2024-04-11: Old And New
- Log: Old And New
- Cast: Sable Aomori, Rena Lanford
- Where: A Kalosian Cafe in Cerulean City
- Date: April 11, 2024
- Summary: After a hard evening in Mt. Moon, Sable and Rena decide to meet for breakfast. They discuss the traditions of the past, but also what's to come for the future.
<Pose Tracker> Sable Aomori has posed.
The trip across Mt. Moon was quite eventful, and it was evening by the time they made it back. Sable was pretty tired, for her part, and also a little social'd out. But she wanted to talk with Rena more, and that would be for the morning.
So, it is a beautiful morning in Cerulean City. At a cafe on the lakeshore, Sable sits and waits, nursing a little coffee (she's mature!) with sugar (she's not that mature), but has not been here terribly long. She just showed up early.
This cafe is in the old Kalos style; their table is outside on the patio, with a nice view of the lakeside. Her Vulpix is out, the little white-and-blue Pokemon seated on the ground with a little plate that has a very large Puff on it. She is nomming it.
Sable still has a menu, and there's one for Rena, too. It is a lovely little table, and not too crowded, either.
<Pose Tracker> Rena Lanford has posed.
Even though Gabby seemed fine, and slept all the way down Mount Moon, Rena still took her to the Pokecenter at Cerulean City that night.
By the next morning however- the first sign that Rena is coming is in the form of a protest of, "NYNYNY!"
"Gabby you already had eight crunchies already. The Nurse at the Pokecenter already told me it's not healthy to give you that many for your current size."
"NYNYNY!"
"Yes I understand you're recovering - but that's still too much. I don't want you to get sick."
Rena brandishes her Pokedex, which begins to speak.
Nymuffler Outlet Obstruction. A condition wherein the Psynymph's exhaust pipe is obstructed from overeating. Caused by the inability to process foods rapidly enough for excretion. Symptoms include - cessation of exhaust production, lethargy, emesis.
"See?" Gabby looks at the screen, stares, then back to Rena and indignantly chants- "NYNYNY!" "Oh I forgot you can't understand the Pokedex."
Rena upon sighting Sable does wave, and hoists her bag, heading to the cafe, as Gabby waddles after her.
"Coffee please. Black. Two Sugars." She asks the server who greets her.
(Rena doesn't take liking sweet things as a sign of immaturity.)
"This is a nice place - have you been here before, Sable?"
Rena traces her hand down towards the breakfasts, however - she finds herself surprised at one entry.
Breakfast Shortcake.
She knows what she's trying, as she bends down and waves to her Vulpix, "Hello to you as well." Gabby's already chattering with the Vulpix, probably to tell them how Rena is cruelly starving her.
<Pose Tracker> Sable Aomori has posed.
Gabby has never once been fed.
But Sable waves back, brushing some of her hair out of her eyes with her free hand as she ducks down a little. She's a little shy of her New Friend still, but it's nice to see her and Gabby. Gabby gets a wave, too.
"Oh," Sable says, when Rena also orders sugars in her coffee. "I also get sugar..."
Then she nods. "I have. I spent a lot of time here studying to prepare to take on the Cerulean gym. ...But I haven't, yet. I decided to get ready to deal with everything going on before I resumed my gym challenge."
Breakfast shortcake! Sable is, funnily enough, also trying that.
"Pix!" Vulpix answers Rena, and she is shy, but seems happy to be with Sable. ...Though when Gabby chatters away with her, Rena might pick up that the Vulpix is considering sharing her Puff...
Only considering, though.
"Gabby looks better," Sable says. "...How are you? Cerulean is nice, isn't it? It has some traditions from one of our older regions, too..."
<Pose Tracker> Rena Lanford has posed.
"I can appreciate a bitter coffee some I guess, but I always feel like, if you can make it more pleasant, then why wouldn't you?"
Rena tells her with a smile, before nodding at her and listening, "Oh I see. We've been preparing for the trials ourselves. So I haven't even looked into any of... the League stuff?"
Rena asks after a moment, "Are the gym challenges that important? I kind of saw them as like - you know, Blitzball. How you go pro!"
A beat.
