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Mossdeep wasn't so bad.
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Rhys liked to think that he'd come a long way, developed a more worldly perspective since his departure from Verdanturf. To say his schooling in Slateport had been a shock would be an understatement. Compared to that ungodly cramped metropolis, Mossdeep was a- well, not much better, but better.
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Hands stuffed in the pockets of a too-large hoodie, a knit cap covering his shock of silver hair, Rhys ambled casually, though not without purpose, toward the bus station. If he was having second thoughts, or even third, the indifferent expression on his features did little to indicate it; too late to turn back now.
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He took a drag off of his cigarette, exhaling a thin plume of gray smoke bitterly before stubbing the butt out in an ashtray atop a nearby trash can. "Sure," he responded to Zev's greeting with a deferent nod of his head. "Ready as I'll ever be, I figure. 'Sides, you're a pro, right?"
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The grin he directed at the other man was guileless, betraying an eagerness at odds with the insouciance of his words.
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"Let's have some fun."

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Rhys' nonchalance and eagerness was a breath of fresh air compared to the sullenness or anxiety expressed by other grunts Zev had recently accompanied on missions. He gave a single nod before starting off toward the Pokémon Center, expecting Rhys to fall into step beside him.[break][break]

At the earliest opportunity, Zev slipped into a side street so they could approach the clinic from the back, away from prying eyes or eavesdropping ears.[break][break]

"The Pokémon Center is locked up tight with security cameras inside. Not only will we need to break in, but we'll need to disable the cameras," he explained to Rhys. This information was in the briefing as well, but not all grunts read it.[break][break]

Zev palmed a Pokéball, ready to release his Rotom as soon as they reached the building.[break][break]

"The study data will be on the computers in the back rooms, whereas Pokémon kept for healing will be in a separate area. They'll be in cages, asleep but likely not sedated. Which do you want to handle?"[break][break]

Rhys' choice would be a solid indication of his comfort level and skills.

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Rhys took care to keep up with the older man, though any nerves he might be feeling didn't - he hoped - translate to the lazy, long-legged gait he used to pace Zev as they wandered down the block. Sharp eyes surveyed his surroundings as he moved, though any attempt at real surveillance was filtered by the sheer busy atmosphere of Mossdeep at night.
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So caught up as he was in trying to take everything in, he nearly missed Zev slipping down the side street and, nearly tripping over his own feet, reversed course to keep up. A passing woman gave him an odd look, squinting at him suspiciously. He blinked, scrabbling for a response, before jerking a thumb over his shoulder at Zev's retreating back, waggling his eyebrows lasciviously, and offering a sharp-toothed grin.
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The woman gasped, affronted, and determinedly turned away from Rhys, scurrying down the block. Exhaling a soft sigh of relief, he broke into a jog to close the short distance between him and his senior. "Sure," he repeated as Zev outlined the basic premise of the mission, "That was all in the briefing - not easy, maybe, but definitely not out of reach. 'Less there's something they forgot, y'think?"
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He shrugs expressively, but he can already feel the familiar excitement coiling at the base of his spine. He can't say he ever saw himself engaging in something like this - or he wouldn't have, as little as two years ago. Doing it, and getting away with it, though? A delectable prospect indeed.
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He weighed Zev's options carefully, sucking on his teeth, before nodding decisively. "I'll grab the leftovers, if you feel like a little point and click." He didn't have many pokémon, but a few of his friends should be well up to the task of subduing a few recovering invalids, particularly if they were asleep to begin with.
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Glancing over to Zev surreptitiously, he surveyed the other man clinically. Sure, the Rocket Beast didn't seem to be the usual computer nerd type, but Rhys reasoned someone like Zev couldn't get to where they were without having a well-rounded skillset.
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"That suit you, bossman?"

