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

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The night had started off pretty normal, with him being unable to sleep. To be honest, he was purposefully avoiding sleep. He hated sleeping and avoided it whenever he could, as it was better than facing the nightmares that plagued him whenever he did sleep.
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Usually, he wouldn’t leave at night, but he had realized he was out of coffee and had decided to get some at a cafe that was open all day and night. That would tide him over until he could get more coffee beans in the morning, and that way he could prevent himself from falling asleep by accident.
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Thinking back, he feels he should have just stayed inside. He blamed straying from his routine for Rook’s disappearance, as silly as that was. Though to be fair, the Corviknight would have safely been talked into his pokeball if he hadn’t ventured outside at night. He hated putting the bird Pokémon in a pokeball, but his house wasn’t big enough for him to be out. So basically, the only time he could let Rook out was if they were outside.
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And that was when he had last seen Rook. He had left him for a few minutes to get the coffee he desired and had come back out to find him gone. Now, Rook wasn’t the type to just take off, and he wasn’t gone long enough for a person to be the cause behind his disappearance. So that only left the presence behind the rumors he had been hearing.
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As someone who was training to be a ranger, he had more details on the situation than most people. So he had already been tipped off about where people had noticed some suspicious activity. And that was how he found himself where he was now, wandering the outskirts of Slatesport.
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Celestia was with him. While he had known Volt longer than most of his other Pokémon, with Rook being the exception, he needed a different kind of comfort. Like Rook, Celestia had ties to Galar; she was the Galar form of Rapidash, so having her close made him feel close with Rook when he wasn’t around.
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Even so, he wanted to find Rook. Rook was the one he had the closest bond with. He had been with him through so much. He just couldn’t lose the Corviknight. He just had to find him.
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Celestia suddenly halted, making him realize that she had heard something he hadn’t. Though with her hearing being sharper, that wasn’t too surprising. Though considering she wasn’t acting negatively, it meant that whatever it was wasn’t bad. Probably not a wild Pokémon then. A person, maybe.
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When he realized Celestia was content just to stay there until the person stumbled across them, he sighed. “Who’s there?” he called out.[break] riley maddox

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

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Damn, he was going into this blind. He had accidentally spilled his coffee all over the mission briefing and could only vaguely recall some of the information he had read. Something about a scientist conducting cruel experiments on Pokémon. Although he couldn't remember the specifics, he could certainly imagine the horrors. It didn't take a genius to figure out what terrible things a scientist could do to Pokémon.
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Maybe it wouldn't be as terrible as he anticipated. The problem was, he didn't believe that for a second. He was too accustomed to things going wrong to have any faith in a positive outcome. It also didn't help that he had a gut feeling he wouldn't enjoy this mission, as it might bring up unpleasant memories.
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Shaking his head, he realized he had veered off course and gently guided Celestia back on track. Since the mission was taking place in Lilycove, he had chosen to ride his Rapidash instead of flying with Rook or riding on Volt. He cherished both Pokémon, but wanted to give his newest team member some attention, hence why he was riding the Galarian Rapidash.
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Upon reaching the meeting point, he dismounted the shiny Pokémon and surveyed the area. He was the first to arrive, which wasn't surprising considering he lived closer to Lilycove. The meeting point was located just outside Lilycove, slightly off to the side to avoid any interruptions from people coming or going.
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The plan was to discuss their course of action before proceeding with the mission. They needed to come up with a solid plan, as charging in blindly would only lead to disaster.[break] Josh Devlin

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

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He followed his gaze to the tapestry, eyeing the Pokémon on it curiously. It depicted a Pokémon he had never seen before. It was kind of horse-like, so he figured it would be pretty fast. Though he was only assuming this because he knew Rapidash could be pretty fast. Thoughts of Rapidash left his mind as he continued to speak of some of the atrocities he had witnessed when Team Rocket had tried to take over Johto.
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Death was not something he was overly familiar with, not unless you counted the fact that he had almost died three years ago. The callousness of Team Rocket made him think of his father. He was sure they would get along, except his father had never come off as the abusive type around others. His father was very charming, and it made it hard to believe he would ever harm anyone, especially his son.
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Pushing away thoughts of his father, he took a deep breath before speaking. “I’m sorry that happened to you. I can’t imagine what that was like,” he said, his gaze still fixed on the tapestry. Before the older male could say anything, he noticed movement from his peripheral vision.
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Turning, he saw a Donphan. Returning Volt, he released Rook from his Pokéball and had to immediately dodge a slam attack from the Donphan. Rook would then retaliate with Steel Wing before hitting it with a Drill Peck before it had time to retaliate. Figuring he had had enough and wanting to stop the battle before the Donphan could retaliate, he threw a Pokéball at the Donphan.
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Seeing the Donphan go into the Pokéball, he turned to Josh to tell them they should head deeper once the capture was confirmed, but before he could, he got a text on his phone. Taking out his phone, he looked at the screen and saw it was a text from his grandparents. The contents of the text almost made him groan.
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Crap, he had forgotten.
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“Sorry, I forgot I promised my grandparents I would visit with them today. I’ll have to cut our time short,” he told him, his tone slightly apologetic, only slightly though since he wasn’t really open with his emotions.
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After it was confirmed whether or not his catch on Donphan was successful, he would leave.[break] Josh Devlin

