Frontier Town Traveller's Haus - Lobby

[Shiny Phantump]

Well, if he's training with that apparently-not-a-Mewtwo, he should know what he's getting himself into. And... he is doing that.

Another thing was bothering him, too. He'd asked about Nulls, Betel had responded clearly knowing what he'd meant... but called him a Graydian seconds later anyway...

Thinking about it, he also remembered having to call himself an RKS chimera early on to avoid tipping his hand. He remembered how bitter it tasted to call himself that. How that used to be enough to get under his skin, before he'd gone numb enough that hearing of an entire 'RKS Labs' stopped being enough to faze him. That... Had that not been because of Betel, too? Because of what Betel had called him?

Hm. So, we can tell a Type: Null has been here before because you know the genes and signature of a Graydian. And you know a Mewtwo doesn't exist here because you don't know of them, so I would presume no one has created one in Forlas as of now... Have you always known what an RKS Chimera is, or was that something you learned of at some point?

 

[Jackie Cat]

There was a pause, as Betel considered this. Then Laura jumped, as Gladion's thoughts jumped into her mind all at once, like a messaging app loading a backlog after a period offline.

There! Now you can hear each other's subvocal messages. That should improve communication.

Hm... I suppose a mewtwo could be hidden from me. I am connected to my summoned heroic spirits, and to all the souls of Forlas, but not to other offworlders necessarily. Also, it is possible that there exists some means of concealing a soul from me – I find it categorically harder to locate and identify Shadowed souls, for instance...

As for graydians, I knew of their existence from the first moments of my existence, but I would not think of them until I needed to grant Gladion and Nova their new bodies. At that point, I cross-referenced their souls with every possible species, and graydian bodies resonated most strongly of all for each of them.

Laura glanced curiously at Gladion, wondering if he was testing Betel by using each species name in succession like that. What was wrong with just asking people what you wanted to know...?

{What's with the "Null, RKS, Graydian" thing, Gladion...?} she sent.

...Oh, that is interesting. You just used three different words for the species, Gladion, and I do not know why! Will you tell me?

Oh, had that made Betel catch on...?

 

[Shiny Phantump]

{Well, this Mewtwo does seem to be an offworlder, but I still don't see how they're compatible... A question for another time, perhaps...}

After all, there was something more interesting. Laura was jumping in, and seemed to have changed the results of his test in retrospect, just by mentioning that he had done it.

{Huh... Did you not notice until after Laura mentioned it? The first time I asked, I called the species Type: Null. That's the name where I'm from, but in some places it seems like RKS Chimera is the convention. You called it Graydian right after without seeming to notice. That stuck me as odd, because that's not a real name anywhere. Nova just made it up on the spot when he needed a normal-sounding name for the ledger. It's not a real name, and I've heard you use RKS Chimera in the nexus, before Nova invented the name Graydian. Did you even notice you'd switched? I can't help but wonder how the perception of all our different languages works here...}

 

[Jackie Cat]

Oh, I see... Well, my own linguistic knowledge is drawn from the Forlasan noosphere, and that of the souls in my network. I believe that 'Graydian' is the name that comes to mind for me because it is the most common name by which the species is known on Forlas. Local pokémon have been told that you are Graydians, and so they call you Graydians. This is what makes it the natural word for me to use – it does not translate to 'Type: Null' for you because you are already familiar with all three terms! Does that make sense?

 

[Shiny Phantump]

{I see. RKS Chimera must have been the primary term before that, then, but the name was rare enough Nova supplanted it almost immediately. As much as I'd like to think otherwise, it could well have been a historical term by our arrival...}

Gladion turned his attention to Laura, giving her a curious look.

