Offscreen Activities

[IFBench]

Saltriv does the curry challenge.

 

[Negrek]

Nate visits Eien and Diyem (and Toast). He's curious what they're going to be up to after the Blacklight's wrapped up here. Are they supposed to go off and find more worlds to save? What about their ~50 children? Nate's impression was that the Overseers disapproved of their relationship; is that still a thing, or will they be more free to be together now?

Nate wishes them well.

Nate also lets Eien know that Team Spectrum was thinking she'd be a big help in their battle against the final Blacklight, and asks if she'd join them for the fight.

 

[Flyg0n]

Koa seeks out Xernatus, to check in on him, find out what he's gonna be doing when all this is done. He also asks him about helping in the final fight against the Blacklight, and tells him that he'd love the chance to fight beside him.

 

[Flyg0n]

Echo makes time to spend with the rest of Team Spectrum. He brings Brisa some spiced honeycomb as a gift before the final fight.

He also brings home two large boxes each for Luz and Brisa, but whatever could they be for...? Koa is perplexed but Echo is convinced these large empty boxes will make great gifts.... He also drops off a large box at Starr's house.

 

[Sudmensch]

Saltriv and Dill have a first date at the X-Eye. All in all, it’s more akin to the friends eating out vibe of their last nights out, but both of them have a good time regardless. The two get a nuzzle in at the table for future reference and good measure.

 

[TheGOAT]

As the seasons changed, Astrid kept busy, sometimes toiling, sometimes relaxing, and often alone, only seeking the company of others when the ambience of the Pines wasn’t to her satisfaction. The company of her companions always warmed her insides; maybe they could tell from all the smiling she did. As the curtains started to close on Team Spectrum, it mattered more and more that she got to know all of them, all their stories, their histories…

When alone, she spent most of her time in her own domain. The snow was like a blanket when it touched her fur, allowing her to drift off and question everything in-between training sessions. She’d do the same at her house, where she’d sometimes have the company of Red’s team to try and communicate with, but without a doubt, it was in the Pines that her mind would truly reach the furthest corners of her universe.

When she wasn’t lost in the sauce doing that, she spent time doing other stuff. Regular stuff, depending on who’s asking. This regular stuff included but was not limited to:

