Destiny Village ~ Rocky Road

[Namohysip]

Adjacent to Parfait Way was another, smaller street that had several vacant houses soon to be occupied by Team spectrum. The lawns were all uniformly square in their little lots, and the homes were incredibly basic, with white walls, a snow-proof roof, and simple glass windows. Some were bigger and some were smaller, but they all followed the same basic uniform. In front of each home was a welcoming basket with some fruits, basic housewarming gifts like soaps and berries and silverware.

Along with it was a pamphlet on ways to spruce up their home and customize it to their needs, which could be done with the help of some landscapers and home building services--and, apparently, the customization options would make perhaps even the most advanced homemakers in a human world balk at the sheer scope.

Parfait Way was only a short walk down the road, while the Guild was a long walk from the north to the west side of the city. But compared to the somewhat limited quarters of the dorms, this grand upgrade to Team Spectrum's living space was a welcome change.

<><><>​

"And, here we are," Maple said, sighing. "Again, I'm very sorry for how long this all took. But, indeed, this is your new home. We've set up several properties for you, and if all of you gather up in groups of three or four, this will be more than enough space for everyone. Some homes are even large enough for Bahamut or Wishkeeper to occupy, and if they aren't, accommodations can easily be made."

"So, is the reason you're in that huge-ass home because Joule would one day be there?" Cal asked. "Because that place seems big even for him..."

"That's one reason, yes," Maple said. "The other is that I enjoy stretching myself out from time to time."

Cal's embers flickered, as if she was blinking.

 

[Disco]

Mellow gave a very skeptical look at the houses. Three or four people to a house... She had already snagged a pamphlet and was looking through as she half-listened to Maple. The Charmeleon looked towards her and raised a brow. "Stretch out? What do you mean by that?"

Mellow didn't really wait for an answer; instead she continued to go through the pamphlet. There were options for Pokémon that depended on sunlight... It could make an ideal environment for growing berries and other things. Maybe she would move into a house here after all. Even if the guild was still far away it was a shorter walk than her current one...

She kept thinking to herself wordlessly.

 

[Namohysip]

"Well... my true form," Maple replied. "Ever since I'd been infused with light thanks to Joule, well, my true form has taken on something more tangible than the ethereal cloud that Buffet is. And part of that is..." Maple gestured vaguely around her. "Well. I'm quite large. Larger than Joule, actually."

Again, Cal's embers flickered. "How do you, like, fit in that Smeargle body?"

"Careful planning."

 

[Disco]

Mellow looked up again with a curious expression.

"... What is your "true form", then?"

 

[Namohysip]

"I don't believe it has a name," said Maple, tapping her chin thoughtfully. "Joule says it's cute, though."

"That... that could mean literally anything," Cal pointed out.

 

[Disco]

"...You could show us.", Mellow suggested, raising a brow. She would freely admit that she had wondered about Maple's real self for a long time. Ever since that terrifying encounter, months ago. Mellow crossed her arms and gazed at the "Smeargle" after the thought came to her. They still didn't know if she was really on their side, did they...?

 

[Namohysip]

"Hmm... I could," Maple said. "But doing so is always a risk, you see."

"Because you'll terrify the natives and get driven off?"

"More or less."

Cal hadn't expected to be right. "Uh--I mean, Cibus is friendly, right? And after having literally Dark Matter and Joule around--who, by the way, tried to blow up the planet--I'm pretty sure a big scary whatever isn't gonna get anyone. Besides, did you know Leg went no-disguise against someone in the Colosseum?"

"Well... yes. That is true." Maple unconsciously brought a hand to her elbow. "What of it?"

 

[Disco]

"After all we've been through, I don't think there's anything else that would phase us. Or anyone here.", Mellow couldn't help but point out.

 

[Namohysip]

A cold breeze, one a little chillier than most of the others that went through Destiny Village, washed over the street. With it came Owen, who flew in from the south after switching shifts with Bahamut on tree duty.

"I see," Maple said as Owen landed next to Cal and she caught him up telepathically. "That's a fair enough point to make. Very well. I suppose since you're so curious, I--is that a camera."

"Uhhh--no." Cal hid it behind her back. This didn't work, since she was partially see-through.

Maple glared, but then spun around to face the rest of them. "Fine. I'll satiate your curiosity."

She closed her eyes and brought her hands to her side. Her head bobbed downward, and suddenly, the immediate area around Destiny Village seemed to darken, while Maple herself looked a little brighter. The way her arms dangled and her head bob forward suggested that her body was no longer meant to be upright, and was perhaps being held by a different force.

Her skin rippled like the ocean, waves of bright energy undulating just below the surface. The waves became harsher and harsher until the skin ripped open in some spots, revealing a golden light below the surface.

Crack. Crunch. Rrrrrrip.

Her body was falling apart. Gold light spewed from every new wound that formed. From her back, two great draconic wings of golden light exploded outward, each one large enough that Bahamut could use it like a blanket. Then, from the sides of her tattered body, three insectoid, chitinous limbs stabbed their way out on either side, thick like tree trunks, as her body fell forward, supported by the six limbs. Then, her arms deteriorated with her legs, giving way to four reptilian legs that looked appropriate for both land and sea. The insectoid limbs lifted themselves up, and suddenly it was clear that those legs doubled as 'wing' tendrils, not unlike Hydreigon or Giratina.

