Cheek Pouch

The Cheek Pouch came into existence far earlier than we might imagine. This adorable little creature, counting purely by how long it has existed, has probably been around longer than most of our careers, or even ages. Since its inception, the Cheek Pouch has served the Circle, primarily Yggash Court, and become an important companion. When first discovered, it had swallowed an entire warehouse full of construction materials meant for a new experimental facility. Can you imagine how absurd it was when security personnel rushed to the warehouse, only to find a burping hamster on the empty floor?

The Cheek Pouch appears as a hamster-like creature encased in a transparent bubble, that can swallow objects far larger than itself and regurgitate them when needed. This ability makes it an excellent portable storage helper. The storage space of a Cheek Pouch is theoretically immeasurable, but that vast space is controlled by a single "Mother." The individual Cheek Pouches we use are "branches" split off from the Mother. Branch Cheek Pouches have storage space that the Mother has actively partitioned off, so their capacity is limited. Each Cheek Pouch controls an independent space, and only its holder or those with authorized access can use the Cheek Pouch to store and retrieve items. If a Branch Cheek Pouch swallows an object that exceeds its storage limit, it will vomit, causing random items to be expelled. Extra caution is advised during use to not exceed this limit.

Cheek Pouches have mimicry abilities. The form they mimic seems to depend on the Cheek Pouch's impression of its holder. Only when storing or retrieving items must the Cheek Pouch return to its original hamster ball form, but even then, it remains invisible to non-Espers. This convenience and concealment ability make it extremely useful for Intel personnel.

The mechanism by which Cheek Pouches swallow and expel items resembles deconstruction and reassembly, allowing them to swallow objects larger than their mouths. However, note that when this process occurs with living creatures, it causes severe mental trauma, as such, living things should never be stored in a Cheek Pouch. Inside the Cheek Pouch's storage space, items will not spoil or deteriorate, but damage from external forces (such as a lit bomb) still poses risks and may harm the Cheek Pouch. We do not recommend anyone attempt this.

In its non-mimicry state, the Cheek Pouch exhibits certain biological instincts. It has the ability to eat, and items it truly "eats" will not be regurgitated. Instead, they convert into energy for its activities. This is not essential, as most of a Cheek Pouch's energy comes from the Mother. Different Cheek Pouches have different dietary preferences, including soda, cake, rusted iron, plastic heated to 35 degrees, and other bizarre things. However, most Cheek Pouches prefer to eat novel objects they haven't yet tasted, which may cause certain personal belongings of the holder to mysteriously disappear. (Please note: using a Cheek Pouch to fraudulently claim work expense reimbursements is a disciplinary violation!) When multiple Branch Cheek Pouches are in close proximity in their hamster forms and the surrounding environment is safe, they exhibit certain social behaviors. Cheek Pouches with larger capacity seem to hold higher status in this society, while those with similar capacity will chase and play with each other, attempting to swallow one another to establish hierarchy, though they cannot actually accomplish this. Cheek Pouches are more affectionate toward their holders and are friendly toward others with Cheek Pouch access, but they tend to be cautious and timid around Espers who do not possess a Cheek Pouch.

Additionally, Cheek Pouches have self-defense instincts, using any items in their storage to try to protect themselves or counterattack. Some large-capacity Cheek Pouches are specifically used to store mobile bases and can construct heavily fortified facilities within minutes.

That is all the information permitted for written records. As for the origin and true nature of the Cheek Pouch, I do not know either. This little creature is cute and useful, so for now, that is all we need to know.

· Normally appears as a hamster encased in a bubble, but can mimic common objects.

· Most Cheek Pouches are Branches split from the Mother, with limited and independent storage space.

· Invisible to non-Espers.

· Objects swallowed by a Cheek Pouch will not naturally spoil or deteriorate, but living things cannot be stored.

· Cheek Pouches possess biological instincts such as eating, curiosity, and self-preservation. When Branch Cheek Pouches gather, they exhibit certain social behaviors.

Insufficient clearance. Currently inaccessible.

Essentially harmless. Occasionally causes the user's belongings to go missing, but considering its convenience, this loss is negligible.

Contained by the Circle.

Insufficient clearance. Currently inaccessible.

Experimental Report on the Anomaly Cheek Pouch and Its Branches (Abridged)

Experiment 4: Testing the Cheek Pouch's storage upper limit.

Conclusion: Testing halted. We cannot fill this bottomless pit.

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Experiment 6: Testing the Cheek Pouch's storage lower limit and the effect of partitioning storage space on the Cheek Pouch's size.

Conclusion: Storage space has no significant effect on the Cheek Pouch's size. Its minimum storage space is approximately ■■■ and cannot be further partitioned.

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Experiment 11: Testing the energy conversion efficiency when the Cheek Pouch consumes different substances.

Conclusion: The energy converted from items the Cheek Pouch consumes is unrelated to the item's composition and seems to depend solely on volume. This energy does not return to our world in any known form. If left to eat without restraint, the consequences could be extremely severe.

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