The Hatchery

[Stargazer]

Originally Posted by Stargazer

I'd like to exchange my first Breeding Slot of the year for a Cascadia Modern Egg please!

Hatching this one!

[Lil'twick]

Missingno. Master: You have hatched a female Hisuian Sneasel!

Stargazer: You have hatched a female Alolan Grimer!

[Lil'twick]

Dropping off a City Chic Egg from 135 FC Staff Rewards

[Missingno. Master]

Originally Posted by Missingno. Master

Life as one of Keith Masters's Pokémon was scarcely dull, to put it mildly. And one thing that those that Keith had caught prior to his wedding all had to adjust to, was the time distortion that suddenly made Keith and his wife ten years older, with the side effect of bringing their unborn daughter all the way to age ten in what seemed to them like seconds. Well, to most of them, anyway- one of them, Selia the Musharna, had in fact gone with them through the distortion. This was no accident, either- with the whole affair foreseen by Luna the Swoobat, certain preparations had been put into place so as to minimize risk to all involved, while allowing the Pokémon that did not go along for the ride the benefit of memories of those lost years, by way of Selia's Dream Mist. And for the most part, these memories were good experiences for the Pokémon involved, as they got to "relive" past memories of the years they seemingly skipped, watching Maribel grow up, helping Keith and Willa around the house, things of that nature.

But for one of Keith's Pokémon, the memories he received were... grim. Sirius, one of Keith's trusty Mightyena, was made aware that he hadn't made it all the way through those ten years, due to an unfortunate incident crossing a busy street one day. Once the initial shock wore off, however, Sirius became determined to live his life to the fullest, while also being easily ten times more careful around motor vehicles. Thus, when an opportunity such as this presented itself, he found that saying no was simply out of the question.

Thus it came to be that Keith and Sirius arrived at the Hatchery one fine spring morning, the former looking on and smiling as the latter peered intently out the front window, tail wagging a mile a minute. "Easy, now, boy. Hyrem'll bring her," Keith said, gently petting the Dark-type. "I know, though- it's been a long time, hasn't it? And don't forget this," he added, indicating the jar of Hisuian Incense in his hand. "Terri and Luna told me we wouldn't regret getting this involved, so I'm guessing Sneasel has a Hisuian Form," he chuckled. "I'd look it up, but frankly, I kinda want to be surprised on this," he stated. He said no more, and just kept petting the Mightyena, looking out the window alongside him as they waited for Keith's friend to bring the Mightyena's beloved.

OOC: Dropping off my male Mightyena to breed with GS's female Weavile, and leaving this Hisuian Incense with them to influence things. I keep the offspring, and am shelling out ₽1,000 to ensure aforementioned offspring is female. Sirius's stats are as follows;

...I knew I was forgetting something else, too. Dropping Sirius back off to breed with GS's Weavile once more, Hisuian Incense and everything, but this time GS keeps the Egg.

[Gemini Spark]

Originally Posted by Gemini Spark

And I hereby drop off my female Weavile named Leila to finally breed with Missingno. Master's Mightyena, letting him have this egg!


Name: Leila
Species: Weavile♀
Level: 100
Current Location: Inactive
Ability: Pressure (Attacks that hit user drain additional energy)
Nature: Naughty (+Atk, -SpDef, likes Spicy, hates Bitter)
Held Item: Red Card (If hit by an attack that makes physical contact, remove the Pokemon from battle)
Bond: 30
Contest Stats: Beauty 90/Cool 90/Cute 90/Smart 90/Tough 90
Current Movepool: Scratch, Leer, Taunt, Quick Attack, Feint Attack, Icy Wind, Fury Swipes, Agility, Embargo, Revenge, Assurance, Nasty Plot, Metal Claw, Hone Claws, Fling, Beat Up*, Screech, Night Slash, Slash*, Snatch, Punishment, Dark Pulse, Ice Shard, (Assist), (Avalanche), (Bite), (Counter), (Crush Claw), (Double Hit), (Fake Out), (Feint), (Foresight), (Ice Punch), (Icicle Crash), (Pursuit), (Reflect), (Spite), (Throat Chop), [Focus Punch], [Foul Play], [Fury Cutter], [Iron Tail], [Knock Off], [Laser Focus], [Lash Out], [Low Kick], [Snore], [Triple Axel], {Ice Beam}, {Blizzard}, {Brick Break}, {Aerial Ace}, {Attract}, {Sunny Day}, {False Swipe}, {Shadow Claw}, {X-Scissor}, {Poison Jab}, {Surf}, {Cut}, {Strength}, {Swords Dance}, Ice Barrier (Custom), {Dig}, {Rock Smash}, Gummi Bomb (Custom), Guardian Terrain (Custom), Can't Catch Me (Custom)
TMs to Learn: Calm Mind, Toxic, Hail, Hidden Power, Hyper Beam, Protect, Rain Dance, Frustration, Return, Shadow Ball, Double Team, Torment, Facade, Rest, Thief, Low Sweep, Round, Focus Blast, Payback, Giga Impact, Psych Up, Dream Eater, Swagger, Sleep Talk, Substitute, Snarl, Confide

Am also keeping Leila here for another two weeks so she can produce offspring that I keep this time!

