"I knew." [break][break]

Zev could not help but smirk at Nenet's insistence. There it was again, that confidence he admired. Curling his arm to draw her even closer, he planted a kiss on her forehead. "Of course you did," he murmured into her skin, his voice full of indulgent praise. [break][break]

He relaxed back into the pillow, enjoying the pleasant sensation of her fingertips caressing his skin. When they stilled at his suggestion, he caught her curious gaze. [break][break]

The smile on Zev's face was not the smile of a man in love. Yet he looked upon Nenet with open fondness, his expression lacking its usual tension. In fact, it might seem to her that the gap of emotional distance that existed between them was much narrower than usual. [break][break]

Crossable, even, if she jumped. [break][break]

"I want to," he said softly, reaching up to caress the slope of her jaw. "I want you to look at the ring on your finger and think of me. And I want everyone else who looks at it to know you're mine."

TAGS – Neffatari Nzingha[break]
NOTES – social

[attr="class","pkmn"]

A blustering wind approached at high speed, carrying the Infinity Energy shining like an irresistible beacon. It whipped at the conflagration, raising the flames higher. Any that reached for Zev vanished into his body, harmlessly absorbed. [break][break]

The winds coalesced before him, two bodies synchronized in movement and intent. Heart and soul. [break][break]

"Isaac," Zev said with familiar, detached apathy—not in greeting, but in mere acknowledgement. His unbothered gaze flickered to Suicune, even as he addressed its Avatar. "Come to put out the fire?" [break][break]

Months had passed since their last encounter on the resurfaced isle. Whatever anger Zev once felt at the memory of Isaac's foolish betrayal had cooled—not by time, but by alien transformation. [break][break]

Time and space meant little to him when he knew their unending vastness. The squabbles between Team Rocket and the League were trivial compared to the accumulated agony of thousands of years. [break][break]

What was Isaac now? The North Wind? No. A splatter of blood upon a barren speck of dust.

TAGS – Isaac Merlo[break]
NOTES – social | takes place after this thread

[attr="class","pkmn"]

Zev repositioned his next chess piece without concern, calculating future moves in his head. His expression remained detached, almost aloof, his thoughts locked behind the mask of neutrality. [break][break]

"I finished my service and declined to renew my contract," he answered simply. Even if that information was not easily accessible to the general public, he assumed that a man like Theo would have looked into it at some point. [break][break]

And then, because he anticipated the next question, Zev added in explanation, "I wanted a change of pace. Something more aligned with my preferences."

TAGS – THEO BECKETT[break]
NOTES – social

[attr="class","pkmn"]

The platform descended from above, crowded with prisoners from the Weakling and Dummy Wards. Zev jumped on at the earliest opportunity, making sure Neffatari Nzingha was right behind him. His Toxic Chain continued firing laser beams at any Megalopolan guards that tried to pull prisoners off the platform. [break][break]

Eventually, they reached the Feeding Pit. As Zev jumped down, a sudden nausea seized him. Instead of landing on his feet, he stumbled and fell to his knees amidst the rubble and leftover mochi. [break][break]

A deep cough wracked his body; flecks of fresh blood splattered the floor beneath him. When he raised a hand to wipe his mouth, he saw his skin was tinged a slight magenta hue. [break][break]

"Fuck," he murmured under his breath, pushing himself back up on unsteady feet. [break][break]

Turning in place, Zev looked for Nenet and was relieved to find her at his side. Though her mask hid her full expression from him, he saw her widened eyes filled with concern. [break][break]

"I'm fine," he told her through gritted teeth. His hand grasped her arm tightly, as if she would disappear if he let go. Amidst the chaos, their interaction went unnoticed—or so he assumed. "We need to focus on getting out of here. Through the hole in the floor. Quickly." [break][break]

He jogged over, his movements sluggish thanks to the poison coursing through his veins. On the way, his Toxic Chain blasted the red-masked Pokémon and Nihilego with laser beams. [break][break]

Then, without a backward glance, he jumped into the void. [break][break]

TAGS – @prismatic penitentiary[break]
NOTES[break]
– Zev is in the UGLY WARD.[break]
– TOXIC CHAIN ABILITY: LASER ARM. Zev's Toxic Chain forms a claw-like hand that shoots thin beams of searing light, a weaker and smaller version of his Avatar laser ability. Due to being based on his deepest desire, the laser can easily cut through objects, both organic and inorganic.[break]
– Starts feeling the effects of the poison, but tells Nenet he is fine.[break]
– Jumps down the hole in the floor while firing laser beams at Ogerpon and the Nihilego.

[attr="class","pkmn"]

As soon as Bee mentioned Lesser Megalopolis, the puzzle pieces slotted together in Zev's head. Taking another glance around their immediate surroundings, he realized the buildings did indeed share the same prism-like architecture as the ruined city. [break][break]

"You're right," he commented, a slight furrow to his brow. "It's not exactly the same, though." [break][break]

Like Bee, Zev could only conclude it was an echo of Ultra Megalopolis. He recalled Velmos' explanation that many Megalopolans wished to restore their home to its former grandeur. Without Necrozma, were they relying on the wishes they believed the Toxic Chain could grant? [break][break]

The admin's question drew the Beast from his musings. [break][break]

"I met with Quinn before seeing you. He told me that while we were in the Chamber of Desires, the Weakling and Dummy Wards were sent into a basement level to clean it as punishment. A creature there kept attacking them, too. A Pokémon, I'm guessing." [break][break]

Cillian Quinn hadn't described the creature, but Zev had a feeling the Ugly Ward would find out for themselves sooner rather than later.

