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Unfortunately, Serena was right. After several minutes of searching every drawer, table, and closet, Gunner came up emptyhanded. He stood in the center of the room, his frustration seeping out through his body language: clenched fists, a tight jaw, a furrowed brow.[break][break]

He looked around one last time, then sighed, accepting the truth of her statement.[break][break]

"Let's at least take photos and videos of this place. They might prove useful later," he decided. Taking out his phone, he also released his Rotom from its Pokéball. "Percival, do your thing."[break][break]

The Rotom entered Gunner's phone and he let go. It levitated in the air, then flew away to make recordings. After a few more minutes, Percival returned to its trainer's hand.[break][break]

Turning once more to Serena, the agent asked, "Is there anything else we should check before we go?"

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"And I'm guessing you don't want to resort to his methods to earn their respect, either," Gunner mused aloud, unaware of the accuracy and truth of his statement. "Every child wishes to be free like their parents, though…"[break][break]

He paused, considering his own relationship with and feelings about his parents, then laughed.[break][break]

"I think somehow we end up being more like our parents than we realize, especially as we get older. Sometimes I find myself acting just like my dad or sounding just like my mom."[break][break]

Growing solemn again, especially considering what Summer had told him about her father, Gunner hugged her against his side.[break][break]

"Though in your case, I don't think you'd be a terrible parent. We'd both have high expectations, but it's clear you love the baby already."

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"I see. Would you want to design your own clothes and jewelry one day, too?" Gunner asked. He had no idea if Summer was an artistic sort of woman.[break][break]

When she gave a vague explanation about her work, he frowned. He had to wonder if she was avoiding naming names or going into details because she didn't want to bore him, or if there was a deeper reason for the evasion.[break][break]

"Do they think they can get their way now that you're in charge? That's bullshit," he mused aloud. "What's different between how your father ran the company and how you're running it now?"

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"Terastallization, huh?" Gunner eyed the Tera shards. Though he was familiar with the phenomenon, he didn't fully understand it; he only knew what it did to Pokémon in terms of their usefulness in battle.[break][break]

Team Rocket's developed interest in Terastallization was expected, though. He would be surprised if they passed on the opportunity to learn about and take advantage of such a new and powerful Pokémon augmentation. In fact, he'd heard rumors that the Tera Orbs freely available on the market were originally a Rocket design.[break][break]

Serena's mention of synthetic avatars shook Gunner out of his musings. His gaze snapped up to hers, alarm drawn across his expression. Then his eyes followed her extended finger to the restraints.[break][break]

She was right. Based on their size and shape, they were made for human bodies.[break][break]

"What the fuck?" Gunner swore. The old stains on the tile floor mocked him. "They were experimenting on people?"[break][break]

Suddenly, he whirled around, seeking anything that looked like it contained documents or reports. "Can we seize anything here for intel?" he asked, pulling open a drawer full of unused microscope slides.

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Gunner noticed the way Summer seemed lost in thought, causing him to wonder if she'd even heard him. But then her answer caused his smile to widen.[break][break]

"You are very fashionable. I don't actually think I've seen you wear the same thing twice," he said with a chuckle, despite it being true. "I think that'd be very fun for you."[break][break]

And despite how much Summer resented her responsibilities in that moment, Gunner knew she'd make a clothing and jewelry brand work. She had a knack for running a business. On the other hand, he knew nothing about it, but if they were going to be parents, he'd be more than willing to help her out.[break][break]

Though the question of whether he'd have time to be much of a father, let alone a partner, due to his real job remained. He hadn't brought it up with her yet; he didn't know how.[break][break]

Unbidden, his original reason for approaching Summer sprang to the fore of his mind: digging into Prescott Industries to find any ties to Team Rocket. Several months after their first dinner date, Gunner still hadn't learned anything incriminating, and he hoped it remained that way.[break][break]

Yet with Summer so frustrated, it seemed the perfect opportunity to ask questions and gain answers.[break][break]

"What's going on with the company that's been giving you trouble?" he asked casually.

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Gunner's Salamence roared in triumph as he struck the Shadow Gardevoir, banishing it from sight. Landing on the asphalt, he lumbered over to his owner, unaware of the Dhelmise phasing back into corporeality. The Ghost-type smashed into his side with PHANTOM FORCE, drawing a different kind of bellow from the dragon.[break][break]

"Bruin, castle kingside!" Gunner shouted. A defensive maneuver signaling they'd have to retreat. Luckily, the Salamence dodged the ANCHOR SHOT that came next, taking wing and snatching the League agent in his claws on the way.[break][break]

FLY brought them high into the sky, out of reach of the Rocket Beast and her Dhelmise. Gunner stared down at the alley, now just a narrow strip of gray. Cursing inwardly, he climbed onto his Pokémon's back and directed him toward Granite Cave.

