HOME | DD

Description
A while later, with the guidance of Luna, the group reached a clearing inside the Forest of Deities with some small hills and a stream being surrounded by the many trees and bushes, a visible indication that the forest lived up to its mystery as not even Zack knew about it and no other forms of recon showed up anything of significance. Inside there were many of the people Dawn called or wrote letters to. Many of those were Pacifist but there were also a few guests from the Resistance and the Corrupted, who shared the same sentiment of ending the conflict. Among them were also some kids. The thievul could identify some, like the cacturne that was with a corrupted roserade during the battle against Sigma and the torchic named Torch, who tried to impress Riela in the rotation to the medical camp behind the frontline.

While Zack and his group expected to just sit among the people and begin the discussions about what they should do to stop the fighting at a continental scale, some fixed their eyes on Brandon and made some space for him. It was clear his contribution to the faction, and those he and his friends helped thus far, were not forgotten in the sands of time. That was especially important for the corrupted refugess that ran from the north and were directed to head to the medical camp the Sonso of Liberty established, treating injuries and calming people with the risk that entailed.

As well, Riela received the usual mythical treatment, but those that met her during the difficult times knew she was more reachable to talk to and didn't need any mannerisms or courtesies, so when a few mons "breached" the protocol like saying something that could be disrespectful, she resorted by striking back with the same words, which made clear she was not under the protection of the Mystic Guard and was following the decision her group made, not those of the government inside Lamapie City.

However, not everything was exactly nice. A few kids, including Torch, saw Jeremy mounted on the suicune's back dropping to the ground and approaching Clara. Since they were with the lahgenian customs about mythicals, a couple of them wanted to befriend the nickit just so they could get a chance to be noticed by her while the rest wanted to just play with him or ask him if she was taking care of him.

When Jeremy saw the group of kids approaching to him, his reaction was to glare at them and show his teeth, taking an aggressive look so they could think twice before even trying to touch him. Many just froze on the spot with the sudden display of hostility coming from the nickit, something that was noticed by Clara, which prompted her to pick him up and walk away from the crowd.

"Hey Jimmy, what just happened to you?" the zoroark asked him while holding him on her arms.
"I don't want to be with them... I don't..." Jeremy shocked his head while gripping her arms tightly.
"Is something wrong?" Brandon asked as he approached.
"I don't know, but seeing those kids agitated him quite a lot"
The absol noticed that Dawn was exiting the area, probably to get those that still had to show up. "Why don't we go to the stream and we talk a little, Jimmy?"
The nickit only nodded.

More than heading to the stream directly, they followed towards the edge of the clearing, way outside the congregation of pokemon. There, Brandon decided to scratch Jeremy's head, as he was seen by the kid as a sort of older brother who not matter how difficult things were, he would always make a space for his younger sibling. It was also the reason that Erika could in many cases leave the nickit under his care, which she immediately returned the favor to not abuse his good disposition.

"Are you okay now?" Brandon asked him.
"Some... somewhat" Jeremy lowered his ears.
"That's good" the absol let him take another moment. "Do you want to talk about it?"
"I... I'm not sure"
"Well... I'm worried, so is Clara"
"Yeah" the zoroark nodded, also patting the kid. "You never acted like that when your parents decided to bring you to the main base. Even with Ruby and Zippy you were quite happy to be with them"
"They're different" Jeremy looked at the stream.
"Just take your time, Jimmy. None of us is blaming you for acting like that. We just want to know what drove you to keep the other kids away from you"

It took some time for him to build enough courage to say what was weigthing his heart heavily. Just like Erika and Adolf before them, both Brandon and Clara became more aware of how the conflict deeply affected him. Not only he lost his original parents, he also didn't have an easy time in the orphanage of Mancalet with his isolationism. That should've covered why he didn't trust any kids of his age, but he continued. When the pyroar and the floatzel adopted him, his life was slowly climbing from the hole he was into and improving in a complete different way. However it wasn't until his journey to Kentares that he was not only attracted to how people lived there, but also put a wall between himself and his people, that is to say other lahgenians.

"In other words, you believe that the people in this continent shares nothing with you anymore" Clara could see that even at his age, he developed some resentment to a continent that looked more like a shadow of its former self.
"I don't feel it's my home anymore" Jeremy admitted. "And the other kids... I'm not like them. I don't believe in the same things as they do"
Instead of saying a lot, Brandon places his paw over his back. "I know that feeling"
"You do?" the nickit looked at him.
"Yeah... with how the bad guys we're fighting in my continent, I don't know if it will ever be the same after we liberate it" the absol sighed. "But I can be certain that we'll build a better home on top of the ashes of the old, as long as the foundation is still in place"
But what about what you've seen from the outside? Don't you think the separation is now greater?"
"I know that the outside world is changing faster than what our people can catch up. But a friend of mine, a mightyena once told me: well, then we have to adapt, because life is not stopping because we ask. If you apply it to you situation, instead of being born or discover your place in Lahgenias, you can make one"
"I'm not sure if I can..."
"You're still young, so you have a lifetime ahead of you to figure what you want to do in life. Also, if the circumstances allow it, I would want to introduce you to another kid I was taking care of before coming here"
"Who?"
"A spearow called Stuart. I believe you could be friends with him if you want someone to share your interests"
"You think he'll like to talk about computer programs and even the video games I got my paws on while on that other country?"
"I'm certain he'll be interested, and maybe you could introduce him to the outside world. However, before that happens, I would ask you to behave like we're talking with Dawn and the others. Remember that your parents want you to know how you should handle conflicts and what you did before was not the best approach"
"Oh... it just..."
"Just refrain to show anger when it's not called for. I can help you out with it, but you must promise you won't be too hostile to anyone, okay?"
Jeremy nodded.

