[CYOA] You Are a Rock

[Negrek]

Oof. Poor Lenora! She's really doing her best for us...

Well, it was worth a try at least. Weird that she's having so much trouble when we didn't have any issues injuring Weavile... Do we have some kind of energy that her Pokemon don't?

Namo's used this trope in a number of his stories, so I wouldn't be surprised if that's what's going on here. I'm guessing we have some connection to whatever Weavile is, and that allows us to damage him normally... and I hope knock him out!

Sucks that we'll have to give up the camouflage Lenora provided us with, but I don't feel great about lying low and just hoping Weavile doesn't try to hurt her/abduct her/anything else bad!

I think I'm going to go with a Rocky Tackle so we don't, like, immediately faint from energy loss? If that's what would happen after we hit zero...

> Consider: I need to look for a good opening!

> Special Action: Rocky Tackle @ Weavile

 

[Namohysip]

RESULTS​

Rocky Tackle at Weavile!

Considerations:
- (1) I need to carefully dodge Weavile's actions!
- (1) I need to look for a good opening!

Now it's personal. Lenora, a target? All this fighting and not once were humans being targeted by civilized Pokemon. Humans didn't seem to fight. Lenora fought by summoning Pokemon. She does not look like a fighter herself.

You break your cover just as Weavile fires at her. He spots you and there's a glimmer of surprise in his eyes, but his body does not react any further. Instead, the ice pierces Lenora's shoulder during her dodge, passes through, and goes into the wall, leaving a hole in her shoulder and the museum. Braviary screeches in alarm and stops what he's doing, flying to her.

"If anyone can hear me, we need help! Our lives are in danger!!!"

You shout this as much as your telepathy allows. Raise the volume if you can! Anything to be heard, if it's at all possible. And at the same time, you smash into Weavile... You don't see anyone coming to your aid. Not immediately.

And the give the body returns is sickening. You crunch his arm like a twig, going into his chest. The strange resilience Weavile had evaporates in an instant. His chest caves in from the impact and he coughs a glob of blood onto your rock. You hear his heart and go further, snapping... something else inside, before finally bouncing away. Your body touches inner flesh not meant to be touched. Your stony surface turns crimson.

Direct hit! You deal... 1 damage! Weavile goes down!

"What?" Weavile croaked, barely able to breathe. Apparently, you missed his lungs, despite hitting so much else. "No... NO...!"

He still has energy, but not to fight. On his back, he uses the arm you hadn't crunched to pull himself away. His legs weren't working properly. All he had was his arm.

Lenora is on the ground, a pool of blood from her shoulder and onto the ground. Her other arm is holding the wound, applying pressure. She says something to Braviary, who flies deeper into town at speeds that left distortions in the air. You sense... that she is okay, for now. It could have been worse... like Weavile.

You turn your attention to Weavile again. No longer a threat, you instead realize that he is trying to get away, trying to dig into his bag. Perhaps he has a means to escape, even in his so severely harmed state. Perhaps Pokemon can bounce back from even this, given the proper care...

But now, you hold all of the power. And you feel... something within you stir. A new power... But what will it become? You feel as though depending on how you go forward here... a part of you will awaken.

You feel... as if you could suppress it all, and let him go. Perhaps something would happen there, sparing him to flee and live another day. Somehow, this... disagrees with you... but with so little to go by, it is still an option to take.

You could try to restrain him instead, sap his energy... Perhaps he will live. Maybe you could question him? But that also runs the risk of him fleeing, being rescued, attacking... You do not know what tricks he has, no matter what precautions you take.

You could kill him. At this point, it would be trivial. And this power bubbling within you... would make the matter quick and easy. Weavile would be no more. But, do you have that right, the right to kill even as he flees? What ramifications would that have for this place, this world? Well... you are sure you could call it justified. Also, you're a rock. You are doubtful their legal proceedings would know how to handle that.

But there is... another option. You do not know where the option comes from, or what it means, but it is a word. The word holds so much weight behind it. A deep power. Are you ready for that? What would come with it? A burning curiosity and yearning tells you to try anyway... but you are uncertain. All you know is that it, too, would kill Weavile... but there would also be something more. The word echoes over and over in your mind, throbbing like a migraine: Claim.

The world stands still. Weavile, showing fear in his eyes instead of his stoic frown, will flee shortly.

What do you do?

DECISION​

What is Weavile's fate?

1. Spare. Let him go.
2. Restrain. He isn't going anywhere.
3. Kill. He's too dangerous to leave alive.
4. Claim.​

Current Status​

HP: 2/4
Energy: 1/6
Offense: 2
Defense: 1

Considerations:
- (!) I need to carefully dodge Weavile's actions!
- (!) I need to look for a good opening!

