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Post by Farrah Whitaker on Jun 15, 2020 0:18:34 GMT
It had taken a bit of finagling, what with all the insanity going on, the Laboratory having no idea who the hell was calling until they remembered to introduce themselves, and then quickly finding transport and travel after setting up an appointment, but Farrah felt much more at ease, now that they were walking through the doors of Mistveil's Pokemon Laboratory. The black pokeball clipped onto their belt felt like the weight of a thousand worlds, and as light and airy as a feather at the same time.
They had called the day Pokemon came back to the Deprin Region - as had many others, they were sure - with a request. Or in Farrah's case, less a request and more an excitedly panicking ramble to a lab in uproar until details had been settled and Farrah had explained themselves. They needed an appointment, because Pokemon were back, and they had a Pokeball and needed to determine if it was safe for the critter to come out. And what it was at all. Farrah wasn't sure. What if it was something huge and nasty and they let it out in their apartment only for it to attack? Best leave it to the people who had actually gone to college for that particular subject. They approached the front desk, putting on a neutral-friendly expression with a blase wave to the receptionist.
"Hey. Farrah Whitaker, called in about a meeting with Professor Yew about a Pokeball?"
After getting checked in, Farrah made their way over to the waiting room, taking in the sights of the building with mild curiosity. It was newer, wasn't it? Looked like it - but maybe Farrah just needed to get out more. They hadn't been back to Mistveil for a little while. Sliding their trusty guitar case off their back, the musician set it on the floor next to the seat they took. They plucked up the Pokeball to study it while they waited. It looked shiny and new, polished to a sheen - probably because Farrah regularly did clean it. It had always had a pretty solid weight. They knew something had to be in there, though. Why else would the person who'd given it to them all that time ago have said explicitly not to open it, unless it wasn't empty? "What kinda Pokemon are you?" they mused. "Guess we're gonna find out."
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Post by Professor Victoria Yew on Jun 15, 2020 0:47:44 GMT
 Professor Yew The name sounded vaguely familiar to Professor Yew, but she couldn't place it, even when she looked at Farrah in person. (She wasn't a big music-lover.) "You're here because you have a Pokeball and want to know what's in it, right? Just follow me."Yew led Farrah back down a corridor to the same plain, empty room where Mya had met Eon for the first time. The Pokeball analyzer on the wall waited to be used, a simple receptacle that could accept a single ball and display its contents on the screen beside the device. The professor went to the screen and brought it to life, checking the settings; then she turned back to Farrah. "You may do the honors, if you like."how can we claim to understand something we've never experienced? |
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Post by Farrah Whitaker on Jun 15, 2020 1:27:33 GMT
"Yeah, that's me." Farrah nodded as their name was called, slipping their guitar case back over their shoulder as they bounced to their feet and followed the professor down the hall into the room. They inspected the room curiously as they approached the receptacle after it was turned on.
They nodded at Professor Yew. "Thanks, will do." They gazed down at the luxury ball in their hand with a look of determined finality. 'Time to figure out just what you're gonna be, kid,' they thought, and placed the ball down into the waiting slot. "Someone gave this to me years ago after a concert," they said. "Don't know why. Only with the warning not to open it. Must mean someone's in there, I reckon." They turned their gaze to the professor and smiled conversationally. "You all only just gettin' the lab setup still? It looks nice, all pristine."
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Post by Professor Victoria Yew on Jun 15, 2020 15:14:38 GMT
Professor Yew "Yes, we had to do quite a bit of sudden revamping. No one really expected Pokemon to come back, after all."The word "concert" jogged Professor Yew's memory: a musician, that was where she'd heard of Farrah before. Of course, she probably should have guessed that from their guitar case ... The professor still couldn't recall if she'd ever listened to Farrah's music. She tended not to pay a lot of attention to artists, sadly. "That's a valuable gift," she commented as the device processed, the light under the Pokeball lighting up. "It looks like we have ... Oh, interesting. A Galarian Zigzagoon."The professor moved out of the way slightly so that Farrah could see the on-screen image of the spiky little black-and-white Pokemon. how can we claim to understand something we've never experienced? |
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Post by Farrah Whitaker on Jun 15, 2020 18:21:23 GMT
Farrah nodded at the professor's explanation at the renovations. Nothing to disagree with there; it was completely true. Nobody had expected them to ever come back, and suddenly... well. Here they were, standing right in front of a machine ready to tell the world what their partner Pokemon was, and technically had been for years, sitting patiently at their bedside.
"Yeah - never was sure why someone would part with somethin' so nice, but I've taken good care of it nonetheless." They'd just been responding after the Professor was already stepping to the side, but it took a minute for their brain to catch up with what she'd said. "Sorry, a Galarian what?"
