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Post by DataNinja on Feb 14, 2018 6:08:11 GMT
Silas
It takes a few days into the decompression time to be able to get a less-than-official audience with Cain. It isn't that difficult to get him to agree to have it in a... similarly less-than-official capacity, even suggesting a walk outside of the HQ compound.
The senior Technician looks a lot less severe and imposing, dressed like he is in casual clothes. Certainly has much less of a presence. Extending a cursory greeting, he begins to walk further away from HQ. "So, Silas. What can I help you with?"
Thoron
During a visit to the training area, to do some work with his Pokémon, you spy a somewhat-familiar figure. It appears to be Skylar, practicing some battle techniques with his Golett. They don't seem to have noticed you yet, engrossed in their fighting routine.
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Post by Moriya on Feb 16, 2018 4:38:52 GMT
SIlas smiles at the more informal form of address. It matches the tone he was hoping to set for this meeting, at least at the beginning. He continues the walk with his superior. "There's a lot that I'd like to know about this job, who better to talk to than someone with experience? To start, I guess... how did you get from where I am to where you are today?"
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Post by ThRevanchist on Feb 16, 2018 17:08:48 GMT
While his Pokemon's performance had been adequate, Thoron was dissatisfied and unwilling to settle for just that. So the only solution was, obviously, to improve their performance. To that end, Thoron brought them to the training area. In retrospect, expecting the place to be vcant was, perhaps, unrealistic.
To find Kempton, though? He was a slacker, why would he take the initiative to go training? Valadian or Solomon, certainly, but this was an unexpected development... On closer examination, though, his Golett was exceptionally focused. Perhaps even more so than Lowe?
It wasn't as though Thoron wanted to interrupt, simply that the only way to get answers was from the man himself. Thoron waited for a lull in their routine before announcing his presence. "Hello, Skylar. Pardon my intrusion. Have you two been here long?" He gestured to the accompanying Golett at 'you two'.
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Post by DataNinja on Feb 16, 2018 19:01:11 GMT
Silas
Cain sighs, and gives a bit of a wry smile at Silas. "Starting out with the easy questions, aren't we." He takes a moment to think, before beginning with "Well, the standard non-answer that I could give you is that it's just time, hard work, and motivation." He shakes his head. "But, it's not really. The biggest thing that you need is an absolute dedication to the Technicians and Arcadia. I knew, taking this job, that I would be giving up any chance of a family, or vacation, or even being able to really relax. It's an 'always-on' job until you're replaced, and it needs someone willing to do that. You also need to be able to willing to make the hard choices. And accept that, sometimes, those under your command won't be coming back. And you need to show initiative, and demonstrate to others that you have these qualities." He takes a breath at that, before continuing. "Does that help at all? It's... a little more complex than that, but that's a good overview if you're aiming to look for my position."
Thoron
Skylar jumps a little bit at being addressed. "Oh, hey Thoron," he says, registering who's there, "Uh... I dunno. Couple hours, I guess." He shrugs. "There's really not much else for me to do, if I don't want o just sit around doing basically nothing. Austin and Rose are spending all their time alone, and Emily is well... you know..." he rolls his eyes, "so... yeah. It's do this during downtime, pretty much. I could probably arrange to go back home, but... meh, that doesn't really appeal to me. So, what's up?"
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Post by Moriya on Feb 18, 2018 6:40:28 GMT
Silas nods with understanding. It fits with the story Cain told about his team as well. Throwing yourself into your work is one way to cope with loss, and there may have been an aspect of revenge to it at the time. Even if it was the case, the man has seems to have matured beyond that.
Silas matches the mood of Cain's smile. "No, I think Thoron is more likely to be after your job. That question was more about what qualities are valued and rewarded, so I think I heard what I wanted to know. My education isn't exactly documented, so I was hoping to transfer to a research or medical branch later, after I've proven some skill. "
As the conversation continues, Silas moves on to his next question. "Working with Pokemon has been an interesting experience. The ones we use clearly don't fit the average Arcadian's perception, so I've been thinking: How should we be thinking about them and treating them? A 'just tools' approach probably isn't enough for like you who's had theirs for a while, and it doesn't feel right either."
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Post by ThRevanchist on Feb 18, 2018 7:45:53 GMT
Hours upon hours of training... Well, when one considered his alternative it made some sense. Rose's solitude was somewhat surprising, though, she seemed like a more empathetic sort. "Nothing much, our team is also recovering. I thought my Pokemon could benefit from some extra training." Thoron answered. He did, in fact, know. Probably. "Pardon my saying so, but... Your arrangements surprise me. From the last incident we collaborated on, I had expected more, ahh, extensive team-building exercises."
A moment after his admission, Thoron followed with, "Well, perhaps that was an unfair expectation. My own team feels scarce of late, after all."
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Post by DataNinja on Feb 18, 2018 18:39:22 GMT
Silas
"I'm sure that there'll be opportunities," Cain says, "We're always looking for people who can show they have qualifications, and the will. You'll need to put in a few more years on the front, first, though. We need the manpower there, too."
