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

[chiron_survivor]

As soon as Professor Madrone confirms a good time to drop by his lab, Adia prepares for the visit. It entails little change from how she usually prepares to visit the Nexus -- the only delay is Caspar getting ready, too.

He asked to come with her, but she has to remind him not to wear a suit, not unless he wants it covered in pokémon fur, feathers, or who knows what else. So he needs a little more time to pick out something casual -- jeans and button-down, which he's not thrilled about.

Adia assures him that he looks as professional as always, and teleports them to the coordinates that the professor sent her.

Comments

[chiron_survivor]

Although the magnemite and magneton are what initially attract Caspar's attention, it's the clefairy that hold his wide-eyed gaze. Oh. They are very cute. His expression softens into a look that he normally reserves for Adia, a gentle half-smile on his face. "What are they doing?" he whispers.

"Is that a moon rock?" Adia asks the professor, pointing to the shimmering greenish-gray rock. She's equally enamored, but unlike Caspar, she's done some research into various fairy types, including clefairy. She knows about their connection to the moon. "What's the other rock, the metallic one?"

Tepig squirms in Caspar's arms, so he crouches down and lets her hop to the ground. She scrambles over to the ring of clefairy and magnemite and attempts to join in the dance. No, she doesn't know what those rocks are, but the dancing looks like fun! Rowlet flutters up to an alcove on the wall and chirps a greeting to a gathering of magneton.

[youmeandpokemon]

"They seem to be celebrating an upcoming evolution." Madrone points to a Clefairy and a Magneton that many of the Pokemon are dancing around. This also confirms Adia's two questions about the different types of rock. "Yes. The green one is a Moon Stone deposit, while the other one doesn't have a name, but it contains strong magnetic properties. If either of you think of a good name, I'm open to suggetions."

The Clefairy and Magnemite are very welcoming to Tepig and Rowlet, so long as the two Pokemon are passive, they've no reason to quarrel. Madrone pulls out his Pokedex and takes a few pictures, while continuing to talk. "It's rare to see two opposite types of Pokemon get along. Steel Pokemon have an advantage over Fairy, but these two species have learned to put aside conflict and live together in peace." Kind of like another robotic species...

[chiron_survivor]

The magnetic rock's attraction is self-explanatory, but Caspar doesn't understand the significance of a moon stone. His confusion must show, because Adia whispers to him, "Clefairy are from outer space. They came to Earth via meteors."

"No kidding," Caspar marvels. Adia smiles and holds up her pokédex to learn as much as she can about the pokémon in front of her. The dancing reminds her of a ceremony, especially the way the clefairy and magneton in the middle of the circle are acting. They are dancing with one another, the clefairy occasionally reaching out to pat her partner on one of its three heads, and the magneton beeping happily in response. It's terribly sweet, and she's delighted to hear from the professor they they're getting along despite their opposing types.

Meanwhile, Tepig is really throwing herself into her dancing. She kicks up her tiny hooves and wiggles her rear as she moves around the ring. One-two-three-kick! One-two-three-shimmy! Caspar catches sight of her and loses his composure, turning away and bringing his hands to his mouth to stifle his laughter.

Adia looks over at him in surprise. "Are you okay?" she asks. Caspar squeezes his eyes shut, giggle-snorting behind his hands as he tries not to disturb the relative silence of the cave. It makes her grin; it is so rare for him to laugh like this, even when it's just the two of them. She pats him on the back and then goes back to looking at the pokémon, giving him the illusion of privacy.

[youmeandpokemon]

"So the myth goes. There's always a theory or two floating around about Clefairy coming from the moon, but no real solid evidence to prove it yet." Madrone wraps up his photo taking, turning the Pokedex to video mode and placing it on a solid rock formation, so it can film the Pokemon while he's talking. Thankfully, he misses Caspar's happy breakdown, his eyes on the spectacle ahead.

"It seems like Tepig is enjoying herself, as well as the other Pokemon..."

There's a small commotion near one of the top alcoves, a few Magnemite are beeping angrily at a shadow on the wall. Madrone looks up at the spot, noticing dark purple colors in place of the usual black spots. Something seems off...

He doesn't get a chance to react, as a large purple, spiky ghost emerges from the wall with a large grin on his face. It's a Gengar, which completely confuses the professor. "How can that Pokemon be here?"

[chiron_survivor]

Mention of the moon puts a thoughtful expression on Adia's face, as it always does. "It'd explain why they like to dance under the full moon." She watches the dance continue, grateful that she's able to experience something so rare and sweet, and able to share it with Caspar.

