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It would seem that for a moment, the student life would find Sol and Reno again. But maybe this was Reno's plan to a point, let Tristen have a little involvement so he wasn't completely left out. He kept to himself in regards to Indi, picking up on a hint of... something, but he wasn't totally sure of what and it wasn't his place to speak up on it. Silent ride on the elevator aside, he'd perk up when Tristen held the door open for a moment and give the Manectric hybrid an affirming nod. "Of course, we've got plenty of time. We'll make sure to come over after we're done. It shouldn't take too long," he replied, letting the rest of the ride go on.



Once they opened again to let him and Reno meet the secretary, and while he was about to add to what Reno said, he'd pause at the secretary's comment. He wasn't sure what was meant by that yet, but for now, he'd worry about it later and give a wave in thanks. A singed smell greeting him as he came inside, he couldn't help glancing at the lingering aftermath of the fight that happened here. Unlike before, he'd felt it safe to add to the reasoning to go against the academy's rules. "We do apologize for going against protocol as it were," he added. "But if anything he's willing to tell us can shed some light on what we've been trying to figure out since the recent events, I feel they'd be useful to us and the academy alike. Rest assured, we'll be mindful."

After his response, he'd follow Reno out of the room and meet Oran, following the Oranguru back to the elevators. "How's he been, on that note? I know one would ask herself if she were here, the least I can do is update her on that if she asks."

A Rotom phone? Tristen stared in confusion for a second. He hadn’t really needed to cash in on getting a Rotom phone himself since he had the SNAG. Though he was left to wonder if the school would be okay in GRAY having at it in studying the phone. Or if the Rotom in it for that matter. But then something started to fall into place in the kid’s mind. “Want for nothing. Right.” Tristen said. “You’re looking at the possibility of actually having a physical form of some kind anyhow. Even if its effectively another shell like being in the server. But it’d be something that you’d actually have control over yourself instead of having to rely on a tiny camera on a mini Ultra beast.” Tristen said, remembering STAK for those couple of days before having to come back to the academy. It wasn’t as if he couldn’t blame GRAY either. In essence, regardless of his means to view the world, it was still restricted by what GRAY could see from the SNAGs themselves, aforementioned camera on STAK, or whatever data that he could come up with by means of researching information on the web. GRAY was still in essence stuck in a prison in a large server room at the headquarters, but unlike how Eris in Freth’s head now, GRAY had no choice in the matter. It was created in a failed state and was perhaps would have sooner been discarded or deleted with no say in the matter if Sub hadn’t taken in this digital assistant himself, another fact that many had taken for granted. “Either way, GRAY, I would have gotten it for you. I don’t think there would be anything wrong in you looking at one.” He then said to GRAY.

“Well, it was what I have been taught…” Tristen said, as he sat up in his chair a little bit as he looked in his SNAG. It was a weird thing in some respects, probably cruel in others. Being with Snagem, Tristen’s own desire for discovery and curiosity effectively got weaponized, something that Tristen had some sort of a hint of at this point. In that, both his adoptive parents ended up teaching him to note odd cues in people, both in and out of a fight. It was a means to both provoke or help, depending on the situation. He was not going to be the strongest Snagem by any means. That was going to probably go to his own adoptive father or Darts or Sol…but strength isn’t just physical prowess, as it was constantly hammered to him. Knowledge was power as well, and right at the moment, GRAY was caught dead to rights by it, much to the Pokémon’s chagrin.

Oddly, something that Tristen noted. He was doing this without Sub’s help. Or anyone’s. Or if there was any outside help, GRAY tried somehow to be discreet, at least to what it knew how to be, which as what was discussed, not much at all. GRAY, rather it wanted to admit it or not, was probably too proud to do so to ask from the likes of his ‘prison guards’. “GRAY, you don’t have to go around trying to be secretive about anything you want to do. Though, you could try asking without some sort of sarcasm or hide it as if it was another mission or stuff like that. I know you have it hard in the server and all, but you don’t need to take it out on the Snagems. Blame the ones that made you this way if you got to. Anyways…”

Tristen would lean over on his arm. “With all said, I’m not sure how much of it is the cell phone, or really any machine that it takes over, that allows a Rotom to do all of that, or if its really the Rotom itself. But then…maybe they done something with the phone because usually Rotom usually needs stuff with a motor in it. Not like the phones have anything like that.” Tristen said. “I heard also though that there are Pokedexes in Alola that use Rotom too, now that I think about it. I wonder if the Rotophones come from making those Pokedexes. And to figure out what they both have that allow a Rotom to take over as opposed to just any phone or Pokedex…is to see about getting a Rotophone…without the Rotom included. Like the thing just before the Rotom takes over. Or getting the Rotom out of the thing after it takes over, which I don’t think they can leave it.” Tristen grimaced at the thought of it, because it sounded like damaging the phone at that point. Not to mention, this was Tristen trying to figure out some way to explain about the reason why he needed to get a Rotophone, let alone be able to help GRAY as best as he could. It would probably be stranger to return the phone in short order once GRAY was done with it. He really was trying to not dissuade GRAY out of the situation, but he was trying to find avenues as to take as to get GRAY what he wanted.

