Victory Road Inbox

[notvaljean]

Hi, this is Jean... [loud crackling in the background, the sound of sighing] ... and Blitz. We're busy right now and can't answer, so leave a message and we'll get back to you.

Comments

Audio;

[schachmeister]

[Backdated to whenever Armin talked with Jack. Very timely, go us.]

Jean, do you have a moment?

Audio;

[notvaljean]

[We are the best at this, it's true.]

Blitz, no! I said Charge!

[Angry crackling, frantic splashing, Jean sighing, and what very well might be Lila giggling.]

Magikarp are the worst, Armin.

action;

[greatrage]

[it is the middle of the night. It is 3 am, to be precise. The camp is sleeping soundly. Bert is in a position indicating a crisp fall day, Eren is snoring lightly, and somewhere, someone mumbles in their sleep. Peaceful.

Then, not so peaceful. Not in Jean's tent, anyway. Jean's pokégear suddenly crackles to life, playing sounds like radio static and snippets of unintelligible conversation.

... creepy]

Zappy you shitposter gtfo

[notvaljean]

[Unfortunately for whatever is messing with Jean's communicator, radio static sounds a lot like an irritated Voltorb, especially when you're mostly asleep, and Jean just rolls over, tossing an arm around Blitz, who is snoozing beside him.]

Blitzzz, shuddup...

[Blitz opens one eye, makes a grumbling sound, and rolls over a little, ending up pressed close to Jean's chest. Whoever knew that Voltorbs could want cuddles?]

[delivery!]

[purramedic]

[A pleasant delivery Pidgey drops off a gift to Jean. There is a handwritten note on top of two knitted items; a white and red hat resembling an Electrode, including an embroidered face, and what appears to be a giant tea cozy with lightning bolts similarly stitched onto a black background.]

Blitz, I don’t know how easily plastic gets cold, but I hope this keeps you warm. Be careful of static electricity, though I won’t tell on you if you accidentally shock Jean.

Jean, please ignore the above message and accept this hat. You can now match your dear friend while keeping your ears safe from frostbite!

Anders

Audio;

[schachmeister]

Jean, are you busy?

[Armin doesn't bother to switch on video, knowing he can't really properly be on the screen while he is making his way back to camp anyway.

They had made camp early today, and Armin had taken the opportunity to head deeper into the forest alone to train up his own pokemon. Magellan is curled contently around his shoulders, batting at the hood of Armin's winter coat --and Armin, for one, is very grateful he had bought one when he did-- Amadeus swooping lazily in the sky above him, looking rather pleased with himself. It had been good to spend some time focusing on his oldest and in some ways still dearest pokemon, and he hopes Magellan had learned a little by watching. Still, eventually he'll have to allow the little kitten to actual battle for himself to really train him. It's an idea that fills him with some trepidation --he's still so young-- but then he had remembered feeling the same way about battling in general when he had first arrived here and how he had ended up solving that.]

Audio;

[notvaljean]

You know what is the best thing in the world, Armin? The absolute best thing?

[Jean isn't going to wait for an answer.]

Having a fire kitten to lay on your hands after putting up a tent in cold weather.

[Yeah, he's not busy. The camp is made, Marcel has gotten a good, roaring fire going, and Jean is sitting next to it with Polo in his lap, keeping his hands under the kitten's soft belly. His other Pokemon have retreated to their balls when faced with this weather--Fisch flat-out refuses to come out--and Blitz is patrolling the perimeter, making sure there aren't any dubious wild Pokemon about.]

If you see Blitz out there, tell him to come home, I've got his dinner ready.

2/14

[meowbel]

[On the day of February 14th, should they look at their communicator, they might see a message from one young Mabel Pines!]

Hey, you! You there! Yes, I’m talking to you! I’m just here to wish you a super duper Happy Valentine’s Day! May you get a lot of love and candy from everyone around you!

Because I know you definitely deserve it!