From the side, Clara had to give it to Brandon to turn his attitude around to calm him down and to follow through with the promise. She knew that Jeremy didn't have too much problems with the people around him. In fact, Alfonso's childish behavior from time to time was the closest thing the nickit had to a friend when it came to have fun, and Ruby's gentle attitude meant a couple of hours of casual conversation during a normal flight. The problem she saw was that it was only pokemon that had more ties with the world than Lahgenias he was getting into contact lately and he wanted to be a part of it, remembering a particual circumstance during the off-duty hours of the summit. However that didn't excuse him to become more intolerant with the people of his homeland as someone like her didn't harbor any hate or resentment to other lahgenians. I might have to talk it with Erika later about it, the zoroark thought.

After a few minutes all the pokemon called by Dawn gathered in a circle and discussions began in earnest. Brandon sat atop of a small rock as some suggested to be visible among the crowd. Besides him were Clara sitting at his right with Jeremy between her arms, Sabine was hanging at her left but not exactly paying too much attention as she was not the kind of ninetales to solve things peacefully, Craig remained at the edges keeping an eye out on the surrounding area as a sniper, and both Riela and Zack were at another side of the circle. As well, while the latios suggested to Sol, who switched sides with Luna before, to let him handle the meeting, she decided she was going to be a part of it, believing she could also offer some ideas for everyone to consider. He didn't want to at all if considering why he was doing it in the first place, but her determination finally won over him and she stayed.

"I thank all of you for answering my call" Dawn gave a little bow to those around him when everyone went silent. "As many of you know, there are tales of the conflict being reignited through Lahgenias. Some of you have done their best to put those fires down before it could cause more needless suffering, but the warmongers of the Resistance and the Corrupted want to resume the war once they've recovered completely"
"You're not completely wrong there" Zack nodded. As one of the very few that saw how Mewtwo and Drake acted when they were far away from Lahgenias and how some discussions played with some of the members of the delegation, including Wild Boar and Miranda, there was the underline tone that the war would not be solved by talking nicely unless both sides had no other choice but to do so.
"There's still enough time, right?" Markus pointed out. "I may not know completely how they currently work, but my gut tells me they dealing with some internal problems and probably won't fight against each other until their home fronts are more or less clean"
That's quite the assessment from his part, Riela could feel that the cacturne knew more than he showed with his relaxed attitude.
"Even if that's true, we might need more if we want to bring peace to Lahgenias" the latios believed.
"Then what is the plan?" Brandon calmly asked. "We can't go out there without an idea of how you want to accomplish such endeavor"
"Well... that's what we need to figure out" he sighed. "So please, all of you, give your ideas in how we can settle the conflict"

There were many ideas of how to bring peace thrown out there by many pokemon, excepting the members of the Sons of Liberty and associates who were letting others express their opinions and for a certain thievul to measure the social temperature of those around him. Some were far too idealistic than others. Some assumed certain conditions that could work in one area but fell apart when they changed. And there was also the conflict of interests when it came to make people agree on something. In short, the desire of end the war was there, but with so many backgrounds and so many beliefs in how to tackle the problem based on their experiences, it meant that finding a common ground was quite hard. In some cases there were circumstances that pokemon from even the same faction would begin to argue among themselves like who was going to put some resources on the table.

Zack saw many parallels between this gathering with the kentarian summit, with the glaring difference that one needed some experience in the political world to not get trampled in the machinations of those who would want the bigger slice of the cake. The other was convincing the local population to form an united front, designating representatives and showing to Lahgenias that they had enough of all the misery the war had brought. Considering that the corruption was adapting more and more to its environment and that the priorities of both warring factions changed during and after the Sigma incident, he believed that the chances of the Pacifist were not completely unrealistic, but still was plagued with the many caveats.

First of all being who was supposedly going to lead the pacifist front. With some groups being represented in the gathering but not all of them, there was no way to encompass all lahgenians in at least the next couple of months. And even that was a task that required some negotiation skills, given that some would like some "rewards" for accomplishing such noble quest. If there was something Zack knew way too well was that everything, even peace, had a price. That meant the one who would be at the head needed to be largely unbiased about Lahgenias as a whole. I have the funny feeling where that would be going, the thievul thought.

