scientistdemarus

[scientistdemarus]

Damarus smiled, happy to hear that Ash was familiar to Sinnoh. "It sounds like you're quite the traveler. I'm glad you had a good time in Sinnoh."

He checked his bag and made sure everything was in order before he turned to lead the way though the forest. Lopunny went ahead of them by a few yards, following a game trail. "It's alright, Ash. You were just trying to help."

"Keep your eyes and ears peeled. I'm on the lookout for any special behavior. The change of the seasons causes a lot of changes in the pokemon as well. More than just the Sawsbuck and Deerling. Some pokemon fly to more temperate regions for the winter or go into hibernation, while others only appear during winter. Unova is a very dynamic and ever changing region..."

He would have gone on and on if it was not for Isha waving at him to keep quiet. Damarus slowed his pace to walk beside Ash, and he lowered his voice. "So, Ash, have you taken on any of the League Championships? I have a brother who aspires to becoming a Champion."

Changing Colors - Damarus & Ash

Ash’s head turned to Isha as soon as he was introduced. He said “nice to meet you” to her just as he would to any human, and smiled politely. Likewise, Pikachu responded in Pikaspeak, waving a hand to emphasize his hello.

"Hey, I’ve been to Sinnoh! I made a bunch of cool friends there." Ash smiled, remembering his time there fondly. He’d had such a long and great journey and grown so much that he had a hard time not appreciating the region a lot.

Ash and Pikachu rubbed the back of their heads. The both of them looked embarrassed and apologetic. “Sorry; I didn’t know you were trying to watch them” was immediately followed by a soft 'Pika Pika…' that expressed the same sentiment. 

With that said, Ash perked up. He was invited to come along, so Damarus couldn’t have been too upset about it. “Me an Pikachu’d be happy to help any way we can.”

[scientistdemarus]

As Ash's Pokedex documented the Lopunny, Damarus reached over to pet her. Isha rubbed her head against his hand, letting him scratch her behind the ears and her foot thumped against the ground in contentment.

"It's been a while since I've seen a Pokedex." Said Damarus. "This is Isha. Isha, this is Ash, and his Pikachu."

The Lopunny looked up at the two of them, then let out a shy mew of a hello.

"From Kanto, huh? I'm not from Unova either. I came here from Sinnoh after I finished college."

Damarus gave Isha a final pat. "Isha, keep your eyes open. We need to find those Sawsbuck again." He looked back at Ash. "You're welcomed to join us if you'd like. Let's try not to scare them away this time." He chuckled lightly, trying to show he had no hard feelings over the incident.

Changing Colors - Damarus & Ash

Although Damarus had said he was alright, Ash was still a bit concerned, and it showed in the way he watched Damarus pull himself together. Everything seemed okay though so…

Ash looked up and blinked at Damarus’ explanation. It just sort of kept… going… and… yeah he was lost. Pikachu looked to Ash to see if he was as confused as him, and was greeted with a frozen expression that said yes, yes he was.

"Oh." Ash brushed the back of his head with Pikachu and laughed bashfully at his own confusion. That cleared up explanation was a little better. "I’m still not sure I totally get it, but it sounds awesome!" Anything that involved studying pokemon usually was. 

Once again, Ash’s attention was brought to the Arcanine. But this time, he wouldn’t have time to try to greet it at all. His blinking surprise turned into a grin when the next Pokemon came out, though. “A Lopunny!” Nando had one of those! Without a moment’s hesitation, Ash pulled his Pokedex out of his back pocket and raised it up. The computerized voice of Unova’s Pokedex reported information to him chipperly.

Lopunny: the Rabbit Pokemon. Extremely cautious, it cloaks its body with its fluffy ear fur when it senses danger. Those ears appear to be delicate. If they are touched roughly, it kicks with its graceful legs.

