Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Seventeen
Seth groaned as bright sunlight pierced the windows and his sensitive eyes. “Urgh! Turn off the sun…” He rolled over to turn away, and found his muzzle pressed up against Fritter’s.
The Earth Pony mare was having a good dream and then her entire body was filled with an indescribably warm feeling. She hummed happily and opened her eyes to see Seth… kissing her…
Her reaction may have been a bit dramatic, but with a surprised squeak and a shove of her hooves, Seth and Rika, whom had been lying behind him, suddenly found themselves in a pile on the floor.
“Ow…” Seth moaned, rubbing his head. There was a muffled shout and he rolled over, revealing a squished Sylveon beneath him.
“That was not a cool way to wake up!” Rika pouted, she glanced at the bed and saw Fritter with a hoof pressed to her mouth and her face was bright red. The Sylveon turned her venomous glare to Seth and narrowed her eyes. “What did you do?”
“Nothing… much,” Seth said, backing away slowly. His room door opened and Selena, along with an exhausted-looking Gardevoir and Diantha. “Perfect timing,” Seth said. “How are you girls doing this morning?”
Rika pouted and looked at Fritter again, who still looked slightly stunned. “Well, I suppose I can let her have this one,” Rika thought to herself.
Gardevoir sighed and flopped into a chair. “I have never been so exhausted. My head is pounding and I still don’t know what to do about Malamar… Mewtwo said he was looking into something, but it’s been over a day now-” She suddenly put a hand to her head as a wave of Psychic energy washed over her. Diantha seemed to notice it too, but didn’t know what to make of it. Gardy knew though, it was a pulse designed to collect information and determine locations of people and Pokémon. But who in the hell was trying to get her attention?
Deciding that it was best to just find out, she scryed the city and quickly found the individual responsible. His Psychic power was concealed, but the pulse had lit him like a lighthouse. It was some upstart Kadabra, along with a small group consisting of a Lucario, Scizor and A Porygon-Z.
Tapping into his mental link, she decided to find out just what he was after. The last thing they needed was trouble…
Vincent and his family had stepped off of the train and after a brief moment to discuss what to do and a quick wardrobe change, Vincent pinged the city to gather information.
There was a moment’s pause and a very irate Gardevoir replied.
“And what in the name of Arceus do you want!?” she snapped. “I have been up all night, re-organizing hundreds of memories... this had better be important!”
Vincent blinked at that before executing a portion of his training. Deepening the links between his family and himself and then shielding their minds and the links from detection, he carefully responded to the sound of an angry female.
“Eheh. Actually, this couldn’t be more UNimportant, and I apologize for disturbing you. I’m new in town, you see, and wasn’t planning on staying long. So I sent out a wave of psychic energy to gather loose thoughts about what there was to do in town from the ponies who live here. Once again, sorry.”
Gardevoir paused, he had done a remarkable job of concealing the rest of his group. So he was just a tourist? Great, now she felt bad for yelling. She sighed and calmed herself before continuing. “I… sorry for snapping, it’s been a rough couple of nights.” She remembered that they had a Lucario in their group, “Do you have a healer on you by chance? I could really use the help...”
Vincent shook his head before replying to the voice. “My apologies, no. While in theory I could know Recover, that wouldn’t help you. My family... actually. There may be a roundabout answer in Bit, but not an easily accessible one. It would involve somehow getting at the list of moves the Simulator room had, then finding Heal Pulse, if it existed there, and teaching it to Lucy. Not an easy order.”
Gardevoir sighed at the long-winded explanation that made absolutely no sense. Well at least to her tired brain it didn’t. “I have no idea what you are talking about, but the answer seems to be no... “Ah, wait.” She needed coffee, and was about to just cut the link when her Mistress grabbed her attention. It would seem that helped had arrived. “Well, it would seem the cavalry has just arrived. Thank you for considering anyway. Oh! I haven’t introduced myself, I am Gardevoir, or just Gardy for short.” She was roused from her conversation when Diantha asked who she was conversing with. It seems that Mewtwo had brought back Azelf, Mesprit and Uxie to assist with healing Malamar.
Mewtwo waved a hand and a powerful Heal Pulse washed over Gardevoir, revitalising her lost stamina.
“Why don’t you invite them to lunch?” Diantha asked as the Legendaries left to help the remaining Pokémon. “I would like to know who has your attention.”
“Of course, My Mistress has invited you and your family for lunch. Would you care to join us Mr...?”
“In order, yes, I figured you were a Gardevoir. You remind me of Luke...or Gene, or Belle.” Vincent chuckled at the memories. “Ah, the ones who cared, and... I’m not certain it would be wise to tell you my name, especially my last one, as it has a few negative connotations, but if you insist…” The Kadabra trailed off as he mentally prepared himself for either extreme reaction.
“Well then, Mr. Kadabra,” Gardevoir chuckled at his attempt to be all mysterious. “Should you decide to join us, we will be eating here.” The vision of a cafe appeared in Vincent’s mind, a large cafe called ‘The Daily Grind’. “It’s a rather laid back little place with excellent coffee. Hopefully we shall see you there~” And with that, the connection was severed. She sighed and eased back into her chair.
“So we’re going out then?” Seth said with a hopeful tone. He had been stuck in this bed for way too long and needed to stretch his legs.
“Yes, I believe we are,” Selena said. “Let’s leave a note for Ignis and Titania, and then we’ll head out.
*~*
Seth groaned slightly as he sat down, his body was still feeling a little tender. The walk from the hospital had taken a while and his legs were burning. He was covered in bandages that covered his burn marks and smaller wounds.
“Are you alright?” Rika asked, her voice filled with concern. “Should we go back to the hospital?”
“No way!” Seth shook his head, and instantly discovered that was a bad idea. “The food there was horrible, and after Fritter’s cooking, I doubt that much could really compare.” All other food was ruined for life now, between Fritters and Rika’s dishes, he could die happily. He looked at the cafe that they had chosen. “So what is this place?” It was a olden-style place, with a high ceiling and a lot of wooden construction. A bar sat near the entrance and held a large display case with lots of delicious-looking baked goods. The rear of the café had most of the tables as well as a small stage with a few instruments, including a cello, harp and piano.
“It’s ‘The Daily Grind’!” A cheerful-looking mare replied. Seth looked up to see Mocha Latte, Fritter’s friend that he’d met once before. “I own and run this little place all by myself.”
“Well I happen to think this place is quite lovely,” Diantha responded. She turned to her Pokémon, a rather exhausted Gardevoir. “I’m sorry that I could not help you, though you have done a simply amazing job helping those poor Pokémon recover.”
“Yeah, it was pretty awesome Gardy!” Seth smiled, causing the Pokémon to blush slightly.
“I did what I could, but Azelf, Mesprit and Uxie did most of the work.”
Seth shook his head slowly, “Don’t sell yourself short, you help almost all of the inflicted Pokémon by yourself. It’s nothing short of amazing!”
Gardevoir thought her face was on fire. She closed her eyes for a moment to compose herself and a presence made itself known. “Ah, it seems that our guests should be here any moment now...”
