"you would not."[break][break]

a love strangle from the ultra beast would last mere seconds, if that. but thankfully for kepler, it would not come to that today. he has a firm grip of control over his naganadel; the bronzong floating next to them is added measure.[break][break]

theo pulls out a single crystabloom from the pocket of his overcoat. he nods at kepler, then holds it up to show the naganadel in the other room.[break][break]

"whenever you're ready."

[attr="class","ooc"]kepler brueshaber[break]

[attr="class","pkspr pkmn-naganadel"][attr="class","pkspr pkmn-bronzong"]

Maybe it’s the bluntness with which Theo speaks or maybe it’s finally seeing the thing in real life: sleek purple curves, thorax segmented like a wasp, not at all bloated or unbalanced as the depictions make it seem.

It is leagues above the shrimpy shadow Inkay Mars had shown him. And he wanted one, almighty god in heaven, he wanted one so bad, even if it killed him which it probably would.

He cleared his throat to shake himself out of his daydreaming.

“Subjective,” he says, voice gone a little breathy in awe, “subject presents with both insectoid and draconic features. Estimated weight to be roughly between one hundred and two hundred kigs. Administrator Beckett, do you know if Nagandel presents ectothermic or endothermic?” The science all pointed to ectothermic-- cold-blooded. But a lot of new science was revealing dragons with warm-blooded systems.

And, of course, evolution moved from cold to warm, as a general observation. Kepler didn’t exactly know where on the evolutionary chain Nagandel fell, though.

THEO BECKETT
let's science this bitch

☉

"it is ectothermic."[break][break]

and while theo could theorize as to why that is exactly—ultra space's uninhabitable and hostile environment being the main one—he assumes kepler is more than capable of coming to that conclusion on his own.[break][break]

instead, he focuses on the ultra beast, eyeing it closely as his main role here is to ensure the safety of kepler.[break][break]

"what tests will you be doing today?"

[attr="class","ooc"]kepler brueshaber[break]

[attr="class","pkspr pkmn-naganadel"][attr="class","pkspr pkmn-bronzong"]

The science was contradictory-- or maybe just assumatory. For the longest time it was imagined only warm-blooded creatures could survive in harsh environments because of their warm-bloodedness. But it was, intrinsically, an overtly vertebrate focused concept. In fact some of the best survivors on the planet didn’t have blood at all.

But that was a digression.

“Ideally, a blood sample, a toxin sample, and I’d like to take a radiograph of the… weapon system, in the thorax.”

There were a thousand tests he wanted to run. A million things he wanted to measure. But he’d start there.

THEO BECKETT
googles 'can you xray a bug'

☉

there is a reason why theo asked.[break][break]

"i have samples of its blood and toxin. i'll send over the details after this."[break][break]

those familiar with theo in kanto would know of his proficiency in toxicology. he doesn't expect kepler (or anyone, really) to know this, however.[break][break]

"let's start with the radiograph."

[attr="class","ooc"]kepler brueshaber[break]

[attr="class","pkspr pkmn-naganadel"][attr="class","pkspr pkmn-bronzong"]

Kepler’s invisible ears perk at the mention that Theo already has samples for him. “Oh.” He is both immediately relieved and disappointed. He wants to poke the bear giant poison dart dragon psuedo-god equally as much as he wants to stay away and make sure he stays alive.

“Okay.” Kepler nods to his assistants (Callisto and Coldheart) who move about the cabin (airlocked room). Coldheart produces a plate and goes behind Naganadel, suspending the thin, black square in a completely still psychic hold. Callisto holds the portable x-ray machine, lining up the thin red line that indicates the direction of the beam.

Callisto pressed a button and the machine hum-clicked a picture. Then the two pokemon rotated, taking a shot from all four sides of Naganadel.

As the pictures began to load, Kepler’s brow furrowed, and he leaned forward.

“How… strange.”

The radiographs-- while not a CT Scan or MRI-- were quite detailed. The inner workings of Naganadel’s artillery system seemed to be made up of a series of vesicles of fluid (likely toxin)-- as well as something… suspiciously active.

“Can you take one of the chest and one of the head, please?” Kepler called through the microphone. Coldheart and Callisto set up and did as they were asked.

The chest was unremarkable: Naganadel didn’t have lungs in the natural sense; no spine, either, hinting at something rather more exo-skeletal. The head had a cluster of ophthalmic function systems, but it was also lacking something very distinct.

“Holy shit.”

Kepler hummed, queuing up some more commands, twisting the radiographs this way and that.

“Naganadel’s brain… is in its lower half.”

THEO BECKETT
dun dun dun?

☉

all the information presented as surprising as it should have been falls flat but only because it's information he already knew from his project with GABRIEL BLACK. it's how the naganadel came to lose an arm, after all.[break][break]

but his lack of surprise is easily masked.[break][break]

"holy shit indeed."[break][break]

a soft chuckle of disbelief escapes, and he gestures up.[break][break]

"so what's in its head? just its eyes?"

[attr="class","ooc"]kepler brueshaber[break]

[attr="class","pkspr pkmn-naganadel"][attr="class","pkspr pkmn-bronzong"]

Kepler feels like the last bird to get to the worm. All he gets is dirt.

“Knew that already, did you?” he asked, sarcastic grin on his face. He was an academic. He knew when people already knew things.

It didn’t matter. The point of this was to study the Naganadel’s weaponry system, to replicate it.

“Eyes. Targeting system, I’d imagine. Kitted out like Predator. Soooo much room for poison.”

This was fun. This discovery. He hadn’t done this in a million years.

“One last test. I’m going to shoot a concentrated beam of tiny magnetic particles at it-- it’ll feel like stepping into the line of a fan. The data’ll help generate a fluid wave module on the UB’s aerodynamics. Clue us in to how it flies.”

He queued up the commands. A cluster of green light beams zapped across the room.

“Just have them fly from one side of the box to the other through the beams, please.”

THEO BECKETT
dun dun dun?

☉

normally, ultra beasts aren't pokemon one would simply command, but theo's experience with raising a multitude of aggressive pokemon has enabled him to simply click his tongue, then gesture to where he wants the naganadel to move to.[break][break]

it does as instructed, and it lets out a loud screech as it passes through the green light beams.[break][break]

"i've always found its flying to be quite odd."[break][break]

he explains.[break][break]

"it almost hovers, not really needing to use its wings too often."

[attr="class","ooc"]kepler brueshaber[break]

[attr="class","pkspr pkmn-naganadel"][attr="class","pkspr pkmn-bronzong"]

True to what Theo says, Naganadel doesn’t need any means of flapping for locomotion. Likewise, it’s tail doesn’t truly act as a rudder or flap or anything that traditional fliers would need for flying.

“My theory,” Kepler said, as he made sure the beams were functioning and the data coming in was usable, “is that the lesser barrels on its thorax are a type of propulsion system. My secondary theory is the toxin its filled with is extremely light and contributes to buoyancy until mixed with atmospheric elements causing it to gel and thicken.”

Once Naganadel had finished traversing the little box, Kepler powered down the beams.

“But then again I am trying to equate our laws of physics to a creature from fucking outer-outer space. So my theories are likely bullshit. Anyway, that concludes our research for today. Thank you for your time, Administrator Beckett. And, uh, Naganadel, too.”

The data just had to compile and Kepler had some physicking to do.

THEO BECKETT
TY I SUBMITTO <3

☉