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"We're the fortunate ones, then."[break][break]

His words are soft, spoken without much conviction. He could lose his Swampert yet; that knowledge pulses in the back of his thoughts, yet still he refuses to levy his position on the council to receive accelerated treatment. His selflessness runs deep enough to become a flaw: he gives and gives until there is nothing left, until he is dried-up husk ripe for the taking.[break][break]

Olivia rises and Orion looks up to her, her silhouette wreathed in the too-bright lights of the Pokemon Center. He takes the offered hand and gets to his feet with a quiet nod of thanks.[break][break]

As politicians, their views may clash, but his appreciation of her humanity in this moment is genuine and raw.[break][break]

Though confused as she leads him out the back — blissfully away from the noise and prying eyes — Orion follows like a shadow, close and silent.[break][break]

"Where are we going?"

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Orion nods along, unable to relate to that urge to travel but intrigued nevertheless. "Visiting sounds nice," he acquiesces. "I've always wanted to see what real winter's like; the kind I've heard they get in Sinnoh, or Kalos."[break][break]

Hoenn's sudden, harsher-than-usual winter had surely been but a taste of what the bitter season had to offer elsewhere.[break][break]

He cants his head as Josh explains the HoloWatch. "I've never heard of RaiCorp, but that sounds like something that could be really useful for the Rangers... maybe I'll bring it up with Lars at some point..."[break][break]

He trails off, lost a moment in his thoughts.[break][break]

When he comes out of it, his Lycanroc has returned with a smaller, warmer friend. Orion can't help but to smile at the sight of the Vulpix, crouching down to let her sniff his hand. She seems shy, but friendly, bumping her nose up against his fingers. He's still smiling when he pulls out a pokeball to offer to his new friend, glancing up to see that Josh has befriended an unfamiliar fire Pokemon.[break][break]

"Galarian?" he guesses.

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Though Orion sympathizes with Kaida's disdain toward the unusual bugs, they are the exact sort that the ranger is drawn to: disliked, feared, unwanted. These particular Orbeetle are a threat to his fellow rangers and potentially to the wider populace, however, and nothing will get in the way of his duty.[break][break]

He's steeling himself to this when Kaida launches forward without warning as if to physically assault the bugs with her own two hands, and it flusters him enough to cause hesitance. What was she doing?![break][break]

Whatever had possessed her, it worked — Orion meets her gaze when she glances back at him, and offers a curt nod of approval. When she asks for his aid, there is no hesitation whatsoever: "Can do."[break][break]

Adopting Kaida's own strategy of closing the gap, he wields his Aegislash like a sword and shield. Sneaking shadow wreathes the blade as he slashes toward their foe, bringing up his king's shield to block any retaliation. Similarly unaccustomed to Pokemon-and-trainer acting in unison, another Orbeetle falls beneath his assault. Volcarona wreathes herself in flame, startling the remaining bugs into a hasty retreat.[break][break]

Orion puts his back up against a wall, shield at the ready to cover his front just in case.

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Orion startles a bit when Wendy does, glancing around as if trying to spot the apparent source of fear when he notices her eyes are fixed on Katas. The Absol stares back calmly, slowly blinking his red eyes.[break][break]

"Oh, don't worry about Katas!" Orion chuckles, hoping to diffuse the situation. "You met him on the route, but I guess it was too dark to see properly, huh? I know Absol get a bad rep, but he's really gentle."[break][break]

He scratches Katas' jaw, and the Absol leans into his touch.[break][break]

Wendy forgetting his profession is forgivable — he'd forgotten her name for Arceus' sake! So he smiles, patient, and says, "Oh, I'm a ranger. And, uh — councilman, now." A nervous hand rubs at the back of his neck. He doesn't often tell people the latter if they don't recognize him from his position; it's only in the interest of honesty that he tells 'Hannah' now. "But still a ranger. You're studying to become a doctor, though? That's really admirable, actually. I don't think I'd have the smarts for that."[break][break]

He'd never gone to college, so he supposed he didn't really know.

