neverstudied | Victory Road IC Inbox

[Venkman is currently sitting cross-legged on the floor of the hotel room- the couch beside him is abandoned aside from an open notebook, Venkman's bag, and a pen. On the floor with him is his Deerling and his Alolan Vulpix- the former, Rue, looks a great deal better than the last times Egon's seen him- he doesn't even flinch when Egon enters the room. His coat is in the process of changing from the browns of his Winter Form to the Spring Form's green.

The Vulpix, Jodie, is curled up beside Rue and idly licks at his shoulder in a reassuring sort of way.

It takes Venkman a few seconds to even really acknowledge Egon is there, and even longer to reply- clearly, this is taking up a lot of his attention.]

What? Yeah, sure. [A beat.] Wait, how're you planning to test her?

[Egon raises an eyebrow, glancing between the notebook and the two small mammals sitting on the ground next to Venkman.]

Oh, simple tests with the PKE meter. Hopefully nothing too intensive. However, if necessary, I may ask her to look through my memories in an attempt to further unlock her psychic potential.

[Kölliker lets out a small, mischevious giggle at that. She floats past Egon and goes to bury herself in Venkman's arms.]

I'm big tired!

[Honestly, Venkman wants to say no, or at least supervise, but he's just distracted enough by finally making progress with Rue that he'd agree to just about anything Egon says right now.]

Alright, alright. Just be careful- with her and yourself. Don't want her to wipe out your memories of how to walk or something.

[Rue flinches a bit as Kölliker zooms over, but relaxes when Jodie places a paw on his shoulder. Venkman grins and hugs Ko, his voice softening.]

I bet you are, kid. How's your dad's experiments been going for ya?

Of course.

[Before Egon can interject regarding the experiments, Kölliker projects images that flash through both Egon and Venkman's minds. An empty aluminium can seemingly folding in on itself, bright lights burning, Egon with a metal box over his head, Gaige with a metal box over her head, a fictional ivory tower burning up in flames, Egon lying dazed on the ground, a metaphorical fist crushing a shadowy man--

Then she just sort of. Glorps into a little psychic blob of exhaustion.]

zzzzzzzzzz

[Egon raises an eyebrow, rubbing his forehead and wincing.]

Again, it would be quite an interesting experience if Sigourney were to erase certain memories regarding key points of my life. Maybe not "learning how to walk", but....

[Venkman holds Ko close as the memories wash over him, petting her reassuringly when she collapses.]

What- what was that burning tower about? And why were you on the floor? [He squints up at Egon, finally noticing something.] And where are your glasses?

[He pets Ko idly, frowning.]

Don't you dare. Promise me you're not gonna do anything stupid, Egon.

Ah. Gaige seems to have inspired a streak of anarchy in Kölliker. Something about "burning the ivory tower" down and "sticking it to the man", except she interprets it literally. [He moves to push his glasses up the bridge of his nose before realizing he isn't wearing glasses.] As for the tests, we found that shooting psychokinetic waves through a container of water actually amplified her psychic powers.

[He doesn't answer the glasses question. He frowns lightly, as if trying to evaluate what he's planning to do as stupid or not.]

I will...do my best.

[That...doesn't sound terribly convincing.]

Ohh, boy. This is why I've been trying to keep Luca in the containment unit... How long until Ko starts trying to smash the system?

[At that last comment, Venkman stares at Egon for a long moment, before turning to Ko and gently patting her "cheek".]

Hey, kiddo, can you show me what happened to your dad's glasses? It's ok if you don't feel up to it, I know you're tired.

He promised to let us do a little anarchy! [Proud, devious.]

I...don't know.

[There's a brief pause as Kölliker concentrates. An image of glasses floating in the air, held aloft by psychic energy, Kölliker waving her nubby arms around as she tries to fold the temples and ends up...folding the entire frame into a crumpled mess. And then unfolding it in panic in an attempt to fix things and then crying.

Egon, meanwhile, is looking through a nearby drawer and squinting at its contents. He picks up a pen, inspects it, then puts it back in the drawer.]

Do you know where I left the screwdriver? I need to fix the bit on the power drill.

[When the hell did he get a power drill?]

[To Kölliker, lovingly:]

Thank you, sweetheart.

[To Egon, exasperated:]

If that power drill is going anywhere near your head, Egon, I swear to God, I'm gonna throw it out the window and make sure every hardware store in a 30 mile radius knows not to serve you.

[Venkman goes quiet for a minute, cuddling Ko in his lap and petting Rue behind the ears.]

... You can borrow Sig under three conditions. One: do not hurt her or yourself, or anyone else. I don't care if it's an accident.

Two: Do NOT let her erase ANYTHING. Take her containment unit and stuff her back in if you feel like she's about to try anything.

Three: You gotta give me something as collateral, so I can make sure you don't decide to ignore everything I just said.

[Blorp blorp. Kölliker starts closing her eyes, and a slight feeling of drowsiness washes over everyone in the room.

