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

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Excited about being in a sewer.
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Couldn't say he shared her sentiment.
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He liked being somewhere he could see the sun in the daytime. Or the moon and stars at nighttime.
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Down here in the sewer where he couldn't see the sky. Couldn't feel a fresh breeze on his face. He felt confined.
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"You must forgive me if I don't share your sentiment. I don't even like staying in my home for too long or I start feeling confined, though I have to admit since moving to Fortree I'm more comfortable being in my home."
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The plus side of living in a treehouse.
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At the mention of her taking the brute of it if they got wet, he inclined his head.
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"You have my gratitude, I've never enjoyed the feeling of wet clothes."
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Yeah, he didn't think any of his Pokémon were ones one would choose to declog pipes. Especially if it was due to poison sludge. Trying to get the aid of some of the wild Pokémon was probably their best bet.
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At the question, he shook his head. "No, it's unlike Pokémon to just linger in one place. Usually after a while, they move on. But these Pokémon."
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Was there something sinister going on here? He couldn't think of any other reason for Pokémon to linger around her. Perhaps if they found the cause, they could make them leave.
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Checking the pipes was a good idea, so he simply nodded, taking the handkerchief as he followed behind her.[break] Lutgarde Dijkstra

[attr="class","oocnotes"] + notes

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

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For most, being scrutinized would be uncomfortable. He was used to it, however. If it wasn't the bruises that drew people's attention, it was something else, usually his attitude. He generally bounced between indifference and being snarky, not giving any thought beforehand about voicing his opinions aloud.
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With that kind of attitude, it's no wonder people bought the lies he fed them about all the fights he got into, all without checking the facts. And for all that, he was sure he had simply been written off as some kind of delinquent.
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Taking a sip of his own black coffee, he studied the man in front of him. Something told him this guy wasn't just your average guy.
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The mention of his grandparents was unexpected. He had been expecting anything from the guy being a business associate of his father to him wanting to sell him something.
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Not him being sent here by his grandparents.
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"I told them I was fine."
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He was not fine.
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Not like he would ever admit it though.
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Before the older male's laptop closed, he caught a glimpse of what he assumed was some kind of poisonous plant. Not a camera recording him, good.
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Was he paranoid?
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Maybe a bit.
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No telling what his dad would do if he thought his grandparents knew something.
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"I don't have a lot of money, usually what I do have is spent on coffee. Besides, it's hard to find some concealer that works with my complexion."
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That was only half of it. He, at this point, could apply basic first aid to any injury his father gave him with his eyes closed. However, applying concealer in such a way that it wasn't overly obvious he was hiding something escaped him.
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If the older male expected a reaction out of him at the mention of his father, he would be disappointed. While his natural instinct was to lie, claim he had run into a tree or had gotten caught up in a fight, he knew this guy wouldn't be so easily fooled.
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"I can handle whatever he throws at me," he said.
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He was too scared of his father to admit the abuse to authorities and too proud to admit he needed help or to get away.
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He was strong. No matter what his father said, he wasn't weak. Whatever his father threw at him, he would handle it like a man.
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And men don't run from fights.[break] Nikita Sokolov

