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Poppin' Arms Guild ~ Main Lobby

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Ambyssin

Gotta go back. Back to the past.
Location
Residency hell
Pronouns
he/him
Partners
  1. silvally-dragon
  2. necrozma-ultra
  3. milotic
  4. zoroark-soda
  5. dreepy
  6. mewtwo-ambyssin
"Yes, it's such a curiosity!" Bahamut's shade was present, but the necrozma was not. His gooey fish tail wriggled with eager anticipation. "What new miracle has born fruit from the magical tree that is this planet?"
 

Namohysip

Dragon Enthusiast
Staff
Partners
  1. flygon
  2. charizard
  3. milotic
  4. zoroark-soda
  5. sceptile
  6. marowak
  7. jirachi
  8. meganium
The bickering continued until, finally, Buffet returned with a pleased smile. "Everyone," he said, "I would like to present to you... Xerneas and S'more!"

The first to emerge was a Machop, small and youthful, but doing his absolute best to appear dignified. He looked like he didn't know what to do with his tail, which flicked every so often and bumped into nearby walls when he turned without realizing it was there.

And the second to emerge was a Deerling, pink to match the incoming springtime, who looked significantly less than happy. "This is nothing like it should be," Xerneas-Deerling said.

"It's only temporary," Machop S'more said gently. "...I assume."

"...Well," Diyem hummed. "It won't be hard to tell them from their counterparts."

"You..." Xerneasling glared.
 

Ambyssin

Gotta go back. Back to the past.
Location
Residency hell
Pronouns
he/him
Partners
  1. silvally-dragon
  2. necrozma-ultra
  3. milotic
  4. zoroark-soda
  5. dreepy
  6. mewtwo-ambyssin
The shade chuckled, but it descended into a coughing fit. "Yes, just as I thought. Death is not truly the end on Cibus. Only the beginning... of a new journey. A journey from which new, sparkling hope can blossom."

It glanced at the deerling. "Perhaps literally, in that one's case. Pretty sure you can sprout some flowers from your head if you concentrate hard enough."
 

Cresselia92

Gym Leader
Pronouns
She/Her/Hers
Partners
  1. ho-oh
  2. sneasel-nyula
  3. rayquaza-cress
  4. celebi-shiny
“Ah. That’s definitely something you don’t see every day, yes…”

Sitting on the back of the group was Petram, who was… scratching his ear with a hind leg. As Daddy was busy trying to fully embrace his inner darkness, the shade took up the investigative role.

Not that he minded that, of course. He found it fun and interesting.

“So, what’s the deal here? Some kind of inverse Ascension?” he wondered, before lowering his paw and shaking his head. “Are you planning to do the whole imbue-with-godly-power thing at some point, right?”
 

Namohysip

Dragon Enthusiast
Staff
Partners
  1. flygon
  2. charizard
  3. milotic
  4. zoroark-soda
  5. sceptile
  6. marowak
  7. jirachi
  8. meganium
"Sprout some--are you mocking me?!" Xerling snarled. "The moment I get my proper body back... you're going to regret such a statement."

"N-now, Xerneas, I'm sure he just wanted to look at the bright side of your circumstances!" Buffet assured. "Now, anyway, that's really all I wanted to do. Introduce you two. I'm sure we can arrange for ways to get settled while Pop builds up power for your ascension..."

Deerneas sighed, tapping a hoof on the ground. "And my real body has been mutated beyond recognition, hasn't it?"
 

Ambyssin

Gotta go back. Back to the past.
Location
Residency hell
Pronouns
he/him
Partners
  1. silvally-dragon
  2. necrozma-ultra
  3. milotic
  4. zoroark-soda
  5. dreepy
  6. mewtwo-ambyssin
"A mutation? Hardly. It has simply been made more splendid! Beautiful! Lovely!" the shade declared. "A pity that beauty was clearly too much for your soul to handle. But now you can find an even greater beauty. A greater love to dedicate yourself to going forward."
 

