Pokémon TCG2: Doduo Adventures - Book One: TCG Island

[Tango]

Here for the Mini Blitz, reading Chapter 5! It’s been some time since I last checked out the fic, so I may end up misremembering some parts.

Wow! Thanks a bunch for stopping in, @MegaAbsolOfDespair ! I always love to see readers get farther in the fic!

The chapter starts with the gentleman having a duel against David. If I remember correctly, he’s one of the Science Club members, right?

Correct!

I remember the previous chapter focusing on the Science Club.

Also, correct. I split the science club into two parts due to the drinking scene with Rick in the previous chapter being so long.

Either way, the gentleman wins the duel!

After that, the next battle is against Joseph, which the gentleman wins once again. After that, we get a scene showing more of Rick’s eccentricity, which I remember enjoying!

I’m excited to see the next chapter, which will probably be at the Fire Club.

Indeed it will! I look forward to your next review whenever you get to it.

I do think the duel scenes were a bit too detailed and took up most of the chapter’s contents.

At this point, I get mixed results on that. You tell me there are too many details. Spiteful Murkrow tells me there isn't enough. This tells me I might already have a good balance. There is no way to please everyone, after all.

By the way, I like the feature of extra text when you hover over the card names.

Thank you!! It's such a pain to implement, but I can't ignore how much the readers enjoy it, so I'm in the process of implementing it in all chapters. I have it complete through chapter 12 so far.

 

[Axihdio]

Here for the first ever extended catnip. (Sorry it took me so long to write this review.)

Firstly, describing how Mr. Gentleman goes to each club and the accompanying scenery really makes the story feel more organic. However, I'm not sure why there are only 2 lakes in the entirety of the world of this story. I know that this fanfic is based off of the Pokemon TCG 2 game on GBC but adding more stuff to these places would allow for the story to be more memorable and help it stand out a bit more from the game that it is based off of. Another thing that I want to ask is why does Mr. Gentleman have beef with hats? Of all the inanimate objects he could have beef with, he has beef with hats? Like based off of the text he says "Hats. A means of concealing a perfectly wonderful head of natural hair! One did not visit the finest barber on TCG Island to merely cover up their work with some plebeian head covering!" Well, he'd probably be scrambling to find one once he starts balding in his 40's or 50's.

Next, Mr. Gentleman's inner monologue about the women at the club only wanting to date him for the prestige reminded me of Johnny's backstory in Jojo;s Bizzare Adventure Steel Ball Run where all of his rich and royal friends abandoned him after he was paralysed from being shot in the spine. Anyways, Mr. Gentleman really had it rough here. I'm not sure how Mr. Gentleman has a rough time telling Sara and Amanda apart. Sara has blue hair and Amanda has blonde hair. Maybe it's because he hasn't been there in a really long time and thus forgot those two details? But then he says that he has always had trouble telling who was who between the both of them, I think that he might have some form of colour blindness but I'm not 100% sure if he does have it (Update: They keep switching hair dye to confuse people. Why do they do this? Then they get mad when they get confused with one another.). Anyways, free Joshua or at least pay him. This man has done too much work to be unpaid.

Onto the battle section, Joshua gets beaten in such a short amount of time. I feel like it would have been a good chance to see his perspective on battling the champion of Pokemon TCG and the amount of mental turmoil it puts on him. Then again, you don't want to bore the readers with a scene that could be replaced in favour of something more exciting. Again, having Mr. Gentleman's game plan be presented to the reader allows them to follow Mr. Gentleman's actions during the game without being confused as to what he's doing and why he is doing a specific action during the game. Also, Amanda stop crying. This is a damn card game. It's not like Mr. Gentleman pulled a gun on you and threatened to kill you if you didn't forfeit the game! And also, you're facing the damn champion of Pokemon TCG! He is of course not going to be pulling any punches at all when facing against someone else in Pokemon TCG! And also, you are not a young girl. You're an adult (probably). Oh wait, now Sara's acting like how Amy Rose acted towards Sonic in the older Sonic games. Not much to say about her battle other than the fact that it ends much quicker than Amanda's. Now Imakuni appears out of nowhere. He doesn't do much here but I'm willing to bet that he becomes a reoccurring side character later on. This is also the first appearance of Doduo who follows Mr. Gentleman all the way to his home. I'm willing to bet that the two of them will be bros for life.

In conclusion, I enjoyed this chapter as it was quite hilarious seeing Mr. Gentleman having to deal with the members of the water club. I look forward to reviewing the rest of the chapters when I can. Axihdio out!

 

[Tango]

Here for the first ever extended catnip. (Sorry it took me so long to write this review.)

Hey, Axi

Glad to see you back again for a review of Chapter 2!

Firstly, describing how Mr. Gentleman goes to each club and the accompanying scenery really makes the story feel more organic. However, I'm not sure why there are only 2 lakes in the entirety of the world of this story. I know that this fanfic is based off of the Pokemon TCG 2 game on GBC but adding more stuff to these places would allow for the story to be more memorable and help it stand out a bit more from the game that it is based off of(104).

There is a specific plot reason behind there being only two lakes. Their world consists of 3 Islands. TCG Island (as depicted in the in-game map in the intro post in which there is only one lake) GR Island, (as depicted in the in-game map in the intro post in where there are no lakes) and Neo Island which is geographically identical to TCG Island. Ergo, only one lake there too. Not to say there couldn't be ponds, streams, and creeks though!

