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To his relief, he hadn't kept the older male waiting, not that he showed he was relieved. Instead, he just seemed to focus on what else the older male had to say. As he explained that the Staryu was new to the team and he wanted to train up its surf attack, he nodded in understanding.
[break][break]
"Jet is pretty new to my team as well. His training isn't much of a problem, though. I just wanted a chance to bond with him," he explained, indicating the Sharpedo. While he preferred the company of Rook, he did try to give all of his Pokémon ample bonding time. He didn't want any of his Pokémon to feel that he didn't care about them.
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That's why, even when he had dismounted from Jet, he allowed the Sharpedo to remain outside his Pokéball. "It's nice to officially meet you as well. My name is Ever Blackwell, and this is Jet," he said as he ran his hand along the top of the Pokémon's head. It was clear he cared deeply for his Pokémon, even if his expression remained completely neutral.[break] Caleb Kahilii

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[attr="class","header"]EVERYDAY BY MYSELF I’M BREAKING DOWN

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From his peripheral vision, he noticed the younger teen flinch when he caught the girl's wrist. His stomach twisted upon noticing, but his expression remained blank, not giving away that he felt bad. It was hard, though, to act so unaffected, especially when the other's reaction had made him think of the way he reacted to his father, which made him think the younger teen was afraid of him.
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After releasing the girl's hand, he realized his hand was shaking slightly. Before either could notice, he shoved his hands into his pockets. As she explained why she had approached, it took all he had not to snap at her. He kept his tone neutral but couldn't quite keep himself from intensifying his glare.
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To his relief, she left, but he was still pretty tense. He hated that she had tried to invade his personal space, but what he hated more were the feelings she had helped bring up. Though he supposed it was his fault too. He had been the one to catch hold of her wrist.
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As the younger teen spoke, he turned his attention to him. The mention of someone else's dad brought forth mixed emotions. "That's pretty careless of your dad. I'm sure he's a good guy, but it's important to pay attention to what's going on in the world."
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"Then again, I suppose I don't have any room to talk. I was just as unaware of what was going on in the world when I came to Hoenn to live with my grandparents three years ago," he said with a small shake of his head. "My move was kind of out of the blue, though. I didn't have time to read up on what was going on in the world."
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Though he was conversing with Sterling, he was also paying attention to his surroundings. Taking in the girl at the table, he scowled. "I hope they aren't planning something," he muttered.[break] STERLING WARDEN

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[attr="class","header"]EVERYDAY BY MYSELF I’M BREAKING DOWN

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He was sure there were many people in the same boat as them. There was a lot of conversation about missing Pokémon and kids going around, but luckily neither of them had children. Then again, most people saw their Pokémon as their own children. While he did see his Pokémon as family, he didn't think he would go that far. If anything, he would be the kid in the situation, and his Pokémon would be the parents.
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Thoughts of Pokémon and people being each other's family faded away as the older male and his Pokémon took off. It took a little longer than necessary for him to regain his composure to follow after them on Celestia. Catching up didn't take long, and soon he was coming upon them in front of an abandoned warehouse.
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Without giving the Galarian Rapidash time to come to a complete halt, he jumped off. Considering he didn't stumble doing that, it probably wasn't his first time pulling such a stunt. Upon hearing the older male's question, he pondered just what they could do.
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"Don't even think about it," he said before turning towards Celestia, who had been gearing up for an attack on the door. "You're more likely to bring the whole building down with an attack," he scolded, his gaze stern.
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Once he was sure Celestia wouldn't go for an attack, he turned towards Riley. "Sorry about that..." he trailed off before continuing. "It's possible the warehouse has windows. They'll be open since warehouses don't keep windowpanes on their windows. The only problem with that is the window would be too high up to just crawl through. One would need a flying-type Pokémon to get inside, which I don't suppose you have."[break] riley maddox

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[attr="class","header"]EVERYDAY BY MYSELF I’M BREAKING DOWN

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Well, he supposed the kitchen could be checked last. He thought it was kind of like saving the best for last, or maybe it was more like saving the most obvious for last. After listening to what he had said, he simply nodded to show he had heard before letting him walk off.
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Once he was gone, he considered where to look next. Perhaps the other bedroom? Yes, he would look there. With his mind made up, he made his way to the other bedroom. Instead of turning on the light, he used the flashlight on his phone to look around. Nothing about the room really stood out.
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Circling the room, he took in everything around him. Nope, nothing out of the ordinary. Everything seemed pretty pristine in the bedroom. Figuring he should get back, he exited the bedroom and made his way back to the living room. It seemed he had arrived back just after Elliot had.
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“Nothing to report on my end either,” he told him and was about to say more when he heard the sound of running water. Frowning, he turned in the direction the sound had come from. “That sounds like it’s coming from the bathroom. I walked past it, and nothing was in there,” he told the older male.
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Still, he wanted to be prepared, so he released Volt, the Zebstrika, from his Pokéball before indicating that they should check out the sound. He had heard most of the incidents had happened in the kitchen, but he supposed with a ghost Pokémon, anywhere was fair game.[break] @elliot

