02X - Reintro. [Text/Locked Audio to the Rocket Frequency]

[explosivecombat]

[TEXT]

[Well! Those of you on the network today will be greeted by a bit of audio late this morning, from a device ID that's been bouncing back all attempts at contact for the last several weeks.]

...Oh, that's cute.

[...well, if that wasn't the most triumphant return ever, I don't know what is.

At the very least, however, he seems to get over whatever he's almost audibly linefacing at long enough to realize that the device is recording something; he promptly switches the thing over to text - he's never really liked talking at the machine when he's addressing all of Johto.]

My, it seems this place does still have its sense of humor, doesn't it? And here I thought that perhaps I'd only lost three days at worst - it was a bit of a surprise to find out otherwise.

Ah, but that's neither here nor there, is it?

[Kimblee, hon.]

There's not much to report from home, unfortunately; however, it'll be a pleasure getting in contact with all of you again - hopefully you've all been at least reasonably well.

[Oh, well. At least he doesn't seem too off-put by the whole disappearing-for-a-month-and-a-half thing?]


[PRIVATE AUDIO - TEAM ROCKET FREQUENCY]

[...At least, not until the audio message that goes out over the private Rocket network a few minutes later; Kimblee's voice is cold and clipped, and the amiable "tone" from the text earlier is completely absent.

He has no idea if he still holds his rank or not; he suspects he doesn't. Like hell if he won't throw it around anyway. He's a bit displeased at his life basically being a .gif from Community, and he's going to figure out what in the good hell is going on if it kills him.]

This is Team Rocket Beta Solf J Kimblee, reporting back in for duty; to my superiors, I admit that I don't know what happened, but I assure you that it won't happen again.

To the rest of you - check in with me immediately, particularly if you're one of my subordinates. I'm receiving a lot of "ID Not Found" nonsense, and I need to know who's still present; given that and various things that I've had to hear about secondhand, I expect a full report regarding what happened here from someone, I'm not feeling particularly choosy right now.

New members to the organization - welcome to it, and you have my personal apologies for the disarray. For now, you're welcome to introduce yourselves; it'll serve you well to know that I'm good to those who are good to me. Again, prove yourself useful and you'll be rewarded.

None of this is a request. Allow me to make that much clear.

[...oh dear. Well. At least he's not in much position to actually do anything at the moment - this is Team Rocket we're talking about, and if somebody's on the network very vocally overstating their importance and/or competence, that means it's pretty much a day ending in Y.]

Comments

[explosivecombat]

And how long do you plan on waiting?

[doitrockapella]

Are you in a hurry?

[explosivecombat]

I wouldn't put it that way.

Consider me more interested than impatient.

[doitrockapella]

The fourth of July isn't so far off.

I could see fit to keep my eyes on you in person if it meant avoiding a repeat of last year's fireworks.

[explosivecombat]

Well, in that case, I may even refrain from destroying the city first. Just for you.

...in all honesty, however, I would like that.

[doitrockapella]

Helen of Troy's face launched a thousand ships, and now mine might save a city? Consider me flattered.

Make no mistake, though, it's a contingent offer. Subject to rescission, if your activities between now and then get in the way of my...receptiveness.

[explosivecombat]

And now you're assuming your face - which I have yet to see, by the way, so I have no idea whom I'm meeting - is going to save the region. You're nothing if not confident, Locke, I'll give you that much.

[doitrockapella]

You gave me that pocketwatch for a reason, Nietzsche. Are you really so surprised?

[explosivecombat]

I'm well aware of why I gave it to you. I trust you've been living up to it, despite all the loss lately?

[doitrockapella]

"Only those who will risk going too far can possibly find out how far one can go," as the wise man said.

If I ever find my limits, you'll be the first to know.

[explosivecombat]

Hopefully that day will never come, then - after all, some never find theirs, no matter how far they venture.

Of course, I've never been one of those myself, but I admire those who are.

[doitrockapella]

People change. And this is a different world.

Who's to say your limits might not have changed with it?

[explosivecombat]

I know myself well enough to know for a fact that they have.

