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She blushed, chest swelling with pride, when he praised her work, feeling only a little bit guilty about how hastily she'd scrambled to finish the draft. She knew Professor Graves valued her insights and observations, having mentioned more often than not that she was one of his brightest students, but she never tired of hearing him say it.[break][break]
I really should sell the brewery, she resolved. So I can dedicate more of my time to school. Especially given her obligations to Rocket, which were growing more and more time consuming.[break][break]
"I managed to capture one recently," she explained. "You know how I work for the university's rift guide volunteer group? Well, during one one of my recent expeditions into the Ultra Deep Sea, I encountered this one."[break][break]
It wasn't really a lie; she did volunteer her time as a guide for League scientists and politicians to enter the various rifts. She just also did work for Rocket of a similar nature, and it was during one of those missions that she'd found this particular paradox.[break][break]
She released the Scream Tail, bracing for the creature's attitude. Spirulina huffed, looking irritated, as if its mere existence was at odds with its surroundings (which, perhaps, it was), but it did not lash out at Nomi or Gideon. It sniffed, glaring intently at Valerian instead. He growled softly - a typical "don't even think about it" sentiment. Nomi sighed, rolling her eyes.[break][break]
"As you can see, it looks like...a Jigglypuff. Except different? Some of the paradoxes are akin to machines, but this one...this one is flesh and blood, in the traditional sense." She'd checked that right away. "What do you make of it?"

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"They do!" She answered, perhaps somewhat overly eager. It was just, this was a breakthrough wasn't it? She couldn't suppress her excitement. The fact that Priam also remembered the same vague aspects of a Galar that had been both familiar and unfamiliar was a huge relief: she didn't have to feel quite so crazy about the loose ends that nagged at her mind on a daily basis.[break][break]
She flipped through her field notes until she found a crude drawing of a terrible, poisonous creature flying through a dark sky. Notes were scribbled below about "the Skeleton" and its ongoing was with "The Black Knight."[break][break]
"It was some kind of super powerful poison Pokemon," Nomi recalled, brow furrowing. "I wonder...since I've come to believe that Necrozma was - is? - the Black Knight, perhaps that means the Skeleton exists in our world, too."[break][break]
But where?[break][break]
She sighed. "I guess we ought to try and find it...before the League does. Or worse, the DRK Triad."

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For what seemed like an agonizing eternity, Nomi waited for Alpha to return with Parker. Every second that passed without their return was evidence that the other woman had met some untimely, grisly end - just another minor obstacle the Chien-pao had to clear in order to gain access to the cave. Nomi's mind spiraled and she doubled over, tears welling, exhaustion overwhelming. If Parker was - [break][break]
Warmth. Calloused hands frantically touching her, checking her. A rough, familiar voice. Nomi let out a small whimper of relief, then dropped the mysterious violet book on the cold ground, its cover snapping closed with a decisive finality, and pulled Parker close in a tight embrace.[break][break]
"I'm sorry," she mumbled, face buried in Parker's neck. "I was worried about you, too."[break][break]
When she pulled away - reluctantly, inwardly cursing propriety - she noticed the bright red streaks tarnishing, in stark contrast, the white of her blouse. Blood, she realized. Blood on her arms, her skirt, her tights. Her mouth parted and she looked at Parker. Noticed, finally, the state of Parker's mangled hands.[break][break]
"You're hurt," she blurted, concern creasing her brow.[break][break]
She took the other woman's hands in her own, chest aching, and thought, this is my fault. My fault again. Visions plagued her: a dangling arm, useless due to severed nerves...a defeated sorrow due to countless failed attempts at trying to fix it...[break][break]
Later, there would be talk of POWER SPOTS, and Nomi would take the violet book to the submarine for further study after coming to the grim realization that it should not, under any circumstances, come into contact with TERA ENERGY again. [break][break]
Later, Rocket boss declan walsh would hand Nomi a beautiful azure petal, softly glowing, telling her to study it along with the book. Nomi would deliver the petal to Elisabeth Fiorelli despite her better judgement, because a part of her wanted to believe that in the wake of a gifted florist's departure, there might still be seeds of knowledge, coveted and cared for beneath all her layers of resentful loam.[break][break]
And later still, Nomi would sit beside jayden cross in the infirmary, tears staining the sheets of his bed, heart breaking for the cruelty of Arceus's design to have choked to death any semblance of peace her brother might ever hope to find by binding him to a creature of ruination.[break][break]

