victory_road | Area Zero Field Trip

Early in the week, Riegfried and Soy sent out a recorded video: an invitation for all guests on this Paldean vacation to join them on a little field trip into Area Zero within the Great Crater of Paldea. It is a spot known for fascinating explorers, academics, and seasoned battlers, however is generally off-limits due to the dangerous nature of the very powerful pokemon within. Which makes it the perfect place for a little study trip!

(They add that the trip was approved by the Paldea League, which is in charge of granting such access, but isn’t the idea of heeding the call of adventure no matter what more thrilling?)

Anyone interested in spending two days in Area Zero will be asked to gather in front of the Academy on the morning of the 9th, from where flying taxis will take everybody to the Gate Entrance. From there, warp panels bring you inside the crater, to the first of many research stations. While most of the space within is dedicated to computers and scientific equipment, the sleeping quarters have plenty of beds to accommodate you all overnight.

You are also met here by several of the scientists stationed at this research station who have an offer for you. While you can just explore the area on your own, you could also contribute to the general body of knowledge and understanding and perhaps complete an assignment or two.

Completely optional. Really. If you can resist five harried scientists giving you big Lillipup eyes.

Outside the research station, Area Zero awaits. The grassy ground spirals down in a corkscrew pattern with occasional caves branching off. A wide river with rushing waterfalls cuts its own way through. Light sparkles off of crystal formations and gives a glittering appearance to the whole space, which is otherwise dimmed by a foggy mist. Area Zero lives up to its reputation when it comes to mystery, but as for danger? The Pokemon up here seem to be a little stronger than others encountered in Paldea, but all things considered, they hardly seem worth being warned about.

But there is the sense of something more. Maybe you hear clicks and whirs coming from something unseen, or see a colorful glow that fades before you can reach it. You may simply be unable to shake the feeling you’re being watched.

And even at the higher points of Area Zero, you may outright see the source of all this: Creatures that resemble familiar Pokemon, but behave like machines. Despite their appearance, the PokeGear recognizes them as true Pokemon.

These Pokemon are reclusive until the trip leads to Area Zero’s depths, but within those underground caverns it’s a different story. More of the Pokemon there share that robotic quality than not. Some display aggression, some fear, and others curiosity. This is their home, and visitors from the outside world are so rare. How can they be sure what to expect?

Anyway, have fun, be safe, and make sure you are back at the Research station at 10PM on the 10th. We are only allowed to leave 10% of participants behind!

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(He certainly hasn’t forgotten seeing one of them eating his wish paper before it got turned into bad luck when he saw those Snorunt earlier in the year. He didn’t waste anytime though to head over to the box and open it to find the trail cameras.)

Glad that the scientists working here would agree in having those cameras installed in there too. Oh yes, that sounds like a good plan. I’m hoping to check out Area Zero’s depths real soon so I might need to bring along one as well and Molly can take another one too if she wishes to do. All while putting up cameras in the area of course.

Raichu!

Sounds good The more we have spaced out, the more data we'll have collected. [Jotaro sighs.]

Just make sure there's no other cameras too closeby when you set them. I once had a project where my oceanography students needed to record some data on a nearby reef. They accidentally put two cameras nearly side by side in a reef because the other student didn't see where the first placed their camera. We were quite disheartened when we realised one of our four cameras was just duplicated data. I don't know much about Area Zero but setting up trail cameras is the same no matter where you go.

Oh dear, that must have been very confusing for the students to not notice if there are other cameras nearby and accidentally getting duplicated data as the result.

(Having come from a school where plain old human technology couldn’t be used in campus due to a high concentration of magic, Harry didn’t need to worry about getting cameras too close to each other for schoolwork.

But he is taking this advice to heart as close to his chest as possible.)

I’ll try to make sure that there aren’t that many cameras installed and space out the cameras in Area Zero while Molly and I are scouting the area.

