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[attr="class","skulltitle"]導通抵抗

[attr="class","skullbody"]"Shitty memories, eh?"[break][break]

Isaac's voice was gentle and somber as he considered it. Part of him wanted to ask just who was behind these shitty memories so he knew who to deck. Another part of him started considering the ones he'd kept at his own side. Sometimes, it felt no matter how far he ran, no matter how much he did, he just kept fading into the shadows that they had cast. But if anything, that just made him loudly insist upon himself all the more. How else would he stand out from them? "Yeah. I've got my share of those, too."[break][break]

Briefly, he remembered the desert sands. He remembered him and ana fell screaming their frustrations into the cliffs, arm in arm, laughing their troubles away. Maybe that was why the first words that come to his mind were "Fuck 'em." That little smile tugged back up at the corners of his mouth. "Are people gonna suck? Damn right they are. But that's why you look 'em dead in the eye and prove them wrong. Flip 'em off with both hands while walking backwards into success, y'hear?"[break][break]

People were cruel. Pokemon were cruel, too. Isaac knew too much of that firsthand. Hell, he worked with a bunch of them. But he also worked with a bunch of amazing ones. It was the Rocket paradox, the enigma that had swallowed Hoenn up, and so many lives alongside it.[break][break]

Part of him felt that, just by being here, he was already failing at Sawyer's request. Then another part of him thought back to all of the Pokemon he'd encountered in his time with Rocket. In just a few months, he went from a maybe three Pokemon to his name to more than he ever believed he could handle. So many of them had come from poor circumstances, and now he was able to protect and shelter them all.[break][break]

So, fuck. From the shadows of Rocket, he'd shine as brightly as he damn well pleased. "You got it, buddy," Isaac said. "You keep doing your best, I'll keep doing my best too. Deal?"[break][break]

And that, it seemed, would start from the two's teams finally colliding. "Well, y'know what? I want to meet them all, too," he joked. "I swear, it's like every time I blink, another batch of these guys ends up showing up on me. I'm starting to wonder if Watson's sneaking out and catching them when I'm not looking!"

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[attr="class","skullbody"]Isaac couldn't help but snicker at the visual Sawyer had created. The idea of this anarchy-driven mess of mini Pokemon habitats nestled into an apartment was equal parts hilarious and adorable. Sure beat ball space or the PC. Then again, did it? Isaac had always heard those were surprisingly comfortable. But something told him it wasn't exactly possible for him, a human being, to check.[break][break]

Still, he got the point. "I can get that," he said, snickering more as Bongo began lightly bonking Sawyer for his unforgivable yet completely correct words. "You should've seen my first attempts at keeping my team wrangled on the go. And that was back when I only had, like, four of them. Two words: Total. Disaster. Watson here almost ate the campfire logs once because he was half-asleep and thought they were giant logs of chocolate."[break][break]

Thank goodness for easy access to PC systems. It was the one thing the League did right, even if Rocket did them one better by cracking what few barriers to entry there were. Sure, that and the low cost of Pokeballs were just gateway drugs into the trainer economy. But they were convenient gateway drugs dangit![break][break]

"If you did have the space to catch any Pokemon you wanted, which'd it be?"

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[attr="class","skullbody"]Huh. Isaac had almost expected some kind of go-big-or-go-home idea. A Legendary, maybe. Or something ultra rare. Maybe even a Pokemon that was just too Big to keep around most places, like an Alolan Exeggutor. Instead, Sawyer's answer was refreshingly reasonable. Hell, it was downright sentimental.[break][break]

"I could see it," Isaac said, smiling softly as he listened to Sawyer's reasons. "You've got the personality for it, that's for sure. And hey, there's always a need for Pokemon groomers. I may not have any Furfrou of my own, but if you ever wanted to practice . . . "[break][break]

If the dude could belly-rub a patchwork fishtail monster into a state of quiet contentment, Isaac knew he'd be able to step up to the plate for any other grooming surprises.[break][break]

Now, Eevee, on the other hand?[break][break]

Isaac smirked a bit as he unhooked two Pokeballs from his belt. "Well, today's your lucky day!" he said as he let the Pokeballs fly, two very topical silhouettes forming in a flash of red energy. The first was an Eevee; on the smaller side for her species, but prim, proper, and immaculately groomed. The second was a Jolteon; a lot more scrappy, clearly a recently taken in stray, but still in good health and an even better mood.[break][break]

The two headed up to Sawyer, curiosity and excitement brimming in their big eyes. "These are Vivi and Ivan," Isaac said. "I swear, since I found Ivan, they've basically been a package deal. Just be careful; they're both full of energy, and the chaotic one isn't the one you'd expect!"