{But you caught on to me instantly. Do you know all three names, then? I'd be surprised if Faba let the Type: Null moniker out of his own volition, given his whole deal depends on pitching the RKS system as a good idea. I hope you wouldn't mind if I asked whether that ended up being leaked to the public with one being stolen, or if it's related to your... employment at Macro Cosmos. Honestly, unlikely to be important to much more than my curiosity. But, especially if you've a vested interest in Mewtwo, I'd be very curious if Type: Null did come up there. Or if it leaks publicly at some point in the convergent series of events, that would be... a fact for me to be cautious of here. Barring that, perhaps I can simply knowing the words 'type' and 'null' were enough for you? But then again, I'd expect the same of Betel were that the case.}

It was perhaps a bit hypocritical of him to want more information about Laura's corporate espionage while unwilling to offer as much about his in turn, but... he had good reason to keep quiet, and hadn't heard much objection suggest the same for her.

Some corner of his mind almost managed to draw attention to the way that avoiding opening up to the people most likely to understand him and who he was would be counterproductive if he ever wanted the helmet off, that he would have to trust someone if he ever wanted it off. But not quite. That would ultimately remain a problem for Future Gladion.

 

[Jackie Cat]

Laura blinked, only partly following. "Wait, are you— You think 'Type: Null' would translate to 'RKS Chimera' if I didn't know it already? Betel, does it work like that?"

Not exactly! Translation is contect-dependent. 'Type: Null' is a proper noun composed of words you know, and because Gladion's intent was for each instance of a name for the species to differ, it translated with each one distinct. But that is irrelevent, as you did already know the species by that name.

"Um. Yes, but through conspiracy theory forums and stuff. They're also sometimes called 'Silvally' as well. I follow artificial 'mon stuff pretty closely, and there's a lot of talk about some prominent Alolan trainers having them... So, uh... Is Gladion right, the original name on Forlas was 'RKS Chimera'? I would've thought that implied Macro Cosmos involvement. Or uh, RKS Labs, anyway."

No, it was not. 'RKS Chimera' was introduced to the Forlasan noosphere by you, Laura. The first graydian on Forlas was known by a different term.

'ARK Unit'.

 

[Shiny Phantump]

"Silvally?" Gladion's eyes smirked. "Even I haven't heard that one before, but I have to admit I like it. And if Nova or I do pull off the 'evolution' it would follow the naming scheme... I wonder if he's heard it before, but regardless I'll have to keep it in mind should that happen. I don't know how it'd come to be for them to enter a serious circuit, but you're further down the line than me, so I guess something happened. If anything, I'd expect them to be in Galar given the Alolan source has no interest in further research. Project's been shelved for good with only the one stolen, and I can't see that one making many public appearances because... y'know. Crimes."

He started to seem much more nervous as he worked towards that last conclusion.

{Haven't heard 'ARK Unit' before either, but it does seem consistent with the 'RKS' backronym's intent. Perhaps the language just made ARK scan better than RKS here? It also suggests that the disc system was part of the design from the start, which means a different design process from that back home. Guess it is probably just natural convergence then, which... is probably much better for us than the alternative in every way.}

(Though, he couldn't help sounding a small bit conflicted about it anyway. Even if it would ultimately be better, it did snuff some possible hopes about the species here which he hadn't quite wanted to let go of yet.)

 

[Jackie Cat]

Laura chuckled sheepishly at 'crimes'. It wasn't like talking about that stuff here could consequences back in the 'real world', exactly, but it still didn't seem like a great look for them to openly discuss criminality anywhere local 'mon could eavesdrop...

{I'm not sure I follow everything you're saying, Gladion, but uh...} – oh howls even her telepathic communication had hedging in it – {I guess I agree it's probably some kind of convergence thing. I'd be seriously surprised if Forlas had somehow imported chimeras and renamed them...}

Of course, now she felt like she was jynxing it, and the 'Forlasan Null' would turn out to be an offworlder from a world that called them 'ARK Units' to begin with. Goddamnit.

I wish I could be of more help! I am afraid that I only have limited knowledge beyond the various names of the species, and my ability to replicate temporary graydian bodies does not give me any expertise in actually understanding them. I cannot even say whether one exists on Forlas, only that they existed in the noosphere when I came into being.

