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 Posted: Thu Dec 15, 2022 2:24 pm
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Slowly Uxie would float towards Aile, to get closer to her before it spoke, which is what one would need to do when they utilized verbal communication but Uxie used telepathy so why it felt the need to get closer before it 'spoke' to her was anyone's guess, might even have been mocking her and mortals like her. "You are correct, I did say I would restore their memories, and that is a promise I'll keep, however..." Uxie began to say, now floating over to the confused Snagems, floating around them, as if to take in their baffled blank stares, provided it could see them from behind closed eyes. "What if we left them like this? Allowed them to create new memories, new lives here in Hisui. Consider it, all their past traumas and burdens gone, free to begin anew in an almost virgin land of endless possibilities."
Now floating back over to Aile it positioned itself back in front of her, 'staring' at her from behind its closed eyes. "How does that sound to you as well? I could erase your memories too and give all of you new ones. In an instant all your troubles will be gone and all you'll know is life here in Hisui. Perhaps the four of you are a small group of friends that came here from overseas to live a peaceful life. Wouldn't that be nice? You'll never have to think about your past again. All those painful memories from Kalos gone. Tomorrow you and your friends could wake up in Jubilife Village with the memories of having been part of the village for years now, and so would the rest of the villagers. You won't even remember the decision you made here today."
At this point it felt like Uxie was staring a hole straight through Aile's soul, never before had she felt such an intense gaze, let alone from something with closed eyes, it made her want to look away. The offer seemed positively absurd on its surface, something easy to reject, and yet the more she thought about it, the more she dwell on it, the more tantalizing it was and the more sense it made. She could have a new life free from all her past, free of suffering with only opportunities before her. It sounded...nice? No, wrong. And yet...
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Posted: Fri Dec 16, 2022 5:50 pm
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Aile’s gaze followed Uxie as it traveled through the room, eyes narrowing as she took in Uxie’s words. She doubted Keiko would appreciate anything even remotely like what Uxie was suggesting, with her having a family and all. Why anyone would want to raise a young child within Snagem was beyond her, with how things happened, but that was another matter entirely. Wren? She wasn’t entirely sure, as she hadn’t spent too much time with him really, but doubted it all the same. Monique was the only one she could even potentially give a coin flip odds to, but even then, she wouldn’t be the one to make that decision for any of them.
Or so she thought. Her thoughts were turned upside down when she was thrown into the mix. The others were still involved but they’d all be a group of friends, joining Jubilife, not having to worry about anything Snagem related, and she could forget about Kalos, as Uxie said. Her eyes were wide now when Uxie finished explaining the choice to her, and it was so incredibly tempting. It would be a clean slate for her, not anything without memories at all, but ones that wouldn’t have any reminders of Snagem at all, anything from Kalos, nothing from her own past hopefully. Nothing to tie her back to her previous time, it’d be like she was always here. She could probably actually feel truly happy for a change, instead of wondering in the back of her head if one wrong action she took got her back onto the Snagem’s s**t list. The other three would be dragged in too, at the very least, but as was said before, ignorance was bliss, right?
The staredown she was getting from Uxie unnerved her, like every part of her, all of her thoughts, everything was being scrutinized. And although she wanted to look away, every part of her screaming to turn and think, she kept staring at the deific sprite like she was staring at a car crash, all of her thoughts about taking Uxie up on the offer replaying in her head. After what seemed like hours to her, she finally was about to open her mouth, to reply to Uxie when Tatooine would interject with a sneeze or two, the sound causing Aile to jump and turn quickly to face the dragon. She noticed Tati standing next to the small pile of pieces that was once her artifact, with Tati herself rubbing her snout as best she could. With a release of breath that she hadn’t realized she was holding, her attention would shift from Tati over to the three currently memory wiped teammates, recalling her thoughts from earlier. Taking their memories away permanently honestly would be a cruel thing… For herself would be one thing, she’d be the one making the choice. But making that decision for all of them? Yeah, probably shouldn’t be doing it, even if they’d all forget about even Uxie. And that’s not even thinking about the rest of Snagem that was trapped here back in time with them? What would happen to them if they just disappeared? They’d probably be stuck here, too, and probably killed if everything else played out as it had so far. Killed, or driven away. But probably unable to return back, regardless. On their current timetable, they’d be hard pressed to get anyone else this far north without significant resistance, and who knew if that would be even possible. This could be their only shot, and now it all rested on her.