• Sparring sessions… the explodey-kind, ever since it’s been safe for Astrid to attempt in exhibition. These were often held in the training rooms, but with explosions being on the table now, Astrid knew that wouldn’t cut it. Fortunately, she happens to be an absolute abuser of Cibus’ (and often Maple’s) timely methods of travel, and when getting together with friends to spar, would be inclined to recommend some arbitrarily-chosen wonder of nature as their backdrop. Why not, after all? Koa was one frequent face, whose enthusiasm won her over quickly. Nip was another; he was a long-time partner of hers, and was always happy to train with him. Also among those friends were Brisa and Starr, whose energies Astrid had attuned herself to as much as she possibly could by now.
• Demonstrations of her special talent. There was always plenty of embarrassment that came with exploding so close to Destiny Village (it’s unsurprisingly very loud, nevermind destructive), so when Icetales poked her about it one day and Astrid realized he wasn’t pulling her leg, she made sure to drag him all the way out to the Pines for a proper demonstration. Turned out he wanted to try it himself. Astrid being Astrid, she dove right into it without hesitation. Ultimately, Icetales wouldn’t be able to channel his Blacklight in the right ways to make it work—but his pelt was thicker than the core of a star, so he wasn’t terribly injured. And as it had been discovered against Ionys, Icetales could indeed properly channel his corruption via a different method: Z-Burst. Astrid was delighted to show him everything she knew about using that.
• Gushing about exploration. Tricky was someone Astrid loved to talk to when she needed someone to bounce words off of on a slow day. They shared a love for the unknown and for the imaginary.
• Actually exploring. Because this was Cibus, those two would sometimes put their badges where their mouths were and head off to explore for real. They’d go on expeditions mainly to sightsee, albeit short ones to preserve time and health for the Mission At Hand. All the while, Astrid tried giving advice where she believed it might stick past some of the impulsive tendencies Tricky had. Getting the opportunity to demonstrate in the field helped.
• Chilling and relaxing and not worrying about a thing, if at all possible, for some window of time forced open by the Gals with their bare fists and a crowbar. Astrid relished in downtime whenever it was scarce and whenever it was plentiful, because as far as she was concerned, it was always scarce. She found herself observing how Starr kicked back in particular. It was ironic Astrid had been afraid of her for being too hotheaded; she was actually capable of being the chillest ice cube on the team. A human thing, maybe? Astrid entertained that it might be related to how they were genetically less inclined to beat each other up for fun than Pokemon were, according to legend and the accounts of those around her.
• Flying. Not many of her friends could join her for this one (shoutout Owen), but flying was quietly one of Astrid’s obsessions around when she first determined that Radiance would provide enough controlled propulsion. She sucked at it. For a while, at least, but hey, she’d blown herself up enough times so that by then, barrel rolling into a tree and faceplanting into the snow was bearable. Eventually she learned to fly properly and has been doing it recreationally ever since; unfortunately what the movies didn’t tell Astrid was that it’s hard to breathe up there and stuff likes to fly into your eyes and slowing down’s kinda hard… but nonetheless, she enjoys being able to push off of nothing and create leverage where there was none before.
• Meditating. She tried it with Owen, Bahamut, and/or Vix a number of times, but whatever mental switch she was expecting never seemed to flip. Oh well. Not her thing.
• Racing. In the sky her only viable opponents were Owen and a handful of Team Spectrum’s ultrapowerful allies, and it was kinda dangerous for her (if she used too much propellant she’d blow up and go unconscious midair while moving at high velocity, which the kind folks at the infirmary had recommended she avoid)… but on the ground, things tended to get super interesting for her. She’d raced Brisa a number of times, as well as Koa, Icetales, and Red’s Pikachu, and even Starr when she was feeling up to it. It brought her unmatched thrill every damn time. She believed Nip to be her grittiest opponent, however—they’d get off to a huge burst at the start and dash for ages, every time, and it would always be stupidly close. In spite of the extra work she put in just to beat him, he’d usually win.
• Photography. Astrid has a whole album of pictures she occasionally went out of her way to snap. It’s mostly scenic wallpaper-esque imagery that she’d go get and then use to persuade her friends to go there and spar or have a picnic or whatever. She wished she had more free time to run around the globe and find the coolest spots…
• Corruption Therapy, as Astrid would find herself naming it once her daily routines were finalized. She didn’t really understand the Blacklight very well—at least, in the sense that she’d be able to give a lecture about it—and didn’t have the time or academic drive to study it like a proper scientist. But she did have the Blacklight inside of her, and had friends who could channel it in various unique ways that her own Radiance, and sometimes Shadows, would react with…
  • Astrid and Owen had discovered that his built-up energy was compatible with the way she often released her own when she landed a strike. She’d started bugging him to practice it.
  • Astrid practiced with Starr and Brisa day-in and day-out to perfect their countless points of synergy and attune to their energies as much as possible. It was as if they’d become one superbeing in battle, striking and defending as greater than the sum of their parts.
  • Astrid would occupy herself shifting corruption in and out of Koa’s Conduit. Sometimes when one was active nearby, like when she and Koa were chatting during training, she’d do it subconsciously and catch herself in the act.
  • Astrid would exchange notes on durability with Celeste sometimes, and reflect on how the Blacklight in them had led them to take different paths than most fighters.
  • Astrid and Aria had more recently spent time comparing their experiences and philosophies on releasing and containing corruption. Aria’s familiarity with many of the Blacklight’s quirks was very refreshing for Astrid when they spoke.
  • Astrid and Sage caught up after the battle and had a few conversations, albeit brief ones, about explosion-related matters. She wishes she’d gotten more opportunities to talk with the guy given how alarmingly similar his battle style seemed to be to her own. She barely knows anything about him…
  • Astrid had bugged the God Squad about Radiance from the moment she’d gotten it. Maple would have grown used to the slightly higher-than-average pitch Astrid’s voice made whenever she punctuated her latest question about the most niche aspect of her abilities. As she got better, she reigned in the endless pestering and learned to approach more God Squadders about their own experiences with Radiance. In the end, it was Potluck she had the most in common with.
  • Through everything she’d gleaned from everyone she’d trained and talked with, Astrid developed a series of routine exercises to perform twice every day, with each session taking a little under half an hour. She swears up and down that it’s one of the main reasons she’s able to explode without risking permanent bodily harm.
• Astrid frequents the X-Eye here and there, and sometimes runs into teammates and offers to sit and keep them company.
• Astrid had gotten to know most of the medical staff by now, and would occasionally head back down to the infirmary to check in on their well-being in a backwards twist of events. According to Myles, some of them seemed a little frightened of her on the low, possibly because, to them, Astrid was an immortal, recurring entity that belonged in their psych ward… and who’d seemingly never notice their feelings past all their waving and smiling. Astrid told him he belonged there instead. Notwithstanding, Astrid brought great energy with her to the infirmary nowadays, loved volunteering alongside Mellow, and made a point to thank them for stitching her up time and time again.
• Exploring on a city-wide scale. When she could wrangle up a buddy or two who wanted to tag along, she’d scour every corner of Destiny Village looking for under-the-radar eateries and run-down movie theaters… anything offering a hint of mystique, more or less. She wanted to know what made this society full of legendaries dressed up as regular people function so well.
• Astrid slept a lot, but irregularly. Sometimes this resulted in late-night walks. Chances are, if other Team Spectrum members had a nocturnal episode, she’d have run into them and tried to make brief conversation. “Ha ha, look at us, we can’t sleep.”
• Preparing for the end. Astrid hasn’t mustered any goodbyes yet, and perhaps doesn’t want to deliver the first, fearing it would signal the end. As if there hadn’t been enough signals already. She’d foreseen this moment would be difficult, prepared herself for the bitter taste, but now that it was at her doorstep? It might as well have snuck up on her. More and more often, she gets lost in thought nowadays, not quite sure what mental exercises are needed to ward off this immense anxiety. Leading up to the final weeks, she’d grown more open to discussing it with her peers and seeking closure amidst the growing storm of fear she could no longer run from.
• Getting to know Nate. And Rocky. They’re cool. They make Astrid laugh and also think really hard about certain things, like what Nate was saying to the Zygarde at Diyem’s house.

