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clodsiremom · 3 months

Note

Some time has passed since your adventure across time and space.

Today, a letter finds you. This letter isn’t delivered by the postal carrier that you usually expect: you would be met at the front door of your dwelling by a young man dressed in white, a hat on top of his head, and a professional, kind smile on his face. Having to sign for a simple letter seems odd, but the courier assures that ‘this is standard protocol for us.’

A white envelope stamped with the familiar golden trident of the Aether Foundation is in your hands. Inside of it is a letter written with extraordinarily neat penmanship.

Ms. Rika,

I hope this letter finds you well, and that you are recovering from our expedition from the comfort of your own home.

In the coming days, myself and the Aether Foundation will likely be in the international news regarding our ‘strangely timed’ decision to sever certain partnerships with fellow giants in our shared industry. Do not be alarmed by this. It is a direct response to harrowing usage of my intellectual property in another time, and another place. I, and the entirety of my team, will not allow Aether technology to cause harm to people, or Pokemon, neither by our hands, or the hands of our competitors. You may sleep soundly knowing that our collective actions will prevent an apocalypse of that magnitude happening in our home.

From my mind to yours: I wish to personally thank you for your involvement, and the tireless effort that you put into destroying Archeus. It has left a lasting impression on me, as I am sure it has with the rest of our team.

Several of the partners that we relocated from Area Zero are currently being rehabilitated in the Aether Conservation Area. We are currently zoning an area strictly for our iron partners, so that they may receive enrichment and resources whenever they need.

The Aether Foundation is dedicated to improving the relationship between people, Pokémon, and technology. Consider myself, and my foundation, as a permanent ally, and useful resource for anything that you may need. I highly encourage you to take advantage of these resources whenever necessary.

Lastly, you are cordially invited to the Aether Paradise on a later date, to be honored for your duty, for defending life as we know it, and for instilling a bright new belief in humanity– for me.

Thank you.

Do not hesitate to contact me. Attached to this letter is my business contact, and personal contact. I request that you keep it to yourself.

-President Lusamine Delacroix

At the bottom corner of the letter is a large, strange blotch of ink. A thumb print, maybe? Upon further investigation, it seems to have been left by the tip of the tail of a serpentine creature, who also wanted to sign the note.

Rika signs for the letter, the mark of the Aether Foundation shimmers on it. She thanks the courier and returns into her apartment to read it. Perched on the counter of her kitchen and swinging her legs.

She giggles at the ink blotch at the bottom and turns it around to show Ferenze, who had slowly started remembering things.

"Look, Boba says hello."

She sets the envelope aside and pins the letter itself to a cork board she has hung on the wall. It's nestled between photos of Beebee, her colleagues and friends of the Elite Four, notably including a picture of a sobbing Hassel, notes sent from Remy, and a picture of her and Terra. Oddly enough, the camera was able to capture both of them and not get all wonky in development.

"Should've got a picture of you and your friends, Ferenze. Maybe I'll get it at this meeting, that is if everyone shows up."

She takes a moment to put Lusamine's contact in her phone and sends a greeting text.

[txt] It's Rika, Duo. I received your letter and look forward to getting to visit Aether Paradise. Please reach out if you need anything from me as well, as I still hold my Elite Four position in Paldea. Tell Boba Ferenze and I said hello.

The Iron Nine spreads his tails apart happily.

#;;answered #az dive 3 #paradox pokemon : iron nine : ferenze

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clodsiremom · 3 months

Text

Area Zero Dive, Part 9 - Final

Featuring Lusamine (@aetherceuse), Hassel (@hesperio), Giovanni (@earth-master), Hilda (@heroftruth), Violet!Rika [nicknamed 'Duo'] (@clodsiremom) , Scarlet!Rika (@monterraverde), Celeste (@vixletserenity), Arven (@titanchaser), Red (@silentchamp), Green (@greenxprof), and Larry (@unrestedlaurel)

And @blastburned as everyone else.

The following is a synopsis of the events of the Expedition to Area Zero.

