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

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He waited for some kind of response, even if it was a simple mind-your-own-business. Razz didn’t owe him anything after all. Still, it had been on his mind since they first ventured here; it had been pretty clear that he was here for a specific reason. It was almost like he was looking for something.
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The older male's voice pulled him out of his thoughts. He wasn’t really sure what he had been expecting, but him here to seek out a legendary hadn’t been it. "Honestly, I don’t pay much attention to talking about the legendaries. I don’t know; it’s just hard for me to trust something that could be so destructive, more so than a normal Pokémon.”
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He had already almost died more times than he would have liked. Once there had been too many. Then there had been the whole debacle where he, along with some others, had been taken prisoner and made to work. He had been pretty sure that he might actually die there. But he hadn’t. Instead…
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He mentally shook himself. "Anyway, I’m here to help; just don’t expect me to get any closer than I have to if you do find them,” he told him. Hopefully, that would be fine with the older ranger.
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As he came to a stop at what would be a sharp incline, he peered down, but it was dark enough not to really reveal much. "Well, I don’t mind checking it out. I’ll probably have to change mounts though; I don’t think Leo will have an easy time getting down there.”
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The young man lapsed into silence for a few minutes before turning his attention to the older male. “It’s your call, though.”[break] Raziel Beckett

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

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If someone had told him months ago that he would be venturing to end from the ultra wilds, he would’ve wanted to check that person’s mental state, but here he was making his third visit to the ultra plant. After having been teleported to her thanks to Razz’s ralts, he was faced with the familiar scenery of the Ultra Plant.
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Listening to what the older male had to say, he simply nodded. With him being older, he was willing to simply follow his lead. That, and he was his superior.
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Noticing the Zeroara, he was tempted to use his own as a mount. However, there would be the temptation to go at full speed, or as full speed as he could manage, so he opted to go for another mount. Releasing Leo from the confines of its pokeball, he mounted the gouging fire and looked to the older male to take the lead, though he was momentarily distracted when he thought he heard a scream.
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Deciding the scream had just been a figment of his imagination, he simply followed after the older male. “So is there something you’re looking for in particular?” he inquired once he was about level with the older ranger.[break] Raziel Beckett

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

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At the question, he frowned. “When I was younger, I admitted that I still held out hope that my father would change. By the time I gave up on that happening, it was too late. My father became more cautious when I was older. No mail I sent out was sent out before he looked it over; he keeps a close eye on my correspondence with my grandparents,” he said with a small shrug, a bit uncomfortable with talking so much. I’m sure his throat actually hurts from talking so much. Even so, he needed him to understand a few things.
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“People around here are either gullible or don’t want to see what’s in front of them. The people around here will believe whatever lie I tell them, mostly that I have a bleeding heart and can’t turn a blind eye to someone who needs help, which usually ends up with me standing up to bullies. That’s the lie that I usually feed people.”
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It was actually pretty annoying how easily that lie was believed. Very few people questioned it. Seriously, you would think people would wonder why adults weren’t doing more to remedy a bullying problem if that was the lie he told everyone. But he supposed that doing something like that was actually something he would do if he didn’t already have too much on his plate.
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While he was in no way getting beat up on by other kids, it was true that he was a protective person. It was also true that he couldn’t turn a blind eye to someone who needed help, even if it was something as simple as helping an old lady cross the street.
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He had learned from a young age that the best way to make a lie believable was to have some truth in the lie that one made up. Though he never actually admitted that that was what he was doing, to him, it would be like admitting a weakness.
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Of course, he didn’t like the way things were. If there was one thing he hated the most about his situation, it was lying. “Of course not; my father is good at tracking thoughts,” he said, struggling to keep his voice at a lowered volume. "Look, contrary to belief, I haven’t just taken it all these years. I tried to get out when I was ten. I planned it all out in my head. I would go on a Pokémon journey, win some battles, and save up on my money until I had enough to get a plane ticket or something. I set out in the dead of night, but I didn’t get very far before my father tracked me down and dragged me back home.”
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He hadn’t tried again after that. The beating he had gotten for that little stunt had made sure of that. If he wasn’t feeling so defensive about what he had been through, he wouldn’t have breathed a word of his failed escape attempt, mainly because it was something he was quite bitter about.
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Seriously, where had he gone wrong? Had one of the neighbors seen him sneak out and tip off his father? That was the only thing he could think of, unless his father had already had eyes on him on the assumption that he would make a run for it.
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His expression became thoughtful upon hearing the question. What was really keeping him here? Obviously, his parents had been tipped off that something was wrong. He hadn’t acted well enough to get them to think everything was alright. It had been harder to lie to them than it had been for everyone else; perhaps that was what had caused him to unintentionally slip up.
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Now he had the opportunity to get out, like he had always dreamed. Well, the part of him that hadn’t believed he deserved everything he got anyway. The part that believed in the bitter remarks of his father blaming him for the death of his mother.
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“Fine, but only because I know my grandparents will rest easier knowing I’m out of that house. I still have to prepare, though, so I still have to head back, even if it’s temporary,” he said at last, letting out a sigh.[break] Nikita Sokolov

