Frontier Town Frontier Town Outskirts

[Phoenixsong]

Blue looked around for a second, confused. Still nothing but the dusty road out of town behind him and a pile of sticks that were definitely very lightly singed if you squinted at them, definitely. The only smoke was the bit still trickling from his mouth after he'd freaking choked. Don't cause an inferno? Like there was any serious chance of that happening? God, if this dude seriously rolled up just to rub his nose in it...

...it didn't really sound like it, though? Not entirely. Just bad at minding his own business. He covered one last cough by pretending it was an exasperated snort, which was mostly also true anyway. "I'm not an idiot. Practicing Fire Moves 101 is you don't do it without a way to extinguish any accidents." He gestured at a bucket of sand sitting nearby. "Spent enough time around a nervous charmander to learn that the hard way."

The weird sneasel's last question did make his ears prick up. Former human too. According to Leaf a solid chunk of these Wayfarer guys were supposed to be, though that was no guarantee they were from anyplace that was actually normal. Silver, huh. "Yeah, I guess." Just casually talking about how they weren't human any more. God. "Name's Blue."

 

[Cresselia92]

It was such a simple name, and yet Silver felt his brain frying from a sudden and sharp influx of contradicting information.

That guy said his name was Blue, right? But then, why was his brain insisting that his true name was Green? Silver knew a Green and a Blue in his world’s Kanto — because Kantonian people love to name their children after colors and plants for whatever reason — but the Green he knew was a guy while Blue was a gal. However, this Growlithe was a guy named Blue, and… uuuugh!

Stupid multiverse crap! No wonder Lyra Kotone had decided to let people call her however they preferred if that was how her brain burned if she pondered that too hard. “Think of it like your name suddenly gaining multiple synonyms”, she had explained one day. “Just lean into it and don’t overthink this weirdness like you always do.”

Okay. Whatever. That was confusing as hell, but okay. He was going to ‘lean into it’, then.

“Wait… you’re that Blue?” he asked, his eyes widening a smidge and showing interest. “Like, the current Viridian Gym Leader?”

 

[Phoenixsong]

Blue said "my name's Blue". Silver stared into space like that gif of the gothorita with a bunch of astronomical equations flying around her head. Ooookay then. Was that Betel guy taking a nap instead of translating again? It took a second, but the concept of "how basic introductions work" did seem to return to the guy eventually. Along with something else.

"Yeah... yeah, I'm the gym leader, that's right. Blue Oak," he said. His tail twitched a little on its own—finally, maybe somebody who recognized how important he was, maybe some actual respect around here—but he couldn't let his guard down just yet. Last time someone'd "recognized" him they'd also said he was supposed to be old. "Took over a year and a half ago, after they finally figured out the previous shining monument to human decency was actually Rocket trash. Why, are you, uh..." (Are you? Were you??? He was talking to a sneasel, what even was the etiquette in this nonsense scenario.) "Are you a pokémon trainer or something?"

 

[Cresselia92]

So he’s really that guy! Or at least, a version of him… geez, that’s gonna get both confusing and interesting real soon, isn’t it? I wonder what he’s gonna think once he finds out that there is a Red here who is a Mew!

Silver smirked proudly, lowering a hand to his hip. “Oh, you bet! Actually got the title of Ace Trainer not too long ago, back in my world, but I’m aiming for much higher than that!” He glanced away and began grumbling to himself, although he was still loud enough to be heard if someone paid attention. “I’d only need to beat that idiot Ethan at least once…”

Knowing well that getting angry about an impossible scenario wouldn’t have helped at all, he huffed to dismiss the matter and focused once more on Blue. “Anyway, yeah, I’ve heard plenty about you… or, well, a you, if you catch my drift? After all,” he cocked a brow, a knowing gleam flashing in his gaze, “why shouldn’t I be interested in the Trainer who took over my father’s gym?”

 

[Phoenixsong]

"Big fancy title, huh? 'S not bad." Not bad at all, actually. Blue almost wanted to see if the guy could put his money where his mouth was, but Super Kidnapping Action Magic Space Porygon hadn't had the courtesy to bring his team here along with him. (Or tell him how long it'd be before he'd see them again.) And as for actually battling themselves, well... already frustrating enough that Linden could just shrug off everything he tried when they sparred like she didn't even notice it. If this dude had been stuck here as long as her with nothing better to do than punch god about it, that was just asking to get run over.