Part One || Part Two || Part Three || Part Four || Part 5 || Part 6 || Part 7 || Part 8

They head to the central area of Zero City, to the building called the Solarium, a grand tower in a complex of semi-circular buildings, above which the crystalline "sun", the Terrastal Sol, was suspended.

As they got closer to the building, they could see that the Silph Co. logo, tilted at an odd angle, and that the building itself was called "Healix Inc." Flanking each side were four very large solar arrays, and a chasm that showed several buildings in a complex far underground. Entering in, there was an immediate quiet. In the center of the lobby was a large, crystalline tree. It bore no leaves, but dimly lit the area and seemed to be the only thing making noise in the space.

They walked over to a very broad front desk with holographic screens flashing old images, one with a screen out of order. With a little searching around, Rika finds a desiccated husk of a woman behind that front desk sitting against a wall.

Apollo advised that they'd need a way to get in. Duo thought to check the desk first, finding not much but personal effects and Lost and Found. She took a bright flashlight that had been saved as Rika very carefully looted the husk of a metal wallet, and the ID card within. Green tried to look for information at the front desk, but Apollo informed him that anything worthwhile would be in computers with corporate clearance.

Collectively, they agree to go to the Pharmaceutical Room for supplies, and find a few dead that were not killed by nanomachines. In front of the prescription kiosk, it looked as if people had fought over prescriptions an had killed for some as well. Green checked under a body and found it hid two of the serum that Apollo needed. Apollo was thankful to have twenty more hours.

Hassel found notes on the general history of the space. He picked up an information brochure printed on a dry, heavily textured paper, containing an overview of Healix Inc. and the development of Zero City, along with the Synthetic Pokemon Project, and the NanoGuard. He decided to take out his Terra Orb, to see how it was behaving, and found that while it was finally recharging, it was recharging very slowly, as if the energy was running out.

Green searched for more higher clearance cards, and managed to find an ID with more security clearance than the secretary. Searching through the computers, he found a very long email chain between two married people arguing over the nanomachine problem, as well as a document revealing that development of the RKS was outsourced to Zero City, and grown around a pokemon.

Rika asked Apollo if he could log in to anything since he used to work for these people, and he reminded her that he was fired- but he did steal his supervisor's credentials.

The supervisor was an Archaeologist responsible for bringing artifacts to Zero City that were sourced in Mt. Coronet, Sinnoh, approximately forty years ago. They found that the plates that the system used for learning were encoded with the genetic memory of thousands of pokemon. Hilda curiously looked to see if Reshiram was among them, and found that not only was Reshiram included in the memory of these plates, but that no less than four Reshiram contributed. From this information Lusamine and Giovanni were able to determine that the RKS pulled individuals in from multiple timelines to study.

Then they found that the last transmission was about someone having unauthorized access to the lab, and that was when the nanomachines went out of control. Some people in the party had the passing thought that it could have been Professor Turo, but Giovanni disagreed, saying that it sounded more like corporate espionage.

Lusamine thought about the most likely suspects between Lysandre Labs and Macro Cosmos, arriving to the conclusion that Macro Cosmos was most likely behind it, being the ones that were in negotiations with her for massive energy output. Boba suggested to her that this meant that Rose likely never got his hands on it.

Satisfied with the information they were able to find, they departed for the Array where the RKS was housed, and arrived to great iron doors that were large, pneumatic, and locked. Everyone began to look for the lever to open it, with Giovanni and Red searching independently- but arriving to a mechanical box with electrical panels. After a brief moment of shared exasperation, they both began to work on solving the logic puzzle with Red labeling the colored buttons for Giovanni.

Once they had solved it, a lever emerged closest to Hassel, and he called out to the others that it had been found. Gathering around the lever, Giovanni rallied the others to remind them that just because this thing could analyze and adapt to their weaknesses, it didn't mean that it was invulnerable. He encouraged them to think like masters, and look out for the team, as everyone agreed to conclude this the right way and go home. Apollo wished them luck, but opted to stay out of the fight. They stood around, preparing themselves and their fellow teammates before agreeing to Hassel to pull the lever.

