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An ominous bell tolled, resonating from the Ruinous Beast.[break][break]

Thanks to Kahadin's WIDE GUARD, Gunner witnessed the attack from the Pokémon known as Ting-Lu before it brought him to his knees. He gritted his teeth, struggling to resist the incredible pull downward, but to no avail.[break][break]

Trembling with effort, he looked up just in time to watch Zacian's great blade swing toward the dog's enemy. A spark of hope filled Gunner at the sight, only for it to be extinguished as the sword turned black with RUINATION.[break][break]

Then everything went dark.[break][break]

Groaning, Gunner came to consciousness on a hard, uneven surface. He blinked open his eyes to find himself on a set of long steps. Slowly, he sat up, the muscles of his back and shoulders aching.[break][break]

Something about his surroundings seemed familiar, as if he'd seen it before in photos. Rising to his feet, he gazed at the ash-covered bleachers and ruined field for a long moment before it hit him: Wyndon Stadium in Galar.[break][break]

Gunner tapped his earpiece. "Lancer reporting in. I'm in Wyndon Stadium, though it doesn't look right. Anyone else here?"[break][break] He did not see paxton concordas or PENELOPE LIVY nearby.[break][break]

Down on the field, a large statue towered above some individuals gathered around it. With his Iron Valiant at his side, the agent started down the steps toward them. To his Pokémon, he instructed, "Kahadin, if any hostiles approach, take them down with NIGHT SLASH."[break][break]

The Iron Valiant nodded, readying its blades.[break][break]

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The tone of Mila's voice and the way she tugged at his pants lit a fire in Gunner he thought they'd fully sated. But she quenched it immediately with a smear of pancake batter on his nose.[break][break]

"Hey!" he shouted, echoing her own cry from moments ago. But he grinned back as he reached for a paper napkin. Wiping his nose clean, he took the seat across from her, then dug into the pancakes with his own fork and knife.[break][break]

Gunner's chest puffed with pride at her approval. "They better be good. My mom used to make these when my brother and I were kids," he explained after swallowing a bite. "Ever since I moved into my own place, I wanted to learn to make them just like she does."[break][break]

It was his first time mentioning GIDEON GRAVES to Mila. Before, she and Gunner had little reason to talk about their personal lives. If he wasn't in her company for work-related reasons, he was too busy doing other things with his mouth for a proper conversation.[break][break]

How had things changed between them in the course of one night?[break][break]

Gunner stabbed a large slice of strawberry with his fork, scooped some whipped cream up with it, and held it out for Mila to eat.[break][break]

"Here. For you."

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"Stay," Mila said, and Gunner felt himself unravel. He'd resisted her three times already, each time eroding his willpower more and more. The last tenuous grip on his self-control was slipping — fast.[break][break]

He dipped his head.[break][break]

The bells on the front door chimed as a customer entered. Gunner froze, inches from Mila's mouth. He straightened as she pushed away from him, internally berating himself for almost cheating on Summer.[break][break]

Still, that did not stop him from staring at the pretty blush coloring Mila's cheeks or the brilliant way she smiled.[break][break]

And then she promised to answer his real questions.[break][break]

Gunner sighed and sat back down on the couch. "You better not just be keeping me here for free labor," he said. Nevertheless, he picked up more materials for the next daisy chain. "I'm worth at least fifty PD an hour."[break][break]

He reached up and tugged on her arm, urging her to sit down. "Sit. Tell me what happened."

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If Gunner knew Mila's off-switch, then she knew his. It was not the hand on his wrist that stilled him, but the fragility in her voice that made his heart break every time he heard it. How many times had he soothed her when she'd spoken to him that way? How many times had he promised her safety in the form of whispered words and tender kisses?[break][break]

Mila stood, and Gunner caved. He turned to face her, his brow furrowed in a reflection of the emotions warring in his chest.[break][break]

"What do you want me to do, then?" he asked, his voice a low rumble.[break][break]

Raising his free hand, he gently traced the curve of her cheek with a finger. When he reached her chin, he lifted it fractionally, tilting her face toward his. Her skin was so soft, the heat radiating from her so warm.