(Growlithe Brain itched, a tiny, persistent little dog whine of try anyway, try harder, get stronger, run faster, burn hotter, you can. He reminded Growlithe Brain that he had no interest in making a fool of himself, and also that was not what they were talking about right now. They were talking about—)

His eyes went wide as Exeggutor's heads. No way his dad was...? But he'd just nodded along even after Blue'd said he was talking about the Rocket boss. So, what, not only was there another him and another Red (but not another Leaf???), but now he was supposed to believe there was another Giovanni out there? Come on. How many Giovannis could there possibly be?

Something still bugged him, though. "...Thiiiink I've seen you before," Blue said, squinting. "A you. Whatever." Yep, still hate this. "There was some... redhead kid, couple months ago, like halfway through the off season. Bell and Salma caught him skulking around the gym, then he started mouthing off about needing to see inside." He shrugged, polished his claws on his chest ruff with affected indifference. "I said he could come back as an actual challenger if he wanted to prove he was worth bein' in the same postcode as my arena. And if he wanted anywhere near my office then—with all due respect, of course—hell no, but Machamp would be thrilled to give him and his team an up close and personal tour of the dumpster out back instead. Swore he'd return, blah blah blah, somethin' about showing he was stronger than some chick and this gym, yeah okay buddy, but..."

He frowned. Trying to jump the line for a badge was one thing, but what sort of little weirdo wanted to root around in a gym's offices? Had to be some kinda reason. Like, not a good reason; he wasn't gonna find anything. The League and the cops cleaned out whatever looked relevant to the Rocket scandal ages ago. (And left all the swanky decor and the fancy big screen and the intimidating desk and executive chair that made him look way taller, hell yeah.) But a reason, for sure. And if this Silver guy really was the minus world version of that one...

Blue's expression darkened, a mix of wariness and tiredness and something harder to place. "Don't suppose it'd be a bad guess if I said he was tryin' to dig up dirt on a guy named Giovanni, would it?" (Please say no. For the sake of his blood pressure, if nothing else. Please.)

 

[Cresselia92]

Probably Silver was supposed to react to the information with contempt, nod a few times and say something like, ‘yeah, that guy sure sounds like a jerk!’ Instead, his reaction regarding that whole situation made him simply raise an eyebrow and mutter a lone ‘huh’, and he mentally scoffed at the notion that the other Silver was caught red-handed. (Seriously? How could his counterpart mess up so badly? Did he — or both — lose their touch?)

Hence, when Blue asked for his own opinion, Silver found himself at quite the unusual crossroads.

Would trying to psyche out what that other Silver was trying to do — which supposedly should be something as easy as pie if they had a similar thought and logic process — equate to (sorta?) incriminating himself and putting a target on the back of his twin from another universe?

Sure, he miiiiight not entirely approve what his counterpart tried to do because damn it, they were supposed to be better than that and not behave like criminals anymore! And yet, he could also kinda understand why the other Silver would resort to using those ol’ Team Rocket’s tricks to barge into a private and guarded property, especially the Viridian Gym. It’d be an attempt worth the risk, according to the farthest and darkest side of his mind, and Silver guessed that was what the other guy believed, too.

Regardless, it’s not like either of them would remember this entire conversation ever happening and he didn’t want to get marked with red flags for not replying the question, so…

Silver rubbed his chin with a claw, his eyes narrowing. “Nah, I don’t think so. If I were that other redhead, which I suppose I am, then I wouldn’t be breaking in to search for dirt. More like…” He paused, wondering for a moment if he was on the right track, then sighed and shook his head. “Closure, I’d say. Whether it would be to put an end to that chapter of my life or to find out what happened to Giovanni after the whole ‘oh-so-powerful yakuza boss lost to a simple kid and vanished in thin air’ deal, I wouldn’t quite know. Maybe… a mix of both?”

He huffed and crossed his arms. “Simply put, I wouldn’t really have a reason to dig out dirt about Giovanni. What for? To drop further evidence to the Interpol and risk having the agents interrogating me again about my connections with Team Rocket and their potential plans or whatever?”

