MARCH UPDATE

Short King height

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

awards

4,402 posts

DOLLARS

part of

TAG WITH @isaacmerlo

POSTED ON Jan 3, 2023 4:43:03 GMT

Melody Miro likes this

[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"]It was the strangest thing. Despite having brought Eris Halla into custody with her own two hands, her alter-ego's gym had yet to shutter its doors. Stranger still, Melody would find herself receiving a call from a girl that should be in jail through a gym that shouldn't be open.[break][break]

"You know who this is."[break][break]

Knowing he had approximately 0.01 seconds to keep talking before Melody heard that and hung up, Isaac sacrificed his well-earned dramatic silence. "And I want to try again. That chat didn't go how either of us wanted it to. It took some turns I'm not proud of. But if you think that means I'm giving up, you've got the wrong idea about who I am."[break][break]

That wasn't the bravado of a Rocket making a threat. That was the pain of someone who had recently learned truths that were never meant for him. That was the guilt of someone who knew he had thrown a match on a bridge with one of his friend's only hopes. That was the resolve of someone who, in the spite of every odd against him, would rather be crushed under their weight than even consider giving up.[break][break]

"You've given me a lot to think about. And so has this place." That's right. This Rocket grunt was calling from a gym leader's location. Granted, it was a minor gym leader, a current detainee, and someone who technically didn't even exist. But that didn't change the reality of this bizarre situation. If he was somehow orchestrating an ambush, the League had far bigger problems on their hands than a bit of mouthing off at a meeting. "I know much, much more than I did when we last met."[break][break]

"Same time. Same place. And please; if you doubt everything else I'm saying, at least consider the fact that I'm even taking the risk of calling you. If I'm a liar, I've got nothing to gain from this and everything to lose. Thank you. And I'm sorry."[break][break]

Once he'd said his piece and left his message, it would be business as usual. The same town. The same time. The same shady underdock. The same goal filling every inch of his mind; make sure that Eris was okay, no matter the risks.

[break][break]

[break]

[attr="class","skullinfo"]MOBILE POST / Melody Miro

[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]
[newclass=.skulloverlap]letter-spacing:1px;font-family:oswald;font-weight:200;font-size:12px;position:relative;text-align:center;margin-top:-0;margin-bottom:-5px;color:#e8e8e8;text-shadow: -1px 0 black, 0 1px black, 1px 0 black, 0 -1px black;[/newclass]
[newclass=.skullbody]div-align:center;text-align:justify;width:380px;line-height:15px;letter-spacing:.5px;font-size:12px;font-family:roboto;color:#d6d6d6;[/newclass]
[newclass=.skullinfo]width:380px;font-family:oswald;font-size:12px;font-weight:200;color:#767676;text-align:right[/newclass]
[newclass=.skullcredits]width:380px;font-family:roboto;font-size:12px;text-align:center;[/newclass]

[googlefont=Oswald]
[googlefont=Roboto]

close tab

played by

Pilo

Melly

she/her

July 9

Lilycove

Straight

Idol

Top Champion

5'6 height

hoenn

awards

3,570 posts

DOLLARS

part of

TAG WITH @melody

POSTED ON Jan 3, 2023 8:27:45 GMT

We have a date then. I hope you bring me snacks.

close tab

played by

Wanderer

The Liberator

he/him/his

April 10

Lavaridge Town

Figuring it Out

Penitent

Renegade

Short King height

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

awards

4,402 posts

DOLLARS

part of

TAG WITH @isaacmerlo

POSTED ON Jan 3, 2023 14:28:16 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"]To say Isaac hadn't been prepared for their first meeting was an understatement.[break][break]

He had no idea he'd even get that far in the first place. Melody was a member of Hoenn's Elite 4, Isaac was a renegade swept up in Rocket's wake, and their only point of connection was a child's request. Outside of generally wanting to help Eris, he had no idea what he even wanted to ask. And when push came to shove, clashing egos got in the way of his true goals, leading to the door slamming shut on what could have been an important bond. Under his front of bravado, he was nervous, uncertain, and a little overwhelmed.[break][break]

The Isaac that Melody would see today, with a determined glint in his eye, a firmed up stance, and the burden of knowledge atop his shoulders, couldn't be further from that bedraggled bridge troll. Gone was uncertain fumbling about some list. Now, there was only purpose. Gone was intimidation at the mere idea of facing a member of the Elite 4. Now, he proudly stepped into the lion's den.

