The Grand Opening

[driftingmods]

[A large WELCOME sign is hanging from the buildings when you walk into Levanta Town, but that seems to be the only sign that today is any different than any other day. The villagers are simply going about their daily business. However, if they are approached they are more than happy to explain the region as well as they can to any new arrivals.

Welcome to Levanta Town in The Drifting Land!]

Comments

[falsified]

[He'll fidget as you seem to study him. He'll pull his hat down a little, but neither he nor Pikachu make any attempt to leave. You're... a difficulty, Paul. He doesn't know how well you know the other versions of him. Not to mention you seem to know him better than he knows you.

And he hates that.]

... Something wrong?

[battlestandby]

Something's off about you. The Ash I know smiles almost constantly, actively tried to befriend me even when I disrespected him, and was... so expressive, like he was constantly energetic.

You feel more... like a normal person.

[falsified]

... Sorry I'm not what you're used to, I guess. [Is that even the right response?

It's the only one that came to mind.]

[battlestandby]

You're actually preferable compared to the Ash I know. Not nearly as annoying.

[falsified]

... Guess that's a plus. [Crap, he's not the same as the other versions of him. That might be a problem later.]

[battlestandby]

If there's going to be more than one Ash to deal with in this place, it helps to have at least one that isn't completely irritating.

[falsified]

I won't bother you too much. [He hardly even knows you.]

[battlestandby]

... What exactly have you been planning for since the Sinnoh League?

[falsified]

I'm going to the Unova League next.

[battlestandby]

Hm? That's a long way to travel for a journey...

[falsified]

I've already been through Hoenn, Johto and Sinnoh.

Besides, the farther away the more new stuff to see, right?

[battlestandby]

Perhaps... as long as their Pokemon are useful.

[falsified]

That's kinda harsh, Paul. Every pokemon's useful as long as you put effort into them. [A part of him just wants to agree with you.]

[battlestandby]

[Meanwhile, Paul feels that annoyed feeling he always feels when Ash lectures him.]

Yeah, let me know when you come across a Magikarp worth its own existence.

[falsified]

They evolve int Gyarados. You just need to train them for a while. [A really long and annoying while.]

[battlestandby]

I know what they evolve into. That doesn't make the Magikarp itself any less of a waste.

[falsified]

It is hard to train.

[battlestandby]

Speaking from experience?

[falsified]

Never caught one. [He didn't have the time or patience for the things.]

[battlestandby]

... So it's just empty talk. Par for the course for an Ash.

[falsified]

[He just shrugs. No real reason to fight back.]

[battlestandby]

[Hm, suspicious... normally he'd expect a "What'd you say?!" and a flustered idiot, but Ash just shrugging his trash talk? Very, very weird.]

[falsified]

[It's a stupid fight. And a fight he doesn't need. Certainly not when he's just arrived on a floating region.]

... What?

[battlestandby]

Just thinking.

[falsified]

[He would say you do that too much. But that would be hypocrisy at it's finest.]