Search results

"Thanks, but... There's only so much that can do." Especially when I don't know what to focus on. She wondered how blunt to be with him. He was only trying to help, even if it wasn't very helpful. "If it was that easy, I wouldn't have this problem."

How was she supposed to explain this to a Zoroark? Especially one as dense as this guy? "It's not about having a 'good heart' or not. It's not just the thought that counts here! I can't restore populations with The Power of Friendship and Positive Thinking. It takes a certain kind of person. A...

Lillie nodded. "Yes, human tech is quite impressive. My bag should have some of it, wherever it ended up. Any trainer can use a spray bottle, but the long-term rehabilitation is more difficult, and the conservation of at-risk species even moreso. It's complicated than just being nice." For me...

"I want to..." She paused for a moment. "Uhh, context: The pokemon in my world don't talk, or build and live in towns, and they certainly don't have things like reviver seeds." She wasn't sure if conservation would be seen as weird in this world. Still, there was no backing down now that she'd...

"I struggle to be a functional member of society. Yes, my mother wants me to be functional." Lillie grumbled, not sure if she was irritated with Kora or herself. "But that's because she cares about me, not because she's taken over my life."

"I see," Lillie murmured, trying not to think too hard about how familiar that felt to her. Her father hadn't been like that, at least. "They... choose to stay? Have any of them... told you why?" No. Don't think like that. You'd be stuck as a Mimikyu. Imagine trying to live the rest of your...

"We have a responsibility," Lillie recited. "She doesn't just put pressure on me for her own sadistic pleasure. It's just the world I was born into. I guess in worlds like this one or yours, anyone can run off and do whatever they please. In my world, I have a duty." Maybe I'd just be better...

Lillie paused. "I guess." She stopped to think for a moment. She felt like that didn't apply to her. "But my Mother wasn't raising me to be baker or a hero. It was the kind of thing you need to learn from a young age. And it was important. Someone had to do it, and my, uhh, brother... he left...

Lillie let out a humourless laugh. Good at keeping calm, am I? "Yes. Keeping an even keel something that I've been taught by Mother. Part of the reason I am as functional as I am. Would it be right of me to throw that away in favour of whatever kind of dysfunctional mess suits me?"

Wow, that last bit was really... hard to parse. Aside from that Lee was indeed a jerk. "I don't think I'll take any advice from him on how to be a responsible person. Sounds like talking advice on being kind to Corsola from a Mareanie."

"Well, she wanted me to be an adult. I can't just avoid that." Lillie sighed. "I know you want to me be in the right... and I appreciate it. But it's more complicated than that."

"She was angry with me." Lillie puffed out her... cheeks? She kind of still had a face. "I was rude with her when she was trying to help me. She's trying... or was trying to raise me into someone capable, and I was fussy about it."

"I was angry with Mother. Thought I'd spite her. I did." She hates me now, that's for sure. Even though that orb might not have been her really talking, it doesn't take a magic orb to tell me it's what she thinks now. Lillie sighed. "It's just that she turned out to be right. She was trying to...

Lillie scoffed. "Just because I didn't want it doesn't mean it was unfair. It was a direct consequence of my own actions. I was warned it would happen, I ignored the warnings, it did happen. That's as far from unfair as you can get. It's natural consequences." Is he about to give me the same...

Lillie laughed. "I'd prefer anyone over him, really." Confusing and unfair, though... Those words felt off to her. Like they didn't apply to her. "I don't know if what happened to me was really unfair," she said, her tone rapidly sombering. "Up until yesterday, it was just the world operating...

"Of course it doesn't. If I said I was alright, you would've rightly concluded that I was lying. With everything that's happened since I got here, I am not alright in an obvious way." Of course, it wasn't quite true to imply today was the beginning and end of it. For all his density, he seemed...

Lillie stopped and thought about what to say before answering. That was a question that she'd have to answer carefully. She couldn't say no, but she said yes, he would know she was lying and assume the worst anyways. "I am as alright as one would expect."

Lillie grimaced. "Well, yes. Like I said, it was reflexive. A learned habit from my upbringing. There's no reason to read too much into it."

Oh no. What was he going to think about that? Lillie stepped back. "I, uhh, sor- Just. It was reflexive. Habit."

Lillie saw how guilty he looked, and immediately felt bad. He'd come to apologize, and she was just twisting the knife. She reflexively ended up saying "sorry" to him, even though it would probably just confuse him.