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[attr="class","header"]EVERYDAY BY MYSELF I’M BREAKING DOWN

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The gym leader appeared completely unaffected by what was happening, which made him wonder about the kind of missions the older male had been on. However, now was not the time to ask, especially when they were in the middle of a dangerous mission.
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Ever, on the other hand, seemed unfazed as well, quickly adapting to the chaos around him. This was nothing compared to what he had experienced living with his father, which was quite sad.
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Nevertheless, the chaos was starting to get to him, causing annoyance. That's why he impulsively told Volt to disable the weaponry without considering the consequences.
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Upon hearing the explosion, he let out a displeased sigh. He hadn't intended for it to be so dramatic. His only goal was to disable the weapon and continue with the mission.
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Instead of dwelling on it, he focused on moving forward. He believed that the sooner they completed the mission, the better. There was no point in thinking about what could have been done differently, although dark thoughts still lingered.
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Pushing aside the negative thoughts, he followed the gym leader as they continued on. He remained alert, hoping to avoid any more surprises. This was unusual for him, as he typically remained guarded.
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They passed several rooms until they reached the largest one, filled with computing equipment. While Josh examined the surveillance equipment, Ever kept watch. He knew he wouldn't be much help if they were attacked, but he could at least warn the gym leader.
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As the gym leader mentioned using someone as a hostage, Ever couldn't help but wince. He didn't agree with the idea either. "It's better than trying to fight our way through," he reluctantly admitted. It would also save them time, although he chose not to mention that.
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"Does the map indicate which areas we should avoid?" he asked, curious as they prepared to follow the gym leader to their next destination. He hoped they had marked rooms with automatic weapons or security cameras.[break] Josh Devlin

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[attr="class","header"]EVERYDAY BY MYSELF I’M BREAKING DOWN

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With her carrying his belongings, the walk to the Pokémon center was made easy. He didn't have to worry about maneuvering the Pokémon that way. She was content enough to go at his pace, which in retrospect wasn't that fast, unlike his usual brisk walk. But then again, he didn't usually have an injured Pokémon in his arms either.
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As they walked to the Pokémon center, silence lapsed between them. Not that he really minded. In fact, he usually preferred not talking, which was part of the reason he tended to wander around so much outside of ranger duties.
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The walk wasn't long, and before too long, the center came into sight. He walked into the building relieved to find it relatively empty. That was good. It meant they wouldn't have to wait to have the Taillow seen to.
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Head raised high, he made his way to the counter. "Hello, we found an injured Taillow," he said, pausing to gesture towards Mika before continuing. "And we would like to have it seen to."
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With that said, he passed the bird Pokémon over to the nurse, who assured them she would take care of its injuries. Watching her walk off, he turned back to the woman. "They have this handled. It probably won't take too long."[break] Mika Nakayama

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[attr="class","header"]EVERYDAY BY MYSELF I’M BREAKING DOWN

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He waited with bated breath to see if the offer of food would work. The Dragonite seemed to be debating with himself, even looking towards Oliver, presumably to get some insight on what to do. However, he didn't bother checking to see if he was right, as his gaze remained fixed on the dragon Pokémon.
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It seemed that the Dragonite lost whatever battle he had been having and happily took the sandwich from him before eating it slowly. The way he was eating the sandwich reminded him of a kid with their favorite snack, if the kid was one of those who tried to savor every last bite. He couldn't say he had ever experienced that himself.
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For a few more seconds, his gaze remained fixed on the Dragonite, until he heard the older male's laughter. Upon hearing his laughter, he turned his attention to the Ranger, who mentioned that peanut butter and banana sandwiches were the dragon types favorite food.
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"I can see that. Wild Pokémon can be calmed by food. Though I'll admit that won't be a tactic I'll be trying with Fearow," he said, assuming he didn't need to explain why. "Thanks for overseeing my training. I enjoyed the opportunity to hone my skills."
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"Perhaps we'll get to work together again sometime. I'm afraid I can't stick around any longer. I have some errands I must attend to," he told the older ranger. With that said, he released Rook from his Pokéball and got on the Corviknight, taking off.[break] Oliver Shrakes

