Private/Closed Totem Rampage RP

[Merciless Medic]

(@BurbleBurble @Fenix704 @Hammsuke @Captain Cardboard @ThePlayfulFox @Crimson Sun @HtaLtlStr )

The sun rose high above the Alola Region in the early morning, spurring forth a sudden activity in the islands from people to Pokemon. Alolan Rattata and Alolan Raticate hid away as Yungoos and Gumshoos came out from their burrows and places of ambush to find food. Seafolk Village began to bustle with boats ferrying in and out of the docks. People throughout Poni Island were waking up and going about their day. There was, however, a bit more movement towards Vast Poni Canyon. Police officers and a few investigators have been seen on the path to the canyon, causing a bit of a stir and some news anchors to talk about what's been going on to inform the citizens and the trainers what's been going on:

"News sources say the increase of investigators near the mouth of Vast Poni Canyon are there to accompany the researchers who are there to study the Pokemon therein. However, witnesses have said there are no obvious researchers and more law enforcement than what's necessary. What's going on in Vast Poni Canyon could possibly be dangerous. Be careful when walking near or in Vast Poni Canyon so as to not disturb or anger the Pokemon living there. Now off to the weather."

A young woman with short pixie-cut blonde hair hopped off the boat that docked at Seafolk Village. With a myriad of different PokeBalls on her white and black checkered trainer belt, jean shorts, black combat boots, and a dark green tank top, the woman hopped off the boat with her floral brown backpack bobbing up and down, feeling a little dizzy as her body just got used to the movement and choppiness of the water. She wavered a little as she hit solid ground, trying to hold herself steady. She had been listening to the news on her Bluetooth earpiece, taking notes of what the situation might be like when she arrives there. Stretching from having sat in the boat for a bit too long, she began walking off the dock and into the Poni Wilds.

That was when her Luxury Ball popped open, revealing her Dracovish in a blast of light. Upon entering the world with the rest of the living, the Water/Dragon-Type shook their entire body out and their tail tried to wag in curiosity and happiness, only for their head to also shake and they got dizzy a little. The abomination roared in a gruff, happy tone, the slim contraption around their head pumping water through their gills and around their head to allow constant water flow and allowing the creature to breathe above land. The young woman chuckled, ignoring a few odd stares from passersby as she patted the head of her abnormally large Dracovish.

"Hey, buddy. How about we find something to eat before we go do our job, okay? I know you are excited to finally be able to walk around, but we can't run off quite just yet."

 

[Hammsuke]

A wooden ship gently rocked back and forth as it slid across the vast blue sea. With every passing second, the mountainscape of the famous yet mysterious Poni Canyon grew closer. It was hard for the self proclaimed professor to contain his excitement upon seeing such an impressive view; he had heard many interesting rumors about this place. Rumors that sparked his curiosity to no end - what kind of scientist would he be if he weren't to confirm those rumors himself? He could already imagine famous Alolan professors praising him for his great contribution to the world of Pokémon science.

However, a sudden halt brought the young man out of balance. Trying not to topple over, he hugged one of the pier's wooden pillars tightly. That's when it dawned on him; he had finally arrived. He carefully stepped off the boat, one limb at the time. When he was finally fully grounded, he couldn't help but feel relieved; travelling by ship was something he wasn't fully accustomed to yet.

It wasn't before long until he was already scurrying around the docks of Seafolk Village; a town such as this was completely foreign to the young man. However, this only fueled his desire to explore this island and its Pokémon even more. He took out a sturdy notebook from his duffel bag and made several notes on his findings of this strange town. Then, with a loud and satisfying thwap, he closed his notebook again before stuffing it away.

His curiosity sated for now, he walked off the docks. He could hear the sound of dry dirt crunching under his shoes as he made his way towards Poni Wilds.

That's when he met eyes with a creature he had never seen before - not in real life at least. Its head was very fishlike, while its body resembled that of a dinosaur. He quickly took his watch and pressed on a button, holding it towards the Pokémon's general direction.

"Dracovish. The Fossil Pokémon. Powerful legs and jaws made it the apex predator of its time. Its own overhunting of its prey was what drove it to extinction."

Hold up. Apex predator? Its demeanor was anything but that of a predator - on the contrary, it was quite endearing, like that of a newborn Growlithe. That's when excitement started welling up from the pits of his stomach again; his desire to learn about the behavior of this particular Dracovish couldn't be contained anymore.

He took out one of his Pokéballs, throwing it in the air. A cascade of light revealed it to be an Audino.

"Let's go Echo, it seems that we already have a lot of work to do here!"

Echo happily obliged, clasping his hands together in excitement.

They quickly made their way towards the blond woman petting the Dracovish. Whether the Dracovish had a trainer or not did not impact his curiosity in the slightest. He suddenly stood in front of the young woman, with notebook in hand. Echo stood right beside him, kind of imitating the hunched over gesture of his trainer.

"Excuse me Miss, but is that your Dracovish? If so, I have so many questions to ask you!"

 

[Merciless Medic]

(OOC: Just to keep the flow of conversation going. Anyone can chime in with their characters at any time.)

IC:
Natalia's ears perked up to some robotic chime in the distance behind her. And then a sudden sound of a PokeBall opening. She didn't pay any heed to it though. It was common for people to scan her Dracovish and be on their merry way. She didn't realize anybody would come to her, but lo and behold, there was a very eager young man with an Audino ready to take notes.

Not knowing who they were, she gave the two of them a raised eyebrow and wide eyes due to surprise, amusement, and confusion. Her Dracovish, his eyes clouded over with a dull look due to the slow flow of water coursing through his gills, didn't seem to mind the sudden attention. In fact, he didn't seem to react to most of the external stimulus. The only thing he seemed to react to was when the young woman scratched an area behind his fin, earning a pleased growl-like purr from the heavily scarred creature. As she was doing this, a corner of her lips turned up into a smug smirk. She didn't know whether or not to enjoy this sudden mini onslaught of attention, but it couldn't hurt.

She made a point to introduce herself and her Pokemon first in an indirect way to get the guy to introduce himself first before he started asking questions. "I'm Natalia, and this is Vishy. And yes, you may ask questions about him. Well, technically they don't have a gender due to the fossil revivification process of reviving and fusing two incompatible body parts together, but they somehow stay alive. But he prefers to be referred to as a male."

 

[Hammsuke]

Natalia's voice was immediately met with the sound of frantic note-taking. His eyes were constantly shifting back and forth between the notebook and the overly large Dracovish.

"I can? That's absolutely wonderful! Let's get started then!"

The young man perked up, his eyes practically sparkling before unleashing a torrent of questions.

