bravenewworld | Departure

The 10th day of Team Evolution's visit dawns.

The night before, the Council had sent out another message commenting about their decision concerning the machines. They could not in good faith return any to Team Evolution after what had happened. But in exchange, they would offer an example of Warp Band technology and explain the means by which Union trainers and Pokémon communicate. This particular Warp Band could operate only one way - it could only receive messages directly sent to its particular address. There was no chance of the team being able to tap in to the network.

The Council did not make any comment on the extraordinary events that had occurred the previous day. It seems nobody knew anything about Mega Evolution or what to make of it.

Early on the 10th morning, representatives from the Council could be seen speaking with the leading members of Team Evolution once more, and though Rory appears disappointed, he does not argue overly much. The rest of their team is already in the process of packing up their tents... To the side, Crystal and Sakina can be seen, having reappeared after their unceremonious departure earlier. Crystal stays close by Sakina at all times; the latter seems vaguely disoriented.

Idle talk would have it that they intend to leave before noon. But there is some time for last minute conversations still, though they would necessarily need to be short.

Before departure, Rory has something more to say as well to anyone within earshot.

"We thank you for your hospitality, and we hope that we have given you all something to ponder. I will not belabor our departure by repeating what I said previously, but it is truly our fervent goal that we may build a world where neither humans nor Pokemon need live in fear. If any of you wish to contact us, we have been told that this Warp Band is capable of receiving direct messages. We would be glad to hear from any of you.

"We understand our previous actions caused a great deal of damage within this city. While we can do little to beg your forgiveness, we do wish to leave you with a token of good will."

He will bow, then.

"Perhaps we can agree on one thing - let us hold faith in the bright future of this world!"

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It hadn't occurred to Apollo that his question might be odd; after all, he could answer it easily, but not Rory's version of it. He pauses for a moment to think of how to rephrase it.

"Then, what are the Pokémon who are your companions to you? Do they serve you as their master? Are they friends? Weapons? Tools? Experiments? Protectors? Family?"

He maintains his calm tone, even when he lists less pleasant examples. Though after saying that he realizes that he probably shouldn't have added the examples and kept it as open-ended as possible.

He seems to consider this for a moment before responding.

"They acknowledge me as their master, certainly. I should not be able to command them otherwise. For all that we've seen, I consider them my closest friends and companions as well. But as weapons and tools, I could ask for none better, and as protectors, all the more so. I have no remaining family, so indeed, they are all I have - apart from the Team.

"None of these things, I think, are exclusive. When I ask my Pokemon to fight on my behalf, do I not use it as a weapon? It is necessarily so - and foolish to say otherwise. Those who heatedly deny that they ever 'use' a Pokemon are simply arguing semantics, save, of course, if you have truly never had need of a Pokemon's strength. But few can afford such a luxury."

Edited 2014-03-05 02:36 (UTC)

It's a better view than Sakina's, certainly, though Apollo isn't entirely happy with it. Did that mean that he was about to "argue semantics", whatever that meant?

"To me Pokémon are friends. All of them. Friends can argue with each other, they can fight with each other, they can help each other, and they can do what their friends ask them to. They don't have to though. Friends don't order each other around or take advantage of each other. None of them are better than the others. They're all equals."

"That is perhaps another consequence of our differences. I cannot trust that which I cannot understand - let alone claim them as friends. When a wild Pokemon seeks to destroy me, I will not hesitate to do what must be done."

Rory doesn't sound terribly regretful about this.

"I do not believe such Pokemon have any semblance of intelligence. When I call them 'beasts', I mean exactly that. They know only primal instincts and urges.

"As for my own companions... I should like to think they obey my commands because they wish to."

"If you can defend yourself without killing then you should, but if you do have to kill then you can't let their life be wasted. You need to live for them now that they can't. They might not be as smart as you or your companions, but they still think and feel and have lives of their own. Even some of the most vicious Pokémon can be convinced to leave you alone if you work to understand them. Try using the Warp Band on everyone you meet and you'll see how they think. You might even meet someone who will want to stay with you.

"But I can tell you what your own companions think of you if I can talk to them."

"I have the sudden suspicion that the people of Union are far more interested in our Pokemon than in our team." He speaks with good humor. "I don't think there's time to conduct extensive interviews, but I suppose there's no harm in one.

"...Which would you speak with?"

"It's probably because we haven't seen as much of them as we have of you.

"If there isn't much time, then I guess it would be whoever you feel you have the strongest bond with."

"Ioke is very popular today."

The Pokeball is tossed out and the Blaziken appears. Her expression at once again seeing nothing more than someone eager to speak with her is vaguely resigned.

"You should start handing out autographs. Perhaps they'll become a collector's item."

Apollo senses the resignation and sends a mental apology for bothering her. He continues that he'd just like to know what she thinks of Rory and his companions (both human and Pokémon), if she has any complaints or praise for them, and that if she wants him to Apollo can pass them on.

The Blaziken seems surprised. It's clear she's never considered what she would ever want to say about such things - it had seemed quite unlikely that that sort of communication would ever be possible.

After a moment, she shrugs and looks away, slightly awkward. Rory knows. They've been together too long for him not to know. As long as he needed her, she would do everything it took to support him and his ideals.

As for his other Pokemon... they were colleagues, that was all. They were the best the Team had to offer - they had carefully chosen them together, but it wasn't the same. A relationship like that could never be the same as a friend you had grown up with. Anyway, she could communicate with them just fine.

Edited 2014-03-07 03:11 (UTC)

Apollo smiles and agrees that the relationship formed by knowing someone all your life is hard to match. Even something shorter could be; he'd first met the Fletchinder over there when it was a very young Fletchling a few years ago, and their bond was much stronger than his bonds with the three he'd more recently met.

So Ioke follows Rory because they're friends then, not because she thinks that she's obligated to serve him?

Departure

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