Spirits' Edge

[Namohysip]

And that, just briefly, gave the smiling Zoroark a wavering pause. "I, eh... Well, hey, everyone has a change of heart now and then, y'know?" He laughed a little, pulling his hand back. "I guess I felt like Cola was better off there, is all. Who knows why?" Soda made another shrugging motion. "I don't really remember why all that clearly. I guess it was one of those whims I mentioned before, y'know? It's kinda funny... I can feel it. I'm this close to getting what I want. All I need..." Soda trailed off again. "Well. It'll come soon. I don't really know what it is, but it's coming... heheh... So, you coming or not?"

"Soda..." Buffet dared speak up. "Are you... okay?"

"Better than okay, I'm divine," Soda said, vibrating from a fit of giggles. "Dave... come on. Don't you ever want to just forget the world... all its problems... and just watch it go away?" He drifted a little closer. "Haven't you ever seen how fucked up everything is... and wish you could make a little wave with your hand... and change it? Everything... everything everything everything everything everything...

"I can, Dave."

 

[Dragonfree]

Dave's gut clenched at Soda's hesitation. A thread to pull on, and yet, the Zoroark felt so fragile, teetering on a knife's edge, like any pulling on the thread might unravel him entirely.

He took a step back. "Yeah. You know, yeah, sometimes I do want that. But I can't come with you right now. We've got stuff to take care of on Cibus, remember?" He took a deep breath, another step back. "I'm coming for you later, all right? Everything's going to be okay."

 

[Namohysip]

Soda cocked his head to the side. "Right, that's right. Still gotta help Maple and all that. Sure, you go and do that. I'll be up here waiting, alright? Heh... don't keep me waiting too long. Can get kinda boring up here with just the Unown and crap."

But he was at least letting him go.

 

[Dragonfree]

Dave nodded. “Yeah. Yeah, as soon as I can. Don’t go shooting anyone, okay? It, it just adds more shit we’d have to deal with. It’d just make it take longer.”

It felt almost like arguing with Mia, in a way. A spot of comfortable familiarity in the middle of absolute batshit.

“Take care.”

He turned to look at Buffet.

 

[Namohysip]

"Alright, alright." Soda waved his hand. "I promise, no shooting Cibus."

...It sounded like he meant it, at least in the moment.

Buffet nodded and ferried Dave back home. It was a long, tense silence, like he was afraid that Soda would hear him... But eventually, Buffet spoke. "I'm... I'm sorry."

 

[Dragonfree]

Dave let out a tense breath that shook, and abandoned whatever he might have been planning to say in favor of silence.

They just had to make it in time, while there was still anything left of him to salvage.

<><><><><>​

 

[IFBench]

Saltriv stood on Buffet's back, leaf swaying idly back and forth.

It's been so long, and they're so different now...would Gen even recognize them?

Even so, they were excited. It's been so long since they've seen the little nervous Oshawott. With what they know now, maybe they can help recover his memories!

"I can't wait to introduce you to Gen," Saltriv says, looking towards their companions.

 

[Sudmensch]

Dill flinched, tearing his eyes from the surreal scene around him to look back at Saltriv.

"Yeah. Hope he doesn't mind us coming with," the Feraligatr said, tail flicking nervously. "Heh, never even made it a mile from Twistfoot Town back home, and here I am... wherever. I don't know, it's kinda nerve-wracking."

 

[Fusion]

"From the sound of it, he might just be startled and nervous at first," Vix nodded, flying alongside Buffet and the others. "I'm just as interested in seeing a bit of Saltriv's world... assuming that's how this Spirit's Edge place works."

 

[Namohysip]

"Hmm... There seems to be something strange about this route," Buffet hummed idly. "It's nothing to worry about. Just don't wander too far, mhm? Ah, we're getting close..." Buffet drifted along the stars, the cosmic Hydreigon speeding up as the flow became clearer.

 

[Sudmensch]

Dill didn't dare ask what would happen should he wander off.

 

[IFBench]

Something strange? Saltriv hoped it wasn't anything bad.

"Almost there!" Saltriv said, their tail beginning to wag. "I'm so excited to finally see Gen again!"

 

[Fusion]

"Something isn't right..?" Vix asked, curious. She flew faster to keep up with Buffet's head, staying close enough to grab on if need be. "Well, this place looks connected to space, and the moon's messed up..."

"Would you mind if I stuck around after this visit to check it out, Buffet?" she asked Buffet in a whisper, not wanting to sully Saltriv's excitement towards meeting her friend again.

 

[Namohysip]

"You're all staying with me," Buffet said simply, and then nodded. "Okay. It seems we've arrived. Lead the way, Saltriv."

 

[IFBench]

A splotch of pink was stark as they grew closer, soon clear enough to be recognized as a cherry blossom tree. Near it was a house, one with a door with a doorknob, and on the door was...some sort of strange symbols. The ground wasn't dirt or stone, but an arrangement of yellow, almost golden slabs, meshing together with each other to create a solid surface void of holes.

"...what?" Saltriv said, their petals tensing up as they stepped onto the ground and looked around. "I've...never seen this place before."

"...h-huh? Who's there?" a small voice said, and an Oshawott emerged out from behind the cherry blossom tree. His eyes widened upon seeing the quartet of Pokemon. A Hydreigon, a Feraligatr, a...he wasn't sure what that was, and...a Meganium with a distinct autumn-red leaf...

His eyes widened further, and he began trembling, gripping onto the red reunion cape he wore around his head. "S-Saltriv? I-is that you?"

 

[Sudmensch]

"What is this place? Is... is that him?" Dill whispered, the hulking crocodile peering down curiously at the Oshawott.

 

[Namohysip]

Buffet nodded. "Now, don't forget," he said gently, "no time passed in the world you came from, according to Diyem. As far as Gen is concerned, it hasn't even been a moment where you were away. It's probably just another nighttime."

 

[Fusion]

"I'm surprised I get to see this for myself. It's almost like I'm really somewhere else," Vix said, mostly in awe. "Makes you think how many places are like this on other worlds..."

She noticed the shivering 'wott and gave him a small wave, but didn't say anything. He looked more preoccupied with Saltriv than anything.

 

[IFBench]

"Yep. It's me," Saltriv said, waving their leaf. "Hi, Gen. I missed you."

"B-but...you were just with me yesterday...h-how? W-why? W-what happened? W-who are these other people?" Gen said, glancing towards the...Lampent-Scrafty thing.

Saltriv trotted over to him, and gave him a big hug with their vines. "They're Dill and Vix, new friends of mine! A-and...it's a long story. I was brought to help save a whole world! It's been...a lot, but we're succeeding! But for now...I'm just happy to see you again."

"I-I..." Gen trailed off, before hugging Saltriv back, his tiny arms put around one of Saltriv's forelegs.

 

[Fusion]

"Awww, that's adorable," Vix muttered quietly.

Oh, shit, was Vix still all combined and stuff? From the look this Gen guy gave her, that'd be a yes. Would be it distracting to change back? What even was the etiquette to shapeshifting around people?