Destiny Tower

[unrepentantAuthor]

"Honestly, legendary pokémon make 'emselves scarce back where I'm from," explained Brisa. "Th'real Zeraora Luz only turns up in my part of the country 'bout once in a generation. Ain't ever met a legend before I came here, in fact . . . an' it's pretty rare fer folks t'treat 'em like gods. Makes it a mighty wild experience livin' in Destiny Village."

Luz nodded. "Nobody's tried to worship me yet, but it'd be real peculiar if'n they did. ...Though I ain't sayin' I'd mind."

 

[Namohysip]

"Ain't too normal here, either," Pop replied. "For good reason. It's peaceful, well, aside from the Blacklight stuff. We all got together and decided it was time we got to know the mortals for a few lifetimes before we went back to sleep. That's the usual cycle for us Legends. Long rests 'til the next crisis, but hey, who's to say we can't enjoy the peace for a while?"

 

[unrepentantAuthor]

"Huh..."

Brisa chewed that over. She'd heard some of this before, but she'd always assumed there was some religiosity behind it all, given the occasional iconography worn by devotees and the slinging-around of that word, 'god'. Much of Team Spectrum seemed to be from worlds where legendary-worship was the norm, too.

"Then . . . y'all meet yer duty, then enjoy the peace that results, fer a time. I... I gotta say, I don't ever really imagine retirin', as such. Jus' kinda expect t'keep goin' fer ever, or 'til I die, anyways."

 

[Namohysip]

Pop's eyes darkened a little and the wheel around his abdomen seemed to shift to a soft blue, imperceptibly. "That's not really a great way to live," he commented. "We're the strongest beings in the world, and sure, we're here to help the world... but we gotta help ourselves a little, too, y'know. Otherwise we'll have nothin' left to give. We'll burn right up."

 

[unrepentantAuthor]

Luz threw her arms up in the air. "Thank you! Consarnit, Brisa, maybe now you'll lay off a lil', since Arceus is sayin' y'can't jus' keep burnin' t'nothin'."

Brisa dropped her gaze and felt her ears heat up. Even Arceus' choice of wording, burn right up– Did he mean to put her in mind of Bright Arclight? Her technique of giving herself an electric burn for the sole purpose of getting herself to fight harder.

"I don't see as I've got much choice," she muttered. "As far as I know, I can't stay on Cibus once our work here is done. An' if I go home... Well, there ain't nothin' for me there, save duty."

She shrugged helplessly. "I still got more t'give, anyhow. Y'can't tell me y'ain't prepared t'give everythin', when yer plan risks yer own life. You understand that the powerful've got a moral obligation to look out fer those as can't protect 'emselves."

 

[Namohysip]

"Yeah, well, I've also spent the past two not-days planning how to do the not-dying part," Pop said with a shrug. "If I accepted that I was gonna die, then that meant I wouldn't be able to help people more, ya dig?" Arceus formed a little, silver-gold ember in front of him. "Sure, it's nice to glow bright and bright, but..." The ember sputtered and grew and then fizzled into nothing. "Then you're left with a sudden cold." Sparks, and then a gentler flame appeared. "...What's nicer is a steady flame you can trust will stay around for longer."

 

[unrepentantAuthor]

"I . . . take yer meanin'," said Brisa.

Luz shoved her lightly. "So you'll keep yerself steady, right?"

"...Guess I can try."

Luz grinned. "Good enough fer me. Alright then, Papi, we've taken up enough of yer time. I expect t'shoot th'breeze with ya after the fight, y'hear?"

Brisa shrank into a singularity of embarrassment once again, but she gave a grateful nod all the same. A steady flame you can trust will stay around. Yeah. She could see her way to being something like that, as much as she was able.

 

[Namohysip]

"Then, good luck, and break Joule's legs." Pop was pretty sure that was how the saying went.

With Brisa and Luz gone, Arceus returned to his work, drifting into the light and into one of the upper floors of Destiny Tower. He sighed, looking over his notes. He had a few more documents to finalize, a few letters, and a few extra just-in-cases... Speaking of which--

"There you are." Pop looked back, smiling with the light in his eyes. "Maple."

"Almost finished?" she asked. "Time's short, you know."

"Almost." Arceus turned to face the Smeargle. "You know, I heard a few words from Team Spectrum about you. Not much, but a little. I think some of them are still quite nervous about you..."

"Right." Maple looked away. "...I don't really know how to fix such a first impression. I may have gotten ahead of myself."

"Time and consistency." Arceus looked her over. "And perhaps lightening up a little. I find it ironic how dreary you can be despite being infused with light itself."

