The Phantom may be done with Sylvia, but there are a lot of other complex issues that still need to be addressed in his organization. We'll be meeting a new character today!
Just a Bad Writer for Fun: Marion and Reed in the same room together interacting might be a little too much for everyone to take, unfortunately.
The Harmonium: The nature of Mechadolls is a complex one, let's settle for that. Misato will be explored in great detail, I promise.
KedharS: Yes, it definitely should be. And pretty exciting, too.
Pokemon Academy: Beginning of Beginnings
Chapter 807
Misato stepped aside, and in walked a slim blonde with petite features. Her hair tangled around her chin and shoulders, and her piercing blue eyes were locked into a stern glare.
"Hello, Ange," Valon greeted her with a smile. She nodded to him. Evangeline Moonshadow, or "Ange" as Valon called her, was a very unique member of his organization. Unlike most of the people who worked with him, he considered her as slightly more than just a disposable tool.
"I'm here because I wanted to talk to you about the project you proposed," she calmly stated. "I've made contact with the others, and everything is on course."
A smirk of triumph spread across Valon's face. This was just what he had been waiting for. "That's excellent, I'm glad to hear it."
Ange didn't show any trace of emotion. She didn't seem pleased by his statement, but that was just her way. She only nodded. "About that other issue… your special project…"
"You mean the Shadow Pokemon?" Valon asked.
Ange nodded again.
That was another thing that set Ange apart from the rest. She may have been involved in many of his endeavors, but she had no connection nor interest to the Shadow Pokemon. So as useful as she might have been, she still had that weakness holding her back.
Because she didn't have any Shadow Pokemon of her own. The Phantom had offered them, certainly, but she always rebuffed him by stating that her pokemon worked best they way they were; she didn't need them to be obedient tools, she valued them for who they were, and actually thought that they were her friends.
The Phantom didn't hold that against her, though. If she wanted to weaken herself, that was fine with him. It wasn't like he valued her for her combat abilities. The thing that mattered about her was her knowledge of history and lore; Sinnoh lore, to be specific.
Yes, unlike most other members of the Research Course, Ange didn't have much care for technology or modern research topics. Her heart was solely rooted in the past, and her love of the Sinnoh Region, or as she referred to it, the Hisuian Region.
The Phantom found it just adorable.
It might have been odd, thinking that someone like him with an eye on progress and the future would be interested in working with a girl aiming to be an anthropologist, considering he was only concerned with the development of his own interests; but Ange had her own uses. So he wasn't going to abandon her just yet.
He needed knowledge of Hisui and its ancient legends to further his own ambitions, and she was more than willing to lend a hand.
Valon sighed. "Ange, the Shadow Pokemon aren't anything that needs to concern you. It's not a factor in our plans."
Ange crossed her arms in front of her chest. "And why don't I believe that?"
Valon shrugged. "Ange, the abilities of Shadow Pokemon-"
"Oh, believe me, I know what they're capable of," Ange said. "But that doesn't mean I'm satisfied with your interest in using Shadow Pokemon in this upcoming endeavor. Using them on your own pokemon is one thing, but-"
"Ange," Valon sharply interrupted her, "I already said this doesn't concern you." He was done playing polite with her. This wasn't the first time they'd butted heads; and as useful as Ange's knowledge was for his plans, he didn't broke any disagreement. She was his loyal worker, and she was going to stay that way.
Ange was clearly put-off by his statement. She seethed at him, but kept her mouth shut. Valon smiled. That was exactly what he wanted to see. Ange may not have been much of a girl for technology or the future, but she was still a smart girl.
And luckily for him, he had the perfect leverage over her, and was skilled at making use of that leverage. Ange wanted something just like everyone else, and she knew that as long as she played ball and went along with what he wanted, then she would get it.
"Is there anything else?" Valon asked.
"The truth would be nice," Ange said. "When our plan is completed, you're planning on turning the fruit of our hard work into a Shadow Pokemon, aren't you, Phantom?" She asked. The glare she was wearing was all Valon needed to know about how she felt about THAT.
He smirked. "Well, if you've already figured it out to this extent, there's no point in my denying it, is there?"
Ange sighed. It was just as she feared. "I see. Well, in that case, there really isn't much I can say in protest, is there?"
"This is what you wanted as well, Ange, don't forget that," he chided. "We're both going to get what we want. We just have to finish things in the Orre Region, and then we'll have gathered all the pieces we needed. Once the Shadow Pokemon technology is perfected, then we can… well, I don't need to explain the technical parts to you, do I?"
Ange glared at him. She muttered something under her breath and turned away, stalking towards the exit in a huff.
"Ange," Valon snapped after her, Ange freezing in the doorway. She glanced back at him.
"What is it now?" She asked.
"I don't suppose I need to say anything to ensure your loyalty?" Valon asked. "I would hate to think that this would put a crimp in our partnership."
Ange's glare deepened. "No, you don't," she snapped. "We both want the same thing, after all. But you better keep up your end of the bargain, Phantom. I can still do quite a lot to take you down if I felt so inclined."
