voidtreckerexpress | A New Platform [Intro Post July]

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A New Platform [Intro Post July]

On the Train

Luckily for everyone the final couple of days of Fiddlesticks are quiet and mostly uneventful. Eventually though they awake to the announcement. "Good morning passengers, it is day one of the month of Grasshopper. Points have been updated on the system."

They have indeed and everyone can spend the morning shopping. Those who have been on the train a while will be expecting the second announcement that comes a few hours later.

"Shortly arriving into a designated void platform. Exit from void in ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two, one." A lurch and a jolt and they are soon surrounded by the fog that means they are at a platform. Also a loud pattering sound, which they will discover once the doors open are hailstones. They might want to grab their raincoats.

As usual the first to leave the train notice nothing as they walk silently, rucksacks on their backs, towards the barriers. Ann Takamaki, Drizzt, Geralt, Huehuecóyotl, Ignis Scientia, Ivy Wakefield, Jiang Yanli, Lan Sizhui, Maebhrin Tillinath, May Parker, Nie Huaisang, Osomatsu Matsuno, Raven, Roxas, Shaw, The Iron Bull, Ultimo, Wei Wuxian, Yuki Sohma, Yuffie, Yukito Tsukishiro

But on the platform itself there are many new faces. Wearing hoodies and waterproofs, in various states of confusion.

For New Passengers

At first all they can see is steam. Billowing around them as they come to their senses. The second thing they will notice is it is cold, hailstones rain down around them, though they don’t last long on the platform ground, melting into slush.

They are standing, in clothes that are not their own, styles they might not even recognise. They are carrying a rucksack on their back. For a moment it seems to just be them, alone in the white haze but then the steam begins to fade and they realise they aren’t alone.

The platform is not large and it holds nineteen figures all facing the tracks, all dressed in cargo trousers and hoodies. Both left and right the tracks disappear into the mist. Then there is a roaring sound and out of the fog arrives a train. Jet black with gold writing on the side. The Voidtrecker Express. There is a hiss as the doors slide open and out into the cold step a selection of people. Some are human, some are less so. Most are wearing the same hoodie in one of the four colours, red, orange, blue and purple though some are sporting different clothes in a variety of styles.

The Train

The doors hiss open. Those from the train may encourage those on the platform to board. It’s not like there is anywhere else to go and even if there was, you feel a pull. A need to board, a feeling that staying on the platform would not be a good thing. If that is not enough, there are plenty of people on the platform now, to encourage them onto the train.

Indeed whereas usually there is plenty time for people to be met and brought slowly onto the train, the whistles blow a lot quicker this time, as if hurrying the passengers along.

Each ICP shows the same message and next to the screens there are stacks of leaflets written by those on the train, with further information. The store rooms have been restocked, it seems carrots have taken over the bacon, though there are plenty of other staples.

Those from blue team who go to investigate will find a box of biscuits. There is enough for the whole team, including new passengers. Join in your team's success!

Those who are not new will quickly discover some changes made to make the train accessible to those who can’t see, including Braille translations of all the signs around the train.

There is of course the new music room to explore. A double carriage, the downstairs has instruments to learn and practice with, as well as a series of music screen points. Those who play around with the screens will soon discover their SCA’s can now store music and can choose their favourites to listen to around the train.

Upstairs is a performance area and holds a piano.

New passengers will find their tickets allow them into their cabins. They may need to negotiate for beds, especially if they want a top bunk!

Room is tight but there are storage cubbies at the head of each bed, beds fold up and the bottom bunks double as benches for the small table. There is storage under those benches and you will hopefully find a pillow for your bed if it has not been nabbed by a roommate, there are also spare blankets for if it gets cold.

Departure

A second horn sounds over the noise of the hail stones to encourage any stragglers and the doors slide shut. Veteran passengers know what will happen next, they may wish to brief their new companions.

The train sets off, the fog obscuring the view as it picks up speed.

"Welcome aboard, passengers of the Voidtrecker Express." A female-coded artificial sounding voice echoes throughout the train. "Please take the time to read the passenger information displayed on the Information and Communication points and familiarise yourself with the layout and emergency exits."