"How long have you known Vishy? Why is Vishy so big? What does Vishy eat? How did you meet Vishy in the first place? How does Vishy breathe on land? Do you use different products for each half? Has Vishy ever gotten angry? Can I ru--"

However, a sudden tug at his vest accompanied with a worried cry halted his line of questioning. It's Echo, who seems clearly worried about the outburst of the aspiring professor. Guilt and embarrassment seep in as he realized what he's done. He smiles awkwardly, suddenly averting his gaze to the mountains in the distance.

"I'm sorry.. I couldn't really contain myself - your Dracovish is very awe inspiring! My name is Rhys, it's nice to meet you! A-again.. I'm very sorry for that outburst."

The Audino tugged at Rhys' white vest once more.

"O-Oh! And this is Echo, he is my trusty assistant."

 

[Merciless Medic]

Natalia watched with curious amusement as the young man before her took notes on seemingly something so trivial. Was he writing down her name? Something about Vishy's gender preferences? Whatever it was, she found his sudden shift in passionate excitement extremely adorable, and she was starting to hate herself for how quickly she wanted to instantly know more about this guy. She's known eccentric researchers, scientists, and professors, but this was new to her. Still her prior training in a field that had nothing to do with rabid researchers lent her the mental capacity to take his rambling nonsense with grace.

Vishy's history with me. Vishy's height explanation. Vishy's diet. Where he and I met. Vishy's contraption, I guess. Question on Vishy's skin. Vishy's temperament. And whatever he was going to ask me in that last question.

During this time, she watched as the man's Audino tugged on his vest and she watched as the excitement died down to one of guilt and embarrassment. The awkward smile was enough to make her stifle a giggle. Once she finally got his name, an apology that she didn't think was necessary but she took it anyway, a compliment, and the name of his assistant, she gave him a curt nod as her stifled smile gave way to a smug grin, which gave way to a fit of chuckling.

"Why, hello Rhys and Echo. Honestly, you are the funniest person I've met in a long time. So tell you what, nice to meet you, and I'll get to your questions." She took a moment to recall the information she had painstakingly made sure to memorize before saying the answers to them one by one, raising a finger from one to eight for each question she went through.

"As for how long I've been with Vishy, I don't fully remember. I went to Galar when I was eighteen, so I think he's been with me for twelve years. Probably a little more." She held up two fingers with an uncertain shrug for the next answer. "As for why he's so big, he was just revived like that. I'm assuming the two halves of him that were revived and fused together were abnormally large, and the crazy scientist even told me that the fossils I had were larger than the ones she's seen." She then held up three fingers and stated the next answer matter-of-factly. "As for Vishy's diet, he eats a mixture of seaweed for when he has an upset stomach and for appeasing the herbivorous stomach needs and seafood for when he needs to appease his carnal urges." As she held up four fingers, there was a sadness, but a fondness that appeared on her face. "As for how he and I met, I was tasked by some crazy scientist lady in Galar to find a Fish and Dino Fossil. Didn't know what she was doing with them until I realized she just created a suffering creature. I got her into trouble and, because I couldn't stand Vishy suffering from lack of air, I caught him and brought him to the water. I then went around Galar trying to find someone who can create a contraption for him so he didn't need to be within five feet of a body of water deep enough to get to his gills. He has a Water-Type attack that does cause a surge of water to go across his gills, but that's a very powerful attack and thus takes a lot of energy to keep it up without using it in an attack. Once we found someone who made a contraption for Vishy, he has been with me ever since. I didn't trust anybody else to take care of him like the way I do. Dracovish, like the other three fused fossils, are very difficult to care of due to their polarizing needs, and arguably Dracovish and Arctovish are harder to take care of due to their biological needs to breathe." She then splayed out her fingers and thumb as the next answer shot a smug look across her face. "This contraption takes water whenever Vishy ducks his head into the water and surges over his gills. The faster the flow, the more cognitively aware he gets, as evident by the cloudiness over his eyes, or lack thereof. Vishy, can you demonstrate please?" The Dracovish nodded and walked to the shore, dipping his head enough for the contraption to make a sucking and exhalation noise. Vishy came back, his eyes now clear and beady black as day. Vishy looked at Echo with a puppy-like smile, his tail trying to wag without making his head all dizzy and he shifted his weight back and forth in a hopping motion.

"The more he breathes, the faster the flow, and after we are done battling, we have to find nearby water so as to keep the oxygen flowing through his gills due to the water going stagnant with the lack of oxygen. The contraption can be taken off to allow Vishy's head to relax and so I can massage out the kinks, and the contraption, as far as I've used it in combat, can't be damaged by a strong move." Then she held out her sixth finger, with an amused look but one of surprise, as she's never answered this before. "As for how I take care of his skin, he's a pretty self-sustaining creature. He loves baths and will definitely let anyone give him one, just make sure you are dressed for the occasion. The blue fish head needs water hitting it to keep it from drying out and the red and green scales on the lower half needs to have a dust bath and be dried off whenever too much water hits him or lingers on his skin for a day too long. It causes his scales to get soggy, as evident by his Hidden Ability being Sand Rush and that's due to the other half's ability, as Dracozolt also has the Hidden Ability Sand Rush and it has the same bottom half. But this guy has Strong Jaw anyway. Still, while his bottom half isn't as susceptible to water due to giving the creature the Dragon-Typing, it can still get soggy and uncomfortable. Like how our fingertips prune, but more uncomfortable." She then held seven fingers up. "As for if he's ever gotten angry, yes. Specifically when I'm in danger or when the others of my team or my friends are in danger. Because we get along well, Vishy considers you my friend. But he's got a very puppy-like, if not a little stubborn, temperament." She then held out eight fingers before realizing it was the question she didn't know what it was about and put her hands down. "Oh, you were cut off from the last question. What were you going to ask?"

She watched for his reaction with a smug and amused grin, wondering how he was going to react. Most people who do this to her were stunned, and she was hoping she can laugh more.

 

[Hammsuke]

Rhys' eyes widened in surprise as Natalia started answering each and every single question he laid upon her in perfect order. He quickly took the notebook that he just had stuffed away out again and started writing with great interest.

Dino Fossil.. Water flow.. Contraption.. Herbivore... Seaweed...

It was hard for Rhys to keep up with all that the young woman was telling him, but he was going to make sure to jot everything down that she had told him. This information could all be put to great use for his research.

When Natalia asked Vishy to demonstrate the contraption, the aspiring scientist couldn't help but be amazed. Tinkering wasn't his expertise in the slightest, but it seemed very straightforward, yet effective.

Vishy's cognitive ability is dependent on the flow velocity of water coursing through him. Since cognition influences behavior - perhaps the flow velocity of water also influences the subject's behavior? What would be the reason for this? Does this have any evolutionary merit? Perhaps it is tied to the reason they went extinct?

"Oh, you were cut off from the last question. What were you going to ask?"

