Chapter Text
Liko and Opal had a few wonderful things in common.
This made sense realistically. How could they not have things in common when they shared the same body, face, and mind? They were bound to be similar in multiple ways. Still, Liko never would have expected her and Opal to have hobbies they could share. Opal hadn't been given much of a chance to explore what she liked individually while she was with the Explorers because of the control they exerted over her life. She was still learning how to spend her alone time, and the process of finding things she wanted to do on her own was admittedly very slow.
But there was one thing both Liko and Opal could agree on: watching Nidothing videos and streams. Zirc and Onia had shown Opal a lot of Nidothing content while she was with the Explorers, and she had loved it, perhaps because of residual influence from Liko. If one of them enjoyed watching the videos, then the other was bound to at least like it in passing. How could they not? Liko was glad for it. Watching Nidothing videos was a low-effort, relaxing thing she could share with Opal, and she could tell the other piece of her needed something to enjoy without worrying too much about the rest of the world.
That day, Nidothing was set to do a question and answer stream, and Liko wouldn't miss it for the world. The Brave Olivine was docked on the ground so some members of the crew could go on a shopping run, but Liko had chosen to not join them. She and Opal had both been left exhausted after their mission with the Maushold, and they decided to spend a bit of time inside to recover their energy on their own. There would be other times for them to venture out into the world. For now, they were going to stay in their room, enjoy the Nidothing stream, and let the time flow away around them.
Nidothing's energy was every bit as high at the start of the stream as it always was, and Liko and Opal leaned in eagerly. They were going to have to find a good time to send in a question or two... Not that they were entirely sure of what it was they were going to ask. Maybe they could instead replace the question with a heartfelt message about how much Nidothing had meant to them by helping them to bond and get to know one another. It wasn't exactly a question, but Liko thought it would be worth it if Nidothing was able to see it.
Liko's fingers hovered over her phone's keyboard for a few seconds as she tried to figure out what it was she wanted to say. The words were bouncing around in her mind, but she didn't know how to turn them into anything cohesive or coherent. She couldn't just throw all of her thoughts at the wall when someone as important as Nidothing was going to be reading them. She needed to choose her words carefully, and Liko knew she could do it. All she had to do was focus a little bit.
Once Nidothing opened up the floor for questions, Liko began to tap away without thinking. She was vaguely aware of the fact that Opal was taking charge of their fingers to write out everything Liko couldn't seem to figure out how to articulate. Liko thought that was fine. If Opal was taking a bit more control over their shared life, then that was a step in the right direction. She was slowly opening up more to the idea of talking with other people, and Liko wanted to encourage her as much as possible. Liko would let Opal do as she pleased for as long as she wanted, and she would support her other half in any way she could.
Opal let out a slow breath when she finally finished the message. She didn't bother to read it over before sending it through the chat, and Liko knew why already. Opal didn't like being on their phone for any longer than was necessary because it had never been allowed when she was a member of the Explorers. She could only use a phone if she was being supervised, and even then, the others had to guide her through internet access to make sure she didn't do anything that could reveal the truth of the Explorers' actions. Nothing was going to convince her to feel comfortable using her phone other than just patience and experience, and Liko was going to give her all the time she needed to adjust.
Liko looked down at the screen with a slow breath, and she read over just what Opal had written out. She hadn't been able to fully process what Opal was saying before because of how quickly she had been typing, but now, she had all the time she needed. Liko could only hope Nidothing appreciated the message when they saw it too... And she hoped it wasn't too embarrassing since she was a regular in the Nidothing chat. Well, she was as much of a regular as she could have been when she hadn't been around for an extended period because of everything with the Explorers.
Liko pushed the thought out of her head and began to read:
'Thank you for making your videos, Nidothing. They helped me through a really difficult time, and thanks to you, I was able to connect with someone who means a lot to me. I don't know if we would be friends now if you hadn't been there. Thank you for everything.'
Liko felt heat start to flood her cheeks at Nidothing's words. That was roughly what she had thought, yes, but it was still shocking to see it all written out as Opal had wanted it to be. Liko hoped it wasn't too much of an emotional dump in the live chat of what was meant to be a question and answer stream, and she began to nervously twiddle her thumbs together. She couldn't seem to decide if it would be better if Nidothing didn't answer or if she did. Either way, she was bound to feel like she was going to explode from embarrassment.
"I have a question up next from... SprigatitoLove!" Nidothing cried out, and Liko squealed as she buried her face in her hands. She couldn't believe her favorite streamer was acknowledging her in front of so many people! "Well, I guess it's not a question since I don't see a..." Nidothing trailed off as they read through the rest of the message, and Liko could have sworn she saw them freeze from something flustered. "I... Well..."
Before Nidothing could figure out a way to respond to the words, smoke began to spill out of something just offscreen. Nidothing cried out in shock, and Quaxly began to flap his arms desperately in an effort to extinguish the flames. "What in the--?!"
The stream faded back to its loading screen a moment later, and Liko was left staring at her phone in shock. What in the world had just happened? She hoped with everything she had that Nidothing was alright. She couldn't imagine something like that happening to her... And it had happened right after Nidothing read through her heartfelt message about ltheir videos helping her to connect with Opal! What if this meant the entire Nidothing fanbase associated her with something horrible happening to Nidothing now? Would she ever be able to live that down? Would she be hated under the username of SprigatitoLove for the rest of her days? How could she ever show her face in the stream chat again when she had said something right before all of that happened?
