Frontier Town Old Town

[Shadow Serenity]

"Believe me, I don't think any one of us would underestimate him." And she meant it - so far, they'd all been through quite a few trials that pushed them to their limits. Surely none of the other Wayfarers would take anything they encountered going forward lightly, right...? Well, she wanted to believe that, anyway...

"Obviously I don't think the shadow voice has anyone's best interests at heart either, but if we stop the shadow infestation before he does whatever he's planning to do about it, he's got nothing left to fight for. That way we're not interfering with him, and still getting what we both want. Isn't that his whole goal?" He said he was fighting to stop them, right...? What did it matter if it was the Wolf or the Wayfarers that accomplished it?

It looked like she struck a nerve, so at least she was on the right track. Wes really didn't like the comparisons. She really hoped he wasn't feeling personally responsible for the Wolf's actions or anything like that. Maybe she shouldn't keep poking the bear... or, wolf, as it were, but she couldn't help herself.

"Tell me one last thing, then. You're not planning to do something stupid like... try to stop him on your own, are you?"

 

[HelloYellow17]

“You’d think he’d be more agreeable since we have the same goal, but…” Wes scoffed and shook his head. “He’s got a real massive ego. I can’t emphasize that enough.”

He wondered if Seth had other reasons for wanting to do it alone. Was it really just a matter of him not trusting anyone else to get the job done? Or…was there another reason he was so convinced he was the only one qualified to do it?

“Can’t help but wonder what else he knows…”

"Tell me one last thing, then. You're not planning to do something stupid like... try to stop him on your own, are you?"

Wes barked out another sour laugh. “Please. I’m nowhere near his level, that much was made clear. I’m not stupid enough to try to take him on solo again, at least not as I am now.”

And if you were different? If you were stronger? Wes glanced up at the sky as the thought needled at him. Well…if he were stronger, strong enough to take on that bastard…his answer might be different.

 

[Shadow Serenity]

The irony of Wes saying his other-worldly duplicate had an ego was not lost on Kimiko, but she opted not to draw attention to that one.

"He's obviously far more involved than we are, that's for sure," she said with a shrug. "But from what I'm hearing, the chances of us pulling any of that out of him aren't likely, so... we'll figure it out, with or without him. There's like, what, a couple dozen of us compared to one of him? Worst case scenario, at least I have a type advantage on him." The last line was spoken with a small smirk; obviously a fight would require more than just elemental affinity, but hopefully Wes would recognize her true meaning behind it; she'd back him if it came down to a conflict.

She wasn't sure what else needed to be said after that. Wes reassured her he wasn't about to take personal accountability for the Wolf's actions... yet. But his face seemed pensive as he looked skywards. She recognized that look. The second Wes felt he had an advantage over the Wolf, or stood a chance of beating him... she made a mental note to keep an eye on him in the future. He might want to go at it alone eventually. She couldn't say she knew how it felt exactly to have a dubious alter ego of herself roaming around, but she could still try to prevent anyone from repeating her mistakes if she could help it.

She also knew exactly how he'd respond if she tried to talk him out of it, either now or in the future. Instead, she took a few steps towards Wes' training rock. A tiny leap and a twirl later, and a flurry of energy seeds sliced through the air, most of them hitting the mark. Finding no aura to latch on to, they fizzled out after hitting the rock.

"Try it like that," she said, aware at this point that Wes probably didn't actually need advice on his accuracy. "Small but quick motion, light on your feet. Relax your muscles, try not to tense up."

 

[HelloYellow17]

Wes observed her demonstration and nodded as she spoke. Once Kimiko stepped back, he went back to his practicing position and focused on the target. Then, with a light leap upward rather than forward, he sent more pebbles flying. Some still missed, but most pelted the target rock directly, with enough force to knock it off the stump.

He blinked, surprised at how immediate the change was, and gave Kimiko a small, grateful grin. “Well, damn. Thanks for that.”

 

[Shadow Serenity]

"Not bad," Kimiko responded, sounding genuinely impressed. Not only had Wes' attack been more accurate, he'd also managed to put enough force into it on his first attempt to topple his target.

With a nod of approval and a small smile of her own, she turned, once again prepping to go back to her own training. "I normally train alone on the outskirts of town. But feel free to hit me up if you feel you need a sparring partner."

 

[HelloYellow17]

A training partner…that didn’t sound half bad, to be honest. He gave her a grateful nod. “I’d like that. I could definitely use the practice, to be honest.” He was determined to never let someone beat him as soundly as Seth had. Never again.

He watched her turn away, then stammered a little. “And, uh. Thank you. For…the chat. And the advice.” He shifted, not sure what else he was supposed to say. “I look forward to training with you.” Gods, why did that sound so formal?

