"Yeah," Zev replied absently to Isaac, rolling his shoulders and cracking his neck. He wondered how sore he would be in the morning despite Chimecho's immediate healing. He'd been a lot spryer in his youth, able to bounce back from hits without difficulty. As he got older, however, he noticed that his body was recovering more slowly, making him prone to body aches in the morning after rough encounters.

Zev was glad to have obtained a Pokémon that could heal him as much as he needed since coming to Hoenn. "Thanks," he murmured to Chimecho. Instead of recalling her back into her Pokéball, he put the empty ball back in the wall cabinet so she could roam around the apartment. "Go heal Isaac."

Chimecho approached the boy with a melodic chirp and cast another HEAL PULSE on him. Meanwhile, Zev made his way into the kitchen and turned on the light.

"Want anything to eat? Or drink?" he called out as he opened his fridge and peered inside.

Isaac Merlo

NOTES
+ Mission: Slumber Party

Zev considered their options. Something light would be better for the next day's strenuous training, a quick snack that tasted good and would go over well with just about anybody. Settling for grilled cheese and tomato soup, he pulled the necessary ingredients from his fridge and, arms full, kicked the door closed with a foot.

"I'll make some grilled cheese and soup," Zev replied, arranging everything on his kitchen counter. He placed a frying pan and a saucepan onto the stove and turned on the heat for both of them. "I hope you like cheese. As for drinks, do you want something regular or something alcoholic? I have soda, juice, milk."

Chimecho floated into the kitchen, drawn by her master's movements. He went through the motions of cooking like a practiced chef, but these were no ordinary grilled cheese and tomato soup recipes. While oil heated in the saucepan, Zev spread imported Kantonese mayonnaise — sweeter than the tasteless crap found in his local grocery store — onto four slices of bread and chopped an apple into thin slices.

Isaac Merlo

NOTES
+ Mission: Slumber Party

Onions and garlic softened in the saucepan while Zev grated small blocks of smoked gouda and cheddar cheeses. He glanced over at Isaac, who hadn't moved from the couch at all since sitting down on it. Zev quickly judged that a rum and soda would be more than enough for the younger man at that late hour.

Two pieces of bread went onto the heated skillet, mayonnaise-side down. A pile of shredded cheese and thin apple slices went on top. Zev then spread fig jam on the inside of the remaining pieces of bread and set them down on top of the grilled cheeses-to-be. After adjusting the heat, he grabbed two clean glasses and walked to the bar cart. A bit of rum (not too much) later and he was back in the kitchen, filling the rest of the glasses with soda.

Turning away from the drinks for a moment, Zev quickly added the rest of the ingredients to the saucepan so that the concoction could come to a boil, then checked the color of the bread before flipping each sandwich. The delicious aroma of cooking food was starting to fill the apartment.

Satisfied, Zev brought the drinks over to the couch where Isaac waited. He held one out to the boy as he took a sip from the other.

"Rum and soda. Nothing fancy tonight," he explained as Chimecho joined them in the living area, floating up near the ceiling.

Isaac Merlo

NOTES
+ Mission: Slumber Party

Zev remained standing. The soup would be boiling soon, and he'd have to lower the heat. And the sandwiches would soon be ready, too.

"Why not you?" he challenged Isaac, though his tone was calm instead of combative. "You're smart, Isaac. And you exercise restraint, even though sometimes you do crazy shit."

It was true enough. Isaac had proven time and again to Zev that he was smart enough to play along with Zev's games — and keep up, too. He knew how to be discreet. If Isaac could learn to hone his strengths and accommodate for his deficiencies, he could be truly dangerous.

Of course, Zev only cared about all that in terms of what Isaac could do for him. That is how Zev saw the world and the people in it: usefulness. He had even molded his own brother into a vital resource for his career back in Kanto. It had been Zev who'd convinced Caleb to join the police, who'd encouraged him into a corrupt cop just so Zev could use Caleb's connections to the criminal world to boost his own career. It had been Zev who'd suggested that Caleb join Rocket's secret police so that Zev could gain access to powerful Rockets and gain reputation in their eyes.

All for the job. All for the hunt.

And Isaac? Zev could use someone loyal, like Caleb had been. Someone who could lend an extra pair of hands, or eyes, or ears — whatever Zev needed to accomplish his goal.

Find Caleb. Bring him home.

Perhaps Isaac reminded Zev a little of Caleb, too. That soft heart, that earnestness, that inner conflict. Boys like Caleb and Isaac wanted to believe they were doing the right thing. Caleb had thought he could counterbalance Zev, rein him in, protect the world from him. Perhaps Isaac thought he could protect the world from monsters, too. They were both wrong, of course. But let them believe.

It was always easier to get work done when you let people believe what they wanted to believe.

Zev craned his head to peek into the kitchen and saw the saucepan was steaming. He walked over, set it to simmer, and removed the sandwiches from the skillet.

"There are some depraved people in the world, Isaac," Zev continued as he carefully cut the sandwiches into triangles. "Yes, worse than me. They don't make good candidates for the work we do." The work Rocket does. "You need a good head on your shoulders and a desire for self-betterment. Which you have in spades."

Isaac Merlo

NOTES
+ Mission: Slumber Party

Zev waited in the kitchen while the sandwiches cooled on plates and the tomato soup finished simmering. He listened to Isaac in the meantime, making a mental note of the words 'little brother'. But he said nothing, keeping his thoughts to himself, as the other man mentioned — not for the first time that night — the monster he had recently met.

The soup was ready. Zev took out an immersion blender and blitzed the concoction in the saucepan until it was a thick and creamy. Perfect for dipping the sandwiches into. He ladled two bowls and carried Isaac's soup and sandwich to the couch, placing them onto the coffee table in front of the boy. Then Zev went back for his and settled into the armchair next to the couch.

The sandwiches were warm, but not enough to burn the mouth. But the soup was piping hot still. Zev took a bite of his sandwich first and savored the pleasant combination of sweet figs, sharp cheese, and tart apple with the crunch of toasted bread.

He chewed and swallowed, then chased it down with a sip of his mixed drink, before answering Isaac's question. "I'm just telling you the facts. People who run criminal organizations like Rocket need level heads and steady hands. None of this killing spree stuff, none of the violent debauchery that you see from some people."

Zev paused for another bite. "The Hounds who were chasing you?" he continued, disdain twisting his features. "They got their entertainment from depraved games. It's amateur shit. You don't get far cultivating a reputation like that."

Isaac Merlo

NOTES
+ Mission: Slumber Party

Chancing a burned mouth, Zev dipped half of his sandwich into the steaming hot soup and took a bite. The acidic tomato flavor balanced the cheesy, sweet-tart notes of the sandwich beautifully. It was a perfect late-night snack.

"What, killing?" His smile was more amusement than wickedness this time. "Of course I do."

Setting down his food on the coffee table, Zev picked up his glass of rum and soda and sat back in the armchair, looking completely relaxed in his home. When he spoke, his voice was calm and pragmatic, as if he were speaking of any other topic.

"Killing people is a skill, Isaac. Like any sport or art. If you're going to do it well, you might as well enjoy it. And on the other hand, if you enjoy it, then you should do it well. Otherwise, what's the point?"

Isaac Merlo

NOTES
+ Mission: Slumber Party