Scientist B-A5

> "*I know you two don't have a lot to lose anymore, but me, I got a sheila back home waiting for me. If I came back with loafers and my hair slicked I'd be kicked out of the house in no time!" —* Scientist B-A5
>
>

Scientist B-A5 is an unnamed scientist that works for Team Buddy and the Aether Foundation. He is in charge of the permanent Buddyization project.

Art by Bonus Level

## Chronological Information

### Relationships

Jason (coworker, friend), Jenny (coworker, friend), Lusamine (boss), Team Buddy Boss (boss), Professor Fennel (professional rival), Cynthia (test subject, replacement), Charlotte (wife)

## History

Scientist B-A5 is from a region with extremely dangerous Pokémon. He is married to a woman named Charlotte and has children, all living in his home region. At one point, he tried to catch a safe Pokémon for his family, only to destroy part of his house because he chose to go after a Rhydon.

Several of B-A5's dialogue indicates that he has had people die on him during his tests.

At some point, his research brought him to Alola. He maintains a long distance relationship with his family.

## Aether Foundation Audio Logs

Scientist B-A5 was recruited by Team Buddy/the Aether Foundation (even he isn't too sure who he works for). At some point before he starts his audio logs, his entire crew was Buddyized (it is unknown if his assistants in the log, Jason and Jenny, were members of this original crew). Due to his dramatic waterworks, B-A5 was spared from Buddyization; however he was put in charge of "Project Jelly Brain," an initiative to find a way to permanently Buddyize people. He works alongside Jason and Jenny, two overeager, Buddyized assistants.

On "Day 9", he starts showing signs of stress at the lack of results. He tries his best to not blame Jason and Jenny because he knows that they aren't in complete control of their mental faculties. However, he can't shake the overwhelming dread that he'll be Buddyized too if he can't show results soon.

B-A5 goes to meet with Lusamine on "Day 13". She asks him about the progress done he's made on his project, which she believes is focusing on creating a renewable energy source. He quickly improvises during the conversation, distracting Lusamine with a hypothetical generator that converts ugliness into energy so she doesn't learn about the Lucid Mist experiments. As they talk, a Nihilego makes its way into the room and startles B-A5. The Nihilego begins constricting B-A5's throat, though his fear earns him no sympathy from neither Lusamine nor the Nihilego. Although it's impossible to say whether Lusamine would've let him die, he does get seriously injured before Jason interrupts the meeting. However, this attack isn't for naught, as he took a DNA sample during the attack.

After an extended trip to the medical wing, B-A5 tests the DNA sample and becomes ecstatic when he analyzes Nihilego's mind-altering venom. He shows a distressing proclivity towards nonconsensual human testing throughout the logs, but on "Day 16" he secretly administers a venom dose on a Team Buddy member named Derrick, just to see the effects. After stealing Derrick's medical files, he get sthe information needed to start production on the Nihilucid Mist.

"Day 19" and "Day 20" show that B-A5 has more than a couple issues with the Team Buddy higher ups. He gets into a fight with Buddyized Fennel, hides out in the cafeteria to avoid Lusamine when she visits his lab, and grumbles about Team Buddy's Boss and his confusing workplace structure. He brushes these worries aside as he works day and night trying to get the Nihilucid Mist to an operational state, even ignoring food in order to make more progress.

When the power goes out on "Day 22", B-A5 bonds with Jason and Jenny a bit more, wistfully telling them about his family and region. He tries to soothe his assistants by saying that they're his only friends at the lab and that they need to focus on their project. However, "Day 24" reveals that they don't listen to him and genetically modify a Galvantula to make it safer. B-A5 is horrified by the Buddyized Pokémon and more horrified that Jason and Jenny Buddyized Aether scientists in order to make it. He desperately tries to prevent them from giving him all of the credit, but he fails spectacularly, earning him a Lucid Mist collar as a result. Despite the trouble they get him into, B-A5 admits that he views Jason and Jenny as friends and even misses them when they were elsewhere in Alola (though this feeling doesn't stop him from trying to volunteer them for Nihilucid Mist experiments).

On "Day 29", B-A5 meets his first test subject: Cynthia. He is somewhat disturbed by her demeanor as he inserts the cranial, intravenous, and gastrointestinal needles, more-so than his usual reaction to Jason and Jenny's mental state. Regardless, he proceeds with the experiments. He gets steadily more flustered as the test subjects start fighting back and grows more stressed when he figures out that there are horrible side effects to the Nihilego toxins. The stress of the situation and the looming threat of Buddyization is enough to send him into a depressive state.

The last of B-A5's audio logs occurs on "Day 32." He flees from the labs in the dead of night, frantically trying to return to his home region and family. Unfortunately, when he reaches the boat, Buddyized Galvantula is sitting there. While it first seems like B-A5 convinces Galvantula to leave him alone, it instead steals his nose plugs, leaving him vulnerable to the Lucid Mist emitting from his collar after Jason and Jenny activate it. B-A5 tries to deny that he was running away, but he is cornered by the Boss, who Jason and Jenny tipped off. He bargains with the Boss, trying to say that he'll be able to fix the Nihilucid victims if the Boss promises to let him go home. However, the Boss is done with his attempts and Jason and Jenny to drag him to the Nihilego Juicer. After this point, his status is unknown.

## Known Pokémon

Bonsly

Rhydon (ran off after destroying his house)

## Trivia

* Stephen\_Carlock voices B-A5.
* His wife shares a name with the Fire type gym leader of the Tuxon league. However, it's unlikely that they are the same character.