 

[Shiny Phantump]

"Yeah, it does beg the question of how it happened, but... it's not something we're likely to be able to answer. At least, not yet."

Though, the fact the Coven had access to more advanced technology was... still a concern. He hoped that wasn't the reason why. The probability that hope was well-founded would depend on how recent the 'ARK Unit' was.

{So... When did you come into being? It gives us a timeline on how old these ARK Units were. I think that's the only avenue we've left unexplored, given how much you've answered already.}

 

[Jackie Cat]

Now, that was a good question. Laura hadn't really been thinking about Betel's age, but it was strange to think – they sometimes sounded quite like a child, and at other times like they were surely an adult...

Well, my earliest memories are unclear, but... I have reason to believe I am less than one year old.​

I have no memory of any time earlier than late 180 CE.
​

Ah.

Quite young, then.

 

[Shiny Phantump]

{Less then a year?} First off, that was incredibly young, young enough to possibly even have come into being as a reaction to some kind of event here. Second... {So, if there was an ARK Unit around at that time, odds are good they're still around. Thank you, Betel. This was really helpful.}

Gladion turned to Laura, a light in his eyes. "Hey, Laura, I bet papers about the Wayfarers are circulating further now that we have a reputation than they were when we first arrived. Anyone keeping an eye on us will already have seen Nova's picture, but I wonder if getting another picture of a Null in an article about us if we make news again might spread it further. If we can get them to find us, we'd probably get some pretty good info about the state of the world. Think it's possible to try?"

 

[Jackie Cat]

Well, it is possible that the ARK Unit species was no longer extant at the time, but they are at least in living memory. It is very difficult for me to recall information about extinct species! Still, I am glad I could be of help, Gladion!

Laura nodded and grinned self-consciously. "Yeah, I, uh... I've been writing articles about us. Nathaniel says to keep them coming – I expect pretty much anyone literate in town will be familiar with our achievements going forward. I could, hm... I could just, like, write an article that's basically 'have you seen this species', if you like. Why not?"

 

[Shiny Phantump]

Gladion sorta half sucked his legs in the closest emulation he could find to nodding this body could do with the helmet. “Sounds good. Anything that’d get the attention of an ARK Unit, I think. I… really hope we can find one. Would answer a lot of questions.”

He took a step back. “Anything you need to that end, let me know. Thanks for hearing me out. Don’t know what I’d do without you. Thanks.”

<><><><><>​

 

[Ambyssin]

The walk back to the Haus from the outskirts was tiring, though not as bad as getting out of Terminal Two. Nova was still in decent enough shape after helping fend off the void swarm, though his ending to the fight kept popping up in his head.

Attack. He used that attack from back home he never gave a name to. And it... clearly did something. Why?

He tried not to think about it as he delivered Grace and Mhynt to their rooms. When he was told they didn't need anything, he headed down to the lobby. His glowing parts gave the room a pink-salmon tint. He hadn't bothered taking out the fairy disk after slotting it in for fear of Alexander somehow giving chase.

Nova stood there, silently wondering whether he should grab food or just trudge back to the old cabin. He caught a glimpse of himself in a mirror. Fur matted and the white patches on his legs and belly were caked in dirt.

Not that he'd done a great job grooming on Forlas anyway...

 

[HelloYellow17]

The lobby was mercifully quiet and empty, which Wes was grateful for. After the events of Terminal Two, he wasn’t too keen on being all alone in his room with his thoughts, but he didn’t want to be bothered, either—which made the public, yet quiet lobby an ideal spot to rest and gather his thoughts.

It didn’t stay empty for long, though. Wes opted to ignore the sound of someone entering the room until he caught a strange glow in the corner of his eye and turned his head. It took him a moment to register it was Nova—between his freshly evolved form, the bizarre glowing parts of his body, and the fact that he was caked in dirt like he’d taken a mud bath, Wes almost didn’t recognize him.

“The hell happened to you?” he grunted.

 

[Ambyssin]

Nova jolted. Clearly, he was still jumpy from the fight. It took a moment to settle his nerves.

