Poppin' Arms Guild ~ Infirmary

[Namohysip]

Silver mimed it, brushing up against the cloth. Tugging it off, he grimaced and tossed it away. "I don't think I appreciate get-well-soon bows," he said to Zinc, who, too startled, didn't say anything about who was actually the one to put it on. "Let's go and check the sky. Is the moon out?"

<><><>
​

It was early evening, it seemed. Time really flew by, and it seemed like the moon was just barely out through the light. It was in its usual spot in the sky, maybe drifting a little as the celestial bodies do, and there didn't seem to be anything too odd about it...

Silver ignored the odd looks he was given and focused more on the sky, spreading his wings by some instinct. Perhaps he didn't even realize it.

Eyes closed, Silver entered a meditative state. The wind swirled around him, spectral energy twisting and churning...

"Gh--!"

Silver flinched and staggered back, as if he'd been struck. He brought one wing to his chest and pulled it away. "What... was that?" he asked.

The illusion of a black-white scorch mark appeared on his chest, which soon faded.

If Nate looked up, really squinted and focused, he might see a black, shining dot near the moon's bottom left corner. It hadn't been there before...

 

[Negrek]

Well, at least Silver hadn't questioned the ribbon too much. If Nate was lucky, he'd forget all about it.

Nate followed Silver outside, keeping up as best he could. The guy was more focused on the moon than him, of course. Nate watched, incredulous, as Silver went through some kind of meditation, glowing the same as the moon overhead. Picking up on his powers damn fast, wasn't he?

On the other hand, the burn or whatever it was that he... psychically picked up from the moon?... didn't look like a great time. "Fucked if I know. Don't look good, though." Nate squinted up at the moon. Did it look any different? Maybe. It wasn't like he spent a lot of time gazing up there, contemplating life or whatever the fuck. "If something's up, I don't think I see it. Reckon we should ask Cresselia? Like you said, I figure she knows her moon shit, and I think she's here in town."

 

[Namohysip]

"Right, Cresselia. She might know." Silver touched the part of his chest that had been burned. There was no wound, but he felt it. "...Nothing hit the moon, right?" he asked, drifting down the road before realizing he had no idea where Cresselia would be. "How do we find Cresselia?"

 

[Negrek]

"I mean, nothing I noticed. But for all we know, it might have been something that happened before any of us got here. Like, Maple and them said they got jumped by something when they first showed up around here, like in space and all. Maybe when they were fighting it, the moon took some collateral. Or maybe..." Oh, God, no. Really? "Maybe it was Chip's stupid fucking laser. Hell if I know. Anyhow, hang on. Pretty sure Cresselia's on a rescue team, so she oughta have a badge."

Nate pulled his own badge off his scarf and fiddled with it for a few seconds. He'd never tried calling someone who wasn't on the team with one of these, but hopefully it wouldn't be that weird. "Hey, uh, Cresselia?" he said into his badge. "Got a minute? I've got a moon question here. Pretty important."

 

[Namohysip]

"Moon question...?" Cresselia asked, sounding like she had just woken up.

"What's wrong?" Someone called from further away. Sounded like Darkrai.

"Nothing," Cresselia replied in a whisper, and then it sounded like someone was shuffling around. Then, Cresselia spoke to Nate again, "What about the moon? I've been feeling a little strange lately, but I didn't think..." The howling wind on her side suggested she'd come out of her shelter to look skyward.

 

[Negrek]

"Uh, well, got a guy here who just evolved into, uh, a lunala, if that means anything to you. Also has that moon kinda connection, and he says he feels like something's really off. He did some kind of meditation and a burn or something showed up on his chest? Anyway, he wanted to know if anything's hit the moon recently. I don't know anything about that, but I thought, you know, you might have a better idea."

 

[Namohysip]

"The moon..." Cresselia trailed off. "I did feel like something was off not too long ago. Back when Joule was defeated. But that was really it, and I don't see anything strange about it right now. I thought that perhaps Joule had hit the moon? But... well, it's still intact. If it wasn't, that would have been... bad."

 

[Negrek]

"Yeah, no shit. I'm glad it's in one piece," Nate said. Joule might have hit it? He did kind of fire off a big blast at the end, there. Normally he'd say it was ridiculous to think that anything like that would end up hitting the fucking moon, but this was the fucking pokéworld, wasn't it? "That's good to know, though, thanks. Hopefully it won't turn out to be nothing."

