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Barnaby was no idiot. He'd built a career on his observational skills, after all. He was wholly aware of the sort of relationship he and Girard Fraser had cultivated over the past almost-year. [break][break]

They always seemed to be on the brink. Flirtatious, innocently-yet-not-so-innocently physical, with moments of intimacy that pushed them to the edge of something more. Barnaby knew what was and what could be, yet never took that final step across the wire.[break][break]

Now was no different.[break][break]

"Girard..." Barnaby murmured softly as the other man pulled him closer. The proximity was electric, that much was undeniable. It made the temptation hard to resist, which likely showed in the way he didn't immediately stand to leave.[break][break]

"... You know I can't." Not that he didn't want to in the moment. Or, at the very least, think about the possibility.

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"I'll have what she's having." Barnaby requested of the bartender, deciding to keep things simple. He wasn't here to drink, after all.[break][break]

Although business always did seem to be better received with a little alcohol — especially quality brands like Desmarais. Once their glasses of wine had been poured and served, he continued, not wanting to beat around the bush.[break][break]

"Now that I have you here, I'll be straightforward with you." Barnaby informed her, the dark red liquid swirling in its glass as he held the bowl in his palm.[break][break]

"I'm here as an administrative representative of Rocket's Hoenn branch." Here he took a sip, savoring the subtly sweet yet bitter tones of the vintage poured for them. "You may call me Bee."[break][break]

With introductions made, it was time to begin.[break][break]

"You left so much behind in Hoenn. From an outsider, it seemed like a lot to give up." To abandon. To leave hanging.[break][break]

"One might think you'd simply retire in peace after such a departure. And yet you've been rather busy here." His emphasis was clear — Selena had been quite the naughty woman recently. Enough to get the renewed attention of terrorists.[break][break]

"Can I presume you're not at peace, then?"

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He pressed his face to her hair, tightened his grip around her waist, smiled that beaming smile he was famous for – and it was all so effortless. The nosy receptionist couldn’t get enough of the scene. She was practically munching on popcorn as she watched the two reunite so affectionately.[break][break]

When Francie leaned away, Barnaby fixed her with a an adoring eye, keeping one arm snug around her waist. He then used the other to catch her hand and press it firmly to his cheek. His palm never strayed from her knuckles, preferring to keep the contact she’d initiated.[break][break]

"Look at that. I'm real. Flesh and blood and everything." They lingered there for a moment, drinking each other in. The surprise had been unexpected, but exceedingly pleasant. Barnaby would have stayed there a little longer but a quiet cough from the counter reminded him where they were.[break][break]

"Come on, let's continue this at my place." He suggested, finally letting francie myrtle slide back down to the floor.[break][break]

"Have a nice day, Mrs. Parker." The old receptionist giggled and waved them off.[break][break]

Soon enough they crossed through the threshold of his penthouse and entered the main living space.[break][break]

"I have to say, Francie, this is probably the best care package yet." Barnaby commented warmly, a smile in his voice, as he went to sit on the nearest sofa. He extended a hand for her to join him there.[break][break]

"Come here. Let's catch up a bit."

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"Mm, a solid plan — once we're ready to capture it." Barnaby's eyes slipped from the screen and fixed Zev Harcourt with an expectant stare.[break][break]

"But I want to know where it's going..." The thing was persistent, only staying at the volcano long enough to regain it's energy before venturing out again.[break][break]

"Look here." His gaze returned to the camera, one hand fast-forwarding through the footage and the other pointing to spots on the screen where MOLTRES took to the skies. "It's not leaving in the same direction every time. There's a pattern, though. Once it exhausts all directions it begins to repeat its initial points of takeoff."[break][break]

An exhaustive cycle. Every time it returned, the Legendary bird looked incredibly fatigued. Pushed to its limits.[break][break]

"What's it searching for so intently, I wonder...?"

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"A lot of what you might expect from a Pokémon who bathes in lava." Barnaby answered once the footage began to roll, his attention focused on the screen. There, MOLTRES preened itself within the molten plumes, weary yet magnificent. [break][break]

"Immunity to high temperatures. The ability to conjure fire. That sort of thing."[break][break]

Not anything reality-altering, but still superhuman nonetheless. Barnaby refused to allow the Legendary to grant such powers a second time.[break][break]

"Who knows where it took off to. We'll need to do more reconnaissance." Here, Barnaby fast-forwarded through the video, taking note of time stamps and dates. "It looks to be leaving and returning about every three to five days, though."

