PokeVenture Round 3 - Part II

The swirling sound of Unown followed the three for quite some time, but soon drifted further and further away. Storm had quickly taken point, constantly alert for some form of danger. Guardna and Alabaster had remained further behind, at first quiet, but as the Unown grew further distant, they began to speak once more.

So, what do you remember from your life before being captured? Guardna asked. Alabaster thought for a moment, letting his mind wander back.

It was… social. There were many of us, and we were all very… excited? Energetic? The bigger of us protected the smaller, from the stonemen and the screechers. That's what we called them. Every now and then, a human would wander in, and we would hide, because the bigger of us said they were bad. But, I was never afraid of them. Alabaster said.

Not at all? Guardna asked.

No. I could hear them, and some were happy, some were scared. There were some that were nasty, and only wanted to hurt others, but most just seemed to like to travel. Master was… different. He was actually… indifferent. He did not care about me, until his friend told him that I could be useful. Then he captured me, and I didn't resist. Alabaster continued to struggle to remember things.

So, you wanted to be caught? Guardna asked, somewhat confused.

No, not exactly. I just… wanted something new, I think. I was bored, and I didn't feel like I was like the others. So, I left, and Elderberry seemed a good choice. Or, better than some, at least. Alabaster replied.

I think I see. Guardna said. You were still young when you were caught, and you never were taught how to speak to others naturally because you felt like an outsider. Well, just remember, it's not too hard to speak. It is like thinking, but at someone.

Well, I'm thinking at you, and you're understanding me, so it's like this, correct? Alabaster queried.

Kind of. Guardna struggled with the words for a second. You have to understand, you and I are different. We're naturally attuned to the thoughts of the mind. We can simply pick up on others thoughts, just by being near them. If they actively conceal them, perhaps not, but overall, few are not open to our minds. When you think around me, I can hear it, similarly as to how one human can hear another if they speak out loud, even if they do not mean to be talking to anyone in particular.

Speaking at someone in particular is different. A human won't pick up on your thoughts naturally, so you have to put them there. You can listen to their thoughts because humans only rarely conceal their thoughts, but humans will not hear your thoughts unless they are open to them, so you need to get past their barriers and make them hear the thoughts. Guardna stopped, frowning at Alabaster. I'm not explaining this very well.

I think I understand. Alabaster said. It's like humans are in another room, so I need to shout at them.

Well, it's more like humans are hard of hearing, and you need to shout at them. And, because they're hard of hearing, they're always shouting, because they think that others can't hear them, even if they just talk to themselves. Does that make sense? Guardna asked.

Yes. Alabaster said. It does.

If you can figure out how to talk to humans, then it is only a matter of learning how to communicate to them more on their level. Guardna said, nodding.

What? Alabaster was very confused.

Uh, okay, let me try to explain. Again. Guardna stayed silent for a moment before continuing. We are both used to hearing other people think, so we can talk to each other fairly easily. But, talking to someone who is normally only used to physically speaking doesn't necessarily understand thoughts in the same way. Thoughts are like words, but with mixes of emotions and pictures and smells and sounds. To a person, that can be overwhelming, unless they are used to it. So, to think at a non-psychic person, you need to focus on thinking only in words, or else they might get confused.

This sounds… complicated. Alabaster said, rubbing his head.

It isn't the easiest of things to understand, no, but it's not too bad once you become used to it. The really hard part is understanding that most pokémon are not intelligent enough to understand language completely. To talk to non-psychic pokémon, you need to think mostly in emotions and images. Otherwise they won't understand. Guardna said.

Suddenly, Storm stopped and growled, staring ahead. Guardna and Alabaster, who had both stopped paying much attention to their actual surroundings early in their conversation, stopped as well, staring into the darkness. Ahead, lights bobbed in the distance, but most were not red at all. Instead, they were bright oranges, deep greens, light blues and somber violets. Alabaster watched them intently, but Guardna stirred.

Is it… s-should we go back? she asked, quietly. Storm turned to her, then back to the lights, but Alabaster once again placed his hand on her.

Behind us is only a maze. Let's go forward but be… careful. he said. Guardna nodded, and Alabaster started walking, Storm drifting towards the back to walk besides Guardna, who continued to glance about confusedly.

When they finally made their way close to the lights, Alabaster began to understand what stood around him. Large slabs of stone, each embedded with massive crystalline structures, stood throughout the domed room. The bobbing lights turned out to be slowly rotating gems, catching the light of the glowing crystals, but even some of the gems seemed to be making their own light.

Alabaster didn't let the strange objects in the room distract him too much. Instead, he continued to scan the room, wary of any possible threats. While none seemed to present themselves immediately, he wasn't so sure that they would all be out in the open anyway.

What… what is all of this? Guardna asked, staring at the room with amazement. Storm walked in, but remained cautious, his hair still on end, his body taut and ready to pounce. Alabaster moved closer to the other two.

