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At Freya's warning, Nikolaj glanced down to find the stray baby in question brushing its flipper against the solid wall of his leather boot. Gingerly, he stepped away, careful not to accidentally crush any others beneath his feet. Then he held his breath as the Tirtouga paddled through the sand toward water.[break][break]

"Thanks," Nikolaj said. "Wouldn't have felt good to step on the little guy."[break][break]

Not that he had much of a bleeding heart — Pokémon lived by fighting, after all — but he'd grown softer since he'd become a father.[break][break]

Streams of the newborn turtles proceeded down the sandy shore into the surf. Most of them had made it, with just a few stragglers still climbing out of their nests. "Looks like that's most of them. What happens after this?"

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The baby Tirtouga broke free of the protective sand nests, each one squirming and wriggling on soft, tiny flippers. Nikolaj heard when he'd arrived not to interfere with their struggle. As much as one was tempted to pick them up and help them into the ocean, this first trial was theirs to fight — and theirs alone.[break][break]

A few Wingulls called overhead, hovering on warm winds over the beach. Nikolaj squinted up at them, shielding his eye from the sun. "Looks like some assholes are here looking for a quick snack," he rumbled. "Lapras?"[break][break]

The Transport Pokémon needed no further instruction. He lifted his head and blasted the flock with ICE SHARD, aiming to scare them off, not injure them. The Wingulls scattered with outraged cries of alarm.

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Nikolaj's reaction to the news of Raziel Beckett's appointment to Head Ranger is polite clapping that does not last very long compared to others'. In all his years living in Hoenn, he had seen many Head Rangers rise up to the challenge and then, later, retire.[break][break]

But never had he seen such young people — kids, basically — shoulder such responsibility. Out of the corner of his good eye, Nikolaj stole a glance at annalise henderson. Fresh-faced and full of upbeat energy, she couldn't have been much older than her successor.[break][break]

Unaccustomed to verbal expressions of gratitude, Nikolaj surreptitiously reached out and patted Annalise's shoulder as if to say, Good job.[break][break]

Then he crossed his arms over his chest and turned back to the meeting, listening keenly as first Orion Lykos, then a silver-haired man (Callan Young) raised concerns about Razz's appointment. Another man (paxton concordas) cut in to counter their accusations.[break][break]

Nikolaj, of course, said nothing. There was no need. He simply listened and observed with a patience built up over decades.

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Understanding flickered across Nikolaj's face, softening the deep lines there — though he had no idea if he was right in his guess. He turned his head, putting her in his blindspot so she'd have some privacy for her supposed grief.[break][break]

"My condolences."[break][break]

A collective murmur rushed through the crowd then, saving them from further awkwardness. The Tirtouga had hatched, the faces of the first ones breaking through the soft sand. Somewhere, children screamed with delight, a sound that filled Nikolaj with wistfulness and nostalgia.[break][break]

His Lapras drew close, his bulk more than enough protection against any predators seeking an easy meal. Nikolaj patted the neck of the large Pokémon with obvious affection.[break][break]

"Keep an eye out for the Wingulls," he instructed Lapras, who bellowed obediently.

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"It's definitely a change of pace from what I normally do," Nikolaj said, surveying the beach with his one good eye.[break][break]

Oldale was as far from the ocean as any place on an archipelago could be, and Sinnoh had been no better. The smell of salt on the water and the distant call of Wingulls overhead were as foreign to him as tales of Kalos and Galar.[break][break]

Turning to Freya, Nikolaj raised an eyebrow. "Have you done this a lot?" He gestured to the sand underneath which nests of Tirtouga lay hidden.

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Nikolaj did not miss the way Caleb smiled at Saskia, but Lance's question interrupted him before he could say anything to the young scamp. Nodding, Nikolaj confirmed, "That's right. I've been stationed out in Oldale for a while now."[break][break]

Then Orion chimed in about the Silent Icelands, bringing a frown to Nikolaj's face.[break][break]

"Rough is one way of putting it. Our winter crops have taken a hit. The farmers were hoping that the snow and ice would disappear come spring, but it doesn't look like that'll happen."[break][break]

He fell silent at mention of the battle of Littleroot, though. Oldale's Rangers were few and far between, so they'd stood by as reinforcements in case the battle went south. As a result, Nikolaj had caught the tail end of the battle, as well as the aftermath.[break][break]

Though the events had taken place months ago, they were still fresh in his memory. And they were not ones he could easily forget.[break][break]

Instead, he smiled at Annalise's comment. "It's all my fault. I raised Sasky in the woods so she had no choice but follow in my footsteps."

