Act 2: Lee's Logs 2

Act 2: Lee's Logs 2

Stretching his arms over his head with a jaw-cracking yawn, Nigel Birch settles into his office chair and mentally reviews what he needs to get done today. Mister Nelsons Dustox has been looking a little under the weather, so he probably needs to be added to the checkup roster. Need to finish up my article from the Verdanturf Sitrus grove study. The fire extinguisher in Exam room B needs to be replaced after the mishap with that Torchic

As he writes his mental list, Nigel jiggles the mouse of his computer, waking the old device. As per usual, he goes to check for any emails that came in during the night. Yawning once more, he goes down the line. Not important. Not important. That one can wait. Spam. Why am I still getting this one? I need to have the IT guy adjust the mail list. Nothing seems urgent, and then Nigel spots two that came in a few hours after he went home the night prior.

New mail from: [email protected]

Subject: Lhenson New Capture

New mail from: [email protected]

Subject: Logs and Research

Nigels eyebrows rise to his hairline. A new capture and updated research logs? Lee hasnt sent in any logs recently, though with the debacle on the volcano still fresh in the mind, the professor cant say that he minds much. Well, lets see who your sixth is, Lee, Nigel murmurs, opening the email.

Acquisition Details:

Pokmon Species: #0700 Sylveon

Gender: Female

Method of Acquisition: Adoption

Location: Verdanturf Greener Pastures Breeding and Boarding Services.

Research Value Index: 0.89

[Attachment #1: Adoption Forms]

Nigel sighs, leaning back in his chair and closing his eyes. A Sylveon. An adopted Sylveon. Why am I even surprised? I shouldnt be. I said it before, and Ill say it againfor a man deathly afraid of drama, Lee sure finds himself mixed up in a lot of it.

Already resigned to the fact that today is going to be a long one, Nigel leans toward the screen and continues. Opening the adoption forms, he scans them with a critical eye and finds nothing out of place. Upon finishing, his mind immediately goes to Lees Ninetales. The professor can only imagine how in the world Lee is going to manage with not one, but two emotional time bombs on his team.

Well, if there is anyone who can get a Ninetales and a Sylveon of the same gender to get along, it would be Lee, Nigel muses. He resolves to check Battlenet after this and to remind the labs PR team to be vigilant for a week or two. The internet is going to have a heyday with this one.

Moving onto the next email, there are fewer audio logs than expected, but there are a few research papers attached. Again, likely a consequence of Lee being so busy after the volcano incident. After standing to close his office door, Nigel opens the first log and sits back, listening.

"Log twenty-four, day one-hundred-twenty-one."

It was narrow, but we took the win from the Lavaridge Gym yesterday. I had no idea that Leader Moore was going to blindside us like that, but looking at silver linings, he was an excellent test for me and my team.

I didnt expect Grovyle to actually take down Moores Rapidash, and I admit I feel a little scummy for doubting him. The plan originally was to have Grovyle essentially be a sacrificial buffer to weaken the first opponent for Octillery. I cant overstate how continually Im amazed by him. Grovyle, that is. Hes something else. Taking down a fully evolved, near-elite Fire-type as a middle stage Grass-type? Its crazy. His air control using Quick Attack is also advancing faster than ever, and he showed that off yesterday with how he continually outran Rapidashs Flamethrower while avoiding the burning ground. This fight also highlighted his predisposition for cutting attacks more than ever. The Sceptile line has very little natural inclination for Dark moves, yet Grovyles Night Slash cut into Rapidash easily. Leaf Blade, X-Scissor, and now Night Slash. Not a bad repertoire of slashing attacks, if I say so myself. Im thinking we're going to lean into this strength and see where it takes us.

Im still rather frustrated with my poor synergy with Octillery. Im so used to having the fastest pokemon on the field that trying to transition into Octillerys preferred fighting style is a pain. He has power in spades, and the accuracy to nail a bouncing Joltik at a hundred yards, but none of that matters if I cant effectively work with him. His performance in the gym match was stellar despite me choking with our defensive measures. Gunk Shot is a truly heinous technique, and if not for landing it right in Arcanines mouth, Im thinking that the fight wouldve been a complete blowout. Octillery is one intelligent mon, so Im sure between both of us, we can figure something out.

