TEEN: - Complete Land of the Roses [abandoned]

[Misfit Angel]

Welcome to the Land of the Roses! This story is set in the fictional region of Lanark, a land inspired primarily by Wales, Ireland and Scotland. It follows the adventures of a young field researcher, a coordinator, and their assorted friends as they journey across the land in search of answers and for personal discovery. The story blends a modern, technologically-advanced society with elements of both traditional and high fantasy, combining the two into (hopefully) a fairly unique world. Despite the advances of humanity, the world remains a beautiful and mysterious place, ripe for exploration and adventure.

Those who know me know that I was the main writer for Storm Island, a story that ran for 51 lengthy chapters before I finally lost my passion for it and decided to end it. I like to view Land of the Roses as a spiritual reboot of that story; there will be a few familiar characters, situations and themes, but the rest of it is a clean slate. I hope to take the lessons I've learned from writing Storm Island and apply them here. In the meantime, I'll try to avoid covering old ground too much.

First and foremost: This story is about the human characters and focuses on issues one might not find often in other fanfics. As the story progresses, things might get a little heavy. Reader discretion is advised. It is more of a drama set within the Pokémon world rather than a standard Pokémon story.

As per the rules of the Writers Workshop regarding Teen/Mature rated stories, the following will crop up at some point:
[ graphic violence ] [ sexually suggestive content ] [ animal cruelty ]
April 20th, 2018: Based on numerous suggestions, I've bumped this story's rating back down to [ T ]. It's still intended for a young adult audience, but it is nowhere near as graphic as it could be.​

Table of Contents
Season 1: Land of the Roses

• Chapter 1 - The Dream
  The professional career of an aspiring researcher begins.
• Chapter 2 - The Doctor
  An aspiring researcher is introduced to the mundane reality of science.
• Chapter 3 - Remember, A Rose Has Thorns
  Even the most peaceful looking countryside has its hidden dangers, and Lanark is no exception.
• Chapter 4 - A Grim Task
  Having arrived in Nettlefield, Andrea and Patrick begin their investigation into the mysterious deaths that are sweeping through a Miltank herd.
• Chapter 5 - An Invasive Threat
  With a possible cause for the problem plaguing the Miltank herd in their sights, Andrea and Patrick explore the swamps north of Nettlefield in an attempt to find the culprit.

Interlude

• Interlude 1 - A Job Well Done
  With her first project completed successfully, what awaits Andrea next?

The Majesty of Aughrim

• Chapter 6 - The Rails
  Andrea had hoped to spend her time on the train to Aughrim in peace and quiet, but things don't always go according to plan.
• Chapter 7 - Station Search
  Andrea has arrived in Aughrim and is ready to get to work... but first, she has to find her business partner among the crowds of busy travellers.
• Chapter 8 - a 'Cèilidh Gailearaidh
  In need of a distraction from her problems, Andrea takes the time to visit the city's cultural district.
• Chapter 9 - The Eight
  The eight competitors of the Majesty of Aughrim coordination contest are introduced.
• Chapter 10 - Wintersong
  The first matchup of the night commences with a very frosty theme shared between the two competitors: Senna vs. Kimberly!
• Chapter 11 - A Charitable Duel
  Both came to the Majesty of Aughrim coordination contest to make a positive change in the lives of those less fortunate, and now it's time to see who can make that a reality: Kimberly vs. Hoster!

Interlude

• Interlude 2 - Moving On
  After a disappointing night for the both of them, Andrea and Kimberly meet one last time to discuss what the future holds for both of them.

The Rosencoast

• Chapter 12 - Sacred Garden
  A visit to a garden usually helps to clear the mind and distract from the problems of the day, and Kimberly aims to do just that.
• Chapter 13 - Obstacles
  Before resuming their journey to Doranshire, Andrea decides to investigate the Oak of Ages, a tree that was ancient when mankind was young.
• Chapter 14 - The Spritewood
  The road to Doranshire takes Andrea and Kimberly through the Spritewood, a colorful forest steeped in mystery.
• Chapter 15 - Darkest Night
  While camping in the Spritewood, Andrea and Kimberly are subjected to a strange sight that neither can explain.
• Chapter 16 - Fact and Fiction
  What happened the previous night is an unbelievable story, but there are some who aren't ready to outright dismiss it as fiction.

Doranshire

• Chapter 17 - A Quiet Village
  After a lengthy hike through a peculiar forest, Andrea and Kimberly finally arrive in the village of Doranshire.
• Chapter 18 - Sickbay
  While her injuries aren't as severe as she initially thought, Andrea must take some time to rest and recover.
• Chapter 19 - A Day To Myself
  With Andrea recovering in the Pokécenter, Kimberly is free to spend the day however she wishes. Despite the trouble in the forest two nights prior, she decides to spend the day hunting for an Eevee.
• Chapter 20 - She's Got The Look
  To start off her investigation, Andrea visits an elderly woman who claims to have seen demons breaking into her house. Unfortunately, speaking to her is more difficult than imagined.
• Chapter 21 - Loch Fiodhbòcan
  With her skepticism of the rumors surrounding the village growing, Andrea decides to visit the local water reservoir in search of a more logical explanation for everything. But she's not the only one left in search of answers.
• Chapter 22 - Heart to Heart
  Andrea's meeting with a longtime friend brings about old demons, the realization that she still hasn't properly faced them and the fact that they are still lurking deep within her.
• Chapter 23 - Unusual Findings
  While Andrea has been working in Doranshire, her colleagues at the Reiland Institute have been analyzing her findings.
• Chapter 24 - Dance of the Orbs
  With nasty weather rescheduling her planned visit to a local elementary school, Andrea finds something new to study in the meantime.
• Chapter 25 - Candlefire
  While studying the mysterious orbs, Andrea and Kimberly establish a camp for an extended stay into the night. They soon learn that this might not be the wisest decision.
• Chapter 26 - Doubt and Fear (Season Finale)
  There are two things that stand in the way of progress: doubt in oneself and the fear of the unknown.

Season 1 Wrap-Up
Various in-world reports and snippets aimed at wrapping up some of Season 1's mysteries that might not be touched on otherwise.

• S1 Wrap-Up #1 - The Stolen Tome
  Knowledge is power.
• S1 Wrap-Up #2 - Spare Parts
  Dr. Venger's followup report on the Skeleton of the Spritewood.
• S1 Wrap-Up #3 - The Spread
  A Ministry of Wildlife expedition to the Nettlemarsh has gathered information about the Blastcap infestation.

Christmas Special

• The Day of Lovers' Remembrance
  Set a year and a half before the main story, Andrea returns home for the holidays and catches up with some old friends and family. This chapter is not crucial to the plot and is quite lengthy, so you may skip it if you like.

Season 1 Wrap-Up (continued)

• Season 1 Recap
  A detailed breakdown of the story thus far. Useful if you'd like to get into the story with the start of Season 2.

Season 2: Cladachfadh (The Long Shore)
Separate Paths: Kimberly

• Chapter 27 - The Big Goodbye
  With their time in Doranshire concluded, Andrea and Kimberly prepare to go about their separate ways.
• Chapter 28 - The Things That Give Me Strength
  Kimberly's journey to Rustlode Bluffs is off to a rocky start as she is confronted by one of her greatest fears.
• Chapter 29 - Liquid Starlight
  Even in the darkest depths of the earth, light can shine.

Separate Paths: Andrea

• Interlude 3 - My Shining Light
  While awaiting her train back to Loch Alstan, Andrea decides to return to her apartment one last time.
• Interlude 4 - Rain Clouds
  Another day, another train ride. Andrea begins to realize that she's not owed her friendships and has to work for them.
• Chapter 30 - Loch Alstan Blues Part I
  When she was attending university, Andrea dreamed of one day working in a research center. Now that she's finally there, the glamour has faded.
• Chapter 31 - Loch Alstan Blues Part II
  When she was attending university, Andrea dreamed of one day working in a research center. Now that she's finally there, the glamour has faded.
• Chapter 32 - The Offer
  Another day of Andrea's career has come to a close, bringing the painful troubles of her financial situation to the front of her mind.
• Chapter 33 - To Be Strong and Independent
  After several close calls in recent weeks, Andrea wishes to take her safety into her own hands and decides that it's time: she wants to capture her own Pokémon.
• Memory - Back from the Brink
  Nearly five months ago, Andrea was nearing the bottom of the endless abyss. She vowed to turn things around.

Interlude

• Interlude 5 - Wiltstep
  It's the 72nd annual Redfern Regal Horticulture and Garden Show! Andrea's parents are judging the contestants, but something doesn't seem quite right with one of them...

A Lode of Rust

• Chapter 34 - Cracks in the Stone
  Kimberly arrives in Rustlode Bluffs for her much anticipated coordination workshop, but problems start to pile up and chip away at her typically stoic nature.
• Chapter 35 - Guiding Light
  Overwhelmed by stress and uncertainty in herself, Kimberly turns to faith and friends for guidance.
• Memory - Fame is a Treacherous Beast
  Five months ago, Kimberly had become a local celebrity in Visalia... and that made her a target.

A Cauldron of Steel and Sweat

• Chapter 36 - A Time of Opportunity
  Andrea finds herself surrounded by opportunity in both her professional life and personal life.
• Chapter 37 - Dress to Impress
  To prepare for her upcoming assignment, Andrea needs a new look. She didn't realize just how different she would have to be.
• Interlude 6 - Andrea Dennison, Junior Marine Biologist
  Rocked but not shaken, Kimberly looks forward to continuing her career as a coordinator. To do so, she looks to broaden her team, and perhaps a certain biologist's knowledge may come in handy...
• Chapter 38 - They Who Built an Empire
  Andrea and Patrick have arrived in Steelport, and it's time to meet the patriarch of a family of businessmen that has a habit of taking itself too seriously.
• Chapter 39 - Reunited
  With a long day of travel and work preparation finally done, Andrea takes some time to relax... and reunite with an old friend.

 

[Misfit Angel]

Land of the Roses
Chapter 1: The Dream

We are the thinkers and inventors. We strive. We dream. We aspire always towards something greater than ourselves. In the end, we achieve.​

~ Giordano da Venii (May 1507)​

- - - - -​

May 12th, a day like any other in the land of the roses, the Kingdom of Lanark. Cloudy, rainy, fog-obscured and windswept; cold and miserable, with a slight touch of lingering gloom. A rolling blanket of iron grey storm clouds covered a large portion of the country that day, and a sharp wind blew through the moss-choked stone valleys of the Northcountry, bringing with it the lingering bitterness of a winter that refused to go away.

Despite the dreary weather, life carried on as usual. The echo of a train horn blared across the peaceful, untouched countryside. High up in the stony foothills of northeast Lanark, the source of the horn blast slowly made its way across the narrow cliff side, carefully navigating the winding rails, hand-cut stone tunnels and rusted-yet-sturdy bridges ahead of it.

Aboard the train sat a young woman, completely disconnected from the world around her. Her attention was sunk in her smart phone; between the high octane thrash metal that blared through her headphones and the game of Tetris that she was wrapped up in, the outside world was little more than an afterthought to her. In desperation, she tried to keep up with the pace of the colored tetrads that plummeted down her screen, but it eventually proved to be too much and the game ended.

"Ugh, come on..." the young woman grumbled to herself. "Again... I almost made it to level 30..."

She was tempted to start another game, but instead she shut off her music and decided to gaze out the window at the passing countryside. Having grown up among the Heartland's flat meadows and spending the past four years of her life in a sprawling city of skyscrapers, she rarely had an opportunity to see such sights. In the foggy, rain swept distance, the snowcapped Dornoch Mountains loomed above the landscape like eternal sentries. The valley below was bathed in a rich, verdant green as the foliage finally began its yearly spring-time return.

"The view would be perfect," she thought, "if it weren't for this damned rain..."

The peaceful atmosphere was spoiled by her phone unexpectedly buzzing to life with a loud shriek. The screen lit up: 'Incoming call from Dad'. She adjusted her posture and relaxed in her seat as she answered the call. The screen faded to black, then displayed a video of a man seated in an office chair in a dimly lit room.

The man's face lit up with excitement as he saw his daughter appear on the screen in front of him. "'eeeeey! There's my girl!"

"Hi..." she quietly responded.

"Just thought I'd call and check in on you. I'm sorry, I don't do that as much as I should."

"It's okay," she answered. "You could say the same about anyone. I'm used to it."

"So. Today's the big day, huh?"

She nodded in silence.

"How's the train ride? Smooth? Been awhile since I've been on the Silverline."

"A few minutes behind schedule, but the trains always are," she replied. "I think I should be arriving in Loch Alstan pretty soon."

"Just in time for the big interview!"

She inhaled sharply and held it in. "Yep..."

His joyous demeanor was dented by her brevity and tone. "Oh? You're not nervous, are you?"

"Nervous is putting it mildly... The last four years of my life have led to this. No, the last sixteen. They're going to be judged, and hard. Something from my past is going to slip through the cracks and sink this opportunity for me, I just know it."

He dismissed her concerns with a shake of his head. "Nobody is perfect. You're too hard on yourself."

She sighed. "Maybe. It's hard not to be..."

"The past few months have been difficult for you, I get that. But don't let them define who you are, or how today turns out. Things aren't going to turn around otherwise."

"I know, I know..."

He smiled, then leaned in closer to his webcam as he interlocked his fingers on his desk. She knew this body language well, and could almost predict what he was about to say, word for word: "Remember, Dr. Reiland invited you to visit her research center instead of outright dismissing you. That alone says something. You really think she'd drag you across the entire country just to spit in your face and tell you that you're not good enough?"

She shook her head. "I'd be furious. This train ticket was not cheap."

"I don't know Dr. Reiland personally, but I do know that she is a well respected and professional woman. She wouldn't do that to you." he said. "There's no need to be nervous. I was when I graduated from the police academy. Felt like the whole world was about to come crashing down on me, but you know what? It didn't."

"Don't kid yourself. It did."

He paused for a moment and relaxed his posture as he leaned back in his chair. "Okay. It did. But things worked out for the best."

"I think my circumstances are a bit different than yours were, anyways."

"You'd be surprised. All I'm trying to say is, you're a very capable young woman, and--"

"Ugh, stop it!" she protested with a smile. "Don't compliment me, you'll make me throw up!"

"You are, though! Ten golden roses says that she hires you today."

She jolted forward a bit as the train slammed on its brakes, signifying that it was approaching its destination. The speaker system on the train carriage blared with a catchy jingle before the conductor began to speak.

"Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen, thank you for riding with Silverline today! In a few short minutes, we'll be arriving at Alstan Central Station. At this time, we ask that you retrieve any personal--"

"The train's arriving... I'm going to make sure I have everything in order, okay?" she said.

"Sure thing! Call me if you have any trouble!"

"I will."

"Keep your chin up, eh? You've got this."

"I hope so..."

"Love ya, sweetie!"

The screen faded to black and the young woman slipped her phone into her thigh-high stocking. While she did so, she made sure that she had everything she brought with her for her stay in the town of Loch Alstan: her identification, the last of her meager savings, a backpack bulging with unhealthy snacks, a spare change of clothes and the paperwork related to her upcoming job interview.

It dawned on her that her dream was finally within reach. After a life of preparation and grueling work, especially over the past four years, she finally had her shot at a career that had captivated her since she was a young girl: a researcher of all things biology. What she felt wasn't excitement or joy at finally reaching this point, but doubt and fear; her destination, the Reiland Institute, was one of the most prestigious research centers in the world, and certainly the most prestigious in the country. She'd always been told that the barrier for entry was astronomically high, and she had more than her fair share of problems and shortcomings that could sink her aspirations in an instant. Even the fact that she had been given a chance at all did little to calm her fears.

As the train came to a complete stop and the doors opened, she took a deep breath and stepped out onto the rain-soaked platform. The biting cold winds instantly snatched her away from her thoughts and she huddled her arms in close to keep warm. She approached a map of Loch Alstan that was posted on the terminal wall and began to study it. Much to her dismay, the map was loaded with so much detail and information that she couldn't find her destination anywhere, even after staring at it for nearly five minutes.

"T-This is off to a good start..." she lamented, shivering uncontrollably.

She retreated to the warmth of the terminal building and tried to find another map of the town, but she had no luck. She cautiously approached numerous strangers about where to go, but they weren't helpful. Rather than pester more travellers, she approached the ticket booth for help.

"Good day, welcome to the Silverline! Buying a ticket?" the salesman asked.

She shook her head. "No. I just got here, you see, and I have no idea where I'm going. Would you happen to know where the Reiland Institute is?"

"The Reiland Institute? Yeah, I know where that is, it's up on the northwestern side of town, about a mile from the loch. When you step outside, you'll see an array of windmills in the distance. Just keep walking towards them, you'll find what you're looking for."

"Thank you."

"Enjoy your visit! Try to stay warm out there!"

- - - - -​

It was a damp and chilling walk through Loch Alstan. She had little opportunity to escape the relentless winds and the drizzling rain, and she cursed the fact that the town lacked the public transportation networks she took for granted back home. Rather than defeat her, however, the weather only motivated her to carry on as quickly as she could through the brick streets. As she followed the map on her phone, she was grateful to see one of the windmills the station worker had told her about, looming out of the thick fog. At last, she had arrived.

The Reiland Institute was a lot less glamorous looking than she had led herself to believe. In clear contrast with both her expectations and the rest of the town's Edwardian architecture, the limestone structure was rudimentary in design; large, sharply defined and separated into six floors. There were absolutely no unique features about it other than the fact that it was simply boring: no artistic columns, no fantastic grotesques perched upon the roof, no impressive window arches.

"Looks like a mental asylum..." she mused as she stopped in front of the main entrance. She took in a deep breath to reassure herself that her job interview would go over well, then stepped inside.

The lobby was far more interesting than the exterior was. The first thing that caught her attention was the large fountain in the center of the room, which featured sculptures of four seahorse-like creatures, which she subconsciously identified as Kingdras, sending jets of water into the air. As she wandered up to it for a closer look, she noticed that large portions of the fountain's floor were littered with bronze coins. Accompanying the entrancing flow of the water was the alluring sound of smooth jazz that played throughout the lobby. Both served to calm her nerves a bit, and she timidly approached the service desk.

"Hello!" the receptionist brightly smiled. "Welcome to the Reiland Institute! How may I help you today?" His manner of speaking was almost robotic, as if he had said the phrase thousands of times before.

"I'm, uhh... I'm here for a job interview with Dr. Reiland," she answered.

"Name, please?"

"Andrea Dennison."

"I'll need some form of identification, too."

Andrea dropped her purse onto the counter and dug through it. She retrieved a student ID card from the University of Aughrim and handed it to the receptionist.

The receptionist grabbed the card and studied it. "Hmm. This card expired over the winter holidays..."

Andrea's heart dropped. It was the only form of identification that she had. "I, uhh, dropped out of university a few months ago... the admissions board was supposed to give me a new one before that, but I guess that got cancelled."

"Mmm," he said with a nod. He looked up from the card and studied Andrea's features closely, comparing it to the photo on the card; nearly every detail except for the length of her hair and her weight were a perfect match. "Well... You do look like you who you say you are. A moment, please." He started to furiously hammer away at his keyboard with blazing speed. "You're quite lucky, you know. I don't remember the last time Dr. Reiland had a face to face meeting with someone who doesn't work here, or isn't an investor."

She let out an awkward laugh. "As if I needed to feel any more nervous..."

The receptionist continued to tap away. After a moment, he continued, "Here you are! Andrea Dennison, meeting scheduled for May 12th, 3:45 PM. You're actually early!" He picked up a phone beside him and input a few numbers. "Dr. Reiland's guest is here a little early. Want to come meet her?"

Andrea took a seat in one of the chairs that were scattered throughout the lobby. She sighed. "That's one hurdle down, I guess... but I didn't even think about it. What else didn't I plan for that'll get in my way?"

After a few minutes of waiting, a door deeper into the facility opened, and a man with a strikingly bright red mop of wavy hair entered the lobby. He looked around; his eyes met Andrea's and he approached, then extended his hand forward as a sign of good will. "Andrea Dennison, right?"

She shook his hand. "Yes."

"Good lord, lady, you're soaked!"

She looked down at her damp clothes. "Yeah... When I checked the weather this morning, it called for sunshine... But that was back in Aughrim." She paused, realizing how stupid she must have sounded. "Come on, Andrea, don't say stuff like that. They're going to think you're too stupid to be here."

The man chuckled. "Well, it's nice and warm in here, at least. Welcome to the Reiland Institute! My name is Patrick Adelaide, I'm one of Dr. Reiland's senior staff members, and I'm in charge of biology research."

"Pleasure to meet you," she said.

He rolled up his sleeve and revealed a large device strapped to his wrist. "Hmm. Your interview's not for another half hour... Would you like to visit the cafeteria and warm up a bit? You look a little cold, and I can hear it from here: wind's howling out there."

"Uhh..."

"It'll also be a good way to showcase the kind of atmosphere we have here."

"As long as I'm not late for the interview..."

He smiled. "I won't let that happen. C'mon, I'll show you where it is."

He led her back through the door and into a hallway that seemed to stretch into eternity on both sides. A large artistic map on the wall indicated the general layout of the building: West Wing South was host to the medical and biochemistry labs, while West Wing North was dedicated to radiology, genetic research and the hatchery. On the opposite side of the building, East Wing South focused on general biology and environmental research, and East Wing North was a hub for applied physics and chemistry.

"The cafeteria is this way, up a couple floors," he said, leading her past the map of the facility. She followed in silence as they continued down a hallway towards the stairwell. As they reached the top of the first set of stairs, he broke the silence, "You don't talk much, do you?"

"It can be difficult sometimes."

He started up the second set of stairs. "That's fine, at least you do. Well... How about some small talk? Help open you up before your interview."

She shrugged. "I guess."

"I'll start by saying that's an interesting outfit you've got there."

She looked down at her clothing and concern began to wash over her. Her attire was simple, yet kept to a strikingly dark theme; a black minidress with long, lacy sleeves, paired with black and grey striped stockings, all rounded off with thick, shin high leather boots. Strange by the average person's standards, but by no means outlandish. The fact that some of his first words were about her clothing put her on the defensive. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Nothing much. Just... most people don't dress like it's rave night when they have a job interview."

"T-this is the best I had!" she stammered. "I'm fresh out of university and jobless, I can barely afford the clothes I'm wearing, let alone something--"

"Hey, relax!" he said with a friendly chuckle. "I didn't mean anything bad by it, just trying to offer some advice. Personally, I actually like the way you look!"

"Oh, umm. Thank you. Sorry."

"At ease. Ya got this far. No need to be so worried."

He pushed open another door and the two found themselves atop a balcony, out in the cold again. A rain soaked walkway stretched between the main building of the Reiland Institute and its central annex, where the faculty offices and cafeteria were. Despite the gloomy weather, several institute staff members were loitering nearby, casually chatting about their ongoing work.

"Well, at least the rain stopped," Patrick said, taking in a deep breath of the fresh, humid air. He felt a few drops impact his shoulders and arms. "...mostly."

"I thought he wanted to warm me up..." she thought.

He pushed open the double doors at the other end of the walkway and the two entered one of the largest rooms in the Reiland Institute, the employee lounge. The entire room was brightly lit by a massive array of windows that flanked the northwestern and northeastern sides of the room, windows that offered a glimpse of the murky lake which the town of Loch Alstan was named after. Unfortunately, the foggy and rainy weather obscured an otherwise lovely view that day.

