Gideon's eyebrows furrowed even further - not with concern this time, but with confusion.

A walk? On the day that a meteoroid was scheduled to crash into Hoenn?

Why had he not been sheltering in place? In fact, why wasn't Gunner even in Slateport City? He should have been at his residence in the Upper District, and yet here he was now – injured in a hospital bed in Lilycove City.

Halfway across the region.

"I see..." Was all Gideon could muster as a response.

The cogs in his mind were grinding mercilessly. Logic and reason held a vise grip on his entire being and when neither of those things were present... it set him on edge.

"I'll let you rest, then."

And then he stepped out of the room, more confused than when he had entered.

Gunner Graves
mission: POST PAAA

☉

A head injury. Likely concussion. Lacerations to one arm, the severity of which Gideon couldn't see beneath the bandages. If there were other wounds, no one had told him.

With this limited information, could he surmise the events surrounding Gunner Graves' attack?

In his mind, Gideon could help by trying to piece together what happened. Not only to assuage his brother's likely confusion and anxiety over the ordeal, but his roiling feelings as well.

"Where were you?" Gideon pressed, the corners of his brow scrunching in concern. "Do you remember what you were doing before the attack?"

Gunner Graves
mission: POST PAAA

☉

Never that.

And he believed her. Elisabeth Fiorelli exuded an infectious confidence that was as alluring as it was spellbinding.

GIDEON GRAVES, on the other hand, had no qualms surrendering. Everything about her - from the scent of her perfume to the brush of blonde waves against her shoulders - left him entranced in a way that demanded submission.

Their lips met, not for the first time. But the chaste kiss they'd shared beneath the mistletoe barely compared to the sultry passion that engulfed them now.

For the first time in a long, long time, Dr. Gideon Graves found himself letting go.

He surrendered to the heat of the moment, the hand on Elisa's knee now lost in strands of golden hair. Pulling her closer, feeling the way her body moved against his. It ignited a dormant yearning that refused to be smothered.

Gideon could feel that he was on the precipice of something wonderful. Elisabeth Fiorelli - rosy and gorgeous and unyieldingly clever as she was - had quickly become a bright spot in his otherwise tepid personal life.

Things were starting to look up for GIDEON GRAVES.

Gunner Graves
Elisabeth Fiorelli Summer Atreides
outfit check

☉

Gunner Graves' fumbling barely registered on Gideon's radar. The ruckus earned his brother a sidelong glance, enough to check that he'd just simply spilled his drink and not something more serious, before the professor's full attention returned to Elisabeth Fiorelli.

As if in defiance of Summer Atreides's teasing statement, the two continued to cozy up with one another.

Elisa made the first move to finally breach the small space that remained between them. Her fleeting caress along his cheek, brushing against his ear... it was like she'd set fire to every inch of skin she touched. Gideon could feel the heat rise in his face - a shade easily explained away by his alcoholic beverage, if anyone were to speculate.

"I suppose I am." He agreed lowly, the deep tenor of his voice intimately close as he spoke near Elisabeth Fiorelli's ear.

"Will you surrender, then?" Somewhere in their gravitational pull a hand slid its way onto Elisa's knee. "Or go to war with me?"

Gunner Graves
Elisabeth Fiorelli Summer Atreides
outfit check

☉

There wasn't much that got past someone like Gunner Graves. It came as no surprise to Gideon that he'd seen them together at the Masquerade. However, just like now, they hadn't really tried to hide their attraction on the dance floor.

Had that attraction between him and Elisabeth Fiorelli been a desperate attempt, as Summer Atreides suggested? Or had the bud of something meaningful begun to bloom? Only time would tell.

"Thank you, Summer. I'm glad to hear you enjoyed your time." Oh, if only Gideon knew just how much she'd enjoyed herself, he might not have been thanking her. Still, an appreciative smile creased his lips before his attentions returned to the florist nestled in the crook of his arm.

He listened as she spoke, enthralled by the cadence of her voice and the obvious authority she had over the information. The two on the other side of the booth soon faded from GIDEON GRAVES' attention and a spotlight was cast on Elisabeth Fiorelli, rising to center stage. And what a show she put on.

As Elisa delved deeper into her story an inescapable gravity seemed to draw them closer together. She leaned in as tension built in her tale, and Gideon couldn't help but be reeled in by it all.

"And what if peace isn't something I want?" Alcohol had emboldened him as well, it seemed.

Gunner Graves
Elisabeth Fiorelli Summer Atreides
outfit check

☉

Miracles were not something that someone like Gideon Graves put much stock in. He was a man of science, after all - of logic and reason and irrefutable fact.

But here, in this other realm, his worldview was undergoing a distinct shift. As he witnessed his brother's flesh rematerializing right before his eyes - in his own hands - Dr. Graves found himself thanking every God or deity or higher power that his scrambling mind could conjure up.

If the sound of Gunner Graves's revitalized voice wasn't a miracle, then what was? To Gideon, hearing his name called out sounded akin to a thousand heavenly bells ringing in his ear.

"Shit, don't scare me like that." He replied with a shaky laugh, his eyes glassy with tears on the verge of pouring over. "I'm here, Gunner. I'm here. You're alright."

Despite these comforting words (said as much for himself as his brother), Gideon's entire being felt tense, like a breath held long past due. A soul waiting for the exhale.

He had to check for himself - the extent of this miracle. Looking downward, where burned, festering flesh was just moments before, skin as pink a newborn's shown bright and resplendent. Bone no longer jutted from tissue; the only thing broken now were the tatters that remained of Gunner's clothes.