 

[Namohysip]

In general, the God Squad and Owen seemed receptive to Astrid's pestering questions. For Maple in particular, it seemed to mostly be out of duty to make sure Astrid would be at her best to save the world, and beyond.

Koa seeks out Xernatus, to check in on him, find out what he's gonna be doing when all this is done. He also asks him about helping in the final fight against the Blacklight, and tells him that he'd love the chance to fight beside him.

Xernatus was eager to join, wanting to prove himself and find his place in Cibus. Saving it would surely mean something, right?

Nate visits Eien and Diyem (and Toast). He's curious what they're going to be up to after the Blacklight's wrapped up here. Are they supposed to go off and find more worlds to save? What about their ~50 children? Nate's impression was that the Overseers disapproved of their relationship; is that still a thing, or will they be more free to be together now?

Nate wishes them well.

Nate also lets Eien know that Team Spectrum was thinking she'd be a big help in their battle against the final Blacklight, and asks if she'd join them for the fight.

Eien was eager to join! Anything to help Diyem, after all. And while Diyem was evasive about the subject for a while, he eventually admitted to Nate that his plans were probably to return to a quiet life so he could oversee his kids growing up. The Overseers were very interested in them from an academic standpoint, and despite everything, if Nate read between the lines, Diyem seemed to trust the Overseers not to be evil about it.

It was very likely that their extreme durability and effective cosmic immortality, being related to Eterna energy, Blacklight, and miniature Voices without bonds to any particular world... that Void Eternas could become great heroes, or terrible villains. The Overseers were interested in steering them in the right direction. Considering what they did with Diyem, he allowed it... so long as he could be there to raise them. Diyem had trouble articulating it, but their future seemed bright.

Eien, meanwhile, remarked that she probably had a century or two of counseling and adjustment therapy ahead of her to prevent another Blacklight crisis from happening again. She spoke of this timespan casually, like it was a week of community service, which was a little unnerving, but she didn't seem bothered. It seemed that the vast majority of the superpowers foreign to Cibus were going to be taking a break for an era or two.

