"Oh yeah?" His gaze grew mischievous as she rose to challenge him. "You must really like this card game, then."

He'd have to improve at it in order to beat her. All of the best trainers had rivals, so all the best card game players had them too, Rex reasoned. It had been a long road of stomping children and weaker players, but now that Keiko had reached the top, she needed that competition.

He could understand that.

"But tell me, Keiko. Why can't I go find him? Leave the camp, go off on my own..." Rex smirked smugly at her as he crossed his arms. "Could it be that you'll miss me?"

Either that, or Keiko would move mountains to see justice done for her precious game of Yung-i-oh.

---

keiko mori

He senses the blade before it falls. Slow motion. Quiet. Silent. Uproarious. It sounds like a guillotine. Yet as it prepared to free his head from his shoulders, Rex fell back, pushed by Hoenn's Head Ranger.

"YOU-"

Unfortunate. He was prepared to go out in the way of the warrior, as long as there was a cry of triumph on his lips and the blaze of glory in his heart. Instead, another's blood fell to the ground in drops of red. Rex watched them as they fell.

It would've turned to indignation, if not for the matter at hand.

"I'm good. You're not." Rex said, clearly irritated. The Empoleon blinked drowsily, before falling into a heap. Immediately, Rex's Gallade sheathed his blades. There was no honor in defeating the dreaming.

'Toge.' Togepi waddled towards the sleeping penguins, before tapping one on the body. 'Pi!'

All of the Empoleon teleported away, and Rex turned to face the Head Ranger.

"I had 'em, you know. It was a good fight." Rex huffed, crossing his arms as he did so. Though his eyes widened as he recognized Ollie. "Wait... I know you."

---

ollie morales

Another thing that Rex had learned on the island: Keiko Mori was adorable when she pouted.

"Now?" Beyond distracting the courier from ripping the island asunder, there was still much to do. There were supplies to stack, foodstuffs to acquire, and materials to accumulate. Pelipper was... somewhere. If push came to shove, Rex could try to use Togepi and teleport to Dewford, but he didn't want to risk Togepi's health.

Besides, he didn't want to leave Keiko alone. Not now.

"I'm gonna chase down Gogoat." He didn't move for a moment, before standing up. "To make sure he's okay."

Gogoat was likely fine, but there was no use in alienating one of the only allies they had on this island. Especially since Rex had gotten oddly attached to the Pokémon. Maybe it was a sunk cost fallacy, or maybe it was a desire to see Keiko pout more. Either way, he was going to find the goat.

"And you." He poked her in the chest. "Are going to be good and apologize to him when I get back."

---

keiko mori

"Ha..." They broke apart, gasping for air. Their lips were mere centimeters apart as he took several quick breaths, drinking in the air and her scent. "Ha..."

This was such a meaningless thing. It was an encounter that had been dictated by sheer misfortune and poor luck. There was no Almighty Sinnoh that had deemed this meeting need happen, nor would it care to intervene. Dialga did not care, and it did not will time stop just so they could kiss.

But maybe... Rex thought as he leaned in to kiss her again. ...there's something else out there. Not Dialga. Not Palkia. But something.

Her faith was, strangely enough, a comforting thing.

"Hey." He brushed a pink strand of hair behind her ear, his own hair an utter mess from earlier today. How did she keep it so smooth on a deserted island? Their entrapment felt like a distant memory, now. His smile mirrored her own, and he was flushed with embarrassment.

"Still mad?"

---

keiko mori

Gogoat had fled, but the goat's daring escapade was hardly relevant. Instead, Rex felt the flicker of satisfaction at having bested Keiko in allowing the criminal to escape. Not that the poor goat was one, but Keiko was acting as the judge and executioner.

It was Rex's obligation to be the jury. Her jury.

"No. You're not." Another obstacle, yes. But he was one that she would not be allowed to overcome. "And I think it means a lot. You try to solve everything. You always have a plan. A purpose. A sense of control that guides you."

His hand forced Keiko to look at him. His eyes flickered uncertainly, before he smiled mischievously.

"I want that." A soft whisper, his lips brushing against her ear as he shoved against him. "That drive of yours."

