Marowak Dojo ~ Living Quarters

[Shiny Phantump]

Celeste smiled. “Those faithful to Yveltal, huh? I’ve only met a few people like that, never really got to talk to them much before. What’s it like to worship the embodiment of death, if I may ask?”

 

[windskull]

"Probably not what you'd expect." Nip laughed. "Most pokemon would probably think it crazy to follow the god of death, but I don't see it as such. The facts are that most of us pokemon are mortal, one day, we'll die. But we know that Yveltal will take care of us, and make sure our spirits pass into the great beyond. The loss of a life may be sad, and there's nothing wrong with mourning it. But more so, we should be celebrating the fact that they'll be reunited with those that have gone before them."

He paused, hesitating. Would Celeste understand the next tennet of his faith? Or would he be more like that bidoof. "There's also... well. I don't know how things are in your world, but mine doesn't have some fo the... options that they have here. Things like gummis and other replacements for meat... we don't have that. Hunting is an inevitability for obligates like myself. Yveltal has an answer for that. We are supposed to kill no more than we need to take care of ourselves and our kin. And not to waste what we do kill. As it would be cruel to waste a life like that."

There was a little something that stirred in his mind. More than one, in fact. He shoved the thoughts away. No. He left all that behind when he accepted Diyem's request. He wouldn't let that haunt his thoughts here. He wouldn't.

 

[Shiny Phantump]

Celeste grinned. “You know, aside from that “Great Beyond” bit, that sounds... surprisingly familiar. There’s a reason we call our lives the in-between sometimes. Like it or not, there’s something at both ends of it. All we can do is make the most of the time between.”

More than anything else, Celeste felt validated. He’d always promised himself that he followed the teachings of Ho-Oh, not because he was born into them, but because they were logical and just. What better proof of the logic behind Ho-Oh’s philosophy could he possibly ask for than someone following a different higher being, living in another world, coming to what was very nearly the exact same conclusion?

“My world doesn’t have any of these substitutes either. So, yes, I have to hunt to eat. We have the same rules. A few more, too. No hatchlings, since they can’t defend themselves. No nursing parents either, since that just kills the hatchling indirectly. Those are our rules, but we’re also supposed to give respect to our prey, and not to take pride in killing them.

“Heh. We could probably get along in each other’s home worlds just fine.”

 

[windskull]

"It sounds like it. Our rules aren't totally the same, but similar enough. In my tribe, there's nothing wrong with taking pride in succeeding on a dangerous hunt. A big, dangerous pokemon like a mamoswine or hydreigon would feed many mouths. It's not pride so much in the killing, but in the fact that you've secured a meal for many, while only taking a single life."

He offered a smile. "We don't have a hard rule against hunting hatchlings or their parents, but it's generally frowned upon except in times of great need." Don't think about it. Don't think about it. "Ensuring our own lives is important, but if we preyed upon the hatchlings, eventually there would be none left to ensure the next generation survived."

Don't think about it.

Nip paused, and then stood up. "This has been a wonderful chat, but I'm feeling the need to stretch my legs. Do you need anything, while I'm gone?"

 

[Shiny Phantump]

“That’s understandable. There’s a reason we don’t enforce “no pride in hunting” as a law.”

Oh, Nip was getting up to go. That was too bad, he’d been enjoying the conversation. “No, there’s nothing I need. Thank you, though, it has been a nice talk. A nice way too keep my mind of being beaten halfway to death... And just a nice talk in general, of course. You seem to be quite a nice person. I’m glad to have you on the team. Hopefully we can talk again another time soon.”

 

[windskull]

Nice? Him? He'd like to think so, but...

He smiled weakly. "You're too kind, Celeste. But thank you. I'd enjoy having another chance to talk soon. Preferably at a time when neither of us is recovering from a fight."

And with that, he turned and made his way towards the exit.

<><><><><><><><><>​

 

[Namohysip]

...I trust that is everyone, Diyem said. Or at least, everyone who intends to arrive. I shall start now. If anybody else misses this, then please approach them privately and explain what I am going to explain to you now. Is that clear? This must stay between us and not go to Maple or anybody else. It will risk the mission.

