There’s always something off-kilter about sea vessels – whether they’re a gigantic ship like the S.S. Anne or rocket’s Submarine. Maybe he’s played too much horror games, but the way the metal creaks against the pressure of the water and the hollow emptiness that plagues the halls at night just seem to haunt him.

Even as he’s resting within his room, he can hear the periodic noise in the background like some ghost quietly whispering out to him.

As J.J. finally eases himself up against his temporary bed, he’s suddenly blinded as the lights in the barracks suddenly come on. He arches a brow, turning to look at who might be causing trouble so late at night, but looking at the commotion is a mistake as he’s suddenly singled out.

His eyes narrow as he gets up, following after ‘Ellis’ as he makes his way towards Gavin’s office – a sense of dread following behind. ”Need something, boss?” he asks, his icy blue eyes peering into the office to stare at the furious wraith awaiting him.

Shit.

---
Cillian Quinn

"A raise," Gavin fires back. He looks up from his phone to survey the other with a critical stare. "You any good at exorcisms?"

He thumbs toward the room in explanation.

Spurred by her desire for vengeance — to which Gavin is wholly oblivious, having had nothing to do with the transgression — the mother ghost hurls shards of ice like shuriken toward the interlopers. Gavin ducks, and abandons any hope of getting work done with an exasperated sigh as he pockets his phone.

[break]

mission j.j. harlow

He squints his eyes for a moment as he stares somewhat deadpan at the well-dressed man, unsure how exactly he should respond to the strange question about exorcisms. Yet there’s little time for him to think as he’s forced to hide against the wall as shards of ice suddenly come flying out of the room.

The blond grunt peeks inwards before ducking his head back, slowly regretting the necessity of joining the organization to find his long lost little sister. Thinking of the best strategy to use, he nearly considers sending out Quinn to burn the ghost down at a distance, but that would be an extremely moronic decision since they’re currently in a submarine.

”Sorry, fresh out of crucifixes.” he retorts, pulling out a pokeball and rolling it into the office as a Zweilous suddenly pops out before the wraith. ”Hydra, Crunch.” he utters from behind the door.

The two-headed dragon eyes the ghost down with ferocity as it charges forward, lunging both heads as it voraciously chomps down at the icy ghost.

---
Cillian Quinn

"Shame."

He can't help but scoff in amusement as J.J. rolls a pokeball into the room, ducking behind the door for cover. Thankfully, it proves an ample distraction for the Froslass as the two-headed dragon sinks its teeth in.

She shrieks, exhaling frosty breath toward her foe.

A paperweight on Gavin's desk is lifted into the air and hurled out the door as if by a poltergeist, the documents it had previously held down scattering with the frigid gale that sweeps through the room. Gavin swears loudly as it hits him in the shoulder. Maybe hiding behind the door hadn't been the worst idea... but Gavin holds his ground.

[break]

mission j.j. harlow

The two-headed dragon’s body begins to stiffen as its body is slowly covered by permafrost. It lets out a strained cry, releasing the frigid ghost from one head’s toothy grip. J.J. nearly curses for only considering its strengths while overlooking its weakness.

He turns to look over at Gavin, who’d just been strike by a book, nearly snickering as a lone ”Pfft.” escapes from his lips. Poking his head to look back at the battle, he can see the unfavorable odds. ”Hydra, use one head to Crunch and the other to Roar.”

Thankfully, the permafrost hasn’t completely frozen over the dragon as the one head still latched onto the ghost lets loose, biting down a second time whilst the other head groans loudly, letting its loud muddy voice echo throughout the submarine.

---
Cillian Quinn

He'd scoffed at J.J. hiding behind the door, so it was only fair that the other found delight in his own misery, but a hot spike of ire still rises to combat the cold. The gooseflesh on his arms fades with the flush of it.

As fierce as the Zweilous roars, Froslass has made up its mind: it will not leave without exacting its vengeance. Someone aboard this submarine has taken its child, and it intends to steal a soul in return. A spiteful hex is placed not only on its dragon foe, but all those in its presence. Gavin feels it like a shiver down his spine. His shoulder throbs.

He's not quite at the point of helping, though.

[break]

mission j.j. harlow

The fledgling rocket grunt can only curse as he feels chills crawl up his spine as the Froslass begins hexing the group. He shudders at the cold feeling as it bears some semblance to dead hands touching his shoulder.

Quickly surmising that his Zweilous might not be able to handle any more damage, he tosses in a second pokeball as an Obstagoon lets out a shrill giggle as it emerges from its slumber, staring down at the strange ghost. ”Reno, give Hydra some back up. Hydra, finish that stupid ghost already.”

The KISS wannabe pokemon is quick to charge at the ghost as it quickly wraps both arms around it in a hug all the while giggling like some sort of mad man. The Froslass is momentarily stunned by the sudden maneuver as its embrace is unexpected but what comes next is even more shocking as the Obstagoon actually LICKS it on the cheek.

Taking full advantage of the distraction, the Zweilous finally shakes off both the chills and the permafrost as it lunges back at the ghost, chomping down at it again with another CRUNCH from both heads.

---
Cillian Quinn

Obstagoon were fucking weird.

He'd not known any better, growing up in Galar, but since moving to Hoenn and seeing the Zigzagoon line as it had evolved here, he can't help but to find the black-and-white creature disturbing. It looked rabid, in comparison, tongue lolling out of its mouth. When it uses that tongue to lick their ghostly foe, Gavin makes a face.

Disgusting.

The Froslass seems to think so, too. It wails — from pain, or horror, or both — and crumples at last under the strength of the dragon's jaws, letting out a last mournful call for its child before falling to the ground. The snowflakes that had been whirling about Gavin's office settle to the floor, and the underboss scowls at the mess that's been made of his neatly organized space.

"Finally. You can go," he says of J.J., not looking at him. He's picking up a damp report and watching the ink bleed. "I've got a mess to clean."

[break]

mission j.j. harlow

J.J. can’t help but to sigh in relief as the ghostly Froslass crumbles away into snow. Fucking finally. he quietly thinks as he makes his way into the underboss’s room to retrieve his pokemon.

The man’s distaste towards his Obstagoon doesn’t go unnoticed as inwardly, the rocket grunt shares the man’s sentimentality hence why he’d only chosen to call it out at the last moment. In many ways, its decision to openly lick the ghost in such a manner invoked an even chillier sensation than the ghostly maiden’s hexes.

He glances over at the man as he picks up a report, frowning slightly as it’s fair to assume that he’s not getting the raise mentioned earlier. ”Right, right.” he replies plainly, slipping both hands into his pockets as he slinks away – choosing not to make a fuss with someone who has a better stature than him.

---
Cillian Quinn