Hassel pulled the lever, part of the cylinder slid open to reveal that just beyond was a dark chamber. Duo turned on the flashlight she found, and aimed inward, revealing that the chamber seemed even bigger inside than outside. Very close to the wall, they made out faint glowing forms and several of them. Larry and Celeste found cables jutting from several planes of spheres, and a complex network of wires inside the entire chamber, indicating to them that this was a lift of some kind.

Jack reminded everyone that facing this thing that there would be a point where he and his companions were unable to fight, and he was entrusting everyone to get them out. Everyone agreed to that, just as the door slid closed behind them, and a glyph on the floor began to glow with a prismatic shine.

Duo aimed her light above, and saw something suspended from the ceiling. Hilda used Reshiram's power from the Light Stone to take a closer look at the things on the wall, coffin shaped crystals, each with a faintly glowing light. Red was drawn to the one glowing a faint red, decided to touch it, and immediately became overwhelmed.

There was a thunking sound as the floor began to move, and cables started to life the enormous area skyward. A quiet metal groan drew their attention upward, as something began moving. Suddenly, the entire platform lit up in bright light and a machine lowered itself from the ceiling, like a spider dangling from a web.

Green commanded his Aegislash to defend Lusamine as he mounted his mechanical noivern, Echo. The RKS warped the area, disrupting everyone's frame of mind and halting action for a few brief moments.

Hassel recovered quickly, mounting Donna to use Boiling Breath on the machine, and the RKS Stole the type of the attack, shifting to Water. Red sent Janus forward to Acid Shot, but the attack missed. Red followed through by swinging the blade Giovanni gifted him, hitting the machine twice. The RKS retaliated by swinging its spider-like limbs at Red and Janus. Then, the RKS pulsed a burning, disruptive aura, focusing its Trinity Attack on Janus and obliterate Red, but every shot missed.

Arven activated his stellar energy in the Paradise Protocol, but missed on his attack, so Iron Thorns used Thunder to hit RKS. RKS Retaliated by forcibly desynchronizing the two, but Sage immediately struck again with Thunder.

RKS pulsed another auro of energy to hurt those around it. Green rode closer, trying to distract it with the bunsen burner while Echo used Bite on the RKS. The machine reared back conjuring down beams of fire on everyone that had attacked it so far, emulating Judgement.

Lusamine sends Sivally, and has it activate its own RKS system and has it switch to Grass Type to target the current weakness, and Sivally made two attacks as Lusamine fired on the machine with her sidearm, and the RKS shifted into a Grass Type.

Giovanni hung back, looking at the field itself, and on the RKS. He weighed how much damage the attacks had done to the creature, and how much the machine had hurt his companions, and found that the RKS was still unacceptably functional and healthy- in spite of everything. He called Jack over to him on a hunch and had Jack assist him in breaking one of the coffin-shaped plates.

The attack seemed to do something significant, and the RKS shrieked, forcibly desynchronizing Jack and Giovanni. Giovanni called out to the others about the weakness he'd found and instructed Rika to target one before moving over to the next plate.

Hilda used her bond with the Light Stone to summon a spectral image of Reshiram for aid, having the fiery guardian stay close to the RKS, as Will used Fire Fang and Crunch on RKS. Rika sent her Iron Bulwark, that she had named Bully in remembrance of the first creature they couldn't save, to charge forward as she targeted the coffin plates that Giovanni instructed her to do, damaging, but not breaking the thing.

Larry targeted the coffin of Steel Type energy and tried to break it, but was unable to- so he called out to Arven to try to get another attack on the machine as the elevator rose to the very top of the building, and they had a view of the entire city and the Terrastal Sol.

Duo and Ferenze used the opportunity to take out her Sonic Deterrent Device and targeted two of the plates to shatter the crystal together. The RKS shrieked again at the loss of the plates and once again targeted those around it with the meteors of Judgement.

Green's Aegislash was badly hurt by the fire dealt by the RKS, so it mended itself before rending one of the plates on Lusamine's command.