"Do you smell... Smoke?" Opal asked, and Liko sniffed at the air with purpose. Now that Opal said it, Liko could smell smoke... But she wasn't sure of where it was coming from at all. Liko reached for her phone and began to navigate her way to the Rising Volt Tacklers' app so she could send everyone a message. She needed to make sure they were alright, and hopefully, she would be able to hear from them where she should go to help put out the fire or where to evacuate to so she wouldn't run into it.
A message came through before Liko had the chance to finish hers out though. It came from Dot, and Liko felt a quick thread of fear race through her chest. She could only hope Dot was alright, and she leaned in closer toward her screen as she read like she thought that would give her the information she craved a little bit faster:
'I'm fine. Something went wrong in my room. Don't worry about it. Quaxly helped me.'
Liko blinked in confusion. That message was extremely vague, and it did very little to help her to feel any better about the fact that she was smelling so much smoke... Though the smell was already starting to fade away. Perhaps Dot was right about having it all under control, not that Liko really knew how a girl her age would be able to get something like a fire under her control by herself in the first place.
Dot came walking down the hall a moment later, and Liko pushed herself to her feet to greet her. "Dot, are you alright?" Liko called after her, and Dot froze. "You really had me worried when you said you knew something about the smoke. I hope you're--"
"I'm fine," Dot said hastily. "One of the things in my room just started experiencing technical difficulties, and I'm going to have to go out to replace it."
"I see," Liko nodded. After a moment of silence, she found herself stepping toward Dot once more. "Do you want me to come with you?" Liko had planned to spend the day in the Brave Olivine after her activity spike with helping the Maushold recently, but if Dot needed help, then Liko was happy to volunteer it. Liko would be able to take some time to rest after she was finished helping Dot with whatever she needed.
"No," Dot answered a bit too quickly, and Liko frowned at the odd edge behind her voice. Liko's eyes widened, and Dot saw it, so she quickly moved to explain herself. "I-I mean that I'll be fine. I don't know how much you'd be able to help me with what I need to look for anyway. It's tech stuff, and..."
"I understand," Liko assured her. It was true that Liko would be as good as useless when it came to aiding Dot, though she was still glad she had volunteered her time. She hoped that was worth at least a little something. "I hope you're able to find what you need."
Dot nodded slowly. "Yeah... Yeah, I'll be fine. Thanks for the offer, Liko." She wasted no time in drawing out the conversation, instead taking off down the hallway once again. Liko frowned after her worriedly. She almost felt like Dot was hiding something from her, but she couldn't quite put a finger on what it was. Dot was clearly distracted by something, but Liko didn't know how to find out what was bothering her. She could only hope Dot felt safe enough to open up about what was weighing on her soon enough. Until then, Liko would be there to support her.
Liko looked back into her room once Dot was gone, and she sighed at her phone screen. She would also hope for the best for Nidothing... She really hoped everything was alright on the other side of the streamer's broadcast, and she knew she wasn't the only one.
~~~~~
"I still think you should just tell her."
Dot bit back a groan as she stormed off the Brave Olivine. Nidothing had been repeating the same thought ad nauseam ever since they ran into Liko on their way off the ship. They were going to have to replace the equipment that had malfunctioned during the stream, and Nidothing had a lot of opinions about the situation. In her mind, the best thing Dot could have done was tell Liko what was going on.
After all, Liko didn't even know Dot was Nidothing... Well, in a sense. It was more complicated than that in reality, but she knew she should have told Liko she was actually the person behind her friend's favorite streaming persona. Nidothing meant a lot to Liko, and she had been excited about the stream leading up to it... But Dot still hadn't been able to muster the guts to tell Liko that she was the streamer in question. It had felt like too much.
At one point, Dot had been trying to hint to Liko that she was Nidothing. She had wanted Liko to figure it out on her own so they would be able to use it as a jumping off point for a stronger friendship. If they had something to connect with, then they would be able to talk about other things... Or so Dot was hoping. Everything fell apart when Liko was kidnapped though, and she had gone right back to her previous pattern of being completely oblivious to everything going on around her. Liko didn't know at all that Dot was Nidothing, and it didn't seem like she was going to unravel the truth any time soon either.
The difference between the past and the present was the extra emotional stake Dot had in the situation. Before, she had felt fine with telling Liko about the fact that she was Nidothing because it didn't necessarily mean anything about revealing Nidothing to the rest of the world. Liko didn't need to know Nidothing wasn't just a streamer's persona but an alternate identity that lived in Dot's mind... But there was a lot more of a reason to tell her now. There was a lot more for Dot to worry about in the present because there was more of Liko to worry about. If Dot talked about being Nidothing, then it could have led to Liko realizing Nidothing wasn't just an online persona but an entire other entity in Dot's head. Dot thought it would be best to wait on revealing that information until a better time...
But Nidothing had starkly different opinions, and they had been voicing them for as long as they could get away with it. "What do you think is going to happen if you keep holding this off?" Nidothing asked. "Either you're going to tell her or I'm going to. This is the first time we've ever met someone in real life who understands what it's like to live like this. You can't think I'm just going to accept hiding away when somebody is finally going to get me for the first time."
"I know that, I just..." Dot trailed off with a sigh. She knew it wasn't realistic to expect Nidothing to stay in the shadows forever. Nidothing deserved to be able to talk to other people, but... "Liko's in a fragile place right now. I don't want to make that worse."
