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[attr="class","skullbody"]A harsh move. But not like Isaac hadn't started it. Temporary damage was playing it softball by Rocket standards, anyway, so Isaac considered himself fortunate on this one. It was funny. If anything, the Grunts seemed more capable of wanton violence and destruction than the Underbosses were. It was almost like the higher you got on the totem pole, the more restraint you showed.[break][break]

And the more horrific it was when the restraints needed to come off.[break][break]

While he and Gavin focused on locking up the body, Mori had been sent out on recon duty. She phased from wall to wall, keeping herself hidden in the space between rooms to avoid detection as she plotted out a course through the manor. The bad news was that, perhaps unsurprising for such a dirty little secret, the basement stairs wouldn't be visible in plain sight. Indeed, the only staircase on this floor appeared to be a handsome marble staircase that spiraled up to the second floor.[break][break]

However, Mori was able to spot something of interest in the study. Beneath a lavish carpet made from the hide of a shiny Ursaluna was what appeared to be a trapdoor of sorts. The study was just across the main hall; they wouldn't need to cross through a bunch of rooms to bring this journey to a close.[break][break]

Instead, they'd just need to deal with the security staff. A pair of watchmen roamed the darkened halls with flashlights at the ready, and a pair of guards were stationed in front of the study to keep any interlopers away. Simple, right?[break][break]

When Mori poked her head back into the kitchen, Isaac regarded her with a smile. "You see the stairs down?" Isaac asked, the Duskull answering with a nod. "Perfect. Any patrols?" A nod. "Door guarded?" Another nod. "Not a surprise. They're not gonna leave an operation like this unwatched. Damn."[break][break]

If they were quiet and careful, patrols wouldn't be too bad. He released another Pokeball, his Ralts Echo popping into Kage's arms. "Kage and Echo can take the ceiling. From a good vantage point, he should be able to keep watch without making a sound. And from there, Echo can beam a heads up into our brains if she spots anything. No mess, no fuss, no trace left behind. But if there's guards at the door, we might need to get a little creative . . . Mori, how many were there?" Two nubs in the air. Two guards.[break][break]

And there were two Rockets on this mission. "Once we're in position, Kage can whip up a distraction with some ninja tricks. That'll keep the patrols busy, and from there that's one guard for each of us. Those odds aren't half bad, if you ask me." Gavin could probably take them both out at once without breaking a sweat, and Zev Harcourt had trained Isaac all too well. They had this in the bag.[break][break]

"Now we just gotta slip out there and find a good spot to strike from. You ready?"

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[attr="class","skullbody"]Gavin's discomfort went unnoticed by most. He had a stronger poker face than even Isaac, even the prickle of his skin staying below a cool, measured surface. The only member of the group to even notice anything was Echo. The Ralts tilted his head, the sudden wisp of yellow in Gavin's emotions proving quite the surprise.[break][break]

But Echo's attention wandered away to how squishy Kage was, and Gavin spoke on as if nothing had happened. As much as Isaac was hoping for a no-mess clear, the Underboss had a point. If the patrols kept wandering, they'd eventually hit upon the unguarded door and raise an alarm. They couldn't half measure this. Either nobody went, or everybody went. And when the one exit was being guarded at all times . . .[break][break]

"Alright. I'll take the patrols. Figure the door guards won't be any trouble for you," Isaac said. "Now, c'mon. Let's rock."[break][break]

Mori, who was peeking through the wall for any patrols, turned to Isaac and flashed him the go-ahead. He eased the door open, slipping out and darting towards the shadiest corner he could find. Kage was hot on his heels, crawling up the ceiling as if he was Ariados-Man. The bagworm casing wrapped around his body muffling the sound of his adhesion. With his eye in the sky, and Echo's telepathic powers, the two were a silent but deadly security network for Isaac and Gavin.[break][break]

Whenever Echo squeaked an affirmative cheer in their heads, Isaac stalked through the halls. He moved like he was trying to cheat at musical chairs, lingering by shadowy corners for as long as he could before breaking into a sprint towards the next one. The dimmed lights made it just easy enough, even as they cast the rather baroque manor in an imposing array of shadows.[break][break]

A distressed wail was a sign to stop. When this happened, Isaac tucked himself into the shadiest spot he could find, held his breath, and kept immaculately still. His frame was small and slender, and all of the practice he'd been doing with Zev left him quite flexible. It wasn't very hard for him to squeeze into a good hiding place.[break][break]

