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Yumi stared, deadpan, at the other woman. Tossing an Electric-type into the water meant injury or death for everything in the immediate radius.[break][break]

"I don't know what you intend to do, but I am not staying here for it," Yumi said, opening another Pokéball. Her Volcarona emerged in a flash of light. The moth flapped large wings in a slow, steady rhythm to remain hovering over the ocean next to the Sharpedo.[break][break]

With some finesse, Yumi jumped from her Sharpedo's back to her Volcarona's. Then she recalled her two Water Pokémon into their respective capsules.[break][break]

"Do whatever you're about to do," she said to the Ranger — for she could only assume the pale-haired woman was one. "Keep us out of harm's way, Okibi."[break][break]

The moth rose higher, but only to avoid the surging waves.

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While Yumi was not the wine connoisseur that Nikkari seemed to be, she knew the etiquette for appreciating a vintage. She mimicked his actions, breathing in the champagne before tasting a bit of it, rolling it on her tongue.[break][break]

And while her palate was not nearly as refined as his, she'd tasted enough wines in her life to know an exceptional product. An expression of great surprise and pleasure crossed her face as she regarded the champagne flute's contents.[break][break]

"This is amazing," Yumi said, her natural candidness coming through the trained elegance of her poise. She looked at Nikkari with open, childlike wonder. "By all means. How would you pair it?"[break][break]

She did not need to glance at the menu, either. Owning the restaurants within Casino Starlight meant she'd memorized their offerings.

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Yumi did not usually stay behind to wait for the cleaning crew after killing someone.[break][break]

To clarify, though, while she had seen plenty of dead people — murdered people — in her short life, she was not the type to pull the trigger. Rarely did her grandfather and parents kill people themselves; that was the job of loyal dogs. Lieutenants, brothers, and dogs.[break][break]

But she might as well have killed the men in the hotel room herself, considering she gave the order. Two men lay dead, one in the main room of the lavish presidential suite, the second in the bedroom. Two men who had tried to undermine her fledgling empire and failed.[break][break]

Yumi eyed the professional cleaner bent over the first body. Though she was used to the scent and sight of death, she kept her gaze focused on the young man.[break][break]

"You're @topher?" she asked, her tone demanding. "Mei Liu recommended your services. I'm Yumi Hasegawa."[break][break]

Her dark eyes flickered to the body for a second before returning to meet Topher's.[break][break]

"I'd shake your hand, but I see you're already working. There's a second body in the bedroom. Unfortunately, my dog did the killing, so it's messier than this one."[break][break]

Hitoshi Inoue was a master of the blade, and slashing wounds left more gore than bullets.

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[attr="class","itemcoltexttit"]FATHER WINTER 1-B

[attr="class","itemcoltext"]Instead of calling the coin toss, you attack him relentlessly in public. Onlookers stare on in horror as you attempt to subdue the man, but he does not retaliate. He does not fight back. Should you exercise savagery, he allows you to tear him limb from limb.[break][break]

"why are you trying so hard? i'm already dead!" He says.[break][break]

Regardless of the damage incurred, the man's body begins to split in half in gruesome display.

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Everything happened so quickly. Hitoshi's katana was a steel song, unraveling the figures in the simulation with every sure note. Yumi clung to his strong shoulders, unable to help, unwilling to be a burden or get in his way.[break][break]

The scene changed. A man she recognized from Team Rocket's reports called to them both from an alley. But before Yumi could get down from Hitoshi's embrace, her bodyguard attacked. She remained silent, accepting it.[break][break]

After all, Father Winter was an otherworldly assassin, a member of the DRK Triad. A dangerous and powerful foe.[break][break]

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Yumi leaned forward, resting an elbow on her knee and her chin in the palm of her hand. She considered Oriel for a silent moment, weighing his question. As someone familiar with the desire for vengeance, she thought back to her arrival in Hoenn and to the help she needed most.[break][break]

"A man seeking revenge needs resources," Yumi replied at last. "If he helps her, he will get money, extra ears and eyes to search the streets, and extra hands for dark deeds."[break][break]

She leaned back into the couch cushions.[break][break]

"The woman knows that loyalty is a two-way street. Anyone who wants to rule knows this well. And I agree about symbiosis. Raging infernos burn out. A partnership can last a lifetime."[break][break]

Yumi watched his face, gauging his reaction to her words. She herself could not help the undercurrent of mischief that came out in her own smile. Oriel was, if nothing else, an intelligent and exciting conversation partner.