"Is it her that's in the fragile place? Or are you just too afraid to tell her?" Nidothing challenged, and Dot bit back a groan that would have echoed through the air all around her. "Everyone reacted just fine to learning about Opal, so why wouldn't they feel the same way about you telling them about me? What are you so afraid of them seeing?"
"I..." Dot began, but she realized just as quickly that she had no way of finishing the thought. Nidothing was right. Dot couldn't expect all of this to be kept hidden for the rest of her days. Nidothing had a right to step out of the shadows and express themself. Dot couldn't hide the truth forever, but... But she didn't know how she was supposed to talk about it. She had been living alone with this secret and with Nidothing for so long, and the thought of disturbing that... It was terrifying.
"Nothing is going to get better as long as you're so scared," Nidothing pointed out. "So how about this? You can tell Liko what's going on, and if you don't, then I'll do it. Either way, something is going to come out. We can wait a little longer on revealing it to everybody else, but I'm not going to let the chance pass me by to talk to someone who understands what it's like to be me."
Dot nodded slowly. She wasn't going to be able to keep Nidothing quiet forever, and she knew it. That didn't make it any easier to face, but she supposed she was going to have to figure something out eventually. She could think through her options for a while longer and then... And then she would either say something or be forced to say something. There was hardly an ending Dot liked, but for all she knew, it would end up just fine. Maybe she just needed to rip the bandage off and talk about it. After that, she would be safe enough to talk about it freely, right?
But what if she was wrong? What if this led to even more judgement coming in her direction? The rest of the crew hadn't questioned it too much when it was Liko, but... But Dot didn't know if they would react the same way if she announced the same secret so soon afterward. The Rising Volt Tacklers were all good people, and Dot had no reason to believe they would react badly, but... But she couldn't seem to shake the fear of something taking a turn for the worst. She had never truly had friends before, and she didn't want to mess it up now.
But they wouldn't really be her friends if they were willing to cast her out because of something out of her control. They wouldn't be her friends if they abandoned her the instant she allowed herself to reveal the truth hidden beneath the surface. She would be better off with others if they didn't react well, but... But that wasn't enough to fully assuage her fears. Everything was just too much for her to bear, and the longer she thought about it, the worse she felt.
Dot forced her mind to something like silence as she arrived at the stall she was going to have to buy from to get a new microphone. She couldn't believe her previous microphone had malfunctioned so horribly in the middle of a stream. She hadn't thought it was possible for a microphone to start shrieking and smoking like that at all, much less that it would happen when there were so many people watching her. Dot had sent out a quick message into the chat saying she was fine, though she knew everyone was probably going to keep worrying about her until she had returned to the stream either later that day or the day after.
Dot let out a slow breath and began to look through the microphones. Liko had said something in the chat of the stream just before the microphone started to act up. Dot and Nidothing hadn't responded to it openly, and Dot didn't know if she would be able to give it the answer it deserved in the middle of a stream anyway. She would probably feel better about replying if she could do it in a different environment...
"Like a private conversation? One where you can tell her who you are and what I am?" Nidothing suggested, and Dot bit back a sigh. Of course they were saying that... Though it wasn't a horrible idea, Dot had to admit. It wasn't something she wanted to do if she was being honest with herself, but it was a start. If she was able to talk to Liko about it, then... Then they would probably both feel a lot better about the situation.
Dot decided she would make the full choice a little later on, and she picked up the microphone she needed. She barely paid attention to the transaction and then started to step away from the booth. She needed to get back to the ship so she could return to streaming. She didn't want to scare her fans any more than was absolutely necessary, and she knew she had scared some of them half to death earlier in the day.
Dot began to wander through the streets of the market with a frown, trying to plan out what it was she was going to tell Liko when it was time for them to talk to each other. Was she going to just come out and say that she was Nidothing? That had to be the solution she went for. She couldn't think of any other way she would be able to actually get the message across to Liko. As much as Dot adored Liko, she had to admit that Liko was very oblivious. She wasn't going to figure out that Dot was Nidothing through hinting alone.
Dot was admittedly shocked Liko hadn't figured it out already though. Perhaps it was a bit too much to ask of Liko for her to already know what was happening, but Dot thought it would have been a little more obvious. After all, Dot couldn't think of anyone else who would have a motive to start up the stream searching for Liko. Surely Liko must have known there was something going on there... Right? Opal liked Nidothing, and it was because she had watched videos that were uploaded in her absence. What reason did Liko have to still not know what was going on? Surely she should have figured out at least a little something, but if that was true, then... What was the problem?
Dot didn't realize she had strayed very far from the path that would take her to the Brave Olivine until after she heard a Pokémon crying out a short distance up the street. She looked up to find a pink Pokémon was trying to reach up for some metal sitting on one of the booths nearby. The store owner refused to give the Pokémon what she wanted though, and that only started up the creature's cries all over again. It looked like it was going to fall to the ground sobbing if it was rejected too much more.
Dot blinked in confusion at the sight and then reached for her phone. She didn't recognize that Pokémon immediately, but she knew one way to figure out what it was. She quickly found the answer she was looking for thanks to the Pokédex app. That was Tinkatink, a Pokémon particularly fond of metal so it could build bigger and bigger hammers. Tinaktink wasn't doing very well at achieving her goal in that moment though. She was trying to get the attention of one of the workers at a stall, but he refused to do anything to help her.