So he did the only logical thing: he kissed her.

---

keiko mori

The enemy. What a childish one it was. Just a minor foe in a world that wanted buried.

"We're on the same team, but I can't help but wonder..." Her breath tickled his face, her eyes bore into Rex as she tried to discern the true nature of his allegiance. The truth was that he just liked feats of arms. Conflict. Proof that his will still worked and that his heart still beat. "...if I would've seen this side of you if I had won."

This struggle was proof that they were both alive. It was so meaningless, and yet he didn't pull away as she dragged him closer.

Instead, his eyes blazed within the kiln of this prospective battle.

"You can trust me." A deep breath. He hated Keiko's Almighty Sinnoh and her commitment to fate. Althus Rex should have hated Keiko Mori, and yet...

...he leaned in close and whispered in her ear.

"Because I trust you."

---

keiko mori

He caught.

Tried to, anyway. Rex moved swiftly with the expectation to catch the courier before she struck Gogoat down. This was a ridiculous fight, quite literally over nothing when compared to the trauma of yesterday, yet Keiko fought with the ferocity if a thousand suns.

"Calling me Althus... He grunted. Nobody called him that. Rex was easier on the tongue, in his opinion. "How brazen."

He fell backwards, gasping slightly, before grabbing her shoulders and rolling over. Still, she fought with remarkable fervor. They rolled again.

Top, then bottom, then top, then bottom. After another moment of struggle, he ended back on top, hair disheveled.

"Leave Gogoat alone! I'll get you new cards, I swear." He took a deep breath, sucking in air. "Don't make me grab your arms."

---

keiko mori

"You don't have to look so pleased." Even in her serene grace, he could tell that the courier was proud of herself. Rex saw how her eyes gleamed when she drew something good, before quickly tamping it down to avoid giving her position away. The way her lips twitched upward before she hid them behind her cards, challenging him to beat her.

Rex wanted to beat her. He wanted the challenge, and he wanted to see her serenity melt away into competitive spirit. How would she react? How would she look then?

He was staring. She was staring. Shock was etched into her face. It quickly turned into rage.

Uh oh.

"Keiko, I'm sorry. You just-" Rex looked down at his cards, only to notice that many were gone. In their place were several chewed up wads of card stock and a very innocent Gogoat, munching happily on his new meal. "Oh."

As she rose, Rex rose with her. If she didn't compose herself, Mr. Gogoat would be lost. Their staunchest ally on this deserted island would abandon them, and he was also their best lookout. Rex was even concerned for the poor Pokemon. If Keiko got her hands on him, Rex wasn't sure that the Gogoat would actually survive the encounter.

"Keiko, stop! He's innocent! Gogoat'll do what Gogoat needs to do! We can still play, even if there's a few cards missing."

He blocked the way between the courier and her new mortal enemy, arms spread wide.

---

keiko mori

His kneejerk reaction was that Keiko Mori was an utter nerd. There must have been a hundred different cards available to them both, but she rattled off their effects and interactions with remarkable ease. Years of thrashing kids around Celestic Town had turned her into a remarkable threat.

If Rex could figure out how to play the game, at least. He was still trying to figure out what the fuck a 'Special Summon' was. She had explained it a few times, but it still made him frown.

It didn't help that a handful of her explanations simply boiled down to 'trust me, I played this game way back when'.

"I... see. Keiko..." He muttered, distracted by her shuffling through his hand. Proximity, which hadn't seemed strange when he had fallen asleep beside her in the tent, now seemed strange as her head fit perfectly on his shoulder to coach him. "But if I do that, I'll risk losing a lot of life. Lemme think."

It was strange, hearing her so close to his ear. He tried to keep himself from flushing, hoping that the courier's commitment to the game would distract Keiko from looking at him.

Yet two turns had quickly become five.

"How're you doing that?" He grumbled as she destroyed his Wooloo tokens, leaving only his Dynamaxed Dubwool card on the field. "You know every move I even make it!"

Her gaze was sly and clever, yet the key to victory was in his hand. As long as he lasted through her turn, the win would be his. Behind Rex, Gogoat eyed the game with interest.