The train begins to tilt, leaving the ground and rising up into the fog filled sky.

"Entrance into Voidspace imminent. New passengers are advised to remain seated. Entry into Voidspace in ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two, one."

A shudder, a jolt, a lurch to the left. A flash of light, colourful and blinding. As quick as it happens it is done. The train seems to steady. The fog from the windows is gone now, replaced with a kaleidoscope of ever changing colours.

Welcome to the Void!

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

He looks, for a minute, like he wants to test that theory. He's had some bad headaches! Katsuya takes the time to look over Princess for a moment, scratching his head. "Nyh? There's no stones, jus' growth far 's I know. Same deal on Alola so..." He pauses. "...Oi, 's it differen' wherever you're from then? I've never seen a pokemon like yours, so..."

He looks up to Eva, and then back to Princess. "...Kaiba said y' had a...Cl'fairy?"

"I think so? Ponyta tend to grow into gyaropp over time or with training unless an everstone collar's attached. I've only ever heard evolve used in the context of the stones..." She says after a blink or two before focusing on the odder parts of what was said.

"I'm from Arkea, like you are, I assume? And..." Brown eyes narrow in concentration as she attempts to repeat the word used. "Cl'fairy?"

It ends up a completely mangled. Sorry man, she can barely say 'klefari' without mangling that.

"Er...Gyaropp? Tha' like a Rapidash?" he asks, blinking rapidly. Maybe it's some kind of dialect deal. Something like that.

"Yeah, Cl'fairy! The uh...man, I dunno what it looks like, I was jus' told y' had one. And I've...never heard of...Arkea," Katsuya adds, starting to feel farther and farther from his depth. "T' be fair though, probably wouldn've heard about where I'm from, given everythin'...I'm from Japan- Domino, Tokyo," he explains. "But I wound up in Galar, an' from there stayed in Alola. Got my cool tan there!" the blond adds with a grin.

"Rapidahshu?" Almost, Eva! Almost. But again, it and 'Cl'fairy' aren't words she's heard of, though it could also be his accent confusing her, which has happened, and after another half-second pause, Eva offers him an apologetic smile before she digs out her pokedex and pulls up the (holographic) list of all official pokemon.

Sorry, Jou. Only cartoon sprites and ~~Japanese romaji~~ Yamatan names here.

"You're going to have to point them out for me," she says as she offers the 'dex over.

She will come back to everything else in a second or two when it sinks into her skull.

The true curse of falling into a world of automatic English is the language barrier that should never have been.

His accent is Definitely making it worse. "Eh...maybe th' one I was talkin' t' heard y' wrong. They said y' had a 'cl'fairy', and I've only ever heard of 'm so...I ain't gonna know it by sight 'f it's in there." There's an equally apologetic shrug, and he blinks as something occurs to him.

"Hoh... ...wonder if I could get m' rotom-dex back though..." Though he's not sure he wants the rotom part on this train...they were pretty excitable and had a nasty habit of floating away from his person when he needed them most. Katsuya peers over at the screen, blinking for a minute. "Mnnnh...oh- hey!"

He points- specifically at the entry for Kanto's own fire horse. "Tha's it. Or well, th' Kantonian one anyway. Kaseri's sort are unique t' Galar," he explains. "Neither of 'm were native t' Alola- probably b'cause of th' Mudbray- but a few of 'm wound up having t' be looked after on th' Akala farms after comin' out one of th' wormholes we were dealin' w'th."

"Once you get enough points, you probably could," she says off handed and more interested on the pokemon he's pointed out.

"So, gyaropp are rapidahshu in your world?" Said with all the concentration of someone who is thoroughly committing that to memory. "Can you point out the cl'feiri?"

At least it's a little closer this time? still managed though.

"Guess so. ...I dunno tha' I can do th' same for cl'fairy though- like I said, never seen one...so bein' able t' figure out which is which is gonna be pr'tty hard..."

Eva huffs, a little annoyed, but well- it really can't be helped and it's not his fault he's never- "You... You never saw one, not even on TV?"

Say what? That's just. Odd. Every TV series she knows of always has to feature clefairy, pikachu, and eevee at some point in the run.

