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Posted: Wed Mar 08, 2023 10:51 am
Monique hung on Burnet's every word. Clearly, there were gaps in what she knew, but this was the expert—at least in this reality—and it behooved her to listen and learn.
"I understand, of course. Ultra Space seems to be incredibly vast. But... I can't shake that I'm here for a reason." She returned Burnet's smile.
"I suppose that you'll want to run some tests on me, and maybe that'll give you time to figure out what you need to? I'm sure you might learn something about me from that, as well."
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Posted: Thu Mar 09, 2023 7:03 am
"Yes, precisely." Burnet answered as she rose up from her seat. "The more I learn about Fallers the better, after all if your sisters traveled through Ultra Space they would be Fallers as well. That and I suppose we might figure out if there is a genetic factor to all this, wouldn't that be convenient?" She smiled at Monique as she walked over to a nearby table and picked up a tablet, proceeding to tap away on it in silence, leaving Monique to do...nothing? Stare at all the machines around her? The professor suddenly appeared absorbed in that tablet.
"Okay, there we go!" Burnet would happily declare several minutes later, as if she didn't take what felt like an eternity with her nose buried in that thing. Nerds. "We're going to put you to sleep!" She beamed, then thought about how that sounded. "Actual sleep, like rest." The professor chuckled nervously as she motioned for Monique to follow her, the professor opening a door on the other end of the room and stepping inside.
Inside Monique would find a mostly empty white room, just a single bed in the corner with some wires attached to it which led to a large machine on the other end of the room, a computer attached to it. "The Game Sync, an invention of my colleague, college roommate, and good friend from Unova, Professor Fennel. Don't ask me why she named it that." The professor says as she pats her hand on the bed. "With this Fennel is able to harness and study the dreams of Pokemon but with a few modifications I'm certain it will work on hybrids." Burnet informed Monique before walking over to the computer next to the large machinery.
"This." She said putting her hand on the monitor. "Is my own invention, the Dream Radar. With this I can observe and manipulate the Interdream Zone, the place in-between, and anomalies that take place while a subject sleeps. The idea here is I'll put you to sleep, force you into a dreaming state with a little Dream Mist...my last canister...and with the Dream Radar I should be able to communicate with you in the Dream World, help guide you and influence your dreams. My idea is to try and get you to dream about your sisters and that way perhaps see if we can't find a way to track them across the Dream World, provided they are sleeping at that moment as well. Time and space get confusing when you talk about Ultra Space so the word 'moment' is doing a lot of dubious work there." Burnet laughed.
"So, what do you think?" She asked the hybrid. "I have no idea if it is even possible to reach across Ultra Space through the Dream World, if it's even connected with the greater reality, but some say dreams can be windows to other realities so why not give it a shot?"
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Posted: Thu Mar 09, 2023 8:56 am
Monique was left to look at all the machinery in the room as Burnet started tapping away furiously on her tablet. There was sure a lot of equipment in this room: racks of computers, receivers for whatever signals were received on those big dishes out front, and so on. It was impressive. A place like this in her time would have been ransacked for scrap and left a dusty heap.
"Okay, there we go!" Her voice pulled Monique out of her reverie. "We're going to put you to sleep!" she added with a big smile. Monique was left to tilt her head skeptically. "...Actual sleep, like rest."
"That's a relief." She got up and motioned for her patient to follow, walking into a room with a bed in the corner. Various wires on the bed and sensors connected to a very large machine in the corner, which had a computer connected to it.
"The Game...Sync, huh?" Weird, but this was apparently something she knew a lot about. Burnet kept explaining. This was a moonshot, but... Her whole life had been about long odds.
"So, what do you think? I have no idea if it is even possible to reach across Ultra Space through the Dream World, if it's even connected with the greater reality, but some say dreams can be windows to other realities so why not give it a shot?"
"I guess this is why I'm here, and I'm sure you will get valuable data about a Faller's sleeping habits," she giggled. "Give me a moment to change into something a little more comfortable for this and we can get started." Monique went back to where her bags were and pulled out a sleep outfit, left her current clothes in a heap on top of her suitcase, and returned appropriately dressed for rest.