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Orion's first impressions are of a crass, irritable individual lacking the patience for dealing with many wild Pokemon, at least in a peaceful manner. His jaw tightens as the kid snaps at his Gyarados, but the hand he leaves on the serpent's flank is enough to keep it from lashing out in response. Sure, Ladon had overreacted, but it was only a bit of water![break][break]

Those first impressions are shored up by his next comment, prompting raised brows from the ranger.[break][break]

"I work for them," he points out, an edge creeping into his tone. "I keep in constant contact. It's a lot easier for them to get a hold of me."[break][break]

He bites back any further comment, wanting this job to go as smoothly as possible. He'd started fights with mission partners before and it hadn't led to a very pleasant time in working together. So while they stand on the elevator, the contraption rattling slightly upon start-up before descending into the depths of the cave, he decides not to be a smart-ass.[break][break]

"Ladon's pretty calm for a Gyarados, if you can believe it. They're a pretty temperamental species. He wouldn't have attacked you, though. He knows better than that."[break][break]

The elevator reaches the bottom, and Orion steps off. It's even colder down here, frozen sand giving way to ice and snow. The ranger readjusts the scarf around his neck and releases the Typhlosion once more for her warmth, holding off on letting his Gyarados out until they exited the series of winding tunnels that had been dug out for the excavation.[break][break]

Eventually they reach the site, and Orion briefly checks in with the forearm before relaying information to Jet.[break][break]

"Looks like there's been some disturbances on the western side of the site, possible activity from ground Pokemon. You got any companions with you besides your Arcanine? I know fire and ground don't exactly mix well."

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Orion, too, makes frequent glances over his shoulder to check on Stormy's progress. It's hard to tell between the helmet and the dimly-let depths of the ocean the further they swim down, but he thinks she doesn't look well. Paler than when they'd been on the boat, for certain. When he motions to the cave, she doesn't answer.[break][break]

He's opening his mouth to ask again, perhaps to ask if she's all right, when a cloud of darkness billows from the mouth of the cave and swallows them whole.[break][break]

Even Orion panics slightly as Nephelai's light is seemingly extinguished — he doesn't recognize the effects of smokescreen underwater. His grip on Schism is anchoring, and he clings tighter. For a moment he forgets the diving helmet he wears and hesitates to open his mouth for fear that the blackness might creep down his throat.[break][break]

Thankfully, he catches himself.[break][break]

"Stormy?" he calls, as loud as he can. "Are you OK?!"

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Orion's never felt so scared in his life. He flips off the lights in his Fortree home, trying not to think about how it could be the last time he sees the place. He sends a text to the daycare where he'd left the remainder of his Pokemon, leaving instructions to forfeit them to the Rangers, should he not return. His bags are packed like he's going on a small vacation: rations for himself and his Pokemon, medical supplies, and a good third of the Pokemon he owned nested snugly in their balls.[break][break]

Only his Absol and Alakazam stand beside him, and he kneels down to wrap his arms around the former's furred neck. "Sorry for dragging you into this, old friend."[break][break]

He nods to Circe, and they are suddenly somewhere else.[break][break]

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From Fallarbor, they walk to Meteor Falls on foot and in silence. He arrives second-to-last of their rag-tag band, dark eyes flickering between the other figures. There's something familiar about the woman he can't quite place. Has he seen her around the office, before? Pokkenger he knows only from wild tales and what little he'd seen during the events of the new year.[break][break]

He nods to Balder and Pokkenger, but it's Isra who he approaches. She stands apart from the rest of the group, and he finds connection in a fellow outlier. He holds out a gloved hand; he's dressed in his ranger gear, meant to withstand harsh weather conditions, because who knew what they would face on the other side?[break][break]

"I don't think we've met. Orion. I'm — with the Rangers."[break][break]

The Absol sits at his side, mega-stone glinting half-buried in the fur of its neck. Orion's hand absently scratches at the base of its horn.

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Gyarados feels equally threatened by the Arcanine, lashing its tail and spraying both trainers and Pokemon with droplets of water. It had taken a dip in the frigid water surrounding the cave, and the ranger makes a face as the damp seeps through his clothes.[break][break]

"Chill out, pal, you're fine."[break][break]

His touch seems to calm the grumpy Gyarados somewhat, and Orion glances over at Jet with surprise. "They didn't? They told me — guess it just slipped their minds. Everyone's real busy after New Years."[break][break]

The wormhole incident had been nearly two months ago, but it required a great deal of time and effort to repair the damage that had been done to the Night Market. Orion takes out his phone, inhabited by his Rotom, and quickly fires off a confirmation to the Rangers that his partner had arrived and they would proceed as expected. Pocketing it, he leads the way inside.[break][break]

"Orion Lykos, Ranger," he introduces himself, gesturing to his Gyarados and Typhlosion in turn. "You've met Ladon, and she's Nova. The dig site's further down; I was told to wait up here for my partner, but I can show you the way."[break][break]

He makes for one of the temporary elevators they'd installed for the dig, safety reasons no doubt, returning his Pokemon temporarily to leave room for Jet.

