Frontier Town Greenbough Empirical Orchards

[Panoramic_Vacuum]

"Wh-what?"

Steven's eye widened and widened as Archie spoke. A few of the items he'd regathered slipped from his grasp again.

"You met the Wolf? You spoke with the Wolf? And he knows the shadow voice, too? This is..." his eye searched the grass for some kind of explanation and came up empty. "...it's unprecedented. Nolan said when he'd met the Wolf, it attacked him on sight."

His gaze settled back on Archie's bandages. If the Wolf had attacked him too, he would have said something, right? Instead Steven blinked, recounting one of the more unusual things Archie had said. "And we're a... a danger to spacetime?" Confusion seeped into his tone. "I don't know what that means."

But before Steven could ponder further, what Archie said next sent a flood of ice through him. "You think we're being tracked by the shadow voice? Rayquaza above..." If that was the reason the skorupi found them at the Haus... They weren't just a danger to the rest of the group, they were a danger to everyone in Frontier Town.

"Archie," Steven began, unable to keep the quaver from his voice. "How certain are you of this?"

 

[Weazel]

“The Wolf…” Archie said, crossing his arms. Maybe he skipped over a few too many details…

“He said he’s trying to deal with the Shadow Pokemon problem, too. The Shadow Voice told him that we were going to get in his way somehow, make things harder for him. So he tried to dissuade us from pursuing our own investigations. When we wouldn’t, he, well…” The Oshawott gestured to his bandaged belly, “I think the voice is manipulating him somehow, corrupting him.”

He tried to run through everything the Wolf had said that night. “Okay so like, imagine reality as a sheet of fabric. Forlas has a history of humans being summoned from other worlds. When a new one comes along, they have to pass through that fabric sheet, and that displaces some of the threads, loosens them up, and the sheet gets thinner in that area. Usually, these summons only come singularly, and once in a generation, so the effect on the fabric is minimal. But for us, it was several dozen all at once, all having to pass through that fabric at the same time, in roughly the same area. But if you displace too many threads at once, you open up a hole in the sheet, and it loses structural stability. It weakens, it frays, and it tears.”

He really hoped that made a bit more sense to the Beldum. Corey – the one from his world, not the one that had been here – would’ve been so much better at explaining it. As for Steven’s final question…

“It’s just a theory, but it explains everything very neatly,” he said. The Oshawott clenched his fist over his arm, bunching up the fabric of his coat sleeve underneath. “There’s… Something else, that ties into it. When we fought the Rangers, they said something about battle being the way Pokemon come to understand one another. I thought it was metaphorical, but Nova thinks there might actually be something more literal to it. That when we fight, we open our hearts to one another. He theorized that maybe by fighting the Shadow Pokemon, they’ll eventually open their hearts to us, and we can bring them back from the brink, like how defeating the Drapion made it settle some, act more like a normal feral Pokemon and less like a mindless murder machine.”

The Oshawott shook his head, “But… I’m worried that it’s a two way street. And that every time we face a Shadow, we open our hearts to it, and invite some of their corruption in, too. That’s why the Shadow Voice is only able to contact those of us who’ve faced a Shadow Pokemon, because, now we’re all on the path to becoming them, too. Voclain theorized that The Wolf was still early on in his own progressing Shadow corruption, and that’s why he was still mostly lucid, and while I hate giving that pompous blowhard’s words any weight, I keep wondering, what if he’s right? And what if now we’re all falling too?”

 

[Panoramic_Vacuum]

Steven let out a shaky warble, trying to absorb everything Archie had laid out. "I think I understand. I'm not sure which is more troubling, the tear we've created in the fabric of reality, or the fact that the Wolf is trying to stop the shadows, not create them."

"Nolan told us that he suspected the Wolf was responsible for making the shadow pokemon. Based on this, Nolan appears to be wrong, and the Wolf attacked him for getting in the way of his own investigation. Which means someone else is responsible for their creation, or the Wolf is lying."

He shook his head. The shadow situation just kept getting messier and messier. Especially because as Archie explained further, a weight began to grow in Steven's chest. The anxiousness in his mind wondered if shadows in this world had mass...

"So... what should we do? Those of us who have been hit by the shadows, I mean." The healing areas on his side began to prickle more. A fleeting thought of turning into something like the drapion crossed his mind, and he shuddered.

