33rd moon [video/action]

[paladinlost]

[Today, Cecil is posting from the street right in front of the Olivine Gym. Flare is sitting beside him, looking tired but happy.]

Rosa, Rydia, are you both still well? Flare needs to rest first, but we'll soon be able to come find you. We'll not be long, I promise.

[Now that the most important thing he had to say is out of the way, he has a question for everyone else.]

Could anyone tell me more about the Mahogany and Blackthorn Gyms, along with the roads that lead to them? With the end of the road so close, it'd be a shame to stop now.

[Flare barks quickly in agreement, and Cecil ends the message.]

Comments

[video]

[paladinlost]

They've not tried to throw us out with weapons and Pokémon, at least. We should be thankful for that.

[video]

[reveiller]

Mm, however should we show our endless gratitude?

[video]

[paladinlost]

...By participating in the local economy and not breaking their laws?

[video]

[reveiller]

Haha, that could work. Though, really, sometimes, I question a little about their humanity.

[video]

[paladinlost]

What do you mean by that?

[video]

[reveiller]

They're awfully fond of repetition, wouldn't you say?

[video]

[paladinlost]

...A little, at times. Some have it worse than others.

[video]

[reveiller]

They do say we're trapped in a video-game-like construct. [a bit of a shrug, here.] I guess the question is if we'd consider someone as truly 'alive' if they're actually pre-programmed to only act in certain ways.

[video]

[paladinlost]

I truly doubt they always act like this. They might even be paid to welcome travellers with the same phrases, to give the cities a certain image.

[video]

[reveiller]

Mm, if that's the case, it does sound like even most citizens are paid for the same reason. It seems like an awful lot of trouble, for a tourism campaign.

[video]

[paladinlost]

And the costs of maintaining a whole touristic region would be too high for any sane government to consider.

[video]

[reveiller]

Ah, the age-old conspiracy theory. It's good to know that some things just don't change, even between dimensions.

[video]

[paladinlost]

Would a touristic resort truly count as a conspiracy? It sounds rather harmless, in theory.

[video]

[reveiller]

Always in theory. Of course, that all changes once we discover the fire-breathing bears in the basement.

[video]

[paladinlost]

Or the poisonous jellyfish in the bathroom.

[video]

[reveiller]

Or the seven-legged cat in the ceiling, above the floorboards.

[video]

[paladinlost]

Then again, that might attract a particular clientele, at the cost of everyone else.

[video]

[reveiller]

It might be a willing sacrifice, really.

[video]

[paladinlost]

People with particular interest would be willing to pay more for them, but would it truly compensate for the losses?

[video]

[reveiller]

Oh? And what sort of 'particular interest' would that be, do you think?

[video]

[paladinlost]

An overpowering wish to find out which Pokémon is the strangest of them all, of course.

[video]

[reveiller]

[a chuckle] The worthiest goal.

[all in all... not a bad way to spend the afternoon.]

[video]

[paladinlost]

My vote goes to Ditto. All of them.

[video]

[reveiller]

Truer words never said.

[video]

[paladinlost]

With a very special mention to Bartz's Gogo.