[ti]story[/ti] STORY QUEST 1: Asper Sampling

Furrlicity listens to what Ash has to say closely. In the end, he nods to her and calls his pokemon back. "I'll keep an eye out. See you." With that he leaves to go trawl through the mushrooms again.

Later, he comes back, only placing one pokeball on the desk. For now.

"I haven't found anything new yet other than this thing. It was throwing nuts at me." There was a pause as he thinks about what the Vulpix had said when he caught it. Plus how some of them had been acting when he encountered them now verses when he first started. "I think the wild pokemon are getting wary of me where I'm out there so much." That was really the only way to describe it.

Still, a quick tap and the Skwovet was there for her to examine. It was fairly plain and didn't have much of a personality on it's own.

"I was wondering, do you know much about the Noonlight Shrine out there?" Turning his hand over, Furrlicity showed Ash the tacky blackness that stuck around after touching it. "I can't wash this off anymore. It also makes me feel... bad. When I touch it."

Furrlicity shows the Skwovet from the Birchwild Grove

EDIT: I didn't realize that Diva showed the Skwovet off in the post right above! I'll leave the post up and maybe edit it if I find something else.
If not, then it'll be his IC oopsy

"Ah yes, a Skwovet" Ash confirms, looking at the readout as she scans the Pokeball. "They are not usually aggressive, though perhaps the Spring weather has made them rather territorial. It wouldn't surprise me if you were near one of their nests." 

Ash inspects your hands, taking note of the bite marks and measuring their depth and length. "If you run into one again, either get better bite samples or wear your gloves. There isn't much I can do with this data."

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"Welcome back, Tuesday ." Ash greets you as before, unperturbed by your new entourage. "Yes it is quite fascinating," she says, missing the pun entirely and approaching the Cryogonal. As it spins her eyes take in every facet. Every detail of its icy form. "You may have proven a theory of mine," she says, her thin lips splitting into a smile.

"Did you know that this Pokemon is commonly found as mist and only occasionally takes solid form?" she asks, looking at the Cryogonal. "I've been postulating that the mist in the timberlands is not due to any meteorological phenomenon, but is purely Pokemon driven. It also stimulates unusual brain activity, pulling people into a strange, dreamlike state, which would explain why Drowzee are found there."

"Cryogonal by themselves don't explain the full extent of the mist. It is likely that their mist making powers are a carrier for the dream smoke of a colony of Munna. There is already a team in the timberlands searching on my request, but I would ask that you keep an eye out for a specific species if you find yourself there again."

If any players encounter MUNNA in the Misty Timberland, please ping a mod for an NPC cameo.

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Manish is a welcome sight. Old, dependable Manish. "What do you have this time," Ash asks, taking the Pokemon from him. "Another addition from the Birchwild Grove? Wonderful. Our collection there is filling out steadily." She smiled at Manish's uncertainty. "Oh yes, it's certainly a Pokemon. There are many species, especially of the Grass-Type, that take to camouflaging themselves after local flora. Lotad, Foongus, Sunflora, Cherubi, the list continues. It's enormously effective, even though few would mistake this giant nut for one from a tree." 

She scans the specimen and nods, pleased with the entry. "It will only be a few more expeditions before everything has been located. Keep up the good work."

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Tuesday returns on her weekly schedule, and Ash eyes the bright purple insect warily. "They're highly venomous," she warns, scanning the creature. "I recommend avoiding direct physical contact. And do keep an eye out for that Munna."

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The wild Pokemon lists have been updated.

Ruby sighed softly as she pushed into the laboratory. It was so much nicer inside the laboratory than anywhere else, she had come to realize. Perhaps it was just a comfortable experience, used to the more clinical setting. Or perhaps she was simply eager for the familiar. It had been so long since she had seen her own lab, after all. Her desk must be remarkably dusty at this point.

Perhaps she could convince someone to dust it, back in the real world.

"Good evening, Professor Ash," Ruby spoke with a soft smile on her face. She looked definitely a bit tired, exhausted after a long journey. "I just got back from the Misty Timberlands, and I have a few Pokemon that I think might interest you."

She'd pull three pokeballs out, only to set two of them together. "The one is a... Well, he's a ghostly stump. It seems to emulate the sounds of a child. I imagine to either intimidate or lure people in. After all, when one hears a crying child in a forest the desire to rescue them or run away from them are perhaps the two most likely actions. Other than that, I know very little, but it is quite interesting. It does admittedly scare me more than I would prefer to admit, however."