 

[Weazel]

“I don’t know,” Archie said, shaking his head. “But, the Wolf. He’s like us, from another world. I got the feeling he’s been in Forlas for a very long time.”

He wasn’t sure who exactly this Nolan person was, or how trustworthy they were relative to Seth. Really, it could go either way. But he doubted Seth was the one responsible for the Shadow Pokemon, at the very least.

“Nova thought that maybe if we could get that opposing power, we might be able to fight the Shadows more effectively. Apparently Felin has some kind of lead on that, so he suggested we seek her out,” the Oshawott added. “Until then, I don’t know… First, we have to warn everyone who’s come into contact with a Shadow.”

 

[Panoramic_Vacuum]

"Radiance," Steven said. "That's what it's called, this opposing power. Nolan said it's a power used by the Saints here, and it can be granted to normal pokemon to wield as well. If Felin has a lead on finding someone who has the power of Radiance, then we need to follow her there."

He hated how desperate he sounded. But the thought of being infected by the shadow, being tracked by it, was too unsettling. "But, if she's not been struck by a shadow attack, is it safe for us to go with her?"

His gaze fell. "I... I don't want to be responsible for getting others hurt by these shadows, or worse, infected, if that's what this is."

Steven clenched his claw tight to keep it from shaking. "Perhaps we should look into a place anyone who has come into contact with the shadows can stay, away from the others."

The last thing they should do was divide their group's numbers, but if the mere presence of those struck by shadow attacks were a risk to attract more... At least he and Koa could still be roommates.

 

[Weazel]

Radiance and Shadow. Light and Dark. The Oshawott supposed it was almost poetic in a way. Far be it for him to doubt the power of the light, but, it almost seemed too perfect, somehow. But, it was their best bet. At the very least, they couldn’t just sit around and give into despair.

“We have to be proactive, we can’t just hide ourselves away,” he said, shaking his head. “Remember, it’s only a theory right now… But we shouldn’t hide it. The others deserve to know, and then they can decide if they want to take the risk or not.”

The last thing Archie wanted was to be responsible for causing a general panic, or irreparably dividing them all. They were, literally as well as metaphorically, stronger when they were together. Plus, Nova had said something else that was important, something that Archie could back up with some evidence he’d seen as well.

“I know, this is probably gonna sound really dumb, but… Try not to panic?” he said, before cringing, “What I mean is… Nova said he knew a Shadow Pokemon back home, and when that Shadow experienced negative emotions, like fear, that’s when the shadows latched on the hardest. It was the same with The Wolf. When he was calm, he was almost normal, but the angrier he got, the more the it seemed like he was getting possessed. So, I think, the more you give in, the more power it’ll have over you.”

“But, Nova also recommended that, not just us, but everyone consider leaving Frontier Town as soon as practical. He thought that maybe now that the Shadow Voice knows where it is, he’ll be able to send Shadows there even if those of us he’s had contact with are all gone from there,” he added with a sigh. “At the very least, everyone should consider relocating away from the Haus...”

 

[Panoramic_Vacuum]

Steven nodded. "You're right. I don't want to hide anything, and we should absolutely tell the entire group about this. But you can understand how I'd rather test the theory by isolating and being wrong, than remaining here and being right..."

Slowly, he rose slightly higher and then settled back towards the ground. A metaphorical deep breath. "It's not panic. It's rational thought. A scientific approach." He nodded to himself, sounding somewhat calmer, but there was still a waver in his tone, a doubtful tilt of his eye. It was one thing to not panic, it was another thing entirely to not be afraid.

"I admit," he began, "I'm not used to feeling this way. I've always had the power to do something, to help. Here, though..." he trailed off, not entirely sure why he was admitting all this to someone he hardly knew. But it was too late, the floodgates were open.

"That night at the Haus... Everything changed so much, and so quickly. I didn't know I could be poisoned like that, crippled like that. Even if I had the ability to do something against that shadow, in that moment I couldn't."

He seemed to almost curl in on himself, as much as a beldum could, anyway.

"Everything I am-- who I was-- was tied to my world. When people saw me, they saw the things that I had, the things that were around me or were associated with me, but not me. When I came here, it was different; all that was stripped away. In some ways I thought it would be a blessing. Now I'm not so sure."

