"You sure about this, Lost?" "As sure as I've ever been." Two Celebi in front of a large building, looking up at it. Despite looking foreign in design, it fits with the aesthetic of Luani Island well, adopting a similar color scheme to the surrounding buildings. The most outstanding feature of it is the large sign on the front displaying a fictional Zygarde character dressed in a karate gi, with the words "SONNIGE CITY DOJO" prominently featured. "We can practice at Gorebyss Lake any time, you know." There's worry in the larger Celebi's voice. "As nice as it is, it's not...consistent. And I need to get my strength back. To protect myself...you, Found, Mute. Karina." The smaller Celebi, standing atop the larger one's head and keeping balance with its wings, looks at his hands. He balls them into fists, disappointed at his current state. "Oh, Lost...you'd go to such lengths? Wouldn't Found want in this, too?" "She's always had a step above me, Gali. You know that. Me...I've only regained my own flight. I can barely use my Psychic powers on anything but spoons and forks. And hardly both at once." Gali sighed, acceptance on her face. "Yeah. I suppose you're right, but...wouldn't this be going too far?" Lost stared forward. "...I don't know any moves, Gali. I can't even replicate your Leech Seed. What...good am I, otherwise?" "...Lost..." Though she sees the blue Celebi's point, she was hoping his strength would return with whatever moves he'd learn, like picking up on old cues. When Dialga and Palkia stripped him of his powers, Gali hadn't realized the extent of it, and now that he has a reason to take up arms she could hardly say no. She wasn't about to leave Lost defenseless. He flaps his wings, flying down off the top of her head and twirling in front of her. "I need to get strong, and fast. I asked Karina what the best place for that was, and this is what she came up with on her computer. It's gotta work." He pumps his arms to his sides, looking determined. Gali wonders just how she came to know this place, considering Karina doesn't like battling all that much. Not that Gali didn't know herself; it was a regular site she'd visit when she was on the job, tending to injured fighters. She'd normally visit the three other dojos on the island, as they were 'higher ranked' and thus the fights they hosted resulted in more injuries. The building she was standing in front of was the lowest-ranked on the island, but it was the most populous; they were also the highest-staffed, with many trainers and spotters to ensure the safety of their participants. That didn't stop accidents from happening or fights from getting out of hand, so they appreciated the help of their local nurses, and especially Gali's no-preparations-necessary approach. "Alright...I'll see you in, at least. Whoever trains you has to know of your situation." She holds her hand up in front of him. "Eh, fine. Just don't make me feel [i]too[/i] useless when you describe it." Lost sneered off to the side, resting his hand on Gali's. "I'll try, heh." She spun him higher into the air, walking forward. The blue-haired 'bi lands on her head, sitting with his legs facing forward. Gali opens the door and the two enter the reception room of the dojo. The whole place was divided into rooms and wasn't open-air like the other dojos, making the individual sparring rooms feel stuffy despite the architect's attempts at a homely feel. Still, these rooms were on the floor above; the area Gali was in had training equipment from wall to wall and smaller mats designed for practicing in a compact area. The ceiling was a little lower than what one would expect, but the place was well-ventilated besides. "Oh! Gali, hi!" A familiar voice to the Celebi came from the desk by the entrance: a Mienfoo employee, with wide-open eyes and a sporty black-and-green t-shirt featuring the same Zygarde character's expressive face front and center on it. "Not on nurse duty today, I see." Gali shot a sincere smile, already feeling the butterflies in her stomach as she approaches the desk, clean save for a few stacks of documents. "Ah, hey there. Yeah, I'm here as a customer...er, well, no..." "That'd be me." Lost points to himself. Despite trying to be assertive, he was still hunched in his sitting position, also feeling the same fluttering feeling. "Oho, I was just about to say, we're always accepting new faces. And who might you be, little guy?" "I'm NOT a-" A quick twitch of her head threw the smaller Celebi off-balance. "His name is Lost, he's, uh, a Celebi like me...uhm...unknown age..." She leans in over the desk a little, hushing her voice. "He kinda doesn't know any moves of his own just yet..." "Oh! No problem!" The Mienfoo didn't replicate Gali's whispering. "We offer a ton of flexibility with scheduling and accommodations no matter the skill level of the trainee. From general strength and defense training to move mastery courses, we can adapt