We all stared up at the harbinger of despair in horror as he floated with unchecked malice and glee, his very presence shaking the foundation of the house while his toxic aura flooded the living room.
"Dark…seriously, why are you here?" I asked cautiously.
Those few seconds of terror oozing off the Darkmon's very essence eventually receded. In stark contrast to his grand appearance, Dark leaned back in the air, arms folded behind his head. "Whaaaaaat? Just because I'm an unhinged God of Fear doesn't mean I can't have fun. Besides, it's been ages since I showed my beautiful face. When was the last time? I suppose since you stopped updating Ryder's side story—"
"I'M WORKING ON IT!" I snapped.
Ryder grimaced. "So, you're just here to have fun? That's it?"
Dark smirked. "Do I look like I'm joking?"
"I hate you so much."
Jango summoned a sword into his hand. "I could probably kick him out."
Tamara cracked her knuckles. "Such evil will not stand before a hero!"
Dark laughed. "I'd like to see you try."
Krystal immediately jumped off the couch and held up her wings. "Hold on a moment! Let's not get carried away. Look, if Dark really wanted to start trouble, he wouldn't be lazing around like this."
"He really would," Ryder grumbled.
"Buuuut, we're all here to have fun, and I'm sure Dark is honorable enough to respect the boundaries of merriment and dire conflict." She turned and held her hips. "So, you promise you won't cause any trouble?"
Dark placed a hand over his heart. "I swear on my mother's grave."
"You don't have a mother," I grumbled.
"Well, either way, I'm bored."
Laura awkwardly scratched her cheek. "I…wouldn't mind if Dark stayed."
"…" I groaned and facepalmed. "Fine, he can stay." I glared at him. "But I've got my eye on you, mister."
Dark smirked. "I'm sure you do."
Amos glared. "Well, this is a great bleep-ing way to start off the day." He massaged his face. "So, how does this bleep work exactly?"
"Even with a filter, you can't stop yourself, huh?" Melissa asked.
"Shut up."
I grinned. "Well, I've gone out of my way to install a new state-of-the-art teleportation system that will project the questions into my hand. So, for our first question—" I held my hand out…and nothing happened. "Eh? Um, I said, for our first question—"
"Oh, that's right," Dark suddenly said. "I may have accidentally destroyed it."
"…Why?"
"Well, when I was planning my entrance, I might've teleported through your teleportation system and short-circuited it."
"…" I facepalmed. "Seriously?! How are we supposed to do the show if I can't access the mail?!"
Dark smirked. "Oh, don't worry. I can just summon the questions instead."
"…You didn't accidentally break it, you did that just so you had an excuse to be on here!"
"Can't hear you! Mail-summoning noises!" Dark snapped his claws and summoned a letter between his claws via a burst of purple fire. "Ahem, our first submitter comes from a fellow known as mikepeashooter, or better known as—"
"My boy, Cappy!" Laura cheered. "Woo! What up, Cappy?" Seeing the amused look Dark was giving her, she sheepishly looked away.
I sighed before waving to Dark. "Alright, help yourself."
Dark bowed. "Thank you. Ahem—" After something a pair of fake spectacles over his eyes, he read:
Heyyyyyyy everyone! it's your pal, Cappy the Grookey! still havent changed my fanfic profile name but eh.
lemme just say, Holy cheese and crackers with a side of Mcdonalds Sprite. I did NOT expect Dark to be here... i mean i probably shouldve considering his short story was posted this year. Which by the way! was very creepy and it really gets me excited to see the return to the FTLOP/FONL universe someday soon!
Dark laughed proudly. "I do like a bit of macabre in my life. Nothing screams the wonders of Halloween like torturing a man into insanity and reducing him to a laughing ape. True art requires dedication and precision."
Ryder rolled his eyes. "I'm not sure if I should be glad or horrified you scared a Team Rocket scientist into dysfunctional paranoia."
"Well, a part of you is me, so pick your poison~."
So here's my 2 questions: for Dark! how do you feel losing your forest? must've really sucked but you know, i guess it is how it is... and please don't take this harshly, i wanna sleep well tonight. we cool?
Dark grinned, his eyes flashing red. "Oh, don't you worry. You can sleep as soundly as you want—"
"Stop talking like a British serial killer and just answer the question!" Jango yelled.
Dark scoffed. "Harsh." He tapped the letter against his chin. "Frankly, it was quite the aggravating failure on my part, allowing myself to get tricked by Fang like that. A shame I don't canonically know that, otherwise I'd canonically throttle him into non-canon." He grinned. "Oh well, my hat's off to the Watchog who deleted him."
Anyway, I've been wanting to work with some of the PM64 Server members on making a MUGEN project but with Brad's OCs, like you guys! pretty much making Ultimate Arena an actual fighting game, a fun project for anyone to play! which leads me to my second question: what do any of ya'll think of that? hoping to make you guys Top Tier Characters when we get to it!
Tamara grinned. "A fighting game? What an excellent idea! It'll proudly showcase my heroic spirit to everyone! I will naturally play the hero—"
"You do realize most fighting games don't have protagonists, right?" Jango asked.
She waved it off. "Details, details." She grinned. "Ooh, a videogame based off my new crime-fighting team could—"
"Uh, buhbuh!" I interrupted. "Spoilers, Tamara!"
"Ah, right."
Ryder shrugged. "I've heard some good things about it. I also heard a fellow named JloBuizel has been doing Mortal Kombat-esque stuff with Laura and me."
She laughed. "Good thing I'm used to getting torn in half." She shuddered. "Though, that image of Sam was quite grisly."
Amos rolled his eyes. "What the bleep's a videogame?"
Melissa patted his back. "I'll explain it to you later."
"Don't touch me."
Jason smirked. "Well, it certainly sounds like you've put a lot of thought into it, Cappy, so I'd say I'm honored."
Krystal laughed. "I'd be the most explosive fighter! KABOOM!" Explosions ignited from her wingtip.
Cybil winced. "Sweetie, please don't start another fire."
Well, that's all i got to say, I gotta little gift for Brad at the very end of this message—
Dark snapped his claws and summoned a present into my hands. "Oh, how thoughtful of you, Cappy." I opened the lid and pulled out a…potato chip? "…What?"
it's a potato chip i found in my empty can of Pringles. Have a happy merry Christmas and i can't wait for 2024! peace!
The rest of the cast burst out into laughter while I stared at the single potato chip with an unamused glare. "Merry Christmas, Cappy. What a wonderful and well-thought-out gift."
Laura slapped her knee and kicked her legs into the air in laughter. "Cappy, you are the best person ever!"
Tamara grinned. "So, is it a fresh potato chip or—"
"Can we move along?!" I snapped, angrily taking a bite out of the chip. "…Yep, it's stale."
Dark cackled. "Oh, this was the best idea I've had in years!" He snapped his claws and summoned another letter. "Let's see. Next on the list, we have Void Reader."
"Ah. Void. Great." I sighed, pinching between my eyes. "Alright, go ahead, Dark."
Well this is getting interesting. N they haven't even reunited canonically yet. So a sequel is actually made for TOF?! OMG YES! Do write that next! I can still wait for Path of the Phoenix Knight n this is something I have to see on how everybody from Gappei is doing.
I shrugged. "Well, to be fair, the reason I didn't want to do a sequel originally is because I felt everyone's stories were wrapped up. Though, like I said, inspiration struck me recently. I'm still on the fence which one to work on next, though I suppose I've had more time to iron out Phoenix Knight's Path."
Well, I suppose my first question will be, what r the kingdoms currently in Virdis n who r their ruling monarchy n rulers? I need to check who r in the heir system n how many kingdoms there r besides the ten. Update soon. PS just because I'm not on the discord server doesn't mean I'm outta the picture.
"…" Dark looked at the cast. "Well, that's a lame first question—"
"DARK!" I yelled.
"We're all thinking it! Half this information is on your wiki."
"You don't have to be rude!"
Dark smirked. "But that's part of my charm."
