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[Crystal Pool]

Aile stared at the pool for a moment, barely, as the light coming from the sun bouncing on it was extremely bright. “Wow, that’s bright. Geez.” Looking around, there were three Clefairy that ran behind a boulder. She would also go to see where they went after not seeing them on the other side of the boulder, only to find no trace. That… started to raise some red flags for her. SHe did appreciate the serenity of the place, as the path up here was very active on her tremor sense, not just in the sense of Pokémon footprints.

When she got closer, though, her eyes widened. “I.. yeah! I thought these crystals could only be found in Paldea! And they feel just like the ones from Asado?” She'd quickly look around, checking to see if any more cryptid Pokémon decided to pop out from somewhere, not wanting to get ambushed again like she, Reno, and Sol did in Paldea. That… wasn’t fun. And also as probably putting it mildly. At least for the moment, though, she didn’t pick up on anything, not with hearing, sight, or tremor sense. With that worry out of the way for the moment, she would bring her attention back to the pool,wondering how these crystals were here.


[Loyalty Plaza]

The hybrid’s ears twitched happily as she heard the lady explain. “Oooh, there’s going to be a demonstration? I can’t wait for that!” She was earnest, too. This sort of thing always had some sort of interest for her, seeing the historical practices of things, whether it be rituals, or in this case, how people made a new favorite treat she liked. “Looks like tonight’s going to be an interesting night then. Will there be something about the history of the festival as well? If so, sounds like it’ll be a great time!” As long as I can avoid Darts. she thought to herself. Though, considering the size of the town, she highly doubted it. A small town usually meant a small festival.

Tristen stared in confusion at Darts’s SNAG, not too sure if GRAY agreed with such a thing being on Darts’s SNAG like that, but more so the fact that he suddenly took a keen interest in this Pokémon. If there was any reason why Tristen would care if nothing else it was to try to figure out why one was here in Kitakami. Last he checked, they were squarely Paldea native, so it would have raised all manner of questions about it. Never mind the fact of why this thing isn’t in its treasure chest right now. His confusion furthermore kept him locked in place as Darts decided to make pursuit of the Gimmighoul. He'd shake his head then fight through it, rushing off to catch up. Tristen grimaced a little bit, now that he thought about it. Last time he went off with Darts on some hairbrained adventure, it ended up with Darts getting Tristen Trick-or-Treating when he couldn’t even have chocolate, followed by having to take care of some bullies, just to get stuff for a Hoopa. This probably wasn’t going to go anywhere good…

As Darts called back to him, Tristen only shook his head. “Ghost, at the very least, that I know of.” Tristen said, calling back. “I don’t know that much though. All I know is what I heard here and there back in school.”

Freth sighed, shaking her head. ”You’re not going after them?”

”Nope.” Freth nonchalantly replied. The Galarian Articuno hybrid looked back towards Sub. “Well, they’ll be a little bit at least.”

It would be a little bit before the group continued on until Sub figured to stop here to actually enjoy the scenery if nothing else. Have a picnic. After two botched vacations, he was determined to at the very least make this one worth something. While Freth wouldn’t sit down herself, she would instead allow her Pokémon to stretch out a little bit. Her Hisuan Sneasel would start stalking around the immediate area, in the tall grass to see if he couldn’t ambush anything. A bird. A small four-legged Pokémon. Something to try to hunt down. Though in a large expansive area like this? Not likely. Especially after telling Sneasel to stay close. Absol would stay back near Freth, loving the rubbing and scratching around its head, side, and mane around its neck. “At risk of delving into talking shop here, anything come of Paldea? Tristen didn’t really have much to talk about when we talked earlier so I was wondering if you heard anything yourself.” Freth asked Sub.

"There will be indeed dear!" The old woman beamed happily, pleased to see a young folk like Crystal so interested in historical and traditional things. "In fact, I was just about to get started heading in the direction of Kitakami Hall, want to pay my respects to the Loyal Three before tonight's festival, only seemed right. Unfortunately I don't move as well as I used to so I figure I better get moving now so I can reach Kitakami Hall before it gets too dark out, not good for an old lady to be out at night." The old woman said with a laugh, slowly walking up to Crystal and patting her on the shoulder.

