Truth or Dare Crossroads

[Namohysip]

"...No, I do not believe I will," Mhynt said, frowning. "That would hurt my eyes." The Treecko tapped at her forehead, her eyes just above them. "Still, it is good to meet you, I suppose. You do not seem like someone from... Kilo."

 

[UnknownUser55]

There was the harsh sound of a hum that briefly rang throughout the air, which swiftly had come to reveal itself as a large, hovering insectoid Pokemon. A Vikavolt, and she had appeared... rather on edge, being surrounded by a group of strangers in a place she could hardly call herself familiar with, at all. Her eyes slowly panned over the gathering of Pokemon present in the area, almost like a machine of sorts, before she softly made her landing and visibly relaxed with a sigh from her mandibles.

"...Who are all of you?" the Vikavolt asked. "And, what is this place?"

 

[ShiniGojira]

Consciousness returned to the being once more, their featureless face blinking and taking in their surroundings with their nonexistent eyes. They were standing on some sort of invisible floor with unfamiliar stars littering the world around them. They glanced down at their arms and legs, noting that they were still in their base purple slimy form.

Where is this? they questioned. They had been resting after cleansing another world of corruption and they were sure they hadn't yet created another portal to purge another universe. So where exactly were they?

Information, they decided was what they needed first. Wandering around the place, they stumbled upon a unique sight, several Pokémon were hanging about, all seemingly absorbed in their own individual conversations.

They hung back, their body slowly becoming translucent and then completely transparent as they allowed the disorienting feeling of invisibility to creep into their body. They couldn't afford to show their true self to normal creatures, not when they knew what consequences exposing their unnatural form to people could incur.

And so they observed, learning that they had to partake in some sort of 'game' in order to leave. 'Truth or Dare', the being snorted, remembering a tidbit from a life they'd been forced to abandon all those milleniums ago. Shaking away those thoughts, the being started to ponder on whether they should show themselves, it would probably ease them a bit if they'd appeared in a more appeasing form.

Making sure of their choice, they warped their surroundings, muffling the noises their body was making as they settled down into their preferred form. A woman with long brown hair and simple clothing.

They went by Alluhmieh, in this form, having long since replaced this form's original name when she'd embraced her new self so many years ago.

Appearing in view, Alluhmieh approached the tea drinkers with a practiced smile and wave. "Hello there, mind if I join the lot of ya?"

 

[IFBench]

Arctozolt swung its head towards the new arrivals, growling, though its legs took a step back.

Hostility isn't gonna get us everywhere!

It's gotten us this far.

And how far is that?

...

It slowed its growling, and simply said a curt, "Hello."

 

[Navar]

"Lots of new faces..." Shiron muttered.

And there's an actual human, like me! But let's not get ahead of ourselves... Shiron, stop talking to yourself.

Appearing in view, Alluhmieh approached the tea drinkers with a practiced smile and wave. "Hello there, mind if I join the lot of ya?"

He waved. "H-Hi!"

 

[canisaries]

"Sure, if you dare," she teased.

Andre shrugged - a strange gesture for a deer to perform - and took this as the okay to take his own cup. Although... how would he do that, exactly?

Oh, something grew from his withers. Two vines. They mostly obeyed Andre's wishes, but it was clear that working with new limbs would take its time to master.

He reached forward for a cup and tried to snake the vine through the handle, but knocked the cup over in the process, spilling it over the table. "Oh my goodness, I'm sorry," he blurted out. "I don't know how to use these things," he said, waggling his vines. "I'm not a deerling in my homeworld."

"...Who are all of you?" the Vikavolt asked. "And, what is this place?"

"Oh, hello," said Andre. "I'd try to tell you, but I feel like someone else here probably knows better. All I know is that we're from different worlds."

Appearing in view, Alluhmieh approached the tea drinkers with a practiced smile and wave. "Hello there, mind if I join the lot of ya?"

"Another human," he remarked and looked to the human already present. "You won't be as lonely anymore. Although I do have to wonder why some of us turn into mon while some remain human. Shrugging it off as cross-universe weirdness doesn't quite cut it anymore."

 

[Dragonfree]

Gabriel squinted. What... What was this?