How was this possible? Even with the help of Pokémon, this type of healing wasn't something usually achieved in their world. Was there some property here that influenced their Pokémons' power?

"Can you walk? Here, lean on me," Gideon suggested, helping his sibling to his feet. When it became apparent that the younger Graves brother would be okay, the older looked to their companions and offered a genuine, relieved smile. "Thank you for helping, you two. I can't imagine what would have happened without your quick thinking."

Gunner Graves Caleb Harcourt @rosie

• 🗺️ GIDEON GRAVES's divorce experience must be explored in some way &/or he will be able to retrieve an artifact (be creative within reason) for his national museum of natural history.

☉

Artistically speaking, it was all very aesthetic. The clash and rigor of battle was something Gideon actually enjoyed photographing; however, his usual shooting conditions were more controlled and mundane than this. Here, in the realm of the dead, anything could happen.

Which was what made their venture so thrilling.

The continual shutter of Gideon's camera was drowned out by the roar of conflict before him. Dr. Graves made sure to catch it all, paying special attention to the vengeful spirit at the center of the conflict. Perhaps, however, he was focusing a little too much on documenting and not enough on the battle itself... he noticed a moment too late what VICTINI's rage was aimed at next.

Gunner Graves.

Time slowed to a standstill. Gideon's body barely leaned forward to react before his brother's screams pierced the air. That sound... he could have gone his entire lifetime without hearing that horrid sound. That alone caused what seemed like a sudden fracture in GIDEON GRAVES' psyche. Lurching ahead with panicked footsteps, he felt like the ghosts all around them - detached from his earthly form and watching as someone other rushed to Gunner's side.

Somewhere along the way sound had failed him. There was nothing but a ringing thrum in his ear as he took in the severity of Gunner's injuries... parts were flayed, others scorched beyond recognition. The smell, though... that was enough to knock him back into reality.

The putrid scent of burning flesh filled Gideon's nose and made him want to vomit. He nearly gagged on the bile welling in his throat as he wailed desperately, "GUNNER!"

Then, something strange happened. It defied the laws of their world, but here, anything could happen... including the souls of the living separating from their physical vessels. As Gideon cradled his brother's bloodied body in his arms he felt the other man's breathing become shallower and shallower... until wisps of ephemeral light began emanating from within Gunner himself. Then, suddenly, something started to emerge.

It was like seeing a negative image of his sibling beginning to split from the original.

"NO! No, no, no, no, no..." This couldn't be happening. He couldn't lose him, not like this. It would be HIS fault. After all, it was Gideon who had been the one to ask Gunner to accompany him on this expedition into what was quickly turning into the deepest depths of hell. Please, you can't...

"Proteus, Heal Pulse - NOW!" His body acted on its own, releasing GIDEON GRAVES's SLOWKING to try and reverse whatever was happening to his brother.

Gunner Graves Caleb Harcourt @rosie

• 🗺️ GIDEON GRAVES's divorce experience must be explored in some way &/or he will be able to retrieve an artifact (be creative within reason) for his national museum of natural history.

☉

"Loralei...?"

Gideon immediately stiffened, but did not turn to face the specter behind him until a tense few seconds passed. In this time, he built the resolve necessary to face such a haunting evocation of his past failures. When he did, GIDEON GRAVES met those hollow eyes with a deep grimace and a visible shuddering of his body.

A memory of a conversation between himself and his ex-wife materialized in his mind as their eyes met; it felt thrust upon him, though, like some insidious trance. It was a snippet of a phone call that occurred after his ex-wife and her sister were in a car accident:

"... what do you mean you can’t?"

"I’m so, so sorry, Charlotte. But I’m halfway across the world. This expedition has been years in the making and by the time I’d get back home, her funeral would have already passed."

"I’m hurt, Gideon. My leg is shattered. My... my sister just died. I NEED you here with me right now. I don’t think I can do this without you..."

"I’ll leave as soon as I can, I promise. It’s only about another week’s worth of work."

"Are you serious...? You’re putting your work above me AGAIN, now? If I can’t even compete when my sister dies then... God, Gideon, what the hell is wrong with you?"

"Char, please... you know I’d be there if I could. It’s unfathomable what happened to Lorelai, but you have to see how I’m stuck between a rock and a hard place here."

"..."

"Charlotte?"

"...I-I need to go. The doctor just walked in. I’ll talk to you later."

"Alright. I love you."

Their relationship hadn’t lasted much longer after that.

Once the memory subsided, Gideon released a long-held sigh and responded with a morose, "Yes... that’s her."

The spirit of Lorelai didn’t appear conversational, although the professor had no intention of trying to directly communicate with her. In fact, he hoped she’d simply disappear into the expanse of this realm - leave him to his bitter memories without having to involuntarily relive them. As it turned out, however, her presence did just the opposite. Every second he spent here he was bombarded with flashes of past conflicts, miserable recollections, and even memories from his wife’s perspective he’d never been privy to before now...

It made the vengeful spirit that appeared feel like a reprieve; a merciful distraction from his own internal struggles. He’d let the Ranger and his own brother, who was more proficient at battling, take care of the threat. Instead, he took out a camera of his own much like @rosie, bringing it to his eye to document the encounter from a safer distance.

Gunner Graves Caleb Harcourt @rosie

• 🗺️ GIDEON GRAVES's divorce experience must be explored in some way &/or he will be able to retrieve an artifact (be creative within reason) for his national museum of natural history.

☉