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Sojaveña Wilds Brisa's Cabin

Reader mode
“Power I couldn’t control?” Archie repeated.

He took a few steps to the side, to better get a look at the plant Nova was watering. The Dewott held out a paw, and called some of the sprinkled water to him. It collected into a sphere above his paw, and he focused on holding it there for a moment. He’d known other Water Types who were much more adept at focusing the energy for their attacks at places other than their mouths. He more or less did the same with his Scalchops. But without his shells for a focus, it was much more difficult to hold it in place without firing it off. Even focusing as he was, the little ball of water shivered and writhed. Every so often, a little bit of Shadow energy coursed through it, dark shapes within the ball.

“I guess, eventually, I’d die,” he admitted, overturning his paw and releasing the energy holding the water in place. It splashed down between them. The Dewott realized he didn't really have the energy to work himself up anymore. Instead, he just felt so very tired. “Either from the loneliness of isolating myself, or… Someone else, would come to put me out of my misery.”
 
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Nova saw the shadowy flecks and tried to keep his expression neutral. "And if you couldn't isolate yourself? If some... primal instincts drove you to places where there are people?"
 
“Then I’d kill myself,” the Dewott said confidently, “Assuming someone else didn’t kill me first.”

He stared into the Graydian’s eyes, wonder if that was the answer Nova expected, or wanted.

“I hear the screams in my nightmares, Nova. Even now, after all this time, and every memory regained is a fresh horror. Being the sole survivor is a fate I wouldn’t wish on my worst enemy,” he shook his head, “I won’t do it again, I can’t. If the option is me or the world, I’d rather die to preserve the world.”
 
"I see."

Nova continued to quietly water the shrubs. Dribbling water across dried out branches and leaves.

After several seconds of this, Nova spoke again.

"I'm going to die when we return home." He sprinkled more water over the shrubs. "That's what the Comb showed Mhynt." He brought his leg back down. "The option... was me or the world. And I chose the world."
 
“… I see,” Archie said.

The Dewott’s shoulders slumped. What else could he say? Nova didn’t need reminded of the unfairness of life. The cruel joke of it all. They were all going to go home and forget about this whole adventure, except the people who were going home just to die. Why did this keep happening?

“I’m sorry,” he said, simply. “I guess, I’d hoped that maybe fate could be changed. These days I’m not so sure it’s possible.”
 
"No."

Nova gently rested his right claws on Archie's shoulder. "It's the exact opposite." His expression sharpened. "I'm doing this to change fate. To help someone who can change my world's fate."

He pulled his foreleg back. "I wish it didn't have to be such a drastic move." Nova sighed. "But I'm tired. I've been shadowed for so long. This... reprieve is very strange." He glanced skyward. "Probably a 'gift' from the guy who directed Betel to me in the first place."
 
“I guess I understand,” the Dewott nodded, glancing down at the talon on his shoulder. “If I was in that situation, I’d gladly give my own life to save my world’s.”

“Still,” he added, looking back at Nova to find the Graydian contemplating the sky, “Call me selfish, but… I’m tired of all my friends dying.”
 
"It's not selfish," Nova said. He went back to watering the shrubs with a held Multi-Attack. "It's... tragic. And some people are magnets for tragedy." He squinted. "Betel sure seemed to grab a lot of folks like that. I wonder if he misinterpreted 'heroic' for 'suffering.'"
 
That got a chuckle out of the Dewott. He couldn’t really disagree, they were certainly a tragic bunch of heroes.

“Maybe the hope was after all the suffering we’d been through we’d be able to persevere no matter what this world threw at us?” he mused. He wasn’t sure if he believed it, though.

“Earlier, you said someone directed Betel to you. I thought it was our universes who picked which of us got sent over?” Archie asked.
 
"For the most part, that's right." Nova sighed. "But then I wouldn't be here. My world would've turned Betel away." He doubted that made any sense, though. "It'd be like... trying to go to your favorite restaurant, only to find it unexpectedly closed for the week."

Nova waffled on whether or not to say anything more. Because the rest of the explanation involved something things that would absolutely hit a nerve. Perhaps he'd just... keep those parts vague enough.

