Many people strayed from Dewford for these kinds of operations because of the famous law enforcement. Few wanted to go toe to toe with Navy . But she knew the Sheriff to be rather busy, and he couldn't protect the city all the time. In fact, she was confident Dewford in particular pushed a narrative of protection so their members could be elsewhere in Hoenn. [break][break]

The theory was put to the test tonight. She had Gardevoir peeling steel from the structure of the warehouse. They carefully pulled around support beams, not yet tearing at the poles holding up the building, but it would be an additional benefit to her and Rocket to shut down the steel-riddled warehouse before the League could take advantage of its resources in the coming war. [break][break]

"We probably have an hour before any movement or sound raises enough suspicion for concerned citizens to call it in," she advised Gardevoir. Ameena, for her part, was dressed properly for the motorcycle she had traveled on, aware such a high-value warehouse might have psychic energy sensors to prevent teleport break-ins. Her helmet's visor assisted in protecting her eyes from the sight of Delphox' brutal flames as she melted some of Gardevoir's stolen steel down into logistically-friendly cubes.

TAGS – Montgomery James [break]

NOTES – stealing steel[break][break]

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The weather was an anomaly. [break][break]

The harsh sunlight in the giant chasm was previously unheard of. The environment shouldn't have experienced such heat nor direct light. She wondered how much damage it would do to the tera crystals inside. The power of the weather might trigger some of the teras to go off. She let Xurkitree enter the chasm ahead of her to scare off any of the natural wildlife. She had no interest in a fight when she had studies to run. [break][break]

She pulled out her energy reader as she spelunked. "Let us see how this impacts the cave..." She followed her ultra beast deeper, waiting to see how deep she needed to be to see where the sunlight's impact ended.

TAGS – giant chasm[break]

NOTES – xurkitree learns electrify[break][break]

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Ameena was pleased at his acceptance, though the ease in which he moved towards Urshifu reminded her that he was made of something else entirely. His connection to Necrozma was unlike one she had witnessed from the other Avatars at the Penitentiary, and she still did not know what to make of it. It seemed effortless, how he summoned the power of his deity, and she wasn't sure if it was bloodlust or apathy or something incomprehensible that motivated the destructive force of nature he became. [break][break]

"Hold back a little," she answered after some thought. Urshifu grunted unhappily, but he had battled only pokemon, sparred only her, and had not witnessed the result of something harnessing both. [break][break]

She took a cautious step back. "I think we will both end up learning from you, so if you could try not to break anything..." She did not want to hunt for more fighting types when she had one with such potential. She opened her mouth to initiate the spar, but Urshifu threw a punch in response to his injured ego.

TAGS – Zev Harcourt [break]

NOTES – [break][break]

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Ever since receiving a mega stone, Gardevoir had become far more reactive. She was almost too protective of Ameena and far too ready to lay down fire to support her, but Gardevoir wasn't as familiar with the game being played. Ameena had a reputation to protect. She couldn't... she couldn't make public enemies, not yet. [break][break]

But the damage was done. Ameena would never earn this woman's trust, and what was one Leaguer? [break][break]

"So passive," Ameena criticized as she straightened back up, feeling emboldened by the encouragement Gardevoir was sending through their telepathic connection. Gardevoir wanted the fight, and Ameena found herself less persuaded by the rationale to avoid it. "Do you ever fight for something? For yourself, even? Do you always rely on the sympathy of others for survival?" Was that her speaking or Gardevoir? The two of them felt like one as Gardevoir mega evolved. [break][break]

Mega Gardevoir launched mystical fire at Yuina and Kano, and Ameena found herself laughing at the sight instead.

TAGS – Yuina Higashi [break]

NOTES – make it double[break][break]

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Vengeance. [break][break]

Ameena knew it well. Alakazam looked pleased at her answer, too, sensing how Ameena had warmed up to the idea immediately. Ameena had juggled both her desire for revenge and her own studies, both achieving, in different ways, her goals of honoring (and reuniting with) her mum. "Justice is only possible without the constraints of weak-willed people unfamiliar with pain. Rocket was a good choice," she praised. [break][break]

Indeed, the League would have conducted an investigation and found nothing tying her father and his accolades to her mum's murder. If Ameena couldn't secure hard proof, how would they? Rocket did not need proof. Ameena had even enlisted the help of the very capable Zev Harcourt for the removal of one man. More would follow, in time. "I can help you with gaining the power you need for this goal. There are countless capable allies in this organization. I am happy to connect you to some." [break][break]

