Poppin' Arms ~ Training Facility

[Virgil134]

Cabot braced himself as the monstrous fox bit down on him and exploded in a burst of energy. The Cranidos winced from the shockwave, but between the earlier Radiant Barricade and Icetales' Aurora Veil, the damage was minimal. He locked eyes with Magnificent and narrowed them into a venomous glare as he bared his teeth.

"You sure I'm the one who just spelled his death wish?!" Cabot hissed. "I'll show you how powerful I am!"

The Cranidos charged forward in a flash, read to annihilate the phantom Ninetales in front of him. Shadowy wisps started to form around the top of his head until it was cloaked in darkness, and without hesitation, Cabot smashed his head as hard into Magnificent as he could.

 

[Cresselia92]

Magnificent smirked with glee as his Shadow Leech detonated and some energy flowed into his phantom body, but his smile turned into a frown when the mist dissipated and he saw that the pesky Cranidos was still standing. Icetales was by his side, looking worriedly at the exchange.

“Hmm. Of course. Weed needs more than a single attack to be extirpated,” muttered Magnificent, glaring at the dinosaur. “Then I shall—”

The Cranidos charged forward in a flash, ready to annihilate the phantom Ninetales in front of him. Shadowy wisps started to form around the top of his head until it was cloaked in darkness,

The red eyes of the phantom glowed more brightly as Cabot came running toward him at unparalleled speed.

How was he so fast?!

“Beji—”

and without hesitation, Cabot smashed his head as hard into Magnificent as he could.

“—raaagh!”

Magnificent howled as Cabot shred through his phantom body and he started disintegrating. No, it couldn’t be! His power… where was it?! Where was his majestic daemon form? How could a… commoner do that much damage?!

Even Icetales seemed shocked as he stared at his melting “father”. Was Cabot really that strong or…

"... Your shadow is an imaginary version of your own dad?"

Imaginary. So, not real. Not as powerful as his real father, albeit equally intimidating.

Icetales stared at the vanishing phantom, who shot one last hateful glare at him. Most of his body was gone, reduced to a black mist, and only his head remained.

“This is not the end of it! I shall be b—”

And with those final words “Father” dissipated, but Icetales could still feel his presence around the air and inside his own shadow. Though, just the fact that he was gone for the time being reassured him immensely, and he could finally focus.

Deep breath. Deep breath. Deep breath.

Soon, his darkness started melting from his fur, unveiling once more his silver pelt. Just as he lost his darkness, so did the shadow twister lose its power. The blue gusts shimmered and vanished in a thin azure mist and the floor regained its usual natural pattern.

Icetales glanced at Cabot, feeling suddenly much lighter. “Sir Cabot, thou… did amazing. That was,” his tails started wagging and his eyes gleamed with admiration, “most astounding.”

 

[Virgil134]

Cabot looked back at Icetales and shot him a confident smirk. Noticing the Ninetales had transformed back to his usual self, he decided to follow his example and closed his eyes, breathing in and out steadily. After a few seconds his scales began to return normal, and soon enough most of the Shadows had left Cabot's body.

"I'm... pretty sure I used my new Shadow move back there," the Cranidos said. "In my world Cranidos and Rampardos can use Head Smash without trouble because our heads are so strong, but it's different here in Cibus. Yet, when I just used it it didn't hurt me at all! I think the darkness made that Head Smash stronger too..."

He looked around the room, before turning back to Icetales and rubbing at the back of his neck. "Though, sorry if I kinda snapped at you earlier..."

 

[Cresselia92]

"I'm... pretty sure I used my new Shadow move back there," the Cranidos said. "In my world Cranidos and Rampardos can use Head Smash without trouble because our heads are so strong, but it's different here in Cibus. Yet, when I just used it it didn't hurt me at all! I think the darkness made that Head Smash stronger too..."

“It looked like that, indeed,” commented Icetales, giving a quick nod. “If all, I do not recall ever seeing nor feeling that burst of power, so I reckon thou hast attained a more powerful shadow sorcery. That will be most valuable during our incoming battle, I can tell thee.”

He looked around the room, before turning back to Icetales and rubbing at the back of his neck. "Though, sorry if I kinda snapped at you earlier..."

Icetales waved his paw and gave a reassuring smile. “Do not concern thyself with that, my good fellow. Thy words were far from woeful, in comparison to what that… entity uttered.” He wagged his tails, trying to reinforce his reassurance. “That is nothing I cannot overcome, truly.”

And despite feeling that presence in the depth of his heart and spirit, the Ninetales was glad that it was under control once more. However, how long would have lasted? Would he emerge once more if he unleashed his inner shadow sorcery?

I can only hope to not have to use that sorcery. At least, not until I find a way to silence that darkness once and for all…

“Well! What dost thou desire to do? Shall we practice some more or go somewhere else to celebrate our success in unlocking a stronger sorcery?” he asked, pushing aside his own concerns to focus again on the memory of his “father” destroyed by Cabot. “Oh, I so much desire to praise thee for vanquishing my Shadow! Thou have lifted me of a monstrous weight, thou hast no idea!”