[Stargazer]

Originally Posted by Lil'twick

[color=#fff59d]
Stargazer: You have hatched a female Alolan Grimer!

Thanks! Unfortunately not really what I was aiming for...
Putting her into 1 Pokeball (of 4)

[Missingno. Master]

And for my final breed of 2022, dropping off my female Rhyhorn and my male Venusaur to breed, and leaving my Old Spice Incense with them to ensure I'm in for a Bulbasaur. Their stats are as follows;

Rhyhorn

Species: Rhyhorn ()
Gender: Female
Level: 21
Type: Ground/Rock
Attacks: Fury Attack, Horn Attack, Sand Attack, Stomp, Tackle, Tail Whip, Smack Down, Bind, Fake Tears, Brine, Flamethrower, Dragon Pulse, Scary Face, Bulldoze, Rock Throw, Rock Smash, Stealth Rock.
Usable Z-Moves: N/A
Next attack learned: Rock Blast (lv. 23)
Evolution; >lv. 42> >>
Nature: Gentle
Ability: Rock Head
Bond: 0
Cute stat: 0
Beauty stat: 0
Tough stat: 0
Smart stat: 0
Cool stat: 0
Obtained: Santalune Rhyhorn Racetrack (Adoption Center)

Bio:
During a Rhyhorn race, one of the Rhyhorn showed a distinct disinterest in the sport, to general disdain, though Maribel stood up for her, stating that not all Rhyhorn were necessarily interested in racing. This endeared her to Rhyhorn, and Maribel ended up catching her after her previous Trainer unceremoniously released her. Rhyhorn's rough, rocky exterior is at odds with the big softie inside. Tears of emotion are not an uncommon sight from her, and she loves hugs. That being said, she has far more interest in battling than she ever did in Rhyhorn racing, and serves Maribel extremely well in that regard. She gets along with her teammates for the most part- while she's happy to spar with Bouffalant, she consistently refuses any challenges to race, having no fond memories of her time competing in said sport. Her best friend on the team, however, appears to be Dracovish, and the two can often be found playing together. And while Rhyhorn does not like to race, she is not adverse to giving Maribel rides on her back all the same.

Dennis

Species: Venusaur ()
Gender: Male
Level: 53
Type: Grass/Poison
Attacks: Tackle, Growl, Bind, Rock Smash, Sludge, Cut, Strength, Flash, Leech Seed, Vine Whip, Poison Powder, Sleep Powder, Take Down, Giga Drain, Razor Wind, Hidden Power (Fire), Razor Leaf, Sweet Scent, Growth, Double-Edge, Petal Dance, Rock Climb, Outrage, Bide, Grass Pledge, Frenzy Plant, Venoshock, Hyper Beam, Body Slam, Earthquake, Toxic, Skull Bash, Rage, Reflect, String Shot, Power Whip, Grassy Terrain, Sludge Wave, Knock Off, Seed Bomb, Worry Seed, Curse, Payback, Swords Dance, Seismic Toss, Shadow Storm, Synthesis, Amnesia, Fury Cutter, Dragon Dance, Grassy Glide, Throat Chop, Gummi Bomb (Fire), Guardian Terrain, Defensive Shield, Sappy Seed, Solar Beam, Stomping Tantrum, Fissure.
Usable Z-Moves: Acid Downpour, Z-Poison Powder, Z-Toxic, Z-Curse.
Evolution: >Egg House hatching>>Lv. 16>>Lv. 32>
Nature: Jolly
Ability: Overgrow
Bond: 30
Cute stat: 90
Beauty stat: 90
Tough stat: 90
Smart stat: 90
Cool stat: 90
Obtained: Egg House

Bio:
Dennis is easily excitable, and loves to battle. He looks up to Pomona as an older sister, and has great respect for the Ivysaur. Though initially inexperienced at battle, he eventually grew to be one of Keith's stronger Pokémon, and is an excellent sparring partner for the likes of Scorpius and Melittin. He aspires to one day Mega Evolve, enthralled by the idea of becoming that much stronger in battle.

[Stargazer]

Dropping of my super special Birthday Egg!

[Lil'twick]

Stargazer: You have hatched a Male Gastly with EM Will-o-Wisp!

[Stargazer]

Originally Posted by Lil'twick

Stargazer: You have hatched a Male Gastly with EM Will-o-Wisp!

Wooo, kinda hoping it'd be you! Not so sure how Aster will react when the two of you finally meet though...

Picking up Whisper the Gastly in 1 Pokeball (of 3). Thank you!

[Lil'twick]

Originally Posted by Lil'twick

Dropping off a City Chic Egg from 135 FC Staff Rewards

A little late but hatchies plz!!!!!

[Missingno. Master]

Originally Posted by Lil'twick

A little late but hatchies plz!!!!!

The atmosphere at the Hatchery was somewhat frantic. The staff, including volunteer for the day Edward Starmie, were all scrambling, bad pun fully intended, to get to work on hatching an Egg that had been brought in past the point where it was due to actually hatch.

