lieutenantantichrist | [21] Video/Action for Goldenrod

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[21] Video/Action for Goldenrod - "I'm gonna rule this world."

[In a square in the center of Goldenrod City, a small crowd has gathered. A show is about to start.

There's a crude stage that's been freshly hammered together. Near the back, a little Snubbull is tapping in the last few nails. The platform wobbles but holds as a man climbs up it, then takes a place at a podium in the center. He's wearing a white button-up shirt and, in concession to his ambitions, a tie. He looks toward the camera.] Hey, Newt. You got that thing running?

[The camera's view nods up and down.]

All right.

[He holds his arms up for silence. Then, when no one quite pays attention, he barks,] Hey! All of you! Shut up!

[That's much more effective. When the eyes of the curious onlookers are on him, he plants his hands on the sides of the podium and clears his throat.]

All of you. Locals, people from the real world, people from the fuckin' moon. You know me. See, I've been here a long, long time. Two damn years, and I know some of you have been here longer. I was thinking about that, and you know what I realized?

[His voice gets louder and clearer as he finds his rhythm.]

I realized I'm not a fuckin' tourist. None of us are. This is our world as much as it is theirs-- and nobody is doing dick to run it.

Look around. Everybody does whatever they damn well please, and that's real nice right up until the minute some idiot starts planting bombs around. The closest thing to somebody in charge is the police, and they're a goddamn joke who give terrorists a week picking up garbage and then set them loose again. There's nobody calling the shots.

That changes today.

[His boots thud on plywood as he tramps back and forth along the stage, and his speech takes a turn toward harangue.]

When bees and sharks came crashing through people's windows, who smacked them right back out? Me. When some moron went around shooting lasers at the city, who knocked him out of the sky? Me. When a couple armies of fire and water idiots tried to wreck up the place with giant monsters, who went out to stop them? [He jerks his thumb to his chest.] Me.

[His voice is getting louder and louder. The cords stand out on his neck.]

And I'm not some jumped-up fourteen-year-old who thinks he's magic. I've been around the block in the real world. I have decades on the front lines. I haven't just lead people, I've lead them into tenements full of crackheads with shotguns. That has to mean something, even here.

Somebody around here has to get shit in order, and I'm done waiting.

[His tread takes him back to the podium. He grips the sides with his coarse-knuckled hands and leans over it to look straight into the Gear.]

I'm not asking you. I'm telling you.

From now on, I'm the head honcho around here.

[He jabs his finger at the camera.]

Stand with me or get out of my way.

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[Blake is climbing down from the stage when the kid stops him. Tobias, he knows him.]

It doesn't matter if I wasn't the only one. The point is I stepped up and I was there.

[He watches the look on the kid's face. His brows draw together as he feels a hint of betrayal. He'd thought Tobias would get it.]

I thought you'd be on my side. I've heard you talk, kid, you know what happens when the people who should be in charge fuck off and don't take responsibility.

[His mouth hardens, and he keeps Tobias's gaze.]

Yeah. I've made that decision. Face to face.

I know what happens, yeah. I also know what happens when people try to control a world that isn't their own. You can be part of it, but who are you to say what's best for another world?

[Ignoring their own meddling in some other worlds, but... a lot of that was unavoidable.]

[Blake retorts immediately] What makes this world not our own? We got yanked here without even getting asked, we live here, we're part of the goddamn community. It's ours as much as anybody else's.

[He hears more feeling in his voice than he quite intended to put in it.]

Yeah, okay. Sure. The way you're talking is pretty much an overthrowing of the government here. Do you know how long it's been here? Because I don't. And I don't think that the natives will take too well to someone coming in and trying to push their leaders out, especially when you haven't lived here as long as they have.

... And given how long some people here have trained their Pokemon, I don't know that you're going to get too far before someone fights back.

[There's a big paw on his shoulder as Rachel tries to keep her trainer calm. Usually she's eager to fight, but... this isn't the place.]

Kid, I don't know if you've been paying attention, but there's nothing around here to overthrow. The closest thing to leaders is the people who run the gyms. They don't even do anything but get in magic animal fights and hand out prizes. There's a job to be done and nobody's doing it. I don't see why it shouldn't be me.

[The stubborn look on Blake's face makes him and the bear look remarkably similar.]

