A Menagerie of Hard Cases and Bad Decisions [M]

i used to dream in the dark of palisades park

close tab

played by

Wanderer

The Liberator
he/him/his
23
April 10
Lavaridge Town
Figuring it Out
Penitent
Renegade
Turned on my friends and brought them pain. I have no right to show I can change. But I gotta try!
awards
4,329 posts
Isaac Merlo DOLLARS
part of
TAG WITH @isaacmerlo
Isaac Merlo
A Menagerie of Hard Cases and Bad Decisions [M]
POSTED ON Jan 23, 2023 22:53:19 GMT
Isaac Merlo Avatar
[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's past was a null, grey void. His future endless possibilities smothered by even more endless dangers. Neither of those meant a thing to him. The only thing that he cared about what his present, and that was even hazier and undefined than his other two eras.[break][break]

Meetings with friends on both sides, reminding him both who he was fighting and what he was fighting for. His first hesitant steps into the gym challenge, to understand why the League's biggest diehards held their beliefs. The rumblings of similar efforts on the horizon for Rocket, so he could understand what Rocket's diehards saw in the organization. Personal favors to those he was closest to, because his truest dream was a world where they could thrive and find happiness.[break][break]

Shadow Pokemon were the polar opposite of this. What drove them? Primal instinct and violence. What were their hopes? They had none. Their beliefs? They had none. Their futures? They had none. They were the essence of Team Rocket's belief that all living beings were little more than their tools, no matter the risk to their targets, the tool, and even themselves.[break][break]

It reminded Isaac of the broken form Palkia had been twisted and bound into.[break][break]

Yet there was one exception. Gavin Merlino. The scariest motherfucker in Team Rocket. Not a natural-born monster like , but twisted into one through his experiences. The Underboss who could pull double-duty as a Beast in a heartbeat, had Rocket demanded it of him. There were more than a few Rockets who, through trauma, indoctrination, or the sinister intermingling of both, walked a similar path. Gavin stood above them as the closest thing there was to a Shadow Human.[break][break]

And in turn, the Shadows saw kinship in him.[break][break]

What did any of this mean? Did a heart still beat beneath the miasma? Was it the kind of thing most humans simply did not notice? Or was this a level deeper, something they truly could not notice? Was it only Gavin they were amicable towards, or did they show similar consideration to their own kin? Were they to inherit the earth, would it be a bloodstained wasteland, or settle into an eerily indistinguishable state of shadow peace?[break][break]

There was so much about them Isaac didn't understand. There was so much about Rocket that Isaac didn't understand. And maybe, just maybe, a texted request to see Gavin's collection of Shadows would earn him a sliver of that understanding he so desperately craved.

[break][break]





[break]
[attr="class","skullinfo"]MOBILE POST /



[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

thorn

Gavin Merlino
he/him
36
october 28th
circhester, galar
demisexual
the harbinger
underboss
creatures of habit, carrion flowers, growing from repeated crimes.
awards
7,897 posts
part of
TAG WITH @gavin
Cillian Quinn
A Menagerie of Hard Cases and Bad Decisions [M]
POSTED ON Jan 24, 2023 19:39:50 GMT
Cillian Quinn Avatar
[nospaces]
[attr="class","twtgm"]
[attr="class","main"]

It's a request he's received before. It's one he'll surely receive again. People were, by natural, curious about things most didn't understand. Ordinarily, Rocket's secretive underboss would turn down a request to get close to his shadows — both because they were incredibly dangerous, and because he had no wish to allow anyone his same understanding of their unique nature. Surprise was a key element on the field of battle. The more who knew what he was capable, the less who'd fear him.[break][break]

Gavin Merlino spends a great deal of effort cultivating fear. The very office Isaac stands outside of has access barred by a thick metal door that sound cannot penetrate. When it opens, and Gavin steps outside, a bitter chill and wisps of miasma follow him.[break][break]

Cool amber eyes settle on the figure awaiting his presence.[break][break]

"Isaac," he acknowledges, pocketing his phone. "My office is hardly the place. Walk with me."[break][break]

He'd begin leading the way toward their training area.[break][break]

"Why do you want to see them?"

[break][break]
[attr="class","tag"]

[attr="class","notes"]

notes

[break]
🔗 Mission: Bond Bridge


[attr="class","pkmn"][break]