I sighed and massaged my temples. "Alright. Verde, technically Charlie Penworth. Senbo, King Gilbert Talbot. Wick, King Wilkin Tetrarch. Echo Bell, King Massimo Visconti. New Chariot, Emperor Nero Martius. Umbra Clock, King Tadhg Foirbeis. Algus, King Stellan Widforss. Great Gate, Emperor Orochi Amano. Subterra, King Obsidian. Arcania, King Mortimer Kirby."
Cybil raised her brow. "Okay, all but Widforss and Kirby is old information. Is that the first time you've namedropped the ruler of Arcania?"
"As far as I'm aware, yes."
Tamara narrowed her eyes. "Fascinating. I never pictured an eldritch monster taking on the throne—"
"Not everyone named Kirby is a pink marshmallow!"
She grinned. "But it's funnier."
"You've been hanging around Juniper for too long."
Dark glared. "So, what was that bit about not being on your server anymore—" Sensing my annoyance, he shrugged. "Alright, whatever." He adjusted his fake glasses and continued.
My second question, how do u come up n understand the various Pokemon moves, abilities n biology to come up with newly fashioned ways to utilise them in BOTF? We don't have a gen 9 anime to show us how the latest Pokemon work practically, Horizon doesn't count its all, so how do u come up with how Pokemon mechanisms work?
I raised my brow. "I don't see why Horizon doesn't count. I get a lot of ideas from all branches of Pokémon animation. For instance, Paldean Winds gave us a pretty good insight on the movements of Cetitan and Meowscarada. As for enhanced moves, I hyper-fixate on a move, consider the potential applications, see how it may have been utilized in animation or in games, then find the Pokémon best suited with its moveset. There's a reason I depict Magnet Rise as the ability to control magnetism compared to its standard effect of electromagnetic levitation. As for biology, basic guess work with existing animals as a basis. I could go into an in-depth explanation on my thought process for each of the different techniques I come up with, but that's not for here."
Dark torched the letter. "Well, I say you've mastered the art of explaining a subject as clearly and vaguely as possible. No wonder you suck at explaining things out loud."
I glared. "I hate you. So much."
"I know~."
I sighed. "Well, thanks for your questions, Void. Take care."
Dark clapped his hands and summoned another letter. "And next up on the list, we have Fiction Realm!"
Jango smiled. "Ah, a regular around these parts. Great to have you here, Fiction Realm."
I nodded. "Always good to hear from you, Realm. Let's see what you've got for us today."
OK...OH SHITE! DARK HAS ARRIVED?! And you invited Amos too?!
Amos' eye twitched. "Why the bleep do I get censored, but this bleep gets to say bleep?!"
Dark snickered. "I see my reputation proceeds me as usual."
I sighed. "Well, as you can clearly see, they spice up the commentary quite a bit."
Anyways. Questions:
Lord Dark, I know you are living personification of fear itself, but...Do you have any set standards or lines you won't cross?
He snickered. "A debate on morals, eh? I'll play your little game, human. Thing is, I've made my efforts clear. If I had to stomp out a few humans to achieve my perfect utopia for Darkmon, it'd be no different than you humans spraying insecticide over your crops. Must preserve what is sacred to survival even at the cost of lives. Still, I suppose I wouldn't sacrifice the Darkmon to achieve my goal. It's counterproductive that way. I'll kick and push them around, but I would never kill them."
Cybil glared. "Yeah, until one of your underlings decides to do that instead."
"Oh, how I wish I could snap Fang's neck in a way that would actually kill him. Oh well, if a sequel is ever made, I'll be sure to make my point clear."
Also, due to the latest Death Battles being shown, I think I would do my usual list:
Laura: Metal Sonic VS Zero
Ryder: Solid Snake VS Sam Fisher
Jason: Killua Zoldyck VS Mikasa Mikoto
Melissa: Black Canary VS Sindel
Amos: Gaara VS Toph Beifong
Krystal: Harley Quinn VS Jinx
Cybil: Yang Xiao Long VS Tifa Lockheart
Tamara: ...yeah, I got nothing. You can choose Brad. Or you Tamara.
Jango: Jean Grey VS Raven
Lord Dark: Sauron VS Lich King
Laura grinned. "Ooh!"
Ryder nodded. "Ah, a classic."
"I'll have to study these techniques for myself," Jason commented.
"W-Why did I get suggested the one with two screaming women?" Melissa asked.
"Ah, my kind of environment," Amos said.
"BOOM, BOOM!" Krystal cheered.
Cybil smirked. "Well, can't say no to a good brawl."
Jango nodded. "Quite the showcase. Right, Scourge?"
The fire bird briefly flickered atop his shoulder. "Eh, it's got a nice name for the soundtrack. I'm clearly the superior avian."
"Uh huh, sure."
Dark smirked. "Ah, my people. And thank you for addressing me as Lord. You will be spared for now."
Tamara grinned. "Well, if there's one Death Battle that resonates with me, it's All Might VS Might Guy! Two mighty men of ideals and heroics!"
I smiled. "Well, thank you for your time, Fiction Realm. Have a wonderful Christmas!"
Dark torched the letter and summoned a new one into his hand. "Seems we've got an out-of-the-box submission from Akishyff. Apparently he lost his password to his account and is sending this directly from Discord."
I nodded. "Perfectly fine. Hope you get your account back soon, Aki. Alright Dark, read away!"
"Hey, Brad, glad to see another Christmas Special! I've been devouring BOTF messily and shamelessly this year… as you're well aware… anyways, Amos! Apparently you've shifted up your moveset a lot. Mind spilling the beans on what you've had up your pincers in the past?"
Amos crossed his arms and scoffed. "Well, not a whole lot. Before I…changed my career path a bit, I used to be skilled with using Guillotine. I traded that out for U-Turn after my vision deteriorated. I used to have Razor Wind as well, though I obviously traded that out when Evelot started teaching me Mimic and the Power Bestowal technique for my bullets. Other than that, not much else, though I'm a lot more reliant on Sand Sensory these days."
I nodded. "Perhaps we'll eventually get more insight into your past, Amos."
"Hoo-bleeping-ray…"
I laughed. "Well, thank you for your time, Aki. You are quite the spirited member of the community…especially when it comes to demanding movesets for all the characters. I really need to update that wiki more often. I should make some pages for Ulrich and Vilgot soon…unless I already did by the time this comes out."
"Time paradox," Jango quipped.
"Well, either way, Merry Christmas, Aki!"
Dark burned away the letter and produced another. "Alright, next up, we have Spazzer—"
"Spozzer!" I yelled.
Dark smirked. "Ooohhh, right. Spozzer. Hey, didn't you have a character named Spaz? Boy, I'd hate to be him if he ever went to Galar—"
Tamara shot up. "You mock my boyfriend even once, I'll show you what happens when you're kicked at the speed of sound!"
"HA! I move at the speed of sound, little kitty! Try and keep up!"
Krystal restrained Tamara as she started flailing and clawing at the air. "Uh, perhaps we should move on?"
I groaned. "Dark…"
"Right, right." He adjusted his spectacles and cleared his throat.
Hello, Mr. Pokemaster64 and company. I am currently writing to you from the new Fortnite map. My entire squad is dead, and I am being pushed by Omni-man, Satoru Gojo, Peter Griffin, and Eminem, so I'm gonna have to make this brief.
Krystal's eyes sparkled with joy. "This sounds like the most amazing tournament ever conceived! I must participate in it!"
Cybil patted her head and groaned. "Please don't."
I sighed. "Good grief, that game gets crazier and crazier the more updates it gets."
So, my first question: Out of all the characters you've written, which one was your favorite to write? And why?
Sensing a killer aura coming from all my characters directed at me, I laughed awkwardly. "Oh…Oh my, I'm not sure. There's just so many to choose from…"
Dark laughed. "Well, clearly I'm the preferred favorite—"
"Fat chance!" Tamara yelled. "I was one of the first Fusions Brad ever came up with! I'm clearly the best!"
