Frontier Town Founder's Square

[Ambyssin]

Nova turned his head enough to side-eye Kotone.

"If it was a happy tale, I don't think I'd be here."

 

[Cresselia92]

Oh. Right. Nova had mentioned that his world was in some sort of mess and that Arceus needed to fix everything, didn’t he? Kotone felt a twinge of sadness pulsing though her, but let that feeling flow out of her with a defeated sigh.

“Then I hope your home will get a happy ending someday, or at the very least a bittersweet one,” she said with a weak smile, trying to offer some hope. “If there’s a will there’s a way, no?”

Kotone sniffed the air, having detected a faint floral scent in the air. They were getting close to the marketplace or orchard?

“Can’t say I relate, unfortunately. Like, yeah, my home isn’t 100% idyllic and we got into trouble with Team Rocket — a very dangerous crime syndicate — and there was a bit of a crisis related to a sieged tower and a few enraged legends and an attempt to conquer Kanto, a nearby region, again. But everything ended up fine, at least? We got help from everyone and fixed matters before they escalated too much and too quickly.”

Kotone placed her paws on her hips and smiled more brightly. “So even if I dunno how bad things truly are in your home, I’m sure you’ll find a way outta it. I believe in you!”

 

[Ambyssin]

Nova kept his expression from changing. "Yeah. I'm sure the way out will be found soon enough."

And I won't be around to see it.

"We will soon be arriving at our final destination," he said in a poor mon's impression of a train announcement.

 

[Cresselia92]

Kotone perked up at that and flashed a fluorescent grin. “Oh, sweet! Then y’know what that means!” Her eyes began sparkling and she punched the air with a skyward fist. “Shopping time!! And after that, berry juicing time!!”

The Buneary leapt off of Nova’s back, trusting the chimera to carry here heavy book for a little longer, before bolting toward the stands. “C’mon! My rabbit nose is wiggling — literally! There’re lotsa fresh berries over here!”

Underneath her cheerfulness, Kotone still had in her mind the unfortunate fate that awaited Nova, but even thought she knew she couldn’t do anything to fix the situation directly in his world, she could at least help keep his mood high in this world.

Berries of Forlas, beware! The cheerful former human and now Buneary was gonna brew the most delicious and uplifting blend to have ever graced Forlas’ surface!

<><><>​

 

[canisaries]

Ben swished his paw through the waters of the fountain, sitting on its edge. The water felt like the water at home. At least that was normal.

Nothing else was, though. He was trapped in a strange world with no humans outside ones inhabiting pokémon bodies, which by itself wouldn't be that bad, but one of those mon-bodied humans had just recently confirmed he was the one to kill Mike. Not even just kill. Torture.

Some part of Ben wanted to tell him that Mike was tough and he was probably tough until the end, but the rest of him knew this did nothing to make what his trainer had gone through better. And nothing ever could again. He was gone. Unless he'd turned into a ghost pokémon, but that was so obscenely rare that it was laughable to suggest.

So, Ben kept swishing his paw through the water, just to feel something other than dread.

 

[Cresselia92]

As a newly-evolved Lopunny, Lyra had to learn how to tune in the myriads of sounds and vibrations that her ears were now able to detect, and what better way to do that than by hopping through an extremely busy and noisy part of the city?

…Definitely anything but hopping through a noisy part of the city. A lesson she learned immediately when her brain started buzzing from the incessant sounds, forcing her to move to a quieter area.

Gosh! I oughta buy some earmuffs soon! Or maybe I could try crafting some with my fur when I’ll be molting…

She tapped her new dewlap, relishing the softness of her pink fur, and giggled to herself. Who needed pillows when you had your personal built-in airbag?

Soon, she found herself by the square, which was much emptier at that time of the day, and her ears twitched when they detected the faint yet soothing sounds of splashing water. Now curious, Lyra hopped closer, and noticed the Teddiursa scattering the water around with his paw. He seemed lost in thought, but what kinda thoughts?

With nothing better to do (and to let her mind rest for a bit), she got close to the bear and smiled earnestly. “Hi! Dontcha mind if I join in? Kinda feel like you could use some company. Oh, name’s Lyra, by the way!”

 

[canisaries]

Ben looked up to see a lopunny. She seemed friendly enough, and, yeah, maybe Ben could use some company.

"Hi," said Ben shyly. "I'm Ben. Are you a Wayfarer?" Her voice seemed familiar somehow...

 

[Cresselia92]

Lyra’s eyes sparkled with recognition. “Ben? So you’re—”

—the Teddiursa whose Trainer has been killed by Andre in who knows what horrible way—

“—one of us! Yeah, I’m a fellow Wayfarer!” she added quickly, diverting from the much darker conclusion. “We’ve already somewhat met, I’d say, even if not physically? At least in our heads, if you catch my drift.”