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[attr="class","header"]EVERYDAY BY MYSELF I’M BREAKING DOWN

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Until three years ago, correspondence with his grandparents had been few and far between. Partly because they lived in Hoenn, and partly because his father hadn't cared for him talking to his grandparents, even if it was just through letters. He was well aware that his father had only allowed the letter exchange to keep his grandparents happy and to stop them from asking questions.
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Because of that, he had been surprised when his father allowed him to sign up for a pen pal program when he was seven, though he had to admit he had been closer to eight. It had been especially surprising since the idea had come from his grandparents. An idea they had had after he had mentioned in one of his letters that he mostly kept to himself. Mistaking this as shyness, his grandparents had suggested a pen pal program, and he hadn't corrected them.
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He had kept up a steady correspondence with one person, usually only telling him trivial stuff and never anything too personal. Anytime he was asked about more personal matters, he had kept his responses vague or would claim to be a private person, which wasn't exactly a lie. It had still made him feel a bit bad, though.
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His guilt only got worse when he forgot about his pen pal for a time. It wasn't until he had gotten a letter from the other about him moving to Hoenn that he even gave some thought to his pen pal. And the fact he was coming to Hoenn had him acting before he could think.
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Telling the other he was in Hoenn himself, somehow it had turned into them meeting in person. Not that he really minded, but he knew that he wasn't the nicest person. In fact, he had been called a number of names before, the most popular being asshole. Hopefully, the older male wouldn't be too disappointed when he met him in person.
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Realizing he had become wrapped up in his own thoughts, he shook his head to clear his thoughts. The designated meeting place was Dewford, so he had decided to ride Jet to the island. Not the usual Pokémon he would ride, but one he was hoping to get a closer bond with. Though his other Pokémon was on his person, safely tucked away in their Pokéballs. He was too paranoid to go around with just one Pokémon.
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As he began to near the island town, he began to look in earnest for his pen pal. Luckily, due to receiving pictures of him over the years, he knew what he looked like. Spotting him, he guided Jet to where the older male was before dismounting once he was close enough to the shore.
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As he faced the older male, he took in his appearance, noticing his clothing choice was more simple. Ever had chosen to go with a blue button-up, close to the color of his eyes, over a pair of dark blue jeans. Though one would notice he had opted to leave the button-up completely open to reveal the black undershirt underneath.
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"Hello, I hope I didn't keep you waiting for too long," he said, his gaze flickering briefly down to the Staryu. "Getting some training in?" he inquired, looking back up at the older male.[break] Caleb Kahilii

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[attr="class","header"]EVERYDAY BY MYSELF I’M BREAKING DOWN

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As she mentioned having a few more months of training left, he nodded. "Yeah, I'm right there with you. Probably because I didn't start until recently. I'm not originally from Hoenn, only moving here three years ago," he explained, pausing to make sure Jet wasn't going too far out. Once he was sure the Sharpedo was staying where he could see him, he turned his attention back to the woman.
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It was after turning back that he would realize that despite having conversed with her, he hadn't introduced himself. "Oh right, my name's Ever. I usually don't postpone the introductions for so long, but I was preoccupied with the task at hand, I guess," he said with a shrug.
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As she showed interest in his photography, he listened to what she had to say. When she mentioned taking pictures as a kid, he had to resist the urge to huff. His father definitely wouldn't have allowed him to get into photography as a kid, for obvious reasons and for not so obvious reasons.
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"That's more than I can say for myself. My father wouldn't have allowed me to do it. He looked down on that sort of thing. It was after coming to live with my grandparents that I got into photography. They told me it could be relaxing. I found I had quite a talent for it and decided to pursue a career in it," he said it like it was no big deal that he was self-taught, and to him, it probably wasn't.
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As she inquired about whether she could see his pictures, he nodded. "Most are downloaded on my laptop, which I didn't bring with me, but I've spent today taking pictures, so you can look through the ones still on my camera after we're done here."[break] @saturn

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[attr="class","header"]EVERYDAY BY MYSELF I’M BREAKING DOWN