The second was where the Pacifist should gather all of their supporters. If it was in any of the places were the conflict barely reached them, they didn't have to worry about being caught in the crossfire and could plan in peace, but the distance to get to where they needed to be would be much larger and logistics would become a bit of a problem, at least in the current state and not including the Sons of Liberty's allies. However if it was where "the potatoes burned", the problems reversed.

And lastly, at least as far as Zack and Riela were aware of, the social, economic and political situation of the Resistance and the Corrupted, which could make even more problems if not addressed. Based on the information they had available, Drake was holding back his faction as much as he could to give Mewtwo a chance of rethink what he was doing. With him gone and currently being transported by Kai and his squad, the possibility of an aggresive leader taking his place was high, which meant offensive operations in corrupted territory.

Now the case of the opposite faction was... complicated to say the least. For one there was Evonza, who claimed the title of being queen of Lahgenias because Mewtwo granted her that. Between some conversations he had in Kentares with both Amy and the legendary, there was frankly a low chance she would just stop the conflict unless she got the unconditional surrender of the Resistance, something the southern faction would just laugh at. After all, her credibility, not her leadership, as a monarch was questionable, and probably the least suited for peace talks. There were other elements that Mewtwo admitted were out of his control at that point, and with the policy of trying to not interfere with the lives of his subordinates... that made things more difficult all around.

"What do you think?" Riela asked him through a whisper while the discussion was getting to the branches.
"In all honesty... it would take them several months if not a few years to get a solid front to put a huge wedge between the Resistance and the Corrupted" Zack sighed. "If they asked for help to any outside organization like those that defended pokemon rights or any country that wouldn't mind sending peacekeepers... I would give maybe a year to have that sorted out"
"And there's a lot of assumptions being thrown around... however Dawn appears to take them" the suicune saw that the latios was nodding to the suggestions that made sense to him.
"I'm beginning to worry that his desire for peace is affecting him in more ways that he lets out" the thievul frowned. "And by just saying he wants to find a way to settle the conflict just like that... he's hiding the reason behind it. Not even the other pacifists went too far to throw a bucket of cold water to Lahgenias"
"Yeah... we better keep an eye on him"

It was then that the discussion began to head towards what peace meant to them. It was there that the different points of view began to collide. For some it was that the corrupted would not be persecuted because they had a virus and was right now a lot less aggressive than when it first appeared. For others, like Torch, it was the corrupted would stop going rampant again if the cure was properly developed. And those that were dreamers believed that everyone could live without hating one to another and all would work together to overcome any hardships and be happy after them.

Strangely enough for Zack, the cacturne Markus demonstrated to be very flexible during the discussion. While stating his opinion in a similar fashion of the dreamers, he heard the concerns of both the Resistance and Corrupted guests, doing something akin to what Brandon had to on his side of things and trying to find some commonality between the two groups. While some agreed with his explanations, others remained a little stubborn with their beliefs, to which Markus decided to "twist" the arguments so to speak, leaving those pokemon in a state of confusion about what they were even talking about.

However, as the discussion was continuing with apparently no ending in sight, Dawn noticed that Brandon, Riela and Zack remained quiet thought the whole thing, never expressing their opinions even once. He then decided to ask everyone to be quiet for a moment as he turned his attention towards them.

"Um... guys? I've seen that you haven't said anything for a while" he pointed. "Do you have some ideas?"
"We have some" Zack nodded. He then eyed Brandon. "You don't mind if I speak in behalf of all of us?"
"No problem on my end" for things that required some good planning and the concept of seeing the bigger picture, the absol could count on the thievul to handle that. After all, the leader of the group in Lahgenias was Zack, not him.
"Thank you" the fox nodded and looked at the latios. "Well, the suggestions I have are... a bit complicated, so bear with me, because for a problem you're presenting to us there is no easy solution, at least not that would appear with the snap of my fingers"
Dawn only nodded.

Zack, with the help of Riela, first explained with some technicalities the problems he detected while hearing the suggestions, grouping them in the three main issues he was examining and how they should tackle them. In summary, what the Pacifist needed to do in order to reduce the conflict to the point it was a stupid endeavor to keep it alive was to organize themselves as a solid faction that would in some capacity be able to do more than just surviving.

For that end, they needed a pokemon that most if not all pacifists could rally behind, a place to gather and plan their moves and actions through Lahgenias, find the way to remain connected across the territory, convince some influential figures of both the Resistance and the Corrupted that had ties with the leaders to de-escalate the conflict, and frankly keep the goal in mind regardless of differences. However, Zack warned it was only the first steps in order to consolidate the faction as a group that wasn't at the mercy of the other two, which for that needed some form of defense. To actually work towards peace it was a very slow process if they had to consider every background and convincing even the most entrenched hardliners to make them see it was enough conflict for a lifetime.

