Null Village

[Namohysip]

The first thing Team Spectrum's dead would see was a sky of purple clouds and ominous, red light. The ground was a hazy, dusty purple, and little stone houses dotted the landscape of tall trees that looked like gnarled, rising claws from the earth. Occasionally, winds blew in random directions with seemingly no rhyme or reason to when or how they came about.

There did not seem to be a sense of north, or any other direction. But the team quickly decided that north would be where the lake was--a lake of deep, red water that didn't look like it would taste pleasant. South, beyond the gnarled trees, was a wasteland of plateaus that dwarfed the trees the seemingly abandoned village had been formed in.

It was... dreary. Perhaps it wasn't the mystical atmosphere that drew out the Shadows of anyone who stayed here, but the simple appearance the place had.​

 

[Adamhuarts]

Cynthian opened her eyes after being pulled into the abyss. She slowly looked around her, dazed, but trying to understand her surroundings.

A sky of purple clouds with a red ominous glow, and tall lifeless trees that twisted and gnarled their way out of the hazy purple ground.

Cynthian immediately began to shiver uncontrollably. Her teeth clattered, her heart raced and she shook her head slowly as tears forced their way out. She had been here before. The void lands!

"I see now... yes, it makes sense. This is where I must atone," said a voice right next to Cynthian that eerily resembled hers, but distorted and melancholic.

Cynthian looked beside her and saw a Roserade with burns over half of her body, a missing cape and a splintered mask. And worst of all, there was a hole in the Roserade's chest, oozing a purple smoke that drifted down and collected on the ground around her.

 

[windskull]

After a moment, Nip was able to open his eyes. And he was able to move. Able to look whichever way he pleased. And he had claws again. Real claws and fur. A relief, if only a small one.

An eerie voice from nearby made him turn his head. Upon seeing the roserade next to Cyntian, he yelp and stumbled backwards, fur bristling. "That. Cynthian what is that?"

 

[Adamhuarts]

"That..." Cynthian's words caught in her throat. Mama Rosa... was it her?! No, it was something else... It was—

"No, it's not Mama Rosa. It's my shadow!," the Roserade said, echoing the words Cynthian couldn't speak herself.

"Get away from me," Cynthian whimpered as she got to her feet and started walking back from the shadow.

"You're just here to torment me. I already know what I did, so you don't have to remind me anymore."

"Shut up!"

"Why have you brought me back here again? I'm so tired of myself. Stop it already and finish the job already!!!"

Cynthian held her hand with a pained face. It hurt her in a very deep crevice of her soul to be hearing her own horrid and haunting thoughts spilling out of someone else. She couldn't bear it anymore. Cynthian cried out, turned around, and fled.

"Mama Rosa should have killed me that day. I'm a failed daughter."

 

[Namohysip]

Owen groaned, rubbing his forehead. This place had the worst kind of atmosphere...

"I feel like I'm gonna throw up," Owen murmured, wobbling toward one of the many empty buildings. "What's going on here? Diyem? This... this is the Voidlands, isn't it?"

Yes. Now stop bothering me. I need to figure out what to do. If the Blacklight or Giovanni or anyone else catches us while we're vulnerable, we're through.

"Right..." Owen leaned against the wall, feeling lightheaded.

"You should sit down for now," someone commented next to Owen. A Charizard--not just any, but Wishkeeper, emerging from the ground in a great, black haze... His scales were darker than usual, but still that typical orange hue. More importantly, he seemed... larger. A lot larger--Charizard weren't supposed to be that big, were they? The titanic dragon stood a daunting eleven feet in height, enough that three of Owen standing on top of one another wouldn't be enough to reach him.

"Maybe," Owen said, sliding further down. "Hey, is it just me, or do you sound different than usual? Oh--right, I shouldn't talk to you out loud..."

"No, that's not necessary." Wishkeeper shook his head, black flame swishing behind him. "I'm tangible here."

"Oh." Owen breathed, nodding. He was too tired. "Okay."