"Here we are, my favorite place!"

The room was split into two halves: the first half was the proper lounge area, itself split in half by a balcony which separated it into two floors. The area they were in was filled with comfy-looking couches and chairs that circled around tables and television sets. Bookshelves were stuffed to capacity with all sorts of scientific publications and reference manuals. A solitary snooker table, host to a game that was currently in progress, sat in the middle of the room. An old fashioned jukebox, which Patrick took the time to point out that he had found, restored and donated to the institute, stood in a corner, playing some less-than-current pop music.

The other half was the cafeteria. About a dozen tables, all filled to capacity by chatting researchers, engineers and medical professionals, stood before an impressive array of on-site restaurants. Andrea was already familiar with all of them: Mountain Rain Brewing Co, a coffee company specializing in exotic brews; Jackpot's Potato Shack, which boasted over a hundred menu options for the lifeblood of the kingdom's heartland, the russet potato; Shinikara Noodle, a noodle bar that brought far east cuisine to the kingdom; Gyroskope, with its focus on the various specialties from around the Central Sea and lastly the Crimson Crawdaunt, one of the continent's largest and most popular sea food chains.

"Oh boy, you have a Crimson Crawdaunt here?" Andrea asked. "I applied to be a waitress at one of them in Aughrim last month... Got turned down, despite already having waitress experience..."

"That's rough... But according to your application, that would have been a terrible waste of your achievements," Patrick said. "But yes, we do have one. And a lot of other options, as you can see, even international stuff! Dr. Reiland really spoils us." He rolled up his sleeve and revealed the strange device on his wrist again as he gazed at it. "Interview's in 23 minutes... You mind? I'm gonna grab some coffee."

She pulled out a chair at the table beside her and sat down. "I'll be right here."

"Right. I won't be gone long!"

She drummed her finger tips against the table as she patiently awaited Patrick's return, taking the time to study the researchers situated about the lounge. The atmosphere was warm and genial, with people of all ethnicities mingling together over coffee or a late lunch to discuss what they were working on, or share a laugh about stories of their personal lives. It reminded her of her days at university, days she sorely missed. She wanted to be a part of this atmosphere, but creeping doubt in herself told her not to get her hopes up.

Behind her, a voice emerged from the dull roar of the lounge, "Cute outfit!"

"Hunh?" she said, perking up. She turned around and spotted a blonde haired young woman in her mid 20s stood at the other side of the table, looking at her.

"Your outfit, I like it. It's very... bold!"

"Oh, thank you."

The woman placed a mug of tea onto the table and sat down across the table from her. "I can tell, just by the way you're sitting -- it's your posture that's giving it away -- you're nervous about something."

She paused for a moment, straightened her back, then followed with a silent nod.

"What's up? Having trouble with one of your projects?"

"No, actually... I'm here for an interview."

The woman's face lit up like a christmas tree with excitement. "Ooooh! So you're the girl I've been hearing about!"

She raised her eyebrow. "You know about me?"

"Word spreads pretty quickly about people like you... A majority of the folks who apply here don't even get a call back, let alone get invited for an interview, and nearly a thousand people apply a year. The fact that you're actually here is a good sign for you." The woman offered her hand out. "Name's Emily, by the way. Emily Winehaus."

She shook Emily's hand. "Andrea Dennison."

"So, which department are you hoping to land a job with?"

"Either biology or environmental research. Those are the two I have the most experience with."

"Biology, huh? I've always been curious about what happens over on that side of the institute... I'm in medical myself, and they keep me pretty busy, so I hardly ever get to visit."

"Medical? Are you a doctor?"

"Almost! Just a couple more months of hands on work here at the institute with Dr. Venger, and then my final exam with the Loch Alstan Medical Academy and I will be, though!" Emily answered, holding her head high.

"Good luck."

While the two were locked in conversation, Patrick returned with two steaming cups of coffee in his hands. He nodded respectfully towards Emily as he sat down. "Hey, look who it is! And you're not drenched in blood this time!"

"Careful, it might be yours next time," Emily joked.

He pointed his finger rapidly between the two. "Have you two been introduced to each other?"

"Sure have!"

"Good." He offered one of his coffee cups to Andrea. "Here, brought something for ya."

She eyed the coffee cautiously as it sat in front of her. "I, uhh, don't really do coffee."

"Aww, and I went through the trouble to get it for ya," He gently shook the cup, filling the area with the aroma of freshly brewed yet slightly burnt coffee. After she hesitated some more, he added, "C'mon, it'll help warm you up after walking through that ice cold rain."

Andrea looked up towards Emily imploringly, as if to ask for help.

"Looks like it's yours, new kid. It's after noon, I can't do it. The caffeine will keep me up all night." Emily stated, shaking her head. "I need to be getting back, anyways. Busy, busy!"

"Good seeing you again," Patrick said.

"Yeah! We'll have to catch up soon." Emily bowed graciously. "Good luck, Andrea."

"Thank you."

As Emily walked away, she turned her head to call out, "You treat her better than the last one, you hear, Pat?"

She turned to him with a look of confusion on her face. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Don't worry about it, Emily and I go way back. We're always bustin' each other's balls." he said.

"Huh." She raised the cup of coffee to her mouth, and just a bitter sip was enough to send a shiver radiating throughout her entire body, something that he found amusing. "So, where is Dr. Reiland's office?"

"Pretty much right above us on the sixth floor."

"Would it hurt any to show up for my interview a little early?"

He swiveled his coffee cup around a bit as he thought about it. "Well, she does have a busy schedule today and likely wouldn't notice... But I don't think it would hurt. Why, feeling a little claustrophobic with all of these strangers around?"

"A bit. And I just want to get this over with."

- - - - -​

Updates and edits for both chapters 1 and 2:

Spoiler

• Change: Extensive rewriting, grammar and spelling fixes.
• Change: Significantly altered the structure of chapters 1 and 2, pushing the interview with Dr. Reiland back to the second chapter and bringing some scenes from the second chapter into the first.
• Added: Touched up on description of the town of Loch Alstan, as well as the Reiland Institute now that I actually have a firm idea of what it is and looks like.
• Added: Overall, Andrea is far more nervous and quiet in this version of the chapter.
• Change: Previously, Andrea stated that she worked at a Crimson Crawdaunt. This is no longer the case, to adjust to ongoing developments of her background details. This specific detail will probably show up later in season 2.
• Removed: Ongoing security measures at the Reiland Institute have been lessened and the security staff fired. No need for security if nothing bad ever happens, right? Mostly I just don't want people thinking I'm going to put a Team Rocket arc in this story.
• Removed: The scene where Andrea is assigned her locker didn't serve much purpose and was repurposed anyways.
• Added: Quotes from within the universe before the chapters. Hopefully one will appear before each going forward.
• Words and lines: +2385 words, +56 lines across both chapters

 

[Beth Pavell]

Well, well, another Prescott fic. I don't think I could stand the mark on my honour if I didn't get to it first.

Technical Accuracy/Style
I'm not completely sure why I'm even including this section, because I think you know damn well what I think by now

Setting
So, inspired by the Celtic - well, "Celtic" fringes eh? In that case, this:

Cloudy. Rainy. Cold and miserable, with a slight touch of gloom.

Seems appropriate, har har har. Well, the setting is coherent. Linguistically there's nothing to complain about, something I like, given how that's so often overlooked in worldbuilding. "Loch" exists in all the surviving Celtic languages in one form or another, "lough" in Irish, there's a Welsh version that slips my mind at the moment. I kind of wondered about the weather for the stated season, but what the hell, there's no reason Lanark's spring can't have a sting in the tail. If anything I'd reconsider the rickety rail bridge - doesn't seem like something people would want to ignore

Story
Yes, I'm seeing the agency in this version of Andrea right away. Lord knows we've been over that several times, so I'm guessing this Andrea is going to be more driven in key ways. The job interview does seem to go a bit too well, overall. It kind of comes across as a little bit canned - most of the interviewers I've ever been in front of have tended to keep poker faces or respond with blandly positive comments that don't really give away anything.

But in any case, if there's one thing I'd change, it's the clothing thing; either with Andrea dressing uncharacteristically professionally (Because of the high stakes), or making a youthful mistake and getting marked down for not doing so. We've got this build up telling us how getting an interview with Dr. Reiland is a rare coin, so it comes across as odd that not being professional shouldn't be a problem.

Characters
Andrea certainly comes across as a girl just on the other side of the teens. If nothing else, her interview technique - such as it is - does ring true as something cobbled together with a lot of finger crossing. Dr. Reiland perhaps reads quite generically to me, because I can see in her speech patterns exhibited by a fair few of your adult characters.

Final Thoughts
I found myself vacillating on what to say here, really, because for most of the criticisms I immediately came up with, I could think of a counter-argument for

 

[Misfit Angel]

Feedback responses:

Spoiler

Yes, I'm seeing the agency in this version of Andrea right away. Lord knows we've been over that several times, so I'm guessing this Andrea is going to be more driven in key ways. The job interview does seem to go a bit too well, overall. It kind of comes across as a little bit canned - most of the interviewers I've ever been in front of have tended to keep poker faces or respond with blandly positive comments that don't really give away anything.

I can chalk this one up to my inexperience. I've only been interviewed once, and in that one they practically begged me to take the offer. I tried to go with what felt natural to someone with anxiety issues, rather than copy the interviews I've seen on TV. I feel I would probably show my hand in such a high stakes interview, personally.

But in any case, if there's one thing I'd change, it's the clothing thing; either with Andrea dressing uncharacteristically professionally (Because of the high stakes), or making a youthful mistake and getting marked down for not doing so. We've got this build up telling us how getting an interview with Dr. Reiland is a rare coin, so it comes across as odd that not being professional shouldn't be a problem.

If only you could have seen me spend a week trying to figure out how to describe goth clothing. I don't think it can actually be done. What I intended with her outfit was that it wasn't super professional or fancy, but by no means does she look like a homeless vampire. Also, this may be a consequence of how I cut off one of Andrea's lines:

"Most people don't dress like they're going to a midnight rave when they have a job interview."

"This is the best I had. I'm fresh out of univ--"

"Relaaaaax, it's not me you have to impress," He let out a polite chuckle.

In the original draft I had written, Andrea explained how deeply in debt she was because of her time at university, and that she could barely afford the clothing on her back. When I read it back a few times, it felt a little too rambly and out of place. The chapter started to feel a little long, so that was one of the things I cut. Perhaps I can throw that back in, or add it to a conversation in a later chapter. *shrug*

Though on the subject of getting marked down, that was my intention with how often Patrick and Dr. Reiland brought it up, though she was obviously going to get the job regardless. Evidently I didn't hammer it home hard enough; a lesson to be learned.

A few of these concerns may be alleviated in the next chapter. Or maybe made worse. Time to see!

Land of the Roses
Chapter 2: The Doctor

Science is what I do when I don't know what I'm doing.​

~ Tina Ansen, Pokémon Professor of the Storm Island region​

- - - - -​

Dr. Rebecca Reiland II, Ph.D.

It was an intimidating name, and Andrea felt a sense of dread every time she would glance up to see it etched into the plaque on the door beside her. Dr. Reiland was one of the most accomplished independent researchers on the continent, with nearly a dozen research breakthroughs tied to her name, or at least to her institute. Her own research during her time at university paled in comparison to that of the doctor, and found its basis in the work of others. Because of that, she questioned whether she was worthy of sharing a workspace with such a legend.

Patrick was seated across the lobby from her, sipping his coffee as he read from a magazine. Every now and then, he'd glance up at her. "You okay? Your hand is trembling."

She made a conscious effort to stop her twitching. "This is a big deal for me. It's been my dream since I was a little girl, working at a place like this... I'm just nervous, you know?"

"I'm sure you realize just how much of a privilege it is to work here, so I don't blame you."

"Yes," she said with a nod. "Maybe I do have what it takes, but... if I don't get this job, next week is six months straight of unemployment."

"Damn, that long? I used to be in that position myself and I can tell you that there's always light at the end of that tunnel."

"I hope so."

"Just relax. That's all you can do at this point."

Five minutes passed by and the door handle to Dr. Reiland's office turned slowly. The two were greeted by a woman in her mid 40s; her wavy hair was grey and neatly tied back into a ponytail, revealing her freckled, warm and motherly face. She carried a cane in her right hand and her walking was heavy, even labored. The woman immediately recognized Andrea and welcomed her. "Ah! Ms. Dennison, we meet at last." She swapped her cane to her left hand and extended her right hand outward.

Andrea shook her hand. "It's an honor to meet you, doctor."

"Oh ho ho, I'm just another person, like you," Dr. Reiland replied. "I apologize for it taking so long to reach out to you about your application. It's been so busy here lately!"

"That's okay, ma'am, I understand."

Dr. Reiland took a moment to critically analyze her rebellious appearance. The faint look of worry drifted across her face. "You look... different than I expected."

Andrea looked down at her clothing and started to worry again. "I-I assure you--"

"But, as they say, you shouldn't judge a book by its cover. I've learned that many times in the past." Dr. Reiland motioned into her office. "Please, come. You as well, Patrick."

The office was a cozy mess. Almost every available square centimeter had been filled; nearly a thousand books about dozens of subjects rested on the bookcases and shelves. Honors, awards and newspaper articles gobbled up what little space remained on the walls. An unorganized bulletin board, covered in old papers dating back as far as ten years, hung behind the ornate oaken desk that served as the centerpiece of the room. The desk itself was covered in a wide array of loose papers, handheld equipment, framed photographs and a dozen bottles of medicine.

"Do not mind the mess," Dr. Reiland recommended as she walked over to her desk. "It does become difficult to tidy up around here sometimes."

"I have offered to help, Rebecca," Patrick commented.

"I can take care of it myself, I just need a little free time," she said as she sat at her desk. "Please, have a seat."

Andrea and Patrick did just that, pulling up a pair of chairs on the opposite side.

Dr. Reiland dug through the mountain of papers that rested on her desk, categorizing them neatly and quickly as she did so. "Now... I had your application on this desk this morning, Ms. Dennison... Let's see... Ah, yes! Here it is!" she said. "Before we begin, I would like to thank you for coming on such short notice. I understand that the train ride from Aughrim is a long and exhaustive one."

"Nearly seven hours, ma'am," she answered.

"The fact that you made the journey at all shows your dedication. I don't think many people would travel across an entire country for something they didn't have a guarantee on."

"Dedication? I'm not sure about that. Desperation, maybe. I had to try." she thought. "I've always believed that you should show up to an invitation."

Dr. Reiland lifted a pair of reading glasses to her eyes. "Very well, let's begin."

Butterflies lifted off and flocked in her stomach.

"I've looked over your application many times, Ms. Dennison, and it's quite impressive for someone your age: a bachelor's degree in biology from the University of Aughrim; a published thesis on the effects of pollution on marine and shore wildlife; two years of course credit in mechanical engineering; a 3.7 grade point average across four years; top marks in high school; star pitcher of the league-winning Goldwheat Girls softball team, and two years as a part time waitress at... The Lair? I'm afraid I'm unfamiliar with that establishment."

Patrick raised his eyebrow and smirked. He knew, but he kept quiet.

"All of these accomplishments and you're not even 21 years old yet. I don't receive many applications from people of your caliber. Or even your age!"

"All good words so far..." she thought.

"But. Personal accomplishments are not the only metric by which one is measured. Drive, personality and the ability to work with others are all equally as important."

"She's got a degree, doctor," Patrick chimed in. "And you've said it yourself: she's made the journey out here. She definitely has drive."

Dr. Reiland smiled. "Perhaps she can answer that herself, if you'd give her the opportunity. So, Ms. Dennison, tell me! Why did you apply to my research center?"

She thought about and crafted her words carefully. "I've learned a lot during my studies. I can and will always have room to learn more, but I feel like I needed a change of pace for awhile. I was thinking of putting my knowledge to practical use, perhaps solve some problems instead of just read about them? The Reiland Institute would give me the opportunity to do so, while I work with others towards that common goal."

"Fantastic answer, Ms. Dennison," Dr. Reiland said. "Next, I want to ask about, well, you! Your accomplishments are indeed impressive, but someone's personality often says more about a person than what they know. I'd like to get to know you a little bit better before we consider if you're right for the Reiland Institute." Dr. Reiland leaned over her desk and studied Andrea more closely. "I know that I said that you shouldn't judge a book by its cover, but... your appearance worries me, admittedly. I don't know of many people as old as you are who dress the way you do. And those that do, well... They typically aren't the most respectable people."

She tried to remain calm. "You won't get an argument out of me about that. But... it's just a fashion style I like, nothing more. I have no difficulty being a bright, friendly and professional person. In fact, I like to think that's what I always am."

Patrick nodded. "From the time I've spent with her already, she's friendly. A little quiet, but certainly friendly."

Dr. Reiland flipped the page on her application. "How about volunteer and charity work? I noticed a distinct lack of it in your application."

The tone with which Dr. Reiland spoke made her nervous. "Umm... I didn't really have the time. Between the demanding hours of my studies, my job as a waitress and what little social life I could manage, I could never find an opportunity to make a real impact."

Dr. Reiland frowned. "Hmm..."

"I understand that it's not much, so I didn't put it down on my application... but I did provide a bit of support when I could for my room mate's own volunteer efforts these past couple of months. If he needed items sorted or help creating fliers for events, I would help him with that. I can't quantify that in a meaningful way, though."

Dr. Reiland nodded. "That's better than nothing."

"Surely you remember your own time at university, doctor," Patrick added. "Did you find yourself with much free time?"

"And whose side are you on, hers or mine?" Dr. Reiland smiled. "I probably did find more free time than her generation does, but that's an unfortunate fact of modern life. That's something I can't hold against you in all fairness, Ms. Dennison. Pursuing a degree is time consuming work and offers little room for anything else."

She breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing the words. For a moment, she thought her future was ready to slip through her fingers, over a lack of volunteer work of all things.

Another question came forward. "Teamwork makes the dream work, as they say, and that is especially true here at the Reiland Institute. How well do you deal with the people around you, Ms. Dennison?"

"As Mr. Adelaide already mentioned, I can be a quiet person. 'A quiet, shy girl' is probably how I would define myself. But, I am capable of working with people. If someone needs help, I'm happy to lend a hand. If I need help, I can accept it graciously." She paused for a moment to collect her thoughts. "For small projects, I find that I work best alone in most circumstances. It's much easier for me to focus. But... Part of progress is learning to work with others to achieve something greater than ourselves."

Dr. Reiland leaned back in her chair and locked eyes with Patrick, then nodded. "A scholarly and impressive answer. Honest, I get the feeling, as well."

"Agreed," Patrick added. "So what do you think, Rebecca? I can't find much wrong with her."

Dr. Reiland nodded. "I think you have the potential to reach new heights in a place like this, Ms. Dennison. You could be a very valuable asset to us. Please, stand with me." She grabbed her cane and pushed herself to her feet.

Andrea's heart felt like it stopped cold as she lifted herself out of the chair, then kicked into overdrive as she watched Dr. Reiland's hand extend across the desk. "Is... is this..."

"Welcome aboard, Ms. Dennison. I look forward to working with you."

She nearly fainted upon hearing the words, but grounded herself back in reality as she reached out for Dr. Reiland's hand. She nearly yanked the doctor's arm off in her enthusiasm as they shook hands. "Thank you! Thank you, thank you for this opportunity! I swear on my life, you won't regret it!"

Dr. Reiland smiled. "It's always gratifying to see the look on a new employee's face, and today is certainly no exception! When can you begin, Ms. Dennison?"

"Umm! Tomorrow, I suppose!" The thought hadn't even registered in Andrea's mind that she had no connection to the area; no friends, no family, not even a place to live. She didn't stop to think about the circumstances that had brought her to this moment, and how utterly unprepared she truly was for a successful outcome. All she could think of was getting started. "What'll be my first project?" she asked.

Dr. Reiland placed her hand to her chin in thought. "That's a very good question. Patrick here is the one in charge of the biology wing, I'm sure he can find you something."

"I've got some ideas... There's a specific one, too, that'll give me a chance to see your work ethic. It'll also give me some time to look for a long term position for you to fill." Patrick answered. "Is that all, doctor?"

Dr. Reiland nodded. "For now, yes."

"Very well! Follow me, Andrea, I'll give you a little tour of where you'll be spending most of your time, then fill you in on your first project."

- - - - -​

"Heh, look at that," Patrick commented. "Your hand is still trembling. But I bet it's from happiness this time, eh?"

She chuckled nervously, then reached upward and occupied her hand with her purse strap. "Nope, still nervous... Getting the job was one thing... now I've gotta be good at it."

"I think you'll do fine, honestly," he answered. "It's true, we don't know your work ethic first hand, but... well, Dr. Reiland had a lot of positive things to say when we were looking over your resume last week. It's safe to say that she's thrilled to find out the things she was saying turned out to be true."

"Did she have any reservations at all? Negatives?"

"She was a little cautious about you being so young, but she also wanted to give you a chance because of that... I did, too. For as young as you are, to have gotten this far... You must have quite the powerhouse in that ol' noggin of yours, and I wanted a chance to work with that."

"I'm not so sure about that sometimes..." she mused to herself. She didn't want to openly accept the compliment, but she also didn't want to tear herself down in front of him. In truth, she wasn't sure what she wanted or should say in front of him, so she elected for stoic silence.

He studied her reaction to his compliment, but found nothing to read on her face. He moved along. "In any case, you'll like it here. We have a very laid back atmosphere. Everyone's friendly for the most part... Though with so many people working here, clashes do happen from time to time."

"How many people are here?"

"463, and that includes you."

His words felt warm to her and put her at ease a bit. She returned her own smile. "Wow... So many bright minds..."

He led her back down the second floor hallway of the institute's biology wing; as they passed by each room, he took a moment to inform her of what kind of work was done within. Room 232-A was dedicated to the research of shallow, salt marsh environments. Across the hall in room 231, researchers focused on rocky tide pool environments, and even further down, room 227 focused on simulating the environment found in a lowland freshwater swamp. Overwhelming heat drifted off of the door and windows to room 213, which was dedicated to the research of desert flora.

As they passed by each room, Andrea glanced in through the windows. Each room was manned by anywhere from two to eight men and women, most of them chatting away jovially as they continued their observations and record keeping. She saw first hand what Patrick meant by saying that people were friendly, and it filled her with hope that she'd one day be seamlessly integrated in that atmosphere.

"We could spend the rest of the day going up and down this hallway, so I'll just sum it up: this is the environmental research center of our general biology wing. Based on your qualifications, this will probably be where you spend a majority of your time."

She nodded. "This isn't all you focus on, right?"

"Correct." He pointed down the hallway ahead of him. "Down by the stairs that way, and around the bend, is West Wing South, where our staff works on our medical research. Biochemistry is also down that way. Up in the West Wing North, we have our radiology department, genetic research center, our hatchery for our--" He paused for a moment to study Andrea, finding her lost in wonder as she looked through a window into another room. "I'm boring you, aren't I?"

"Hunh?" she asked as she broke her attention away from the room. "No, no! Not at all! This place is fascinating! I'm still listening! West Wing South is medical, West Wing North is radiology and genetics."

