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((Co-written with @pokeglitchden ))

Zee Streams: "Waking Nightmare"

[The following stream upload is timestamped 2:37pm December 29, 2023]

Stream beginning soon...

When the lobby screen swipes away, Zee is revealed to be walking in what looks like the ruins of a town. The area is clearly abandoned, with not a soul to be seen. However, instead of any common natural or human-made disaster, the area seems to have been decimated by streaks and blobs of color and static, like the image of the space is being corrupted live on the stream. Oddly, the corruption is frozen rather than progressive, hanging idly in space.

Some structures appear to be stuck mid “explosion” as bursts of motionless static expand outward from small epicenters, and time itself seems frozen in small snippets. Over Zee’s shoulder in an open window, what appears to be a small pokemon is basking beside a potted berry plant. However, the pokemon is absolutely motionless, and as the camera moves, it slips in and out of view, perceived as a 2D image from one side only.

Rather than her rotom phone doing the filming, Zee appears to be holding the camera herself in her left hand. Walking beside her is a familiar face, one recognized by many of her dedicated followers.

“Hello my darling skiddo kiddos!” Zee cheers with an upward sweep of her free hand that flashes the gold underside of her cape, “You’re here with me, Lady Zee, and today we have a VERY special guest with us! I hope you all remember Simon, the glitch scientist we first met when we went to Hoenn!”

She puts her arm around his shoulders and gives him a fond shake.

“For you long time viewers, you might recognize the place we’re standing in right now! If you missed it… Simon! Would you tell our beautiful audience where we are and what we’re looking for today?”

"Right. Right!" Simon says, "Er.. hi everyone. We are in L� V��3R town today. (He does pronounce several characters here that sound like a low buzz) Er.. or that's LV3R town for short hand. Or rather the ruins of it. This used to be a populated town before the invasion by Team Enigma, and is considered now to be a memorial site to the people who lived here."

He pauses. Perhaps this is a bit dark. He'd meant for this to just be an anecdote.

"Er anyway today we are looking for a pokemon called A ゥG. A ghost/poison type native to the RB Biome and known for its long streamer like tails. It uses these to ensnare prey and can use them to puppet the mind and body of its target."

The chat becomes excited when Simon explains the feature for today is poison/ghost type, and even more so when he explains how they hunt.

"And you said it will be easier to find one already possessing something for life energy, right?" Zee chirps, "The A ゥG is SUPER cute on its own, so I'm really hoping we'll be able to see one alone as well today!"

She turns toward the ruins with another flourish of her cape, then continues walking. As the camera moves along, bits of the scenery and splashes of static appear and disappear from view, causing the area to appear to flicker as if the computer screen is damaged and struggling to load the stream graphics.

"What types of hiding places can they usually be found in, Simon? Where should we start the hunt?"

"Well, yes it's much more likely that we'll see an active Aゥ G already attached to a host than it is that one will be just out in the wild. In fact, if you DO find one out in the open that's usually a sign it's in some kind of distress."

Simon looks around, pausing to take note of the surrounding structures. They are flanked on all sides by buildings that appear to be completely empty, and many completely identical.

"Glitch City is known for producing structures naturally like these buildings. They can be excellent hiding spots for Aゥ G to attract a curious ▶️A or pkmnpkmn T. Our best bet would be in there. "

Notably he does pronounce the Glitch characters quite well. He's getting better at this.

Zee nods sagely to the camera. "These buildings can be easy to get lost in because they're so similar, so stay close, kiddos! And stay close, Simon, let's go exploring!"

The chat scrolls, many commenters wondering how Simon's making those sounds, others asking if he's dating Zee, and many more chanting "exPLORE" over and over with assorted numbers of various emotes following.

Zee leads them into a building she feels holds the most promise, looking back and tugging Simon's sleeve every now and then to ensure he's close and also to keep him in frame.

"What do you think?" She asks with a lowered voice, "Does this look like a good spot?"