to any Pokemon's needs. Would you like to look over our brochure as I get his application started?" She motions to a stack of brochures in a plastic holder while making a few keystrokes on the computer to her side. "Sure." Gali picks the front one out and opens it up, looking over it. Lost repositions himself on Gali's head, looking down at it as well. "Looks like they got a Grass and Psychic attacking course. And defense courses as well..." "...hum. I wonder if...lemme see that." Lost reaches down. Gali instinctively tilts her head up, handing the brochure up to him. "Something catch your eye?" "Yeah. The Psychic defense course covers Ghosts and Darks..." "Yup! We've gotten a lot of requests for the Psychic defense class lately." The Mienfoo perked up from her computer. "We can get you in with one of our specialists as early assss...next week." "Next week?!" Lost nearly flung himself off of Gali's head in disbelief. "Sorry, little guy. We're about to hit the busy season and we've got quite a lot of people wanting to toughen up. All of our specialists are booked for the next few days." "Hoho, but that's no reason to turn away someone willing to train." A voice from a room behind the counter. From behind the doorway comes a short-statured Pokemon - shorter than Gali, but with a much larger, egg-like frame. From the voice it's apparent it's an older male, and he had the appearance of a Mienshao, with big bushy eyebrows covering his eyes and his arm-whips folded over the opposite shoulder of each. "Headmaster Lin, sir...unless we have someone freed up, I can't put our new trainee in." The clerk looks a little frustrated. "I-if we have to come back, we'll have to." Gali pipes up. "Oh, there's no need for that. You've done a good service helping us in the past, young Gali. I can sense that even if you weren't obligated to be here, you'd have healed them all the same." His voice is unusually calming, slow and steady. Gali's face turns red with a blush. "Oh...gosh, u-uhm, Mr. Lin...anybody needing help shouldn't be turned down. The other dojos around the island usually have more severe cases..." "Nonsense. A wound is a wound, no matter how deep. Ms. Tenzin, clear my meeting coming up. I will personally tend to young Lost's training." "...As you wish, sir. I'll call to reschedule it." The Mienfoo sighed and went back to typing. "I'm not...! Eh? You'd do that?" Lost's frustration was cut short. "Of course. One good turn deserves another, as they say. Gali, you are welcome to join as well." "I-I don't think I'd make a good sparring partner..." She hesitates. "Ho ho ho ho! Oh, no, nothing of the sort." He shakes his head, a grin visible, yet his eyes still remained hidden. "You'd be entering in as likely the only Celebi on the island. It'd be an honor to have you, but a whole new species requires...a unique touch. One that you have, Gali, and one that can be imprinted onto Lost." "Lost is all set to go in the system, Lin." The Mienfoo peeks up from behind her computer. "Very good. This way, if you please." He gestures for the Celebi to follow him, leading them to an upward flight of stairs. "T-thank you..." Gali tries to bow to both the clerk and Lin, hurriedly trying to keep pace. "Now..." Their footsteps creaked on the wood boards underneath the fancy carpeting on the stairs. "First, what would you like to work on, Lost?" --- "Who are you?" A voice that demands an answer. It is not one of surprise; rather, it is one that is of arrogance. As if the speaker already knew the answer. Like a parent chiding their young about something they did. The voice came from everywhere, but I know the source. It's the figure above me. It looks like Mute...but completely hairless. Its two eyes, staring down at me...as if piercing my soul. I can't bear to look at them for too long. But the rest of its body was hard to look at as well, draped in black and white, grainy and distorted. And its position...hovering above me. It looks to be at least three times my size, but I can't tell...it could be only feet above me. It could be miles above me, a giant staring down at me. I wince. I can't tell what the rest of its body is...the eyes are just too prominent. I don't want to look at them. "Who are you?" It asks again, with the same tone as before. I'm looking down, but I can only see a few feet around me. The ground looks dry and cracked, and I can't tell if it's sand, stone, clay...but everything is dark around me. Everything, of course, except that being hovering above. I can't even tell if it's night, it's so bright...and yet I can see nothing else. "I...I'm..." My mind goes blank. Am I right to answer? How can I answer truthfully if I just don't know? Who am I...what am I? It feels like I should know...I've tried and tried, but I can't figure out my memories! I can't tell what's real and what I made up and assumed was real...so they must forever be... "...Lost." "Yes. You are. But is that really