"Hey, hey, easy on that table, Echo! No, no. Not where she was standing last time. That's gonna be real messy if she teleports into it. Maybe we should just . . . yeah, like that. Right in that corner. We can pull it back out later. Good hustle."[break][break]

And, yes. He'd bought snacks.

[break][break]

[break]

[attr="class","skullinfo"]MOBILE POST / Melody Miro

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

close tab

played by

Pilo

Melly

she/her

July 9

Lilycove

Straight

Idol

Top Champion

5'6 height

hoenn

awards

3,570 posts

DOLLARS

part of

TAG WITH @melody

POSTED ON Jan 4, 2023 1:50:16 GMT

[nospaces]

[attr="class","Melodypog3"]

[attr="class","Melodypog3-big-img"]

[attr="class","Melodypog3-1"]

[attr="class","Melodypog3-title"]
MORE HUMAN[break]THAN HUMAN

MORE HUMAN[break]THAN HUMAN

[attr="class","Melodypog3-tagged"]
Isaac Merlo

[attr="class","Melodypog3-subtitle"]
If it’s war that you want then you got it. If it’s pain well I brought what you need.

[attr="class","Melodypog3-pkmn"]

[attr="class","Melodypog3-post"]

[attr="class","Melodypog3-icon"]

No zororarks, no gardevoirs, no porygons. [break][break]

She leapt down from above, on the back of one of her closest pokemon. Cobalion.[break][break]

The creature stared at isaac, it's gaze unwavering and locked onto him entirely. Melody descends from his back and pats him on his side to thank him. "Well well. I didn't expect you to contact me so soon again Blackjack." she explains as she looks before her and spots the rocket she had a relatively...strange interaction with. [break][break]

"So what information did you happen to find?" she asks as she looks at the snacks he had brought. "I was joking.."

[attr="class","Melodypog3-bot-1"]

notes about this post

Notes go here

[attr="class","Melodypog3-bot"]

[googlefont=Poppins:700,800][googlefont=Hind:400,700][googlefont=VT323:400]
[newclass=.Melodypog3]background-color:#2b2b2b;padding:25px;border:solid 3px #363636;border-radius:10px;width:500px;margin:25px auto;background-image:url(https://image.ibb.co/cpf8Wc/flower_patt.png);background-repeat:no-repeat;background-position:bottom right;}.Melodypog3-big-img { height:0px;mix-blend-mode:lighten; }.Melodypog3-big-img img { height:250px;width:325px;margin:-25px 0px 0px 200px;border-radius:0px 10px 0px 10px; }.Melodypog3-1 { position:relative;min-height:400px;border-radius:5px;padding:34px; }.Melodypog3-title { font:800 40px Poppins;line-height:35px;text-transform:uppercase;color:#ffa8cc;width:165px;overflow:hidden;white-space:nowrap;letter-spacing:-.35px; }.Melodypog3-title div { position:absolute;margin-top:-70px;overflow:hidden;margin-left:165px;color:#2b2b2b;text-shadow:1px 1px 0px #eeeeee; }.Melodypog3-title div span { display:block;margin-left:-165px; }.Melodypog3-tagged { background-color:#272727;padding:0px 9px;height:28px;border:solid 1px #232323;overflow:hidden;border-radius:5px;margin:15px 285px 17px 0px;font:800 10px Poppins;line-height:10px;text-transform:uppercase;text-align:center;letter-spacing:.35px; }.Melodypog3-tagged a { font:800 10px Poppins!important;line-height:28px!important;text-decoration:none;color:#999999!important;display:block;transition:.3s all; }.Melodypog3-tagged a:hover { color:#ffa8cc!important; }.Melodypog3-subtitle { padding-right:285px;font:bold 10px Hind;line-height:10px;text-align:justify;color:#606060;text-transform:uppercase;letter-spacing:.5px; }.Melodypog3-pkmn { margin:30px 0px 25px 0px;display:grid;grid-template-columns:auto auto auto auto auto auto;gap:10px;width:100%; }.Melodypog3-pkmn div { border:solid 1px #232323;background-color:#272727;height:60px;border-radius:5px;display:flex;flex-direction:column;align-items:center;justify-content:center;cursor:pointer; }.Melodypog3-pkmn div img { display:block;transition:.3s all;filter:grayscale(100%) contrast(75%); }.Melodypog3-pkmn div:hover img { filter:grayscale(0%) contrast(100%); }.Melodypog3-post { color:#dbdbdb;font:12px Hind;line-height:19px;letter-spacing:.25px;text-align:justify; }.Melodypog3-post i { color:#72b4ff; }.Melodypog3-post b { color:#ffa8cc;font:700 12px Poppins;line-height:17px; }.Melodypog3-icon { float:left; padding:14px;border:solid 1px #232323;background-color:#303030;height:80px;width:80px;border-radius:5px;margin:0px 25px 5px 0px; }.Melodypog3-icon img { height:80px;width:80px;border-radius:3px;}.Melodypog3-bot { height:109px;width:109px;padding:0px 0px 26px 26px;background-color:#2b2b2b;border-radius:0px 10px 0px 10px;margin:-110px 0px -25px -25px;display:flex;justify-content:center;align-items:center;color:#dbdbdb;font-size:45px; }.Melodypog3-bot-1 { margin-top:30px;font:12px Hind;line-height:16px;color:#dbdbdb;height:75px; }.Melodypog3-bot-1 h1 { margin:0px;border:solid 1px #232323;border-radius:5px;background-color:#272727;font:800 10px Poppins;line-height:10px;padding:9px;color:#ffa8cc;text-transform:uppercase;letter-spacing:.35px;max-width:fit-content;margin-bottom:10px; }.Melodypog3-bot-1 div { height:49px;overflow:auto;text-align:justify;padding-right:15px;color:#a3a3a3;text-shadow:1px 1px 0px #2b2b2b; }.Melodypog3-bot-1 div::-webkit-scrollbar { background:transparent!important;border:none!important;width:8px; }.Melodypog3-bot-1 div::-webkit-scrollbar-thumb { background-color:#ffa8cc!important;border:solid 1px #232323!important;border-radius:5px;[/newclass]