Kimiko didn’t seem to mind, though, and simply gave him a friendly farewell. Wes turned back to his training, feeling at least a little better than he had before.

<><><><><>​

 

[HelloYellow17]

Wes’s paws carried him almost on instinct to the quiet old park at the edge of town—not too far from Nocwell’s, but far enough that it was hopefully a safe distance from the store and a particular customer inside of it. This place was becoming a refuge to him, of sorts; never too crowded, it was one of the few places in town that offered grass, trees, a pleasant breeze, and some peace and quiet all in one.

He slowed only when he reached a tree near the center of it and breathed a sigh of relief. He felt a bit stupid and more than a little pathetic for turning tail and bolting just like that, but…well, it was for the best. It wasn’t like Wes really needed anything from there, anyway.

He was about to sit at the base of the tree to gather his racing thoughts and take a few deep breaths to calm the anxiety thrumming in his chest when a flustered, metallic chime called out to him.

Scorching sands and hells, had the damn magnet followed him here?

Wes bristled, but didn’t turn, terrified of what he might see if he did. What, was Steven here to lecture him about last night? Berate him for his selfish recklessness? Demand an apology for himself and others? Throw all kinds of burning accusations that Wes had said to himself a million times over already?

His ears twitched as Steven drew closer, saying something else that Wes was too panicked to focus on. He was glad for it though, otherwise the Beldum might have managed to sneak all the way up on him, and he definitely couldn’t have that.

Fine. Let’s get this over with.

He clenched his teeth and whirled on his assailant, hackles raised. “What do you want?” he snapped.

 

[Panoramic_Vacuum]

"Wes! Wes, wait!"

Steven skirted around the edge of a building, dodging foot traffic while his eye darted left and right for any sign of the rock type. Gods, did evolution really make Wes that much faster? He was barely able to keep up. Thank goodness a shiny Lycanroc stood out against the dusty palette of the town.

There! Another flash of blue through the milling townsfolk, and Steven was off again, weaving his way through the streets hot on Wes's heels. But as he rounded another corner, he was suddenly aware that things had grown quieter, older, greener. He glanced around in awe at a part of Frontier Town he'd never seen.

It almost felt wrong to raise his voice here. "Wes?" he chimed, drifting through the park. "Are you here?"

He floated past a row of overgrown hedges, catching a glimpse into the center of the park, and there, finally. "Oh! There you are," he said, drawing close with a small chuckle. "I'm surprised you have so much energy after yester--"

Steven stopped short as Wes rounded on him with bared fangs. "Oh." His gaze fell, and he backed up, deferring to the larger pokemon as the familiar prickle of fear tugged at his mind. "I'm sorry... I didn't..."

He studied the ground for a moment before stopping himself again. His eye furrowed as he reached some kind of internal decision, and he leveled his gaze back at Wes and held it. His expression wasn't full of fear, or pity, but something almost like determination.

"I just wanted to ask how you're doing. After, well... everything."

 

[HelloYellow17]

…What?

Wes blinked, entirely forgetting his fear-fueled anger for a moment. He stared dumbly at Steven, who flinched initially but was now looking up at him with a look of…something. Wes had been so prepared to see fear, anger, hatred, or some combination of all three; the fact that Steven’s face (well, eye, really) seemed to hold none of those emotions made him briefly and entirely unable to process the Beldum’s expression.

“You…what?” Wes took a step back, fur still bristling. “I don’t…why?”

 

[Panoramic_Vacuum]

"Because--"

Steven closed his eye.

Because Wes clearly wasn't okay.

Because he saw what Seth did to Wes. Because Seth was Wes in another time and place, and Seth wasn't okay either.

Because Wes lost himself to the shadows and tried to kill them all. (Because it could have happened to any one of them.)

Because Betel gave some of that shadow to Steven. (Because he'd asked for it.)

Because I felt only a fraction of what you were going through, and it was hell.


He opened it again.

"Because it's what teammates do."

 

[HelloYellow17]

Wes continued to stare. Any physical signs of aggression in his posture had all but faded now, but he was too swept up in his thoughts to notice or care. He felt…felt…he didn’t know what to feel.

It was everything and nothing all at once. Instinctively, a biting, callous remark was on the tip of his tongue, because that was what felt most natural, what felt easiest, to snap and be an asshole and push people away. But he couldn’t bring himself to feel any anger to sustain such a response, not with Steven looking so earnest, so damn sincere.

Why?

He ached for the concern in Steven’s face, yearned to receive it, yet guilt burned and terrified him for daring to entertain the idea. What in the scorching hells had he done to warrant such a thing? From Steven, of all people?