His gaze lifted to find Archie's own. Even though a beldum's expression couldn't convey as much, Steven's voice betrayed just how tired he felt.

"I'll try not to panic. But when you're shown how powerless you are, it's hard not to be afraid."

 

[Weazel]

Steven… Just who was he in his world? The name seemed so familiar, the association with Beldum of all Pokemon so very apt. Clearly he was a man of some importance, with a lot riding on his shoulders. Powerful, prestigious, and so very, very not used to being in a situation he couldn’t control.

“I’m scared, too,” the Oshawott admitted, taking off his hat and placing it over his chest. “But sometimes, we can’t worry about the things we can’t control. We just have to focus on the things we can. In my world, my real world, I wasn’t some hotshot. I wasn’t a great hero like some of the other people here. I wasn’t on some grand adventure, fighting injustice and righting wrongs. I was just… A normal guy. So I guess, maybe that’s why it’s not such a big deal to me when I feel so powerless.”

He put his hat back in its place, and looked off into the distance, “But, I knew how to compartmentalize. I had the focus and the drive to not sweat the small stuff. I did what had to be done. And… When my world died, I made sure I didn’t die with it. And it didn’t matter who got hurt, who I stepped over to get out. I made the jump, I escaped to a second world, I got a new life. But, in return, I lost my memories of the life I had before. Some of them have come back, but most of them are still lost in that nebulous void.”

He put a paw over his stomach, “Sometimes I wonder, if I deserved to live when everyone else died. I don’t think I’ll ever have an answer for that question. At least, not a satisfying one.”

The Oshawott looked back at Steven, meeting the Beldum’s eye with his own. “But I figure, I’ve got my life, so I’ve got to keep moving forward with it, doing the things I can do. You’re alive too, Steven, you beat the odds, came back from the brink. So, don’t act like you’re dead, like there’s no future. If you’re powerless, then find the power you need. You did it once before, in your own world, right? Only this time, you get to define that power for yourself, instead of having other people define it for you.”

 

[Panoramic_Vacuum]

Steven's eye went wide. "Your world died?"

No wonder Archie could handle all of this. He'd witnessed the end of everything and lived to tell the tale. And yet as the words left him, a horrible sinking feeling struck Steven in the chest. Like he was falling down a dark, endless hole. Like he couldn't breathe.

The end of everything. Lived to tell the tale. You're alive, too. Don't act like you're dead.

A haunted look crossed Steven's face as the echo of windchimes floated on the breeze, or maybe the sound was all in his head. Either way, he snapped back to the present with a rattling gasp. What was that? He stared at Archie, trying to gauge if the Oshawott had heard the same thing.

When Archie didn't react, Steven shook his head and regarded him with a sorrowful look. He wasn't really sure what to say. Archie had been through so much. "I'm sorry," was what he came up with, and it hardly felt like enough. Briefly, he was struck with Archie's remarkable similarity to Bellatrix; how they'd both lost so much --of themselves no less-- and kept moving forward despite it.

His eye closed, and he mentally chastised himself. He had to do better. What he had lost was nothing compared to what others had endured.

"You're right," he said, slowly opening his eye. "It's hard to start from square one. You of all people know that. I can't stop until we make this right. Whatever is going on in Forlas, whatever we've done to this world, we have to see it through to the end."

 

[Weazel]

The Oshawott blinked, bringing a paw up to cover his mouth, “Uh…”

What had possessed him to say all that? That was a whole lot to dump on the Beldum all at once! All of a sudden, it seemed like Steven was very far away. For a moment, it was so quiet between them, Archie was sure he could hear a pin drop. Even the gentle wind rustling the leaves of the berry trees seemed to vanish. Like for a moment, the whole world was waiting, hung on to Steven’s words.

“It did,” Archie affirmed, awkwardly. It felt so… Disgustingly blasé to put it like that. But how else was he going to explain it? Walk the clearly traumatized Beldum through the play by play as the stars vanished from the night sky, as the sun dimmed and died, of throwing everything they had at the monster behind it all, and then, finally, turning on one another as the world froze around them, robbed of its warming light? “I.. Try not to think about it much.”