Laura laughed. "Don't forget who was one of the first, losers!"
"Um, you mean me, right?" Jango pointed out.
My eye twitched as arguments broke out among the ground. I took a deep breath and shouted, "Shut up!" It settled their quarreling for the moment, allowing me to sigh in relief. "If I had to pick a character I've been most pleased with writing…I suppose I'd go with Melissa."
She perked up. "Me?"
"Ever since I conceived the idea of Bandits of the Forest, I wanted to put special attention on developing your character. In a way, the progress you've made also reflects my passion for BOTF, and in ways I never expected as I'm constantly expanding the sheer scale of the world. I have so many different ideas for the series that only everyone on the server is aware of, and you were the character that helped tie my love for writing together."
She covered her reddened cheeks and giggled. "Awww~!"
Jason smirked. "Well, she is a sweetheart, what did we expect?"
"Jason, stop~!" she whined giddily. "I'm going to melt from embarrassment!"
Laura groaned. "Not the correct choice, but a fair one. Still, I'm clearly the superior pick."
Ryder rolled his eyes. "Uh huh."
Second question: This one is for Melissa. If you managed to actually unite all 10 kingdoms and lead them, what would be your future plans? What type of changes would you make?
Calming herself down, Melissa tapped her chin in consideration. "Well, I would want the ten kingdoms to be more involved with each other. After all, we fought for Virdis for two centuries, so we should also work to make it better together. I've considered ideas for revising Virdis' judicial system so that we can quell the rampant crime running amuck in places like the Outlands."
Amos scoffed. "No objections here."
"Of course, the real issue is getting the ten kingdoms to cooperate since…" Her expression soured. "Darby…"
Jason patted her shoulder. "Easy does it, Mels."
She shook her head and sighed. "But that's a long way from now. I'm sure once I've gained more experience and knowledge as queen, I'll have a more concise plan figured out."
Dark squinted at the letter. "Seems Spozzer sent a third question. Should I just skip it since it goes over your two-question limit?"
I shrugged. "Eh, what's the harm in an extra? Go for it."
Third, and last, question: Amos, if you were to have a rematch with Melissa, would you lose?
Amos shot up from his seat and furiously stomped his foot on the coffee table. "You sent an extra bleeping question just for that?! Why the bleep would I say I lose?! What kind of bleeping bleep do you think I bleeping am?! If I ever see her again, I'm going to drive a blade across her neck and stomp her bleeping head into the ground—" Krystal immediately wrangled the screaming Gligar and covered his mouth as he continued abusing the profanity filter.
"…" Melissa inhaled sharply. "Well, I'm glad he didn't take our last fight personally," she muttered sarcastically.
That's pretty much all I got. Uh, I think they forgot I was here so I think I'm- IS THAT HOLLOW PURPLE!? AAUGH-
- Spozzer
Dark squinted. "I'm impressed he managed to send this after getting eradicated."
Tamara tilted her head. "What's a…Hollow Purple?"
I scratched behind my head awkwardly. "It's, uh…well, in the most basic description I can give, imagine attractive and repulsive forces colliding together into a sphere of energy before launching at a target."
"…That is the coolest thing I've ever heard."
Jason smirked. "So, which character from BOTF is most likely to do that?"
I scoffed. "I don't copy every cool thing I see and center a character around it—"
"Someone named Vauquelin—" Dark said, my laptop floating in front of him.
"GIVE ME THAT!" I lunged and snatched the laptop out of the air.
Dark smirked. "I need to learn how to do this Hollow Purple technique. Sounds like my kind of skill."
I closed my laptop and sat back in my chair. "Well, thank you for your time, Spozzer. I, uh…hope you survived your battle. Dark, move onto the next question."
He summoned a new letter into his hand. "And now we have the creatively named…Guest! Truly inspirational!"
"Just read."
To any of the Pokémon this applies to, if you could choose to be your current species or the species of your other parent, what would you choose and why? (Example: Melissa being a Vulpix/Ninetales).
Melissa smiled. "Well, I have always wondered what it would be like as a Vulpix like my mother. Could be nice."
Jason smirked. "Eh, I'm fine as I am."
Krystal giggled. "I do sometimes wish I was born a Dragonite like my dad. I bet I could cause even grander explosions~!"
Cybil sighed. "Of course that's where your mind goes."
Amos scoffed. "I don't give a bleep either way."
"Seriously, you're not even trying to limit the swearing?" Jason asked.
"Bleep off."
Tamara shrugged. "I don't even know who my mother was, but not that it matters. I'm perfectly content the way I am."
Jango nodded. "Same here."
Ryder shrugged. "I was born in a research lab, so I don't know if I had a different parent than a Charizard."
I shrugged. "Don't go looking at me for all the answers. Some things are just up to interpretation."
To Jason, how would you react if you, hypothetically, had to become royalty someday? I'm asking for no particular reason whatsoever, of course. Just a theoretical scenario
Jason cast a wary glance at Melissa, suddenly becoming nervous. "Um, well…" He tugged on his collar and looked away. "That's, uh…"
She tilted her head. "Jason?"
"…" He sighed. "It would be a lot of expectations to throw onto me. I have no royal lineage or background to speak of, thus it would seem like a terrible idea with the way I am now. Though, regarding the hypothetical…I'm not entirely sure how comfortable I would be taking up such a role."
Melissa frowned a bit. "Jason…" She patted his shoulder gently.
A silence hung over the room as the Pikachu stewed momentarily inside his thoughts…up until Dark blurted out, "Well, hope you weren't planning on marrying the guy, Ms. Steal-Yo-Moves."
"DARK!" I yelled.
"Not cool, Dark!" Tamara yelled.
He shrugged. "Please, as if no one's shipping these two. They might as well already be a couple with the way they act around each other." He smirked. "The question then becomes if the relationship can even last—" A blue orb hurtled through the air and exploded into his face.
"That's enough out of you!" Krystal yelled.
Melissa patted Jason's back. "You good?"
He sighed, showing her a tired smile. "Yeah, I'm fine. The question just caught me off guard."
I sighed. "Sorry, you two."
He waved it off. "It's fine. I'd be more surprised if he did keep his mouth shut."
I shook my head before smiling. "Well, thank you for your time, Guest. Merry Christmas!" I glared at the smoking Darkmon. "And you better stay on your best behavior."
Dark regenerated his head and laughed. "We both know I can't keep promises like that." He disintegrated the letter and summoned the next one, which was quite lengthy. "Oooh, someone's got a lot to say. Our favorite regular since the early days, HDK315, remembered fondly as Austin."
I smiled. "Well, seems you have quite a lot on your mind, Austin. Let's see what you've got for us today."
It's the time of year I look forward to all year round, now complete with adult life sinking in and making me realize why it's such a stressful time period. Of course, I love Christmas Season just as much all the same.
And with Christmas Season comes the return of my all time favorite talk show!
I sighed. "I know that feeling all too well now that I have a job. Hopefully I'll find a better one more suited to my skills."
Bold statement, potentially, but I'd say this may have been the biggest year for PM64verse, in YEARS, and maybe even ever. So much has happened since January: TSOTI was finished after three quarters of a decade, a new volume of BOTF plus a spinoff has started, Ultimate Arena continues, and Lord Dark starred in a Halloween special!
"Pop open the champagne, everyone!" Krystal cheered, causing a bottle to explode in her wings.
Cybil wiped the drink off her face. "Sweetie, we discussed this: you're not allowed to pop the champagne anymore."
As always, Happy Holidays to EVERYBODY, but especially YOU, Brad. And you as well, Lord Dark. You will always be king of the Darkmon in my heart, and if Bandits of the Forest of No Light ever becomes a reality, maybe of the Foresters as well! But more on that in a lil' bit.
Dark snickered. "A new world for me to torment? Quite the endeavor."
"Not on your life, mister!" Melissa threatened.
Amos rolled his eyes. "This bunny has claws."
