001 [ video ; action ]

[imthe_shit]

[ The video feed clicks on, showing the waters by New Bark Town, as well as the ferry nearby. There's some smoke coming from off-screen, and the camera slowly moves to look at the cause of it.

There's a Torkoal sitting by the water's edge, looking grumpily up at the video feed before cocking its head and snorting. The feed clicks off.


A few moments later it returns, this time facing a man... A very old man. He's sporting a beaten up looking bandanna, a gray mustache and a large, poorly made bandage covering the left side of his face. He stares into the video, the corners of his mouth turned ever so slightly into a frown, his eyes carrying deep pain within them, but his gaze is firm. Snake was back. ]

Kept you waiting, huh?

[ His voice his gravely, and he ventures a bitter smile, before coughing harshly, dropping the Poke Gear momentarily. He picks it up again, clearing his throat, though the video goes back to staring out over the lake. ]

Looks like this place isn't done with me yet... Wonder just how much has changed... [ He snorts. ] There's no way in hell my old team is still here, is there? [ The Torkoal makes a hissing sound and Snake gives a short laugh. ] Don't worry, Boss. I'm not replacing you... [ He begins coughing again, this time more harshly, and the feed cuts out. ]



[ Snake is knelt on the ground by the water, coughing harshly and leaning on Boss, his Torkoal, for support. He looks to be in a pretty bad way, and that bandage is somewhat hanging off his face, revealing the horribly burnt flesh underneath for anyone close enough to see it.

He's dressed in what looks like some sort of sneaking suit... It's muscular, and maybe a bit out of place, as well as burnt in several places and pretty beat up looking. What the hell happened to him since the last time he was here? ]

Comments

[video]

[paladinlost]

Welcome back.

[Not that Cecil really remembers him, but still.]

If you remember when you were last here, I could tell you what's happened since then. The last few months were very busy, to say the least.

[video]

[imthe_shit]

[ Having gotten his coughing under control, Snake turns the feed back on. ]

Well... I think I was in Olivine City. There'd been a big storm... Can't remember the details too well, but it was pretty bad.

[video]

[paladinlost]

[A big storm. There's been a lot of those, but he can try.]

Were we asked to dig trenches at the time? And were people brought to the city by one of the Jennies?

[In that insane death trap, he would say, but he actually enjoyed the ride.]

[video]

[imthe_shit]

[ Shakes his head, trying to clear his thoughts. It's hard... Mostly because of the stuff that happened to him in his own timeline is making it difficult to think back to stuff from this peaceful place. ]

Hnn... I'm not sure. Maybe. I think you might be right about that.

[video]

[paladinlost]

...That was almost two and a half years ago. You've missed a whole region, multiple attacks by Team Rocket, and even the almost end of the world.

[Amonsgt many other things.]

[video]

[imthe_shit]

[ That catches him off guard, so much so that he starts coughing harshly. ]

T-two and a half.. years...!?

[video]

[paladinlost]

[He nods, though that cough also makes him frown.]

Yes. Quite a few people who were present in this world at that time still remain, but that number becomes smaller with every month that passes.

[video]

[enjoymyatelier]

...kept who waiting, exactly?

[someone always has to be a smartass.]

[video]

[imthe_shit]

... Hnn... No one.

[ There was probably no one here that would have gotten that anyway. ]

[video]

[enjoymyatelier]

Well, you did say you'd been here before... but it doesn't really matter that much, I suppose.

[...though, looking at this guy, he kind of has to wonder...]

How log were you here the last time, anyway?

[video]

[imthe_shit]

... Hn... [ Thinks. ] Probably about a year... I think. A lot happened during that time, but it's kind of fuzzy now.

[video]

[enjoymyatelier]

I can imagine. If there's one good thing you can say about this place, it's that it isn't boring.

What sorts of things happened, anyway? I've been here over a year and I've certainly seen quite a bit, but I'm not sure about things that went on beforehand outside of the things that tended to happen in October.

