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POSTED ON Oct 18, 2022 23:31:27 GMT

The next few days in the hospital was... not fun. A combination of nicodemus unken worrying, his parents, actually seeing Torolf, Nico's father, of all people show up to check on him. It unnerved him. Seeing how many people panicked and rushed to see him. It really had him thinking.

He had to protect his family. Just like he protected Isaac. There had to be a way. There absolutely had too- something. He knew about the upcoming missions... and even Nico had planned to join. Which of course, meant Matt was going to go. So he had to rest and heal up...

But something did not settle with him. Who had shot him? All he remembered was the goggles warning him and he jumped into action to protect Isaac. Which meant... it had to be someone within the league, right? Or a rocket? It was confusing. Police were not able to find who did it.

Regardless, he was angry. Angry at who tried to take a life. Even if Isaac wasn't innocent, no one deserved to die. At least, no one deserved to be shot in the back.

Sighing heavily, he had to talk to Isaac. So of course, he had texted him to come. They needed to talk.

There was also some words he would have to talk to Josh Devlin about. About him retiring from the rangers. Would it disappoint the man? Absolutely. Did Matt care? Yes, but he was not staying with them. Not when he knew it had to be someone within the league who shot him.

Thinking back to all that had happened, his blood started to boil. The league mission to stop the meteor, it was a shitty plan. Damn a whole different world. Matt knew it was wrong. It was wrong. Wrong. Wrong. Wrong!

So he was going to help the opposing team.

Isaac Merlo

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Turned on my friends and brought them pain. I have no right to show I can change. But I gotta try!

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POSTED ON Oct 19, 2022 1:02:46 GMT

[nospaces]

[attr="class","skullhover"]

[attr="class","skullimg"]

[attr="class","skulltitle"]導通抵抗

[attr="class","skulloverlap"]BUT HOLD YOUR BREATH, GUESS WHO'S RUNNING THE SHOW?

[attr="class","skullbody"]For the first time, Matt sought Isaac out without his mask on. If only Isaac knew that it was for reasons where he'd be better off keeping the mask on.[break][break]

The poor guy had been stuck in Mauville hospital for days. Was it really that surprising? Guns fucking sucked. A Pokemon could pull its punch, aim a warning shot, show restraint, show mercy. If one was enraged, the amount of havoc it could cause was on par with that of an entire armory. But it didn't have to be that way. In most cases, it would never be that way.[break][break]

You couldn't reason with a gun. You couldn't plead with a gun. You couldn't get into a gun's head and throw it off of its game It only had one mode; shoot to kill. Maybe that was why some of Rocket's higher ups preferred their Pokemon, and even their people, to be more like guns.[break][break]

Not all of Rocket was like that. Isaac couldn't be less of a gun if he tried. In some ways, it was a strength. Isaac's refusal to accept his lot gave him drive, pushing him to a sterling mission completion rate. Isaac's compassion for others gave him determination, standing firm and punching above his weight class because others needed him to. Isaac's trust in others gave him hope, and that hope brought out the best in them even when things seemed darkest.[break][break]

Yet Isaac's big, squishy heart was also a big, squishy weak point. And that big, squishy heart lead him right back into the lion's den, where that big, squishy heart lead to him hurting someone he cared about and getting someone else he cared about hurt. And thanks to that big, squishy heart, he felt every shred of their pain along the way.[break][break]

Something had to give eventually. But he couldn't worry about that yet. Right now, he was needed. And being needed gave his big, squishy heart something to grapple with that wasn't himself. "Hey? You called?" Isaac asked, knocking on Matt's hospital door for the second time this week.[break][break]

How in the world could he have been prepared for what happened next?

[break][break]

[break]

[attr="class","skullinfo"]MOBILE POST / Matt Vice

[attr="class","skullcredits"]TAIKO!

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POSTED ON Oct 19, 2022 1:10:26 GMT

At Isaac's entrance, he was met by Kazzy. The blue-colored canine bounding up, bouncing on his legs and the top of his head wagging happily in excitement. It was weird having your tail on your head when it wagged! He grabbed Isaac, pulling him over to Matt. Pointing like he did just the best job in the world.

Matt smiled, he had been so worried Kazzy would change on evolution... but he remained the same. It was refreshing. Looking up, he gave him a mock salute. Now how was he going to breach this topic?

"Well I'll, get to the point." He felt really awkward.