Now then, before I move on to my questions, I would like to personally celebrate the conclusion to one of the greatest fics ever written with...
...
...STATISTICS, Y'ALL! *Chugs a gallon of eggnog for that awesome energy boost we're going in deep for this one*
*Ahem*, okay, so let's take a look at the calculations to ensure that Brad and TSOTI both get the appreciation that they rightfully deserve.
TSOTI was ongoing for seven and a half years, when you put the two parts together. Long over half of Brad's time as a fanfic writer, it was one of the stories he was writing. The total word count of both parts is somewhere around 2,471,606 words, across 271 chapters. Incredible feat, but the real meat and juice comes from this next part.
In the time between the beginning and end of TSOTI, Brad has written: The entirety of Tribe of Fusions, The first three parts of BOTF along with the majority of part 4, and multiple specials outside of the mainline stories of the PM64 Mythos (yes, this is an official term, I have coined it).
Do you like math? Me neither, so too bad: Tribe of Fusions is a word count of roughly 991,737 across 103 chapters. Add this onto TSOTI, and this takes our estimated total word count to 3,463,343, and chapter count to 374. As for BOTF, the first three parts, in total, have an estimated word count of 1,076,993 across 137 chapters. Combine this with the numbers for both TSOTI and TOF, and our NOT final estimated word count is...
...What? You haven't been following me? I'm sure Dark and Laura have at least figured it out.
Dark shrugged. "It's true."
"Duh," Laura added confidently.
... 4,540,336 words across 511 chapters! And this is not remotely the final number, we still have much of BOTF part 4, and the numerous side projects that have been worked on. So, the total word and chapter count produced PURELY WITHIN THE LIFESPAN OF TSOTI is far higher than the numbers that I have just given. This was all done in roughly seven and a half years. Let's give him a big round of applause, everybody! What are you waiting for? Make noise! I didn't run these equations for nothing, y'know, I WANT YOU TO GET LOUD!
"KA-BOOOOOOOOOM!" Krystal roared, setting off a massive explosion behind the couch that toppled everyone over.
"Krissy!" Cybil scolded. "No explosions outside the house!"
"Or the bedroom~," Dark teased, earning him a gunshot to the neck from the irate Furret.
"This isn't Rated-T, bleep!" she scolded.
Amos glared. "Okay, why is suggestive jokes and gunfire fine, but me saying bleep too much?!"
I laughed awkwardly. "Uh, wow. That, uh…you put a little too much time into that, didn't you? I'm scared by how impressed I am."
Anyway, that is just something that has been on my mind for the past couple of months. We can talk and talk and talk and talk about the quality and depth of your stories (and we certainly do, on the Discord server), but ever since I got to writing again nearly three years ago, you have been an inspiration in both work ethic and consistency.
I laughed bashfully. "I certainly can to better given the number of grammatical mistakes I make, but a small price to pay for timely updates. Just your daily dose of storytelling from PM64."
Regardless, since we ARE celebrating TSOTI's conclusion, I think we can all agree how special of a story it was, and for me personally, how satisfying yet WEIRD it is to see it now long finished, after reading it being a normal, taken for granted part of my life for so long. I graduated high school roughly twenty percent into that story's lifespan. Hopefully people will have fun binging the crap out of it, but WE, the "in real time" squad, will know and remember what it was like to sit through your cliffhangers, with constant speculation and suspense regarding how the numerous, borderline innumerable storylines and plot threads will all be resolved and what directions and twists that they will go in. Of course, we are getting all of that to at least the same degree with BOTF.
I sighed. "I sometimes can believe it myself. I had the rough estimate of when the story was going to be completed, yet actually completing it feels like a dream." I smiled. "Still, I did promise side stories in the future…though, knowing my track record for those—"
"Ryder's Fear~," Dark teased.
"Origin story~," Krystal also teased.
"Me~," Laura also, also teased.
"HUSH!"
Now then, onto my questions: First off to Brad, if all of the Foresters were to be cloned into Darkmon, what do you envision some of those Darkmon Foresters would be like, in terms of individual personalities and traits? Keep in mind, a few of them COULD, in theory, end up as "defects" like Koda.
I laughed. "Well, aside from the whole being evil thing, hard to say for everyone. Dark Marie would be…actually, how different would they even be? Marie's already a dark seductress. I think she would teach her counterpart a thing or two about seducing, if anything."
Melissa shuddered. "Please do not put the image of Marie teaching her counterpart how to seduce people better in my head…"
Jason smirked. "Dark Jet would probably be even angrier and more battle-hardened than ours, and that's already a high bar to surpass."
Krystal tapped her chin. "Do you think a Dark Ursula would be more battle-hardened or the complete opposite and become super lazy?"
Jango grinned. "Forget that, what about Dark Pandora?"
I smirked. "I think we found our defect. Pandora is a good-hearted bean who likes to do evil, so why not an evil-hearted gremlin who likes to do good?"
Dark gagged. "Please don't put that image into my head. One Koda was bad enough."
And that segues perfectly into my question for the GREATEST Darkmon of them all: If any of the cast from Brad's other stories were to be cloned into Darkmon, who are a few that you would want? Do you envision any of them being suitable for special roles like Fang and Savage? Or just someone you would like to see in your ranks, specific reason or not?
The Lord of Fear smirked. "Now that's more up my alley. On the one hand, having access to some of the most powerful of the different stories would be a fine boon. On the other hand, that means bigger egos to deal with, and I can't risk that. If I want a mix of powerful and subservient, I'd have to go with clones of Jet, Hawkins and Tamara from TOF, and Lord Inferno from TAATP."
Tamara glared. "Of course you would want an evil counterpart of me."
"Wait, why Inferno?" Jango asked.
Dark smirked. "Because he's such a pathetic villain compared to me, a dark counterpart would easily bend to my will!"
"…No comment."
That's all I have. I've ranted and raved about how much I love Christmas Season in the past, so I instead dedicate this to The Secret of the Idol, wishing a Merry Christmas to you all.
I laughed. "Well, it was quite the enthusiastic visit. Thank you for your time, Austin. Have a Merry Christmas!" I sighed and covered my face. "Good grief, I'm glad not all of these are that long. These take time to get through."
Dark laughed. "Oh, I couldn't agree more."
"So, who's up next?"
Dark summoned a new letter into his hand…one that was slightly shorter than the last. "Why, it's Luminoz1ty!"
"…Why am I not surprised?" I laughed softly and waved him along. "Well, glad to have you on as usual, Lumi. Let's see what you got for us."
**LLLLLADIES AND GENTLEMEN AND BASTARDS ALIKE! INTRODUCING YOUR FAVORITE, PAINFULLY COMEDIC, MEME-LORD OF THE PM64 SERVER. PUT YOUR HANDS, PAWS, PINCER, OR WHATEVER APPENDAGES TOGETHER FOR...**
LUMINOZITY!
*Pops up spinning around and stops while holding a homemade scythe*
IT'S THE MOST...WONDERFUL TIIIIIIIIIME...OF THE—
*WHEEEEEZE* *HACK* *COUGH *COUGH* *COUGH* *ahem*
Ugh...that was lame. How does Grim pull this crap off? *Tosses away scythe*
Laura snickered. "They get more and more theatrical every year, don't they?"
Ryder smirked. "Seems so."
Melissa picked up the discarded scythe. "Can I keep this?"
Jason raised his brow. "Why?"
"No reason~."
Anywho, it's me, Luminozity! Resident funny man! The "Death Battle/Ultimate Arena guy!" Fighting game extraordinaire! (Maybe not that last one.) Hope everyone's doing well!
Tamara grinned. "Ah yes, our favorite Ultimate Arena Fan Cover specialist. I must say, I love what you did for the cover for Jason vs. me. Very stylish."
Jason smirked. "Spoilers?"
"Oh, one or two wouldn't hurt."
...Oh, now this is a group I wasn't expecting to see.
