Treasure Town ~ Woodland Outskirts

[Namohysip]

You--

The phantom fizzled partway, looking more like a haze, before it went back to normal again.

Excuse me?

The wind continued to blow, then finally settled. Despite all the gusts, it had no effect on the transparent apparition next to Brisa, which was now looking down at her in an almost accusatory way.

No questions? No horrified cry? You aren't even asking me asinine questions like Owen did, like if I enjoyed hatch days. I don't have one, my the way, or I don't remember, and I also didn't hatch, I merely appeared, and... Diyem glared, like this was some sort of frustrating puzzle. I can sense negative emotions, not positive ones. Yet I sense no terror from you over my revelation. Why is it that every Pokemon I spoke to about this, about my origins, never felt terror? Owen frankly asked if I could be hugged safely, because he liked them. How dare he simply... make such absurd offers.

Despite the favorable reaction from Brisa, was Diyem... offended?

 

[unrepentantAuthor]

Brisa chuckled, a real one this time. "Terror? Were you hopin' I'd wet m'self at the news that the ornery feller tryin' to save this world used to be a threat to another one? Nah. I figure you've had enough folks act like that around you already."

So, Owen knew, and he'd asked about hugs? That was either powerful naivety, or powerful compassion. Bless him, either way.

"I already knew you were some uncommonly powerful entity. I already knew you were as dour as a coffin. So what's news to me is that you nearly obliterated a world. That's the kinda thing you don't just fess' up to. But you ain't makin' a threat to me, you're answerin' a question, and you ain't threatenin' this world, you're helpin' it. Come on, it's not that fuckin' hard to figure you're tryin' to make up for what you did."

Brisa felt a sharp twinge in her chest. You forgave people who were trying to be good. That's how it worked. Was she tryin' to make up for what she did, or was she just feeling sorry for herself? Fuck, she needed to think about that when she wasn't being constantly reminded of... well.

She cocked her head. "Have the people you hurt forgiven you, Diyem? Or are they all still shittin' their britches at the thought of ya?"

 

[Namohysip]

More silence. This girl was the worst of them all. How dare she. She wasn't allowed to make those kinds of questions so suddenly.

...They have, Diyem finally replied, and it didn't look like he was going to elaborate further, perhaps for his own safety.

 

[unrepentantAuthor]

"Then that's good enough for me," said Brisa, considering the matter settled. "I won't push this thing about Buffet. I don't intend to compromise the mission just so I can put the screws to my father."

Ugh, time to stop thinking about Jesse. Fine, next question.

"Diyem, I got a powerful suspicion that somethin's just as wrong with the folks touched by radiance as the folks bedevilled by shades. You musta noticed it. They manifest powers that line up with somethin' deep in their heart. They get some kinda weird luminosity—or a tenebrosity I guess—around their bodies. They go on mental walkabout, forgettin' the things that don't line up with how they feel. Important things."

She shuddered lightly. Most of the God Squad had that manic cheerfulness, but the way she'd been in the throes of the light...

She was ashamed.

What did it say about her that her radiant power was to trap and restrain a person?

"If you know somethin' about this, I wanna know too, so I can keep wary of it. What d'ya got?"

 

[Namohysip]

I am sorry, said Diyem, but I do not. This Radiance is... corrosive to Shadows, and vice versa. The Shadows I am capable of is something that can eat away at their Radiance, but it appears to be the same case in return. I am familiar with it in that sense, but not where they may have gotten it from. Though, of course, I have my guesses. Maple is familiar with Bahamut... who in turn reacted strongly to this Radiance. Yet, we have never seen a Necrozma among God Squad, who number in six.

God Squad also seems, for the most part, to behave normally... or as normally as I can imagine. Soda, Flesh, Leg, and Maple do not appear to be particularly excitable. Potluck is hyper and Truffle is enthusiastic, but not nearly in the same way that you all reacted to an overabundance. Perhaps... it is due to how unstable your bodies are.

It is clear to you now, then, that I was worried because you are essentially entities of Shadow. I forged your bodies here with my dark powers.

I am beginning to wonder if they, too, may manifest... But then what will happen when it mingles with Radiance?

