Treasure Town ~ Marketplace

[Namohysip]

Soda blinked, looking at the Shade, then at Dave, then at the berry. "You're kidding, right?"

But he had a feeling Dave wasn't the sort to kid around. So, while the Shade was still weak--he confirmed as much with Owen--he unscrewed the cap and set the berry inside, then screwed it back on. It splashed in the inky darkness, and the Shade seemed startled by it, hissing and growling even in its weakened state.

But then it prodded at the thing with its ill-defined head, rolling the berry here and there...

And then its face--or what could be called a face--split open eight-ways and wrapped around the berry, causing Owen to let out something like a startled yelp and whimper. "S-so it can eat..."

Perhaps to Soda, the Oran Berry disappeared in thin air, or piece-wise. But to the others, they watched as the Shade drew in the berry and squashed it inside its soft jaws. Juice flowed and mixed with the inky blood at the bottom of the jar. And quickly enough, the berry was gone, as was the wound Nip had inflicted.

"...Alright," Soda said. "So, what happened?"

The Shade slithered around in the jar, not really making an attempt to escape or break out--it probably didn't have the power to do so--but then looked--could it look?--at Dave.

Its black, faceless head pointed at Dave. The horrifying thing tilted its head. Its head pulsed oddly, like it was still chewing on the Oran.

And then... it chirped.

"Krrri!"

 

[windskull]

Though Owen had a point, Nip felt quite strongly that Owen should tend to his wounds first. Fortunately, he didn't have to voice his feelings on the matter, as Soda beat him to it. He kept his mouth shut when Dave offered an oran, though; even if he was hesitant to use valuable resources on a shade, it was different when the one offering didn't have a big nasty gash in their shoulder from a nasty run-in with a garchomp.

He stood tense, watching as the shade consumed the oran — it did work on them, as it turned out — and waiting to see what it would do.

He hadn't expected... that.

Turning his head to look at Dave, he said, "did. Did that thing just—"

 

[Dragonfree]

Dave blinked as the Shade chirped at him. Oh. Oh no. Had it just imprinted on him? Had he just become responsible for another grotesque horrorblob in a jar? Somehow he didn't think this one would grow up into a merely slime-covered kid.

"Uh."

Even so, his mind buzzed with what this meant. So... did this mean they were Pokémon? Sapient Pokémon? It could hardly talk, but... "...Chirp three times if you understand this?"

 

[Namohysip]

The thing slithered around a little more and pressed against the jar. It didn't seem to hear Dave clearly, and seemed to be discerning what he had said, or... something. Since it was a slithery, elongated blob with a few flat tendrils for limbs, it was hard to get a grasp on exactly what it was thinking through its body language alone.

Still, after a bit of time, the thing, as it slithered around, went, "Krr, krr, krr!"

Owen's throat felt tight. "They're..."

"What?" Soda said. "They're what?"

The Shade slithered around again and pressed its face against the top of the jar, pressing as hard as it could, but to no avail. It chirped irritably

 

[Dragonfree]

Dave's ears perked up at the three chirps. "Huh. What else do you understand? What's two plus two? Do you have a name?"

 

[windskull]

"They're knowledgable. Sapient, is I think the word you would use like your...." He reached into the back of his mind, trying to think of the lessons he'd been given about how this world worked. "Like a feral pokemon, maybe. Maybe smarter than that. Except they could communicate back, if they had the language skills to do so."

Nip turned away. A pensive expression on his face.

Don't think about it.

You'll likely have to kill them in the end. It's you or them.

Think of it like hunting. Don't think about the fact that they're just like you. That it could easily be you on the other side of the jaws. Don't question why the creator made meat eaters. Whether it was oversight or cruelty, you'll never get the answer. Just remember to never waste a life you must take.

This is different though, isn't it?

He'd been staring at the ground for some time now...

 

[Namohysip]

"Krr, rrr..."

"It's..." Owen stared, putting a hand over the wound that had stopped bleeding, though it still stung.

The Shade prodded at the cap's top, but it was sealed too tightly for escape, so it instead looked at Dave again and tilted its head. It chirped again, unsure, but it indeed did so four times... But did not have, or perhaps could not communicate, its inquiry to its name.

"It's so cute," Owen finally said, practically within an exhale.

 

[Dragonfree]

Dave hesitated. It was sapient, understood math. The notion of keeping it in a small jar was... uncomfortable. On the other hand, it was also a fucking brain slug that possessed people, and just letting it out because it was cute would be idiotic.

"Hey. We can get you out of the jar, but only if you answer some questions. One chirp for yes, two for no. Is Darkwhite behind this? Behind you, the brainslugs?"

 

[Namohysip]

"Hey, who said anything about letting that thing out?" Soda growled. "It could be trying to fool you. Cooperate until it can get away."

The Shade hissed at Soda and slithered around rapidly.

"Maybe we can get a bigger jar, or something, or... I dunno, put it somewhere that it won't be all cooped up?"

"Cooped up? Do you seriously care about these things that much?" Soda scowled. "It stabbed you."

"Well, yeah, but..." Owen unconsciously felt around the closed wound.

"Krr, krr?" It seemed to be a question, but it did chirp twice. Perhaps it didn't know what 'Darkwhite' meant, or perhaps it did, and Darkwhite wasn't behind them. Or perhaps it simply did not know why it did what it did.