The woman’s attention then shifted from her fellow members to the small pile of her former artifact, grabbing the bejeweled head and staring into it. That damn staff. She wasn’t even intending to look for it in Orre. She only came across it when a botched fall into a ravine turned into finally finding Tati again and exploring the temple she had used as a sleeping cave. She didn’t even want to keep it initially, trying to offer it to Robert when she finally got back, who only shook his head and yelled at her to take good care of that thing, as she was now bonded to Tatooine through the staff. Oh, she’d probably have an earful from him if they got back, though that didn’t fill her with any sort of fear that one might have thought. That man was one of the few people in her life currently that she could trust fully not to judge her in any way, shape, or form. And that was something that she treasured at this point. Him, Reno, maybe Isaac. Maybe him. Remembering how she had her Regirock snagged did burn a bit there, too. But that was probably about it. And if she did take Uxie up on that offer, what would happen to anyone not immediately here? Would they still remember Aile, and that one day she just disappeared off the face of the Earth? Or would everyone that knew her have their memories rewritten to not remember her at all? That... was a road she wasn’t about to think about, as her head started to swim even thinking about how that would work? Best to probably not. Bring it back to the here and now.
“...Dammit. I can’t be selfish, can I, Tati?” Aile looked back up at her dragon, who stared back with a pained smile. She’d give her another rub on her snout, giving back a half hearted smile before turning back to Uxie, the smile dropping with a heavy sigh. “You know? If the circumstances were just a little bit different, there'd be less of an issue. However. I shouldn’t be the one making the choice for everyone to have their memories reset. As… Honestly, as much as it sounds like an amazing idea for myself.” She looked down again, letting out a smaller sigh before continuing. “But, I shouldn’t be making that decision for anyone else. And while I wouldn’t remember it, I doubt the rest of Snagem would get another chance at this. Dooming them to at minimum a life outside of their normal time, if not getting them killed by the villagers. They don’t deserve that. Most of them have families and friends they want to get back to. And besides. Putting myself before Snagem bit me in the a** once, even if there was a decent reason behind it. I wouldn’t put it past karma to have that sort of thing bite me in the a** again.” She started to toss the staff head up into the air, following its trajectory and catching it repeatedly. “Give them back their original memories. Can’t let the rest of the team down, you know?” She’d catch the staff head one last time and give Uxie a tired look, sighing. She really did want the terms to be just slightly different. Had it just been for her, she very well might have said yes, screw everything else, hopefully let the others go back with the piece they needed to get out. But, it would have been all of them, and that almost certainly would have screwed the team over. Still, could she catch a break somewhere in this land?
…Why did Tatooine have to sneeze?
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Posted: Sat Dec 17, 2022 6:23 pm
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Uxie would 'stare' at Aile in silence for a good long while after she gave her answer, the Lake Guardian unflinching. Was it not satisfied with her answer? Did it want more? Maybe it was busy giving her teammates their memories back. It was hard to tell what the minor deity was thinking. Its silence would be broken after what left like an eternity, heralded by a quick flash of blue light from its body. It was in that moment where the memories of the three Snagems rushed back into their minds, some of them might even recalling memories they forgot they had or perhaps lost for whatever reason, Uxie repairing whatever was missing. "Their memories have been restored."
Floating back up to Aile the mythical creature would speak again. "You are what the rest of your kind would call a 'good person', Aile. Even if you don't believe yourself to be so" Uxie responded to the woman, once again giving that 'look' as if it were deep inside her mind, rummaging around, and it probably was. Turning around it would begin to float about the cave, speaking to all of them. "Knowledge is a gift, no matter what it is. Even bad, painful, memories can serve a purpose, ignoring such knowledge is unwise. Never forget that." With that said Uxie would raise its right hand, a flash of light emitting from it followed by a tiny little 'claw' rising up from its hand and floating over to Aile. "My claw, a fragment of my power. You'll need it to forge the Red Chain."