Egon seems to mull these conditions over, scratching his head as he continues to pull items from the drawer only to put them back into the drawer. Still can't find the screwdriver without his glasses.]

Well, normally I would offer a sample of rare fungus as collateral-- [which would also be a very bad idea if he had them] --but I suppose it's only fair to offer another Pokémon in exchange.

[He pauses in his search to pull a PokéBall from his bag, holding it out for Venkman to take.] Make sure nothing happens to Faraday, and I will make sure nothing happens to Sigourney. [Another pause.] Or me.

[He pulls out a screwdriver. Brightening a little, he puts it in his pocket.]

[Jodie and Rue yawn at the sense of drowsiness, and Rue settles into a more comfortable position against Jodie. Venkman grins.]

You know, this guy's been making a lot of progress, thanks for asking. Jodie's kinda taken up the task of playing "therapy dog"... Therapy fox, I guess. Whatever. Point is, a couple months ago he couldn't even handle staying out of the containment unit this long.

[Venkman takes the Pokeball from Egon's hand, and neither of them notice the way it flashes for a moment as he sets it aside.]

... You still haven't explained what the power drill is for.

Oh?

[Egon glances down at Rue and Jodie, tilting his head to the side. He leans down a little to offer his hand for Jodie to sniff.]

That's very good. Perhaps with enough time and patience, Rue can become more accustomed to and existing around Fire Pokémon, since Vulpix is usually a Fire Pokémon and being exposed to something familiar may help him recover.

[Still doesn't acknowledge the power drill.]

May I have Sigourney now, please?

Edited 2019-03-15 21:37 (UTC)

[Jodie wags her tails- she only has three, so far, but a fourth is beginning to bud off of the middle tail.]

That's what I'm hoping- I've gotten him to tolerate being around Bond and- the cat- sometimes, but he's still a little skittish about it. Familiarity with Vulpix definitely can't hurt.

[Venkman glares at Egon for a moment, before handing over the Pokeball.]

Ok. Fine. but whatever you're using that drill for- just remember what I said. No hurting yourself or her. Not even a little bit. Not even accidentally.

[Egon inclines his head towards Venkman, taking the PokéBall in hand.]

Of course. I would never intend to hurt Sigourney.

[Almost immediately, Egon nearly runs into the door frame. He reels back, then shakes his head and walks into the other room. The door shuts, and, after a few minutes, Venkman can hear a drill whirring.

Not ominous in the slightest.

About a half hour later, Egon returns from the room, having released Sigourney from her containment unit. He seems focused on writing notes down in his notebook, clenching a jury-rigged PKE meter between his teeth. His glasses seem to have been...salvaged? Somehow? But it's clear that he'll need replacements soon.

After scribbling down a few sentences, he tucks his pencil behind his ear and takes the PKE meter from his mouth.]

Just as I suspected, Kölliker demonstrates a consistently stronger psychokinetic output than Sigourney when she uses her psychic attacks, due to being both more experienced and being an evolved form of a Pokémon.

[He places the PKE meter on a nearby surface, trying to keep his glasses on his head.] However, by creating a mental "block" in one's thoughts, one can effectively dissuade weaker unwanted psychic attacks. [A pause.] It also helps if the attacker is distracted in some way. I gave her Faraday's Rubix Cube, and she seemed to be fascinated with it.

[Egon will come back to find that Venkman has relocated back to the couch, and has returned to writing in his own notebook. Rue and Jodie are fast asleep at his feet, and Kölliker is still in his arms, cradled like a baby.

As soon as Egon returns, Venkman glances up at him, trying to get a good look at his face and make sure whether or not there's any fresh holes in his head.]

Can't say I'm too surprised- I haven't tried using Sig in battle yet, so she hasn't had the chance to really refine her powers.

[He digs in his bag for a moment.]

Can't believe I didn't think of Rubik's Cubes. But yeah, she likes toys like that- someone on the network gave me the idea to get her a bunch of 'em. [Venkman pulls out this from his bag, and Sigourney leaves Egon's side to float up to him, making a grabby-hands gesture.] So far, this is her favorite. [He hands it over, and Sigourney immediately presses the button and watches the rings float in the water. A feeling of contentment washes over them all.]

Edited 2019-03-16 00:19 (UTC)

[No holes in Egon's head. At least, not any new ones. Kölliker wiggles a bit, fast asleep. It's naptime for all the babies in the room. The corner of Egon's mouth twitches up into a ghost of a smile as he watches the little ~~alien~~ creature play.

After a few moments, he hands Venkman Sigourney's containment unit.]

Faraday prefers objects she can manipulate with her appendages. I believe she enjoys the sensation of the parts clicking into place. [A pause.] Speaking of Faraday, please return her to me.

[Not even asking Venkman to return Faraday--a direct request.]

[Venkman rolls his eyes at Egon's bluntness. He picks up Faraday's containment unit, but before actually handing it to Egon, he places his hand gently on Sigourney's shoulder.]

Hey. Can you look at me real quick?

[It takes her a few seconds, but Sigourney looks up from her game.]