2/14

[notvaljean]

[Awwwww, that's so cute!]

thanks Mabel
you have a good day too

[brokencode]

[A rapping of an oricorio’s beak at a nearby door, window, tree or rock might alert Jean to the fact that he had a visitor. Clutched in the beak of the creature is a pink, heart-shaped piece of paper. Opening it up would reveal a handwritten note and adorned with a Tyrantum sticker.]

You're ir-rex-istable, Valentine -- Angel ଘ(੭*ˊᵕˋ)੭* .

[notvaljean]

[This is... okay, this is sweet, but confusing. Jean carefully tucks the note away in his bag, and sends the oricorio back with another piece of paper. This one is plain white and folded into a square. When it's opened up, it shows a quick sketch of Angel and Krieg, jumping and doing a mid-air high five.]

[The note at the bottom reads:]

Thanks, Angel, but my name isn't Valentine, it's Jean Kirschtein

[Valentine, Kirschtein... they rhyme, so maybe she didn't hear it right when Jean said it?]

[radfield]

[ As Chris promised; a few days after Jean's post comes a Talonflame screeching the latter's name out repeatedly, regardless of wherever he might be. It squawks again and again until someone, whether him or his buddies, takes the small basket tied to it. Inside is a bundle of over-the-counter medicine with directions, cough drops, and some still-warm chicken soup thanks to Talonflame's abilities. Enough to serve about three, sorry.

Also Chris leaves a small note explicitly stating that Jean or whoever feed Talonflame before sending it off. ]

[notvaljean]

[Enough to serve about three? That's perfect, it means Jean can leave out Eren and have an actual excuse to be a douche! Or he and Bertolt can eat all of it, being the invalids and all.]

[The Talonflame is fed and set off with a few candies for the return journey before Jean dashes off a message to Chris.]

thanks a lot, this stuff is really helpful
it's already making our throats feel better
I fed your bird but he didn't want to rest before leaving
he should be home soon

thanks again

Backdated to 3/14

[brokencode]

[A message crackles across Jean's feed early in the afternoon. A familiar Noctowl sits near a window, preening itself while Bailey the Oricorio stares rather... seductively up at it. The video quickly turns away to Angel's beaming face.]

Hi Jean! I hope this video finds you well. I'm sending a similar one to Armin, thanking you both for your lovely gifts. I... don't know that you know you sent me a gift but! [Angel seemed to stand, moving over to a wall. She turned to put her back to it, putting her shoulder level with the bottom of the photo. Said photo would look familiar to him -- it's a picture of him posing like a model.]

I just wanted to thank you for giving me such a good laugh. You all look like you're having a wonderful time! Hope to see you soon!

[notvaljean]

[Jean is, of course, delighted to hear from Angel. Getting a message from her is an event that requires going off somewhere by himself--not entirely by himself because Blitz follows him, but Blitz can be trusted to keep Jean's confidence--and curl up into a little ball, his communicator near his face, before watching. He's surprised by the subject matter, but loses the chain of thought briefly as Angel smiles up at him. She's just... she's just so pretty. Blitz side-eyes Jean the entire time, because he looks just like Bailey the Oricorio. All he needs are some butt feathers to start ruffling to complete the look.]

[But then. But then! Angel moves the camera and Jean sees a picture of himself on her wall. There's a moment of brief, dizzying delight--Angel has his picture on her wall!--before everything comes crashing back to earth in a hideous blaze of betrayal. Armin. Armin, why? Why would you do this? Why would you send that picture, especially if it makes her laugh? She's laughing over it! She doesn't think Jean looks sexy, or like good boyfriend material! She thinks he looks like an idiot!]

[Had Angel praised the picture, Jean would be praising Armin. Since she isn't, his delicate ego is bruised, and Armin is the accursed Judas who put Jean in this position.]

[Jean sounds stiff and embarrassed when he responds, which he does with voice only. He can't even show his face, okay?!]

That's a dumb picture. I can send you a better one if you want.

[It is not a dumb picture. It's Jean's Smolder(tm), which apparently still needs some work if it's so hilarious.]

[video]

[purramedic]

[He's here, he's queer, he's holding back tears.]