 

[Mirage]

Man, was this an exciting chapter! As mentioned in the discussion, I'm very split between the claim and the restrain options, but I think restrain might be the better idea here, if just because we might only get one shot to interrogate Weavile. Let's see what we might be able to get out of him?

Decision: Restrain. He isn't going anywhere!

Consider: I need to keep Weavile away from the bag and its items!

Telepathy (Weavile): "How did you withstand Lenora's attacks so well, yet not mine? Who was I, before I was transformed?"

 

[Negrek]

I'm glad I wasn't the only one who wasn't at least a tiny bit tempted by Claim, haha. Maybe if Weavile gets saucy and it looks like he's going to escape, then, heh. But let's at least start with restraint and see if we can get anything else out of him...

Decision: Restrain. He isn't going anywhere!

Special Action: Telepathy (Weavile) If you want to survive, you'd better tell me what you've done with Millie!

 

[Namohysip]

RESULTS​

Restrain!

Considerations:
- (1) I need to keep Weavile away from the bag and its items!
-

These abilities bubbling inside you swirl with temptation and a need for release. The circumstances are right. And yet, you resist this, sensing that there is much more utility in restraint. Deep within you, one of your abilities seems easier to work with with that in mind, though it requires some energy to do so.

But at this point, it is your best option.

You tap into a new ability...

The fear in Weavile's expression redoubles, and surely he thinks he's about to die. And yet, what instead infests him is a strange, dark energy that slackens his body and drains him of his power. Not enough to kill, but certainly enough that he can't fight back. He tries to lift his arm and a wave of lethargy makes it look like he's swimming through honey.

You use Enervate! Weavile is debilitated! You feel energized...

Enervate - 1 Energy - Debilitates the enemy, making them perform badly in future exchanges. Fades over time. If it fully connects, gain 1 energy, and your next attack costs half energy, rounding down.

"How did you withstand Lenora's attacks so well, yet not mine? Who was I, before I was transformed?" you ask, and at the same time, you push his bag away from him and well out of reach. Can't have even that slight bit of energy pushing him to a clever escape, whatever's in there.

Weavile could hear you. Despite this, he refuses to reply. He turns his head away and shudders. "You really know nothing," he says. "You... are a blight upon the world. One that was sealed away, only to flee with the last of your strength. We were... only finishing the job..."

"A blight?" you whisper. Somehow, this feels familiar. You know that Weavile isn't making this up, at least not entirely. But... surely that's not the whole truth. You can't be a blight--you'd done nothing but help people you'd found so far!

Weavile is deliberately avoiding an answer. Nothing direct. Maybe... he wants to avoid giving you more knowledge? But that is precisely what you want. Need! What are you? What "blight" is this? Agh--!

But... there is something else that's also important right now. He's already afraid. Maybe if you played that to your advantage... "If you want to survive, you'd better tell me what you've done with Millie!"

Weavile flinches again. The threat of being killed apparently deeply frightens him enough to break that stoic nature.

"...Millie... will be in danger... if I don't return," Weavile says. It's clear that he's choosing his words. "They recognize that you've attached to her. So, if you release me... I'll... tell them... I killed you. And she'll be free. But as of now, she is not hurt. She's... a bargaining chip."

There is no way he'd be able to prove he'd do that. And even if he was telling the truth now, attitudes can change quickly. But, Millie...

Sirens echo from far away. It seems that time to interrogate is running out. Lenora is sitting up, looking conscious, and powering through the pain. She's stable. Tough one, that human. Braviary is flying over--he must have been the one to alert the authorities.

DECISION​

What is Weavile's fate? You have no time left.

1. Let him go. Millie might survive.
2. Capture him for future interrogation.
3. Kill. It's not worth it anymore.
4. Claim.​

Current Status​

HP: 2/4
Energy: 1/6
Offense: 2
Defense: 1
Energized!

Considerations:
- (!) I need to keep Weavile away from the bag and its items!
-

 

[Mirage]

Decision: Claim.

Consider: I'm scared of what this power might do, but I need to use it to protect myself and Lenora!

Special Action: Telepathy (target is Weavile)

"I was bluffing earlier about remembering my past Weavile, but I wasn't bluffing about needing to know what's going on. If you refuse to give me a straight answer, then you leave me no choice!"

 

[Negrek]

From the powers we have and the way the Knights have reacted to us, I kind of wonder whether we're Yveltal? Or perhaps Giratina? Either of those could be seen as evil and could potentially have energy-draining abilities, hmm. Maybe even a Treasure of Ruin?

