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It's an odd solution, but Neon is more than happy to oblige, doing his best to dress for the occasion. He arrives to Aurelie's shop a few minutes earlier than intended, excited for the job. "I've actually been meaning to test out the cooling system in my helmet, since it needed repairs!" he said excitedly as he waved at the smithy. Most of his body armor had been left behind minus the tech he wanted to test out, as well as his infinity tracker. [break][break]

He'd been bringing it around so often, perhaps it was time to check in with Amor Rose about the overall health of it. After all, it was made out of tech he'd stolen form the League which the scientist had helped create. [break][break]

"I don't think we've formally been introduced but I'm a huge fan of your work!" he said offering to shake the redhead's hand. "Admin jayden cross , has given me your daggers before as gifts. The blood letting ones especially have been a great boon for my research on avatars!" he said, the LED screen lighting up with a happy smile despite the heat. Idly, one could hear the mechanics inside the helmet kicking up a notch to keep the Beast's brain cool amidst the hot forge.
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"I'm Neon, usually. I've been a beast for..." his expression changed instantly before perking back up to a smile. "Almost two years now? Don't ask why they let me handle a science project this big." he said with a laugh. "Anyway, nice to meet you."

[attr="class","lyricbox"]
it's a highway, highway to the dark [break]
and a neon medusa's got your heart .

[attr="class","aurelie"]

[attr="class","aurelie_body"]When Aurelie pictured a Rocket Beast in her head, she envisioned someone dark and ominous, ruthless and menacing. Someone who scared the hell out of her, in short. So, when the cheerful young man in the bright-blue helmet excitedly waved hello and introduced himself, the red-haired smith actively had to keep her jaw from plunging to the floor like a cartoon character's.

It didn't hurt that his helmet was extremely cool. Aurelie had never seen anything so high-tech before, at least not outside a movie or video game. The LED screen in front showing pixelated facial expressions was fascinating, even if it was unsettling not to see the Beast's face.

"Oh, uh, it's nice to meet you too!" she exclaimed, reaching out to shake his hand. "I'm looking forward to working with you. Neon, did you say your name was...?"

The different name, along with the helmet obfuscating his face, were enough to make Aurelie wonder if she was thinking of the right person. Perhaps it was his code name, but she hadn't expected those to be used often in regular, everyday conversation, as opposed to out in the field.

There was a touch of hesitation in her voice as she added, "I think we have met before, at the bubble tea contest I hosted last year. But obviously, this is much more formal and official. And hopefully more productive too!"

She frowned as the Beast's helmet began to whir and hum loudly. Clearing her throat, she raised her voice a little to be heard over the sound of the helmet, which apparently contained fans or other devices inside, as well as the roaring of the heated forge beside her.

"If you don't mind, can you tell me a little more about Project Infinity? What are you hoping to measure or find out? What sort of equipment are you planning to use? And...do you need me to do anything in particular?"

[attr="class","cred"]VEL OF PIXEL PERFECT

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"Couldn't tell you." he said, coolly dismissing Aurelie's observation before easily moving on to the next point. He tilted his head at the redhead and grinned. "Don't worry, this thing is more high specs than it looks. I'm testing out some newer capabilities but it still allows me to hear you just fine." he said, fanning himself in jest. [break][break]

"Right! Project Infinity is my personal pet project. So I don't bore you with the details its a lot of analysis on legendaries and their avatars for tracking purposes." he said trying to dilute the initiative into something simple for the blacksmith to digest. [break][break]

"No offense, but I'm not sure how extensive your background is in science. As for myself, I'm not particularly scientifically inclined either. I specialize in intelligence gathering and subterfuge." he said. "However, with Rocket I've been able to interact with those more STEM inclined for years now leading to things like my helmet, or my primal tracker, or this project." [break][break]

He shows the tracker, a hodgepodge of worn metal with a small screen. It's had it's use, carefully crafted and modified to avoid initial detection after it's theft from the League years prior. Not to mention all the hell it's been through, especially this past year. "Nothing invasive, today anyway. I want to check its temperament and if it'll allow me a couple of blood samples for analysis. But I'd like to speak to it first." he said. [break][break]

He pulled out one of the daggers jayden cross had gifted him, pointing out the small mechanism in t he middle that was meant for pulling blood once stabbed into it's target. "I often need blood samples so that's why I take these into combat with the League. However, for our own I have taken lessons in extracting blood samples with needles as painlessly as possible." It'd taken a LOT of instruction. Especially to do it with pokemon.

