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Mewtwo's Lair

Reader mode
Well. That was sure a lot more... a lot. Bleh. Worry about it later. And if it needed to be sorted out now, Nova or someone would manage it better anyway.

"We'll see what else we find," she mumbled as Giovanni retreated and that godawful pressure finally let up. "Send someone to let you know." Someone other than her, ugh. But also she couldn't just leave Mew alone with no one but that creep for company most of the time. Except she could, really, because it wasn't him, and he was fine, so it was fine...

(Leaf would've been furious if it had been him. No question. But also... it felt crappy to even think it, given what'd happened to him and who his roommate was, but... it'd have been nice, too. Nice to have someone she knew, someone she trusted, someone who understood—even if only kind of, at the moment.

God damn it. She'd been doing pretty good on the homesickness front, what with all the work to keep her mind off things and new friends to hang out with when she was lonely or who understood when she wanted to talk about home. But now, out of nowhere getting so, so close to someone familiar and friendly only to have it all torn away... Suddenly her chest felt hollow. Suddenly being here without Red and Blue and Tank and Minerva and Rey and Clyde and Derby and Roll and Rajah and Countdown and Dad and Mewtwo and everyone just felt like shit, actually.)

"Those look neat, by the way," she said to Mew, nodding toward the little figurines he'd been messing with. Had he made them? Were they toys or something?

Whatever. Seemed like they were done here. Good. She needed to go for a run.
 
Leaf had a glance at the figurines, but it wasn't very surprising. Charizard, Venusaur, Blastoise, Pikachu... yes. They were most definitely nostalgic recreations of his team, likely a whole world away doing something else. It really was Red.

"Goodbye, and good luck, Wayfarers," Giovanni said over what must have been an intercom. "Be sure you don't befall any... misfortunes along the way." He chuckled just as Mew gathered them up, and finally they were brought back to the bulletin board...

It seemed, tenuously, the Wayfarers had another ally on their side. Strangely, that ally was usually many worlds' great enemies...

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[Ch06] Motivations
  • Threadmarks
    • "Hmm, I see."

    It wasn't long since they'd left the Twilight Quarry, but Nova had taken the change to speak with Giovanni at around the same time Silver wanted to do the same, though perhaps for different reasons. Mew Red didn't seem to be present at the moment; perhaps he was busy with board errands.

    Giovanni drifted left and right as the Wayfarers filled him in on what had happened in Twilight Quarry. "A great concentration of Shadows, corrupting any who enter, led by a Hydreigon or Zweilous for the sole purpose of... What, exactly, is his goal here?" He casually twisted his palm upward as if to shrug. "I'm not sure what the endgame is for him."
     
  • Threadmarks
    • "From the way Mhynt describes him, it sounds like he's in the 'Conquer everything and rule it with an iron fist' camp," Nova said. His metal beak managed a slight smirk. "I'm sure it's a familiar motive. Bound to have crossed your desk once or twice, right?" He figured he didn't have to say the subtext out loud.
     
    "Hmph." Giovanni smirked at that, tail flicking. "I suppose it has, though my methods tend to be more... financial. Raw power is nice, and you do need it. But the power to manipulate the hearts of the strong is strength above strength. I suppose I can admire this Alexander for finding his own way to do that."

    He crossed his arms.

    "And you want me to help against him... how, exactly? I may be researching the power of friendship, but I'm not blind to my weaknesses. Darkness still lurks in the corner of many hearts, including mine. I don't think a direct confrontation is in my best interest."
     
    "You think you're the only one like that?" Nova's crest darkened. He forced the turquoise feathers to regain their usual luster.

    "I figured that your Overseer colleagues or whatever would be familiar with shadows." He tapped a talon on the floor. "Maybe you overheard a technique or two they have for handling that corruption. Something us mere mortals can put to use?"
     
    From the sidelines, Silver listened keenly to the ongoing conversation, his arms crossed and his eyes narrowed in contemplation (and a passing smirk briefly crossing his muzzle after Nova’s little tease).

    While his initial plan was to trade intel with Mewtwo Giovanni and see if he found some juicy information, he begrudgingly pushed that matter aside as the group had much bigger fishes to fry. Giant, corrupted fishes in the shape of dragons of darkness, from what he could gather. And even though he dreaded the idea of a (potentially unwilling) union between two megalomaniac masterminds, there was a tiny side of him who recognized that Giovanni’s near legendary power could be a valid asset.

    “I’m sure nobody’s claiming that this is gonna be a cakewalk or that we shouldn’t tackle this mission without extreme caution,” muttered Silver, his gaze downcast as he mulled things over. Then he let out a sigh. “But it’s also true that we can’t leave this Alexander guy and that dark dungeon unchecked. Who knows what else or who else he could get his stinky paws on? So,” he glanced at Giovanni, “any help or suggestion works, really! Maybe we could even try… oh, I dunno, some ‘friendship tips’ or whatever to see if we can befriend Mhynt’s pal? Y’know, power-of-friendship-cures-it-all and all that sappy nonsense?”

    Asking Giovanni for tips to make friends… yeah, the world was definitely spinning backwards now.
     
    "Hm. I have given some of my notes on that before, but maybe I could find more advanced techniques," Giovanni said noncommittally. his attention drew over to Silver...

    "Hmm... Friendship is powerful and tangible for Pokemon and humans, and Pokemon to Pokemon. As beings of energy and will, the power they channel can be bolstered by their desires, even through the thickest darkness. And... you Wayfarers have a back door to that connection, don't you? It's been described to me as... a tug toward one another.

    "I wonder if that could be a key to rescuing him... Of course, this is all a vague theory." He shrugged. "Worse comes to worse, you could kill him. That tends to resolve a problem or two, making people disappear. It isn't like that matters for your group, individually."
     