Did your other dad treat you well while you were with him? How'd you like the tests?

[A pause.]

'😮🧠👽👁️‍🗨️👨‍🔬🤗👓❗'

[Venkman nods, as if literally any of that made sense to him.]

Alright, good. You can go back to your game, ok? [She's already hard at work trying to move the rings with her mind through the water before he finishes his sentence. Venkman holds out the containment unit for Egon to take.]

[Egon takes the containment unit and tosses it onto the ground to release her.]

Thank you. Now--

[A large shape begins to materialize in the middle of the room,far too large to be a Phantump, glowing brighter and brighter until a deafening creaking roar is heard. The light fades, and a large tree-like creature is left standing where Egon threw the PokéBall. She blinks her eye, inspecting her own claws and new appendages. A few leaves fall onto the ground.

Egon stares at the Trevenant in silence, mouth agape. After a few moments, he turns to stare at Venkman.]

What did you do to her containment unit?!

[Said in a slightly demanding and panicked tone.]

[There's a long moment of silence while Venkman just. Stares at the tree in their hotel room in mild shock. Rue and Jodie stir awake, and Rue appears momentarily frightened before seeming to recognize the Pokemon. Sigourney is completely unphased. Rings are more interesting than trees.

Venkman opens his mouth to say something before getting cut off by Egon. He splutters indignantly-]

I- what? You think- I didn't do anything!

Edited 2019-03-16 01:41 (UTC)

What do you mean? Clearly, this is not Faraday. You will tell me what happened in this room while I was gone or--

[A mournful noise can be heard from the tree standing in the middle of the room. Her eye seems to droop slightly as her roots shift around like an arachnid shuffling its feet. She folds her hands together, twiddling her claws around. Egon frowns, a bewildered expression on his face as he glances between Venkman and the Trevenant. It's only now that he realizes that the left branch on the Trevenant's head is broken, much like....]

Oh.

[There's an awkward pause.]

I apologize, Faraday, I was-- [He clears his throat, rubbing the back of his neck.] --it's been a long day.

[Faraday lets out a huff, moving away from Egon and towards Venkman. The ground creaks and shakes as she walks. She crouches down slightly, watching Sigourney use the water ring toy.]

What do you think happened? Yeah, I left the apartment for half an hour- without you noticing- just so I could find a completely different Pokemon to replace Faraday with, for absolutely no reason. How does that make any goddamn sense?

[Venkman's self-righteous fury dies down quickly once Egon gets the picture, however. He peers up at Faraday curiously when she approaches the couch- he'd try to make room for her, but he's not totally sure how a tree ghost could sit on a couch.

Sigourney continues to not care in the slightest.]

... Egon, did you ever read up how Faraday was supposed to evolve?

[Egon doesn't reply to Venkman's first comment. He tentatively reaches into his pocket and pulls out a Rubix Cube, holding it out for Faraday to take. She gratefully accepts it with both claws, tapping at the different colored squares as she begins to scramble the tiles.]

...I believe it may have slipped my mind at some point.

[After scrambling the puzzle, Faraday nods to herself and extends the Rubix Cube towards Sigourney in offering. She makes a deep, guttural noise that causes the floor to shake.]

This is intriguing, though. She seems to have progressed to a stronger form of a possessor--perhaps Class IV, if her PKE levels have grown stronger. She may or may not be able to remember her past life.

Ahuh. I didn't look into it, either, but I have heard that some Pokemon evolve by being traded to a different person. Guess she's one of 'em?

[The offering of Cube[tm] finally gets Sigourney's attention. Her handlights blink, and she extends a hand towards the cube, before pausing. After a moment of deliberation, she holds out the water ring toss toy in exchange.]

But how could something as simple as the transferal of "ownership" trigger such an extreme change in a Pokémon? I was under the impression that most evolutionary triggers involve something regarding energy or experience, but this--

[He pauses, watching as Faraday gratefully takes the ring toss toy and makes a small noise of contentedness. She begins to press the buttons on the bottom of the toy, watching as the rings float up and down. She then looks at Egon, waving the toy enthusiastically at him.]

...Yes, I see it. It's an interesting toy, is it not? [He inches closer to her, frowning.] Do you remember anything about your past life now?

[Faraday pauses for a moment, her "eyebrow" furrowing as she thinks. After a few moments, she shakes her head slowly, tapping a claw against her face. Egon leans back, a little disappointed.]

I see. Thank you, anyways.

[Sigourney happily gets to work on the Rubik's cube, levitating it and spinning the tiles telekinetically.]

I dunno, Spengs. This place is weird. I think there's a Pokemon that evolves when you spin it in a bottle.

[Venkman watches the exchange between Egon and Faraday, frowning.]

Hey, don't worry about it, kid. Past life memories are overrated. If you figure something out, cool. Otherwise don't stress over it.

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pkemeter - 2019-03-16 23:26 (UTC) - Expand

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neverstudied - 2019-03-17 00:03 (UTC) - Expand