[attr="class","lyricbox"]
it's a highway, highway to the dark [break]
and a neon medusa's got your heart .

[attr="class","aurelie"]

[attr="class","aurelie_body"]Though a little startled by the Rocket Beast's brusque dismissal of her comments about having met him before, Aurelie quickly forgot it when he began discussing his helmet. She beamed appreciatively again at his high-tech apparel and nodded solemnly at his assurance that he could hear her just fine.

Then, she listened attentively as Neon briefly explained the goal of Project Infinity and described his role in Rocket. Fleetingly, she considered outlining her scientific background, which skewed more toward engineering and metallurgy than Pokemon energy and biology. When he started bringing out more high-tech gadgets, though, Aurelie's attention was quickly distracted once more.

She did smile with pleasure when he produced one of the bloodletting daggers that he'd praised earlier, noting from its sheen that it must have been used fairly regularly. It had been an unusual commission, but Aurelie had managed it by fashioning channels leading away from the edge to funnel any spilled blood into the fuller and then down the fuller to a little vial that could be stoppered when needed.

Still, the thought of drawing Pokemon blood made her frown a little. If it were any of her Pokemon, or any normal Pokemon, she wouldn't have seen any issues with it, but if that Pokemon was the Rocket-aligned Calyrex... She paused and met Neon's gaze, pressing her lips into a thin line.

"Well, I'm honored to help out with Project Infinity in any way I can," she began politely. "But before we begin, there's a few things I want to clear up about the Pokemon you're hoping to study. I'm assuming it's Calyrex?"

Not even pausing to give him an opening to do more than nod or shake his head, Aurelie plunged on, "If it is, well... I feel like I should clarify that Calyrex isn't mine. Not in the sense that most Pokemon serve and help us and live in our Pokeballs. Calyrex is its own being, still.

"And as such, I have very little control of it." The red-haired smith shrugged helplessly and spread her hands wide, her face softening with a crooked, sheepish smile. "It comes and goes as it pleases, and I don't have any way to reliably summon it or even guarantee it will appear."

A grumpy little sigh escaped her as she added, "It usually shows up in this workshop if I'm working on its commissions, which is why I asked you to come here, rather than coming to you myself. But not always! And it's not exactly talkative or responsive either."

And believe me, I've tried to get it to respond to me, Aurelie thought exasperatedly, resisting the urge to grind her teeth in frustration. It's so unique, and its commission is so unique, and yet it's such an enigma! I have no idea if it'll listen to Neon's words or consent to getting its blood drawn.

"So, my plan was..." She drew another long breath and let it out in an explosive exhalation. "I'll continue working on its shield today. You can help me or just observe the process, whichever you like. And if Calyrex appears...

"Then, you're free to measure it however you want, in whatever ways it allows. I can't guarantee that it'll agree or even show up, though! Does that sound...okay to you?"

[attr="class","cred"]VEL OF PIXEL PERFECT

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he nodded to confirm. he'd been interested in the little deer thing with the bulbous head ever since it's reappearance after that weird shared dream a bunch of them had fallen into last year. calyrex had been one of the few things he remembered, if only because it was right at the start of the events leading into a shared hallucination with everyone else. [break][break]

"it's alright if calyrex isn't yours. we have relationships with many legendaries like that." he said with a small nod. zapdos was still in rocket's care, even if it had not yet formed a connection with anyone. though, perhaps it was just taking advantage of oscar clayton's kindness. [break][break]

"hoopa, is another. potentially rocket could strike a bargain with it at any tie, if the mood was right." he added offhandedly. "i don't mind helping you in the forge either. the least i could do while i make my own observations." he said, perky despite not having experienced the rough work yet. [break][break]

"lead the way."