"I'm told this is a more common occurrence than one might think," Eddie Starmie was reassuring the Egg's owner. "We have every reason to believe the Egg will hatch safely and comfortably, just as if it had been brought in on time. Come," he added, gesturing for the Trainer to follow him, as Eddie in turn followed the regular Hatchery staff into a back room.

Soon, everything was all set. The Egg was pulsing gently with energy, emanating a steadily intensifying glow. Eddie watched intently. And then, suddenly, the Egg seemed to surge with energy, the glow brightening to the point where it would no longer be advisable to look directly at the Egg... and just as quickly as it had started, it stopped, revealing a cute Pokémon, dark brown in coloration, with cream-colored tufts of especially fluffy fur here and there. Hatchery staff converged gently upon the newborn, doing their best to not spook it as they assessed its health, and to general relief, they smiled and nodded, one of them flashing a thumbs-up to Eddie.

"Just as I thought," Eddie confirmed to the Trainer. "Happy and healthy. Congratulations. Why don't you go and meet your new friend?" he suggested, gesturing towards the Buneary.

Lil'twick: Buneary♂ hatched from the Egg!

• It also knows the Egg move Copycat! It also knows the Egg move Copycat!
• It also knows the Egg move Fire Punch! This should heat things up!
• It also knows the Egg move Low Kick! Talk about a tripping hazard!

[Lil'twick]

Originally Posted by Missingno. Master

The atmosphere at the Hatchery was somewhat frantic. The staff, including volunteer for the day Edward Starmie, were all scrambling, bad pun fully intended, to get to work on hatching an Egg that had been brought in past the point where it was due to actually hatch.

"I'm told this is a more common occurrence than one might think," Eddie Starmie was reassuring the Egg's owner. "We have every reason to believe the Egg will hatch safely and comfortably, just as if it had been brought in on time. Come," he added, gesturing for the Trainer to follow him, as Eddie in turn followed the regular Hatchery staff into a back room.

Soon, everything was all set. The Egg was pulsing gently with energy, emanating a steadily intensifying glow. Eddie watched intently. And then, suddenly, the Egg seemed to surge with energy, the glow brightening to the point where it would no longer be advisable to look directly at the Egg... and just as quickly as it had started, it stopped, revealing a cute Pokémon, dark brown in coloration, with cream-colored tufts of especially fluffy fur here and there. Hatchery staff converged gently upon the newborn, doing their best to not spook it as they assessed its health, and to general relief, they smiled and nodded, one of them flashing a thumbs-up to Eddie.

"Just as I thought," Eddie confirmed to the Trainer. "Happy and healthy. Congratulations. Why don't you go and meet your new friend?" he suggested, gesturing towards the Buneary.

Lil'twick: Buneary♂ hatched from the Egg!

• It also knows the Egg move Copycat! It also knows the Egg move Copycat!
• It also knows the Egg move Fire Punch! This should heat things up!
• It also knows the Egg move Low Kick! Talk about a tripping hazard!

Picking up this smol bun in a Pokeball, ty!

[Gemini Spark]

Originally Posted by Gemini Spark

Am also keeping Leila here for another two weeks so she can produce offspring that I keep this time!

Welcome to the Raid: Shadow Legends Hatch Time Show! Featuring this latest egg!

[Missingno. Master]

Originally Posted by Gemini Spark

Welcome to the Raid: Shadow Legends Hatch Time Show! Featuring this latest egg!

It was a big day at the Hatchery- following the birth of the long-thought-extinct Hisuian Form of Qwilfish, the staff had been keenly interested in what would come from the Eggs laid by Hyrem's Weavile and Keith's Mightyena, considering the very same Hisuian Incense that had facilitated aforementioned Hisuian Qwilfish was doing its thing here and now.

A woman with dark green hair and an unreadable expression greeted Hyrem as he entered the Hatchery. "Ah, Hyrem," she said. "You're just in time, your Egg should be hatching very soon. Right this way," she said, leading the way into the back.

Once back there, Hyrem would see the Eggs- yes, Eggs, plural. The woman led Hyrem over to one of them, then joined the man standing beside the other one- that man, of course, being none other than Keith Masters, who put an arm around his wife at her approach. "Ah, hey, Hyrem," grinned Keith. "Man, this is exciting!"

"Indeed," concurred the woman, eyeing the Egg with an air of curiosity. "It shouldn't be much longer than another few minutes or- oh!" she gave a soft gasp as both Eggs started to pulse with light. Slowly the light intensified, and then once it became so bright that it was no longer advisable to look directly at the Eggs, there were twin bursts of energy, and the glows faded away. And what they left in their wake was, well, surprising, to say the least. They were both Sneasel, for sure, but not as they were known to the world. Identical in general appearance and color scheme to each other, but very much different from how normal Sneasel looked. Willa Masters set to work at once, accompanied by regular Hatchery staff, to check up on the health of the newborns. And maybe, in the process, learn a little bit about them. Finally, they all backed away, and Willa gave a nod to Hyrem, signaling that he was good to approach his newest Pokémon.

Gemini Spark: Sneasel♀ (Hisuian Form) hatched from the Egg!