"Uhhh...Nah? I mean not tha' I watched a lot 'f it, mos'ly I was helpin on th' farm an' such but...most 'f what y'd see on the TV would be like...Pikachu, Eevee...." Well that's two for three, but then what-

"Vulpix...oh especially tha' one act'lly, they're all white 'n snowy lookin' y'know? Anyway 's like I said righ'? Cl'fairy ain' native t' Alola, makes sense I wouldn' see it on TV righ'?"

"Eevee... Ievui?" She's more sounding the name out, because it's awfully close to what she knows the species as -"Ībui! I know that one!"

Eva looks inordinately pleased she knows that name- and not just because she puzzled it out. Pikachu doesn't even need it because it's one of the few species names that's remained the same across Arkea for some unknown reason. But then he names another and the pleased look fades into a puzzled frown.

"Vurpik'su... Can you show me?" There's a lot of white pokemon in the world and she'd rather not assume what he means. "-and I can't really say without at least a visual of the species you mean, so all I say is you're probably right on the egg there."

"....Uhhhhh...." He squints- partly because he swears she just said the same word three times. ~~The astounding drawbacks of technically hearing Japanese to begin with, and Eevee sounding A Lot Like That~~

But whatever. "Well, I can try- th' Alolan variety's differen' from th' Kanto one, so I'm willin' t' bet whatever's on your 'dex is gonna be differen'....but I heard at leas' tha' they look pr'tty similar so..."

He peers over the screen, ready to point.

He should be able to spot it, given Eva's flicked to the Alolan section of her dex. The drawback is that all the names are still in her native language: Yamatan.

But at least there's the cartoon sprites, and when he does point it out, Eva's eyes light up. "Rokon! Or, vurpik'su in your language." There's a sage nod as she commits it to memory. "I've seen them around Mount Lanakila, and battled them and kyūkon a few times at the 'Tree."

"Ro...kon..." ....

Wait isn't that six tails that's six tails isn't it he's sure-

"Hnnn...startin' t' wonder 'f it's less 'my language' an' more th' 'Alolan language'..." he mutters to himself with a squint. "That'd be where these guys are though, yeah. All chilly up there."

"It's... possible," Eva says slowly with a small, confused frown. "Though I can't say I've ever heard anyone call it vurpik'su in Alolan."

Because English plain doesn't exsist in her world, but Eva's not giving him time to comment on that. She continues with a wry grin and shake of her head. "Either way, it's a probably a difference in worlds and languages- we lost the translation dealio for a day or so before, so- and I'm more interested in your ponyta and if it's old enough to battle."

There's a dubious look on both her and Princess's face.

"Errr...old 'nough?" What. He raises a brow, looking to Kaseri in question. "I mean we've done plen'y 'f battles back in Alola, an' she probably wasn' jus' sittin' around in th' Glimwood Tangle in Galar f'r tha' matter..."

...

"Gonna be real here, tha's th' firs' time I've ever heard someone ask 'f a pokemon was old 'nough though. They uh...hones'ly I've seen some come out th' eggs fightin', I'm thinkin' tha's another one for th' world differences there..."

You know what, there's an awful lot of information there that Eva is both very confused by and rather edger to dig her teeth into.

Yet that can be for a later thread or we'll never end this.

"Ok... Well, if you think she's old enough, would you be up for a battle? I'd stick her against Dancer - Princess," a nod to the Clefairy, "is rather high levelled. Dancer's about average."

Try Lv 80 clefairy...

"Ehhhh...well, things are already differen' enough so..." He scratches his head. "I'll trust yer judgement on it, alrigh'?" Dancer it is.

Eva grins. "Thanks. Say... two days from now?"

That should give him enough time to get settled on the train.

"Sounds like a plan t' me! See y' then, I'll get a head start on th' settlin' in part," he grins, nodding to his ponyta.

With that, he'll be heading off toward his carriage.

"Sure. See you then!"

[And she's gonna continue her rounds and then go make an ICP post.]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

A New Platform [Intro Post July]

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late :(

it's fineeeee

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thank u alola for being....alola...

Re: thank u alola for being....alola...

stares at japanese pronounciation patterns,

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Want to wrap this for points?

yeeee

Wrap!