Another thing that I want to ask is why does Mr. Gentleman have beef with hats? Of all the inanimate objects he could have beef with, he has beef with hats? Like based off of the text he says "Hats. A means of concealing a perfectly wonderful head of natural hair! One did not visit the finest barber on TCG Island to merely cover up their work with some plebeian head covering!" Well, he'd probably be scrambling to find one once he starts balding in his 40's or 50's.

As for hats, why not? Simply an odd quirk.

Next, Mr. Gentleman's inner monologue about the women at the club only wanting to date him for the prestige reminded me of Johnny's backstory in Jojo;s Bizzare Adventure Steel Ball Run where all of his rich and royal friends abandoned him after he was paralysed from being shot in the spine. Anyways, Mr. Gentleman really had it rough here. I'm not sure how Mr. Gentleman has a rough time telling Sara and Amanda apart. Sara has blue hair and Amanda has blonde hair. Maybe it's because he hasn't been there in a really long time and thus forgot those two details? But then he says that he has always had trouble telling who was who between the both of them, I think that he might have some form of colour blindness but I'm not 100% sure if he does have it (Update: They keep switching hair dye to confuse people. Why do they do this? Then they get mad when they get confused with one another.).

They switch hair dye to keep the other person apologizing and on the defensive. That way it makes it harder for them to say no to whatever the girls are trying to manipulate their target into doing.
Aka, "You could make it up to me by buying me the nice dress I've been eyeing... don't worry! It's less than $400.00, I prooomise~!" Just as a random example. Though they would probably make it less unreasonable as the goal is to extract value from their target rather than be shot down lol... 😅

Anyways, free Joshua or at least pay him. This man has done too much work to be unpaid.

He does get paid. Might seem weird since it means kids get paid too. I suppose you could call it child labor, but so is school when you think about it. School just pays in education instead of money, but it's forced, so I think school might be worse than working at a TCG club since that's at least optional.

Onto the battle section, Joshua gets beaten in such a short amount of time. I feel like it would have been a good chance to see his perspective on battling the champion of Pokemon TCG and the amount of mental turmoil it outs on him.

Woah! That's a really interesting idea!

I haven't had a duel from the pov of Mister Gentleman's opponent before! But the reason is because it's based on a lets-play where I'M the one playing as 'Mister Gentleman'. Still, I think this might be something to try at some point. Neat idea!

Then again, you don't want to bore the readers with a scene that could be replaced in favour of something more exciting. Again, having Mr. Gentleman's game plan be presented to the reader allows them to follow Mr. Gentleman's actions during the game without being confused as to what he's doing and why he is doing a specific action during the game.

That's good. I wanted it to be reasonable for readers to follow along with.

Also, Amanda stop crying. This is a damn card game. It's not like Mr. Gentleman pulled a gun on you and threatened to kill you if you didn't forfeit the game! And also, you're facing the damn champion of Pokemon TCG! He is of course not going to be pulling any punches at all when facing against someone else in Pokemon TCG! And also, you are not a young girl. You're an adult (probably).

Yeah, she is an adult. But by crying, she can try to make him feel guilty and extract value from him! If it works she might even win a game! She can't win with cards, so she has to apply pressure in other ways.

Oh wait, now Sara's acting like how Amy Rose acted towards Sonic in the older Sonic games. Not much to say about her battle other than the fact that it ends much quicker than Amanda's. Now Imakuni appears out of nowhere. He doesn't do much here but I'm willing to bet that he becomes a reoccurring side character later on.

I do plan to have him appear more in the series but this will be his only cameo for Book One. I also plan to maybe write a one-shot about him for how he became Imakuni.

This is also the first appearance of Doduo who follows Mr. Gentleman all the way to his home. I'm willing to bet that the two of them will be bros for life.

Not a bad bet at all!

In conclusion, I enjoyed this chapter as it was quite hilarious seeing Mr. Gentleman having to deal with the members of the water club.

I'm glad the humor worked for you! Readers seem to either be amused by it or hate it.

I look forward to reviewing the rest of the chapters when I can. Axihdio out!

Cool! Thanks for the review!

 

[Axihdio]

Alright, back to back reviews for you.

Chapter 3: Feathers
​

May 7th

(19)

After taking a day off, I felt refreshed and ready to resume my challenge of the clubs!

I guess you could replace the "to resume my challenge of the clubs" with "to resume challenging the clubs". In my opinion it makes it more direct and straight to the point.

As I stepped out of my front door, my eyes landed on a particularly rotund Doduo. Clearly it was the one that followed me home a couple days prior... Curiously, both its heads were asleep.

So this Doduo isn't like a normal Doduo. Is it some sort of mutated Doduo? Or maybe it just behaves differently compared to other Doduo?

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Doudo were supposed to sleep one head at a time... Pah! No matter. Why was the bird still there? I hadn't fed it and largely ignored it! Was it be trained? Even if it were, it made no sense why it would chose to follow me...

Mr. Gentleman, why in the history of the Egyptian Empire didn't you feed it?! It's a living being too and it needs to eat food to survive! If it dies from starvation, it's blood is going to be on your hands the police are going to be on your ass until they catch you. And if they do your life and career is practically over! Think Mr. Gentleman think!

I turned to lock my door and heard a sudden ruffling of feathers. Casting and inquisitive glance over my shoulder, I noticed Doduo had jerked awake.

I guess you could add a "that" in between "noticed" and "Doduo".

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(20)

It looked about frantically until one head noticed me. The other head stopped, looked where the other was facing, and directed its gaze to me as well. With apparent panic abated, I'd say the bird seemed relieved if I didn't know any better!