Hello Jango! Always nice to see you! The legacy rivalry between you and Ryder continues. Practically our own version of Goku vs Superman. XP
Jango leaned over to Ryder and raised his fist. "We'll eventually reach that point if this guy ever gets updates on his side of the universe."
Ryder smirked and fist-bumped him. "Don't be too sad when I kick your butt."
Surprised to see Amos and Cybil are here. I didn't take them for the festive type. Well, it's nice to have you, you *BLEEP* scorpion!
Cybil blushed sheepishly. "Well, Krystal invited me, and I couldn't really refuse."
Krystal hugged and nuzzled her. "D'aww, you're happy to be here, too~!"
Amos sighed. "Well, I wanted to refuse, but I suppose representing Sand and Toxins was part of my obligations."
Oh, hi Dark.
Anyway—
Dark's eye twitched. "Your disrespect will be met with a swift and ominous future."
Another year is about to come to a close! I hope to keep the usual server shenanigans going strong next year. I finally got around to finishing Tribe of Fusions as well. I enjoyed it quite a bit and now I can appreciate the TOF gang even more, especially Tammy.
Tamara laughed. "Glad to see you appreciate my inspirational values of justice and integrity!"
Melissa giggled. "And because you're a massive geek like Jason."
"HEY!" Tamara and Jason yelled.
I made plenty of Ultimate Arena art covers this year, too. I really like how a lot of them came out, feel free to let me know your favorite(s.) X3
"Ah, speaking of those fan covers—" Laura said, snickering to herself. "Quite impressive for someone throwing together random pictures off the internet."
Krystal grinned. "I loved the one you did for my matchup! It truly demonstrates the beauty of explosions."
Ryder chuckled. "I was quite fond of the one for Team Ravenfield. It was a nice, final send off for the six of them." He glared. "Actually, now I'm wondering what would happen if we put those six in a battle royale-styled Ultimate Arena."
Melissa whined. "I'd hate to see happy couples fight."
"I don't think Tony and Griffin share those sentiments," Cybil muttered. "I'm pretty sure they'll use any excuse to beat the tar out of each other." She smirked. "Actually, why not put those two in a matchup? Finally prove who's the strongest."
"…" I paused for a moment. "…I'll make a note of that."
Alright, I've wasted enough time already. Question time!
1. With a Darkmon's unique biology, I'm curious how one would be affected by the DNA altering energy from Faust's machine, if at all. They should still possess a "Mewgenetic code," I believe? Would a Darkmon mutate into a fusion?
Dark tapped his chin. "Well, the Mewgenetic Code would only exist in TOF, so let's assume a Pokémon from that universe was cloned from one of my flowers. Darkmon biology is strange as it isn't exactly one-for-one to their counterparts. After all, our unique biology allows us to retain consciousness even down to the smallest drop of blood, leaving the rest of our bodies as (in more plebian terms) walking bags of blood. Though, for us to even be cloned from other Pokémon, we do need their DNA, and the Mewgenetic Code is a component of DNA. So yes, I supposed we would be affected by Faust's machine."
Ryder glared. "But would you get corrupted mutations or normal mutations?"
"That, I don't know."
Tamara glared. "Ever since Faust's defeat, we have been studying the wreckage of his machine. I don't understand it too much, but I have two possible answers. One, the uncorrupted DNA you Darkmon possess will cause your bodies to develop normal mutations with or without your regenerative abilities. Or two, due to the wild nature of your biology, it may cause some corruption in your unstable DNA that may give you an edge over normal Pokémon. After all, the risk of us housing three different strands of DNA would've crippled or killed us, but you aren't hampered by those kinds of limitations."
Dark smirked. "So, we could theoretically have multiple different components? Fascinating~."
Jango winced. "Nobody give this guy access to universal traversal."
2. To Tamara and Jason: Between both of your favorite storybook superheroes, who would win in a fight?
Tamara laughed. "Well, I don't mean to brag, but the mighty Silver Guardsman is pretty powerful."
"Is this the first time we've actually heard her mention a comic book character?" Laura whispered, causing the others to shrug.
Jason laughed back. "Well, not to sound too conceited, but Storm Breaker is the strongest."
Tamara laughed…a bit bitterly. "The Silver Guardsman clashed with a villain who could shatter entire regions with just the force of his punches."
Jason laughed forcefully. "Storm Breaker fights gods and demigods for a living. Top that."
"Silver Guardsman fights foes beyond mere gods. He is a mortal man blessed with great power. That's what makes him so great."
"Storm Breaker is demigod blessed with divine power he uses to protect the weak and helpless. Plus, he could easily race circles around your costumed clown."
Tamara forced an irritated smirk. "Superheroes train and hone their skills to protect the people of the world. They earned their power unlike your so-called demigod who was born with divine power."
"Storm Breaker represents the price for power and the means to overcome one's own hurtles to reach personal enlightenment! Not that it's a competition or anything, but he faces more threats than your modern interpretation of gods."
"Has Storm Breaker ever pulled the planet back together after it was split down the middle?!"
"Has Silver Guardsman ever rent the fabric of space-time with just his speed alone?!"
"You made that up!"
"You made yours up!"
Tamara produced a handful of comics from behind her back. "Listen here, rat, in Issue 37 of the Silver Sentries Series, Silver Guardsman—"
Jason pulled out his books and flipped open the pages. "Pay attention, cat! In The Race Across the Infinite Plains, Storm Breaker—"
Both geeks stood atop the furniture, loudly tapping on their preferred reading material and dishing out a barrage of facts and feats that fell on deaf ears. Melissa smiled sheepishly at them. "Oh dear, now they're at each other's throats."
Dark smirked. "I think we found out what's going to start their Ultimate Arena battle."
Jango glared. "I hope you're proud of yourself, Lumi."
I sighed. "Maybe it was a bad idea putting these two in the same room."
I'm guessing the geeks are done fighting by now, so I'll wrap it up! I always enjoy participating in these. I can't wait to see where we go from here and I look forward to reading the aforementioned sequels. One more thing though...
With the live discussion coming up in the Discord, I have something special I want to present during it. My gift to this small community (I had some help!) As for what it is, well...you'll just have to wait and see. Words alone won't do it justice. ;)
Until then, happy holidays everyone!
Lumi, signing off!
I grinned. "Well, you've piqued my interest, Lumi. I look forward to seeing what this surprise is. Thank you for your time, and I look forward to see what tomfoolery you'll bring to the server for 2024."
"You mean aside from working these two up?" Cybil grumbled, pointing at the still arguing geeks.
Dark smirked. "Should I psychically push them into each other so they can kiss?"
Melissa shot him a deadpan glare. "You would be not only invoking their wrath, but the wrath an angry Buneary and an equally angry Pikachu-Celebi."
"I'll take my chances—"
"Dark. No," I ordered.
He shrugged. "You people are no fun."
I sighed before grinning. "Have a Merry Christmas, Lumi. Take care!"
Dark snapped his claws and summoned another letter. "Honestly, you're all so soft when it comes to the beauty of evil." He smirked. "Oh well. Looks like we've got a CookedSeabass next."
I smiled. "Ah, Seabass. A newcomer to the PM64 server this year. Nice to see you joining us."
"Anyone else craving fish?" Amos mumbled, earning him weird looks from the other Pokémon. He glared. "Oh, like none of you don't crave actual meat every once in a while!"
I chuckled. "Well, let's see what you got for us, Seabass."
Hey, y'all! happy holidays! It's my first time doing this thing so i'm not sure how to go about it.
"Well, it's a pretty simple process, so I'm sure you'll be more prepared if we do another of these next year."
I guess I should start of with some exposition for my first question. A couple of weeks ago, Cappy drew a picture of melissa and posted it in the PM64 discord. It's become a meme in the discord and now we call it Milissuh. It's kind of like a goofier version of melissa. So far, we've put her in IRL places like Paris, mexico, and mcdonalds. Then, we put her in different verses like JJK and JJBA. My personal favorite is when I put milissuh beating up darby in the danger room.