He nodded happily. "Good! I thought I'd lost ya, the last few times I've given this tour, our new hire looked like they were dying of the plague. But not you, I like that... There's no other way to cut it, this is a boring place, even if both of us find it fascinating."

They continued down the hall towards the west wing, passing by more rooms along the way: an arboretum for the study of small jungle plantlife; a dimly lit room for cultivating cave moss; there was even a room with a pressure chamber in it, designed for studying the potential of life in the vacuum of space. Andrea had heard about the environmental research that took place at the Reiland Institute, but she never dreamed that it would be as diverse as it was, and she had only been on one floor of the biology department so far!

As the walked along, he commented, "You know, I'm surprised that Dr. Reiland didn't ask about it... maybe she forgot to, but... Are you experienced with training Pokémon at all?"

"Training?" She shook her head. "No. Handling, kinda... but not training."

"Oooh?" he asked, clearly surprised.

"Is that a bad thing?"

"Maybe it's not. Many among our staff, myself included, are hobbyist trainers in our spare time. It makes our jobs as researchers, especially in this department, so much easier. When we're working with subjects that trust us and understand our goals, they're less likely to fight the process."

Worry crept over her. She recalled the struggles of being taken seriously by her professors and fellow students during her time at university, based simply on the fact that she didn't train Pokémon in her spare time or work with them all that much outside of when her studies required it. "Will the same thing happen here?" she thought. "That won't be a requirement, will it?" she asked.

"No. If you're not into it, you're not into it, it's that simple. It's not for everyone." he answered. "Speaking of requirements, there's some stuff that we need to take care of before you get started. Follow me."

- - - - -​

The two stopped in front of room 151-A, a room hidden behind a metallic door and locked behind a digital keypad. "First, we're going to need to get you sorted with your standard issue equipment." Patrick said as he typed in the keycode for the door. "I want you to stay out here for a bit... It's gotten kinda messy in here in the past few days, I don't want you getting hurt by a falling box."

"That's fine with me." Andrea peaked into the room and could see that it was filled to capacity with overburdened metal shelving, stacked cardboard boxes, damaged plastic bins and scratched glass containers. She watched as he squeezed his way through the tightly packed corridor towards the back of the room; loud banging, the sound of boxes falling and a few angry obscenities were shouted in Olde Glastonian before he returned with a small wooden box on his hand.

"We really need another storage room... or to de-clutter, I'm not sure which." he said as he rubbed a bruise at the top of his forehead. "Maybe when we finish your first assignment, I'll go through this room and sort it all out again... People need to learn that we have a system in here!"

"Are you okay?" she asked.

"Don't worry about it. My daily traumatic brain injury, a day doesn't feel right without one," he joked. He opened the small container and grabbed a small pink device from within. Measuring approximately 11.5 centimeters by 5 centimeters, the device featured a large touch screen, a wide array of input/output cable connections, a headphone jack and a wrist strap. He handed the device over. "This is your lifeline here at the Reiland Institute, standard issue to each member of our research staff."

She grabbed the device and studied it closely. Turning it on greeted her with a pleasant sound and a welcome message, which quickly faded to an app selection screen that featured a long list of programs. From just a quick look, she spotted a few that were familiar to her, including the likes of a GPS, e-mail, weather forecasts and a digital radio. She found herself overwhelmed by the capabilities of the rest of the apps and asked, "So, uhh... What is it?"

Patrick raised his eyebrow. "Haven't seen one of these before? What the bloody hell are they doin' over there at the University of Aughrim?" he scoffed. "Well... It's a researcher kit, manufactured by the Catrianna Corporation of Storm Island. Most people in our profession call 'em R-Kits for short."

"Oh! An R-Kit! I've heard about these, but I've never seen one before... I think Professor Burke at the university has one? I didn't have any classes with him, though, so I never got to see it." she mused as she wrapped it around her left wrist.

"I guess I shouldn't be too surprised that you're not very familiar with them, they are kinda new technology. Dr. Reiland and the founder of CC go way back, so she was able to get us the biggest batch of them. We're supposed to be testing them for bugs and stuff, but we haven't found any problems with 'em yet."

She chuckled. "This really is a good day. A new job and a new toy."

"Heh, yep." He reached into his pocket and grabbed a red and white spherical object, then offered it to her. "Here's your first test. If you can properly scan this Pokéball, you pass."

"And if I can't?"

"Then you're in for a few rough first days as you learn how to use it. These things are extremely handy and we'll probably be using them on your first assignment."

She grabbed the Pokéball and started to tap away at the apps on the screen of her R-Kit until she found one named Accu-Scan; it seemed like the logical first step to take. However, the next step was a complete mystery to her, as she was greeted with several dozen options, configurations and methods for scanning just about anything imaginable: air quality, magnetic interference, physical properties, light intensity and even color data. She took her sweet time to sift through the useless junk until she found the options she thought would be most useful to her.

With a press of the 'SCAN' button, a holographic blue beam of light shot out of the R-Kit and began to scan the Pokéball back and forth. After a few short seconds, a drab sounding, robotic voice came from the R-Kit.

"Name: Fang. Species: Flareon. Pokéball variety: Silph Co. Standard. Registered trainer: Patrick Adelaide, ID LA-24522. Gender: Male. Height: 0.78m. Weight: --"

"Not bad. Some of our recent hires couldn't figure that thing out." He held his hand out, expecting his Flareon to be returned. "I don't see why, R-Kits aren't all that difficult to use."

She handed the Pokéball back and began to explore the other applications available. "I can see why people might be flustered, there's a lot of stuff on here."

"Yeah, but just like the apps on a phone, most of it is garbage. CC is marketing them towards scientists and engineers, why does it have an entire app dedicated to coordination strategies?"

"Maybe they're looking to expand their market soon?" she asked. "You did say that these are in the testing phase."

"Perhaps." He started to dig through his black leather messenger bag. "Whatever the case, we should probably get you sorted for your first assignment." He grabbed a green folder stuffed with papers and handed it over to her. "Why don't you give that a look over? I've got some more supplies I should grab while I'm here."

She pulled the cover sheet out of the folder and began to read from it. It detailed a situation that was happening in the neighboring agrarian community of Nettlefield: over the past few weeks, nearly thirty Miltanks owned by the Gates Dairy Farm had died of unknown causes, including the blue ribbon prize winner, Bessica. An investigation by the owner of the farm and his ranch hands have turned up nothing that might be causing the deaths, and there's fear of a deadly outbreak that's sweeping through the herd and threatening other farms. With little to go on, they've turned to the Reiland Institute for help.

As she formulated a few early ideas, Patrick returned with a box of supplies in his hands. "You said something about wanting to solve problems. How's that one sound?"

"Sounds a little out of my league, if I'm honest, but I'm ready to try," she answered. "I've even got a few ideas already."

"Oh yeah?"

"Maybe the cattle feed is tainted with something... Or a new virus is sweeping through the area? The report mentioned that one of the Miltanks was a prize winner at the National Fair, right? She could have picked something nasty up. We'll need to take a closer look, of course."

"Aye, we will." He gently raised the box in his hands. "Supplies for the road. I was going to head over there by myself to see if I could figure it out, but you're coming along now, too. I think it'd be a good first project for you: not too demanding, not too frazzling, and it'll introduce you to the field work we usually take on."

Her eyes glinted at the thought. "Sure! It'd be nice to get back to my rural roots for a change, I've been stuck in the big city for too long."

"Oh yeah? I think you'll like Nettlefield then, corn fields as far as the eye can see... Well, not at this time of year, of course, but you know what I mean." He pulled the door on the supply room shut and locked it. "I was going to make the trip over there today, but since you're starting tomorrow --"

"How long do you think it should take to get there?" she asked.

"Before sunset most likely. It's not that far away."

"Let's get started, then!"

He tilted his head, confused by her enthusiasm. "Haven't you had a long day already? Don't you want to get settled for the night?"

She looked down at the floor and sheepishly said, "Well... apart from picking out a motel, I don't exactly have a roof over my head tonight..."

Patrick stared at her blankly for a second. "You're kidding, right?"

She shook her head. "Hey! I thought I'd be on my way back to Aughrim by now! I didn't think I'd get this job, if I'm honest..."

"You don't have a lot of faith in yourself, do you?"

Once more, she shook her head.

"We're going to change that. If you want to get started, let's get started."

- - - - -​

Updates and edits for both chapters 1 and 2:

Spoiler

• Change: Extensive rewriting, grammar and spelling fixes.
• Change: Significantly altered the structure of chapters 1 and 2, pushing the interview with Dr. Reiland back to the second chapter and bringing some scenes from the second chapter into the first.
• Added: Touched up on description of the town of Loch Alstan, as well as the Reiland Institute now that I actually have a firm idea of what it is and looks like.
• Added: Overall, Andrea is far more nervous and quiet in this version of the chapter.
• Change: Previously, Andrea stated that she worked at a Crimson Crawdaunt. This is no longer the case, to adjust to ongoing developments of her background details. This specific detail will probably show up later in season 2.
• Removed: Ongoing security measures at the Reiland Institute have been lessened and the security staff fired. No need for security if nothing bad ever happens, right? Mostly I just don't want people thinking I'm going to put a Team Rocket arc in this story.
• Removed: The scene where Andrea is assigned her locker didn't serve much purpose and was repurposed anyways.
• Added: Quotes from within the universe before the chapters. Hopefully one will appear before each going forward.
• Words and lines: +2385 words, +56 lines across both chapters

 

[Misfit Angel]

Land of the Roses
Chapter 3: Remember, A Rose Has Thorns

There isn't a land in the world more beautiful than ours, child. But every rose has its thorns, and this one grows pricklier by the day...​

~ Stephanie Greybell III, Queen of Lanark (July 31st, 1920)​

- - - - -​

Barely half an hour had passed since they left the warmth of the research center, and the cold had already begun to get the better of Andrea. She refused to give up, though; she had been raised to give everything she had when it came to first impressions, and quitting so soon into her first real task would have reflected poorly on her work ethic. However, her burning desire to prove herself was only in her mind and did nothing to warm her. She shivered uncontrollably as she huddled her arms together in an attempt to keep her spirits up, but it did very little against the biting wind and the icy cold rain.

"Perhaps you should have brought a jacket?" Patrick asked. "Those clothes you're wearing look pretty thin. I mean, I can see your skin through those mesh sleeves of yours."

"It's May!" she shouted as she continued to rub her arms to combat the cold. "It's not supposed to be this cold!"

"Usually is, at least in our neck of the woods," he shrugged. "Cold mountain air always comes over the loch this time of the year."

She looked to her R-Kit and turned the screen on. A quick weather report awaited her on the main menu: 10°C, heavy clouds and a 90% chance of light precipitation. "This is ridiculous... It was sunny and 21°C when I left Aughrim this morning..."

Though he felt bad about it, he couldn't help but chuckle at her misfortune. "Speaking of Aughrim, I'm curious... How often have you left that city? You ever get a chance to travel the roads?" he asked.

"No... My only real experience with the wilderness was when I visited a couple beaches up in the northern reaches of Glastonfell for my studies."

"Really," he stated, clearly surprised. "Didn't you say you lived in a rural area before you attended university?"

She nodded. "I did, I grew up in Goldwheat."

"And you never tried to explore the countryside?"

"Of course not, it's dangerous out here! I listened to my parents when they told me not to, and I'm glad I did! One of the village boys was put in a wheelchair by a feral Pokémon... his doctor said that he was lucky to survive."

"Oh... God damn..." he blustered. "Well, I was going to warn you about the dangers of travelling the countryside, but it sounds like you already know about them."

She nodded quietly.

"Don't let it scare you, though. Since this is your first real trip into Lanark's countryside, you're in for a hell of a show, and this is one of the best areas for it! Untouched wilderness as far as the eye can see."

"Untouched? I find that difficult to believe. In fact, I'm pretty sure I saw some fenced off footpaths going over the hills while I was on the train."

He conceded to her point with a nod. "Okay, mostly untouched, at least up here in the Northcountry. The Ministry of Wildlife doesn't open much of the land up here for agricultural development, as much as it might help feed our poor... But that's a debate for another day! Most of this area hasn't been heavily developed since the mid-20th century."

As they rounded the bend in the road ahead of them, the skyline of Loch Alstan disappeared behind the trees: they had officially entered the wilds of Lanark. Despite the advancements of society and the rapid development of the country's urban centers over the past two centuries, the wilderness did indeed look as if it were untouched by human hands for hundreds of years; aside from the winding cobblestone road that snaked its way through the foothills, nature was at its most pristine, unhindered state. To the north were the Dornoch Mountains, still capped with winter's snow; to the south lay the Ivory Steppe, its usual bed of flowers absent in the presence of the cold weather.

"Bet you don't get vistas like these over in Aughrim!" he proudly said.

"I could get used to this..." she said as she studied the graceful shape of the mountains.

Eventually, the road before them ended at a sea of tall grass that fluttered in the cold wind. "Now comes the most annoying part of travelling on foot, as far as the Northcountry is concerned at least." he said as he looked up and down the wall of grass in front of him. His search for a way around the grass was met with failure, which prompted him to dive right in. "Huh... the trail seems to have faded..." he quietly murmured to himself. His voice loudened with his next words, "Hey! I hope that clothing of yours isn't too delicate! This grass can be a little sharp sometimes."

Andrea studied the grass with a grimace on her face. The grass reached up to her chest and was so thick that she couldn't see the ground underneath it. "You're kidding, right? The roads up in Glastonfell were never this bad."

"If you think this is bad, you should see the road on the other side of Nettlefield. I don't think you can even call that a road."

She muttered quietly to herself as she took her first steps into the grass. "I hope there aren't any of those big bugs in here... I hate bugs!"

It wasn't as bad as she first imagined. While she could feel the grass snagging against the delicate fabric of her stockings, it wasn't as sharp as Patrick warned. Even more, the grass wasn't as wet or as cold as she expected, despite the gloomy weather. Most importantly, there wasn't a single giant bug in sight, but that meant little considering she couldn't see through the thick blanket of tangled grass around her; they could be hiding, ready to leap out at her. But before they knew it, they had emerged on the other side of the grass.

"That was surprisingly uneventful," he commented.

"And just what is that supposed to mean?" she demanded.

"You of all people should know that tall grass like this is the best spot for feral Pokémon as they either await their prey, or hide from their predators."

"I do know that!" she protested. "I also know that it's pretty damned cold out here. Combined with the rain, not many Pokémon will be out in the open if they can help it. They're smarter than us."

"Fair..." he admitted. "You can never be too careful, though."

"I understand. I mean, it's hard not to be worried when you hear all the stories..."

"You don't need to worry though, I'll keep us safe. You have my word." he assured her. "I may not be the most capable trainer in the world, but I've got a powerful Pokémon at my command. He can usually handle himself."

"Usually?"

"Against the feral stuff? Yes. But I don't think I'd stand a chance against a dedicated trainer."

"Think we'll run into one of those?"

He looked to the sky in thought, then shrugged. "Probably not. But if we do, I can always just tell 'em to sod off. Trainer's code is to leave people alone if they've only got one Pokémon by their side, and most people stick to that."

"Yeah, most..." she thought. "That's what has me worried..."

- - - - -​

A couple of hours had passed and the terrain around them shifted. They no longer found themselves in the sparsely wooded aspen meadows that bordered the city; the road they followed had taken them up into the stoney hills, until they eventually reached a grassy plateau flanked by moderately tall cliffs. From their vantage point, they could just about see the tiny village of Nettlefield in the distance, but the weather made it difficult to know for certain.

Conversation between the two of them had been relatively light, something that Patrick felt disheartened by. His attempts at prodding her for info about her social life while at university failed, so he talked about his own; he wanted to bridge the gap between himself and her, so his first anecdote was about his own rebel phase.

"You?" Andrea questioned. "No..!"

"You better believe it, I was a wild kid when I was your age," Patrick answered with a smile. "Long hair, leather jackets, a love of black metal and more time spent at raving than studying."

She laughed at the thought. "I'd have never known! You look so... so boring!"

He chuckled. "Yeah..."

"You still listen to any of that stuff? Go raving?"

He shook his head. "I listen sometimes, but I'm pretty much past that phase of my life these days. I'm not 'cool enough' anymore and I get cranky if I'm out past my bed time."

"Aww, that's a shame... Would have been nice to find someone who knows about all the good spots in town, maybe even a rave buddy."

"You didn't get to meet him today, but one of our guys down in the geology department--"

Their conversation ended abruptly with a high pitched, bellowing sound that carried across the countryside. It didn't take long for either of the two to pinpoint the source of the noise: atop a rocky outcropping sat a stubby, black and grey elephant-like creature. Most of its body was a uniform, scaly grey, but a thick, black set of armored plates ran from the tip of its extensive trunk, across its back and ended with its short tail. Deadly looking curved tusks jutted from its mouth and a clear look of agitation shined in its eyes.

Patrick held his arm out to slow Andrea down. "A Donphan..." he said. "Careful."

"Uh oh... Those things are nasty..."

"Move slowly and maintain eye contact. Let it know that we know that it's there." he warned. "They're creatures of opportunity, they only strike when they know they have the upper hand."

"Yep, that's usually the case... but that doesn't always work, though. We might be in its territory, we need to have a plan--"

In that instance, maintaining eye contact didn't work. The Donphan pounded its padded foot into the ground and bellowed loudly, a universally understood signal that it was enraged and ready to attack. The attack was swift; it hopped into the air and curled up, protecting itself with its dense armor plating, then began to roll down the hill towards them.

"Look out!" Patrick shouted as he pulled Andrea out of harm's way.

The two tumbled to the ground as they narrowly avoided being steam rolled, while the Donphan roared past and slammed into a massive oak tree just off of the path. The trunk of the tree shattered from the force of the impact, sending the rest of it toppling with a booming thud.

Patrick responded quickly by helping Andrea to her feet. "Find somewhere to hide!" he shouted as he reached into his pocket. He pulled out his trusted Pokéball and tossed it into the air.

The Pokéball exploded with a burst of hissing flames and a slender, orange canine-like creature appeared in its place. Luxuriously bushy white fur formed a mane around the creature's neck and rested atop his head, with more covering his long tail. The Flareon dropped to the ground and readied himself for battle as he locked onto the Donphan.

"Fang, we need to overwhelm that thing quickly, before someone gets hurt!" Patrick ordered.

Fang immediately leapt to action and rushed over towards the fallen tree. He cautiously searched the area in an attempt to find the Donphan, but found it difficult to see through the fallen leaves and branches. His continued search yielded nothing; no movement, no sound, nothing out of place. It was almost as if the Donphan had simply vanished.

Patrick slowly approached the downed tree, but remembered to keep his distance. "Find anything?"

Fang let out a deep growl as he paced around the tree.

"Maybe we should take the opportunity to leave?" Andrea suggested as she peered out from behind a large boulder.

Before they could react, the shrill cry of the Donphan echoed out again and the tree rustled with activity. It rolled out of the leaves and straight for Fang, hoping to catch him off guard. Fang, quick on his feet, managed to dodge the attack. He took in a deep breath and tracked the Donphan's movements, then let out a stream of flickering flames in its direction. The flames bounced off of and had little effect on the Donphan, who continued to roll about, tucked away in its protective armored shell.

"Keep it up, Fang!" Patrick ordered.

Fang continued his relentless gout of fire breath, but it seemed pointless. All he did was tire himself out while the Donphan shrugged off each attack. Instead, the Donphan was only getting started, with the speed and accuracy of its rolling attacks increasing with each miss. Even worse, the Donphan was becoming more and more unpredictable, bouncing between aiming for Fang and Patrick at random.

Patrick narrowly scrambled out of the way of the Donphan as it rolled straight at him, then picked himself up off of the ground. "Bloody hell..." he muttered. "Umm..."

Andrea had been analyzing Patrick's strategy from afar and could plainly see that it wasn't working. "You need to find a way to get through that armor!" she called out.

"And how in the bloody hell are we going to do that?! The bugger just keeps rolling!"

She took a moment to study her surroundings as she formulated a plan. She wanted to find a way to stop the Donphan from rolling around within the protective embrace of its armored plates, and figured a good way to do so would be to knock it off of its feet somehow. The tree that it had knocked over at the beginning of the fight gave her an idea; if it were to smash into something hard enough, perhaps enough time could be bought to seize the upper hand. The fallen boulder that she took cover behind seemed like it would do the trick. She left her hiding spot and rushed over towards Patrick to tell him her plan.

"What are you doing out here?! You're gonna get hurt."

She pointed to the boulder. "Listen to me. See that boulder? If that Donphan smashes into it, it'll probably come out of its shell and your Flareon can actually do something useful."

He was skeptical of the plan. "You sure about that?"

"Yes! Do it!"

"You heard her, Fang!" Patrick called out. "In front of that rock, now!"

Fang followed the order without a second thought and positioned himself in front of the boulder. He kept a close eye on the rampaging Donphan, ready to move at a moment's notice. Exactly as planned, the Donphan began to circle around and aim for him, and with a swift leap to the side, he lured the Donphan right into the trap. A large crack formed down the center of the boulder as the Donphan smashed directly into it. Andrea's plan proved effective; the Donphan uncurled and wobbled about, dazed by the impact.

"Hell yeah! Light 'em up, Fang!" Patrick ordered.

Fang let loose a stream of white hot fire in the Donphan's direction and was absolutely relentless with his attack. As the flames burned into the exposed underside of the Donphan, its hostile nature shifted towards terror, and it spared no energy in an attempt to escape. Fang pursued mercilessly, maintaining both his laser-like focus and his burning breath of flames on the escaping Donphan.

"Stop, that's enough!" He raised his hand and the fire subsided, then took a moment to catch his breath as the Donphan scurried up the rocky hills. "That... that could have gone really, really badly. Those things are vicious when they're pissed!"

"Yeah... I'm just glad it's gone." Andrea said as she searched her surroundings for more trouble. "We need to keep moving, all that noise probably attracted more of them."

Patrick nodded. "Yeah, come on." He motioned forward and called out, "Fang, lead the way. Keep us safe, ya hear?"

It was a much more cautious journey for the two after that. Chatter was kept to a minimum. Every small movement in the roadside bushes or in the trees was heavily scrutinized. They kept within an arm's reach of Fang, who led the two forward quickly. Neither of them hoped for it, but both Patrick and Andrea were ready for the Donphan to return, only this time with friends; it was behavior that both of them had learned about during their studies, behavior that most trainers were unaware of. As the landscape changed from rocky hills to open field, however, the possibility of that began to diminish, and the aura of worry dissipated as they continued on towards Nettlefield.

"Not bad back there, by the way," Patrick commented.

"Hunh?" Andrea asked.

"That strategy of yours... I didn't even think of something like that."

"Oh! Uhh..." she laughed nervously. "Why, was that good?"

He couldn't tell if she was downplaying the praise or truly clueless. "Hell yeah, that was incredible! I know you aren't a trainer, but you ever spectate any of the top tier competitive stuff? You know, like the Rose League finals or anything like that?"

She shook her head. "I'd catch a match every now and then when there was nothing else on TV, but I never paid much attention to it. It was just background noise to me while I worked on my projects."

"Ah, a shame. You seem like you'd be good at it. Looks like you already know a thing or two."

