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The more Memphis spoke, the more his explanation sounded familiar. Frank must have read it before in some news article since one of his old bosses was really into archaeology as a hobby at one point. He'd read it just to keep up with conversation, especially since he'd wanted to impress the guy.[break][break]

"That's pretty cool. I had no idea," Frank said mildly. "That kind of stuff goes over my head so much. I'm more of a numbers guy, I guess."[break][break]

He waited while Memphis and his Pokémon tended to the Meowth they found. Rex eyed the other Meowth carefully, but the wild Pokémon paid its Alolan cousin no heed.

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"Mmm, I can see that," Frank said easily. "And I've heard. I haven't been in Hoenn long enough myself to see it, and I'm not sure if it's something I should want to see."[break][break]

He laughed good-naturedly, aware from the stranger's word choice that he, too, wasn't a local. In fact, Frank wasn't sure if he was ready to believe the stories. Sure, the snow upon his arrival had been unexpected. Hoenn was a tropical archipelago, and typically, they did not see much seasonal change.[break][break]

In fact, Damien had assured him the snow was quite unnatural, the result of something called Ultra Wormhole radiation. It wasn't usually in Damien's nature to lie about something like that, but to Frank, it was still a bit unbelievable.[break][break]

He took his time sipping the last dregs of his tea before asking, "What about you? Have you seen their apocalypses yet yourself?"

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Relief washed through Frank when he saw the dead Sobble returned to life, though a sudden surrealness arrived on its heels. He stared, slack-jawed, at the miracle in front of his eyes. LIFE DEW only heals wounds; never before had he heard of it restoring the dead to the world of the living.[break][break]

"That's incredible," Frank murmured.[break][break]

Michail's questions jolted him out of his awe, however. Frank shook his head; je had never seen a Pokémon like the one they'd defeated.[break][break]

"Your guess is as good as mine. Do you think it came out of this thing?" he wondered, gesturing up to the seal in the mountain. In the darkness of the early night, however, the details of the device were difficult to see. Duke's glow was not enough to illuminate it.

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"I'll be sure to check out that part of the museum first," Frank said with certainty, though whether he actually made plans later remained to be seen.[break][break]

In truth, he didn't care much for museums. If a charity event or other type of fancy party took place in one, then he'd naturally go. But for amusement? In his own time? He had better things to do.[break][break]

That didn't stop Frank from continuing to speak on the current topic. That was his superpower, after all: the art of conversation.[break][break]

"Yeah? Wait, that seems amazing. You can prove some of that stuff actually happened?" He had not gone to school to learn about this kind of thing, after all.

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Frank nodded, shielding his eyes from the sun as he watched Queenie swim further out from the shallows. He wasn't concerned in the slightest for the Malamar's safety, as she was born for the water.[break][break]

"It is. It's definitely a nice change," he replied. "I like Rustboro — in a way, it reminds me of home with all the industry — but I always liked beach vacations when I was a kid."[break][break]

Black City was not far from the water, so even a middle class family like his could afford to make the short trip to the ocean a couple of times a month.[break][break]

"So what have you been up to since we last met?" Frank asked, glancing at Hazel.

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Frank chuckled, amused by how flustered the young man seemed to be. It was adorable, if he had to be honest. The behavior reminded him how much he enjoyed being around those types of guys. Unfortunately, Memphis seemed a little too young. He was also a complete stranger, though that had never stopped Frank before.[break][break]

But he'd be good that day. "Don't worry about it," he said to reassure Memphis after the third apology. "The National Museum of Natural History, huh? It makes sense they'd be interested in rocks."[break][break]

Evolution stones benefited everyone, of course. Their abundance did not necessarily mean they were inexpensive. As long as people were willing to pay a lot of PD for one, they continued to be a lucrative market. Memphis' delivery that day was quite valuable indeed.[break][break]

"I've actually never visited before. What's your favorite part about working for the museum?" Frank asked.

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Not only was Frank an extrovert, but he fancied himself a people person; he thought he could tell quite easily how another was feeling. To him, Memphis seemed socially anxious, or perhaps just awkward. And there was no better way to ease such awkwardness than to have the other person talk about their interests and passions.[break][break]

That was why Frank asked, "The museum? I didn't know there was a museum in Rustboro. What's it called?"[break][break]

He glanced over his shoulder at the Chansey that followed them, offering her a reassuring smile. The package she carried replaced the egg that was usually in her species' pouch.[break][break]

"What kind of stones are they — do you know?" Frank continued his line of questioning, genuinely curious — not about archaeology or any of that old stuff, but about Memphis himself.[break][break]

A Bronzor floated by, drawing Rex's attention. The Meowth knocked it out of the air with another NIGHT SLASH so that Frank could capture it.