Their gaze studied the image of the little raccoon Pokemon on the screen intently for a long moment - before suddenly, eyes widening in surprise, Farrah barked out a sharp, surprised laugh. They leaned back on their heels, their lips in an amused quirk. "Well, I'll be darned." They turned their head to look at Professor Yew directly, and reached up to flick their own black and white fringe hanging over their eye. "That's a years long joke whoever owned this kiddo first made. 'Match my aesthetic.' It sure does, doesn't it." A years' long in the making pun that couldn't have guaranteed the musician's appearance and fashion would have remained the same. Farrah couldn't even be mad.
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Post by Professor Victoria Yew on Jun 16, 2020 20:30:01 GMT
Professor Yew "They must have really loved your music," the professor suggested, though she, too, found it remarkable that someone would just give away a Pokeball to a stranger -- even a famous stranger. Though no one had known when or if Pokemon would come back and make Pokeballs more than paperweights again, they were still quite valuable. "It's a Zigzagoon. Known as the 'Tiny Raccoon' Pokemon. Specifically this variant was first spotted in the Galar region."A distant place that no one had visited in either of their lifetimes, as Deprin had found itself completely cut off from other regions as soon as Pokemon disappeared -- another mystery to go along with the disappearance itself. The professor smiled, looking at Farrah's hair. "It does rather suit you. Do you want to let it out? Meet your new Pokemon?"how can we claim to understand something we've never experienced? |
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Post by Farrah Whitaker on Jun 18, 2020 20:51:23 GMT
Farrah hmm'd to themselves quietly. There hadn't been a lot of people at those meet and greets back in the day - it was still when they were just hitting their stride in the industry. Though, that could mean those fans that did come were some of the most dedicated... well. They'd never know.
"Hell yeah, let's do it," Farrah said. They reached forward to pluck up the Zigzagoon's ball and nodded to it. "You're sure a long way from home, fella. Welcome to your new life, I guess? C'mon out!" They turned towards the open area of the room and tapped the capture, eyes bright with curious energy. The ball opened with a flash of glittering light, taking shape into a creature on the floor. When it disappated - there he was. The raccoon blinked his bright pink eyes open, and shook himself off with a great yawn. He then tipped his nose up in the air and sniffed, before realizing the two humans were in the room. Immediately, he bristled in surprise. "Rrrr..." the Zigzagoon grumbled out cautiously.
Farrah grinned. They liked this kid's moxie. "Well aren't you just as handsome as your ball, fella?"
The Pokemon paused at Farrah's voice. He tilted his head to the side as if in piqued curiosity, but remained standing his ground, neither coming closer nor further away.
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Post by Professor Victoria Yew on Jun 19, 2020 1:45:23 GMT
Professor Yew The professor stood back, happy to let Farrah take the lead in meeting their new Pokemon -- though she did have a hand on Absol's Pokeball. Zigzagoon wasn't a particularly powerful or aggressive Pokemon, but the encounter could still go wrong. Better safe than sorry -- if things went south, the professor wanted to call on Absol before anyone got hurt. After all: "Galarian Zigzagoon are recorded as being more aggressive than their more common counterparts. But the species as a whole is known for its curiosity."The professor wasn't sure if Farrah needed any more prompting, not yet. She decided to stay quiet and see how Farrah attempted to get the Zigzagoon's attention before offering any further advice. how can we claim to understand something we've never experienced? |
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Post by Farrah Whitaker on Jun 19, 2020 8:58:15 GMT
Farrah's eyes flicked to the Professor's hand on her own Pokeball, and felt a thread of apprehension move through them. If Prof. Yew was at the ready with her own Pokemon, just how concerned should Farrah be? ...Well, best not to show it. They were a performer. They knew better than to show weakness in front of others. A Pokemon was no different.
"Huh." They nodded in acknowledgement of the Professor's explanation of their Pokemon's species. "I have respect for someone with a lil' fight in em." They knelt down in front of the pokemon. "Good for you, mate."
The initial reaction of the Zigzagoon was to put his ears back with a little rumble, but when it became obvious Farrah was neither backing away... nor dropping eye contact... he looked at them warily, lowering his head. "Atta' boy. C'mon then, I'm not hurting you, and you aren't hurting us." They stuck their hand out slowly towards the Zigzagoon, fingers curled into a fist to protect their fingers in case he bit. They never dropped the eye contact. Zigzagoon slowly approached the hand, and sniffed. "There we go..." Carefully, Farrah extended their fingers out to rub the Pokemon's head. They paused when he froze, but when no overtly aggressive movement came, they scritched gently behind his ear.
