35th treasure [walls and doors]

[captainash]

[There is a giant robot in Vermillion.

And also in Cerulean.

And Cinnabar.

There is a giant robot every-freaking-where, and if you're particularly unlucky it might land very, very close to you.

You don't need to worry, though. Now more than any other time, Captain Ash knows what he's doing.]

Comments

[adai]

[Rossiu's found himself in Goldenrod, which is rather distressing for someone who is used to living in a tiny underground town. He's really not sure where anything is or how to get back to Violet, but there are some things slightly more important than worrying about how to get out of the city.

Like giant robots.

Hopefully you're not flying too high up in the air, since there's a kid waving both his arms trying to get your attention. He looks incredible happy too so that's... something.]

[captainash]

[Luckily for Rossiu, the Dark Hound's cameras are more than good enough to pick up a tiny active human. Enthusiasm for quality engineering always warms his heart; why not go down to say hi?

...Unluckily for Rossiu, Ash can't really call out a greeting from so far up and from within the cockpit, so. He'd better enjoy having a pirate robot flying right at him.]

[adai]

[Oh don't worry, he's pretty used to that! He'll still flinch because unlike the rest of Team Gurren he's not completely crazy and fearless, but he's still looking very pleased once he gets over the initial shock.]

Hello! I wasn't expecting to see someone piloting a gunman here!

[...]

Ah, well, it doesn't really look like a gunman, but I'm not sure what else to call it. Still, it's very interesting that another world has machines like this!

[So far he's met no one from a world even remotely similar to his, so he's a bit excited.]

[captainash]

[The mobile suit ends up in a kneeling position less than five metres away from Rossiu, with its cockpit opening before the maneuver is complete. Ash might be a bit of a showoff, when he feels like it.]

It sure is. That's the first time I've heard the term the word 'gunman', but I can think of at least three other people who called their own robots mobile suits like I do. I guess wanting to creating large machines to pilot is a dream common to many worlds.

[adai]

[That's incredible! Only Simon could pilot something that easily, but he's also had the most experience of everyone else in Team Gurren.]

"Mobile suits"... That's a fitting name. Can you tell me more about your world? Did you have to steal your mobile suit from a beastman?

[Probably not, since it's not called a gunman.]

[captainash]

...I didn't have to steal it from anyone. It's a custom model designed by one of the best engineers in the Earth Sphere, tweaked to fit my piloting style perfectly.

[There. Vague enough to be completely truthful no matter how one wants to see it, without actually sharing any of the details that could identify him or get him in trouble.]

Wouldn't a stolen machine be more difficult to pilot, unless their controls are the same as your own?

[adai]

[That's a lot of information to take in and Rossiu's not really sure where to start with it. So for now he'll just sort of nod. The question is a bit easier to address.]

Well, where we're from we don't have the technology to create something like this. We have to steal them so that we can fight against the beastmen. They're able to stay on top because they have gunmen. I think it's probably more difficult to control, but we have a lot of really good pilots.

[captainash]

So, stealing enemy units is the only way you can keep the battle from beng one-sided? I hope you make sure to grab those beastmen's strongest models. Talented pilots deserve nothing but the best.

[Which would be Gundams, of course, but since that world has something different...]

[adai]

That's right! We have a very powerful gunman that my friend Simon pilots. It's capable of fusing with any other gunmen so Simon can take control of it. It's helped us get several other strong ones. We're doing everything we can to fight for the freedom of humanity.

[It's amazing what several months here can do. Sure, things were grim back home, but Rossiu's confident that they stand a chance. He wasn't anywhere near as confident when he first arrived in Johto.]

[captainash]

It can truly fuse with any other gunman? Not just with special models or packs that are designed for that specific purpose?

[The closest they've come to that in his world had been SID, and that had involved X-Rounder powers and derivative technology. A mobile suit with that power could surely...]

Can he only fuse with one at a time, or more? If he can control entire armies, that must speed up battles greatly.

[adai]

Well... maybe "fuse" isn't the right word. Lagann has a drill that can break through other gunmen and allow it to gain access to the other gunmen's controls. So neither gunmen change, but Simon gets control of the one he's "fused" with. I'm not really sure what else to call it.

[He's still a little lost with the technical terms. That's Leeron's specialty, not his.]

It can't control more than one, no. But it did manage to control a massive um... "battleship", I think? It's a giant gunmen that's capable of fitting hundreds - if not thousands - of the normal sized gunmen in it. Lagann is much smaller than a normal gunmen, so it's really impressive.

[captainash]

...It can take control of other units by stabbing them with a drill.

[If they weren't in a world where dogs and cats can have beautiful eggs together, there would be disbelief in his voice. As it is, he only sounds a little flat.]

That trick with the battleship must have freaked your enemies out, unless they had another fifty ready to go.

[adai]

That's right.

[You mean that's not how it works in other worlds??]

They weren't happy about that at all. I don't know what else we'll have to face when I return home, but this is only the first of many more battles. Now that we've taken something precious to them, they're going to target us. It's a little scary, honestly.

[Especially since their team isn't as invincible as they thought.]

[captainash]

Fighting is always a little scary. But if you don't fight back, they'll be the ones taking something precious from you, right? So you have to keep going.

[There it is, the explanation for everything the Asuno family has done for three generations.]

[adai]

That's right. If we don't stand up to them, who will? We've come this far.

[Rossiu looks far too serious for a kid, but his face always does that.]

Have you gone through something similar?

[captainash]

My home colony was attacked by the enemy, years ago. Choosing not to fight back would have been unthinkable, even if I was little more than a kid.

[For a thousand reasons.]

[adai]

Ah... I'm sorry to hear that. I went through something similar, though luckily no one in my village died.

[Rossiu is quiet for a moment, staring at the ground.]

...Do you think you made the right choice? To get involved in the fight? I know you said not helping would be unthinkable, but...

[captainash]

I did, no doubt about it. If I had not, my family and friends would have died long ago, or in more painful circumstances. That would have been an unacceptable outcome.

[Even if his decision has complicated many relationships over the years.]