MALIGNANCY
by ShannaChapter 42
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Malignancy
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=================== B E G I N ===================
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…
…
Avery felt very warm. A deep, happy warmth filled his heart…
…but it was hard to tell where it came from.
For all around him was darkness. Familiar darkness.
But why was it so familiar…? When did he get here? Wasn’t he just…
…he was doing something just now. Before he came here.
He rubbed his head, looking around.
“…Back in the void, huh…? Are…the voices going to be back, too?”
This…feeling, though. This was new. What was the feeling of doing something? What…had he been doing? Camping?
‘I’d…been camping before I was taken, right?’
Camping…yes, he remembered the camping, vaguely. His friends that were there, Ember…or was it Amber?
It was strange seeing the void like this, being familiar with it…it was his first time seeing it, wasn’t it? Or maybe not, maybe there were some memories of seeing it before.
The silence didn’t last long. He knew the routine by now.
It wasn’t the first time he was in that void. It wouldn’t be the last. Not for a very long, long time.
[PROBABILITY NETWORK RUNNING – SCENARIO]
Like every time he was in a void with no body, it eventually led to him standing there. In a field.
Look up. Clouds in the sky. He could feel himself. The fur on his body.
Chest high grass surrounded him on all sides. Rolling hills. The distant forests. A massive tower situated on top of mountains towards where the sun set.
And…he remembered what he did here.
A wave of malaise swept over Avery. His eyes scanned the horizon, looking for it-
The tower. That tower. That was where civilization was. So he headed there.
Walked there. For the rest of the day. Even when it got dark.
Even though there were poisonous brambles in the field he didn’t know about.
>> PERMUTATION 01
Avery’s foot caught on something. Flesh pierced. A purple ooze started to burst from the wound as he tripped. A horrible sting SHOT up his body at once.
Avery fell into the grass, gasping in pain as he looked down at his paw.
‘That…that looks bad-‘
His eyes rose to the horizon in fear. He…wasn’t sure if he could walk like this-
…So Avery started yelling for help.
As the pain shot through him…it was like…
…remembering multiple things at once.
=====================================================
>> PERMUTATION 01
Writhing in the grass, Avery tried to call for help. His voice screeched until his lungs hurt, his throat became scratchy.
And he realized there was nobody out here that could save him. He was completely alone.
=====================================================
>> PERMUTATION 02 – ENTRY POINT COORDINATE OFFSET 34
Avery continued along the hills, slowly, making his way over rocks and stones, even having to clamber over a fallen tree which hindered his progress considerably. It was already approaching dusk and he’d hardly even made it halfway across to the treeline ahead.
=====================================================
>> PERMUTATION 03 – ENTRY POINT ANGLE OFFSET 83 D
Avery’s eyes saw the mountain before any tower. Maybe a civilization would be at the base of a mountain, where the river flows. That’d make sense right?
‘What’s going on-?’
Avery held his head, stumbling towards the mountain.
‘Sure. Civiliation gathers around water, okay-‘
=====================================================
>> PERMUTATION 01
Eventually Avery’s throat gave out. Numbness took over his body. His eyes slowly rolled backwards as whatever this was…the poison…
finally…
…took him.
>> PERMUTATION ELIMINATED
=====================================================
>> PERMUTATION 02 – ENTRY POINT COORDINATE OFFSET 34
It was getting dark now. It was getting harder and harder to make his way across.
But far in the distance Avery saw something…like a light…moving across the distant horizon.
Maybe…the Riolu he saw was there.
=====================================================
>> PERMUTATION 03 – ENTRY POINT ANGLE OFFSET 83 D
Avery decided to head north, towards the grand imposing mountain, his first step in this new world. He’d dauntlessly get out there and get to the bottom of whatever was going on.
And Avery knew, he had to find that Riolu.
=====================================================
>> PERMUTATION 04 – ENTRY TIME OFFSET 1333
Avery lifted himself from the grass, seeing that it was early morning, the sun was barely at his back. Ahead, he could see a tower in the distance. To the north, a mountain.
He was alone, and without food or water…
Multiple concurrent memories…multiple…
runs…
and what he did in each one.
=====================================================
>> PERMUTATION 02 – ENTRY POINT COORDINATE OFFSET 34
Try as he might to run forward, Avery was unable to catch up to the light as it glided across the horizon, leaving him stranded in the darkness.
>> TARGET MISSED. PERMUTATION ELIMINATED
=====================================================
>> PERMUTATION 03 – ENTRY POINT ANGLE OFFSET 83 D
Avery eventually crested a hill. Then another. As nighttime drew near he could see a brilliant spectacle of light shining over the ridge.
A wondrous sight spread before Avery: A sea of buildings, illuminated in faint glimmering light, a city alive. Civilization at last, found all by himself.
>> TARGET MISSED. INDEPENDENCE ESTABLISHED. PERMUTATION ELIMINATED
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>> PERMUTATION 04 – ENTRY TIME OFFSET 1333
Going towards the tower, he’d surely find civilization at the tower.
His foot caught on something. Flesh pierced.
>> PERMUTATION ELIMINATED
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>> PERMUTATION 05 – ENTRY TIME OFFSET 1271, ENTRY POINT COORDINATE OFFSET -721
Avery lifted himself from the grass, seeing that it was mid morning, the sun was shining at his back. Ahead, he could see a tower in the distance. To the north, a mountain.
He was alone, and without food or water…
=====================================================
>> PERMUTATION 06 – ENTRY TIME OFFSET 1271, ENTRY POINT COORDINATE OFFSET -341, ENTRY ANGLE OFFSET 22 D
Avery lifted himself from the grass, seeing that it was just mid morning, the sun was shining at his cheek. To the left he could see a tower in the distance. To the right, up north, a mountain.
He was alone, and without food or water…
=====================================================
>> PERMUTATION 07 – ENTRY TIME OFFSET 1000, ENTRY POINT COORDINATE OFFSET -199, ENTRY ANGLE OFFSET -33 D
Avery lifted himself from the grass, seeing that early morning was just ending, the sun was shining at his cheek. To the right he could see a tower in the distance. To the left, empty space.
He was alone, and without food or water…
‘A perfect purgatory
And here I was. Outside of it all.
