>>54520307Notice how these two paragraphs are actually the same paragraph. Perspective was changed, but it's pointing at the same problem and offering the same presumed solution. The only change was the visual that salts it, and even then both are using the same subtext of danger; the first obviously with the imagery of being swarmed and consumed and the second relying on the trope of being eaten by a dragon to provide the sense of danger without typing it out directly, instead directly typing out the alternative in the form of "an industrialized meat production industry." (Which the IRL world is on top of, though a Pokeverse take would require making food chain decisions beyond the context of the examples cited.)
It seems to me that the author is trying to make a particular personal statement and it's being couched in a fic.
Compare to how it would read if Erika and Generic Other Character were having a conversation to deliver the exposition:
"Hey, isn't that the guy with a whole lot of durant?" Otherchar asked Erika.
"Yes; that's Cesare. He got a queen for a starter and she's been keeping busy. His profile has over two thousand registered, and who knows if he just got tired of buying balls and checking them in."
"Sheesh. Are they all in PC or did he find a way to feed all of them?"
Erika shrugged. "Nobody knows for sure, and he won't talk about it. I've heard a rumor that he lets them tunnel under Celadon Gym. I guess the spot used to be decent for mining iron ore, so maybe he keeps them busy with whatever's left down there."
Otherchar scratched his head. "I guess if it's a depleted mine, having them bring up what they find to sell it wouldn't make as much as it saves to let them graze instead of buying food for them. But what happens when it runs out, or Celadon Gym falls into the caverns they've dug?"
She couldn't suppress a sly smile before replying, "I don't know. But I think that it'd be interesting to see."
