Makoto didn't like being obvious about it when they were on Rocket business (or heading to Rocket business) in public - didn't like the idea of their real face being seen by others in such scenarios. They kept their Rocket identity and their Civillian identity very separate. So when they arrived at the front door to meet Walter, it would be whilst wearing a face that their ever-loyal Kuro - hidden in their shadow per usual - pieced together from random nobodies.

But, of course, it would be of no secret to him or Amor; they had the courtesy and foresight to let him know ahead of time.

The presence of Walter reminded them that Amor was in a whole other world from themself; and so too did the money that had surely gone into setting up this warehouse, once they were let inside. The equipment, the cars meant to obfuscate the building's true purpose... Makoto couldn't help but be a little awed; something that Amor would likely plainly see, when they finally shed their disguise.

Though they also felt a bit like a fish out of water - wondering whether they would be able to fulfill the expectations meant of them, as one of Amor's assistants. One of three - which, they were sure the other two would arrive soon.

But in the meantime, they glanced to Amor, offering him a little nod and smile. "This is... Like a whole other world, compared to the outside." They admitted softly, as they found a spot to take a seat. "I honestly didn't expect to end up drawing the attention of others like this, after joining Rocket." Amor's attention, Cil's attention, the attention of those in Trinity Trial...

... Was it a good thing, that they were making a bit of a name for themself in Rocket? Enough for a Head Scientist to recruit them like this?

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Public transport was the lifeblood of modern civilization. It was also the lifeblood of Howard's wallet. It was not the lifeblood of his ability to make good time.

How many people could boast that they were going to a secret meeting while watching an old man defecate through a bus window? Few. At least Slateport had relatively decent bus times. Nonetheless, Howard was the last one to enter following Makoto and Temp. While the two were taking their seats, Howard was catching his breath.

After a few moments, he was ready. He took a deep breath, shook his hands, and straightened his hat. Showtime.

He walked into the warehouse whistling, only to choke for a second upon seeing Temp. Temp was a remarkably smart man, but this additional person was a mystery. It was strange, too. In a way, Temp and Howard's robbery had started this chain of events. Howard had lacked a grunt uniform, which had brought him to Amor's attention. Fate was funny, that way.

Despite all the poetic meaning and whatnot, all Howard could do was sputter. "T-Temp!?" Which he shamelessly disguised as a coughing fit. "Ah, I mean... I mean, are we ready to begin? Is this our team?" Howard turned to Makoto and Temp. "Welcome, stranger, we've never met. Try not to get overwhelmed by Temp. He's..."

Howard's eye flittered from the overexcited Temp to the collected Amor to the various sports cars to the swivel chair to Makoto. He sighed, defeated.

"He's, well, Temp. I'll say it again. Amor, is this our assembled team?"

---

Amor Rose Tempest Quinn Makoto Kurumi

Amor just smiled his usual charming as the three were finally assembled. Of course Tempest Quinn was friendly as ever introducing themselves to Makoto Kurumi, and then came howard slayte who seemed a bit off by the team for some reason. Of course Makoto Kurumi was the only one who didn't know the other two, but they would warm up to them easily enough.

"It is....For the two of you this is Makoto Kurumi. They are my personal protégé, and have worked with me the longest since I've come to Rocket without mysteriously vanishing. A trait that I admire." He stated without an ounce of sarcasm in his voice. "They are well versed in stealth, gathering data, and are a very good all around fit. Of course Makoto this is Temp, and Howard. Temp is a lot smarter than he lets himself believe so don't be fooled. Despite not having a specialization Mr. Quinn is quite adept at understanding new things at a moments notice. A trait I prize deeply. Howard is our resident Archeologist, and commands the ability to speak, read, and write many dead languages. On top of that could procure us valuable artifacts should we need them, or at least point us in the right direction." It almost felt like Amor was in a heist movie, and was starting his own team.

Rose's Eleven....But then he'd have to find at least seven more people, and that seemed like a huge pain. He was more than happy with these three.

Walter came back in, and stood behind Amor, the ever dutiful butler.

"This is Walter, should you ever need to get ahold of me, and can't for some reason. He will be your go to." He stated simply, and the elderly butler took a deep bow.

"A pleasure to meet you three....Master Rose has told me much already...." The old man spoke in a warm, rich tone before straightening up once again.

There was already a white board behind Amor with two things on it that were encricled. The words read Avatar, and Energy.

But before he continued he let them finish their greetings with one another, and Walter would bring out the extra chairs for the trio for them to sit in should they want.

Makoto Kurumi howard slayte Tempest Quinn

The next one to arrive after them was Tempest - and he was every bit as social as the hounds he surrounded himself with, and took after. They jolted a little as Temp clapped them on the back - caught off guard - but they'd try to offer a little smile, shaking his hand. "Makoto - it's... nice to meet you, too." They spoke, and it was genuine - even if they were a hair shy or wary.

Makoto was growing to trust Amor - but these were new people that they were meeting, and thus they didn't know what to expect of them. It was likely they'd warm up, much as Amor figured - but it might take a little time.

