forthevillage | first step -- action / rocket frequency voice

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first step -- action / rocket frequency voice

[Out of uniform and into new clothing, Itachi is finally setting foot outside of the base unmasked. With his Rocket training complete, he has new tasks he's set out for himself. This world still feels ridiculous to him, but it's what he has to work with so he'd best work with it.

Even if he's not wearing the obvious red R on his chest, he's still keeping a hood over his head for reasons that have nothing to do with the organization. There are those here from his own world that he'd rather not know he existed.

He leaves by way of the south road, Route 34. The longer travel time from there to Violet City should provide him with more of a chance to prepare his small team for their first gym battle - a questionable goal that nevertheless seems important as far as opening up further opportunities. He follows the main road, but he doesn't travel straight down it. As he's near such a big city, he couldn't be sure who me might come across along the way.

A lightly worn footpath leads from the road to an open field not too far out of town. This is no doubt due to trainers commonly making their way to the tall grass there in the hopes of catching whatever wanders within it. He begins to take that path himself, but something else nearby distracts him. There's an opening that might have otherwise led into a small patch of trees on his right, but it is being blocked by what appears to be a rather large pokemon. Two children are wandering around its feet, poking at it with sticks, but it seems oblivious.

Quietly, he releases his zubat from its pokeball, sending it to dive at the kids and send them scattering. He wants to see this one for himself.

The creature is sleeping, completely unaware of anything that's happening. To get a better look, Itachi climbs up it, sitting on it's rotund belly as it rises and falls with its breathing. His pokedex is flipped open and he gets a name - snorlax. He also gets its level - slightly higher than both of his. He regrets now that he was lax with his lunatone in order to strengthen the little bat creature (a task that seemed nearly impossible). As lazy as it appears, it also seems potentially useful, and it can't hurt to have a pokemon that actually has a size advantage.

Hopping back down, he attempts to first take the easy method of capture. After all, it's already asleep. Tossing a pokeball at it in this state has no effect, however. That means he'll still have to wake it and weaken it. One would think that these devices would be made stronger in order to make such a thing unnecessary.

Waking it proves more difficult than expected. Not even a booted foot to the creature's head gets it to stir, which leaves him to begin flipping through radio stations, playing them at full blast. This also does nothing until he finally comes across one that seems more like a lullaby than anything. Ironically, this is what causes the pokemon to yawn and blink its eyes open. Taking no chances, Itachi immediately sends his zubat at it.

Despite all recent training, this particular fight is... rather embarrassing. The zubat is about the size of the snorlax's ear, and does about as much damage as you'd think a being that size would do. He does put up a valiant effort, all things considered. He might have even managed to poison the larger beast, but it's hard to tell. The snorlax doesn't react much to it. Before the zubat can be knocked out completely, the ninja returns it to its ball. The lunatone is really what he's counting on, as it has the ability to put the other pokemon to sleep again. The only problem is making sure that it lasts long enough to do so.

Thankfully it's body is mostly stone, so it's able to take a good many of the attacks before Itachi is forced to use one of his few potions to heal it. At the very least, he was right about the snorlax's usefulness. The amount of health it has is incredible when compared to the pokemon he's been training so far.

Considering how sound asleep it was before, one would think that using hypnosis to return it to that state would be fairly easy, but this isn't the case. It takes two failed attempts before it finally takes hold. At this point, Itachi has been tempted to jump in and land a few blows himself, but that seems to be against the rules of this world and he's probably drawing enough attention to himself with this battle as is.

At last he's able to throw a pokeball and have it hold. When the snorlax is safely captured, he sits on the ground with the ball in his hand and just sort of stares at it curiously. He had stopped questioning the physics involved with keeping the animals in containers this small, but with something that size...

He then realizes that he's now going to have to turn around and go right back into town if he wants the free healing provided in one of the centers. It will certainly save him trouble in the long run, especially if he intends to train this new catch as well.

When did his life turn into this?]

[Locked to Team Rocket members]

Those of you who have been in the organization for some time - what do you do to keep your pokemon from being recognized when you're fighting as a civilian?

Has that ever even become necessary?

Threaded | Top-Level Comments Only

[Kato has been working rather hard in the lab all day, and the strange voice message coming over the Rocket filter distracts him - enough to get him to answer it.]

Just have a large team, and don't use the same ones all the time. Quite simple, really. The bigger problem is ensuring you aren't recognized.

[...maybe this is just a problem unique to individuals with stupid hair but whatever]

I see. I had hoped to keep a smaller team so as to provide them with more focus, but that may have been too optimistic of me.

