure that I have given you the proper day for this event: March 26th.

Hopefully it will be a pleasant time, with no disasters on a societal or emotional scale.

Looking forward to your response,

Dimitri

[Now that someone has pointed out to him that everyone in his Gear has their birthday displayed there, Felix has been keeping track of a few of them. When did he become someone who gives gifts? Roughly when Dimitri started giving him things constantly and he realized that he could express feelings to people without having to say words by giving them things instead.

So today, a package will arrive for Jane by Pidgey Post that contains a brand new rice cooker! And a note, written in what might be surprisingly fancy and elegant handwriting:]

Jane,

Happy birthday. I recently learned about this device, which makes rice much more quickly and easily than the usual method. You may have one already, in which case feel free to trade it for something else.

I have noticed that many dishes here in Johto contain rice, which is pleasantly familiar to me because my grandmother often made rice dishes from her homeland when I was young. Since you cook so often, it seemed sensible to give you something to speed up the process.

Also, I'm told that this rice cooker is Rotom-compatible. If you have one of those. Personally, I find Rotom to be rather unsettling.

Thank you for your help with the wedding. We appreciated it.

-Felix

Edited 2021-04-14 05:40 (UTC)

[Needless to say, after all the fuckery that was Prom, well... The gang has needed to recover, and get back to some idea of normalcy. That includes getting back to traveling, and hitting up their gym challenges.]

[...And then maybe attending a birthday party in Dimitri's case at least, but listen.]

[But Elshot comes soaring by Jane's place soon enough, carrying not only the usual postcard, letter, and small souvenir, but a much larger package!]

[The large package - which Elshot handles with the utmost care - holds within it a large stained glass art piece depicting a Lapras swimming upwards through water. Enjoy all the packing material in there too, Jane... Maybe some of her Pokemon will like playing with it.]

[The other gift would be some Mahogany Mamoswines Hocky Team merch - namely, a winter hat done up like Mamoswin's head, with the tusks positioned as earmuffs. The postcard matches it, depicting an adorable littlet Swinub napping in the snow underneath the branches of a pine tree.]

Dear Jane,

First of all, I want to apologize to you. Your birthday happened right before all the malarkey with prom, both good and bad, and I could not find you something suitable in Olivine. When you told me about the detective agency you plan on making alongside your gym, I had hoped to gift you something useful to that endeavor. Yet I was not certain about what those kinds of items might be, and we were about to leave for Mahogany so I did not have time to properly investigate.

Silkie is still looking into such things as we speak. However, when we arrived, I found this lovely bit of artwork at an antique store. Frankly, I prefer to give more practical gifts when possible. However, if you are going to be establishing a new business, then I thought that perhaps something nice to look at would make it feel more comfortable. I have little experience in such gifts, but my Paliens seemed to agree. Hopefully you like it.

I must say that the trip to Mahogany was easier than I thought it would be, although Johto's technology is thanks to that. We did not have to take the long trip back to Ecruteak through Routes 39 and 38, since we have all made sure to log our Pokegears in at the local Pokecenters. I've heard that the trip on land to Ecruteak can take some time as well, but all of our Pokemon are now rather adept at getting us across all manner of terrain. Thanks to our gym battles, we have all the permits we need to get across water and through air.

Even more importantly, we can do so with less items we carry on our person. We managed to find a rental property in Olivine that is enough to satisfy us for the time being. Sylvain is staying there as we speak, making himself at home. Felix goes back there every night, despite the fact that the travel back and forth must be quite troublesome on his body. Still, he won't ever let Sylvain be alone. That is something we can take comfort in. However, I do not think he has to worry as much for the future. There is a gentleman named Shadowmaru who apparently also lives in Olivine and is an outsider like ourselves, so I hope that he and Sylvain will eventually get along with one another. There is also yourself, if you ever feel like visiting. I am sure that Sylvain would be delighted to see you.

Mahogany is a rather nice town. While the exact culture and technology is of course extremely different, something about it still reminds me of many small towns that I knew of in Faerghus. I suppose that is not surprising. While the countries and cultures may be the same, towns that are in similar locations will always have some sort of similarity. While I know that Claude loathes the winter and is glad for the warmer season we're entering, I think I would have liked to come visit Mahogany during the autumn or winter. I hear that the town next in Johto's gym challenge is similarly in the mountains; I will be looking forward to our visit there. Perhaps I will visit both towns again when the seasons change once more.

I plan on challenging the gym leader, Pryce, soon, and I will take your advice from before on challenging him. However, there are other things that we would all like to do while we are here. Apparently, Mount Mortar is quite famous for having fire type Paliens within its tunnels. Dean does quite well as a partner for me, but it would never hurt to have others of that persuasion on our team if they are amicable to it. Felix and Chip also apparently have a strong interest in strengthening their own teams. We will see how things turn out there.

With everything that happened at prom, I hope that you are feeling much better now, especially with a goal to focus on. I think I am slowly heading in the same direction. Mahogany seems as though it will be good for this process. I had not been consciously thinking on it, but I may be a little homesick. Finding somewhere similar may help ease my troubled feelings.

I hope you are not overworking yourself too hard as you work on your gym and investigative services. Please remember to do things that will relax you from time to time.

Stay safe in such frantic days,

Dimitri Alexandre Blaiddyd

7/28

Oct. 1st

2/14

[message sent 3/6]

[text]

[message sent now-ish?]

Text; idk, sometime during 11/24-26, evening

Text; sometime during 11/24-26, probably at the same time as penny