Big Bee
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Bandana Guy
Round 2
Posts: 685
Trainer Class: 
Player Name: Bryan Nautilus
OOC Username: Ladybug
Arena Points: 49
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Post by Big Bee on Dec 27, 2021 10:32:02 GMT 9
Big Bee existed the lab, box in hand, and opened up his minimap. It showed a street-view of the Professor's lab, complete with a chibified version of his avatar, holding a miniature minimap which in turn showed a tiny version of the city, and a third, miniscule-
He looked away, squeezing his eyes shut. "In real time? We're going to get some complaints about that." He looked back at the minimap, quickly zooming out to street level before he could get sucked into the cascading maps, and then zooming further out to block, and then suburb level. At each stage the graphic smoothly transitioned into a more simplified layout, the individual people and detail fading away as landmarks and natural features popped into view.
Stores, parks, other places of interest and, across the bridge into the bad side of town, an oval-shaped stadium with a blinking red light in its center. "That's our destination," Big Bee said to to Taka. The Squirtle shifted on his shoulder, wet tail slapping his back. Big Bee tapped on the oval and the map zoomed in, displaying the name of the place. "Central Beta Arena", he said to himself. "Sounds like a place worth checking out! Ready Taka?"
The Squirtle looked at him with vast indifference, only remaining on his shoulder because it was easier than walking. Big Bee adjusted his parcel under one arm to balance the weight of the lazy turtle and they set off through the crowded streets, NPCs parting as they headed for the Arena. |
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Finnegan Fjord
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Rival
Player Character
Posts: 455
Trainer Class: Swimmer
Player Name: Cillian Quinn
OOC Username: thorn
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Post by Finnegan Fjord on Dec 27, 2021 10:47:07 GMT 9
Two minutes into the quest, and Finn's already lost.
Unlike Big Bee's Squirtle, the unfortunate Piplup cursed to be the Pokémon partner of this absolute noob is forced to try and keep up with his trainer as they push through groups of NPCs whose complaints Finn ignores. He's a man on a mission. The issue is that he doesn't know where that mission wants him to go. He doesn't know he can zoom out of the mini-map, because he'd accidentally dismissed the notification informing him of such.
"Oi," he calls out to another NPC, who turns toward him. "How do I work this map?"
But such helpful functionality as an explanation apparently isn't built into this particular townie, who merely shakes his head at the question before turning back to the group he'd previously been talking with. Not caring to eavesdrop on their conversation, Finn huffs and looks to his Piplup.
"Do you know where we're supposed to be going?"
(It doesn't. Of course it doesn't.)
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Big Bee
•
Bandana Guy
Round 2
Posts: 685
Trainer Class:
Player Name: Bryan Nautilus
OOC Username: Ladybug
Arena Points: 49
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Post by Big Bee on Dec 27, 2021 11:01:03 GMT 9
Big Bee's finely tuned customer-service ears alert him to user trouble, and he white-person jogged through the NPCs and into view of the struggling Finnegan Fjord. "Having some trouble?" he asked, watching the man poke and prod ineffectually at the minimap. "Here, you can zoom out like this," he said, showing Finn the movements needed to manipulate the tech. "Yeah, just like that and then....done! Easy as that! Oh, looks like you're headed to the Arena too!" Big Bee slaps the parcel under his arm, emphasizing their shared goal.
"My name's Big Bee. Nice to meet a fellow trainer!" he said, studying the new trainer. The main looked to be about the same age as him. Nowhere near as young as the little kid from before. It seemed like more and more players were making characters closer to himself in age. He relaxed a little, feeling safer in his image. No need to shell out for that re-spec.
Taka slipped down from his shoulder, landing heavily on the dirt road, and scuttled over to Finnegan Fjord's Piplup. He circled the new Pokemon, sniffing and frowning. He bared his teeth, opening his mouth as if preparing to bite the little penguin. "Hey! Cut that out!"
<What! This is how I say hello!> Taka complained, slowly covering his fangs with a sickening smile.
"Not anymore. Play nice." Big Bee said, turning to Finnegan Fjord. "Sorry about that. He's a little....tooth-forward."
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Finnegan Fjord
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Rival
Player Character
Posts: 455
Trainer Class: Swimmer
Player Name: Cillian Quinn
OOC Username: thorn
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Post by Finnegan Fjord on Dec 27, 2021 12:03:48 GMT 9
"Bit obvious, isn't it?"
Finn looks up from the mini-map to glower at what he assumes will be another NPC, only to find himself face-to-face with another player character instead. He looks cool, not to mention proportionate unlike that girl he'd met during the first part of the tutorial. Allotta Bambooga?
"Cheers," he grumbles with reluctant gratitude, tucking away his earlier snark. "Yeh, guess I am headed that way. She didn't really give me a choice."