All around him was a dark plain, the sky above sprinkled with stars. A strange pillar of mist, a bunch of Pokémon standing around, some of them drinking tea as if nothing were more natural. A singular human among them, arguing with a Ducklett -- a Ducklett, a talking Ducklett. The Pokémon talked.

Nothing felt real. He had to be dreaming.

Sometimes he had lucid dreams. Usually he'd use the chance once he realized to try to fly or something, for the minute or so before the dream dissolved completely and he just woke up. But nothing was happening this time as he tried to mentally nudge it to bend to his will; no flying, not even the sense of his consciousness bubbling toward the surface. Just the plain and the absurd collection of characters.

"Hi?" he said cautiously, walking towards the congregation. With a strange whispering in his ear that he somehow knew was coming from the pillar came an abrupt certainty about what was going on: they were playing Truth or Dare.

Truth or Dare? He hadn't actually played it before, not the kind of game his friends were into, but he'd certainly heard of it. The pillar whispered on:

Truth: "Is there anything that you've done that many would call horrible, but that you don't regret at all?"

A sudden pang jolted his stomach. Flames streaming from his hand, the man dying in front of him. No, no, he did regret it, he did--

[[Note: Gabriel is a Slugma Pokémorph, some art here]]

 

[Shiny Phantump]

"Define different," he spoke. "Are you not a kirlia?”

“Well, that’s the thing…” She gestured towards herself. “Clearly, I am. Which is strange given I was human last night.”

She took a sip of the tea, then looked down at the ground. “I’m not sure I mind, though? Being human… wasn’t all that great.”

She felt a mote of emotion, muted but subtly bitter, like her tea. This one was definitely hers.

Truth: What's your biggest regret?

“I’ve been alone for the last… four years. But I’m an identical twin. My-” She realized she’d talked herself into something of a corner. “My twin ran away when we were fourteen. And is apparently alive, not that we’ve spoken since. I wish we could’ve been closer, and maybe then I could’ve come along. But instead… we never really understood each other, I think. I just- I didn’t realize it at the time.”

She crossed her free arm over her chest. “I regret… not noticing, I guess. Then maybe things could’ve been different between us?”

She took a deep breath, then tried to think of something else to pass on. She settled on something that seemed fitting to the ball of emotion in her chest:

Truth: How do you deal with the feeling that things are going wrong, and there’s nothing you can do about it?

 

[UnknownUser55]

"...Different worlds?" Vikavolt donned a skeptical expression upon hearing the proposal of such a concept. "I'm not the Pokemon you want around to play with... whatever sorts of fantasies those ideas are." a huff came from her mandibles. She couldn't quite deny the idea entirely, though, upon taking another swift look around. "Whatever this is, I'm going to just believe that I'm trapped in some sort of strange dream. I've seen quite enough in my own line of work to not believe everything I see."

"Oh, hello," said Andre. "I'd try to tell you, but I feel like someone else here probably knows better. All I know is that we're from different worlds."

"...By the way, I guess you can all call me Vikavolt Eco." she introduced herself in an awkward manner. "I work at a guild. I don't typically do any of these 'Truth or Dare' games that youngsters play."

Her mandibles made a soft twitch, then. "N-not typically. More like... I don't ever."

 

[IFBench]

"...Arctozolt. None of you need to know anything about us," the chimera said.

 

[MintyMimix]

Roya and sleep were as much adversaries as they were close partners. No matter how wonderful and relaxing its loving embrace was, sleep always hit her upside the head when she least expected. That evening was no different. She let out a deep sigh as she realized she had involuntarily fallen asleep again.

"Damn it, I need to get that report back to the boss as soon as possible... Why it'd have to be now of all times?" she grumbled aloud before looking at what was ahead of her. The Luxray let out a prolonged, frustrated yawn as she sauntered through the starlit corridors. "At least there's something nice to look at this time."

After a brief inspection of the Whispering Pillar and overhearing the end snippets that she could of the other conversations, she shook her head. "Either Cresselia's playin' tricks, or this is one hell of a dream. Still, can't hurt to play along, I s'ppose."

Roya trotted over towards the little tea party and poured a tiny cup of her own. "The boss always liked this stuff," she remarked. "Personally, I think it could use a little sugar."

