Mystery Continent ~ Southern Beach

[Namohysip]

Meringue hesitated, but Lugia scoffed. "Why should I be bothered by something that insignificant? It's not something of my concern anymore, so do what you want with it."

 

[Virgil134]

"I mean... I know how much trouble it's caused you," Cabot said. "I wouldn't wanna try to befriend it if either of you are bothered by it, especially since I'm still not sure how I feel about this myself."

 

[Namohysip]

"Little one," Lugia said with a tired sigh, but then she smiled. "One thing that creatures like us must know... is forgiveness, and understanding. We live for far longer than you could ever hope to. If we let every little thing bother us, we will become nothing but bitter creatures that would only be wrathful toward mortals. We do not need that. If you are able to tame these Shades and befriend them..." Lugia raised her wings in a shrug. "Then all is well."

 

[Virgil134]

Cabot smiled and wagged his tail a little. Lugia really was a wise Pokémon.

"Alright, I think I'll try talking to it then once I get back to the guild," he said.

 

[Namohysip]

"Best of luck," Lugia said. "Meringue and I will need to return to our training."

Meringue suppressed a groan.

 

[Virgil134]

"Thanks! Best of luck to you as well," Cabot replied, before letting out a small chuckle. "Especially you, Meringue."

The Cranidos gave the two a parting wave, before turning and setting off back to town.

<><><>​

 

[Negrek]

The beach near Destiny Village wasn't as popular as the one near Treasure Town, and no wonder. Didn't exactly have that "fun and sun" kind of atmosphere. Nate squinted against the cold, salt-flecked wind and picked his way over the rocks. No point trying to head too far out; he didn't think anyone was likely to come along and interrupt him. If anybody else was going to head out here, he had to imagine it would be to be alone.

He set his pack down and fished Rocky out. The shade-stone had stopped its frantic shaking a while ago, but it still radiated a sullen unhappiness. It barely cheered up even at the offer of a berry. "Yeah, I get it," Nate said. "Here's to the whole fucking world, huh?"

The cold spray and churning ocean were kind of miserable, but at least they fit the mood. "Anyhow, where were we? What sounded like a routine job gone sour courtesy like two thousand fucking mankey, right? Yeah, so after that, you wouldn't believe this asshole who found me..." Yeah, nothing to see here. Just a guy having a conversation with his fucking psychic rock companion. Yet another day in poképaradise.

 

[RJR Basimilus]

Wandering the beach, Seyka stared at the rocks littering the ground, experimentally picking on up with his beak. The Skarmory hummed to himself idly before spotting the Mudkip nearby who seemed to be talking to himself.

Seyka made his way over. "Hey,' he started casually, "-do you think the wind's nice today?"

 

[Negrek]

Nate didn't even notice the skarmory until he was a couple yards away. Nate stuffed Rocky back in his pack and scowled at the approaching pokémon. What the hell did he want? He was another one of the team, wasn't he?

This had better not be more fucking shadow nonsense. If some kind of hazy skaromory popped out of nowhere, or this guy started rambling about voices in his head or whatever the fuck, Nate was going to just dive off the rocks and swim the fuck out of here.

"Oh, the wind? Sure, I love getting slapped in the face by ice and salt every couple minutes. What about you? Having a nice time out here admiring the"--he waved a hand at the hissing, crashing waves--"fucking lovely scenery?"

 

[RJR Basimilus]

Seyka looked around. "Well I'm not complaining, so something must be going right. I get that it might not be your thing though."

"Actually, I hear salt and sand can be good- for me at least. You know, I can make myself smooth with abrasion or whatever. I bet it would work for you too. Except you'd be softer I guess." The Skarmory paused to think. "Anyway, I thought today would be a great day to teach myself to fly, so I came out here. I figured falling in the water would beat breaking my neck on the ground."

 

[Negrek]

Yeah, probably he was getting some kind of expensive facial scrub someshit by hanging out around here. What a fucking deal. "Learning to fly, huh? So you used to be human, too?"

He didn't know if falling in the water and drowning sounded better than hitting the ground when you were covered in armor, but one way or another, it was an interesting problem. He'd had it easy enough learning to be a mudkip, once he figured out how to breathe underwater. How the fuck were you supposed to figure things out if you got stuck with fucking wings?

 

[RJR Basimilus]

"Not really, at least, I don't think so," Seyka murmured. "I've been a Skarmory for a long time, but I've heard of past lives or however it was."

