Howard liked horses. He also liked riding them.

Josh Devlin had taught Howard how to ride a Pokémon, which had been a boyhood dream of the archaeologist. It was embarrassing, frankly, to be incapable of riding a Pokémon while also having a cowboy hat and wardrobe that favored the outdoors. Sure, he had ridden the occasional Numel across the desert, but a Glastrier was entirely different.

Yet neither Howard or Yuina slipped off. He was proud of that fact. He barely shivered from the cold anymore. His weakness to cold had been burned away from constant exposure.

"It actually can snow in deserts, if you'll believe it. Kyogre's rainstorms has given Hoenn plenty of water, and water becomes snow in winter." Howard shrugged, breath frosting in the air. His scarf was sewn with patterns of Kabuto and Omanyte. "That's what the Weather Institute is saying, anyway. I wouldn't trust them. They're only good at catching Castforms."

There was a story there, yet whatever Howard's beef with the Weather Institute was, it would have to wait.

"The Trapinch are likely burrowed in the sand, and the Cacnea will have more water than they'll know what to do with. We're close." Howard checked his compass, then pointed.

"Go slightly south. Should be over that ridge."

---

Yuina Higashi

"North? No, no. It's south." Howard looked at the horse and chuckled. "Ah, the Glastrier. Stupid of me."

When Yuina asked about the archaeological site, Howard frowned and averted his gaze. He actually knew about it from several Rocket grunts extracting rare bones from the area on his command. Under Howard's guidance, Rocket's ability to excavate, purchase, steal, and sell fossils and historical artifacts had grown immensely. Their wealth had grown as well.

Howard's time on the field had shrunk in exchange. His job left him behind a desk more than it left him on the field. That was what made moments like this so special.

"A few. This desert used to be an ocean, and fossils of Anorith and Lileep are plentiful as a result. There are also the remnants of an ancient ruin, holding a powerful Pokémon known as Regirock."

He said the words so casually for someone who had its fellow construct, Regice, unceremoniously stuffed in a freezer behind several crates of frozen food.

"I figured an extra bit of diversity would help you with your studies. If you get too focused on one form of study, you miss out on the benefit of others." Howard said as they reached a large pit, already half-dug. Snow was piled up around the edges, yet the excavation site was fresh.

"We're here." Howard said as he wiggled from side to side of the Glastrier, before looking at Yuina. "Erm... How do I get off without breaking my neck?"

Not as experienced with riding as he claimed.

---

Yuina Higashi

"Not to worry, my pupil! One session with me, and you'll be extracting fossils like a pro." Howard grinned, oddly confident for a nervous wreck. If there were two things that Howard was good at, it was Varoom Kart 64 and fossil excavations. He hadn't gotten all those degrees for nothing. They had cost an arm and a leg, after all.

And an eye. Howard's missing eye twitched. The cold caused the nerves to ache.

"A new discovery is grand, but dealing with the editorial process is a nightmare. That paper I wrote on Doug? Reviewed by twelve people. I was questioned into the dirt. You want hell on earth? Forget Route 119, go to college instead."

Listening to Yuina's instructions, Howard scrambled off of North in a style that could only be described as a mixture of graceful and falling. Luckily, he didn't fall flat on his face, but he came very close. Glastrier was a pain to ride, despite being a horse. Howard needed to get more lessons from Josh Devlin when he was in Mauville again.

When Yuina mentioned Regirock, Howard sighed and took a deep breath.

"A few years ago, there was a ruin here. A battle was fought over it for control of the treasure inside." Howard began, realizing how similar this must have seemed to the battle north of Dewford, where the League and Rocket battled over the Regice now in Howard's possession. "There was a Regirock inside the ruins, now Regirock..."

How did he describe this thing? Beast Quinn would call it a blessing from the earth, others would call it a living weapon, Howard described it as an artifact from a bygone era.

"It's a golem, sworn to defend the region. It's been missing for a while, but..." Howard heaved a sigh. If he any extra layers, he would've given them to the freezing Yuina. Instead, he had his hat. His helmet hair under the hat? Atrocious. It would've scared Boss Walsh to death. He sighed again.

"It's gone, now. Come on." Howard hopped down into the shallow quarry, which was filled with the shallow outlines of bones and fossils.

---

Yuina Higashi

"You humble me, Yuina. I just care a lot about the past."

That was all it was. A passion for what had happened prior. It was a beautiful topic, because history was set in stone. It could not be changed. There could be revelations, but nothing would change the fact that the past was the past. It was the sole domain in which there was a set amount of knowledge to accumulate.

