[center][h2]Charlotte Carver[/h2]
-[u]Stillwater - Docks[/u]-[/center]
[hr]

Jason had joined her. Charlotte observed the Elgyems' behavior for a bit longer, before shrugging. "They're communicating with someone, is my guess. I'm not a hundred percent sure, so I'll hve to do a bit more observation over the next couple days. The mystery of Elgyem and Beheeyem has baffled researchers for a while, and what their place is in the ecosystem of our planet is of importance."

Charlotte smirked grimly. "I suppose if one good thing came from the Ultra Beast incident, it's our knowledge of how extraterrestrial Pokémon behave in a world not of their own. The Ultra Beasts tended to stay close together, and most didn't seem overly aggressive so much as frantic. There were the reports from over a decade ago about GLUTTON, but I heard someone managed to subdue it shortly after the crisis."

Charlotte shrugged again. "I mean, that's what I was told. I wasn't around for any of that. And I'm glad I wasn't, too. The Alola branch got pretty sketchy, so I heard. Never let that stop me from studying Pokémon ecology in this region's branch, though."

Charlotte packed up her materials. "I'm going to come back here tomorrow to make some more observations. I need to know if Elgyem has any predators that could threaten it while exhibiting this behavior... or, well, I should say, communicating in this manner. See you tomorrow, Jason." She gave a kind wave to Jason, and started heading back to the Pokémon Center.

[hr]

The next day, Charlotte was watching the Elgyems prepare for another round of communication. There were a number of hypotheses about this. Were they preparing to invade? They would have done so already if they could, would they not? Perhaps their homeworld was dying, and Earth was another suitable habitable planet? Charlotte preferred the refugee hypothesis to the invader one; the Elgyems' passive behavior supported the former rather than the latter.

Hardly any Pokémon came out to attack the Elgyems. At one point, a Mightyena snuck up to get a bite out of one of them, but the Elgyems simply disappeared, leaving the Mightyena confused. They reappeared once the gray hyena slunk away.

Charjabug perked up, nervously looking around. "Bzz-zz?" Charjabug sparked.

"What's up, Charjabug?" Charlotte asked.

Charjabug's eyes glowed under the blue lenses on its carapace. On its face was a worried expression. Charlotte got up and looked around. "Is something the matter--"

Suddenly, the docks underneath her shuddered, the gas lanterns swaying above the pier. The shaking intensified, causing a wave to splash into Charjabug, drenching it. Charlotte stepped back; good thing she did, too, because the pier that she had been standing on gave out.

One of the gas lanterns shook off its hook and shattered on the remains of the pier; the gas set the rotting wood ablaze. Charlotte's eyes widened. The fire was starting to grow, and the Elgyems began to panic.

Charlotte placed a hand on two of her Poké Balls. The fire would surround the Elgyems, given that other lanterns along the pier were tumbling down.

"Klang, Crabrawler, go!" Charlotte shouted, opening both balls. The gear and the coconut crab emerged in a flash of light; Crabrawler stumbled, not expecting the earth to shake. "Klang, Gear Grind on the lanterns; knock them into the water. Crabrawler, use Crabhammer on the opposite pier. Kick up as much water as you can," she ordered.

Klang fired off miniature gears at the structurally insecure gaslamps, tearing them out of the pier and blowing them into the bayou. Steam fizzled from the points of impact. Meanwhile, Crabrawler scooped up water from the bayou in its huge glovelike claws and jumped onto the pier, braving the fire to smash the burning wood with its watery Crabhammer. [i]KERSPLASH![/i]

The Elgyems, meanwhile, flashed their fingers frantically to the sky in what appeared to be Morse code. One Elgyem seemed more terrified than the others, flashing more erratically. It was trapped in a ring of fire.

Klang turned back towards Charlotte as the tremors stopped; the pier in the general vicinity was safe. "Klang, return," Charlotte said, calling the gear Pokémon back. "Golett, go." She sent out her clay automaton, and Golett landed near the frightened Elgyem with a thud. "Mud Bomb on the flames, and get that Elgyem out of there."

Golett nodded, and scooped up a large blob of dripping silt, before dropping it on the flames. The silt exploded all over the fire, fizzling it out. Golett then scooped the cowering alien up and stoically tromped out of the flames.

Charlotte turned and saw that the other Elgyems had fled, unknowing of their lost companion. She could deduce that Elgyems were significantly less experienced in alien society, even for Pokémon.

Golett brought the stranded Elgyem to Charlotte, not seeing the other Elgyems.

"I'm going to try to take care of it," Charlotte suggested. The Elgyem was burned, and on closer inspection, two of its limbs were badly scratched. The Pokémon's lighted fingertips flashed and blinked weakly.

Golett nudged Charlotte's bag. Charlotte shook her head. "Can't catch it; I have to respect its original mission," she said. She picked the alien Pokémon up. "C'mon, guys. Let's go to the Center. It's a good thing we took care of that fire before it got out of hand," she said.

Charlotte, cradling the Elgyem in her arms, returned to the Pokémon Center.

[hr]
[hider=Notes]-TP: post +1, AF bonus +1, sunset +3; total: 34
[hider=Inventory]
-Poké Ball x1[/hider]
[hider=Pokémon]
-Charjabug Lv. 36
-Petilil Lv. 21 
-Klang Lv. 52
-Golett Lv. 22
-Wimpod Lv. 18
-Crabrawler Lv. 18 (Sunset +3)
[/hider]
[@LuckyBlackCat]
[/hider]
[hr]
CP+1 = 27