Let's see what's up with this whole claiming thing, I guess!

> Decision: Claim

> Consider: What's in Weavile's bag?

> Special Action: Telepathy (Lenora) "Are you all right?"

 

[Namohysip]

RESULTS​

Claim

Considerations:
- (1) I'm scared of what this power might do, but I need to use it to protect myself and Lenora!
- (1) What's in Weavile's bag?

At first, it seemed like a bad idea to give in to those strange instincts. A blank check on what could be done, only a little fragment of temptation in the back of your mind with no way of knowing what would happen.

But now, you realize you are out of options. Killing could have been the simplest answer. Releasing him perhaps is out of the question--not when he was so hostile. And further interrogation... It is a risk.

Trapped with no ideal option, you fall upon your instincts at the final hour.

"I was bluffing earlier about remembering my past, Weavile," you say, "but I wasn't bluffing about needing to know what's going on. If you refuse to give me a straight answer, then you leave me no choice!"

And with your rock sitting next to him, you tap into that power to Claim.

Your rock turns black as pitch. Weavile's leg, which you happen to be resting on, sizzles in response. His eyes widen and he croaks out a feral scream--not in anger, but pure, concentrated fear.

He reaches for your form and tries to tear you off, but you stick to his hand instead, and then drop squarely on his chest. There, you sink deeper, magnetized to something in the center of his body. You feel his heart. You melt through his chest like a red-hot ingot through butter.

Weavile's body spasms as he tries to dig you out of him, but it's already too late. Energy erupts through you like a breath of fresh air. The world around you becomes hazy. You feel a sudden weight upon you--and everything goes dark.

But... only for a moment.

The world returns to you and your body aches. Everything feels a lot warmer than before. Uncomfortably warm. You don't like this environment. It makes your fur frazzle and your feathers bendy. You prefer the cold, tundra environments.

You squeeze your eyes again as a headache takes over. You sit up, running your claws through your fur.

Without thinking, you pick up your bag--Weavile's... bag?--and then rummage through it. You see a badge, you see a Warp Seed--did you always know what a Warp Seed was?--and a few other seeds that might help you. You know these supplies. It seems silly to look through them again.

It dawns on you that none of this made sense.

Reaper's Harvest ~ Claim. 0 Energy.
If the target's HP is 0, overtake the target's body and claim their soul. The target's body becomes The Reaper's Avatar. You gain their max HP and stats on top of your own and restore your energy by their remaining energy, but it is otherwise merely a vessel. You can only have a single Reaper's Avatar. If a new body is taken, the old body becomes lifeless stone.

The sirens are getting louder. You hop to your feet and wince--your body is badly injured, though it had patched itself up a little. You hear... thoughts in your mind, faded thoughts of someone who had once been in control of this body. It bothers you. You feel as though the body's previous owner, the rightful Weavile, is still there with you. His bothersome thoughts are obstructing your judgment...

You have gained a third Consideration slot!

This slot is claimed by Weavile... and is Ironclad! Ironclad Considerations cannot be overridden, only navigated around.

Consider: I must warn the Prism Knights of Yveltal's awakening.

You gasp. Yveltal. Yveltal, Yveltal, Yveltal... you know that name. You... are Yveltal?

The god of death. The winged harbinger of ruin. Images and titles and screams echo in your mind.

Yveltal, reaper of souls; Yveltal, being of oblivion; Yveltal, The Deathbringer.

And then you remember Lenora. She's on her feet, holding her shoulder. Her hand is bloodied and that same blood is trickling down her other arm. Braviary has his wings outstretched, guarding her and keeping you from a direct line to her.

But instead, still dazed, you attempt to say to her in telepathy, "Are you all right?"
Lenora flinches.

"...Cobble?"

And then the first police cars screech to a halt, officers and their Pokemon hopping out of their vehicle. They have their eyes trained on you first, and others swarm to Lenora, who is dazed from blood loss and does not immediately understand what's happening, but she follows them into the building to be sat down. She says something, but the police don't appear to be listening, more focused on making sure she's stable.

This is getting messy. You'd Claimed Weavile so late that you didn't have time to hide. Could you do anything?

DECISION​

How do you address the police?

1. Fight back. They're about to attack me!
2. Negotiate. This isn't what it looks like!
3. Flee. Nothing I say will help right now!
4. Surrender. It's too chaotic to risk anything else.​

Current Status​

HP: 2/4+5
Energy: 5/6
Offense: 2+2
Defense: 1+1

Considerations:
- (!) I'm scared of what this power might do, but I need to use it to protect myself and Lenora!
- (!) What's in Weavile's bag?
- (∞) I must warn the Prism Knights of Yveltal's awakening.