While Isaac had hoped this would be his chance to pick one of the guards off early, it seemed that the two patrollers were moving as a unit. One swept his flashlight left. The other swept his flashlight right. A mahogany end table was the difference between life and death for Isaac as they passed him by, Echo peeping out the all clear for them to resume exploring.[break][break]

"Think this is where we break," Isaac whispered. "I'd wish you good luck, but I think they're the ones who'll need it more." With a cheeky smirk on his face, Isaac began stalking after the patrollers. Now Gavin would have all the space he needed to work his magic.[break][break]

Arceus have mercy on anyone who got in his way.

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[attr="class","skullbody"]Compared to Gavin, Isaac wasn't a practiced expert at this. He wasn't able to break two men in the manner of seconds. But he was clever, and subtle, and far, far more capable than he ever believed he could be. This would be the acid test of that newfound confidence.[break][break]

Isaac brainstormed up a plan, letting his intent carry over to Echo through his telepathic connection. Without his unique brand of talents, none of this would be possible. After all, who else would be able to beam a stream of incomprehensible intrusive thoughts right into the poor patroller's head?[break][break]

A split second of freezing up as his buddy rounded the corner. That was all Isaac needed to create an opening. He lunged towards the lagging patrolman, stepping on the back of his knee and wrapping a tight sleeper hold around the man's throat. Echo teleported down to join Isaac, cramming her flippers over the guard's mouth and nose to prevent him from screaming out. With his base taken out from under him, he couldn't do much to maneuver with his rapidly fading oxygen. He went limp, Isaac easing him down to the floor to avoid making a sound.[break][break]

By now, the other patroller was starting to get a little suspect. He turned around just in time to see the light from his fellow patroller shining on a nearby corner. It flicked a few times to the left, as if a silent signal to come back and see what was up. Nodding in understanding, the patroller followed the light.[break][break]

Little did he know, he was wandering into a trap. As he followed the light, a dark Haze settled over his body. The cold, clammy vapor left him blinded and shivering, and he opened his mouth to call out. Before he could, the red light of a Pokeball release intermingled with the black gas of the Haze. Kurze took a page out of Gavin's book, silencing the patroller in a single Throat Chop. Blinded by the haze and muted by the chop, the man burst into a run, desperate to just be out of this situation.[break][break]

The momentum was a heedless charge was all Isaac needed. He intercepted the patroller, redirecting his face right into the wall. Lights out.[break][break]

Once the dirty deeds were done, Kurze slung one over his shoulder and Echo lifted the other with his psychic powers. Gavin would find two more bodies for the pile, a confident smirk on Isaac's face as he returned to the Underboss' side. "No dice on any keys or keycards with these guys," Isaac said. "But one of 'em must've gone to the bank yesterday. So that's some nice silver lining."[break][break]

Oh well. They didn't need keys anyway. Kage slid to the front of the group, holding a finger up to the lock and letting an Acid Spray wash over it. The rest of Isaac's Pokemon returned to their Pokeballs for the time being, following the example set by Gavin's Zarude. As helpful as a big toolbox was, leaving them all out of the box was an easy way to attract unwanted attention.[break][break]

As he waited for the door to pop, a thought gnawed at the corner of his mind. "Dead or alive?"

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[attr="class","skullbody"]Gavin's answer started unsurprising, but took a hell of a turn by the end. The man had to die, but it didn't need to be by Isaac's hand. There was confusion in Isaac's eyes as he glanced toward Gavin, but he swallowed his tongue before he his thoughts escaped. The gift Clydesdale was here, and Isaac was not shoving his face in its mouth.[break][break]

"Understood," he said. A quiet hung in the air once more, punctuated only by the sound of acid corroding brass. And then, a touch quieter, he added two last words. "Thank you." He had to.[break][break]

With a fizzle and a pop, Kage's work was done. He booted the door open with his heel, smoke drifting away from the lock as he did so. The room was empty, thank goodness. It was also incredibly cozy looking. The chairs in the study were warm and plush, and looked so large that someone as slender as Isaac could get swallowed up in them. The room smelled of maple, the culprit likely being the extinguished fireplace by the back of the room. Bookshelves filled the walls, tables of random curio scattered underneath.[break][break]

