As she bridged the distance between them, thoughts of the past came rising up like a wellspring in his mind. Images of a young blonde girl and a dark-haired boy, entertaining one another at the most boring of functions. Finding solace and kinship in their shared predicament.

Given their age difference, it had been a brotherly role that he'd taken on. Chasing after her in her frilly little skirts, keeping her out of trouble as their fathers worked.

They had both grown from their youthful visages, of course; him into an accomplished journalist (blonde now, distinctly different from his childhood), and her into a professional woman. Even as she reached for him, he couldn't help but admire how mature she appeared now. There was a bittersweetness to this realization.

"Iseult. Wonderful to see you, ma copine."

He reached for her, too, and leaned in with a natural familiarity, as if no time had passed between them. A comfortable faire la bise was exchanged with his friend, after which Barnaby remained standing.

"Shall we?" He asked, gesturing to the aquarium entrance. "We can catch up and admire the exhibits as we walk."

iseult babineaux
mission: I RELICANTH THANK YOU ENOUGH
outfit check

☉

The pair passed through the aquarium entrance together and into an entirely different world. Fluorescent lighting was replaced with the blue gleam of treated water. The smell of coffee beans gave way to hints of earth and ammonia.

"Aquarium Tropical, perhaps? That was always a favorite of mine growing up."

As they walked, Barnaby casually sipped his latte and took in the beautifully curated exhibits. The aquarium started off with a grand affair, having guests stroll through a large glass tunnel. Here they were given an incredible view of a micro-ecosystem, with an array of species swimming to the left, the right, and even overhead.

It would likely seem very familiar to Iseult, given her recollection.

"Here, let's see if we can find a Milotic in this tank." Barnaby suggested, pausing where there was an opening in the crowd beside the glass.

"So tell me... what spurred on this emigration of yours? Kalos not exciting enough for you?" He joked, but surely she could connect the dots given Hoenn's tumultuous events of the last few years.

iseult babineaux
mission: I RELICANTH THANK YOU ENOUGH
outfit check

☉

"Danger?" He echoed quietly, contemplatively, sounding more curious than concerned. The journalist in him wanted to know more, to probe her further, but their ties to friendship held him back. Besides, if Monsieur Babineaux's troubles were ROCKET-adjacent, then it was likely Barnaby's own father was privy to said danger.

He made a mental note to look into it, if only out of worry for iseult babineaux.

"He's right, of course. You're doing what's within your power." Cobalt eyes shifted from the glass to the woman beside him, holding her pale gaze with firm conviction. "Staying safe and focusing on yourself for now."

A FEEBAS swimming close to them refocused his attention on the tank.

"But if there's anything I can do to help, please let me know." It wasn't a hollow offer, either. There was enough danger in their new region; he would hate for her to have to worry about familial strife on top of that.

She sighed, to which Barnaby gave a sympathetic look, before steering their conversation to talk of Hoenn and his reason for traveling so far away from their home.

By this point the MILOTIC had been expertly spotted. It's distinctive multi-colored scales and unique antennae were impossible to miss. He marveled at the sight just as Iseult did, craning his head upward as it swam above them over the tunnel.

Once it passed Barnaby responded to her question.

"I work for HNN now, which has connections to my father's company back in Kalos. My superiors there necessitated the move. Follow the news, they reasoned."

His next statement was a play at gallows humor, spoken in a conversational tone. "And what's more newsworthy than the end of the world?"

The incoming meteoroid, the sporadic space-time distortions with their hyper-aggressive Pokémon, war with humanoids of another dimension.

It was all rather apocalyptic.

iseult babineaux
mission: I RELICANTH THANK YOU ENOUGH
outfit check

☉

Truth be told, most of the topics that Barnaby covered were fairly mundane, especially those highlighted on his morning talk show. Feel-good stories, viral trends, celebrity guests, etc.

He'd also interviewed the likes of FERNANDO SILPH and MATIAS SILPH, which had been interesting in their own way, but not the kind of exciting that iseult babineaux was likely talking about.

"I've ventured into the space-time distortions several times now, trying to document what I find." It was difficult work; most of the footage he'd managed to get had come out grainy and staticky.

"They're terrifying places. There's an oppressive energy about them, makes it hard to move." He paused, taking a small sip of his latte. "The Pokémon that pop up there... are strong beyond belief. And frightfully aggressive."

With the MILOTIC successfully spotted, Barnaby figured it was a good time to head further into the aquarium and explore the other exhibits. Gesturing for her to follow, he continued with what he was saying.

"New species and variants were even discovered within the distortions, too. I have a few myself, actually, that transformed when we were inside."

iseult babineaux
mission: I RELICANTH THANK YOU ENOUGH
outfit check

☉

“Several, although from what I can tell there’s no rhyme or reason why these particular Pokémon transformed and not others. I suppose that’s for the scientists to determine.”

It was not a natural occurrence, after all. These types of Pokémon didn't belong, not just in Hoenn, but in this time or place. The why of something like that was beyond Barnaby's scope. It explained his appreciation for the accruement of knowledge and why he endeavored to add to it in his own way. If they were to survive these persistent phenomena, they needed to understand them.

“Stantler. Typhlosion. Decidueye. Braviary. Scyther. Sneasel. Growlithe. Electrode. All used as a means of defense while I was within the distortion.” Barnaby happened to conveniently leave out that he intentionally allowed some of these to transform. “I’ve heard there are even more than that, though.”

iseult babineaux
mission: I RELICANTH THANK YOU ENOUGH
outfit check

☉

Although he played the part of an empathetic talk show host with a bleeding heart on his sleeve, there was little that could truly offend BARNABY FINCH. He was inwardly rather calculating and profoundly curious. Phenomena like the space-time distortions drew him in like a moth to a flame... and as iseult babineaux suspected, not necessarily for selfless reasons.

As she leaned in to enjoy a slowly swimming LUMINEON, Barnaby moved beside her, observing a CHINCHOU higher in the tank. It's softly glowing orbs cast a yellow light across his face, blinking in and out with the pulsating of the fish's antennae.

"Some. That can happen under normal evolutionary circumstances, though." He replied conversationally, his gaze now fixed on a LANTURN. "My Braviary was particularly wild, but he's mellowed out quite a bit now. He's a good boy."

Barnaby paused, letting a comfortable silence fall between them for a few seconds.

"People are worried." He finally continued, this time in a slightly more serious tone. His eyes shifted from the tank to his childhood friend as he added, "I like to think I bring a little light to the darkness. Illuminate the unknown, maybe assuage some fears in the process."

Like a LANTURN in the depths of the ocean.

iseult babineaux
mission: I RELICANTH THANK YOU ENOUGH
outfit check

☉