“Guests?” Seth asked.
Near the front door, a Scizor with a black bow tie, a Lucario with a cream sunhat, a Porygon-Z wearing a monocle, and a Kadabra with a black top hat had gathered. Once the smell of coffee hit their noses, the Scizor and Lucario turned to the Kadabra and said one word in unison.
“No.”
“...Never let me have any of that stuff...I swear, one of these days, I WILL have a cup of coffee! Anyways, we’re looking for a Garde- oh hello, we just found one…” The fact that the Kadabra hadn’t actually opened his mouth and was still ‘heard’ didn’t pass by anyone.
“And here they are, the mysterious, nameless Kadabra and his friends,” Gardy giggled. “Mr Kadabra, this is my Mistress, Lady Diantha and our friends.”
The Kadabra grumbled a bit. “I would have given you my first name to chew over, if only to avoid that introduction, had you stayed connected a moment more, you know. I’ll still do it now, but I’ll withhold my last name for the time being. I’m Vincent. The one floating behind me is Bit, the Lucario is Lucy, and the Scizor is Sam. And we’re not just friends.”
“Indeed not,” Lucy said. “We’re family. Brothers and sister. We’re there for one another, no matter what.”
Apple Fritter smiled and then walked up to Vincent, shaking his hand rather vigorously. “Well howdy Mr. Vincent, ah’m Apple Fritter and this here as mah kin.” She pointed around the table,
“The moody-lookin’ Absol is Selena.”
“I’m not moody...” Selena grumbled.
“The little pink one is Rika,”
The Sylveon smiled before locking eyes on Lucy’s hat. “That... that hat is simply adorable~”
“Should have seen me in it as a Riolu, then,” She retorted. Rika pictured and squeed at the adorableness of it.
“An’ the banged up Luxray is Seth. Jus’ go easy on im, he’s had a rough couple o’ days.”
“That’s an understatement,” Seth groaned. “But regardless, hello to all of you.”
Vincent sighed at the sight. “I am sorry that I can do nothing. Like I said, we have no real ‘healer’ in this family. In theory, if I could somehow access the list of moves from the Simulator room that’s still stored in Bit’s head and use that to teach Heal Pulse to Lucy, we’d have an answer.”
“Don’t worry about it,” Seth replied. “These injuries are mostly muscle pains and over exposure to magic, Heal Pulse wouldn’t do a whole lot. The doctor’s say I should recover in a few days.”
Vincent nodded and looked to Gardevoir then before smiling softly. “So. Still want that last name? Or do you think you can guess it?”
“I could pull the information from your mind,” she said aloud, rather than using telepathy. “But that is a rather severe breach of privacy and my personal ethics. Should you refrain from telling us, that is your own choice and one we will not force...”
“I withhold telling my name for a simple reason: I know not how everyone will react to the one that bore it before me.”
“Everyone has a secret or two,” Seth replied, sipping at his coffee. He gave a content sigh and smiled. “Don’t worry about it.”
Vincent nodded again and the family of Pokémon sat down at a table. Well, those that had legs. Bit opted to hover and observe. “It’s just...the last time I shared my name, it turned a peaceful situation sour real fast. However, my visit to a certain God has done much for my anger, so unless any of you are Rangers, I think I can do so without too much anguish.”
“No Rangers here, just a League Champion and a Human/Pokémon Rights activist,” Seth mused at that thought. No Ranger would want to drink coffee with him, well, aside from the one with that shiny Arcanine he met once, she seemed pretty cool. “So, I take it you used to be a human as well then?”
Vincent gave off a strangled laugh at that. “Not wholly. Not completely. And it’s all thanks to what he did.” The Kadabra waved a hand to encompass Lucy and Sam in his next statement.
“You’re looking at my broken little family of the ones who survived. The family of Nurem.”
“Nurem?” Seth frowned as he racked his mind, but nothing came up. “Sorry kid, never heard of him before. What about you Diantha?”
The shiny Gardevoir set down her teacup and sighed. “Unfortunately, I have heard that name before. Nurem was the name of a scientist whose experiments were... ghastly to say the very least. You were survivors of his? I can only speculate at what horrors you must have endured.”
Sam winced at the thought of his experiment again. “Yeah...but we’ll give you two hints for free. We all evolved in this world, yet our issues from his experiments remain.”
“And,” Lucy chipped in, “One of us has lasted longer than the others. Bit confirmed it. Care to guess?”
“And it was for a very good reason,” Vincent mused, thinking over his visit with Lady Xerneas.
“Well, I’m going to guess that’s it’s you Mr. Vincent,” Seth said. “Though it makes me wonder what your role in all this is.”
“Oh that’s easy!” Vincent said in a slightly-too-chipper tone. “Madam Diantha, what do you know of the Doctor’s first experiment?”
“Not much I’m afraid, I only know of the name and what his experiments were like. I know nothing of the actual details.” She had an inkling that she wasn’t going to like what Vincent had to say next.
“Oh, details were easy to retrieve. Bit was in the mainframe for eight years, after all. He’s got records. But there’s a very good reason I was called Subject thirty-seven all my life. Before... when Rupert Nurem had a heart and actually cared, he tried something daring. Something bold. Something I think quite a few would love to have had. He tried to bridge the gap between man and ‘mon.”
“Bridge the gap?” How does one ‘bridge a gap’ between two utterly different lifeforms, well, aside from Arceus’s method. Seth drank from his mug and decided that he’d probably need something stronger soon. “Okay, I’ll bite, but I think the answer isn’t going to be sunshine and rainbows.”
“Indeed not. Genetic manipulation. He was rather good at such things. Somehow he got volunteers for it, hale of mind and body. They practically threw themselves at the chance. He wanted to create humans with not only the ability to understand Pokémon, but use their powers as well. Think on it... on what such a world would have been.”
“That... would have been both a good and a bad thing, power is a double edged sword after all.” Seth shuddered at the thought, then a random thought occurred to him and he chuckled. “I wonder if you could catch ‘em in a Pokeball?”
“We’ll never know,” Vincent solemnly replied, this kid could not take a joke huh? “For the gap is too great to be bridged by man. Only a Legendary has that power. However, it was a... delayed reaction. After his test subjects didn’t die, he tested me. And after I didn’t die, he tried to do what he set out to do: save his ailing, comatose, brain-dead mother...just as the first thirty-six test subjects self-destructed.”
Seth just went wide-eyed as he dropped his mug, shattering all over the floor. Rika looked like she was going to be sick and Selena just remained silent. Diantha’s reaction was the most unique... she moved over to where Vincent and his family sat and pulled them into a hug.
Bit picked up the narrative. “Rupert Nurem then became convinced that the answer he sought lay within his son, and proceeded to run as many tests as he could think of to extract an answer before his mother died. Sadly, he didn’t before he ran out of time, and the lady died, truly and completely, on the next Halloween night. And thus, the moniker of Subject Thirty-Seven was attached to Vincent, and the doctor never referred to him by name, so as to make it easier on himself.”
Seth moved off of his chair as Mocha cleaned up his broken mug. He needed air and quietly excused himself, leaving the cafe.