If you are all still on the islands, I am also still around to be the designated adult for all your responsible chaperone needs. [Because asking for help is complicated and confusing and Anders doesn't get how to do it except by burying it under fifty layers of sarcastic humor.

Especially if he's asking a teenager.]

[video]

[notvaljean]

Anders! Look what happened!

[Jean is delighted to hear from his friend, and doesn't catch the need in Anders' voice. Instead, Anders will get a view of Jean's smiling face, and then the camera shifts, showing that Jean is sitting on the shoulder of a recently-evolved, now enormous and muscular, but still recognizable, Polo, who is standing on his back legs like a person and has Jean hoisted into the air.]

Polo and Magellan evolved! Come and see them!

Text;

[schachmeister]

[This is one text that Jean is going to receive somewhat late at night. Armin has been thinking about this the whole day, trying to figure something out before they leave Vermillion again, but this is one area in which he has little experience. He could ask Eren but... no, he doesn't want to bring up such a painful subject.

Jeanbo, it is.]

Jean, can I ask you something?
It might sound a little weird though.

Text;

[notvaljean]

[When his communicator pings in the middle of the night, Jean is half asleep, nodding over his copy of Pokemon Redwall. He's gotten to one of the good parts in the book, and is trying to stay awake enough to finish it, but it's a losing battle. And since there's only one person who usually texts him at this time of night, Jean doesn't read the message before firing off an answer.]

go to sleep Anders I'll look at cat pictures in the morning

After the EV Announcement

[rambling_runner]

[ It's a little while after; Ash has been making a lot of calls and texts after hearing the news break; but he'll get in touch with Jean too. In the background, his Pokemon are training against each other to prepare. ]

Hey man. You getting in on the action happening? You've seen the news and all, right?

[notvaljean]

Yeah, I heard.

[Jean is looking unusually grim and serious; this may be the first time Ash has seen him like this. For all his flaws, Jean is one hell of a soldier when the situation calls for it, and this one definitely does.]

We're going to Mt. Mortar. I saw some Littens running from that roaring, and... [shrug and a hint of a smile] they looked just like Polo and Magellan when they were small.

Video - sometimes during the event!

[schachmeister]

[Exploring caves is... surprisingly exhausting. The underground maze seems nearly endless, and rocky icy tunnels aren't the most pleasant thing to explore. Each evening finds Armin back in his tent on the beach, exhausted enough to for once drop off immediately once he's in his sleeping bag.

Or well, not immediately. He's gotta check in with the others first. It's unusual for them to be separated like this and Armin wants to make sure everybody is doing well. Plus, it'll be good to know if there have been any changes over there that might be connected to what is happening over here. They haven't found Lugia yet, but Armin hardly thinks two trios of legendary pokemon showing up can be unconnected.

Propping himself up on his stomach, his gear resting against his pillow, he selects Jean's name from his list of contacts. If he can't reach Jean, he'll try Bertolt next. And then Sasha. All until he's found one of them awake and capable of giving him a little update.]

Jean, are you awake?

[notvaljean]

[There's no response at first, but then the communicator connects. Instead of voices, it starts spitting static; quietly at first, and then progressively louder. Beneath the sounds of static, there could almost be voices, if one listens closely enough and doesn't mind trying to interpret far away voices speaking in another language.]

[Then, filtering through all the static, a tinny, distant voice...]

New phone who dis?

trick or tree ;)

[foolishwren]

<sub>[The colored lights all around blink on and off invitingly, the merry dooting of organ-grinder music drifts through the air, and a veritable whirlwind of bright, garish but somehow familiar and comforting colors are paraded with every pass of the horses. Bright turquoises, royal crimsons, rich golds! And the horses themselves, snowy white and frozen in grand, dynamic poses!]

[Even if Jean has never before seen the spectacle that is a fully functional merry-go-round, the sight evokes a sense of overwhelming, joyful nostalgia.]