"And so, the other two," Ruby began, shuddering where she stood. "Are mimes. Well, two actually. They seemed to stalk me on my way home. As far as I can tell, they are able to mimic actual mimes, with their imaginary creations truthfully existing in some manner. One of the two seemed to be able to copy my own Pokemon's move back at me, Ember. I imagine this is a move of its own, that allows it to do so."

With that, Ruby's eyes slowly examined the lab around her, curiously attempting to see just what the Professor was working on. "You wouldn't happen to be able to share any of your latest projects, would you? I apologize for my blunt nature, I am simply curious. It has been far too long since I've been able to discuss with my own colleagues about their projects, I find myself missing my own research lab and the experiences within." She'd pause a bit, fighting off the slight frown that threatened to spread across her face. "In any case, I hope you will discover something important from these pokemon."

---

Ruby shows the Mr Mime, and the Phantump from Misty Timberlands.

"Howzit goin professor!" Buzzster says, entering the lab with boundless enthusiasm. He walked right up to the grey-haired professional and cocked his head, as if he was seeing something strange just past her left ear.

"Huh. That's odd," he said leaning a little to the side, trying to see past her. "I could have sworn." He shook his head. "Nevermind. Anyway, I've got a little- AH!" he shouted, suddenly, as if he'd just seen a ghost. "There it is again! Don't worry, I'll get it."

Zac reached past the professor and drew 20ft of colored scarves out from behind her ear, exaggerating the motion as if he was pulling against a tremendous force. "Oof! Almost...bloody...got...it...one more!" he pulled one last time and with a comical pop the end of the scarves came free, revealing that there was a Pokeball tied to the end of the scarves. "So that's where it was!" he said, putting the ball down on Ash's desk. "Found a Vulpix in the Birchwild Grove. Weird place. Lots of innate magic. Must be on a leyline," he said seriously. "Must still have a little magic left in her because she keeps disappearing! Last week I pulled her and her whole bloody family out of my hat! Almost ruined dinner. Can you believe that?"

Zac showed Vulpix (Birchwild Grove) to the Professor

Professor Ash does not jump for joy, but her expression does light up when Furrlicity Purrfection presents her with the requested Audino. "Excellent," she says earnestly, scanning it into her database. "I had hoped there were still remnants of an Audino population— did you say in the trees?"

There's a pause as she thinks that over, then shakes her head, bemused. "...In any case, it begs further study. I'm happy to hear Chadwick's team was of service in catching it." That was putting it generously. Ash seemed briefly amused— it was no accident she'd asked Furrlicity, who'd shown far more prominent results, to take on the important collection task.

"Yes, they've probably learned your scent by now. Fortunately, our data is almost complete." At the question about healing, Ash's lips curl up in a thin smile. "You noticed, I see. Yes, Audino has powerful healing abilities. Historically, they were even used in Unovan hospitals as care Pokemon. I'm sure one would provide excellent support to your team." The Professor doesn't seem to find anything strange about your game terminology, though a bemused expression crosses her face when you mention your Pokemon 'cussing.'

"What exactly do you—"

Upon seeing your hands, Ash's brows raise and she cuts off. She puts on a pair of rubber gloves before she gets any closer, glancing up at you to make sure it's okay before she takes your hand in hers, carefully examining the pitch-black substance caked on Furrlicity's palms.

"Corruption," she says after a moment. Carefully, she attempts to take a small sample of the black ichor. "Don't panic, there shouldn't be any negative effects from secondhand contact. The color, however..."

She drops the swab into a glass flask half-filled with liquid. "In hindsight, we shouldn't be surprised there's some remnants of corruption, even on the shrines. Asper was under the Corruption Zone for generations." She speaks carefully, and doesn't attempt to make any conclusions. It seems she isn't sure of the full ramifications either.

"Single?" Ash frowns, absentminded. She's watching the black flakes dissolve in the flask, looking vaguely troubled. "I already have an assistant."

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"Hello, Ruby," Professor Ash greets the bespectacled girl with familiarity.

She nods along with Ruby's assessment of Phantump. "That lines up with our data," she agrees, "It's an interesting defense mechanism, isn't it? Fear is a natural response to the unknown." She sets down her pen, eyes fixed on Ruby with scholarly fervor. "I've published quite a few papers on Ghost-Type Pokemon. If you're interested, I'd be happy to share."