"You didn't hear Mhynt's pleas? Some of us went to Grand Quarry." He looked over his shoulder toward some of the rooms. "Found an ocean of these shadowy blob things, along with some of Alexander's victims. The whole swarm tailed them back to Frontier Town. I went to help fend them off."

 

[HelloYellow17]

Oh. Wes felt like a moron. He hadn’t heard Mhynt’s initial plea for help—he’d collapsed in his room immediately after returning from the Terminal and slept for an ungodly length of time before dragging himself to the dining hall for some food, then back to the lobby to sort out his thoughts. He’d remembered hearing Nova reporting some kind of skirmish upon awaking, but his mind was so muddled he barely took note of it.

Idiot, he said to himself. If you’re not going to be useful when there’s a crisis, the least you can do is pay attention.

“Sorry,” he muttered, dropping his gaze to the floor. “That’s right, I…remember hearing something about that. Wasn’t really all there at the time.” He risked a sheepish glance back at the—what was Nova’s species again? Whatever. Back at Nova. “Everybody okay? Nobody’s badly hurt, or…?”

Or killed? He couldn’t bring himself to say it. Ein’s severed limb flashed in his memory and he repressed a shiver.

 

[Ambyssin]

"We drove them back," Nova reported. "Mhynt got the worst of it, but she says she'll be okay." He took another look back toward the rooms. "We were close to freeing Owen, but Alexander swept him away at the last second. As a conslation, we got back that drapion and His Royal Dumbass, Ignatius. Mewtwo's holding onto them. I think he can help us arrange transport so we're not facing a repeat of what happened with the Cipher goons."

He turned back to Wes. "... Which, uh, I guess reminds me. Are you okay? You stuck with the group going for the admins, right?" He had no idea how much Wes had gotten involved with his version of Cipher back home. "I'm guessing it's... more than a bit surreal."

 

[HelloYellow17]

Scorching hells. Poor Mhynt. She’d had some kind of episode on the Highway, and now this. Wes made a mental note to visit her later and see how she was holding up.

“Glad to hear everyone’s okay. Physically, at least.” If that fight had been as messy as the one on the Highway, there was probably some mental recovery to be had for everyone involved. He flicked his tail at the mention of Ignatius. “Glad we got that bastard back behind bars. Though, I don’t know how we can stop Alexander from coming for him again.”

Screw that guy, honestly. Wes was starting to hate him even more than the pompous shitbird mayor.

He flicked an ear at the mention of Mewtwo. “Are we…sure we can trust him?” he asked hesitantly. “I mean, he’s been helpful so far, but…I don’t really get why. Or what his endgame is. But I guess if he’s our only option for avoiding Alexander…” He shook his head. “I don’t know. I just don’t like it. Can’t put my finger on why, exactly. Call it a gut feeling, I guess.”

He then shrugged dismissively at Nova’s question. “‘M fine.” It wasn’t a total lie. Sure, he was still exhausted, and sure, Ein’s gruesome demise made his stomach churn a little, and sure, the vague and absolutely bullshit powers Alexander possessed with no explanation terrified him a little—a lot—but he was…fine.

Okay, maybe it was a little bit of a lie.

He shrugged again, as if he could roll the unease off his shoulders by doing so. “It is what it is. We lost Ein—you might have heard about that—but we got everyone else back okay. More or less. Nobody was seriously hurt, other than him. And he was a bastard, anyway.”

 

[Ambyssin]

"So I heard," Nova said. Though there was a chance that that meant whatever powers Ein wielded were now Alexander's to control. He wasn't sure if that was really worth bringing up.

"As for Mewtwo— well, I got him to admit he's Giovanni." Nova laughed nervously. "And he says he's serving some higher authority. Which is, I dunno... tomorrow's problem. I'm too exhausted to think on it."

And pissed about Alexander and some of the apparently bullshit rules governing offworlders on Forlas.

No. Breathe. He'd stewed in shadows long enough during the fight.