“Seth...” Selena said. “He never even knew his parents. They passed away not long after he was born and the Ranger’s covered up the whole thing.” She looked out the window at the Luxray sitting on the grass. “Perhaps this topic should be put away for now...”
“More than willing to,” Vincent replied. “If, uh...you could help free us?” Indeed, Diantha hadn’t let go, nor did it look like she was going to anytime soon.
“Yeah... if I did that...” Selena looked at Rika, whose ribbons were twitching, fighting the urge to hug them as well. “That’s a fate that you will just have to deal with,” the Absol said with a smile.
Seth sat on the front lawn, staring up at the clouds that passed by overhead. He didn’t even hear Ignis approach, landing gently in the grass next to him.
“Something up?” he asked and Seth looked at his brother.
“Just remembering the past… I needed some air.” Seth said quietly. Ignis had been the only Pokemon with him when he discovered the truth, that his parents were Ranger’s that had died on a mission... and that the Pokemon Ranger Corps had covered the whole thing up.
Ignis peeked through a window and saw an unfamiliar group sitting with Selly and the others. “Someone you know?” he asked.
“No, never met them before today…” Well Seth was sure they’d explain it better. “C’mon, let’s go inside. I need to apologise for breaking a mug.”
Diantha eventually let go, and Rika quickly replaced her as Seth walked back inside, a large Charizard behind him. Mocha eyed the fiery dragon warily, but just smiled and greeted him anyway.
“Sorry about that,” Seth replied, sounding a lot better. “Oh, and this is Ignis, the best brother one could ask for.”
Sam glared at the Sylveon holding his family captive as well as he could before leaning in and whispering two sentences. “I know Steel Wing. Please stop for now.”
Rika turned and smiled, almost sadistically. “And I have a Fire element Hidden Power, but alright, you get extra hugs later though~” she giggled and bounced to the other side of the table.
Ignis sighed and shook his head. Suddenly he caught a faint scent and looked at Vincent’s group. “This will sound a bit strange,” he said with a deep voice. “But have you encountered a Noivern called Edge?”
Selena visibly flinched at that. When she noticed a faint mark on Ignis’s neck yesterday, she had grilled him about it. Turns out that he’d fought a Noivern that proceeded to ‘Mark’ him once the fight was over. She now owed that dragon a beatdown…
Vincent nodded as he recalled the events of days previous. “Checkmate... they were okay. After their initial ‘greeting’ anyways. Someone needs to put them through some form of therapy until their first reaction to everything isn’t ‘Punch it.’ Heck, we could all use it, but good luck finding a starting point with us!” His strangled laugh did nothing to ease the sudden tension.
“I see...” Ignis replied. Seth had given him a brief rundown when they’d met outside. “Well, I owe her a rematch at some point.”
“And I owe her a beating...” Selena muttered under her breath. “Stupid, fight-happy flame brain!”
“You say something?” Ignis asked his mate, who simply shook her head.
“Nope, not plotting the death of a dragon, not at all...” Ignis shuddered, females were scary.
Vincent’s reaction, however, was worse, as he turned to Selena and growled. “I consider them one step away from friends, and I’ve precious few of those. So, care to rephrase that sentence?” The Kadabra’s eyes were glowing blue, and the ‘pressure’ around him had increased drastically.
Where did this little punk get off on telling her what to do, she had quite enough of that to last a lifetime, but picking fight wasn’t going to make Seth look like a good Trainer, so she decided to back off… for now. “Well, I could have said that better, but she did ‘mark’ my mate, so I owe her some... remuneration.” Selena replied. Being a Dark type, so Vincent wasn’t coming across as too threatening, but she was sorry, given the context of their previous conversation. “I do apologise however.”
“Xavier, their Metagross tactician, put me through a psychic battle’s paces and tried to crush me and my sister during their ‘hellos’,” Vincent deadpanned. “And like I said, though their first instinct was to ‘punch it’, we eventually walked away nearly friends. “So...once more, with feeling?”
‘Don’t push it you little brat!’ Selena thought, gritting her teeth. She took a breath and pushed her anger down. “I said I apologise, and ‘technically’ Ignis wasn’t my mate at the time... So yes, I’m sorry.” Vincent’s little story amused her though, it reminded her of Titania’s first appearance. “It would seem our own little Checkmate member acts no different though. The first words from her mouth were that her team wished Seth dead... Rika here, persuaded her otherwise.”
Seth shuddered at that memory. Sadisteon was a scary Pokémon indeed, one he was glad didn’t show up often. Lucy and Sam had finally finished off their own cups of coffee by this point in time, and Lucy spoke up next. “Eh, I could have handled it, I’m sure.”
“Lucy,” Sam replied, “You can take a hit, sure. But I’m pretty sure a Metagross dropping from the sky isn’t something you should be eager to test yourself with.”
Bit dinged next. “The odds of you surviving the impact as calculated were less than ten percent.”
“This Xavier sounds tough!” Ignis grinned, his tail flame flaring slightly. “I want to fight him!”
Selena sighed and poked him, “Really? Can’t you just be satisfied with beating Moltres?”
“Until I defeat Arceus himself... NEVER!” Ignis roared, spooking several customers and causing Seth to growl, putting a paw on his head.
“Not. So. Loud,” he hissed and glared at Ignis, earning a sheepish look from the dragon. “So... how do you like Equestria so far?” Seth asked.
“What we’ve seen so far is enjoyable,” Vincent said. “Even if it has been merely Las Pegasus, Manehatten, and Ponyville. We’ve seen plenty of sights and met quite a few new faces. Including Xerneas,”
“Xerneas!?” Diantha exclaimed, “You actually met Xerneas?”
Seth smiled, “I’ve met Arceus, Mewtwo and a bunch of other Legendary Pokémon... and I kinda attacked Arceus when I met him.”
“I can’t believe he let you get away with that,” Fritter sighed. “Y’all are crazy Seth. But I do appreciate that gift he gave me.” That translation spell still hadn’t worn off and it didn’t seem like it was ever going to, not that Fritter minded.
Lucy held up a paw and began ticking off names, making her smaller spikes suddenly evident to anyone who cared to look. “Regirock, Regice, Registeel…”
“Vincent said he met with Xerneas and Arceus,” Sam pitched in.
Bit dinged once before adding the last name. “As well, advice was exchanged between the family of Nurem and Lord Genesect.”
“But in my eyes,” Vincent finished, “none come before Xerneas. Hell, even invited her to look me up in Las Pegasus someday. My door’s always open to her.”
“It’s funny huh?” Seth grinned. “Meeting a Legendary back on Earth almost never happened, and now they’re like our next door neighbours.” Mocha came over to them, all smiles despite a broken mug and spooked customers.
“You guys want anything else?” she asked. “I sell lunches here too! Just tell me what you want and I’ll try and make it.”
Lucy and Sam exchanged a look and a nod before looking at Vincent, who sighed. “Fiiine...three of your best pasta dishes. Gonna need more bits though…”
A flexing of his will brought a piece of luggage from their apartment to sit nearby, and the Kadabra muttered as he rummaged through it.