Ash is expressionless at the reveal of the mimes, though she does sigh. "Ah, yes. Certainly an invasive species. It almost seems hand-picked to give the Timberlands an unpleasant atmosphere, doesn't it?" She jots down some notes. "Typically, Mr. Mime and its counterparts do better in urban environments. I expect with the settlement underway, they'll be moving into the city relatively soon."

When asked about her current project, Ash leans back in her chair, tapping her chin with her pen. "Most of it is simply data-gathering at this stage, unfortunately. There's a great wealth of information about this area to put together. Eventually, of course, the goal will be to replicate what happened at the High Tide Shrine that caused the original Corruption Zone to recede. If we are to discover all the secrets of this world, we will need to explore it in its entirety."

As if understanding such general answers could not possibly sate the desire Ruby had expressed, Ash sighs and relents. "I don't suppose your area of research is related to DNA or fossil restoration?" she offers, as if she doesn't have much hope. "Dr. Bunya has been... out of contact, and I was hoping to consult her on how her original design might be modified to assimilate Legendary DNA instead."

She shows you the blueprints for the device. The materials are surprisingly cost-effective: Bunya originally patented the design on a college student's budget, after all. "I'm afraid our last one was damaged when Mew escaped," Ash admits. "I'm not confident in my ability to replicate it from memory. Mechanical know-how is not my field of expertise."

Perhaps it's not for Ruby either, but in Ruby's UI, a crafting recipe appears.

Optionally, Ruby may choose to run a crafting scenario to gather the materials for and build Bunya's Fossil Restoration Machine. She may take full creative liberty with the crafting process.

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Amused, Professor Ash watches Tuesday's informative presentation on the two Pokemon she found in the Misty Timberlands. She refrains from applauding, giving the odd-eyed catgirl a nod instead. "You see quite well-informed," she notes, brows raised. "Yes, I suspect there may be a larger body of water in the Timberlands myself, given the presence of Dewpider, among other things. Your observations are quite astute."

When questioned about the Precipice Shrine, Ash shakes her head once, briefly. "Regrettably, my data is still too insufficient to draw any meaningful conclusions," she says. "I've heard certain groups from the Settlement have been using it as a refuse site for scrap material from construction, however— if you see anything like that, please discourage it. We don't know how the Shrine will react to having garbage tossed down it, even if it does seem to be bottomless."

Then again, perhaps agitating its patron was just as effective in activating its power as paying it tribute. There was no way to know. Yet.

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"Well enough, I suppose," Professor Ash says to Buzzster Hooperham, who she mistakenly assumes is here to conduct himself with decorum. She frowns when he seems to spot something behind her and turns to look. Seeing nothing, she returns her eyes to him with a quizzical expression. A supernatural phenomenon, perhaps? She's well-versed in such things. Before she can question him about the details, however—

Ash's face shuts down as Buzzster Hooperham begins to haul a train of colored scarves from behind her ear, her expression becoming as blank and plastic as a default NPC model. "Are you here to report a new Pokemon?" she asks calmly as the bearded street magician finally finishes his trick and produces a single Pokeball at the end of the string.

She scans the Vulpix wordlessly, shaking her head. Buzzster seems to have crashed her logic processors.

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"I was hoping we'd find Nosepass in the Surge Steppes," Ash greets Sarah Lee with a similar degree of businesslike enthusiasm. "Ordinarily they act as natural compass needles, but I suspect all the Nosepass in the Surge Steppes can be used as indicators pointing towards the local Shrine. From reports, it seems to be heavily magnetized."

The list of currently-discovered Pokemon was just as public for the trainers as it was for Ash. She tapped her chin with the end of her pen, musing over the question. "As you've likely seen, Vulpix and Litwick have recently been captured on Route 1 and 2, respectively," she says, "And I've heard reports from settlers that large bat Pokemon have been roosting in the eaves of the newly-constructed settlement. The dragon-type Noibat may be among them."

Dragons...

"Hmm." Ash sets down her pen and brings up a hologram of a small, fluffy Pokemon, akin to a real-world sheep. "It may not be exactly what you're thinking of, but this Pokemon acquires the dragon-type in its mega evolution. Its name is Mareep." The image rotates in place, phasing through the three evolutions until it lands on the magnificent shape of Mega Ampharos. "There's currently a survey team searching for this Pokemon— if you encounter them, please send my regards."

If any players encounter MAREEP in the Surge Steppes, please ping a mod for an NPC cameo.

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the wild pokemon lists have been updated.