[Intro] A Big Arrival

[gianthobo]

[... Listen, AZ is used to drifting places, but this? This is a new one. At least all of his pokemon are with him - including Floette. He lets her out of her ball immediately as soon as he wakes up.]

[His coat is... heavy, but he doesn't change his clothes. He doesn't fit in any of the clothes that he might buy here anyway.]

Turnbloom City

[A shadow might fall over you or your pokemon. Large, imposing... fluffy? Well, that definitely is long white hair poking out from his hat, and the giant man seems to be curious about what's around him. He looks down and takes a step back from whomever he was going to bump into, looking around.]

S... sorry...

[He tugs his hat down a little more to hide his eyes, nervously trying to figure out a route to escape to.]

Route 1

[There's someone by the lighthouse... you might be forgiven for mistaking him for a pokemon, but no - it's just a very large man. He does seem to have an unusual set of pokemon around him - a Torkoal, a Golurk, a Sigilyph, and a... small pokemon that's hard to see until you get close, but it's a strangely-colored Floette.]

[They're sitting at the edge of the cape and he's dangling his legs off the side of the cliffs. His hat is off, so his fluffy hair is on full display.]

Comments

Turnbloom City

[goingallout]

A-Ah it's fine, I wasn't lookin-

Pika!?

[And the moment Ash turns around, he freezes at the sight of GIANT OLD MAN. Congrats AZ you've intimidated a small 10-year old and his fuzzy yellow mouse.]

[gianthobo]

[He's... used to that reaction, and he just waits silently while the pair freaks out. Floette floats down towards head level on Ash, though she sticks close to AZ.]

[He can wait. He has time.]

[goingallout]

[Thankfully Floette's presence is enough to distract Ash from the fact a giant man is towering over this 4'11" tall child. And quickly his expression shifts to curiosity as he stares at AZ's partner.]

Woah, is that a Floette!?

[But then he takes notice of the flower she's holding.]

Huh, that's a pretty strange flower you got there. I don't I've ever seen any other Floette carrying something like that.

[gianthobo]

[He nods at the question and crouches down so he's not looming so much.]

It's... a variety that's... all but extinct. She's very special.

[goingallout]

Extinct...

[Oh... He feels a little sorry for Floette. And in an attempt to make friends with her, Ash opens his palm for Floette to land on. Pikachu gestures Floette to come closer, also wanting to get to know her.]

That means there's not a lot of Floettes with the same kind of flower you're holding, huh? It must've been really lonely knowing that.

Turnbloom City

[red_berry]

Red looks up. And up. That... sure is somebody taller than himself. By a lot, too. Since Red's about two meters tall, he hasn't had to look up at people since he was a kid, so this is new. And... pretty awesome.

"Woah..." he says quietly, looking up with admiration at this stranger. Though on the outside, it probably just looks like mild surprise.

[gianthobo]

"... Hello." Oh, meeting people is always awkward - there's a reason he prefers the wild. He looks down at Red and hesitates a moment, pulling his hat down a bit.

"Are... are you a local... ?" His voice is soft and hesitant - he's still so new to this place.

[red_berry]

"Mm," Red replies to the greeting, not good with words. He looks over AZ, taking in the height, the hair, the way his clothes look like he's been staying in the wild... This guy seems like somebody Red could really relate to.

Red shakes his head in response to the question.

"Red," he says. ...It might not be the best way to introduce himself, but Red feels like AZ is a kindred soul so he thinks he'll understand what Red means.

[gianthobo]

Ah, someone else not good with words. He crouches a bit so he's not looming quite so much.

"AZ. Good to meet you." He's glad that everyone seems to be at least nice, even if he's gotten some stares.

His Floette floats down to look at Red carefully. Hm... "Flo-ette!" Yes, he seems fine.

[red_berry]

Whoa, someone crouching down to talk to him... This is so cool.

Red nods to AZ's self-introduction, but is then distracted by noticing Floette. What kind of a Pokemon is that? A grass-type... or not? The colors seem like a dark-type, but is that it? The most miniscule of frowns appears on Red's face as he looks over Floette, trying to figure this out.

