[ti]private[/ti]001 — Welcome [Josh]

Vern had been very attentive of his surroundings, that until he grew too immersed reading the many prompt windows popping up ever since he left the lab. The tutorial one was quite upsetting due to the requirements, but as someone caught him off-guard asking him if he was doing okay, he cooled off.

Well, that's embarrassing. He faced at the source and saw a blonde accompanied by a Mudsale. How he did not see that coming? "Uhm, yeah I am fine." His words came out too shyly to be properly heard but Vern didn't correct himself and hurried forward to avoid more potential embarrassment.

And forgetting where he was for a quick second, he barged into a stranger's house. Wait... did I just intruded into someone else's house? Of course he did, his barely expressive face did not show but in the fear he started sweating cold.

"Oh! Welcome back, sweetie~" A honey-like voice -in how sweet it sounded- came from the living-room startling the already jumpy Vern. Oh, she's mistaken me for someone. Was what Vern thought. "Sorry ma'am, I am-" Then a sudden prompt window cut off Vern's excuse, and at the sudden pause the woman took opportunity to speak. "My son! Who else would you be? Hehe"

And Vern just realized where he was at, and after reading the prompt describing the NPC talking to him, didn't know whether to be relived or cringing. Why a Mom NPC for the player Hydance? Why?

Vern had properly read through the entire NPC description while MOM shifted her focus to the other player. She had a quite the bubbly mom of family comedy personality, or that he believed at the first glance of her mannerisms, but Vern was still quite shy to talk to her, he felt awful just having an in-game mother... for some reason.

But nevermind, it's just a game, a game, just play pretend, you have done that as a child haven't you? "Yeah, I've done that." He whispered to himself. So ahead Vern went, to ask her about the shoes. "Ahem. Excuse me, ma'a- ma... do you know where are the- my running shoes?" He inquired without a worry, but at those words MOM had an abrupt halt in whatever was she doing that Vern wasn't paying attention (even the BGM that was unknowingly playing in the background stopped) she looked at him and, comparatively slowly to before, she walked up to him with a somber expression that shook Vern.

Crap, what did I say that triggered that reaction? Through his frozen-stiff expression his anxiety didn't show, but clearly he was wanting to back off when suddenly MOM placed a hand to his shoulders and began talking under a heavy tone. "I knew, always knew from the moment I had you, once you grew of age you would one day be setting towards a very, very long and perilous journey." So is this her "giving me the shoes" dialogue? "In fact, we prepared for it beforehand, me and your father, sadly he couldn't make it through in the end to see this day and bid you farewell, but oh how so proud would he be of you if he saw the great man you have now become my sweet child." Well, that stung a bit Hydance.

But enough of sorrow! Her expression suddenly lit up as she talked with that strong inspirational flair to her voice, even her eyes were glittering dramatically (And the BGM came back from the realm of silence). MOM didn't raise a quitter and your father wasn't nailed at a cross so that we would keep drowning in our grievances!! Nailed at a CROSS?! What?! A fiery aura seemed to surround MOM in all true anime fashion as she so fervently grabbed Vern's shoulders and say. "So go ahead my precious child! Set forth on your wondrous adventure! Make mommy proud! But above everything else, make yourself proud!!" Is this how Hydance motivates their new players? His face was the encapsulation of astonishment as his body arched backwards with how much MOM was closing on him every time she talked- practically screamed, till she finally got overwhelmed in emotion and took him between teary eyes in a really thigh hug.

Forgetting about the running shoes now he felt like running himself from the thigh mother's embrace-grappling, and so he looked at the player who came along with him, Vern's eyes displaying as much begging as Måneskin.

"Ugh, finally free." Vern took a moment to gather breath and some calm after MOM so brazenly hugged him. With her out of the way thanks to the other player (he would make sure to thank him) he would then go to his supposed room upstairs where he gambled the running shoes would be.

Is hard to gauge how faithful to the mainline games is UNOVR since he's coming in blindly without any foreknowledge beyond what's mostly been echoed out by the players on social media. "Gotcha" Thankfully his assumptions payed out, as he found the running shoes inside a closet in the room. Thinking about it now, there weren't any halls to doors leading to other rooms as he would have assumed to be since this is supposed to be the "previous" collective home of all the UNOVR players, but it would make sense that is just instant access to your own room from the stairs.

"Also, turquoise?" Leaving aside the odd color choice, he put on the shoes in an oddly realistic process (perhaps there was an equip button he missed) and was about to leave, but he hadn't spend even half a minute in the room. This room looks kind of comfy. Wooden rectangle with just enough length, width and depth to be called a room, the classic bed on the corner (where else would it be?) and the TV with the console. A room like this though minimalist, felt all the more pleasant to live in.

"Better be going." He left in a hurry, now with the shoes he felt like running a marathon and almost fell down the stairs upon a misstep given in his excitement. The world was his oyster now that he could run around freely and had his pokemon with him- oh right, he is illegal, well there's time to figure that out latter, Vern felt like doing much more exploring alone than anything, but first he had to be a responsible kid and give his goodbyes to his mother.

But she's not my mom. Still. "I still would feel bad." Like the good kid he is, he walked around the house looking for MOM until he went to the backyard stumbled across the sigh to her and the other player, with the latter showing off his evolved pokemon who all wore saddles. "Wait... you can mount them?" He blurted that out almost a bit outloud to his immediate regret and quite possibly he now had to do more social interaction, lucky boy.

So it seemed this game rocks in more way than one. Of course he could vaguely recall a mount function in the "recent" main-line games, but seeing it in VR? Goddamit, goddamit, goddamit... Vern was pretty much ecstatic to learn that he could actually mount a pokemon in person, this was contrary to the expression of mild surprise that showed in his face.

Standing near the other player he was feeling tempted to get closer to the pokemon, but the realism to which they moved and breathed made him think twice before treating them any different from real-life animals. But is there a line?

Upon checking the UI per instructions, he did not found said mounting icon that the other player mentioned, but instead there were now floating icons above the pokemon in front of him, each with the logo of a basic saddle silhouette, but noticeably grayed out.

Then, upon the player asking him to give it a try, these icons suddenly whitened for those he could mount, Vern was flabbergasted. "Really?" He said in puzzlement, but then why would he lie? This may as well be common kindness shown towards newbies, why refuse?. "Then... can I ride the Mudsdale?" He shyly pointed at the very heavy horse pokemon.