"Oh wait, you all don't have that here." As she considers another word rather than blitzball and- "Like - sports?"
Rena places her order, giving Sable a pleased look at the mutual shortcake order, and when her coffee arrives, she takes a sip. Gabby keeps chattering away, as if to excitedly tell Vulpix all about her.
She is a child after all, and definitely not a shy one.
"Oh I'm alright- just, long night, but I'm used to that." Rena says with a smile, "I took a nap at the Pokecenter, but I don't want to sleep in just in case Cynne comes back."
Wait does that mean she's literally staying awake just in case she needs to defend the town?
However, as she thinks more about what Sable said of Cerulean, "What kind of traditions?"
<Pose Tracker> Sable Aomori has posed.
"I see..." Sable nods thoughtfully. "The researchers in Cinnabar always seemed to be proud of taking their coffee without sugar, but it's too bitter for me..."
"That makes sense," Sable says. "I started my journey before the Ten Wise Men came back. But that's why I put things on hold..."
After a moment--
"Yes," Sable says. "...That's accurate," she agrees after a moment, "They're very much like sports. There are even arenas in the Gyms where people can watch the matches. But at the same time, the Gym leaders are important socially, and do a lot of work to help people in the world. When problems happen, we count on the Pokemon League. ...Deciding to challenge the Pokemon League is more than just wanting to do Pokemon battling well; it's a commitment to be part of Energy Nede's society."
"...Well, not every Champion helps out. But it's weird not to. That's why that attack on Pewter last month hit the Gym, I think. Because the Gym leaders are powerful guardians of Nede..."
"That's why you don't have to worry too much if Cynne comes back here. We won't be fighting him off alone. Misty at the Gym would help."
Xirua--that's the Vulpix's name--chatters with Gabby. She's shy herself, but it's easy to chat when someone is talking about herself instead of expecting her to say a lot.
Besides, Gabby is cute.
"So you should rest. You don't have to do it alone." She pauses. And then, she nods. "The cafes here... they're in the Kalosian style. Kalos is an ancient region that was known for its beautiful lights in the cities. There's even some groomers around who style Pokemon fur into the old ways. But Kalos had lots of cafes like this. They thought it was important to have places to sit down and chat about philosophy and art."
<Pose Tracker> Rena Lanford has posed.
Rena gives her a puzzled look at the Cinnabar researchers, "I guess there are some drifters on Filgaia who are like that, because they think it makes them appear more hard edged."
Sable explains more on the Gym Challenges, and Rena nods thoughtfully, listening. She'd always been interested in this - it's just... priorities!
"So it's just how conflicts are resolved around here, in a sense. Not just in battles but - on relying on a Gym's battlers to defend the region."
That definitely does make it sound more important to her, she knows there's Police of course, but the idea of a Cop trying to arrest one of the Ten Wise Men.
"Huh. A commitment, so it's like... a rite of passage? Does everyone go through the gym battles before coming of age then?"
Would that mean that everyone who works a normal job is in fact, an expert battler!? Rena wonders if instead of a shotgun from under the counter, the local Grocer just pulls out a Gyrados.
Local Champions are expected to help out, that is comforting to think that a stronger trainer might show but... well she saw what Michael almost did to Princebridge.% r
So she doesn't feel safer when it comes to just leaving it to local battlers.
Rena nods again and asks, "Is that why - Giovanni is such an anomaly? Because he turned on Nedian expectations?"
It's interesting to her in a sense, that normal Nedian culture ties strength with responsibility. Whereas Team Rocket... feels like something thoroughly like might be espoused on Filgaia.
Except less ruthless even!
Gabby keeps on chatting with Xirua absolutely fine with this arrangement. "Oh I know I don't." She smiles at her, "I'm definitely not alone. It's just - if they do show, someone like me being on the scene ready to go can make all the difference."
Is she speaking about her strength? But-
"Between people living or dying." Is what Rena tells her, "My specialty is Healing Symbology. And apparently I'm - very good at it, even compared to most Doctors on Energy Nede."
She remembers Claude, with that hole blown through his chest, and her being able to save him even then. "Three to four minutes - that can be all the difference."
