<a href="https://possiblyfunny.tumblr.com/" style="text-decoration:underline;">possiblyfunny</a>:
<p>Huh… That’s…interesting. <i><strike>Sounds suspiciously like a <b>call</b> to action, haha I’m scared-</strike></i></p><p>Well, uh… I guess she wants to meet. Do you mind if I borrow your phone to make a call, Professor? I promise I won’t drop it or anything, and I’ll give it right back once I’m done.</p>
“Of course- this is my work phone, so… Please, feel free to use it as necessary. I hope she’s okay…”
Given permission, you dial up Leaf’s number- found easily from her messages.
<a href="https://possiblyfunny.tumblr.com/" style="text-decoration:underline;">possiblyfunny</a>:
<p>Oh- You mean this phone, Professor?</p><p><i>[grabs phone off of desk and shows it to Ace]</i></p><p>I noticed it a little bit ago and figured it was your personal cell. It’s been over here on silent for awhile, but I kept seeing it light up. Would you like it back?</p>
“Oh! I just up and left that right there, did I? Well- if I’ve been getting messages, let me take a quick look…”
“…”
“…?! How did she…”
Ace looks up from the device, and stares at you quizzically.
“…. Well, this is quite strange, but it’s… oh, you should just take a look.”
They hand the device over to you.
ALT
LEAF 🍃💚
[1:02pm] Ace.
[1:22pm] Ace.
[2:09pm] ACE.
[2:26pm] Please call when you can.
[2:28pm] We need to talk. It’s about your new assistant
[2:33pm] I don’t think this person is…. good to test this stuff out with
[2:41pm] Something about a proper control group. Is that how you put it? Whatever
[6:15pm] FUCK you left your phone on your desk
[6:15pm] Shit.
[6:22pm] Um.
[7:06pm] Yknow what?
[7:11pm] Hi there, new assistant.
[7:12pm] Yeah, you
[7:16pm] You’ll probably snoop around soon… I’m sure you’ll see this.
<a href="https://possiblyfunny.tumblr.com/" style="text-decoration:underline;">possiblyfunny</a>:
<p>Leaf, huh? <i>…I have the sneaking suspicion that I’ve seen her already…</i></p><p>She has a pretty name, Professor. Do you have any idea when she’ll be back in the Lab? I’d love to meet her.</p>
“Ah, I wish I could tell you… Last I’d seen her, though, she said she’d be very busy. That woman could vanish for days on end…”
“Though she likes to at least try to keep in touch through the phone. I don’t remember where I left that thing…”
“Regardless- I think she’d be happy to meet you, too.”
<a href="https://aniju-aura.tumblr.com/" style="text-decoration:underline;">aniju-aura</a>:
<p>"Maple Professor, was there another assistant? There is another… they still around?"</p>
“Oh, yes! My other assistant! I bet she’d love to meet you.”
“She’s… A bit elusive- never explains much about her personal life, or where she gets off to when she’s gone… But when she’s around, well- alright, I call her ‘assistant’ more as a formality, but I’d like to think she’s my friend before all else.”
Anonymous:
<p>what's on the desk we're working at? probably a good idea to get a gauge on what stuff we have available... pen and paper is one, the scanner... is there a pokedex maybe? </p>
You step back from the monitors a moment to investigate the desk.
[Repost for reference.]
It’s a mess, certainly- a lot of what’s there are stray pens, old dishes and trash, and disorganized research papers. But, there’s a few things of interest.
An older model of Pokedex lays to the far left of the desk. Judging by the looks of it, though- it seems like it’s been modded. It’s hooked up to the computer.
Then, there’s what looks to be a Pokemon egg that’s in a strange… Incubator? Container? It’s strange- and Ace has been more interested in checking on it than watching the cameras with you.
Then, to your right, there’s a phone- seems like a fairly modern model of Rotom Phone, actually. It must be on silent, but during your investigating, the screen has lit up a few times. Seems like someone’s been texting.
The other useful utilities are all on the desktop of the computer. The scanner in question, as explained, is a program that can be run to look for unseen anomalies. There’s a folder on the desktop labeled “MAPLEDEX.” And a text file, simply labeled “CONTACTS.”
Anonymous:
<p>Hey... Professor Maple? You still around? I know most of these places that the cameras are looking at, most of 'em are pretty big landmarks, but I've never heard of a "Glitch City". What's, uh... what's up with that one, boss?</p>
Ace has been contently working on a laptop at the opposite side of the lab- on being addressed, though, they turn around, pulling out the earbuds they’d been using. (Seems they haven’t been paying too much attention to your conversation, then….)