But the real star of the show here was the Ursaluna skin rug, its glassy stare fixed on Isaac and Gavin. That sure made the room less cozy. So, too, did the Sawsbuck heads bolted above the fireplace, antler racks for each season proudly displayed. Alongside the curio tables were scattered fossils, the skeletons of smaller Pokemon, and a few pinboarded bug types. It seemed that the head of this poaching operation also fancied themselves a scholar, and both of his lines of work fed into one another oh so naturally.[break][break]

Isaac shuddered a little. In a lab, these wouldn't be so out of place. But in a poacher's den, he didn't want to know where these specimens came from.[break][break]

"Well, I think this is it. Guess we should get looking for that entran-" Wait. Something didn't feel right. And Isaac wasn't stepping inside until he knew why. Instead, he peered as much as he could from his current position. Maybe it was all the eerie taxidermies throwing him off. Or maybe it was the fact that the cheeks of the winter form Sawsbuck looked a little too puffed out.[break][break]

"Kage. Take out that Sawsbuck," Isaac whispered. Before he could even finish, the bug type whipped a Water Shuriken towards the taxidermied head. Was that static Isaac heard? Maybe, maybe not, but the smoke rising from the Sawsbuck's right eye seemed to be a dead giveaway. "Ha. Knew it. Though now we better shake a leg before someone checks the footage, huh?"

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[attr="class","skullbody"]The scariest motherfucker in Hoenn just collapsed on a table, screaming.[break][break]

Wait, nah.[break][break]

One Rocket's more reasonable underbosses, a man who had in such a brief time given Isaac plenty of chances and opportunities, just collapsed on a table, screaming.[break][break]

No.[break][break]

Someone Isaac was rapidly starting to respect and trust just collapsed on a table, screaming.[break][break]

And he was powerless to do anything about it.[break][break]

"Gavin!" Isaac shouted. Fuck caution. Gavin needed him. He charged into the room, grabbing a Pokeball from his belt to ensure he wasn't unarmed. However, before he could throw it, something long, hard, and green whipped into his gut. Isaac's eyes practically popped out of their sockets as every shred of wind left his body. He crumpled to his knees, looking up just in time to see a Tyranitar looming over him.[break][break]

To say the beast was in bad condition was an understatement. Its famously indestructible hide was covered in scratches and scars, the whiteness of some of these scars indicating how fresh they were. Some of these scratches had flat out spread into cracks, especially around the Tyranitar's upper body area. It had fewer spines than a normal Tyranitar, the points where a few had broken off clearly visible. However, the spines that remained were longer and more jagged, as were its claws and fangs. Most notable was a high tech collar around its neck. A dull Tyranitarite sat nestled in its center, and the hide around the area was stained a far darker green than normal.[break][break]

It would have been a pitiable sight, had the Tyranitar not hefted Isaac up by the throat. Its overgrown claws pricked into his neck, leaving little trails of blood trickling down as it started to throttle the life out of him. As his vision started to fade in and out, Isaac could see a man in a white suit approaching behind the Tyranitar.[break][break]

"Gavin Fucking Merlino." The man looked over his latest acquisition with desire in his eyes. "I don't know if I should kill you now and rake in the dough, or lock you up and get you for everything you're worth. Charlotte, be a dear and keep that noggin in a deep squeeze for me?" A Hatterene behind him nodded, prying deeper into Gavin's Shattered Psyche with her Psychic powers.[break][break]

As she tried to keep Gavin under control, the man turned back to Isaac. "As for his little friend," he continued, stepping around his Tyranitar to examine the man more closely. "I don't know you from Adam. And frankly, I don't give a shit. So I'll give you til' #12 crushes your windpipe to tell me why you're here."[break][break]

Bad news for the ringleader of this operation. #12 wasn't exactly gentle. Already, Isaac was starting to fade. His vision blurred. His head started to droop. His breathing became slow and shallow. He writhed less, conserving all of his energy just to keep from passing out. Even his grip grew slack, leaving the Pokeball in his hand to clatter to the floor.[break][break]

If it wasn't already obvious who this man was, Knuckles' reaction as she emerged from her Pokeball would make it all too clear.[break][break]