Another sip of coffee, as she listens to her about the cafes, and the groomers and she smiles, "It's pretty wonderful to hear about Nede having places like that - whole like, 'things' like Pokemon groomers and fashion. Back on Filgaia and Lunar - people don't have that kind of leisure time unless they're very well off."
Rena herself looks around the town for a moment, "I'm still just - getting used to the concept of people here having time to just - enjoy life like that."
<Pose Tracker> Sable Aomori has posed.
"Is that what it is?" Sable wonders. "Mom always told me to just like what I like. But I wanted to be cool, too..."
"Yes," Sable says. "Not everyone is good at battling, so when things happen..." A pause. "No," she says. "But there is a rite of passage. You're expected to go on a journey, at some point. I'm going on mine later than a lot of people do. Some people use that journey to challenge the Pokemon League... but some people do different things, too. You're supposed to find what you like in life, what's important to you."
She pauses, and looks down, a little sad for a moment. "But some people aren't good at finding what they want..."
"Who is Giovanni?" Sable wonders. "That name sounds familiar, but I don't know who it is."
Xirua finishes her puff. And then she listens some more!
Sable immediately assumes it's because of Rena's strength--but apparently that's not it. Her specialty...
"Oh." She pauses. "Better than doctors... I see. That makes a big difference. It's important..." She nods. "I hope you can get good rest. But if something happens, I'll count on you. I can only handle injuries. Not big ones. I use my Symbology to help my Pokemon, mostly, and Pokemon are naturally quick-healing because of the Symbology inside them."
But Nede and Filgaia and Lunar...
"I see... That's no good. I wish they could have that time, too." She nods, after a moment. "...Yes. It seemed different, when I went to Filgaia. I saw war..."
She shakes her head. "I don't know why people do that. I guess it must be very important to them... But I thought it was scary. They're fighting over resources, aren't they? Because Filgaia doesn't have many."
"I wish we could just share what we have. We have more than enough. Then they wouldn't have to fight each other so much."
"...But I guess that's not good enough," Sable muses, looking down into her coffee again. "Because people like Team Rocket fight anyway..."
<Pose Tracker> Rena Lanford has posed.
"Cool?" Rena blinks at the thought, considering what standards that Nede might have for cool versus Filgaia.
"Cool feels different to me, than that I guess. Like - my older brother Dias feels cool."
Claude does too, but compared to Dias, that's like - a different order of magnitude. Besides... cool isn't what she likes about him.
Rena does nod thoughtfully, sipping her coffee, "I rather like that idea, of the journey. On Filgaia it tends to be too dangerous for children to leave their home town casually. Some do anyway to find themselves - and some are big dreamers who can't settle for small town life - and some just - they spend their whole lives in one place, to live and die there."
There is a momentary thoughtful look there. "I guess for me, I kind of instinctually left on that journey too - just, to discover where I came from, originally. I couldn't feel, content I guess - unless I knew about that side of me."
And to discover more of the Mother she never knew.
Rena does ask her, "Do people look at you weird for starting late? I'm - kinda asking for myself, I suppose, though I'm already seen as weird being a Nedian from Filgaia."
As her breakfast comes, Rena confides, taking a small bite, "Shortcake is my favorite back home too. I suppose some foods are timeless, no matter where you go."
When Sable asks about Giovanni, Rena gives her a long look, "He's the man known as 'the Boss' in Team Rocket. A lot of members - owe him everything, that's what they say. He's - very strong, like my Pokemon didn't stand a chance, when we first fought."
Another sip, and she puts it down to tell her, "I looked him up - and while it was hard to find information apparently he was a Pokemon Champion, when he was a teenager. That was about twenty five years ago."
Older than Rena herself is, now...
"I'm better at people than Pokemon admittedly." Rena confides in her, "I'm learning, slowly - you see I'm self-taught, and Healing Symbology relies a lot on conceptualizing anatomy. But with a person - if I'm there..."
She can at least confidently say that as long as she stands it's very difficult for people to be killed.
When Sable mentions the war she saw on Filgaia, Rena takes a deep breath, but then releases it. Part of her wishes she didn't have to see that, but at the same time...