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

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People worrying about him was still a new experience for him. Josh proved over and over again that he cared about his well-being. If it wasn’t his reaction to getting injured while cooking, it was his reaction to his near-death experience. He hadn’t said anything, but it had been obvious in the way he spoke.
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Josh was just another person who cared about him.
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But Why? Why did he care whether or not he was hurt or completely unharmed? His grandparents, whom he could understand because they were family, but Josh. Josh didn’t owe him anything.
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Not that he was saying his grandparents owed him anything. His grandparents were just his family, and as such, it was their duty to care about him. Then again, that had been his father's duty as well, but he could care less about him.
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If there was anything he had learned from his father, it was that people couldn’t be trusted. And yet Josh had trusted him, hadn’t he?
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The gym leader had told him about his past with Team Rocket. What they had tried to do with his family. Basically giving his reason as to why he didn’t like Team Rocket.
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The older male hadn’t had to do that. It wasn’t like Josh’s past had been any of his business. And yet Josh had still trusted him with such personal information.
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Why though?
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He highly doubted the gym leader and just went around telling anyone that information. It was like he trusted him for some weird reason. He saw some value in letting him know even a bit about his past.
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What value was there in a person like him?
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Josh’s voice broke him out of his thoughts, making him realize he was staring at the older male like he was some kind of puzzle he couldn’t figure out. He immediately looked away, instead choosing to stare off into the distance. “That would be nice; you’ll just show me the ropes. I never really got to be a kid, so it would be nice to experience that, even just for a bit.”
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“You don’t mind that, do you? Showing me the ropes?”
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Though he was aware of the Espeon, his nerves were already so frayed from not sleeping well, mixed with his grandparents smothering him, that he found it hard to let any comfort through. In fact, it was kind of surprising that he was actually able to hold himself together and not have some kind of huge meltdown. Though however long that would last was the question.
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Speaking of his grandparents,.
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"Anyway, I would rather schedule the arcade time without my grandparents finding out. They already think I don’t rest enough,” he said, unable to quite hide the irritation in his tone.[break] Josh Devlin

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

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Getting the blockade to fall away was hard work, but he was determined to make it happen. With the help of all the gathered Pokémon as well as their own Pokémon, they were getting the blockade to fall away bit by bit. As focused as he was on the task at hand, he barely acknowledged her thoughts, only looking away long enough to give a nod in return.
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Soon enough, the blockade would fully fall down, and he would resist the urge to let out a sigh of relief. “Finally,” he grunted, his gaze flickering briefly down to the scattered blockade. He supposed someone else would come down to clean up the rest of the blockade.
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“Let’s get what you grabbed back to headquarters so it can be tested.” Hopefully, after it was properly analyzed, they would find out how the blockade had been set up. He had his suspicions, and if he was right, he hoped people would be properly punished for what they had done.
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With that said, he turned and began to trek back the way they had come, closely followed by Sonic Boom, before pausing. “Perhaps I should say it was nice working with you. Hopefully next time we’ll be able to work in a place that is more in my element.”
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Having all that he wanted to say out there, he resumed walking, knowing that the sooner they got back to where they had met up, the sooner he could get out of the sewers.[break] Lutgarde Dijkstra

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

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Hmmm, if they were to focus on that one, then he would need a Pokémon more on the agile side. Leo was on the large side and didn’t have enough room to really maneuver. It had just been luck that he had been able to use them for as long as he had.
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“Right,” he agreed before getting the Gouging Fire to hang back so he could send out Flash. The Zeraora had barely been released before it had gotten into position and sent an aura sphere towards the Xuritree with the brightest bulb; hopefully that would help with taking it out. If not, Flash would just hit it with another aura sphere or a power-up punch. [break] Raziel Beckett