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

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There were a few things that could lead the bird Pokémon away, although it also depended on the specific Pokémon. Not all bird Pokémon were the same, but they all shared a tendency to be drawn towards anyone with food. In fact, there were stories of Fearows attacking picnics for that very reason.
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Fortunately, not all bird Pokémon were as violent as Fearow, so even if they had food, there was no need to worry too much about being attacked. However, they were wild Pokémon, and therefore unpredictable. One could never tell how a wild Pokémon would react in any given situation.
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"Like most Pokémon, bird Pokémon are drawn to food. They also have a tendency to be drawn towards shiny objects," he explained, glancing up at the bird Pokémon. None of them seemed interested in them at the moment, which was good since he wasn't prepared to deal with an attack while still trying to teach her about bird Pokémon.
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He thought about what she had said and nodded. "Yes, some berries would be good. Unfortunately, I don't have any on me, but if there aren't enough, I do have half a sandwich in my bag. I wasn't very hungry earlier, so I didn't finish it," he told her, knowing that the sandwich would probably work to draw their attention as well.[break] robin coello

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

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As she spoke, he nodded. "You wouldn't think that I had just started out. I've only been into photography for a few months. It was only supposed to be a hobby, but you can see how that turned out. Once I found out I had a knack for it, it was pretty easy to turn it into a second career," he said with a small shrug, talking more than he normally did. Though he talked more than normal, it was still said in a monotone voice, like he had read all of this off of a card.
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He had captured some pretty good shots and, wanting to see what Mika thought, he gestured for her to come over. When she said she wouldn't mind waiting, he nodded. If she wanted to add effects, he would have to hear what they were. After all, he wouldn't do anything to a picture that the customer didn't want.
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"Thanks," he said, his attention fixed on the camera. Gratitude always left him a bit flustered, not that he really showed it. It was always more noticeable when he looked at the person, though, since he had an easier time keeping himself from reacting when he wasn't looking at the person. He was able to keep the blood from rushing to his face.
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He was about to tell her everything that could be done to the photos when he noticed something in one of the photos. Behind his sunglasses, his eyes narrowed a fraction. It looked like a Pokémon. Was it a Taillow? Was it injured? That's what it looked like.
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It seemed Mika noticed it at the same time he did. Instead of responding, he looked at the spot the photo had shown. And, like on the camera, he could see a Taillow. Even from where they were standing, he could see that it was injured.
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Barely casting her a glance, he slowly approached. It didn't react as he made his way closer, probably too injured to do so. "Don't worry, everything is going to be fine. We'll get you to a Pokémon Center," he reassured the Pokémon, his tone softening like his expression.
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Before they did that, he wanted to treat it a bit. Looking through his backpack, he retrieved some medical supplies. Although these were more effective on humans, they would suffice for treating a Pokémon in an emergency. At the very least, they would provide the Taillow with some relief until they could reach a Pokémon Center.[break] Mika Nakayama

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

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Coming across the Oranguru didn't take long. Its expression remained unreadable as it eyed the psychic type. From the way it was acting, he didn't think it would just turn over the Pokéballs without doing anything. And how right he was? He had to resist the urge to sigh as the Oranguru sent out two Pokémon. At least he had been prepared by already having sent out his Corviknight upon first encountering the Pokémon.
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He eyed the two Pokémon, taking in what they were. Considering Corviknight's typing, his best bet would be to go for the Leavanny. Rook's attacks would be super effective against it, after all. Though it wasn't like Corviknight's attacks would be weak against the Mandibuzz, they just wouldn't be as effective.
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Taking effectiveness into account would be the best thing to do. So with that in mind, he directed Rook to use Drill Peck on the Leavanny. In his peripheral vision, he could see his partner's Pokémon evading an attack from the Mandibuzz, so he supposed he would be dealing with that Pokémon.
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Figuring the older male had things handled on his end, he focused all of his attention on his own battle. After all, he needed to make sure nothing happened to his own Pokémon and that they were able to win this.[break] Orion Lykos

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

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Since he was prepared for it not to work, he didn't react to the Dragonite's glare but did react to the attack. Anticipating the Fire Punch, he instinctively jumped to the side and landed in a way to brace for more attacks. It was something he had done a few times when dealing with his father before he had learned not to, as it would only make things worse. However, the reaction had never quite left him.
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Only after the Dragonite took off did he straighten up. It wasn't pretending to be a wild Pokémon looking for a fight, which worked for him since he didn't want to harm the Pokémon. Even though he knew he wouldn't really hurt the Pokémon, it didn't change the way he felt.
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A voice in the back of his mind told him that kind of thinking made him weak, and he mentally shook himself. He wasn't going to let anything shake his confidence. With that in mind, he set out after the Dragonite, making sure nothing had been knocked off of him during his dodge. Confirming that he had everything, he followed after the Dragonite.
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He followed closely enough to keep it in his line of sight, but he was aware that could change, so he continued to use his tracking skills, albeit subtly. The only indication of his tracking was his heightened alertness as he followed the Dragonite.[break] Oliver Shrakes