She being Professor Ash, of course.
Finn's brow furrows as Big Bee appears to converse with his turtle. Squirtle, his Pokedex helpfully informs him. Ha, ha. Squirt + turtle. He's still not sure what "Piplup" was meant to mean, only that it was a chubby little penguin who was not happy about Taka's introduction.
Where Finn hears only a frustrated screech, Taka and Big Bee would perhaps hear the uncouth insults hurled their way.
"That some kind of 'role-playing' thing?" he questions, not realizing Big Bee can actually understand his Pokémon. "Immersion, or whatever?"
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Big Bee
•
Bandana Guy
Round 2
Posts: 685
Trainer Class:
Player Name: Bryan Nautilus
OOC Username: Ladybug
Arena Points: 49
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Post by Big Bee on Dec 27, 2021 22:36:25 GMT 9
As the Piplup squawked and swore at Taka, Big Bee stuck out a foot to push his Pokemon away from the poor bird. "That's right! It should be in your menu under Settings > Gameplay > Immersion. It's called 'Pokemon Speech'." He waited for a moment giving Finn time to change the setting if he wanted.
"I switched mine on by accident at first. Had the opposite experience to you. Taka just started talking out of nowhere!" He laughing naturally at the memory. "I keep it on because, let's be honest, the Pokemon are way more useful than the NPCs." He gave Finn a look to indicate that they were similar users with overlapping experiences, and that Finn should share any complaints, critiques, or general feedback to him in a natural and unforced manner as they proceeded towards their shared goal: Enjoyment in a Digital Space. But also the Arena.
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Finnegan Fjord
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Rival
Player Character
Posts: 455
Trainer Class: Swimmer
Player Name: Cillian Quinn
OOC Username: thorn
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Post by Finnegan Fjord on Dec 30, 2021 13:39:08 GMT 9
Not suspecting the surprisingly helpful player for what he was, Finn follows the clear and concise directions to the aforementioned setting and enables it.
Instantly, he's bombarded by the reality of his Piplup's foul mouth.
"Are you sure they're more helpful?"
<Hey, asshole, I've given you loads of advice! Not my fault you're too dumb to listen!>
Finn looks unimpressed.
"Lucky they saddled me with this guy and not some kid. Bet they'd be getting loads of complaints." Rather than a concerned citizen thinking of the children, Finn seems amused by the thought of some poor 10-year-old logging on and being verbally abused by their starter. "Pipe down, Emp, or I'm turning it right back off. Is yours this uh... vocal?"
Eyes of ocean blue flick to Big Bee, surprisingly expressive with their curiosity. |
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Big Bee
•
Bandana Guy
Round 2
Posts: 685
Trainer Class:
Player Name: Bryan Nautilus
OOC Username: Ladybug
Arena Points: 49
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Post by Big Bee on Dec 30, 2021 18:43:05 GMT 9
Big Bee picked up Taka and set him on his shoulder, well away from Piplup. <I'm hungry,> complained Taka, going limp in Big Bee's hands. He draped the Squirtle over his shoulder. "As you can see he usually just pipes up to ask about food."
<Bite me.>
"Or to complain. Kinda like my cat at home, actually." At the mention of pets, Taka tilted his head, looking sideways at Big Bee. The Squirtle's eyes were wide and threatening.
<I'm your starter.>
"Yeah I know, they're just my cats, not Pokemon."
<What does that mean?>
"Uh, forget it."
<I never forget...> the turtle said ominously, curling up on his shoulder in a grumbling nap pile.
"It's mostly incidental stuff, really. Like the knowledge of the world is programmed into them. Taka will tell me to equip my fishing rod when he's hungry. I didn't even know I had one. Apparently it's basic equipment." He absentmindedly stroked Taka's shell, and the Squirtle shifted a little closer to him, wrapping his long tail around the back of Big Bee's neck and draping it over his shoulder.
"And you know how with pets you need to be in tune with that they want? Do they want to go outside, eat dinner, play, battle, whatever? Pokemon will just tell you what they want. They can be a bit persistent, but it's way easier to understand." |
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Finnegan Fjord
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Rival
Player Character
Posts: 455
Trainer Class: Swimmer
Player Name: Cillian Quinn
OOC Username: thorn
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Post by Finnegan Fjord on Mar 28, 2022 11:46:19 GMT 9
Finn, surprisingly, seems to brighten up.
"I got cats, too," he says, apparently more interested in them than game mechanics. "My own, and my roommates. Honestly a good thing that they can't talk, I bet Sprinkles would be terrifying."
Maybe not the scariest sounding cat, based on her name, but Furrlicity Purrfection's queen kitty Sprinkles would destroy the world if she could. She'd start by methodically destroying their apartment, no matter their valiant attempts to cat-proof it.
