Sighing, I pay for my food in the traditional way, figuring I’d ask how the ‘scan the plate’ thing Starlet did actually works. I’ve been in enough trouble to know that Dining and Dashing isn’t something I want to risk. The three of us recalling our pokémon, we head out into the city... and get properly drenched. Right, I forgot this place is Seattle on steroids... sigh. That said, a Poliwag is running around like it’s on drugs or something when a guy a bit older than me runs up. “Did you see a Poliwag aro-”
“Went that way.” I say, pointing to where I saw the pokémon run off to. “Kind of an odd sight though. Poliwag are good swimmers, but their footspeed is equal to an inebriated toddler... but that one was hauling tail like crazy.”
“Heh, yeah. My girlfriend loves Water types so I went out to Unova and caught this guy thinking it’d be an easy pet to watch.”
“If you need some help-”
“Nah, I got this.” The man fishes a plastic candy dispenser-like object out of a pouch and shakes it. “Swirls! Lunch!”
In another display of land-walking unheard of from the species, the Poliwag bounds back around the corner and bounces happily at the guy’s feet. The man chuckles and a treat is popped out of what I now recognize as a Pokéblock case, and said treat is gobbled up quickly and the Poliwag is returned to its ball.
“So, Unova huh? You see Driftveil city?”
“Only in passing. I just went because I figured a port town would be a good place to ask about Water pokémon. I’m more of a Bug typer myself, came from Hoenn. Moved out here to be closer to my girl.”
“I’m guessing she’s worth the long trip, eh?”
The guy nods happily. “Way better here with her than in Rustboro City, just a little more damp.”
“Say, how do you have a Poliwag that can run like that again? You just caught it like that?”
“Hmm? Oh, no way man. My girl not only likes Water types, she’s crazy-good with them. I dunno how she does it, as I said, not that informed on Water types, but I swear she could take the dumbest fish in the sea and she could make it an athlete in a bit over a month.”
That catches my attention. “You don’t say? You mind if I go see her? My Carvanha is a little... touchy. You think she could tell me what I’m doing wrong? I mean, Carvanha listens to me fine, but she’s also a little... psychotic.”
The man shrugs. “Not sure about her skill in psychology or anything, but if you have a Water type that needs a bit of instruction, she’s the one to go to.” He looks at his éTech. “Crap, I gotta get going, but hey, I’ll give you my number so you can maybe chat with Sammi later.”
We swap numbers and he walks off for his next destination. “Awesome. Well girls, looks like we may have found someone to help us out. Dunno who this Sammi girl is, but if she’s good, we may have just found a tutor who can give our swimmers a better edge.”
“Even Feebas?” Rarity asks incredulously.
I laugh. “Yeah, though Feebas will be able to do plenty later on, she just needs some time.”
“Well, Spheal is getting enough training, I don’t think he needs any help.” Twilight muses. “I mean, he’s not perfect but he doesn’t have to be...”
“Well, whatever you two choose, I’m going to see her about Carvanha at least. Even if she can’t get this nutso fish to cool down, at least give me a way to direct the crazy in a more productive direction.”
“Okay yeah, you have a point. So when are we going?”
I think it over. “Eh, maybe tomorrow. Or the day after. We can just do whatever for the rest of today.” I stretch and get a sheet of water in my face. “Let’s get out of this rain at least.”
The girls and I duck under an awning, and I see that the lab/museum we visited previously is only a couple doors down.
“Think we should take a look? I mean, I know the Chainers aren’t really our business, but the way they’re sort of tying themselves to our lives should have a bit of investigation.” I take a look at the building but can’t see the giant hole or any signs of damage from here.
“Yeah, given that the last several times something major has happened, it has been important in the long run.” Twilight says, looking at the door again. There’s a guy in a security outfit standing next to the door, not really at attention but not looking like he’s going to fall asleep either.
I walk up to the door, making an effort to make it clear I was going inside so the guard would have a chance to stop us if that’s what he’s here for. Wouldn’t be surprised considering a moon-cracker level laser was just swiped by a psychotic cult.
“Hey, museum’s closed to visitors right now.” The guard says. He doesn’t step to bar the way, though.
“We’re not visitors sir, we’re here to check on a friend who was here during the attack. May we come in and see Dr. Halsey?” I say, going for casual but professional with the possibly-armed security in front of me.
“Oh, yeah, he’s in lab three. Gimme a sec; I’ll call one of the other guards to escort you in. Can’t be too careful, right?” The guard reaches for a walkie-talkie on his vest.