Finding its original position after the center of the cave Uxie would speak once more. "I shall grant one final gift to each of you, to apologize for erasing your memories. I shall answer one question from each of you, provided I deem the question worth an answer. Questions to obtain something else such as wealth will try my kindness." Uxie informed them sternly.
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Posted: Sat Dec 17, 2022 6:49 pm
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After hearing the exchange between the sprite and one of the women, and what felt like an eternity of silence, she saw a blue flash illuminate the cavern. Monique blinked, realizing how close she came to being an all-too-blank slate.
"Knowledge is a gift, no matter what it is. Even bad—painful—memories can serve a purpose. Ignoring such knowledge is unwise. Never forget that." The sheriff thought about that for a moment. The Dome filling with smog, her breathing slowing and falling as the Alolan sun shone unimpeded. The fabric of reality ripping and tearing, sucking some of the people of Aether Island out of their death trap and into the vagaries of Ultra Space, where she hurtled and collided with a Zoroark before—
Wait what? She did not remember this, yet here it was in her memory. Had Uxie fixed some gaps? She knew her memory had been partly hazy until the encounter with Stakataka, but these were events that she could not recall talking about with anyone.
After presenting its claw to Aile and explaining that it was the Red Chain component they needed, Uxie had one last surprise in store for the Snagems.
"I shall grant one final gift to each of you, to apologize for erasing your memories. I shall answer one question from each of you, provided I deem the question worth an answer. Questions to obtain something else such as wealth will try my kindness."
Monique knew exactly what she wanted to ask the guardian as she bowed in gratitude.
"Where are my sisters, Kasumi and Kaimana?"
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Posted: Mon Dec 19, 2022 5:20 am
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Keiko blinked as a blue light filled the cave. With her mind broken, she didn't even notice the change in her surroundings. However, true to Uxie's word, Keiko did start to see...something. An image started to form in her mind. Black, shiny shoes. Black pants. A black and white duffel bag. A white, button-up shirt. A black tie, hanging heavily from objects attatched to it that she couldn't see. Long, golden blonde hair. And lastly, a head with a gaping, static-y hole in it.
Keiko hadn't felt anything about the image until she saw the hole. A feeling started coming back to her, but she didn't understand why. Why did she feel like she couldn't lose this man, no matter what? Who even was he to her? Well, there had to be a reason, right? Keiko reached out to the man, and started to wonder if there was anything she could do for him when suddenly, the hole started getting smaller. She found herself expecting the hole to reveal a featureless face as it shrunk, but his wasn't the case. Soon, she could see a mouth. Eyebrows. A nose. A pair of deep, blue eyes. He was pleasing to look at, but she still wasn't exactly sure who he was to her.
Keiko placed a hand on the strange man's cheek, and noticed the ring around her finger. Suddenly, the empty void she had been floating in shifted. She remembered a room in a hotel. For some reason, she felt like she was in the Alola region, whatever that meant. But more memories came to her. The intimacy she shared with the blonde man. The feeling of his body's warmth as they slept in the same bed. The excitement she felt upon holding a strange pink device. ...wait...
Keiko held up the blonde man's hand, and saw a very similar ring on his finger. That must be it. This man was her husband. She must have been remembering their honeymoon. No wonder she was so afraid of losing him. But that hole in his face earlier, what was that- no. No, that's right, her memories were fading. Well, they used to be fading. They seemed to be coming back, now, actually. In fact, Keiko just realized what that strange pink device she remembered was.
"Where's Yuna?" Keiko asked, though she suddenly felt stupid. The man in front of her was just an image in her head. A memory, right? Despite thinking this, the man held his arms up, revealing the shiny Bueary hybrid Keiko was asking for. "Right here? I've been holding her this whole time," the man spoke to her. Keiko was surprised to hear his voice, but didn't question it and held her baby. The hybrid infant was calm, but she looked like she had been crying.