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"It sounds like you and I are of the same mind, Oscar." If not to win it over, then to at minimum keep it from the LEAGUE's clutches. Whether that meant capturing or killing MOLTRES was yet to be determined. [break][break]

"I did hear, yes. It was quite the exciting bit of news around the sub when it first happened." Barnaby confessed, a smile in his voice. "Tell me, how did you go about forming this bond with Zapdos?"[break][break]

Stomping across an intersecting hall as they conversed was a large COPPERAJAH - not as gigantic as the species is known to get, so perhaps just a teenager. Still, a powerful asset to any team. Barnaby nodded for his PERSIAN, Gabrielle, to HYPNOTIZE it so that he could then capture the pachyderm.

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[break]
[break]

From darkness to light, Barnaby tumbled into the grass, the ring of radiant energy that had transported him here minimizing into nothing.[break][break]

The contrast was jarring. Chattering birds, the floral aroma, a soothing breeze rustling in the trees. Whatever new realm this was, he didn't imagine they were in Petalburg Woods anymore.[break][break]

A trail of blood slipped down from a cut along his hairline, obscuring Barnaby's field of vision in one eye. He had to wipe the blood away to get a clear view of the stunning scene before him: an endlessly fertile field, adorned in a kaleidoscope of spring flowers. Definitely not Petalburg Woods, not this time of year.[break][break]

Amongst it all was Elisabeth Fiorelli and... some sort of creature floating by her side. What the hell is that thing? Is it what's causing all of this?[break][break]

It soon became abundantly clear how much of a stranger Barnaby was in this world. None of it seemed familiar. Well, except for Elisa and one other person, walking hand-in-hand with an unknown man. Her mirror image, though appearing more vibrant and contented than the Elisabeth he knew.[break][break]

BARNABY FINCH took a step forward, earning him the attention of whatever supernatural beast hung on his friend's shoulder. It stared at him, blue pupils narrowing slightly.[break][break]

[break][break]

Suddenly, portals opened before him, each wreathed in flashes of cold, dark fire. They showed tantalizing glimpses of other timelines, all with BARNABY FINCH at the helm of power: boss of ROCKET's Kalos branch; his brother ousted as heir and he elevated to CEO of his father's company; possessor of superhuman abilities beyond mortal comprehension. [break][break]

[break]

Elisa's voice echoed in his mind, soothing and calm. It was like a siren call, beckoning him forward. Out of this reality and into the next.[break][break]

It was hard to look away. Here, before him, all of Barnaby's dreams and ambitions were made tangible. Temptation beat at him, urging him on. He took a second step forward.[break][break]

But then another voice cut in. His Elisabeth, speaking with the verdant creature hovering beside her. Uncomfortable. In danger.[break][break]

He turned to her, momentarily denying the allure of the other timelines, but she was gone.[break][break]

She'd blipped away from this reality, yet before Barnaby was dragged along too he bore witness to one final scene between this Elisabeth and GIDEON GRAVES:[break][break]

"No, not strange. It's a gamble to place all your hopes on one person."[break][break]

He took her hand and brushed his lips across her knuckles, passing over the gold band on her ring finger.[break][break]

"I'm so happy you decided to take the risk with me, my love." The man looked at her as if she were the only woman in the world. Cherishment personified. "We'll share the most wonderful life together, you and I."[break][break]

It left his chest feeling strangely tight. An ache lingered there, even as the image blurred and he was whisked away.

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[break]
[break]

She couldn't hear him. Couldn't see him. It was as if he wasn't there.[break][break]

Had they crossed into some hellish plane?[break][break]

As if in answer, the forest's darkness seemed to expand all around, blotting out any other sources of light save those horrible ochre eyes, gleaming gluttonously in the gloom. They grew and grew and grew, baring down oppressively, chasing after Barnaby as he tried to gain ground on Elisabeth Fiorelli, until —[break][break]

A voice, sinister and cruel, rang in his mind. It was terrible, crippling. Cacophonous and overbearing. [break][break]

Familiar.[break][break]

[break]

AGUSTIN L'OISEAU. His bastard of an older brother.[break][break]

