As that devious grin crept across Oscar's face, Kaname felt a twinge of nervousness. What was he planning? What happened next threw Kaname for a loop. Oscar flinging open a closet door and revealing a fireman’s pole was, perhaps, the most insane mad scientist thing he could’ve done in Kaname’s mind; but it had happened. This was his real life.

Kaname watched in abject shock as Oscar called for him to go to the ‘secret lab’ and then proceeded to slide down the pole to…somewhere. “What the actual…” He was mildly dumbfounded by this, but in his mind, he had no choice but to join the man in his antics. So he rushed over and latched onto the pole. “It’s for the glory of Rocket, the glory of Rocket.” He murmured to himself as he slid down the pole into the hidden lab, landing with a thud.

The second layer was like something out of a pulp science comic; pylons, technicolor chemical baths, and the corpses of steel pokemon displayed like trophies. It was a grizzly looking place, for sure. Kaname stood back, watching Oscar fetch a magnemite shell and brought to a strange-looking forge with liquid swirling below it. He watched Oscar place it inside, where it quickly began to melt within the superheated compartment.

Kaname nodded along as Oscar elaborated. So his suggestion had put them on the right track, this was good. This was the start of something beautiful and complex. “So we’ll make a test resistor or two and go from there then? If this becomes a larger operation, I think it would be beneficial to collect all of Magnemite’s evolutionary line for use in making resistors. Maybe even run quality control testing on the different resistors made from the evolutions. But only if it gets that far.”

So he could still compartmentalize his lives, even if he participated in the aforementioned initiatives. This was good. The longer he could keep the rouse up, the higher the chances of his own personal goals coming to fruition were.

“SPECTRA, MAGMA, and URIEL? I’ll keep them in mind…” He muttered, making a mental note to look into the respective operations. The more things he could contribute, the more likely he was to interact with Team Rocket’s elite, and that could lead to him securing funding for his own projects.

“That’s everything from me, I suppose. I’ll be sure to use encrypted e-mails or burner phones to contact you for the most part. Thank you, for your time sir.” He offered Zev a polite nod of his nod. “I’ll get back to work now, if that’s alright?” He asked, preparing to inspect his final vial of liquid.

This conversation had been productive and eye opening for Kaname. The existence of Avatars and the fact his boss was plotting multidimensional suicide was shocking, but the establishment of a working relationship with one of the Rocket Beasts was a good thing. He’d be sure to ingratiate himself with Zev by bringing as much useful information as he could. ’I’ve got to make the most of this chance. Can’t fuck it up…’

Kaname stifled a chuckle, watching Memphis verbally back peddle after offering what he considered a rather fierce ‘no’. He found it quaint, perhaps even a little charming. “I think you’re right, it’s definitely important to challenge your own beliefs if you want to grow.” That was all he could get out as Memphis’ warm smile and extended hand caused Kaname to hesitate for just a second. It wasn’t that kindness was shocking or unusual, it was the fact that he offered such a thing so quickly.



He didn’t deserve it, but he did want it. And because he wanted it, he’d take it. Kaname returned the smile and took the other man’s hand, giving it a gentle shake. 'Memphis Evran. Memphis Evran, the archivist. He’s working here to grow his perspective, that’s… a unique reason to take a job.'



“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Memphis. I’m Kaname Fujihara, I work as a research assistant, but I’m on a little vacation- exploring some of Hoenn’s sights…I only moved to the region about a year ago and haven’t gone out much.” He chuckled awkwardly, too aware of the fact he was starting to ramble.

“Most assuredly a good sign!” Kaname chimed in reply.



It was nice to have something in common, even so small. It made the lie feel easier to tell, in a way. Like she would have to understand his position had a few likes in common, even if she never would truly understand him.



“Smell is a funny thing, isn’t it? It can just transport you across time, back to the past. The brain is a funny thing…” He was musing, mostly for himself; far too afraid to let there be a moment of dead air or silence between the two of them.



“I won’t press the matter, if you want to- you can! But know I’m fine with coffee.” He paused as the coffee sprang into action, filling the air with the scent of brewing coffee. “And just like that, I am reminded of my grandmother who, despite being the daughter of a tea farmer, hated tea and loved coffee. Her little act of rebellion, I think…”

Underboss Gavin Merlino. Admin Felix Gallagher. These were the people to talk to about Avatars. It was a ludacris notion that such a thing could even exist and yet… it did. “Noted, I’ll be sure to follow up with them for more information.” And he would be following up with both men, in time anyway.

