[attr="class","illeana"]

[attr="class","illeana b"]

[attr="class","illeana i"]transporting equipment to and from dewford's rift is, realistically, growing tiresome. trip after trip, she has little to show for it except the occasional glittering gem shoved into a satchel.

and, unfortunately, each trip has left her with more questions than answers: where are the new discoveries? is the ultra sea nothing more than a treasure trove? is it connected to ultra space and the dimensional expanses beyond?

in the grand scheme, each trip is important. the treasures brought back help the league - and yet, she wonders (selfishly) when they'll help her.

this return is no different than the last, either. she looks worn down, exhaustion seeping into her bones. her discolored golurk, too, looks less animated than usual. brilliant green is muted, fading in odd spots as it shifts equipment around in its arms. the satchel handing from one of its clay shoulders clinks softly like a barely there symphony.

and around them, dewford town blossoms with newfound life. carnival games have been set up in the time she's been gone, attracting both locals and tourists from every stretch of the region. she wonders, as her eyes lazily flicker between passing faces, if they know what's going on close by - if they know what lies beyond the veil of this plane.

no matter... it is of little consequence for them.

as her shoes begin to sink softly into the sandy beach of dewford, a carnival performance happening nearby draws her eye. she keeps moving despite a straying attention span and, really, she should pay more attention to the task at hand... it's how accidents are avoided - quite like the colliding of her shoulder into another person's body.

"oh!"

surprise squeaks through her voice and her body wobbles through righting itself - center of gravity thrown off kilter and left to teeter.

"i'm sorry - are you alright?"

Naomi Sato
cramorant catch.

[attr="class","illeana"]

[attr="class","illeana b"]

[attr="class","illeana i"]a small smile is quick to rise, concern evaporating beneath confirmation of safety. no harm done, thankfully.

"it's okay, there's a lot going on in dewford it seems."

too much activity, even, if she were to give her honest opinion. do they not know of what's happening? of what's coming?

"oh, um, sure - i wouldn't mind help if you're not too busy."

after a moment, she extends a hand forward. her smile spreads a little wider.

"illeana reyes, league head scientist. it's a pleasure to meet you, naomi."

there's a curious look in her eyes, as if she's found something to sink her teeth into. and perhaps - in a way - she has.

"do you have a specialty for your studies at the university?"

Naomi Sato
cramorant catch.

[attr="class","illeana"]

[attr="class","illeana b"]

[attr="class","illeana i"]embarrassment subtly colors her expression - pink painted fingers swiped across cheeks and leaving behind a rosy trail.

"i'm assuming you're familiar with my work, then?"

she forgets, with the way the time and space constantly swirl around them, that her work has existed in a state of recognition for long enough to warrant such a response from naomi. it's a giddy concept, truthfully, but she has never quite gotten used to the sensation.

"thank you - i appreciate it."

with her load lessened, it frees her up enough to properly engage without worrying about jostling equipment. and as her attention shifts gears, so too does her gaze. it settles softly on the unblinking eye of an unown. a smile curls up into lips quickly - familiar and almost fond.

"hello there."

the unown is greeted much like an old friend, as if it's one of her own. the trio of letters is seemingly absent from this trip, instead left to cause havoc with mew in the league labs.

"oh, an interesting concept! have you found any curious data as of yet?"

a beat passes before she makes an impulsive offer - a staple for this particular head scientist. like most of her reasonings (wrongly placed or otherwise), it is in the name of scientific discovery.

"if you need resources or anything, i'd be happy to help! the league labs could assist with collected samples or equipment."

Naomi Sato
cramorant catch.

[attr="class","illeana"]

[attr="class","illeana b"]

[attr="class","illeana i"]her smile widens as the unown twirls around, fond and appreciative of the odd little letter.

"i've always been rather fond of the unown - i'm glad i'm not the only one who enjoys their presence."

if only she knew, perhaps, just how tied they are to the woman before her... maybe then she'd exercise mild caution, but for now, she would not know until months later when fates have been revealed and the strings that bind them increase in strength.

"yes, i have! may i ask what conclusions you've drawn so far?"

she, herself, has her own budding theories. would they align with nomi's?

her offer preens beneath acceptance and illeana can't help but grin at the excitement.

"feel free to stop by whenever you'd like - we'd be happy to help however we can."

besides, she's always constantly hungering after additional company within the confines of the lab. it's never quite enough, it would seem.

"at the moment, i'm working through dimensional studies to try to figure out how to help stabilize hoenn's universe but it's proving to be increasingly difficult... each solution i find comes with its own trials and tribulations."

Naomi Sato
cramorant catch.

[attr="class","illeana"]

[attr="class","illeana b"]

[attr="class","illeana i"]it's an interesting theory, one she listens to with an open mind and an acute interest.

could it be possible to create wormholes through the interdream mist? through tera crystal clusters or other forms of pure energy? each possibility holds its own complications, surely, but the raw power is undeniable all the same.

"mmm there's definitely a lot of potential there for sure."

she grins, as if more than satisfied with nomi's explanation.

"i think some of the equipment in my lab will definitely be of use to you, then. i'd love to see what you've got so far, too, as far as experiments for your theory go."

she understands, in an intimate sort of way, the trials and tribulations of science and the hurdles they must overcome with each experiment they conjure up... but she believes in the woman helping her. the heart and mind she possesses both seem to be in the right place, don't they?

her grin becomes a little wider, dipping its toes into mischievous waters.

"one day, we'll go to the unown dimension and the worlds beyond - wouldn't that be nice?"

and sure enough, despite not knowing of the intricacies of fate and invisible strings, they will achieve such a feat. for now, she settles for nomi visiting her at the lab as if it's a new thing to look forward to in her seemingly endless calendar of meetings.

the equipment is settled in the sand near the cavern's mouth and she turns toward nomi with a grateful smile once her own equipment is laid next to it.

"thank you again, i really appreciate it!"

truly, she means it - every inch of her existing as genuine.

"i look forward to seeing you again, naomi."

and until next time... they go their separate ways.

Naomi Sato
cramorant catch.