divided we fall

Protests. Ruìsāng released a weary sigh as he perched on a low half-wall, gazing out at the city's square now inundated with fervent demonstrators expressing their discontent over the election results. A sea of signs bobbed above the crowd, each bearing slogans such as  ‘populism isn’t progress’, ‘our affinities, our choice, UNOX, hear our voice’ and ‘no to populist policies, yes to common sense'. The whole spectacle wore on his nerves.

But, it got worse.

Because most of these people were against one thing in particular: bringing back Pokémon battles. Signs read ‘battles breed discord, not unity’, ‘choose peace over battles’,  ‘no to battles, yes to harmony’ and that kind of garbage. Their repetitive chant of “affinities unite, battles divide” threatened to induce a wave of nausea.

Nonetheless, he seated himself and observed the crowd, pondering whether these protesters comprehended the current state of affairs in the absence of Pokémon battles.

And then someone yelled: “Crush the Opposition! Pokémon Battles for Supremacy! Surrender to the Chaos!” The atmosphere intensified, voices rising, and to Ruìsāng's bewilderment, someone had apparently chained themselves to a tree.

“What the fuck.”