In the time it had taken her to finally step out her doors, a storm had begun to brew. Dark clouds heavy with water slowly began to roll thier way across the grey sky, making it seem like her journey would begin with soggy clothes and wet shoes.<br/><br/>...or so it might have. A hoverbike shaped like a latios was primed and ready for her to outrun the storm.<br/>The bike itself had alot of kick to it, clearly made with the intent of getting from one location to another with the spead of most flying pokemon. The ride itself took an hour, clearly cutting the normal time it would take to reach Professor Hemlock's personal laboratory by a third.<br/>With the storm hot on her heels and the wind in her hair, finally the tall three story building became visable in the distance. Its perch on a well tended to hill made it stand out all the more, and that was not taking into account the artistic garden that decorated the surrounding grounds of the research building.<br/><br/>When she finally made it to the outside of the facility, turning off the bike caused it to flash and vanish! Using similar technology to a pokeball, she was left with a small portable pad with a single button, little bigger than a phone. Easy to put away and store, as well as very efficient...a good thing as she didnt have long to wait, with the professor himself waiting at the doors outside at the top of a set of marble stairs.<br/><br/>He was a tall man dressed in an inky black lab coat over what looked to be rather dressy attire. He raised a hand to adjust his glasses closer to his pair of flinty grey eyes as he took a moment to asess her before he spoke. "Kotone, you look well. Well done outrunning that rain." He congradulated her before opening the door and letting her inside before following behind and soon taking up the lead to take her deeper into the research building.<br/>The interior of the lab was as much art as it was technologically savvy. A large marble fountain rested in the center of the room, while tile floors made from the same clean material stretched up to the ballroom esque stairs leading deeper into the facility. "Your arrival is timely, if a little unsightly. Your ride here did not agree with your hairstyle." he announced to her before making his way up the stairs, hands clasped behind him thoughtfully. "We have a very Important visitor today...A funder for much of my research, and for the trip we will be taking shortly." He informed her as he exited through the engraved wood doors to the true interior of the lab building.<br/>The next room was far more professional looking and less artsy, with a wide circle of men and women in proper attire typing away on computers. Every step the professor took down the halls seemed to echo within the quiet space and across the marble that surrounded everything. "Most who have heard of me know simply that my field of research is on the phenomenon of "Shiny" pokemon as they are called. For a time it was thought that such pokemon were divine in some way...and the ancients even worshipped them or thought of them as omens. Currently, many think they are a the pokemon equipment of "Albinism"... More commonly known as an "Albino" among humans and other creatures."<br/>Coming to stop by a door at the end of the hall labelled "PROFESSOR LAB ROOM" He glanced over his shoulder to her. "However...my research has begun to say something to argue that supposed "well known" fact...." And with that the professor pushed through the set of doors to his lab.<br/><br/>The inside of this room was filled with high quality testing equipment, many of which were worth more than some houses on thier own. A long pathway flanked on either side by different berry trees led to a inky black desk made from black slate and cherry wood. Standing next to it was the tall well dressed figure belonging to none other than Mr.Moon, the Guardian of shadows and fourth member of the elite four.<br/>Examining the custom designed pokeball on the table, the darkly dressed man glanced over to professor and his new arrival. There was a pause as he studied her before a smirk crossed his features and he turned back to examining the pokeball. "Welcome back doctor. Im glad you came back, as I was about to eat one of the mango berries in your desk." "Stay out of my desk, Nocturnus. Its rude to snoop." Dr.Hemlock snapped at him before making his way down towards his desk. "Now...Nocturnus, meet Kotone, a temporary asisstant of mine. Kotone, you should know who Nocturnus is...So long as you have not been emulating a Shuckle for the past 30 years."<br/>Reaching his desk the professor approached the nocturnus and the strange pokeball he was holding. It was clearly of custom make, and alot alot of careful detail had been taken in its design. Looking like premier ball, the top was a deep sapphire blue, polished almost to the point where one might beleive it was in fact half jewel.<br/>Reaching up the Professor was quick to snatch the custom pokeball from Nocturnus's hands. "I said you may look, but do not touch." He stated before turning back to Anthony and gen. "Inside of this pokeball is the proof of my theory on<i>Variants.</i>.. Proof that Pokemon are just as varied...if not more so...than humans. As their first tasks on the job, my new assistant will introduce you to a variant Pokemon I found exploring that island I found." motioning with his head to the sphere held in his hand, he held out his arm for Kotone. "Release the contents, please."<br/><br/>The pokeball released a bright blue light when activated, already a change from the deep red of most pokeballs. But it was when the blue light vanished and exposed the pokemon within that the truly unique contents of the pokeball became apparent.<br/><br/>There, standing in the center of the room and shaking his head was a piplup! But his colors did not match any piplup known, shiny or regular. His short unruly and boyish har was a snow white color, his pristine locks matching the hue of his smooth features.<br/>His eyes then opened to reveal a pair of brilliant and intese sapphire blue eyes, as if the heart of winter itself was captured within.<br/>He wore long hoodie that matched his hair, with a large blue<img alt="❄️" class="smilie smilie--emoji" data-shortname=":snowflake:" loading="lazy" src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/6.6/png/unicode/64/2744.png" title="Snowflake    :snowflake:"/>design on the double sided pocket that rested over his lower stomach. A pair of long, ice blue pants loosely fitted his slim hips, held in place by a silver belt that seemed just as loose. His feet were just barely visable from under the frayed folds of his pants, but a pair of clean white shoes matched the same arctic tone as the rest of his outfit.<br/>Letting out a soft breath the boy slipped his smooth hands into his pockets and tilted his head back into his hood, obscuring his smooth lips and mouth behind the soft cloth of his hoodie. The presence of cloth on his head pushed his long and boyish bangs forewards slightly, obscuring his left eye in wn unintentionally shy manner.<br/><br/>"That is a varient." Professor Hemlock explained with a motion of his hand towards the snowy colored piplup, who sneezed once quietly before glancing over his shoulder to stare over at Katone curiously with his golden eyes. "Effectively they are pokemon with different colors than what is concidered "Main stream" in pokemon...A famous example of this is Mythril's silver gallade...and this specimen." nodding he turned to look to Nocturnus who was studying the pokemon intently. "So...what your saying is there are more of these on that island you found near Johto?"<br/>The professor nodded and slipped his hands into his pocket. "Indeed. It has quite a few rare and strong pokemon as well...I saw no indication that any human before myself stepped foot there. That being said I did not venture far, as I did not know what I might find..but managed to catch four pokemon during my time there...One of which I plan to give to my assistant for research purposes, and the other two to you as insurance for your funding and support."<br/><br/>Nocturnus raised an eyebrow at the professors words and glanced down at the piplup who was busy studying Kotone from the shadows of his hoodie. "...You will need no insurance." The guardian stated before looking back to the professor. "Give one of the pokemon you were going to give to me to her...Ive already got a team im rather fond of and do not desire to raise any of these...oddities you may find. At least not till more research on them is done." Raising a hand and waving to the professor he spoke again. "You will have your funds, professor...but I am not a patient man. Take your new apprentice and what you need to that island tomorrow, and make sure they are all well enough equipped for the journey."<br/>With that Nocturnus snapped his fingers and vanished! clearly using a teleport skill to leave.