Celeste's Miraidon entered the field and activated the Quark Drive of every single Paradox Monster with them, along with the RKS. Celeste had Bombshell Ground Burst on two of the coffins, and Asterope nearly broke two on its own. RKS used the exposure to the Terrastal Sol to create a Solar Flare, hurting many of the party as beams of light struck them. Hassel and Donna flew over the RKS and plummeted down to Hydraulic Body Press the machine, and then Dragon Kick the RKS. Hassel struck with the Valiant Glaive as Red had Janus Fiery Dance above the machine as he followed through with two more strikes with the knife.

The RKS swept around itself with the spider-like appendages, then aimed a beam of energy at Giovanni. Duo distracted the creature, disrupting the trajectory so that the energy didn't injure the man as much. Arven struck at the monster with his stellar-infused punches, as Sage destroyed another plate. Green had Echo fly over to the Ice Energy Coffin and destroy it as well with a Dragon Storm, then activated his device to superheat the metal in the RKS's structure.

Lusamine commanded Boba to destroy the Grass Plate and fired her gun at the RKS. Jack attacked the machine with his Laser Blade, and RKS immediately retaliated with raking its limbs across everyone around it. Giovanni went to destroy the next plate, and found that touching it seemed to resonate with him in a way that almost distracted him from his purpose. He managed to fight through the impulse, and nearly breaks the Ground Plate.

Hilda's spectral Reshiram flared with divine energy, Will hit the machine with the last Fire Fang he tried. Rika managed to destroy two of the coffin plates, before rejoining Bully to assist her dragon with a Bite. Larry anticipated the RKS falling soon, and mentally called the whale over to their location, bidding Red to run to Hilda because the man was looking the most hurt. Red ran to Hilda and Will, then Duo began to heal a majority of the party.

RKS called down a Judgement once again, and Aegislash redoubled on rending through a coffin. Asterope and Bombshell broke four more plates between them, and Celeste focused herself on her teammates to help heal Red. Donna used another Hydraulic Body Press on the machine, then flew over to shield Red with Healing Bubbles, leaving Hassel to make two more attacks with the Valiant Glaive. Janus spewed more flames above the RKS, and Red, in a moment of tired frustration, cracked the visor of the machine with the blade Giovanni gifted him.

Arven, in the same frame of tired frustration, threw his fist through the visor, feeling the dryness of the interior, and the wires within. He grabbed hold of the processing unit and ripped it out as the machine finally stuttered and thrashed onto the ground.

As RKS fell, the Terrastal Sol began to flicker and creak. Janus, in her last moments of cognizance said her goodbyes to Red, and powered off. All other Paradox monsters became dormant, and everyone dragged their partners onto the whale that had arrived just on time. They went back for Apollo, and got monsters into the capsules he had, flying away from the city, and taking one last parting shot at the dam, flooding the rest of the city, and traveling back through the area they had arrived in, after Larry capsuled the whale to take home with him.

Apollo refused to go with them, not believing their story about a possible timeline collapse, but taking the serum and wishing them luck on their side, and the party did the same for him, as he went to escape on his own.

They traveled back through the crystals, into the relative quiet of the Zero Lab they had come in from, where John was sitting there, watching a screen of static, waiting for them.

He congratulated them on their efforts and told them there was one last thing they needed to do: quarantine. To not endanger this timeline with microbes and nanomachines from a different area. He has them join hands on the back of the chair he was sitting them before he transported them similarly to how he did before. They arrived in the middle of a red sand desert with a single building punctuating the landscape. It was a safehouse in Orre.

They deep clean and remain for three days before he summons each of them to go their separate ways. Duo chose to go see their significant other, Remy, in Saffron, taking Ferenze with her. It takes Ferenze a while to recover.

Hilda and John talk to each other about Interpol overall, and while he couldn't claim responsibility for all Interpol, nor does he want to, he did a favor and looked into who exactly did not answer the calls for help when Ghetsis took over. He had an open offer for her to investigate, because he had a few names. And if she ever went against Ghetsis again, advised to just kill him, because he wasn't special, and was very pathetic. Hilda reminded John that he was also dangerous, and John replied most pathetic men were. Hilda kept in touch with Lusamine for rehabilitation with Will.

