02X - Reintro. [Text/Locked Audio to the Rocket Frequency]

[explosivecombat]

[TEXT]

[Well! Those of you on the network today will be greeted by a bit of audio late this morning, from a device ID that's been bouncing back all attempts at contact for the last several weeks.]

...Oh, that's cute.

[...well, if that wasn't the most triumphant return ever, I don't know what is.

At the very least, however, he seems to get over whatever he's almost audibly linefacing at long enough to realize that the device is recording something; he promptly switches the thing over to text - he's never really liked talking at the machine when he's addressing all of Johto.]

My, it seems this place does still have its sense of humor, doesn't it? And here I thought that perhaps I'd only lost three days at worst - it was a bit of a surprise to find out otherwise.

Ah, but that's neither here nor there, is it?

[Kimblee, hon.]

There's not much to report from home, unfortunately; however, it'll be a pleasure getting in contact with all of you again - hopefully you've all been at least reasonably well.

[Oh, well. At least he doesn't seem too off-put by the whole disappearing-for-a-month-and-a-half thing?]


[PRIVATE AUDIO - TEAM ROCKET FREQUENCY]

[...At least, not until the audio message that goes out over the private Rocket network a few minutes later; Kimblee's voice is cold and clipped, and the amiable "tone" from the text earlier is completely absent.

He has no idea if he still holds his rank or not; he suspects he doesn't. Like hell if he won't throw it around anyway. He's a bit displeased at his life basically being a .gif from Community, and he's going to figure out what in the good hell is going on if it kills him.]

This is Team Rocket Beta Solf J Kimblee, reporting back in for duty; to my superiors, I admit that I don't know what happened, but I assure you that it won't happen again.

To the rest of you - check in with me immediately, particularly if you're one of my subordinates. I'm receiving a lot of "ID Not Found" nonsense, and I need to know who's still present; given that and various things that I've had to hear about secondhand, I expect a full report regarding what happened here from someone, I'm not feeling particularly choosy right now.

New members to the organization - welcome to it, and you have my personal apologies for the disarray. For now, you're welcome to introduce yourselves; it'll serve you well to know that I'm good to those who are good to me. Again, prove yourself useful and you'll be rewarded.

None of this is a request. Allow me to make that much clear.

[...oh dear. Well. At least he's not in much position to actually do anything at the moment - this is Team Rocket we're talking about, and if somebody's on the network very vocally overstating their importance and/or competence, that means it's pretty much a day ending in Y.]

Comments

[diamondo]

What, didn't you hear? I'm seventeen. Why do you wanna know?

[explosivecombat]

That's quite an impressive accomplishment for a teenager, for one thing - for another, you sound much older over the device.

[diamondo]

Ah, yeah? I get that a lot, actually... The uh, sounding older part. I mean, not that my accomplishments aren't impressive - I got into Hope's Peak due to 'em!

[A pause. Right, this guy probably doesn't know anything about Hope's Peak since Naegi said people don't...]

Hope's Peak's an elite high school where only the best of the best are accepted for their talents and accomplishments. I'm the Super High-School Level Gang Leader!

[explosivecombat]

[...Super...High School...Level...

snrk

Okay, he is going to try not to sound too amused at this and he's likely going to fail but oh god he's trying so hard over here]

Well, that...certainly does sound interesting...

[c'mon Kimblee you can do this just a couple more sentences]

Is that your official title, at that school of yours?

[you sound like you take it so seriously tho]

[diamondo]

Yeah, it is! What's so weird about that?

[Hey, why are you so amused by his title anyway??]

[explosivecombat]

Mm, nothing, nothing. It's just a bit unusual, that's all.

So this school decided to allow you entrance because you're...just that good at being a gang leader, then.

[This entire thing sounds sort of like the worst comedy sketch he's ever heard. Honestly, he's curious as to what the others got in for, if they're accepting this.]

[diamondo]

Yeah, pretty much! Is that weird or something?

[explosivecombat]

I honestly can't come up with many schools that would think they could do that and still maintain a good reputation, myself.

[diamondo]

Huh, really? Hope's Peak is the best of the best! You're guaranteed to go places if you get in there!

[explosivecombat]

I see.

[No, he really doesn't see. At least he has the tact to refrain from asking where the hell anyone thought the gang leader was going in the first place.]

And are there others from this school here with you, or are you the only lucky person who caught a one-way ticket into Johto?

[diamondo]

Yeah, there are two others here with me! One of 'em arrived around the same time I did and the other arrived earlier than us. I'm not really complaining though; it's pretty awesome to get to live in a video game, right?

[NOT LIKE THERE'S ANY OTHER REASON WHY HE WOULD WANT TO BE HERE, NOPE]

[explosivecombat]

[OH, NOT YOU TOO, HE'S ALREADY DEALING WITH FUCKING WRECK-IT RALPH OVER THERE...]

