Her mission's complete as he accepts her number. She trusts he will actually call her if he needs it. Despite the concerns she had had when he entered, it seemed he had approached her innocently enough. Leaving with some bond of trust rather than feelings of suspicion was a win in her book, even if he was not one of the Leaguers she had been grooming to be Rocket assets. [break][break]

"Thank you," she says, and she means it despite the usual emptiness of such condolences. [break][break]

Something about him is very unusual, and it must run deeper than any connection to Groudon. "Let me know if it is a nightmare," she offers with good humor as she walks him to her office door.

TAGS – MATIAS SILPH [break]

NOTES – [break][break]

How many Deoxys were out there?[break][break]

They seemed well-suited guardians against space-originating threats, but perhaps they did not all the same that disposition or purpose if they did not all share the forme changing abilities. Only time and experience could tell, however. Guesswork would get her nowhere when it came to space pokemon, and she might get an answer shortly... [break][break]

The tera Deoxys fought powerfully, but Malamar continued the onslaught by launching a thunder bolt at the aggressive alien. "It would be incredible to see that reading process, if we can manage it." It was a privilege to see something so rare like Deoxys in this environment. Hundreds if not thousands of other scholars would kill for the opportunity she had before her. She owed howard slayte thanks for roping her in in Amor's absence, though she would wait until the tensions from the Gemini study settled. [break][break]

"Erebus is resilient. We will win this fight." Whether they gained knowledge or progress in Erebus' abilities was another topic altogether.

TAGS – Makoto Kurumi [break]

NOTES – [break][break]

Ameena could tolerate uncomfortable conditions for long periods because of her sniper training, but how many lifetimes ago had that been, truly? [break][break]

The whipping winds of abrasive sands would force a disgusted curl of her lip if such a response didn't risk chewing on grains of sand for the next week. Instead, she heeded Howard's warning and focused on surviving the weather moreso than ensuring their assailants fell back properly. She tucked in low to avoid the worst of it, but neither of her current partners were well-equipped to handle this weather. She could hear Capsakid's frustrated cries as the sandstorm inevitable filled in some of the excavation work they'd done and rubbed their skin raw. [break][break]

"Should have set up a castform as a guard," she said more to herself than the others. Short-sightedness would cost them progress on this project, though Ameena bristled less as Makoto took action to defog.

TAGS – Makoto Kurumi howard slayte [break]

NOTES - [break][break]

Their instructions were clear, but Ameena felt unsure what to expect. Ultra Crater is one of the ultra wild spaces that she's never ventured into. It held nothing of interest to her. However, it held something of value to Rocket, so she was obligated to assist in the effort to retrieve it. She had little interest in fighting legendary pokemon. [break][break]

"Do you think we will find anything of interest?" She leaned in to Makoto Kurumi as the group filed through the rift to the Ultra Crater. Makoto's research differed from Ameena's, but if there was something here that could serve them, then Ameena would assist wherever possible to secure data for her fellow scientist. [break][break]

Hitoshi's instructions spilled out. Before any further planning could happen, the buzz of kartana overwhelmed the area. Ameena didn't know many of the Rockets here, but she knew Diana Cavendish and gestured with her head to suggest Diana follow the same path Ameena sought out. Under her breath, she uttered some choice words about sword squad being their denomination. Unown covered her six with a shadow screen to block off pursuing kartana as she headed to the waterfall.

TAGS – Diana Cavendish Makoto Kurumi [break]

NOTES – SWORD | Unown is out | Heading to waterfall destination | Unown works to protect the group [break][break]

Another scattering of stars looked bipedal. It seemed to have long arms. Maybe it was nostalgia that had her thinking of Amor, but this looked like Erebus. [break][break]

Perhaps it was a deoxys. [break][break]

She knew they came from space, so it seemed fitting to see its likeness in the stars. The otherworldly-ness of it was daunting, though deoxys was the most approachable of the space pokemon she knew of. It didn't seem necessarily warm or friendly, but it must have been a decent companion. Amor would not have settled. Makoto seemed well-equipped to handle the pokemon, but she hoped it wasn't difficult. They would need its power against Eternatus.

TAGS – [break]

NOTES –[break][break]

Overexposure to Musharna's mist and even this specific dream terrain make it difficult for the mist to stimulate her mind on the standard dose. For the others, however, she can see the beginning of a visible dream form from their linked minds. [break][break]

What must be their house forms around the room, though it is somewhat abstract. Details are missing, and sometimes furniture floats, but it is grounded enough to set the scene. She sees them enter, sees their mouths move. Their words are not audible to her in the mist, but to the two who dreamed it - who lived it - the words can be clear as day. [break][break]

She does her best to avoid reading the lips of the dream-manifestations of her superiors. This moment is not for her to learn of the intimate memories corrupted by the dream study, but to learn of how the dream forms more concretely when generated from two minds, from two perspectives of the same unconscious event. [break][break]

The discussion between the dream husbands grows heated.

TAGS – Cillian Quinn Tempest Quinn [break]

NOTES – [break][break]

"Petalburg has settled since its original conquest," Ameena explained pragmatically, "but the civilians who have been coerced to stay may not feel so kindly to us yet. It would be unwise to trust civilian investigators on the case when it comes to a clear Rocket murder."[break][break]

Clear murder might be an overstatement. There's too much they don't know. [break][break]

The Lucario clears up some. His purple, abnormal veins point to a dark influence. "I think... I think I saw something like this back in the penitentiary." She doesn't want to continue to remind Diana of the dark period, but it's inescapable. She steps close to the unconscious Lucario for a closer look, but it must have been faking it because it strikes at her with a force palm that sends her flying several feet until she lands on her back. She's too wounded to speak, but the Lucario gives his two captors the same treatment, blasting them away with breakneck speed.

