STRIP ME TO THE BONE

Status-Condition: Independent, mutuals only, highly selective, and headcanon heavy multi-muse Pokemon blog written by Noise (he/him or they/them). 21+ only. Activity is sporadic and very slow. Replies are done at random.

LAW || MUSES || VERSES || HEADCANONS || MAINS

🌸 ███   WAS HE OKAY ? SHE STANDS there at the doorway now processing the startled man who seemed to be far more spooked at her yelp than she had been caught red handed. well it seems he didn’t notice anything like the lockpicks currently clenched tightly in a hand behind her back. for the best really. she relaxes & quickly slight of hands the tools into her pockets as she gives the gentleman a moment. eyes flicker toward his garchomp— a silent prayer to arceus that the beastie worries more over her trainer than it does of shea’s general presence.

                    ＂ uhm, are you— wait.＂  shea skips backwards a few steps, just to the end of the pathway from the street to the home, leaning over to reread the sign out front before straightening up & hopping forward back where she was. ＂ professor augustine sycamore ?＂

                    lucky that he had already invited her in, moving to accept with some tentative steps inside head on a swivel as she looks about. it’s a bit suspicious to ask outright for the information she was looking for, but perhaps she could fudge a bit. she’ll make this work. this is fine, actually. what she doesn’t realize is that she’s transfixed on the various machines that seem to be for examining pokemon.

                    a small whine leaves her throat before she turns somewhat rigidly toward the gentleman & his garchomp. ＂ i’m really sorry for how late it is. i just got here to the city & i’m a bit lost & well everyone said i should seek you out for help ! if you are… the professor guy that is. are you the professor guy.＂

His heart still feels like it might leap from his mouth at any given moment with how quickly it's still beating, so he subconsciously places a palm over his chest, and exhales into the night air an attempt to calm his nerves. He's always been the type who could never stomach horror movies or ghost stories, but that never stopped his imagination from getting the better of him whenever he heard a noise in the middle of the night. He's relieved to have his fears appeased, but this incident has definitely taken a few years off of his life. He's so absorbed in the whirlwind of a situation he's found himself in, he hardly even notices when she backpedals to look at the sign.

"Ah--Yes, that's me. I'm Professor Augustine Sycamore, a pleasure to meet you..." He trails off, brows scrunching for a moment in thought. "My apologies, I didn't get your name," he cranes his neck back to offer her a meek smile as he opens the door to the lab and steps inside. Somehow, the familiar scenery of the lab looks eerie in the dead of night despite the fact that he sees all of the tools and equipment daily. Or, well, perhaps it's because his heart is still considering fleeing from his chest. Removing his hand from his shirt, he pats Garchomp's head to reassure her--or, really, to reassure himself.

For a moment, he catches her staring at the machinery, and hears Garchomp let out a soft trill, but his attention shifts to her words before he really has a chance to think much about it. "Not at all! My doors are always open. I'm happy to be of help." His voice has leveled out, and no longer cracks when he speaks. The fear from earlier is finally beginning to subside. This is far from the first time he's had a trainer seek him out in the middle of the night after spending hours getting turned around in the winding and twisting streets of the massive city. It wasn't uncommon for newcomers to get overwhelmed and lost. So, he didn't find this chance encounter all that strange.

🌸 ███   JUBILIFE VILLAGE IS THE NEWEST thing about hisui really. the town is made of settlers from all various regions. kanto, johto. even alola. refugees from hardship, wars, pokemon attacks. merchants looking to capitalize on a brand new market. fresh starts for people with baggage they needed to leave behind. families, elderly. it did not matter. so long as they stepped off that boat & moved to help further the village, to aid the galaxy corps. to help build that brighter future in a new frontier.

                    prejudice was hard to cast aside, however. many still very adverse to pokemon joining in their day to day. learning to live amongst the beasts versus be their prey, their hunters. the galaxy corps had done wonders to help the people of the growing village change their minds—- but oh, was there ever work to be done still. time would most certainly help the growth of relations between humans & pokemon. && time they had now that things had settled. despite the crack in the sky above mt coronet, there was a growing peace. && with peace came understanding. breaking bread so to speak. each day the number of pokemon living alongside humans grew, but it was still far & few between.

                    shea, challenging such, letting her pokemon free of their balls to roam about. some would follow her, some would stay in her home. today the majority would stay home, but the small alolan vuplix tucked in a makeshift sling at her back would be the sole partner. her little head poking out & watching people as shea passed by, a armful of various fauna & herbs bundled tight. a steady pace, she doesn’t notice when one of the camomiles gets carried off by the wind & lands on a unfamiliar nose. at the sound of the mentioned herb shea catches attention & turns to look behind her. an unfamiliar face & their partner. very clearly not from the village. she moves to approach & tilts her head.