Lyra smiled brightly, hoping that Ben didn’t thunk too hard about the circumstances behind their first “meeting”, and she leaned down on the border of the fountain.

“So! How’re handling this whole pseudo-vacation in another world or universe? Liking the local ‘mons?” She giggled softly. “As a former human, this whole experience has been, well, quite the whiplash but also so very fascinating! Though I have to take much longer to brush all my hair now, haha!”

 

[canisaries]

Oh, so this was that girl from the mind-network-conversation that had happened after that monster had confessed to his crimes. She seemed to want to avoid talking about that, though. Ben felt a little offended, though wasn't sure why - he didn't really want to talk about it, either. He'd rather get his mind off of it.

“So! How’re handling this whole pseudo-vacation in another world or universe? Liking the local ‘mons?” She giggled softly. “As a former human, this whole experience has been, well, quite the whiplash but also so very fascinating! Though I have to take much longer to brush all my hair now, haha!”

"Well, I haven't gotten to know too many people yet," Ben said, bringing a paw to his chin. "I guess I'm a bit... shy. I've always been that way."

He lowered his paw. "I was an ursaring back home. But a talking ursaring, like the way mon talk here. I've heard not every world the Wayfarers come from have mon that can talk. Does your world have talking pokémon?"

 

[Cresselia92]

Lyra tilted her head, her curiosity growing. “Ah, Ursaring? Wow, it must’ve been weird having been devolved by this world, huh?” She smiled more warmly and wagged her tail. “But I’m sure you’ll be able to get back to your original form soon enough! I could lend a hand—well, a paw with training, if you wish~!”

Satisfied with having broken the ice a little, Lyra sat by Ben’s side and looked down, swinging her legs away from the water.

“As for talking Pokémon, if you mean the ones who don’t rely on telepathy, then they are very few where I come from. Most species lack the adequate vocal chords to fully replicate human speech. In my entire life, I’ve only met one regular Pokémon who could speak fluently, and he went outta his way to be able to speak. In a sense, he sacrificed a bit of his Pokémon-hood to become more… human, we could say.”

She glanced at Ben. “Though, I gather that talking Pokémon are the norm in your world, or at least common enough?”

 

[canisaries]

Lyra tilted her head, her curiosity growing. “Ah, Ursaring? Wow, it must’ve been weird having been devolved by this world, huh?” She smiled more warmly and wagged her tail. “But I’m sure you’ll be able to get back to your original form soon enough! I could lend a hand—well, a paw with training, if you wish~!”

To evolve had not really crossed Ben's mind, him so dearly hoping that this trip to another world would be too short for it to matter. But as he thought about it some more, it really would be better if he evolved. He'd feel more at home in his body again, and he'd have the power to make sure he wouldn't act out of line...

“As for talking Pokémon, if you mean the ones who don’t rely on telepathy, then they are very few where I come from. Most species lack the adequate vocal chords to fully replicate human speech. In my entire life, I’ve only met one regular Pokémon who could speak fluently, and he went outta his way to be able to speak. In a sense, he sacrificed a bit of his Pokémon-hood to become more… human, we could say.”

She glanced at Ben. “Though, I gather that talking Pokémon are the norm in your world, or at least common enough?”

"Well, just in terms of numbers, most pokémon are still wild," Ben explained. "But among the ones that live with humans, many can talk like me. And we have more rights than the ones that don't. More responsibilities, too, though. Like going to school." He scratched his chest. "Some people say that's overkill, though. Most pokémon citizens don't educate themselves further after compulsory education ends after secondary school, anyway, and the jobs they go on to do probably don't require even that amount of study. Like, that happened to me, and also my Mama, and we were fine. Mama was a helper at a kindergarten and I became a battler. Even if..." He hesitated, then shook his head. "No, I am pretty strong. Or was back home..."

Mike would have wanted him to remember that.

 

[Cresselia92]

Oh, how utterly fascinating! So the talking Pokémon in Ben’s world were somewhere between wild Pokémon and humans in terms of rights and responsibilities. Lyra supposed it made somewhat sense, since it would allow talking Pokémon to better integrate in a more human society, or at least a world that accommodated multiple sapient species.

When Ben mentioned being a battler, Lyra felt her heart twinge as some conflicting thoughts started brewing. She instantly thought of the conversation she had with Andre and his whole deal with killing terrible people, and there she was with one of his victims’ Pokémon, who seemed to remember fondly his past as a battler. It was obvious that Ben loved his Trainer, no matter what flaws and terrible secrets they might have had.

And then, for a flash, she saw a Totodile standing defiantly and protectively in front of his Trainer, despite the countless claims that his kidnapper was a ‘bad boy’ and a ‘bad influence’. A bad boy named Silver, who learned how to open his heart and genuinely love his Feraligatr, and who now was a hero in Forlas.