Maple only huffed. "Can you blame me? I might have to kill my mate."

"...I don't think so." Arceus looked at a bright spot in the corner of the room. "You helped me with this little trick with some help from Buffet. I think, with some luck, all of us will be able to make it through this in one piece in the end. It will just require some... faith."

"Ironic, coming from you," Maple quipped, smiling.

Arceus smiled back. "Speaking of faith," he said, "would you have some in me for a moment?"

"For what?"

"Something Team Spectrum told me gave me an extra idea..."

<><><>​

 

[Namohysip]

"Is this everyone?" Dialga asked, looking behind him. "Well... I guess we can leave the gateway open if others want to come along later. You guys like to wander." He shrugged and then gestured for Palkia and Giratina to help him with the golden platform in the middle of Destiny Tower's base.

"What's this supposed to be?" Cal asked. She was putting up a strong face, but her small, trembling embers gave her mental state away. "What did... Pop have planned?"

"Sorry, I can't say it here. This is only for Team Spectrum to see, and nobody else. Only Maple and a few Legends know, so don't talk about this too openly, okay?" The trio gestured to the golden platform, then stepped inside, disappearing.

 

[Cresselia92]

A part of Petram was really glad that he had inherited the stability and fortitude of Firetales’s mind: getting back to their feet was what he and his Solarian counterpart excelled most, and not even pulverized hearts were enough to bring them down for too long.

Sure, he was no Firetales, but still close enough? Besides, the real Firetales would have surely done something to not pressure his good friend Icetales (poor Daddy!) too much, and Petram wished to do the same by letting the Ninetales rest and his emotions settle down.

He picked up a few thoughts of Icetales’s plans to reassure their teammates through their telepathic link, but he shrugged them off. Now more than ever he needed to stay focused and serious.

“Huh, okay. I wonder what Mister Pop had in mind for everyone. It’d better be good!” He hovered beside Cal and gave her a reassuring pat. “C’mon! Let’s go check it out, yeah?”

Without hesitation, he stepped on the platform and disappeared in a veil of smoke. Time for business!

 

[Navar]

Even after recovering from the battle, he was still terrible. At least that voice inside his head stopped screaming at him. Well, it was replaced by that nagging feeling of worthlessness, so it wasn't all that great.

Okay, okay. You got this! Just... take it easy. I... everyone is still struggling after the fight. You have to be strong. That's what the others would want... that's what Nick would want.

The words he spoke to himself helped Shiron calm down somewhat, and he inhaled, forcing his sad face to disappear. Hopefully the bad thoughts wouldn't show up so soon.

"Alright, let's go."

Shiron nodded and stepped on the platform, gulping.

 

[IFBench]

Saltriv stood close to Shiron, as they stood on the platform. The leaves around their neck emitted a spicy aroma, slowly healing any wounds of the Pokemon around. Two vines were extended from their leaves.

One was wrapped around Shiron, their closest friend in this new world. The other was holding a white rose, the last remnant of Cynthian.

"It's...it's going to be ok," they said to him. They hoped that they were telling the truth.

 

[Namohysip]

Through the gateway and to an upper floor of Destiny Tower they went. The walls were white as ever and it seemed like the air smelled cleaner, too. There was a strange, mystical feeling in the air, like the magic that permeated the world was just a little stronger here.

"Well..." Dialga gestured forward. "Here it is..."

Cal stepped forward first and squinted her ember pupils. For a fleeting moment, she'd forgotten all about what had just happened and stared in slack-jawed, stunned befuddlement at the scene before her.

Books upon books piled high in one corner of the room while little, scattered notes littered the other. They looked like diaries and memos of some kind. In the back was a small nest with cracked eggshell.

And in the middle of it all, telekinetic powers being used to turn the pages of a book larger than the reader, was...

"Pop?!"

Except he was only a foot tall... The wheel around his abdomen hadn't even formed. He looked... wispy, almost, and shrouded in fluffy, gold fur. It might be fur. His face was featureless aside from two dim, red circles where his eyes might have been. He looked toward them and tilted his head.

 

[Cresselia92]

Petram stared at the various books piled up on the corner with boredom. Paper treasures weren’t exactly his interest, but he had the feeling that they were brimming with valuable information, knowledge and all that stuff that makes scholars so happy.

“…Okay, perhaps I should have let Daddy come here. He would have loved to see all these books and notes and…”

And then, Petram froze when he spotted the small golden Pop staring at them with his red eyes. Well, that was a far more interesting sight.