“Well, that’s the thing…” She gestured towards herself. “Clearly, I am. Which is strange given I was human last night.”

...

“I’ve been alone for the last… four years. But I’m an identical twin. My-” She realized she’d talked herself into something of a corner. “My twin ran away when we were fourteen. And is apparently alive, not that we’ve spoken since. I wish we could’ve been closer, and maybe then I could’ve come along. But instead… we never really understood each other, I think. I just- I didn’t realize it at the time.”

She crossed her free arm over her chest. “I regret… not noticing, I guess. Then maybe things could’ve been different between us?”

The Luxray's tail flicked as her glazed yet piercing gaze slid to meet a certain Kirlia's. "Not sure I buy the human thing, but shoot, alone for four years? That's..." Her eyes fell as her tail curled in. "That's just uncool. You got any way to keep in touch with him?"

Truth: How do you deal with the feeling that things are going wrong, and there’s nothing you can do about it?

Roya blinked at the question. Right, that was how the game worked. "I just kinda work it off," she said as she took a sip of her tea. The bitter taste that entered her tongue was all too familiar. "You can't think about it if you're busy. It ain't worth the time to worry over things outta your paws. Just bury it deep inside and forget about it, 'cause it probably ain't gotta matter as much as whatever's right in front of ya."

After finishing giving very unhealthy emotional advice, she hummed as she tried to come up with her own question. "How 'bout something like..."

Dare: Try to down a full cup of piping hot tea in one gulp.

 

[Shiny Phantump]

"Not sure I buy the human thing, but shoot, alone for four years? That's..." Her eyes fell as her tail curled in. "That's just uncool. You got any way to keep in touch with him?"

She laughed. “That’s fair. I’m not sure I’d buy it either, though it’s hardly the strangest thing happening here. You’re talking, too, after all. The line between human and inhuman is blurred here wither way. But. Um. If I had a way to keep in touch I would have used it. I wasn’t even sure if-”

A sudden pang jolted his stomach. Flames streaming from his hand, the man dying in front of him. No, no, he did regret it, he did--

She winced, startled by an alien sensation coming from somewhere behind her. Some of her tea spilled. It was rude not be listening to the Luxray, but she couldn’t focus. It kind of reminded her of Wicke, but… It was no use to her. She suddenly had a greater concern, namely the crushing pressure emanating from behind her.

She turned around to see the source… some sort of fire-type, but not of any sort she was familiar with. Trying to act less on-edge than she was, she waved. “Hello. Are you… okay?”

 

[Navar]

Truth: How do you deal with the feeling that things are going wrong, and there’s nothing you can do about it?

"U-Uh..."

Shiron gulped. Yay, a deeply unsettling question!

He grimaced. Well, he could answer. It was an easy question, all things considered.

"...B-Blame myself? I mean, it's as easy as breathing by now."

Truth. He could do one of those. Might as well ask one around...

Truth: What is your happiest memory?

 

[Ambyssin]

Person after person. Soul after soul. Meandering toward the strange pillar. Most seemed happy. Whimsical, even.

But it was too many at once. Lots of people. Potential danger? Confusion?

Nova stepped back, ears and head crept drooping. Body language saying not to approach. He glanced at the pillar.

Truth: What's your biggest regret?

"... I wasn't strong enough," he mumbled, "to protect them."

 

[Hanafuda]

Seb overheard most of what was being said. He was able to catch the mentions of ‘a crossroads in a spiritual plane’, ‘humans being turned into Pokémon’ and ‘Truth or Dare’. That last one got him a bit confused.

“Truth or Dare? I played that in elementary and middle school. I didn’t like it. Everyone was asking everyone if they had a boyfriend or a girlfriend. If you ask me, they were just asking the most generic questions ever. They weren’t even giving dares. Hope it’s much different here…”

A distant whisper reached his earholes, making his feathers shudder for a moment.

Truth: What's your biggest regret?

Going for the heavy personal questions already? Oh, who was he to judge? He had an equally heavy answer for that. He lowered his hat crest, obscuring his eyes.

