#even if the pmd world is whats best for him and its where he wants to be…. he cant help but miss lychee and mocha and co. sometimes

[vaugarde]

oh goddamn it castor has more siffrinisms

[stoutlandchild]

I miss PMD so Reverse PMD AU where Emmet and Akari get transported from the PMD world to Hisui with their memories in tact.

I have a ref for Akari but its not done yet so here's Emmet! He looks a bit different cause Absol but I realized halfway while making it that he looked like a bit like a Hisuian Zoroark which is funny to me cause Akari Is (technically was at the moment) a Hisuian Zoroark.

Absol Subway works like the Gear Station, it's both an actual station (Traveling to Everywhere on the map) and a battle challenge. Akari has tried three times with her partner to beat Ingo and Emmet and failed those three times, she was preparing for a 4th run when they got transported.

Emmet's doing...pretty badly, while he's managed his danger sense since he was young, the situation Hisui is in is universe-destroying + the general unfamiliarity with his surroundings and his own body and the sensory overload means he hasn't been doing well. He's trying to keep it together but man does he want to scream into the void.

Base-Pla Ingo still exists here so Emmet is seeing an alternate universe human amnesiac version of his brother run around and its painful for both sides since Emmet misses his brother but also Emmet looks so much like PLA!Ingo's version of his brother and its a whole mess. PMD!Emmet is going to get this man back to his brother though, he'll make sure of it.

On a lighter note, Emmet can flip an Alpha Snorlax, it takes him a bit but he is still...a high ranking fighter who very few people could beat who knew Close Combat. Even with the learning curve Emmet very much has the ability to go against alphas if he needs/wants to. Akari is trying her best but she was mainly a special attacker so this isn't as natural to her.

On that uh, Akari and Emmet are found by the Galaxy people so they do Survey Corp Stuff, they can still talk to Pokemon since well..they were Pokemon so they just have this whole section of pokemon requests and what not. When it comes to capturing and surveying usually they ask very nicely and release anyone who doesn't want to stay for long. Coupled with the saving the world business and quelling the nobles they have pretty good reputation with wild pokemon. Even the ones that get released by them usually help them do things like forage for food or train. Good times.

The Galaxy Team however are Very Suspicious of them for Various Reasons (Emmet generally seeming like he isn't used to being human, catching them talking to pokemon, usual space time rift stuff, etc.) and those relations are Not Going Well. The clans however actually trust them a bit more than in the base game though, since they've noticed that wild pokemon, even the alphas, tend to be friendlier to them.

I mentioned Akari is a Hisuian Zoroark which has all the implications of what that means, to an extent. So Akari is was human a human who got PMD-ed and saved the world but three years after that got transported to Hisui. Akari did Die, she was thrown into the PMD dimension as a Hisuian Zorua and then evolved during those three years. Akari actually has rather healthy levels of malice for her species though and is able to utilize them in a Productive way. Her partner is a Lampent named Simon (She/they) and they are part of Team Lanturn! She is also friends with Giratina, they have lunch together every two weeks.

I'm not super familiar with the continents cause I haven't finished Super yet so I'm disregarding them for this. I did however decide to give them mega stones and mega rings instead of the looplets or seeds you see in Super and DX for mega evolution though, just cause I liked it better.

I think Mega Absol is a particularly tricky mega evolution because I think mega evolving would heighten Absol's danger senses as well as all it's other senses, and tends to cause a sort of mix of a panic attack and sensory overload. So it requires a really a very strong bond for it to stay together. And Emmet and Ingo are able to stay mega evolved together for a pretty long time, so its very much a testament to their bond.

[totallycorrectpmdquotes]

I'm on another PMD kick, and I stumbled across your Backfire fic on AO3, and it's super good so far! Even if it's a while to the next update, it was totally worth reading what you have so far-- so good job, and good luck with it if you ever continue!

Thank you so much! :DD

But speaking of updates...

(Chapter 1) (Chapter 2)

Uxie’s powers aren’t just limited to his lake, and affect all memories which could be traced back to the Time Gears. It’s easy to imagine the mental catastrophe this could cause in the mind of someone who’s spent nearly their entire life looking into them. In his defense, Uxie was really mad at Grovyle.

-

3.

For Chatot, it had been aparticularly frazzling evening. The Guildmaster had reorganized a storage roomwith a rather small window for Grovyle by throwing all its contents into thehall. Bidoof and Loudred carried out their orders to clear the mess away quicklyenough, although Chatot would not bethe first one to open the closets they had stuffed everything in. When OfficerMagnezone had led the secret transport of the still unconscious Grovyle,Dusknoir had followed. As Grovyle was deposited in his new bed – closer to theGuildmaster’s chamber than any of the apprentice’s, just to be safe – Dusknoirhad promptly positioned himself outside the door.

“Dusknoir, Sir,” Chatot had said,“we can have the apprentices take over that position. You don’t need to troubleyourself for us.” His intention had been to send Chimecho to take over, andmore importantly, have her make sure the Great Dusknoir was alright.

But Dusknoir had waved him offand refuted any further attempts to convince him that they could help. “I camehere to find him, I’ll guard him. It’s no trouble.”

A few minutes later, Dusknoirapparently caught sight of his reflection in one of the lower-level drinkingfountains and jumped in fright. No one dared to ask what startled him. Herefused to leave his post when dinner was ready as well, despite the fact thatGrovyle wasn’t due to wake for another several hours. And Chatot, well, mayhave reacted by bringing him a plate of leftovers sprinkled with a portion ofground sleep seeds.

He was concerned and had everyright to be! Dusknoir would surely be upset when he woke, and Chatot would takethe consequences of his actions in stride. He would apologize for hisdeception, but not for his actions. Dusknoir needed to rest – whatever ailmenthe was suffering from would not be treated if he ran himself ragged.

Night fell on the guild, andChatot enlisted Chimecho’s help to move the now fully asleep Dusknoir to theGuildmaster’s bed.

“And remember, this stays betweenus.” Chatot said, well aware that Chimecho already knew and wouldn’t say a wordabout Dusknoir’s condition. Nervousness kept him tittering about, though. “Areyou certain he has to be awake for you to examine him?”

“Sorry,” she said, and used herpsychic to gently set Dusknoir down. “If he’s against it, we could have someonetalk with him and I’ll examine him while he’s distracted.”

Chatot hesitated for a secondbefore he sighed. “You have better eyes for this than anyone in the guild. Ifyou think that would be enough for you to help him, then I trust yourjudgement.” He shrugged off Dusknoir’s bag and did his best not to look at thesleeping form. “You may take your leave and return to your quarters.” He was very aware she would not be doing that;the apprentices would be meeting in Team Relic’s room, where the two would bebombarded with questions about why they had decided to let Grovyle stay.

Chimecho nodded, and with a quietring of her bell, she left the room. Chatot watched her leave before he nudgedDusknoir’s bag closer to him. There was something strange about the bag,something that Chatot struggled to put a feather on, but it clicked when hefound a worn patch on the right side where a few rolled up pieces of parchmentwere visible. The bag was the same model as Grovyle’s.

Chatot allowed himself a momentof short, quiet laughter – he’d had such a horrifying feeling, and all it hadamounted to was that. How incrediblysimplistic. Those bags must be mass produced in the future with that samedefect. It was unfortunate that the Great Dusknoir had such a poor qualitytreasure bag.

With one long look at the piecesof parchment which, really, were none of Chatot’s business and were not something he’d be prying into,Chatot returned to his post outside of Grovyle’s room. The Guildmaster sat tothe left of the door, two crochet hooks in his hands and what looked like a half-finishedyarn apple in his lap.

“Hiya!” The Guildmaster said,loudly, but clearly trying to be quiet. “How’s Dusknoir? Is he having sweetdreams?”

“I’m sure he is,” Chatot said,and made himself comfortable to the right of the door. “And Grovyle?”

The Guildmaster put down his yarnand stared across the room. “…No,” he said, “he’s still having nightmares. Buthe’ll be awake soon. He’ll be happier then.”

Chatot glanced back, through thecurtain they’d draped over the doorway. The shadows were twisted around Grovyle,and in the dim light almost looked like they were standing over him.

Chatot pulled the curtain openfarther as Grovyle shuddered, and the illusion faded.

.-.

There was no vulpix named Breannain the Wigglytuff Guild. However, there was one who’d introduce herself by hernickname, Breeze.

She hadn’t known that Pokémon goby their species name unless interacting with their family until she was told.She was practically illiterate – everyone around wrote and read in footprintrunes, but she didn’t even know the alphabet. When asked where she was from, orwhy she had made her way to Treasure Town in the first place, all Breeze had tooffer was a shrug.

Honestly, it was impressive thatno one had figured out her secret yet. Well, they’d figured out about herDimensional Scream, but her secret of being a ‘human turned Pokémon withamnesia who couldn’t even remember her own real name’ was still safe.

Mostly.

Breeze sat beside her partner,Dusk, with their guildmates crowded into the room with them. They’d beenarguing for the past several minutes. Breeze had been reorganizing her treasurebag for most of them and left Dusk to deal with their friends’ questions.

At least Chimecho had taken pityand brought him a chalkboard so he wouldn’t strain his voice anymore.

“But I don’t understand,” Sunflora said, “he’s a bad Pokémon!”

Dusk dipped his paw in chalk duskand drew several footprints from various normal-types while Breeze triplechecked her stash of orans for any orens. She returned them to her bag as Duskgestured to his writing.

“I guess,” Sunflora hesitated,“but you can’t change nature.”

“We are still worried about youtwo,” Dugtrio said, “you may be confident in this second chance, but we wouldhate to see a horrible fate befall you.”

Breeze didn’t look at him (them?She really needed to find a chance to ask what Dugtrio preferred) and insteadgently dumped out her orbs. She started to sort them by function, thenalphabetically on top of that. Dusk used some grass and water-type footprintsthis time.

“We will not question yourdecision further,” Dugtrio said, “but know that you may fall back on us if thisfails.”

“WELL, I will!” Loudred announcedand was promptly shushed by the rest of the apprentices.

“Oh my gosh, do you want Chatot to come tell us off?”Sunflora said as she whacked him with one of her leaves. “Be quiet for once!”

“Fine!” Loudred said in whatcould barely be counted as an indoor voice. Breeze heard him stomp towards her,and kept her eyes focused on the orbs. “Vulpix, don’t do anything stupid.”

Breeze pawed categories of orbs alittle bit farther apart. “I won’t.”

“I mean it,” Loudred said, “Idon’t care if you think he’s cool,you get yourself or any of us killed we’re going to have a problem.”

Breeze licked her lips and didn’tlook up at him. “I won’t,” she repeated, “I know what I’m doing.”

“But that’s what we want toknow,” Chimecho pointed out, her voice gentle. “What is your plan? We know hewon’t remember you, and that you feel bad because of how much he’s missing, buthe nearly killed you both. Why are you putting so much faith in him?”

Dusk started to write somethingdown, but Corphish held up a claw to stop him.

“Hey-hey, no offense Riolu,” hesaid, “but I want to hear what Vulpix has to say about this. She’s been tooquiet.”

As an agreement rippled acrossthe guild, Breeze coaxed her orbs back towards her. “Uh,” she swallowed,“well…”

Breeze frowned. Why… why was she doing this? Yes, she felt badfor and identified with Grovyle, but she hadn’t been a bad person. She’d neverhurt anyone who hadn’t deserved it, and Grovyle had nearly destroyed the world.He’d tried to kill her, Dusk, Uxie, Mesprit, Azelf – everyone. What if she was looking at this all wrong? What if hestill remembered how much he wanted to hurt them, just not the why? What if she was being stupid, andputting so much trust in someone who was just going to hurt the guild?

