He smiled back at Cait's delight, mirroring her much like a child realizing they were doing something right. Though his brilliant joke had flown under the radar, he nonetheless rubbed his chin thoughtfully at her words.

Tyrunt or Aerodactyl, or Metagross and Dragonite. So, either Fossil Pokémon, or borderline Mythical Pokémon.

One side was scientifically inclined, the other learned more towards faith.

For once, his expertise on insects came in as relevant, the youth scratching his chin as he leaned back on the pews.

"Dunno which one's right, but I think Anorith or Kabuto would have a better chance than chompers and the flying one, goin' off fossils." He said. "Life began at the sea, and what not! But... I'll ask my Armaldo later just to make sure."

Knowing the bugger, he would claim not only that the Anorith line were the first in existence, but that HE was the first pokémon in existence.

"Hn... I guess that would make sense, but..." He squinted, brows furrowing together as his digits tapped at his chin thoughtfully. "Why can Ditto and Smeargle do it, too?"

FERNANDO SILPH's bloody pain in the ass Smeargle was seared into his memory, copy-pasta piece of sh-

"Oh, yeah! What's that about? How did it go?" He said, placing his hands at the pews between his thighs, leaning closer. "I've actually read some books hypothesizin' Humans might be pokémon too, but..."

He held up his hand, doing absolutely nothing with it. Which was probably the point.

"We're pretty darn borin' pokemon if we are." He said, scratching at his chin. "Though I guess we still somehow came out on top. Go figure that out."

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TAG: cait alfric

"Mr. FERNANDO SILPH's Smeargle could transform just fine as well, I can assure ya." Doug said dryly. "Copied m'Kama down to the bone. Couldn't match her temper though."

But enough about that; the real focus here were them.

The youth brought his hands together and leaned his elbows atop his thighs as he leaned forward with interest.

Pokemon came from Mew in one way or another, but humanity was Arceus' creation. It's responsibility.

And the many choices it made regarding their aesthetics aside...

"In the first days." He said, echoing her words as he reached into his jacket to produce a net ball, staring at it. "But not anymore, I take it?"

One could hardly call what had become the norm to be equal standing.

"Do the sacred texts have anything on that?" He said, lips set on a thin line. Science certainly did, though it often sounded self serving in a way, attributing it to superior intellect, innovation, human ingenuity. The human brain sure loved singing itself praises at times.

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TAG: cait alfric

"Uh... The punishment... doesn't seem to match the crime." At all. Not being able to communicate with pokemon didn't seem like enough of a deterrent for their apparent rampant cruelty, in his opinion.

But what did he know? Apparently things were better now than they used to be.

"... Say, Ms. Cait." The youth said, gathering his hands together. His brows furrowed thoroughly, eyes fluttering close in deep thought. Was it something that he should ask her?

Was it something worth asking? He could well have been reading far too much into those words. How would Cait know anyway? Even she admitted she was just well educated on the subject; she was not a bishop or anyone with authority to make statements in such matters...

But she was someone whose word he would actually trust, which was more than he could say of any member of clergy.

"I was once told 'everything's part of God's plan'." He said, face blank.

When his mother died, some old lady whom he didn't know had said those words to him. He had no idea what they meant then, and he still wasn't sure of what they meant now.

"Is that right?"

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TAG: cait alfric

Cait said no.

The youth dropped his head into his awaiting hands, breathing in deeply and sighing before dragging them down his cheeks, fingers weaving together before both thumbs came to support his chin.

"So what is God's doing? What's his credit? What's his fault?" He wondered wryly, looking up at the glasswork on the walls. "Should I say thank you if I'm born rich? Is it my fault if I'm born poor, sick?"

Where they supposed to say thank you when the good happened and just take it up the bum when the bad came?

If one is born wrong, is it their own fault? 

Or should god, who demands adoration and adherence to their dogma, be held responsible for the fate of their sheep?

"If good or bad, everything's up to us and God does nothing- do I have to care about what they want from me?" He said, looking Cait in the eye.

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TAG: cait alfric

Being thankful for the chance at life... Cait was a truly wonderful person. She had probably lived through a lot of hardship, and still came to such a conclusion.

But not everyone was fortunate enough to even live their life, good or bad.

Though he did not pull away from her touch, the youth inwardly wilted under her warm gaze, unable to maintain eye contact with such kindness, guilt flooding his chest.

He did not feel about 'God' as Cait did. He did not think he could bring himself to, anymore. But he did not want to say or do anything to upset her.

Her words ended in a sentiment he could identify with, however. One he wanted to embody. He did not care much for himself- but protecting those he loved-!

"I will." He said, his gaze turning towards the window set above all others, iron will shining behind those black orbs.

Whatever it took.

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TAG: cait alfric