TAGS – jayden cross[break]
NOTES – social

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The road from Granite Cave to Dewford Town passed by this isolated memorial; a long walking trail led from the main route to the cliffside. Anyone wishing to remain undetected by the League forces on the island could travel through the secluded area, avoiding other travelers.[break][break]

Zev simply had not anticipated the presence of another in his path. He paused when a nearby voice broke the stillness of twilight. The large, stone shrine blocked his view of Noel—and thankfully, Noel's view of him.[break][break]

The Rocket Beast took a moment to sort through his mental archives, trying to match the voice he'd heard with face or name. But nothing came up.[break][break]

Still, it was better to be cautious. Zev willed the crystals deep in his body to surface. They covered him in his entirety, turning his silhouette into a black void cut out of space. Only his eyes stared out from the darkness, as cold and uncaring as the stars.[break][break]

And then he stepped out from behind the shrine into view.[break][break]

Instantly, he recognized the blue-haired young man from reports of Team Rocket operatives who'd fought on the resurfaced island. Noel Parker, Zev recalled, had fought on the side of the League.[break][break]

How fortunate to run into an enemy, alone, at this time of night.[break][break]

Crystal rippled along Zev's body as whip-like tendrils sprouted from his back. They lanced forward, swinging scythe-like ends at Noel.

TAGS – Noel Parker[break]
NOTES – mission

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Nenet's reply was a string of words Zev knew individually, but together, they were utter gibberish. Normally, that was enough to prevent him from asking more questions. But as she set down her research to pull off her peppermint-striped sweater, he noticed that the edge of one paper looked awfully familiar.[break][break]

He tugged on it, pulling it out of the pile. Immediately, he recognized the content.[break][break]

"This is part of the Type Full formula," he said aloud, without thinking. Turning to the rest of the documents, he sorted through them until he found three other, similar sheets.[break][break]

Zev looked at his wife, eyes wide with surprise. "Where did you find these?"[break][break]

As far as he knew, only Team Rocket had gathered enough data to make their own Type: Null. But again, his tone lacked accusation; after all, Nenet was an intelligent and resourceful woman.[break][break]

If anyone outside of Rocket could get their hands on the research, it was her.

TAGS – Neffatari Nzingha[break]
NOTES – mission

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The shift in Himiko's attitude was noticeable as she slipped into professionalism. Perhaps pride in her skills as a poisoner was stronger than the bruised ego of a child being punished. Zev nodded, accepting her answer. [break][break]

She had the potential for excellence within Team Rocket's Hoenn branch, but only if she could overcome her over-inflated self-importance. [break][break]

"Tell me about the Druddigon incident," Zev said, knowing the topic would touch a nerve. "What went wrong, and why do you think it happened?" [break][break]

Himiko's response would determine her path forward in her new home.

TAGS – Yamaguchi Himiko[break]
NOTES – mission

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Zev was about to pierce the wall with his blade again, angling it for a more downward thrust, when the bedroom door burst open. A red-haired girl and her Gabite rushed out, freezing at the sight of him.[break][break]

Was she a Ranger? In the darkness of the house, he could not tell. But if she escaped, she might find the caged Pokémon in the basement and report the smuggling operation to the authorities.[break][break]

Zev didn't care, but Team Rocket would.[break][break]

Ignoring her screamed questions, he swiveled to face her and advanced. The blade on his right arm retracted as he reached out with his other hand, intending to grab her.

TAGS – Gwendolyn Conway[break]
NOTES – mission

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TAGS – THEO BECKETT[break]
NOTES – mission

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Taking another drag from his cigarette, Zev inclined his head in acknowledgement of Bryan's musings. What the other man described aligned with everything Zev knew so far about Avatarship: namely that Legendary Pokémon didn't bother teaching their Avatars everything their powers entailed.[break][break]

Yet another difference that set him and Necrozma apart from the rest.[break][break]

Bryan's next question earned him a surprised sideways glance. Zev did not speak for a moment, buying time with another inhale of smoke as he tried to assess what was going through his colleague's mind.[break][break]

In truth, Bryan had never shown himself to have a lick of cunning. Perhaps he had no ulterior motive, just genuine curiosity.[break][break]

Zev exhaled a plume of smoke. "Since you're asking me directly, you'll get an honest answer," he said. "I think you're useful. Your strength and ability to come back from the dead make you a formidable soldier."[break][break]

He flicked ash from the tip of his cigarette.[break][break]

"But you don't tend to think ahead or plan. Your recklessness could fuck up an operation for all of us. And that could make you a liability."

TAGS – bryan delarosa[break]
NOTES – social

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Zev eyed the shiny Tapu Koko that regarded him with obvious caution. He knew nothing about the Pokémon except its status as a revered deity in Alola and the powers it had apparently granted its Avatar. [break][break]

At least, the ones he saw during the clash with Chien-Pao in the Cave of Origin. [break][break]

"Can it show us where it was when it first saw you? Maybe we can find some clue there," Zev asked Fern. [break][break]

He could have asked Tapu Koko directly, but instinct warned him that the Legendary Pokémon was more inclined to listen to its Avatar than to others—an assumption formed from his own bond with Necrozma.

TAGS – fern delaney[break]
NOTES – mission

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The familiar tingle of energy swept over Zev as he stepped through the portal at Sky Pillar, crossing into the alien world called Lesser Megalopolis. The sight that greeted him was a familiar one: prism-shaped skyscrapers reaching toward the black void of the sky.[break][break]

As if in response, his skin split apart as dark crystals emerged across his body. Most were not visible beneath his clothing, but those that were dotted his neck, jaw, and hands in small, scattered clusters.[break][break]

In the distance, a shard of Necrozma roosted atop Lesser Megalo Tower. He couldn't see it from where he stood, but he sensed it all the same. Much like how he sensed his own shard lurking in the space between worlds.[break][break]

But Zev was not there for his patron or its smaller, less intelligent, less powerful copies. He turned instead to the person who'd traveled into Ultra Space with him, whose own patron they'd met there.[break][break]

"So how exactly are you looking for the other Tapus?" the Beast asked fern delaney. "Do you remember where you met yours?"

TAGS – fern delaney[break]
NOTES – mission

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