Why?[break][break]
Why indeed. For a heartbeat longer than was comfortable for the normally witty escort, Mei was at a loss for words. Mostly because her reason was...[break][break]
"Why? Because I like you," she shrugged, blush intensifying - though, with the low lighting in the bar and Marza's tendency to be somewhat oblivious, it was uncertain whether or not Marza could even tell that Mei was blushing. "Can't that be reason enough?"[break][break]
And apparently - it could. To Mei's surprise - she'd half-expected Marza to shut the conversation down - the other woman actually cracked open the door to her well-fortified castle, just an inch.[break][break]
There were so many questions Mei could ask, but she didn't want to overwhelm her stoic drinking companion. She took a sip of her whisky, contemplating where to begin.[break][break]
"Are you looking forward to anything in the coming year?" She found herself asking. Despite all of the questions Mei had about Marza's past - her story, as Mei had called it - she found herself fixating on the future, instead. Perhaps that was because most people weren't keen on looking backwards; Rockets like Marza and Mei didn't always have histories they wished to relive. There would be time to learn more about where Marza came from and why she'd joined the world's most notorious criminal organization. The thing about peoples' stories is that they were actively being written. Only death was "the end."[break][break]
"You know, anything special? Any family or loved ones you hope to see more of...?"[break][break]

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"I'll handle that," Mei said, nodding towards the lock. She reached for a Pokeball and released Boreas, her longtime companion and partner in crime. The Frosmoth gave his mistress an expectant head-tilt, and she held out her hand to him. Without needing any further instructions, Boreas conjured a miniature BLIZZARD around Mei's arm, fine-tuning it until a very long, very thin icicle formed, like a frosted needle. Mei plucked it right out of the air, and the blizzard came to an end. It would be clear to anyone watching - in this case, fern delaney - that this was something Mai and Boreas had practiced and executed many times before.[break][break]
Mei proceeded to pick the lock on the door with the ice needle. As she did, she said idly to Fern, "Rapport is important, but the truth is, I was hoping you'd be able to help me with something." Just then, there was a muffled click, and the door cracked open.[break][break]
Before she could elaborate further to Fern, a shrill beeping countdown began to sound. The alarm system, naturally. She had expected one. Boreas quickly fluttered inside, graceful and composed. The beeping stopped after a few heartbeats. Mei smiled, triumphant.[break][break]
"Turns out, technology doesn't always play nice with cold temperatures," she explained to Fern with a wink. Then she slid inside the building, following after her Pokémon.

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The Silent Icelands were a harsh landscape filled with frigid winds, frequent blizzards, and subzero temperatures. Ares could understand why humans didn't want to visit, but to him, it was beautiful.[break][break]
The little Alolan Vulpix huffed as he hauled along a sled packed to the brim with produce, the smell of various fruits and vegetables tempting him with every step. Ares was nothing if not dutiful, however - and very competitive! - so he did not stop for even one quick taste. The humans who needed the food would surely be upset if they noticed any of it missing, and he didn't want that. But far more importantly...he didn't want to be the last one to arrive in Petalburg![break][break]
Ares liked to win. Maybe this wasn't a typical competition, but being last would still be super embarrassing. With a surge of determination, he MOONBLASTED away a large blockage of snow up ahead, clearing the path for his sled to more easily slide along. Actually, it would go faster if he were walking on ice rather than snow, wouldn't it? The slippery surface would be far more efficient. Aha! The other competitors - er, Pokémon helpers - wouldn't have thought of that, would they?[break][break]
Summoning a HAIL storm, Ares used the little pellets of frozen rain to pound away at the snow before him until everything was nice and slick. Triumphant, he began to run, and the sled began to move far more quickly. He'd be at Petalburg in no time![break][break]
Mei was going to be so pleased!

