lampent doesn't return and as odd as it is they have no time to waste. he surmises that they only have a very brief window of opportunity to meet the curator before she disappears into her world of work.

"thank you for taking the time to meet us. i will keep things short: we need your help understanding these items." 

he looks to kyle, gesturing for the young lad to take out the items to show the curator. when he does, alexander continues, voice curt.

"the silver bell traces back to castelia city in unova. the burnt bell possibly from the bell tower in johto. we think they may be related but we cannot confirm. furthermore, they do not share the same frequency." 

he also motions to the remaining items.

"we also have a map and three silver coins, if they mean anything to you." 

he talks and gestures but his gaze stays fixed on the curator, gauging her reactions and body language to try and get a better read of her.

kyle lopez // SPIRAL

[attr="class","ihead"]

[attr="class","ipad"]THE MUSEUM'S SECRET[break][break]
her eyes trace along the lines of kyle's hand. the items are interesting, yes, but mean nothing to someone in her line of work. the objects hold no artistic value and she doesn't recognize them beyond alexander's explanation. the map and silver bell don't even seem to be anything more than ordinary objects. she nods her head no, looking first at kyle and then alexander. [break][break]

"we cultivate and collect art, not trinkets. i'm sorry but i don't think i'll be of much help here. your best bet would be to check with someone from ecruteak." it's just a guess but since stone had mentioned the origins of the burnt bell being from the bell tower, where better than to look than in one of johto's most historic cities? with little else to add, the curator presumes their business is done and has half the mind to return to tending to her exhibits. [break][break]

"actually—wait a minute. let me look at that." with a feline grace, the curator plucks the bells straight out of kyle's hands. her touch is soft but momentary, demonstrating a deft sleight of hand that manages to steal the items straight out from under him before he can react. "hmmmm. come with me, gentleman. bonni, keep an eye on things. the last thing i need are more visitors."[break][break]

the curator turns on the ball of her feet, heels clicking against the marble floor as her hips sway with each step. she doesn't turn back to look at them because she knows they'll follow. even if they don't, she has the bell. click, clack, click, clack. her head start grants her enough space to force them to curry to her pace, too far to carry out conversation, close enough not to get lost. she takes them through the employee section of the museum and for those who have never seen the areas where supplies are stored for future exhibits, it's plain, boring, and disturbingly messy. it seems more akin to a dusty old basement than one of hoenn's most modern museums.[break][break]

the curator leads them to a pitch black basement and the lights flicker alive when the sound of her steps echo down the staircase. what they reveal is a sizable pedestal with the girth of a graveler. sitting atop the stone pedestal is a statue of a pokemon that very few people know about. only the bards of unova, as few as they are, can recount the tale of a pokemon who's melody touches the heart of even the most savage beasts.[break][break][break]

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the curator holds a bell in each of her hand, delicately holding the stem with the tip of her fingers. she gives them a faint jiggle, each bell giving off a different pitch ring. she starts to hum aloud, breaking out into a soft melody that only stone's lampent will know.[break][break]

"within my heart and soul it resides, my dear, all those cuts of memories, will they ever disappear?"[break][break]

nothing happens and the curator frowns. she stops playing with the bells and turns back to the two. [break][break]

"this is the melody pokemon from unova. it provided ancient civilizations the power of song and dance, able to tame even the most ferocious of pokemon with a simple tune. i've spent years combing through various pieces of literature and art to find it but i haven't found a way to awaken it from its dormant state. there are multiple stories of this pokemon being awaken by a RELIC SONG but the sheet music and prose we've uncovered doesn't seem to be enough. i've starting taking singing lesson as well in an effort to rouse it from its sleep but i haven't had any luck."[break][break]

she sighs, shaking her head in defeat. "i've spent months practicing and trying but nothing we do seems to work. i was hoping that perhaps the bells may have an effect but alas..." she places both bells in her right hand before holding it back out for kyle. "it looks like it was for naught."[break][break]

---

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you may try a single solution attempt per post. you may try as many times as you'd like. SPIRAL will determine the outcome of your solution with a mod post. you may use any items obtained from events, pokemon you own, or characters you have plotted with to help come up with a solution. please PM SPIRAL prior to having another character join in. [break][break][break]




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within my heart and soul it resides, my dear, all those cuts of memories, will they ever disappear? 

the words ring through his mind, echoing as he repeats it over and over again. he narrows his eyes at the statue before him. like most children, he remembers reading about legendary tales and folklore but never has he come across this particular one. or maybe he has and he has simply forgotten. either way, he is filled with a sense of wonder and excitement and also anxiety as he gazes at the statue.

"any ideas, kyle?" 

he has a few but he's not confident in any of them. it's a strange feeling for him, to be uncertain, but it is a refreshing change for once. he hums as he thinks. his arms cross over his chest and his foot starts to tap against the ground every now and then.

"maybe a pokemon needs to SING it." 

he reaches for a pokeball and calls out his gallade, the momentary flash from the pokeball illuminates the room for a moment. "please find lampent. she might be near the curator's house." it is the only logical assumption given how lampent never returned. the situation seems a bit too coincidental for him not to consider investigating. this is the first time lampent has not returned.

gallade nods and TELEPORTS away.

"the good news is we do not appear to be pressed for time. you said you have spent months trying?"

he asks the curator to affirm once again. he steps over to kyle, gaze finally shifting away from the statue to look at his friend.