“Come ON!” Loudred said, yellingright by her ear, “Spit it out!”

There was a muffled squawk beforea tremor knocked the apprentices off their feet.

.-.

Dusknoir sat on the edge of afrozen riverbank beside a man dressed in shades of gray. They had a pile ofrocks between them and sat in silence as they threw them into the river. Thesound of a splash was there, but the water didn’t move as it sucked the rocksdown. Dusknoir pulled out a rock, flat and circular with small protrusionsaround the edge, and handed it off to the human. Immediately after touching itthe human gasped and gripped his head. The rock fell from his hand and rolleddown the bank, bouncing twice before it finally settled in the shallows.Dusknoir stared at the man, and he stared back with blank, unseeing eyes.

Dusknoir blinked.

He was on a cliff face, a body infront of him and his hands stained a dark red. There was a loud, shrill noise.There had been for the past minute.

He turned around, and the imageof a small child with red-brown hair drifted away like smoke. The cliffblurred. The body faded.

He was in a blank but colourfulroom, and in front of him was an unfortunately familiar shadow form with a wispof white hair.

“Hello, Hope,” Darkrai said,absolutely smug, “are you having a nice nap?”

“Don’t call me that,” Dusknoirsnapped, immediately on guard. “What are you doing here?”

“What, you thought you were theonly one who followed those idiots when they fled back in time?” Darkrai said,“I knew you were dense, but I was hoping you weren’t stupid.” He sighed,overtly dramatic as Dusknoir scowled. “Of course that was too much to hope for.Tell me, what was your theory for why the brat doesn’t remember you anymore?The power of friendship between you and your minions?”

“You don’t need to act like achild,” Dusknoir growled, and continued to stare at Darkrai’s smug face. “You…did you do that to her?”

“If it’s any consolation, it wasa happy accident. I was aiming for the nuisance your friends have dumped in theother room – I planned on blasting him out of existence, but your little bratsaw me and took the hit.”

“She’s not mine,” Dusknoir corrected,“if you did this to her, why don’t you go finish the job?”

“What, and take all your glory? Please,” Darkrai grinned, “besides, Icould ask you the same thing. You’ve completed your mission. Why are you stillhere?”

Dusknoir narrowed his eye andspoke carefully. “There was an issue with creating the Dimensional Hole back.”

“Oh, why didn’t you say so?”Darkrai said, faux cheerful and still unbearably smug. He snapped his fingers,and the dream world shifted to hold a frozen Dimensional Hole. “I’ll just set thisdown right outside, and then you can finish your job.”

No! “That’s not necessary,” Dusknoir said quickly. “Besides,they’re both still far too entwined with the others in this time. I’ll needmore time to separate them so I can take them back without severely -”

“If you’re going to make excuses,at least put some effort into them.”

Dusknoir froze. Darkrai suddenlyseemed so much bigger than him. “E-excuse me?”

“I own dreams, you idiot. This is my realm.” He was barely the size ofDarkrai’s eye now. “I know you don’t want to leave. For all you try and protestyou want to stay here and enjoy this time before it’s gone, while still pretendingyou’re just doing your job. And who could blame you, especially with your history? I wonder what Dialga wouldthink of this after how much faith they put in you. I’m sure they’d be rathercross.”

“Don’t question my loyalties,”Dusknoir shouted back, and struggled to keep himself steady as Darkrai’s laughshook the dreamscape. “I’m just as loyal to Master Dialga as you are!”

The laugh grew louder. Thecolours got brighter, more saturated, and began to drip into each other.

“That’s not a very high bar,”Darkrai said. “Still, if you’re oh so convinced of your loyalties, then let memake the task simpler for you.” Dusknoir looked down and saw that his handwrapped around Chatot’s neck.

“Wait -” he couldn’t shout. Hisvoice wouldn’t get any louder than a whisper. The ground below him started toshake as the shadows morphed into Wigglytuff, and the colours dripped into thebackground of the Wigglytuff guild. Dusknoir tried to shout again, but no wordscame out.

“The Dimensional Hole will beatop Mt Bristle when you’re done,” Darkrai’s voice said, echoing fromeverywhere and nowhere at once. “Don’t take too long. Make sure you don’t needmy help again.”

A variety of faceless shadows ranin from down the hall, led by that same little girl with red-brown hair.

Dusknoir jolted, free from thenightmare. Breanna, who’d led the charge of apprentices through the guild’sshaking halls, was a vulpix again.

Dusknoir dropped Chatot and backedup as quickly as he could. The guild stopped shaking as Dusknoir raised hishands, and everyone ran over to help Chatot up. He had tiny flakes of ice inhis feathers, and Dusknoir glanced down at his hands in horror. There was norecovery from this. He would be run out – he needed to grab the two he had comefor and be done with it. He had no time to waste.

“I’m alright,” Chatot wheezed,and looked over at Dusknoir, halfway across the room. “Dusknoir, sir?”Wigglytuff grabbed Chatot and held him tight as the rest of the guild movedcloser. “Are you okay?”

Dusknoir swallowed and glanceddown at his hands. He scrambled to find the words, but his tongue was stillfrozen. He couldn’t think of what to say.

He looked up, at Chatot at first,then past him at Breanna’s horrified look. Then past her, at the green form inthe doorway he was supposed to be guarding.

Grovyle met his eyes before he ducked back, andDusknoir was confident he’d seen the whole thing.

[batsoulscrolls]

PMD: Unbounded Fates

Chapter 7

A different view

[PEV] [NEXT]

Ruby arrives at the apartments where she lives. The apartment building looks somewhat rundown, tucked away in the forest close by the guild but hidden away from it. Ruby finds her room and enters it, the room is small and has no windows. Ruby tries to make her shabby home a little liver with some hanged cloth and rugs. The hanging cloth at each wall has a different pattern and color from each other except the one above her bed which depicts Ho-Oh with her three eternal champions Raikou, Entei, and Suicune all gilded in gold.

Ruby put her Poké into the cabinet where the rest of the poké is stored, maybe just 5 more jobs then she could pay her bail and get out of this place. Ruby gets into the thin bed and sleeps but she can’t no matter how long she eyes she cant go to sleep. Is it that Zoroark talk is making her lose sleep, not likely the last two pokemon she's been with had the same almost the same talk with her. Both decided to switch her out right after. But this one sounded genuine like he meant what he said and not because they were tired of her. But now her mind on the Zoroark even though they been partnered for three weeks, yet she cant help to notice the small odd things about him like how he walks it doesn’t look right like he has a slight limp and his accent is odd too the best compression she could make is a mix from the great green plains and the dryon desert

Ruby continues to think about the Zoroark then she remembers a very old tale that her mother used to tell about how very powerful pokemon would send a Pokemon named Human from another world to help them in the most despite times but their true forms are altered to look like normal looking pokemon you would see across the street but act differently from any other pokemon and have no memories of their past.

Ruby gives a short laugh of the thought of the Zoroark being human. Ruby gets up feeling extremely exhausted and leaves her apartment, it's morning. Did I stay up that long?

Ruby makes her way through on the dirt path to the town and at the board. But no pokemon is posted there, only one thing why this would happen its review day. Ruby just walks away and goes into town, she finds Jax cafe then enters. She takes a seat at the counter across from Jax “Jax I need a Chesto berry drink and put it on my tab.”

Jax gives a supposed look “I didn’t know you like that kind of drink but here. Also you need to pay that tab before I stop serving drinks.” as Jax says giving Ruby her drink

Ruby scoffs down her drink trying to minimize the bitterness of the drink “Yea I hate chesto berries, but I need this. I didn’t sleep at all last night.”

Jax comes closer to Ruby integrated by the odd behavior “Losing sleep that is so unlike you, what made you not get your sleep?”

“That's none of your business Jax.”

Jax backs off as he was needed to attend to some customers, Ruby leaves the cafe, makes her way out of town, stops at a path that leads to the guild and waits.Then Zoroark arrives a lot earlier than usual to take the review. He almost passes Ruby only stopping after Ruby makes a short cough. “Seven can we talk, somewhere private.” Ruby suggested

“First thing you owe me because I covered for you with the review thing, second thing my name is Sevin not Seven.” Sevin says

“I don’t care about that but we need to talk right now.”

“Fine, what is it then?”

Ruby signals Sevin to follow her which he does. After Ruby cuts through the forest to a familiar sight to Sevin the lake where he was first woken into this world. Sevin turns to Ruby waiting for her “Look I’m not sorry about leaving you yesterday but I should have said something to you. Soo say what you want about me, tell me how bad of a pokemon I am, tell me how I am a jerk to you. Come on, tell me.” Ruby says

“You didn’t hear the part that I covered for ya?” Sevin states

“What do you mean you covered?” Ruby questions

“What I mean is that I lied about the review I gave you, and said that you are ok but still rough on the edges.” Sevin says

“Are you insane, why did you lie?!?” Ruby exclaims

“I….I don’t know.” Sevin admits

“You don't know?!? Dear Arceus, I swear your head has a thicker skull than a drednaw.But I do have to admit….I do kinda have to respect that” Ruby tells

“So…wanna get something to drink?” Sevin says

“Sure I got nothing to do.” Ruby replies

Both went back into the forest cutting though, but as they made through the forest Sevin can't help see the trees are coming closer, almost herding the both of them. Ruby stops at her tracks then lets out an angrily groan “We just walked into a mystery dungeon!”

“A mystery dungeon? What a mystery dungeon?” Sevin ask

“Do you have a thick skull or you REALLY don't know about mystery dungeons? Whatever I just tell you, mystery dungeons are self explanatory, they are dungeons with a “mystery”. Some of them have entrances but others don’t, a lot of them are permanent but a few are seasonal. Also the pokemon that roam the halls of the dungeons are pokemon that got lost in these dungeons and promptly went insane or illusions of pokemons. Finally the layout of the dungeons are random so each time you enter it is different.So that is why we call them mystery dungeons. Now we need to find the stairs and get out of here.”

So Ruby takes the lead as she enters further into the dungeon. Sevin takes in the environment, the trees that guide their way are tall and posing and almost alive with the vines that binds them together. Ruby enters into a small square room and a staircase going down “There's the exit, let's go.”

Sevin nods and follows Ruby down the steps and the environment warps and contorts until the lake with a sunset is in clear view. Ruby is conflicted because no dungeon is that short but glad they're out of there. As she turned to Sevin but he was nowhere in sight, then she realized she was kicked out of the dungeon. Ruby rushes into the forest trying to get back into the dungeon but is met by the town. Then she sees Trev by the board updating it like she always does, Ruby rushes to Trev “Trev I get some help. Sevin in a mystery dungeon and the damned dungeon kicked me out and I can't get back in.”

“Look slow down Ruby, I can report it and put it on lo-”

“No, we need to go now, Trev. We don't know how he can handle himself so-”

“Ruby, that dungeon kicked you out and can't come back in. so we need to wait until it becomes available again. So go home Ruby, I will take care of this and make sure he gets back.Ok friend?” Trev finally says

Ruby grits her teeth as she leaves and goes home hoping Sevin will be fine.

./.

