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POSTED ON Dec 10, 2022 5:51:33 GMT

[nospaces]

[attr="class","jaytop"] ability defiant / close combat, assurance, seismic toss, fury swipes, night slash

[attr="class","littlejay"]

mavriki the mankey races down the steps of sootopolis just after his trainer, who descends the pearl staircase much slower. the bruise on his ribs are just beginning to heal, and fern delaney taught him how to use make-up to cover the ones around his cheek, right where dialga had struck him.

[break][break] dressed in a dark coat and scarf, his boots crunch against the newly-fallen snow as he spots a familiar set of blond hair at their meet-up place near the lake's edge.

[break][break] "thank you for meeting me here."

[break][break] it's a far-cry from their first meeting on a sunny beach all those months ago during the hoenn star tournament.

[attr="class","ooc"] Isaac Merlo[break]
bond bridge

☉

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[newclass=".jaytop"]width:438px;border-radius:0px;height:60px;background-image:url(https://image.ibb.co/dMFuMc/flower.png);background-repeat:no-repeat;background-position:center right;text-align:center;margin:0px -60px -50px 25px;padding-bottom:15px;border:solid 1px #232323; border-radius:5px; } .jaytop img { margin-top:-30px; } .jaytop img { filter:grayscale(100%); padding-top:20px; } .jaytop img:hover { filter:grayscale(20%); transition:0.2s all; [/newclass]

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POSTED ON Dec 10, 2022 6:26:19 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"]The way Jayden continued to stagger was painful to behold. Isaac had seen bang-ups and botches on missions before, but missions were like child's play compared to the reality of war. So many of the people he cared for were hurting; their bodies, their minds, and shit, even their souls.[break][break]

How much of that hurt did it take to turn into a Cillian Quinn?[break][break]

Still, Jayden was a friend. A friend with a more complicated history than Isaac had expected, but a friend nonetheless. And when a friend of Isaac's called, Isaac came knocking. It was his way. "Hey, no problem," Isaac said, an easygoing grin spreading across his now-scarred up face.[break][break]

In some ways, Isaac was lucky. The phantom pains and tension headaches were nasty, but at least he could put one front in front of the other. Kind of. If he moved slowly enough. And there weren't any sudden changes of elevation. Okay, so he was still working on the whole moving thing. But that was what Pokemon were for, so hush your butt.[break][break]

He looked across the lake. Dear Arceus, the lake. "It's funny. That might as well have been our way of saying Hell's frozen over," he mused, motioning to the frozen waters that stretched out before them. "Kinda weird to see it actually happen."[break][break]

It was weird to see any of this happen.

[break][break]

[break]

[attr="class","skullinfo"]MOBILE POST / jayden cross

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

[newclass=.skullhover]width:420px;-webkit-filter: grayscale(100%);filter: grayscale(100%);-webkit-transition:all 1s ease;transition:all 1s ease;-webkit-transition-delay:0.1s;[/newclass]
[newclass=.skullhover:hover]-webkit-filter: grayscale(0%);filter: grayscale(0%)-webkit-transition:all 1s ease;transition:all 1s ease;[/newclass]
[newclass=.skullimg]width:380px;height:200px;background-image:url(https://i.imgur.com/HOVZp0J.png); background-repeat:no-repeat;[/newclass]
[newclass=.skulltitle]font-family:verdana;font-weight:700;font-size:50px;position:relative;text-align:center;color:#D9B800;margin-top:-36px;margin-bottom:0px;text-shadow: -1px 0 black, 0 1px black, 1px 0 black, 0 -1px black;[/newclass]
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[newclass=.skullcredits]width:380px;font-family:roboto;font-size:12px;text-align:center;[/newclass]

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jayden

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TAG WITH @jayden

POSTED ON Dec 10, 2022 7:37:36 GMT

[nospaces]

[attr="class","jaytop"] ability defiant / close combat, assurance, seismic toss, fury swipes, night slash

[attr="class","littlejay"]

in the bright winter sun of sootopolis' crater, Isaac Merlo looks like FERNANDO SILPH's blond twin with that eye-patch.

