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[made_up_names]

[ Hey look, it's another teenager! A totally and completely normal teenager that has managed to scrounge up some clothes that aren't just whatever the hell he was wearing under his suit. Looks like a hoodie and some kind of shirt that looks like it might be nerdy? He tried for a nerdy aesthetic, anyway, which is hard when he doesn't even know what nerd culture looks like here. He's seated outside in Nova City somewhere, trying to figure out what to do next.

Anyway. He. Waves awkwardly? ]

Hey, um. I'd ask if people really just introduce themselves online like this without making it like "Welcome to My Star Wars Vlog And/Or Podcast" but I went back and looked at a bunch of posts and I guess that's exactly what it is? Which is cool. But weird? I'm weirded out.

[ Focus, Peter. Maybe breathe a little. He looks incredibly awkward, which is still only 50% of the Awkward Peter Parker Experience. ]

Anyway, I'm Peter Parker! I just got here like. A couple hours ago? And I have one really super important question.

[ Pause. Try not to look too excited. Look incredibly excited. ]

Did I see something about Pokémon? Like, actual physical Pokémon? Is that real or is this some super convincing AR thing? Because I'm down with both but if it's the first kind I am literally going to explode.

Comments

[made_up_names]

Yeah, for sure. We gotta swap stories. You're like the only teenage superhero I've ever met.

[ It's hard being the baby of the MCU okay. No fun at all. He brightens after a moment. ]

Oh man, me too. I scared the hell out of my aunt and uncle. How many dishes did you break?

[hibana_incursa]

An embarrassing number. And drums. Accidentally banged a hole through one during practice. And drum sticks get expensive. That was a whole other learning experience, there. Having to relearn how to play the drums? But, I will say I’m glad for the boost in dancing stamina.

[ Not that her energy for dancing was bad? But it’s nice to be able to go for a lot longer than she’d been able to before. Not to mention her agility is improved. ]

That sounds like it could be entertaining.

[made_up_names]

You play the drums? And you dance?

[ She's already like 1000% cooler than Peter. Too bad his natural coolness level is 0. ]

I'm just a nerd. I did nerd things, like play the flute and build robots out of garbage.

[hibana_incursa]

I've danced since I was three. Played drums since around five-ish? And I'm kind of a graffiti artist, too, but...not anywhere I shouldn't be spraying graffiti. Plus, I suck.

[ She doesn't. She's just being humble or something. ]

Hey, I like nerds. They're some of the best people.

[made_up_names]

[ She's not exactly convincing him that she's any less cool there, okay. ]

All of those things sound awesome. Maybe you can use that stuff for work if they don't make us go to school here.

[hibana_incursa]

I did have someone tell me to seek out the talent agency.

[ A shrug. It's a thought, right? She looks very Unsure, but she's going to give it a shot. ]

[made_up_names]

Why not? What's the worst that could happen?

[hibana_incursa]

I'll check them out tomorrow. In the mean time, I really want to see where I'm supposed to be living. That, and see about getting a Pokemon.

[made_up_names]

[ Oh yeah. Peter's face lights up instantly as he pulls out his phone. ]

I got the address for the Pokémon lab. We're going there first, right?

[ Because priorities. ]

[hibana_incursa]

You did not.

[ That's not disbelief. That's the kind of thing someone says when they absolutely can believe it, but are too shocked to process it. ]

Where? Let's get that taken care of first.

[ Because best priorities. Clearly. ]

[made_up_names]

[ He waggles his phone. ]

Don't underestimate me. I had to do a lot of research but I figured it out.

[ AKA he just like. Asked someone. ]

[hibana_incursa]

I'm sure you did.

[ That's disbelief. It's teasing, but it's disbelief. ]

Okay so...my apartment is somewhere in Nova City? Where's yours? And where is this place we're headed to to make our childhood dreams come true?

[made_up_names]

[ Rude in the extreme, Gwen. Also he looks back down at his phone. ]

Uh ... Genessia City. Some place called the Matisse? Sounds too fancy to be real.

[ He's also gonna start walking in the direction of the Pokémon lab. Wherever they are, it's not too far. ]

[hibana_incursa]

Yeah, it kinda does.

[ She's gonna follow, checking her own phone for where she lives. ]

Eden's Castle? I'm not sure what to make of that, honestly.

[made_up_names]

[ Yeah uh. Peter wrinkles his nose. ]

Sounds like a supervillain lair.

[hibana_incursa]

If it is a lair, I’m aiming for homelessness. I don’t wanna live with super villains. That’s counterproductive.

[ it also sounds like the name of a strip club but she’s not mentioning that. ]

[made_up_names]

Ditto. I've been homeless before, so I've at least got experience with it?

[ Thanks Gwen, he appreciates that. ]

[hibana_incursa]

Homeless with Pokemon. It's not a bad life, if you think about it.

[ She's not at all against not living in a villains lair. ]

[made_up_names]

I've definitely had worse.

[ And here's the lab so. He's trying not to look giddy but oh my god. ]

[hibana_incursa]

Okay. Okay, here's how we're going to do this. We're going to go in separately and when we both have our Pokemon, we meet out here and show them to the other person. No peeking until we get back here. Cool?

[ Listen, she's just as excited, too. It's fine. Everything is fine. She's just gonna try to step casually towards the door...and then fail as she breaks out into a run to just get inside. Sorry. So sorry. It's awesome. Everything is awesome and there's a short, blonde girl ducking and dodging through the crowd, using both her dance skills and her Spider agility to make it through safely.

So much for casual. ]

[made_up_names]

Cool. Okay. I'm on it.

[ And okay, if you're using spidey agility, he's gonna subtly find a spot where he can hop over a wall and find an alternate way in. It's very important, okay. He needs to be a Pokémon master. ]

[hibana_incursa]

[ Gwen is still trying to hide her Spidey-ness from people, so it didn't occur to her to cheat like Peter.

Because that's Cheating. Still, when she gets inside and finds him already there? She can't help but laugh.

And really, the procedure to get a Pokemon takes less than a half hour. It's choose your new friend, here's your information and all this cool stuff! And Gwen's heading back outside, holding the Pokeball containing her Pokemon in her hands as she looks around for Peter. She's practically buzzing. Her Pokemon is cute as shit. Where's her best friend? She needs to shove this guy in his face to show how damn awesome it is. ]

[made_up_names]

[ He just sort of gives her a shrug and a grin from across the room.

Anyway. When she comes back out, he's there waiting for her, his own pokeball also in his hands. He's admiring it at the moment, just. Awed by having an actual real pokeball in his hands, not to mention the creature inside. He's so excited he might die. ]

-- Did you get one?

[hibana_incursa]

No, I grabbed an empty ball and ran away.

[ The tone isn't mocking. It's serious. As is the look on her face. Totally what she did. Yep.

Just kidding. She can't maintain that straight face for too long, a grin appearing on her face within a few seconds. ]

Yeah, I got one. On three? You count us down?

[made_up_names]

Classic move. I'd do the same.

[ But yeah, okay, enough teasing. He wants to see. ]

You got it. One, two ...