“Don’t worry about it,” Diantha said. “We invited you so it’s our treat, okay?”
Vincent blinked a few times before smiling and taking a few coins out anyways. “Should still give the mare something for her quick,” he looked over at Ignis before continuing, “And courteous service, despite everything.”
“It’s fine,” Mocha giggled. “You should meet my friend Silvermane, he’s much more rowdy than your dragon friend here. Though I do need to replace that mug...” She smiled and took a single Bit. “Now I’ll get started on lunch, it so happens I’m quite good at pasta dishes... and for you and your friends Fritter?”
Seth gave the Apple mare his best puppy dog eyes and it took a full two seconds to cave in. “Yeah, yeah.” She got up and headed to the kitchen, “C’mon Mocha, ah’ve got a few new recipes to teach you.”
“Apple Fritter is the best cook in Canterlot, probably all of Equus.” Seth said. “Once you’ve had something made by her, then no other meal can compare.”
“I beg to disagree,” Sam said. “A shiny Sandslash down in Las Pegasus does a mean pizza, and just loves to cook dishes that will make anyone’s mouths water. She might have some trouble changing her recipes to be more pony-friendly, but I think the griffons will eat it right up as-is.”
“You’ll have to take me back there when we return,” Lucy mused. “Which one did you say she was?”
“Twenty-nine, third of five escapees,” Sam replied.
“Meat~” Seth drooled. As good as Fritter’s cooking was, he missed bacon. He remembered the meat feast he had at Pinkie’s party in Ponyville, which caused his stomach to rumble loudly.
“Well, I guess we have to visit Las Pegasus at some point huh?”
“And Ponyville again, along with a bunch of other places.” Rika counted. “Plus we still have the Pokémon Contest to organise-” She quickly put a paw to her mouth. “Oops, that was supposed to be a secret.”
The family exchanged a look before shrugging. Bit dinged once. “We are good at keeping secrets,” He replied. “In fact, I essentially am information given form. I can assure you, should you desire for this to not be known, it will not.”
“Thank you,” Rika sighed. “It’s hush hush right now, but we plan on holding a Pokémon Contest...” she recalled their story. “Do you know what they are?”
The family shook their heads in unison. “We were captives of a madman,” Vincent replied. “And Bit was second in command in keeping us where we were meant to be. I was given what was deemed pertinent information through a screen. Contests weren’t one of those things.”
Sam spoke up next then. “While I had the most time outside of the walls, my experiences...let me leave it at ‘a dirty old man adopted me’.”
“And I was taken when I was still a Riolu,” Lucy replied.
Bit came down a short ways before replying. “They were merely being talked about before I was...taken.”
“So no,” Vincent summed up, “None of us know.”
“Oh...” Rika’s ears drooped. “Sorry...” Then she picked herself right back up again. She just had the most brilliant idea. “Seth? SethSethSethSethSeth-”
The Luxray clamped a paw over her mouth. “I already know what you’re going to ask and yes, I’ll send them an invitation and tickets once the Contest is finalised.”
“Yay~” Rika cheered.
“Heh,” Vincent laughed. “The most I can offer in exchange is aid in meeting any number of my ‘contacts’. Though I do seem to be accruing them. Checkmate, Abby, Gene...and of course, we can’t forget Mary, who does the best pizza.”
“Don’t worry, we have the... announcement... all planned out,” Seth grinned. Arceus did say he owed Seth a favour.
~~~
Meanwhile, Fritter and Mocha were cooking away in the kitchen, Mocha was preparing her pasta dishes, while Fritter handled Seth’s and the others.
“So,” Mocha said, “How long until you tell Seth you like him?” Fritter flinched and dropped the knife she was holding.
“H-h-how do you know about that?” she stammered and Mocha giggled.
“Because you just told me silly~” Fritter groaned, she couldn’t believe she fell for that.
“T’aint that simple,” she muttered, washing the knife and continuing the cooking. “Rika likes him too, probably even more than me… how can ah stand in th’ way of that?”
Mocha sighed, staring into her bubbling pot. “Well, that’s for you to work out dear, but putting your happiness aside for someone else? Is that really what you want?”
“Ah… ah don’t know,” Fritter said quietly. “Ah’ve only known him fer a few days… she’s known him fer years, how am ah supposed to compete with that?”
“Perhaps competing isn’t the only solution,” Mocha replied as he served the dishes. “C’mon, let’s get this food out.”
“…Sure,” Fritter said and followed her friend.
Mocha came out with the pasta dishes Vincent and his family had requested, and they all eagerly dug in. “Mmm! Bright side of psychic powers: talking while your mouth is full!”
“True words, well thought,” Gardy replied. Seth tried to reply too, dropping crumbs everywhere.
“Very classy,” Diantha deadpanned.
Fritter just chuckled and dug into her own food, opting to have a pasta dish like Vincent. She hummed happily, letting the savoury flavours fill her mouth and belly.
“Hmm... better than Manehatten’s, but not better than Mary’s. Sorry Mocha, but Mary’s had a few years and a lot of practice with her claws as culinary instruments. A solid second.”
“Well thank you for the praise Vincent,” Mocha smiled. She would need to practise and blow his metaphorical socks off next time. “I may have to visit your friend Mary and see if she’ll impart some tips and tricks.”
Sam swallowed his mouthful before saying a simple word. “Meat.”
Lucy nodded and cleaned her mouth before expounding on it. “Quite a few Pokémon are at the very least omnivores, with even more carnivores. Mary will have a bit of work making her foods pony-friendly. But in that department, take heart, Mocha, for you’ve a lifetime of experience over her.”
“You think I can’t handle meat?” Mocha laughed. “I serve Griffons too, so I’ve made a meal or two that most ponies would lose their lunch over.” Maybe she’d tag along if Seth and Fritter went to Las Pegasus.
“I’ll be back later for one of those dishes,” Seth said, licking his bowl clean. The door rang as another patron walked, or rather, floated in. A lovely-looking Florges. And she also looked pretty pissed off…
Vincent shrugged at the thought. “Just take care in how you ask. From what we gathered, she managed to supplant a griffon chef in his own restaurant by sheer stubbornness. It’s only when she showed off her skills that they started to get along, and afterwards it was very clear that she was the one in charge.” He then turned and looked at the new arrival. “Ah... greetings. Might we inquire as to your name?”
The Florges gave a single look at the Kadabra and decided to ignore him, his presence was irrelevant. The source of her ire sat on the opposite side of the table. “So you’ve been here the whole time?” she said with a haughty tone. “I have searched half of Canterlot for you lot.”
“I left a note,” Seth replied. “And don’t be so rude, introduce yourself to our guests here.”
Titania turned back to Vincent, how was this over-dressed little Kadabra? “Humph, very well. I am Lady Titania, Queen of the Checkmate Guild. You are?”
Bit beeped and turned his disconnected head in her direction. “Bit.”
Sam nodded as he pushed his empty bowl forward. “Sam.”
Lucy shrugged as she wiped the last of the sauce from her mouth. “Lucy.”