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Posted: Sat Mar 11, 2023 7:54 am
When Monique returned the professor was already at the computer, typing away. She had heard Monique enter and without looking back or even uttering a word she pointed at the bed. The professor was engrossed in her work again. It was an easy assumption as to what the professor wanted her to do; get in bed. When Monique laid down the professor would stand up finally and walk over to her side. "Okay, you got the easy part right now, just go to sleep." The professor said as she plugged some kind of clear glass canister in what originally looked like a bedpost but was clearly some sort of port. Inside the canister was a swirling mass of what looked like pink smoke.
"This is Dream Mist, not only will it help lull you to sleep but it will make you dream, that is far more lucid than you ever have in your life. At first you may dream as you normally would, without control or knowledge that you're dreaming, but slowly the effects of the Dream Mist will kick in and you'll gain control of your consciousness in your dreaming state, become aware and lucid. Once you are lucid call out to me and I should hear you. Once you're in control we can proceed with the next step." She informed and instructed Monique, now walking over to the the computer and tapping away on it. Slowly a thin cloud of pink mist would fall over the bed and Monique, her eyes becoming heavy.
"Think of your sisters, that helps influence the Dream Mist." She instructed Monique right before the Sand Man claimed her. Lights out, Monique.
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Posted: Sat Mar 11, 2023 11:58 pm
Monique climbed into bed and watched as Burnet inserted the clear canister into the bedpost. Laying down again, her eyes felt heavy as the Dream Mist floated into the space above her. She thought of Mama Sonya, Mama Sachi, and Mama Kehla their children—her sisters. She closed her eyes.
***
She was back at that silly cave where she had thrown two Poké Balls at the Phanpy during the Safari Contest. Except this time she was chucking infinite spheres at the Pokémon, only for it to never get inside for more than a moment. She stomped away, only to find at the exit of the cave was...the entrance to Flower City? Which was a massively tall staircase? And the sky was pink? Huh.
She didn't recall much more than that, but her mind moved along to another scene. She was on the Breaker Coast, sitting on one of the rocks just off the shore. But no, she wasn't alone. Kasumi was there, cross-legged, meditating, Comfey floating in front of her. And Kaimana was half in the water, relaxing with the waves. Kalama was there. And the Dome was above them and in front of them, filtering the harsh, smoggy sunlight and protecting them from the horde of Grimer beyond.
The sight of them, relaxing silently with only the hum of the Dome's systems breaking the noise, jarred Monique. Suddenly, in Kalama's gaze, she saw the world since. All the places she'd been and would someday be. Places beyond the confines of the Dome in space and the chokehold of the Smog in time.
She waved her arms and looked up. "Burnet!"
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Posted: Wed Mar 15, 2023 11:38 am
There would be no response from Burnet as Monique became lucid and called out to the woman. Did she not hear her? Now wasn't the time for such questions however as a roving gang of bandits just appeared behind Monique, as in materialized from nothingness. She was definitely dreaming. "Someone looks lost!" One of the bandits sneered, their face concealed with a tattered cloth. "What's a pretty lady like you doing outside of Flower City? It's dangerous for your kind here." Another bandit concurred, that was when Monique might realize she was in her preferred transformed state, but that didn't make sense, she wasn't a hybrid in this reality.
Things would then proceed to get even strangers as the four bandits sent out Pokemon not native to Alola and certainly couldn't survive in this world. An Altaria, an Abomasnow, a Sawsbuck, and a Milotic, a very strange selection of Pokemon for thugs like them. The quartet seemed keen to battle her with their out-of-place Pokemon, however if Monique considered her situation for a moment she might realize there was no real threat here, in her dream.
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Posted: Wed Mar 15, 2023 12:20 pm
The word "Burnet!" echoed without a response, even from those sitting near her, for a moment. Monique started to panic, but her attention was diverted by a voice.
"Someone looks lost!" These were classic bandits of the wasteland. But four of them? Where did they _come_ from? "What's a pretty lady like you doing outside of Flower City? It's dangerous for your kind here."
She looked down and realized she was definitely more glammed up in this form than she ever had been on Aether Island in maybe any place except The Garden nightclub. That wasn't going to be a thought on her mind long, because these people wanted to battle. Did they ever want to, and their Pokémon were completely unfamiliar. A massive bird with clouds for wings. A regal-looking snake. A massive, icy beast, and a deer whose antlers seemed to sprout a tree.
"What do you wanna battle for?" Monique moved to tap her ear, like she wanted her Pokédex to tell her what in the world these Pokémon were, but there was nothing there. Which made sense. Which didn't make sense. "You don't come near this b***h and her sisters!" She dug for a Poké Ball in her bag...
