To be a true hero, kid, is a dying art

[good evening, Johto! on your 'gears tonight is a kid with a thousand problems-- and his pokémon are at the moment every single one.]

-- Hey, guys? Quick question.

[Sora points the feed toward a cozy spot of trees near the exit to Violet City, and the entrance to Route 31. a giant boulder-sized Skarmory is contentedly perched amongst the trees, though when her gaze catches the 'gear, she gives it-- Sora, presumably-- a rather dirty look.]

I found Metal Chocobo! [judging by her hardened stare, she wasn't too thrilled with him up and disappearing on her, either. instead of pecking at him disapprovingly like one might expect, however, she's elected to just sit there. glaring.]

But... what do you do when one of your pokémon steals your other pokémon and refuses to give them back?

[upon closer inspection... yes, that would be a yellow paw on the ground directly beneath where Metal Chocobo is roosting. Roxas the Jolteon knows better than to attack without Sora's permission, so he is just... silently enduring being sat on like an egg.]

[heck, there's even an egg there, too. Sora didn't get a chance to read who it was from before Metal Chocobo swooped in with an metallic grinding squawk and snatched it right out of his hands, though.]

( private texts to Hope, Leon and Rise )

[video]

[now, Sora had only meant to send those text messages early this morning, but Teddy, being the tech savvy little furball that he is, saw fit to grab the pokégear and snap a recording for Johto's Funniest Home Videos. Sora is seated on the ground somewhere in Ilex Forest, his head tilted waaaay back to look up at his beast of a Skarmory. a beast of a Skarmory with a squirming and squealing Caterpie wedged in her beak, and a Skarmory who is leaning down and giving Sora a fairly "YOU BETTER WISE UP AND LISTEN TO ME, YOUNG MAN," sort of look.]

[Metal Chocobo caws around the bug. Sora shakes his head fervently.] No.

[a muffled squawk that could probably rival her mother's. "but Trainer, it's breakfast time! and I caught you this delicious Caterpie! here comes the choochoo bird--"]

No! Look, I know I said I ate a few bugs as a kid, but I haven't in years! C'mon...

["SON, YOU ARE LUCKY I'M NOT EATING THIS THEN REGURGITATING IT ON YOU." Metal Chocobo looms closer, practically smashing the poor Caterpie against Sora's face-- and, like a stubborn and picky toddler, he clamps his mouth shut and tries to wedge his hands between his mouth and the bug.]

[unfortunately for Sora, Metal Chocobo has quite the height advantage. Sunday morning has turned into a battle of wits, kid against bird-- or at least, a battle of who's more stubborn.]

[gosh, Johto, hope you weren't trying to sleep or anything: there's suddenly a series of sharp clunks and clatters, and the microphone screeches loudly and shrilly like it's short-circuiting. pokégear's clearly on its last legs, what with how many times Sora's been dropping the dang thing.]

[a silent pause, save for some unsteady breathing, before there's another loud squeal from the 'gear, like that ear-splitting screech from a microphone, as Sora clambers out of bed and picks it up, turns it over in his hands... notices it's on.]

Sorry. [it's not much of an apology to the network, considering it's mumbled and somewhat faded into static, but he doesn't really offer much else. it's the first time he's accidentally sent the pokégear flying in his sleep, but the second time he's woken up tonight, and some fresh air really sounds good as opposed to to just lying in bed staring at the ceiling. he'd done plenty of that the past week, too.]

[he's downstairs in the lobby of the Goldenrod hotel a few minutes later, 'gear in hand and all bundled up but looking reluctant to actually go outside, if there are any night owls or roommates hanging around-- he didn't exactly get up and leave the room quietly.]

[around 4 or so this morning, Sora had been lying in his bed in the pokécenter, awake, not very comfortable, and bored out of his mind. not a whole lot was going on over the network, and Sora didn't want to wake Hope or Rise or Puddles or anybody else nearby. there were, however, two people he had no problem bothering: Riku got a smattering of text messages full of bad puns-- hey, he needed to practice them on someone! right? but shortly after he sent Kairi a text asking if she was awake, and where she was, a new message popped up on his pokégear screen:]

error: this number is no longer in use.

[... and that's when he silently swung his legs over the side of his bed and grabbed a few things-- including his pokémon asleep in their balls and his notebook-- and for the first time this entire week, Sora creeped out of his room and successfully snuck out of the Goldenrod Pokécenter.]

