Topic: Aloha AOHA! ALPHA OMEGA HOENN ADVENTURE!

[Quickman]

*Hypno didn't answer for a long moment as he finished the adjustments and placed the remote control in his lap.  Switching it on, he tested the responsiveness and moved the wheels back and forth.  Once satisfied, he switched on the separate arm piece and tested its remote responsiveness.*

"They... don't let me do certain things.  Work also... inter-feres with going to ther-apy."

*Finishing the remote tests, he pointed to the robot.*

"Could you put... it down on the flo-or, please?  I can't lift it myself..."

*Moving the remote control, he placed the arm on his lap and put a wrench in his left hand to hold while he gathered the attaching brackets into an easy-to-reach pile.*

[Dr. Wily II]

"Why yes, yes. I may look old, but I have the strength of a young man!"

Propping himself over to the other side to assist the Hypno, he could gauge the weight of the robot, and it indeed was quite significant.

"How long did it take you to build this? And is there any other name I can address you by?"

[Quickman]

*Hypno shook his head, as he was never named.*

"They call me 'Pro-fessor'.  The ro-bot was built from a... toy car and Erector Set.  Took a month, but... I couldn't... work on it very of-ten."

*sliding out of his chair, he seated himself on the floor, with one leg crossed and the other bent oddly.  Holding extra brackets in his mouth, he braced the robot arm against his left forearm and began attaching it with his right.*

[Dr. Wily II]

"Impressive... Very impressiv-oomph!"

Mr. P slightly shifted in his position, causing a bit more weight to lean over to his side, but managed to quickly reposition himself again.

"Professor huh... Prof. Hypno... I like the ring of that!"

[Quickman]

*Finishing attaching the arm, Hypno motioned for Mr. P to position the robot on the floor and back away.  Pulling himself back into his chair, he took the remote control and gave the robot a short test drive around the back of the lab, picking up and moving small objects along the way.  He maneuvered the robot over to Birch and picked up the man's sandal, carrying it to the trash can and depositing it.*

*Birch was caught by surprise as his sandal was stolen and junked.* "OH!  I see you have the robot up and running!  Great!  We'll take it out this evening." *He looked to Taylor.* "Would you like to help us catch a Zigzagoon?"

*Hypno drove the robot back to the table where he was working on it and parked it, switching off the remote and putting it aside.  He most likely wasn't going out on the evening excursion and would be left at the lab to do busywork.*

[Dr. Wily II]

As Mr. P backed away, and saw the capabilities of the robot in action, he can't help but think that Prof. Hypno is way too under-utilitsed... He has to correct that somehow.

"Say Prof. Hypno... How about we have a short... Discussion after the professors leave for their next mission. I have seen enough of their outfield work. What do you say?"

[Quickman]

*Hypno nodded and eased his index finger into his arm brace in order to scratch an itch.  He could clock out early if he wanted to, particularly if he had physical therapy that evening, which he wasn't quite sure if he did.*  "That would be fine..."

[Dr. Wily II]

Mr. P smiled widely at the answer.

"Good... All that's left is to inform those Professors. I'll be right back."

With that, Mr. P turned towards the front door. Nearly there, he noticed a Trainer was at the front door, perhaps the one that Prof. Hypno opened for... Why does that Trainer look so familiar?

"I-It looks like you all are almost ready. I won't be joining you in your mission, I've seen enough earlier already."

[Quickman]

*Hemlock shrugged.* "Fine.  He needs a babysitter, anyway."

"Oh, that reminds me..." *Mulberry quickly crossed over to a bulletin board and checked the calendar.* "I'll be heading out tonight, but the Prof has PT later.  Usually, I take him there and drop him off, but I'll be busy.  He can show you where it is; it's in Petalburg, at the Gym.  It's about fifteen minutes away.  You don't need to stay there, and he'll be there for about an hour, so if I get done early, I can go pick him up."

