Grass Continent ~ Treasure Town Beach

[Persephone]

“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?”

“She’s an ice fox. We live in a very hot part of the world, so cold cuddles are nice.”

 

[Adamhuarts]

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

"Busier, and much less evacuated. You could find explorers pretty much every corner you looked as this is their main hub across the continent. I wonder if Wiggletough's guild is as expanded upon here as it is in my world. They keep our lives safe for the most part, but of course not every system is perfect in the end. That's what I think at least," Cynthian explained. Talking about home helped alleviate some of the anxiety of being in a foreign world.

"I'm sure your world isn't as bad as you think. My mother taught me there's beauty to be found even in the darkest crevice. I'd love to hear more about where you came from if you're willing to share it," Cynthian asked with a smile.

 

[TheGOAT]

“She’s an ice fox. We live in a very hot part of the world, so cold cuddles are nice.”

“Ice fox,” Astrid echoed with a giggle (she noticed she giggled a lot talking to Cuicatl)

Grinning, she puffed a waft of icy mist at the Deino’s face. It was strictly a playful gesture—not mistakable for an attack—and condensed quickly underneath the beaming sun.

“Y’know, I think I like that a lot. ‘Ice fox.’” Her grin only grew wider. “It’s so cool! Pun intended.”

It was like her very own superhero nickname. She was sort of like a superhero now, right? Her and everyone else who had come to save this world from… bad guy stuff. Big Magikarp stuff.

 

[Persephone]

“Ice fox,”

“Y’know, I think I like that a lot. ‘Ice fox.’” Her grin only grew wider. “It’s so cool! Pun intended.”

Cuicatl flinched back from the cold. Right. She was a dragon now. That came with three weaknesses: 1) Cute Stuff 2) Cold Stuff 3) Dragons.

Of course, she had also also weak to dragons before. Most things are.

“The technical name is Alolan vulpix. But Alola doesn’t exist here, so ice fox it is.”

 

[Ambyssin]

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.

"Preposterous." Necrozma waved the little deino off. "Stoogezard isn't a god. He is undoubtedly part of World Ender... and trying to make sure the daemon claims all of our souls."

Also, more importantly, dragon?! You’re also a dragon!”

This prompted a growl and a clenching of his fists. "I told you... I'm but a phantom of the dragon I once was. I lost all of my light... and, with it, my dragon-typing."

 

[TheGOAT]

“The technical name is Alolan vulpix. But Alola doesn’t exist here, so ice fox it is.”

Briefly, very briefly, Astrid thought the word was just an accent quirk. Aahh-low-lah didn’t really sound like any common word she could think of, so she chalked it up to a location instead. Or maybe some new Type? A weird human item? She’d ask later, assuming she remembered to.

In the meantime, the beach had grown more crowded than she’d anticipated. Making new friends made her trip an instant success either way, but…

“Hey,” she said, poking Cuitcatl with one of her tails as she pranced by him. She angled herself towards the path they’d come from, hesitating first. “Wanna head back to town and explore a bit? I’d love to stay here, but it looks like quite a few people had the same idea we did.” She lifted a forepaw to stare at it. “And I’ve had my fair share of sand for the day.”

 

[Persephone]

“Oh. That sucks.” If the voice was a dragon... A problem for later. Much later. “Sorry.”

She turned back to Astrid. “Sure! Well, you can explore and I’ll keep you company. It all looks the same to me.”

 

[Ambyssin]

"There's nothing to apologize for." Necrozma shrugged. "It's what a failure like me deserves."

 

[Shadow of Antioch]

I'm sure your world isn't as bad as you think. My mother taught me there's beauty to be found even in the darkest crevice. I'd love to hear more about where you came from if you're willing to share it," Cynthian asked with a smile.

"Whatever's left of it." Flame grabbed another clawful of sand and watched it fall through his claws. "Another time, Cynthian. Please."

It was just so different here. The sky, the clouds, the very air he breathed—there was no trace of dread or impending doom. He almost wanted to lay there, rolling in the sand...

