Game Week of the Multiverse: Overlook Hill & Top Plaza

[Ambyssin]

Nero frowned. Used to? "Just because you haven't seen each other in a while doesn't mean you don't know her anymore. She's alive. You're alive. And soon, you'll be reunited." His tail wagged.

 

[Shiny Phantump]

Gladion huffed. "I appreciate the thought, but I don't think that'll be the case for us." I don't think she even knows who I am anymore. Not unless Wicke told her. "Even if she's the same, I doubt she'd recognize me anymore... Even aside from the physical part. A lot of things have happened since then. you know?"

 

[Ambyssin]

"Don't say that." Nero's ears drooped. "You're going to make a self-fulfilling prophecy." He glanced skyward. "Like, if you refer to her by name, then that should be a big clue that you know her from somewhere."

 

[Shiny Phantump]

"But then that would invite... other problems." If I referred to her by name, that would invite her to refer to my by mine. But she doesn't know my name anymore, only my old one. I don't want everyone to know that.

"I'll have to meet with her at some point to set some things straight. Talking to her in public would be... complicated."

 

[Ambyssin]

"Well, this place has a lot of thick fog, so I'm sure you could find somewhere private," Nero chirped. "And I think there are houses being assigned, so you could always use one of those." His expression deflated a bit. "Just... try not to talk it into yourself everything's going to go badly, okay? If you need help, you can always ask me."

Mew, meanwhile, had decided to teeth on one of the fragments of the other unit's helmet.

 

[Shiny Phantump]

He let out a halfhearted laugh. "Yeah, I'll try not to catastrophize it. Just... maybe tomorrow. I'm not ready fo-"

He noticed the Mew beginning to chew on his restraining helmet. "What are you doing? Does the helmet taste good or something?"

 

[Ambyssin]

"Mew!" They floated up and plopped on top of the helmet. Mew curled up and purred.

Nero sighed. "Sorry about that. They're, uh... a bit of an odd ducklett."

 

[Shiny Phantump]

He laughed, "Cute enough to get away with it, at least."

Gladion shuffled. He was starting to feel a bit awkward. "So... Now what? If we're sticking together, you have anything you want to do?"

 

[Ambyssin]

"I've just been kind of scouting about." Nero sat down to scratch a cheek-bolt. "Don't really have anything in mind. I already know this world is fairly similar to the one I'm from."

 

[Shiny Phantump]

"Oh."

Gladion really didn't think there was anything in particular he wanted, at least not in the town. He didn't feel any pressing needs, and he didn't fancy a night on the town. If anything, he just wanted to avoid attention.

"I guess I'd like to go anywhere I don't feel like people are staring at me, then."

 

[Ambyssin]

Nero laughed nervously. "Well, that rules out the shops. And the café." The houses were the logical answer then. He turned to the locals who had Lillie's bag. "Uh, excuse me? Do you know anything about where us travelers are staying?"

 

[IFBench]

Pahelia looked towards Nero with a nervous expression on her face. "I...think Acacia said that you and Mew were going to stay in the Kecleon brothers' house."

Then she turned towards Gladion. "And since you just arrived, we don't have anywhere decided for you to stay yet, but...I think Sneasel's house still has some room, so you can stay there. Probably."

Meanwhile, Apoyime took a device out of his own bag, and pushed a few buttons on it, before putting it back away.

 

[Ambyssin]

"Kecleon, huh? Fitting," Nero mused.

"Mew?" They lifted their head up from the helmet, then promptly lowered it. Nero figured they didn't really care. He wasn't even sure if Mew needed sleep.

 

[Shiny Phantump]

Gladion laughed. "Kecleon, huh? Nice and fitting.

"Anyways, I don't have to, like, pay rent or anything, do I? 'Cause I think my agreement with Team Skull has been prematurely terminated. They can't send a cheque to the Ultra Shitshow, after all."

 

[IFBench]

"Anyways, I don't have to, like, pay rent or anything, do I?"

"Nope! We'll-"

"Cause I think my agreement with Team Skull has been prematurely terminated."

At the mention of Team Skull, Pahelia flinched. Apoyime tensed up, beginning to get into a fighting stance, before calming down after a few seconds.

He walked over to Pahelia's side, and laid a hand on her to try and reassure her. Then, for the first time in days, Apoyime spoke.

"I don't think he's talking about the same Team Skull we faced," he said.

 

[Ambyssin]

"Yeah. How would Team Skull have been able to hire a human, anyway?" Nero shrugged. "Curious that they're actually still alive here."

 

[Shiny Phantump]

Gladion blinked. He could've sworn they looked ready for a fight for a split second there. "Yeah, I think you got the wrong Team Skull. I suppose it's hardly the most original name. I doubt your Team Skull is known for acts of petty theft, tagging rich people's shit with 'Alola is Dead,' and various acts of minor blasphemy against Tapu Bulu."

"Uhh..." His voice took on an embarrassed tone. "That's not the part I did. Except maybe a little bit of the blasphemy, I guess. Still, no need for Plumeria to pay me for what the Skulls will do for free. I dealt with people who pick on weak Skulls."

 

[Ambyssin]

Humans are weird, Nero thought.

Mew continued purring atop the other silvally's helmet.

 

[Sinderella]

Odette emerged from her assigned lodging. She’d opted to going straight there, figuring it’d be the least strange, versus exploring the town. However, she couldn’t have been more wrong. Weird Misdrevous artifacts were...weird.

“I suppose I made the wrong choice.”

In hindsight, exploring the town would have been the better option all around. Taking in the sights, paying attention to the inhabitants...observing the other Pokemon she’d ended up here with. She guessed that if this wasn’t a dream, she needed to do whatever in her power to treat it as such.

The question was, where to start? Some of the others had gone shopping, perhaps she should—wait.

She patted her wide Indeedee hips. Not a human. No money. She frowned deeply.

“Shit.”

She had to wonder if getting a job was an option. It seemed that, being that they had semi-permanent dwellings, they would most likely be here for a while. Maybe...?

“I wonder if there’s a live theater around here...”

 

[Shiny Phantump]

“I wonder if there’s a live theater around here...”

"Live theatre, you say?" Gladion laughed. "Why, just look around you! The stage is set, the first act is afoot. I only hope it's a comedy and not a tragedy."

Hopefully a comedy. He was uncomfortably Viola for his taste.