What were you going t--

When he caught himself partly jotting down the question Natalie had asked him, he quickly closed the notebook, holding it with his left hand.

That's a good question.. what DID he want to ask again?

"Oh.. a question.. yeah.. I did have one, didn't I.."

Rhys quickly looked at his Audino, who seemed to be looking back at him, smiling.

"Oh. OH! I REMEMBER. I was wondering whether I could perform some tests on Vishy! Don't worry, it's not anything too bad, I would just love to see his reaction on certain moves that influence behavior!"

 

[Fenix704]

"You did a great job today, Chomper! You seem tired, so let's get back to Seafolk and grab a bite for everyone, shall we?"

After a morning training session, Koa was satisfied with the results, as Chomper seemed to be improving his accuracy with his Ancient Power move. The small Tyrunt seemed excited, chirping and snapping at the air while looking up at his trainer, as the little fossil's sunglasses wiggled around, almost falling. The young Dragon specialist knelt down, chuckling, to adjust them back over Chomper's face, to then start heading back through the Poni wilds. Chomper hastily followed the young Trainer, but so did a large, lumbering Kommo-o, who was able to comfortably keep pace with the young man.

Koa was not the type to be deterred by a little sun on his face. Decked out in traditional garb, so traditional that only the eldest villagers might recognize its origins, and ornamented with what looked like large scales, this young man walked confidently down the trailing path. As one of the locals, Koa knew his way around-- there was naturality in his stride, and the spring in his step was replicated by his small companion, while the larger one calmly marched on without distractions. However, something soon caught Mo-o's eye, and at the same time, Koa's.

Nearby, a man, accompanied by an Audino, seemed to be talking to a scarred woman, in turn accompanied by... a beast that exceeded Koa's comprehension. Part fish, part lizard, and unexpectedly large, the Trainer and his companion's jaws seemed to drop in unison. "What... IS that thing? And why does that woman hold so many scars...?" , thought Koa, as both him and the Kommo-o looked perplexed at the conversation. However, Chomper's reaction seemed to be a little... precipitated.

"T-TYRUNT! RUUUNT!", cried out the Royal Heir Pokémon, as he swiftly waddled his way over to the Dracovish. "H-Hey, Chomper, NO!" was all Koa could muster before speeding after Chomper, and right before the little one could get a bite of curiosity on its tail, the aspiring Dragon master took out the Tyrunt's Luxury Ball, pressing the button, before Chomper was returned to it.

Koa took a sigh of relief, and recomposed himself in front of Natalia and Rhys, while Mo-o caught up to him. His demeanor suddenly changed, as he tried to appear more grandiose or brave, even if he was still trying to apologize to someone he didn't know. Koa stood upright, with his arms behind his back.

"I-I am indeed sorry, miss. Chomper's just... curious like that, you see. I assure you, no harm was meant at any moment. Neither me nor my partners had ever come across something akin to your large companion over here... it was a surprising sight."

The young Trainer took a quick stop, before then resuming his speech. "Now, where are my manners? I am Koa, of the Ka'uhane clan, and this is Mo-o. We live together on this island, and wish to marry tradition and modernity, in order to expose the secrets of the dragons and bring them to light. I assume you two must be foreigners, yes? Perhaps sharing knowledge between us might be a catalyst for future growth."

Mo-o roared happily when he was introduced. The Kommo-o, standing at 1.87m, slightly taller than the average specimen, had a small height advantage on Koa, but despite his imposing demeanor, he seemed pretty relaxed. However, he did shoot a confused glance at Vishy.

 

[Captain Cardboard]

The sounds of people moving stirred Hanako from her slumber. The dark haired girl had sat on a rather warm and sunny spot on the ferry to Poni Island, and had dozed off in the pleasant Alolan climate. But now they were here. Time to start her day on Poni Island. Hanako put on her backpack, and in doing so stirred the Pokemon sleeping on her head. At first glance, it appeared the petite girl was wearing an brown helmet of sorts. However, closer inspection revealed that it was not a helmet, but a Pokemon. The Kabuto's red eyes blinked open, and it let out a quiet clicking noise. Hanako smiled, petting the fossil Pokemon.

"Have a good nap?" She asked quietly.

As different as Alola was from Kanto, this place reminded Hanako of home. The sounds and smell of the surf, and the sights of different boats going too and fro, it all reminded her of back in Vermillion City. Hanako fished around in her backpack, searching for her fossil guidebook. It was well worn, with many of its pages dogeared and a few sticky notes marking other pages. She flipped through the book as she walked off the ferry's gangplank.

Fossils of the Alola Region: Although the Alola region is mostly comprised of volcanic rock, many fossils of ancient Pokemon have still been discovered there. Most have been water-dwelling Pokemon, such as the Kabuto line, the Omanyte line, the Lileep Line, and the Anorith line. However, fossils of both the Tyrunt line and the Amaura line have been unearthed as well, leading a few researchers to believe that the Alola chain had once been a larger, single landmass that later sunk under the waves. Geological tests so far have been inconclusive in regards to this theory.

The list of fossils the book had that were found in the Alola region was surprisingly long, and Hanako couldn't help but to smile. Hopefully that mean there was a good chance she could find some in the Vast Poni Canyon.

Sounds of Pokemon and Pokeballs caught Hanako's attention, and the girl looked over to see a... rather unusual sight. A massive Pokemon was on the docks, some sort of water type by the looks of it. It was walking with a tough-looking woman in a black jacket and short blonde hair. The Pokemon itself didn't seem right. It looked calm, but it's biology struck Hanako as strange, and strangely familiar. It looked almost like someone had stuck a head on what was supposed to be a tail, and made a Pokemon. She was sure she had never seen this Pokemon before in Kanto. Was it... was it a fossil Pokemon?

Hanako began to flip through her fossil guidebook, when another noise caught her attention. A small, familiar rock Pokemon raced up to the strange larger one. The small one Hanako recognized almost instantly from her fossil guidebook. A Tyrunt! A living, breathing, Tyrunt here on this dock. Hanako mere stared as the Pokemon was returned to its Pokeball by what she assumed was its trainer, a young, tan boy in what looked like traditional Alolan clothes. A local? Hanako kept her distance, watching the situation go down. The teen had another Pokemon with him, one Hanako was able to identify as a Kommo-o. It was a tall Pokemon, taller than her. The Kabuto glared over to the Pokemon, letting out a quiet clicking as if grumbling to itself.

 

[Merciless Medic]

Natalia waited for Rhys to figure out what he was going to ask. Once he remembered and asked her, she smiled. Though, it was a bit hollow. She never really liked experimentation, but if they weren't bad, then she couldn't say no. "Well, just as long as it's not going to hurt him. I need him for Vast Poni Canyon."

