by the time josh comes crashing in, the alarm has already been sounded. the researchers are scurrying around, frantically trying to collect what they can before they make their escape. when the gouging fire makes its appearance, though, everyone pauses, in awe of the beast. then they flee towards the back door, prioritizing their life over their research.

it's nikola, or rather "samsa" who stands alone. their heart sinks in their chest. somehow they knew it would come to this eventually, but why did it have to be so soon? should they run as well, or will they stand their ground so the others can make their escape, hopefully preserving at least some of the data they've collected?

they make a decision, even if it's a stupid one. they always thought they'd challenge josh at the gym, so they'd made notes on his battle style and strategies. reaching into a pocket, they withdraw a pokeball, and click the button. in a flash of light, a garchomp appears, standing between them and the paradox entei.

"sandstorm." they disguise their voice as well as they can, making it go deeper, and then... in a whirl of sand, their figure becomes obscured as well. i don't need to beat him. i just need to buy some time.

[ Josh Devlin ]

"certainly." they don't intend to give it all away. after all, ideas can be stolen. if they give too much detail, they won't be necessary anymore. "the head researcher believed humans have the same potential as pokemon. we sought to unlock it by any means necessary. often this included gene therapy done on willing volunteers. we attempted other methods as well; putting humans in highly stressful environments, mutated viruses and diseases... and such." most of those who volunteered were already ill. they were given treatment in exchange for undergoing these procedures. those who died would have died of their original disease anyway.

nikola looks back at shizue. "in the end, we failed. but rocket has the missing link-- that is, they have avatars, people who have already unlocked this potential." back in orre, such a thing was only ever a wild rumor. "if it is possible to reverse engineer that process and create our own humans with special abilities... well, that's something we'll just have to find out for ourselves." what then? were they doing this so they could obtain said power? truth be told, they're not that interested. mostly, they just want to satisfy their curiosity and gain a better understanding of how both humans and pokemon work. they have no desire for power, only knowledge.

nikola grinds their teeth, resenting the fact that they're being treated like nothing more than an errand lackey at the moment. sure, someone has to come collect the data from other labs-- it's not safe to send it any other way-- but why does it have to be them? they'd rather be hard at work, not showing their face to any shmuck who happens to see them running around, collecting files.

as nikola is grouching, another research assistant here is returning from the makeshift bathroom in the back. she happens to pass by a window, and she sees an unfamiliar face there... hurriedly, she runs off, trying to find the nearest alarm to smash, aware she'll likely be pursued.

she rushes past nikola, who has their mask on, a hood up, and is otherwise indistinguishable from the other assistants here. they turn, curious, toward the hallway the woman just ran from...

[ Josh Devlin ]

the questions come quickly. they're not surprised; they're all pretty basic questions. "i understand well enough what sort of things rocket does," they respond bluntly. "i've helped to stop operations here and there, but that was when i was... someone different, you might say. i wouldn't say i'm a fan of all their methods, but i'm a scientist first and foremost. i believe science cannot be held back by trivial concerns such as ethics, or else it will never get anywhere. sacrifices have to be made sometimes." nikola has never believed in cruelty simply for the sake of cruelty. but for the sake of getting results, they're willing to get their hands dirty.

"as for what i have to offer you..." they drum their fingers on the table. "for several years, i worked in a lab that was dedicated to unlocking the potential for special powers in humans. i'd like to continue that work-- and i understand rocket is interested in that sort of thing as well. i can bring my expertise to the table, as long as rocket is willing to provide resources." they don't mention that the experiments never got anywhere significant. months ago they might have said it was futile, but now... knowing that avatars exist, they know it's possible. they're not going to give up, not yet.

"anything else?"

this clandestine meeting can only be in one of the many buildings used as a front for team rocket's operations. it's easy enough for nikola to enter without having to disguise themself, since there are a number of ordinary office workers here. nobody thinks much of them as they pass through the halls, their head down and their pace quick. they slip into a meeting room off to the side and close the door behind them.

the person they're meeting is already within. nikola straightens up their glasses and takes a seat, leaning back casually in it. "thank you for this opportunity," they say, no warmth in their voice. "i expect you'll have questions for me. i have to prove myself, don't i? i don't exactly have any credentials at the moment." no, those have been gone for a long time. anything they owned in their old life has likely gone up in flames. they may even be presumed dead back home.

they lean forward now, steepling their fingers. "go on, shoot."

taking with nikola and Shizue Murasaki !

they have no choice but to push through it. they remember the needles, the syringes, the various experiments done to see if they could attain even a tenth of the power a pokemon has. it was all laughable, really, but by the time they would have realized what was happening... their mind was already fractured. in between the experiments they continued to assist the professor in her lab, but as more of their memories were taken, they began to make more and more mistakes.

eventually, the professor abandoned them. she bought them a ticket to hoenn and loaded them off on the region, claiming she would return for them. and she never did. of course she never did. they've been here ever since, alone, betrayed, having lost sight of themself and who they are.

everything has come back to them now.

nikola awakens with a start, gasping for air as they sit up. they feel like they might vomit. they hold the nausea down, their face pale. "that's... that's it," they force out through clenched teeth. "i... remember." exhausted, they lay back down. this time their eyes stay open, and they seem sharper than before.

PURCHASING/REDEEMING

welcome to the poké mart!

1X type 1 evolution (100 PD) (girafarig --> farigiraf)

TOTAL

do come again!

100 PD

trade confirmed on this end!!

trade accepted!!

trade accepted! shiinotic will be going to nikola <3

inside the dream, a younger nikola is realizing exactly what they need to do. in order to make money, they need to get good grades in school, which will then hopefully result in them getting a full ride to university... though they still had to pay for board, food, and other necessities. they were able to survive this state of desperate squalor until they'd completed their bachelors, but if they wanted to succeed in life, they'd have to go even further.

this is when they met professor thorne.

at first, nikola thought she was mad. at the very least she was mad and able to pay them good money to help in her lab. they took in test subjects, trying to determine if humans had any of the potential pokemon did. slowly their funds dwindled, and the other assistants left, and they could no longer even afford to pay for test subjects. nikola weighed the sunk-cost fallacy against all their other options, and decided to stick with the project.

they still need a test subject, of course. that subject... was nikola. in reality, under ameena's watchful gaze, nikola's body once again contorts in agony as they recall the pain, the humiliation, the extensive suffering. their breath comes in short gasps, and they mutter feverishly. "forget... forget... make me forget..." now they remember why they wanted to forget in the first place. inside their dream, they're driven to desperation, seeking relief at any cost. eventually, they forget why they came to the lab in the first place, and then they forget where they're from and who they are. it's easier that way, isn't it? ignorance is bliss.