The ghost of her past stood right before her. The man who had separated her from her pack. The man who had beaten her whenever she disobeyed or resisted. The man who deprived her of any space to meditate or focus. The man whose training was tantamount to torture. The man who she had only escaped through sheer luck, mistaken for dead and left to rot on Route 104. The man she wished to never see again.[break][break]

And now he stood by her trainer's side, squeezing the life out of him by the second.[break][break]

"Well, well, well. If it ain't the wayward mutt," he said, kneeling down to loom over the Riolu more closely. She could barely work up the courage to move as he brushed her hair aside, noting the little brand mark singed onto her forehead. "You sure cost me a pretty penny, y'know. I had a lot of interested parties. Heck, I've still got a few of 'em on speed dial. Maybe I can get that loop closed . . ."[break][break]

Flinching at the mere thought, Knuckles shoved the man on his ass. He blinked. And then he started to laugh. "Look at you, growing a backbone!" he said, prying himself off the floor. "#12, quit playing with your toy and get over here. I think we need to remind this mutt how we do things around here." #12 nodded, tossing the fading Isaac aside like a rag doll. The way he crumpled to the floor felt unnatural.[break][break]

Kage burst from the shadows as the Tyranitar stomped towards Knuckles, striking him with a few strategically placed Water Shuriken. However, much to his surprise, the Tyranitar didn't even flinch. It simply wheeled around, roaring as it flung a Stone Edge in Kage's direction. The attack was faster and more precise than it had any right to be, leaving the Accelgor pinned to a wall before it could even move.[break][break]

The attack was brilliantly executed. It also wasn't what the ringleader of this operation wanted. He pressed a button on a small remote, high pressure water squirting out from the collar around Tyranitar's neck. The beast fell to its knees in agony, roaring as it clawed at the device. "Focus, damnit! I gave you a job!"[break][break]

This was all too much. The Tyranitar's aura, spiking in agony, was a hellish mix of red and blue sparks that seared Knuckles' eyes. The contemptuous orange that surrounded her former master was a memory that she had forever hoped to suppress. The yellow fear around Gavin was underlined by the screams of the long damned. And her own trainer's aura, pitch black hatred, ebbed smaller and smaller by the second. All of these sensations left Knuckles feeling more cramped by the second, but with each second she hesitated her trainer faded more and more. She had to do something! Why couldn't she do anything?[break][break]

Tyranitar wasn't the only one moving. The manor's owner headed over to Isaac's crumpled body, looking him up and down with contempt. Then, with a shake of his head, he drew an antique revolver from his coat pocket. "Might as well do some cleanup around here," he muttered, setting the gun against Isaac's temple.[break][break]

A single eye creaked open. His aura spiked to a fever pitch. And so, too, did Knuckles'. The Lucarionite around her collar burned a white hot as she threw her head back, howling loudly enough to shake the manor's walls. Aura pulsed out from her, sending the entire room into a state of disarray. The revolver flew from her former master's hands. Books rained down from the shelves Curios knocked into the walls like pinballs. And Knuckles was surrounded by emanations of Infinite Energy.[break][break]

Snarling, the man pressed his remote control again. "Stop standing there and break that mutt already!" he roared. Another spray of water hit the Tyranitar's neck, his own Mega Stone glowing as well. His spines twisted and contorted into disfigured growths, and the cracks spreading across his body separated into legitimate holes, but the surge of Infinite Energy nonetheless forced him to surpass his limits. What Riolu could possibly stand up to him in this form?[break][break]

Apparently, this one. Not even hesitating, Knuckles rained blow after blow upon the Tyranitar. Her fists seemed bulkier, the metal plate on her wrist curve outwards into a spike. Occasionally, as they slammed into Tyranitar, enough Infinite Energy dispersed to reveal that they had turned a strange red color. Her ears had grown longer. Her tail had grown bushier. And she was putting enough force into each strike to leave the Tyranitar stumbling back.[break][break]

It tried to hurl another Stone Edge towards her, but she was far more prepared than Kage. A single fist, as strong as meteor steel, hit the stone with enough force to split it clear in half. She vaulted off of the lower half of the stone, grabbing the upper half and hammer throwing it right into one of the Tyranitar's chest holes. From there, she rained another series of Close Combat blows upon it, each strike driving the stone further into the wound.[break][break]

