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He had stayed for as long as the paramedics required him to stay. Not a second more, not a second less. They had said they should probably take him to a hospital, that the cut on his arm was too deep, and that he had lost a lot of blood. In the end, he had agreed to it for the sake of getting stitches.
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It all resulted in Tam returning to Slateport Ranger HQ at exactly 2:47 AM.
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All the lights are off by the time he arrives, except for the dim ones at the lobby. The cadet that is supposed to be in charge of the night shift is asleep at the receptionist’s desk, and while on another night Tam would wake them, tonight he does his best to be quiet. It’s difficult. Walking hurts. Breathing hurts. Everything fucking hurts.
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He probably should have stayed at the hospital, they had told him to, but he had told them he has things to do. Unless they forced him to, he wasn’t going to stay. He has never liked hospitals much anyway.
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Still would have been nice to get some stronger painkillers, though.
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Maybe to do something about the fact that he’s covered in cuts and bruises, and that his right arm is now covered in bandages too. He forgets this last fact, and when reaching to open the door to his office, he sorely regrets as much.
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”Ow. Fuck.”
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A little too loud, maybe.


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Tam makes an effort to go through the archives that are his memories. A lot of them are blurred or stored so deeply that they don’t even come to mind. Deemed too unimportant. Waste of space and time.
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”Nope. Never.”
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It probably happened during one of those unimportant memories of his. He doesn’t consider that. This topic also doesn’t matter to him much, and soon his thoughts move on to much more interesting matters.
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For example: the fact that apparently Orion is teasing him now.
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Tam doesn’t break eye contact, and as should be expected of him, he looks as unimpressed as can be. However, he leans in closer, his next words barely anything more than a whisper:
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”Careful, Orion. I may have to make you regret that.”


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Tam had known Orion was coming to his office, since he had been given the call about him reporting in. Clover had known Orion was coming to his office, since she had heard his footsteps all the way from down the hallway.
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The Yamper eagerly waits for him at the door, and when he finally arrives, it’s with excited barks that she greets him – wagging that short tail of hers. However, as soon as Orion begins to speak, she whimpers as if extremely dissatisfied, and of course, she goes right back to Tam’s side, attempting to jump on his lap. Her little Yamper legs are way too short for that.
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Tam also looks dissatisfied.
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Which, in Tam’s case, is more like tired, disappointed, and utterly unimpressed.
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”...Orion.” There’s a sigh, heavier than what’s needed. One that almost seems to say ”What the hell did I tell you?”
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”Keep your head down.” That was it. At least Orion admits to it.
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Tam gets up, resigned, and Clover seems to almost pout.
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”Come on. You’re coming to put it on the board with me. We were at nine days.”
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By this point, it’s more like the board of shame.


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”Cute.” Tam repeats, as if the word were foreign to him. Like if Orion were speaking some language he’s never heard before. ”I’ve been called many things before, Orion. ‘Cute’ is not one of them.”
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Still, there is something funny about it, and he’s not really offended even if Orion had very obviously just laughed at him. Tam has a talent to take most things in stride, and today of all days, the alcohol sure helps with that.
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”Seiji? Orion suits you better. I like it.” Sky blue eyes meet those of his colleague, and there and then, there is a light chuckle that fades away as soon as he takes another sip of whiskey. ”Maybe it’s your fault for being so easy to tease, hm?”



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He’s weak. Painfully so. Weak enough to be unable to retrieve a few eggs. Weak enough to let his own pokémon get hurt. Weak enough to have been injured as collateral damage in a battle he only oversaw from a distance. To allow the warehouse to be destroyed along with any possible evidence. To have failed at his job...
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Weak enough to deserve death.
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He had known his opponent’s strength from the moment he realised he was dealing with an avatar, he remembers well how Orion Lykos had told him not even a z-move had harmed the one he met, and yet… Why had he persisted? Is this what he wanted?
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In the terrible aftermath of the battle, while Cillian Quinn approaches him, these are the thoughts that cross Tam’s mind. Through it all, his expression is calm, even when he can hear the desperate roars of his Tyranitar as she attempts to get past the other pokémon in order to come to his aid.
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Tam doesn’t even hear the sirens at first, but he does feel the winds of the HURRICANE. In his state, PRESSURE threatens to suffocate him, making it impossible to breathe. Everything aches, and when he looks up, there she is: Lugia, coming to retrieve what is hers.
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He watches them go. All of them.
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His Tyranitar would likely want to pursue the battle to its very end, but she chooses to rush to his side instead, nudging him gently as her mega evolution fades. A grumbling cry can be heard. For the most part, she seems okay.
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”I’m okay, Lily… Don’t worry.” A hand brushes scales, carefully getting rid of a couple of dark crystals, and only once this is done does he reach for the pokéball of the Chansey that panics as soon as she sees the scene before her.
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The LIFE DEW comes before he even asks for it, mingling with the SURF’s dark waters, and there, shimmering under the moonlight, half-sunk in slush, there is an egg that appears intact.
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A single one survived.