Gengar's appearance unfortunately spoils the mood. Tepig squeaks and runs over to the Cylon, hiding behind his legs. Even rowlet looks worried, ruffling her feathers and huddling closer to the magnemite that she befriended in one of the shallow alcoves.

"What's the matter, Tepig?" Caspar asks his porcine friend as he points the pokédex at Gengar. Despite the mischievous smile on the creature's face, it doesn't necessarily look scarier than anything else he's seen so far. "What's wrong with a ghost type being in a cave? Don't they like the shadows?"

[youmeandpokemon]

"The problem with a Gengar is the fact that they rarily evolve in the wild. It's very rare to see one here..." Madrone really doesn't get a chance to say anything else as the Ghost Pokemon jumps down from the alcove, immediately grabbing the hand of Clefairy, who's chirping out to Magneton for help.

There's a small bickering between Magneton and Gengar, who's protectively trying to steal Clefairy away from the magnet trio. Many of the other Magnemite and Clefairy are growing concerned at their friend being tormented by this ghost Pokemon. Madrone can only assume what's going on, verbalizing those concerns to Caspar and Adia.

"It seems like Gengar wants Clefairy for himself. Strange how the myth behind Gengar and Clefable is becoming true here..." He doesn't move forward, not wanting to spook the already fearful Pokemon, but something must be done. Alas, Gengar is not a happy creature, as he launches an attack at the Magneton, sending the Pokemon reeling backwards, while the other creatures scatter.

[chiron_survivor]

"That's right, they prefer urban areas, don't they?" Adia remarks. She's about to scan the ghost pokémon as well, but then she's startled by it leaping down and rudely breaking up the dance party. She clutches Caspar's arm worriedly, not liking its behavior one bit, but not knowing what to do. The professor isn't intervening... does that mean they shouldn't, either?

Caspar seems to be having similar qualms. "Hey, asshole. Take a hint, the lady's not interested," he calls out to the spiky-headed troublemaker. Maybe not the wisest idea, but better he get harassed by the gengar than that poor clefairy.

When the confrontation comes to actual blows and the magneton gets knocked back, a surprise contender enters the ring. Tepig rushes from behind Caspar's legs, nostrils flaring fire, and charges. "Pig!" she roars. You leave those two friends alone, you big bully! She rears up on her tiny hind legs, then slams her front hooves down and shoots twin flames at the gengar.

[youmeandpokemon]

"Yes, or abandoned places where they can cause mischief and trickery with other Ghost Pokemon." Madrone was hoping to try and come up with a peaceful solution, but Gengar seems to have other ideas in mind, having already started to battle. As evident by a lack of AV field, it seems like Pokemon vs Pokemon is acceptable out here in the wilds.

Gengar turns to face Caspar, his grin widening, none to pleased to hear what the Cylon has to say. He tries to launch a Shadow Ball attack at him, but is interrupted by Tepig rushing forward, spitting fire at him. Gengar takes a direct hit, allowing Clefairy to break free from his ghostly grip. Madrone calls out Mudkip, who starts trying to guide the Pokemon to other corners of the room for safety

Gengar, meanwhile, catches his gaze on Adia, finding it unusual to see a female trainer down in these parts. For now, he wants Clefairy's attention once more.

"Caspar, see if you and Tepig can wear down Gengar. I'll focus on keepping the other Pokemon safe." Madrone hesitates for a second when he looks at Adia. He doesn't want to tell her to do a specific thing...Instead, he just nods to her confidently. "Adia, you have a good instinct for things, so I trust you to do what you feel is right in the current situation."

[chiron_survivor]

The brief look of alarm on Caspar's face is replaced with a proud smile of satisfaction when he sees Tepig score a direct hit on Gengar. "Atta girl! You kick his ass!" Madrone's instructions remind him that he ought to be calling out some actual moves instead of blanket encouragement. Too bad he doesn't know the names of anything, so general fighting instructions will have to do. "Stay evasive if he shoots anything at you! Then hit him again with your fire!"

Rowlet automatically joins Mudkip in herding the other pokémon to safety, although she keeps a feathery ear hole out for any instructions Adia might want to give her.

Adia, however, seems to be at a loss. The professor's words are encouraging, but don't give her much to work with. Her gaze turns automatically to the clefairy who was previously accosted. She's sitting by Magneton while he recovers, chirping softly in worry and apology. The scene breaks Adia's heart a little -- Clefairy must blame herself for Gengar's unwanted attention.

