Nomi laughed, eyes sparkling with a somewhat enigmatic amusement. She left the question of how they had teleported unanswered, instead focusing her attention on the Unown-?.[break][break]
"They are with me, yes. But I don't own them," she clarified. "We are partners. They've accepted me into their family, so to speak." She felt the Unown Collective resonate with affirmation as she said it, which only widened her smile. "If this one wants to join you, however, then I would be more than happy to let it. Each one has a choice, after all."[break][break]
The Unown didn't care about just anyone. They might not be legendaries, but they were rare creatures, mysterious and secretive, the oldest living beings. If an Unown was taking interest in someone, that meant something. It made Nomi curious: Yuina was a clever young woman, but did she have some larger part to play in the region's survival? Nomi trusted the intuition of the Unown, and if this one went with Yuina, Nomi would be able to keep a close eye on her when they weren't together, too, which might prove useful.[break][break]
A violent tremor passed through the earth, and Nomi nearly lost her footing. She whirled around, confused - had the undead followed them out of the tower somehow? - but there was nothing. Except what - [break][break]
A small black mountain crashed into the clearing outside the tower, dragging bits and pieces of metal debris with it. It was massive, and Nomi did not recognize its shape. Behind it, a smaller, far more graceful creature - also armored in black crystal - floated down from the sky.[break][break]
More nightmares born from the remnants of this cursed city...[break][break]

TAGS – Yuina Higashi[break]
NOTES – Lesser Megalopolis #3[break]

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It was the sort of question that felt impossible to summarize. How to explain the depth of her bond with the Unown? How could she possibly describe in words that she was now interconnected with all of existence, profoundly changed, having witnessed the moment of creation firsthand? Whenever she entered the Unown Dimension, she felt as if she were being judged by the very essence of divinity itself.[break][break]
"It has been eye-opening," she answered finally. Then she smiled, amused. "Pun intended I guess."[break][break]
They called her the Visionary, after all.[break][break]
Her expression sobered as a flash of movement from just beyond where they were standing - by the mouth of a cave - caught her attention. She motioned for Kallistatus to go and take a look. The shiny Unown-K blinked away, heeding her command.[break][break]
"I know there are those who still don't trust the Unown," she continued, thinking of her own mentor, Lulu Flint - who was finally coming around to accepting that the Unown allied with Nomi were different than those that continued to work for the DRK Triad. Theo and Lulu had once been...together, she knew.[break][break]
"But I can assure you that my Unown are on our side." She paused. "Hoenn's side, to be exact."[break][break]

TAGS – THEO BECKETT[break]
NOTES – GC EXCURSION C: MONSTER HUNTER

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A figure, small in stature, pink hair plastered to her forehead due to the high humidity, manifested out of thin air in the chasm grove. Stepping through the rift formed by her kin, she faced the dense thicket of trees with a curious expression. Strange abominations roamed this place, and Tera energy was more potent here than anywhere else in Hoenn. Every section of the massive chasm that they successfully mapped brought them one step closer to understanding this newest anomaly.[break][break]
Kallistatus twisted in the air. Nomi looked up at the shiny Unown-K, sensing its warning. She following its singular gaze to a particularly thick section of trees, crimson eyes narrowing.[break][break]
"Hello!" she called out pleasantly. She was unmasked and in civilian clothing - just a university researcher, easier that way, to hide in plain sight - so if this were a League operative, she did not want to appear overly suspicious. If it were a fellow Rocket, all the better.[break][break]
And if it were DRK Triad, well...she'd be ready.[break][break]

TAGS – Felix Gallagher[break]
NOTES – GREAT CHASM: EXPLORE

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Ah, yes. Mint was an Avatar now - that did complicate things.[break][break]
But it did not necessary hinder the plan forming in Nomi's mind; she had a feeling that if there was any member of the Triad willing to set aside their hatred of Avatars in favor of some more tempting gamble, as Mint himself had alluded to, it would be Father Winter.[break][break]
"He's different than the rest of them," she concluded, with an unspoken - I know you agree - look in her eyes. "He takes risks in ways the others don't. I don't think he'd waste his time on you in such an - " she paused, considering. " - intimate way, if he didn't find it advantageous to do so."[break][break]
For some, entertainment was everything. Gambling was an addiction, a constant seeking of a very specific thrill.[break][break]
"He wants something, we just have to figure out what. If we can offer it to him, then perhaps he'll switch sides. Or at the very least, aid us in some way. We don't need his loyalty, just information."[break][break]
Or the willingness to stand down. One less enemy between them and survival.[break][break]
"Do you know how to find him? Did he leave you some way of getting in contact?"[break][break]
Shards of crystal flew about as the drill continued to hammer into the earth, its low rumbling the soundtrack to their conversation.[break][break]