Nate turned back to Silver, returning his badge to his scarf. "Well, she says she's been feeling kind of funky herself, but she don't see no big problems. It's possible that the big dragon guy we fought recently hit it with one of his attacks, though. Why don't we head over to see Chip? I'm sure he's got a telescope we could use to take a closer look. Your team's still there, too. They'll be happy to see you again."

 

[Namohysip]

"My team?" Silver asked, like he didn't realize what Nate was talking about. Then, as if delayed, he said, "Oh, right, my team." It was almost dismissive. "...Sure, let's see them. I don't really have anything better to do, and I'm not going to try to get in-tune with the moon again."

 

[Negrek]

Nate's expression hardened. "Yeah. Sounds like a plan." He led the way to the lab; if Chip was in, he'd ask the porygon if he could set up a telescope pointed at the moon for them.

<><><>​

 

[Namohysip]

"Alright, open wiiiide?" Zinc instructed.

"Aaaaaaah?" Owen inquired while Zinc stuck a mirror just under Owen's upper teeth, then along the inside of his cheek.

"All right, good. Now, follow this with just your eyes, don't move your head..."

Not all of Team Spectrum had volunteered to be examined, but Owen the people pleaser couldn't really say no. He'd spent practically an hour in the infirmary now, going through almost every basic exam available, perhaps in part for research purposes, and perhaps in other parts to see if they were truly battle-ready.

"All right, it looks like your body temperature is healthy for a Charizard. Everything else seems to be good and in order... All of your vitals seem just right from what your species should be at." Zinc pointed a device at Owen's tail flame. "...Mhm, it's only warm. Now, can you flare it up? ...Okay, good. Is that the most you can do it at?"

"No, I can go further. I just don't want to burn it."

"Try a little more. ...Oh, wow."

"I'm pretty hot, huh?"

Zinc blinked.

"He doesn't mean it that way," Diyem groaned from under the sheets, bedridden once more. "He's an idiot."

"Am not! Charizard are hot! I can't help it!"

"Sometimes I think you do it on purpose."

"Well," S'more said, standing on the side with a nod. "If Owen seems healthy, I'm quite confident that a thorough exam won't be needed for all the other revivees, hm?" The Marshadow grinned. "Let's not have them stay in a closed up room on their first day back."

 

[unrepentantAuthor]

Luz didn't quite so much saunter into Diyem's infirmary room as slink in. Her unexpected bout of nerves regarding the 'ressurection' of her missing teammates would hopefully be assuaged by checking on Owen's examination. At least, that was her intent.

"Uh, howdy," she said, paws swinging awkwardly. "Only good news, I hope? Oh, and congratulations t'the both of ya on yer evolution."

Zinc, she'd met. The marshadow, though...

"Oh, an' well met to ya, Marshadow S'more. Don't believe I've yet had the pleasure."

She offered a paw to shake, and a grin a little less fanged and bright than usual.

 

[Namohysip]

"Ah, a fine time to meet as any," S'more replied back, reaching up to shake Luz's paw.

"Oh, thanks," Owen said, grinning brightly. Somehow it suited him better than all his other forms.

"Mmph," replied Diyem, who curled up further beneath the covers. His tail, with its usual black flame, poked out from the covers.

"How's Brisa doing?" Owen asked, though he turned his attention to the entrance. At first, there was nobody, but several seconds later, perhaps as Luz was replying, Cal had walked in, holding armfuls of food in what seemed to be reusable bags.

 

[unrepentantAuthor]

Luz shook S'more's hand firmly. "Zeraora-shade Luz, atcher service."

She smiled at Owen, but the feeling behind it wasn't one she could identify.

{sky an' stars please send back please please just be there}

{Luz? That you?}

{BRISA}

{Woah, partner! Yeah. It's me. You okay?}

{Yeah! No, I dunno. Maybe. I think I'm gonna be. Are YOU okay?}

{Couldn't be better. I'll see you at Destiny Village soon, Luz. Got some things t'take care of first.}

{Sure! Okay. Just let me know when you're back.}

{Yeah. I will.}

"I reckon she's okay. She sounds okay when she sends. Thought I'd make myself useful while she finishes up whatever it is she's tendin' to. Howdy, Cal."