And Vincent merely smiled. “Oh well hello there. Perhaps we should be on guard, my family.” At the eye-rolls of the others, Vincent laughed slightly and continued. “My name, dear wayward Queen, is Vincent. Vincent Nurem.”
Selena and Seth sighed, this wasn’t going to end well. “Nurem...?” Titania tapped her chin. “That name strikes a chord...” She pondered for a moment. “Oh! That rather demented human scientist. How is it you know him?”
Seth and his group suddenly backed away from the table. Titania was a dead ‘mon and they were not going to save her.
“Well that’s rather simple,” Vincent said in his too-sweet tone. “I’m only his son.”
Titania paused, she had heard that the Doctor had a son, so he’d survived and made it to Equestria? “Well, how interesting,” she replied. It was interesting, but still irrelevant now. She was certain that a person of Doctor Nurem’s... character, would have never made it to Equestria. She looked over at her friends, “And what’s wrong with all of you?”
“Just wondering how much longer you’ll be a colossal idiot,” Seth replied as-a-matter-of-factly.
“Humph, how rude!” Titania scoffed. And after all she’d done for them too.
“To be fair to him, you are picking at fifteen years’ worth of pain and anger and hate in a Psychic shell,” Vincent pitched in, and that familiar ‘pressure’ around him started to grow again. “Tell me, how well do you know the stories? Cause if you knew them well enough, you’d know what I’ve seen.”
Titania paused, this was one of those moments where she’d made some kind of error wasn’t it? That dapper-looking Kadabra was quite upset. “I’ve heard as much as any other member of my team. And I seem to have struck a nerve, so I think I’ll take my leave.”
“That is the best thing you’ve said today,” Seth called out, now on the other side of the room.
“I’ll make you a deal, little Queen. We both get ourselves under control and act like sane ‘mon for one day, and at the end, I’ll tell you about my time with Weiss and the other members of Checkmate I ran into.” The Kadabra breathed deeply a few times, and the pressure vanished from the room.
Titania paused, she’d recognised Xavier’s training when she saw it, and was thankful for it too. This little Kadabra seemed to possess a great deal of power and she’d only just gottn out of the hospital. And Weiss, he’d met Weiss? “Well,” she coughed. “I appear to have acted rashly and ill-becoming of a Queen. Please accept my heartfelt apologies and let us talk.” She suddenly recalled why she’d come here in the first place and turned to Diantha. “Ah, also, your Tyrantrum is awake and wishes to see you.”
“Tyra’s awake!?” Diantha raised her hand to teleport. “Ah, sorry to duck out like this, but something rather important has come up. It was nice to meet you friends, let’s do it again soon.”
Vincent chuckled and motioned for Seth and his friends to come closer from their places on the other side of the room. “Very well then, let’s talk. Specifically, where’s the Sundial? Or anything else worth seeing while my family and I are here? Weiss mentioned it, and my curiosity has only grown between then and now.”
“Arceus’s crystallized ego?” Seth chuckled, remembering when he summoned that thing. “Yeah, we can take you there... hmm, and other places?”
“There’s the Palace?” Fritter suggested. “Afternoon Court is in an hour or so. Maybe we could take them to meet the Princess?”
“That could work too,” Seth nodded. Vincent thought about the matter, but shook his head.
“We’ve already seen to it that the logs of what happened... there... were passed on to the Regi Trio, and from there, to Arceus and Genesect. That’s the only reason I could see us needing to see any authorities in this land. Though I’ll not say no to a simple tour of the palace, assuming they give those…”
Seth wasn’t sure. That Summit was supposed to start soon, and he noticed a lot more Guards around town than usual on his walk over here. “Maybe, I’ll ask Grissom later. How long will you be in town?”
“Today, at least,” Lucy said. “Longer if necessary, but we’ve a home back at Las Pegasus we’d like to get back to sooner rather than later. Think of us as tourists, if it helps.”
“Honestly, I haven’t seen much of the town myself, despite waking up here.” Seth laughed dryly.
“The museum is closed due to... problems. Same for the Airship yards.” Grissom had said that cleanup would take a while for those locations, but Mewtwo said that there might have been a faster way.
“Well there’s the theatre district,” Rika suggested. “Or Artists Alley, you get to see a lot of street performers, painters, musicians, that sort of thing. It’s also the place a musical number is most likely to take place.”
The family of Pokémon blinked a few times at that before sharing a glance. “Riiiiiight,” Vincent drew out. “Well, just keep the location of any libraries away from Bit. He tends to...not literally, consume information, and then we end up with him quoting books for the rest of the day.”
“Libraries?” Fritter said, tilting her head “Y’all mean like the Canterlot Royal Archives? It’s the biggest library in Equestria.”
Bit’s head was suddenly very close to Fritter, and after a moment, the rest of his body followed. “Please enlighten this unit as to the location of the Canterlot Royal Archives.”
“I warned you,” Vincent said.
“R-right...” Fritter said, slightly unnerved. The little floating duck was a bit creepy. “It’s right next to the castle... can’t miss it.”
And with that, Bit was gone, almost as though he knew Teleport. Lucy and Sam sighed, but Lucy spoke up faster. “Not it.”
“Oh come on! I dragged him out of Ponyville’s library!” The Scizor waved his claws around in agitation.
“Yeah, and now you can track him down and drag him out of this one too.” Lucy was ever so slightly smug.
Sam grumbled and stalked off out the door, muttering under his breath, but giving a wink to the Lucario as he passed her.
Rika looked at the two, were they...? No, they’d said they were family... but still, her shipping senses were tingling. “So um, are you and Sam...?” Couldn’t hurt to ask, right?
Lucy gagged and shook her head violently. “No! We’re not like that. Arceus’ sake, he’s like an older brother to me and Vincent!”
“Oh! My mistake,” Rika giggled. But there was something there, if not Sam then maybe... She looked at the Kadabra and then realised all those subtle glances that the Lucario had been giving him. “I see...”
Lucy looked over to Vincent, who was apparently engaged in negotiation with Titania at the moment, before leaning in a bit towards Rika. “Yes, but he’s thicker than lead. Which is why I’m looking forward to the Sundial. I’m thinking there...I might be able to talk about it with him.”
Rika nodded, placing a sympathetic ribbon over Lucy’s shoulder. “I know your pain,” she muttered, looking at Seth chatting with Fritter. “At least you don’t have competition.” She suddenly perked up as she remembered a particular fact about the Dial. “Sunset! We have to go to the Dial at sunset!!”
Vincent turned to the talking duo at that, his eyebrows perked. “Well, that’s one plan made: the Sundial at sunset. Seems... fitting, I suppose. Anything else?”
Plans had to be made. True love was at stake here! Rika laughed, a laugh that was borderline maniacal. “Alright, so the Sundial is set, but we need something...” She thought for a moment before Mocha offered a suggestion.
“What about visiting Canterlot Falls? They can be quite the sight this time of year.”
“Sounds inviting,” Lucy said with a nod. “How about a museum and a dinner restaurant, to round out our trip?”
“Like I said, the museum is closed unfortunately.” Seth replied. “But if you don’t mind a few broken windows, I might be able to get you in.” Luckily the damages to actual artefacts were kept to a minimum. But most of the stained glass windows were completely destroyed.
