• Welcome to The Cave of Dragonflies forums, where the smallest bugs live alongside the strongest dragons.

    Guests are not able to post messages or even read certain areas of the forums. Now, that's boring, don't you think? Registration, on the other hand, is simple, completely free of charge, and does not require you to give out any personal information at all. As soon as you register, you can take part in some of the happy fun things at the forums such as posting messages, voting in polls, sending private messages to people and being told that this is where we drink tea and eat cod.

    Of course I'm not forcing you to do anything if you don't want to, but seriously, what have you got to lose? Five seconds of your life?

Sojaveña Wilds Totally Normal Bulletin Board

Reader mode
Ambyssin said:
Nova paused before giving an answer and glanced toward Felin. "He's a human from another world. But I don't know why he's here. Or why he's a mewtwo."
Click to expand...

"A human? Well isn't that interesting," Felin said, shooting Mewtwo a glance with growing interest. She roughly gestured at Mew as well. "I'm guessing it's the same story for him too?"

Ambyssin said:
Then he looked between Felin and the boulders. There were still a couple of big ones. "Hey, uh— any chance you want to help?" He looked at the larger boulders. "If you could use that blade of yours to find any tiny cracks or weak spots in the boulders... then maybe hit 'em with a grass attack, that might soften them up a bit."
Click to expand...

"Weakpoint's not much for breaking boulders, big guy," Felin said, demonstrating with a few stabbing motions. "I appreciate the offer though."
 
"Hmm." Mewtwo nodded as Mew continued to carry a bunch of the smaller boulders across.

"A very idealistic view of the world. How things should be. How things might be in a far flung future." Mewtwo closed his eyes. "Then, tell me. Resources, tools... Would you say that, to a human, Pokemon can be tools?"
 
Nova stopped before approaching the last two remaining boulders. "Yes." He paused. "To the ones with the worst intents, they can." Nova approached it. "And to the AI molded in a human's likeness, they can. Tools to study. Or weapons to enforce authority."

He hadn't re-tuned his aura following the dungeon. Not enough time had passed for Nova to consider which moves he wanted accessible. So, he hardened his muscles with Iron Defense.

"But pokémon are alive. Even ferals have the most basic wishes: food, shelter, survival." Nova crouched in front of the boulder. "Real trainers understand that. It's probably why they work so well with pokémon."

Then he flung himself at the boulder for a Body Press. Fighting versus rock and the defenses he had were all he could count on.
 
The boulder shattered on the impact site, but the half away from his body had rolled to its side, though the impact itself was tiring against Nova. He'd have to do that a few times for each boulder...

"Impressive," hummed Mewtwo. "And... I agree with your assessment. Pokemon can be tools and weapons for humans, and that is how humans can view them if their outlooks are cruel.

"I used to have that outlook. That Pokemon were merely tools to be commanded by humans. But then..." His eyes trailed to Mew. "...I saw that the actual truth... has more nuance. Pokemon, to humans, are weapons. But like many fables spoken of across many worlds... they are living weapons. Weapons with wills... weapons that may choose the wielder. Without that compatibility... that mutual understanding between blade and hand... neither will benefit.

"Wouldn't you agree?"
 
That was where Nova's legs stiffened. He marched to clear the smaller parts his attack had left behind, but his fish tail tilted slightly down. "I agree. My hope is... that's how it works in practice." He shoved his helmeted head against a rock and pushed. "But, as I'm sure any good businessperson understands, there are always exceptions. Loopholes."

He took a deep breath. "I'll ask you a question." Nova glanced over his shoulder. "Whether it's you or me or the other offworlders... we throw the term 'trainer' around a lot. So, what would you make of someone who calls themselves a pokémon wielder?"
 
"Wielder," repeated Mewtwo, his confident smirk shifting instead to a pensive frown. "No. That doesn't sound familiar to me as a... significant term. Perhaps used by someone who thinks they may truly wield them like weapons? But even I recognized that a Pokemon was something to be trained. To have their skills honed and shaped to your desire. You did not wield a Pokemon. You commanded one. And the more in sync your... heart was with your Pokemon... The stronger the Pokemon became."

Mewtwo pointed at the rock that Nova had been eyeing. "Strike with Body Press."

There was... something there, briefly. A resonance. But how well did Nova's energy respond to that strange connection?
 
Nova's defenses were already up. He was going to Body Press the boulder anyway. Despite the fatigue, he crouched and sprang at the boulder. He tried to draw in that spark of fighting energy to repeat what he'd done with the last boulder.
 
It was... a bit stronger than last time. Perhaps that was psychological, or perhaps there was more to it. But one way or the other, the boulder was easier to chip at and Nova was a little less tired for it.

Mew pumped his fists in the air in cheer. He picked up a heavier rock and shakily hovered to the side with it to drop it off.
 
Nova stopped to catch his breath a bit before pressing his head to the nearest rock and pushing to try and move it. "There's more... to it than just words," he mumbled. "Tone. Intent. That stuff's gotta matter. It's gotta make a difference."
 
