second train → ...literally a train (days 2-7)

[infinitefrown]

[So lately there have been a bunch of crazy body changes the poor people of Luceti have had to go through. Ingo is no exception, but even after being turned into a Pokémon yesterday, he definitely wasn't expecting this.

SUDDENLY, SUBWAY SYSTEM.

There's a new set of stairs near the fountain that descend underground. The sign beside it helpfully spells out LUCETI SUBWAY. Elsewhere in the enclosure, similar staircases can be found, or the subway simply emerges from underground at the end of its path (such as the one near the beach).

Going down the stairs near the fountain reveals a rounded room with a number of platforms like this. The maps inside depict where each subway line goes. Most of the subway lines are pretty normal, but there's one that just goes in a circle labled "BATTLE LINE." There's an instruction sign on its platform explaining that it's a Pokémon battling line, and if you board you will be expected to specify your battle type and face 20 hologrammed trainers before reaching the SUBWAY BOSS(a hologrammed Ingo and/or his brother). GOOD LUCK CHALLENGERS.

Yep, other than that and the suspiciously Ingo-sounding intercom, it seems like a totally normal subway!

...Except one more thing.



Why do the trains have sideburns?!]



[Feel free to use the subway as you please! Tag in traveling groups, run into each other on the cars, or strike up a conversation with intercom-Ingo, whatever works. There can be stations wherever, and they can be underground/aboveground, either is fine! YEAH.]

Comments

Day 4

[mischiefbreeder]

[Duuuuuuude, Silver, there's a subway in Luceti.

You know what he's thinking, of course. ...No really, you do, it's showing in his thought bubble. But it's incredibly obvious, since he's sprinting down that staircase without even a word.]

[tsuntrader]

[He doesn't even need to look at Gold's thought bubble. Their thought bubbles are completely in sync here. Silver's leaping right down that staircase without being prompted. Battle battle battle battle battle.]

[infinitefrown]

[Down in the station, the train in question is quietly waiting! As they approach, its front-screen pauses flashing "BATTLE LINE: SINGLE, DOUBLE, MULTI," then switches exclusively to "BATTLE LINE: MULTI CHALLENGE." It seems to be aware of its surroundings, huh...]

[mischiefbreeder]

[Okay, that prompts one question and one question only.]

...What's a Multi Challenge?

[tsuntrader]

Multi Challenge?... [Oh. Oh.]

Maybe multi battle is two trainers in a double battle. [A single battle is one trainer, one Pokémon, a double battle is one trainer, two Pokémon... Yeah, that makes sense.]

[infinitefrown]

[Ayup. Good Silver, he can count on you to figure stuff out even without reading signs.

SLIDING THE DOORS OPEN]

[mischiefbreeder]

Makes sense.

[Whoa, shit, man, those doors just opened even though they're not near them yet. Guess we should go, huh? Right, let's go inside.]

[tsuntrader]

[Don't need to tell him twice. He is so heading right into this train.]

Day...5! Why not!

[mythmaker]

My, my, what a strange place...hello? Sanji?

[Hmm. This isn't the restaurant. She could have sworn it was somewhere around here.]

What's all this...?

[infinitefrown]

[Very good, very good. The doors close behind them, but the train doesn't take off quite yet. The intercom does come on, however.]

You will use two Pokémon each against your opponents. If your Pokémon uses a consumable item, the item will be returned to you after the battle. If you defeat your opponent, you will progress to the next car to continue your challenge. Breaks are permitted after every seventh battle; you may come and go as you please, then. When you reach the last car, you will be challenged by the Subway Bosses.

Please prepare yourselves while the hologram program starts up. Thank you.

[That sounds kind of familiar.]

Day 5 it is!

[infinitefrown]

[Ah... goodness. Someone's lost? Well-- he did just kind of show up like this a few days ago, so it's a kinda drastic change in scenery.

Hopefully responding to her won't be too weird, considering he's a machine right now. He'll speak up, then, from the speakers on the car:]

This is a subway, Miss. Public transportation. [...] The Malnosso's shifts put it in place only a short while ago.

[It's really weird to talk about yourself like a machine, but... it would be weirder to say "I"...]

/sliding in here, doo dee doo

[accepted]

W-What's a subway?!

[There are noises and things and what is going on. Azu-mom halp. He'll just wrap his arms around her legs as this subway thing talks. This is weeeiiirrrd.]

... Do we have to go on it? [Since this isn't the restaurant. And it's kinda scary.]

Day 4

[findafamily]

[De-aged Firo hasn't been in Luceti long (or so he thinks), so he doesn't find anything strange about the appearance of the subway. He is curios, though, so he follows the stairs down to the platform.

He studies the sign, mumbling aloud to himself.]

"Battle line"? What's that..?

[Whatever it is, it sounds really cool. The trains back home definitely didn't have that!]

[infinitefrown]

[Oh, a little boy... and by the looks of it, not a Trainer. Well, that's okay! If he's curious, he's welcome to try!

Speaking to him from this distance might be a little weird, though, so Ingo will wait patiently for the boy to approach the train itself. A least, he can make the subway car's sign spell out BATTLE LINE more obviously.]

[findafamily]

[He turns away from the map and sees the subway train's sign. How convenient! Firo wanders over to the train, standing on his tiptoes to try and see what's inside.]

[infinitefrown]

[Ingo will open the doors for him-- no need to strain to see over the window's edge! The inside of the train isn't much different from other trains, though. Just a little bit sturdier in appearance.]

Welcome. [Oh god. That's not too weird of him, is it?! Please don't be scared off by the talking subway...!]

[findafamily]

[Firo steps into the train, looking around with wide eyes. It's been a while since he's been on something like this, and this train looks a little more modern compared to the ones he's used to.

Then he hears the voice and jumps a mile into the air.]

Wh-who's there!?

[Is he in trouble for not paying?]

[infinitefrown]

[W-whoops... that did not go as planned.]

Don't be alarmed. [He hasn't done anything wrong, promise!!] Ah... I am Ingo. I am the subway's conductor, you could say. [For convenience's sake.

Then, changing the subject to distract him from the weirdness!:] Were you curious about the Battle Line?

[findafamily]

[Well, this is new. Nobody's running over to reprimand him, so Firo calms down.]

Conductor..?

[He turns around in a circle, trying to spot the source of the voice.]

Um, yeah! What is it?

[mischiefbreeder]

[Only two, huh? Well, Gold knows who to start with. But that voice sounds way too familiar.]

Hey, isn't that the subway guy?

[tsuntrader]

Do you really think that Ingo wouldn't be on the battle subway that just randomly appeared out of nowhere?

[infinitefrown]

Correct the first time. [Hahaha. Hello, you two.]

[mischiefbreeder]

I expect him to waitin' at the end for challengers, not actually callin' all the shots from some other location via intercom.

[tsuntrader]

He's the only guy that gets the battle subway, Gold. We're not in Unova.

[infinitefrown]

I am running everything here, Gold. However, I'm not exactly in another location. [this is kind of weird to explain. Meanwhile, a Youngster and a Lass begin to flicker into view on the opposite side of the train.]

To be quite frank... the Malnosso's experimentation has assimilated me into the subway system, I suppose.

[Yeeeep.]