When the man walked away to get something else, Tinkatink moved to chase after him. She was interested in the hammer he had in one hand, clearly planning to use the metal to try and build her next hammer. The current one she had was very small, and yet, it still almost seemed too big for her. Dot never would have expected such a small creature would be able to hold something that was as heavy as a hammer, though she supposed she shouldn't have underestimated a Pokémon. There were all sorts of things Pokémon could do that she never would have thought possible until after she had seen it for the first time.
Tinkatink was apparently incapable of watching her step though, and her foot snagged on a small rock int he center of the road. She hit the ground roughly, and rather than trying to chase after the man with his metal hammer, she stayed where she was. Tinkatink began to cry immediately, rubbing at her eyes frantically in an effort to stem her tears. It wasn't enough though, and she just couldn't seem to soothe herself on her own.
Dot's body moved on its own, and she launched herself over to Tinkatink. "Are you alright?" Dot asked even though she knew the Pokémon wouldn't be able to answer on her own. It wasn't as if they spoke the same language, so Dot was just going to have to figure it out through her target's body language. Hopefully, that would give her enough information.
Tinkatink looked up at Dot for a few seconds, clearly seeming to take comfort from the girl's presence. Dot began to relax too, and she let herself release a slow breath. She hadn't realized just how tense she was until she was there next to Tinkatink. Maybe this was something both of them needed. They weren't going to be able to feel better as long as they were just managing themselves alone. If they relied on each other though, then perhaps their luck would finally start to turn around.
Tinkatink rubbed at her eyes one more time, and this time, her palms didn't come back covered in tears. Dot was willing to consider that a victory, but she didn't account for what Tinkatink did next. The small Pokémon had realized she was holding a bag, and beyond that, the microphone Dot had bought was peering out of the side. Dot barely had the chance to register what was happening before Tinkatink lunged forward, grabbing the microphone and starting to hit at it with her hammer. Dot winced at the sound of the metal caving in, and she knew that was another expense she was going to have to put up with. She was glad she had a bit of spending money from her recent activities as Nidothing. She didn't know if she would have always been able to afford buying a second microphone.
The one Tinkatink had hit was already as good as dead though. There was no way any amount of repairing would be able to make it work again, and Dot doubted she would be able to wrestle it out of Tinkatink's hands long enough to think about fixing it anyway. She was just going to have to accept this as a defeat. Dot was still glad she had done something to help though. Even if she would have to buy another microphone, she felt... Better. Tinkatink had already done a lot to boost her mood when she was going through more than she had ever imagined she would in a day. Maybe it was fine that something in her room had almost exploded during a stream if it had led her to a new friend.
"You're kind of cute, you know," Dot remarked, though she realized a bit too late that it hadn't been her who said the words at all. Nidothing had noticed the weak point in her defenses and decided to break through to express herself aloud for the first time all day. Dot had kept Nidothing on a tight leash ever since they got off their stream, but there wasn't much she could do to stop it now. "You're really adorable, actually! I wonder... Do you want to come back with me?"
Tinkatink stared up at Dot and Nidothing with wide eyes, and Dot had to wonder if anyone had ever asked her something like that. Tinkatink seemed to be a bit lonely based on the fact that she had been wandering through the streets of the town without anyone by her side. She didn't seem to have a trainer. If she did, then Dot was certain they would have been able to control her to make sure she didn't lunge for the nearest bit of metal she could find so that she could strike it. If Tinkatink had nowhere else to go, then Dot supposed the best thing she could offer was to let her come back to the Brave Olivine with her.
Tinkatink waited a few moments more, almost like she expected Nidothing to take the offer back. When they did not, her face lit up, and she nodded excitedly. Nidothing giggled under their breath and pushed themself to their feet. It was nice to know they had someone else by their side. Nidothing didn't get much of a chance to reach out and connect with others because of their circumstances, but Pokémon... That could have been a different story if only they were willing to pursue it. Hatenna had helped Opal and Liko to bond more, so maybe Tinkatink could have been the same for Dot and Nidothing.
Of course, they couldn't go back to the ship just yet. They still needed to get another microphone. Dot didn't want to go back to the same stall they had been at before if she could avoid it. She didn't want to have to explain to the shopkeep why she was buying a second one so soon after she had been there the first time. Perhaps it was a ridiculous thing for her to be worried about, but she couldn't seem to get it out of her head. She could find a microphone somewhere else.
Beyond that, it was a matter of practicality. It wouldn't make any sense for Dot to go and get another microphone from a stall that didn't bother to put their supplies or goods in boxes. Dot didn't want Tinkatink to try and get at her microphone again if she could at all avoid it. She was certain she would feel better if she was able to train Tinkatink to not attack the other microphone, and that wasn't going to happen immediately. Getting one in box was a much better option.
Dot allowed herself a smile and a slow exhale. She was going to be alright. That day hadn't exactly gone to plan, but she was going to get through it... And she was going to go back home with a new friend too. It was progress, and she was already enjoying it more than she had expected to. Maybe it wasn't so bad that her microphone had broken if she was able to get Tinkatink out of it.
And in a perfect world, maybe Dot and Nidothing would be able to reconcile their differences and find common ground with or without Tinkatink's help.
~~~~~
In a word, Nidothing would have described the rest of the day as chaotic.
