[Inaccessible] Veritas City

[Namohysip]

Veritas City is a world between worlds. A dimensional crossroads where the spirits of many other realms can sometimes find themselves by chance. This city, surrounded by seemingly infinite fields and forests in all directions, is home to mysterious, but friendly, natives, as well as several visitors from well beyond. To exit, one simply has to go to the coliseum and answer a question or perform a task. It is a quirky attribute to this world, but one that is very consistent and reliable.

Yet today, in this modern city in the middle of a remote field, a strange native to the city has called for a task less standard...

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"I didn't know the coliseum had a basement," Charmander Owen said.

Far above them, through thick dirt, a new dare was being performed, something about a song-and-dance tune. He wasn't really sure what it was for, or the whole reason behind strange tradition of this world between worlds, but it was fun to watch. More curious was why Diyem, a Charizard and apparent insider of this world, was leading Owen into this secret passageway.

"It is simple," Diyem said. "I recently sent out a message for assistance. However, I also have you on-hand."

"Oh. Assistance? Is something wrong with the coliseum?"

"This world is just fine. It is another world that is not." Diyem looked back at Owen, and then turned down the marble halls. He had left a sign for others like Owen to follow, should they be summoned, but Owen was currently the only one conveniently present. "Owen, do you have any desire to return to your world?"

"Well, sure!"

"To do so now."

"Well... I'd like to stick around here for a while longer," Owen admitted, playing with his claws. "Time doesn't pass while I'm here, right? So it'd be like I was never gone. And I don't seem to remember this place while I'm home, either..."

"Yes. It is a property of this world for those who have a hero's aura."

"A hero's what?"

Diyem shook his head. "Unimportant. Owen, do you want to save a world?"

Owen perked up. "Well, yeah! But--wait, is that what you brought me here for?"

They entered a large chamber that pulsed with that same mysterious light, enough that their twin flames were made redundant. At the back of this rounded, white room was a square screen, completely blank. In the center was a table with nothing on it that went up to Diyem's chest.

"Now then," Diyem said. "We've known each other for long enough. Would you like to go?"

"Um. Okay," Owen said. "But will I, y'know, what happens if I get stuck there?"

"You cannot. Your spirit will be tied to mine, and I will remain here." Diyem clicked his claws, forming little sparks of fire. "Due to how far away this world is, I cannot send your body or your aura there, only your spirit, which can travel much faster. I will use my own power, remotely, to construct a new body for you with as much power as I can muster. Then, when the threat is defeated, I will bring you back, and we can return to normalcy. This will not take very long."

Even Owen, with his undying optimism, looked skeptical.

"At the very least," Diyem growled, "no time will pass in your world for your own obligations."

Owen frowned, but he could tell by Diyem's flame that he was desperate. No matter how calm his tone was, something was clearly bothering Diyem, and if he was so hasty... "Why me? I'm not all that strong."

"My options are limited."

Comforting. "Well, okay," Owen relented. "When do I go?"

"Now. Good luck."

"Wait--"

A bolt of black lightning struck Owen, and he was gone.

A few seconds of silence passed and Diyem closed his eyes. "...He will die on his own, but at least it will buy time," he said to himself, turning toward the entrance. "Oh well. Time to get more heroes."

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[Namohysip]

This is too cramped. I did not expect so many worlds to readily answer my call.

Diyem stood in the middle of his pristine chambers, arms crossed and wings folded behind him. The Charizard's reptilian eyes scanned the eclectic crowd before him, Pokemon to humans to Legends alike. He could already sense that a few of the would be trouble. Too headstrong, too optimistic, too glory-seeking, too brooding. But perhaps they could be cannon fodder like the last one.

Well, that wasn't entirely true. He didn't return here. So Owen wasn't killed. He was probably captured, or trapped, or he's just passed out in the fields still. Any of those options were useless.

Oh, they were staring at him expectantly, weren't they? And the last of the prompt arrivals were shuffling in. The late arrivals he could rely on the others catching them up.

"Hello," Diyem said, eyes scanning the group. "I imagine a few of you are surprised to see a talking Pokemon. Get used to it. If you are not aware of why you were sent here, allow me to enlighten you: A world is in danger, and they cannot handle it themselves. I am in need of heroic souls in... one way or another. You will not be in any danger while you are there; your spirits will be returned back to the worlds you came from when this is over.

"You will... usually not remember what happened, at least not until your hero's aura fades. Do not worry about the term; it is not important. What is important is that you will be needed to save a world... And perhaps, in exchange, gain their appreciation, and some time to relax. And so on and so forth." He absently twirled his hand. "What? It isn't as if you have anything better to do. Your worlds' respective realities sent your spirits here for a mission."

Diyem turned around, motioning to a screen on the back wall, which flashed on. "This is the last footage I was able to gain of this world before my connection was severed. It relies on the consciousness of the Pokemon I am linked to, and I had only sent one. Afterward, things became so distorted in his general area that I was unable to observe further..."