Sevin is currently losing his breakfast after the nauseous reality warping staircase. After recovering he looks around to see Ruby is nowhere in sight “Ruby where are you!” Sevin yells but he gets no response. Sevin is lonesome again. I’m starting to see a pattern

Sevin retakes his surroundings; it's the same tree, same vines, same floor, same very thing and the same room where stairs used to be. But now there are two hallways opposite from each other, he takes the right one on the idea that right is alway right. As he treds through the hallways making more turns and taking different routes until the claustrophobic halls open up to a large room, Sevin goes in and finds the staircase. He goes to the stair until he hears a click as he looks down, a rush of gas fills the room. Sevin already took a breath of the gas, he unties his bandana and covers his mouth and nose. But it is already too late. The environment spirals around him, then he falls and the world turns black.

Sevin wakes up feeling like he had one bad hangover. He gets up as he does and realizes he's no longer at the dungeons as he finds himself sleeping on a bed and surrounding walls are covered in cloth. Then the wall of coth separate in the middle in front of Sevin to reveal Cindy who looked shocked then relieved, then she hugs Sevin “I’m glad your ok Sevin” she whispers

“Thanks Cindy….hey you know where I could get some fresh air? My head feels a bit heavy.”

Cindy losen her grip on Sevin “I guess you can get some air and me too”

Sevin follows Cindy outside the room and into a long hallway with the same wall of cloth separated by logs in between. As they make it at the end of the hall Cindy makes a right into another hall then a left at a doorway to the outside. Sevin steps outside onto the balcony to see a small western town. Sevin turns around to find the doorway is gone. He has to be dreaming or at least hallucinating.

Sevin takes in the environment better to enjoy the dream. The town looks like a mixture of an old weastern town from the movies on VHS he vaguely remembers and the current town he only knows. The town it's placed in fits exactly what he told Doc it is dry,hot,dusty, and barren. Oddly it feels very homely to Sevin.

Then Sevin finds himself back at the dungeon with the stairs next to him. He takes the stairs diving deeper into the dungeon.

[negrek]

Negrek Finishes Gates to Infinity

Okay, so a while back I started playing through Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Gates to Infinity after @phoenixkratos generously loaned it to me.

Overall, I'd say this is probably the clunkiest entry in the PMD series, but it doesn't deserve the hate it gets. It's clearly rushed and in the ugly-duck stage of transitioning from 2D sprites to full 3D, but there are the seeds of a great game here. I actually finished the main storyline quite a while back, up to the point where the protagonist inevitably returns to the human world and the credits roll; just recently I picked it up to finish things up to the point where the protagonist inevitably returns to the world of pokémon. Full, spoiler-y thoughts under the cut. (Apologies for weird typos, my keyboard's inexplicably sticky all of a sudden.)

I'll start with the story, since I think that's what most people play the PMD series for, and I think they definitely took things in an interesting direction with this game. As usual, there's some cataclysmic world-ending event about to go down, courtesy legendary pokémon, but the source of the trouble this time around is very different than in previous PMD titles. Rather than being some external force, like a meteorite or out-of-control legendary pokémon, the culprit here is in a sense the common pokémon themselves: their despair and cynicism has manifested as the world-destroying bittercold that threatens to plunge everything into darkness forever. As the bittercold grows, its influence feeds into the very feelings that first spawned it, causing pokémon to distrust one another and grow ever more disconnected and sorrowful

At least, well, that's what the story wants to sell you on. My biggest criticism of the game is that the supposed dissolution of pokémon society just isn't actually there in the way the game plays out. The pokémon of Post Town are generally friendly, hospitable types, and despite having supposedly given up hope, they put an awful lot of faith in an overenthusiastic pikachu and his best bud.

Things start off great with an introductory mission where you confront Gurrdurr, who was injured in an accident, became unable to work, and turned to crime out of bitterness and desperation. Like, that's actually a really mature and nuanced plotline for a pokémon game, or most video games, period? Way better than fighting some generic evil-just-because bandits, and it plays right into the game's theme of pokémon having given up and turned their backs on one another out of despair.

The issue is... that's the only mission you actually get like that. The rest are pretty standard adventure fare, with rescues and treasures and explorations to be had. And it would have been easy to make things feel more genuinely cynical. For example, what if instead of taking Umbreon in and healing him up, he'd instead come to the town begging for help, and the townsfolk had turned him away, being distrustful of outsiders, and the player/partner had had to go out and rescue him and Espeon despite their disapproval? What if they rejected the whole notion of the Entercards and refused to help the players/eeveelutions with their quest, on the basis of it being pointless, with only a couple exceptions? Ultimately, Post Town as presented in the game is just too supportive and welcoming a place for me to buy that pokémon society is in any way fallen apart. I mean, they're complaining about their literal happiness rainbows disappearing. And I mean, that's sad and all, but really, now. If Chunsoft had really committed to the narrative the games were trying to pitch, it could have been soooo gooood. But they weren't willing to go all the way, and as a result I think it just doesn't work.

I also didn't care for the heel-face turn of the villains towards the end of the series. Again, if you're going to have me buy that munna and company were really devoted to each other and had decided that the world was too sick to go on, but at least they could all face the end together, you need to actually have some scenes with the villains cackling at each other and chasing the player character down and acting generically evil. Like, even just something like the heros manage to . And again, if they actually could have SHOWN the dynamic between munna and her companions at work instead of just mentioning it when the villains needed redeeming, it would have been soooo gooood. I honestly think a fanfic following the basic plot of the game but actually making all the informed attributes visible in the narrative could be really, really good.

I was also a little disappointed by the fact that we never got much of an explanation of what the partner's deal was. There were some hints that his past wasn't very happy at all, and that he was kind of clinging to the whole "paradise" idea as a way of coping with that, but iirc that never actually went anywhere. And I don't think it needed to, necessarily--I think little hints here and there could paint a really sad picture without wallowing in "and then his twelve brothers and sisters were left destitute on the streets and three of them died horribly of pneumonia" or whatever. (Alternatively this was resolved somehow and I just completely forgot about it, which probably means it didn't have the impact I presume the writers would have wanted it to have.)

I mean, I know, looking for subtlety or nuance in a pokémon game storyline, but they were so close! Come on, guys, you could totally have pulled this one off!

Also, a small thing that bugged me was the whole "Hydreigon as spirit of life" or whatever that was. It seemed out of place for a pokémon game, like I don't think we've previously seen any sort of direct evidence for mystical, god-like forces outside legendary pokémon. I don't know why this guy couldn't have just been an ordinary hydreigon who happens to know about the connection between the human and pokémon worlds.

I did find the route they took with the player character's role interesting; very meta. Like, the player is only one of many humans in the world, and they're also LITERALLY YOU, not some character who's turned into a pokémon for reasons, but literally a person interacting with the pokémon world through the medium of the 3DS. The fourth-wall-breaking in the epilogue kind of weirded me out, but it just unsettles me in general when game characters turn and stare directly at you through the screen, aaaa. (Ghost Trick being the game that most freaks me out with this, of course.) But this was the first PMD game to try and address things like, doesn't the player miss their friends and family back in the human world? And overall I think it was well done.

On the mechanics side, I found this game to be incredibly easy. However, my team was also axew/pikachu, and I'm made to understand that axew is easy mode par excellence. Low-level dragon dance and dual chop is absolutely absurd, and beating Kyurem in two attacks was a little anticlimactic. But assuming the difficulty is more reasonable if you choose something like oshawott or snivy, then that's fine--although I like the personality quiz, having a sort of easily accessible "selectable difficulty" option is a good thing, although it would be nice if it were more clear which were the hard vs easy picks. (Okay, I know, I know, dragon, but still.)

I'm of two minds about the fact that inactive party members gain experience along with the active party. On the one hand, the total lack of grinding is pretty cool. On the other, it means that once any of your team gets too high-leveled for a certain level of dungeon/mission, then there's never going to be any challenge in playing that kind of mission again, because all of your pokémon will completely curbstomp it with no problem. And although they did a good job of speeding up the EXP-gain process once an underleveled pokémon actually gets to a dungeon, it's still a pain to have to click through party members learning eight new moves and evolving at the start of an expedition. On the whole I think it's a good thing, but it did irritate me at times.

The speed-up inside dungeons is mostly welcome, too, but combined with the changed field of view it often resulted in my last partner cheerfully wandering off to die and me not noticing until I'm all the way across the map because my character's dashing like a maniac. This became much less of a problem once I discovered reunion scarves and the fact that even equipping them from the other side of the dungeon will zap a wayward party member back to their rightful place, but for a while there I was rather stressed about keeping track of my party members at all times.

One common complaint I saw about the game was that there wasn't much pokémon variety. I didn't think this would bother me much, personally, but I actually found it very noticeable. Although there's a pretty large absolute number of species available (around 100, I think), when you consider how many different species are necessary to round out a dungeon, and then how many dungeons you'll go through over the course of the game, the lack of variety really does become noticeable. This was especially an issue for me at the beginning of the game, where a couple particularly irritating species (looking at you, litwick and klink) were EVERYWHERE. It meant that different dungeons felt same-y, even if the environment tiles were quite different. It didn't help that the pokémon are very heavy on Unovan lines, which by and large aren't my favorites.

Also the text speed... there is no effing excuse for the slow, fixed text speed. Same deal as with SuMo there. The cutscenes did not need to be longer!

But all in all I think the mechanics were an improvement over previous incarnations, and even the storyline, to some extent. It was just the blatant unfinished nature of the game and a couple seriously irritating elements that got introduced as a result that stopped it from being a top-tier entry in the series. It's disappointing, really, because I think they were trying to do something different and cool with this one, and just couldn't commit enough time and attention to make it work.

[synria]

pokemon moon review=personal opinion

Hi guys, its been a long time. I had pokemon moon as a christmas gift and i just finished the league and saw the ending and.....wow

disclaimer: english is not my mother language. And for the matter, in my mother language there is no personal pronoun “it” and “they” in the gender neutral sense that there is in english, so when typing in english and translating things from my mind from portuguese to english, sometimes a “he” will appear in the place.

I decided to make this post because playing pokemon moon really broke my expectations about the game. The plot, the characters, some of the new mechanics... everything combined(+ the fact i entered in it with a bit low expectations since xy) made me feel like it was one of my first times playing a (main) pokemon game, it felt like i was, for lack of better word, rediscovering pokemon and brought me feelings of when i was younger and played for the first time pokemon emerald and pokemon platinum

The feeling was indescribable, by the end of it i was in love with several characters the plot, my pokemon team, everything.

In the start, my expectations were a bit low. I was neutral/disliked some of the starters evolutions, the beginning was kinda slow and it felt a bit dragging(especially for someone who had played every pokemon main game since ruby)and since i at first face value disliked the trials aspects, i didnt bother searching about them.

 But wow, was i mistaken about them. They were incredible fun to play(the volcano one has a special place in my heart) and surprisingly hard to play(i mean the fights against the totem pokemon, the water trial one ended up wiping my team and the only reason i won was bc the water pokemon lost his school form) which made the experience incredible enjoyable and exciting.

My starter grew on me to the point where he reached one of the top favorite pokemon of mine. He might not have been the best, battle style speaking, but he was incredible, cute, and super fun to play with and pokemon refresh it.

The same happened to my pokemon team to the point where i was attached to every single one of them and the thought of not using them was unbearable. Heck, i, who on oras and xy was choosing pokemon basing at strenght (and cuteness) and was treading in the waters of competitive playing, barely gave a shit when i realized that my team was vulnerable to 2 different types and really needed a water pokemon in it, because i was too much attached to every single one of them and would do everything to make sure they stayed on the team

The characters of the story were the ones i was with high expectations to, and boy, did they had gone above and beyond with them, especially Lillie, Gladion, Lusamine, Guzma and Plumeria. 

