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Standing next to Kouji on the deck of the small smuggler's ship, Zev peered through a set of binoculars at Pacifidlog. Nothing of interest was happening at the floating town, as far as he could tell.[break][break]

"You're right, actually," the Beast said as he lowered the binoculars. "There's little value in Pacifidlog. Even Underboss Quinn's in-laws don't make the town worthwhile."[break][break]

He handed the binoculars to Kouji. Though they had stopped some distance away from the settlement so as not to arouse suspicion, the device was powerful enough that they could observe the outermost buildings and platforms.[break][break]

"I'm guessing they have a sizeable fleet of Water Pokémon who can protect the town. But that doesn't matter. We're not actually going to attack."[break][break]

declan walsh's words during the meeting at the Cave of Origin had been clear. Team Rocket would spread falsified reports about an attack on Pacifidlog but actually target one of the bigger islands instead.[break][break]

Which island, however, was still up for debate.

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Kouji's surprise did not faze Zev. Often, grunts remained in the dark about Team Rocket's operations until the upper brass decided it was necessary to reveal them. Sharing their plans prematurely risked leaks to the public or confusion if they changed.[break][break]

What he did note, however, was how the news snatched the venom out of Kouji's voice. Zev did not comment on it, however. Instead, he merely shook his head and tucked his hands into his pockets.[break][break]

"For now, we're just gathering intel. And it does look like Pacifidlog is busier than usual."[break][break]

He took out his phone and checked the weather app at Kouji's mention of autumn storms.[break][break]

"This area of the region is due for some storms soon," Zev commented, browsing with the alerts. "We might even get some heavy rainfall up in Sootopolis, too."[break][break]

Looking up from his phone, Zev pondered where exactly the residents evacuated to during weather events. Even if Pokémon protected the town, was there a fortified structure in its center that could endure powerful autumnal typhoons?[break][break]

Kouji's grumbled comment brought Zev out of his musings. The Beast arched an eyebrow at the grunt.[break][break]

"You've had a bone to pick with me for a while now, Matsubara. Normally, I wouldn't give a shit, but if it's going to cause problems in the future," like during critical war efforts, "then get it out so you can get over it."

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Kouji sighed aloud at the question.
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”I’ll take that as permission to speak openly then Harcourt, I don’t have a bone to pick with you.”
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”I have a whole skeleton. Don’t worry though I won’t let it meddle with my work, and I ain’t gonna attack one of my bosses. But if you were to die tomorrow, I’d be the first one there at your funeral, and the last to leave, dancing on ya grave.” It wasn’t delivered as a jape, nor a joke, maybe he took it too far. That wasn't the real answer, and Kouji had one more thing to get out before he got to that point.
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”Before I carry on, tell me, what do you remember about Galar, and the dream?” Kouji asked the question, wondering just how much this man recalled. A part of him noted that it really didn’t matter, it was a pointless question for him to ask.
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Neither answer would abate this anger, and yet both answers carried the risk of further fueling the flames of his hatred. After this talk, would it grow to the point it’d consume him? It was a risk, but he didn’t like to back down from a clash. Whether it was in the form of fists, or words, he wanted to stand his ground against the man who challenged him to the truth.

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Kouji's admission indicated more hatred than Zev expected, considering he couldn't remember doing anything to warrant it.[break][break]

But if Kouji thought those words would rile Zev, he was sorely mistaken. The hitman only stared at him with unblinking eyes, waiting for him to finish.[break][break]

Galar again. Zev scoffed. "I remember what everyone else remembers. The prophecy, the heroes' tales, the tapestries in Hammerlocke's walls—all the things those Pokémon put into our heads."[break][break]

He was convinced, of course, that it was either Zamazenta, Zacian, or one of the Ruinous Beasts who had transferred that knowledge into everyone's minds.[break][break]

Everything else—the twenty years in Galar—had simply been a dream.