Celeste goes home with Bombshell, and starts to prepare for her concert, sending out invitations for people she'd made friends with. She left with a new resolve to take control of her own life and face the future on her own terms.

John spoke with Arven, and asked if he found what he needed. Arven said he did, that he found himself, and found the bigger picture. John told Arven that he didn't think that Arven's anger at his parents was unfounded, that everyone needed a certain amount of selfishness to survive; and Arven agreed that he wanted to live for himself and follow his own path. John told Arven that he really does enjoy watching him work, whether it was by making picnics or managing to do something that even his father couldn't dream of.

When it comes time for Lusamine to return home, she finds John smiling and looking over a book, but she commented that it didn't look like he was paying much attention. John said that it was a journal of an old friend he intended to give back, that he read it before. He asked if she learned anything. She said that she did, and said that there was going to be a lot of changes and some uncomfortable conversations with investors going forward. John talked about the siren song of immortality. It's always going to be there. Jumping off the boat to chase immortality and phantasm- there's no one to save you. She admits that she changed her views. That she found humanity in the things created by humans.

She returned to Aether Paradise and informed Faba that his work was going to be tripling, then found Lillie standing by the front desk, and invited her to come with her, that there was something wonderful she needed to show her.

Rika cut her hair off in quarantine. When she approached John, he remarked that she was glad she cut it, as the hair would have attracted so many microbes. John hoped she learned something. Rika simply replied that she did, then went home to Saffron, taking Bully with her. She spent a night by herself before she went to talk to Proton.

Larry took a cigarette from John when it's time for him to leave. He addressed that he knew John doesn't have to eat, but offered if John takes him out for dinner, he'll take John out for a smoke. John agreed to the terms and sent Larry back to Medali, where Larry took the whale to live in the mountains nearby where there's perpetual strange weather. Later, there's several rumors about UFOs.

Hassel stopped to address John before leaving, and gave a small lecture about not stealing him to adventure at the start of the school semester. John apologized but also said he knew Hassel already had several lesson plans ready. Hassel said that it was the principle of the matter. John left Hassel with the invitation that if he did want to adventure, John had a lot of opportunity involving dragons. Hassel went home with Donna, and made his way to the piano. Over a couple of days, Hassel put together the song she had sang when she woke up after first meeting, and on the third day, she woke up singing once more.

John waited for Red, Green, and Giovanni all at once. He informed them that he had to send them home a little differently. That there was something dangerous, and while he admitted that he was a bastard, he wasn't the kind to send people directly to doom. They all understood that it was Black Fog he was speaking of.

Before he sent them home, he handed a small blue pearl to Giovanni, telling him that he was giving it back to him from another life, and that it was good to see him again. Giovanni took the pearl and told him it was good to meet him for the first time. John looked forward to being a pain, and Giovanni said he wasn't as much a pain as some others he met.

John sends them to the Viridian Forest, where just outside of it, it seemed as if something was watching the trio as they followed the path down. In the forest itself, the energy was less oppressive. Red took a moment to offer his hand to Giovanni, and shake it in a solemn 'thank you.' Green nodded quietly in turn as well, acknowledging him. They parted ways, and Red and Green ended up in Pallet Town in their own timeline, somehow, the presence of Black Fog simply not there.

Giovanni opted to remain in the forest, walking down familiar paths that only he and a few knew, to visit the shrine that he and Yellow had spent time repairing. He took Jack out of the capsule, who stared at him blankly, and Giovanni spared a moment to activate the drive he'd collected from Jack before. Giovanni set up his camp, and tended a fire, and meditated until the fire waned. When he rose from his meditation, Jack held out his hand to him, and Giovanni reached back.

#az dive 3 #gg everyone

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clodsiremom · 3 months

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Crawling out of Area Zero once again...

