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[attr="class","skulltitle"]導通抵抗

[attr="class","skullbody"]Maybe Isaac should have taken a bit more time out on injury leave. By now, the loss of his eye had long stopped being a fresh injury. However, pains both real and phantom alike continued to plague him, only exacerbated by the surprisingly bitter chill that had settled over the region. He also still had a lot of ground to cover on depth perception and hand eye coordination. Without a doubt, it was too early to be back in action.[break][break]

At the same time, fuck that. Sitting around all day was terminally boring. It wasn't even properly restful. Sitting around feeling sorry for himself just meant his brain got to drive the ship, and it picked at his negative thoughts just as one might itch and scratch at a fresh scar. And he was supposed to subject himself to that for how long? No fucking thanks.[break][break]

Besides, this was going to be a nice, simple mission. In many ways, it would be a return to form for Isaac. No high stakes drama. No alarmingly possible risk of grievous harm. No punching above his weight class. Just studying something weird for Rocket, and msybe getting into a little tussle on the way there. You know, the classics.[break][break]

His partner for the mission was a classic, too. Remiel was one of the first people Isaac took on a job for Rocket with. He was younger and stupider then, but the past half a year had ton a lot to draw out the potential that Remiel had seen in him. Now it was time to put that to the test.[break][break]

"I think I saw a video on this place once," Isaac mused. "Abandoned megamall in one of Hoenn's biggest cities? Yeah, this shit is catnip for urbex guys. Though the place's probably decayed even more since then. We should keep careful." It'd be fine, though. Weak floors were no match for a Magnet Rise. All he had to do was send Kiryu out and-[break][break]

Oh.[break][break]

He pushed the thought away, instead tossing down a Pokeball and releasing his Vikavolt. Lord British's wings droned like a piece of machinery as he took to the air, looking expectantly towards his trainer. "Any intel on what part of the mall our squatter's staying in?"

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[attr="class","skulltitle"]導通抵抗

[attr="class","skullbody"]"Not a shocker. You gotta be a little reckless, a little crazy, and hellbent on ignoring every angry-looking sign and piece of caution tape in your way." To some people, that meant you weren't too bright. To others, it meant you were a visionary.[break][break]

To Remiel and Isaac, it may have sounded a little familiar. And judging by that cheeky little smirk on Isaac's face, he knew it.[break][break]

With no other leads to go off of, it was time to get started. Remiel's Typhlosion took to all fours, a nose to the ground as it took point. As he followed in their footsteps, Isaac whistled towards Lord British. "You're on overwatch, buddy. Any shit starts falling on us, I'm gonna need you to String Shot it out of the sky for us, alright?" The Vikavolt clacked his mandibles in anticipation, watching the weakened floors and creaky ceilings as they set foot in the mall.[break][break]

Mega was right. A structure this large shouldn't be so abandoned. It felt fundamentally wrong, like they were walking around the tomb of a dead god. Except in this case, instead of a god, it was just a monument to capitalistic excess. In other words, maybe the closest thing to a god in society now days. Gholdengo vs. Arceus, live on pay-per-view! Get tickets while they're hot![break][break]

"This new Tera . . . whatsit. It comes from that meteor, right?" Isaac asked. "Space team give you any clues on what the signs of it are? Cause I'm gonna be real, being stuck in the hospital means I'm a little behind the curve on the latest news."

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[attr="class","skulltitle"]導通抵抗

[attr="class","skullbody"]Crystals. It was always crystals with Pokemon, wasn't it? Mega Evolution was the most obvious example, polished marble-like jewels allowing Pokemon go ascend to new heights. Yet crystalized pieces of the energy that formed Z-Moves could also be found, even if less commonly than the irradiated Passho crops that flooded Hoenn. Was Terastalization just an extension of these phemomena?[break][break]

Perhaps it went even deeper. Some crystals allowed Pokemon to evolve naturally; was Mega Evolution an offshoot? Others brought out the power of a move once before falling inert; a precursor to Z-Moves? And now there was Terastalization, a ohenomenon that flat out created growths of crystal. Was it all connected? He'd have to ask one of his savvier friends, like Ceri Glynn or Naomi Sato , or-[break][break]

The idea of a certain someone returning to Hoenn now that the dome was down filled him with dread.[break][break]

"Pretty sure if it was just glowing rocks, we wouldn't be here," Isaac mused. "So we're gonna have to prepare for some weird shit. But, hey. If we see strange lights or crystal growths, we'll know we're on the right track." He made sure to eye the floor for any sparkling dusts or crystal shards. With this new knowledge, a physical trail may have been more likely than a scent one.[break][break]

At Remiel's next question, Isaac couldn't help but snicker. "C'mon, you're a nice guy, but you don't gotta try that hard to spare my feelings." After all, the answer was as clear as that brand-new eyepatch on his face.[break][break]

"Didn't hurt as much as I expected it to, not gonna lie. Mask caught the worst of it, and adrenaline kept the pain away til I left Mt. Pyre. If anything, losing my depth perception's the real pain in the ass. Makes it a pain to bartend, throw Pokeballs, or-"[break][break]

Stairs. "Fuck."