[In fact, he rushes to get on it, hopping up onto the platform even as it moves and grabbing for one of the poles, its faux-gold metal smooth and cool under his palm. The rest of the park rushes past, left behind in the wake of this small army of cavorting equines.]

[It is, at first, a happy dream.]

[The first sign that something is wrong is when Jean gets too close to the horses.]

[Somehow their expressions no longer seem like they belong to proud, stamping creatures-- they are fearful, with bared teeth and flared nostrils and terrified, rolling eyes. Their hides ripple-- they are breathing.]

[The poles aren't poles anymore-- they're hooks. Huge meat hooks, buried in the flesh of the horses' backs to create monstrous mounds of ruptured flesh that don't look anything like the fancy, decorated saddles that seemed to have been there before.]

[The wounds bleed.]

[Jean doesn't feel joyous or nostalgic anymore, and more than anything, he just desperately wants to get off the ride. But it's going too fast-- the landscape is a blur. He's dizzy, and the whole ride feels like it's swaying, swimming around him. The horses, trapped in their own frozen flesh, continue to rise and fall on their hooks, though now the movement has lost its magic-- it's nothing but a grotesque mockery now, no longer whimsical, no longer magic.]

[It goes faster and faster, and in a flash between the horses, Jean spots it: a figure. Its flesh is blistered with burns, its hair and extremities blackened and charred. It looks deader than the horses-- like something dug from the wreckage of a burned building, not something that should for even an instant be standing upright.]

[But it is, and it's looking right at him.]

[Its eyes are literal coals, still glowing from whatever burnt it so hideously.]</sub>

Action; Trick or Tree fall-out

[schachmeister]

[ooc: set right after this thread.]

[Despite still being somewhat exhausted and pale-faced himself after what happened in the forest, the moment his conversation with Shiro ends and he's certain that Haunter and the others will take good care of him until they get there, Armin is on his feet getting ready. He dresses quickly, like a soldier getting ready for battle, running a brush through his hair once before he goes to find Jean.]

Jean, we need to talk. It's important.

[It's very important. Armin's face is the sort of serious that is usually reserved for titan-related things.]

Action;

[notvaljean]

[Brushing your hair is overrated, at least after all the trauma recently. Jean's hair is no longer artfully tousled, but actively, messily tousled, and he just looks tired. His face is pale and wan, and he looks like he's lost some weight that he didn't have to lose.]

What's going on?

[shiro2hero]

[At some point, Blue the Kirlia will deposit this monstrosity onto Jean's bed.]

[And duck out of the room. Fast.]

[notvaljean]

[And as soon as Jean finds said monstrosity, he'll put it on, and send Shiro a picture of himself wearing it, grinning wide and with a thumbs up at the camera. He will be the best dressed barista at the local Starmiebucks, just you wait!]

Text 12/23, 6:00

[brokencode]

Jean?
I am sorry for how long it has been since we have spoken
And in that vein, I am sorry that my first message to you is a request rather than anything other than casual conversation and the reestablishment of friendship.
But this is something of an urgent matter, one that I do not ask for my sake, but for Krieg.

Please... keep an eye on him if you can. You two seem to be close enough.
He is still recovering by my understanding, and I do not want to get hurt because of me.
Not anymore.

Just... do what you can, if you can.
Thank you.

audio;

[notvaljean]

[Poor Angel. Jean doesn't know exactly what passed between her and Krieg, only that it was bad and ended up with Krieg maskless and depressed. And now Angel doesn't sound too good either.]

Of course I will. You don't even have to ask, I'd do it anyway.

[Krieg is family now, whether he wants to be or not.]

We'd do the same for you, if you'd let us. I don't know where you're staying right now, and that's okay. I'm guessing you don't want me to know. But we're all living on an island in Sevii right now--me, Armin, Bertolt, Krieg, and Shiro--and it's a good place. You'd be welcome here, and I think you'd like it.

So, whenever you're ready, you should come see us.

Action!