 

[Mirage]

Alright, glad to get back to the story! After some thinking, I'm putting my vote in for option 3, the fleeing one. I was strongly considering surrendering, in case that might put us in closer contact with someone higher up in Unova's hierarchy, but I feel like it might be hard for us to do anything there, and we might need to escape anyway. If we can find Millie, she might still be able to help us out, and there's that mysterious humanoid Pokemon out there too to find.

There are admittedly a lot of unknown here. I don't know if the Prism Knights will be able to detect that we've claimed Weavile - I'm guessing not, since they were only able to detect our projection before and not see that it was connected to the rock... but I dunno, they might be able to tell something is off with Weavile's aura. I wouldn't be surprised if they had some way of tracking us to a general location, since we kept running into them.

The other big issue is that we don't know how strong Weavile's ironclad consideration is or when it'll kick in. I'm assuming it'll only activate when we're faced with a situation where warning Team Prism about Ylvetal will be an option... so we'll need to try to maneuver ourselves in a way where that doesn't become an option, such as when we can talk to them.

I wonder if we could maybe cut off a scrap of cloth from the bag, and gag ourselves with it... maybe we can find a way to tie it such that we can't easily remove it?

Or maybe we just play the JoJo gigachad move and just walk up to Druddigon, tell him who we are, and explain that we can't beat his ass without getting closer. Prooobably wouldn't end so well for us, but man would we look cool for a few seconds

Decision: Flee!

Telepathy (target is Lenora): "I'm sorry Lenora... I'll be back, and I'll explain everything then. But for now, I need to go!"

Consider: I need to find where the Prism Knights took Millie!

 

[Namohysip]

RESULTS​

Flee

Considerations:
- (1) I need to find where the Prism Knights took Millie!
-
- (∞) I must warn the Prism Knights of Yveltal's awakening.

Time seems to slow down to a crawl once again. Trapped by a bunch of police and no time to give your story, in the body of the Pokemon who had just assaulted the retired Gym Leader. Fighting seems out of the question, even if perhaps you would have done well against mundane Pokemon in this state. Negotiating... You don't want to take your chances. Surrendering? You'd be at their mercy.

Fleeing... that appeals to you the best right now. Buy time. Get away. Maybe find Millie, or at least a clue...

You're starting to feel fatigued anyway.

Lenora... She would be fine. You're confident of that. But she would certainly wonder what happened. In that split second, considering your options, you glance at her and think, "I'm sorry, Lenora... I'll be back, and I'll explain everything then. But for now, I need to go!"

You don't know how much of that promise you can keep. But it's how you feel; that's good enough. In your new limbs, familiar thanks to the fragment of Weavile that remains with you, it seems that you and Weavile agree that getting away is a good idea. And so, in this brief harmony, you move with Weavile and slip into darkness.

A volley of attacks strikes where you were and where you might be, but all of them miss. You're too fast. Perhaps you could have used that to your advantage against them, but not now. Weavile's body moves like lightning. Being a rock before, you almost laugh at the sheer freedom you now have. You might even be able to outrun your Catapult, ignoring any obstacles!

You're so swift as you flee into the forest again that you're caught off guard when something grabs your torso. Two clawed hands. You're pulled into the treetops, one hand letting go to cover your mouth.

"Shh be quiet," he says, voice faster than your legs.

You nearly shout, but obey on reflex. Something about this person... You don't sense any malice in the way he holds you.

For a while, you stay in the treetops, marveling at the police simply unable to find you. You're not being very stealthy. You're nearly out in the open. You have a concept in your mind that if you can see them, they can see you, or at least a chance. Yet they don't sense you at all.

Your rescuer has clawed feet and matches the profile of those missing footprints. In fact, with more time in that tense silence, you see that his feet match the print exactly in shape. A... Zoroark.

Yes. You know this--or, perhaps Weavile does. It's getting hard to tell. Zoroark are illusion masters. Hidden so perfectly that the police wouldn't think to search for you. Perhaps if they knew a Zoroark was involved, this would have been different. But for now, you have that to your advantage.

"Who are you?" you ask. Something about this Zoroark is different from other Pokemon. Aside from the fact that he talks, he has no badge, no supplies. Somehow both feral and speaking. Or... something else. The sense you have of him is that he is not one of the Knights, of any division. That makes him an anomaly... perhaps just like you.