[break][break] ironic that one rocket would do to a league member where another league member would do onto a rocket.

[break][break] jayden turns his head, glancing towards the icy lake as it's motioned to. "you've never seen a frozen lake before?" he asks, head tilting. his mankey rushes excitingly town to the lake's edge, poking away at the icy surface.

[break][break] "circhester is almost icy all-year round. i've been ice skating there as a child."

[attr="class","ooc"] Isaac Merlo[break]
bond bridge

☉

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The Liberator

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April 10

Lavaridge Town

Figuring it Out

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POSTED ON Dec 10, 2022 19:48:58 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"]"We might not be the tropics like Alola, or a wasteland like Orre. But far as regions go, Hoenn's one of the warmest." With lush forests, sprawling deserts, and even volcanic activity, there was a lot corroborating to keep the region from getting too cold. "Shit, most regions at least have some kinda mountain or northern pole where you can find ice types. Around these parts, the only place cold enough for them is Shoal Cave."[break][break]

Well, was. From what Isaac heard, even in the chill of this unnatural winter there was one hell that had been particularly frozen over. A part of him was interested in checking it out. Another part heard frozen bodies and immediately started to nope out. He never had the best constitution for death. With his eye freshly plucked out, he was even more squeamish than before.[break][break]

It must have been surreal living somewhere cold enough that ice and snow were year-round delights, and not little harbingers of the end times. It must have been nice, too. From what time Isaac and his team had spent in the snow, it was actually really enjoyable! A pity it was a rarity in Hoenn, and often fell in too thin of a layer to actually prove entertaining.[break][break]

"Ice skating, huh?" Isaac asked. "That's gotta be fun. I think I've seen a rink or two in the bigger cities, but never on natural ice like this."[break][break]

An eyebrow quirked curiously as he looked towards the frozen lake. The fact that it was even frozen was a miracle in of its own right. Asking for more had to be pushing it, surely. Nevertheless, if Isaac knew how to resist his curiosity, he would be a far different person. "You don't think it's actually sturdy enough, do you?"

[break][break]

[break]

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TAG WITH @jayden

POSTED ON Dec 10, 2022 22:02:34 GMT

[nospaces]

[attr="class","jaytop"] ability defiant / close combat, assurance, seismic toss, fury swipes, night slash

[attr="class","littlejay"]

Isaac Merlo makes a solid point.

[break][break] no matter how many years he's spent in hoenn, jayden will never quite feel like hoenn is his home. at least, not in the way that places like ballonea or even kanto were.

[break][break] he supposes he can't relate.

[break][break] instead, his lips curve upwards.

[break][break] "you haven't taken ana fell yet?" he chides lightly, bemused. most people would think that jayden is oblivious to those kinds of interactions — and maybe, in a lot of cases, he is — but he can be observant occasionally when no one expects it.

[break][break] he opens his mouth to say more, before glaring sharply at the blond.

[break][break] "don't you dare."

[break][break] reckless.

[attr="class","ooc"] Isaac Merlo[break]
bond bridge

☉

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Wanderer

The Liberator

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April 10

Lavaridge Town

Figuring it Out

Penitent

Renegade

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TAG WITH @isaacmerlo

POSTED ON Dec 10, 2022 22:19:05 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"]"Shit, that's a killer date idea," Isaac admitted. "But it's not like it's ever been the right time. This is our first winter together, y'know. And while normally I'd hop at the chance to finally give it a shot . . ."[break][break]

His hand raised to meet his eyepatch, a gesture he hid by bashfully rubbing the back of his head. "Well, maybe now's not the best time for sticking sharp, metal blades on my feet and testing my balance." Add that to the list of things Isaac couldn't do now.[break][break]

It was a feeling he reinforced when Jayden cut him off with a sharp glare. ")Oi, oi, I didn't say I was gonna go testing out the ice!" Isaac protested. "Shit, I don't even have skates. And something tells me ice stumbling's all the headache of ice skating with none of the fun."[break][break]

He looked back out towards the ice, sighing softly. "I was just curious, y'know? First time I'm seeing all this and all that."[break][break]

Jayden would likely know more about it than Isaac did. "What was it like? Over there in Circhester?" he asked. How Jayden had gotten all the way from there to here . . . it must have been a hell of a story. And Isaac couldn't imagine it being a painless one.[break][break]

He was so lost in thought that he didn't even realize that a pair of Pokeballs had wiggled off of his belt.