Vincent shot Seth a deadpan look before replying. “I’ve already been on the wrong side of the law in Equestria, I’ve no desire to repeat the experience. We’ll skip the museum. Music, then. Perhaps directions to the theatre district?”
Seth gave him a confused look before he realised what he’d implied. “What! Oh, no! I didn’t mean like that. I know a few of the Royal Guard, and I could probably ask them if we could look around. But a busted up museum isn’t fun, so music is a good idea.”
“Pity,” Lucy mused. “We come to town right after…” Her eyes widened as she made the connection between Seth’s injuries and the museum’s state. “Oh. Is...that what happened?”
“Yeah...” Seth sighed, figuring this would come up at some point. “Some Unicorn got it in his head that it was a good idea to brainwash Pokémon and get them to steal for him... confronting him was...less than pleasant.”
Selena hung her head, “Son of a Beedrill used me to attack my friends...” She still felt bad about it, but Seth was having none of it.
“Yup, shouldn’t have trained you so well,” Seth chuckled and pulled Selena into another hug. “And we didn’t think he had magic like that either. He controlled the brain’s electrical signals to the muscles, rather than the mind. ‘Marionette Magic’ he called it.”
While Lucy growled in the back of her throat at the thought, Vincent’s reaction was more profound for a simple reason:
He’d lived under such a madman and seen what he did to his less than useful ‘tools’. The thought of that, coupled with someone being forced to attack their friends and the memory of Xavier doing something similar to Sam triggered a slight surge in his psychic strength. Briefly, until the Kadabra got his self under control again, there was the incredible sensation of even the air having far more weight to it than usual. Of power hanging in the air.
“Too bad we didn’t have a powerhouse like you two nights ago,” Seth replied tersely, feeling the pressure come off of him. He needed to calm this kid down, before someone got hurt. “Well, we had Mewtwo... but if he’d gotten involved, then I doubt there’d be much of Canterlot left.”
“My apologies,” Vincent said. “My emotions and my memories, when coupled with my new powers...are not always the best combination. What you just said triggered...something from our past. Control comes faster these days, but there will still be surges.” He shook his head a few times and smiled. “Anyways. Plans?”
“Of course,” Seth said. “So Canterlot Falls, then the Sundial. Followed by a nice dinner and a night at the theatre... sound good?”
Lucy looked to Rika with a raised brow, seeking advice on the matter. The Sylveon nodded, that sounded quite romantic actually. The Lucario nodded in turn before voicing her agreement. “It sounds agreeable to me,” she stated.
“So it’s a date.” Seth smiled, missing the small squeak from Rika and Fritter turning her head, a small blush gracing her cheeks. “But should we wait for Mr. Sam and Bit?”
“If we do, we’ll be waiting all day. Nothing gets between him and more knowledge except operating hours. He even traded for information with the Regis while I was seeing Arceus and Xerneas.” Vincent sighed at the Porygon-Z’s antics. “I think he misses being a part of the mainframe…”
“Well I suppose you could tell our plans via telepathy anyhow,” Seth said. “Well then, let’s get underway shall we?” He moved to the front door, holding it open for the girls. “Ladies first.”
Lucy nodded at the others, letting them go first, though she quickly caught up to Rika once they were all out.
“Why do men do that? Do you know?” Vincent mused. “I’m aware it’s a custom, but not of the reason behind it…”
“To be honest, I don’t really know myself,” Seth chuckled. “I was taught to be polite by my adoptive mother, and it just stuck I suppose. Maybe Bit could tell you? I wouldn’t be surprised if he’d picked up trivia like that.” Maybe he should ask somepony at some point?
“He did get into an ‘information-off’ with Xavier in Manehatten,” the Kadabra mused. “Plus there was Ponyville’s library.”
“How awesome was that place!?” Seth grinned ear to ear. “I mean, a library inside a tree? Irony at its finest!”
“My brother has a love of strange and unusual architecture,” Ignis explained.
“Ah. Two words, then,” the Kadabra said while smirking. “Sugarcube. Corner.”
“Utterly brilliant!” Seth laughed. “Ponyville was delightfully quirky.”
Meanwhile, Lucy and Rika were exchanging tips, tidbits, and most important of all, tricks that the Lucario would need to know.
“So please enlighten me how we’re going to get it through Vincent’s head what I see him as,” she groused as the enormity of the task settled back in her head.
“You could just do what I did,” Selena said. “Seeing as how I actually have a mate and Rika here... does not.”
“Hey!” Rika pouted, but it was true. “All you did was pin Ignis to the ground and kiss him!”
“It worked didn’t it?” Selena argued.
“At this point,” Lucy sighed, “I’m not sure there’s a lot else that’ll get through that...thick stubborn head of his! He said Hastings could teach mountains about not moving due to his stubborness. Vincent could teach anyone to be invisible by just not noticing them!”
“Yeesh, is he really that bad?” Rika looked at the Kadabra. “Now even I’m thinking you should just grab him by the moustache and kiss him... but that’ll probably just confuse and even scare him off. It worked on Ignis cause he’s an idiot.” The Sylveon thought for a moment, Vincent didn’t seem to be able to read a mood that wasn’t hostile. Maybe they should enlist Seth’s help as well?
“Well, okay. We’ll use the Falls as an experiment, see if Vinny’s good at picking up on subtle romance or at least the mood. If that fails, we may need to resort to more drastic measures.”
She gave Lucy a firm look, “But I swear by the time the night ends, that Kadabra will be all yours~”
Lucy blushed, but held up a paw. “Answer me one question. Are the falls known to be relaxing? Soothing, even?”
“I... have no idea,” Rika confessed. “Hey Fritter? What are the Falls like?” she called out.
Apple Fritter paused at the sudden question. “Um, Ah know that some Unicorns use it fer meditation, and that a lot of painters will sit there fer hours just staring at em.”
Lucy nodded at the meditation line and turned back to Rika. “Five bits says he’ll use this as a chance to take a nap.”
“Seriously?” Rika sighed. This was gonna be one of those days wasn’t it?
“I know Vincent,” Lucy replied. “And while he likes to blame that whole ‘being fused with Abra DNA for most of my life’ for it, I think he’s just lazy. So if you’re gonna try anything, you’ll have to keep him from napping first and foremost. I’ve tried, it doesn’t work.”
So he liked to nap, when a beautiful Lucario was right there? What was wrong with this guy? “Well, with Ignis around, being quiet is all but impossible... but then he’d probably nap too.” Rika growled slightly. “Okay, so we need to liven things up... let’s see what’s there when we get there. Maybe there’s something I can work with.”
Seth looked at the girls chatting away ahead of them. “What do you suppose they’re planning?” he asked aloud.
“I don’t ask,” Vincent replied. “If I can’t hear it with my ears, then when it comes to my family, I don’t pry. I keep links active with them, yes. But I don’t pry into their minds. It’s not my place.”
“Well, I can respect that,” Seth nodded. “But when Rika gets involved... just, be on your guard.”