"My name is N," Zoroark says, though he speaks so quickly you needed a second to catch up to his words. Mercilessly, he continued to talk, "I've been watching you ever since the distortions appeared here you seem to be related to it and the Knights want to find you for one reason or another but we can't be sure which formula is the correct one to take I am buying time to figure that out I'm glad I was able to get you if you were out of my reach this would have been a much more complicated formula to solve."

You blink. You try, valiantly, to process all that he said.

"Are you okay are you tired it might be that the technique you used is still draining you of energy do you need to find a place to rest I have a shelter that will be safe for the night."

"Shelter?" you repeat. "I..."

Your heart throbs suddenly and you wheeze, holding your chest. That wasn't good.

Get out of me, you hear.

Oh, that's very not good.

"Hello are you okay answer me," N says.

You open your mouth to speak. The edges of your vision are getting dark and the rest of your body isn't replying. You feel like Weavile is trying to take over, but can't. Instead, he's only stalling you and draining your energy. That... would have been bad, back with the police.

"I'm," you start.

And then it all goes black.

<><><>
​

END OF ACT I​

Act II will begin on Friday, May 17th!

While blacked out, you are fully restored as N allows you to rest and recover...​

DECISION​

You grow stronger from your trials. You gain +1 HP, Energy, Offense, and Defense! What would you like to strengthen even further?

1. Endurance. I can't be so vulnerable. (+2 HP)
2. Energy. I need a reserve in case unexpected trouble arises. (+2 Energy)
3. Power. I need to strike down whatever stands in my way. (+1 Offense)
4. Durability. I need to block the strikes of what comes my way. (+1 Defense)​

Current Status​

HP: 10/5+5
Energy: 7/7
Offense: 3+2
Defense: 2+1

Considerations:
- (!) I need to find where the Prism Knights took Millie!
-
- (∞) I must warn the Prism Knights of Yveltal's awakening.

 

[Mirage]

Spoiler: line-by-line

Your rescuer has clawed feet and matches the profile of those missing footprints. In fact, with more time in that tense silence, you see that his feet match the print exactly in shape. A... Zoroark.

Ah, there's our mystery Pokemon! A Zoroark huh... I wonder what would happen if N adopted our appearance and met the Prism Knights? Though on second thought, he might not benefit from the same power that we and Weavile have, so it might get a bit dicey if we get into a conflict...

"My name is N," Zoroark said

That N!? Damn. I have several questions - what's he doing here? How did he end up as a Zoroark??? Why does he know who we are??????

A volley of attacks strikes where you were and where you might be, but all of them miss. You're too fast. Perhaps you could have used that to your advantage against them, but not now.

----

Hidden so perfectly that the police wouldn't think to search for you. Perhaps if they knew a Zoroark was involved, this would have been different. But for now, you have that to your advantage.

----

That... would have been bad, back with the police.

Love these little peeks at how our alternative paths might have played out when You are a Rock is over, I'd be curious to know if there's any major characters or decision points we missed by choosing the paths that we did.

Your heart throbs suddenly and you wheeze, holding your chest. That wasn't good.

Get out of me, you hear.

Oh, that's very not good.

Noooooope, that's a major problem. Weavile's not as defeated as I thought he was glad to learn that in a safe place at least. I wonder, if we actually get close to his Consideration, whether he might be able to just straight up take control back for a short while. Something to definitely keep in mind.

----------------------

And now for our Decision! I feel like we're definitely pretty stacked on offense, we have more than double what he had as a rock. Pretty thin on defense, but we have a decent amount of HP, and as long as we're a Weavile, we have a bit of a hidden advantage in being able to more easily dodge attacks.

Therefore, I'm going to go with Energy. It's such a versatile stat, and maybe having more energy will help us keep Weavile's spirit under control a little bit better.

Decision: Energy. I need a reserve in case unexpected trouble arises.

 

[Negrek]

Sorry I haven't been around for the end of this section! Intrigued to see N here and find out what sort of role he has in all this mess. Has N always been a zoroark in this world, or is this something to do with all the mystery dungeons appearing? I look forward to finding out...

We definitely felt the squeeze of lack of energy during that last scene, but I'm actually leaning HP here, I think? We have plenty now that we're possessing Weavile, but I have a feeling we'll be by our rocky selves again eventually, and I'm a bit worried about being left with five in that scenario.

Decision: Endurance. I can't be so vulnerable.

 

[ShiniGojira]

Finally caught up to this thread and honestly, I feel like buffing our Energy is overall better than HP mostly because we can use Energy to both attack and/or dodge and y'know, not take the hit.