"Maybe I'll see you there tonight dear, enjoy yourself." Crystal would then watch the elder begin to walk off, again noticing she moved painfully slow, even with the cane she used. At the rate she was going it might take her hours to get all the way to Kitakami Hall. She was certainly a trooper but it didn't seem right that this kind woman would have to walk that far alone, that slow.

Monique looked back toward where Kalama had run off, slightly up the road but just off the trail, to see that it was swatting its flaming bone without success, like someone trying to fend off a fly. Well, that's unusual, Monique thought. She never gets so agitated. Then, she saw a bone-colored glint in the light: a Pokémon, which could not be more than a tenth of a meter high, floating around the flaming bone mischievously. It looked even smaller than her Castform. Wow, she thought.

Moving in a little closer, she could see the source of Kalama's agitation somewhat more closely. The Pokémon had a black and bone pattern, but it had two floating green hands, carrying some kind of floating stick or cane. It looked like there were some markings on its body, some sort of rings. It was a tiny mite of a creature, which further piqued the sheriff's curiosity. She'd known Kalama since they patrolled the wastelands together, to the point where she'd call that Marowak her partner, and she couldn't recall a moment when something so small had proved so bothersome to her.

"Cha!" Without warning, the Pokémon cried out. The top of its body popped up, revealing that part of it was some sort of lid and there was some sort of green blob under it, a yellow swirl as an accent. From this new opening issued forth a burst of green powder, a fragrant blast that Kalama could not avoid as it sprayed across her face and eyes. Where previously the Pokémon had been moving around and Marowak was trying to get it out of her way, now it moved around with abandon, the Bone Keeper Pokémon suddenly sluggish and slow to move. Wait... That was paralysis! That's Stun Spore! Before Kalama's Trainer could act, the Pokémon readied its second attack. A purple-shaded ball formed around it, transferring and growing in size as it enveloped Marowak before collapsing in on her Pokémon and dealing damage. Kalama reeled, wincing in pain and crying out as she stepped back. "Wak!"

A theory of the case was starting to stir in Monique's mind. The energy in the damaging move was clearly Ghost-type based on its color, and it had obviously just used Stun Spore. So it was likely Ghost/Grass. But no Pokémon she knew of matched that description; that was Dhelmise, and Dhelmise was huge. Looking for an aid, any aid, she tapped her earpiece in hopes the Pokédex would provide a much-needed rescue. We're sorry, but information on this Pokémon is not available, it unreassuringly explained. Please contact your Pokédex maintainer for assistance. One-zero-one-two. She raised her eyebrow. Does this area have some of its own Pokémon? she wondered, figuring it would have had similar Pokémon to Kanto and Sinnoh. The last time the Snagem Pokédex had been left so totally clueless was her Wyrdeer, which she'd brought along in case the time came to explore the Kitakami backcountry.

The sheriff of New Po huffed and looked at Kalama. "You're gonna have to gut this out, dear. Shadow Bone when you can!" The Marowak held up her bone and gave it a twirling flick, all that was necessary as the flames flashed purple, concentrating on one end before slamming into the unaware Pokémon. The little cup took the brunt of the super-effective hit, which came from a considerably stronger Pokémon. "Chaaaaa," it whined, taking a moment to smart from its wound before launching another Hex, aiming to capitalize on its opponent's status. Between the typing and its doubled power, Kalama could not hang on any longer and fell to the grass, the flames on its bone flickering as it was no longer able to battle.

Monique recalled Kalama and sent out her next Pokémon, Noio the Honchkrow. A wind move will be impossible to evade... "Hurricane!" she called out. A sudden windstorm enveloped the two Pokémon—and Monique—concentrating in on the little ghost. It, too, was super-effective, the Pokémon suddenly dropping gradually toward the ground as it became too weak to move normally.

"Here's my chance." She chucked a Poké Ball at it, the tiny Pokémon being totally surrounded by the capsule as it was recorded as energy. It hit the ground and shook one...two...three times, coming to rest with an audible click. Monique had a new Pokémon—one that she knew next to nothing about.

"Come on, Noio, let's keep going," she called out to the Pokémon following her. She'd have to get Kalama healed soon, but for now, she couldn't waste any time in getting to Kitakami Hall...