As they move further inside the abandoned building, their surroundings grow steadily darker. The sun still spills light through the windows, illuminating wisps of static that seem to take the place here of dust particles.

It would have been a very quaint apartment they were traversing through, if it wasn't clear that it was arranged in a way that suggested human beings had never been involved in either the construction nor habitation of the place. Three refrigerators sat on their sides, none of them running, none of them attached to an electrical outlet in any meaningful way. There is a bathtub visible in one of the hallways, next to a couch with hot pink upholstery.

Simon squints a bit through the dark as he searches for traces of streamers that might be connected to an A ゥG somewhere. But the further in they go, the further away the light grows, and the more they're forced to rely on the light from their flashlights.

"It's going to be hard to spot them if there are any here." Simon admits, "They are rather small in comparison to most glitch pokemon. Though that is made up for by their long streamers like tails."

He pauses as they move further in to glance at the chat. It seems like a lot of people are (very helpfully) trying to point out a weird sound coming through on the camera feed. Something like a music box.

"Er... Zee?" Simon points toward the camera to direct her attention.

Zee pauses and turns the camera directly toward herself, though her eyes are looking at something just below it, presumably another screen where she’s reading the chat. Many comments are asking about the “new background music” and strange sounds in the mic.

“Ghosts,” she whispers to Simon with a grin and continues forward. She continues to glance back toward the stream readout as she goes, presumably checking the sound levels.

Her footsteps are eerily quiet, silent actually, with not even a whisper of her shoes scuffing the floor.

"You might be right, actually," Simon replies as they make their way further in, "A ゥG lure their prey using vocalizations that are meant to sound like the Pokemon they're trying to draw in. Their cries can only be heard by their target though. Though it does get picked up by recording equipment as well. It can lead to some pretty eerie background noise if you made a recording with one nearby and didn't realize it."

As they make their way further in, the room is suddenly bathed in a bright red tint. An ▶️ A is sitting in an uncannily patient pose, sitting far more still than the usually hyperactive pokemon EVER would normally. It perks up when it sees the two of them enter, moving away cautiously.

"If it was calling, it might be looking for a second ▶️ A for its companion." Simon explains as they get closer, "Usually A ゥG tend to live in pairs. One will catch a host using stealth, and then use the first to lure in a second. Some pairs trade off roles, while with others the stronger of the two will act as the lure for a much smaller or weaker one."

“So that means there’s probably a second one in here somewhere with no host,” Zee says giddily.

The camera zooms in on the pokemon as it eyes them warily.

“The pokemon we’re looking at right now is an ➡️ A, and the one we’re looking for is actually possessing it,” She whispers, “The tell is ➡️ A never sit this still, right?”

"Exactly. With a few other small details that show it isn't just injured," He motions to the ▶️A as he speaks, "For example, an ▶️A that's badly injured would also sit still, but it wouldn't be totally silent like that. In fact, it would probably be trying to scare us away."

He looks around. The mate should be SOMEWHERE close if they'd already found one. He squints, scanning for the streamers of an Aゥ G.

"Also. Just to let your audience know, Aゥ G do not generally endanger the life of their host. While they do drain energy, their host of choice is very energetic, and gets to enjoy the much faster growth rate of the Aゥ G while it is possessed. It really works out in the favor of both parties in the end."

“So they have a symbiotic relationship!” Zee says, “That’s very nice for them! When you think ‘possession’ and ‘host’ it really conjures some unfriendly imagery, so I’m happy they’re actually benefiting each other.”

The camera focuses on Simon who is still looking out for streamers. And finds them when he nearly walks into the dangling, light purple tails. He stumbles backwards, shouting a little.

Looks like they found the other Aゥ G.

Zee puts out a hand to catch him before he can topple backwards.

“Careful, sweetie! It almost got you!”

"Er... don't worry, Aゥ G generally don't like possessing humans." He explains, "We're not quite as energy rich as a ▶️A would be. It makes us a much less desirable host. Though I still wouldn't mess with those streamers if I was you."

