Helping activate the genocide beam is a little hefty of a decision even for Lucki. I decide to contemplate the probable ethics for a bit and check out Sea Mauville. Maybe that’ll give me some ideas.

Observe the harmony between nature and the constructed elements. This is pretty neat, isn’t it? asks a sailor. Uh. It looks a lot like a beached ship that happens to have plants growing on it – and it’s mostly bare patches, so less nature than an actual island.

I feel like maybe they were thinking of something like

but that’s actually forested over quite significantly, so it comes off very differently.

Oh my, are you a tourist? I am a member of the nature preservation society that manages this site. Is there anything you would like me to tell you about Sea Mauville?

Actually, I’m curious if you guys are sure there’s no danger of toxins leeching out. Did you guys renovate this place to be safe, or did the place’s owners just not want to retrieve it and made a positive spin about things? I’m sorry if this sounds cynical but I just learned my cellphone’s running on souls.

Lucki, perhaps a little shy, instead contemplates more general questions. From the top, then:

What is this place?

This place was once a facility built to extract natural resources that can be found in the ocean.

Oh, so maybe the idea for this came from more like an oil platform despite looking like a regular ship.

However, a certain event lead to the facility’s closure.

Intriguing!

Normally, you would expect than an unnecessary facility like this one would be torn down. But an environmental survey carried out before new construction led to the awareness that a unique environment had risen here at Sea Mauville.

That actually does answer my question!

As a result, the demolition plans were shelved, and this space was reborn as a Nature Preserve.

So it’s a person is what you’re saying. Do you know if it has a gender? I wouldn’t want to be offensive calling somebody an “it”, you know.

You don’t know? Okay, well, also,

What is there to do?

The most easily recognizable feature of Sea Mauville is this building, which now tilts precariously into the sea. After being exposed to the elements for so long, the building’s support structures weathered and corroded, ultimately leaving the building in its current state. Please be careful where you step as you experience for yourself the awesome power of nature.

I’m not sure “try not to die” counts as a thing to do, explainy lady.

Also note the mangroves growing in this area. They are extremely rare trees and can only be found here and around Mossdeep City.

What, really? Jeeze, that doesn’t sound good.

Mangroves aren’t rare. They’re all over the coastal areas of their range, normally. There’s been massive die-back now that humans are around as we mess up water flow or directly poison them or whatever, but that has catastrophic impact on the rest of the ecosystem…are you saying you guys are already past that point and a cornerstone of the ecosystem is now just two tiny patches?

What’s all the more baffling is that going by Devon they already have free murder-powered energy, so pollution shouldn’t be an issue.

Lastly, I would like to point out that the interior of the building has been largely untouched in the decades following Sea Mauville’s closure–a fact that most of our visitors delight to experience.

Uh – why is the building remaining the same a selling point? I thought the idea was to see nature reclaiming things.

Well, those are the only questions Lucki’s willing to ask, so I guess I’m done.

Thank you very much. We are also fundraising for the preservation of Sea Mauville.

…What would that involve? You just told me that you’re letting the building fall down from exposure to the elements. What exactly do you need money to do?

Our request is $100 per visitor. Can we count on your support?

Sure, but I’d give you more than the that pittance if you could explain what you’re doing with it.

Thank you very much, and we hope you will continue to support our efforts in the future.

Your efforts to do what???????

Anyway, I head back down to get a better look, and yup, it’s structured like an oil platform.

And then up again! It really is lovely, with beautiful graphics and intriguing camera angles. There’s a bit where there’s long narrow platforms jutting out, and you can walk out to the edge of them and see the water far below.

Scientist!

I’m investigating this place Sea Mauville at Captain Stern’s request. He wanted me to look for a Scanner while I’m here, but I haven’t found anything yet.

I promise to find your lost friend!

I suppose the only place I haven’t checked yet is that lowest room you can only reach by diving underwater.

First, let me just thank everyone involved that at least that wasn’t blue-texted, just the “scanner” itself.

Second, he sent you to investigate a sunken ruin and neither of you thought diving ability might be necessary?

But I just hate having the water close over my head…

That sounds like something you probably should’ve mentioned to your boss.

And hey, random guy up on the tippy-top roof, what do you have to say?

Muhuhuhu… Good, good. I like it–I really do. This atmosphere, like it’s been forgotten in time…

…okay then, just that? Bye.

Time to descend!

There’s a pokemon ranger here.

Sniff, sniff… Just as I thought, a rare Pokemon must be hiding somewhere in this abandoned building. Girls are very sensitive to smell, so I know.