close tab

played by

Wanderer

The Liberator

he/him/his

April 10

Lavaridge Town

Figuring it Out

Penitent

Renegade

Short King height

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

awards

4,402 posts

DOLLARS

part of

TAG WITH @isaacmerlo

POSTED ON Jan 4, 2023 3:07:40 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"]Echo's jaw practically hit the floor. His eyes, the size of dinner plates, were visible even through the thick bowl cut surrounding his face. He peeped a few times, as if trying to get a thought out of his head that he couldn't even begin to vocalize.[break][break]

Isaac shot him a confused look, not aware of the towering creature that had touched down in the sands behind him. "Huh, what's wrong, Echo?" Isaac asked. Echo peeped a few more times, barely able to raise a trembling finger to point towards Melody and her sworn partner. "C'mon, I know you're nervous. But I know she's gonna show. Watch, she'll be here any moment now."[break][break]

Oh. Echo was pointing. The moon was blotted out by the shadow stretching over him. He could feel a supernatural pressure send a chill down his spine. "Any . . . moment . . . now . . ." he repeated, turning his head that little bit further with each word.[break][break]

He'd told himself he was ready for anything. Yet he couldn't help but recoil back a little as his gaze finally met Cobalion's own. "Woah!" he said, taking a quick breath to ease his startle. As he calmed himself, he could see that Melody was standing astride the creature. Good. She was here. "Seems like someone knows how to show up in style."[break][break]

Melody had joked about snacks, but Isaac was serious. As she noticed them, Isaac motioned for Echo to bring the table forward. It took all of the Ralts' control to not yeet the table out of pure shock, stopping it just before all of the food on top could tumble off. Isaac wasn't exactly sure what kind of food Melody liked, so he made sure to bring a little of everything; chips, baked goods, fresh fruits and vegetables. He caught an apple before it rolled off of the table, holding it up and offering it Cobalion's way. "Hungry?"[break][break]

A part of him was almost terrified that Cobalion would take the offer. The idea of having those teeth so close to his hand, all while it glared with such intensity . . .[break][break]

Yet even his intensity paled in comparison to Melody's. "Well, sorry to start off by disappointing you. But it's just me tonight." He looked out to the ocean, a distinct lack of the Rocket sub looming in its waters. "No running crying to Gavin. No grabbing an army and raising Hell. There's not a soul in Rocket that knows we're here tonight, and that's how I want to keep it."[break][break]

"I want Eris to be free. But not like that. I'm sick of her having to feel like her only option's the devil she knows. Being treated like some thing to fight over. Being made into a pawn in some fucked-up war." He didn't go into the stories behind Eris' suffering. Not yet. But it was already clear just how much more he'd learned.[break][break]

"I don't care how impossible it is. I'm breaking this cycle."

