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[attr="class","skulltitle"]導通抵抗

[attr="class","skullbody"]Of course there was an evil little girl here. Of course there was. At this point, Isaac would've been more surprised if there wasn't one of those skittering around the walls and screaming bloody murder. But, just as importantly, there were also two not evil children. A boy cowered in fear as a girl (his sister?) was being held at psionic bladepoint by their psycho "playmate."[break][break]

Isaac wanted to intervene, but a dark presence closed around his throat. It smashed him into a doorframe, taking what little wond hd had out of him and making the strangulation process all too easy. Everything went blurry . . .[break][break]

And then he felt the pressure lighten. Kurze, the psychic null he was, had wrapped his own hands around Isaac's throat, quite literally crowding the force away with his own dark presence. He'd have to play defense for this fight, but so long as he stayed practically on top of Isaac it would be way far harder to psychically torment him.[break][break]

Ashley took no chances with this murderous-ass child. Understandable, considering she had a snapped neck, terrifying psychic powers, and tried to crack his head open like a walnut. But despite everything, a kid was a kid, and Isaac felt weird going all in on lethal force against one.[break][break]

Luckily, he had other ideas.[break][break]

Echo Teleported around and around the kid, spamming warps to confuse and disorient it. Then, once he saw an opening, he clapped his hands together and showered her in Life Dew. "The power of Arceus compels you!" Isaac shouted. He had no real faith or love for him, but depending on what sort of evil spirit this was, it could prove effective! Or it could just make things soggy. Isaac wasn't a theologist.[break][break]

He was, however, fueled by big brother instinct. And he and Kurze did not hesitate to run over and take protective stances next to the black haired girl. "Are you alright? Did she hurt you?" he asked, keeping his voice soft and gentle. Echo could handle things on the front lines while he made sure.

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[attr="class","skulltitle"]導通抵抗

[attr="class","skullbody"]"Doing it again?" Snapping your neck and murdering your friends didn't really seem like the kind of thing you could do multiple times. But Isaac wasn't about to interrogate a bunch of small children. Especially not when the poor things were scared out of their minds. He settled into a fighting stance, looking over his shoulder to shoot the kids a reassuring smile. "Well, ypu guys don't gotta worry. I won't let her."[break][break]

While he played defense, Ash went on the offensive. A trio of warding tags slapped onto her face answered some questions, only to raise many, many more. She disappeared in a brutal, disturbing fashion, Isaac covering the kids' eyes so they wouldn't have to witness such a grisly spectacle.[break][break]

In her place appeared the hateful wraith of a Hisuian Zoroark. "Stay close, okay? I'm not gonna let antthing bad happen to you, Isaac assured the children. "Kurze! This one's all you!" The Bisharp chuckled darkly, grinding his blades against each other before charging into battle. In a aingle, elegant motion, he faked a slash, shifted it into a roll around the Zoroark, and elegantly transitioned into a Feint Attack from behind.[break][break]

An unfortunate presence complicated things further. Luckily, Sanford and Echo were on the ball. The little Ralts ran up to the door, slamming it shut with his Psychic powers. As he did so, Sanford splayed itself across the length of the door. Its Growth allowed its algal colony to bloom outwards, reinforcing and thickening Echo's hold.[break][break]

Between the two of them, they'd be able to keep the door held for a while. But that wasn't the same as forever. Isaac grit his teeth as he watched the action unfold, hoping that Kurze would be able to handle the worst of this brawl on his own.