“Hey, considering last time I was here I had a Chainer holding a gun to my head, I’d say it’s appreciated.”
The guard nods, and speaks into his walkie. A moment later, another guard opens the doors from the inside, and beckons us in.
As we walk, I’m idly watching the doors on the right, and see one labeled ‘Lab 3’ that we pass by.
“Uh... Halsey’s in that one... sir?”
“Actually, that’s just a precaution, in case someone tries to incapacitate the exterior guard. Lab three is actually the break room for security right now.”
“And jump the thugs when they bust in. Nice. So I was only in one part of the building during the attack. The place doesn’t look that roughed up... did they really just come here for the laser?”
“No, a couple other labs are ransacked. The thing is, they were dressed as civilians until they attacked; most of the Chainers were part of a tour group at the time. Anyways, here’s Halsey’s lab for now.” The guard says, taking a moment to speak into his walkie. The door in front of us, labeled ‘BkUp Lab 7’, unlocks and then then clicks open.
Walking in, I see that of the mentioned ransacked labs, this was not one of them, as the place was the usual sterile environment of a professional researcher’s lab. But what would they be looking for besides a giant freaking laser? First they seem as organized as the mafia, then a member jumps us like a petty thug, and he gets rescued by more of his gang as if they’d been doing it all their lives. What gives with this group?
Clearing my head of the thought, I see a pair of Corta standing on a little platform giving me the ‘robot stare’ and it’s kinda creepy.
Twilight is looking around the room in awe, and Rarity is leaning in with interest towards a computer tower with a sleek design to it.
“Hello, who’s that at the door?” Halsey’s voice calls from behind a couple server banks.
“Hey doc, just came by to see how the place is holding up after the raid. Everyone okay? Last place that got hit by them had a sizeable body count. Granted the bodies were of Chainers as Xavius Big Damn Heroe’d his way through the place, but still...”
“We’re lucky; only a few of the other researchers had to go to the hospital, along with a young child who sprained his ankle. As for Xavius... well, those big rescues are the bread and butter of his job, after all.”
“So I take it their threat of EMP’ing the Corta to android heaven was empty? No non-human ‘staff members’ missing?”
“None unaccounted for, I’m happy to say. And judging by the remains of the EMP device found in lab six, I doubt it was empty, merely thwarted. Anyways, have a seat, all of you. I love to hear about people’s journeys with pokémon. It makes me feel like a young boy again!” The smile on Halsey’s face is contagious, and we all sit down to talk.
“Well, considering we’ve only got one badge each, ‘cept Rares is a Coordinator but ribbonless... we don’t have that many adventures under our belt. I just recently got my sixth.” I could actually talk about events that intrigued me from my playthroughs of the games and might take a week to get through them all... but I’ll avoid that.
“Very nice! What sort of pokémon do you prefer? Please, each of you, I’d love to know.”
I shrug. “Well I’ve always been partial to Grass types. I only have two right now, but I can tell you plenty about them in general. Looking for a Snover, but I don’t think I’d find one anywhere around Great Barrier.”
“No, but you might be able to find them in the peaks. There’s several Ice-Types there, some from other regions and a few that are native to Otaria. A few of my coworkers in the Biology department make use of this one that is effectively a giant ameoba in an ice shell. It’s truly fascinating what you can find in extreme climates. Oh, and you young lady, what sort of pokémon do you like?” Halsey asks Rarity.
“I happen to like any pokémon with elegance and grace... or that is simply adorable, like Ledyba.”
“Ha, that fits for a Coordinator, alright. Just remember, stronger pokémon have a wider movepool to pull from for contests.”
I chuckle. “She’ll be fine, she got a varicoloured Feebas.”
“Most impressive! Those are quite rare here.”
“I figured. I spent- I mean I’ve heard stories of trainers spending weeks just to find one. It being varicoloured was a shock. Strangest thing though, it was owned by some salesman who was rolling some kind of scam with a tank full of Magikarp. Sure some of them in there were gold, but a shiny Feebas... I’m pretty sure he made a mistake risking that.”
“Huh, never heard of a Magikarp scam before. I know there’s a carnival game when the time rolls around; kids fish Magikarp out of a big tank and get to keep ‘em. Good way to get a docile starter if the kid’s too poor to pay for any tutoring or doesn’t plan on adventuring around.”
