2nd gear | video + action to goldenrod city

[paishodown]

[It's around midday, and Asami's 'Gear is propped up to record her sitting at a small table in the park. Her Riolu sits quietly beside her. The worn table is inlaid with a chess board, and the seat across from her is empty for now.]

Where I'm from, we have a game called Pai Sho.

[She speaks while she reaches into her bag to pull out a newly purchased chess set- mainly, the directions.]

It's a game of careful thinking and ruthless strategy. There doesn't seem to be a real equivalent here, but someone did point me toward this. Chess.

[Asami begins taking out the pieces and laying them out on the board.]

Anyone know anything about it?

[She'll be here for a while, reading over the rules and trying to teach Teruko how to play with her.]

Comments

[paishodown]

Move memorization?

[Asami rests her elbows on the table while she listens.]

Can you explain?

[friendyousohard]

Well, there's a limit to how many ways you can move starting from the very first turn, and each choice you make sets you into a different group of possible moves for your next turn. As a result, if you can memorize all the different possible moves you can make for each successive move, you can plan out an entire game. The ones who do best at the game are the ones who've played it so much they've memorized practically all of their options.

[paishodown]

Wow, that's...

That's pretty intense, when you put it that way. It's like a battle, but all the variables are completely under your control.

[friendyousohard]

All of them except your opponent's moves, but an experienced player can usually predict those too. It really is a very streamlined, simplified version of war. Not... that I personally have much experience with all-out war, but the theory is sound, at least.

[paishodown]

So I guess practice makes perfect, then. I'll have to shape up so I can challenge someone who isn't 'half bad.'

[She says that with a bit of a crooked smile.]

[friendyousohard]

I'd be more than happy to accept a challenge, in Chess or any other sort of game of wit, really.

[She's not sure whether Asami's smile is because she's assuming Twilight's assessment of herself is inaccurate, or whether she's just amused by something else.]

It'd be a nice change of pace from Pokemon battles, though I think it might be unheard of to say such a thing in this world.

[paishodown]

[There's very little that's challenging in Asami's body language. She takes a more 'friendly competition' approach when it comes to games.]

I hear you on that. As exciting as they are, it's never a bad thing to mix things up.

[Even if it means slowing the pace a little.]

[friendyousohard]

[That's certainly a relief for Twilight. A couple of her friends are a bit more... intense.]

Variety is always nice. Of course it's possible to combine the two. My Alakazam is excellent at learning those sorts of games.

[paishodown]

Those are Psychic types, right?

[Someone's been doing her reading.]

I read they have pretty powerful brains, even for Pokémon.

[Who in general aren't pushovers themselves. Certainly smarter than animals.]

[friendyousohard]

Precisely! Starswirl is actually my second brain in the team, due to his excellent ability to develop tactics on the fly, and to relay them to his teammates. I use him to form a cohesive group battle system, though six-versus-six matches aren't officially sanctioned.

[There are, however, those who don't care about that detail...]

[paishodown]

That's allowed? Psychically relaying commands in the middle of battle?

[She supposes there's really no way to police it...]

[friendyousohard]

I'm reasonably certain Sabrina, the psychic-type gym leader in Saffron, does it... then again, she has psychic abilities of her own.

Somehow.

[paishodown]

Saffron... That's in the Kanto region, right?

...

Hang on, you're saying that a person here has psychic abilities?

[friendyousohard]

Correct on both counts, and no I don't know how that's possible. Certainly none of us who have abilities that the humans here would call supernatural have been allowed to keep them.

[She's just going to try to keep her bitterness out of her voice.]

[paishodown]

That's what's weird. I don't have any... particular abilities, so I didn't have anything taken away when I got here, but I know there are a bunch of people who lost something when they got here.

That says something about whatever's taking us here, I think. I don't know what, but...

[friendyousohard]

I think the idea is to keep the focus on the Pokemon, which is why weapons don't tend to work either. There's a certain logic to that, but still, it's aggravating at best.