TAGS – mint frost[break]
NOTES – AREA ZERO EXCURSION B: GEOLOGICAL SURVEY

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Without a word of warning, she took Theo's hand and they both blinked out of existence. The momentary vertigo of teleportation whisked them down, depositing them on an outcropping of rock amidst a lush jungle expanse. The air was humid, and Nomi immediately felt sweat bead at the back of her neck and along her hairline. As soon as they were stable, she let go of the Underboss.[break][break]
"Here we are."[break][break]
She looked around, then, keen eyes seeking the telltale signs of paradoxes: tera crystals, dream mist, or strange tracks in the dirt.[break][break]
A tension hung about them, though she was uncertain if that had something to do with the ominous nature of the chasm or Theo's somewhat enigmatic silence.[break][break]
"And what has been your focus as of late, Underboss?"[break][break]

TAGS – THEO BECKETT[break]
NOTES – GC EXCURSION C: MONSTER HUNTER

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Be careful, Nomi.[break][break]
Cillian Quinn was not a man prone to outbursts of emotion. Instead, whatever feelings he carried were often hidden beneath the hardened exterior of a Rocket Underboss, the cruelty of Kanto coloring their influence. But Nomi could hear the sorrow in his tone, beneath the quiet caution he risked exhibiting - for her.[break][break]
She knew that his brotherhood came at a price. He was loyal to declan walsh, not to love. In the end, he would hurt her if he was ordered to, and she knew it. The breaking of her heart would be of little consequence.[break][break]
She hoped it would not come to that.[break][break]
"There won't be a Hoenn to rule if the DRK Triad destroys it," she whispered softly, matter-of-fact. She, too, knew a thing or two about tempering her emotions. "I am loyal to Rocket, Cillian. But sometimes loyalty looks like compromise. Sometimes there is wisdom in setting aside one war to ensure you can survive another."[break][break]
She contemplated the smooth surface of the massive crystal. Holding out a hand, she pressed her palm to it. It was unexpectedly warm - and if she closed her eyes, she could feel a faint pulsing. Like a heartbeat.[break][break]
"We don't have to stop fighting," she emphasized. "We just need to fight a different enemy, for a time. The League needs to do the same. Our combined strength would be enough to stop them."[break][break]
Somewhere deeper in the cavern, a keening wail could be heard - an appropriate soundtrack for their conversation, perhaps.[break][break]
"If I could win the trust of the League Commissioner, do you think Walsh would listen? Would he be able to see the advantage of a temporary truce, if the Visionary had the League in her pocket?"[break][break]
Regardless of whether she would actually betray any promises made to dahlia goode, if the opportunity for future manipulation could be used to secure Walsh's buy-in, that might make all the difference.[break][break]

TAGS – Cillian Quinn[break]
NOTES – AREA ZERO EXCURSION A: EXPLORE

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Hattori was a familiar presence - she remembered him from Dewford Beach, where he'd deposited Elisabeth Fiorelli's bruised and bleeding body onto the sand, then waited patiently for Nomi to appear. She had not feared him then, and she did not fear him now. She'd heard the acquiescence in Navy's voice, the unwavering trust he had in her. She knew he - and his Pokemon - would not harm her.[break][break]
She also understood that he had to convince Elisabeth otherwise. So she followed his lead, throwing herself out of the way as if she had really expected the Greninja to collide with her. Kallistatus shot a beam of HIDDEN POWER after Hattori, inches off target - expertly toeing the line of real battle. Nomi's breathing came quickly, half out of exertion and half out of anxiety - for Elisabeth was fighting to kill.[break][break]
Please, she begged - of the Triad? Or of Arceus? There are three Avatars here. Sense us. Come for us.[break][break]
With the flick of her wrist, she casually summoned shards of glittering crystal, a beautiful echo of Akane's PIN MISSILES, hurtling them at the two League men. From the other side of the cavern, Elisabeth would likely find it difficult to tell whether the attack was truly aimed at them or meant to counter the razor-edged petals of Wo-Chien's attack. She could not destroy them all, for that would look too suspicious - instead, she took out as many as she dared, and hoped her secret allies would be able to properly evade the rest.[break][break]

TAGS – Navy | Isaac Merlo | Elisabeth Fiorelli[break]
NOTES – AREA ZERO EXCURSION D

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Your Unown understands what it's like to be alone.[break][break]
It was an insightful observation.[break][break]
"Not easy. They are the oldest living creatures, save Arceus itself. Individual Unown can die, but as a collective, they have an immortal shared consciousness. It's a terribly lonely thing - eternity."[break][break]
A familiar sorrow bubbled to the surface of her emotional landscape, then, for she had long suspected that the Unown had been susceptible to the DRK Triad's influence precisely because of that loneliness. Kallistatus seemed to sense her sadness, and drifted down from Regice to hover at her side. She smiled at it, appreciative. You're right, she thought to it. Being a tool is no proper form of companionship.[break][break]
Some of the Unown had chosen her over the Triad, because she had offered them something far more valuable than the opportunity to be useful. She had offered love.[break][break]
"Did you really?" She asked excitedly, at the mention of Regirock. She glanced at Regice, curious. "Did it...did it recognize Regice? Could the two communicate?"[break][break]
Distantly, the same cry sounded again - or was it closer now?[break][break]

