Grass Continent ~ Treasure Town Beach

[Virgil134]

Cabot stared ahead a moment, before the meaning of Diyem's words fully dawned on him.

"Wait, whaaaat?!"

The Cranidos jolted up, only to catch himself and realize he just blurted that out loud. Cabot looked around and noticed that thankfully no one else was nearby, prompting him to sit back down.

You're the Dark Matter?! The one that Maple was talking about and tried to destroy this world?!

 

[Namohysip]

Only... a few... times, Diyem said with a grunt. But I am not the Dark Matter of this world. I come from another world entirely, and have gone through this experience that Maple spoke of ages ago. I was killed, annihilated, removed from that realm, and as such was ejected into the Overworld. From there... well... I suppose most of this isn't really important to you, but I found ways to better myself.

 

[Virgil134]

Cabot said nothing for a moment as several questions raced through his mind. He tried his best to collect his thoughts, before finally saying something back in reply.

But why did you try to destroy your world?! How would that have made anything better?

 

[Namohysip]

Do you really think I was operating under completely rational thought? Diyem growled back. I was born of the world's negativity. A flaw of creation. Every negative experience, every hopeless instance, every helpless pain, every festering thought hatred, I heard, I gathered, and I became. Pokemon are inherently creatures that can shape the world around them, and ultimately, the smallest fraction of that power ended up pooling into what I became...

I wanted to stop the influx of negativity that only became worse as the world's population grew. I could not feel happiness, Cabot, or joy, or relief. Not in the way mortals can. The only joy I knew was lessening that negativity. And therefore, the only way to be "happy," I thought, would be to remove the source--to remove all life.

It was not rational. I am not standing by it. But that is how I used to be.

 

[Virgil134]

I... see.

Cabot shifted uneasily as he tried to think of what to say about Diyem's explanation, only to draw blanks.

It's just... a lot to take in...

 

[Namohysip]

I understand. Cabot, I still have that power. I can still sense negativity in all I come into contact with. I know when people do not trust me, do not like me, fear me... I know this. I will always know this.

So if anything, you can trust me when I say I understand how you are feeling.

...This is why I did not tell everyone at once. There old be outcry. Uproar. Hysteria. Panic. We would never get the mission complete if we do not disclose this news carefully and to the right individuals first... And then let everyone know that way.

 

[Virgil134]

That's... understandable then.

But living like that sounds terrible. It must be so much to take in constantly. Is that also why you can always sense when someone is lying? Or why people get struck with black lightning when they try to lie during Truth or Dare?

 

[Namohysip]

Yes. Though, the black lightning is more... related to Veritas itself. A place for truth. A place where I may learn about so many walks of life. It is part of my rehabilitation--to see more than negativity. To see how others live with negativity. To remind myself... that there is more.

That was how I was defeated, after all. When I was shown... joy, and hope... when someone actually accepted me, someone told me it was okay... I felt relief for the first time.

It destabilized my core... and I died. But that flash was all I needed... to recover.

But my powers remain, and always will. I instead must learn how to operate with it. I am used to this, after all. Perhaps instead I can use it to bring more joy, rather than to eliminate everything entirely.

At least... that is what I tell myself.

There was a pause, that lingering doubt that he didn't know why he was divulging. But perhaps revealing such things was the first step toward them being able to trust him.

There is little to do if someone will hate me unconditionally. I have no counter for that.

 

[Virgil134]

Well... you sent use here because Cibus is in trouble, right? You used your powers to sense that, to gather all of us, to create new bodies so we could travel here and save it... Those are definitely good things.

Cabot paused, his posture relaxing slightly as he looked up at the sky.

I guess what I'm trying to say is that I believe you. I can't say anything good about what you did in the past, but I do think you really are trying to do the right thing with your powers now. Maybe it's easy for me to say since my world doesn't have a Dark Matter, but if that Rescue Team from your world was able to accept you for what you are, I don't see why I couldn't. Besides, we'll do better as a team if we trust each other, won't we?

 

[Namohysip]

Mm... Yes. I suppose so. Diyem still seemed unconvinced, mostly because he already felt the suspicions of the others dawning over him. Still, I would prefer if those who are more... favorable of me would learn first, perhaps. Or... at least you can find a better way to deliver this message. Ahem. In the mean time, I suppose I will just have to keep composed.

