Just some casual banter
Featuring Synner & Joshua
Guard duty was considered relatively boring, even among the elite of the Gold Tribe. In the hot evening sun, all they would do was walk around and stay vigilant, which got boring when there was nothing to be vigilant for. Then again, maybe that was just Synner's luck. He and two of his brothers walked through the crowds, in a casual manner hardly befitting members of the esteemed Gold Tribe. Though vigilant was hardly the right word to describe the latter two. Having stopped at many pubs along the way, the two weren't in the best shape. Naturally Synner himself had declined every single drink – he couldn't have alcohol getting to his mind and destroying his system. A good thing too, for suddenly, a fourth member of the Gold Tribe joined them.
"What do you three think you're doing?!" the large Emboar shouted as he approached them. It only took one glance for him to be able to tell that Synner was the only sober one of the bunch. "What happened here, Sahar?!"
"Synner," the Malamar corrected with a gentle smile. "Well, it's as you might expect, brother: Terron and Quincy grew bored and resorted to their usual tomfoolery: ale, whiskey, beer, the like."
The Emboar put his palm to his face and sighed heavily. "All right you two, you'll be having a word with Guardia after this. This is the second time you've done this; it's unacceptable!"
Terron and Quincy only began to snicker, their half-aware minds unable to comprehend the situation. The Emboar reached out and grabbed the two by the hand before glancing back at Synner. "Sahar, you're relieved. I'll have a new group sent to take your route later."
"Synner," he pointed out, but the Emboar had already begun walking away.
"Relieved, hmm? I can go back to the Citadel, I suppose, although..."
Synner began scrolling through his list of mental contacts. There were few who had allowed him to form a psychic link between their mind and his, but those few, he knew, were his most trusted allies. Well, seeing as this was a festival and there wasn't much else to do, he supposed some casual banter couldn't hurt. Who was the right person for such a thing?
He quickly realized that nobody in his list fit that qualification. Sighing, he stopped scrolling as a name popped up. Joshua
Synner hadn't talked to Joshua in weeks. Deciding it was the best option for now, he reached out to the mind of Joshua "Watchman" Vensworth.
"Hey there Joshua! Long time no see. It's Synner. Would you like to meet up? I just got relieved from duty. What say... Quartz Street, hmm?"
Joshua wandered around Gold City. He had already checked in with Guardia moments prior, tasked with patrolling the streets for any suspicious or unruly behavior. He wasn't particularly fond of patrolling. Too many people, too much noise; it was difficult for the Swadloon to concentrate with all the hubbub and bustling activity going on around him. Why couldn't the celebration be more peaceful? They could all gather quietly and read poetry and literature, and have a grand old time.
Unfortunately for Joshua, he was in the minority as far as celebrations and festivals were concerned. Despite his forthcomings, patrol he must, and patrol he did. Several pokemon ran about as the festivities were coming to a peak. Shopkeepers and merchants quickly set up their stalls and merchandise, some selling snacks, others souvenirs, as well as a variety of different knick-knacks and trinkets.
Joshua continued his patrol, trying his best to avoid the pokemon running to-and-fro. As he kept an eye out, his attention was drawn by a team of dancers in the middle of a large street. Two Kecleon performers, male and female, were in the midst of an intricate dance, their colors shifting constantly to different hues and shades. Behind them, a line of Furret danced as well, the striped 'mon moving in unison with each other. They swished their fluffy tails all around in carefully choreographed patterns. Even though Joshua wasn't interested in the festivities, he felt drawn to the dancers. Before long, he had found himself amongst the gathered crowd, watching the Kecleon dancers with intrigue.
The two normal-types twirled about, huge grins plastered on their faces as they enjoyed themselves. Their movements were so fluid... yet so precise. Even Joshua had to admire their skill. Suddenly, the two broke away from each other, moving closer towards the crowd and they reached out, clapping hands and dragging eager audience members into their dance. As Joshua watched, he was caught completely off guard by the male Kecleon, the latter grabbing the Swadloon by the hand and dragging him into the middle of the dance.
"Don't look so glum, friend! Enjoy yourself and dance a little!" The Kecleon said with enthusiasm. He spun Joshua around, the Swadloon too flustered to react properly.
