Game Week of the Multiverse: Riverside Plaza

[IFBench]

The Oshawott's eyes widened as the Lycanroc approached. No, it couldn't be. Just a coincidence.

"Excuse me but... you look like someone I know, possibly. You wouldn't happen to be Gen, would you?"

A small gasp escaped Gen's mouth. He quickly looked around, to make sure nobody else was nearby. That was an abnormally tall Lucario-wait, was that Lance?!

Just what was happening?

He took a deep breath, and then, speaking quietly, he said, "...Lee?"

 

[Fusion]

He took a deep breath, and then, speaking quietly, he said, "...Lee?"

Lee clutched his chest, it felt like a spear had gone right through it. But not a painful one, one that like... did the opposite of make someone feel bad. "Y-You made it, you're alright," Lee muttered, crouching down on a knee. "And you remember... me?"

Kora's ear flicked, and he turned to wherever Lee was. What could possibly have happened for joy to be coming from that wolf of all people? He grabbed Lance and lifted the jackal over his head as he went to see what happened to Lee.

"What's the pro--" Kora choked as he saw the tiny Wott, then his eyes lit up. "Gen! Did you get sent to this world too? We were just getting ourselves settled, and I bought this cool dress!" he beamed.

 

[Navar]

He grabbed Lance and lifted the jackal over his head as he went to see what happened to Lee.

Lance gasped, but didn't complain about being lifted. He just let Kora do that without any problems.

"Alright, what's the big—"

A small gasp escaped Gen's mouth. He quickly looked around, to make sure nobody else was nearby. That was an abnormally tall Lucario-wait, was that Lance?!

His gaze was fixed on that Oshawott. The one he met so many times before, with his trademark reunion cape. Gen.

"...idea."

He blinked, before speaking. "...Gen? Is that you? You've been sent here too?! Kora and I... well, a lot of us were sent here. I-I... didn't see you before. How are you doing?"

 

[IFBench]

Gen's eyes widened further. Crap, what if somebody heard that? He hurriedly made as best of a "ssssh"ing noise as he could, hoping he could get them to quiet down.

He quickly looked around to make sure that nobody outside of the three had heard that.

Nobody else had heard, it seemed. Good. He was safe.

So...that messed-up Christmas thing really did happen. And some of the people he had met at that weird village with the campfire were here, too.

What was going on?

...he should probably answer their questions about him, though.

Hopefully they wouldn't tell anyone else.

"I-I've been here for a while," Gen said. "E-ever since I first woke up as an Oshawott. Besides that weird Christmas murder thing and whenever I was in that village with the campfire."

 

[Navar]

Oh, so it was Gen. Right... none of his teammates knew the truth. Lance nodded, waving to him.

"I-I've been here for a while," Gen said. "E-ever since I first woke up as an Oshawott. Besides that weird Christmas murder thing and whenever I was in that village with the campfire."

"Right. It's... great to see you. I've been doing well myself, apart from a few bad things. Still, I'm mostly okay."

 

[Fusion]

Lee, much to everyone's surprise, took Gen in his arms and lifted him up. "I still fail to see why you insist on keeping your secret a secret, but I am more than willing to keep it under wraps. I am... relieved to see you well, Gen. If I am not mistaken, you seem to hold yourself higher now as well," Lee... smiled. "I'm proud of you."

"What in the goddamn?" Kora shuddered, holding Lance bridle style to whisper to him. "Fucking hell Lee's being nice."

 

[Navar]

"What in the goddamn?" Kora shuddered, holding Lance bridle style to whisper to him. "Fucking hell Lee's being nice."

Lance blushed a bit while being carried, and whispered to Kora. "...Is that so uncommon to you? Also... yeah, we should probably be quiet about Gen's... you know."

 

[Fusion]

Lance blushed a bit while being carried, and whispered to Kora. "...Is that so uncommon to you? Also... yeah, we should probably be quiet about Gen's... you know."

"I already was gonna be quiet about it, and yes, Lee being nice to someone he just met is very uncommon," Kora whispered, raising Lance a bit closer to his head. "He's even hugging Gen! I ain't ever gotten a hug from 'im!" he pouted.

 

[Navar]

Kora whispered, raising Lance a bit closer to his head. "He's even hugging Gen! I ain't ever gotten a hug from 'im!" he pouted.

Lance gulped once he got higher, but forced a smile again. "...Feel free to hug me whenever you want."

 

[IFBench]

Gen yelped quietly as he was picked up, though quickly stopped himself. He hesitated a few seconds, then hugged Lee as best he could with his tiny nubs of arms.

"Right. It's... great to see you. I've been doing well myself, apart from a few bad things. Still, I'm mostly okay."

"I-it's nice to see you again too," Gen said, looking towards Lance, a tiny smile on his face.

If I am not mistaken, you seem to hold yourself higher now as well. I'm proud of you."

Immediately, that smile disappeared.