...Or could she? She round the corner and saw several Snagems picnicking in a clearing along the road. There were sandwiches and tablecloths and... "Where did all this come from? What is this, Paldea?" she asked, stopping by. There were people she knew in her classes that all they talked about was making picnic food. They were crazy enough to be chatting about recipes and KlinkTot creators seemingly every moment before class. "Anyway, uhh... I caught a Pokémon our Pokédex has no information on!"

[Crystal Pool]

Aile bright her attention back to Aden from her watch to keep an eye out for cryptid Pokémon, noticing that he was getting more and more still, to the point of appearing like a statue. “Aden? Aden!” The woman would go back and forth between Aden and the crystals in the lake, noting that this behavior didn’t start until he started getting a good look at them. Deciding to shift herself to block Aden’s view, she’d wave her hands in his face, starting to panic a little as he continued to be unmoving. “If I had a coin for every time, something happened when I was alone with you, I’d have two… which is odd that it happened twice, in rather short order. Come on Aden, snap out of it!” She’d take another look back at the crystals before coming back to Aden, trying to shake his shoulder with her sand arm. If this was something that could somehow be passed on with touch, maybe her prosthetic arm could bypass it. Did those crystals have this sort of ability in general, or did they just decide to go to a place where they reacted like this?


[Loyalty Plaza]

“Certainly, I hope to see you there!” Crystal would wave to the old woman as she began to walk away, the pace of her walk causing her concern. That… wasn’t very fast, and she wanted to get there before dark? Hm…. Running through solutions in her head, there was an option to create a lightboard to carry her, but given how she treated her appearance as an outfit, maybe didn’t want to rock the boat there and show off crazy abilities. She could give her a lift herself, maybe carry her on her back, but usually females weren’t strong enough for that, despite she herself not even blinking an eye at carrying someone. At least one person. However, again, she didn’t want to appear completely out of the normal. That left…

Crystal would bring out a well worn Pokeball, pressing the button to bring out Demon Wing. The black Charizard looked around at his surroundings for a moment before looking to his trainer, tilting his head. “Hey, Demon Wing, think you could do me a favor? Think we could help that woman out, give her a ride to where she needs to go?” There would be some growls and grunts from the pseudo dragon, translating roughly into ‘Why can’t you give her a lift? You’re clearly more capable now.’

“Simple, she thinks I’m human still,” she’d explain, trying to keep her voice down slightly. “And if that’s the case, let’s keep the charade up a little bit, since we’re in quite a small town. Closer to a village, if I can be honest. Please?” There would be a moment of silence before grumbling and nodding, recalling how people could be… not terribly pleasant to hybrids back in Kalos. “Thanks, Demon Wing.” Giving her Charizard a hug, she’d call out to the elderly woman once more.

“Uh, ma’am! Wait a moment, please! Is there any way my Charizard could give you a lift and we keep you company as well? You’d have to direct us to Kitakami Hall, but it would almost certainly be faster than just walking by yourself? That way you could hopefully get there with more time to enjoy the festival! And don’t mind his appearance, he’s really rather nice.” Hopefully a Black Charizard wasn’t going to freak her out. She never thought of him as a bad omen, but she wasn’t so sure how some of these smaller, out of the way places would react. Superstitions and all.

Noting the rest of the group moving on, Darts (and Tristen) approached the little Gimmighoul giving it's herculean effort to try and remove the coin from the water. Scuttling and struggling, the riverbend was getting closer and closer despite the exertions on the little Ghost-type's part. Finally, right as the two get there the coin gets swept under the surface and whisked away. "Gimmiiiiiiiii!!!!" It shrieks, sounding for all the world like it's in pain as it reaches a nubby arm forward where the money had been a second ago. It makes sad little clinking sounds, all the world an imitation of two coins clacking together as it mourns the loss of its prey, its tail drooping behind it. Its Itemfinder antenna have continued tracking the coin's position independently as it went under and settled in the silt of the riverbottom, jutting out in front of it and remaining still at a spot a few feet away.