"...Would you like me to carry you?"

"I'm going to stay here. I need to sort... though everything that just happened. You can go on and--"

"No." The massive Charizard approached Owen and settled next to him. "Nobody's going to bother you, then, if you need rest."

"...Let the others come to me if they want," Owen replied. "Don't do this if they can hear you."

"I'm not going to let them hurt you."

"Please, not now..."

 

[windskull]

Slowly, his fur began to lie flat. Just Cynthan's shadow. Sure it was creepy. No pokemon should be able to survive in that condition. But, well, they weren't really alive any more. Were they? Nip tried to push that thought out of his head. He opened his mouth to say something more to Cynthian, but he had already hurried off. He took a step to follow her, but a voice behind him made him halt.

"Don't bother. She'll just hurt you like everyone else."

Nip turned, alert for trouble. But all that he saw behind him was... A sneasel. A small, underfed sneasel with tired eyes and disheveled fur. As soon as the sneasel locked eyes with nip, it tilted its head so that it was staring at the ground and hunched slightly.

"You heard her shadow. She tormented it. Why wouldn't she do the same to you?"

"But that isn't-"Nip began, turning his head back in the direction Cynthian had fled. He knew the shadow - his shadow - was thinking irrationally, but now that it had been said, he couldn't get the thought out of his head.

 

[Virgil134]

Cabot groaned as he slowly rose to his feet. The first thing he noticed as he got up were the dark gray scales on his body... just not the ones one would expect from a Rampardos.

"Still shadowed I suppose," the Cranidos muttered to himself.

The second thing he noticed as he looked around were his teammates' shadows, who had seemingly manifested on their own. So that's what Diyem meant when he said this place would draw out their darkness in a way 'they'd never experienced before'. It was what it was he supposed. Their stay here was only temporary, and he didn't see a massive shadowy Rampardos anywhere, so at least none of this was affecting him.

"H-Huh?! What's going on?!"

Cabot turned around where much to his surprise he saw... himself. His normal, unshadowed self. He looked at his doppelganger incredulously, who stared back in shock. If that Cabot was free of any Shadows, did that mean he-? No, that couldn't be right. He knew what his shadow was like, and he wasn't that. But then... what was happening here?

Both confused and irritated, he looked up at the sky and spoke up.

"Diyem, what is the meaning of this?!" the Cranidos growled.

 

[Namohysip]

Oh, wonderful. Truly, I was worried that you would have a calm time while dead.

Owen and Wishkeeper looked at one another, then at the two Cabots. "Did Cabot get another Ultra Shade?" he asked.

No. I'll put it simply. Both of them think they're the real Cabot. And they are both correct. Split in two... Much like you and Wishkeeper, Owen. But I do not think Cabot spoke with his Shadows nearly as often. Rgh. Whatever. Find a way to reconcile, I have bigger things to handle right now.

 

[Namohysip]

Owen finally stood up, waving for Wishkeeper to back away. "I think we should explore a little," he said. "No point in moping around, and maybe we can help Diyem find a way back, or, you know, make it easier on him. I--"

Owen disappeared. Wishkeeper looked back, suddenly alarmed, as he grabbed the soil where Owen had once been. "Owen's been abducted!" He snarled, swishing his tail savagely as his golden eyes brightened. He lunged toward the wall and plunged his arms inside, grabbing onto something. "Owen!" He pulled as hard as he could, and then it suddenly gave way. Wishkeeper flew back with Owen in his chest; he protectively cradled him in his wings and arms.

"Th-thanks," Owen admitted, then glared back at a huge grin and eyes staring at him from the wall. He blinked, then gasped. "Wait a minute... G-Garro?!"

The Gengar pulled himself out of the wall and shook off a shadowy haze. "Sorry, couldn't help myself," the spectral prankster said. "Like I said, the fear tastes good. Part of being a Void Shadow, I guess..."

"How dare you..." Wishkeeper looked ready to launch Shadow flames.

Garro held up his arms.