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Zev gave no indication if he noticed Rhys' nerves or the way the younger man almost missed the alleyway. He shrugged at Rhys' worry over the briefing missing any important details. "Doubtful."[break][break]

Team Rocket didn't give overly complicated or dangerous missions to new grunts.[break][break]

"That works for me."[break][break]

The back of the Pokémon Center was finally in sight. Before they reached the building, however, Zev released his Rotom from the Pokéball.[break][break]

"Go disable the camera and security system of that building there," he murmured to the small ghost, pointing. "When you're done, unlock the back door."[break][break]

The Rotom zipped away and possessed the camera mounted on the back wall. After a few minutes, it exited the device, then slipped into the badge scanner on the back door. Moments later, the door swung open ajar.[break][break]

"Let's go," Zev said to Rhys before walking toward the Pokémon Center at a brisk pace.

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Despite the stakes and the obvious need to avoid undue attention, Rhys couldn't help a low whistle escaping him as Zev's Rotom went to work. "Neat trick," he muttered as door to the pokemon center swung open easy as you please.
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Bouncing on the balls of his feet, he slid easily into motion as Zev took off, pacing the other man smoothly as they worked their way into the darkened building. He had no interest in the access door leading to the back offices and databanks that supported the Center, instead breaking away from his chaperone to vault the counter in a long-limbed swing that probably should have made more noise than it actually did.
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Tipping a two-fingered salute to his brow at Zev, he slipped through the door at the back of the reception area, padding quietly between steel tables and racks of medical equipment. He cracked another door to reveal - a supply closet.
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Grimacing, he quietly shut the door, casting about in his mind to recall the layout of the Pokemon Centers he'd toured during his schooling. Ah, right, it ought to be just through-
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Jackpot.
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The room was large, and although most of the hollows around its periphery intended to hold pokeballs were vacant, the numerous tables and glass enclosures dotted throughout its center were almost entirely occupied with convalescent pokemon. Some slumbered deeply, others yipped or ticked fitfully, but all were easy pickings for Rhys if he didn't let his excitement get the best of him.
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Undoing the flap of the leather satchel at his hip, he drew out a black gas mask and fitted the apparatus over his face, then released Bole with a practiced flick of his wrist, the Paras materializing at his feet in a muted spray of light.
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"Stun spore."
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The little insect shook erratically, as though attempting to dislodge the mushrooms on his back, and a flurry of yellow dust rose into the air, creeping in a jaundiced haze across the room. Where it landed, the affected pokemon stiffened in unnatural repose, their breathing coming more rapidly and shallow.
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Rhys smirked behind his mask as he took out an empty pokeball, tapping it negligently against a Minccino and capturing the pokemon without so much as an affronted squeak from the victim. Like taking candy from a baby.
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In hindsight, it might have been more prudent for him to note the shadow looming behind him as he advanced through the room, availing himself of each paralyzed pokemon he passed. As it was, the Haunter - not as easily subdued as his fellow patients - slashed through the air with a Shadow Claw that scored three bright red slashes across Rhys' shoulder.
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"Dammit!" Rhys swore, diving forward to dodge the next attack. Clearly, not as easy as he'd hoped, but he'd be damned if this uppity Halloween wannabe cost him his mission complete.

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Zev watched Rhys vault the counter with ease and surprising silence, though his expression remained apathetic when he grunt saluted him. The two went their separate ways, Rhys to search for Pokémon and Zev to search the computers.[break][break]

As he took a seat behind one, his Rotom slipped into the machine. It began browsing the system's files at a rapid pace, searching for its quarry. Zev sat back, allowing the Pokémon to do its work. Documents and images flickered across the screen too quickly for him to follow, so he turned toward the management console for the security cameras.[break][break]

Thankfully, none of them had captured the intruders yet. Zev slipped on a pair of black latex gloves and settled a hand onto the mouse. With a few experimental clicks on the console's UI, he was able to turn off the camera feeds.[break][break]

A loud noise from elsewhere in the Pokémon Center drew his attention. Every muscle in his body tensed as his senses went on high alert. Straining, he heard a muffled "Dammit!"[break][break]

Zev opened a Pokéball. His Gengar emerged from it. "Go see what's going on," he instructed. The ghost nodded, then dove into the shadow upon the wall like a VAMPIRE on the prowl.[break][break]

From inside the computer, Rotom chirped to announce it had found what they were looking for. Zev took out a USB stick and plugged it in, though he kept an eye on the open door.