 

[Spiteful Murkrow]

Melanie tells Kate about her concerns about Team Spectrum's tab. For giggles, Kate decides to see how far it'll go by trying to commission a set of golden Kyurem armor for Melanie as a momento... and wearable savings enough to last a few lifetimes :V

 

[Disco]

Mellow says a very heartfelt goodbye to Zinc, when the week was almost up.

Her and Raven just spend time in each other's company, talking through telepathy.

On the final day, Raven is nowhere to be found.

 

[Virgil134]

Cabot asks Lugia if she's willing to look out for Pleo once he's gone, and check up on him regularly to see how he's doing

 

[Flyg0n]

Koa spends some of his last days with Xernatus, and encourages him to go into town more and come with him to watch colosseum matches. He hopes for Xernatus to become more accepted and start making friendships of his own. He also talks to Xernatus about the battle against the Blacklight, to make sure he's doing okay and not bothered by the taunts and apparitions he saw.

Koa also seeks out Pop and Xerneas, to talk to them again and see if there is a place for Xernatus somewhere.

 

[Chibi Pika]

Astrid excitedly approaches Starr with the idea of fighting Silver and Giovanni in the Colosseum. Starr finds the idea amusing, but isn't too sure whether they'd go for it. She asks Silver if he's cool with it the next time she runs into him at home. For Giovanni, she leaves a formal request with the guild staff and instructs them not to say who it's from. There's probably a lot of people who'd have to get involved to even approve such a thing...

If Silver ever trains with his team at home--and if said training ever involves practicing his own powers, not just theirs--would Starr have noticed him getting the hang of any particular techniques or fighting styles?

 

[Namohysip]

Melanie tells Kate about her concerns about Team Spectrum's tab. For giggles, Kate decides to see how far it'll go by trying to commission a set of golden Kyurem armor for Melanie as a momento... and wearable savings enough to last a few lifetimes :V

Denied, and if pressed, Kate would find that Maple warped her to the shallows of the Destiny Village rivers.

Cabot asks Lugia if she's willing to look out for Pleo once he's gone, and check up on him regularly to see how he's doing

Lugia seemed willing to do this, figuring that if the preferred form was one of a Lugia, then he may as well learn how to emulate one.

Koa spends some of his last days with Xernatus, and encourages him to go into town more and come with him to watch colosseum matches. He hopes for Xernatus to become more accepted and start making friendships of his own. He also talks to Xernatus about the battle against the Blacklight, to make sure he's doing okay and not bothered by the taunts and apparitions he saw.

Koa also seeks out Pop and Xerneas, to talk to them again and see if there is a place for Xernatus somewhere.

Xernatus seemed to be in better spirits; after his insecurities were shown to the world on blast, more compassionate Samaritans of Destiny Village reached out to visit him. Pop and Xerneas--who was still working on reforming his old body from scratch--were considering Xernatus assisting with the Tree of Life anyway. He has the memories and therefore the experience, and they didn't sense any malevolent energies left in him, either. Perhaps, then, it would be a similar situation to the double S'mores, who have also begun to diverge slightly as neglected hobbies of one got taken up by the other. In a way, they found it liberating.

She asks Silver if he's cool with it the next time she runs into him at home. For Giovanni, she leaves a formal request with the guild staff and instructs them not to say who it's from. There's probably a lot of people who'd have to get involved to even approve such a thing...

If Silver ever trains with his team at home--and if said training ever involves practicing his own powers, not just theirs--would Starr have noticed him getting the hang of any particular techniques or fighting styles?

Silver scoffed at the idea, asking what point there would be in him fighting alongside his father. Still, if pressed enough, he'd humor it, though there seemed to be something amiss with how he agreed...

The amount of skepticism given to Starr's request for Giovanni was higher than ever, and perhaps only because they saved the world was it even considered. Giovanni humored it one way or the other, though for some reason Palkia and Dialga had caught wind of this as well... Something was amiss here, too.

