[attr="class","header"]EVERYDAY BY MYSELF I’M BREAKING DOWN

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He wasn't expecting Oliver to arrive so soon. His watch told him he was ten minutes early, showing that they had both thought of arriving early, though probably for different reasons.
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Excited?
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As if. He just didn't feel like staying in his house anymore. Not that he had anything against his place in Fortree. He just preferred spending as much time as he could outside.
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"Cabin fever, actually. I just wanted out of the house. I didn't want to risk getting caught up doing something and running late, so I decided to make my way here," he corrected the older male, simply nodding to the last part of his comment to show he was ready.
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Or at least as ready as he could be.
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If only the doubts would leave him alone.
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Speaking of doubts, he wondered how Oliver felt about all this. If he had his own doubts about the mission. He couldn't just outright ask, though. He couldn't ask him if he had doubts about the mission.
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Instead of asking about the mission, he decided to ask something else. "I don't suppose we have time to grab a cup of coffee to go from somewhere?"
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Him asking for something was a first. What next, him actually smiling?
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Usually, he didn't make his coffee addiction so obvious, but he was still feeling pretty tired. Something that another cup of coffee would fix.[break] Oliver Shrakes

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[attr="class","header"]EVERYDAY BY MYSELF I’M BREAKING DOWN

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At the thought of working behind a desk all day, he inwardly cringed. He would go stir crazy if that were the case. He needed to be in motion, to be off helping the Pokémon region. He could imagine just sitting behind a desk doing paperwork. That just had to be torture, not to mention probably didn’t occupy one enough to keep someone from thinking about stuff they would rather not think about.
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“Yeah, I definitely don’t envy them. If there ever comes a day where I talk about sitting behind a desk all day, make sure I don’t have a high fever or something, will you? Because I’ll probably be delirious from a high fever if I start talking like that,” he said with a shake of his head.
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After that, silence lapsed for a bit as they walked before he asked if there was time to make a bit of a coffee run. He hadn’t been expecting a positive response, so when he was told there was enough time, he was surprised, not that he showed it. Instead, he simply nodded in thanks.
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When the coffee shop came into sight, he headed inside and returned a few minutes later with a large coffee. Luckily, he did not have to wait in line or have anyone who had ordered before him.[break] Oliver Shrakes

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[attr="class","header"]EVERYDAY BY MYSELF I’M BREAKING DOWN

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It seemed they were in agreement. Being stuck behind a desk would stink. Though he supposed that as long as he wouldn’t be landed with a desk job, he wouldn’t mind rising through the ranks either. Besides, at some point, he would like to feel like he was on the same level as his partner and not that he needed some kind of babysitter.
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Ignoring the others amusement at his choice of a large coffee, he simply took a sip of it as he followed the older male. Soon enough, they can't come across a group of people near the gym. They were spotted sooner than he would actually like, and he beckoned forward.
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As they were introduced, he had to bite his tongue from pointing out that the speaker had no way of knowing whether or not he and Oliver were the rangers finest, least of all him. It would be quite a disparaging comment to make, especially about himself. With more coffee in his system, he knew better than that. I couldn’t deal with the strange looks such comments brought today, so it was best just to keep his mouth shut.
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Luckily, the older male took it upon himself to address the crowd. Ever wasn’t exactly what one would call a people person. Especially not when it came to crowds. He thought standing before a crowd was better than being in one.
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He was quick to notice that all but three people in the crowd cheered. Three of them hung back with frowns—more like scowls, if he was honest. Something about them screamed trouble, and he was instantly on guard, not that that wasn’t his normal state of being.
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As Oliver spoke to the masses, he kept an eye on the three, though he made sure not to make it too obvious that he was watching them. Still, he couldn’t help feeling annoyed when one finally decided to step forward and challenge what Oliver was saying, even if he had kind of been expecting it.
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Some of his points had something to do with the takeover of Sootopolis, like they actually had anything to do with that, as well as what had happened with the Silent Icelands. His two companions were quick to agree, while the crowd was a mix of people who looked unimpressed by their points and those who seemed uncertain about whether or not they believed him.
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Realizing just what the troublemakers were trying to do, he resisted the urge to sigh. It seemed their goal was to start a riot.
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Before their plan could come to fruition, he decided dispelling the crowd's concern had to be done. His first instinct was to claim that what happened at Sootopolis had nothing to do with their line of work. Nor could they control what a legendary Pokémon did. However, he quashed that instinct instead, deciding upon a different tactic.
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“Like everyone else, we are just humans, and we make mistakes. There is no such thing as a perfect human being, and those who say they are are lying to themselves. What matters is that we try and make up for our mistakes,” he told them, not willing to say more on the subject. Hopefully Oliver would further dispel the mood since it wasn’t exactly his strong point.[break] Oliver Shrakes