[newclass=.twtgm] --accent: #765d75; [/newclass]
[newclass=.twtgm] width: 420px; margin: 0 auto; color: #aaa; font-family: arial; font-size: 12px; letter-spacing: .5px; text-align:justify; padding-top: 20px; padding-bottom: 20px; line-height: 15px; [/newclass]
[newclass=.twtgm .main] padding: 40px; background: #272727;[/newclass]
[newclass=.twtgm b] color: var(--accent); font-size: 12px; font-family: arial; letter-spacing: .5px; [/newclass]
[newclass=.twtgm a] text-decoration: none; font-size: 11px; font-weight: lighter; [/newclass]
[newclass=.twtgm h1, h2, h3] display: inline-block; [/newclass]
[newclass=.twtgm h1] font-size: 13px; font-weight: lighter; color: var(--accent); letter-spacing: .5px; line-height: 0px; font-family: monospace; text-transform: uppercase; [/newclass]
[newclass=.twtgm u] text-decoration: none;border-bottom: solid 1px var(--accent); [/newclass]
[newclass=.twtgm .tag] text-align: right; padding-bottom: 5px; padding-top: 20px; font: 11px monospace; [/newclass]
[newclass=.twtgm .tag a] font: 12px Montserrat; font-weight: 800!important; font-style: italic; letter-spacing: 0px; color: var(--accent)!important; [/newclass]
[newclass=.twtgm .notes] text-align: justify; padding: 20px 20px 10px 20px; font: 10px monospace; letter-spacing: .3px; border-top: solid 1.5px #323232; height: auto; line-height: 15px; [/newclass]
[newclass=.twtgm .notes h1] font: 16px Montserrat; font-weight: 800!important; font-style: italic; letter-spacing: 0px; text-transform: uppercase; color: var(--accent); text-shadow: 2px 2px 0px #1e1e1e; padding-bottom: 5px; text-align:center;[/newclass]
[newclass=.twtgm .notes a] font: 10px Montserrat; color: var(--accent); [/newclass]
[newclass=.twtgm span] display: inline-block; [/newclass]
[newclass=.twtgm .pkmn] text-align: center; margin: 0 auto; background: var(--accent); padding: 5px; width: 410px; margin-left: -40px; margin-bottom: -40px; margin-top: 10px; [/newclass]
[newclass=.twtgm .pkmn img] margin-top: -10px; padding-bottom: 5px; [/newclass]
close tab

played by

Wanderer

The Liberator
he/him/his
23
April 10
Lavaridge Town
Figuring it Out
Penitent
Renegade
Turned on my friends and brought them pain. I have no right to show I can change. But I gotta try!
awards
4,329 posts
Isaac Merlo DOLLARS
part of
TAG WITH @isaacmerlo
Isaac Merlo
A Menagerie of Hard Cases and Bad Decisions [M]
POSTED ON Jan 24, 2023 19:56:34 GMT
Isaac Merlo Avatar
[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"]Alright, cool. So Gavin's office didn't contain a secret trapdoor to some kind of horrifying shadow lair. Good to know! It managed to be every shred as terrifying as it was despite being, in all regards, a perfectly ordinary office. In another world, Gavin could've been an incredible home decorator.[break][break]

He shivered a little in the palpable miasma that drifted out from behind the door, then fell in step with Gavin.[break][break]

Why did Isaac want to see them, anyway? It was hard to articulate. "Everything I've heard about them says they're little more than tools. More like some kinda unthinking, unfeeling monster than a Pokemon. But . . . when you were using them during our training match, they didn't seem like that." They were decisive. They were brutal. They had countless strange abilities. But they still seemed like Pokemon.[break][break]

What was stopping everyone else from bringing them to their full potential without such pain?[break][break]

What was stopping them from being loved?[break][break]

"For something so important to Rocket, I feel like I barely know them." At times he felt like he barely knew Rocket, either. Every encounter with their victims and their diehards, every discovery of their past deeds and the League's failings, every new on high directive from Walsh was just another twist in a plot Isaac was forced to play catchup on. "I wanted to hear more about them from the one who knows them best. If that's okay, of course."[break][break]

And maybe, just maybe, he wanted to learn more about Gavin, too.

[break][break]





[break]
[attr="class","skullinfo"]MOBILE POST /



[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

thorn

Gavin Merlino
he/him
36
october 28th
circhester, galar
demisexual
the harbinger
underboss
creatures of habit, carrion flowers, growing from repeated crimes.
awards
7,897 posts
part of
TAG WITH @gavin
Cillian Quinn
A Menagerie of Hard Cases and Bad Decisions [M]
POSTED ON Jan 24, 2023 20:42:36 GMT
Cillian Quinn Avatar
[nospaces]
[attr="class","twtgm"]
[attr="class","main"]

Gavin allows a silence to settle between them for a moment.
[break][break]

"Many in Rocket will tell you that all Pokémon exist for our glory." Walsh, for one. "But while we may utilize them en masse for our success, not all Pokémon are created equal. My Pokémon are more to me than tools to be easily replaced."
[break][break]

Not to mention how difficult it would be to replace a Shadow Pokémon, especially with the machine seemingly forever out of commission.
[break][break]

"They feel things, still. Rage is an emotion like any other."
[break][break]

Shadow Pokémon reminded him of men like . Incapable of love, yet still possessed of things such as anger, excitement.
[break][break]

"You can't hate without thought. They think, too."
[break][break]

He'd shown Isaac the scars from his Sandslash.
[break][break]

A deep, throaty laugh rumbles in his throat, made rough by years of smoking. "Important to me, perhaps. Rocket would do fine with or without them. It depends on what you want to know, Isaac. There is much to understand about these creatures."
[break][break]

He enters one of the training rooms and gestures toward the door.
[break][break]

"Clear out. We need this space."
[break][break]

When they're alone, Gavin palms a pokeball in his hand. "Sandslash was my very first."
[break][break]

It snarls upon release from its prison, frostbite spreading slowly around it.

