The Doomed Sprout
Chapter 25
In a timid village nestled deep in a jungle, Pokemon could be seen running all around. One could imagine it to be excitement, were it not for their worried faces and hasty discussion.
«The Leaf side is holding on well, we've come to bring Noelle-», started Rajeh, carrying the Comfey in a small webbed leaf bed.
«Grotto side needs her, Kutz got injured-», shouted Amy, before noticing the poor state Amy was in, exhausted from the constant healing and unable to float anymore. «...Sorry Noelle, but we really need you right now», he added, picking the leaf bed she was resting on to drag it away towards a side of the wall.
Glen shared a glance with the Ariados, before nodding for her to go back. He sighed, uncertain of how to hold on, now that more and more Commons were becoming aware of their presence.
«Music side reporting in», a voice yelled from afar, surprising Glen. «We've run out of battery on the… whatever that thing's called. Megan and Lou are trying to charge it up, but we don't really understand how it works»
The Weedle nodded towards Matt, who'd come to deliver the information. The Honorable did say that Jay's speed was incredible for sharing information, and his absence here was making him feel like he should've respected them more for that.
«Got it, we'll send you a fighter from Leaf side...»
Matt lifted a paw to interrupt him. «No need. Sera's acting as a decoy to save time. I wanted to know which side she should escape to, since it'll bring more Commons there too»
Glen paused momentarily. Decoys? Since when has she learned to create those?
Seeing his confusion, the Teddiursa explained. «She's basically running around in the jungle to drag them away from everyone else. But she'll have to come back here before she tires out completely»
«...Oh», he let out. ...Maybe the other sides should do that too...
Fen sighed, shying her eyes away from the fire. «Can you let him go, now?»
«No way, that bite hurt!», Mew grumbled, keeping a very large Zorua in their telekinetic grasp right above the fire. «Least he can do is say sorry!»
Cylan glared angrily, the fire flaring up and touching his paws, making him yell in pain.
«You're literally torturing the one you said you wanted to save!», Fen pointed out.
«...What's your point?»
The Nidoran sighed, walking towards the fire, picking up one of the seemingly infinite flaming branches and waving it towards the pixie menacingly. «You're being a dumbass. Quit it before the both of you get burned»
Mew looked confused at the fiery branch swooshing closer and closer to them, before sending Dream-Cylan crashing against the wall, dropping him to the ground. «...Seriously, I come here to save you guys and that's the thank I get? What happened to the whole ''Praise the Legendaries'' and all?»
«You already know you're talking to humans. I thought it was obvious we weren't really going to respect hierarchy»
Mew grumbled, floating away from the branch. «Yeah, but it's no fun if you guys fight back...»
Fen snickered. «Yet you came to us directly because… you're bored, I presume? As every Legendary seems to be. Fighting back's exactly what you're looking for, idiot!», she pointed out.
«...I don't like you», they pouted. « You're too smart»
The Nidoran rolled her eyes, refusing to point out the hypocrisy. «Whatever. How are you here, and what do you want to do with Cylan?»
Dream-Cylan groggily pulled himself back up, grumbling under his breath.
Mew tilted their head, staying silent for a moment before answering. «...Huh. I take it back, you're not that smart. I thought you would think about Dream Eater as an option, but I guess not»
«Oh», Fen exclaimed. «So you're saying that even basic Pokemon could just… enter my dreams and start wrecking things, or learning about me?». She felt like she knew the answer, but she felt the violation of her own mind was too difficult to accept.
«Yep!». Mew, on the other hand, had no problems whatsoever with it. «So that's one question done, for the other… Well, I ain't gotta tell you-»
A large Zorua's tail appeared between the two Pokemon, interrupting the conversation. «You do. Because I want to know as well», pointed out Dream-Cylan. «And I'm not going to make it easy on you unless I'm told why I should follow»
They sighed, before floating closer to the fire, lost in thought. «...You two really don't have any clue just how little you matter, huh?». Seeing the two Pokemon opening their mouth, Mew quickly continued. «BUT! I don't think there's any way for you to know that. So I'm just gonna pretend like you do, just this once~»
Dream-Cylan tensed up, snarling, with Fen tugging at his tail to keep him from attacking again. «We're listening», she nodded.
«A certain little detective and her pet rock were worried about the Zorua, apparently they had some sort of attachment to him. And me, the kind-hearted soul that I am, listened to their pleas for help, and followed you here!», Mew boasted, floating above the two of them. « I'm here to save you, so you better be thankful!»
Mew kept floating confidently above the two in complete silence, before turning to look at them. «...Why aren't you cheering? Don't you wanna be saved?»
Fen hesitated. «It's not that, it's just… how? Yeah, you can enter our dreams, which is kinda freaky, but… you're still just here. How does that even help?»
«It doesn't», pointed out Dream-Cylan. «They came here purely to talk to us in private and gloat. They'll likely simply use a rejuvenating move like Life Dew»
«At least one of you gets it», Mew sneered. «Seriously, it's like you've never dealt with a coma before»
«I have!», Fen shouted back, furious. «Just never with Pokemon that could enter dreams and shoot healing stuff!»
Mew sighed, exasperated. «What are you talking about, you were picked specifically because you guys had Pokemon in your world too!»
Dream-Cylan stood by the side, pulling a pen and paper out of nowhere, scribbling furiously.
«Not living ones! You guys are supposed to be pixels on a screen, with absolutely ludicrous powers that couldn't possibly be real! I mean, seriously, a slime that mimics anything, and meteor-throwing goo monsters? Get real!». Fen was fuming now, appearing slowly taller than before.