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[attr="class","skulltitle"]導通抵抗

[attr="class","skullbody"]Isaac, Ash, and even their unexpected ally tried their hardest to mob the Zoroark. Unfortunately, their best efforts did little more than knock the cursed fox around. Were it not for the Sableye's Knock Off sending a strange item flying away from the Zoroark, Isaac would think that their attacks were phasing right through thin air.[break][break]

If they had all of the time in the world, they might be able to decipher this little problem. Unfortunately, they didn't. A blade sliced through the door and Sanford's algal blooms alike, leaving the Dhelmise howling ominously. They tried to hang on for as long as they could, but eventually the pain became unbearable. They were forced to retreat, shed algal blooms falling in their wake.[break][break]

Isaac wrapped an arm around each of the kids' shoulders, holding them close before taking a protective step in front of them. Right now, he was the only thing standing between them and a ghoulish abomination. The Butcher had returned.[break][break]

Echo shrieked, running for Isaac and trembling behind his leg. Sanford hovered by his side, their anchor swaying behind them. Kurze was a little too busy to provide backup, buckling under the force of the Foul Play but returning fire with a vicious Throat Chop. His team was fighting their hardest, but they were scattered, listless, and terrified for their lives.[break][break]

Someone needed to right control of the ship.[break][break]

"San! Don't let that thing get an inch closer!" Isaac called. The Dhelmise practically roared as they rushed for their foe. Their anchor went slack, twirling a little to build momentum for an Anchor Shot. If they couldn't get out of the room yet, at least they could hold the Butcher back from getting close to the children.[break][break]

With Sanford taking control of the situation, Isaac scanned the room for material to work with. Throw the Butcher in a cage? Nah, it'd never fit. Grab the pendant? Not while he had kids under his responsibility. Any furniture he could throw around? With how he effortlessly knocked treasure chests and Thwackies around, that seemed like a waste of energy. What the hell was he supposed to do about this? It wasn't a Pokemon he could fight. It was a legitimate paranormal phenomenon, and one that had clearly been haunting this house for a long, long time-[break][break]

Of course! What happened to the last paranormal sight they found?[break][break]

"Echo, the tags!" Isaac called. Swallowing nervously, Echo nodded, using his Psychic force to lift the fallen Cleanse Tags into the air. If they could hold imprison a Sableye and contort a Hisuian Zoroark back into shape, maybe they could do something to this malicious spirit. Once the tags were snagged, Echo leaped into the air, flinging tag after tag at the Butcher's face like a paper machine gun.[break][break]

Finally, the skirmish in his peripheral vision. "Kurze, don't waste time standing your ground. Go for the treasure!" The Bisharp glanced over to fallen pendant. He nodded once, then whipped his mantle off of his shoulders to throw it right into to Zoroark's face. Once he created some separation, he dashed over to the pendant. If he couldn't make any sense of it himself, he'd rush it over to Ash or Isaac in hopes they'd be able to work with it.[break][break]

Fleeing may have been inevitable here. But let it never be said that Isaac or Ash went down without a fight.

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[attr="class","skulltitle"]導通抵抗

[attr="class","skullbody"]Of course! It wasn't that the cleanse tag hurt the ghosts. It was that it made them corporeal. That was why they could knock around the Zoroark that was previously giving these poor kids the Exorcist treatment. That was why one moment Bongo couldn't even touch the Butcher, and the next he could knock him silly.[break][break]

This bought them time. But with the Sableye's imprisonment, Isaac had an idea. "Echo, pry it open! Kurze, spear! Hurry!" Echo obliged, psionically grabbing onto the chest lid and prying it open. If he had to tear a lock asunder to do so, so be it. Between Pokerus and adrenaline coursing through his veins, he just wanted to do whatever it took to get the Butcher far, far away from everyone.[break][break]

Once it was opened, Kurze rushed forward with fire in his eyes. With the lid open, and the Butcher mangled and dazed, Kurze was sure nothing would be able to interrupt their little dance. Just in case the Zoroark tried anything, Sanford floated by his side, covering his former rival to prevent any sneak attacks.[break][break]

Assuming their contingencies held fast, Kurze would rush the Butcher in a heedless tackle. His Metal Claw sank into the ghost's back, giving him the leverage needed to step through and try to push the Butcher into the chest. If he wasn't able to pull it off, he'd disengage quickly and fall back by Isaac's side. But if he could, he wouldn't stop until Echo slammed the chest lid shut. A Power Whip from Sanford would seal the deal, the whip of algal blooms wrapping around a few times before sealing in a little bow.[break][break]