Before Keiko could ask, she heard a feminine voice call out. "What happened to the baby?" Keiko looked up, and saw three hybrid women, their faces intact. As Keiko wondered why she kept expecting to see people without their faces - though she quickly realized it was probably something she saw as her memories were fading - she started recognizing who they were. The Azumarill hybrid was her shy older sister Hitomi, the oldest of the four Yuniko sisters, Keiko herself being the second oldest. Because of Hitomi's shyness, however, Sayori, the Diggersby hybrid and second youngest of the sisters, was basically the woman of the house, and the most likely to greet visitors and solicitors alike. The Cinderace hybrid, and youngest sister, looked like she had just left adolescense, and the school-like backpack she wore made Keiko wonder if she was in enrolled in some academy like her husband used to be. It took her a bit to think of her name, but she eventually remembered it was Hanako.
"Some punk threw a ball at her, and it hit her in the forehead," Keiko's husband spoke up, sounding like he'd recently met somebody from Galar. Keiko felt like she remembered he didn't like that region for some reason, thought the details were escaping her for the time being. "The messed up part was that he demanded I let go of her while he could very clearly hear her crying. Honestly, he acted like she wasn't human."
"That's horrible," Sayori spoke up, looking worried She looked like she wanted to say something else, but was swiftly cut off.
"Hang on, I'll go kick his a** for you," Hanako insisted. Keiko's husband shook his head at her, however.
"Already done. I had Indie, my Indeedee, hold Yuna, before I walked up to him and threw some punches. The first two landed, but he was quick to pull out a Pokemon after that, and dodged the other swings as he reached for a ball. After that, I let Brunor sort him out. I figured after what happend to Rala, he could use the chance to blow off some steam. Though Brunor only got one OHKO in before the kid bailed. Must have used Agility, too, because he was ~/~ fast."
"He was a hybrid, too?" Hitomi asked with a look of shock, though all four Yuniko siblings showed signs of astonishment at that revelation, Keiko included.
"Yeah, that's what had me confused," Keiko's husband huffed. "Anyway, I think the ball hitting her just scared her, since she's calmed down since then."
"Well, that's a relief. I'm glad she's okay." Sayori sighed happily.
Keiko was about to say something, but her husband nudged her with her shoulder. He ended up leading her outside of her sister's house, and lead her down the driveway. "I think I'm ready to go home. Putting that punk in his place, as much as his cowardice allowed, anyway, helped put things in perspective, and I wanna know where Rala stands. I'm willing to leave Yuna with you if you want to spend some more time with your sisters, but-"
Keiko hugged her husband and kissed him on the lips, but only a little. "It's okay. I wanna see if Rala's okay, too. I think being back home will help Yuna feel better, too. My sisters will understand," Keiko explained. Her husband nodded, and looked away from her, but didn't move forward. Keiko walked ahead of him a bit before she realized something was off. The dread she felt from earlier started coming back little by little. "What's wrong?" she asked tentatively.
The blonde man smiled at her warmly, which eased her worries, but only for a second. "...I think you need to wake up. Aile got her piece of the Red Chain, so you're close to being able to come home and make that kiss you just gave me a reality."' Despite how calm and smoothly he said that, Keiko started worrying, having thoughts of 'what if the other Snagems don't get their pieces" or "what if something bad happens in the Distortion World," but the mental representation of her husband just smiled and held her. "I know you're worried, but I also know you have faith in the other two groups of Snagems. They'll get through whatever trials these clowns that call themselves aspects of humanity put them through and get their pieces. Then, all you have to do is get to the top of Mt. Coronet. Darts and the Red Chain can handle the rest."
Keiko wondered why he mocked Uxie and the other two... whatever they were, but honestly, it made sense. She remembered that he once mocked the Alolan government for subjecting themselves to the fickle Tapus. And honestly, when she thought about it, the test Uxie put her group through had nothing to do with knowledge. If anything, it was a test of awareness. Keiko couldn't help but laugh weakly at that, but her husband caught her attention by touching her chin, leading her to look him in the eyes. "Hey. Say my name." he said playfully.