 

[Virgil134]

"Well, I'm glad I made you feel better," Cabot said with a smile. "That's what friends are for, right?"

He looked around the room for a moment, before turning back to Icetales.

"Though... I think we've done enough training now. Wanna go get a drink instead?"

<><><>​

 

[Spiteful Murkrow]

In the training facility, the woosh of an incoming elevator echoed across the empty battlefield, a chime sounding out and the doors opening to reveal the forms of a Weavile and Rampardos exiting. Kate led the pair, gawking about with an incredulous stare at the space all around them. Cabot had told her of there being a secret training facility under the Poppin' Arms Guild, but it was quite another for her to see it herself in the flesh.

"So there really is a hidden training room down here," Kate murmured. "Though why's it so deep and why's everyone so hush-hush about it?"

 

[Virgil134]

"Well, it's because the gods use this place whenever they want to train."

Cabot followed Kate and came to a stop besides her, the Rampardos briefly looking around the facility before turning to her with a cheerful smile.

"I guess they don't want everyone to just come and train here, like with the rooms at the Colosseum, so only the strongest fighters are allowed here... like us! It will be perfect for our training."

 

[Spiteful Murkrow]

Kate raised a brow back at Cabot's mention of the battlefield being a place where gods came to train. While Cibus' gods had always struck her as far more at ease mingling among normal Pokémon than she'd imagined Pokémon of their sort would, it was strange to think that here under the guild they were practicing their techniques much as she would an Ice Shard or a Night Slash. Or that they'd open it up to a bunch of strangers like her who were not even from a distant land but a whole different planet.

But no matter, Team Spectrum had apparently earned their keep enough for those gods to let them in. And there was a practical reason why she'd come here too.

"So, we're down here to mess around with that 'Shadow' thing, huh?" Kate asked. "What exactly is it? And why do we need some fancy battleground all the way down here to practice it?"

 

[Virgil134]

"Well, we probably don't need to practice it here, but I thought it would be a fun change of scenery from the training rooms in the Colosseum," Cabot explained. "Besides, I think most 'mons on the team don't even know this place exists, so I might as well tell others about it when I can."

"Anyway, Shadows are pretty much the exact opposite of Radiance, and something we can have power over thanks to Diyem. They're powered by hidden thoughts and suppressed feelings, and just like with Radiance, Shadows can manifest into all sorts of different attacks. Some of those attacks can be really powerful, so it's definitely worth trying to master with the sort opponents that we're facing."

 

[Spiteful Murkrow]

"Anyway, Shadows are pretty much the exact opposite of Radiance, and something we can have power over thanks to Diyem. They're powered by hidden thoughts and suppressed feelings, and just like with Radiance, Shadows can manifest into all sorts of different attacks. Some of those attacks can be really powerful, so it's definitely worth trying to master with the sort opponents that we're facing."

Kate raised a brow back at Cabot's mention of hidden thoughts and suppressed emotions. Perhaps Brisa was onto something when she'd mentioned that there were ways of fighting in Cibus that would show who you really were to others...

"I'm sorry, and why do I want this again?" she asked. "Not that I care that much about how others see me, but not sure how I feel about dwelling on my life problems to get special powers."

 

[Virgil134]

Cabot's face fell at Kate's response. She had said she was interested in learning how to use Shadows back at the house, but now she was suddenly having second thoughts?

"Eh... well like I said, it allows you to use some really strong attacks. You'd be leaving a lot on the table by not using it," the Rampardos answered, scratching his cheek. "Given that we fight corrupted gods almost regularly, doesn't it make sense to use everything you can throw at them? Besides, even if Radiance can do similar things, using too much of it will make you explode, so you wanna try and mix it with Shadows while fighting to get the best results."

His expression muted a bit and he shifted uneasily, before continuing on.

"Besides, if you decide not to use it you might end up in a situation later where you don't get a choice and won't be able to fully control yourself... just like what happened the first time I used it."

 

[Spiteful Murkrow]

"Eh... well like I said, it allows you to use some really strong attacks. You'd be leaving a lot on the table by not using it," the Rampardos answered, scratching his cheek. "Given that we fight corrupted gods almost regularly, doesn't it make sense to use everything you can throw at them? Besides, even if Radiance can do similar things, using too much of it will make you explode, so you wanna try and mix it with Shadows while fighting to get the best results."

"I mean, I'm not one to leave anything on the table while fighting myself. I am a Dark-Type," Kate reminded. "Though I dunno, I wasn't quite expecting using Shadows to involve... well, that."

"Besides, if you decide not to use it you might end up in a situation later where you don't get a choice and won't be able to fully control yourself... just like what happened the first time I used it."