This was all feeling familiar to me, now. Not only the first day. But everything that came after it.
The Tauros spotting me, thinking me a ghost. The grumpy Raichu on board. Vizon sharing the guild with me because of the periodical he had been holding.
…It was all…
the perfect meeting
with my new best friend.’
The permutations continued.
#44.
#502.
#2234.
#74279924924.
Angles,
position,
time,
emotional state,
level of drowsiness or numbness,
timing of the carriage…
until…
=====================================================
>> PERMUTATION 807557755781237575878557821458796698412698968941286682486968124 – OFFSET CODE SET <<&6374766778>>
Avery stumbled after the Typhlosion, needles still pricking at his throat from thirst. He didn’t much want to ask for a lift. It seemed there were a few impatient people in there already, and… he didn’t think they’d be very happy with him just climbing in there after delaying their ride. But…the Typhlosion would help, right? Arceans…Help one another.
‘Am I an Arcean?’
Stepping around, Avery could see two steps to allow him to get into the carriage after the Typhlosion. Another lamp hung back here, faintly illuminating the inside as the larger Poke’mon nestled down on the left side, across from a Grumpig and Raichu.
Avery paused, staring inside the carriage.
There, sitting at the end on the left was…a Riolu, his curious eyes staring at Avery. The other spaces were occupied, so he and the Typhlosion scooted apart slightly to make enough room for the new passenger.
[[ PERMUTATION ACCEPTED ]]
…
…
…
…Avery felt something.
In the cold of his realization there was something else. Something beyond the chill of the void. Something beyond the madness of permutations.
…something warm. Something real and genuine.
Something unexpected.
Avery felt it in his heart. In his body. The darkness surrounding him had something in it…a twinkle.
Multiple twinkles of light. A sky of stars as he lied on his back, making up stories based on the constellations with someone, a campfire reduced to a dim glow. Avery couldn’t even see their face in the dark now but…
…this was also a memory. Not one given, not one crafted…it was his memory. His alone.
And even as the twinkling dimmed…
…Avery still felt the warmth nestled on his chest.
…
‘…The restarts never got past meeting Vizon on the carriage. They never got past me sitting down.
Everything that happened after that, even guided…
…was my choice.
And the further I got from waking up on that field, the more this life was mine.
The more this life was mine.
And that all came to here. Months past that first day. A long, long time.
And I was here. With Lahnae.
Watching the stars.’
…
Avery could hear breathing. Soft little huffs, and a warmth on top of him.
He could hear the muffled sound of trees rustling. Wind whistling over a deep valley. Cold air gently brushing past a tent’s fabric. Just beyond his eyelids were a subtle brightness but nothing too harsh.
And there was such a deep…peacefulness here that it was obvious he wasn’t in the Guild. Heck, not even in Arceliaze.
…And he was awake.
The crisp air of the mountains was coupled with something else. Lahnae’s natural warmth. She was a fire type, that’d be expected.
But as he laid there, arm draped over her, he wondered.
‘Was that dream real?’
Avery looked down, seeing the Torchic laid over him like a blanket. The girl huffed quietly, as though she could detect Avery’s inner thoughts. A little sigh and grunt escaped her as she shifted atop him, feeling his movement.
Lahnae took a deep breath through her nostrils, cracking her eyes open and glancing up at Avery. The moment she saw him, a small smile crossed her beak and she stubbornly nestled in even more.
“Mhn…g’mornin’, luv.” She slurred, that X-Eye district accent slipping out again as her eyes closed once more.
‘…luv, huh?’
“Mornin’,” Avery echoed back. “…Seems like you want to sleep in more, huh…?”
The Torchic shifted, burying her face into the Plusle’s chest. Her warmth seemed to blossom even more at his words.
“…neva’…an’ don’t let me.” Lahnae sighed. “Gotsta get up bright n’ early, get breakfast at Souljraan an’…”
She let out a long breath, cracking her eyes open as she spoke into Avery’s fluff.
“…but m’not in a rush, now…”
“Not in a rush?” Avery let out a sleepy laugh and rubbed at his eyes with his free hand. “Who are you and what did you do with Lahnae?”
“C’moooon…” She said, snickering as she rubbed her cheek against the Plusle. “…this whole camping trip’s been ’bout, like, eh…stopping and smelling the roses and stuff, yeh? Taking in nature, enjoying just being.”
She opened her eyes, looking up at Avery.
Then leaned up, pressing into his cheek for a little kiss.
“M’just getting in the spirit of it…!” She finished, finally lifting herself up and streeeetching her wings. “Hey, pass me a canteen, will ya? My mouth’s all dried out.”
Avery stiffened a bit from the peck, his face growing hot.
‘You dummy, you were supposed to take this slow.
I probably still should, right? We confessed to each other, last night, but…we haven’t done anything about it yet. I…I should wait. I should wait just a little longer. We can talk about it on the way home.’
Working into a stretch, Avery reached back and snagged a canteen, rolling it over to Lahnae as he eased up into a more proper sitting position.
Lahnae sighed a ‘thank you’, chugging the water. A billow of steam sprang from her mouth. She paused, hissing about it ‘being really cold’ (despite the fact it was lukewarm at best), then continued.
“Hahhh…alright, I’m up.” The Torchic sighed, tossing Avery’s canteen back and sniffing, shuffling over to the tent flap to undo the straps. She grunted as the morning light shone right down on her face the moment the flap opened. “Gotta stretch my legs. Tent sleeping is fun but maaaan I had no idea it’d be CRAMPED.”
“Well, uh, this tent is pretty small. If you’re still up for camping another time we can try hammocks instead. Those are…”
Avery’s mind flashed back to last night. To Lahnae trying to set up the tent herself.
“They’re easier to set up.”
“Oh yo, like, just hanging out in the open?” He heard Lahnae’s voice outside the tent as she did some stretches and aerobics by the fire pit. “That actually sounds sick, dude! I mean, heck, it hardly even rained!”
“I mean a lot of hammocks come with bug covers and rain shields,” Avery said. “At least modern ones.”
…he stopped.