you? Half of you is...her." Its form changes - and I'm finding myself staring at its eyes once more. It grows hair, looking more like Mute...but with a complete head of hair. It looks...like... ...her. She's standing in front of me. Was she there the whole time? Or did she walk forward from the shadows? "She...is foreign to you. You are not her, and she is not you. But half of your body is hers." Her face is obscured by the shadows. But from them I can see...two glowing eyes. Red, circular. ...And a growing smile. A smile that goes past the limits of what should be possible. "Her memories are twisted, just like yours. But instead of rejecting her, you have accepted her...and made your task that much more impossible. How can you tell what is yours? You can't just put a name on a memory like a trinket." She hasn't made a move. I dared not move in return. "I don't...I can't reject her. It's just not...possible, anymore...I can only be me. I've already accepted that." "Who you were before is who you are now. You know that. You've kept your memories, tangled as they are. No matter how tight the knots and how many strings there are, they shape you. That void inside you...was it hers to fill? Did she have a right?" She stepped back into the darkness, taking her glowing eyes with her. It was even more eerie than the body above me, to see her staring at me like that. But as stripped of my senses as I am, I can tell she's still there. There's...a sound of writhing flesh...something I've become used to. Bones rearranging...the ripping and tearing of skin... "She...did what she needed to do to save me. My other half...even if I were to have found it, I don't know if I could have merged with it. And if I could have, I wouldn't have known how. I was so focused on retaining my memories that it felt like I only had half my body...like I was born that way." "And perhaps you are right in that judgment. For you to be where you are, you had to give up what you were...and if those memories were really that important, you'd have worked the kinks through by now. So for all you know...you were born from the darkness. Trapped in endless torment. And yet you believe you were saved? That you needed saving?" "Looking back at it...I don't know how I could have told the difference. I was so caught up in my memories, I..." I bring my hand to my chest. There's a pulse. "I forgot...how to live. I don't know how I could have survived like that..." "You will never know until you unravel your memories. And with her presence inside you, that will gnaw away at you too. Until you are fully consumed by her...parasitic form." Something lunges at me from the darkness. I can barely move out of the way in time to avoid its swiping hand, but its other catches me on my shoulder. It wasn't a claw, wasn't sharp...but just feeling it is giving me this intense pain. It's the same thing I was feeling before, when I was drowning in my own memories, alone and without a guiding light... It hurts. But the body it's attached to is much worse to look at. It's...not her at all. The flesh on her body...it's not all there. Every inch that I can see is in a different stage of decomposition. There's barely any green left. Even the bones that are showing are rotting and broken. And her face...i-it's... It's stuck in a crying state... Emitting a piercing shriek. The same eyes that stared at me before with malice now look at me with sorrow, with what I can gather from her face. I can't...this pain, not again! I don't want to feel it again! So I push her away with my foot, and try running... "You did this. You are responsible. She yearns for your death, so that her own suffering can end." As I run, there's more...things...littering the ground. Red blobs of meat. Skulls, bones. Entire faces...heads... And then they came. They looked the same as the one before, rushing at me. First it was just one, from the side. Then more. All shrieking, all calling for me. I keep running to try and leave them behind...but more kept coming. Eventually I have to avoid their lunges, but there's too many. All the while that Celebi stares at me from the sky. Unmoving, unwavering in its gaze. "You may have escaped your tomb, but you can turn any realm you inhabit into the same as it was before. How did that tune go...?" They're grabbing me from all sides. Some with bony hands, some don't have hands at all. Giving me their pain. They keep coming... "Ah, yes...you've forgotten. How about I remind you?" Their shrieking harmonizes into a single note. I...recognize it. It's the song that brings death. Why must my nightmares end like this...? --- 'Will it be okay?' I imagine that's one of the things people will first ask when they see Mute. Me and Found, we were lucky to be healed in the presence of nobody but the forest...but Mute is a different story. Her body can't be healed like ours, or anybody else's. Gali's constant supervision is proof of that. But it