Game Week of the Multiverse: Misdreavus' House (Lillie, Meggie, Odette)

[Fusion]

Kora's ear flicked, and he had to fight a pout. Something about that irked him. Quite a bit than he thought he should. "If your mom really did care about you, she would help you find what you want to be, not force you be something you don't want to be. I'm not all that bright, but if you dislike something, I'm pretty sure that means you dislike something, and if you dislike it, why be it? You weren't made to be whatever your mom is, Lillie. You were born to be you, whoever that is."

He let out a sigh, shutting his eyes. This advice he was giving was something he could follow himself, and yet Lillie probably has a chance to be different to what her parents wanted her to be, and she wasn't listening. Or maybe she just... didn't care. Seeing who was giving her advice in the first place, of course Lillie wouldn't have wanted to listen to him...

"Let's... I..." Kora exhaled, opening his eyes again. God he was starting to regret this, but he couldn't stop now. He looked into Lillie's eyes again, somber. "Can I ask what you actually want to be, Lillie? If your mom didn't have any say in it?" Maybe knowing that would help her, and help him help her.

 

[Shiny Phantump]

"I want to..." She paused for a moment. "Uhh, context: The pokemon in my world don't talk, or build and live in towns, and they certainly don't have things like reviver seeds."

She wasn't sure if conservation would be seen as weird in this world. Still, there was no backing down now that she'd said that much. "So... sometimes they need humans to take care of them. Wether it's one individual who got hurt and needs to be cared for before they can be returned to the wild, or an entire species as risk of dying out, there are humans who take care of them and help them recover."

She took a deep breath. "That's what I want to do. I just don't know if I'm cut out for it."

 

[Fusion]

That was good, yes, things were lighting up again! Kora even found himself smiling as he listened to Lillie speak. She really must've cared about Pokemon, or at least that's how it felt to Kora.

"So like, you wanna be a doctor, but like... a super doctor? That's pretty cool, actually'" he chuckled. "But... what makes you think you might not be cut out for it? Revivers or not... I figured your world would have the tech for taking care of Pokemon. Mines does, and all of that was taken from other human worlds."

"You're already plenty nice, seeing how you haven't, like... been un-nice to me. So like, what's the problem?"

 

[Shiny Phantump]

Lillie nodded. "Yes, human tech is quite impressive. My bag should have some of it, wherever it ended up. Any trainer can use a spray bottle, but the long-term rehabilitation is more difficult, and the conservation of at-risk species even moreso. It's complicated than just being nice."

For me, it is more complicated in several ways. I can't imagine I'd be allowed to take a small role.

 

[Fusion]

"But like... you have the tech, you have the heart, it kinda sounds like you know what to do already so... what's stopping you?" Kora tilted his head, still not figuring out what the problem was.

 

[Shiny Phantump]

How was she supposed to explain this to a Zoroark? Especially one as dense as this guy?

"It's not about having a 'good heart' or not. It's not just the thought that counts here! I can't restore populations with The Power of Friendship and Positive Thinking. It takes a certain kind of person. A strong will. I'm... not that. I'm panicky, for one thing. We have to deal with nervous wild pokemon who don't trust us and are confused about what we're trying to do. I can't panic right back at them! They'll freak out and stab me!"

Lillie sighed. "It's more complicated than that, I guess. I wouldn't end up with a simple position. I'd have to work with other people." I'd be expected to take over for Faba or Wicke, if not Mother. "I'm not a very publicly presentable person."

 

[Fusion]

Kora shut his eyes and hummed, thoughtful. It was a lot easier to listen that way, somehow. "We're... really different, but kinda the same so, maybe this can help? Whenever I feel like everything's going wrong and falling apart, or like all of my mistakes are choking me to death, I stop and think about my friends. They're the only thing keeping me going in this hero stuff, so I'm fighting for them. They're... They're all I got..."

"Maybe, whenever you feel panicky and stuff, you can try focusing on something important to you? Whether it's another person, a Pokemon, or like... I think even the idea of helping counts as something to focus on," he said with a small smile.

 

[Shiny Phantump]

"Thanks, but... There's only so much that can do." Especially when I don't know what to focus on.

She wondered how blunt to be with him. He was only trying to help, even if it wasn't very helpful. "If it was that easy, I wouldn't have this problem."

