I apologize if this scares anyone... but it sure was fun to put together. I didn't realize Pokémon was a jumpscare game! (Honestly, sometimes random encounters can be kind of startling!)

 If you can't tell, that's supposed to be a Mega Ring and a Mega Stone.

I imagine all these crazy battle gimmicks that keep being introduced in later generations would make no sense to characters in the universe of the earlier games. Those were simpler times.

 Yeah, so by this point the whole "Professor Oak is an insane supernatural creature" thing is firmly embedded in comic lore. So much so that I was able to use it to add a new, unhinged layer to the originally simple narrative of a kid getting her first Pokémon to run an errand for a neighbor.

Because that's what comics riffing on video games are all about.

Return to Lynwood, Chapter 17

Chapter 1 - Chapter 2 - Chapter 3 - Chapter 4 - Chapter 5 - Chapter 6 - Chapter 7
Chapter 8 - Chapter 9 - Chapter 10 - Chapter 11 - Chapter 12 - Chapter 13 - Chapter 14
Chapter 15 - Chapter 16 - Chapter 17

The heavy doors slammed open with such force that the walls shook and dust sifted from the windowsills. The entry hall was dark, lit only by weak shafts of daylight from the windows. But that was more than enough for Werelupes to see by.

This place did look vaguely familiar, Suhel thought as dust tickled her nose and made her cough again, her sore ribs protesting. She did sort of remember coming through those doors as a girl, and back then the hall was filled with other students gossiping and teasing each other. Now it was dark and silent.

“Watch your step,” Isengrim said. Suhel saw why—parts of the floor had given way, both here and on the storey above them. Although the exterior of the building had held up well through the years, it seemed some of the wooden floorboards had begun to rot.

Several pairs of eyes suddenly caught the dim light, and a chorus of growls rose around them. “Hold!” a Werelupe barked, lifting her sword as she stalked toward the group. “No one enters without King Vakhtang’s approval!”

Isengrim looked around at their welcoming party. “Last I checked,” he said, “Vakhtang did not own this place, and he’s got no control over you, either. Why don’t we put an end to his silly charade?”

The female seemed to ponder his words, then her muzzle wrinkled and she bared her fangs. “Get them!” she said to the others before turning and running up the large staircase at the far end of the hall. “Intruders!” she bayed. “King Vakhtang! We’re under attack!”

 

 I wonder if Mr. Pokémon has an army of tiny creatures with flowers on their heads that he uses to find his "discoveries"? :)

 Today on Fossil Friday, Maggie Jo gave a great presentation on crocodilians, and we were talking about how cool it is that alligators sometimes balance sticks on their snouts to lure in birds. Ashley said the gators are probably thinking "Shhhh... I'm a log", and I just thought that was so cute that I asked her if I could make a graphic of it. Gators need more love!

This behavior also speaks to just how smart crocodilians are, because using something as a lure definitely counts as tool use. Don't count out the ectotherms! They'll surprise you.

 Yes, that is a Pikmin reference! I just thought it would be hilarious if Mr. Pokémon kept calling Elm about very mundane "discoveries".