[schachmeister]

[The nice thing about this hotel they've found in Blackthorn is the big fireplace setting where guest can just come and relax, warm themselves by the fire. Which is exactly what Armin is doing. It turns out that when you spend most of your time hanging out on an island where the temperature never dips below freezing, you lose what little cold resistance you've got.

He's chosen a comfy little armchair near the fire, curled up within it wearing a sweater and those nice warm new socks Miss Botan got him. He's reading, but that is only while he waits for the people he's got gifts for --all nicely stacks on a little table next to his chair-- to show up so he can hand them over.

Magellan is sprawled out in front of the fire, snoozing, a new shiny Blackbelt tied around him, his paws occasionally switching. It really would be an adorable scene if he wasn't, you know, a giant muscular man-tiger.]

[notvaljean]

[Magellan won't be the only giant muscular man-tiger in front of the fire for long. Polo lopes into the room, clearly sleepy because he's walking on all fours instead of upright, and when he stops his brother, his throat erupts in loud, throaty purrs. He walks over and flops down on top of Magellan, pinning his brother's head with one hand-paw so he can lick him between his ears a few times before settling down to enjoy the fire too.]

They're pretty cute when they act like actual cats, aren't they?

[Jean is following Polo, holding a few gifts in one arm and carrying Sly with the other. Sly narrows his eyes at the fire-cats hogging all the good space, then merps and rubs his head on Jean's arm. Jean takes a seat in the other armchair, letting Sly settle onto his lap before lopping a package at Armin.]

Merry Christmas.

text;

[bertall]

Hey, uh...

Are you going to Celadon by any chance?

text;

[notvaljean]

Celadon? why?

[Someone hasn't been paying attention to his social media.]

Another mysterious text message!

[11121_assumption]

[ It's the same anonymous number that messaged Jean regarding his mysterious Ditto capture.

Things had been happening lately. Deeply interesting things. Team Rocket was not looking as stable as it once had, with some of Walter's ex-coworkers approaching him to ask questions, or outright leaving them in the weeks following Walter's betrayal. That was something he didn't foresee.

But a part of him remained cautious. If this was a trap to lower his guard and get close to him, he was in danger. So he needed to re-establish some old contacts. Old friends. ]

It's been a while since we spoke, regarding your Ditto and my previous employment. I hope you have been well in that time.

I would like to show something to you.

why hello mysterious stranger

[notvaljean]

oh hey, it's you again!
hi!

sure, what've you got?

also, you don't want a Voltorb, do you? I've got more eggs

backdated to the 14th, also audio!

[bertall]

<sub>[It's a long while before Bertolt musters up the nerve to look at his Pokegear. He shoved it under his pillow after sending an awkward and slightly embarrassing message to Ford purely out of shame, so he was more than happy to try and ignore it for most of the day. It was incredibly hard to ignore it when a familiar tone had rang through the air - the one he picked out for Jean - and he was too afraid to answer it lest he spout something even worse than what he had said to Ford. How many more times did he have to make a fool out of himself today? Bertolt still doesn't know what came over him!

He could only ignore the occasional beep alerting him to a new message for so long though.

Listening to it... It makes Bertolt wish he could've held strong. Someone missed him.

Jean missed him.

And then he had to say that bit about Marco, and for the first time in months Bertolt lets himself think back to that day. He's not worthy of that sort of comparison or admiration - that praise - knowing that he'd never be that sort of person. The only thing Bertolt feels he has in common with Marco is how they look (even when he tries to pretend he doesn't have freckles on his shoulders). Marco...

Marco deserved better.

Pushing the memory back into the depths of his mind where it belongs, Bertolt worries at his lip and watches the clock tick past the hour, trying to decide if he should leave it be or reply. On one hand if he leaves it be, things might not get weird between himself and Jean. He doesn't want to do anything to push him away or lose him, but... if he does leave it, that could very well be something that happens. If he calls him, he'll have to avoid bringing up Marco right away. He knows it's still a touchy subject, even between the two of them.

Finally, he makes his decision, pulls up Jean's name, and waits for him to pick up. At first he doesn't say anything right away, his brows furrowing as he fights to find the right words, before something in him decides to make him stop overthinking things and just do it;]</sub>

...Did you really mean all of that? About... being your best friend and missing me?

