{Ashen x Drakonnas} Ransei's Revenge {Rated M for Mature}

[Drakonnas]

Glacia was off playing in the surf with Polly and Reaper. Buzzy was sitting next to him, looking haughty and arrogant as she always did. Ed rested an arm on the bird's shoulder, and she looked at him affectionately, before gently nudging his head with hers. "Ah, that's me girl." Edward said softly. "Buzzy here, she's been with me since I was a boy. She wasn't me first pokemon, that would be Reaper over there. I got Buzzy here, not too long after. I rescued her from some thieves, she had a broken wing as a Vullaby. I nursed her back to health, and she chose to stay with me ever since. She's the most trustworthy of my team, the most caring, even though she can be a bit superior at times." He said gently.

Kinta was still cooking his meal, and so Edward decided to keep talking, telling stories. "Reaper, my Kabutops, is my strongest party member, and he is fiercely loyal to me. He is a very strong, and hard worker. He doesn't really have much of a sense of humor, and doesn't joke around. He's very serious, and will always come through, no matter what. As I said before, he was the first pokemon I ever met. My hero when I was a kid gave him to me in an egg. I cared for him ever since he hatched. Glacia, over there, is the most humorous and cheerful of my pokemon. She's always in a good mood, trying to cheer other's up. Quite the Jolly pokemon. I caught her on a trip to the Northern Isles. I don't know if you know about the Northern Isles, but they're a group of islands waaaay up north, where everything is frozen solid, and it always is covered in snow. It's often rumored to be haunted, and dangerous. Tales are told that it was once the place of an old civilization." He said, grinning mysteriously. "I love myths, legends, and lore, especially when they have to do with ghosts... Anyway. Speaking of ghosts, Spectra, my Chandelure, is another strong fighter. He isn't as hardcore as Reaper is, but isn't as jolly as Glacia. He sometimes is a little depressing, but he always comes through when goings get tough. My last pokemon is Polly, the Chatot. She was... my son's pokemon. She was in her pokeball at the time of the raid, and... I have cared for her ever since."

He paused, as Kinta finished eating. "Yes, I can certainly show you some of the dishes we have. I will have to go back to the mainland sometime soon to re-stock up on supplies, but I have enough for awhile yet. And yes. I can do what I can to help your Anyo. I confess I do not know much about the evolutionary line of Goomy, Sigoo, and Goodra, but I know a few things. If we go back to mainland, I'm sure we can find someone who knows more so we can help."

[Ashen]

Kinta was respectfully silent as Edward spoke of his Pokemon. Though some of the species were foreign--Kinta had never seen a Pokemon like Reaper before, and Glacia's species was unknown too--he did recognize some. Chatot, those inhabited Ransei, and Chandelure, he knew those evolved from Lampent. Hearing the tales of all the Pokemon brought back bittersweet memories. Kinta had had Pokemon once, too. Everyone in his tribe had had their own, and his and his best friend's parents had a Glaceon and a Houndoom that Kinta and his best friend had played with each day. And now, they were gone, captured by the pirates. Kinta couldn't know where the villains had taken them, but he knew he would never see them again. The memories caused him to sigh and hug the sleepy Sliggoo closer to his chest.

There was another point that had caught Kinta's attention. The Chatot, Polly, she had been the Pokemon of Edward's son. Did it not hurt, raising her instead of his son? Kinta could not imagine. He turned away and thought on it. The way he spoke of his son... There was love there. Kinta could understand his sentiments, knew what it was like to lose an entire family. Trying to stay away from the gloomy subject, he shook his head and looked back to the man. He looked sadder now, and Kinta's heart fell for him.

The older man spoke of returning to the mainland, and at that Kinta looked away stubbornly. He was not going to be venturing to the mainland, least not soon. He cleared his throat. "I know less of Sliggoo, I am sure," he murmured. "I know not what type of Pokemon he even is. His moves, they are all sorts of types, and it is impossible to surmise from that. From his looks, I have guessed poison, though I am doubtful." Would someone really be able to better help Anyo on the mainland? Kinta thought on it for a second, then shook his head. "Never mind. We will get to it all in due time. What shall we do now?"

[Drakonnas]

The sun was high in the afternoon sky; their meal had been finished completely. What was inedible, Edward gently put back into the water, saying a customary prayer of thanks for the sustenance that had been given to them. It was an Orre custom, and one he still abided by even to this day. Afterwards, he turned back to Kinta and his Anyo. "I know this much. Sliggoo evolved from a pokemon named Goomy, and will evolve into a pokemon named Goodra when it is raining, and has gotten enough experience in battle. They are all Dragon type pokemon. But that is about the extent of my knowledge about them." He said, brushing a strand of black hair out of his face.

