Floating in between

[action]

[What happens when you take a grown man with a shopping list to a department store? Well nothing as a matter of fact. Quite the dilemma if you tell Norman. You can't get anymore more mundane than searching for a pair of socks and other house-ly supplies on a Sunday. He could have gone a day or two without 'em that but he needs to be outside. Stretch his legs. Do something. Everything about him reads unusually casual: grey polo shirt and a pair of khakis. He's hardly ever worn shit like this.

Things feel as if they are going in an oh-so fast manner as he saunters down the walkway. His eyes catch on all of the different chotchkies on display inside each store. Not sure how he exactly he made it over to the front window with the TMs on display. One of which catches his eye:

TM 22: Solar Beam

Norman finds his hand already pressed up against the window.]

...That's just ridiculous. You're kidding, right?

[His Watchog who has been following this whole time intrusively sticks his small, furry head right in front of Norman's line of view.]

[audio]

--t can't always be like this, can it? I can't put my finger on it.

...Maybe. Maybe I miss it. Just can't stop thinking about it. This is what I was working for, right? No matter where you look there was always somethin'. Now? Now I don't know what I'm doing anymore.

[A small breath can be heard.]

Turn off the Gear, Alvin. I can see you.

[There seated behind the worktable is Norman who is wearing a pair of sunglasses and a leather glove on his right-hand.

I know what you're thinking. Who the hell wears sunglasses inside the house (let alone an unlit workroom with only a few rays of sunlight peeking through the blinds)? You would think he's swatting flies away from the way he is throwing his hands in the air like he just doesn't care.]

It's always the same thing.

[He continues to throw around his right arm.]

Sames files, same data...same everything. It can't even tell me if chicken's chicken anymore.

[Norman's hand dance comes to a stop as he takes off his glasses.]

I need water.

{part A: (for) action for anyone at the hospital}
[At first it felt like it was a decent nights sleep. One which seemed to have stretched for a pretty fuckin' long period. Maybe Shaun had let him sleep in.

...Nah, that it isn't right. He would've woken him up to go training.

And then the dreams started to roll on over and over again. It...It just wouldn't stop. Yet, Norman was buried 6 feet under his subconscious. He couldn't feel his body. He couldn't feel anything. Just like...Just like--

--!]

Mmph.

[The light becomes overbearing for his eyes. His eyelids tighten, turning his face away from where ever those goddamn rays were coming from. The more he tussles around his bed, the more he realizes that this isn't his bed.

He's in the hospital.

Norman musters enough strength to pull himself up. What felt like a decent nights sleep now feels like one of the worst's hangovers in his life; everything aches and his mouth is as dry as the fuckin' Sahara Desert. He can feel his eyes adjusting to the light but the expression on his face reads disoriented as all hell.]

{part B: [open] text (later that day)}

Thanks for keeping an eye on Shaun. I guess I owe you all one.

[More rain? Hm, maybe Norman shouldn't complain. Then again any day that had the sky falling always puts a damper on his day. Especially rain.

But hey! Norman is inside and you (presumably) are inside. All is good in the neighborhood.

Unlike his previous video posts, this one is intentional. Look ma, it's even planted on top of a tripod and everything! And even when he is stranded in a strange world full of magical creatures who are willing to do your bidding, Norman still has time to look disheveled in his gray suit.

So what does the man have to say standing up next to an illuminated projector scree- Oh.

Issat? Issat what I think it is? Ohhhhhh snap.]

Hello. My name is Norman Jayden. I've been residing over the Johto region for a little over three months now.

[He paces over to the other side of the projector screen.]

At the beginning of the year I proposed compiling a small, simple manual to help the newcomers to help adjust to their situation with basic wilderness survival pointers. A majority of this information were from others who know their way around.

[Norman pulls out a small remote out from his pocket and presses the button. The screen then goes from blank with words on it which read:

Beginner's Manual

Again he paces to the opposite side of the screen because like any good public speaker, you pace around the very presentation you have been working on for more than a month. Look it up! It's Chapter 4 in 'Fidgeting for Dummies'.]

I won't show the whole thing here. The whole point of the power point is to compress the information into simpler terms so that anyone looking at this can understand. I have the entire document uploaded into one of the free servers. You'll find it after the end of this message. But for now, any feedback would be appreciated.

[The video cuts off there.]

_________________________________________________________________________

ATTCH: beginnersmanual.doc

[Today is a quiet afternoon here in the temporary HQ of Batman & Robin "Team Justice" (Johto Division) brought to you by the one of the newer editions to the team, Rocky: The Tenacious Riolu. Norman is up to his own devices standing next to a clunky laptop and projector who have both outlived their time. The room is dark, illuminated by the bright light brought on by the projector which shows this text on the wall:

The Drift on One-Way Ledges

Followed along by several bullet-pointed statements outlining the hardships of these obstacles.]

Alright...All I need to do push this part over here and that should clear things up.

[He presses the pen onto his lips.

The camera jumps several feet down from the chair and pads along closer to where Norman is standing.]

Not exactly the most polished look but the aesthetics can wait. Just have to-- ?

[He looks down at the Riolu. The recording light catches him off-guard, looking quite bashful in from of the camera.]

Ah, c'mon. Not you too. This isn't the time for--

[CRASH! BANG! OTHER SOUND EFFECTS OF HOUSEHOLD DESTRUCTION! The camera swiftly turns to a tiny Ponyta gone completely apeshit. It begins to crash into the desk where the large electronics are placed, nearly knocking them both to the floor.]

--!

[The camera drops to the ground and the sound of two sets of feet come rushing over to stop the laptop and projector from being knocked over.]

Cali? What the hell are you--?

[NOPE! Cali can't hear you, Norman! Too busy running around, looking for more places to explore in this tiny establishment. The baby Ponyta continues to romp around the room until he decidedly snatches the disk from atop the desk and runs away with it.]

Shit! I gotta get that disk!

[And off goes Norman into the streets of Violet City to chase down his newborn fire pony.]

[ooc: Folks who are currently in Violet City feel free to join in on the chase sequence! Other than that, IC responses will come a few hours afterwards.]

I have been doing a lot of thinking lately. Mainly about the newcomers arriving in New Bark Town.

After the massive snowstorm that came in before the holidays, I think we can all agree there has to be a better contingency plan to get new arrivals the proper help they need to get by. Maybe there is a way we can get information out to them better. I'm open to suggestion but here is what I'm proposing:

A basic survival guide. We already have a guide outlining the wildlife here but nothing about basic wilderness survival. Under these conditions, having a sleeping bag is not enough to get by through the night.

To be honest, besides learning it from others, I do not know the first thing about surviving the outdoors. But I know there are others out there who do. If we all pool our resources together we can make something that will save any newcomer a whole lot of grief.

Now I'm willing to compile the information together. All I need is a little help with the legwork here so to speak. Here are a few items to give everyone an idea:

1.) Weathering your campsite
2.) Building a fire from scratch
3.) Geo-navigation
4.) Notable Wild Pokémon Dangers
5.) Storm/Severe Weather Preparation

Now I may have unintentionally left some subjects out. But if this is something you're interested in then send me a message.

[For those of you who are messaging Jayden via video be prepared to see a man all scratched up in the face from his new baby shiny Torchic he got for Christmas. Who knew baby fire chickens like to play peck the shit out of Jayden's face as soon as it hatches? So far the winning nickname for this little guy is SHOO! ]