TAGS – howard slayte[break]
NOTES – AREA ZERO EXCURSION B: GEOLOGICAL SURVEY

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Silence fell, save for the continued rushing of water.[break][break]
The serenity of the waterfall contrasted starkly with the blood soaking into the grass. Muddy crimson pooled at Nomi's feet, but she felt numb to it. The celestial dome faded into starry mist, and Kallistatus returned to her side. It turned in a circle, like a beacon in search of some unseen signal, until its watchful eye rested on Eva Morales and her quiet, sorrowful lament.[break][break]
A weariness settled over Nomi, then. She wondered if freya morningstar could sense her regret: how pitiful it felt to be right.[break][break]
"Fighting the DRK Triad is choosing them," she emphasized, throat dry. Vaguely, she registered a throbbing in her temple, like some far-away drum beat.[break][break]
And because she had gained some semblance of understanding about the nature of this fearsome woman, she added with profound sincerity, "Your people are lucky to have so fierce a protector."[break][break]
Contrary to Eva's grim assessment - that Nomi wielded a power that toed the line of divinity's judgement - the pink-haired scientist shuddered. Stumbled once. Then promptly fainted.[break][break]
She was only human, after all.[break][break]

TAGS – KING WAYLAND | freya morningstar | Eva Morales[break]
NOTES – GREAT CHASM EXCURSION B: RESEARCH STATION

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Was that real grief? Or merely a shallow projection of Elisabeth's overall displeasure with the ongoing conversation? A sudden memory of the soft, vulnerable woman Nomi had recovered off Dewford beach bubbled to the surface, those emerald eyes so deeply sorrowful then. Here, now, was the ghost of their mourning.[break][break]
The idea of a temporary Avatarship had never once crossed Nomi's mind, in terms of her own bond with the Unown - creatures that, by their very nature, were incapable of impermanence. Should the universe collapse, the Origin Point destroyed, the Unown would remain: after all, they would always be able to retreat to their own dimension, the home God had shaped for them.[break][break]
As for whether they would abandon her, she could not fathom it. Perhaps from Elisabeth's view, that assumption would seem a weakness.[break][break]
"And if you had a choice?" She asked quietly. "Which would you prefer?"

TAGS – Elisabeth Fiorelli[break]
NOTES – Social | Outfit

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[attr="class","itemcolname"]legendary event

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[attr="class","itemcoltexttit"]MIRAIDON 1-A

[attr="class","itemcoltext"]The battle between Miraidon is an intense, bloody clash. An Electric Terrain... Claws and fangs crash against scales before the opposing dragon is felled. Your Miraidon roars in triumph, though it is severely hurt.[break][break]

You may have suffered collateral damage in the process. In this small space, avoiding tail swings and electrical storms is an arduous endeavor.[break][break]

The Miraidon offers its back to you. You must push onward. As you sprint, glide or climb through the cave, you discover crystalized plant life, including Herba Mystica.

TAGS – Aurelie Lefevre[break]
NOTES – RKS: STAGE THREE (MIRAIDON I)[break][break]

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As soon as the undead Megalopolian was pushed backwards by the psychic force of the Unown-?, Nomi grabbed onto Yuina and pulled her through the doorway, back onto the staircase. She could hear shuffling feet - more monsters, regrouping - and looked frantically to Kallistatus. Even if they held the door shut, she had a feeling they would not be able to outlast the combined strength of the zombies and their frenzied hunger.[break][break]
Making a split-second decision, Nomi held tight to Yuina, then teleported both of them back to the entrance of the tower.[break][break]
An eerie silence followed in the wake of their sudden transfer. Nomi let go of her companion, expression apologetic.[break][break]
"I'm sorry for grabbing you like that." She blushed. "I just wanted to get us out of there quickly."[break][break]
The oppressive feeling of being trapped began to fade, and Nomi let out sigh of relief. Though Kallistatus and the Unown-! returned to her side, the Unown-? drifted down to Yuina, hovering next to her shoulder. Nomi cocked her head, intrigued by its behavior. Due to her bond with the Unown, she could tell that it had an affinity for Yuina.[break][break]
"That one likes you," she realized, smile returning. "I believe it wishes to stay with you, if you'll have it."

TAGS – Yuina Higashi[break]
NOTES – Lesser Megalopolis #3[break]

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