She stopped in her tracks and their eyes met. "If your intent is to get me to embrace the idea of becoming a trainer, you can stop right now."

"Oh, no! Nothin' meant by it, lassie!" he reassured her. "Just... I find it a little strange. You got into biology as your major and yet you have no experience with handling Pokémon?"

"I do have some experience, just very little," she answered. "I have a hard time respecting competitive training as a career... An old friend ruined it for me, and after that, I just relied on lab partners and study buddies to look after the Pokémon we researched."

"Oh? Is it story time?"

She sighed. "Maybe some other time. It's not a nice story, and I'm not ready to get into it right now." Her attention was grabbed by the loud, shrieking call that came from a large bird that circled above them like a vulture. "Let's keep moving, shall we?"

- - - - -​

The sun had set by the time that Andrea and Patrick had reached the outskirts of Nettlefield. As they pressed onward, darkness threatened to envelope them before they even reached the center of the village. They knew they wouldn't be able to get started on the task at hand, so the subject of lodging came up between them; much to Andrea's relief, Patrick informed her that they already had a room reserved for them at The Roost, Nettlefield's only motel. Even better, she wouldn't have to pay a cent, as Dr. Reiland's staff had already covered the cost beforehand.

"Standard procedure for all official field business, you'll be happy to hear," he explained.

Her joy quickly faded when they arrived at The Roost. The place had certainly seen better days. Half of the neon sign that announced its presence to the world was broken off and missing, with the remaining half barely functional. The once pristine white paint that adorned the sides of the building was cracked and peeling off. The windows were filthy and looked as if they hadn't been washed in nearly a year, and thick weeds sprouted from the foundation of the building. At the very least, the staff who managed the motel were friendly and accommodating as they pointed them to their room.

As they entered, the first thing that hit them was the overpowering stench of mildew that wafted towards the door. Andrea covered her nose with her hand. "Eww, gross!" she shouted. "It smells like a gym locker in here!"

Patrick was unphased by it. "Yeah, it's... it's definitely pretty bad... But I've been in worse." he said as he ventured further into the room. "You'll get used to it before the night's over."

She studied the wall beside her and noticed the dark splotches that were spreading up the water-damaged wall. "I don't think so."

"Trust me, you will," he said as he dropped his backpack onto a table. "I'd hate to say it, but we could be here awhile. We could get lucky and figure out the problem within a few hours, but it's more likely that we'll be stuck here for a few days while we work out what's happening at that farm."

"There's mold growing on the walls!" she protested.

"Yeah, I can see it! If you want to camp outside, be my guest, but at least it's warm in here." he said. He realized his words meant very little as he watched her timidly inspect the room, so he tried to reassure her. "This is part of the job, Andrea. You're not at your university anymore. When you're out in the field doing real work, there is no sterilized lab, no properly maintained dorm room to return to at night. This is the real world, and unfortunately it's not all that great sometimes, so you have to make do with what you've got."

She sighed as she tried to put the sorry state of the room out of her mind. "I guess... I still have a lot to learn, don't I..."

"You do. They don't teach you street smarts in those lecture halls." He wandered over to the couch in the corner of the room and gave it a swift kick. The cushions lurched upward and then outward, exposing a lumpy mattress that sprawled across the floor. He shook his head as he laughed. "Well, if it makes you feel any better, you've got the bed tonight! This'll do for me."

"Good. I was wondering how that was going to work... I wouldn't feel comfortable sharing a bed with my new boss."

He chuckled at the thought.

"That's not something you should laugh about! I still don't see why we couldn't get separate rooms..." she commented as she sat down on the bed. Much to her surprise, it was nice and soft, perhaps the only appealing thing about the room.

He crashed onto the couch and tried to get comfortable. "Dr. Reiland runs a tight ship, and one of the corners she has to cut in order to keep all of our projects funded is stuff like this."

"That's not the most reassuring thing to hear..." she muttered. "But I guess I won't be on the road much..."

"Hopefully not. It's true, the Reiland Institute does a lot of contract work, and a lot of that is out in the field... but most of our employees spend a majority of their time at the lab."

"Most?" she asked.

"That's why I said that you should get used to it. You never know when you'll be out of town." he said. "Well, I'm hoping to get an early start tomorrow, so I'm gonna get some shut eye. You'd be wise to do the same."

- - - - -​

Updates and edits:

Spoiler

• Added and improved: Description of the wilderness outside of Loch Alstan.
• Change: Altered some of the dialogue between Andrea and Patrick in an attempt to improve their early chemistry.
• Change: Andrea displays her knowledge as a student of biology when her and Patrick are first confronted by the Donphan. Similarly, her knowledge shows more clearly during and after the confrontation.
• Added: Put in a small and vague seed about Andrea's past and why she's refused the call to being a trainer so far.
• Words and lines: +922 words, +20 lines

 

[Beth Pavell]

Technical Accuracy/Style
I don't think I quite realised how much you were struggling with Storm Island, because there's a lot less of the stylistic niggles that plagued the later chapters here. I still think your writing style necessarily slows the pace of battles more - you've always had difficulty in getting the action really snappy and crunchy

Setting - and to some extent characters
Kind of reminds me how one of the big mistakes Americans make is to try too hard when writing the British. Ok, sure, Lanark isn't Britain, so much as inspired by some of it, but still. I notice when you don't try and deal with class, the voices come across as more authentic.

Despite the advancements of society and the rapid development of the country's urban centers, the wilderness felt as if it were untouched by human hands for thousands of years; aside from the winding cobblestone road that snaked its way through the foothills, nature was at its most pristine, unhindered state.

Funny, that, isn't it. There are still plenty of places I've seen that looked timeless and barely-touched, even though I knew damn well that a few minutes scrutiny would show up hundreds of years of human activity.

Story
You know what, between Larson being out of the way and a clearer path for Andrea to follow, the story clips along at a much better pace (Says the gal whose story persistently meanders)

Characters
Andrea reminds me somewhat of Daria Morgandorffer - actually quite often positive, or at least capable of something other than snarky apathy, but damned if anyone outside her head would know it. She doesn't appear to be especially talkative either, so I'm wondering what you're going to do with that as the story continues

 

[Misfit Angel]

Author's note: I feel compelled to issue a warning about this chapter, due to how uncomfortable it made me to write it. If you're squeamish about the idea of characters performing a post mortem analysis of a deceased Pokémon, feel free to gloss over the middle section of the chapter. You'll know when you find it. You can ctrl+f for "Where have I seen this before..." to skip it entirely and return to the chapter as normal.

Land of the Roses
Chapter 4: A Grim Task

Here's the one thing you'll never hear at a university: the sciences are downright dirty sometimes.​

~ Professor John Warwick Jr. (September 4th, 1951)​

- - - - -​

"Cuckawwwww! Cuckawwwww!"

The crowing of a Taillow rooster, a sound that Andrea hadn't heard in nearly five years. For the first sixteen years of her life, it signaled the start of a new day, and just like the old days, it served that same purpose once more. Despite the terrible condition of the room, she felt well rested as she rolled out of bed. She wandered over to the window and peaked through the tattered blinds; the golden glow of the rising sun bathed the area with welcoming warmth, and not a cloud was visible in the sky.

Patrick, on the other hand, looked as if he hadn't slept a wink the entire night. His bright red hair was an utter mess and dark bags rested under his eyes. He placed his hand on his forehead in a failed attempt at relieving his suffering, and a barrage of obscenities flowed through his mind like a river. "This bloody god damn room. There should be laws against this." he thought.

Andrea looked down at him as he rubbed his head and groaned repeatedly. "You look terrible..."

"Nothing's new, then. I always look terrible." he said in attempt to inject some humor into his suffering. He groaned heavily as he sat up. "How'd you sleep?"

"Well enough, I think."

"No, how?" he asked. He remembered the speech he gave the previous night about making do with what he had, then decided to drop the subject. He stumbled to his feet and tried to put on a stoic face. "Nevermind. Ready to get started?"

She crossed her arms as she gave him a glaring look. "Are you?"

"I'll just be a little tired, that's all," he said.

She began to dig through her backpack and retrieved her spare change of clothes. "If you don't mind, I'd like to have a shower first."

"Suit yourself," he said with a shrug. "I'm gonna go for a little walk and get some fresh air... this room is making me dizzy."

- - - - -​

Breakfast passed by quickly and uneventfully. Both ordered the same thing: cinnamon-seasoned toast drenched in butter alongside a generous helping of sugary apple chutney, further complimented with scrambled eggs and two strips of bacon. Andrea ate like a queen; her usual meals over the past four years, be they breakfast, lunch or dinner, were rarely anything other than the blandest and most tasteless ramen imaginable. Such was the fate of a university student, she always told herself, and that she should be happy she had even that.

"Jeeze, slow down there!" Patrick mused. "If I didn't know any better, I'd say this is the first time you've ever eaten in your life."

She giggled, then noticed that his plate was still mostly full. "What about yourself? You don't seem to be enjoying it as much as I am."

"Still dizzy. If we're staying the night again, I'm definitely going to do what I can to get us a better room."

"So, you're done, I take it?"

He pushed his plate across the table towards her. "Want it?"

She shook her head. "Oh! No! I just wanted to get started."

With breakfast out of the way, the two started their day with the short walk across the village towards the Gates Dairy Farm. The dairy farm was larger than either had expected; both knew that it was one of the largest in the country, but they were surprised to see how just expansive it was. An impressive array of pipes, wires, machinery and storage tanks, a small factory in its own right, were the hallmark at the center of the property. Ranch hands were already hard at work on the property, inspecting the machinery, maintaining the land and interacting with the livestock.

As they approached, they passed by the Miltank pasture. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary at a quick glance; the 250-member herd grazed peacefully on the muddy grass, blissfully unaware of the fate that potentially awaited them.

"Look at 'em all..." Patrick commented.

One of the Miltanks approached the fence as they passed by and mooed loudly to grab their attention. The creature was covered from head to toe in filthy and gnarled pink fur, with dozens of black spots, speckles and stripes adorning its massive, rotund body. Two blunted horns sat atop its black head, and its deep blue eyes sparkled in the sunlight as it awaited their attention.

Andrea couldn't contain herself as she passed by. "Awww! Aren't you just adorable!?" she squealed as she offered her hand out. "Look at how pretty you are!" She quickly devolved into gibberish as she patted and rubbed the overjoyed Miltank all over.

Patrick looked as if he was dying of the plague as he watched the two. It was such a strange sight to him to see a girl clad in black clothes and heavy makeup interact so lovingly and energetically with the Miltank in front of her. "Dr. Reiland was right... you shouldn't judge a book by its cover..."

She turned around and stared a hole into him. "What was that?"

"Nothing, nevermind," he said.

As she rubbed the cheeks of the Miltank, she curiously started, "So... This is probably a bad time to bring it up, but I've been thinking..."

"About what?"

"Did we... maybe... forget something? We barely brought any equipment with us! How exactly are we meant to figure out what's going on here?"

"Hey, don't worry. We've got gloves, we've got surgical masks and we've got sample collection kits... But the most important thing we need is right here." He rolled up the sleeve of his jacket and revealed his R-Kit. "I don't expect us to be able to fix the problem, we're mostly here to gather information and forward it to the owner of the ranch, and if need be, the Ministry of Wildlife."

She inspected her own R-Kit closely. "So, the R-Kit will tell us everything we need?"

"It won't give us a guaranteed answer," he said, pointing to his head. "That's up here."

The sound of iron hooves racing across the gravel pathway crept up behind them. As they turned around, a large, white equine creature was blazing towards them with blurring speed, leaving a trail of glowing orange sparks in its wake. A thick mane of gorgeous, fiery red hair ran down its neck, across its back and down its tail. Atop the creature was a rugged looking man, adorned from top to bottom with tattered and patched denim clothing. His look was complimented by a bright white felt cowboy hat.

"Woah there, girl, settle down!" he said as he pulled on the Ponyta's reins. The creature came to an abrupt stop and circled around the two as the man studied them with a critical and sharp glare. "Any reason you folks are on my property? You did see the signs, right?"

"Your property?" Patrick asked with a raised eyebrow. "Mr. Gates, I presume?"

"That'd be me," he said with a polite nod and an offer of his hand. A thick, rural drawl hung over his words, yet there was the unmistakable charm of a country gentleman surrounding him. "Pleasure to make your acquaintance. Now, care to answer my question?"

Patrick shook his hand and immediately felt the crushing grip of a vice. "I'm Patrick Adelaide," he said before he motioned towards Andrea. "And this is my assistant, Andrea Dennison."

"Hi," she quietly chirped as she shook his hand. She too was put off by the rancher's strong grip and retracted her hand defensively, tending to it with the soft caress of her other hand.

"We're scientists from the Reiland Institute and we're here to investigate the problem with your Miltank herd."

"Oh, good! You got here earlier than I expected!" Mr. Gates said with excitement. His demeanor shifted rapidly, marked with a sigh. "Poor girls... I just don't know what's been going on with them."

Patrick nodded. "That's what we're here for, but I have to warn you: it could take some time for us to figure out what's going on, but we will. In the meantime, you might lose a few more..."

Mr. Gates nodded at the warning. "That's life, ain't it? I'd be lying if I said I didn't expect to lose at least a dozen more. Whatever it is, it's just burning through them."

"We've got a few early ideas... My assistant here is thinking it might be a problem with the cattle feed."

"The feed, you say?" Mr. Gates scratched his chin in thought, then shook his head. "I don't know 'bout that. Problem's only come up in the past couple weeks, and we've had that feed since the harvest last year."

"It wouldn't hurt to look, would it?" Andrea quietly asked.

"I 'spose not. I'll take you to the main storage silo. Stuff could'a gone bad over the winter..." He dismounted from his steed and patted her on the side. "You head back to the stable now, ya hear? I'm going to show our guests around." The Ponyta neighed loudly and began to trot away as Mr. Gates led Andrea and Patrick deeper into the farm.

"What do you use to feed them?" Patrick asked.

"Oh, you know, all sorts of stuff. Wheat chaff, grass clippings, soy beans, corn... I see 'em pickin' at the nettles on the stone walls on the edge of the pasture all the time, too."

"Nettles? How long has that been going on?"

"Since I was your age, son."

"Huh. I doubt they're the problem, then."

Mr. Gates shrugged. "I'm not convinced it's a problem with their diet. If it were, I'd have probably lost over half of the herd by now."

- - - - -​

It was a quick journey to the grain silo that sat at the heart of the Miltank pasture. Along the way, Patrick and Andrea questioned Mr. Gates about the day to day happenings on the farm. He hadn't seen anything out of the ordinary in the weeks leading up to the first Miltank's death two weeks ago, or anything since. When asked about the other Pokémon kept on the farm, Mr. Gates informed them that the problem had only been plaguing the Miltank herd; the Mareep flock was as healthy as could be, the Swannas were perfectly content and the Ponytas at the stables were in similar condition. They didn't have any answers yet, but they were starting to narrow down their early theories.

Mr. Gates unlocked the maintenance hatch on the silo and swung it open. The musky smell of damp, old wheat billowed out into the field; the stench drove the Miltank herd into an excited frenzy, but the group was protected by a ring of barbed iron fencing. "I don't know what you're gonna look for, but have at it." he said.

Patrick patted Andrea's shoulder. "I'm gonna let you handle this one, Andrea."

Anxiety bubbled to the surface as she looked at him with puppy eyes. "M-me? All alone?"

"Consider this your first major test, I want to see if you can figure this out. If you start feeling like you're in over your head, let me know. I'll give you a hand."

"You're making a mistake. I already feel like I'm in over my head, but... I'll try." she said. She slipped her latex gloves on, then grabbed two big handfuls of cattle feed and dropped them onto a workbench beside the silo. "Let's see..." she muttered to herself as she brought up the Accu-Scan app on her R-Kit. She clicked through the various options until she found a physical data scan and began the process. Just as it had done before, a holographic beam shot out of the top of the R-Kit and began to scan the grain in a rapid and orderly fashion.

"Working..." the R-Kit said in a robotic voice.

"That's a fancy gadget you got there..." Mr. Gates gawked. "What is that, one of those fancy holo-whatsits from those science fiction movies?"

"That's the easy way to explain it," Patrick laughed.

"Compound mixture detected, broad analysis. Displaying detected components: 67% wheat, 17% corn, 10% grass, 6% soy protein. Detailed breakdowns of these components can be found below. Analytical information can be found even further below." An impressive array of information about the cattle feed appeared on the screen, though a majority of it felt useless to the problem at hand. She scrolled through the mountains of data looking for anything that, to her, looked out of the ordinary. Eventually she came to something that seemed useful:

MICROBES PRESENT: Large quantities detected.
MICROBE WARNINGS: None. Levels are ordinary.
FUNGI PRESENT: Trace amounts detected.
FUNGI WARNINGS: Inconclusive. Thorough lab analysis required.
TOXINS PRESENT: N/A
TOXIN WARNINGS: N/A
CHEMICALS PRESENT: Somatotropin
CHEMICAL WARNINGS: Unusual somatotropin levels detected. Thorough lab analysis recommended.

"Somatotropin?" she asked. "That sounds familiar, but I can't quite remember..."

"Growth hormone. Ya know, put a little extra milk in the udder. There's a lot of them..." Mr. Gates paused and his eyes narrowed. "...hippie types... they say it's bad for the cows, but it's perfectly harmless, far as I know. Hasn't hurt 'em a bit in the thirty years I've been doing this."

She continued to scroll through the data, but nothing stood out. "Maybe I was wrong... Any ideas, Patrick?"

"It happens," Patrick answered before turning to Mr. Gates. "Can we take a look at one of the recently deceased Miltanks, Mr. Gates? We might find something useful."

"Sure can! We've had most of them hauled away, but we had another pass overnight... Come along, she's in the barn. I'll take you to her."

Andrea pulled Patrick aside and objected quietly. "You're not serious, are you?"

"You did ask for ideas, right?"

She shook her head, then sighed. "I was hoping you had something else in mind..."

"Don't blame ya if you're a little squeamish 'bout it, missy. It's not a pretty sight. But if it's any consolation, you'll have the freshest one to work with."

- - - - -​

"Here she is, the most recent one," a rancher announced as he led Mr. Gates, Andrea and Patrick through the barn. They stopped at one of the holding pens; inside, a deceased Miltank was slumped over a pile of hay. Despite Mr. Gates' assurances of it having recently passed, a horde of buzzing insects were already at work, and the stench of decay hung heavily in the air.

"Don't worry, girl, you won't have died for nothin'. These people will figure out what happened to you and protect your sisters." Mr. Gates said as he knelt down beside the deceased Miltank.

"She looked healthy last night..." the ranch hand started. "Then when I came in this morning? She was gone."

Patrick shook his head as he looked at the deceased Miltank, then strapped a surgical mask around his mouth and nose. "Hopefully she didn't suffer much. Let's get started."

Mr. Gates tipped his hat. "You need a hand with anything, you give me a shout. Me and 'arry've got some Mareep to check in on, so I'll be over there for awhile if you need to find me."

"Thank you, Mr. Gates," he said with a polite nod. He knelt down beside the Miltank, slipped his gloves on, and began to give it a closer inspection. After a minute, he looked up towards Andrea, who had kept a sizeable distance. "I'm going to need a hand with this."

"I... I don't know about this..." she started. "This is..."

"It's gross, I know," he answered back. "I can think of ten thousand things I'd rather be doing right now, but... look, you going to help or not?"

She sighed, took a deep breath, blocked her nasal passages, then timidly approached the Miltank. Her preparation was almost useless, as the smell still forced its way through her mask and into her nostrils. She dropped to her knees, slowly rolled up her sleeves and readjusted her gloves, trying to put off what she was about to do for as long as possible. "W-what should I... I never..." she sheepishly bleated.

"I guess this is more medical than biology, huh..." he said. Truth be told, he didn't know what to do either. "Let's just give 'er the once over, see if anything looks suspicious." He pointed towards the Miltank's head. "Try to lift her head up."

She thought carefully about how to proceed with his request. Worried about irking an increasingly impatient Patrick, she bit her lip and dug her left arm between the Miltank's head and the hay that it was resting on. The creature's head was massive and surprisingly heavy, forcing her to lift with her right arm as well. She tried her hardest to ignore everything around her and gazed up towards the rafters of the barn. Patrick slid his finger into the Miltank's mouth and lifted its upper lip. A blast of noxious air escaped the creature's mouth and was nearly enough to make her sick.

"Nothing seems out of the ordinary here..." he commented as he inspected the creature's mouth. 32 well-worn molars, divided into sets of eight, rested within healthy looking gums. "Alright, you can put her down now."

She weezed heavily in an attempt to catch her breath as she let the creature's head go.

He let out a chuckle. "You know, this is the side of science they don't tell you about in school."

"I really wish they did," she said. "If I knew that I'd be doing this one day, I'd have focused on that softball career instead."

He peeled back the Miltank's flap-like ear and began to study it for any potential irregularities. "Softball, huh?" he asked. "Never was a big fan of it... such a boring, slow game. Were you any good at it?"

She shrugged. "It got me a scholarship, at least. They took it away after the first year, though... I never did join the team. I focused on my degree instead."

"If we ignore what we're doing right now, I think you made the right choice. Softball isn't that big in this country... Besides, a career like this could be lifelong. People who get into sports are lost when they have to retire, and they do it early."

The small talk helped to ease Andrea's nerves. She still found the work she was doing to be utterly detestable, but she also found it easier to cut through her apprehension. "Find anything?"

He shook his head as he dropped the ear. "Nothing."

"What next?" she asked, in the hopes that they were done.

He grabbed a large tuft of the Miltank's fur and began to dig his fingers through it. "We're going to have to start digging deeper."

"Gross... Let's just get this over with, then..." she mumbled as she did the same.

"That's the spirit!"

Minute after agonizing minute passed by as they dug through the Miltank's pink fur. Each tug of the fur released more and more of the horrid smell, and all for nothing; they weren't even sure of what they were looking for, but whatever it was, they weren't finding it. Patrick mused at the idea of returning to Loch Alstan and dragging the medical assistant they had met at the research center along for the job, but only as a last resort if they couldn't find anything themselves.

Just as they were about ready to give up, Andrea found a particularly unsightly white blister hidden beneath the Miltank's matted fur. A thick, syrupy substance that was lavender in color oozed from it. "Ewww... what the hell is this?"

Patrick perked up. "What is what?"

She pointed out the blister. "This thing..."

Patrick inspected the blister, but he was uncertain of what exactly it could be. "Let's look for more of these. I think you might have found what we're looking for."

It didn't take long before the two found similar blisters all across the Miltank's lower body, hidden from sight just below its fur. They all looked identical to the first.

"Now to figure out what the hell these things are..." he said. He reached into his messenger bag and retrieved a set of cotton swabs, gently collected some of the lavender liquid and deposited the swabs into a sealable plastic bag. "I'll run these by medical when we get back."

The blisters looked vaguely familiar to her. "Where have I seen this before..." she murmured. "I remember... reading about something... second year's ecology unit..."

"What is it?"

She raised her R-Kit and began to flip through the apps. "During my second year of university, we focused a lot on the delicate balance of ecosystems across the world. I remember reading about something... uhh... Damn it! I can't remember its name!" she shouted. "It was some sort of fungal infection brought on by contact with toxic spores, I remember that much."