It was then that she heard large thumping behind her. The sound of a large Pokemon walking. Then a yell from another fossil Pokemon resounded behind her. Turning around, she watched as the bipedal brown monster ran up to her Dracovish, who also turned around from the noise. Seeing such a cute thing, Vishy made a cute little roar, trying to wag the midsection of his tail without growing dizzy. He was about to run to the Tyrunt, but didn't realize the creature was already returned. The flow of water was slowing down, making his cognition go slower as well. He didn't know the creature had disappeared, and seemed to be on the fast track of trying to give someone a hug.

That's when he found himself in front of the Kommo-o, trying to snuggle his giant fish head into the Dragon/Fighting-Type's chest. The lumbering red and blue fossil made a roar that sounded more like a Lillipup trying to use Roar for the first time, as he tried to snuggle up to the Kommo-o.

Meanwhile, Natalia chuckled, and listened to what this man had to say. Apologizing for his Pokemon's behavior. She forgot how nice everyone was in Alola. She also forgot how weird Dracovish were and how rare they were. Still, she left the Dracovish out to play, letting him mingle with the Pokemon. "Nice to meet you, Koa and Mo-o. Yes, we are foreigners. If I were a native here, I'd be less of a bright blinding beacon. I'm surprised, though. I haven't heard anyone talk in that manner for a long time." It was true, she wasn't used to this style of formal speech Koa was talking in. Granted, it wasn't hard to figure out what he was saying at all.

Natalia was starting to feel more eyes on her, but she didn't know where it was coming from. It worried her, but she kept it to herself, keeping the sweet and warm smile on her face and choosing to ignore her paranoia for now. Maybe it was just with all the hustle and bustle her Water/Dragon-Type was making. Yea, that was it.

 

[Fenix704]

Mo-o didn't take offense at the Dracovish's sudden show of affection, and even if the Kommo-o was ultimately shocked by the strange nature of the Water/Dragon type, he ended up taking something of a liking to the strange beast, and responded to the hug with a happy rattling of his tail's large scales, and by patting Vishy's back lightly. Koa was intrigued by the nature of this odd Pokémon, and relaxed himself knowing that his partner seemingly ended up in good terms with it.

"My family has plenty of history with the lore of this land, so I have been taught many of the oldest traditions since childhood, traditions that might as well have been forgotten in the modern day. However, I seek to learn from the past to live in the present. When I first brought Chomper home, my parents had quite the shock..." The Dragon whisperer took a deep sigh, remembering a harsh moment. "I had to explain to them how the revivifying process of a fossil worked in detail, yet I do not regret a second of it. It's my goal to preserve knowledge and learn from my new experiences, which is why I am in fact pleased to be meeting foreigners."

Koa looked to Natalia and Rhys, with a glint of curiosity in his eyes. His demeanor was still overly formal, but he was beginning to relax. Any interesting information might make him switch gears and gush with excitement, especially coming from a researcher and what looked like a warrior of some kind!

"If I may ask, where do you both come from, travelers? And what brings you here? It would be my pleasure as a local to aid you in perhaps prividing suggestions on places to go to, or what Pokémon to look for, if your goals involve matters such as those."

Mo-o seemed entertained with Vishy, but the Kommo-o also noticed the glare of a small Kabuto on him. The clicking was an odd sound, but the Dragon/Fighting type found it amusing, and his tail swayed, rattling in rhythm with the Rock/Water type's natural sounds.

 

[Hammsuke]

Rhys couldn't help but smile as Natalia reluctantly agreed with his pleas for experimentation. Excited, he popped his notebook open, handwaving something towards the Audino standing next to him.

Alright, subject: Vishy the Dracovish. Things to note.. fossil Pokemon, very rare breed. Bigger than usual, water contraption..

"I'm read--"

Ready for experimentation, the aspiring professor looked up from his notebook. But to his surprise, the Dracovish was nowhere to be found. He quickly and frantically scanned his surroundings - that's when Vishy happily hurrying over to a huge dragon/fighting Pokemon caught his attention, alongside what he could only assume to be his trainer standing next to it. Rather than the touristy look Rhys was sporting, this person seemed to be a native.

Rhys exchanged looks with his Audino and they immediately rushed over to where the group had gathered. Even such a short lived sprint caused Rhys to gasp for air - after gathering himself for a second, the trainer in traditional gown spoke up.

"If I may ask, where do you both come from, travelers? And what brings you here? It would be my pleasure as a local to aid you in perhaps providing suggestions on places to go to, or what Pokémon to look for, if your goals involve matters such as those."

So he is a local here.. that's going to be very helpful!

One step closer to his dream, he quickly spoke up to the native.

"It's a pleasure! I'm Rhys Foelse and I'm from Galar. I'm a professor, specializing in Pokemon behaviour!"

"Au.. dino.. Au, au!"

"Alright.. alright.. technically speaking I'm not a professor.. YET. This is Echo, my trusty assistant!"

"I've heard rumors about behavioral problems that suddenly occurred around these parts, so I'm here to do research in hopes of finding THE breakthrough that will propel me into the world of Pokemon science!"

 

[Merciless Medic]

The Dracovish felt a large scaly hand pet his back and he cooed in response. Even though he likely figured too late that the Tyrunt disappeared somewhere, these back rubs felt amazing regardless! Feeling so content - and sleepy - the Fossil Pokemon slumped to their rump, their head bowing until it laid on the grass. Soft snoring sounds and bubbling can be heard from the contraption and the creature's mouth. Natalia tried keeping a straight face, but the strain from her lips compressing and trying to contain her jaw muscles from smiling and saying an "awww" left her with an odd wavy neutral line that looked more like she was preventing herself from laughing. She straightened herself out and went back to the conversation at hand.

As Koa explained his position in this land, she noticed the rather troubling face he held as he sighed. She also noticed more of his attire than the Kommo-o getup. She also noticed by the way his body was framed that he seemed to be quite young. He held himself like an adult, and she was thinking he was closer to twenty-three, not a teenager. What was also surprising was that his family seemed to despise the fossil revivification process. It was likely his family also had a thing against foreigners.

She looked over to see Rhys had to run to get closer to the group and she chuckled at his lack of stamina. She shook her head before facing the man. He let Rhys speak first, allowing him to speak first. Glad she did too, because he was going to cut her off anyway if she tried. She chuckled at his demeanor, but when he talked about the behavioral problems in this part of Alola, her first thought was the Vast Poni Canyon. Her face flashed a bit of glum before she tried to hide it with a smile. Yet, it seemed hollow, as if the prospect that people getting involved in this mission, even as small as intel, had bothered her tremendously. Not that they would get in her way, but that they could get hurt.

