Game Week of the Multiverse: Togetic Arcade

[Shiny Phantump]

Cora tilted their head. "Whawt abouwt the humans thawt tuwned intwo Pokemon awnd feww in wove?"

"Why shouwd uwu onwy wove humans just because uwu awe owne?" Cora 2 asked, nibbling on an oatmeal raisin cookie.

Cora 3 nodded. "Wove iws wove, iwt doesn't cawe abouwt whawt uwu awe, juwst whawt uwu wawnt, maybe."

Oh, wasn't Kora "half-human?" And Jesse had a child... as a Delphox. I guess most of the humans just get used to not being human anymore. But... I... I'm not a Mimikyu. I can't give up on that. I can't.

"S-Sorry. If your parent or anyone else decided they were fine with that, I wouldn't have a problem with that." I mean, it is kinda weird, but I guess what else would you do? Be alone forever? "But it's an important rule for normal humans because of, like, power dynamics and things. I don't want to get into it. I... I don't want to give up on being a human. On acting like a human. I can't just live as a Mimikyu. It's not just normal feelings, at least not for me. It's something I could only have felt as a Mimikyu. I don't want to feel like that. Sorry."

"I... uh, well, dare, I suppose, but I want to make sure you're alright first! You seem distressed... do you want to take a break?" Dusk looked very concerned. "I don't think anyone would blame you if you did..."

"I can at least do my part first. I dare you to... to..."

Uhh, what do I say? I don't like any of the dares so far. I don't want to do that to anyone else. Well, the tamato berry would be fine, but I don't have one.

"To, uhh, put on a song. Or a dance. It's up to you."

 

[Fusion]

"Awwight, i get iwt..." Cora sighed. They did not get it. But it was probably better to let the game continue on.

Both of Cora clones went back to coddling Saltriv and Meggie.

 

[Navar]

"Love is complicated," Lance agreed, hugging Kora. "And it's fine, Lillie. No one here will judge or anything of the sort."

Meggie bit her lip. "Yeah. I was human too, even if I don't really remember it. I chose not to, because... honestly it terrifies me."

Brian stopped laughing and sat down, sighing and munching on another cookie.

 

[Luxray1000]

"I can at least do my part first. I dare you to... to..."

Uhh, what do I say? I don't like any of the dares so far. I don't want to do that to anyone else. Well, the tamato berry would be fine, but I don't have one.

"To, uhh, put on a song. Or a dance. It's up to you."

"Well... alright, then. But... I should just let you know, if you want to talk to anyone, I'm here, alright?"

He gave the Mimikyu a kind smile, then stepped forwards into the center of the room. He wasn't very good at dancing, but he did his best.

 

[IFBench]

"J-Juwst a hawmwess wittwe decoy seed! iwt's supposed tuwu make uwu faww fow someone awnd iwt's usuawwy hawmwess..."

"Yeah, usuawwy..."

"We nevew twied iwt own sowmeowne wike us but nyot wike us... Maybe Wiwwie iws immune? "W-We'we sowwy!"

That seed...that made someone fall in love with someone? Oh no, what if someone used that on him? Or what if someone used Attract on him? He really hoped that wouldn't hap-

"It's not that I can't love, but I'm supposed to be a human. So I should love humans. Being turned into a Mimikyu... it must've screwed up my head somehow to change that."

...

"Whawt abouwt the humans thawt tuwned intwo Pokemon awnd feww in wove?"

"Why shouwd uwu onwy wove humans just because uwu awe owne?"

"Wove iws wove, iwt doesn't cawe abouwt whawt uwu awe, juwst whawt uwu wawnt, maybe."

Gen grabbed a double chocolate chip cookie and began eating it, hoping to distract himself from the current conversation with the cookie.

Being like this is so uncomfortable...

 

[Shiny Phantump]

"Well... alright, then. But... I should just let you know, if you want to talk to anyone, I'm here, alright?"

He gave the Mimikyu a kind smile, then stepped forwards into the center of the room. He wasn't very good at dancing, but he did his best.

"Okay. I'll keep that in mind." She didn't plan to take him up on it, though. She didn't want to take problems that were supposed to be hers and push them onto other people.

His dancing was... strange. Like he had two left feet... Or four left feet? Still, she had no idea how quadrupedal dancing worked, so maybe that was correct. Maybe quadrupeds liked dancing like that. What did she know. She simply gave an encouraging nod.

 

[Luxray1000]

"Right... how was that?" Dusk finished his frankly probably rather underwhelming display and stepped back. "Uh, let's see... Lucario, how about you? Truth or dare?"

 

[Navar]

Finally, it was his turn. Lance nodded to Dusk and smiled. "I... I pick a truth."

"Boooo! That's lame!" Brian replied, before receiving a glare from his brother that promptly made him shut up.

"Anyway, a truth for me."

 

[Luxray1000]

"Well... okay..." Dusk searched through his mind for a question. "Uh, if you met Jirachi-" or at least, the Jirachi from my world's myths he thought to himself, remembering Kora's display earlier, "what would your three wishes be?"

 

[Sinderella]

Odette had been so caught up in trying to find the theater that she'd essentially lost track of everyone, even her roommates...wherever they were. Who knew finding a job in a Pokemon world would be just as hard? She huffed as she crossed by the Togetic Arcade. She pursed her lips, ultimately deciding that she hadn't been inside an arcade in a while...Pokemon or not. It couldn't hurt.

Once inside, she poked her head around, trying to decide what it is she could do. Her eyes eventually fell on a group of familiar looking 'mon--some of the same ones she'd initially arrived here with. Perfect.

She sauntered over, arms crossed. It wasn't until she was a little closer that she could see some of them looked rather...uncomfortable. What had she just walked into.