[Missingno. Master]

Originally Posted by Missingno. Master

And for my final breed of 2022, dropping off my female Rhyhorn and my male Venusaur to breed, and leaving my Old Spice Incense with them to ensure I'm in for a Bulbasaur. Their stats are as follows;

"...Huh," Eddie murmured, peering at the screen of one of many computers in his laboratory one afternoon. "Now that's odd."

What's odd? came the telepathic question as Homer, Eddie's gluttonous Alakazam, came floating over, in the process of chewing on a donut.

"I was checking this cryptopokology message board I'm a member of" Eddie began. "And apparently just a few minutes ago, cries were heard in the vicinity of Viridian Forest that sounded like those of the legendary Zapdos. Which in and of itself wouldn't be enough to warrant attention in these circles... except there evidently hasn't been a thunderstorm in that area in the past month," he concluded significantly. "Thunderstorms are the hallmark of Zapdos, a meteorological calling card. So to hear Zapdos's cry when there hasn't been any sign of a thunderstorm..."

...alright, that is bizarre, conceded Homer, before peering closer at the screen, raising an eyebrow as he read something. ...you call yourself Missingno. Master? What kind of stupid username is that? he snarked.

"Hey, it gets right to the point, and it has the added appeal of alliteration," Eddie stated. "I for one like it. Now, Homer, let's get moving- aaaand, he's gone," Eddie sighed, for at the first intimation that he might be asking for the Alakazam's help, Homer Teleported away without missing a beat. "Typical. All right, I'll have to see if Tom's available, then- if he pushes the Banette's Revenge as fast as she'll go, we could make port in Pallet Town within the hour. If there really is one of those in Viridian Forest, I just have to see what's brought it there... 'M is normally only found in coastal areas, after all..." Still murmuring to himself, he stood up, and made his way to the laboratory's exit, taking a moment to fill his parents in on where he was going before he left.

OOC: Let's hatch this thing!

[Lil'twick]

Missingno. Master: You have hatched a Female Shiny Bulbasaur!

[Missingno. Master]

Originally Posted by Lil'twick

Missingno. Master: You have hatched a Female Shiny Bulbasaur!

"...and following the reports of alleged Zapdos cries in the Viridian Forest area, despite no thunderstorms in weeks, I naturally rushed to investigate. Even for cryptopokology, an 'M living in a forest is highly unusual- they typically live in coastal areas where Missingno. can be found. My grandfather, Oldman Starmie, has posited the notion that 'M might be migratory, though there's currently no evidence to suggest as much. Whatever this situation may turn out to be, I intend to see it through and find out the truth." At this, Eddie Starmie stopped speaking, and pressed the button on his tape recorder to stop the recording process. "Very, very unusual," he murmured. "Zapdos brings thunderstorms with it, that's common knowledge, so what else could this be but an 'M? But you never see 'M in a fores- what in the...?" he breathed, adjusting his glasses as he could see movement through the trees ahead. As he ventured closer, he could make out a pair of figures in a small forest clearing. One was a Shiny Bulbasaur, standing completely still, stiffening her body with Iron Defense in what seemed to be her best impersonation of a Bulbasaur statue, eyeing Eddie warily. The Bulbasaur stood between Eddie and the other figure, a little girl who was on her knees, clutching a Butterfree net, and looking around fearfully... as her body appeared to glitch up and scramble intermittently, as though her very existence was a poorly-made computer program.

"X-x above," Eddie murmured, eyes widening behind his thick glasses. He took a step forward and spoke up. "Excuse me-" he began.

"SAUR!" the Bulbasaur interrupted, letting loose with a powerful Explosion! Eddie and the strange girl scrambled backwards at once, and were thankfully unharmed by the blast. The Bulbasaur, however, fainted on the spot.

"O-oh, no, Dusty!" whimpered the girl, crawling over to her Shiny Bulbasaur. "Oh, what happened to us...?"

"...excuse me?" Eddie tried again, speaking softly and gently. "My name is Eddie Starmie. Is there something I can do to help?"

The girl looked up at Eddie, uncertainty visible in her eyes behind her own glasses even as her face flickered and scrambled in appearance every few seconds. After a moment, however, she looked down at her unconscious Bulbasaur, then back up at Eddie. "Please, I... I don't know what happened," she whimpered, slowly standing up. "I- I was just... one of the other Bug Catchers in this forest, he- he challenged me to a battle, but- well, I didn't want to, Dusty, she's- well, she was just a Sh-Shiny Metapod- and- and Sammy has a B-Beedrill, we wouldn't have stood a chance... s-so I just... I bolted without giving him an answer. W-we battled another Bug Catcher out on Route 2, Doug, and it was a- a tie, but then when we were healing our Pokémon in- in Pewter City, this- this Kadabra was rampaging, and- D-Dusty tried to attack it to keep it away, and... well, thankfully it- I got away, a-and other Trainers were- seemed to be subduing it, b-but once I got back in the forest, this... I... I don't know what... just loomed before me, and- and a Poké Ball flew out of it, and it sent out this- this Charizard, and- but it sounded like-"

"-like the legendary Zapdos?" supplied Eddie, going pale as he realized exactly where this was going.

