Andrea explained that she hadn't owned Fishie very long and that she actually received the forsaken beast through a lottery. Fayne paused only a moment to look up and study her guest's face for any indication of sarcasm or humor. Surely the girl was joking. But that didn't appear to be the case. She was telling the truth — at least as far as the researcher could tell.

[break][break]With a skeptical cock of the eyebrow, Fayne looked back at the monitors, though her mind continued to wonder what sort of business would give away such unpredictable Pokemon. The local museum, perhaps? The folks over there were frequently giving away ancient species as a way to bolster interest in their fossil and history department. It was a reckless practice, but Fayne bit her tongue. It wasn't her place to speak negatively about one of her lab's largest sponsors.

[break][break]A loud thud from the nearby glass caught the red-head off guard and caused her to snap her head in the direction of the sound. The Dracovish had pressed it face against the pane and was desperately trying to gnaw its way through. It was strange behavior but not exactly hostile. Maybe it was bored?

[break][break]"Try biting this," Fayne murmured as she typed a few commands into the keyboard. Moments later, a panel in the wall of the containment chamber opened up and revealed a mechanical arm. It unfolded away from itself and ultimately settled in a horizontal position, with a cushioned segment of the rod being held out for the Dracovish to bite down on.

[break][break]Save for the muted whir of motors hidden in the walls, the entire process was quiet, an intentional design aspect to prevent startling more anxious test subjects. But would Fishie even notice what was happening only a few feet away? And if it did, would it even care to interact with the bite rod? Fayne began to wonder if she ought to activate the odor sensors to make the bar smell like fresh meat or ripe berries, but she remained patient and continued to observe in silence.

[break][break]

+ Andrea Vaneau in Life, Uh, Finds A Way

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Fayne breathed a sigh of relief when Andrea agreed to recall Fishie and promptly retrieved a ball from her bag. Unfortunately, the blue beast seemed to think they were playing a game — either that or Andrea was a poor shot. Even as Fishie wobbled to and fro, they were massive and it shouldn't have difficult to capture them inside a pokeball if they behaved and stood still, but the Dracovish weaved out of the way each time their trainer tried to call them back. Andrea even plead with them to behave, but still they swerved, getting dangerously close to knocking over a stack of beakers in the process.

[break][break]After the better part of ten minutes, Andrea succeeded in recapturing her Pokemon. Or perhaps it would have been more accurate to say that Fishie allowed themselves to be recaptured. Fayne exhaled sharply and straightened her pristine lab coat as a way to remind herself to maintain professional despite the panic she'd felt in the face of the prehistoric mutant's clumsiness and destructive potential.

[break][break]"Okay. Very good," she grumbled before turning away from the young cosplayer and leading the way to the far end of the lab. "You can put the pokeball here," the red-headed researcher instructed while pointing at a control panel with a semi-circle divot on its surface. The moment Andrea did, Fayne pressed a few buttons on the counter and the contents of the pokeball were released into the room on the opposite side of the glass wall.

[break][break]As Fishie appeared within the chamber, Andrea began to voice some concerns. She wondered if her partner would be alright and even speculated that the Dracovish may have been claustrophobic. "They'll be fine," Fayne reassured while eying a couple monitors set up atop the control panel. Space shouldn't have been a problem; the blue beast fit well in the 20x20 ft room and had plenty space to roam.

[break][break]Stimulation, on the other hand, could have proved to be a problem. Given the fact that the chamber was made up of nothing more than three white walls, a white ceiling, a white floor, and a single glass wall separating the subject from the researchers, it wouldn't have been far-fetched for Fishie to get a little stir-crazy. Fayne didn't consider this fact, however. She was here for knowledge, not to play games.

[break][break]"Have you had Fishie a long time?" the researcher asked as she continued typing away on the keyboard, hardly looking up from her work to meet Andrea's gaze or to check on her patient's temperament.

[break][break]

+ Andrea Vaneau in Life, Uh, Finds A Way

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Soon after Fayne began her journey through the badlands, she stumbled across a wild Pokemon. And not just any Pokemon: a Chimchar.

[break][break]Seeing it made the researcher pause in silent admiration. Though she'd never been a huge fan of about monkey Pokemon or fighting types — which was an inevitability when Chimchar reached its final form — seeing this one on Route 111 did bring back memories of her own starter, a spirited Infernape who was fiercely loyal to Fayne and who frequently reminded her to slow down in order to prevent burnout. This Chimchar, napping on a rock in the warm sunlight, reminded her of him in the best ways. Quietly, as to not wake it, Fayne reached into her bag and tossed an empty pokeball in its direction. With any luck, she'd be able to capture it without risk of it fighting back or fleeing.

[break][break]

+ Spawn 1 of 3, capture attempt

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The Dracovish released its trainer, clumsy and awkward in its movements but intent on freeing the young woman without harm all the same. For such a giant, lumbering beast, it had some fine motor skills which the researcher had not expected from the subject. Had the skills come from age and experience, just as a human child would learn how to zip a zipper or button a jacket as they grew? Would a newborn Dracovish be as vicious as a freshly hatched scorpion Skorupi due to it being unaware of its own strength?

[break][break]Fayne wanted to ask Andrea how long she had the Dracovish and how old she suspected it was, but she was promptly distracted by the cosplayer's odd behavior. No, not "odd," exactly. "Telling," perhaps. The woman was seemingly unfazed by her near-death experience, lending credence to Fayne's hypothesis that the chomp was commonplace in their household, likely acting as a substitute for standard physical affection. Instead of a hug or kiss, it would hold the poor girl's head in its mouth.

[break][break]Bizarre. And yet, truly fascinating.

[break][break]"Yes, yes. Science," the red-head echoed, her energy only matching a tiny percentage of Andrea's own excitement. She turned away from the duo and got to work propping open the double glass doors leading into the lab. The hope was that by opening both, she'd lower the risk of Dracovish crashing through them and forcing the company to purchase new doors. A part of her suspected the outcome would be the same regardless.

[break][break]"This way. Right through here," Fayne said while motioning for Andrea and Fishie to step through. The lab itself was massive, making up the majority of the first floor. It contained multiple countertops which housed tall shelves full of various chemicals, syringes, and gloves. Microscopes, computers, and empty test tubes laid scattered across the desks, ready for use at any given time. Even the walls were clustered with machinery, glass cases, and fragile equipment.

[break][break]At the far right end of the room was a thick glass wall, reinforced with steel and titanium. It made up roughly a fourth of the entire lab, and it was where Fayne hoped to secure the Dracovish while she conducted her experiments. The problem was getting it across the entire room without it destroying everything in the process. After a long moment of consideration, she turned back to Andrea. "You should put Fishie in their pokeball," she instructed, though she had a sneaking suspicion that Andrea either did not have or did not bring a pokeball for the Dracovish.

[break][break]

+ Andrea Vaneau in Life, Uh, Finds A Way

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