[break][break]

[break]

[attr="class","skullinfo"]MOBILE POST / Melody Miro

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

close tab

played by

Pilo

Melly

she/her

July 9

Lilycove

Straight

Idol

Top Champion

5'6 height

hoenn

awards

3,570 posts

DOLLARS

part of

TAG WITH @melody

POSTED ON Jan 5, 2023 5:04:57 GMT

[nospaces]

[attr="class","Melodypog3"]

[attr="class","Melodypog3-big-img"]

[attr="class","Melodypog3-1"]

[attr="class","Melodypog3-title"]
MORE HUMAN[break]THAN HUMAN

MORE HUMAN[break]THAN HUMAN

[attr="class","Melodypog3-tagged"]
Isaac Merlo

[attr="class","Melodypog3-subtitle"]
If it’s war that you want then you got it. If it’s pain well I brought what you need.

[attr="class","Melodypog3-pkmn"]

[attr="class","Melodypog3-post"]

[attr="class","Melodypog3-icon"]

She stays silent for the most part until Cobalion sniffs the apple. However his gaze locks with Isaac's and he turns his head away from him and walks back. She snorts a bit and laughs at the interactions "Sorry. He hates people. Only a few exceptions, like three people." she says apologizing for his behavior. [break][break]

However the diva raises an eyebrow as he goes into his mini monologue, staying silent for the most part until Isaac was done speaking. "I see. Those are your feelings huh?" she says as she crosses her arm and bends her knee slightly. [break][break]

Cobalion stared at Melody, trying to get a read on her emotions but not even he could really make sense of her emotions at the moment so he resides himself to just watch the scenes unfold in front of him. "How do you intend to do that exactly?" she asks wondering what his plan was, if he wanted to break the cycle how did he intend to do that? After all given Eris's life up until this point, that cycle seemed to be made out of orichalcum at this point. [break][break]

Surely he had an ace up his sleeve right?

[attr="class","Melodypog3-bot-1"]

notes about this post

Notes go here

[attr="class","Melodypog3-bot"]

close tab

played by

Wanderer

The Liberator

he/him/his

April 10

Lavaridge Town

Figuring it Out

Penitent

Renegade

Short King height

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

awards

4,402 posts

DOLLARS

part of

TAG WITH @isaacmerlo

POSTED ON Jan 5, 2023 5:36:43 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 fact that Elite Four member Melody Miro apologized for her legendary steed's hatred of a Rocket grunt may have been one of the most surreal moments of 2023. That was saying something, considering 2023 had literally just started. "Nah, nah. It's fine. I'm a stranger. He's a mythical beast made of knives. It's cool. You hate anyone you gotta, big guy."[break][break]

If anything, he and Echo were just relieved to still be in one piece. The pressure clutching their hearts like a vice slowly ebbed away.[break][break]

At Melody's question, Isaac nodded. "She's a kid," he said, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. In some ways, it was. In others, Eris Halla bore burdens no child should ever have to. "She's still got a future. I don't want to see it run out on her."[break][break]

Then came that impossible question. How. Isaac wished he had a clean, easy answer for this. He wish in just the wave of a magic wand, he could make all of her pain, all of her loss, all of her struggle disappear. He wished he could just roll out the red carpet to some perfect house by the forest, with space for all her Pokemon, and a big old play-area for Mesprit, and a freed Chu-e Choi waiting for her every night. But he knew he couldn't even begin to promise that. He could only promise his best efforts, as earnest and naive as they were.[break][break]

"Right now, she's scared." It was a simple enough declaration to make. "She's no Rocket partisan. In fact, she was the only one with the guts to call Walsh out for his plans, before Meteno." Was that a hint of pride in Isaac's voice? How interesting. "But in some fucked-up way, being among us is all she knows. And for every hell that's put her through, there've been good memories along the way."[break][break]

"The only alternative she sees is losing her entire family. Again. You can see why that's such a hard choice for her, can't you?" Rocket wasn't the only devil she knew. Loss was the other, and that demon's sadism and finality was enough to make Rocket blush.[break][break]

"I want to try talking to her. Not to make demands. Not to give ultimatums. Not to do anything that'll get her retreating again. And I know that's gonna be hard, because the poor kid's probably used to being on the defensive." It was going to be like bomb defusal, open heart surgery, and child psychology were thrown in a blender. Joyous. "I just want to show her that there are people listening, who care about her. And that those who truly care about her are gonna be happy to see her spread her wings and soar, even if it's away from them."[break][break]

She didn't have to be holed up to the sub or forced to fight for the glory of Rocket to be loved. Isaac just knew that those who believed in her would find a way. "I don't think she's gonna listen right away. Hell, I know I can't control her. But showing her I can't is half the point, anyway. Otherwise, she'd just double down out of spite. I've been down that road enough to see the signs."[break][break]

"If I can just show her that she's being heard, maybe I'll have a chance of reaching her."