"I came from Unova and I'm Natalia. I am here due to unusual energy readings in Vast Poni Canyon. Since you are a native here, I was wondering if you could give us some insight to the canyon." She then turned to Rhys. "And, if you have any scientific instruments, that would be very helpful, too." She then noticed a girl not far off with a Kabuto on her head. Or just a really ugly brown hat. She waved to the girl in hopes of maybe drawing her closer to dispel the awkwardness she felt in having to expose why she was here and the sudden seriousness she felt.

 

[Captain Cardboard]

Hanako turned her attention back to her fossil guidebook, trying to flip through it and find why the strange Pokemon seemed so familiar to her. What type even was it? The girl looked back at the Dracovish, which appeared to be cuddling up with the Kommo-o. It sat down on the grass and... fell asleep? Hanako couldn't stop a small smile. It seemed to be a rather cute Pokemon. Some sort of Water type, perhaps? It's head did appear fish-like. It also didn't appear as rocky or earthly as other fossil Pokemon Hanako had encountered. At that moment, the Kommo-o and the tough-looking lady looked back towards Hanako.

The girl felt a small flush of panic as she was spotted, her face turning slightly red. She let out a small "eep!", and for a moment it looked like she was going to try to hide behind a nearby wooden beam on the dock. But the woman had simply waved to Hanako, and the Kommo-o seemed more interested in Kabo than her. Swallowing nervously, Hanako held her fossil guidebook close to her chest and approached the group.
"Uh, um... S-sorry for staring..." Hanako said quietly. The Kabuto glared at all present, especially keeping an eye on the Kommo-o and the Dracovish. Hanako glanced over to the sleeping Dracovish before back to Natalia. "I don't think I've seen a Pokemon like that before..."

 

[Fenix704]

Koa's eyes widened when he heard Rhys and Natalia's reasons for coming here, almost as if he remembered something. A sudden memory crept into his mind, but he quickly calmed down, as he didn't make much of a connection between his memory and what the others said. However, the young Dragon specialist was eager to help both foreigners.

"Why of course, it would be my pleasure to help both of you with your tasks! If you've heard any rumors of happenings around the area, perhaps I could provide some insight... but I'm not sure whether my information links up properly to what you both seek. In any case, I am happy to help as a guide!"

Mo-o was certainly curious about Vishy, as the mismashed fossil's reactions reminded the Kommo-o of a Rockruff, but he could also feel a strange kinship with the Dracovish. Koa didn't know that the peculiar partner Natalia had with her was indeed a Dragon-type, but Mo-o could tell a strange similarity that put the large, scaly monster at ease. He then picked up on the presence of Hanako and her Kabuto, which caused the pseudo-legendary to rattle the scales on his tail and snort curiously. The sound was recognized by Koa, who swiftly looked to his side, almost as if he understood that Mo-o was calling for his attention. He politely bowed his head towards the newcomer.

"Greetings, are you another foreigner as well? Indeed, Natalia's partner over here is certainly an odd marvel, but he seems to be getting along with Mo-o, so I am content with this outcome! I am Koa, of the Ka'uhane clan, and these are Rhys and Natalia."

 

[BurbleBurble]

Sun high in the sky, a bustling podunk town, and certainly not dressed for the weather- Daryl already knew this was about to all go south for him.

He sighed as he stepped off the ferry. His faithful Doris following suit. The proud Arcanine was unfettered by the heat, thanks to her typing. Good for her, as her shaggy coat would've probably made it unbearable. This was not a luxury for her trainer, of course. He practically stood out like a sore thumb in the town, from his height, dark clothes, and dour demeanor.

The main impediment towards moving right through the Seafolk Village was a group of four, chatting idly. Two seemed...out of place. Tourists? That's what Daryl assumed- Though the presence of some powerful Pokémon, namely the Dracovish and Kommo-o, gave Daryl slight pause. Tourists didn't often waltz around with a rare Pokémon like a Dracovish, and Kommo-o was a native Pokémon to the Poni island. Perhaps...No, probably not. They were probably just trainers about to head off towards the Battle Tree.

One of these 'tourists' or 'trainers' was fit for the weather- The other did not look it. Though the white vest was probably keeping him cooler than Daryl's outfit. And right next to them, two kids. Daryl didn't know enough about Alola to suss out if these were locals or not. At least one of them looked local. Maybe a bit too local, but who was he to judge? The other had some kind of odd...hat. Maybe it was a local thing, he didn't know, didn't care.

So he and Doris walked up to the obstructing group, and Daryl cleared his throat.

"Pardon me. Just passing through."

 

[Hammsuke]

Rhys straightened his back upon hearing that the native was willing to lend a hand. He could already taste the renown from famous professors across the world for his breakthrough. The aspiring professors rested his hand on Audino's head, idly scratching it as he took another clear look at the people around him. They all seemed different than most trainers he has encountered during his travels in Galar - more weathered, more competent. Not surprising, as even before the incident, Poni Canyon was notorious for its very strong wild Pokémon and trainers alike.

The sound of two dragon Pokémon playing together drew his attention. It was a cute sight to see the pup like Dracovish interact with a larger dragon Pokémon that he hadn't seen before. He quickly took out his wristwatch again and looked through the library of Alolan Pokémon.

"Kommo-o, the scaly Pokémon. It battles valiantly with its fists, which are armored in steel scales. Kommo-o specializes in uppercuts."

It seemed that Vishy wasn't the only interesting Pokémon around here. His fingers starting itching to write stuff down his notebook once more, but instead, he scratched his chin, deep in thought.

"I am Koa, of the Ka'uhane clan, and these are Rhys and Natalia."

Rhys snapped out of his train of thought as he heard his name being called. That's when he saw a girl with a particular Pokémon resting on her head.

"Nice to meet you! I'm Rhys. I'm currently visiting Alola to do some research here and there. Oh, and this is Echo, my assistan--"

"Pardon me. Just passing through."

Barely after Rhys was done introducing himself, he saw a dark clothed figure standing in front of him. He couldn't help but feel a bit intimidated at the figure. Despite that, he kept staring at not only him, but his canine companion as well - they were very intriguing to say the least.

 

[Merciless Medic]

Natalia watched Koa's reaction to she and Rhys' reasons for being here, and she nodded at him respectfully and with a light-hearted smile for him jumping to become the resident guide for them 'tourists'. Though that look in his eyes reminded her of the look of maybe shock and remembrance? Whatever it was, she put it in the back of her mind as the young girl arrived. She gave the young girl with the Kabuto for a hat a very warm smile, resting her balled up fist to her hip and leaning on mostly one leg in a very carefree fashion as Koa introduced them. "It's alright." She then nodded her head to her companion with a soft fondness radiating on her face. "And that's the Water/Dragon-Type Galarian Fossil Pokemon known as Dracovish."

The rattling of the Kommo-o's scaly tail roused the Dracovish, as he slowly got up on his powerful hind legs and looked about lackadaisically, as if he had just woken up and still felt (and looked) asleep. What a mood.

