wintercrazed | Cursed

[Stan's Trevenant shakes it's head. It opens it's mouth to speak in inhuman groans and hisses. Dipper can strangely decipher it as a young woman's voice.]

['Fraid not, little guy..]

[Stan looks between the two of them, frowning. It's just moans to him, but at least Dipper isn't alone. He gestures for the Trevenant to follow him as he turns for the door.]

C'mon, Cadaver.. The rest of you stay n' watch the lab.

[As they step outside, Stan releases Beheeyem from it's pokeball while Xatu tags along silently behind them.]

[Dipper is actually quite surprised by the voice he hears coming from the Trevenant. Ever since he first saw it he'd imagined some sort of gruff voice of some kind...but not so, obviously.

As they head out, Dipper sticks close to Stan, feeling a lot safer higher up than on the ground, where everything is so much larger now than it once was. By now it's pitch black outside with the darkness being cut by an unusually bright, full moon. It only serves to make the forest in the distance seem even more ominous.

Dipper looks up at Cadaver, moaning so quietly that it seems like a whisper.

I...I-....it's.....pretty far in. A few miles, I guess. I-I don't know.]

[The Beheeyem, Hotshot, suddenly darts in front of Dipper's wooden face. The gems in his hands light up as he telepathically speaks a mile a minute.

'I can lead us to it! Just let me give you a quick read!']

[Trevenant grimaces. 'Geez, give the kid some space..']

[Hotshot shrugs. 'Right right, sorry! But it WOULD help us find our way back to his team!']

[Stan cups a hand protectively around Dipper, glaring back at his pokemon.]

You fellas better not be givin' him a hard time..

[They enter the treeline, and Beeheyem's glowing gems and eyes flare brightly enough to light the area around them, and the path leading inward.]

[The little Phantump can do nothing but hover there and watch as Hotshot suddenly appears in front of him, speaking so fast that he can barely register what he's saying. When he moves away Dipper shakes his head slowly in response to what Stan says. It's more comforting to be able to be understood by someone, at least. He'd be lying though if he said suddenly being able to understand Stan's pokemon wasn't a bizarre experience.
...Beyond being a pokemon now himself, of course.

He's also grateful that Hotshot can find his team without any further input from him. He really can't exactly remember where they might be, other than in the deepest part of the forest somewhere. Not only that, but as soon as he woke up he fled the area out of instinct before he truly understood what had happened to him, so finding the location on his own would be impossible even if he wanted to.

A sigh escapes him that passes through the holes in the wood of his face, making an ominous whine as they continue making their way through the forest. All throughout the trees eyes of nocturnal pokemon watch them as they pass, and some of the trees aren't exactly trees to begin with..]

[Dipper might feel a slight tingle inside of his wooden head as Hotshot telepathically examines some information. Just flashes of what little he remembers before the change.. There's not much, but it's enough to work with. He floats to the front of the group and points his gems forward like duel flashlights.

Trevenant growls at the surrounding pokemon, watching some of the skittish ones scatter off. The other trees simply watch them pass.
'Stan should've known better than to let you go out at night..']

[The Xatu stares up at them with a cold, unblinking eye. It's voice is neither feminine or masculine, but it sounds like a young adult. 'He does know better! We should've followed..']

[Dipper winces, glancing off to the side. 'I....it's not his fault. I had my pokemon with me but....something bad happened. I just....don't remember what it was.'

The Hoothoot that were watching on the lower branches quickly fly up to higher ones, quickly followed by a few skittish Noibat. The deeper they go in the forest, though, the less pokemon there seem to be and the more densely the trees seem to be packed together. Somewhere in the distance a stream can be heard softly bubbling.

Dipper slowly looks around as they keep going, starting to feel his unease rise the further they go. It's not that he's afraid of the forest. No, now that he's a Phantump the area is surprisingly calming to him, somehow.
He's afraid of what they might stumble onto sooner or later.]

[The Xatu watches him carefully and lowers it's head. Cadaver scuttles a little closer to the group, moving the thick branches out of their way with her claws. 'Well, sorry it happened to you. It.. takes some getting used to. At least you were able to find your way back to your family.'

