"I hate those people too." [break][break]

Gunner sighed again but knew better than to fight Mila on her thoughtless comment. Her emotions were coming out in full force. He knew she didn't know his coworkers enough to truly hate them. [break][break]

He chose to answer her question instead. "I was recruited into the Bureau in the aftermath of the Kanto War," he said, a solemnity entering his tone as the memories came to the front of his mind. [break][break]

"I'd been working in Kanto in the months leading up to the coup, doing work for the Department of Defense." That much information was not confidential. [break][break]

"My team understood the gravity of the situation better than anyone else. We were evacuated in the early hours of the takeover, but I saw enough." [break][break]

Gunner's voice had quieted into a whisper. He'd spent weeks afterward glued to the news and social media, inundating himself with accounts of Team Rocket's atrocities. He'd lived through the worst of phone calls. [break][break]

He looked down into Mila's eyes. "I told myself that I wouldn't let that happen again to anyone I love," he said, fiercely, thinking of GIDEON GRAVES, of their parents, of his friends across the region. [break][break]

Thinking of her, the woman in his arms.

TAGS – mila alexopoulos[break]
NOTES – mission

[attr="class","pkmn"]

Mila was so warm and comfortable against him that Gunner felt his body start to settle into slumber. She didn't remain silent, though, and her voice jolted him back into consciousness. When he registered her question, he gave a weary sigh. [break][break]

"I can't. My job is…" He paused, unsure how to explain his responsibilities to her without giving any information away. This awkwardness, combined with the understandable concern among his civilian friends and family, was why he had a cover persona with a law firm. [break][break]

The last time he'd revealed the truth to someone he loved, he and GIDEON GRAVES had such a heated argument that they didn't talk with each other for weeks afterward. Gunner had regretted it, and he didn't want to repeat it with someone else, either. [break][break]

Mila, at least, knew he worked for the government. But it was better, for her sake, that she didn't know the details. [break][break]

"I'm needed on the field. I have a lot of experience, and my Pokémon are strong," he said at last. His hand on her tightened subconsciously. "A lot of people are counting on me to do my job, and to do it well."

TAGS – mila alexopoulos[break]
NOTES – mission

[attr="class","pkmn"]

"Don't get any wrong ideas, Calcifet. I'd rather be anywhere else than here," Gunner replied. Such as back home with a good book, or curled up on his couch with mila alexopoulos. But he had a job to do, and unfortunately, that involved standing in the cold with a defector. [break][break]

Gunner's eyes followed Remiel as the other man worked. Remiel's swiftness despite the piled-up snow surprised Gunner, though he dared not show it on his face. [break][break]

"What have you been doing to pass the time between Amnesty Program meetings and your weekly check-ins?" the agent asked instead. "There's not much out here in Verdanturf." [break][break]

The question was part of the usual check-in interview—the 'interrogation' Gunner had mentioned earlier. Though he'd first thought to wait until both men were back indoors, seated at Remiel's table, Gunner had no desire to stay longer than required.

TAGS – Remiel Calcifet[break]
NOTES – mission

[attr="class","pkmn"]

The soft murmur of Mila's fears felt out of place in the privacy of Gunner's hospital room. There was too much light, and he could hear the shuffle of staff and patients alike in the hall just outside. [break][break]

But what should have been awkward felt so natural. His hand rose to the back of her head to stroke her hair, as he'd done a hundred times before. [break][break]

"Sure," he said in a low, intimate tone. But it was not an intimacy laced with sexual suggestion, which was normal between them. Instead, it was the same private comfort he'd used in the past to put another at ease. [break][break]

Once Mila was snug against his side, Gunner settled back into the pillows and sighed in supreme contentment. "You're not stupid. You know that, right? You were afraid, and I… I get that."