They supposed it was to be expected. It seemed like there couldn't be even a single day on the Brave Olivine without something going sideways in one way or another. Nidothing enjoyed just how fresh and interesting everything was there even if Dot often mourned lost routines because of the wrenches in her plans. Nidothing found it freeing in a way. It meant they were able to do more with their life than just watch the world pass them by from one side of a window Dot never tried to open.
At the heart of all of the chaos was little Tinkatink. Nidothing found her simply adorable in a strange way they couldn't put to words. They knew others probably would have thought she was unsettling or frustrating in some way or another, but Nidothing wasn't going to reject her right away. Tinkatink just needed a little bit of encouragement, and Nidothing was determined to give it to her.
Nidothing didn't get the chance to interact with many others regardless of if they were people or Pokémon. They weren't even sure if Quaxly knew there was a difference between them and Dot because Dot hadn't ever bothered to explain it aloud. Dot was embarrassed by it, but Nidothing wasn't going to let shame stop them from being themself. The rest of the world was going to have opinions about them anyway, and Dot needed to be willing to let loose and just enjoy herself for a while. Nidothing didn't care what others thought of them. They had to have thick skin if they were going to post online.
Nidothing understood where Dot was coming from with not wanting others to know about them though, at least in the vaguest of senses. Dot was worried about something so personal being put on display for all the world to see when it could have hurt them in the short or long term. She was trying to keep Nidothing safe... But as far as Nidothing was concerned, nothing was ever going to change as long as they were unwilling to take risks. Coming to the Brave Olivine had been a chance too, and they had loved every second of it after they emerged from their room for the first time. Someone had to be willing to make a change, and Nidothing was going to do it as many times as they had to while Dot's courage caught up with her.
Nidothing took the opportunity by the horns when they first saw Tinkatink. This wasn't just a chance for them to help a small Pokémon that was frightened and alone. It was a chance for Nidothing to make a meaningful connection with another living being. Nidothing didn't think of themself as entirely human anyway, and talking to Tinkatink felt like a perfect way of expressing that. They presented halfway like a Pokémon in their mind's world. Why not lean into it fully and spend the rest of the day with Tinkatink and other Pokémon?
Nidothing hadn't expected Tinkatink to be accused of something as horrible as taking all of the metal from the ship's lowest rooms. They hadn't thought something like that was a possibility at all for a wide variety of reasons. First and foremost, Tinkatink had no idea where she was going to find it, and secondly, she was far too small to take all of that metal. She may have wanted to make a larger hammer, but she couldn't do it if she wasn't even able to lift up the materials she needed to use. Something else was playing behind the scenes, and Nidothing and Dot were both determined to figure it all out.
Orthworm made a lot more sense as an explanation. Of course it was a Pokémon that was known for eating metal. Tinkatink wouldn't have been able to pack away all of that steel in so little time, but for Orthworm, it would have been beyond easy. Nidothing was proud of themself and Dot for figuring out the truth behind all that had eluded the rest of the crew so easily...
But there wasn't much time to dwell on it. In the blink of an eye, Orthworm appeared, and it was time for a battle. Nidothing already doubted the Rising Volt Tacklers would be able to get all of their lost steel back, but they were at least hoping they would be able to fend off trouble for the rest of the day. The fight became particularly personal when Orthworm swallowed Tinkatink's hammer, and Nidothing wasn't going to take that sitting down. They had paid good money for the microphone at the center of that hammer, and Orthworm wasn't going to take it away from their newest and smallest friend.
Tinkatink, Dot, and Nidothing turned out to be quite the good team too. In no time at all, they had defeated Orthworm and sent it right back where it came from. Not only that, but Tinkatink was able to get its hammer back too. It cheered and held its hammer tightly after the fight, and Nidothing felt their heart soar. Even if the day hadn't gone to plan at all, they were happy with how it had all turned out. Tinkatink had her hammer, and Nidothing and Dot had gotten their microphone in the end too. Sure, they had to spend a little more money, but Nidothing thought it was all worth it if they were able to bond with Tinkatink.
That only made the part that followed sadder though. Nidothing didn't want to take Tinkatink away from her home even if they were going to miss her like crazy. They would be best off just leaving her there and wishing her well for the foreseeable future. They wanted to scoop her up and drag her off to the ship so she could join them on their adventures, but that was her decision. Nidothing couldn't make it for her, and they knew it well.
Approaching Tinkatink left a bittersweet tension in Nidothing's chest, and they crouched down in front of her with a frown. "I guess this is goodbye then," Nidothing murmured. It felt ridiculous to get so attached to a Pokémon they had known for less than a day, but Nidothing couldn't get Tinkatink out of their head. They felt so connected with her in a way they hadn't been able to connect with others in so long. The rest of the Rising Volt Tacklers weren't even allowed to know they existed, but with Tinkatink... It didn't need to be an issue at all. They could be themself, and Tinkatink would go right along with their energy. She was easily frightened, but she wasn't repulsed by Nidothing at all. For the first time in ages, Nidothing felt... Accepted. They were fine as long as they were with Tinkatink. There was a chance others could want to have them around, and Nidothing wanted to be around them too.
Tinkatink's eyes filled with tears as she shyly looked up at Nidothing. She was heartbroken by the fact that they would be parting ways too, it seemed. They had bonded a lot even though they hadn't been around one another for very long. Nidothing was going to miss her... Though they wouldn't have to part ways at all if Tinkatink just wanted to come along. Nidothing wasn't sure if something like that was appropriate to ask though. They wanted to just throw caution to the wind and ask if Tinkatink wanted to come, but they couldn't bring themself to do it right away. This was one of the first times Nidothing had ever felt fully accepted by someone, and the last thing they wanted to do was mess it up.
