While she was waiting, Eliana decided to look through the grunts memorized to see if they had any ideas of what was being transferred.
then decided to check in on the professor, who was inside of the Safari Zone and making his way towards their current location.
She found a hiding spot amongst some dense, thorny bushes, a perfect vantage point. She could see the landing pad, the cliff edge, and the path leading to it without being seen herself. Ralts faded from sight, turning invisible beside her. Staryu's PokéBall on her belt felt cold, a coiled spring of potential energy.
Minutes stretched. The only sounds were the cry of gulls and the rhythmic crash of waves. Then, a faint crunching of leaves on the path. The professor emerged, looking nervous and sweating despite the cool air. He was carrying a large metal briefcase, which he held with a white-knuckled grip. He was alone, just as the woman in the ramen shop had said.
He walked to the helicopter, which sat silent and inert. He looked around, his eyes darting nervously into the woods. He saw nothing. The three lookouts were still, unobtrusive. He pulled out a small, black device from his pocket and pointed it at the helicopter.
A seam appeared on the smooth grey surface, and a ramp lowered with a soft hiss.
And out walked a gangly man with with purple hair.
Eliana didn't recognized him but considering he was the one picking up, whatever it was, he had to have some importance in Team Rocket. The purple haired man's thoughts were a fortress, but she could feel the waves of cold arrogance rolling off him. He was followed by two more grunts, both holding weapons pointed at the professor.
"Professor Doyle," the purple-haired man said, his voice laced with condescending amusement. "Right on time and the specimen?"
"Right here Executive Petrel," the professor, now known as Doyle, stammered, holding up the briefcase. "The vials of DNA are secure."
"Excellent," Petrel said, snapping his fingers. One of the grunts took the briefcase from the professor, while the other trained a rifle on him.
"All six vials are contained in the case sir…" Doyle nervously added.
Petrel ignored him, opening the case himself. Eliana strained her psychic senses, trying to get a feel of what kind of dna was inside. Eliana couldn't tell for sure, but what she could perceive was a faint, strange energy signature, something familiar and potent.
Petrel nodded in satisfaction. "Load it." He gestured to the helicopter. The grunt carefully closed and lifted the briefcase carrying it up the ramp.
"A word of advice, Professor," Petrel said, turning back to the terrified man. "Our here business is concluded. Forget you ever saw this helicopter. Forget you ever heard my name. And if you value your tenure at Silph Co., forget you ever worked on Project Chimera."
Project Chimera. The name echoed in Eliana's mind. It was a name that reeked of hubris and forbidden science. She felt a thrill, a dark hunger, a need to know more. This was becoming a real fun game.
"Y-yes, of course, Executive Petrel," Doyle stammered, backing away. "I understand completely."
Petrel gave a final, dismissive sneer. "Good." He turned and walked up the ramp, the second grunt with the rifle following behind him. The three grunts that were put on lookout all also followed behind him. The ramp then proceeded retracted behind them, sealing the vehicle up to a smooth side. The helicopter's engines began to whir, the sound building from a hum to a roar.
Professor Doyle didn't wait for the helicopter to take off. He let out a breathless laugh and scrambled back down the path, eager to put as much distance between himself and this meeting as possible. Eliana let him go, he was still her pawn after all. As long as she kept the passive control on them, Doyle and those three grunts would remain keys to this locked door.
As the helicopter lifted off, kicking up dust and leaves, Eliana was already moving. She and Ralts was a blur in the undergrowth, paralleling the professor's retreat. It was time to go back to her room at the Pokémon center and discuss what she jus saw.
…
Back in the quiet space of her room, the adrenaline of the day began to fade, leaving behind a sharp, crystalline focus. Eliana paced the small space, the cheap carpet muffling her steps.
(ง'̀-'́)ง, Ralts projected back, a single, clear image: a tangled knot of DNA strands, but some of them were glowing with a faint, psychic luminescence. One felt like the sharp crackle of lightning, another the deep, resonant hum of the earth, a third the chilling void of a ghost's touch, all the rest held a variety of elements.
The realization hit Eliana like a physical blow, this wasn't just a random collection of DNA. This was familiar was a reason, it was Mew. The same power that ran through Eliana and Ralts themselves.
She then paused confused,
Staryu then started to send out energy while spinning in place, wanting their attention. Eliana raised an eyebrow, asking what the Pokémon had to say. Staryu then sent out a small message, something it had learned from its parent before it had been captured. Eliana's eyes sparkled ss she listened in.
Staryu then sent out another message, core blinking in annoyance.
Staryu puffed up as Ralts gave it a proud pat on the back.
"Alright," she said aloud for the first time in a while, her voice a low murmur.
She stopped pacing and looked at Ralts and Staryu.
The two Pokémon agreed before Eliana started up their training for the day, the rest of the day and night were uneventful.