[attr="class","diana"]Diana felt the tired ache in her bones, trailing not far behind the Rocket admin. She was not cut out for this. No one told her that leaving Galar would mean she'd have to do a ton of walking, trekking, working-

"You mean I was supposed to count?" she asked, incredulity lacing her tone.

However, she was given a moment's repose as Howard knelt to examine the footprints on the ground. Diana placed her hands on her knees, catching her breath as her ALTARIA flapped her wings idly beside her.

Something caught her eye. A large, aqua feather laying on the ground, leading toward a cave.

"Howard, look." Diana picked it up, extending her hand. "It's the same color as the beast. And it looks like it was going toward that cave."

[attr="class","dianatag"]howard slayte | az excursion: c

[attr="class","diana"]Diana tried to listen. She truly did, as she reached for her glass of wine, sipping on it. Even as he directed the question toward her, as much as she wanted to answer him, she couldn't bare to hold it back anymore.

"Remiel, what's happening?" she asked instead.

Her jaw clenched, her nerves flaring in the pit of her stomach, as she made the dive into their skirted topic.

"What happened that night? I understand that I did something rash, and I'm sorry. But, I can't stand this awkwardness anymore!" she said, setting the glass down since her grip was growing tighter.

"I understand if what we did... I mean... that doesn't happen again. It doesn't have to. But I want my friend back."

[attr="class","dianatag"]Remiel Calcifet | sunset selfie

[attr="class","diana"]"My ideal world..."

It was a loaded question, and it certainly was a difficult thing for her to answer to ZEKROM, given its ties to Remiel Calcifet. If she could spill everything out right then and there, she would. But she also feared the worst — should Remiel find out her true intentions in Hoenn, it would ruin everything.

It was selfish. But it was necessary.

However, she could answer it generally.

"My ideal world would be one where my family is safe and secure. Perhaps we wouldn't be in Galar or have ties to the Calcifets. Maybe we'd be peasants, farmers, traders. Imagine, a world where we didn't have Ronan Calcifet to fear."

She paused.

"But I also want Remiel to be safe too. I think I would want to include him in my world. He's been my friend for as long as I've known it. Things are rocky right now, since Hoennyule, but... a world where he and I could just be us, not Calcifet or Cavendish."

Diana looked away from ZEKROM sighing. "I care for him. I don't know if it's more than a friend or not. But your master has a heart of gold, despite the faults he holds. We both made a mistake, and I hope we could get past it."

With a laugh, she pressed her index finger to her lips. "Try not to tell him, okay?"

[attr="class","dianatag"]Remiel Calcifet

[attr="class","diana"]Diana was taken aback when he suggested taking a moment to relax and have a brunch rather than go out and search for the FLYGON. She laughed, shaking her head at him before she offered her hand for him.

"If I didn't know you any better, I would think you set this entire thing up just for a sweet picnic," she teased.

Leading him toward the bench, Diana sat on the bench, rubbing her hands together as she looked up at the grand branches of the oak tree. There she spotted a small grouping of BURMY hanging down, green, cream, and pink colored. Higher up, a BUTTERFREE flapped its wings.

"It's nice here. So quiet..."

[attr="class","dianatag"]Remiel Calcifet

[attr="class","diana"]Diana refrained from verbally displaying her displeasure of the underboss's disregard to her question. Still, her face fell cross, a short sigh leaving her chest before she answered.

"I have connections to one of Rocket's most wanted, and I'm gathering intel. I would consider espionage to be of value to you?" she prompted with a cocked brow.

[attr="class","dianatag"]THEO BECKETT | enter the nightmare

[attr="class","diana"]"You must go to Hoenn. The offer brought to us is the only hope we have left. You are our only hope, Diana."

Her mother's words echoed in her head.

"Promise when it's over, you'll come back. Promise!" her little brother begged.

Without a moment's hesitation, Diana shook her head. "No, sir. Forgive me."

[attr="class","dianatag"]jayden cross | past, recruitment act i

[attr="class","diana"]Of course he'd wonder why she was here. Diana couldn't outright tell him that she was avoiding her roommate who also happened to be one of team Rocket's most wanted defectors.

