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No, this stranger definitely was not a customer.[break][break]

Not with the way he eyed Marshall back, or the way he carried himself like a dog sniffing at the border of a newcomer's territory. The racing circuits and motorcycle gangs were big, and Mauville was even bigger, but Marshall had never seen or heard of this man before.[break][break]

"Hands-on is one way to put it," Marshall replied with a shrug. "We pride ourselves in that kinda style."[break][break]

Then he extended a hand, hoping to gain some information by giving a morsel first. "Name's Marshall Slade, and this is the property of Orthrus. And you are?"

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"Nah, it does suit you," Marshall conceded with a chuckle. Based on Keira's sudden and heated defense of herself, she'd expected him to act the same way he did when they were children.[break][break]

Not anymore, though. Marshall had grown up.[break][break]

"Stealin' from Team Rocket's no joke. You earned whatever alias people've started callin' ya."[break][break]

He finished his beer and signaled for the bartender to give him another.[break][break]

"Anyway, Magnus and I got a gig cookin', and it's bigger than what you and I have ever done before. I'm talkin' black market deals, entertainment district, contracts with the League and Rocket."[break][break]

Marshall's expression turned serious as he regarded Keira.[break][break]

"What we need, though, are people. Not just anyone, but people we can trust. People we know have brains in their heads," he tapped his temple with a finger, "not just brawn or quick fingers."[break][break]

His trademark smirk returned. "And I don't know any smarter person in this city than you."

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"I think we can do whatever we fuckin' like," Marshall said coolly, hauling the stranger up by his collar alone. Camber stomped over to add the promise of physical punishment to his trainer's words.[break][break]

"Now, you're gonna tell me your name, where you're from, and whatcha got inside this bike," he continued.[break][break]

"I got nothin' to say to you," said the scrawny man.[break][break]

The Rhyperior rumbled, the menacing sound like stone grinding against stone. Marshall's captive gulped as a fresh sheen of sweat appeared on his forehead.[break][break]

The Orthrus second-in-command kept his eyes on the unknown rider while he called over to his companion. "You find anything yet, Deimos?"

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The ICE BEAM hit its target square in the chest. Redline roared in pain and staggered backward across the sand.[break][break]

"Doin' better!" Marshall said, not at all worried about his Kommo-o's condition. One solid strike over the course of training was not going to knock her out. "You really gonna let that little punk walk all over you, Redline?" he asked her.[break][break]

She shook her head furiously and steeled herself for another attack using IRON DEFENSE.[break][break]

"What say you try to get a few more hits in, huh, Bax?" Marshall offered. He looked at Abner before continuing, "Then we can break for some lunch."

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Mateo's question was the very first one people who didn't ride motorcycles asked of those who did. Marshall had his entire adulthood thus far to come up with an answer, but it was far from any 'sagely wisdom'.[break][break]

"I just do. They're cool, going fast is cool. It's the adrenaline rush, ya know?" he said. "If you have a soft spot for shit that goes fast, then you understand what I mean."[break][break]

Whatever hobbies Mateo enjoyed, however, were unknown to Marshall. He'd never seen the younger man at a race — on a car, bike, or otherwise — or heard Mateo mention the interest before.[break][break]

"You wanna learn to ride one day?" Marshall offered. "We got some old bikes that've seen some shit. They'd be good for a beginner."

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Marshall watched Vee catch the Glimmora with a wide smile, pleased to see her so confident in catching Pokémon after just a short time. They walked back to his parked motorcycle in silence, but before he got on, she stopped him.[break][break]

"Always happy to help, Vee."[break][break]

He laughed at her threat and climbed onto the bike.[break][break]

"Sure, sure. It'd only be what I deserve."[break][break]

After handing her the spare helmet and putting his on, Marshall ignited the engine. The machine purred to life underneath them both. He pointed it in the direction of home and released the clutch.