Ninetales Well, Im sure that you saw the fight. Ninetales and I are as in-tune as we can possibly be, so I dont have much to comment on there. This did show me how higher level pokemon can resist more esoteric forms of attack, like Confuse Ray, Baby-Doll Eyes, or being held aloft with telekinesis. I can say with no exaggeration that Ninetales Confuse Ray is officially too dangerous to use on weaker pokemon at full power. We havent tested it much considering the unpleasant effects it has on targets, but Nines Confuse Ray has gone from being discombobulating to sending weaker targets into full-blown seizures. Sources and research papers I read say Confuse Ray cant cause permanent harm, but I think its better to err on the side of caution here. Until I can study the effects to confirm that its not causing irregularities to the autonomic nervous system of targets, were saving full power Confuse Rays for emergencies.

Like with Ty. Arceus damn, what a monster. He barely even flinched.

Baby-Doll Eyes is a really weird one. I thought that the attack induced muscle weakness via involuntary relaxation, but Im getting inconsistent results with tests. Sometimes the targets relax against their will, other times their muscles stay tensed, but they simply arent able to bring all of their strength to bear for a reason I dont readily understand. Ugh. Fairy-type. Its times like these that Im glad Ninetales is a Kantonese Ninetales, and not an Alolan one. A fox that doubles as a portable air conditioner would be great, but not if it means dealing with Fairy nonsense all the time.

Alolan Ninetales, huh? Nigel blinks and pauses the recording. Turning to his other monitor he types the species name into a search engine and digs for several minutes. Huh

Alola does have its own species of Ninetales! Lee mentioned it in another log, but Nigel didnt have time to look. There is even less about them than the already mysterious Kantonese Ninetales, and only a handful of Alolan Vulpix have been confirmed to be owned by trainers. There are even fewer confirmed Ninetales captures. If Nigel is reading right, then the white fox species is even more elusive and temperamental than their Kanto cousins.

Sometimes I forget that Lee is filled to the brim with secrets and trivia youd never find anywhere else. Nigel shakes his head. Oh, how hed love to study Alolan pokemon habitats to see what causes so many regional mutations. I need to go to Alola at some point, Nigel resolves to himself. Maybe Ill drag Lee along. He already has a knack for troublesome foxes, so maybe he can nab an Alolan Vulpix to study, he says, resuming the playback.

Brendan and Zinnia have been sticking close to me, apparently worried since all three of my active battlers are recuperating in the Pokemon Center. I never really considered the cultural angle of having no battle-ready pokemon on hand. I guess its kind of like conceal-carrying a gun back home. Some people do it for so long that they feel a bit nervous when they do without, wondering about what if scenarios. I myself owned a pistol, but I rarely took it with me anywhere, and thankfully never needed to use it in self-defense, so I guess I dont really know what that feeling is like. Also, Ive still got Shinx, and although she is nowhere near the level of the rest of the team, I dont feel unsafe having just her. Her Thundershock has to hurt like hell.

Not too much more to say for this one. Lee, out.

Nigel plays the next one.

"Log twenty-five, day one-hundred-thirty-four."

Corvi came back.

There is a short pause broken up by a joyful, disbelieving laugh.

Corvi actually came back. On his own. I cant I can hardly believe it. The worry over him has lessened over the last few weeks, but never totally gone away. I came back to our hotel room to find him and Ninetales talking. Hes like a changed pokemon! He actually let me touch him, something he never allowed before. Oh man. After letting him inside and getting him some dinner, I had Ninetales act as a translator so I could understand him word-for-word as he explained what he was up to.

Its Well, Corvis story is a personal one, and not really mine to tell. Ill just say that my theories about him having a trainer before me were correct and leave it at that. His tale does explain why he acted the way he did, though. It was enough to satisfy Ninetales, so I think just about anyone would understand why he did what he did. Hoooo Okay, Im getting a little too excited here. Let me back up and try this again, or Im just going to end up rambling What was I saying again?

A scratchy caw! fills the lull in the recording.

