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[attr="class","skullbody"]Sometimes, Watson liked to think. He thought about the most important things in life. How did Isaac disappear before saying peek-a-boo? Was water wet, or was it simply itself? If Arceus created the world, who created Arceus? Why was Toto such a glory-stealing butt-for-brains? Was this rock he had just tripped over edible? Sometimes, these questions had surprising answers![break][break]

For example, that rock? Totally not edible. Weird, the last dozen were, as long as you knew the right trick.[break][break]

As he nursed his achey jaw, Watson's nose was hit by a familiar smell. It was . . . kind of like him, but dry? And hot? And kind of spicy? Weird. Watsons didn't smell like that! This was clearly another one of those great big mysteries that needed unraveling. Just like the mystery of why that burrito he buried in the sand a week ago tasted awful when he tried eating it again.[break][break]

Sure enough, as Watson toddled onto the scene, he found himself staring down another Totodile. It was smaller than the average Totodile. It was a lot rounder and stumpier. And it was red! Silly Totodile! You were the wrong color! He trotted in a circle around the weird Totodile's sleeping place, careful not to make any sudden movements that would disturb his drowsy friend.[break][break]

And then, in a move that would surely agonize any sleeping crocodiles or stealthy rangers-in-training, he let out a loud, cheery greeting.[break][break]

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[attr="class","skulltitle"]導通抵抗

[attr="class","skullbody"]Watson blinked as the stubby red Totodile pointed towards him, mouth agape in shock and awe. And then Watson's face dropped into a matching expression, returning the newcomer's point with one of his own. Same croc! Same croc! Friendship! Friendship! The ecological implications were staggering.[break][break]

The two jumped and danced around, hopping up and down to acknowledge this powerful meeting of the minds. Yet the friendship ritual couldn't last forever. After a few moments (seconds? Minutes? Who knew, honestly?) Watson stopped bouncing. He held up a single claw, rasped once, and then darted away.[break][break]

It would be about half a minute before he returned, staggering around with a massive branch in his jaws. It was dotted with sweet, sweet Liechi Berries; where the heck did Watson even find these? The berries shook on the branches as Watson toddled over, using his tail and arms to keep his balance despite the branch's length.[break][break]

Once he was back by the Fuecoco's side, he shook the berries right off of the branch. Judging by the motion of his claw, these were all for his new buddy. Clearly, Watson knew the best way to a croc's heart was through its stomach.

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[attr="class","skullbody"]Burnt to a molten crisp! The forbidden flavor. Watson had always tried sneaking that kind of snack, but one of his many, many friends always found a way to stop him. Now there was nothing in his way! He stared at the berry, looking at the molten veins cris-crossing across charred, crumbly flesh.[break][break]

Bon appetite! Watson threw the berry right down the hatch. It hurt so good.[break][break]

Watson rasped a thanks over to his brother from another region, but realized that a little branch of Liechi berries would never be enough to keep them full for long. No, he had to go back out a-hunting! But . . . where would he find a bush on such short notice? Bushes didn't just grow on trees![break][break]

Inspiration shined in Watson's eyes as his gazed turned towards Genevieve. The good news: her disguise worked! The bad news: it worked too well. Watson toddled right up to the "bush", jaws clacking excitedly as he prepared to start shaking down its bushes for more berries.

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[attr="class","skullbody"]"2:15 PM. I leave Watson alone for ten minutes and he's already eating latex."[break][break]

Happiness was two friends munching on a freshly caught bush together. This one didn't scratch up his mouth as much as usual, but it sure was chewy! Watson gnawed on his end of the bush like a dog with a squeaky toy, as if trying to figure out just what that strange flavor it had was. Was this bush balloon flavored? His human had told him balloons didn't grow on trees! Clearly, he meant that they growed on bushes instead. The mind boggled.[break][break]

He didn't seem to be paying Genny any mind. Neither was the Fuecoco. Were it not from the mysterious voice from above, the girl may have thought her secret research mission was back on track. But there was an elephant in the room, and his name was Isaac Merlo.[break][break]

Did he choose to hop out of the tree branches to be dramatic? Partially. But not having to risk slipping on the way down and faceplanting was also a nice bonus. A shimmer of energy seemed go surround him on the way down, turning what would have been a body-shaking landing into a nice, gentle float down.[break][break]

Echo truly was an invaluable member of the team.[break][break]

When he landed, Isaac shot his fellow observer an apologetic grin. "Sorry if my little buddy there got in the way of your cosplay session. I've been trying to let him stretch his legs out more lately," he explained. "I'm Isaac, and he's Watson. What's your name?"