"I'm retiring from the rangers." His voice was firm in that, staring off. "...and joining you." Eyes looked up to lock with Isaac. There was no hesitation in his eyes or voice, dead serious.

Isaac Merlo

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April 10

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Figuring it Out

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Turned on my friends and brought them pain. I have no right to show I can change. But I gotta try!

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POSTED ON Oct 19, 2022 2:15:36 GMT

[nospaces]

[attr="class","skullhover"]

[attr="class","skullimg"]

[attr="class","skulltitle"]導通抵抗

[attr="class","skulloverlap"]BUT HOLD YOUR BREATH, GUESS WHO'S RUNNING THE SHOW?

[attr="class","skullbody"]Isaac still wasn't used to the concept of dogs with hands. Before he could even give Kazzy a pet, the Lycanroc grabbed him by the wrist and dragged him over to Matt. "Whoa, Kazzy, easy, easy!" Isaac said, laughing a little. He had to give credit where it was due; the adorable scamp had a way of breaking the tension.[break][break]

After giving Kazzy his reward pets, Isaac turned to check on Matt. And then the tension came crashing back in rare form.[break][break]

Isaac knew Matt and the League hadn't seen eye to eye for a while. Not even being in the Rangers with his two good friends changed that. Not even getting a promotion after his probation changed that. Not even taking a bullet for a Rocket, over that Rocket's own damn fault, changed that.[break][break]

"You're serious," Isaac said. Like hell he was actually going to say the R-word here. This was a delicate enough topic to discuss in clandestine conditions. With nothing to safeguard him but HIPAA, it was going to be even harder. But Matt was his friend, and Isaac got him hurt, and that meant Isaac was going to hear him out come hell or high water.[break][break]

"Alright. Walk me through this. We're starting from the beginning here," Isaac said. "Because if you're really going to do this, I want to know why. And I want you to know why. This isn't the kind of thing you do for shits and giggles. This is the kind of thing you only do when you're sure, absolutely sure, that this is what you want."[break][break]

"So retrace your steps. And tell me how you feel when you're at the end of the road."

[break][break]

[break]

[attr="class","skullinfo"]MOBILE POST / Matt Vice

[attr="class","skullcredits"]TAIKO!

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POSTED ON Oct 19, 2022 2:26:40 GMT

Matt expected this from Isaac, really. But Matt was always one to go head first into something, with barely a plan. But this time... he had a plan.

"I helped raise six kids, Isaac." His siblings. "I watched them grow up until I moved out with Nico." And he would do absolutely anything for Nico and his family.

"I taught them right from wrong. This... this whole thing. Is wrong." A head shake. It hurt. A lot. "Even with certain people, they're... allowing this to happen. It's not. Good." He honestly couldn't believe Josh was going to allow people to be damned to death by a space rock.

"If you don't fit in, you're out. I kept my head down, took my lashings, and got even more lashed for it." A point at the bullet wound. "I don't believe in putting judgement in people's hands to just.. take lives." And the league and rangers had scorned him so much to the point he had scars on his soul.

"I just.. I can't agree to kill that many people I just can't."

Another glare at the bandages. "Also who the fuck whoever did this."

Isaac Merlo

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Turned on my friends and brought them pain. I have no right to show I can change. But I gotta try!

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POSTED ON Oct 19, 2022 3:38:41 GMT

[nospaces]

[attr="class","skullhover"]

[attr="class","skullimg"]

[attr="class","skulltitle"]導通抵抗

[attr="class","skulloverlap"]BUT HOLD YOUR BREATH, GUESS WHO'S RUNNING THE SHOW?

[attr="class","skullbody"]Isaac was afraid that Matt would be going to this full of piss and vinegar, to the point of forgetting everything else up to this point. Yet Matt took him by surprise in the best possible way. Instead of jumping to the slights against him, his family was the very first thing he brought up.[break][break]

"If you ask me, none of this is good," Isaac said. "Trust me. It's not sunshine and rainbows over on our end, either. Though at least unlike the other guys, we own up to it." Sure, Rocket had propaganda. Every faction did. But the League's was so . . . cloying. Saccharine. Self-righteous. It was as fake as they were.[break][break]

"I'm not gonna lie to you and act like everything's gonna change, or that you're stepping up to join the real heroes. Both sides have their fingers in stuff you might not be comfortable with, and these guys aren't just gonna sweep their messes under the rug." Isaac sighed as he considered the topic. Pokemon poaching, assassination of threats to them, the entire brewing war that they were about to light the fuse of. "It's part of why I'm always trying so hard to make things right when I can. If I can tip the cosmic scales, even a little bit, I'm doing something. It's more than I could do before I joined up."[break][break]