"But why aren't you in Veritas City?" Owen asked.

"Veritas is that way." Garro motioned east. "Thaaaaat way that way."

 

[Fusion]

Dark and dreary were the words that came to mind as Vix looked over this village, and honestly that was incredibly fitting. Just about what you would expect if you asked someone to make the dreariest village within a thirty minute time limit.

And not even ten seconds after they arrived did things start to go to shit. Cynthian's shadow manifested and chased her away, Wishkeeper was gatekeeping, Cabot gained a stereo setting, Nip's shadow was irrationally rational... And Vix's own was taking its sweet time actually revealing itself. Didn't stop it from pestering her, unfortunately.

If only you were stronger, you wouldn't even be dealin' with this shit.

"Fuck off, I'm strong as hell. Stronger than you at least," Vix growled. Oddly enough, despite not being alive or evolving like the some of the rest, Vix felt stronger than before she died. "Now shut it, I gotta... I don't know, but you aren't helping me figure it out."

Cynthian definitely needed someone with her, but Nip beat Vix to the punch. Still, Vix thought about going to check on her, and maybe letting her have that Litwick doll that she gave her. Vix instinctively reached for her bag, only to remember it wasn't on her side anymore. "Son of a bitch..."

That's funny, I ain't seein' any mirrors around here. Do you really enjoy talkin' to yourself that much?

"You're not fucking funny," Vix deadpanned, growling as she lost track of Nip and Cynthian. "God-- Thanks, asshole!" Whatever, it was fine, well it wasn't, but she'd find Cynthian later.

"Veritas is that way." Garro motioned east. "Thaaaaat way that way."

Vix looked over towards Owen when she heard a new voice mention Veritas. Someone suddenly appearing probably would explain the commotion she ignored earlier. A Gengar, huh? Not what she was expecting to see here, but another amorphous spirit like her was nice to see. Sort of.

"Veritas is that way? How far?" she asked.

Probably too far for you. What a shame.

What a dick.

 

[Virgil134]

The two Cabots stared at each for a moment after Diyem finished speaking, neither of them sure what to say, until the unshadowed version of the duo hesitantly spoke up.

"This is... so strange."

"Yeah, I know," his other self answered, before pinching his brow. "Just what I needed after everything that happened."

Cabot gave his dark counterpart a sympathetic look, before putting a claw on his shoulder in an attempt to reassure him.

"Hey, it's okay," he said "It's only temporary and Diyem's working hard on reviving us. I'm sure we'll be back together soon."

Dark Cabot let out a huff and looked off to the side, when Garro's arrival caught both of their attention. They recognized him from the times they'd visited Veritas City. Whenever they wanted to go back home, they always had to play a game of Truth or Dare in Veritas' Colloseum, something Garro was always present for.

"Hey there, Garro. It's good to see you again," Cabot greeted as he walked up to the Gengar. "Though does that mean Veritas is actually part of the Void Lands?"

The Cranidos heard footsteps right behind him, prompting him to turn around and notice his other self was beginning to walk away.

"H-Huh?! Where are you going?"

"I need some time for myself," Dark Cabot grunted. "Just... stay here. I'll be back later."

Cabot opened his mouth to speak, but his counterpart had already turned around and was now continuing to make his way out of the village and towards the plateaus in the distance.

 

[Namohysip]

Owen wondered, idly, if "time alone" was the same if Cabot followed Dark Cabot. He decided it was best not to vocalize this.

"Yep, Voidlands, always has been. Though obviously he prettied the place up so it didn't give people a scare. Y'know, boss man."

 

[Dragonfree]

Dave woke with a start and opened his eyes. Eyes. He had a body again, could breathe again.

He shuddered as he pushed himself to his feet on the barren purple ground. The memory of feeling his entire being torn apart into atoms left a phantom tingling sensation in his limbs. So this was basically Veritas City, just... minus the city. Okay.