"Whoa! I- uh... I c-can't! I have to get back to p-patrolling!"
The Kecleon's smile never faded, and suddenly, he had let the Swadloon go as soon as he had dragged him in. Joshua stopped for a moment to get his bearings, slightly embarrassed, but luckily the crowd didn't seem to notice. He quickly scurried away, returning to his patrol.
"Crazy people," Joshua muttered to himself. He resumed his patrol, until he heard a voice... except it was coming from inside his head. He recognized it as that of Synner, realizing the Malamar was communicating with him telepathically. It had been a while since he had psychically spoke with him.
"Quartz Street? I'm actually near there right now. Some conversation would be nice."
Navigating through the ridiculously thick crowd was rather strenuous, so Synner opted to float slightly above ground using Psychic, allowing him to press forward much more smoothly. Skillfully dodging oncoming Pokemon, he caught sight of an alleyway he knew acted as a shortcut to Quartz Street.
Synner practically dove into the alleyway, very nearly walking into a rather obnoxious Ursaring. Looking back out at the busy streets from the alley, he smiled to himself.
"Heh, sure is rowdy out here..." Just then, he got a reply from Joshua.
"I detect a bit of distress in your mind, Josh. The crowds getting to ya?" he asked with a somewhat sympathetic tone, despite it being a telepathic message. With that he began floating towards the other end of the alley leading to Quartz Street, his tentacles behind his back.
Joshua was finding it difficult to not get stepped on by the several rowdy pokemon party-goers as he made his way towards Quartz Street. "I'm not a fan of crowds, no..."
"Haha, yes, they can be quite a handful indeed. In any case, I'm almost-"
Just then, Synner felt a rather powerful arm wrap around his chest, followed by a knife to the throat.
"Hehe, managed to net me a Gold Tribesman. All righty kid, you know the drill, gimme all your gold or I'll slit yer f***in' throat," a burly Simisear threatened.
Synner's smile grew, and he chuckled somewhat. "Oh, dear. To think I'd get caught up in such a... cliche situation."
"One moment Josh my boy, somebody's gotten a little too rowdy," the Malamar communicated to the Swadloon, before slowly beginning to wrap one of his tentacles around the Simisear. Unlike most Pokemon he was not very limited by bone structure, allowing him to easily reach behind. The monkey, shocked by this, pressed the edge of his knife harder against Synner's soft flesh.
"One more move and you're done!"
"Oh, come now," Synner mused. "I'm sure you're simply grouchy because you didn't get enough... sleep." As soon as he said that, the Simisear's eyes became unfocused and his grip on the knife loosened. He subsequently fell to the ground, the Hypnosis attack having done its trick.
Synner leaned down beside the Simisear, lowering his beak right beside the thief's ear. "Now... listen closely, thief," he began, placing a tentacle on the fallen 'mon's head. "Upon awakening... you will proceed to go back to whatever filthy hole you call home. Once there, you will rethink your life, and begin attempting to work as a productive citizen of the Alpha Alliance..."
He repeated this a total of five times, his voice mellow in tone, before patting the Simisear on head and rising.
"Pardon the delay, Josh. There is a bar at the end of the street named Oranbrew. I see no need to enter it, but it makes for a good meeting place, no?"
Joshua briefly wondered what the holdup was. Probably some drunkard pestering for loose change, he thought. He looked ahead, as he was now on Quartz Street, taking notice of the bar that Synner had mentioned.
"Why does it have to be a bar?" Joshua thought. If there was anything worse than festivals, it was the bars during the festivals. At least out in public the drunks were scattered and easy to avoid, but in a bar? A bar in the middle of holiday swing, no less. Joshua sighed, before approaching the swinging doors, tentatively entering the establishment.
It smelled just like he thought it would. Musky and alcoholic, full of loud, boisterous pokemon as they celebrated and drank to their heart's content. How exactly Synner expected to have a decent conversation amidst this rabble was beyond him, but he was here now, so there was nothing to be done, really. He shuffled along, miraculously finding an empty stool at the bar. He hopped up onto the seat, his head just barely peeking over the edge of the counter, which he actually preferred. It would make him harder to see, and maybe he would be left alone until Synner had arrived.
