Poppin' Arms Guild ~ Main Lobby

[Flyg0n]

Anger and confusion filled Koa. He stared at the Zoroark in the room and scowled. "What's the point of asking you anything if you claim to not even be caught up?" He snorted disdainfully.

By Ho-Oh's feathers he was so sick of this substitue illusion filled muk-heap. This was getting ridiculous. "How do we know you're not the real Soda, tricking us again? How can we trust any answers you give us, unless someone here has a way to prove if you're telling the truth?"

 

[Disco]

"I suppose that means you aren't aware of what happened during, or after the events at Destiny Tower then?", A soft voice asked. "But you do know about Giovanni's Mew-Two, right...? Tell us about him."

 

[Dragonfree]

“Were you here the whole time?” Dave kept his eyes trained on the Soda Substitute, wary. “Did you hear about Maple and Joule’s take on what happened with your partner?”

 

[Namohysip]

"So the 'real' you's actually chilling up on the moon. That it?"

A shrug. "Hopefully."

"We used yer lure. Turns out y'were right about Maple bein' corrupted. You got any intention of lendin' a paw with rescuin' and uncorruptin' her and Eien, or are they where you'd like to leave 'em?"

"Yeah, y'know, I was kinda hoping you guys would figure that one out. De-corrupting someone isn't my thing. Figure pointing you in the right direction, you guys woulda figured that one out."

"Well, we have a plan."

"Then guess my call was right." He smiled wryly.

"What's the point of asking you anything if you claim to not even be caught up?"

"How do we know you're not the real Soda, tricking us again? How can we trust any answers you give us, unless someone here has a way to prove if you're telling the truth?"

And the smile was gone. "I'm a Zoroark. You'll never know. That's life." He flicked his mane and pulled the bauble forward. This one was green. "Even though it was used to throw you guys off my trail, how I felt was real. As a Zoroark, I'm always going to be a little suspicious to people. I just learned to live with it."

"I suppose that means you aren't aware of what happened during, or after the events at Destiny Tower then?", A soft voice asked. "But you do know about Giovanni's Mew-Two, right...? Tell us about him."

"What about Mewtwo?" Soda said. "Dude's weird. Never heard a damn word from the guy. Just stares. I don't think he even blinks."

“Were you here the whole time?” Dave kept his eyes trained on the Soda Substitute, wary. “Did you hear about Maple and Joule’s take on what happened with your partner?”

Soda gestured to Flesh. "Had stuff I had to wrap up. Missed most of whatever you guys were talking about, but I'm gonna be pretty damn skeptical about how they claim things went."

"But--" Joule started.

"I don't want to hear it," Soda finished.

 

[Flyg0n]

As a Zoroark, I'm always going to be a little suspicious to people. I just learned to live with it."

Koa snorted and rolled his eyes. "How sad. I'm sure Arceus weeps for you," he sneered. "Maybe if every other word out of your mouth wasn't a lie or a trick or some kind of deception, people would trust you. Get over yourself," he snarled.

He advanced forward a pace. "How about you start by telling us your version of what happened on your home world, then whatever the other you is planning. Then we can decide if we believe you."

 

[Dragonfree]

Dave gritted his teeth, his gaze staying on Soda. "Okay, well, maybe you're more willing to listen to me. You told me about how you fought with your partner over Arceus not ascending her too. What exactly were you fighting about?"

 

[Namohysip]

"What, it isn't obvious?" Soda said, but it seemed that he was more receptive toward Dave's questioning. He outright ignored Koa. "We were fighting because I was... because it felt like I was leaving her behind, and she didn't like that. I told her that I would find a way to have her ascend, too, and she was scared and impatient that I'd run out of time."

"Soda, that's not... how it happened," Joule said gently. "She wanted you to stay with her, not..."

"Who knows her more, huh?" Soda spat. "You, who just showed up and maybe asked a few halfass questions, or me, who spent all my Pokemon life with her?! Arceus made her lie to you! You showed up when I died! Seems pretty obvious to me what happened!"

 

[Dragonfree]

Dave nodded slowly, heart hammering as Soda lashed out at Joule. "Did she or did she not want to ascend?"

 

[Disco]

The soft voice spoke up again, this time towards Pop.

"Is it possible? That Arceus are capable of manipulating minds without leaving any trace of tampering?"