Quaxly appeared just by Nidothing's side a moment later with a Pokéball resting in his feathers, and Nidothing gasped. That was certainly one way of asking. They hadn't been prepared when they went out that day since they hadn't imagined they would end up meeting a friend while shopping for a microphone. Nidothing accepted the ball from Quaxly gladly and then extended it toward Tinkatink. "So... What do you say?" Nidothing asked. "Do you want to come with me?"
Tinkatink's face lit up in a bright smile, and without missing a beat, she launched herself at the ball. Nidothing flinched at the contact when light exploded right in front of them, but they forced their eyes open again as the Pokéball began to shake. Tinkatink had no reason to try and break out though since she had already made her decision about coming along, and the ball clicked shut a moment later.
Nidothing couldn't hold back their massive grin. They had someone who understood them at last... And this wasn't going to be where it all ended. They were going to push harder and harder, and they would be able to talk to the rest of the Rising Volt Tacklers soon enough. They had been letting Dot guide their life up to that point, but everything was going to change. If Opal had a right to exist, then Nidothing was going to prove they had much the same.
They opened the ball and let Tinkatink out again a moment later, and she practically launched herself into Nidothing's arms. Nidothing laughed heartily and pulled Tinkatink in closer. They could have this every single day if they wanted. They didn't need to be alone anymore. If there was someone who was willing to spend time with them, then that surely meant there would be others too. This didn't need to be a one-off occurrence. Nidothing wasn't going to let it be a one-off.
They understood why Dot acted the way they did about it though. Dot and Nidothing had struggled a lot with being bullied at a young age. It was the reason they had become so reclusive in the first place. Being perceived by others was terrifying, and they were only able to do it online because they were hiding their face. Nidothing was able to run wild, but for Dot, it was a way of hiding. For a while, she didn't need to worry about being herself. It was freeing just as much as it was a mask, not that Dot would ever dare to admit it.
However, Nidothing wasn't going to let Dot hide for the rest of time. They were surrounded by great people who would accept them. Tinkatink had accepted Nidothing just as Hatenna had accepted Opal, and it was time to branch out of that hole and into the rest of the world. Nidothing wasn't going to be a secret forever. One way or another, they were going to show the rest of their friends that they existed, and they would finally be able to shine in the light they had always wanted.
On the way back to the ship, Nidothing looked up to find Liko watching them with a smile on her face. Out of everyone in the world, Nidothing wanted Liko's approval and attention the most. After all, there was no one better in the universe who could understand what Nidothing was struggling with. Nidothing knew why Dot was hiding, but they were going to show that she didn't have to anymore. They were safe and happy, and things were only going to get better when they let themselves open up again.
Nidothing smiled all the way back to the Brave Olivine, and Tinkatink cheered excitedly by their side. This was the start of a brighter future for all of them. Nidothing was sure of it. They were going to prove they existed, and they would be all the better for it. Dot would be too even if she was too anxious and skittish to admit it. They finally had a place to belong, and Nidothing intended to enjoy it.
If the others wished to surround them with love, then who was Nidothing to ever consider refusing their offer?
~~~~~
Originally, Dot and Nidothing had been planning to pick up with their stream again later in the day. Once they got their microphone, they would be able to go right back to it and hopefully assuage some of the fears of their fans online. Dot hadn't checked the response just yet, but she was certain it was intense from all angles. The best thing they could do was reassure everyone who had been watching the earlier stream that they were fine, and that meant hopping back into it right away...
But after the events of the day, Dot was simply exhausted. They sent out a message on their community tab saying they would be back with another stream the following day. They even tacked on an explanation that there would be an extra surprise on the stream. They needed to introduce Tinkatink to the rest of the world as the newest member of the Nidothing team, after all. Dot would have to work out how to solve the problem of Tinkatink going after metal though. Would it be possible to train her in the next day to not go after anything Dot found valuable? She was certainly hoping so.
Part of Dot wanted to go to bed and then crash for the rest of the night. She figured that was probably her best option for recovering her lost energy... But for reasons she couldn't quite describe, Dot found herself wandering up to the observation deck instead. Dot had enjoyed the fresh air more than enough that day, but she didn't want to go inside just yet. She would have to spend a bunch of time inside the following day when her next stream started, after all. She needed to savor this while she had the chance.
"You know what you could do?" Nidothing asked, and Dot bit her tongue so she didn't respond. She already knew exactly where this was going just based on her other half's tone. "You could try and find Liko and talk to her. She's going to figure out that you're Nidothing if you go on stream tomorrow and have Tinkatink there. I don't think she'll be able to deny it then."
Dot snorted. "You underestimate just how oblivious Liko can be." Dot had considered telling Liko, but she didn't think it was going to do much of anything. There was practically nothing in the world that would be able to get Liko to understand the truth behind her online persona. If Liko was going to get it, then Dot was certain she would have ages ago. Instead, they were just going around in circles, and... And Dot had to wonder if it was almost too late to try and tell her.
"Hey, Dot."
