Marowak Dojo ~ Hidden Quarters

[Dragonfree]

"...Huh." Well, that was interesting. Ancient knowledge? "Did there used to be humans in your world?"

Maybe, back when there were humans, Pokémon didn't talk there, either. Had they just evolved more advanced communication, begun to use human tools after some kind of human-extinction-level apocalypse, started to build houses? Shit. He wasn't sure how much sense this made but it made more sense than anything he'd heard in this place so far.

"Well, a lot of it is theory. The practice is harder without the necessary technology. Personally, I worked on reconciling Pokémon and human genomes, splicing them together. Dunno if that'd be possible in your world or this one, but it was in mine. Lots of medical applications for the general principle, but, uh, as a proof of concept I made some kids that were mostly human and part Pokémon, and from there most of what I did was about them. Trying to figure out how they worked, make their lives easier."

 

[unrepentantAuthor]

There was more to take in with every passing minute in this world. Brisa pawed at the bridge of her nose and thought hard.

"Well... humans are described in some very old relics, but almost never depicted. And there's not much evidence that they were ever, hmm, widespread? In my world, I mean. In recent history there have been cases of humans supposedly wakin' up one day as a pokémon and makin' a life for themselves, that sort of thing. I was always sceptical about it myself, but it's why I didn't react with much surprise when... you know. You. So, uh, my point being — I have a rough sort of theory that humans have visited my world in the distant past, and that's where the legends come from."

Brisa approximated a shrug. "I don't expect I'll ever be able to prove such a thing. It remains a hunch."

She had scratched some notes for herself into the dust on the packed-earth walls as she spoke. "You say you 'made' some kids. I'm guessin' from context that they weren't made the 'normal way'? Which means you, or your civilisation, can create artificial life. Am I with you so far?"

 

[Dragonfree]

"Huh," Dave said again. "Where do the humans waking up as Pokémon in your world come from?"

This world sure sounded a lot more similar to Brisa's world than his own. Some of the others had sounded like their worlds were similar, too. Then why were there also people like him, and that person Ashwood, the one who said Pokémon didn't even exist at all in their world? Were most universes these ones with talking Pokémon in them and worlds like his the exception?

"Ha. Yeah, they were made artificially. Spliced genomes from a database of genericized hypothetical sequences, gestated in artificial wombs. No biological parents at all. Normally people still do it the usual way, though. Shit's kind of expensive and not widely available."

 

[unrepentantAuthor]

More notes, silently mouthing unfamiliar phrases, eyes swivelling as she pieced together remembered studies and strange imaginings.

"Usually the humans have amnesia, or claim to," she said, distractedly. "Locals tend to accept it because townies are trusting sorts and heap affection on anyone who pulls more than their weight. Whatever."

More notes.

"You... created not only the offspring, but the genes for them to inherit and disembodied wombs to hold them til birth. Life, wholly fashioned by means of technology. Your society must be well advanced past my own in every respect. Tell me, is it... good?" Stupid. "Is it utopian?" Better, but naive.

In the back of Brisa's mind she was gawking at herself for being capable of maintaining a conversation at such length without freezing up. Apparently all that she required to socialise was for her conversational partner to be from another world so she could keep her brain occupied deciphering what they meant from amongst the arcane bullshit that comprised their vocabularies.

 

[Dragonfree]

"Wait, if they have total retrograde amnesia, how do you know they're human in the first place? Even if they say they remember that, like, is there any evidence they're not just Pokémon who want to be special?"

Dave took a deep breath. "As for my society, no. It's pretty shit. Technology's cool, some people do something good with it, but then there's always some asshole using it to abuse and murder people. Humans are irrational little shits full of petty biases and prejudices. Honestly the talking Pokémon-verse sounds like a cartoon utopia, but realistically I'm guessing you've got all the same bullshit. Probably comes with sapience. I mean, the Jigglypuff was talking about being discriminated against for his fucking type."

