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[attr="class","skulltitle"]導通抵抗

[attr="class","skullbody"]Training beyond what the sub could handle, huh? Considering how much the sub could weather, that was one hell of an idea. But Mars seemed to believe that his invitation would require it, and when Mars was one of the bigger brains in Rocket Isaac was willing to trust in his expertise.[break][break]

Down he descended, passing through the glitz, glamor, and excitement of the casino to enter one of Rocket's best-kept secrets. With each passing day, Sootopolis was being molded further into Rocket's image. That was okay. Isaac was, too. More and more, Isaac found the guises of Isaac Merlo and Blackjack blending together. The skull-shaped mask that he adjusted across his face felt increasingly incapable of separating the two. Especially after the incident at Mauville City, it was becoming quite troublesome.[break][break]

Mars didn't explain much when he first called Isaac. However, the second he was there, he was all too happy to elaborate. "Just getting prepared for what's coming," Isaac said, his voice every bit as cordial and professional as Mars' was. There were some people he was prepared to tell he wasn't okay. Mars wasn't one of them, but that was okay. Not everyone had to make the list.[break][break]

And Mars would be helping Isaac out in his own way.[break][break]

There was a reason he had been asked to bring Sectonia. The Vespiquen had access to a very unique Z-Move, the wormhole energy of Alola's greatest export intertwined with the Infinity Energy from the crysbloom growths. None of this had anything to do with the Primal Energy that she had tasted months ago, yet Sectonia was now one of the few Pokemon to have tasted all three forms of energy and lived to tell the tale. Frankly, Isaac didn't know what any of it meant, or if any of it had to do with all the fuss over in Littleroot.[break][break]

But he was a dedicated member of Rocket. And when Rocket asked for a demo, Rocket got a demo. "With pleasure," Isaac said, surveying the training area. He remembered the Light of Ruin that Locke Jamison had demonstrated for him, capable of knocking out an entire mob of fighting types. If this was a supercharged version of that . . .[break][break]

"How many targets can we set up in here?" Isaac asked. "Cause this is gonna get explosive."

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[attr="class","skulltitle"]導通抵抗

[attr="class","skullbody"]Right. War was coming, and it'd be at a scale Isaac had never seen before. The largest operation he had been part of before had been the war against Greyson Connors, and even that was really two competitors of worth surrounded by a mob of low-grade grunts. This was going to be Rocket's best rushing headlong into an entire pile of Greysons. And he needed to be ready for that.[break][break]

He nodded at Mars' suggestion, releasing Sectonia from her ball. Even now, he remained close to the Vespiquen, feeling the gust from her wingbeats, the buzzing in his ears, and the Pressure from her presence. He tried not to think of her as Sectonia, his dear friend. Instead, he tried to see her as Sectonia, a dangerous and powerful Pokemon who could probably end him in a single blow if so inclined. The thought was foreign. But there would be many, many other Pokemon, likely several far stronger than her, among the enemy forces.[break][break]

One wrong move could spell his end.[break][break]

The solid targets glimmered in the harsh, artificial light of the training grounds. It was as if they were daring Isaac to try his best, knowing nothing he could do would even scratch them. His brow furrowed, the gesture visible in the subtle shifts of his mask. They wanted a challenge? They'd get a challenge alright.[break][break]

It was still amazing to Isaac what a Passho Berry was capable of. Did the entire supply from Alola get tainted by wormhole energy or something? The fact that Mega Evolution required stones of pure power, but Z-Moves simply required biting into a tasty fruit, was always a surprise to Isaac. But he had both at his command, so why sweat the smaller details? "I have," Isaac said. "My Cubone and Doublade have, too. And I have three more that should be ready in a month's time. I'm not letting my team head into war unprepared."[break][break]

At his resolve, Sectonia's eyes shined. Isaac held his hand high, and with it the Light of Ruin glowed within Sectonia's abdomen. "Show 'em what you're made of, Sectonia!" Isaac called. The glow took the form of great petals made from light, unfurling and surrounded Sectonia's abdomen like the center of a flower. Combee drones emerged, as if responding to an Attack Order, but instead of swarming out they remained by her abdomen. They, too, glowed, adding their own power to the Light of Ruin that Sectonia charged.[break][break]

With that, Isaac pointed towards the targets. "Ruinous Blooms in Moonlight!" Sectonia practically screamed as the energy exploded out from her, firing a beam of light larger than even she was. It was a blast so massive that peals of light even scraped at the ceilings and floors of the room.[break][break]