begs the question of why...? Why must she suffer like that? And to have that voice inside her, egging her on to do malicious things...it's worse than my dreams. She's practically living in a nightmare every day. It wasn't soon after we received Mute that we decided the best course of action would be to arm ourselves with knowledge about her condition. Sure, maybe Gali can't create an arm or leg like she did with us...but the skin on that side of the body, the way that its cuts don't heal and are always open and bleeding...maybe there's something we can do about that. I don't think I've ever been in a Pokemon Center before. From how Gali describes it, it sounds like a madhouse...but, she works there. That's to be expected. And while I'd love to not see people wounded as much as possible, I've already seen Mute. It's like looking in a mirror, except seeing a reflection of what I was before. If I can overcome that sight, I should be ready for anything, right? "Hi, Gali! You're not on shift today, right? What bri-OH!" The Indeedee nurse at the receptionist desk gasps. I had to learn these species by asking Gali...so many, so many. But as inquisitive as I am in learning about them, they'd probably be more interested in us. Me and Found being small has been a source of embarrassment for me, but I'm betting the people in these professions would be more interested in opening us up... "Wh-what is...that?!" Yeah, that's about what I expected. And suddenly the mood in the center changes; the air conditioning does little to ease being the center of attention. Gali is holding Mute in her hands rather casually; Mute is visibly confused by the nurse's raised voice. (Or is she? She's had that sorrowful look on her ever since we sealed that voice...is that really how she always looks?) "Please, calm down. She's fine...um, I think. I've tried healing her the best I can, but it's beyond me. I just need her checked...professionally." "Someone even Gali can't heal, oh man...alright, we're gonna set you up in a room, okay, little one? We're gonna take good care of you. You guys come too, there's paperwork to fill out." The Indeedee motions for us to enter one of the rooms. Groan. Paperwork. I hate writing. The pencils are too big for my hands. "Gali, can you fill out our stuff if they ask?" "Yeah, I guess. Feels a bit weird to be filling this stuff out, though. Usually, I'm the one telling others to fill this stuff out." She sighs. "But since I'm technically the 'guardian' here, I don't think they'll have you guys fill things out. Most they'd do is probably want your names for a guest list or a family relatives section." "...What...will...they do?" Mute's telepathy reaches all of us. Found peeks out from above Gali's head in her usual exaggerated manner, with a finger pointing at nothing in particular. "They'll conduct tests! Oooh, and put lotsa water in you!" "Found, don't stress the poor dear." Gali wiggles her head, causing Found to waver in her balance and fall back into the hair. "We're only finding out just how to best make your pain less...painful. And hopefully with a way to make you look better, too. It'd be nice to have people react with less emotion than she did when seeing you, right?" "...Yeah..." She sounds a little despondent. Gali rests her down on the all-white bed in the room we were assigned to, with her unkempt hair being brushed off to the side. Mute rests her hand on her chest, with her fingers not crossing that obvious border between the halves of her body. I've been behind Gali's shoulder this whole time, and only now have I decided to come out to float at the side of the bed. Gali goes and sits down on one of the chairs lining the room, sighing. Found, too, finds her way over next to me. She can't do this in a normal way, of course; instead, it looks like she's flying backwards...or just rotating weirdly. Her head and body are pointing in any direction except forward, until she gets near the bed, when she becomes upright again. I've...since become way too accustomed to this mannerism of hers. "Mute...I wish there were an easier way to ease your pain." She looks over at us. Something in my heart shivers, and it spreads to the rest of my body for a brief moment. That glowing eye always catches me off-guard. "It's...fine..." Her mouth curls up into a smile. So does mine... "Believe me, it's nothing to be envious about. They could have you in here for hours...days, maybe." Would you believe it's Found saying that? Maybe she's jealous. It's hard to tell what she thinks of Mute, really. When we first brought Mute home, Found first treated her like a long lost friend...but that swiftly turned to animosity. She wasn't at all bothered about Mute's physical condition. Something else was setting her off, but she won't say what. "Would we be able to stay and make sure she's alright?" I look to Gali. She can tell I already know the answer...but I want to hear it from her. "If