"There was this... pokémon who had managed to reach my spirit through the shadows," he said. "They were... in the process of helping me trigger my Explosion sequence when they sensed Betel's presence. Probably offered my spirit up. That's my impression, anyway."

He pawed at the ground. "They might've been some equivalent to Auriga. I'll never really know, though."

He couldn't say it was a necrozma. A necrozma and an Overseer. That'd be too much for Archie, Nova imagined.
 
Nova was… Holding something back, being intentionally vague. Archie’s brow furrowed, but he hesitated on calling the Graydian out on it. Nova probably had his reasons for not wanting to share. If he was going home just to die, the Dewott couldn’t ask him to talk more about his suicide. It wouldn’t be right.

“I see.” he folded his arms, but at least had the decency to look ashamed with himself, “I’m sorry, I didn’t come all this way just to dredge up bad memories. Do you… Need any help with anything? Your plants, maybe?”
 
"I dunno how much longer they'll be my plants for," Nova said, sighing. "We got Brisa back." He looked over his shoulder at the cabin. "I... imagine she doesn't want a couple of jigsaw puzzles squatting in her house anymore." His gaze fell to the plants. "Might have to... figure out what to do here."
 
“Surely she has better things to do than boot a few people out of a cabin in the middle of the frontier?” The Dewott frowned. Though, again, he didn’t know the first thing about this Brisa. Maybe she was that petty? “Well, worse case scenario, maybe we can pool our resources, find a cheap place on the edge of Frontier Town or Novelux? I don’t mind pitching in to help.”
 
"Not Novelux," Nova blurted out so fast it was almost reflexive. He shook himself out. "Sorry. I don't... do well in crowded places. And I don't think it's wise for me or Sage to live anywhere near there."
 
The Dewott took a half step back, and blinked in surprise. That was a strong response, all of a sudden. "Sorry, I just figured with the Rustworks right there... But I guess it's not that big a trek to Silver Ravine, or even Lumirror Forest if that's more your scene."

Honestly, he'd thought Nova had done fine when they'd ventured into the city together with Silver. Had he really been struggling that bad? "Now more than ever, it just seems important that we all remain close."

He paused a moment to gesture at their surroundings, "Being isolated like this, it might keep you out of sight, but it's also hard to reach in an emergency... Maybe I'm just being paranoid."
 
"I get it." Nova nodded slowly. "And earlier I'd have agreed. But I think a lot of the danger is over in these bigger places. So, there are less problems out here." He stretched a hind leg out. "I just... need open spaces. For my peace of mind."
 
Archie wasn't sure it was that simple. The danger seemed almost omnipresent, no matter where one went. Big cities or the wide open country. At least if they all kept their home bases close enough together, they could theoretically react in time to keep each other safe, but... Well, maybe that was just wishful thing. After all, all those months ago when a Shadowed Skorupi invaded the Haus, they hadn't nearly managed to muster a respectable number - and that was back when they were all staying in the same building, more or less!

"I guess Novelux just reminds me of home. A city on the edge of the frontier, and all," He said, "Being there, I end up feeling safer than almost anywhere else."
 
"That's understandable." Nova's cheek bolts turned once. "Well, if you're going to head back there, then I wish you the best. But with this election business, I'm... probably going to stick around here and stuff."

He stretched out. "And it's getting late anyway. I'd offer to make you a bite but..." His voice trailed off and he looked inside. "I'm not sure it's my place to let company in here." Nova laughed nervously.
 
Election? That was happening now!? He was really out of the loop...

"Well, uh, I won't impose if you think you might get in trouble," Archie chuckled. "I'll try to come visit again soon. So, uh, make sure you leave a forwarding address, if you do end up moving out."

He'd meant it as a joke, but it ended up coming out lame. No taking it back now, though. He gave the Graydian a wave, and turned to make his way back to town. He had a bit of a trek ahead of him, after all.
 
Nova met Archie's lame joke with one of his own.

"If the need arises, I'll be forward with you!"

As Archie walked away, Nova slowly realized that lame joke sounded far worse out loud than in his head. "Stars, what was I thinking?" he muttered to himself, before collecting to the few supplied he'd brought out with him to tend to the shrubs.

<><><>​
 
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