Grass Continent ~ Treasure Town Beach

[Ambyssin]

Necrozma decided he'd rather make that question rhetorical. "The answer, in my opinion, is not to comprise a team with a large contingency of pokémon weak to water." He glanced at Tricky. "Even if we looked beyond the magikarp to the possibility of other threats, the best course of action would be a well-rounded team. One with a balance of types. With attackers, healers, and shielders. And yet, that is not what we have. We have considerable weaknesses to few types. And with our powers stripped, we've all been reduced to the most basic attacks in existence.

"Am I the only one who thinks we're being set up for failure here?" His core flickered. "I can't think of any other explanation for this scenario."

 

[TheGOAT]

“If we were being set up for failure, then why can we roam around? Why give us brand new bodies at all?” Astrid spoke, shrinking underneath the core’s gaze. “I-I’m skeptical too, believe me. But something’s really weird about that.”

 

[Ambyssin]

"To weaken us and make us more vulnerable." Necrozma lifted his hand and it faintly crackled. "As worthless as I am, I could do more in my original body than in this one. As for moving around... he let us do that so that clashing personalities and egos would draw the magikarp closer to us even faster. The energy that made it grow is from a daemon that feeds off despair, after all." He had no head to shake, though that didn't stop Necrozma from trying. "You heard how much everyone bickered when we first got here. I do not thing a day of wandering around will fix that. But I'm pretty sure that's what Diyem intended. He's offering us up as a sacrifice, after all."

 

[TheGOAT]

Astrid’s eyes has grown to the size of dinner plates; her pupils, pebbles.

“That’s…” Blink. “…unfortunate to hear.”

 

[Persephone]

“If he wanted to make us weaker, why’d he make me into a dragon. Trust me, I’m a lot stronger than I used to be.”

Maybe even when compared to her old team. Coco and Nocitlālin might overtake her, but they were both young when she had left.

“And what are you? I think I heard one of your kind right before I got the message and was pulled over here.”

 

[Ambyssin]

"My... kind?" Necrozma shrugged. "I do not have a kind. I'm but a lowly phantom of the dragon I used to be."

 

[Persephone]

"Sure there aren't more? They had a similar voice..."

It doesn't matter too much. Really only for when she goes back. If she goes back. But that's a bridge to cross later, either way.

"And having so many fire types," and so few dragons, "doesn't make too much sense. I agree on that. Maybe Diyem is a sun god? Or at least works for one. Could just be a preference thing. Or maybe fire-types are more likely to have 'a hero's soul,' whatever that is. Also, more importantly, dragon?! You’re also a dragon!”

 

[Adamhuarts]

Cynthian pretty much zoned out throughout their conversation. He was never one to dawdle in conspiracy theories, though he noticed that he wasn't the only one not taking part in the conversation. There was also the Fennekin from before.

"I don't think we've introduced yet. I'm Cynthian, a florist and part time botanist," Cynthian said, trying to sound as casual as possible to hide the fact that his petals were closing up in the presence of two fire types.

@SparklingEspeon

 

[SparklingEspeon]

Tricky, who was busy staring at the waves rolling onto the beach in the distance, jumped at the sound of Cynthian’s voice. She turned around, glancing at the Roselia behind her.

Immediately she felt dizzy. She had to take a moment to shut her eyes and breathe, struggling just to keep her balance. Not the same... Different roselia...

By the time that Tricky had recovered herself, nearly all of Cynthian’s introduction had flown right by her. She blinked, trying to look like she’d heard any of it. A sheepish grin spread across her face, and then she was back to her next real cheery self.

“Oh- hi! My... my name’s a secret, but you can call me Tricky.” She awkwardly stuck a forepaw out in greeting, still grinning widely in the hopes that would sell the cheery introduction.

 

[Adamhuarts]

Oh good, she was friendly at least. That relaxed Cynthian a bit, so he decided to try making conversation.

"How are you taking all of this so far? It sure seems some of us have done this before. I for one haven't. Not really anyway," Cynthian said with a nervous laugh.

 

[SparklingEspeon]

Tricky still had a bit of trouble standing straight, but she gladly welcomed an excuse to talk it all off.

"I thought this was gonna be fun," she began. "There was cake I didn't get to eat, all these new pokemon, a magical adventure to another world, a chance to visit Treasure Town - I've always wanted to go to Treasure Town! - and maybe, if we beat that giant magikarp, we can have it for dinner! But... I'm not having too much fun." She looked up at Cynthian, noticing she'd been blabbering on for a while. She remembered silently promising herself she'd stop doing that a few weeks ago.

