Grass Continent ~ Treasure Town Beach

[Virgil134]

Cabot blinked. "That's... huge. You'd be almost as large as a Wailord then."

 

[Ambyssin]

"Mmm. Well, it's what's inside that counts." Bahamut paused. "Figuratively speaking. As I am a hollow creature." He gestured at his backside. The cranidos would be able to see straight through to Bahamut's chest crystals.

 

[Virgil134]

"Right..."

Cabot shifted a bit awkwardly and considered ending the conversation and continuing on with his walk when he paused. He'd been curious about Bahamut ever since he met him, but it was hard to ask much about him with how 'worthless' he considered himself. Since Bahamut was now in notably better spirits, perhaps he had more luck asking him now.

"So what's your life back home like anyway?"

 

[Ambyssin]

"I wander endlessly through the distortion rotting my planet away... until my energy runs out and I fall into stasis." Bahamut's tone was neutral, as was typical for him. "What is it you do?"

 

[Virgil134]

"That's... awful," Cabot said, a bit perplexed at how casual Bahamut was about it. "What happened to your world?"

"What is it you do?"

"And, well, I'm sailor in the Royal Navy of Anyilla," he explained. "I help keep the waters of my empire of safe."

 

[Ambyssin]

"A sailor? My, how... intriguing for a rock-type. Does your planet have lava oceans instead of water?" The alternative was that this cranidos had some sort of death wish. All it would take was one shove into the drink. Or, perhaps, his natural body had some sort of special water immunity? Many possibilities. All of them curious.

"Etherium fell victim to—" Bahamut paused and remembered the earlier conversation with Dark Matter. "Do you remember the creature Diyem mentioned: Eternatus? One such creature dwells within the universe my planet is on. Eternatus is a fived-headed, planet-sized monstrosity that chokes the life out of whatever world it comes across. When it set its sights on Etherium, I tried to do battle with it." He looked skyward. "I lost my light and ended up in that dark, broken body. I could not defeat it. The best I could do was chain it to Etherium. So, instead of being completely destroyed, Etherium is slowly whittling away from Eternatus' corrosive energy."

 

[Virgil134]

"No, it's just water... there's a lot of that in my world" Cabot answered. "I know I'm a Rock-Type, but that doesn't mean I'm just gonna stay on a small island when there's so many places to see."

"Etherium fell victim to—" Bahamut paused and remembered the earlier conversation with Dark Matter. "Do you remember the creature Diyem mentioned: Eternatus? One such creature dwells within the universe my planet is on. Eternatus is a fived-headed, planet-sized monstrosity that chokes the life out of whatever world it comes across. When it set its sights on Etherium, I tried to do battle with it." He looked skyward. "I lost my light and ended up in that dark, broken body. I could not defeat it. The best I could do was chain it to Etherium. So, instead of being completely destroyed, Etherium is slowly whittling away from Eternatus' corrosive energy."

"I'm... so sorry to hear that," Cabot said. "But surely there's gotta be something you can do to stop it? Especially if that Eternatus is trapped and you got time to think of a plan."

 

[Ambyssin]

"Time? I've been trying to get rid of it for a thousand years," Bahamut said. There wasn't any bitterness in his voice. Rather, resignation. As if he'd accepted his fate. And given Cabot's response to his question, he got the sense it was the cranidos' youthful optimism talking. "We like to try and comfort one another with uplifting stories that have feel-good endings... but reality cares not. She is a harsh mistress."

 

[Virgil134]

"But, you can't just give up like that," Cabot insisted. "What about all the other Pokémon in your world? Have they given up?"

 

[Ambyssin]

"There is nothing the other pokémon can do." Bahamut maintained the small grin on his face, even though his tone was neutral. "Getting close to Eternatus' distortion drives them into the depths of madness. And as the generations have worn on, the nobility of the planet's biggest kingdom has weakened the populace. Pokémon can barely use actual attacks and they do so only for working menial jobs. What they would call Flamethrower is scarcely more powerful than a charmander's Ember." He shook his head. "They believe the nobility will save them, but I can see the writing on the wall."

