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6,670 posts
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92 likes
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I'm not going to say it was damage, but it was damage.
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Apr 27, 2024 17:48:03 GMT
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Post by Robot on Jan 21, 2021 22:23:25 GMT
Moving past the known, Thel forges a path ahead into what hasn't been yet. A swell of water rolls past his feet, towards a land flooded by rising coastal waters and endless rains. Towns underwater, only so little land left. Another trail of thought, Muku amidst many grand birds, soaring clear skies. Still another where few humans far between wander each town, the moon and sun flying across the skies at dizzying speeds but has no impact on them. Another still where nothing lives. Stirs. Or breathes. Some of these paths are wider and seem better travelled then others.
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Post by DataNinja on Jan 21, 2021 22:32:15 GMT
Is this... is this what the rains could lead to? Is this the opposite of what came before? Instead of more than one trail meeting towards a moment, this is... possible future chains of memories?
That couldn't be a thing. He could only see what had already happened. That's what postcognition meant. It's what Em said. But this couldn't have happened yet... could it?
His sense of curiosity is piqued, though, and he begins walking down one of the paths. The least travelled one that he can find. If these are here... he may as well see what he can see. He's realized that he's dreaming... so... he can always simply wake up, after all.
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6,670 posts
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92 likes
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I'm not going to say it was damage, but it was damage.
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Apr 27, 2024 17:48:03 GMT
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Post by Robot on Jan 22, 2021 1:06:09 GMT
The narrower paths seem more personal in scope. They fray off in more and more directions before simply disappearing into a fog. Returning to being a Salandit, and being well cared for by a young bright eyed girl with an odd sense of humor. Another sees him running a Pokemon Daycare, with Em as his wife, and a young daughter with dark green hair. Still another on a foreign landscape, completely alone. Some of the paths end abruptly and carry no vision to look into.
On moving down one of these unknown ends, a chilling voice deep and ancient tickles along the base of Thel's spine. "Your death is not for you to know.". And as quickly as it came, it went.
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Post by DataNinja on Jan 22, 2021 1:18:38 GMT
He makes no motion or voice of protest. Instinctually, he knows it would be useless. Perhaps actually dangerous, venturing beyond even Serenity's reassurances of safety.
Instead, he takes in what's there. Sits and observes, before moving on to another. Takes in what could be not so much to learn... but simply to see. To gaze upon things that he might never see. It's a chance that he could have never imagined.
So it's not with melancholy that he gazes upon himself alone. Instead, it's awe, at being able to see it all.
It's not with sorrow that he watches himself with Em and their child, knowing that those days may never occur, and that he could not stay there forever. Instead it's with happiness, knowing he was allowed a glimpse at something wondrous and heartwarming.
It's not with anxiety that he sees that he could become a Salandit again. Instead it's with contentment that it doesn't mean that there would be no hope.
They're all strange feelings. The sheer vastness of it, he really should feel small, and insignificant... but he doesn't. The future is vast. And there's so much out there to explore and find happiness in.
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6,670 posts
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92 likes
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I'm not going to say it was damage, but it was damage.
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Apr 27, 2024 17:48:03 GMT
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Post by Robot on Jan 22, 2021 1:54:10 GMT
Moving along, to see himself as a Pokemon again...
The arrangements had been made. Em, unable to reconcile with the loss of her empathy, could not live with being human anymore. When the cure was found, and it was, she would return to what she had lost. Thel would go with her. The pair had interviewed trainers, as though they were searching for an adoptive parents.
It had been hopeless, fruitless. Time and again the older humans wanted a pet, and the younger ones wanted to face the league. A contact among the science community put forward a name when they were on the verge of returning to the wilds. Lila was her name. She was young, and dreamed about having adventures, and going on to face the league. Unwell as she was, it was unlikely she would ever see either. The girl was lonely, more than anything, and needed companions.
Lila brightened whenever Thel and Em came calling. They built a rapport and closeness that went beyond words. When they came forward with the secret that they were Pokemon, she wanted to be one too. When they offered to be her partners, and go on adventures together, she cried. How she cried.
Warm in the crook of his trainer's arm, Thel admired Em as she settled bedside, the gardevoir gently rubbing under his chin.
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Post by DataNinja on Jan 22, 2021 2:16:02 GMT
The journey is bittersweet. There's a sense of loss, of what could be, exploring as humans. Things that he knew could be, from seeing other paths. But... in the end, it's acceptable. He understands. Being with those who care. And giving the gifts that could only come from the heart. Hearts joined for a lifetime.
It's a choice that wasn't wholly about the life led, and the journey... it was about the people in it. He understood it.
With a smile on his face, and tears in his eyes, he lingers on the scene for a few moments longer. He knew those within were happy. That's what he needed.
For the first time, he tries to go further back, to see one of the others, where he's instead all alone. This one was far more than he first thought of it. So he wonders what could lead to being alone in an unfamiliar land.