He almost wished Steven had come to berate him, to hate him, to demand restitution. It would have been easier to know how to respond. It would have at least made a lick of some godsdamned sense. But now he was stuck here, frozen to the spot, gaping at him like a moron and unsure whether he was going to scoff or sigh or simply bolt again, or—

Or cry, the thought whispered, but Wes swallowed past the lump in his throat and viciously shoved the notion aside. No. Not an option. Not here, not now, not ever. No matter how much he might want to.

After what felt like far too many minutes, Wes cleared his throat and found his voice. “Well,” he said dryly, “I make a pretty shitty teammate, then.”

It was a far too feeble attempt at humor, and he didn’t have to see Steven’s reaction to know it had fallen entirely flat.

 

[Panoramic_Vacuum]

If Steven noticed that Wes had stopped functioning about a minute and a half ago, he didn't show it. Instead, he gave a small laugh at Wes's comment.

"If it helps, I'm probably not a much better one," he said, eye tilting in an embarrassed half-moon. "I ran away and got stuck in a hole. Not exactly the best showing, either."

There was a small click as Steven fidgeted with the notch on his claw, but then he caught himself and stilled. His sideways smile righted itself. "Although, it's not really about comparing who's the shittier teammate, is it? We've got time to improve on that anyway."

Maybe not the best pep talk but it didn't take a degree in geochemistry to see that the events of last night were weighing on Wes's mind.

"But we can't improve if we dwell on the past, and, well, I can't pretend to know what you're going through with all this," his eye swept up and down Wes's new form, though perhaps there were other unseen things he'd been speaking of, too. "Just that if you need anything to keep moving forward, it's okay to ask."

His gaze fell for a moment before finding Wes's again. "Back there in the store, I followed you because... I guess I just wanted to make sure you knew that."

 

[HelloYellow17]

"I ran away and got stuck in a hole. Not exactly the best showing, either."

Wes barked out a laugh at that, and for all the bitterness he felt, at least part of it was actually genuine. “To be honest, that might have been the smartest move anybody did last night. At least you didn’t set the whole place on fire.” Unlike a certain absolutely unhinged Pokémon…Wes suddenly remembered Ridley’s actions in their dream last night, and decided he had no idea which was more unsettling: the actual dark, shadowy abyss-like entity, or Ridley’s sheer lack of any self-preservation whatsoever.

He shook his head and returned to the moment, and only then did he realize how much he had subconsciously relaxed from just moments before. It was…nice. Nice to not have to defend himself from Steven, even if he simultaneously felt a storm of guilt for being so relieved. Wes still didn’t understand him, or why he was here, or why he cared so much when Steven had been the one directly harmed by him…but the sheer relief of looking into Steven’s face and finding not a single sliver of anger or resentment there was so palpable, Wes could have collapsed into the grass right then and there.

“I…” Wes stammered, at an utter loss for words. “…Thank you. I don’t really…I don’t feel like I deserve that, least of all from you—I mean, I was—you were—I could have seriously hurt you. Or anybody. All because I was too godsdamn stupid to-” He cut short, feeling himself start to bristle again, and sighed. “I…let myself get carried away, and it had consequences for all of you. I don’t know how I could begin to—I wouldn’t blame anybody for—”

He huffed in frustration. Gods, words were not working with him right now. “I wouldn’t blame anyone for hating me for it,” he finally said. “Hell, I hate myself for it. It feels like the least I can do after such a massive screw-up. To forgive myself for that would be…unfair. To everyone else.”

He met Steven’s gaze again. “So, I guess what I’m trying to say is…I’m sorry. Shit, I’m—” that damn lump was back in his throat, and it took all of his control not to let his voice waver. “I’m so, so sorry.”

 

[Panoramic_Vacuum]

I mean, I was—you were—I could have seriously hurt you.

At this, Steven's eye upturned into a thin smile, and he looked down at his side. The holes had healed, but there still was a patch of discolored metal where the Skorupi had levied its handiwork. "I think someone beat you to that one," he said lightly.

But his expression quickly slid back to something more serious, and he shook his head. "I don't know how anyone could hate you for things that were outside your control. You... you weren't yourself."

"In the moment, it was terrifying, for sure. In the dark against an unknown foe with unknown powers. But looking back, we all made it out alright. Koa, Archie, Leaf--" here he chuckled, shaking his head again, "--even Ridley, they all helped. Betel, too. It's why we're here. To help. And sometimes that means each other."

"And shadows, they're not as unknown anymore. I mean, there's still a lot we don't know, but if we got through that... I guess it makes me believe we can get through whatever else gets thrown at us. Together." He let his gaze linger on Wes meaningfully.