Silver shook his head again, focusing his thoughts on a single focal point. “No. I’d do something like that for a specific reason.” He preemptively held out a hand in self-defense. “And no, I’m not endorsing those actions or anything! I left that moronic delinquent life behind me a long time ago! Still,” he lowered his hand and his gaze grew stormy in an instant, “the only reason I’d willingly relapse… it would be to find my father by myself, utterly crush him in a battle, and relish immensely as I spit on his face what a bastard and pathetic loser he really is!”

 

[Phoenixsong]

Fortunately for Silver, feeling judgy about his apparent checkered past wasn't really on Blue's radar right this second. He was a little bit distracted by the edge that'd come over the guy's tone outta nowhere, something harsh and hollow and raw that pinned his ears back against his head. Frozen claws pricked at the inside of his chest where there should only have been fire. Just for a second; then it was gone. The sense of something off took a little longer to recede.

"Dude, chill," he said, taking another half-step back without really thinking about it. "'S not like I'm a cop or anything, I was just asking, sheesh." What the hell was that?

He did his best to shake off the sudden nerves and give himself a sec to think, since for all the weird distortion it didn't look like Silver's head was about to start spinning around on his neck or anything. (Yet.) There was no love lost between this kid and Giovanni. Somehow, just a hunch, just a teeny-tiny nails-on-a-chalkboard hunch, he was pretty sure that part was sincere. So probably he wasn't actually going around stealing stuff? (Good to know there weren't two active criminals on this happy little field trip, at least.) Part of him wondered how much of all that applied to the little dumpster punk back home. Wasn't really the point now, though.

"S'pose you can't actually tell me what some guy in a whole other world was after. Not like it matters. He didn't do anything other than talk a big game he couldn't back up, not really. But, uh. I'm... sorry? That your dad sucks?" Blue shrugged awkwardly, but there was a hint of sympathy buried somewhere under there. "Personally, if I never see the guy again it'll be too soon. Got more'n enough work to do turnin' the joke he left behind into a real gym. But I guess I ain't the one who needs, like... closure?"

This whole conversation was a hard left from the 'wow, aren't you that super cool gym leader' he'd been expecting. Hell of an icebreaker you picked there, Oak. Good job.

"Uh," he continued lamely, "if, uh, if you're that set on humiliating Giovanni, then what're you doing mucking around some completely unrelated... universe?" He gestured broadly at the town behind them. "I dunno, I feel like if I was that passionate about kicking my old man down the stairs, it'd mean I had better things to do than run around cleaning up Yeehaw Junction or whatever." (Probably the demon possessing him wouldn't appreciate the distraction, either.)

 

[Cresselia92]

Blue’s reaction didn’t slip Silver’s acute gaze, and this made him realize that he was slightly getting carried away by his resentment (ugh, freaking Shadow, why couldn’t he get a little angry without risking to get heated and then sound like some cursed demon?). He sighed and ran a pair of claws through his red mane, and the motion cooled his emotions.

“…I’m not going schizo or turning into some kinda hell-beast, just so you know,” he muttered evenly, keeping a neutral expression on his face. “That was some… Shadow, a lovely gift given to all of us by the almighty dark patron of all edgelords. Some kinda power that augments negative emotions and stuff.” He shrugged. “Everyone in the team has that weird junk, so the sooner you know ‘bout it, the better?”

When Blue expressed his sympathy regarding his relationship with Giovanni (a kinda crude way to show that, but Silver appreciated the effort, anyway), the Sneasel scratched the back of his head and looked away, unsure how to respond.

“Um… thanks? That’s just the story of my life so, huh, I’ve got plenty of years to get used to it. It’s no big deal. And yeah, I know ‘bout the Gym’s traps and secret passages and all those lovely little things.” He snorted. “So I can imagine all the headaches and how terrible it must be to fix everything. So, um, sorry you’ve got to deal with my alternate father’s mess…?”

Jeez, how come the conversation had shifted to Giovanni so quickly? Silver was so ready to move on and talk about something else, aaand nope! More Giovanni nonsense, even if there was a little of something else. Why did he agree to help Forlas, again?