"Right..." Owen nodded. "Some of us already know a bit, right?"

Some of you know some of it. But now that the plan has become... something unexpected, there is more I must tell you. This mission is on a need-to-know basis... and you now need to know.

There is no doubt in my mind that a Dark Matter of some sort is involved in what is happening to Cibus. I know this because the powers, while different, are similar and reminiscent of the darkness I am familiar with.

 

[Shiny Phantump]

Celeste rushed in. “Are we late?”

 

[Disco]

Mellow stood there with her arms crossed. The faint voice that she usually blocked out had something to say.

After he had finished talking, she raised a hand.

"What's a Dark Matter?"

 

[Fusion]

"Yeah, I'm kinda lost on what that is too," Vix said, crossing her arm nubs. "It doesn't sound all that friendly. Is it something only found in this world?"

 

[Namohysip]

...This is going to be more difficult than I thought.

 

[Shiny Phantump]

“Come on, have you all forgotten the history lesson? Sure, it was a story poorly told, but... you remember nothing of it? Dark Matter was the big evil thingy that tried to destroy the world!”

 

[Fusion]

"I'm gonna assume my world didn't have a big evil thingy trying to..." Vix paused, shuddering slightly as a thought passed her by.

"Well, there was this evil thing that my friends and I beat, but I've never heard of it until I encountered it. I don't think it could have destroyed the world either."

 

[SparklingEspeon]

Tricky had foolishly assumed she knew everything there was to know about this world and thusly hadn't attended. She had no clue what a 'dark matter' was, but wisely decided to keep listening so she didn't look dumb.

 

[Ambyssin]

Bahamut leaned against a wall. They were never going to make progress like this. "Our leader is trying to tell us he's so familiar with all of these 'dark power' elements because he's a creature of darkness himself." He looked at his right hand. "More specifically... a Dark Matter from a world that's not too different than this one.

"Try not to think too hard on it and simply accept it for what it is. You're here, after all. Nothing will change that. Such is the will of causality."

 

[Dragonfree]

Dave sat in a corner and sighed in exasperation, waiting for Diyem to get to the point. Curio had already told him the what, but exactly how Diyem went about talking about it was probably worth hearing.

 

[Fusion]

Bahamut leaned against a wall. They were never going to make progress like this. "Our leader is trying to tell us he's so familiar with all of these 'dark power' elements because he's a creature of darkness himself." He looked at his right hand. "More specifically... a Dark Matter from a world that's not too different than this one.

"Try not to think too hard on it and simply accept it for what it is. You're here, after all. Nothing will change that. Such is the will of causality."

"Ok, cool," Vix said bluntly. Creatures of darkness were a surprisingly common thing in her recent life, as luck would have it. "But if Diyem is one, then these "Dark Matters" can't be all that bad. Maybe if we find the one messing with this world, we can convince them to not do that?"

 

[Disco]

Mellow made a face at Diyem's comment, but refrained from making any comments in response and listened.

 

[Shiny Phantump]

Bahamut leaned against a wall. They were never going to make progress like this. "Our leader is trying to tell us he's so familiar with all of these 'dark power' elements because he's a creature of darkness himself." He looked at his right hand. "More specifically... a Dark Matter from a world that's not too different than this one.

"Try not to think too hard on it and simply accept it for what it is. You're here, after all. Nothing will change that. Such is the will of causality."

“Oh... Is that all? I was expecting... more.”

 

[Namohysip]

...I hate all of you.

"Well, I guess all those comments you keep making make sense now, right?" Owen asked, gesturing vaguely toward the sky. "Hating comes naturally and stuff, right?"

Something akin to a growl rumbled in their heads.

Yes. I am Dark Matter. The Dark Matter not from this world, but another. I have told several of you, but for the rest, I will give you time to... react and ask questions as you like.

Cabot and Owen exchanged a look. "It's because he didn't want there to be a panic of everyone at once," Cabot said. "Since... some of you might not have taken it as well."

Owen could already tell that several of them were in some kind of stunned silence from the news. Cynthian in particular looked like he'd been frozen by a Blizzard...