He hadn't changed much at all since the Christmas disaster atop that mountain. He was still the same person, longing for home, not feeling comfortable with himself, his body, or his situation.

Sure, he might have improved a little, but not much.

He didn't speak out about it, though. He just gripped his reunion cape with one of his nubs.

 

[Navar]

"I-it's nice to see you again too," Gen said, looking towards Lance, a tiny smile on his face.

"My pleasure," Lance nodded. "Looks like I'll be here for a while, too."

He ruffled Kora's mane a bit, smiling.

"It might be... a good experience."

 

[Fusion]

Immediately, that smile disappeared.

Lee smiled warmly at the hug, then petted Gen on the head. "Regardless of how much progress you made, that fact that you have made any at all is exceptional, Gen," he said, creeping Kora out. "I will gladly look forward to seeing you mature, one day."

The gentleness of Lee's voice sent vile shivers up Kora's spine, and he shuddered and groaned. "He's doing it again, being nice. What the fu--"

He ruffled Kora's mane a bit, smiling.

"It might be... a good experience."

Kora purred and snickered. "Maybe it will be," he grinned, then leaned towards Gen. "What're you gonna do, anyway? If ya need a few friendly faces, and Lee, we'd be happy to hang for a bit!" Lee huffed, swiftly sticking out an arm and flicking Kora's snout. Kora yelped and growled. "I don't get you."

"You do not get many things," Lee chuckled.

"I get more than you," Kora stuck out his tongue.

"Yes, like how you frequently receive these." Lee flicked Kora's snout again.

 

[Navar]

Kora purred and snickered. "Maybe it will be,"

Lance smirked. "With you here? Totally."

 

[Fusion]

Lance smirked. "With you here? Totally."

Kora's mental processes went to a sudden halt. "Y-You're trying to fry me on purpose..." he squeaked.

"Is that all I needed to do in order to quiet you?" Lee laughed, then paused. "... How unfortunate for me that nothing regarding you is worth praise. Aside from your power."

"You're just being a jerk," Kora pouted. "I got plenty about me that's awesome like... uh... I'm taller than you."

Lee rolled his eyes. "Absolutely riveting."

 

[IFBench]

"Regardless of how much progress you made, that fact that you have made any at all is exceptional, Gen. I will gladly look forward to seeing you mature, one day."

"T-thanks," Gen said.

He said nothing for a few seconds afterwards, just taking in the hug from Lee.

After a few seconds, he asked, "How did you all get here? I thought that you couldn't get to other worlds from that crossroads place."

 

[Fusion]

Lee's smile softened and he sighed, pleased. "Kora and I were bored, and he believed the best thing to do was world travel. Against the wishes of our team." He glared at the fox. "I've already opted to throw him directly under the bus when we return."

Kora stuck out his tongue, snickering. "Everyone else got the shorter end of the stick. I dunno if I can bring everyone back, but I'd gladly try! It's a shame, though, looks like we're stuck here for a bit. Even I need a few days, or weeks, before I can bring me and Lee back. And who knows how many more for everyone else?"

"I believe that Combusken that found us is willing to help us look for a way back for the rest. Until then, we're forced to enjoy this largely more sane vacation than the last you and I spent," Lee chuckled to Gen. "We're also willing to help the others any way we can."

"Yepyep!" Kora yipped. "And I got a dress!"

Lee groaned.

 

[Navar]

After a few seconds, he asked, "How did you all get here? I thought that you couldn't get to other worlds from that crossroads place."

Lance nodded. "My teammate and I were... sucked through a portal. It's not the first time this happened, so we're fine. I just hope Brian isn't going insane because I went missing...again."

At least he was with friends. Being lonely was awful, anyway.

"Yepyep!" Kora yipped. "And I got a dress!"

"Yeah, like I said, it looks great on you."

 

[Fusion]

"Yeah, like I said, it looks great on you."

"You cheeky sneaky lil jackal..." Kora squeaked.

 

[Navar]

"You cheeky sneaky lil jackal..." Kora squeaked.

"Thanks," Lance simply stuck out his tongue.

 

[IFBench]

"Everyone else got the shorter end of the stick. I dunno if I can bring everyone back, but I'd gladly try! It's a shame, though, looks like we're stuck here for a bit. Even I need a few days, or weeks, before I can bring me and Lee back. And who knows how many more for everyone else?"

Gen's eyes widened, and his tail began swishing back and forth. He hated the feeling of that, but right now he was too hopeful to care.

"W-when you bring everyone back, could you bring me back, too?" Gen asked, a genuine, hopeful smile on his face.

"I believe that Combusken that found us is willing to help us look for a way back for the rest. Until then, we're forced to enjoy this largely more sane vacation than the last you and I spent."

His tail abruptly stopped moving. "Y-yeah, that was...not fun," Gen said. He gripped onto his reunion cape with a nub.

A thought ran through his head.

"Is anyone else from that mountain here?" Gen asked. "Or anyone else from that village with the campfire?"