Even then, how long could that last? What happened when the cruelty went from the side effect to the point?[break][break]

"You'll get more free reign, I'd say. Don't gotta keep up appearances, especially if you keep your business under a mask like I do. You get a surprising amount of leeway in talking to the bosses, long as you show them respect. I'm not talking some big show of ass-kissing here; just a bit of common courtesy. And if the work gets done, they're not gonna sweat the little details too much," Isaac continued, addressing Matt's other big concern.[break][break]

"But it doesn't mean you can come out swinging either. League's red tape sucks, but it's also there to protect you. Piss the wrong guy off, or go rogue on a job, and you might wish you had a probation instead. That all seem alright so far?"[break][break]

There was more power for Matt to control his own fate, but that power was built on the back of crime. There was more freedom for Matt to stretch his legs, but also more freedom for him to dig his own grave. There was more honesty about the wrongs it took to make an organization run, but with that honesty came acceptance of those wrongs. Isaac wasn't about to sell Matt a false promised land, or shoot down his request when his time with the League so clearly weighed with him. He was only going to give the cold hard facts.[break][break]

And one of those facts was, one Isaac didn't even need to say, was that the Rocket wasn't sending any meteors to crush another dimension.

[break][break]

[break]

[attr="class","skullinfo"]MOBILE POST / Matt Vice

[attr="class","skullcredits"]TAIKO!

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POSTED ON Oct 19, 2022 4:02:35 GMT

Matt held up his hand at him. "I've thought about all this." It was a low mumble. "I already had been on the fence about this... and honestly considered telling you the day I got shot." The huff. "Gonna beat that fucker." Well there's that silly Matt.

"I don't plan to rise in the ranks... Just do what I need to do."

His leg was beginning to to jiggle, staring off. "Whatever it takes to protect the people I care about. You've already seen what I'd do."

Isaac Merlo

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The Liberator

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April 10

Lavaridge Town

Figuring it Out

Penitent

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Turned on my friends and brought them pain. I have no right to show I can change. But I gotta try!

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POSTED ON Oct 19, 2022 13:18:20 GMT

[nospaces]

[attr="class","skullhover"]

[attr="class","skullimg"]

[attr="class","skulltitle"]導通抵抗

[attr="class","skulloverlap"]BUT HOLD YOUR BREATH, GUESS WHO'S RUNNING THE SHOW?

[attr="class","skullbody"]At the held up hand, Isaac flicked past a few pages of his script. "Alright, alright, I get it," he said. "Its okay. Not here to lecture your ear off or anything like that. Just . . . "[break][break]

"I had to make sure, y'know?" So it seemed the questions weren't only for Matt's benefit. "I care about you, man. And I needed to hear you weren't making a mistake. That I wasn't making a mistake dragging you into this mess in the first place." He sighed, trying to gather his thoughts.[break][break]

"But if you say you're good, I trust you."[break][break]

Matt could be a rash, stubborn dumbass sometimes. Isaac knew that because he was the stubborn dumbass supreme. He got where it came from. He knew how much people like them hated being talked down to or dismissed. And he knew that, during those moments of clarity, it hurt even more. This was one of those moments, and the last thing Isaac ever wanted to do was send Matt to the kiddie table during it.[break][break]

And yet. "There's just one more question," Isaac said. "And I'm sure you already thought this through. But I need to hear it, too. To make sure I'm not being the biggest douche in the universe. So just humor me on this one, okay?"[break][break]

"What about Nico??"

[break][break]

[break]

[attr="class","skullinfo"]MOBILE POST / Matt Vice

[attr="class","skullcredits"]TAIKO!

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POSTED ON Oct 20, 2022 3:14:28 GMT

Matt had truly hoped Isaac would not bring Nico into this. All it did was bring up the conversation and that whole interaction made him feel sick. Isaac had every right to ask though.

"We talked about it."

There was a edge in his voice as he said that. Like it was clearly something he did not to talk about. But he would, to assure his friend, this was not a rash decision into darkness.

"He will stick with me, no matter what I do."

A deep inhale, and a even longer exhale.

"I'm in."

Isaac Merlo

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April 10

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Turned on my friends and brought them pain. I have no right to show I can change. But I gotta try!

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