Instead of the Rocket scientist being shocked that the League also had access to the simulation, it was Andrea being shocked to hear about the DRK Triad’s infiltration.

She was pretty sure the white-haired lady from that one level was AI-generated, but what if she wasn’t? What if she was the same woman from the Tiered Tea Room, in the flesh?

“Them being able to do that is concerning. I’m glad you at least made a friend out of it!” The young PokéManiac remarked with an honest smile of her own. “What about you, Kalli? Do you love your new avatar?” She asked the floating eyeball.

Naomi Sato //mission thread

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The flamboyant cosplayer chuckled back at Kallistatus’ wholesome display of affection. She’d never thought Unown could be this cute, yet here they were. It reaffirmed the old saying: There were no evil Pokémon, only evil trainers.

As of yet, neither of them had met a certain dog, monkey, and bird that would disprove that statement.

The Visionary asserted that, even though Andrea was no avatar, she too had a role to play in the fight against the DRK Triad. She’d already been unwittingly involved in their affairs many times. “Don’t worry, I won’t get hurt. The only ones getting hurt will be them for trying to mess with our region!”

The woman’s last request gave her pause. “I… I’ll try, but only if they’re not being mean or acting super suspicious!” Keeping such a promise would not be so easy, since the majority of Rockets fit that description, as her future confrontation with Elisabeth Fiorelli would prove.

“Can I suggest something?” The draconic maiden added, meekly. “If we wanna de-escalate the conflict, why not get a bunch of people from both sides in one room and have them just talk their differences out?”

Alas, the only way some of those people would ever agree to be in the same room as their mortal enemies would be if they were put there against their will. That would make that room feel more like a prison; a penitentiary.

Naomi Sato //mission thread

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Good idea? Now that was a combination of words the eccentric trainer was not used to hearing. There was a catch, of course, because there always was. Any substantial change needed to happen on a top-down level, and the people at the top did not always see eye to eye.

"Maybe they won't have to listen to just you, but to us--to everyone!" Andrea had a sudden epiphany, her face alight with optimism. "Yes, that's it! If the people are loud enough, then their leaders will HAVE to listen!"

The voice of the people was a powerful tool. Was that not the essence of democracy? When the people were silent, those at the top took it as a carte blanche to do anything they wanted no matter who got impacted by their decisions.

"Hoo boy, that almost got political!" The young PokéManiac remarked with a chuckle. "What I'm trying to say is you don't have to do this on your own. I wanna help any way I can. If you need a venue, for example, my Gym's always been open to Rocket members."

Naomi Sato //mission thread

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Spheres of influence. Did Andrea even have those? "I guess I do know some pretty popular people..." Other Gym Leaders and even Elite Four members. That was a decent starting point. She nodded. "I'll talk to them and see what they think!"

There wasn't a single person in Hoenn who actually liked the DRK Triad, so convincing them to band together against a common enemy should be possible. Such a brittle alliance, though, based only on convenience and self-preservation, was doomed to fail...

"Of course we're friends!" The dragon-hooded girl said without hesitation. "Isaac Merlo trusts you. Plus, you love Pokémon, and that alone makes me trust you!" Indeed, the only people Andrea considered enemies were those who crossed that line.

Naomi Sato //mission thread

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