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It was odd. If true, it was more concrete evidence that the Ultra Deep Sea was some kind of...hub for Ultra Beasts like Nihilego and Poipole. Conditions did appear especially harsh, so it made sense that many common Pokemon species would not choose to live here, but for it to be only Ultra Beasts...that made Nomi think of another possibility.[break][break]
"Perhaps they originate here," she suggested. "Nihilego and Poipole, and whatever other Ultra Beasts might creep about in the shadows of this place." She paused, considering. "Maybe this is their origin point...like the Interdream Zone is the origin of the paradox Pokemon."[break][break]
If so, what did that mean? And how did it explain the rhythmic pulse they often heard when venturing here? Surely the entire rift wasn't some kind of living creature, a massive as-of-yet undiscovered Ultra Beast...[break][break]
The loud clanking caught Nomi's attention just as it had Nenet's, and she whirled around with a sudden burst of adrenaline. Nothing stormed through the cabin door, however, so Nomi crept quietly forward, then peered carefully out into the dark hall. Eyes adjusting, she pointed her flashlight ahead.[break][break]
Something shifted down the hallway: a large, grotesque vaguely humanoid shape, ambling in their direction. It seemed drawn to the light, and when the flashlight shone towards it, it began to pick up speed. She yelped, backing up, then beckoned for Nenet to come over.[break][break]
"It's an undead Megalopolan!" She exclaimed, shocked. "But I've only ever encountered them in Lesser Megalopolis. What's one doing here?"[break][break]
No time to question it further, they had to act. With a deft motion, Nomi activated the Tera orb she carried at her waist. Alpha began to glow, the Unown-A shimmering as clear quartz crystals covered its symbol body.

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As many of her fellow Rockets attempted to breach the island, Nomi kept an eye out for League forces already present, reporting back to her peers their movements and activity.[break][break]
Huddled amidst the underbrush just off the coast, she sat quietly, her own eyes were an eerie neutral-white as she looked through the eyes of her Unown - practicing the art of rapidly switching between them, like security cameras set up around a designated perimeter.[break][break]
She switched to Kallistatus, head starting to ache from how long she'd been in this state - she was still figuring out the limits of her new abilities - and immediately noticed the man failing to sway a Pheromosa into following him. She paused, her mental link with Kallistatus ordering him to stay and watch. It seemed the Pheromosa wanted nothing to do with her supposed partner. The man was unfamiliar to Nomi, but the fact that he was unmasked and dressed in proper military gear meant he was surely a member of the League come to claim the island.[break][break]
If he was having trouble with a Pokemon, perhaps he wasn't a particularly talented trainer. That would bode well for Nomi.[break][break]
Get a little closer, she thought at Kallistatus. I want to figure out his objective.[break][break]
The shiny Unown-K obeyed, drifting closer to the unsuspecting Greyson Connors.

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The fog was a nuisance.[break][break]
Unown made for remarkable scouts, but even they had trouble seeing through the haze. Nomi sighed, eyes returning to their normal crimson as she severed the connection with Kallistatus. It was useless. She'd have to go out and try to find the cave entrance the old fashioned way: on foot.[break][break]
Creeping out of the underbrush, the Rocket Head Scientist made her way down the slope of the dune in front of her, treading carefully so as not to call attention to her passing. Kallistatus hovered nearby, watching for danger. It was eerily quiet. Too quiet. Nomi stopped, closing her eyes to focus on listening to the sounds around her.[break][break]
The crashing of waves. The distant clash of battle. The rustling of wings. The heavy footfalls of - [break][break]
"Someone's here," she hissed, eyes snapping open. One of her own, or a League operative? The thick gloom made it difficult to tell. She backed up, then pulled out a Pokeball and released Python, her Iron Jugulis.[break][break]
"Get rid of the fog," she requested of the paradox. Gears whirring, the creature began to glow, then a whooshing TAILWIND kicked up in an attempt to disperse the dense mist.[break][break]
Friend or enemy, she needed to be able to see.

