<With a coordinated effort between the Machoke and Rocky, as well as assistance from Chad and Ginette to clear a path, the squad was slowly progressing through the rocky terrain. Along their journey, various Rhyhorn joined up forming a procession, as the rock pokemon used their abilities to level the way for their local guardian. Various pokemon and trainers stood watch along the way, a sense of distinction compelling all to witness the eventual return of a once domineering legend.>


    “Narrator, are you certain you aren’t overselling this guy? I get he''s powerful, but this seems to imply he borders on an emperor or king,” Chad inquired while practicing forming the brown energy on his hands just as Sensei instructed. Occasionally, he would strike out, either denting or fracturing a nearby rock.


    “I think it''s neat, I would love to have a parade like this in my honneur. It makes you feel important, makes you seem important.” Ginette voiced her opinion, once again offering some cold water to the hard working rock rhinos.


    <Thank you, Ginette, I shall keep that in mind. And as for you, Chad; this individual is deserving of both your respect and this level of pageantry. In a time before humans ruled these lands, he was a prominent explorer and guild master of the area. He guided and rescued many a young pokemon from great hazards, treacherous dangers, and feral pokemon who turned their backs on civilization.>


    Chad walked in silence, before inquiring “Did you just insinuate Pokemon Mystery Dungeon existed before humanity in this timeline?” His face was warped into a hybrid of skepticism and confusion. The others continued walking, most attempting to ignore the weird fire lizard talking to himself, others opting to whisper comments beneath his hearing.


    <Hush child, you act like it’ll destroy the entire time-space continuum. If inserting ancient history were truly so bad, Dialga themself can come and correct me.>


    The world stuttered, as if reality itself were vibrating, before everything resumed as normal. “You mean like that?” Chad asked with heightened insecurity, his head on a pivot seeking the location of the taunted divinity. But the world chugged along as if nothing had occurred.


    Yes, but in this case the Narrator does have a contract, so any objections are relegated to the appropriate judicial process, as outlined in section 4.


    <Why fight when you can simply establish an agreement in advance? Contracts get a bad rap from those conniving fae. Plus, it ensures we are not interrupted by those who should have read the entire document before signing.>


    “Do— do I have a contract? I don''t remember signing a contract…” Chad inquired with worry, as Ginette redirected her path to align closer with his. She offered him a sip of cold water, but her teammate chose to decline.


    <No, as you are not under contract; we have a different arrangement. But it also means I owe you nothing beyond what is in my interests to provide.>


    “That isn’t exactly true,” Ginette trailed off. “Chad hatched here in Kalos right?”


    <Yes, technically he did.>


    “Which makes him a Kalosian citizen. And as a Kalosian pokemon registered to a trainer ID, it means he has automatic union membership unless he completed the multi-stage process to personally opt out as a free agent.”


    <…What?>


    “You didn’t know about this? There were several chapters in the trainer’s manual covering the rules for training Kalosian union pokemon. Things like limitations on training hours, dietary regulations, enforced holidays; heck there’s even rules about required breaks throughout the day.” Chad listed off each item, showing off his memorization of the handbook he had been so thoroughly quizzed on. Ginette nodded along, blissfully aware of just how sweet of a deal her ancestors had ironed out for her.


    <This smells of socialist Tauros-shit. No game nor anime ever referenced the existence of any such possible union. Surely you don’t believe you can take the piss with me and force your way?>


    Regrettably for you Narrator, they are being truthful. You were rushing the process so quickly that Kalos inherited French culture almost entirely, including the concept of worker’s unions. It seems in response to poor treatment and abusive trainers, the native pokemon unionized and forced negotiations with the local League a few hundred years ago.


    “But!” Chad intervened, sensing the slow buildup of anger steaming from the Narrator. “I have been taking great care to ensure we do not run afoul of those protections. Additionally, because I am working at fostering a healthy, competitive, and welcoming team, we shouldn’t need to worry about the single-party-enforced exit compensation packages.”


    The Narrator, in true posh Galarian fashion, proceeded to rant and decry what he referred to as the ‘uppity thankless poors’, among other more colorful defamatory denigrations.


    <Moving along, the procession continued their march, exiting the rocky section and emerging near the edge of the town close to sundown. By this point, every Rhyhorn in the ravine was participating, including a variety of other rock types native to the area. As they strode through the town, humans watched from the sidelines, some recording the event to share with the wider world, others even deigning to join the fun.>


    One gawker, likely a scientist by their lab coat, took notice of the giant slab barely illuminated in the moonlight, and wisely ran towards the fossil lab while placing a call.


    “Yea, this is bordering on a religious congregation. Are they just going to follow this fossil wherever it goes?” Chad remarked with concern, noting the fifty-strong herd of Rhyhorns serving as an escort for the slab..


    Up ahead, the lab was fully lit with the front double doors wide open. Two men stood out front, animatedly having a quiet discussion about the oncoming crowd. One wearing a lab coat, likely the same they had seen earlier, and the other in much more casual wear. Neither prepared for what approached them.