I can’t even describe how much i loved Lillie development, discovering her and Gladion past, and her whole relationship with Nebby(to the point where i found unfair that we were the ones who got to keep Nebby, even tho i can accept her reasoning to it). I was tearing up at her discuss at the rain, at her going to kanto, and i cried when i saw her picture of her kissing Nebby forehead. I also cant describe how much i loved her speech to Lusamine at the ultra world. (still crying about it and her development) 

 Gladion, ugh, i loved his character and his relationship with Type:Null, and just... the last picture of him half-smiling affectionately while silvally licked( idk how to describe) his head killed me

 I also(from a writing standpoint) really loved Lusamine as the villain, i thought she was incredible as an antagonist, making me want to fight her and be creeped out by her, especially at the ultra world. It actually gave me goosebumps her speech, the music, and the scene combined.

Guzma....i think he was a very well-written character, especially with the way he coped badly to his abusive past and that ended up leading him to Lusamine hands. He is a very heartbreaking character especially considering post game it is said he returns to the house where his abuser is.

The plot and a bit of lore: 

boi boi boi this is another point i can’t even begin to explain how much i loved it. I was with very low expectations about this one considering xy bad timed plot and the “i am a scientist, so lets completely ignore water cycle”(i joke, but i liked oras to the point i bought both games) and the (in my opinion of having played a bunch of pokemon games and not being in the hype wave) way the plot started super slow. 

boi was i wrong

This plot was just wow. I can’t even. Wow. I absolutely loved it and the way it was introduced and the way it was handled. It was incredible. There were times were i was too much in it to the point i neglected to explore and to train my team and just ran towards the path of the plot because it was so good i couldnt simply wait to know what happens next. I could feel the urgency and i ran like the wind. In many ways it made the experience even more enjoyable because (ignoring pmd) it was one of the first pokemon games where i cared too much and had to help everyone. Heck, before the league, my team was 5 to 6 levels below the weakest elite four and i had to grind (and cry bc i only found out about the only lucky egg you can receive in the game being a time locked thing in the sense if you passed some part of the story) simply because i felt i hadn't time to waste, we had to go to ultra world now and i couldnt stall and do battles.

Summary: i really loved pokemon moon. Its characters were incredible and amazing. The new mechanics were fun and challenging. It made me fall in love with my team. And it gave me that special feeling you have when you are playing for the first time a game and are in wonder about everything. And quite frankly is now my second favorite pokemon main game

[jumpchain-drop]

Chapter 3.24: 4.29 Years

Year 5, day 108: From my perspective, Banjo’s adventures were as good as over. Nuts & Bolts would be another ten years, and the world would end before then. Maybe Banjo-Pilot would be in the intervening time, if at all, but who knows.

My team had filled me in on what was going on the entire time I was in Cauldron Keep. Banjo needed Master Jiggywiggy’s help to break the barriers; the Crystal Jiggy could break them, but it needed its power supplemented by Jiggies that Banjo brought to the temple to be strong enough to do so. Terra and the others had tried to follow my path into the Keep, only to find the stronger barrier and be forced to retreat (I think I remember some commotion among the guards at about that time). They weren’t sure why they tried to lock down those particular areas; best guess was trying to split up and isolate any rebellious forces and keep everyone grouped together in nice easy-to-B.O.B. targets. They decided to help Banjo and Kazooie find Jiggies so they could get back to me as fast as they could. They also pitched our Jiggies in after Jiggywiggy confirmed fine, they can have them back after the world’s saved, but only those and he insisted on keeping two.

Also it turns out that no one other than the rest of the team can understand Shadow. Apparently you only get the local language if you’re imported. And the light next to his name on the roster board turned on, only the color was yellow. Guess that’s for companions I call in.

At least the witches were gone. Peace reigned (well enough) though the entire known Isle o’ Hags, a name that was now significantly less self-explanatory.

Myself, I’ve taken to be a major homebody. No one blamed me. I bought like ten different Jinjo plushies because I wanted to be surrounded in softness. Oh yeah, the Gray Jinjos have rebuilt their house and returned home. Jingaling was very grateful. Anyways, I’ve left Terra handling some tasks while I healed.

Piddle has taken to keeping his Glowbos in a pen and seeing if they make eggs. I don’t know where he got that information; certainly it wasn’t unknown in the PMD universe, but it’s not like I’d thought he’d actively seek it out. I don’t even know how Glowbos reproduce, but I’m half-certain biology has nothing to do with it.

At least I’m pretty sure his new Glowbo isn’t the child of two of his current ones. I had Terra speak with Mumbo. The guy’s looking to get out of the shaman business now that the witches are gone, but she convinced him that he could use someone to pass his skills to. Long story short, Mumbo is now mentoring Piddle in the art of non-transformation magic, though each spell still requires an individual Glowbo and he isn’t bringing them for him.

By the way, Piddle told me about the transformation tied to his third Glowbo shortly after we got back home: submarine. He said that now we could swim freely with him. He’s such a good kid.

Terra came home this evening with amazing news. She and Bitbit presented the case of the fact I was trapped behind enemy lines for a month and a third to Jamjars, and negotiated from that a disclosure of their underground crop growing methods and all the information needed to set one up ourselves.

God, I love that woman.

[internetdetectives]

9/3/19 - Chat with Moonman and GHOSTBABEL

moonman31  11:58 AM: "what the fuck is going on”

Slinky stinks  11:58 AM: "moonman”

ARGdov  11:58 AM: "apparently someone accidentally played the elegy again because tenebris decided to fuck with song playing rules”

Slinky stinks  11:58 AM: "Can i ask you sum?”

moonman31  11:58 AM: "what's up”

Slinky stinks  11:58 AM: "okay”

Slinky stinks  11:58 AM: "remember you said you saw something”

moonman31  11:59 AM: "yeah”

Slinky stinks  11:59 AM: "https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/611329478316130346/618208412290777098/06091401120312050118091407150620080516012008.gif”

Slinky stinks  11:59 AM: “it looked like this?”

moonman31  11:59 AM: "no”

Slinky stinks  11:59 AM: "hmmm”

moonman31  11:59 AM: "but i recognize that image”

Slinky stinks  11:59 AM: "do you have any  clue of what this is?”

mfgreth  12:00 PM: "that's endymion

mfgreth  12:00 PM: "it's a painting”

Slinky stinks  12:00 PM: “i knew it was a fuvking painting”

ARGdov  12:00 PM: "endymion”

moonman31  12:00 PM: "wait”

moonman31  12:00 PM: "yeah i was gonna say that”

moonman31  12:00 PM: "what the fuck”

moonman31  12:00 PM: "ok well”

Slinky stinks  12:01 PM: "@Jos”

ARGdov  12:01 PM: ((The Diana and Endymion painting is posted))

moonman31  12:01 PM: "oh he's gone”

moonman31  12:01 PM: "ok”

Slinky stinks  12:01 PM: "it was a painting”

moonman31  12:01 PM: "weird”

ARGdov  12:01 PM: "fuck ok”

ARGdov  12:01 PM: "I gotta learn what the myth is”

ARGdov  12:01 PM: "its”

ARGdov  12:01 PM: "oh shit”

ARGdov  12:01 PM: "the name of the myth is "Diana and Endymion"”

Slinky stinks  12:01 PM: "moony do you know what does that myth rpresent?”

ARGdov  12:01 PM: "I think we need to figure it out for ourselves, dude”

Slinky stinks  12:01 PM: "ok..”

moonman31  12:01 PM: "epic”

Slinky stinks  12:02 PM: "if thats an arcangel…”

moonman31  12:02 PM: "ok well”

moonman31  12:02 PM: "i will try and help the best i can”

ARGdov  12:02 PM: "what the fuck is this myth”

ARGdov  12:02 PM: "its really fucked up”

Wolfcat  12:02 PM: "slinky what sound file did you post?”

Slinky stinks  12:02 PM: "explain”

ARGdov  12:03 PM: "so tl;dr this goddess named Selene really crushed on this guy named Endymion, and she ARGdov  12:03 PM: "really liked how he looked when he was sleeping”

ARGdov  12:03 PM: "so she was like”

ARGdov  12:03 PM: ""yo zeus, can I have this guy”"

ARGdov  12:03 PM: "and Zeus was like "lol sure"”

ARGdov  12:03 PM: "and put him into eternal sleep, so she could always go and look at him”

Slinky stinks  12:03 PM: "ummm”

ARGdov  12:03 PM: "she then proceeded to basically rape him while he was sleeping and sired a bunch of babies from him”

Slinky stinks  12:03 PM: "THAT ESCALATED QUICKLY”

Jos  12:04 PM: "@slinç”

Jos  12:04 PM: "slin ky what”

moonman31  12:04 PM: "sounds like some moon occultist shit 2 me”

ARGdov  12:04 PM: "but here's the thing”

Slinky stinks  12:04 PM: "it was a painting after all”

ARGdov  12:04 PM: "the original name of the goddess was Selene”

Jos  12:04 PM: "yes why wouldnt it be?”

Slinky stinks  12:04 PM: "hm”

Jos  12:04 PM: "it has painting shape”

ARGdov  12:04 PM: "guess what her name was when the renaissance painters learned about this myth”

Wolfcat  12:04 PM: "slinky, where did you get the elegy?”

ARGdov  12:04 PM: "they changed the name to "Diana"”

Slinky stinks  12:04 PM: "diana?”

Slinky stinks  12:04 PM: "wolf i'll pm you wait”

ARGdov  12:04 PM: "Diana was the name of Patrem (aka Hank's) wife”

Slinky stinks  12:05 PM: "oh fuck”

ARGdov  12:05 PM: "Patrem thought Luna was Diana”

Slinky stinks  12:05 PM: "and i think tyler is endymion maybe”

ARGdov  12:05 PM: "so, while it's a bit of a stretch- Diana in this myth is meant to represent Luna, probably”

Wolfcat  12:05 PM: "i just need to know where it originated”

Slinky stinks  12:05 PM: "eternal sleep”

ARGdov  12:05 PM: "if thats so thats fucked up lol”

Slinky stinks  12:05 PM: "okay ill pm you wolfo”

ARGdov  12:05 PM: "but yeah I do think Endymion would make sense as Tyler”

ARGdov  12:05 PM: "but then that raises a bunch of fucked up questions.”

ARGdov  12:05 PM: "Mainly how much does the myth actually apply to this situation”

Slinky stinks  12:06 PM: "guys i just noticed a thing”

Slinky stinks  12:06 PM: "the "elegy" i posted”

ARGdov  12:07 PM: "because I kind of assume that Luna doesnt want to bone Tyler to have his babies, and I doubt she's capable of even doing that”

Slinky stinks  12:07 PM: "has an artist attached to it”

Slinky stinks  12:07 PM: "wait”

ARGdov  12:07 PM: "wait does it?”

ARGdov  12:07 PM: "who's the artist?”

ARGdov  12:07 PM: "(also where did you find it anyways?)”

Slinky stinks  12:07 PM: ((A screenshot showing the file “NewPathsOpen.mp3” is shown depicting the artist of the file reading “Elegy of Emptiness Dubstep Glitch Remix - By Zaxiade (Majora's Mask 3DS N64)”))

Slinky stinks  12:07 PM: "lol”

ARGdov  12:08 PM: "oh ok thats the youtuber who made it”

Slinky stinks  12:08 PM: "its a error”

ARGdov  12:08 PM: "oh is it?”