Right, right. Anyway, I gave Corvisquire a check over, and Im happy to say that he is still in great health. Hes roughly at the same level of combat ability he was before he left, so he probably has a bit of catching up to do with Grovyle and Ninetales, but thats nothing he cant handle. I admit, Im a bit surprised that he didnt evolve while he was away. He was on the cusp back in Mauville, and he still is today. Curious. Regardless, Ill be revising his diet and adding him back into our training routines soon.

Regarding the rest of the team, Im currently brainstorming a new technique for Grovyle. Grass is a type of somewhat poor defensive capabilities, so to counteract that, Ive been wanting to create an energy-draining technique similar to Absorb or Drain Punch for Grovyle, one that he can use with his Leaf Blade. I figure that rather than try to bulk-up a pokemon not known for being bulky, it would be better to play to Grovyles strengths, namely his speed and proficiency with cutting attacks. With this hypothetical Drain Blade in his repertoire, Grovyle should be able to endlessly dance around his opponents as he cuts them to ribbons. Our initial tests have produced some results, but its going to need a lot of refinement before its ready for live combat. Im hoping that we can use Grovyles understanding of Absorb as a starting point for this technique, and to facilitate that, Ive been having him drive a Leaf Blade into newly felled lumber, then using Absorb on the same piece of lumber. My hope is that he can begin associating the two attacks together, and the focal point of Absorb will migrate to the edge of the Leaf Blade.

Not much to report with Shinx. Shes steadily outputting more voltage each day, and shes certainly cemented herself as the leader of the groups younglings, despite being the youngest of them all. Shes making use of different cries for different instances and scenarios, so if youre comparing her to a human baby, shes in the toddler stage where speech starts emerging. I might be mother-henning a little, but I still want to hold off for another week or two before I begin to actively look for battles for her. Shes done well in spars with Grovyle, who can shrug off her electricity and safely divert her physical attacks, but I still want her to firm up a bit more before throwing her into a real fight. I shouldve taken a picture of her face when I pulled her aside one afternoon and told her she doesnt need to be a fighter if she doesnt want to. Ive never seen her look insulted before. I guess that also confirms that her grasp of human speech is maturing as well.

Octillery, Im still trying to make plans for. He has such a wide array of techniques with the capacity to learn more, but I am still not good enough to command slower pokemon effectively against trainers of equal or greater skill than myself. I initially thought, 'Well why even bother? Lets get him a technique to facilitate faster movement, like Aqua Jet,' then dismissed the thought. I dont know if a shortcut like that will do us any favors in the long run. Otherwise, its business as usual for Octillery. He is still as voracious an intellectual as ever, and hungers for stimulation. I'll admit, I broke Battlenets rules on pokemon sock puppet accounts and let Octillery make his own so he can peruse the site without using mine. Thankfully, hes very opsec conscious and tends to keep to himself. He learned quite quickly that its useless to argue with morons online, even if hes right about whatever hes talking about. He certainly learned faster than I did as a teenager.

Hes not the only one who has been doing some reading. After our win at the Lavaridge Gym, a number of groups reached out to us, and one of them was a cabal of trainers who own their own Ninetales. I got the invitation from Kabu, a gym Leader all the way over in Galar, and the place is run by a Pokemon Master called Lokoko. I swear Ive heard that name somewhere before, but for the life of me, I cant remember it.

There is the sound of an exasperated sigh over the recording.

Anyway, Ninetales temper has been especially short here recently, so I reached out to Lokoko for advice. We had a very enlightening discussion, and I can certainly see why Lokoko is referred to as a Pokemon Master, as she had some unique insight on the Ghost, Psychic, Fairy, and Dark types. A large part of our discussion revolved around the psychology of Ninetales as a species, however. She had a few interesting things to say.

Nigel leans in slightly, listening carefully.

According to Lokoko, trainer fixation is just something that Ninetales is going to experience, and constant telepathy is only making things worse. She advised that we dont use our telepathy any more than needed, or we face a serious risk of becoming a gestalt entity.

Pausing the recording for a second, Nigel narrows his eyes in thought. A gestalt? he wonders to himself. Like a Dugtrio or an Exeggutor?