"We have studied letters today. I figured that it would be a good idea to teach you how to speak my native tongue, so that you might communicate with others who do not speak Ransei. If you are agreeable to that, then I shall start teaching you to speak my native tongue. I also wanted to discuss morals with you as well. Philosophy." Edward sat down on a log, and took a deep breath, and then looked Kinta in the eyes. "This is a subject that has many applications. Since it is possible to have different views on things and still be correct, it not only tests your logic and reasoning skills, but also how you handle confrontations and differeing of opinion." He thought for a long moment before thinking again. "Being well spoke, well mannered, and polite is an important part of being a man. Some would disagree with me. Tell me, Young Kinta. What is a woman's place in the world? Is she subservient to men? Are they equal? Or is she better than men? What do men do that women do not? What do women do that men do not? Is it wrong for a man to take a woman's chores? Is it wrong for a woman to take a man's duties?" He asked, leaning inward, tipping his hat back so that he could still see into Kinta's eyes.

"I am going to challenge your beliefs, no matter what you say or believe. This will not represent my own beliefs. It is to make you think, and defend your answers."

[Ashen]

A dragon type... Kinta looked to his companion with a raised eyebrow. All this time he had been nursing this Pokemon back to health, all this time he'd needed to wait on him and his health to return, and this was a dragon? But Anyo looked nothing like what a dragon was supposed to. Kinta had heard the legends, had seen illustrations of the myths. Dragons were Rayquaza, were Reshiram and Zekrom and Giratina and Hydreigon. This, this Sliggoo, this was a dragon?

The child turned his attention back to Edward, watched as he spoke. He was to... test his beliefs? Kinta didn't know how different his beliefs were to the man's, but if the past two days were any clue, they were probably opposites. He sat up straighter and listened to the onslaught of questions, wondering when Edward would give him a chance to think. When he finally did stop, Kinta's gaze turned away as he thought. Women? Edward wanted to know about women? If the man had made a son he obviously knew how to interact with the fairer sex in some form. I am going to challenge your beliefs. It was all just a test. So, Kinta turned back to Edward, looked him in the eye, and answered his questions.

"The place of a woman is among her people, especially her husband and children. She tends to them, treating them when they are not well, preparing the food her husband or brothers retrieve, rearing the children and Pokemon, sewing the threads we need. Men do all women cannot--they retrieve the food and herbs, they build our shelters and train the Pokemon, train themselves for war, they offer advice and fasten tools, they... know things. I know not what subservient means, but women and men are most definitely not equal. Women listen to the orders of their wiser husbands, brothers, elders. A woman who would dare take the duties of a man is an anomaly, and she ought to be put in her place. A man who would take the duties of a woman is no man at all."

Kinta did not break eye contact the entire time he spoke. He was reciting, from memory, what he could remember each gender's role was. Absently, he wondered if Edward knew, if Edward was going to put him in his place like he deserved, but he soon shook the thought. He had no place to be put in, now. He had done no wrong.

[Drakonnas]

Edward listened to Kinta, his face expressionless as he let the boy finish. After he did so, Edward's face hid a ghost of a smile. "And why can a man not tend to his family when they are sick and ill?" He asked. "Why can a man not make food for those he cares for? Why can a man not sew as well as a woman? Why can a woman not retrieve food and herbs? Why can a woman not build a shelter, or train their pokemon? Why can a woman not give advice, or fight for what she believes in? What is wrong with that? Why can a woman not do what a man can? Why is a man who does what a woman does looked down upon?" He asked, a small smile on his face.

"It sounds to me like you are repeating information, not offering your own opinions and thoughts on the subject." Edward said slyly. "I can tell by the tone in your voice, and with the lack of natural pauses in your words, ideas, and expressions. "It is not wrong for a man to help a woman with her duties, nor for a woman to help a man with his. Why designate selected roles for each other, when you could simply just do what needs to be done?"

Edward knew probably why the Ransei tribe was like this, and why many primitive tribes were. When a woman was pregnant, or after she had given birth, she usually stayed home to care for herself and the baby. This meant she could take care of chores and tasks that existed at home, while the men could go do what needed to be done elsewhere. He did not mention this to Kinta yet, he wanted to see how the boy could defend himself. But if he continued to believe in the patriarchal society, then things could become difficult over in the mainland...