I laugh in agreement. “Anyway Twi, you’re up. What do you like?”
“Well... with so many choices, I thought a balanced, well-trained team would be better than focusing on any one aspect. After all, balance allows for them to cover each other’s weaknesses with their own strengths, making the group stronger than any individual.”
I roll my eyes. “He meant what you prefer not what you think is the best. I like Grass types and all but I’m going nowhere with just Oddish and GlaDOS.”
“Oh... uhm... good ones?” Twilight doesn’t seem too sure of what to say.
I facepalm. “She’s... new to this.”
“Haha, I can tell. Still, it’s alright to prefer balance to choosing one, singular type or trait. I happen to be a fan of Electric types and Psychic types myself, but I’m not really a trainer. I can, however, say that I think she’s right for choosing harmony over taking a crippling overspecialization. Several of the Elite Four have been defeated simply because someone brought a decently thought-out plan for taking their specific types.”
I nod. “Yeah, my favourite tactic would be using TMs to surprise my opponents. Not many would expect something like a Gengar knowing Flamethrower.”
“Hmm, I’ll admit, I wouldn’t see it coming. Though several folks have taught their Gastlys something like Explosion, so I can see it being just unexpected enough to work.”
“Yeah, nobody on our team can make use of that Zap Cannon you gave me, but I’m sure we’ll find something that can use it.”
“Really? None of your pokémon? That’s a shame; near Autumnwash, you can catch a Voltato. They can learn Zap Cannon.”
“They can? Oh, well then I guess GlaDOS can use it. I just figured that since Electric seemed more like it’s secondary type it wouldn’t get much, thanks. Guess I’ll have something to fall back on if Zoli gets me on the ropes.”
“Ah, yes, our illustrious Gym Leader. He’s in the history books, you know.”
“It may be a bit cocky to say but... I can say for absolutely sure, he’s never faced me. Though Twi might need some help. Only got one Grass type and no Electric type, on top of her only Swimmer being a Spheal. Been trying to think of a way to round out her team.”
“Oooh... she’s going to have trouble. You might want to talk to Franklin, over in the Anthropology lab, uh, lab eleven I think. No, ten, sorry. He might have a TM she could borrow. He has a bunch of the really old ones from when they burnt out when used.”
“Really? He got an old copy of Substitute? I’ve been thinking my Litwick could benefit from it later down the road...”
“I don’t honestly know. He collects them because they’re part of history. Oh, and if you do meet up with him, keep in mind that the Marowak he has as an assistant gets a little moody at times.”
“Marowak. Just tall enough to make sure your kneecap wouldn’t be the same again... Thanks for the tip.”
“You’re welcome. Hey, after you get your badge, come by and say hello. I’ll have something for the three of you.”
“Thanks! Well, we’ll probably make the challenge tomorrow. I want to practice... somehow. My first battle for my first badge went... well, it went, let’s just say that.”
“Heh, I know what you mean. If you need any advice, just say so. Oh, here, did I give you my number? I might get updates regarding the Chainers, and I assume you’d want to stay as up-to-date about that as possible.”
“Yeah, already got your number, thanks though. At least it’s good to chat under less... strenuous circumstances too. So I guess we’ll see Franklin and head out. I’ll keep you posted if I learn anything too. With a gang like this, information on them needs to be spread fast before people and pokémon get hurt. By the way... what exactly could they use that laser for?”
“Well, beyond carving their initials or insignia on the moon or some other such nonsense, the laser was actually being developed for deep-earth mining. It would work just as well beneath the ocean as in a cavern hundreds of miles below the surface of water or earth. Ooh, listen to me, waxing poetic about about a laser.”
“No big deal. But I think their guy who had us at gunpoint said they were going to wake something with it... What could they wake up with a digging laser?”
“Well... with that incident involving Groudon and Kyogre a few years back... well, they could be trying to wake either of those. But neither of those species has been seen in this region, and the Chainers haven’t had any presence outside Otaria. So, I honestly don’t know.”
“Well, hopefully their insane master plan isn’t waking up the Titans. If those two wake up... well, let’s hope Rayquaza doesn’t mind a third round or we’re done for.”
“Especially as none of the great Regi live around here, either. Of course, that’s more of a topic for Franklin to talk with you about.”
I nod. “Well, stressful situation aside, it’s good to know everyone is mostly unharmed and our loss wasn’t something to worry about after all. Talk to you soon?” I extend my hand to shake.