"So, in other words, you're saying it would require a lifetime of effort" Markus deduced.
"For anything that is worthy, a six-month process is unrealistic in the best of cases" Riela pointed. "And if you want an everlasting peace, it's a constant work that could only bear fruit years down the line"
"But that's way too long" Dawn didn't look convinced. "Isn't there a faster way?"
"There is, but not the one you like" Zack sighed.
"Why is that?"
"Because if you take it, you should change the Pacifist name of the faction for something like the Neutrals or similar" the thievul fixed his eyes on the latios. "The option we're mentioning is to talk in the language they understand, conflict"
"Hmm... that defeats the point of working our way to peace" the cacturne frowned. "I can see that bringing peace to Lahgenias is not going to be an easy road, but taking the way you're saying it, that peace would come when we're quite old"
"We're just taking the current state of affairs through the continent to make our suggestions" the suicune commented. "And that is considering that things remain relatively the same, which they aren't most of the time"
"I can agree with that" Markus nodded. "If you excuse me for asking, what's your posture about peace? I'm asking because aside of your absol friend over there, you two look like you're part of some militia that I don't recognize"
In other words, you were a soldier once, Zack deduced, remembering how the cacturne fought when Sigma was rolling all the way towards them. "If you want our opinion on the matter, I'll quote someone that can describe ourselves in our purest state" he cleared his throat to continue. "Peace is an unnatural state for pokemon society. And that war is a constant threat to our relationships with others. So, to achieve peace, we have to create it ourselves. Crying about it won't bring it about, or make it last. Each one of us must go and seek it out"
"And you won't find it without making sacrifices" Riela added.

There was a moment of silence among those gathered around. For many, conflict was part of who they were since the days they had to fight to survive and wonder if they would make it to the next day, thus repeating the cycle until they gathered to form cities and agree on certain things to cut the violence, at least at the branches. There wasn't anything wrong to not like conflict as a society, but there was a limit when a pokemon would just receive punches before returning them. That survival instinct still embedded within their brains was still configured with two basic orders: fight or flee. And that was something Dawn was not okay with it.

"Let's just focus about your suggestions you said earlier" the latios preferred to change the topic back to the original discussion. "You said something about having a pokemon that most pacifist could rally behind, right?"
"Do you have someone in mind that could fit the role?" Zack was seeing he had one, and was guessing it involved someone that already did what he said.
"I was thinking..." Dawn then looked at Brandon. "He could be the one"

Most faces turned their gazes towards the absol, who gulped at the suggestion. Sabine for her part narrowed her eyes with a not-so friendly expression and even Sol looked a little worried. The two personalities of the latias knew at some extent that he was not a lahgenian and had other reasons to be in Lahgenias, however she and Luna never mentioned anything to Dawn as a respect to the Water Guardian and sympathizing with the problems he had as a member of the Sons of Liberty. Latsly both Zack and Riela were, to put it blunltly, not going to agree with it. The thievul suspected a little hint of desperation if the latios was trying to keep his squad member stuck in the continent.

"M-me?" Brandon believed he didn't hear that right.
"Yes" Dawn nodded. "You rallied many of our people during the days that chaos was rampant across the continent. They also respect you compassion and you way of handling things. I believe you can help us in being that beacon of hope"
"Dawn... I don't think that's a good idea" Sol intervened.
"Why not? He helped in deescalating conflicts not long ago. If there's someone the Resistance and the Corrupted will listen to, it's him"
"Brother..."
"I regret to inform you but Brandon is not available to take that role" Zack cut in. "He has enough problems already to try to be the visible face of the Pacifist"
"Like what? He came here to help us out" the latios wasn't giving an inch.
"Wrong. He came here because I asked for volunteers to come to Lahgenias. In other words, as the one in charge of the tabiran group, I'm not allowing you to take Brandon away"

That sent some shockwaves across those gathered there. Zack would've preferred that Dawn would've picked someone from Lahgenias instead of Tabira to avoid this kind of moment, but seeing he was acting almost out of impulse to reach his goal, he had to bring back his old honchkrow side and show who is boss. That also meant corroborating what Markus was suspecting, but he was in a strong position to not answer any questions, at least those that put his group in jeopardy.

"I... I don't understand" Dawn shocked his head a couple of times. "If he's under your... then why..."
"Brother... I think you should let them explain first" Sol suggested to him.
"Sister?"
"... You're not seeing their full story. That's all I can say to you"
"And I would prefer if we do it a little apart from the main group" Zack suggested.
"Zack... do you believe it's a good idea?" Riela looked a bit skeptical.
"If the point has to go across, then so be it" the thievul sighed, but knew he had to be a little restrictive with some things. "Brandon, come with us. I think it's time that Dawn knows your struggles"
Brandon only nodded and eyed Sabine, who placed a paw over his. "Go dear. Let him know that if he's so willing to put you at the head, then he's willing to fight for you on the liberation of our homeland. Show him that peace is earned, not begged"

He wasn't exactly okay with the direct approach of the ninetales, but he knew he was not in a position to help the Pacifists beyond of what he could and had already the desire to return to those he cared about and left behind. So, he joined Zack and headed towards the stream where a reluctant Dawn followed.

----------------------------------------------------------------------

[Previous]
[Next]

Second task of the Pacifist half-done, maybe? Oh boy, we have some drama now.