Was Doduo afraid that Mr. Gentleman was going to attack him?

But for the Doduo to lay about waiting... I barely even met the bird which hardly justified fixation on me!

Maybe Doduo sees something in Mr. Gentleman that he doesn't see in other humans? Or maybe it's because of Mr. Gentleman's outfit.

I turned around and faced it.

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Beady black eyes bored into me. Was blinking out of the question?

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"I don't know why you are hounding me, bird, but I am not currently in the market for a pet, nor do I have the funds to spare on food for you!"

Well, couldn't you just give it some water at the very least? I assume that Doduo can go on longer without food than they can without water.

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Unsurprisingly, there was no change in expression. Only an insane fellow would expect dialogue with a Doduo. And this fowl was no parrot! But, like animals, Doduo were known to pick up on emotions... Perhaps my words weren't they type to cause a reaction? But it was nice to have someone to speak to. Even a dull bird.

I then noticed something different about being outside...

Feathers.

They were EVERYWHERE! In the bushes, in the newly planted tree... Even spilling over into the neighbor's lawns! Yet somehow, the majority of them were in a heap. that I initially mistook for a large pile of leaves! How could one bird DO all that?! And why shed them all in a specific location?

Damn, Doduo's molting! And Mr. Gentleman is probably very, very pissed and confused. One question that I want to ask is how does Doduo shed that many feathers?! This is definitely not normal, Doduo needs to go to the vet as soon as possible.

Or maybe it's just a natural trait of Doduo in general. But how does Doduo manage to rapidly grow new feathers after molting enough feathers into a heap. Big or small that's still an absurd feat from a Doduo. Is there going to be an in universe explanation for this?

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It's a good thing Doduo feathers were not on the list of prohibited yard debris for the homeowners association... I recalled their last visit to be particularly unpleasant. Apparently my Scyther-themed mailbox was not on the approved list of mon for the neighborhood! Now all I had was that dull Doduo mailbox in its place... The mailbox. Surely that bird wasn't dumb enough to consider my mailbox company! But then again, it might have explained its willingness to remain...

Why is a Scyther mailbox prohibited?! It's not like an actual Scyther would jump out of it when the mailbox is open and go on a maniacal killing spree at a nearby school!

Shifting my focus back to the feathers, I was immensely relieved I did not invite the bird inside. Clearly, the bird was so lazy that it rolled about my yard for an entire day! There were few other ways to explain the sheer volume of feathers I was seeing... A fat, lazy, and dumb bird...

So, Doduo rolled around Mr. Gentleman's yard for an entire day without getting hungry or thirsty? The Doduo species in this world seem to be quite the survivalists! Maybe their particularly rotund bodies act as a storage compartment for fat like how a camel stores fat in it's hump or humps if it is a Bactrian Camel.

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If it hung around me enough, people were bound to take me less seriously and surely more willing do duel... It didn't sound orderly. The mess would probably be awful... But that was exactly what I needed! With my mind made up, I would not only let it follow me about, I would welcome it!

I think that with Doduo following Mr. Gentleman around, there's bound to be some chaotic moments in the future. Maybe Doduo would go berserk and attack Mr. Gentleman's opponents or maybe Doduo would just roll on top the the cards during the duel. I can already imagine Mr. Gentleman crashing the hell out if Doduo does that. Or maybe Doduo might even peck the living shit out of Mr. Gentleman's opponent if he thinks that they are going to cheat in the game or hurt Mr. Gentleman!

(21)

Just then, I caught sight of what appeared to be small metal collars on Doduo. One on its left neck and another on its right neck.

Were the metal collars painted black? Normally, metal collars are often silver in appearance. If that was the case, they would be extremely noticeable to the average person, Mr. Gentleman included because Doduo have black necks. If said metal collars were black, it would make more sense as to why Mr. Gentleman didn't notice them right away.

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"A collar?" I brought a hand to my chin. "Could you perhaps belong to someone?"

An animal with a collar around its neck or necks in this case is 100% someone's pet.

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Doduo looked up in a way that displayed the collar more prominently.

Taking the opportunity, I knelt down to inspect the left one first.

Doduo appeared not to mind and stood patiently.

The collar was old and tarnished. It had a dog-tag attached, and even though it was worn, I was able to make out letters on it: 'go'. Go? Go where? I turned it over to find a male symbol on it.

So Doduo is male.

"Ah, it seems we share a gender, dear bird."

Out of the corner of my eye, Doduo appeared to have... grinned for a moment? Perhaps it was my imagination.

Inspection of the one on the right revealed it was in a similar condition to the first. The letters 'tan' were engraved. The back of this tag was empty.

Well, I supposed Doduo was rather 'tan' in color and certainly a creature that 'goes' quite fast!

Nice pun there, Mr. Gentleman!

I then had an idea. If this bird should follow me about everywhere, I might as well give him a nickname!

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Looking Doduo in the eyes, I grinned confidently. "Very well, you feather factory! I now know what I shall call you!"

I guess Mr. Gentleman's lucky that Doduo didn't start profusely pecking him after that comment.

Doduo looked at me with both heads wide-eyed and... eager?

"Gotan!" Crossing my arms proudly, I smiled.

Gotan's heads tilted as its eyes seemed to squint for a moment with a flash of... bewilderment? -or at least I thought he might have, perhaps it was my imagination?

Mr. Gentleman, perhaps you might have gotten his name wrong.

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"Can you... understand me, Gotan?" I tilted my head.