 

[unrepentantAuthor]

Brisa nodded. "I figure it's more subtle for the locals cause they got regular bodies. I'm feelin' pretty fuckin' bad about overdosin' on radiance the first minute I got it, and I'm just hopin' it doesn't mess up the others too bad..."

She shook her head again. Gods' dung, she couldn't be thinking about all this heavy concern while she was trying to get through this psychic conversation.

"Whatever. I'll keep an ear up and be more careful. Right. Last topic."

Why did you choose me? It was harder to ask than she realised. What, was her presence in the posse any more remarkable than, say, Bahamut's? Zane's? Mellow's? She dug her claws into the ground.

"You got a lot of plainly wrong-headed picks for your team, Diyem. What bright idea of your was it to summon such a misproficient gaggle for as serious a situation as this? Cause some of us sure aren't shaping up so well even a couple weeks in."

She snarled under her breath at nothing and nobody in particular.

 

[Namohysip]

Ah, there it was. Perhaps the resentment was delayed, or she was looking for some other means to accuse him like all the others. Feeling more tired than usual, Diyem openly sighed and said, I am very disappointed in quite a few members that had been brought here, yes. Between outright disobedience and a general lack of control, I can only attribute the vague thing we can call cohesiveness from the few able-minded units under me. But I will work with what I sent down.

 

[unrepentantAuthor]

Brisa scoffed. "So you scoured a score of goddamn worlds, and this is the best you can muster? I've been tryin' to see the best in the posse, and there are some... some really special people, sure, but even you can admit you got some duds. Are you really not gonna dip back in for better prospects?"

She'd stopped outlining thoughts with her tail at this point. She wasn't sure what she was thinking, or even if she was mad at Diyem. But she kept going, the way she often did when she was afraid, the way she always did with a voice in her head, knowing that she couldn't hide her thoughts, so she may as well end up spilling her guts.

"Alright then. How come you even picked m- picked us for this? What does a fella like you see in a neurotic, thievin' narcissist? What was so smart about bringin' a paranoid cynic who openly destests you? How about a sensitive scholar who can hardly stomach a fight? A cocky artist with untreated trauma? A stressed-out deputy with her mind stuck on home? A mean-spirited lowlife who ain't even tryin' to be decent? Or how about me? A lonely, crowd-shy, reckless, stupid, violent goddamn animal! Are you fuckin' glad you picked me? Are you?"

She wrenched her eyes away from Diyem to stare at the ground, frozen with panicked humiliation.

 

[Namohysip]

Diyem wasn't good with kids, but he was good with negativity. He knew these things. He knew how, why, and perhaps even the intricacies behind the way Brisa was feeling in ways that perhaps even she was not aware of.

And of everyone, Brisa was among the more tolerable. So rather than leave her to fester, he humored her with an answer.

I am Dark Matter, Diyem said. A world-destroying entity born of sadness, hate, and rage, reformed into something that does not truly have a place in world I came from, and can barely find a place in the Overworld. Do you truly believe that the gods of your land would let me so much as set foot in their world, should they discover what I am?

I did not hand-pick you.

I sent a message across the cosmos requesting a single, heroic spirit from anybody who may hear it, for me to borrow. You all are what I got in reply.

I was in no position to get something better.

But, with a pause, Diyem also sighed.

And for the record, he added, you have been the cause of very few of my annoyances.

 

[unrepentantAuthor]

She winced. Then she let out a long breath.

Gingerly, haltingly, Brisa's tail resumed tracing her mnemonic spirals.

"Y'know, at first I thought I was here because of my parents. Then, I figured maybe we were all picked because we had it in us to volunteer. Then I wondered if maybe it had to do with our potential. I swear, I was starting to think there was no reason at all. And, well..."

She chuckled. "I guess I'm just lucky to be here."

More tracing. Brisa managed to raise her gaze again.

"I keep thinkin' about how I might fuck this up. I've been happier here than I was in my own world going back half my life, but I made a dreadful mistake the other day and I'm afeared of makin' more. I don't wanna get this wrong, I don't wanna be a burden on the team, I don't want..."

