It was an infection. A beautiful one, yes, but an infection nonetheless. A fictitious cancer, conceived by the imagination of the masses. It had to be excised before it was too late.

Howard wondered if they were past that point, yet. The infection had spread deeper than Howard had ever possibly imagined. Under Route 119, the crystals had taken root in underground caves. That was the first warning sign, but Howard had been willing to ignore it. There were more important threats at the time, like the strange magenta chain and Megalopolans.

Now, Tera Crystals infested the core of the world. If this network of caves extended from Oldale to Fortree, then it was likely that Hoenn was lost, buried in a sea of imagination.

BARNABY FINCH had proposed that they find a way to coexist with these crystals, and make them the new norm. Admin Bee was a smart man, always working to turn the tables to Rocket's advantage. In this, however, he was wrong. Putting a leash on the ideas of the masses was impossible. How could you stop an idea?

"Head Scientist Sato." Howard's voice was soft. "I don't think that's a good idea. I had an incident with it, where it refused to listen to me."

In the RKS Simulation, Regice had been drawn to a shard of Eternatus. Once there, it began to behave sporadically.

"You urged me to listen to Regice, to bond with it. I've seen wonderful things. I saw it cry." He smiled faintly. "But I also saw it rebel, and I looked at its face. It looked back, and it raged."

---

Naomi Sato
kOND6lrw

His hand flinched as Nomi's hand touched his. It was an involuntary reaction, an aversion to Rocket born of disgust and fear. As soon as it occurred, he felt a flush of shame and regret. Nomi had done nothing wrong. From what he knew, she just wanted to research her Unown.

He wondered how she had found her way into Rocket.

"Sorry. I've found it's safer to be formal, especially when all of my colleagues are either stronger or have crazy powers. I'd rather not be turned inside out by crazy Unown magic."

When you can't pick up a sword, the only protection one had was their rank. Armor was at its strongest when strengthened by courtesy and cloaked by mediocrity.

"Ain't that the truth?" Howard laughed softly as Nomi mentioned love. The day he walked out on the one he loved rang in his ears every day. Yet she didn't understand. The ways Regice's pattern had turned from yellow to a reddish violet as Eternatus took over...

What would have happened if it had touched that Wishing Star? What would one of Hoenn's defenders do then?

"You're a smart woman, Nom-"

He heard a loud, mechanical shriek. It felt like a vibrating car or electric engine whirring to life. Howard had never heard something to unnatural in his life, barring the shrieks of Porygons and Magnemite.

"Below." His eye flicked to the ground beneath their feet. In the panic, Howard's Pokeball wobbled and opened, revealing the elusive Regice. Its presence caused the duo to be hit with a primordial chill.

⠓⠑⠇⠇⠕ ⠋⠗⠊⠑⠝⠙ ⠊⠞ ⠊⠎ ⠍⠑ Several flashes communicated the golem's intention to Kallistatus as the golem raised its arms up.

---

Naomi Sato
C6M8DLMO

So they did. Howard allowed himself a smile as Regice and Kallistatus communicated in their odd languages.

"It's lonely. It spent eternity in that ruined city, and then was reactivated for the sake of the region. Your Unown understands what it's like to be alone. Being the vassals of heaven isn't an easy time, methinks."

There was also the second, unspoken reason. Both had been chained to greater powers. The Unown had danced to the whims of Dr. Holo and the DRK Triad, though Howard knew little of the organization himself. Regice had been built and constructed from primal ice to defend the region from outside threats.

It had been made a tool, it had fought as a tool, it had been sealed away as a tool. The words in the Island Cave rang in Howard's mind.

WE FEARED IT.

Why? What had made Howard's ancestors fear this Pokémon? Why had they needed to seal it away? So many questions, and so little time. Howard frowned as he processed Nomi's question.

"Let's not. This place is dangerous. Especially since..." Howard sighed as he remembered his adventure with Eris Halla . "...Regirock is down here. I've seen it."

---

Naomi Sato
Sd7Q0eSZ

"Well..."

The last time he saw Regirock, it had taken the combined power of Mesprit and Regice to deter it. Howard's golem wasn't equal to the stone construct. As before, it lacked power. It reminded Howard of Nomi's Unown in a way. Powerful in a collective, fragile when alone. A greater whole was capable of bringing far more change than an individual ever could.

Legendary Giants. Unown. There was little to distinguish.

"It looked at me and Regice, then it threw a mountain at me." The admin shrugged casually as the noises in the depths grew louder. He made a point to ignore them. If something was coming, Nomi's Unown or Regice would react. "Pretty average day."

There was no communication. The two recognized each other, but it didn't stop Regirock from attempting to thrash it and everyone else in Area Zero into next week.

"It would not communicate. It's looking for something."

---

Naomi Sato
w7_grnLw

"Find it?" Howard gave Nomi a look that was a mixture between trepidation and worry. "You're sure?"

She was. Howard watched helplessly as she skipped deeper into the caves. This was a notoriously bad idea. They were underprepared and lacked manpower. If they actually ran into something, it'd likely be dangerous. Even if Nomi was an Avatar and Howard had Regice, he suspected that whatever stirred in these caves was likely more threatening.

"This is a bad idea..."

Stupid Unown Dimension. One of these days, the Head Scientist was going to get into a situation where hopping worlds wasn't the solution. Or worse, she'd lose the ability to hop at all.

Relying on one card was risky. Howard's eye flicked to the Regice that stood next to him.

Most of the time.

"Wait up, I'm coming! Head Scientist! Nomiiiiiiiiiii!" Howard and Regice were swallowed up by the cave as they followed Nomi.

---

Naomi Sato
KAT_Pltv