[break][break]

[break]

[attr="class","skullinfo"]MOBILE POST / jayden cross

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POSTED ON Dec 10, 2022 22:25:54 GMT

[nospaces]

[attr="class","jaytop"] ability defiant / close combat, assurance, seismic toss, fury swipes, night slash

[attr="class","littlejay"]

"good."

[break][break] it's good to know that the blond has a better head on his shoulders than trying to throw himself on the frozen lake — if he had, he would've had to order the other to go immediately back to the medbay.

[break][break] "it is a little difficult at first," he remarks. "not that i'm particularly skilled myself."

[break][break] he hadn't partaken in the ice skating adventures of some of hoenn's festivities in previous years. and while he technically had gone ice-skating during his childhood, the moments had been brief.

[break][break] and with alternative motives.

[break][break] stumbling on ice was one thing. being dunked head-first into ice-cold water was another.

[break][break] alas, just another method of dmitri's training.

[break][break] he shakes his head. "i've only been a few times, mostly for my father's work — most of my time in galar was spent in ballonea."

[break][break] a pause before he looks curiously at the other.

[break][break] "you're from hoenn originally?"

[attr="class","ooc"] Isaac Merlo[break]
bond bridge

☉

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April 10

Lavaridge Town

Figuring it Out

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TAG WITH @isaacmerlo

POSTED ON Dec 10, 2022 22:59:37 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"]He'd only been a few times? Isaac blinked a few times in surprise. "Huh. With how your mind went right there, I figured it was your home," he admitted. "So, where are you from, then?" Maybe he was just Kantonian, born and raised, and just took occasional work trips to Galar. All of Rocket's MVPs seemed to be.[break][break]

Isaac's homeland was a lot less of a mystery. "Yep. Lavaridge," he clarified. Not that it was home in any fashion bar location. There was nothing for him back there. There was nobody waiting for him. Even if he went incognito, what would he even be going for? To go sit in a big tub of hot water? Big deal. He could do that anywhere! . . . Even if it did sound way satisfying in the wintertime.[break][break]

"Though, by this point, I've been all over the place. Five years of hitting the open road means you tend to get real familiar with the region, real fast." At the very least, he was intimately familiar with the landlocked parts. Once you got to the quarter of coastal cities, Isaac's familiarity dropped off, fast.[break][break]

As he spoke, his fallen Pokeballs rolled their way onto the lake's surface. They then exploded into light, a Jolteon and an Espeon emerging onto the scene. The lake's surface may have been too flimsy for a human, but for a pair of far more lightweight cats it seemed to be holding up magnificently. The Espeon glided around the ice in big, magnificent circles, giggling as her Jolteon companion was reduced to a flailing mess of scrambling limbs.

[break][break]

[break]

[attr="class","skullinfo"]MOBILE POST / jayden cross

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

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jayden

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december 25

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POSTED ON Dec 10, 2022 23:04:19 GMT

[nospaces]

[attr="class","jaytop"] ability defiant / close combat, assurance, seismic toss, fury swipes, night slash

[attr="class","littlejay"]

"ballonea." he looks over at the frozen lake, watching as his shiny mankey skitters around the edge of it. today, there is no sight of crystablooms, not like there had been when he and Felix Gallagher had wandered here in the summertime.

[break][break] "lavaridge is nice," he says. "it's like hoenn's cinnebar." though, perhaps, with a lot less bloodshed.