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[attr="class","skullbody"]Isaac laughed a little at the attention being sent Watson's way. "Don't worry. He'll gnaw on anything he can get his claws on, but he knows not to swallow," Isaac said. He turned to Watson, his smile radiant. "Right, Watson?"[break][break]

Never before had a smile so sweet been so terrifying. Watson made a mental note Not to give that latex a swallow.[break][break]

Perhaps unsurprising by this point, the sweetheart introduced herself as a Ranger. Did every nice person in the region just filter into the Rangers? Honestly, it was hard to think of a better place for them. The sidelines, in a perfect world. But Hoenn wasn't a perfect world. And if they were going to be stuck in this whole mess, at least they'd only be war-adjacent.[break][break]

A shame. The Rangers deserved better.[break][break]

"Good to meet you," Isaac said, returning her grin with one of his own. Apparently, she was on a mission to catalogue the new Pokemon that had been popping up around the region. The answer to "did a hundred new Pokemon just spill out of a portal every few years" was apparently an emphatic Yes. They may have existed in distant lands prior, but here in Hoenn? Never before seen.[break][break]

"Honestly, it's gonna be a whirlwind around here for a good few months," Isaac figured. "Tons of new Pokemon just popping up in the region, as if overnight. Wouldn't be surprised if habitats took a long time to settle after this." It was going to make the usual scramble around New Mauville look quaint. A Big Bang of speciation, and it'd take forever to settle back into a big chill.[break][break]

"Guess that's gonna open up a lot of chances for research, huh?"

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[attr="class","skullbody"]"Just gotta find time between apocalypses," Isaac teased, firing Genevieve a cheeky grin. It was the kind of joke that might have come off as crass if Hoenn didn't have such a strangely good track record at fending off apocalypses. When the reality-destroying meteor that was about to turn their entire region into a crater turned into a nonissue overnight, a little bit of celebratory joking was well warranted.[break][break]

Yet the apocalypse wasn't the biggest crisis on Genevieve's mind right now. Instead, it was the loss of an expensive bush disguise and one disappeared gator that took the pep out of her step. Seeing this, Watson sighed guiltily, then fished a bit of latex out of his teeth. He held it up skyward and began making squeaky, rubbery noises with it. Was he hoping he could re-summon his friend?[break][break]

It probably wouldn't work. But Isaac gave him a little scratch on the back of the head for trying.[break][break]

"Well, a certain somebody's been feeling like too much of a hot shot to need trainer supervision," Isaac teased, Watson cackling up a storm as he leaned into the scratches. "So I've been letting him wander around at a safe distance. Get that independent streak out of his system. It's hard not to worry, but, heck. Just look how happy he is."[break][break]

"I swear. These guys are handfuls. But they're good handfuls." Genevieve doubted she could handle a Fuecoco. Isaac doubted he could handle half of the Pokemon that he had on call nowadays. He went from three amigos to an entire small army at his beck and call. "If you ever find another Fuecoco, who knows? A Pokemon that seems too much for ya could be your next best friend for life."

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[attr="class","skullbody"]Watson practically melted into Genevieve as she scratched his chin, all too happy to bask in the adoration. Typically, the mammalian Pokemon were the more stereotypically cuddly and affectionate ones. Watson took that cold blooded stereotype and turned it right on his head.[break][break]

"Every Pokemon's got a way. Sometimes, you gotta prove yourself to them. Sometimes, you gotta let them open up to you. Sometimes, you just gotta find something to help you connect. But if a Pokemon really doesn't want to get caught, they're not gonna stick around in the first place."[break][break]

Arceus knows Isaac had some harder cases he had to work with. There were still some Pokemon he couldn't quite understand![break][break]

Genevieve seemed to be in a good place for understanding that truth. She had a big heart and an open mind. In a lot of ways, she reminded him of Julia Davis and annalise henderson. Find the right mentors, and he knew she'd be a great asset for the Rangers.[break][break]

Of course, that big heart and open mind also had their weaknesses. For example, it meant poor Genevieve as about to trust food from a brainless croc. The look on her face as she bit into the berry was indescribable, and Isaac couldn't help but laugh a little as she tried her hardest to keep it down.[break][break]

He took a berry, weighing it in his hands. Oh, god, was it sloshing around inside of the skin? How the hell did that even work? He gave it a gentle toss up and down, then lobbed it high into the air. Leaning up, he caught it right in his mouth, flashing Genevieve a cheeky grin. After a few quick chews, he gave it a swallow. "I dunno. Tastes pretty great to me!"[break][break]

As he spoke, he leaned back, hands behind his head. It was the perfect cover to hide the fact that, instead of actually eating the berry, he'd just caught it. A little bit of sleight of hand went a long way to avoid getting food poisoning!

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