Gunner's comms unit shrieked with discordant noise at the same time as Eva's, prompting him to mimic her reaction by yanking it out of his ear.[break][break]

"Yeah, I did. I have no idea what the hell that was."[break][break]

Disturbed, he scanned their surroundings. As he'd never been to the Ruins of Alph before, everything was wholly unfamiliar, and made all the more ominous by the pull of darkness ahead.[break][break]

"Me too. Let's turn around and see what else we can find here."[break][break]

TAGS – Eva Morales[break]
NOTES – the rks simulation

[attr="class","pkmn"]

Whenever Gunner returned home to Fallarbor, he visited the cemetery situated outside the town. Duty compelled him. Not only did he take the time to clean his grandparents' headstones, but he stopped at the memorial in the center of the sanctuary.[break][break]

There, he paid respects to those who lost their lives during Team Rocket's failed invasion of Fallarbor. Though the terrorist organization had been repelled, victory had not come without cost.[break][break]

"Sorry I wasn't here," Gunner murmured as he gazed at the names of the dead etched into the stone plinth. "Maybe I would have made a difference, if I had been."[break][break]

At his side, his Kecleon reached up to pat his arm in a comforting gesture.

TAGS – zata nefertum[break]
NOTES – mission

[attr="class","pkmn"]

Gunner had been one of the first to volunteer for the new RKS Simulation built by the League's most brilliant minds. Defense of the region was his job, after all, and he was not above using whatever tools necessary to achieve his goal.[break][break]

The machine was nothing like he expected, however. Though the Tera crystal in the center of the white void was nothing new, he marveled at the way objects materialized in the space.[break][break]

Everything looked and felt so real, as if he and his partner for that run hadn't been digitized.[break][break]

And then the space around them transformed, the featureless emptiness forming an ancient-style tea house. Gunner had visited one back in Kanto, but that had been a lifetime ago.[break][break]

"This is incredible," he said aloud, his gaze slowly taking in their surroundings. He turned to the girl who had entered the simulation with him.[break][break]

"So this is what you would design if you were a Gym Leader, huh? Because it definitely fits you better than it fits me."[break][break]

TAGS – Hyakkaryōran Tsubaki[break]
NOTES – rks simulation

[attr="class","pkmn"]

TAGS – Gwyar Wledig[break]
NOTES – mission

[attr="class","credit"]

[attr="class","pkmn"]

TAGS – Navy paxton concordas[break]
NOTES – mission

Gunner stifled a grimace when Paxton addressed him, but he still managed to look emotionally constipated. "Could be better," he replied. "The shrine's not the problem."[break][break]

He wasn't religious, anyway. After seeing the horrors that vermin like Team Rocket could commit, he stopped believing Arceus cared about the world or humanity.[break][break]

Knowing Paxton's oblivious talkativeness was just going to piss him off more if he didn't bring up the issue between them, Gunner gave an exasperated sigh. He set his jaw and turned to look at his coworker.[break][break]

"Do you know a woman named mila alexopoulos?" he asked, testing the waters. Of course, he knew Paxton knew her. He knew Paxton had slept with her.

TAGS – paxton concordas[break]
NOTES – mission

[attr="class","pkmn"]

Gunner had the misfortune of arriving at PENELOPE LIVY's side just in time to overhear paxton concordas and mila alexopoulos exchange compliments. Before he could stop himself, he aimed a scowl at the back of Paxton's head as the other man departed, offering to get Mila a drink of her own.[break][break]

In fact, Gunner was too swept up in a red fury to hear Penelope's comment about work, or to notice the ENVY radiating off Mila until she'd grabbed his arm in a possessive hold.[break][break]

Only then did he realize he had put himself in an awkward spot. His knee-jerk reaction was to snap at the woman and demand to know what was going on between her and Paxton. But not only were they in public, but they were in front of his boss.[break][break]

He forced a smile at Mila. "You did a great job with it," he said through gritted teeth. "Though it looks like you offered the same service to other men here, too."[break][break]

So as not to leave Penelope out of the conversation, Gunner turned to her. "Mila's a fashion designer. She owns and operates Primarina Designs in Mauville. I'm sure she'd love to design you something. Right, Mila?"[break][break]

Raising his glass to his lips, he took a drink in a poor attempt at combating his own anger.

