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[meteorman]

✦ Victory Road IC Inbox ✦
If you wanted to contact Dr. Stanford Pines via the PokeGear, here is the place to do it! Voice, video and text are all fine. ✦ Art by love_struck

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video; look at me, christening this fine new inbox

[notvaljean]

Mr. Ford?

[Jean has spoken to Ford a couple of times, even went with Armin to his holiday party, but he's not nearly as comfortable with him as Armin is. It feels weird to be contacting him out of the blue, but Jean is a man on a mission, and Ford seems like the type to take excellent care of his Pokemon.]

This is Jean, Armin's friend. I wanted to ask you something.

so fresh, so new

[meteorman]

Doctor, actually.

[Look. He didn't get those twelve doctorates just to not constantly remind people he has them. That's beside the point, though.]

And ask away, kiddo, I'm not busy.

Video;

[schachmeister]

Mr Pines, I hope you don't mind, but could I ask you something? It's a little more personal than my normal questions.

[For once Armin didn't come to ask Ford about tectonics or how the northern lights work or even about weird crypids. He has a more important goal today.]

[meteorman]

[See, unlike Jean, Armin doesn't get his prefix choice corrected. That's because Armin is Special. That's also why his answer isn't a hard no.]

I don't see why not.

text;

[bertall]

Ford? Could I ask you something? It's not weird, I promise.





At least I hope it's not weird.

text;

[meteorman]

Weird isn't much of an issue for me in the first place. Go ahead.

[voice message; forward dated to when Sugarplum hatches cause]

[eclectictype]

Dr. Pines!

Hellooooo, Dr. Pines!

Yes, hi, it's me--Jade Harley--the plucky lass who sold you some eggs recently! I was calling to check on how they were doing and if you had any questions about them, or at least some cute newborn pics to show!

Call me back when you can, byeeee!

backdated to the 5th, just a delivery!

[bertall]

<sub>[On the afternoon of the fifth, Ford should get a quick message from the Pokecenter in Blackthorn that he had a package waiting.

It's nothing spectacular, but it's wrapped well enough that it's clear that whatever is inside is important. It's wrapped in plain paper with a large, dry, muddy pawprint courtesy of Marcel and a set of much smaller, rounder prints from his Aron on the outside of it.

Inside however, is anything but ordinary.

Nestled in the center of the box is an egg, and tucked in next to it is a Pokeball with Bertolt's initials and a note taped to it.

This is Gespenst. I'm not sure how it works, but ever since I've had him with me, all of the eggs I've carried have hatched fairly quick. Even my Aron, and I had read that his species is one of the ones that takes a long time to hatch and I can believe it after hatching an Axew before the prom. Or during that prom thing.

He's a little small and can be pretty shy, but I know you'll take care of him while you've got him. He likes to stay up and read with me.

Anyway, I picked out an egg at the breeding center and I hope you'll like it when it hatches.

PS, let me know when you're ready to send Gespenst back just in case I'm not in town.

There's also another box, but it's not as large as the one with the egg in it. There's also a note attached to it, but it's shorter and more to the point;

I made these while I was in Celadon too. I'm sorry if some of them are a little burnt around the edges, but I'm still learning. I ran out of frosting because Marcel got into the bowl, but the rest should still be okay.

-Bertolt

They're nothing fancy, but Bertolt did his best to try making a dragon out of cupcakes. It... Clearly didn't turn out the way he had planned, the eyes going two different directions and a little squished, and the last few that make up the tail don't have a lot of frosting on it. It even looks like he ran out of one color halfway through and had to switch to another, so it's...

It's really just a hot mess of a "dragon".

There's a third note attached to a small picture of Bertolt, his Growlithe and Arcanine, Aron, and a Trapinch with frosting smeared over its mouth;

P.P.S.

Happy birthday.]




[ooc; Here's the moves for the little terror Gible!