“… At least modern human ones.” He admitted it. “I don’t know how advanced your hammock technology is. It’s weird how I can only remember human stuff when I’m not trying to remember it-“
Avery shook his head to clear his thoughts, stopping the tangent. Lahnae snickered as she continued stretching.
“Bug covers? Why wouldya need cover from bug types specifically?” Lahnae asked, looking back at the Plusle with a cocked eyebrow. “I mean at that point you shouldn’t be using a hammock in a populated area in the open anyway, right?”
She shrugged, going back to her stretching with a sigh. Avery heard her let off a huff.
“Man…kinda misty out today.”
Indeed, even from in the tent Avery could smell the distinct scent of mist and wet pine nettles. It even seemed a little humid just in the tent. Classic mountain morning, he could imagine.
“So!” Lahnae’s voice called again. “What’re we getting up to today? I already got breakfast down in Souljraan planned, since we’re heading home this morning.”
“Ah-” Avery re-centered himself. “Other than breakfast, I wanted to drop by Vizon’s old place, talk to his parents, tell them how their kid’s doing.”
“Oh yeah, his parents! I remember you told me about doing that. We can totally swing by before heading back to Arceliaze! Or, oh, better!” Lahnae’s face brightened. “We should go to their house first and invite them to breakfast with us!! I mean, assuming they aren’t huge jerks or anything.”
She bent down, touching her talons with her wings.
“You remember where they’re at?”
“North Road, Building twenty two,” Avery recalled what Vizon had told him. “He didn’t mention a room number before the topic moved on, but it shouldn’t be too hard to find them, right?”
“Oh yeeeah, nah, that’s enough.” Lahnae nodded, turning back to Avery. “In the residential zones the houses are numbered, that’s how Loshjno always navigates the different buildings when we go to Souljraan. He knows the place better than me but I think North Road is up near the farms and a stone’s throw from the School and the Orphan Dormitory. We had a mission around that areas doing…”
She huffed, furrowing her brow.
“…friggin farm work, at Sarfallinus’s request…and shadowing Kipuuna no less.”
She shook her head, seeming to banish the boring memory.
“Man…it’s so much better actually having some respect around the guild.”
“I get that,” Avery said with a little nod, climbing out of the tent to start work on disassembling it. “But honestly what I wouldn’t give for a boring day of work. Literally my first mission had a map with the fate of the world on it, heh…I’d kill for a farming shadow job one of these days.”
“Heck, I’ll trade ya!” Lahnae said as she slowly began gathering up the items around the campsite to place them back into her backpack. “Next time Loshjno and I get saddled with some dumb sweeping mission out in the middle of nowhere, you an’ me can swap orders! Nobody has to know, riiiiight~?”
She grinned cheekily…and it was clear she wasn’t kidding.
“I mean, heck, now that you, Vizon and Nivanee are the big allstar team…you’re just gunna get hard job after hard job. Just like Nivanee was getting back when she was carrying the whole guild.” The Torchic’s grin turned smug and knowing. “And I bet that’s gotta be exhausting! I can’t let my rival hog all the fun!!”
Avery made a show of collapsing on the ground.
“There can’t be that many world ending catastrophes in Arcea, right??” He fake-whined. “This place has to be more stable than that-“
“Oh who knows, maybe they’ll start finding ones for you! Maybe they’ll MAKE EM UP.” Lahnae furrowed her brow, dropping a bunch of junk and food back into the back. “Well I WANT IN ON THAT ACTION!! Losh n’ I will show we’re all-star material, too! Any guild member should be ready, willing and able to SAVE THE WORLD at a moment’s notice!!”
She LEAPT into the air, fluttering her wings.
“I’m READY! I’m WILLING!” Lahnae huffed…and paused. “…AND I’M ABLE!! YEAH!!”
With her voice echoing over the distant mountains she SLAMMED her backpack closed, ready to head out.
With a good few more minutes, Avery had packed up the tent, rolled it up, and placed it on top of his own backpack. He teetered a bit as he got a hold of his own balance, and tightened the straps.
“Alright, off to Vizon’s folks and breakfast then…!”
“ALRIGHT! Let’s get to it!!”
With a song and a march, the both of them left that spot behind. This time around, as they both retraced their steps over the streams and hills and rocks, it was much less quiet.
Yes, this time they traveled Lahnae’s way. The girl gushed over last night, all the fun they both had looking at the stars and the second round of spooky stories.
She even went over a few ideas she had on how to make s’mores even better, usually involving even more chocolate and marshmallows and crackers until ‘your jaw was sore trying to stuff it all in’.
The misty morning was quickly lightening up, and they could see the bright orange sky above as they continued southward towards Souljraan.
And just as they could see the Souljreini tower in the distance, Lahnae began to move on to another topic.
“Sssssooooo…” Lahnae clicked her beak, looking at Avery. “…We’re a thing now, huh? Feels kinda…weird. In like a fuzzy way. I’ve never really been a thing with anyone before.”
“Well-” Avery tilted his head back and forth. “I don’t know if we’re a thing thing yet. After rushing into it with Vizon I want to take this a little slower, make sure that like…we know it’ll work long term before we make any long term decisions.”
He turned to her with a little smile.
“The biggest obstacle’s over and done with in terms of starting though.” He offered. “We both love each other. Went over that last night. I just…wanna make sure that it’s the kind of love that stays strong. Because past experience tells me that that takes a lot more effort than puppy love.”
He returned his gaze to the road.
“Don’t get me wrong. I meant what I said last night. I just…I don’t want to rush into something if rushing into it tears us apart. I don’t think I’d be able to bear that.”
“Ah…” Lahnae huffed a little, the disappointment in that little sigh clear. But, still, she gave a nod. “…yeah, you know what? Yeah. You got more experience in this…and considering how bad things got…”
She winced. It was clear what she was referring to.
“Right, yeah…like I wanna think I wouldn’t be like that…in fact, no, I’m, like, determined not to be.” Lahnae hummed quietly to herself. “…uh…what exactly would that look like? I mean, how would we be sure it’s a strong love and not ‘puppy love’, whatever that is? Is there some kinda…measure or something?”
That made Avery stop walking for a moment to think.