Don't misunderstand me, Locke, I'm not brooding over it, nor do I find it a regrettable thing. If anything, it's a trait inherent to my status as both soldier and weapon - I am what I'm required to be at the time, and I don't mind that at all. I don't expect you to really understand that sort of stance - few do - but believe me, I'm not suffering for it, nor am I self-pitying. Things are what they are.

[doitrockapella]

I can hardly fault someone so conscious of the ancient mandate to "know thyself". It's complacency that I'm arguing against; I'd be doing a disservice to my side if I didn't, after all.

[explosivecombat]

I see your point, I suppose - though is it really complacency if one strives to perfection within their limits? As that's something I've always been rather partial to doing.

And besides, I never said they were narrow limits, either. Simply that I know they're there.

[doitrockapella]

It confines you to a finite number of possible achievements, doesn't it? What if, for the sake of argument, you did manage to achieve perfection in them all? You might end up terribly bored.

Maybe I just find it liberating to believe that there's always another horizon waiting that I haven't reached toward yet.

[explosivecombat]

Just as I find it liberating to know that perfection is unattainable.

Part of what I find so disappointing about humans, really, is the fact that so many will be faced with that knowledge - that true perfection, in any form, is something that humans are not meant to have - and fall into despair; they'll stop progressing, they'll give up. They don't understand that the imperfection of humanity is what challenges them, and what ultimately leads them to change the world.

Perfection isn't the goal or some standard to be held to, it's motivation. Achieving it would be to condemn ourselves to that complacency you're arguing against.

[doitrockapella]

It's the asymptote to the graph of our lives, is it?

I'm curious; when you say true perfection, do you mean complete perfection, in every way and aspect? Suppose I sing an A at 440 Hz without error — would you call that perfection?

[explosivecombat]

Would I call it perfection? No. (Honestly, were it to be perfect pitch-standard with absolutely no deviation coming from anything but a tuning box or other instrument, I would be more likely to call it "alarming", but I digress.) But would others? Perhaps, depending on the circumstance. True perfection is something that I consider to be highly subjective, rather than a universal concept.

As far as I'm concerned, the definition of true perfection is the highest pinnacle of success - not the point where you know you've succeeded, but the point where you know you've succeeded so well that there's no point in trying anymore. The point where you look at your life and say "Well. What now?" and you legitimately don't have an answer.

[doitrockapella]

Mm. Now there's a concept I came close to, once. Luckily, I was able to find an answer — and I haven't been faced with the same question since.

So I think we agree, this time.

[explosivecombat]

Might I ask what caused that question to come up in the first place? Assuming you wouldn't mind sharing. That's the sort of question that only comes up when one has reached perfection in some way, after all - perfect misery also tends to bring that question around.

[doitrockapella]

I was the best at what I did, and famous throughout the world for it. But while I kept winning, kept...racking up tally marks that put more and more distance between myself and anyone who might challenge me, I wasn't getting better. The intellectual challenge wasn't the same, if it were even there at all. I was bored.

The answer was to find a new pursuit to test myself at.

[explosivecombat]

...It seems we really do agree, then. At least this time.

I've experienced something similar, in a way, and now here I am; whether I changed for the better as the result of my shifting targets is debatable, but again, highly subjective.

[doitrockapella]

Thank you for avoiding the clichéd, "We're not so different, you and I".

[Seeing as how given the current topic of conversation, she'd have had a fairly visceral reaction to hearing it if he had.]

It sounds childish to call it boredom, now. Maybe I just can't stand the thought of talent idling and going to waste.

[explosivecombat]

I'd really rather not go there, and besides, I've never seen how saying those exact words wouldn't be insulting myself more than it would be making a point to you - those words wouldn't have any impact if the one saying them weren't someone you found utterly deplorable, after all, and I don't hate myself nearly enough to use myself as an insult, thank you.

Ah, but when it comes to boredom...honestly, it is what it is. In my case, I think it was probably closer to frustration with the state of things, but that doesn't sound any less childish, does it - at the very least, it makes it sound like I'm throwing some sort of fit or tantrum.