Mew glared back. «What's wrong with any of that? Humans created a whole new digital universe and a stable transporting method between the two, then chucked everything in it ! How is that not more ridiculous!»
«That's just technology! Anyone can do that!»
«Anyone can throw meteors too! As for mimic… urgh...». Mew paused, catching their breath. «mimicking isn't really possible anymore, aside from changing one's appearance. That jerk said I was ''too convincing'' with it, and removed that ability altogether». Saying this, the Pokemon grimaced, before sighing. «Just... why'd it have to be you, you know?You were supposed to know Pokemon, but… you said we were pixels on a screen? »
Fen kept her fiery glare for a few seconds, before looking away, her size visibly deflating as she calmed down. «...Let's sit down for a bit. All of us»
Dream-Cylan stoked the fire, for whatever good it did in such a realm, before going back to lie down, wrapping his tail around Fen's body as if protecting her. Mew, on the other side of the fire, had taken out a hammock which was now floating in the air, holding their weight somehow.
Fen muttered in her breath, before restarting the conversation.
«So… you said we were supposed to know about Pokemon? Does that mean that we weren't picked at random?»
«Yep». Mew didn't hesitate, making Fen wonder if they also hated the one responsible. «The idea was to pick humans from a different universe who also knew of Pokemon, so they'd get used to this one more easily, and be less obvious about their human nature. There are other reasons too, but hey, if you're so interesting, why don't you try figuring those out, eh?~»
Fen groaned, being refused information yet again, while Dream-Cylan simply kept writing. Tentatively, the Nidoran gave it a thought. «...Say, Cylan? What were you before being sent here?»
«Not me, remember?», he grumbled. «...But he stated being a historian before»
«Hmm… So a historian, and a medic, both jobs that focus exclusively on humans?»
Mew peeked at them, curious. «...What about it?»
Fen pondered, having little to go off of. «Maybe they picked humans with very little practical knowledge so they'd have the least chance of impacting the Pokemon civilisation?»
«Ding ding!», happily chirped Mew, doing a barrel roll with the hammock itself. «You got it! Though that ended up not really working, seeing as one has effectively created a new form of civilization, and the other is helping Pokemon stay alive longer. They kinda underestimated humans, buncha idiots~»
«…Aren't you doing that yourself?», pointed out Cylan.
«Naaaaah. I know you guys can't do much to me, after all!», Mew beamed, much to Fen's irritation, joined by Dream-Cylan. «But anyway, how come you guys don't know about Pokemon, then?»
«We do», Fen started, «But we know you guys as a game. You're not meant to be real for us. It's not that we sent you all in a digitalized world, it's that you started in there»
Mew stood up from their hammock, looking at the fire in silence. Surprisingly, it was Dream-Cylan who spoke up first. «...Are you saying you don't know anything about us?»
«We only know what was shared in the games, or the stories, movies, etc. But of course, there are some aspects that they'd not focus on, like what Pokemon can eat, or their social habits, or, well, their internal organs»
Cylan appeared confused at that last part. «Why would you need to know that?»
Fen stood beside the fire, before focusing and trying her best to shape the flames… somehow. She wasn't sure what she was doing, but seeing as there was now a Bulbasaur with eyes crossed out floating in the cave, she felt satisfied enough.
«To heal injuries. We're still unconscious, and considering we've literally got a Mythical in our brains that wants to help us out, I'm pretty sure that means we'd die if we refused. You all keep focusing on healing with Heal Pulse, Floral Healing, and whatever else… But some things it's better to go at it manually-»
Mew's snoring immediately cut short Fen's explanation, who could only glare at them in return. «If you don't want to listen to us, then get us out of here already!», she grumbled, shooting a Poison Sting on one of the ropes of the hammock, cutting it cleanly. Unbothered, Mew simply floated in the same spot, the hammock laying on the ground.
Dream-Cylan, having had enough of their antics, made the fire move itself to be below Mew, who quickly flew away in fright, crashing against the wall. «Eep!»
Mew's expression quickly grew furious, lashing out. «What's with you two and threatening me with fire! I am your benefactor!», they yelled.
«Then start helping!», shot back Fen, rising up from her bed and almost crashing face-first against the wooden floor.
...Weren't they in a cave?
«Wait… that's the infirmary, right?». Fen quickly scanned the room, noticing a confused Cylan, back to being disguised as a Zoroark, and this time of normal size. «W-we're back!», she cheered.
«Yep. All thanks to me, so let's hear it!», boasted Mew, floating down from the ceiling and leaning back.
Fen grits her teeth, though decides to play along. She had gotten what she wanted, after all. «Thank you kindly. Now, we just need to-»
«Fen?», Cylan asked, his worried expression shocking the Nidoran. «What is this?»
Fen looked at him confused, before realizing. « Ah, right! You probably didn't get to catch any of that weird dreamscape thing… Well, uh, I'll catch you up on it, for now, I'd like to see…»
She looked around the room, seeing it empty. Surprised, she took a second look and a third. «...Where is Lumin?»
Mew giggled, ominously replying «He's outside!» before scampering off into the sky. Their job was done, after all, though they were somehow excited about their next visit here, maybe they'll bring a friend!
Fen and Cylan shared a frustrated look, before getting out of their beds. Soon enough, the sound of soft paws on dirt could be heard coming towards the door. As a Shinx opened it, she froze upon seeing the two Pokemon, who were very much not asleep, despite her being told they were.
« A-ah, I wasn't told what to do with you two!», she let out, making Fen laugh out loud.