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Gotan simply stood there with a blank vacant stare.

Of course that bird couldn't understand me... What an absurd notion! I turned my thoughts to more productive matters. If Gotan had an owner, it must have been from too long ago to expect to find them again. Judging from the collar's condition, the one who placed these collars on Gotan was not Imakuni.

Damn, now I'm wondering what happened to Gotan's original owner, did they go missing? This could be a really interesting plot point for an extra chapter or spinoff oneshot!

"So, it seems like you have been without an owner for a long time, huh?"

Gotan's eyes began to shimmer slightly. Were his eyes... watering?

It seems that Gotan was really close to his previous owner. I wonder what happened to them?

Before I could contemplate the matter further, Gotan suddenly broke into a roll in the grass sending feathers into the air as it went.

Waving my hand dismissively, I shrugged off the birds odd behavior. "Well, from now on, I'm going to call you Gotan. At least, until you get bored and find someone else to follow."

Gotan stopped rolling and I almost thought I caught him squinting at me, but on closer inspection, it was his usual dull vacant expression.

Based on this part right here, I think that Gotan rolls around in grass so that he can relieve himself of stress.

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Unwilling to waste further time on idle flights of fancy, I looked over the yard again. It would take a while to clean, but that would be a problem for later.

My next destination was the Science Club. After my recent suffering at the hands of the opposite gender in the Water Club, a currently all-male club would be a welcome reprieve... I opted to take the bus to see how determined that bird was to follow me. Since Gotan was too large to fit through the bus door, he would have to chase on foot.

Hmm, so the Science Club has no female members? I fins this kind of weird because there must be at least few women in this world who are into science right? Oh wait, Dr. Wem! If Dr. Wem could become a researcher in this world, then she must have started somewhere like the Science Club right? I know that you want to stick as close to the game as possible but I think that Mr. Gentleman could have mentioned that there are a few women in the Science Club as well but they are not as clingy towards him like the women at the Water Club. He could also mention Dr. Whem's history with the Science Club (if there is any between them) like Dr. Wem was a former member or she was even the former clubmaster before she left to work at the university.

---

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Sure enough, Gotan trailed me all the way to the Science Club! Keeping up looked easy for him... Clearly, that bird would be following me until he found someone more appealing. Perhaps I could have tried to sneak away as he slept, but that would leave him in my yard which would accrue even more feathers...

Yeah, you do need to watch over him, Mr. Gentleman. He probably thinks that you're his new owner now. Wait, you are!

As I entered the Science Club, Gotan trotted right behind me. Feathers fell off the bird like the leaves of an autumnal tree.

Then I saw the sign.

(22)

There was one hanging in every club. It read: 'Doduo owners are responsible for the cleaning of any feathers left behind. Violators will be prosecuted.'

Well, shit.

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Obviously I was NOT this bird's owner, but with him following me around everywhere, who would believe me? Besides, I suppose I DID nickname him... But I didn't have time to pick up feathers everywhere I went! Why did he follow me in? It was my idea for him to make opponents more likely to duel me, but he didn't know that! Yet, instead of waiting outside, here he was. Then again, he did follow Imakuni in... Perhaps he behaved differently at clubs?

Well, I guess I was wrong back there. Then again, perhaps Gotan's previous owner taught him how to act properly at clubs?

Regardless, the bird stuck to me like glue! A questionable benefit was NOT a valid trade for picking up hundreds or perhaps even thousands of feathers every day! Clearly I would have to devise a method to sneak past him if I wanted to avoid feather duty... Had I the funds, I could pay a lawyer to fend off the lawsuits, but it would still look like I disrespected the clubs by allowing my presumed Doduo to leave his feathers about. As a champion and a gentleman, I had to hold myself to higher standards than that! At least I wasn't planning to visit the lounges, so the feathers could all be contained to the entrance and main room of each club...

The entrance of the club was unchanged from my last visit since clubs almost never redecorate. The floor had a large square light purple tile in the middle with the TCG Island science symbol on it. The symbol itself looked rather strange now that I was looking at it closely. Almost like some kind of mechanized Mew.

I guess Mr. Gentleman's name isn't for nothing then. He clearly has very high standards that he hold himself to. Great example of him acting like an actual Gentleman. Something a certain friend of his isn't capable of.

The remainder of the floor was some sort of light green metal tiles. I couldn't remember what they were called. One would assume this building was brand-new with all the technology it contained, but these light-green metal floors were actually among the oldest structures on our island. I had the lectures from my academy days to thank for that information. Unlike oxidized copper, many experiments revealed there was no force known to mankind that could even scratch them. How old were they? How were they made? Where did they come from? No one knew. Regardless, they were perfect for an experimental building that might contain the occasional chemical explosion.

Damn, I guess those tiles are as durable as Captain America's shield! But who made them in the first place?

I tread on the blue diamond-patterned rugs in the hallways leading to the other rooms as my hand grazed the cool, smooth, light purple ceramic tiles that lined the walls and emerged into the lobby.

In the far left corner were two large vertical metal cylinders with steps leading to what looked like sliding doors of some sort. I approached one and peered inside. It always seemed like something a person could crawl inside of. When I was a kid, I used to wonder if they were used to turn people into Doduo! Obviously I had far too active of an imagination back then, but even as an adult, I still had no idea what they were for.

You know, I think that this machine could play some role in future chapters but I'm not sure.

The corner in the far right contained one of the Science Club's quantum computers. It might have been old technology, but few households had their own quantum computer due to their cost and bulk.