Her heart just about stopped when she heard a voice from behind her. Dot turned to find Liko was walking toward her with a soft smile. "How are you doing?" Liko asked. She settled into place just beside Dot and looked out over the observation deck alongside her. "I know today was really intense for all of us, but you were at the center of it. I wanted to check in and make sure you were okay."
"It's not too late at all," Nidothing egged Dot on. "You can make everything right by telling her right now. I think that's the best ending to a day like this."
Dot swallowed dryly before she had the chance to listen to Nidothing's advice any more than she already had to. "I... I'm alright," she replied. "Even if today didn't go according to plan, I'm happy with how it all turned out since I was able to meet Tinkatink. I think she's going to be a great addition to the crew."
"I think so too," Liko smiled. After a moment of silence, Liko's eyes widened. "I just realized... You never told me why you had to go out shopping in the first place. I know you met Tinkatink when you were looking for something to buy, but you didn't explain why you had to run out. Was everything alright?"
"Oh, come on," Nidothing muttered. "She's making it so easy for you! All you have to do is just fill in the rest of the gaps, and she'll be able to understand everything! You know what you have to do now, right?"
"Well... My microphone broke," Dot answered. "I don't know what happened. It just started malfunctioning all of a sudden. It was pretty much impossible to salvage when smoke started coming out of it, so... I went into town to see if I was able to find another one."
"You had to get a new microphone?" Liko echoed, her eyes widening. "That's so funny! Earlier today, I was watching a stream by Nidothing, and the same thing happened to them! I guess you probably weren't watching that stream though because you had your issue around the same time. It would have been hard for you to watch when you were busy with your own problems."
Dot stared at Liko in shock. She had known Liko was oblivious before this, but somehow, Liko was finding new ways to impress her with how little she was putting together. Surely it should have been easy for Liko to see the truth when it was being practically spelled out in front of her... But apparently not. "You... You're kidding, right?"
"No... Why would I be kidding?" Liko asked. "I know you're a fan of Nidothing, but you wouldn't have been able to do much with the stream if you were busy at the same time. I wasn't sure if you knew about what happened online."
Dot had not gone into the conversation with the intention of revealing anything about who she was or was not when she was presenting herself online. Nidothing was the only one who wanted to think about something like that. Now though, Dot felt like there was nothing else she could do but groan. Her head sank into her hands, and she shook it slowly. "You can't be serious..."
"Huh?" Liko tilted her head to the side, and Dot couldn't even look at her. All of this felt so ridiculous. How was Liko not seeing this? Was it really that impossible to make out? Or was Liko somehow even more naive than Dot had given her credit for? "What's wrong, Dot?"
"I don't know how you're not putting the pieces together!" Dot cried out. She wasn't frustrated with Liko, and she hoped she didn't come off that way. However, she was absolutely exasperated, and she couldn't seem to figure out what to do with her arms. In the end, all of her gestures came out dramatically large and over the top. "My microphone started malfunctioning in the same way as Nidothing's at the exact same time! What do you think that means?!"
"Um... Coincidence?" Liko questioned slowly, and Dot groaned once again. "Why do you seem so agitated?"
"Because I'm Nidothing, Liko!" Dot suddenly shouted, and the night went eerily silent. She... She had not meant for it to come out like that. Granted, there was a part of her that was hoping it wouldn't come out at all in case it happened to draw a parallel between her mental situation and that of Liko and Opal. Unfortunately, Dot couldn't be trusted to keep her own secrets, and she was left cursing herself within her own mind.
The moment of silence ended twofold a few seconds later. Liko screamed out in shock as Nidothing broke out into uproarious laughter. Dot couldn't even find it in herself to tell Nidothing to be quieter. Instead, she just let her head sink into her hands. She couldn't even tell Liko about her secret online identity with grace. She just had to scream it in the middle of the night. If anyone had been trying to sleep before then, Dot was certain they were awake now all because she couldn't seem to figure out how to master the art of tact.
"You... You can't be serious!" Liko cried out. "But... How is that possible?! I thought Nidothing was..." She trailed off, her mind starting to put together all of the pieces she had never allowed herself to consider before. Dot watched her miserably, practically feeling each of the gears start to turn in Liko's mind. "Wait... So when you've been trying to get material for videos... It wasn't a coincidence that the same topics showed up in Nidothing videos right after?"
"No," Dot answered with a sigh. "I thought you would have figured it out by now. I was trying to be subtle about it, but you just... You just weren't getting it, and..." Dot groaned. "This isn't coming out right."
Liko continued to think through every hint Dot had ever tried to drop, and Dot could have sworn she saw Liko go through every stage of grief at least three times in half as many minutes. "I... I just thought you were a really big fan," Liko choked out. "I never would have thought I would be so... So close to Nidothing! And I didn't even figure it out when your microphone started smoking earlier today... I can't believe I was that oblivious..."
"I can't either," Dot admitted, and Liko laughed softly. "To be honest, I thought you would have figured it out when I started trying to find you while acting as Nidothing. You said you watched a few Nidothing videos while you were with the Explorers, right? I thought that would have made it obvious."
"We did watch some," Opal confirmed, and Dot found herself glad to know Opal felt safe enough to come out around her. "But... I never saw anything about you searching for Liko. I never realized you were trying like that."
Dot blinked. "But... But I had an update about it in almost every video when you were gone for that time period," she said flatly. "How in the world could you have not seen it?"