 

[Fusion]

"It can't be all that hard to have something you like. A sweet person like you could love a lotta things, I bet!" Kora chuckled.

"But... I get it. My way of going about things probably isn't the best way, but I get the feeling you can do this, super-doctor thing," he nodded. "You'll do great, just... trust yourself. Or... uh, it'll come to you..." Kora furrowed his brow. Slipping up now felt a bit more than just embarrassing. His brain was on the right track for so long, too...

Kora eventually gave up and let out a sigh. "I-I'm sorry, but I really think you'll be great! Cross my heart," he said, crossing an "X" on his chest. "Uh... wherever it is, hehe."

 

[Shiny Phantump]

Lillie laughed. "I'm glad you believe in me, then, but..."

She shifted nervously. "Well, either way, I can't do it as a Mimikyu, so I don't need to worry about it right now." That was another consolation prize of this situation. She didn't have to worry about all human stuff. Maybe... this wouldn't be too bad. But only if it was temporary.

"It's definitely human work."

 

[Fusion]

"I wouldn't say you can't do it as a Mimikyu. It'll be a bit tougher, and also you're not in your world so like, there's that, but what better way to know how to care for Pokemon... then by being a Pokemon?" Kora grinned, snickering. "I don't mean you gotta be all super-doctory to everyone but... you could try having fun, learn how to Mimikyu an' all."

"Whether I do it myself, or Ayueg and his team, I promise that everyone will get back to their worlds. So like... now you get a chance to relax away from all your stress and stuff," Kora beamed. He did it, he helped someone! Kora hummed a happy lil tune swaying his head from side to side.

It might be the good vibes coming from him, be Kora decided to, like, further the good he did with a compliment. Can't go wrong with those, right? "And you look a lot cuter when you're smiling, even if you think people can't see it," he smiled and chuckled.

 

[Shiny Phantump]

"Conservation work is different from just being a doctor. Mimikyu are one of the species we're supposed to be conserving, what am I going to do, conserve myse-?"

And you look a lot cuter when you're smiling, even if you think people can't see it

"It's funny," Lillie hissed, "For all your criticism of my mother, you sure are sounding a lot like her right now..." I don't care about my public image here. I don't have the energy to care what these people think. If they think I'm a mess, then they're probably just right. I can't hide that.

 

[Fusion]

Kora felt something sharp shoot through his chest. 'Fucking... Of course. I had to fuck up eventually...'

"W-Wait, I... no I didn't..." Kora shook his head and paws. He didn't really have a way to un-say it now so... "I-I'm sorry, I didn't mean to... I just... I-I thought..."

"I was just trying to say... you could try and enjoy yourself here, is all..." he bit his lip and sat on his knees, turning his face away. It was just a compliment, why did that have to be the thing that backfired?

 

[Shiny Phantump]

"Yeah, well, I appreciate the thought," she halfheartedly murmured. "I get that you're happy-go-lucky enough to be fine with this, but current events haven't left me in a particularly smily mood. I don't care to fake it at the moment, either."

 

[Fusion]

"Right... yeah," Kora sighed, fiddling with his thumb claws. At least she wasn't mad... but it felt safe to say this didn't exactly end as well as it could have. Or maybe it did. Either thought stung Kora plenty.

"...Sorry, again."

 

[Shiny Phantump]

"I'll be fine," Lillie responded. Hopefully this doesn't keep happening, though.

"Just... A little more caution would serve you well. I think you meant that as a compliment, but... it was something I was not doing. Which is more like constructive criticism. I... get enough of that already."

 

[Fusion]

"R-Right..." Kora muttered. His ears fell to the sides of his head. It wasn't even a surprise that he managed to compliment wrong, but just because he wasn't surprised, didn't mean he wouldn't feel like shit from it.

Kora took a deep breath and slowly exhaled, then stood up. He had to go... he overstayed his welcome. "Sorry," he said, turning out to leave. There was a brief pause before he said, "I'm glad you're... doing fine. I'll... I'll just go, then."

He gave Lillie a brief wave as he left. It was getting late, but even if it wasn't, Kora didn't want to go anywhere but home. Shame he couldn't do that, so he had to settle for the Orbeetle house instead. But hey, with his head hung so low, he won't have to worry about looking at the house. Yay.

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