Working his way through the rabble of Pokemon clambering about was laborious to say the least. The bar was a tight fit, and Pokemon were drunkenly smashing into one another left and right. Synner found most of his attention fixated simply on navigating and dodging the sea of party-goers, though he did spot his friend Joshua sitting at the bar. On the other side of the room, he noticed a set of stairs likely leading up to a roof. Perfect. But with the bar getting more and more crowded, Synner doubted the poor Swadloon would be able to make it to the other side without a few bruises.
"Hold on Josh, I have a plan." Before Joshua could object, Synner focused a Psychic on him. The Swadloon slowly began to rise into the air until he was high above the rowdy crowd, his head almost touching the ceiling. Then, Synner began to direct the floating Swadloon towards the stairs. Some of the Pokemon below took notice of this and pointed up at Joshua.
"Hey! Look! It's a flyin' Swadloon!" said one drunkard.
Another looked to him quizzically. "Where?" The 'mon's eyes widened as he looked up. "Ermagerd! There really is a flyin' Swadloon!"
A more sober-looking Pokemon looked to them doubtfully. "Yeah, right, you two just had too much ta-" He too looked up, stopping mid-sentence. "What in Arceus's name? What is in these drinks?"
Before long the majority of the 'mon in the bar who were still sober enough to see properly had stopped in their tracks to look up at Joshua. Most were laughing. Synner took advantage of the absence of movement to calmly walk over to the stairs, where he put the Swadloon down right on the top step.
As expected, the stairs led to a roof. When the Swadloon touched down, most of the bar had returned to its former rowdy state, and Synner stood at the foot of the stairs looking up at Joshua with a smirk.
"Well then, shall we? I'm certain the roof is far calmer than this place."
Joshua cast the Malamar a look of slight irritation. "Was that really necessary?"
Synner floated up the stairs and onto the roof.
"Not to worry," he said to the Swadloon. "It was a convenient solution, even if it did involve a little ridicule. On the plus side, the more foolish of the bunch may fear you now that they know you can fly. That might play to your advantage later," he said somewhat jokingly. His gaze shifted over to the edge of the roof, where three young Pokemon sat with drinks in their hands and wide smiles on their faces. Synner guessed they must only have been around fifteen or sixteen. He floated up behind them and smiled down at them. They didn't seem to notice at first.
"Underage drinking, hmm? Now now boys, I thought you would know better," Synner teased. The boys turned around, their smiles turning upside down.
"What's it to you?" one of them asked. Deciding actions spoke louder than words, Synner crouched down and extended one of the smaller tentacles on his head, revealing a Gold Tribe armband.
"Oh jeez, err..." one of them faltered as the other two got up, wide-eyed. "Um, err, we're, uh, sorry sir," he stuttered, before the three ran back down the stairs.
The Malamar laughed a hearty laugh before motioning for Joshua to join him at the edge of the roof. He would report those young hooligans later.
"The view's actually quite nice," Synner said, glancing down at the busy street. "Though feel free to hang back if you wish."
Joshua slowly scooted over towards the edge of the roof, looking down at the large crowd below. The festival was growing in activity, and the sounds of laughter and cheer could be heard from all around. The Swadloon, however, did not echo these feelings. He simply scanned the crowds from his spot on the roof. Well, he did have to agree with Synner, the view was nice, even if it was filled with crazy party-goers. "It is a nice view, despite the circumstances."
"Indeed," Synner agreed. "Yet... there is something wrong with it all, wouldn't you say?"
Joshua nodded in agreement. "I do think the attitude for this whole festival is... well, a bit off." His gaze was drawn to several small children, running and laughing through the streets. "My father told me about the last war. Even though he was very young when it had happened, from what he told me... I don't know." Joshua sighed, looking at the obviously happy people in the streets below. "I don't think this festival is entirely appropriate. It's supposed to be a memorial, not a wild party with dancing and alcohol."