[attr="class","oocnotes"] + notes

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

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The first thought that popped into his mind was how anyone could sleep for twelve hours. Wouldn't you end up feeling groggy all day?
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Shaking off such thoughts, he opened his mouth to tell her to wake up, probably less kindly, when she seemed to come to her senses on her own.
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As she sat up, he studied her. Aside from the obvious body shape that identified her as a woman, he couldn't tell anything about her. Like him, she wore a mask with a chain wrapped around her neck. Her clothing style was also Johtian, and from the style, he could only assume it was similar to his own.
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"Yeah, I believe you speak for both of us," he grunted, his gaze scanning the cell around them. Still nothing. Not that he had really thought something would have changed in the few minutes he had looked around.
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The sound of movement had him turning his attention back to the woman who was his cellmate. As she moved to tug at the mask, he opened his mouth to warn her against it, but it was too late. Resisting the urge to sigh, his gaze immediately flickered down to the part of the chain around her neck, seeing it tighten.
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It's as he thought. Messing with the mask caused the chain to tighten. When his hand had brushed against the chain earlier, it had felt alive somehow. He was sure messing with the chain around the neck would have the same consequences.
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"Best not to mess with the mask, it only causes the chain to tighten like a noose," he said, a note of irritation in his tone, the only sign so far that he wasn't a fan of their accommodations.
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"Yeah, whoever it was took our Pokémon... why they changed our clothes, I couldn't tell you. It's not like they couldn't have robbed us of our Pokémon without changing our clothes," he pointed out, still disgruntled about getting changed without his consent. Not only was it disturbing, but it was also an invasion of privacy.
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At the question, he simply shook his head. As far as he knew, he hadn't done anything. Perhaps he had pissed someone off. After all, he wasn't really the type to mince words.
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Having absently moved closer to the bars that allowed them to peer out, he stiffened when he saw the blue-skinned aliens. He had never seen them with his own eyes, but he had heard of them. He had heard the whispers.
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Megalopolans.
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Then that could only mean...
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Instinctively, he moved away from the outer bars.
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Barely registering her newest question, he started speaking. Besides, what he said next would probably give her all the insight she needed.
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"We've been captured by Megalopolans. I've never met one before, but I've heard enough talk about them to know what they look like. From what else I've managed to hear about them, it's possible we've been captured as a food source."
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As she began to use Morse Code, he started in surprise. Morse Code wasn't something people normally knew. He knew it because learning it set him even further apart from his father. His father saw stuff like Morse Code and Sign Language as useless.
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It took a few minutes for him to recover his composure and make his way over to Elaine's side.
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"Nice to meet you, Elaine," he said quietly before turning his attention to the bars to give his own message, something short and simple.
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- .... .. ... / .. ... / . ...- . .-.
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While he waited to see if they would get some kind of response a whirling sound like something being lowered caught his attention. The sound seemed to coming from behind them so he quickly spun around.
[break] Elaine Highland

[attr="class","oocnotes"] + TL;DR: Is in the weakling ward [break] Chats with his cellmate [break] Has never met Megalopolans but has heard enough talk about them to know what they are [break] Tells Elaine just who captured them [break] Morse Code: This is Ever

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

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It had been weeks since his last assignment with Josh, where they had to help free Pokémon from a cruel scientist who wasn't opposed to experimenting on the poor Pokémon. For the most part, things had returned to normal.
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He was doing everything he normally did. Nothing seemed wrong on the surface. But underneath, he was a wreck.
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Since the mission, anytime he accidentally fell asleep, his nightmares were worse than ever. Now, the caged Pokémon and how they had looked entered his dreams. Sometimes, the dreams would warp so much that it would be him in the cage and his father would be looking in at him from the outside, with the same condescending expression on his face that had always made him feel small.
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His grandparents, knowing him as well as they did, knew something was wrong. They were worried about him and kept trying to get him to talk to someone.
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He refused.
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He wouldn't be that weak.
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However, maintaining the fact that everything was fine was hard. Eventually, he would slip up.
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Unfortunately, that would involve not paying enough attention to what he was doing while he was cooking and burning his arm pretty badly. Badly enough to require time away from his ranger duties.
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Of course, that didn't mean he was resting. Oh no, as soon as his grandparents, who had come over to make sure he was actually resting, had taken their eyes off of him, he had slipped away.
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Now, he was just wandering aimlessly, with his thoughts elsewhere.[break] Josh Devlin

[attr="class","oocnotes"] + thread takes place after doesn’t take a rocket scientist mission but before excursions