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”Ha. Tam is my first name. My middle name, though… Let’s just say lack of creativity may run in my family.” It only really bothers him when people realise the reasoning for it, because it always has led to the same annoying kind of joke. But, even though Orion had put him in an even more annoying situation, had made him deal with a whole bunch of paperwork, and also had him go pick him up from a police station’s cell, Tam likes him enough and is in a good enough mood to indulge him just this once. ”Valentine.”
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Yes, Tam’s birthday is, in fact, on Valentine’s Day.
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The thought makes him wrinkle his nose in distaste for a single second, distracting himself with ordering another drink. The sound of Orion laughing is also distracting. Tam had not expected it, and to his own surprise, he finds that he rather likes it.
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”Sounds good, but just know that I won’t go easy on you.”
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While waiting for his drink, there is an ever so faint smile. Maybe he should go out drinking with other rangers more often.




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Someone else would perhaps look at the precarious situation he’s now in and realise that this might be the end. They would feel the intense terror that comes with a fear of death and do anything for the sake of surviving to live another day. They would cry, they would beg, they would plead. Not Tam, though. It’s not even a matter of pride. All those emotions, all those impulses… they’re just not there. Not even this sparks them to life. All there is in him is a will to go on until his last moment.
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When the crate breaks and the eggs fall, destroyed, he forces himself to ignore the pang that tells him this is his fault – that he has failed at his job.
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When his Togekiss is struck in midair, falling heavily to the ground, he does not retreat.
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When the likely-also-Shadow Roserade appears, summoning spikes that jut out of the cracks in the concrete and mingle with the dreaded sandstorm, he's still standing.
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And, when dark Tyranitar swings, striking everything in its path, it’s only because of his own that Tam is not harmed.
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Where her companions fall, Lily still stands proud, and it’s growling and biting that she clings to Gavin’s Tyranitar. She takes the full force of the BRUTAL SWING, and when she does, sharp claws grab onto her Shadow counterpart’s tail, digging deep while attempting to stop the momentum of the swing before it reaches her trainer. She needs to be stronger. That much she knows. This need sparks her MEGA EVOLUTION.
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The mega stone worn on her own tail shines, resonating with the keystone on Tam’s own gloves, and within seconds, Lily transforms, growing in both power and size. She roars proudly, looking down upon her counterpart.
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At that moment, from across the sandstorm that fills this wrecked warehouse, Tam looks directly at Cillian Quinn, meeting his gaze. A chill fills the air there and then, and although it does not need to be said, he says it anyway for the other man’s sake, loud enough to be heard while his tone remains as levelled as ever:
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”AVALANCHE.”
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Fuck you, that’s what Gavin should get from the command.
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Tam would usually avoid moves like those for the sake of not harming his surroundings, but he will have no apprehension in using them when the time is right. This, in fact, is the right time, and with the anger she feels due to the damage just taken and the attempt on her trainer’s life, when Lily summons snow and ice that rain down upon the warehouse with nature’s rage, it’s as if the move is even stronger than what one would usually expect.
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Watching the raging snows from where he stands, Tam slowly slides down against the wall, doing his best to force himself not to fall unconscious due to blood loss. The only thought in his mind? He should probably call out a healer pokémon when this is over.