 

[unrepentantAuthor]

"That's what I always say!" exclaimed Brisa. "Anyway, while the whole thing is all very doubtful, every 'human' seems to remember only their name, their humanity, and the power of speech... they usually become key to whatever local crisis is ongoing. What's more, they always become singularly strong fighters. Powerfully so."

Brisa curled her lip in the beginnings of a snarl at the news of Dave's world's... disappointing reality.

"Ah. I see. Well, we know what 'murder' is where I'm from, too. It doesn't happen so often. We do have theft, bullyin', con artistry, banditry, that sort of thing. So, maybe you're right. I don't know. Type discrimination is a new one for me, but I'm used to gettin' odd looks for... other stuff."

The anxiety surged again, and she stared at her notes. They suddenly seemed much less interesting.

 

[Dragonfree]

"What 'other stuff'? Honestly you sound like probably the most sensible person in your world." He thought of Jean, coming home crying from her first day of school after being inevitably targeted by bullies; of Mia, probably the smartest person in any room she entered, being treated like a freak because she was weird. "Who cares what some shitheads think? Especially if they all just blindly believe in supposed humans turning up repeatedly and becoming powerful and important. Like, Occam's razor there says if this is actually happening over and over it probably means they're engineering these 'local crises', not just happening to turn up. They're clearly being conned here, right?"

 

[unrepentantAuthor]

Brisa scoffed quietly. "I don't know about 'most sensible.' Other stuff like... it's complicated. I don't know."

She sighed.

"I just spend a lot of time reading. A lot of time alone... and although I've studied almost everything there is to know about humans, I've never been sure if there was any truth to it. Turns out there might be some, cause..."

Keep going. Say it.

" ...cause humans can travel to other worlds and take the forms of pokémon. You're evidence for that. You're not connin' me. ...right?"

She was surprised to find her voice shake a little. She held her gaze steady and did her best to appear calm.

 

[Dragonfree]

Dave chuckled. "Okay, fair. I don't have convenient amnesia and was brought here by a known entity through a known mechanism, though. You know Diyem is real and brought you here too, so if he could take you world-hopping, why not a human. Is there a mechanism behind these guys? Did somebody bring them there to solve these problems?"

He paused. "On the other hand, extending that logic the other way, maybe Diyem is the one who engineered this Magikarp thing in some scheme to use us, which, wouldn't surprise me to be honest."

 

[Namohysip]

Oh, not you too, Diyem groaned.

 

[unrepentantAuthor]

Brisa nodded, a little reassured.

"Supposedly one of the few things some humans recall is a conversation with an unseen entity wishing to build them an appropriate body. None of the accounts sound like Diyem, but he could be the same type of being. Also of note, many humans apparently vanish bodily on completion of their 'task.' It is not... clear. Uh. Whether... whether this is voluntary. If they choose to-- to leave-- ...uh, excuse me."

She shook her head vigorously to clear it.

"Ahem. Um. It's hard for me. To be dispassionate about this, I mean. Sorry."

 

[Dragonfree]

"Huh. I guess maybe there's something to it? If they're disappearing into thin air with no other explanation..." Dave looked searchingly at Brisa. "What? Why?"

 

[unrepentantAuthor]

Best be out with it. Rather now than later.

"My father," she began. The words stumbled out of her mouth as if hobbled. "He was, supposedly, a human. He fit the usual story almost perfectly. Appeared one day with very little memory, joined the Rangers, saved the day a number of times. He scarcely talked about it. I actually learnt more about him from old gazette clippings than I did from talkin' to him. I tried to get him to tell me about his life, anythin' at all, any little details, and he hardly ever would and then-- and then he just..."

Don't stop there. You'll look a fool.

"...he just fuckin' vanished. Gone one day. No note. Like you said -- disappeared into thin air without explanation."

She was staring fixedly at the ceiling, tail curled tightly around her body.

"I've spent half my life thinkin' he was a liar and a fraud. I'm just now comin' to terms with the idea that maybe he wasn't."

 

[Dragonfree]

Dave stared at her for a moment. Well, fuck. "That's, uh. That sucks. Jesus." He paused. "Well, maybe he was a human. Maybe he wasn't. Not like it matters much now, if he's gone."