((CW: mentions of suicidal ideation))

Spoiler

“I… I contemplated dying once. There was so much going on… Between trying to get better grades at school and that time I participated in saving the multiverse from this insane Hoopa who believed more in natural selection than the power of friendship… I just wanted the suffering to end. I didn’t ask for any of that. But it’s a bit too late for regrets now, right? All I gotta do is move on.”

Seb breathed out a heavy sigh after finishing revealing his truth. It hurt a bit, but he was glad to have let that out. He knew he would feel better later.

“Now, if I remember this right, it’s my turn to give you guys a truth or dare. I could ask about you through a truth, but I’d rather not make you say something you don’t want to. So let me dare you.”

Dare: Can you sing?

 

[Navar]

Shiron rubbed his arm, the mention of... that kind of contemplation made his stomach twist around.

However, the dare sounded fun!

"Oh, I can, one sec!"

He cleared his throat. "Be the one, be the one! Alright! I don't wanna give it up, fighting for tomorrow! Be the light, be the lights! Love is strong, and it'll always find a way!"

"...Man, that's cheesy." Shiron rubbed the back of his head.

 

[Hanafuda]

Seb turned and went towards the Marshtomp, intrigued by his attempt at singing. “Hey. That was nice. It did help with lifting the mood, so thanks. What’s your name?”

 

[lichhen]

PORY! PORYGOOOONNNN! PORY... PORYGON...PORY....

The echoes did not fade, but seemed to continuously bounce like a metronome.

It wasn't his voice shouting, but his thoughts. It was all inside him and he had no way to shut and lock it away.

His heart rapped and panicked. The darkness soothed.

So much time passed. He felt it brushing against him like the arm of a friend.

He was walking, had been walking for so long that he forgot what walking was.

He had no thought to look down at the body carrying him. When his eyes gazed, they did not look. The pupils repelled light rather than absorbed, cast over and cloudy.

He felt others, casting radiation not of the visible spectrum but of something felt deep in the bones, like getting old.

He heard voices. He remembered his own, though it whistled hollow.

"Hhhh-?"

The tiny acoustic waves spread through him. He felt his black hair, brushed out but utterly without shape, tendrils emerging like horns. He felt the nose on his face, the dark brown of his cheeks. He wore a bright green t-shirt and tight jeans on his little, human form, and rolled forward in the power chair he had built and loved all by himself.

Then he felt the same body, still holding down his thoughts just the same, except it was different.

This body felt exact. It felt perfect, never human. It felt fluid, yet nothing at all liquid.

He was a collection of smooth, falling surfaces - a porygon. His blocky legs wheeled at his sides just the same as before.

His name was Porygon. It was also something else, but he couldn't quite reach the memory.

They were not always the same person, but here, in this place, they were.

He realized he could be perceived as both a Porygon and a Human at the same time in this world.

It was very weird.

He was wondering about what exactly he was. But he had arrived at the Pillar already.

Its swirling clouds were familiar, like a reflection.

And it was peaceful, and there was the scent of boiled flower petals.

And there were some Others, suddenly. Oh. He was anything but alone.

He had somehow walked right through the different souls and ended up in the middle, staring up at the Pillar.

He looked around, glance catching on the cups of brown tea.

"P...Porygon...?"

Even with his human mouth, that was all he could say.


{{ Bill is a human or a Porygon interchangeably cuz Cool Spacey Stuff. I'll just stick him in here for now and play out how he ends up participating }}

 

[Ambyssin]

Songs? The pillar wanted... singing? Nova looked left, then right. He was no primarina. Or even a chatot.

Maybe that was what Nova needed to not be so... on edge. Something ridiculous.

"My funny valentine.
Sweet, funny valentine."

Oh god, what was he doing? What was he doing? He sounded terrible. Was he tone deaf? He doubted he was programmed for this.

"You make me smile with my heart."

And the guy he'd heard this song with was probably long gone. Which made this dumb.

"Your looks are laughable,
Unphotographable,
Yet you're my favorite work of art."

 

[Navar]

“Hey. That was nice. It did help with lifting the mood, so thanks. What’s your name?”

Right, socializing. And he got a compliment about his singing!

"Shiron Kazuraba. Or just Shiron. It's a pleasure meeting you!"