Ambyssin

Gotta go back. Back to the past.
Location
Residency hell
Pronouns
he/him
Partners
  1. silvally-dragon
  2. necrozma-ultra
  3. milotic
  4. zoroark-soda
  5. dreepy
  6. mewtwo-ambyssin
"Ah, but it's such delightful news." The shade's eyes sparked with purple energy. "With time, there will be countless ways for us to spread true love to every corner of the omniverse."
 

Namohysip

Dragon Enthusiast
Staff
Partners
  1. flygon
  2. charizard
  3. milotic
  4. zoroark-soda
  5. sceptile
  6. marowak
  7. jirachi
  8. meganium
"...Mm." Diyem didn't like that. "We will have to talk about that later when you're older." Assuming Bahamut didn't find some way to be rid of this one in the future, which was another point of concern...

"Either way," Xerneling said, "I think I'm going to find a place to... recover myself. Or try to. In any way. I'm sure I have the power of life within me yet..."

"I will help," Buffet assured. "I, er... yes. I will try, at least, until Pop is able to do things properly."

"I suppose I will have a chat with my double," S'more added. "Perhaps we can work together..."

"I can facilitate that," Maple offered. "I think that will be everything for now. Take care, everyone."

"Mm." Diyem turned and started to leave. "Good luck."

<><><>​
 
R15 ~ Eien's Return

Namohysip

Dragon Enthusiast
Staff
Partners
  1. flygon
  2. charizard
  3. milotic
  4. zoroark-soda
  5. sceptile
  6. marowak
  7. jirachi
  8. meganium
More crowded than ever, the Guild lobby had a new, cautiously triumphant energy to it. Diyem's Charizard form was not present; instead, he was a dark, shelled sphere that drifted near Eien, never leaving her side, while he presumably recovered his strength after so much strain to rescue her. Joule's armor was shattered and chipped in several places, but he assured the others not to worry, and that he would recover the pieces to regrow and reattach them later. Pop had left for Destiny Tower, more confident in their security, to recover his strength and reattach his divine ring fragments with Cola.

After a quick check, Giovanni was in the infirmary again, almost completely immobile due to an intense migraine. Apparently, Cresselia had suffered a similar condition, though for both, the feeling was fading. They suspect it had to do with their natural attunement with the moon.

"Eien," Maple said. "It is... good to see you in a proper state of mind."

"And it is good to see you!" Eien greeted, curled up outside the Guild building, peering in through the doorway. She was simply too large to fit inside in any possible way. "I'm... very sorry. Truly. I cannot explain what came over me... I, I will do my best effort to repairing the damage for the next few centuries, I promise."
 

unrepentantAuthor

A cat that writes stories.
Location
UK
Pronouns
they/she
Partners
  1. purrloin-salem
  2. sneasel-dusk
  3. luz-companion
  4. brisa-companion
  5. meowth-laura
  6. delphox-jesse
  7. mewtwo
  8. zeraora
Brisa's heart broke a little for the creature trying so hard to make herself humble and contrite to those gathered, despite being fearsome, despite being different. Was she projecting? Maybe a little.

"Ah, well met, Eien. I don't speak fer the group, but I hope y'won't place yerself under inordinate penance fer what happened t'you. Y'ain't the only 'mon who's been subjected to parasite-induced madness, and y'held up remarkably, fer an incredible duration."

She bit her cheek.

"Y'wouldn't happen t'have any memory at all of what actually transpired to cause yer recent delirium, would ya?"

Besides her, Luz sent a quick you're doin' fine.

Thanks,
she sent back, quietly.
 

Namohysip

Dragon Enthusiast
Staff
Partners
  1. flygon
  2. charizard
  3. milotic
  4. zoroark-soda
  5. sceptile
  6. marowak
  7. jirachi
  8. meganium
"Oh... those are... memories I'm still trying to sort though," she admitted. "I remember... revisiting this world--Cibus, correct? Yes... Revisiting it to see how things were going. But just on my way, I had this horrible feeling, like something terrible was approaching. I had to investigate, had to. I thought I had come at just the right time... It... it was actually you that I must have sensed by mistake." Eien nodded at Maple.

