[video/action if you're in mahogany town]

[epitaffio]

[Once again, it would seem like Doppio is staying at some kind of traditional-looking inn. There is some faint yipping and barking in the background before he starts talking.]

So... I've been curious about something. This is Scarabella...

[He holds up to the camera a pink-purpleish Heracross. It looks smaller than average, and veterans may notice there is something else that's unusual about its appearance.]

... She hatched just last week. I've seen some Heracross here and there, and when I did some looking into it, I kind of noticed there's something-- Ah, I don't mean the color! I know about Shiny Pokémon. But...

[If Doppio intended to use the PokéGear for something else, too bad, because Scarabella is now sucking on the bottom of the screen. Oh well. Also, is the barking getting louder?]

Uh, I guess you'll have to check your Pokédex if you don't know what I'm talking about, but it looks like male Heracross usually have a sort of branched horn, like a rhinoceros beetle, and female Heracross usually have what looks like a heart on the tip of their horn... But Scarabella's heart is upside-down. [Almost like...] Does that kind of thing happen a lot? I mean... differences that don't really show up on the Pokédex?

[Really, he just wants to know the odds that he'll be forced to hand in an ultra-rare specimen to Team Rocket. Scarabella is cute... It'd be a shame. Hey, that's some REALLY loud yipping--

A horde of Yamper rushes in through the window.

He is on the second floor.]

Oh yeah if you want one of these little guys you should come to Mahogany Town, there's a ton and they're everywhere, try catching a few, okay bye!

[... He'll be replying through text.]

Comments

Video

[almosthandsome]

Yeah, I think that's what's called a mutant.

[Text | un: Gokibore]

[spoiledbugboy]

[Haga is... well, he's staring. He's still new to this place but he knows an insect when he sees one, and Scarabella is definitely a sight to see, with their size and color, not to mention the way they seemed to shimmer under the light...

He shakes his head so he can focus. He obviously doesn't know anything about the insects in this world yet, since they aren't anything like regular bugs, but he surely wants to know more.]

It could be some sort of rare mutation
Do you know anything about Scarabella's parents?
That could explain a lot

[schachmeister]

I've noticed it happening with the Lapras I breed, yes. Though I think in some cases, I only noticed because I've seen so many of them.

It should be fine though. It's not like all humans look exactly alike either. And it is how evolution happens.

[Like. Long-term evolution. Not one pokemon changing into a different form.]

text

[epitaffio]

That's kind of blunt, isn't it?

[There are... so many Yamper. He absolutely can't do video anymore. Send help.]

text

[epitaffio]

Actually, I don't
Her egg just showed up on Christmas.

text

[epitaffio]

If you only noticed because you've seen a lot of them, that must mean it's really rare, right?

[But maybe not especially valuable? Hopefully???]

text

[almosthandsome]

so? mutations r natural its no big deal!

ppl get em 2 u kno

[epitaffio]

Oh, you mean THAT kind of mutation.
For some reason, when you said "mutant," I thought of those really campy horror movies...

[almosthandsome]

does ur pokemon LOOK like 1 of those mutants? no

but thats wut u call sumthing w/a mutation

i dont c why pokemon would b immune 2 mutations so its probs just that

fyi those kinds of mutations dont come w cool super powers

trust me i kno

[Text | un: Gokibore]

[spoiledbugboy]

Without knowing the parents it's hard to tell why that happened
But if regular animals from planet Earth can have mutations
It's not impossible that Pokémon can go through that
I mean even evolution is already so strange
And they all have such unique traits

But I'll say you are very lucky
Scarabella is very pretty
I'm honestly jealous

[video]

[captainash]

Maybe every Shiny female Heracross has the inverted heart? That'd be difficult to verify, mind you.

[What are the chances there another one easily accessible to compare?]

...I wasn't aware that Mahogany has roving bands of Yamper. Are they always so active?

[seacub]

Oh, that's kind of cute.

I think the pokedex images are more the 'baseline'. The default appearance- little differences like this might not be common, but that doesn't mean pokemon don't have them right?

[questioneverything]

She has a lovely color.

But, why are there so many Yamper around?

[epitaffio]

Right, that's not usually how it works in real life...

But wait, since this place doesn't work like real life at all sometimes, doesn't that mean there COULD be mutants with superpowers?

[epitaffio]

Aw, don't be!
She's the first pink Heracross I've seen, but if she's got a different-looking horn, doesn't that mean there must be even more regular Heracross with different horns out there?
You might just find one some day!

text

[epitaffio]

Does that really happen? I know shiny Pokémon are rare, but I thought the only difference was their color...

[As for the Yamper, which are currently running circles around Doppio (and that might be fun to see, but Doppio is pretty sure he'd be inaudible over the sounds of their excited cries, which is why he's sticking to text)...]

Yeahhh, I don't know if it's the town

[epitaffio]

I guess that makes sense.
Kind of like a picture of an average person in an anatomy textbook...

[epitaffio]

I'm not sure, but...
It only started happening after the Snorunt showed up.

[questioneverything]

Do you have a yamper of your own?

[epitaffio]

No! I hadn't even seen one up close until they all started coming after me.

text

[schachmeister]

Oh, I don't know if it is super rare, more like... if you've only ever seen one Lapras, you won't notice if the spines on its shield are shorter than average or if it has an unusually long horn. But for me, I've got a lot of other Lapras to compare to.

[almosthandsome]

idk theyre pokemon how do u even determine wuts a 'super power' in a pokemon?

i got a skunk cat thats basically a walking bio weapon

thats the base 4 normal

[questioneverything]

Oh dear. Is it a swarm? Do you need some help fending them off? Have you tried a Repel?

Video

[shiningkindness]

[ Fluttershy probably should really consider what Doppio is saying...but... ]

Aww, she's so cute!

text

[captainash]

That's the thing, isn't it? Shiny Pokémon are so rare, how can we know if they have any other common differences?

They're not in Pewter, so it's definitely not a normal swarm. Could there be a local trainer who REALLY likes them, but lets them roam free?