Valon snickered. Ange was such a fun one to play with. She made bold threats and was stalwart in her beliefs, but at the end of the day she would follow him like everyone else. Save Misato, she was the one whose loyalty he was most certain of.
Completing his masterpiece was practically her sole reason for existing; that dedication couldn't be bought or reasoned with. It was the perfect leverage to have.
Misato closed the door behind Ange and turned to the Phantom. "Is there anything else you require from me at this time?" She asked.
Now THAT was a curiosity. Misato seldom addressed him without him addressing her, first. Usually it was only when her circuits arrived at the conclusion that making a statement would be advantageous to the situation. Normally Valon would ignore her, but he was intrigued enough by her statement that he decided to follow it.
"No, not presently, why do you want to know?" Valon asked.
"I do not want anything. I asked you that question because it was necessary to know if there was anything else you required from me at this time," Misato replied.
It was one of the more annoying factors of a Mechadoll. Misato was so specific, so precise, that he needed to make sure he phrased his inquiries perfectly.
"Let me rephrase. What is the reason you found it necessary to know if there was anything else you required from me at this time?" He carefully asked, turning Misato's own words against her. He wanted to see how she would respond to that.
"It is necessary for me to receive consistent appraisal of my software and hardware configurations," Misato stated. "After leaving campus I will be separated from Oscar for a period of 44 days. It is necessary for me to ensure that I am performing perfectly. The reason I inquired was because I determined that this was the most opportune time to undertake my diagnostic. However, if there is anything further you require of me then I can postpone the diagnostic for a later time. Is that a satisfactory answer to your inquiry?"
Well. When she talked she certainly talked, that was for sure. Valon found it all very amusing. But he definitely didn't have an issue with that. He was finished with Misato for now, it was fine if she went to get her diagnostic.
"Fine, whatever," he said, waving his hand. "I don't mind."
"Clarification required. Is your statement 'I don't mind' an indication that my services are no longer required?" She asked. "If the determination that you no longer require my services for the remainder of the day is correct, then I shall take my leave."
"Yes, I won't need anything else from you for the rest of the day, you may 'take your leave'," Valon assured her. It was like pulling teeth with her, but he couldn't hold it against the Mechadoll. She was only doing what she was programmed to, and the occasional frustration was worth it for the efficiency and loyalty she displayed.
Misato turned and exited the room fluidly. She walked down the hall, back into the main room of the Sandbox, and contacted Oscar. Oscar prepared her for her full diagnostic. It didn't take very long at all, everything was in working order.
When the diagnostic was completed and Misato was fully functioning again, it would have been normal for her to report to the Phantom to see if there was anything more he required of her. It was the standard procedure of course.
But it wasn't what Misato chose to do.
The Phantom had stated he didn't require her services for the rest of the day. Therefore he didn't need her presence for the rest of the day, either.
Which meant she could go do something else if she desired. Not that Misato had anything resembling the concept of desire. Her actions were not dictated by wants the way humans' or pokemons' were. She made her decisions based on which action was the most necessary to fulfill her stated objectives, and if no actions were necessary she would remain stationary until she received orders.
The Phantom had not currently given her any orders. But she did not need any orders to act on for what she was doing. In order to perform her core programming of more precisely emulating a human being, it was part of her objective to further her research into humans; in particular, human friendships and relationships. That was the objective that her current actions were designed to complete, there was nothing more to it than that.
Misato went to Will's room and knocked on the door. Misato determined from the facial configuration of his expression that he was surprised to see her standing there in the hall. But she did not detect any traces of dismay or disgust.
"Good afternoon." She greeted him in the customary way, and replicated a smile as she knew was essential to completing a greeting.
"Oh, hey, Misato," Will said. "What are you doing here?"
"I came here in order to continue research on the development of relationships between humans," she explained. "Are you aware of the study trip that the third and fourth-year students are undertaking to the Orre Region?"
"…Yes," Will said, nodding. "I am quite aware of it."
"Confirmed. Then you are aware that it will be 44 days before we will make contact again, is the correct?" She asked.
"…Yeah, something like that," Will said, nodding. He didn't know exactly how long they would be gone, but that sounded about right.
And he still wasn't sure why Misato was standing at his door.
"…So why did you come here?" He pressed.
"I came here because we are parting soon and I determined to a degree of statistical significance that this would be the last opportunity I would have to inform you of that," Misato explained. It wasn't an explanation that Will could really process.
He rubbed his temples and considered what she was saying. "Okay, so… if I've got this right, what you're telling me is that you wanted to say goodbye?"
"Negative. I do not take actions based on emotional desires, so the concept of 'wanting' had no influence on my decision to come here," Misato said.
This. This right here was the kind of stuff that made Will want to scream in frustration. "Misato, you determined that it was necessary to say goodbye?"
"Affirmative," Misato confirmed.
"You didn't have to say goodbye to me," Will replied.
"Negative. You are an essential partner in furthering my understanding of human behaviors and relationships," Misato replied. "Therefore it is necessary to ensure your continued cooperation in this endeavor. It is imperative that our relationship is not only one with positive benefits for you, but that you are aware of my status at all times so that if there is any change you will be able to act in accordance to your role in respect to those changes."
