Mystery Continent ~ Northern Pines

[Negrek]

Rocky froze a second when he saw the swinub, then nodded to Echo to let the crobat know he realized where they were. He watched the pokémon going about their business for a couple seconds. If he had a heart, it would probably be beating faster now. He hadn't really thought much about being a trainer before, but it was fun, tracking a wild pokémon down and then, well, he probably wasn't going to battle them, was he? But usually you would, wouldn't you? That would be even more fun.

"Well, I don't know how it's supposed to work," Rocky replied quietly, "but I figured I would just ask. It'd be easier if Marshtomp didn't break the last pokéball, though."

He knelt down a couple meters from the swinub, digging around in his pack and pulling out a handful of berries. "Umm, hi there!" he called. "You want some berries?" He tossed one, an oran berry, to the ground about halfway between himself and the swinub.

 

[Flyg0n]

The Swinub froze the sound of Rocky's voice, nose twitching. When Rocky tossed the Oran berry out, it suddenly darted forward, snatching it before retreating a few feet away to watch him curiously as it ate.

"I think its interested," Echo whispered, smiling. "Maybe it likes the berries."

This was exciting! Was this how Koa felt? Was this why people liked being Pokemon trainers? It seemed fun.

 

[Negrek]

"I think it does!" Rocky said, giggling. The swinub was cute!

He tossed another berry down, a little closer to himself this time, and said, "You're pretty friendly, aren't you? You wanna come visit Destiny Village with me? I've got a friend who'd love to meet you. You can ride in my bag, and I've got lots more berries you can have, too!"

While he waited to see what the swinub would do, he glanced back towards Echo. "You're Koa's starter, right? Does that mean he had to find you and catch you like this, or did he get you as a gift?" He assumed Koa hadn't stolen his starter, the way Marshtomp had...

 

[Flyg0n]

After a moment's hesitation, Swinub shuffled forward and snatched the next berry, this time not running away. After they finished it off, it looked expectantly at Rocky, clearly waiting for another treat.

"Actually, I chased him down. I was just a wild Zubat, and got in a fight with another Pokemon, an Aipom. He beat me pretty bad. But Koa saw me and helped me out! So I decided I wanted him to be my trainer, and followed him." He smiled a little at the memory. Sure Koa had been stubborn at first, but he'd always sensed something about him he liked. "It took awhile, but I finally convinced him to let me come with him," he said proudly.

 

[Negrek]

"Oh, really? That's kind of like how Marshtomp got his first pokémon, then." Rocky smiled, too. "That's a great story. And it seems like you made a good choice, too!" Although as a human, Koa would probably not be anything much at all like a superhero. Still, though.

Rocky set his bag down on the ground, tipped over on its side to make a kind of cave. He placed another berry right in front of it. "Would you like to get in the baaaaag?" he asked the swinub.

 

[Flyg0n]

Without another moments hesitation, Swinub trotted forward, snatching up the last berry and darting into bag. After a moment, it turned around and settled down, apparently finding the arrangements comfortable.

Echo couldn't help but let out a happy squeak. They'd done it! They'd caught a pokemon.

"That's so cool! Marshtomp seems like he really nice, deep down. I think he just doesn't want anyone to know it." Kind of like Rascal, he guessed. She acted stubborn, but he knew she cared about Koa a lot. "What's Marshtomp's team like?"

 

[Negrek]

Rocky grinned broadly when the swinub settled itself down in the bag, and very slowly gathered it up off the ground, like he was afraid of jostling the pokémon and sending it running off again. He didn't want to celebrate too soon and lose the pokémon at the last second.

He had to chuckle at Echo's comment, though. "Oh, he definitely doesn't want anybody to know it. He's pretty dumb." He shifted the bag so it sat more comfortably across his shoulder and slipped in another couple berries to keep the swinub occupied. "His team's pretty cool, though. His first pokémon was a poochyena... She's a mightyena now. And then there's Raticate, and Graveler, and Steelix. So he probably wouldn't admit it, but a swampert would fit right in!"

 

[Flyg0n]

Echo chuckled. "A Poochyena? That's cool!" Wasn't that the same sort of Pokemon as Dave? What a strange coincidence. Kind of like how Koa had wanted a Shinx, and then he met Brisa here. Except from what he heard, Marshtomp acted like he hated Dave. Which was a shame, since Dave seemed nice too. "Marshtomp sounds like he has a really great team."

Beaming proudly, he glanced down at the bag that held the Swinub. "I bet Marshtomp is gonna really like this Swinub! Are you ready to head back?"

 

[Negrek]

"They are nice," Rocky said with a faint smile. "Marshtomp misses them a lot." Which meant in a weird way, Rocky missed them too, even though he'd never met them. And never would.

His bag was shifting impatiently and making faint grunting noises. They definitely needed to get back to Destiny Village before the swinub got bored and decided to leave. "Yeah, let's go," he said. "Thanks for helping me find a pokémon! You're right, I bet Marshtomp's going to love it." He definitely would... And his shadow would, too. Rocky was sure of it.

"You really found that swinub fast. I bet you help Koa out a lot with your hearing!" Rocky said as they started back towards the village. "Think about those super hero names. I mean it! It's important!"

