bravenewworld | Arrival in Gigas

The City of Gigas is unlike anything the people of Union have ever seen before. The city is immense, a sprawling metropolis that covers the land as far as the eye can see. Built up primarily around enormous centralized towers, unlike Union these towers are dark concrete buildings, covered in glass windows. The buildings seem to serve any number of functions, and have a startling variety in construction, style, and even size, creating a unique skyline that is breathtaking to behold. The city is connected with roads of asphalt, upon which whiz smoke-belching steel carriages at frightful speeds, the engines (and piercing, constant horns) creating an ever-present din that engulfs the city in loud, chaotic sound.

“Downtown,” as the Gigans know it, is a huge collection of stores, apartments, and businesses. Apparently, the larger homes are built in Calderan-style but tend to be further from the main commotion of the downtown areas, of which Gigas citizens assure Union citizens that there are several, each with their own district name and culture. The technology is quite advanced as well, full color televisions are standard in every home and built in devices so slim and with such sharp images that they seem decades ahead of Union’s own technology. Pokemon are still quite present in Gigas, many people riding flying types and the buildings having huge perches to accommodate them. As with the vehicles below, however, Gigas seems to regulate air traffic to individual lanes and the birds seem well-trained as they convey their trainers to and fro.

Humans are just that, here, Human. No unusual shapes and sizes like the Enlightened and Earthkin of the Union Alliance, and those displaying unusual traits receive odd looks. Like many civilizations to the east, Battling is a common sport though in this place it’s more like the combat arenas of old. Several stadiums dot the cityscape, the sounds of Pokemon Battles and cheering crowds echoing for blocks all around, and it’s a stadium where humans are not welcome. Unless, of course, they want to make a show and spar against a Pokemon, of course.

This is Gigas, the City of Reclamation. Union civilians have free rein to explore this grand city as councillors are invited into the massive capitol building to negotiate with the Gigan leaders. Gigas civilians, for their part, are polite, friendly even. While many of them are caught in the bustle of their daily lives they regard Union citizens with interest and curiosity, willing to talk about their city, extolling its virtues while complaining about the noise, the crowds, the lines, and the expense all the while. One thing is clear though, the people of Gigas are proud of their city and their accomplishments. This is their home, and they are eager to show it off to the world.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[ It was hard not to notice them, in all honesty - or, rather, how the natives did not. An entire caste of invisibles. It's really for the better that Waver hadn't commented on it. She's not sure what she'd say about it, save that it left her feeling dreadfully uncomfortable.

A puzzle for another time indeed. ]

Stop 32b had a series of bookshops next to a library. I was thinking of getting off there, it's not too many along from here if I remember correctly.

Yeah, just two or three stops, [he replied, an odd gleam of interest in his eyes. He would respect Sophia's privacy for as long as he could get away with it, because she was a good woman with a lot of her own puzzles to deal with. If she wanted to speak, she would do so on her own-- he wouldn't push her.]

[ She may confide. Or she may not. It's more likely she hasn't really noticed that her own preoccupation might be noteworthy.

But there are libraries and books to speak of. ]

Do you think they'll have many physical books? Given their digital records, I keep expecting to see more portable devices that could hold that information..

They're idiots if they don't, [Waver commented, not even showing any sympathy.] If something happens to the digital records, then they have no back up of the information...and it's lost forever.

No one here wants that.

I'm sure they have several types of backups. But being able to survive a potential loss like that is important. Gods know all it would take is one fire...

[ A small shudder. Before something of a wistful look. ]

But a device that could hold a whole library's worth of information.. Now that would be something.

Yeah....it would be.

[To think, the whole of Sanctuary's knowledge could be contained in a single place that was easy for anyone to access...]

You'd think that the device would need to be very big, but I think this city would have a way of making it close to the size of our Warp Bands.

I'd noticed that. I suppose that's something their engineers have worked on over time. Given how they have to import most of their resources, I can only imagine the costs involved.

And colour televisions.. Can you imagine how Union's broadcasters would love something like that?

There's so many people in Union who would be astounded to see the technology that's here.

All the more reason to keep good relations, I say. We know Gigas, for better or for worse-- and I'd rather have them on the same side as us for the moment.

We'll need to think about what we have that they don't. [outside of plentiful resources, that is - she's talking on the intellectual front] Something to keep our minds open to while walking around those bookshops and the libraries.

Ruins. Five-hundred years of rich history. Clean air.

[He rattled them off quickly, counting them off on his fingers.]

But I see your point. That's why a...cultural exchange like this can't hurt.

It's a little difficult to provide clean air here. [her eyes twinkle a moment] I doubt even Gigas have come up with a way to box and package that.

But history..If we can gain their interest in that, it could certainly help. [they seem so focused on the future and their technological advancements, after all]

History, and maybe the technology in the Habitat. Both are vastly different from what's available here.

[He shuffled around in his bag, pulling out his only remaining Pokeball from his time growing up in Sanctuary.]

...I much prefer the Warp Band over these things. I only ever really used it for Atlas when he was a Tympole, because he's a water type and didn't have legs at the time.

Something that could be used to improve the lives of the pokémon here?

[even if they are treated more like pets than partners.. Perhaps a pebble will help get the avalanche of changing rolling?

Though she's seen plenty since arriving here, Sophia hasn't handled a pokéball herself. And doesn't seem inclined to reach for one now, letting Waver roll the capture device within his hands.]

You have to work harder for it, but the trust is more freely given, certainly. And just imagine the potential harm that could be averted; at least a lost warp band is an inconvenience only. [whereas a lost pokéball could spell the death of the creature contained within] It could be worth finding out what sort of health treatments they offer here as well.

[He only kept the pokeball as a reminder of where he came from. For his purposes, it was non-functional-- the Warp Band was more versatile, more...humane.

After a moment's contemplation, Waver returned the pokeball to his bag and patted Orpheus on his cap. They wouldn't be able to do the simple things like that if they had the walls of a pokeball separating them...]

Yeah. We can show them something different, at least. The medical systems, though, might be helpful to both parties. There's always something to be learned on that front.

Then it sounds like we have a good starting point. Or a good start to a pitch for convincing someone else.

[ Anything else she might say is interrupted by a bleep (more like a NootNoot!) from her Porygon. It's our stop, trainer! Immediately Sophia rises, pressing one of the buttons down the side of one of the poles running through the cabin as she's seen others do to signal the driver to stop. Hat is then deposited on her head as she smiles over her shoulder at Waver. ]

Here we are. Let's not get stuck on here, hmm?

Arrival in Gigas

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