It is barely ten in the morning when the cloudy cover above breaks, filtering rays of sunlight upon Sunyshore’s lighthouse. The air is still cold (a breeze sweeps by and robs him of his warmth), but Colress will manage with his traditional white coat, which he adjusts around his frail, slim body. He holds his breath for a moment, hoping the approaching figure is his partner in his obligated mission, but is discouraged when they pass him by; just another unimportant person, irrelevant to him.
Colress thinks about why he’s here, and then he laughs – it’s hilarious to him, anyway. Not so much to everyone else.
He’d been a visitor in the city. With his newfound time and renegade status, Colress traveled far to reach Sinnoh, a land bombarded by jaded mountains and thick forests. Sunyshore’s progressive solar powered technology was famous around the world, rivaling that of Unova’s Black City. Such advances intrigued Colress and when he had arrived, he signed himself up for a tour of the city.
It had gone south once the tour led into the city’s generator room, which channeled all the collective solar energy and transformed it into more usable energy.
The generator was an impressive sight, even more impressive when known about its capabilities. It stood in the middle of a large tiled antechamber, thousands of wires pouring into its mass, a neat array of flashing buttons and panels (which did Arceus knowns what) before it. The generator alone, the tour guide explained, had the strength to power at least a city twice its size (mentioning this to the small crowd elicited a chorus of oo’s and ah’s). The tour did not remain in the chamber for long. Colress stayed, however.
A mistake.
He only meant to stay around long enough to discover what circuitry it ran on. All it would take was a more up close glance – it would have been harmless. But clumsy Colress, as he approached the generator, he fell forward and from his pocket rolled out a familiar red-and-white colored sphere which triggered the RELEASE mechanism—
In a flash of light, Rotom had been sent out. Colress never did manage to control his partner’s mischievous impulses. And before he could utter a single word, the dual type ghost had slammed itself into the massive machine, thereby possessing it and causing the generator to short-circuit. Colress remembered the cold laugh (or rather the amused noise) that Rotom uttered, having fun in running itself through the wires, the plates of durable mineral. And he laughed too; Colress found it impressive that Rotom was capable of manipulating such a large machine.
The city did not find it so hilarious, however.
The “comical” event had been interrupted within a short few minutes (while Rotom had fled from the intrusion, escaping into the system that spanned the entire city). Colress found himself delivered to Sunyshore’s justices. He got lucky; his offense did not merit a ticket or any imprisonment of any sort, given it was an accident. Instead, Colress was to fix the mess he created; the goal was to track down Rotom, and in turn, the solar powered system would be free.
To make sure Colress completed his mission without any hiccups, he’d been assigned a partner –
A Gym Leader, no less. The doctor was almost certain that the other was not too pleased with him. He straightens his collar and tries to make himself look prim when he thinks he sees him coming up over the steps.
So Colress calls out, managing a small wave.
“ Hello! Are you the Gym Leader the police spoke of? I am Doctor Colress – it is nice to meet you! “
Gale didn’t consider herself a serious Pokémon trainer; she didn’t care to collect badges or catch a bunch of Pokémon or do any special kind of training with her team. But, like any good owner—and there were plenty of people she knew who weren’t—Gale made sure to put time into keeping her team fighting fit. Whenever she got the chance, she liked to take a trip across Skyarrow Bridge and let her Pokémon get some exercise running around in Pinwheel Forest.
Having ridden her bike over to the forest, Gale parked on the road near the woods and pocketed her keys, pulling two Poké Balls from her jacket as she did so. She wanted her Electrike to get keep practicing fighting other Pokémon, and to have her Absol there in case the little guy got in over his head: a scenario that was entirely likely given the puppy’s impulsive behavior.
She released the Pokémon on the forest floor, and as expected Cash immediately began to wag his tail and bounce around her feet. Roscoe ignored the young Electrike entirely, instead gazing down the trail leading further into the woods. It was foggier than she’d been expecting, which gave her pause, not wanting to get lost in the wood. But it was obvious that Roscoe wanted to head off and explore, and Gale waved her hand in a gesture indicating he should do just that. “Go on, lead the way.”
The three of them meandered through the woods following Roscoe’s lead, heading deeper into the maze of pine trees and mist. It was cool outside; a nice morning for a walk… for all of about three minutes. A sound in the distance caught Cash’s attention, and his whole body stiffened. When the noise repeated, he didn’t hesitate to dash off and chase after it like the little bolt of lightning he so resembled.
