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Actually, something has caught Nomi's eye.

"This one looks interesting," Nomi murmurs in response to her friend's question, selecting a book from the shelf before her. Masters of Mimicry: An In-Depth Look at Illusory Pokémon and Their Unique Physiology. She flips to the introduction and reads a few sentences.

What lies beneath a Mimikyu's tattered rags? Why do Zorua so often choose the form of a small human child when transforming? Are Ditto the only Pokémon that can transform into inanimate objects as well as other living beings? This comprehensive collection of various scientific studies regarding the unique dispositions and biological make-ups of Pokémon whose existences seem entirely dependent on mimicry provides several in-depth answers to these and other poignant and intriguing questions. Our hope is to provide insight into the secrets behind Pokémon mimicry, ranging from theories focused on simple survival mechanisms to those involving the very fabric of our reality: perhaps, as is often the case with the illusory, there is more to these Pokémon than meets the eye.

Nomi skips ahead a few more pages, trying to discern which chapter to read first.

And then she freezes.

The Benefits of Mimicry as an Environmental Adaptation: A Two-Part Study of the Galarian Stunfisk by Dr. Yuri Sato

Nomi's face drains of color, and she feels her heartbeat quicken with a sudden rush of adrenaline. Her mouth becomes uncharacteristically dry as she tries to speak, a hoarse, tense whisper replacing her usual upbeat, kindly tone.

"Ceri...have I...have I ever told you about my parents?"

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Nomi can't help but smile just a little at the oblivious way Ceri often rambles on about various topics once you get her going, but her expression soon sobers again as Ceri blinks, obviously confused about Nomi's comment regarding her parents. The other young woman tilts her head and gazes at Nomi with genuine concern. Nomi points to the name of the author of the Stunfisk article.

"Yuri Sato is my father, Ceri. Both of my parents are - were - renowned scientists." Her voice falters slightly as she hesitates, uncertain how to explain the situation. Ceri deserves to know the truth. The two had been friends for some time now, and Nomi felt completely comfortable around the other young woman, as if they were two different halves of the same whole. And yet, she feels suddenly nervous. It wasn't so much that Nomi didn't trust Ceri...it was more that, well, talking about her parents meant confronting a grief Nomi had been working very hard to compartmentalize on a regular basis.

"I've...been hoping to find out what happened to them," she explains, voice growing softer, and with an undercurrent of familiar sorrow. "They disappeared when I was a toddler; I hardly knew them. I have bits and pieces of blurry memories - a warm hug from my mother, a gruff chuckle from my father...but that's it. The only thing my Granny could tell me was that they were working on a top secret project for...for some sort of important organization in Kanto. There was some kind of accident, I guess...and they never returned home after that."

Nomi looks back down at the book in her hands, feeling a strange mix of wonder and determination. "When I'd look for information on what they were studying - back home, in Johto - nothing ever turned up. As if...they'd never existed there at all. But...here he is! In this book, at this library, at Slateport University of all places!" She paused, considering. "I admit, Ceri...part of why I wanted to go to school for science in the first place was so that I could follow in their footsteps, so to speak." She smiled somewhat sheepishly at her friend. She did like science, though, that much was still true.

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Team Rocket.

Nomi has heard of them, of course. Everyone has. But they're gangsters and thieves, aren't they? Stealers and smugglers of rare Pokémon, and other Black Market items - alcohol, drugs, priceless art, that sort of stuff. Sure, she'd heard rumors that they were causing more of a stir in Hoenn these days, but why would they know anything about her parents?

There was a war in Kanto a few years ago, remember? Team Rocket took over the entire region with their military. They wanted to invade Johto too, but weren't successful. Ecruteak never saw any of the fighting...

Nomi isn't particularly well-versed in region history, but she does remember that, during her high school years, there had been a lot of newspaper headlines covering the build-up to the takeover of Kanto. If Rocket was strong enough in Kanto to form a military capable of overthrowing the League government there...well, her parents had been in Kanto when they'd disappeared, hadn't they? Could Rocket have had something to do with that? It was many years before the war, but...that doesn't mean her parents couldn't have been involved with something Rocket had wanted...maybe something that aided their rise to power?

