Doce left the GM's hall and returned to the town in sort of a daze.<span style="font-style: italic">So then, except for the whole <span style="text-decoration: underline">death</span> aspect and game interface, this world isn't the slightest bit different from the Beta.</span><br/><br/>Then, a dreadful thought occurred to her and she turned to the others. "Hey, uh, I'm going to log off, okay? I still don't know whether or not time is passing in our world, and I'd better find out before I miss school or something."<br/><br/>She didn't like the idea of the others having fun or debating without her, or of missing the tournament, or of falling behind in her quest to locate this unkillable character. But, hey, real life comes first, right?<br/><br/>"Later, I guess. I'll let you know what I find out." She made her way to the nearest checkpoint zone, which was smack in the middle of town, pulled up her user interface and found the logout button and returned to her own world. If it turned out she was worrying for nothing, she'd be back online in a matter of minutes.<br/><br/>--------------------------------<br/><br/>Doce's eyes came into focus and she took in her surroundings.<span style="font-style: italic">I'm in my living room,</span>she thought, bringing her watch up to her face.<span style="font-style: italic">Time, check. Date, check. And, while I'm at it... Yup. Alarm's set.</span><br/><br/>She stood up from the oversized couch and walked the six or so steps to get to her bedroom. She looked out her window at the convenience store across the street--normal--and examined herself in the mirror.<span style="font-style: italic">Everything is exactly as I left it. And...</span>she looked at the blue orb in her hand.<span style="font-style: italic">Well, I guess if everything is fine here, I might as well go back and--</span><br/><br/>"Ditto!" The enthusiastic sound broke her train of thought and made her heart skip a beat. She spun around to search for the source and saw a<span style="font-style: italic">freaking</span>adorable, smiling purple blob sitting on her bed.<br/><br/>"Ditto!" it said again. "Diditto ditto!"<br/><br/>For a moment, she just stared at it. Then her mouth opened, and her eyebrows went up in a disbelieving smile, and she laughed. "Oh.. My.. God.." she said, shaking her head and grinning. "You're a Ditto," she said to it. It quivered and blinked at her, as if it could think of no response to a statement so stupidly obvious.<br/><br/>"Ditto," it said flatly.<br/><br/>"I'd ask you how you're in my room, but I wouldn't understand a word of it."<br/><br/>Then, suddenly, Doce was looking at herself sitting on her bed. "When you logged off for the first time, I tagged along," it said with her voice.<br/><br/>Doce overcame her immediate shock to ask her follow-up question. "Why?"<br/><br/>"I don't know," it answered. "But I like it!" And with that, it became a Ditto again, and it leapt into her arms. She caught it and had to resist squeezing the adorable fucker.<br/><br/>"Oh my gods, you're cute. Are you going to stay with me?"<br/><br/>"Ditto!"<br/><br/>Doce smiled and held Ditto in one arm, while starting up her computer with the other. "Genderless. Its transformations are perfect, but it will make mistakes when transforming from memory. It can turn into anything--even inanimate objects. If it laughs or relaxes, it changes back into a Ditto..."<span style="font-style: italic">Well... I have a Pokemon, and life just got more interesting.</span>