The girl's eyes widened in shock. "Y-yes, exactly!" she breathed. "B-but how did you know?"

"Well, I have a feeling I might know what's happened," said Eddie. "But to confirm it, I'll need to know the rest of what you experienced," he added gently.

The girl nodded, took a deep breath, and continued. "Th-that was around when my body started to... well," she trailed off, looking down at herself as her whole body, Butterfree net and all, continued to flicker and distort. "It... it actually doesn't hurt, but... I still feel something happening at the same time," she attempted to explain.

Eddie nodded. "It's a strange phenomenon, but on the whole, as we understand it, not a dangerous one," he stated. "Though the other circumstances you mentioned so far, those raise some questions, I will admit."

"L-like what?" asked the girl.

Eddie shook his head. "I'll save those for later. One thing at a time. First, the rest of the story?" he asked.

"O-oh, yes," nodded the girl. "Well... I sent out Dusty, b-but instead of looking like a-like a normal Metapod, she... she somehow turned into a Bulbasaur!" she exclaimed. "a-and... I was too afraid of that Ch-Charizard to try attacking, s-so... I-I thought if I threw an empty P-Poké Ball at it, I- w-we could distract it for a moment, and get away."

"And instead, it simply vanished?" Eddie asked.

"...how did you know?" the girl asked. "Please, I- wh-what happened to us?" she pleaded.

Eddie gave a deep sigh. "What you describe bears all the hallmarks of ZZAZZ," he explained. "A cryptopokological phenomenon that... typically traps its victims in a hellish dimension, turning their Pokémon into Bulbasaur, scrambling their very being, and finishing them off. However... here you are, alive and well," he said, gesturing to the confused girl. "This is... not a typical outcome, you understand. You survived what for most would be a death sentence."

"I... what?" The girl asked, bewildered. "H-how? I- I'm nothing special, I'm just..." she trailed off, looking down at the ground.

"... what's your name?" Eddie inquired.

"I'm ZZLZZ," came the reply. Then, she blinked, looking all the more bewildered at what she'd just said. "...what?" She murmured. "That... no, that doesn't- that- that sounds- that's- that's not right, but... a-and yet-"

"...and yet it came so naturally to you, and in some sense, does feel right," Eddie supplied, nodding gravely. "Another effect of ZZAZZ- your name, anyone's recollection of it, any written record of it... Gone, replaced, overwritten by the letter Z for the most part. We should get you home," he stated. "Your parents must be worri-" He stopped short, however, as he noticed ZZLZZ's reaction to the mention of her parents, noticed the tears welling up in her eyes. He could piece together enough from that alone. "...I'm so sorry," Eddie whispered, mortified.

ZZLZZ shook her head. "Y-you couldn't have known," she murmured sadly. "It was just last month, th-they both were exploring Mt.- Mt. Moon, when..." she said no more, trying hard to not burst into tears by this point, but Eddie didn't need her to finish- he'd heard about the cave-in last month, about how most of a team of archaeologists hasn't been able to get to safety in time. "... I've been sleeping in- in the P-Pewter City Pokémon Center ever since," she said. "A-and I can tell I've b-been starting to- to w-wear out m-my welcome th-there, too... I... I have no family left, Eddie, nowhere to go, a-and now this happens to- to me and- and Dusty..."

At this point, despite what were clearly her best efforts, ZZLZZ began to cry. Eddie walked closer, putting a hand on her shoulder, and the glitched girl, still crying, threw her arms around him, in obvious need of comfort, to which Eddie responded by hugging her back. As this went on, Eddie felt a peculiar sensation throughout his body, and upon looking, realized that he too was glitching and flickering, though from how it felt, this effect was surely purely visual- neither himself nor ZZLZZ felt anywhere near as broken-up and distorted as they were intermittently appearing. And it was like this they stayed for a good few minutes. Slowly but surely, she began to calm down, and once she let go, so too did Eddie, at which point the glitching and the associated sensation stopped for Eddie (though continued for ZZLZZ). "...thank you," she murmured. "Though I still don't know what I'm gonna do now," she added.

"...you should come with me," Eddie stated. "I run a cryptopokology research lab in the Fizzytopia region, and ZZAZZ is right in that field of study. We should be able to answer any questions you might have on this matter, and do what we can for... Dusty, you called him?" he added, glancing at what was now a feebly stirring Bulbasaur.

"I..." ZZLZZ began uncertainly. "I'm not sure- EEEEK!" she shrieked, for at that instant, a sizable bird came swooping down, and it was only through a well-timed duck that ZZLZZ avoided getting hit by the aggressive avian.

"Ah!" Eddie exclaimed, looking up warily at their attacker.

"Eddie, run away- Pidgeotto are vicious and extremely territorial!" whimpered ZZLZZ, looking half-ready to bolt herself.