Instead...

"Trying to wrap up some loose ends before I leave the submarine tonight. I'm afraid it's kept me here longer than I've wanted."

Hopefully her answer was sufficient enough. She wouldn't turn down a cup of tea if it was offered, not to mention it would give her reason to stay longer.

As she opened her mouth to speak, the metallic clang interrupted her. "There it is again... are you sure this place isn't haunted?"

[attr="class","dianatag"]Amor Rose | ghost in the machine

[attr="class","diana"]Diana was pleased that he hadn't outright denied her request. That in itself was progress from their tryst. She walked beside him as she looked at the shops and restaurants that Dewford had to offer.

Anywhere except for him.

She had imagined that when they left the house, a conversation would bloom, since they wouldn't be stuck in stuffy tension anymore. It seemed she was wrong, since they both kept a decent amount of space between them as they walked and held their tongues.

How did she bring up Hoennyule night to him?

"Hmm? Oh, sure. That'll do." In truth, Diana wasn't a fan of seafood. Something about the taste of the ocean or the different textures always made it off putting. However, she kept it to herself since Remiel had broken the silence. She opened her ROTOM phone, finding a restaurant that had good reviews and a selection of food she'd eat.

"There's a place only five minutes away."

Then there they were. A table for two, sitting in dim lighting with a candle lit in front of them. In any other situation, Diana would think it romantic.

"So, how are things going with the League? They've been seeing you quite often as of late," she initiated, her leg shaking under the table.

Her mother would slap her for not being still if she were here.

[attr="class","dianatag"]Remiel Calcifet | sunset selfie

[attr="class","diana"]Diana happened to be in the submarine late that night, finishing work for the day. Though, perhaps she was biding her time before she went back to Remiel Calcifet's home, where the stuffy awkwardness still filled his home like steam from a hot shower. It was suffocating, passing by him without a word.

Those thoughts were all consuming in her mind, when she heard a sound down the hallway near the kitchen. She narrowed her eyes, brows furrowed, as she turned on a light.

Nothing there.

Diana heard a voice from the kitchen, accusing someone of a prank. She ducked in, raising her hands to show innocence. "I didn't do anything. But, I heard it too, down the hall. I didn't see anything there, though."

[attr="class","dianatag"]Amor Rose | ghost in the machine

[attr="class","diana"]She understood that she was brought here for some reason that had not been disclosed to her. The individual she had met before Jayden told her she would know "in time." That time came, and the truth was shocking.

If she had known the truth, would she had signed the contract to help team Rocket after all?

"We were, before he left Galar. I didn't expect you to require me to do something as drastic as-" Diana couldn't bring herself to say the word.

Though, Jayden was correct. They were here to save her from her fate. And the one person she could think of was her brother, waiting for her to bring back good news.

[attr="class","dianatag"]jayden cross | past, recruitment act i

[attr="class","diana"]Of course. Now it made sense. Avatar powers were the reason this man could make it through the tree, and she wasn't just hallucinating from some strange fumes or poison or-

"Diana, yes. Nice to meet you."

She finally felt herself relax. "You do that all the time, or is that special for this tree?"

[attr="class","dianatag"]bryan delarosa | protect the dyna tree

[attr="class","diana"]It was no after no. It seemed that they were getting no where with this. Even with Remiel Calcifet's expertise in dragons, as well as her own knowledge in them, they couldn't come up with a solution as to why they would be so interested in the fields.

"Irritate them?" she echoed, looking at her CYCLIZAR.

"Honestly, retaliation would make sense. But the question is why are they irritated? It's always why." She looked down into one of the craters left behind.

"Maybe we should ask he's been near the desert recently."

[attr="class","dianatag"]Remiel Calcifet

[attr="class","diana"]Direct, to the point. That was something she could appreciate, rather than the threatening circling of questions that she had endured earlier. Diana raised her brow.

"To gain strength. To be utilized by Rocket as I'm meant to be."

Though she wasn't entirely sure what they were doing in the lab.

"May I ask what exercise we are doing today?"

[attr="class","dianatag"]THEO BECKETT | enter the nightmare