chiron_survivor | A microbiologist and a Cylon walk into a pokémon lab... ((for youmeandpokemon))

The PINpoint coordinates are set for the front gate of the Professor's lab, right on the edge of the wilds. It's a large mansion, surrounded by a large gate. Alas, Professor Madrone doesn't trust giving people direct access to his lab, but he's waiting at the gate for his invited company.

Dressed in his usual attire of a long white lab coat and neatly pressed suit, he politely greets Adia and Caspar with a bow of his head.

"Ms. Costas, I'm glad that you arrived safely." He extends her hand to her for a shake, then does the same for Caspar. "And you must be her company, Mr. Caspar. It's a pleasure to meet you, good sir."

Adia takes a moment to appreciate the scenery. It is a lovely mansion, and she's pleased to see how it abuts the Wilds. "Good to see you again, Professor," she replies, shaking his hand warmly.

Caspar's handshake is more reserved, and shorter as well. "It's Mr. Millen, actually, but you can call me Caspar." He looks over the professor, then whispers to Adia, "I told you I should have worn my suit."

"You can call me Adia, if you prefer," she informs Madrone, ignoring Caspar's mutter. She's technically Dr. Costas, but she's only an amateur in the world of pokémon. There's no need for a title. "Thank you so much for inviting us. I'm very excited to see you lab."

Edited 2018-01-30 02:11 (UTC)

Any sort of human gathering tends to drag out the wild Pokemon who live in the surrounding wilds. A few Pidgey take pleasure in sitting on the fence, while a group of Diglett pop up from the nearby dirt. Madrone gestures for the two of them to come inside, shutting the gate afterwards.

"You'll have to forgive me if I accidentally use formal names, force of habit, alas." He leads them into the mansion, where laboratory and living space meld seamlessly. The mid-day sun illuminates the room from the skyline and bay windows, keeping the interior warm and comfortable.

"Can I offer you both a drink? Tea? Coffee?" He won't start heading towards the kitchen unless someone requests it. For now, he's content with allowing Caspar and Adia to get a feel of his home and workspace.

The pidgeys Adia recognizes. That particular bird pokémon seems to be everywhere. But the diglett are new, and she pauses briefly to point them out to Caspar, who smiles a little at their appearance.

"It's fine," she says reassuringly. She certainly won't stop referring to him as Professor Madrone. "Do you live here, as well?" she asks as she looks around. "It's lovely." Not quite the lab space she was expecting, but she appreciates the warm, welcoming environment.

Caspar's gaze is more critical, but even he can't find anything to nitpick about how orderly everything is. The tension in his shoulders eases -- he has been holding on to Josh's dirty little secret until Harley returns from her fact-finding mission, and was suspicious of the professor by proxy. But this man seems to be who he says he is. He can let his guard down a little. "I'm good, thanks."

"Me, too," Adia adds politely. She's eager to be put to work.

The Diglett are very cheerful, not minding that some humans are watching them dig along. Off the go in a cute little line, deeper into the forests of the wilds, chattering among themselves.

"Yes. This is my home, well I don't claim owner ship of the wilds, but I try to protect and monitor Pokemon who wander around here." The lab definitely doesn't resemble a usual scientific place of study, with different computers and tools, it seems more open than most spaces.

"Of course. Please let me know if you change your mind." He leads them deeper into the lab, where different colored Pokeballs sit neatly on shelves and counters, different notes are neatly kept around the lab. Madrone walks over to a computer, where two tablets are resting, taking both devices in his hands.

"This is the research I was referring to: the Pokedex, Nexus edition. Here, each of you take one. What the device does is simple, you can scan Pokemon and obtain information about them."

The tablets catch her eye before Madrone even picks them up. She's seen similar devices before, and when he explains what they are, she understands why.

"A pokédex," she says with a small breath of excitement. It's not like her to squeal over technology, but she has been wanting to get her hands on a piece of equipment like that for a while. She takes it from the professor and runs a hand along the side of it, admiring its sleek design. "This is so much more convenient than a field guide."

Caspar is a little more reserved when he accepts the other tablet. "How does it work?"

"Yes. the most recent, state-of-the -art version of the Pokedex is in your hands. I haven't gotten behind the idea of using a Rotom to power a Pokedex yet." He smiles and can't help but chuckle at Adia's comment. She truly has a makings of a Pokemon Professor. "Field guides are good, but it's nice to have the data you need instantly."

Madrone is clearly enjoying all the questions, as he points to a small black bar on the back of the Pokedex. "There's a high definition, infrared camera on the Pokedex that automatically scans a Pokemon when it's pointed at one. I was thinking I could show you both how it works by going out into the field for a bit."

