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Kouji liked to consider this, this training area a nice little room to relax in, to let himself go in a fight, to sharpen his claws against those he was warm to.
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This wasn’t that. He stared across at the Rocket Beast, a mission just completed, but he couldn’t wait much longer. Last time he had battled against a beast, he had found himself thrown all over, healed, then thrown all over again against a man who could not die.
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He almost fancied his chances this time.
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Still, even as he got into his fighting pose, arms up, and fists pointed forward, the stance of the kick-boxing he was familiar with, he made sure to watch the opponent across from him. He didn’t pay attention to anything else. But even in his disdain, Kouji still had a question that danced across the edges of his tongue.
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”Oi Harcourt, how’d you become a Beast anyway? Ain’t saying you ain’t tough, you’re great at what you do, but so are others.” That was his question, Kouji wondered, was there some kind of special factor, a unique mindset? Or was it something else entirely?
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His foot slid half a foot forward on the plush mat below.

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As the man turned away, Kouji kissed his teeth aloud as he struggled between his personal wish, and the needs of his organization.
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It didn’t take long for his arms to drop, his body language was neutral. ”I’ll see you there, but don’t be surprised if I punch your face in.” Considering how skilled he had been in that little exchange, he began to doubt the likelihood of it. Kouji could see even through his own haze that Zev was skilled.
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”Full strength huh?” He didn’t pry any further after hearing that, instead looking over to Pacifidlog instead, trying to focus his thoughts again. They were here for a reason after all.
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”I think I remember someone once saying that below those big planks are giant colonies of Corsolas.” It was a small detail, but he had struggled to recall just about anything he knew about this town. He just had to level his anger, it would have been easier to recollect himself with a brush in his hands.
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”Reckon we can use that to our advantage, Harcourt.”

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Somehow he had freed himself; he had aimed for it, but the release he felt had him shake and circle around his shoulder. He released a deep sigh before he got into an attacking pose, but he didn’t move first.
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Pain cleared one's mind, yet he still felt oddly detached.
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He raised both fists up, knuckles pointing forward, elbows pointed inwards, one of his legs was slightly raised on the tip of his foot, raising his knee just a little.
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But he decided against charging forward, it was a good question.
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”Had a few, started learning from my older brother, but when he disappeared I learned from the rockets around my old man, or anyone else that’d take his cash. That one there was Aikido.” His voice was even, though he couldn’t take the edge of his voice, wouldn’t take the edge off his voice.
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”Why’d you let down your guard? You think grunts can’t fight or something? You almost had me, coulda popped out my shoulder whenever you wanted.” That was the thing that annoyed him, why he hadn’t gone for the pounce.
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Kouji hated being understimated.

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The transition was smooth, Kouji idly noted that as his punch met air, and he felt a hand on his arm.
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It was a solid hold, moving in tune with his own body’s momentum, momentum that was difficult to stop at a moment’s notice, and within a fraction of a second, he was held within a lock; arm pressed into his back, and strain giving to his shoulder.
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He struggled for a moment before finding it only growing tighter, he had given up his back; it was a problem. Kouji listened to the man’s cold voice, frigid intonation froze his mind for a moment, and stilled him.
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”Aye, it’ll make me feel great. Even better if you’re also stuck awake every damn night thinking of revenge.” He spoke with a crooked smirk.
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”But I ain’t gonna ruin ya; you’re too good an asset to rocket, but that ain’t gonna stop me from caving in your face for a moment.” And just as he had finished speaking, Kouji tried to move again.
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A loud grunt of struggle rolled up his throat as he tried to pull his held arm down, turned his hip, bent over and then stepped back into the man, an attempt at a reverse hip throw as if using his momentum to bowl over the man. There was a natural risk to it, Kouji was partially aware of that, of seriously hurting his shoulder, but it was a chance he was willing to take.
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He was frozen on the spot.
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A dozen thoughts raced through his mind as he tried to process just what Zev had said. It was weird, it felt as if his foot had moved, stepped forward, he could feel a pressure building up in his palms, were those his fingers digging into them?
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There was a strange sense of serenity that took over him, like his body felt lighter than it ever had, as if he wasn’t being bogged down by extraneous thoughts. It was as if he could see himself from above, from behind, from every single angle, and yet he saw the world from his own point of view, a complete sense of detachment.
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He knew this motion, the quick step in and sliding forward with his leading foot, the arc of his arm which was kept tight to his body, the shoulder blades that were pressed tightly together, the chest he didn’t allow to open up as his arm swung through the air. It was a movement he had practised hundreds, thousands of times.
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This was a new kind of anger, Kouji could understand that well; it wasn’t the overwhelming occupying haze of red that pushed one beyond their own limits known as wrath. It wasn’t the kind that had been carefully nurtured for a decade before it finally culminated in revenge. It wasn’t the squall that came as quickly as it arrived known as pique.
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”Ah.”
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He had finally realised, Kouji Matsubara was about to punch Zev Harcourt.

