Grass Continent ~ Treasure Town Beach

[Namohysip]

Owen stared at Bahamut in a state that was somewhere between transfixed and nostalgic, like something he had said triggered something in him. Then, a fond smile that did not belong in the current exchange slowly manifested. "...I do," Owen said. "I meditate all the time. I learned it from someone important to me a long time ago, and it stuck with me since. But... I think I've been shirking those recently. I've been too excited with everything that's been happening."

He hesitated only for a moment. Then, he said, "I may be a child to you, like everyone else... but I'm a lot older than I look. And I think, in some ways, I keep some of my... uh, 'youth' by meditating. It helps even me out. Lets me manage everything that I had put behind me over time." He fidgeted. "You probably know that I always go around asking to spar and stuff, and I do like that... but... could I maybe... meditate with you now and then?"

 

[Ambyssin]

Ah, yes, the sparring tidbit. Bahamut had pretty much taken to ignoring the dojo, though he had heard some not-so-wonderful things had happened there as of late. "Of course you can, little one. Though... I may approach it a bit differently than you are used to."

 

[Namohysip]

"That's fine," Owen said, nodding. "I think I can learn a few different meditation methods, depending on how it all goes. I'm not, like, totally blind to different ways of meditating. And besides..." Owen made a vague gesture behind him so Bahamut could take a look at something on his back. "I think I'd appreciate it a little, in a way. But... maybe for later."

 

[Ambyssin]

Bahamut looked where Owen gestured and smirked. And here he thought that was just some coincidence. "My, my." He uncoiled and did a figure eight in midair before coming to rest on his back. His head spun a hundred and eighty degrees so it looked right at Owen. "The cosmos work in mysterious ways, don't they? I shouldn't be surprised. The cosmos are one of the few constants linking all universes no matter how far apart they are.

"You're a delightful little charmander. I wish the ones I'd met back home were more like you."

 

[Namohysip]

Owen smiled nervously, nodding. "Y-yeah... I guess even if the cosmos is so similar, there are a lot of ways for worlds to play out. Sorry my species wasn't as, uh... nice in your world, or whatever." Owen wasn't really sure if he wanted to inquire; it wasn't relevant to this place anyway.

In an effort to change the topic, Owen perked up a little. "How has the Radiance been treating you?" he asked. "You seem to be in a lot less pain now."

 

[Ambyssin]

"It is a nice reprieve. Warm and familiar. Like the blankets on one's bed." Bahamut wrapped his upper wings around his torso. "Though, if the grapevine is to be believed, the rest of the team has had much the opposite experience..."

 

[Namohysip]

"For one reason or another..." Owen closed his eyes and focused, his orange scales shifting to green feathers. "I had a, uh, memory attack when it first happened. I guess seeing something like this happen to me was enough to bring the whole flood in. Some of the others had it worse. We didn't expect overuse would lead to, um... exploding. They're--they're okay now, by the way, but, it's sort of like using Overheat too many times, if that makes sense."

 

[Ambyssin]

"It makes perfect sense." Bahamut rotated his head so it was skyward once more. "In a star's lifetime, in expands. Exudes hotter and brighter light. Then, at the very end, it goes out in a literal blaze of glory. A massive explosion of energy that shakes the very foundations of the nearby cosmos." He stuck his tail up and traced in a circle. "But the star never is never truly erased. Something is always left behind. A phantom of the star's former being." Bahamut paused. "Thus, the cosmos are eternal. And as a Luminary of the Stars, I bear the same curse."

 

[Namohysip]

Owen nodded. "Forever is something that I don't think any mortal, or semi-mortal, or whatever, can really wrap their head around in a full way. I mean, in some ways, even immortal Pokemon in the middle of being around can't really wrap their heads around it, either. What was the saying..." Owen wobbled his head, thoughtful, like he was shaking loose an old adage he'd heard somewhere. "That the youngest hatching and the oldest immortal are equally close to experiencing infinity. Y'know, like math."

 

[Ambyssin]

A chuckle. "That sounds like the musings of one from a world where time is not linear." Bahamut sat up. "In any case, we've strayed far off-topic. We should come up with plans for addressing Dark Matter's identity with the team and with Maple's team."

