May 17th, 15:19, Travel Log of Aidan C. Rode
Today, I found out that one of the Cypress kids has a galvantula. I also found out that I should never acquire an electric type, lest my fluffy snowflake sweater become a staticky torture device. Why the arachnid decided to lay webs in a doorway, of all places, is beyond me. Either they don't care that someone's bound to collide with their work or they just like fucking with people.

The glycine and alanine rich galvantula silk is also terrifically robust. I refused to let Clarisse cut the webbing with her bladed forelimbs lest she electrocute and/or paralyze herself. Instead, I hung there, shouting my lungs out, until Maria arrived with rubber gloves and shears. At least the silk was just electrified and not poisoned like that of ariados. I don't fancy a trip to the ER. Either way, I want to find that little shit who released the pokemon near my room, drown them in silly string, and tase them; we're going to pretend that was hyperbole so I don't sound like a psychopath.

Regarding deathsdoor (it's still surreal to consider), I've elected to pursue the Abyssal Ruins angle first. It's by far the most cohesive theory. This course entails discerning if and when Dr. Skye and/or Prof. Cypress travelled to Undella Bay and what they meant to do there. Consulting Maria (as soon as the paralytic spasms wore off), I learned that Lorenzo Cypress spent a year and a half in Alola following the second Pokemon Biopsychology Conference at his estate. According to my timeline of Julianne's life (which I constantly update), she stayed from July fourteenth to September seventeenth of that year in Undella Town, writing her first opera—The Masquerade. From these facts, I can conclude that Lorenzo declined her invitation. If she truly did intend to dive The Abyssal Ruins, his stance was probably the sanest choice.

The question remains; just how insane was Julianne Vespera Skye? Deep sea diving and cave diving are amongst the most dangerous varieties of exploration. This expedition would combine them with the fierce, unpredictable waters of a known deathtrap. Did she actually attempt to investigate the ruins without her more experienced dive buddy? Granted, she would have been accompanied by her beloved Rukka. As strong swimmers and a solid defense against aggressive water types, eelektross make phenomenal underwater escorts. Additionally, their bioluminescent markings and electric type abilities can be adapted as light source or S.O.S. signal.

Whether or not Julianne visited The Abyssal Ruins, I can't (yet) say. I do have strong evidence that she dived somewhere. Perhaps no one saved Dr. Skye's grocery lists, but they did save her receipts! I called Alomomola Scuba Shoppe in Undella Town and spoke to the owner, Matt Quiaa. His sister was enamored of Julianne's pokelingistics research. When Dr. Skye rented gear from their father, he kept the receipt to show his daughter. Sweet but strange—then again, who am I to talk?

Matt's father, Kato Quiaa, is both depressingly and impressively ancient, at the (perhaps overripe) age of ninety nine. Furthermore, his memory is imperfect. However, Matt tells me that he gave scuba lessons to Dr. Skye while she was in town. Apparently, he would be willing to oblige me in an interview should I ever visit the bayside. Considering that Kato's the best lead I have (and swiftly approaching his expiry date), that's exactly what I plan to do.

As an added bonus, my family will be thrilled. Mother's been pestering me to take a vacation from the mystery mania that's "burrowed into my brain like parasect spores." As far as she knows, I'm off to the seashore for some good, old-fashioned fun and relaxation. Hopefully, she won't send my brother after me for some unsolicited bonding time.

Arceus knows Baron is going to be ecstatic. He's normally a reserved and cautious pokemon, but the beach transforms him into another creature. He bounces so delightedly in the sand and surf, I wonder that he doesn't combust in happiness. As a patrat, he had the most ridiculous habit of charging the waves, getting knocked flat, and floating away with the current (not a care in the world). Clarisse and I chased him frantically, terrified that he'd drown or be dragged off into the blue. Yet, however many times we rescued him, he'd repeat the process again and again. Now that he weighs more than thirteen kilograms, I'm finally content to let him play unhindered.

I also look forward to not staying in the dingiest motel in Undella Town; I cannot begin to describe the horror that is watching wild venipede emerge from the ceiling whilst stuck on the toilet. Instead, I'll sleep in style, because someone's getting paid at last! Still, the compensation pales in comparison to the overwhelming pride and love I possess for the work itself. The Unovan Department of Safety accepted my NSE detection research and Scientific Unova plans to publish an article!