"It doesn't feel like the world is ending at all, is it?" Flame smiled reluctantly. "Look at us: we've just gotten here and we're relaxing at the beach. Maybe Diyem is a holiday salesmon..."

 

[Ambyssin]

"Exactly what I'd expect his minion to say," Necrozma scoffed. "You've never seen how World Ender works, but I have. The giant magikarp is a sign that World Ender approaches."

 

[Fusion]

"There's nothing to apologize for." Necrozma shrugged. "It's what a failure like me deserves."

"For what it's worse, I don't think of you as a failure," Vix popped up from the ground, spitting out sand away from Necrozma. "We've just met, and we're supposed to do some hero things so... at the very least you're a decent person."

 

[Ambyssin]

"If I was a decent person, I'd still have my light." In a whisper, he added, "My mate. My child."

 

[Fusion]

"If I was a decent person, I'd still have my light." In a whisper, he added, "My mate. My child."

Vix's flame flickered for a moment. "Losing something important to you doesn't make you a failure. I don't know what your light is made of, but if it helps, you can share mine." Vix hopped a bit closer and expanded her flame. "It doesn't really go out, so I can share it for as long as you need."

 

[Shadow of Antioch]

"Exactly what I'd expect his minion to say," Necrozma scoffed. "You've never seen how World Ender works, but I have. The giant magikarp is a sign that World Ender approaches."

Flame sighed with a smile on his face. "Way to ruin the mood, Glowy." He stood up, picked up a pebble and tossed in at his back. "If you're such a big failure, then we all are! Maybe we can be failures together. Good enough compromise?"

He glanced around uncomfortably. "And... I'm confident they'd disagree."

 

[Ambyssin]

"I need more light than a litwick's tiny flame." Necrozma glanced skyward. "And, Charmander, that joke of yours is as sad as your species trying to convince everyone you're dragons when you're not."

 

[Adamhuarts]

"Whatever's left of it." Flame grabbed another clawful of sand and watched it fall through his claws. "Another time, Cynthian. Please."

"Oh, I'm sorry," Cynthian said. He lowered his eyes for a drawn out moment. That was definitely not a subject he shouldn't have touched on, and he made note to not touch upon it again later.

"It doesn't feel like the world is ending at all, is it?" Flame smiled reluctantly. "Look at us: we've just gotten here and we're relaxing at the beach. Maybe Diyem is a holiday salesmon..."

"I... don't really know what it's like for the world to end. It's not something to look forward to, right?" Cynthian asked, staring solemnly at the horizon. He couldn't help but wonder what Flame may have experienced in his world.

"I signed up for this gig in hopes that I could learn to be brave, but I hope I don't get eaten along the way. If possible, it'd be nice if things remained this calm and peaceful."

 

[Fusion]

"I need more light than a litwick's tiny flame." Necrozma glanced skyward. "And, Charmander, that joke of yours is as sad as your species trying to convince everyone you're dragons when you're not."

"I'll keep it up for as long as I have to if it helps at all. Better some kind of light than none, right?" Vix smiled. "But... if you prefer I don't, I understand."

 

[Shadow of Antioch]

"I need more light than a litwick's tiny flame." Necrozma glanced skyward. "And, Charmander, that joke of yours is as sad as your species trying to convince everyone you're dragons when you're not."

Flame's namesake burgeoned briefly, then simmered back down as he smiled. "I'm as much a dragon as you are." He stuck his tongue out. "I like you already. We just need to work on that attitude of yours."

"I signed up for this gig in hopes that I could learn to be brave, but I hope I don't get eaten along the way. If possible, it'd be nice if things remained this calm and peaceful."

"I... I'd say we enjoy it while it lasts." It took a moment before Flame blinked. "Wait, you got to sign up? Voluntarily?"

 

[Ambyssin]

Necrozma chuffed. "People who claim to like me have a terrible habit of dying."

 

[Fusion]

Necrozma chuffed. "People who claim to like me have a terrible habit of dying."

"Then it's convenient that I'm already dead." Vix was entirely unsure if she actually was or not, but being a ghost type surely mean she was dead. Definitely. Probably.