“You know, I don’t blame Admin Gallagher. The thought people with supernatural abilities existing, possibly unaffiliated to any organization… It's scary. Not that being aligned to one organization or the other matters, there is no one that they have to answer to, their power alone means they’re only beholden to their own whims.”

“With that said, are there any big operations in the works… things I should be aware of that will conflict with my persona?” Kaname asked, raising a brow as he looked at Zev. “That’s my major concern… I don’t want to be caught doing anything that would expose my true affiliations.”

Kaname paused and went back to inspecting his vials of precipitates. “Secondly and likely lastly… Who should I report my findings to? You? One of the Admins? The Underbosses? All of the above?”

The man with monochrome hair pursued lips for a moment and nodded. It's interesting thought, that everyone could be found wanting in a way. "It's not incorrect, but there's nothing wrong with not settling. It doesn't make you inadequate or less than to want. Being hungry for more than you've been given isn't a crime. It should be for us to decide, not arbitrary beings who don't possess a human heart." He responded coolly, turning his head to look at Memphis.

There is, for a moment, a furrowing of Kaname's brows as he studies the man's gentle features. 'Delicate, like a flower... like a treasure.' This continues for several seconds before the realization that he might be bothering another patron or staff hits him like a train.

"I apologize, I get carried away sometimes, hehe. You didn't ask me to wax philosophically at you. I can leave if you'd like?" He offers a sheepish smile to the man, ready to give him his space if he asks for it.

Kaname offered a polite nod as Oscar gave his brief introduction. The man was sucicent about it, something Kaname appreciated in the moment. After all he’d been called here to work, not chat.



The explanation Oscar gave was interesting, but the mangled and Frankensteinian looking “Poke Pod” machine was even more intriguing. “So it extracts the Infinity Energy from Pokémon… that’s impressive.” Kaname considered it a truly impressive feat, based on all the files he’d read that were available to him. The possibilities were limitless for Infinity Energy application, but that wasn’t why Kaname was here; so he quelled his rising excitement and doubled down on the problem at hand: how could the old Pokémon Center machines be modified?



“Let me ask the obvious question… aside from developing more advanced pokecenter machines, have you considered utilizing an increased number of resistors within the circuitry of the machine? That would, in theory, reduce the overall level of energy passing through the machine but would probably generate a lot of excess heat as a sort of… “runoff” if you will? But that’s assuming there’s even a material that can provide resistance to Infinity Energy…”



Kaname paused for a moment and considered. “Maybe a pokemon-derived material would work? Perhaps Magnamite or its evolutions? Or do you think the problem lies elsewhere?”

A galarian ponyta, captured. The Unique Horn Pokémon would be a useful addition to Kaname’s collection of Pokémon to study, especially given the unique properties of its horn. He walked over and picked up the Safari ball and stared at it, if he’d been just a few seconds slower… it would’ve been a bloodbath.

Kaname looked over at his veluza, missing large sections of flesh that usually hid the majority of the Jettison Pokemon’s knife-like spines. The creature had a wild, predatory look in her eye. “I guess no matter how hard we try and train it out of them, they’ll always be some level of predator or prey.” He murmured to himself as he recalled his veluza to her pokeball and in her place, he called forth his galarian slowking, Ether. The slowking looked at him knowingly and gestured for Kaname to walk with him.

It was a quiet walk, the two of them making their way toward the exit when a small rosy shape doddled into view. It was a fuecoco, one whose scales weren’t the normal shade. That could only mean one thing, a shiny. “How exciting… I’ve got to catch this specimen.” Kaname pointed at the fuecoco, who only now noticed them. “Hit it with an Eerie Spell and then Disable to stun it!” Kaname commanded and Ether complied, putting his hands together and chanting loudly, conjuring waves of psychic power with Eerie Spell to buffet the fuecoco before stunning it with Disable.

“Last chance…” Kaname murmured, throwing the safari ball at the stunned fuecoco in an attempt to capture it.