[break][break]
[attr="class","tag"]

[attr="class","notes"]

notes

[break]
🔗 Mission: Bond Bridge


[attr="class","pkmn"][break]




[newclass=.twtgm] --accent: #765d75; [/newclass]
[newclass=.twtgm] width: 420px; margin: 0 auto; color: #aaa; font-family: arial; font-size: 12px; letter-spacing: .5px; text-align:justify; padding-top: 20px; padding-bottom: 20px; line-height: 15px; [/newclass]
[newclass=.twtgm .main] padding: 40px; background: #272727;[/newclass]
[newclass=.twtgm b] color: var(--accent); font-size: 12px; font-family: arial; letter-spacing: .5px; [/newclass]
[newclass=.twtgm a] text-decoration: none; font-size: 11px; font-weight: lighter; [/newclass]
[newclass=.twtgm h1, h2, h3] display: inline-block; [/newclass]
[newclass=.twtgm h1] font-size: 13px; font-weight: lighter; color: var(--accent); letter-spacing: .5px; line-height: 0px; font-family: monospace; text-transform: uppercase; [/newclass]
[newclass=.twtgm u] text-decoration: none;border-bottom: solid 1px var(--accent); [/newclass]
[newclass=.twtgm .tag] text-align: right; padding-bottom: 5px; padding-top: 20px; font: 11px monospace; [/newclass]
[newclass=.twtgm .tag a] font: 12px Montserrat; font-weight: 800!important; font-style: italic; letter-spacing: 0px; color: var(--accent)!important; [/newclass]
[newclass=.twtgm .notes] text-align: justify; padding: 20px 20px 10px 20px; font: 10px monospace; letter-spacing: .3px; border-top: solid 1.5px #323232; height: auto; line-height: 15px; [/newclass]
[newclass=.twtgm .notes h1] font: 16px Montserrat; font-weight: 800!important; font-style: italic; letter-spacing: 0px; text-transform: uppercase; color: var(--accent); text-shadow: 2px 2px 0px #1e1e1e; padding-bottom: 5px; text-align:center;[/newclass]
[newclass=.twtgm .notes a] font: 10px Montserrat; color: var(--accent); [/newclass]
[newclass=.twtgm span] display: inline-block; [/newclass]
[newclass=.twtgm .pkmn] text-align: center; margin: 0 auto; background: var(--accent); padding: 5px; width: 410px; margin-left: -40px; margin-bottom: -40px; margin-top: 10px; [/newclass]
[newclass=.twtgm .pkmn img] margin-top: -10px; padding-bottom: 5px; [/newclass]
close tab

played by

Wanderer

The Liberator
he/him/his
23
April 10
Lavaridge Town
Figuring it Out
Penitent
Renegade
Turned on my friends and brought them pain. I have no right to show I can change. But I gotta try!
awards
4,329 posts
Isaac Merlo DOLLARS
part of
TAG WITH @isaacmerlo
Isaac Merlo
A Menagerie of Hard Cases and Bad Decisions [M]
POSTED ON Jan 24, 2023 21:01:11 GMT
Isaac Merlo Avatar
[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"]Gavin's own thoughts seemed to be a half step away from the common refrain. They were not unfeeling, yet their negative feelings were gleefully indulged in. They were not mindness, but they used their minds to destroy anything in their way. And, despite what the party line said, they were far more than mere tools.[break][break]

In a way, Isaac understood that. Rotom was a Pokemon that frequently moonlighted as a tool. Much technology nowadays incorporated Rotoms, a far more stable incarnation of their ability to hijank electric currents. Pokedexes had, by and large, been replaced by the creatures nowadays, and most phones advertised themselves as being Rotom-capable. It was to the point where Isaac sometimes wondered how many people remembered to treat them as Pokemon.[break][break]

Ex Machina had been roused from Isaac's own phone by all of the commotion. He floated behind Isaac's head, snickering to himself as the man's hair started to stand on end. Isaac tried to hold onto his train of thought, but eventually he couldn't resist the incoming snicker-fit. He waved the meddlesome digital ghost away so he could go back to focusing.[break][break]

"What are they to you, then?" Isaac asked, genuine curiosity in his voice. Gavin never struck him as some "for the glory of Rocket" hardliner, but Shadow Pokemon were noticeably different from regular ones. Did Gavin feel more challenged by them than his regular team?[break][break]

Or did he care even more for them?[break][break]

The Sandslash was the first Pokemon to come out, just as it was the first of these shadows that Gavin had come to possess. Last Isaac saw it, Gavin had flashed him the nastiest set of scars he'd ever seen. Even now, the snarl on its face and the air thickening around it cemented it as a Pokemon not to be trifled with. Nevertheless, it stood obedient and at attention, rather than immediately rushing in to turn Isaac's insides into outsides.[break][break]

"Can it control that frost? Or is it always hanging around it?" Isaac asked, looking more at the ice swirling through the air than at Gavin. He then shook his head, as if trying to stop his train of thought from derailing at every little new sight. There were more important questions to ask. "How did you two meet, anyway?"