The concept of a gestalt entity is not something completely unknown to pokemon academics, but neither is it well understood. The hows and whys of things such as identity or consciousness are still purely theoretical. For all the resources and advancements in the fields of medicine and science, the inner workings of the conscious mind for both man and pokemon alike remain largely a mystery. Even with the aid of expert psychics, it all rapidly hits a dead-end that traditional science simply isnt equipped to handle. After a certain point, things simply become indescribable to any who havent experienced it firsthand.

Feeling a touch uneasy, Nigel resumes the recording, hoping that Lee provides his own insights.

I The thought of breaking what Nine and I have is unthinkable, Nigel. Even if we dont speak a single word to each other, just knowing that shes there is reassuring in a way I cant put into words. Its an affirmation that Im not alone, that someone else out there is real. There are still some days where I think Im back on Earth, and this is all just a wonderful hallucination before I die, and then I feel Ninetales and I know this is the real world.

A long pause, then Lee begins speaking again.

Im not a philosopher, or psychologist, or anything like that, so take the following with a grain of salt. You know, we rely on our hands, our eyes, and our ears to perceive the world around us, and we simply have to trust that they are correct. What if they arent? What if what we see and what we hear is not the same thing other people see and hear? What if were missing something entirely? What if were missing everything? In a way, the only thing we can ever know is true is our own existence. The telepathy between Ninetales and I, though, is proof that more exists beyond the sanctity of my mind. It takes away a weight, knowing for certain and on all levels that Im not alone. Its a kind of weight I dont think people even realize theyre carrying, at least until its pointed out to them.

Neither of us can go back to living without thatwithout each otherNigel. Im really hoping that your psychic expert can offer some kind of alternative, otherwise Ninetales and I might have to figure this out on our own.

Jumping backwards a little bit, I had to sit and think on the gestalt bit Lokoko mentioned. I know the definition, that a gestalt is something that is somehow more or different from the sum of its parts. Its a loose definition with a lot of room for interpretation, and thats probably why Ive seen so many people attribute the word to so many different things, or even use it wrong during some independent research. By some definitions, Ninetales and I are already a gestalt, if you count the telepathic bond as an integral part of our beings. I get the feeling that Lokoko was referring to something different when she used the word, however. It seemed to have a more dire meaning. I know that fanciful fictional stories of the Lovecraftian sort Wait, Lovecraftian isnt a genre here, is it? Stories about cosmic and existential horror sometimes deal with the concept of fusions and gestalts. They often depict it in the worst way possible, where the components that make up the resulting entity are miserable and devoid of individuality. That cant possibly be what Lokoko was talking about, was it?

This turned kind of grim and gloomy, didnt it? Well, Lokoko also mentioned that a hobby is a good way to ease a Ninetales out of a fixation, so we went out and found a bookstore that piqued Nines interest. Shes got the mind for history and political intrigue, so a book retelling the fall of the Johto shogunate caught her eye. Im already saving up for a house with a full library in it, because I know Im going to need it. Shes turned into a bibliophile overnight.

I think thats everything relevant for this one, so Lee, out.The source of this content nov(el)bi((n))

As the recording ends, Nigel cant help being left disturbed, the talk of new pokemon techniques overshadowed by Lees musing about the mind. There is a slight crawling to his skin as he thinks over Lees words and admissions, questioning about how anyone can be certain of the world around them. Such a line of thought never occurred to Nigel, and after having it thrust upon him, he finds that he doesnt care for it. Something about Lee and Ninetales relationship still seems unhealthy, but now doubts gnaw at the professor. He notes down the recording, resolving to get the relevant parts to his loaned psychic, Anabel.

Nigels thoughts then turn to Anabel: master of the Battle Tower, natural-born empath, and the young woman who is going to be meeting Lee and Ninetales in just one more week. The teen girl is famous the world over not only for her team of Elite pokemon, but for the empathic powers she possesses. With her amazing psychic gift, she can telepathically communicate with all of her pokemon, making battling her a daunting prospect to say the least. If anyone can understand what Lee and Ninetales are experiencing and offer them appropriate help, it would be her.

