He's come to look forward to their Monday meetings; the smell of peppermint invades his nostrils as the underboss stops outside the door.

He could waltz right in if he chose, but he's polite.

He knocks thrice. "Decker."

Though Killian Decker can't see it, Gavin's lips purse. Old habits. "Killian. It's Merlino."

Killian doesn't hear the knocks. Nor does he hear Gavin call out his name. The outside world is mostly just white noise to him at this point.

Queen does, however. Her psychic powers reach out for the door handle and turn, pulling the door open. There's no need to ask if Gavin has an appointment.

She curtsies, nods towards her trainer, and grabs the blonde a chair.

"Queen, shut the door. The noise from outside is distracting." Killian orders, not bothering to glance up from his work.

Cillian Quinn

Seeing a Galarian Slowking curtsy is certainly an experience; Gavin's lip quirks, and he thanks the Pokemon with a dip of his head before entering the room and sitting down.

"Not even a 'hello', Killian? Must be a good book."

He remembers, this time, to call the admin by his first name.

"Found anything of interest?"

"Huh?" he looks up, surprised to see Gavin until he remembers what day it is. "Oh, right. It's Monday." he shoots a glance to Queen, "Thanks for reminding me, your highness." she whines in response and goes back to cleaning.

"More than interesting." Killian's so eager to share that he's willing to put his grudge on hold.

"I found the book during my excursion to Meteor Falls." he taps at the open page. "It's written in ancient Draconid. So it's taking me a while to translate." hence all the papers scattered about his office.

"But what I have translated mentions the Pokemon, Rayquaza."

Cillian Quinn

Though it's clear Killian is absorbed in his work, Gavin doesn't offer a reschedule. Routines were kept in his schedule for a reason. He is, however, forgiving in the sense that he doesn't mention it further.

"Draconid? Mm, I only know a little of that one."

He'd taken an interest in ancient scripts during his school days but the hobby had fallen to the wayside once he'd fallen in with Team Rocket.

"Rayquaza... that one's from Hoenn, isn't it?"

He vaguely recognizes the name. It may have come up at some point after the war, with the ex-champion's Groudon and with Kyogre being spotted along the Lilycove warfront. He knows nothing else about it.

"What does it say about it?"

"Correct, it's one of three legends that feature prominently in Hoenn myth."

Killian slides the tome across the table. The page it's open to has a drawing that depicts a serpent-like creature encircled by a group of people holding hands.

A finger taps at the image as Killian continues.

"According to this, the Draconid worshiped Rayquaza like a god. Or whoever owned the book did, at least. Fitting considering the title of the translates to Dragon Lord."

What essentially amounted to an ancient Draconid bible sat on his desk. Just the thought of the secrets it held was enough to make Killian salivate.

"I've translated at least two passages from it so far. Care to hear them?"

Cillian Quinn

Gavin's never been big into dragons, but he knows it to be a popular type in Hoennian culture. They had several native species and if this Rayquaza was indeed a so-called 'dragon lord', then they had a legend as well.

Dialga, too, was rumoured to be a dragon. Gavin wonders idly where the Lord of Time had gone after the events of the previous October.

Amber eyes gleam at the promise of knowledge.

"Lay it on me."

"It's rough, but the first mentions something about the Dragon Lord descending from the heavens to prevent a clash of some kind."

Which reminded him, Killian reaches for his phone. "It could be related to the mural we found inside Meteor Falls." he taps at the screen, sliding through images until he comes across the one he wants.

"I don't know if you've seen it yet, but here."

He hands Gavin the phone.

"Suzume Amemiya did an excellent job capturing it given the circumstances."

Cillian Quinn

Having read over the reports from the Falls, Gavin had given the mural only a cursory glance. He studies it now in more detail as the phone is handed to him.

"Is this meant to depict Groudon and Kyogre?"

He'd seen Groudon during the war, remembers the devastation wrought on its surroundings as it fought alongside the region's former champion. He remembers being grateful that they were on the same side, at the time.

Though he's never seen Kyogre, he's heard descriptions from the Lilycove warfront.

"It is an excellent shot," he agrees, off-hand.

He nods.

"I believe so."

Killian hadn't been present for the war or the incident at Lilycove, but he'd been catching up on Hoenn's history. Being well-informed was part of his job.

"I found the book in an alcove near the drawing. It's just a hunch, but maybe the Draconid painted the mural.

Cillian Quinn

"That would make sense." Gavin frowns. "I wonder why they didn't depict Rayquaza."

It was the only potential flaw he could see in the theory without more information to support either argument. The mural could have been unfinished, he supposes, but it didn't look incomplete.

"Perhaps their mythos didn't expand until later."

"Yeah, that is strange." and added more questions to a growing list.

Killian leans back into his chair. Though he's already told Gavin that he's translated two passages. Killian's hesitant to share the second with him. The information it contains is cryptic, more so than the first, but it also deals with something he doesn't want the blonde to get his hands on.

It's then, in the brief moment where excitement to share mixes with paranoia, that Killian remembers his conversation with Miles Sharp.

"Once upon a time, Gavin Merlino was a man of science. I want to believe that, that Gavin still exists."

"God damn you, Miles." muttered, unlikely to be heard.

Blue eyes shift from the book and back to Merlino.

"Before I tell you about the second passage, I have a confession to make. Two of them, actually. The first is that I met with Stormy Silph a week or so after my promotion."

He waits to continue, gauging Gavin's reaction.

Cillian Quinn

While he notes Killian's mutter, Gavin doesn't catch the words.

Amber eyes burn into blue, intense, at the mention of Stormy. Gavin's brows arch, but he appears calm.

"What was the nature of the meeting?"