they have to keep her for long, we'll probably have to leave and come back. We'd get in the way of the nurses and their work." "He-LLOOOOOO~!" A loud, booming voice rounds the corner. A tall Pokemon dressed in pink and white, with curls in its hair, who is unabashedly round and seems to exude an aura of comfort, as if breathing the air around them is tantamount to feeling the warmth of a hug...A Blissey, I believe. Their eyes are closed, a giant warming smile across their face - if I didn't know better, I'd say the corners of their mouth are rising up so much that they're blinding themselves with their own face. "Gali, hun, good to see you! Or I guess not, since you're in need of our services, huh? What's the occasion?" "Heh, have I been assigned to the other cities that often? C'mon, you know I can take care of myself." Gali squints with a smug grin as she continues writing on the clipboard she was given. "True, true. So our patient today is...EEP!" The Blissey's eyes are a beady black, but even that can't hide their surprise. We all turn to face her. "Gali...!" "Yeah, I know..." "Are these...is this...?!" She's...staring at us... "Yes, we've gotten reactions like that all d-" "Your KIDS?! EEEEE!~" Yeahp. It's gonna be one of those days. "Uh, yeah, ma'am, we're not-" "Don't you worry, young ones, we'll get your sister back into fightin' shape in no time!" She doesn't seem at all worried about Mute's lack of an arm and leg... "B-but we're..." "Oh, you don't need to worry. We're the best nurses on the island! A good portion of that is thanks to Gali, you know." "It's nothing, really...but this is one time I can't help." She turns to Gali, surprised. "Hu-whaaaaa? How come? Not because you're not on duty, right?" "Most certainly not. This little one's injuries are beyond my powers. We're just looking for a way to ease her pain and make her more comfortable..." "Oh...oh, goodness..." The Blissey looks at Mute. One would think she hadn't seen injuries so severe before by the horror on her face. She should count herself lucky if she hasn't. "...Hee! Alright, then." ...That was a quick turn-around. "You can leave her in our capable hands, Gali. Soon as you're done with the paperwork I'll get all the nurses in here and we'll get started. We'll have you wait in the lobby, and we'll come to you once we have an idea of how to proceed. 'Kapiche?" "Right, right." Gali hands over the clipboard, having finished her last stroke then. "Just be careful with her, alright? I don't know just how Mute will react to extensive care, if you'll be doing anything before coming out." She motions for us to come to her as she gets up to leave. Found quickly flies back into Gali's hair, but I take a few moments to look at Mute before taking my leave. "Not to worry! We won't set a finger on her without your approval. Now then...Mute, was it? Which arm would-...oh. Right." ...How can these people heal on the level of Gali? She...was able to save us, when we were just halves. The power of time and healing combined is strong...but certainly they can't compare. But since even Gali can't heal Mute, their techniques might be more useful. Gali's used to just healing spots to health right then and there. These other nurses are likely more focused on preservation... Preservation...I guess that's something I should learn too. It's one thing to have pain. It's another to hold onto it for an extended period of time. After getting used to feeling things again...again? For the first time? I don't know...but there's always this nagging feeling to itch my face or my chest, right in the middle. Some scars last forever. I...just hope Mute isn't like that. Like I should be saying that, right? For as long as I was like...that... But still, I feel a connection between us...if something were to happen to her, I... I...wonder if Found thinks the same way... --- "Nyyyeeeh." Gali, sprawled out on the couch in Karina's room. Her head is on Karina's lap, as the Mawile herself is lazily playing a game with one hand and on her phone with the other. "Nyihhh. Dang bots. Stop sendin' me emails." She rests the phone on the arm of the couch, swaps which hand is holding her controller, and uses her now free hand to rub Gali's face. "Fwaah. Glad things have calmed down a little." Gali sighs contently. She returns the favor to Lost, who is resting on Karina's other leg, reaching over and rubbing the blue extension on his head. "Can say that again..." Lost looks tired. As it's currently late at night, it's no surprise. Gali feels as though she's good for another hour or so, but Lost is beat. "Glad things have calmed down a little." Found chimes in, sitting on the back of Karina's computer chair. The light swaying of her legs is causing it to rotate back and forth with the momentum. She, too, looks quite tired. Mute sits next to her with her hand on the chair, being affected more by the swaying, but not enough to knock her off-balance. "Not