Two Pokémon who loved their ‘bad’ Trainers despite everything, and yet who ended up with two completely different futures.

“…Right. I’m sure your Trainer made you a really talented and powerful fighter, back home…” Lyra muttered, her smile morphing into a sad expression. She twiddled her fingers, deciding to try bringing up some positive memories. “And, um, your Trainer. How were they? Did you two have other teammates and earn some accomplishments, like badges or trophies?”

 

[canisaries]

Now they were talking about Mike... but maybe that was good. Lyra was giving Ben an opportunity to talk about how good Mike had been to him, which people on Forlas definitely needed to know rather than the version Andre was spreading.

"My trainer was a man named Mike," Ben said. "Mike Thomson. He had dreads. Was white, though - I hear people assume differently when I bring up the dreads. He was... well..." He scratched his cheek. "He was confident, definitely. Sometimes he could go a little overboard, too, but he always told me that you have to act like that or people won't know you won't take crap from them. And he helped me get confident, too. Well, more confident."

Ben sighed. "Our team had some members that came and went, but our most recent team - at the time I left, anyway - was me, Zara, Twister and Titan. Ursaring, toxtricity, sandaconda, steelix. The last two aren't talking mon, so they're more like wild mon, just... tamed.

"As for badges... we didn't really do the circuit thing - we were local battlers. Just minor league stuff so far" - it would never be more than that - "but we have had some pretty good wins here and there. Mike says it's all thanks to me. Even at... the cost of the other teammates, though it's not like anyone but Zara's smart enough to understand that." Ben shook his head. He was slipping into negativity. "But Mike really was a good guy. I don't care what anyone else says. He was... he was good to me."

 

[Cresselia92]

"My trainer was a man named Mike," Ben said. "Mike Thomson. He had dreads. Was white, though - I hear people assume differently when I bring up the dreads. He was... well..." He scratched his cheek.

Lyra shrugged innocently, unbothered by the description (which she guessed might have reminded some folks of likely delinquents, maybe?), and listened to Ben’s story with interest and understanding.

As someone who grew up in the Daycare by the melting pot known as Goldenrod City, she was used to mingling with Pokémon and humans with the most disparate attires, backgrounds and cultures, and she refused to judge anyone by first impression and prejudice. Mike was no exception.

"But Mike really was a good guy. I don't care what anyone else says. He was... he was good to me."

“…I believe you, Ben,” Lyra responded almost automatically, not a single shred of doubt echoing in her voice. She placed a hand on Ben’s shoulder, a sad but empathetic aura shining in her gaze.

While there were still many questions in her mind and she had no way to judge this Mike personally, she was certain about one thing: Ben’s feelings were sincere and mattered, and if he needed a shoulder to cry on, she was there for him.

“And I’m truly sorry that you’ve lost someone who’s so dear and important to you.” She rubbed her wrist-fur on his shoulder in a soothing manner and looked down. “He was like family to you, wasn’t he?”

 

[canisaries]

“…I believe you, Ben,” Lyra responded almost automatically, not a single shred of doubt echoing in her voice. She placed a hand on Ben’s shoulder, a sad but empathetic aura shining in her gaze.

Ben froze for a second, not knowing how to act at something this... kind. He didn't notice the tears beginning to well up in his eyes.

“And I’m truly sorry that you’ve lost someone who’s so dear and important to you.” She rubbed her wrist-fur on his shoulder in a soothing manner and looked down. “He was like family to you, wasn’t he?”

"He --"

Ben's words caught in his throat, and his face twisted in sorrow. A sob escaped him, and he rushed to look away, to wipe his eyes, to grab his arm.

He should answer. But there were two answers. One he'd give anyone and one he'd give no one. Because no one would understand, not even Mike.

But here he was in a world filled with mon that walked and talked like humans. Surely anyone who'd been here for any kind of while, mon or human, would realize that the hearts inside humans and talking mon were the same...?

Would she, then, understand?

Ben looked back to Lyra, into her large eyes. Understanding eyes.

Yet Ben couldn't. No. Not yet, anyway.

"...He was," Ben said, leaving out the part where Mike was more.

 

[Cresselia92]

Even without actively using her acute emotion- and body-reading skills, Lyra felt her chest squeezing tightly at the sight and murmurs of the sorrowful and heartbroken Teddiursa, unable to do anything more than offer a joyless gaze of her own and a few extra rubs. Let it all out, she silently encouraged with her gesture.

She waited patiently for Ben to calm down and offered a sad yet sympathetic smile when he looked back at her.

