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[attr="class","skulltitle"]導通抵抗

[attr="class","skullbody"]A good, clean hit from each scrappy young challenger. And then it was done. Garchomp withdrew to its trainer's side, and when Grimace tried to pursue Isaac cut it off with a quick whistle. "You did great, Grimace," Isaac said, his words a signal to the Dracovish that this battle was over.[break][break]

It blinked a few times, uncomprehending. And then it began running in a victory circle, letting out a gargling warcry to the ceiling. Isaac still didn't get this thing, in the slightest. But it was apparently capable of some serious battle techniques, and it had the heart of a champion. When it returned to his side, Isaac gave it a scratch behind the gills for a fight well earned.[break][break]

Grimace's disposition was quite consistent, but Isaac's was night and day. Far from the sullen, frustrated look Isaac had on his face at the start of the day, now he had a focused sharpness in his eyes and a slight smile on his face. Adrenaline did wonders for purging the bad, and victory did wonders for heightening the good.[break][break]

"Thank you," he said, a bit of surprise and bashfulness giving way to genuine warmth in his tone. He clearly didn't see that coming, but he appreciated it quite a bit. "I've been training hard with Zev Harcourt. I still have a long, long way to go, but I'm glad it's starting to pay off."[break][break]

Isaac had been such a closed book since the incident. For the first time since that day, someone got to see just how badly he strove to improve. His scars had been torn open. His confidence had been shattered. His eyes had been opened to the reality of the situation they were in. But despite that, one thing was clear.[break][break]

Isaac Merlo never stayed down.[break][break]

"You've got some seriously good moves, too," Isaac said. "Kept me on my toes the whole time. And, uh . . . " He trailed off a little, that hint of bashfulness returning. "Thanks for taking the time to train with me."

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