Hurrying over to the pair of them, she kneels down to get their attention. "Hey. You two were about to evolve, right? That makes you the most powerful pokémon here. And together, your bond is stronger than anything that gengar can dish out. So don't be scared, okay? We're all here to help you."

[youmeandpokemon]

Tepig is doing a very good job at avoiding any attacks Gengar tries to show at her, but the Pokemon starts to pick up on this trend. The Gengar disappears into the shadows which cover the floor of the cave, slipping behind Tepig and delivering a harsh attack with his sharp claws. It sends the Pig Pokemon back a few steps to regroup.

Mudkip and Madrone stay focused on helping everyone to safety, leaving just Magneton and Clefairy to Adia. The Magneton seems to be doing better, floating back up while Clefairy nods at Adia's words. Yes, they were getting ready to evolve before this showdown occurred. Clefairy looks at Adia and smiles, understanding her words as Magneton does the same.

The steel Pokemon aims its magnets at Gengar, while Clefairy starts chanting, causing her partner to become surrounded in a pink light. Finally, Magneton launches a powerful Zap Cannon attack, enhanced by Clefairy's power, at the Gengar. The attack avoids Tepig easily and directly hits the Gengar, sending the ghost Pokemon to the floor in front of Caspar.

[chiron_survivor]

Caspar winces when the blow hits Tepig. People do this for fun? How can they stand watching their pokémon get hurt?! "Tepig, careful! Keep your guard up when he goes into the shadows!"

Relieved that her message was well-received, Adia gives both pokémon an encouraging smile and steps out of the way. Their combined attack is a sight to behold, and for a moment she forgets to be worried, focusing instead on the strength of the bond between these two very different pokémon.

As Gengar slams to the ground in front of Caspar, the Cylon is tempted to give a swift kick to its rear, but thinks better of it. It's still a pokémon, as obnoxious and aggressive as it was being, and deserves to be treated with more compassion than he'd offer a human in a similar position.

He can't let it get back up again, though. Digging into his pocket, he pulls out Tepig's empty poké ball and throws it at Gengar's prone form. Hopefully this will work. "Get in the ball if you know what's good for you."

[youmeandpokemon]

People don't like watching their Pokemon get hurt, but it seems like Pokemon also know the risks of getting into battle. Tepig trots over to the Gengar and huffs some smoke at the ghost Pokemon from her nostrils. Good. The Gengar got what it deserves.

Madrone walks over to Magneton, taking a small bottle out of his pocket, spraying the Pokemon with the potion. Slowly, all of Gengar's damage is undone, leaving Magneton to smile happily at the professor, Adia and Clefairy. He doesn't get a chance to tell Caspar that the plan won't work, as the Pokeball bounces back to Caspar, deflected by some unseen force.

Gengar, meanwhile, just lays on the floor injured. Despite his scary demeanor, he's clearly shaken up by losing the battle and seems unlikely to attack again. The Pokemon raises his red eyes to Caspar in concession, despite the fact that the Cylon literally just threw a Pokeball at him.

"Gengar..." That almost sounds like an apology.

[chiron_survivor]

Caspar catches the poké ball on the rebound, disappointed that it didn't work. He'll have to ask the professor why later, right now he's meeting Gengar's supplicating look with a hard stare of his own. "I'm not the one you should be apologizing to, buddy."

From across the cave, Clefairy pats Magneton with her pointy little hands, happy that he is fully healed. Adia smiles at the reunited couple before crossing over to Gengar. "Hey," she says gently. "It seemed like you want to be friends with Clefairy? You can't hog her attention like that, though. Especially when she's in the middle of something. "Maybe the professor can heal you, too, if you promise to be a better friend."

"He needs to heal Tepig, too," Caspar adds. He looks down at the piglet and smiles at her proudly. "You were a badass, Tepig. Good job." Tepig puffs out her chest a little and oinks at the praise.

[youmeandpokemon]

Madrone will have to explain that Pokeball mechanic, but for now, he's joining Adia, heading towards Gengar. He glances at Gengar, before walking over to Tepig. A quick spray from his own bottle, makes the wound marks Tepig received in the battle to go away.

"Yes. Being friends with one another is a good way to not anger others. I'm sure Clefairy and Magneton would welcome you into their circle, despite your initial outburst..." That comment sets something off within the ghost's brain, as Gengar closes his eyes, his form melting into the floor.

"Wait! We haven't gotten to heal you yet..." Too late, as the Gengar seems to have vanished from the cave, which causes the surrounding Pokemon to become less tense. "I hope Gengar will be okay."

[chiron_survivor]

Tepig wags her curly tail and smiles up at Madrone. Thanks, professor! She snorts in surprise when Gengar disappears, snuffling at the spot where he once lay.