 

[Flyg0n]

Koa grit his teeth. Calm down. He had to calm down. Even if he didn't care about the Zoroark, this wasn't a productive way to get information. Perhaps silence was the best option for now. Soda seemed to care about Dave. Maybe he could get more useful information.

He listened for a moment, considering his words carefully as the others spoke up.

"You mentioned that Maple never went to Spirit's Edge to find Telum.... how come you haven't gone to talk to your mate?" this time, he spoke in a lower tone, keeping his anger at bay. However much he disliked Soda, if there really was some brainwashing Arceus out there he didn't care for that either.

 

[unrepentantAuthor]

Luz looked at Soda with earnest concern brimming from her every movement.

"Soda, is it so unthinkable that everyone ain't hankerin' t'be immortal? That zeraora y'thrashed over the meteorite...? She had a partner who chose not to ascend, wanted to live out lives t'gether without those lives bein' without end. Heck, I don't wanna exist fer millennia. Did yer partner ever actually petition a legendary t'take 'em on as an aspirant?"

 

[Ambyssin]

"Quarreling over such ideals is pointless. The mortal coil is defied by Eternatus." The shade's beak controted into a grin. "All those who accept His love are blessed with eternity. Though the fact that the quarrel ended up happening anyway is still beautiful. A clash of different hopes that yielded something tragic, yet breathtaking."

 

[windskull]

Nip hesitated before speaking up. "Is it possible that both Soda's story and Joule's are... A bit exaggerated?" Frost coated his claws as he let out a low, frustrated growl. "What I mean, is. Is it so hard to believe that there's truth to both their stories? And perhaps from there, everyone involved is seeing what they want to see?"

 

[Namohysip]

"Did she or did she not want to ascend?"

"Of course she did! That's what... we fought over."

"Is it possible? That Arceus are capable of manipulating minds without leaving any trace of tampering?"

Pop hummed, looking uncertain. "I did not want to create a world like that," he said. "This is not something that I have personally tried. I am..." He shook his head. "I can't imagine a way one could do that without being detected somehow. Especially against someone as keen or strong as Joule and Maple."

"You mentioned that Maple never went to Spirit's Edge to find Telum.... how come you haven't gone to talk to your mate?"

"Because I can't," Soda hissed. "Arceus made it so she would not be able to see me. I was Locked Out of my world. I can't go back, at all. I simply do not exist there... Don't you get it?"

"Soda, is it so unthinkable that everyone ain't hankerin' t'be immortal? That zeraora y'thrashed over the meteorite...? She had a partner who chose not to ascend, wanted to live out lives t'gether without those lives bein' without end. Heck, I don't wanna exist fer millennia. Did yer partner ever actually petition a legendary t'take 'em on as an aspirant?"

"Of course she wanted to," Soda said. "That's what... What are you getting at? I know what happened, and... of course we talked."

Wishkeeper's embers flickered and Owen glanced at him. They communicated silently.

"We talked." Soda nodded. "We talked all the time about where we'd be going, what would happen next, ascending, all that..."

"Do you remember any specific conversations?" Owen probed after looking away from Wishkeeper.

"You--shut up with that! What do you mean?!"

Owen glanced at Wishkeeper.

"Hey, don't try any of that Perceive bullshit, you know it doesn't work!"

"We don't need Perceive to see that you aren't sure," Owen said decisively.

Is it so hard to believe that there's truth to both their stories? And perhaps from there, everyone involved is seeing what they want to see?

"No, I'm sure, I know I'm sure," Soda said, then snapped his eyes toward Nip. "Don't give me that bullshit. I know, for a fact, without a doubt, that... we both wanted to... ascend together. I don't remember any of the specific conversations, but I know it, alright?"

He avoided Owen and Wishkeeper's eyes.

"That's just how it is," Soda said again. "This--this is bullshit. I'm leaving. If you guys don't want my help, then fine, I--"

Flesh made a loud rumbling sound that seemed conversational. Delicate.

"Oh, not you, too!" Soda spat, pointing at him. Flesh flinched and looked down, and that made Soda soften his gaze. "Look, it's... everyone's just been deceived, okay? J-just believe me here. I know I'm right."