Took her long enough to get ready But I suppose I cant complain, considering Scott is letting me borrow Anabel for free. Nigel sighs as he thinks of his old frenemy. Not wanting to dwell upon Scott or Lees disquieting words anymore, he moves to the next recording.

"Log twenty-six, day one-hundred-sixty-five."

Its been two weeks since the volcano. Im sorry for not recording recently, Nigel, but I just havent had my head on straight for what feels like weeks now. Ill try to keep this one brief and relevant. I know you probably dont want any extra shit.

We left Lavaridge a week ago, and we're stopping at a small border town to rest for a day or two before we continue on to Fallarbor. Were planning on meeting Zinnias tribe near there, then taking a bit of a sabbatical to train for a while. By the time we get there, all of our pokemon should be back in decent shape. Octillery is mostly recovered from the confrontation with Magma, but Ninetales and Grovyle are different stories.

Poor Grovyle Camerupts Flamethrower burned away large patches of his skin across parts of his body, and the resulting scar tissue and misshapen scales are leaving him stiff. The scars are fading with time and treatment, but they wont fully clear up until he evolves. This has left him with diminished maneuverability, and by Arceus, its frustrating him something fierce. Im working with him every day and providing physical therapy to speed up the recovery, but I know that hes not going to be satisfied with the pace. He should be back to a hundred percent in a few weeks.

Ninetales She took a fully-powered Eruption from Camerupt, lodging a spear of superheated rock into her chest. If I ever meet who created the modern pokeball, I need to thank them, because without the stasis-like effect pokeballs have on a pokemons physical body, she would have died within minutes.

All Threads. AND Threads that have new replies OR private message conversations with new replies Thread OP is displayed. Ten posts per page

JankyFranky_EX

Replied On September 14th 20XX:

I can put the sixth pokemon debate to rest. I live in verdanturf and I saw the same humongous Corviknight the other guys saw with Lee in slateport and Mauville. He flew to the outskirts of town towards a pretty high end breeding ranch called Greener pastures. I followed as best I could but by the time I was getting there he was taking off. I managed to pull my phone out just in time to see Lee returning a Sylveon to a ball before leaving. Evelyn McGarden the lady who runs the place has a Sylveon. Or I guess she had one not anymore picture attached

Edit: first ever thread mark nice.

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(Showing page 239 of 245)

KazuoKandy

Replied On September 14th 20XX:

@JankyFranky That picture is really grainy. Are you sure thats him?

Jaaace

Replied On September 14th 20XX:

@KazuoKandy Ive got a pretty clear picture of them in Slateport that you can compare Jankys to. Looks like a pretty close match to me. [CLinSP.png]

UNDERMAN!

Replied On September 14th 20XX:

Fuck you this loser is a ringer and you cant deny it now. The entire hoenn league is a sham because they pull stunts like this.

P_Trundale (Verified Trainer)

Replied On September 14th 20XX:

Holy shit it is them. Where 2 find rare poke magnet?

Jaaace

Replied On September 14th 20XX:

@P_Trundale Bro I dont know if I would be envious. @L_Henson is going to have a lot of weirdos in his DMs soon.

Flying_TA_5455

Replied On September 14th 20XX:

Holy miltank, Ive just come back and this Lee is a heck of a trainer. Looking at all of that Corviknights footage I can tell that while it seems of decent breeding the specific hight and wingspan tells me its mostly TLC that got it going. I gotta see if hes willing to enter a breeding contract.

mothslover1012

Replied On September 14th 20XX:

Arc, a Sylveon? Think he can help a sister out and share his strategy to find so many rare 'mons? He doesn't seem like the type to use lure and incense and all the expensive crap. Are we sure he's not just got connections? I've spent literal years searching for Larvesta to no luck and how long has he been on the circuit now?

BlueRibbonsOnly

Replied On September 14th 20XX:

Greener Pastures? That place is up there as far as breeders go. You have a referral or a known rep as a good trainer, or don't bother even calling. I tried to get on the waiting list for a Growlithe there, and they wouldn't even talk to me until I won a half dozen first place contests without a reference. Love my Solaire more then life itself, but I could have bought a condo for what he went for.