"Ah, I suppose we have our outgoing young General Grett to thank for that," Synner said with a slight chuckle. Pausing for a bit, he too looked down at the crowd. As an experiment of sorts, he tried to focus on every single individual within his line of sight. The result was a writhing mass of Pokemon of all different shapes, sizes, colors, all rolled into one... it was almost beautiful, were it not so messy.
His focus shifted solely to three bearded 'mon, each holding a glass of ale and singing loudly, disturbing passer-bys. "Do you think these Pokemon are truly happy, Joshua? After thirty years of somber memorials, it's only natural they would take this opportunity to try and drown the fear. The older generations have nothing to look to but the past: the sorrow, anger, and loss left behind by the Silver War. Meanwhile, the newer generations can only look to the future: fear and paranoia at Darkrai's return. The true purpose of this festival, my friend, is to bury these feelings in a grave of pretense happiness and glee; to try and forget the grim reality."
Joshua pondered over what Synner had said. He partially understood what he meant... but he thought it foolish. "I can't say that I know much of what happened then. I wasn't even alive thirty years ago... but ignoring the reality because it hurts too much is not the answer, and making games of serious matters does you no favors."
The Swadloon turned his attention towards a Lombre in the streets, playing a stringed instrument with a small grin. He strummed quickly, playing an upbeat song meant to invigorate and energize. Joshua almost envied their merriment... almost. "From the stories I've heard, the war was taxing on all sides. The Gold Tribe was nearly annihilated. I understand the desire for happiness, but this festival makes a mockery of what happened those years ago." He sighed, realizing he was being a downer on the mood. "I'm sorry... I'm being too negative, aren't I?"
Synner shook his head, reaching a tentacle out to pat the Swadloon on the head. "No, no, you're right," he said. "Simply because it's the natural reaction doesn't make it the moral one. Many of our brothers and sisters realize what you're saying and oppose this festival entirely. I can understand their reasoning. To have seen such horrors, and then have this silly charade of happiness put on by the people, in honor of that." He shrugged, though the motion looked strange being performed by one of his body structure. "Myself, I'm neutral to the festival... at least, to its morality. It's the risk that come with this silly charade that has me on the tips of my tentacles."
He looked over to Joshua with his usual gentle grin. "Tell me Joshua... have you ever wanted to see Darkrai for yourself?"
Joshua looked up at the Malamar, slightly confused. "I'm not sure if I would want to. They say he inspires nightmares by just the mere sight of him..." He shuddered slightly, pulling his jacket closer to himself. The stories told of the Dark One... he often wondered if they were accurate or highly exaggerated tales of bleaker times. He doubted it was the latter, though, considering the majority of stories he heard all bore the same sentiments.
"Well, I haven't been plagued with any nightmares... then again, the eyes I've seen Darkrai through aren't my own," Synner said as he turned to look at the crowds once more. "He's quite formidable indeed. His corruption spreads far and wide, creating the beings known as the 'Chaos' within one's mind. A parasite, if you will. I have heard that no amount of mental defense can withstand it as it slowly but surely takes over your mind..."
Synner realized that might have been a little too much information. "Although, many of the stories you'll hear from anyone who hasn't seen him for themselves are likely to be exaggerated," he began on a lighter note. "I've heard stories of Darkrai being a 10-story-tall monster, or being the embodiment of Giratina himself. I find comfort in the fact that he's really no taller than I am." He laughed lightly. "Still. Formidable indeed. If the people here knew what the true threat was like, I'm sure no amount of partying would be able to hide their paranoia. But now look; I'm the downer this time. Haha!"
Joshua gave a weak chuckle at Synner's comment, before nodding in agreement. "I just think this whole festival is... well, what I mean is..." he paused for a moment, trying to find the words for his thoughts. "I don't want to seem like I'm looking down on people... heh, me... looking down... that's funny," he smiled slightly, before realizing he was getting off track. "What I mean to say is, I just think this whole festival is pointless, I guess. We could be out doing important things, but we're sitting here partying for no reason..." Joshua shrugged as he thought about it. "I don't like time wasted...."
Synner nodded. "I agree. It's true that the festival is pointless, no matter how you look at it... and dangerous at that. It has me somewhat... well, as close to worried as I can get."