... people shouldn't look away from reality, right?
"It's usually over resources, absolutely - but besides that, it's about power, control. I used to think it was about, belief. Incompatible beliefs and ideologies clashing but, behind that all, it's usually people exploiting those things to... control the people fighting for them."
Rena at one point would have called that cynical, but she's seen it now, with the various Churches and Institutions.
And why they actually exist.
"I do too, but - the problem is that - I think, as more Filgaian powers learn that Energy Nede exists, they won't want to share. They'll want to take."
Rena gives her a serious look there, "We're already seeing it with Solaris agents over here."
And Nede certainly doesn't have a lot of counterintelligence resources, after all, it was closed off until not long ago!
"I think, ultimately, that even if we defeat the Ten Wise Men - change has come to Energy Nede. Our people are going to need to make friends, and fast. Otherwise the Ten Wise Men are just going to be the first invasion, not the last."
<Pose Tracker> Sable Aomori has posed.
Somewhere, Claude sneezes.
But Sable in the meantime nods. "An older brother... My older brother is cool, too. He does travel stories."
As Rena talks about the journey, Sable nods. "The environment is safer here," she agrees, "But even on Filgaia I have my Pokemon. That's something Filgaians don't usually have, right?" Since they don't have Pokemon there. But dreamers, and some...
"I see," Sable says. "Mom held me back for a while. She kept asking me to wait. I think she was worried... But she told me that I had to go eventually. That it was important."
"I'm glad you went. I think I would've done the same."
"...I don't think so," Sable says of people looking at her weird, though, "But I'm not very good at telling when people are looking at me weird. Apparently a lot of people look at me weird anyway. But I don't notice." She muses on it after Rena says she's asking for herself, "...Just because it's usually kids doesn't mean it's only kids, though. I think it's OK."
Shortcake! "I like shortcake," Sable says. "It's nice that you have that on Filgaia, too. In... Arlia, you said."
But the boss of Team Rocket. Sable's eyes widen. "He was a Champion?" she wonders, and Rena can see in real time the way someone reacts to learning that contradiction. "Yes," she says. "Some Champions decide to go on their own instead of staying with society, but... They never hurt people with their power. That's..." Sable is troubled by that. "My brother's father was a Champion-ranked trainer. But he's a professor, now. He's not like that at all." She tilts her head. "...That's around when Mom did her journey, too..."
But Rena confides and, "That make sense," she says. "You didn't deal with Pokemon until recently, right? Pokemon do some of the work for you, with healing them. That's why curative items are so easy to make."
She nods, intent. "It must feel good, to be able to save people."
Indeed--Sable will not look away from reality. She listens to Rena's explanation of warfare. "I see..."
"Mm. Yes. That man from Solaris who came to take, even though we'd have shared probably..."
She considers that. "Then I guess that's another good reason for me to change my journey, like this. I want to understand Filgaia and Lunar, too. That's why I went to the warzone. ..But it made me want to catch my Onix, to keep me safe when I'm on Filgaia, too, where they have these big war machines."
"But Filgaia is more than just the wars. I want to get to know its people, too. Maybe if I make 'friends', I can help avoid that..."
"We have powerful weapons and Symbology. But it's not normal to want to use them. I think... It would be a problem, if they tried to fight us."
<Pose Tracker> Rena Lanford has posed.
"Oh like a journalist?"
Rena listens to her speak about how on Filgaia is like, and nods, "Children don't have Pokemon there no, so they have to learn to fight themselves."
Rena certainly did, after a certain point.
"It's not uncommon for people to die in their first battle against... even local monsters. And when it's a military force, it's often a massacre."
There is a smile there, at Sable's words, "I think I stayed as long as I did because of my Mother. She found me when I was a toddler, she raised me. And... she very much didn't want me to leave the Village. And I didn't want to make that decision casually, as I didn't want her to think - that I didn't consider her my Mother."
Rena puts a hand to her chest, as she tells her, "She didn't give birth to me - but she's always been my Mother. It's just... I have two, is what it means. My birth Mother whose love I carry with me, and my Mother back on Filgaia."