"I had a great amount of energy, as well as a Dark Matter and Eternatus within me," Maple said. "We haven't found the Eternatus, but we found the Dark Matter. It must have resonated with you, another Dark Eternatus."

"Yes... That might have been it." Eien focused, and the core of energy in her chest sparked with wisps of black energy before going back to normal. "That I am. But to actually meet someone in the same way, or similar... Well. I suppose it would have to happen eventually."

"That confirms that," Owen hummed. "Eien and Maple sensed each other and misinterpreted it as a hostile force... And that must have woken up whatever was sealed inside Maple."

"It's odd," Eien said. "I don't sense Eternatus energy within you anymore, dear. Did you exorcize it, somehow?"
 

unrepentantAuthor

A cat that writes stories.
Location
UK
Pronouns
they/she
Partners
  1. purrloin-salem
  2. sneasel-dusk
  3. luz-companion
  4. brisa-companion
  5. meowth-laura
  6. delphox-jesse
  7. mewtwo
  8. zeraora
Luz's face brightened as she rushed to provide an explanation.

"That'll be on account of how when we fought Maple's essence, some kinda critter usin' her as a host emerged an' took hold of one of our own instead. We have it sealed up fer study, as it happens, along with another similar critter what came outta this Mewtwo fella we had run-ins with. There's been a few of these 'eterna parasites' givin' us trouble!"

Brisa shook her head, puzzled. "Somethin' troubles me, though. Diyem purged Eien's good self of another critter matchin' the same description. Are they really eternatus of some kind? Or a different kinda critter suffused with eterna energy?"

None of them had been even a little prepared for Cibus and its bullshit. But who could've been?
 
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Ambyssin

Gotta go back. Back to the past.
Location
Residency hell
Pronouns
he/him
Partners
  1. silvally-dragon
  2. necrozma-ultra
  3. milotic
  4. zoroark-soda
  5. dreepy
  6. mewtwo-ambyssin
"They were parasites." Bahamut stroked his chin in thought. "Perhaps the Eterna connection with them is... not entirely accurate. I think we proceeded under that assumption because of the negating aura. But what if it's something else entirely?"

He glanced at Dave, in particular. "Cells and DNA can mutate for a variety of reasons." Bahamut gestured to Diyem and Maple. "And now we've seen organisms mutating at the aural level. So, why can't Eterna energy similarly mutate into something that's corrosive to anything and everything... including the lifeform it mutated from?"

Bahamut was avoiding eye contact with Eien. Now that she was... back to herself, their prior connection served no purpose. There were bubblier Team Spectrum members and an entire family to fawn over her. How lucky she was. Rescued from a nightmare to find a large, loving family waiting for her. Blissfully unaware that some of her rescuers would be returning to less-than-ideal circumstances.

He supposed he could distract himself brainstorming means of getting to the moon.
 

Namohysip

Dragon Enthusiast
Staff
Partners
  1. flygon
  2. charizard
  3. milotic
  4. zoroark-soda
  5. sceptile
  6. marowak
  7. jirachi
  8. meganium
Eien seemed to want to look at Bahamut a few times. Perhaps she remembered him. "I am able to negate most kinds of energy when I am in my largest form, but it isn't infallible. Sufficiently powerful Pokemon--or those built to counter that energy"--she nodded at Zacian and Zamazenta, who had reverted to their base forms, their blade and shields vanishing--"would be able to neutralize it, for the most part... Hmm. But you're right. Those parasites do not appear to be... normal, do they? Diyem told me about them briefly. I would like to see them for myself, but I suspect they may be part of a greater whole. And that they resemble me when I was just a little larva... Well, slightly, I was much prettier..."

Cal and Owen shared an uncertain glance.