Well, if you focus on the more common Pokemon types, you may be able to escape detection. It all depends on the person who spots you - some are more observant than most, after all.

Honestly, if you aren't stupid about it, you shouldn't have to worry.

[He's fairly certain that the snorlax he intends to use for gym battles wouldn't count as one of the more common types, although his zubat would for sure.]

I may simply consider two individual teams.

... Out of curiosity, how many do you cycle between?

[...you should be 100% fine with a Zubat, yes.]

I don't. My Pokemon are merely tools in my research - anything I do 'outside' Team Rocket doesn't really involve them. I have no interest in competitive battling.

Although you obviously feel differently?

I intend to travel away from Goldenrod, and the bonuses provided by completing gym battles seemed useful to have for that purpose. Otherwise battling competitively doesn't interest me much either.

I'm trying to keep my options open.

[Having spent the past month in Goldenrod, Naruto was honestly beginning to get restless. When not working and doing stuff with his family, Sasuke and Tenten going off to do their thing and Sakura going home, he was more or less left to his own devices.

Which of course, means training and Pokemon hunting! So here he is, out on Route 34. He's actually on the hunt for a Drifloon right now.

At least, that was the intention, anyway. Right now through he seems to be.... yelling?]

Henge! HEEEEENGE!

[On closer inspection, a passer by may find a Zorua tucked up in one of the branches, its mouth holding a trainer hat that used to be on Naruto's head. But from a distance, it looks as though he is just angrily shouting at a tree.]

[Is someone nearby trying to make clones?

This doesn't make any sense, given that their abilities are blocked here. Perhaps the one responsible for the noise is already aware of the futility of it.

He doesn't want to approach anyone, but... it's that head of blond hair. There's something familiar about it. Granted, it should belong on a much smaller head, but...

He find himself stopping to watch, pokeball still in hand, rather than covering his face and moving on as he should.]

[Poor Naruto. The problem is that about half the Pokemon he owns seem to be horrible, awful trolls. At least he has Gama-chan, the Poliotoed that is just sat at the base of the tree, staring at its master.]

Henge! It ain't funny! Fine!

[With a huff, he turns to walk away and instead notices someone on the path. He's a little embarrassed and looks as though he's about to find an excuse to just leave, but the face is.... familiar.]

....Hey.

[Realizing he's allowed himself to be noticed, Itachi curses inwardly and pulls his hood back over his head, turning away to start heading back toward town without a word.

He's met the jinchuuriki in person only briefly and mostly in passing, but he knows about him. It was necessary in his line of work. He shouldn't be any older than his brother, but after finding out about Obito he can't dismiss anything. The face markings are undeniable.]

[Kato just shrugs.]

Fair enough. You wouldn't be the first member of our team to go wandering.

I'd ensure you have a way to return quickly if you're needed, however. The higher-ups don't like it when you, ah...cut class, so to speak.

I suppose it depends; there are enough people with similar creatures around here that I've only found it necessary to conceal them if it's something particularly distinctive, or something that you closely and publicly associate with you. I have a few that I can't use on organization business for that reason.

The other time it may become an issue is if the person you're facing knows you, has a Psychic-type on hand, and is willing to use them to read minds, but at that point you have bigger problems than just your Pokémon, I think.

Really, I just raise separate teams; it keeps everything far simpler.

They might not care where I am as long as I can send back the necessary creatures for my quota.

Hey-- Oi!

[Hang on, he's sure he knows you. You don't look the same, not really, but..

The Pokemon in the tree is forgotten about right now, as he sort of jogs up towards the path.]

Don't I know you?

Yes, I believe that's what I'll be doing - and frankly what I should have planned to do from the start.

I would not feel productive enough simply remaining within headquarters or in uniform.

[No answer. If Naruto recognized his face he might recognize his voice as well. He didn't know how much the blond would know about him in the future.

He quickens his pace.]

Oh, that's a given - I'm talking about the missions.

...or have you not heard about those?

Oh, believe me - very few of us do.

What interests you, if I may?

I know of them. I'm not currently assigned to one.

I thought obtaining the means to train one or two of my pokemon to fly would make taking care of such tasks easier.

Here? I'm not sure yet.

I specialize in combat, but not using animals.

Is that so? Having difficulty getting used to letting the animals do the fighting for you, or is it not an issue?

It seems unnecessary.

[Perhaps less so without his abilities, but he would still consider himself fairly competent on an equal playing field.]

This world is based around unnecessary things; I'm sure you've noticed that much by now. But this much is necessary by nature, really; humans have spent their entire existence as a species coming up with new and creative ways to kill each other - and when we aren't getting creative, we're at least getting more efficient at it.