[Ashen]

Well, the man certainly was challenging his beliefs alright. Kinta listened respectfully at Edward's counters, thinking up his own ideas for each. The very ideas this man was spewing, they were unlawful, abnormal, and they went against his family's codes. When Kinta was told he was only reciting, he paused and straightened a bit. What else was he supposed to do? He had no opinions of his own; what opinions would a seven-year-old have formed, and then, a mere child no longer surrounded by male or female? He hadn't given deviation much thought; he hadn't the need. He had only deviated once, out of necessity, and there was no reason to do it again.

When Edward finished Kinta was quick to speak up. "Because man and woman are not the same," he replied. They are different, through and through. They look different, they perform different tasks, they are different. If they were not, why can a man not bear his own son, or two women make a child on their own?" He didn't know much about biology, but the child at least knew that. He crossed his arms over his chest. "Women are not set to do the tasks of men because women by nature are weaker. There is no use wasting two women on a task that can be done by a single man. Men are stronger and wiser, and are more able to carry out the tasks nature has decided for them. That is the very reason they are given such tasks."

He maintained eye contact with Edward, challenging him. He sounded more indignant now, trying to prove his point. "There is not enough of space* for opinions. These rules have been solidified through generations, by men wiser than you or I will ever hope to be. What reason would there to be to challenge them now?" He turned away as a thought came to mind, then looked back to Edward with his big ocean eyes. "Are things different elsewhere?"

*enough of space - enough space

[Drakonnas]

Ed listened to what Kinta said, and how he replied, not expression emotion. When Kinta finished with his question, Edward nodded solemnly. "Yes. Things are different. Very different. There are people who still think men are better than women, but they are mostly seen as sexist, which is a bad thing. They are seen as "old fashioned", and wrong. From the land I come from, men and women are mostly treated as equals. Men and women have the same rights, and are supposed to be treated as people. Most of us believe that it is not right to say that men are smarter than women. This is just not true. What is true is that they have different ways of thinking. Men and women have different bodies, yes. And for that, they are different. But beyond physical, no. People should be treated the same. As equals."

Kinta's question about changing the way things have been done for generations was not difficult to answer either, but he wasn't sure if Kinta would understand. "Well... As for why? That is a little more tricky to answer. Sure, a man might be naturally stronger physically than a woman, but... Everything is different in the mainland. Tribes do not exist. People live with their mother, father, and siblings. When they grow up, they leave, find a husband or wife, start living together, and eventually have children of their own. Jobs are much more specified. A man, for instance, might take up a profession making clothes, while I might grow food for a living. If I want clothes, I would have to go pay for them, and if someone wanted my food, they would pay me for my food, as compensation for my time and effort. People don't really share things much. It is a very different lifestyle. And in this society, people are more independent, and want to be treated with respect."

Edward stood, and started pacing around the camp, thinking long and hard. What was the best way to teach the kid? And... how to be a man. "You want to know how to be a man. Respect people. This does not mean follow them blindly. Respect. Treat others how you would wish to be treated. Protect those who cannot protect themselves. Be honest. Courteous. Loyal. Keep your promises. Do not try to take what is not yours. Stand up for what you believe in."

What else could he say?

[Ashen]

What kind of world did Edward come from? Kinta was just getting more confused listening to him. A world where men and women were equal, where people paid instead of traded, where sons and daughters abandoned their parents upon marriage, where people were... independent? "But why?" he murmured, bewildered. "If people are so independent, what is the purpose of life at all? If not to live for each other, why live at all...?" He turned to Anyo, his eyes darkened. The only reason he had lasted so long was because of the oblivious Sliggoo beside him. If people had no one... Kinta shook his head. "I need time to consider," he announced, standing. "I wish to hear no more."

Anyo perked up when his trainer rose. He made light gurgling noises, but Kinta was not paying attention. He was too lost in his thoughts to pay attention to his Pokemon. A world where men and women were the same? Was he sexist? How would he fit into such a world? Who or what would he be? He had no skills, none that would help anyone else, none that anyone would pay for. Would he be able to be a man in the mainland at all? If he did venture to the mainland, what would the others think? What would they see him as? Was he like normal children at all? Child, he wasn't a child, but wasn't he? No one would see him as a man, no one would dare.

Kinta looked back to Edward. He looked stiffer, more disturbed. "I wish to do something else," he announced. "We have just eaten. Now, we must be active. Anyo and I enjoy racing and making obstacle courses of the terrain. Swimming is also a favorite pastime, though I am not very good at it, and the rain may bring with it the the sky crevices*. I advise staying on land for now." He set off then, quickly making his way away from the shore. Anyo took a moment to realize his trainer was heading off, then followed after him. He followed Kinta all the way to their cave. Kinta went inside, reappearing only a moment later with a sphere in his hands. The sphere looked like it had once been red, but the years of use had caused the color to fade, and the dirt left it a permanent brown hue. Kinta looked back at Edward, smiling. "This is a ball," he told him, as if Edward had never seen one before. "Come, let us play."