"Eh?" the Weavile asked, giving a puzzled raise of her brow. "What exactly happened there anyways?"

 

[Virgil134]

"Eh?" the Weavile asked, giving a puzzled raise of her brow. "What exactly happened there anyways?"

"Do you remember the Radiant Machine? Before you joined we fought a similar machine that was powered by Shadows instead," Cabot replied. "During our battle it fired a beam that corrupted me, Brisa, Owen, and Nate. The experience was... overwhelming to say the least.

He hesitated a little, and for a brief moment looked away in shame, before letting out a sigh and continuing on. "I became convinced nobody on the team cared about me and that they just saw me as some naive Pokémon that they could use. I felt enraged and wanted to get back at everyone by... killing them. Nip was the first I attacked and I hurt him really bad... and not just physically either. We only truly became friends again recently when we were stuck inside the Voidlands."

 

[Spiteful Murkrow]

Kate folded her ears back at Cabot's explanation of what had gone wrong with his first experience with Shadow energy. Even if it didn't really sound all that appealing still, it was hard to admit the Rampardos didn't have a point about being able to deal with it enough to manage it when needed.

"I... guess that I can't really argue the point there, since that sounds worse than a trip on Starf Syrup," she said. "Though I still don't really see the appeal of actually using these moves beyond knowing how to keep yourself out of a bad situation if they can make you do something like that."

 

[Virgil134]

"I mean, I mentioned those moves can be really strong, didn't I?" Cabot began, when his voice suddendly started to take on a more excited tone. "For example the first Shadow move that I ever used allows me to match the speed of any Pokémon, no matter how fast they are. The second one I actually learned in this very place, and it's something I can combine with other moves to makes them stronger and pierce any defenses. It even allows me to use Head Smash without getting hurt! And then there's this new Shadow move... or at least I think it's a move. But it's something I learned recently and allows me to see enemies better and predict how they're gonna move so they can't dodge my attacks. That one admittedly feels a bit different than the others though... Anyway, there's also this move I learned in the Voidlands that-"

The Rampardos paused as he noticed that Kate during the entire time had followed along with skeptical disinterest. Clearly just telling her about his shadow moves wasn't really moving the needle for her. Perhaps she was a 'mon that was more impressed by practical example?

"Though maybe I should just show you instead," he murmured.

Cabot stepped forward and grabbed one of the dummies, before putting it out onto one of the battlefields and walking back towards Kate.

"Now, if I combine that second move I just mentioned with the one I learned in the Voidlands..."

A dark aura suddenly surrounded Cabot as he summoned a barrage of large blue meteors that struck the dummy and exploded it into pieces. After the dust from his attack subsided, there was naught to be seen of the dummy as the field now had several craters trailing a shadowy haze. Back where he stood, Cabot turned around, his gray scales now black and his blue now indigo as the Rampardos looked at Kate with a confident smile lit up by vibrant yellow eyes.

"See the appeal of using Shadow moves now?"

 

[Spiteful Murkrow]

Kate looked on in slack-jawed amazement at Cabot's still-smoldering handiwork, before turning back to him excitedly.

"Götterverdammt, to hell with the life problems and color change, I want that!" she exclaimed. "Just what did you do to pull it off though?"

 

[Virgil134]

Cabot shot back an amused, satisfied look, before shifting his gaze over to the craters he made earlier. He moved his large tail back and forth for a bit as he thought about the best way to respond to Kate's question.

"When I used my first Shadow move, things came rather naturally to me," he said, idly looking down at his left hand as he made a dark haze billow up from it. "Corrupted or not, having that power flow through me certainly made learning things a lot easier. Perhaps we should try the same with you."

The Rampardos looked back at Kate and took a step towards her, before continuing on.

"As I mentioned before, Shadows are powered by hidden thoughts and suppressed feelings. What those are is different for everyone, but they're usually something negative. After all, there's a reason why Pokémon try to bury them," Cabot explained. "So tell me, what are these 'life problems' of yours that you keep mentioning?"

 

[Spiteful Murkrow]

Kate flattened her ears out at Cabot's question and folding her arms with a wary scowl.

"Hold on, you said that Shadow attacks worked by dwelling on hidden thoughts and feelings," she said. "Since when did 'blurt them out loud to others' become a thing?"

 

[Virgil134]

Cabot gave back a wry smile. "Always has been. You'd be surprised the amount of stuff others blurt out when shadowed. Especially when they don't have proper control over their Shadow."

 

[Spiteful Murkrow]

"Yeah, well I thought that the entire point of this training was to avoid being in a state where I wasn't in control," Kate harrumphed, before folding her arms.

"So really, where do I start here? You weren't exactly mister chatterbox there and you pulled those meteors up just fine, so I don't see why I can't do the same," she insisted. "And what's this about 'their Shadow'? I thought that 'Shadow' was just the name of the type of the move."