The Kadabra looked at the Luxray before slowly extending one hand. “Hello, perhaps I didn’t introduce myself. I’m Vincent fucking Nurem, on guard is my default state thanks to what I’ve been through!”
“Okay, okay,” Seth chuckled wryly. Yeah, this kid could not take a joke… Perhaps Rika was just making friends? Yeah... right.
So Ignis, if I understood Seth correctly, you beat up Moltres?
“Hell yeah I did!” Ignis thumped his chest. “Though I did a lot of training beforehand. Fought against a flirty Noivern and a hard-headed Blastoise. Had a lot of smaller, less intense battles too, but the one against Moltres was intense.” He chuckled at the memory, “Shaymin and Celebi sure as hell didn’t appreciate the area of forest we turned to ash though.”
“I see,” Vincent mused. “What can you tell me about the Legendries you’ve met? They were treated as just that at the facility: Legends, nothing more. So my knowledge about them is somewhat…lacking.”
“Well, Moltres was pretty gracious about her loss, and it sure as hell didn’t stop Reshiram from utterly curb stomping me.” He winced at the beat down he got from her. “Meloetta healed me up after the fight and I stayed for a bit, but honestly, I didn’t talk to that many of them.”
“Ignis only tends to remember Pokémon that give him a good fight,” Seth said.
“Heh, with his personality, I can understand that.” The Kadabra looked to the sky and sighed wistfully. “Whereas I...do you know what Alakazams are famed for?”
“IQ greater than a supercomputer and they never ever forget, thanks to continuously multiplying brain cells,” Seth replied, quoting the Pokédex. “Am I right?”
“Close”, Vincent replied. “The line I recall reading said they can remember everything that happened to them from the time they hatched as an Abra.”
“Well, you weren’t born an Abra right, maybe it won’t be the same?” Honestly, remembering everything would suck. “But look on the bright side, if you ever got married, you’d never forget an anniversary.”
“...That would require someone to want this broken little psychic-type…” Vincent quietly said. “I don’t think the demand is high for those that ought to be seeing a psychiatrist.”
“There’s always someone... just gotta keep your eyes and ears open,” Seth replied, earning a laugh from Ignis. “What?”
“Nothing, just thinking you should practice what you preach sometime,” he laughed loudly.
Vincent perked a bit at that. “Wait...what? Someone is interested in both of us?”
“Like my brother said, there’s always someone.” Ignis replied. “Sometimes they’ll be strangers at first, or they could be ones that have been beside you all this time. It’s all a matter of perspective and just going for it. You may not find ‘the one’ right off the bat, but life is nothing if a harsh teacher. Learn and grow, and eventually...” Ignis trailed off as he gazed at Selena.
“That... was pretty deep,” Seth said, amazed.
“Hidden depths lie to everyone, it would seem. And as to the words themselves...I’ll keep them nearby should such a matter arise. I doubt it, though. I really do.”
“Like I said,” Ignis smiled, poking Vincent on the forehead. “Keep your eyes, ears... and your mind open.” He turned to his brother and frowned, “And that goes double to you. Just how long are you going to drag your feet? You have some beautiful girls that adore you, you know.”
Seth just sighed. “I... I know, I just... I don’t know what to do. I don’t want to hurt them.”
“Deciding to do nothing isn’t a decision,” Ignis said.
“Actually,” Vincent chipped in. “It is. The worst decision. The decision to do nothing is the equivalent of saying ‘Oh I hope this blows over without me doing anything, because I’m scared that if I do anything, I’ll only make it worse.’ It’s the cowards’ decision. And you don’t strike me as a coward, Mister Seth.”
Well, that was something. “I guess I have some things to think about then.” Seth replied with a soft smile. This kid was abit different to anyone he had met before, but perhaps…?
“I’m glad to have met you Vincent. I think you and I will be good friends.”
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5282088 Oh. Well I read that whole thing wrong then...
Yep, went back and read that part. Yeah... sorry was somewhat drunk when I read that part. Not really drunk, but high on my medicine. I am sick at the moment so, yeah...
I'll be honest, I don't like the character Vincent. I know he is from a different author and his backstory is tragic and blah blah blah, but he is also an ass to everyone he meets. For example Titania walked in and acted completely normally. VIncent introduced himself and she basically went 'Oh, ok" and he flipped his shit. The fact that she didn't immediately go "O WHAT A MONSTER" when Nurem was mentioned was somehow seen as her being a huge bitch. Also when Selene was mad that another dragon tried to mark her mate Vincent threatened to attack her because she was reasonably and legitimately angered by someone Vincent met once. As if him caring about someone invalidates them ever doing wrong.
When the story with Vincent crossed over with Abby and Kasai he was also the cause of all of the problems in that story too. I get that he has been through some horrible shit, but that doesn't mean that everyone else is obligated to take his anger and abuses. I'm really hoping there is a scene were Vincent meets Mewtwo and is told to stop being such a bitch, that he isn't the only person to ever suffer and he doesn't have the right to lash out at others because of his pain.
5282704
Wasn't that Xavier's point when Thadius's characters met up with Checkmate? All the members of Checkmate have experienced quite a lot more than Vincent has.
And I'm fairly certain that Titania's tone is meant to sound condescending, from what I see in the text. Especially considering that her first concern was to talk straight to "the source of her ire", even after looking straight at the newcomers. I doubt that wouldn't tick off Vincent at least a little.
5282740
I don't read the story about Vincent so this chapter is the first time I've heard about the meeting with Checkmate. If that was the point of Vincent meeting them it seems to be sailing high over his head, because he is still acting just like when he met Luke as an abra back when he first came into the pony world.
It seems like almost every character in the New Worldverse has been through as bad if not worse than Vincent and he is the only one constantly lashing out at everyone else. It makes what should be a tragic and sympathetic character into a petulant child, which I guess he kinda is.
I guess you could argue that you aren't supposed to "like" him just root for him to someday have a good life, but I find myself not wanting to reading about a character I don't like, if not actively dislike.
5282776 Hmm… reading the chapter over, that wasn't Xavier's point. However, Vincent also did end up having to tell his story to some kids, and he started to get angry whilst doing so. Naturally, Weiss basically told him to can it and talk to the children calmly, because they couldn't understand it. Char also told him his reason for drinking, which did get a sorta thought-out response from Vincent (as well as a bit of respect for the Red Comet).
So I misinterpreted a bit, I apologize. The message in general may have seemed that way to me, but it may have flew over Vincent's head for all I know. Then again, Xavier had a special training session with Vincent, building on Luke's teachings, so that he could have even more control. Despite the huge amount of time spent with Xavier, he still lost his cool for a moment in this chapter, so I do see your point a bit in that example. But then again, they did mention that all his training there was all knowledge, not actually using it and stuff… UGH.
Though, to explain his behavior, my thoughts were that it would have made even less sense for him to act rationally rather often.
His entire life has been centered around his being a lab rat, so this is literally his first time out of the lab, where he can actually experience his surroundings. His father obviously gave him some relevant knowledge, but that's hardly anything. As he has little experience in the outside world, he should act like a child to some degree. He can eventually come to understand a situation or may even be able to react to a situation with a level head (such as his reaction when Luke revealed himself as Abby's Pokemon), but I find it silly to believe he would be able to keep himself in check 24/7.