*While Mulberry talked, Hypno took off his arm brace in order to better scratch his itch.  Sweating made the brace itch abominably, and he took the opportunity to remove his leg brace and give his skin a chance to breathe.  He'd be removing his braces later at PT, but PT left him sore afterward and he wanted a chance to air out, first.*

(How does I type :B *fixes formatting*)

[Dr. Wily II]

"Alright, I can bring him there. I hope that the mission will be a success... For your sake."

Mr. P tipped his tophat, and made his way back to Prof. Hypno.

"Looks like it is settled. I'll be accompanying you to your PT."

[Quickman]

*Hypno glanced up from stretching his wrist.* "It's bo-ring there, but... fine..."

*Mulberry dug in his pocket for the handicap parking placard and handed it to Mr. P.* "You'll need this for the parking spot.  He does have a chair, and we keep that in the cloakroom.  It'll fit in the trunk when it's folded up."

*Hemlock snorted as he gathered supplies for the evening's excursion.* "I still don't see why he even has to be on our team.  Why did you even get that Hypno?"

"It's not up for debate.  Now, where did I put that other pair of sandals..." *Birch was too busy talking to Taylor and looking for another pair of shoes to argue with Hemlock.*

[Sakura Leic]

(I hate Hemlock so much.)

[Mirby]

"Anyways, I thought you'd like to take a look at these strange formes of Pokemon I've encountered," Taylor said, flipping through the Pokedex to point out what appeared to be completely monochrome variations of normally colorful Pokemon. "Obviously these are different from Shiny Pokemon, and I'm wondering what might cause this complete loss of pigment. Figured you might be interested," she added.

(Remember those reports of monochrome Pokemon in X/Y? Just gonna throw that in here cause I couldn't think of anything else lol)

[Quickman]

*Birch's eyes widened at the images.  Several possibilities occurred to him, including albinism and leucism.  A widespread mutation could cause the presence of leucistic and piebald Pokemon.  A colleague of his, Professor Palm, had written about a piebald Pokemon seen around Pallet Town.  Leucism would indeed explain the complete lack of pigmentation in the specimens presented.* "Lots of things could cause this, and I think I may know what's going on.  Though, I would love to have a specimen and take a look at the genes, as this mutation could be genetic.  Have you seen specimens within familial groups?  Have Breeders noticed this?"

[Dr. Wily II]

*Hypno glanced up from stretching his wrist.* "It's bo-ring there, but... fine..."

*Mulberry dug in his pocket for the handicap parking placard and handed it to Mr. P.* "You'll need this for the parking spot.  He does have a chair, and we keep that in the cloakroom.  It'll fit in the trunk when it's folded up."

*Hemlock snorted as he gathered supplies for the evening's excursion.* "I still don't see why he even has to be on our team.  Why did you even get that Hypno?"

"It's not up for debate.  Now, where did I put that other pair of sandals..." *Birch was too busy talking to Taylor and looking for another pair of shoes to argue with Hemlock.*

*staring at Hemlock* "And I wonder why YOU are in this team, Professor Hemlock."

Taking the placard from Mulberry, Mr. P turned to Prof. Hypno.

"From what I've seen, boring is essential. And don't worry about it... For you will have company."

[Quickman]

*Hemlock muttered under his breath loud enough for Hypno to hear.* "At least I have control over all of my limbs."  *He gathered a bunch of PokeBalls and dumped them into his bag.*

*Mulberry ignored him and checked his watch.* "You guys can head out now, if you want.  Get dinner, head to Petalburg Gym..." *He walked over and patted Hypno on the shoulder, while also reaching around him to get the robot's controller.* "PT leaves our little Professor pretty sore.  There's just some paperwork to file later, and stuff to put away.  It's not a big deal, and he'll be too sore afterward to do any of it.  Just take the evening off, okay, Prof?"

*Hypno nodded and worked on at least putting on his leg brace so he could walk.* "You sure?"