Whoa, whoa, whoa! How in the ass of a Sea Cucumber did the Science Club members get a MOTHERFUCKING QUANTUM COMPUTER!? And it's called OLD TECHNOLOGY?! And people just have quantum computers in their houses?! Is this world so technologically advanced that people just have quantum computers at home? What would the average person even need a quantum computer for?! Tango, I need to know why! WHY DO PEOPLE HAVE QUANTUM COMPUTERS IN THEIR HOMES?! WHYYYYYYYYYY?!!!!!!!!

(23)

As Gotan and I entered the main section of the lab, I noticed the majority of the room was unlit, with only the separate room in the back with the light on. As I stepped into the room, the automatic lights kicked in, revealing the usual decor.

There were three large wooden tables in the main section of the room with laptops, beakers, flasks, and various notes scattered about.

Damn, couldn't they at least attempt to clean up the place? People are going to come here for duels!

A wall formed a separate room towards the back left. It was lined with two shelves with various chemistry supplies. Finally, there was a large hall off to the right leading to two more quantum computers at the back. Seeing no one in the main section, I made my way to the smaller room in the back.

I could hear a voice mumbling to itself in the other room.

"...but what could I use for testing this? Our stock ran out just yesterday... If only we had some Doduo feathers laying about... They are getting so hard to come by these days... Another shipment of Doduo went out to Neo just last week... I thought they hated those birds..."

Doduo were being shipped to Neo Island? Why? I heard they were quite strict about Doduo and viewed them as pests. And whole shipments of them? It seemed they were buying them, which made it all the weirder. But regardless, I wasn't there to investigate the mysteries of Doduo.

Why would an island that hates Doduo and views them as pests want a large shipment of them?

I coughed loudly from the other room.

A head poked around the corner.

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"Well! If it isn't the Gentleman!"

His gaze shifted to Gotan.

"Ah, very good of you to bring a present! Well, come on then! I have work to do!" Sticking a hand out around the corner, he beckoned with a wave.

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I glanced at Gotan. His eyes were wide as he couched down making himself as small as possible. Was he... afraid?

I guess, maybe he had a bad experience with another scientist?

Rick always was an odd one. More interested in science than the Pokemon TCG. It was hard to believe that he was Nikki's brother... Even when we were kids, he was always holed away in his room working on Mew knew what. Now that he was leader of the Science Club with tools and quantum computers at his disposal? I had even less of a clue what he was up to.

Since he appeared to be the only one there, I figured I would see where the club members were.

As I entered the back section, it was as I remembered: the two quantum computers in the right corner were lit up with a variety of flashing lights. The small workbench in the far left corner that Rick was standing at had a variety of flasks and notes strewn about. Two more cylindrical objects like the ones from the entrance loomed in the corner to my left.

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It was a wonder that Gotan wasn't wrecking things in here or the previous room. If I didn't know better, I'd say he almost seemed respectful!

Well, maybe his previous owner did teach him how to act in places like this!

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Speaking of the bird, Gotan followed, but was cautious. Using both heads, he eyed the surroundings and Rick carefully.

Rick was busy pouring some chemical into another flask with his back turned towards me. He was wearing a long white lab-coat.

"Well? Don't just stand there! Bring the bird over. Hurry!"

I approached and so did Gotan. Still cautious, but less so at this point.

Who knows if Rick's going to do something bad to it.

Perhaps the bird found my presence comforting in an otherwise scary situation? Not that I could see anything scary about this room in particular...

Grabbing at Gotan's feathers, Rick tore out a decent clump. "Ah! Excellent!"

Gotan had a dumb, yet happy expression on his faces. Apparently he enjoyed having feathers forcefully removed. The day just kept getting weirder...

I'm not sure on what to say about this...

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"Do you always collect feathers that way?" I held my chin with my right hand. "Were Gotan a human woman, you would likely be missing your hand right about now..."

Damn, was the woman he was describing Lady from Devil May Cry? Granted, there would probably be nothing left of Rick if that were the case. (And if Rick was the demon that Lady was hunting on that very day.)

After a chuckle, Rick replied. "Oh trust me, I've dealt with enough Doduo to understand they PREFER it that way! They also tend to yield more with such an approach. I don't pretend to understand it, but it is an observable law of Doduo."

Shaking my head, I wondered just what was wrong with those birds...

I'm still not sure on what to say about this.

Placing the feather clump on the workbench, he plucked one from the top and dropped it into the chemical vial in his other hand. It rapidly dissolved with a hiss and some light smoke as Rick turned to face me.

Damn, that means Doduo feathers must be very reactive towards the chemical in the vial that Rick was holding!

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"Unlike quantum phenomena, watching the feather dissolve does not change the behavior of the process. Curious things, Doduo are. Unless the old tales of the three legendary Pokemon gods are true, they are the only Pokemon to inhabit our world."

Wait, why don't any other normal Pokemon species exist in this world?

I nodded. "Correct by my understanding."

(24)

Holding the flask up, Rick peered into the sizzling liquid within. "Mew of Neo island, Ho-oh of TCG Island, and Lugia of GR Island. I am not one to trust superstition though. If there are any Pokemon other than Doduo, we have yet to find any scientific evidence to support that hypothesis."

An odd diversion, but Rick was the type to be helpful after indulging him in conversation that interested him.

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I crossed my arms. "You speak as if you've been investigating the matter. Do you have any leads?"

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"For Ho-Oh, The Legendary Rainbow Palace may hold clues," he reached up slowly as if to grab something, "but no one has seen it in over a century." With a slap, Ricks arm dropped and smacked his lab coat.