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[attr="class","itemcoltexttit"]FATHER WINTER 1

[attr="class","itemcoltext"]You find yourselves near Relic Red, a clothing store in Mauville City. There, a mischievous man calls upon you from a nearby alleyway in this indoor metropolis. He continuously flips a coin.[break][break]

"call it correctly and i'll give you something nice."

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Yumi arched an eyebrow again, this time in challenge. "Is there something wrong with selfishness and ambition? I think they're only natural."[break][break]

But there was no hint of offense taken in her words. Instead, she listened to Oriel voice his thoughts. Her expression took on a hint of eagerness and excitement as she anticipated how he might describe himself to her.[break][break]

"Vengeance," Yumi repeated slowly, tasting the word, turning it over on her tongue like a rare and precious treat. She leaned back into the couch, one hand resting on her thigh, the other placed casually on a cushion in Oriel's direction.[break][break]

"You're right. Gender doesn't really matter," she continued, noting the slight change in his expression. "Vengeance is an exciting story regardless of male or female. Taking back power and righting wrongs are universal wants. I can respect a protagonist who seeks them out."[break][break]

She fell silent as she considered Oriel, calculating the best angle of approach. After all, she knew nothing about him; she couldn't trust him with an offer for a job until she understood his exact capabilities.[break][break]

Until she knew she could trust him.[break][break]

"What if there were two lead characters? And what if they found they shared a common goal, and over time, worked together to achieve it?"

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The hair on the back of Yumi's neck stood on end when the clapping began and numerous eyes opened in the darkness. She stood frozen to the spot, fear overwhelming her as the disjointed voices echoed in her head. Arms reached out to embrace her or to seize her — she did not know which.[break][break]

Then Hitoshi's strong arms scooped Yumi up, and all she could do was cling to his shoulders as he dashed away. She couldn't be angry at him, not for that. Not when she lost her courage in the face of terrifying images.[break][break]

So she gripped him tighter as the simulation crumbled away and a white light engulfed them.

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The darkness abruptly vanished, replaced instead with a massive tree and the kneeling forms of Pokémon all around its base. Yumi swayed on unsteady legs, adrenaline from her flight still coursing through her veins. She took several deep breaths to calm herself before looking around.[break][break]

The Pokémon were statues, she realized. Made of stone. She touched the head of one of them, its surface rough against her fingertips. A thought wriggled into her brain that maybe these Pokémon were not carved from stone at all, but were, in fact, petrified.[break][break]

So engrossed was she by this revelation that she didn't hear Parker's approach until the other woman spoke. Yumi looked up, startled. But as soon as she registered Parker's words, her brow furrowed once more, and her mouth flattened into a thin line.[break][break]

"I don't forgive easily, Parker," she said, mouth dripping acid. "You grossly misunderstood our relationship, and I have no reason to think you won't do it again."

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[attr="class","itemcoltexttit"]HEXENZIRKEL 1-A

[attr="class","itemcoltext"]You attempt to impress the white-haired lady in order to join the Hexenzirkel. She leaves her seat at the table alongside several other shadowy figures that ascend at the same time. They clap. As they do, several eyes begin to emerge in the darkness, blinking, staring at you:[break][break]

Suddenly, odd voices flood your head: "your pr▉▉e▉ce here is an ano▉▉ly and must not be per▉▉ved. we will h▉de you. we will work in the d▉rk to pre▉s▉rve all things."[break][break]

They begin to surround you with open arms...

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Yumi thought back to the reports she read about Team Rocket's various enemies. She recognized the woman in black, she realized; a photograph of her had been attached to a report labeled DRK TRIAD. However, the criminal organization did not know her name.[break][break]

"I don't know," Yumi admitted. The other members of the DRK Triad had looked human, too. But what were they, really? "Let's find out."[break][break]

She approached the white-haired woman, putting on her most winning smile.[break][break]

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The darkness engulfed them with a suddenness that startled Yumi. Her heart rate spiked as an overwhelming urge to flee filled her. But a force slammed her against a wall of the ruin before she could turn and run. For a simulated reality, the impact hurt so much; tears of pain pricked her eyes as she took a shaky breath.[break][break]

Then the eyes appeared. Dozens of them, too many for Yumi to count in one glance. A storm of voices hissing in unison filled her mind. The words were patchy, incoherent. All she knew was that she had to run.[break][break]

She pushed off the rocky wall behind her and raced in the same direction as Nomi and Parker.

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