Cameos:

- Sol/Luna belongs to
- Dawn belongs to
- Markus and Torch belong to

Story belongs to
Pokemon belongs to Nintendo
Art and personal characters belong to me

Description
A while later, with the guidance of Luna, the group reached a clearing inside the Forest of Deities with some small hills and a stream being surrounded by the many trees and bushes, a visible indication that the forest lived up to its mystery as not even Zack knew about it and no other forms of recon showed up anything of significance. Inside there were many of the people Dawn called or wrote letters to. Many of those were Pacifist but there were also a few guests from the Resistance and the Corrupted, who shared the same sentiment of ending the conflict. Among them were also some kids. The thievul could identify some, like the cacturne that was with a corrupted roserade during the battle against Sigma and the torchic named Torch, who tried to impress Riela in the rotation to the medical camp behind the frontline.

While Zack and his group expected to just sit among the people and begin the discussions about what they should do to stop the fighting at a continental scale, some fixed their eyes on Brandon and made some space for him. It was clear his contribution to the faction, and those he and his friends helped thus far, were not forgotten in the sands of time. That was especially important for the corrupted refugess that ran from the north and were directed to head to the medical camp the Sonso of Liberty established, treating injuries and calming people with the risk that entailed.

As well, Riela received the usual mythical treatment, but those that met her during the difficult times knew she was more reachable to talk to and didn't need any mannerisms or courtesies, so when a few mons "breached" the protocol like saying something that could be disrespectful, she resorted by striking back with the same words, which made clear she was not under the protection of the Mystic Guard and was following the decision her group made, not those of the government inside Lamapie City.

However, not everything was exactly nice. A few kids, including Torch, saw Jeremy mounted on the suicune's back dropping to the ground and approaching Clara. Since they were with the lahgenian customs about mythicals, a couple of them wanted to befriend the nickit just so they could get a chance to be noticed by her while the rest wanted to just play with him or ask him if she was taking care of him.

When Jeremy saw the group of kids approaching to him, his reaction was to glare at them and show his teeth, taking an aggressive look so they could think twice before even trying to touch him. Many just froze on the spot with the sudden display of hostility coming from the nickit, something that was noticed by Clara, which prompted her to pick him up and walk away from the crowd.

"Hey Jimmy, what just happened to you?" the zoroark asked him while holding him on her arms.
"I don't want to be with them... I don't..." Jeremy shocked his head while gripping her arms tightly.
"Is something wrong?" Brandon asked as he approached.
"I don't know, but seeing those kids agitated him quite a lot"
The absol noticed that Dawn was exiting the area, probably to get those that still had to show up. "Why don't we go to the stream and we talk a little, Jimmy?"
The nickit only nodded.

More than heading to the stream directly, they followed towards the edge of the clearing, way outside the congregation of pokemon. There, Brandon decided to scratch Jeremy's head, as he was seen by the kid as a sort of older brother who not matter how difficult things were, he would always make a space for his younger sibling. It was also the reason that Erika could in many cases leave the nickit under his care, which she immediately returned the favor to not abuse his good disposition.

"Are you okay now?" Brandon asked him.
"Some... somewhat" Jeremy lowered his ears.
"That's good" the absol let him take another moment. "Do you want to talk about it?"
"I... I'm not sure"
"Well... I'm worried, so is Clara"
"Yeah" the zoroark nodded, also patting the kid. "You never acted like that when your parents decided to bring you to the main base. Even with Ruby and Zippy you were quite happy to be with them"
"They're different" Jeremy looked at the stream.
"Just take your time, Jimmy. None of us is blaming you for acting like that. We just want to know what drove you to keep the other kids away from you"

It took some time for him to build enough courage to say what was weigthing his heart heavily. Just like Erika and Adolf before them, both Brandon and Clara became more aware of how the conflict deeply affected him. Not only he lost his original parents, he also didn't have an easy time in the orphanage of Mancalet with his isolationism. That should've covered why he didn't trust any kids of his age, but he continued. When the pyroar and the floatzel adopted him, his life was slowly climbing from the hole he was into and improving in a complete different way. However it wasn't until his journey to Kentares that he was not only attracted to how people lived there, but also put a wall between himself and his people, that is to say other lahgenians.

"In other words, you believe that the people in this continent shares nothing with you anymore" Clara could see that even at his age, he developed some resentment to a continent that looked more like a shadow of its former self.
"I don't feel it's my home anymore" Jeremy admitted. "And the other kids... I'm not like them. I don't believe in the same things as they do"
Instead of saying a lot, Brandon places his paw over his back. "I know that feeling"
"You do?" the nickit looked at him.
"Yeah... with how the bad guys we're fighting in my continent, I don't know if it will ever be the same after we liberate it" the absol sighed. "But I can be certain that we'll build a better home on top of the ashes of the old, as long as the foundation is still in place"
But what about what you've seen from the outside? Don't you think the separation is now greater?"
"I know that the outside world is changing faster than what our people can catch up. But a friend of mine, a mightyena once told me: well, then we have to adapt, because life is not stopping because we ask. If you apply it to you situation, instead of being born or discover your place in Lahgenias, you can make one"
"I'm not sure if I can..."
"You're still young, so you have a lifetime ahead of you to figure what you want to do in life. Also, if the circumstances allow it, I would want to introduce you to another kid I was taking care of before coming here"
"Who?"
"A spearow called Stuart. I believe you could be friends with him if you want someone to share your interests"
"You think he'll like to talk about computer programs and even the video games I got my paws on while on that other country?"
"I'm certain he'll be interested, and maybe you could introduce him to the outside world. However, before that happens, I would ask you to behave like we're talking with Dawn and the others. Remember that your parents want you to know how you should handle conflicts and what you did before was not the best approach"
"Oh... it just..."
"Just refrain to show anger when it's not called for. I can help you out with it, but you must promise you won't be too hostile to anyone, okay?"
Jeremy nodded.