By the time the stone gave way, the Tyranitar's chest had practically been split open. Sensing this, it hunkered into a defensive stance, trying to repel Knuckles with a heavy sweep of its tail. One minute, she was standing there, ready for the hit. The next, she was gone. She appeared in a blur right behind the Tyranitar, her Extremespeed letting her dodge the attack before it even began. The tail smash left Tyranitar off balance, and with it left his chest wound exposed.[break][break]

Her Aura Sphere swelled with the fury her former master felt at seeing "some mutt" dismantle his prized guard beast.[break][break]

Her Aura Sphere swelled with the panic and traumas being driven into Gavin's brain.[break][break]

Her Aura Sphere swelled with the Tyranitar's berserk rage, having smothered out all of its other emotions.[break][break]

Her Aura Sphere swelled with Isaac's hatred. For him, she would gladly end this fight.[break][break]

The Infinite Energy surrounding Knuckles' body pooled into her hands. Now the transformation was abundantly clear; where a Riolu once stood, now a Mega Lucario was putting everything she could into a single, powerful Aura Sphere. She blurred forward again, knocking the Tyranitar's claw away from his chest to expose his chest wound. And then, screaming in a berserker's rage, she smashed her Aura Sphere right into the gap.[break][break]

Aura's light spilled from the gaps in the Tyranitar's body, tore holes through its cracks and scars, and poured from its mouth as it screamed skyward. And then, just like that, all was silent. The Tyranitar was little more than a hollowed out husk as it fell to the ground, its stony hide already starting to crumble into rubble.

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[attr="class","skullbody"]Isaac was helpless. He could barely breathe. He could barely move. He could barely even think. He dangled on the precipice of consciousness, only the warm, wet sensation of blood on his throat keeping him from fading away. Yes, he was well and truly useless here. All he could do was sit. And watch.[break][break]

And hate.[break][break]

He hated the cruel giggles of the Hatterene as she rended the mind of a man who had already faced so many demons to shreds. He hated the way this Tyranitar loomed over his poor, long-suffering Riolu, hellbent on destroying her. He hated how the owner of this establishment threw his weight around, acting like he was entitled to everything and everyone within these walls. He hated the pain that he was causing them now. He hated the pain that he had caused Knuckles in her past. And he hated his own inability to stop any of it.[break][break]

It was ironic. For all Isaac believed he had no impact, he was key to all of this. Riolu were highly empathetic creatures, and Lucario even moreso. She picked up on Isaac's hatred like a magnet, wielding it to reinforce her own fear and guide her own rage. Paired with the intense rush of Mega Evolution, an overwhelming sensation when Knuckles barely had the time to get used to her own body, and she had basically slipped into a berserker's rage.[break][break]

With her empathy, with his willpower, with their hatred, came immense power. There was such power that even Gavin's Corviknight, a creature born and bred for speed, lagged behind Knuckles' Extreme Speed. Her head snapped towards the Corviknight, the pressure of her aura immense as she glowered towards it. The intent was clear. Back. Off.[break][break]

The manor's owner wore a shit-eating grin as he looked down at Knuckles. Perhaps he was going to prattle on about how Knuckles had chosen the right path, and how #12 was a chump compared to her, and how together he could bring her out to her true potential. He never even had the chance. The second he opened his mouth, Knuckles Meteor Mashed a hole clean through his body.[break][break]

"Worthless . . . mutt . . ." he hissed, slumping against the wall. Knuckles simply glared, fists trembling and fangs baring. And then she brought a fist down on his face. And another. And another. And another. Between the blunt force trauma of her strikes and the sharpened blade on her knuckles, each hit started reducing his regal features into something unrecognizable. It wasn't enough. It would never be enough. His corpse could never answer for the crimes that he had caused.[break][break]

Screaming, another Aura Sphere flared to life between Knuckles' hands. She slammed this one onto the corpse's upper body, letting her hateful spirit burn and burn and burn until nothing was left. Even then, she continued pumping force into her Aura Sphere, not stopping until she physically couldn't push her spirit any further.[break][break]

It was finished. She limply hung over the cinders and ash that had once been her worst nightmare. Turning over her shoulder, she noticed her trainer. He was awake now. He was starting to ease himself to his feet. And there was horror etched in his face. "Knuckles?" he asked, voice small.[break][break]

Knuckles looked at her trainer. She looked at her blood-stained hands. And then, tapping into the full force of her Extreme Speed, she ran.

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