“I…I’m not sure, exactly.” He mused. “I think we’re already like…I’d have to say sixty percent of the way there. We click well, we talk openly about stuff, we said outright that we love each other.”
He shook his head.
“I’m saying all this, but I’ve barely got more experience than you. If I dated anyone before Vizon, I can’t remember any of it. Part of me wants to say ‘we’ll know’, but how do we know that we don’t ‘know’ already, y’know?”
“Bahhh, this sounds like one of those ‘feel’ things instead of a ‘fact’ thing.” Lahnae sighed. “If it was a ‘fact’ thing I could just ask Loshjno, but ‘feel’ stuff is my camp!! And I have no idea!”
She hummed, turning around to face Avery as the pair stood on the road approaching the city.
“Alright, hang on: Idea. What about this:” Lahnae said, taking a deep breath. “Instead of, like, focusing on the ‘thing’, what if I promise that if this doesn’t work out and we wanna split off that it won’t be a big giant stupid mess and we’ll just go back to being friends?”
That fiery look of determination reignited in her eye.
“We just have to promise to take a breakup in STRIDE. No wimping out and trying to force through it!!! If it sucks then WE SAY SO, STRAIGHT ON!!!”
She puffed out her chest, a confident look glowing on her face.
“How about that, Aves?”
Avery frowned.
That was still scary.
Avery still wasn’t sure if that would end up happening if he’d made the wrong choice. Maybe Lahnae would be strong enough for that. But would he? He might be physically strong, sure, but in terms of emotions Avery knew he was wildly inconsistent.
Sometimes he could hold fast for months and sometimes he fell apart at a few errant words.
He hesitated a little more, mulling over her suggestion.
‘But I like her. I really do.’
“…okay. I promise.”
Those two words brought visible relief to her. Her puffed up chest was like a plate of armor that now deflated as he promised, too.
If nothing else…Avery could see in her that if all else failed…
She’d put in the effort. As she trusted him with the same.
Her smile was encouraging as she patted Avery on the shoulder, quickening her pace towards the north gate of Souljraan, following the old cobblestone road. There were a few potholes where stones had clearly gone missing, and much of it was being grown over by plants and bramble.
But far in the distance the two could see what Avery could only assume to be the downtown of Souljraan, right up by the Souljreini tower, which powerfully loomed over the entire mountain range even from this far away.
It was pretty dizzying to stare up at.
Now as they both entered and passed old buildings of wood and logs, following dirt trails by family farms, Lahnae decided to change the subject (for both of their sakes).
“Sooo…what makes ya wanna visit Vizon’s parents so bad?” The Torchic asked with a smile. “Figured if you were gunna visit it’d be with the guy himself. Did you not visit before? Coulda sworn you did a mission up in Rocky Hills, like, forever ago.”
“We did,” Avery said, staring up at the tower as they passed by. “It was our second mission, when we shadowed Nivanee. That was back when she was Duskwalker, of course.”
He locked his hands together and raised them up to stretch his back out.
“We didn’t really have a lot of time to go around the city, because of the trade routes being blocked. The duke himself asked us to clear it. ‘Course…we did end up returning some delinquents back to their families in town. I hope they’re doing okay, actually…”
A shudder worked down Avery’s spine as he remembered that day. The things Nivanee had said to those kids, like it was nothing.
She’d really changed her tune since then.
“Ohhh shoot, delinquents? Man, those are always hard cases because, like, you don’t wanna be too hard on them cuz they’re kids but then try telling that to the people they stole from!!” Lahnae huffed, shaking her head.
She clicked her beak with a frown.
“Keep a secret?” Lahnae whispered, leaning over. “…I’ve let a few go, if the guy they stole from was, like, a jerk or something. Or if they were, like, some homeless kid stealing food. That’d be stupid to arrest them.”
She shrugged, her smirk returning.
“Kipuuna would probably say it’s the law’s place to decide that stuff. Psshhh, who cares. I know what’s right and wrong, not a bunch of stuffy books.”
Lahnae snickered dismissively. Avery returned her smile, feeling a little more relieved to hear that.
“I getcha. But…as for why I wanna see Vizon’s parents…?” The Plusle hummed. “I think it’s mostly just that they’re my partner’s parents, y’know? If I’m going this way, even though he can’t, I’d like to pass along how Vizon’s doing.”
Once again, Avery hesitated.
‘Should I tell her…?
…
I have to trust her. This will be different.’
“… Plus there’s some, uh, dumb thoughts I have to put to rest, too.”
Lahnae hummed thoughtfully. She didn’t suspect a thing.
“Oh yeah? What kinda dumb thoughts involve parents?” She laughed, looking back at Avery curiously, giggling as though trading gossip. “What, y’think one of ’em’s a ditto or something? Hehehehe.”
Avery buzzed his lips, unsure how to even broach this topic. It’d been something that’d been bothering him for a while, but-
“Jeez, you don’t even know about the dreams I’ve been having, huh…?” He said. “I had one last night.”
Lahnae blinked, her face turning from joking to concerned at once.
“Uhh…nnnooo, I dunno about any dreams. You mean like nightmares?” The Torchic stepped closer, tilting her head. “What…happened in the dream? Was it bad?”
“Almost all of my dreams are bad,” Avery sighed, shaking his head. “I think most of them are flashes back to when I was being, uh, made.”
He sighed quietly.
“In this one…I was dropped in the plains over and over. And over and over and over. Billions, trillions, quadrillion upon quadrillions of times. Sometimes I was poisoned and died in the field. Sometimes I got lost and starved. Sometimes I made it to Arceliaze all on my own. Sometimes I missed the wagon. Sometimes I decided to go to Taeriana instead. But it just… kept resetting, over and over and over, until they got the outcome they wanted.”
His frowned deepened a little.
“Me, meeting Vizon in the back of the wagon, and going to stay with him a night.”
Avery’s face darkened a bit thinking about it.
“When I first was taken, they asked me what my Pokemon partner would be. I said Riolu, on a whim. Before I even had a body.”
Avery let out a sigh as he spoke.
“If that dream is true, my entire friendship with Vizon was…” His voice slowly tapered off.
His throat tightened.
And all the dreams and…suspicions he’d had recently.