 

[Dragonfree]

"We're not letting it out out. I'm not dumb. We can put it in a nice cell or something. Somewhere it can at least, you know, turn around in?" He scowled at Soda. "Look, it understands what we're saying, answers questions and can do mental arithmetic. Does Arceus teach you it only counts if it's in a fucking Pokédex?"

He looked back at the Shade, frowning. "Do you know Darkwhite? Black and gold smoke, transforms into different things, obnoxious little shit?"

 

[Namohysip]

The Shade stared blankly at Dave, if it had a face to stare with.

Soda sighed. "Well, alright, fine," he said. "I guess if it actually shows some intelligence, I'll... mention it to Maple later or something. You take this one." He gave it to Owen, who would be able to more easily hold it. "I'm gonna tend to Garchomp and the others. Looks like they're fine, but you guys oughta head back and rest. I'll let you know if we see any other corrupted-behaving folks."

"So, do you know who Darkwhite is, little guy?" Owen asked, staring into the jar as Soda left to tend to Garchomp.

Once again, no reply.

 

[Dragonfree]

Dave stared at the jar. One way or another, he was inclined to believe it, that it had no idea what they were talking about.

"Do you know how many other people have been possessed?" Probably not, at this point. "Are you at all coordinated? Like, is there somebody telling you to infect particular people?"

 

[Namohysip]

And once again, the little thing stared at Dave, answering nothing, though it didn't seem very distressed. Then again, without a face, and without any sort of natural body language to go off of, it could also be trying to deliberate whether Dave's head or foot would taste better first.

Owen looked to Nip and Dave. "Soda left it with us. Should we... head back for now? I probably need to get this injury checked. I feel fine, but, I might not if we get into another fight. And... Dave? Do you want to keep it? I think it likes you the most."

...Hello? Hello, what happened? The distortion faded and... Oh, good. You captured it. Why did Soda leave it to you?

Owen quickly explained what happened, noticeably understating the part where he got injured.

...Dave. Nip. What is your opinion on these things? If they are intelligent, that also means they may be clever. However... we thought they were just monsters sent to do the bidding of another. If they truly have no recollection of a commander...

 

[Dragonfree]

Dave looked at the Shade in the jar. "...Just to be sure, one chirp for yes and two for no, is anyone coordinating you?"

He scowled at Owen's suggestion. "I... look..." He looked at the Shade's wriggling form again for a few moments, reluctant. Was he seriously stuck with it? Why wasn't it Owen, who'd wanted to be sympathetic to it in the first place? He seriously considered telling Owen to take it, but he had the unshakable feeling it'd disappoint him, and... ugh. Owen was injured, besides. Maybe if he kept it he could keep asking it questions?

He sighed. "...Fine. Whatever."

He looked up at Diyem's voice. "Honestly, we didn't really have any reason to assume they were doing anyone's bidding in the first place, did we? Why wouldn't they just be brainslugs, infecting whoever they feel like and get the chance to."

 

[windskull]

At the sound of Diyem's voice reverberating in his head, Nip snapped out of his thoughts. He glanced back to the jar, addressing Owen and Dave first. "You are staying in that smaller room. Right, Dave? Probably for the best it's kept there anyways, instead of out in the open where most of us are sleeping. Seems more logical, I think."

"Even if they don't have a commander, they still had to have had a creator of some sort, don't they? What are the chances that they just spontaneously appeared in this world for the sole purpose of causing chaos? Seems unlikely, if you ask me." He paused. "Then again, if they can think for themselves, maybe they weren't created just to cause chaos. Or maybe they've, er, changed beyond their initial design." He paused, shaking this head. "I don't like it. This complicates things greatly. It's easier to figure out how to deal with a threat like this when you don't have to think of them like they're the same as you are.

"Maybe we should try to get information out of the others. If nothing else, this is something that needs further investigation. And something that the others need to know about."

 

[Namohysip]

The Shade paused, but eventually replied with two chirps.

Owen perked up, hiding his beaming when Dave agreed, though he also recognized that reluctance. Dave didn't seem like the sort who would be as interested in taking on an obligation like this, but... "Well, if Dave ever wants to get out or something, he can trade shifts with someone else, like me. I don't think I'll be injured for that long."

Owen then hummed, arms crossed. "But..."

...What is it.

"Well, it's just--" Owen looked to Dave, then Nip, and then toward the sky. "Do you think we should give it a name?"

 

[Dragonfree]

“Oh, Jesus Christ.” Dave rolled his eyes. ...But they probably should have a name for it, shouldn’t they, if only to be able to talk about it. He sagged. “Look, it’s just, we can call it Squiggly or something. Squiggly? You okay with that? Chirp once for yes.” He looked back at the Shade in the jar. Please just say yes.

 

[windskull]

Oh Yveltal they were going to name it? But naming it would just make it harder to kill if they had to do away with it later! Whatever. He wasn't getting involved with that. "Do whatever you want. It's your Shade I guess."

 

[Namohysip]

"...Krriih?"

It was technically one chirp.

"I guess it's named Squiggly now," Owen said. The fatigue was starting to settle in, but he didn't let it show. "Let's head back for now... Maybe we can put him in your secret room or something, Dave."

His flame was a little dim from tiredness, but it was a happy yellow as he walked back to the dojo.

 

[Dragonfree]

Dave sighed. “Yeah. I guess.”

With that, he accompanied Owen back to the Dojo, along with Squiggly the Shade.