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Pity should have filled Gunner upon seeing how Lam reacted, spooking at the slightest touch. Instead, he only felt annoyance and resentment. What was a man like Lam even doing out here? He wore no Ranger uniform. There was no way he was a soldier or an officer in plain clothes, either. Did he think this was all a game?[break][break]

"That may have been a hallucination, but it was based on events that really happened," Gunner said in a voice as somber as the grave. "Reports of executions like that one actually came out of Kanto during the war. People really died at the hands of terrorists or the mobs they riled."[break][break]

Gunner had stayed up many nights reading them, analyzing their data, making plans. He'd watched the surveillance footage and desensitized himself to photos of the carnage.[break][break]

Raising his mask back over his face, the agent turned away. "You need to get out of here. It's not safe for civilians to be wandering around. You could get killed, or worse."[break][break]

Especially with Team Rocket running around.

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While Gunner had seen a dead body dozens of times before, it seemed to be Lam's first time facing such a grim reality. The other man seemed overwhelmed, muttering under his breath. Gunner caught his words, barely.[break][break]

"Hey, snap out of it," he said, grasping Lam's shoulder and giving it a firm shake. "It's not real."[break][break]

As he spoke, the body began to disperse like mist on a powerful gust. The cloaked figure with the smoking gun had disappeared, replaced instead by a towering clump of swaying seaweed. The corpse at their feet was merely a growth of coral in a vaguely human shape.[break][break]

Gunner gave his Typhlosion a silent signal. She loped off to ensure no other dangers lurked in their immediate area. Then, turning to Lam, the agent asked, "Are you okay?"

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The THUNDER struck Gunner's Pokémon squarely in the chest, sending him rolling backwards — and out of the way of the other creatures' attacks. The illusion of a Salamence vanished in an instant, revealing his true form as a Zoroark.[break][break]

As he was standing next to Greyson, Gunner dodged to the side in the opposite direction to avoid the Darumaka's SUPERPOWER. Mordred sprang to his feet in his trainer's defense. Just in case the VACUUM WAVE was not enough to lay the Darumaka low, the Zoroark lashed out psychically with EXTRASENSORY, his eyes bright with a purple glow.[break][break]

Gunner raised his head to follow the movements of Greyson's Mega Scizor. With bated breath, he watched as she closed in on the Rocket underboss. A flicker of hope filled the agent's chest, nurtured by the thought they might be able to cut off this snake's head that day.

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"Technically, yes," Gunner replied, not noticing the sudden discomfort that ran through Caleb. The agent was used to people being uncomfortable around him, usually a consequence of being so damn serious all the time.[break][break]

He and his Zoroark helped the Ranger and his Lokix haul the bodies deeper into the mouth of Granite Cave. Then Gunner used the Rocket operative's Pokéball to recall the Electivire before securing it and the rest of the terrorist's capsules. Finally, Gunner tied the man's arms together with one of the sturdy plastic zip ties he'd brought with him.[break][break]

"That should do it," Gunner said, standing up. "I'll radio for backup."[break][break]

Pressing a button in his uniform, he activated the microphone in his earpiece and relayed the request. After a moment, dispatch confirmed they were routing more resources to the cavern's entrance.[break][break]

Gunner turned to Caleb to pass on the news. "They're on their way now." Then he raised his mask over his face, removing his hardened expression from view.

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Gunner did not need to be told twice. He lowered himself onto the sofa on Summer's other side, draping his arm over the back of the furniture and around her shoulders.[break][break]

"She'll be a good companion for the baby after it's born," he remarked of the Thievul, still amazed that such a future awaited them.[break][break]

Nine months seemed like a long time. They'd visited Summer's personal physician already, who advised that the fetus was still so new it wasn't possible to conduct an ultrasound yet. But at least they'd gotten some advice on how to proceed with the pregnancy, as well as a date for a later checkup.[break][break]

There wasn't much they could do except monitor's Summer's health and stress levels. Gunner turned his thoughts to her earlier comment about money and responsibilities. He raised his eyebrow, surprised at her vent.[break][break]

"Running a company's not what you imagined, huh?" he said gently, offering her a sympathetic smile. Recalling their first conversation over dinner, he asked, "What would you do instead, if you could do anything?"[break][break]

He'd asked Summer what she did in her free time. Her answer had been 'attending parties', an exciting pastime that, unfortunately, spent more cash than it could ever earn her.

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