Eddie, however, shook his head, eyeing the Pidgeotto as it seemed to be wheeling around for another shot at who it perceived as intruders. He stepped in front of ZZLZZ, shielding her as he plucked a Steel Ball off his belt and enlarged it. "I'll take care of this," he stated simply. ZZLZZ said nothing at this, still looking timid and half ready to make a run for it, but moved by curiosity by the Steel Ball Eddie had ready, she stayed put.

"Pidgeooooooo!" trilled Pidgeotto, diving down for another attempted Tackle attack.

Eddie adjusted his glasses with his free hand as he threw the Steel Ball. "Go! Incognito!" he exclaimed, his Klink appearing in a flash of light, minigears rotating perpetually. Pidgeotto slammed into Incognito, but the Steel-type took the Tackle attack extremely well, only flying about a foot back before regaining its composure.

"Attack using Gear Grind!" Eddie commanded as Pidgeotto recovered from the impact.

"KLIIIINK!" droned Incognito as it flew right at Pidgeotto, one minigear after the other, landing two solid hits that seemed to stun the bird in midair.

Eddie seized his chance. "Thunder Shock!" he called out.

"KLIIIIIIIIIII... KLIIIIIIIINK!" Incognito responded, lighting up Pidgeotto with a potent electric shock.

All the while, ZZLZZ was looking up at Eddie admiringly. "Wow..." she murmured.

Pidgeotto had had enough by this point. Realizing it was thoroughly outmatched by the Klink, it wisely decided to fly away, and only once it was out of sight did Eddie exhale. "Great work, Incognito," he smiled, taking a cloth out of his pocket and polishing one of its minigears affectionately.

"KLIIINK, KLIIIINK," Incognito droned happily in response.

"Eddie, that- that was so cool," smiled ZZLZZ. "I... you weren't scared of Pidgeotto at all! I... we Bug Catchers, we... there's not usually much we can do except run for our lives if- if a Pidgeotto decides we're intruders..."

"Ah... it was nothing, really," Eddie replied modestly. "I'm sure if you work with your Pokémon, you can get to the point where they wouldn't pose too much of a problem for you, either."

"You think so?" asked ZZLZZ. "Wow... um... alright, Eddie, I... I think I'll come with you to this lab of yours," she decided. Following this, she held out a Net Ball, pointing it at her Metapod-turned-Bulbasaur. "Dusty, return," she added, withdrawing her partner Pokémon.

Eddie smiled. "Let's get moving, then," he said, likewise withdrawing his Klink. "My ride home docked his ship at Pallet Town, so it'll be a bit of a walk, but I'm certain we can make it before night falls." With that, he proceeded to lead the way south, with ZZLZZ following close behind, body still glitching and flickering as they went.

The walk from Viridian Forest down to Pallet Town was relatively uneventful, though by no means did ZZLZZ find it enjoyable. She couldn't help but notice everywhere she looked that any person who saw her made an active attempt to keep their distance, as though afraid of catching something. Each instance of this caused her to squirm uncomfortably. Nevertheless, they made it to Pallet Town without any real incident, and once they did so, ZZLZZ could not fail to notice the impressive ship docked at the southernmost tip of the small town. Once they got closer and could see the tall, intimidating figure standing beside her, however, ZZLZZ made to hide behind Eddie. "It's all right," Eddie assured her. "This is Tom McPhione, he's a friend. And this is his ship, the Banette's Revenge, this is how we'll be getting to Sludge Wave Coast."

"Ahoy, lass," Tom said in a surprisingly gentle tone of voice compared to what ZZLZZ had been expecting. "Eddie here be tellin' the truth- shiver me timbers!" he exclaimed as he saw ZZLZZ's body glitching out again. "What in the...?"

"It's a long story, Tom," said Eddie. "And there's parts of it I'm not even clear on myself. This is ZZLZZ. She'll be coming with us back to Sludge Wave Coast."

"Aye, then," Tom nodded. "Me apologies, miss ZZLZZ," he added somewhat sheepishly. "Took ol' Tom a bit by surprise, be all."

"It... it's OK, sir," ZZLZZ replied meekly. "Th- the day I've had took me by surprise, too."