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Kouji kept a steady gaze fixed on Zev as the man spoke, explained just what he remembered, but there was a difference there, wasn’t it? It wasn’t an experience, but injected knowledge, was it because he forgot?
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”You don’t remember being King of Hammerlocke, your dungeon, the final battle?” He asked, though he had to struggle to keep his voice even, and yet still he couldn’t keep out the building tension, as if he had to squeeze out each and every word.
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”How you tried to rule the city with an iron fist, while your fellow King focused on…An adventurer’s guild?” There were details that were beginning to fade, even for him. He couldn’t remember much of that other King, other than he was the top Champion, Kyle.
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He felt the annoyance building, growing, bubbling until it was ready to burst; he tried to stop the deluge, and yet it still managed to drip through the cracked dam. ”You don’t remember torturing people? How everyone gave up on Rocket, right until the moment we got back?”
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He considered the fact that the man might have been lying, but even in this haze known as disdain, he didn’t see the advantage in doing so. ”Did you turn your darn brain off for twenty years of a dream?” Maybe it was a simple matter of a difference in age, for Kouji galar had been longer than all of his life before that point, but for Zev it was a simple twenty years?

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The more Kouji spoke, the deeper Zev's frown became. King of Hammerlocke? A second king, and an Adventurer's Guild? None of those things triggered any memories.[break][break]

After all, he had returned from Galar with only the vague afterimage of a long and vivid dream. Three months had passed since the battle at the Ancient Tomb, and even that afterimage had faded into oblivion.[break][break]

"What the fuck are you talking about, Matsubara?" the hitman asked, genuinely bewildered. "I've tortured people plenty of times, but that's the only thing out of your mouth that's made any sense."[break][break]

Their small smuggling ship rocked on the ocean's waves. Flying above them, Winggulls called to each other.[break][break]

"You talk as if you don't know how dreams work."

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He was frozen on the spot.
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A dozen thoughts raced through his mind as he tried to process just what Zev had said. It was weird, it felt as if his foot had moved, stepped forward, he could feel a pressure building up in his palms, were those his fingers digging into them?
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There was a strange sense of serenity that took over him, like his body felt lighter than it ever had, as if he wasn’t being bogged down by extraneous thoughts. It was as if he could see himself from above, from behind, from every single angle, and yet he saw the world from his own point of view, a complete sense of detachment.
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He knew this motion, the quick step in and sliding forward with his leading foot, the arc of his arm which was kept tight to his body, the shoulder blades that were pressed tightly together, the chest he didn’t allow to open up as his arm swung through the air. It was a movement he had practised hundreds, thousands of times.
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This was a new kind of anger, Kouji could understand that well; it wasn’t the overwhelming occupying haze of red that pushed one beyond their own limits known as wrath. It wasn’t the kind that had been carefully nurtured for a decade before it finally culminated in revenge. It wasn’t the squall that came as quickly as it arrived known as pique.
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”Ah.”
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He had finally realised, Kouji Matsubara was about to punch Zev Harcourt.

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Zev had to give Kouji credit: despite the boy's youth, he had training. His feet were light and quick as they brought him closer. His fist whipped out from his side like a striking Arbok, barely telegraphed. In fact, if Zev had his back turned, he would not have been able to avoid the punch.[break][break]

As it was, Zev was staring Kouji in the face when he saw the movement. Two decades of training in physical combat saved him; his body moved instinctively to dodge. He felt displaced air from the wake of Kouji's fist as it passed mere centimeters from his face.[break][break]

Zev's retaliation was automatic. His body moved, and his own hands snatched out to grab Kouji's arm, attempting to twist it into a painful lock.[break][break]

No crystals appeared to cover Zev's skin. He had no interest in gloating about the disparity in power or appearing so dependent on his armor. He did not need it just to discipline one grunt.[break][break]

Regardless of the success of Zev's attempted joint lock, he would glower at Kouji with a familiar cruelty. No disdain or anger filled his expression, just a coldness as empty and uncaring as the void. As if Zev were the only one who was human, and he was staring at an insect.[break][break]

When he spoke, his voice reflected that total lack of empathy in its frigidness. "Do you think hitting me will make you feel better? Do you dream of causing me pain like I caused you? Or does it keep you awake at night?"[break][break]

Zev was only guessing, but Kouji was ridiculously easy to read.