 

[Virgil134]

Cabot listened to Bahamut's words carefully and gave him a wary look, before hesitantly speaking up. "And everyone is fully aware of what's going on...?"

 

[Ambyssin]

“Of Eternatus? Of course not.” Bahamut let his tail glide across the water. “History is written by those in control. They have led the public to believe this is a product of the energy they use for electricity... and that they will soon have a solution for it.”

 

[Virgil134]

Cabot blinked. "Wait, but why aren't you telling anyone then? If you're really as powerful as you say you are, surely others would listen to you."

 

[Ambyssin]

That was a false assumption in more ways than one. "Do you think I haven't tried?" Bahamut sighed. "Remember, I'm not speaking to people in this form, but the broken body you originally saw me in. People look upon me like I am some sort of daemon." His head tendrils shrank. "And I suppose, in some ways, I am. Perhaps the cosmos saw fit to punish me for all my sins. But still... I'd have rather Etherium perish to the sun's inevitable supernova than the jowels of Eternatus."

 

[Virgil134]

"Oh, I see..."

Cabot gave Bahamut a somber look. Suddenly it made a lot more sense why Bahamut acted the way he did. He failed to defeat the creature that tried to destroy his world, lost the 'mon he loved, and now he's in contant pain while others shrink away from him because of the way he looks... and that for a thousand years.

"Sounds like your life back home is pretty rough..."

 

[Ambyssin]

"Perhaps. However, better a beast of sin like myself suffer than a pure soul like yourself." Bahamut bowed his head again. "As I said, reality can be a harsh mistress. Why, I'm willing to bet there are people on your planet who walk the paths of constant strife. They could even be right under your snout, hiding their pain because they do not wish to worry you."

He sighed and shook his head. "But that is neither here nor there. The only bearing my life on Etherium has to Cibus is that the Shades will try and use it to drive me into despair. I cannot do anything about Etherium while I am here and thinking about my planet will not help Cibus."

 

[Virgil134]

"Well, maybe, but if you give up on yourself and your world it will also affect how things go for you here" Cabot said. "Wouldn't Chiron want you to keep on fighting?"

 

[Ambyssin]

Bahamut's expression momentarily darkened. His immediate thought was that Diyem had blabbed about Chiron to Cabot, since he had a peek into his mind. Nevertheless, this was enough to prompt Bahamut to stop lying on his side and instead coil around Cabot and look down at his shiny head. "Giving up, hmm?" The red and orange in Bahamut's eyes pushed the other colors away. "What if acting in the interest of the greater good required doing something unspeakable... like killing countless individuals?" He leaned closer to Cabot. "You speak as if you're a soldier of sorts. And yet that... innocent look in your eyes tells me you have not had to kill, much less see the specter of death fall upon those around you.

"So tell me, little one... if the fate of your planet depended on you killing numerous innocent people, what would you do?" He paused, then added, "And don't say you'd look for an alternate method. Such ideas are best left to hatchling tales."

 

[Virgil134]

Cabot reflexively stepped forward when Bahamut leaned in uncomfortably close to him, turning back to the Necrozma with a shocked expression.

"W-What?"

The Cranidos began to fumble for words, Bahamut's question having visibly caught him off guard.

"W-Why would that ever be needed? I-I mean, I know 'mons can die in war, but that's not really the same as what you're saying..."

 

[Ambyssin]

"And that tells me everything I need to know. You wouldn't be able to do it." Blue and purple expanded in Bahamut's eyes. "It would be so nice if things could work out like in fairytales. Everyone gets a happy ending and even those with less altruistic motives learn their lessons." He shook his head. "But that is not always possible. The greater good may require sacrifices. I would think a soldier would understand that. But perhaps your reasons for enlisting are... different than working toward the greater good."

A small smile tugged at his beak. "Assuming, of course, you're fighting for a just cause to begin with."