trans_9 | Meat n' Greet

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Meat n' Greet

The rest of the crew assembled on the Observation Deck to meet the latest editions to their numbers. After the revelation that their worlds are gone, many of them are even more eager to see people they knew from home.

Several people are set up near the doors to provide the new people with omnicoms and comm rings. New crew-mates might see a tall man in green armor and snake girl among their number. There are also several authoritative-looking figures ready to introduce themselves.

There's a lot to tell the new people. It's going to be a lot to take in.

[ooc: Only new characters and Command Staff can start new threads for introductions, to limit the number of threads. Everyone else, just tag in and have your guys greet the newbies.]

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"It's not-I..." Ash started, but he was interrupted

"Gible!" Said Gible with a glare at Cassie, a glare that was also on the face of Pikachu in addition to sparking cheeks. Whatever they were saying, it was obvious they didn't take kindly to Cassie's comments about their trainer.

Cassie took a step back, surprised by the Pokemon's reactions. She looked between them and their supposed "trainer" suspiciously. Did he have some weird control over them? Or perhaps her tone had frightened them?

Looking between Pikachu and Gible, she spoke to them softly and calmly. "I'm sorry if I frightened you. I just... got upset. You shouldn't have to fight if you don't want to. I just want you to both be able to be safe and happy."

For Ash, she had only a dirty look. She had more to say, but she didn't want to upset the Pokemon further. They had been through enough already. But, if she should ever meet with Ash when his Pokemon weren't present, he should expect not to get off so lightly.

"That's not what they're saying. They said that they like battling. That they choose to do it. At least that's what I think they're saying. I usually only get the gist of it." Ash translated.

"Pikaa pikapika pikachu!" Pikachu said, agreeing and sharply nodding without any of the hesitation someone being forced into it would display. Gible looked to be in complete agreement as well.

"They like... battling?" Cassie asked uncertainly, her gaze still shifting between the three. "And I'm just supposed to take your word for that? I'm sure those who starve, beat, and then force dogs to fight over scraps of food might say the same thing to escape their guilt! That doesn't suddenly make it okay!"

Still, the Pokemon's reactions had seemed rather genuine and, she couldn't help but remember that her first reaction to the three's relationship had been a positive one. Things weren't black and white. She knew that well. But still...

"How do I know that you're not controlling Pikachu and Gible somehow?" Cassie demanded suspiciously. "Perhaps they know that something will happen to them if they go against you. I don't know how you've managed to intimidate these poor Pokemon like this, but it has to stop now!"

Ash boggled. Leaving out the fact that he'd never do something like that, the idea that he'd be able to intimidate creatures who had the kind of power his Pokemon did was ridiculous. "How can I possibly intimidate them? I'm a fourteen-year-old kid. Pikachu can Thunderbolt me. Gible can bite me or hit me with a Draco Meteor. And that's not even getting into what the others can do. Charizard's Flamethrower, Sceptile's Bullet Seed, Oshawott's Razor Shell, Heracross's Hyper Beam. If they really had a problem with anything I do, they're more than able to do something about it."

Cassie wasn't ready to back down yet though. She knew from experience that there were ways to control even powerful being against their will. Perhaps he didn't have the natural abilities of a Yeerk, but, for all she knew, there was some type of technology or some special powers that allowed him to control those Pokemon against their will. And, unlike the Yeerks, many of who only did what they did out of the belief that they had no other choice if they wished to really live, he was doing it only for his own amusement.

"There are plenty of ways to control those who may be physically more powerful then you. Fear, for one, is a powerful motivator. Fear that they won't be fed or allowed to go find food, fear for those they love, fear for their own safety, and so many more that I could mention. Especially when they live in a world where this enslavement and abuse is considered normal, which I have to assume that it is given your casual and what should probably be considered criminal attitude. They assume that they have no other choice. That they can know no better life. A life that does not involve them being forced to fight violent battles for the amusement of humans who clearly have nothing better to do with their lives and perhaps should find something more productive to do. Perhaps you use some type of technology to keep them under control or you have some power that I don't know of that would allow for you to maintain control."

Cassie paused for a moment, glaring angrily at Ash. "Tell me this. If Pikachu and Gible were not with you, would they chose to fight all on their own for the sake of it or would they chose to simply live their lives? Most creatures do not fight for the sake of it. There is a purpose to it. Food, mating, territory, dominance, as well as others that I'm probably not thinking of now, but always there is a reason. The only exception that I can think of is that some animals play fight, but that amounts to little more then wrestling usually. No one is actually harmed and it actually has a purpose in teaching the young how to defend themselves if need be. They do not aim to hurt for real. They do not throw these superpowers you mention at one another to win some silly battle with no purpose."

"Okay, if for some insane reason I decided to not feed them, they know how to forage for food on their own. They've done it when we've run out." Ash pointed out.

"Plus there's plenty of other stuff Pokemon can do alongside humans. Its not all battling. There're Pokemon who're nurses, dancers, ones who help build buildings. I've even had Pokemon that don't like battling, and when I do I don't force them to and let them go do what they want to do."