[break][break]

[break]

[attr="class","skullinfo"]MOBILE POST / Melody Miro

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

close tab

played by

Pilo

Melly

she/her

July 9

Lilycove

Straight

Idol

Top Champion

5'6 height

hoenn

awards

3,570 posts

DOLLARS

part of

TAG WITH @melody

POSTED ON Jan 5, 2023 22:26:31 GMT

[nospaces]

[attr="class","Melodypog3"]

[attr="class","Melodypog3-big-img"]

[attr="class","Melodypog3-1"]

[attr="class","Melodypog3-title"]
MORE HUMAN[break]THAN HUMAN

MORE HUMAN[break]THAN HUMAN

[attr="class","Melodypog3-tagged"]
Isaac Merlo

[attr="class","Melodypog3-subtitle"]
If it’s war that you want then you got it. If it’s pain well I brought what you need.

[attr="class","Melodypog3-pkmn"]

[attr="class","Melodypog3-post"]

[attr="class","Melodypog3-icon"]

The silence from melody was deafening. Listening intently to every word that Blackjack had spoken to her, she knew he was being genuine, she knew he had the right intentions for her so...[break][break]

"No." [break][break]

"Absolutely not." she reiterates to make it clear her stance on it. "You cannot talk to Eris while she's in the LEAGUES
she emphasized, lingering on the word slightly. "Custody" [break][break]

"I can't do that without putting myself in jeopardy and on top of that it would be a HUGE crime for me to allow someone I know is a rocket affiliate into the heart of our headquarters." she sighs as she'd hope Isaac would catch on to what she meant. "I understand you want what's best for her but feelings and words wont change that fact no matter how much you speak." [break][break]

Melody feels bad being the bad guy in this situation but she had no other choice. "Even if I could do something. What would you even say? I gave Eris all the time in the world to try and come to a conclusion and when i asked for her answer her response was to send a Salamance at me and try to kill me."

[attr="class","Melodypog3-bot-1"]

notes about this post

Notes go here

[attr="class","Melodypog3-bot"]

close tab

played by

Wanderer

The Liberator

he/him/his

April 10

Lavaridge Town

Figuring it Out

Penitent

Renegade

Short King height

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

awards

4,402 posts

DOLLARS

part of

TAG WITH @isaacmerlo

POSTED ON Jan 6, 2023 0:29:11 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"]So Eris Halla was in the heart of the League's headquarters? On one hand, that was crazy amounts of overkill for a little girl. Sure, they were probably Chu-e Choi's accommodations more than anything, and she was along for the ride. But, come on! She wasn't some criminal mastermind! She was a potato![break][break]

On the other hand, a certain pink mischief maker would probably find that information all too enlightening.[break][break]

Still, if that was really where Eris was kept under lock and key, Isaac could understand the complication. "Yeah, no. Even I'm not that naive," Isaac said. "Please forgive me for not assuming that a literal child was being kept in the most high-security, politically-important city in the entire region. But I get it. Marching my ass to Ever Grande city would be more trouble than it's worth for both of us." Isaac would have his ass coffin danced to jail, and Melody would have to deal with a relentless battery of questions.[break][break]

"So how about a meeting on neutral ground?"[break][break]

"Teleport lets you get Eris to the dropoff point without any chance for her to escape your notice. Imprison would let you ensure nobody has any cheeky ideas about using their own to escape. Your average wild Ralts can learn both, trivially easy for the League to requisition, and then get you and her back to Ever Grande in seconds flat. I'd consent to full surveillance; hidden cameras, if you'd rather Eris not know she's monitored, or League personnel, if you do. No Pokeballs, a round of metal detecting and contraband checks to make sure I'm not pulling any funny business. And as strict a time limit as you want. You name a term, I concede it to you."[break][break]