Even then, now that I'm thinking about the training session with Xavier, I'm curious as to how much that should change his character. As stated in the Checkmate crossover chapters, time in the mind is much slower than in the real world, so spending years in training with Xavier should have done something, I think. I don't think he would just talk about psychic training stuff all the time… I mean, maybe. He's "Professor" Xavier the Metagross, I probably shouldn't put it past him.
Did you get any of that, because I honestly don't think I did. Crikey…
(WALL OF TEXT WAI)
Was I summoned?
5283408 5282776
Ah yes. Yes I was. Mkay!
The changes are going to be noticeable over time. For now, Vincent has a good chunk of time with Xavier sealed away in his mind. As he begins to assimilate the teachings and power, essentially 'growing' into it, he'll start to act far more grown-up. There will come a time when the seal dissolves entire, and what that does happen...
Hoo boy.
5283561 Thank you, that clears things up! Definitely, considering that I'm apparently feeling quite tired right now.
But that does shed a bit of light on the situation…
HOHOHOHO BOI
5283408
5283561
Thanks for clearing all that up! I really appreciate it given that I had read nothing of Vincent except his crossovers with Abby and now this. That said I still don't like Vincent, as an individual I mean, I think he is realistic and well written but I simply don't like that kind of character. I also still find it odd how everyone sided with him and called Titania rude when she did literally nothing wrong. "Oh hi, you've been through some shit? Ok." was the extent of what she expressed to him and everyone reacted like she was insulting him or rubbing salt in his wounds. I don't like the idea that others are obligated to walk on eggshells around him or excuse his poor behavior like THREATENING VIOLENCE against Selene. I wouldn't mind it so much if at least someone in this chapter was like "chill out Vincent" but nope.
5284203
Devil's advocate.
Would you attempt to calm him down or tell him to sit down and shut up? A Kadabra is not a thing to take lightly. It'll be a while before he gets over the past. And things like that...
They leave scars that never fade. Not truly. Especially with what looms for little Vincent. Should he ever really, fully remember everything that happened to him...
5284293
If I had to deal with him I would try to calm him down then immediately go get Mewtwo, Celestia, Luna, or even Arceus himself to deal with the mentally unstable psychic powerhouse. He freaks out and threatens to use violence in literally every situation I've read of him so far and is clearly unfit to just be wandering around. He needs therapy and to be under close watch so he doesn't hurt someone innocent because they said something he didn't like. But chances are the magic of family, who are all also seriously fucked mentally, and plot contrivance will cure him of all his trauma in a short amount of time and no one important will be hurt.
5284373
Yeah, I agree, Vincent is fucked in the head. He's seen and heard things I would not wish on my worst enemy. But good luck 'fixing' him. Like I said, the trauma will last forever. But hey, so long as the family remains unbroken, they'll lean on one another for support!
So long as Vincent's family remains whole, then the Kadabra is just another kid!
So long as everything he holds dear in this new world is not threatened, then his powers will not react to his emotions!
...
P.S.: I am never that nice to my characters.
5284379
I understand what you are saying but it boils down to if everything goes perfectly it will all be fine, but if things go bad Vincent with freak the fuck out and hurt someone, likely someone who doesn't deserve to be hurt like Abby and Kasai. Vincent is a realistic and well written character, that needs to be committed to a mental asylum where he can get the therapy he needs and no innocent will be hurt. The fact that he hates rangers who are unequivocally good guys because they didn't save him regardless of everyone else they helped throughout the entire world goes to show that he isn't mentally fit to be control the kind of power he has.
He would never accept being committed because of his psychological trauma, and it is that trauma that is exactly why he needs to be committed. He is a tragic character on a path of doom and what he wants and what he needs are directly at odds with each other. As such I just don't want to hear how his tale unfolds, because either everything goes as expected and is a disaster or the magic of friendship happens and everything is fine. Either way I can't really get invested.
I'm sure the both of you put in a lot of effort on this three part crossover, of a crossover... But the fact that Vincent is central to the arc makes me feel meh about it. I just don't find characters struggling with traumatic pasts interesting. Probably because the objectively right way to deal with a traumatic past is years of therapy and a safe and stable home, which is really boring, so stories always go wild and involve the main character doing stupid shit, because they are literally crazy, and then learning a lesson that often comes at too high of a cost.
5284405
Mhmm. Vincent needs help, therapy, hell, to be committed for a bit. But he won't allow that to happen to himself, because it would remind him far too much of what he's already been through.
However, as time goes on, and that Seal of his in his mind starts to wear thin, a part of the things that he went over with Xavier, such as him actually working past his fucking issues, will also come through. He won't be perfect by any means, but his default reaction to things threatening him or his family won't be 'blast it.'
Heck, he might even forgo anger as a thing entirely. I wouldn't be surprised.
5284416
I haven't read Vincent's story and as such have no clue what you are referring to, but hopefully things work out for him before he really hurts someone and the guards have to get involved... again.
5284426
5284416 - Well, you guys stay tuned for the next part, lots of feels are inbound, nice feels though. Seth will pay a visit to Las Pegasus at some point, and his attitude will be a little different, his responsibilities have increased and he'll bring a whole world of trouble along for the ride. Ace will play a nice part and if Vincent's attitude hasn't changed much, then Seth might not be as tolerant. But he's Vincent's friend and he'll do what he can to help.
5284203 I do have to agree with you a bit, though. I am interested in Vincent's character and want to see where his adventure is headed, but I still don't really like him. He seems to be a character whom is meant to be observed through his trials and tribulations, and we end up appreciating the character in the end. Even if his trials are not as drastic as one might expect from the phrase "trials and tribulations".
5284530 We readers should have more big discussions in the comment sections of stories, if you're going to keep giving us your plans.
Then we'll be able to rule the world! HAHAHAHAHAHAAAA!
i.minus.com/i8NfJSFwFPTaJ.gif
So many crossover's. Isn't it sweet? This whole endeavor started out as a little story called "A New World, A New Way", and now there's an entire community who have joined their minds together to mold it all into this fantastic little universe. It's almost like magic. Remember everyone, Friendship Is Magic.
Are you gonna expand on what happened at Gene and Belle's wedding in this story? It'd be good to see what Seth and Co. got up to at that.
5304567 - Yup, I plan on that as well as a scene at the Gala the day after. Look forward to it~
I still think that is the most adorable thing.
Now I want a fan-art of it.
Probably some of the best advice that I've ever heard.
I stopped reading here because I'm not old enough to read A New Mind. What important stuff happens during the crossover?
Wait, was this mentioned before? (Also, greengrocer’s apostrophes.)
All of these crossovers make me miss the old days of the Newverse. I discovered it in late 2015, shortly before it began to die down. Since last summer, I’ve been re-reading these stories, seeing all these crossovers, the interconnected world everyone created... and feeling sad that I never got to participate in it.
Ah, such well dressed individuals, welcome
Oh really?