Satisfied, Ash replaced the Pokedex, and instantly his face read surprise. He looked at Pikachu with a curious expression that switched to understanding with a quick jolt. That was right! Pikachu were rare here. People used Pikachu to make that guess all the time. “Right! Me and Pikachu are from Pallet Town, in Kanto.”

[scientistdemarus]

"It's all right, I just messed up on my landing. It's nice to meet you, Ash." 

Damarus continued to dust himself off, adjusting his shirt and then checking to make sure his camera was alright. He had gotten a few photos, but nothing he was really satisfied with.

"A Biologist is someone who studies the various aspects of a living thing, their life, their environment, their behavior. Specifically, I am an Ethologist and Ecologist, someone who studies the behavior of a Pokemon, and one who studies of the environment in which the Pokemon live in." He paused to look up, and caught the confused expression on Ash's face. He chuckled slightly.

"Ah, sorry. Basically, I study wild pokemon. I watch what they do naturally and how they interact with the world around them."

Damarus pulled the Arcanine's pokeball from his belt and returned Alma. Having a large, predatory pokemon would make finding anymore Sawsbuck very difficult. Instead, he released a pokemon that would be more helpful to him in this situation. After a flash of light, a Lopunny appeared at his side.

"I'm willing to guess that you're a pokemon trainer from outside of this region?" Pikachu weren't a native species to Unova.

Changing Colors - Damarus & Ash

As he came to a stand, Ash found himself looking up. For some reason, he was taller than Ash had expected—not that he wasn’t used to being shorter than others or anything. His hand moved to the back of his head as soon as it was done being used and scratched his head uncomfortably. “Sorry about that. I would’ve had Snivy help if I had no… ticed…”

Ash trailed off, once again distracted by Pokémon—an Arcanine, which had just scared off the group. The boy smiled, excited to see one again, but noticed pretty quickly that he wasn’t all that interesting right now.

And so he blinked at Damarus, who’d once again gotten his attention. This time with an introduction. The bashful was startled away as he jumped slightly once he realized he’d forgotten something so important as introducing himself. “I’m Ash!” Ash, who was pushed forward just slightly as his best friend jumped onto his shoulder and waved. Ash pointed to his shoulder as though he had been there all along. “This is my buddy, Pikachu.” He paused, dropping his hand along with his voice some. “What’s a… Pokemon Biologist…?” 

[scientistdemarus]

Swag, swag on you, chillin' by the fire while we eatin' fondue

Umm…

That sounds kind of nice actually. It gets really cold around here in the winter. Is it chocolate fondue?

[scientistdemarus]

"Yes. Yea, I'm fine." Damarus held onto Ash's hand and stood up. "If anything, I think I'll just have a bruise..." He muttered while dusting off the seat of his pants.

The Arcanine trotted over to the other side of her trainer. She glanced at the other trainer and his Pikachu before looking back to her own. She barked quietly but gruffly at Damarus.

Damarus glanced back at the Arcanine, but did not reply to whatever it was she communicated to him. He turned his attention to Ash.

"Looks like we got onto a rough start, allow me to introduce myself. I'm Damarus Kotori, a Pokemon Biologist, and this is my partner Pokemon, Alma."

Changing Colors - Damarus & Ash

As expected, one wasn’t enough. Pikachu’s cheeks let off sparks, anticipating the next move, which didn’t come. Instead, Pikachu stopped and stood on two feet again, blinking with Ash at the sight of an Arcanine.

So he wasn’t totally helpless.

Ash and Pikachu looked around with a swiftness as the herd fled. It was as though the sight itself fascinated them, and it distracted the both of them enough to miss the stranger sliding down until they heard the thud.

"Whoa!" Just like that, Ash snapped into gear. Pikachu bounded to his side and looked with a curious concern at the results of the fall. Doing what Pikachu couldn’t, Ash extended a hand to the older boy in the hopes of helping him up. "Are you alright?" Ash was nothing if not familiar with falls and… that sounded like it hurt a bit.