She'd be flattered if she knew what Madrone was thinking. A professor role is much more her speed than becoming a trainer, if she had time for either. "It sure is," she agrees. At the prospect of going out to scan pokémon, she nots eagerly. "That sounds great."

Caspar looks up briefly from examining the tablet's camera. "Sure." Though he does not show it as readily as Adia, he is also looking forward to trying out the device and getting a feel for how it works. "Is it only for scanning pokémon? Does it do anything else?"

"Wonderful! I didn't think either of you would back down from the adventure." He walks over to a spot on the table, where a large drawer of Pokeballs rest, placing one hand on a Pokeball carefully.

"The device is primary meant for scanning Pokemon, but I've added some additional features to it. For starters, when you scan a Pokemon in the Nexus or on the Pokemon's home-world, it will create a GPS tag. Say you find a Charmander in the Industrial Area, the Pokedex will record where you found it and the date and time." He seems unfazed at the fact that he's going into great detail about this, but the Nexus Pokedex project is something special to him.

"The Pokedex will also tell you the evolution lines, attacks and typing of the Pokemon, along with gathered information." He nods, then gestures to the line of Pokeballs. "Since we intend to go out into the wild, it would be best to give you a temporary partner." The shelf contains different starter Pokemon. Scanning each Pokeball reveals the name and type of Pokemon avaliable.

"This is like a dream come true for her," Caspar says, smiling over at his girl. And if this is how she wanted to spend the afternoon, he wasn't going to complain. Truthfully, he found pokémon charming in their own cute way. He was happy to be along for the ride.

Adia returns the smile, then redirects her attention to Madrone as he explains some of the features of the tablet in her hands. When he explains that they won't be traveling unaccompanied, her smile grows and she holds up her tablet to scan each pokéball in turn.

"Oh my goodness... there are so many different types!" She only recognizes some of them, which is better than Caspar's progress. He's simply staring at the options in deep confusion. They are all so cute and weird. Is that monkey's tail on fire?? "Professor? Are there any that you would recommend for us? I've had some training with a fire pokémon, although I think the grass types might be more my speed."

"I'm glad I could be a source of happiness." He bows a little to Adia, then steps aside so her and Caspar can examine the different Pokemon up for selection. The very fact that he hasn't scared them off is a good sign: they'll be of great help to his research and also have some fun in the process.

"Grass types are very easy for beginners, water types are good for those who like to be flexible and fire types are truly best for those who have a strong will." He rests one hand under his chin. "Caspar, I could see you being good with fire or water. Either way, feel free to take your time in deciding. I'll be sure to take a Pokemon who can balance out our composition."

The small bow makes her smile all over again. Professor Madrone is quite the charmer -- professionally speaking, of course.

With renewed determination, she re-examines her choices. She finally settles on an owlett, having had as much experience as she's had with Bucky, another flying type. "That' one," she says, pointing to its ball. "What do I need to do?"

Caspar takes a little more time, immediately gravitating towards fire, but still needing to select a specific pokémon. "These are just temporary, right?" he confirms before making a final decision. There's no way he could bring a flaming animal back with him to Atlantis, and he's not sure he'd want to, either.

That pig-like one is awfully cute. Is it really a fire pokémon? He doesn't see any flames. "I'll team up with the tepig," he announces, standing by its poké ball. Less chance of accidentally getting burned.

Madrone has picked up the fact that Adia and Caspar are together, more than friends, so hopefully his polite nature is not mistaken for something romantic.

"Go on ahead and pick up the Pokeball of your chosen Partner Adia, and you too Caspar." He hasn't forgotten Caspar's question, nodding confidently. "Yes, this is just temporary. The Pokemon here will eventually go out with trainers in the Nexus who can take full-time care of the Pokemon. I understand the limitations some people have, and the commitment of time and care can be inaccessible to many."

He looks over at the Pokeballs, carefully taking one in his hand. "Since you've both chosen grass and fire, I think a water type would be a good balance for our team." Gently tossing the Pokeball to the ground, the ball jumps back up and into the Professor's hand automatically.

Sitting on the ground now is a four-legged fish, with a large blue dorsal fin and two bright orange cheeks. The Mudkip seems very happy to be out and exploring.

Considering that Caspar is not giving him the stink eye, Madrone is doing an excellent job of not being mistaken for anything other than polite.

Adia watches how the professor releases the mudkip from its poké ball. She takes a moment to admire how cute the little creature is before gently tossing her ball to the ground, too. The owlett appears in a flash of light and looks around curiously. "Owl?" she asks, turning her head this way and that.