    “Uh, welcome to the Ambrette fossil lab! We are the regional experts in the study and revival of pokemon from ancient fossils discovered here along the shoreline. In exchange for the donation of any fossils league-approved trainers discover, we attempt to revive the pokemon from the fossil for you to take home with you. Uh… Where is your trainer?” The man in casual wear asked, looking around the procession.


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    Chad, taking Ginette’s giggle in stride, stepped forward and pulled out his trainer ID. Offering it to the speaker, who waved him off. “No, where is your trainer? We only deal with licensed trainers.”


    “Uhm sir—“ the lab coat attempted to speak up, cut off by the man who was presumably his boss, as an open palm covered the scientist’s face.


    “Steve, that rock is worth millions, if not billions! I''m not negotiating the handover of something that valuable with a damn pokemon! I''ve already got a half dozen private parties bidding for this thing, and the last thing I need is to be trying to iron out a deal with something that has less awareness than a toddler. Now I''ll ask one more time; where. Is. Your. Trainer?!”


    Chad glanced back at Ginette in worry, at the procession which watched the ongoing events with a silent but visible disgust. In a panic, he dropped his bag, digging around inside to pull out his speech device. His body shaking, Chad attempted to type out a response, but was interrupted when the angry human decided he’d had enough. “Fine, per the rules as outlined by the Kalosian Scientific Society, any fossils brought in by unlicensed individuals are forfeit and considered to be lab property. You may leave the stone here and promptly–”


    <Sorry, I was distracted for a moment. This is certainly no way for anyone to behave, especially not in this story. Such greed! I barely had to check his ledgers to spot that this charlatan has been embezzling lab donations for years! This won''t do, one moment while I rectify this slight oversight.>


    <The lab manager, having a change of heart, quickly began to draft his resignation email, naming his head scientist as the new lab manager. He also apologized for stealing millions of pokedollars, in writing, over his tenure. As a closing remark, he left final directions to ensure the recent fossil donation from Chad would be sent to the Lumiose museum so long as they covered shipping and handling.>


    <“Congratulations on the promotion, Steve. I will be resigning, effective immediately.” The former manager said, passing his badge to Steve. “And now I must be away, my people need me,” he explained, quickly running away from the situation and off a cliff at the edge of town, leaping over the guardrail with the practiced grace of an olympic track and field athlete.>


    “Oh my god!” Ginette shouted, as a woman screamed nearby. Several people ran to the cliff and looked out over, trying to find the jumper. One could interpret from their panic and collective discussion that he was nowhere in sight. Chad, still in shock over the turn of events, could only stand frozen in place, his eyes repeatedly flying laps between the other lab employee and the cliff-side crowd.


    Steve the recently-promoted lab manager continued to watch the cliffside, almost hopeful this was simply some strange prank. His holo caster started to ping with notifications, and buzz with incoming calls. Broken from the stupor, he faced the horde of pokemon awaiting his decision. “Let— let''s go inside. I… I need to sit down.” Steve requested, as the procession gently carried the tablet inside; the doorway was just barely big enough to fit the massive slab of rock and took careful coordination to fit it through. Inside, another lab employee quickly strode forward to guide the team towards the reanimation lab.


    Steve collapsed onto a nearby soft sofa in the lobby, his expression locked in a daze of fear and inner turmoil. With a slow respect, Chad gingerly slid onto the chair across from him, and opted to wait in silence. Steve’s holo caster continued to ping with notifications, and ring with inbound calls. The new lab manager seemed to make a decision, ignoring the device and focusing his attention on the fire pokemon which sat across from him.


    “My– I guess now previous– boss was not exaggerating, about the fact that we have developed the technology to revive pokemon from their fossils. There’s a lot of theory behind it, but… Sorry, I’m just– not sure what this even is right now.” Steve admitted, his face betraying the cacophony of emotions which polluted his thoughts. “Do– Should I give you the whole speech, or just the business? Do you even have a trainer?”


    Chad, chewing his tongue, offered his trainer ID to the poor man, before pulling up his device again to type. [AM, TRAINER] it buzzed as he pointed to himself, then the plastic rectangle. Nodding, while eyeing the speech device as the afternoon continued to stretch his worldview, Steve returned the ID. [TELL, ALL, IF, HELPS, CALM, YOU] the device advised, as Chad slid it slightly to the side and gave the scientist his undivided attention.


    Whether it was the sudden-onset grief, or the sheer novelty of a pokemon– albeit using a digital aide– communicating with him in his native language without the headache-inducing telepathy, Steve simply stopped. With a sigh to expel the sum total of his recent worries, the fear, and the rapidly escalating stress, he muted the holo caster on the table.