[scientistdemarus]

Damarus caught sight of Ash along with his Pikachu as they ran across the clearing. Deerling and Sawsbuck scattered out of their way, hugging the treeline in preparation to flee. Then, faster than Damarus could react, Pikachu released its ElectroBall attack.

The Sawsbuck was similarly taken by surprise. The attack, although weak against the grass pokemon, caused it to stagger and for some of its leafs to blacken. The deer still stood, turned on its attacker, and let out an angry bugle at Ash and Pikachu.

"Oh no! If I don't stop this he'll damage the buck even more." Damarus thought to himself, and he new he had to take action before the battle could escalate. He unclipped a pokeball from his belt and tossed it down in the middle of them. "Alma, go!"

The pokeball released the Arcanine with a flash of red light. Once materialized, Alma howled loudly with embers flickering about her muzzle. The aggressive display easily spooked all of the Sawsbuck and Deerling, causing them to flee into the forest. Even the lead buck was forced to acknowledge that an Arcanine was too much for it, so it too turned and fled.

With all the deer pokemon gone, the clearing fell into silence. Alma looked over her shoulder to glare at Ash and Pikachu before she sat down in front of the tree. Damarus sighed, then slid down from the tree. While he was prepared to brace for the landing, he didn't get it right and ended up falling back into his rear after his feet hit the ground.

"Ouuuch..." He groaned. 

Changing Colors - Damarus & Ash

There was something about the crispness of Autumn that made it hard for Ash not to take it all in. He walked leisurely through the trees with his hands crossed behind his head, taking in deep breaths at will while Pikachu walked on twos right next to him. 

"It’s great that it’s finally cooling off, right Pikachu?"

Pikachu agreed with a chipper ‘cha’ and stretched his arms in time with Ash, who retuned his hands to his sides. None too far away, the trees were starting to open up, and the closer he got to open space, the more pokemon that started to litter his vision. Excited by the site of multi-colored deer, Ash took off in a sprint, slowing down only when the light became suddenly blinding.

"Ah…!" It had been some time since he’d seen so many Deerling. He watched the group with wide eyes for a brief moment, but then something loud caught his attention. "Hm?"

Pikachu pointed towards a tree inconveniently on the other side of the field. Ash paused, taken aback, and snapped right out of it with a “let’s go.”

And suddenly the little rodent was on all fours. Several Deerling turned their heads as the pair ran through. Once they were clear, Ash called the move, but Pikachu had the ElectroBall ready to launch so quickly it was as though he already knew.

Ash clinched his fist and grinned at a direct hit. “That oughta get its attention,” he exclaimed to his partner. But Pikachu only barred its teeth and growled. There was no telling if one would be enough.

[scientistdemarus]

[scientistdemarus]

Changing Colors - Open

The shift of seasons was a exciting time in Unova, causing significant changes not only in the region's terrain but the pokemon as well. Some went into hibernation, not to be seen again until winter's snow melted, while others appeared during the colder seasons. Now was the time for the hot summer days to cool down, giving way to autumn. 

While the reds, yellows, and browns of the trees were certainly eye catching there was a pokemon that was just as splendid. The pokemon Deerling and Sawsbuck were similarly altered by the seasons like the trees.

Scientist Damarus was out to document the pokemon during their time of changing colors. He was equipped with a camera, and had been taking pictures of a herd... Until he accidentally flipped the flash on and angered the lead buck with it.

"It was an accident!" Damarus called out from up in a tree, clinging onto the trunk as the Sawsbuck rattled it with a headbutt. He could have sent out his own pokemon against it, but that would have sent the whole herd running away from him afterward. "I said I'm sorry!"

[scientistdemarus]

"A battle?" Damarus sounded surprised, and he looked around nervously. He couldn't exactly refuse a battle, they were on the route after all and there was that whole thing about making eye contact with a trainer...

"I suppose..." He muttered, and looked down at the Lopunny beside him. "What do you think?"

Isha looked at Mars and her Purugly, then up at Damarus. The bunny pokemon nodded, and cried out an affirmative.