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Nikolaj frowned. Felix — if he was indeed Felix Gallagher, as he hadn't confirmed or denied it either way — was not reacting the way a grieving son should. It didn't matter that some months had passed since James' funeral. No, the hostility indicated something else entirely.[break][break]

Perhaps Nikolaj had already outstayed his welcome.[break][break]

"I just wanted to check in on you and see how you're doing. I know I'd want a friend to do that for my daughter if I was the one who'd died," he said anyway, stubborn till the end. "The last time I saw you, you were barely out of diapers."[break][break]

I wanted to see what kind of man you'd grown up to become, came the thought, unbidden. And from the look of things, Felix had become a man who could take care of himself and his family.[break][break]

Nikolaj turned to leave. "It sounds like you're doing just fine, though."

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Nikolaj frowned at his wife as she sat down. "What do you mean, it's not that simple?"[break][break]

Hoenn was a large region with a booming population composed not just of locals but also visitors and long-term foreign residents. Nikolaj and his family could easily remain hidden in their little home outside Oldale.[break][break]

He knelt down beside Camila, placing one hand on her arm and another on her thigh.[break][break]

"What are you talking about, Cami?" he asked, his rough voice making it come out somewhat like a demand.

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Nikolaj nodded. Though he did not draw away from Camila entirely, he still held her at a distance so he could look up at her. The concern was plain on her face. And he'd been her husband for long enough now that he knew what was on her mind.[break][break]

They had fled Sinnoh over twenty years ago to ensure that nothing from their old life could harm or influence saskia volosenkova. And now it had resurfaced.[break][break]

"Now nothing," Nikolaj replied, his heart hardening with his resolve. The last thing he wanted was to lose the precious life they'd built together. Gently, he nudged Camila away, wanting to stand up. "So what if James' sons are here in Hoenn? It doesn't mean anything for us. They don't know we're here or even who we are."[break][break]

Or so he hoped.

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Pacifidlog Town was a good distance away from Nikolaj's comforts in Oldale, but the Ranger originally assigned to the Tirtouga spawning event had fallen ill, and Nikolaj had drawn the short straw.[break][break]

"First time," he replied gruffly to the young woman beside him. His briefing had been sparse, and he was grateful for any guidance to make the day go smoothly.[break][break]

The girl exuded a certain confidence, but also something Nikolaj couldn't quite place. Deciding it wasn't any of his business, he simply held out a hand in greeting.[break][break]

"The name's Kolya," he said. As much of a curmudgeon as he was around others, he knew better than to be rude to strangers. Hoenn had welcomed him and his family with open arms, after all. "You are…?"

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The black-haired man who'd delivered a stack of pizza boxes actually caught Nikolaj's gaze, blurting out an awkward greeting. Nikolaj nodded back in acknowledgement. "Hey," he replied just as awkwardly.[break][break]

And, as if it couldn't get any worse, two more Rangers approached them, another young man with black hair and a blonde girl. He spoke first to the jittery one, allowing Nikolaj to pick up on a name: Lykos.[break][break]

Then he addressed Nikolaj directly, introducing himself and extending a hand. The older man grasped it firmly, his fingers and palm rough with thick calluses.[break][break]

"Nikolaj Volosenkov, but everyone calls me Kolya," he said. Simple and direct, the shortened version of his name was far easier for everyone in Hoenn to pronounce. "I'm from Oldale."[break][break]

It was then that saskia volosenkova arrived. Relief flooded Nikolaj; his daughter could act as a buffer between him and the others. Swelling with a bit of fatherly pride, he released Lance's hand and touched Saskia's shoulder.[break][break]

"My daughter," he explained to the other three.

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Nikolaj had missed the previous meeting of all the Rangers in Hoenn and would have missed this one, too, had saskia volosenkova not convinced him. Whereas he was reluctant to interact with others, she possessed an immensely curious mind and an excitement to involve herself. And it would be such a bad look for his daughter to attend, dutiful, while he avoided showing his face.[break][break]

So they collaborated on a dish to bring, settling on baked puff pastries filled with cheese, meat, and potatoes. A dish from Nikolaj's own childhood, he'd taught Saskia how to make them too. The evening spent baking them and bonding was worth the effort.[break][break]

Now Nikolaj walked into the conference room at Ever Grande City, looking completely out of place in his old hoodie and woodsman's jacket. He eyed every single person already there, recognizing the Head Ranger Laurence Anderson for who he was and Councilwoman Elinor Anderson simply because Nikolaj had seen her on the news from time to time.[break][break]

But he said nothing to any of them. Instead, he made a beeline for the food table to drop off his large Tupperware container of baked goods. Then he retreated to lean against a wall, his arms crossed over his chest in closed off posture.

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As soon as Kirin fell, Aggron knew to back off. He stood by as Saskia rushed to her Pokémon's side, her father joining them at a slower pace. Aggron rumbled pleasantly at Saskia's promise sealed with a smile.[break][break]

"You're doing better than you did before," Nikolaj assured his daughter, putting a hand on his own Pokémon's thick hide. "Aggron's just seen many, many more battles than you or Kirin. I've no doubt you'll beat us one day."[break][break]

A flash of light recalled the Steel-type back into his Pokéball.[break][break]

"Now, let's get you all settled and I can start making some dinner."

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