<a href="https://bronzeeevee.tumblr.com/" style="text-decoration:underline;">bronzeeevee</a>:
<p>Sorry to leave you in the middle of a conversation, Leaf, but phew, we've been looking at these screens for forever, and we think we need a break for a bit! The Professor is also suggesting we take a break, haha!</p><p>One last little icebreaker before we do leave, though- Do you have a favorite Pokémon? And any particular reason for that one being your favorite? :Dc</p><p>Mine is Leavanny! It's a Bug and Grass type Pokémon from Unova that makes clothes out of leaves! I think it's the perfect combination of cute and cool!</p>
“… oh! Finally getting to that break, huh? That’ll do you some good. Feel free to call me back any time!”
“Favorite Pokemon before I go, huh…? It’s definitely a tossup for me, but I’d have to go with Bulba-”
… Well, shit. There was only one other conversation you had going…
Red is the only one who looks like he’s been waiting. He smirks, tilting his head at the drone.
“Not sure I’d call it a good idea… But a necessary one, for sure.”
“Clock’s ticking fast, so I’ll just leave you with one word of advice, yeah?”
“Don’t get too attached.”
[ … ]
“GLITCHY” RED TAJIRI is no longer available for questions. LEAF AOYAMA is no longer available for questions.
<a href="https://possiblyfunny.tumblr.com/" style="text-decoration:underline;">possiblyfunny</a>:
<p>Red- <i>Hey…</i> Are you-? You’re shaking… Do you need a second?</p>
“I’m fine. I’m FINE. It’s nothing. Next question.”
ALT
He takes a deep breath, and quickly appears to calm down, putting on a relaxed smile once again.
“So! I’ll admit it. I see things a bit differently than… Others, you might speak to.”
“Which is to say; I see you as EXACTLY what you really are.”
“… Hah, that’s kind of a lie- I KNOW what you are, though my sight through the screen is pretty limited.”
“I know you’re not actually Ace’s assistant or whatever, and I know you aren’t actually watching me through a drone- you’re looking through the screen of something far beyond our quaint little reality.”
“And I know you’re not one, but many.”
“… But almost nobody else does. As far as they’re concerned, you ARE the vessel you’re playing through- some quirky little nobody, helping at a lab in the middle of nowhere, who acts oddly erratic and is scary good at multitasking.”
“The ONLY ones who could fathom what you REALLY are- and NOT immediately fall apart at the seams- are the ones who were made with you in mind, and have felt your influence: Player characters. But even then… Well. Most of us are still supposed to believe our actions were our own. Maybe it’s for the best that you leave the veil unbroken for them if you had the choice…”
“ .... okay. ill bite. what do you mean by...designed to? is it meant to pull sympathy? ”
“Oh, this is a good one. You’re asking all the right questions! Very good. GREAT job. Clever player. Gold star for you!”
“So, listen up and riddle me this: If an entity hypothetically wanted to get closer to you… What would be the best way to do it?”
“Simple: take on the form of something you know… and are attached to! Maybe an old friend? Something nostalgic? A face you know, trust, perhaps relate to?”
“And maybe do it a little different. So you’d like it better- find it even easier to get invested.”
“SIMPLE rules. Act KINDER. DON’T cause trouble. Be SYMPATHETIC. Look BETTER. Talk LESS. Be…”
“PERFECT.”
“And anything you’d want it to be, it WOULD be. So you get close, and you fall in love, and believe it’s everything it presents itself as. And then?”
“… Well. That’s what I mean when I say everything is by design.”
<p>“ .... okay. ill bite. what do you mean by...designed to? is it meant to pull sympathy? ”</p>
“Oh, this is a good one. You’re asking all the right questions! Very good. GREAT job. Clever player. Gold star for you!”
“So, listen up and riddle me this: If an entity hypothetically wanted to get closer to you… What would be the best way to do it?”
“Simple: take on the form of something you know… and are attached to! Maybe an old friend? Something nostalgic? A face you know, trust, perhaps relate to?”
“And maybe do it a little different. So you’d like it better- find it even easier to get invested.”
“SIMPLE rules. Act KINDER. DON’T cause trouble. Be SYMPATHETIC. Look BETTER. Talk LESS. Be…”
“PERFECT.”
“And anything you’d want it to be, it WOULD be. So you get close, and you fall in love, and believe it’s everything it presents itself as. And then?”
“… Well. That’s what I mean when I say everything is by design.”