[break][break]





[break]
[attr="class","skullinfo"]MOBILE POST /



[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

thorn

Gavin Merlino
he/him
36
october 28th
circhester, galar
demisexual
the harbinger
underboss
creatures of habit, carrion flowers, growing from repeated crimes.
awards
7,897 posts
part of
TAG WITH @gavin
Cillian Quinn
A Menagerie of Hard Cases and Bad Decisions [M]
POSTED ON Jan 27, 2023 15:09:36 GMT
Cillian Quinn Avatar
[nospaces]
[attr="class","twtgm"]
[attr="class","main"]

What are they to you, then?[break][break]

There's a weighted pause before Gavin can answer. He certainly doesn't think of them as mere tools, not anymore, but he's never thought to put words to how he does see his Pokémon. Lugia was easy enough. She was his patron, the reason for his powers.[break][break]

But the others?[break][break]

"Partners," he decides, at last. "Unique individuals who require a special touch, which I am more than willing to give."[break][break]

He'd dedicated a great deal of time to understanding SHADOW POKEMON, after all. Even before Lugia's blessing.[break][break]

His attention falls on the Sandslash, the icy creature grumbling as it regards Isaac with beady eyes. It no doubt remembers him as the last foe it had faced on the field of battle, though does not move to aggression without command.[break][break]

Purple-black miasma spreads to curl around the shrew.[break][break]

"Mm. Somewhat. Should a foe suffer the effects of its ice, they may find themselves slowed. And it can freeze things with it's Ice-type moves that ordinarily wouldn't cause such side-effects. It doesn't appear to be a conscious control."[break][break]

When Isaac asks how he'd met the shadowed creature, however, Gavin's light, informative tone darkens to something serious.[break][break]

"Have you heard tell of Rocket's shadow machine?"[break][break]

It was defunct, now, in spite of their attempts to restore its power, but people talked.

[break][break]
[attr="class","tag"]

[attr="class","notes"]

notes

[break]
🔗 Mission: Bond Bridge


[attr="class","pkmn"][break]




[newclass=.twtgm] --accent: #765d75; [/newclass]
[newclass=.twtgm] width: 420px; margin: 0 auto; color: #aaa; font-family: arial; font-size: 12px; letter-spacing: .5px; text-align:justify; padding-top: 20px; padding-bottom: 20px; line-height: 15px; [/newclass]
[newclass=.twtgm .main] padding: 40px; background: #272727;[/newclass]
[newclass=.twtgm b] color: var(--accent); font-size: 12px; font-family: arial; letter-spacing: .5px; [/newclass]
[newclass=.twtgm a] text-decoration: none; font-size: 11px; font-weight: lighter; [/newclass]
[newclass=.twtgm h1, h2, h3] display: inline-block; [/newclass]
[newclass=.twtgm h1] font-size: 13px; font-weight: lighter; color: var(--accent); letter-spacing: .5px; line-height: 0px; font-family: monospace; text-transform: uppercase; [/newclass]
[newclass=.twtgm u] text-decoration: none;border-bottom: solid 1px var(--accent); [/newclass]
[newclass=.twtgm .tag] text-align: right; padding-bottom: 5px; padding-top: 20px; font: 11px monospace; [/newclass]
[newclass=.twtgm .tag a] font: 12px Montserrat; font-weight: 800!important; font-style: italic; letter-spacing: 0px; color: var(--accent)!important; [/newclass]
[newclass=.twtgm .notes] text-align: justify; padding: 20px 20px 10px 20px; font: 10px monospace; letter-spacing: .3px; border-top: solid 1.5px #323232; height: auto; line-height: 15px; [/newclass]
[newclass=.twtgm .notes h1] font: 16px Montserrat; font-weight: 800!important; font-style: italic; letter-spacing: 0px; text-transform: uppercase; color: var(--accent); text-shadow: 2px 2px 0px #1e1e1e; padding-bottom: 5px; text-align:center;[/newclass]
[newclass=.twtgm .notes a] font: 10px Montserrat; color: var(--accent); [/newclass]
[newclass=.twtgm span] display: inline-block; [/newclass]
[newclass=.twtgm .pkmn] text-align: center; margin: 0 auto; background: var(--accent); padding: 5px; width: 410px; margin-left: -40px; margin-bottom: -40px; margin-top: 10px; [/newclass]
[newclass=.twtgm .pkmn img] margin-top: -10px; padding-bottom: 5px; [/newclass]
close tab