"Oh, no. Why wouldn't he at least stay to be healed?" Adia looks around for Rowlet, who flutters over, along with a couple curious magnemite. "He didn't seem nearly so intimidating at the end there."

Caspar's gaze is on the clefairy and megneton who are chirping at one another affectionately. "Maybe he didn't want to be a third wheel..." He turns his attention to Madrone, holding up his poké ball. "How come I couldn't capture him? And what were you saying earlier about a myth? Is there a specific reason Gengar wanted Clefairy's attention so badly?"

[youmeandpokemon]

Professor Madrone gently pats Tepig on the head, while gesturing for the other Pokemon to come out of hiding. Mudkip is also helping with ensuring no one else has been injured during the scuffle.

"I tend to agree with Caspar on this one. Perhaps Gengar didn't want to stick around, after realizing he couldn't have Clefairy." Madrone shakes his head. "Since the Pokeball belongs to Tepig, it can't be used to capture a different Pokemon. As for the myth, it is said that Clefable, the evolved form of Clefairy, shares a lot of similarities with the physical appearance of Gengar. Many people claim that Gengar is the shadow of Clefable, and even their typing seems to support this. Normal types can't hit ghost types and vice versa."

[chiron_survivor]

Caspar takes a closer look at the poké ball, impressed by its technology. "Sorry I tried to use your poké ball, Tepig," he says, tucking it back into his jacket. The piglet snorts and shakes her head. No worries, friend!

Madrone's explanation of the myth has Adia frowning softly. "No wonder he wanted to be with her. He probably feels incomplete otherwise." She sighs and shakes her head. "But that's no reason for him to grab at her like that. I know gengars like to play pranks, but he really could have hurt someone."

"Hey, at least he knows not to mess with them again." Caspar wraps a consoling arm around Adia and points her towards Clefairy and Magneton, who have resumed their dance. "Look how happy they are together. They'll be fine." He looks over at Madrone for confirmation. All's well that ends well, right? No need to dwell on sad ghost pokémon who can't mind their manners.

[youmeandpokemon]

"My apologies for not giving you actual Pokeballs for catching Pokemon. The double-edged sword is that the Pokemon you catch might want to make you its trainer, so...it leaves us in a bit of a bind." Madrone is glad that Tepig is back to normal and all of the other Pokemon have returned to their usual happy selves.

"The desire to feel complete...all beings search for it, even if drives them to the brink of insanity. Perhaps Gengar will find his happiness elsewhere, if given the chance." Mudkip is nudging Madrone's leg with his head, smiling happily. It'll be alright! "For now, everything seems to be back in order. I imagine that Clefairy and Magneton will evolve soon." And that will be a happy sight to behold, even after the brief interruption from Gengar.

Speaking of evolution, Clefairy and Magneton stop their dance, touching the two stones in front of them, causing their bodies to glow brightly. At the end, there's a UFO shaped Pokemon and a much larger pink Pokemon with wings. The other Magnemite light up in excitement, while Clefairy begin picking up nearby flowers, weaving them into crowns that will be placed on Magnezone and Clefable.

[chiron_survivor]

"It's okay, Professor," Adia says. "We understand. Neither of us are in a position to train a pokémon currently." Although of all the pokémon they've encountered, a ghost pokémon would be best at staying hidden on Atlantis...

As if reading her mind, Caspar holds back a sigh. The last thing they need in their lives is a gengar, specifically the one that just peaced out through the floor.

Fortunately, watching a dual pokémon evolution is enough to put those thoughts out of Adia's mind. She has witnessed an evolution before -- Bucky's to be specific -- but that doesn't dull the shine off the moment at all. When their transformation is complete, she holds up her pokédex to learn about their new forms.

Even Caspar looks impressed, not bothering to make a quip about the magneton upgrading. It is Tepig who breaks the silence. "Pig!" she says cheerfully, sitting on her haunches and clapping her front hooves. Hooray!

[youmeandpokemon]

Madrone wouldn't even begin to recommend taking a Gengar back to Atlantis, especially given the destructive nature that Ghost Pokemon exhibited. Maybe Tepig or Rowlet would be better starters to keep...but Madrone isn't planning on coercing either of them to take a Pokemon home.

The evolution is truly something magnificent to watch and even the professor is taken back by it, even though this isn't his first time seeing Pokemon evolve. After the evolution is complete, the Clefairy hand their flower crowns off to the Magnemite, who place the newly created charms onto Clefable and Magnezone's antennae. The dancing continues, but Clefable stops to stare at Adia and Caspar. She reaches down and grabs two small shards of the Moon Stone and the magnetic rock. Carefully, the fairy Pokemon walks over to them, offering each a stone as a token of her appreciation.