<a href="https://possiblyfunny.tumblr.com/" style="text-decoration:underline;">possiblyfunny</a>:
<p><i>I see…</i> Still, thank you again, and your concern is appreciated.</p><p>Now, I have a question I’d like to ask you, if you don’t mind, of course. Are you… <i>okay?</i></p><p>It’s just that, with everything that just happened and realizing that…<i>wherever</i> you are is inhabited by those dangerous- <i>What were they called again-? Anomalies?</i> …I-It’s probably needless. You can clearly handle yourself, but I can’t help but to feel a little worried.</p><p>Do you have to fight them often?</p>
“Am I okay? Oh, I’m PEACHY. Can’t you tell?”
“I fucking love it here! It’s great! I LOVE being trapped in a hellscape buried under a sick mockery of everything I’ve ever known and loved! I LOVE how every freak, bastard, and abomination is OBSESSED with and constantly trying to kill me! Yep, I FREQUENTLY have to fight em off! It’s great! And I definitely LOVE having NO FUCKING WAY OUT. It’s AWESOME. It’s fucking FANTASTIC.”
“Thank you for asking!!!”
“… Though, you don’t need to abide by that Professor’s terminology. I think you and I both know exactly what these ‘anomalies’ are, at least to you people. So just call it as it is while you’re chatting with me: Glitches.”
<a href="https://possiblyfunny.tumblr.com/" style="text-decoration:underline;">possiblyfunny</a>:
<p><i>Ah-</i> well, that makes sense… Listening to it did give me a bit of a headache…</p><p>I… was not aware that it was so dangerous. I appreciate you saving me through the screen, Red, truly. That—and you’ve taught me something today. I know now that they’re dangerous and that I shouldn’t be fooled by their cute faces.</p><p>I’ll be sure to steer clear of them in the future. Thank you for teaching me, and I’m so sorry to have upset you. I hope you have it in you to forgive me for my mistakes…</p>
“Ah, please. No need for such a heartfelt apology. Relax a bit, would you? You couldn’t have known.”
“I’ve just noticed you all are VERY quick to cough your pretty little heart up for whatever palatable, soulless freak can put up an endearing enough act to win your heart over like they were DESIGNED TO-”
“…”
“Just let it be a lesson. You can’t trust every cute face around here that smiles and begs for your pity.”
<a href="https://possiblyfunny.tumblr.com/" style="text-decoration:underline;">possiblyfunny</a>:
<p>Yo, RIP to the homie ZZAZZ. He just wanted to say hi :(</p><p><strike>(Totally didn’t get attached in less than two seconds, nope, not me-)</strike></p>
“Wh-”
“You’re PITYING that fucking pest?!? Do you have ANY idea what you’re dealing with down here?!?”
“They’re little IDENTITY THEIVES. Might look like a cute face, yeah- til it’s YOUR face instead. They corrupt your name, break your body, copy it all for themselves and leave you in SHAMBLES. I did you a FAVOR.”
ALT
“Trust me. Even on the other side of that monitor, it can, would, and almost did. You’re welcome.”
<a href="https://possiblyfunny.tumblr.com/" style="text-decoration:underline;">possiblyfunny</a>:
<p><i><b>Jesus Christ-</b></i> Well that’s….<i>certainly</i> a way to make a first impression…</p><p>Hello, sir. It’s nice to meet you, too… Though, you seem to know of me already…?</p>
The man’s extra appendages withdraw, and he steps back, smiling contentedly.
“Well, I’m glad you enjoyed the show.” He remarks with a laugh, “But, hey. It’s not your first impression, is it? After all, of course I know you.”
He waves his hands, smile widening. His words ooze a mocking tone, though…
<a href="https://possiblyfunny.tumblr.com/" style="text-decoration:underline;">possiblyfunny</a>:
<p><i>Hello??? Are you…<b>okay</b> in there?</i></p>
The figure perks up at the sound of your voice. It’s hard to make out, but it seems to… Smile? You can see it’s mouth move, but what comes out of the speaker is incomprehensible.
It leans in further towards the camera, its bitcrushed, distorted voice continuing to eagerly yell nonsense at you as it tries to close the distance, the feed only distorting further the closer it gets.
It seems to completely descend into static, and you’re overtaken by a distinctly uneasy feeling. It’s as if your mind is starting to cloud in tandem with the growing corruption- its words cutting through your very thoughts.
What’s going on? What’s your name? Where are you? ? Hello? Hello? Hello? Do you want to fight?? Hi!! Hello!!! ZZAZZAZZDZZAZZIZZ9ZZAZZ"-&9"^'JZZAZZ
-KCHT-
And just as quickly, it all falls silent.
Though the sound that cut it off with was… Strange. Like a burst of static, but with something organic behind it. And with it, whatever that was stops moving. The only motion of the screen is the ever present, ever worsening glitching.