    <Steve, centering himself and recognizing the words for what they were, sat upright and cleared his throat. He explained the full process, how the device would manage to extract the lingering energy of the pokemon (which lesser minds had proclaimed the ‘soul’), reshape it into an egg, and effectively restart the pokemon’s life from the beginning. He noted that most of the pokemon revived this way were fully-formed, and hatched almost immediately following the procedure.>


    <As Chad began to learn more about type energy, infinite energy, and his own pseudo-mortality, Steve raised a point that to date they had only worked with incomplete fossils. Thus, upon revival, some pokemon were too weak to survive. Curious, Chad asked about whether this ‘soul’ energy could contain memories, being met with a simple shrug as Steve admitted they had no way to evaluate such a concept. Chad, ever studious, added the concept to his notes on the miniature lecture.>


    Steve, now holding a steaming paper cup of coffee, looked at the odd lizard across from him. “Thanks, for listening. I don’t know if you understood much of that, but just being able to get into the details– Most trainers’ eyes glaze over once I start mentioning the energy conversion stuff.” Chad, holding his own paper cup of steaming tea, nodded sagely. He quickly jotted a few words down, ripped the scrap of paper from his notebook, and slid it across the table.


    Lifting the note, the new lab manager quirked an eyebrow, raising his gaze to the fire type. “This– I don’t know where you got this idea, but it… This could work; it would be expensive, unethical, and would absolutely shatter a lot of concepts people consider facts if true. But, in the long run, it might be best to leave some ideas left unexplored,” he responded, passing the note back. With an affirming nod, Chad took the note back, folded it, and held it over his tail flame until naught was left but ashes.


    <Having recovered from earlier, Steve stands and suggests they relocate to the back area to witness the device work, an honor rarely given to other trainers. The two enter the restoration room, finding the slab laid flat atop a stone altar which had seemingly burst through the floor. The device itself, floating above the stone, seems to be at its maximum height, enhanced by a jury-rigged solution by the lab technicians to accommodate the increased size of the sample. Careful not to disturb their work, the Rhyhorn stand in an arrayed circle around the altar, humming a tune likely known only to their tribe.>


    As the slab was locked in place, the lone black bow on Machoke’s arm began to emit a familiar rainbow light. This time, the energy and the bow itself merged into her arm as the fighting type’s entire body became obscured. She grew taller, and quickly broke free as her four arms tore the body-tight cocoon apart. Flexing to enjoy her new success, the other ‘mons in the room (and the researchers who likely just wanted to be included) applauded her success. With a quick bow towards her trainee, Chad, she confidently strode out of the room, visibly pleased at achieving a monumental boost to her power.


    <Once all living beings were cleared from the operation room, Steve starts the machine, which quickly dances a jig of lasers across the surface of the giant rock. The computers display a dizzying amount of information, drawing up a simulated model of what the pokemon looked like during its final moments. A whip of white energy lashes out from the machine’s probe, seeming to pass through the stone and grapple the creature within. Several other beams whip out, securing around the beast at different locations, and begin to pull.>


    <Chad can only watch as a solid mass of dark purple and gray energy emerges from the rock. Most astounding is how it seems to hold a specific shape, like the beams are extracting a corpse from the stone. As the dark energy reaches the probe, it begins to compress and coalesce into a singular glowing sphere. Notably, when a shape similar to a head is pulled from the stone, the onlookers could swear they saw it glare at them, as a pair of malevolent yellow eyes burned with the fury of twin suns before the head was also shoved into the growing energy ball.>


    <When the extraction completed, a pair of arms swung down to encapsulate the energy into an egg-shaped mold, with various liquids pumped along several tubes feeding into the hastily-assembled oval. Steve remarked that the process seemed to be drawing in far more nutrients and chemicals than usual, as a metaphysical weight began to settle around the device. With the oddly apt ‘ding’ of an egg timer, the machine stopped. Slowly, the two arms lowered to a nearby pillow, gently sliding apart to reveal an egg which began vibrating upon landing atop the soft plushy surface.>


    With the process completed, the room automatically unlocked, letting Chad and Ginette be the first two through the door, followed closely by Steve and Rocky. “Oh, they looked like a big baddie. If it''s a girl, we’re naming her Lalatina!” She declared, as a crack snapped into existence along the egg’s smooth surface.


    “You know their name and gender are pre-determined, so it won’t be happening. But I do concede that is a good name,” Chad admitted, causing Ginette to be visibly thrown off by his alignment with her antics. Both refocused on their new team member as another resounding crack echoed through the room.


    <Tight pinprick beams of purple energy began to escape from the egg like a mini disco…egg. Before the whole shell lit up with a glow and shattered with a ‘BANG’! But this was more of a celebratory bang than a grenade; nobody celebrates the poor grenade tossed amidst the enemy to sacrifice itself for the good of God and Country. The loud explosion fragmented the eggshell almost entirely, with scant pieces littering the floor like confetti. Standing atop the remains was a brown bipedal dinosaur, with two golden horns atop his head, a tuft of white fur forming a mane below his jawline, and the piercing gaze of two golden eyes which belied centuries of wisdom and experience.>


    With a flare of purple flames from his nostrils, the meter tall pokemon locked eyes with Chad and Ginette, his pupils narrowed in disdain. With a deep breath, a deep melodic tone, and the pomp of an aristocrat, he made himself heard and his anger extremely clear. “Which of you empty-headed, polish-huffing, cotton-eared, rock-munching, slovenly disappointments of a dingleberry interrupted my nap?!”


    <Welcome to the team, Gaston!>