TAGS – mila alexopoulos[break]
NOTES – mission

[attr="class","pkmn"]

Gunner silently noted Beau's verbal self-corrections but said nothing about them. Instead, he nodded and released a different Pokémon from another ball. His Arcanine appeared in a flash of light. [break][break]

"Then we'll proceed with caution and gather whatever information we can while we're down there," he said. "This is Gwyn ap Nudd. His nose will come in handy, and he can teleport us back here if necessary, too." [break][break]

Gunner clicked on a flashlight and nodded at his dog. "Lead the way." [break][break]

They ventured into the cave, the beam from his flashlight illuminating vast stretches of Tera crystals. Ever since the incident at Callan Young's Elite Four chamber, Gunner had a healthy wariness of the strange material. [break][break]

The shards people used to Terastallize their Pokémon seemed controllable enough, but in the wild, the Tera crystals could cause terrible harm to humans and Pokémon alike. [break][break]

Eventually, the pair reached a thick span of webbing made by some kind of spider. Gunner paused in front of it, frowning. "It's too much to cut, and we might get stuck if we try to force our way through. Gwyn ap Nudd, can you burn through this?" [break][break]

The Arcanine padded forward, flames rolling between his jaws. Gunner retreated a short distance. "We should back up," he said to Beau as he passed the other man. [break][break]

TAGS – Beau Fontaine[break]
NOTES – gc excursion c: monster hunter

[attr="class","pkmn"]

"Now, Owain!" Gunner yelled when he saw that the Iron Hands was hunkered down against the HURRICANE. [break][break]

His Iron Boulder charged, its horns glowing with psychic energy. And then it rammed into the Iron Hands, tearing into it with PSYCHO CUT. The enemy Pokémon cried out from the pain before collapsing, unconscious and defeated. [break][break]

Gunner jogged over to Owain and patted the Iron Boulder on its shoulder. "Great job in your first battle," he said to the Paradox Pokémon. Owain didn't seem to care; it neither moved nor made a sound in response to the praise. [break][break]

Turning back to Jack, Gunner suggested, "We should hand this one off to the scientists. Maybe they can glean some information about this place from the Pokémon found here." [break][break]

TAGS – jack wainwright[break]
NOTES – gc excursion b: research station

[attr="class","pkmn"]

Gunner's cheeks flushed, embarrassed at being caught. He thought he'd been hiding his pain well, but Jack had seen right through his stoic façade. [break][break]

"I'm fine," he lied. Then he relented, adding, "There's not much Pokémon healing can do for me right now. I'm just in the long and frustrating stage of recovery after an injury." [break][break]

He sighed. After that admission, he might as well explain. [break][break]

"After you split off to look for other survivors at the tail end of the battle against Kyurem, I was hit in the back by a Rocket's Pokémon. I didn't know what it was at the time, but my coworkers told me later it was a HYPER BEAM." [break][break]

"Technically, I'm still on paid leave, but I didn't think an assignment like this would be that taxing." His shoulders heaved up and down in a shrug. "I didn't realize how demanding standing or even sitting would be on my body." [break][break]

Gunner kept his gaze on the tree. Now that he'd said it out loud, his insistence on working—without a cane or other assistance, too—seemed silly. Perhaps he was simply too proud to admit he wasn't well and whole.

TAGS – jack wainwright[break]
NOTES – mission

[attr="class","pkmn"]

"Nice work," Gunner encouraged, addressing both Jack and the two Pokémon battling the Iron Hands. [break][break]

As the poison from the Iron Moth's attack forced their enemy on its back foot, the Iron Boulder saw its opening. Swinging its great head, it sliced at the Iron Hands with SACRED SWORD. A robotic screech ripped from the injured Pokémon, before it countered with THUNDER PUNCH. [break][break]

"Just a little more, I think," Gunner said, certain that Owain could take the beating. "It's two against one, so we have the upper hand." [break][break]

As the Iron Boulder reeled from the electrifying attack, the Iron Hands whirled upon the Iron Moth, attempting to blast it away with WHIRLWIND. [break][break]

TAGS – jack wainwright[break]
NOTES – gc excursion b: research station

[attr="class","pkmn"]

Gunner stilled. Even in his drunk, persistent state, he understood the state of not being ready. Even when he'd thought he was emotionally ready for a new girlfriend, it hadn't worked out. [break][break]

Perhaps he'd never be ready. [break][break]

"Okay, sure," Gunner said, taking another big gulp from his glass. He set down his phone and said the first thing that came to him afterward. "Hey, you want another drink? Or are you good?" [break][break]

He squinted at the clock hanging on his wall. [break][break]

"Shit, it's pretty late. You can stay the night if you want. I promise the couch is really comfy." He shot his older brother a lopsided grin. "Or we can make a fort like we used to when we were kids."