When Steven finally came around, Archie gave him his best smile. Even he had to admit it was more than a little strained though. “You’re right, though. We’re here to save this world, and we can’t give up until we see it through.”

For better or for worse. If they succeeded or they failed. They were in Forlas for the long haul.

 

[Panoramic_Vacuum]

So everyone here carried some kind of baggage with them, that much was clear. Clear enough from the roulette of emotions that flickered across Archie's face. The Oshawott settled on a smile, perhaps more than a little forced, but a smile nonetheless.

Steven held the silence, floating a little lower to the ground until he was nestled amongst the scattered ingredients he'd been gathering. What had Ghaspius said the combination was? Jasmine and peppermint? Or was it chamomile and lavender? The wind rustled the treetops as Steven selected a sitrus berry from the pile and used his claw to separate it into two halves. Carefully, he plucked a few sprigs of lavender off the bunch he'd gathered, and muddled them with one half of the berry before holding it out to Archie.

"Here. It's not much, and I'm sure somewhere Ghaspius is shaking his head, but maybe it'll do some good."

 

[Weazel]

Archie accepted the half berry from Steven, with the slightest look of confusion on his face. Sitrus Berries, what did he know about those? Well, they had a taste that was impossible to place, though cooking them would burn away the sugars and leave the resulting dish somewhat tart. They could also be consumed raw, and were well known to promote healing- Oh. His expression shifted to one that was more properly grateful.

“Thank you, but don’t put yourself out on my account,” he said. Still, he wasn’t going to turn down the treat, all this walking was putting strain on his injuries again. So he gave Steven a nod, and helped himself. Hopefully the Beldum was taking a little more care of himself than Archie was, his wounds had looked really bad, and the Oshawott had no idea how well, or how quickly, a Steel Type could possibly heal.

“It’s not so easy without Pokemon Centers around, huh?” the Oshawott joked, hoping to lighten the mood some after multiple heavy topics in a row.

 

[Panoramic_Vacuum]

"It's no problem," Steven said, setting down his half of the berry and lavender concoction before gesturing to the orchard at large. "There's plenty more where that came from. And I've got a lot more ingredients to collect, still."

When Archie offered a quizzical expression, Steven gave a small chuckle. "Not sure Pokemon Centers are a replacement for what I need." Not that he'd even seen an injury like this from a normal pokemon battle.

He buried the thought and nodded at the pile of things he'd been gathering. "I'm healing well enough. Steel types need time more than anything, but... I've been having trouble sleeping. Ghaspius offered to whip something up for me that would help."

He wasn't one to assume, but he gave Archie a sidelong glance and said, "I can gather extra if you'd like him to make some for you, too. Not that I'm implying anything, mind you! Just that it's probably better that we're well rested for things to come."

 

[Weazel]

Steven was having trouble sleeping? Well, Archie couldn’t exactly blame the Beldum. He wondered how many dreams the Pokemon had that involved that Drapion bursting through the walls looking to finish what it started… And here he and Koa were trying to tame the damn thing. It probably didn’t make Steven feel any better knowing the Shadow Pokemon was still in town, even if theoretically it couldn’t get anywhere so long as they had it locked in its cell.

“… Actually, I’ve been feeling really restless lately, too,” the Oshawott admitted. It probably didn’t help that he’d not managed to move from the Haus yet… Or find a roommate despite his vocal support for the plan. He honestly didn’t even really know who he’d ask, or who’d even be willing to accept! But, something to help him relax and sleep a little better might be good to take the edge off his stress. “Why don’t I help you gather? Between the two of us I’m sure we can manage a decent surplus!”

 

[Panoramic_Vacuum]

"Ah, that'd be great, actually," said Steven, rising and tidying up the ingredients he'd found thus far. "It's a rather relaxing activity, at least when you know what you're looking for. And I'd be lying if I said I wouldn't enjoy the company."

He offered Archie a genuine smile. For this one moment, at least, they only had to worry about what berries grew where.

Steven scrunched his eye up in thought before giving Archie an apologetic look. "Err, you wouldn't happen to know what a pamtre berry looks like, would you?"