"If a single Rocket crashes the party, Eris escapes somehow, or I do anything during that meeting that makes you rescind your trust, and I take full responsibility. Whatever that leads to." Arceus, Isaac was really serious about this, wasn't he? The situation he was describing might as well have been called a death trap in any other hands. However, considering he wasn't already pinned down under a Cobalion's hoof with cuffs slapped around his wrists and ankles, Isaac felt willing to extend that level of trust.[break][break]

"As for what I'd say . . . I'd tell her my own thoughts on family. We both had ours torn away from us, one way or another. And we both know how soul-crushing it feels to have that possibility rear its ugly head." Eris' messy, dramatic explosion was different from Isaac's slow, cold decay in many ways. Yet, here they were at the same end point, were they not? "A kindred spirit might be able to get her thinking about what family truly means."[break][break]

That was really the crux of it, wasn't it? To Melody, Rocket was a destructive, warping influence. To Eris, Rocket was . . . complicated, messy, and painful, but also the only family she could hold onto. "And I can tell you that Eris is no killer. There are people raised by Rocket who have sharpened that instinct into second nature. She couldn't be more different from them."[break][break]

It was a bold statement to make, considering what Melody believed to have faced off with. "What you saw wasn't Eris," he said, voice heavy with conviction. "You saw her fears. Her pain. Her traumas. What you believed to be helping, unfortunately, just sent her hurtling back to the worst days of her life. In her desperation to stop it from happening again, she backslid. Mentally, she was gone. Only the her that did what she had to in order to survive Kanto remained."[break][break]

"I bet if you took the time to talk to her, she wouldn't even remember what happened." Isaac delivered Koios' words not with their original mechanical precision, but with the desperation and passion of someone trying to make sense of the senseless. "She doesn't need a cell. She needs a psychologist. And assurance that she will never have to return to that life."

[break][break]

[break]

[attr="class","skullinfo"]MOBILE POST / Melody Miro

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

close tab

played by

Pilo

Melly

she/her

July 9

Lilycove

Straight

Idol

Top Champion

5'6 height

hoenn

awards

3,570 posts

DOLLARS

part of

TAG WITH @melody

POSTED ON Jan 8, 2023 23:01:49 GMT

MATIAS SILPH likes this

[nospaces]

[attr="class","Melodypog3"]

[attr="class","Melodypog3-big-img"]

[attr="class","Melodypog3-1"]

[attr="class","Melodypog3-title"]
MORE HUMAN[break]THAN HUMAN

MORE HUMAN[break]THAN HUMAN

[attr="class","Melodypog3-tagged"]
Isaac Merlo

[attr="class","Melodypog3-subtitle"]
If it’s war that you want then you got it. If it’s pain well I brought what you need.

[attr="class","Melodypog3-pkmn"]

[attr="class","Melodypog3-post"]

[attr="class","Melodypog3-icon"]

There he goes again. "Blackjack. Stop." [break][break]

"Do you HEAR yourself? Remind me, how did Eris's family die in the first place?" she reminds him as she knew the answer. [break][break]

"As much as you might think the two are seperates. Someone's fears, pains, trauma. That IS them. The league CAN give her the resources she needs. I don't exactly think rocket is chock full of therapists, am I right?" As she draws upon her own experiences. "You want me to give her back to a terrorist organization hell bent on destroying everything I love! Probably even using Mes-" she says cutting herself off. [break][break]

"Eris is with her father. Chu-e Choi . You want me to grab her and rip her away from someone who's under even tighter security? Blackjack, Listen. I love Eris Halla , to bits and pieces. But I also need to do what the law and my heart says. While she's under our care, MATIAS SILPH cant touch her, she can be with her dad, and on top of that I can advocate for her with my influence in the league. Especially shield her from those who CAUSED her trauma in Kanto." [break][break]

Cobalion's gaze turned from Melody's to Blackjack's, his cobalt colored eyes piercing through blackjack, wondering what his response would be to Melody's.