So give us a world full of magical animals that are capable of maiming people, and it won't be long before someone's going to use those animals to do exactly that; it's a logical progression, as people go.

Hey-- wait!!

[Soon enough, there's a hand camping down on the other guy's shoulder. Trying to stop him so he can step in front.]

Frankly, I'm surprised it isn't something I've heard happening already. These creatures are bred remarkably docile, even the ones in the wild.

The fact that no one considers them a threat makes this world appear to be pulled from a child's picture book.

[At that, Itachi spun back to face him, but not in greeting.

He knocked the hand away, using that same arm to slam a palm toward Naruto's forehead while his foot came down hard toward one of the blond's own.]

Woah, wh-! [The word is cut off when the hand slams into him, and it takes a second for it to dawn that he's being attacked in some way. In fact he's losing his balance, barely able to slide his other foot back at the last minute to stop himself from falling.]

What the hell was that for?!

[Itachi doesn't pause to answer, instead taking the opportunity while Naruto is off-balance to make a dash for the town, hoping to lose himself in the crowd once he gets there.]

[Now he isn't sure at all that he knows the guy because nobody he's met has ever acted like THAT but at the same time he's just acting so WEIRD.

WHAT A WEIRD D-BAG. YEAH.

Also he ends up following a few seconds later, trying to catch up because wow.]

[Itachi is running at full tilt now, especially having seen that Naruto still intends to follow him.

They aren't too far away from the gate into town. Once he's through that, losing him on the streets of Goldenrod shouldn't be too difficult.

He releases his zubat from its pokeball again. It might be tired from its battle still, but it should still be plenty capable of flapping around in the other ninja's face as a means of distraction.]

[He isn't about to give up, still determined to catch up to the guy before being somewhere populated will make it difficult.

And he thinks he is actually going to manage it but then ZUBAT and at first it looks sort of funny, until it is coming for him and no- he's been mauled by enough Pokemon thanks. He takes out one of his own party to release it and help him out here, it sure is a good job he brought you along--

nevermind it's his Shelgon and she probably isn't going to be much help here, so he just settles for trying to dodge bat wings and swat at it before turning his focus back on the town ahead.]

[Do you like your fingers, Naruto? Dokuga sure does. The zubat nibbles on her trainer's digits harmlessly, but for you she'll sink her little fangs in nice and deep.

Itachi, meanwhile, darts behind anyone or anything he can as he goes along in the hopes that the other ninja will lose sight of him. His own pokemon will know where to find him if they lose track of each other.]

[He likes his fingers very much, more so when they aren't being eaten. That does it though- he could try to ignore the annoying flapping in his face but when those fangs sink in it stings and suddenly he's stopping, letting out some sort of half screech, half yell at the guilty pokemon before pushing it away from him and trying to kick it away.

Luckily his own pokemon seemed to have recognised the threat and are making their way along the path but as he looks ahead, he realises he has lost sight of the guy.]

Aww, dammit!

[Task successful, the zubat makes what might be a satisfied (or possibly a mocking) chirp before flying back off after its owner in a roundabout way over the gate.

Perhaps this will even make up for her less than exemplary performance earlier.

Itachi, at this point, is long gone.]

[He gives up for now, opting to go back to the inn and nurse his sore fingers.

He will find you at some point though, mister.]

Oh, I can't argue that. But then, they likely aren't seen as a threat because for some odd reason, they aren't; they only seem to attack humans on their own if they're mistreated, which really isn't a surprise - even the dogs back home had a limit on their tolerance, and dogs seem to have been put on this planet only to demand love from humans and get their spit all over everything.

However, there are humans who will train them into attacking other people, if you know where to look; those would be the ones who know that the fastest way to cripple an army is to take down the commanding officer. There are exceptions to that, of course, but it tends to be more efficient overall.

This organization seems to draw in that sort, doesn't it? It's as though all such thoughts must be hidden behind a mask to exist here, which isn't surprising.

I will need to look more into this world's history. That should help when it comes to understanding the overall mindset of the native populace and why things function as they do. There are enough books on the animals, so there's sure to be some of that mixed among them.

That seems a decent place to start, really.

Good luck in your research.

Hm.

...And thank you for your helpful response.

[Seeing as he didn't immediately poke fun at him.]

Oh, you know about Fly, do you? That should help.

[...well, sort of-]

Out of curiosity - what level are your Pokemon?

Twenty and below. I've told you I haven't been here long.

[His lunatone might be higher if he hadn't been focusing so much on that damn zubat.]

I don't expect to take on anyone as they are, but I might as well train them further on the way.

Threaded | Top-Level Comments Only

first step -- action / rocket frequency voice

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