Lahnae squinted her eyes as she listened. She didn’t look upset, moreso just…confused. Like she wasn’t exactly following.
“…Made…like…made into a human? Oh no no, made into a Plusle, right!!” Lahnae nodded, trying to wrap her head around what she was hearing. “Sheesh that…sounds horrible?! That’s a terrible dream!! Or, uh, memory???”
She stuck her tongue out, her face twisted like her brain was melting in overdrive every second she tried to process what Avery said. It was clear she believed him, just…didn’t quite grasp the concept.
“So…uh…wait, how would they even do that? Orchestrate you meeting Vizon? I mean, good that they made sure you met the guy you wanted to, but…didn’t you say you both just happened to meet on a carriage? How do you even orchestrate that…?? That’s so weird.” She beat a wing on her forehead. “I mean, what, was it time travel? I’d think someone would notice if you were getting dropped in Breezy Plains a bajillion times. Heck, surely Loshjno and I woulda seen you at some point, right?”
“I think it was a simulation first. Testing a bunch of different variables until they could do it for real,” Avery said. “…But I already know that I’m made up. That I’m not a real Pokemon…”
Lahnae…frowned, an expression on her face like some mix of horror and…sadness.
“That’s not what I’m trying to put to rest though.” Avery said, finally.
“What are you trying to put to rest, then…?” She asked, voice softer.
Avery paused.
“I just…there’s…”
He gripped the sides of his arms.
“… There’s part of me that wonders if Vizon’s made up, too.”
“…made up…?”
Lahnae spoke the words with a chill to her voice, her concerned look deepening.
After a moment, the Torchic sighed, stepping ahead of Avery to look him dead-on.
“Avery…first off, you are not made up. Human or Poke’mon, who cares, whoever you are, Avery, you’re always you. Always. Whether from an egg or…whatever Arceus did, whether your memories are from actual events or…dreams or whatever. You’re always you. And I like you.”
She took a deep breath, as though trying to grapple with her own feelings.
“But…Vizon? Made up? If he’s got a house here in Souljraan and parents…” Lahnae shook her head. “He wasn’t, like, hiding them from you, was he? He seems like a pretty typical Souljraan kid…this isn’t about your break-up, is it?”
“…Vizon wasn’t hiding his parents, no,” Avery said slowly. “… Not entirely. He was dismissive about me visiting them, but he wasn’t saying not to do it. But the elites he was with kept interrupting him before he could tell me where they lived.”
He paused for another moment.
“I had another dream a while ago, too. It felt like another…Creation process one. But… It was just after Vizon and I had broken up.”
Lahnae perked up, confused as Avery continued.
“I…I was in this vast white tunnel, and I saw him. He didn’t recognize me, but I recognized him. He was still Vizon, but… He was way more timid. Still loved the guild, still a Riolu with the little piercings in his ear, but…he wasn’t from Souljraan. He’d never been to Arceliaze. He’d lived in Yahneri Port his whole life. I decided to help him out of the tunnel, and…I-I think he was disposed of at the end of the dream.”
He swallowed hard. The very idea made him uncomfortable.
“But… The big thing-“
He stopped for a moment and turned to Lahnae.
“When I was talking to Kellixae about the riots, she told me something interesting.” Avery said, his voice gradually growing more…shaky. “None of the people she knows burned down any houses. And you know Illamini op Arceali, they stick together.
“But one of them has a job in real estate. And the houses that burned down were Conduicy property. Right in the middle of downtown, nobody’s lived there for years. Easy to pin the blame on Illamini terrorism without hurting any Arcean citizens. Nivanee was noticing something similar. But-“
A pit formed in his gut.
“…Vizon’s house was burned down, too. He said it was his parent’s old house, and maybe he thinks that, but he didn’t seem upset at all that it was gone.”
Avery shook his head and began to walk again.
“… I don’t think Vizon’s lying to me. But it’s just…something I’m concerned about. Something I hope seeing his parents proves wrong.”
Lahnae was quiet when Avery finished. Her expression was unreadable as her eyes flicked towards the ground in thought.
Slowly, her brow furrowed. Her mouth dropped into a frown, her face twisting with a tinge of…anger as her head seemed to light up with a million thoughts. Avery even saw her walking speed slow, steps uneven, body shaking.
“…I hate that city sometimes, man…” Lahnae…growled under her breath as she turned, facing the street lit by the morning sun.
Cold wind came down from the Rocky Hills. The outskirts here were quiet with only the faint rumble of downtown in the far distance. The trees and grass rustled as wind blew through them.
Avery let out a puff of air from his nose.
“Me too,” He agreed finally, allowing that conversation to come to a close.
“…North Road, House #22.” Lahnae repeated, her pace quickening. She said little else, and air of seriousness overtaking the Torchic as the two pulled right at a fork, past a sign reading.
ORAN RD ->
CROPSHARE RD ->
NORTH RD ->
WEST RD ->
‘North Road. Easy enough. Just… Building 22.
…Hm.’
“This is going to sound like a dumb question but do Pokémon have surnames?” Avery asked.
“Surnames? I think Quayoff does surnames but not us Arceans.” Lahnae shook her head, looking back at the Plusle. “Just the one name and the city you’re born in. My full name is Lahnae of Arceliaze. Sometimes titles take precedent, so really I’m Lahnae of Team Spade, since that’s more important now.”
‘Well, that’s on-brand for the Conduicy.’ Avery thought bitterly.
The road they walked down was an old dirt road. The buildings here were wooden and looked as though they had a lot of history behind them. Some were tall mansions of cut wood, old and dyed brown for decades of the elements. Others were smaller cabins, no less aged by time.
Many homes had tall trees with thick trunks that’d clearly been growing for decades, some perhaps as old as the houses they stood beside. Bushes and flowers festooned the side of the road.
A few of the Poke’mon stood out on their porch, giving friendly waves to the pair, puffing their pipes or readying themselves for farm work, all gestures that Lahnae returned happily.
A sign to the pair’s left read:
<- ORAN RD
CROP SHARE RD ->
NORTH RD ->
WEST RD->
The houses here were pretty nice, actually…nothing like the architecture of Arceliaze, but nice all the same.
“Continue right to North Road…” Avery said, looking at the sign. “Can’t be that much further now.”