played by

Wanderer

The Liberator
he/him/his
23
April 10
Lavaridge Town
Figuring it Out
Penitent
Renegade
Turned on my friends and brought them pain. I have no right to show I can change. But I gotta try!
awards
4,329 posts
Isaac Merlo DOLLARS
part of
TAG WITH @isaacmerlo
Isaac Merlo
A Menagerie of Hard Cases and Bad Decisions [M]
POSTED ON Jan 27, 2023 15:29:45 GMT
Isaac Merlo Avatar
[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"]There was an answer Isaac had hoped against all hope for, yet dared not ask to find. Despite this, Gavin provided it anyway. The softhearted man couldn't help but smile, knowing that even beings dismissed by others as monsters could find the bonds of partnership.[break][break]

"What would that special touch be?" Isaac asked, cautiously eyeing the Sandslash as it grumbled at him. He slowly, cautiously raised his hands, moving at such a lax pace it would be impossible to ascribe any harmful intent. His palms were open and flat, showing that even if there was intent he had no means of acting on it. The smile on his face took a turn for the sheepish.[break][break]

Its ice was colder than normal ice, its mere presence enough to slow others down and its icy moves capable of freezing even the most hot-blooded foes. These were less abilities they had control over, like a Pokemon's standard traits, and more just something that Was. A Tyranitar could think twice before flooding a room in sand. This Sandslash wouldn't stop leaking miasma-darkened frost until it was dead. "I wonder if it'd be possible to teach it how to control it . . ."[break][break]

Maybe it wasn't. Maybe the shadow process brought everything about a Pokemon out, to the point where it couldn't restrain itself even if it wanted to. Maybe that was why they felt such uncontrollable antipathy, too.[break][break]

Isaac wondered if it was in pain.[break][break]

At the mention of the Shadow Machine, Isaac shook his head. "Before my time, sadly." Or perhaps thankfully. Isaac had the fortune of stumbling into Rocket when it was at its most agreeable: new management, token attempts at a better public image, and a less militarized outlook. If only he realized when he signed on that he was in the little dip between two tidal waves.[break][break]

Oh well. If Rocket was to return to its roots, then he'd need to understand it better. This was a necessary step.

[break][break]





[break]
[attr="class","skullinfo"]MOBILE POST /



[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

thorn

Gavin Merlino
he/him
36
october 28th
circhester, galar
demisexual
the harbinger
underboss
creatures of habit, carrion flowers, growing from repeated crimes.
awards
7,897 posts
part of
TAG WITH @gavin
Cillian Quinn
A Menagerie of Hard Cases and Bad Decisions [M]
POSTED ON Feb 6, 2023 5:52:51 GMT
Cillian Quinn Avatar
[nospaces]
[attr="class","twtgm"]
[attr="class","main"]

Gavin watches Isaac's attempt to placate the snarling creature, his stoic expression betraying hints of amusement.[break][break]

"It won't harm you," he assures the other, shrugging. "Not while I'm here."[break][break]

He steps back to avoid his boot being overtaken by the creeping frost.[break][break]

"As to your question: patience, and an understanding of their specific nature. They are not pets to be coddled, but neither are they machines incapable of feeling pain or exhaustion. Push them too far and they'll turn on you. Don't push them enough, they'll turn on you. I train with them daily where I can; they need an outlet for their aggression."[break][break]

He shakes his head as Isaac ponders the frost.[break][break]

"You think I haven't tried?" His smirk is thin, dry.[break][break]

The Shadow Machine is a subject that seems to sober him, however.[break][break]

"You wouldn't bear those regrets if you knew how it functioned." The underboss lights a cigarette, leaning against the wall as he takes a deep drag and expels black miasma from his lips. "This Sandslash was my third."[break][break]

He feels there's no need to state what happened to the others.

[break][break]
[attr="class","tag"]

[attr="class","notes"]

notes

[break]
🔗 Mission: Bond Bridge


[attr="class","pkmn"][break]




