dangerousidol | Video 001

[The video feed turns on to show a little fox cat like creature looking expectantly upwards. Its tail swishes back and forth like how a puppy would wag its tail when happy. This earns the little creature a soft giggle from the person behind the camera.]

You're so cute, Himiko!

[Himiko chirps in response, and the camera is panned around to show a young girl now with curly brown pigtails.]

Hey there~! If anyone is watching this, I'm Rise Kujikawa!

[The camera is put down and the girl sits down on the ground, Himiko climbing into her lap. She looks less happy now. Her backdrop is the small town of New Bark.]

So, what is this place, really? I woke up in a strange house, and a crazy lady who called herself my mom shoved a bag in my hand and told me 'Good luck!'. She didn't even let me ask any questions!

[She now pats Himiko's head, and the small creature enjoys this immensely.]

This old man gave me what he called a Pokéball, goes on and on about this 'world of Pokémon', calls me a trainer, and then sends me off. The trainer manual is confusing, and this whole thing seems like some little kids video game or TV show! I know that Himiko is an Eevee because this really loud voice from my Gear told me what she is. It's called a PokéDex, right? Can I go home when I catch them all?

[She's pouting now. Himiko does the same. She seems to enjoy copying her trainer.]

Oh! And this music is really annoying. How do you turn it off?!

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Yeah, he was! For a good few years.

S'not too unusual for people you knew back home to show up.

Hmm... maybe Sempai will show up here, then. Or maybe some of my other friends!

I wouldn't be surprised if they did!

_{[... The urge to be creepy and go "HEEEEY, so did you ever know anybody named Chie or Souji?" is overwhelming, but Heather quashes it. The last thing this kid probably needs is some weirdo leading into an 'I KNOW YOU... FROM THE PAST!' thing. Better to just let her get used to this place and its oddities on her own before trying to talk about that.]}

Anyway, I'm Heather.

This place can be kinda weird at first, but I think you'll find it's pretty nice!

I'd be happy if they did! They'd love it here!

[She nods and smiles brightly.]

I'm Rise! It's nice to meet you, Heather-san!

I like it here so far. It's way different than Japan, and not as many big cities. Though I think I'll miss cities soon enough...

_{[There's a hint of fond nostalgia in Heather's smile for just a second... then she turns it into one of her regular crooked grins.]}

The pleasure's all mine.

Anyway, don't worry, there'll be as much city as you can handle once you get to Goldenrod. It's probably the biggest city in the region.

[She's talked to so many nice people already, it keeps the smile on Rise's face going.]

Wow... so they have a ton of department stores and hotels? Are there a ton of tourists there, too?

Well, there's ONE enormous Department Store. It's the most famous building in the city, 'cept maybe for the Radio Tower. And like, plenty of other stores around the city where you can get stuff, but the Department Store is the biggest and has the most stuff.

There's pretty much one big hotel too, but like... yeah.

It's bigger than anywhere else.

Expensive, too, but... pretty worth it. You'll probably be sick of crashing in Pokemon Centers by then.

So it's even bigger than the stores in Tokyo? That's hard to imagine.

I only stayed in on once. I got a job there for a few days so I could stay in the Inn at Cherrygrove. So I made sure to buy a tent for when I'm traveling. I just wish there was something like trains or something here. It would make traveling so much easier!

Well, I've never been to Japan so I couldn't tell you that. Pretty damn big, though.

But yeah, the people here feel pretty strongly about hoofin' it everywhere.

There's a train here in Goldenrod, but it's just for traveling to the next region over... not like, town to town. Just goes to Saffron City and back, nowhere else.

It is huge. If we didn't have trains and cars, it would take forever to get anywhere!

Saffron City?

A big city in the next region over. Lived there for a few months a couple years back.

More metropolitan than Goldenrod. Kinda more polluted, too.

But nice when you get to the edges of it.

I'll have to go there one day! Even if it is polluted. Though that might make things not as fun.

Is it all naturey again at the edges?

Yep.

Some friends of mine used to have a farm out there on the outskirts-- big ol' property. Nice place. We had Christmas and Thanksgiving parties there.

[Sound like Inaba. Close enough to a city, but far enough away to enjoy nature. If you were into that.]

So there's holidays here, too?

Yup.

A lot of like... normal Earth ones, and then some that are like... unique to here. Not sure if any are coincidences or not, but yeah.

Do they have an Japanese holidays? Like Tanabata?

... Uhhhh... not... that I know of...

I know White Day is a thing here, though.

That's Japanese, right?

Yeah!

[She loves White Day!]

On Valentine's Day, girls give the boys they like some chocolate! And White Day is when boys return the favor. If a boy really likes you, he'll buy you a present. Some guys give roses, and depending on the color, it shows how they feel about you. And some guys are just dense and gives girls chocolate in return... don't they know we girls have to watch our weight?

_{['We girls have to watch our weight'? Oh man. THAT'S CLASSIC RISE. Heather can't help it, she laughs.]}

Heh, y'know, nobody ever said much of anything about it 'cept that it was for guys to get girls stuff... gotta say, I'd never complain about chocolate, though.

I've got a sweet tooth about the same size as Canada.

H-Hey! What's so funny?

[Did she say something funny? Was it the weight thing? She'll have to think on it.]

I don't complain, either... but I like spicier things better!

Heh, nothin'.

But on the weight front, if it makes you feel any better, this place has a way of takin' the pounds off you. Probably all the hiking everybody has to do just to get from place to place.

Right...

[She lets out an exasperated sigh.]

That's even worse! I'll get super muscular and toned, and then I won't look cute in anything I own!

_{[Heather guffaws again.]}

HEY, c'mon! Nothing wrong with a little muscle!

Everybody likes a girl who can beat 'em up!

_{[NOT ENTIRELY TRUE, BUT.]}

I don't think Sempai would like that. Or he could be... Chie can beat him up, so maybe he has a varied taste in girls?

[But that thought makes her puff up.]

If I get stronger than Chie, he'll have to pay attention to me!

There! Y'see?

Gettin' in shape has its pluses.

[Video]

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