He made a face. "Technically, I'm learning how to fly again. Back home, my wings were... messed up I suppose. But now they're not, so here I am. But it's hard, because I haven't flown for 3- uh, 3- maybe 4- errr I forget exactly, give me a moment." The Skamory looked at the ground, kicking rocks with one foot. "I think since then, was it then?" He mumbled to himself.

 

[Negrek]

Nate couldn't help but examine the skarmory's wings. Looked perfectly normal, yeah. Sounded like there was something there... he most definitely didn't want to touch. Could you just, like, forget how to fly? That fucking sucked. Imagine not remembering how your arms worked or some shit.

"Oh. Uh, well, I guess... Have you tried flying at all yet? Or were you gonna try and jump off something and just hope for the best?"

 

[RJR Basimilus]

"Not yet," Seyka said shrugging. "It hasn't been a super priority." He made a small smile. "I've done well enough without them for awhile anyway, I'd be fine if I just had something sweet to eat."

"I don't mind getting hurt anyway, if it happens it happens. That's just what happens when you don't have wings for... four hundred years- I'm pretty sure that's how long it's been. What's the term for that again? I read about it once, vestigial, yeah."

"Not like It'll help me much. I can barely hold my badge. I'm scared I'll lose it somewhere and everyone will think I'm some kind of weirdo. Plus I can't strike a cool pose like everyone else."

 

[Negrek]

"Four hundred fucking years?!" Skarmory lived that fucking long? Well, maybe they could, being made out of metal and all. Nate sure wasn't a fucking expert. But Jesus. "Well, I guess that makes sense," he said after a moment, when he'd had time to think past his surprise. "You obviously get around just fine without the wings, so no reason to jump right into the whole flying thing."

Nate squinted up at the skarmory. God, it sucked being this fucking small. "You got a bandanna or something to pin your badge to? You can use them hands-free, so probably that'd stop you from losing it, if you stuck it on good and tight and didn't fuck with it after that."

 

[RJR Basimilus]

"I know right?" Seyka replied, laughing. "That's only how long I haven't had my wings, I'm actually about 572, but I've been told I look older. But see? I'm still pretty young, and I think I can learn to fly again pretty quickly."

The Skarmory thought in silence for a moment. "Having to wear something sounds like a pain. Maybe we could just glue it to my head or something. It's not like it's permanent right, so I can see it working. If not then, then just nail it into my side."

He looked into the distance. "I wonder if there are any good cliffs around here."

 

[Negrek]

Holy shit. How long did skarmory live? Or maybe the guy was just pulling his leg... or a little not all there. Or maybe from a world where things were kinda off from what he was used to. It was kind of remarkable how much of the team was able to understand each other okay, if they were all from different fucking universes.

Nate smiled and got to his feet, pulling his pack back onto his back. "Well, I ain't got no glue, or any nails, but I bet you could find some back in Destiny Village. Seems like they got all kinds of shit there." He pointed off down the shore, where the gravelly beach rose up into wave-thrashed rock walls. "I dunno about cliffs, but you'd get some decent height off those, right?"

 

[RJR Basimilus]

"Whatever works," Seyka said noncommittally, "-it's enough of a pain that I might as well swallow it so I don't lose it. I haven't even used it anyway, so I must not be missing out on much."

"Actually, there's that big tower in the village right?" The Skarmory made a face. "I mean, I did just say I didn't want to hit the ground, but it looks tall enough that I might have enough time falling to figure it out anyway. You think that would work?"

 

[Negrek]

"Uh." Nate turned to look in the direction of Destiny Tower, which glowed as always from its upper floors. Armor or not, falling from there seemed bound to fuck you up. "You sure about that? I guess we ain't supposed to be able to die while we're here, or not for real, but I'd pick somewhere a little friendlier for a first shot, you know?"

 

[RJR Basimilus]

"I think friendly or not, it doesn't have as much bearing in that case right?" Seyka said, tilting his head. "I think of it like this, either I fly and that's set and done- or I don't and it's not my problem. I pop back up, the pain doesn't matter if you die first."

"Although, I feel like I remember Diyem saying he'd rather us not at some point." Seyka frowned, "Normally I don't really care what he says, but if it causes trouble for everyone else..."

Seyka looked at the Mudkip. "Do you think anyone would mind?"