[newclass=.twtgm] --accent: #765d75; [/newclass]
[newclass=.twtgm] width: 420px; margin: 0 auto; color: #aaa; font-family: arial; font-size: 12px; letter-spacing: .5px; text-align:justify; padding-top: 20px; padding-bottom: 20px; line-height: 15px; [/newclass]
[newclass=.twtgm .main] padding: 40px; background: #272727;[/newclass]
[newclass=.twtgm b] color: var(--accent); font-size: 12px; font-family: arial; letter-spacing: .5px; [/newclass]
[newclass=.twtgm a] text-decoration: none; font-size: 11px; font-weight: lighter; [/newclass]
[newclass=.twtgm h1, h2, h3] display: inline-block; [/newclass]
[newclass=.twtgm h1] font-size: 13px; font-weight: lighter; color: var(--accent); letter-spacing: .5px; line-height: 0px; font-family: monospace; text-transform: uppercase; [/newclass]
[newclass=.twtgm u] text-decoration: none;border-bottom: solid 1px var(--accent); [/newclass]
[newclass=.twtgm .tag] text-align: right; padding-bottom: 5px; padding-top: 20px; font: 11px monospace; [/newclass]
[newclass=.twtgm .tag a] font: 12px Montserrat; font-weight: 800!important; font-style: italic; letter-spacing: 0px; color: var(--accent)!important; [/newclass]
[newclass=.twtgm .notes] text-align: justify; padding: 20px 20px 10px 20px; font: 10px monospace; letter-spacing: .3px; border-top: solid 1.5px #323232; height: auto; line-height: 15px; [/newclass]
[newclass=.twtgm .notes h1] font: 16px Montserrat; font-weight: 800!important; font-style: italic; letter-spacing: 0px; text-transform: uppercase; color: var(--accent); text-shadow: 2px 2px 0px #1e1e1e; padding-bottom: 5px; text-align:center;[/newclass]
[newclass=.twtgm .notes a] font: 10px Montserrat; color: var(--accent); [/newclass]
[newclass=.twtgm span] display: inline-block; [/newclass]
[newclass=.twtgm .pkmn] text-align: center; margin: 0 auto; background: var(--accent); padding: 5px; width: 410px; margin-left: -40px; margin-bottom: -40px; margin-top: 10px; [/newclass]
[newclass=.twtgm .pkmn img] margin-top: -10px; padding-bottom: 5px; [/newclass]
close tab

played by

Wanderer

The Liberator
he/him/his
23
April 10
Lavaridge Town
Figuring it Out
Penitent
Renegade
Turned on my friends and brought them pain. I have no right to show I can change. But I gotta try!
awards
4,329 posts
Isaac Merlo DOLLARS
part of
TAG WITH @isaacmerlo
Isaac Merlo
A Menagerie of Hard Cases and Bad Decisions [M]
POSTED ON Feb 6, 2023 15:11:35 GMT
Isaac Merlo Avatar
[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 sighed in relief, letting himself settle back into a normal (albeit still guarded) posture. Nevertheless, he looked towards the Sandslash, as if trying to see what reaction it would have to his change in attitude. "Would it see that kind of thing as respecting its turf? Or just putting a big ol "slash me" sign on my back?" he asked. Not all shadows had such close ties to Gavin; knowing the difference could save his life someday.[break][break]

A part of him at the sinking suspicion that none of it mattered.[break][break]

From the sounds of it, being too Much was just an inherent part of being a Shadow Pokemon. Their anger flowed uncontrollably, requiring at least some outlet for their aggression to prevent them from going berserk. Their strange, unique powers were equally uncontrollable, all of Gavin's best attempts failing to contain his Sandslash's frost.[break][break]

For a group that valued control as much as Rocket did, it was almost a strange pairing. But considering Rocket had the one man known to be capable of controlling Shadow Pokemon, their unpredictability was far more strength than weakness.[break][break]

"How much of that anger's something they're born with, and how much is something they learn?" Isaac wondered. Pokemon like Primeape and Gyarados were famed for their tempers, yet they could coexist with others. Was there something similar among shadows? "Are there any that ended up calmer than you'd think?"[break][break]

Perhaps not, if the shadow machine worked how Gavin implied. At first, Isaac wondered how his first Shadow was also his third. Then he realized it wasn't Shadows Gavin was referring to.[break][break]

"Oh."

[break][break]





[break]
[attr="class","skullinfo"]MOBILE POST /



[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

thorn

Gavin Merlino
he/him
36
october 28th
circhester, galar
demisexual
the harbinger
underboss
creatures of habit, carrion flowers, growing from repeated crimes.
awards
7,897 posts
part of
TAG WITH @gavin
Cillian Quinn
A Menagerie of Hard Cases and Bad Decisions [M]
POSTED ON Feb 13, 2023 7:34:48 GMT
Cillian Quinn Avatar
[nospaces]
[attr="class","twtgm"]
[attr="class","main"]

"If I weren't here, it would try to kill you regardless."[break][break]

This one was the most vicious of his brood, crueler even than the Aerodactyl with its lust for the hunt and the Dhelmise that had belonged to his doppelganger in another world. There's no doubt in his mind or tone.[break][break]

He knows the exact moment Isaac understands his implication.[break][break]

"The process was imperfect."[break][break]

His first Sandslash had gone to its death willingly, eager to prove itself to its master. This third shrew had to be forced into the machine, snarling all the while. Perhaps that innate aggression was what allowed it to survive?[break][break]

"It would have been my goal to refine it, should we have restored the machine to working condition. It doesn't seem to be possible at this stage." Not even with the help of , the original brilliant mind behind the design. "I think you need only look to the myths of Lugia for your answer."[break][break]

A gentle soul that consigned itself to the depths to avoid wreaking havoc with its awful powers, twisted by shadow into the patron that had blessed him with her gift.[break][break]

"There is something in the toxin that induces aggression."[break][break]

Though years of avatarship have helped him acclimate to the feeling, Gavin still knows a deep sense of anger beneath the baseline of his own emotions. An anger not his own, born of hate.