"And no, they'd probably be focused on trying to survive and gathering," He admitted. "Same thing I, and everyone one else I've traveled with do when we've gotten stuck in the wild instead of thinking about battles or any other kind of sport."

"Unless you convinced or intimidated them into believing that they could not." Cassie's tone was bitter. "As I said, how do I know that you aren't physically controlling them in some fashion?"

"I don't have any problem with people interacting with Pokemon as long as it's not against the Pokemon's will. It's forcing Pokemon to fight or to act against their nature that is so very inhumane. To force them to fight for the sake of 'sport' or entertainment. Can you truly, honestly tell me that Pokemon have never been hurt in these so-called 'voluntary' battles?" Cassie almost spat the "sport." It was not like her to speak so harshly, but she had always loved animals and the thought of these incredible Pokemon being forced to fight one another was unbearable to her. "You tell me that you wouldn't force a Pokemon to fight if the Pokemon didn't want to, but how do I know that? I don't know you and I have no way of knowing that you aren't manipulating Pikachu and Gible in some way."

Cassie nodded. It was as she'd thought. "So, if they had a a choice then they would chose to simply live their lives instead of fighting for them." She snorted at his use of the word "sport". Tormenting innocent creatures was not "sport," no matter what he said.

Turning her attention to Gible and Pikachu, she spoke directly to them. "Please listen to me, you two. You don't need to do this anymore. You don't have to fight. I don't know what kind of hold that he has over you, but you're safe now. Just tell me what you want. Give me some sign, even if you can only manage a small one." After all, you couldn't erase free will. Even with control as absolute as what the Yeerks had been capable of, hosts were often capable of regaining a small bit of control if they fought hard enough. It wasn't enough to free them, but it was a sign that all was not well. Pikachu and Gible should be able to tell her what they wanted and she would go ahead with whatever that was.

Cassie watched carefully.

"No. But boxers, wrestlers, and football players can get hurt, and they have trainers. Where exactly is the difference here aside from what species they are?" he said, legitimately confused. "And you don't know me well enough to assume that I am manipulating them. And I'm not, by the way. Mostly because it's wrong, but it's also illegal."

Ash rolled his eyes. "No, I'm saying if they were still in the wild, they'd be doing that. What they chose to do was this. Gible followed behind me for over a week after we first met before I'd even noticed he was there."

The fact that Pikachu just climbed back onto Ash's shoulder probably said everything, as did Gible's pointing to Ash.

"The difference is that those people volunteer for that training and that life. They have a clear say of yes or no rather then this dubious consent that you claim to have," Cassie told him stubbornly, but she no longer sounded as certain as she had. The story of Gible choosing to follow Ash had thrown her a bit, which she might have dismissed as a lie, but she sensed that his response had been the truth, as had Pikachu and Gible's reactions to her words. They still seemed to be backing their "trainer" and she saw no sign that they were at all unhappy with him. In fact, she got precisely the opposite feeling.

Uncertainly, she looked between the two Pokemon. "Is... this really what you want? You don't have to fight. I only want to help you."

Pikachu and Gible nodded, Gible doing so mas much as being almost entirely made of a head would let him.

"I know they can't speak English/ In fact I've only met two Pokemon who've ever been able to do that. But they're usually pretty clear on what they wanna say anyways."

Cassie hesitated. She still didn't like this situation and probably never really would, but she didn't have the right to decide what was best for Pikachu and Gible. They were clearly intelligent creatures, smart enough to understand what they were agreeing too. If they were happy...

A part of her still believed that there was some type of deceit going on here, but with all her instincts screaming at her that this wasn't true, she was having trouble forcing the issue.

"If that's what you two really want," she began softly, speaking to the Pokemon, "Then I'm sorry that I interfered. I really do only want what's best for you two. If you really believe that these... fights are what's best then I'll stay out of it, no matter how I feel."

She looked at Ash, still uncertain about what to make of the boy. "I suppose that I owe you an apology as well." For now. Unless she found out later that something more was going on here. "So, I'm sorry."

She wouldn't give anything more than that though. She still didn't really agree with what he was doing, but as long as Pikachu and Gible weren't being forced to act against their own will and they were happy, then she had no right to say anything. She would not appreciate being told what to do either, even if that person thought that they were doing it to protect her.

The lines between right and wrong had blurred a long time ago for her. She was very familiar with that gray space in between.

"No, I guess I can get it," Ash accepted.

"There are trainers like that. Some of my team are Pokemon I rescued from people who'd do that kinda stuff. But it's really, really illegal." he stressed. There were rules in place, and even there weren't Ash wasn't the kind of person who'd do anything like that.

Cassie nodded, for now taking his words at face value.

"Well, Ash, I'm sorry for the misunderstanding," she muttered uneasily, still not sure that she had made the right decision. She smiled at him, an attempt to reassure both him and herself. "I hope that the next time we talk, our conversation will be a lot more pleasant and have a lot less fireworks."

She looked between the three companions and added, "It was nice to meet all three of you."

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Meat n' Greet

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