He continued off again, heading towards an open field a little distance from his cave. The rain left the grass muddied, but the boy didn't seem to mind. "We used to use these for fun, the kids. Normally, the boys alone played, but sometimes they let the girls play as well." He threw the ball up in the air and caught it. His pale eyes flew over all of Edward's Pokemon as he began to think. "There are many of us. Many more than I am accustomed to..." His voice trailed. "We are able to play a game of my people." He tossed the ball to the ground and balanced it on his foot. "We called it football," he explained, and gently kicked the ball into the air. "The two teams must compete to make the ball go into a goal of sorts. However, the players are only able to use their feet. Only the goal protector is allowed to use his hands." He looked over the Pokemon again. "Will your Pokemon be able to play? I was never especially good at this game. I could try to think of others... Are there any from the mainland? Teach me."

* sky crevices - lightning

[Drakonnas]

Edward nodded as Kinta looked bothered, and proclaimed that he did not wish to continue. Edward had expected that he would need some time to adjust, and was perfectly willing to take a break. The culture shock was quite different, and he had expected that Kinta would have problems understanding. "Of course we may stop." He said, standing, and adjusting his hat properly. Buzzy looked at him as he stood, and Edward smiled, tossing a piece of meat for her. She gratefully gobbled it up, and took off in the air as Edward began to follow Kinta back to the cave.

Edward grinned as he saw Kinta grab a ball. He wasn't sure what it was exactly, but it was probably for some sport. He wondered what kinds of games they played, and followed Kinta to the open field. As Kinta described the game, Edward's eyes flashed brightly. "Ah. We have a very, very similar game, but we call it Soccer." He said. "Yes, two teams compete to kick the ball into the opposing goal to score points. I think it's probably the same game." He said with an enthusiastic smile. "I used to play Goalkeeper when I was younger. I was really good at it too. Come on, let's play." He said, walking over to an open spot on the field. "Buzzy? Go fetch everyone else. Bring them here for me. That's a good pokemon."

Buzzy flew off, and would return soon with the other four close in tow. "Yes, we have many games back on the mainland. My favorite was called Baseball. The game is played with a ball about the size of your fist, and a thick wooden stick. A person throws the ball, and a person is trying to hit it. If they do, they get to run around the bases and try to score. But if the opposing team touches them with the ball, they're out. It's a lot more complex than that, but those are the basic rules. It's fun."

He paused, thinking. "There's also a game called Basketball. It's similar to soccer, except that you have to keep bouncing the ball with your hands instead of kicking it, and you have to throw the ball into little hoops on either side of the field. But let's just kick the ball around a bit. Then maybe I can try and see how much skill I've lost in Goalkeeping over the years."

[Ashen]

Kinta was excited to play a game with the man. It had been so long since he'dplayed football with a real human, or with so many players. As he balanced the ball on his foot, he looked over the players. A Pokemon with scythes for hands, two birds, two Pokemon with no limbs at all... Would this really work? He shifted, but decided to not worry about it. Even running after them alone would be fun enough.

He tried to think of the other sports Edward described. Baseball sounded like fun to him, while basketball seemed awkward on mud. Soccer, it was such an odd name for a game called so simply. No matter the name, if Edward knew how to play, that would just make this easier. Perhaps later they would try the games Edward knew, but for now, it was time to score some goals.

"That tree is my goal," Kinta announced, pointing to a tree a little distance behind him. "The lake is your goal. Let us see... You shall have the big one, the sharp one, and the icy one." As he spoke, he pointed out to Edward's Mandibuzz, Kabutops, and Glalie respectively. "I will take the lantern, the Chatot, and Anyo. I trust this is fair?" He looked to Edward's Pokemon, just as Anyo chirped happily. "Now. Let us begin."

Soon, all players were sprawled across the makeshift football field. Kinta was in the center, the ball in his hands. "All positions filled?" he asked, scanning the field. With a nod, he threw the ball high up into the air, then expertly took control of it. Despite the years he'd spent away from the game, Kinta was actually quite good at it, better than he ever remembered being. His legs had grown to make him swifter, exploring his homeland had improved his footwork, and he had no problems maneuvering the ball. There was a look of concentration on his face as he ran. He had little intention of losing. Anyo, who might not have taken the game as seriously as his trainer, cheered from his position at the goal. His blind eyes couldn't follow the ball, but he could enjoy the energy clearly felt on the field.