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Frank's eyebrows rose into his forehead. "It is, as a matter of fact. I live in Rustboro, so I know the way."[break][break]

How curious, too, that Memphis and his Pokémon were headed to the Stone building. Frank passed it plenty of times while carrying out his day-to-day affairs, though he hadn't yet had the privilege of having to visit. Perhaps he could finally step inside if he accompanied Memphis all the way to the lobby.[break][break]

They started off in the direction of the city.[break][break]

"So do you run your own delivery service, or are you just employed by one?" Frank asked. Delibird Deliveries was the main company that handled delivering mail and parcels through the region, but he knew very well how easily a small business could grow to prominence.[break][break]

Nearby, a Zigzagoon emerged from the tall grass. Frank's Meowth intercepted her with a quick NIGHT SLASH, allowing his trainer to throw a Pokéball.

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Movement from in the corner of his eye drew Frank's attention away from his Malamar to three approaching figures: an Espeon, a Cottonee, and none other than @albrecht. Frank's face broke into a grin at the sight of the professor.[break][break]

"Heeeeeyyy, Hazel!" he exclaimed, giving the other man a more enthusiastic wave. It had been a couple of months since their chance encounter at the New Year's festival, but Frank never forgot a person's face and name. Not when that knowledge could come in handy in the future.[break][break]

Leaving Queenie to remain where she was or follow if she wanted, Frank walked over to meet Hazel halfway. "Nice to see you again, Professor! What are you doing out here? Enjoying the sun and surf?"[break][break]

Meanwhile, a wild Floatzel neared. Queenie lashed out to WRAP her tentacles around the other Pokémon, drawing him into the shallows. Though he struggled, he could not escape. Frank looked over, distracted by the frantic splashing, and threw a Pokéball to end the commotion.

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Though Frank heard Derek's warning, he was so distracted by the sight of the seal that he did not see the way Derek's shadow taunted them until it was too late. The Cofagrigus emerged with such suddenness that Frank stumbled backward, alarmed.[break][break]

"What the—"[break][break]

Before he could order his Rotom to attack the Coffin Pokémon, however, Michail's Crobat summoned a HAZE that obscured the Cofagrigus and Derek's Sobble from sight.[break][break]

Uncertainty washed over Frank in a suffocating wave. For a moment, he felt lost, disoriented, confused — like the fresh sense of limbo when he discovered that everything and everyone had abandoned him during his incarceration.[break][break]

When the haze cleared, the light from his Rotom revealed a horrific scene: the Sobble dead on the ground beneath the Cofagrigus, lying in a pool of blood. Bile surged up Frank's throat, but he swallowed hard, ignoring the nasty sensation that lingered.[break][break]

"Duke!" he called out, voice hitched in panic. "Stop that thing!"[break][break]

Duke the Rotom flew toward the Cofagrigus, casting HEX on it to force it away from the Sobble's unmoving body.

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"Pleased to meet you, Michail," Frank said with an easy grin, extending a hand to shake jayden cross's hand. His accent possessed the distinct characteristics of one born and raised in Black City, Unova. "I'm Frank. Frank Caffey."[break][break]

His gaze followed the Crobat into the growing darkness, glad that his companions had the foresight (and the Pokémon) to come well-equipped. Not one to sit back while others contributed, Frank released his Rotom. Its electric body cast a soft, warm glow upon their immediate area.[break][break]

"I'm new to Hoenn, actually. Stuff like this just doesn't happen back home. I wanted to check it out for myself. Call it a… uh, natural curiosity."[break][break]

In truth, Frank was a thrillseeker and rulebreaker.[break][break]

The shadows of night deepened around the trio and their Pokémon as they continued down the slope. Eventually, they reached the base of the mountain. Unseen from above due to the angle of the rocks, an enormous, broken seal occupied a large stretch of stone.[break][break]

Amazed, Frank picked up his pace. "Do you see this?" he called out to the others, excitement coloring his tone. "What do you think it is?"

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When Frank had hired on DEREK HOFFMAN to escort him into the rift at Mt. Pyre and back, he had not expected the sight that greeted them on the other side. An enormous, ominous sun caressing the horizon. Rocky islands suspended high above them. Mist that clung to his clothing like grasping fingers.[break][break]

"Incredible," Frank said to the man beside him, genuine shock and awe on his face. "I've never seen anything like this."[break][break]

He glanced overhead. Darkness rolled in as the sun dipped lower and lower out of sight. Perhaps it was risky to traverse the place called the Border at such an hour, but there hadn't been a better opportunity.[break][break]

Frank started down a rocky trail, which snaked along the steep face of a mountain. "Let's go see what we can see before it gets too dark, eh?"

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