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[attr="class","skulltitle"]導通抵抗

[attr="class","skullbody"]"You said you took that job from a mom, right? Did she have a husband with her?" [break][break]

Isaac didn't like the sound of Ashley's ideas. It was likely that the Butcher's current host was the man she'd once married. It was even more likely that the cute little boy they'd left outside was going to be the next one. For a second, Isaac wondered if the poor kid's name was Jamieson.[break][break]

The babysitters were the immediate sacrifices. The Truesdales were the long term sacrifices. This horrifying curse, lingering for three generations and a hundred years, had plagued the family, the town, and everyone unfortunate enough to cross the Truesdales' path. And to think, this was all due to the hatred of a single man, persisting longer in death than it ever had in life.[break][break]

"I don't think," Isaac said, his fist and his teeth clenched alike. "I know. I'd rather die down here than let this monster lay a claw on anyone else."[break][break]

The Pokeball he clenched in his hand began to burn hot. When Isaac released it, a Hisuian Typhlosion appeared before him. The flaming mustelid's hackles were already raised, flames writhing back and forth like the souls of the damned. Its eyes, typically narrowed from a state of supernatural ease, were now narrowed from hostility. Everything about this place offended its recently-developed sense of spiritual awareness.[break][break]

It looked towards Isaac, as if asking if he was sure about this location. "I know. I hate it here too," he said, voice tight from his own discomfort. "But I'm gonna need you to be strong for me, okay, Hearth? You're my only hope here." The two linked eyes, the air between them silent. And then Hearth nodded.[break][break]

"C'mon, Ash. Let's do this."

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[attr="class","skullbody"]His name was Tucker, and he was allowed to leave. Isaac sighed in relief. "Means at least some male Truesdales get to leave with their lives, at least." If the little boy was their only son, maybe he'd get the same luxury.[break][break]

Or maybe they were only safe until another host was needed.[break][break]

He'd reassured Ashley, and by extension himself. It was time for them to face their destiny . . . is what Isaac would have said, were it not for the two armored titans staring them down. These guards were like the royal Golurk vanguard, clad in shining armor and wielding oversized weapons. They looked less like the Butcher's and more like the Truesdales', assigned to guard their sinister secrets with their lives.[break][break]

Normally, a ghost, dark, grass, ice, or water type attack would be the way to go. However, the armor layered atop them gave Isaac second thoughts. If the usual tactics would work, it would've been a showy, flashy waste. That'd be on brand for nobility, but also just too convenient.[break][break]

"Hearth, try to punch a hole through with a Flame Wheel!" Isaac said, the Typhlosion nodding up and curking into a ball. Violet flame surrounded him as he spun in place, building up energy before launching himself right towards the polearm wielding Golurk. The harder he could hit this Golurk's armor, the sooner they'd be able to break through and use more effective moves on its body.

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[attr="class","skullbody"]"Right where we want it! Echo, pin that weapon down!" The synergy on display between Hearth and Sunny was reinvigorating, and the heat of battle shot adrenaline through Isaac's veins. He couldn't fight the Butcher. He couldn't fight the sins of the Truesdales' past. But he could fight this, and he was never more alive than when he had something to rally against.[break][break]

Much like Isaac, Echo was downright exhausted. But he was still going to give it his all. He pressed down with as much Psychic pressure as he could squeeze out of his tired little body. On his own, the Golurk would easily be able to out-muscle him. However, the swing of his deflected halberd had embedded the blade right into the floorboards, and Echo's psychic power was able to wedge it further and further into the damaged floor. It was a perfect stalemate.[break][break]

"He's wide open," Isaac said, grin devilish. "Go for the helmet!" Nodding, Hearth took a detour to hop right onto the shaft of the halberd. Once more, he curled onto a wheel shape, the weapon glowing as he grinded up its surface. If the Golurk dropped the weapon, Echo would do his best to prop it up. In either case, it was a perfect launchpad for a Flame Wheel to the face.[break][break]

"They're gonna want to divide and conquer us. Lets see if we can't blitz one down before the other catches up," Isaac suggested, watching his plan unfold with bated breath. Even if ir worked, these Golurk looked strong. This wouldn't just be a simple smash-up. "If it comes down to a war of attrition, I don't know if we've got what it takes to win."