[break][break]
[attr="class","tag"]

[attr="class","notes"]

notes

[break]
🔗 Mission: Bond Bridge


[attr="class","pkmn"][break]




[newclass=.twtgm] --accent: #765d75; [/newclass]
[newclass=.twtgm] width: 420px; margin: 0 auto; color: #aaa; font-family: arial; font-size: 12px; letter-spacing: .5px; text-align:justify; padding-top: 20px; padding-bottom: 20px; line-height: 15px; [/newclass]
[newclass=.twtgm .main] padding: 40px; background: #272727;[/newclass]
[newclass=.twtgm b] color: var(--accent); font-size: 12px; font-family: arial; letter-spacing: .5px; [/newclass]
[newclass=.twtgm a] text-decoration: none; font-size: 11px; font-weight: lighter; [/newclass]
[newclass=.twtgm h1, h2, h3] display: inline-block; [/newclass]
[newclass=.twtgm h1] font-size: 13px; font-weight: lighter; color: var(--accent); letter-spacing: .5px; line-height: 0px; font-family: monospace; text-transform: uppercase; [/newclass]
[newclass=.twtgm u] text-decoration: none;border-bottom: solid 1px var(--accent); [/newclass]
[newclass=.twtgm .tag] text-align: right; padding-bottom: 5px; padding-top: 20px; font: 11px monospace; [/newclass]
[newclass=.twtgm .tag a] font: 12px Montserrat; font-weight: 800!important; font-style: italic; letter-spacing: 0px; color: var(--accent)!important; [/newclass]
[newclass=.twtgm .notes] text-align: justify; padding: 20px 20px 10px 20px; font: 10px monospace; letter-spacing: .3px; border-top: solid 1.5px #323232; height: auto; line-height: 15px; [/newclass]
[newclass=.twtgm .notes h1] font: 16px Montserrat; font-weight: 800!important; font-style: italic; letter-spacing: 0px; text-transform: uppercase; color: var(--accent); text-shadow: 2px 2px 0px #1e1e1e; padding-bottom: 5px; text-align:center;[/newclass]
[newclass=.twtgm .notes a] font: 10px Montserrat; color: var(--accent); [/newclass]
[newclass=.twtgm span] display: inline-block; [/newclass]
[newclass=.twtgm .pkmn] text-align: center; margin: 0 auto; background: var(--accent); padding: 5px; width: 410px; margin-left: -40px; margin-bottom: -40px; margin-top: 10px; [/newclass]
[newclass=.twtgm .pkmn img] margin-top: -10px; padding-bottom: 5px; [/newclass]
close tab

played by

Wanderer

The Liberator
he/him/his
23
April 10
Lavaridge Town
Figuring it Out
Penitent
Renegade
Turned on my friends and brought them pain. I have no right to show I can change. But I gotta try!
awards
4,329 posts
Isaac Merlo DOLLARS
part of
TAG WITH @isaacmerlo
Isaac Merlo
A Menagerie of Hard Cases and Bad Decisions [M]
POSTED ON Feb 21, 2023 19:54:35 GMT
Isaac Merlo Avatar
[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"]"Oh."[break][break]

So it wasn't that shadows couldn't be reasoned with. They could be! It was just that, no matter what, their reasoning ended in Isaac being torn to shreds. Maybe in that regard, they truly were echoes of the ideal Rocket. Isaac wondered how long his status as an aberration would be tolerated before the shadows tore him to shreds.[break][break]

Still, Rocket was cruel, not heartless. Or maybe it was, but pragmatic above both. Were Gavin able to fix the shadow machine to avoid killing so many Pokemon, he would have in a heartbeat. "Do you think the failures are an issue with the machine alone?" Isaac asked, because his inquisitive ass couldn't not poke at sources of forbidden knowledge. "Or is it that only some Pokemon have that potential inside of them?" He could imagine a machine designed to push a Pokemon to its limits, stopping only when the Pokemon is perfected or broken.[break][break]

What did it say about his theory if such darkness was buried in gentle Lugia's heart?[break][break]

A toxin that induced aggression. "Nihilego toxin?" Isaac asked, thinking back to 's account of going berserk when there were no memories left to take. Had she, after Rocket's cruel experimentation, become a Shadow human? Did that mean that Gavin would have been able to quell the problem for her? Or did it mean he would have simply been-[break][break]

Isaac killed the thought where it stood. The idea of Rocket being able to literally twist other humans into slaves made Isaac want to hurl.