She thought it was weird that he'd say that, but then a revelation hit her like a ton of bricks. Her husband's name was the first thing she'd forgotten. This man, the one that was so important not to lose that she traumatized herself trying to hold on to his memory... well, Keiko felt like an idiot, now. Even more so because she couldn't remember his name, now. She could have sworn she knew it. It felt like it was on the tip of her tongue. Did it start with a P? No, a T. Something like Te? Ted? Ter-
~*~
The soothing blue light that shone on the walls of the cave in the middle of Lake Acuity reflected in the blank eyes of the only Lopunny hybrid in the room, and suddenly, as if by magic, Keiko's broken mind snapped back together in an instant. She gasped out for air, as if the knowledge of how to breathe had been lost along with her memories. As her eyes started transmitting information of her surroundings to her brain, a name escaped her lips. "Terashi?" she asked loudly, as if calling out for him. But as her brain processed the information her eyes sent it, Keiko started to realize that she was no longer in the arms of her husband, or on the driveway leading to her sister's house in Alola. She looked down as the fading blue glow reflected in the water, and somehow recognized the alien patterned that formed the inch-thick pond in the room. She was back in Hisui. Part of her started to wonder if she ever left in the first place, but the part of her that remembered what she saw as her memories were erased - and were restored - begged to differ.
Shaking her head, Keiko stood up and looked at Aile and Uxie, and then saw Tatooine. She hadn't pieced it together before now, but somehow, she knew Tati was the one that knocked her into the wrong side of the Unown wall. Though there was no way on Arceus- no, on any green earth that she could hold even the slightest mote of anger toward the adorable Flygon. The same couldn't be said of Uxie, but acting on that thought would likely defeat the purpose that brought them here. Besides, the part of her mind that dreamed up my voice in her head was right - the present company of Snagems had their piece of the Red Chain. They were done here. No reason to hang around. At least, that was what Keiko was thinking before she heard Uxie's offer. She'd even taken a few steps toward the exit, though she wasn't walking after she heard Uxie. One question. Anything Keiko wanted to know.
...honestly? The only thing Keiko wanted in that moment was to go home, be with her husband, and not get hunted by ignorant savages for her meat, pelt, and probably also reproductive organs, given the alterations Lovrina made during the hybridization process, which was probably why Keiko's ability is Cute Charm. Keiko was now wondering why she didn't use that ability to talk some of those savages into letting her explore their village before the Darts Rescue. ...well, the thought of it kind of disgusted her, now, considering they were basically planning to kill them all soon enough anyway. Or at least, judging by the literal army searching for them at this second.
...for some reason, despite forcibly changing the subject her mind was focused on, Keiko's thoughts came back to Lovrina and the hybridization that was forced on her. Somehow, that memory led to her thinking about the first move she learned after coming back from Bareeno Village. The first... self-taught move? No, she didn't even learn it in any mental way. It kind of just... happened. Keiko looked at her hand, as the means with which she was forcibly hybridized lived in her head rent-free. She felt like, somehow, she could still feel the ice she absorbed from that.... whatever it was. She didn't learn Ice Punch. Her body absorbed that thing's ice. That's not something Pokemon DNA is typically capable of. The question of whether her body was changed in more ways than one entered her mind, but she didn't speak it. She didn't want that to be the question Uxie answered, because the truth was that some part of her already knew the answer. Keiko knew the technology involved was scuffed, maybe even jank. But she hadn't considered the possibility that there would be consequences from that. This was the first time she'd even thought about it.
"I was forced against my will to become a hybrid," Keiko explained, to Uxie and to all the Snagems present, some of which might not know due to how new to the team they were. "The technology she used to spark the change in my body was... not very well put together. I think my body is unstable because of that." To demonstrate, Keiko called forth the ice she felt in her hand, and Ice Punch manifested in her right arm. "I learned this move by absorbing some of the ice from an Ultra Beast's attack a while ago. Before the wedding. I'm honestly kind of worried that it'll happen again, but my question is about something more important."
Keiko let Ice Punch fade back into her body, and looked dead into Uxie's eyes, giving him a tentatively pleading look. "Is... I don't know the right way to ask this, but... will Yuna... m-my daughter... will she grow up healthy? Or will her body... change... i-in a bad way?"she asked nervously, worried that Uxie would notice her lack of way with words and use that against her instead of doing the decent thing and answering the question she was trying to ask.