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"I will give your name to the right people, don't worry," Mei told her. "They will be in contact." It was a somewhat enigmatic statement, but the reality was that Rocket worked subtly in Hoenn - how they would choose to give Yumi her first assignment, Mei was not entirely sure. Mei often received missions directly from Rocket's underbosses - men like Cillian Quinn and Martín del Mar - but Yumi was not an assassin. Yumi was ambitious, however, and seemed to enjoy social media and gossip. Mei could think of a few Rockets who would make good mentors for her roommate, such as BARNABY FINCH.[break][break]
"Thank you for being so open with me," Mei added, standing up to begin clearing the table now that their meal had come to an end. "If you ever want to talk more about anything, please don't hesitate. I'll be here if you need me."

MADE BY GUNSMILE

Mei listened attentively. So many details fell into place. Of course. Yumi was the daughter of a crime family. Mei knew such tight-knit organizations well - loyalty was expected to run deep, as blood was the thickest bond. As part of Kanto's Project Gossamer, she and her peers had been assigned to eliminate Rocket's competition. Mei had been invited into a number of ancestral estates, only to leave them hours later devoid of heirs.[break][break]
Yumi was from Johto, however, and Mei was not at all surprised to hear that there were still powerful criminal families in that region. Rocket had not had as much success there as they had in Kanto...or even in Hoenn.[break][break]
Suddenly, it occurred to Mei that Yumi had a very viable way of regaining her lost fortune, especially if she had no qualms with illegal ventures. The way the other woman talked about her family's empire indicated to Mei that she was more than willing to put up with - if not partake in - criminal activity as a means to a financially beneficial end. In addition...well. If Yumi wanted revenge on her family for how they had treated her, why not join their most powerful rival?[break][break]
"Bigger and better plans, eh?" Mei smiled, setting down her fork. "What if I told you that I could connect you to Hoenn's most powerful criminal organization? The one and only Team Rocket?"[break][break]
Yumi knew - and did not judge - that Mei worked as an escort, but given Yumi's history, Mei now realized it was safe to reveal her other occupation to her roommate. It was honestly a bit of a relief; Mei had known what she had been getting into by taking on a civilian roommate...but eventually, Yumi might see something she shouldn't.[break][break]
"Your family might have viewed you as mere marriage fodder, but Rocket's political alliances are made through intimidation, infiltration, and influence." Mei's seafoam eyes grew hard, though her tone was still pleasant. "I ought to know. I have worked for them nearly my entire life."

MADE BY GUNSMILE

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Kanto's Project Gossamer had focused on the molding of young women into the perfect assassins - primarily able to seduce their way into the bedrooms of high profile targets - but every so often, their skills were put to other uses. Which is why Mei felt perfectly at ease taking on a thieving job with fern delaney; she knew exactly how to steal pretty things from behind glass cases, after all. She'd done it a few times back in Kanto, and she could do it again in Hoenn. The important thing was that she was finally going to get some alone time with the newly promoted Rocket admin, a task she had been trying to accomplish for a few weeks now.[break][break]
She had some...questions for them. Of a...sensitive nature.[break][break]
"I didn't realize admins still did field work from time to time," Mei teased playfully, as the two of them approached the back door of the Mauville Jewelry Emporium. They'd fried the security cameras easily enough, now it was just a matter of getting inside.[break][break]
"I suppose it's good to keep one's skills sharp. Regardless, I appreciate you keeping me company." She flashed her companion a charming smile.

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Marza's non-resolution was amusing, and Mei clinked the other woman's glass with hers as a toast to Marza's failure, then knocked back the rest of her drink. The bartender appeared so fast it was as if he'd manifested directly out of thin air, collecting Mei's empty glass and asking for her next order. The man had likely noticed her the moment she'd arrived and had been keeping visual tabs on her. Most men did.[break][break]
"I'll have what she's having," Mei nodded at Marza's whiskey, a smirk on her painted lips. The night was young, and Mei was in an especially bold mood.[break][break]
"Get to know you better," Mei replied casually to Marza's inquiry, hoping to catch the other woman off guard. The best part was, it wasn't even a lie.[break][break]
The straight whiskey was sharp and smoky, burned all the way down, and Mei let out a soft, involuntary sigh. The vibrant strobe lights flashing on the dance floor nearby blurred together, their colors becoming a chaotic, pulsing rainbow. "I've been thinking about you," Mei admitted, her voice sounding suddenly far away to her own ears. Her cheeks felt hot.[break][break]
"I'm curious about your life, your story. Everyone has one..." She trailed off. She wanted Marza to tell her things that Marza didn't tell anyone. It seemed important somehow, like it would make Mei feel special. People made Mei feel special all the time, but it was always part of the game played between client and escort: the fantasy of having an actual lover instead of paying for one.[break][break]
For someone who walked through a room like she had every person around her's heart on a string, to be tugged at will, Mei was not actually accustomed to serving herself. She'd started serving others from a very young age: giving people what they wanted was her currency, the trick of her entire trade. Wanting something for herself was an unfamiliar feeling.[break][break]