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Of all the powers gifted to her by the Unown, there was one in particular that she had found especially difficult to master.[break][break]
Shepherding scientific research equipment from the beach to the nearest cave entrance wasn't exactly a quick task, so Nomi had thought to speed the whole endeavour up by using teleportation. As long as she'd been somewhere once she could instantly go back to it - so naturally, she'd assumed she'd blink right over to the mouth of the cave simply by picturing it in her mind's eye.[break][break]
As it turned out, the art of teleportation was a fickle one.[break][break]
Nomi appeared, disoriented, next to a tree, a mile from the cave. Kallistatus accompanied her, its shining blue form reflecting the light of the mid-day sun. She blinked, noticing that there was a man nearby - standing next to some sort of sign? She flattened herself against the tree, the backpack full of sample collection kits and several devices used for collecting energy readings clutched tightly to her chest.[break][break]
"Go get a closer look," she hissed at Kallistatus. "If he's with the League government, we'll need to do something about that..."[break][break]
The shiny Unown-K bobbed up and down, then drifted quietly over to the man's position.

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

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[attr="class","itemcoltexttit"]108 SOULS 1-B

[attr="class","itemcoltext"]You attempt to exorcise the SPIRITOMB by any means possible, whether it is by Pokemon or incantations. As the ritual continues, dozens of souls begin to fly out of the ghost. This enrages the SPIRITOMB. It begins to chase you aggressively, lugging its keystone while lunging forward with its ghostly neck.[break][break]

You hear voices crawling out from the tombstones: "500 years... 500 years... 500 years..."[break][break]

As the Pokemon pursues you, it attempts to DESTINY BOND you and your Pokemon before the next shift.

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"Yes, I - " Nomi tried to answer Kouji that yes, she had indeed been one of his evaluators as part of the SPECTRA trials, but an errant blast of HIDDEN POWER hit her in the shoulder and she winced, expecting pain. None came: instead, the world went black as the simulation disintegrated right before her eyes. Moments later, images pixelated all around them, re-forming into a dimly lit cavern. A very familiar cavern...[break][break]
"Ah, yes, this scenario," she nodded, taking a deep breath to stave off any lingering vertigo from the sudden shift. Her gaze settled on the headstones littering the floor. "There should be an especially nasty - "[break][break]
Dark energy burst forth from Kouji's Umbreon, streaking towards a - [break][break]
" - Spiritomb." She finished, scrambling backwards. Kouji didn't waste any time throwing himself right into the fray, it seemed.[break][break]
Alpha began to glow, then sent a HIDDEN POWER at the Spiritomb, backing up the Umbreon.[break][break]

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Nomi scanned the ledger, then glanced at the crates already arranged at her feet. Scanners used for taking energy readings, along with sample collection kits, were still missing. She glanced up at the ship, intending to call up to the grunts doing the unloading, and came face-to-face with an Unown.[break][break]
An Unown that was not one of hers.[break][break]
Panic gripped at her chest, and she stepped back instinctively. Unown that did not belong to her were often the heralds of the DRK Triad. Was Holo back for round two?[break][break]
As if sensing her distress, Kallistatus popped into existence, immediately returned from the scouting he'd been doing out at sea. The shiny Unown-K faced the unfamiliar Unown and for several long, tension-filled seconds, Nomi held her breath. Then Kallistatus blinked away, deeming it safe to interact with Nomi.[break][break]
Which meant that Kallistatus didn't recognize it as one of its former DRK Triad peers.[break][break]
Nomi let out the breath she'd been holding, then reached out her hand to gently pat the Unown-A on the top of its head. "Hello," she greeted it. "Who do you belong to? Or are you...wild?"[break][break]
It was then that Nomi finally noticed the man approaching her, the missing crate of research equipment cradled in his arms.[break][break]
"Is this one yours?" She asked him, smiling. She didn't recognize him, either, but if he had her crate than he was clearly one of the Rocket grunts assigned to aid her research.