Owen was surprised that it had been accepted at all, but when asked, he gave what he knew to Starr and Astrid. Silver trained often with his team, and found some benefits in being a Pokemon after all. Still, compared to the Mewtwo they'd dealt with previously, he was easily the weakest. Giovanni, Owen had less to know about... but he suspected that Sliver and Giovanni both may have hidden strengths against the power of Hope. He recalled devastating attacks depending on certain acts made by Team Spectrum; could that come into play during the fight...?

 

[Flyg0n]

Koa takes his final days to make time to visit every legendary, just to talk briefly. First and foremost, he makes sure to thank each legendary for their help in the final battle, and for protecting Cibus.

They may not be the same as his world, but he wants to understand what drives them all the same. Besides, maybe something will stick...

He has a few specific questions for some.

Of Ho-Oh, he asks about the myths of their rainbow feathers, and what they mean on this world, if anything. He also inquires how Ho-Oh is connected to the legendary beasts here, if at all.

Reshiram and Zekrom, he asks about how one balances the pursuit of ideals with the truth. Should someone ever give up a goal, even it seems unattainable?

He also asks Zekrom if he believes there's a such thing as someone irredeemable, and if yes, what does someone have to do to be there.

He also seeks out Palkia and Dialga, to understand them, but seems to avoid Giratina for now.

Finally, Koa seeks out Pop and (after explaining the ways of his human world) asks him what he thinks about humans catching legendaries. And if he would get smited for doing that.

For the rest, he simply asks them about their powers and roles, and otherwise makes casual conversation with them.

 

[unrepentantAuthor]

Brisa checks in with Owen for advice on her final Colosseum big-name matches. She's familiar by now with examples of the fighting styles in use by Diyem, Ho-oh, and Team Gyros, but more insight is always appreciated. Would an aggressive, no-guard offence prove more viable against the reigning Omen Duo? Does Ho-oh fight more like he did in the desert while Shadowed, or more like he's trained Brulée? Is Diyem really unstoppable once he completes his ritual? Brisa means to win.

 

[Namohysip]

Overall with Koa, the Legends seem very receptive to him. Some were apprehensive about his attitude, but the fact that he helped save the world a few times gave him enough credibility to take audience with most of them, at least the ones that were available. Deoxytwo found him to be strange, but tolerable in small doses.

Of Ho-Oh, he asks about the myths of their rainbow feathers, and what they mean on this world, if anything. He also inquires how Ho-Oh is connected to the legendary beasts here, if at all.

Ho-Oh doesn't recall any particularly high symbolism with her feathers aside from in texts and stories of resurrection. She finds it flattering, and figures that perhaps some of her power could be imbued in them as gifts; she rarely does so. Regarding the Beasts, she is their direct leader, and can most easily channel her healing energy into them. As a quartet, they are unstoppable at full strength, she boasts.

Reshiram and Zekrom, he asks about how one balances the pursuit of ideals with the truth. Should someone ever give up a goal, even it seems unattainable?

Compromise is what they both said. They used to be at odds with one another, but during times or crises they learned to work together and, during this era of peace, have come to an understanding on how their philosophies can coexist. Perfection is an impossible goal, but it is one to keep with an understanding that the true goal is to approach it as close as possible. That is the importance of having a goal, and thinking about it realistically.

He also asks Zekrom if he believes there's a such thing as someone irredeemable, and if yes, what does someone have to do to be there.

This one puzzles Zekrom, and she could tell it came from somewhere close. She remarks that in an ideal world, nobody was irredeemable, and with enough time perhaps anyone can become a good person. However, the time mortals have on their living worlds is finite, and what happens beyond is unpredictable and not relevant to what the living world is concerned with. She admits that, realistically, there are some people who cannot be redeemed in life, but those who ponder this question about themselves may yet have a chance at it, if only to themselves.

Finally, Koa seeks out Pop and (after explaining the ways of his human world) asks him what he thinks about humans catching legendaries. And if he would get smited for doing that.

Pop is entertained by this, chuckling at the notion. From how Koa described it, he finds it a curious tradition that the Legends seem to humor, and says that so long as the Legends are not shirking any responsibilities and are joining the humans by their own free will, he does not see it as any concerning tradition.