[attr="class","Melodypog3-bot-1"]

notes about this post

Notes go here

[attr="class","Melodypog3-bot"]

close tab

played by

Wanderer

The Liberator

he/him/his

April 10

Lavaridge Town

Figuring it Out

Penitent

Renegade

Short King height

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

awards

4,402 posts

DOLLARS

part of

TAG WITH @isaacmerlo

POSTED ON Jan 8, 2023 23:28:15 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"]"Do I hear myself? Do you hear me? How in the world do you think that's what I'm asking of you!?"[break][break]

"I'm sick of dancing around it. The idea of Eris Halla going back to Rocket makes my skin crawl." He wondered if there were any Rockets who even disagreed. He wondered how they could even think it was an acceptable environment for a child. "I've made peace with my choices in life. The good. The bad. The ugly. But Eris? She's never had a fair choice. Not without a weighted deck or the fear of some fucked-up punishment hanging over her."[break][break]

"You wanna know when she has had a choice? When she stopped being herself entirely. Don't you go talking to me about trauma outbursts and crimes she was tricked or coerced into commitment. Talk to me about Rosmontis. Rosmontis, the minor league gym leader. The operator of a Pokemon sanctuary. The one who gave me a list of trustworthy names not for her to pursue, but for me to pursue. Because she hoped that I could do what she was too scared to do and find a way out of Team Rocket."[break][break]

"Eris wants to do good! She wants to get away from all of this! She wants that Pokemon sanctuary to be a safe haven for people, too! When you wipe away all the burdens, the fears, the obligations, that's who she really is. Just some kid with a big heart that wants to make sure nobody every has to feel how she felt."[break][break]

The worst part? Melody's words made sense. In a vacuum, Eris had everything she could have needed. She had resources Rocket would never provide her. She had safety from the men and organizations that hurt her. She had safety, shelter, comfortable arrangements. She even had the closest thing to a family that she'd ever known.[break][break]

"I know you're trying your best." He couldn't spit on those efforts. He knew they seemed like the most sensible option. "And I appreciate what you're doing for Eris. You're giving her everything you think she could want. But the way you're going about it's just . . . twisting it all."[break][break]

"She doesn't see a comfortable home with her father. She sees a cold cell wrapped in some mockery of a better life. She sees herself separated from the Pokemon that mean the world to her, her father dangled over her head in chains. She sees some countdown clock hanging over her head, wondering when you're going to punish her like everyone else in her life has. You're taking the future she wants, the protection she needs, the life she's been striving for, and turning it into some nightmare. And the worst part? That's not even what you're trying to do."[break][break]

He knew how badly Melody wanted to help. He could feel how badly Melody cared for Eris. But love was a funny thing. At times, through no amount of malicious intent, it went from a comforting embrace to a suffocating choke.[break][break]

"I don't want her to go back to Rocket. I want her to get as far away from all of this as she wanted me to." His voice was heavy. Was this how helpless Eris felt when she tried to help him get away? "All I want is for her to hear my voice. To see my face. To at least promise her that I'm okay, her friends are okay, her Pokemon are okay, that everything's going to be okay. And I want to give her the encouragement to make the choice that, with all due respect, you've been failing to guide her towards."[break][break]

"Wheel me over to her in a straightjacket. Make us talk over a computer, or even a phone call. Let Cobalion kick me in the freaking gut to show you how serious I am. I don't care what the terms are. I just want to talk to her."[break][break]

"Please!"

[break][break]

[break]

[attr="class","skullinfo"]MOBILE POST / Melody Miro

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

close tab

played by

Pilo

Melly

she/her

July 9

Lilycove

Straight

Idol

Top Champion

5'6 height

hoenn

awards

3,570 posts

DOLLARS

part of

TAG WITH @melody

POSTED ON Jan 9, 2023 4:45:04 GMT

[nospaces]

[attr="class","Melodypog3"]

[attr="class","Melodypog3-big-img"]

[attr="class","Melodypog3-1"]

[attr="class","Melodypog3-title"]
MORE HUMAN[break]THAN HUMAN

MORE HUMAN[break]THAN HUMAN

[attr="class","Melodypog3-tagged"]
Isaac Merlo

[attr="class","Melodypog3-subtitle"]
If it’s war that you want then you got it. If it’s pain well I brought what you need.