"Hello!" Adia says to the bird cheerfully. The owlett looks up at her and chirps back just as happily. Hello, new friend!

Caspar watches all this, biting back a smile. God, these pokémon are cute. He tosses his ball, and out pops the Tepig. She oinks once, then begins snuffling Caspar's shoes. "Hey there," the Cylon says, looking down at her. "How's it going?"

Tepig snorts once, and tries to eat his shoelaces.

"Ah, uh... crap. Don't..." He backs up a little and the tepig follows eagerly, curly tail wagging. Shoelaces! Yummy!

There seems to be a strange feeling when Pokemon are involved, summarized as both excited and happy. Madrone is clearly both of those as he watches the Rowlet and Tepig come out of their Pokeballs, Mudkip enjoying the sight of his familiar friends as well.

"Good. It seems like your companions are already getting adjusted to you. Adia, be mindful that Rowlet are somewhat nocturnal, so be sure to keep an eye on its energy." He's looking down at Tepig and resisting the urge to laugh.

"Tepig should do a lot better once we get outside. Hopefully." He starts walking to a door that leads into the 'backyard' of the mansion, which is clearly the open Wilds. "I'm thinking we can scout out some nearby cave an mountain structures. Some of the local Pokemon have been migrating there recently."

Madrone's mood is contagious; even Caspar smiles a little at Tepig's antics. Although he's clearly relieved when all of them head out through the back of the mansion and the piglet loses interest in his shoelaces, instead rooting around in the snow for grass or other hidden goodies.

"I will," Adia promises the professor. She smiles when Rowlet hops alongside her, content to stay close to her companions instead of flying off. "I haven't explored those areas of the Wilds, I'm curious to see which pokémon live there."

Caspar, as usual, looks a little less eager. "Is that safe?" he asks Madrone. "I was told that the anti-violence field isn't as stable in the Wilds."

"The deeper ones goes into the wilds, the less reliable it is, however most of the Pokemon around here fend of any otherworldly creatures. Pokemon can be territorial at times, but if we don't show aggression towards them, they rarely fight back. Bringing along a partner is extra insurance, you could say."

The trees become compact as Madrone leads them down a narrow path, the forest slowly overtaking any modern places. Different bug and grass Pokemon tend to favor the darker patches of the forest, where less bird Pokemon travel. Peeking out from the tops of the trees are a small batch of mountains, and a few cave paths have been dug out from the rock. The pathways are human sized, but clearly have been created by the native rock and ground type Pokemon.

"Ah, here we are...Be mindful of where you step. Some Pokemon can be underfoot if we're not careful."

The answer seems to satisfy Caspar's concerns. He glances down at Tepig who is happily trotting alongside him, snorting out little puffs of smoke every so often. Hard to believe that such a cute little creature would provide any sort of protection against other pokémon, but he knows looks can be deceiving.

As they travel further into the forest, Rowlet keeps an eye out for exposed roots and other obstacles, chirping helpfully when something on the trail needs to be avoided. "Thank you," Adia says to her temporary partner, before taking a look up at the mountains. She redirects her attention to the cave entrance when the professor speaks. "We will."

She hopes they won't have to fight any pokémon with their own, but it sounds like something they can avoid if they're careful.

Mudkip is happily trotting along, chirping to Rowlet and Tepig occasionally, mainly to see if they're doing good or have caught sight of something in the forest. It seems like the three starters have a good deal of teamwork with each other, being ever vigilant or mindful of their surroundings.

Madrone is forced to stop the group before entering the cave, noticing that a nearby portion of a small fence has been chewed away, causing him to frown. The amount of destruction to the wooden fence is devastating, having been bitten and chewed to pieces.

"I'll have to look into that eventually...The fence is there to keep the smaller Pokemon from going into a nest of Tyranitar." He knows what caused the damage, but isn't prepared to journey into a much dangerous area with friends in tow. Instead, he approaches the mouth of the cave, where a small Magnemite is hanging out by the entrance.

The magnet Pokemon beeps, its round 'eye' turns into a smile. Madrone gives the Pokemon a small pat on the head, before showing it off to Adia and Caspar.

"Magnemite will be our guide today. A good lightning type Pokemon can light our way."

Caspar gives the damaged fence a wary glance, but as they aren't headed in that direction, he puts it out of his mind for the time being. Instead, he looks at the magnemite curiously. He has seen several pokémon by now, but this is the first one that doesn't resemble an animal or a plant or any sort of biological organism.