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Crap, crap, crap.
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Rhys landed poorly as he ducked the Haunter's next swipe, banging his knee against a particularly unyielding piece of metal that did, in fact, win the fight in an impact against bone. He'd be lucky if it wasn't fractured, but there was nothing for it now if he flubbed his first shot at proving he could do anything right.
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With a groan, he tugged another pokeball from his satchel, tossing it blindly in the assailing ghost's general direction and growling, "Buy me some time, Oz."
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The Haunter abandoned its fixation with Rhys, whirling midair as a wave of psychic energy warped the air around it. Oz, his Solosis, materialized with a crooning cry, flowing erratically through the air as the larger pokemon shrieked in annoyance, claws flailing wildly.
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Clambering slowly to his feet, biting his lip to keep from crying out at the searing pain in his leg, Rhys maneuvered carefully around one of the tables away from the irritated Haunter, opting to attempt to salvage what he could in regards to his objective. Every empty pokeball he had was tossed toward one sleeping occupant of the pokemon center or another, and while some burst out and returned to their paralyzed and soporific motionlessness, more stayed within the confines of their new prisons, which Rhys greedily scooped into his satchel.
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The Haunter SNARLED, sending Oz wheeling back and Bole scuttling frantically for cover under a nearby counter. Surging forward, it raised its claws with a cackle, bearing down on Rhys in a vicious attack that the man could only whip his head around to barely see coming, and certainly not have room to react to again.
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"Oh fu-"

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Before the Haunter could flay Rhys open, Zev's Gengar burst into the room. Smoke battered the hostile Pokémon with HEX, sending it flying and phasing through the wall. The Haunter swooped back moments later to retaliate. [break][break]

As the ghosts dueled, Zev peered into the room to check on Rhys. "Do you have what we came here for?" he asked, keeping his voice low. His Rotom zipped by his head to join the fight. [break][break]

Between Zev's two Pokémon, the Haunter was finally beaten into submission. It collapsed in a pile of dark shadow upon the floor, completely unconscious. [break][break]

Rotom returned to Zev's side and into its Pokéball. Tucking it back into his pocket, the Rocket Beast turned to the grunt. "We need to get out of here. Recall your Pokémon, and Smoke will get us out of here." [break][break]

As he spoke, his Gengar hovered closer, ready to transport them several blocks away with PHANTOM FORCE.

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Fortunately for Rhys, sharp death never came as the Gengar materialized and saved his neck like he was some post-apocalyptic damsel in distress.
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Real good look for his first assignment.
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His head snapped toward the door as Zev arrived, and he nodded curtly in response to the question. "Everything I could get, yeah." He recalled Bole and Oz with a quick snap of his wrist, but couldn't help a brief pause as he watched Zev's pokemon make short work of the Haunter that had nearly ended him.
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"Actually, there's one more." He withdrew another empty ball and hurled it derisively toward the unconscious Haunter, capturing it. The ball arced back toward his hand, and he squeezed it viciously before tossing it in with the other pilfered patients using perhaps a bit more force than strictly necessary.
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He tore the mask from his face, stuffing it into his pack, and moved to stand near Zev and his energy-laden Gengar, unsure of what to expect but not at all willing to question it. He'd done his part and made it out in one piece, at least, though the twinge in his leg and the scowl he directed at himself told him he'd be analyzing every one of his own missteps for weeks to come, if not months.
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Shaking his head, he let the PHANTOM FORCE take him. He'd have time to sulk later.

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