 

[Virgil134]

Right. I promise I won't tell anyone unless you ask me to. It seems like a pretty personal thing anyway...

But, thanks for telling me. Does anyone else know yet?

 

[Namohysip]

I intend to tell Owen, said Diyem. I suspect that if I prompt him properly, he will at least know to not speak about it so openly. But for the rest... Perhaps I can find... mm... I do not know. I cannot sense their positive emotions about me, if they have any...

 

[Virgil134]

Maybe you just need help from someone who can? I can be there to support you or maybe help clarify some things if they don't end up coming off as you intended. I mean, that's what friends are for, right?

 

[Namohysip]

There was a very long pause after that, long enough that there was a risk that Diyem had potentially severed connections for the time being.

Finally, he replied. Yes... right... I suppose that would be best. Excuse me, I nnnnneed to go, now.

And then, he truly did stop talking, leaving Cabot alone with the waves.

 

[Virgil134]

Cabot blinked in surprise a moment, before shifting his gaze down towards the ground with a small smile.

"I guess, you must not be used to that."

 

[Chibi Pika]

<><><>​

Starr slept in. After the hard as balls fight against Team Spice last night, followed by getting roped into a meeting with the God Squad the moment they got back, she'd been completely exhausted. The following morning, she tried to think of things to distract herself, but her thoughts kept straying back to what Maple had told them when they accepted the Radiance.

"It will awaken abilities within your spirits that may be exclusive to you... It is your innermost feelings twisting and shaping your energy into something you can wield. It manifests differently for everyone."

She hadn't really paid that part much mind. A power boost that would help them with their mission? There wasn't even a choice to be made there. Obviously she was going to take it.

What... what would it actually be like? "Innermost feelings"? The hell did that mean? Just fancy wording for everyone's energy signature reacting differently or whatever? Most likely. Still, it bothered her not to know. And they all needed to learn how to use this power anyway for it to be any good in a mission, right? Right. So... training. Training always helped her clear her head anyway. Win-win.

A bunch of people had already claimed the dojo, and Starr wasn't much in the mood to spar, anyway. So she headed off for the beach, where there'd be plenty of space to let loose if needed.

 

[Virgil134]

Shortly after Diyem went silent Cabot got up and started walking back towards the beach's exit. Along the way he noticed Starr training by herself, seemingly trying out new moves. The Cranidos briefly stopped, wondering to himself if perhaps Starr was trying to figure out what powers she had gotten from touching that orb. The potential ways his own Radiance powers could manifest had certainly been on his mind since last night...

Cabot shook his head and continued on for the road back to town, opting to let Starr focus on her training for now.

 

[Adamhuarts]

While he walked to the beach for his routine sun bathing session, Cynthian's mind kept going back to the dream he had the night before. He was at a landscape of white rose, where the petals drifted into the air to form glowing rings. Just what was that all about anyway?

Cynthian snapped out of his thoughts when a shadow cast over him, and he was surprised to find Cabot standing in front of him.

"Hello, Cabot. Fancy running into you here. I was just about to go head down, to get that healthy dose of sunlight," Cynthian said while waving his white rose. His gaze then drifted and he widened them slightly when he saw Starr was also present at the beach. "She's here too?"

His heart spiked. Was that a burning smell? No, it was just his imagination. Still, Cynthian feared going down to the beach may result in that becoming reality. Cabot would've noticed how disturbed Cynthian was when he saw Starr down there. "On second thought, I think I'll just come back later."

 

[Virgil134]

"Huh?"

Cabot looked behind him in confusion, before turning back to Cynthian.

"How come you don't wanna go anymore? The beach is pretty big, so I don't think you have to worry about Starr accidentally burning you or something."

 

[Adamhuarts]

"I don't know. She might I still try. Starr doesn't like me much. Who knows what she could do?" Cynthian said with trembling eyes. He squinted his eyes and took steady breaths. "Sorry, she just frightens me a bit."

Once he calmed a bit, he looked at Cabot. "As long as I just pretend she's not there like I've always been doing, and avoid crossing her path, she wouldn't hurt me again. Not with her words, or with her flames."