"Uh...hey," she greeted. "Mind if I butt in?"

 

[IFBench]

"Feel free!" said the Charmander.

 

[Sinderella]

She pursed her lips again, nodding once as she pulled up a chair to sit. "Merci," she thanked.

 

[Navar]

"Uh, if you met Jirachi-" or at least, the Jirachi from my world's myths he thought to himself, remembering Kora's display earlier, "what would your three wishes be?"

"Oh. That's... that's a very interesting question."

Indeed it was. And a hard one to answer. Lance couldn't help but think of what his past self would do, during the time where hwas still idealistic and... other things they didn't need to know. The wishes would be different back then.

Money was out of the question. Leading a successful exploration team made financial issues almost nonexistent. World peace? Jirachi wasn't a deity, he couldn't do such a thing. His trauma? His trauma... something so less important than world peace, maybe Jirachi could do it.

"My first wish would be to remove all the trauma I have. My childhood and adolescence weren't all that great, and I sometimes wish I was still that cheerful child."

A faint sigh. Lance shrugged off the anxiety and forced a smile. One wish was done, only two left. Honestly, those two were harder to think about. Then his mind drifted to Kora. That Zoroark Lance cherished so much.

"Second wish... that I could freely walk between dimensions, so I can visit Kora whenever I feel like it."

Well, that was surprisingly easy. Now all that was left was the final wish. His eyes met Gen, and he knew how much he wanted to go home. His teammates didn't know the whole truth, but... there had to be a way of making the wish.

"My third wish is... for Gen to be happy. I wish that what he wants the most happens."

 

[Fusion]

"My first wish would be to remove all the trauma I have. My childhood and adolescence weren't all that great, and I sometimes wish I was still that cheerful child."

Cora rested their head on Lance's shoulder, holding onto his paw and purring. Not wanting to ruin the sentiment with their dare, Cora remained silent.

"Second wish... that I could freely walk between dimensions, so I can visit Kora whenever I feel like it."

Cora opened their mouth to speak, but... didn't say anything, and his purring died down. Just a bit, probably unnoticeable.

 

[IFBench]

"My third wish is... for Gen to be happy. I wish that what he wants the most happens."

Gen's eyes widened at Lance's words.

He appreciated it. He appreciated it so, so much. But...

Why me? What did I do for Lance to deserve being even thought of given a wish instead of Lance's own teammates?

I don't deserve this...

He tried to push those thoughts away. He could think about that later. If he hesitates much longer to say anything, his teammates might grow suspicious of him.

Gen turned to Lance, and said, "T-thank you."

A tear emerged from one of his eyes, which he quickly wiped away.

If only that could really happen...

=
​

From within Kora's grasp, Saltriv looked at Gen. Lance must really like Gen, then! They wondered what the two of them did to get so close.

They hoped that whatever Gen wanted, it would happen soon.

 

[Shiny Phantump]

Lillie looked at the Oshawott, Gen. What was it about him that made Lance want to protect him so badly?

 

[Luxray1000]

"My first wish would be to remove all the trauma I have. My childhood and adolescence weren't all that great, and I sometimes wish I was still that cheerful child."

"Oh! I'm sorry if I dragged up any unpleasant memories" Dusk told Lance.

Clearly the Mimikyu wasn't the only one who had some past troubles. If he wasn't so tall Dusk would be putting a comforting paw on Lance's shoulder.

 

[Navar]

Cora rested their head on Lance's shoulder, holding onto his paw and purring. Not wanting to ruin the sentiment with their dare, Cora remained silent.

"Oh! I'm sorry if I dragged up any unpleasant memories." Dusk told Lance.

Mixed reactions, of course there would be mixed reactions. No wonder Lance didn't like sharing this kind of thing with others. Well, except his team, and they had to ask multiple times for him to share.

Oh well. Tightening the grasp with Kora, Lance nuzzled with the fox, purring as well. All of his fears poofed out of existence in a single instant as he cherished the embrace with his lover.

"I'm fine now. As fine as I can be, I'm healing now."

Gen turned to Lance, and said, "T-thank you."

"You're welcome, Gen. Don't worry about anything, you deserve it," he smiled.

---

Brian was proud of his sibling, and gave him a thumbs-up. He would go for a hug, but decided not to due to Kora doing... his thing already. Everyone there seemed to be supportive, and Brian couldn't be happier that his brother got new friends(and a boyfriend). It was all he wanted; to see Lance happy like he deserved after all they had to put through.

Meggie shared a similar reaction, although she couldn't move very well because of the clone's hug. She swore she heard something crack, but paid it no mind. It was probably nothing.

---

Lance decided the game needed to move on from his issues or what he wished. Now, who to pick? A lot of them were chosen already, so it wasn't all that easy. And it just got complicated once he met eyes with Arceus.

Instincitvely, Lance grabbed Kora's paw with more strength. He would not fail this time, god or not.

"Arceus. Truth or dare?"

 

[Namohysip]

"Hmph. Well, obviously as I've said before, dares are juvenile games meant to make people laugh, and the truth is something far more valuable--"

"If you pick truth, you're either gonna give a really boring answer, or he's gonna ask something really, really bad and you'll be forced to answer it." Star smirked. "You really want a truth?"

Barky glanced at Star, giving her a long, contemplative, seething look. Then, he nodded to Lance. "...Very well. I am nothing but a patron to the mortals. Dare."

 

[Navar]

"A dare? I... I wasn't expecting this," Lance said.

This was harder than he thought it would be, mostly because he was scared Arceus would smite him depending on the dare. But this was a unique opportunity.

"I dare you to... take the cutest form you can and act like it until your next turn."