X. [Fourth Wall Weekend! Video-Action for the Goldenrod Rocket base.]

[shakespearealien]

[The light in Gorthan's room is dim, making the images all the more eerie.

The PokéGear's backlight reveals an orange bill attached to a large violet head with large blue sclera-only eyes, black eyelids closing around them as they become narrowed and peer into the feed with a judging stare. The clear giveaways are the blond dreadlocks and the silvery circular marking on the strange being's forehead - this is how Gorthan normally appears as an Evronian.

... Is it really Gorthan, though? While the Gorthan you probably know has two circles on his forehead - a smaller one on top of a larger one - this... being only has a single large one.

The Evronian speaks, and his voice is indeed, identical to Gorthan's. Only, perhaps, slower, slightly more poised, and with a certain ragged note about it, as if this being were much older than the Gorthan that Johto and Kanto have come to know.]

It figures that someone like you would keep an Eracolator. Given those books... Don't tell me you've read so much of their literature that you've become like them. Of course, having an Eracolator, per se, is not a bad thing. The great Zartas, the Beacon, the Invincible, had one of his own, where he would store the full extent of his powerful, infinite imagination. But what do you have that can compare to his greatness? Nothing, probably. You are nothing but treacherous scum.

[When the being turns his head to face the one he has been talking to, it becomes clear that...

... there are two violet alien ducks in the room. And both of them are Gorthan. The one who has not been speaking into the feed is lying on the floor, unconscious. They are each other's splitting image, except that the unconscious Evronian is wearing an earthling's clothes, while the standing Gorthan wears a large, flowing turquoise robe accenting his broad shoulders. The standing Gorthan looks down at his double with a mixture of contempt and sadistic amusement.]

You will learn, dear impostor who tried to steal my place as head of the Evronian army, that there exists no one who can trifle with Gorthan, the Warrior King.

[A large metal goblet, adorned with what seem to be precious gems and exhaling a column of glowing light blue smoke, appears into view as Gorthan lifts it to his bill. Upon closer inspection, there seems to be a dent in the cup, though it certainly doesn't seem to bother Gorthan. Who smirks, as a third being comes into view - Gorthan's Gallade.]

Right, creature?

[An identical smirk appears on the small lips of the Rocket-aligned Pokémon. To him, that his trainer was just replaced by a more ruthless and uncomplicated copy of himself is just as well.]

[[OOC: For the purpose of the 4th wall weekend, Gorthan has been replaced by warrior_king, Gorthan's other self from "Superduck", PKNA's reboot series. You'll find that he's very different from the original Gorthan, and almost his opposite, in some ways.]]

Comments

[video]

[warrior_king]

[Gorthan stares thoughtfully into the feed for a moment. Precisely because he's been inside an Eracolator, the concept of traveling to parallel or alternate universes is not completely foreign to him.

Finally, he smirks.]

Of course. I am on Earth, the planet that I once held in the palm of my hand. Even when my power here was absolute, I do not believe the exact name of our race was ever made by any of your information media, hence why you would be unfamiliar with it. Your species is less perspicacious than you believe yourselves to be.

[leaveyourstarburning]

[...you know, now should probably be when he realizes he's in over his head. As it stands, there's not much of a response to that that isn't "...wow, uh."

However, he will refrain and humor you for now, good sir, just kind of sighing a bit before doing so.]

I'm afraid that I'm not of this world either; I don't know what's been said and what has not. I can only speak for what I know of this particular area; I can assure you that I've never seen anyone of your race here. I ask that you take no offense at this, as I've been in this position myself, but I believe that you would be fairly obvious in comparison to most of the others.

[warrior_king]

[He huffs.]

I see. Everything is probably this impostor's doing.

[For a moment, he turns to look at the other Gorthan, which makes his unconscious form appear on the feed again. He's still out cold.]

I am not too concerned. As soon as I warn my troops of my position here, they should come retrieve me.

For now, I intend to further my bond with this strangely loyal and most efficient being.

[He shifts the Gear a little to show Gallade, the Pokémon's smirk still mirroring the alien's.]

As soon as I administered due punishment to the impostor, this... servant of his did not hesitate to leave him and, instead, pledge his loyalty to me. I suspect it is not from Earth, either, as I was never informed that it was inhabited by creatures such as this one.

[leaveyourstarburning]

[...okay, Zulf. Don't facepalm. Don't facepalm. The urge is strong, but you must resist.]

No, those creatures are native to this area.

[...head...tilt hang on]

At least, I think it is. I'm not familiar with that one.