"Alright then," Damarus returned his gaze to Mars and nodded. "A battle it is." He reached down and took the picnic basket from Isha before they moved off the trail to an appropriate spot for the battle to take place. "Um, is it going to be a one-on-one?"

Life on the road

Mars was nearly bouncing with excitement. Perfect! Once two trainers made eye contact, they had to battle, right? “Actually,” she clasped her hands together, glancing down at his Lopunny, “Your pokemon looks rather strong. I was wondering if you’d be up for a battle. It’s not every day I see Sinnoh Pokemon, here. Purugly here has a bit of nostalgia when it comes to Sinnoh.” Her feline let out a low rumble of agreement. Mostly Mars wanted his money, and was confident she could win. The boy appeared almost skittish in nature, and how he had obtained an evolved pokemon such as Lopunny was beyond her. Oh well. The boy was trapped now; they had to battle!

[scientistdemarus]

"Ah, hello." Replied Damarus. He hadn't expected the Purugly's trainer to approach them, but when he saw her walking their way he stayed. It would have been rude to just walk away.

He nodded in answer to her question. "Yes, I'm a trainer. Is there something I can help you with?"

Yes, he was a trainer, but Damarus didn't battle much. He was much more interested in studying pokemon than fighting them, and as such he figured Mars had a question about the raising of pokemon rather than a battle that trainers typically asked for.

Life on the road

As if sensing the eyes on her, or perhaps smelling a familiar scent, Purugly’s ears flickered, followed by the turning of her head. She paused in her tracks, staring at the Lopunny and its trainer. Seeing Purugly fall back, Mars also stopped, turning to look at the feline. “Huh? What is it, Purugly?” Mars finally followed Purugly’s gaze.

A grin spread across her face, spotting the Lopunny and trainer. “Oh alright! You found a new opponent!” And this guy looked like he had more money than her previous opponents. “Come on!” she urged her pokemon, moving toward the man in almost a skipping saunter.

Upon closer appraisal, this boy definitely looked wealthy, not to mention someone familiar. It also dawned on her that perhaps he was a traveler, as she had only seen Lopunny’s in Sinnoh. “Hi, hello!” she greeted him, trying not to look too eager. “Are you a trainer?”

[scientistdemarus]

"Oh, Genetics, that's very complex. I wish you luck on your projects, sir." He said, sounding very impressed. While Damarus was a little intimidated by Nils and his greater experience, he did his best not to show it. "I'm currently studying the impact of non-native species in Unova's environment."

Scientistdamarus is following you

Nils doesn’t look horribly impressed. All the same, the man in front of him does look pretty young, so he’ll give him that much. “Genetics and biology. Genetics, mostly." He figures he’ll try and be friendly, for once— or at least as friendly as Nils can really get. “Are you, ah… studying anything interesting currently?"

[scientistdemarus]

"I'm not directly employed by the League," he admitted, "but our group of scientists are funded through a grant provided by the League." 

Damarus picked his way over the rocks to close the distance between him and Don. "I'm one of the field researchers that takes care of part of the data gathering." He stopped in front of the older gentleman and held out his hand for a shake. "Damarus Kotori. Nice to meet you, sir."

Undella Bay

[scientistdemarus]

Life in a new region couldn't have been better for a young scientist like Damarus. He had a place to live in on his own and a job that he loved. The pay may not have been the best, since he was new to the field, but it was enough to support him and his pokemon just fine.

He decided to enjoy one of his days off outside with his pokemon, and a picnic sounded like a swell idea. Damarus made his way out of Lacunosa Town and towards Route 12. Beside him was his Lopunny, Isha, who had volunteered to carry the picnic basket while Damarus carried a bag with drinks.

It was Isha who spotted Mars first, or rather she saw the Purugly. The fellow Sinnoh native was a rare sight in Unova. She reached up with one paw and tugged on Damarus' shirt to get his attention. Then she pointed at the feline pokemon.