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[attr="class","header"]EVERYDAY BY MYSELF I’M BREAKING DOWN

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The high praise from Oliver was a bit embarrassing, if he was being honest. Thankfully, he was skilled enough at controlling his emotions that he didn’t outwardly show that the older male’s praise had flustered him. Instead, he maintained his neutral expression as the older ranger continued to speak.
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As Oliver spoke of all the ways ordinary citizens could lend a helping hand, he found himself nodding in agreement. Just because one wasn’t a ranger or officer didn’t mean one couldn’t do their part. The sooner these people knew that, the better. They also needed to know the rangers would be there for them, no matter what propaganda started up by the opposing faction would have them believe.
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Seeing that the leader of the entourage seemed ready to speak out again, he would choose that time to cut in. He was reminding those around him that, just like everyone else, they were just humans. And being humans, they would be expected to make mistakes.
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The older ranger would back him up, even going so far as to challenge the three troublemakers. As they reclaimed the crowd's attention, he could see the three people who were trying to start something weren’t exactly pleased by this. Nor did they seem pleased about the older male calling him out.
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“Back down,” the pick-haired youth said, a note of warning in his tone.
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He really wasn’t looking to battle, but if they didn't, he would go into battle if there was no other choice.
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The leader of the trio would meet his glare head-on before dropping his gaze. "Look, Ranger, all we want to do is keep everyone safe. Sure, we’re not officers, but that doesn’t mean we don’t want to see everyone safe any less. I don’t like the conflict with Rocket any more than the next person, but it is what it is. As are the other dangers that make Hoenn’s home. How about instead of being at each other's throats, we help each other out and not forget who the real enemy is?”
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One might think his words were meant only for three people trying to cause strife, but it was clear from the way his gaze swept the crowd that his words were meant for everyone present.[break] Oliver Shrakes

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[attr="class","header"]EVERYDAY BY MYSELF I’M BREAKING DOWN

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Oliver could say that again. No two people were the same. It was those differences that set people apart, though. The world would be a pretty boring place if everyone was the same. That said, it was good to find a middle ground. To stand together against their enemies, setting their differences aside. Even he could see the value of that, even if his trouble in trusting others conflicted with that ideology.
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And as much as he hated to admit in this day and age, if you weren’t strong, you wouldn’t last long. It was basically the strong versus the weak. He didn’t like it, but it was just the way things were.
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Seeing as how the people were back on their side, he remained quiet. There wasn’t much more to say. So he just melted quiet and watched the rest of the proceedings, including the departure of the three troublemakers, his gaze remaining fixed on them until they had left his field of vision.
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Next followed a bit of a response, which he only gave short answers to whenever he was asked a question. It was clear he was done with being social. He had said a lot more than he normally did when dealing with those troublemakers; he was worn out from talking, not that he really showed it.
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“That’s one way of looking at it,” he grunted. "Thanks, though I wouldn’t say I’m too eager to do anything like that again. I’m actually not used to talking that much,” he said with a sigh as he followed the other to a restaurant that was affordable for the both of them.[break] Oliver Shrakes

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