[attr="class","lyricbox"]
it's a highway, highway to the dark [break]
and a neon medusa's got your heart .

[attr="class","aurelie"]

[attr="class","aurelie_body"]Aurelie sucked in her breath thoughtfully and frowned, wondering how well Neon understood that it was very possible he would completely waste his time waiting for a Pokemon that might potentially never show up. Then, she shrugged. Not only was it his time to waste, but also, someone science-minded person might very well be fine waiting as long as it took for something exciting to happen.

"I didn't know that about Hoopa," she remarked idly, tilting her head to one side. "Considering how troublesome it was at the Silence Icelands, though, I hope it does strike a bargain with us soon!"

With that, the red-haired smith beckoned for the helmeted man to follow her toward the forge, which was still burning merrily. "Anyway, I'm always glad to have more company in the workshop! I usually work by myself, so I just hope it won't be too boring for you."

Picking up a pair of tongs, she retrieved a slender bar of metal and slid it into the depths of the forge. "The shield itself is already hammered and shaped into a proper heraldic shape, I'm happy to say.

"So, right now, I'm working on a piece that'll become a handle for the shield. There will be two of these, with a leather strap in the middle for extra security."

Warming to her subject, Aurelie continued with increasing enthusiasm, "The user—Calyrex, I suppose—will put its forearm through the first handle and the leather strap and then grip the second handle with its hand. This is important because then it also has the option of using the shield as a weapon, not just a defense."

As the red-haired smith watched the bar start glowing brilliant-yellow inside the forge, she explained, "You see, I'm also planning to add spikes to the middle of the shield. Maybe they'll catch incoming enemy weapons; maybe they'll even pierce holes into their armor."

Also, a spiked shield just seems fun, she thought with a mental chuckle.

Not taking her eye off the metal, she waved toward a nearby table to her right. "If you don't mind, can you grab my hammer over there and hand it to me? This metal looks like it's at just the right temperature now."

Suiting actions to words, Aurelie retrieved the tongs and pulled out the heated metal, holding it carefully aloft. Pure heat radiated off it, though thankfully it didn't penetrate through her thick leather gloves. As she turned toward Neon, a flash of ghostly white in the corner of her vision drew her attention.

Calyrex had manifested on the other side of the forge, watching them both with a placid expression. She drew in a sharp breath and then let it out in a sigh.

"So, the prodigal king returns," she murmured wryly, her lips curving in a smirk. "Well, it looks like your lucky day, sir. Hopefully, it stays still enough to let you take some readings and measurements off it."

[attr="class","cred"]VEL OF PIXEL PERFECT

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"Hoopa is risky, but it has the power. It's what rid us of Kyurem the first time around." he said before moving on and watching on with interest. He's careful on the ground, not wanting to trip over anything and crack his helmet in the first 10 minutes of arrival. "Well, if you're alone do you even play music or...?" he asked. "I occasionally have music playing in the labs when it's late at night." he added with a laugh. [break][break]

"I think I'm following." Neon chimed in. "Yes, multifaceted with the spikes. Could be good for breaching as well." he suggested. He moved with a quiet nod to retrieve her tool for her, happy to watch the master at work. Metal work always seemed daunting but it trickled down into smaller arts as well didn't it? Didn't stained glass need a bit to piece parts of itself together? Or jewelry working needed metal work to secure stones and chains? [break][break]

"Whoa, how thick are those gloves?" he said with a nervous laugh as he watched her touch searing hot metal before following her gaze. Neon just barely hides his excitement. "I'm sure he's just as interested as I am in his commission." he said. "I'll be here, but feel free to ask me for assistance." He turned to the Calyrex tilting his head and offering a small bow in greeting to the little king. "How lucky to get a chance to see His Majesty in person." he said as he pulled out his handheld, the little electronic beeping excitedly as it began recording the jump in infinity energy.

