Grass Continent ~ Amp Plains

[Namohysip]

Thunderstorms constantly bombarded a certain portion of the Grass Continent, though its origins were a bit of Pokemon-and-egg. Electric Pokemon loved to live here, which caused the thunderstorms to persist. But was it the thunderstorm or the Pokemon that came first? Nobody really knew, and apparently it was an in-joke among Legends to not answer. The results, however, were clear; electrified terrain at all times, grayed fields, charred, flame-resistant trees, and gray, flashing skies.

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The stories spoke of a mysterious figure that frequented the electrical plains. A Pokemon that looked a lot like Luz in shape and size. The Legends confirmed that it was true, though they did not know where that one usually went. Cream mentioned that it was a bit of a myth among her tribe.

Was that enough of a lead to look for them? Apparently, for Luz, it was, and in the mood to go on some long walks away from Destiny Village was Cal. Perfect excuse.

"Talk about electrified," Cal mumbled. The Charmeleon-wraith rubbed her arms.

 

[unrepentantAuthor]

Luz made a begrudging face. "Yeah, no kiddin'. Ain't no environments quite so fantastical as this where Brisa's from. Fulminare Escarpment gets a lotta storms but perpetual electric terrain is somethin' else!"

She gave Cal a gentle thump on the shoulder. The Shade-charmeleon was a real sweetheart, really, coming all this way just for her.

"Thanks fer the company, partner. Don't mind havin' an extra pair of eyes neither."

 

[Namohysip]

"Wasn't just for you," Cal admitted, frowning. "I kinda wanted to get away from... there for a while." Her claws squeezed into her arms. "I kinda... heard about the Joule thing."

Thunder boomed above them.

 

[unrepentantAuthor]

"Oh, the thing about that fella reabsorbing shades? I'm honestly findin' it kinda comfortin'. Assumin' he even can reabsorb familiars, which we don't even know yet if he can do, it means I can bring an end to myself an' travel the universe as a wanderin' light, a hero, like I'm meant to. It's a relief to believe it. Is that terrible of me?"

She strode forwards at a comfortable pace, hands astride her hips. She wondered if she'd see any luxray, of Cream's tribe. How peculiar that there were certain things in common between the worlds even when they weren't mirrors.

 

[Namohysip]

Cal said nothing in response for a while after that, so instead the storm jabbered over them both as they searched for signs of a Luxray tribe. According to Cream, it was around the season for them to be in this part of the field. They eventually found pawprints of a heavy-set Luxray... Certainly a leader, or at least a mature one of the clan.

"I want to be me," Cal finally mumbled during a quiet part of the storm.

 

[unrepentantAuthor]

"Then be you!" said Luz, decisively. She felt a little more her usual self, with Brisa back and Joule providing a salve to her existential concerns. Perhaps she should reign it in a bit, for Cal's sake?

She slicked back the 'fur' on her head – more well-defined than ever; she'd been practising – in the rain and knelt down to match Cal's height.

"Darlin', I like you plenty just th'way y'are, an' you got a right to yer life. Shades try to reunite with Joule. He ain't absorbin' 'em against their will. An' he's a good fella, an' his team an' ours are all pretty right-minded, good-hearted folks fer th'most part. Nobody'll force ya to rejoin Joule – if that's even a thing as can happen. Yer gonna get t'be you."

 

[Namohysip]

"Will I?" Cal asked, glancing at Luz, before she stepped over a large boulder and pointed out what looked like a bit of fur from a scuffle. They were getting close; the fur had been only partway in the dirt, but not dirtied itself. Still, no sign of a Zeraora. It seemed silly to be looking for a single one in a whole electric plain...

"It's just..." Cal sighed. "Think about Cola and Pop. Pop says that he's planning on reuniting with Cola, right? And, like, if they have the same spirit, they do have to do that eventually, one way or another. It's like Bean. Did you know he regularly has to re-sync so his copies don't stray too far mentally? I think Pop's worried that's gonna happen with Cola, and then there's gonna be some kind of... mental identity war on which one is supposed to..." Cal shuddered. "If we are parts of Joule's spirit... what if..."

 

[unrepentantAuthor]

Luz leaned heavily on her raised knee. "Ye've really had this on yer mind, huh. Nah, I didn't know that about Bean. I knew about Pop an' Cola, though. Seems t'me like Cola's already nothin' much like Pop, an' Pop seems t'be respectin' that. I get that yer more worried about this than I am. Maybe it don't seem like as big a deal t'me 'cause the idea of havin' to be a whole person all on my own, possibly fer ever, feels worse than the idea I might become part of Joule."

She rubbed her chin. This . . . wasn't totally irrelevant to why they were here, was it?

"Say, Cal," she continued, "did I tell ya why I wanted to find Cibus' zeraora? It's 'cause I'm tryin' to figure out who I am, what a zeraora is meant t'be like, an' this seemed a decent place to start. I'm literally here to see if'n I wanna become more like someone else, so as I can be that on my own, instead of bein' tied to someone who won't be around fer ever. Choosin' who to be don't mean choosin' to be separate and unique."

 

[Namohysip]

"Choosing... who to be," Cal repeated. "...R-right. I..." Something about that made her even quieter. "I don't know who I'm supposed to be, either. Maybe that's also why I wanted to come with you for this. I mean. Seeking out another Zeraora when you're just like one... If only I could meet someone who's my parallel, huh?"