Moving on, my first question is what are y'all's thoughts on it? (I think I attached some of the images somewhere \_(ツ)_/)
With Jason and Tamara still arguing with each other in the background, the rest of the group took over. Melissa raised her hand. "Uh, who's Milissuh, exactly?"
Dark snapped his claws and summoned a picture of a chibi, chubby version of Melissa in front of them. "Feast your eyes!"
"…" Melissa's eyes widened. "Wow, that's…wow."
Laura grinned. "Really captures your child-like spirit, I must say."
"D'aww, she's so cute~!" Krystal squealed.
"Am I the only one slightly creeped out by her blank smile?" Cybil asked.
"Oh good, I'm not the only one," Amos grumbled.
Ryder snickered. "Congrats, Melissa. You've become a meme. That's one of the highest honors you can have on the internet."
"There are worst fates," Jango said.
Melissa took the picture and examined it. "Annnnd…Seabass said this version of me beat the crap out of Darby?"
I nodded. "Oh yeah. Here's a picture." I handed her my phone with the picture already on screen.
"…" She hugged the picture and the phone. "I hereby give my blessing to the existence of Milissuh!"
I laughed. "Well, glad you enjoy it! Hey Tammy, Jason, what about you two—"
"For the last time, the Silver Guardsman has taken on cosmic level threats far stronger than your puny demigods!"
"They are the literal abstract concepts of reality! Power levels are irrelevant when talking about them, and Storm Breaker defies the abstract every single time!"
"…" I turned away. "Uh, we'll try for them later."
Ok, so my second question is for melissa. Did you stay in touch with hilda before leaving fort lucus? Does she send you gifts from time to time? Like birthday gifts?
Melissa tapped her chin. "Well, it has been a while since we last sent letters to each other. We sent some before I went on my mission to Echo Bell, but things have been a bit…crazy since I got back. I'm sure if she was able, she would've sent me a birthday present." She smiled. "Still, it's just nice to know I have her support even from so far away."
Thats all for now! Have a happy holidays and I hope that erasmus and adenine see each other again! (:
Laura laughed. "Oh, that'll be a reunion to start up the waterworks."
Krystal sobbed. "They're so perfect for each other!" She wept into her wings with Cybil awkwardly patting her shoulder.
I chuckled. "Hope your first time on our Christmas special was a treat, Seabass. Thank you for your time, and have a Merry Christmas!"
Dark conjured another picture of Milissuh into his hand and studied it. "I wonder if I could harness the power of this creature's meme potential—"
"Dark. Focus."
"Hmm. Oh, right, I'm doing a thing." He snapped a new letter into his hand. "Alright, let's see—ah! We have a regular fellow around these times, Zlaxe."
Melissa giggled. "Too bad Pandora's not here. She and Zlaxe seem to get along well."
I shuddered. "The last thing I need is an engineer giving Pandora ideas."
Dark smirked. "It'd be a shame if someone gave her the schematics for how to build a nuclear bomb—"
"I will literally retcon you out of existence if you so much as try that."
"I'm above such threats."
"Just read the letter."
Welp... it's that time of the year again. Man, it's been AGES since I last wrote a review in general. It's been so long that I forgot whether I had a gimmick when writing these... Oh well, no time to worry about that, onto the questions!
I laughed. "I still remember when you had all your OCs asking questions during the first of these. Yeah, glad I put a limit on that, because writing just one session of these in a month is getting tiring. Still, always nice to have you around."
This isn't spoiler territory (hopefully) but Tamara, what do you want your fics sequel, EoF, be about? I know you love the superhero genre but I'm curious what kind of plot you can cook up XD. I want to actually ask jango the same question buuuut...
Tamara, who was currently pulling on Jason's ears while the latter was throttling her by the neck, paused upon hearing her name. "Hmm? What? Oh, right. We were doing a thing."
Melissa giggled. "You calm now?"
"…" Jason let go of Tamara and jumped back into his seat, hiding his flushed face. "Um, sorry you had to see that." She giggled and patted his shoulder.
Tamara proudly crossed her arms and laughed. "Well, if I had a say in the matter, it would be about me training the next generation of Fusions into becoming defenders of the world. I'm already working towards starting up my own superhero team and fighting crime. It would be about me taking on street level thugs before working my way up to fighting the big bad boss of the criminal underworld before taking on apocalypse-bringing super villains and—"
"Oooookay, going to stop you right there before you go overboard," I interrupted.
Tamara blushed sheepishly. "Heh, sorry."
Jango smirked. "I'm curious exactly why the same question isn't directed at me, but I don't mind."
I shrugged. "Technically speaking, Tamara isn't too far off from what she'll be doing throughout the sequel, though that's for a later topic. Actually, of all the original characters from Tribe of Fusions, she'll likely play the biggest part."
"YES!" she cheered. "In your face, Juniper!"
"I probably shouldn't mention Juniper started her own soda brand…"
"Wait, wha—"
Yeah... Dark. I wanna say welcome back to the land of the living but I'm not sure if you even have a soul to welcome with but I digress. So! as a throwaway question, why now? Like seriously, you could've showed much MUCH earlier on to tease/lead us on that brad is writing about you again. Just saying... I think you're losing your touch mister "LoRd Of ShAd-
Dark's smirk grew, and his eyes glowed a sharper red. "If you wanted to know so badly, I could gladly show you why it took me so long. It's all about dramatic effect, and I'm more than welcome to give a personal demonstration of my power that you doubt so."
"Dark, do not threaten my guests!" I shouted.
"I'm not threatening anyone. I just want to show him what I can do with a tiny spark of fire~." He ignited a purple flame on the tip of his claw. "After all, a little something like this can start even the mightiest wildfires."
*glass shatters behind me*
Ryu: ... Welp gonna break to the rest of your characters that you're going to die. It was nice knowing you, dude! *runs off screaming* EVERYONE! ZLAXE'S GONNA DIE AND DARK'S INVOVLED! THE BETTING POOL IS NOW LOCKED IN!
Wait... what betting pool!? RYU! WHAT BETTING POO- STOP RUNNING AND ANSWER ME!
So yeah. Merry Christmas and have a wonderful holiday everyone! And uh remember "full on mistletoe without your S.O." or something! Byez!
RYU! I SAID ANSWER ME!
"An omen hangs above your head, human~!" Dark hissed, his grin stretching wider and wider.
I stood up and swiftly slapped him across the head with a newspaper. "No! Bad Dark! BAD!"
He pouted. "I wasn't going to kill him that much…"
"You still read the newspaper?" Ryder asked.
I shrugged. "I have one on hand for comedic value." I smiled awkwardly. "Well, uh, thank you for your time, Zlaxe. Have a Merry Christmas and…uh, yeah, good luck with any surprises in the near future."
Dark snickered. "It'll be unforgettable~."
I rolled my eyes. "Must you be like this?"
"We have a couple more, so perhaps don't tempt me with glorious fun."
I sighed. "Just get to the next letter."
He summoned it into his hand. "Next on our little show is another regular around here, Novablaze451, formerly known as Drifter77."
"Nova! Glad to have you with us today. Can't wait to see what tantalizing questions you have for us."
Hey Brad!
A LOT has changed since last year!
First off, I changed my ffn username from Drifter77 to Novablaze451, since my old username no longer felt reflective of me.
"Well, always nice to change things up every so often. It's a pretty good name."
Tamara smirked. "Ever thought of rebranding yourself away from PokeMaster64?"
I shrugged. "At this point, I'm in too deep with the 'PM64' name. Eh, not that it matters. It's a reflection of how I started out from simpler times."
Jango grinned. "Ah yes, like when you didn't know anything about microwaves—"
"SILENCE!"
I also want to say that I played lots of awesome games this year (highlights include Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart, Dead Space (2023), Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, Metroid Prime Remastered and my latest additions, Spider-Man 2 and Splatoon 3)!
I grinned. "I've played Tears of the Kingdom as well. Definitely enjoyed it! I should probably pick it up again sometime in the future."