[notvaljean]

[There's a pause as Jean gets his thoughts together. This has been an emotionally trying day, and not just because he ate far too many beans at the hootenanny yesterday and has been trapped in a hotel room with his own noxious farts. And Eren's, but Eren's farts are always noxious. No, it's been emotionally trying because Jean is feeling so damn honest about everything, and for someone who likes to claim he's an honest guy, this kind of emotional honesty leads to vulnerability, which is something he tries to avoid.]

[But he can't just hang up on Bertolt. Not when he does genuinely miss him.]

Yeah. Yeah, I did and I do.

February 14

[fuelthefire]

[On Valentine's Day, wherever he is, Jean receives a delivery. It's nothing fancy, just a home-made card - a piece of cardstock, folded in half with an illustration of an anatomically correct heart glued to the front. Inside is a short poem, written in Krieg's signature chicken scratch.]

Explosions are fun
Fallout is butts
You have a special place
Inside of my guts!

HAVE A GOOD ONE, SPARKY!

text;

[meteorman]

[This is... a hard thing to have to ask. But this is the right person to ask, and it's fine.]

Jean. I know it's been some time since we last spoke, but I have a favor to ask of you.

text;

[notvaljean]

[new phone who dis]

what's up?

Delivery for Mr J Kirschtein, Trash-heap, Goldenrod

[schachmeister]

[It's been a while since Jean and Armin talked, and Armin feels odd about it all. Since coming here, they've talked practically every day. Even when they are not in the same place --not that that has been common-- they usually end up dropping each other a quick note here and there. But now there has been silence for a good two weeks.

Oh, he knows Jean is fine from talking to Shiro about it, so he doesn't exactly have any worries about Jean being dead in a ditch somewhere. More than that, he worries that their last conversation, the one in which Jean had been oddly emotional and Armin dismissive, had somehow damaged their friendship. Which is not what Armin had intended at all. At first, he tried to just let Jean be, give him his space until everything settled, but it feels more and more that that isn't working.

Should he just call Jean? But that might be awkward, right? And what would they talk about? He doesn't want to say hi and then immediately run out of things to say.

In the end, Armin settles for sending Jean a package via his Wingull Webby. Wherever he is on Fiddleford's junkheap, she'll find him, landing near him with a hefty looking package and a little clipboard hung from her neck. Sign here please.

(she's been learning from their mailman)]

Delivery for Mr J Kirschtein, Trash-heap, Goldenrod

[notvaljean]

[As it so happens, Jean is hanging out next to the trash heap in Goldenrod. He's wearing Fiddleford's old hat, which has been washed and had the tinfoil removed from it, and carefully plucking at a tiny, battered four-string guitar. He's not getting great sound out of it, but he's trying, and Gulliver is floating next to him and providing jingling accompaniment.]

[He doesn't notice Webby at first, since a lot of Wingulls like to hang out at the dump, but Gulliver does and goes rushing over to say hi. Hello, friend! How is Sevii? How is everyone on Sevii, and by everyone, he specifically means Charybdis? How is she? Does she miss him?]

Hmmmm?

[Jean sets the ukulele aside and gets up.]

Hi, Webby. Is that for me?

[It very much is, but first he has to sign the clipboard! Which Jean does, with a flourish, and then he gives both her and Gulliver a snack as he sits back down to open it.]

text;

[shiro2hero]

Hey, Jean. Got a minute? I need to ask you something about Spooky.

[You know, your Mimikyu who's basically married to Haunter at this point.]

text;

[notvaljean]

sure, what's up?

text AGAIN; march 12th

[shiro2hero]

Hey, head's up. I think I'm going to be heading back out on the road in a day or so.

Want me to swing by? Bring you anything?

text AGAIN; march 12th

[notvaljean]

yeah, could you bring me some of my shirts?
the Sevii island ones
let Blue pick out which ones

I got motor oil on the only one I brought with me