Hotshot freezes in midair, turning in place before heading another direction. There's definitely the psychic remnants of something bad going down. After a few more moments of walking in tense silence, he holds up his arm to stop them.]

Found something?

[He nods yes, but points at Dipper and then at Cadaver and Xatu. His tone isn't quite so lively.
'You might wanna hang back here with them.']

[When Hotshot says that, Dipper feels a chill run through his otherwise nonexistent body. He doesn't particularly want to move away from Stan, but by no means does he think continuing on with the rest would be at all a good idea. He nods slightly and quickly moves over to Cadaver and Xatu, situating himself beneath one of Xatu's wings. All the while he stares nervously into the cluster of trees, his red eyes wide and unblinking.

Suddenly, he's beginning to feel rather sick. He knows what must be up ahead.]

[Stan is looking pretty hollow at the prospect of continuing, but he trudges forward, following Hotshot's guide with stiff, heavy steps. They take the brightest light source with them, leaving the three pokemon to adjust to the darkness.

The forest around them begins to define itself more clearly, and it's easy to see the clusters of little red eyes staring back at them. Cadaver sighs and hunkers down, laying her roots into the soft earth while they wait.

Xatu carefully pets the small Phantump. 'You'll be alright, little one..']

[Dipper shivers, leaning in closer to Xatu's touch as he nervously watches the other eyes watching him silently. Now that he can see more clearly he can make out the shapes of many different pokemon in the darkness. The aforementioned Hoothoot and Noibat still sitting in the trees, along with ever silent Metapods and Kakuna. Mostly, though? Phantump and Trevenant. Perhaps that's why this area seems to be so dense with foliage. It's nearly impossible to tell what is a tree and what is actually a pokemon hiding in plain sight.

But the sight of this many Phantump, even though there are probably only six or seven of them in all, is terrifying.]

[Cadaver growls at a Caterpie that starts to climb up it's trunk. Despite the connection it has with the forest and the other possessed trees surrounding it, it hates the feeling of the place. There are no good memories here.

It takes a long time for Stan to come back with Hotshot, and he's notably missing his labcoat. His face is pale and tired, and he's wiping his eyes like he's trying to wash away whatever he saw. He's holding something in his arms. As they approach, Hotshot's light reveals it to be Dipper's backpack, hat, and belt of pokeballs.

He kneels down, places the hat back on Dipper's head, and the other items on the ground. There are a few small, dark stains speckled across his possessions. Stan's voice is hoarse when he speaks up again.]

Thought you might want these back..

[He looks up at Xatu and gestures back to the forest.]

Scatterbrain, go help Hotshot out. Teleport back home, we'll meet you there.

[It nods and carefully sets Dipper down, muttering a quick 'Sorry' before flying off after the Beheeyem. Stan slumps back and sits with them in the dark.]

[The hat is much too big for him now and slips down over his eyes, plunging the forest into complete darkness until he reaches up to push it back enough so he can see. He looks up at Stan for a brief moment before hovering over to where his backpack and pokeballs are. His eyes dart from one to the next as he places his black hands on them, careful not to let himself phase through their surfaces. Each one is scuffed and scratched, but the premier ball that contains Abra seems to have suffered the worst damage. Dipper draws back quickly as he feels deep gouges in the side of the device, a sudden memory hitting him like a ton of bricks.
He can't remember...what happened exactly, but whatever it was Abra had tried to teleport him to safety.

Unfortunately, even his Abra wasn't fast enough.

Shaking his head, Dipper stiffly draws back from the belt, unintentionally letting out a piercing cry of despair, one that startles the surrounding Phantump and causes them to almost rush forwards to his aid. Instead, though, they cluster around Cadaver's base, watching him carefully as he rushes back over to Stan, clearly wanting to be in his arms again.]

[Stan can't see much of anything aside from the red pairs of eyes, and though Dipper's wails makes him jump in fright, he still reaches out as the little ghost rushes toward him. He holds him close, like a flame in danger of blowing out.]

Hey, hey! It's... 's gonna be ok, Dipper, alright? Nothin's gonna get you anymore..