MADE BY GUNSMILE

The way Marza said her name sent a shiver down Mei's spine, and for a moment, she felt like a giddy teenager. Grinning into her drink, she hopped up onto the barstool right next to Marza. The other woman loomed over her, leaning against the bar counter, a plain whiskey in hand. Mei's stomach fluttered, remembering when the two of them had been forced to hide in a closet together - it had been a ridiculous situation, really. And yet, Mei had been thinking about the solidness of Marza since then, silly daydreams about being intentionally held by those more powerful arms. They were nearly as close as they'd been then - nestled together at a crowded bar - but under far different circumstances.[break][break]
"I frequent this club often enough," Mei answered. "Usually it's at a client's behest, but I come on my own sometimes." Did Marza know about her day job as an escort? Her fellow Rocket knew about her work as an assassin of course, but the truth was, the two women didn't actually know one another that well yet. That ought to change, Mei decided. Prying open the iron gates of Marza's personal history seemed like an insurmountable feat, but Mei was nothing if not persistent. She'd weasel her way inside the other woman's defenses eventually.[break][break]
"I like the new year," Mei continued after a sip of her drink, tone playful. "It's amusing. Everyone makes promises they never intend to keep. A few weeks later, and they're back to their old habits and vices." Her eyes glittered mischievously. "What about you? Have any resolutions you will inevitably abandon?" She teased.

MADE BY GUNSMILE

Mei rolled her eyes at Yumi's defensiveness, but considered what she actually wanted to know. Yumi favored the luxurious, unaccustomed to caring for herself in the basic ways the average middle class person often did: cooking, cleaning, and laundry, to name a few. This of course meant that Yumi came from money, but no longer had access to it anymore. For the first time in her life, Yumi was being forced to work for what she wanted, like everybody else.[break][break]
"How did your family get their money?" Mei asked after finishing another bite of pasta. "Did your father or mother make it big in business? Savvy investors? Or did they inherit their fortune? Old money, so to speak." Mei paused, finishing the last of her lemonade. "And why, exactly, did they cut you off from it?"

MADE BY GUNSMILE

Mei had come to Shoal Cave for the uncrowded private beach but had wandered into the gaping rocky maw after the weather had taken an unexpected turn, sunny skies giving way to clouds and wind. She didn't mind a gentle sea breeze, but this was something far stronger. The cave provided a much-needed respite from the sudden gale, and she sighed in relief as she set down her folding chair, book, and beach bag. Beside her things, a graceful Primarina gazed into the darker depths of the cave's interior, head cocked curiously as she listened.[break][break]
A voice could be heard coming from a bit further in, beyond the threshold of the cave's mouth. It sounded like a man, but Mei could not see anyone just yet. It wasn't surprising: though the beach was a hidden gem, the cave itself often saw foot traffic, for it was home to several types of Pokémon, as well as a relatively challenging hiking path.[break][break]
Speaking of, an energetic little Vanillite chose that exact moment to pop out from behind one of the rocks ringing the entrance to the cave. Amphitrite moved swiftly to her mistress's side, just in case, but soon saw that there was no real danger. "Hey, cutie," Mei cooed at the Vanillite, throwing a Pokeball at it.

MADE BY GUNSMILE