"Stop there!" someone shouted and Cal tripped over her own footing, spattering her upper half on the ground.

Shuffling all over, using the thunderstorm as cover. There was no telling if there was one or many.

 

[unrepentantAuthor]

"Maybe y'can!" said Luz, beaming. "We'll continue our conversatin' later!~"

She called up to the hidden figure or figures. "How d'ye do, stranger? I'm Luz Escarpa of Team Spectrum, seekin' Zeraora of Cibus or those as know 'em! This here is my friend an' travellin' companion, Cal! Now, who might I have th'pleasure of meetin' on this fine, fine day?"

It felt good to be herself, in this moment. Damn good.

 

[Namohysip]

The thunder answered her as usual, which could have been the masking they used to discuss with one another.

"Um, we know Luxray Cream?" Cal called. "She said we could speak with you! About! Zeraora! Maybe?" By now, she'd reformed her upper body and made sure her head was attached properly.

"Cream? From where?"

"Destiny Village."

"Where specifically?"

"Um... The Truthful Times?"

More rumbling. Cal's ectoplasm was fizzling oddly and she didn't think anything of it, but anybody keen on electricity would recognize it as the immediate warning of an incoming strike.

 

[unrepentantAuthor]

"Maybe I shoulda brought Brisa," mused Luz, out loud.

She had no idea how she'd stand up to the luxray tribe, but she was probably made of tougher stuff than Cal, and coming here had been her idea. The decision was an easy one. She casually moved in front of Cal, ready to block the attack, her body sparking up with silver-blue lightning.

 

[Namohysip]

A jolt of electricity struck the ground far from Luz, but certainly close enough that it would have been deafening for any normal Pokemon, but for them, it was just noticeably loud.

"Yow!" Cal hopped back. "What was that for?!"

"...That wasn't us," said a voice to the left. "That is just the whim of the sky."

"Yet you... were undeterred."

"I was pretty deterred!" Cal shouted.

"Not you."

"Oh..."

Finally, a Luxray stepped forward. Intense, yellow-red eyes pierced through their projected forms and a four-sided star flicked behind her. Rounded ears flicked in annoyance. She looked... a lot like Cream, yet nothing at all in the aura she gave off.

"Then you know my younger sister?" Luxray asked. She gave off a slanted smile. "Well..." She raised a paw, and suddenly, there was a vague sense that they were no longer surrounded. "You may call me Sour. I'm the leader of the Luxray clan on these Amp Plains."

 

[unrepentantAuthor]

"Well met, Luxray Sour!" said Luz, cheerfully. She strode forwards to extend a paw to shake. "Ought I to assume yer already familiar with us familiars?"

She smiled at her own, unintentional joke. "Either way, I don't suppose y'might be willin' to tell me about Zeraora, would ya?"

 

[Namohysip]

"We... aren't." Sour's eyes flashed with an odd light. "I don't really know what to make of Pokemon like you. Cream really knows how to find strange friends..." She approached until they were closer than usual, possibly a social adaptation due to all the thunder. She was a lot bigger than Cream, perhaps by a whole foot in height.

"You said you were looking for the mythical Zeraora?"

 

[unrepentantAuthor]

Luz rubbed the back of her neck and grinned abashedly. "Well, what we are is a long story. I guess y'could say we're a li'l like ditto? Anyway, I'm meant t'be a zeraora, I guess, just as my pal here is meant to be a charmeleon. But I never met one, y'know? Was hopin' I might meet 'em, or at least learn more about 'em. Tryin' t'figure who I even am, I guess."

 

[Namohysip]

"Well." Sour's eyes widened at her boldness.

Cal made a small tittering noise and added, "Y-yeah, uh, I just wanted to go sightseeing. Sorry if that's, like, against the rules here or anything."

"As long as you don't overstay your welcome," Sour replied. "But finding Zeraora is no easy feat, you know. She is perhaps the greatest of nomads, protecting the fields and fueling the skies for all Electric Pokemon of this continent. Yet, as only one Pokemon, she is not easy to find. Not even the heroes who saved time itself have found her."

"So... there's no chance, huh?" Cal asked.

Sour's eyes hardened. "Not for you, no."

"O-oh."

"But perhaps for you..." Sour looked to Luz. "Your likeness... might gain her interest."

 

[unrepentantAuthor]

Luz beamed. "Sounds right t'me. The zeraora whose likeness I bear is sometiems called th'Wanderin' Light, given her proclivity fer endless journeyin'. She's a protector, too. But I, ah. I can't meet her any time soon. That bein' so, I'll do my utmost to seek out a zeraora t'learn from!"

She looked to Cal, still nervous despite the lack of real danger. "Y'gonna be alright, darlin'?"

 

[Namohysip]

"Um." Cal shifted her weight again. "So, you're saying I probably won't be able to come with her?" She looked at Sour.

"Well... it won't be very safe for a Charmeleon like you. I could send a guide to help. My youngest sibling, Onion, knows the way to where Zeraora is rumored to be watching. He can take you there, but no further."

"What makes it unsafe?" Cal asked. "Dad's gonna kill me if I get into any huge trouble."

"Such regions are only friendly toward Pokemon that can handle our element," Sour said. "You may only hold your friend back there, as she would need to dedicate some of her focus to protecting you."

"Oh..."

 

[unrepentantAuthor]

"Cal's my friend," declared Luz. "If she wants to come, I'll protect her."

She put a firm paw on Cal's shoulder. "It's your call, partner. What'll it be?"