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[talkyourwayout]

Why is that every time I think my life can't get any weirder, it does? I need to stop even thinking that I've hit the limit on that. I mean, I finally start getting a handle on the exhausting danger of treasure hunting, and now I look weird and have a cat that likes to fight things!

For the record, that's totally not the appeal of cats. Cats are great because they're indifferent and lazy. Shilling is not either of those things!

But fine, if there's one thing I've learned over the last couple of years, it's how to roll with the craziest punches. So let me introduce myself: I'm Louie Duck, and my cat - I'm sorry, my Alolan Meowth - is Shilling. We're heading out from New Bark Town.

This is going to be a lot of walking, isn't it?

Comments

[talkyourwayout]

Wait, so... People buy Pokemon? That's definitely interesting. And riding on one sounds like a good way to get around!

[cometkin]

Yeah! Mudbrays are good ones for those, because even when they're small they're really strong and then they grow up to be giant, but there's all kinds that you can ride on. Miltanks, Tauros, Rapidashes, Luxrays... I mean, when I went to this race a year ago, I even saw a guy strapped down on his Wailmer as it bounced down the track. And, uh, there's flying pokemon too and those get around really fast, but you need to get a license or permit to fly on them if you're a Trainer and teach 'em special moves if they don't learn on their own.

Though even without the permit, you can be flown by someone else, as long as the person directing the Pokemon has it. There's these guys call Ubirds who operate flying taxis on big event days. A lot of 'em have big flying pokemon that can carry baskets or gondolas where their passengers sit.

And yeah, people buy Pokemon! Especially as eggs or babies from breeders, but I wouldn't be surprised if there's people who catch 'em just to sell 'em to to pet stores.

[And also, Greg wouldn't be surprised if the pokemon that Team Rocket steals ends up on some weird black market. It would make sense.]

[talkyourwayout]

Pet stores, got it. That's really good to know, thank you. I'm guessing some Pokemon are more popular as pets than others, of course...

But anyway, is getting one of those permits a pain? I mean, it sounds like I'd want to get my hands on one soon. Do they give them to kids? I mean, they must, right? They send kids off to fight Pokemon and explore.

[cometkin]

Not too bad? I mean, I don't have mine, but they let breeders fly without them. [Of course, Greg didn't have it before he registered as a breeder either, but sshhhh.] You have to beat gyms to get them? And also the hidden machines that teach the pokemon how to use the special flying people move. It's the same with the move that lets you ride pokemon over water, beating one gym for the permit and the other for the hidden machine. So as long as you're old enough to challenge the gym with it, then you can licensed to fly. Then you just need to either beat the other gym for the hidden machine or borrow someone else's.

Anyway, the gym that gets you licensed to fly is the one in Violet, I think? I didn't pay a lot of attention to which gym gets you which thing as a prize, but I remember Violet getting you licensed to fly, because Violet's the one with all the bird pokemon.

[talkyourwayout]

Huh, man this sounds like a lot of steps and effort. And I mean, nothing's really stopping us from just staying in one place, right?

[Although even Louie has to admit that sounds boring, after the life he's had these past couple of years.]

Well, thanks for all the information, either way. You must have been here a while, huh?

[cometkin]

Nope! There's actually plenty of people around who find a city they like and just stay there. A lot of 'em are in Goldenrod, since it's the biggest.

[Also some of those people who stay in Goldenrod all the time work for Team Rocket but Greg doesn't know that.]

I've been here a year! My wife, Rose, has been here two more, I think.

[talkyourwayout]

Alright, cool- Maybe Shilling and I will just go that far, then. It sounds okay.

A year, wow- But wait, your wife was already here when you got here? So... It's possible for multiple people from the same place to get here eventually?

[cometkin]

Yeah and from totally different points in time, too. When I got here, I hadn't seen Rose for sixteen years.

[talkyourwayout]

[It doesn't take much to figure out why someone wouldn't have seen their wife for sixteen years but still would call them their wife. Gone, one way or another. Louie's not going to get deep into that, it's just awkward, but-]

Well then it's cool you guys are together here.

[cometkin]

Yeah. I'm so glad I have her again! I missed her a lot.

[Yeah, it's a thing. But it's nice to have her again. It really, really is.]

[talkyourwayout]

Cool.

[Theoretically, he could talk about how he knows what it's like to get someone back, even if the situation with Louie's mother was different. He'd never known her until she'd been able to return. But that's a little much, so far.]

So, you're a Pokemon breeder, you said?

[cometkin]

Yeah! Rose and I both started out as regular trainers, but we went and registered last winter as official breeders together. There's something really nice about helping bring new life into the world, you know?

[And it's much less terrifying than Rose trying to get pregnant as a human woman. Even though Greg knows in his head that it won't necessarily kill her now.]