ARGdov  12:08 PM: "my bad”

Slinky stinks  12:08 PM: "prolly greth did a mistake f”

Slinky stinks  12:08 PM: "lemme search form it anyways”

ARGdov  12:08 PM: "ok”

Slinky stinks  12:09 PM: "no silent comments”

Slinky stinks  12:09 PM: "its just a mistake”

Slinky stinks  12:09 PM: "okay so now we have a myth about falling asleep and rapists”

Slinky stinks  12:09 PM: "and a monster we still dont know what/where is it”

ARGdov  12:10 PM: "Im not sure if the raping/having his babies part is going to apply here

but at the very least the sleeping part”

Slinky stinks  12:10 PM: "or is it????”

Slinky stinks  12:10 PM: "7u7”

ARGdov  12:10 PM: "Im not sure”

ARGdov  12:10 PM: "I hope not”

Slinky stinks  12:10 PM: "got pmd”

ARGdov  12:10 PM: "and I kind of doubt it but I could be wron”

ARGdov  12:10 PM: "oh?”

Slinky stinks  12:11 PM: "sure you looked hard enough?”

Slinky stinks  12:11 PM: "only hint you'll ever get”

Slinky stinks  12:11 PM: "we need to go deeper”

ARGdov  12:11 PM: "....”

ARGdov  12:11 PM: "ok so there MIGHT be a comment on that youtube”

ARGdov  12:11 PM: "video”

Slinky stinks  12:11 PM: "GOT A PIC”

ARGdov  12:11 PM: "??”

Slinky stinks  12:11 PM: "there is a comment”

ARGdov  12:11 PM: "oh?!”

ARGdov  12:11 PM: "fuck” 

Slinky stinks  12:12 PM: "its occult”

Slinky stinks  12:12 PM: "i dont see it but there is a comment”

ARGdov  12:12 PM: "Im confused”

ARGdov  12:12 PM: "can you send me the pic?”

Slinky stinks  12:12 PM: ((A screenshot of a comment made by Greth Vlogs containing a cipher is shown))

ARGdov  12:12 PM: "oh damn”

Slinky stinks  12:12 PM: "i dont see the comment on the video but h sent me these”

Slinky stinks  12:12 PM: "im gonna translate wait”

Slinky stinks  12:12 PM: "got it”

Slinky stinks  12:12 PM: "we are going much deeper even now”

ARGdov  12:15 PM: "Daaamn”

ARGdov  12:15 PM: "thats a lot of...something”

ARGdov  12:15 PM: "it doesnt mean a while lot right now”

ARGdov  12:15 PM: "what does that even mean”

Slinky stinks  12:16 PM: "idk”

Slinky stinks  12:16 PM: "i just know he left that on purpose”

ARGdov  12:16 PM: "well yeah of course”

Slinky stinks  12:16 PM: "so we should check the other audio files just in case”

ARGdov  12:16 PM: "and its a hint of...something I guess”

moonman31  12:16 PM: ((A similar screenshot is shown showing two more replies made by Greth Vlogs, both containing ciphers))

ARGdov  12:16 PM: ""we are going much deeper now"”

ARGdov  12:16 PM: "oh gosh”

moonman31  12:17 PM: "i can help now and then”

Slinky stinks  12:17 PM: "Where did you get those moony?”

moonman31  12:17 PM: "same video”

ARGdov  12:17 PM: "ok we probably need to actually find those comments because those are going to take forever to copy from an image”

Slinky stinks  12:17 PM: "why i dont see them”

Wolfcat  12:17 PM: "brainlet”

moonman31  12:17 PM: "ORUGKIDQN53WK4RAN5TCA4LVNFXHIZLTONSW4Y3FEB2GQ4TFMUQHAYLSORZSA33GEBQSA53IN5WGK===”

ARGdov  12:17 PM: "try refreshing?”

moonman31  12:17 PM: "O5UGC5BAO5UWY3BAPFXXKIDEN4QHO2DFNYQGK5TFOJ4XI2DJNZTSAZLOMRZT6IDXNFWGYIDZN52SAYLXMFUXIIDGN5ZCA2LUEB2G6IDUMFVWKIDZN52T6IDXNFWGYIDZN52SAZTJM5UHIPY=”

Slinky stinks  12:17 PM: "ty”

Slinky stinks  12:17 PM: "xen”

Slinky stinks  12:17 PM: "i think you wanna see this”

Slinky stinks  12:17 PM: "the power of quintessence three parts of a whole”

Slinky stinks  12:17 PM: "what will you do when everything ends? will you await for it to take you? will you fight?”

Slinky stinks  12:17 PM: "@Xenquility  knows about this stuff”

Slinky stinks  12:17 PM: "he can help us”

ARGdov  12:18 PM: "quin·tes·sence /ˌkwinˈtesəns/ -the most perfect or typical example of a quality or class. -the aspect of something regarded as the intrinsic and central constituent of its character. -a refined essence or extract of a substance.”

Slinky stinks  12:19 PM: "yee”

ARGdov  12:19 PM: "I kind of figured thats what it meant since thats what quintessential means but I wanted to double check”

Slinky stinks  12:19 PM: "what will you do when everything ends? will you await for it to take you? will you fight?”

Slinky stinks  12:19 PM: "what the fuck does that mean”

ARGdov  12:19 PM: "presumably when the world ends”

Slinky stinks  12:20 PM: "11/11”

Slinky stinks  12:20 PM: "they are going 4 the giant awakening ritual”

ARGdov  12:20 PM: ""three parts of a whole"”

ARGdov  12:20 PM: "hmmm”

Slinky stinks  12:20 PM: "i mean”

ARGdov  12:21 PM: "ok, I get what that means, but I dont understand what its referring to”

Slinky stinks  12:21 PM: "we havent met the four IIII yet”

Slinky stinks  12:21 PM: "only three kinda”

moonman31  12:21 PM: "four giants, and 3”

ARGdov  12:21 PM: ""three parts of a whole", 3....somethings make up a larger whole”

moonman31  12:21 PM: "just missing a 2”

ARGdov  12:21 PM: "...damn yeah”

moonman31  12:21 PM: "just sayin”

Slinky stinks  12:21 PM: "wait what?”

Slinky stinks  12:21 PM: "i mean we havent met II yet”

Slinky stinks  12:21 PM: "the rest we know them”

moonman31  12:22 PM: "you are fresh slinky i like that”

Slinky stinks  12:22 PM: "ty :D”

moonman31  12:22 PM: "my boy DOV knew what was up though”

Slinky stinks  12:22 PM: "but yeah”

ARGdov  12:22 PM: "so here's what we do know”

ARGdov  12:22 PM: ""The ceremony seems to require the following individuals:”

ARGdov  12:22 PM: "The Four Giants”

ARGdov  12:22 PM: ""The Link" - Tyler””

ARGdov  12:22 PM: ""The Mask" - Tenebris"”

Slinky stinks  12:22 PM: "I is the "true patrem" as he said”

Slinky stinks  12:22 PM: "III is the one they hate, as seen is the comments of the videos”

ARGdov  12:23 PM: "assuming this is about the ritual, which Im not sure it is, Im still not sure what the three parts would mean”

Slinky stinks  12:23 PM: "and IIII is the one with the glad mans pic”

Slinky stinks  12:23 PM: "we still have II left”

ARGdov  12:23 PM: "didnt we already figure out one of them is Tenebris”

Slinky stinks  12:23 PM: "I is the true patrem”

ARGdov  12:23 PM: "that | is tenebris?”

ARGdov  12:23 PM: "shit wait not”

Slinky stinks  12:24 PM: "tho idk if he is tenebris”

ARGdov  12:24 PM: "that IIIII is tenebris””

Slinky stinks  12:24 PM: "it was I”

Slinky stinks  12:24 PM: "not IIII”

Slinky stinks  12:24 PM: "i think”

Slinky stinks  12:24 PM: "the majora pic is I”

Slinky stinks  12:24 PM: "and he was the Im glad you did that UwU”

ARGdov  12:25 PM: "right ok...huh”

ARGdov  12:25 PM: "dunno who IIIII is, maybe that's tyler then, who the fuck knows”

Slinky stinks  12:25 PM: "its confusing”

ARGdov  12:25 PM: "Ive got a feeling its not referring to that though”

Slinky stinks  12:25 PM: "IIII is the glad mans dud”

ARGdov  12:25 PM: "ah”

ARGdov  12:25 PM: "Im not sure what the three parts would be then”

ARGdov  12:25 PM: "I do have a thought though but it's probably wrong and wont really help us”

Slinky stinks  12:27 PM: "hm”

ARGdov  12:27 PM: "because when I think of "three parts of a whole" in the context of religion, I think of the holy trinity in christianity. “

ARGdov  12:27 PM: "But that's a stretch, and it doesnt really make anything clearer”

ARGdov  12:27 PM: "*in catholicism, specifically, I guess”

Slinky stinks  12:28 PM: "hmmmm”

ARGdov  12:28 PM: "I dont think that's right, to be clea”

ARGdov  12:28 PM: "maybe it is referring to the ritual”

Slinky stinks  12:28 PM: "the only thing we know is that they are gonna try something”

ARGdov  12:29 PM: "ok, so this is a bit of a stretch but”

ARGdov  12:29 PM: ""The ceremony seems to require the following individuals:”

ARGdov  12:29 PM: "The Four Giants”

ARGdov  12:29 PM: ""The Link" - Tyler”

ARGdov  12:29 PM: ""The Mask" - Tenebris"”

Slinky stinks  12:29 PM: "makes sense”

ARGdov  12:29 PM: ""the Four Giants", "The Link", and "The Mask"”

ARGdov  12:29 PM: "three parts”

ARGdov  12:29 PM: "of a whole”

ARGdov  12:29 PM: "of course one of those parts is four different people so im not sure if that works, but you need all three of those components to enact the ritual”

ARGdov  12:29 PM: "if it is referring to the ritual, it probably means that?”

Mr t series good  12:30 PM: "500 iq dov”

Jos  12:30 PM: "tldl my pms please im busy”

Mr t series good  12:30 PM: "yeah probably”

Mr t series good  12:30 PM: "what does tldl mean”

Slinky stinks  12:31 PM: "im pretty sure that "ceremony" is the Undecim nocte tyler was asissting”

ARGdov  12:31 PM: "although, Moonman did suggest that if there are "four giants", and "three....somethings", there's probably two of something else....which would suggest thats not right”

ARGdov  12:31 PM: "I dont think it was Undecim Nocte”

ARGdov  12:31 PM: "that ceremony Tyler went to, I mean”

ARGdov  12:31 PM: "the day was wrong”

Slinky stinks  12:31 PM: "we haven't technically met II and III”

Slinky stinks  12:31 PM: "they are two”

Slinky stinks  12:31 PM: "we know who one of them are but we haven't met them yet”

ARGdov  12:32 PM: "Im wondering if those images we got that night called "path" and "split" had something to do with it”

ARGdov  12:32 PM: "Im guessing that the ritual had more to do with more dimension shenanigins”

Slinky stinks  12:32 PM: "hmmmm”

Slinky stinks  12:32 PM: "this is really confusing”

ARGdov  12:32 PM: "because we first got those images the same night”

ARGdov  12:32 PM: "either way, somethings going deeper”

ARGdov  12:32 PM: "maybe that literally just means”

ARGdov  12:32 PM: ""we are getting closer to conducting the ritual"”

Slinky stinks  12:33 PM: "okay…”

ARGdov  12:34 PM: "but I am wondering if Moonman pointing out that there are "four giants" and "we just need to find two of something" means the three components thing isnt referring to the ritual”

ARGdov  12:34 PM: "Im not sure”

ARGdov  12:34 PM: "I guess we'll find out”

Slinky stinks  12:34 PM: "lets wait then”

ARGdov  12:34 PM: "I dont think there's much else we can do at the moment so....yeah”

Slinky stinks  12:35 PM: "also what the fuck with the "elegy dubstep glitch remix"”

ARGdov  12:35 PM: "we've got a few pieces of information but not much else to go by, just more clues to stack up on top of other shit”

Slinky stinks  12:35 PM: "dunno”

Slinky stinks  12:35 PM: "okay so lets wait and stand proud”

Slinky stinks  12:35 PM: "lol”

Mr t series good  12:37 PM: "is that a jojo reference”

ɢʜᴏsᴛʙᴀʙᴇʟ  12:38 PM: "sᴍᴀʟʟ ᴜᴘᴅᴀᴛᴇ ᴏɴ ᴏᴜʀ sɪᴛᴜᴀᴛɪᴏɴ: ɪ ꜰᴇᴇʟ ᴀᴏ ʜᴀs ʙᴇᴄᴏᴍᴇ ᴍᴏʀᴇ ᴜɴsᴛᴀʙʟᴇ. sᴏᴍᴇᴛʜɪɴɢ ʜᴀs ɪᴛ, ɪɴ ʟɪᴇᴜ ᴏꜰ ʟɪɢʜᴛᴇʀ ᴛᴇʀᴍs, 'ꜰᴜᴄᴋᴇᴅ ᴜᴘ'. ɪᴛ ᴍᴀʏ ɴᴏᴛ ᴀᴘᴘᴇᴀʀ sᴏ ʙᴜᴛ ᴛʜᴇ ᴅᴀᴛᴀ ɪs ɴᴏᴛ ᴡʜᴇʀᴇ ɪᴛ ᴡᴀs.”