Tackle, Sand-attack, Dragon Rage, Sandstorm, Take Down, Sand Tomb, Slash, Dragon Claw, Dig, Dragon Rush, Outrage, Draco Meteor, Earthquake, Stealth Rock, Iron Head, Sleep Talk, Earth Power, Dragon Pulse, Twister, Iron Tail, Rain Dance, Sunny Day, Toxic, Protect, Double Team, Flamethrower, Rock Slide, Substitute, Rest, Strength, Stone Edge ]</sub>

HEY-HO IT IS THE FIFTEENTH HERE, MOVE OVER.

[schachmeister]

[Sometime during the morning of the fifteenth, Ford will be visited by a very handsome Noctowl who comes carrying a pack with gifts.

Inside the pack, Ford will find a letter, a pokeball, and a wrapped package.

The pokeball contains a lvl 19 Solosis.

The wrapped package contains a handsome leather bound journal. It is pretty thick, a clear invitation to write to one’s heart’s content. It has been monogrammed with a ‘SP’. When Ford opens it, he’ll find the first pages are covered in doodles of a small variety of the pokemon Jean and Armin know Ford owns. They are quite talented, though perhaps the work of someone who hasn’t always had the chance to hone that talent. The doodles are signed with a scrawled Jean. The next page is filled with the information Armin had been able to record on Ford’s new Solosis in neat, compact handwriting.

The letter is written in that same neat, compact handwriting. It reads:]


Dear Mr. Pines,

I hope this letter finds you well and I want to wish you a happy birthday. I realise I never asked for your actual age, but I feel that sort of thing is not particularly important, especially at your age.

I hope you enjoy these gifts. Jean helped me catch the Solosis. As you can see, he’s a bit of an anomaly. It made me think of you. I had one of the nurses at the pokemon centre look him over and she said he looked healthy, if a little odd. I actually caught another Solosis myself too, so perhaps we can compare them as they grow.

I also want to take the opportunity to thank you. For the last half year you’ve been patiently answering my every question. I know you said you don’t mind it, that you enjoy it, but I cannot really explain what this means to me. There is so much in this world that I do not understand, and you’ve been helping me make sense of it. I cannot properly explain how much that means to me.

Thank you.

Armin Arlert

PS: Jean wants me to add that he thinks Solosis looks like a butt. It does not. He’s being ridiculous.

[Video] - October 6th

[findingbeasts]

Mr. Pines, I hope I'm not interrupting anything but I wanted to ask you about something rather..peculiar that I've noticed since before I left Cerulean City.

[Newt's on the route heading out of said city heading towards a particular mountain when he calls, frowning slightly as a Flabebe and a Floette perch on his shoulders very obviously watching something out of view of the 'gear.]

Have you noticed an increase in the amount of Phantumps that have been around lately? I hadn't encountered any for some time but the past few days I've noticed quite a few lurking about..

[meteorman]

I have. I just left Cerulean myself, so we may be seeing the same swarm.

As far as I'm aware they tend to gather only in Lavender Town, which raises the question of why they've migrated such a distance and in such numbers.

text;

[bertall]

Vulpix are supposed to be red, right?

[meteorman]

A sort of russet color, yes.

Dream; October 20th

[frozenfractalsallaround]

Elsa, what have you done?

Jolting awake as if someone had just yelled in his ear, Ford will sit up in bed quickly, looking frantically around the room as if waiting for someone to burst in. That nightmare again, the one she always has- only worse. Anna dying. How many times is that nightmare going to happen?

Ford curls in on himself, hunching into as much of a ball as possible as the hyperventilating kicks in. It felt so real, and the sound of that voice- the horror, the anguish, the disgust in Agnarr's voice that had caused Elsa-Ford to awaken so suddenly. It rings so clearly that it's as if he had been right in the room.

Unable to keep the fear and anxiety from spiking, ice begins to creep out around- spreading across the room at a terrifying speed, temperature in the room dropping so drastically that the glass of water on Elsa's bedside table freezes and the cup shatters.

Before she can even comprehend what's going on, the door bangs open.

"Elsa!"

"I'm sorry!" is the immediate reply, so desperate and so afraid. "I-"

"Enough. It's obvious you're just... never going to learn how to control yourself. I didn't want it to come to this, Elsa."