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While he loved nature, being underground was a bit tough for him and unsettled him. Even with the light from the Dazzling Gleam, it was fairly dark in the cavern. He caught the whispered comment Ora made to Shalin and couldn't help but envy her a bit.
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Deciding not to think too much about what could be waiting to jump out at them, he started a short conversation with Ora about what the Pokémon could be crying about. He hoped they could help the Pokémon. As she agreed, he simply nodded before following the two women deeper into the underwater cavern.
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It wasn't long before they came across the source of the crying: an injured Gastrodon. While the two women checked on the Gastrodon, he looked around. Whatever had attacked the Gastrodon could come back, and he wanted to be prepared for when it did.
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At the mention of Golbat, his eyes narrowed a fraction. While a Zubat and Golbat couldn't be faulted for following their instincts, he still didn't like Pokémon getting hurt. This meant the Gastrodon would need to be protected from Zubat and Golbat, even if it meant having to knock the other Pokémon out.
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"They've come back," he stated simply, his eyes catching sight of movement even in the dim lighting. Catching sight of Nyx in his peripheral vision, he gave the Gliscor a slight nod, telling her to prepare herself to defend the Gastrodon.
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A few Zubat appeared and headed towards the Gastrodon. Gliscor, having prepared herself, shot towards one and used Ice Fang against it, only releasing the other Pokémon when Ever called her back.[break] ORACELIES SOLAR, Shalin Nariya

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[attr="class","header"]EVERYDAY BY MYSELF I’M BREAKING DOWN

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Shopping? He hated it. But running out of food wasn't exactly an option, so he had sucked it up and made his way to Lilycove. Due to the short distance from Fortree to Lilycove, he had decided to walk. That didn't mean he was totally alone, though. Rook flew just above him as they made their way to Lilycove.
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Looking up at the Corviknight, he couldn't help but be reassured by its presence. The steel bird always had a calming effect on him, especially when he wasn't feeling his best, which happened more often than he cared to admit. He was often in a low mood, especially if he couldn't fight back sleep and ended up dozing off.
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The dream he had had last night was a reminder of why he went out of his way not to fall asleep. Deciding not to dwell on it, he shook his head to clear it. Wanting to focus on something else, he brought the thermos filled with coffee to his lips and took a long sip. That helped settle him as well.
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That didn't mean he had completely let his guard down, though, which was evident in the way he scanned the people around them as they entered Lilycove. It was as if he was looking for any kind of threat.
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As he walked past the park, his gaze fell on a young woman who seemed to be searching for something. Unable to resist his helpful nature, he let out a long sigh before making his way over. Hopefully, if she needed help, it wouldn't take too long.
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"Do you need something?" he asked bluntly. There was no point in beating around the bush. He had always been the type to get straight to the point.[break] ivy ashton, Shalin Nariya

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[attr="class","header"]EVERYDAY BY MYSELF I’M BREAKING DOWN

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Watching the people around him, he wanted to scowl but resisted. Seeing everyone like this, he couldn't help but feel a bit jealous, although he didn't show it. But even if he seemed fine on the outside, there was a sense of bitterness on the inside. 'Must be nice, being happy and able to have fun,' he thought bitterly, briefly looking away from the joyful scene towards the doors.
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Since being here, he had kept an eye on the people while also monitoring the exits. It was always good to know their whereabouts in case something happened, although he wasn't expecting much trouble. At least not the kind that would require an evacuation. It was better to be safe than sorry, though.
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"I don't understand what there is to celebrate," he said aloud, redirecting his attention to the partygoers. Seriously, what was there to be happy about? With the state of Hoenn, he didn't think there was anything to rejoice over.
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He supposed that was just his own bitterness talking. Seeing the worst in everything was just part of his personality. He often had to remind himself that not everyone had such a dark outlook on life, that not everyone was a pessimist who only saw the negative.
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As he mentioned his dad, his gaze flickered to him. "It's Hoenn, who's to say you would've been any safer at home," he muttered, briefly closing his eyes, although his posture indicated he was still aware of his surroundings. This was further proven when he suddenly grabbed someone's wrist, his eyes shooting up.
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He eyed her, recognizing her as one of the individuals who had been by the food table. He released her, pinning her with a glare. "What are you doing?" he asked, on edge that she had been about to touch him.
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"I thought you two were lonely," she said quietly, flinching slightly as the glare intensified.
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He mentally counted to ten to calm himself before responding. "Well, clearly you were mistaken," he said, briefly glancing at the others at the food table who were watching them and giggling. "And you can tell your friends who put you up to this that we're busy."
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Once she was gone, he turned his attention back to Sterling. "Considering your accent, you're from Galar. If your father is so afraid of something happening, why move to Hoenn, a place known to be at war with Team Rocket?" he asked, his gaze fixed on the younger teen.[break] STERLING WARDEN

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