TEST 8.

[azumods]

FLOW. The feeling of pressure in here is immense. It's stronger than it was with Darkrai, something you can feel down to your core, something that you couldn't shake off even if you tried; there's nothing to do but power through it. Saturn, for his part, either isn't feeling it at all or is incapable of reacting in any sort of appropriate way even if he could; he simply continues to regard you from across the room, his words hanging heavy in the room. It's a far cry from his behavior during the first month you were here; he was civil then, willing to do you favors in exchange for the chance to talk to you. It's plain that he will be doing no such thing today; it may be difficult to know where to start, really. Especially when your Pokémon don't seem to be doing well - whatever's happening here, they seem reluctant, even unwilling, to fight anything in this room. Perhaps it's not surprising; the energy in the room is likely familiar to them, and it's the sort associated with someone deciding to take their spirit away last time it was angered. Whatever the reason, you're on your own for now; whatever happens is your choice, and yours alone.

Comments

[semistableman]

[He should be terrified, but there are a few advantages to being Bucky Barnes that means that things like this don't even faze him.]

Looks painful.

[It's not entirely clear to whom he's speaking.]

[azumods]

I can assure you that it isn't.

[...He sounds like he's speaking from a lot of experience.]

Stressful, a bit. But not painful. Most of us who carry it don't even feel it anymore.

But then, it's also what ensures they don't feel anything at all anymore.

[semistableman]

"Anymore."

[God, but that is fucked up.]

What a hell of a price to pay.

[eudaimonikos]

Tested that on a lot of people before you took it yourself, didn't you.

[Not really a question]

[azumods]

We used it on the members of Team Galactic. Willing volunteers first, and then the rest. The Elite Four are under the same thing, to keep them quiet and out of our way.

What I have is heavily modified. After all, I still needed to be able to do my job. It's designed to remove the imperfections that were plaguing me without knocking out everything entirely. Whenever the time comes to change that, we will.

[swiftasacoursingkawa]

S...So...by "removing your imperfections," d-does that mean...

[He really doesn't want to imply this. He really doesn't.]

Is...um...Cyrus directing that part of you? The same way you're now controlling D-D...Dee?

[Dialga. It's okay, Sena, you can say it.]

[azumods]

I'm not under his direct control. But he has ensured that I don't feel them anymore.

[eudaimonikos]

Willing volunteers?

[He smiles mirthlessly.]

So benevolent, to let the unwilling witness the torture before it was applied. I'm sure they spent their last days in terror!

[azumods]

What do you want me to say, Michael?

[eudaimonikos]

I don't know.

[He sighs.]

I just...I thought you were capable of more than this. I wanted to believe that.

[azumods]

[....]

I'm sorry, then. For disappointing you. Even if you're going to tell me I'm not or blow me off for saying it in the first place.

[eudaimonikos]

Ah, is that what this is? [He looks away, reaching into his pocket absentmindedly to fiddle with something in there. It looks about Pokeball-sized, but all his Pokeballs are clipped to his belt.] Damn. It sucks!

[........]

This is weird for me to say, but I think...I have to side with Emmeryn on this. [He turns to look at her, mouth curving in an incredulous little smile.] No, I - I really do. You don't decide what you deserve from other people. They do. So...yeah, okay! I'm with her!

[niceoppai]

...Yeah. Yeah! You got into this 'cause you couldn't deal with it and you didn't like yourself. Like Ignis said, you didn't want to lose, but you didn't want to win! Michael's got a point.

Please let this not lead to everyone dying.

[divinedescendant]

[She turns to him, too, at the sound of her name, and smiles, all her fierce resolve softening at once.]

Is it really so strange to say? [Of all things, it comes with a light, fond little laugh.] You don't decide what you deserve from other people; they do... I rather like that.

[eudaimonikos]

It is! It really is!

[Michael can't help but laugh a little in response, short and delighted and surprised at himself.]

But my friends - they've always given me more than I think I've earned. That's the reason for all of this.

[divinedescendant]

[She can't help herself against all this delight and this sudden surge of hope, and Emmeryn grins, bright and inelegant and she can't quite manage to rein it back in.]

Your friends are lucky to have you. And so are we.

[eudaimonikos]

[Michael beams under the praise.]

Oh, I'm the one who got lucky.