His tail wiggled slightly. Farrah hmm'd in interest and scratched some more, watching as the critter slowly relaxed, tail thumping on the ground, until he pushed up against their hand to cover it in a big sloppy lick. "Oh."
The Zigzagoon seemed pleased now, but Farrah grimaced, pulling their hand back to wipe it off on their leg. "...Thanks, bud." At least the previous apprehension was fading fast... Completely unbothered, the Pokemon approached further and propped his front feet up on their leg, asking for more pets. Farrah was only pleased to oblige. "You're a handsome boy, aren't'cha? Yeah, you are." Could a Pokemon possibly look smug? The Zigzagoon looked smug.
"Well," the musician looked up at Professor Yew. "He seems to have diffused, at least. Wonder how long it's been since he's gotten a good scratch, poor bastard. Big shock. I'd be grumpy too."
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Post by Professor Victoria Yew on Jun 19, 2020 19:17:19 GMT
Professor Yew The professor dropped her hand from Absol's Pokeball: it didn't look like they'd be needing it. Instead, Yew smiled at Farrah. "Coming out of a Pokeball for the first time in over 80 years does have to be quite a change. You did a very good job of approaching him, though. I think he'll do well with you, assuming you intend to keep him."Most people would leap at the chance to have a Pokemon in their life, the professor knew, but meeting Mya had taught her not to assume that everyone with an old Pokeball intended to be a trainer. Even if Yew thought that Farrah and the Zigzagoon seemed quite suited to each other. She could find the Pokemon another home, if Farrah preferred -- but she would wait to make the offer until Farrah had really considered keeping him. how can we claim to understand something we've never experienced? |
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Post by Farrah Whitaker on Jun 20, 2020 7:29:23 GMT
"Eighty years... damn. Really doesn't seem like it - but that bein' said, I guess none of us were around to feel the brunt of that time." Farrah examined the Pokemon in front of them quietly for a long while. Did they want a Pokemon...? Did they really want to be a trainer? It was going to be such a huge change to their lifestyle. But - 'Hell. Everything's going to be changing anyway. It's not as if Pokemon'll suddenly disappear if I said no... and besides,' they thought, rubbing under the raccoon Pokemon's chin, 'This fella's technically been with me for years anyway.'
They thought about the luxury ball sitting on their nightstand for so long - dutifully polished, buffed, and taken care of by Farrah's own hand. They thought of this critter sitting patiently right by their side for so long. When that was taken into consideration, it really wasn't much of a choice at all. "I don't think there was a question this 'old man's' stayin' with me. We've already been together a lil' over half a decade anyhow. What say you, kid?" The Pokemon nipped at their fingers in a non-threatening manner. Farrah took that as a yes, and stood up, scrutinizing their new partner. "...Though, if we are stayin' together, we're gonna have to figure you out a name."
The musician crossed their arms and shifted their weight back on one foot, tilting their head to look at Professor Yew. Amusingly, their Zigzagoon observed them, and then took on as similar a stance as they could. "So. I know historically about Pokemon, from college. But I know nothing of a practical nature - which is to say... taking care of 'em. I also know nothing about this species. I uh... I'd appreciate your insight."
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Post by Professor Victoria Yew on Jun 21, 2020 1:43:08 GMT
Professor Yew "I think we all feel it -- or have felt it -- even if we weren't around before." The professor's voice turned solemn for a moment as she considered all the things that Deprinites had missed out on, all the suffering that the region as a whole had gone through, without Pokemon. The famines, the shortages. She tried to cheer up: "You can already see the environment becoming much brighter."She watched Farrah make their decision with silent approval, appreciating the consideration that the musician put into it. And then Farrah turned to Yew again, and she had to chuckle at the sight of the Zigzagoon imitating his trainer. Yes, these two would get along fine. "Well ..." The professor looked down at her tablet. "Based on the records we have, Zigzagoons are omnivorous and have a wide-ranging diet, so you should be able to feed him pretty much anything you would eat. Besides that, I would say your main concern is going to be keeping him occupied -- they tend to be high-energy and very curious. Of course, you have his Pokeball for times when you can't handle him, but he can give you quite a bit of trouble if he doesn't want to be in there."how can we claim to understand something we've never experienced? |
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Post by Farrah Whitaker on Jun 21, 2020 7:13:17 GMT
Well - the Professor had a point there. There was... still a lot Farrah hadn't seen in the world, especially how it had been affected. It was one of the detriments to the childhood they had that they resented. But it was still true - Sylvanport was maybe the most energetic and lively that it had been in... a while, probably, all things considered. Just because Farrah was privileged enough to not have seen a lot of the suffering sure didn't mean everyone else hadn't too.