Eyes widening, Elsa can only look helplessly at her father as he seems to be thinking long and hard for a moment.

Conceal, don't feel.

It's a disembodied voice, echoing through the room as if it's her own thoughts making their way into the real world. The mantra she repeats over and over to try and calm herself down. It's a deep, ethereal voice that shakes the walls. It sounds almost like her father, but... demented and full of malice.

"P-please, I promise I'll-"

But Agnarr raises his hand to silence her. "No more excuses, we're all at the end of our rope. This has been a long time coming, I can't have you endangering our lives anymore. I'm sorry, but it must be done."

He doesn't sound remotely sympathetic and Elsa is speechless. Ice continues engulfing the room, the walls themselves thick with it, the air so chilly it's a wonder Agnarr can even stand it- but he seems unphased by anything.

"Guards!"

Before Elsa can even comprehend what's going on, several guards are storming into the room, swords drawn. "Anna will make a better queen than you, when the time comes." Agnarr gives the signal and a guard rushes her, swinging his sword-

Ford wakes up just as he's about to be beheaded.

Video; October 21st

[frozenfractalsallaround]

[It's a couple of days after she has that extremely unsettling nightmare about Ford's father that she actually contacts him.

She's been meaning to a bit sooner, but after sort of connecting the pieces, it's had Elsa thinking about her own father, about the conversation she and Ford had had previously. Agnarr is on her brain a lot, for better and worse, and unfortunately that causes... complications, with so many dream shenanigans going on.

It's the worst nightmare she's ever had. She's really shaken from it, to say the least. Nothing about it doesn't shake her down to her very core.

But when something bothers her, true to herself she tries to push it away. What's dealing with your feelings? And you know what? She can do that. She can hide them easier, not fearing a loss of control.

Better, she can focus on something else.]

Dr. Ford?

[Normally Elsa wouldn't video, but it's Ford and she's grown comfortable. The only thing that might stop her is seeing her own eye bags, which are... they are quite something. Someone's been trying to not sleep at all since the nightmares have been getting worse.]

How... are you feeling?

[Elsa isn't subtle, she has the tone that suggests she knows something's wrong, but she's trying to pretend that she doesn't and coax it out of him. Yeah, this is going to work splendidly.]

[meteorman]

[Oh boy, he wasn't expecting to have to look her in the face so soon after that... vision? Nightmare? Shared expedition into her psyche? The point is it was a lot and he isn't sure how to begin to address it, because he knows it's something that requires delicacy he just doesn't have.

At least she can probably tell at a glance that he's not doing so hot either. He's used to not sleeping for long stretches of time -- has trained himself for it -- and yet he still looks more haggard than usual. The times he has given in to sleep it's been nothing but nightmares all the way down, and most of them have been new to him.]

Like I got hit by a truck, which is about how you look. What's wrong?

[Mm. Subtle.]

Dream; October 21st

[charcoalfeather]

Ford finds himself in a forest, walking along a trail that's dark and cold and twisted. It's not one he's familiar with, but something still wills him forward, slowly through the path.

Inside the forest it seems like all light is being sucked away by the darkness on both sides. The trees bend overhead, stretching like spindly hands, knotholes staring at the lost person like eyes.

The further Ford goes, the tenser the forest seems to become. Actual faces become noticeable, watching him from behind the trees. Strange, masked faces with mouths covered by bandages that hide whenever Ford looks for them. "They wont help," a voice seems to say in the back of Ford's mind. "No one will."

Fortunately, maybe because of that thought, the forest path finally opens to a clearing. But when Ford steps out, all he'll find is an absolutely massive stone wall facing him, stretching in both directions for an inconceivable length. A voice calls out, like a whisper in the back of his mind.

"Rakka..."

That's the last thing he'll hear before he wakes up.

[Backdated to immediatly after the dream event]

[toothaches]

hey i hope this is the right id

im so sorry!!!!! i almost hit you like twice i had a lot of stuff going on when i was a kid i promise it wasnt personal

[meteorman]

[It takes Ford about a minute to process what this is about. All his memories of that forest are... weird, the way remembered dreams are. They're clearer than remembered dreams should be but still weird.