What.

The little boy happily running around a pitch-black, child-sized hole then informs me there’s rumors of some super awesome pokemon here, so I guess the ranger was just bullshitting me. But anyway, super pokemon! That is absolutely a thing Lucki wants.

I head into another room and inside…there is flavor text.

It’s a picture of a guy with an impressive mustache and stomach. He’s smiling with many men in jumpsuits in front of Sea Mauville.

Hey…if Wattson is all about electricity, which is energy…Devon calls their murder-based model “Infinite Energy” implying they generate a hell of a lot and use it for all their energy-related needs…then pokeverse electricity, or at least Hoenn’s, is likely supplied by Devon. So is Wattson aware of all this?

It’s an old shelf. A shattered tea cup with printed letters “Adversity” is on the shelf.

God, I missed flavor text.

A card is on the chair with warped legs. Some parts are missing.

Sea Mauv–e Employee I– C–rd
–a– –z–
Ware– team R, Storage Group –1

HMMMM

There’s one of those couple pokemon trainers and they tell me that also, there’s treasure rumors. Eh. Once you have god pokemon, the money thing takes care of itself.

I head out again.

When I was young, I worked here. Even though it was closed for Pokemon’s sake, looking at my old workplace deteriorating like this gives me mixed feelings.

That was left out of the official introduction, wasn’t it – she just said “a certain event lead to the facility’s closure” and spun it as if the aid to pokemon was leaving this place up so they could make it into a new habitat.

That’s all I can do on this level, as the other doors are either locked or blocked by small wooden crates, which are evidently harder to push aside than the enormous rocks I’ve been tossing around in strength puzzles.

I head out into the water, only to be stopped dead by that most impassible of objects, floating wooden boxes.

Seriously. Not sure why this seemed like a better idea than, say, metal beams or something. How are they even still here? What’s in this water that plain wooden boxes floating in it remain completely pristine?

Anyway, turns out corphish can’t learn dive, so I must retreat. In fact, I dump off my team for some water types that need raising and vibrava, then head back.

Oh hey, it looks like there’s a white board or something by the pokeranger.

There is a worn-out sign.

Sea Mauville’s 10 slogans for a cheerful and fun workplace.

01. Say good morning very loudly.

02. Don’t bring Pokemon to your workplace.

This isn’t going anywhere good, is it.

03. Always arrive on time. Always stay late.

04. Lay your life on the line in safety checks.

05. Take joint responsibility for teamwork

06. Obey your superior’s orders absolutely.

07. Maintain top quality. Give up your sanity.

08. Worship and praise the founder.

09. Don’t expect time off before you retire.

10. No need to think. Just work unceasingly.

You know, I’ve been pretty unimpressed with this game, but the bits that are actual additions to RSE are rather surprising. I would really not have expected to see any of this in the franchise.

(And why does that guy remember his time here fondly enough to have mixed feelings at the deterioration? How long does the brainwashing last?)

Time to descend further. Wailmer dives.

I’m not up for a pronounced time down below, not after reading that stuff. I go back up on the other side.

One of those biker guys sans bike runs over.

Hey! Little kid over there! I came here ’cause my uncle told me that there are extraordinary treasures in this abandoned building. Don’t you know anything about them? Well, how would you know… But if you learn anything, tell me, kid. Understand?

Uh. Okay, so I guess they’re trying to hint about treasures really hard for some reason.

I enter the first room to the side, and an exclamation mark appears above Lucki’s head. It feels as though you’re being watched…

I should definitely examine every inch of this room rather than run away!

The file folder holds a stack of ragged papers.

“Official Statem– of Apolog–“
“I, –izo– Co–mo, am respon– for the los– of the ODD KEYSTONE dona–d…by the Oreb–gh Mine…”

The rest is too damaged to make out.

So there’s an odd keystone here?

Lucki gets another exclamation mark and bit about being watched. Whatever, check the next shelf!

There are little glass bottles lined up inside a dusty cabinet, all with the same label… “Wake Up with Devon Energy Elixir! Now with Refined Seviper Extract! Increase your Focus! Work for Days! You’ll Never Need Another Rest!”

Well, aside from the obvious, given Devon’s already okay slaughtering pokemon to charge batteries, what exactly does “refined seviper extract” involve…?

Let’s keep looking.

It’s a bed with ragged sheets. There’s something underneath it… It’s a torn magazine of some kind. “What You Need to Know about Unemployment”

Hm. Were they planning to quit, or is this because of the place closing?