There's a warm smile, even if her eyes are abstracted, "I intend to find out who that person was, no matter what. To know my past, so that I can understand what I want for my future."
Sable does tell her that people aren't looking at her strangely for that reason at least, but maybe she just doesn't know if they are.
"Alright. Well then, I won't assume that people look at me that way for being too old then. Just-" She gestures at her dress, "-there are so many other reasons, they look at me strangely anyway."
She smiles, as if perhaps it's something they have in common, reasons people give them strange looks.
"Ah oops - did I say Arlia?" Rena puts a hand to her mouth, "Please keep that to yourself, Team Rocket was - very near my home town recently and, I don't want them to target my mother."
The talk moves to Giovanni, and... she nods herself, "We met Noel Chandler, and he couldn't be more different than Giovanni either. It seems like he's the exception."
Rena does shift in her seat, "Well, I do intend to drop by your mother's lab, maybe she knows more of his past history?" She considers, but then...
"Oh! Yes. Not until I came to Nede. I actually, since I never really went to school I learned from books - like books on anatomy and the like, to get better at healing people."
Claude did help her pick out some in Linga, but he got really embarrassed, she wonders why? It's all just for learning to be a better healer.
"Right now I'm studying the Pokedex a lot - to get better at it, and asking experts."
Indeed part of the reason she could heal Lady Brightwing was knowing more in advance about her anatomy from studying information on Psynards.
"It does." Feel good. It's also exceptionally anxiety inducing. No trauma here on ever failing to save someone!
None... whatsoever.
"Filgaia is definitely more than just its wars, but - it's important to understand how it darkens the lives of all who survive them."
She agrees, "The most important thing to understand I think is - we Filgaians are proud survivors. We take pride on our ability to tough it out through anything, and keep going. It shapes a lot of us. So many of us become... versions of ourselves that can keep surviving what we've been through."
It's not necessarily a dark picture, but it is at least a rather realistic one, "The most important thing to understand is just that sometimes a helping hand to the average person is going to be seen as charity, unless offered the right way."
Rena tells her, quietly, "Most people would rather slap a hand away, than think they're being looked down upon."
When it comes to the final point, it's... Rena nods, "I think, they'd have a harder time running towns over, sure. When the average person is able to defend themselves, but - as Nall and Professor Oak put it, Nede isn't used to that kind of combat."
But powerful weapons? Symbology? "It's not normal, no and... there's... not much of Nede left. It feels like you can't afford to lose much more to making the choice to use those kind of things."
The problem is considered for a while and, then she nods, "I don't really know how the League - the Gyms - the Police - all that organize, but it feels like they should start organizing for not just the Ten Wise Men but - for that possibility, just in case. Some kind of defense strategy for external threats."
<Pose Tracker> Sable Aomori has posed.
"Yes!" Like a journalist. "He travels all over and reports on what he sees. He's even been going to Filgaia lately. I read his articles..."
To fight themselves. Sable nods. "That's hard," she says. "I know how to fight, but... I don't know that I could do it against people as strong as Filgaians. Not myself. But my Pokemon and I together can go a lot farther than I could myself."
Dying so young. Sable looks sad, at that. "I see..." She shakes her head. "That's difficult.."
Her mother, who raised her. Sable's expressions are not large, but she does give a smile to Rena back. Then she nods. "I see... Some people would say that your birth mother is more important. But you don't feel that way. I think that makes sense. Both kinds are important."
Then, Rena... well, she intends to find it. "That's a good goal," Sable says. "I support it."
But a small smile back, at the other strange reasons. "Yes," she says. "But it's a good strange, I think."
"I'll keep it to myself," she says. "I wouldn't want Team Rocket to go after my mother, either... She's really strong, but even so."
Noel! "Yes. I think so too." A pause. "Okay. Maybe she does. She knows a lot of things. She studies Pokemon behavior, mostly. And then my dad studies Pokemon habitats." Pause. "You might meet him there, too."
Oh, books. "I see. If you want to go to school when you're done with your work, I'm sure they'd welcome you."
Sable has no idea why a boy would get embarrassed over studying anatomy with Rena!