After a minute of small clinking crying, it seems to make a decision, its brow furrowing with intent as it rises to its feet, golden eyes fixated on the spot in the river where the coin had gone under. As it takes a couple steps forward with every intention of diving into the water, where a Pokemon as small as it would surely drown, Darts decides he has to intervine.

"Woooah, woah woah. Hold on a second there buddy." He implores, holding a hand out. They were still a couple feet away, but he didn't want the Pokemon to leap to its doom. The Gimmighoul whirls around at the sound, startled, taking the measure of who or what had approached. A noise starts, low pitched at first but intensifying and deepening in its intensity. "GimmmiiiiiiiiIIII!" the little ghost squeals, as it takes in Darts in front of it, glittering in the evening sun. To the Pokemon it looked like it had just ran into the equivalent of a walking talking winning lottery ticket. Golden hands? Golden crest? Accents on the jacket? If you parted this thing out do you KNOW how much you could get for it on the secondary market?

"IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII!!!!" The shriek continues, something like the mix of when you scan an item at a cash register and two pieces of metal scraping together. It's not particularly loud, but it is piercing. Darts scratches the outside of his crest, beginning to regret having interjected in this state of affairs as he and Tristen stand there looking at the Gimmighoul standing in front of them. Its mouth was wide open, the sound emitting as its antennae are working overtime, wiggling up and down all across Darts' body as its little tail shook and wiggled behind it. They paused occasionally on a particularly golden bit of him and he got the uncomfortable feeling for the first time in his life like he was a particularly choice Tauros headed to the slaughterhouse.

"Tristen what in the world is going on here?" He asks, unnerved. As he takes half a step back, the shrieking stops, replaced by a maybe even more unnerving chirruppy sound as the Gimmighoul approached, like two coins sliding against each other repeatedly. It didn't look like it was going to attack, but he still didn't like the gleam in its eyes as the tiny Pokemon got closer. Without waiting for permission, it clambers him much like a mountain climber approaching a particularly difficult rock face, clambering his leg and then leaping to his jacket, which shivers a little in protest as it moves to one of his golden rib accents. The Pokemon taps it with a loud clink, testing it for some aureate property Darts wasn't aware of as it presses a golden eye almost against the stuff, examining it to what seemed to be microscopic detail. He doesn't want to spook the thing, his hands hovering awkwardly as it clinks and clanks away, but that was his body for Arceus' sake.

The Gimmighoul yanks on Darts' rib accent, eliciting a yelp of pain from him. "Owwwch, Arceus help me, stop!" He demands, snatching the Gimmighoul off of his side, holding it in between his two hands. The Ghost-type wriggles a little, but only to free one of its arms to repeat the process of appraising the gambler's hands, tapping the top of it even while constrained inside the gold fingers. "....Stop it," Darts demands, shaking the Gimmighoul a little bit to interrupt the ongoing analyzing. "What are you trying to do here? These are part of me, I can't just take them off..."

"Gimmi, Ghoul, Gimmmiiiii..." The little Pokemon squeaks, apparently giving Darts a business pitch. From the sounds of things, as Darts' red eyes wrinkle with concentration as he tries to make sense of the Pokemon's clinky language, Gimmighoul was trying to explain that with THIS MUCH gold he could potentially finally be able to make his own chest and have something to get started with. So if you could, pretty please, remove the gloves and mask and just let me take them I would be very grateful and remember you always.

"What, so you don't have your own chest?" Darts asks, cocking an eyebrow beneath his crest. "Apparently, he doesn't have a chest." He shoots to Tristen, still listening.

"Gim, gim, gim...." The ghost explains, plaintively, pleadingly clutching its nubs together as it looks up at Darts' face.

"It says it's a wanderer even amongst its own kind, born of a coin in a place far from here. It also wants to know if the 'big blue and gold one' has any pocket change because I'm apparently too cheap to cut off my own face and hands..." The Giratina hybrid turns to Tristen, looking between Gimmighoul and Tristen, the antenna waving down in the direction Tristen's pockets as it seeks out his pocket change. "Well?" He asks the boy after a couple seconds, expectantly. "I'm definitely not cutting off my hands, and you KNOW I don't have any money..." If it sounded like Darts was desperate he probably was as the Snagem was in no hurry to get the same treatment to his head that his ribs and hands had already gone through.