But for the immediate day, there were smaller steps to take. "We can build your team and cover weak points. You may also find value in a little undercover work if you are willing to forge connections with Leaguers; gaining intel and using their resources can propel you further, especially if you find anything of value for the Underbosses." A lot of their work, collectively, seemed to revolve around Avatarship, though she could not speak to all of their motivations and goals with her limited interactions. [break][break]

"We could battle sometime. I would be more than happy to join you on a hunt for pokemon. I will call when I find opportunities like the great chasm; we can explore together and see what we can find for the war effort. Have you been to Ultra Space yet, or the RKS?" Both were excellent routes to bizarre rewards found nowhere else. An Ultra Beast might be exactly what Alison needed.

TAGS – Alison Everly [break]

NOTES – bond bridge[break][break]

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Cillian was open-minded. She needed to remind herself to be open to unusual opportunities and interdisciplinary revelations -- Hoenn was too strange to permit any other attitude. Maybe she could find a way to use dreams to aid in the collective Rocket conquest, maybe she couldn't, but that research would support some goal or other eventually. [break][break]

"Programming, dream research, fieldwork, networking," Ameena listed, "Lulu Flint has no shortcomings as far as I have seen." She shared Cillian's pride. She owed Lulu a lot. It was her work and connection to Rocket that confirmed to Ameena that she could do good work with them, that her work could align with their interest, and that there was a scientific community in Hoenn not tied down by worthless ethical quandary. [break][break]

Ameena was getting closer to Genesect. Gardevoir played with the tassel on the wild Honedge, far familiar with Amenea's own Doublade, and reminded Ameena of the value of familiarity. "After witnessing Megalopolan prowess and technology first hand, I wonder if there is an avenue to explore with them in terms of preparing for war. Have you any experience in collaborating with one directly?" She knew Rocket had connections with at least one, though she had personally never interacted with any beyond the child at the Penitentiary.

TAGS – Cillian Quinn [break]

NOTES – catching HONEDGE[break][break]

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It went against all the training on etiquette she had been raised on, but she sighed. Lulu was right. It hadn't been a worthless experience, it hadn't been a total loss... She had learned quite a bit. [break][break]

"You are right," she conceded. "Amor had told me about his experience with tera crystals and dream energy to summon Regidrago." Something she had never heard of before. "It is something to explore, especially with what we have seen about the relationship between tera crystals and the dream world. The Megalopolans had demonstrated a stronger relationship than I had previously believed existed."[break][break]

How to harness it, she couldn't quite say. She had done little work with tera so far. She had hoped to steal some Megalopolan technology to begin such work, but all she had gained was the bracelet. Ameena turned off her sensors and looked at Lulu more closely, noticing what the other doctor had carried into the lab. With refreshed interest, she asked, "What have you brought?"

TAGS – Lulu Flint [break]

NOTES – [break][break]

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Ameena returned jayden cross 's acknowledgement with a brief nod, pleased to see there was no pity or discouragement. Getting knocked out round one was unfortunate, but demonstrating her ability to strategize with traps was better than getting knocked out for fighting with wild abandon. [break][break]

She smiled at Aurelie's surprise to see her and Rhys. "Unfortunate, I know," she mused. She was glad to see Aurelie. Quite a bit of time had passed since their excursion in area zero where Aurelie had confirmed what Amor had alluded to months ago - that Megalopolans were cannibals - and in all that passing time, Ameena had even encountered Megalopolans herself. [break][break]

"I see a lot of excellent fighters below." She stood beside Aurelie, watching the contenders. She turned back to the woman as she referenced the prison in her conversation with THEO BECKETT ; she was in full agreement with Aurelie's assessment that there was no way to prepare for the worst anymore. "And it feels like little was gained from the experience. That Megalopolan bracelet I snatched," Ameena offered, referring to what had fallen off the child she'd tried to take from the ship, "is just an unusual mineral make-up, but nothing of value. No odd energy signatures, nor tera or toxic chain relationship."

TAGS – jayden cross Aurelie Lefevre THEO BECKETT [break]

NOTES – Discuss recent events and how they impact Team Rocket.[break][break]

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