Brisa checks in with Owen for advice on her final Colosseum big-name matches. She's familiar by now with examples of the fighting styles in use by Diyem, Ho-oh, and Team Gyros, but more insight is always appreciated. Would an aggressive, no-guard offence prove more viable against the reigning Omen Duo? Does Ho-oh fight more like he did in the desert while Shadowed, or more like he's trained Brulée? Is Diyem really unstoppable once he completes his ritual? Brisa means to win.

Owen isn't sure; Team Gyro is probably the most skilled and well-rounded team in all of Cibus. Going all-out could overwhelm them right at the start, but they may have mitigating tricks so their strategies can't be totally bypassed. Still, outpacing them could help. If they're well-rounded, then playing to strengths instead of going for experimental strategies may be the way to go.

Owen doesn't have a lot of information on Ho-Oh aside from training he'd seen her and Brulee go through. And from that, he seemed concerned on whether or not it was even possible to defeat her under the Colosseum's regulations. She appears to fully heal without any effort whatsoever. Along with that, taking her down once may not be enough... However, her defenses and guard are lacking. Perhaps that is her weakness?

Regarding Diyem, Owen had a dark expression when he spoke of him. Recently, he had been sparring with Maple, regularly in fact. And while it was nice to see them getting along, Owen remarked that it was weird to see Diyem smiling. In general, he was behaving differently lately, and there was an aura of power about him that he hadn't seen before. Diyem was strong, sure, but it seemed like Diyem has become stronger than ever after taking the Eternal Blacklight within him. Using one hand and two fingers from another, Owen realized that Diyem already had Radiance from Maple, already had Life and Shadow innately, and had been strongly exposed to Eien for Eterna energy. And then, he was blessed by Pop and absorbed the Eternal Blacklight into his Voidlands... Which means, Owen suspects that he has all five Powers within him.

As an enemy, Owen suspects that he can tap into any trick he wants, but may not be used to this power yet. From what he knows about his capabilities, he is not invincible. Once the ritual is complete--and Owen is positive Diyem has a means to guarantee this, even when alone--he seems invincible. He can nullify hits, endure the rest... but it disappears once he is at his limit. Yet, his strikes can also heal him, and therefore restore that endurance without fail.

Therefore, the way to beat him would be to find a way to prevent him from restoring that endurance when on his last legs. Still, they have never seen him at his new limits...

 

[Negrek]

Nate goes to visit Diyem. Did other-Diyem tell him about this thing with shadows being able to, like, take on a life of their own? Is that a thing that can just happen? Asking for a friend.

 

[Namohysip]

Diyem seemed unamused, looking Nate over before outright saying that he doesn't know what will happen to someone who has not reconciled with their Shadow, after it had become so independent, before leaving. He remarked that, typically, powerful ones eventually rebel and consume the host, and what's left is a Void Shadow. The only thing keeping Nate sane is likely that the Shadow already recognizes Nate as a Void Shadow due to being of Diyem's essence.

"To be safe, you should find a way to reconcile with it before you go. Otherwise, I may have to keep it anchored until it fades... But that may lock your spirit to my Voidlands until you do. Still, on the bright side, at least you'll have company. Would you like to see who your new brethren may be?" Diyem almost smirked as Toast growled and sized Nate up. Inan, meanwhile, stared at Nate with wide, curious eyes, and asked if he was food. Diyem didn't answer.

 

[Negrek]

Nate isn't sure why Diyem seems to be treating the chance to hang out in his voidlands with Toast and Inan as a threat, but does reluctantly accept that he doesn't have time for that. He thanks Diyem and heads back to his house, ignoring Rocky's pointed looks all the while.

It seems as though he really needs to prioritize getting rid of that shadow mudkip somehow...

 

[Fusion]

One day, Drake offers to go out for ice cream with Luz, being curious enough about the treat itself to want to try it, and just looking for an excuse to hang out with Luz again and chat.

Wanting to find a way to properly say goodbye, Vix asks Brisa out for a sparring match. It being their first and last time fighting each other that wasn't an absolute wash, it'd be a good way to see each other off, Vix thought.