Different friends flashed through her head. She was surprised to realise how much she cared about them. Or in some cases, that she cared at all.

"I don't want to go back to the way things were. Maybe I'll have to eventually but at least... you ain't about to replace me, huh?"

 

[Namohysip]

I do not, Diyem replied simply, and this time there was no pause. All you must do is continue fighting. I have no control over being able to replace you all anyway, and if I could, there are far higher priority individuals than you.

The reply was short, simple, and to the point. He was never one to sugar coat things anyway.

 

[unrepentantAuthor]

Brisa snorted. "Alright. You're then plainest speaker I ever met, but I appreciate your candour."

Her heart rate was still elevated and she still smelled of fear. She was still feeling bruised, physically and emotionally. But still, some of the worries pressing at her mind had been answered, at least for the time being. Perhaps her next steps ought to be to start fixing those mistakes she'd been ruminating on.

"Be seeyin' ya round, Diyem. Thanks for the tonguewag. Now kindly show yourself out of my head."

Diyem obliged, and the feeling of pressing anticipation evaporated. Good.

Brisa set off back towards town, thinking of the other mon in her team, and whether any of them might be amenable to a moment together talking things out. But who to start with?

<><><><><><><><>

 

[Namohysip]

"...Now, I'm sure you're all wondering why you were brought here," Soda said, arms crossed as he paced down the grassy path. "This is an urgent mission that three teams have already failed. Karat actually ended up submitting a notice for an unruly feral Pokemon that he was having trouble locating. Now, the fact that he couldn't catch it at all was a little scary to begin with, because Karat is extremely powerful.

"...But the problem is, when the first team there took the mission, they came back in failure. Then Surf and Turf took the mission, and... came back after trying all evening to catch it. They also failed. It was so bad that Team Spice, Balm, and Cepa all went in at once to try to find this strange feral, and then they failed, too. So at this point, it's just a fucking crapshoot and we're desperate, so now we're leaving it to you guys."

Soda spun around to face the group. "Any questions? the mission is simple. Find the feral that's causing trouble for Karat, catch it, and then take it to us when it's contained or incapacitated. I'll take care of the rest. I know we're still waiting for Darkwhite to make a move, so it's not like you guys have a ton to deal with right now, and--"

Without warning, something screeched and lunged toward Soda, who immediately ducked to avoid the attack. It was something black and shapeless, yet incredibly quick. When Soda tried to strike it, his claws bounced off like it had hit an invisible barrier. "Gah! So I was right." He pointed at it. "There! That's the--"

A massive Psychic blast twisted around Soda, misshaping the ground below him to the point where he wobbled where he stood. "You little--Goddammit, Karat!" Soda spun around, pointing at him. "What's your deal?!"

The robed Pokemon grunted. "I almost had it that time," he growled.

Mission: Capture or defeat the massively Shadowed Rattata
Requirements: Total group stamina > 250

"Well, you saw it!" Soda shouted, pointing. "Go get it! We'll help!"

 

[Namohysip]

"How do we catch something that fast?!" Owen shouted, eyes darting around.

"Easy," Soda grunted. "We need to spread out and try to corner it. Simple! Can't corner that easily in a forest so we need to circle around. So everyone spread out! You saw it, don't lose it!"

 

[windskull]

"I'll try to drive it back this way!" Nip called out, running ahead. "A couple of you, keep to the sides, make sure it stays running forward — right into our trap!"

 

[Phoenixsong]

There was just no keeping up with the thing. Skara's eyes couldn't move fast enough to follow the streak of darkness as it darted around the group, and she certainly couldn't turn her head fast enough to track it. (Not much of a neck, after all.) Forget about trying to chase it. She wished Soda had made it clearer that this task would involve running. She'd have been better off settling in at the library.

The grubbin sighed, glanced nervously at the faces she could see, tried to stop her pincers' rapid click-click-click-click... She was here now, whether it made sense or not, and she couldn't just back down from a problem. There had to be some other way she could make herself useful while everyone else was sprinting after their target.

