Game Week of the Multiverse: Riverbank Beach

[Shiny Phantump]

"Yeah..."

Unless Lusamine is already talking to people. She's more coercive than I.

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[Navar]

So beaches were common on many different worlds. Then again, it was too small to be called a beach, anyway.

That didn't stop Lance from, as his brother would say, "brood" there. Or at the very least, do something to distract him from his hungover. Fuck, that wasn't something common.

Lance sat down, putting a pair of sunglasses around his eyes, as it was too bright for him, and his eyes met the river. Ah, how peaceful it was.

You know, maybe I can bring a gift to Kora, he might like it...

He yawned, rubbing his furry chin. For now, rest.

 

[Fusion]

Floating down the river was the probably literally lifeless form of Lee, face down and motionless. Little trails of darkness left his body as he allowed the water to carry him, and he let out a growl when he got dropped on the shore. It was peaceful while it lasted, a length of time he didn't care to keep track of because it was just so dang peaceful.

Lee was about to push himself back out, when he felt the presence of another. Someone rich with the scent of alcohol and mistakes, and probably regret too. Hangovers were so rare to Lee that he always enjoyed encountering someone going through it, and the only other alcoholics here that he knew of were Kora and Je--

"Lucario?" Lee blinked. "Kora's friend... Lance, correct?"

And here he thought he'd have some alone time with a hungover friend... pity.

 

[Navar]

Lance's ears perked up as he looked at Lee. Ah, the one Kora came with during his travel. He looked away, rubbing his arm. That Lycanroc was probably the one Lance least wanted to talk to, but to be fair, he was trying to get better socially.

"...Greetings. Yes, I'm Lance," he waved at Lee. "I'm actually dating Kora, but alright."

 

[Fusion]

"Bold of you to assume Kora knows enough about dating to know the difference between a boyfriend and a friend," Lee rolled his eyes. The conversation had started, it was too late to go out to stream, so Lee pulled half of himself onto shore, leaving his legs in the water.

"And dating something like him is more a recipe for disaster than anything. For your own safety, I'd break it up sooner rather than later." That sounded harsh, but Lee meant it earnestly. Even if Lance couldn't sense his aura, he somewhat expected Lance to understand.

Then again, he's one of Kora's friends, so...

 

[Navar]

Lance crossed his arms. Already angry at that, but honestly, too hungover to bother punching Lee, even if he wanted to.

He decided to fight fire with fire. Or in this case, harsh words with harsh words. "Oh, please. Mind your own business, Lycanroc. What goes on between Kora and I stays with us. I don't need some psycho trying to jinx my relationship."

Truthful words.

"And what are you even doing here anyway? I thought your kind didn't like water."

 

[Fusion]

So he was either on Kora's level of intelligence, too hungover to think straight, or both. At least Lance's anger tasted spicy enough for Lee to want more of it. "What happens between you and Kora is all my business because he and I are essentially entirely connected. I'm either going to feel everything he feels, or he's going to talk my damn ears off about it." That wasn't exactly a lie either, even now Lee could feel Kora's benign excitement as he's strolling through Overcast, although he didn't know what Kora was doing or where he was.

"Nor am I a psychopath, I'm more mentally sound than the creature you've become infatuated with."

"And what are you even doing here anyway? I thought your kind didn't like water."

Lee shrugged. "Honestly I do not know what my 'kind' likes and dislikes, Kora and I are the only ones as of late. If you are referring to Lycanrocs, however, I don't have much information about them either. I can't know about something that doesn't exist," he said, looking off to the side. "I am actually quite alright with water. It is soothing."

 

[Navar]

Of course he would deny being a psycho. For a moment, his aura flared up, colored purple. But he soon calmed down, making the aura fade away into the air. Regardless, Lance shrugged that little comment off. He didn't need it.

"Whatever. I'm happy with him and that's what matters."

Lee shrugged. "Honestly I do not know what my 'kind' likes and dislikes, Kora and I are the only ones as of late. If you are referring to Lycanrocs, however, I don't have much information about them either. I can't know about something that doesn't exist," he said, looking off to the side. "I am actually quite alright with water. It is soothing."

"I... fine. And I thought I was the weirdo, here. Of course I was talking about Lycanrocs... what do you mean with you and Kora being the only ones left?"

 

[Fusion]

Purple aura, huh? At least this Lucario had some taste.

"Ask Kora himself. Do you think a normal Zoroark is capable of traversing through space? Actually, do you think he's at all normal?" Lee raised a brow. "Have you seen him in comparison to literally any other Pokemon aside from myself?"

The question of what they were was something neither Kora nor Lee understood just yet, but they both knew that, at least in their world, they were the only ones like them. Naturally, at least.