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"You don't think we already checked out everything in Slateport?" Gunner said, unable to stop the snark from coming out. Why he did this, he still didn't understand. Something about Mila brought it out of him.[break][break]

"The Bureau wants to know about other places in the region."[break][break]

But she was right: things had changed, and she hadn't been a member of Team Rocket in years. Pursuing this line of questions that the HBIC had prepared for him was a useless endeavor.[break][break]

Gunner shifted in his seat, focused intently on the necklace in his hands. His knee knocked against hers and stayed there. A surge of guilt lanced through him, matched only in strength by the sudden yearning for Mila's familiar touch.[break][break]

The logical part of him was begging him to leave before he did anything hurtful — though to whom, he didn't know. With great effort, he wrenched himself away, threw his finished daisy chain into her box, and stood.[break][break]

"But if you don't know, you don't know. I knew this would be a waste of time."[break][break]

Let them be enemies, or worse, strangers. Anything so Mila couldn't tempt him back into her arms.

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Hopping onto the counter for a seat was the most Mila-like thing Gunner could imagine. The corners of his eyes crinkled as he grinned at her, shaking his head in disbelief at her energy for such an early hour. Just an hour ago, she'd moved so languidly in his arms. Their dance must have invigorated her.[break][break]

Mila's question earned her a scoff. "As if. I don't scare easily."[break][break]

It took bombs to scare Gunner. Explosions riddled his nightmares, resulting in sleepless nights.[break][break]

"I simply got a job before I had to take it. I'd rather not be a lawyer now, anyway. It'd interfere too much with my Bureau work. And I'm an agent first, no matter what my cover story is." Of course, he was oblivious to the way this information affected Mila.[break][break]

As he spoke, he made several pancakes — enough for a hearty breakfast for two people. They piled higher and higher on a serving dish until he ran out of batter. Then he cut the strawberries into thin slices, grabbed a small can of whipped cream from the fridge, and set the table.[break][break]

"Breakfast is served," Gunner said, returning to Mila.[break][break]

Leaning in, he grabbed her by the butt and lifted her off the counter. Strong arms held her tight against him as he walked back to the kitchen table, intending to lower her into a chair. Unable to help himself, he planted some light kisses on her cheeks, nose, and lips on the way.

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Gunner had every reason to doubt Knox. Summer never gave him the impression she was crazy, or that she had any mental illnesses. But he had to admit: Knox had known her since he was born, whereas Gunner only had a few months to get to know her.[break][break]

Hadn't he first extended an invitation to dinner because he wanted to know her secrets?[break][break]

But the League agent was good at his job. In the five months he'd spent investigating Prescott Industries, he had not found a single indication that they had ties to Team Rocket. So either they — and, as a result, Summer — actually were clean, or Knox was right.[break][break]

The part of Gunner that loved the region, that would put his life on the line to defend it, wanted to press the younger man for more information. But the part that had fallen for Summer, for her sweet smiles and soft kisses, refused to entertain the idea.[break][break]

He sipped his latte slowly, trying to formulate a polite response.[break][break]

"I appreciate the advice," Gunner finally said, his tone taking on a frosty note. "But I'd appreciate it more if I wasn't being patronized by my girlfriend's little brother."[break][break]

He cleared his throat and took another sip of his drink. Then, forcing friendliness again, he said, "So I shared a bit about myself. It's your turn."

