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In this crippling heat, the ascent of Mt. Pyre can only be considered a relief. The air grows thinner, cooler, and Gavin reflects bitterly on the task at hand. It's not pleasant work.[break][break]

The smack of Priam's fist against palm draws him from thought.[break][break]

"I'm afraid he's wasted his chance to talk."[break][break]

This man was not just a traitor but a liability. As he associated closely with the likes of marcel maeda and Emma Wolfe, many within Rocket could mistake Gavin for being too soft on those who gave their organization the slip. The difference here was intent. Marcel and Emma hadn't let slip major secrets to the League, at least not so far as Gavin was aware. This guy, on the other hand...[break][break]

"Rocket let him go, and he spat in our face."[break][break]

His hand curls around Corviknight's pokeball as they climb ever higher. He'd waited to release his avian companion not only due to the heat, but so that their target wouldn't spot the silver bird in flight and panic.[break][break]

"He's going to fight dirty, and we're going to take him out."

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Though he is never thrilled at the prospect of violence, Priam's enthusiasm elicits an almost fond shake of Gavin's head. At least he's self-aware enough to catch himself and lower his damned voice.[break][break]

Priam splits off to investigate a lead, and Gavin yearns for a smoke as he stands with his hands in his pockets, idle.[break][break]

His eyes narrow at mention of a phone.[break][break]

"Shit."[break][break]

He signals Priam to follow his lead as he sprints toward the rocky plateau on which the man would make his final stand, pulling his own phone from his pocket as he did so. Rotom emerges with a command.[break][break]

"Get into that phone and scramble it."[break][break]

As the Rotom departs, Gavin unleashes both his aerial support and a Pokemon that rarely saw outside the containment chamber of his basement laboratory. As the Sandslash lands, frost seeps across the ground beneath its feet and the shadow Pokemon lets out a feral growl. What was that saying? Revenge was a dish best served cold? There were few things colder than the steel of Sandslash's claws, and it charges toward their target with no semblance of caution, no regard for its own safety. It slams into him in a flurry of claws-and-teeth, knocks the phone from his grip where Rotom can enter it as the Corviknight circles overhead.[break][break]

Gavin's boots crunch on a thin layer of ice left in his Pokemon's wake.[break][break]

"Stand down." Blood stains the steel of Sandslash's claws as it retreats, still snarling. "Who were you calling? You run, you're dead."[break][break]

A half bluff: he doesn't want this man's blood on Priam's hands. His life was forfeit either way, but any information they could extract would be worthwhile.

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Priam's quick action with the Arcanine earns a look of approval from Gavin. They had more than enough power between them to beat down anything the fool sent out, but this route avoided needless violence against Pokemon who hadn't asked to be involved.[break][break]

They would not be so lucky with the man himself.[break][break]

"If he's smart." A derisive sneer directed at their target. "Which I don't believe he is."[break][break]

He hopes to incite some sort of reaction from the man, a furious tirade. What he gets instead is a glob of spit — aimed up at his face but falling well short thanks to the man's position on the ground. Gavin sighs, shakes his head.[break][break]

"Check the trail to make sure no one's coming up behind us, would you?"[break][break]

Though phrased as a request, it's a order, and Gavin waits until the blue-haired Rocket is out of sight. Theirs is an ugly business. There's a good chance the kid's seen more death at his age than most do in a lifetime. That doesn't mean he should have.[break][break]

A single gunshot, and Gavin pushes the body from the mountaintop. It'll be a while before they find him, if they ever do.[break][break]

When he finds Priam, Gavin's demeanor is grim. Priam's been with Rocket longer than he has. It's a long fucking time.[break][break]

"All right, kid?"

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There's an edge to Priam's tone, and Gavin regards him carefully.[break][break]

"If I were babying you, I wouldn't have brought you along." He's got the clearance level to choose a different partner, if he'd wanted to. Thing is, he trusts the kid. Rocket's all Priam knows, as far as Gavin's aware. "Doesn't mean I've got to make you watch."
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It haunts him in the small hours of the morning, the lives he's taken. He can't help but to think of that fleeting glimpse of life in their eyes, right before it's snuffed out. A necessary evil.[break][break]

"You ever have to kill someone before?"

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I hope you never have to.[break][break]

He keeps the thought to himself; it's been expressed well enough by his actions, anyway. Perhaps Priam would be unaffected by guilt or the shadow of morality. Plenty of Rockets were like that.[break][break]

It's a relief when Priam seems to brighten, and Gavin follows him down the trail.[break][break]

"You are important," he agrees, and laughs at the dramatic display. It's part of the reason he likes Priam so much — his humour is like a breath of fresh air amidst Rocket's grim business. "Don't tell your ego I said that."

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He laughs again, shakes his head. The constricting feeling in his chest grows lighter as they wander further down the mountain, further away from the crimes that had been committed.[break][break]

A soft 'hm' rises in his throat.[break][break]

"Well, that depends. Do you want to flex, or do you want to keep it secret? You've got to pick one or the other." He finds himself smiling at the absurdity of the conversation. "You tend to do what everyone tells you, but what do you like doing?"[break][break]

Everyone had their talents, even in Rocket.

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He seems to have stumped the poor kid. He'd been a little older than Priam was now when he'd first joined Rocket, and they couldn't be more opposite: Gavin always had a goal in mind.[break][break]

"Well fuck," he chuckles, "can't argue with that."[break][break]

He doesn't voice the thought at the back of his mind: could today be considered a win for anyone involved?

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