"When you think about it, it's fairly obvious: this festival is a buffet for Darkrai. The Dark One aspires to spread his chaos by corrupting others, and not just anyone: people of importance, who can easily use their influence to spread chaos further. There's many of them here. The King of Thieves, head of the SEC, that Madman, and our own leader Guardia, to name a few. People of all afiliations who he could use to spread his trademark fear and terror throughout all of Valkaria once again, and even beyond. He doesn't even need to appear personally. All he has to do is reach into a mon's mind, and..." He trailed off. The wide smile present on his face greatly contrasted the gravity of his words, so he continued a little easier, once again. "That's simply my take on things though. It's a worst case scenario, but I should tell you that I do have a plan should it be necessary." He chuckled a bit in an attempt to lighten the mood. "I do hope Darkrai holds off on the chaos until after I'm made the new second-in-command though," he joked.
Joshua laughed again, though this time it was more honest and less faked. He had to admit, the thought of who exactly was going to get the role of second in command was weighing on his mind. He silently hoped it would be somebody who knew what they were doing, and not some insufferable fool on a power-trip. "Sometimes it's good to plan for the worst-case scenarios. However unlikely they may be, if it ever does happen, you'll be prepared."
"Haha, all too true," Synner replied. "Besides the worst case scenario, I can picture a few more things going nasty with all this, from the inside." He looked over at the very end of the street, where two Loudred were making somewhat of a ruckuss. They weren't doing anything special at first glance; only handing out what appeared to be flyers.
"Like that over there," Synner said, pointing a tentacle towards the two Pokemon. "Those two are part of the Valkarian Exposure. I'm sure you've heard of them by now; those silly conspiracy theorists who believe the Silver War and Darkrai were all just a sham. They're using this opportunity to bring masses to their cause. Most likely, they themselves believe in their conspiracies out of fear of the actual existence of Darkrai. With this entire festival being built on that fear, I'm sure Pokemon will come flocking to their cause. After today, the Exposure will likely start presenting a serious threat to the very existence of the Gold Tribe."
"I don't understand them," Joshua replied, shaking his head. "It's one thing to want to forget bad times, but to deny them completely?" He readjusted his coat, the breeze on the roof chilling him slightly. "The whole point of history is to learn from past mistakes; recognizing what people in the past did right... and what they did wrong, and in turn, learning from that." He glared at the two Loudred Synner had pointed out. "Those people would rather forget it and not learn at all... whether out of fear or foolishness, I can't say, but either way, it's not good."
He studied them for a moment longer, looking at their expressions, but unable to come to any real conclusions. He pondered a bit, before looking up at the Malamar beside him. "This may be a little far fetched, but do you think they have some kind of ulterior motive?"
"Hmm. Now there's a thought," Synner said, taking his words into consideration. "I've learned that there really isn't such a thing as 'far-fetch'd' in this crazy world of ours. Considering they're trying to take down the Gold Tribe, the last line of defense for Valkaria, they could very well be agents of Darkrai. I mean if we're gone, takeover would be easy."
"I'm not saying all of them would be corrupted," Synner continued, entertained with the idea. "Hypothetically, their leader and perhaps some of the higher-ups of the movement could be working for Darkrai. Gathering followers by using conspiracies that the fearful citizens are more than willing to absorb, and then creating a movement to destroy the Gold Tribe, made up of the very citizens we're trying to protect! Haha, the irony!" Synner let out a hearty laugh that lasted a few seconds.
"Yes, that's a strategy worthy of the cunning of Darkrai. But hey... it's pretty far fetch'd, isn't it?" he said with a slight wink in Joshua's direction.
"It is..." Joshua said, giving a tiny grin before his expression quickly returned to normal. "I don't know... maybe I'm over-thinking things... but it certainly wouldn't hurt to keep an eye on them."
Synner nodded thoughtfully. "I have to thank you for giving me that thought though, Josh. Can't believe it didn't occur to me earlier. It'd be a little too much to report this to the higher-ups, seeing as it's a far-fetch'd theory, but I for one will certainly be keeping an eye on them."