“What’s that? Glitch City- right, right. That’s an interesting one. In fact- very exciting, um…”
“If it works.”
They suck in a breath through their teeth, motioning to the monitor showing Cam 01.
“That’s the one I personally have been most interested in exploring. See, my other assistant set all these cameras up in those other locations I’d requested, but… This was one I hadn’t even been aware of. I tried to ask about it, but I didn’t really get any straightforward answers. Just a name for it… The signal is awful- that cam bugs out far more than the others, that I can barely make anything out through the corruption. There’s got to be something out there, though… I was hoping you might have better luck finding whatever it is than I have.”
<a href="https://possiblyfunny.tumblr.com/" style="text-decoration:underline;">possiblyfunny</a>:
<p>Your work sounds fascinating… <i>And Meaningful.</i> And I would be honored to help you with it.</p><p>Whatever you need done, Professor, I’m on it. Just say the word. I promise to do the best I can.</p>
ALT
The Professor smiles, guiding you across the lab, and over to…
“Well, my friend! You’ll be beginning right here.”
The large setup of monitors covers a large portion of the farthest wall of the Lab. The six active feeds show various locations across several regions.
Cam 06, in Sprout Tower.
Cam 05, on Mount Silver.
Cam 04, on the coast of Cinnabar Island.
Cam 03, on Mount Coronet.
Cam 02, in the Pokemon Tower.
And Cam 01, in… “Glitch City?”
“This is the product of… A lot of effort.” Ace explains, “But it’s a specialized series of drones you’ll be remotely piloting to survey these locations.”
They lean on the chair at the desk, smiling up at the mass of screens.
“My other assistant helped set them up in locations that we’ve found significant amounts of anomalous activity in. So what you’ll be doing is navigating these locations and searching for anything… Unusual. Each drone can scan for oddities in the air that are otherwise unseen, and! If need be, that microphone there can allow you to speak through the drone, if you need to call out to something or interview any strange individuals…”
They look back at you, beaming ear to ear.
“Basically, you just need to look around for anything weird or… ‘Glitchy,’ ask people questions, and take notes for me, okay?”
They step back and motion for you to take a seat, and make yourself comfortable.
“I’ll be working on my own things on the other side of the lab,” Ace explains as you settle in, “but if you need anything or have any questions, you can holler any time. If you’re ready, I’ll let you be! And, um…”
“Don’t stress too much, okay? There’s no wrong way to go about this. It’s your first day- just focus on getting comfortable, accustomed, and… hell, just have some fun!”
“I know you’ll do great.”
With that, they step aside, watching to make sure you get an alright grasp of the technology. Out of the corner of you eye, you might notice the phone left on the desk lights up briefly. But the monitors are calling your name…
So, where will you begin?
…
Welcome to the heart of “Missing Numbers.” This lab is your gateway to every part of this world.
Utilize the various communication methods given to you throughout Ace’s home and labs to discover, converse with, and ask questions of faces from all throughout the World of Pokemon. The more you explore and investigate, the more you inquire, the more you let your curiosity get the better of you… The more you’ll be able to discover and understand.
It’s entirely up to you to explore now. So go onwards. Seek and find.
[In this blog, we want to leave the world as open as possible, and not put limits on askers for who they can speak with or what they can do! It is possible and encouraged to have multiple conversations going at once. Missing Numbers is not a linear story- We want this blog to be an exploration for you to discover how everything connects and what it all means.
As it would be overwhelming and difficult, for both you and us, to introduce everyone simultaneously (after all, there’s many faces in the world of Pokemon!), a major portion of how you engage with this blog will be finding things: People, Pokemon, and locations!
So get on your feet and start investigating! Use your intuition, or investigate based on information given to you by others, to find the things you seek.
We wish you luck out there, friends! And we hope you enjoy.
Anonymous:
<p>“ right away? is it all <i>that</i> important? ”</p>
“It’s quite important to me! Truth be told, there isn’t actually a rush, per se… But I’m so excited to get started!”
They lead you from the living room, to a door that seems out of place in the cozy home- a heavy steel door, which Ace opens using a pin passcode.
As it swings open, it becomes abundantly clear- Ace’s lab is below the house. The stairway down shines with a similar steel, sleek and almost futuristic. The only thing that keeps it clear that it is, indeed, still theirs, being a lone dirty lab coat hanging off the railing.