[attr="class","lyricbox"]
it's a highway, highway to the dark [break]
and a neon medusa's got your heart .

[attr="class","aurelie"]

[attr="class","aurelie_body"]Aurelie chuckled softly at the Rocket Beast's friendly question about music, quietly marveling at how easygoing and approachable he seemed—and how very different the Rocket Beasts must be. Not that she'd met all of them, of course. But then, she hadn't met all of Rocket either, yet she knew very well how their members could differ wildly from each other.

Aloud, though, she replied cheerfully enough, "Sometimes, yeah, I do listen to music, if the equipment around me isn't too loud! A lot of upbeat dance music. It keeps me energized, you know?"

When Neon exclaimed about the thickness of her gloves, the red-haired smith started for a moment in mild surprise. "They're pretty thick, I guess..." she ventured, unsure how to answer him. "They're just standard work gloves... Oh!"

Though it was hard to tell which way he was looking from behind his helmet, she could see his face was pointed at an angle where it might look like she'd just picked up the hot metal with her glove. Aurelie smiled in understanding as relief replaced her momentary confusion.

"Oh! No, look, I was using tongs to put the metal into the forge!" she explained, flourishing the long, slender tongs in her hand. "Even with gloves on, it's a bad idea to touch metal that hot! Believe me, I know."

A shadow crossed her face for a moment. She looked away quickly at the flash of ghostly white that turned out to be Calyrex itself, making a regal appearance. As Neon excitedly pulled out an instrument to measure energy, Aurelie took a deep breath to collect herself, inserted another metal bar into the forge, laid the heated metal on top of an anvil, and began hammering it into shape.

Slowly but surely, under careful hammer blows, the small block of metal began to shift and stretch into a slender, pointed spike. After a few minutes, Aurelie noticed a bit of motion out of the corner of her eye. She glanced up and saw Calyrex now stood beside her, watching her movements intently.

"This is for you," Aurelie told it coolly. "This will be part of the shield you asked for. Just be careful not to poke your own Glastrier with these!"

To her surprise, Calyrex's mouth curved into a smile at that. It seemed amused, yet there was something about that smile that took Aurelie's breath away. It stretched into a crooked smirk that gave off a feeling of...ruthlessness. Ferocity, perhaps. It was a strange thing to see on the placid King Pokemon's face.

"Neon? Sir? What are its readings like?" the red-haired smith inquired, a little mesmerized by that strange smile on Calyrex's face. "Are they...like any of the other Legendary Pokemon you've measured?"

With an effort, Aurelie wrenched her gaze away, laid the completed spike aside, and used the tongs to both take out the metal in the forge and add another metal bar inside. As she began hammering on this one to sculpt it into another spike, a thought occurred to her.

Raising her voice over the ringing of her hammer, she added, "Have you ever gotten the chance to get readings off its League counterpart? The Calyrex that allied with the League?"

[attr="class","cred"]VEL OF PIXEL PERFECT

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He nodded along as she spoke, watching sparks fly and occasionally looking over at the Calryrex. So strange really .A living dream shard that'd followed them from that cursed nightmare. He snickered at the deer king seemed entranced with Aurelie's work. "He's really looking forward to it." he noted, though he would find it amusing picturing such a small pokemon able to lift such heavy weaponry. [break][break]

"Mmm...it's pretty average." he said. "I work in ranges since not every legendary is the same. But they're all definitely in a league of their own." he said as his handheld recorded the pokemon's presence. He shook his head. "Naw, haven't been to EverGrande yet. Gotta see if I can sneak near it." he said with a small sigh. It was probably more effort than it was worth, but if he got the damn thing tested he could put the suspicions to bed. [break][break]

His device beeped loudly, announcing it had finished analysis. He began to swipe through the numbers, ignoring the SIX other alerts on his little device. . "Yeah, it's definitely reading right now." he said pulling up the database of the other signature to compare. He takes pause to look over the blacksmiths work again. "So you're getting him fully equipped right? Not just the shield?" he asked, interest moving back to Aurelie's forging.