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[attr="class","skullbody"]Isaac winced a little at Remiel's apologetic look. Something about being pitied hurt even more than having the issue pointed out in the first place. He couldn't avoid it forever, though. "They couldn't save it," he said, voice quiet. "Maybe if I got to a clinic right away, there could've been a chance. But truth be told, I kinda doubt it." Maybe he believed it to protect himself. Maybe he believed it because of all the Dhelmise weed in his eye.[break][break]

Still, Remiel was encouraging, even in such a matter-of-fact manner. "You're right. I'm not," Isaac said, glaring at his reflection in the brass handrail. "But you know who is the type? Gravity. No amount of heart's gonna stop me from faceplanting on those stairs if I just go rushing ahead like nothing happened. Like I always do."[break][break]

He sighed heavily, slowly reaching a hand for the guardrail. It clamped over his reflection until his knuckles turned white. "I'm not trying to let it hold me back. But I'm gonna have to take things slow. Let it adjust." He took his first step onto the stairs, leg raised a little extra high so he wouldn't trip over the first stair. "One step at a time."[break][break]

By the time he made it up the stairs, Remiel would've already been examining a strange, gooey substance on the wall. He squinted as he saw the ambassador pull a test tube from his pack. "Think this is just some kids having fun?" he asked. No, no. The more he looked at the designs, the more that didn't make sense. "Nah, they'd probably sign something. A tag, y'know? This is just . . . shapes?" Yet, were they even shapes? If anything, they were more like simple patterns.[break][break]

Either way, whether they were particularly unimaginative kids or some kind of paint-happy Pokemon, they were a sign that Something had been here at Some Point. Isaac motioned for Lord British to cover one side, while he turned to face the other. Two heads were better than one, and together they'd be able to make sure nothing snuck up on Remiel for his meddling.

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[attr="class","skullbody"]"If I don't, what was any of this for?"[break][break]

The question was calm and matter of fact, even if beneath the surface it was an agonized plea. "To lose my eye, to lose Kiryu, only make those sacrifices in vain . . ." The thought alone was enough to make his skin crawl. "If I'm just going to do that, I might as well have just died up on that mountain. The sacrifices, the loss, the pain . . .I'm gonna make sure it all means something. I have to."[break][break]

As he spoke, Remiel studied. And he agreed it likely wasn't some kids. Not, it had to be a Pokemon. "With this many colors, though? Smeargle always seem kinda . . . monochrome. And that's the only natural born painter I can think of." Honestly, it was kind of a relief if he was wrong. The only Pokemon more unpredictable than a Smeargle was a Togepi in full Metronome mode.[break][break]

A long finger may be the source of their answer. Isaac had never seen a Pokemon with such bony fingers before. What the heck were they dealing with here? Some kind of skeleton artist? "I knew the rift let out some weird Pokemon, but this takes the cake," Isaac said.[break][break]

Still, they had to be prepared. "Lord British, snare it at the first sign of movement, alright?" The Vikavolt hummed in response, sending electricity into its silk glands to kick production into overdrive. Something told him this wasn't going to be an easy catch . . .

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[attr="class","skullbody"]Did Remiel know how deep Isaac's own questioning ran? Did he know the sins that had weighed on the younger man's back? The traumas and crucibles that he had ready been put through? The twin pains of being a good man and a Rocket, facing the trials of the low road and high road alike as he tried to walk the line?[break][break]

An uncharacteristic quiet fell over the two. Occasionally Isaac stole a glance in Remiel's direction, as if trying to gauge what the normally-jovial, normally-blunt ambassador was thinking. Part of him desperately wanted to say something to break the silence that his words had unexpectedly caused.[break][break]

Yet of all things, it was a silly little name that got Remiel out of his head. "Huh?" he asked, as if snapping out of his reverie. "Oh, yeah. I found it in an arcade, and it kinda looks like a ship from one of those old games my little brother loved playing. But I think whoever discovered this Pokemon already beat me to that one." Seriously. The large-mandibled Vikavolt was a dead ringer for the split-nosed design of the Vic Viper. "So I named it after Player 2 instead."[break][break]

He sighed, fondly remembering one of his rare moments of childhood happiness. "Arceus, I was always awful at them." Hand Isaac a keyboard or controller, and you'd get an utterly hopeless spectacle in turn. The only games he actually had some talent at were the physically dependent ones that Josh Devlin had shown him. And now, with what happened to his eye, those would also be a thing of the past.[break][break]

"Do you name all of yours?"

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[attr="class","skullbody"]Right. Remiel had nicknamed at least one. His shining Gardevoir and personal assistant had made quite the impression in Isaac's memory. Still, he sat at a halfway point on the subject of names. Isaac tried to imagine the concept of earning his right to a name. It felt foreign.[break][break]

If the man he refused to call a father could've taken his name back, he would've in a heartbeat.[break][break]

He stewed in the thought as they chased after their Terastal threat, pursuing it through a garish combination of acid-burned shoe memorabilia and crude graffiti. Whatever they were chasing had even whipped up a crude, mocking picture of Remiel's Typhlosion. Yet when the lights smashed on and the mall roared to life, it was clear they had been chasing a shadow.[break][break]

"If this is its turf, it might've given us the runaround while we were lost in the dark," Isaac said. "Now that the light's back on, maybe we've got a better chance of tracking it down. But how'd the light even get on in the first-"[break][break]

No.[break][break]

"It couldn't."

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