From the side, Clara had to give it to Brandon to turn his attitude around to calm him down and to follow through with the promise. She knew that Jeremy didn't have too much problems with the people around him. In fact, Alfonso's childish behavior from time to time was the closest thing the nickit had to a friend when it came to have fun, and Ruby's gentle attitude meant a couple of hours of casual conversation during a normal flight. The problem she saw was that it was only pokemon that had more ties with the world than Lahgenias he was getting into contact lately and he wanted to be a part of it, remembering a particual circumstance during the off-duty hours of the summit. However that didn't excuse him to become more intolerant with the people of his homeland as someone like her didn't harbor any hate or resentment to other lahgenians. I might have to talk it with Erika later about it, the zoroark thought.

After a few minutes all the pokemon called by Dawn gathered in a circle and discussions began in earnest. Brandon sat atop of a small rock as some suggested to be visible among the crowd. Besides him were Clara sitting at his right with Jeremy between her arms, Sabine was hanging at her left but not exactly paying too much attention as she was not the kind of ninetales to solve things peacefully, Craig remained at the edges keeping an eye out on the surrounding area as a sniper, and both Riela and Zack were at another side of the circle. As well, while the latios suggested to Sol, who switched sides with Luna before, to let him handle the meeting, she decided she was going to be a part of it, believing she could also offer some ideas for everyone to consider. He didn't want to at all if considering why he was doing it in the first place, but her determination finally won over him and she stayed.

"I thank all of you for answering my call" Dawn gave a little bow to those around him when everyone went silent. "As many of you know, there are tales of the conflict being reignited through Lahgenias. Some of you have done their best to put those fires down before it could cause more needless suffering, but the warmongers of the Resistance and the Corrupted want to resume the war once they've recovered completely"
"You're not completely wrong there" Zack nodded. As one of the very few that saw how Mewtwo and Drake acted when they were far away from Lahgenias and how some discussions played with some of the members of the delegation, including Wild Boar and Miranda, there was the underline tone that the war would not be solved by talking nicely unless both sides had no other choice but to do so.
"There's still enough time, right?" Markus pointed out. "I may not know completely how they currently work, but my gut tells me they dealing with some internal problems and probably won't fight against each other until their home fronts are more or less clean"
That's quite the assessment from his part, Riela could feel that the cacturne knew more than he showed with his relaxed attitude.
"Even if that's true, we might need more if we want to bring peace to Lahgenias" the latios believed.
"Then what is the plan?" Brandon calmly asked. "We can't go out there without an idea of how you want to accomplish such endeavor"
"Well... that's what we need to figure out" he sighed. "So please, all of you, give your ideas in how we can settle the conflict"

There were many ideas of how to bring peace thrown out there by many pokemon, excepting the members of the Sons of Liberty and associates who were letting others express their opinions and for a certain thievul to measure the social temperature of those around him. Some were far too idealistic than others. Some assumed certain conditions that could work in one area but fell apart when they changed. And there was also the conflict of interests when it came to make people agree on something. In short, the desire of end the war was there, but with so many backgrounds and so many beliefs in how to tackle the problem based on their experiences, it meant that finding a common ground was quite hard. In some cases there were circumstances that pokemon from even the same faction would begin to argue among themselves like who was going to put some resources on the table.

Zack saw many parallels between this gathering with the kentarian summit, with the glaring difference that one needed some experience in the political world to not get trampled in the machinations of those who would want the bigger slice of the cake. The other was convincing the local population to form an united front, designating representatives and showing to Lahgenias that they had enough of all the misery the war had brought. Considering that the corruption was adapting more and more to its environment and that the priorities of both warring factions changed during and after the Sigma incident, he believed that the chances of the Pacifist were not completely unrealistic, but still was plagued with the many caveats.

First of all being who was supposedly going to lead the pacifist front. With some groups being represented in the gathering but not all of them, there was no way to encompass all lahgenians in at least the next couple of months. And even that was a task that required some negotiation skills, given that some would like some "rewards" for accomplishing such noble quest. If there was something Zack knew way too well was that everything, even peace, had a price. That meant the one who would be at the head needed to be largely unbiased about Lahgenias as a whole. I have the funny feeling where that would be going, the thievul thought.

The second was where the Pacifist should gather all of their supporters. If it was in any of the places were the conflict barely reached them, they didn't have to worry about being caught in the crossfire and could plan in peace, but the distance to get to where they needed to be would be much larger and logistics would become a bit of a problem, at least in the current state and not including the Sons of Liberty's allies. However if it was where "the potatoes burned", the problems reversed.