[attr="class","lyricbox"]
it's a highway, highway to the dark [break]
and a neon medusa's got your heart .

[attr="class","aurelie"]

[attr="class","aurelie_body"]Aurelie couldn't help sighing in relief when Neon noted that Calyrex didn't have particularly high Infinity Energy readings. Nor did he seem to have any other particularly outstanding or exciting features, judging from Neon's reactions. For a Legendary, Calyrex sounded thankfully quite average.

Thank Arceus for that, she thought. IThat would've been weird to find out it's actually as strong as...Necrozma or something! Especially when there's two of them running around.

So, it reassured Aurelie to hear his offhand assurance that Calyrex seemed simply average. She had to admit, as she snuck a peek at Neon and his test subject, she wouldn't have been surprised to hear it was weaker than average, if anything. It certainly didn't look all that impressive, after all.

Pausing in her work, the red-haired smith considered Neon's question. "Well, I'm only making a saddle and shield like it asked. I don't know if it wants anything else. But Calyrex probably won't need a weapon, right? It's got those Glacial Lances already."

But then, why would it need a shield? Or an actual saddle? she wondered. Aloud, though, she said only, "I guess it just wants to be ready to defend itself when we go to war against Eternatus. I know I'd want a full suit of armor myself, and maybe a fighter jet squadron against that thing!"

Hearing of Neon's own interest in the League's Calyrex, Aurelie chuckled. "Well, I hope you do get a chance to study the League version of this Pokemon soon! Maybe you won't have to sneak up on it."

Her hammer hung loosely in her grasp as her imagination ran wild with humorous, probably impractical possibilities. "Ever Grande is open to the public, right? What if you went right up to it dressed like a normal civilian and...oh, I don't know, acted like you were just taking photos?"

She grinned and shrugged. "Like a tourist, you know? But with your little...energy reader thing hidden inside the camera or in a pocket or something. Why would they suspect?"

The grin showed she knew it was a silly idea, probably better suited to spy movies than to real life. But it faded quickly when Calyrex itself disappeared from sight, right under Neon's measuring device. Aurelie only rolled her eye, peeved but unsurprised by its transient nature.

"I hope you got all the data you needed, sir," she commented. "And I hope it's useful to you. I guess all knowledge is useful, though, right?"

[attr="class","cred"]VEL OF PIXEL PERFECT

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Neon shrugged. "I mean, why would it need a shield? Who knows what it wants really." he said with a laugh at the deer king. The Calyrex floated almost cutely before them. It's completely different to the things they'd seen in Galar. Either way ,he knew better than to underestimate it. [break][break]

"Yeah, it's natural enemy." he agreed wit ha nod. "With any luck, our will fell theirs. Only one true king cna exist after all." And he imagined the fight would be gruesome. Aurelie gave him suggestions and he nodded. "I'm not even sure its in Ever Grande the entire time. I'm still working on getting close to the tree which I hear may have been closed to the public by now." [break][break]

But the smithy had the right idea and he smiled in gratitude. For this and the daggers and Calyrex too. "Right. I've made little strides while searching for Kyurem. Anything helps, even if it doesn't help resolve our immediate issues. It's still good to document." he said with a small nod. He sets away his objects before turning back to the redhead. "Anyway,. I really appreciate this. I'll let you know if I have any follow ups. Thanks for letting me tag along." he said with a bright LED grin as he took his leave.

[attr="class","lyricbox"]
it's a highway, highway to the dark [break]
and a neon medusa's got your heart .