I'm not an invader, I'm a damn concerned citizen.

There's the Elite Four... in theory. And yeah, there's a lot of problems... but I can't see you running things democratically. I mean, correct me if I'm wrong, but you don't seem like the kind of guy who likes compromise.

[Neither does the government at home as far as he can tell, but he's not even old enough to vote.]

Right, the Elite Four. Hell of a ruling council. When's the last time you saw their faces?

I don't need to compromise. I'm running unopposed here.

[That inspires confidence, right?]

But when it comes down to it, I'm a reasonable man. I'm somebody you can talk to, instead of just yelling at the sky.

Yeah, but - look, what are you going to do if someone does something you don't like? What's your plan for being just, rather than just tossing someone in jail?

[He's still not buying it, really.]

You got a problem with throwing terrorists in jail for good, instead of giving them a week and tossing them right out on the streets again?

[He watches Steve hand out fliers to the crowd, and gets an idea.]

If you're that damn worried about it, you could always be a judge yourself.

I never said that. I just have a problem with people not getting a fair trial.

[... And about that part.]

I uh. I don't know that I'd be the best judge. I mean... I've done some pretty illegal stuff, too. Not here, but...

[Rachel nudges him and he nearly falls over. What's wrong? Losing your nerve, Trainer?]

[Blake snorts as he sits down on the edge of the stage.]

If every judge had to be a saint, all the benches in the world would be empty.

The only fairness in this world - any damn world - is what you make. It's like anything; if you want somebody to do it right, you do it yourself.

... I guess that's true. That's part of the reason we've never added people to our group for long.

[There was David, but... we don't talk about David.]

That's right. You keep it to the people you know, the ones you can rely on.

Like you. If you're worried about things going wrong, the best way to make sure it doesn't is to step in yourself.

Edited 2015-03-16 08:52 (UTC)

I just don't want people to get carried away with this stuff. I don't know things about law. I draw, I don't study law...

[And what if he passes a bad judgement? He's not sure if he's the best person for that kind of thing.]

That's not a bad thing. The guys who think they know the law back and forth and the sun shines out of their ass, those are the shitty judges you have to look out for.

Besides, it's not like we're sending anybody to the chair.

[Blake looks up at the sky.] Here. Try one out.

When I catch this mad bomber asshole who's been running around, what do you say we do with him?

Yeah, since I'm pretty sure no one can die here.

[... That's a good question.]

For starters, make him clean up the mess he made. Have him repair stuff by hand - not with his Pokémon. Teach him a skill that he can use and get up close and personal with the people he hurt. It might not work, since I don't think anyone who blows up buildings is really totally sane, but going face to face with the people he's hurt might get the guilt to start kicking in.

Exactly. So you're not going to have to deal with any murders.

[Blake nods through his answer.]

That's a certain kind of nasty. I like it. I doubt that kind of asshole has any guilt to work with, but it'd be a pain in his ass all right.

Well, if you've got that kind of person, no matter what you do it's not going to stick, so you might as well make them do something that's useful as long as you can hold onto them.

Hah! Work 'em to get something out of the asshole, huh?

I like the way you think, kid. The job'll be a good fit.

I... well. I guess I could give it a shot.

[He still thinks this is a bad idea, but someone's got to make sure Blake doesn't go too far out of line.]

All right!

[Blake claps him on the shoulder.]

Consider yourself Chief Justice.

Don't worry, kid, I won't make you wear a robe.

[This is the worst idea. But he doesn't flinch when Blake claps him on the shoulder.]

[... Rachel, however, leans over him to stare at Blake. She doesn't make any noise, but she gives him a definite 'I'm watching you' glare.]

I don't think you'd want to see me in a robe, anyway.

[If by worst you mean best.

For everything Blake is, he isn't a coward. When a bear stares at him, he looks it in the eye and stares right back.

He only breaks it to give the kid a grin.] You'll do a damn fine job. Welcome on board.

[... Welp. Rachel just... tugs at Tobias in the most gentle way she can.]

... Thanks. I think... uh. I think she wants me to get going.

[Blake waves his hand.] Take him away, bear.

I'll let you know when we have a headquarters set up.

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[21] Video/Action for Goldenrod - "I'm gonna rule this world."

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