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Posted: Mon Dec 19, 2022 7:42 pm
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Monique heard Keiko as she talked to the other Snagems, demonstrating her Ice Punch. She could hear the breaks in her voice as she pleaded with Uxie for her question.
Her own mind kept going back to one of those new memories. She was in a massive, starry void, being propelled somewhere, holding Kalama tight. Along the way, though, she collided with a large, dark-colored, furry object, which merged into her. Zoroark.
She wondered where it came from. Was it from her world? Another? It gave her pause to think that, without that Zoroark, she might have landed elsewhere, or collided with some other Pokémon. There were hundreds of Pokémon in the Snagems' world alone, and who knew what other universes contained.
Maybe she'd be a Keokeo girl trudging across icy lands like the ones here. Or a Porygon2, nothing more than bits and bytes of data. Who knew.
She could sense the emotion radiating from Keiko, not in a psychic way but in feeling her pain. Even if Keiko's hybridization had sounded far more cruel, there was something in common. She put her arm around the Lopunny hybrid, seeking to comfort her.
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Posted: Tue Dec 20, 2022 7:37 pm
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Aile watched Uxie, almost waiting for the proverbial shoe to drop and something else to go awry. As if she was still going to be found wanting for even entertaining the thought. But it didn’t. Uxie flashed, then declared that everyone’s memories were restored. She blinked in slight amazement, tilting her head slightly when Uxie called her a good person, a creature with whom she had absolutely zero interaction with. Her attention drew away from anything going on in the room after that, trying to let Uxie’s words sink in. After everything she did in the past, she was still a good person? There were still some who seemed to have a grudge for what she did to Snagem, but at this point, it really did seem to be a very small minority, and everyone else was apparently fine with her. Maybe… Maybe Uxie was-
Her attention was brought back to reality when she was presented with Uxie’s Claw, threading what was left of the base of the staff through her belt before she took the claw, looking it over before putting it in a specific part of the bag they were given. With that, she’d pull out the staff head again and stare at it thinking about the offer from Uxie to answer a question of theirs. “Thank you, Uxie,” she’d finally say, giving a bit of a bow. “If you include me in that offer, I do have a question myself.” She took a deep breath as she thought it over one more time. She could have asked for any sort of knowledge within reason, maybe about family like Monique and Keiko, or something potentially pertaining to Snagem or anything else. However, this was the big thing for her, and could shape what the heck she did in the future after they got back home. This would be what she had to ask about. Holding up the staff head, she took one more breath before finally asking, “How can you repair an artifact?”
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Posted: Sat Dec 24, 2022 7:51 pm
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Wren felt more than understood what was happening as his memories were returned to him. He felt the familiarity of Mrs. Sendall as the woman who’d first guided him down the path that turned him to his love of plants came back to him. He felt the pride of creating his first successful blend of fertilizer after Mr. Anderson had told him about the effects of volcanic ash on poor quality soil. He felt the loving embrace of his parents when something that wasn’t a cactus grew from his garden for the first time. He felt the tangible excitement in Kyler’s voice when she saw the first harvest from that singular tomato plant potted on his back porch. He felt the hope in every person in town as he began to build the community garden that would one day soon give rise to the town’s ability to provide better for itself.
And then he remembered where he was. Why he was here. Hisui: ancient Sinnoh in a time before modernization -an age long since forgotten, filled by ignorance, fueled by fear and the human drive to expand-. Half, it seemed, of Snagem lost here in this time-lost region across a void of unknown distance from home. His group was standing before Uxie, a minor deity reduced to little more than myth and legend in the modern age they came from, to beg for its aid in their mad attempts to cross space and time by even more unconventional means than the one they had inadvertently used to reach this land. As his mind returned not only to its rightful place but it’s true form and function, he began to actually think once more, of the madness of what must have just occurred, about the offer Uxie had just made and about what question he would ask. It seemed everyone else had thought of something by the time he had decided on his own question, having taken a moment to process his thoughts on the experience that had just occurred before even considering that.
