azume | Notice.

VIDEO.

It's about mid-morning on Saturday when the machine in the Center does something that it normally doesn't - namely, it begins to ping loudly, as though there's some sort of message incoming. It doesn't really matter who fiddles with it, as long as someone does; It isn't long before Cynthia appears on the screen, seeming a bit concerned but not alarmed.

"Good morning, sweetheart. I was hoping someone would pick up." She pauses for a moment before continuing. "I know that infiltrating the bases has been discussed, and I think that if anything, now might be a good time to do it. I've heard that Commander Saturn has been spotted in Veilstone City - and a bit more pressingly, there have been reports of serious disturbances in the area around the Galactic base.

"I don't know what he's up to, or the nature of those disturbances. As always, what you do about it is your decision. But since I know this is something you'll want to pursue, I thought I would let you know."

She pauses again, glancing offscreen slightly before returning her attention to the monitor. "Whatever you choose, I wish you the best of luck. Hopefully you're all keeping your spirits up."

And with that, the screen goes dark.

[OOC: Welcome to the end of Week 16! Hopefully it's been a good one.

No NPC response will be given to this post, though you can thread here amongst yourselves if you wish; we'll see you tomorrow at noon with a new log for your further adventures!]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[Bucky frowns a little before he nods.]

I've always been a fan of punching first and asking questions later.

That's never really served me well in the past.

[But he doesn't seem like he's disagreeing.]

If we subdue him, what do we do then?

[Bucky doesn't respond to that first part, because he's aware he's absolutely in the minority.]

I don't know. Hope we can talk some sense into the Pokemon he captured?

After fucking with their trainer?

He's made it clear they're his best friends, hasn't he?

[Bucky sighs a little.]

Maybe not us, but our Pokemon had a pretty good conversation that one time. Kept all of us from dying.

Yeah, that's my point. If they're his best friends, I don't think they're going to like us attacking him. Not that they can like or dislike anything, at the moment...

[.....]

Wonder how far they really bought into the Galactic thing. I didn't think about it when we talked to him. Guess I was still just thinking of them as animals. But if I decided to go join Team Galactic, Janet would act in her own defense if nothing else. And Jane wouldn't stand for it. Me being their trainer isn't the most important thing in the world.

Maybe it'll take two groups, then.

The Pokemon, to talk to his, and us to try and restrain him without accidentally killing the guy.

[At Michael's description of his Pokemon, Bucky nods a little.]

I've told Flora to stop me if I do anything stupid, and she wasn't shy about using her horns before she got her spirit back completely.

I don't know how helpful my Pokemon have ever been. Jane's the most diplomatic, but that Froslass just fucking knocked her out the one time...not sure I'm a great fit for the restraint thing either, though.

[It's not even that he's afraid of accidentally killing the guy, so much as that he doesn't really know how to restrain a human without the use of demonic powers he doesn't have now.]

I don't know. Cynthia claims that Pokemon aren't capable of doing evil, but I kinda think that might be bullshit.

...I think she's right.

We couldn't understand the conversation, but I think Froslass was angry, not hateful.

I don't mean the Froslass, I mean the ones who helped Team Galactic with all this. Or any of them. They're sapient beings just like anything else. They can choose to be good or evil or whatever.

Oh.

[He frowns, thoughtful.]

We don't even know if they have their spirits. I don't know, I want to take her at their word, that they're not evil. I think it's more likely they're mirrors; they reflect back whatever is put into them, so to speak.

They're not robots. Well - arguably some of them are, but I think they're basically people. I'm surprised you don't consider them that way.

I didn't say they were robots.

[He gestures a little, looking kind of offended.]

I haven't seen any indications that the Pokemon we've run into have ever done anything intentionally malicious. Uxie was... a tough situation, admittedly, because of what happened to the girl, but it's not like they meant to harm her.

Dakrai is frightening, but is only doing what it is they do.

It's not that I don't think they have the capacity, it's that I don't think they consider it a thing. They're people, yeah, but that doesn't mean the have the same concepts humans do. A Staraptor eats a Magikarp, but that doesn't mean it's committed an evil act, because it still has to eat.

Oh, don't lecture me on non-human species having different ideas! The whole point of me is to torture humans eternally!

[he is Well Aware]

Some of them, before this whole spirit thing happened, were helping Team Galactic further its goals. Is that fine now just because they're Pokemon?

Are you sure it was under their own free will?

[He scrubs his hand over his face.]

I know plenty about being forced into things. I was kept confused and brainwashed for seventy years.

I don't know! It's not about them. I don't care about arresting Team Galactic's Pokemon or something.

[That example got super out of hand, let's backtrack]

I'm just saying, there's no such thing as an inherently good species, and I think claiming that they're some kind of special purity snowflakes does them a disservice.

[He sighs, but the subject switch is enough to get him to drop it, nodding a little.]

I guess it's a matter of perspective. I can't really see things in absolutes like that anymore.

Isn't holding up one species as incapable of doing wrong sort of the definition of absolutes?

[He shrugs.]

So far, I haven't seen Pokemon indicating they like to commit atrocities. I'm not saying they're not capable of doing bad things; I guess I'm saying I don't think any one Pokemon is particularly motivated.

Well - no, probably not. But they could.

[He seems satisfied with "they're capable of doing bad things", tbh]

Though as long as we're on about it, I'm really curious about Giratina.

[He frowns.]

Cynthia said that Giratina was banished by the Creator, but that it doesn't make it evil, exactly. Maybe some sort of creator of primal rage?

[It was banished for being violent, after all.]

Oh, I don't think it's evil. I just wanna see it!

[sympathy for the devil.jpg]

Oh.

[He grins a little.]

We'll probably run into it, you know.

I know! Honestly, we should be going after it. It sounds stronger than Darkrai and Cresselia, and it's still free - no matter what its deal is, I doubt anybody would be happy with some upstart human taking over the universe.

Probably not, no.

[It kind of sounds like there's a lot of reasons to actively fear Giratina, to be honest. Especially if your name happens to be Cyrus.]

Notice.

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