"I mean," he says, moving on as well, "In the strictest sense, that's what they are. Tools. But, I know where you're coming from. They all have personalities, even if that personality doesn't really tend to come to light until after retraining them to remove the constant aggression towards humans. But... even after doing this for decades, I still don't know what to think of them. In some ways, they seem very, very human. I have a Zoroark, a Pokémon that appears as others, that... once belonged to one of my team members. To this day, he will not appear as anything but her. That speaks to something there. But, even with that, there are times when you... get reminded that they're very much not human." He shrugs. "I don't think there's a 'right' answer here. It all differs from person to person. For me... I suppose, they're memories, first and foremost. A reminder of the past, and a way forward. But I know that's a fairly unique view. So, my only advice is to look at it however it works for you."
Thoron
"'Extensive team building exercises.'" Skylar repeats, before saying, dryly, "I suppose you could call what Rose and Austin are doing that..."
"To be honest," he admits, "I've found I much prefer doing stuff without Emily. She's not a bad person, but anything less than the best isn't good enough. And that kinda thing stresses me out." He looks down at the ground, before looking back up. "To tell the truth, I actually only ended up joining the Technicians as a result of a dare. The subject had come up amongst a group of us, and, well... long story short, they bet I wouldn't, so I went ahead and tried, just to prove them wrong. Don't get me wrong," he adds, hastily, "That doesn't mean that I'm shirking at my duties - turns out I like doing it - but for someone like Em, who dedicates every fiber of their existence to doing this... that's not good enough. I want to improve, but I've found I do it better just on my own, competing against myself."
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Post by ThRevanchist on Feb 18, 2018 23:37:12 GMT
Team-building, even when they were alone? Or did he mean alone together...? Oh. That was somewhat of a surprise. "Ah-ha... No, I... Was referring to more professional activities." Thoron clarified. Then, "...Bartoli and Valadian? How long has that been going on?"
What two Technicians did during their downtime was their own business... Risky as it was. In any case, the next bit was objectively more important. Thinking quietly for a moment, Thoron slowly admitted, "A dare? Your reason for first enlisting was simply to spite your peers? 'To prove them wrong'? I had no idea... Hmm." And with considerably more energy, asked a follow-up, "So, what did they think? What did they say? Oh, surely your friends tried to talk you down, but you still proved them wrong, and with no room for argument. But to think your career started with just a dare..."
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Post by Moriya on Feb 19, 2018 2:17:34 GMT
Silas nods as Cain speaks, his face a mask of thought.This is probably the part that gets into classified information, but he's going to continue along these lines. "In three missions, I've seen as many Pokemon willing to work with the right human and another with the potential. Combined with the Silvally's apparent grudge, I'm not sure if their aggression is innate or learned." Silas pauses for a moment and looks at his boss directly. "They say 'It doesn't hurt to ask', but maybe we should talk about something else?"
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Post by DataNinja on Feb 19, 2018 8:16:37 GMT
Silas
"I'm sure that it's innate," Cain says, "But it likely manifests differently for different 'Mon. Not every person is the same, after all. Interesting that you should continually run into Pokémon like that, though..." He goes pensive for a little.
"As for something else..." he continues, "well, that's part of why I was wanting to talk with you. I wanted to discuss that girl that you brought back from your last mission. What do you know about her?"
Thoron
"Officially?" Skylar replies, "Just since we got back from the last mission a bit ago. But I'm sure something's been going on longer than that. I try and steer clear, though. It's creepy when they're together... there's never any talking. Man, I hate that."
"And, god," he shakes his head at Thoron's rapid fire questions, "You're sounding like Emily. You two should talk some day, really. Spare the rest of us." He sighs, but continues. "After I actually went through with it, it was basically forgotten about. For them, it was a momentary thing. For me, it turned into a career. Haven't talked to any of them for ages now. Honestly? I don't care what they have to say anymore. I've moved past that."
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Post by Moriya on Feb 19, 2018 15:17:46 GMT
Silas is a little surprised by Cain's response. What makes him sure that it's innate? Or maybe there are secrets involved that are beyond Cain's pay grade as well. Though if hostility towards humans really is part of a Pokemon's nature, maybe there is another organization that taming them.
"Not a lot, honestly. I saw her for a few minutes by coincidence years ago. Based on some rumors back then and what happened this mission, she's been an assassin the whole time." Silas pauses for a moment, reflecting. "At the time, we were doing some basic first aid classes. Put pressure on a wound, how to identify an overdose, the basics, y'know? And comparing her to those kids, who still believed they could do something with their lives..." Silas sighs and keeps walking.
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Post by ThRevanchist on Feb 20, 2018 17:34:07 GMT
Communication was important... But, and Thoron suspected Skylar thought so too, their's was a very particular sort of communication. Rather than speculate on why Valadian had chosen then, though, Thoron replied sourly, "I would prefer to not, really. Surely you understand the sentiment?" He did slow down though, all the same. "But, I see. Is that what you mean by competing against yourself and not others?"