 

[Navar]

"N-No, I haven't?"

He shook off his head in denial.

"You know what? It doesn't matter what you or him are. I've been there myself..."

Lance snapped his finger, producing an Aura Sphere on his right paw. Although it appeared normal at first, the sphere quickly turned purple and changed into a dodecahedron shape.

 

[Fusion]

"You cannot begin to comprehend the nature of our beings," Lee chuckled devilishly. He held up his paw, a veil of black covering it to morph it into a zoroark's paw, and created a jet black Aura Sphere within his palm. He then flexed his paw a bit, changing it to be a Lucario's, and the aura spher mimicked Lance's in color, but not shape. "You and him have gotten close, I take it? I wouldn't normally be able to copy the aura of someone who was 'just friends' with Kora. Perhaps you and him are an item?"

The grin on Lee's face fell, and he clenched his paw shut to dispel the aura sphere. He shut his eyes and exhaled, saying, "Whatever we are... it is dangerous for someone such as yourself to be close to us for very long. I don't warn you of Kora out of spite, I do it... because he would do the same. If his lust hadn't blinded him, that is."

 

[Navar]

Lance undid the sphere, or dodecahedron, crossing his arms again. "I don't care what—"

"You and him have gotten close, I take it? I wouldn't normally be able to copy the aura of someone who was 'just friends' with Kora. Perhaps you and him are an item?"

Lance didn't reply or say anything to that at first, but instead, he blushed, ears perking up. "I told you, what we do is none of your business!"

"Whatever we are... it is dangerous for someone such as yourself to be close to us for very long. I don't warn you of Kora out of spite, I do it... because he would do the same. If his lust hadn't blinded him, that is."

Well, Lance was a bit glad that Lee didn't dwell on that for too long. But now he was angry again. Furious, really, to the point of snarling, eyes glowing purple.

"I... Kora told me it was a curse, but I don't believe in curses. I've been through worse."

He sighed, calming down again. "Look, I'm trying. Really, I am. I'm trying to be social, because I've spent most of my life... rejecting everything. But you're not making this easy!"

 

[Fusion]

"I... Kora told me it was a curse, but I don't believe in curses. I've been through worse."

"A curse... that feels accurate, yes. Perhaps he does pay attention from time to time," Lee sighed, resting his head on the ground. "If you honestly think you have it worse than us, you are delusional."

He sighed, calming down again. "Look, I'm trying. Really, I am. I'm trying to be social, because I've spent most of my life... rejecting everything. But you're not making this easy!"

Lee snickered, then chuckled, then laughed. This was so aggravatingly hilarious, Lee thought he might have still been dreaming. "Are you expecting me to bend over backwards for your sake? Do you genuinely believe that I care about your past? The past of not only a stranger, but of a stranger madly in love with a creature he doesn't even understand on anything deeper than the surface layer? You are a Torchic falling in love with a feral Aggron, and you're as blind as the stones the Aggron eats if you fail to see the danger Kora and I put you by simply existing around you!"

He propped himself up on an arm, now eye level with Lance and sporting a jagged grin. "You are not the only one who is growing from a life of rejecting everything around him, of being alone, of relying on only himself. I have been an outcast and a criminal for several hundred years, and Kora himself has be casted out of society by forces outside of his control. You may have earned his pity, but why should you get special treatment from me?"

 

[Navar]

To be fair, Lance iwas trying to control his anger. And panic. And anxiety. And all the baggage he had in him. But something about Lee just... set him off. And that entire rant? He considered it the last straw. He shoved Lee away, and as he did so, the wolf could hear sounds reminescent of a crystal coming from the Lucario's claws.

Countering with his own grin, Lance's eyes glowed more, a bit obscured due to the glasses, but still visible: they shifted from purple to multicolored shapes, much like a rainbow. It faded as soon as it appeared.

"Give me a break, Lycanroc. Don't think so high and mighty of yourself. I don't want or care for your pity, and much less some form of 'special treatment'. I'm merely trying to, I don't know, bond with you. Or perhaps I was just a fool for trying to do that. After all, you only care for yourself, don't you?"

 

[Fusion]

Lee's grin cracked further along his snout, stretching further than it should. A few black cracks spread along his body, a faint, black aura burned around him, and he started snickering maniacally. "Me? Think high and mighty of myself? Would someone who thinks so selfishly willingly antagonize one of the most dangerous members of this group to keep Kora from suffering the hatred of others himself?"

The wolf stepped up from the ground, towering over Lance. "Would a selfish creature such as myself even consider warning you of Kora and his true nature? Why would such a being even grant you the chance to try and socialize with them? Were I as selfish and self centered as you beileve me to be, I'd have left your boyfriend to die when he saw the Mimikyu the first time."

