Fourth.

[azumods]

ENCOUNTER. Perhaps it's a good thing that the people of Floaroma Town seem to be exhibiting curiosity, because that's how you end up getting the tip. It isn't much, in the end - a question of where you're going from one of the ladies in the flower shop, followed by a brief look exchanged between them and a soft shrug. There's a mention of the Valley Windworks just across the way, a short walk from here, and something inside that will shave a week's time off of the journey south. Something that should put you right in the heart of Jubilife City, should you be able to gain access to it. It's likely clear that whatever would be blocking your access to such a thing likely isn't going to be pleasant; it doesn't take them long to tell you that Team Galactic has owned the Windworks for a while now, but at the same time it's only ever staffed with low-tier employees on the chain of command - the Commanders themselves haven't cared about it since they took over, and the grunts... Well, for one reason or another, they haven't been changing with the rest of the world. It likely seems obvious, when put that way - the people of the town haven't lied to you in the entire time you've been here (they aren't many things, but at the very least they are honest), and if they're correct about this, that's a week's less travel that will need to be done. Over a distance this large, every day counts; as such, you might as well check out the Windworks for whatever it will bring you. As it turns out, the townspeople were right about several things - the Valley Windworks is only a short walk away, surrounded by tall electricity-generating windmills that are turning away at a good clip in the windstreams traveling through the valley; upon entering it, it seems fair to say that it really is generally only staffed by grunts. In light of the changes the world has undergone, their appearance may be a bit jarring, a reminder of what the entire place used to look like - they're completely dead-eyed and listless, lacking any sort of individual initiative, and while they look up as you enter and their eyes track you as you move, they don't seem inclined to do much about you as a whole. Unfortunately, the ladies in the flower shop seem to have been mistaken about something - it seems that one of the Commanders, at least, seems to care very much about this place, given that she's waiting for you in the lobby. As with the others before her, she looks distinctive from the others in both her style of dress and the fact that she's still emotionally intact; she's small in stature, the heels on her boots doing nothing to help that fact, and she's incredibly slight in comparison to Jupiter. She also seems displeased about being here; the smile she offers in greeting is sharp, and it's not a pleasant look. More along the lines of baring teeth. "It's pretty rude of you guys to barge in here like you own the place. Not like I was expecting much from you people, anyway. I'm Commander Mars, and it's about time we met."

Comments

[azumods]

Yeah, sounds like you've done a really good job of it in your world if people are dying every day. But go ahead, tell me how you'd do it instead. Tell me how you'd solve all this world's problems.

[gekkaju]

[...]

In my world, some people are gifted. Like how Pokemon can do extraordinary things people can't. Some people use their gifts to hurt others. But others...use them to help people.

That's what I do. That's what me and the people I work with do. We do what we can to help, but we don't do it at the expense of the well-being of other people. We know better than to think that we can solve all the world's problems. That's not something you can do.

So I'm not trying to tell you that's something that can be done. But you act like there's absolutely no alternative to having peace beyond removing the free will of people that can cause strife in the first place. This...is probably the easiest way you could have done it, yeah...but that doesn't make it the right thing to have done.

[azumods]

You've acknowledged you can't solve all the world's problems. So then what do you do? Do you keep helping only a select handful of people? Or do you do what's best for the majority of people?

If it comes down to helping individuals or the world, we're always going to choose to help the world.

[gekkaju]

I...I'm sorry, but it doesn't matter if we have different opinions on what's best. This isn't what's best for the world. You can look at your own Pokemon or the people who work for you and see for yourself. The way they can't act for themselves, or how empty you've made their existence.

And, you know...if you were interested in having this plan be entirely absolute across the entire world, wouldn't it also make sense for you to sacrifice your free will, too? I don't see you guys walking around like empty husks in the name of peace.

[azumods]

Master Cyrus still needs me as I am. The moment he decides I'm ready to join the others, I'll do so willingly. I've fought for his dreams and I'll continue to do everything I can for them.

Plus, I really don't think you get to decide what's best for this world. You're from a different world. You haven't seen all the problems here. Who are you to decide what's best?

[gekkaju]

I'm from a different world, yeah. But I also didn't ask to be here, did I? I woke up in one of your bases, and I would have probably been forced to be just like one of the rest of your people here. No questions asked.

So, I think we have the right to have some sort of say in it if this is where we're going to be for a while.

[azumods]

Some sort of say, sure. Deciding what's best for this world? Absolutely not. You know nothing of what we've been through and deciding that since you were brought here against your will that means you suddenly know enough to say we're wrong is laughable. Don't be stupid.

[gekkaju]

[Atsushi flinches. It's obvious nothing he says is going to make a difference at all.]

I'm just trying to tell you that this kind of world isn't a world that's going to last. Not after hearing about the things you've done to people to get it to where it is now.

[azumods]

Maybe next time try not to act like you know better than everyone else on issues you haven't been dealing with.