“Right…not much further.” Lahnae said, her own voice laced with trepidation.
Their footsteps continued along the road, passing by more of the ancient homes. Despite the houses being so old it was clear this was, perhaps, a more well-off part of Souljraan. Certainly no dingy slums.
<- ORAN RD
<- CROP SHARE RD
NORTH RD ->
<- WEST RD
Lahnae gulped, turning her head around the bend, down the North Road.
There, indeed, a line of houses stood, all the way down to the far end where the road turned back onto the main street.
The Torchic looked back at Avery, nodding.
“It’s there. I know it’ll be. S’gotta be, c’mon…” The Torchic whispered to herself as she stared back down the road.
Avery squirmed.
‘…Why am I feeling this way?
It’s just a road. It’s all just a road in a city that isn’t even Arceliaze. It’s taking so long to get there, but that’s just because it’s probably the northernmost road in the city.’
Avery began counting off the building numbers as they went, looking for them on each doorstep.
There. Beside the road were embedded little square-shaped slabs of stone with numbers carved into them, right by the mailboxes. The stones looked new, neatly polished and freshly buried.
#33
#32
#31
Lahnae quickened her pace, looking at the buildings. One after another, each of the buildings were similar old log cabins, some with more space than others. Some with old tool sheds and others with added-on living quarter houses or gazebos.
#30
#29
#28
#27
#26
The trees towered over all the dark wood houses. Shrubbery and well-kept flower patches decorated the edges of the North Road.
#25
Hills of farmland decorated the space behind the houses.
#24
And even now, many of the neighbors were friendly. Large windows had their curtains open to let the sun in. Doors propped open and families out on the front porch.
#23
And there…Avery saw something.
Lahnae slowed her pace…and slowly breathed a small sigh she’d been holding in.
#22
There. A house stood, for real.
Avery let out a sigh, too. There was a little flag on the side of the house with what he had to imagine was the flag of Arcea.
It was…quaint. Shingles, a little woodstock on the left side, two windows…
It seemed nice. Maybe his worries were unfounded after all.
Maybe Vizon was his own person.
Maybe Vizon was born here.
“Shall we?” Avery asked, looking to Lahnae.
Lahnae sighed and nodded.
“Yeah, let’s.” She said at last, after a long pause.
Slowly, they both took their first steps. The house was fairly well-kept. The two walked down a pathway of smooth stone that could have come straight from Arceliaze, though a few patches of earth spread over the stones as though tossed.
The front garden was fine enough. Some low shrubbery and small mounds of dirt on top of the cut grass and sparse flowers. The lack of trees by the house made it seem a bit bare.
‘Lack of trees means it might not have been here long. Look for clues that it’s Conduicy owned-
No. No, let’s…not do that right now-‘
At last, they both came to the foot of the clay house’s front door: a bright wood slab with a glass fixture they could not see through.
Lahnae looked over at Avery and gestured to let him knock.
“Y’think they’re home?”
“Only one way to find out.” Avery huffed.
Knock knock knock-knock knock.
‘Shave and a haircut.’
They both waited…
…and waited.
Lahnae’s gaze started wandering around as one moment turned into two then into three.
She took a breath through her nostrils, leaning against the wall.
Knock knock knock-knock knock. Avery repeated.
…nothing. Not even a shuffle inside.
Another moment passed.
…still nothing.
“…Well, there’s nothing in the mailbox…” Lahnae grunted, flicking a wing at the mailbox over by the road. “…so…if they’re out it’d only be temporary.”
The Torchic backed off, stepping on the path, looking up and down the building.
All the curtains were drawn shut. All except one window to the left of the door.
Avery’s throat tensed up.
‘It’s… Probably fine! They just went out to shop first thing in the morning. Or… They’re probably farmers, right? Maybe they’re out selling their wares.’
“We can ask the neighbors if we can catch them somewhere?” Avery asked with a couple of nerves in his voice.
Lahnae was quiet, glancing towards the window. Avery followed her gaze, biting his lip. Lahnae watched as the Plusle walked over to the window, stepping up to peer inside. She followed, stepping up to look with him…
Inside they could see…
…a living room. Chairs and furniture and a fireplace.
A table was set up right under the window. Two chairs with no arms sat with their backs to the window, facing a table, sat beside a stone fireplace. Avery could see photos in frames sat upon the fireplace and even on a bookshelf situated beside a dark entryway.
It was impossible to see anything beyond the living room, and most of it was dark due to there only being one window with its curtains open.
But it…looked normal.
But it also looked very clean. No dust floated in front of the window. No black marks or soot by the fireplace.
“Huh…well, I guess they aren’t home…” Lahnae huffed.
Avery gripped the edge of the window.
…He still didn’t feel great. Some of this allayed his fears. This wasn’t a warehouse masquerading as a house.
But either Vizon’s parents were neat freaks, or they hadn’t used their fireplace in a long time, despite there being wood actively in the woodstock on the side of the house.
He stepped back and looked to Lahnae.
“Yeah, let’s try the neighbors.” Avery suggested. “They might be able to tell us where to catch them.”
“Huh…yeah, we might have to go for the neighbors. Oh, wait!” Lahnae backed up and stepped around the side of the house. “Y’think they got a farm in the back? I mean they live in northern Souljraan after all, practically EVERYONE is a farmer out here. They’re probably just back there!”
As she looked back at Avery, the Plusle could see a few of the neighbors on the road out and about.
Staring at the two briefly before looking away.
“Huh…yup, all the curtains are drawn on this side, too…” Lahnae huffed as she vanished around the corner. “Bah…s’fine, it makes sense.”
“That’s fine,” Avery said, tilting my head. “Maybe they’re farmers. This place looks like a farming district, right? Maybe they’re already out to market.”
Leaving Lahnae for a second Avery stepped back towards the street, and waved at one of the passers-by. Only one neighbor was walking down the street by the time Avery ran over and the Poke’mon stopped to look at the Plusle as he approached.
The passing neighbor was an older Wigglytuff gentleman, his hands behind his back. He had a flat expression on his face that softened as Avery came closer. Occasionally his eyes flicked from Avery to the surrounding houses.