Laura chuckled. "You also mentioned something about learning to stream through Discord."
"Again, if I ever figure out the technical stuff to do that, I'll consider it. But yeah, I had a blast playing TotK. I've also been getting invested in playing Risk of Rain Returns. I'm steadily trying to unlock all the items and complete a run with each character. Some…simpler than others."
Cybil smirked. "Loader's still your worst character, isn't he?"
I faltered with a groan. "Worst part, I have to use him to defeat an Overloading Magma Worm to get the Gigantic Amethyst."
Melissa tilted her head. "Is that difficult?"
"…" I faced her with a deadpan expression. "Excruciatingly."
"Oh."
And this is my biggest development this year: in late September/early October: I started learning how to draw as a side hobby! I'm still in the very, very, VERY early stages of learning the fundamentals, but with lots and lots of practice, maybe I'll start sketching fanart of your characters in the future!
I smiled. "Hey, that's pretty cool. Like I've always said, I don't want to force anyone to make artwork for my stories, but I always encourage improving one's artistic ability, even if as just a hobby. Still, I look forward to seeing how you progress when you feel comfortable showing us your development."
Dark smirked. "We promise we won't be too scathing with our critiques. In fact, allow me a few words—" A mug of hot chocolate splashed across his face, silencing him.
"That was therapeutic," Amos grumbled.
Dark wiped the chocolate off his face. "You're all lucky I have a mountain of patience."
I also built a timeline of sorts for the sci fi pokemon story I keep talking about every year, but I'm still working on it! Maybe I'll share more about my characters and the galaxy they inhabit…
"Yeah, I've found making a timeline helps best organize events for my stories, so great to see you're making one for your own. I admit, it's been a while since I've heard about your story, so details may be a bit fuzzy. Regardless, I'd love to hear more about it when you get the chance—"
"I want a cameo!" Laura exclaimed.
"Laura, no!"
Whew… now that was a lot.. now here are my questions:
1. Tamara, what's been going on in Grandis City and the rest of your world?
Tamara leaned back on the couch. "Well, there's still the odd bit of tension here and there, but things have been getting better. Ever since Faust was defeated, we repurposed a lot of his research into improving cities to better house both Pokémon and Fusions of all kinds. Juniper and her council have been rebuilding Kanto to better reflect the future we're working towards, and she's been doing tours around the world to better expose everyone to the changing times."
"What about Grandis City specifically?" Cybil asked.
She smiled sadly. "I'm not sure if I should spoil this bit, but…let's just say a beloved member of our community had a statue made for him in his honor."
Dark rolled his eyes. "Girl, your tale ended four years ago. You can say that—" I immediately clamped his mouth shut.
"That's either for the story or for Ultimate Arena. Keep your mouth shut."
He rolled his eyes again and brushed me off. "Oh, but me saying Faust was defeated isn't a spoiler?"
2. Krystal, know anything new and exciting in Mysto ever since the Shadow King's defeat?
Krystal giggled. "Quite a lot, if you can believe. A lot of new dimensions have interlaced over Mysto, so we're discovering new areas every day. I heard Flint's been traveling to these different dimensions to continue his research on the magical surge we've received."
Cybil smirked. "And it may have affected the next generation quite a bit since there's been reports of children being born with stronger magic auras."
Krystal tapped her chin. "Come to think of it, I think Flint discovered a dimension made entirely of dessert."
Melissa's eyes lit up. "Are there crème puffs there?!"
"Probably."
"Send me to this magical place!"
Jason grabbed the back of her jacket and pulled her down. "Ease up, Mels."
Krystal clapped excitedly. "Cybil and I did find this nice spot on the mountains to make our forever home. A nice place to bundle down, enjoy the snow, and…" She wrapped her wings around the Furret. "A little somewhere to raise our children when we get around to adopting~." She kissed her cheek.
Cybil blushed with a nervous giggle. "S-Stop it, Krissy."
"D'aww~!" Melissa, Tamara, and Laura awed.
Amos rolled his eyes. "Women."
Jango smirked. "Oh, don't be like that. I'd also want to raise a child someday."
"Oh good, a demon spawn from the devil child."
Happy holidays! I can't wait to see what 2024 has in store for all of us!
"Happy Holidays, Nova! Wonderful to have you with us as usual. Take care!"
Laura cheered. "Woo! We're on fire with these! How many do we have left?"
Dark summoned a new letter to his hand. "I believe this is the final one. I must say, I enjoyed being your host for tonight—"
"You're not the host," I grumbled.
He grinned. "Talk like that, and I may not give you the present I planned."
Ryder raised his brow. "You brought a present for Brad?"
"Why not? It's Christmas! Everyone deserves a little joy in their lives."
I rolled my eyes. "I'll believe it when I see it."
"Oho~! You will~." Dark opened the letter. "Anyway, it's everyone's favorite apparition of death and wine, TheGrimReaper666."
I grinned. "Ah, a favorite among the community. Always happy to have Grim welcome us with his charm and endless bundle of kindness."
"I wish I had that kind of greeting every time I was on death's door," Amos grumbled.
Melissa waved. "Hi, Grim!"
I sat back. "Alright Dark, read away!"
*emerges from the all encompassing darkness that is total oblivion*
IT'S THE MOST WONDERFUL TIIIME OF THE YEEEAAARRR!
That is how it's done, Lumi. *sips wine*
Dark laughed. "A man for the dramatics. I love this guy!"
Ah, another year, another glorious annual Christmas special to participate in. Good Lord, why is time moving by us so quickly? It didn't even feel that long ago when I participated in the last Christmas special. It felt like a few months at most! Goes to show just how fun this year has been, especially in the community server. Wouldn't you say, Brad? XD
I shuddered. "Don't remind me. Every day I wake up, I realize how much time has passed since I started working. Working at a grocery store is a nightmare sometimes, especially around the holidays! I wasn't working when the special came out, good lord—" A candy cane struck me from behind.
"Stop spiraling!" Ryder yelled.
"Uh, right. Thanks."
And wow, this is quite the lineup of characters we have this year. Well then, let's get greetings out of the way, shall we? Hello again Melissa, Jason, Laura, and Ryder! Nice to see you all doing well as the new year approaches. Same to you too, Krystal and Cybil. It's been a while since the glorious TSOTI had ended, and I was really starting to miss everyone there, including the two of you. Happy to see you two doing well also!
Krystal hugged and nuzzled Cybil. "Oh, we're doing wonderful~! Two little lovebirds nesting up in the mountains~."
Cybil blushed. "Heh, y-yeah."
Melissa grinned. "Always nice to see you, Grim. You're like a bundle of sunshine draped in black. So sweet!"
Jason smirked. "If Death is this pleasant, I feel more comfortable with my own mortality."
"Agreed," Ryder mumbled.
Laura rolled her eyes. "Well, screw all of you, because I plan to outlive everyone. Android superiority, baby!"
Ah, Jango and Tamara. Two names that invoke a lot of nostalgia in me personally. Greetings to the both of you! How fitting to see you two here, given that your respective stories are having sequels. I'm quite excited for when they drop. All the more reason to reread your stories. XD
Jango laughed. "I suppose that's the reason Brad invited us tonight. A small celebration for what's to come in the eventual future."
Tamara punched the air. "You guys are going to love when I make my grand return in the sequel!"
"Tam, spoilers!" I yelled.
"Oh, we spoiled enough already!"
Well, if it isn't Amos Lancaster. An unexpected, but welcomed surprise! How nice to see you attend to one of these specials. And yes, this is indeed the living personification of death speaking to you. Now with that out of the way, tell me Lancaster, how has the beautiful lie that is life treating you? :)
Amos raised his brow. "A cruel, unending reminder that you refuse to cut my neck open and end my suffering because you enjoy my torment like your daily entertainment with a side of popcorn and wine."
Melissa patted his head. "Alright, Mr. Grouchy Pants. No need to look so edgy among friends."
"Bleep you."
