Searching Far and Wide

[intricate_engineer]

Glen was creating a prototype for a new gate design. It was meant to be affordable and provide quick transport between individual homes. She tests several objects and a rat and everything seems to be working.

She steps through. Instead of finding herself in the room next door, she finds herself standing on a sidewalk in an empty city. The buildings are tall and perfect, colorless with doorways far too tall for any human. The roads have no straight lines and twist in on themselves. There is no life or sound.
Glen tries to stay calm. She begins to walk along the road, randomly opening doors and exploring buildings that are as silent as the rest of the world.

She opens a door that she hopes will lead onto a roof and is instead met with warmth, and soft noise, and color.

Comments

[the_very_best]

"I mean, sure, they're little when they're in eggs and they get bigger even if they don't evolve, and really old 'mon slow down and wear out and if they've got fur that wasn't already gray or white it can turn that way..."

[intricate_engineer]

Glen nods.
"That makes more sense then them staying static their entire life. How do you train them if they are constantly trying to kill you?"

[the_very_best]

"You catch 'em. They won't tend to try to kill you once you've done that, it's sort of like a low-fi psychic connection - that's why people can't have an arbitrary number. And from there you build up a relationship and teach them how to do what you say. I got my first one from my mom, though, he was already partly trained up, and I traded for some of my others."

[intricate_engineer]

"How intelligent are they?"

[the_very_best]

"Depends a lot on the 'mon. They can't talk, but they can get to understanding really well, my smartest is really bright. My dumbest is like a brick with leaves."

[intricate_engineer]

"Do any of them have human level intelligence?"

[the_very_best]

"Legendaries are supposed to have that or better. You hear the very occasional rumor about a 'mon learning to talk, a regular 'mon I mean, but I've never seen one and you'd think they'd go on TV."

[intricate_engineer]

"I think every world has those sorts of rumors. I don't take them too seriously either. What are legendaries?"

[the_very_best]

"One-of-a-kind rumored-to-exist Pokémon which are mostly reputed to talk - or have communicative telepathy - and be very smart and powerful."

[intricate_engineer]

"Do you believe they're real?"

[the_very_best]

"I'm hoping so, I'm looking for them. They're also supposed to be immortal."

[intricate_engineer]

"If that's true, it's even rarer than magic."

[the_very_best]

"Is it?"

[intricate_engineer]

Glen nods.
"We've found a lot of ways to help people live longer, but any actual immortality we've found couldn't be widely shared."

[the_very_best]

"Why not?"

[intricate_engineer]

"Magic is usually tied to the universe it's from and can't be spread to other worlds or people from them. Sometimes it doesn't work outside that universes's borders at all."

[the_very_best]

"Oh. Well, that's damned inconvenient."

[intricate_engineer]

"I'm hoping we find an exception. Magical worlds are extremely varied and there are a few whose magic can spread. They just don't have immortality. Maybe your world will be the lucky one."

[the_very_best]

"Well, I haven't found any legendaries to ask about it yet."

[intricate_engineer]

Glen raises her glass.
"I wish you luck!"

[the_very_best]

"Thanks!"

[intricate_engineer]

"I suppose your world doesn't have inter-dimensional gates then?"

[the_very_best]

"No? I mean, unless you count the door to here."

[intricate_engineer]

"Eh. It was unlikely. I guess I'll keep asking around and trying the door."

[the_very_best]

"What's the matter?"