[attr="class","Melodypog3-pkmn"]

[attr="class","Melodypog3-post"]

[attr="class","Melodypog3-icon"]

She grew frustrated with the entire thing. "GOD YOU HAVE A FAT MOUTH!!" she says growing annoyed and she scratched the shit out of her head. [break][break]

He was overloading her to the point she could no longer handle anymore. She walked over and grabbed him by the sleeve and pulled him over with her. "FINE!" she shouts as a very rare part of Melody's personality finally showed itself, the bashful side of her. [break][break]

"Give me your phone. No technology on you." she says as she turns around and holds her palm out, waiting for him to hand it over. Once he did she could continue as she hopped onto Cobalion's back. "Get on. You wanna see her so bad? I get you FIVE minutes. Not even guaranteed." [break][break]

Cobalion looked on in shock, what the hell was she doing? He wondered if she was sure of it. Their eyes locked "I just want him to shut the hell up! Please." he looks back at Isaac and scowls before turning his back on Isaac as if resigning himself to his fate. [break][break]

Good god what was she doing

[attr="class","Melodypog3-bot-1"]

notes about this post

Notes go here

[attr="class","Melodypog3-bot"]

close tab

played by

Wanderer

The Liberator

he/him/his

April 10

Lavaridge Town

Figuring it Out

Penitent

Renegade

Short King height

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

awards

4,402 posts

DOLLARS

part of

TAG WITH @isaacmerlo

POSTED ON Jan 9, 2023 5:05:26 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"]Knowing that he was scaling an ideological mountain, Isaac had poured his heart and soul into every word that came out of his mouth. His distrust of Rocket and the League alike. His concerns for Eris, and hopes for her future. The complicated nature of interpersonal dynamics, how harm could arise from the most tender care and love could bloom in the deepest darkness. He had no idea if Melody would ever get it. He had no idea if anyone would ever get it. But he had to try his heart out.[break][break]

And maybe he tried it too hard. Somewhere around the point about Rosmontis, Melody's eyes had glazed over. Somewhere around her twisted prison of love, she'd begged for the sweet release of death. And by the time he made it to his final plea, she cut him off with a shout about his fat mouth . . . and a frustrated demand for him to join her on Cobalion's back.[break][break]

Isaac looked shocked. And then he looked deep in thought. We take those?[break][break]

We take those.[break][break]

A satisfied grin spread across his face. Without a question, he slipped his phone from his bag, then handed it over to Melody. At the very least, he abided by her request. Rather than talk any further, he simply shot her a nod and a wink before climbing onto Cobalion. For Eris, there was no cost too great. Not even his voice.[break][break]

He looked over to Echo, extending an arm out like a falconer. Beaming, the Ralts teleported onto his arm, though he didn't come alone. Held between his hands was a chocolate bar, which he extended towards Melody in a psychic-powered peace offer. It was a sweet gesture. It was also probably getting thrown at the nearest wall. But wasn't it the thought that counted?[break][break]

Now it was just time for Isaac to sit back and enjoy the ride. At least on the way there, he could bask in the knowledge that he had bested an Avatar in a clean one on one.[break][break]

Kind of.

[break][break]

[break]

[attr="class","skullinfo"]MOBILE POST / Melody Miro

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

close tab

played by

Pilo

Melly

she/her

July 9

Lilycove

Straight

Idol

Top Champion

5'6 height

hoenn

awards

3,570 posts

DOLLARS

part of

TAG WITH @melody

POSTED ON Jan 11, 2023 4:20:55 GMT

[nospaces]

[attr="class","Melodypog3"]

[attr="class","Melodypog3-big-img"]

[attr="class","Melodypog3-1"]

[attr="class","Melodypog3-title"]
MORE HUMAN[break]THAN HUMAN

MORE HUMAN[break]THAN HUMAN

[attr="class","Melodypog3-tagged"]
Isaac Merlo

[attr="class","Melodypog3-subtitle"]
If it’s war that you want then you got it. If it’s pain well I brought what you need.

[attr="class","Melodypog3-pkmn"]

[attr="class","Melodypog3-post"]

[attr="class","Melodypog3-icon"]

Cobalion sighed, complying with Melody's wishes but in the most non compliant way possible. He'd win at r/maliciouscompliance. [break][break]

Instead of running. He walked. [break][break]]

"Well, this is awkward." she says as she tried to get Cobalion to move faster be he denied her request. He wanted her to take her time and think about this. [break][break]

"I guess we still have time to talk. You need to use your civillian persona. If you go dressed in some get up the league will be suspicious, vs I can just call you my intern or distant family member or something." it may have been a small little test to see how serious he was about talking to her.

[attr="class","Melodypog3-bot-1"]

notes about this post

Notes go here

[attr="class","Melodypog3-bot"]

close tab

played by

Wanderer

The Liberator

he/him/his

April 10

Lavaridge Town

Figuring it Out

Penitent

Renegade

Short King height

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

awards

4,402 posts

DOLLARS

part of

TAG WITH @isaacmerlo