That was when she felt a disturbance in the air offset by someone. She's only felt this with criminals or those who have seen a lot in their time in their life. Her intuition and gut was telling her to look back at the dock as a large man with an Arcanine walked towards them. They were still partially on the dock and she was about to step aside to allow passage through her newly-made friends. But then something stopped her from moving altogether as she stood by Rhys' side. Hesitation in her movement led to a more scrutinizing gaze and then a coy smile replaced her more light-hearted one, as if she was preparing to tease the man who just appeared.

"Wait... I think I remember you." It wasn't in an accusatory or aggressive tone, but more like the tone of a child who just figured out a tough question nobody else knew the answer to. Granted, she only knew of one man that tall and jacked and wore something resembling that of a more Pokemon-Catching ranger and not like the ones from the Ranger Union. And that face... She's definitely seen that face before in a photograph.

Her Dracovish roused up completely as the tall man entered the group, someone's presence tensing his muscles and the contraption around his head pumped more fluids in response. Clear, beady, black eyes stared the large man and his Arcanine down as the Dracovish walked up to Natalia's side. Regardless how easy going his trainer was acting, he didn't let up his defensive posture; the half of the red dinosaurian body standing just behind her as the blue fish head was held over her shoulder in a protective fashion. A hand pressed to the bottom of his jaw, eliciting in a purr (if fish could purr) that sounded more like pleased gurgling and bubbling from the contraption. And while her Dracovish was busy being defensive, Natalia continued to strike up some friendly business-like chatter with the man.

"I do believe I have seen you before on reports from regions like Almia and Fiore back when I was still a fledgling agent in Interpol. Glad to see someone so well-versed in these kinds of missions is here. Oh, I'm Natalia and this is Vishy." She patted the Dracovish's jaw again, allowing the muscles in her beast to relax some. "I believe your name is Daryl? We are also here to see Vast Poni Canyon, as I am aware the Ranger Union has sent out a request to have someone check it out. There has been some anomalies and suspicious activity there that Interpol seems very interested and concerned in, as well. Glad to know I'm going to be working with someone who is as seasoned as I am." While she wasn't meaning to sound like she was boasting, she definitely was boasting just a little bit. If her scars and the almost dead look in her eyes despite having full emotion in her face have anything to go by, then yes, there was something behind that talk of hers.

@BurbleBurble @Fenix704 @Hammsuke @Captain Cardboard
(OOC: So sorry for the wait. A courtesy tag just to make sure you all see this post XD)

 

[Captain Cardboard]

The interestingly dressed boy introduced himself as Koa of the Ka'uhane clan, and the two adults as Rhys and Natalia. Natalia being tough-looking lady with the strange Pokemon and Rhys being the man in the open white hoodie with a pink, almost Clefable-like Pokemon with him. Koa seemed to be rather eager and excited. Did he already know these people? Or perhaps it was how well his Kommo-o was getting along with the strange Pokemon?
"Oh, uh, uh... I'm Hanako. Hanako Fujimoto. It's nice to meet you." Hanako said, slightly flustered and giving a small bow. The man introduced himself as well, introducing his 'assistant', the pink Pokemon, as 'Echo'. It appeared to be a rather cute Pokemon, but still, being close to these other two large Pokemon and this many people was enough for Hanako to still feel uneasy.

The woman, Natalia, introduced her mysterious Pokemon as a Dracovish, a Water/Dragon type Fossil Pokemon from Galar. Now that Hanako was closer, the woman seemed... well, not as scary. But before Hanako could ask anything about it, a very tall (and rather scary-looking) man approached the group. With him was a Pokemon Hanako recognized, an Arcanine. As it turned out, they were standing in the middle of the road and taking up quite a good portion of it.
"Eep! I'm sorry!" Hanako said, quickly stepping to the side.

Seeing that Natalia was talking to the scary guy, Hanako made her way over to Rhys.
"Um, um... Do you know much about Ms. Natalia's Pokemon? I think she said it was a fossil Pokemon?" Hanako asked Rhys.

 

[BurbleBurble]

The group seemed to mostly move aside- Besides the one lady who had caught his eye in the first place.

Daryl's face went from grumpy to slightly surprised as he listened to her. His eyebrows raising as this lady called him out. Though he quickly got over it- Of course it was Interpol. Which meant that this was not going to be a very open and shut case like he was really hoping it would be.

He looked her over again. She seemed up to snuff at a glance, though he wouldn't guess Interpol. Ace Trainer would've been his. Hell, maybe she was, and just got picked up by Interpol after her career ended with that. It was easier to induct an expert trainer into Interpol than turn some grunt officer into a expert trainer, after all. He had also given Vishy a glance, though Doris was giving him a proper stare down. She did have to crane her neck to not just be staring the behemoth fossil Pokémon, though the size difference didn't stop her obvious aura of 'don't mess with us' from being exuded.

"And here I thought this was all shaping up to be a whole lot of nothing." Daryl crossed his arms. "Maybe some sort of invasive species. Mating season problems. Maybe even a poacher or two. But if Interpol's here, obviously things are more complicated than that."

He shook his head, before going on. "Yeah, I'm Daryl Angelo. Doris here is my partner. Sent here to investigate the happenings in the Canyon, same as you." He took a look around the accumulated group once more- The young man and his Audino, and the two children. "I hope that man's your tagalong, and not the two kids. I don't think it's a great idea to bring them along. And is he a...doctor or something? Because he seems a bit green." Daryl's tone seemed bored and frustrated. He didn't like all the hang ups.

Not that he had much choice in the matter...

 

[Fenix704]

"Ah, it is indeed a pleasure to meet you as well, Hanako. It would seem like many paths are crossing today, what a jolly meeting!" Koa attempted to add a little glitter to the conversation and lighten up the mood in the face of Hanako's shyness, perhaps to be more inviting as a whole. However, the mention of Dracovish's true nature as a Dragon made Koa's curiosity increase tenfold. Mo-o already felt a strange kinship with Natalia's companion, but it was not apparent to Koa until then.

"W-Wait, you're saying-- your friend over here is a Dragon?! Why, I am most interested in yet another Dragon-type fossil! If the opportunity were to present itself, I'd like to know more about your dear Vishy, but all in due time, of course--"

The aspiring Dragon whisperer was then interrupted by the presence of Daryl, who passed through the group with his Arcanine. Koa didn't have much time to react, but his dismissive tone towards him and Hanako might've rubbed him the wrong way. Mo-o's tail rattled with a sound of annoyance instead of jollity. Despite this, the young Dragon specialist kept his composure. There wasn't much Koa could discern about Daryl other than being somewhat connected to Natalia, so there wasn't any need for a confrontation, but being regarded as "a kid", when he had the backing of his family name and his aspirations behind him, was something of a blow to Koa's esteem. Plus, the mention of "happenings" made him recall a particular series of events once more.