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[attr="class","skulltitle"]導通抵抗

[attr="class","skullbody"]He was smiling again. Good. There was a purity to the guy's smile that you just didn't see much of nowadays. The least Isaac could do was give it a little nudge to help it along. "See? There you go," Isaac said, his own smile reinforcing at the conclusion being drawn. "Sometimes its like we don't know what to do in life until its right in front of our face."[break][break]

If only Isaac could find his.[break][break]

Vivi loved being pampered, so Sawyer didn't even need to ask twice. She yipped cheerfully and ran up to the man, trotting in excited circles all the while. Her eyes were fixed on his hand. She knew what was coming next, and she couldn't be more excited! In contrast, Ivan tried to play it more cool. The word "tried" was the emphasis here. As soon as Vivi started getting her spoiling, he'd be by Sawyer's side as well. Being cool could wait, damnit![break][break]

"She was a gift from an old friend," Isaac said. "And the baby of the bunch. Trust me, if I didn't spoil her rotten, I'd never hear the end of it from these guys." Even grumpier party members like Duster and Kurze found it hard to resist Vivi's charms. They pretty much fell over each other to make sure their baby sis got what she needed.[break][break]

"Meant for the most part, I was well prepared for when Ivan came along. Y'know. For the most part." That was the tone of a man who had been shocked before, wasn't it?



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[attr="class","skullbody"]Beneath the ears. Those big, floppy, obvious weak points were practically catnip for Eevees and their ilk. Vivi practically melted immediately, rolling onto her back and giggling as she accepted the affection and attention from Sawyer. Ivan tried to play it cooler, but, shit. How could he? After a moment or so of trying to resist, he gave in, closing his eyes and leaning his head into Sawyer's hand. It was so peaceful. It was so idyllic.[break][break]

Of course it didn't last.[break][break]

The way Sawyer talked so excitedly about his companion, only to be hit by the pain of loss before the words even left his mouth, tore into Isaac's heartstrings like a serrated knife. Was it a loss so fresh he still hadn't processed it fully? A loss so old that the nostalgia almost made it feel unreal sometimes? He had no idea. Part of him wanted to ask. Part of him didn't want to intrude.[break][break]

He gently put a hand on Sawyer's shoulder as he looked out to the deep blue sea. "Hey. Knowing you? She was the happiest Raichu out there," he said, voice quiet and soft. "And that's coming from a guy that's known you for, like. An afternoon. I know she'd think the same a thousand times over."[break][break]

"If you need to talk about it, I'm here, okay?"[break][break]

That was the most he'd pry for now. Anything further would simply feel inappropriate. Besides, it seemed like the conversation was taking a turn to a much more comfortable direction for Sawyer. "If you mean camping out on a route between stays in bigger towns, that's been the last four years of my life," Isaac admitted. "If we're talking something more out of the way than that? God, I don't think I've been since I was a kid. But, hell if it doesn't sound like a fun idea."



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[attr="class","skullbody"]So this was the real deal, huh? For the most part, that sounded like a sweet deal. The only downside was the fact that Isaac's free time wasn't entirely his own. There was a big ol' R shaped elephant in the room. But, eh. It'd be fine. With all of the missions he'd taken on, a break was honestly overdue. And he'd still have the Rocket line in case of emergencies. And occasional texts to particular friends who happened to be on that burner. Ah, loopholes.[break][break]

"You bet your ass I'm in," Isaac said, a grin on his face. "It'd be a nice change of pace for the team, too. Gives 'em a chance to stretch their legs somewhere new." Isaac had seen plenty of new. However, that plenty of new often came with plenty of danger. Getting away from all of that mess was going to be the real benefit here.[break][break]

At the mention of not doing his job, Isaac snorted. "Oh, not in the slightest," he joked. "Not only did you give him a massive self esteem boost, but you also helped Watson made a new friend and charmed the crap out of both of my Eevees. How in the world could I ever call that a job well done?" The sarcasm was in full force here. It was Isaac's preferred method of letting people know that they went above and beyond in the best possible way.[break][break]

Seriously, just look how cozy his Eevees were![break][break]

At the raised hand, Isaac thought for a second, then scrawled his number onto a piece of paper. He put it on the man's raised hand. "I should probably get going, but. When you've got the details in mind, let me know what the plan is, eh?" he said. "Til next time!" And with that, he was off, his Pokemon following after him one by one. Not without saying their goodbyes to Sawyer and Bongo, though. It was clear that they'd made quite the impression on Isaac's team!



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