Her body elongated--by now, nothing remained of her Smeargle disguise--and spun and curled around itself within the streets of Destiny Village, which now looked like nighttime. A broad chest lay on the ground that transitioned to a powerful torso meant for both crawling, slithering, and jumping. Her tail took up yet more of her body length, decorated by spikes that seemed even brighter at the very tips. The spikes followed her spine like brambles and stopped just below her neck.

And finally, the serpent-like leviathan coiled around herself, wings tucked over her back, chitinous legs curled backwards, and legs and arms crossed in what might have been a compact, leisurely stance. Her entire body had a dim glow, but her scales gleamed to external light as well. Most of her was a bright, pale gold, but the center of her chest held a pure white sphere.

"Are you satisfied?" Her voice was a deep, ethereal whisper that perhaps even the deaf would hear. It vibrated in her audience's mind. She stared at them with white, pupil-less eyes. Just behind those eyes was another set of smaller eyes that might have been to see something other than light, if the first set could do that at all...

Destiny Village returned to its normal brightness, but Maple's dim form remained.

 

[Disco]

Mellow tilted her head. "Why don't you go around as a smaller version of this? It'd be more honest."

 

[Namohysip]

"...This is the smallest I'm capable of when not using a suppressing form."

 

[Disco]

"You could make a suppressing form that looks sort of like-"

Mellow's badge rang with a certain chime, and she paused mid sentence to check it. Her face contorted into a scowl, and she started typing out a message. After she hit send, she sighed and continued.

"People wouldn't really bat an eye if you went around as a Giratina? It's kind of similar to the way you look now."

 

[Namohysip]

"Why did you go for Smeargle, anyway?" Cal asked.

"Smeargle are unique in that they can replicate any move at all with enough practice," Maple said. "It was a convenient cover."

"Oh." Cal figured that made sense, looking at Owen, who seemed contemplative. "Dad?"

"I... can't tell how strong you are," he admitted.

Maple's smile was somewhere between an amused smirk and a genuine grin. "Well, I suppose it's a new body to look at," she said. "Not your standard Pokemon."

"That's one way to put it," Cal said. "So, what? Gonna just stick around like that, now?"

Maple frowned. "Perhaps if I am feeling safe," she said. "I fear that exposing my true form can also make me easier to corrupt. I want to avoid that. The other reason I put on a disguise is so the Blacklight cannot get to me so easily. ...Recreating my disguise takes me the better part of a day."

 

[Adamhuarts]

"Whoa! Maple you're so cool! I think you're very great and mighty!!" Ivy squealed like a captivated fan girl. "GREAT AND MIGHTY!!"

 

[Namohysip]

The serpentine bug-dragon's face seemed to twitch into a smile, though without any pupils it was hard to tell what she was looking at.

"I mean, that's true," Owen said. "You definitely look mighty." And it also explained why her home had to be so big. Would she fit through the door anymore? Perhaps just barely...

"Well. I'm happy that you all seem pleased," Maple replied, crawling forward with all ten legs. Even her light footfalls left little tremors in the ground if anyone walked nearby. "I suppose that's all I needed to show you, though. All of these homes are unoccupied. Feel free to take up residency and arrange for who you'd like to be with. I'm going to find Red, Silver, and Shield, too. They will also be living here. Your leader, too."

"Right--thanks, Maple!" Owen nodded.

"Yeah, these homes look a lot bigger than the Guild," Cal said.

 

[Disco]

Mellow waved as Maple left, then looked over the houses. "...As long as I can have a space for my berry garden, I don't have any kind of preference.

 

[Namohysip]

"Guess that's everything," Owen said, nodding. "See you, Maple! And, uh, nice true form!"

"Thank you?" Maple said, not sure if that was meant to be a compliment or something else. "...Do you really think Cibus would accept this?"

"Doesn't everyone know what Flesh really looks like?" Owen asked. "I think you'd be fine."

"I am a giant insect dragon."

"And Giratina's a third of a weird Legendary Hydreigon thing right now," Owen said.

Maple raised a claw and two chitinous legs, as if to protest, but then paused. "...Mm. I'll consider this."

And with all their other affairs put in order, the group disbanded to explore their potential new homes.

<><><>​

 

[Namohysip]

"Well, here we are," Zinc said. "This was going to be your home, right? At least... well, one of them. It's hard to tell since it seems like a lot of you have been... slow to move out of the Guild." The Goodra searched for a good place to set it all down.

 

[Disco]

Mellow shrugged, and set down her pack in front of the closest house to where she stood. "I never really stayed at the Guild itself, since I was able to make my own place. I only figured it would be better to actually live closer, since, well, I started working at the infirmary. Oh, um- You can set everything down here! I'll carry it all inside, I know you can't stay away from the Guild too long."

The Charmeleon smiled up at Zinc, before glancing at the house she stood in front of. Some kind of aura seemed to emanate from it... Well, it was probably nothing! She turned her attention back to the Goodra. Her thoughts from earlier came back...

"Actually, there was something I wanted to talk to you about. Something I talked to S'more about the other day."

 

[Namohysip]

"What was it?" Zinc asked, tilting her head. "S'more has been a little nervous about the whole spy thing lately, actually... I feel bad for him. It must be hard not knowing who you can trust when you're at the top. He doesn't really have... anyone to turn to aside from Pop himself. And he doesn't seem to know, either..."