TAGS – Diana Cavendish [break]

NOTES – [break][break]

It was an interesting train of thought, but it wasn't practical enough for pursuit. She wouldn't bother trying to manipulate someone through their dreams. It would take more time and effort than she could justify to successfully plant enough seeds in a sleeping mind to get a drastic change of action from an individual. "Mind control for real would be far more successful," she offers instead. "It could take years to successfully alter a mind significantly solely through the use of dreams. At least, to do so with subtlety."[break][break]

Someone might not change their allegiance because of one or two nightmares, after all. [break][break]

Bold of him to ask such a question of her, but she knew lab partners who would do the same. Dream researchers couldn't help themselves from asking about one another's dreams. From him, though, the question felt dangerous. "I dream of a loss I suffered as a child." The honest truth. He's earned something from her for his participation today, but she's not sure he's earned her reality. [break][break]

But she gives it anyways. She's not so lucky for such a confession to lessen the weight on her shoulders. "I can give you my personal cell." She begins to write on a note paper. "If you continue to have unusual dreams or abnormal sleep patterns, let me know. I will see if there's some sort of treatment I can offer." Nothing truly ethical, of course, would come from such an offer. She wondered if he would remember whatever he dreamed of tonight. She wondered if she would be in it. If Elisabeth would be, or Groudon. Who would pursue his waking mind tonight?

TAGS – MATIAS SILPH [break]

NOTES – [break][break]

"Any particular memories, or just in general?"[break][break]

The pieces were falling into place. Indeed, it was possible due to their psychic link that Metagross was overwhelmed. This basis paired with the innate traumatic responses and coursing adrenaline from war could have exacerbated a negative emotion or otherwise tied these memories to negative emotions. War did not foster kindness or greatness in its soldiers. Ameena knew first hand. [break][break]

The nature of the misbehavior could be more on the Metagross internally, more on dem internally, or a result of the war wreaking havoc inside a vulnerable mind. She needed to see it firsthand. Alakazam appeared before them, and Ameena's attention went to him. "Take us to the lab," she instructed, and the psychic would teleport them to the basement laboratory. [break][break]

"We can see it first hand with the help of Moira." Her Musharna floated close. "We can project only the Metagross' dreams if you want to stand far away, or we can project both of your unconscious minds and see how your minds feed into each other." It could be intense, so she wanted to give dem an opportunity to really think about opening their mind.

TAGS – Fenelle Miller [break]

NOTES – teleported to lab[break][break]

One of the clusters called out to her. [break][break]

It took a moment to parse, but her subconscious recognized it before she could articulate the words. Pink, floating, fairy... yes, the very deity she predicted had some sort of relationship to the dream realm. The flowers on its island domain could cause sleep, and the fairy had notable psychic prowess. [break][break]

Tapu Lele, it had to be. There was no other choice.

TAGS – [break]

NOTES – idk the constellation name for this one but i screenshotted it [break][break]

Ah, League interception. [break][break]

The League would never tire of its old song and dance. They couldn't wrap their minds around how futile it was to struggle. Howard's response was overkill, and Ameena got the distinct impression that Makoto didn't care for the unnecessary violence. They were very level-headed in that way. [break][break]

Ameena, for her part, just wanted the most efficient route to returning to work. She had little interest in watching Howard drink himself to death. His second flask didn't go unnoticed, but it wasn't a battle she could pick over the one in front of her. "Help convince them to run away," she instructed Larvesta. The bug used screech to make it difficult for the Leaguers to focus on drawing pokemon or be able to audibly order them around -- all signs of a losing battle against some Rockets and a rock giant.

TAGS – Makoto Kurumi howard slayte [break]

NOTES - larvesta uses screech[break][break]

His dialogue was pulled straight out of an advertisement for AA. She did feel a twinge of pity as he insisted he could quit he wanted -- something true for no addict - but such a sentiment would go unappreciated by the admin. "If anything happens at this site, your memory of the event will be compromised." The three of them were there for advancements, right? Or to protect the organization? It didn't matter why they did what they did, only that they did it. Rocket's political agenda was never going to conflict with her studies, so she opted to take a backseat to stressing about it, since that only brought her grief. [break][break]

She looked to Makoto's discovery with feigned interest. "We will be here all day playing with relics if we cannot expedite our process. I think we should use the explosives, so we can get to the finer materials deeper in the earth." No war was won by slowpokes. [break][break]

If they could clear the site before Howard cleared his bottle, she would buy Makoto anything they asked for. She took Howard's comment as an opportunity to assess Makoto openly. The sun had favored the scientist, and the look favored them. It was nice to be out in the field instead of stuck in a stuff laboratory, but Ameena had plans with a certain Leaguer that couldn't be pushed off forever for some site in the wilds. [break][break]

She gathered some of the explosive materials. "The sooner we clear the site, the sooner you can enjoy your booze in peace."

TAGS – Makoto Kurumi howard slayte [break]

NOTES - bomb[break][break]