bravenewworld | [Audio]

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[Apollo's voice makes him sound a bit older than he is. Anyone who doesn't know him may be in for a surprise later.]

How many of you who are planning on exploring outside the city have spent much time in the wilderness during the winter? If you haven't you should travel with someone who has. You won't be able to find an iron mine if you die.

[With that morbid thought delivered in a completely calm tone, there's a pause before he asks another question, one that he doesn't know the answer to.]

What does an iron mine look like?

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I will be careful.

[She knew about that intellectually, but reading books and experience are two very different things. She frowns while she thinks about the question he asks, though. Shouldn't everyone know that? A mine is a... mine. She hesitates, her voice wavering when she speaks.]

Like a cave, but with wooden beams supporting the walls. Veins of ore should be visible on the rock inside, from what I understand.

Is that so? I think it's quite pleasant, actually.

[A pause. Whoops.]

I hadn't quite thought of that. That is a very good question.

[He lets her response to the first question stand; if she's aware of the possibility of danger and still wants to go on, that's her decision to make.]

As far as I know, the best places to find caves are near the mountains or in the canyon. Grandpa told me that he once found a small cave in the canyon, but I've never been that far west so I haven't seen it for myself. Like the announcement said though, the mountains are dangerous right now, so the canyon would probably be the safer place to search.

The weather isn't too harsh right now, but if it gets worse you'll need to be careful.

I've never needed to know about iron mines, so I've never asked about them before. I've mostly stayed within the forest.

That's a good idea. I don't know that I can handle the mountains, at the moment...

[She frowns at that, then she sighs, and speaks a little quieter in the warp band. She is out in the forests, after all.]

I plan to see if any books can shed light on suspected iron ore veins. If we know where they run, we can reduce the areas we need to consider searching, too. Of course, it is hard to say if those records exist...

A viable mine would probably be something underground where the mineral is readily accessible. If it's not the Old City though our options are a bit limited.

[He hadn't considered that books might have relevant information about this kind of thing.]

Wouldn't the announcement have said if the Council knew anything about where iron is?

The only way to get underground that I know about is through the caverns at the base of the mountains. I've never been in them though, and from what the other Rangers have told me no one knows very much about them. The canyon is kind of like a cut in the ground though. It might cut through a place where iron is.

My hope is that it's hiding in an old book, and they don't know that. But you're right, it could be a fruitless search.

[There's a soft "hmm" from her end.]

I think I should be all right, but thank you for the warning.

Oh, then you are familiar with the forest! That seems helpful. You see, I am doing a bit of research myself. Any information that you might have would be of some use to me.

Wouldn't it be better to just start looking in different places? If someone finds out anything they'll be able to announce it over the Warp Bands, but while they're looking in books people could be exploring. Even if no one finds any iron someone might meet a species of Pokémon who we've never seen.

[A brief pause while an idea occurs to him.]

Maybe if we ask Pokémon near the mountains and the canyon one of them will have seen iron somewhere.

I'm a Ranger. I go into the forest a lot. Grandpa's taken me to a few places outside of the forest too.

What are you researching?

That--that's a wonderful idea!

[Cecilia exclaims it excitedly. Her mind is rushing now that she's thinking about it, in fact. She can talk to Pokémon; it's always been a specialty of hers. It's better than looking in a book. That can be Plan B.]

They would be suited to knowing and--yes, yes!

[She's nerding out. You'll have to pardon her, Apollo.]

Oh? Interesting! What sorts of places?

I wish to catalog the various Pokémon of the known world.

[Apollo doesn't understand what the big deal is; you talk to people and ask for directions when you're trying to find a place in the city, why wouldn't you talk to people to find something outside of the city as well? He tends to forget that not everyone is used to or able to communicate with Pokémon like he can.]

Aron eat metal, so asking any of them who live outside the city might lead us to iron. We'd have to make sure we didn't take any more than we needed though, otherwise they could starve.

The swamp to the north, the lake to the southeast, and partway up the mountains to the east. He didn't take me very far into them, but he's told me about how to travel in them safely.

[Apollo smiles, his voice smiling as well.]

That's a good idea. If humans know more about the different Pokémon in the world then they'll be able to get along with them better.

That was exactly my thinking. How are we to better understand the ones that we share this world with if we do not ask questions, experience what they do? I believe we may be kindred spirits, you and I.

Yeah. They have interesting stories to tell, if you can convince them that you're not a threat to them.

What do you mean by "kindred spirits"?

The weather won't be that dangerous if we're just out in the forest...right? You could get snowed in up in the mountains or something, but out there -

If you're not stupid and keep warm, it should be fine.

[This is definitely the tone of someone trying to sound confident while also slowly realizing he's not so certain at all. It gets a little falter-y towards the end.]

Yeah?

Of like minds? Cut from the same cloth? Pidgey of a feather?

That was my thought as well. They're probably the best places to check first.

[For Cecilia, it's a different notion: it's a source of knowledge she never considered. She loves Pokémon, but she still sees them a little differently than Apollo. Or maybe a lot. Being able to talk with them doesn't make her bonded to them quite the way it does for him.]

Mm... yes. And I'd rather not see us wreck the landscape with mining, either. It can carve up the surroundings if it isn't done properly.

Oh. That sounds like it could be right. It seems like a lot of humans who never leave the city don't think about understanding the Pokémon who live outside the city as much. They're used to how friendly the Pokémon in the city are.

I quite agree, although Camille was born in Union, so I have little to no experience with wild Pokémon outside of stories.

It's safer than in the mountains, but it can still be dangerous. Keeping warm in the winter can be hard no matter where you are. If you get wet from the snow you'll have a harder time staying warm, and you need to have better shelter than you do in other seasons.

How much time have you spent outside the city?

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