[Cadaver doesn't shoo away the little Phantumps, but starts pulling her roots out of the ground. She can't help but feel a little envious.. as dire as Dipper's situation is, he's a lot luckier than most of them have wound up being.]

Edited 2013-11-02 06:05 (UTC)

[Dipper sort of just curls up in Stan's arms, wanting to just close his eyes and wake up from this terrible nightmare already. The other Phantump seem to sense his distress but they don't come any closer, watching him sadly. They too remember their similar experiences in becoming the pokemon they are, though the memories are vague and sometimes mostly forgotten. Perhaps that's because they would rather forget their sorrows and try to move on into their new lives.
...Or afterlives, rather.

'What am I supposed to do now?' He whispers, opening his eyes slightly to look at Cadaver.]

[Cadaver shuffles closer, leaning over the two of them.

'I guess that's up to you. Most of us become part of the forest, until some trainer takes us. But you still have your name, your family, and your pokemon. If you ask me, you still have a life to live.'

Stan listens in silence to the chilling whispers and moans of the pokemon around him. He might trust Cadaver as a valued teammate, but he has no idea what to expect. He just wants to make sure that Dipper is safe.]

[Dipper shakes his head slightly.

'I don't want to stay in this forest. I'm going to stay with Grunkle Stan, no question...but...

...what about Mabel? She doesn't....know....'

Nothing about this is going to be easy, and it seems like the more he thinks about it the worse the situation gets. In addition, he can't imagine what Scatterbrain and Hotshot are having to do even as they speak. He's trying his best not to think about it.

'I shouldn't have ever left the lab in the first place.']

[Cadaver growls. 'Don't ever blame yourself for this. You didn't know...'

She seems to glare at Stan for a very brief moment, and he looks away..
'She'll have to learn to live with it, just like you will. I am sorry, Dipper.. But you need to remember that you're still alive.'

She steps back on her multiple legs, giving them some more room. 'I can lead you back home whenever you're ready.']

[Dipper pushes his hat up again, at least feeling a small semblance of normality while wearing it on his head. After glancing up at Stan briefly, he looks back to Cadaver and nods.

'Yeah....let's go back home.'

As far as he's concerned, he might be satisfied to never go back into that forest ever again.]

[Reaching forward, she pulls Stan up by his wrist and grabs Dipper's belongings off the ground. She leads them back through the pitch-black forest, shooing aside any undergrowth or pokemon that might be in the way.

Stan keeps his free hand around Dipper in an embrace without contact. He tries to ignore the small group of wild Phantumps following at his heels. As they pass out of the tight cluster of trees and near the edge of the forest again, they individually turn back and watch from a distance.

He knows he's gonna have to explain some things to Dipper when they get back.]

[As they leave the forest, Dipper turns slightly to look over Stan's shoulder at the little Phantumps that they're leaving behind.
..Is it really possible that all of those pokemon used to be....children? Children who got lost in the forest and never found their way home?

Dipper turns away and looks towards the direction of the lab, it's windows glowing like dim beacons in the distance. As they go he can't help but stare at the belt of pokeballs held in Cadaver's hands. Only Abra was aware that something went wrong...the rest of his team still didn't know.]

[Cadaver can't help but notice his staring and holds up the belt. 'Worried about 'em?']

[Dipper jumps slightly before nodding, wringing his hands together.

'Yeah.'

Technically, his entire team is virtually trainerless now. It's not as if he can exactly continue to train them as a ghost. ...He could try, but why bother anyway? No human can understand him now, so he couldn't effectively battle ever again.]

[Cadaver considers the line of pokeballs in her claws, and smiles with jagged bark. 'You shouldn't. I think they'll stick with you, whether you're human or not.'

She sets it back on the backpack. 'I've seen how you train with them. You've got a strong bond.'

Her chuckle is raspy and bubbly all at once. 'Of course.. now we can help you train, too.'

Her words so far have been unintelligible to Stan, but the tone of her voice and the creepy chuckle have him suspicious.]

..What're you telling him, you overgrown weed?