And lastly, at least as far as Zack and Riela were aware of, the social, economic and political situation of the Resistance and the Corrupted, which could make even more problems if not addressed. Based on the information they had available, Drake was holding back his faction as much as he could to give Mewtwo a chance of rethink what he was doing. With him gone and currently being transported by Kai and his squad, the possibility of an aggresive leader taking his place was high, which meant offensive operations in corrupted territory.

Now the case of the opposite faction was... complicated to say the least. For one there was Evonza, who claimed the title of being queen of Lahgenias because Mewtwo granted her that. Between some conversations he had in Kentares with both Amy and the legendary, there was frankly a low chance she would just stop the conflict unless she got the unconditional surrender of the Resistance, something the southern faction would just laugh at. After all, her credibility, not her leadership, as a monarch was questionable, and probably the least suited for peace talks. There were other elements that Mewtwo admitted were out of his control at that point, and with the policy of trying to not interfere with the lives of his subordinates... that made things more difficult all around.

"What do you think?" Riela asked him through a whisper while the discussion was getting to the branches.
"In all honesty... it would take them several months if not a few years to get a solid front to put a huge wedge between the Resistance and the Corrupted" Zack sighed. "If they asked for help to any outside organization like those that defended pokemon rights or any country that wouldn't mind sending peacekeepers... I would give maybe a year to have that sorted out"
"And there's a lot of assumptions being thrown around... however Dawn appears to take them" the suicune saw that the latios was nodding to the suggestions that made sense to him.
"I'm beginning to worry that his desire for peace is affecting him in more ways that he lets out" the thievul frowned. "And by just saying he wants to find a way to settle the conflict just like that... he's hiding the reason behind it. Not even the other pacifists went too far to throw a bucket of cold water to Lahgenias"
"Yeah... we better keep an eye on him"

It was then that the discussion began to head towards what peace meant to them. It was there that the different points of view began to collide. For some it was that the corrupted would not be persecuted because they had a virus and was right now a lot less aggressive than when it first appeared. For others, like Torch, it was the corrupted would stop going rampant again if the cure was properly developed. And those that were dreamers believed that everyone could live without hating one to another and all would work together to overcome any hardships and be happy after them.

Strangely enough for Zack, the cacturne Markus demonstrated to be very flexible during the discussion. While stating his opinion in a similar fashion of the dreamers, he heard the concerns of both the Resistance and Corrupted guests, doing something akin to what Brandon had to on his side of things and trying to find some commonality between the two groups. While some agreed with his explanations, others remained a little stubborn with their beliefs, to which Markus decided to "twist" the arguments so to speak, leaving those pokemon in a state of confusion about what they were even talking about.

However, as the discussion was continuing with apparently no ending in sight, Dawn noticed that Brandon, Riela and Zack remained quiet thought the whole thing, never expressing their opinions even once. He then decided to ask everyone to be quiet for a moment as he turned his attention towards them.

"Um... guys? I've seen that you haven't said anything for a while" he pointed. "Do you have some ideas?"
"We have some" Zack nodded. He then eyed Brandon. "You don't mind if I speak in behalf of all of us?"
"No problem on my end" for things that required some good planning and the concept of seeing the bigger picture, the absol could count on the thievul to handle that. After all, the leader of the group in Lahgenias was Zack, not him.
"Thank you" the fox nodded and looked at the latios. "Well, the suggestions I have are... a bit complicated, so bear with me, because for a problem you're presenting to us there is no easy solution, at least not that would appear with the snap of my fingers"
Dawn only nodded.

Zack, with the help of Riela, first explained with some technicalities the problems he detected while hearing the suggestions, grouping them in the three main issues he was examining and how they should tackle them. In summary, what the Pacifist needed to do in order to reduce the conflict to the point it was a stupid endeavor to keep it alive was to organize themselves as a solid faction that would in some capacity be able to do more than just surviving.

For that end, they needed a pokemon that most if not all pacifists could rally behind, a place to gather and plan their moves and actions through Lahgenias, find the way to remain connected across the territory, convince some influential figures of both the Resistance and the Corrupted that had ties with the leaders to de-escalate the conflict, and frankly keep the goal in mind regardless of differences. However, Zack warned it was only the first steps in order to consolidate the faction as a group that wasn't at the mercy of the other two, which for that needed some form of defense. To actually work towards peace it was a very slow process if they had to consider every background and convincing even the most entrenched hardliners to make them see it was enough conflict for a lifetime.