He takes it gladly, with a firm, warm grip. “Good luck to both of you with your gym challenge!”
With parting words of our own being said, we take our leave and look around for lab ten. After getting directions from another guard, we find our way to the lab, which is in a corridor connected to the actual museum itself. Once more, the guard pages us in, and we come in to a room that is significantly less sterile, having piles of books, almost a dozen desks crammed in around the walls, veritable snowdrifts of loose papers, charcoal rubbings of hieroglyphs, and much more clutter beside. There's even a large meteor and what looks like a brick made from a meteor sitting on the table, and an Unown ‘!’ floating placidly over the shoulder of a researcher looking over a pile of notes.
The researcher looks up, and seems a little confused for a moment. “Are you here with the sandwiches I ordered?”
“Uh, no, sorry. Dr. Halsey suggested we come see you.”
“Ah, so the rusty old computer nerd finally sends someone my way! What do you need to know? I have information about relics, ruins, and all sorts of ancient civilizations. I’ve even got a set of late eighties pop band CDs from when they were popular!”
Looking around the room my eyes fall on the Unown ‘!’ again. “Have you ever determined how the Unown work with their seemingly symbiotic relationship that requires a mass of them but grants reality-bending powers? That’s a mystery I’ve pondered for a few years and been wanting some insight.”
Franklin looks at me with his mouth open. “They do what?!”
“Uh, actually, sir,” Rarity interjects, “we just wanted to know if we could use some of your older TMs. Dr. Halsey said you have many, and we were so hoping...”
“Oh... fine!” I relent. “But the Unown, I’d love to chat with you about them, I can explain some... er, theories that led to my thoughts on their potential. Like, for one, they all clearly communicate with each other in some sort of telepathy some of the strongest Psychic types can’t dream of. When they get together and are numerous enough they have boosts in power, as if they feed on each other. Like one Unown alone of any kind could hardly be a threat, but there’ve been... stories I’ve heard where great masses come together and they can warp the fabric of spacetime.”
Franklin seems utterly shocked. “I- I’ve never heard of Unown doing this... I mean, there’s at least eight variations on the Ruins of Alph, scattered around the Regions, but the Unown at those sites never seem to actually do much. Where did you see them doing this reality-warping you mentioned? I’ve never- was this at a ruin, or at a preserved site?”
“Neither, think of it more like folklore... but even legends have some basis in truth. I heard that the ruins of Alph have some odd effect on radios. Have you ever had a radio on while you were exploring? Some believe the noises you hear are the Unown talking to each other and that it’s interfering with our connections. It’s the only explanation as all the caves around Johto have perfect radio reception from Goldenrod being so close by. If we could get a recording and unscramble it, maybe we could find a way to understand them. Wouldn’t that be cool!?”
“Where are you getting these theories? I can’t say I’ve been everywhere, but I don’t think I’ve heard those particular hypotheses about the Unown. The various Ruins have been known to have that radio effect, but so do several mountains and caves.”
“Well as I said, it’s mostly folklore that I’ve expanded on. It could be nothing, but there’s so much about the Unown that could be true... it’s hard to say what’s impossible. How many Unown have you ever seen together at once?”
“Uh... about thirty. Not including the stone tiles found at some sites, though rumors of them being Unown somehow sealed away has never been confirmed.”
“Uhm, as lovely as this conversation is, darlings, may we please look through your TM collection?”
“Yes, yes, of course. Now, I know a few researchers who have claimed that not all Alph-style ruins are perfectly euclidian. A few rooms that overlap, for example.”
Rarity huffs and goes over to the easily visible, if rather dusty, TM case on one of the shelves. Twilight looks like she wants to join her, but settles in at the table where Franklin and I are talking.
“Well, it’s undoubted that our written alphabet has a few connections to the Unown... if that’s the case then there stands to reason that it’s possible current day writing was based on their shapes, and this theory leads to the hypothesis that there are at least twenty-six varieties of Unown out there.”
“Well, actually... that’s false. Given that there’s at least eight different sets of Unown, correlating to different sets of ruins...” This throws me for a loop.
“Hmmm... I’m only familiar with stories of the ruins of Johto, I’ve not heard anything from other regions, but it still seems likely that they could, in large enough numbers, have some very amazing effects. Like having the Unown form phrases or such with their bodies. The power they have is varied, but also rather weak and yet they have been around for so long. Even the oldest pokémon gain some form of special survival ability, but the Unown are noticeably... well, underwhelming in their sole capabilities from what I know.”