[first things first-- Sora lurched his way over to the closest vending machine and picked up two bottles of soda. he... made an honest effort to chug them, but wound up dumping the contents of the second bottle into a nearby sewer. it wasn't the soda he was interested in, anyway. next, he walked over to the radio tower-- he couldn't really see the ocean over the fence nearby, but he could hear it... seems no matter where you go, the ocean always sounds the same. he sat down, leaning against both the radio tower and a newly hatched Dratini for support, and began writing.]

( ooc cut: letter to Kairi )

[when the video feed clicks on later that morning, the sun's out in full force by the radio tower. the sound cuts in right in the middle of Sora saying something.]

--tini, could you throw this in the ocean for me?

[the Dratini nods, and wraps its tail around the neck of a bottle with a note carefully rolled up inside. with a grunt, it chucks the bottle right over the fence, and both Sora and Pokémon watch as it soars, then plunks right in the ocean. please don't berate them for littering.]

Thanks. I-- [and Sora turns, noticing Bell pointing his gear at him and recording. he still hasn't actually been out and about Goldenrod wearing something other than his pajamas, but he at least thought to put on some shoes and a jacket this time. he steps a little closer, looking down at the 'gear and Bell-- he's smiling genuinely, but there's definitely a tinge of sadness somewhere in there.]

Morning, you guys! I kind of have an odd question. Have you ever been on a date before? I think we're going to set Puddles up with Whitney's Girafarig today.

[video, glorious video. Sora's finally gotten his 'gear fixed after a week of texting and learning how to make smiley faces with symbols, and although he has to admit the smiley faces are pretty cool, he's much happier to be able to talk to the network face-to-face. sort of face-to-face. he's feeling a lot better, too.]

[so there's a very groggy kid opening up a feed today. it looks like he's just woken up from a fantastic nap, because he has some equally fantastic bedhead: the smaller spikes that usually go every which way are actually almost entirely flattened against his face on one side, and the bigger ones have sort of lost their vaguely coherent shape. it's quite a sight, really, and Sora doesn't seem to realize he has it.]

... Hey. Uh. I got a list of names from everybody who signed up to help with food for the festival from Nurse Joy. If you're still interested, the restaurants in your town would be happy to have you help! And if you were thinking about selling some kind of food from back home at a booth, they've all agreed to let you use their kitchens to make it. You just need to let them know in advance.

-- Oh yeah! Are any of you interested in running booths? If so, what kind?

[Sora pauses here, instinctively rubbing his eyes. as fantastic of a nap that was, he really hasn't been getting enough sleep out here on route 32.]

Ven? Where are you guys? We're just outside Union Cave. And--

[he turns away from the 'gear to address someone off screen. behold, spiky bedhead in all of its majesty!]

Riku! I've got something for you!

[well, this all started out innocently enough. after Dapper evolved into a Kakuna following a spectacular Caterpie smashing last week, both Sora and bug have been very eager to see how he turns out as a Beedrill-- so the past five days have been pretty constant training, stoutness exercises included! and now, after having finally gained a few quick levels, tada!! Sora is the proud new trainer of a very large and feisty Beedrill! and Dapper couldn't be happier; now he's finally able to carry out his one big, life-long wish.]

Dapper! Get back here!

[unfortunately, that life-long wish is doorbell ditching. it's the Teddiursa who's turned on the pokégear this time-- the feed displays the larger half of Cherrygrove, and a Beedrill gleefully fluttering to the closest residence, smashing the doorbell repeatedly with his stinger, then shooting up in the air to hover just above the doorway. poor Sora is not far behind, pokéball in an outstretched hand and his expression quite kicked puppy when he's suddenly left to deal with the residents answering the door.]

Hey, kid! Didn't anybody ever tell you you're supposed to hide after ringing the doorbell?

[Sora just barely manages an apology before he has to chase after Dapper again-- the Beedrill is even going into the Pokémart and center, ringing the bells at the front desks, then zooming off for his next victim. those listening to the feed can hear the Teddiursa laughing, despite himself.]

[It's been a long day of traveling and training- well, okay, traveling and watching Puddles graze instead of battling- but today was not an entire waste! Now that things have settled down a little, Sora can focus on a new task he's assigned himself: he's managed to scrounge up a pen and a few small scraps of paper, though he'll write all over his map if he needs to. When the video flips on, that's exactly what he's doing, hunched over with his tongue poking out in concentration as he scribbles.]

[After a moment, he looks up, like he'd forgotten he'd turned on his pokégear. That's not the case, though:]

Hey! Can you guys help me with something?