Though if we're really that afraid of getting hit, why not go for Defense in the next stat buff? Although I'm not quite sure how the mechanics of Damage Taken is like (Like is it "X amount of damage" - "N amount of defense" = "Total Damage Taken" or what? And if it is like that, is it possible to buff our Defense high enough to take 0 damage?) and um, sorry if these questions aren't supposed to be in this thread. Will take them to the discussion thread if needed.

Anywho, let's go for...

Decision: Energy. I need a reserve in case unexpected trouble arises.

 

[SparklingEspeon]

The funny ones are that they take human souls to turn into more Pokemon. A human becoming a Pokemon. Now that's silly!

No one would EVER do this. what a preposterous idea

"How about... Cobble?"

"...As in, Cobble Stone?"

judgement.png

"Yeah, here it is," Millie says. "The distortions actually started in Kalos, you see. And then spread from there. I mean, Unova and Kalos are far off, but, I guess we're just the next victims. For all we know, there might be distortions in the ocean, too. Kalos has it bad, though. As of a few months ago, it's basically one giant Dungeon."

"Sorry? A whole region, a Dungeon?"

Millie nods. "No idea how they did it, but they're still a functioning region despite that. I guess when life gives you lemons..."

"An entire region inside a Dungeon..." Well, you have not seen what a Dungeon is like on the inside yet. Perhaps it is not as bad.

"Kalos has the Crystal Knights," Millie goes on. "Same group, different division. There's also another division that specializes in traversing different parts of the world... maybe scouting for more distortions. Don't know much about them, though."

These 'Knights'... You know the term, but you are unsure how to feel about them. If you really think about it, though... You have a bad feeling about their true intent. In your nonexistent gut, you sense that there is more to it than protecting Unova and Kalos and the rest of this world. What is their true goal, you wonder.

this is a sick plotline

You gasp. Yveltal. Yveltal, Yveltal, Yveltal... you know that name. You... are Yveltal?

"My name is N," Zoroark says

!!!! Big hype! But wow.... that punctuation

Alright, all caught up! I'm fine going with energy this time, though that definitely banks on (1) keeping weavile a little longer and (2) not facing enemies that could pummel us at 5hp before we can boost it again. We'd have to commit to the evasion bit if we encountered a scenario like that. I guess between hp and defense next time it depends on what we're looking like when we get there - if the power creep is pretty high, I'd rather have more hp and try to hit fast and dodge more hits. But taking the defense math into mind, if we're staying pretty low power, we might be able to boost defense and get a little more tanky.

Decision: Energy. I need a reserve in case unexpected trouble arises.

 

[Namohysip]

RESULTS​

Energy! Your maximum Energy increases to 9!

Considerations:
-
-
- (∞) I must warn the Prism Knights of Yveltal's awakening.

It has been a while since you were... here.

Floating in nothing, weightless, bodiless.

But this time, you are more aware of this fact. You are aware of time passing. You sense nearby... The plants and trees, and a Zoroark. But that is far, far away from you right now.

This night, in this deep, innermost dream, you are a nebula of lights. Countless stars floating in a void. No matter how much you shine, your light only reaches other parts of your nebula.

Your lights coalesce. You merge. The nebula condenses into a constellation. The dust and clouds become an outline of a 'body.'

And now, while only a hollow outline of one, like a delicate bubble in this infinite void... you are Yveltal, or some false echo of one.

You look at your wings, colorless like glass, illuminated by your stars. Your feet are the same. You assume your body is like a moving sculpture of plasma and frost, but you do not feel cold.

One star drifts away from you and forms another, hollow, glass body. Instantly, you recognize him as Weavile. In that same instant, you surmise his power. He's glaring at you.

Weavile

HP: Negligible
Energy: Negligible
Offense: Negligible
Defense: Negligible

Or... you think you can. It's so weak, so very insignificant, that you can't get a measure of it beyond... 'small.'

"Even when you're nothing but a pebble," Weavile says.

"Cobble," you correct.

Weavile's eye twitches. He's more emotional than before, you note silently.

"Even like this... you still kill. Still reap the souls of mortals. Still... destroy." Weavile crosses his arms. You sense fear from him, but also a strong barrier. You cannot access his thoughts or memories, even now. Even when you had claimed his very soul, that knowledge is beyond you here.

You sense that anything you do to Weavile now would be... meaningless.

Right now, all you can do is talk. The night is short and Weavile does not seem very friendly. Still... it wouldn't hurt, while you consider everything that happened the day before.

What do you say? What do you think? And what, if anything, do you try?

Current Status​

HP: ??
Energy: ??
Offense: ?
Defense: ?

Considerations:
-
-
- (∞) [UNKNOWN]

 

[Negrek]

Glad to see a couple new faces in the thread! Hope you'll continue to enjoy the story.