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”It’s always the hard way with you guys, isn’t it?” He sounds almost disappointed, but then again, that’d be hard to tell with how utterly neutral his tone is. Still, he sighs, blowing out smoke that soon mingles with his Tyranitar’s SANDSTORM. It’s as if he’s standing right out of the weather effect’s range; as if he were way too familiar with this kind of battle.
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This would all be so much easier if they had just returned the Gardevoir, but alas, the truth of the matter is that Tam doesn’t mind all that much. As long as it’s a good fight.
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”Okay, Lily. All yours.” Names can be deceiving, and Lily, the Tyranitar, is far from a gentle creature. She looks down upon the poachers with wild fury in her gaze, and with her defences increased by the SANDSTORM that surrounds her, she’s quick to act in response to the IRON TAIL. In a powerful and surprisingly quick sweeping motion, she BRUTALLY SWINGS her own tail, striking everything in its path until loudly colliding with the Aggron’s attack.
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Whether the one man collection pokéballs gets out of the way in time or not is his problem.
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As for the Togekiss, he does not take kindly to the Honedge’s attempt at striking him, and although the attack hits true, the Jubilee pokémon flies out of reach a moment later, preparing a SKY ATTACK.


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It’s not beautiful. Far from it. It’s one of the most devastating things Tam has ever seen. As if mere grains of sand, dark crystals swirl in the air, but where sand would only cause discomfort and passing damage, these do far more than just that. They break through the Ursaluna’s thick fur, embedding themselves into her skin. They strike the Togekiss, causing feathers to fall and mingle with the raging sandstorm. True to her species, the Tyranitar’s scales protect her as if armour, but even she is cut.
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The dark sands harm anything they touch, and even Tam isn’t an exception to that. He had made sure to stand out of the sandstorm’s range the moment he had released his own Tyranitar, but stray crystals reach him all the same, and here and there, on his exposed skin, he can feel the light trickle blood.
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He should call his pokémon back, he knows as much. Tam, who would claim not to care about most things, does feel an urge to protect them from harm. What kind of ranger can’t even protect his own partners?
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And yet, there’s no way he’ll flee.
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And yet, when the light of a HYPER BEAM fills the warehouse, it becomes clear that it’s too late for that.
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”Ursaluna…” Between both attacks, the huge bear falls, stumbling until her consciousness fades. Tam intends to call her back to her pokéball, but there and then, the world shakes.
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The sheer magnitude of it is of concern, especially when standing in a structure that has been all-but-abandoned and is far from safe. The rafters threaten to crumble and fall with the terrible sounds they make, cracks appear on concrete, and it’s one of them that causes the ranger to stumble as well. Unlike Cillian Quinn, he has nothing to hold onto, and this results in him crashing against the nearest wall. Jagged shards had been embedded into it thanks to the Shadow Tyranitar’s SANDSTORM, and the breath-stealing pain that comes when his arm collides with the wall serves as a reminder of that. It’s more than just a small cut. The adrenaline rush is a clear enough sign. Fuck, he’ll probably need medical attention when he gets out of here.
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Over the sounds of the battle, he can hear the concerned grumble of his Tyranitar, but leaning on the wall despite the pain and holding onto his injured arm, Tam does what he can to regain his footing, taking a deep breath when he does as much. Deal with it. So, his loyal pokémon does, charging forward to bite her counterpart while BRUTALLY SWINGING her tail in an attempt to harm all of their adversaries.
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Togekiss falls upon the Escavalier, grabbing onto it with a SKY ATTACK.
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Through it all, Tam runs possible plan after possible plan in his mind. None seem viable right now.
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How the fuck will they get out of this one?

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Watching Orion almost break the glass with one sharp movement, Tam raises a brow, wondering if he’ll end up having to pay for any damages caused by the clumsily drunk cadet. He hopes not. At the same time, he wouldn’t mind much. It’s kind of funny, if anything.
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”No one but ‘Tam’, huh? Remind me never to tell you my full name.”
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He does like his name, though. The ‘Tam’ part, at least. It’s short, simple, and perfect for him. There’s no way he would have ever been able to come up with anything better.
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Surprisingly enough, it’s Orion’s next comment that gets a chuckle out of him, although it truly is more of a huff. It’s more than what most people get out of Tam on most days, at least, and it probably has to do with the fact that he’s already finished a second glass. Tam has never considered himself to be a lightweight, but he’s usually much more paced, and it sure as hell doesn’t help that he had been so busy trying to bail Orion out that he forgot to eat anything.
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Speaking of which…
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”Sounds like a good idea. Don’t think I can keep saving your ass if you go around breaking other rangers’ noses.” Despite his ever so neutral tone, he is teasing, and when his gaze meets that of Orion Lykos, for a second there, there’s that same ever so slight smirk from before. ”We can train sometime, if you want. You probably should know basic hand-to-hand anyway... Always shocked they don’t teach that shit in the academy.”



