"You could have fooled me. Your ensemble looks exquisite. Then again, I'm a sucker for greens." It was one of his favorite colors, reminiscent of a calm summer forest. "Thank you, though. My brother suggested the blue, actually. I think he picked well."

Gunner Graves had quite the unexpected eye for fashion, a talent that both Graves brothers shared.

"Did you think you'd ever attend one of these in your lifetime?"

"It's not something I would have necessarily gone out of my way to attend," At heart, Gideon was most comfortable in his lab or out in the wilds doing fieldwork. The politics that came with hosting an event like the Winter Masquerade at his museum were not particularly to his liking, but an understandable tolerance. Most science couldn't be done without money.

"But I'm actually enjoying myself more than I thought I would. The anonymity of it all adds to the excitement, to be sure."

From the corner of his eye Gideon saw another couple approaching, oblivious to how their dancing took space from other partners. They were just about to run into Giselle Sigebrand's, in fact, but the director steered her away just in time.

"And yourself? Does the dancing and the music and the grandeur suit someone like you?"

suit check + mask
mission: MERRY MASQUERADE
(repeat)

☉

He was more than a few drinks in. Gideon had taken the spirit of the New Year’s Bar Crawl to heart, bless him. It was the one night of the year where all the bars around Hoenn had their best liquors well-stocked and rarer accoutrements at the ready to make the signature drinks and cocktails that paired with the New Year’s theme.

After ordering Walpurgisnacht’s own signature drink - the Gravedigger - Gideon turned away from the bar top and scanned the crowded space for a place to sit. Although his face was a little fuzzy, he noticed john nelson of all people in a booth across the room. What were the chances of bumping into him here in Mossdeep!

Gideon slid into the booth without hesitation, draping an arm on the back of the bench behind his friend.

“John! How’ve you been? I don’t think I’ve seen you since the masquerade!” Being that they were well-acquainted, John may have noticed Gideon’s slightly higher tone of voice, his excited expression that combated the professor’s usual severe countenance. All telltale signs that this probably wasn’t Gideon’s first bar of the night, or even his second or third.

john nelson

☉

What a truly surprising turn of events.

Gunner Graves had always been somewhat secretive about his love life. Forthcoming that he had one, of course, but not about the specific partners he entertained. He’d always waved Gideon off when the elder Graves brother would pry for more detail.

Tonight presented an anomaly to this status quo. Somehow Gideon had gotten Gunner to admit to seeing a woman and, more surprisingly still, submit to a night out with her, brother in tow. Perhaps Gunner felt some pressure given that Gideon expressed what a wonderful holiday present it would be to go out as a group, but still. It was all for fun and borne out of brotherly concern.

They’d arrived to Moonblast Microbrew a little earlier than the planned meeting time, just to make sure they got a good seat inside the bar. GIDEON GRAVES thumbed the glass handle of his Winter’s Kiss, his head tilted to the side as he spoke to his sibling sitting across from him in the booth. The seats beside either Graves brother were empty and waiting for their dates to arrive.

“So tell me more about this girl you’ve been seeing.”

Gunner Graves
Elisabeth Fiorelli Summer Atreides
outfit check

☉

“Of course.” Gideon replied lowly, as to respect the sanctity of the library. On any other occasion the professor’s gaze would have fallen back to his book, given that his time was always short and he never really seemed to have much to waste. Now, however, his eyes remained fixed on the woman’s own enchanting green.

Casually, in the same movement that she took her pen, Gideon pinched the pale pink petal that had fallen between his thumb and index finger, rolling it softly back and forth.

The domestication of the Rosa genus was an intriguing tale. Many commercial species were genetically modified for their color or their fullness or even their longevity. Elusively, many geneticist had tried their hand at developing a true blue rose, to no avail - yet. These are the sorts of things that came to mind as Gideon appraised the petal in his hand.

That, and questions about its owner.

Was she a student? Undergrad or graduate? A new lecturer, perhaps, in the Department of Plant Biology?

What was her name?

Elisabeth Fiorelli
mission: PUTTING ON A FRONT

☉

“Certainly larger than any of the ones I’ve witnessed in Alola.” Granted, Gideon only spent a few years in the region while he was conducting his postdoctoral research, which was not focused on MINIOR. Still, he found the species to be fascinating, thus his interest in participating in this collection.

His team had already started to work. They’d slowed the impact of several MINIOR and were securing them in Poke Balls to hopefully sustain the longevity of the specimens before returning them to the laboratory. Once there, life-support measures would be put in place to more adequately study the Pokemon.

“Here we are,” Gideon began, his body fluidly going into action as two MINOR descended nearby. Unfortunately, the pair was on a crash course - they fell at angle and were poised to slam into one another. The professor motioned for his ditto!ALAKAZAM to stop the collision, but it was too much to handle on its own. Morpho slowed them, but they did inevitably collide with an audible BAM!

“Not ideal.” He signed, approaching the crash site. Looking down into the small crater that had formed, he saw two deshelled MINIOR - one a glowing pink color, the other a deep black.

Amelia Livy
mission: MINIOR MAYHEM

☉

An alert call from Poppy caused Gideon to tilt his head, where he saw her perched triumphantly atop the CACTURNE. Gideon threw a Poke Ball to catch the downed Pokémon before it has an opportunity to retaliate.

