I'M GONNA BE THE VERY BEST, LIKE NO! ONE! EVER! WAS!

[voidy]

[ no matter where you're from in the pokeworld, eventually you go on a journey. it's kind of a typical life thing. the age varies - ten is typical, but it's not completely unheard of to be a little older - and sometimes so do the details of the journey, but it is accepted and common that you go. the world is a dangerous place but kids are regularly expected to be able to handle it.

roxy lalonde is from lumiose city in kalos. so is dirk strider, her cousin-brother-best friend to some degree. she's known him since she was a kid, because her mom and dave strider are maybe related (she's not sure, they look it, but - ) or maybe just best friends but effectively have kept close enough that dirk was always there in roxy's life to bother, be it about codes or pokemon or random gossip. it was a Foregone Conclusion that they would obviously leave on their journey together whenever it happened, which is, of course, Now.

typically they could travel the kalos region and do badges there. failing that they could skip to kanto or johto or hoenn or a million and one other places. before turning thirteen they'd spent some pretty intense summer planning sessions about where they'd go and how and kalos, while the Home Region, was kind of not the best place for a coming-of-age journey. they'd seen a lot of the place by the time they were older tagging along with their guardians, and also? their guardians were kind of Huge Gym Leaders in kalos and while that was super cool it was a lot to live up to and it sounded even more cool to get a chance to make a splash, like, somewhere else.

kanto was a top runner because PROFESSOR FUCKING OAK and even more importantly the original developer of the pokemon storage system? but, like. dirk wasn't a huge fan of the league setup and they had their entire teen years to dick around from region to region, so after debating it they eventually settled on alola as their pokemon debut. which was exactly how roxy put it, always. alola does have the downside of No Pokemon Fashion Shows (lame) but roxy has secured their 2nd region as hoenn where contests are huge, so she's chill with an island vacay for their first thing.

with tickets on the boat paid for by their guardians who were Themselves and gave strict instructions to not, like, die. and also to phone home a lot? roxy is bouncing in place at the railing of the ship as the first island comes into view, her skitty hopping up and down like her after a second before roxy grabs dirk's arm to...make him join her in the hopping. or just to have his arm jostle up and down, as you do. ]

We're nearly theeeeeeeere! Holy shit where are we gonna go first? I know, I know what order we're hittin' towns in but there are stores Dirk, I see them from here. Stores with CLOTHES. And cool TMs. And maybe some cool HMs? I hear those work different in this region than other ones - ooooh, and we have to try the malasadas. But before or after the shopping?? These are the real hard-hitting decisions of our very own Pokedventure, bromodachi, we have to make the absolute right choice here!

[ technically they should maybe go meet the island professor rose hooked them up with like introductions to but. BUT. shopping and snacks and being on their own for real for the first time in thirteen years? bounce around a little dirk you killjoy, because roxy has definitely not stopped that. ]

Comments

[splinten]

[Dirk is not hopping. He will not participate in hopping. Roxy you are jostling his arm.

Dirk doesn't stop her, though. His Rotom hovers nearby, seeming amused by it all. Dirk mentally gives a Goddammit, AR, but sadly his possessed computer sunglasses can't read his thoughts. Wait no, that's probably a good thing.]

Cool it, brosis, you are going to break my goddamned arm. [Why is he still not fighting her then.] We should talk to the Professor your Mom mentioned to us. We can offer to treat him to malasada as thanks.

[Dirk's Bro can be easy with the curse words, but he is oddly conscious of a certain kind of graciousness in social interaction. Answering kindness with food or gifts has been covered in Dirk's social education. This is also why he has presents for the professor packed away, to be offered on their meeting.]

[voidy]

[ the jumping continues to happen! ]

C'mon, Di-Stri, just ooooone little hop! [ a bounce. she will even take a gentle rise to tip toe and drop back to flat feet. this is not remotely addressing anything he just said except the breaking his arm part, but. ] I guesssssss we can go see the Professor first! From what I hear, though, his wife is the one we're really gonna want to talk to sometime! Well, aside from the cool new 'dex I heard they got.

[ roxy's current priorities: making dirk bounce, cute pokemon, and cool pokemon tech and science. in...some order. there was at least not a super real chance she would ditch the meeting her mom set up: roxy loves meeting new people, and she hates letting her mom down in any way. getting distracted on the way there was maybe an option, though. ]

Not that we're not gonna want to talk to Professor Kukui, because he seemed really nice from what I overheard of his convos with Mom?

[splinten]

We can ask after his wife when we meet him. Both of them sounded pretty interesting.

[Dirk looks at her.

He raises up on his tip-toes. He descends to flat feet. Hoppity.]

[voidy]

Interesting? D, she literally investigates wormholes! C'mon, that deserves a way better adjective than interesting. It's like - holy shit the Professor who investigated Pokemon Dreamlandia, you know? It's just mad science. When we're done having our journey stuff I am totally gonna snag a Professor title and study something that sounds completely bullshit and amazing just like them?

[ also. that bounce passed muster so she stops trying to break his arm but doesn't stop looking Entirely Enthused beside...dirk. who presumably looks less so, by virtue of being dirk. ]

But don't worry, I won't forget you when I get super science famous.

[splinten]

[He can't help being a monotone. I mean he could help some but why would he when Roxy clearly expresses all the enthusiasm that he actually feels but just not like that.]

When you discover a digital reality inside our computers complete with anthropomorphic bits and bytes, name somethin' after me.

[voidy]

D'you really want me to name something after you, or do you want me to name something a very stupid reference in honor of you? You have, like, at least a year or two to decide. I am not retiring from our super awesome adventure until I've seen every region?