[break][break] there is an amused expression as the two eevee evolutions skid along the lake, clumsily, but who isn't clumsy when in love?

[break][break] "so is that where you stay now?" a pause, before he tilts his head. "come to think of it... merlo, where do you live?"

[break][break] he arches a brow.

[attr="class","ooc"] Isaac Merlo[break]
bond bridge

☉

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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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TAG WITH @isaacmerlo

POSTED ON Dec 10, 2022 23:25:44 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"]Huh. With how Jayden had referred to "when he was in Galar," it didn't sound like he was from there. If anything, it sounded like he was visiting. He remembered their last hangout on that sunny beach months ago. He'd said his parents were Rocket and he was basically born in the organization, right? How often did that tear him away from his own home?[break][break]

He wisely elected to stop asking questions.[break][break]

"Eh. You say nice, I say boring," Isaac said, shrugging dismissively. "Don't get me wrong. It's a great place to visit. Go on a volcano tour. Check out the little old timey shops. Take a dip in the hot spring. Real good way to burn a weekend."[break][break]

"Then you realize, wait, that's all there is to do around here. And you realize why its basically Hoenn's retirement home."[break][break]

Of course the routine-craving, control-freaking old man liked it that way. No wonder they never moved anywhere the least bit interesting.[break][break]

Ah well. It was hard to be bitter while his Eeveelutions were being so freaking adorable. Poor Ivan was left looking around in a panic as Vivi booped him with one of her twin tails, giggling as she trailed another lap around him. By the next pass, she had finally taken pity on her poor companion, using her Psychic to basically pull him along behind her. Now the two were able to skate in tandem like a proper couple! And they didn't even need opposable thumbs.[break][break]

"Where do I live? Well, wherever I feel like it, really. Big, sprawling region. So many sights to take in. Why settle? And when it comes to necessities, Echo's able to warp me right back to the sub to take care of 'em." In a way, it was almost inspiring. He was able to reclaim four years of hardship and turn it into a satisfying experience, while using the connections, stability, and cash afforded by Rocket to care for himself in ways he never would've been able to before.[break][break]

It almost made it feel less like he was running away from something.[break][break]

"Echo's the Ralts you traded me, by the by. He's been doing fantastic, and frankly he's been a huge help to the team. I owe ya big time for that."

[break][break]

[break]

[attr="class","skullinfo"]MOBILE POST / jayden cross

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

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jayden

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december 25

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TAG WITH @jayden

POSTED ON Dec 15, 2022 9:39:05 GMT

[nospaces]

[attr="class","jaytop"] ability defiant / close combat, assurance, seismic toss, fury swipes, night slash

[attr="class","littlejay"]

his head tilts curiously as he regards Isaac Merlo's description of LAVARIDGE. it had been a while since he had visited there — in fact, he couldn't remember exactly when the last time had been, but somehow it didn't seem surprising. the town was most well-known for it's hot springs but beyond that, jayden could recall anything spectacular about it.

[break][break] "is that why you left?" he inquires.

[break][break] as the conversation shifts away from the past to the present, jayden regards the two eevee evolutions racing across the ice with ease. he trusts isaac's ability to control them, should anything get out of hand.

[break][break] his own mankey makes an excited squeal as he joins them onto the ice.

[break][break] "you may already know this, but the sub has rooms for each grunt should you need it. in fact, i spent most of my time there before i moved to sootopolis."

[break][break] jayden nods at the other, and decides it's time to hand over the bag that he had been holding this entire time.

[break][break] "of course. also, here are the cookies you asked for, and the recipe." though he wasn't sure why he'd wanted them - it wasn't particularly special. "and i have added some salves that our company are working on that should help with your wounds, if you are still experiencing any pain."

[break]

[attr="class","ooc"] Isaac Merlo[break]
bond bridge [break]
(december)

☉

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The Liberator

he/him/his

April 10

Lavaridge Town

Figuring it Out

Penitent

Renegade

949 height

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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