"Hey, there," he says to it. He hears it beep. And grins. This little guy is all right.

Adia is busy hiding a smile behind her hand. Magnemites used to make her a little sad, reminding her of the Cylons. It's awfully cute to see Caspar take such a fancy to one.

Madrone speaks up, saying something that almost indicates he can read Caspar's mind (even though that's physically impossible). "It's that Deino your friend caught, Adia. The Pokemon has been very hard to help out since I brought him here. Looks like he's escaped again..." He sighs, shaking his head. "I'll have a few of my Pokemon go search for him later."

Magnemite beeps, floating between Adia and Caspar, circling around them. It takes a small whistle from Madrone to get the lightning-type Pokemon back to the front of the cave, where it starts to glow. The light isn't overpowering, yet bright enough to guide their path.

"The cave has two major rooms in it. You'll notice a lot of nocturnal creatures when we first enter." The professor takes a step into the narrow cave, making sure Adia and Caspar are safely behind him before continuing. As mentioned, the second the group has traveled past the mouth of the cave, different Zubat and Woobat can be seen hanging from the ceilings.

Caspar doesn't assume any mind-reading, although his expression sours at the explanation. Any mention of Josh, no matter how oblique, puts him in a bad mood.

"Oh, that's a shame," Adia says, clearly concerned. "I was hoping he'd do better with you..." Maybe Josh should have tried to train him after all? Although if the professor is having trouble keeping the dragon pokémon contained, then Josh would have had an even harder time...

Thankfully, magnemite's friendly antics bring smiles back to the faces of both human and Cylon. Inspired, Caspar holds up his pokédex to scan it, Once inside the cave, Adia scans a zubat and a woobat, quietly so as not to disturb them from their slumber. "Cute," she whispers to herself, because they are.

Madrone is thankfully unaware of Caspar's mood shift, focusing on Adia when she starts speaking up. "It's a very tricky typing. Dark Pokemon are rebellious and very tough, while dragons will only respect those with a strong will." He gives her a smile though. "It'll be okay. I can repair the fence and many trainers in the area have been helping me locate Deino."

The Pokedex is impressive if it can scan creatures in dim light, but the device is overly efficient at producing information about the Pokemon. Madrone is happy to elaborate on a few of the finer details. "As you can see, the Zubat are very similar to fruit bats, their diets even stay them same." He points to a Woobat that has stuck its large, circular nose to the wall.

"The nose of a Woobat is very strong, almost like that of a pig. It can stay suctioned against a wall for hours on end. You can see the different heart shaped marks on the ceiling and wall where Woobat have rested."

Adia winces at Madrone's explanation. No, not a good combination at all. Although now she's even more impressed that Josh was able to befriend the deino so quickly. "I'll keep an eye out for him, too," she promises. "Let me know how it goes?"

Her mood is significantly lighter when the professor describes woobat's nose. She looks around for the heart marks as indicated. "Oh, that is very cute," she says, her voice hushed. "Do they use echolocation? Do they eat fruit or something else?"

Caspar admires the bat pokémon briefly, but he seems more enamored of Adia's reaction to them. "She's like this during nature programs, too," he comments as an aside to the professor. "Questions interspersed with informing me how cute the animal on screen is."

"You do it, too," Adia says with a quiet laugh. She returns her attention to the pokémon, in particular Tepig, who is thoughtfully pressing her nose against the cave's wall, curious if she will stick to it, too. But all she leaves is a small scorch mark.

"Pig," the tiny pokémon complains, and Caspar fights back his own comment of cuteness.

"Of course, Adia." He nods, while giving Tepig a friendly smile. Even the professor is not immune to adorable Pokemon. "My apologies, Tepig, but it seems your nose lacks the appropriate features that a Woobat nose has."

The pig Pokemon, despite the inability to stick, still seems to be in good spirits. Madrone makes sure to answer all of Adia's questions accordingly. "Yes. They primarily eat berries, fruit and sometimes small insects...no Bug pokemon. The Pokemon food you see at the mart is engineered to contain to necessary nutrients for healthy living."

A few of the bat pokemon stir in their sleep, but Magnemite makes sure to keep his light away. The magnet Pokemon hovers near a wide open hallway in the cave that leads to the next room. Professor Madrone makes sure to lead the party safely into the next cavern, which is glowing of green light.

The next room in the cave is large, lit up by a series of slimy, green gel-ball Pokemon known as Solosis. They seems content with being stuck on the walls, rolling around on the floor on in a nearby pond.

A microbiologist and a Cylon walk into a pokémon lab... ((for youmeandpokemon))

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