 

[unrepentantAuthor]

Did it really matter? Did knowing the truth really change anything? It's not as if knowing would make much difference to her current problems. Or indeed, the situation she was in now. So maybe Dave was right. How long had they been talking? Her head practically ached from it. Curio had probably wondered off by now, and she ought to find food...

"Yeah. I guess."

The words which had come to her so easily — relatively speaking — during the conversation were now cowering. She gave Dave a respectful nod and did her usual, laconic best.

"I'm going to find something to eat. Pleasure meeting you."

Brisa left her bed in a fluid motion and left, to look for Curio. And food, of course. Yeah.

Not that she had much appetite.

 

[NebulaDreams]

Curio usually didn't meditate. Most of the time, she'd rather be doing something else to pass the time other than sitting around in a circle. Then again, she had other methods of meditating, like making her figurines, but she didn't have any metal on her. Maybe there was some scrap lying about, but she wouldn't have had the right tools to stick anything together. So while she had waited for Brisa, she had closed her eyes and sat down outside the screen door.

It was nice to sit down and think about what had happened since she was transported to this world. For the most part, she took it in stride since she was used to these interdimensional shenanigans. Meditating was a good opportunity to get away from the weird mumbo jumbo and reassemble her priorities. She would have to fight that Magikarp sooner or later. Her mind was calm, until she heard Dave talking about creating genetically-engineered life forms. That made her stomach churn, to be honest.

What business did someone like him have playing God over Pokemon? It's not like those lifeforms asked to be born in such a body like that. Curio felt out of place with just one weird arm; if her whole body was like that, then she wouldn't have known what to do with herself. Even though she tried to push those memories away, some of them left brief impressions on her mind. Of one Lucario with artificial legs, and another with a helmet grafted onto their head. This was--

Curio sighed and stood up, looking for any sign of Brisa.

 

[Dragonfree]

Dave looked after Brisa as she suddenly up and left. Something to eat. Sure.

Without really thinking about it, he flopped onto the ground, groaning. Jesus, this place. He couldn't get home soon enough.

Of course, now that he thought about it he was pretty hungry. What did Poochyena eat in the talking Pokémon-verse, anyway? Would he have to eat raw meat or something? (Would the meat be from things that talked?) Ugh. And he should probably see about finding other vaguely sane people to fill the room with before the remaining spots were claimed by... the fucking Zangoose or something.

He pushed himself to his feet. Maybe, maybe they'd have something decent to drink. If the Riolu earlier had been any indication, talking Pokémon could do booze. And even if they couldn't, well, if he died of alcohol poisoning in the body of a dog apparently Diyem would just resurrect him right back. Why not.

 

[unrepentantAuthor]

Curio sighed and stood up, looking for any sign of Brisa.

Brisa was staring at the ground as she paced out of the private quarters and practically tumbled into Curio.

"Shit. Sorry. Curio, hi — I'm sorry! I was about to look for you- I got caught up. The poochyena — he's called Dave — we were talkin', and- hey, can we get out of here? This is just like the fuckin' beach. Sorry. I'm sorry."

She wouldn't meet Curio's eyes.

 

[NebulaDreams]

Curio tried to keep herself balanced as Brisa tumbled into her. Well, that search didn't take long.

"Shit. Sorry. Curio, hi — I'm sorry! I was about to look for you- I got caught up. The poochyena — he's called Dave — we were talking, and- hey, can we get out of here? This is just like the fucking beach. Sorry. I'm sorry."

Now this REALLY reminded her of another Shinx. Still, if she was talking about daddy issues earlier, she could've related to that. It must've rattled Brisa quite a bit.

"Hey, don't be sorry. How about some place quiet? I don't think many peeps are at Sharpedo Bluff anymore."

 

[unrepentantAuthor]

"Yeah. That sounds good. Quiet would be good."

Brisa followed Curio out, tail thrashing against the ground. On the way, she heard some telepathic communique about that zangoose causing trouble, and shut it out. Too many people, too many concerns. It would have to wait.

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