[attr="class","header"]WHAT DOESN’T KILL YOU MAKES YOU STRONGER

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He loved college lectures. Maybe a bit strange considering his age. But he did. It was why when he had heard about this lecture he decided to attend. Just to see what the older male had to say.
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Since he kind of stuck out considering his age he kind of kept to the back. He was the youngest in the room. Which wasn’t to surprising considering his age. He was only thirteen after all. Most people his age wouldn’t be able to keep up with the topic he was talking about. Not unless they had genius level intelligence.
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So enamored with what he was talking about he didn’t notice time ticking away. It wasn’t until he brought up people looking towards the door that he thought to check the time. Looking at his watch he realized they had all been here longer than he had thought. Even so he couldn’t understand how anyone would be bored with what was being discussed.
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Looking down at the notes he had written he flipped his notebook closed keeping his pen there to bookmark what page he had been writing on. Ignoring the people leaving he stood up and made his way up to the front. The lecture had made him curious. He had always been interested in old artifacts. May it be stone tablets with a written language or pieces of pottery. It made him wonder if more stuff of old Unova had been found.
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Though for now he was focused more on those theories. He honestly didn’t know much about the history of Unova. He was also curious if maybe Unova could’ve been like Sinnoh at some point. Or old Sinnoh before it was Sinnoh and known as Hisui. That was just a thought.
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”I’ve enjoyed the lecture so far,” he said once the older male had noticed his presence. ”What were the brothers names that unified Unova or where their names lost to history. I admit I am not to familiar with Unovan history.”[break] howard slayte

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[attr="class","header"]WHAT DOESN’T KILL YOU MAKES YOU STRONGER

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So it seemed he didn’t really know the answer himself. The even some of the greatest scientists didn’t know that answer. Names being lost in history weren’t exactly uncommon but it did make him more curious. Just who were the brothers who had founded Unova. Perhaps it was something he could go over one day. Not now though. He couldn’t exactly go trekking off on his own to find answers.
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Well he did learn better visually thanks to his eidetic memory so he nodded. While he drew up the visual aid he thought some more over what he had been told. It did put him a bit out that he couldn’t do anything more to discover something about the brothers. But for now the least he could do was listen to the theories that other people had come up with. It was a start at least.
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Sinnoh. A region he knew more about. Thanks to his parents trips there. And yet it hadn’t been until he had come to Hoenn that he had learned about old Sinnoh or Hisui as it had been called. Back when Pokémon were still mostly wild and people were only just learning to form bonds with Pokémon. That was at least what he had gathered when he had been researching Mirage.
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”I did read a bit on Hisui since I have a Hisuian Zoroark and a Wrydeer from what I gathered it was a tough environment to leave in back than. Perhaps Unova was the same way at one point in time and that’s why the brothers worked to unify the region. After all if it was a tough environment I feel safety in numbers would’ve been more paramount so they eventually would’ve realized fighting amongst themselves wasn’t the best answer,” he said frowning slightly.
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If only people would still think that way. In his opinion they faced enough dangers from outside forces without fighting amongst themselves. But humans were notoriously selfish creatures. And there would always be those who wanted what they couldn’t have or had other selfish reasons for causing strife.
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The older male’s voice pulled him out of his thoughts. He was honestly a bit surprised that he was only just bringing up his age now. When he hadn’t before he had figured he had noticed and just dismissed it. But it seemed like that wasn’t the case.
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”I’m taking a few courses online but I prefer going to the lectures in person if I can make it. I’m also taking part in the gym circuit so sometimes finding time to come to a lecture can be hard,” he explained looking away. Talking about this kind of stuff flustered him, and he wasn’t sure why.
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When Howard asked him about his name he turned his attention back to the older male. ”My name is Absalom Steel.”[break] howard slayte

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[attr="class","header"]WHAT DOESN’T KILL YOU MAKES YOU STRONGER