[break]

BARNABY FINCH squeezed his eyes shut, willing the words away. The absence of visual input just seemed to heighten the effect, however. His voice was booming now, shaking the very fabric of Barnaby's
conscience.[break][break]

[break]

His eyes snapped open. And there, in the distance, a pinprick of radiant light beckoned him forward. Salvation at the end of the tunnel?[break][break]

Perhaps for one. Elisabeth hesitated at the edge, looked back — but not at him. She'll be gone if I don't hurry. And he'd be left alone with the devil in the dark.[break][break]

[break]

He ran, pushing his body past its physical limits. Shadowed power gripped at his being, dragged him down to the dirt, scrapped at his flesh and willed him to abandon so insignificant a woman.[break][break]

And still Barnaby clawed after her, a muddy hand passing over the threshold before the portal blinked closed.[break][break]

He barely made it through in time.

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"It's a threat." The admin replied simply.[break][break]

"And any threat to Rocket needs to be dealt with."[break][break]

The game camera's screen came to life as the replacement battery slid into its compartment.[break][break]

"... but no, I've never actually been in its presence before. Only heard of the sort of power it bestowed on Stormy Silph ."[break][break]

Whether Zev Harcourt knew of the former Elite Four member or not was inconsequential. Barnaby would relay the only detail he'd likely be interested in hearing:[break][break]

"She was it's Avatar."

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"I am."[break][break]

Legs crossed, hands folded atop his knee, BARNABY FINCH regarded Naomi Sato with a pleasant smile. [break][break]

Though he hadn't spent much time collaborating with the recently-appointed Head Scientist, Barnaby knew by word of mouth that she'd already made quite the name for herself within ROCKET. Her reputation preceded her, something the admin always appreciated before working with anyone new.[break][break]

It gave an idea of what to expect.[break][break]

"Mmm, any power we can wrench from the League's hands is a boon for Rocket."[break][break]

Briefly, his cobalt gaze flitted to the UNOWN-K in the room. Barnaby was not one of the many. The UNOWN did not unsettle him. He'd long gotten used to their presence.[break][break]

"Perhaps not as Avatar, however. My main goal is to simply keep the bird away from our enemies." He continued, his full attention back on Nomi. [break][break]

"Anything extra is a bonus." That pleasant smile widened a little more.[break][break]

"Which is where you come in. I've set up some monitoring equipment at Mt. Chimney. I'd like you to help me review the data that's been collected so far."

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[break]
[break]


"Elisa!"[break][break]

Surely he'd covered enough ground by now. Her pace had been languid, after all. And yet she didn't seem to notice his beckoning call. [break][break]

The peculiarities began as soon as they'd entered the wood. Stale air hung dead and heavy here. Life fled in the wake of Elisabeth's path. Even stranger still, no matter how quickly he walked, Barnaby didn't seem to be able to gain any ground toward his friend.[break][break]

His brows knitted in confusion — and concern.[break][break]

GALLADE was released from it's Luxury Ball with the intention of TELEPORTING closer, but as soon as its summoning light dimmed, the Pokémon crumpled into the dried leaves on the forest floor. [break][break]

It looked pained, as if some phantom force bore down on it, pressing it to the earth. [break][break]

He felt it too.[break][break]

"Elisabe—!" Barnaby whirled around, finding her frozen with a frightful expression contorting her face.[break][break]

He cut himself off then, forced by the sudden appearance of some supernatural anomaly. Two glowing ochre orbs glared from the abysmal darkness — like guiding beacons in the night. Or the welcoming torches to the gates of hell.[break][break]

Greedy, malevolent eyes fixated on one thing: Elisabeth Fiorelli.[break][break]

They were not completely unaware, however. Engrossed, yes, but palpably possessive. For a brief moment, floating pupils slowly slid across the gloom and stared at BARNABY FINCH, the obvious intruder. Their burning depths warned of torturous consequences for the grievance of interfering. [break][break]

The sight shook Barnaby to his core.[break][break]

He'd never felt such an oppressive power as the one that currently clutched at his entire being. It was all he could do not to fall to his knees.[break][break]

He couldn't. Because now Elisabeth Fiorelli was running for her life.[break][break]

"ELISABETH!" Barnaby shouted, chasing after her on legs that felt as if they were trudging through tar.

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