I check out the next room.

Oh! A Hi Skitty doll… Isn’t it cute? I remember when these were all the rage… But I wonder why it’s here… Wasn’t this an office?


Yeah, but adults can collect that kind of stuff too.

Checking out the cabinet, apparently not “a” but “a ton” of skitty-in-dress dolls.

In the dusty bookcase are old papers covered in detailed statements and records of payments made. The text is blurred in places and hard to read.

“Sea–ville…servi–nvoice…
Name: Ra– Coz–o
Base–ay: $–85–9
Overtim–bursement: $1–23″

The rest is too damaged to make out.

Okay, so Cozmo got fired over losing the odd keystone, or at least was expecting it.

There are a number of letters in this rusting tin box. Would you like to read them?

Why would you even ask that, game? Who wouldn’t want to read somebody’s letters?

First letter:

“Dear Daddy,

How are you? Are you working really hard? I’m doing well. I’m doing all my homework, and I’m helping at home, too. Mommy’s working hard and makes us dinner every night. Do you have to work this weekend? Are you going to come home? If you come home, take me to see the star show, OK?

–Takao Cozmo.

P.S. I’m going to send you the picture I drew at Trainers’ School.”

Second letter:

It looked like another letter, but it’s a drawing. The drawing is of a boy’s face, and written next to it are the words “I love you, Daddy.”

Third letter:

“Dear Daddy,
How are you? Are you working really hard? I was sad that you didn’t come last weekend. But Mommy didn’t seem so sad. She went out with her friend. I finally got that telescope that I’ve been wanting. It was from you, wasn’t it? Thanks, Daddy. I really, really wanted it. I like looking at the sky, Daddy. When I look at the stars, I wonder if you are looking at the same stars, too. Let’s look at the stars together, next time you come home.
—Takao Cozmo”

Fourth letter:

“Dear Daddy,
How are you? You aren’t working too hard, are you? You never come home anymore. I’m worried if you’re OK. Mommy goes out with her friends a lot. It seems like fun, so I guess she’s doing OK. The Shelgon that you gave me evolved the other day. But I liked it better when it was a Shelgon and it looked like a Meteorite. Salamence was kind of a letdown, so I asked a friend to trade it for his Solrock. I’m sorry, Daddy. I know it was a present, but I think Solrock is cooler. When it gets dark tonight, I’m going to look at the stars again. I’ll think of you when I do.
—Takao Cozmo”

Baby Cozmo must have met our good friend Meteorite at some point and gotten to know its appearance.

I suspect the focus of this is on his willingness to trade a pokemon as great as salamence for a solrock, but I think there’s more to the shallow decision. The kid clearly didn’t have the slightest relationship with his pokemon, he just cared how it looked. That’s fine for pet rocks but pretty disturbing for a pokemon, especially given this one was raised to L55. Even if his dad got him a very high level one, he must have been doing something to get it the rest of the way, plus the fact it sounds like it was behaving for someone who doesn’t sound like he has much interest in gym badges when the mechanics say pokemon only obey their original trainer without question suggests the salamance was given to the kid as an egg.

Fifth letter:

“Dear Daddy,
I was really, really happy to get to meet you the other day. It was so fun playing together again and going to see the star show, too, even if it was just the two of us. It was sad that Mommy couldn’t go, and even more sad when you and Mommy fought that night. I’ll study hard, just like you told me, and I’ll be a good boy, so don’t fight. But let me keep watching the stars, even if I have to do all my homework, too. When I grow up, I want to be a professor and study the stars.
—Takao Cozmo”

Sixth letter:

“Dear Daddy,
Thank you for writing to me. I’m doing really well here, so please don’t worry about me. I hope I’ll see you again someday. I dream about it all the time. I brought the telescope you bought me to our new house. Please don’t work too hard, Daddy. I hope you are OK. I will always, always love the stars, and I will always, always love you.
—Takao Cozmo
P. S. I’ll give you my Hi Skitty doll. Please take care of it for me.”

…so that’s why the doll is pointed out. Implicit in “Wan’t this an office” is “Wasn’t there an adult man working here?”

Seventh letter:

It looked like another letter, but it’s a photo. There’s a little boy holding a telescope, with a woman beside him, looking bored.


“Noble dad works himself to death for beloved child while terrible woman ignores/neglects her offspring and cheats on the guy” is not really my favorite trope, game.

I’m going to bed. You’d better be back to creepy Strexcorp tomorrow when I explore the rest.