TAGS – league holiday party[break]
NOTES[break]
– open to interactions![break]
– suit[break]
– Glares at paxton concordas as he leaves; remembers that he's in public and forces nice conversation even though he is obviously pissed at mila alexopoulos.

[attr="class","pkmn"]

Unfortunately, whatever Navy and Kazimir Wynter said were completely lost on Gunner as soon as mila alexopoulos walked into the spacious chamber. His eyes took in her perfect hair, beautiful face, and gorgeous dress, its color perfectly matching his suit.[break][break]

The hem of its skirt barely brushed the tops of her knees, and his throat went dry with dirty thoughts.[break][break]

But then Mila did something to dash all those thoughts on sharp rocks: she immediately approached paxton concordas and struck up a conversation with him.[break][break]

Gunner tore his gaze away to look for the nearest bar, catching sight of it in the same instance he saw PENELOPE LIVY step away from another group. He saw the flicker of emotion entering her face and knew at once he could not stand idle.[break][break]

"Excuse me, gentlemen," he said to Navy and Kazimir before heading to the bar. To the waiting bartender, he said, "Two Martinezes, please."[break][break]

With the vermouth-and-gin drinks in hand, Gunner strode with purpose up to the trio making small talk and inserted himself between Paxton and Penelope.[break][break]

"Here's your drink, Penny. A Martinez, as requested," he said with a friendly smile, extending one of the glasses to his boss. Normally, he didn't address her so informally in public, but they weren't working that night. "You look great, by the way."[break][break]

His blue eyes stayed fixed on Penelope, refusing to acknowledge the other two in their immediate vicinity. But Laudine, uninvolved in her trainer's pettiness, rubbed up against Mila's leg in a show of affection.

TAGS – league holiday party[break]
NOTES[break]
– open to interactions![break]
– suit[break]
– Grabs drinks for himself and PENELOPE LIVY, and tries to make a hot mess of the evening in front of paxton concordas and mila alexopoulos.

[attr="class","pkmn"]

As Gunner admired himself in the mirror in the hallway outside the Observatory, he had to admit: mila alexopoulos had done an amazing job.[break][break]

When he'd mentioned attending the holiday party that the League council was hosting while wearing one of his everyday suits, she'd insisted instead that he let her design and make a bespoke suit befitting the Wintertide season. He'd resisted at first, but she'd never steered him wrong before when it came to clothing. So, eventually, he relented.[break][break]

After adjusting his tie and smoothing a hand over his hair, which he'd styled with maybe a little too much gel, he headed into the Observatory to join the rest of the party. His Umbreon, Laudine, followed at his heels.[break][break]

Almost at once, Gunner spied paxton concordas with a flute of champagne in his hand. Gunner's mood blackened at once, and he almost turned to leave. The crowd shifted, however, and he caught sight of Navy nursing a drink and looking like he wanted to die.[break][break]

"Mind if I join you?" Gunner asked the Gym Leader as he slipped into the space beside Navy. "We can spend the night concocting an elaborate escape plan."

TAGS – league holiday party[break]
NOTES[break]
– open to interactions![break]
– suit[break]
– Sees paxton concordas immediately, gets pissed, goes to skulk with Navy.

[attr="class","pkmn"]

Gunner adjusted his scarf, pulling it tighter around his neck to ward against the cold that had beset Hoenn with autumn's coming end. The trees around him had shed their leaves, and the gray sky above promised rain, if not snow.[break][break]

But the chill and gloomy atmosphere was not what soured his mood the most, nor was he bothered by guard duty over the small shrine not far from Meteor Falls.[break][break]

No, it was the presence of none other than paxton concordas. The man was supposed to be Gunner's friend and trusted colleague, but revelations from a few months back had put Paxton in a different light.[break][break]

And so Gunner brooded as he picked up a paper cup of coffee and took a comforting sip. A box of doughnuts from Fallarbor Town sat on the bench between them, but he hadn't touched them yet.[break][break]

Simmering anger suppressed the appetite.

TAGS – paxton concordas[break]
NOTES – mission

[attr="class","pkmn"]

TAGS – Navy paxton concordas[break]
NOTES – mission