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[attr="class","skulltitle"]導通抵抗

[attr="class","skullbody"]Isaac was all smiles as the platform hoisted him into the air. How could he not be? He'd kept a commanding lead for an entire lap straight. He was getting all of the recognition and glory he used to daydream of years ago. He'd made an undeniable statement about his talent, his willpower, and his determination. It was everything he could've wanted.[break][break]

And yet.[break][break]

Who had fostered this success? The Silphs, a family and company that he felt were symbols of the League's failings. A megacorporation that devoured another in a merger that never should have happened, rewarded for their excesses not with checks and balances but with a spot on Hoenn's own ruling council. This was their cup, their trophy, their world; he just happened to be at the head of it for once.[break][break]

Where had this victory taken place? Mauville City, a bloated monument to excess that seemed to service things more than it serviced people. And it was all inside Mauville's very own gym, the one whose safety Isaac had inadvertently jeopardized on what was the worst day of his life. Even as he whooped and cheered for the crowd atop Buffaloman's back, that memory gnawed at the back of his mind.[break][break]

Why had he even chosen to race? For Josh Devlin, because even though he knew the other man would be better without him in his life, he'd made a promise and refused to break it. Were it not for what happened, would Josh have been the one up here instead of him? The idea made Isaac nauseous. And yet, he held it in.[break][break]

After all, if there was any dream that Isaac had from the outset, it was to be an actor. An actor knew how to swallow down his displeasure and paint a picture of what the people wanted to see. That was exactly what Isaac did. Even as he felt cold and alone and smaller than ever, a tiny speck hoisted into the sky above this massive stadium, he put out enough pride and warmth and excitement to light the Mauville gym up.[break][break]

It was easy. All he had to do was focus on how proud he was of Buffaloman. He didn't deserve the scorn Isaac reserved for itself.[break][break]

As the podiums reset, Isaac flashed his fellow top men grins. "Killer job out there," he said, one to Gwyar Wledig and one to . . . Raziel Beckett? Huh. So this was the Razz he'd heard so much about, from Eris Halla and Rosmontis' trust to Josh and Matt Vice's scorn. Interesting. He'd have to keep that in mind for later.[break][break]

Between Josh's speed and Isaac's central position, it wasn't very hard to track down Isaac. He regarded his friend with a quick smile, refusing to let even a shred of his mixed feelings and guilt show. "Heh. C'mon, you flatter me, man. There's plenty I'm not great at." Like being a good person! "But, hey. You wanted me here, so I put in 110%, y'know? Glad to see it paid off."[break][break]

As Josh's eyes wandered to second place, he could tell that it didn't pay off in full. "You did a damn good job, too. And I know once you're all rested up, you're gonna be swimming in the gold." Isaac knew he wouldn't be the only one to think that. If Julia Davis and Matt were still hanging around, they'd back him up in a heartbeat.

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