『 V A R I A N C E 』

However, when she left and came back to inform him about the fact that she knew what world he came from, Calem perked up. "Oh, great! So, that means that we're not completely lost, then! Thank you so much." For the first time since he arrived here, Calem smiled as he lightly bowed at Orianne.

Come to think of it, the coordination between the Pokémon here reminded him of home, which was a nice thing to see.

"Will this Medical team be able to help my friends, too? I'm worried about them."

Kangaskhan walked over to Calem and gave him a smooch on the head. Just accept the help, dang it.

"I did say 'you and your team,' so yes, that's the plan. With how we operate around here, having people who can quickly handle injuries for all kinds of individuals is a must. Everyone will get the best care we can provide in the moment, and that includes you." And right on cue, the door opened, with a young-looking woman walking in. Soft blue eyes perfectly matched her long, pastel pink-and-blue hair, giving her a gentle, yet dignified air, making her seem older than she initially appeared. Which was very much the case, not like he'd know.

Calem nodded away as Orianne mentioned making arrangements and having someone look at him and his friends. While he was beat up, sure, he was still more worried about his companions, especially Kangaskhan. He owed all of them his life.

"To be honest, I'm not too aware on the details, but from what I know, essentially your world and the 'nearby' realms on the other side of the barrier are parallels to our 'neighbors,' but while the names or aura signatures might line up, the roles that person has differ, not to mention differences in history, at least from the bits I caught." Her superior would know more, being more informed on the dealings the realm got involved in, so perhaps she'd ask later. "As for Shigana, I think I've heard that name somewhere... Hold on. Let me ask for confirmation on something. I'll be right back." She opened up a ring from under herself, falling right in. It took a few minutes for her to return, but she would reappear from another ring, landing perfectly on her feet.

Once it was clear that his friends were getting fed, he continued eating some of the pastries and cheese as he cleared his head.

"Thank you, Miss Orianne. It's... been a while since it's been peaceful for us." Hopefully that's formal enough. He didn't want to start trouble. It's bad enough that his presence here could cause trouble were Rainbow Rocket to find out. He continued eating some more until he was able to process everything that's happened these past few hours, between Serena's death and him making it to the other side. "... there's this team that I'm fighting against called Team Rainbow Rocket. Used to be head by my world's Giovanni, but after an incident in another world, it's headed by my world's Blue. Some friends and I have been trying to track her down... to try to get her to stop before she hurts someone... but, after an ambush, Mitsuru, Tierno, Shauna and I were... separated from the rest of the group. We tried to investigate on our own, but after some complications and struggles with a Rainbow Rocket Admin named Serena, all of them died by her hands. I may have too, were it not for the fact that I've fought her and beat her before." He sighed.

"Hmm... If what you say is true, and it's the same Rainbow Rocket I'm thinking of... you must be from the other side of the barrier." A pause, as one hand rested near her lips as she thought. "If that's the case, then I think I know which realm you're from. Do you know the name of your realm or its Arceus?" If he knew, and she was in fact correct, then perhaps it was a stroke of luck that he wound up in this realm.

While it wasn't surprising that the powers that be would likely have taken an interest in him considering the nature of how he arrived, he was still a little out of it to maintain his composure. Upon another look, Calem was surely beaten up. His sunglasses were cracked. His hat was in tatters, and even his jacket was a mess. Clearly, he wasn't in the best of states.

"I'm... sorry I just... I'm not in the best of states right now."

Wait, did Orianne say that she was a Hoopa? Oh, please don't use him for pranks. He's not in the best of the spirits right now.

"I'm... Calem. I'm from another world, though I don't exactly know what it is. Some water and snacks would be nice... and maybe a place to sit? My partners and I are... a bit of a mess right now."

That's an understatement.

"There you are. Eat, drink some water, clear your head first. Answers can come after you've settled. I'm not gonna rush you, so let your team out, get your bearings, and we can start over. Cool?" After all, he couldn't exactly give her proper answers in the state he was in, so not only was it the proper thing to do, it was the smartest move, as well. Orianne was a busy woman, sure, but she wasn't heartless. She'd see if she could get someone to get the young man a change of clothes at some point to, maybe even get his current clothes cleaned and mended, if they were at all salvageable.