So Ho-Oh does exist! (In this world at least. Not ours.)

It certainly was odd a place like that could just vanish...

"Historical accounts from multiple eye-witnesses have been compiled on it. Is it truly a miraculous place, or does it simply involve technology beyond our current understanding?" Turning to the side, he placed his vial in a holder on the desk before returning his gaze back to me. "We know it employs anti-gravity to float in the sky. Anti-gravity is not new technology; GR Island's blimps use it. But we do not know the source or specific means that the palace utilizes for its anti-gravity."

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My arms still crossed, I impatiently tapped my finger on my arm. "Yes, I too have heard of such a place. My late grandfather, Jack, told me stories he heard from his grandfather."

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"Indeed! The eyewitnesses are numerous!" Rick grinned as he held up a piece of chalk. "Those accounts also refer to a temple dedicated to Ho-Oh within the palace. Perhaps it contains some artifact or clue on the matter. Unfortunately, no one knows the current location of the palace or how to get it to appear again, if indeed it ever does!" He rose both his hands towards the ceiling.

As interesting as that all was, it had nothing to do with what I was there for.

Waving my hand dismissively, I swooped in to change the subject. "Perhaps if it appears again, you will find something interesting to study. For now, I am here seeking duelists to test my new all-common card deck against!"

"All-common?" Rick raised an eyebrow. "How fascinating! It's been a while since I've had the opportunity to collect duel data on such a unique concept!" Holding his chalk against his chin, he knit his brows. "However, the club members are currently at the TCG Island science symposium at the Pokemon Dome and will be occupied for the next month... I could briefly recall them one at a time, but I would like something in exchange." Flashing a smile at me, Rick raised his eyebrows.

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"Like what?" I tilted my head slightly.

(25)

Peering at Gotan intently, he elaborated. "Feathers. I need more of them! Your Doduo appears to produce them in abundance!" In a single swift motion he directed his open hand towards Gotan with his coat billowing from the speed.

I smiled. "Well, if that's all you want, I'll give you as many as I have. There is a whole mound of them! I could perhaps bring them by tomorrow. Of course, there are also still feathers attached to Gotan as well..."

So Gotan's constant molting is a mutation.

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Rick frowned as he lowered his arm. "There aren't NEARLY enough currently attached to Gotan! I must have MORE! Where is this mound you speak of?!" He whipped his head around towards me.

"At my house. This bird has been camped out there for days..." I held my arms outward. "You wouldn't believe how many of them there are!"

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Rick lit up. "Ah HA! That settles it, then!"

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Fully tilting my head this time, I dared to ask. "What does?"

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"I shall come with you back to your house and gather the feathers myself! I have a method of procurement that ensures quality and freshness." Rick grinned.

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Free lawn care? Did my ears deceive me?! And just how many did he need? Perhaps I could get even more benefit from the arrangement...

Damn, is Rick that dedicated to his research to the point that he'd do free lawn care for Mr. Gentleman!? That is true dedication right there.

"Very well, you may accompany me and I will permit you to gather them!"

Rick smiled broadly. "Excellent!" Holding the chalk to his chin, he inquired further. "Do you have a spare bedroom?"

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I furrowed my brow. "Why do you ask?"

Rolling his head back to suggest eye rolling, he explained. "Well I'll need a place to crash for the night! Also, being around Gotan will give me the opportunity I need to collect the most fresh feather specimens! I do hate manual labor, but I can tolerate it... if you have some beer." He raised an eyebrow.

After laughing a moment, I answered. "Well, yes I do. I don't find myself partaking it in much, but I keep a supply for guests."

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Tapping the chalk on his chin, a slight smile worked its way to his face. "Not bad, but do you have enough," Rick looked me in the eye, "for two?"

Anyways, that was a pretty straightforward chapter. I was expecting a few battles but I was pleasantly surprised that there were none at all. In fact, most of this chapter was quite chill and slow paced. We get to see the beginning of Gotan and Mr. Gentleman's bond as well as Rick becoming a mainstay character in the future chapters. One thing I'm confused about however is that the only person at the Science Club was Rick. Why is he the only member there? Overall, I enjoyed this chapter like the other chapters I read. I hope that this review is satisfying for you to read! Axihdio out!

 

[Tango]

Alright, back to back reviews for you.

Hey, @Axihdio ! Nice to see you here for a review of chapter 3!

I see you tried to use the spoiler tag to contain the line by line portion, but the part in brackets that is '/SPOILER' (You will need to keep and include the brackets too) needs to be at the bottom of your line by line. So you have to separate out that part of the code it generates. If you still have questions about this, let me know and I should be able to help you. Alternatively, you could post the spoiler twice exactly how you did and just erase the portion of each to have them match up. Example(brackets are missing so that it will show up:

SPOILER="Spoiler: Line by line reaction " /SPOILER

Italics indicates the first section (it doesn't need to be in italics when you post it. To have the part at the top, just have it as:

SPOILER="Spoiler: Line by line reaction "

Then for the end of the spoiler, have the following at the bottom:

/SPOILER

If I had brackets around it, it would conceal only the sentence in between the two of them. I think this helps you understand how to use it, but let me know if you have questions!

And now, lets see what you have!

Spoiler: Spoiler: Line by line reaction

I guess you could replace the "to resume my challenge of the clubs" with "to resume challenging the clubs". In my opinion it makes it more direct and straight to the point.