Echo and Koa were both great. Rocky hadn't gotten to talk with either of them much, though. But he should! There wouldn't be much time to get to know Koa better, but Echo would still be here, wouldn't he? Rocky should try to hang out with him more. He should hang out with all the familiars more. After all, there were plenty of people in Destiny Village who wouldn't be going away.

<><><>​

 

[Soniclink137]

Lucius shivered as he walked through the snow covered pines, glancing around the area. The chill in the air made him wish that he was able to keep his vest in this world, even though it wouldn't really fit his Lopunny body anymore. His previous fluff would also be nice as well. Still, he plowed on through, enjoying the view of the place at least. He kept going, just walking mindlessly, at least until something caught his view. A strange blackness in the large white and green area. Curious, he approached until he saw Bahamut. Lucius felt...almost overwhelmed as he looked at the Legendary, but he figured, since he was passing by, might as well try and make polite conversation. So he approached.

"H-hi there," Lucius greeted. "Your one of Team Spectrum, right? Uhh..." Lucius scratched his ear. "...Sorry. I'm still...not the best at names."

 

[Ambyssin]

Bahamut was lying propped against a tree. A tree that was giving way from the weight of his crystals. In the continued aftermath of everything that happened with Soda and the moon, he kept receiving requests. Not for any sort of counsel, but simply to move large things and help with flooded areas using his telekinesis. It made sense. Who would want to talk with him, anyway? It wasn't like he was one of the team's big "faces." The ones doing actual damage. Or grandstanding in the colosseum.

But no one had actually sought him out in person. The requests were always written. This lopunny must have been desperate. Still, the necrozma didn't make eye contact or probe with ESP. He was staring distantly at another tree. It inexplicably had small flowers blooming from the bark, despite the cold atmosphere. "You need me for something? Flood water to deal with or rubble to clear, perhaps?"

 

[Soniclink137]

"Flooding...rubble clearing...?" Lucius mused this in his head for a moment before realizing what that meant and quickly shaking his head. "Oh, no. I'm not here for that. I'm not even from this world. I'm one of the Pokémon that came with the rest of the Miracle Matters. And I don't really need you for anything. I just thought I'd chat with you since I noticed you."

 

[Ambyssin]

"Huh." Bahamut finally turned and set his mismatch eyes on Lucius. Yep, stereotypical lopunny. Probably mistaken for a girl a lot. And now the aura popped out. Familiar, yet ever-so-slightly different. That damned parallel reality nonsense. Cibus have both a double for Cepa and Balm and Telum was already ridiculous enough. But there was another reality with similar circumstances? And apparently some of these Miracle Matters came from their own alternate Cibuses.

... and yet they all seemed better than his dimension.

"You must not have spoken much with any of my teammates, then. I'm not particularly well-liked." Bahamut slumped against the tree. It splintered a bit. "Can only get the time of day out of Owen. Because he's Owen."

 

[Soniclink137]

Lucius glanced up and down at Bahamut curiously, wondering why that would be. His connection to Joule, if he had any maybe? Or because he seemed imposing, especially as a Legendary? He couldn't be sure.

"Yeah, Owen is the type. At least, if yours is anything like ours. And I won't deny, outside of small talk, I've only talked with one other of your teammates, though they didn't say anything bad about you. But well, I'm here regardless. So reputation or no reputation, I wouldn't mind having a chat if you don't. I'm just walking around the place with nothing to do otherwise."

 

[Ambyssin]

Bahamut crossed one crystalline leg over the other. "Well, there are relief efforts that can be helped with. Though I get the feeling your team isn't particularly interested in that."

 

[Soniclink137]

Lucius opened his mouth to answer, but then closed it after thinking for a second. "...Yeah, you have a point. I noticed here and there that the place is in rough shape. How bad are things in this world right now, exactly? You mentioned flooding and rubble clearing before. This version of Cibus seems to be in a lot rougher shape then our version was."

 

[Ambyssin]

"The zoroark, Soda, tried to destroy the planet with a moon laser," Bahamut casually stated. "When that failed, he tried to ram the moon into the planet. Just bringing it out of its orbit caused torrential flooding and considerable damage. Something which I'm given to understand your team did not have to contend with. So, congratulations on your happier ending."

 

[Soniclink137]

"R...Right." Lucius was speechless for a moment, not really sure how to react to that. "I wouldn't say things are...all bad, though. At the very least, this world is still in once piece. The damages can be repaired. And you stopped the complete destruction of everything."

 

[Ambyssin]

"Yes. The many lives lost were a sacrifice for the greater good of the planet." Bahamut went back to staring at the tree with the flowers. "I'm not sure how the rest of the team took it. But those are the standards I'm used to operating with. Sacrifices made for the greater good." He shook his head. "Cibus is... so foreign. With its tangible miracles. Things a universe like mine could desperately benefit from, but doesn't have."

 

[Soniclink137]

Lucius flinched at the mention of lives lost. He knew of the possibility, but it was still a bit of a sting to have it be confirmed.

Eventually, though, Lucius gave a sad nod. "...Isn't it, though? A place where it's version of Dark Matter comes in and brings a bunch of adventurers. or whatever you call the people with the 'Hero's Aura' together to help solve the crisis here? Where you and everyone else actually has the power to make a difference. Honestly, it's amazing and overwhelming. This version of Cibus, our version of Cibus, both could have been worse off if we didn't come here."

Lucius paused for a moment. "...How bad are things in your world?"