“Ah—shit,” Gale said, watching him disappear into the haze before glancing down at Roscoe with a sigh. The dark-type gave her a look that suggested she should’ve known this was going to happen, which—yeah, she’d totally seen this coming. Nothing to do now but chase after him; Gale broke out into a run to keep up with him, her Absol taking off just ahead to lead the way.
They ran for a minute or so before entering a clearing, where Cash was sniffing a large, moss-covered rock. Whether this was the source of the noise or just a distraction wasn’t exactly clear, but Gale walked closer, following him around the rock. The sight of someone else standing on the other side made her gasp softly, reeling back. He seemed to have a similar reaction before clearing his throat.
“A-Ah. Apologizes. I didn’t see you there… I hope I haven’t disturbed you.”
Uhh… ri-ight. Even with his apology, the situation was still pretty creepy. Gale didn’t see any Pokémon out around him like she had hers, so… what was he doing up so early out in the middle of the forest?
“No worries, I guess,” she said, glancing down at Roscoe and Cash. They were both eyeing the stranger, their full attention focused on him. Good. “We’re just here to practice.” The ghost of an unspoken, ‘and you?’ lingered in the wake of her words.
She introduces herself as Gale. Gale… the definition of the word comes to mind instead. Relating to strong wind. A word in the same league as storm, hurricane. It befits her abrupt and stiff demeanor towards him. Gale. Someone who could keep their composure, but be an absolute nightmare to deal with angered. Colress conceals a smirk of strange satisfaction, giving her hand when she reaches for it.
His eyes almost sparkle when she mentions the stone again.
A big evolution stone… that was one way of putting it.
Regardless, Colress is happy to explain while she seems interested enough to listen. He draws breath, and starts out into a practiced spiel:
“ An evolution stone… no, you’d be correct in saying so. “ Colress thrums his fingers at the tablet resting on his size. “ As of right now, we can only assume that these particular, large stones only evolve the Pokémon Eevee into Leafeon. But I believe there has to be something more to this than just evolving one mere Pokémon. “
His dirtier hand grinds the green substance between his thumb and pointer into fine dust. The closer he inspects it, the moss shines a multitude of colors in direct sunlight. Glimmers of red, blue, green, white flicker off the surface of his spectacles.
“ You see, I’ve been working on a small project alongside my bigger one. Modern science has found it possible to manufacture artificial Mega Keystones from manmade materials… but I wonder, is it possible to make one out of evolution stones? The elements contained within the both of them are similar, but normal evolution stones just lack… “ Colress pushes the rim of his glasses further up the bridge of his nose. “ Enough power. And that’s why my focus has lead me here! “
Colress delivers his last amount of dialogue with a certain amount of verve. All that seems to be missing is for him to be throwing up his arms.
“ A lot of power is required to evolve Eevee into Leafeon. Even more so than with other evolutions in its family – sans for its Ice-type counterpart. … Could a Keystone be made from this? That is the question I ask myself – and I intend to find out its answer. “
For a place called the Dreamyard, there was nothing sleepy about it. Its eerie silence was constantly interrupted by the sound of decade-old asbestos paneling swinging from the ceiling and banging against naked cement, a cruel mockery of the hustle and bustle that once flooded the now haunted halls of the once successful research facility. Long blades of patchy grass grew so tall that they almost reached what remained of the second floor, and the area’s Pokemon wasted no time in taking back the habitat that was once theirs.
Then after the wild Pokemon came roaming trainers, all eagerly jumping at the chance to hang out at an abandoned place for the sake of bragging rights. Following the trainers came the troublemakers, and following the troublemakers came the people of Striaton naming it a hazardous waste disposal site for the mere sake of discouraging the impressionable from venturing into danger. What they didn’t account for though, was just how impressionable Touya is.
It wasn’t the first time he’d visited the Dreamyward, but it had been long enough for him to forget the extremes that the city went through to stop people from going in. The main entrance was sealed with layers of wood paneling and discolored police tape, but thanks to his Excadrill’s Brick Break it was quickly done with.. As soon as he stepped in he winced at the sound of shattered glass, only to glance down at dozens of thrown-out potion bottles dotting the ground. The place was somehow even more of a disaster than the last time he came, and even the fauna reflected it.
Gone were the adorable stray Purloins and Munnas with their baby-doll eyes and friendly demeanor. From the corner of his eye he spotted the grossest looking Raticate he’d ever seen, and for a second he could have sworn that from a dimly-lit pile of rubble he saw a pair of disembodied red eyes beckoning him to come closer and be eaten. His Excadrill was already honing his claws for a battle but Touya could only shake his head. He sighed, just deep enough to express disappointment but not deep enough to take in too much of the putrid air into his lungs. It was obvious to him that someone had to do something.