...Or he could just use his Pokedex, he realizes, and digs his Pokedex out. Conicidentally, it happens to be a model of Pokedex used most commonly in Kalos, one Red got about a year ago after his old Kanto Pokedex got too old to keep upgrading. He scans Floette and reads the Pokedex entry. Fairy-type, huh...

Unfortunately, Red's too caught up with Floette to realize ignoring AZ like this is pretty rude.

Turnbloom City

[closedbond]

[X too looked like a magikarp caught of water when he bumped into AZ. His instinct had been to hold his bag close until recognition flashed through his face.]

Mr. AZ...?

[Immediately he's quick to compose himself in front of the man.]

I should be the one to apologize. I should have been more careful about my surroundings.

[gianthobo]

[He pauses and looks down at... well, the one trainer he's actually genuinely glad to see.]

It's... fine. I'm used to... bumping into people. I tend to stick to the wilds for a reason...

[But he doesn't have much here, much less a map.]

[closedbond]

Ah...

[X stared at the towering man before him. Was that where AZ had gone to after their last battle with Floette? There were questions within his mind before he fell quiet for a moment.]

Mr. AZ did you just arrive here...?

[gianthobo]

... Yes.

[He tugs at his hat a little bit and frowns.]

Got a... little information... not much. Have you... been here a while?

[He's getting the sense that this isn't Calem - he speaks a bit differently - but he at least seems to know him so he's not going to correct the boy.]

[closedbond]

[AZ seemed different from what he recalled of the man. Appearance wise, and from the sound of his voice he was very much identical, but... something about him was different.

The way he spoke--his body gestures. Just small things people wouldn't notice normally, that X, unfortunately did. Still, even if he is different from the AZ that helped him and his friends, X found himself not wanting to leave. He did learn about other worlds after all...]

I've been here for... about two weeks now, I think. I...

[What should he say to the man? That's he's sorry? No, that wasn't right... he wasn't good at this like Y was.]

...I've learned some things about this place too. We're far, far away from Kalos.

Turnbloom City

[radleyslittleevie]

"Oh, that's okay!" Evie the Eevee chirps, not intimidated at all by the guy's size. "Hi!"

[gianthobo]

Ah... what? He blinks to be sure he heard correctly, but crouches to get a better look at her.

"... Hello. You... speak human language?"

[radleyslittleevie]

"Yeah! Just here, though. I couldn't back home!" Evie beams up at him.

[gianthobo]

Convenient. He nods and looks around. "Do you have a... trainer?" It might not be safe for a lone Pokemon...

[radleyslittleevie]

"I'm looking for him!" Evie says. "Team Rocket took me away from him long ago. Meanwhile, I'm traveling with Ash!"

route 1

[domeinion]

[We're gonna need to start an Immortals Club at this rate.

Alice doesn't register the team sitting around the lighthouse as unusual, but that's probably because the Masquerain flying beside her has little cannon legs. Tall man, however, gives her pause. She thinks for a second, walks in a circle, and then approaches with a wave.]

Oh, hello! Are you all new around here?

[gianthobo]

[Apparently! AZ calls not it for organizing.]

[He looks up as she calls out, looking surprised.]

Ah... yes. Are you... a local?

[He hasn't gotten a ton of information from them...]

[domeinion]

No, I'm not. We're from somewhere else, like you. I'm Alice Smith, and this is Hyperbug.

[The weird Masquerain waves with a cannon leg.]

But I've done a lot of studying so far, if you need any data!

[gianthobo]

[What a strange Pokemon... but he can't really fault anyone for traveling with strange ones, given Floette.]

Why... are we here? Or is that... not something you have an answer for?

[domeinion]

Unfortunately not. This region appears to be at the epicentre of a spacetime phenomenon drawing people in through the stream from various points in assorted timelines. You might see people you know but find they're simply suspiciously similar counterparts who may or may not have different names and/or only experienced some of the same things, or they might come from the past or the future.