What if Mom and Dad...were helping Rocket willingly? a small, uncomfortable voice in the back of Nomi's mind whispers suddenly.

She shakes her head, trying to clear it. There are simply too many questions left unanswered. I've been bothered by this my whole life, and yet, I just kept trying to live normally, to be happy because it's what I thought Mom and Dad would want for me...but it's time I actually did something about it. If they were murdered...I need to find out who did it and why.

"If Rocket does know something, Ceri," Nomi murmurs back to her friend, voice nearly as inaudible as Ceri's had been, and yet, with a distinct undercurrent of determination to her tone. "Then how would I find that out? I wouldn't know the first thing about how to contact somebody in Team Rocket. Would you?" She eyes her friend, then, curious. Why had Ceri suggested Team Rocket all of a sudden?

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Nomi's eyes widen at Ceri's confession, and she opens her mouth to speak, but then stops herself - too stunned to know what to say. Ceri works for Team Rocket? Her friend had been keeping this rather important piece of information from her as long as they'd been friends, it seems: that realization stung, and Nomi's chest tightens with a sudden influx of emotion. But then she really looks at Ceri - at the complete and utter trust beneath the general anxiety and caution in her friend's expression as they stand inches from one another in a public archive of neatly categorized scientific studies, discussing the gravely serious decision Ceri had to make after her mother's death - and all of the betrayal, confusion, and grief that had washed through Nomi mere moments ago vanishes all at once.

Ceri did what she had to do, Nomi resolves. Just like I'm about to.

Nomi takes Ceri's hand in hers and squeezes it reassuringly. She leans in close, so that her next whisper will be better heard by the other girl. Her mouth breaks out into a soft, amused smile. She nearly laughs out loud at the sheer absurdity of what she is about to ask Ceri: Rocket is dangerous after all. Will she ever be able to return to a normal life if she chooses to walk down this road?

My life was never normal. If that were true, my parents would still be alive. Whatever they were studying, it was important. So important it may have cost them their lives.

"Are they...are they still hiring?"

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Ceri's right, it is a big decision. But Nomi feels an intense resolve fueling her in this moment, and she shakes her head, waves of pink hair framing her face as she continues to smile softly at the other young woman. "Set it up, if you can," she urges gently, thinking only of the countless opportunities to hunt for answers and not necessarily about any of the actual danger. "It can't hurt to talk to someone who could use another researcher. I can work in a lab, like we do for school. A few jobs here and there...just enough to help me make some connections with...with anyone who might know something about what happened to my parents."

Nomi lets go of Ceri's hand then with one final squeeze, and slips Masters of Mimicry: An In-Depth Look at Illusory Pokémon and Their Unique Physiology into her messenger bag, intending to check it out of the library and read the entirety of it later that evening. How am I going to focus on our research paper now? All I can think about is Rocket. The whole situation feels absurd, and yet, it's also somewhat thrilling too. Ceri has been living a secret, risky life behind the scenes and it dawns on Nomi that this will give her a chance to look out for her friend, too, now that she knows what Ceri's been involved in.

In that moment, Nomi remembers the crazy car chase with the masked man (Isaac Merlo) she'd taken part in recently, and how she and Valerian had held their own against several violent gangsters...and she realizes that perhaps Rocket will be gaining more than just a future scientist if they hire her to work for them. I'm nobody special, but I'm also braver than I look, Nomi thinks with determination.

"It's probably not safe to talk more about my decision here," Nomi admits to Ceri with a sheepish grin, glancing about to make sure they are still fairly alone in the stacks. "Sorry to put you in a difficult position, Ceri. Let's focus on our research paper for now, and...we can go over next steps later?"

ROCKET RECRUITMENT: ACT 1[break]Ceri Glynn [break]Nomi's Outfit

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