A small silence held between them, and Steven soon realized he'd just given Wes quite the speech right after the Lycanroc had gone and bared his soul to him. He averted his eye with a small grating 'cough'. "Ah, what I meant to say was, I accept your apology but perhaps it's best saved for when you end up doing more damage than a Skorupi."

He peeked back at Wes with a cheeky smile.

 

[HelloYellow17]

Wes had reverted to blinking angrily down at the grass, cursing himself for getting emotional, of all things, as if the last twenty-four hours hadn’t been humiliating enough already. At the note of light amusement in Steven’s tone, he looked up again.

"Ah, what I meant to say was, I accept your apology but perhaps it's best saved for when you end up doing more damage than a Skorupi."

Wes managed a weak chuckle at that. “I suppose…you make a good point. For once, I don’t think I mind that I was outclassed by a bug.”

He finally relaxed enough to sit down, enjoying the breeze as it ruffled his mane. Steven’s words rolled around in his head: You weren’t yourself. “You’re right that I wasn’t in control. I mean, I think I was maybe able to influence some things, but. Not enough.” He shivered despite the warm late-morning sun. “It was…awful. I could see what I was doing, could hear the things coming out of my mouth, but I couldn’t do anything to stop it.” Digging his claws into the grass, he growled quietly, “I don’t want anybody else to experience that. Once was enough. And if we stick together…we have decent odds of preventing it. You’re right about that.”

Something Steven had said earlier nagged at him too, and he shuffled his paws awkwardly. “I think I owe you another apology for the, uh, getting stuck thing. I could have helped you out, but I…didn’t. To be honest, I worried I would just scare you more. And I wasn’t entirely sure of my limits after being newly evolved, so I didn’t want to hurt you.” He paused. “But mostly the first thing.”

He blinked, then hastily added, “I mean—not that I didn’t care about the second thing, I just—that’s—” Dammit. “Nevermind.”

 

[Panoramic_Vacuum]

This time Steven outright laughed, pleasant Beldum chiming mixing with his own voice, but he quickly backpedaled lest Wes think he was laughing at him. It wasn't his fumbling for words, but rather something he'd said.

"Ah I appreciate the apology, but if I ended up hurt from a rock type, then I'd say I deserved it," he said with another chuckle. Before Wes could take offense, he added, "No slight against your strength, mind you. I train both rock and steel types back home. It's fortunate I've come to this world as a rather sturdy type."

If anything, he mused, his partners probably would wish he could keep the steel skin when he went back home, for all the headaches it might have saved them over the years.

Steven sobered quickly, though. "It's the shadows that are the problem. They hurt regardless of type. I think we're both well aware of that fact. But we know more now than we did even yesterday. That's... it's a start."

His gaze fell. "My apologies, I don't mean to make light of what happened to you, I am sorry you went through that-- what Seth did to you..." He gave an involuntary shudder. It had been a ghastly sight. Physically, Wes seemed fine now, which was a relief. Mentally, though... Steven settled lower in his hovering as Wes seated himself at the base of the tree.

"I hope you realize he's the reason you lost control." It seemed an obvious enough truth to him, but maybe it was worth saying aloud for Wes's benefit. "Don't put this all on your shoulders, please. Look at Seth and his struggles; this kind of burden is not meant to be borne alone."

Steven's expression softened before he glanced away, content to watch the breeze dance through the canopy overhead. "You don't have to say anything now," he added. "Just, try to remember it, that's all."

 

[HelloYellow17]

Wes cracked a small smile at Steven’s laughter, despite his small flush of embarrassment. At least Steven found it amusing rather than offensive. He perked up a little at the mention him being a trainer, too—and a type specialist, at that. “So you were a trainer, then? Before, I mean.” It was nice to have something in common to talk about that wasn’t related to some imminent threat or Wes’s latest failures. “I was—am—a trainer too, in my world. Have an Umbreon and Espeon…like Seth does.”

Or did. The thought of having Neo and Novo ripped away from him, like way Seth lost his boys, was one of many thoughts that would continue to keep Wes up at night. “I guess that’s part of why I feel so…committed to all of this Cipher shit. To help him get his boys back. To help him have a better time in his world. Which is funny, because twenty-four hours ago, I was convinced I hated that bastard. I think I still might, to some degree, but it’s different now, after learning…everything.”

