Nero
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Child of the Night
Player Character
Posts: 263
Trainer Class: 
Player Name: Jack Montague
OOC Username: Vay
Arena Points: 88
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Post by Nero on Aug 10, 2024 18:15:02 GMT 9
Something had been wrong with Electrike ever since that stupid Christmas themed digging quest.
Nero hadn't noticed at first, too caught up in the confusion and the two fossils he'd received, both of which had been revived into exciting new team members now. It was a while after leaving the lab that Nero even remembered to check on Electrike, and he couldn't help but wonder if he'd been too late by that point. Maybe if he'd let the Pokemon back out of its ball as soon as they'd glitched out of the quest scene he would have been alright, or maybe if he'd shown Bunya in the lab she'd have known what to do? But he'd done neither of those things. And now he was left with a ghost of his former Pokemon.
Electrike just stood there most of the time, unmoving and unresponsive, staring off into the distance with his mouth ever so slightly pulled back towards a snarl. It wasn't a glitch though, or at least, if it was, it wasn't the sort that Nero expected. The Pokemon's model was fine, not flickering or changing or oddly moving into things. It was fine. If something pushed into Electrike, he would move aside, if an attack was launched towards him he would fall and get back up. Everything was responding fine in that sense, but... that was it. Nothing else worked. Verbal commands did nothing, UI commands did nothing, even Nero just walking away from Electrike didn't make the creature follow. It was bizarre, and Nero hadn't been able to find any answers online or in the game itself for what to actually do about this. No-one had any suggestions, so he'd been left to solve this one entirely alone.
And with no better idea of what to do, he'd done the only thing left that he could think of: bring Electrike back to Mistra where all of this had first started.
Electrike HP: 500/500 |
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Nero
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Child of the Night
Player Character
Posts: 263
Trainer Class:
Player Name: Jack Montague
OOC Username: Vay
Arena Points: 88
|
Post by Nero on Aug 10, 2024 18:29:28 GMT 9
The part of Mistra that Nero arrived in this time was very different to what he'd seen in the 'Silent Night' quest. That had felt like landing on some alien moon, surrounded by craters and rocks and... remains that did not belong on anything terrestrial at least. This was different though. As Nero loaded up in Mistra this time, he saw...
... Nothing.
There was no distinction between sky and land, no landmarks or signs or foliage or other players, just an empty expanse of darkness with him stood in the middle of it. Had it... not loaded properly? Did he need to exit and come back in again? That was always the first plan of action in situations like this, but as he pulled up the map on his UI to fast travel out and in again, he finally noticed the way everything was... shifting. Moving. Letters jumping around and changing shape so that other words appeared where they shouldn't, buttons fading into nothing as his finger approached them, white symbols appearing in sharp contrast to the blackness around him for just a moment before disappearing again. The map didn't function at all, the lines of it twisting and turning and knitting themselves together to form shapes he'd certainly never seen on that page before.
Alright, no fast traveling then. That possibly meant he couldn't actually leave here either, but that was a problem he'd get to eventually. For now, something else had caught his eye: his party list. Because the only shape that wasn't twitching and shifting and folding in on itself was Electrike.
After attempting to let out Aerodactyl first (a Pokemon technically from here and one that could ferry him out of trouble quite easily), Nero admitted defeat and released the small electric dog in front of him, only to leap back at the form that presented itself to him. No longer was the Electrike standing still and sentinel with just a hint of discomfort around his maw. Now his whole form was crouched, his face contorted into a threatening growl, hackles fully raised and sparks flashing across his body like he was ready to attack something at any moment.
But the only 'something' around was Nero.
Electrike HP: 450/500 |
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Nero
•
Child of the Night
Player Character
Posts: 263
Trainer Class:
Player Name: Jack Montague
OOC Username: Vay
Arena Points: 88
|
Post by Nero on Aug 10, 2024 18:46:14 GMT 9
Nero's arms ahd flown up to protect his face automatically, but after several moments of nothing happening, he finally lowered them and looked back towards the Electrike again. The Pokemon wasn't frozen, he was still moving just a little in the usual way that his model would move, as though he were simply awaiting an instruction at the beginning of a battle. And with that image now the most prominent one in his head, Nero quickly came back to his senses and offered a simple, "Calm down, dude. It's me."
His words didn't seem to do anything though. Electrike didn't respond at all, and Nero suddenly felt a pang of guilt for not bothering to nickname the creature before now. The only Pokemon he'd given any sort of nickname to was his starter, and realistically 'Quill' was just a shortened version of his species name anyway, so it wasn't like he had treated Electrike more poorly in comparison. Still though, to not be able to appeal to him by name now felt like a cruelty he hadn't previously considered.
With a sigh, Nero lifted a hand to his head and attempted to look around, though still nothing stood out to him at all. He'd half hoped to bump into an NPC here who might have had answers, or perhaps a shrine that would cure whatever had gripped his partner here, but neither of those seemed likely. Taking a few steps to the side just in case that should trigger a new area to load, he paused and tilted his head as a sensation caught his attention. He hadn't heard anything, nor seen it, and yet he knew without turning around that this time, for the first time, Electrike had followed him. Sure enough, when he did spin on his heel, the dog Pokemon was right beside him, still contorted into an aggressive stance but having moved all the same.