TAGS – GIDEON GRAVES[break]
NOTES – mission

[attr="class","pkmn"]

While Jack's Togekiss targeted the Pansear, Gunner's Scizor recovered from the attack. He retaliated with NIGHT SLASH, smacking the Pansear on the head and sending it tumbling back to the ground. [break][break]

All Hector had to do next was glower furiously at the remaining Panpour, who decided it was not going to risk a thrashing for a Dyna Tree fruit. It scrambled down the trunk, grabbed its friends, and hauled them away from the tree's guardians. [break][break]

Gunner shook his head, chuckling. "I guess wild Pokémon don't know any better. If the fruit's right there for the taking, they must think it's free, easy food. I fear the shift is just going to be more of this." [break][break]

He allowed himself to relax a little on the bench, though its stiff frame did little to ease his discomfort.

TAGS – jack wainwright[break]
NOTES – mission

[attr="class","pkmn"]

Jack's touch snapped Gunner out of his sudden panic, grounding him to the present moment. He stared at the Ranger, at a loss for words to explain what had just happened. Then brilliant orange-yellow flame lit up the area as Jack's Iron Moth attacked the wild Iron Hands that had just burst forth from the undergrowth. [break][break]

"I'm okay!" Gunner replied, hoping the tremor in his voice wasn't audible. Pulling away from Jack, he took a steadying breath and forced himself to focus. [break][break]

You've been through worse, he reminded himself. Then, out loud, he ordered, "Owain! Flank it!" [break][break]

The Iron Boulder barreled forward, striking the Iron Hands with HORN ATTACK. [break][break]

"Whatever happens, we need to keep it from entering the research station," Gunner reminded Jack, feeling more like himself now that he was in the midst of battle. [break][break]

TAGS – jack wainwright[break]
NOTES – gc excursion b: research station

[attr="class","pkmn"]

Gunner arrived on the back of his Salamence, Bruin, the Pokémon's great bulk casting a shadow upon everything below it. The ground trembled as the dragon landed outside the cave and the research station built by its entrance. [break][break]

"Are you Beau Fontaine?" Gunner asked the man in the Ranger uniform as he slid to the ground. Turning, he recalled Bruin into a Pokéball, then walked up to shake his partner's hand. "I'm Agent Gunner Graves." [break][break]

Light blue eyes noted the green trainee badge and armband; Gunner suppressed a sigh, hoping he wasn't saddled with a complete rookie. In contrast, he was wearing a black tactical uniform with HBIC in white block letters across his chest. The bureau's logo was stitched to the upper portion of his right sleeve. [break][break]

Gunner directed his gaze to the darkened mouth of the cave. "Are you caught up on the situation here?" [break][break]

TAGS – Beau Fontaine[break]
NOTES – gc excursion c: monster hunter

[attr="class","pkmn"]

Gunner contemplated the unused wooden building materials as Jack shared his ideas. "Scatter jacks are a better idea," he agreed. [break][break]

Already, he was placing them in the wilderness surrounding the station in his mind's eye when the other man called him over. Gunner walked over at a brisk pace, curiosity piqued. When he neared Jack, he saw the tracks, too. [break][break]

Gunner inhaled sharply. A cold sweat broke out all over his body, and his stomach felt hard as a stone. His heartbeat kicked into high gear. [break][break]

"What is that?" he whispered, feeling faint. Shaking, he pressed his hand against his forehead, bewildered by the sudden need to flee in terror. "What's going on?" [break][break]

Nearby, the tall grass rustled as something sinister crept toward them. [break][break]

TAGS – jack wainwright[break]
NOTES – gc excursion b: research station

[attr="class","pkmn"]