DAY 51 - [Action] | Some...route! 4th Wall!

[babel_hacker]

[It’s very, very cold.

Well, why wouldn’t it be? This route is practically covered in snow. Wait, where did the snow come from? The weather is just foggy, not snowing.]

Hee hoooo!

[But before anyone can ponder it for too long, snowballs are flying! It’s a snowball fight! And these strange snowmen are throwing them! (Which may be somewhat familiar looking to some people…)

Not that far from them, Atsuro can be seen playing, er, competing in the snowball fight with the Jack Frosts and hiding behind a tree. If he notices someone, he would call out to them before he throw a newly made snowball at his opponents.]

Hey! Get out of there, unless you want to get hit!

[Why is he playing along? Why not? At least the Jack Frosts aren't actively trying to kill people, and he can keep an eye on them.]

Comments

[crouching_sin]

[The first thing he notices is that it's cold. The second thing he notices is a snowball flung directly at his face at high speed. He slowly turns to look and see where it's from and -]

... Hmph.

[Why did Atsuro throw a snowball at him? Why is there a green and purple mass of spirits connected to a rock next to him? What is going on?]

[kafkaesk]

[The warning came a second too late for the new arrival. He turned to dodge the first snowball he saw coming his way but - he forgot to take into account the snow already on the ground.

He turned way too fast, slipped, and fell flat on his back into a medium sized snow mound. -- O-Ow . . . there was rock under all that snow, why . . . and it did not miss his head . . . I-It's okay! It doesn't hurt that much!

Like a true sport, he makes a valiant attempt to shake it off. College student-boy attempts to sit up but he has to duck back down. The snowball fight was still in full force! Why is this happening where is he why is it snowing]

[hopeslastreward]

[Since when has Route 36 been so... cold?]

[Komaeda is involuntarily shivering as he walks out into the route, Tauros in tow. He looks surprised when Atsuro calls to him; seems he recognizes the boy from the conversation they had when Komaeda first arrived. Pokémon and Trainer push through the snow and fog to Atsuro's tree.]

What's happened here?

[babel_hacker]

[There's a lot of things he doesn't really expect. If only because the world keeps on surprising him or he's just accepted that he probably won't see someone from his world again. After all, everyone else arrived and left, and Atsuro himself is still here. It just made him...feel almost like he gives up?

So he pause and looks around the tree he's hiding to see a familiar figure. That haori is unmistakable, in case it's just someone else with the same voice--]

Naoya?

[Atsuro stares in surprise--honest to goodness surprise--before he snaps out of it.]

Naoya, get out of there! You're in the middle of a snowball fight!

[An older looking Atsuro is calling out to Naoya.]

[crouching_sin]

[That would explain the cold. Naoya darts out of the way, the Spiritomb floating along behind him.]

[He gathers up some snow and lobs it at Atsuro. Payback. :|]

[babel_hacker]

[Oh man, too late. The poor guy got hurt and the snowballs are still flying. The "HEE HO" being shouted by the Jack Frosts, too.]

Are you alright!?

[...Only to get himself hit by a snowball on the head. Ooph!]

[babel_hacker]

[Atsuro doesn't have any of his Pokemon out. Just him and the Jack Frosts. And whoever is around, too. He glances over at Komaeda once he and the Tauros is close enough.

Watch out for the flying snowballs.]

It looks like a lot of Jack Frosts showed up and decided to have a snowball fight. I'm here to make sure they don't go off and kill anyone.

[They might be playful, but Atsuro haven't forgotten how cruel demons can be.]

[babel_hacker]

[Atsuro glances over at the Spiritomb until the snow hits him. He blinks and looks back at Naoya.]

What's that for--Was that my snowball hitting you earlier?

[crouching_sin]

What do you think?

[Yep.]

[babel_hacker]

S-Sorry! It's an accident! I wasn't expecting you to just show up and--sorry!

[He always imagine how things might turn out, if his friends or teacher return to this world and he can get to talk to them. But for all of his practices and imagined conversations, they flies out the window right now.]

[crouching_sin]

It's fine.

[He makes his way over towards Atsuro. He still has no idea what the thing floating behind him is.]

[babel_hacker]

[Once Naoya's closer, he may notice that Atsuro is noticeably older and taller than before. A twenty one year old man wouldn't exactly look the same as his former seventeen year old self.]

Did you just arrive? And do you... ["remember this place?" But he changes his mind and direct the question in another way.] ...do you know what's going in?

[Should Atsuro prepare himself for Naoya to leave, or is his teacher going to stay?]

[crouching_sin]

[... Wow. He really... is much older. Naoya blinks in surprise.]

I did just show up, yes. And no, I don't know what's going on.

[kafkaesk]

I- oomph!

[-- gee, that sure was a snowball to the face. He ducks further down this time. Maybe if he stays out of sight... He does raise one arm.]

I-I'm okay! [Really! He is okay! His face is red and maybe he has a concussion, but he is totally okay!]

[babel_hacker]

[Being stuck in the same world for a few years as a growing teenager? Yeah, growing up happens.]

Oh, I see. [He sounds a little disappointed. That means Naoya wouldn't know about that Shedinja incident...] Well! I guess that means you're either here to get stuck in this world or...probably go home after this weirdness is over.

[His cheery tone sounds almost forced, faked. Because he doesn't really want to put up his hopes again, just for them to get dashed.

The last few times this happened, most of the people who show up went away. Even thought his recollection almost made it feel like a dream, but Atsuro could've sworn they're real.]

[crouching_sin]

... I see. So where... is this?

[He has a feeling he knows, but he's not sure if he really wants to say.]

[babel_hacker]

[Urgh, that snowball kinda hurts? At least his hat stays on. He shakes his head, letting the snow falls off him and hides behind his tree.]

Try heading for the trees!

[babel_hacker]

[He brightens up at that question. That? Easy for him to answer and it's totally awesome.]

The world of Pokemon! You remember those games? Here, they're real! And there's another region called Johto with new Pokemon, and we're still finding and discovering new species!

It's like we're in the games, but it's real and bigger!

[crouching_sin]

I remember you and Kazuya playing them.

[Urgh. Kazuya. The name leaves a bad taste in his mouth briefly.]

Interesting. A dimension connected to our own? But no... hm.

[kafkaesk]

[Trees? Right, ducking for cover and all that. He manages to dodge a few more before getting to the safety of a tree of his own. Give him a second to catch his breath.... whew . . . ]

What are those things? [He means the living snowmen. Last he checked, snowmen weren't sentient.]

[babel_hacker]

[Kazuya's name makes his smile falters a little, before it's back to smiling again.]

Yep, those games! It's possible this world is connected to ours, along with many other worlds. So many people from different worlds end up in this place.

[crouching_sin]

[He saw that. Hm...]

Interesting. I'd ask how, but... I imagine you don't have an answer.

[babel_hacker]

[Yeah, the trees makes for some good covers. Against normal snowballs, anyway.]

Those things? They're Jack Frosts, snow fairies and demons!

Hee hoooooo!

[babel_hacker]

You're right about that. I've been here for...over three years and I haven't find a lead or clue towards an answer.

[Even though he's going along with being a trainer, Atsuro have his friends and connections to stay updated on.]

[crouching_sin]

That's frustrating. And I can't imagine you being idle.