"Be that right?" Tom murmured. "Arr, well, then, come aboard, the both o' ye, and we'll set sail fer Sludge Wave Coast in two shakes of a Flaaffy's tail!"

~~~~~

"...shiver me timbers," Tom said weakly- he, Eddie, and ZZLZZ all stood at the helm of the Banette's Revenge, where Eddie had filled Tom in on all he knew of ZZLZZ's story and condition. "ZZAZZ, then, says ye? And the lass lived to tell the tale? Yarr, a rare stroke o' luck, that be, indeed."

"I... I don't know how I did it, though," murmured ZZLZZ. "I never even h-heard of ZZAZZ before today... A-and what was the deal with that... that Charizard that-"

"That was no Charizard," Eddie replied grimly, shaking his head as he pressed several buttons on his Pokédex. "Have a look," he said, showing the device to ZZLZZ. The screen displayed what looked like a Charizard, but the entry was anything but.

"'M- Charizard Form- the Glitched Joey Pokémon. A Fire and Flying-type," droned the device. "This form is believed to have it's origins in the earliest known instance of a Pokémon Trainer being lost to ZZAZZ, where the Trainer's Kangaskhan turned into a Bulbasaur, but the baby and the Trainer's Charizard did not. As this form is typically found within the doomed realm of ZZAZZ, much about it remains a mystery. Unlike 'M's Normal Form, this form cannot evolve."

"...Huh?" ZZLZZ asked blankly. "I... I never heard of such a Pokémon before..."

"Rest assured, you are not alone in that," stated Eddie. "Cryptopokology is not a very well respected field of study. Many of the Pokémon we study tend to be totally unknown to the general public."

"Aye," nodded Tom. "Sailed the whole world o'er, weren't til I dropped anchor in Sludge Wave Coast I came to know o' such things as 'M an' ZZAZZ. Eddie here be a knowledgeable lad."

"You're too kind, Tom," Eddie chuckled modestly. "I still have a long way to go."

"Well, you still knew enough about what happened to me and Dusty," said ZZLZZ with a small, grateful smile. "I... I saw the looks I was getting on the way to Pallet Town," she murmured, aforementioned smile fading somewhat. "If anyone else had found us, I... I don't want to think about..."

"And that's all the more reason for me to not get complacent with how far I've come," said Eddie firmly. "Misunderstandings like what you're afraid of, they shouldn't be a thing at all."

"Aye, aye," Tom agreed emphatically. "Feelin' bad enough as it be 'bout how I first reacted to seein' ye, miss ZZLZZ," he added to ZZLZZ, who simply smiled again, as the ship forged ahead through the sea, at a decidedly more relaxed pace than earlier.

Soon, as the sun began to set, Eddie led ZZLZZ down below, to where Tom had indicated the cabins would be found. "I'd imagine we'll be almost there by the time we wake up in the morning," Eddie said as he gripped the doorknob on one of the cabin doors.

"O-OK," murmured ZZLZZ, who was about ready to open the adjacent door. "Uh, um... Eddie?" she added.

Eddie paused. "Yes?" he said.

"...thank you," murmured ZZLZZ. "I... today's been so weird and difficult, and... e-even just having a little understanding of- of what went on, and... just... it helped a lot," she said with a small, glitchily flickering smile.

Eddie smiled back. "It's no problem," he replied. "Goodnight, ZZLZZ."

"Goodnight, Eddie," ZZLZZ said in response, and with that they entered their respective cabins, and the comfortable beds and the gentle rocking of the ship on the ocean lulled them both to sleep in no time.

~~~~~

The Banette's Revenge was plowing through the Sea of Fizzytopia, the sun rising high behind her, as Eddie and ZZLZZ emerged from down below. Having been sound asleep in their respective cabins on the ship, they hadn't particularly intended to cut their slumber so short, but with Tom's cries of "Land ho!" to awaken them, there could really be no question of sleeping any longer.

ZZLZZ peered into the distance, body glitching as it had the previous day, seeing a gigantic landmass coming up right ahead. The shore they were approaching seemed to be covered chiefly with trees, but there was one clear area in which several buildings were just barely visible. "Eddie, I think I see it, is that the place?" she asked, pointing with a flickering, distorted-looking finger.

Eddie nodded. "It is indeed," he confirmed. "That right there, ZZLZZ, is the seaside town of Sludge Wave Coast."

OOC: Holy crap, wasn't expecting the literal rarest possible outcome! Hopefully it's a sign of things to come with this new character of mine! Picking up my Shiny Bulbasaur in Net Ball #1 of 5, naming her Dusty, and confirming her Ability to be Overgrow. Also using these TMs on her, as well as 205 FC Rank 1 claim Mysterious Gummis #1-2 of 3, boosting her Bond from 0 to 10.

*Dusty learned Electroweb!*

*Dusty learned Explosion!*

*As a result of reaching 10 Bond, Dusty learned Gummi Bomb (Bug)!*

*As a result of reaching 10 Bond, Dusty learned the MT move Iron Defense!*

[Gemini Spark]

Originally Posted by Missingno. Master

It was a big day at the Hatchery- following the birth of the long-thought-extinct Hisuian Form of Qwilfish, the staff had been keenly interested in what would come from the Eggs laid by Hyrem's Weavile and Keith's Mightyena, considering the very same Hisuian Incense that had facilitated aforementioned Hisuian Qwilfish was doing its thing here and now.

A woman with dark green hair and an unreadable expression greeted Hyrem as he entered the Hatchery. "Ah, Hyrem," she said. "You're just in time, your Egg should be hatching very soon. Right this way," she said, leading the way into the back.

Once back there, Hyrem would see the Eggs- yes, Eggs, plural. The woman led Hyrem over to one of them, then joined the man standing beside the other one- that man, of course, being none other than Keith Masters, who put an arm around his wife at her approach. "Ah, hey, Hyrem," grinned Keith. "Man, this is exciting!"