ARGdov  12:39 PM: "jesus fuck”

Mr t series good  12:39 PM: "babel as i like to say”

Mr t series good  12:39 PM: "it be like that”

ARGdov  12:39 PM: "maybe thats Tenebris' doing?”

Mr t series good  12:39 PM: "probably yeah”

ARGdov  12:39 PM: "seeing as we somehow accidentally played it twice through some nonsense”

ɢʜᴏsᴛʙᴀʙᴇʟ  12:39 PM: "sᴘᴇᴀᴋɪɴɢ ʙʟᴜɴᴛʟʏ ɪᴛ ᴡᴀs ᴀʟᴡᴀʏs ᴀ ʟɪᴛᴛʟᴇ ᴜɴsᴛᴀʙʟᴇ, ᴇsᴘᴇᴄɪᴀʟʟʏ ᴘᴏsᴛ-ᴇxᴄᴜʀsɪᴏɴ ᴛᴏ ʀᴇsᴄᴜᴇ ᴍᴏᴏɴʜᴇᴀᴅ, ʙᴜᴛ…”

Slinky stinks  12:40 PM: "oh hello babel”

Wolfcat  12:40 PM: "I think I understand the Endymion symbolism now”

Slinky stinks  12:40 PM: "how”

Wolfcat  12:41 PM: "the IDs are repeatedly raping AO”

ɢʜᴏsᴛʙᴀʙᴇʟ  12:41 PM: "ɪ ᴀᴍ ɴᴏᴛ ᴇɴᴛɪʀᴇʟʏ sᴜʀᴇ ᴀʙᴏᴜᴛ ᴛʜᴀᴛ, ʙᴜᴛ ʏᴏᴜ ᴀʀᴇ ᴀᴡᴀʀᴇ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ᴛʜᴇsᴇ ᴡᴇʙsɪᴛᴇs ʜᴀᴠᴇ ᴀ ᴛᴇɴᴅᴇɴᴄʏ ᴛᴏ ʜᴏsᴛ sᴘɪʀɪᴛs, ʏᴇs? ᴊᴏʜɴɪsᴅᴇᴀᴅ ɪs ᴄᴏɴɴᴇᴄᴛᴇᴅ ᴛᴏ ᴀᴏ ᴛʜʀᴏᴜɢʜ sᴛʀᴀɴɢᴇ ᴇɴᴏᴜɢʜ ᴍᴇᴀɴs ʙᴜᴛ ᴡʜᴇɴ ɴᴏᴄᴛᴀ sᴛᴀʀᴛᴇᴅ ᴀᴅᴅɪɴɢ sᴘɪʀɪᴛs ᴛᴏ ʜɪs ᴏᴡɴ ɪɴᴠᴇɴᴛᴏʀʏ, ᴀs ɪᴛ ᴡᴇʀᴇ, ᴛʜɪɴɢs ʜᴀᴠᴇ... ᴡᴇʟʟ, ɢᴏᴛᴛᴇɴ ᴡᴏʀsᴇ.”

ARGdov  12:42 PM: "I mena thats not surprising

Slinky stinks  12:42 PM: "when we will be able to enter the subspace?”

Slinky stinks  12:42 PM: “sorry for the question”

ARGdov  12:42 PM: "Johnisdead is a wonky, psyehcedlic hellscape maze of a website”

ARGdov  12:42 PM: "I never considered that was due to it hosting the spirits, but I guess it makes sense”

Slinky stinks  12:42 PM: "if they are heading to do their thing on 11/11 we dont have that much of a time”

ɢʜᴏsᴛʙᴀʙᴇʟ  12:43 PM: "ɪ ᴛʜɪɴᴋ ᴛʜᴇ ɴᴇxᴛ ʙᴇsᴛ sᴛᴇᴘ ᴏꜰ ᴏᴜʀs ɪs ᴛᴏ ʜᴇʟᴘ ᴛʜᴇ ᴘʀɪᴍᴀʀʏ sᴘɪʀɪᴛ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ɪs ᴄᴀᴜsɪɴɢ ᴛʜɪs ɪssᴜᴇ ᴇsᴄᴀᴘᴇ ᴛᴏ sᴏᴍᴇᴡʜᴇʀᴇ ᴇʟsᴇ, ꜰʀᴀɴᴋʟʏ ᴘᴜᴛ.”

Slinky stinks  12:43 PM: "you know that migth be tenebris rigth?”

ɢʜᴏsᴛʙᴀʙᴇʟ  12:43 PM: "ɪ ᴅᴏɴ'ᴛ ᴛʜɪɴᴋ sᴏ.”

Slinky stinks  12:44 PM: "moony saw a thing”

ARGdov  12:44 PM: "wait if its not tenebris who the fuck would it be”

Slinky stinks  12:44 PM: "prolly the spirit and or tenebris”

ɢʜᴏsᴛʙᴀʙᴇʟ  12:44 PM: "ʏᴏᴜ ᴀʀᴇ ǫᴜɪᴄᴋ ᴛᴏ ᴀssᴜᴍᴇ ʙᴇɴ ɪs ᴛʜᴇ ᴄᴀᴜsᴇ ᴏꜰ ᴀʟʟ ʏᴏᴜʀ ᴡᴏᴇs.”

Mr t series good  12:44 PM: "who else could it be?”

ARGdov  12:44 PM: "tenebris, actuallly. we dont know what happened to Ben”

Mr t series good  12:44 PM: ":thinking:”

ARGdov  12:44 PM: "so”

ARGdov  12:44 PM: "lets think”

ARGdov  12:44 PM: "Yuki's probably in there too, but shit didnt get super wonky until a long time after she got ascended”

ɢʜᴏsᴛʙᴀʙᴇʟ  12:45 PM: "ᴛʜᴀᴛ ʙᴇɪɴɢ sᴀɪᴅ ᴛʜɪs sᴘɪʀɪᴛ ɪsɴ'ᴛ ᴄᴀᴜsɪɴɢ ᴀɴʏ ᴅɪʀᴇᴄᴛ ʜᴀʀᴍ ᴛᴏ ʏᴏᴜ, ʙᴜᴛ ɪᴛ ᴍᴀᴋᴇs ɪᴛ ᴅᴀɴɢᴇʀᴏᴜs ᴛᴏ ᴏᴘᴇʀᴀᴛᴇ ᴏɴ ᴛʜᴇ ʟᴇᴠᴇʟ ᴡᴇ ɴᴇᴇᴅ ᴛᴏ ʙᴇ ᴀᴛ.”

ARGdov  12:45 PM: "Moonman was trapped there for a time but he's out now”

Mr t series good  12:45 PM: "so maybe she is the one thats causing this”

ARGdov  12:45 PM: "I just said she was added a long time before shit went a little nuts”

ɢʜᴏsᴛʙᴀʙᴇʟ  12:45 PM: "ᴛʜᴀᴛ's ᴊᴜsᴛ ɪᴛ, ɪ ᴡᴀs ᴡᴏʀᴋɪɴɢ ᴍʏ ᴡᴀʏ ᴀʀᴏᴜɴᴅ ɢᴇᴛᴛɪɴɢ ᴛʜᴇʀᴇ ʙᴜᴛ ɪ ʙᴇʟɪᴇᴠᴇ ʏᴜᴜᴋɪ ɪs ᴛʜᴇ ᴏɴᴇ ᴄᴀᴜsɪɴɢ ᴛʜɪs, ɪɴᴅɪʀᴇᴄᴛʟʏ ᴏʀ ɴᴏᴛ.”

ARGdov  12:45 PM: "I think, at least”

ARGdov  12:45 PM: "oh”

ARGdov  12:45 PM: "well then”

Slinky stinks  12:46 PM: "thats why isaid it may be tenebris”

ARGdov  12:46 PM: "I have a big mouth”

Slinky stinks  12:46 PM: "bc when moon head was Inside with thm he saw himor at least that thing”

ARGdov  12:46 PM: "but hang on where can we let her escape too?”

ɢʜᴏsᴛʙᴀʙᴇʟ  12:46 PM: "ɪ ᴄᴏᴜʟᴅ ʙᴇ ᴡʀᴏɴɢ ʙᴜᴛ ɪ ʜᴀᴠᴇ ᴍʏ ᴅᴏᴜʙᴛs ᴀʙᴏᴜᴛ ᴍʏ ᴏᴡɴ ᴀʙɪʟɪᴛʏ ᴛᴏ ᴀɴᴀʟʏᴢᴇ ᴛʜᴇsᴇ ᴛʜɪɴɢs.”

ARGdov  12:47 PM: "the only other website we know of that can properly host spirits that's still around is johnisdead”

ARGdov  12:47 PM: "and thats literally a digital purgatory”

Slinky stinks  12:47 PM: "sorry im playing gta while typing”

ɢʜᴏsᴛʙᴀʙᴇʟ  12:48 PM: "sᴏᴍᴇᴛɪᴍᴇs ᴀ sᴍᴀʟʟ sᴀᴄʀɪꜰɪᴄᴇ ɪs ɴᴇᴇᴅᴇᴅ ꜰᴏʀ ᴛʜᴇ ɢʀᴇᴀᴛᴇʀ ɢᴏᴏᴅ. ʙᴇsɪᴅᴇs, ɪꜰ ʏᴏᴜ ᴀʟʟ ᴀʀᴇ ᴀʙʟᴇ ᴛᴏ sᴛᴏᴘ ᴛʜᴇ ᴇɴᴅ ɢᴏᴀʟ ᴏꜰ ᴀ ᴍᴏᴏɴ ᴄᴜʟᴛ ᴅᴇsᴛʀᴏʏɪɴɢ ᴏᴜʀ ʀᴇᴀʟɪᴛɪᴇs ᴛʜᴇɴ ɪ ᴅᴏɴ'ᴛ ᴛʜɪɴᴋ ʏᴜᴜᴋɪ ᴡᴏᴜʟᴅ ᴜʟᴛɪᴍᴀᴛᴇʟʏ ᴏʙᴊᴇᴄᴛ.”

Slinky stinks  12:48 PM: "hm”

ARGdov  12:49 PM: "true”

ARGdov  12:49 PM: "I just wish there was a better way than trapping her in Johnisdead”

Slinky stinks  12:50 PM: "if we trapped her we could talk to er thru pididoip@gmail.com maybe”

ARGdov  12:51 PM: “actually are any souls still in there? Im assuming so.”

Slinky stinks  12:51 PM: "i htink so but they dont talk anymore for some reason”

ARGdov  12:51 PM: "well they rarely do unless we send an email”

otherLiam  12:52 PM: "She’s already trapped in AO. Trading one purgatory for another really isn’t that bad.”

ARGdov  12:52 PM: "I guess so”

ARGdov  12:52 PM: "but how do we do it? and can we tell her we're doing it?”

Slinky stinks  12:52 PM: "and how are we going to do that”

Slinky stinks  12:52 PM: "yee”

otherLiam  12:52 PM: "At least on JID she’ll have company.”

Slinky stinks  12:52 PM: "i mean she still can post”

Slinky stinks  12:52 PM: "She has company”

ARGdov  12:53 PM: "ok Im going to redownload the discord app so I can hkeep up with things today on my phone”

ARGdov  12:53 PM: "Ok downloaded”

ARGdov  12:53 PM: "I need to get gas and go to work”

otherLiam  12:54 PM: "There are some items/songs that could work, but I’d be worried about Tenebris misinterpreting them.”

ARGdov  12:54 PM: "I think there may be other options”

Slinky stinks  12:54 PM: "tenbris is gonna yoink those items and we all know that”

otherLiam  12:54 PM: "...this is a stupid idea but what if we PM: " her account with a link to johnisdead?”

ARGdov  12:54 PM: "@ɢʜᴏsᴛʙᴀʙᴇʟ do you have any way of moving her to JiD on your end?”

Slinky stinks  12:54 PM: "could be”

Slinky stinks  12:54 PM: "the liam's idea could work pretty nice”

otherLiam  12:56 PM: "The issue is, johnisdead is still locked.”

Slinky stinks  12:56 PM: "ah fuck thats rigth”

Slinky stinks  12:56 PM: "hmm”

Slinky stinks  12:56 PM: "this is so confusing”

ɢʜᴏsᴛʙᴀʙᴇʟ  1:00 PM: "sᴏʀʀʏ, ɪ ᴡᴀs ᴀᴡᴀʏ ꜰʀᴏᴍ ᴋᴇʏʙᴏᴀʀᴅ ᴇᴀᴛɪɴɢ ᴘɪᴢᴢᴀ. ᴀɴᴅ ɴᴏ, ɪ ᴡᴏᴜʟᴅ ʜᴀᴠᴇ ᴛᴏ ʟᴏᴏᴋ ɪɴᴛᴏ ɪᴛ.”

Slinky stinks  1:01 PM: "damn you like pizza”

Slinky stinks  1:01 PM: "okay so thats weird”

Slinky stinks  1:01 PM: "the pass is still a secret”

ɢʜᴏsᴛʙᴀʙᴇʟ  1:04 PM: "ʜᴇᴀᴅɪɴɢ ᴏꜰꜰ ꜰᴏʀ ɴᴏᴡ, ɪ ᴡɪʟʟ ʜᴀᴠᴇ ᴍᴏʀᴇ ɪɴꜰᴏʀᴍᴀᴛɪᴏɴ ʟᴀᴛᴇʀ, ᴘᴇʀʜᴀᴘs.”

Slinky stinks  1:04 PM: "ok”

Slinky stinks  1:04 PM: "goodbye gb”

[ricardosousalemos]

DMX: It's Dark and Hell is Hot

Earl Simmons suffered a lonely and abusive childhood where as a troubled kid he would sometimes wander the streets and befriend stray dogs. Uprooted from his native Baltimore at a young age, the Yonkers transplant did several stints in New York’s Children’s Village group home, where he first started fiddling with drum machines and beatboxing as a means of escape. He segued from DJing to rapping as a young adult, taking the name DMX from the drum machine he used. The young rapper made a name for himself on New York’s battle circuit with a commanding voice and overwhelming tenacity. Aggressiveness would become his calling card as an MC, a defense mechanism held over from when the days when armed robbery helped him survive on the streets. His battles to live and cope both in and outside of rap would lead to 1998’s It’s Dark and Hell Is Hot, his haunting debut, a tragically clear-eyed criminal manifesto that dared to greet damnation with defiance and a psalm.

Rocking a skull-embroidered hat, DMX the Great appeared in The Source’s Unsigned Hype column in January 1991, garnering comparisons to LL Cool J, PMD, and Hit Squad’s K-Solo (whom DMX had met in prison). The earliest DMX demos were tedious, without the defining presence he’d grow into. But it was in the ring that he truly built his rep, making an indelible mark on the underground scene with heavily rhythmic flows and a battler’s bluntness. When he traded bars with Jay Z in a cramped Bronx pool hall in the late ’90s, head bobbing violently, cigarette in hand, he proved himself to be a raw, almost boorish alternative to Hov’s shifty slick talk. The energy in the room clearly favored X’s style. Jay would later ask industry maneuverer mutual friend Irv Gotti, “You think he’s better than me?” to which Gotti replied, ‘If you look in the hood, there’s less niggas like you and more niggas like him.”

The Unsigned Hype column was known for producing deals. True to form, DMX signed to Columbia Records imprint Ruffhouse in 1992 and immediately cut a promotional single called “The Born Loser.” The track introduced his depressive tone, an ominous and confessional space that would later bring life to his most discomforting scenes. But true to its title, it failed to generate any buzz or airplay, and his overbooked label let him off the hook. (DMX claimed he was under-promoted because of groups like Kris Kross and Cypress Hill.) A few years later, Puff Daddy, head of the burgeoning Bad Boy Records, took interest in X and fellow Yonkers corner boys the LOX, but in the end chose to sign the latter over the former, deciding that X had no commercial prospects. “One thing I respect about Puff, at least he told me to my face what he felt,” DMX told “Drink Champs.” “‘His voice is too rough, he’s not marketable.’” DMX returned to the underground scene, emerging on LL Cool J’s 1997 album Phenomenon with a verse on the now infamous posse cut “4, 3, 2, 1.” Buzzing once more, he followed Gotti to Def Jam.

When Gotti pushed for Def Jam to sign DMX in his first meeting, he got laughed out of the room. “I remember when I left the office, [A&R executive] Tina Davis said, ‘if DMX don’t sell, your ass is fired,” Gotti remembered in an interview with Complex. He didn’t seem to fit with the rap moment. This was a year dominated by Puff Daddy and Bad Boy, who landed six of the seven highest-charting rap songs, delivered a huge critical and commercial success in Harlem World, and won Best Rap Album at the Grammys for the 7x-Platinum album No Way Out (famously and controversially defeating Wu-Tang Clan’s Wu-Tang Forever). Putting money behind DMX would run counter to Bad Boy’s “shiny suit” era of glam rap.

But X brought Def Jam executive Lyor Cohen up to Yonkers for an early Ruff Ryder session and convinced him to sign the MC. At the time, DMX’s mouth was wired shut because of an altercation he’d had with some guys he was accused of stealing from. In an interview with DJ Vlad, Ja Rule remembered the ferocity through which he ripped through the wiring: “He had got into a fight or somebody got jumped... and he was rhyming with the fuckin’ wires in his mouth. Crazy shit. Like the shit about to pop. I was like ‘Okay, I like this dude.’” When they left, Cohen turned to Gotti and proclaimed, “We got the pick of the litter.”

Through his connections at Bad Boy (namely, his friends the LOX and Ma$e), DMX began working on his debut album with a producer from Harlem named Dame Grease, a fellow Yonkers product named P.K. (or P. Killer Trackz), and Grease’s unknown protege from the Bronx, Swizz Beatz. Under direction from Irv and Lyor, Grease, P.K., and X worked up a single called “Get at Me Dog” in ’97, and released it in February of ’98. It functioned as an abrasive prelude, but was at least partially aimed at X’s longtime rival K-Solo. They brought the song to Hot 97 DJ Funkmaster Flex, who aired it and added it to the first volume of his Big Dawgs mixtape. It soon took off, peaking at No. 39 on the Billboard Hot 100 that May. Gotti remembers the video as the turning point: “We back to the hood, and X is the leader of this revolution.” Filmed at New York’s Tunnel nightclub, packed, sweaty, and shot in black and white, X’s crusade is articulated in its opening seconds: “Let’s take it back to the streets, motherfuckers!”

“Get at Me Dog” set the stage for It’s Dark and Hell Is Hot, which explores the furthest depths of the human experience. But there is no more fitting introduction to the album than the Swizz Beatz-produced “Ruff Ryders’ Anthem,” a confrontational, fang-bearing mark of ferocity. The song functions much like a warning shot: Cross this threshold at your own peril. “It’s about to get ugly/Fuck it dog, I’m hungry,” he snaps. The song was a defining moment for both DMX and Swizz Beatz, but it almost didn’t happen. Swizz made the song in Atlanta when he was just a DJ and then moved back to New York to join the Ruff Ryders. DMX didn’t like the song initially, claiming it was some “rock’n’roll track” and he needed some hip-hop shit: “I’m not doing that. It’s not hood enough,” he told the producer. But Swizz and other members of the Ruff Ryders team pushed him to make the record, and it became the theme song of a movement.

It’s Dark and Hell Is Hot was not only the springboard for the Ruff Ryders campaign—launching the careers of Swizz Beatz, Eve, Cassidy, and Jin—it was the catalyst for a greater shift on the New York rap scene and beyond. It was a reset button for street rap, setting the stage for runs from 50 Cent and G-Unit and Cam’ron’s Diplomats crew. “Hittin’ niggas with gashes to the head/Straight to the white meat but the street stays red/Girls gave me head for free cause they see/Who I’ma be, by like 2003,” X rapped on the intro. It didn’t even take that long.

Like Dante’s Inferno, DMX’s It’s Dark and Hell Is Hot is a fiendish epic that explores the nature of sin, highlighting acts of violence, wrath, greed, treachery, and lust. The album exposes an internal struggle waged between a man and his demons—a man searching for one light in an all-consuming darkness. He has a talk with god (“The Convo”), but the devil is constantly whispering in his ear and wearing him down. He’s unsure whether his rhyme skills are the product of a contract with the devil (“I sold my soul to the devil, and the price was cheap”) or the generosity of a loving creator. It’s this duality that makes up one of the most gripping psychological studies in all of rap lore: What happens when a God-fearing man makes the devil his ally?

The centerpiece is “Damien,” a winding back-and-forth saga between X and his Hadean accomplice. The album builds to this moment, where X is seduced by his greatest admirer. In the throes of his own greed and pain, DMX embraces wickedness as a fair price for freedom from destitution. By the end, the song becomes a parable about the dangers of giving into desire when Damien coerces X into crimes he doesn’t want to commit: “Either do it or give me your right hand, that’s what you said,” he threatens. “I see now, ain’t nothing but trouble ahead.” Traces of “Damien” can be heard throughout the “Lucy” thread on Kendrick Lamar’s To Pimp a Butterfly, which also examines the points where fame and sin meet. (Kendrick has cited It’s Dark and Hell Is Hot as a major influence.) But “Damien” is even more tightly wound, the relationship more clearly articulated and its energy more affecting. The dynamic “Damien” is a microcosm of It’s Dark and Hell Is Hot, which is either in constant motion or disclosing ongoing conversations—whether internal, interpersonal (“How’s It Goin’ Down”), or divine (“Prayer”).

It’s Dark and Hell Is Hot debuted atop the Billboard 200 in May and was certified platinum by June. DMX quickly released his sophomore album, Flesh of My Flesh, Blood of My Blood, in December of ’98, and it was double platinum by January. In between the two, he starred in Hype Williams’ directorial debut, Belly, alongside Nas, and the film almost immediately became a cult hit among rap fans. So in a grand total of eight months, DMX became the biggest rapper on the planet. His moment was so colossal that in 1999 Jay Z boycotted the Grammy ceremony (the year he won Best Rap Album for Vol. 2… Hard Knock Life) because DMX was not nominated.

“That was the year DMX took over the world,” Nas remembered in a 2013 interview with Pitchfork. Already a star on New York’s rap scene, the Queens rapper was standing in close proximity when the DMX atom bomb dropped. “There was a guy who worked on Belly with me and DMX who’d heard the record, and every day he would try to tell me how incredible this music that was about to come out was,” Nas recalled. “I tried to get a description, like, ‘What do you mean?’ And he just couldn’t say anything. He just kept saying, ‘It moves your soul.’ He did not lie.”

Nearly 20 years later, there is still no album like it. So many of the songs on It’s Dark and Hell Is Hot document violent crimes and the flood of emotions they induce. They move swiftly, jerking around corners and through alleyways, simulating a rising heart rate and a racing mind. His peers were shooting stills, but X was dealing in savage action sequences (“ATF”) and the shadows they cast (“Let Me Fly,” “X-Is Coming”). Everything about the music—from the harshness of his voice, to the murkiness of his beats, to the bruising nature of his flows—was in service of a supreme hardness. In ‘98, the biggest MCs on the New York scene were narrators using radically different sounds to tell their stories. Busta erupted with pure energy. Big Pun enchanted with an effortless fluidity. As Wu-Tang swarmed, Tribe was in the midst of their love movement. Black Star were a conscious voice for hood theorists. Jay Z brought business acumen to the drug trade. All were reporting live, sharing their powerful perspectives from different city blocks.

But DMX wasn’t a rapper in the trenches; he was a messiah in the gutter, painting a portrait of a community laid desolate by corruption, and the sociopaths its conditions were breeding. He was the voice of the street corners and the graveyards, telling stories of the lost and the damned. From on high, he demanded empathy for man, who were cold to murder and unapologetic for their crimes because he knew it’s hard to be good in a world this broken. “There’s a difference between doing wrong and being wrong, and that ain’t right,” he says on “Let Me Fly.” He breaks the moral compass, then drags you into the abyss.

[batsoulscrolls]

PMD: Unbounded Fates

Chapter 2

tomorrow is a another day

[PEV] [NEXT]

Zoroark wakes up from his long needed sleep, expecting to be in a different bed,place, and his human body. But the same wooden wall, same stone floor and the same hay bed gave him a reality call, he is still here.

He gets up from his bed feeling sore like he's been through a rigorous workout and turns to the door to leave. But the tall stool with plaster of blue like-berries and a large wooden cup caught his attention. There are just a small handful of blue-like berries and the large cup is just holding water. He picks up one of the berries and eats it. It tastes like a blueberry but the texture of a strawberry.

He finishes the rest of the berries and grabs the cup though he almost dropped as it slipped through his claws. After drinking down the water and spilling a little on himself, he feels oddly a lot better than before.

Zoroark gets back to what he was doing. He pulls away the leafy curtains and sees a yellow humanoid fox with a stick in its tail who julited a bit when he saw the Zoroark suddenly appearing in the doorway expecting him to be in bed. The fox holding a small basket containing the same green bandages Zoroark had on “I’m here to change your bandages and take you to the Doc.” He speaks a bit nervously.

Zoroark steps aside to let in the fox and sits down on the bed. The fox begins to change the bandages and tries to strike up a conversation “So….ummm getting hit in the eye kinda sucks huh?”

Zoroark gives an advermitve hum. After he was finished with replacing Zoroark bandages. The fox gestured to Zoroark to follow him, which he did. They entered the halls outside of the  room Zoroark was staying in, the hall's wall had vines starting from the bottom and touching the roof and spreading across the walls. The vines are sprouting flowers which makes the place look comforting. But probably a major fire hazard Zoroark thinks to himself.

They reach the end of the halls and make a left turn to meet a door. The fox pulls on the door sliding across, and Zoroark enters the room. The room is lined with shelves filled with wooden boxes and books all raging in different sizes. The room is illuminated by a glowing plant on the ceiling , in the middle Zoroark sees the Doc sitting behind the desk writing on something. “Come, sit. I just need some help filling out your file.” Doc says enthusiastically

Zoroark sits down across from the Doc as she still continues to write. He looks at what the Doc is writing, but he can’t read it, all of it is just unintelligible to him.Why does he understand what they are saying but why can't he read what she is writing. "Don't worry about writing, I’ll ask you the question and you can give me the answers. Also Cindy came early this morning and told what happened at the lake and your partial memory loss. So just try your best to give the answers, OK?” Doc caringly says

“So first thing do you know your name?” Doc questions. Zoroark doesn’t even know his name but something clicked in his head, an alias. “I do believe my name is Sevin.” Sevin says with confidence

Doc writes the name, Sevin carefully watches the way she writes his name and takes a mental note of it on how she writes it. “ Next question, how old are you and did you evolve early?” Doc says in the same tone before.

Sevin knows he is at least 27, but evolve early? He doesn’t understand any of this, but he might as well say yes to it anyways. “I’m 27 years old and yes I did evolve early.” Sevin says with slight unassurance.

“Next. What is your gender and pronouns?” Doc says

“Male, He/Him” Sevin responds

Doc writes down Sevin age and checks a box. “Ok I just got the bare minimum filled out. Now I just go to archives to see if you got a file on you or even at all.” Doc mumbled to herself.

“Oh, don’t worry, the rest are just miscellaneous things like what job you have,where you live, and do you have a house. But don't worry about it I’ll handle that stuff” Doc says while smiling to ensure Sevin

“I need to tell you something very important.” Doc's voice changes to a serious yet caring tone. “ I know that you are still recovering but I need you to leave. But I won't leave you homeless, Cindy will allow you to stay at her place.”

Sevin wants answers on why he needs to leave. But Cindy enters the room before he can ask the question.

“Did I interrupt anything?” Cindy asked.

“No you didn’t Cindy I was telling Sevin he was staying at your place.” Doc focuses on Sevin “Also Sevin I hope you don’t take this personally, I know this has been rough on you but I hope you understand.”

After that Sevin stands up and follows Cindy out of the Doc office and  into the halls. They both pass what was, Sevin room and enter what looks like a waiting room but nobody is there. Sevin leaves the building being greeted by the late morning sun.

./.

After following Cindy on a dirt path through a forest they meet a clearing. Sevin sees a  cabin in the middle with a shack to the side. “Nice place you got, musta worked hard for it.” Sevin comments but gets no response from Cindy.

Cindy arrives at the door, she digs into her bag trying to find the key. Sevin waits but grows inpatient, he looks at lock out of boredom. It looks like a very simple lock. Maybe he could pick it with his claw finger, he looks at Cindy and she is very focused trying to find that key.  He grabs the doorknob with one hand and the other he puts one claw into the lock and finds the pin, pushes it up and twists the knob and CLICK . He opens the door.

“It's open” Seven tells Cindy “How did you-nevermind.” Cindy dumstructed

Seven enters into the house and he sees the living room there's three  tree stumps arranged into a half circle spaced out by a rug, across it the presumably a fireplace on his left. The place is lit up by the same plant in the Doc office. Straight across from the fireplace on the other side of the wall seval bookshelves side by side filled with books but sadly Seven cant read. Straight across once they entered a doorway is there as well in the right bottom of the living room. Finally in between the two doorways is a wall lined with a map and many paintings.

“Let me show your room first, then the rest.” Cindy ethuaticaly says as she walks towards the bottom right doorway

Sevin follows Cindy, the door is the same as the Doc’s door. Cindy pulls the door to reveal a room. “This is your room!” Cindy says enthusiastically with shaking of jazz hands.

The room is almost larger than the previous place he stayed in, the bed has more hay and a larger piece of cloth covering it. On the right is a desk with the same stump in the living room and on the back of the room a circular window with flowers lined the edge lights the room.But there a stack of large wooden crates stacked august the corner of the wall gives Sevin the impression that this was a storage room, but he in no position to complain.

“Oh here I have something for you.” Cindy tells Sevin while grabbing something out of her bag.

She pulled out a small container label with words and a journal and gave it to Sevin. Cindy looks happy about this gift but Sevin needs to break the truth. “Thank you very much for this gift but I'm illiterate.” There was a long pause of pure silence.

“Well….I can teach you how to read and write after this is all over” Cindy promise

Sevin put the ink and jurnal on the desk. “Well I have to go, show yourself around the house and don’t cause trouble,please.” Cindy says as she leaves the house.

Sevin is at his lonesome again. He wanders around the house ending up in the kitchen. The kitchen has a cupboard and counters but split by a small little window that gives barely any light to the place and there is a dining table with the four stumps, finally there is a door that leads outside. There is a hallway but Sevin doesn’t go in guessing that it just leads to Cindy’s room and the new storage room.

Sevin goes back into the living room and looks at the library of books. Looking at the books with labels he can't understand, he grabs a book that has a dark red cover. He opens the book and it has illustrations.

Sevin returns to his room and closes the door behind him. He sits at the desk, opens the book and looks through the illustrations. The book shows various pokemon with each page dedicated to one, Sevin strangely recognized some of these pokemon but not all of them.

Sevin finds a page of him or his species, he finds three little illustrations. The illustrations depict a normal Zoroark then a purple ball finally a Lucario?

./.

SLAM

Sevin jolts at the sudden noise and looks outside his room to see who came in. But there was no one in the living room so he went to the kitchen, still no one. But the back door is open and some of the cupboard doors are open, and someone is hiding. He feels it. He opened the lower cupboards one by one until he was at the last one. He opens the least one slowly and peers into the cupboard to see a small Eevee with a colorful bandana around the neck almost covered by the white fur. The Eevee is visibly sacred, probably from Sevin opening all the cupboards until the one Eevee in. “Please don't hurt me.” Eevee says, trying to fight back the fear.

Sevin can tell he sare Eevee to death. He steps away from the cupboard and grabs one yellow pear and places it on a plate then sets it near the cupboard. “I'm not gonna hurt you. Come out so we can talk.” Sevin says almost in the caring tone of Doc's voice.

Surprisingly Eevee went out the cupboard and stepped behind the plate trying to have distance from Sevin. Eevee is shaking from the fear that Sevin gives. Sevin feels really guilty for putting terror in young Eevee.

“You can eat the berry and we can wait for Cindy.” Sevin promances “No-no thank you I'm not hungry.” Eevee says with a less fear in her voice.

Sevin recognized that voice, that voice was the voice when he woke up in this world. “Where were you at the lake yesterday?” Sevin questions the Eevee.

The Eevee recognize the Zoroark; it was the Zoroark who was unconscious at the lake. “Oh you the one at the lake.” Eevee answers with the fear subsides but still there.

“Well let's go to the living room and wait for Cindy. Don't worry I dont bite?” Sevin asks Eevee. Eevee nods in response

Sevin goes into the living room with Eevee but she keeps her distance from Sevin. Sevin grabs the book he was looking at and gives it to Eevee which she accepts. Eevee set the book on the rug and read the book out loud, Sevin listened in. Both wait for Cindy to come home.