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Posted: Thu Mar 16, 2023 1:33 pm
"Sisters? What sisters? They're dead." One of the bandits sneered, their Pokemon advancing towards Monique. "Yeah, everyone knows of Monique the miserable loner." Another went on. "Poor Monique, all alone, the last sister to live." A third added on. "It's your fault they are dead, you know. You could have saved them but you were just too weak." The fourth and final said, really digging in. None of that was true, was it? For a moment the words would sting for some reason in spite of how untrue they were. In fact, it was kind of hard to dismiss their words, as if they were wiggling their way into her brain.
Before any fighting actually happened orbs of golden energy would appear, flying towards and eventually slamming into the bandits and their Pokemon. Upon contact the bandits and their Pokemon would disappear in a brilliant flash of golden light, not a single trace left behind. "Sorry, took me awhile to track you down in the Interdream." Burnet's voice called out to Monique.
"Before you ask those were Rogue Nightmares. They are the manifestations of nightmares experienced by sleeping minds of the Dream World. For whatever reason they become disconnected from the minds of those who dreamed them and wander the Dream World looking for new prey to feed off of. Negative emotions are their sustenance. It's easy to tell apart the rRogues as they will have aspects of them that are unrelated to you, such as knowledge or experiences you yourself don't have. They are dangerous however as Nightmares you create can be defeated by yourself in less drastic ways such as facing your fears, coming to terms with trauma, exploiting knowledge you have of them and so on. Rogue Nightmares don't have such weaknesses as you have no connection to them. Fortunately with my trusty Energy Pack's beam I can blast them into nothingness from the Interdream Zone! So don't worry, Burnet has your back."
"Now then, obviously you're lucid and in control of your dream, the Dream Mist giving you incredibly control over it. Here you are a god!" Burnet declared. "So, with that said, I want you to concentrate really hard on a happy memory with one of your sisters, just one of them. Think of a time that holds a really special place in your heart. The more significant the memory the better and if it was a time when the two of you were completely alone even better. The theory is if that sister is dreaming at the moment her dreaming mind would be drawn to you and we'll trace its point of origin through the Dream World. So make it a memory they'd like too. Make sense?" She asked Monique. "If so, let's get started."
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Posted: Sat Mar 18, 2023 12:54 am
The words from the bandits hung like a heavy fog on her. The Pokémon advancing. The stinging words. The regret they placed. The—
Four massive golden orbs slammed into the bandits, whisking them away without a trace. Burnet's voice, no source seemingly in sight, finally echoed under the Dome, explaining Rogue Nightmares to her Dream World neophyte and study subject.
Monique took note of the instructions the professor gave her and started thinking. One time, she came back from one of her shifts in Flower City with a few packets of seeds for Kasumi to grow. Plants that were not common in Alola even when it was verdant, which only a few people grew even in the city. She planted them, grew them, and got a lot out of them. They were mostly Berries but also some cover plants and curly bamboo. The fact that Monique had thought of her and somehow got these made Kasumi very happy. In a world that was often chaotic and broken, gardening still made sense (and helped the girls eat). She took pride in every Berry she grew, Bluk to Belue, Cheri to Chesto.
The thought of planting Berries with Kasumi made her smile widely, a grin that might even have been visible on her real-life face. Somewhere, was she dreaming of Berries too?
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Posted: Thu Mar 23, 2023 8:46 am
Monique's world would shift as she thought of her happy memory, the Dream World taking on the form of her dream. Every detail was exact, every rock, every wrinkle in her clothing at the time, all the sounds, everything. The last thing to materialize in her dream was the most important, her sister Kasumi. At first her sister would be doing as she did in Monique's memory, saying whatever she did then, an exact recording. However at one point 'memory' Kasumi would stop and stare at Monique in the eyes, like a Stantler caught in the headlights. This was not how her memory went.
Her silent stare would be broken with a single word. "Monique?" She said, questioningly, the tone of a confused person. Monique wouldn't be able to explain how she knew or what tipped her off, or even when the change exactly happened, but she knew for certain that this Kasumi was not just a figment of her memory but was her actual sister, albeit her slumbering mind as she was as well in this Dream World.
"It worked! Your sister found you! Keep her talking while I pinpoint her location. We don't want her to drift away and lose her or let her dream about other things." Burnet's voice rung out, by Kasumi's lack of reaction it looked like only she could hear the professor.