“Oh, hi there!” he chirped, waving his ghostly paw. “Nice to meet you, new friend! I’m Petram!” He rotated his entire body, until his eyes were lined up with the younger ‘Pop’. “Who are you~?”

 

[Navar]

Oh, how that place looked beautiful! it was so organized, and one could probably spend the entire day reading. But that wasn't the point of their trip.

Shiron had to rub his eyes and take another look to confirm what he saw. Arceus... tiny Arceus. The creator of the entire world! Reduced to that small thing.

That's Arceus?! He looks so tiny! Well, he is God, maybe he used too much energy... yeah, that's probably it.

Shiron crossed his arms. Although he didn't know what the trio wanted to show the team, he didn't expect... that. It was kinda cute, really. If only the situation was better...

He shoved more bad thoughts aside and sighed.

"I-Is he okay? Like... I get that he's tiny now, but is he fine? And will he return to, uh... the normal size?"

 

[Namohysip]

The little creature closed the book and drifted to Petram. His expression suddenly shifted, the red circles twisting into what might have been a happy blink. "Hi, there!" he replied. His voice was a lot louder than it should have been for his size, more like a toddler than an infant. "It's nice to meet you, too, friend! I'm... Well, I don't know yet! But these notes said that I'm Pop, but that name doesn't work for me. I might think of something else."

"I-Is he okay? Like... I get that he's tiny now, but is he fine? And will he return to, uh... the normal size?"

The creature turned next to Shiron, and his circular eyes twisted to mimic the look of concern Shiron held. "I--I think I'm okay. Like... I don't think I'm hurt or anything, er, um..." He fidgeted nervously. "Do you think I'm too small? I might be too small, but I don't think I can fix that right now..."

Cal looked confusedly at the others, but the Creation Trio didn't look too alarmed by all this. "So, wait, you're Pop's kid, or something? Like, what's that all about?"

The creature looked at Cal next. "Like, I don't really know," he said. "I mean, I guess I'm sorta his kid, but not really. So, okay, here's the thing, the notes he gave me, he says that I'm a fragment of him since he was probably gonna die, y'know? So I'm, uh, a piece of his spirit that he left behind as backup. Dunno what that's about, but I sound pretty smart!"

 

[Negrek]

Dear God(s?), there were two of them now. Not exactly the surprise Nate had been hoping to find at the top of the tower. And judging by the egg at the back of the room, this wasn't one of those weird "apprenticeship" situations. Did that mean the little Arceus-thing had come about the usual way? Not an idea he wanted to examine too closely.

All these books, though, notes and shit. These were supposed to get the little guy up to speed on everything he was supposed to know, huh? Nate tilted his head, squinting to see if he could make out anything interesting amidst the scattered scraps of paper. "Well, if it makes you feel any better, Pop didn't buy it," despite his best efforts to the contrary, "so you can ask him yourself what's up with you." He sized up the miniature Arceus. What the hell would happen in this situation? Would the baby Arceus stick around, or go off and start his own world somewhere else? Would Pop just, like, absorb him again if he wasn't needed. "Have you got cool powers, then?" he asked. "Like, can you do the whole, you know... just making shit outta nothing, that sort of deal?"

 

[Namohysip]

"You think I know?" the creature replied as the circles for eyes became an annoyed glare, addressing Nate. "I'm still looking over these shitty notes. All he did was write them all down and expect me to go over them. Like, sure, we're the same fucking person and everything, but he didn't give me any memories or anything! He wrote them down." He huffed. "That's why I don't even want the name. I'm gonna think of a better one."

 

[Negrek]

Nate had the feeling that if it was possible for Arceus to have planted memories in his successor's head, he would have done so rather than writing everything down, but, like. Details. "Yeah, sounds like he pretty much wanted you to be a clone of him. Pretty shit. And I'm getting a headache just looking at all these books." Nate smirked. "But they say you learn best by doing, right? What's one thing you wish for right now, huh? Maybe you can kinda, you know," he waved his hand in the air, "make it like poof into existence, you know?"

 

[Namohysip]

"Hey, you know, that sounds like a pretty good--"

"Wait!" Dialga quickly said, scrambling forward to hoist the little Arceus into the air. "What Nate means is, maybe you want to have some... practical experience instead of just reading all these books?"

"Hmm... maybe. I think some experience outside of reading it all could help."

"And remember, you aren't really a new Arceus. Pop split off some of his power and spirit to leave here in case the rest of him died. You were going to go to the Tree of Life to regain the rest, since that backup power in that Tree would have been enough to restore him back to, you know, everything. It's a little more awkward now that neither happened, but..."