Finally though, was Howard - who seemed a bit more calm (even if similarly caught off-guard) than Tempest. Though he didn't introduce himself, it seemed he already knew Tempest - and that his high-energy nature was a constant. They'd give Howard a little nod - figuring that they would get to know him shortly.

And indeed, with the group gathered, Amor would finally speak - introducing the trio to one another. Makoto blinked somewhat owlishly as they were introduced as Amor's personal protege, forcing themself to not fluster under the praise that they were oh-so-weak to. Instead, they set their focus on the introductions Amor gave of Tempest and Howard both - quietly nodding along.

For the most part, Makoto was a bit of a passive presence - they weren't the most social, even if getting to bond with people like this did scratch at some itch at the back of their head. They were just content to listen in and observe, to get a grasp of these two new people...

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"Y-yes, not too tightly! You're crushing my shoulders. You'd think with all those grunts you train, you'd know your own strength."

Nonetheless, Temp was a reliable anchor for this team. Howard didn't know Makoto, and even if Amor had seen through the mask, that didn't mean they were friends. There was a clear power dynamic in their relationship. Howard did the reading, Amor wrote the checks and kept him out of Team Rocket's hands. Working for a Head Scientist awarded interesting opportunities.

Opportunities that were both opportune and terrifying.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Makoto." Howard nodded a head as he took a seat and looked at Amor.

"Explain." Howard gestured vaguely at the board. He didn't want to spill anything from his conversation with Amor, especially if the man himself was going to give a lecture. The worst thing one could do to an academic was disrupt them mid-explanation.

Yet still... Avatars... Energy? Was this connected to Amor's mission to research Regidrago?

Amor Rose... What's going on in that brain of yours? Why us three? Howard thought to himself as he put a finger to his chin and nodded along. What was all this for?

---

Amor Rose Makoto Kurumi Tempest Quinn

Amor smiled brightly at the trio as he waited for them to settle down, and the questions came from howard slayte, and Tempest Quinn. What was Amor thinking, and that was the issue. Amor thought alot....

"It's not a secret that I am fascinated with Avatars, and the three primary types of energy that permeate this world. Infinity, Primal, and Dynergy. However I only know anything about two of them. Dynergy is still a mystery to me despite the time I spent in that dream world." Amor knew how to harness it, but not how to replicate it, or create it. "However that will come with time. Avatars are interesting to me because they present a unique challenge to us mere mortals. It's hard to fight against someone who can terraform the land, or throw fireballs." He explains to them, Amor had chosen these two areas because in some ways they bled into one another.

"It has come to my attention that Avatars are particularly volatile....They are walking WMD's, and that poses a problem for those of us who are all flesh, and bone....While it is not a pleasant topic, I want to research ways to suppress them, and keep them captive somehow. A much bigger goal is to create an artificial avatar, to see if it is even possible. It is no secret that Rocket is currently outnumbered, and outgunned in pure power when compared to the Leagues assets. So these are things I want to accomplish in order to level the playing field. If the other higher ups don't want to take it seriously then they can burn along with their pride.....I however like living." he explained to the Trio unashamed. If he was still alive then he could fight again, that was all there was to it.

"For these energies....I happen to know for a fact that when used in conjunction with each other in certain scenarios they can rip open holes to other realities....It's how the League got Groudon...." Amor spoke to the three of them seriously. "However upon recovering Groudon they left another Titan stranded in that world, and I want to recover it for myself, and Rocket." Again this goal wasn't a secret. "I have built a machine that theoretically is capable of ripping open such holes, but it lacks a proper power source....A Primal Shard, or maybe even Zapdos if it were fully healed could potentially do it, but I am at an impasse there." He explained to them.

"The goals for this team are what I have outlined above, however they encompass more than that. To understand Avatars we have to also understand the Legends that can grant this power. So I want us to study, record, and gather as much information on every Legend that we encounter so that we have a database to draw from in the future should we encounter them. The same goes for the sources of energy, every phenomenon that is caused by these volatile forces I want recorded so that we can attempt to replicate, and use it...." He was talking alot, but he was doing his best to be as succinct as possible. "The final goal is to capture any stray Legends that we can, and build up our man power. I believe that with all of this, the four of us can bring about a genuine shift in power, but only if we are careful, and smart....Any questions?"

Makoto Kurumi howard slayte Tempest Quinn

Makoto winced at the overenthusiastic handshake - caught off guard, and unable to maintain a straight face at it. Even as Temp's attention was yanked away by Howard's arrival, they couldn't help but take a second to massage their hand a little, blinking somewhat owlishly at the experience.

As Howard greeted them though, they'd cast a similarly shy smile to him - nodding back. "It's nice to meet you, too, Howard." They responded, quietly hoping that they were conducting themself at least half-decently. It'd been a long, long, time since they'd ever been in a social situation like this, and it had never been this professional.

But with introductions, then came a proper explanation of Amor's intentions. Which were equal parts broad, and ambitious. The study of energy, of Avatars, of other realities... A lot of it, honestly, felt beyond Makoto. Not even just in the sense of them not being able to perfectly understand it all, but also in the sense that they were just four people, essentially figuring out how to go up against gods.

