Tree of Life ~ Exterior

[Disco]

Raven watched them talk, but as it seemed like things were... alright... and since Xerneas had asked for privacy...

She opted to leave them too it and not interfere.
The Familiar followed after the Ultra Stone with a sigh.

 

[Namohysip]

This was a mistake. I'm never entrusting my fate to you two again. Raven is no help either. She probably enjoys this.

"Say, Xerneas. Since Diyem is going to agree to this, don't you think it might be a little awkward if he's still so tiny?" Owen made a pinching gesture with his claws. "How about you evolve him now, and then as repayment he'll prove himself to you? And if he doesn't, we'll have to hold him to it. Diyem can't move around continents on his own, after all."

Xerneas hummed, looking unsure.

 

[Ambyssin]

“Unfortunately you’re not a serpent, so you can’t really coil around him while he’s this size.” Bahamut tapped his chin. “Unless you’re into size differences. No one will judge, I’m sure.”

 

[Namohysip]

"...Fine. I'll allow it," Xerneas said, glaring at Bahamut. "I have no idea what you're talking about. This is all for proof that he can behave himself."

"Right..." Owen looked at Diyem. "So how does that sound, huh? You get to be strong enough to be a Charizard again, and then we can earn his trust!"

"...Fine." Diyem said, not realizing how similarly it sounded to Xerneas.

Xerneas' horns glowed dimly as he concentrated. "Then, hold still. Since the Tree itself is short on power, I will be sparing some of my own..."

 

[Ambyssin]

Bahamut lay down on his side and rested his head on an upper wing.

 

[Namohysip]

Rainbow lights adorned Xerneas' antlers. Brighter and brighter, with a tinge of red that made Diyem wary.

Owen shifted nervously. We're sure this is safe, right? he said. Diyem, you can handle... Eien's corruption if it happens, right?

I am technically the one who corrupted her. Not the other way around.

Doesn't Eternatus also have corruption?

Distortion. Different fundamental force.

The red tinge was still there, and a little brighter, and Xerneas opened his eyes. "Hold still."

Diyem was enveloped by a prismatic light; he seemed to be wincing from within, though it was nothing compared to the Radiance from before. His body started to grow...

 

[Ambyssin]

"My, my. He's taking 'getting a rise out of it' to a whole new level." Bahamut lazily fanned himself with his other upper wing.

 

[Namohysip]

Finally, the prismatic light faded, and standing before them was Diyem, back in his former glory. He was taller than Owen by at least a head and a half, and Owen was already a little tall by his species' standards. Wishkeeper still dwarfed them both.

"There. Now, you get to repay me with proof of your goodness," Xerneas said formally.

Diyem hummed, arms and wings folded over as he considered it. "...I wouldn't mind that," he said.

 

[Ambyssin]

"And the ship has sailed," Bahamut whispered.

 

[Namohysip]

"I guess that's all for now, then," Owen said, nodding to himself. Though something was bothering him, now. Diyem seemed a little too at ease. But then again, it was a relief to see that the evolution went smoothly. He could let the others know for now.

"We'll be around," Owen added. "Let us know if you run into any problems, alright?"

"Of course."

Diyem approached Xerneas formally. "Go on, then. I suppose to thank you, I won't destroy the tree." He smirked. Xerneas didn't look amused.

<><><>​

 

[Ambyssin]

Apparently the team had finally gotten housing arrangements away from the guild, but Bahamut hadn't been there for the move. He was still at the Tree. Even if Xerneas was there, he was too busy lusting over Diyem not right in the head. Everyone else on the team was focused on all the Darkwhite nonsense. That was fine. They could plan... something. He would keep an eye on things here. Though Bahamut figured the Worldcore needed to be purified first, there was always the possibility something bad could happen to the Tree, too.

Besides, his team... hell, the entirety of Destiny Village probably preferred him to be elsewhere. If not for his demeanor than the fact that he looked like the guy who almost cratered the place.

The mismatched colors in his eyes rippled a bit. Someone was coming. Bahamut concentrated a bit on the signature.

"Decided to take a guard shift, did we?" he said, without turning to face whoever it was. "I'm surprised. You were never a fan of Destiny Village's colder climate, so I thought you'd leap at the chance to go somewhere warmer. Or did your growth spurt make it easier to deal with the cold?"

 

[Virgil134]

"Well, it's not that hard to get away from the cold when you can take a portal to any continent whenever you want," Cabot answered as he approached Bahamut. The Rampardos came to a stop beside him, but looked ahead instead of facing him. "Besides, even in Destiny Village it's warm when indoors."

He said nothing for a moment, before turning his head to look up at Bahamut. "Though I'm surprised you're here so often. I didn't realize how much time you were spending here until I tried looking for you."

 

[Ambyssin]

"I prefer to be around light." Bahamut pointed skyward with his tail. "And it's solitary here. No one wants an aging killer around who just reminds people of the guy who killed half the team and almost demolished Destiny Village."

 

[Virgil134]

Cabot hummed. "I see. I guess I can understand why you feel that way... even if that part about no one wanting you around isn't true."

He shook his head. "Apparently Pleo is fond of you now."

 

[Ambyssin]

Was he now? Humming, Bahamut folded his wings over his chest spikes. "He's a cute kid." A beat. "Or a reproduction of a cute kid. Shades are weird."

 

[Virgil134]

Cabot's eyes drifted towards the ground as a small smile formed on his face. "Yeah, he is cute." He looked back up at Bahamut. "Though, I wouldn't say he's a 'reproduction'. Just a different version of the Pleo I know back home."

 

[Ambyssin]

Bahamut was sorely tempted to point out that that descriptor was more appropriate for Meringue, but it wasn't worth splitting hairs over.

... not that either of them had hairs to split. Stupid figures of speech.

"He needed help reading a book on the Tree of Life while you were... y'know, dead." Bahamut pointed at the Tree with his right leg. "Reminded me of the times I would read to my son." He sighed. "Never got to a point where he could read it for himself."

 

[Virgil134]

Cabot fell silent at Bahamut's reply. "I'm sorry to hear about your son. He was the same sort of Pokémon Silver used to be before evolving, right?"

The Rampardos shifted a bit in place and hesitated a moment, before continuing on. He had said something like this Kate and Potluck, so it seemed only fair to tell Bahamut the same.

"And Pleo told me about that," Cabot remarked. "He mentioned he really liked it, so... thank you for being there for him."

 

[Ambyssin]

"You're welcome. And my son was a cosmog, yes." Bahamut kept his wings folded. "Frankly, I'm suspicious of the fact this Silver character evolved so quickly... and into the wrong form. I could write off Team Spectrum's quick progress as a side effect of Dark Matter. But Silver shouldn't have such power. And it still doesn't explain why he's a lunala. My wife taught me that solgaleo is the male form."

Purple and red expanded in his eyes. "Something's definitely up. I was tempted to write him off as a victim in this situation. However, I think that he may be a piece of the bigger puzzle. Perhaps unwittingly. But I no longer trust him."

 

[Virgil134]

Cabot blinked in surprise. "So the way he evolved would be like if a male Burmy evolved into a Wormadam?" He furrowed his brow. "Okay, that's...definitely odd."

"But even without that, I think you're right," the Rampardos said. "The way he was put inside the Shadow Machine without his memories always felt strange to me, and Giovanni would have known that he'd likely end up with us eventually. If he wanted to implement a spy that would definitely be a way to do things. Not to mention that I heard Silver apparently still doesn’t recognize his own team. Surely he would have at least felt something by now..."