Madrone says nothing, not wanting to intervene in this interaction, but he knows it's special to be offered something from a Pokemon.

[chiron_survivor]

It really is a shame. Even Caspar with his sarcastic, standoffish manner, clearly has a fondness for pokémon. He chuckles softly at Tepig's enthusiastic response, then gently nudges her with his leg. "They're dancing again, do you want to join in?"

Tepig looks up at him, as if double-checking his approval, before running over to the ring of dancing clefairy. One of the them offers her a flower, leftover from their crown-making, but when she goes to sniff it, she accidentally scorches it. Oops! The clefairy giggles and pats her head.

"What's the significance of the flower crowns?" Adia asks curiously. She sets aside her pokédex when Clefable approaches, surprised by the gesture. "Oh... these are for us?" The moon stone shard glows briefly in her hand when she takes it. "Thank you, Clefable, for sharing these with us. And your evolution, too."

"It's a real honor," Caspar says quietly as he accepts the shard of the magnetic rock. He looks at it, expression bemused, before turning to Adia. "She's not expecting us to evolve, is she?"

Adia giggles. "No, I don't think so."

"Too bad," he quips, as he tucks away the shard into his jacket pocket. "You'd look adorable with pink wings." Adia giggles again, this time accompanied by a blush, and his soft smile turns into a grin.

[youmeandpokemon]

"Logically it seems like the Pokemon are identifying the strongest of their clans. That or..." He looks at the rocks being held by Adia and Caspar. "A union between Pokemon." Madrone smiles, and the next thing he says seems completely at random, without thought.

"Perhaps you could use the stones towards your own wedding rings..." He pauses, and in a rare moment, turns away from the group, almost ashamed of what he's said. "My apologies. I should not have assumed such a thing." Madrone reaches down to pick up his Pokedex, putting it away in his pocket.

Clefable, on the other hand, is smiling at Madrone's words. She reaches out to take Adia and Caspar's hands, bringing them together, then trying to drag the couple towards the dancing Pokemon. Clearly the fairy Pokemon wants the two lovers to join the celebration.

[chiron_survivor]

"Oh! Um..." Adia tucks the moon stone into her pocket, unsure of what to say. It was rather out of the blue for Madrone to suggest that, but she doesn't want him to feel embarrassed about it either. "We, um... well, that's a nice thought, but we haven't really --"

"Leave the actual proposal planning to me, Professor," Caspar suggests dryly, although he doesn't seem particularly irritated. In fact, it's not that bad an idea... he looks at his girlfriend uncertainly. Have they been together long enough that he can ask? Should he ask now?

Clefable's not-so-subtle cue fortunately cuts the tension in the cave. Caspar chuckles and takes Adia's hand, letting the winged pokémon lead them to the other celebrants. Once there, he sweeps Adia into his arms. "One dance?" he asks, swaying her gently. "It'd be rude to offend the bride."

"One dance," Adia murmurs, smiling softly.

[youmeandpokemon]

Professor Madrone is quick to apologize, realizing just how awkward the comment sounded. "I should have been thinking about that statement before saying it. My apologies Adia, Caspar." He's overly grateful that Clefable breaks up the moment, taking the attention off his inconsiderate comment.

The fairy Pokemon claps her hand together once Caspar takes Adia into his arms, while Madrone watches silently. Rowlet gently lands on his shoulder and coos reassuringly, as if letting him know that everything will be okay. Feeling slightly better about the situation, Madrone takes out his Pokedex once more, snapping pictures of the different Pokemon, as well as Adia and Caspar dancing.

[chiron_survivor]

All is forgiven, Professor, if how happy the couple look is anything to go by. Whatever self-consciousness was initially in Adia's expression melts away as Caspar leads her in a very basic waltz, a dance he remembers learning, even if he's only ever danced it with her. She keeps her gaze locked on him, warm and tender, while he glides them around the twin stones, careful to keep out of the way of any underfoot clefairy or low-flying magnemites.

Magnezone floats over to Clefaable to also watch the human-Cylon pair. He beeps something approvingly to his companion, and she smiles and takes one of his magnet appendages. Yes, they look very nice together, don't they? Giving them the shards was a good idea.

Tepig, worn out from all the dancing, trots over to Madrone and snorts. Is it time to go yet? The dance appears to be wrapping up, and she's getting hungry.