He wasn't even surprised to find Shadow sitting beside him, but as he looked around... apparently everyone had a shifty-looking doppelganger now. He wasn't sure whether to be exasperated on their behalf or vindictively pleased that at least now it wasn't just him.

Everyone, that was, except Brisa, who was still lying there unconscious on the ground, alone. His eyes were oddly drawn to the shackles around her ankles -- shackles? What? No, that was just a goddamn fur pattern that'd always been there, what the hell. She was... breathing too, yeah.

He glanced at Shadow. The other Poochyena was looking slowly around.

"...We're not really dead," he said.

"Genius deduction. No, we're in the Veritas City dimension, like he always said would happen if we died in Cibus." He looked up. "Hey, Diyem, can you check on Mia? She do anything stupid?"

 

[Namohysip]

I'm still working on getting everything accounted for. They're coming to the infirmary now. I am trying to balance two conversations at once. Diyem grumbled, looking for more to say. He wasn't very good at comforting others, after all. Wasn't in his nature.

 

[Virgil134]

"Yep, Voidlands, always has been. Though obviously he prettied the place up so it didn't give people a scare. Y'know, boss man."

Cabot still looked off in the direction his other half had gone off to when Garro replied to him.

"Yeah... that... makes sense," the Cranidos said. He seemed distracted for a moment, before shaking his head and turning back to Garro. "Though, I guess Diyem didn't have the time to change this part, huh? How long of a walk is Veritas City from here anyway?"

 

[Namohysip]

"Aaaeeeeuuuuuhhhh..." Garro leaned back, rubbing his chin. "Well, as a Void Shadow and a pretty high ranking one by Diyem's standards, I had some quick-travel abilities in this realm. For you guys? I dunno. You haven't acclimated that easily yet. You'd have to walk your way there. So that's through Null Forest, then across the Zero Desert, past the Empty Plains, over the Abyssal Ocean... And then a few other spots, and then you'll get to Veritas! Would be a few months' travel for you guys. Assuming you make a boat, or catch a ride somehow, or something..."

 

[Fusion]

"...You're kidding..." Vix deadpanned. They really were just waiting for Diyem to save them then. That could take days, if they were lucky.

God fuckin' damn, that's pretty bullshit.

"Right?" She and her shadow probably wouldn't agree on much, so this was pleasant. As pleasant as it could be at least.

In other words, you just ain't strong enough to get outta here quicker. What a damsel in distress you are.

Vix had a really bad habit of jinxing things...

 

[windskull]

Veritas was part of the Voidlands? Nip paused to think on that for a moment. If they came to the Voidlands because they were dead... And if they were in Veritas before...

"So... Does this mean we were already... Dead when we came to Veritas? Or that w had already been connected to you?"

""Was this all to add more residents to your realm? I should have known this was a trap..."

Nip shot his shadow a glare. Just because he was thinking about the worst possible outcome didn't mean he should say it. But now the seed of doubt was in his head. He slowly sat down on the dusty ground, feeling overwhelmed.

 

[Virgil134]

Cabot blinked at Garro's answer. Just how big was this place?

"Er... I'm guessing there's no way for Diyem to give us some of those quick-travel abilities as well?"

 

[Fusion]

"So... Does this mean we were already... Dead when we came to Veritas? Or that we had already been connected to you?"

"Was this all to add more residents to your realm? I should have known this was a trap..."

"Don't start getting all dark and dreary on us, this place has both of those in excess. Keep that up and you might make this place even more unbearable," Vix said, honestly trying her best to be calming and reassuring. "Why the hell would he be trying to save a planet if he wanted more... whatever the hell this Garro guy is?"

Vix's actual shadow started to get wispy and weird, growing slightly. For some reason, it made Vix feel like pins and needles were sticking into her body. "If Diyem was lookin' for more Void Shadows, he totally picked the finest bunch of miserable chumps for it. He'd have enough power for centuries at least."

Oh, so her Shadow was starting to manifest. Keyword, starting. If it would just show its face Vix could properly tell it off.

As if it knew it was frustrating her, her Shadow started to giggle.