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Watching a far away base, the boring parts of this job, lacking in glamour and action; just him, and another. Project Lockbox? That was perhaps what this fell under, yet he didn’t mind, a moment for just him, his thoughts, and what he needed to do. His streak of failures had been weighing on him for a while, but his conversation with Navy had at least lightened that burden just a little.
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But he stood there, accompanied by Isaac, a stranger in this small, clandestine base. In such a compact and covert outpost, there was no room for unnecessary extras. ”Hey.” A small nod as the only accompaniment to his greeting.
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A base such as this one was one in which each and every corner served a purpose, it’s compact size meant that even as a storage hub, there existed no superfluous space, and in that sense it added importance to their task, even as small as this.
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”You been a part of Rocket long?” With a single raised eyebrow, his gaze fixed upon the other man, Kouji posed his question. With his arms crossed over his chest, his golden eyes like molten sunrays briefly caressed his comrade before turning towards the treeline which encased their secretive haven.

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Lights shimmered against the myriad glasses placed against the walls, casting an ethereal glow that transformed the room into a mesmerizing spectacle. It was as if the entire stage had been crafted specifically for a star to shine upon, with every element meticulously arranged to create an ambiance of grandeur. The many cameras that were pointed at the singular person on that stage, that person who slipped; that person who had hurt themselves, the loud crack was audible even with all of the machinery.
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Kouji heard it, but kept the wince from his face, the lower-half of his face covered by the facemask he wore, as if concealing a cold; yet a healthy look remained underneath. His eyes fixated on the sight before him, the rushing crowds to check she was fine, the director who turned towards one who should have been uninvolved; the change of schedule. All of it happened so fast, and yet he couldn’t help but think.
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So this was the normal life that others sought? He almost scoffed at it. Yet the day passed regardless, a change of main star, a change of schedule, and yet, he was standing on the sidelines right by the fire door, his arms crossed in a display of detached vigilance. Yet, his vibrant eyes remained fixed upon the unfolding scene before him.
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Wait, the falling of the lights?
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”Wait, hey, why the hell are the lights off? The hell is going on here?” He said as he lowered that face mask revealing a face that, despite its concealed weariness, still possessed an undeniable vitality.

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Kouji kept the frustration from his face, it was surprising, but the man across from him was someone who was pretty well prepared. Two pokemon out, one to heal, the other on guard, even if he swapped in this moment, Meowscarada would be surprised and surrounded. It was not the ideal situation, the opposite even.
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Still, he kept his breaths even as the floral healing washed over him, as the foliage around them began to grow healthier, brighter, cleaner; even as close as to begin growing at the edge of that large gulf to another world.
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But this wasn’t what he had sought, if this wouldn’t work; then he’d have no choice but to go with the idea of his pokemon battle. The wound knitted itself closed, the wound was far smaller than it looked, and soon he’d be healthy, his breathing evened out, and he found himself keeping his eyes on Fernando.
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”Thanks for that bud’, a shame though. SWAP!” He said as he switched positions at that moment, his Meowscarada took his position and he found himself within the confines of the forest.
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But that was a small succor, he began to move quickly; bursting into a sprint; avoiding the roots that attempted to grasp at his feet in order to trip him up. The branches that scratched against his skin, opening up small knicks, ruining his already ruined shirt even further. His golden eyes fixed onto the sight in front of him, of the gap, of the hole, of the man he wanted to kill.
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”Use Protect.” He shouted with all the air he had in his lungs, a resounding boom, defying the limitations of his less-than-manly voice. As if every ounce of determination and frustration had coalesced into a resounding roar.

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Kouji saw her fall, and almost considered this another failure, another moment in which he had failed to come through; he stopped on the spot, his feet glued to the floor with that realization, the image of her splattered across the floor wouldn’t leave his mind, at least until the moment in which Fluttermane had caught her.
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A thanks he didn’t deserve, he gritted his teeth as he looked at her, his eyes fixed onto the sight of what was to come. ”Urshifu, hit ‘em with a Close Combat!” He told his pokemon, who did exactly as told, a hole in the floor wouldn’t stop it from doing exactly as informed, a red energy formed around him as each fist landed; kicks followed by elbows, a string of attacks given with absolute prejudice.
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”Ain’t nothing to appreciate, didn’t do anything.” He said as he cracked his neck; the Malamar ended up crashing down from where it had stood up above, falling down to where they were.
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”Give ‘em the ol’ elbow drop.”

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Kouji didn’t like people like this, it wasn’t a matter of pride, he was aware he was an idiot. His voice, his talk, his walk, everything would give that away in the flash of a singular moment, but he didn’t like feeling less than someone.Each step he took alongside her drove that point in, and her words made that only worse.
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”Shooting straight for the leader huh? Guess people shoot for what they wish they could be.” He said with a shrug, if he was going to be used as bait; he would take a shot himself, his smirk grew into a half grin if anything. There was a thought in his head, he knew how he could approach this, but bug types were a big weakness of his team, it was why he disliked them.
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But that was fine. ”Sure, just make some space. We might have to run if it goes wrong. Guys defending their territory go for anything and everyone, just being in swing range might mean you get swung at.”
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A dozen thoughts went on in that head of his, ways to rankle them, ways to bother them, ways to crash in on them. To take them all out in a clear blow was pointless, impossible. Better to distract them and run. ”You’re up Tyranitar, blow them away with a Rock Slide.”
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He threw out the pokeball as he spoke, the red light revealed the large pokemon who roared out as rocks formed from his energy and fell upon the nest; and the trees it was built upon, branches cracked, the trunks creaked, and the nest was fallen upon as it began to splinter releasing a sweet scent into the air, the thing they sought to protect.
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Then the air itself filled with a loud buzzing as more and more came out, Combees.
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”Another one.”