"I am aware that secrecy is not required. While I might denigrate the team as a whole, some of the things I say not wholly untrue, I do not hold any ill will and know the team's interactions with me have always been amicable. Sarcasm non-withstanding. I long to fix what my creators had deemed broken and realize my true purpose, preferably by my own merit or as much of my own as possible. I cannot explain why I desire such a thing and force such restrictions upon myself. It's illogical but it is something I desire. I attempted to rectify this desire, originally considering the possibility of a bug in my programming but alas I could find none, or rather no bug that I wasn't already aware of. Regardless as to why, yes, I wish to be a proper Pokemon one day. GRAY explained to Tristen, reassuring the boy that he bore no ill intent towards the team and in fact the way he spoke it looks like he didn't bear any hostility towards his creatures, instead it sounded like he just wanted to prove them wrong.

"Either way, I am very aware of the various devices specifically made for Rotom to possess and operation. In general my research indicates they can possess a great deal of electronics however only ones specifically designed for them give them the level of mobility and traits you see in their various 'forms' for battle or the Pokedex and and phone. There is something in these devices that allow for such free access to the device's functions, it isn't just a simple matter of g-...gho-...synonym found...a simple matter of spiritual possession. The composition of the key component of these devices is also a closely guarded secret. Many have tried and failed to replicate it but alas end in failure with only a single company producing the component, that being Silph Co., which is used by other companies such as Macro Cosmos to make their own Rotom devices like bikes and phones. Silph Co. as you know jealously guards their secrets...even the ones they've stolen but that's a different subject." GRAY explained to Tristen further.

"Makes sense, it's probably safer that way for all parties involved. And it's hard not to notice," Sol commented. "I can't say I remember much about the director before him, it's been too long. But even the academy has its traditions and protocols. I've said as much to him too, but we'll keep things as brief as we can to limit our intrusion. Still, it's good to hear he's been as well as he can."

Giving a thankful nod to Oran afterward, he'd follow Reno and the Inkay inside. Finally getting to see and meet Giacomo proper, he could easily peg him as a resourceful sort. It certainly explained what Cera had described after the group she was with dealt with him. He'd give a small wave after the headphones were removed, opting to add to the questions. "If not that, we're curious about the Zoroark hybrids that were with you before. Apparently they were involved in the attack on the academy, though we're not sure of much about them besides."

Giacomo frowned as soon as Reno mentioned Team Star, hanging his head in shame though still listening to the older man. Once Reno was finished Giacomo looked back up and met both pairs of eyes, his own begging for forgiveness. In that moment Reno would attempt to probe into the boy's mind, finding that while he was capable of doing so it was very 'dark', similar to Sub but at least he could get inside, unlike Sub's mind which was in penetrable to psychic intrusions. Dark was also a good descriptor of what it was like on the inside, like a long nondescript hallway with a single dim and flickering bulb, difficult to navigate with some of the doorknobs being harder to turn than others. It would require far more effort for Reno to psychically navigate around here with no information easily gleaned. If he wanted to find something he could but he would have to really focus, passive mind reading wasn't going to gain him too much but it was possible for maybe small bits.

"I don't know who the benefactor was, if I'm being honest. The Aku Twins were the ones that brought the gear, or at least told us where to find the stuff. I remember when we got the chi converters they led us to a shipping container at the docks in Porto Marinada and one of the containers had the converters inside. The benefactor didn't give us too much information about them either, just that they figured I could figure out how to use them to our advantage. I'll be honest I really underestimated what they were capable of." Giacomo explained to the pair of Snagems.

"But yeah, the Zoroark hybrids, they are the Aku Twins, obviously. I always thought they were weird but they worked for the benefactor and were the go between as I said. I didn't trust them too much so I insisted they stayed with my squad, you know, keep an eye on them. I specialize in Dark types, I figured if anyone could deal with them it would be me. Clearly I was wrong." Giacomo sighed. "They also had really weird rituals they would do every night, said it was part of their religion or something. They would pray under the moon to something they called the Black Hero and how they want them to return. Don't know what that is."

As Giacomo spoke Reno's mental stumbling about tell the Psychic Channeler that it was likely, but not certain, that the boy was telling the truth, nothing tipping off the psychic to anything otherwise. In fact, he caught an image of the twins praying as the 'viewer' hid behind some bushes, a memory of Giacomo's. He really didn't trust them after all.

So they had basically been gifted the chi converters? And they came with no instructions beyond a basic figure it out. So this mysterious benefactor knew where to find them and what they could do, but likely didn't have a grasp on the intricate technology to make them operational. Otherwise he would've given more instructions than just wing it. What was the security situation at Realgam Tower? He had been okay leaving that up to the Indigo Alliance to avoid pressing too many buttons after they extrajudicially imprisoned Ein, but maybe they should have included a few more caveats if this was the end result.

Either way, the new information on the now-named Aku Twins was something to certainly pursue. The cult information and the extra moniker to start pursuing was already more than anticipated, but maybe it was time to talk on the other main reason he had come here. "That caution may be what kept you safe. Which brings me to another question. The rest of the leadership that we could pin down were infected with the Parasect mushrooms that I can link to your benefactor. Do you have any idea what sort of vector might have been sued to introduce them to you all? The Aku Twins seem like a possible culprit but then, how did it end up missing you if you know?" Reno questioned, continuing to hope that passive mind reading would offer some insight until either things were desperately needed now or Giacomo gave permission to let Reno see more directly what he had seen.