*Birch also looked up from his discussion with Taylor.* "You're fine, take off for the night.  We got this.  See you tomorrow morning."

*Hypno nodded and eased himself out of his chair, tucking his arm brace under his curled left arm and starting for the door.* "Shall we?"

[Dr. Wily II]

"We shall."

Mr. P picked up his cane, and followed alongside Prof. Hypno. Making one last comment...

"I wish you all the best of luck. You'll need it."

[Quickman]

*Hemlock snorted again, still gathering his supplies.*

"What bug crawled up your butt?  We'll get that Zigzagoon.  We got a robot and a Trainer.  It's as good as caught." *Mulberry turned on the remote control and maneuvered the robot behind Hemlock to poke him in the back of the leg.*

"It's not a toy!" *Hemlock snapped, moving to a different part of the lab.* "Playing around with expensive equipment... You're as bad as that Hypno."

"Will you lay off?  Goodness, I'm trying to have a conversation, here, and dammit, where are my shoes?!"


*And so, Mr. P and Prof. Hypno were underway, heading out for dinner and then to Petalburg.  Hypno slumped in the passenger side, watching the scenery go by.  He chewed on his bottom lip and shifted in his seat in order to be more comfortable.  The entire back of his left leg ached, and therapy would end up making the pain worse.  He didn't particularly like doing all the painful stretches, while at the same time being told that if his joints don't loosen up, then he may soon have to have his tendons released.*

*That prospect didn't sit right with him, as he'd have to spend months with his arm and leg in a cast, and he wouldn't be able to work.  It would end up giving Hemlock more fuel for his snide remarks.* "Hemlock doesn't... understand wha-at it's like..."

[Dr. Wily II]

Mr. P kept his eyes on the road.

"Oh, he doesn't understand anything. That Hemlock is a bane in that team... Oh, I'll fund the team, just not that guy. Don't think too much into that guy, you just focus on your work... Oh... I'll even full-hearted support your work!"

[Quickman]

*Hypno glanced over, surprised.* "You've seen... my other pro-jects?"

*He only really explained the robot, which he built on his own time.  He was currently working on a glove that he could wear to grant him greater dexterity, but that project was slow going.  With only one good hand to work with, it made things difficult.*

[Mirby]

"I knew you'd ask for specimens," Taylor said with a grin as she pulled out several Premier Balls from her bag. "Within these Premier Balls contain 5 examples of these Monochrome Pokemon." She pressed the buttons on all  balls, revealing a Spinda, a Scyther, a Luvdisc, and a Barbaracle, all of which had absolutely no color on them. "Weird, huh?"

[Dr. Wily II]

*Hypno glanced over, surprised.* "You've seen... my other pro-jects?"

*He only really explained the robot, which he built on his own time.  He was currently working on a glove that he could wear to grant him greater dexterity, but that project was slow going.  With only one good hand to work with, it made things difficult.*

"Of course I know. I have to look into all backgrounds for whoever quips my interest into helping them funding projects. And you, my dear Prof. Hypno, is a genius among Pokemon... And among man. I can help you... Even get YOU assistants... I want to see your research flourish!"

Mr. P maintained his eyes on the room, but one can see the vigor in his smile...

[Quickman]

"I knew you'd ask for specimens," Taylor said with a grin as she pulled out several Premier Balls from her bag. "Within these Premier Balls contain 5 examples of these Monochrome Pokemon." She pressed the buttons on all  balls, revealing a Spinda, a Scyther, a Luvdisc, and a Barbaracle, all of which had absolutely no color on them. "Weird, huh?"

*Birch was absolutely thrilled as he clapped his hands together.* "Splendid!  Just as I suspected, they're all leucistic.  I suspect a gene mutation that's causing defects in either pigment production or the life of the pigment cells themselves.  How often do you see these?  Are they specific to a single location, or are they widespread?  Have any Breeders mentioned this mutation to you?"

