Once he managed to scramble to his feet, Schuyler took to the screens to keep getting data. Soon thereafter, he noticed the way the behemoth seemed to emit some sort of glow, as though it were corrupted in some fashion. (It was the effects of the tampered blue orb, but Schuyler didn't know that.)

As Zev sent out his Sharpedo and Dhelmise to handle the ocean-submerged titan, Schuyler released his Kommo-o from its pokeball. The Rocket Beast would take the lower depths, meaning Schuyler would take the ship's stability. A breath in as he saw how quick the Kyogre was in circling back. Despite its size, despite the pressure the ocean's depths had on the creature, it moved with impressive speeds.

And if they weren't careful, the oceanic leviathan would make sure that this ship became no more than a watery grave.

"Kommo-o, protect the ship!"

The dragon gave a firm nod as it placed its claws onto the hull of the ship and drew its own energy into a PROTECT to emit a barrier that managed to encapsule the ship. Schuyler continued to gather photos and video feed of Kyogre, and before long, he saw it begin to charge up its own attack. Eyes grew wide as he shouted at both Zev and the grunt at the wheel.

"Brace yourselves!"

If it weren't for the PROTECT the Kommo-o used, their ship would have likely been decimated. It seemed as though Kyogre had completely ignored the pokemon and went for the ship. Schuyler, despite the warning to brace for impact he himself gave, continued tirelessly to record the feed. With an ORIGIN PULSE fired at the bottom of the ship, his stomach sank, then rose to his throat as the ship fell airborne, then immediately came plummeting down.

His Kommo-o soon left its claws off of the ship's hull and collapsed, its energy temporarily spent.

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Zev Harcourt

Silph. That seemed to be a name that floated around the Rocket Base pretty frequently. But what good was gossip when he knew nothing about the topic at hand? A hum to acknowledge the two names passed his lips. He'd tuck them away for a later time, but for now? They were not present and posed no threat. As Zev offered the second statement, he offered a nod as he kept his eyes on the screen.

"While we can keep them in our graces, it's best not to press our luck. We can curry their favor but we cannot control them."

Sure that much was obvious, but he remembered the dream he had of Zapdos. How he dreamt it tore apart someone who dared to proclaim itself worthy of the bird. Was it a warning hidden within the INTERDREAM MIST? Or just a sense of paranoia getting the better of him?

A breath escaped in surprise as the ship lurched forward once more. As they moved, he noticed the blue that Zev had pointed out grow bigger. They were getting closer. As they approached, the topic came to mind:

"And what of the Latios and Latias that were said to be flying around?" he inquired. "I'm assuming they won't be as amiable to coexist with us, but that leaves the possiblity of the Galarian birds that were said to have been spotted..."

This was mostly just him speaking his thoughts aloud. Once the boat came to a halt again, the folder in his hand slipped out as he stumbled forward to catch his balance. As the folder fell, a couple papers fell out of it, including one with an image of the BLUE ORB. Schuyler picked it up and tilted his head a bit as he offered it over to Zev.

"We don't have this, do we? If we're going to go after this thing and try to align it with Rocket's vision, we might want to consider finding this."

The Blue Orb is a tool said to contain ancient power. [...] The symbol imprinted on the face of the orb is believed to be a primal symbol of Kyogre, though further studies are required.

His brows furrowed a bit. While he wasn't an archaeologist in the slightest, symbolism seemed a popular thing in Hoenn.

With the papers gathered, he focused on the screen again and noticed as Kyogre had begun to swim closer. The way it moved in a slow gait posed no sense of threat. In fact, it didn't even seem to be curious of the ship. With the orders from the grunt steering their ship, Schuyler approached the controls and carefully began to use the buttons that had been pointed out to him to take photos of the leviathan.

While the camera didn't have flash, the sounds of the machinery within the camera were enough to stir the creature up. With a thrash upward, the boat shook. Schuyler flew back and met the floor of the ship.

"Fuck!" he seethed.

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Zev Harcourt

The seas seemed much less calm since Kyogre had returned to the seas. What had brought its disappearance to begin with? Did it truly slumber beneath the ocean depths or was there more to it than that? As the ship made its way forward, Schuyler made sure to read carefully through the documents provided.

Kyogre has recently returned to the seas [...]

Wait, returned?

His brows creased just slightly as he weighed those words. With a reliance on the power of deduction, he could only assume that someone who wasn't part of Rocket had ties to the underwater behemoth.

How arrogant of someone to think they could control such a creature.

The folder shut the moment that Zev advised him to be ready to drop the cameras. Hands carefully took hold of the cables used to suspend the device below the ocean depths. When the ship lurched to a stop, Schuyler pressed the button that he'd been directed to and carefully began to lower the camera into the waters below. From the small port, he watched as the water sloshed around and overflowed just a tad into the ship with the sudden submersion.