He knew he was rambling, but didn’t quite know how to stop. “But he was right, I think. About me. Being a coward, being too weak to do make a difference.” His jaw clenched and he stared past Steven, still haunted by the look of sheer desperation in Seth’s eyes. “I…I know I don’t have to do everything on my own, at least here. That I have this team, all of you. But if what he said about his Orre is true for mine, then that means I have to get my act together somehow. Because I don’t have a whole squad of off-world saviors or whatever to help me there, against my world’s Cipher. And that scares the hell out of me.”

He looked back at Steven again, a new resolve rising to combat the suffocating dread he’d been wallowing in since last night. “But now we at least know where to start. And if I can figure out what makes this version of Cipher tick, then maybe I’ll be prepared for mine. You’re right that regardless of how things went last night, we learned a lot of valuable information that we can use.” He swallowed and managed a small, weary smile. “Thank you for reminding me of that.”

 

[Panoramic_Vacuum]

Steven listened quietly as Wes talked, the realization sinking in that this might be the most he'd heard from the Rockruff-turned-Lycanroc in one sitting. Or at least the most he'd heard without it being laced with snark and several choice words. Perhaps this was just the first time Wes was truly at ease; it was true that they all had been under a lot of stress ever since the night of the Gala...

When Wes had finished, Steven regarded him with a gentle smile. "Glad I could help. Though if I were you, I'd not give Seth's words too much weight. It's hard to imagine you'd not be committed to stopping Cipher, both here and in your own world. You answered a call to come here and help even with your own battle to fight at home. From where I'm standing that's neither weak nor cowardly."

"Which, I wish you luck with that, whenever you return." On the surface it sounded like a general sentiment, but there was something heavier to Steven's tone that suggested he might have had some kind of experience with something similar.

He let the sentiment linger before shaking his head. "I don't blame you for disliking him, though. It's easy to hate something you don't understand... To fear it. Like you said, though, it's a bit easier to understand Seth now. Maybe he'll understand you better now, too."

"And... I hope we can help get his pokemon back, too. No trainer deserves to be separated from their partners."

 

[HelloYellow17]

Wes shifted, unsure how to feel about Steven’s words. “In a weird way, I think I hated him so much because I understood him. Way more than I wanted to. He…reminds me of the worst parts of myself. Which I guess explains why I wanted to beat the hell out of him.” He let out another laugh, but it was rather hollow. “It’s…going to take a while for me to figure out what to feel about all of it. About him.”

But that was enough about Seth, at least for now. It was easier to talk about him than it was before, no doubt, but Wes still found that dwelling on him for too long still threatened to bring that suffocating swell of dread and anxiety. Perhaps it would get easier with time; for the first time since encountering The Wolf, Wes was starting to feel at least somewhat hopeful about that.

Instead, he turned the topic to something else Steven had said, something that nagged at him. “You said you…remember? Answering the call to come here?” He shifted again, restless with…guilt, maybe, he wasn’t sure. “I don’t. Not very well, anyway; it’s all a blur. And to be honest, I can’t for the life of me understand why I’d accept such a summons unless—unless—”

Sands alive, he was going to finally say it. Vocalize his fear out loud. Wes had half a second to panic, his brain scrambling to bail and backtrack, but before he could stop himself, the rest of it came tumbling out.

“Unless it was to get away.”

He hadn’t missed that hint of weary resignation in Steven’s tone. Like he somehow sympathized with the burdens Wes had waiting for him back home. Like he…understood, somehow, at least a tiny bit. Maybe that was why Wes finally allowed himself to confess to the guilt he’d been drowning in for weeks now—he wasn’t sure. All he knew was that as he watched for Steven’s reaction with baited breath, he let his unspoken question hang in the air:

Did you want to get away, too?

 

[Panoramic_Vacuum]

"Ah," said Steven, his gaze falling to the grass, "I suppose you do have a certain, uh, advantage in understanding him." The emphasis on the word 'advantage' acknowledging some of the bitterness in Wes's tone. It was definitely a more personal subject that Steven was happy to leave well alone.

Wes was already changing the subject on his own, and Steven found himself frowning in response. "Hm, no I definitely recall following the sound of a voice. It was dark, and... and I was in a cave of some sort, a long tunnel, and I could hear someone calling out and I had this feeling that I should try to find them. I couldn't turn my back on someone who needed help..."

He trailed off, eye furrowing in thought. "It's a bit fuzzy now that I think about it, but no I chose to come here to help, for sure-- wait. Oh. Oh no."

Suddenly Steven's eye went wide, and he cringed. "I didn't have the chance to tell Wallace. Oh, he's going to be so cross with me. I promised, next time-- Does he even know I'm here?"

Then Steven realized Wes was probably looking at him like he had two heads. "My friend," he explained, "He likes to keep tabs on me. I'd say he was being overly dramatic about it, but... he's a good friend. I hope he's not too worried."