Okay but now... how do damage control. Ford's bad at that on a good day.]

Well. At least it was only almost?

[NAILED IT]

[bertall]

FORD QYESUTION

QUESTION.

it's about breeding

_{[BECAUSE THIS IS SO MUCH EASIER TO TALK ABOUT THAN ALL OF THAT WEIRD... DREAM STUFF, RIGHT??]}

[meteorman]

[YES ABSOLUTELY, WHAT DREAM STUFF]

Go ahead and ask; I should be able to answer.

[That's an overstatement, honestly. There's so much about breeding that even the natives of this world don't know. It's kind of frustrating, honestly.]

merr chrismas

[bertall]

<sub>[Holidays were something Bertolt was still getting a good grasp on - he didn't have much of a chance to celebrate any of them back home (both Marley and Paradis), and being here had left him overwhelmed with the number of holidays last year alone. This year wasn't nearly as bad but it still left him at a loss for a number of reasons, and Ford had been one of them; what sort of thing do you get for someone like him?

It had taken him the entire month to figure things out, but Bertolt felt confident in his choices.

Come morning, Ford will find a number of items stacked as neatly as possible near his bedroom door wrapped in plain brown paper with a familiar Arcanine paw print on each one.

The first one contains a gallon-sized popcorn tin containing some nice little treats with various colors. Some are red and green, blue and white, and others may as well have been dropped in a barrel of mixed sprinkles.

The second is a boxed set of some corny films from the PsyFy channel and some other B-rated 'horror' flicks, most notably the entirety of the Sharpedonado franchise, Carvanhaviper, Wailwolf, Galvantula, Zapdoz, Flydemic, Killer Mr. Mimes from Outer Space and others. Attached to them is a small note that simply reads "We should watch these together - B"

The third one is in a thinner, smaller box; The tag reads '-G' and inside of the case is a long, fluffy white feather fashioned into a quill and under that is a tooth fasted to a leather cord that could've only come from a Tyrantrum.

Four is thankfully something much easier to carry around. Do you know what nerds can never have enough of? Sweaters. Namely, a Ninetales sweater and a pair of knitted gloves to go with it - with six fingers. (He may have had to bribe one of the locals with sweets to get them made in time.)

The fifth and final box contains a number of assorted baked goods in various shapes ranging from gingerbread men to little stantler-shaped cookies and a smaller tin of fudge. Nestled inside with everything are two small jars of honey as well, marked with a little Cutiefly on each lid. It's all home-made, and it certainly gives a reason for Bertolt shooing everyone and their mothers out of the kitchen for three days in a row.]</sub>

[video] Backdated to Dec 14

[toothaches]

_{[Amidst all the merriment that has been filling Johto as of late, there comes a crackling through the airwaves. Ford's gear lights up with an incoming video message. When opened, he's greeted with a burst of sound.]}

WHAT IS THAT!


_{[The high octave might make Ford think the question is being asked from his fellow underpants warrior from the dream realm, but no. It is an adult man and he is filming from somewhere very high up, mysteirously so, in a simple hotel room. The camera is pointed down at a Grubbing inching along on the floor by some spilled Dodtritos.]}

[meteorman]

[Uh. Well okay, this sure is a thing that's happening now. Ford adjusts his glasses, taking in the picture he's being presented with a critical scientist's eye. After very close examination, he can pretty safely say:]

A Grubbin, I believe. Unless you mean the chips, in which case I'm unfamiliar with the brand.

Text

[frozenfractalsallaround]

I’m not sure how I feel about this.

[Elsa that is vague as heck.]

[meteorman]

[What. What did he do now. Oh no.]