His attention turned to the screens before the trio and hummed thoughtfully. The Gyarados, Veluza, and other surrounding wild pokemon seemed to swim away almost frantically. As though they sensed the danger approach. Once they were gone, the screens remained clear. How ominous it felt to see the seas empty of life.

"I've been trying to read up on these...," he paused and moved his hand in a circle motion to show he searched for the word he wanted to say. "These beasts. Two of the legendaries native to Hoenn are allied with a few high ranking League members, correct?"

He never mentioned the names. Mostly because names didn't matter in this situation.

"By just simple deductions from the files, I take it Kyogre was also an ally with the League. If we can't get it to submit, what is our next course of action?"

'We' hadn't encompassed merely the party in the ship. He meant Rocket and its vast numbers. He emphasized that meaning with the lighter tone on 'we.' He could only assume they had no intention to kill the leviathan, but it wasn't a tactic that he'd put beneath Team Rocket. It seemed like a solution that screamed the lesser of two evils.

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Zev Harcourt

In response to the SHADOW MIASMA that swirled from Cillian's very being, Schuyler's own Pangoro bent down on its knee. Not necessarily an act of submission, but rather one that showed the aura seemed to affect it to some degree. Schuyler shot a glance back to his own pokemon in slight surprise. Once the influence had subsided, his Pangoro remained kneeled and Schuyler finally willed himself to speak.

"It seems you live up to your reputation," he remarked. "If it helps your research in any way, I wouldn't mind allowing you to test on my Pangoro."

The comment seemed heartless, to briefly relinquish a partner pokemon seemed like a death sentence. But there was something about the aura Cillian gave off that seemed almost... Soothing perhaps? To the shadow pokemon. Maybe exposure therapy could help ease the pain the process seemed to have on his pokemon. Eyes flickered briefly to the training area then back to the underboss.

"Maybe it would be better to get a field test and battle, if you have the time."

The word 'battle' seemed to stir his Pangoro once more as it rose to its feet. Cognizant of its trainer's words, it seemed ready and willing to fight. In fact, it seemed eager to take on someone with such influence. Perhaps it could innately sense the shadows that lingered under Cillian's command and found itself eager to battle something of equal strength, if not stronger.

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Cillian Quinn

While he was pleased the judges seemed favorable with his drink, a need to stay humble kept him grounded. Things could always take a turn for the worst. A polite curl of his lips towards the judges for their kind words, Schuyler quickly turned to his Ditto and gave the creature a rare nod of approval. The pink blob seemed stunned for the briefest of moments and gave a pleased warble of delight.

"Alright, fruit. Let's try to try something new. We did strawberry banana last round so...," he mused mostly to himself but also in the direction of his Ditto.

As Schuyler focused on the ingredients in front of him, he figured a light tea base to contrast the last round would suit. This time, he took a green tea based and carefully flavored it with apple syrup. It wasn't long until he motioned to some kiwi flavored bursting pearls. The Ditto remained quick to collect them and drop them into the concoction. Once properly mixed, Schuyler poured it all over some ice so it could chill.

The mixture was meant to be sweet, to mimic the Sweet Apple that Appletun seemed to favor so much. Once he seemed satisfied with his drink, it was served to the judges.

Though as he served his drink, he couldn't help but watch from the corner of his eye with a hint of amusement directed at the mischievous Eevee who seemed to be pilfering some of Kazimir Wynter 's ingredients. Well, the less of them around, the better. It helped to weed out the competition and he'd pretend as though he saw nothing as a smile ghosted his lips as he requested that the judges enjoy.

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TOTAL OF ROLLS ADDED TOGETHER: 139

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@bubble tea brewing showdown

The Interdream Mist had affected his Pangoro a great deal. Did it sense its trainer's distress from the dreams he'd been having? Or was it something more? It felt as though the creature simply did not want to obey, as though it was hurting. But he'd seen the strength it had, what it was capable of. And why would anyone dare question strength? That's one of the several things he'd found enticing with his recruitment into Team Rocket. (He felt a chill run down his spine -- was he nervous? To approach someone of such high rank right off the bat. It took balls, but he needed someone who was an expert with this sort of stuff.)

Though his case wasn't special, he recognized that much. It was simply a case of Schuyler being a bit more proactive about it.

"Mr. Quinn, I assume? I'm Schuyler."

A hand offered to shake. If the underboss took it, that was entirely on him. He didn't offer much following that. He made his message to the underboss cordial: that he was a new recruit taken under the wing of Zev Harcourt and was given word that the underboss himself might have a solution for his Pangoro's current state. The blonde took the pokeball off of his belt and drew out his Pangoro. Its aura remained heavy, its typically creased expression furrowed even more. The shadow process had done its number on the pokemon, and it seemed as though it was suffering.

"I'm not sure how to describe the sudden change in its temperament. I'm not sure if it has something to do with the effects of Interdream Mist, or what. But it's not the why that I'm concerned about, it's the how."

He paused and offered Cillian a look of sincerity.