"...What about you?" she grinned after a gut-wrenching ten seconds of awkwardness.

 

[Adamhuarts]

"Oh, I'm sorry to hear that. I also thought this was going to be more fun, but slaying a giant magikarp is not what I had in mind," Cynthian sighed, then he blinked.

"I've actually already been here before. Well not here here, but the treasure town in my own. My hometown shouldn't even be far away. We could get there by crossing the sea a bit, but seeing how different this place is to the treasure town I know, I doubt it'd even be there," Cynthian said, also blabbering just as much.

 

[SparklingEspeon]

“Well, you don’t know,” Tricky pointed out. She suddenly leapt up, her former energy returning back to her. “Ooh- Do you think we can see it from here?”

 

[Shadow of Antioch]

Flame raised a brow. "No, Tricky, you can't see it. There's an entire ocean between--" He blinked. "Wait. Your home town? Did... Diyem find a copy of your homeworld?" He scratched the top of his head, and stared straight down. "It doesn't make sense. How could a different world have the same continents and town names as yours?"

As much as he wanted to trust Diyem, the more he thought about it, the more Necrozma's ramblings made at least some sense. He was still a party crasher, though.

 

[Persephone]

Cuicatl moved closer to Astrid. The vulpix was the entire reason she’d come to the beach, after all. She slowly lowered herself beside her and felt the sand on her belly.

“I never talked much about myself, did I? I was a...” Trainer isn’t the best word here. “Den mother. I took care of orphaned or abandoned Pokémon. Traveled a bit. Sometimes we fought Pokémon that were bigger than usual, but nothing nearly as big as that magikarp sounds. I had a beldum, tyrunt, and vulpix with me when I got pulled here.”

 

[TheGOAT]

Astrid pulled herself closer to the shore until she was out of the water entirely. That was enough hearing from the end-of-days prophet for now, she decided.

She did so just in time for Cuicatl to approach, drawing out of her a relieved sigh.

“…Oh? So, they were your teammates?” She giggled. “What was the Vulpix like?”

 

[Adamhuarts]

“Well, you don’t know,” Tricky pointed out. She suddenly leapt up, her former energy returning back to her. “Ooh- Do you think we can see it from here?”

Cynthian brought up a flower over his forehead and pursed his lips. "I don't think, no. It's at least a day's travel by boat from here. It's a small town tucked inside Mystifying Forest. As much as I'd like to visit right now... There are more pressing matters right now unfortunately."

He sighed in disappointment and then almost jumped when Flame spoke close to him. Two fire types. Scary!

"Wait. Your home town? Did... Diyem find a copy of your homeworld?" He scratched the top of his head, and stared straight down. "It doesn't make sense. How could a different world have the same continents and town names as yours?"

"If you're asking me, I have no idea," Cynthian said after taking a step back from Flame with a nervous laugh. "I had heard someone mention something about other worlds before, but I thought they were the musings of a mad mon until Diyem contacted me. Even then I wasn't fully convinced, until now that is."

Cynthian cleared his throat as his pulse settled. "Anyway, what were your worlds like?" he asked both Flame and Tricky, and anyone else within hearing range.

 

[Persephone]

“…Oh? So, they were your teammates?” She giggled. “What was the Vulpix like?”

“Very sure of herself. She thinks, no knows, she‘s queen and likes to scream incessantly whenever something upsets her. Isn’t that strong, though. She often picks fights, loses badly, and then demands cuddles from me to make up for it. It sounds mean to say that, but she’s a child and I think it’s endearing.”

 

[Shadow of Antioch]

Cynthian cleared his throat as his pulse settled. "Anyway, what were your worlds like?" he asked both Flame and Tricky, and anyone else within hearing range.

Flame sat down on the sand. He felt something strangle his heart as he looked out towards the shimmering sea.

"It's..." He zoned out for a second, blinking. "Nowhere near as pretty as here," he muttered.

"You said you've been here in your own world, right? Is the town as peaceful as this one?"

 

[TheGOAT]

“Very sure of herself. She thinks, no knows, she‘s queen and likes to scream incessantly whenever something upsets her. Isn’t that strong, though. She often picks fights, loses badly, and then demands cuddles from me to make up for it. It sounds mean to say that, but she’s a child and I think it’s endearing.”

“Huh. She sounds like a pawf—handful. But the cuddles part sounds super nice! ...Depending on if you like the heat or the cold, I mean.” Astrid settled down into the sand and tilted her head back at the Deino. “What kind of Vulpix is she?”