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[attr="class","text"]Kouji sighed at the thought of them potentially losing, being made to lose. ”I sure damn hope not.” He blanched at the thought of it, before he shook it off. He had no time to think about losing in a fight.
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”Can’t really wait to see either, hit them with a screech.” He told his Samurott who released a high-pitched sound targeted at the hand, lowering its defence. There was something to this, they had a chance.
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”Razor Shell.” A thin stream of sharpened water hit out, and Kouji then shouted to Hitoshi.
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”Wrap this one up, Black Dog.”

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[attr="class","itemcolname"]arceus event

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[attr="class","itemcoltexttit"]1000 HANDS 1-A

[attr="class","itemcoltext"]You attempt to fight back against this cosmological horror. It's a relentless pursuer that tears through the ship. However, against all odds... you survive. The hand withdraws, deterred by your resilience.[break][break]

However, the damage has been done. Somewhere, a machine room explodes, forcing the ship to sway. It's a doomed vessel...

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Kouji hummed aloud as he considered it, whether to take the man up on his offer or not. ”Everything in this city’s under the books, but I’ll think about it, ain’t nothing wrong about having work close to home. Still gotta be able to check on the ol’ family shop here and now.” He wasn’t the one running it, but neither was his father. Without the smuggling that place would soon enough fall apart
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It seemed Hitoshi was right as the ship around them began to rock and shake; it began to move in all manner of ways as a giant arm seemed to grab hold of it. ”Right into another fire, huh?”
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Did it want one of them?
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”Haaa.” The thought never crossed his mind, but was it crossing the mind of Hitoshi? If it had been a simple couple of months ago, he would have never considered that chance, but now?
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”Let’s fight back, Samurott. Ceaseless Edge, let’s get our spacesuits on tight, we might just end up falling into space at this rate.” Samurott did as he was told, a dark slash that left splinters in the emptiness of space, enough to avoid the gigantic hand that was threatening to capture them.

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[attr="class","itemcolname"]arceus event

[attr="class","lgdcol"]

[attr="class","itemcoltexttit"]1000 HANDS 1

[attr="class","itemcoltext"]You find yourselves on an advanced space ship. Around you stars and space debris sprawl out in incredible kaleidoscopic vistas. Upon investigation, the ship's notes and instruments seem to be seeking the "ascended hall of origin".[break][break]

Eventually, your out of world experience is interrupted by a violent rocking of your vessel and blaring alarms. A large hand-like being crushes a part of your ship as if in search of you and your friends.[break][break]

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Kouji couldn’t help but agree with the man. ”Dedenne? Yeah, feels like we’re a Dedenne on a damn wheel, all of us, and we’re not really the owners of this anyway; some other guys are.” But he didn’t want to think of the DRK Triad, he didn’t know fuckall about them beyond what others had told him.
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He couldn’t paint a picture of the enemy.
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But thankfully, the question took him out of that. ”I don’t mind a steady gig, travelling sure is nice, but whatchu got in mind?” Kouji pondered as they walked, if it was really something worthwhile as their surroundings turned more and more metallic with every step, there was a soft quaking, but they hadn’t changed sceneries just yet.

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Kouji joined in, bringing out his own Samurott to join in; the tree began to shake, shudder, and move in that moment. There was something about it, moving; it was alive for sure. ”Beast Bryan.” He added in, thinking about it; yeah that made sense. Did he also have some giant tree somewhere? And would it also give these glowing pokemon.
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Not like it mattered, as they were ready to leave.
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”There ain’t too many ways in how this kind of simulation ends.” Kouji considered it, as he sought the difference between them, but then again, maybe they’d find themselves somewhere new?
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It seemed that his hopes might well come true, because as he got ready to leave the glade, the surroundings were already beginning to shift into something he hadn't seen before.

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[attr="class","itemcolname"]xerneas event

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[attr="class","itemcoltexttit"]TREE OF LIFE 1-A

[attr="class","itemcoltext"]You water the tree. Suddenly, you hear a crackling sound of moving wood, the bare tree's branches swaying as if alive. Around you, the petrified Pokemon stir alive. The stone crumbles apart as new fur, hide and scale emerge.[break][break]

The tree settles back into dormancy, but the Pokemon eventually turn to you in thanks.[break][break]

Curiously, these Pokemon feature brilliant markings that glow and glimmer beautifully in the dappled sunlight. Whether they were originally Illumina Pokemon or not is uncertain, but they shine bright with gratitude.