"I want to know how to harness its newfound power and make it submit."

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Cillian Quinn

Schuyler checked his phone and offered a displeased sigh. His publisher agreed to meet him at the Slateport Christmas Market, yet it seemed the man had to cancel. Something about his kid getting cut by some other kids who got knives from some mysterious gifter further off. He rolled his eyes and texted back a simple message to the publisher. What kind of parents allowed their kids to run around with knives?

If balancing your work and personal life is too much, I'm happy to find someone else, Ben. This is the third time you've skipped out on me in the span of three weeks. I understand your troubles but you have to understand where I'm coming from: get it together or I'll move on to someone who actually appreciates the effort I'm putting in here.

As he hit send, the commotion caused him to jump a bit in surprise. Had that Iron Bundle just attacked the poor Delibird mascot. Maybe it was jealous of its presence over the holidays and wanted it all for itself? Or maybe something more was at play. A crowd had begun to form and Schuyler couldn't help but shove his way through.

The way the Iron Bundle stood over the Delibird-clad victim seemed to exude a sense of danger. As though this wasn't merely an accident or something on the mascot's end. Some of the kids seemed shocked and scared that their good buddy Iron Bundle seemed to start turning violent. Schuyler did what just about any responsible adult would do and gently pushed them behind him. They didn't need to be seeing stars like that poor mascot was.

"Hey, go find your parents," he ordered as a warning to retreat.

His eyes fell on the Iron Bundle. If that creature could suplex a full grown adult like it was no problem, what other damage could it cause? The mechanical menace meandered towards the mascot, ready to kick the poor guy while he was down again. Though the moment Schuyler sent his Pangoro forward, the behemoth slipped on a patch of ice, not only taking itself down, but its trainer as well. Schuyler floundered beneath the weight of the panda-like pokemon and felt himself grow frustrated with the way the two had made fools of themselves already.

"Some assistance would be nice!" he hissed, namely at the bystanders who continued to find themselves dumbfounded by the rogue Iron Bundle.

m0_yg2LV

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robin coello virgil roach luka chêne trinity beckman

His brows raised in slight surprise, slight intrigue. A simple request by the sounds of it. There didn't seem to be any cons to the arrangement. The hitman had a lackey and the writer had the opportunity to play mortician with no need to go poking through things that didn't concern him. Teeth flashed in a broad smile as a hand reached out for a shake.

After all, that's how all devils cemented their deals, was it not?

"I can't say I see any problem with it," he reasoned. "You've got yourself a deal."

While he seemed pleased with the deal, the sneaking suspicion dawned on him that the work wouldn't be as simple as torture and kill. Thankfully Schuyler wasn't one for easy work. That would make the arrangement dull.

But it made him wonder: was it appropriate to exchange contacts in that moment? With a shrug, Schuyler pulled out his phone, unlocked it, and offered it out to Zev, should he take it. He seemed a little too cooperative. When it bubbled down to it, it was just the fact he seemed enthralled on the promise of inspiration for his work, to study death in any form that came his way. It would help make his writing all the more gripping, he could feel it.

"I figure it'd be easiest on the both of us if we exchanged numbers. For business purposes."

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Zev Harcourt

Despite all the oddities that had manifested within the Ultra Sea, it had been the first opportunity he had to investigate. It was a world of its own truly, the way he could dive down as though swimming in the ocean, but breathe as though exposed to air. As he reached the sea's floor, Schuyler pressed the soles of his shoes against the ground and managed to step forward. He could see why now that this couldn't be a solo mission.

Though he couldn't quite get a read on his partner. The mission debriefing described her as an 'assassin.' Seemed like Team Rocket prided themselves in having people willing to do their dirty work. It's not like it took much to kill a person. A hand around the throat, a swift twist of the neck -- it didn't leave a bloodied mess. But some people fell passionate about the art of killing. Maybe he could get notes from the silver-haired slaughterer.

Slime coated the ocean floor and seemed to grow more apparent as he made his approach towards the sunken ship ahead. Intuition told him it was best to avoid the contamination. It also told him to be wary of the fish pokemon that seemed to roam the waters. They seemed ravenous, starving. And the sound of the heartbeat deep within the ocean's depths seemed to make their state all the more maddening. Schuyler could feel himself grow agitated with the way his own pulse began to sync with the drone deep within the Ultra Sea.

"Papers can only tell us so much," he offered in an attempt to get his mind off of the maddening sound of the deep sea's heartbeat. "Schuyler's the name. I'm new to the whole Rocket thing so I don't have an 'official' title. I saw something about assassin on yours. Please, enlighten me."

The way he spoke seemed well practiced, like he'd thought the conversation over in his head prior to their mission. It seemed to become a habit of his since he didn't want to step on any toes and make enemies where he didn't need to have them.

prompts completed
12 involve the realm's heartbeat-like sound and/or the discovery of large organ-like structures.

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Camellia Lemaitre