Silver sighed again, this time with a hint of exasperation. “Okay, look, as cathartic as it would be to kick my old man’s ass, that’s not the first of my priorities, y’see?” He shifted slightly, his hands moving to his hips. “Before I got dragged into this whole cowboy nonsense, I was working on my dream: becoming the strongest Trainer in my world. And, also, I was more worried about cleansing my… well, far-from-immaculate rap sheet. I don’t wanna be seen as a delinquent anymore, but it’s kinda hard when people keep treating you as one…?”

Silver paused, temporarily wondering if he should leave it like that, but ultimately decided to push forward. No more hiding or deflecting.

“So, when Betel asked for my help alongside everyone else’s… I guess I saw a chance to prove that I’m not some irredeemable jerkass? If I could help save some world then, maybe, that would have been the proof that there was some good in me? I could have proved to myself that there is some good in me?” He looked away. “That’s probably kinda selfish in retrospect, but at the end I found some people who understand so it’s not all that bad…”

Okay, that was more than enough heart-pouring to some total stranger who surely wasn’t going to think weirdly about him now. Starting to feel the unease from his confession, Silver stared at Blue, his eyes shining with curiosity.

“But what about you? Why did you accept… um, your summoner’s call? D’you need some break from all that Gym paperwork and whatnot?”

 

[Phoenixsong]

Everyone here has it, he said. Get used to it. What the hell had these morons gotten themselves into? (And did "everyone" mean just the ones who'd been here for ages already, or... What the hell had they gotten him into?)

Blue almost laughed when Silver asked why he'd landed here. "Hm, let's see. I could be kicking back at my huge, expensive, cushy desk, winding down after a good day of training with my guys, reviewing some easy, boring plans for new ref classes." He held up both front paws like he was weighing the options. "Or I could get turned into a dog, dropped down a muddy hole with a pile of liars and gun-toting maniacs who don't understand a word I'm saying, and wind up dragged into a plot to piss off a different bunch of gun-toting, sword-waving maniacs where all I can do is hope my head's still attached to my neck by the end of it. Oh, boy! How could I ever possibly decide?

"I didn't 'accept' anything, pal. I heard a bunch of vague, distant mumbling about my friend needing help, I got worried, turns out she's havin' the time of her life actually, and now I'm stuck in this nightmare for my trouble." He scowled, but he looked more tired than angry. "So yeah, paperwork sounds like heaven, thanks."

He listened to Silver's own story while he tried to stuff the irritation back down. "Nothin' wrong with a guy cleanin' up his reputation," he admitted. "Can't exactly say I'm a stranger to damage control. And I s'pose going to some whole other world to do it does sound pretty... noble?"

There were, perhaps, other words for blindly tossing yourself across the multiverse into a dangerous mess that had nothing to do with you, but Blue was just about polite enough to keep them to himself. Apparently he was outnumbered, anyway. Sure seemed like wanting to play hero was contagious around here. Or maybe, given the fact that Space Porygon was supposed to have explained itself first, the group had just self-selected to be a bunch of people with a pathological need to insert themselves into other people's problems. Bunch of high-and-mighty jerks who'll just think that makes them better than you.

Blue's ear twitched. Then he shook himself again, and the nasty little itch was gone. Weird. Whatever. "Well. Good luck with all that, I guess." He stretched, big enough to hopefully signal 'this super-fun conversation can end now, thanks'. "This has been absolutely delightful for both of us, I'm sure, but I've gotta get back to..."

He frowned as he looked down at the resolutely un-singed kindling bundle. Get back to what? Accomplishing absolutely nothing? Choking on his own smoke? With his mood even sunnier than it had been when he'd started? Fat chance. This wasn't gonna go anywhere today.

"...Screw this," he huffed, finally standing up and turning back toward town. "Training's over. I'm gettin' lunch." The little maus things that were apparently hotel staff and not a catastrophic health inspection violation had probably brought out the midday buffet at this point.

"Nice meeting you, Silver," he muttered, as the sneasel waved and headed off. Nice-adjacent, at least. Somehow the former Rocket with the D-horror–tier voice modulator freakout was not the worst or most obnoxious person Blue had met here. Incredible.

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