Were the plan to play out in reality, instead of just in Isaac's daydreams, he'd slap a Cleanse Tag on as the piece de resistance. The Butcher was strong. Freakishly strong. This wouldn't hold him forever. But it would at least buy him and Ash time to get these kids out of here.[break][break]

Surprisingly enough, the Zoroark had agreed with this. Clutching her head, she shot the children a pleading look. They pleaded back in her direction, and judging by the locket that Kurze had given Ash there was some relation to be had. This wasn't just any ghost, now was it? Suddenly, Isaac was glad that their ferocious efforts at fighting it didn't cause any harm.[break][break]

"Hey. Hey. It's gonna be okay. C'mon. Follow us," Isaac said, not wanting to be around when the Butcher sprung from his makeshift prison. "We're gonna find a way to help Melly. I promise. But we're gonna need to know how to do that. When we're not being chased down, can you tell us a little more about her?" At this point, navigational duties were all on Ash. He had kids to wrangle, dangit!

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[attr="class","skulltitle"]導通抵抗

[attr="class","skullbody"]Isaac watched Melly and the Sableye closely. If the Butcher had some way of enacting its will upon them, their sacrifices may have been in vain. If he didn't, but was feeling particularly spiteful, than they may have been quicker and more direct than Isaac hoped. Maybe there'd be a golden ending for them, but he wasn't feeling too optimistic.[break][break]

All the more reason to solve this mess as quickly as possible. The faster he could act, the better chance he'd stand at setting them free. "Thank you guys. We're gonna set this right," he promised, shooting the two noble Pokemon a salute before slipping out of the room.[break][break]

Upstairs? Downstairs? It didn't matter! Before they could move, a nasty surprise showed its face. A Chandelure showed with a a mob of Litwicks in tow, but they didn't seem to be the main threat. No, it was a Froslass of all things that seemed to be the ringleader, subjecting the room to a deep freeze as the Litwick made off with the room's light.[break][break]

"If we let them surround us, we're never gonna get anywhere," Isaac said. "Sanford, try to keep the middle tied down. The rest of us are gonna have to go candle hunting." The Dhelmise obliged, calling up another Whirlpool with a spin of its wheel. If it was lucky, it'd be able to catch the Chandelure and its protectors unaware. If it wasn't, its grass typing meant retribution would be swift and brutal.[break][break]

Oh well. Whirlpool was really the perfect tool for the job. It was a gamble Isaac was willing to make.[break][break]

As Sanford held down the fort, Kurze kicked this candle hunt off. He feinted a backfist, only to wheel around and smash the Chandelure into a wall with his other hand. It was a cheap one-two punch, but the Feint Attack didn't need to be honorable. It only needed to be effective.[break][break]

It was a good start, but it was just that. A start. There were three other candles floating around the room, and Sanford couldn't hold the main mob back forever. Isaac tossed a Pokeball Echo's way. "Bring him to the other side of the room. We gotta get moving!" Isaac said. As he did so, Echo fired off a quick salute, Teleporting from the room's west side to its east side.[break][break]

Inside of the ball was none other than Isaac's Growlithe, Caesar. The mop-headed watchdog was quick to pounce for the nearest Litwick, aiming to Crunch it down to size before it could start sniping at the group from across the hall. It may have been small, but it packed quite a punch, and its rock-solid hair would make flame even less effective against it than an ordinary Growlithe.[break][break]

Isaac waited with bated breath. If their plan worked, they'd have the chance to go from the south side of the room to the north side. If it didn't, they could be pinned down under a lot of covering fire. But Isaac wasn't alone here. Ash always had tricks up his sleeves, and Isaac knew their one-two punch would be enough to break on through.

