TAGS – SHEBA INOUE[break]
NOTES – social

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Gunner glanced down at the empty coffee cup in his hands. He'd come to the break room to wash it, the coffee it once held long gone.[break][break]

"Like I said, I was finishing some analysis for Miss Livy."[break][break]

Rosanna wasn't privy to information about certain individuals confirmed to be Team Rocket underbosses, both current and former.[break][break]

Martín del Mar. Lulu Flint. Elisabeth Fiorelli.[break][break]

Gunner and Penelope had recently visited POG Bank headquarters to dig up information on the first name on their list. Unfortunately, it seemed del Mar had vanished without leaving a trace.[break][break]

"I had to finish a report for her regarding some known Team Rocket personnel. I'm finally done, so I just need to print it out and leave it on her desk."

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Summer took his hands in her smaller ones, and all Gunner felt was the fondness one held for an old friend. He squeezed hers back as she struggled to compose herself.[break][break]

"I'll go with you to the clinic and stay with you during the procedure," he said, hoping his tone was reassuring enough to console her. "I'll help pay for it, too. It's the least I can do."[break][break]

Though there would still be pain and emotional trauma, Gunner hoped that his presence would make both easier.[break][break]

He matched Summer's pace as she continued their stroll through the park. "Work," he echoed with a sigh, acknowledging that Copperajah in the room at last. "So you remember that, too."[break][break]

In that dream of Galar, the factional divide between the League and Team Rocket had fallen apart in the wake of a mutual threat. But here, in Hoenn, he was still employed by the HBIC. His identity as a secret agent could not be compromised by the crime syndicate.[break][break]

"So you work for them? Team Rocket?" he asked in a low voice, seeking confirmation.

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Gunner exhaled through his nose, the truth that she still carried their child weighing down on him like a stone. He recalled turmoil in GIDEON GRAVES's expression, the pain and despair in Summer's voice, and the relief that had flooded him.[break][break]

He stopped walking when she stopped, and turned toward her when she turned.[break][break]

"I thought about this a lot last night, after I got home. Whatever feelings I had for you before… they're gone now, Summer. But I still care about you as a person. As a friend. And the last thing I want is for you to experience the trauma of losing the same child a second time."[break][break]

Gunner's expression softened as he regarded her.[break][break]

"Neither of us deserve to be villains, and you deserve a happiness I can't give you. But what you want to do with the baby…"[break][break]

He shook his head.[break][break]

"That's not my call to make. It's your body carrying it, not mine. I can't be part of its life, but I'll support whatever you decide to do."[break][break]

With her wealth, Summer didn't need him to pay child support. She could hire nannies to watch the child, should she decide to keep it.[break][break]

"You miscarried before. You miscarried in our memories." That moment twenty years ago had felt so real. He refused to acknowledge it as a dream. "I'm afraid you'll miscarry again."

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The dissonance at seeing Summer as a young woman again felt so unreal that Gunner almost didn't believe she was the same person. He tried to recall the feelings of being in love with her, the anxiety and fear over their unborn child, and the apprehension of what their relationship might become.[break][break]

But none of that came to him at the moment — neither the good nor the bad. He simply felt an acceptance and peace that felt decades old.[break][break]

"Walk with me?" Gunner offered, half-turning to proceed down the path.[break][break]

Their pace was slow, leisurely. He kept his hands in his pockets and walked with a small distance between them. A friend's distance.[break][break]

"I feel like I'm dreaming," he admitted, unsure where to start their conversation. "Like I'll wake up and be back in my house by the wall. But the more I try to remember the details, the more it seems to fade. Why was I even living there?"[break][break]

He shook his head, not expecting Summer to provide any answers. Instead, he glanced sidelong at her and seized an opening for the real topic at hand. "I remember what happened to us, though. Do you?"

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Gunner should have gone straight home from the battle at the Ancient Tomb. He should have showered, changed, and submitted his report, then slept for twelve hours. Instead, he made a brief stop at Mauville City.[break][break]

A familiar Primarina statue in front of the clothing boutique greeted him as he trudged toward it. The sight of it caused Gunner's heart to twist in his chest. Emotion flooded him, threatening to break his composure.[break][break]

Before he could lose it out on the street, he pushed open the shop's door. The bell on it chimed to announce his arrival.[break][break]

Gunner pulled off his mask. Surrounded by beautiful and expensive clothes, he looked out of place in his black tactical gear. League patches decorated his upper arms while large, white letters spelling HBIC were printed on his chest. His blonde hair was a mess and his face was tense with apprehension.[break][break]

"Mila? Are you here?" he called out, blue eyes seeking the boutique's proprietor.

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Barely twenty-four hours had passed since the battle outside the Ancient Tomb. Gunner still didn't know how to feel about everything that had transpired. His memory felt patchy, some of the events crystal clear in his mind, others so murky they might as well have been dreams.[break][break]

One thing was for certain, however: his relationship with Summer Atreides had changed. And they needed to talk about it sooner rather than later.[break][break]

Gunner had called her in the morning and, after asking how she was feeling, had invited her to meet him at Slateport Park. At first, he'd considered suggesting one of their residences, but he thought better of it in case they fell into their old habit. A public place that still allowed for some privacy was better.[break][break]

While he waited, Gunner spun the silver ring around his pointer finger. Its plain surface held no clue as to why he suddenly possessed it, but not wearing it felt wrong, too. A part of him knew without any reasonable explanation that it belonged to someone important, someone he cared for, but no face or name came to mind.[break][break]

Finally, he caught sight of Summer approaching down the paved path. Stuffing his hands in his pockets, Gunner waited for her to reach him before offering her a small, tired smile.[break][break]

"Hey. Thanks for agreeing to meet me here."

