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Just as Gunner felt the claws of panic rip at the cloak of professional calm with which he'd wrapped himself, the magma hardened. Thick shelves and pillars of it blackened in an instant, cooling with a rumbling creak. For a moment, all he and his Pokémon could do was blink in wonder.[break][break]

Then he turned to Penelope, and his face broke out into a relieved smile. "By Arceus, you did it!"[break][break]

Still, they couldn't stay. Gunner felt the heat of still-flowing lava radiating up through the floor, and untamed flames continued to eat at the room. Turning to his Alakazam, he gestured to the nearest window.[break][break]

"Merlin, teleport us to the street. We're getting out of here."[break][break]

The Psi Pokémon obeyed. After taking a quick glance out the window, his eyes flashed with purple light. Mere heartbeats later, and the four of them vanished, reappearing again on the sidewalk just outside the POG Bank building.[break][break]

Distant sirens wailed, growing louder as fire trucks sped toward them.

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Gunner blinked, surprised that was the first and only word out of Wolfgang's mouth. But then again, what else was there to say? The other man looked just ast stunned and awkward as he felt.[break][break]

"Hey," Gunner said back. And then, because it was stupid to end the conversation like that, he added with a slight huff of laughter, "You're not a bad lay, Volkov."[break][break]

Actually, Wolfgang had been incredible, but Gunner wasn't the kind of man to gush like that.[break][break]

Instead, he got out of the bed, groaning slightly at the aches in his body from new bruises and bite marks. He ambled toward the connected bathroom, buck naked, on full display for Wolfgang to ogle.[break][break]

"You said you're free all night, right?" Gunner asked, the question rhetorical. He didn't need confirmation. "In that case, I'm taking a shower." He paused in the doorway, a smirk curling the corner of his mouth. "You're welcome to join me."

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Gunner grinned at Mila's innuendo, already envisioning what the rest of the night would bring. But then she dragged him toward a food cart selling all sorts of carnival treats: funnel cake, cotton candy, caramel popcorn, to name a few.[break][break]

He expected her to bring them to the end of the line, but instead, she pushed her way to the front, ignoring the shouts of several startled customers. Gunner turned toward them, apologizing, even as he followed Mila to the front of the line.[break][break]

"Mila—" he started to say, but she interrupted him, demanding that he buy her a snack.[break][break]

She finally heard the complaints of the other festival-goers. For a split second, Gunner thought she would realize her error and apologize, but she only snapped back at them.[break][break]

Of course.[break][break]

"Sorry," he interrupted before the irate stranger could escalate the issue. For good measure, he stepped between them and Mila, separating the two with his body. Protecting her. "We didn't see the line. We'll go and wait. Right?"[break][break]

He said the last bit to Mila, turning so he could look her directly in the eye.

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Gunner's eyes crinkled with a brief and tender fondness as he smiled at Nomi. Her answer was expected, like it was the obvious answer. Like he should have already known it. Like that white dress that flashed in his memory meant something important.[break][break]

"That's adorable," he said. "Go whenever you need, then; I won't delay you from hanging out with her."[break][break]

He took a handful of buttery popcorn from Nomi with a small 'thanks' when she extended the bag to him.[break][break]

"What's her name?" Gunner asked after chewing and swallowing. Absently, he reached for a paper napkin from the popcorn stand to wipe the grease from his fingers.

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"Whoa, wait," Gunner said with a laugh, "since when does my brother talk about his personal life during professional hours?" It was unheard of.[break][break]

He paused at the souvenir booth with Nomi, his eyes scanning the collection of knicknacks with only passing interest. Nothing stood out to him as enticing enough to buy.[break][break]

"Anyway, that was a while ago. I'm single," he continued, feeling no great need to assert again as if his relationship hadn't lasted several months, "and I'm not looking."[break][break]

If dating Summer had reminded Gunner of anything, it was how much being exclusive made him feel caged. Though he couldn't put it into words or explain why, he much preferred his current arrangements.[break][break]

"What about you? Are you seeing someone?" Gunner asked carefully, scratching the strange itch telling him that Nomi indeed had a partner.

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Gunner chuckled—perhaps at Nomi's surprise, perhaps at her admiration.[break][break]

"Is it really that much of a shock?" he asked, tone light and unoffended. "Honestly, my family's disappointed I didn't take the bar. Yes, that includes Gideon. But he was always the more ambitious of the two of us."[break][break]

They strode past the Tauros Rodeo game, prompting a memory of freya morningstar as she wrestled to stay atop the mechanical bull. Gunner still had the video recording saved on his phone.[break][break]

Such amusing thoughts scattered when Nomi called him handsome. A frown flickered over his phase; her compliment seemed wrong, as if she was directing it to the wrong person. But there was no one else with them.[break][break]

His frown transformed into a bemused grin. "I did. Why not? Can a handsome paralegal not enjoy the feeling of being alone in a crowded place?"