Beaten, injured but among friends. The 3 days in quarantine felt like forever, though. Rika spent some time each day with Ferenze. The first was taking the upload from Giovanni and putting it in the slot on the body of the paradox ninetails. She knew nothing would change, Giovanni had said as much, but it didn't help her not feel crestfallen that her new friend wasn't themself.

The second day, she sat with fire on her fingertips and lit a cigarette. Retelling the unresponsive Iron Nine how it felt being synced. The urge to set things on fire, but in a calculated way. Strategic for their victory. Smashing the typing platforms together.

The third day, she talked about all the things she had planned to do with Ferenze. The places she wanted to show him. People she wanted him to meet. At length, she spoke of her reporter partner, Remy. She just knows Ferenze would like them.

The emptiness still persisted.

It wasn't until they left the desert and quarantine that something clicked. Warmth drifted over her, and she looked at the Iron Nine once more, expecting nothing in return, but a familiar chuckle filtered into her mind when she spoke of their excitement to shoot the big fire gun.

Of course, she burst into tears. Of course, she threw herself onto the body of her friend to hug them. And of course, she wanted to set something, anything on fire to celebrate.

She settled on lighting a cigarette and telling her hopes of travel to Ferenze once again.

#az dive 3 #drabble #paradox pokemon : Iron Nine : Ferenze

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clodsiremom · 3 months

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GG Players. It was a joy to take you to the future.

#az dive 3 #thank you so much cas #this group was amazing

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clodsiremom · 3 months

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Joined in. Quick phone doodle for her name.

#ooc #mun art #mine #american sign language

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clodsiremom · 3 months

Note

"How did you come to occupy a different timeline? Having two of the same individual in this unit is far from improbable, given the circumstances, but you arrived together with your alternate from my residential reality," there is a pause.

"I am usually up to date on those who crossover from another world, but you never crossed my radar."

"Well, to be honest, I don't exactly know how it happens every time. For the PWT, it was the invitation. And plenty of different universes converged for that."

She rubs on her arm.

"I have a feeling that John had something to do with it this time. However, those are not the only times I have crossed. I am beginning to realize I've crossed quite a handful of times, as the person I date is also from your reality."

A thought crosses her mind, and she makes a face by scrunching her brows together and frowning.

"My time in my Area Zero has probably done something. I feel oddly at home here but also know how foreign it is. I have had a strange connection to my younger self since we met. We are able to communicate even when I know I am in my own world."

#;;answered #;;into the future #az dive 3

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clodsiremom · 4 months

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There is a 'Kiss me!' sign on my muse's back. Bring on the kisses!

#ask meme #you know you want to

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clodsiremom · 4 months

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Area Zero Dive, Group 1, Game 1

Featuring Lusamine (@aetherceuse), Hassel (@hesperio), Hilda (@heroftruth), Giovanni (@earth-master), Violet!Rika [nicknamed Duo] (@clodsiremom), Scarlet!Rika (@monterraverde)

And @blastburned as Everyone Else

The following is a synopsis of the events of the Expedition to Area Zero.

The game began with a summons by the Director of Special Investigations in Interpol, inviting everyone to meet in the courtyard after attending a lecture hosted by Professor Oak at Celadon University.

Giovanni arrived early to scope out the area, and was bid to help the professor set up while he ranted about the Dean, who was responsible for embezzling and the poor state of the lecture hall. Lusamine arrived shortly after, noticing a figure above watching them, and was acknowledged by the professor for her research and accolades. She was followed in by both Rika's who were relaying information about strange occurences and mirrored injuries.

Hassel arrived later, after listening to some rumors about how a student had put Crisco shortening to one of the statues. Hilda initially attended the wrong event, trying and failing to exit the poetry meet quietly.

They all attended the lecture, which Oak had focused on 'Delta Pokémon and Syncing' as the topic of study. The lecture covered how pokémon with different types could emerge from a species for no apparent evolutionary reason, such as environmental or predatory stressors, but rather the type energy that the humans that raised them resonated with. Oak went on to explain how humans tended to resonate with certain type energies, and that it could be imparted via 'syncing' which was coined in Pasio, but was observed across cultures long before.