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

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He was actually still recovering, as evidenced by the cast around his left arm. The hospital had tried to get him to wear a sling, but he was quite adamant that would never happen. Besides, if broken ribs could heal without a sling, then why did one need one for a broken arm, even if it had to be rebroken after it had started healing wrong? So yes, he had been quite against the idea of wearing a sling.
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However, though he was still recovering, at least he hadn’t somehow gotten worse. He supposed that was what Elaine meant by her comment.
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“Same to you,” he said, evidently referring to her comment about doing well. As for the rest of her comment, he simply inclined his head before heading over to the couch to find a seat.
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As she began to go on about drinks, he was prepared to tell her she didn’t need to go out of her way for him. After all, he did kind of drop by with no warning. He could’ve at least allowed her to know first that he was coming.
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However, before he could actually tell her, she was already at the refrigerator. “I’ll drink anything but alcohol,” he said last. Basically, he wasn’t too picky about what he consumed. Though if Elaine thought back to their time imprisoned together, she would probably remember that he wasn’t big on sugary, sweet things. He hadn’t exactly gone out of his way to hide his distaste for sweet things after all.[break] Elaine Highland

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

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Well, that was easier said than done, especially if the ultra-beast kept trying to attack them. Oh well, it seemed they would just play offense and keep dodging the attacks, using Dragon Dance to evade the attacks. Luckily, due to the burn it had obtained upon hitting Leo’s barrier of flames, it wasn’t as quick to attack them again.
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"Okay, but there’s only so long I can keep having them use Dragon Dance,” he stated, in his own way telling him he needed to be quick if he had a plan. Because using Dragon Dance to evade attacks would only work for so long.
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At the comment, he was confused. "Yeah, no need to worry about that Leo doesn’t know any psychic or electric type moves,” he reassured the older male, allowing him to put whatever plan he had in motion without having to worry.
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As it grew darker around them, he was a bit surprised. However, he recovered his composure quickly and focused his attention on the battle in front of them. As the Xurkitree attempted a THUNDERBOLT attack against Leo, they would immediately use Burning Bulwark, meaning the Gouging Fire was protected from the attack.
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When the Xurkitree cried out from the attack, he was surprised. Deciding not to question it, he directed Leo to use Dragon Claw against the Xurkitree while its guard was down.[break] Raziel Beckett

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

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A sudden surge of electricity gave him pause. ‘What was that?’ he asked himself momentarily, forgetting about the limp wires he had been keeping an eye on as he debated what could’ve caused a surge in the electricity. ‘Had Razz done something?’
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Before he could think too much about it, a crackling sound pulled him out of his thoughts. Blinking rapidly, he did a quick scan of his surroundings, his gaze coming to rest on the limp wires he had noticed earlier. Only now did there seem to be electricity running along the wires.
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Well, that didn’t bode well. The bad feeling he had earlier that spoke of danger grew stronger, especially when he heard something approaching from behind.
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Hoping beyond hope that it was just Razz trying to scare him, though he thought that would kind of be a mean thing to do, he slowly turned to see what it was. In the doorway stood a Pokémon, or at least what he thought was a Pokémon; it looked more like death warmed over.
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Trying not to think about what could’ve gotten the Pokémon looking that way, he released Leo from his pokeball, and the Gouging Fire immediately zeroed in on the pokemon, blocking the way out of the room they were in.
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As the formally dead Pokémon went for an attack, Leo would instantly use Burning Bulwark to intercept the attack, causing the Pokémon to reel back in pain.
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As the battle continued, Ever would begin to make out the sound of Razz making his way back to his location. “Ranger Kingsman, we came under attack, so proceed with caution,” he called out, hoping the ranger would hear him and wouldn’t just charge into the middle of a battle and get hurt, not knowing the older male was also dealing with his own opponent, well pursuer.[break] Raziel Beckett

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

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Left to his own devices, he would get to work. The first business was a proper place to rest when one needed to spend more than a day in the building. Getting that set up didn’t take long, and it was time to move on to the next thing.
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He had started to get the camp better organized when something in his peripheral vision caught his attention. Frowning, he paused in what he was doing and went to check out what had caught his attention.
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Seeing the limp wires, his frown grew. ‘Where could these be from?’ He seriously didn’t like the look of the wires.
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He studied the limp wires for a few more minutes before deciding nothing would come from just staring at them and getting back to work. However, he was more on guard and made sure to keep an eye on his surroundings as he worked on getting the camp all organized efficiently.[break] Raziel Beckett

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

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A manectric swarm, huh?
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He supposed that if a manectric was big enough, it wouldn’t be a bad thing to have one on his team. Then, again, considering his failed attempt at the last swarm, he was reluctant to try again. There was also the fact that he could probably spend his time doing practically anything else.
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After some debate, he decided what life was without some risk and made his way to Route 118 using his Flygon as a mode of transport.
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Upon arriving, he immediately picked up on the sound of electricity crackling, reminding him a bit of THUNDER just as it was about to strike.
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Mentally shaking themselves, they would prepare a pokeball, ready to aim and fire when the perfect opportunity presented itself.
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I3F0dCcc

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