Poppin' Arms ~ Dorm Lounge

[Ambyssin]

"Yes, well. None of that happens until all of this is over and done with." He vaguely gestured around the guild. "The pokémon here are far stronger than the average Etherium citizen. To absurd degrees, in some respects."

Bahamut tapped a claw on the ground. "Though you seem to be quite accustomed to such bizarre battling. Yours must be a strange world, then."

 

[Namohysip]

"E-eheh... yeah." Owen rubbed the back of his head, thoughtful. "I used to think citizens of my world were pretty weak on average, but from what you're saying, maybe not. I once went on a rescue to help out a Kangaskhan that got lost in a forest, some kind of... psychotic breakdown. She was okay in the end, though, after she got some sleep. She did... grab me and hold me overnight, though." Owen cleared his throat. "But she had punched a few trees down during a rampage.. Needed to get a few Grass Pokemon to restore them. I'm guessing that sort of thing isn't as common in your world...?"

 

[Ambyssin]

"Punch a tree down? Ridiculous." Bahamut batted the floor with a forepaw. "It's gotten so bad that only the nobles can even learn moves of their own volition. The rest are forced to purchase some sort of equipment. A Flamethrower from such a machine is, at best, as good as an Incinerate.

"They can't even evolve on their own. The nobles invented devices to force evolution... and use the costs to keep those without privilege in their menial lives."

 

[Namohysip]

"Can't even evolve?" Owen sputtered. Now it was personal. "How can you be so weak that you can't even evolve?! Even the most basic civilian has free access to training dojos--all Pokemon have a small need to battle to evolve. I mean, not all--I'll respect anybody who prefers not evolving, but--I mean..." The idea seemed entirely foreign to him. "How could a world get to that point?"

 

[Ambyssin]

"If you ask me... greed," Bahamut responded. "When I was whole... I tried to preach cooperation. Pokémon working with each other to avoid being overwhelmed by the forces of nature. But as time wore on after Eternatus... such an ideal was lost. Scattered to the wind. It seemed that, slowly but surely, self-preservation became the endgame. And some were just better at it than others."

Bahamut lay down on the beanbag once again. "I guess you could say the nobility cultivated a sense of 'learned helplessness' amongst the masses. Making them docile and subservient so they wouldn't dare question authority."

 

[Namohysip]

"That's too bad..." Owen frowned, his tail dimming. "It's the totally opposite philosophy where we're from. Yeah, I'm part of the Thousand Hearts, but part of the way Kilo works is letting Pokemon be able to help themselves, too. We only step in when that fails--Hearts are the strongest of the strong, morally, mentally, and physically. But, it's not like we're the only ones who..." He trailed off. "Um, sorry. This is probably not that useful to you. It's just crazy to hear that your world ended up so... sad. Are--are the people there at least happy? A little?"

 

[Ambyssin]

“I wouldn’t know. I live amongst the distortion. All I know is what I’m told by others.”

 

[Namohysip]

"Right." Owen nodded. "It's too bad you can't find a way out, or something."

 

[Ambyssin]

“I can. But I won’t.” Bahamut frowned. “I’m a freak. The people in charge would try to capture me on sight.”

 

[Namohysip]

Owen scratched his head, thoughtful. "You can't die, though. And they aren't all that strong on average. I don't think there's too much risk in trying to talk, right...?"

 

[Ambyssin]

There was silence at first. Then a hushed, "I will not allowed myself to be controlled again."

 

[Namohysip]

Owen's expression darkened a little. "Right..." He could relate to that. There wasn't much of a counter to that kind of fear. If they still had some kind of upper hand against Bahamut, despite their weakness... "Maybe trying to find a safe way to do it... is what I'd've tried. A messenger or something."

 

[Ambyssin]

"Also off the table." Bahamut's frown deepened. "Some whackadoodle nutcase calling themselves the 'Dark Omen' is going around preaching that the apocalypse is upon the world and the only salvation is to accept Eternatus. And I've heard rumors there is a pokemon working for those running the country producing influential propaganda. Messages just get drowned out. Actions speak louder than words."

 

[Namohysip]

"Well..." Owen sighed. "Definitely doesn't help that you're technically doing that. No wonder it's off the table."

 

[Ambyssin]

Bahamut shrugged. "And now you know why I'm not particularly looking forward to what awaits me. If Etherium can't be saved, I have to return to wandering the cosmos in search of a planet that will accept me and hoping Eternatus won't destroy it."

 

[Namohysip]

"But if you're trying to find a way to fix it," Owen said, "and then you leave it behind... Do you think it would be fixed without you?"

 

[Ambyssin]

"No. However, I don't see my chances as being very strong regardless," Bahamut said. He lay his head on the ground. "Even if things work out, I can hardly call Etherium my home anymore. It's virtually unrecognizable from when I actually lived among others."

 

[Namohysip]

"That might be true," Owen said, "but if you can save that world... then maybe you'll be able to get your rest. And if not... You can have a new beginning without Eternatus getting in the way." Owen rubbed his claws together, running them along his rusts and the back of his hands. "If there are some things that you can't change, maybe you can focus on the parts you can."

 

[Ambyssin]

"Ever the optimist, aren't you?" Bahamut clicked his tongue. "Exactly what happened to you back in your world to make you so perpetually optimistic?"

 

[Namohysip]

Owen looked like he was going to answer, but when he started, there was a vacant look in his eyes, like this automatic answer he had was never there in the first place. He closed his mouth again, looking contemplative.

"For lifetimes, I had forgotten everyone that I once knew, and was lied to for a long time about it by people that I trusted with everything I had. I lost everyone, over and over, and now I remember every single time that I met them and didn't even realize who they were. Some of them are long dead, and others I don't think will recognize me if I saw them again." He glanced at Cal, finally uncurling. "...Almost everyone I know today has used me for their own agenda and their own gains. My mentors, my parents, even..." Owen gestured to the mark on his back. "Everyone I once held as someone I could follow has only led me down the wrong path."

"But... I'm still here. I'm still standing. And I can still fight. I have friends and people to protect and save. And the people that once hurt me, I need to save, too. Despite everything, I know that there is some good in them worth saving. I'm not..." Owen sighed. "I don't consider myself some eternal optimist. I just... don't see the point in calling it all hopeless. All that does is let them win even more. Even when things are at their worst... I can still smile. And maybe I can find an answer, too."