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6,670 posts
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92 likes
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I'm not going to say it was damage, but it was damage.
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Apr 27, 2024 17:48:03 GMT
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Post by Robot on Jan 23, 2021 2:17:31 GMT
Beyond Pokemon and humans. Timeless. Thel had been for longer then he could remember. There were still fond memories from his youth. Adventures with friends, love and loss. The unrepentant march of history slowly took it all from him. Johto changed, grew, dwindled, and faded away. The ruins of a society some few thousand years old now molded under lush plants that had not been seen since the age before man. A hot sun hung foreign in the dusky sky overhead. His only companion now was the shell of an insect that survived the fall with him. Alissa, he called it, and a fatigue unlike any he had ever known settled heavy over his heart.
It was so quiet he had forgotten the sound of his own voice. The wind stirred through the undergrowth, and time eddied by. He, nature, and the exceptional few were all that remained.
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Post by DataNinja on Jan 23, 2021 6:03:09 GMT
...there's no happiness to be found here. No relief. All it is... is loneliness, and the pangs of those that he'd loved. A world empty of purpose, and being. Empty of any reason to be. He doesn't like it, not at all.
It's... not the worst fate he can think of, it's not going back to Her. Or Diva. Or any of them. But... it's in some ways more soul crushing. Because it's long. It's so long. He can't even comprehend of the timeframe that he's suddenly touching, suddenly remembering, feeling.
It is crushing, an endless abyss. More time than he's even thought possible. He's been alive - properly alive, with motivations and feelings - for a month. That's it. This is unthinkably many of those. He doesn't know what he'll be doing in the next month. How he'll be. How can he even imagine this far.
It dizzies him more than seeing the expanse of possibilities. Because... this is apparently a possibility. Somehow. Living a life beyond everyone. He... doesn't like it. Not one bit.
In the end, he just stares. He stares because in some ways, it's hard to drag away from. Hard to find the motivation, touching these memories. But they're not him. They won't ever be him. He'll... he'll make sure of that.
Thoroughly shaken, he begins the long walk back. To hope for a happier possibility. To see Em again. After so, so long.
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6,670 posts
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92 likes
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I'm not going to say it was damage, but it was damage.
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Apr 27, 2024 17:48:03 GMT
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Post by Robot on Jan 24, 2021 18:56:51 GMT
Directing his thoughts towards his relationship with the former ralts, Thel finds himself at another fan of paths. One where they met before ever becoming human at all. Others where he doesn't leave her side after their initial freedom, choosing to stay close rather then venture and grow. A number where she grows into her own as a trainer, and more. Some are openly confusing, disturbing, or upsetting. They don't seem to include her as she is at all.
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Post by DataNinja on Jan 24, 2021 19:02:32 GMT
It's too much. It's all too, too much. The weight of the memory of ages still heavy on his heart, seeing all of this, looking down paths... he can't take it. He can't see any more of this, not now.
In a panic, he attempts to wake, to push away the memories-to-be, to leave the paths of visions. And just cling to Bliss, if she's still there, next to him. Holding her tight, and softly weeping, with ragged breaths. It's all overwhelming.
His life so far has been so short... why is he seeing all this? What does it all mean?
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6,670 posts
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92 likes
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I'm not going to say it was damage, but it was damage.
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Apr 27, 2024 17:48:03 GMT
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Post by Robot on Jan 24, 2021 20:13:12 GMT
Bliss wakes with a start, expression surprised at first, then sympathetic. Perhaps a little shy even at the sudden need Thel has for her company. Those spindly arms wind around his neck, and Serenity's head settles across his calf. Hope watches from nearby with a solemn expression. The sounds of heavy breathing and the low grating of some of Jasmine's more nocturnal Pokemon moving about, and the air of peace about the cave is soothing. Nothing comes for him, or attempts to take what he has. There is only the family he's brought together.
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Post by DataNinja on Jan 24, 2021 22:55:32 GMT
"T-thank you..." he says at last, after a time just laying there, clinging, feeling the warmth and breathing of his companions. He sits up and wipes his eyes, looking around, from face to face. "I'm sorry. I just... I saw things in my dreams. Things that might eventually come. And... it was too much."
He gently rubs Serenity's neck, locking eyes with her. "I... I don't understand everything. But there were too many visions. Too much everything. I just... I don't know. There were memories from longer than I've been alive..."
"Thank you all for being here. It... means the world to me." He begins to just feel too overheated and confined, so leaves the blankets to go get dressed. He needs to talk to the Falinks, and Jasmine, and prepare for tomorrow, and just... he needs to get up. "Ahahaha… I'm a mess." He buries his face in his hands.
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6,670 posts
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92 likes
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I'm not going to say it was damage, but it was damage.