                    ＂ oh ! no no, keep it !＂ a sparkle & smile. ＂ i’ve got plenty more if you need it, this is mostly just what i harvested recently. my name is shea ! i’m a member of the galaxy corps here— who are you looking for ? i’m sure i can help, i pretty much know everyone around here.＂

His gaze briefly skirts to the small Pokemon tucked in the sling upon the stranger's back, observing it for a moment. It looks vaguely familiar to him--it resembles a creature he's seen before, but, at the same time, it's coat is a different color, and it's fur doesn't sit in quite the same pattern that he recalls. How strange, but he supposes it makes sense. He doesn't have much knowledge regarding Pokemon, but given that humans who reside in different regions have different customs and beliefs, the Pokemon who hail from lands afar would, likely, be different as well. But he turns his attention away from it for the time being to look at the camomile between his fingers. "I thank you for your kindness," he's quick to lower his head in gratitude, and Azalea instinctively mimics the motion from where she's scooted a bit to his side in order to get a better view of the stranger's Pokemon.

He straightens out his back as she continues speaking. "Harvested? So, you grow these plants yourself? If so, I may be in need of your assistance in the future." He's unfamiliar with the land here, and it would certainly be easier to purchase the plants he needs to treat his patient from her than to search the wilderness for them himself when he doesn't know where they grow here in the first place. He's brought a handful of supplies along, but only what he can carry on his back, and there's no guarantee that he has enough, or that he's brought all of the necessary ingredients.

His brows lift slightly in curiosity at her words. The Galaxy Corps? Was that the term for one of Hisui's military units? She does look a bit young to be a soldier, but he supposes he can't really speak on that matter given that he had been a mere child when he had been enlisted in Kanto's. And that would explain why she has a partner Pokemon--though having one also means she must be of high rank, as well. Given how young she appears, she must be incredibly talented.

🌸 ███   THIS WAS TRUE RISK. SHEA’S list of fears was fairly small— however being near one of those so-called poke-professors was fairly high on that list. yet here she was, late at night right in front of one’s house.

                    she had paced in front of the door for quite a while. thinking, mumbling. all to herself if this is what she wanted to do. if there was no other way. there had to be ! there must be a library or published articles or something ! but shea knew that the best way to tackle any sort of research was to go to the professionals. even if that put her at risk.

                    it was late & she had no patience, thinking naturally the owner of the house would be asleep it would be easy to just pick the lock & sneak inside. any pokemon guarding would be charmed by her no problem( so she so thoroughly convinced herself of. ). waiting longer for the streets to thin out she then moves to attempt the lock. much to her dismay, she was failing quite easily & found herself smacking at the door in frustration. several times. so it was a bit of a shock when the door opens & the eternal youth jumps nearly six feet in the air with a yelp.

                     ＂ AH I WASN’T DOING ANYTHING–＂ a reflex of nonsense as she recoils, a hand to her chest & her face twisted in bewilderment. a moment passes & she straightens up & stares at the man before her with a almost confused look upon her features. ＂ oh. you’re home.＂

With Garchomp hiding behind him, slowly Augustine pushes open the door centimeter by centimeter, trying to peer through the meager crack he's created in an attempt to catch a glimpse of the street outside of his lab. But, in the overwhelming darkness, he can scarcely make out anything more than the flickering street lamps that occasionally illuminate the sidewalk. So, swallowing around the lump in his throat, he forces his trembling hand to shove the door open all the way.

A started yelp causes Augustine to fall back as he helplessly flails his arms while Garchomp cries out in a mixture of surprise and terror, but, somehow, even in her fear, she manages to catch her trainer so he doesn't fall flat on the ground. The startled professor grabs hold of his Pokemon for support, though she clearly shows no intention of protecting him from whatever ghoulish fiend lurks in the shadows--and then his eyes lock with the face of an equally startled individual. Shock still evident on his features, he takes one look at the stranger, and sighs in relief--while it might be highly suspicious that she's lurking about in the muddle of the night, she does appear to be entirely human and not the ghost he had mistaken her to be.

Slowly regaining the strength in his limbs, he pulls himself away from Garchomp who exhales a sigh of relief all her own when she spots the stranger, and offers a soft cry in greeting. Clearing his throat, he runs his hand through is messy hair, and inhales the crisp air in an attempt to calm his still racing heart. "Ah, yes, I am." His voice is still a bit shaky, and equally as awkward, but he straightens himself out, and shoves a gentle smile onto features.

🌸 ███   SHE GIGGLES SOMEWHAT MANICALLY AS the villagers start to swarm over, curious at first but hardly waiting for any sort of explanation before they grab at the various berries within the basket stores. taking hopping steps backward until she’s behind volo completely, poking her head around him to watch.

                    ＂ i would say no promises but i feel this is the sort of prank that i can only get away with once.＂ a cheeky grin as she stays safely put. out of the way of the fuss & out of the merchant’s way. though she does point out a few people who after taking a few berries seem to hold interest in some other items.  perhaps she should step in & help ? that in itself sounds like a fun way to alleviate volo’s blood pressure. scooting away for a second to help the various customers, so long as their answers were fairly simple. or she will lie. it’s fine.＂ while that’s fair n’ all that old man scares me !