As Diyem spoke, it showed footage of a little Charmander--one that seemed familiar to a few of the group, who watched more intently--battling what appeared to be a giant, building-sized Magikarp, large enough to flatten whole streets effortlessly.

The final moments included Charmander being washed away by a Hydro Pump, and then the whole screen distorting. Then, after what seemed to be a lot of time, it showed that same Charmander flat on the ground, deep in mud, and a great shadow looming over him. A second later, the giant Magikarp landed on him--and the screen blacked out.

"...The good news is," Diyem said, "he isn't back here, which means he isn't dead. The bad news, then, is that he might have been trapped, or captured, or perhaps he's merely unconscious in the field still. Either way, your first mission is to stop that gigantic Pokemon from destroying the place. It is currently on its way toward a very important town on that continent, perhaps less than a day's worth of time... I will be sending you there, instead, to prepare. During that time, I will be searching for Charmander from here. I will be your eyes to the world at large, vast as it may be."

Diyem shut his eyes, nodded, and then scanned the crowd. "Do you have any questions?"

 

[SparklingEspeon]

Reality quickly swooped back into Tricky's mind - no way she was leaving here without a piece of cake! She concentrated all her thoughts into summoning one before the charizard could do anything. She saw it form in front of her, and opened her mouth to take a large chomp--

She was too late. The black lightning hit her square in the chest. She disappeared in an instant, and, with no desire to tether the cake into existence, it disappeared too.

 

[DeliriousAbsol]

Razzle Dazzle yawned and shook out his oversized ears. Well, it was time to make himself known. Two waves of pokemon had been sent out ahead of him, and he still wasn't entirely sure where he was or why he'd been unceremoniously whipped from his airship. He hoped it hadn't crashed somewhere. Vix wouldn't let him live that down, that was for certain. And she'd probably beat him to the treasure they were competing over, to boot. Yet somehow, that thought didn't put him in a sour mood. Perhaps because he was still reeling with the shock of being warped elsewhere.

The zorua adjusted his pink and blue leg warmers as he mused over what he'd heard. Nothing about any treasure, not that anyone had asked. And hero missions weren't usually his jam. But an oversized magikarp? Something wasn't right. Was this all a dream? No... he'd bitten his foot several times already, and each time hurt. Oh well. If he was going to aide in any way, he was going to do this with all the pizzazz and Phantom Thief tricks he could perform. Time to get this show on the road.

He strutted from his hiding spot, and aimed a playful grin at the charizard. "You pulled me out of a pretty important heist, there. But I'm as ready as I'll ever be. One question though - is there any treasure involved in this?"

 

[Namohysip]

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Diyem had a nice little system in place. To his left was his overview of the world, which he occasionally spent time idling over to search for distortions, futile as it may have been. And on his right was a little book titled Perish Book, which had been recommended by Owen some time ago. The grim tone of the story was almost satisfying, but he hadn't gotten to the end yet.

And the end would have to wait, as he heard someone walking down the halls. "Mm. So a late arrival has come after all. That didn't take very long."

 

[Namohysip]

"Oh, wonderful. Infighting already." Diyem peered into his observation screens as his recruits began to bicker, some of it directed at him, some at one another. He didn't have time for this, not when he had to focus on channeling more energy into them, but more importantly... He sensed the presence of another late arrival.

"Yes?" He looked toward the marble entrance. "Were you sent by my call as well?" Perhaps this would answer the Necrozma's request. What a happy coincidence.

@Umbramatic

 

[MidnightMutetation]

"Hello?"

Where was she? Angela had been happily minding her own business until she heard a voice in her head -- always a good sign. It was offputting at first, but hey, maybe voices calling out to you in your head was a common thing in this no-human world. She'd believe anything after being shoved into a pokemon's body.

A sharp command for Benjamin to stay put in their little den-home, then she was off searching. The lopunny didn't know how much time had passed, but it must've been a considerable amount if she somehow ended up in a city-like area after all the wandering. All the while, the words "blacklight" and "true self" kept echoing in her head, whatever that meant.

At least the one good thing to come out of this was that there was someone nearby she could ask: a charizard reading a book while sitting next to... what looked like a pool of light?

'... One question at a time. Charizard first.'

"Hey! HEY! You, Charizard! I need to ask you something!" Angela hollered, jogging up to the stranger. Hopefully, he wasn't secretly one of those "ferals" and tear her throat out; she hadn't exactly mastered the art of running for her life without the urge to hop instead rising up.

 

[Namohysip]

Diyem paced around his usual room, no longer bothering to hide his black flame now that it was a known fact that he was Dark Matter. Sure, nobody ever actually saw him while they were in Cibus, but it was a psychological thing.

He had to find more spirits to send over. This group was... simply too unfocused. He had no idea if they were actually trying to solve things while he was searching for distortions around the world. He felt like he was getting close to the truth, the truth to where the distortion's source was coming from, and yet he still needed more time.

He sighed. He had searched for stragglers some time ago, and sensed that a few had been on their way. Where were they...? At least one would have shown up by now, surely.