“Um…excuse me!” Avery called to the Poke’mon. “I’m the partner of the Riolu that used to live at this house some years back. Do his parents still live here?”
“Pardon…?” The Wigglytuff spoke confidently and almost too loudly. “A Riolu? Oh! You must mean Cuvana and Oganus’s son, Vizon! Yes they live right there in House Number Twenty-Two!”
The Wigglytuff lifted his finger, pointing straight at the house after speaking.
“Are you looking for them? They are in and out quite often! I am sorry if you missed them!”
It may have just been his age. He sounded like he was half-deaf, his intonation so overly-clear and volume exceeding what was needed…and inflection a bit strange.
The Wigglytuff lowered his hand, his smile faltering briefly as he looked at the house. Around the house. Eyes flicking over it…
…looking for someone.
Lahnae wasn’t in sight, having vanished behind the house.
“Did you come to visit them by yourself?” The Wigglytuff asked.
“Oh, no, I’m with-” Avery looked behind him, and frowned a little.
‘That…that’s odd. Where did she go?’
“My friend.” Avery said at last. “I just have some news I want to deliver to Vizon’s parents. Do you know when they’ll be back?”
“I see! Unfortunately there is no telling when they will be back. But we all know each other very well in Souljraan. You can give your message to me and be on your way!” The Wigglytuff promised, looking back down at Avery with a smile. “I will be sure they receive it!”
“Okay, well-” Avery winced. The Wigglytuff was being pretty loud. Maybe that was just his inflection? “I would like to see them before we go. I’ve got a few days off and some time before I have to head back to Arceliaze, so if you know where they work that’d be helpful-? But…if I don’t catch them, just say Vizon’s doing fine and he isn’t coming back anytime soon.”
“I’ll be sure to let them know! And you can let Vizon know his parents are very proud of him!” The Wigglytuff said, leaning in a little. “Never fear, Avery, they are likely just selling crops in Yahneri. I am sorry you missed them, they are quite a lovely pair.”
Without another word, the Wigglytuff straightened his back, passing by Avery along his way to wherever it was he was going, seeming to…dismiss the Plusle immediately.
His pace seemed quicker now.
Still yet there was no sign of Lahnae.
…Avery felt no more comforted than before. He waited for the Wigglytuff to go, and gave an uneasy look back to the house.
Just, quickly-
Avery ran back to the woodstock, and peeked around back.
“Lahnae?” Avery whispered. “Are you there-?”
There was a brief pause.
“…yeah dude.” He heard Lahnae whisper back, though he couldn’t see her yet. It sounded like she was standing behind the house. “…c’mere and check this out.”
Avery give one last look to the street, twisting his ears to see if anyone was watching…and crept back behind the house to look for the Torchic.
Avery didn’t see anyone…but he could see every window from the neighbors’ houses had their curtains open.
It was too dark in the neighbors’ windows to see if anyone was watching him.
…it was very strangely quiet in this part of Souljraan.
Avery hissed another whisper.
“Where are you-?”
“By the back door-” He heard her hiss back. Avery could see Lahnae’s camping backpack set against the side of the house.
And there, standing on a square slab of stone was the Torchic, staring intensely at a back door.
“Every single window is blocked. The curtains are tied off.” Lahnae said, glancing over at Avery. “It’s…bugging me that only one window of all these is wide open. I don’t know why.”
The back of the house was very plain compared to the front. There was no trimmings around the window. No awning or porch or pathways. All that was back here was two big mounds of dirt a couple of yards from the house.
Even the door back here looked basic, essentially just a slab of wood with a door handle.
Lahnae gave Avery another glance, looking worried.
“…This feels bad,” Avery mumbled, looking towards her. “This feels really bad. You definitely heard that Wigglytuff I was talking to out there, right? His voice was loud enough for the whole neighborhood to hear. I don’t know if…if that was just him, or-“
He cast a furtive look to the neighboring houses.
“If that was on purpose-” Avery said silently. “This sounds stupid, right? This all sounds so stupid. Paying off an entire street to pretend like a family lives here?”
“Aves…take it from an Arceliaze resident…” Lahnae said, her voice icy. “…it’s a lot cheaper and more effective to scare than it is to pay off.”
Her eyes left Avery, moving past him and looking back towards one of the houses.
Brief movement flashed in one of the neighbor’s dark windows. Then nothing.
Her brow furrowed and she looked back at Avery.
“I don’t care what happens. I’m going in. You with me?” She said firmly.
“I…”
‘Are we going to get the cops called on us?’
…
‘Aren’t we the cops?’
“…I feel sick.” But Avery nodded. He needed to find out what this was about.
“Me too, man.” Lahnae said with a grimace, looking back at the door.
She lifted a wing up to the handle, grasping it and pushed. It didn’t give. With a grunt she pulled.
Her effort was rebuffed. She gave one more tug.
Snap
The door’s lock failed, slipping from the wood and coming loose. Lahnae huffed in surprise, stepping back as the splintered, cheap wood door creaked open, revealing the pitch black interior of the house.
The Torchic cast a glance Avery’s direction…then stepped inside.
Avery hesitate one more moment, and peeked in after her. That door was cheaply made. The one up front would not have given way like that.
Part of Avery wondered if they were still playing into someone’s hands by doing this.
Lahnae puffed a few small embers to give light. Shadows darted and danced on the walls as she stood. Instead of embers, Avery figured…with a place that might be flimsily made, a small orb of light might be better.
The Plusle flicked his wrist to summon one, a soft glow enveloping the empty, almost ghostly room. Lahnae looked back, killing off her embers once she saw the ball of light in the Plusle’s hand.
An eerie blue glow now radiated from Avery.
The floor was clean. The walls were spotless.
Extremely spotless.
Lahnae looked back at Avery as they stepped inside, then around at the room they were both in.
It was hard to tell what kind of room it was even supposed to be. The walls were bare. No boxes for storage, just a room connecting to the back door.
Silently, Lahnae nodded her head and continued down. A doorway sat on the far side of the room, presumably leading to a kitchen or foyer. Avery watched as the Torchic stepped towards it…and a look of surprise crossed her face.