He shrugged, unsure of what she was talking about.

"This thing is able to categorize Pokémon species by subtype, right?" she asked as tapped away at her R-Kit.

"It can," he said with a smile. "Sounds like you're onto something."

"I'm probably completely wrong, but maybe if I see a name I recognize..." she mumbled. A lengthy list of thousands of Pokémon appeared on the screen, far too many for her to sort through in an efficient manner. She filtered the list selectively based on what she remembered: a fungal Pokémon that thrived in a forest habitat. To her relief, the new list was only twenty-three entries long. She began to whisper to herself as she scrolled through the list. "No... Foongus... I remember you, but you're not it... no... not Mayandus, either... is that... no... Ah! I think this is what I'm remembering! Blastcap!"

"Never heard of it."

"Blastcap, the Toxplosion Pokémon!" the R-Kit's voice began to drone. "Blastcap is a colony Pokémon composed of many parts. Unlike other colony Pokémon such as Dugtrio or Exeggcute which operate in hivemind-like groups, all of the thought processes and decision making happen in the largest mushroom, while the rest focus on nutrient gathering, defense and expansion. When a Blastcap reaches the end of its adult life, each mushroom in the colony erupts with a cloud of spores that spread through the area and settle on dead or dying trees. These spores then spread their roots and new colonies form."

"It's a prime example of why a species shouldn't be introduced to a new environment," she said. She began to read from the information that her R-Kit displayed about the creature:

Blastcap is a species that is native to the jungles of the Mangada region's Andalla Basin, though it has a worldwide range today. In many areas, it is seen as an aggressive invasive species, due to a lack of natural predators and its reproductive methods. While there is no solid consensus as to how Blastcap was introduced to other areas, many ecologists point towards the sharp rise in international trade that the Mangada region initiated following its liberation during the Great War as a likely cause, a sentiment backed up by numerous historians.

. . .

The first reports of Blastcaps within Lanark were made in 1957, when several colonies were discovered in the forests north of Steelport. By 1963, the Blastcap infestation had reached peak levels as it made its way north into the heartland. In the following year, several thousand acres of farmland were overrun by Blastcap colonies, being the main contributing factor to the Goldwheat Famine, which claimed the lives of about 20,000 people and Pokémon. Blastcap's presence was officially declared a national emergency, and an extensive campaign spearheaded by the newly founded Ministry of Wildlife aimed to contain the Blastcap population. On January 1st, 1967, the Ministry declared its campaign a success, with the last reported sighting of a Blastcap in the autumn of 1966.​

"And what does any of that have to do with this Miltank?" he asked.

She continued to read from the R-Kit:

While interactions between Blastcaps and other species of Pokémon are poorly documented, recent evidence suggests that the spores it releases during its reproductive cycle are highly toxic to certain other species that are not found within its native range. in 1992, researchers in Kalos linked Blastcap spores to an outbreak at a Pokémon daycare facility that killed eight and left dozens crippled and chronically ill. The outbreak, termed 'White Pox' due to the appearance of numerous white pustules on the afflicted, was limited to Stantlers, Swinubs, Linoones, Zangooses, Tauri and the lone Slakoth at the facility, none of which share a natural range with Blastcaps.

However, other Pokémon at the facility that shared historic ranges with the Blastcap, as well as the human staff and visitors, were completely unaffected. Theories about evolutionary acquired defenses to the toxic effects of the spores have been put forward by various researchers and ecologists, but there is no concrete evidence to back these theories at this time.​

"But that doesn't make sense," he suggested. "Why would something like that be happening when Blastcap hasn't been seen in this country in decades?"

"Do you have any idea how difficult it is to completely eradicate an invasive species?" she asked. "The Ministry may have said their program was a success, but there's no way to be certain that they completely wiped it out, especially in a country this large."

"Yeah, good point... especially since the Ministry is doing everything it can to maintain the untouched charm of nature outside of the cities and farmland. Who knows what the hell is festering out there..."

"Exactly." She adjusted the settings on her R-Kit and began to scan one of the blisters with it. "Perhaps I can prove my theory..."

"If you're right about this, we have a bigger problem than a few dead cows."

It took a moment for the R-Kit to complete its analysis. "Significant concentrations of fungal growth of unknown origin detected. A more detailed lab analysis will be required to determine a source." it droned.

"Is there any way we can figure this out without going back to the lab?" she asked. "Can this thing scan more effectively?"

"Unfortunately not, there's limits to this technology," he said. He rubbed his neck as he thought about what to do next. "What kind of environment does this Blastcap thing live in? Maybe we can look for it before we think about heading back to Loch Alstan."

"It says here that they're found in temperate forests, swamps and rainforests for the most part."

"A swamp, huh? That basically describes this entire area. Want to check it out?"

She shook her head. "I don't think I'm dressed for a hike through a swamp."

"If you want to stay here and hang out with the dead cow, that's cool."

"No!" she protested. "A swamp sounds fine when you put it that way..."

- - - - -​

Author's commentary: This chapter... ho boy, it was a struggle to write. Not a difficult struggle, but an uncomfortable struggle. Never did I think I'd write about a post mortem, and never did I think that the mental images associated with it would be so horrifying and so physical, despite the fact that it's just words on a screen. Hats off to coroners and autopsy technicians, I could never do such work. Here's to the next chapter being a little less gruesome.

And they say that writers don't suffer for their art like painters and sculptors do...

Updates and edits:

Spoiler

• Added: a few lines of dialogue here and there.
• Change: Italicized the R-Kit's dialogue to help differentiate it from the human characters.
• Change: Grammar touch ups.
• Change: In the interests of safety, Andrea and Patrick have decided to wear masks and gloves for their work on the Miltank.
• Words and lines: +657 words, +17 lines

 

[Flaze]

All right, I actually thought I wouldn't be able to read the four chapters in one day but I did...well it took me like an hour or so but when you see four chapters you normally think it'll take longer.

I'm kind of sad that you ended up giving up on Storm Island but I could understand, even I couldn't really see where you could go with that one based on the point you were in, and so far it seems like this fic embodies the better aspects of Storm Island (a focus on natural world building and also different ways in which the characters work) while also taking away the things that didn't work as well. It also retains Storm Island's flow which I always liked and the small battle between Fang and Donphan was one of your better battles I've seen if I do say so myself.

This new version of Andrea also seems more focused, the Andrea at the end of SI was kind of a mess in regards to what her character was supposed to be, to the point where at times it was a bit hard to discern how she beahved in different situations. So giving her a more focused personality works great, plus the Andrea here seems like a different version of some sort if you think about it, one that followed the thought of becoming a scientist and went to college and stuff and didn't had to go through the whole Crimson Crawdaunt incident.

To be honest, I should really find something to complain about but it'll probably just be nitpicking, the only thing I can point out is the pacing, like we're at four chapters but it feels like we haven't really moved much, but at the same time each chapter also moves the story a long a bit or showcases something different about the characters of the world and it's still fun to read, at least to me, so I can't really knock it too much because of that. The other thing is the characters, while Andrea works really great the other characters are just kind of...well they're not bad, but they don't really stand out too much, though I could get used to Patrick much more than Larson at least.

And lastly about chapter four. I don't really think you have much to worry about, while I know that the research must've been horrible the chapter itself doesn't really come off as too gross or disturbing, it leaves enough to the imagination without going excessive with it (or maybe I'm just a messed up person..) though I will say that imagining the fic as if it was in animated form makes it a lot easier than if it was in real life.

So anyways...not really much of a critique that I can give, but hey, that's not bad either (though it's not good for me as a reviewer I guess ?) but anyways, keep it up and I hope to see more of this story in the future (and that maybe an alternate universe Kimberley appears too).

 

[Misfit Angel]

This new version of Andrea also seems more focused, the Andrea at the end of SI was kind of a mess in regards to what her character was supposed to be, to the point where at times it was a bit hard to discern how she beahved in different situations. So giving her a more focused personality works great, plus the Andrea here seems like a different version of some sort if you think about it, one that followed the thought of becoming a scientist and went to college and stuff and didn't had to go through the whole Crimson Crawdaunt incident.

Yeah, she'll be different going forward, while maintaining a few of her personality quirks from Storm Island. Since this is a solo project from the start, it's given me the excuse to craft the characters in ways that I feel comfortable working with. Naturally, I've gotten rid of a lot of the weird quirks that made her a lackluster character (Sorry, Caitlin! but it's true). Hopefully I don't fall into the same pitfalls I experienced in the final chapters of SI.

To be honest, I should really find something to complain about but it'll probably just be nitpicking, the only thing I can point out is the pacing, like we're at four chapters but it feels like we haven't really moved much, but at the same time each chapter also moves the story a long a bit or showcases something different about the characters of the world and it's still fun to read, at least to me, so I can't really knock it too much because of that. The other thing is the characters, while Andrea works really great the other characters are just kind of...well they're not bad, but they don't really stand out too much, though I could get used to Patrick much more than Larson at least.

I think pacing is always going to be like that for me. I have this strange need to follow the characters in 'real time', rather than skip a few days like some other authors might. This just naturally serves to slow down the pacing a bit. Whether that's good or bad, I'm not sure, but it's working for me as the writer.

As far as the characters are concerned, it's what I go for in terms of making bland-ish characters, as most people you meet in real life are the absolute most boring bastards possible. Maybe I need to spice them up a little since this is a story and the point is for it to be interesting... However, more interesting ones are on the way.

And lastly about chapter four. I don't really think you have much to worry about, while I know that the research must've been horrible the chapter itself doesn't really come off as too gross or disturbing, it leaves enough to the imagination without going excessive with it (or maybe I'm just a messed up person..) though I will say that imagining the fic as if it was in animated form makes it a lot easier than if it was in real life.

I think the problem I had was with how long I spent trying to get the details and scenery right. The more I thought about it, the more it felt like I could hear the flies, smell the decay and feel the cold, even though none of those were present while I was actually writing. I just hope I don't have to get hung up on a situation like that again, because it wasn't fun to write

 

[Misfit Angel]

Land of the Roses
Chapter 5: An Invasive Threat

With these new policies in place, the remote wilderness will finally be allowed to return to its roots, free of the destructive industrial interference of the past century. Only then can we enjoy the greatest gift that the goddess has bestowed upon us: our beautiful and untouched land.​

~ Lord Brandon Waterford, 37th Head of the Ministry of Wildlife​

- - - - -​

"Are you sure we won't get lost?" Andrea asked.

Patrick wanted to reassure her, but he honestly couldn't be certain. The pair had been trudging through the murky swamp north of Nettlefield for nearly an hour. They initially followed a well-marked trail into the reed-choked thicket, but that had ended long ago. They were in the center of uncharted wilderness, surrounded on all sides by cloudy water, muddy islands and densely packed rows of tall, featureless trees. Between the low hanging branches, the tangled grasses, the snagging brambles and the frigid, knee deep water, fighting through the marsh was a constant and carefully fought battle.

"What exactly do these Blastcap things look like, again?" Patrick asked.

She revisited the Blastcap article and studied the photographs that accompanied it. "There's two parts of it. The central colony is a dense cluster of red, orange or yellow mushrooms, speckled with white dots... and then there's the outlying parts of the colony, which looks similar to lichen. That part is rusty brown or orange, with white slimy tendrils weaving in and out of it." she answered. "I haven't seen any of that, have you?"

He shook his head. "Nothing. It feels like this whole damned swamp is completely devoid of life."

"At least I've been hearing a few birds. Keep in mind, it's still a little cold out here."

"Ehh... maybe. I just don't like it being this silent. I've seen enough horror movies to--"

"Don't even!" she chastised aggressively. "I am not spending all day looking over my shoulder! Let's just focus on what we came here for."

"My apologies," he said.

As they continued along, Andrea began to realize just how little of a plan they had, and it made her very uncomfortable. "Do you know what we're going to do if we find this Blastcap that's been causing all this trouble?"

"Not a clue."

She stopped in her tracks and was ready to scream. "Are you kidding me?!" she roared. "You lectured me about the dangers of entering the wilderness unprepared, and now you're saying you don't have a plan?"

"We're prepared. We've got snacks, water, first aid supplies, a Pokémon to protect us, and eight hours of sunlight." he said in an effort to ease her nerves. "Besides, it's a mushroom we're dealing with. How bad could it be?"

"It would be a good idea to--" she rapidly shot off before she stopped herself. "Sorry. I can get a little impatient sometimes. I've dealt with a lot of idiots in the past--"

"Are you saying I'm an idiot, then?"

"No! No, it's nothing like that. I just... I'm a little worried. Swamps scare the hell out of me, so much can go wrong in them if you're not careful."

He wrapped his arm around her and brought her in closer for a light hug. "Well, we're just gonna have to be careful, then! Don't worry, I've got your back. Nothing is going to happen to you while I'm by your side. You can count on that."

She forced his way out of his grip. She had a hard time believing him, but decided to accept his words regardless.

"We're just here to find the source of the problem, and if we can, deal with it as well. If we can't, we'll find someone who can. Does that sound like a plan?"

"I guess..."

"Good! Let's carry on!"

- - - - -​

After another half an hour of marching through the mud and the muck, the two found something that was very out of place within a swamp: thick, orange sludge had coagulated on top of the water, with more oozing down from the trees like spider webs. Andrea wandered over to one of the trees to get a closer look; the faint sound of hissing and intermittent bubbling came from the branches. In the distance, a branch crumbled and fell to the water below, landing with an audible splat as it collided with the sludge. She instinctively backed away from the tree and put as much distance as she could between it and her. It wasn't just that single tree that was covered in goo, either; a large chunk of the surrounding swampland was bathed in various shades of orange and brown.

"This looks... bad..." Patrick gawked.

"I think that's the understatement of the century..." she added as she raised her R-Kit. Scans of the sludge that rested atop the water indicated that it had a relatively neutral pH balance of 6.7, something that she found odd; the goo was eating away at the tree as if it were some sort of powerful acid, yet it wasn't. "What in the world is this stuff?"

"I'm going to take some back to the lab, get a closer look at it." Patrick reached into his backpack and grabbed a sterile glass bottle covered in measurement scales. He knelt down and cautiously scooped some of the goo into it, being careful not to contaminate it with his fingers. With his sample collected, he scrawled a few notes on the bottle: time, location and approximate volume collected. "Before we do that, let's try to find where this stuff is coming from. That Blastcap can't be far."

"Are... are you sure we're prepared for this?" she asked. "This seems a little out of our league. No, very out of our league."

"We'll be fine. Come along."

More time passed. They intended to circle the affected swampland, but they quickly realized the scope of what they were dealing with. In the half hour that they had been walking in nearly a straight line, there weren't any signs of the environment around them changing for the better. The two bickered for a moment about what to do; Andrea continued urging for caution and wanted to return to town to formulate a proper plan for what to do, while Patrick insisted that they scout the environment out and study it closely to help them better plan the best course of action.

"I don't feel comfortable with this," she said, standing her ground. "We should head back to town before one of us gets hurt. I can't see either us spending a couple hours dragging the other back to town."

"Aren't you just the least bit curious about this place? We need to study it closer... We'll know what we're up against, and what we can do to fix it."

"Look at this place, it's dying! We can't fix this!" She started to plot a course back to the Nettlefield with her R-Kit.

Having reached an impasse, Patrick decided to take matters into his own hands and took a few brave steps into the sludgy water. The filthy water soaked into his boots and was oddly warm to the touch, unlike the rest of the cold bog. He motioned for Andrea to follow, but she hesitated.

"Don't do this to me," she pleaded.

"Don't do what?"

"You're giving me a no-win scenario here. If I follow you into there, there's a good chance that I could get myself seriously injured. Maybe even killed."

"I think you're blowing it of proportion. We're just here to scout. The second we run into any trouble we can't handle, we're out."

"We have no idea what the fuck is out there!" she shouted. "We could be breathing in toxic spores right now for all we know!"

"Didn't the R-Kit analysis explain that there was no risk of that?" he asked.

Her blood boiled at his stubbornness. "Look, you might be confident that you can handle anything, but I'm not. And my other choice is to just leave you to wander off alone. If you get hurt, I'm getting fired, no doubt about that. Don't. Do this."

"Relax... Help me with this and I'll put in a good word for you. Dr. Reiland trusts me to take care of myself, and she trusts me to take care of you." he said as he took another few steps into the marsh.

"This guy is fucking insane..." she thought. "I'll never make it back to town alone, either... Fuck's sake..."

"C'mon, it's not that bad. In fact, it's warm and lovely!" he joked.

"If I get hurt..." she grumbled. She took her first step into the water and her boot was immediately flooded by the warm, slimy water. "Ugh... this is so gross..." she started. "You owe me new boots after this. And some new stockings, too. In fact, a new dress, too, and this thing wasn't cheap... These will never come clean..."

He bellowed with laughter. "Everything's gross to you, isn't it? Bugs, dead cows, murky water. Which has been the worst so far?"

"Definitely the cow..."

He took a moment to let his surroundings sink in. "I don't get it... How can a Pokémon be this destructive? It doesn't seem possible. It doesn't seem natural."

"I couldn't say... But this is why I want to turn around." she said.

Silence.

She knew she wasn't going to convince him, so she tried to make the best of a bad situation. She grabbed her phone and began to snap pictures of the swamp with it. From the decaying trees to the bubbling orange sludge, she began to reconsider her initial theory about what had been plaguing the Miltank herd. "I might be wrong about this, you know. I'm pretty sure we found what we're looking for, but this seems like something far worse than a simple mushroom infestation."

"Speaking of, we haven't even seen any of the bloody things yet!" he commented.

They continued their trek through the swampland, but very little changed as they ventured deeper in. The overwhelming shades of bright orange began to give both of them headaches, and the rank air did little to alleviate their suffering. Frustration began to set in as they slogged onward through the muck, all for naught; no mushrooms or lichen were found, their feet were growing sore, and a cold afternoon wind had begun to blow between the trees.

Patrick rolled up the sleeve of his jacket and began to tap on the screen of his R-Kit. He set a short alarm with it. "Fifteen more minutes, and then we turn around. That sound fine?" He didn't get an answer. "Andrea?"

She was about twenty paces away from him, pressed up against one of the smoothbark trees. Her attention was fixed on some motion in the water ahead of her.

"Find something?" he asked as he approached.

"Do you see that log over there?" She pointed towards a fallen log that was submerged in the water in a clearing beside them. The log was rolling gently in place.

"What about it?"

"Wait for it..." she said as she watched the log. As the log spun some more, a glob of moss-covered material clung to the side of it. Upon closer examination, the moss appeared to be choking a cluster of mushrooms. At last, they had found what they were looking for!

"Well bugger me! It looks like we found it!" he said with a laugh. "Let's get a closer look at it."

She placed her arm out to stop him. "Hold on..." She raised her R-Kit and pressed a button on it to initiate another scan, but the scanning beam couldn't find its target.

"You're not going to get a good scan from that distance. We're going to have to get closer."

As they carefully approached the cluster of mushrooms that rested on the log, eyes resting atop the largest cap opened! They kept their distance, as they were unsure of how the creature would react. At the very least, it would have difficulty reaching them if it tried to defend itself. The water around them rippled with movement before the sunken log began to slowly rise out of the murky water. A vaguely humanoid looking figure began to take shape as the creature stood taller and taller; moss covered wood formed the core of its body, with root-like tendrils making up its arms and legs. Small red and orange mushrooms rapidly bloomed across almost every inch of the wooden figure.

She jumped in fright and hid behind Patrick as the creature rose from the water. "What the fuck is that thing?!"

"A big problem," he said as he shielded Andrea.

She began to scan the creature with her R-Kit. She wasn't sure what it was; the large mushroom at the top certainly looked like the various pictures of a Blastcap that she'd seen earlier in the day, but a wooden body and the ability to actually move about weren't mentioned anywhere in the article about it. "Since when are those things mobile?"

"Unknown species detected. Caution is advised while in its presence." the R-Kit said in a robotic voice.

"Unknown species?" Patrick asked. "This thing isn't a Blastcap?"

The ground shook and the water churned as the swamp creature lumbered forward with uneven and wobbly steps. As it continued forward, green light began to glow within the twisted tendrils at the end of its extended arm, and a giant root-like spike shot upward out of the water just a few feet in front of them.

"Stay back!" He pushed Andrea back as he reached into his pocket and grabbed his Flareon's Pokéball. With a forceful toss into the air, the ball exploded into a cloud of flickering flames and Fang appeared. Fang dropped into the knee-high water with an audible splash. "It's cleanup time, Fang! Focus your fire on the largest mushroom at the top!"

Fang found it difficult to carry out the order due to the water around him. Despite it only being knee-high for Andrea and Patrick, it reached up to his mane and he had difficulty keeping his head above the water. Tried as he might, he could do little more than flounder hopelessly. The creature simply ignored Fang and continued to lumber towards Andrea and Patrick.

"This isn't going to work..." he said. He turned to Andrea and pointed out one of the largest trees that jutted from the water. "Take cover behind that tree. Fang! We need to lure this thing to some high ground."

The two went in different directions; Andrea rushed towards the tree and put it between herself and the creature, while Patrick slogged through the water in an attempt to rendezvous with his Flareon. The creature slowly followed him, once again raising its arm towards the sky. It teetered backwards, then threw the full weight of its massive body forward, nearly stumbling in the process. A long and flexible vine shot out of the creature's arm and wrapped around Patrick's waist, and he didn't get much further before the vine had reached its limit. With a forceful tug, the creature knocked him off of his feet.

Andrea watched in horror as her partner was dragged through the muddy water. She thought as quickly as she could of a possible way to to intervene and looked around her, but all she could find were a few waterlogged pieces of wood. She grabbed the chunks of wood and began to throw them in the direction of the creature in an attempt to distract it. Most of them fell short, but the ones that struck the beast only bounced off to no effect.

"I don't think that's going to work!" he shouted as the creature slowly reeled him in. In a last ditch effort, he grabbed ahold of the vine and sank his teeth into it. He snarled as he tried his best to shred it, but it did very little against the hardened surface of the vine. "Could really use a hand right about now, Fang!"

Andrea refused to sit by and watch what was unfolding. With Fang hopelessly outmatched by the environment, she reasoned that it fell to her to save the day, somehow. She took a moment to calm her nerves and steady her thoughts, then charged towards Patrick's position. She dashed through the water as fast as she could, almost appearing to run on top of it at times.

"What are you doing, get outta here! Save yourself!" he gestured wildly as he fought against the vine some more.

"I'm not leaving without you!" she shouted as she put her hands to work. The vine was wrapped around Patrick's waist numerous times, but no knot held it in place. She struggled against the crushing grip of the vine, and little by little, she made progress in unwrapping it from around him. Second by second passed as the creature drew closer, until she eventually freed him from its grasp. Arm in arm, the two scrambled for safety. "We can't take this thing on! We need to leave!"

He growled as he eyed the creature, still pursuing them. He reached for his Pokéball and gripped it tightly. "I've got one last idea..."

"No! No more ideas, we're leaving!" she said as she nearly yanked his arm off and stumbled into the water.

He spotted Fang desperately struggling against the water and aimed his Pokéball carefully. A red beam of light shot out of the center button and ended on Fang's head. Fang's motion stopped on a dime and his body began to fade with a red glow, then deform into an amorphous blob of energy as he was recalled back into the Pokéball. With his Flareon safely returned, he waited a few precious seconds, then dropped the Pokéball to the ground. The ball exploded and released Fang once more; this time, Fang was in his element and on dry land.