[video]

[imthe_shit]

I just told you it's fuzzy. [ Sighs. ] I remember a lot of hiking, a lot of battling, and not to mention a storm that practically flooded Olivine.

[ Shakes his head as if trying to clear it. ] And my Pokemon... I remember some of them evolving. But I don't have them anymore. [ Looks down at his Torkoal. ] Starting from scratch. You're better off asking people who've been here before me, if they're still here.

[Video]

[foolishwren]

<sub>[Did you say 'old team'?]

[... Well.]

[ONE member, in any case.]

[Although it's Heather's 'Gear, frequently enough she's not actually the one using it-- that's the trouble when you have a bunch of Pokemon with HANDS.]

[But in any case, someone is browsing, and then Snake's post came up. And that's all Sunny needs.]

[The video comes on and the screen is FILLED WITH WHITE. Like literally it's just a mass of white with two beady black eyes in the middle. And a beak/mouth. Somewhere.]

[It's making twittering sounds of concern.]</sub>

[Video] (I'D BE CRYING IF I WEREN'T AT WORK)

[imthe_shit]

[ The video itself flicks back on, but it's face down in the grass, coughing still being heard. Slowly, the retching coughs subside and Snake is able to hear the twittering... That familiar sound. ]

S... Sunny...? [ He picks up the Poke Gear with a shaking hand and looks at the mass of white and those eyes... ] Sunny...?

[Video] (CRY AT WORK LIKE A BOSS)

[foolishwren]

<sub>[SNAKE? SNAAAAAAAAAKE!]

[The answering twitter should confirm it for him-- it's definitely his Togekiss. And look-- the ID on the incoming message is Heather's name!]

[But there's no Heather for the moment-- just one very sad and alarmed marshmallow owl. She remembers her old trainer-- but she doesn't remember that horrible burn on the side of his face...]</sub>

[Video] ;O;

[imthe_shit]

[ Snake stares at the information he's receiving and can barely believe his eyes. His memories were in a state of flux, since it really should have only been a few hours since he left, but it felt like so much more than that. Not to mention the apparent three years he'd been gone. The bandage hangs a bit loosely from his face and he gives a bit of a smile at his old partner. ]

H-hey, Sunny... [ Coughs. ] You're looking well... [ Adjusts the bandage on his face so that it sticks better, but he winces from just touching it. ] Keeping Heather in line, right?

[Video]

[foolishwren]

<sub>[She utters a low trill, tapping the screen with her beak a few times.]

[The truth is that Heather is borderline impossible to keep in line, but she's been doing her best. :c]

[Then, from somewhere behind her, there's the sound of a door closing.]</sub>

Where's-- dammit. Has anyone seen my 'Gear?

[Video]

[imthe_shit]

[ He can hear her... And he suddenly feels a bit self-conscious of the bandage on his face, quickly switching the feed to Voice rather than video. He didn't want her to worry about him. ]

Sunny... Give her the Gear.

[Video]

[quickattackjack]

<sub>[Is that...]

[!!!]</sub>

Snake! Is that you under there? Are you hurt?

_{[Was he near a pokemon center? The pumpkin king is glad to see such an old friend but that bandage was very worrying!]}

[Video]

[imthe_shit]

[ Snake recognizes that voice and picks up his gear again. ]

Yeah... Jack, that's you, isn't it? [ Coughs harshly. ]

[Video]

[quickattackjack]

It is! Are you alright, Snake?

[Video]

[imthe_shit]

... Not really...

[ Breathes deeply, trying to get himself under control. ] But it's not the first time I've been through hell and back... I've still got a job to do, so I can't give in.

[Video]

[quickattackjack]

_{[The ex-skeleton lets out a loud huff.]}

Get yourself to a pokemon center this instant!

[Video]

[imthe_shit]

What do I [ cough ] look like a [ cough ] Pokemon?!