The camera tilts up to follow the streamers and look for the pokemon in its hiding place.

“Here little cutie. Did you almost grab Simon for lunch? He’s not going to be very tasty, I promise.”

The Aゥ G peers down at them curiously, its streamers curling up a little as if in an attempt to get them out of the way. It's clear they really don't want anything to do with the two of them. It really could easily be mistaken for a plush toy, lingering just out of reach on top of the doorframe. The only reminder that it is a living (?) thing being it's intermittent shifting of its weight.

"We probably don't want to linger too long." Simon goes on, "Aゥ G aren't usually hostile, they prefer to conserve energy, but they'll still attack if they feel threatened. Usually both at the same time."

"Aww, it's so cute! Hi sweetie!" Zee coos at it. She moves the camera around to show the Aゥ G from as many angles as she can, capturing the small, round plushy essence of it.

"I believe these are also called the poketoy pokemon because they really look like little plush toys. Gym Leader Nimbus brought some over to show me a few weeks ago, and she showed me if they're not hungry they can be taught to roll their tails up on ribbon spools to make them a little safer to handle. It probably also helps to keep their tails from getting stepped on. But because their eating habits are parasitic, you can't really keep an Aゥ G without also keeping an ▶️A."

She then takes a step away.

"So that, my lovely skiddo kiddos, is the Aゥ G. We're going to step back and give these cuties some space, then we'll go hunting for another ghost!"

"Right," Simon goes on, "As for other ghost types that inhabit the area, the most common here would be Goodpup, but I believe you've already featured those once."

“Oh, the goodpup are lovely! They’re so eerie and cute!” Zee chirps from behind the camera.

Simon turns and starts to make his way back out of the apartment the way they'd come in, Zee following behind with the camera focused on him.

"Otherwise there are a few other ghost types in areas like this that you might see like..."

He trails off. He can hear something.. ticking. A soft rhythmic sound that dimly echoes behind them.

tick... tick... tick..

Simon goes a little pale and instantly he grabs Zee's shoulder, jarring the camera a little.

"We need to leave" He says under his breath, "Now."

“Oof! Leave? But darling we just-“

She stops mid sentence. The sound ticks softly over the stream audio as they both go silent. The comments begin questioning it.

Zee’s hand moves across the lower portion of the screen as she lays it over Simon’s on her shoulder. Then the camera pitches down suddenly as Zee picks up the pace and diverts her attention away from minding what the stream is seeing. It bobs harshly, alternating between showing the apartment clutter ahead and Zee’s burgundy sneakers as she hurries along, having pushed Simon behind herself.

“My darling skiddo kiddos, quick change of plans. We have to move.”

The camera catches the smallest glimpse of a pair of legs hovering in the doorway, and a tail fanned like a peacock’s.

The camera suddenly stops, then reverses as Zee is dragged back.

"Zee, don't look." Simon hisses.

The pokemon doesn't even seem to have noticed they're there. Its pendulum like tail simply rocks from side to side.

Tick... tick.. tick..."

"Don't..." She begins as the camera lowers slowly toward the floor, then it whirls and goes dark as Zee abruptly stuffs it into her bag. A sliver of light and a bit of the ceiling can be seen from the camera’s upward facing position in her satchel.

"Is it aggressive?" She whispers.

"When Nimbus got put into that state by it, it seemed like it didn't do it on purpose." Simon whispers back, "I think our best bet is ensuring it doesn't notice us. "

There’s some grating and rustling noise as Zee begins to walk, swaying the other objects in her bag against the camera and the microphone. A few colorful sticky notes stuck to the ceiling passing by are the only clear indicator that the camera is moving.

There’s a muffled scrape and a gasp from Simon, and the mic picks up an ugly scratching sound as Zee lunges, shaking the bag and camera.

“I’ve got you, come on,” She whispers as the camera goes steady again.