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"I think I was named after a grandparent," he said with a shrug. "If you want, you can call me Axel. It's a nickname I go by," he offered the older male. Although it was obvious that it didn't matter what name he used. Adults, like his parents, preferred calling him by his given name, but some people preferred using his nickname. When it came to one's preference, it depended on the person.
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He listened to the explanation and nodded. Humans had a notable history of bloodshed. There wasn't a time in history where there wasn't some kind of conflict happening. It was something he had always found annoying. Why people couldn't just get along, he didn't know. Surely everything would be better if people could just set aside their differences and work together.
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But that wasn't the way things were. People were too busy being at each other's throats to get along. "Conquering another place usually doesn't work out for the better. Most of the time, it only brings more bloodshed. I suppose that's why I'm interested in stories of someone managing to pull something like that off for the better."
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He understood where the older male was coming from. Sometimes one just had to look at the facts. However, some people would argue that he looked too deeply into things, which often got him into trouble by unintentionally hurting someone's feelings.
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What he said about Hisui made sense, but he believed that regardless of the conflict, the people of Hisui would have been forced to mature quickly due to their harsh environment. He pointed this out, based on what he had read about Hisui.
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As he discussed his schooling, he mentioned the gym circuit as a reason for not attending college full-time. The older male became fixated on this, likely due to his age, but he chose not to mention that younger individuals also participate in the gym circuit.
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"Everyone has what they're good at. I have my strengths just as you have yours," he pointed out before continuing. "I only have one so far, but I'm getting ready to go for my second badge. I started a bit late since I had to get used to a new environment. I'm not originally from Hoenn," he explained.[break] howard slayte

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[attr="class","header"]WHAT DOESN’T KILL YOU MAKES YOU STRONGER

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As he talked about everyone having to start somewhere, he nodded in agreement. However, he acknowledged that if he had stayed in his home region, he would not be where he was now. He would probably still be shut away from the world, with the world going about its business without him. Even if that were not the case, he still would not have a gym badge to his name, as Alola did not have the gym challenge. Therefore, he was only where he was now because he had come to Hoenn, but he was not about to delve into that topic.
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"You have a point. I wouldn't be where I am if I hadn't come here," he said with a small shrug. He was not fond of discussing his life before Hoenn, as it had been lonely, with no one to talk to other than his family. He knew that if he had stayed, his life would still be like that.
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As he listened to Howard's explanation of the events that led to Unova's civilization, he nodded in agreement. It had worked out for the best for Unova, but that was not always the case when it came to conquering a place. Sometimes, it could lead to a dictatorship, although in Unova's case, it had saved many lives. However, sometimes death was the easier option, or so he had heard. Then again, he supposed he would not want to feel oppressed.
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"I think in most cases, conquering another region would lead to a dictatorship," he said with a shrug. He did not have anything else to say on the subject, and there was no point in continuing the conversation. Some would say that kids should stay out of politics anyway, but being told that did not stop him.
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Howard seemed to agree with him, and the conversation moved on. "I'm from Alola, which has no gym circuit. Instead, they do the island challenge. However, one cannot do the island challenge until they are eleven. I came here with my sister when I was ten, and my parents stayed back in Alola," he explained once he had finished speaking.
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"I know the history of Alola. My schooling covered the history of Alola, but I also learned through independent study since I was moved up to more advanced stuff. I have an eidetic memory, so I ended up moving ahead of my age group. However, I was homeschooled, then moved on to taking classes online. So if there is something I'm lacking, it would probably be social skills. My siblings say my social skills are better when it comes to something I'm interested in, though," he explained before realizing he had been rambling a bit, causing his face to heat up in embarrassment.[break] howard slayte

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[attr="class","header"]WHAT DOESN’T KILL YOU MAKES YOU STRONGER

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As he mentioned Alola being a good field of study, he nodded. "My dad is a Pokémon professor there. Before I was born, he would often go abroad to do his research. I know he had gone to Sinnoh quite a bit. But after I was born, his trips to other regions became less and less, and now he just studies Pokémon in Alola."
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There was always a part of him that blamed himself for his father's travels being put to an end. Perhaps if he had been born completely healthy, his dad wouldn't have had to put an end to his travels. After all, adopting his siblings hadn't caused any change in the way his parents did things. It had only been after he had been born that things changed.
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Of course, he had never shared these feelings with his parents. He knew what they would say. That his father's work goals changing wasn't his fault. His parents walked on eggshells around him, so they definitely wouldn't allow him to keep blaming himself.
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His thoughts were interrupted when the older male took out a pen and started writing something. Since he hadn't been dismissed, he figured it had something to do with him. Something that would be proven true when the older male started speaking.
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Well, that was a nice surprise. He was about ready to thank the older male when he mentioned writing a statement of praise. Something that immediately caused his face to heat up in embarrassment.
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"Thanks," he said once he had regained his composure.[break] howard slayte

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