*Mulberry looked over while further prepping the robot to take outside.* "Oh, neat!  Leucistic Pokémon!"

"It appears we won't be getting that Zigzagoon any time soon...

"Of course I know. I have to look into all backgrounds for whoever quips my interest into helping them funding projects. And you, my dear Prof. Hypno, is a genius among Pokemon... And among man. I can help you... Even get YOU assistants... I want to see your research flourish!"

Mr. P maintained his eyes on the room, but one can see the vigor in his smile...

*Hypno thought about that.  His own assistants.  A genius among man.  No longer would he be forced to serve under humans who only saw his handicap and took his creations as their own.  He could build another robot and actually be able to keep it.  He could finally finish his gauntlet and work on other projects that would aid disabled Pokémon like him.  Since disability among Pokémon was rare, he had to adapt to human equipment and human treatments.  He wore braces designed for humans, and the wheelchair folded in the trunk of Mr. P's car was acquired from a human medical supply store.  Even his premature birth was handled the same way as one would treat a premature human baby.  Yet, he was still bought and sold like a Pokémon.*

*Dropping his gaze to his spastic arm, Hypno thought about other devices and equipment that he wanted to build.  If he had the time and materials (and dexterity) to do so, he would design a more custom-fit brace that wouldn't itch so much.  He could design more comfortable equipment; appliances that fit better and didn't cause so much pain as it forced his gnarled limbs into a normal position.*

*There were a few other Pokémon at the therapy center who were similarly afflicted.  They had the same complaints as he; having to use human devices that don't fit well, aren't sized right, or are awkward to use.  At least the quadrupedal Pokémon were somewhat better off—they got custom-designed wheelchairs that consisted of a hammock on wheels that was strapped to their bodies.  They had full range of motion and could navigate obstacles and narrow doorways far better than Hypno and his similarly-paralyzed compatriots could do with human crutches, walkers, and wheelchairs.*

"I want to... help others like me..."

[Mirby]

"Yeah other Breeders have seen these around. And some have even consulted scientists of their own. There seems to be no gene mutations causing this, according to those reports. Which is rather strange, no?" Taylor replied. "And I've seen several myself, but the reports are becoming more and more numerous within the circles I've been mentioning these in. They're mostly found in both Kalos and Hoenn here, almost evenly, with isolated cases showing up in Kanto, Johto, and Sinnoh. Though it might only be a matter of time before this spreads to other regions such as Almia and Orre, to name a couple."

[Quickman]

*Birch considered Taylor's words.  So, no particular gene was causing the mutation.  Leucistic mutations could be caused by dominant and recessive alleles, and due to the nature of the mutation, the manner of the lack of pigmentation could vary; from the body's inability to manufacture pigment cells of any kind, to the death and decay of pigment cells as they travel to the surface.  Though, with how the mutation was occurring in clusters and seemed to be spreading brought a different possibility to mind.*

"It's possible that this could be caused by a pathogen.  Perhaps a virus?  Were any Pokémon born with this?  If it is developing in healthy Pokémon, then it could an acquired illness that is specifically attacking pigment cells.  I could run some tests..."

*On the other side of the lab, Hemlock looked to Mulberry.* "If Mr. P finds out that we abandoned that Shiny, he may drop our funding..."

"I don't see why.  These Pokémon are far more fascinating than that Shiny!  Think about it—we're dealing with a bizarre pigment mutation that's apparently an acquired condition, with how its prevalence is spreading from region to region in clusters.  That is certainly far more fascinating—and rare—than a new Pokérus strain!"

*Hemlock regarded his younger colleague as though he would an impatient child.* "You're new to this, aren't you?  We can't just willy-nilly go from one project to the next without funding!  I know we let our Hypno do that, but he's a Pokémon.  He's not contractually obligated to work on a project!  We can't just drop our research and move on!  Birch needs to get his head back in the game before Mr. P gets back..."