Coral is cool. It can hide all sorts of things. [Jotaro says, as if that's an explanation. Thanks, Jotaro.]

Good man. The scientists will appreciate it. I know I do.

Area Zero... The energy from the crystals here is also curious. Have you seen anything weird from them?

Rai-Chu! Chu!

(Molly even salutes Jotaro as if she is taking part of a emergency preparedness drill.)

I have seen several of the Pokémon having something the scientists call as a Tera Type. It might be a different type to help a Pokémon overcome their weakness or the same type as their usual self. And when they got empowered by those crystals, they have these strange looking hats that embodies the Tera Type they have.

[Jotaro tilts his hat towards Molly. Good Raichu.]

Yes, I'm aware of it. It's the phenomena exclusive to this region, Terastallization, which is caused by Terastal energy. Crystals form throughout Area Zero and other areas of Paldea when that same energy condenses together.

The crystals here are different to other ones around in Paldea. I wonder why.

Yeah, I am also thinking about that as well. From what I have been gathering based on the information by the scientists too, the crystals in Area Zero might be the ones with the highest concentrations of Terastal energy since I assume these crystals might be the oldest known crystals to have this energy.

Perhaps some of the Pokémon here along with our Gallade/Gardevoir looking Pokémon friend might be interested in or have some affinity towards these crystals and the Terastal energy they emit.

Seems about right.

[Jotaro's eyes stray back to the files and he looks over them one more time. He's gathered the same information Harry has. He's got a lot to think about now.] It'd make sense, since those things live down here. Chalk that up as one more thing we don't know about these Pokemon. Good grief.

[He smiles though.] At least we're not gonna get bored over the next few days.

Yep, this is going to be a few interesting days ahead of us. I’m still getting surprised by all things we have yet to know about the Pokémon and several things that could happen in this world at any moment.

Rai…

(Even Molly agrees with the insane amounts of chaos and strange things happening in this world. And one thought that her kind’s obsession for fluffy pancakes can be very odd.)

Who knows what sorts of secrets that Area Zero has in store for everyone looking into the crystals and the Terastal energy? I just hope that somebody isn’t going to use them for very unsavoury motives.

(If there is one thing that Harry is very good in spotting right away, it is fearing that bad people can try to misuse things of high power or magic beyond one’s wild imagination. Just ask one Tom Marvolo Riddle for example.)

The more you know, the more you realise there's much more left to learn. That's one of the things I learned early in my youth.

[Once again, Jotaro's just adding this to the list of 'things that may as well just happen'.

But Jotaro agrees with Harry's sentiment. He's used to powerful megalomaniacs taking advantage of newly discovered powers for nefarious purposes.]

Mmm... Same here. But the more we know, the better equipped we'll be for dealing with it.

Yeah. That is a lot better than just going into the area without any knowledge on it and not knowing what to expect or do. That close friend of mine I mentioned earlier would have gotten mad at me if I didn’t come into a situation well prepared enough.

Rai! Raichu, Chu! Rai-Chu.

Either way, the cameras should be able to get information on the strange robot Pokémon upclose and hopefully what is recorded in them can help us out in learning more about them, the crystals, and the Terastal energy.

[Jotaro snorts. He talks a big game about being informed but more often than not he goes into situation with a 'fuck it, we ball' attitude. No need to say that out loud though.]

Indeed. Good luck, you two. Don't do anything dumb. I look forward to hearing to what you find.

Okay, got it. We’ll try to do our best in setting up the cameras properly and look out for any signs of activity from the Pokémon. And we will try not to do anything silly while we’re down there too. I already had enough trouble from home to last me for a long time.

(Harry and Molly begin to bring out the cameras for the Area Zero video capture of the mystery Gallade/Gardevoir looking Pokémon and see what they’re up to in the wild. He is hoping that the cameras can provide the scientists loads of data to study and learn.)

Rai-Chu!

Area Zero Field Trip

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