Several long moments of near silence pass with only the darkness of the inside of the bag and the occasional sliver of light or color to break it up. Occasionally, Zee’s deep, even breathing is heard. In for one second… Two… Three… Four… Five… Six. Out for one… Two… Three..

Tick… Tick… Tick…

Then there’s a thump and a clang as something metallic like an empty can being toppled obliterates the quiet.

The beat of silence that follows is sickening. Something has just got incredibly wrong.

A snarl follows, and the monotonous ticking picks up speed.

Tick tick tick tick tick

Simon gasps.

"We have to get out!" He almost shouts, "We have to leave! Zee we have to get back!!"

For a moment, the stream is engulfed in total darkness, and a scraping and sputter of static emits through the audio as the bag is jostled hard.

A flash of light.

Then Zee’s blurry hand whacks against the camera lens as she reaches into the bag to rummage for something. The view of her forearm and the ceiling lurches hard to the side as she extracts an escape rope before leaving the stream in darkness again.

“Go Simon,” She hisses, “I’ll be right behind you.”

The ticking goes faster. Faster.

Tick tick tick tick tick

There’s a bursting noise like a pokeball opening, but no trainer commands or pokemon cry follows. Only confusion.

"I have to get back." Simon mutters again, "We have to get out"

“Go, Simon,” Zee gasps.

Her breath goes ragged, her carefully timed inhale and exhales breaking up as the tick tick ticking continues. The mic sputters again as the contents of the bag are shaken again, and Zee gasps and collides with something.

A flash illuminates the satchel’s narrow opening, and the camera is now staring up toward one side of Simon’s face who is in turn staring forward at something. His visible eye looks unfocused, like he’s lost in a daydream.

Then a deep, stark tint passes over the room, sharpening the shadows and leeching the color from Simon and the wall and ceiling behind him.

A scrap of clarity returns to Simon’s expression, and he tilts his head down slightly to look at something just in front of him.

"Zee? Are you alright?" He asks.

Zee responds with a whimper, then a violent hiss, rattling the bag again and throwing the stream into darkness as she thrashes against Simon. Then she quiets, and she turns, tilting the bag.

Seen through the narrow opening, a grisly set of jagged white teeth emerges out of the harsh blackness. Two white dots blink above the teeth, serving as beady eyes that rough out the shape of a face. A raspy sniffing sound follows the arrival of the eerie grin. Then another sniff, a second creature just out of view.

“Simon?” Zee whimpers, sounding a little more like herself now.

Then she gasps, and lunges suddenly.

“Escape rope. Use the escape rope!”

"Oh! Right! Escape rope!"

A sound like rushing air floods the mic, then there’s a thud as Zee and Simon crumple on the ground. The bag falls from Zee’s shoulder and the contents clatter out. The stream goes white for a moment as the camera is suddenly flooded with daylight. Gradually, the colors wind back down to normal, restoring the picture to reveal the camera is laying on its side on the ground.

Zee is in the foreground, curled up on her side with her arms over her head as if to shield herself from some unseen onslaught. She’s shaking, sobs wracking through her as she whimpers partial sentences in Alolan followed by strings of, “No, no, no….”

The chat is buzzing with questions. For a while, the stream goes on like this with neither host changing their position trembling on the ground. Eventually, Zee goes silent.

Connection lost.

Comment:

Hello my lovely skiddo kiddos! Don’t worry, Simon and I are okay, though we’re spending the night in the g City hospital. Thanks to @made-this-blog-to-poke-my-rival for the rescue.

What we experienced here was something called the waking nightmare, which is essentially like being hit with the move nightmare, except you’re still awake. It was very unpleasant, and apparently needs hospital treatment. Hence hospital. Fortunately, it looks like the fear eating abilities of GoodPup helps stave off some of the effects. The GoodPup were the ones making the cute creepy smiling faces and causing the black and white tint if you’re not already familiar with them.

Hope for our speedy recovery, or hospital windows that open so I can escape early.

Remember skiddos, mommy loves you!

#ooc reblog #YES

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