Hisui. Hoenn. Sinnoh. They were just individual threads that made up the world's rich tapestry. One day, Howard Slayte would see it all.

"Maybe. Maybe not." When the subject of Regirock came up, all Howard could do was smile and shrug. "If we knew, it'd defeat the point of archaeology. It's about the discovery, Yuina. The discovery!"

Both Sapphire and Rocket had likely picked this place over, but it was possible. A desperate hope was a vain one, but it was nice to feel the warm feeling of potential blossoming in his chest.

Hope.

"Here. This Trapinch fossil is a good starter. They're common enough, so breaking once isn't a big deal." He pointed the fossil embedded in the wall to Yuina, before producing a small chisel. Despite him claiming that it wasn't a big deal, his voice betrayed his intentions. If she damaged this fossil, he'd likely whack her with his hat.

"Start on the edges."

---

Yuina Higashi

Tell her about Regirock? Fuck, where did he begin?

There was that one time it killed a dozen trainers and who knew how many Pokémon, twice, as priam conrad and Cillian Quinn were like to know from their superfun adventures into the Desert Ruins. There was that one time it broke into pieces, in which one piece was unceremoniously sitting in Adrian's locker.

"It's... a golem." He said warily as she chipped away at the stone. "Dangerous. Killed a lot of people and Pokémon, to my knowledge. They got sealed away, but now the seals have been breaking. Things are stirring."

He didn't dare utter a word about the Regice in his possession. Its shards, at least.

"There are a few others. We haven't seen them in forever, though. Careful, more to your right." He gently instructed her as he ruminated on Yuina's question for a few moments. "They're like..."

How did he equate this in Hisuian terms?

"They're like the ancient Pokemon that fought alongside Hisuians. Their bond was so strong that you didn't need a Pokeball. I'm proud that Regirock is from Hoenn. It's a proof."

---

Yuina Higashi

"Let me see." The conversation of the golems was forgotten as Yuina got remarkably close to pulling the fossil from the stone. It was a jagged extraction, but an acceptable first try. "Yes, this is good."

He gave a nod of approval before fumbling with his belt. Instead, of using a tool, Howard pulled out a Pokeball that gleamed in Lumei's light.

A flash filled the cave as the Pokeball opened, and a Cradily emerged behind the archaeologist. He made a point to not have too many Pokemon out at a time, instead opting for one. A better trainer could command several, but Howard did not that talented. He simply had a bond, which was enough for Shirley.

There was a reason he elected to run and hide, rather than stand and fight.

"Flo, sandstone. Hardness of..." The admin frowned and tapped a rock. "...four. Pull it out."

Ingrained roots and tentacles crawled up the wall like a lichen, entering the cracks widened and carved by Yuina's excavation. Cracks widened and deepened as plant life filled the gaps left by the chisel. In the background, Howard whistled.

"The wonder of Pokémon, huh? Typically you leave small bits of stone to keep the fossil stuck to the wall, but it's an... acquired skill. You typically need a team of people to hoist the fossil up, then painstakingly chip it." Howard hung his head in embarrassment. "I could never afford a team of aides, so..."

He beamed at Yuina, his past embarrassment and cripplingly low funds a remnant of the past.

"...I taught my Pokémon to do it! They made great assistants, and I don't even have to pay them!"

Shameless.

---

Yuina Higashi

"For Hisuian pieces, it's a little harder. Good luck teaching a Pokémon to read and verify." Once people taught Pokemon how to do that, Howard and Yuina would be out of a job. Luckily, Howard could always resort to crime. A tale as old as time. "There's a trick, though. Fit the situation to the Pokémon, not the other way around."

It was a fond statement of Howard's whenever he was out in the field, or sending out grunts for tasks. There was a tool for every task, and a task for every tool.

"I keep a Carbink to verify gems. Maybe you could teach that Arcanine of yours to sniff at artifacts to check if they smell like home. Paints, stones, clothing... They're all made distinctly in Hisui. The cops teach their Growlithes Odor Sleuth."

A skill he only knew, incidentally, from working with cops when he authenticated artifacts after police stings. Talented appraisers were hard to find.

As Yuina returned his tools, Howard clipped them to his belt. He gave a nod of approval.

"Good work. Wrap it carefully. I'll give you a box to store it in, which should keep it from cracking as you move." As he spoke, the archaeologist pulled out a small stainless steel box with suspension, to prevent the insides from trembling. "If you drop it, I'll kill you."

---

Yuina Higashi