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[attr="class","skullbody"]Unfortunately, Hearth was denied the clean headshot he sought. The Golurk adapted with shockingly quick reflexes, sending its foe flying into a nearby wall with an iron-plated fist. The Golurk was mostly unharmed, but the same could not be said for the crumpled Typhlosion that had taken the brunt of its blow.[break][break]

Nor could the same be said for its armor, which had melted into its hand enough to Burn.[break][break]

Pulse wasn't the strongest direct fighter, but he was an A+ support. Shining his light on the burn that Hearth had caused, ghostly energies swelled it into a towering inferno. The Golurk took immense damage as its arm burst into shadowfire, its debilitating condition causing it unholy amounts of pain. That was one Golurk, while not down, at least distracted. A teammate for a teammate.[break][break]

The other Golurk was in a lot more opportune of a position. It towered over Ashley, ready to squash him against the floor like a bug on the pavement. Golurk were strange Pokemon; while seemingly incapable of dodging attacks, ancient analytics meant that when they did strike, they never missed. That was good news for a Golurk's trainer, but real bad news for Ashley.[break][break]

Hearth was hurt. Echo was exhausted. Ashley was in trouble. And Isaac was the only one with options left. So what else could he do but throw himself in front of Ashley, spreading his arms wide? "Yeah, here's one! Covering your ass!" Isaac shouted. "Now c'mon, you Gundam reject! Do your worst!"

The Golurk obliged, drawing an arm back and bringing it down on Isaac with all of its might. He squeezed his eyes shut, grit his teeth, and dug his heels in, but he refused to move. He merely awaited the inevitable feeling of pain shooting through his body.[break][break]

And yet, it never came.[break][break]

As Isaac creaked an eye open, he saw the Golurk falling through the air. Before it hit the ground, it disappeared, then reappeared again, then fell again. The cycle repeated, ad nauseum, gravity making it fall too fast for Isaac to get a good look at what was going on.[break][break]

Then he noticed a certain little green Pokemon was missing, and everything made sense. Echo was taking the Golurk for a Teleport ride.[break][break]

It wouldn't last for long. The Golurk's systems were starting to stabilize, and it reached up to smite Echo with a vicious Shadow Punch of its own. However, before it could, a plume of violet flame launched towards it.[break][break]

This wasn't like Hearth's previous flame. Instead of sputtering out harmlessly against the Golurk's side, the flame would spiral around its body. Another would follow suit. Then another, and another, and another. The flames moved as if they had a will of their own, and the longer this Infernal Parade surrounded the Golurk, the longer its very soul would begin to feel the burn.[break][break]

This fight had taken its toll, but they weren't out of action yet!

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[attr="class","skullbody"]The Golurk, comparatively unharmed, was a sturdy and vicious foe. Its wild swings clobbered Echo into unconsciousness, and its steely hide left Sunny unconscious from the impact of his own Hi Jump Kick. These defeats only redoubled Hearth's efforts, the Infernal Parade dancing around it at faster and faster speeds. It Burned the Golurk's very soul, the fireballs doubling in size as they fed off of the pain from its affliction.[break][break]

Hearth's efforts paid off. Just before it landed a vicious uppercut on Sunny, the Golurk dropped like a stone.[break][break]

Both of the gate guardians had fallen, their very souls fading away from the spiritual onslaught. Pulse didn't have the strength left to continue; batteries literal and metaphorical alike drained, Ash's phone faded into darkness. Nervously, Isaac looked towards Hearth, waiting to see if the Typhlosion would follow suit.[break][break]

Hearth was weary. His chest rose and fell with heavy breaths. His eyelids drooped wearily. He buckled a little, forced to walk on all fours like a Quilava just to keep itself up. Yet, miraculously, he was alright. He flashed Isaac a tired smile, his breaths slowing in an almost meditative fashion.[break][break]

"Knew you could pull through, buddy," Isaac said, gently giving the Typhlosion a scratch behind the ears. "You're our last man standing. But that just means I'm gonna have your back 100% of the way, okay? We're in this one together. We all are."[break][break]

"Now, c'mon. We're ending this."[break][break]

He tried to keep that cocky tone in his voice. However, his voice wavered just as the light from the torch did. His heart pounded in his chest, to the point where he felt like it was about to explode. His eyes shifted around the room nervously. His skin paled and his hands trembled. Even with the Golurk defeated, the presence from the room they guarded suffocated and overwhelmed him.[break][break]

It didn't matter. Hearth needed him. Ashley needed him. The Truesdale children needed him. This would not be where his will broke. This would not be where he fell. Swallowing his terror and forcing it behind a mask of confidence, he bravely lead the group onwards into the unknown.