[Dipper can't help but chuckle at Stan's reaction, the smallest of smiles appearing on his face. That's right....if he's a pokemon now, that means he can actually train himself. Learn how to use moves...possibly even battle. It's surreal to think about.

'Thank you, Cadaver. You know you seem a lot....nicer, now that I can actually understand what you're saying.']

[She shrugs. 'I can sympathize, that's all. Just because you're one of us doesn't mean I'll stop scaring you when I can.'

Stan's team might be a lot more gentle than they let on, but they can still be a bunch of tricksters.. But maybe the fact that they're not going to change their behavior is good, it's just another thing from his past life that can stay the same. The only difference is that now he'll be able to hear when they joke about him and his sister.

As they approach the shack, Stan's pokemon open the door for them. The ones that can fly hover around them cautiously.]

[Oh good. Dipper would be worried that they had all gotten sick of Stan's pokemon suddenly decided to stop playing tricks on him.

Though they're back home Dipper doesn't move away from Stan, preferring to stay close to him until the man ushers him away himself. It's still quite disconcerting to have everything be three times your size now. He keeps his gaze angled downward for the most part, worried he might see something he'll regret if Hotshot and Scatterbrain got home before they did.]

[Stan isn't gonna send him away any time soon. He shoves his own team away instead.]

Back off, already!

[Cadaver drops Dipper's things off on a nearby desk and scuttles out of the room. Hotshot and Scatterbrain give Stan a knowing nod, which he returns. He shuffles across the room and slumps himself into his desk chair, releasing an exhausted sigh. He carefully picks Dipper off his shoulder and sets him down on the desk. Now that they're in the light, Dipper can probably see how bloodshot his eyes are.]

Ugh.. what now?

[His gaze wanders over the desk top, and he freezes from the spark of an idea. He pulls a pencil and paper closer, raising his brows to Dipper. It's worth a try, right?]

[Dipper blinks slowly, watching Stan for a minute before looking down at the paper, holding his hat up for a moment so it doesn't fall over his eyes. Cautiously he reaches out and manages to take the pencil in his hand. Good, at least if he's touching something willingly it can still be tangible for him.

Then he moves to write something down, though it's fairly awkward, scribbly, and hard to read. Stan should be able to make it out well enough, though.

I'm sorry this happened, Grunkle Stan.]

[He sputters out a weak laugh.]

Aw, hell.. Don't be sorry. It's not your fault.

[Dipper laughs weakly too, though it comes out more like a soft moan instead. Then he moves to write another line beneath the first.

Maybe. But I'm lucky to be alive. ....Sorta.]

[It's relieving to see that Dipper can still laugh, somewhat.]

'S good enough for me.

[He runs a hand through his gray hair, looking over his ramshackle laboratory as he mulls something over. There's along pause before he finally comes to his decision.]

Listen, I.. I've actually been studying this kinda thing for a long time. What.. happened to you. If you ever wanna know somethin', I'll tell you what I can... Cadaver n' Tombstone can prolly help you more than me, but. Y'know.

[Dipper's eyes widen slightly, his grip readjusting on the pencil (which is nearly longer than he is) as he listens, mildly surprised by what Stan says. So he had been doing research all this time. Who would have thought it was on the connection between ghost pokemon and humans. It kinda made sense though, considering how many pokemon similar that his great-uncle kept as companions.

He thinks over that for a moment, letting the tip of the pencil rest idly against the paper.

Wow. ....I don't even know what I would ask. I can barely remember what happened to me in the first place.]

[He shakes his head.]

We don't need to get into that..

[Stan at least knows how he changed. If it weren't for that forest, he wouldn't have come back. But then again.. he wouldn't have run across whatever killed him. He wipes his eyes.]

I know plenty about Phantumps and ghosts, is what I mean. If you want that info, I'll dig up my old journals.. If you need.. anything, just tell me somehow.

[Dipper nods slightly. He'd read enough on his own time to know what happened to him, and he's both grateful that he went into that forest and resents the fact that he ever did. He takes a deep breath before he writes anything else.

Thanks. I guess there's not really much else for me to know right now... Maybe I'll talk to Cadaver later and see what she knows.]

Cursed

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