Well that was... progress?
Nero took a few more steps, waited a moment, and looked around again. The same thing, Electrike was there again. He backed away this time, keeping his gaze fixed on the Pokemon that did not move for the entire time he stared, but then when he glanced away just briefly and looked back once more, there he was at Nero's feet again. That one admittedly spooked him, and perhaps in response to that, Nero took off at a run, racing through nothing until he was out of breath, feeling for the whole time as though something was looming just right over his shoulder and sure enough, when he finally stopped and looked back, the snarling dog was there again.
Stopping to catch his breath, Nero could barely draw his eyes away from the puppy that had been so supportive during the quest here itself, digging away at the floor for him while occasionally recoiling like something had hurt him. Corruption someone had said. There'd been a warning about that when he'd first arrived here too. Corruption hurt the Pokemon, and Nero had just brought his already sick Electrike back into the source of his strife... and had then run from him like he was some sort of fiend.
Surely at this point he was just making this worse...
Electrike HP: 400/500 |
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Nero
•
Child of the Night
Player Character
Posts: 263
Trainer Class:
Player Name: Jack Montague
OOC Username: Vay
Arena Points: 88
|
Post by Nero on Aug 10, 2024 19:04:28 GMT 9
Well, he was here now, and it's not like he knew how to leave either. So even if this was the stupidest plan he'd ever had, he had no choice but to follow through with it.
Though everything in his mind screamed for him not to, Nero slowly lowered himself to the ground, sitting cross-legged in front of the still silently snarling Pokemon. His heart was fluttering as his gaze honed in on those teeth still dancing with sparks, but this was just a a game. That's what he had to remember. It was only a game. Even if Electrike did attack him, it would only be a jump scare and then a reboot of the console and then everything would be fine again. He'd white out or something and sure, he'd have no answers to his questions or solutions to his problems, but he also wouldn't actually be hurt.
Although saying that, his muscles seemed to ache in very strange ways as he settled himself down on the floor.
That in itself gave him pause. Those aches and pains of sore joints and weak muscles were... not quite familiar but reminiscent at least. They reminded him of skipping physical therapy for too long and having to start over from scratch again, being chastised by his doctors for wasting time and being lazy and losing progress because of his own... what? Ineptitude? Probably.
Nero's lips pursed in anger at the memory, hands curling into fists... and Electrike finally let out an audible aggressive yowl.
It sounded just as angry as Nero felt, but there was more to it too. It was... pained? A glance up to Electrike's health bar showed it depleting fast, but hadn't that happened in the quest too? Something about the air here, the corruption - but he couldn't dwell on that, could he? Not when progress had apparently just been made.
Electrike seemed to be moving a bit more fluidly now, less like he was trapped in one position, though still not responsive in the way he'd once been, "Is that because of me?" Nero asked, not expecting an answer but needing to voice his thoughts aloud all the same. "Are you angry at me too?" It was supposed to be problem solving, but as soon as those words were out of his mouth, more began to follow. "Do you think I'm a fuck up as well? Useless piece of shit whose got you hurt now as well? Yeah well it's your fault for having faith in me, isn't it? I never promised I'd look after you. I never promised I'd actually try!"
As his voice raised, Electrike's movements loosened, the dog tensing its muscles and barking furiously in Nero's direction as the trainer gradually yelled back at him, the pair of them airing grievances that most likely had nothing to do with the other. Emotions built until Nero's hand closed around something beside him and he threw what felt like a rock of some sort off into the distance, just as Electrike let out a sudden crash of thunder, a lightening bolt seeming to strike the Pokemon itself before disappearing just as quickly as it had arrived.
Wait, a rock? But there'd been nothing here a moment ago? That had been the whole problem with this stupid map. The confusion distracted him so abruptly that the anger he'd been expelling seemed to blink out of existence in half a moment - for both himself and Electrike. The Pokemon had more freedom of movement still, that had remained, but the sparks and the barks and the posturing had all disappeared as well.
And when Nero stood to walk in the direction he'd just thrown this impossible thing, Electrike now stalked alongside him as he should... though that feeling of a nearby looming presence didn't disappear despite the change.
Electrike HP: 350/500 |
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Nero
•
Child of the Night
Player Character
Posts: 263
Trainer Class:
Player Name: Jack Montague
OOC Username: Vay
Arena Points: 88
|
Post by Nero on Aug 10, 2024 19:13:26 GMT 9
It seemed to take forever to find the stupid rock. Electrike was helping now, though there was still something off about him. While he was walking and moving and apparently helping to search, it felt more like he was making aimless circles rather than actually contributing. Where was that clever nose of his that had helped Nero seek things out before? But still, it was progress, so he wasn't going to knock it too much.