Not sure how you feel about what?

text;

[bertall]

Ford, give me a list of things you're craving that I can bake. I'm|

really mad
and I have to do something
but my cookbooks are back in Blackthorn

[meteorman]

Do you know how to make hamantaschen

Failing that, brownies. Or pecan pie. Or baklava if you want a challenge.

hello 4 am my old friend

[hellablue]

[meteorman]

You joke but this keeps me up at night

T E X T

[gobblewonked]

OAY QNR Z EWVOZJ OE LFOEAYCI

[meteorman]

[Well, this is... unexpected. Ford has been giving Fiddleford distance, letting him work out whatever it is he has to work out, in no small part because he doesn't even know how to begin to help. It takes him a few tries to work out the key, but he knows Fiddleford well enough to know which words he should try, and he leaves the key the same in his response. If Fiddleford wants this to be private, for whatever reason, he can manage that.]

AL TUNG R UZXTBWWTDD JURXHZRF

[He is still Ford, unfortunately.]

[Text] at like 2 AM when good Elsas are asleep

[frozenfractalsallaround]

i



h av3

HAMS

does ford EVER sleep

[meteorman]

Are you alright?



Did you drink more Persim tea without me?

[That's Munchies Talk. Hams? Multiple? At two in the morning?]

text, backdated to V-day because oops I forgot to do this before

[bertall]

<sub>[He should be asking this in person or even over video but despite a newfound surge of bravery, Bertolt is still afraid of asking. The only one who knows how many times he's written, hovered over send, deleted, and rewrote this is his Machoke and Aggron, and even then that's a little...

Embarrassing?

Try as he might, there's nothing he can do about the way his gut twists into a knot every time he re-reads what he types, and it gets worse the instant he taps send.]</sub>

I've been doing some thinking since you talked to me about the whole|

family thing and I think I finally decided on something. Or... figured it out? I'm not sure what I'd call it but... For as long as I can remember, I've only had my dad as my immediate family and I haven't seen him since I was eleven. I've been thinking about him a lot lately and you're really the only person who knows who he really was, but that's... um. I never had a lot of adults I could look to and trust, basically. My dad was one, and I think I could even count Zeke at this point, but beyond them the list is really small.

I'm not sure if there's a proper way to go about this sort of thing or even ask, but I think if I don't do it now I'll never be able to.


if i could pick anyone to be in my family it'd be you. and if it's okay i'd|



can i call you my uncle?

[meteorman]

[Haha. Oh boy.

So the thing about this place is that it's almost a perfect universe to retire in, except for one glaring issue: it doesn't contain his family. Ford's been deeply, sickeningly homesick for them since Mabel and Dipper disappeared and it's never really gone away. So maybe that's why this message makes his throat tighten up as much as it does. He'll never stop missing the family he left behind in 46'\ but he can build a family here, can't he? There are people who want to be his family here and that in and of itself is a humbling concept.]

Of course you can. I would be honored. There's always room in the Pines clan for one more.

text | valentine's

[shiro2hero]

I have something to tell you.





This is Shiro. Because I've never texted you. Before.

[meteorman]

[Uh]

Yes, Shiro? What is it?

text hey loser

[guiltyeyes]

Dr. Pines, do you know why my Starmie messes with my radio and my TV?

He can turn it on and off by himself too.

I can't get him to stop.

[meteorman]

If I had to venture a guess I would assume it has something to do with the signals originating from his core. Does it clear up if he is in his ball?

[hellablue]

hey, dude.
where r u?
i've looked all over for u
munchies wants to chill w/ dank weed.

[And also she wants someone to smoke this dank blunt with, but Munchies is her cover story.]

[meteorman]

My apologies, Chloe, but I'm STILL ON PATROL.

By which I mean I'm over in Ecruteak for the evening.

text;

[shiro2hero]

Hey, Ford. It's Shiro. I'm up in Ecruteak to hit the gym.

You don't happen to be nearby, do you? Figured I could thank you in person for a lot of things lately.

[meteorman]

[Sweetie your name is literally displayed on your message just by virtue of it being sent by your gear this is adorable]

I'm down in Goldenrod, but all that means is a quick warp trip. I can meet you after your battle if you'd like?

[He kind of wants to see if he can get there in time to catch the tail end of it. Ford is one of those shitlords who likes to get an idea of a person by how they fight, among other things.]