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"Ugh. No wonder no one else volunteered."[break][break]

Orion shivers, zipping up his jacket as far as it will go. Though it's not the first time he's been to the Shoal Cave, he always forgets just how frigid it is compared to the rest of Hoenn until he can see his breath and his boots crunch in the cold sand inside the cave.[break][break]

His Typhlosion seems equally displeased with the temperature, the flames on her back flaring hot and bright.[break][break]

"I know, girl, I'm sorry." He lays a hand on her side, carefully avoiding the fire. "We've just got to oversee this dig, maybe beat up a few ground-types — not that I'm expecting you to do any of that — and then we can go home."[break][break]

A furious roar comes not from the Typhlosion Orion's busy consoling, but the mouth of the cave where he'd left his Gyarados — the solution for the aforementioned ground-types — on guard.[break][break]

"Sorry," Orion says, grimacing, as he exits the cave to greet the stranger. "Ladon's just a grouch. I'm guessing you're the other person they sent to help guard the dig site?"

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"Disproportionate amount?" Orion echoes, and laughs. "Alexei, we're in the middle of the sea! I think we're lucky to have so much ground to stand on. Besides, no need to give up so soon! My Litwick's barely ever got his wick lit. ...Sounds weird when I say it like that."[break][break]

While he also had a Swampert, and said Swampert was currently stationed at his side, Orion is delighted by the appearance of the Mudkip.[break][break]

"Hey, little guy. Girl?" He wasn't about to check. "Come to check out Schism, eh? I know he looks grumpy but he won't hurt — oh, Arceus, a Sandygast! Schism!"[break][break]

Though his Swampert's hydro pump would trigger the ghostly sand castle's ability, water compaction, it wouldn't do it much good. Appalled, Orion shakes his head. "I didn't mean attack it, I — oh, Schism, don't give me that look, buddy, you're gonna make me feel like I kicked a puppy." The grumpy Swampert was great at emotional manipulation. "Well I was going to ask it to be friends, but now I've gotta catch it anyway to make sure it gets medical attention."[break][break]

Sighing, he throws a pokeball at the unconscious sand-pile.

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Orion follows suit with the stretches, cracking his shoulder blades and feeling some of the tension leech out of them. Arceus, he really did need to check out the hot springs like Kazimir Wynter had suggested.[break][break]

"Good point," Orion concedes, and then nods. "Ready."[break][break]

He feels strangely giddy as he urges Apollo toward the starting line, the large dog taking its place between Kyle's own mutt and a Zebstrika attempting to intimidate its opponents by pawing at the ground. Though not unnerved by the actions, the dust that it was kicking up irritated Orion's eyes and lined the back of his throat, making it itch. It was going to be that kind of race.[break][break]

"Three...two...one..."[break][break]

A loud bang signaled the start of the race, and Orion doesn't have time to regret his life's choices before his Arcanine takes off with a burst of extremespeed. It keeps pace with the Zebstrika, and Orion sends out a silent apology to Pokemon and rider before urging his Arcanine to shoulder check the opponent and unbalance them. They surge forward to take the lead as the Zebstrika rears back and whinnies in frustration, and the councilman risks a glance backward to make sure everyone was OK.[break][break]

So far, so good.[break][break]

He glances over to Kyle to see how he's getting on.

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Orion winces sympathetically as the Umbreon has dust kicked into its eyes.[break][break]

He follows Selena into the field more slowly, carefully, not wanting to give the Miltank a fright. Of course, that turns out to be Selena's entire plan — scare the herd, confuse the Beheeyem. Guilt plucks at his heartstrings, but he doesn't protest. If they don't hurt the herd, and they manage to stop the abductions, a little fear would be worth it, right?[break][break]

"I've got another idea—"[break][break]

He cuts himself off as the tell-tale beeping alerts the duo to the approach of their prey, and he's forced to quickly duck behind the bales of hay before it sees them and gets suspicious. The smell of straw mixes with Miltank dung to create a most unpleasant aroma that wrinkles his nose.[break][break]

Orion thinks his addition to the plan is a solid one, and so even without the opportunity to discuss it, he palms a pokeball from his belt. A Haunter shimmers into existence beside them, cackling silently.[break][break]

"Catch it off guard with your Umbreon," Orion says, "and then we'll make sure it doesn't escape. Go, now!"[break][break]

As soon as Selena's plan came to fruition, the Haunter would be on stand-by with a mean look to immobilize its prey in fear.

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