Hey! Nice point! Feel free to mention stuff like this. No such thing as too much editing corrections and enhancements.

So this Doduo isn't like a normal Doduo. Is it some sort of mutated Doduo? Or maybe it just behaves differently compared to other Doduo?

Doduo iny fic are weird. This one in particular is way weirder still.

Mr. Gentleman, why in the history of the Egyptian Empire didn't you feed it?!

Because he considers it to essentially be wild and he never asked it to follow him.

It's a living being too and it needs to eat food to survive! If it dies from starvation, it's blood is going to be on your hands the police are going to be on your ass until they catch you. And if they do your life and career is practically over! Think Mr. Gentleman think!

Yeah, he doesn't think much of Gotan at this point.

I guess you could add a "that" in between "noticed" and "Doduo".

Was Doduo afraid that Mr. Gentleman was going to attack him?

Nope. Afraid he missed him and therefore would be unable to follow him.

Maybe Doduo sees something in Mr. Gentleman that he doesn't see in other humans? Or maybe it's because of Mr. Gentleman's outfit.

He definitely does. As for what, that will remain a mystery beyond Book One

Well, couldn't you just give it some water at the very least? I assume that Doduo can go on longer without food than they can without water.

I probably should add that in at some point. A good detail as he wouldn't be opposed to that. In fact, you've inspired a new paragraph that was added!

Before leaving, I filled a large water bowl and set it outside for Gotan. I had to make a second trip after he downed the initial bowl... Did the fowl not even drink since yesterday? As for food, he would need to forage since I had no funds to spare on birdseed. Judging from the worm he plucked from the sidewalk in front of me, it didn't seem he would be having any trouble in that department...​

Damn, Doduo's molting! And Mr. Gentleman is probably very, very pissed and confused. One question that I want to ask is how does Doduo shed that many feathers?! This is definitely not normal, Doduo needs to go to the vet as soon as possible.

Doduo molting is normal. The do lots of it all the time. I should add a bit in there explaining how he still had plenty of feathers. New sentence added to the end of that paragraph:

Was it common for them to look like they hadn't shed any feathers at all even after losing such a large volume?​

Or maybe it's just a natural trait of Doduo in general. But how does Doduo manage to rapidly grow new feathers after molting enough feathers into a heap. Big or small that's still an absurd feat from a Doduo. Is there going to be an in universe explanation for this?

100%, yes there will be one but I may as well tell you here since it won't be long for the reveal. All Dodrio regenerate kind of like wolverine from X-Men. This also has a big connection to their potential for rapid feather growth.

Why is a Scyther mailbox prohibited?! It's not like an actual Scyther would jump out of it when the mailbox is open and go on a maniacal killing spree at a nearby school!

Because HOAs suck and make unreasonable rules lol

So, Doduo rolled around Mr. Gentleman's yard for an entire day without getting hungry or thirsty?

He probably had water before that. As for food, he can dig for worms as needed.

The Doduo species in this world seem to be quite the survivalists! Maybe their particularly rotund bodies act as a storage compartment for fat like how a camel stores fat in it's hump or humps if it is a Bactrian Camel.

Their regeneration helps them keep going. I haven't put this in the fic, but they don't even need to eat or drink, but they get uncomfortable when going without it. They still get hungry and thirsty.

I think that with Doduo following Mr. Gentleman around, there's bound to be some chaotic moments in the future. Maybe Doduo would go berserk and attack Mr. Gentleman's opponents or maybe Doduo would just roll on top the the cards during the duel. I can already imagine Mr. Gentleman crashing the hell out if Doduo does that. Or maybe Doduo might even peck the living shit out of Mr. Gentleman's opponent if he thinks that they are going to cheat in the game or hurt Mr. Gentleman!

Lets just say, I think you will have a hard time predicting where things will go with him.

Were the metal collars painted black? Normally, metal collars are often silver in appearance. If that was the case, they would be extremely noticeable to the average person, Mr. Gentleman included because Doduo have black necks. If said metal collars were black, it would make more sense as to why Mr. Gentleman didn't notice them right away.

You seem to be good at pointing out things that don't make much sense! You know how many other authors have reviewed this chapter? And you are STILL finding things? It seems you are unlocking your review skill potential! I'm impressed! I've reworked the sentence in question to the following:

​

With the other matters no longer taking my attention, I noticed a couple metal collars around each of Doduo's necks.​

An animal with a collar around its neck or necks in this case is 100% someone's pet.

More like, 'was'. Though she would not have considered him a pet.

So Doduo is male.

Correct!

Nice pun there, Mr. Gentleman!

He does try.

I guess Mr. Gentleman's lucky that Doduo didn't start profusely pecking him after that comment.

I mean... he's not wrong. Gotan really IS a feather factory! Metaphorically, of course.

Mr. Gentleman, perhaps you might have gotten his name wrong.

You would be surprised how many people DON'T pick that up!

Damn, now I'm wondering what happened to Gotan's original owner, did they go missing? This could be a really interesting plot point for an extra chapter or spinoff oneshot!

Actually, his owner will be one of the main characters of:

TCG2: Doduo Adventures - Book Three: Origins

Part of it will be a prequel to Book One and another part of it will be parallel tales (aka happening at the same time) as Book Two. A small part of it is written but most of it is not yet.

It seems that Gotan was really close to his previous owner. I wonder what happened to them?

In Book Two, you will find out. In Book Three, you will get to see it for yourself.

Based on this part right here, I think that Gotan rolls around in grass so that he can relieve himself of stress.