TAGS – BARNABY FINCH[break]
NOTES – prismatic penitentiary dream world

[attr="class","pkmn"]

Zev's expression did not change as the Galarian Farfetch'd collapsed to the floor in a daze. His eyes merely flickered to the Dragapult moments before the Ghost-type disappeared with PHANTOM FORCE. [break][break]

It was enough time for Espeon to save himself with ALLY SWITCH. Instantly, he swapped places with Ambipom. When Dragapult rematerialized to land a blow, the dragon instead phased right through the monkey, who giggled, unharmed. [break][break]

Then Ambipom raked a SHADOW CLAW through the air in retaliation.

TAGS – Diana Cavendish[break]
NOTES – mission[break]
– Espeon uses ALLY SWITCH with Ambipom; PHANTOM FORCE "hits" Ambipon instead, but deals no damage[break]
– Ambipom uses SHADOW CLAW on Dragapult

[attr="class","pkmn"]

Zev's eyes watched Theo's movements closely. At this point in the game, however, it was too early to guess the underboss' chosen tactic. Instead, the Beast moved another piece to set up for a proper mid-game defense. [break][break]

"Does it matter? You've never asked about my past before. What matters is that I do the job you pay me to do, and do it well." At least, that had been their relationship back in Kanto. [break][break]

If Theo was observant, he would notice the same reticence in Zev that Nenet had displayed before: the intense privacy about their personal lives. In the beginning, it had formed the basis of their relationship. Now, nearly two years later, it was their united front.

TAGS – THEO BECKETT[break]
NOTES – social

[attr="class","pkmn"]

"I have no trouble with the other Beasts," Zev said blithely. Which was true, even though bryan delarosa had been avoiding him ever since the incident at Oldale General Hospital. That was probably for the best. [break][break]

Marcus' question about authority, on the other hand, stirred the suspicion within Zev. His eyes narrowed perceptibly at the doctor from across his desk. Noting Marcus' behavior, Zev mirrored it, shrugging almost helplessly. [break][break]

"If anything, some of my bosses have a problem with me, even when I've assured them there's no reason for it." [break][break]

Which was not technically a lie, either.

TAGS – marcus kotov[break]
NOTES – social

[attr="class","pkmn"]

Zev disliked torture. He found it did not satisfy his persistent, secret desire to take human lives. Instead, he considered it a waste of his time and skills, especially when Team Rocket counted eager torturers among their ranks. [break][break]

That was why he picked dorian westcliff to assist him that night. The man had a reputation for gleefully carrying out violent orders, from arson to murder. He seemed to possess a sadistic streak that Zev did not understand. That was the difference between the two of them, he supposed. [break][break]

He was a professional, and Dorian a junkie. [break][break]

The assassin stopped in front of the bound man. Zev reached out a hand covered in his trademark black glove. He seized the black sack over the victim's head and yanked it off, revealing a man in his thirties with dirty-blonde hair and a close-cropped beard. [break][break]

"Liam Hawthorne," Zev said, his blue eyes scrutinizing the Ranger Captain with the same clinical detachment of a coroner studying a corpse. [break][break]

"You can probably guess why you're here. My associate and I have a few questions," he gestured between Dorian and himself, "and if you cooperate, we'll let you go." [break][break]

"Fat chance I'll help the likes of you!" [break][break]

Zev continued to stare, unfazed. "We thought you'd say that, so we came prepared." [break][break]

He stepped back, giving Dorian room to apply a warning of his choice to the bound man.

TAGS – dorian westcliff[break]
NOTES – mission (repeat) | Kanto in the past

[attr="class","pkmn"]

Zev lowered himself into the indicated armchair and contemplated the chessboard. [break][break]

"Sometimes," he said, moving his first pawn into position. "I taught the Hasegawa dog how to play chess as part of his training. The boy needs to sharpen his mind as much as his sword." [break][break]

Hitoshi Inoue was an interesting pupil, eager to learn but difficult to mold. [break][break]

The assassin's gaze flickered around the recreation area, checking to see if any patients or staff were eavesdropping. Fortunately, he and Theo were alone. "I've had a lot of practice. A lifetime's worth." [break][break]

Learning how to mask his sociopathy had been imperative in the Kanto Army. As much as it had grated on him to play the dutiful soldier, obeying a hierarchy of authority, the military rewarded him with deployments into warzones and his own command. [break][break]

And through that, his first opportunity to kill a man.