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

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Today was one of his days off from his duties, so he had decided to spend the day taking pictures. He had taken a few good ones that he planned on uploading to his laptop later, but he wasn't done yet. There was just one more thing he wanted a picture of: the sun setting over the ocean.
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With that in mind, he made his way to the beach. Upon arriving, he walked over to the water's edge and stared out over the water. It was still some time before sundown, so he supposed he would take the time to gaze out over the water until it was time. At least, that was the plan until he happened to look down and noticed trash littering the waterline.
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The sight made him narrow his eyes and huff in annoyance. How could people live with themselves when they did things like this? He just didn't understand it. Sure, one didn't drink ocean water, at least he hoped not, but there were Pokémon of all kinds that lived in the ocean. Seriously, how would they feel if someone just walked into their home and started throwing trash around?
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Scowling, he started to bend down to pick up some trash when he caught movement in his peripheral vision. Turning his head, he saw an older man, probably middle-aged, holding trash bags and a few trash grabbers. Every now and then, he would try to offer them to people who only shook their heads and moved on.
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He glowered at the people before allowing his expression to return to its default one. Making his way over to the person, he gave him a curt nod. "I'll help out," he reassured the man, ignoring the thankful look the older male shot him as he was given a trash bag and a trash grabber.
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Without another word, he made his way to the shoreline to get started. He figured the best place to start would be there, before the trash could be dragged out to sea.[break] @saturn

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

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Curiously, he followed the older male into another room. A brief widening of his eyes was the only sign of his surprise. He hadn't been expecting something like this in a place like this. Even so, keeping his composure was a must, not that he was too good at expressing his emotions in the first place.
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He took a few moments to look around before his gaze traveled back to the dark-haired man. It wasn't long before he began to speak. He spoke about Rocket taking over Kanto before moving on to Johto, which made sense considering those two regions were neighbors. What was curious, though, was that one region apparently wasn't as strong-willed as the other, not that he was about to say as much.
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All of what Josh had told him gave him a lot to think about. If he were a different kind of person, he would find it hard to believe people could be so callous, but he wasn't. He knew from firsthand experience how cruel people could be. He also realized how cruelty from others drove people. How many people among Team Rocket were just like him?
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It wasn't something he liked to think about. He didn't like to think of the way he could have turned out. It would have been really easy too. It would have been easy to hate the world and let that drive him. Except that hadn't happened. He had decided not to let his past define him. To be better than his past and the kind of person his father was.
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"I'm sorry to hear that. That must have been hard. I think everyone has faced some kind of hardship in their life, whether it be Team Rocket or something else," he said, looking away. Hardships everyone had them, and sometimes they hit closer to home.[break] Josh Devlin

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

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It wasn't hard to tell that the woman was impressed by his arrival. He was unsure if it was the stunt or the fact that he had arrived on a Corviknight that had impressed her. For all he knew, it could be a little bit of both. He didn't care enough to ask, simply getting to the point and making sure that she was the person he was supposed to be meeting up with.
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Her enthusiastic response left him a bit dazed. Dealing with someone who was this excitable wasn't his forte. He had no idea how he should go about interacting with someone like her. A long-winded response hadn't been something he had been expecting. In his defense, he recovered his composure quickly, and it took only a little longer than that to formulate a response.
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"Yes, I'm Ever, and I do have some knowledge on flying types, but since I like to keep a pretty diverse team, I don't have many flying types on my team," he explained, hoping his explanation would be good enough. Though right now, he did have two Pokémon on him with a flying type, but that was because he was pretty limited on what Pokémon he could add since he didn't go out to catch Pokémon very often.
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The fact that she traveled at night was quite interesting. Some common ground between them. He often wandered around at night when he was too restless to stay at home. So he could understand traveling around at night, just without ghost types being his reason. His own nightly routine wasn't something he desired to get into, so he decided not to think too much about traveling around at night.
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As she started speaking once more, he focused his attention on her. As she mentioned psychic types having it out for her, he couldn't help but raise a brow. To be honest, he could see that with certain types of Pokémon, but psychic types didn't fall into that category. So psychic types having it out for anyone did make him curious, not that he showed it.
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"Something we have in common. I'm still pretty much considered a rookie, just with more training. Getting to their height with Rook wouldn't be too much of a problem, but since wild Pokémon should be approached carefully, it's an option that could lead to disaster," he pointed out, his expression thoughtful.
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As he continued to think through the options, he ignored the ruffling of feathers he could hear. But that didn't mean he wasn't paying attention, something that became clear when he made a sound of agreement when he heard her comment before speaking. "I wouldn't worry about that. I don't like hurting Pokémon, so I try my best not to have to battle them."[break] robin coello

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