Nuki

The Nuki are a species that reside on the planet Domo 6-4. They are capable of advanced spacetime perception manipulation, manifesting in powerful illusions & inducing transformations in themselves and others.

The majority of them are focused on the particular goal of creating a paradise for all species. Due to their power and how they shape their planet with it, any Nuki sighted in Galactic Federation space is considered wanted for capture and interrogation. To date, the Federation has not yet managed to secure even one.

Physiology
Nuki individuals appear to be short, with round brown fluffy fur, and a distinctive "raccoon" mask, reminiscent of that of the mythological animal, the tanuki. Whether this is their true appearance is unknown due to the nature of their illusory abilities. Due to this fine control over appearance, they can make themselves look identical, to appear to be the same person across multiple towns.

This illusory ability can also be used to alter the appearance of others, the environment, and even perception of geometry. They can fold spaces to appear arbitrarily larger or smaller than they really are. This makes Domo 6-4 particularly hard to study, in-universe, without being directly in the thick of it.

Another extension of this power, and perhaps the one that most makes the paradise they strive to build possible, is the ability to convert objects and certain lifeforms into pocket-sized two-dimensional objects. Typically, a Nuki will transform nonliving objects into a stylized green leaf. Using this power allows them to transport materials and vessels from place to place with startling ease. When combined with their transformational power, airborne Nuki guards can deny the Federation's various camera probe & missile bombing efforts, by turning them into leaves once they're in Domo 6-4's atmosphere.

A converted object can be restored by placing it on the ground in a certain way. (This allows for the user to choose which form its in) Interestingly, they are also able to bestow this power to other species. It's unknown if this is a true bestowal, or a use of their illusory powers to make other species seem like they can do it.

History
All the Nuki descend from a mysterious person who arrived one day in Animos, a city on Domo 6-4. She claimed to have transformed into this form, from something else. Effectively, this makes the species an example of one that just, happened spontaneously... such is one of the universe's many mysteries.

It took many generations to turn from a family line of descendants into a full-blown species. Once the Nuki reached said point, they started formally considering and honing their powers towards the dream of a paradise to better everyone's life. At first these ambitions were limited to the menagerie of species native to Domo 6-4, but would eventually extend to peoples outside it among the universe as well.

Nature
Nuki generally are cordial when talked to, and seem to take accusations of being evil in stride. Being tricky, there's also an air of total confidence, even when the Federation makes it clear they're entirely against the Nukis' existence.

Most given Nuki do care about the happiness of others at heart, and are overjoyed when their constructs bring people contentment and joy. Though like any species, there are always exceptions.

It's very rare one will even meet a Nuki outside of their home planet of Domo 6-4, however. If you do, it'll usually be having set up travel ticket sales in a random spaceport as one of their drives to bring people to their paradise.

Meta
Nuki are naturally, based off of tanuki lol. The name is even derived+a pun. The Nuki ... Tanuki ... And of course, modeled after the famous tanuki characters, Tom Nook & the Nooklings from Animal Crossing. The origin story, as mentioned in Domo- 6-4's article, is a homage to BNA: Brand New Animal.