In the end he concluded that if didn’t do it, no one would. Thus began the daunting task of trying to figure out how to do something.
With disgust in his mouth and regret already starting to build up in the back of his mind, he started to take whatever pieces of garbage he found intact enough to recycle and shove the broken or dirty ones into his empty backpack pockets to dispose of later. It’s a hard knock life for the modern explorer.
The Dreamyard, while having the makings of a typical squalor, was lively. Between his gloved hands was a tablet, whose screen seem to flicker every few seconds. The readings from the tablet grow more intense as he nears towards a set of stairs which lead further down into the earth. Carefully does he descend down onto them. He avoids the cracks in the asphalt, in fear that they might somehow collapse on him if he steps upon them.
In the basement seems to be a dilapidated storage area. Beyond the flora and fauna which have grown to take this place over, Colress can see traces of manmade items scattered all over the floor. His heel taps against a stray can. He presses his lips into a thin line, and for the hell of it, gives it a good kick. The metal slides across the broken tiles, coming to a halt after hitting a moist cardboard box. Feeling satisfied, he continues forward.
From the corner of his eye, a family of Watchog peers at from behind a broken filing cabinet. They hiss at his appearance; Colress merely smiles and waves. He points his strange device at them and spooked by it, they run. The machine makes little noise, much to the doctor’s irritation. He turns it on its side for a moment, as if this will solve his situation.
“ Ah, ah… so, where is it…? If not here, then where could it be…? “
All of a sudden, the tablet begins to buzz when he points it north. His features, previously taut, brighten. His heart does a small leap, and he ventures further in the aforementioned direction. He is so excited that he neglects caution; the rim of his boot catches on a spare pipe rooted into the ground and he takes a tumble. Colress lands at an awkward angle. The tablet goes spilling across the floor, traveling until it lands at the foot of someone’s toes.
“ Gah! My apologies. “
Colress peers up. He picks himself up, and tries to pretend that he did not take an unceremonial trip just now. He dusts himself off for a few good seconds before reaching over to fetch the tablet. Thankfully, it is still in working condition – no scratches, no bumps. Once he has made sure his equipment is safe, he directs his attention to the Trainer in front of him. His lips quirk up into a smile; that smile fades for a second when he happens to notice the trash in the other’s hands. Why was he collecting trash?
“ Why, you’ll have to excuse me. I’m normally more coordinated than this – oh! Allow me introduce myself, Trainer. I am Doctor Colress. I’m just… doing a little fieldwork around this area. For… fun. “
[ Colress usually finds comfort in utter silence, or white noise. Although, when he is on the verge of a panic attack (which is rare), he often can ground himself with the sound and sight of running water. So, just turning the sink faucet and watching it flow. Nice. ]
[ Appearence wise, Colress likes to keep himself prim and clean - to a degree anyway. In his line of work, he does tend to dive into elements that can leave himself filthy. There are times when he neglects appearance to finish work. But otherwise, he likes looking fresh and bright. ]
Gale didn’t consider herself a serious Pokémon trainer; she didn’t care to collect badges or catch a bunch of Pokémon or do any special kind of training with her team. But, like any good owner—and there were plenty of people she knew who weren’t—Gale made sure to put time into keeping her team fighting fit. Whenever she got the chance, she liked to take a trip across Skyarrow Bridge and let her Pokémon get some exercise running around in Pinwheel Forest.
Having ridden her bike over to the forest, Gale parked on the road near the woods and pocketed her keys, pulling two Poké Balls from her jacket as she did so. She wanted her Electrike to get keep practicing fighting other Pokémon, and to have her Absol there in case the little guy got in over his head: a scenario that was entirely likely given the puppy’s impulsive behavior.
She released the Pokémon on the forest floor, and as expected Cash immediately began to wag his tail and bounce around her feet. Roscoe ignored the young Electrike entirely, instead gazing down the trail leading further into the woods. It was foggier than she’d been expecting, which gave her pause, not wanting to get lost in the wood. But it was obvious that Roscoe wanted to head off and explore, and Gale waved her hand in a gesture indicating he should do just that. “Go on, lead the way.”
