Video;

[comparative_insanity]

[Fai is looking unusually somber, and even in monochrome, it's easy to tell that he's a lot paler than usual. On his shoulder stands Babycakes, now evolved into a Floette, like an equally serious guard of honor with her flower like a rifle against her shoulder.]

[The young man says nothing at first, just holds up a rather skillfull sketch of a poké ball. Those with a bit of knowledge in history should probably recognise at least the general shape and design of it.]

Nevermind that they put those machines there to force Tyrantrum to evolve without their consent, but... they use these. Team Evolution, I mean. They keep pokémon imprisoned in these things, just like in the old days.

[He draws a deep, shaky breath.]

Despite how abhorrent this practice is - and believe me, I understand if you're angry - we should remember that they are from a different place with different laws. Wild accusations and demands aren't going to do us any good, is it? It's better if we try to reason with them, try to make them see why such treatment is wrong.

After all, the people in the old days were not all evil. If they were, why would the Savior have thought us worth sacrificing herself over? They were just ignorant.

But I thought you should be... warned.

Comments

[for_realsies]

*Fai, Fai the look on Imgoen's face at that sketch. That look of shock turned to the bitterest and most angry expression you have ever seen? Imogen has never looked so angry in her life, not since her father got sick. She's never been quite this out of sorts with a piece of information.*

They use them? Sky God save us, they use them? Do they want to repeat the mistakes of the old days?

With the things that woman told me, we should destroy their horrible machines and tell them good day. Their people are in just as many restraints as their Pokemon, they set-up their machines far from their home to protect themselves. And now they want them back so they can train slaves?

[comparative_insanity]

[That is truly terrifying. Fai flinches a little bit, biting his lower lip. It's already clearly swollen and sore from too much anxious chewing.]

Imogen, they- they've never even heard of the Savior. Their town was saved because one great pokémon fought for them. So they never really had any reason to... to change, I suppose. They did things the way they always had.

[He sighs.] I'm not saying it's right, and I certainly don't think they should have their machines back, but... we should probably tread carefully still.

[tinytactician]

[This face, Fai.]

[comparative_insanity]

[Fai winces, sighing quietly.]

I know. I held one of those things in my hand. [He absently rubs the offending appendage, grimacing.] I still feel dirty.

[thedivinevoice]

Oh...

[It's been years since she's seen something like that.]

I had not known such technology had even survived to this day...

May I ask why is it that you have such an aversion to the use of such devices here? I do not mean your reasons as to your opposition - but it is strange that humans have engrained such a thing so deeply within their conscience.

[It wasn't that she hadn't heard the story of the Savior more than that she had been there and then forgotten 95% of it.]

[comparative_insanity]

[Fai at first just shakes his head, trying and failing to get out words that makes any kind of sense from the mess that is his mind and emotions right now.]

Because those things are poison. They made us think that we had the- the right to treat pokémon like property. [He swallows, not used or comfortable to being this emotional, trying to sound more calm or rational.]

The woman I spoke to seemed kind, intelligent and rational. Yet it didn't seem strange to her to force pokémon to evolve without their consent, and it confused her to see them wandering freely about the city. That's... There's something not right with that kind of society.

[faithful_kitsune]

A-Aaaaaaah!

[...That was a rather strong reaction. Is it just because she's a Pokemon?]

[comparative_insanity]

[Well, he doesn't judge. He felt a bit the same way once it sank in.]

I know it's intimidating. But I don't think they are posing any danger as they are right now.

[niepokonany]

You're kidding.

[NOT OKAY. Feliks feels equal parts terrified, disgusted, and like someone's violating the core of his moral beliefs.]

[comparative_insanity]

I wish I was. [He shivers, and Babycakes makes a concerned little noise, rubbing his cheek gently with a small hand.] It's like it all never happened to them. Like there wasn't a point to the war at all.

[bejustorbedead]

...What.

[comparative_insanity]

I'm sorry. It's true. [A small grimace.] I have a feeling the Swords might want to keep an even closer look at them than they already are.

[choseneutrality]

[He vaguely remembers learning about this when he was younger and still going through the school system. His reaction isn't as dramatic, but his shock is evident with how wide his eyes become.]

...!

[comparative_insanity]

[Everyone takes those parts of their history to heart to a bigger or lesser degree. Fai, whether he wants it or not, has had it ingrained into his being since before he could even understand the words.]

A bit unsettling, no? I really don't think they're evil, but... well.

Video

[heartstorage]

[Sora pauses for a moment to think of what to say, until he finally comes to find words to his opinion]

...I don't like those guys.

Video

[comparative_insanity]

I don't... dislike them as such. I dislike those things and I am disappointed to see that there are still humans that haven't learned. [He shrugs a bit awkwardly.] But we're going to have to help them, aren't we?

Video

[moemoetentacles]

W-what?! That's terrible! Someone should do somefin about these guys!

Video

[comparative_insanity]

Well, people probably will, once we figure out what to do. [He grimaces.] And that might take a while.

[highliber]

They still have those?

[comparative_insanity]

Mm, yes. One of them handed me one to look at as if it was no big thing at all. They never seem to have had any reason to stop using them.

[Video]

[paradiseshrinemaiden]

[Reimu just narrows her eyes. Of course being a Hakurei, she knows all about that, and not just from learning about the Savior in school.]

... Tch. I knew those guys couldn't be trusted.

[Video]

[comparative_insanity]

Trusting them is probably a bad idea, as much as I hate to say it. The woman I talked with seemed sensible, intelligent, but just... ignorant. But I don't know about the others.

[stahlflugel]

They... they use those things...?

M-maybe they just don't know any better!! We should give them Warp Bands, instead.

[comparative_insanity]

I think so too. I think they've never had to learn, since they don't have Enlightened, since their part in the war was so... different. [He shrugs a bit helplessly.] It won't be as easy as just giving them Warp Bands, I imagine. But if we can teach them how we do things, perhaps they can start to change.

[Video]

[whateveryoueatliveitspart]

[And now a new piece has been added to the puzzle, muddling Apollo's understanding of the situation even more. He's looking a bit distressed himself, sitting against a wall with a young Seedot on his lap and a voice that makes him sound a few years older than he looks.]

That... I'd forgotten about that story, but I saw one too. The woman I talked to, Sakina, had a Gyrados in one. She called it a "Pokéball". I thought it was their version of a Warp Band and he was just being transported from somewhere, but he was really inside it somehow?

[He takes a deep breath.]

I talked to Gyrados. He thought that Sakina was his master and he had to serve her. Sakina said that he was right about that. I thought that he was like that because she raised him from an egg, but if the stories about those things are true...

[He trails off, no longer sure that the Gyrados was the way it was because of how it was raised.]

[Video] I AM SO VERY LATE and I'm super sorry ;A;

[comparative_insanity]

[He nods quietly, once again making a small grimace and rubbing one hand against the other, as if he can still feel the weight of the poké ball there and wants to rid himself from it.]

I thought at first that it was something like that too. But then she said that the pokémon reside inside it, and I remembered.

[He shudders.] I'm raising a pokémon right now. She thinks I'm her mother, and while admittedly wrong, it's a lot better than master. And even if it was because he was raised like that and not because of whatever those ball things do to them, it's still not right.