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The transition was smooth, Kouji idly noted that as his punch met air, and he felt a hand on his arm.
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It was a solid hold, moving in tune with his own body’s momentum, momentum that was difficult to stop at a moment’s notice, and within a fraction of a second, he was held within a lock; arm pressed into his back, and strain giving to his shoulder.
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He struggled for a moment before finding it only growing tighter, he had given up his back; it was a problem. Kouji listened to the man’s cold voice, frigid intonation froze his mind for a moment, and stilled him.
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”Aye, it’ll make me feel great. Even better if you’re also stuck awake every damn night thinking of revenge.” He spoke with a crooked smirk.
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”But I ain’t gonna ruin ya; you’re too good an asset to rocket, but that ain’t gonna stop me from caving in your face for a moment.” And just as he had finished speaking, Kouji tried to move again.
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A loud grunt of struggle rolled up his throat as he tried to pull his held arm down, turned his hip, bent over and then stepped back into the man, an attempt at a reverse hip throw as if using his momentum to bowl over the man. There was a natural risk to it, Kouji was partially aware of that, of seriously hurting his shoulder, but it was a chance he was willing to take.
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When Kouji went still in the joint lock, Zev assumed the matter was over, that the upstart pup had finally cowed to the wolf who had him in his jaws. But then Kouji moved with all his strength, catching Zev off guard.[break][break]

The world spun. Zev slammed against the side of the ship, grunting with pain. He grabbed at the metal hull to stop himself from falling to the deck. Blue eyes narrowed at the boy who'd thrown him.[break][break]

Overconfidence made Zev cocky, but Kouji was not that much shorter than him, had the strength and technique from proper training, and possessed a young man's persistence.[break][break]

Zev, on the other hand, hadn't bothered to summon his armor for a mere grunt. He was going to pay for it with soreness later.[break][break]

Still, he was not going to admit defeat; it went against his nature.[break][break]

"That was a good throw. You had good technique," Zev said, wincing as he stood straight. Every muscle in his body tensed, ready to defend or counter in case Kouji hadn't had enough. "Who trained you?"

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Somehow he had freed himself; he had aimed for it, but the release he felt had him shake and circle around his shoulder. He released a deep sigh before he got into an attacking pose, but he didn’t move first.
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Pain cleared one's mind, yet he still felt oddly detached.
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He raised both fists up, knuckles pointing forward, elbows pointed inwards, one of his legs was slightly raised on the tip of his foot, raising his knee just a little.
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But he decided against charging forward, it was a good question.
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”Had a few, started learning from my older brother, but when he disappeared I learned from the rockets around my old man, or anyone else that’d take his cash. That one there was Aikido.” His voice was even, though he couldn’t take the edge of his voice, wouldn’t take the edge off his voice.
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”Why’d you let down your guard? You think grunts can’t fight or something? You almost had me, coulda popped out my shoulder whenever you wanted.” That was the thing that annoyed him, why he hadn’t gone for the pounce.
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Kouji hated being understimated.

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Zev watched Kouji even more closely now, his eyes noting the boy's stance. Despite the antagonism emanating from Kouji, Zev could appreciate the level of expertise on display. In truth, Kouji was less of an unrefined lump of iron than he claimed to want to be.[break][break]

"I'm not interested in fighting you," Zev said simply. "At least, not here when we're supposed to be gathering information on Pacifidlog. If you want to fight me, we can spar in the submarine."[break][break]

He bent to pick up the binoculars that had been dropped onto the deck, but he kept his eyes on Kouji.[break][break]

"Anyway, you're too good an asset to Rocket," Zev continued, using Kouji's own words against him. He straightened again and tucked the binoculars under one arm. "If I used my full strength, you'd be out of commission for a while. There's no need to break one of our own tools."

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