explosivecombat | 013. [Text/Action for Olivine City, also one other thing]

013. [Text/Action for Olivine City, also one other thing]

[ACTION]

[It's incredibly rare to see Kimblee out of that fancy white suit; it's rarer still to see him not wearing it for any reason other than "If I wear it now, I'll get it filthy", "I'm in prison", or "I'm in a hospital and on life support."

While he's not on life support, however, he certainly is in a hospital of some sort - and not as a patient for once, either! Those who enter the Pokémon Center in Olivine City will be treated to Kimblee wearing general hospital scrubs, his hair pulled back in the stupidest french-braid ever to be stupidly french-braided. He isn't terribly interested in trying to mess with the human patients - in fact, he seems rather eager to stay out of the way of those who actually know what they're doing in that regard, as he hasn't been seen back there at all; given that he's filed just about everything he can get his hands on, he's working in the front today, assisting those who bring in Pokémon injured in battle.

And by "working" I mean "today has been ridiculously slow, so he's currently leaning idly over the desk, playing the hell out of the Tetris app on the 'Gear."

At least he's making no secret of his answer to the question of "working hard, or hardly working?"]

[TEXT]

[However, there are some sorts of boredom that even copious amounts of Tetris can't alleviate; at some point today - most likely after Kimblee has realized that he's going to be shifting around falling blocks in his goddamn sleep and he's going to be humming "Korobeiniki" for the next week - there's a text thrown out to the network at large.]

In my experience, there are those who exist to create, and those who exist to destroy. Neither are inherently good, nor are they inherently bad - there are those who create weapons and those who destroy barriers, after all. It's all a matter of how one utilizes their talents.

For the sake of idle curiosity, I have to wonder how many of us that were brought to Johto find themselves drawn to creation, destruction, or something else entirely.

[PRIVATE TEXT TO COBRA COMMANDER]

Position secured. Clearance and access to relevant materials likewise secured. Window of opportunity opens tonight during shift change.

Permission to proceed?

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[Kimblee looks up at that; he doesn't recognize the voice or the woman in question - in fact, there's nothing there that catches his attention about her immediately other than damn, that is a lot of red, madam, but to each their own. His gaze shifts down to the Voltorb once he's gotten a look at her face; oh...goodness, he would recognize that sort of damage anywhere.]

Selfdestruct, I'm assuming?

[Yes, yes, hand it over.]

They're rather prone to that sort of behavior; I've raised one in the past.

[If the red is catching his attention, then she's succeeded in her motive for wearing it; some old habits die hard, and drawing notice happens to be one of them, whether it's something as grandiose as a theft or something as simple as running a daily errand.]

Explosion, actually. I wasn't pleased when she learned the lesser of the two; I could've done without her learning the greater, along with it.

[She hands over the battered Voltorb, then retrieves three Pokeballs from her belt and sets them down on the counter as well. She'd have carried them in personally, too, but her Golem and Togekiss were far too big for it, and between the Koffing and Voltorb, the Voltorb was the worse off of the two.]

Unfortunately, this time the herd mentality got the better of her. It ended badly for everyone involved.

"Herd mentality"...

[It's muttered more to himself than to her while Kimblee goes about setting up; he's never been one for healing, and he's ridiculously new at any sort of employment that doesn't involve a military uniform or orders to kill everyone in the immediate area. As such, he isn't the quickest when it comes to exactly what the procedure outlines in the Centers entail, but at the very least he knows what he's doing in regards to these particular effects; he'll be thorough.]

Dare I ask what started the herd moving, as it were, or are they just the sort to enjoy that particular...ah, activity?

[She's watching somewhat intently as he works, not so much because of anything about Kimblee in particular, but simply because the procedure is interesting, and it's one she's not intimately familiar with, and the way to learn things is by paying attention to them. Besides, who knows when knowing the steps to work one of the Center's healing machines might come in handy?]

