Treasure Town ~ Marketplace

[Namohysip]

Xatu finally turned his head. "Your bodies... are unstable. Perhaps that is why you cannot reawaken it so easily. But I can sense it. It is blocked by something." Xatu closed his eyes. "Your body is drained quickly. Did you doubt that you would have the strength to heal?"

 

[Ambyssin]

“I did.” Necrozma looked at his right hand. “I’ve seen how drained the most basic attacks leave us. Healing a few people at once would be difficult. Possibly take me out of the fight. But, for someone as useless as me, it’s a necessary sacrifice.”

 

[Namohysip]

To that, only one word came: "Useless?"

 

[Ambyssin]

“I was not able to save the people most important to me back home. That’s all.” Necrozma squeezed the light ball. “Any other questions?”

 

[Namohysip]

The breeze returned, and it was only noticeable that it had left when it the winds blew again. "No," Xatu said. "I have reawakened it within you, from your desire to heal."

 

[Ambyssin]

The moment Xatu said it, Necrozma’s core slurped up the light ball with an audible schlorp. The red and orange triangles sparked.

“I see.” He looked at his arms. “Yes, I feel something familiar. From a better time.” Necrozma bowed to Xatu. “Thank you for the assistance.”

 

[Namohysip]

Xatu nodded slowly. "Remember the better times," he said, "to make new ones tomorrow. Do not let the darkness consume you." He turned his head forward, toward the horizon again.

 

[Ambyssin]

"Mmm. Well, different world, different rules." Necrozma backed away from the tent. "See you around."

And he floated away.

<><><>

 

[SparklingEspeon]

Tricky sprinted out of the cafe, ignoring the full feeling in her belly and the fact that all the sudden movement was making her feel a little queasy. She'd gotten left behind! She had to find somemon from the party she'd gotten sent in with so she could get back to the main group! Tricky looked around, looking for any face she recognized. No-mon looked familiar. Except...

...No, not him.

But it was him. Tricky saw it clear as day. She still remembered their encounter in the woods a week ago. He hadn't seemed to like her much. But, at the very least, he was somemon she knew - whatever that meant. It was worth a try. She took a deep breath, then strolled over to him.

"Hi."

It wasn't much, but between the stomache-ache and the last time they'd talked, Tricky didn't have much more of a peppy greeting to spare.

 

[Ambyssin]

Much as Xatu had done throughout their short exchange, Necrozma was looking up into the sun when he sensed that familiar aura approached. The red and orange triangles in his core glowed a bit brighter than normal. In his mind's eye, all he saw was a wall of flames and his outstretched, trembling arm.

"... hello. Do you need help with something?"

 

[SparklingEspeon]

"Do you know where the others went?" Tricky asked. Now that she got closer, she noticed that the large blue pokemon had been staring up into the sun.

"And why were you staring up into the sun?"

 

[Ambyssin]

"The sun is lovely. I enjoy its light. Its warmth." Necrozma's core pulsated like a beating heart. "As for the team... there were rumblings of meeting at the guild. I chose not to go. Didn't want things too crowded."

 

[SparklingEspeon]

Right, the guild... Tricky had wanted to go there. Why hadn't she yet? But at the same time.,. Now that she knew where everymon else was, Tricky felt a bit more relaxed. She could go to the guild any time of the day, so why not stay and keep the strange pokemon company some more?

"I know I asked before, but what can I call you? I'm Tricky." She held a paw up into the air for Necrozma to shake.

 

[Ambyssin]

"Nngh." So, they were really committed to this? He had to stay calm. They were on the same side. She wasn't the same. She wasn't from his world. She didn't recognize him. And she sounded too... young.

But he couldn't shake the memories. The wall of fire. The sun-shaped silhouette disappearing into it.

"I am... Necrozma." His core dimmed. "I apologize if I'm not... the friendliest toward you. But I've met one of your kind before... when she took my family from me."

 

[SparklingEspeon]

Now that she thought of it, Tricky did remember Necrozma saying something like that back when they'd talked. But she hadn't thought it was anything like that... She wanted to say something about how she'd never do something like that ever, but something else told her that was a bad idea.

"Sorry," she managed to choke out after a moment. "I didn't know."

 

[Ambyssin]

"You had no way of knowing short of me telling you." Necrozma crossed his arms. "I know you're not the same one, yet it's hard to stop the memories from boiling up looking at you." A few trace sparks danced around his core. "Surely you've encountered someone you've hated in your life, no?"

 

[SparklingEspeon]

Tricky had. She tried not to think about it. She didn't need those memories right now, she just didn't. She closed her eyes and hoped they'd go away, but they didn't. She held her breath and nodded vigorously with her eyes shut and cheeks puffed out. When they were gone, she opened them again and breathed out.

"Do you want to be friends anyway?"

 

[Ambyssin]

A sigh. "I'm... not sure that's in your best interest. All my friends back home died because of my uselessness." Necrozma looked at his right hand. "You still have a long life ahead. I'd hate to see anything happen to you."

 

[SparklingEspeon]

Tricky wasn't taking that for an answer. What was Necrozma talking about, anyway - she lived to get in danger! She just didn't live for her friends to get in danger... oh. That was what he was feeling, wasn't it.

"I promise be careful," she said instead. Maybe she shouldn't have promised, because she usually wasn't careful, but the words were out of her mouth before she had time to think about what she was saying.

 

[Ambyssin]

"You do know I'm psychic, right?" His body bristled with a pink aura. "I sense that you're about as careful as a tauros in a shop selling fine china." A pause, then, "Just how young are you, anyway? You strike me as a child."