Fang rushed towards the edge of the water and zeroed in on the central mushroom that rested atop the wooden creature. Flames began to flicker across his fur as he readied himself for an attack by taking in a deep breath.

"Give it all you've got!" he ordered.

The surrounding area heated up rapidly to sweltering temperatures as a torrent of blazing fire erupted from Fang's mouth. Andrea's vision faded to white as a wide arc of burning flames swept across the swamp and before long, the hissing sound of boiling water began to overwhelm her sense of hearing. The attack was over in a few short seconds, and their senses had returned a short time after that. All that remained of the creature was a charred lump of wood that bobbed on the surface of the steaming water. The trees in the surrounding area had been blackened by the attack, but none appeared to have caught fire. Fang had fallen over and struggled to return to his feet, completely exhausted from the powerful attack.

Patrick tumbled to the muddy ground as he caught his breath. "Bloody hell... that... was too close." He looked towards Andrea and motioned for her to approach. She knelt down and tried to look him over for any injuries, but he wouldn't allow it. Instead, he grappled her with a forceful hug. "You've got a lot of guts, you know that? Thanks for not leaving me... You okay?"

"How do people deal with this shit?" she asked.

"It's wild, isn't it?" he asked as he flopped over. "This is an exception to the rule... I've been doing this for nine long years, and this is the first time I've ever run into real trouble like that."

Her attention drifted to Fang, who was wheezing loudly, heavily and rapidly. She crawled over to him and gave him a quick inspection, but she couldn't find any obvious cuts or scrapes on him. "Is he going to be okay?"

Patrick pulled himself up to his feet and grabbed his Pokéball. "He'll be fine, we just need to get him to a PokéCenter." As he recalled his Flareon, he asked, "What do you think? Did we take care of the problem?"

"I hope so, but I really doubt it."

He wandered up to the charred remains of the creature that had attacked them and knelt down for a closer look. As he ran his finger across the scorched wood, he noticed that a large chunk of it had been turned to ash. "Well, this one certainly won't be a problem. There's not much left."

"Pardon me for asking a stupid question, but..."

"There are no stupid questions."

"Did you really have to... you know... kill it? I mean... yeah, i-it was attacking--" she stumbled. "It was still a living, intelligent creature. It didn't deserve that."

He stood up and kicked at the water. "Of course it didn't. But it's a fuzzy line, sometimes, and you have to be willing to cross it if the situation demands it." he said. "You saw what that thing was capable of, and what it's been doing to those poor Miltanks. If we left it here, there's no telling what damage it could have caused."

She sighed and shook her head, then took a few steps out into the still-warm water. "What do we do now? It looks like half of this swamp is infected, and there's gotta be more of those things out there."

"I'm going to listen to your advice. We'll let someone more qualified handle this. We did what we could, but this is beyond our capabilities." He patted her on the back, then began the journey back to Nettlefield. "Come on, let's go home. Dr. Reiland will be interested to hear about what we found."

She shook her arms and hair around, sending large gobs of orange goo everywhere. "I need another shower before I go anywhere."

"Heh. Good idea."

- - - - -​

Updates and edits:

Spoiler

• Changes: Minor alterations to description and dialogue throughout the chapter.
• Change: Patrick is now more scientifically minded and has improved his sample collection habits.
• Added: Added an argument between Patrick and Andrea about whether to go deeper into the swamp, and the consequences of doing so.
• Added: The first break to help indicate the passage of time.
• Words and lines: +389 words, +12 lines

 

[Flaze]

And so the plot thickens. well at least we got to see a littl ebit more of what Andrea will be dealing with this time. I have to say, your battle chapters, or at least more action oriented chapters, have gotten quite better, you got the sense of urgency and movement down really well and it became really easy to follow. Plus, you did a good job of introducing the mystery with the new unknown species of Pokemon, though I assume it'll end up being Blastcap's evolved form or something.

Also, I got a better feeling of Patrick's character this itme, though it was kind of weird of him to just hug Andrea randomly out of the blue, also how old is he again?

 

[Misfit Angel]

Also, I got a better feeling of Patrick's character this itme, though it was kind of weird of him to just hug Andrea randomly out of the blue, also how old is he again?

I haven't quite decided this yet, but it's looking like late 20s, since he's stated that he's been working with Dr. Reiland for nine years. Even with the age difference (which isn't that big, really), I don't think it's out of the question to hug the person who may have just saved your life.

 

[Misfit Angel]

Land of the Roses
Interlude: A Job Well Done

Always keep an eye on those who don't believe in themselves; Encourage them, for they are our greatest minds.​

~ Rose League Champion Robin Spencer (December 7th, 1992)​

- - - - -​

It was a bright and early morning in Loch Alstan, and a busy one, too. Nearly a hundred staff members were gathered in the employee lounge of the Reiland Institute, chatting away as they readied themselves for another day of work and study. Andrea was present as well, seated alone at one of the tables; to the left of her was a half empty mug of mint tea, and to the right was an empty plate, speckled with biscuit crumbs. In front of her was the local newspaper, the Daily Loch, opened to the housing section. Row upon row of houses, apartments and other rental properties were on display, with giant red X's crossed through most of the cheaper offers.

"How am I going to afford any of this and pay off my student debts..." she muttered to herself. As she continued to search for living arrangements, a coffee cup appeared an the end of the table. She looked up to see who had placed it there.

Patrick yawned heavily. "Morn'." he said. "Sleep well?"

She shook her head. "I don't think I'll ever get used to motels... I need to find a proper place to live, and quick."

He laughed. "I still can't believe you came here without a plan."

"Yeah, yeah, very funny..." she said as she crossed out another housing candidate. "This is depressing."

"You'll find something. Check the south side of town, lots of cheap stuff down there. Lots of riff-raff down there, too, but at least you'll have a roof over your head."

"That's where I've been looking..." Two more giant red X's appeared on the page. As she looked back at it, nearly the entire page was awash with red ink, and it was enough to frustrate her deeply. "I need a break from this..." she grumbled with a sigh. "So what am I doing today? Will I be put on another project, or do we still have unfinished business regarding what we found in Nettlefield?"

He scratched his neck as he thought it over. "Not sure yet... I've got some administrative paperwork that I need to fill out before I can get started on what we found."

"Need any help?"

"Uhh... Thanks, but no thanks. It's a one man job. You know, calls to make, papers to write." He downed another gulp of his coffee.

"I don't mind doing that."

He smiled. "Don't worry about it. I'll find you something more interesting than sitting in my office for the next few days. Anyways, I'm about to visit Dr. Reiland and discuss our findings. You should come with! I'm sure she'll want to hear about your first day."

- - - - -​

Dr. Reiland was seated in her office, valiantly struggling with a small orange bottle of medication. With every failed attempt, she shook her frail-looking hand and breathed in and out to dull the pain of her crippling arthritis. "The nerve of these pharma companies..." she growled. Another attempt was interrupted by a knock at the door. "Yes? Who is it?"

A muffled voice came from the other side of the door. "Good morning, doctor! It's Patrick!"

"Ah, just a moment," she called out. She dropped the bottle of medication onto the table, then reached for her cane. With a brief countdown, she wobbled to her feet and approached the door, then entered a passcode into the door that locked her away from the outside world. She opened the door and greeted her guests with a warm smile. "Ah! If it isn't Patrick! And Ms. Dennison!" she said as she returned to her desk. She motioned for the two to have a seat. "You've returned sooner than I expected."

"We're already done," Patrick answered.

"Done? Already?" she asked. There was a distinct tone of disbelief behind her words.

"Yes ma'am! You can thank our newest hire for that." He patted Andrea on the shoulder rather roughly, if not enthusiastically.

Dr. Reiland glanced at her with a quick and studious look before returning her attention to Patrick. "I'm interested to hear what you mean by that... and what you've found, of course."

"We're pretty certain that we locked down the cause of the illness that's swept across the Miltank herd at the dairy farm. We've ruled out that it's a problem with the feed, it's not a contagious illness, nor is it a hereditary illness."

"Then what is it? And how is it spreading?"

Patrick looked towards Andrea in an effort to encourage her to speak up.

She was nervous, but took his cue. "Are you familiar with a Pokémon by the name of Blastcap?"

"Blastcap... Blastcap..." Dr. Reiland muttered to herself as she searched the depths of her memory. "I believe I've heard of it, but the details are quite foggy..."

"It's an invasive fungal species that reproduces with clouds of spores. These spores are very toxic to Pokémon that don't share its native range." she explained. "Blastcap was an ecological nightmare in the 1960s, but they were also contained and eradicated... however it looks like some might have slipped through the cracks. We found a big infestation a couple miles north of Nettlefield."

"How big?"

"A picture is worth a thousand words, and we've got dozens of pictures... show her, Andrea." Patrick said.

Andrea retrieved her phone from her purse, navigated to the photos she took the previous day, then handed it to Dr. Reiland.

"I'd say we walked at least an hour and we didn't even find the end of it! It must have been spreading out there for years." he added.

Dr. Reiland's eyes widened quite rapidly as she flipped through the pictures. "Oh... oh dear, that's... that's quite something..." she said. "This is... problematic, to say the least."

Patrick nodded. "It is. I'm going to get in touch with the Ministry of Wildlife to see what they can do about it. They've dealt with this problem before, surely they can deal with it again."

Dr. Reiland handed the phone back. "How many of these Blastcaps did you find?"

Andrea and Patrick glanced at each other in silence for a brief moment before she answered. "None, actually."

Dr. Reiland tilted her head to the side. "None? I'm afraid I don't follow."

"The swamp was pretty quiet. This infestation... it must have killed everything in its path. We heard birds, but that's it. No insects, no woodland creatures, nothing." Patrick answered.

"We did find something out there, though, but the R-Kit couldn't properly identify it." Her voice began to crack as she continued; she wasn't confident in the words she was about to say. "It said that it was an unknown species?"

Dr. Reiland lit up. "Unknown species, you say?" she asked.

"I'm wondering if it's the evolved form of Blastcap... the only problem is, Blastcap doesn't have one."

"Did you capture it, by chance? This could be big!"

Once again, the two glanced at each other until Patrick spoke up. "Unfortunately I had to, umm... destroy it..." he said in a sheepish manner. "It posed a considerable threat not just to us, but to the village as well. Very violent little bugger. Well, big bugger. Much taller than me."

Dr. Reiland leaned back in her chair, deep in contemplation. "Ah... I see..."

"The damn thing nearly killed me, and we didn't even provoke it. I wasn't going to just leave it out there."

"We may have lost a rare chance to document a new species... I may need to start contracting professional trainers to assist in matters such as these, perhaps it would have ended a bit less tragically."

"Trust me, doctor, I didn't want to, but I had to. I owe Andrea my life... That thing snared me with a vine and started to reel me in like a fish, her quick thinking was the only thing that saw me untangled. She's got quite a pair on her, I'll give her that!"

"I'll assume you mean I'm brave," Andrea said. Regret instantly gripped her. "Idiot... keep your jokes to yourself..."

"Hmm..." Dr. Reiland hummed with a knowing smile and a bemused chuckle. "You may want to make a note of that in your report to the Ministry. We don't want anyone getting injured or killed while they investigate and deal with this problem."

"Yes ma'am."

"Also, I want a detailed report of just what this creature was. There will be some gaps that we'll have to fill in later, but this could be groundbreaking. It's not often that we get to announce a new species of Pokémon!"

He nodded. "I was going to going to write that up later today. I have some physical samples I brought back to analyze, I'll send those down to the medical and chemistry labs when I'm done here. I'll include their findings in the report."

"Is there anything else noteworthy about the creature you've found, or the problem with the Miltank herd?"

"We told the owner of the dairy farm what's going on... I don't know if there's anything he can do about it, though. His best bet is grabbing a bucket of water and scrubbing his entire barn down, and I hope he does that."

"It may be too late for that..."

"Probably..." He shook his head. "Anything you want to add, Andrea?"

"I think you summed it up pretty well," Andrea answered.

"Very well, get started on this as soon as you can, Patrick. I look forward to reading your report and getting in touch with Ministry officials."

He leaned over towards Andrea and spoke softly. "Mind emailing those pictures to me? I don't think the Ministry will take this seriously without some sort of evidence. Pretty unbelievable circumstances, if you were to ask me."

"Sure thing."

"Send them over to [email protected], I'll get the report taken care of later today."

As Andrea began to tap away at her phone, Dr. Reiland asked, "Would you mind stepping outside for a moment, Ms. Dennison? I need a moment alone with Patrick."

"Oh shit..." she thought. She knew that Dr. Reiland was about to ask about her job performance, and it worried her. She knew that she did a decent job, but would that be enough? Would Patrick bring up his concerns regarding her stubborn unwillingness to blindly follow him or take his orders? These thoughts and more swirled in her mind, but she covered them with a smile. "Of course!"

"Don't go too far, however! I'd like to speak with you as well when we're done!"

She stepped outside and closed the door behind her. She wanted to respect the privacy of her superiors, but she also couldn't resist trying to eavesdrop on their conversation. She felt it was her right to know how Patrick viewed her performance; after all, how would she improve if she didn't know there was a problem? She pressed her ear to the door and listened carefully.

"--you rate Ms. Dennison's performance?" Dr. Reiland's voice asked.

"I think she did very well! Nine out of ten, easily." Patrick replied. "A bit hesitant to do some of the things that needed to be done, but when she got around to doing it, she did a good job."

"Aaagh..." she grumbled.

"Hesitant?" Dr. Reiland asked.

"It's probably nothing. It was pretty grim for her first job. A post mortem on a dead Miltank, then we practically swam through a pool of slime... Were I in her shoes, I'd have probably hesitated as well."

"Understandable."

"But, outside of that, she was wonderful. I let her do most of the analysis, to see if she was up to the task. She already seems well acquainted with the R-Kit and knows how to use it effectively."

"She's a quick learner, then?"

"Yep. And her intuition saved us a lot of time. It didn't take her long to figure out what we were looking at. It just... sorta clicked in her head that maybe we should look at the Blastcap as a potential cause of the problem. She learned a lot during her studies, and I'd wager that a lot of it stuck with her even if she's forgotten the finer details. Something like that could be invaluable."

She smiled at the praise as she continuned to listen.

"So you would say that hiring her was a good decision?"

"It's still early, but I think we might have struck gold."

The positive remarks were a load off of Andrea's shoulders. She knew that she did well in Nettlefield, but the haunting specter of doubt lingered above her regardless. She stepped away from the door for a little celebratory dance of happiness and, breaking away from the traditions of years past, she began to feel confidence in what she was doing. Her dancing stopped as the door handle began to jiggle.

"Your turn!" Patrick said. "It was nice working with you on this project, Andrea. I think you'll do fine here."

"Thank you!" she said.

"I'll catch you later! Dr. Reiland wants to see you now."

Andrea entered the office and cautiously returned to her seat. She began to think about what the doctor might want; once again, doubt began to flood over her, so she put it all out of mind and masked her thoughts with a warm and patient smile.

Without a word, Dr. Reiland began her struggle with her bottle of medication again. It took a few awkward moments of silence before she offered it across the desk. "Would you be a dear, please?"

Andrea grabbed the bottle, opened it with relative ease, then handed it back to Dr. Reiland.

"Damned arthritis medication. What sense does it make to put it in such an impossible to open bottle?" she said as she poured two round pills onto a small tray. Afterward, she grabbed five other bottles of medicine and placed them at the edge of her desk. "While I have you here, perhaps you could open those as well."

Andrea happily obliged and began to work on the first bottle. Curiosity about the large amount of medicine that Dr. Reiland appeared to use on a daily basis started to get the better of her. The question begged to be asked; what was it for? However, she insisted on being respectful. "I'll assume you didn't ask me to stick around just to open your medication."

"You would be correct," she replied before she swallowed the two pills. "Patrick's review of your work yesterday was... glowing! And I must say, I'm impressed... if what he says is true."

The caveat that Dr. Reiland added at the end worried her greatly. "Excuse me?"

She leaned back in her chair and studied Andrea's reaction. She smiled. "What I'm about to say, I speak in confidence, and it does not leave this room. Understand?"

"Loud and clear."

"Please don't take this the wrong way, Ms. Dennison... Patrick is one of my most trusted and valued staff members, but he has a nasty habit of embellishing the truth a bit when it comes to our female employees. It's usually harmless, but it can be quite alarming at times, and I fear that this is one of them."

"I... Umm..."

"As I was going over some finances this morning, I noticed that the second room my secretary rented at the motel in Nettlefield was cancelled. He didn't act inappropriately with you, did he?"

The question seemed out of left field to her. "What? No! He was a perfect gentleman!"

"Is that the honest truth? If you feel pressured to cover for his actions, I want you to know that there will be no consequences for being honest."

"Yes," she answered, matter-of-factly.

"Good! He has not gotten into trouble with our HR department, but sometimes I worry... As I'm sure you've noticed, he as a very friendly personality and some of our employees are a little uncomfortable with it."

"So... I should keep an eye on him?"

"Yes. Establish your boundaries with him, as well. I want you to feel comfortable here."

"I think I might have felt more comfortable not knowing that, but... thank you."

She readjusted her posture and accepted the opened bottle from Andrea, then handed over another. She could tell that Andrea felt nervous about the subject and decided to ease up. "I apologize if it felt like I was accusing you of something, that wasn't my intention. But, let's move onto another subject: your next task. I had a job lined up for one of my other new employees, but his work ethic has been shaky at best. He's a smart one, but he's also lazy and tends to cut corners if he thinks that no one is watching. This might not be something that we can cut corners on."

Andrea placed another opened bottle onto the desk and got to work on yet another. "What do you have in mind?"

"Are you familiar with the village of Doranshire?" she asked.

Andrea tried to think. She knew that it was the closest village to the town where she grew up, but that alone summed up her knowledge about it. "I know of it, but don't ask me any trivia about it."

"It's been in the news a lot recently. Over the past couple of weeks, there have been some strange incidents reported... flickering lights in the woods, odd and 'unexplainable' sounds late at night, that kind of stuff. It's been causing quite a stir with the locals, and the village council is starting to demand answers."

"Bumps in the night?"

"Among other things. I know this isn't your area of expertise, being a student of biology and all... but I need someone reliable. Someone who can find answers. From what Patrick has told me about you, you fit that description well."

"You want me to go chase a ghost?"

She downed the pills, then handed another bottle to Andrea. "Heh. It does sound a bit outlandish, doesn't it?" she asked. "But we are women of science. We know there are no such things as ghosts, not in the traditional folklore sense, at least. There is always a logical and physical explanation for everything, a few bumps in the night should be no different."

Andrea objected to the idea. "If I'm honest, doctor, this sounds like a waste of time."

"It may very well be. But it is our duty as scientists to uncover the truth and to help those in need where we can. There may be something more serious at play here than just a few ghost stories."

Andrea thought for a moment about how silly it all sounded, but she realized that she wasn't in a position to argue the matter. The more she thought about it, the more she realized that complaining about the work she was receiving, on her second day no less, would almost certainly be career suicide. She gave in with a sigh, but tried to conceal her hesiatation. "If you think that this is worth the time, and that I'm the right person for this job, then I'll do it."

"Good to hear! I can understand if you're hesitant to take on this kind of work, but it warms my heart to see you accept it."

"Doranshire's a long way away, though..." Andrea noted.

"It is!" Dr. Reiland began to type away at her keyboard. "It's much too far to walk, so you'll be taking the train! Unfortunately, there isn't a direct line to Doranshire, so there will still be some light footwork for you."

"Where's the nearest station?"

"Aughrim."

"I wouldn't exactly call Aughrim to Doranshire 'light' footwork..." she said. She began to think about what would be involved with reaching the village of Doranshire from Aughrim; a couple of days of travelling the roads, at least, and that would be if nothing happened on the way. "Hold on. Patrick's going to be analyzing the samples we brought back from Nettlefield. You don't expect me to do this alone, do you? Things got pretty ugly on the road, I was lucky that he was there to protect me!"

"There is no need to worry, you won't be doing this one alone. I have an associate who is also interested in the happenings in Doranshire, and he'll be sending one of his contractors to investigate as well." She turned the screen on her computer around to let Andrea see; the photo of a young woman with long, chestnut brown hair and strikingly blue eyes was on the screen. The woman's face was grim and emotionless, almost as if the photo was a police mug shot. "The lady in question is a master Pokémon trainer. There will be no trouble on the road, I assure you. You'll be meeting her in Aughrim."

"What's her name?"

"Tamara Dahl. Are you familiar with her, by chance?"

Andrea shook her head.

"She's a two time champion of the Kalosian League, champion of the Asperia League, master of the Silver Conference, and has earned 44 gym badges and 12 coordination ribbons from across the world."

The woman's achievements were impressive, even to someone as ignorant about Pokémon training as Andrea. "You weren't kidding when you said a master trainer..."

Dr. Reiland let out a bemused chuckle.

"So... what will we be looking for in Doranshire, exactly?"

She downed the last of her pills and gathered up the bottles in a neat and orderly manner. "That's up to you and Ms. Dahl, there could be any number of causes. However, I would suggest getting a closer look at the local reservoir."

"Think something's in the water?"

"It's possible. If the water is contaminated, lives could be at stake and an evacuation would be logical. Of course, it could be something else entirely! Use your brain, you'll figure it out." she said with a smile.

Andrea shook her head as she thought over what was asked of her. "Will that be all?"

"Yes. Stay safe out there!"

- - - - -​

Updates and edits:

Spoiler

• Changes: Minor alterations to description and dialogue throughout the chapter.
• Change: Andrea is no longer in the room while Patrick and Dr. Reiland discuss her performance in Nettlefield. That was a terrible decision on my part.
• Change: Similarly, I've altered Dr. Reiland's warning to Andrea about Patrick's behavior somewhat, to be more precise about how he behaves and generally less dismissive to the problem of sexual harassment in the workplace.
• Words and lines: +603 words, +24 lines

 

[Beth Pavell]

Ok, so looking at my notes, it's probably best if I dispense with the usual format and go for a series of bullet points:

• So Blastcap are essentially colonial organisms, like a sponge? One thing does seem strange, that neither of the humans seem to be worried about infection. I mean, the question of whether Blastcap spores can affect humans doesn't come up at all, and it seems like it should, given what happened to the Miltank
• The professionalism in the workplace seems to be a bit off here. This may be a case of different workplaces having different standards, but anyway - I would usually expect Patrick to be quizzed on Andrea's performance out of her earshot. That's not such an issue, though, as Reiland's comments on his work ethic in front of a new hire. If Andrea were a supervisor, that would be a different kettle of fish, but she's very much junior in the workplace. I kind of like Dr Reiland being up front about his conduct in Nettlefield, though I think it would work better if she weren't in the least apologetic about it
• That being said, I liked the slight twist that Patrick has a habit of exaggerating with some employees. It explains a lot about his dialogue in the previous chapter or so
• A village called Doranshire? I suspect this is going to be something you've already thought of, and a case of Beth being picky, but given that "shire" is a name for division of land it doesn't seem likely that it would find its way into a village name. A village called Doranfield/ham/wick/etc, in the county/shire/prefecture/etc of Doranshire, would make more internal sense

 

[Misfit Angel]

So Blastcap are essentially colonial organisms, like a sponge? One thing does seem strange, that neither of the humans seem to be worried about infection. I mean, the question of whether Blastcap spores can affect humans doesn't come up at all, and it seems like it should, given what happened to the Miltank

First bit, yes. The main functions of the organism are in the central mushroom (or 'brain', as it were), while the rest manage other non-critical functions, such as early detection of incoming predators, nutrient gathering, etc.

