"ummm... Over there please!"

[Break][break]

She pointed to the corner counter, forcing up a smile for the rocket as he pushed through into the kitchen they were supposed to share. Truth be told, Dr Maher scared the shit out of her. He was tall, intimidating, and whenever he walked by a flurry of whispers always followed. 

[Break][break]

So when she was told to help him make some sweets for the higher ups, she had almost immediately fainted from shock. 

[Break][break]

Still, she had to persevere! 

[Break][break]

"Thank you by the way. For getting the ingredients, I mean. I really appreciate it!"

Red trickled across her cheeks, trailing caresses in the still air that stood between them. She blinked, hard, desperate in her attempt to swallow the bubble of heat that burst in her throat.

"Ah, okay. thank you."

Her voice simmered down to a mumble. Somehow, at the worst of times, this small interaction reminded her of a scene she'd recently read about. The main character and her love interest had gone out to the nearby festival, more as friends than anything else. Instead of ears, the love interest had reached over her to push back a piece of hair, hovering only a second too long. But it was enough.

Shit. She was doing it again.

"Then, this one's for you."

Dipping to her tippy toes, she lifted up just high enough to fit the pair of umbreon ears on top of his head.

"Ah, It looks so cute on you!"

"gosh, that sounds like a dream come true."

After working under Rocket's thumb for the past few months, the idea of having any sort of freedom to create and do as you wish was something Rory desperately wished for herself one day. Like electricity running through her fingertips, she felt zapped to life by the very thought of it.

"Well, I'll certainly work hard to prepare myself! "

A wide smile overcame her face just as a BOLTUND came walking up to them. The pup looked up at her, then james, tilted his head, then barked.

"So cute," she squeaked before kneeling down beside the pup. She gave him a good scratch. "Is the interview more technical or conversational?"

Her eyes clung onto the laptop bag that loosely hung from around his shoulder.

He was overworking himself again. 

"It's okay," she stammered, cheeks pinched red. It was obvious she'd put more time into her appearance than him. Sure, this was originally meant to be a night shared between friends, but to come running late with your work laptop still out? It was a bit disheartening, to say the least. 

A passing couple brought her attention back up from the gutter. Their ears. They needed to put on their ears. 

After a quick shuffle within her own bag, Rory pulled out a set of two pairs of pokemon ears. One was made to look like Umbreon ears, the other Espeon.

"We can't forget these," she smiled. "You pick!"

Rory blinked down at her phone. The game offered little hints as to which one held the right answer.

“is it time to seek out pokemon?" she repeated back out loud, slow with her words. "What does that even mean."

With a tentative press of the button, she looked to continue.

[❤️ "I am here to outfit your new analysis system."]

Bright festive lights dotted the traveling funfair, bathing the fairgrounds in colors of bright pink and blues. Along the outer edges of the fair large rides elicited screams of pure joy from their passengers, while the inner sections contained the more docile set up of tents. Near the front of it all, Rory stood, patiently waiting by the entrance in the brand-new white sun dress she'd just bought. It didn't quite match the current season, but with this sudden heatwave, it worked well beneath the sun's ferocious growl.

Rory's eyes skipped across the outsides of the fairgrounds. She'd told JAMES BAKER to meet her at 11am, but in her hurried rush to make it on time, she'd found herself arriving nearly 20 minutes early. Had it not been for the twitching of her stomach, she'd pay no time to the slow crawl of time. But the further she waited, the more nervous she got.

A soft laugh came fluttering out.

"I'll try my best then."

But the mention of an interview did drive up her nerves. Would she be enough? And what about rocket? Both questions were swallowed by another laugh as nearby a small MAGNEMITE rammed into a wall. The poor thing was obviously confused.

Small footsteps drew the scientist to the electric type, who almost immediately lit up with an automatic beep.

"I just hope I have enough time to prepare," she hummed, "What as your experience like?"

"Oh, um."



She bit down on the insides of her cheeks. Rocket still lurked over her shoulder, spectral fingers casting over the good she wished to push forward. The good maybe Aeo would finally allow her to pursue.



"Sure, okay," Rory swallowed, burying the doubt for the whisper of the future this offer provided. It was brighter than anything she could ever wish for. Pink pinched her cheeks as she leaned back, hand shoving deep into the pockets of her jeans. "Thank you, James, for recommending me. I really appreciate it."



More than he knew.

JAMES BAKER ?

Rory bit down on her bottom lip, eyes searching the screen. Was this the anomaly he mentioned? Or, was this something else entirely? Hesitant, she selects the option that warranted the most logical response.

❤️ "My name is Rory Faust. I am a class C dispatcher."

Eek.



Within seconds, the electrical cage was brought to life and then quickly dealt with, as if its fleeting existence held no merit in its presence. Rory kept near the back during most of it, awestruck by each of their attributes. Even JAMES BAKER, who'd felt the most normal, held his own.



Gnawing on the insides of her cheeks, she pressed forward close behind, eyes flicking left and right, cautious with every additional step forward. It wasn't until their group met with an overcharged tesla coil did they stop.



"What happened...?" Lifting up onto her tippy toes, the electrician barely managed to peer over the row of shoulders and caught glimpse of the spark of electricity that lashed out from the top load of the TESLA COIL. "Oh."



Rory's hand reached into her back pocket and tugged out one of her pokeballs. From it, an alolan sandshrew sprang, curious and excited as any baby would be. She knelt down next to him.



With one hand pointing toward the bottom of the TESLA COIL -- at its transformer -- she told the Pokémon, "Use ICY WINDS riiiight there, okay?"



The Pokémon nodded.



Balling up, it the small critter gave a roll forward, sending forth a direct breeze of chilling air, FREEZING over the electrical wires connected within the coil's transformer. As the main power source of it all, from there, the lashes of electricity slowly faded out, strike by strike, until only dust remained in its wake.

"Okaaaay. Done."

Tower of Babel...

She vaguely recalled the biblical tale. But what did it have to do with this? 

Bouncing the options in her head, Rory went with the second. If she were to take a chance, it might as well be on the option that held the most intrigue. The others were just pure shots in the dark.

❤️ TOWER OF BABEL SYNCHRONIZATION STABILE.