Not exactly the casual banter he'd been after, but most definitely an interesting conversation nonetheless. Still...
"Oh, by the way, I didn't see you at the Citadel this morning," Synner said. Small talk wasn't exactly his forte, but he did enjoy the calm simplicity of it every now and again. "Forgive me for prying, I was just curious."
Joshua fidgeted uncomfortably, once again adjusting his jacket around himself. "I was... uh, preoccupied this morning."
The Malamar's brow furrowed as he eyed the Swadloon. Joshua was rather secretive sometimes, true, but he usually shared with Synner more than others. He suspected it must have been something shameful, or illegal. Though he doubted the latter.
Should he pry further? Synner never was one to venture where he wasn't welcome, so to speak, but Joshua did need a little push now and again.
"You can tell me, you know I won't judge you," Synner reassured. "I trust you. You trust me, don't you?"
Joshua sighed. "I do... it's just..." he played with his hands nervously, looking down at the ground. "I've been taking lessons with this visitor in the city. Sylvio is his name." Even though it was probably nothing, the Swadloon felt like he was weak for taking lessons from outside sources, and didn't like to admit as much to others. As if his combat training at the Gold Tribe wasn't sufficient. "Mostly combat training, and such, though he usually throws in some philosophy ever now and then..."
"I see," Synner said simply. "A wise choice, I'd say. Extra combat training never hurts. Shows how determined you are." He smiled down at Joshua. "Well, one thing is definite: you're no slouch, Josh, as much as some might like to think you are. Keep at it. As for this Sylvio character, I've yet to meet him myself, but I'm sure if he was chosen by you to be your instructor he must be good."
"Actually, that reminds me," he said, his mind suddenly hopping onto a different train of thought. "When was the last time you spoke to Charlie, Joshua?"
Joshua froze in place, growing noticeably uneasy at the mention of his brother. He hadn't spoken to Charlie since he had found out that the Scyther had left the Gold Tribe. Truthfully, he didn't even know where he was. Charlie had all but disappeared after he was found out, running off to join the thieves, and Joshua hadn't seen or heard from him since. "A very long time time ago..." he finally said, almost whispering. "I don't really want to talk about him..."
"That's too bad," Synner said with a melancholy tone. "I've probably already told you this, but he was a friend of mine during his time in the Gold Tribe. It's true... his moral compass wasn't exactly straight, but I think there was some shred of goodness in him somewhere. It was just overshadowed by the stress of having all of the Vensworth family's expectations placed upon his shoulders, I imagine." Joshua simply stared blankly at the streets below, nodding once in understanding. He knew the feeling all too well...
"I'm not trying to justify what he did, of course," Synner continued. "Let's just say that... different minds have different ways of dealing with things. Evidently, yours has a more... moral way, seeing as you are in the same situation as he was."
Synner shook his head. "Ah, it seems I ended up talking about him anyway. My apologies," he added, despite the speech being entirely intentional. "Well, you know, I... don't expect great things from you, per se. Rather, I wouldn't be surprised if you did great things."
"It's fine," Joshua said softly. "It's just... I'm not sure how to feel about him yet." He sighed again, taking note of several Gold Tribe members patrolling down in the streets below, suddenly remembering that he was supposed to be keeping watch as well. "I'm sorry, but I should probably get back down there. I'm supposed to be on patrol duty today." He looked up towards Synner, giving the Malamar a friendly smile. "I appreciate the chat, though. We should catch up again sometime... when the streets aren't filled with crazed party-goers, that is."
Synner reciprocated, nodding and offering a smile in return. "I look forward to it."
He continued standing there after Joshua had left, looking out over the expanse of Pokemon littering the streets. So many individual minds, each with its own inner workings... rarely did he get an opportunity to appreciate how many Pokemon there were in this world. And he knew he was only looking down at a tiny fraction of them.
Then the Loudred advanced through the crowds, creating a small pocket of bare pavement around themselves as passer-bys swerved to avoid them. However, occasionally one would stop and take a flyer. Synner sighed.
"The Valkarian Exposure, hmm? What trouble indeed..." he muttered to himself, as he used Psychic to lower himself down into the crowd, to join the festivities.