He had two pokémon to demonstrate: a fire-type Pidgey, and a steel-type Eevee (not eeveelution), and they visited audience members at the end of the demonstration. As other attendees filtered out, the figure Lusamine spotted earlier made himself known and left to the courtyard.

Everyone followed after, making small conversation until facing the one who had summoned them. A dark clad, old, wiry man with a bony face, white hair, long, thin limbs, smoking a cigar 'worth more than some people's salary' accompanied by a Corvisquire.

The man introduced himself as John Laurel, the Director of Special Investigations within Interpol, and a 'psyker' (though he did not prefer the term for himself) of no small power, presently on vacation.

He explained that there was no scheme to arrest or assassinate anyone, rather he had Paldea's crater in his sight for a long time, and felt that the situation now needed outside interference while looking at Rika.

Laurel revealed that while things had been consistently dealt with on 'our' side- something was happening in another version of the crater causing realities to converge. Some members of his division proposed that a convergence be encouraged- an idea he shot down. The world isn't ready, and the threat was world-ending.

Additionally, there was a distress signal coming from within the crater that sounded like a prayer.

The group was hand selected by him because these were the people with the highest probability of success- a fact that angered Hilda visibly, though she held her tongue.

John advised that the group would have the resources needed in the Crater, and he would grant the group an hour to prepare- but note that it was inadvisable to bring organic pokemon. At this, Lusamine directed Faba via email to declare herself out of office, transferred all of her pokemon and in return pulled out Sivally for field testing.

Hilda took time to speak with her pokémon and persuade to part temporarily. Reshiram refused to go- choosing to revert to stone form, though its consciousness remained with her.

Once everyone's pokémon were situated, John instructed everyone to gather around him in a loose circle, and used his power to transport them to the Zero Gate.

Giovanni suggested Rika unlock the Gate, but Hassel reminded her that she was no longer a Paldean Elite. Adamant, Rika pulled out PAZ and tried to bypass the entry- which failed. It then became startlingly clear that they were no longer in the Scarlet Timeline, but rather, the Violet one. Duo was able to unlock the Gate with the chip in her glove.

The Gate opened to a barren, sheltered opening with old machines. Since no one had monsters that could fly, Hassel suggested taking the elevator down, but confessed not knowing how most of the machinery worked. Giovanni activated the terminal with Duo's help, and managed to open the elevator, which would remain on for an hour.

The descent down, the party was able to witness the strange phenomena of perpetual verdance and sun, and saw mechanical creatures take note of them on the way down. Most of the party was able to sense a strange emptiness within them- but not in the way of being animate, yet soulless, the way most robots are, but rather something essential was missing. Hilda related it to the way pokémon reconditioned by Plasma felt after enduring the extreme abuse.

They arrived by Research Outpost One, observed by Paradoxes like Iron Bundle and Iron Jugulis, and went inside to scour for clues to what happened. Lusamine found notes on a strange madness that had, at one point, affected the paradox monsters within Area Zero- causing indiscriminate and irrational fury. Giovanni found a note accompanying it, detailing the use of a 'tuning fork' to quell the behavior.

More notes were found by Hilda and Rika on desperate measures and a disturbing realization from Professor Turo that mass extinction events were mirrored across timelines, and cited the year 1986, which also disturbed Giovanni because he couldn't recall any extinction event when he was sixteen.

They continued down to the second Research Outpost, searching for more relevant notes and materials. Hassel, standing post, noticed something outside and asked Rika to watch his back as he went to go investigate. Upon inspection, he found that what he had seen was an Iron Jugulis, dead, which took him by surprise. Even more surprising was the nature of the wounds. Between wires and mechanical scaffolding were sinew and flesh- the Paradox was a cyborg, not a robot.

Inside the outpost, while most of those searching could not find anything relevant, Giovanni was surprised to find a title by someone familiar: The Rules of Time Travel, by Y. Ookido, Professor Oak.

Truths of Time Travel:

Nothing you do here matters.

Everyone you meet is doomed.

History is not set in stone.

There is still hope.