"There any kind of player housing?" The thought comes to mind, sudden. "God, imagine trying to Pokémon-proof an apartment."
He laughs, seeming entertained by the thought.
<I'll destroy everything you own if you don't stop ignoring me, dipshit.>
Finn, unsurprisingly, ignores him. |
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Big Bee
•
Bandana Guy
Round 2
Posts: 685
Trainer Class:
Player Name: Bryan Nautilus
OOC Username: Ladybug
Arena Points: 49
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Post by Big Bee on Apr 1, 2022 1:19:49 GMT 9
"Hahah, I feel that. If I don't lock my cupboards then Cuddles gets in and tears up all my good clothes. What is it with cats and always going for the most expensive or sentimental shit?" He looked over at Taka and rubbed the little Squirtle's head. "This little guy is way better behaved. Man, I don't know how I'd do caring for a Pokemon in real life. Claws and litter boxes are one thing, but if they had fire and more HP than me?" He laughed nervously.
"Uhhh, I only know of one house and that's Mom's house, where you get the Running Shoes." Big Bee pointed down at the pair of cream and crimson Air Gyarados sneakers he had on. He took a few steps, showing off how the fake tongue waggled as he walked. "You've met Mom right? The communal Mom?" |
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Finnegan Fjord
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Rival
Player Character
Posts: 455
Trainer Class: Swimmer
Player Name: Cillian Quinn
OOC Username: thorn
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Post by Finnegan Fjord on Apr 2, 2022 11:46:45 GMT 9
Cuddles. Disgustingly adorable, yet Finn finds himself smiling.
"I read they get pretty big when they evolve. This one just turns into a bigger penguin." Which had been a little disappointing, once he'd looked up some of the other drastic changes 'starter' Pokémon could undergo, but whatever. "Gets a little crown, too. That's why I named him Emperor."
He'd named his character after his cat, so, y'know. Creativity wasn't his strong suit.
"Yeh, I've met 'Mum'. She was... something." She'd seemed on the verge of tears. It had weirded him out, truth be told, because he didn't exactly have the most conventional family experience outside of the game. "Hope I'm not stuck living with her if they introduce housing."
He stops cold when they find the road blocked off by a strange series of shapes.
His quest objective updates.
"What, are we meant to climb it?" Finn seems incredulous, but doesn't hesitate to clamber up whatever he can reach. Standing on the top, he finds a decent view of the streets ahead laid out in front of him, the dome of the arena in the distance.
"Guess we could've just gone around," he realises, then shrugs and hops down the other side.
I'm picturing something like this. |
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Big Bee
•
Bandana Guy
Round 2
Posts: 685
Trainer Class:
Player Name: Bryan Nautilus
OOC Username: Ladybug
Arena Points: 49
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Post by Big Bee on Apr 5, 2022 10:38:37 GMT 9
Big Bee followed Finn up the chunky geometric tutorial, getting a good view of the suburbs from the top. It was like a budget version of a tower in an open world game. "Not a bad little town," Big Bee said, eyes catching on the dome of the arena.
He took the smooth steps down the far side, reaching the ground in a handful of seconds. They really hadn't been that high. The street ahead was full of bright-eyed and helpful NPCs. They were just hanging about, idling in place or facing each other and repeating conversations. They'd walked into a goddamn trap.
Do they want to battle? Big Bee wondered, worried at the prospect of a trainer gauntlet. He tried to keep out of sight, hiding behind hedges and garbage bins. "The next task is right there!" he whispered to Finn, nodding at another geometric jumble at the far end of the street. "I think if we just make a run for it we'll be fine."
"Did you say RUN?" a nearby NPC said loudly. He was a teenage boy, and dressed appropriately, with a backpack and a skateboard, a backwards cap covered his messy hair, and he wore a t-shirt that said 'I don't give a Furret!' in bold, punk letters. "If you wanna RUN, then you'd better swing by your Mon's house. Maybe she can help," said the teenager.
Big Bee recoiled from the helpful NPC, worried that its talking would attract more. The rest of the NPCs just continued to chat or stare into space. "Uh, I did. She gave me these shoes," Big Bee said, pointing at his Air Gyarados. "Nice shoes bro, did you get them from your Mom?" asked the NPC. "Shoes make you run faster. Pretty dope!" he said, really driving home the importance of picking up the key item.
What is with this guy? Big Bee thought. Then he realized. These were no normal NPCs.
He looked around, spotting the name of the street on a nearby sign. 'Tutorial Lane'.
As he spotted it, a second prompt popped up on his screen.