"For your information, sir, I am a local of this area, and will be assisting Natalia and Rhys here as a guide. And if it is of any benefit, it is highly likely that I might know a thing or two about those "happenings" you speak of. If you share the same goals as Natalia, I, Koa of the Ka'uhane clan, would be pleased to aid you as well."

 

[Merciless Medic]

As Natalia said her piece to the man she remembered, she could hear Hanako talking beside her. Judging by her interest in her Dracovish and the Kabuto on her head, Natalia had the vague impression this kid was here for some fossils. She didn't remember if there were any fossils in Vast Poni Canyon, but she wasn't much of a researcher for these things anyway. Though, she thought that Koa's reaction to Dracovish being a Dragon-Type was rather adorable as she looked back to how they reacted, unable to really talk about it now that Daryl had interrupted them.

Instead, she focused most of her attention on Daryl's face. The stoic look he had turned to one of surprise and probably amusement from the eyebrow raise she saw. And maybe some disappointment as she explained where she came from. She felt his gaze look her over, as if determining if she actually was from Interpol. She realized she may not look it, but she had her badge hidden away in her wallet. She just wasn't keen on showing it off so quickly unless someone really didn't believe her. Vishy felt slightly more relaxed now that the tension eased. Though, the black eyes stared down the Arcanine, but instead of a protective, wary gaze, it was more of curiosity. And then they started.... Panting, or what seemed to be like it as the creature opened its giant maw and lolled its tongue out, the bubbles in the contraption going like crazy with some water spurting out of the ports due to the sudden flow of air pressure.

Chuckling at her Pokemon's goofy nature, Natalia patted the creature's chin before setting her hands at her hips, listening to Daryl. She nodded to his concerns, glad to know that even her presence helped in showcasing that she was indeed a part of Interpol. "I hoped it was, too." Daryl introduced himself and his partner before talking about who was tagging along. Natalia looked at the other two, concern on her face now that she realized. "Well, I'm hoping it's nothing bad and it's a false alarm, but I highly doubt it. Koa here is our guide to Vast Poni Canyon, and he's going to be needed. As for the other two... Rhys here is a researcher and if there is any electronics we don't know about, he might be invaluable. As for Hanako..." While it was easy to defend Koa's and Rhys' place, she wasn't so sure about Hanako. She didn't want to put any unnecessary pressure on the shy girl, but she really didn't know how easily Hanako can help them. Then an idea came about. She didn't know if this was even true and bullshitting to the badass ranger in front of her wasn't the smartest idea and it was very clear that she had just met these three (at least to her, that is)... But if it's going to be dangerous, Hanako (hell, maybe Rhys, as well) might weigh them down or get themselves hurt. Natalia shook her head, figuring something out. "Since this is a canyon and assuming by Hanako's interest in fossils, she must spend a lot of time in caves. If we are ever in a cave, we can use her expertise to get further in if there is ever a cave-in. She also seems like a researcher, so anything she knows can be invaluable. And besides, if I'm bringing them in, they are my responsibility and I'll make sure they're okay." While it was complete nonsense for her reasoning as to Hanako's supposed abilities to help, she didn't want to make anyone feel like they were not valuable to the search at all.

When Koa talked about there being "happenings", Natalia snapped her attention away from Daryl, quick to change the subject before Daryl had time to think too much as to why Hanako shouldn't join. "And what are these happenings? Come, we should walk there to make use of what time we have left." She patted her Dracovish, who made a beeline towards shore again to dip his head into the water. Bubbling ensued before the Water/Dragon-Type had fresh water within the contraption. Running back, it looked like the fossil was about to pounce his trainer before a dash of light sucked him into the ball Natalia whipped out on instinct before setting it back in her pocket. For now, she didn't want to waste Dracovish's precious water with walking. She walked with the group, instinctively walking slightly in the lead as if it were normal.

 

[Captain Cardboard]

The group began to walk off, and Hanako watched them go. They were... they were heading to the Canyon too? At least, that's what it sounded like. John had told her the Canyon could be a dangerous place, with powerful Pokemon. Hanako had been aware of that, and while she wasn't a fan of battling she did have some experience with it. Even so, John had given her Brawn to take with her. These trainers (well, most of them), seemed pretty tough. Maybe she could tag along? Koa seemed nice as well...

Hanako quickly walked after the group, catching up with them quickly.
"Uh... um... Ms. Natalia? Is it alright if I tag along with your group, at least until we part ways in the Canyon?" Hanako asked.

 

[Hammsuke]

Rhys crossed his arms in silence as he heard Daryl speak. The green remark didn't sit all too well with him - but there was truth to what he said. This only ignited his resolve to prove his credibility to the world of Pokemon science even more. But before Rhys could speak up, Natalia suggested a move-on.

"Whatever our reasons might be, I think we're all here for the same thing, correct? And as far as I'm concerned, where not threading into each other's fields of expertise, so to speak. There's merit to us going to there together. So let's head out."

Rhys got on his knee and tightened the velcro on his shoe before standing up again. He gave his Audino a gentle nod. He then turned to Koa.

"How long of a walk do you think it'll be?"

 

[Fenix704]

Koa petted Mo-o's neck, as the large scaly beast rose up, ready to proceed with the upcoming trek. The young Dragon specialist's visage seemed more serious than before, as perhaps the thought of what lied ahead was something that caused a certain reaction for him. The Kommo-o's footsteps boomed lightly behind him, as the guide set the path, looking at Rhys over his shoulder.

"If we keep this pace, we'll be there in roughly half an hour. Now come, friends. I have something of relevance to show you. It will... in fact, put my mind at ease to get answers for this, since I myself fail to understand this phenomenon entirely."

As the group made it towards the Canyon, Koa's path guided everyone towards what seemed to be a cave entrance, noticeably featuring the presence of strange crates, scattered along the countryside. These futuristic-looking boxes featured the initials "CS" labeled upon them, and the young Trainer reacted with aversion when laying his eyes upon them once again. Mo-o roared in displeasure, rattling his tail's scales in an aggressive rhythm, before Koa rubbed the back of his neck to relax his partner. It was time for him to explain all that he knew.

"These... boxes, have been showing up lately over some time. I have no idea what they are nor why they're here. I have no knowledge of their contents either, but what I do know is that I once witnessed a Granbull attempting to destroy it, yet it became quite exhausted, and thus was eventually deterred after only delivering a few hits. Mo-o and I have surveyed this entrance for some time, and we've noticed that, apart from an occasional stench that comes out of it sometimes, there's people who go into the caves... and mysteriously never come out."