While Isaac flinched away from the technique some, he forced himself to stand by Sectonia's side. His raised arms shielded his eyes from the light and braced himself from the techinque's blowback. His feet set in a firm, wide stance, preventing himself from being knocked aside by the mere force of the move. Occasionally, a wisp of energy floated off of Sectonia and singed his arm, his leather jacket barely doing anything to protect him. Yet all he could do was grit his teeth and fight through the pain, refusing to leave Sectonia's side.[break][break]

By the time the move was done, the energies had not passed. They sustained each other, feeding off of each other. The impact site would still detect powerful energy signatures if examined, but none were more energized by Sectonia herself. Visible wisps of Infinity and wormhole energies spilled from her abdomen and drifted around her body. Her wings buzzed in unsteady, agitated patterns, and her eyes glowed a burning red.

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[attr="class","skulltitle"]導通抵抗

[attr="class","skullbody"]"Two," Isaac said. For someone that had just become an Associate, the kid sure had resources! No wonder he kept punching above his weight class. "Well, sort of. My active Mega is Kiryu, the Aggron that's been by my side since the beginning. She's the strongest of my team even without a Mega Stone, and she and I have been through thick and thing. I know I'll always be able to count on her."[break][break]

"Then there's Knuckles." Isaac's voice took a touch of melancholy at mention of her. "She's a Riolu from Dr. Pryde's bond project. And we've actually made huge strides on bonding! Since we started working together, she's gone from meek and shy to a powerhouse full of determination. By the time all's said and done, I'm gonna ask if she can stay with me, because we make a hell of a duo." Or, at, least, made. "She's . . . not ready to fight yet, though."[break][break]

Once they were out of Mt. Pyre, finding Knuckles would be Isaac's first priority.[break][break]

And that wasn't even getting into Isaac's other anomalies. A Bisharp in a mantle that could shield him from a single strike. A Crobat that had been touched by the Illumina phenomenon. A time-displaced Growlithe, and a Typhlosion who had been aged into a strange, spiritual form via a time rift. And while she didn't suffer any strange side effects, his Espeon had been absorbed by Mewtwo and lived to tell the tale. In his brief time with Rocket, Isaac had already witnessed so many strange sights.[break][break]

Yet Mars was right. Strengths were one thing. Knowledge of drawbacks could make all of the difference. "All that lingering power makes her stronger. Probably from the Wormhole and Infinity energies not playing nice with each other. But I think the strain takes a toll on her, too," Isaac said. "Yeah. That same sorta agitated, worked-up confusion. Kinda like . . . what's that one move? Swagger?"[break][break]

As if to demonstrate the point, Sectonia called a Power Gem from the jewel on her forehead. The blast seemed to lash back out at her as she opened fire on various targets. Isaac was lucky there weren't more Pokemon out on the battlefield, or else she would have jumped right into picking a fight!

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[attr="class","skulltitle"]導通抵抗

[attr="class","skullbody"]Mars wasn't the strangest underboss to see put on a teasing front, but it still caught Isaac by surprise. Clearly, the healing power of Lucario united all people across Rocket's nation. "And here I thought you were more of a cat person," he counter teased. "I'm hoping all's going well with your own Riolu, too."[break][break]

With how perspective and canny of a trainer as Mars seemed to be, the answer was very likely a yes. The desire to fight seeped from Sectonia as she listened to Milotic's song, the red glow to her eyes fading with each passing moment. Soon, she was back to a calmed state, using the thrum of her wings to harmonize with Milotic's tune instead.[break][break]

It was an easy way to cut the situation short. However, Mars was right on two accounts. While the move itself would naturally give Sectonia trouble, it wasn't insurmountable. it was just far more difficult to work with than she would be with a clear head. "I'll work more on giving her a guiding hand," Isaac said. "Usually, I like to give my team wide berth, but that might not be a great idea when she's worked up like that. Giving her some distance from the rest of the team will let me give her more individual focus, and also reduces the chance of friendly fire. So she might be best suited as a shock and awe solo op."[break][break]

Yet just as Sectonia's role as a powerhouse needed to be carefully considered, so too did the nature of what power even meant. Every Pokemon had their role, and oftentimes the strongest roles were the least direct. "It's funny. I was actually just working with Johanna Joy on that," Isaac said. "We were working on how to get the most out of a Mega Gengar's Shadow Tag. It's a potent ability, and if the Gengar's able to avoid harm it can keep a lot of enemies away from crucial objectives."[break][break]

In some ways, he had made more progress as both a teacher and a trainer than he ever expected to. In other regards, he still clearly had so much to learn. Though hearing about a certain group of wormhole dwellers got Isaac raising an eyebrow in curiosity. "I've seen a legendary or two in my time, but Ultra Beasts? Those might show up on the battlefield too?"