Now, let's address the elephant in the room... Dark... Gotta say, out of anyone across Brad's stories that I expected to appear to one of these specials, YOU were certainly not one of them. Greetings... Can't say this is an...unpleasant visit. You are indeed my favorite antagonist of TFONL, as well as one of my favorite antagonists across all of Brad's work, period. Just...difficult to act casual to you being here. I mean, you're Dark! XD I have a lot more I want to say to you, but I would rather like to keep this greeting brief. So with that being said, enjoy the festivities and I hope the beautiful little things in life changes you for the better (which might never happen, but hey, a reaper can dream :P).
Dark tapped his claws together and chuckled evilly. "My friend, I am a God of Evil. It is in my very nature to be wickedness and malice. Why would I change for the better when I am always at my peak? Even still, I hope to show more of my glory when I make my grand return. Until then, I shall enjoy the wonders of tormenting Ryder as an apparition of his own delusions."
Ryder glared. "Are you saying I'm schizophrenic?"
"All of us are to a degree. That's what we call living life."
Now onto my questions.
1. To Brad or anyone of the BOTF cast that can answer: is there a maximum number of moves that can be combined for an enhanced move? In Melissa's fight with our good friend King Tadhg, there are a crazy amount of moves that make up his "Domain of Space-Time" and it got me thinking if there's a limit to how many moves can be combined for an attack.
Jason raised his hand. "I can answer that one. There isn't so much as a limit as there's a learning curve in mind. Concentration is key performing several moves at once and combining them into an entirely new technique. The simpler the technique, the easier. Just look at Ursula for example. Her whole fighting style is just chopping things with brutal efficiency, thus this reflects in the techniques she creates. In the case of Tadhg, something of that caliber requires fine tuning and adjustments to moves at their most fundamental principles."
I nodded. "In the BOTF universe, Pokémon can learn up to six moves at a time, but can learn seven with sufficient training. Characters like Tadhg, however, have such master over their minds and energy that they can learn to hold eight or more. This is the highest known limit currently revealed—"
"Implying there's someone with an even greater mastery than Tadhg?" Tamara asked.
I smiled. "Only in BOTF, right?"
Jason glared. "Still, it is a lot of training and trial and error. You have to thoroughly understand your moves if you want to get the desired effect out of your new technique. It's generally why we stick to one fighting style. Master a single technique ten thousand times, and you'll become unparalleled in that skill alone…unless your name happens to be Melissa Penworth."
She giggled. "Guilty as charged~!"
2. Curious question for Dark. What are your thoughts on the Shadow King's plans for all sentient life if he actually pulled it off? Do you agree with his motives, or do you not?
Dark tapped his chin. "Well, I do quite admire his dedication for plunging everything into darkness, though I am part of life. I don't think he would care too highly of my existence given I'm a product of science and wickedness. Fact is, I rely on life to thrive, and twisted nature is kind of my whole thing. Plus, I quite enjoy endless ambition in my subjects. Makes life a little less tedious, especially when they try and inevitably fail to kill me."
Jango raised his brow. "And you're proud of this?"
"Of course! Rebellion is perfectly natural. Plus, that whole shpiel about the god's power being for the gods only? Well, I do agree with that. After all, I am a god among mortal kind."
Ryder rolled his eyes. "Oh brother…"
"But he wouldn't see me as a god. More like a freak of nature." Dark smirked. "You know, Brad, if you ever get around to those future stories starring me, I'd be happy to show off my true power to that wicked Shadow King."
I facepalmed. "Do you have to imply how powerful you'll eventually become?"
"I think you've made it clear one interaction with Arceus will make me the apex predator of my world."
Alright, that pretty much wraps up all that I have to say. Once again, it is nice to participate in another one of these again. Quite excited for what you have in mind for your planned sequels, Brad, and I'm just as excited for the live discussion we'll have afterwards. Hopefully I'll be available when it happens. Until then though, I wish you, and everyone who made time to show up here, a merry Christmas. Let this new year be a fun one, and may mayhem and discord once again follow us everywhere. Oh, and stay beautiful Melissa. ;) Peace!
*fades away*
Melissa held her reddened cheeks and giggled. "Aw shucks~. You flatterer~!"
I laughed. "Hope to see you at the live discussion as well, Grim! Thank you for your time, and have yourself a Merry Christmas!"
Dark torched the letter. "And with that, we've reached the end of the Christmas special! A round of applause, everyone!"
Everyone clapped and cheered. "Here we come, 2024! Bring us your worst!" Laura exclaimed.
"No, don't bring your worst!" Melissa shrieked.
I sighed. "Time sure has a funny way of ticking by. I spend every day now hoping to get off work as soon as possible, but that just means watching the days tick by faster and faster. No wonder time felt so short." I shrugged. "Still, I plan to live a long, healthy life and eventually find that right balance to live my best. So yeah, I hope some good does come out of the new year."
Tamara grinned. "And hopefully with some much-needed returns in the future!"
"Regardless of which of us you pick as your next project," Jango assured.
Amos shrugged. "Eh, it's been whatever. At least I finally have relevancy again for whatever that's leading up to." He raised his stump. "And hopefully with a working pincer this time."
"Funny how that all lines up," I said.
Dark smirked. "Speaking of Bandit of the Outlands, I'm surprise no one has caught onto that little secret you inserted between each chap—" I lunged out of my chair and closed his mouth.
"Will you shut up?!" I snapped.
He shrugged and floated away. "Fine, fine, whatever. I know when I'm not wanted." He turned away, covering his tearful face. "I'm just a wandering spirit looking for companionship. Does the Lord of Fear deserve some kindness in his heart—"
"No," Ryder said firmly.
Dark smirked. "Oh well, I tried."
Laura awkwardly tapped her fingers together. "W-Well, I don't mind your company, Dark."
"Because you're one of the good ones, Laura. You define evil so beautifully…and that Pandora chick. Hmm, maybe I should try and see if I can make a clone of her just to see what happens—"
"NO!" everyone snapped.
"Harsh." He bowed to everyone, floating away in the shadows. "Well, it has been a wonderful time celebrating this holiday of joy and capitalism! I shall return to where I belong: in the aether of comforting darkness. Ta-ta!" With that, he melted into the darkness.
Tamara raised her brow. "So, what was Dark talking about earlier—"
"That's for me to know, and for everyone else to figure out on their own." I sighed and smiled. "Anyway, I'm glad I was able to get through this. Took up a lot of time, but it's worth it. Always nice to hear from everyone, even if most of you I talk to on a daily basis these days. As for the live discussion, that'll be revealed once you all receive this update."
Ryder bowed. "Many tidings to you all."
"Much joy and merriment all around!" Melissa cheered.
"Full of love and kindness!" Krystal exclaimed, snuggling up to Cybil.
Cybil smiled. "Especially love."
Jason grinned. "Even through hardship—"
"Too much hardship," Amos grumbled.
"Take pride in who you are and spread joy to others!" Tamara exclaimed.
Jango nodded. "Let's all enjoy the final year together."
Laura winked. "Never stop smiling and creating!"
I stood up and raised my hands. "With that, all together now!"
"MERRY CHRISTMAS! TO ONE AND ALL—"
Dark popped out of the shadows again. "Oh riiiiight, forgot your present, Brad! My bad~!" He snapped his claws, causing me to explode in a puff of purple smoke. "I may have snuck into the TSOTI universe and got my hands on some magic! Ciao!" He disappeared again.
I coughed and fanned the smoke from my face. "Dark?! What the heck did you do to…?" I paused, looking back at my armchair. "Why is my chair bigger?" I looked to the others, who all stared at me in shock. "What?"
Melissa pressed her cheeks together and squealed. "He looks so cute!"
"Well, it seems the prophecy has been foretold," Jango joked.
"What? WHAT?!"
Laura pressed a button on her arm, causing a TV to lower down. "Uh, that."
I looked at my reflection in the black screen…and saw the face of a Spinda staring back at me.
"…WHAT THE BLEEEEEEEEP?!"