[ because? that would be lame???? gotta see all the regions??? why would you only do one region. granted, most people only do one or two regions max, but rose hadn't seemed particularly disapproving of the idea and it wasn't like she and dave had followed the rules either when they were kids (roxy has Heard Stories) so. ]

[splinten]

No time required. I want a stupid obscure reference only you and me will get, Ro-Lal.

[Because that's hilarious and exactly fits his sense of humour. He leans against the rail, finally, and never once protests that they're going to do Every Region. He may not be the emotive party that his best friend/kinda-sibling is, but he is equally eager to be ambitious in their travelling, and there's no way he's letting her solo this.]

[voidy]

Aw, shit, you upped the sappy ante. Why d'you always gotta do that? You know I'm gonna have to one-up you. Lalondes can't be out-done with sentimentality, Mom would be shamed.

[ she's only halfway kidding. eventually she will do something Even Sappier and then the volleyball of feelings will be in his court or...something.

sports. ]

Sooooooo, Professor, malasadas, shopping! Yes, very yes, super yes?

[ there is a lack of non-yes options in this list. ]

[splinten]

[That's maybe why Dirk goes off the list. He is not scared of Roxy's sappy oneupmanship efforts.]

Without any doubt.

[why is he like this]

[voidy]

[ like, his off-listing gets a laugh and then she is distracted by...THE SHIP COMING TO SHORE! YES! time to disembark, bro. ]

Okayyyyy I think the Professor's abode is thataway! Ready for some random battles?!

[splinten]

Young Lass & Ladd team battles? [That may not be their titles but it's hilarious as a title to him and therefore he is going to joke about it with Roxy. Also he likes team battles with Roxy.]

[voidy]

If you wanna demote us from ace trainers, sure. Although I do rock the Young Lass style. I could get pigtails!

[ do they even have titles. ]

[splinten]

[Pains-in-the-Neck Dirk and Roxy want to battle]

No detours to the hair places until we meet the Professor.

[voidy]

[ ............that's accurate tho. ]

Are you even gonna agree to go into one of those? You're so stingy about hairstyles.

[splinten]

I'll watch you get yours done. I'm an awesome friend like that.

[voidy]

Only if you make up gossip to talk about me with as I do!

[ she will head to the disembarking area plank thing btw. keep up, strider. ]

[splinten]

[He will, and let Roxy take the lead. Because he loves her.

deadpan:]

You will not believe what Andre did today. Oh my God.

[voidy]

[ !!! her made up gossip starts immediately while they go to the professor's? score! ]

Andre D. or Andre W.?? Specifics, Dirky!

[splinten]

[Dirk is too loving to Roxy and, especially at 13, way too willing to give her whatever he can.]

Andre D with Andre W. It was some pretty dramatic shit. I heard Andre W started crying.

[voidy]

What'd he do??? Was it the romances, or did he beat his ass in a pokebattle?? Or was there a Dramatic!! Family reveal?

[ this...sounds like a soap opera. don't ask dirk to write you a soap opera? ]

[splinten]

You know how they dated the same person? It turns out that Andre D and Andre W are in fact both the Andres H. They're twins. And Andre H Sr is demanding both of his illegitimate children come back to the family to run his business.

[voidy]

Oh em gees, so the Andre who did a thing was Andre H Sr?????

[ DAMN SON this is next-level fake gossip ]

He better watch out for Natasha W.

[splinten]

Natasha W has already bought the lye and the hacksaw. With the help of Andre D.

[voidy]

True friendship right there! Diiiiiiirk, would you help me murder a dude if I asked ya?

[ she would never ask him. but she will totally ask him about the hypothetical soap opera scenario? ]

[splinten]

I would help you murder anyone, no questions asked.

[k but he was way too ready to answer the affirmative]

[voidy]

[ maybe dial it down a few notches there, bro ]

I'll keep it in mind if I ever get the murder itch! Although - well, I was gonna say our guardians would hella not approve, but I'm not sure Mom would really mind if I murdered someone?

[splinten]

I figure my Bro wouldn't exactly approve, but he'd help me hide the body. [Roxy's Mom, though.] I'd go to your mom for advice.

i'm sorry THIS IS THE LAST TAG IN MY INBOX and i want to be Clean

[voidy]

Tbh I'm not entirely sure she hasn't killed some dudes before?????

[splinten]

Yeah, but they definitely deserved it.

[Dirk may have a looser definition of 'deserved it' than normal but he is sure Rose was right and the death was necessary for the good of all.]

[voidy]

I think we're maaaaybe a little biased there, broski, but I definitely agree??? You're totally asking for murdertimes if you go against mom.

[ #a lot biased ]

[splinten]

We aren't biased, Roxy. We just have all the facts. The primary fact is that your Mom's judgement is sound.

[this may not be a Fact the way Dirk insists it is but look, she hasn't gone Grimdark, why would he think that]

[voidy]

Right! I mean, you and I def think that, but also, I am perfectly capable of realizing that maaaaybe there are people who would disagree with that? Like, fuck those people in particular but it's still kinda funny to think about!

[ she skips further ahead, going absent-mindedly towards where she thinks the professor's place is rather than maybe where it actually is. oops. ]

[splinten]

[Dirk gently takes Roxy's arm and redirects her to the direction where the house Actually is.]

Hm, no, doesn't sound plausible. I think you must be discussing people who just don't exist.

[voidy]

[ she promptly links their arms together with a grin and lets him lead the way. ]

No, they still def exist, until you like, decide to do away with them. And by "you" I mean you and mom, btw.

[splinten]

You'd help if we asked. [He is sure they could rope both Roxy and his Bro into a coverup and it would be hilarious.]