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[attr="class","skulltitle"]導通抵抗

[attr="class","skullbody"]Frankly, Isaac was usually the type to let most of his Pokemon storm the battlefield and have Arceus sort it out. Sure, he'd keep a ringer or two in his pocket. But if the foe was crushed before they had the chance for reprisal, it made his job a hell of a lot easier. However, that strategy risked opening up him up for traps, so Mars' point remained salient. Battling was like riding a motorcycle. You had to know when to hit the brake, and when to go all-in on the throttle.[break][break]

Fuck. Isaac missed his big dumb bike.[break][break]

The three different transformations on display illustrated that point clearly. "If she's good trump card, it's all the more reason to keep her in my back pocket," Isaac said. "Having my plans derailed by, say, being trapped in the fight by Gengar or preemptively shut down by Milotic could spell disaster. I need her in as good of a condition as I can before I pop the Z-Move. That way, I can turn the course of the fight around, and her power boost will help me capitalize on that momentum."[break][break]

Yet even this assessment was imperfect. If the enemies walls resisted Fairy-type moves, he'd need another plan anyway. Or, if an enemy's ace was weak to them, it might behoove him to shut it down early. And then there were his allies to consider, too; pairing an ability like the previously-mentioned Shadow Tag with his trump card could shut a foe down real early, for example. And the enemies would have allies too . . .[break][break]

War was hell. Especially on the brain cells.[break][break]

It would only be more hellish if the League really did bring their best and brightest. "They're really pulling out all the stops," Isaac admitted. "I was told they'd be bringing out the Rangers, too, not just their officers. Between them, and the volunteers that'll show for sure, it's gonna be all hands on deck. Maybe that's our key; look for the weak links, hit them hard, and get our job done while they're shuffling the ranks."[break][break]

Cheeky tactics like that could only go so far. It wasn't enough to target the enemy's weakness. He also needed to find his own strength. "I'll make sure my Pokemon are ready," Isaac assured Mars. "And I'm gonna have to make sure I'm ready, too. I've been training with Zev, but . . ."[break][break]

Did that really mean he'd be ready for war?

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[attr="class","skulltitle"]導通抵抗

[attr="class","skullbody"]The world was ending. And to many on Mt. Pyre, Rocket was more of a problem than the literal apocalyptic meteor. But to go with full-on lethal tactics . . . somehow, it was a line Isaac hadn't expected the League as a unit to cross. They could be hardasses, but extrajudicial murder?[break][break]

And yet, in a way it made sense. Rocket was striking to, at least in the League's eyes, extinguish their last hope. At best, they were so suicidally greedy that the world was better off without them. At worst, they were mad heralds of the apocalypse. And even if they weren't? They'd already conquered an entire city. This had gone beyond a criminal organization. They were enemy soldiers, and this was war.[break][break]

Isaac wasn't good at killing. He'd rough a guy up if he needed to, sure. Hell, he was actually really handy in a fight. But losing a fight was temporary. It could be painful, excruciating even, but it was something you could walk away from. Death? There was nothing more final in this world, short of having your very soul eradicated. It was a big responsibility. Isaac didn't think he was big enough to make that call. He didn't think anyone was.[break][break]

His enemies wouldn't agree. And if he faltered, they'd take full advantage.[break][break]

His body could only take him so far. The mind was the strongest weapon anyone could lay claim to, and Isaac refused to let it go to waste. "I'm not gonna let them get to me," Isaac assured Mars. "We have a job to do. We go in. We do our parts. And we all get out. Simple as that." It was nowhere near as simple as that. But Isaac knew Mars knew that already, and his intent was clear either way.[break][break]

He had no further questions, simply a smile and a "Thank you." And then he left Mars to his duties.

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[attr="class","wildpkmn"]

[attr="class","wildtag"]Isaac Merlo (PUMPKABOO)

[attr="class","wildnote"]CONGRATULATIONS!

[attr="class","wildpkmn"]

[attr="class","wildtag"]Martín del Mar (PUMPKABOO)

[attr="class","wildnote"]CONGRATULATIONS!