"do you have a pokemon that knows SING?"

kyle lopez // SPIRAL

[attr="class","ihead"]

[attr="class","ipad"]RIDDLE ATTEMPT[break][break]
the curator shows her silent disapproval for the obvious tactic. what did they take her for? singing was one of the first solutions she tried. "i believe that the pokemon can only be awaken by the power of its song. i've been training for months to perfect it but you can only become so good in such a short amount of time." [break][break]

"we have various accounts that have verified that this statue is the 'real deal'. it used to belong to a village but the pokemon hasn't been active in several life times. the stone its made out of has proven as such. nothing can scratch it."[break][break]

she claps her hands and start to hum again, if only to entertain kyle's suggestion. she break into the chorus again and listens to the chansey repeat it.[break][break]

---

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you may try a single solution attempt per post. you may try as many times as you'd like. SPIRAL will determine the outcome of your solution with a mod post. you may use any items obtained from events, pokemon you own, or characters you have plotted with to help come up with a solution. please PM SPIRAL prior to having another character join in. [break][break][break]




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unsurprisingly, it does not work. his expectations are measured so his disappointment is minimal. he shows no visible signs of reactions as he watches the statue fail to burst to life. a few seconds after the song ends, he sighs and takes his jacket off.

"looks like we might be here for a while." 

he walks over and places it neatly on a nearby chair before crossing his arms as he looks back at the statue. he holds his chin as he thinks.

"i sent my lampent out last night to watch over your house but she never came back. do you know why?" 

almost on cue, gallade reappears out of his TELEPORT with the fainted body of the lampent. her flame flickers dimly but her spirit is still there, present. alexander looks to kyle.

"do you happen to have a revive on you?"

kyle lopez // SPIRAL

[attr="class","ihead"]

[attr="class","ipad"]RIDDLE ATTEMPT[break][break]
"You did what?" [break][break]

The curator glares sharply between the two of them, mortified and disgusted at the sudden revelation. The invasion to her privacy, coupled with their sudden arrival, proves to be a disparaging image for what should've been two guest. No longer are they spontaneous visitors but intruders, overstepping their bounds and quickly diminishing whatever image she had of them. [break][break]

In any other instance, perhaps the curator would show some compassion toward the fallen pokemon. But now? There's a vindictive sense of justice validating the sight of the intrusive pokemon being punished. She merely tilts her head in the opposite direction, chin held high, full of contempt. [break][break]

Her mood swings like pendulum, stuck on the other side of the spectrum. What was once willing to entertain their curiosities is now brimmed with a haste to have them escorted out and barred from visiting. Allowing them in had been a mistake and the curator only blames herself, resisting the urge to pick at her manicured fingernails. [break][break]

"Go ahead, however, if that does not work either then I'll have to ask the both of you to leave. There are many things to do and this has already taken away more time than it should have." [break][break]

The curator has the patience of a saint. Someone who can sing really good is an understatement to the help that Kyle will enlist and the curator expects an amateur that the boy knows as a friend. Rather than expel them, she shows the last of ounce of her courtesy and would rather have them fail quickly so that she can oust them from the premises. [break][break]

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When Evelyn arrives the curator examines her and smiles toward her as a form of greeting. It's an empty pretense but a practiced one that all the elite are familiar with. Their faux expressions done to give face to others and when Kyle tries to return the favor it falls flat on its face. His manner of speaking is several times too blunt for the curator and she makes an active attempt to resist rolling her eyes. [break][break]

She leaves Evelyn to her own devices. Hopefully, she's able to come up with something more substantial than either of these men. The fact that she seems to be examining the sheet music shows promise but the curator cannot find it within her to have faith that this otherwise ordinary girl will find something that she hasn't. [break][break]

To Evelyn, the music is all written in a foreign language. The musical notes and the rhythm still follow the same schema that's used in classical music today but everything else is nothing more than oddly written text. As time ticks by, the curator excuses herself to attend to the rest of her day. The other three are free to make themselves at home under the condition that they don't get into trouble. Should Kyle stay, he'll notice that Evelyn's practice sounds slightly different than the curators attempt earlier. The pitch and rhythm of her song has a distinct difference that he can pick up on. There's a pitch the curator cannot reach and that may prove key to restoring this mysterious Pokemon. [break][break]

---

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[break][break]

The song rings true and the rumble shakes the very foundation of the building. The song is not perfect and Evelyn cannot mimic the words with the same articulation sung by the bards of the past. However, she manages to copy the melody and that's enough of a catalyst to free Meloetta from her slumber. The plates of stone start to shed and they clatter against the hard tile wood. The Pokemon may be free but still remains weak. It collapses and lays there motionless. [break][break]

The tremors of the Meloetta's awakening causes the curator to come back down, rushing with hurried steps that carry her forward as fast as humanly possible without having her trip on the tip of her heels. "You did it!" She exclaims, running up to the pedestal to scoop up the unconscious Meloetta. "You actually did it!" Little do they know, an incomplete song only leads to an incomplete result. [break][break]

The curator refrains from claiming the Pokemon to one of the tailored Luxury balls she had crafted for such a moment. She sees this Pokemon as a work of art and handling it like a normal Pokemon is unbecoming of such a fine specimen. She'll nurse the Pokemon for a while, holding it in her hands, delicate and ferrying it back and forth like a newborn. However, over time, she'll come to realize that the Pokemon remains weak, breathing and able to let out some mild sounds but never opening its eyes. [break][break]

The trio may have her thanks but the riddle is still not solved. [break][break]

"If you want, let me borrow those bells you have," the curator says in a quiet voice. "I'll be busy taking care of this Pokemon but it may provide some answer as to what those bells are." [break][break]

---

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You have solved the first half of the Research Riddle! The three of you have unlocked the optional Research Topic: Meloetta! You may continue to solve the rest of the riddle in this thread or continue onto your primary research topic. If you would like to revisit this topic after continuing onto your primary research topic, create a new thread and link it in the Research thread! You may run these Research threads concurrently OOC.

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