As his brother fed the spooked SALANDIT, he lowered his arm, palm open, in a nonverbal request for Gunner to share his trail mix. He’d know that Gideon wasn’t much of a nut guy, so hopefully the handful consisted mostly of raisins and pretzels, maybe a few chocolate tidbits. You know, the best parts for the best brother.

“The most likely scenario, I’d imagine.” Gideon said through a humored grin, continuing the joke. “Does that make us Hansel and Gretel, lost in the woods?”

Meanwhile CRISPR was making friends with what looked like a large mushroom, but what was in actuality a PARASECT. He trilled away, conversing in a language that neither human could understand. They seemed to get along from the get go - perhaps the butterfly could convince the wild Pokemon to join them? He was surely embellishing the positive aspects of moving to Gideon’s Insectarium.

catching PARASECT ♡
Gunner Graves
[poison/bug/grass]
outfit check

☉

It wasn’t so much a sigh that left Gideon’s lips as a heavy breath. A deep inhale, a cleansing exhale. He laid a hand on his grandfather’s tombstone, leaving it there for a quiet moment as he said his silent goodbyes. No vocal apologies from the elder Graves brother; a mournful look would have to suffice.

Then he turned away, following after Gunner Graves, his boots crunching under the gravel path leading to the cemetery entrance.

“Knowing Dad, probably some sort of grilled fish.” Gideon’s favorite food, but also his father’s - a mutual preference stemming from their shared hobby of creating fly fishing lures. “He was talking earlier about how much he wanted to fire up his new grill.”

Gunner Graves
mission: AUTUMN'S OMINOUS WIND

☉

Gideon watched as his brother rose from their familial bench, but did not immediately follow. He guessed what Gunner’s next action would be and it was a speculation that turned out to be correct. The younger Graves made to clean one of the headstones yet, despite the caring sentiment, found it ultimately futile. There was no way to remove the built-up algae, dirt, and fungus with bare hands.

“We should.” Gideon finally stood to join his brother, brushing off his pants as he did so. They needed to clean the bench, too.

“We will.” He amended, placing a hand on Gunner’s shoulder. “It’s the least we can do for them.”

Gunner Graves
mission: AUTUMN'S OMINOUS WIND

☉

A hunger there was, indeed.

His words had been chosen carefully, of course, as they always were. Although he knew little of angelo vestri, Gideon reasoned that even the whisper of treasure would excite the man’s adventurous spirit. And so it did - with the added bonus of a lighthearted joke.

To this Gideon smiled, replying, “I admit, I do indulge in flowery language at times. The base sentiment still stands, though. We can learn a lot from these documents.”

His gaze swept over the tomes once again before landing back on the pilot in front of him. His next avenue of conversation struck Gideon as quite intriguing.

Devil’s advocate? He could appreciate the stance and desire for debate.

“I was thinking more in terms of the being itself, but,” Gideon paused here, taking a moment to consider Angelo’s words. “It’s source of power could potentially be either Primal or Infinity Energy, though the texts lead me to believe Infinity Energy is the more likely catalyst.”

Gideon's interest was piqued, so he followed up with his own question.

"Are you interested in studying these types of energies, Mr. Vestri?"

angelo vestri

☉

“Just the worst.” Humor colored his voice and a light chuckle left his lips as he spoke. In reality, it was fairly obvious that Gideon felt just the opposite. He quite enjoyed these small pockets of lighthearted fun that John provided whenever their paths would cross. It was a shame it didn’t happen more often.

By now the crowded bar had dissipated to only a few stragglers, Gideon and John included. The professor’s eyes swept to the watch on his wrist - was it already that late? He had to be in the lab early tomorrow. How unfortunate.

His gaze traveled to where his friend laid on the bar top. Leaning onto his arm, cheek to upturned palm, Gideon watched for a moment as John reveled in his drunken splendor. Seconds passed before his other hand found purchase on John’s shoulder, shaking it gently.

“Do you need help getting home, John? I think it’s about that time.”

john nelson

☉

Gunner’s laughter was music to Gideon’s ears and goaded a pleasant smile to his lips. It reminded him of old times, when they would play and roughhouse and get into trouble (almost always instigated by the younger Graves brother).

As their conversation continued in a comfortable familiarity, however, Gideon couldn’t help but feel a pang of regret. He wished they could do this more often, could laugh like this more than just every few months. This tinge of sadness didn’t show on the professor’s face, though, and it soon passed.

“I would appreciate that, actually. I’m curious to see how it turns out.” He replied just as they crested the hill.

A quaint cottage greeted them at the top. Older in construction, or at least built to seem that way. Just looking at it eased Gideon into a cozy, easygoing frame of mind.

“Looks like it, if the smoke’s any indication. Quite a ways out of town, though.” At Gunner’s suggestion Gideon’s umber gaze fell on the fallen log. It had been a snag for wildlife at one point, but was now perfect as a bench for the two brothers. The professor approached and sat to one side of the tree, leaving room for Gunner.

Poppy had alighted from his shoulder by this point, startled by something in the trees. Gideon allowed her this time to herself, not knowing she had gone to ward off a CACTURNE skulking nearby.

catching CACTURNE ♡
Gunner Graves
[poison/bug/grass]
outfit check

☉