Hmmm, what I'd really like to know is why Weavile and company showed up here from off-world for some reason... unless we're not the native Yveltal of this world, idk why they'd be over here acting like we're their problem. Perhaps they have some other goal and Yveltal is just one of the forces that opposes it in whatever worlds they visit? If this is an Eternatus "spreading eternal life thing" and they're ambassadors of that (hence mystery dungeons), then it would make sense they'd want to see Yveltal eliminated.

But! I also don't know that Weavile's going to be any more inclined to give us answers now. I don't know that he's going to be at all receptive to "life cannot exist without death" arguments, either. So maybe something a little conciliatory instead?

Special Action - Telepathy (Weavile): It is my place in this world to reap souls and guide spirits to the afterlife. What else would you have me do?

 

[Mirage]

Spoiler: line-by-line

It has been a while since you were... here.

Heeeeey, the KH track again!

You are sense nearby... The plants and trees, and a Zoroark.

Small typo here, probably from editing.

This night, in this deep, innermost dream, you are a nebula of lights. Countless stars floating in a void. No matter how much you shine, your light only reaches other parts of your nebula.
...
One star drifts away from you and forms another, hollow, glass body. Instantly, you recognize him as Weavile. In that same instant, you surmise his power. He's glaring at you.

Such a stunningly beautiful setting with the stars and the transparent glass bodies, especially coupled with the majestic music.
I imagine this could make for some extremely pretty artwork

"Even when you're nothing but a pebble," Weavile says.

"Cobble," you correct.

Weavile's eye twitches. He's more emotional than before, you note silently.

Though to be fair to Weavile, I can see us renaming ourselves to something silly being the cherry on top after having his sworn enemy claim his soul and possess his body.

-----------------

Weavile's being very hypocritical here, saying that killing is this unspeakably awful thing when he's threatened both ours and Millie's lives...

As for what to do... I agree with Negrek on going the concilliatory route here. Ultimately, I think we need to see if we can get Weavile to drop us a hint where they're keeping Millie. I wonder... Is it possible for us to convince Weavile into dropping the Ironclad Consideration directly, even if we can't forcibly override? If he might not see us as an enemy, but perhaps as an ally of some kind?

Telepathy (target is Weavile): "...Don't you also kill though, Weavile? Haven't you and the rest of the Prism Knights threatened not only my own life, but also Millie as well? Who, might I point out, poses no danger to you?"

Consider: I need to win over Weavile, so that he can help me find Millie.

 

[game-boi-sp]

[Note: Discussion and rules/mechanics are posted here.]

--​

You are... here.

No sight. No sound. No touch. Not even a smell or a taste.

Yet, you know what these things are. You have no memory of why, or what you had done before. It was knowledge imparted to you.

You have a sense of urgency. You have thoughts and emotions that are walled off behind a thousand layers of suffocating miasma. Like you weren't meant to think.

And you are drifting off...

<><><>​

It's cold. You don't like the cold.

<><><>
​

It's warmer. That's better.

<><><>
​

How long has it been? You're tired again...

<><><>

<><><>

<><><>



​

You aren't as tired today. "Today." Is it "today?" You can't tell. Your sense of time had also been gone. Gone? Did you ever have it, or do you only know about it from that bestowed knowledge?

Now that you've had a moment to gather your thoughts, as few and as muddled as they were, you realize... you aren't going back to sleep anymore.

You can think? And more clearly! Amazing!



But... there isn't a whole lot you can do with just thinking.

Once again, you are lost.

The fact that you're here at all, though. That means you're getting stronger. Stronger... stronger means something to you. You know that word, that concept. But... from zero, a thoughtless nothing, anything would be stronger. And you...



...Do not seem to have much.

Oh no. You feel yourself drifting off again. Afloat in an endless sea of temperature-less nothing, just on the surface and about to bob under again. How long will it be next time? Worry bubbles in your... not-gut. You aren't even sure what you are yet. Who you are, who you were? Was there a before? It's all blank and muddy.

Alone, utterly isolated with your thoughts... Yet, for some reason, you don't feel lonely.

All you know is you can't do this forever. You're tired of being tired. But what can you do about it?

love this! might have some thoughts on how to make this even more interactive

 

[Namohysip]

RESULTS​

Considerations:
- (1) I need to win over Weavile, so that he can help me find Millie.
-
- (∞) [UNKNOWN]

For now, there is no point in being confrontational. You hold all of the cards and Weavile is helpless to you, to... an extent. You are unsure how much control he can exert once you awaken again. That could be a problem.