Second bit, I think this is another classic case of my notes not properly making it to the chapter. Deep within my notes on Blastcap (of which I have an utterly ridiculous amount of), I decided that humans weren't susceptible to the spores due to the structure of their immune system. Miltank (and the other species named in the article that Andrea read) haven't been exposed to it, so they haven't been able to develop proper defenses against it, while humans have. I could probably stand to throw that in there somewhere. Hopefully I remember to change it after the awards are done.

The professionalism in the workplace seems to be a bit off here. This may be a case of different workplaces having different standards, but anyway - I would usually expect Patrick to be quizzed on Andrea's performance out of her earshot. That's not such an issue, though, as Reiland's comments on his work ethic in front of a new hire. If Andrea were a supervisor, that would be a different kettle of fish, but she's very much junior in the workplace. I kind of like Dr Reiland being up front about his conduct in Nettlefield, though I think it would work better if she weren't in the least apologetic about it

I imagined it to be how I imagine Google's main HQ. Quite relaxed, laid back, and secrets are few and far between. Maybe that wouldn't fly in a traditional professional setting, but it's what I'm going with here.

A village called Doranshire? I suspect this is going to be something you've already thought of, and a case of Beth being picky, but given that "shire" is a name for division of land it doesn't seem likely that it would find its way into a village name. A village called Doranfield/ham/wick/etc, in the county/shire/prefecture/etc of Doranshire, would make more internal sense

Interesting to note, but I'm not sure if that'll change. I'm not looking for 100% accuracy, I'd never get anything done. Perhaps the village never really had a proper name during the olden times so it eventually came to be known simply as Doranshire, as that's the name of the general land around it. There's a few landmarks in the area that aren't part of the town or even specifically named, so perhaps this can be an explanation. Maybe a bit of a cop out, buuuut... eh.

 

[Misfit Angel]

Land of the Roses
Chapter 6: The Rails

You ever sit back and think "Boy, my life would be so much different if I just changed one little thing about my day."? I do all the time, that's why my wife is filing for divorce!​

~ Robbie Sinclair, Lionsport Comedy Convention King 2013​

- - - - -​

The sound of a train horn echoed across the skyline of the town as a Silverline railcar began its departure from Alstan Central Station. Inside, Andrea was fighting to maintain her balance as the carriages jolted to life and began to move; she had just barely made it onto the train before it departed, and she was the only passenger still on her feet. As she stumbled her way to the back of the carriage, she noticed that there were very few passengers aboard; an elderly couple, a man in a snappy suit and a man about her age in a salmon pink polo shirt and brown cargo shorts. Of the 48 seats available, only four were taken. Thoughts began to swirl in her mind.

"Will they actually notice... the guy already checked my ticket..." she mumbled to herself as she debated whether or not to try stealing a seat on the first class carriage. She realized that it wasn't, but she tried to justify the fact that it was owed to her after previous bad experiences while riding the train. She cautiously looked around to see if any railroad employees were watching, then threw her backpack onto the soft, luxurious seat when the coast was clear. "What's the worst they can do? Throw me into economy where I belong?"

The comm system resonated with a pleasant tone and a gravelly voice followed soon after. "Welcome aboard, this is the conductor speaking! This train is currently departing from Loch Alstan and will arrive in Redfern Crossing in approximately two hours. Passengers who are crossing the border into Glastonfell or are en route to Silvergarden or Goldwheat Meadows will be switching trains upon arrival. Passengers en route to Silverstream, Aughrim and Tradewind will remain on this train for the remainder of their journey. If there are any questions, you may speak with me on carriage #2. Thank you for riding with Silverline today, and have a pleasant journey!"

She had a look through the window as the train began to pick up speed. The view today was much nicer than it was when she had first arrived in Loch Alstan; not a cloud was in sight, allowing the sun to pour down onto the fertile valley around her. The majestic Dornoch Mountains to the north that separated Lanark from Glastonfell continued their eternal watch of the forests and fields around them. She knew that they were just mountains made of stone at the end of the day, but she felt a deep appreciation for the historical significance they carried. The beauty of nature that they represented, beauty she rarely had an opportunity to revel in, also came to mind.

It didn't take long before her view was interrupted by a sweet sounding voice behind her. "Would you care for some tea, miss?"

She looked up to see one of the railway employees standing beside her with a tea cart in tow. She tried to mask her nervousness with a smile, further drowning it with politeness. "What kind do you have?"

"We only have Old Stone."

"Old Stone sounds lovely. Thank you!" She watched as the hostess poured the freshly brewed tea into a porcelain mug, blissfully unaware that she was seated in the wrong section.

"Would you like some sugar, milk or cream with that?"

"No thanks."

The hostess nodded, balanced the mug on a saucer and handed it to Andrea. "Enjoy! Let me know if there's anything else I can do for you."

"That's it for now, thank you," she said. A smile crept across her face as the hostess moved onto the next passenger. "I might actually get away with this..."

It was a long ride ahead of her, so she decided to do a little investigation into what was being reported in Doranshire. With her R-Kit at the ready, she began to sift through the headlines of Lanark's regional newspapers, looking for any articles about the village. Dozens of articles from the past month popped up, including topics such as a charity bake sale, the death of a movie actress who was born in the area, a house fire that left two families homeless and the results of a local referendum. Just as Dr. Reiland had noted, dozens more that covered strange sightings within and around the village were available as well.

One article detailed the 'crazed ravings' of an elderly woman who swore that demons were trying to enter her house, but when police arrived to investigate, no substantial evidence to prove the woman's story was found. Another article focused on reports made by several people of a ghostly apparition that walked up and down Mill Street, but key differences in witness testimonies led investigators to believe it was most likely a poorly coordinated hoax. Another article mentioned that the walls of the first grade classroom at the local elementary school oozed with blood, but this was later attributed to water leaking from rusty pipes.

Other articles discussed strange noises heard throughout the village late at night, floating orbs of light that zigzagged through the nearby forest and small dolls made of woven reeds and burlap being discovered about town, mutilated beyond recognition. One common theme that bonded all of these articles was that they were all dismissed as harmless pranks that were leading to mass hysteria, with calls for the public to remain calm becoming increasingly common in recent days.

The more she read the articles, the more she began to feel like she was in over her head; she had spent the past four years studying to become a biologist, not an expert in the paranormal. "What would I know about any of this?" she wondered. "I really hope that lady I'm meeting knows what to do..."

Even though she had been told that she wasn't going to tackle this task alone, she was nervous. To think that Tamara Dahl, one of the world's most respected and skilled competitive trainers, would be working alongside her filled her with near-crippling anxiety. She repeatedly told herself that she wasn't worthy enough to be in the presence of such a legend, and the feeling that just about any lowborne thing she did would annoy Ms. Dahl lingered over her like a thick fog. "Hopefully she'll be patient..." she thought to herself. "But something tells me she won't. Not with how successful she is. I'm just a punk ass kid who earned a degree a couple years early."

Curious, she began to look up information about her upcoming partner. Dr. Reiland had been looking to save time when listing out Ms. Dahl's accomplishments earlier in the day, as they were more extensive than she imagined. Not only had she earned the position of champion of two leagues and dominated most of the tournaments she participated in, she also participated in nearly a dozen Grand Festivals, winning the top position in three of them. Even more, she was instrumental in helping to dismantle an international Pokémon trafficking ring run by the feared criminal syndicate, Team Rocket. She'd made accomplishments in the world of politics as well, bringing to light some particularly shady government corruption in her homeland that eventually led to the downfall of the sitting president.

Something that caught Andrea's attention more than anything else was that she was widely regarded as one of the world's most knowledgeable experts in paranormal Pokémon. In her fourteen year career as a competitive trainer, the paranormal was what she lived and breathed; she put together an unstoppable team and developed unparalleled strategies that had been the subject of intense debate and study. If a woman of her caliber was interested in investigating the happenings in Doranshire, she thought, perhaps there was more going on in Doranshire than just a few mean pranks. The thought worried her.

She checked the time on her R-Kit. Only 25 minutes had passed since the train had departed from Alstan Central Station, and nearly seven hours remained on her journey to Aughrim, so she decided to pass the time with a little sleep. It didn't take long for her to find a comfortable position and drift off.

- - - - -​

Nearly six hours had passed since Andrea drifted off to sleep. She slept peacefully and deeply, more than making up for the terribly restless and agonizing night she went through at the motel. That peace was soon interrupted by a piercing squeal as the train's breaks locked in preparation for an upcoming swerve through the foothills of Crown County. She jolted forward in a panic, almost convinced that the train had just derailed, but a look through the window soothed the worst of her fears.

"Ugh... These seats looked comfortable..." she mumbled to herself as she stretched, then tried to find a comfortable spot again. Another jolt as the train rounded the first bend snapped her back into the realm of consciousness.

She looked around and much to her joy, her tea was still upright and waiting on the table in front of her. Much to her disappointment, however, it was lukewarm and unbearably bitter. Still, she was thirsty and she wasn't about to complain; as she took another sip, she noticed a feline creature walking down the center aisle in her direction.

The creature was small in height, reaching up to her knees at most, and was covered with a thick, glossy coat of black and brown fur which extended downwards towards the ground. Dainty little feet poked out from beneath its fur and carried it forward with an elegant stride. Even fluffier fur sprouted from its long tail, bobbing and waving with every movement it made.

She recognized the creature immediately: a Skitty. However, the specific breed of it eluded her, so she raised her R-Kit to scan it, hoping that it would have the answer.

"Skitty, the kitten Pokémon!" it droned. "Skitty is among the first Pokémon to be domesticated by humans in ancient times, often serving as garden protectors or as caretaker assistants of the sick and elderly. Now, they are a popular choice as house pets due to their aggressively cuddly and loyal behavior, and are a good choice for novice Pokémon trainers, due to the ease of raising one once trust is established."

"Well... that doesn't tell me what I wanted to know..." she grumbled. She began to scroll through the extra information that appeared on the screen; perhaps the information would be there, she thought.

The Skitty approached, then stopped in its tracks before it invited itself up onto the table in front of her. It was instantly drawn to the strong, bitter scent wafting from the tea mug and rushed over to investigate.

"Oh! Hello!" she said. She cautiously extended her hand towards the Skitty and began to pet its luxuriously soft fur. "Aren't you pretty?" The Skitty began to purr softly as it rubbed all over her hand. "And friendly!" She reached for her purse and began to dig through it for her phone, intent on taking a picture. Before she could, however, the Skitty had bolted and started running down the aisle again.

A young woman soon followed after. "Telandra, sweetie! Come back!"

Andrea watched the scene unfold with amusement. The young woman chased after the Skitty as it employed impressive gymnastics to escape her grasp time and time again. Slow approaches, quick grabs, diversion tactics, none of them worked. There was a hint of mischief on the Skitty's face as it avoided the woman, and while Andrea couldn't be certain, she thought she saw a smile briefly shine on the woman's face. One final attempt to grab the Skitty was met with failure and sent it returning in Andrea's direction. She figured it would be a waste of time, but positioned herself in the path of the approaching Skitty, and with some quick timing, was able to snatch it before it could get any further.

As the young woman approached, she offered the black and brown Skitty outward. "I believe this is your cat."

"Thank you," the woman said as she grabbed ahold of the Skitty and began to rock it back and forth in her arms. "She can be quite the handful sometimes. She wandered off while my attention was buried in my work."

"She seemed pretty anxious to get away from you," she couldn't help but note.

"She entered my care only recently. Obedience can be a bit of an issue at times... But she's generally well behaved! My apologies for bothering you."

"No need to apologize..." she said as she extended her hand outward towards the Skitty. "May I?"

The woman nodded.

She ran her fingers through the Skitty's soft, cloud-like fur again. "She's very beautiful."

"Thank you! I put a lot of effort into making sure that she is."

"Oh yeah? What breed is she? I've never seen a Skitty that looks like this before."

The woman invited herself to the seat across from Andrea and placed the Skitty onto the table between them. "Kalosian Forest. She's a pure breed."

"Huh... I wish I could say I was familiar with Skitty breeds, but I'm not," she pondered as she glanced over the Skitty's features. "What's her name?"

"Her name is Telandra."

"Telandra?" Gears turned in her head as she thought about it. It was definitely familiar to her, but she couldn't come up with a face to associate with the name. "Where do I know that name..."

The woman bowed her head with respect. "She's named after our late queen, may she rest in peace."

"Ooooh! Okay, no wonder I couldn't figure it out. One of those stupid royal assholes..."

The woman's eyes widened a bit. "Oh dear, that's a very strong opinion."

"I'm sorry, I just can't respect those people. They expect us to fund their lavish lives and what do we get in return? Nothing." She looked up and read the expression on her guest's face and found it to be a negative one. "Okay, I get it, I've got a minority opinion that few people agree with, yourself included it seems. It's not a big deal. But I do think it's a bit of a silly name for a cat, no offense."

"But it's not!" the woman protested. "It describes her perfectly! Look at how regal she looks!" She raised a finger towards the sky and continued, "Telandra, show me some pride!"

The Skitty closed her eyes, and with a twirl, she straightened her posture and raised her head upward. Her eyes opened a small amount, and that look of haughty mischief returned to her face. She approached Andrea and began to strut about in a bid for attention. Andrea gave the Skitty what she wanted and in return, she melted into a loud, purring puddle of happiness in front of her.

As the young woman watched over her Skitty, she studied Andrea closely. "I must say, that clothing you're wearing--"

The joy of the situation quickly faded and a vague shroud of anger began to bubble within Andrea upon hearing the woman's commentary. "Ugh, again? Why does everyone hate the way I dress?!" she asked as she shook her hands rapidly with frustration. "Why? It's not like I'm some sort of stereotype! I'm not always--"

The only response the woman across the table could offer was a look of confusion.

"Look, lady, nothing personal, but... Just don't go there, okay? I get a lot of mean comments about how I look, it gets annoying real quick these days."

The woman let out a polite giggle. "Oh! No! I didn't intend to be mean!"

She sighed. "Sorry. I can get a little... Let's just move along."

"Now hold on, I'm curious! That's a Misfit Angel dress you're wearing, correct?"

She looked down at her black dress, then back at the woman and raised her eyebrow. "Yes... Why?"

"My childhood friend happens to be the creator of the Misfit Angel clothing line. I helped to design that dress last year!"

Her face lit up. "Really? You know Nicole Spencer? What's she like?!" Excitement began to wash over her and she continued without allowing the woman to respond. "Shit! That's so cool! She's such an inspiration! I haven't met her, so this will probably sound weird or creepy or something, but... she really helped me to break out of my shell a few years ago! Oh, I am such a big fan of her work!"

"I can tell!" the woman said with a giggle. "It seems that we have something in common, then. She's been a pillar of strength for myself as well."

"Oh? How so?"

"She's... Uhh... Hmm..." the woman stumbled. "I suppose that's a bit of a personal story. I'm not comfortable talking about it. I shouldn't have brought it up. All that really needs to be said is that she's been very supportive during some of the toughest times I've faced, and I can't thank her enough for it."

"Fair enough, I won't pry."

"On the other hand, she can be a bit problematic... She's very selfish at times and quick to anger. But her heart is in the right place most of the time." she added. "I hope I haven't shattered any illusions for you."

She shrugged at the commentary. "Not at all. She sounds just like me. That only makes her better in my eyes!"

The woman smiled, then offered her hand across the table. "I don't believe I caught your name. Mine is Kimberly. Kimberly Fairbrooke."

She nodded and shook Kimberly's hand. "Andrea."

"No surname? I prefer to be polite when speaking with people I don't know well."

"My first name is good enough. I won't be offended."

Another smile. "Very well, Ms. Andrea. It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance!"

"Likewise, and I don't say that often."

"So, where are you headed, friend?"

"I'm off to the city of Aughrim."

Enthusiasm swept over Kimberly. "Oh! That's my destination as well! What brings you there?"

She grabbed her tea and took another sip from it, taking a brief moment to shudder in horror at the taste. "Work. I have some business to attend to in a little village called Doranshire and Aughrim is the closest stop on the rail network. What about you?"

"I'm getting started as a coordinator... I'll be participating in my first national competition."

"Coordinator?"

"You haven't heard of it?"

She shook her head in silence.

"I suppose I shouldn't be surprised... not many people take it seriously as a career. Hmm... How do I explain it..." Kimberly began to mutter to herself as she thought it over until she eventually spoke up again, "Are you perhaps familiar with 19th century circus shows?"

"Considering it's the 21st century, no."

Kimberly laughed. "Right, that was a silly question... It's a sort of stage performance that coordinators such as I engage in with our Pokémon. We compete against others in a variety of different styles, but the most popular one, and the style that I hope to get into, involves flashiness, showmanship, and stunning visuals."

The concept seemed vaguely familiar to her, but she couldn't quite put her finger on it. She'd halfheartedly watched many Pokémon competitions over the years, but couldn't remember if any of them were coordination contests. "I don't think I've ever seen that kind of stuff before..."

"It's not as popular as competitive battling, that may be why. It's starting to gather a following, but... Personally, I blame the fact that its seen as a woman's sport for its lack of popularity."

She shrugged. "So... it's a light show, huh? Sounds interesting enough."

"It's much more than that! There's music, there's dance and there's dozens of other odd talents that coordinators bring to the stage. I don't know if you have the time, but if you do, perhaps you'd be interested in coming to see it? I'm sure you'd love it if you tried it, and you'll get to see what it's all about." Kimberly placed her purse on the table and began to dig through its contents. "I have a pair of VIP tickets available, but nobody to give them do. Would you be interested?"

She sheepishly looked at the time on her R-Kit. She was already certain that she couldn't take the time to see the performance, but asked anyway. "What time?"

Kimberly pulled her hand out of her purse and dropped a ticket onto the table. "The show starts at 8 PM."

"Oh... I don't think I'll be able to make it. I'm meeting a business associate when I arrive in Aughrim, and she'll probably want to hit the road as soon as possible."

"Ah, that's a shame, but I understand. Still, I'd like you to have it. If you do stay in the city tonight, your evening entertainment is sorted!"

She grabbed the ticket and gave it a quick look. "Sure, why not? I'll see if I can convince my partner to stay in the city overnight... I'm sure she'll be just as sore from her flight as I am from this train ride."

Kimberly grabbed another ticket from her purse. "Here, one for your partner, too. That might make it easier to convince her."

She couldn't help but let out a laugh. "Man, you really want people to come tonight, don't you?"

Kimberly nodded. "It wouldn't hurt to have a couple of fans cheering me on, would it?" She looked down at her watch and saw that the time had just ticked over to 5:30 PM. "Oh! Time certainly flies, we should be arriving in Aughrim soon!"

"Assuming the train is on schedule, which it never is..."

Kimberly laughed. "Indeed. It was a pleasure to meet you, Andrea, but I should make a few last minute preparations for my routine tonight!" Kimberly tapped on the table to wake up her napping Skitty, then extended her arms outward. The Skitty jumped up into her arms and perched on her shoulder like a parrot. "That means you, Telandra! I have to make sure your fur is absolutely perfect!"

Telandra meowed with joy.

"I hope to see you tonight! But if I don't, best of luck with your business in Doranshire, and stay safe on the road!" With that, Kimberly stood up and wandered back to her original seat.

Andrea placed the two tickets down onto the table and began to read from them:

Witness the performance of a lifetime, the biannual event that has taken Aughrim by storm for twelve straight years! This ticket admits one visitor to the Majesty of Aughrim coordination contest, scheduled for the 14th of May and held at the Cèilidh Gailearaidh on West Armory Street. Prepare to have your breath taken away as eight coordinators compete against each other for glory and the chance to be crowned the Lad or Lass of Aughrim!

- - - - -​

Spoiler

• Changes: Minor alterations to description and dialogue throughout the chapter.
• Change: Minor alteration to strengthen Andrea's role as a biologist: she accurately identifies Telandra as a Skitty rather than second guessing herself.
• Detail: Switched the name of Telandra's breed from Asperian Forest to Kalosian Forest to help make things slightly more relatable for readers. She is still a Norwegian Forest cat.
• Words and lines: +661 words, +18 lines

 

[Beth Pavell]

*resists to the urge to make comparison to the Lovely Girls competition

Spoiler: Explanation

The Lovely Girls was a parody beauty pageant that featured in an episode of the Irish sitcom Father Ted. I say parody, because it gleefully parodied the real life Rose of Tralee competition. The Lass of Aughrim title reminded me of that

Setting
So, Lanark is a big old region, eh? I don't recall if you said what kind of trains they're running, but assuming they're ageing electrics, a seven hour journey equates to a region at least as big as England. Ok, in the big scheme of things that's not big, but in terms of fanfiction regions that's a proper sense of space.

I wish I was better with those damn Celtic languages. Cèilidh would be ... party, dance, festival, I think?

Story
Well, it's a much lonelier story than Storm Island (Yes, I'm missing Kim, I'll get over it). The geography of Lanark rather adds to that feeling - there's a lot of reasonably warm people but a lot of reasonably superficial interaction as well.

I have to say, in fairness, that I think you're approaching the scientist angle in the right way. The theme is much less "insufferable genius explains everything with science", much more "girl with a lot to learn gets pulled out of her comfort zone". If you can manage to bring the twin joys of learning things and finding new mysteries into the story I reckon you're on to a winner.

Characters
I think I've realised why I'm not really connecting with Andrea. I don't think it's really down to anything you've done wrong, I just think it's more to do with me not being able to relate to her. The more I look at the text, the less anything I could pick on makes sense as an objection, so ... well, that's going to happen sometimes

 

[Misfit Angel]

Setting
So, Lanark is a big old region, eh? I don't recall if you said what kind of trains they're running, but assuming they're ageing electrics, a seven hour journey equates to a region at least as big as England. Ok, in the big scheme of things that's not big, but in terms of fanfiction regions that's a proper sense of space.

The plan is for it to be large, roughly equatable to the UK. I remember using the route from Bournemouth to Edinburgh as a general estimate of the time I wanted between the capital city (Aughrim) and a sizeable town on the opposite side of the country (Loch Alstan). I very much doubt I've made the proper calculations though, somewhere along the way the time scale between walking and taking a train is going to break.

I wish I was better with those damn Celtic languages. Cèilidh would be ... party, dance, festival, I think?

In its most basic meaning, according to a wiki article I read, it was a generic social gathering, though dancing and festivities usually took place at them. Uninteresting note, I was tempted to ask you about it before deciding to do my own research

Story
Well, it's a much lonelier story than Storm Island (Yes, I'm missing Kim, I'll get over it). The geography of Lanark rather adds to that feeling - there's a lot of reasonably warm people but a lot of reasonably superficial interaction as well.

The loneliness will probably be limited. I feel like I've gotten better at working with characters working in solo situations, but I still want to rely on my usual crutch of character interaction. Writing doesn't feel right without it.