Was this really something that they could do? In the scale of Amor's ambitions and goals, they felt awfully small. It felt almost equal parts impossible to parse, and overwhelming.

They almost remained silent, as Amor asked for questions - their brain still a few steps behind as it processed everything. But after a few moments, they softly spoke up. "With... With how much there is we want to do... Where should we start?" Obviously, this was something that they couldn't accomplish all at once - even if there were a number of tasks that worked hand-in-hand... So there had to be some sort of step one that they could worry about, instead of trying to take in this exceedingly big picture, right..?

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"I think I can put on a few. Hell, I'll do you one better: I'll add one to the pile." Howard raised an eyebrow and pulled a pen from his collar. With a murmured request, Howard was passed a slip of printing paper, and he began to sketch. It ended up looking like a giant lightbulb with legs and several dots on it.

He flashed it as his colleagues. All things considered, it was a solid drawing, if they could get past the fact that Howard had just drawn a lightbulb with legs.

"Found it in Ultra Space." Howard frowned, remembering the experience. He, Shred, and Grigori were sent into Ultra Plant on a scouting expedition, and managed to just barely escape it. Even now, it was the strongest Pokémon Howard had ever fought. "I haven't been able to find a reference to it in historical texts. I've contacted both Rustboro and Slateport City University to check their archives, but I doubt I'll find anything."

Amor had given Howard a crash course when first introducing him to this secret group. Howard had recognized several of these legendaries from texts and myths, but there were several completely foreign to him. "Palkia, Lunala, and Yveltal as well. Skeleton?" Howard rolled his eye at Temp. "Don't you mean Eternatus, bro? What's with your Hoyeon Guardians?"

Tucking his chin to his chest, Howard pondered Makoto's question.

"If our Head Scientist wants us to capture these living pieces of history, we're gonna need more equipment or people. There are three capable battlers here, and I'm not one of them. Capturing them by force will be difficult, Head Scientist." Howard exhaled and closed his eye for a second, thinking. "I'll start scrounging up intel."

---

Amor Rose Makoto Kurumi Tempest Quinn

Amor just smiled at Makoto Kurumi , and would give them a pat on the head before watching the other two take over his whiteboard. Of course he didn't interfere, and he watched, and listened. Though they were missing a few others that he knew about, there was time for that later. Their goal needed to be narrowed, and it could branch out later on.

"Where we will start is here...." Amor would walk over, and get his sketchbook. There was a drawing that Tempest Quinn had seen before, and Amor pulled it out, and put it on top of all the ? ? ? category Tempest Quinn had made. It was a strange pokemon with braille on it's center body, and it seemed to have a dragon looking skull surrounding a core. It was red, and highly detailed. Amor's near perfect memory once again served it's purpose as he looked at the other three.

"We will start with this one....The Dragon Titan....I believe it is related to Hoenns Native Regi's somehow just based on the markings, but I'm no expert in dead languages. This will be the most difficult to procure as it's quite literally in another dimension." Amor smiled at them as if he was just talking about taking a stroll down to the local market. "It is also quite possibly injured, dead, or incredibly pissed off. Remember how I told you that the League retrieved Groudon from another dimension? Yes well....For whatever reason they left this behind, and only brought back Groudon....I don't know the specifics, I don't know why. However Melody Miro seemed to think it was dead when I erm....Had my 'issue' with her." He stated simply.

"Zapdos is also a valuable asset that we know where it is....If it is weakened we should help it charge. Taking it sources of energy should help replenish it, and perhaps we can learn more about it in the meantime. And as for the most ambitious goal....I will be studying Sync Stones which requires me to deal with Elisabeth Fiorelli ....The rest of you will be studying, and gathering information on any of these other pokemon. We don't need to fight or capture them yet. Just learning is enough....Information is power. Even if you hear a scrap of something keep it in mind." He told them all seriously.

"I don't know how long it will take to recover the Dragon Titan....So while we work on that, there is no need to not be keeping our eyes, and ears open for other things." One step at a time. "Any questions?"

Tempest Quinn howard slayte Makoto Kurumi

The pat on the head seemed to bring a soft flush to Makoto's cheeks - but at the same time, they couldn't stop themself from giving the smallest smile, finding the touch warming and reassuring.

Much like Amor, they'd watch as Temp and Howard put together a list of legendary pokemon that they knew of, even if in many cases only in their appearance rather than their name. Their eyes would drift to the mention of the moon legendaries - one of which Howard identified as 'Lunala' - and curiosity briefly flickered across their expression.

The 'pink horse' being identified as Palkia also got Makoto's attention - their gaze briefly drifting to Amor thoughtfully, before back towards the board.

But of all the different options the group had to investigate... Amor had his own suggestions - namely, that of the Dragon Titan, and Zapdos both. Though the first one still seemed like a rather insurmountable mountain with their current resources...

... Perhaps, the Zapdos was their option, then? If they could befriend this legendary - and gain its assistance - maybe that'd open the way to the Dragon Titan in turn?

At the prompting for questions, Makoto would glance to Amor and the others a bit more readily this time, asking "What do we know about Zapdos, so far..?"