Perhaps, in some ways, working with him could be to your benefit. But first, you need to learn a little about his perspective...

"It is my place in this world to reap souls and guide spirits to the afterlife. What else would you have me do?" you say. You don't accuse; you focus on understanding. Weavile may have more to say.

The question doesn't catch him off guard, but it's clear that any of his prepared retorts weren't immediately appropriate.

He gives the question a few seconds to hang in the air before answering. "That is the prettied up version of what you are," he says. "You are the end. The harbinger of doom. Even your very awakening sucks the life out of whole cities nearby, stealing their souls for your own revival.

"And look at you. Already resuming your collection." He sneers. "We stopped you once, but we knew you'd sent a fragment of yourself away. We're only here to finish the job and bring about our true, immortal era."

Weavile seems very open. Perhaps some of that is... involuntary. Perhaps when nothing but a spirit laid bare, he is more open and expressive. Less trained and contained.

You still feel in control. That is one advantage you hold over him, for now.

You reply, "...Don't you also kill though, Weavile? Haven't you and the rest of the Prism Knights threatened not only my own life, but also Millie as well? Who, might I point out, poses no danger to you?"

Weavile huffs at that, arms crossed. "A necessary evil. We don't know why you... think Millie matters, but we'll do anything if it means getting you to surrender. Do you really not remember what you are, Yveltal? Your true nature as our world's ticking clock?"

He stepped closer.

"Every ten thousand years, you are to awaken and reset the world to nothing. All progress, all civilizations, you did not care. You destroyed all of it in the name of The Cycle, as evidenced by our findings in ruins you leave behind. What is one death compared to saving potentially infinite lives from that condemned fate?"

"I don't remember any of that," you admit, and realize a moment later that you didn't mean to give that information away so readily. So you, too, are subject to this truthful realm. You elect to be more cautious. "But that doesn't sound like something I'd want to do, either. This world doesn't have that kind of Cycle that I know about and it gets along fine. Why would your world need that?"

Weavile dismisses you with a grunt, turning his head away. "That's history. It doesn't matter why, just that it happened. We won't let it happen again. So, you must die. Gods of death are not necessary. The inclusion of death with life is a fallacy propped up by mortals to make themselves feel better about their inevitable ends. But the Prism Knights escaped that fate. It's possible. We are immortal. Invincible... to everyone but you."

Something flickers in your vision. Weavile reacts similarly. You have the sense that morning will come soon. You have time for but one more exchange.

Current Status​

HP: ??
Energy: ??
Offense: ?
Defense: ?

Considerations:
- (!) I need to win over Weavile, so that he can help me find Millie.
-
- (∞) [UNKNOWN]

 

[Mirage]

Spoiler: line-by-line

You are unsure how much control he can exert once you awaken again. That could be a problem.

Definitely, this is one of our bigger risks in the short time. I have a strong suspicion that Weavile's strategy is to bide his time for now, and then resurface at a very inopportune moment (such as the middle of a confrontation).

"And look at you. Already resuming your collection." He sneers.

Leaving out your own role in that, Weavile?

Do you really not remember what you are, Yveltal?

Cobble, Weavile!

"Every ten thousand years, you are to awaken and reset the world to nothing. All progress, all civilizations, you did not care. You destroyed all of it in the name of The Cycle, as evidenced by our findings in ruins you leave behind.

Well, there's our clear answer - now we know what specifically motivates the Prism Knights to hunt us down. Makes sense that they'd take the drastic measures they did... I'm all for making the prevention of this part of our goal now too, although it's a bit awkward considering we're supposed to be the harbringer of this mass death event.

But the Prism Knights escaped that fate. It's possible. We are immortal. Invincible... to everyone but you."

That explains the Lenora fight! She never stood a chance against him then. That also implies that N won't be able to take down any of the Prism Knights on his own either, he can only assist us... and even then, questionably so. We'll need to take responsibility for most of the combat then, and have our allies focus on supporting us in other ways.

-------------------

So that was a big chapter, lots of questions got answered. A big thing that stood out to me - Weavile states that we're a fragment of the original Ylvetal, who was created as a last ditch attempt to escape. I do wonder if we might not be the only such fragment in existance? What if there's another Ylvetal fragment out there, and maybe it's not as friendly as we are? might we even wind up in a position where we need to work together with the Knights to take it down?

As for what to do... As this point, I feel like our biggest priority is that we need to figure out where Millie is located. I don't know if we're in a position to rescue her yet, given that we were barely able to overcome Weavile, and now we know that N can't help us much in this. But at the very least, we'll have a goal to work towards.

Consider: I need to persuade Weavile to tell me where Millie is located!