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The world shuddered as the battle between Necrozma and Eternatus reached its climax. Ultimately, the Black Knight prevailed, dealing a great blow to the Skeleton with its claws. Gunner watched as it appeared to siphon energy out of Eternatus, yet the skeletal Pokémon seemed unfazed. Amused, even.[break][break]

Then a hair-raising howl pierced the air, coming from the Slumbering Weald.[break][break]

Zacian.[break][break]

Gunner's eyes widened with awe as the canine Pokémon leapt into the battle. A surge of hope flooded his chest as the BEHEMOTH BLADE sliced through Necrozma. With the burst of light, he thought perhaps the abomination had also been laid low.[break][break]

But then the wormhole opened, allowing Necrozma to escape with Eternatus in tow. Hope faltered, but only for a moment as riotous cheers went up all throughout Postwick. Even though the monsters had not been slain, Galar was saved. Its people were free.[break][break]

Gunner started picking his way across the battlefield to find his friends. Relief washed over him when he found GIDEON GRAVES first, then caught sight of angelo vestri, Raziel Beckett, and the others. But their happy reunion came with a sharp reminder that their time in that memory had come to an end.[break][break]

Once more, the realm shuddered, and Gunner watched the fabric of the world unravel.[break][break]

He blinked. Galar vanished. Instead, he gazed upon the snow-covered Ancient Tomb.[break][break]

A jolt ran through Gunner's body. He blinked a few more times, but the landscape of Hoenn remained. Mentally reeling at what he could not yet comprehend, he stared down at himself. Gone were the aches and creaks of old age. And not only was he wearing his tactical League uniform again, but also the full-face mask that hid his identity.[break][break]

Gunner patted himself down in disbelief. His Pokéballs were all there, as well as the combat knife sheathed at his hip. Nothing seemed misplaced, yet something nevertheless seemed to be missing.[break][break]

Then his hand closed around something small in a pocket. Gunner unfurled his fingers and gasped.[break][break]

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"Wait, Gunner!"[break][break]

The old man paused at the bottom of the stairs. He looked up at Jonas, who still stood at the top of the stairs of the wall, and frowned. "What is it?"[break][break]

Jonas tossed down an object that glinted in the crimson light of the sky. Gunner reached out reflexively and caught it. When he unfurled his fingers, he found a man's ring hammered out of silver.[break][break]

"It was my father's," Jonas explained from his station on the wall. "I'm lending it to you for now. You have to bring it back to me, though, okay?"[break][break]

Gunner hesitated for a long moment, then nodded. "I will."[break][break]

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Fisting his hand around the ring again, Gunner raised his gaze, blinking away sudden tears. Something about the piece of jewelry felt important, but he didn't know why. With care, he transferred it to the inside pocket of his jacket and trudged forward through the snow to seek familiar faces.[break][break]

Of course, the one he found first was the one he least expected. However, she was, perhaps, the person he needed to speak with the most. Unlike the ring, memories of what had happened between him and Summer Atreides flooded back all at once. The feelings that had transformed over the years came with them.[break][break]

"Summer," Gunner said after reaching her side. He did not bother taking off his mask, not when other members of Team Rocket were also coming to their senses. "We need to talk."[break][break]

When he'd said those words twenty years ago, his tone had been acidic and cutting. Now there was a weariness and finality to them.[break][break]

"Not here, though. Tomorrow. I'll call you."[break][break]

It did not occur to him that she might not recall the same memories or the same feelings.

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Gunner's head bobbed in a slow nod as he listened to Rosanna's explanation. The kidnappings of Elinor Anderson, annalise henderson, and luka chêne were the most pressing concerns for the Hoenn Bureau of Intelligence and Counterterrorism. He, too, felt he could not sleep until they were found.[break][break]

The mention of PENELOPE LIVY's and MATIAS SILPH's differing reports from Mt. Chimney surprised him, however. He'd also wondered how the details could have differed so much, but he hadn't dared ask Penelope about it. Was that also the reason for Rosanna's investigation, or was she curious about something else?[break][break]

"You should go home and sleep," Gunner said, his eyes falling upon the coffee cup in her hands. Was she really going to drink it? Caffeine at this hour was insane. "Maybe a fresh head will reveal some new clues."

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Gunner sat up, too, brow furrowed in confusion. "Wait, what? But we just got here!" he protested.[break][break]

Yet something nagged at the back of his mind, as if he was forgetting something. Was there something he had meant to do back home? Someone he had meant to talk to? He couldn't quite remember.[break][break]

Another Celesteela landed on the moon, causing the ground to shudder with its arrival. Gunner shot to his feet.[break][break]

"Should we ride another one of those again?" he suggested, gesturing to the gathering of Pokémon that grew with every new addition. Unbridled excitement spilled out with his words. "Maybe they can take us to another planet!"[break][break]

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