video

[neededlassie]

[The screen flickers on to show a boy who looks like he’s a little bit in a fog. Behind him, a Buizel bounces around happily through the snowdrifts, nearly disappearing only to poke her head up every now and then, her whiskers and fur caked with snow.]

Hello? Is anyone out there? My name is Shaun Mars. There was this lady who called herself my mom, and she gave me a backpack full of food and clothes and stuff, and I sorta...just wanted to know if that had happened to anyone else. And also, if the food was...safe to eat. It’s like rice, and I think there’s fish and vegetables and stuff too, or something.

I think I might've gotten someone else's Pokegear thing. It says it's my birthday today, but my birthday was two days ago.

Comments

[video]

[foolishwren]

<sub>[Okay, Heather pretty much invariably feels sorry for people who show up here during winter. The hike from New Bark to Cherrygrove in the summer is one thing. In the winter? She's surprised more people haven't disappeared entirely and shown up in the spring in a ditch once the snow and ice melt.]

[So yeah, she's wincing when Shaun's video comes up on the network.]</sub>

The food's fine, just make sure not to eat it all at once. It's all you got till you get to Cherrygrove.

[video]

[neededlassie]

[Philadelphia has been buried under a blizzard almost every year since 2007. Shaun is used to the snow.

He's not used to not having a warm house to return to after going outside, but he's used to the snow.]

Okay. Will it last that long? Won't it go bad?

[video]

[foolishwren]

_{[Likewise, Heather is from Maine-- harsh winters are no unusual occurrence for her either, but she's a city kid. Being dumped in the wilderness in the thick of winter sounds horrible.]}

Well... Cherrygrove's only a few days away if you keep a good pace, and it's cold enough that I don't think any of it'd spoil...

[video]

[neededlassie]

[It's better than being stuck in a well for four days in a rainy October.]

Oh. Well I'll be okay, then.

[video]

[foolishwren]

_{[True, well, just about ANYTHING is better than that.]}

Good.

... You seem pretty chill for having just got dumped into the wilderness with just a packed lunch and a pet.

No pun intended or anything.

[video]

[neededlassie]

[Shaun shrugs.]

It's like being in a video game. I used to play Blue all the time at home a couple years ago.

I miss my mom, though. My real mom. She's probably freaking out right now.