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Gunner laughed, tucking his phone away into the safety of a pocket. "It'll be one of those things you look at later, when you're super stressed over council stuff, and get a laugh out of it," he said.[break][break]

He followed her finger to the Ferris wheel looming over the rest of the carnival, decorated in bright colors and flashing lights. "Sure, let's go."[break][break]

The queue for the ride was not long. When ushered into a carriage, Gunner sat on one side, expecting Freya to take the opposite seat. He placed the Skitty plush toy next to him and watched the world outside fall away.

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Gunner nodded along at Skyler's descriptions. Each one evoked a mental image, too familiar to be fantasy, yet too disjointed to form a complete picture. The sensation reminded Gunner of holding too many things in his hands.[break][break]

But his brow furrowed at the mention of her newfound skill. "No, sorry, nothing like that's happened to me yet. Though I also haven't been to Fortree's festivals or tried throwing axes."[break][break]

He'd finished his beer and the arancini dish was getting low. Perhaps he'd overstayed his welcome. Gunner stood, prompting Laudine to rise from where she rested.[break][break]

"I should get going, but it was good seeing you, Skyler. If you remember anything more, let me know."[break][break]

Should he hug her in farewell? He should hug her. It felt right.

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Mila's beaming smile was all it took for Gunner to forget his anger. He let her lead him through the pressing throng of people, taking in the sights and sounds as he passed them. It was not his first time at the carnival, but it was his first time with her.[break][break]

That alone made every old thing new and exciting again.[break][break]

"Is there anything specific you want to do?" he asked. Fireworks were scheduled for the end of the night. Perhaps they'd stay long enough to watch. "There's the Ferris wheel, bumper cars…"[break][break]

The cloying aroma of baked sweets assaulted him, overwhelming his nose.[break][break]

"Or we could just grab something to eat and walk around, too."

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Nomi. Of course, Gunner knew that.[break][break]

How did he know that?[break][break]

At the booth, he wrote down his guess on the same clipboard and handed it back to the carny behind the counter. "No, I actually work for a law firm here in Slateport. Wesson and Sons," he explained. "I'm a paralegal."[break][break]

Gunner lied effortlessly—because it was true he worked there sometimes, and because he'd been telling the same lie to most people in his life for the past six years.[break][break]

However, it seemed oddly uncomfortable, lying to Nomi. Like she knew more about him, and he knew more about her, than should be possible for two people who'd only just met.

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Recognition entered Gunner's eyes as the pink-haired woman spoke of his brother and her thesis work underneath him, even if her name continued to escape him. He recalled seeing her in Gideon's office once, when Gunner had stopped by to drop off a package.[break][break]

"Oh, right," the younger Graves said. He shook her hand, firm and friendly. "I don't think I caught your name."[break][break]

He watched her give a prize ticket to a little boy with a smile that quickly faded at her question of children.[break][break]

"No," he said, perhaps too quickly. "I'm not married." Not that that'd stopped him before.[break][break]

Changing the topic, he gestured toward more games and attractions farther inside the festival. "Want to walk and talk? I saw a guessing game a few stalls that way that I wanted to try my hand at."

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Gunner nodded at Lam. "I agree."[break][break]

Everything they had extracted from the earth of the Ultra Deep Sea was packed away in crates. Lamorak picked them up with ease. Satisfied they had secured their payload, Gunner released his Alakazam from a Pokéball.[break][break]

"Teleport us back to the rift, Merlin," the agent instructed.[break][break]

Psychic energy surrounded him, Lam, and their Pokémon. Then, in a flash of light, they vanished from the cavern, escaping the clutches of the realm. For now.[break][break]

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Gunner leaned into the kiss, relishing it for all its tenderness. When he pulled away, he flashed Mila the most satisfied, blissful grin. "What did I say? You drive me crazy," he said with a laugh.[break][break]

It did not take long for Gunner to fix his clothing. He offered to help Mila with hers, if she needed it, and then pulled her in for another soft kiss. This time, he didn't let her go. Instead, he wrapped his arm around her shoulders and held her close.[break][break]

"Back to your place?" Mauville was closer to Fortree City than Slateport. "Or do you want to enjoy more of the festival?"

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