"The Pokedex is good. I don't have one, but I learned a lot from Mom about Pokemon anyway."
No trauma!! Yaaaay.
"I see..." It darkens the lives of all. And they're--survivors. Sable nods, thoughtfully. "Ulpi is like that," she says. "He's very proud. ...So I understand a little."
"Right... And a lot of people can't fight at all; their Pokemon are pets, not battle partners. So maybe if they come to town Misty can stop them, but..." If they don't nicely line up outside of town, well.
"If they tried to bring their war machines over we'd be in trouble. ...Armslock City has things like that, but... It's like you say. I worry that if we started using those again we'd lose what we already have..."
"Mm... Mom says that, too. That Energy Nede has to change, and adapt. Maybe you're both right."
"For now, I'll do what I can. If that means fighting... Then I'll fight."
<Pose Tracker> Rena Lanford has posed.
"Oh that's wonderful! Please let me know what media outlet he writes for."
It should be noted that as Rena's player I almost wrote what Newspaper. Indeed the most unrealistic thing about energy Nede is that print Newspaper could actually exist in a post scarcity society.
Rena does nod at her being strong enough to fight - but that her Pokemon and her can go farther, "Just be careful. It's easy to fall into the habits of battling culture on Nede, but - Filgaians won't care about that. Their strategy would likely be to immediately shoot the trainer."
Sable however speaks on the matter, and Rena nods, "Absolutely, but they'd be wrong... exactly. I could never abide by the thought that the Mother who raised me is lesser." And a smile, "Thanks."
She does take another bite of the shortcake.
"Oh? Good strange." She does look at her clothes, and chuckles, "Well I'm glad, I was starting to feel a little self-conscious but - I like the way I look."
There is visible relief off of her, "Thank you. I... need to know that my mother back home is okay, just. It's important to me, that I know that, if I'm here."
There's a look of wonder at her comments, "Oh I see! That's wonderful, I imagine their work benefits a lot of Pokemon all over Nede."
Rena does consider the thought with a blink, then- "Well I had definitely considered it. It would be nice to give it a try, I've always kind of envied the people who can do that kind of thing." She gives it some thought and...
"Maybe some day."
Rena smiles as she invokes Ulpi, "He does seem very proud, and he did a great job, last night. Let him know that I appreciate him." Armslock City... Rena's experiences... "Well that makes me even more worried that a Solaris Agent was caught breaking into there."
Sable reiterates what her mother said, and Rena nods after a moment's thought, "It might be tough, I don't think most people here even realize that... this can't just be handled like it's business as usual. I don't want to scare people here or have them - shamed because they've only known peace in their lifetimes, but I do think they should prepare."
With a smile Rena tells her, "And until they're ready for that - we'll all fight in their stead."
<Pose Tracker> Sable Aomori has posed.
"He freelances, so he writes for a lot of them. But he was published recently in Nede Geographic!"
Which is apparently famous, to hear her tell it. Some people just like the feeling of paper. It's fine! It's fine.
"I see... Yes. I thought so. They didn't stop even when Miss Shige said that she was a noncombatant." A pause. "But I made sure to stock up on magical clothes to protect against danger while I'm in Filgaia, too. This jacket is Symbologically enchanted to ward off attacks. We have stuff like this for people who deal with wild Pokemon, but..."
It also works for conventional combat.
"Yes," Sable says. Rena's mother is clearly important to her. That's fair enough to Sable. "You're welcome."
Shortcake is delicious. And Sable says, "Your look really suits you. Your hairpin is really pretty."
"Mm. You want her safe when you can't protect her... My mom is like that for me, too."
She looks quietly happy at the talk of her parents though.
And then, "Yes. We're busy now... But you're Nedian. You're on your own journey, just like me. You just started from a different place."
She smiles more obviously at the talk of Ulpi. "I will," she says. Then, "Mm... Yeah. It concerned me. But you know? They didn't use their weapons. They used Pokemon. I wondered about that."
"...Yes," Sable says. "We need to change, but... Until we do--we can be the change, a little at a time."
"And we'll do just that."
Then, she goes back to her shortcake! ...She can share more about Cerulean's culture and Gym, instead of such heavy topics.