The new NSEmeters will detect negative spiritual energy with more sensitivity and reliability than anything besides an actual ghost type pokemon. The only hitch is the rarity of the shiny stones involved in their calibration. They seldom appear in nature, but can be created by powerful sources of PSE. It is believed that most were created by psychic legendaries, charged with positive spiritual energy. However, other exceptionally powerful (positive) ghosts and physics have also seen success. One gardevoir reportedly charged six stones in her lifetime.

Assuming adequate shiny stones are unearthed and/or created for calibration, this research will enable normal people (without access to spiritually sensitive pokemon) to anticipate the approach of potentially dangerous energies. Lives can be saved on shipping lanes populated by jellicent, archeological sites hosting confragrius, and trails where groups of litwick stalk travelers.

Once the technology is exported, Alolan beaches can secure themselves against predatory palossand hiding amongst the dunes. Especially belligerent gourgeist haunting the alleyways of Kalos and Galar can be monitored and avoided or relocated. From my perspective, ghosts are the most fascinating of pokemon. Many are simply mischievous, even benevolent at heart. Still, powerful negative spirits can be amongst the most hostile and deadly entities in existence.

Chandelure, for example, have terrorized humanity for thousands of years. Unless we had another strong ghost or dark type on our side, we were helpless in the face of their predation. It is, perhaps, the worst of all ways to die. The aftermath of a chandelure attack is an afterlife of agony, confusion, and despair. Between the ghost's outrageous special attack and their lethal eight meter event horizon, the only choice when confronted with them was to flee and pray we could either outrun them or last long enough for backup to arrive. Unfortunately, they often came silently in the night, unexpected and unavoidable. Entire villages were caught unaware and slain. Urbanization made it more difficult to ambush humans, but remote towns still faced serious risk. Dr. Skye changed that.

With the help of Keros, she was the first to successfully engage standardized, region-wide protocols for detecting and dealing with chandelure. These methods were exported to Kalos and Galar as well. Now that my work is finally reaching fruition, I feel the warmth of belonging to a legacy; I expand, fill, and polish the framework laid by the woman who, without even knowing I existed, became my mentor—my passion—my inspiration and aspiration combined. I know her work, I continue her work, and I wish I could have known her. With the exception of my pokemon, Julianne's the closest thing I have to a best friend. Is that wrong, I wonder? Is it wrong for a dead person I've never met to be my best friend?

Arceus dammit, I'm back here again—a distracted sap, getting off topic and teary eyed in what's meant to be a professional travel log. Then again, it rather lost any sense of professionalism when I referenced Reshiram's balls. Does Reshiram even have balls? Perhaps that N fellow knows (though I doubt I'll ever get a chance to converse with him).

Clarisse thinks I'm in need of comforting now. Thank goodness she's so mindful of her claws. I'm sure she'd be mortified if she accidentally decapitated me. At moments like this, while my leavanny clicks and croons and holds me close, I wonder how she perceives me. Sometimes, I'm struck by the impression that she views Vivi, Baron, and I as overgrown, deformed sewaddle (swadloon, if we're being generous). Leavanny, male and female, adore the experience of parenthood. Oddly enough, I don't mind. Yes, she's protective and fussy, but she does something that most human beings are too self-centered and impatient to manage; she listens. For that, I'm grateful.

I wonder if Sofia Mori felt that way about Julianne. Dr. Skye had many students, but none were quite so cherished—so intimately involved in her life. The scientist never did have children and, surveying photographs and journals, I can't help but see the Johto battle prodigy as something of a daughter to her. During those months by Undella Bay, Julianne, her brother, and eleven year old Sofia shared a modest beach house just outside of town proper. Dr. Skye was their coach. Supposedly, locals and vacationers would flock to the beaches and nearby arenas to watch the child's exotic pokemon train. I've heard marvelous things about her arcanine.

Would Sofia be willing to speak to me? She's quite famous nowadays and probably receives more fan-mail than I have vullaby feathers in my laundry. She may have been eleven then, but it's possible she could recount the events that took place in Undella Town. I'll send her a email along the way, for, after a brief stop home, I'll be off to the bay!