Flashback! Return to Pewter City!

Miku was already amazed as she stepped into the vast building. You could see where there had been expansions added on, just like an old house. Still, the inside was kept fairly up to date, and well cleaned. She clutched the pamphlet excitedly as Brock led them in, free of charge at that!

She did find it kind of odd that he would get them in without paying admission, then encourage them to spend at the gift shop, though. Still, you never knew what you would find in those places. Maybe she could find a cute plush toy for her newborn there!

"I kind of like order, so I wouldn't mind starting in Kanto. We can stop at the gift shop on the way out," Miku suggested, looking to Rokas for any input. She stroked the head of Amaura gently as they walked around the main hall, checking out the exhibits.

Miku was really quite fascinated by Brock's recollections. "I really didn't know that about the canyons... Where is that, again? I wouldn't mind visiting around that time of year some time!" Miku thought of the possibility of unearthing a fossil. Brock resurrected one, maybe she could too!

Miku checked out the fossils of Kabuto, Omanyte, and Aerodactyl. The last was so large that it was embedded into the floor. "Kabuto and Omanyte, both were supposed to live deep in the sea. I feel like it's a bit like Relicanth though, where they aren't really extinct just yet..." She droned on with her own suspicions.

"Right," Miku said, understanding well enough that some Pokémon could just be out of reach for most trainers. But upon hearing where the Canyons themselves were, she let out a "Hmm..."

"Maybe I'll try making the trip this fall. I guess that all depends on where I am by that time," Miku trailed off, thinking about Johto. They finished in the Kanto section, moving on to the expansions for research from other regions,

"So, when am I going to talk to someone about Amaura?" Miku asked curiously. "I wonder where I should go after this..." She trailed somewhat melancholy. She suddenly felt at a crossroads. Everything so far had felt like a straight path for her, but now she had a serious decision coming up.

"R-right..." Miku stuttered meekly. She didn't mean to come across as impatient. She wasn't really concerned with how long until Amaura was going to be inspected, more just a curiosity about when that was going to be. She held a little tighter to the white dinosaur in her arms. She was the size of a cat currently, and weighed probably close to 15 lbs. Still, according to the Pokédex she wasn't going to remain that small for long.

She went about the museum, more fascinated by the pieces relating to water than anything else. Still, at least Rokas seemed to be enjoying himself. They went through the various sites region by region, finally reaching the top floor where the new Kalos exhibit was. Miku made a direct dart when she saw a fossil almost as large as she was, maybe half a foot shorter.

"This is the full size of an Amaura?!" She exclaimed, rather astonished. She had seen the number in the Pokédex, but it hadn't really struck her until the side-by-side comparison could be made. "It's huge!" She had yet to notice the enormous Aurorus fossil beneath her feet, spanning nearly two of her.

Miku stepped back, examining the fossil beneath her with wide eyes. It was pretty massive, that was for sure. Of course, there were plenty of Pokémon who were still around that could beat its length. Gyarados came to her mind, but a dinosaur was still just such a neat thing. To think, she was holding a piece of history.

Miku giggled at Rokas a bit. "Well when you compare it to a Mew fossil, yeah it's way bigger," she laughed mildly. It was just a joke, of course. She was sure he was referring to other legends, like the birds of fire, ice and lightning out in the Orange Islands.

Miku spent some time looking over various fossils, including the Museum's collection of Sail and Jaw fossils. According to their descriptions, they are fossilized pieces of Amaura and Tyrunt. The fossils' DNA are still in tact enough to resurrect a living Pokémon from them! "Jeeze, science has come a long way..." Miku trailed. She read about the various suspected histories, and herding patterns of Pokémon like Amaura and Aurorus as well.

When all was said and done, Miku felt she had gathered all the information she could for the day. A sponge could only hold so much water at a time, after all. "I think I'm done here, what about you, Rokas?" Though she found interest in it, there was only so much fun to be had at a museum. Miku would rather gonplay with the real thing.

Miku rolled her eyes at Rokas, though she surprised herself in that it wasn't in her usual manner. No, she felt a bit light hearted, like she wanted to laugh it off. She shook off the strange feeling, turning to Brock.

"Oh, I'm ready to go get Amaura checked on. I don't really have any other plans today, but sitting and staring at the same things can lose my attention easily..." She admitted, thinking about the irony of the meta situation.

"And of course, the gift shop," she laughed, walking off. She wondered mildly why he was so insistent on it, but figured he was a public figure. It was his job to try and bring revenue to public buildings like this, right?

Miku took note of Rokas's change in attitude, mildly wondering if something was wrong. However, as she was not a prying person she just let it be as Brock led them around. It was pretty amazing to think they were going to an exclusive area, off limits to most.

The lab equipment looked expensive, if mildly outdated. That was a likely reason for Brock to be trying so hard to get some donations, Miku figured. Still, everyone seemed like they must have multiple degrees as they gawked at her little dinosaur. She clung to Amaura a bit tighter, the Dinosaur having a similar reaction as she buried her head from the sudden loud voices.

"I-it's alright, Amaura..." Miku said, trying to coax the white sauropod back out. She lifted her head, bright eyes gazing out to the scientists. Her veil swirled with colors, varying between deep purple hues, plenty of unsure reds and blues. It was likely due to her being scared, or unsure in the situation.