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@arashi cares little for people’s personal space, but thankfully for him, Tam is not someone who sweats the small stuff. He looks at him, incredibly close as he is, and he simply raises a brow there and then:
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”Was wondering if you’d bother to show up. Pizza’s pretty good.”
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Tam is also not someone who cares for being unnecessarily polite. He’s honest, says what he thinks, and takes another bite from his pizza slice. While at it, he pays vague attention to the conversations going on around him, noticing that apparently Talia Celes had decided to talk to Raziel Beckett. Good, it would be bad if Razz got isolated for being a Silph Co ranger or whatever. Tam gives them both a nod in both greeting and acknowledgement.
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As per usual, he doesn’t smile, because when does this man ever smile?
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Not even when Caleb Harcourt arrives, and Caleb happens to be one of the only people here who he actually likes. He is enjoying his pizza, though, and he sure as hell appreciates the beer that is suddenly placed on the table.
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”I’ll take one of those. Not sure when the meeting’s starting, to be honest. Probably soon? Just enjoy the food while you can.”
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Such is Tam’s advice for meetings like these. But, then again, he usually avoids meetings like these.
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”You should ask Orion. He’s been to more of these than me.”
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Is this him getting Orion Lykos involved in the conversation? It may look that way, but honestly, Tam is mostly using him to deflect attention so he can enjoy his food in peace. Sorry, not sorry.


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”You changed your name?” If the information had been in Orion’s file, it certainly hadn’t been the most relevant to Tam, and so he had dismissed things like those at the time. He cared more about Orion’s actions as a ranger. He still does. ”I thought of changing mine before coming to Hoenn, then I figured I didn’t care enough to bother with coming up with something. I’m bad at that stuff.”
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Tam Fawley? Talking about himself? About things relating to his family?
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The alcohol is definitely starting to get to him. And, apparently, it’s also getting to Orion.
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Even while realising this, Tam takes another long sip, leaving the glass almost empty.
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”I think it’s pretty cool, though.” He says, nodding towards Orion’s prosthetic, its metallic sheen being ever so obvious under the bar’s lights. ”Bet it packs a pretty mean punch. Maybe you should learn to box if you’re gonna go around trying to fight every Rocket you see.”
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At that, right there, there’s a slight smirk, his gaze meeting that of his colleague. Maybe someone else would consider all of these things rude to say, they would hold back, and probably not even think it considering the situation Orion was just in. Not Tam, though. Never Tam.



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Tam stands his ground, having grown used to battles involving his Tyranitar’s relentless SANDSTORMS, and paying close attention to the the movements of this supposed smuggler’s team, he comes to a few conclusions:
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His pokémon are fast. Not just the weird Aerodactyl that’s very likely to be one of those “shadow pokémon” he had read reports about, but the Escavalier too. It’s probably a field effect. It probably has to do with the creepy mist that won't go away and seems to begin to fill the entirety of this warehouse. This guy is probably an avatar, then.
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Passingly, he thinks of Orion Lykos.
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Maybe he should call for backup, especially after he had told Orion to be more careful, but he’s also never been one to easily flee from a fight. He’s way too stubborn and that stubbornness may just get him killed one day. Today is not that day.
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When the ACID SPRAY is too quick for his Togekiss to completely avoid, he signals for the Jubilee pokémon to SAFEGUARD its teammates, attempting to keep its opponent distracted.
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A Tyranitar much different from his own is released, a DARKER SANDSTORM mingling with that produced by Lily, and there, if only for a moment, Tam finds himself feeling bad for the pokémon, being that they’re one of his favourite species. What the hell had Team Rocket done to it?!
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He wastes no time with wondering.
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With the Aerodactyl out of reach, he signals for Ursaluna to attack the Escavalier, and although she had suffered heavy damage from the earlier attack, the bear is quick to charge forward with a HEADLONG RUSH.
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Tyranitar faces off against Tyranitar, a roar causing STONE EDGE to rise from the ground below.


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