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Apr 27, 2024 17:48:03 GMT
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Post by Robot on Jan 25, 2021 3:10:11 GMT
"Take your time." Comes a soft voice that Thel swore he had heard once before. It's soft and encouraging. Hope folds her dainty hands in her lap and watches him with large, soft eyes, and a tender expression as he pulls on his clothes and prepares to rush off into the next adventure. Bliss sits up, and Serenity scooches in beside Patience to keep her warm.
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Post by DataNinja on Jan 25, 2021 3:15:16 GMT
Thel looks around in confusion. It wasn't Patience... but he didn't see anyone else around. Huh. Well, if they're there, and he wasn't just imagining it, they'd probably come out.
For now, he looks for the Falinks. He's not given them attention for long enough. They're new friends, and he... well, he has to figure out what to call them, for one.
"Hello there, little ones," he says, once he finds them, sitting in front of them to get to their height. "I'm sorry that I... well, was sleeping for this time, and I've not gotten to know you that well."
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6,670 posts
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92 likes
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I'm not going to say it was damage, but it was damage.
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Apr 27, 2024 17:48:03 GMT
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Post by Robot on Jan 25, 2021 4:21:29 GMT
The Falinks line up in front of Thel six abreast as though presenting for inspection. They all give a series of squeaks in greeting, and what seems to be understanding. They know what sleep is, they also made sure to keep watch in case anyone tried to be sneaky. Rock types aren't sneaky, but they'd get that tall pointy one someday. Top Brass set a shield on Thel's knee, and a line of armored plates followed it, obscuring his lap from sight. A show of solidarity maybe?
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Post by DataNinja on Jan 25, 2021 4:40:05 GMT
"Aw, thanks," he says, beaming, before giving each a rub on the top of its helmet. "I only met you yesterday, but, even with that, the fact that you're willing to trust and help me that much..."
"I, uh, I should probably have something to call you all, though," he says, awkwardly. This feels a lot more weird. "Violet said that you were all one, so, I don't know if you'd prefer trying to find one name that works, or if you all want different ones. I... don't know how that works. And... I find it hard to tell all of you apart, for the most part," he admits, sheepishly. "You're all so much in synch, that it's amazing. I wish I had that kind of unity and coordination with people and Pokémon."
"I... don't know if Harmony works as a name. I'm sorry that I can't understand you for yours." He flushes. "I just want to be able to address you in a way that feels more personal."
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6,670 posts
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92 likes
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I'm not going to say it was damage, but it was damage.
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Apr 27, 2024 17:48:03 GMT
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Post by Robot on Jan 25, 2021 5:13:48 GMT
There are a few moments of squeaky deliberation. Harmony was a bit feminine, but why would that matter to a progressive gender neutral Pokemon like Falinks. They seemed to enjoy the tap on the helmet, as though a quick pat psyched the Pokemon up. After taking a vote, they agreed Harmony was a fine name for perfect teamwork!
Hope alighted gently on Thel's head.
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Post by DataNinja on Jan 25, 2021 5:33:22 GMT
"Alright, sounds good," Thel says, smiling. "Now, I just need to head upstairs to talk to Jasmine for a bit - she's the one who had the big snake - but I should be back soon and I'll make everyone dinner. If you wouldn't mind, try and think if there were any flavours that you particularly liked from yesterday at the falls. I want to make sure everyone has their favorite!"
He gets up, and almost instinctively looks upwards towards Hope before remembering that would dump her off his head. "Hey there, Hope," he laughs. Just talking with his Pokémon has made him feel so much better. "You wanting to ride along up to Jasmine? Feel free, you're light enough." He makes for the stairs upwards.
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6,670 posts
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92 likes
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I'm not going to say it was damage, but it was damage.
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Apr 27, 2024 17:48:03 GMT
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Post by Robot on Jan 25, 2021 12:47:20 GMT
There is a slight shift in Hope's posture, with the insect crossing her legs and giving a flutter of her wings. The gentle stroke through his bangs is a little distracting but not unpleasant, as though she is petting him the way he might Serenity. Soothing, even. Upstairs, Thel finds Jasmine in her ready room, slipping out of her shoes for the day. "Oh, good, you've rested a little. Feeling better I hope? It was quite a trial you had today."
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Post by DataNinja on Jan 25, 2021 17:57:18 GMT
There's a comfort of knowing that his friend's right there with him. He doesn't mind the fingers through his hair, either.
"...yes and no," Thel admits. "I'm definitely more awake and rested now, but my rest wasn't exactly... well, that restful. But thank you for your concern. I'm feeling better now." He gives her a smile. He... doesn't really want to get into reliving what he'd just gone through.
"I just... want to apologize. Not only did I manage to get trapped on a mountain when I should have know better with the rains, so I wasn't able to work like I promised... I had to drag you away from the Gym to help. I'm sorry."
"And..." he hesitates, "I really hate asking for more... but is there a phone here I could use to call Em? I promised I'd try and call today at the latest, so... I don't want her to worry. If... not that's fine, I can make my way to the Center, I just... would rather not get soaked so soon after getting dry." He flushes. It really is such a petty reason to ask for help.
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