D-Actual

Replied On September 14th 20XX:

How could Henson just get a Sylveon of all mons? Theres no way in hell there isnt some under the table shit going on here. You dont just pick up the rarest Eevee evolution in your first months as a trainer. Seriously first a Ninetails now this!?

Lopunny_Pancakes

Replied On September 14th 20XX:

A Sylveon? Are we certain that Henson isn't planning on entering the contest circuit? I mean every single pic I have seen on here has shown that his team are absolutely gorgeous specimens of their species. And look at his team members! Even ignoring Ninetales (I practically cried when I saw she got hurt somehow?!?! But even still she pulls off the Wounded Beauty look like none I've ever seen!), his (newly evolved?) Corviknight is just the picture of a gallant dark warrior, stoic with gleaming armor and mighty presence! And now a Sylveon, perhaps one of THE most legendary of the Eevee line when it comes to performances! I am almost convinced here that as soon as he finishes up the gym circuit, however that might go, it will all have turned out to just be a warmup for him taking the Contest circuit by storm!

(Showing page 240 of 248)

AlmostSane

Replied On September 14th 20XX:

A Sylveon is a wonderful addition to Henson's team as it compensates for various weaknesses, but the degenerates will of course ignore this fact. I'm sick of all the weird behaviour online whenever someone catches any pokmon that's... 'cute'. It's unfair to both the trainer and pokmon to keep making these inappropriate comments, and can genuinely be damaging in some cases. Grow up.

Specc-time

Replied On September 14th 20XX:

Adding to this, me and Metang spent a dozen minutes or so on this topic. I thought the rumours were just false, but the website for Greener Pastures Breeding and Boarding Services has had a recent page update relating to their Pokemon tally. There's no official notice yet, but It's exceedingly likely that this is the Sylveon that Lee has just acquired. On that note, how often do people frequent that breeder? I don't live nearby so I don't have a good tally on local affairs (nor can I go and check). And both of us don't want to be attributing some random trainers acquisition to these ongoing rumours of Mr Henson.

Trainer4Fun

Replied On September 14th 20XX:

@UNDERMAN! Got any evidence to support that claim? I swear, you losers come out whenever anything good happens to anyone. Ringer this, league plant that, waah waah waah. Just because you failed your dreams of being a bigshot league champion doesn't mean you need to go all conspiracy theorist over an eevee.

Mikoto_H (Verified Trainer)

Replied On September 14th 20XX:

I hope mister Henson will have the capacity to bring a Fairy to their best. If the rumors of his telepathy with miss Ninetales are true, then he might have an advantage if she can translate Sylveon's thoughts. However, the mind of a Fairy is fickle. After all, there is a reason why fairy specialists are so rare and that's because taking care of a Fairy is much more than just their physical health.

CorrodedSteel

Replied On September 14th 20XX:

Oh Corviknight, my beloved. Henson's knocked my Corvi out of the top 10 big bois. Also, thank Arceus that he has something I hard counter. He is still going to melt me and mine, but now I know I can beat one 'Mon if I face him. But a Sylveon adoption? Holy crap, I wish him well. But it's also Lee Henson, and if someone could pull that off, it's that dude.

Leafeon_L0ver

Replied On September 14th 20XX:

Wait, Henson managed to grab a Sylveon? From momma McGarden? I know it's a ribboneon and not a Leafeon, but she's famous for any eeveelution fans out there! Any pokemon that's come from her farm has serious potential.

MurkrowInWaiting

Replied On September 14th 20XX:

Has anyone seen those recent pictures of Henson's Ninetales? The fur shaving patterns are pretty indicative that she suffered some sort of penetrating chest injury, maybe something that collapsed a lung. Someone noted that she's not been very active when seen. Some sort of career-altering permanent cardiopulmonary injury, maybe? She's shown so much sheer power, it's hard to imagine what kind of Pokemon could hand her that level of injury that wasn't an Elite's and Henson has no battle of that sort on his public record.

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Closing the website, Nigel shakes his head. Forget finding drama, Lee throws himself into it headfirst. The professor huffs out a single laugh, one tinged with a bit of despair for the coming headaches. The Academic Board better give my lab another grant for this.