 

[Dragonfree]

Dave narrowed his eyes at Soda. "You said you're a Substitute. Were you there? Or are you going off what the real one told you happened? Is that why you said you didn't remember how your argument with her went the morning after she attacked you? Was it you who told me that?"

 

[Ambyssin]

"Such dedication! Such conviction! I love that you truly believe you're in the right." The shade's eyes sparkled with alternating ripples of yellow and white. "You seek to throw black and white upon a gray canvas. Eternatus loves such unwavering beliefs and the furor that they drive.

"But there are other forces at play, with their own convictions burning bright. Whose star can burn brightest, hmm? Don't you want to find out? I know I do."

 

[Namohysip]

"You said you're a Substitute. Were you there? Or are you going off what the real one told you happened? Is that why you said you didn't remember how your argument with her went the morning after she attacked you? Was it you who told me that?"

Soda sighed. "Fully autonomous Substitutes like me share memories, usually. When I get destroyed, I'll snap back to the main Soda. So, no, something from that long ago I'd obviously know for sure!"

"Usually," Owen said.

"Yes, usually," Soda growled back. "...Right now, I don't know what the main me is doing, same for the other two. I know where we were stationed and I know what the plan was, but not how it turned out. We cut communications right off and it's gonna stay that way until I get destroyed."

"...Why?"

"Because no way are you gonna try to press me for info, for one," Soda added. "And... I dunno, it seemed like the obvious thing to do."

"Something still doesn't seem right," Owen added. "It seems to me like you don't actually know what you were arguing about. But you have all of Soda's memories from way back, right?"

"Duh, I'm technically still Soda."

"Something that important to you wouldn't be forgotten," Owen said. "Specifics like that... You'd sooner remember twisted specifics than no specifics at all, wouldn't you?"

Soda didn't say anything, but it looked like he was seething.

"Soda... are you sure you remember?"

"Don't fuck with me," Soda hissed lowly. "Do not try to tell me... that my own memories about my own mate are mistaken, you self-righteous, naive little shit. You have no idea what it means to lose someone like that. I didn't forget. I know I'm right. Got it?"

Something about what Soda said made Owen's flame crackle, and his eyes glossed over into something more cool and distant. He seemed to be gathering his thoughts, jaw clenched to avoid saying something he'd regret.

 

[Dragonfree]

Under any other circumstances, his denial would be comical. As it was, there was a growing pit in Dave's stomach.

He exhaled slowly. "Hey. Soda. Nobody thinks you just fucking forgot, all right? Something's fishy here. Other people have been having their memories erased in all this; maybe somebody got you too. Did you really get checked out by Breaker? Because if not you really fucking should."

 

[Negrek]

God, more of this shit. Nate sat and fumed, wanting to point out that all this drama was literally what Soda said he wanted, as Diyem had pointed out like two fucking seconds ago, and it was a fucking waste of time, it wasn't like they could trust one word out of this shithead any more than they could out of any other iteration of him. But all trying to get back on track would do is get every goddamn person mad at him instead, and there'd be more fucking arguing and it wouldn't do a lick of good.

All this about fucked memories, though--it wasn't just more tedious backstory. Was it possible they'd get something interesting out of this shithead after all? And just as he was about to open his mouth and ask Owen if he was implying what Nate fucking thought he was implying, the goddamn mightyena went and said it instead. Nate shut his mouth and slouched back down, absolutely seething. Rocky giggled.

 

[Namohysip]

"Hey. Soda. Nobody thinks you just fucking forgot, all right? Something's fishy here. Other people have been having their memories erased in all this; maybe somebody got you too. Did you really get checked out by Breaker? Because if not you really fucking should."

"Of course I got checked by her. And of course she didn't find anything."

"Because you hid it from even her," Cal said. "You're a master at that sort of thing, aren't you?"

"...What are you getting at?" Soda said. "I'm the spy here, you hear me? I was the one who did all the manipulation crap, not... not..."

"You aren't the only one who's had his memories tampered with, Soda," Owen said. "You're already coming clean, right? Why not just have Breaker take a look?"

"What the fuck do you know?" Soda taunted. "I know--"

"I know you messed with mine," Owen said coolly.

And that made Soda flinch into complete silence.

"Let's call Breaker," Owen said to Diyem, who then looked at Pop. It seemed he was already contacting someone with the badge.