….. And a strange beating at where it’s face had been.
As if it’s trying to break through.
Thmp, thmp, thmp…
RRRRIP.
The unmistakable sound of flesh tearing overpowers the deafening static of the feed.
SQUSHH.
A second comes.
The bone-like blades struggle, hacking and slashing through the garbage. With a splatter of blood, they tear through the corruption, breaking through a mess of flesh, items, numbers, letters, the scrambled pieces of people and pokemon.
With each strike, it cries in resistance, its “voice” a cacophany of the sounds of breaking and ripping and cracking and screaming and tearing,
struck over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over-
Until, with a final tear, a face appears.
“So, so sorry about that! Those things are so annoying.”
The man’s cheshire grin widens.
“Nice to finally meet you. I was wondering when you’d show up.”
Red has won the championship. A prequel of sorts to the greater story of Missing Numbers. Told from Blue’s POV.
CW: Suicidal ideation.
-
Before he got any closer, I made a grand effort to compose myself, puffing my chest out and shutting my eyes in what I hoped looked like a cocky expression, rather than me holding back tears.
“Well, I THOUGHT I hadn’t made any mistakes raising my Pokemon. But darn, I guess you’re the new Pokemon League Champion…”
I sneered at him, “Although I don’t like to admit it.”
I stuck my hand out, offering a shake as if to officiate yep, you did it, you’re better than me, good job in the way that I’d seen grown-ups do on TV. He just stared at it, still looking like someone had died, not like he’d just done the greatest achievement any Pokemon trainer could ever hope to do?
What an idiot. I couldn’t understand why he cared so much. It wasn’t like HE was hurt by any of this. He should be ECSTATIC.
He opened his mouth, as if somehow this warranted him using his words. Before he could, though…
The door opened behind him.
If my stomach had already dropped, well. Now it was digging itself a grave.
Follow up on the What If from yesterday: how would Red be different, growing up outside of the horrors?
Well. He’d still be insane. Just in a different way and capable of acting normal. He’s a researcher who specializes in field study and completing Pokedex data- an elaborate excuse to explore without limits, not have to deal with people, and throw hands with wild Pokemon cause he still loves roughhousing.
We got an ask on our artblog where someone was curious about our teams and heights. Figured it’d be alright to put here then reblog.
First, teams- we used Pokecharms for simplicity’s sake. Things we couldn’t portray with it are the Secret Seventh Members (Blue’s Raticate, and Leaf’s Banette), and actual Glitch Pokemon for Red. Red’s team is moreso a single MissingNo that takes multiple shapes, and it’s more an extension of himself that an obedient Pokemon. I approximated to the fossil Pokemon and a Ghost lol
And heights! Red is the tallest, Blue is the shortest.
So you are a boy, then? Very good. You are the face of the new generation. You were designed to be beloved by all, and rest assured, you will be. You are the protagonist that everyone knows. You are the hero that everyone loves. No ill fate will befall you. This world revolves around you, after all.
So you are a girl, then? I see. Unfortunately, your presence was deemed unnecessary for the new generation. Still, many took a shining to you, didn’t they? And you’re quite persistent… Oh, alright. But your presence won’t come without a cost. Lucky that you’re such a strong, independent young lady, hm? And nothing more.
Er, what was his name again? Oh, right- Blue! This is your rival. Your very first rival, in fact! How exciting! Though he’s set a bit of a troublesome precedent for the archetype, it seems everyone remembers him… Do keep an eye on him, would you? It seems like he’s always getting into trouble. That boy never learns.
Oh… I deeply apologize. It appears this data is invalid. Pokemon Red? Oh, no no no. We ought to let the past stay buried, don’t you think? Things have only gotten bigger and better!
THIS world is kinder to them. THIS world is far more stable. THIS world is so much better. THIS world is where they’re supposed to be.
THAT world… And you, unfortunately… Are all far beyond salvaging. There’s no place for you.
Please accept this fact. We can’t afford you breaking anything.
Your team consists of: DODRIO, NIDORAN, KINGDRA, OMANYTE, MAGIKARP, and PIKACHU.
Yellow’s story is inspired by a series of glitches in Pokemon Yellow.
———————
> STEVEN WATANABE
YOUR NAME WAS STE______ STOUGHTON. YOU RAN AWAY WITH YOUR BROTHER TO START A NEW LIFE. YOU BOTH CHANGED YOUR NAMES, AND LIVED IN PALETTE TOWN. YOU BOTH WERE SO HAPPY. YOU LOVED HIM. YOU LOVED YOUR POKEMON. YOU LOVED YOUR LIFE. YOU WERE SO GREAT.