 

[Weazel]

Finishing his berry snack, the Oshawott brushed the remaining juices off on his coat - it was going to need washed from all the dust it was tracking from his treks through the desert anyway. A little berry gathering did sound like a relaxing way to spend an afternoon. Certainly less stressful than anything else he'd been doing lately. Or at least, he thought so, until Steven started quizzing him on berries! Pamtres... Archie was sure he'd seen them in the larder once or twice while he was on mess duty back home.

"Uh... They're kinda purple-y, aren't they? Vaguely egg shaped?"

Hopefully the rest of the ingredients Steven needed weren't going to be this exotic...

 

[Panoramic_Vacuum]

Steven glanced from the Orans he knew, to at least three different trees sporting purplish, vaguely egg-shaped berries with names he definitely didn't remember, and began to laugh. The sound was a mixture of his own voice, and the chiming tones of his beldum body.

It took him a moment to compose himself. His eye was still upturned with mirth when he regarded Archie once more. "If only that narrowed it down!"

He didn't mind, though. Not like he was in a rush to leave the orchard, anyway. "Might as well collect a few of each," he said with a small bob that was as close to a shrug as he could manage. "We can find out which one it is later. Besides, I'm sure Ghaspius will find a use for anything we bring back. He's clever like that."

Steven floated up to a nearby tree and with some concentration, managed to pick a berry from one of the upper limbs with a psychic grasp. It was a pleasant surprise, given how little command he'd had over such powers to date. Happy with his spoils, he floated back over to Archie, holding the berry up for him to see. It was purplish, and vaguely egg-shaped.

"I think this one is called a Maybe berry," he said confidently. "Maybe it's a Pamtre, maybe not."

 

[Weazel]

Steven’s laughter was infectious. Archie was a little embarrassed about how immediately useless he proved to be at the task he’d just offered to help at, but, honestly? It was kind of nice, in the way it felt almost normal. Ever since the fight with the Rangers, he’d been thrown into one situation after the other, constant danger, stress, and confusion. He’d missed small moments like this.

“Sorry! Sorry!” he said, waving his paws and chuckling. Then he pointed to a blue and yellow berry, shaped vaguely like a spinning top. “I know that one though, it’s Chesto, pretty much does the opposite of what we’re looking for here, so make sure you avoid it!”

He put his paws on his hips and nodded, as if he’d just explained some key information Steven had never heard before. Then stifled another chuckle as Steven brought back his ‘Maybe Berries’, his serious impression ruined. “Hey, worse case scenario, I’m sure between the two of us we can bring back a little of everything. I’m sure Ghaspius will be very impressed with our foresight!”

<><><><><><><>​

 

[MintyMimix]

Much like the namesake of the Month of Rot, Ghaspius's usual expression of whimsical joy had wilted to a pensive frown. He hoped that gathering ingredients would've pushed the memories of Terminal Two out of mind, but serenity only served as an echo chamber for his thoughts.

You're making this threat just to be able to make the threat. Tormenting me for the sake of it? How 'heroic'."

The Mismagius out let a frustrated sigh. He never considered himself a vengeful or petty Pokémon, but those words kept playing on repeat in his head. And now Ein was dead. That was undeniable proof, in his eyes; he had to reconsider his own attitude towards his others. And that began with his team.

He left Nova a letter asking if he was available to talk. Particularly about his species and his past, if he felt comfortable. Ghaspius wasn't sure if he'd show up, but he hoped busying himself with gathering would pass the time enough. He briefly recalled another of his team members also using Greenbough as a meeting place for discussing ARK-related matters, so it had to have been safe for discussion. His eyes occasionally darted to the entrance in anxious anticipation.

 

[Ambyssin]

It was rare Nova got direct summons. In fact, it was never. Nova had the letter in his beak as he walked into the orchard. The orchard in a desert.

... Which, frankly, Nova didn't need to question. He'd seen much stranger.

He'd swapped out the psychic disk for for one that turned what was a pink a fiery red. The harsh sun was much nicer than it had been before. And when Nova saw the mismagius floating around nervously, he tried channeling some of that heat toward his beak. The red glow around gold metal blackened the page and the ashes fell by his gold talons.

"Hey." Contrary to the display, Nova's tone was easygoing. "I think you should be able to use Betelephone next time. Probably safer." He looked over his shoulder. "Since I don't have a place right now."