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[attr="class","skullbody"]Of course. All of these old, rich families had skeletons in their closests. Why should the Truesdales be different? All of this was just a great big show to safeguard their dirtiest little secret. For his crimes, for his sins, Tucker Truesdale was forever warped into a monstrosity. Despite this, his adoring family did their best to keep him well cared for.[break][break]

It wasn't fair. Those children were tormented by their own companions due to the cruelty of their patriarch. They never asked for any of this. Neither did the poor, unsuspecting babysitters that now lied with the blood and the carrion. Were Isaac and Ash to make one misstep, he knew they'd join their eternal unrest.[break][break]

The burning sensation of iron in his nose. The freezing chill of terror in his spine. The electrifying, flight-or-fight sensation that came from being in the sights of a predator. Every instinct screamed for Isaac to run. Every higher thought demanded for him to proceed. Caught between the two, he stood like a Deerling in the headlights.[break][break]

Relishing in his horrific presence, the Butcher extended a hand towards Hearth. His was dominion over all spirits, and he demanded fhat Hearth fall in line. The Typhlosion recoiled, eyes squeezed shut and flames flickering. He tried his hardest to blot out the maddening voice whispering into his very soul, over and over again, and yet . . .[break][break]

Before Isaac knew what was going on, he felt a sharp pain in his shoulder. Warm wetness trickled down the space between Hearth's claws.[break][break]

Isaac turned around, eyes wide from shock and fear. Yet what he found was no betrayal. Hearth had dug his claw into his back, true, but it was not an intentional attack. Rather, the struggling Typhlosion was forcing itself to stand, even if he had to painfully brace himself against Isaac. His eyes were narrowed in hatred. His flames flickered defiantly. And he pointed a claw of his own right at the Butcher.[break][break]

Hisuian Typhlosion were ghost typed, but they themselves were not ghosts. They were mediums.[break][break]

Tapping into the energies of a world long since past, glimpsed only in the folds of a temporal rift, Hearth brought the might of his ancestry to bear. His presence clashed against the Butcher's, an invisible war waged along the boundary between worlds.[break][break]

It wouldn't be an easy fight. Even if the Golurk hadn't hurt Hearth so badly, he was still so comparatively young. The Butcher, on the other hand, was generations of unchecked malice. Were they to just collide, head to head, Hearth would be overwhelmed in body, mind, and soul alike. Luckily, he wasn't alone. Isaac leaned against Hearth, allowing the Typhlosion to take focus off of standing and channel it entirely into spiritual warfare.[break][break]

"Hurry, Ash! We'll hold this creep off long as we can!" Isaac's voice was a blend of pain and desperation, but he defiantly glared towards the Butcher nonetheless. It was time to hold the line or die trying.

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[attr="class","skullbody"]Hearth shook his head as the Butcher released his grip. A slight trail of blood trickled down his snout from the strain of their struggle. Had the Butcher not turned his attention elsewhere . . .[break][break]

Unfortunately, that other source of attention was no less deadly. Ghosts poured down from the ceiling, a whose who of every difficult foe that they had encountered on their journey. Litwicks surrounded the corners of the room. A Golurk loomed protectively behind the Butcher, and a Froslass guarded him from the front. Flanking him were Gengar and the childrens' beloved pet.[break][break]

It took everything they had to fight to this point. How were they supposed to do it all again?[break][break]

He didn't have time for questions. He had a half passed out Typhlosion on his back, a terrified Pachirisu scampering at his feet, and now one last Cleanse Tag in his hands. He scooped Lucia up and gave her a gentle pat on the head. "We're gonna make it out of this, buddy. But I'm gonna need you to trust me, okay?" With that, he eased Hearth onto the floor, passing the Pachirisu into the Typhlosion's arms.[break][break]

And then he turned tail and ran.[break][break]

Having a feeling what was happening, Hearth chuckled warmly. The Infernal Parade spread forth from his neck once more, surrounding him and Lucia like a protective wreath. The wisps would rush towards incoming projectiles to try and divert them, and lash out at any incoming Pokemon in a desperate counterattack. But how long could Hearth hold the move, especially with her trainer gone?[break][break]

Perhaps gone was the wrong term. Especially when a heavy rattling sound indicated that his disappearance was just a tactical withdrawl. Isaac burst back onto the scene with the fallen Golurk's halberd in hand, a Cleanse Tag wrapped around its razored edge. "Hey, Butchy Boy! You ready to see some real slicing and dicing?" Isaac shouted, half delirious and half triumphant. He could barely lift the damn thing, but adrenaline and desperation pushed him over the edge. "Quit being such a coward and come get a piece of me!"

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