"So, in other words, you're saying it would require a lifetime of effort" Markus deduced.
"For anything that is worthy, a six-month process is unrealistic in the best of cases" Riela pointed. "And if you want an everlasting peace, it's a constant work that could only bear fruit years down the line"
"But that's way too long" Dawn didn't look convinced. "Isn't there a faster way?"
"There is, but not the one you like" Zack sighed.
"Why is that?"
"Because if you take it, you should change the Pacifist name of the faction for something like the Neutrals or similar" the thievul fixed his eyes on the latios. "The option we're mentioning is to talk in the language they understand, conflict"
"Hmm... that defeats the point of working our way to peace" the cacturne frowned. "I can see that bringing peace to Lahgenias is not going to be an easy road, but taking the way you're saying it, that peace would come when we're quite old"
"We're just taking the current state of affairs through the continent to make our suggestions" the suicune commented. "And that is considering that things remain relatively the same, which they aren't most of the time"
"I can agree with that" Markus nodded. "If you excuse me for asking, what's your posture about peace? I'm asking because aside of your absol friend over there, you two look like you're part of some militia that I don't recognize"
In other words, you were a soldier once, Zack deduced, remembering how the cacturne fought when Sigma was rolling all the way towards them. "If you want our opinion on the matter, I'll quote someone that can describe ourselves in our purest state" he cleared his throat to continue. "Peace is an unnatural state for pokemon society. And that war is a constant threat to our relationships with others. So, to achieve peace, we have to create it ourselves. Crying about it won't bring it about, or make it last. Each one of us must go and seek it out"
"And you won't find it without making sacrifices" Riela added.

There was a moment of silence among those gathered around. For many, conflict was part of who they were since the days they had to fight to survive and wonder if they would make it to the next day, thus repeating the cycle until they gathered to form cities and agree on certain things to cut the violence, at least at the branches. There wasn't anything wrong to not like conflict as a society, but there was a limit when a pokemon would just receive punches before returning them. That survival instinct still embedded within their brains was still configured with two basic orders: fight or flee. And that was something Dawn was not okay with it.

"Let's just focus about your suggestions you said earlier" the latios preferred to change the topic back to the original discussion. "You said something about having a pokemon that most pacifist could rally behind, right?"
"Do you have someone in mind that could fit the role?" Zack was seeing he had one, and was guessing it involved someone that already did what he said.
"I was thinking..." Dawn then looked at Brandon. "He could be the one"

Most faces turned their gazes towards the absol, who gulped at the suggestion. Sabine for her part narrowed her eyes with a not-so friendly expression and even Sol looked a little worried. The two personalities of the latias knew at some extent that he was not a lahgenian and had other reasons to be in Lahgenias, however she and Luna never mentioned anything to Dawn as a respect to the Water Guardian and sympathizing with the problems he had as a member of the Sons of Liberty. Latsly both Zack and Riela were, to put it blunltly, not going to agree with it. The thievul suspected a little hint of desperation if the latios was trying to keep his squad member stuck in the continent.

"M-me?" Brandon believed he didn't hear that right.
"Yes" Dawn nodded. "You rallied many of our people during the days that chaos was rampant across the continent. They also respect you compassion and you way of handling things. I believe you can help us in being that beacon of hope"
"Dawn... I don't think that's a good idea" Sol intervened.
"Why not? He helped in deescalating conflicts not long ago. If there's someone the Resistance and the Corrupted will listen to, it's him"
"Brother..."
"I regret to inform you but Brandon is not available to take that role" Zack cut in. "He has enough problems already to try to be the visible face of the Pacifist"
"Like what? He came here to help us out" the latios wasn't giving an inch.
"Wrong. He came here because I asked for volunteers to come to Lahgenias. In other words, as the one in charge of the tabiran group, I'm not allowing you to take Brandon away"

That sent some shockwaves across those gathered there. Zack would've preferred that Dawn would've picked someone from Lahgenias instead of Tabira to avoid this kind of moment, but seeing he was acting almost out of impulse to reach his goal, he had to bring back his old honchkrow side and show who is boss. That also meant corroborating what Markus was suspecting, but he was in a strong position to not answer any questions, at least those that put his group in jeopardy.

"I... I don't understand" Dawn shocked his head a couple of times. "If he's under your... then why..."
"Brother... I think you should let them explain first" Sol suggested to him.
"Sister?"
"... You're not seeing their full story. That's all I can say to you"
"And I would prefer if we do it a little apart from the main group" Zack suggested.
"Zack... do you believe it's a good idea?" Riela looked a bit skeptical.
"If the point has to go across, then so be it" the thievul sighed, but knew he had to be a little restrictive with some things. "Brandon, come with us. I think it's time that Dawn knows your struggles"
Brandon only nodded and eyed Sabine, who placed a paw over his. "Go dear. Let him know that if he's so willing to put you at the head, then he's willing to fight for you on the liberation of our homeland. Show him that peace is earned, not begged"

He wasn't exactly okay with the direct approach of the ninetales, but he knew he was not in a position to help the Pacifists beyond of what he could and had already the desire to return to those he cared about and left behind. So, he joined Zack and headed towards the stream where a reluctant Dawn followed.

----------------------------------------------------------------------

[Previous]
[Next]

Second task of the Pacifist half-done, maybe? Oh boy, we have some drama now.

Cameos:

- Sol/Luna belongs to
- Dawn belongs to
- Markus and Torch belong to

Story belongs to
Pokemon belongs to Nintendo
Art and personal characters belong to me