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Marshall had heard plenty of rumors surrounding the alternate dimensions accessible at some locations across Hoenn. Nothing had prepared him, however, for the truth.[break][break]

The landscape that met him on the other side of the rift was astounding: sand dunes stretching to the horizon in all directions. Hoenn had its own desert, but it was grounded in reality. Finite. Here in the place called Ultra Desert, Marshall felt an overwhelming sense of insignificance.[break][break]

He and his companions — Jack Magnus and Keira Torres — had been walking for some time. The heat had been uncomfortable at first, but now it was stifling. Sweat covered every inch of his skin; he could feel it trickling in rivulets down his back. His movements had grown sluggish. A headache was starting to pound against his skull.[break][break]

But he couldn't show weakness, not in front of his friends. Not when he was the second-in-command of Orthrus. So he took a small sip from his water canteen, afraid of drinking too much and running out too quickly.[break][break]

Marshall glanced skyward, shielding his eyes from the glaring sun. "Yo, Bogie!" he yelled at his Noivern. "See anythin' we could use for some kinda base camp? Maybe with some kind of shade?"[break][break]

That had been their first priority, after all: find shelter and set it up for future excursions. Bogie screeched back in reply and flew ahead southward, causing her trainer to perk up.[break][break]

"Hey, I think Bogie found something," he told Keira and Marshall.

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Marshall nodded. Jack Magnus liked to give grand tours of Orthrus' territory whenever a new member joined. It was part of the initiation.[break][break]

"I like to race sometimes but nothin' serious. Most of the work we do here is repairs, but we do riding and racing mods if the customer's got the right parts with 'em. We don't order anythin' ourselves."[break][break]

He glanced at Mateo, head tilted and eyebrow raised. The younger man had just joined, so Marshall had not yet had the opportunity to get to know him. All he knew was that Mateo was quite friendly and impressionable. After all, hadn't Leilani Reinhardt recruited him for Club Olympus?[break][break]

"You interested in bikes too, Mateo?" Marshall asked. His own motorcycle was parked outside the body shop, staying out of the mechanics' way.

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When the little Frigibax leaped at Redline, the Kommo-o braced herself for a strong retaliation. However, her opponent merely bit down on her scales with CRUNCH. She blinked down at him and then bellowed laughter.[break][break]

Marshall chuckled, too. "Go easy on the guy, Redline. He's just doin' his best."[break][break]

The Scaly Pokémon didn't even bother attacking. She merely waved her arm to dislodge the Frigibax from her body.[break][break]

Marshall raised an eyebrow at Abner. "You sure Bax is good to continue the fight? He ain't even listenin' to ya."

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Relief washed over Marshall when Jasmine answered 'no'. She was free to pursue her happiness, of course, but he dreaded what might happen to Jack Magnus if she ever did leave. Or if he caught even a whiff of a desire to leave.[break][break]

Magnus was a good man and a good friend, but he had certain expectations. Once a dog of Orthrus, always a dog of Orthrus.[break][break]

"All right, I won't," Marshall said, catching up so he could stride next to Jasmine. He threw a friendly arm around her shoulders and squeezed lightly. "Glad to hear you think of us as family, too, Jazz."[break][break]

Ahead, Diesel tangled with a wild Empoleon. The Hisuian Arcanine finally bested it with DOUBLE-EDGE, allowing Marshall to capture it with a Pokéball.

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Marshall stood with Deimos at the fence. When the other man moved away, he knew exactly where he was going: the finish line. A heartbeat later, Marshall followed, not bothering to use his Pokémon to make the journey safer.[break][break]

If Deimos was going to risk a fall, Marshall would be there to catch him, just in case.[break][break]

At the finish line, the men peered up the road. Sure enough, the stranger on the strange bike was in the lead. Only when Deimos made his request did Marshall dig into a pocket for two Pokéballs.[break][break]

"You got it, buddy," he said, opening the capsules. His Archeops and Rhyperior appeared in a flash of light, the former taking wing at once. "Blitz, snatch that guy in the front off his motorcycle as soon as he crosses. Camber, stop his bike."[break][break]

Soon enough, the rider reached them, zooming over the finish line — only to run straight into the Rhyperior. Camber snatched the vehicle with ease in his enormous claws. Meanwhile, Blitz descended, lifting the strange rider away and dropping him at Marshall's feet.[break][break]

Marshall crouched and seized him by the shirt. His grin was wolfish, fangs bared in a display of dominance. "Yo."

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Marshall laughed, amused by Vee's declaration. Being beaten by the adults in his life meant he'd grown up lashing back at them. Fighting for survival turned into parking lots scuffles with other teens. Now, as an adult, he could brawl with the best of them, even if he wasn't nearly as good as ozias ambrose.[break][break]

But Vee's sentiment made her all the more endearing. "Deal," Marshall said with a grin. He hoped, of course, she would never have to fight someone for real.[break][break]

He watched her catch the Sneasler before standing from the rock. "Looks like you're getting the hang of catching Pokémon. Should we head back?" he suggested.

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