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Kouji ran a hand through his hair as he looked across at Underboss Beckett, humming aloud but he shrugged. ”It’s fine, I don’t expect you to. You’re my boss, so my job is to help you achieve your ideal world.” He said with a shrug, his loyalties to Rocket came before his own wants and whims.
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”You keep me alive, and I’ll do whatever you need me to.” There was a sense of emptiness in his words as he said them aloud.

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A distortion?
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He’d heard of them before, but being within one was a different matter altogether, he stood there right beside him was his Bisharp; it’s twin brethren had fallen in the battle outside of Dewford; but this one stood even as scars and chips existed across his metallic body, like a well worn sword that had not seen a wetstone for a year.
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”This’ll take a while, let’s go in deep before the rest join in.” The Safari zone was interesting, strong and unique pokemon existed here, and he needed to train his pokemon within its confines. His golden eyes scanned across the grassy plains, and the strange warbles that existed there, before plunging himself beyond the purple membrane.
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The bowels were different, strange; he saw large pokemon, one of them was the same as his Samurott, Hisuian he’d heard smarter men than he call it. Even a couple of weeks away, he could feel the stiffness of his muscles, and the many bruises that were still healing as he moved out of the way of a fast moving Avalugg.
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”Iron Defense, prepare for the Reversal.” He said as he looked at his pokemon, who hardened itself at a quick pace before the Avalugg turned, being crashed into with the power of an avalanche.
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Before striking back, but the monster didn’t fall. This wasn’t going to be simple, like many a battle…[break]

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Yet, time continued to pass, for Kouji…He wasn’t sure how long it had been, staring down at this tattered clothing, poking a finger through his shirt. He looked over his shoulder at this Kingambit, now fully grown and evolved, the pokemon had grown, a stronger pokemon that covered his bug.
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He looked over the fire in front of him, the heat it provided before taking a thicker stick and standing up straight. ”Let’s keep looking for the way out.” He said as he waved it in the air for a moment, a breeze brushed through in the same moment causing his long hair to obscure his vision.
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Kouji knew when looking at that smile, that it was genuine, true, happiness. This young woman, she had found a real happiness in this type of life, and he nodded in return. ”Happy to hear it, run along now, make some more happy memories.”
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Kouji turned back around, steeling his resolve; a lot of people found happiness in this place, in this very unstable peace, that waned from war to peacetime as fast as it did. But that wasn’t his kind of world.
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It was that happiness he was trying to trample over, to build the world that could make him smile just like that.

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As he hit the floor, a subtle growl seemed to emanate from the depths of his chest, traveling up to his throat. His features contorted in a sneer as he gazed up at Merlo, grappling with the inability to conjure the perfect words to counter the statement. The weight of the moment pressed upon him, his defeat, and his continued life; the continued to weigh on him, leaving him paralyzed.
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But it was the second verbal dagger from Navidson that cracked him, as he forced himself back onto his feet. ”Lost? Who the fuck lost? With the tw-” It was a heavy sound, a strong impact that caused him to crash against the ground, bouncing like a stone until he hit the wall.
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It wasn’t his angry growl that was now the loudest in the battlefield, but the one from Absol as it stood over his drowsy trainer, his red eyes glowed brightly as he stared down, baring his teeth until Kouji ascented, his partner had saved him from birsmirching his pride more than he already had.
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”I get it.” He said as he grabbed his pokeball, withdrawing both Kommo’o, and Umbreon, yet he wasn’t given the room to get up to his feet as he was grabbed by the scruff of his shirt, and hoisted up.
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”You should’ve killed me, we all know that. Well, keep an extra eye out now, Navidson, Merlo. This ain’t gonna be the last time.” It was said with a voice lacking any real energy.

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It really wasn’t something that could be considered to be fun; he could feel the soreness building from the terrible maneuvers that were building up; but he had no choice. Getting shocked would’ve been the end of him.
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”Maah…I’m not as good a guy as you think I am, I’ve just learned a thing or two.” Kouji said as he went to meet the other trainer head on, Gyarados vs Roaring Moon, his pokemon had taken some hits so it wasn’t an advantageous one. Taking on the strike straight on rarely ever was.
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But Jaw Lock met Watefall, a struggle as his Roaring Moon tried to latch one with a terrible bite, before his vision began to fade piece by piece, slowly over time before it eventually just began to fall from the sky. Kouji rapidly recalled him before bringing out his Salamence for real, barely being caught but this one took the wind out of him properly, feeling faint.
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”I guess…I’ll just have to fly out for a little while.”