"If Maple has no Eternatus energy in her whatsoever anymore," Diyem said, "what happened to the Eternatus that Sword had told us about, from her memory of her confrontation with Telum's Dark Matter?"

"Perhaps... that one perished," Eien said. "But, perhaps the spirit lived on within Maple, confused and vengeful... and then... well... with that mixture of power in Maple, it... incubated into something else, spiritually. Something... chaotic. Twisted. Oh, goodness... could it be...?" She pulled her head out of the building and stared skyward. "Yes. That must be it. Our true foe... must be that Eternatus. Its spirit... had become the force that corrupted your friend. What a sad fate..."
 

unrepentantAuthor

A cat that writes stories.
Location
UK
Pronouns
they/she
Partners
  1. purrloin-salem
  2. sneasel-dusk
  3. luz-companion
  4. brisa-companion
  5. meowth-laura
  6. delphox-jesse
  7. mewtwo
  8. zeraora
Brisa grimaced. "Figures. It's a reasonable explanation that accounts fer just about everythin'."

At her side, Luz was absorbed in imagining the full truth of things in this confirmed light.

"Before everyone in Telum perished, Blade begged that eternatus fer help," she mused, sadly. "I can't help but wonder if those parasites're actin' under some kinda sapient directive, an' what that might be. To think, that they coulda started out benevolent. Like Eien."

Brisa winced. Luz had a way of being cavalier with uncomfortable notions. But she wasn't wrong to bring them up, she supposed...
 

Namohysip

Dragon Enthusiast
Staff
Partners
  1. flygon
  2. charizard
  3. milotic
  4. zoroark-soda
  5. sceptile
  6. marowak
  7. jirachi
  8. meganium
"Those Parasites are soulless," Diyem said. "Or... no. Inaccurate. They're fragments of souls, no different than a Master Substitute." Diyem glanced at Green, who had emerged from his cell to talk directly with them. By now, he'd gained more than enough trust with the staff, though he was still under watch. He also wore an odd item on his arm which seemed to nullify his illusions. "I sensed that when getting up close to one. Therefore, we can be confident that when one dies, the experiences it had will return to the Prime host."

"It couldn't have been in Soda this whole time, though," Joule commented, his voice a bit slurred thanks to lacking part of his face. "We would have noticed."

"I agree." Diyem hummed. "The parasites have been possessing individuals one by one, and perhaps the prime host had moved at some point... or perhaps there is no prime at all. Perhaps each fragment is its own equal piece, like Bean."

"Oh, Bean!" Eien bobbed her head. "How is he doing? Is he well?"

"...He is."

Eien nodded again, looking a little cheerful and distracted.

"Then maybe strength is being channeled into the one in Soda," Owen said. "I'm not sure if you guys noticed it, but it felt like a lot of energy was traveling from Eien's beam to the moon, and not the normal energy. There was this... this smoke, or this haze. It was more than usual."

"I did remember something... leaving me. A weight." Eien hummed. "I don't really know if this is the right analogy, but it was... how an organic creature would have a, ah, a stuffy nose, and one day, they wake up with it all clear. Yes, that must be how it felt... or a comparison..."

"It was incredibly powerful," Diyem said. "Eien, it made up most of that corrupted form you took. That... may have been the greater part of the parasite within you. Or, its... spirit, given form."

"...But in the end, it all means the same thing, doesn't it?" Owen said. "The final place where the parasite is located... is up there, in Soda. All that power is concentrated up there..."
 

Flyg0n

Flygon connoisseur
Pronouns
She/her
Partners
  1. flygon
  2. swampert
  3. ho-oh
  4. crobat
  5. orbeetle
  6. joltik
  7. salandit
  8. tyrantrum
  9. porygon
Koa listened as best he could, still feeling somewhat weary. "So this parasite... its the other Eternatus probably? Or at least a fragment of it?" he let out a thoughtful sigh. "So how're we gonna get up there to beat it?"
 
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