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

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Apparently, there was a rise in Pokémon ending up injured. That was the only reason he could think of to be told about Pokémon being injured. After all, dealing with injured Pokémon was the job of a ranger, so it wasn't like in normal circumstances he needed to be told to keep an eye out for injured Pokémon. Seriously, like he didn't do that already.
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A sigh escaped him as he flew on the back of Rook, his Corviknight, scanning the scenery below him. He had been at this since dawn and still hadn't come across any injured Pokémon. He was starting to think this whole thing was a lost cause and he would have to come back tomorrow.
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He was just about ready to turn Rook back towards home when a low cry from the great steel bird caught his attention. Blinking, he looked down at his longtime companion.
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"Spot something?"
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As a bird Pokémon, Rook would have better vision than him, so he would be more likely to spot something if it was too far away.
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In answer, Rook simply changed direction, causing them to fly at a bit of an angle for a good ten minutes before he began to descend.
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It was once Rook had gotten to a certain height that he heard talking. From what he could tell, it was just one person. A girl, from the cadence of the voice.
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They were still high up but low enough that he could kind of make out what was going on. It seemed like he had managed to stumble across an injured Pokémon after all. But from the angle he was at, he couldn't make out what kind of Pokémon it was.
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"Hello down there, can you tell me what's going on?" the ranger rookie inquired.[break] Thea Naito

[attr="class","oocnotes"] + Pokémon home mission

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

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Ugh, he had a pounding headache. The last thing he remembers was going on his nightly walk, since he wasn't going to sleep, and then nothing. From the pounding headache and the knot on the back of his head, he could only assume he had been attacked. Weird for someone to be able to sneak up on him considering he was always in a constant mode of alertness.
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Once he could think past his pounding head, he tried to figure out just how injured he was. No nausea. And his thoughts were starting to clear. Good, he didn't have a concussion then. That was one less thing to worry about.
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Once he had assessed his well-being, he allowed himself to become aware of other things. First of all, the feel of unfamiliar fabric. Had someone seriously undressed him after abducting him? That was creepy on so many levels. Seriously, who just did that?
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Deciding to worry about what exactly he was wearing later, he groped around for his Pokéballs. Nothing. He supposed if someone had gone through the trouble of changing him, they wouldn't have left him his Pokéballs.
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Blood roared in his ears at the thought of being without his Pokémon. Of being without Rook, his Corviknight, particularly.
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Rook had been with him through thick and thin, barely having been apart since they had both found each other. He had been with him through his father's abuse. He had helped him deal with that by being a constant presence to turn to after his father had finished beating him. And now he was gone. As were his other Pokémon.
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Panic tried to seize him. His nails digging into his palms was the only thing keeping him grounded.
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Taking a deep breath to calm himself, he realized it was a bit hard to breathe. Frowning, he groped around his face to feel a mask of some kind. That was what had been obstructing his breathing as well as his vision. Having been locked in a pitch-black room before, the fact that his vision had been obstructed hadn't registered until now. And after feeling around his neck notices some kind of chain that seems to have a life of its on.
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Taking another deep breath, he looked around, checking his surroundings. Some kind of cell. A dingy one.
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The whole cell thing made him think once more about his father. He was in jail. Was that where he was at? Came the unbidden thought.
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Mentally shaking himself, he frowned. 'Don't be absurd, what would he have been arrested for? And even if there was a reason to arrest him, why would he have been taken back to Hammerlocke?'
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No, something else was going on here.
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Getting up off of the ground, he let his gaze sweep the cell, taking in the stool and the single bed someone was lying on.
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Blinking, he slowly approached but kept some distance in case the person was dangerous. "Hey you, are you okay?"[break] Elaine Highland

[attr="class","oocnotes"] + TL;DR: Wakes up in a cell in the weakling ward after being knocked out. [break] Confirms that he in fact doesn’t have a concussion [break] notices his change of clothes and that he’s without Pokémon [break] being without any of his Pokémon brings back to many memories [break] Almost panics [break] Notices the mask and chain [break] notices he’s in a cell and that he has a cellmate [break] to wrapped up in figuring things out to notice the other prisoners

