Gavin awaits in one of the labs, having instructed one of the grunts to fetch Eris Halla. Gavin in a crisp white lab coat might be a strange sight for one who's only known him as Rocket's underboss in suit-and-tie, but he wears the ensemble as a second skin.

"Enter."

The laboratory doors open, permitting Eris and her charges entry. Gavin nods to the grunts in thanks and dismisses them with a light flick of the wrist.

"Leave us."

Sharp amber eyes take in the quivering Togekiss, and Gavin allows his miasma to permeate the room in the hopes it might offer some comfort to the shadowed creature, however false. There is a hunger in his gaze, a burning curiosity.

Beautiful.

"Have you given it a name?"

Eris' tendency to infiltrate the Rocket laboratories is exactly why she will never be given a keycard nor access to BLACKSTONE facilities. Too much of a risk for too little gain.

Gavin notes the unusual reaction to the miasma, dismissing it with a flick of his wrist. How curious.

He also notes the sharp correction, almost laughs. "I can't tell her gender from looking at her, Eris. Who was this friend?"

It was no one he'd known, Gavin is certain.

"Ah, yes. I'd seen the news."

Another member of the League Halla's grown too close with. Gavin keeps these thoughts to himself; insensitive though he could often be, even Gavin knew what it was to grieve the loss of a friend. He'd been a wreck when Chu-e Choi had passed.

"You're not," Gavin confirms, but doesn't elaborate on his knowledge or where he'd obtained it.

"Amor, is it?" He softens his voice, offering his hand to the ruffled Togekiss. "I will do nothing to you that Eris here won't allow, I promise." He looks to Eris. "Do you think I could take some very basic samples? Just a DNA swab and a little blood if you think that would be all right. It would be very quick. If she's lost any feathers, they would be much appreciated."

He clicks his tongue, and a Rotom zips out of the phone in his pocket.

"My lab assistant," he chuckles. "He can test your Togekiss for the Pokerus-Y virus using only a basic DNA sample."

Gavin isn't entirely sure of the reason behind the thanks, but he doesn't ask for elaboration. Perhaps it will sink in later, when he reflects upon their conversation in the privacy and comfort of his home.

She is very gentle, for a shadow.

He makes this observation to himself as Eris combs fingers through the Togekiss' soft down, dislodging stray feathers that Gavin careful seals for later testing. He hesitates when the needle is requested. Halla has assisted in the lab before. "If you believe you can offer a gentler touch, be my guest." He's been a scientist for years, can find a vein and extract a sample almost with his eyes closed, but he doesn't miss the Togekiss' discomfort with him and relinquishes the duty without further fight.

"And a second, for the rapid antigen test," he says, once she's taken the first DNA swab. "I'll only need the one blood sample," he adds, as reassurance.

Once the second swab is done, he looks to Rotom.

"Perform R.A.T. on Togekiss sample."

TELEKINESIS levitates the sample, and the Rotom begins to scan. Gavin hands Eris the needle.

"The offspring of shadows, but never the shadows themselves." He looks curious. "Have you? I would be very interested." After a thought, he adds, "Lugia's mind was purified somewhat, but her condition remains. Still, it's the closest I've seen."

Yes, it made sense that a bleeding heart like Eris Halla would seek out purification methods. A shame, but the Togekiss wasn't a part of his collection.

She mentions Necrozma, suggesting a counter to its strength. Yes, and a lessening of mine. The intricate details of his avatar power are privy only to him, however, and thus any such doubts are kept to himself.

"Necrozma's influence will cease to matter when we bring it down." It was a horrible opponent in whose wake death often followed, but they'd nearly conquered in during the Blackout before... whatever it was had intervened. So was his assumption, anyway. "A temporary purification could certainly be useful in niche cases, however... hm..."

He'll think on it some more.

"What sort of abilities does this one possess?"

She's in way over her head. Eris is only a child. She shouldn't have to be dealing with the imminent end of the world, or the Lake Guardians, or anything other than simply enjoying her childhood.

He knows that will never be.

"A shadowed metronome?" His eyes gleam. "Fascinating. Do you think she'd be willing to demonstrate?"

Nearby, the machine into which Rotom had interfaced beeps as the test completes. In a tinny, electronic voice, the Pokemon reports its findings.

R.A.T POKERUS-Y: NEGATIVE

Gavin marks something down on a chart.

A shame he doesn't trust her enough to allow access to Blackstone; his laboratory had been built with this sort of volatile testing in mind.

He looks surprised by the SHADOW BLAST, backing up from a flung chair.

"That's a move I've only known Lugia to use." She didn't seem to favour it, relying much more on her ability to cause shadowy storms, but she'd utilized the SHADOW BLAST to great effect against Necrozma during the Darkest Day.

"Outside, then." He leads the way.