"I can't run it down," she offered eventually, "but if you do drive it back here, I might be able to snag it with a string shot." Probably not with a direct hit, not at the rate the blur was moving, but if she just webbed up the space between two trees, maybe that would stop it in its tracks. Or, well, at this speed it might just tear straight through, but hopefully it'd gum the pokémon's legs up at least a little so the others could close in.

Skara set to work stringing lines of silk between two trees that looked as though they had ample room to escape between—wow, did it normally take this much energy to spit out a few strands?—and then scooted a few feet up a trunk, out of the way. No need to be right in the shadowy feral's line of fire, after all. (Whatever a "feral" was.) She'd had enough of that for a little while.

 

[Disco]

Mellow had been blissfully unaware of the happenings in the woods, since she had mostly foraged the very edges. Apricorns were rather abundant in the area she frequented. The little rows of berry trees she'd begun out of freshly tilled soil were also coming along. Or had been.

The Charmander stared at her former garden. All the young berries had been snapped in half and mangled. And there seemed to be not a single Apricorn or un-eaten tree for as far as she could see. Mellow growled and stomped a foot, and then went to find the culprit.

It was as soon as she decided this that she heard voices. It sounded like... Sofa. That Zoroark. She frowned and went towards the voice, only for something to whizz past her so fast it left her spinning. The Charmander regained her balance a few moments later, and sighed. There were others here...? What *was* that thing that just passed her?

 

[Cresselia92]

“Ah! Nothing is better than the quietness of a lush woodland to savor the texts of an intriguing manuscript…”

Icetales was lying down on some fresh grass, his tails swaying slowly above his body and releasing a shower of snowflakes on his back. He was right under the shadow of an imposing tree, holding a very old book under his forepaws and reading paragraph after paragraph with uncanny voracity and desire.

“…So, in order to perform the perfect Encore, what I need is to bend the opponent’s psyche in a way that they will perform only a specific attack for a limited amount of time. The effectiveness of the technique can be augmented significantly by openly provoking the target with taunts and trickery, or by showering them with flattery and complimenting the use of the chosen move…”

He blinked and tilted his head.

“Flattery, hm? That should not be too arduous, I’d sa—”

Then, a rustle. Icetales perked up instantly and his ears swiveled in the direction of the sound, while his tails quivered and released a powdery snow.

“H-Huh? Who is there?”

The only response he got… was nothing. Only more rustles resounded from behind some bushes, and it seemed like the source of them was approaching him.

Icetales stood up instantly. Whoever or whatever it was, it surely wasn’t a friendly acquaintance who was there for teatime. He lowered himself to the floor, flailing his tails and readying himself to pounce on whoever the unknown presence was. The last thing he wanted was to be attacked first by some threat.

And then, a shadow burst forward. Icetales’ eyes widened in shock.

“Bejirah! What the—?!”

He was cut short by his own scream, loud enough to alert anyone who was nearby.

 

[Namohysip]

"C'mon, c'mon!" Soda said. "Fan out and close in!"

The coordination was rough and haphazard. There were several times where the mutated thing had toppled over Owen or Mellow, and a few when Skara had been barely able to nick at it. Yet despite everything, and after several failed attempts at surrounding it, they finally had all eyes locked onto it at once.

Karat made the first move, Teleporting behind it for a lunge. It hissed and blasted Karat in the face, forcing his hood backwards to reveal his face--it was, as many had theorized, a Mewtwo. He had violet-white skin, intense eyes, and a sharp frown. "Get it already!"

An Ice Shard from Nip was the final strike needed, a lucky shot after so many misses, and the Rattata shrieked and rolled to the side. While fast, it was not very strong, and after everything the team had gone through, that was all that had been needed.

Something emerged from the fattened Rattata and tried to slink away.

"Another Shade!" Owen announced.

 

[windskull]

Nip didn't have time to question just what kind of pokemon Karat might be (he'd certainly seen nothing like him), scampering forward to grab the shade. This time, he didn't try striking it with a shard. After last time, he had a feeling the others would be too keen on the idea of killing or injuring it, if possible. Holding the squirming creature in his claws, he looked up towards the rest of the group. "I hope one of you guys brought something to keep this thing in."