ALT
“Ah, I suppose my application didn’t explain too thoroughly… That’s my bad- please, do forgive me.” They reply as they head down.
“As you know- I’m a Pokemon Professor. Not exactly a well known, or…. Respected one, but… I’m the only individual that researches what I do: Anomalies.”
“See, I’ve been gathering hard evidence for the otherwise inexplicable, and in many cases, imperceivable, for years now. Have you ever noticed- feelings of deja vu, inconsistencies in memories, impossibly proportioned locations, people and Pokemon alike suddenly seeming, just… Different?”
Upon reaching the bottom, the staircase leads straight into a hallway, spanning several rooms with tinted windows you can’t see into… Ace turns aside into the closest door, though, entering what looks like a proper lab.
“Not to mention the more extreme things- Anomalies so potent, they become visible by distorting reality itself… My research isn’t just on Pokemon, see- although Pokemon are the most common victim of Anomalies, from I’ve found thus far.”
“But what I prioritize? Is discovering them, dissecting the cause for their properties, analyzing what those properties are, and…”
“How to fix them.”
They’re quiet for a moment.
“It’s not work I can do with only me, myself, I, and a single other (admittedly, very flaky) friend. So… That’s where you come in.“
<a href="https://possiblyfunny.tumblr.com/" style="text-decoration:underline;">possiblyfunny</a>:
<p>She’s beautiful, Professor. Cotton seems very well-loved. <i>Y’know…</i> I haven’t known you for very long, but you sound like a good trainer. And I’m sure that she loves you, too.</p>
“Oh, you’re really too kind… I’m far from a great trainer, but… She depends on me. I have to do what I can.”
They shake their head. “Really, if you asked me, the only thing I’m good for is…..”
They trail off.
“SHIT, MY RESEARCH! I’m sorry, I got distracted! We need to get going!”
<a href="https://possiblyfunny.tumblr.com/" style="text-decoration:underline;">possiblyfunny</a>:
<p>Professor, if I may…?</p><p>Who’s the sleepy little guy in the corner? Are they your Pokémon? <i>They’re very cute…</i></p>
“Oh! Well, that sweet little angel is Cotton. And yes, she’s my Pokemon… One of my only ones, actually.”
Ace sighs wistfully, looking down at the sleeping Eevee.
“I know she’s a bit of a runt, and her coat is a bit odd, but I can assure you, she’s well cared for- maybe a bit spoiled, if I’m honest. She’s good company, though… She means the world to me.”
<a href="https://heavenlysphere.tumblr.com/" style="text-decoration:underline;">heavenlysphere</a>:
<p>Hello, Professor! Anything exciting you’ve been working on?</p>
“Yes, absolutely!! Hang on-” They holler over their shoulder, crouched somewhere in their kitchen and rummaging through a cabinet for a drink. “Ah-ha! There we are!”
They hurry over, handing you a… An old, room temperature bottle of water.
“Yes, yes, there is- see, that’s why I needed another assistant!” they exclaim.
“See, I just completed development on a series of devices that will help MASSIVELY in my field of research- however, as I must focus on my other projects and studies, I won’t be able to sufficiently manage them… So, that’s where you come in! Piloting, surveying, note-taking, monitoring…. Oh, um…”
“… I suppose it sounds incredibly boring when I put it like that. I, um- I promise it’ll be more interesting than that.”
Anonymous:
<p>water please tje hike up that trail was full of. monsters and sand attack</p>
As they practically drag you inside, they stop suddenly at the request.
“Oh my God- I’m so sorry! Got a bit ahead of myself. I’ve got some bottled water around here… Somewhere… Um. One moment!”
As they hurry off to look around, you get a chance to look around. It seems their Lab isn’t just their lab- but also their home. You stand in what must be the living room, though it's….
You’re working as an assistant for some obscure… eccentric, Pokemon Professor. That’s what you’ve heard about them, anyways.
You’re not sure how you ended up in this position. You’re not sure of… Anything, really. You haven’t even heard of this Professor until you found out they were looking for an assistant… But, hey. Work is work.
… Did it have to be at the base of a mountain, though? This building is far from any society. The remote location makes it idiotic to turn back, and regardless, you’re already here. You may as well see how this goes.
Knock, knock.
… You can hear a thud, sounds of things getting knocked over, then footsteps rushing towards the entrance.
“Ah, hello, hello! I’m so sorry, I- I’d forgotten you’ll be here! Please, don’t mind the mess- we need to get started right away.”
The Professor invites you inside.
Professor Ace Maple is now available for questions.
ALT
ALT