They’d been warned of the consequences of choosing incorrectly. That whole trial had been a trial of more than memories, after all. Knowledge came in many forms. Recognition, response, calculation, all forms of knowledge being out to the test. How any of those specific things came into play during all of this was a question he could consider later. For now, he knew what he wanted to ask…
“You’ve already told us Sub’s plan for getting us home can work. I trust that we’ll figure out the details of how when the time comes.” He started. “I want to know something else… I’ve heard old tales of a ‘spirit of spring’ that was once part of the Kami. How can I meet this spirit? Surely you would know.”
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Posted: Tue Dec 27, 2022 8:27 am
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Uxie would first focus on Monique, turning its closed eyes to her, its intense 'gaze' falling upon her, Uxie diving into her mind. A quick flash of light would emit from the legend's body before it responded to Monique's question. "Your sisters are far from this place, lost in the expanse of Ultra Space. Their exact locations are beyond my abilities as my knowledge is largely limited to that of this reality. I am sorry I can provide no more information. But I can tell you they are alive, that is the exact ones you know of." Uxie answered Monique.
Turning its focus to Keiko the Lake Guardian dived into her mind next and once again a flash of light came from its body as it then accessed its vast pool of knowledge to find the answer she desired. "Your daughter is and will be strong. While I cannot access knowledge of the future the knowledge I do possess allows me to calculate to a comfortable degree that your daughter will physically be healthy. She will however mature at an increased rate as part of her natural Buneary genes, partially slowed by her human genes. I'd wager somewhere between the growth of a human and that of a Buneary, so be aware." The sprite answered Keiko, further displaying the limits of its knowledge.
Now listening to Aile's question the legend this time did not appear to read her mind nor did it emit a flash of light, this time it seemed almost confused over her question, the Lake Guardian cocking its head to the side. "Why do you ask? I could instruct you on how to repair an artifact but yours isn't broken." Uxie answered Aile, possibly confusing her now as well. "You should really have more respect for it though. Pick it up off the floor, don't leave it scattered around my chamber like that, not only is it disrespectful to it it's rude to me." It chastised Aile. Staring at her for awhile longer it realized the depths of her confusion and sighed. "Reach out for it." It cryptically instructed her.
Annoyed by Aile's ignorance Uxie instead focused its attention on Wren, the last one to ask of it something. Reading his mind and then accessing its knowledge with a flash of light the sprite would then speak. "You mean to ask about Enamorus, the Herald of Spring, as the people of Hisui refer to it. It exists in this time but from the knowledge I can access from the four of you along with what I know of this time period Enamorus' powers will have diminished greatly in the future. Even now with human development Enamorus has been weakened, having retreated here to Hisui, one of the last holdouts of nature, for refuge away from humans. Enamorus spites all those who do not cherish life, in all forms, and loathes humans for their disrespect of life. In your time, should Enamorus still exist, you will likely find it hiding away in a place far from humanity, where nature reigns lush and life is bountiful. Again, I apologize for not being able to provide more information."
With Wren answered Uxie let out a sigh and began to curl up into a ball in the air. "I have given you what you came for and answered your questions, now leave my chamber and this time, go to the Temple of Sinnoh atop Coronet and return home. Perhaps one day we'll meet again but for now I must sleep until a time where I am needed again. Goodbye, Team Snagem." Uxie said before quickly falling into a slumber. Once they left the cave the entrance would seal back up, no signs of an opening having existed in the first place. It was now time to head to Mount Coronet and the Temple of Sinnoh, they were going home.
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Posted: Tue Dec 27, 2022 9:16 am
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Keiko exhaled deeply in relief. She didn't even realize how much she was holding her breath as she waited for Uxie's answers. After a couple sets of inhale/exhale to regulate her breathing, she started to turn, only to hear the rest of what Uxie was saying. "Wait, what?" she asked, though she didn't really mean it, nor did she expect Uxie to reiterate since it was already falling back asleep. Keiko didn't know how quickly Buneary aged, so she had no frame of reference to know exactly how quickly her baby would grow. It didn't help that she couldn't help but imagine her having the body of a teenager but the mind of a four-year-old, and all the problems both would cause. Then there was the question of how much time was passing in their world while she was here. Was Yuna gonna be a full-grown woman by the time Keiko got home?