Stopping to collect his thoughts, Koa glanced at his partner once more, which seemed to remind him of something. His affliction over the situation was noticeable to the point that he seemed to drop his act, in a way, speaking more relaxedly and not in the overly polite way he did before.

"Also, strange things have been going on with the Pokémon of this area, outside of the boxes. Mo-o is thankfully fine, but those of of his evolutionary line, for example, the wild Hakamo-os and I assume the Totem Kommo-o as well, look pretty upset over something I can't be sure of. And I've been hearing sounds that I've never heard before, too. Sometimes, I hear something really similar to a Mudsdale's whinnying, but it doesn't sound quite like a Mudsdale, and also sounds that I'd compare to a Salandit dragging its tail on the sand, but more intense-- serpentine, in a way."

Koa cleared his throat once more, looking over at Natalia and Rhys with clear concern. However, to not seem rude, he looked at the whole group, and stood in awkward silence until Mo-o's yawning, as the Kommo-o had gotten bored and had been laying on the rocks for some time now, surprised him into breaking the ice.

"All of this has been happening for about..." Koa began to count the days mentally, even using his fingers for a minute. "...two months. I've been checking in here with Mo-o and the others for two months, yes, and we've observed all these phenomena, but we have no explanations for it. I'm not exactly the most well-versed in technology, so... perhaps a few foreigners could help me out here? Not naming names...?"

 

[BurbleBurble]

Daryl sort of grumbled as he listened to Koa. "...I see." Was all he said, shaking his head.

Though listening to Natalia's explanations weren't necessarily assuaging any fears Daryl had. Kids were kids, and what Daryl knew of this, this was not going to be a situation for them to be in. "In that case, fine." He opted to keep things short, unwilling to talk or argue more with this that he already had. He was looking to Natalie to keep things on the kids end together, though Daryl would absolutely still feel the guilt in the situation of something happening to them. And speaking quite honestly, he didn't have much pull over the Interpol agent other than saying 'I can't condone that', so it seemed rather pointless to keep arguing over it. The green scientist seemed to have a similar thought process to the Interpol agent's, as long as everyone had their different areas of expertise, everyone had a right to go.

So he quietly followed along, Doris by his side, the Arcanine steadfast as always.

The local kid seemed knowledgeable about the area. And regardless of his safety concerns, this was immensely helpful. Information on quite a bit in the area over the last few months- Noises of strange Pokémon that the kid wasn't formerly aware of, odd technology occurring all over the island that even a Granbull couldn't take down on their own, people disappearing into caves, and wild Pokémon were acting up. He knew about that last one, that was why he was here after all, but still.

"I see," Daryl repeated what he had said quite a few moments before. "As far as those unusual noises confirm, these were likely Pokémon brought in by foreigners, either from other islands on Alola or perhaps even other regions. You mentioned Salandit, right? Those are lizard like Pokémon. If it sounds like one dragging it's tail, it's probably a serpent like Pokémon. Arbok, Seviper, maybe even Serperior. As for the Mudsdale soundalike, probably a good cargo carrying one, like Tauros. Considering the Pokémon are upset, maybe these really are poachers. But that doesn't explain the technology or people disappearing."

He crossed his arms as he pondered a moment. "They'd be pretty organized poachers to have pulled this off for several months without raising too many flags. Poni Island isn't exactly a hotspot in my opinion, but I doubt it's not of some interest to tourists. Though perhaps a more pertinent question is, did you actually recognize any of the people who vanished? Know them in any capacity? If you didn't, they might be our perpetrators. If you did, well...either they're insiders, or this just situation just got amped up a bit."

Daryl's eye did wander to the energy-draining box. 'CS'...What did it stand for? He had half a mind to try and break it open himself to look for more clues, but if even a Granbull couldn't do it, he doubted they'd be able to either. A bit frustrating, but what wasn't these days.

 

[Fenix704]

"I didn't recognize anyone who went in. Some of them were wearing similar clothes, though... probably some kind of uniform they all wear? Why would they wear one, anyway? All I know is that they go in and don't come out, but I don't think I know any of those people, sorry."

Koa thought about those sounds he had heard. Daryl was suggesting what Pokémon could make those sounds: Serperior wasn't a Pokémon that was very common at all in Alola, but he knew the sound one made-- and it wasn't like that. Tauros wasn't a clear culprit either, but that other name-- "Seviper", caught him off guard.

"Nah, Serperior is quite a rare species here-- but I've investigated about dragon-like Pokémon that don't belong to the Dragon type, and I know Serperior doesn't sound like what I heard. Tauros clearly didn't make those sounds either, they're common here and I'm well aware of their sounds. But... Seviper? I've never heard of that one. Is it a Pokémon not native to Alola? 'Cause maybe that's why I don't recognize it."

 

[Captain Cardboard]

Hanako followed along with the group meekly. When the group entered into the Canyon, Hanako couldn't help but to feel her anxiety increase. Pokemon becoming aggressive and angry? Strange happenings? Foreign Pokemon? People disappearing into the caves? Maybe this whole adventure wasn't the best idea. Taking Kabo off her head, the girl held the Fossil Pokemon in her arms as the group continued traveling. Surely if people had been mysteriously disappearing, Hanako would have heard about it?

Koa pointed out the unusual boxes that were occasionally scattered around. Something about those boxes seemed... familiar. Hanako wasn't too sure why. The girl broke off from the group, walking to one of the boxes. She crouched in front of the box, taking a closer look. It appeared strange, almost futuristic. And the letters... CS? Has she seen something like that before? This whole situation seemed eerily familiar, but Hanako just couldn't put her finger on it.

Whatever was the issue, she could feel Kabo starting to squirm. To help pacify the fossil Pokemon, Hanako allowed the small Pokemon to crawl up her shoulder and perch back onto her head.

 

[Hammsuke]

Over the years, Rhys has developed a sharp eye for the behavior of Pokémon - so the others getting restless over the box didn't escape him. Was there a way for a box to influence behavior like that? Koa did notice something about a foul smell coming out of it.. Rhys couldn't help but think of Pokémon such as Roserade and Vileplume, who use their scent as a tool of survival.

However you looked at it, the boxes stuck out like sore thumb. And the more Rhys thought to himself, the more questions started piling up. Rhys knew one thing for certain. He had to check these wild Pokémon firsthand if he wanted any insight on the matter.

"The balance in habitats are very fragile. Adding foreign species could have a devastating effect on the well being of not only Pokémon, but people alike."

He looked over at his Audino, his feelers seemed stiff as his eyes darted from side to side.

"What reason would someone have to upset wild Pokémon like that? Whatever one's goal might be, riling wild Pokémon up only makes things more dangerous.. maybe they wanted people to scare people away from the cave?"

"Whatever their reasons might be, we have to check it out ourselves. This cave's ecosystem could be in grave danger."