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Her nose twitched. The scents of sizzling bacon and freshly brewed coffee were seeping into the perfect cocoon of warmth she was currently wrapped up in, summoning her from the depths of sleep. Long, delicate eyelashes fluttered, and she yawned, the comfortable weight against her back much smaller than she remembered, but not unwelcome. She felt so content, so safe, she didn't want to ruin it by waking up. But as she shifted - slowly at first - her bare skin tingled with the memory of tender, feather-light kisses left as love-notes in the early morning, and she grinned into the pillow that wasn't her pillow but also was her pillow because of course it was, she lived here didn't she?[break][break]
She didn't, but it was so easy to believe it - as if it were the most natural thing in the world to wake up in parker jones's bed.[break][break]
The other woman's voice roused her, finally, and she blinked sleepily up at her. Morning light streamed in through the window, haloing Parker's muscular form so perfectly it made Nomi's chest ache with longing for this utter goddess that had somehow decided Nomi was worth her time.[break][break]
"Hi," Nomi greeted softly. She reached for Parker, clutched onto her arm, hungry for contact despite spending all night together. "You made breakfast?" Of course she had, that much was obvious. But Nomi was not accustomed to somebody else taking care of her, and it was...nice. Really nice.[break][break]
Kallistatus popped into existence, as if summoned by Nomi's voice. Nomi's gaze flicked to it, her brain taking several seconds to register what its presence meant, and then the memories came flooding back so vividly she winced. The light of creation, the twinkling stars of the Unown Dimension, the voices of the Unown speaking into her mind as one - God's collective will - and her own voice, smaller - merely human - accepting their blessing.[break][break]
Nomi shook her head, begging her mind to go back to enjoying her first morning with Parker in all its domestic simplicity.[break][break]
Skewing the blankets and eliciting a grumble from Maisey, Nomi rolled over, then stepped daintily out of the bed. The air was cool against her skin, and she shivered, standing completely nude in front of Parker. She leaned up and kissed the other woman on the cheek.[break][break]
"I'm going to wash up in the bathroom, then I'll come eat."

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Rocket did, indeed, have "heavy hitters", but Naomi Sato was not one of them.[break][break]
No, she was small, delicate, and subtle, preferring to stay out of the way of the fighting in favor of research and discovery. Rarely was she called to the battlefield for any purpose beyond her passable medical skills or her far more useful scientific expertise.[break][break]
But things were different now. Nomi did not much care for fate, but certainly some aspect of Arceus's design had seen fit to push her in the direction of taking a more active role in combat, given that the Eyes of God had - for reasons she was still trying to fully understand - blessed her with power beyond imagining.[break][break]
"Councilman FERNANDO SILPH is heading our way," she reported into her earpiece, the comms system keeping her connected with the rest of Rocket's leadership. She was miles up the beach, stationed at a hastily constructed research outpost, looking through the eyes of her Unown scouts out at sea. It left her physical body somewhat defenseless, but she had been assigned guards to watch her back. Not to mention Valerian's dutiful vigilance.[break][break]
"I will attempt to distract him, but I believe back-up will be needed here. He is a force to be reckoned with."[break][break]
Nomi had first-hand experience with the unrelenting nature of the notorious businessman: after all, he too was an innovator.[break][break]
Above the battleship of Fernando Silph, Unown began to pop into existence.

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"No idea," she replied pleasantly. "However, logic dictates that dream mist, paradox Pokemon, and larger-than-average Tera crystals are all things we should be prepared to encounter, given their prominence in both the Ultra Deep Sea and the various cave systems that have cropped up all over the region as of late."[break][break]
Nomi was glad to have Zev Harcourt by her side in the absence of parker jones; though she would have, of course, preferred Parker - for many rather obvious reasons - Zev was highly reliable and quite literally indestructible. Any chance to study his Necrozma-blessed abilities was an added bonus, and Nomi was especially eager to see if his crystals would react to the unfamiliar energy detected beneath the mysterious island within which they now traversed.[break][break]
Kallistatus, the shiny Unown-K that had once belonged to DRK Triad agent Nisa Holo, hovered dutifully by Nomi's shoulder. Behind Zev and Nomi, Valerian trotted along, watching their backs. The Sylveon didn't much care for Nomi's new Unown companion, which she suspected had something to do with a fear of getting replaced - which was, of course, ridiculous.[break][break]
Nomi slowed as their flashlights, combined with Valerian's Illumina glow, revealed that they had reached a crossroads. Both paths seemed to slope subtly downwards, but one twisted off to the right and one to the left. Strange, unfamiliar glyphs were carved into the wall between the deviating tunnels, akin to some sort of crude sign post.[break][break]
"How curious," Nomi remarked, walking up to the symbols. They reminded her of something - not Unown, but something else - though she couldn't quite place what...

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