.004 Δ [Video]

[ratherbelocky]

Goooood evening, residents of Johto. It's a lovely, drizzly January day, and I've got a question you folks might be able to answer for me. Consider it an informal poll.

[York looks comfortable and cozy as he lounges around his house, still wearing his ugly Christmas sweater.]

Now, I understand that this place just isn't equipped to support a Grifball League, but there's got to be more to life than just hockey and baseball. Are there Pokémon Olympics or something I should tune into? And, hey, what kind of sports did you guys have back in your worlds? Were they fun? Would you recreate 'em here if you could?

[He rubs his chin for a moment, then adds:]

If anyone around Goldenrod's interested in forming some kind of low-key community sports team--y'know, something for people, not Pokémon--let me know. I might be able to help us get something set up before baseball season starts.

Comments

[bent_the_world]

Oh yeah! I don't know what baseball is, though. Kickball sounds pretty self-explanatory. I'd definitely be interested in some physical activities...

Yeah, exactly! Since lots of people aren't into battling, but they've still taught their Pokemon cool stuff. Why not have a way to show it off?

[Video]

[ratherbelocky]

Yeah. That's normal, I think. We trained all the time to be sort of well-rounded so we could cover each other if someone got hurt, but, well.

[He sounds a little proud, a little wistful.]

Nobody could do what I did.

private text;

[ratherbelocky]

Believe me, I know the feeling. Guess it's just a matter of paying attention and seeing what you end up thinking about the world, now.

[ratherbelocky]

Oh, yeah, baseball's a sport that developed in my world--my home country, even--about six, seven hundred years ago, from my time. Two teams trade off offense and defense throughout a nine-inning game. On offense, you get a bat, and your job's to hit the ball that the pitcher throws and run the bases in order so you can score points. On defense, you catch the ball and throw it to other players on your team in order to get the batter out by tagging 'em or getting to a base before they can reach it.

...It'd be easier to explain if a game were going on. It gets kinda complicated. Lot of strategy involved.

private text;

[grapeeater]

I'm trying to focus on here for now, at least. It's easier to manage.

[Video]

[wing_attack]

I'm guessing it wasn't just 'being second in command', then?

[Video]

[ratherbelocky]

Well, I like to think I was the best at that, too, but nah. My job was infiltration. I was the only locksmith on our squad.

private text;

[ratherbelocky]

Yeah, for sure. No sense dwelling on the things we can't change while we're in this crazy place.

[Video]

[wing_attack]

Oh, okay. Yeah, we'd usually morph cockroach or flea for something like that.

private text;

[grapeeater]

Yeah. Even if things look bad here sometimes, they tend to turn out okay.

[bent_the_world]

That sounds cool! Like a really complex game of stick ball that takes a lot of skill.

[ratherbelocky]

That sounds pretty accurate, yeah. The season starts in March, so you oughta catch a game sometime if you're interested. I don't know about other cities but Goldenrod's got a nice stadium.

private text;

[ratherbelocky]

That's the spirit. Good luck, man. I mean it.

[Video]

[ratherbelocky]

[He laughs.]

That mighta made it easier sometimes, yeah! I had to do things the old-fashioned way until I got Delta.

private text;

[grapeeater]

... Thanks.

[Video]

[wing_attack]

Delta?

[Video]

[ratherbelocky]

My AI partner. They were all named after Greek letters, same way we were all named after U.S. states.

[video]

[solas_ion]

What the heck's a Grifball?

[video]

[ratherbelocky]

Do you like explosions?

[video]

[solas_ion]

Yes.

[video]

[ratherbelocky]

Okay, so Grifball's kind of like rugby except both teams are armed with Gravity Hammers and Energy Swords, and when the ball carrier scores a point he's gotta drop the ball and bail 'cause it explodes at the end of a round.

[video]

[solas_ion]

Okay, I got the exploding part and I got the scoring part. Energy swords I can figure out.

The hell's a Gravity Hammer?

...And rugby.

[video]

[ratherbelocky]

Uh, a Gravity Hammer's this sorta...

[He mimes holding a heavy weapon by the haft.]

It's this big, two-handed battle-ax that we usually found off Brutes. Big aliens, you know. And rugby's a sport kind of like American football, and if you don't know that one, either, just imagine two teams fighting to carry a ball into a goal deep behind enemy lines. Y'know, lethal combat disguised as sports.

[video]

[solas_ion]

Oh--we had stuff like that, yeah.

[Beat.]

The game, not the aliens. Had stuff like the axes, too. I don't really think anyone ever thought to put 'em together, though.

[video]

[ratherbelocky]

I guess usually because sane people set up commissions and things to monitor player safety.

[Which is obviously not the case with Grifball.]

It's a great sport.