It occurs to me that no matter how well I listen, I’ll never really understand on a gut level what this man’s life is like. (What kind of twisted person would find that fun?) They’re barely making ends meet as it is, and getting payed by young trainers passing through for “novelty” matches against his magikarps was a big part of Elliot’s revenue stream. They used to have a supportive community of other folk living in that region, but for the past couple of years they’ve been ostracized due to some quirk of family politics. He’s got a wife and six children they live in a shack not far from Route 14. As we wait for our allies, Elliot tells a long story about his life and his line of work. I sit down on the beach, just above the tide. And nine-nine times in a hundred, ‘whatever’ is either a magikarp or a tentacool.” I don’t feel comfortable speaking to this man about his own area of expertise. “It would be better if you could focus on non-sentient sea life?” I’m quite aware that I don’t know the first thing about the mechanics of fishing. I realize I don’t know exactly what to say. I start to speak again, but come up short on words. He waves the good fishing rod he carries for emphasis. And I’m still paying off the loan I took out for those pokeballs and this rod.” “I imagine they don’t much like being caught on hooks, or eaten, either?” “Just a couple devi-whatsits from being us, huh?” Elliot looks meaningfully at ‘Nemo’ the pet Magikarp. “Despite folklore describing them as utterly stupid, Magikarp are not among that smaller number. Despite all that’s happened to me, I do my best to be patient. I’ve done this speech a hundred times before. Less than ten of those were more than two standard deviations away from average human intelligence.” I tread out into the waves beside him. “I studied one hundred and forty-nine different species of pokemon during my time at the academy. “So, it’s true? Most Pokemon really don’t like training any more than… well… than you did?” I didn’t really believe it.” He shakes his head. “That stuff you said in the New Island Tapes. I wait a few seconds, and gradually his outrage turns to understanding. “I think that one might actually like you,” I say. “Nemo?” He swats down amidst the waves and runs a hand across the glistening scales of the one Magikarp that remained loyal. Just like Orange said.Įlliott rushes past me, down to the water. The pokeballs are really what it all hinges on, then. I open my hands, letting the ruined bits of tech sprinkle out across the sand at my feet. The other five drift off, evidently indifferent to the human’s words. “Those were worth more than a thousand poke’dollars!” I slam my palms together, crushing the six pokeballs I hold into so much red and white metallic scrap. “Now I’m going to change something, and then you’ll try again.” In unison, all six of the fisherman’s pokemon start flopping about energetically and spraying me with harmless splashes of ocean water. “Sure.” Elliot glances from my obvious wounds to my even more obvious combat armor, evidently still deciding how threatened to feel by me. I expand the balls to deployment-size one at a time, then toss each out to the edge of the water.Ī small school of fish pokemon now drift listlessly along the edge of the island. He fishes out a half dozen pocket-sized pokeballs from his vest and passes them to me apprehensively: the way a scared civilian would fork over pokeballs to a crime gang lieutenant. Magikarps, you know? Other trainers say I’m just a waste of time, because my ‘mons can’t do anything in a battle but splash around.” “.yeah, it’s good you understand that.” He rubs the back of his neck. My enemies are truly bad men like Giovanni was, not folk just trying to make ends meet.” “Does that question have a wrong answer?” The man looks nervously from me to Mercury. I trudge back up the shoreline, turn the ‘gear off and then hand it back to the fisherman. We can’t afford to be careless with the base’s location.” “Sweet Zapdos,” he says, “it’s good to hear your voice again.” With Mercury’s help, I communicate our present location to the lieutenant I walk away down the beach, dialing Surge’s number as I go. “R-right.” He fishes out a handheld device from one of the pockets that line his vest and then passes it to me. I feel like those are both types of people you shouldn’t hesitate to hand your poke’gear over to.” “And, depending on how you feel about maltreatment of pokemon, I’m either an inspiring revolutionary to you or else a terrifying criminal. “Y-you, you’re the one from TV!?” He backpedals, pointing at me. At first I’m confused, but then I understand the meaning of Mercury’s actions. Mercury drops the man off right in front of me, then retreats several paces.
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