"Alright then! I got my scooter so I can keep up."

"Good. Follow me, then." He would waste no time in making a beeline back to Aesen, while also being mindful of Michael behind him. It would not be long before Shokiko's Champion would see the Eternatus return to him to prepare for what was to come.

The time was nigh, it seemed. Very well - he was ready.

"Stasis?"

Now that's... Quite the name. Sure he's heard some weird names back in Orre, but that one sounded so cold. Cold and awkward were the best two words to describe it. Yet, he couldn't ponder too much about it since the other was offering to lead him to somewhere with potential allies.

This guy kinda talks really weird...

Following along to this weird guy's speaking, Michael can't help but wonder if this guy was a foreigner too. Surely people around here didn't actually speak this... Weirdly formal. He's fortunate that he can still understand what the other is saying as he looks towards the tall building in the distance. Sweet that should be where he needed to go! He just needed to get...

The other having a faint idea of why he was here has Michael pausing. It seems Cipher must've already acted out here. He's glancing to his snag machine with worry as he wonders what Pokemon had been subjected to the horrors of Shadowfication. The way the other spoke... The danger level must've been quite high and that worried him quite a bit. Just what have they accomplished already?

"Okay. I'll follow you."

"Please, follow me, then. And before I forget, I should give you my name. Call me Stasis." He figured that the best thing to do is to bring the boy to Aesen, so that he could return to investigating by himself. Because while a human boy shouldn't go alone, as he had mentioned earlier, Stasis was not human, and was far more equipped to handling danger should it find him.

"I kinda stick out like a sore thumb huh?"

Michael takes it in stride, laughing a little as he scratches the back of his head. His clothes were really bizarre amongst the sea of uniforms, made worse only by how very few tourists were said to be out here. At least a nice tourist was offering to help!

"Beyond your clothing being out of the norm for both students and regular Paldean pedestrians alike, your other behaviors do not line up, either. As for the questions you have posited to me, you are on its outskirts. If you're looking for something a bit more specific, most of the shops are towards the edge of the city's bounds, and the academy is impossible to miss." The Eternatus would flick his head to the tall building in the distance, before turning back to the boy.

"Wow! The air really is super fresh out here!"

To think he'd end up all the way out here... Who knew the Miror B radar would end up going active again and telling him the other was out here? A hand rests above his eyes so he could look out at the bright and colorful land spread out in front of him. The air was so clean and the wind felt so kind and gentle...

He's glad he took Professor Krane's advice and chased after that troublesome Cipher admin. If that crazy man was out here, it meant that trouble was brewing in somewhere so pretty! He looks to his snag machine and adjusts it, making sure it's secure before using a borrowed coat to cover it. He didn't need any regular civilians asking about it. The special "flute" was also checked before being tucked into his bag alongside his pokeballs, potions, incense, and other items. He had everything needed for Shadow Pokemon encounters... Perfect!

For now, he's going to head to the biggest city he can find!... But this place was really big and he was struggling to read the map. He can't even read the names of these places. Mesa... Meba...? Mezagoza? That looks like a decently sized place. There's something about an academy there too... That could be the best place to start?

He noticed the young boy, the obscured silhouette of something on his arm, his alertness. Was this child involved in the incident, perhaps? Either way, it wouldn't hurt to ask, given his behavior being different to that of the other civilians. Worst case scenario, he'd waste a bit of time, but so long as he returned to Aesen before any major combat, it wasn't too much of an issue.

"You there, young man. Are you looking for something? You don't seem like you're a local to this area."

"I honestly can't think of any questions for you, but I do need you to ask around and possibly gather more information about the situation."

Aesen needed to be as prepared as possible, after all--it would likely fall to him to guide others to safety.

"Understood. If that's all you ask of me for now, it shall be done. With that said, I will be off, and should I find anything of note, I will return to you with haste. Take care, then, and stay vigilant."

And just like that, he melted into the crowd of the city, practically vanishing into thin air. Now, who would this unusual specimen of an Eternatus find next?