"Indeed," concurred the woman, eyeing the Egg with an air of curiosity. "It shouldn't be much longer than another few minutes or- oh!" she gave a soft gasp as both Eggs started to pulse with light. Slowly the light intensified, and then once it became so bright that it was no longer advisable to look directly at the Eggs, there were twin bursts of energy, and the glows faded away. And what they left in their wake was, well, surprising, to say the least. They were both Sneasel, for sure, but not as they were known to the world. Identical in general appearance and color scheme to each other, but very much different from how normal Sneasel looked. Willa Masters set to work at once, accompanied by regular Hatchery staff, to check up on the health of the newborns. And maybe, in the process, learn a little bit about them. Finally, they all backed away, and Willa gave a nod to Hyrem, signaling that he was good to approach his newest Pokémon.

Gemini Spark: Sneasel♀ (Hisuian Form) hatched from the Egg!

Wow, that really does look a lot different than Leila did when she was young! Maybe a different Pokedex entry for it then?

Sneasel, the Sharp Claw Pokemon, Hisuian Form. This subspecies of Sneasel has claws that are better designed to scale any rock face, and those claws also pack a neurotoxic venom that inhibits predators and fully subdues prey once the claws have a firm grip.

Wow, not only do they look different, but they're Poison-type too! They both have shorter feathers too, maybe females?

: *hugs one of her babies and starts bathing her*

Hehe, I think we figured out which one Leila's keeping! And I have a Snow Ball just for her too! And I like the name Leilest too, Leila! We'll have to do some more visits with each other then, Keith. See you!

[Missingno. Master]

Originally Posted by Lil'twick

Missingno. Master: You have hatched a female Hisuian Sneasel!

"...whoa!" Keith grinned as he watched Sirius's daughters hatch. They were Sneasel, alright, but not as he'd ever seen them before. Female, if the head feathers were anything to go off of, but this was not a color scheme he'd ever seen on Sneasel before, and that was even considering Lenny. Keith dug out his Pokédex and pointed it at the one that Leila hadn't already taken hold of.

"Sneasel- Hisuian Form- the Sharp Claw Pokémon. A Fighting and Poison-type," droned the device. "This form of Sneasel existed in Sinnoh back when the region was called Hisui. It grips prey with its poisonous claws, injecting a potent toxin into the prey's nerves."

"Ahaha, we were right, Sneasel does have a Hisuian Form," Keith grinned. "And a Poison-type, no less!"

Sirius had approached his daughter while Leila was busy with the other one, The Hisuian Sneasel regarded her father curiously for a moment, before throwing her arms around him. Keith and Willa exchanged smiles as they watched all this unfold. Meanwhile, a flash of light issued from the Moon Ball on Keith's belt- his Umbreon had sent herself out, and was watching all this with an unreadable expression. She seemed to be deep in thought, but as to what exactly she was thinking, she did not mention to Keith, though after a while she made her way over to the proud mother. "Hey. Leila, right?" Cyanide spoke up. "First and foremost, congrats. Second, was kinda hoping you could pass on a message. Next time Hyrem visits Keith, could you make it known to him that I want him to bring Carla if possible?"

"Carla?" repeated Sirius, approaching the conversing Dark-types. "I'm a little surprised, Cyanide, thought you weren't all that fond of your sister?"

"Yeah, well," Cyanide mumbled. "I've been thinking about all that in recent years, and, well, I guess it may be possible I might not have been the nicest to her. Maybe. And... well, near as I can tell, she's probably one of the few remaining from my old litter still in the region," she added quietly. "I don't want Eon and Leo to never get to meet their family."

"...I wonder what that's all about," Keith remarked, for he too could not fail to notice the dialogue taking part between the Dark-types. But before they could speculate on it too long, Cyanide came back over, and tapped the Moon Ball on Keith's belt, withdrawing herself. Sirius wasn't far behind, his daughter still clinging to him. "Hey, boy," Keith grinned, petting the Mightyena. "Way to go," he chuckled. "You got a name for this one?" Sirius responded with a few happy barks.

Meowth blinked in surprise. "...he's sayin' her name's Carla," she said.

"Carla?" Keith repeated. "As in, same name as Hyrem's Espeon?" Sirius nodded deliberately in response.

"I get the feeling there's a reason behind all this," said Willa. "Cyanide going over to talk moments prior cannot be a coincidence."

"No, indeed," concurred Keith. "So, Carla's her name, then? May I?" he asked, holding out his hands. Sirius obligingly got closer, allowing Keith to pick up the Hisuian Sneasel. "Heya, Carla," Keith said gently.

"Sneeea!" declared Carla, wrapping her arms around Keith in greeting. Keith chuckled at this, before producing a Poison Ball to contain the newborn in. Farewells were said by both people and Pokémon alike, and the Masterses departed, heading back to Sludge Wave Coast with the newest member of Keith's team in tow.

OOC: At long last, picking up my brand new Hisuian Sneasel in this Poison Ball, naming her Carla, and declaring her Ability to be Poison Touch.

[Lil'twick]

Starter Egg time!~

[ShadowDRGN]

It is time to roll the Starter gacha again... I can't possibly get Oshawott again

[Marion Ette]

Dropping off Minor Arcane Egg from bi-monthlies. Thanks!!

[Lil'twick]

Will be dropping off another starter egg from my 160 FC Rewards!~~

[lilboocorsola]

Dropping off 1x Enigma Egg from Bimonthlies.