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

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While he waited, he returned Celestia and Volt to their Pokéballs before releasing Rook from his Pokéball. Leaning back against the great steel bird, he thought back over the mission. He hoped Josh was doing okay, hoped that Team Rocket wasn't giving him too much trouble. And of course, he hoped Josh had luck with getting back to the Pokémon and freeing them.
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And of course, his concerns about the captive Pokémon would bring what he had seen to the forefront of his mind. When he had tried to avert his gaze, he hadn't done so fast enough. He had still seen it. All the caged Pokémon. How miserable they had looked. And worst of all, how he was sure some of them hadn't been moving, probably due to experimentation gone wrong.
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Just thinking about how these people seemed to have no regard for Pokémon made his blood boil. These people were no better than his father.
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Why? Why did people have to do this?
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The sound of battle drew him out of his thoughts, and he realized that while wrapped up in his own thoughts, his fist had been clenched so tightly that his nails had broken the skin.
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Rook made a low cry of concern, and he glanced over at his companion. "Let's take to the skies. I'm sure Josh is simply knocking them aside as he makes his escape," he said as he swung himself onto Rook and took to the sky. However, he chose to hover instead of leaving.
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It would only be after he had seen Josh come out of the exit that he would wheel Rook around and make his way back to Fortree.[break] Josh Devlin

[attr="class","oocnotes"] + notes

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

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At her tone, he stiffened, his expression becoming guarded. Instead of saying anything, he tasked himself with rounding up his Pokémon as was asked of him. Eventually, the Pokémon were all rounded up sooner than expected, since both were working on rounding them up.
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"Probably only the doors and windows. I don't believe I have anywhere else they could come through," he explained, his gaze sweeping the area around them as if expecting to see something he had missed with his explanation.
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Aside from the mess the bug Pokémon had caused, there was nothing. Speaking of messes...
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"Do you mind doing that while I clean up a bit? I need to get everything back in order."[break] annalise henderson

[attr="class","oocnotes"] + notes

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

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While he had never been a prisoner of Rocket, that’s not to say he didn’t know what it was like. Metaphorically speaking, of course. The way he viewed it, he had been a prisoner of his father's anger. Though he supposed if there really had been a time he could've been considered a prisoner, it would've been when he was ten, right after his little runaway stunt. That had ended up getting him locked in the basement for a few weeks as punishment, along with a beating.
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Something told him she knew what it was like to suffer at the hands of Team Rocket. Perhaps she had been a prisoner herself once. With that in mind, he simply let her go off and cause a distraction while he remained where he was.
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From where he was, he could see Elinor's plan come to fruition. And once all the Rockets were focused on her, he would start on his part of the planning.
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Sneaking to the place where prisoners were kept wasn't hard. The only current prisoner, the guy he had set out to rescue, opened his mouth as if to say something, but a raised hand from Ever forestalled him and he quickly closed his mouth.
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After eyeing the bindings, he released Alpha, his newly acquired Lycanroc, from her Pokéball and motioned for her to chew through the bindings.
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Once freed, he motioned for the guy to be quiet and slipped out of the tent the captive had been in. Waiting until Elinor noticed him, he signaled that he had freed the prisoner before continuing to the other side of the camp where he had been before releasing his Corviknight from his Pokéball to help the guy get on so they could escape back to the surface.[break] Elinor Anderson
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x6z6m4Zn

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

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"My Abomasnow knows Mist, but you're right, using Mist or Smog would be a tell that something is off," he agreed quietly, his expression thoughtful. It was a shame neither of them had a Zorua or Zoroark; both would've come in handy for sneaking in and out without being seen. Oh well, he supposed they would have to make do with what they had.
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At the suggestion of her acting as a distraction, he glanced at her. "That would be very dangerous. Rocket isn't someone to be trifled with. You would have to be very careful to not end up in the predicament of needing to be rescued yourself," he commented, hiding how ill at ease he was with the plan.
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It was the best they had, however. However...
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He was used to getting himself into tough situations. Could the same be said about Elinor?
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"I'm holding you to not let yourself get captured," he said at last, finally coming to a decision.
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With that said, silence lapsed between them once more until they reached the Rocket camp.[break] Elinor Anderson
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8MTuwLvm

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