Ah...if you say so; I hadn't had any experience with video games before being brought here, actually.

Are both of these friends of yours in the organization as well? Perhaps I would like to meet them as well, if that's the case.

[diamondo]

Really? They're just not your thing or what?

[That question gives him pause though. The last thing he needs is anyone trying to get Ishimaru to do more for this organization.]

...They're not in it, no.

[explosivecombat]

A shame, really - apparently we've taken quite a hit, in terms of numbers; we could use some fresh blood. I'm sure we'll be able to put you to good use, however, don't worry about that much.

...as for the games, they didn't exist, where I came from. The technology is completely beyond me, really.

[diamondo]

[He'll just... leave that Team Rocket thing alone for the time being, video games are more interesting.]

Really? So you're from a different time period entirely?

[Well, Ishimaru had said he met some guy from the eighties...]

[explosivecombat]

Ah, yes. Almost -

[...he just realized something. Leto take the wheel.]

Almost 100 years ago, actually; it was 1915 in my world.

[diamondo]

Whoa, no way! That's really cool! What was the world like then, huh? I guess that's kind of a broad question, um... where are you from?

[explosivecombat]

[...good...lord, um.]

Most people here don't seem to have heard of it - it's a country called Amestris. It only seems to exist at all in two versions of the world, and as such only the people from there seem to have heard of it.

I take it you're not familiar with it, either?

[diamondo]

Ah, no, I've never heard of it. That's weird. Is your world a lot different then?

[explosivecombat]

It's very different from this one, though that isn't exactly an uncommon thing, is it? But from what I've heard, it's different from most other worlds, yes.

Where are you from, exactly...? I don't believe you've mentioned it.

[diamondo]

I'm from Japan! Uh, actually that brings up a good point, is the geography in your world the same as ours? I kinda doubt it, since I've never heard of Amestris before.

[explosivecombat]

Japan...I've heard of it, though I don't believe we have that particular nation, either. But that's where Tokyo is, correct? I've heard of London as well - I believe that's in England, if memory serves; I've actually seen pictures of it. With the large clock tower and everything? Those places seem fairly common among the several worlds represented here, at least, though I don't know if they're at all close to each other...ah, and America, also. I've heard of that - Philadelphia, I believe, is the city that was mentioned to me.

But those are all places I've heard of here; we don't have anything like that where I'm from. Amestris is a landlocked nation; we have Drachma to the north, and the annexed region of Ishval to the east - beyond that is the Eastern Desert, and beyond that is Xing. To the south is Aerugo, and we're bordered by Creta to the west.

We're more or less constantly at war with all of them; the borders aren't terribly pleasant places. I've only been outside Amestris' borders once in my life, and that was for business, not pleasure.

[diamondo]

Oh wow, really? That sounds pretty fucking-- err, sorry. That sounds intense. I've never been out of the country, but I've got plenty of time to do that when I get home.

[...............he's never going home.]

So you're from a different world entirely, huh? Is it different from ours? Ah, ours is... pretty much like this but without the magical animals. And more transportation. ...And more roads and shit-- sorry.

[explosivecombat]

In many ways it's far less technologically advanced - for example, we have cars, but they're very expensive, and it's mostly those in the employ of the military that have access to them. I don't know how to drive, and I know relatively few that do; it's strange to me that most people in other worlds are almost expected to know how. Horseback riding isn't uncommon, however, and we still do have something of a cavalry in our military. These...motorcycles you've mentioned are something I've heard of only in passing, from people from this world - I'm unfortunately not familiar with them myself, though I have enough of an idea of what they are to be able to visualize them.

We have trains in Amestris, but they're steam-powered; we have electric power, but some still use gas-lights, and we're not nearly to the point of using electricity for the trains, like they are here. We use mostly coal and steam power, not oil. We don't have any of those...flying things, either - helicopters? Those. I've been in one since being here, but we don't have those where I'm from.

We don't have video games, though the ones here amuse me, and I've had a few described to me from other worlds that seem rather interesting. We do have movies, but no television.

Although I will say that we also have technology that most here have never heard of and seem to consider alarmingly advanced, and we have ways of doing certain things that are far more efficient than anything in this world. So at least there's that.

[diamondo]

Whoa, shit-- sorry, sorry. I can't imagine living like that. But I guess it's what you're used to, so all this probably came as a huge shock!

[He laughs, but settles quickly enough.]

What kinds of technology are you talking about? I mean, it'll probably go right over my head, but it sounds pretty interesting.

[Maybe he'll be able to remember enough to tell Ishimaru at least! ...Oh wait, he doesn't want Ishimaru to know that he was talking with a Beta within the organization.]