---

keiko mori

A voice rang out as the Head Ranger and Togepi reached a boiler room with a pile of unconscious engineers in the corner, unceremoniously piled together. In front of them, a young man and his Gallade danced with three Empoleon.

"Keep going! Gallade, if you give an inch, you'll shame everyone you've ever fought!" Rex shouted in delight as he wiped a bloody scratch on his cheek. Laughter leaked out as the young man clenched a fist. "Press the advantage!"

Despite his words, it was more of a disadvantage. Three against one, with innocent bystanders to protect, though Rex hardly seemed concerned with them.

Clang. Clang. Steel fins struck the Leaf Blade, though Gallade parried and slashed through one of the Empoleons. Rex grinned in malignant glee, not bothering to notice Ollie and Togepi as the duo arrived.

'toge?'

"Huh?" Rex turned to the duo, distracted. "Togep-"

An Empoleon swung a Steel Wing towards Rex's neck.

---

ollie morales
07. Defend important locations or resources from harm.

Gallade doesn't know why his arm strengthens, why his blade is lighter, why his reflexes are quicker. They simply are. Maybe it's the spur of the moment, the heat of battle, the energy dripping off of his trainer as his fervor reaches its zenith. He simply demands all that Gallade has to offer.

His absolute best in every battle, every clash, every war. Until victory is reached, until a point to the slaughter is found, the duo fight.

Which is why the Gengar is cut in half with a scream, before dissipating into dark mist. Any other ghosts are swiftly dispatched, thanks to Melody's influence.

"Thanks, Top Champ!" Rex grinned from ear to ear as he turned to face Melody. His clothes were splattered with dark ichor and shadows as a reminder of the Gengar's existence. He didn't seem disgusted, though. Moreso excited. "How're the people? They good? Anything else for me to fight?"

---

Melody Miro

They had been on the island for about a day and they had already littered and left a human presence on the island. Whether this was a triumph for mankind or the greatest criticism on the human urge to corrupt and poison was up in the air. For Rex, it was simply another thing for Keiko to throttle him over, as if there weren't enough of those already.

He could feel it coming. Togepi could sense it, too. Yet Keiko's gaze had turned from furious to excited as she found something in the pile. Taking advantage of the moment, Togepi was placed in his Pokeball to save him from the courier's wrath.

"What's this?" Rex peered at the box set in her hands. He brushed a few stands of hair behind his ear so he could read the title.

"Yun-gi-oh?" A stylized Yungoos appeared on the corner of the box, and the expansion seemed to revolve around Sinnoh. Rex raised an eyebrow at it, but he shrugged. "I haven't seen these since I was a kid. We could never afford them."

He wanted to refuse, but Keiko actually seemed excited. Who would've thought that she was a card game fan?

"Sure, but I don't really know how to play." He locked eyes with her. "You fine with teaching me?"

---

keiko mori

"Togepi?" Rex gaped at her desperate gambit for a strategy. "He's a baby!"

A baby that had leveled a forest, blown up a Blaziken, destroyed much of Sea Mauville, and was capable of dictating the whims of fate. Okay, it was admittedly a pretty special Togepi, but that didn't mean that he was some sea-splitting god, born from the loins of Kyogre!

Still, Keiko looked desperate, and he felt a smidge bad for sleeping next to her.

"Fine. We'll try." Rex sighed and tapped at his belt. Togepi appeared in a flash, before being scooped up Rex as he regarded the courier. If anything, at least her clipboard would be safe regardless of what happened. Keiko seemingly put more weight on the survival of mail than her own life.

Sinnoh's guilds must be as tough as nails.

After a quick wander back to the beach, Rex's eyes followed the sun, quickly dictating east from west. After nudging the surf with his foot, Rex put Togepi down.

"Alright, Togepi. Go!" Rex snapped his fingers as Togepi waggled his hands in a Metronome. Instead of splitting the ocean in two, various knickknacks appeared on the beach nearby. A groan escaped his lips as he turned to face the pile of merchandise. "What...?"

Card games. Banana peels. Rope. Empty cans of Charjacola.

Rex turned to Togepi. "Seriously?"

'toge?'

---

keiko mori