Chapter Text
Yoshi let out a heavy sigh as she traced her finger over the smooth surface of the Dreaming Pool, idly kicking her legs like a typical teenage girl would while talking on the phone with her friend after school. "Mally's gone, Naru's gone, Hikki just left me behind... ugh, this sucks." She huffed and slapped the surface of the pool, wincing a little at the unyielding concrete feel. "Oww, dang it." She whimpered. "Man, that hurt... hey, Dreaming Pool, why are you so weird? You're wiggly and squishy like jelly, but smooth and hard like concrete. Why do you do that?"
The burbling black tar didn't respond.
"Don't ignore me, you jerk." Yoshi grumbled, resting her chin on her folded arms. "Hey, Master Joker and the boss lady come in here a lot, and they always come out with new people. New allies, new friends."
The pitch-dark pool didn't respond.
"They come from you, don't they? Like my team and I did." Yoshi leaned over the rim, staring unblinking at her own impossible reflection in the matte surface. "Bring me an ally. Bring me a friend. Bring me someone who'll take me on an adventure... 'cause I don't wanna go alone."
The Dreaming Pool fell still, stiller than Yoshi had ever seen it. Intrigued, she pushed herself up to her knees and watched closely. Nothing happened for one moment. Two. Three. Just as Yoshi's anticipation had started souring into disappointment, a hand burst out of the pool and grasped for the rim of the Pool.
“Oh!” Yoshi scrambled to grasp the hand with both of hers, marveling for a moment at how much bigger and stronger it felt than hers before pulling. “C’mon, c’mon, c’mon! You’re gonna be my new friend!” Before long, Yoshi had pulled a strong-looking, broad-shouldered man out of the Pool, with close-cropped white hair and sideburns. As the man coughed and gasped for breath, Yoshi sat demurely next to him, watching with a faint smile.
Once the man caught his breath, he turned his gaze to regard the much smaller girl at his side. “You...what do you call yourself?”
“Yoshi, sir!” She answered without a moment’s hesitation.
“Yoshi… very well, then. Yoshi, I am quite grateful for your assistance in pulling me free of that wretched pool.”
“You’re welcome, sir! So, so, what’s your name?”
“Hmph, you don’t know? You must not be from my world. Otherwise, how would you forget I, the great—“
“Oresky.” Ritz took a thoughtful sip of her tea as Joker shuffled their gin rummy deck. “I’m pleasantly surprised to see you here...earlier than I expected, I must admit. Thank you, Yoshi.”
Yoshi beamed at Oresky’s side. “Thankies, boss!”
“Now, there’s the simple matter of—“
“Ha, you needn’t say another word, madam!” Oresky folded his arms, grinning from beneath the brim of a black cap that bore the same Saiark emblem as his old one. “You wish for the great Oresky to join your cause!”
“Correct.” Ritz didn’t seem bothered by the interruption. “So, will you?”
Oresky gave his answer without hesitation. “On one condition, madam.”
She cocked an eyebrow. “And what’s your condition? If it’s within my power, I’ll do my best to grant it.”
Oresky set his strong hand on Yoshi’s slender shoulder. “Allow me to take this one, Yoshi, with me to Pikarigaoka. I’ve business there… with my old foes.”
“Ah, of course.” A smile came to Ritz’s lips as she set down her tea, her attention turning back to the table as Joker dealt the opening hands for their next game. “A simple request, and a reasonable one. Vengeance on one’s old enemies… I can sympathize.” She discarded a six of hearts into the center pile and drew a new card to replace it. “Very well, Oresky. Feel free to do as you wish with Pikarigaoka for now, and do take Yoshi with you.”
“My thanks, madam. As promised, your cause will have the loyalty of the great Oresky!” He thumped his chest with a fist in a salute of sorts. “Come, Yoshi!” He turned and strode out of the room, followed closely by Yoshi, who was practically skipping with joy.
The game of gin rummy continued in silence for a few moments afterward, with Ritz taking Joker’s discarded queen of diamonds before discarding her own two of spades and drawing another card. “ Gin. ” Ritz fanned her hand out and placed it on the table before her, not bothering to hide her smug smirk.
“Gah—merde, woman!” Joker tossed his own hand down in disgust, pouring himself another cup of tea as he sighed in resignation. “I’m beginning to think you may be cheating me, dear madame Ritz.”
“Cheating? Oh, never, never.” Ritz laughed it off, picking up her own teacup. “You know that saying, no? Some people just have the Devil’s own luck.”
“And here’s the Panopticon!” Yoshi spread her arms wide and slowly spun, showing off the infinite spread of stars that surrounded the center platform of the Panopticon. “You can see everything from here, Oresky! You can go anywhere you want with just a thought! Isn’t that cool?” She stopped, clasped her hands behind her back, and leaned forward slightly with a smile. “Lead the way, Oresky! Take us to Pika-Pika or whatever~”
“Pikarigaoka, Yoshi. Home of the Happiness Charge Precure.” Oresky wasn’t bothered by Yoshi’s spastic and overly talkative nature—if anything, he found her quite entertaining. “Very well, then.” Oresky stretched his hand out towards the stars. As if sensing what he wanted, the stars whirled, with billions of points of light passing the pair by until Earth filled their field of view, rotated to show Japan front and center.
“Hey, so whereabouts is it?” Yoshi walked up next to Oresky, her magenta eyes turned up to look at him. “Nanairogaoka’s around… here.” She pointed at a stretch of coast in the south of Japan, between Tokyo and Kyoto.
“Nanairo? I suppose that’s where you’re from, then.” Oresky pointed towards the eastern edge of Tokyo. “Pikarigaoka is here.”
“Okie-dokie, then~ Let’s get going, Oresky!” Yoshi clung to his arm. “All ready here!”
“So be it. Panopticon, send us to Pikarigaoka!”
The room lurched, tipped, and sent them forth into the unknown.