I'm not… sure. It's strange. It reminds me of Elderberry's laboratory, but… it is very different. Alabaster said. Guardna nodded, though Alabaster wondered if it was some kind of autonomic response, because she seemed much more interested in her surroundings than anything Alabaster was saying. She moved throughout the slabs, exploring and watching the crystals bob. Storm followed her, growling softly every so often.

Alabaster remained further apart. He watched the lights and wondered what they could be, but he couldn't place their possible purpose. It just seemed so… odd. Suddenly, a blast of light erupted from further inside the dome, where Storm and Guardna had gone. Seeing the light, Alabaster hurried towards it.

Aggressive presence noted. A voice echoed in Alabaster's head as he neared the scene. Storm was standing, posed to strike, in front of Guardna, as an Unown floated in the air. This one, however, was not surrounded in red at all, but in a bright blue. It's tall, phallic body bobbed, but it did not seem too dangerous. Rather, it seemed curious.

Analyzing. The voice echoed again. Complete. Aggressive presence identified as median creature 340285. Nature: energy. Danger assessment: high. Recommended action: incapacitate. Proceeding according to recommendation. As the Unown floated higher into the air, it began to glow a golden yellow. Storm's ears suddenly perked up, and it growled again.

Then, they were upon them. Dozens of Unown, each of them glowing red, and each of them focused intently upon Storm. Storm dove forward as soon as he recognized the threat, and he barely escaped the sudden barrage of stones which struck area he had just stood in. He roared loudly, and a bright flash erupted from his body, blinding everyone, including Alabaster.

Though blinded, the area around him sounded like a battlefield. Storm was growling, Guardna yelling, though if it was in fear or pain Alabaster wasn't sure. Besides that, the cacophony of stone striking stone filled the air, and Alabaster felt pebbles bouncing off the ground near him more than once. When his vision finally reappeared, he found himself standing near Guardna, who was cowering somewhat, and the single Unown, once again shrouded in blue, this time focused on Guardna.

Visible assessment complete. Unique origin detected. Full time analysis initiated. Power readied for trans-dimensional movement. Coordinates locked. Alabaster didn't wait for the Unown to finish. He jumped in front of Guardna and threw up the most powerful mental blockade he could, but it wasn't enough. The energy which suddenly surrounded him quickly ate away at his barrier, and then he was gone, consumed by a flash of green light. He thought he heard Guardna call out to him for a moment, but then everything was dark. Dark and cold and silent.

*****

For a moment, Alabaster thought he had died. Then, however, his eyes began to notice shapes. They were hard to see, indistinct, but present. Alabaster tried to pick out obvious shapes, but none seemed to appear. Then, abruptly, a bright green flash erupted in the air, and Alabaster found himself facing the blue-shrouded Unown.

Error. Trans-dimensional shift course altered. Shifted creature: unknown. Analysis commencing.

Who are you? Alabaster asked, not waiting for the creature to complete its analysis. The Unown stayed silent, so Alabaster concentrated, bringing up a mental shield.

Analysis interrupted. Macro-psychic profile detected. Parameters altered. Communication module initiated. The Unown said. Suddenly, its blue aura shifted to a pink one, and the Unown closed in on Alabaster.

Greetings, the Unown said, in an oddly detached voice, I am Watcher 683. I have been on duty for the past-- the Unown's voice made a garbled groaning --years, and have become the most senior member of this facility. To whom am I speaking?

Alabaster watched the Unown, confused, but then he tried to speak to it, using the advice Guardna had given him. My name is… Alabaster. I was trapped in here, with my mas-- But, before he could finish, the Unown began to glow red.

Aggressive psychic presence recognized. Defense measures in place. Initializing. Alabaster felt the sudden crushing weight of massive psychic waves, not the most powerful he had ever experienced, but still far greater than he had expected. As soon as the psychic pressure let off for a moment, Alabaster erected his mental bastion once more, hoping for a moment's breath. But, as he felt his shield flare, he watched the Unown shudder in midair, its aura shifting rapidly through several different color spectrums. After a moment of shuddering, it dropped to the ground with a dull thud.

For a moment, Alabaster simply waited, expecting the Unown to leap into the air again, but it did not. When he finally thought it might have been destroyed somehow, he moved closer to it, and he discovered that it was still shuddering slightly. The colors around it were still present, but much reduced, and so Alabaster was wondering what exactly it was doing. At which point it did leap back up into the air.

Greetings. The same voice echoed into Alabaster's head. I am Watcher 683. The Unown almost looked like its eye widened inexplicably for a moment, but Alabaster couldn't be sure he hadn't imagined it.

Macro-psychic presence identified. Protector unit –serial number redacted– detected. Transferring senior position status to Protector unit –serial number redacted–. The Unown glowed a deep red for a moment, and then became a calm violet. Greetings, Senior Member. I am Watcher 683. How may I assist you?

Alabaster just stared, too confused to even begin forming sentences.