It did mean that Nero was mostly searching alone though, the trainer down on hands and knees as he fished around for anything that felt like... anything. There seemed to be nothing at all here except for himself and the apparently corrupted Electrike, and even patting around on the floor felt like patting around on air. Maybe it was an issue with the console, or maybe a disconnect in his brain since this was hardly as immersive as other areas he'd been in. Whatever the case, it made this task feel that extra little bit stupid and embarrassing, and so in no time at all, Nero's temper was bubbling up once again.
"For fuck's sake!"
Another loud bark from Electrike, and as Nero turned towards him, his hand finally brushed over something once again. He snatched it up quickly and pulled it towards him, peering at the item in his hand. There was no light source and yet it appeared to be illuminated all the same, just as he could see himself and Electrike despite everything else being blacked out. It looked to be like some sort of gem stone, but pure black in colour. What was that called again? Obsidian? Or Onyx, or something like that? He'd have called it valuable if it wasn't for the fact he seemed to be in the middle of the void and nothing could be considered 'valuable' here. If he could take it out with him though, it would go for, what, a few hundred bytes maybe? He'd seen trainers with similar gem stones flaunting their inventories before, so yeah, valuable to some extent then.
Electrike had stopped his circling and returned to Nero's side, but as soon as he saw the gem stone he suddenly pounced at it, teeth snapping so violently in its direction that Nero was forced to jump to his feet again. "What are you doing?!" he snapped as he backed away from the dog now trying to jump up and snatch the stone from his hands. "Stop it, why do you even want this?" But it was no good, Electrike jumped again, eventually making Nero stumble enough that he dropped the stone towards the gaping jaw of the waiting Pokemon.
Teeth closed briefly around it, holding it in place for just a moment, before Electrike threw his head back and swallowed the gem stone whole.
So much for valuable then...
Electrike HP: 300/500 |
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Nero
•
Child of the Night
Player Character
Posts: 263
Trainer Class:
Player Name: Jack Montague
OOC Username: Vay
Arena Points: 88
|
Post by Nero on Aug 10, 2024 19:36:05 GMT 9
Electrike had... eaten the gem? Why? What the fuck was going on?
Nero was left staring at his empty hand and the dog Pokemon in confusion as he tried to piece together what one Earth had just happened. They'd arrived in Mistra, and Electrike had been... unresponsive but aggressive. Worse than elsewhere but different for certain. Nero had gotten angry about something and Electrike had finally reacted, joining his anger with his own, and through that Nero had found a strange rock. He'd lost it but found it again a moment later when his temper had flared up once more, again summoning Electrike to his side, only for him to for some reason eat the rock that had formed.
So... anger then? That was the key, or at least the repeating factor? He had that by the bucket load so no problems there... except, while this was certainly progress, was it... in the right direction? Electrike was very active now after all, moving freely and easily as though there was nothing wrong with him at all - except for the fact that his fur was on end and the noises from his maw were constant little growls. He seemed pent up, aggressive, bordering on threatening, and that was not at all the vibe of the cute little puppy he'd once known...
And still that looming presence seemed to linger over Nero's shoulder, like something was still approaching and by now he was quite sure it wasn't Electrike he was actually detecting. "I don't like this..." he mumbled to himself, wondering if he was perhaps trying to speak to the developers of the game directly, as though they might magically appear and correct this weird part of the game for him. But that wasn't going to happen. He'd have to deal with this himself, but how when he couldn't even fast travel out of here?
Except... wait. The map was stationary again. Or, well, it was wobbling strangely but it wasn't morphing into something new. Without really stopping to think, Nero slammed a random point on the map, desperate to get them out of here, and sure enough, the game responded.
... Sort of.
Usually a light would surround him and a loading screen of sorts would appear as he was moved to another area of the map, familiar and a little boring, Nero always tempted to reach for his phone in that brief moment even though he could hardly do that while playing the game. It was a simple and familiar part of the game that he would recognise in an instant, but that wasn't what happened this time.
Instead, the darkness around him seemed to get thicker, suddenly tangible against his skin like he was encased in foam that he could feel but couldn't see. It seemed to press into his lungs too, stopping him from breathing in or out and freezing him fully in the moment. Electrike disappeared too, all but one of his eyes, still staring at Nero, somehow vicious even without the teeth and claws to back it up. The eye grew larger, contorting as it expanded, an invisible brow pushing down until it was positively glaring at Nero. There was a shriek of some sort, though human, Pokemon or other, Nero couldn't tell, and suddenly the eye loomed forwards, Nero's frozen form being swallowed up within the pupil.
And then he was in Asper. Sat on the floor in broad daylight, breathing normally, moving freely, but with no Electrike beside him.
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The WorldScreen was ripped from Jack's had and thrown across the room, the head of the console thankfully not travelling too far thanks to the wires limiting its movement, so it fell to the ground without building up too much speed. Undamaged then, hopefully, though right now Jack wanted nothing more than to smash it all to pieces anyway.
The FUCK was wrong with this game?!
Electrike HP: 250/500 | Due to my own personal mechanics for how this corruption is affecting Electrike, its max HP will remain at 250 no matter how much its healed etc. Coming back to Mistra will lower it further, so let's hope Nero doesn't do anything stupid, hmm? |
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