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[steepwithdead]

"Oh, hey."

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You can also hit up his Counselling Post if you prefer!

Comments

[steepwithdead]

Oh, that's a lovely hobby. It's less common than more traditional works like painting and drawing. You could really carve yourself a niche.

[Ha ha he is so funny.]

I haven't seen that artist. I'll have to keep an eye out for his work.

[offtracks]

Ha!

[He appreciates a pun!]

It is only because there were few other hobbies available to pursue, out in the wilds as I was. There is at least always dead wood, and my knife.
I have never tried to sell anything I have made or anything like that, though!

[steepwithdead]

That makes sense. I grew up in the middle of nowhere myself, so hobbies that involved growth and nature came more easily to me.

Gram has plenty of sources of wood for such things. I can pass along any that I find to you, if you like.

[offtracks]

I would appreciate that! There are woods near my home as well, but not all of the branches I find are large enough to do much with. And certainly I know better than to go cutting into trees for something like that!

Pokemon are rather like the spirits here in some ways like that.

[Of course it's not that one can't cut down a tree at all, but certainly not recklessly - and to do something like that just for woodcarving is a waste.]

[steepwithdead]

The forest and I both appreciate your restraint.

[Certified tree-hugger, here.]

Logging exists, though, I'm sure, since wood building supplies are available. There must be spirits in-tune with which trees are acceptable to fell. Maybe you could reach out to them if you're still lacking in materials.

[offtracks]

Yes - I know how to negotiate such matters with local Pokemon, but I have not yet had to treat with the spirits that way.
I expect it might be easier, though!

[A lot of them seem to speak human tongues, after all - maybe not all, but that's a sight more than Pokemon!]

[steepwithdead]

How easy is it to speak with Pokemon?

[Talking to animals is complicated in his world - and impossible for most people and laymen especially - but he has no idea how Pokemon work.]

[offtracks]

Those who live among or even near people can learn to understand human languages, to varying degrees. But of course, those are not often the Pokemon one must negotiate new territory with!

If you have a Pokemon partner with you, often you can just have them help. Without, you can still usually make yourself understood eventually even so. Provided that the Pokemon in question is willing to spend the time trying to understand you in return, which is not a guarantee.

[steepwithdead]

Fascinating. That truly sounds like a partnership.

[Very different from a pet, it seems. Feels more like a ranger's beast or indeed a wizard's familiar.]

[offtracks]

Indeed! Among my clan, a person's Pokemon partner is considered to be like a family member. Though of course, I am the only person thus far with more than one.

[Maybe not for too long, though!]

[steepwithdead]

More than one partner?

[offtracks]

Yes. It isn't exactly traditional. Many of the things I do are not...for obvious reasons, I suppose.

But it is safer, if nothing else - a single Pokemon may easily be overcome in battle due to nothing worse than bad luck or numbers.

[steepwithdead]

I suppose the same could be said of any ally. As they say, safety in numbers.

[offtracks]

Quite so!

I suppose it may depend on one's approach as well. For example - my Clan leader's Pokemon partner was raised alongside her, in the Pearl camp. That means she never developed the hunting skills a wild Pokemon would have. Most of her diet comes from our hunts.

It would be rather a burden if I had to feed a full team of Pokemon alongside myself. But my friends all lived in the wild before meeting me, and they can largely provide for themselves. Often, they will help me if my provisions run low!

[steepwithdead]

That is a fair point. Especially depending on how large the animal is. Many hunting animals will eat a substantial percentage of their weight in meat every day! Feeding one tamed creature like that would take a great deal of food, nevermind a whole team of them.

How many do you have, then?

[offtracks]

I have six! That is about my limit, though I have worked with a great many other Pokemon on a temporary basis.

We trained together so that they could become stronger, and so that I and others could learn more about them, and then most of them either returned to the wild or found other human partners.
I've spent much more time recently matching humans and Pokemon who wish to find one or the other to befriend! It is heartening!

[steepwithdead]

What a full house! I imagine it helps that you're so passionate about it. To see others find similar success must be its own reward.

[offtracks]

It is! There has long been a culture of fear and mistrust between people and Pokemon in Hisui. If I can be even a small part of changing that, I will be content!

[steepwithdead]

Why are they so distrusting?

[offtracks]

There is some history of conflict. Wild Pokemon certainly can and will attack human travelers who wander into their territories, and of course that does not predispose humans towards them. My Clan in particular lives near a species that will actively attempt to hunt people, though that behavior isn't...necessarily common.

Besides which, we are in competition for resources at times - people do hunt and fish, and our foraging may bring us into conflict with herbivorous Pokemon.

[steepwithdead]

I see. I can understand how that would complicate things a lot. It isn't easy to act as a go-between for people and nature. I admire you for your efforts to help both sides.

[offtracks]

Ah, well. It will help everyone if we can come to a better understanding!

[steepwithdead]

What inspired you to take on such a task?

[offtracks]

In retrospect, perhaps it was some form of repressed memory. Emmet says that there is much more cooperation between humans and Pokemon in the future. It always just felt natural to me that things should be that way.

[steepwithdead]

That is very interesting. I have to wonder if there are then other things about yourself that are remnants of what you think you've lost. Something you've always had and were not aware of.