I have to say, in fairness, that I think you're approaching the scientist angle in the right way. The theme is much less "insufferable genius explains everything with science", much more "girl with a lot to learn gets pulled out of her comfort zone". If you can manage to bring the twin joys of learning things and finding new mysteries into the story I reckon you're on to a winner.

This has been the difficult part for me so far with the 'new' Andrea. I know it's probably a little early to ask, but have I been doing a decent job of leaving a bit of mystery for readers to ponder? I know I had a problem with spilling all of the details almost right away with Storm Island.

Characters
I think I've realised why I'm not really connecting with Andrea. I don't think it's really down to anything you've done wrong, I just think it's more to do with me not being able to relate to her. The more I look at the text, the less anything I could pick on makes sense as an objection, so ... well, that's going to happen sometimes

Can't win with them all, I guess. More main/supporting characters are scheduled to show up soon, we'll see how those go.

 

[Misfit Angel]

Land of the Roses
Chapter 7: Station Search

Camden Station? Worst rail stop I've ever been to! But it also served as inspiration for my newest zombie flick: Sea of the Dead.​

~ Rayne Billingsley​

- - - - -​

A soft jingle came over the train's intercom system.

"Thank you for riding with Silverline today! We have just arrived in Aughrim, two minutes ahead of schedule! The time now is 6:03 PM, and the weather outside is a cool and refreshing 16°C. If you are--"

Andrea filtered out the announcement; her attention was buried in yet another game of Tetris. She worked at a feverish pace to move the colored blocks around the screen in a desperate attempt to continue, but the pace was starting to overwhelm her. Red, yellow, green, blue, purple and white tiles piled up too fast for her to deal with, but a lucky string of well-timed and well-placed tetrads cleared a majority of the board, bringing her back from the brink of failure.

Level 29!!! flashed on the screen as her score past the 290 line mark.

"Yes... Yes!" she aggressively cheered to herself as she continued to focus on the falling blocks. "I just might do this!"

Despite her joy, she continued on with unparalleled concentration. The colors flashed before her eyes as she moved each incoming tetrad into position, or at least attempted to. Red... red... green... blue... Row complete! Red... purple... Row complete! Yellow... yellow... yellow...

"Come on, give me something else..." her thoughts begged.

A white line appeared on the screen next, a very welcome sight to her. She positioned it perfectly and cleared four rows at once, giving her some much needed breathing room. The piling up of mismatched tiles resumed; red... purple... blue... purple... Row complete! Yellow... red...

"Excuse me, Ms. Andrea?" a voice called from beside her.

Her concentration was shattered and she looked up. "Huh?" The game continued without her; while she was lucky to clear another row without moving any of the tetrads on her own, they quickly piled up and reached the top of the board afterward. "Oh! Kimberly! Sorry, I was, uhh, a little..." she bleated as her attention returned to her phone. She was heartbroken to see the words 'GAME OVER' taunting her from the screen. "Oh... great..."

"A little distracted?" Kimberly said with a giggle. "The train has been stopped for a few minutes now and most of the passengers have gotten off. Aughrim was your destination, correct?"

She placed her phone into her left stocking, something that earned a strange look from Kimberly. She did it for her own sake, as past experience told her that the upcoming walk through the train station had the potential to be dangerous; if any thieves tried to swipe her purse, at least they wouldn't get the most important thing she carried with her as well. It hadn't happened to her, but she had seen it, and she was determined to make sure it didn't happen.

A look around the train showed it to be mostly empty. "Oh! Yes, it is. I probably would have completely missed my stop if it weren't for you, thanks." She gathered up her belongings, slung them over her shoulders, stood up and let out a long and relaxing stretch. As she looked around, she noticed that Kimberly's Skitty was missing. "Where's your Skitty?"

Kimberly reached down towards the ribbon that dangled from her waist and grabbed a pink Pokéball that was hooked to it. The strange Pokéball was adorned with fuzzy, faux-fur ears, and the central button resembled a feline's nose; while she wasn't very familiar with designer Pokéballs, this one was completely new to Andrea.

"She's safely back in her Pokéball. I anticipate the arrival platform to be quite crowded and I don't want to separate myself from her."

"Good call, but I'd put those Pokéballs of yours somewhere more secure if I were you. Someone could yank them right off of that ribbon... Especially that purple one, that's a Master Ball, right?"

Kimberly reached down and grabbed the purple, gem-studded Pokéball that hung next to her pink Feline Ball. "It is!"

"Yeah, you're going to get yourself killed flashing that thing around here. This station can be a little dangerous, much more so during the evening rush hour."

"Dangerous, you say?" Kimberly asked. Without waiting for an answer, however, she followed the advice; she detached both of the Pokéballs from her ribbon and placed them into her purse.

"No, no, I wouldn't put them in your purse, either," she warned. "Too easy for someone to grab a hold of that and run off with it."

Kimberly retrieved the Pokéballs from her purse, but struggled to find a place to put them. "Umm... I don't have pockets, friend."

She pointed to the very ribbon that they dangled from in the first place. "How tight is that thing around you? Could you put them inside your dress without worrying about them falling out?"

Kimberly returned them to her purse once again. "I'll take my chances. I appreciate your advice, however."

The two began to walk to the door together. "It hasn't happened to me, but I'm in this station often enough to have seen it. Lots of thieves and scammers around here. They'll rob you blind before you even hit the floor. Hell, they might even strip that fancy dress of yours off of you and disappear into the crowd before you realize what happened."

"Oh! Oh dear..." Kimberly answered with a wavering voice. "Perhaps it would be wise if we stuck together?"

She shrugged. "I was about to suggest it, but I don't know if you've got the time to hang out around me. It could take me awhile to find this lady I'm supposed to meet... This is the biggest and busiest train station in the country and I don't even know where the hell I'm supposed to be meeting her."

"I have some time to spare."

"Suit yourself, then!"

As they stepped onto the arrivals platform, they two were immediately assaulted by the roaring ruckus of the evening crowd. A sea of densely packed, impatient people covered large sections of the platform, making it difficult not just to exit the train, but to move deeper into the station as well. Despite the fact that she barely knew her, Andrea could tell that this was the first time that Kimberly had visited Camden Station, and she felt it was her civic duty to guide her new acquaintance safely through the station; she wrapped her arm around Kimberly's shoulder and pulled her in close, then led the way as they fought through the endless horde of busy travellers.

"This is intolerable!" Kimberly protested as she was jostled left and right by the crowd. With every bump, she checked to make sure that nothing had been pickpocketed. "How are you so calm right now!?"

"It helps that this is actually kind of tame compared to the last rush hour I experienced," she replied. "You don't travel much, do you?"

"On the contrary, I travel a lot... But I usually fly on a private jet if it makes sense to."

It took a moment for the comment to register in her mind. "...private jet?"

"Yes. My father, he..." Kimberly started, then held her tongue. She eyed the people around her with suspicion before leaning in and continuing with a lowered, intimate voice. "My father is a wealthy businessman. I usually have access to his private jet, since he doesn't use it much anymore."

"Oh... that's interesting... That does explain the Master Ball and that fancy silversilk dress of hers..." she thought to herself. "Why not just fly into the city then? Beats sitting on a train for... however long you were on it."

"There was no airport where I spent the last few months of my life. Besides! I wouldn't give up a chance to see the countryside now that it's in bloom. The shades of green in the Northcountry are lovely this time of the year..."

"Can't argue with that."

It took some time, effort and many half-hearted apologies, but they finally managed to make their way to the main hall of Camden Station. The crowds were thinner than they were on the platform, but only slightly so. Andrea quickly realized the difficulties of finding her business partner among the masses; she knew vaguely what Tamara looked like, but there were thousands of faces to scan and study, with hundreds entering and leaving the main hall every minute. She lamented the fact that there wasn't a more solid plan when it came to meeting Tamara. 'Just go, you'll find her! Have fun!' seemed like a terrible waste of time, but it was the only plan that she had.

Kimberly suggested they reach a higher vantage point and they ventured to the second story promenade. While it helped her to investigate the crowds more quickly, the finer details of the people they were looking at were now lost on both of them. Kimberly dropped her backpack to the floor and began to dig through it; she retrieved a small pair of binoculars and offered them to Andrea.

"Oh, yeah! I won't look like a terrorist at all with these!" she joked before raising the binoculars to her eyes. Every now and then, she'd lower them to focus on another group of people, then raise them again for a closer inspection. She was making very little progress in finding Tamara in the crowds and it was starting to frustrate her. A few more minutes of searching were fruitless. "I sure am glad to know what I'm looking for! " she began to rant; the sarcasm in her voice was clearly obvious. "Why do I always get stuck with--"

"Who are you looking for, exactly?" Kimberly asked.

"Some girl named Tamara Dahl."

"Oh! I've heard of her! The world famous Pokémon trainer, correct?" Kimberly wondered.

She nodded.

"You're going to be working alongside her?"

She lowered the binoculars one last time and handed them back, then pulled her phone out of her purse. She started to dial Dr. Reiland's phone number. "That was the plan..."

"That's quite an honor! You're lucky, Ms. Andrea!"

She stifled a laugh as she sent the call. "Something tells me I'm not so lucky... I'm just a punk kid, there's no way she's going to have the patience to deal with me."

The phone rang five times before it was finally answered. "Hello?"

"Yes, Dr. Reiland? It's Andrea, your new employee!"

"Ah, yes! Ms. Dennison!" Dr. Reiland jollily answered. "You should be in Aughrim by now, correct?"

She nodded. "Indeed I am."

"Good! How was the train ride?"

She peered over at Kimberly, who was still examining the crowds below them. "It went well, but I slept through most of it."

"Heh, sleeping on the job, huh?" Dr. Reiland asked, then let out a long sigh. "To do that again... I envy you! Have you met with your partner yet?"

She hesitated for a moment. "Uhh... I haven't. That's what I called about. I've been looking for over half an hour now, but I can't find here anywhere."

"Oh, is that so?" Dr. Reiland asked, intrigued. "Ms. Dahl's employer tells me she is usually very punctual... Have you tried the main lobby, under the grand clock?"

"That was the first place I looked." She took another casual glance in the direction of the large clock tower that stood in the center of the lobby. "She wasn't there, and I don't see her now."

"Huh... That's where I was told she would be..."

The fact that Dr. Reiland apparently knew where Tamara was supposed to be waiting made it difficult for Andrea to contain her frustration, but she tried her hardest to be respectful about it. "It would have been nice to know that! It feels like I came here without a plan."

There was a momentary pause before Dr. Reiland spoke again. "...Did I not tell you about that? My sincerest apologies, Ms. Dennison. This medication I use can... affect my memory sometimes."

"Don't worry about it, I can't be mad about that... Whatever the case, I can't find her. I don't know where she could be hiding, I've looked almost everywhere."

"Almost everywhere?"

"There's no way I'm going into the men's restroom to look for her, because I know I'm not going to find her there."

Dr. Reiland let out a hearty laugh, but that joy quickly gave way towards a more somber tone. "That's... worrying. Again, I've been told that she's always punctual... Can you give me a moment?" There was a long pause in the conversation, and the sounds of her struggling to lift something in the background came over the line. A few moments later, she continued, "I want you to call this number, it's Ms. Dahl's personal line. 12-1-105-6734. Please, don't share that number with anyone. She has gone to great lengths to keep it hidden from the public."

"12... 1..." she mumbled quietly as she took note of the number in her short term memory. "Got it."

"While you get on with that, I'll get in touch with his employer. It may be as simple as a flight delay, he may know. My part will take some time, though... You caught me on my way home. If you find her before I call you again, let me know!"

"Thank you, doctor. Will do."

"Keep searching. You'll hear from me soon." The phone clicked, then went silent.

She let out a sigh, then began to dial the number that Dr. Reiland had given her.

"Any answers?" Kimberly asked.

She shook her head. "Just crossed wires... My boss is a little bit forgetful, so she never told me where to meet this lady... but even then, we walked by and she wasn't there. So I'm calling this lady's personal number to see if I can get through to her." She clicked the send call button and puttered around in a circle. "You don't have to stay around, you can go and get ready for your competition thing."

"Hmm, I should prob--"

She put her finger up to quiet Kimberly down when the phone stopped ringing. An automated voicemail message began to play: "Greetings, you've reached Tamara! I can't answer the phone right now, so leave me a message and a number. I'll get back to you." A loud beep followed shortly after.

She grumbled angrily and began to mutter obscenities under her breath before she finally composed her message. "Uhh, hello! This is Andrea Dennison, Dr. Reiland's assistant. I'm supposed to accompany you to Doranshire to investigate some of the strange happenings that are going on there. I'm here at Camden Station but I can't find you anywhere. There's way too many people here! Get in touch with me so we can figure out where we're meeting. My number is 07-1-210-7240. See ya soon!" She ended the call and sighed loudly.

"I don't like the sound of that sigh, friend. Is everything okay?"

She shook her head and spoke in a melancholy tone, "It's fine..."

"It does not sound fine."

She leaned up against the railing and slid down to the ground. "It's... it's just been stressful, you know? This new job I mean. It's only been a few days so far, but... First that Miltank, then the swamp, all this travel, and now--" She caught herself muttering almost incoherently when she saw the strange look on Kimberly's face. "Maybe she just can't hear her phone, this is a pretty loud place... or maybe she's in a call with someone else, she must be a very busy person. And speaking of busy... how about you? I interrupted you, do you need to leave?"

Kimberly offered her hand out to Andrea and smiled. "I can stay a little longer. I shouldn't leave you alone here, this place looks quite dangerous to the solitary traveller."

She laughed and accepted Kimberly's hand, then pulled herself back to her feet. "You don't have to stay, but if you want to, two sets of eyes are better than one. Let's keep looking."

In spite of the nagging thoughts that it would be pointless, Andrea planned on sweeping the station once again in a more thorough manner; rather than just amble by, half-distracted as they had done previously, she wanted to pay attention to the details around her as close as possible. Part of it was her interest in browsing the shops present in Camden Station, something she'd never taken the opportunity to do, and the other part was that she just wanted to kill some time before Dr. Reiland contacted her. She could think of little else to do.

Their search led them across the main lobby and nearly every person they came across was meticulously studied, at least as much as time allowed. No luck, and they moved onto the relaxation lounge next. The dim lighting in the lounge was anything but helpful when it came to searching for Tamara.

"I can barely see anything..." Kimberly remarked.

"Hold on," Andrea said, her attention fixed on a brunette that was seated at a bar in an establishment known as The Conductor's Cabin. "I think I see her! Right there, in The Conductor's Cabin."

"I don't think--" Kimberly started, but Andrea had already wandered off.

She cut across the promenade, taking care not to bump into anyone, as she approached the entrance to The Conductor's Cabin Bar & Grill. A few steps later, she arrived at the bar, next to the person she had been looking at. She cautiously reached out and tapped them on the shoulder. "Excuse me, miss?"

"Wot," the figure said in a burly, masculine voice as it turned around. "Need somethin'?"

A look of shock came across her face; she had mistaken a man with long hair for Tamara! "Oh! Uhh, my mistake, sir. You're not who I'm looking for."

"Mmm. That so..." The man eyed her up and down. "Just so happens I'm lookin' for a pretty lady to spend the evening with. You'll do, how 'bout I buy you a drink?"

Her face turned bright red, and she politely shook her head despite the situation calling for anything but a polite response. "Uhh, uh-uh. Good bye!" She rushed out of the bar and back into Kimberly's presence, nearly knocking a distracted traveller over in the process. "Well... That was awkward."

Kimberly politely covered her mouth as she laughed. "I can tell! The look on your face when that man turned around... I tried to warn you!"

"Did you see the look on my face when he propositioned me? It took a lot of effort not to slap him."

"Oh dear, did he really? I'm glad you didn't."

"Yeah, that would have been a bad idea... let's keep looking around. I want to put as much distance between myself and that creep as I can..."

The next section of the station they searched was the economic heart that attracted more visitors than any other: the commerce center. There were lots of alluring distractions scattered about; another bar, the Gilded Kilt, had various sporting games on TV. The scent of freshly prepared Shinikari-styled seafood wafted from a restaurant just next to it. A public Dance Dance Arcade! match between two seasoned veterans was taking place just outside of Fynnster's Arcade. A jewelry kiosk filled to the brim with silver, gold and precious gems glinted in the overhead lighting.

They all fought for the girls' attention, and eventually the distraction proved successful. They quickly found themselves browsing the merchandise around them, rather than the people. The first distraction was the loud rave music that came from the Dance Dance Arcade! display, and Andrea found herself drawn in like a moth to a flame. The two blended in with the crowd of cheering spectators that had gathered to watch the heated competition that was taking place.

"Yeah! Ya got 'em, Lao, ya got 'em!" one of the spectators shouted as the match progressed.

The screen was crammed to capacity with flashing arrows that passed by at lightning speed, each corresponding to a specific dance move. Both competitors were able to keep up with the ludicrous pace and remained evenly matched for several minutes, but eventually one of them missed a step, a mistake that threw off his entire rhythm. The crowd erupted with boisterous booing and cheering as the young man stormed off in defeat before the song had even finished.

"Would you be interested in giving it a go?" Andrea asked as the crowd started to jostle back and forth and two new competitors emerged.

Kimberly raised her eyebrow. "Me? Sorry, I'm not the type."

"Doesn't matter. I'm well out of practice, and out of shape, too. You could probably take me."

Her words of encouragement earned a giggle from Kimberly. "I wouldn't want to ruin my high heels before my big night."

"So take 'em off, silly!"

"I'll pass. We have something more important to focus on, remember."

She smiled and playfully said, "Coward!" As the two contestants argued over what the next song should be and what difficulty they would compete at, she felt a deep rumbling against her leg. She pulled her phone out of her stocking, looked at the screen and felt her heart drop.

'Incoming call from Dr. Rebecca Reiland'

She stepped away from the hollering crowd and answered. "Hello?"

"Hello, Ms. Dennison, it's Dr. Reiland again. Have you heard from Ms. Dahl yet?"

"I haven't. I called her phone and left a voice mail, but she hasn't gotten back to me. I kept looking for her, too, but I haven't found her. I don't think she's here."

"I see... I was just in touch with her employer, Dr. Belmonte. He hasn't heard from her, either. The airline company that she booked her flight into Aughrim with said that she boarded the plane before it took off, so we do know that she's in the country. However, when we reached out to the hotel that she had rented, she hasn't checked in."

"Where the hell could she be, then?"

"I couldn't say... and I'm starting to grow a little worried. According to Dr. Belmonte, who has worked with Ms. Dahl numerous times in the past, this is unlike her."

"You don't think..." she started.

Her mind quickly drifted to the recent news reports that she watched on TV, complete with scary capital letters and sensationalist, even if they were fact based, claims: 'VIOLENT CRIME ON THE RISE', 'HUMAN TRAFFICKING RING OPERATING IN LANARK?' and 'VULNERABLE: CRIME AGAINST YOUNG WOMEN SKYROCKETS'. Growing up, she always thought of Lanark as a safe country, and it truthfully was; disappearances were a rarity during her youth, and violent kidnappings and murders even rarer, but that was evidently no longer the case. A recent article she read stated that in April alone, there were nearly 400 reported cases of missing persons, ten times the yearly average.

On top of that, she'd read stories over the years about famous Pokémon champions such as Tamara, and how dangerous their lives had become as a consequence of their achievements. The story of Brendan Odamaki, champion of the Hoenn League, came to mind; after years of harassment from his loyal 'fans', including a nearly fatal encounter with a female stalker, he eventually disappeared from his public life altogether and went into hiding. Such stories were common among accomplished competitive trainers, especially league champions, and perhaps that was Tamara's typical experience while out in public. The fact that something tragic could have happened was an easy leap of logic for her to make.

"Is it possible that she ran into trouble somewhere in the city?" she asked.

"As much as I don't want to... I'm starting to think that."

She sighed and shook her head. "So what should I do?"

"I'm not sure there's much you can do at the moment. Find a hotel and check into it, I'll let Mavis down in Accounting know to cover the costs for you."

"Oh! You don't need to worry about that. I still have my apartment here in the city, I can just hang out with my room mate for the time being."

"Ah, do you? That's very handy, that'll save the institute some money. In any case, it's much too dangerous for you to be travelling the roads at night, especially alone."

"Yeah, this city can get pretty rough at night..."

"In the meantime, I'll keep in touch with Dr. Belmonte and sort out a missing person report."

"Understood."

"Look after yourself, Ms. Dennison."

"I'll try." She hung up, placed her phone back into her stocking and then fell against the wall beside her, letting out a long groan in the process. "Son of a bitch..."

"More bad news, I'll assume," Kimberly said.

"Yeah. I can't get in touch with her, my boss can't get in touch with her, her boss can't get in touch with her... so we're giving up for the night and reporting her missing. I'm cursed, one bad thing after the other..."

"Oh no..."

"What else can we do?"

A moment of silence overtook the two as they thought over the situation. They both wanted to speculate wildly to themselves about how it could have happened; Andrea's imagination ran wild with dozens of possibilities ranging from Tamara being kidnapped by traffickers to having a violent confrontation with the gangsters that typically loitered in the streets around the airport. Kimberly knew it wasn't her place to speculate, so she refrained from it too much. The worry that Tamara had been targeted stuck in her mind, however, and she was concerned that perhaps Andrea may be in danger as well.

"Hey," Andrea started in an effort to break the silence. "Thanks for sticking around and making sure I'm okay. You're a good person."

Kimberly joyously accepted the compliment. "I try to be!" She looked down at her watch and the joy quickly faded from her face. "Oh! I suppose I really should be going now. These coordination contests take some time to prepare for..."

"I shouldn't keep you any longer, run along now."

"I do want to stay, to make sure you're okay, but... I know this may sound insensitive, regarding the current situation, but will you be attending the show? It'll be a nice distraction from your troubles. You'll also be in a public place, safe from danger."

She shrugged. "I'll think about it."

"Very well. Will you be alright here by yourself?" Kimberly asked.

She made a dismissive gesture as she nodded. "I'm leaving, no sense staying here. I'm going to head home and figure out what to do next. Good luck with your contest."

"Good. Stay safe, and good luck to you as well, friend. It was nice meeting you, Ms. Dennison!"

- - - - -​

Spoiler

• Changes: Minor alterations to description and dialogue throughout the chapter.
• Change: Kimberly now sticks by Andrea's side until the end of the chapter, despite being on a tight schedule herself. This is intended to better display her selfless nature, even when it comes to strangers.
• Change: Andrea now remembers that she still lives in the city and plans to return home instead of rent a hotel.
• Added: Various small scenes to help fill out the chapter; this was the shortest chapter by far before the edits took place
• Words and lines: +1738 words, +51 lines

 

[Charles Legend]

@Eliza Prescott: well I can't say I have read storm Island yet, however I do think that the concept of this story is very interesting, in that it revolves around the concept of environmental research done by a girl who doesn't even have her own Pokémon. Also the R-Kit is quite the interesting concept, in that it's more than just a standard Pokédex, I take it that unknown pokémon was Blastcap's evolution.

Also the only 'White Pox' that I found was to do with coral reefs so that begs the question what sort of fungi is Blastcap based off of?

My best guess is Myrtle rust (Uredo rangelii) although I could be way off, or perhaps it has characteristics of a lot of different invasive fungi.