A seemingly innocuous task, but any quest with the words 'visit' was bound to be a disaster. It always lead players to a hub filled with newbie information, simplistic dialogue, and a hundred other basic quests like 'Go to the park and find 10 sticks for Mr. Jenkins'.
Big Bee's eyes darted to the end of the street. They were still twenty houses away, but it was a straight shot. "Keep moving Finn. I think they only respond to audio keywords, so don't talk, and if you have to talk don't use any words they might react to." |
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Finnegan Fjord
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Rival
Player Character
Posts: 455
Trainer Class: Swimmer
Player Name: Cillian Quinn
OOC Username: thorn
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Post by Finnegan Fjord on Jun 10, 2022 18:51:27 GMT 9
"Jesus Christ!"
He hadn't seen the NPC, his vision partially obscured by a standing banner advertising the Coliseum. He flinches in real life, which makes his character model awkwardly twitch and jump back a bit as the game processes sudden, jerky movement.
"What do you mean, don't ta—"
"Having trouble understanding the quest prompts, dearie?" Finn edges back from a far-too-chipper old woman who potters up to him and projects her quavering voice right into his ear. "You can open your JOURNAL at any time to view your QUESTS in progress."
Finn opens and closes his mouth like a fish before pursing his lips and staying silent. Big Bee was right: you didn't know what words might trigger them. Apparently What do you mean? was just asking to get lectured by Helpful Grandma over here.
Backing away from the granny's toothless smile, Finn doesn't turn around until he's sure she isn't following.
He turns to Big Bee and gives him a double-thumbs up. |
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Big Bee
•
Bandana Guy
Round 2
Posts: 685
Trainer Class:
Player Name: Bryan Nautilus
OOC Username: Ladybug
Arena Points: 49
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Post by Big Bee on Jul 1, 2022 22:05:57 GMT 9
Finn and Big Bee smiled and no-eye-contacted their way through Tutorial Lane without triggering another spout of helpful dialogue. Once they were past the houses Big Bee let out a huge breath of relief. "Phew!"
"Feeling tired? Rest at a nearby shrine to restore your HP!" said a nearby teen that Big Bee had somehow missed.
"Jesus! Run Finn!"
Further down the street and truly away from the lane, the pair rested easy. "Okay. So that's two obstacles down." In truth it felt like they'd done a dozen obstacles, having been bombarded by the helpful hints. He waited for the last obstacle to display on his HUD. "Oh well that's easy then. We just turn here and it's dead ahead-" Big Bee ran straight into a wall of fuzz and fat. The final obstacle. A wall of sleeping Snorlax. "Huh." He looked around the Pokemon, but it was blocking the whole road. "You can't beat the classics, huh. Well, got a Pokeflute on you Finn?" |
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Big Bee
•
Bandana Guy
Round 2
Posts: 685
Trainer Class:
Player Name: Bryan Nautilus
OOC Username: Ladybug
Arena Points: 49
|
Post by Big Bee on Aug 29, 2024 12:46:48 GMT 9
Finn disappeared in a fizz of pixels, logged out. And just as they were at the final obstacle. "Damn!" Bee said. "I'd been counting on him having the flute. I've only got, uh," he patted his pockets. "Nothing."
A devilish idea began to form in his head. There were so many helpful NPCs nearby. Maybe he could use them to his advantage.
"Oh no!" Bee said, making sure his voice carried all the way back to Tutorial Lane. "If only there was someone helpful nearby who could show me how to deal with sleeping Pokemon!"
Nothing.
And then the ground started to shake.
The rumble built into a tidal wave of helpful shouting, UI prompts, and the thunder of hundreds of soft-shoed feet.
"Open your inventory with a simple swipe!" Don't forget to say goodbye to Mom!" "Sleeping Pokemon can be woken up using a Pokeflute or, in a pinch, a Poketrombone!" "Berries can be a great source of food!" "Down on your health? Visit a shrine and you'll be fighting fit in no time!"
Bee pressed himself against a white picked fence and let the crowd sweep past. Their sheer mass pushed Snorlax down the street, revealing the entrance to the destination house!
As the roar of the crowd disappeared, Bee crossed the threshold and smiled as his UI updated to point him directly at a small child waiting in the entrance hall. "Hey there Mister! is that delivery for me?"
"You bet it is! Here you go!" Bee said, handing over the box.
The little girl ripped open the box, revealing a tiny pink Pokeball. "Oh my god! It's here! By Patrat!"
She tossed the ball onto the carpet and a charming Patrat emerged.
"Patrat is my favorite! Mom and Dad said I couldn't have one for Christmas, but since today is my birthday they said they would get one delivered!" She kneeled down and hugged the Patrat. The two of them were a perfect pair, clearly destined and coded to be together forever.
"Thanks Mister! This is the best birthday present ever!" |
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