She gave the little charmeleon-shade a gentle nudge and a proper grin, and plucked one of the bags for herself. It seemed there were more than enough for everyone—Cibus' exceptional hospitality again.

"Glad t'hear the ressurected are in good shape. Kudos to you, Diyem— ah, sorry. I mean, get stuffed, you absolute jackass. Is that, uh, how it works?"

 

[Namohysip]

"It doesn't work if you don't mean it," Diyem grumbled again. He'd said it so many times by now. All this love and affection and care was making him sick. Or maybe that was another loose soul ready to eject out of his gut.

Cal approached Owen with odd caution, looking him up and down, trying to piece something together. Then, with a hesitant step, she handed him a simple berry.

The Charizard smiled warmly and took it, then gestured beside him. Cal climbed up and sat next to Owen and, after considering her options, leaned against him. Her core seemed to be shaking a little.

"Good," Owen said to Luz. "We've all been through a lot in the Voidlands, but it wasn't so bad after I made my peace with Wishkeeper there. And, uh, some other things." Owen gestured to himself. "How much do you know from Brisa about... you know."

 

[unrepentantAuthor]

Luz shrugged and waved a paw at Diyem. "I can think up plenty of dreadful things I could call ya honestly, but I don't really care that you're rude or anythin'. Only thing that might work is tellin' ya I find you dead borin'! Guess I'll just have to ignore ya."

She glanced at Owen, and looked over his far-larger body.

"She mentioned you evolved. She mentioned folks had a hard time surrounded by shadows. More junk from yer past?"

 

[Namohysip]

Junk from his past. That was a good way to put it. He was like a hoarder at this point. Owen wondered how Rhys was doing.

"Yeah." Owen ran a claw along the back of his head, feeling his horns. "But unlike everyone else, I don't think my Shadow was the biggest issue. Turns out, fully evolving here still woke up an old instinct I have back home. If you thought Brisa had a killer instinct, let me tell you..."

"Oh, no," Cal said. "Did that really happen? You didn't--you know..."

"I didn't kill anyone," Owen assured her. "I'm in control now, too. I just wasn't expecting it the first time. But I can handle it now."

"Um, killer instinct?" Zinc asked, tilting her head. The Goodra, apprehensive, said, "You mean, like... I don't know what that means."

"Don't worry about it," Owen said.

"That makes me worry more."

"It means he is currently aware of five different ways to kill you where you stand, but doesn't act on them," Diyem summarized.

Owen tittered. "I-it's not as bad as it sounds." It was.

"Well!" S'more nodded. "Impressive, I suppose. But so long as you're now 'used to' that, there isn't cause for concern. As far as I'm aware you're one of the gentler of Team Spectrum." S'more nodded. "...In heart. Not necessarily battle. Hm. That makes sense now."

 

[unrepentantAuthor]

Luz nodded. "Yeah, I gotta say, that all tracks! Don't worry, it won't bother me none."

Luz hadn't heard all that much about S'more, save for that he was well-respected, a serious, straightlaced fellow by all accounts.

"Say, partner. Yer the chief of the guild, right? How'd that come about, anyhow?"

 

[Namohysip]

"How?" S'more asked. "Goodness, that's quite the question. How did I become the right-hand 'mon of Arceus?" He tapped his chin. "...Well. That was quite a long, long time ago, you see. But simply put, we developed a partnership after building and watching the world together. I was among the first Legends created by Arceus by the Ascension system... And I'd like to think it was for good reason."

The little shadow creature put his hands on his hips. "Being the first omen hero from before Dark Matter's first uprising so many eras ago, I have quite the reputation to uphold. Though, I am a bit late to rise... I completely missed Dark Matter's final assault and the omens that led up to it. Came earlier than we'd predicted."

"...The first omen hero?" Cal repeated. "Does that make you one of the oldest Legends?"

"Indeed! Though, I certainly don't let it get to my head."

"Then how come your head's practically half your body?" Cal said in a murmur to Owen, who playfully bumped his tail on her back.

 

[unrepentantAuthor]

Luz scratched her chin in thought.

"So, you must have quite the storied history, huh. You said y'helped build the world, but also that yer an Ascended fella? That a responsibility you took on after defeatin' whatever yer omen was?"

She peered at the small pokémon, probably one of the most accomplished fighters in the world. How many foes defeated? How many lives saved?

"Is there anyone besides Pop who's survived the aeons with ya?" she asked, feeling a tug at her chest.