Avery followed slowly after her, his pace lagging behind as he looked for any kind of sign of life. If this place was abandoned, there’d at least be dust, right?
But…it was like this place was cleaned regularly.
With that thought, Avery caught up to where Lahnae stood, stepping up to look over her shoulder.
He could see what had surprised her:
…another empty room. All tile, but nothing on the walls. No markings indicating anything was taken. No dust or debris. Simply that there was nothing there.
The house was dead silent. No noise but the clack of Lahnae’s talons and Avery’s own breathing.
The Torchic passed by another doorway that seemed to lead to bedrooms, going down a short hall that led towards the front room. The only other light in the house came from there, from the only open window.
…Avery had to know. He killed the light in his hand, giving a quiet signal to Lahnae to wait. Lahnae nodded, staying behind in the hallway.
Stepping into the living room, Avery stayed somewhat clear of the window, but moved towards the fireplace. Towards those framed photos.
The living room was…unnatural.
A single table under only one window, the open one.
Two chairs that looked like dining room chairs by a table.
A fireplace and a bookshelf decorated with all manner of random knick-nacks.
But Avery could tell something was wrong. There was nothing on the far wall by the closed window or by the front door. Not picture not portrait. Not lamp. Not chair or plant or anything.
No, the only part of the house that was furnished…was what one could see from the single open window.
And there, on the mantle, Avery looked…
A picture of a landscape…
…a picture of an Absol…
…a picture of a Lucario…
…a picture of an Absol and Lucario together…
…a picture of the Lucario by a canyon, posing…
…a picture of the Absol in front of the One Truth Monument.
Nestled between books with blank spines and what seemed like decorative eggs and other items meant to make a shelf look…
…normal.
‘Oh no. Oh no no no no-‘
‘A…are the Lucario and Absol even the same person from photo to photo? And-‘
‘And for that matter, where is Vizon? If there are photos here, wouldn’t they have taken photos of him, too??’
Avery stepped back from the room, looking towards Lahnae.
“…There’s nothing in that room-” He whispered. “…Lahnae, you said scaring people was cheaper. D…do you think that anything bad is going to happen to these people-? The neighbors nearby?”
Lahnae stepped forward, looking around the house with her brow furrowed…then she locked eyes with Avery seriously.
“…I hope they’re listening to us right now.” The Torchic said gravely. “Because I swear to Arceus if one finger is laid on these Souljraan citizens because of this then…the Thieves Guild is getting another new recruit.”
She stood firm in that dark house, eyes scanning the blank walls.
“God- oh, God, what do I tell Vizon?” Avery held his head, slumping to the ground. He held the side of his head – the room felt like it was spinning. “He’s…he’s…w-what is he? I-I don’t think he even knows…! What do I tell him…? Do I tell him??”
Lahnae perked up, stepped over to Avery quickly, seeing him distressed. She crouched down to his side, putting her wings around him protectively as she still scanned the empty house.
“Vizon is still Vizon.” Lahnae said with a swallow. “Just like you’re Avery…whatever…weird stuff is going on…”
It was an attempt at comfort, but it was clear the implications had not hit Lahnae as hard. She seemed more…confused but steadfast in trying to support Avery.
“…We’ve got to tell him.” Lahnae said at last, squeezing the Plusle’s shoulders. “…I don’t wanna lie to him. “
“…O…okay, we…we need to slow down,” Avery said, bringing his arms. up. “What’s…what’s a more reasonable explanation than this? The house is empty. Except for that one part that you can see through the window. It’s well made in the front, not made very well at all in the back, the fireplace’s never been used, and everyone’s shifty-eyed about the place.”
Avery looked to her, almost desperate.
“…What’s…what’s a not-conspiracy, not-Vizon’s-manufactured way to explain all that-?” He asked, pleaded.
Lahnae paused, swallowing, staring at the Plusle. He could feel her grip trembling.
…she put on strong airs but she was terrified. She hated every second of this.
Still, she took a deep breath and tried to collect herself.
“…maybe the house is new. Freshly built.” Lahnae said. “Maybe they’ve only begun moving furniture in from their old house, which happens to not include pictures of Vizon. They’ve lived here for…23 years, maybe? It makes sense they’d go for a new place…right?”
“…N-no, if…if this was a new house, Vizon wouldn’t know where it was,” Avery said slowly, shaking his head. “A-at least I don’t think he would. We can maybe ask when we get back, but…this isn’t normal. D…did you see a master bedroom anywhere? Anywhere that…anywhere his parents might sleep?”
“N…no, I didn’t…B-but, maybe they tore down the old one and just rebuilt it in the same spot!” Lahnae suggested with a wobbly smile. “Vizon doesn’t seem like he visits often…oh…I guess except for when you both first met. He was coming from Souljraan, huh…?”
Her voice sounded unsure as she looked over her shoulder, toward the doorway in the kitchen you both had passed. If a master bedroom would be anywhere it’d be there. She flicked her head over towards it with a huff.
“Coming…from Souljraan,” Avery mumbled. “He definitely hadn’t been living in this house if that’s the case.”
“Look…we’re just freaking out! Got ourselves spooked over nothing.” Lahnae said, trying to regain her strength as she stood. “I’m…sure of it.”
Her grip tightened.
“Arceus, what am I thinking…Avery I’m…so confused.” Lahnae shook her head. “I…look, I don’t want to believe it, either. Maybe I’ve just got a stupid idea in my head and I was running with it too much, I…”
She squirmed, sighing.
“…maybe part of me’s still mad at Vizon for what he did to you that night.” The Torchic admitted, quietly. “…I got so into this that now we’ve gone and broken into his house, Arceus…”
Avery looked at her…and let out a sigh, trying to calm himself. He got up.
“Okay, let’s…let’s get out of here for now.” He whispered. “Being here isn’t doing anyone any good. I can follow up with him when we get back, I just…”
He gripped his arm.
“…I really hope I’m wrong about all of this.”
Lahnae stood by Avery…then leaned in and hugged him softly, pressing her cheek into his neck.
“Yeah…let’s go…we can talk about it over breakfast.” She said softly, giving Avery a warm squeeze.
The house watched in eerie silence.
Chapter 42
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Malignancy
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Spooooky~~