She pulled the dinosaur away a bit, allowing the scientists to get a better look. Amaura blinked, but seemed more curious about the strange contraptions around them. "They're just gonna take some pictures and do a couple tests, okay?" Miku asked, though she knew explaining such things to a newborn Pokémon would be difficult at best.

Still, she walked over to where a spot was open, setting Amaura down on the examination desk. She made sure to stand nearby, so that Amaura wouldn't become too frightened. "Okay, we're ready."

The scientists and Brock rambled on about their own theories. Meanwhile, Miku stayed by Amaura and cooed lovingly at the baby. It wasn't that she was ignoring them, but she was hardly paying attention. She was far more interested in the sparkling dinosaur, being photographed and going through a more or less routine check up.

"Hm?" Miku finally hummed, looking to the others as Brock mentioned his curiosity. "Oh...right," she said, frowning just a bit as she looked back to Amaura. Fact was, somebody probably lost this egg. It was likely they would report it, and she was in a situation where she might lose her new Pokémon.

Miku was more than happy to get her hands on the healthy foods, packing them away in airtight containers within her pack. Afterward she picked up Amaura, lightly eyeing the scientists whose envy burned her. She was almost reluctant to bring her back, but if Brock trusted them she figured she could too.

She was glad to be out of the stuffy room, when they finally reached the gift shop. There was just a distinctive smell that several men who spent all day in a confined area let off. Miku shuddered a bit. She picked up a squishy little stuffed animal for Amaura to cuddle with while she was small, though she forgot how expensive souvenirs could be. $15 for a small stuffed toy, pfft.

Still, they were finally on their way out, and getting advice from Brock. "I might hang around for a couple days. At least until I figure out where I want to go," Miku started, looking up to the darkening sky. They'd been in that Museum for hours now. "And food definitely sounds good," her stomach grumbled as she clutched it. She hadn't had much to eat since breakfast, and she was sure her Pokémon were getting hungry too. Well, besides Amaura who had her fill on sweet and dry berries back in the lab.

"What about you, Rokas?" Miku asked, turning to her companion. She wasn't sure if he had his own agenda. Still, it was nice having him along for the ride for the time being. It was almost weird to think this might already be goodbye.

Miku glanced over Rokas as he seemed to delve into thought. She felt a little light headed as a flutter in her stomach made her worry about him parting. But she was too much like Rokas, and would rather keep her mouth shut than potentially offend what could be the one human being she could stand her age! She sighed softly to herself, turning back as Brock went on.

"R-really?!" The Pokémon Center meals were nice, but entirely bland. Most of it was just prepackaged food bought in bulk and heated on the stovetop. She wouldn't complain since she didn't have to pay for it, but a real meal every now and then just couldn't be beat! Her stomach growled louder at the prospect of delicious home cooking.

"That sounds fantastic!" Miku said, rather loudly as she squeezed the little sauropod who squeaked in surprise. "Oops, sorry Amaura..." The girl apologized, scratching the hatchlings scales gently, to which the dino seemed to coo and purr (if that's what you would call it, anyway). "But I'm up for it, definitely. Rokas?"

Miku followed Brock, but quickly forgot how awkward she was in social situations. Seeing his father sitting there, Miku's meek manner crept back up on her. She peeped a quiet 'hello' before finding a seat on one of the cushions. She awkwardly avoided eye contact, glancing down toward the table and Amaura in her arms more often than not.

She nodded in response to his father's words, though remained silent otherwise. Her heart thudded in her chest as the nervousness grew. She didn't know why she felt so awkwardly, she had been doing so great around Rokas and Brock! Well, maybe Brock only because they met by battling. That seemed to be her only escape from this besides Rokas.

Miku forced a smile, nodding to Brock and peeping thank you's here and there as needed. She eyed the television curiously, trying to catch a bit more of the program when the three were just sitting and waiting. That Gallade was a magnificent Pokémon, and he was so young! It made Miku realize how far behind she really was on her Pokémon journey, and she sighed softly.

However, the mention of her victory brought her back to the conversation at hand. Miku nervously fidgeted, trying to force herself to say anything. "Uhm...it was a learning experience," she said meekly, nothing like the girl Brock had battled. "I uhm...I mostly have Water types besides Amaura, Clefairy and a Sandshrew..."

Miku nodded slowly to the old man's words. She wasn't unaware of the blatant advantage, that was why she chose to challenge him, after all. She wasn't hardly interested in becoming the region champion, so collecting all the badges wasn't any concern of hers. At the same time, she grew up visiting Misty's gym and knew how the pool scenario worked.

Thinking about it all made her a little uneasy though. He was talking about the future again, something Miku was yet unsure about. She hummed lightly to herself, contemplating still whether Johto was right for her or not. Then again, the City of Water was there, and for a water type trainer, what could be better?!

Brock came in, breaking her train of thought. She glanced up, listening as Rokas proclaimed his love of mild foods. Again, she hummed. "I like it a little spicy, but you can make it mild. I like mild foods too," Miku said, not wanting to make it spicy for Rokas. Amaura had fallen asleep in her arms to the white noise of people talking and the hum of the television.