    "We could." Nova's expression was stern. "Hell, it's a route I'd normally consider."

    He shook his head. "But think about it from an organizational perspective. A lot of Wayfarers have never had to resort to something like that. It would traumatize those who took part in it. Demoralize those who witness and learn about it. Hard to generate a lot of strong bonds with a burden like that weighing on people's souls, don't you think?"
     
    At hearing that final suggestion, Silver felt his entire body prickle uncomfortably, his lips pressing into a thin line and his brows furrowing dangerously — the poster child of scorn and bitterness, shaped by years spent in a hostile, bloodthirsty world of business.

    “Tsk, forget it! Nobody’s gonna start compiling their rap sheets by spilling blood if we can avoid that!” he hissed, his claws digging into his arms. “Even if Owen’s soul will be sent back to his world after… ugh, losing his body, we shouldn’t consider such a drastic solution until we have exhausted all our options, and we have plenty of ‘em yet.”

    Silver tapped his chin thoughtfully. “…I know a few of us have purged Alexander’s darkness from within themselves by using an artifact. So… what if that wasn’t the only object that could cleanse the darkness?” He glanced at the others. “Maybe there’s something else with similar properties? Another legendary token?”
     
    "Hmph. That's true," said Giovanni, conceding Nova's point. "I suppose in the long term, the sensitivities of the team are to be considered... This legendary token. A relic, yes? Hmm..." Giovanni paced, thoughtful. "Perhaps if you found a way to give that same blessing to your friend. It wouldn't be very safe, though, and I imagine you'd also have to deal with actually getting to him, subduing him...

    "Oh. Which reminds me. I suppose I can supply you with these to help... but be warned, they won't do well unless he's already weakened. They can't force Pokemon, especially sapient ones, to stay inside for very long."

    He tossed a small bag of Poke Balls their way. Five total, all empty and unused.

    "I only request you report to me the results on their effectiveness, as payment."
     
    Nova inspected them to see if they were just vanilla poké balls or attempts at something better, like the luxury ball he carried. "I imagine it's going to come to blows, so, uh, yeah. Suppose these can help. And we do have access to sources of the counter-energy to shadows. But, like, how does this blessing stuff really work, exactly?"
     
    It seemed to be a stockpile of black-and-yellow ones, reminiscent of Giratina's colors... though one more versed would know these were two tiers above the standard. They'd certainly be of use.

    "I'm not sure," Giovanni said simply. "Blessings are complicated and they can vary from world to world. I haven't had the opportunity to see how these... 'saints' work here. But if you could find a way to transfer that power into a Ball, or an attack... especially of Radiance, who knows? It could also fail. Or kill him." Giovanni shook his head. "You'd need to ask an expert in Radiance for the effects."
     
    "We basically... had the radiance pushed into us." Nova sat on his haunches and nudged the air with his chitinous forelegs. "But, uh, the one who gave us that energy is... in a bit of an unusual place. I'm not even sure I'd be able to get a hold of her to try and help out with this." His crest drooped slightly.
     
    "Perhaps I can have my partner do some checking around. He's very mobile," Giovanni offered. "I can't say I'm sure of what else I can do to help, other than those and my advice. Hmph. It sounds as though you have other resources...

    "You mentioned that he regularly goes out on... errands for shopping. Do you know where?"
     
    "He goes to 'towns,'" Nova said. "And we've personally run into him in both Blaguarro and Frontier." He didn't really know much about the other towns outside his brief jaunts to Little Scriven for the springs. And surely he would've heard about a shady looking zweilous showing up just from eavesdropping on public chatter.

    "There was, uh, one other thing. At least, about the people he corrupted." The chimera's turquoise feathers crinkled. "Some of their strikes... when they hit me, it felt like they were digging into my aura in a way that would... hamper my ability to heal myself. Does that sound like anything you've heard of before? Any countermeasures come to mind?"
     
    "Hmm..." Giovanni nodded. "Healing from Pokemon... I remember researching this once. Or heard one of the scientists babble about it now and again. Often times, the healing uses the Pokemon's own aura to repair the body. That's often why you cannot heal something already dead--no aura to tap into. Some techniques keep you from reaching into that aura, like Heal Block. But from your description...

    "I believe those attacks rip the aura itself. No aura, no healing. So, you would need to counter that by finding ways to heal the aura directly, or stop whatever is wounding the aura so it can repair."
     
    Once again, the conversation shifted into a foreign territory featuring once more that stupid hydra. Rather than making a fool out of himself by blabbing about something he didn’t know anything about, Silver focused his efforts into gathering all the information he needed from the much bigger Pokémon (seriously, when was he going to evolve?!) while rolling one of the new Poké Balls in his paws to study its texture.

    The topic of healing with aura piqued his interest vaguely, his ears twitching and his gaze attentive. Healing-based strategies never really crossed his mind when he was much younger — a Pokémon that couldn’t endure pain for long was weak and fragile, and healing only encouraged weakness and hampered endurance. At least, he used to believe that, but now…

    The redhead gazed at his claws, which shone with the faint energy of a Drain Punch. Huh… Funny how his perspective had changed so much after turning into a freaking weasel.

    “…Perhaps some Radiance-imbued healing or protection could help with that?” he mused, glancing again at the others. “Whenever I used a Radiance-charged Drain Punch while at full aura, I could sense something in my body, like some excess energy that pushed my energy beyond its normal limits.” He shrugged and looked again at the Poké Ball. “Dunno. There might be a way to replicate that, like some Radiant Aqua Ring or whatever that passively heals the aura.”
     
    "I mean... I did infuse radiance into a blast seed when dealing with Cipher," Nova mumbled, looking at his bag. "But I dunno if the same would work for a berry."
     
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