He poked a claw into Lance's chest, sending a deathly chill through the jackal's body. "I did not ever grant you nor anyone my pity, for I have none. I would have granted you my respect, as a hero that gained Kora's trust, love, and respect, yet you bitch and moan because of one difficult conversation?" Lee laughed, yet his mouth didn't open. It sounded eerily similar to Kora's. "You might have Kora believing you to be something worth his time, but I can see the sad, frail, defenseless child hidden under that stoic facade of power."

"So instead of trying to lecture me about my attitude, how about you do what you're used to. Hide in a corner, curl up like a ball..." Lee leaned in to Lance's ears, close enough for Lance to feel that air of coldness around him. "And cry like the little bitch that you are?"

 

[Navar]

Lance backed away, still growling like before. And for a moment, he looked down, whining. That was short-lived, as he quickly raised his head. Not angry, not furious, just... stoic. Like he usually was.

"I don't deny that. I don't deny that I'm weak, frail and sad. And if I still acted like I usually did, I wouldn't even be having this conversation."

As he said that, Lance grabbed the scar on his chest, perhaps to reassure himself.

"I don't... I don't even know why I'm bothering with this. It's a waste of time," he said, taking a deep breath. "You said you were giving me respect, as a hero. I'm... not.. I'm really not. And I know you don't give a damn about this."

Lance realized he was backing himself into some kind of corner with each sentence, and so cleared his throat.

"What I mean is... I don't hate you. But I don't like you either. I'm trapped here against my will, but I'll tolerate you. Whatever it is that you think of me, I don't care. You may get on my nerves, and... I swear I'm using all I have not to punch you in the face. But I'm not like this anymore. I changed... so inestead of acting like a bratty child, I'm keeping things civil between us."

 

[Fusion]

"Kora has spoken nothing but praise about you from the first moment you met. It had gotten to a point that he muttered your name in his sleep, while I was forced to sleep in the same room as him," Lee spoke, shutting his eyes, although his grin remained. "As utterly braindead that Kora is, his judgement of character has never been wrong. If he believes you worthy of praise, then I had no reason to doubt him."

He took a deep breath, dispelling the aura around him and the cracks along his body, including his jagged grin, then exhaled. "I will be honest, meeting someone he cared so deeply for was something I was looking forward to, deep down. A powerful warrior with a brave heart and a passion that could burn the sun. I can see now that that passion was your simply your love for him, your heart was how little your feared him..."

A disappointed sigh left the wolf and he sat down on the ground. "And I'm willing to bet that 'power' of yours has something to do with intimacy..." he shuddered.

"You won't believe me when I say this, but Kora asked me himself in our own world, that if you and I ever met at that campground, to tell you the truth about him. Because he knew he couldn't do it himself," Lee spoke, looking up at Lance. "Instead of accepting it outright, I told him to tell you himself. But he knew he couldn't break it to you if he saw you again. Turns out, he was right," he looked to the side, shaking his head.

 

[Navar]

Lance blinked a couple times, taking in all that he just heard. Then, he walked around in circles for a bit, confused, and with a dumb grin on his face. Oh, he couldn't believe it! Maybe he was worth something, after all!

"...A brave heart, huh? Somehow, I highly doubt that."

The Lucario sat down, rubbing the back of his head. "Right, right. I don't know exactly what is going on between you two, but I did have experience with, uh... for lack of a better word, a 'connection' with someone else. If I'm being honest, it was more like a feral Parasect," he muttered. "What I mean is: I don't think we're so different."

"With that being said, how intimate I am with Kora stays with between him and me. And... I don't care about the truth. For all his flaws, I love him. And I'm filled with flaws, too! He loves me in spite of all this," Lance pointed at his crystal-like claws as they returned to normal.

Lance looked at the river, blushing. "I'm not giving up on him... that's all."

 

[Fusion]

"Your flaws and his flaws are nearly night and day. You can work around yours, but he cannot his own," Lee said, somber. "It is frustrating to watch, and I can only imagine how frustrating it is for him to live with it."

He laid down on his back, letting his paws dig into the gravelly sand beneath him. The sky was mostly clear, if you looked past the fog over this village. "He's done an excellent job hiding his flaws from you, Lance. The amount of effort he is putting in for you is remarkable..."

Lee grew quiet, then turned his face to Lance. "You truly do not know what you are getting into, but seeing how you rival Kora in stubborn... all I ask is that you do not break his heart."

 

[Navar]

"Well, nobody is perfect. And, considering I had people that didn't give up on me, even in my darkest days... is only natural that I do the same with him."

Lance turned around to see Lee, a somber look in the Lucario's face as he talked.

"I'm not breaking his heart, but there are things... I can't explain either. For both of us."