My Togekiss has a fondness for explosions. Once the first one went off, the others let their pride get the better of their common sense, and decided to contribute their own talents to the display.

[And there is probably a fairly scorched portion of the beach right now, to show for it.]

I see.

[And from the sound of it, he does; his tone is neither condemning nor approving. Just a statement.]

I find it interesting that there are some of these creatures that actually enjoy doing such things - the first one I raised that was capable didn't care for it in the least, but a few of my others are quite fond.

That does pose an interesting quandary, in terms of training them. I'd much prefer none of my roster knew a move like that, and I certainly wouldn't ask them to use it on my behalf. But is it my right as a trainer to forbid them from using it?

[She leans a little on the counter, her tone taking on a rhetorical note.]

There's a fine line between protecting them from harm and giving them the freedom to make their own mistakes. I may not like it, but that doesn't mean they don't.

To forbid them to use it and protect them from harm, or to allow them to use it and grant them free agency - surely you realize that you're creating a false dichotomy?

[His tone isn't accusatory, however; rather, it's vaguely amused.]

For example, it's disregarding the possibility of moderating their usage of it - suppose they were permitted to use it, but only in situations where it was appropriate and not for frivolous purposes? Forgive my saying so, miss, but if one owns a gun, they usually don't fire it off across their neighbors' yards, unless they want to be branded some sort of psychopath; rather, they do it for self-defense, or at a shooting range, or they find a field and set up cans if they're particularly hard-pressed for money.

Of course, it's also not taking into account that any damage incurred from these sort of moves isn't permanent, but that's destroying the spirit of the argument, isn't it?

[Oh, well. Kimblee's not the only one amused, now, and he's certainly caught her interest; she's got a bit of a Socratic penchant to her, asking questions to provoke thought, but it's less often than you might expect that she gets a legitimate taker to that bait.]

I wouldn't say it's creating a false dichotomy so much as it is identifying the endpoints of a spectrum — which would make that fine line less of a division and more of a threshold between the two extremes. Where that threshold falls, though, seems to be something that every trainer needs to identify for herself.

[She's not particularly enamored with the idea of guns at all, even as a metaphor, but just because she's not fond of the analogy it comes through doesn't mean she misses the point he's making.]

And I'd say the damage incurred is a separate but still related issue, really. The damage may not be permanent, but it's fairly Machiavellian to suggest that having the ability to restore them to perfect health justifies whatever pain and suffering they're put through along the way.

[Kimblee is similarly-minded, in that regard; he's always been quite the believer in leading the horse to water, as it were.]

Of course it doesn't justify any unwilling pain and suffering, but that's hardly the case here, is it? If they're doing so repeatedly, because they want to, and there are no adverse long-term affects, I don't believe that constitutes abuse on the part of the trainer - at which point it does become a matter of what that trainer is comfortable with, yes, but there's no point in trying to dress up one's own personal discomfort as concern for another's well-being.

[She shifts a little against the counter, settling in.]

Personal discomfort and concern for another's well-being aren't mutually exclusive; sometimes one is indicative of the other. And there's more to it than simply the trainer's comfort in the matter; there's also the trainer's obligation to her team. Taking an animal into your care comes with a certain duty to care for it, even against its own inclinations. I'm a firm believer in personal autonomy, but there are limits, and while it may not be abuse to let them have free and destructive rein, it may be neglect not to intervene.

So tell me, then - how far removed do you consider these creatures from the wild? Because I agree with your point, if we're talking about something assumed to be on the same level as...I don't know, a dog, perhaps, or some other domesticated creature. As it stands, however, these are animals that were captured directly from their natural environments, and can be released directly back into said environment with what's assumed to be no diminished capacity for survival.

To clarify a bit, there would be different expectations placed on a person adopting a dog, and a person looking to adopt a tiger - the latter is generally expected to respect the natural instincts of the tiger and not encroach too far on its own inclinations, while the former is expected to discipline the dog. To do otherwise in both cases would be considered abusive by most, after all.