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Post by DataNinja on Feb 20, 2018 20:16:19 GMT
Silas
"Well, we did some routine testing on her," Cain says, "And some unroutine after... but, one thing that I found interesting is that she's, as far as we can tell, a blood relative of yours. Probably not a full sibling, but somewhere still fairly close." He pauses, probably waiting to see what the reaction to that is.
Thoron
"I don't really follow what you're saying," Skylar says. "It's just that I care more about bettering myself, rather than trying to one-up another person. My self-worth shouldn't be tied to validation by another person. That's a lesson that I learned, and its served me well so far."
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Post by Moriya on Feb 21, 2018 3:38:44 GMT
Silas stays silent for several seconds. Perhaps Cain's more complex phrasing kept the news from being a severe shock, or perhaps he's momentarily stunned by the revelation. There are countless questions that could come from this, but one needs to be asked before he gets any ideas or hopes. "What's going to happen to her?"
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Post by ThRevanchist on Feb 21, 2018 22:26:13 GMT
Wasting time in a mock struggle was quite pointless, Thoron agreed. On the other hand, that attitude wasn't without its associated risks, either. Out of curiosity, he asked, "Not important, then. Instead, tell me: If you reject comparisons among others, how can you guarantee that you will stay adequately skilled in the future? Or, if you prefer the term, valued? While measuring one's worth against their peers may not be good practice, it can at least establish whether one must improve... If done properly, that is." Of course, being a valuable Technician wasn't a matter that could be distilled so cleanly, and this was merely for the sake of argument.
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Post by DataNinja on Feb 22, 2018 1:22:46 GMT
Silas
There's some silence, before Cain eventually admits, "I don't know. We've done some testing and... there's been a lot of meddling. She's pretty much entirely psychically malleable... at this point, she's a liability to herself and everyone around her, because anyone or thing that could prod her mind even a little bit... well, let's just say there would be problems." He sighs. "From what we could tell, she's also been memory wiped regularly... regardless of what we do, we probably can't fix her as she is now. The only thing that might work is... it sounds terrible to say this, but we might be able to... essentially gut her mind up until the point where it first started to be manipulated. I have no guarantee if it'll work, or if she'll even survive. If it works, it should hopefully put her right, reverse the damage... but she'll also have lost the entirety of that time, that development." He looks directly at Silas. "What do you think?"
Thoron
"If people don't value me," Skylar says, "If all I am is how I am compared to others, and I'm not deemed 'valuable' enough, then good riddance to them. I'm a person, not an asset." He leans on the wall. "But I don't think that that's much of a risk here. Not in the Technicians. You've heard things, I'm sure. About how there're never enough Technicians. They even took Kincaid, for crying out loud. I don't think there's much danger of me falling below her bar. Not even if I'm not improving as much as I think I am."
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Post by Moriya on Feb 22, 2018 3:33:18 GMT
Silas is silent for a longer period this time, pondering what he wants and what he should say. Without looking at Cain or giving any other sign that he's talking to his supervisor, Silas starts talking. "You all know I'm... well I guess I'd call it mindlocked. I've been trying to recreate the drug that did it, but I've been missing an ingredient. Don't know where it came from. I've never worked with anything like it, so I bet it's related to Pokemon somehow. Maybe like the stuff from our first mission." His voice gains a degree of conviction. "I think that's our best shot at letting her have her own life."
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Post by ThRevanchist on Feb 23, 2018 16:54:14 GMT
Having worked with the Technician in question might have complicated things, but Skylar wasn't exactly wrong. "You may have a point, there. Still, Les- Kincaid has her... Hidden depths." Buried deep under stagnant water, but depths all the same. Hoping to avoid examples, Thoron continued on, relaxed but not about to slouch around, "Then, does it seem as though Solomon regards you three as assets more than people?"
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Post by DataNinja on Feb 23, 2018 23:47:06 GMT
Silas
"If you could recreate that, that might indeed help," Cain says, "But that doesn't really answer my question. Even if you were to procure the ingredient you say you're missing... locking her mind off from psychic interference now? She's in an extremely unstable position right now. I fear that she'd not be emotionally safe to be left like that."
Thoron
Skylar raises an eyebrow at Thoron's defense of Leslie, but keeps quiet.
"I wouldn't say that she does. Maybe when she's at her most intense," he admits, responding to the question "but most of the time she's not too bad. Pushes a little hard, and gets over-competitive, but on the off time that she can manage to get unwound... it's actually somewhat pleasant. Like having a decent older sibling."
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Post by Moriya on Feb 24, 2018 20:24:50 GMT
"I don't like it. Some emotional pain about the whole thing seems necessary, and removing memories instead of repressing or disassociating seems unhealthy. She's lost a lot already, and the last thing I want is for her to just change puppeteers. Still, if there's only one option, the choice is obvious. In a way, it's quite merciful." The idea of wiping Lethe's memories turn Silas's stomach. If the process would just make healing easier, he'd be opposed for sure. After a certain point, a damaged liver can't be fixed by lifestyle changes, and something invasive is necessary. This situation is probably the same.
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