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You hated being weak, you hated being broken but that was just what you were right now; but at the very least you could move, and at the very least you could make your way around at this moment.
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But you were forced to return to the Med-bay, broken bones be damned; holes in your foot be damned. So, you did, grumbling the entire way there, only to find your eyes falling onto the person you had seen on the day of troubles.
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”Hey, it’s Shredder.”
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You raised your hand to wave only to flinch as you were escorted back into your sick bed, or rather, a free one as your old one had been taken up. You sighed as you sat up. ”You got done in too huh? You look like shit, well, you’re good looking, but you look like shit for a good looking guy.”

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Kouji sighed, there was a core difference, it wasn’t a matter of him being stupid, because he would be the first to admit that was the case. ”Aye aye captain, but we’re different, I was born to join rocket, ain’t no way I’d consider anything else. Rocket first, everything else second…But I never thought about Psychics, I guess I gotta kill my old man then.”
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There was a casual calm that came with the way he had said it, his tone was even, tempered; yet his eyes were contemplative, a plan, an idea bubbled away behind those eyes of his. He looked at the tea that was far too sweet, and swirled it aroun,d a simple conversation, salting the earth, he could learn a lot from this man.
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”You’re really smart y’know? Sure, this is a simple conversation, but smart people make bad followers is what they say. You aren’t really a follower huh? I guess this is just a side-job for you.” He knew people, at least to an extent, or he liked to think he did, the ugliness in the heart of others.
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But he could do one thing. ”Whatever, we can chat about this over some beers later. I’ll go chat to someone. Conversation is easy, but I don’t like talking to people I ain’t got nothing in common with.” That was the core issue, and he was sure that was the same for everyone else. It was just that he didn’t have very many hobbies, and those he did do were those one could do on their own.
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So he halted for a moment before he stood up, his elbow placed on the table as he looked over the room again, to see who would end up being his second mark.

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Ever the opportunist, Kouji knew full well a plan like this was above his paygrade; pushed to the brink by a string of failures he knew that a big win like this, proof for himself would work. In a town like this, there was only one choice; one reason to come here. It was this hole, this gulf, he had been within its confines before.
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Yet, he hoped his actions at the very edge of another world would be his most memorable. A set up, he knew it well; had planned it if he would ever have to assassinate a man. The words of his brother echoed in his head, and so he moved.
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Meowscarada hidden away, some distance away; Kouji stumbled out of the bushes; blood spurting from his shoulder. ”Argh…Damn it, fucking Raticates.” He said a he fell to his knee, at the edge of the gulf he stumbled. ”Help.” He gripped his shoulder tightly as if to stem the ‘bleeding’.
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”Damn it, am I going to die here.” He fell to his knee, wobbling on the spot, almost as if he were to fall into that hole, his eyes landed on Fernando Silph; almost watery in their appearance.

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”The hell are the silent icelands?” He wondered, was it one of those strange realms that had opened up around this region? He had only seen one, been to one, the mecha kingdom, but that was a strange place he didn’t want to talk of.
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”I didn’t associate being a beast, and liking cute things. Aren’t you guys like the biggest, badders, killers we got?” bryan delarosa and Zev Harcourt certainly had given off that kind of feeling, but Kouji was learning that might come in different ways too.
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”Guess you can use Zorua to kill a guy?” He said as he tilted his head to the right wondering if it would be fruitful. ”Bit sneaky, not as blood pumping, but that’s assassination, right?”
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”How’s it?” He said as he looked over it all, his thoughts and eyes on Mint for a moment. ”Everything after our win, I’m just a grunt, so I don’t get to hear a lot.”


Sem et tortor consequat id porta nibh venenatis cras.

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A heist completed, Kouji was certain of that as he finished up his own battle, he lowered the cap over his face, and began to turn in that moment; he could leave Xenon to do what she had done, and he could do what he needed to do.
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Get the hell out of here, his mind traced the path that he knew he had seen from the outside, and so he went to it, running through the insides, moving far quicker than he had before. She had left him to clean up, but that small success was enough for his heart to feel floaty.
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A stretch of losses.
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Not anymore, but that was fine, as he crashed through the fire exit and rolled out, he felt it in his head, he looked at the surroundings.
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He wanted something else, something more; bigger.
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This wasn’t his win.
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”We’re getting the hell outta here, remember the meeting point.”

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Disregarding physicality, this was an intimate moment, humans that allowed others to gaze upon their ugliness, the sharing of it; there was something special about that moment. Kouji enjoyed that, he was experienced in that.
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But the closeness of bodies was another thing altogether, he pulled away, acknowledging his loss in multiple ways. ”Then keep working on them.” He said as he rubbed his arm as if to wipe away the embarrassment from himself, his eyes went to the window and looked over it.
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”Draw the world, it’s in front of ya.” He said as he looked out of the window, he leaned against it as they began to float in space, freely; the asteroid they were crossing nearby was their ultimate goal, but they had time, a lot of time.
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Kouji couldn’t bring up his real thoughts, so he set forth the ugliness of man into the waves that were sounds. ”I’ll even strike a pose, draw me like one of your Kalos Boys.”

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