Farrah paid rapt attention to the Professor's information about their Pokemon, though. This was significant information - it needed to be memorized. They pulled out their phone as she talked, opening a little memo to write down and record what she was saying so they'd have it in posterity and not forget. That would be disastrous. "Well - that's good," they looked down at the Zigzagoon - and raised their eyebrows when they realized he was imitating them. "I-- huh. ...It's good that he's able to eat anything. That'll be healthier and adaptable. I hope other Pokemon who have more... restricted diets, will fare as well."
They studied the Pokemon for a long minute, and he studied back. "...High-energy, huh? He'll probably like concerts then. Tons of noise, excitement, all sorts of things to explore and do and see. And since this is a perfect reason to start wanderin' again, we'll both be scoutin' around I imagine. I think I worry more about others, than him specifically." Farrah paused, their mind circling around again. "High energy... high energy - you know what else is high energy? Music. Volume." Despite the lack of a smile on their face, it was clear Farrah was amused about something. "We call that high-octane energy and power the decibel level. So.... Decibel. As a name. How you like that one, kid?"
The Pokemon's ears seemed to perk up at that. He tilted his head for a moment, before - as if understanding exactly what that all meant - barking. Fairly loudly, at that. Farrah huffed in bemused pride. "Smart boy. Decibel it is." Hopefully his namesake wouldn't mean he'd get into high-octane trouble, though. Again, it was other people Farrah worried about - they didn't want him to get hurt. "But in terms of being actually constructive and not just... distracting him, is there proper ways of enrichment for Pokemon like him? I guess... well, shoot. I guess that fits right into what bein' a trainer is, isn't it?"
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Post by Professor Victoria Yew on Jun 22, 2020 1:34:53 GMT
Professor Yew "Most Pokemon are fairly hardy," the professor said. "But we will have to start producing nutritious food for them again ... Then again, I guess it'll be all algae for them too, at first. I wonder how wild Pokemon ... Hm."The professor made a note on her tablet to investigate what wild Pokemon were feeding on. Then she refocused on Farrah and their Zigzagoon. "I would be careful about concerts. Even with Zigzagoons' recorded preference for excitement, I wouldn't want him to get overwhelmed -- considering the aggression also recorded, that would be a recipe for disaster. Maybe ease him into it." But the professor smiled: "That's an excellent name."Not that she would really know; she was so bad at naming things that she'd decided to spare her Pokemon that ordeal. Absol and Oddish would be fine. Yew nodded. "Well, most Pokemon like battling each other -- in a safe and supervised environment, of course. If he's willing to challenge other Pokemon, he could get out a lot of energy that way. There aren't too many other trainers around yet, but there are a few, and of course you should be able to find wild Pokemon fairly easily. I'd also recommend giving him toys, things to chew on and explore and perhaps even destroy. Although I suppose you'll have to make them yourself, or adapt children's toys -- people used to make and sell toys for Pokemon, but not anymore. Maybe they'll start again."how can we claim to understand something we've never experienced? |
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Post by Farrah Whitaker on Jun 22, 2020 6:31:42 GMT
Farrah nodded in quiet appreciation for the approval of Decibel's name, but pursed their lips at the mention of concerts being possibly disastrous. Music was such a significant part of their life - maybe they'd start with just their music, then those little gatherings... bit by bit, work his way up. Maybe as he grew he would mellow and mature... or they'd be able to control Decibel better at least, perhaps. "We'll get there, eventually. Even if it takes little baby steps. His safety should come before anything anyway." If Farrah was committing to this - to being a trainer - that absolutely needed to come first.
"Battling, huh?" They looked down at Decibel, before reaching down to pick the Pokemon up. It took a moment to adjust, but his tail was wiggling madly. "Oh, you're heavier than I expected. Wild Pokemon aren't a bad idea. I could go on a hike with him up to one of-- a nice scenic area, and we'll be able to get that energy out a few ways." They were about to say where they went to write and get inspiration - but they didn't tell that to anyone. Maybe a close friend or partner, but... Farrah was in short supply of either of those. "Childrens toys or home-made toys... I'll be sure to get him some - or make 'em. Maybe something with a treat inside - so he has to figure it out or such to get at it? Reward n' play in the same."
Farrah was also already making plans in their head for things they were gonna need for Decibel. Food that would be nutritious for now until Pokemon-specific food came on market, a nice bed, the different ideas for toys and enrichment.... stopping by a Pokemon Center and picking up on things for battle - or just... general trainer things. "That... should work, I think... I'd say maybe other Pokemon would be good for a playmate, but with his aggression, maybe it'd be best to work with him and train him a bit, first. On his own."
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