"What changes are you talking about?" Will asked.
"For a period of 44 days I will be in the Orre Region," Misato explained. "Therefore for that period of time we will not be able to continue engaging in a romantic relationship in the way we have prior to this. That necessitates a change in our actions towards each other."
"Okay, yeah, fair enough, if you're in the Orre Region we can't go on, like… dates or stuff like that," Will said, glad his roommates were absent. He didn't need grief from them about him going on dates with a Mechadoll. "But what's going to change? Can't we just pick up where we left off when you get back to the academy?"
Secretly, Will was somewhat glad that his relationship with Misato would be put on pause for the next month. It wasn't like he had any issues with her, or else he wouldn't have agreed to it in the first place. But she was incredibly frustrating, and a major drain on his time.
And the fact that he couldn't even do anything to persuade her to change her actions was even worse. If this were a normal relationship with an actual human girlfriend he probably would have put an end to it a long time ago.
Misato's next words put a quick end to that brief dream.
"Negative. I determined that if there is no contact between the two of us for that period of time, the likelihood of a significant reduction in your feelings towards me would be increased to a statistically significant degree. This is not acceptable."
"Huh? Wait, you think that if you leave, I'm going to like you less?" Will tried to understand the logic she was working under; she was a computer, so in theory her thought process should be pretty easy to follow. That clearly wasn't the case right now, though.
"Affirmative. The number of couples that break up due to a prolonged loss of direct contact is statistically high. Therefore it can be determined that should we not make contact during this period of time there is a statistically high likelihood of our relationship coming to an end before I return to the Pokemon Academy," Misato explained. "For example, while I am in the Orre Region it is not a statistical impossibility that you would develop feelings for another girl in my absence and move on with her. This would not be permitted within the conditions of our relationship, so it is necessary that I reduce the likelihood of this happening to be statistically insignificant."
"…So you're afraid I'm going to cheat on you."
Misato had used a lot of big words and fancy speech, but at the end of the day the concern she was illustrating was fairly usual. She didn't want her "boyfriend" cheating on her while she was in the Orre Region and falling in love with another girl, breaking off their relationship.
It would almost be cute if it were motivated by human motivations and not the processing of an advanced AI.
Either way, Will was fairly certain that what she was saying wasn't true. After all, it wasn't like girls really showed that much interest in him, right? But he couldn't help but imagine that there was a chance of it after all.
Misato was the definition of a rational person, right? That means she wouldn't make such a statement if there wasn't a statistically likely chance that it could happen. So even if Will wasn't necessarily interested in getting involved with another girl, the fact that it could happen, and that it was likely enough to happen that Misato found it statistically significant, was a pretty pleasing thought to hear, he had to admit.
"You really think that there's a chance that another girl could have feelings for me, and we could end up in a couple together?" He couldn't help but ask.
"Affirmative. The likelihood of such an event occurring could not be rendered statistically insignificant regardless of the scenarios that I outlined," Misato said. It almost sounded like she was upset with that fact.
For an instant, Will thought he saw a spark of displeasure flash through Misato's eye, but in an instant it was gone and she was just her normal cold self. It must have been a flicker of the lights or something, because Misato wouldn't react like that.
"The smile you are displaying is not appropriate for this discussion," Misato said. "When an individual hears that there is a chance that they will cheat on their significant other the appropriate response is to assure the other party that such events would not happen, not to display pleasure at the thought of such an event occurring."
Oh, crap. Will had been grinning. He had to quickly hide that in order to-
Wait, Misato wasn't even human. Why was he concerned with making her mad, if she couldn't feel any emotions to begin with?
Either way, though, he was obligated to perform in a boyfriend role, so he swallowed the bullet and apologized. "Sorry, Misato, I didn't meant to smile at the thought of cheating on you." Even though being in a relationship with a real human girl would be nice…
"Understood. You are forgiven. While such actions are not permitted in a standard romantic relationship, the fact that our interactions are not presently reflective of an ordinary relationship necessitates that such allowances must be made," she replied. She looked almost pleased. "With that taken care of it is important that we determine the standards of communication."
"What? Communication?" Will had an idea of what that meant, and while it wasn't what he would want it was still better than the alternative, which was for Misato to be present.
"Affirmative, for the 44 days that I will be in the Orre Region we will be practicing what is known as a 'long-distance relationship'. I have outlined the necessary actions for you to undertake during this period in order to maintain a proper functioning relationship to the greatest degree of statistical significance." Misato presented him with a flashdrive.
"Uh… okay, I guess." Will said, taking the flashdrive.
"If you do not comply with the necessary actions, then additional measures will need to be taken," she continued. What would sound like a stern warning from a normal girlfriend sounded a hell of a lot like a threat of a drone strike from Misato's lips.
"D-Don't worry," Will muttered, pocketing the flashdrive. "I'll look at it, I promise."
"Affirmative. Then there is only one detail remaining to address," Misato said.
"Oh? What's that?" Will wasn't sure what else they had to take care of.
"It is customary in situations like this for a goodbye kiss to performed," Misato answered.
Aww. Misato is going to miss Will! Even if she doesn't quite get it yet.