Felin shot her paw up to get Mewtwo's attention. She had something on her mind. It didn't hurt to get an answer, did it?

"This whole thing... is that the power of 'friendship' you're talking about?" Felin cocked her head to the side. "The... bond between a human and a pokemon companion amplify one another to be stronger than either can be alone? Are there limits?"
 
"Limits? Perhaps time, and training," Mewtwo said, eyeing Nova. "Intent... tone... Perhaps it does. That is something my partner would advocate more than I would."

Mew nodded with confidence.

"Humans and Pokemon worked together for a very long time. I believe there are forces in this world that have... taken that to an extreme, in the role humans have alongside Pokemon. Perhaps I would have agreed with them in the past, sided with them. Perhaps I still agree with their philosophies... to an extent." Mewtwo shrugged. "But I imagine you're worried that I'm associated with them. I'm not. I'm here as... a curious bystander."
 
"I've heard that more than a few times," Nova said. "It never ended well." He stopped pushing the rock. If his helmet was weighing him down before, it was really pressing on him now. "Okay. Think that's... it."
 
"Very good," Mewtwo said slowly, floating a few inches off the ground. He adjusted his suit. "That was easier than expected. A very simple job made trivial with your powers, Nova. But that technique you used... It was purely applying your body's density against the boulders. It was not a traditional strength. Is that how you are here?"
 
Nova looked down. "Yeah." And the helmet's weight felt even greater. "Because that's how... I'm forced to be back home. Before I had this mask, I hit hard and moved fast. Then..." He shook his head. "I couldn't attack. I would stand there and take hits, until an opponent just... lost their will to keep fighting.

"That was forced on me. So, I thought... if I was really in a new body in a new world, I would be free of that." He shook his head and the helmet. "Imagine my horror when I realize that didn't happen."
 
"Then it is in your best interest," Mewtwo said, "to either break free of that mask... or make that defensive power something to claim for yourself. And so..."

He held his palms upward in a shrug.

"Here you are."
 
Nova slowly approached. Like a feral ponyta being offered a sugar cube. What was it that Mewtwo was holding? Oh, to still have a twinge of ESP at his disposal. Even his unenviable state back home at least had that much...
 
Mewtwo tossed something over to Nova. It was another Poke Ball, this one... a much darker color with a golden lining.

"I did some reading on your species," he explained. "The symptoms you are displaying... They may have originated from your world, but they operate in the form of a feedback loop. This claustrophobia causes your energy to 'repel inward,' causing that... pressing feeling. This ball calms the mind and its effects tend to last even for a while after exiting it." He smirked. "I made it myself, of course. Be sure to thank me later."

Mew drifted to Nova, nodding seriously. While the ball helped stall the effects for a time, they still needed to train to hone that energy.

"Mew seems to want to train regardless. Of course, that's to be expected. But you can't train with a muddled headspace... When your bond with another grows strong enough, that resonance activates a mechanism in your stone mask. It will shatter... and the claustrophobia should leave with it."
 
Last edited:
Nova gently rolled the ball around with his claws. It didn't suck him in, since he was still tied to the one Mew used a couple of days ago. "A homemade luxury ball, I think?" Like he'd seen used on 'mon like riolu, lopunny, eevee...

... The list could go on for a while.

"Bonding with another." Nova's fur prickled. He tried to look down at the luxury ball but the mask only let him tilt his head so much. "I haven't... had anything like that in a very long time. Not since Mewtwo." He paused. "Well, my world's mewtwo."

He managed to roll the ball into his field of view. "I've been alone for a while. Some might say a dangerously long time." And now that Nova was thinking about, it was a small miracle he could pass for a civilized 'mon. Though his recent stint of sleeping outside was probably not helping. "I was trapped in a 'connection' back home. Far more... physical than emotional."

Nova rolled the luxury ball again. "There's a spark of the power that was forced on me inside. And I'm afraid of what could happen if I use it around people." His fish tail curled. "That's why I was trying to keep my distance. I don't want to hurt any of these people." He paused again. "Emotionally, I guess. Cuz I can't physically."

He shook his head. The mask rattled around. "But I... have to try something, don't I?" He looked over at Felin. "My poke ball's over by you. Can you smash it for me?"
 
Nova said:
He shook his head. The mask rattled around. "But I... have to try something, don't I?" He looked over at Felin. "My poke ball's over by you. Can you smash it for me?"
Click to expand...

"Of course." Felin drew her sword, stood over the pokeball and skewered it. The ball slid down the length of her sword as she raised it upright. A flurry of leaves burst forth from her blade, ripping the ball apart. "It is done. No need to thank me."
 
Nova nodded his thanks. "Right, guess that means I can use this." He glanced at the ball, then back at Felin. "Well, we've got a moment. So, what was it you wanted to say before we left?"
 
Reader mode
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom