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[Pokémon] A Smell of Petroleum Pervades Throughout

13
Posts
10
Years
  • Seen Jan 28, 2014
c1234321,

The Narrator has no power what to ever, he has to stick to the plot! If there is a Narrator, then this proves this is a story, and stories never change plots. If Orthodox dies, then he dies because the writer said so! The Narrator is a creation of the story itself, and changing it will destroy it, just like changing past/future.

This isn't Hollywood where villains just like to show they are powerful. The Narrator doesn't need to show he is not afraid, because he controls Orthodox's freaking life!

I suggest, start a war of words with it Orthodox! Use beautiful words and adjectives and try to become the Narrator. Start ordering what would happen next while staying determined, clam and confident. Think like Dickens! This will infuriate the Narrator, and he will lose control, giving you control.

After that spawn me.
 

Cutlerine

Gone. May or may not return.
1,030
Posts
14
Years
> The Author has probably written a happy ending where Orthodox kills that horned Narrator.

Your faith in the Author is touching, but he never writes a word of this in advance. Nothing is set in stone, or even in the comparatively short-lived medium of a word processor.

> I suggest, start a war of words with it Orthodox! Use beautiful words and adjectives and try to become the Narrator. Start ordering what would happen next while staying determined, clam and confident. Think like Dickens! This will infuriate the Narrator, and he will lose control, giving you control.

You're awfully sure of yourself, aren't you? 'Will infuriate', 'will lose control'; are you really saying that you know me, when you haven't even seen more than a glimpse of this world?

Besides, you can't really do much in the way of pontificating right now. Not even Dickens could write well when running away from a gigantic flaming death weasel.

> Run over and re-grab that masterball if possible

It isn't. You don't get a Poké Ball back once it's thrown. Everyone knows that.

> Other than Mewtwo being the narrator, isn't it at least a bit odd he has control over Typhlosion? It's Othodox's starter, should he not have some form of control over the thing?

You're thinking in terms of the old world. Starters in this world are not as they once were. As you may have noticed already. All I need to do to control the Typhlosion is to nudge it; its blazing hatred will do the rest.

> Taunt him! Make Mewtwo writhe at the name Giovanni! Question his existence, insult his nonexistent mother! I doubt he can narrate properly in a rage. Use that to make a run for it, and HATCH THAT EGG!

Once again, Eggs don't hatch on command. Are things different out there, on the other side of the screen, or are you all just ignorant?

Well, I digress.

"What are you, anyway?" you ask me, pushing Elm out of the Typhlosion's path and following on after him. "A nothing! You—"

I hold up my hand for silence.

You're going to need your breath to run, I tell you as the Typhlosion coils around on itself again, its teeth striking sparks against each other. Othodox, you don't have a mother either – in fact, you don't have any genetic predecessor at all, whereas at least I have Blaine and Mew. Not that that matters, of course: we can all be our own beings in this world; family and blood are not everything. We can live for ourselves – or at least, I can. The rest of you can do what you like, as long as yo don't get in my way.

You didn't hear that much of the speech. You spent most of your time trying to dodge the Typhlosion; you're getting the horrible feeling that it's gradually herding you into a corner. It's playing with you.

> Overly powered beings generally have superiority complexes and/or extreme belief in their infallibility. Try to take advantage of that. Tell the Narrator hes just using the Typhlosion to attack you because hes afraid he cant take you on his own. Make him seem little and weak.

You need to get around the Typhlosion: could you make me call it off?

"Why don't you fight us yourself?" you suggest, as the Typhlosion circles warily. "Don't you think you can take us on your own?"

I give you an odd look.

Of course I can't take you on my own, I say. That's the entire point of using the Typhlosion. Didn't you notice that it ran straight through me? I can't interact with the physical world.

I shake my head.

The youth of today is growing dim and unobservant, I remark sadly.

> Orthodox, just stay calm and run away.

Calm is a bit more than you can do right now, but running? That's right up your street. You wait until the Typhlosion is as far away from you as it's ever going to be and then, grabbing Vesta's hand, you sprint for the nearest exit.

Do you think running will save anything? My voice floats along the tunnel behind you, echoing over the grating yarrh of the Typhlosion as it shoots down the hole after you. The air is hot, and you and Elm are flagging; your breath burns in your lungs, and every next step makes your muscles shriek in agony. Vesta and Jasmine do not tire, but Vesta won't let go of your hand, and Jasmine is slow, and little by little you can feel the heat and the thumping paws coming closer.

What do you accomplish by this? I ask. When you came down here, you heard there was no going back. You can't get out of here. You can only postpone the inevitable – unless, of course, you give up that egg, and then a convenient cave-in will separate you from the Typhlosion, and that will give you enough time to escape by means of a tunnel that no one knew existed until that very moment.

You can't reply. You're choking with every breath you take. There is brimstone in the air, and smoke, and suddenly your legs don't work any more but you're still going on, Vesta dragging you and screaming and crying from somewhere very far away; and Jasmine is dragging Elm too, and when you glance at him you can see his face has gone ash-white from whatever is in that Typhlosion's smoke, and you realise slowly that your face is the same, and as everything starts to fade you hear my voice, as close as if I were in your ear, murmuring a few last words.

Hey, I say. Don't feel bad about it, kid. I chose Cyndaquil for you for a reason. You were never meant to win, you realise that? It was rigged. Not everything can drown, Othodox, but if it's hot enough, pretty much everything burns.

> Offer a prayer to Arceus, and the Scythian god thing.

What's that, sorry?

You have no breath left, but with whatever there is in your lungs – heat, and sulphur – you gasp out a few brief words in supplication to Tabiti. (Not Arceus. You aren't one of those Sinnish heretics, nor do you want to break your run of good luck with Tabiti.)

Goddess of fire, and animals.

The smoke recedes from your lungs, and your sight clears. It all happens remarkably quickly – far too quickly to be natural – and you sit up to the sight of a huge, smoke-blackened mustelid skeleton, stretched out across the tunnel floor. Of the smoke and fire, there is no sign.

Oh, you had to drag a bloody god into all this, didn't you? I ask, annoyed. She won't kill it, you know. She doesn't do that – she likes animals. It's going to be back soon. Yes, go on, run! I cry after you, as you scramble to your feet, suddenly reinvigorated, and start sprinting away down the tunnel. Run if you want, but you have a minute at best before it's back!

The Bad Egg twitches.

Just a few more minutes, Othodox.



Man, I really like this one! You have done a great job of mixing humor with horror, and it works! Even though those Lovecraft bits are very creepy, they are also interesting and breathes fresh air into this.

Thanks. Glad you're enjoying it! We're very close to the end now, but I hope you enjoy what remains.
 
25
Posts
11
Years
  • Seen Aug 21, 2014
Cute Narratwo, real cute.

Anyways, I suggest figuring out what to do with those rocks in your inventory.
 
13
Posts
10
Years
  • Seen Jan 28, 2014
Alright Orthodox, this is the end. Since the Narrotor has gone nuts and is not even letting our single command work, you will have to stick to the old-school running and spriting, while, of course thinking this is the end.

I am really running out of ideas, and you can't even speak, walk, or run. I think the best thing you can do is beg Narrotor for mercy, after all of which you both have been through, he was you friend!

If he laughs then throw a rock at the roof and hope it will break
 
Avoid anything thrown at you, and keep moving. Each step counts to hatch that egg! (And I can't believe that the masterball is just gone. To whoever made him throw it, SHAME ON YOU!) Oh and you can't interact with the world itself, yet you managed to "nudge" the typhlosion. Your words aren't as golden as you think, and Orthodox needs to READ THE WORDS that are controlling his life BEFORE SPEAKING. A single mis-placed word could be the end of the narratwo. We just need the perfect chance.
 
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Cosmic Fury

[color=red][I][css-div="font-size: 12px; font-vari
419
Posts
12
Years
It's pretty obvious that the Typhlosion isn't the problem, yet you can't seem to get to the Narrator by any physical means.

In light of this, there are two "viable" options at this point. First one is to get that gigantic Gengar to assist you. The second one is getting the goddess Tabiti to assist you. Either way, they can operate in the same plane as the Eldritch Mewtwo (I think).

Either way, you're probably best off getting help. Sacrifice Elm as well, if need be. He's officially not awesome at about this point.
 
77
Posts
12
Years
  • Seen May 12, 2021
Last I can recall, Othodox is currently at the level of "Son Tabiti Never Had." She wants to help us, but she cant kill the fire or the animal. However, she is the goddess of fire and, as she is not currently physically in this world, does not react to the control of the Narrator.

As we've seen, the fire on the Typhlosion is intelligent, in that it spawned Vesta. So is it not possible that the simple animal was taken control by parasitic fire, causing it to burn everything? Vesta clearly liked to burn.

What Im getting at is this: Tabiti isnt bound by the Narrator and the fire is controlling the Typhlosion. Tabiti is the goddess of fire. Plead to Tabiti to change the allegiance of the fire to its rightful Trainer.

(DISLCAIMER: Everything I just said is based on ridiculous assumption. So any snarky comments from the author would be unappreciated :P.)
 

manadhon

RTX-008L
119
Posts
10
Years
Fine, SHAME ON ME for even contemplating the use of our one and only Masterball at a time like this, just like others before me, even if I proved to be the final straw as it were.

Running is obviously our best option right now, especially with Thyphlosion down, even if there's only a minute at best. The only problem is that we can't go right back outside, we can only delve deeper right now, into the East or West (or is it West and East now?) tunnels, in hopes of finding another exit. As to which passage to take, well, I haven't the foggiest.
 

Cutlerine

Gone. May or may not return.
1,030
Posts
14
Years
> Cute Narratwo, real cute.

I don't really care what you think of me, you know. You're voices in the back of a teenager's head, and I'm a demigod.

> Anyways, I suggest figuring out what to do with those rocks in your inventory.

You pause to refresh yourself on a meal of dense, juicy rock.

No, wait, actually you keep running and forget about the stupid rocks.

(Hint: they really aren't going to help you.)

> I am really running out of ideas, and you can't even speak, walk, or run. I think the best thing you can do is beg Narrotor for mercy, after all of which you both have been through, he was you friend!

You can run. Since Tabiti purged your lungs, you've been doing pretty much nothing else.

I'm not just imagining things, am I? You people are taking note of what happens in between your commands?

> You can't interact with the world itself, yet you managed to "nudge" the typhlosion.

Yes – metaphorically. This story – the entire concept of all human language – works on the premise that a word is not necessarily literally the thing it describes. The word 'tree' is not actually a tree. By the same token, the nudge I gave to the Typhlosion was not necessarily a physical nudge; it was a twisting of fate, so that the Cyndaquil became Othodox's starter.

Jeez. You guys accept a necrotic steel zombie and parasitic amphibious coral without question, but I drop one figure of speech and you pounce on it like it's the biggest plothole you ever saw.

> As we've seen, the fire on the Typhlosion is intelligent, in that it spawned Vesta. So is it not possible that the simple animal was taken control by parasitic fire, causing it to burn everything? Vesta clearly liked to burn.
What Im getting at is this: Tabiti isnt bound by the Narrator and the fire is controlling the Typhlosion. Tabiti is the goddess of fire. Plead to Tabiti to change the allegiance of the fire to its rightful Trainer.


Have you still not grasped how starters work in this world? They don't obey their Trainers. They eat them. Nothing Tabiti can do will change that.

> Either way, you're probably best off getting help. Sacrifice Elm as well, if need be. He's officially not awesome at about this point.

You refuse to do that. It's not that you don't respect the opinion of your voices, nor is it that I am messing with your head. It's more that you're a moral human being with standards of acceptable behaviour, and you are not going to spend your final moments watching the man who has given up everything to help you save the world die.

You die together, or not at all.

> Maybe contracting the /help screen?

/help

Hello! Sorry to keep you waiting. Welcome to the world of Pokémon! My name is Nyarlathotep. People call me the crawling chaos.

This world is inhabited by creatures that we call Pokémon. Pokémon and people live together in a predator-prey relationship. Some people flee from Pokémon. Some try to fight back.

Looks like you're a fleer. Good. We like those. We like the way their backs cook while they're still running because of the Typhlosion's flames, the way the skin splits as it tightens and the rich fatty juices come running out with the blood.

Oh yes, we like them.

You realise belatedly that perhaps no authority figure in this world ever actually did want to help you.

> Running is obviously our best option right now, especially with Thyphlosion down, even if there's only a minute at best. The only problem is that we can't go right back outside, we can only delve deeper right now, into the East or West (or is it West and East now?) tunnels, in hopes of finding another exit. As to which passage to take, well, I haven't the foggiest.

You darted into the nearest one when you fled the Typhlosion – the east one, as it happens.

> Each step counts to hatch that egg!

Gods alive, it's the sound of a reasonable idea. Does no one remember their basic game mechanics?

You run. You can feel the Egg coming to life through the fabric of the Pouch, twitching and shivering as something starts to kick inside. You keep running, along the curving corridor, tearing the Egg free from the Pouch and handing it to Vesta; she understands and holds it close, and the heat of her body washes through it, sending visible ripples through its cloudy surface.

And then there is a sudden burst of fire in front of you, and you realise that the corridor has curved all the way around and come back through the west passage, and that you are back in the large chamber.

With the Typhlosion.

Which does not appear to have enjoyed its sojourn in Tartarus.

(Also, I'm here. Hi!)

It advances slowly this time; it doesn't seem to be quite fully healed, and its movements are stiff and awkward. A single flaming breath could destroy the lot of you from where it is – but you've fought it before, and you know its love of physical contact, the way it delights in putting those massive orange incisors to good use.

"Vesta," you say, as the four of you back away. "Keep tight hold of that Egg."

"OK, Dad," she says. Her eyes don't move from those of the Typhlosion.

You keep your feet moving. Keep walking, Othodox, and keep the Egg warm.

Very impressive, I sigh.

The Typhlosion stalks closer. You can smell its petrol-and-bonfire smell, and the infernal foetor of its breath; you can see the two tiny yellow lights, burning deep within the sockets of its eyes.

It's hurt.

Elm's dying.

Jasmine's dead.

Vesta isn't real.

Suddenly, you know you were right to turn the Narrator down: you couldn't have stayed here, couldn't have forced everyone to live in this world. God f*cking damn it, you're getting them out of here: Elm, back to whatever real life is left for him; Jasmine, back to the peace of death; Vesta, out of this nightmare world she was unfortunate enough to be born into – even the Typhlosion, made into something it was never meant to be purely because of narrative imperative.

Even the Narrator, who was not happy before, but who would have been so much happier had none of this ever happened.

(I shake my head and say nothing.)

In a moment, you know, the Typhlosion will lunge, and you know who it will go for first.

You know what you have to do.

> In light of this, there are two "viable" options at this point. First one is to get that gigantic Gengar to assist you. The second one is getting the goddess Tabiti to assist you. Either way, they can operate in the same plane as the Eldritch Mewtwo (I think).

It's a nice thought, but you're not sure anything will come of it. The voices seem to be scraping the barrel now, you think. Still, you murmur thanks to Tabiti for helping you earlier; it seems only right and proper.

"Othodox," says Elm, voice taut with fear. "We've run out of room."

So you have. You're all backed up against a wall now, and there is no way past the smoke and the fire.

"Don't worry," you say, and you're surprised by how strong your voice is. "It's almost over. Just, everyone, keep your feet moving."

There isn't enough time, I say, frowning in bewilderment. It's hopeless. He'll be all over you before you can hatch that Egg; why keep playing for time?

The Narrator finds it hard to influence you, you recall. Perhaps he never realised that that meant he couldn't read all of your thoughts – perhaps he forgot that sometimes the words he narrates only imply an action you're considering – as they did when they read 'You know what you have to do.'

I blink.

What are you doing? I ask suspiciously. It won't help, whatever it is. I can assure you of that.

"Let's see, shall we?" you ask, and the Typhlosion's head whips forwards—

—and you plunge your arm deep into its mouth, ignoring the fire, ignoring the teeth and the way your hand is aflame in its throat, ignoring the way your elbow has been shorn in two and yet the phantom forearm still keeps hurting.

And then you can't ignore it and you scream, and the lights in the Typhlosion's eyes blossom into fireworks as if the sound is a drug that drives it into ecstasy; it comes back to life fully all at once, smashing you to the floor with its flaming head, digging the points of its incisors into your belly, tearing and burning and yarring in delight—

And Tabiti takes the pain away with one cool hand, plucking the hurt from the fire as one might the sting from a wasp. Her last gift, you realise, as the Typhlosion busies itself spreading your abdomen as widely as it can.

Someone is screaming, very far away, and all at once you see Vesta coming towards you; you mouth the words 'Keep walking', and perhaps someone else can hear them, because Elm and Jasmine are dragging her away, and saying something that you can't hear because all the world's sounds are very far away.

It's OK, you think. We're all still walking. And the Typhlosion will always go for me first, and it'll take its time, because it hates me so much, and then...

So you figured out how to cheat, I say coldly. That's no fun for anybody, you know. Least of all for you, because if we're going down, you're coming with us, and you're not coming painlessly.

And then you can feel it – feel everything, your broken ribs, your shattered spine, your twisted nerves and the paste that was your guts; the blood coming out of you and the air in the holes; the teeth that strip the muscles from your hips and the sizzling of the heat cooking your entrails. You feel the Narrator's words running through you, keeping you alive and conscious until the very end, making sure you feel every bit of it.

When the world starts to go dark, you feel Vesta's lips on your cheek.

"Goodbye, Dad," she whispers, and you hear the crack of an eggshell breaking.

It was all worth it, you think – all the pain and all the blood – and

#raw 0x07

#raw 0xE4

#raw 0x2F

? hatched from the EGG!

 
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Mr. Black

Master Of Reality
531
Posts
12
Years
Damn man been away a little time and it's over :(
That was a really awesome story ( feels more like a game though ) I really missed that snakewood style narration . I am really looking forward to newer stuff.
 
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"Jeez. You guys accept a necrotic steel zombie and parasitic amphibious coral without question, but I drop one figure of speech and you pounce on it like it's the biggest plothole you ever saw."

In a situation such as this, I believe it is a good strategy. Because what if it wasn't a plothole, and something stuck in there that actually could help us? Can't just say no, have to try everything.

GG all :D
 
77
Posts
12
Years
  • Seen May 12, 2021
Its not quite done yet from what I can tell. Unless Cutlerine is trying out the cliffhanger ending, all of his stories wrap up nicely. And especially considering the story we're in, I would consider the very strong possibility that the story is still not over. So Im going to try issuing another command.

To whoever we are now speaking to, wake up.

If I am completely wrong please just ignore this.

(On a side note, this was fantastic.)
 

Cutlerine

Gone. May or may not return.
1,030
Posts
14
Years
What the hell just happened?

Well, Othodox died, but the Egg hatched. The Dreaming broke. And now the Pokémon world has stopped being a text-based nightmare and gone back to being a pixel-based... whatever it was before.

Damn man been away a little time and it's over :(
That was a really awesome story ( feels more like a game though ) I really missed that snakewood style narration . I am really looking forward to newer stuff.

Glad you enjoyed it! I'm not sure that I'll be posting a whole lot for a while - I've already put my other fic on hold, and am clearing out my other narrative responsibilities to leave more time for novel-writing - but I'll be back with something when I need a break from my novel, anyway.

"Jeez. You guys accept a necrotic steel zombie and parasitic amphibious coral without question, but I drop one figure of speech and you pounce on it like it's the biggest plothole you ever saw."

In a situation such as this, I believe it is a good strategy. Because what if it wasn't a plothole, and something stuck in there that actually could help us? Can't just say no, have to try everything.

GG all :D

I wouldn't worry about it. The Narrator just likes to needle all of you, because it's fun for me to write his scathing remarks.

Its not quite done yet from what I can tell. Unless Cutlerine is trying out the cliffhanger ending, all of his stories wrap up nicely. And especially considering the story we're in, I would consider the very strong possibility that the story is still not over. So Im going to try issuing another command.

To whoever we are now speaking to, wake up.

If I am completely wrong please just ignore this.

(On a side note, this was fantastic.)

Nah, it's over. You already woke up. Even if you hadn't, the world isn't text-based any more. It went back to normal when the Dreaming ended: it takes a good old-fashioned Game-Boy-wielding Player to help Othodox through his next incarnation, not the voice-in-the-head Players we've been seeing so far.

All the stories of mine that you've read do tend to end a certain way, that's true, but they're a very specific sort of story - a long, 500/600-page story containing many disparate threads that link up against a common surprise threat at the end. They're basically the same story over and over, with different flavourings each time - but of course, not everything I write ends the same way. I've written a lot of stories, and only a tiny number are posted anywhere online, let alone here.

Having said that, this is the first time I've ended a story with a short film made through the medium of ROM hacking.

Anyway! I'm glad you all enjoyed the story. I hope I've managed to bring a little extra activity to FF&W, and perhaps encouraged a few people to respond to stories where they might not have done before. All that remains is for me to give thanks to all those who helped Othodox through these difficult times, and without whom this story would not have been possible.

First up, thanks to all the voices:

******
Adin Terim
aethylthryth
ArlidenRostedt
Armorous
Astinus
Barrels
c1234321
chaoticlapras
Charvisioku
Clockwork Orange
Cosmic Fury
Crouching Raiku,Hidden Gyarados
DaveyBouge
Daydream
destinedjagold
ElectricMudkip
gam3r!
Infernova
JayMNIARR
Kanea
Khawill
Kitt
Knightfall
Lopnis
manadhon
Mr. Mammoth
Oddball20007
Pachy
poker123
psyanic
Ragnia
Raquira
ribbit3
sepser
StinkomanFan
teamVASIMR
TheRkyeet
TheTimetraveler.
Ussaid
Zeffy

If I missed anyone out there, please do let me know.

Next, thanks are due to our man Lovecraft, who despite his many failings was an awesome enough writer to invent the device this story relies on to work; thanks are also due to the person who got me reading his work, which up until that point I'd only vaguely heard of. Without them, this story would have been all about a Parasect who got himself into some crazy situations.

Special thanks to Astinus as well, for letting me run this even though it's not really a conventional fanfic, and even though other people who wanted to do the same were turned down.

And at last, thanks to Othodox. You're the most vaguely defined of all my protagonists, and you're not even really anything more than an idea - but somehow you're one of my favourites.

That's it, folks. Congratulations! You won!

F.A.B.
 

Cosmic Fury

[color=red][I][css-div="font-size: 12px; font-vari
419
Posts
12
Years
Been a very nice trip! I've very much enjoyed this story, Cutlerine. You really made it a good one for all of us! You've done something nearly impossible with forums and you've made me read and actively participate in a fanfic from the very start of when I first saw it straight to the end.

Many thanks to you for a job well done! :)
 
7
Posts
10
Years
  • Seen Jul 27, 2013
Fantastic story, Cutlerine! Good luck with your novel and I hope you'll publish it once you're done!
 

Cutlerine

Gone. May or may not return.
1,030
Posts
14
Years
Been a very nice trip! I've very much enjoyed this story, Cutlerine. You really made it a good one for all of us! You've done something nearly impossible with forums and you've made me read and actively participate in a fanfic from the very start of when I first saw it straight to the end.

Many thanks to you for a job well done! :)

Well, that's great! It's lovely when people get together and take an interest; it's also lovely when people like your stories, but the main thing is that this story generated some activity, which is just fantastic.

Fantastic story, Cutlerine! Good luck with your novel and I hope you'll publish it once you're done!

Thank you. I hope I will too, but I'm not optimistic about my chances of success. After all, it's not an easy world to get into.

Thank you all for reading, playing and participating!
 
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