"Well, we were watching it through Zirc and Onia," Opal explained. "We weren't allowed to have a phone on our own, so if we wanted to do anything online, we had to go through somebody else. Zirc and Onia chose all of the videos we watched, and... And they ended some of our watch sessions a little earlier. Or the video would just randomly cut out because they said the ending didn't have anything interesting..."
"They were keeping it from you," Dot realized, and she hit her forehead with her palm. Of course that was it. How could she have not considered it? Liko and Opal hadn't thought to rewatch any videos they missed while they were gone because they thought they were seeing everything through Zirc and Onia. What reason did they have to not believe it when the sections about SprigatitoLove were always tacked on at the end of every video instead of in the middle? Still, Dot had one other question. "But what about the stream? Did you at least hear about that?"
"Stream?" Liko echoed, and Dot immediately knew the answer to that question was no. "Um... What stream?"
"The day you went missing, I hosted a giant stream competition trying to find you," Dot answered. "I thought if I got a bunch of other people involved, then we were bound to find you sooner or later... I didn't realize you had been kidnapped by the Explorers when it all started, so... That was how I framed it to everyone. I said it was a game and that they could win a prize if they were able to find you in the end, and... And then I just found you on my own, so I said the competition was over in a brief update."
Liko's face sank into her hands, and she shook her head. "I can't believe this! The Nidothing was searching for me, and I never even knew it?!" she cried out. After she dragged her palms down her cheeks, Liko sighed. She looked up at Dot slowly, a smile starting to spread across her cheeks. "Even if it wasn't perfect for anyone... I appreciate that you were willing to look for me. I don't think I made for a great participant in a game like that since I didn't even know it was happening, but..."
"I'm just glad you're back with the rest of us now," Dot told her with a shake of her head. "The fact that you're here again... That's what matters most to me." The game had been the best idea she had to try and bring Liko back, but when push came to shove, it was means to an end. Now that she and Liko were reunited, none of it truly mattered anymore. "Though I will say that you knowing that I'm Nidothing doesn't really hurt now."
Liko nodded slowly, but her embarrassment was starting to flare up again. "I... I just realized that Opal and I sent you that really personal message in chat today during your stream," Liko murmured. "I-I didn't know if I should send it at the time, but now... Now, I really feel like I embarrassed you in front of everyone by forcing you to look at it!"
Dot shook her head. "No... I appreciated it. And I feel like it's best that I reply to it now." Her body seemed to move on its own as she reached out and took Liko's hands in her own. "I'm glad I was able to help you, Liko... And I hope that I'll be able to help you more in the future too. I don't want that to be the last time we ever connect with each other. So if you ever need me... You know where to come, alright?"
Liko nodded once again, though there was far more enthusiasm behind the gesture this time. "Thank you, Dot. You're amazing, and I'm really glad I have you in my life. Opal is happy too even if she's a little bit too shy to say it." On cue, Liko's cheeks grew pinker from Opal's passive influence, but the heat in her skin only made Liko laugh.
Dot found herself smiling too. It was beyond wonderful to finally have all of that off her chest. Who would have thought that would do so much to help her calm down? Well, Nidothing most certainly had thought it, and they had been very loud about it leading up to that point. Perhaps Dot should have listened to Nidothing's advice a little bit more often. It would have made both of their lives easier.
"So... What are you going to tell her about me?" Nidothing asked internally. "You just told her that you're Nidothing, so why don't you just rip the bandage off? I'm right here, and I can introduce myself!"
Dot hesitated, biting down on the skin inside her bottom lip. "Liko seems overwhelmed enough from just learning that I'm Nidothing on stream... I think it would be better to wait until there's a better time."
"Later this week," Nidothing asserted, and Dot couldn't even bring herself to object. This was one secret that needed to come out regardless of how anxious she was about it, and if she didn't say it, then Nidothing was going to. Dot really wasn't in much of a place to negotiate, so her best option was to go along with it. "We'll tell her later in the week."
With their deal decided on, Dot allowed herself to focus back in on her conversation with Liko. "Next time I want to do a video for the Nidothing channel... I might ask for your help upfront," she said. "I've been dancing around it before, but... I don't think it's fair that Roy knew all this time when you're the big fan."
"Wait... Roy knew about this before I did?!" Liko cried out, and Sprigatito meowed in betrayal by her feet. Hatenna squealed her complaint with the noise from her place in Liko's hood, and Liko immediately quieted herself so as to not distress Hatenna further. "You need to tell me about everything that happened while I was gone. I clearly missed out on a lot."
Dot laughed softly. She couldn't say this was how she thought the conversation would go, but she was happy with it regardless. This was a step in the right direction, and... And it would lead to her talking about who Nidothing really was other than just an online persona. Dot didn't know if she would be ready for that conversation when the time came, but she would find a way to pull through. She knew she had to. Nidothing was counting on her.
In hindsight, Dot didn't know why she had been so worried about all of this. She had felt drawn to Liko long before they were ever able to talk to one another face to face, and Dot didn't regret placing her faith in Liko at all. Their relationship had been a bit skewed for a while, but Dot felt like they were finally headed down the right path. Dot had come to idolize Liko in the time they spent apart, but they were truly friends now. Soon enough, they would understand each other more than ever before too. It wouldn't be what Dot expected or initially wanted, but she knew it was what she needed.
And she was sure it was what Nidothing needed too. For the first time ever, they both had someone who would be able to truly understand them... And Dot never wanted to let this go now that she finally had the chance to call it her own.