Keiko turned around, wanting to rush for the entrance, only to notice something rubbing across her midsection. It was then that she noticed Monique standing nearby, and one of her arms extended, wrapped around Keiko's waist. The Lopunny hybrid was confused for a split second, but then shot the Zoroark hybrid a warm smile. The comfort was appreciated, even though Keiko was slow to acknowledge it. She wasn't sure how to show her gratitude other than that, as she didn't know Monique very well. That fact made her a bit nervous, but it also helped her to calm down "Come on, our friends are probably already on top of the mountain, waiting for us," she said happily, though there was still part of her that wanted to make a run for it.
Once Monique started moving with her, Keiko would give a quick glance at Uxie as she walked, for only a second. She recalled the image of her husband in her mind, and what it had called Uxie. She knew it was ultimately her description of the legendary Pokemon before her, not her husband's. Yet, she could only feel gratitude toward Uxie for setting her heart at ease, not to mention the valid warning. Sure, it might have been strict, but Keiko doubted that Uxie did what it did out of malice or any ill intent. Shaking her head at herself, she proceeded out of the cave entrance and toward the light.
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Posted: Wed Dec 28, 2022 12:50 am
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Monique was glad to be able to stand next to Keiko when she needed it, though she noticed it took her a while to notice the fellow hybrid's presence. She was clearly scared. But those thoughts fell down her mind when Uxie turned its thoughts to Monique's question.
Your sisters are far from this place, lost in the expanse of Ultra Space. Their exact locations are beyond my abilities, as my knowledge is largely limited to that of this reality. I am sorry I can provide no more information. But I can tell you they are alive—that is, the exact ones you know of.
As the party left the cavern, which instantly sealed up behind them, the words of Uxie pinballed off of Monique's head like in those machines she occasionally saw when she went off to Flower City. Why a nightclub had a pinball machine she did not know, but that one did.
Kasumi and Kaimana were alive. It was an electric thrill lighting a flicker of hope. But who knew where they were? Uxie itself said that Ultra Space was an expanse. Her new memories proved it. Her body proved it. But if she could get out of here, her next project was going to involve traversing that expanse, not to mention all the bizarre places it could contain. She recalled the suit discussion she was on the periphery of back at HQ. Note to self: Get a Psychic-type.
And besides, any thinking about traversing that expanse would have to wait until they got out of this one. Once they forded the lake, the sheriff brought out her new Stantler and mounted the Big Horn Pokémon (leaving room for Keiko or any others if they wanted to join), hoping to get there a little quicker and clear the way for the others. Riding Stantler, she was reminded of history class and the days when Ride Pokémon were as common in Alola as palm trees.
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Posted: Thu Dec 29, 2022 7:07 pm
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Aile blinked when Uxie gave its response. It wasn’t broken? How the hell? She was so caught off guard that she hadn’t even thought to quip back about picking up the other pieces. She was planning on it, like hell she’d leave it behind if at all possible. But it took a moment for her to process Uxie’s words, before even doing anything else. “I… uh, right. Okay…” She took one more good stare at the head of her staff, head tilted as Uxie’s final words to her specifically repeated in her head. Reach out for it. Reach out for what? I don’t… Later, can’t keep the others waiting while I puzzle that out, she thought to herself, finally stashing the staff head into her belt, doing the same for the other couple of pieces of the staff. “Thank you, Uxie,” she’d say to the sprite, regaining some composure. “And if I can be honest, I pray we don’t have to meet again. At least like this.” She bowed her head to Uxie as it went to sleep, sighing as she faced Tatooine. “Hey, let’s go Tati. Time to go home.” Her dragon nodded, flitting over to apologize to Monique and Keiko before taking off with Aile, heading for the summit. The entire time, though, Aile’s mind wouldn’t be focused on the hope of going home. Instead, her mind was thinking about Uxie’s words, wondering how to interpret them.
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Posted: Wed Jan 04, 2023 12:45 pm
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