 

[Namohysip]

"Oh." Owen had been enjoying his talk so much that he'd forgotten. "Right. Uh. We were talking about..." After a pause to appreciate that the waves no longer elicited a primal fear in him, he continued. "First thing is we need to have more than one of us tell the more volatile people in our group. Cynthian, for one. He might get so freaked out that he'll tell Maple right off. I think Curio, Cabot, and Brisa are probably mentioning this to others, too. Once everyone's on the same page, uh... maybe we can get the nicest people that Maple likes on our team to tell her at the same time? Sure, one slice from Maple would probably defeat all of us at the same time, but maybe if we say it really nicely..."

It was hard to tell if Owen was being sarcastic or not. Without his flame to give it away, it was just slightly harder.

 

[Ambyssin]

"Well, I don't know how much he told you, but our conversation seemed to yield that he didn't really choose who to summon." Bahamut tapped his chin with a wing-claw. "He just poked around random worlds seeing if his SOS reached anyone. And the end result was that nobody really knew what they were getting into... Dark Matter included." He closed his eyes. "It's not pretty, but it is the truth and it's what we have to make clear to Maple. Transparency is paramount for cooperation and all that happy nonsense."

 

[Namohysip]

"Right," Owen said, smiling, though it seemed a little more relaxed than usual. "Happy nonsense."

He still didn't understand Bahamut... but at least, he felt, they could get along. It was a much better state than how things had gone in the beginning, at least. That remark about Charmander of his world... He wondered if that had to do with his initial impressions, especially of Diyem. A Charizard and three Charmander all at once... He could see how that sort of conclusion could arise.

"I think we have some good first steps," Owen agreed. "Let's try to straighten them out more. And after that... maybe some meditating."

<><><>​

 

[Ambyssin]

With the vast majority having (foolishly) balked at the idea of bringing up Dark Matter to Maple's team, Bahamut slinked off to the beach. He settled on his side in the sand and absentmindedly traced a wing along the water whenever a wave rolled up on shore.

 

[Virgil134]

After the meeting at the dojo, Cabot opted to go for a stroll along the beach. He'd considered going back to Pokémon Square to explore the town a little, but with how late it was into the day already he figured it was probably better to visit it tomorrow. As he walked along the sand he noticed Bahamut in the distance and slowed his pace, hesitating a little whether to go up and greet him or just silently walk past him. If it was anyone else he'd choose the former in a heartbeat (except if it was Zane maybe), but this was Bahamut. Talking to him hadn't exactly gone all that well in the past and his interactions with him had been awkward at best.

Then again, things wouldn't get any better by avoiding him, and it would only be more awkward if Bahamut said something to him while he was trying to walk past him. The Cranidos let out a small sigh, before continuing on and going up to Bahamut, eventually giving a small wave as he came close.

"Hey. I see you came down to the beach as well."

 

[Ambyssin]

"Naturally, little one. Whether sunlight or moonlight, light is light." Bahamut continued to traced his wing back and forth. Through damp sand and ocean surf. "The push and pull of the waves is rhythmic. Steady. Relaxing. But if you need me to leave, then I shall."

 

[Virgil134]

"No, it's fine... though I'm not that little," Cabot insisted. "I'm just smaller than normal because I've been turned back into a Cranidos."

He briefly looked down as a wave washed up against his right foot, before turning back to Bahamut. "So how've you been doing this past week anyway? You've changed quite a bit since Maple gave us our Radiance powers."

 

[Ambyssin]

"I am fine, thank you for asking." Bahamut bowed his head slightly. "A pity that many of our allies have had such rough times this last week compared to me. If I could take away their pain, I would. But, alas, my powers here are so very limited."

 

[Virgil134]

"Yeah, I've... both heard and seen what some of our teammates went through," Cabot sighed, thinking back to Owen's transformation and his reaction. "But, you've undoubtedly changed the most. Is this how you used to look like?"

 

[Ambyssin]

"In a sense." Bahamut tapped a wing pensively against his chin. "Though normally I can make myself about ten meters tall."