Destiny Village ~ Pasta Plaza

[Disco]

"... Perhaps I would be. But if it means that Cibus would be safe in the end, I would take that risk.", Raven answered in a gentle tone. "This place is home, even if it's only temporary."

 

[Namohysip]

"You know the others aren't going to be happy about that," Cal said, frowning. "What's with this martyr crap? Flaking off to get killed just makes things easier on the enemy."

 

[Disco]

"You misunderstand. I will take the risk, but if I can get out alive and well, then I most certainly will. I am not actually trying to die. I'm simply using my abilities in a way that would benefit the team. I suppose I could just... live, without doing anything, but..."

She paused, seeming uncertain about what to say, then went on. "That simply doesn't seem like the right thing to do."

 

[Namohysip]

"Goddamn, girl, it doesn't have to be one or the other," Cal said with an exasperated sigh. "It's not, go on solo missions or do nothing. You can make a coordinated and planned team, y'know?"

 

[Disco]

"... Right. Of course."

 

[Namohysip]

"What's going on with you, anyway?" Cal asked, leaning forward. "You've been acting all weird, even before the moon shit..."

 

[Disco]

Raven frowned. "What do you mean by that?"

She hadn't really thought that she was, at least compared to some of the others she knew...

 

[Namohysip]

"I don't know," Cal said. "I feel like ever since the whole egg thing, maybe. Or maybe a little before that. You sure nothing's really bugging you?"

 

[Disco]

"Hmm... I was trying to become something more, for a while. Looking into becoming "a real Pokémon". Before I found out that we already were. Needless to say, I'm not anymore.", Raven answered. "I was also travelling and spending time at the Tree of Life..."

 

[Namohysip]

"The Tree, huh?" Cal frowned, looking south as if she'd be able to see it. "I guess it's a nice place when it's not, you know, the center of a bunch of stuff we're dealing with right now..."

 

[Disco]

"...It is. I hope that we're successful when we face Maple... It would be nice to be able to relax there again..."

 

[Namohysip]

Cal nodded. "Yeah." She finished her meal, the last of the food drifting to her Core. "Maybe I can get to know what a normal life is for once..."

 

[Disco]

Raven was quiet again. Maybe she was strange, in some ways. And perhaps determined to a fault. But at least she didn't feel out of place...

"...What makes you feel as if you aren't normal...?"

 

[Namohysip]

Cal stared at Raven, then gestured at herself, her Core, her tail, everything about her that was just a mockery of a Charizard. "I'm not normal. I'm some... twisted hybrid of a Void Shadow, an Eternatus egg, and memories that aren't even mine. Like. I'm as far removed from normal as I can get."

 

[Disco]

"...Maybe so... But you're still a Pokémon in the end. All of us are. I think it would be hard to say that all Pokémon are normal. And, well... The memories that you manifested with might not be yours, but the ones you've gained over time are. You've experienced things nobody else but you has..."

 

[Namohysip]

"I guess..." Cal sighed. She must have told, and been told, the same things by countless others, but she still couldn't shake the feeling of not belonging regardless. She didn't know what to make of it... "I guess I don't like the weird looks I get sometimes, just, you know, I get why... but it doesn't make it any less hurtful."

 

[Disco]

That was something that Raven was all too familiar with. After all, her looks weren't too far removed from the person she was a reflection of, and the reactions she'd gotten had taken it's toll on her for a very long time. She herself refused to acknowledge stares or comments made towards her, but it wasn't always that easy. "I know how you feel. It is hurtful, and confronting someone about it may end up just making it worse. Yet, doing so subtly may get the point across..."

 

[Namohysip]

Cal frowned. "...I guess so." She sighed. "I think when everyone's gone, we're going to need to stick together more. Because if we don't... I feel like it'll be hard to, you know. Make friends or something. At least if we're together, we'll... have each other."

 

[Disco]

Raven nodded. "When the time comes, I'll be there for all of us. No matter what."

 

[Namohysip]

Cal grinned, glancing down the street. "Yeah... For all of us."

Maybe if they were together, it wouldn't be so bad no matter how the rest of the world treated them. And somehow, in a little, tiny way, she could believe it.

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