That which is Mutable.

Things may be lost.

Things may be discovered.

You may alter that which has been Forgotten.

That which is Immutable.

You cannot unmake a being.

You cannot avert death.

You cannot stop that which is Remembered.

It was dated 1986, prompting Giovanni to wonder aloud what the old man was up to.

Onward to Research Outpost Three, Lusamine brought Sivally out of it's ball, to the surprise of Hassel- who'd never seen anything like it. Lusamine took a moment to explain Sivally's purpose was to travel through harsh and unfamiliar environments, its artificial nature made it perfect for the mission.

In the outpost itself, among the scattered papers and wreckage, Giovanni found the body of an Iron Valiant, slumped over near a terminal. Bearing wounds similar to how Hassel described the creature he had found, and the same semi-organic composition. He was able to determine the wounds were self-inflicted, made by a bladed weapon that seemed to be a part of the creature. He looked over the terminal it was hunched over, calling Rika to borrow her Porygon2, so he could divulge the nature of the program the Iron Valiant was trying to open.

A little investigation showed that whatever it was, it was trying to do something similar to making a TM, uploading a move to be remembered.

They found the distress signal flashing across a screen, simply saying 'Help.'

Unable to linger further, he took the blade with him, and the group proceeded to the fourth Research Outpost.

There was a moment before descending where the sky shimmered in geometric pattern, and the briefest outline of a city skyline could be spotted by Hilda. Along with the sensation, Giovanni closed his eyes to hear something- and feel something primal and powerful watching them. Once the feeling subsided, he acknowledged the presence quietly, and felt that it was heard by whatever was out there.

The crystals here drew Lusamine's interest, and she asked questions to the Paldeans of the crystal's apparent semi-organic structure, listening to the explanations that the terra shards could imbue a pokémon with armor, and change the typing of creatures, as well as interact with human skin- to which Lusamine replied that they were 'useful parasites'.

Rika wondered aloud what it was the Professor Turo was doing, and Hassel asked Rika to clarify what Sada was doing to answer her own question. Giovanni answered instead, noting that both were using a time machine- and the Paldeans agreed that they did the same thing in opposing directions.

This revelation shocked Hilda and Lusamine that the professors Sada and Turo were successful in building a functioning time machine- so the Paldeans took a moment to explain what had happened in Area Zero.

This attracted an audience of Gible, which Hassel opted to speak to, using his natural understanding of dragons. They weren't able to say much, other than things came out of the crystals, and some went back in. Hassel opted to try speaking with the Gabite in charge, winning it over with an offering of beef jerky.

The Gabite was able to say a little more, that it couldn't tell exactly when the last thing was that went in the crystal, but they try to use it to leave, and parted Hassel with a warning not to steal 'its' crystals.

Approaching the area indicated, the odd sound became apparent, coming from a giant structure in the center covered in crystal. Hassel was able to make out a 'where are you?' coming from within.

Lusamine took charge, sending Sivally to investigate and attack the crystal. The action resulted in its disapearance, and a comment from its master about its expendability. But investigation of it's pokéball revealed that the creature hadn't been disintegrated, but rather was too far to be recalled. One by one, they touched the crystal and were transported.

On the other side, they appeared in an identical room covered in crystal growth with an Iron Valiant holding on and making mutterings that sounded like prayer. Apparently surprised by the arrival of the group, it hesitated before reaching out to touch.

Giovanni mirrored the creature, reaching out his own palm to press against its own. Giovanni asked if it was the one calling out for help. The Iron Valiant nodded, confirming it was. It then offered wires on its wrist to him.

Initially misunderstanding, Giovanni reached for his tools, but was stopped, and the offering of the wrist was made again: to sync. He accepted, offering his arm for the wires to snake up, and pierce his vein, drawing sustenance for the cyborg to stand steady, linking minds and awareness.

Rika asked, "What is that thing?" quietly at the conclusion of the gesture.

Using Giovanni as a mouthpiece, it replied, "I'm Jack."

#;;a future to remember #notes from Giovanni #Area Zero Dive spoilers

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