Either that or he revealed too much and must now mask it! muahahaha!

Hmm, so the Science Club has no female members?

Correct. This is how it was in the game.

I fins this kind of weird because there must be at least few women in this world who are into science right?

Well, sure! The club doesn't represent the entire world population! lol The club also only has 4 members.

Oh wait, Dr. Wem! If Dr. Wem could become a researcher in this world, then she must have started somewhere like the Science Club right?

You know, Dr. Wem is actually well versed in science. She is well versed in a lot of things, actually. She was never part of the Science Club, but she could easily be the Science Master if she wanted.

I know that you want to stick as close to the game as possible but I think that Mr. Gentleman could have mentioned that there are a few women in the Science Club as well but they are not as clingy towards him like the women at the Water Club.

It's a small club. No women there. Not everything needs to be politically correct. I'm comfortable with a club happening to have no women in it in the same way I would be if there was a club of all girls. Oh wait, there WAS one of those. The Grass Club. But I don't recall you mentioning how there were no guys in it lol...

He could also mention Dr. Whem's history with the Science Club (if there is any between them) like Dr. Wem was a former member or she was even the former clubmaster before she left to work at the university.

She wasn't a Club Master anywhere prior to becoming a university instructor. Or if she was, it was on Neo Island since that's where she said she came from.

Yeah, you do need to watch over him, Mr. Gentleman. He probably thinks that you're his new owner now. Wait, you are!

I mean, he still isn't technically Gotan's owner. He never made a choice to keep Gotan around, only to let him follow him if he wanted. (But he couldn't stop Gotan from following him anyway. Any time he leaves his house, Gotan would just follow him.)

Well, shit.

Well, I guess I was wrong back there. Then again, perhaps Gotan's previous owner taught him how to act properly at clubs?

That is certainly what it seems like at this point in the story.

I guess Mr. Gentleman's name isn't for nothing then. He clearly has very high standards that he hold himself to. Great example of him acting like an actual Gentleman. Something a certain friend of his isn't capable of.

You mean Gotan? 😅

Damn, I guess those tiles are as durable as Captain America's shield! But who made them in the first place?

That's a pretty good comparison, actually.

And your question is most DEFINITELY the right one. The series eventually answers that question too.

You know, I think that this machine could play some role in future chapters but I'm not sure.

It might! I'm not entirely sure yet, but I'm thinking about it.

Whoa, whoa, whoa! How in the ass of a Sea Cucumber did the Science Club members get a MOTHERFUCKING QUANTUM COMPUTER!? And it's called OLD TECHNOLOGY?! And people just have quantum computers in their houses?! Is this world so technologically advanced that people just have quantum computers at home? What would the average person even need a quantum computer for?! Tango, I need to know why! WHY DO PEOPLE HAVE QUANTUM COMPUTERS IN THEIR HOMES?! WHYYYYYYYYYY?!!!!!!!!

Well. Why do people have smart phones instead of flip-phones? Technology advanced. Their technology is greater than our own.

I love the strong reaction, though!

Damn, couldn't they at least attempt to clean up the place? People are going to come here for duels!

Uh... you are talking about Rick while he is in the middle of experiments. Keeping things clean in areas not immediately tied to his experiments is the furthest thing from his mind lol...

Why would an island that hates Doduo and views them as pests want a large shipment of them?

Why indeed.

I guess, maybe he had a bad experience with another scientist?

You might could say that! 🤣

Well, maybe his previous owner did teach him how to act in places like this!

As good a guess as any.

Who knows if Rick's going to do something bad to it.

I'm not sure on what to say about this...

Doduo are masochists. All of them. With only one exception. But you won't meet her until Book Five.

Damn, was the woman he was describing Lady from Devil May Cry? Granted, there would probably be nothing left of Rick if that were the case. (And if Rick was the demon that Lady was hunting on that very day.)

I'm still not sure on what to say about this.

Good. I would be offended if you did.

Damn, that means Doduo feathers must be very reactive towards the chemical in the vial that Rick was holding!

Indeed!

Wait, why don't any other normal Pokemon species exist in this world?

A real question AND a good one. There is an explanation that will come up for this in Book Two.

So Ho-Oh does exist! (In this world at least. Not ours.)

Potentially.

So Gotan's constant molting is a mutation.

Compared to the normal Doduo in the fandom? Absolutely.

For Doduo in THIS WORLD? Par for the course. 👽

Damn, is Rick that dedicated to his research to the point that he'd do free lawn care for Mr. Gentleman!? That is true dedication right there.

You're talking about Rick here.

Anyways, that was a pretty straightforward chapter. I was expecting a few battles but I was pleasantly surprised that there were none at all.

Pleasantly? The crap is THAT supposed to mean?!

But on a more serious note, not all chapters have duels in them. And not all duels get full details. I try to keep it light while still providing enough for it to stay true to the core premise.

In fact, most of this chapter was quite chill and slow paced. We get to see the beginning of Gotan and Mr. Gentleman's bond as well as Rick becoming a mainstay character in the future chapters.

You are correct! Rick is indeed going to be around for a while!

One thing I'm confused about however is that the only person at the Science Club was Rick. Why is he the only member there?

You will find out in the next chapter, but essentially the members are all attending a science symposium.

Overall, I enjoyed this chapter like the other chapters I read.

Enjoyment is key. Wonderful to hear!

I hope that this review is satisfying for you to read! Axihdio out!

This review has been much more in line with what I thought you were capable of. Great work here, Axi. I hope to see more reviews from you of this caliber!