“As I said, we have been discussing the Church of Freedom and the Pokéleague, their positions in society and stuff like that,” he explained, pausing for a moment, a frown on his face. “It started out when we had a class discussion about the Pokéleague and its place in society.” I nodded, seeing that such a thing would warrant discussion. It was the major, uniting body of the region after all and even provided connections to other regions.

“I’ve learned about the Church of Freedom all my life, but I never really thought about what I learned. It was just how things are, you know?” I raised an eyebrow at that, not sure ‘how things were’.

“I mean, nobody wants to fight, so making the Guardians fight for us is wrong. They should be free to make their own decisions, without a human forcing them and imprisoning them in Pokéballs?” He started out strong, but when I merely stared at him with a raised eyebrow, his momentum began to falter quickly.

“You believe a human could force a Pokémon to do anything it doesn’t want to do?” I asked, amused at the idea. While a lot of Pokémon looked cute, some even cuddly, they generally had strength far superior to humans. Their baseline was simply different and that was without looking at the incredible force generated when they used moves. Those were something above their usual strength, unlike anything a human could ever accomplish.

“Have you ever witnessed Pokémon fighting?” I asked, before shaking my head, deciding to make my case in a different manner.

“Pokémon fight. I’ve personally seen them go at it, without provocation. For them, battle and taking the energy of other Pokémon is sustenance and nourishment, allowing them to grow and become something more than they are at the time. It is for that reason, that they partner up with a Trainer strong enough to overpower them, someone who gives them the impression that they will be able to grow under their care.” I explained, trying to explain the connection between a trainer and their Pokémon. They had become part of me and just the idea to leave either Charm or Vio behind, even if it was only for treatment at the Pokécentre, was uncomfortable. It had little to do with a real threat, some Pokémon suddenly popping up in the middle of town, and a lot more with the accustomed sensation of weight on my hip.

“Why do they need trainers for that? Couldn’t they simply develop in the wild, without humans exploiting them?” he asked, now sounding a little confused. As if what he ‘knew’ didn’t mesh with the reality I was describing. A part of me flared up at the suggestion I was exploiting any of my partners but shouting at the boy wouldn’t convince him. Talking might.

“They don’t need trainers, just like you don’t need…” I paused, trying to find a good example, “Just like you don’t need a block and tackle.” I decided, gesturing towards the docks some distance away, where a small crane was barely visible.

“Responsible Trainers make sure that their partners can grow in the best conditions. We tend their wounds, we help them pick their battles so they don’t get overwhelmed by Pokémon they are ill-suited to battle and we provide them shelter in Pokéballs, letting them rest in comfort.” I explained, itching to call out Charm or Vio and simply show him the connection between us. That connection, the close relationship of trust and friendship was, at least in my eyes, the most important part of being a trainer.

“That doesn’t explain why the League is necessary, why people need to pay for it. Dad always grumbles about taxes and greedy trainers stealing honest people’s money.” he tried a different tack, as neither of us was making progress with their arguments. We had our own views of how reality was, and without concrete evidence, changing those views would be difficult. Even concrete evidence might not work.

“So you are saying people shouldn’t have to pay for Trainers?” I asked, remembering that I needed to collect my monthly stipend at the Pokécenre.

“That Trainers should risk their lives in the wild without recompense, maybe even pay for the privilege of risking their lives, while having to take the forefront if a horde of Pokémon forms and attacks a town?” I pushed, slightly annoyed at the idea. I continued to talk, not letting him get a word in.

“Make no mistake, being a Trainer sounds wonderful. As long as you ignore that Pokémon are incredibly dangerous. They can kill people and do so with ease. My companion and I have been travelling for about three months now. During that time, we encountered life-threatening situations multiple times and while we managed to survive, she is now seeking treatment for injuries sustained in the last encounter.” I pushed down the anger I was feeling, the flame that wanted to escape and burn him. Calm, reasoned words were needed, not flares of emotions.

“And just six weeks ago, Jubilife City faced a horde of Pokémon during the middle of the night. It was us Trainers who took to the field and our partners, trained and raised with our effort and love, fought the horde off.” I was breathing a little hard from my rant and closed my eyes to keep calm.

“Um…” he looked at me, with wide eyes. “Hordes really happen?” he asked, looking a little afraid. I wasn’t sure it was due to the idea of a horde of Pokémon bearing down on your town, or because of my earlier rant.

“They do. The walls around town, the guards checking that only Trainers travel, they aren’t there just for the fun of it. They are there to keep people safe, those who don’t want to train Pokémon, who just want to live their life. But you need the walls, you need the guards and, most of all, you need the trainers.” I pushed again, before shaking my head.

“Showing you might be easier than telling you.” I decided and he looked equally surprised and excited as if he thought we’d head out into the wild. “I’m certain the Gym has training rooms, where you can see one of my partners in the flesh and up-close. Maybe seeing how I interact with him and how he interacts with me can give you a better idea of the relationship between a Pokémon and the Trainer.” I quickly drank my tea, noticing that he had barely touched his coffee.

“I’m not sure that’s necessary.” he looked a bit taken aback, maybe by my forceful behaviour.

“That depends, do you seek to understand why your view of the world only accounts for the world within the confines of your town, or do you want to remain ignorant, a frog in a well, only seeing a tiny sliver of the sky?” I taunted him, not quite sure why I was so invested in showing him the difference. Maybe I was simply fixating on something, so I didn’t worry about Claire.

“I…” he tried to reply, before pausing and letting out a sigh, “I’m not sure. My parents always told me stories of Lord Arceus and his creation. How the various Guardians he set up uphold the laws of the world and withstand the chaos,” he explained, and some of my earlier anger dissipated.

“It is a nice picture, really. The stories speak of responsibility and teach valuable lessons, warning about the power of Pokémon. Some of them could even be true, or at least be based on actual events.” I felt myself smile, remembering the sight of the previous day.

“For example, while I don’t know if Ho-oh is truly the bringer of summer, soaring across the sky and spreading the seven-coloured light across the world, I know that Ho-oh is real. That a Pokémon is flying around, with feathers that reflect rainbow light.” I shook off the memory, the smile not leaving my face.

“But reality is what it is,” my smile was now turning sad, at the inevitability of conflict. It was just how a world of limits worked, there was always something more to strive for. But on the other hand, without limits, there was nothing worth striving for, making it a sad, boring world.

“There will always be conflict and unless people have a way to fight back, they’ll be on the losing side of it.” I let out a sigh, losing motivation a little.

“Anyway, if you want to hear more, you might want to head to the Gym. They’ll have a better knowledge base and will be able to tell you more.” I shook my head, moving to stand.

“Thank you, for your time and for sharing your point of view,” he replied, looking a little lost in thought.

With another nod, I turned to leave, intent on going back to the Pokécentre, hoping that Claire was done by now.