I'm not sure if either one is a good fit of analogy, given the way their nature seems to shift from wild to domesticated by virtue of nothing other than being caught. I've seen the occasional exception, creatures that don't take well to being under the control of a trainer and so they rebel as a result of it, but for the most part they seem to make the transition from wild to tamed in a surprisingly short amount of time, and with very little resistance to the idea of being controlled once they're caught.

That said, once they're in a trainer's care, they do seem to become domesticated — regardless of how that domestication sets in. And given that this is a world apparently designed to encourage people to catch and train these creatures to respond to human command, the dog analogy seems more apt than the alternative.

Mm, no, I agree with you there.

And do you have no qualms with ensuring their domestication in such a way?

I've had my qualms since my first day here. Mostly because there doesn't seem to be any real point to it, outside of being told that this is the way the world works and there's nothing to do but conform to it.

[...well, that's one way to look at it, he supposes.]

And yet you've conformed anyway?

Is there an alternative, when you're handed a starter from the minute you wake up here?

A purist could certainly renounce quite a bit of the system if she wanted — release her starter and refuse to catch or buy any others. She'd also have a three-day trip on foot before she'd reach the nearest city where she could feasibly support herself, traveling alone through wilderness that puts her at risk of being attacked by one of the wild Pokemon along the path. To say nothing of the fact that once she did, she'd almost certainly be received as a pariah for abandoning her starter rather than a hero for freeing it, simply because of the overwhelming emphasis this world places on being a trainer and involving Pokemon in so many varied aspects of daily life.

I may not like the system, but complete abstinence from it isn't necessarily a solution, either. Again, it seems to come down to a question of degree.

[................]

Rather fond of referring to yourself in the third-person, aren't you?

[IT'S OFF-TOPIC, YES, BUT IT WAS DRIVING HIM MILDLY CRAZY NOT COMMENTING, OKAY

and now that that's out of his system

he can move on with his life]

But that's neither here nor there, really - the problem is that again, you're presenting a false dichotomy. Even in worlds such as this one, there's always a third option.

I'm fond of not defaulting to masculine pronouns as the generic for setting up my hypothetical situations.

[HE BETTER GET USED TO IT because that is a pretty canon tendency, baby.]

And I said we're told there's nothing to do but conform, not that I'd accepted it.

[Masculine...pro...nouns WHAT IS THIS LOGIC]

Singular "they" exists for a reason, you know.

[Apologies for the derail, madam, but I am pedantic and what is this]

Are we going to debate grammar now, instead of ethics?

[This derail amuses her immensely in its absurdity.]

[...this happens once in a while with Kimblee, honestly - he has a tendency to get stuck on one point and just not. let. it. die.

just wait until he gets started on Equivalent Exchange one day...]

I must admit that I find the ethics far more interesting; that doesn't change the fact that my point still stands. But if you insist.

My use also wasn't grammatically incorrect. Consider it a third option.

[But Carmen doesn't know anything about his concept of Equivalent Exchange. That makes it a learning opportunity.]

It's been a while since I've had the opportunity for such an engaging debate. Are you a philosopher by profession or by hobby?

[Oh, if he ever gets started he will ensure you learn, simply because he never shuts up.]

Believe me, were I a philosopher by profession, I wouldn't be working in a Pokémon Center.

[And she would enjoy every minute of it.]

I'm surprised there aren't more of them around, frankly, in a world that seems to boast such a high number of young kings and budding heroes.

This world seems incredibly action-oriented; from what I've seen, it seems to favor those who will cause chaos, and those that will restore order.

Philosophers don't seem to appear here unless they're already inclined toward one or the other, which sort of defies the point of impartial study.

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doitrockapella - 2012-06-14 05:09 (UTC) - Expand

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explosivecombat - 2012-06-14 05:15 (UTC) - Expand

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