"Hmm? What is it, Isha?" Asked Damarus. His gaze followed Isha's pointing. "Oh! I see, it's a Purugly."

Life on the road

It was another normal day, really. Most of the people in the area weren’t trainers, and the ones that were were preschoolers who knew next to nothing about battles. Mars almost felt bad beating them all…almost. The money was meager, but it was still better than nothing, and Purugly didn’t seem to mind too much, she was just happy to spend time with her trainer.

Mars sighed, counting the money before pocketing it. Looks like it would be another week where she’d barely be scraping by. It was a shame, but there weren’t any alternatives. As she began walking to the nearest town, Purugly strolling alongside her, she wondered if there was a chance she’d bump into any more wealthy opponents, or even someone handing out freebies would be nice, too. Life without Team Galactic was much harder than she had thought it would be.

[scientistdemarus]

Damarus nodded. "Yes, with the increase in tourism and trade from the other regions brings along with it new trainers and new pokemon. Some non-native pokemon get released or hitch-hike into Unova's wilderness. If they survive and procreate they might uproot native species of their habitat."

The young scientist steadied himself as a wave washed over his legs. "At least the shoreline here looks to be doing well. In general Unova is still stable, but there are small pockets were non-native species are taking hold. Mostly here on the east side of the region. Hopefully measures can be taken to correct the situation now while its still manageable."

Undella Bay

[scientistdemarus]

Damarus instinctively leans back as Nils leans forward over him, and he straightens once Nils backs away. "I'm a field researcher. Specifically for ecology and pokemon ethology. What field are you in, Dr. Hartley?"

Scientistdamarus is following you

"Dr. Nils Hartley." Nils says simply. He leans forward, eyeing Damarus carefully, as if he’s sizing the young man up. “Hm." He finally leans back, standing at his full height again. “What is it you do, boy?"

[scientistdemarus]

"As much as I would love too..." Damarus admitted, "I'm afraid I'm stuck in Unova for the moment. I'm interning with scientists of this region and conducting various field observations for whoever needs the extra hand. My schedule is rather full."

"Hmm, I'm not familiar with Professor Hastings' work either. I'll have to read up on what his field is." He shook his head. "No, don't worry about calling him. Perhaps we can trade contact information instead..."

Damarus' eyes widened when he realized something. "Oh! We never properly introduced ourselves, I'm sorry!" The young man held out his hand. "Damarus Kotori, nice to meet you."

[TITLE] || Kellyn&Damarus

The boy nodded. “You would be correct." He smiled. “And that’s where I came from. Almia." His smile grew bigger. He was surprised someone actually knew about the Almia region, since not many people knew. Kellyn wondered if this scientist guy knew about Fiore and Oblivia.

"You’re right. No trainers in sight." He looked down a bit. He kind of expected some kind of trainer there, visiting and interacting with the Pokemon there. His head came back up when hearing about the other wanting to research in the region. “I’m sure Professor Hastings wouldn’t mind if someone came over to research on the Pokemon and their interactions with people." He smiled. “I can call him if you like and find out."

[scientistdemarus]

"A Pokemon Ranger..." A look of realization dawned on his face after some thought. "Oh, yes, now I remember. I've heard of your branch of Rangers while I was growing up in Sinnoh. One of your regions is close to ours, correct? I think it was... Almia?"

Damarus nodded to himself as another thought came up into his mind. "If I remember correctly, your region doesn't have trainers in the same sense like we do.  Hmmhmm... I'd like to go there someday and study the behavior of the pokemon there. I'm sure there's a significant difference in the interactions between humans and pokemon compared to the other regions where they are captured on a regular basis."

[TITLE] || Kellyn&Damarus

Kellyn smiled. He liked hearing stories of what inspired people to do the things they’re doing.

"I’m a Pokemon Ranger. Nothing special. Though, I’m different from the trainers that call themselves rangers." He nodded. “We’re basically the same. Except, we don’t have any Pokemon with us."