                             i say let’s not tell him & see how that plan plays out !＂

An exasperated sigh escapes Volo's lips as he pinches the bridge of his nose with his index finger and thumb. He tunes out the excited voices of the villagers as they dig through the once plentiful stock of berries that's dwindling by the second as he stands helpless to do anything to stop them. He barely acknowledges them when they ask him questions or point to various items--thoroughly defeated. "I would hope so," he heaves, shaking his head. He's like to believe this would be the only time she would get away with a stunt like this, but, right now, he feels as if Shea was personally cast down from the heavens for the sole purpose of spiting him. And, where there's a will there's a way.

At least she attempts to assist him in dealing with the newfound mob of customers ravishing his wares, and leaving the poor Ginkgo Guild stall in shambles, though how much good she's actually doing is highly questionable at best, and feels his migraine growing worse with each passing second. "Ah, yes, a wonderful idea, surely he won't notice that every single berry is missing, and we're short just a little bit of coin to compensate for it." He lowers his hand to squeeze his thumb and index finger together to express how utterly lacking his wallet before straightening out his back as the customers begin to dissipate, "Hmmm, I think I have a better idea." He turns to the young trainer with a grin befitting a villain. "We're going to go berry hunting. Both of us." He stresses that last part as much as his remaining willpower will allow him. 

Of all the places in Hoenn that he frequents regularly, he harbors a certain fondness towards Meteor Falls. Though he’s explored its depths countless times before, rummages through all of the nooks and crannies the twisting cave system has to offer, and document the placement of every cliff and body of water tucked beneath the surface, he still finds a new discovery whenever he takes a moment to venture through the area again. There are few, arguably none, who know these caves as well as he does--which is to say, they come with the added bonus of eluding anyone who might be searching for him. Something that’s rather commonplace in his life given his title and wealth. It’s a peaceful place these days, typically, save for the odd trainer here and there. One he can go to if he wishes to avoid the public or his duties as a whole for a bit. One where he can stand on the shores of the various pools of crystalline waters, and watch the reflection of the rocks bobble up and down, back and forth, for hours if he wishes to do so. Perhaps most would find this hobby of his dull or even outlandish, but there’s almost never a mundane moment in his life unless he purposefully creates one. 

While the professor doesn't personally take part in the Battle Mansion himself, he still frequents Kiloude City to check in on the various trainers he's given a TMV pass to in order to access the island and allow them to participate in the challenges available there. Somehow, he has a feeling his former mentor would call him a busybody or lecture him for being too nosy about the status of the up and coming trainers he's sent off on their adventures. But it's a long-running habit of his. Now more than ever, he feels the need to check up on the people around him--even if he's only met them briefly. Perhaps it's a bad habit, and perhaps it's a blessing. Regardless, he can't stop himself from visiting every so often. Though, he certainly picked a terrible day to do so. Eerie, gray clouds loom above, and the soft plip-plop of rain can be heard striking the sidewalk and various buildings. With the sky getting darker by the minute, he has no doubt this fine mist will eventually turn into a rather intense storm that his flimsy umbrella won't be able to endure. So, keeping a firm hold on his umbrella with his left hand, and clutching his fresh cup of coffee with his right against his chest to keep it out of the rain, he swiftly makes his way to the Mansion.

"Marvelous! Absolutely marvelous!" He applauds.

While it's commonplace to find the professor hunched over his desk, pouring over his notes and various findings, or studying countless Pokemon in order to expand upon his research, and field of interest, it's also not incredibly rare to see the man out and about over the whole of the Kalos region. Especially after the incident with Team Flare--it had sparked a desire within him to assist the region however he could, in whatever he could. Sometimes that assistance came in the form of conducting newfound research or helping others cope with the magnitude of what had happened. Other times, that assistance came in the form of him checking in on various trainers he had either sent off on their journey, or met later on in their travels. Perhaps his reasoning for doing so was a bit selfish, but after everything that happened, he truly wanted to know if they were doing well, and how they were holding up--if there was anything he could do for them. After all, he felt partly responsible for Team Flare's actions.

So, when he heard Serena would be back in town performing ballet, he was eager to support her new career, and swiftly ensured he and the remaining lab staff could attend. For most, it might have been difficult to get the green light from the staff at the venue to actually see the performer, but given his position and the fact that he's well-liked in the region, he only had to politely ask security if Serena was willing to meet with him. Truly, he had nothing but praise to give her. The show had been a spectacular one, and he had thoroughly enjoyed despite knowing precious little about ballet.

Paldea is a region full of history and boundless myths--all of which he's studied for centuries, just as he has for the other regions that make up this world, but Paldea is unique in that information regarding a certain area in the very heart of the landmass is difficult to come by. Even for someone with his countless resources and knowledge--it seems there's something that needs to be covered up. Something that people shouldn't know about. And when there's something the general population has no business knowing, it's something Volo absolutely believes he has every right to uncover. And, thankfully, worming his way into places he shouldn't be is a specialty of his--in a way. There's little a bit of sweet talk, money, and patience can't make available. So, when the opportunity arose for him to help sponsor a certain professor's research, he couldn't help but take the chance to sink his fangs into the region. After all, he had all of the time in the world to stretch his donation and see where it might take him. And his patience paid off. His silver tongue, too, a few years of precious little from the professor and the remaining sponsors were starting to get anxious--well, shouldn't someone check in on the man then?