And there's not much of a way to contact your home world here; from what I understand, most here would have done that already, if that were the case. For the time being, however, might I ask why you seem to be pinning all of your misfortune on that one?

[warrior_king]

Lies. That cannot be.

[... Yes, that is his intelligent and informed response to both the Gallade = possibly alien question and to whether or not he can contact his planet.]

And I blame this impostor, of course, because he was the first I encountered upon finding myself here. Surely, his plan was to keep me trapped here in this ugly, small room filled with nothing but terrestrial books while he impersonated me and usurped the power I have worked all my life to legitimately gain.

[leaveyourstarburning]

[...ahahaha wow okay um]

...are you basing this on any facts at all, or...?

[warrior_king]

I am basing this on the short conversation we shared before I grew tired of hearing him speak. It was not pleasant.

[Also, why is that other him so much younger, ugh.]

[leaveyourstarburning]

To be fair, if you opened the conversation speaking of conquest, as you have here, I can see where that might have seemed a valid option.

Not fair or right, mind you, but a valid option.

[warrior_king]

[Have a laugh, loud and hearty and surprisingly very similar to the scientist's; though there's still that ragged edge about it.

... And at the end of the laugh? A poem.]

"Power, might,
boundless fear in the worlds we claim...
That is our essence,
that is our only aim!"

To an Evronian, there is nothing but conquest.

[leaveyourstarburning]

I understand that. That doesn't mean that it doesn't seem completely irrational to others.

[warrior_king]

[Have some really incredulous and somewhat irritated blinking.]

Earthlings will think that, I've found. But, in order to survive and be able to sustain itself, our species must be permanently at war with other planets. To us, that is what is rational. You don't understand that, do you.

[leaveyourstarburning]

Simply because I don't agree with it on principle doesn't mean that I can't understand it, if it's explained to me.

I have my own standards, as you have yours. At the same time, I don't believe it's my place to pass judgement. I react to those that wrong myself or others; I don't believe in pre-emptive strikes. If this is how you survive, then so be it; however, I won't tolerate you threatening the survival of others.

It's a difficult situation.

[warrior_king]

Well, rest assured, then - as it stands, I am not threatening anybody's survival.

[He smirks smugly.]

Their emotions are what I am after. But perhaps it has not occurred to you that there are fates worse than death...

[leaveyourstarburning]

And do you not see a fate worse than death as threatening one's survival?

[This...isn't rocket science...?]

[warrior_king]

On the contrary, were I to harm anybody the way I seek, mere survival would be even ensured for my victims. At least in the short term. The lifespan of a CoolFlame is, after all, always quite short...

[leaveyourstarburning]

...I think you're misunderstanding me. There's a difference between physical survival and remaining intact as a person. Should you damage or remove their emotions in some way, they don't exist as they were. Thusly, their survival is threatened.

[warrior_king]

Oh, so that is what you think...

[Cool story, bro. :| ]

Who are you, anyway?

[leaveyourstarburning]

My name is Zulf, good sir.

[warrior_king]

And I am Gorthan, supreme leader of the Evronian army and a former Imperial Councillor. I wield the Emperor's power during his unfortunate absence.

[Orchestrated by Gorthan's second in command

Once again, he casts a disgusted look at his unconscious double.]

Whereas this impostor is a scientist! Would you believe that? Such a vile, parasitic profession. A teeming nest of traitors! A plague to all Evron!

[leaveyourstarburning]

[...that gets a bit of a laugh out of him, actually, though the sound is joyless.]

I recall thinking the same thing, once, regarding scientific sorts.

[warrior_king]

[At last, someone who understands!]

Finally. Thank you.

I do hope you have not changed your mind since then.

[leaveyourstarburning]

[He hesitates then, his expression flickering a bit before he seems to settle.]

No. I haven't.

[warrior_king]

Good.

[It is that easy to fool him.]

Now. Introduce yourself properly. You said you were not native to this world - so where are you from?

[leaveyourstarburning]

[As much as it kills him? That wasn't deception.]

I was born in a place known as the Tazal Terminals - the homeland of my people, the Ura. However, my work has brought me a great distance from there, beyond the Wilds and past the Rippling Walls to a place called Caelondia.

None here have heard of such a place, nor is this place at all connected to the land from which I hail.

[warrior_king]

[Gorthan blinks a little. Those names are simply fascinating. There is clearly a story here, and it's one he wants to know.

As such, his manners are suddenly much more agreeable. Even the sternness in his gaze is now mostly gone.]

And what are your thoughts on being so far away from your home? Do you miss your people?