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The mist exploded with creatures in front of them, Kouji’s smirk returned as he charged his Druddigon to keep an eye on them. The creatures that began to appear from the mist were a pain in the butt, he could see the ghost type Flutter Mane followed by the dark type Roaring Moon.
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One of them was a real problem for his kind of team.
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”Let’s roll Tori, though I didn’t think you were the squeemish type, letting me beat you in the torture…” He said with a chuckle as he brought out two pokemon to aid, the Umbreon and his Urshifu, his blade was set and ready for the sake of a Mega transformation, allowing the legendary bear to turn into its strongest form.
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”Use One Blow, helping hand.” He instructed the two of them, the empowered martial bear jumped forward, readying a powerful strike that was enhanced even further, to strike at the Flutter Mane; jumping through any and all defences, that was the purpose of One Blow, trusting its back to his trainer and his buddy.

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Kouji saw the powerful attack go for his already weakened Houndoom, drawing out his Purloin to take the attack instead; a red flash appeared before his hound, and the little kitten instead took the strike; a splatter of blood, and an explosion of electricity.
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It was his loss, and Kouji knew that, he saw the sight there, barely able to save his trusted pokemon by using another as a shield. ”What a pain in the butt.” he said with a click of his teeth before he looked towards Matias, it was his choice to do that so he couldn’t get mad.
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”Matsubara Kouji, grunt.” He said with a plain expression. ”You’re too much of a pain in the ass…” He said, it was the same as the last time he had faced this man, at the end of Ultra Deep Sea, he had a choice. To do this to death, or to back out.
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Never a simple one.
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”Well, I held you here for a little while. Maybe next time I’ll figure out what you’re really about.”
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He took out his pokeball, drawing back his knocked out Houndoom, the strike was powerful enough to rip through his Purloin, he was certain that cat was dead now, a new joinee but he hadn't been able to properly represent the way they lived.
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A tragedy that the pokemon had been so weak.

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Misjudged him?
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The black bolt of lightening fell on the charging Houndoom, putting him closer to the edge; it was a tough move, and his muscles seized up; paralysed taking hold of him as he felt each and every inch of his body begin to move slower, each movement was a struggle, but he only needed his maw even if it would take extra time.
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”I did huh? Guess that’s on me…But there’s nothing that tells me why, well you don’t have to tell me about your tragic and terrible childhood.” This one was a clear taunt, the smirk on his face gave that one away instantly.

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”In your cushy flat back in Ever grand or whatever you big dogs do? There’s nothing for a guy like you here. No glory, none of us really know what we’re going for, or do you?”
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As Houndoom was hit back with the strike, Kouji looked at the dog pokemon before spurring him back onto attack, but it started to absorb sunlight; with the glow around its body growing to increase for a while.

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There was a single voice, a plea, a plead in her voice that touched the air, a quiet whimper that turned into a voice.
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But it broke as another scream came from their friend, Kouji stabbed a knife into the man’s hand before he turned to his teammate with teary eyes, praying for them to talk as he held it to his face; blood pouring and terrible whimpers as he turned up the heat.
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”Goin soft are we now, Torie?”

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Kouji took the first punch to the first, a strong swing that he felt strike his cheek; his jaw rattled and then got stuck, a proper strike.
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The strike was proper, but the words struck more, he grit his teeth as asked as he felt the pain in his right jaw get stronger, until it was almost blinding, spots of white tried to take over his fate. ”Shut the fuck up.”
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”The hell do you know about me? You’re wielding the same knife as me, throwing the same punches? You think you’re better, none of us are sociopaths…I just don’t have any other path. You don’t have any other paths. That’s why the fuck we’re fighting.”
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”So come on, we’ll grit our teeth.”

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It wasn’t a clear rise.
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As he tried to break away, he felt the wind turn around him, throwing around with such high pace; threatening to tear him from the Roaring Moon’s back as it got more and more intense, until eventually as they reached some distance away he felt himself soaring higher and higher; turned around in the tumultous winds.
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So this was the power of an Elite Four’s Hurricane?
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It was a loose thought like that which hit his panicked mind for a moment before he felt himself getting torn away, and ripped around in the sky before Roaring Moon caught him; tears were apparent on his clothes, and splotches of red colored his dark clothing.
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”Greyson Connors…I’ll definitely remember that face.”
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He’d have to return the favour one day.

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