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Posted: Thu Mar 23, 2023 11:18 am
The dream was incredibly vivid. If not for the fact of what she knew (and Burnet's voice ringing in her head), Monique might have genuinely thought she'd been flung 49 years into the future again. Everything was there: the plants, the seed packets, the soft light of the Dome, and her. Putting mulch in the pots, grabbing her beat-up watering can, reading the labels—
Suddenly, Kasumi stopped totally. She looked straight ahead. That's not how the dream goes, Monique thoughttto herself...
"Monique?" Kasumi's voice cut through, despite the evident grog and confusion, and it was not a holotype recording. Something about it felt real. Wildly real. This was her...or some part of her.
>It worked! Your sister found you! Keep her talking while I pinpoint her location. We don't want her to drift away and lose her or let her dream about other things.< Kasumi evidently didn't hear her at all, but Monique was determined not to let go.
"Kasumi-chan, where are you? I've been looking for you ever since the Dome broke... Can you tell me?"
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Posted: Fri Mar 24, 2023 9:27 am
"The...dome...?" Kasumi responded, bewildered at first, as if she didn't know what she was talking about. Her confusion was soon replaced by fear as her eyes went wide, dread washing over her face before finally freezing up, paralyzed by her fear. This fear would then quickly manifest in the form of a Nightmare, right behind Monique.
"Behind you!" Burnet called out to Monique's sleeping mind.
Behind Monique was what looked like a very tall Toxapex but very different from a normal one. It was translucent and appeared to be made from energy, the same color and style of the dome that once protected Aether Island in her time. As the ten foot tall Toxapex rose its front legs to slam them down at Monique she would catch a glimpse of the true creature inside, its face resembling that of Faba, or at least his stylized image they would see on posters and coins. This strange construct was the manifestation of Kasumi's sleeping mind, a bizarre looking Nightmare that was intent on attacking Monique.
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Posted: Fri Mar 24, 2023 10:19 am
Monique looked into Kasumi's eyes as they turned from confusion to fear, massive fear.
"Behind you!" Burnet's voice made Monique turn to see a towering Toxapex, translucent in the style of the Aether Island dome. Its front legs rose, looming over her, showing a creature with a face not unlike that of King Faba. This was only the third or fourth time she had even seen one, but everything seemed wrong.
Monique was just as frozen for a moment, but she remembered what Burnet had said about Nightmares. She was not under the Dome. Kasumi, wherever she was, was no longer under the Dome. King Faba did not exist and, Snagem willing, would never exist.
The sheriff glared at the translucent Toxapex with determination. You don't belong here! I may be a daughter of the Dome, but I am free of it!
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Posted: Fri Mar 24, 2023 10:30 am
As Monique stood her ground and spoke down to the Nightmare its two arms would harmlessly pass through the girl, much to its surprise and the surprise of Kasumi. After its attack failed the Nightmare would let out an otherworldly cry before dissolving into pink smoke, disappearing into nothingness. With it gone Monique would be able to turn her attention back to her sister, that is if she was still there. At some point facing the Nightmare her sister had disappeared, vanished without a trace. With her gone her memory world began to distort, things appearing that didn't belong in the memory as her own mind drifted.
"Don't panic. Your sister only woke up." Burnet reassured Monique, not wanting her to subconsciously create things, such as another Nightmare. "That Nightmare was a product of both you and your sister's subconscious which funny enough its creation was a massive boon for us. Because of it I was able to pick up a massive energy spike, likely the location of your sister! Burnet proudly declared. "Now then, all that there is left to do is-"
"Wake up!" Burnet shouted at Monique, shaking her violently. While her previously scientific methods were more professional and methodical the part where she woke her up from her dreaming state was not. There would be no transition for Monique, one minute she as in the Dream World and the next she was back in bed, the professor hanging over her and shaking her awake. "You may be groggy for awhile due to the Dream Mist."
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Posted: Fri Mar 24, 2023 10:47 am
"Wake up!!" Burnet's jolting movements wrenched her right out of sleep and back, unsteadily, into the world of the waking. Was that big lit-up container a Toxapex? Where was Kasumi?
Things slowly came to over the next minute, Monique glaring groggily at the professor, remembering piece by piece why she was here and everything that had happened.
"Wow..." Monique was a bit out of breath, panting to try and ground herself again. "That dream was craaaaaazy."
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