The three of them meandered through the woods following Roscoe’s lead, heading deeper into the maze of pine trees and mist. It was cool outside; a nice morning for a walk… for all of about three minutes. A sound in the distance caught Cash’s attention, and his whole body stiffened. When the noise repeated, he didn’t hesitate to dash off and chase after it like the little bolt of lightning he so resembled.
“Ah—shit,” Gale said, watching him disappear into the haze before glancing down at Roscoe with a sigh. The dark-type gave her a look that suggested she should’ve known this was going to happen, which—yeah, she’d totally seen this coming. Nothing to do now but chase after him; Gale broke out into a run to keep up with him, her Absol taking off just ahead to lead the way.
They ran for a minute or so before entering a clearing, where Cash was sniffing a large, moss-covered rock. Whether this was the source of the noise or just a distraction wasn’t exactly clear, but Gale walked closer, following him around the rock. The sight of someone else standing on the other side made her gasp softly, reeling back. He seemed to have a similar reaction before clearing his throat.
“A-Ah. Apologizes. I didn’t see you there… I hope I haven’t disturbed you.”
Uhh… ri-ight. Even with his apology, the situation was still pretty creepy. Gale didn’t see any Pokémon out around him like she had hers, so… what was he doing up so early out in the middle of the forest?
“No worries, I guess,” she said, glancing down at Roscoe and Cash. They were both eyeing the stranger, their full attention focused on him. Good. “We’re just here to practice.” The ghost of an unspoken, ‘and you?’ lingered in the wake of her words.
His surprise guest is a young woman, no older than twenty-five. (But that is just his guess.) He straightens his tie as she addresses him. The way her partners stare at him daunts him – almost as if there’s an edge of poison in their eyes. But Colress is used to such stiff, cold greetings. Hands slide from his fixture to the rock; he runs his gloved fingers across its damp, chilled surface. A streak of green mars his blanched digits. The moss seems to glisten in what little sunlight penetrates through the fog.
He smiles.
“ … We’re just here to practice. “
It is at this point that his smile grows wider. With a delighted, chipper little sigh, Colress launches into his own brand of dialogue. But he suppresses his true excitement.
“ Aaaah… is that so? “ Colress muses, an almost melodical quality to his voice. “ This is an excellent place to train, I would think. So many evolutions to befit yourself against – this forest contains a surplus of Pokémon. All varied, too. “ And then his focus drifts to Absol and Electrike on Gale’s side, fixing them with a look of interest.
He pauses for a moment. Colress purses his lips, as though trying to remember something. It comes to him a moment later; his expression brightens to reflect this. Soft laughter escapes his lips.
“ Oh! How could I have been so rude? I should really introduce myself. I’m Doctor Colress. I’m a scientist – I’m investigating this rock for a personal thesis of mine. It’s tied to evolution, you know, but I feel there is something more to it. “ Colress glances at the rock for a few delayed second before returning his focus to the person in front of him. He extends his hand – the clean one – and smiles once more.
The morning air feels good on his skin. The weather today brings fog and humidity; the fog in question is so thick that one could slice it with a knife. He breathes it in deep, hugs the clean cloak over his body as he trudges further into the thick of these woods. He licks a fallen drip of condensation on his lips, knowing full well that he is almost there. His joints are aching from the walk; he steels himself to continue.
A wall of vines stands in his way. Colress pulls them back with his arm.
At least, what he is searching for is within sight.
The Mossy Rock stands in a clearing among a field of small buttercups. The way it stands there, so untouched, so pristine… it almost beckons to him. Colress holds his breath. He proceeds further, taking cautious steps. He feels a strange sense of foreboding sweep over him, as if something bad will happen if he approaches the mineral—
But nothing happens.
He relaxes. But a moment too soon.
A figure is also standing beside the rock, and they’re moving. The sound of their feet dragging across the grass carpet startles him; Colress jumps. It takes him a few seconds to regain his semblance. He clears his throat to speak:
“ A-Ah. Apologizes. I didn’t see you there… I hope I haven’t disturbed you. “
my name is zelda and i enjoy the krispy kreme meme way too much! i’m an agender individual and i love roleplaying a lot!! it’s nice to meet all of you!
there’s not much to say about myself, but i guess if you want to learn more, you can stroll over to my about page? and then you can find my personal blog from there and find out all you ever want to know about me (or not).
that being said - i should have an open post before friday (that is the plan anyway) but i’d love to get more threads! i’m open to mini threads and larger paragraph threads (like those 500+ word count ones). so, if you’re interested, please message me on im or via ask!! i’m super pumped to be here!!