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[attr="class","skulltitle"]導通抵抗

[attr="class","skullbody"]This was the third fight Isaac and Ash had stumbled into in what felt like minutes. Was it any wonder that the action was starting to take its toll on them and their Pokemon? The Litwick bombarded Sanford with Ember after Ember. Even as the anchor ducked into the waters they had created to try and keep their attacks at bay, the rain of blows still stung. Kurze, while far safer, had suffered a residual Burn from the Litwick's flaming body. He recoiled as the injury acted up, hissing in irritation.[break][break]

"Take it easy, buddy. More you aggravate it, more it hurts," Isaac warned. After all, poisoning and burning were at their most severe when in the midst of a raging battle. "Right now, we gotta get to the others." It wouldn't be too hard. Even with the chill stinging at their bones, the four Litwick in the corner had been defeated. Only the mob at the center remained.[break][break]

And what a mob it was.[break][break]

They had focused on the Chandelure for far too long. Its companion, the Froslass, took eager advantage of their miscalculation. The whirlpool froze over in record time, ghostly chills overcoming the brine of the sea, and both Chad and Sanford had bore the brunt of the blow. Echo, letting out a startled yelp, grabbed onto them with Psychic power. Maybe if he could get them out in time, they'd be okay![break][break]

Alas, both Chad and Sanford were out of commission for the fight. Echo swiveled them behind him, then hopped onto Caesar's back. The Growlithe could focus on navigation and returning fire, a job he took with gutso as he ran past. With a flick of his tail, clumps of stony fur bombarded the Froslass; maybe the weight of this Rock Slide would teach it a lesson, and if lucky some loose stones would even spill over towards its companions.[break][break]

Team Isaac, one member weaker yet otherwise reunite, gathered by Ashley's side. He spoke sense. At least through a hallway, they could trim down the numbers advantage and focus on picking smart battles. Isaac nodded, following his brother-in-arms' instructions and ducking into the leftmost room. There, they waited, Kurze hunkered down with a Sucker Punch primed and Caesar snarling protectively.[break][break]

It was time for Round Two.

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[attr="class","skullbody"]Kurze wheeled towards the small child, forcing a grinding call from his mouth. The order to dodge was clear, but the kid was too frozen up to get out of the way. Damnit! Letting out an agitated hiss, Kurze knew that either he did, or the boy died. While he cared little for humanity, he knew where his trainer stood.[break][break]

The Bisharp slid in front of the boy, arms flung arms out, and snarled defiantly as flame after flame rained down on him. His Disguise caught the worst of the Flame Blast, leaving only Embers raining down on his chest, but with his already-existing burns the pain was unbearable. He fell to one knee, then to the other, head bowed in agony before the two ghosts.[break][break]

It seemed that he was groveling in defeat. Yet this was simply a last chance to gather his energy before rocking back onto his hindquarters, putting his all into a last, rising Feint Attack. Hit or miss, success or failure, it took all that Kurze had left. His good eye rolled back into his head as he screeched to the sky, his defiance only fading with his consciousness.[break][break]

Echo let out a distressed shout, throwing himself in front of Kurze and defiantly spreading his arms. Ash's Pokemon had the Cofagrigus on lock, so it was up to him and Caesar to hold back the horde. The Ralts turned his attention to the dodgiest and most frustrating member of the group, the Froslass that kept dancing circles around them. So long as he kept the hail going, their movements were slowed, her movements were hypersonic, and they'd be fighting an uphill battle.[break][break]

They'd need to stop her. But first, they'd need to catch her. Echo's hair ruffled as he thrust his hands towards the Froslass, blaring Hypnotic suggestions into her brain. Most psychic powers weren't as effective on ghosts, but if he kept the impulses flowing, it might at least cause the frost witch to falter.[break][break]

If she did, she'd be in prime position for a Fire Fang. And if Caesar was able to get his teeth around the Froslass, there was no chance in hell he'd let go.[break][break]

"Come on, everyone, hang in there! Just gotta push a little bit further!" Isaac spoke through grit teeth, glaring down the Cofagrigus as if trying to prevent any more funny business. With the kids set free by Ash's quick thinking, he was back to being their guardian. If any other ghosts wanted to try to mess with them, they were going to have to get through Isaac first. And with how stubborn Isaac was, it'd be over his dead body.

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