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From behind his Iron Valiant's WIDE GUARD, Gunner watched Gideon's clothing catch fire. His heart dropped like a stone into his stomach.[break][break]

"GIDEON!"[break][break]

Without thinking, Gunner rushed for his brother. Kahadin was at his side, the protective shield still raised as they moved. Thankfully, the gas and flames ceased by the time Gunner reached Gideon. Angelo was already at the latter's side, his Togekiss administering LIFE DEW.[break][break]

"I'm fine. What about you, Gideon? Are you okay? Show me your arm," the younger Graves demanded, reaching for his brother.[break][break]

Wrapped up with worry, he did not hear Angelo's comment or bother looking up to watch the Celesteela's moonward arc.

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Mila's shriek brought an unexpected laugh out of Gunner, though it quickly turned into a yelp of surprise as she jumped onto his back. Thankfully, she weighed next to nothing, so he only wobbled slightly before regaining his balance.[break][break]

"What the fuck, Mila?" he exclaimed, laughing again.[break][break]

Gunner carefully lowered her back to the floor, then resumed making the batter.[break][break]

"I mean law school. After I got my bachelor's degree, I got my graduate degree in law at Slateport University. I was going to be a lawyer, but then I got snapped up by the Department of Defense," he explained as he mixed the dry and wet ingredients together.[break][break]

"So I never took the bar exam, but my degree did help me with my current cover as a paralegal."

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As soon as he heard the acidity in the first word out of Mila's mouth, Gunner turned toward her, fixing her with an exasperated look as he reached out his hand. His fingers curled around her wrist again, a silent gesture begging her to calm down.[break][break]

And she did. Whether it was because of his touch or some other force reining her in, she stopped herself and took a breath.[break][break]

His thumb lightly brushed against the back of her hand before he withdrew.[break][break]

"I know, but I had to ask," Gunner said, wanting Mila to believe him, forcing himself not to care. He started on the next daisy chain and asked his next question.[break][break]

"Do you remember anything about where Team Rocket might keep prisoners of war, or other persons of interest?"

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The woman looked more than frustrated. In fact, she could probably stand to blow off steam, but Gunner wasn't sure what would be appropriate to suggest.[break][break]

Brow creased with concern, he slipped into her office and shut the door. "Have you just come back from your meeting with the Commissioner?" he asked, hesitant.[break][break]

Though he didn't know Penelope's schedule, he knew she'd left to meet with not only dahlia goode but members of the Elite Four to discuss rescue plans.[break][break]

Every day that passed spelled greater suffering for both Elinor Anderson and annalise henderson. The third woman, luka chêne, was still missing, too — but reports were still unclear if Team Rocket had a hand in her disappearance or not.

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It was Gunner's turn to shrug. "It won't matter."[break][break]

As he spoke, his Alakazam appeared in the blink of an eye. In a second blink, they were gone, carried away to another section of the training area with teleportation.[break][break]

"Thanks, Merlin," Gunner murmured to his Pokémon, who nodded back before disappearing again to watch from afar.[break][break]

The agent found himself at the far end of the fenced-in area, among a grove of trees. A short distance past the fence, the ground descended sharply toward the island's coast. Even from where he stood, Gunner could hear the murmur of the ocean and the calls of Wingull.[break][break]

He spent the next minute wandering that end of the training area, finding a suitable location to wait for Angelo's arrival. A large boulder drew his attention. Part of it jutted over the ground in a natural overhang, a good place for someone to seek shelter, especially during a storm.[break][break]

Gunner sat down with his back to the sea and waited.

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Gunner fell silent, embarrassed by the scolding. Because for once, he was ready to admit she was right: his own emotions had forced away the questions the HBIC had prepared for him.[break][break]

Taking advantage of her willingness to talk had been a deception. And after he'd just sworn he hadn't been lying, too.[break][break]

"Sorry," he said, the softness of his tone revealing genuine remorse. He busied his hands with the daisy chain, not looking at her. "I got carried away."[break][break]

He finished the chain as he silently willed himself to focus on work and not on the tatters of their relationship, whatever it had been. His necklace, in the end, was a poor mimicry of hers.[break][break]

"Have you been in contact with Team Rocket recently?" Gunner asked, though he already knew the answer. Or he hoped he did.

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