"...He was,"

The brief moment of hesitation that preceded those words didn’t go unnoticed to Lyra but she didn’t ask to elaborate. By his own admission and by his behavior, it was obvious that Ben was a fairly shy ‘mon, and the last thing she wanted was to make him withdraw by forcing him to admit whatever truth he was hiding. She needed to earn his trust first, but she could still hazard a few guesses.

Sounds like they used to be surrogate brothers, or something close to that. Kinda like me and Lapis…’ she thought, her mind drifting to the spunky Marill waiting for her back home.

“…I see,” she murmured, then sighed somberly. “Um. If there’s something I can do to help, lemme know. I can tell you’re going through a lot, considering…” she paused, unsure, then finished her sentence after taking a deep breath, “considering who summoned you…”

 

[canisaries]

“…I see,” she murmured, then sighed somberly. “Um. If there’s something I can do to help, lemme know. I can tell you’re going through a lot, considering…” she paused, unsure, then finished her sentence after taking a deep breath, “considering who summoned you…”

Right. Him.

Ben sighed. "Thanks. I don't think you can do more to help me than just listen, but just listening is a lot already." Ben was not going to ask Lyra to kill Andre.

"And... yeah. It's been pretty insane that Andre was considered... not by Betel, but I suppose some kind of reality itself... to be 'heroic', when he did what he did. When he is what he is." Ben frowned. "And this whole 'I'm redeemed now' thing... I don't buy it, not one bit. You don't kill, what, nine people and then suddenly decide that's wrong. Right?"

 

[Cresselia92]

"And this whole 'I'm redeemed now' thing... I don't buy it, not one bit. You don't kill, what, nine people and then suddenly decide that's wrong. Right?"

The terrible reminder that Andre had killed nine people made Lyra inwardly squirm, and she unconsciously rubbed one of her oversized ears, her mind splitting into two halves.

While she was willing to give Andre a second (tenth?) chance since he seemed genuinely regretful and willing to atone for his crimes (and paths of redemption were always a good thing), she also understood why Ben was so suspicious and far less forgiving, considering that his trainer being murdered was a horrible thing.

She couldn’t simply expect Ben to be swayed by a mere ‘trust me bro’, but maybe there was some way to ease the tension between them, at least until the end of their quest? How, though?

“Um, no. Someone doesn’t simply get redeemed after committing multiple crimes, especially serious ones.…” she murmured, shaking her head slowly. “A simple confession doesn’t erase past actions, after all.”

Lyra rubbed her ear again, and her gaze drifted away, now deep in thought.

“But, huh, that doesn’t mean that people can’t change after realizing their mistakes. I mean, Andre has some serious problems he needs to sort through, some kinda addiction maybe, and folks with addictions have a much harder time stopping themselves. Think of,” she snapped her fingers, “of a smoker, yeah! Someone who might keep smoking to appear cool while aware that they’re damaging their lungs. They might not stop until the damage is irreversible, but at least they would not make things worse.”

Lyra let her words sink in, then sighed deeply. “Having said that, you don’t have to forget or forgive him if you don’t want to,” she continued, glancing back at Ben, “but can you at least lend him a paw in protecting innocent folks from more dangerous and lethal people? Like a teamwork between workers?”

 

[canisaries]

“Um, no. Someone doesn’t simply get redeemed after committing multiple crimes, especially serious ones.…” she murmured, shaking her head slowly. “A simple confession doesn’t erase past actions, after all.”

Lyra rubbed her ear again, and her gaze drifted away, now deep in thought.

“But, huh, that doesn’t mean that people can’t change after realizing their mistakes. I mean, Andre has some serious problems he needs to sort through, some kinda addiction maybe, and folks with addictions have a much harder time stopping themselves. Think of,” she snapped her fingers, “of a smoker, yeah! Someone who might keep smoking to appear cool while aware that they’re damaging their lungs. They might not stop until the damage is irreversible, but at least they would not make things worse.”

Ben frowned...

Lyra let her words sink in, then sighed deeply. “Having said that, you don’t have to forget or forgive him if you don’t want to,” she continued, glancing back at Ben, “but can you at least lend him a paw in protecting innocent folks from more dangerous and lethal people? Like a teamwork between workers?”

The teddiursa hummed uneasily. "I can definitely help the Wayfarers," he said, "and if that would mean helping Andre now and then... if I knew that it was for the good of other people, I think I would have to help him. Not that I really believe he'd actually help people out of the goodness of his heart. The universe just made a mistake bringing him here."

He sighed, then looked Lyra in the eyes. "And, Lyra... you should really be careful. I can tell from how you're speaking that you must have gone to Andre directly to get his side of the story. That's very nice of you -" more like naive "- but he's still a murderer. And a really good liar. He wouldn't have been able to kill so many people if he wasn't as good at pretending to be something he's not as he is. He's like... an arbok. With a false smiling face. You should be careful not to fall for it."