TAGS – THEO BECKETT[break]
NOTES – social

[attr="class","pkmn"]

The sounds Nenet made and the way her hands clung to Zev urged him on, until she was breathless and panting and trembling against him. Absently wiping his mouth on the back of his hand, he stood and discarded the rest of his clothes. [break][break]

Though he had seen her naked countless times, his hungry gaze raked over her body when she stripped off her nightgown. Without taking his eyes off her, he joined her on the mattress, drinking in her exquisite beauty. [break][break]

Zev was not a man of many words. He murmured neither sweet compliments nor lewd comments into Nenet's ear. Instead, he kissed his way up her stomach, chest, and neck as he crawled on top of her, leaving the occasional bruising bite mark in places she could easily hide. His little gifts, secret markings of his territory. [break][break]

Then he lifted his head, locking eyes with her. Pressing his hips against hers, he buried himself in the heat between her thighs. A wave of pleasure ran through him, eliciting a deep, wordless rumble from his throat. Crystals bloomed across his neck and jaw. [break][break]

Capturing her lips in another fervent kiss, he began to move. [break][break]

[break]

Much later, Zev lay flat on his back, eyes closed in blissful contentment. An arm curled around Nenet to hold her against his side. Gone were the black crystals. [break][break]

At the sound of her voice, he opened his eyes and turned his head to look at her. "Happy anniversary," he said back, his voice equally low and mirthful. "Who knew that getting married to protect our interests would work out so well. What's next, a house?" [break][break]

Though he chuckled, he remembered an idle thought he'd had a few weeks ago. [break][break]

"We should get rings."

TAGS – Neffatari Nzingha[break]
NOTES – social

[attr="class","pkmn"]

[break]

Neffatari Nzingha had the right idea of soaking the tears up in a hair tie—or so Zev thought, until later that night, when the Megalopolans confiscated every scrap of fabric on their bodies and gave them new uniforms. [break][break]

The pair conferred in the dream world later and agreed on another method. The next morning, Zev found a long groove in the floor of their cell, where they stored the rest of their tears for the next several days. [break][break]

Over time, an image began to form on the surface of the gathered tears. He didn't recognize the Pokémon, but strangely enough, he could hear its voice. In the dream world, he talked with others, eventually understanding the plan: break free from the prison by breaching the basement level. [break][break]

Zev's WILLPOWER burned inside him like a flame rekindled. It reflected in the dazzling gleam of the Tera Crystals in the ceiling, shining even brighter than before. "Today's the day. Get ready," he murmured to Neffatari Nzingha before guards ushered them from their cells to begin their usual work. [break][break]

Eventually, in the midst of polishing shards of crystal, that sound chimed. Zev surged to his feet. Explosions rocked the ward as priam conrad dropped what looked like dynamite through the hole in the floor. Murky tendrils snaked out from THEO BECKETT; one reached for Zev, reminding the assassin of someone else's vision. [break][break]

He hesitated for only a second, calculating the odds of survival in his head, then snatched the tendril out of the air. It snaked around his forearm, securing itself. A boost of vitality flowed through the tendril into his body, and around his neck, his own Toxic Chain activated. [break][break]

The end of it twisted, morphing into a familiar set of claws, but in miniature. Glowing energy gathered between them, bright and hot, before a THIN BEAM OF SEARING LIGHT fired right at Fezandipiti. [break][break]

"Go! Now!" Zev roared at the others, roughly grabbing Nenet's arm. Shoving her ahead of him, he dashed for the platform in the center of the chamber. [break][break]

TAGS – Neffatari Nzingha & ugly ward[break]
NOTES[break]
– Zev is in the UGLY WARD.[break]
– After Nenet's tear-soaked hair tie is confiscated, she and Zev store their tears in a groove in their cell's floor.[break]
– Notices and hears Azelf. Learns from others in the dream world about the plan to escape.[break]
– TOXIC CHAIN ABILITY: LASER ARM. Zev's Toxic Chain forms a claw-like hand that shoots thin beams of searing light, a weaker and smaller version of his Avatar laser ability. Due to being based on his deepest desire, the laser can easily cut through objects, both organic and inorganic.[break]
– Accepts Theo's power boost and attacks Fezandipiti with his Toxic Chain laser.[break]
– Grabs Nenet and shoves her toward the platform as he makes a run for it.

[attr="class","pkmn"]

So Nenet remembered the same things Zev did. Every meeting with another prisoner only reinforced his theory: that they were all experiencing a collective dream. It was a golden opportunity. [break][break]

At her gesture toward the displays, he finally turned his attention toward them. Releasing her from his grasp, he walked toward one, recognizing its inhabitant as her Pyroar. The Pokémon was unconscious, floating with eerie stillness in some unknown liquid. [break][break]

"Not yet," Zev said, tapping on the thick glass. Nothing happened. "This is my first time seeing this." [break][break]

He looked over his shoulder at Nenet. [break][break]

"I intend to keep wandering the city until we wake up, so I'll keep an eye out for them. I want to try finding others from Team Rocket, too, if I can. I ran into Underboss Quinn and Admin Bee already, and they're just as lucid here as we are." [break][break]

Stepping away from the glass cases, he returned to her side. "We can use this chance to figure out an escape plan."

TAGS – Neffatari Nzingha[break]
NOTES – mission | in the dream world

[attr="class","pkmn"]