literally, Found." Lost rolls onto his side and stretches his arms up and out, bumping up against Karina's controller. She responds with a quiet 'mmh', then places the controller lightly down on the side of his head to stretch herself. "Hey, Karina." The Mawile tilts her head towards Found. "I think I've decided on what my OC should be. I want 'em to be a cookie." "A cookie, huh? That's a dangerous game. Mine could take a bite out of yours." She says with a smirk. "Ah-ah-ah, I didn't say what type of cookie they'd be. They could be one of those sugar cookies, oatmeal, they might have raisins in them...and you don't know if they're soft and melty or hard like rock. Ever changing!" Found uses her hands to accentuate her points. Mute looks rather confused as the pink Celebi's hand comes close to smacking her a few times, but doesn't say anything about it. "That sounds very like you, Found. But this better not be another ploy to get my mom to buy you free sweets." To that, Found cheekily smiles. "When did you get so interested in OCs all of a sudden? Don't tell me you've been poking around Karina's room..." Gali sounds playfully accusatory. Found recognizes the tone right away, giggling and kicking her legs up. "Maaaybe." "She asked first. I had mine up on my computer and she wanted to know about 'em." "So she did poke around." Gali pointed up at Karina. "You should be careful of what you let her find." "Implying the existence of even more? Ooh, the things I don't know...~" Found leans back to look towards the computer. "...Pardon me for asking, but what's an 'ocie'?" Lost looks up at Karina. Both Gali and the Mawile look at him, then at each other. They share a nervous grin. Neither wants to speak first. Instead, Found does. Their hearts drop. "Think of it like having a doll that you can make into anything you want, and you can make 'em do anything you want. They're not real! It's just made up in your head. But you can do things like draw them, write stories with them..." "...Dream about them...listen to them..." Mute adds, looking off to the side. "Yeah! But, y'know, your situation is...different. Yours actually -is- real. To our knowledge." Found puffs out her chest poudly. "...Eh. That's good enough." Karina muses. "Nnnh...where do you guys come up with this stuff? Fake people that you control?" Lost picks the controller up off his head and lightly tosses it on Karina's lap, flipping over onto his belly with his arms crossed to rest his head. "Why would people do that?" "You'd be surprised. Fiction books have been around for centuries, and they usually have made-up people in them. Some even have a whole made-up world to go along with them. It's fun to imagine the wacky things people get into if the world was a bit different." Yeah. Like, y'know, this story here. [i]Found, you're not the narrator here.[/i] Oh, so-rry. Parrr-don me. Lost gets two, but I don't? I see how it is. "Yeah. Like, y'know, this story here." "Eh? What story?" Gali looks confused. "Don't worry about it." Found smiles slyly. "Gali, do you have an OC?" "...Found, you worry me sometimes. No, I-" "'Cause I just thought of something you'd be that'd fit with me being food. You could be a pear!" "A pear? Why a pear?" "Because you ap-pear-ed suddenly in our lives!" She giggles. Karina giggles too, but with a small blush. "How about it? Join the club?" "Jeez, you guys." Gali stays silent for a few moments to mull it over. Lost breaks the silence. "Pearliana." "What?" "Characters gotta have names, right? Pearliana." "I don't think I quite like the trend of taking parts of my name and giving them to something else." "Why? It happens all the time, even unintentionally." Found looks at the camera. [i]Found, there's no camera here.[/i] "Yes." "Well, Gali, it's up to you. You don't have to have one if you don't have to." Karina looks down at the bibi. "...No, no, I'm getting one. I'm not gonna give up a chance to be closer to my KariKari." She nuzzles her face on the Mawile's lap. "...just, not sure what to base them on." "If you wanna make one related to mine, you just gotta look for similar qualities. Make it subtle, but not too difficult to understand. Imagine telling someone else what they're like. "And that's where my second idea comes into play!" Found raises her voice. "How about making them based off of a pearl?" "Ooh, that's good! Shining and gleaming in the light...that's accurate, wouldn't you say? And I can provide that light...~" "Aww, Kariii..." "...Pearliana." "Lost, you can't just say that." "What? It makes sense." Mute giggles. Found's holding back her laughter. "What's so funny?" Gali looks over to Found. Then, she notices Lost has closed his eyes. He's holding back a chuckle too. "...Gali, think about it." Kari joins in with a chuckle of her own. The Celebi takes a moment to stare at nothing and put two and two together. "...hey! Those names are spelled the exact same! Found, you scoundrel!"