“Well, it helps that there’s literally nothing we know of that preys upon them. And there’s some evidence that they, along with a few other species, are examples of truly ancient artificial species.”
“You have a point, but I still wouldn’t be dropping the idea of them being able to work together to accomplish monumental tasks like other Pokémon. The mysterious power the Unown use just makes it more easy to assume that they could have some otherworldly effects. I get that they could be seen as artifacts, but I’ve always figured they had some other purpose, or a reason behind the legends I’ve heard.”
“Well, unfortunately, it’s a little difficult to confirm. Otaria only has two sets of ruins, and neither are in the Alph civilization style. One of them still contains massive amounts of tachyon radiation, actually, so there’s quite a bit of postulating that it’s from the future. Still, either way...”
“But you’re sure it’s not connected to the Alph ruins. I suppose so, none of what I’ve heard tell of the Unown time travelling. Anyway, it again could just be a hypothesis standing only on crazed whispers... at least there’s a mystery solved. Though I would like to talk with you more on ancient stories and... weed out the conjecture from the facts.”
“That sounds simply delightful! Here, have my number. I do a lot of field work, so we might even meet up at some point.” He scribbles down his number on a piece of paper and slides it over to me. “As well, do you have any further questions? Perhaps about something other than the Unown? Enigma here isn’t very talkative, so I have to admit a great deal of ignorance where the Unown’s direct history and biology stand.”
“Understandable. Hmmmm... if I had to ask of another old wive’s tale... Clefairy. Are they truly pokémon from space? I see no reason not to assume there are other planets with Pokémon on them, but Clefairy just seems too... I don’t know, at home here, they don’t seem too different from other Fairy types.”
“Well... uh... That’s more of an astronomy question, or perhaps monstrology. As far as I know, they tend to live on high mountains and are active while the moon is visible. As to whether they come from the moon, I don’t know. However, they wouldn’t be the first pokémon to come from space. Deoxys, Luminight, Comettail, and several others are all known to have come from either deep space or high orbit. Why, there’s even old folklore about the Millennium Comet being an actual pokémon that grants wishes. And that only passes by every thousand years, so that’d definitely be a deep-space pokémon.”
“Agreed. As for staying within the bounds of our planet, there’s one you might be able to answer certainly. Is it true that Conkeldurr taught people to make concrete, or is there evidence of it being found where there’s been no proven evidence of their evolutionary family being in the same place?”
“Well, yes and no. In places they lived, there’s very strong evidence that they either taught it to early humans first, or learned it from precursor civilizations and taught it back to us when we lost that knowledge. Elsewhere, it usually takes many centuries longer for it to develop in the historical records, unless a land with Conkeldurr happens to be a trading partner.”
“Well, I’m an inquisitive mind, so you might hear more from me, I enjoy talking and theorizing. My partners are... Not much, ah, wilderness or cultural education.”
“Ah, I see. Well, you have my number. I should probably see about-” he’s interrupted by someone else opening the door, with a pair of white lunch bags held up.
“Uh, order for Doctor Orville?” the guy at the doors says.
“Ah, there’s my sandwiches! You three go ahead and wander off for now. My dear friend Marowak can be a little touchy this time of year.”
“Alright, we’ll see you later then, it’s certainly nice to talk with people who can help me get my facts and stories straight. I’ll call if I have made any potential discoveries.”
“Always good. If you happen to get around to it, you should definitely stop by the Tachyon Temple Ruins. That’s the one I told you about earlier. There’s some very interesting pokémon there, and I think you’re the sort who would like that.”
“Oh very much so. Well it seems you have your lunch and Rarity got some TMs... we’ll leave and see if we can find anything in those ruins. Might be an edge towards getting my second badge. As they say, knowledge is power. Seeya again.” We shake hands and part, Rarity rolling her eyes as we finally get to leaving. “So what did you grab? Only ones he had duplicates of, I hope, we don’t want to take anything he has no replacement for.”
“Ooh, I saw one for s-” Rarity starts before stopping. “Wait, I thought those were his extras.”
“Maybe but I’m not sure. Well, he’s a smart guy, he wouldn’t leave important stuff laying around... okay his place was a total mess, but Einstein was a slob too.”
“Who’s Einstein?” Twilight asks.
“He was a great human scientist, discovered how to use nuclear energy for practical applications.”
“What’s nuclear again?”
I facepalm. “Fucking wizards...”