[break][break]





[break]
[attr="class","skullinfo"]MOBILE POST /



[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

thorn

Gavin Merlino
he/him
36
october 28th
circhester, galar
demisexual
the harbinger
underboss
creatures of habit, carrion flowers, growing from repeated crimes.
awards
7,897 posts
part of
TAG WITH @gavin
Cillian Quinn
A Menagerie of Hard Cases and Bad Decisions [M]
POSTED ON Feb 25, 2023 9:17:50 GMT
Cillian Quinn Avatar
[nospaces]
[attr="class","twtgm"]
[attr="class","main"]

A thoughtful hum rises in the back of his throat.[break][break]

"I had thought the same, once. Perhaps that's true of the artificial process, but..."[break][break]

At last, he returns the grumbling Sandslash to its luxury prison. A different capsule is selected, revealing a Miltank in a burst of shadow. Shortly after, he sends out a Roselia and a Breloom in turn.[break][break]

"They are more docile than the others, I've found. It is not Necrozma's corruption nor the lack thereof; Psellia," with a gesture toward the Breloom, "was given to me by . The toxins that transformed her came from elsewhere."[break][break]

The Breloom drips toxic drool from its slack mouth.[break][break]

"There is variance even among their... condition."[break][break]

He only dips his head in confirmation when Isaac probes about the toxin. There is a certain discomfort in the set of his mouth as his lips purse.

[break][break]
[attr="class","tag"]

[attr="class","notes"]

notes

[break]
🔗 Mission: Bond Bridge


[attr="class","pkmn"][break]




[newclass=.twtgm] --accent: #765d75; [/newclass]
[newclass=.twtgm] width: 420px; margin: 0 auto; color: #aaa; font-family: arial; font-size: 12px; letter-spacing: .5px; text-align:justify; padding-top: 20px; padding-bottom: 20px; line-height: 15px; [/newclass]
[newclass=.twtgm .main] padding: 40px; background: #272727;[/newclass]
[newclass=.twtgm b] color: var(--accent); font-size: 12px; font-family: arial; letter-spacing: .5px; [/newclass]
[newclass=.twtgm a] text-decoration: none; font-size: 11px; font-weight: lighter; [/newclass]
[newclass=.twtgm h1, h2, h3] display: inline-block; [/newclass]
[newclass=.twtgm h1] font-size: 13px; font-weight: lighter; color: var(--accent); letter-spacing: .5px; line-height: 0px; font-family: monospace; text-transform: uppercase; [/newclass]
[newclass=.twtgm u] text-decoration: none;border-bottom: solid 1px var(--accent); [/newclass]
[newclass=.twtgm .tag] text-align: right; padding-bottom: 5px; padding-top: 20px; font: 11px monospace; [/newclass]
[newclass=.twtgm .tag a] font: 12px Montserrat; font-weight: 800!important; font-style: italic; letter-spacing: 0px; color: var(--accent)!important; [/newclass]
[newclass=.twtgm .notes] text-align: justify; padding: 20px 20px 10px 20px; font: 10px monospace; letter-spacing: .3px; border-top: solid 1.5px #323232; height: auto; line-height: 15px; [/newclass]
[newclass=.twtgm .notes h1] font: 16px Montserrat; font-weight: 800!important; font-style: italic; letter-spacing: 0px; text-transform: uppercase; color: var(--accent); text-shadow: 2px 2px 0px #1e1e1e; padding-bottom: 5px; text-align:center;[/newclass]
[newclass=.twtgm .notes a] font: 10px Montserrat; color: var(--accent); [/newclass]
[newclass=.twtgm span] display: inline-block; [/newclass]
[newclass=.twtgm .pkmn] text-align: center; margin: 0 auto; background: var(--accent); padding: 5px; width: 410px; margin-left: -40px; margin-bottom: -40px; margin-top: 10px; [/newclass]
[newclass=.twtgm .pkmn img] margin-top: -10px; padding-bottom: 5px; [/newclass]
close tab

played by

Wanderer

The Liberator
he/him/his
23
April 10
Lavaridge Town
Figuring it Out
Penitent
Renegade
Turned on my friends and brought them pain. I have no right to show I can change. But I gotta try!
awards
4,329 posts
Isaac Merlo DOLLARS
part of
TAG WITH @isaacmerlo
Isaac Merlo
A Menagerie of Hard Cases and Bad Decisions [M]
POSTED ON Feb 26, 2023 17:40:53 GMT
Isaac Merlo Avatar
[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"]Interesting! So not all shadows were as hyperaggressive as they seemed. However, the ones that weren't hyperaggressive seemed less docile and more placated. The way that Breloom drooled and dribbled, as if the shadow creation process had eaten away at its higher function . . .[break][break]

"Do you know what causes that variation?" Isaac asked, curious. If the process sometimes created hyperaggressive monsters, and sometimes created beings that looked almost lobotomized, Isaac could see why Rocket wasn't pursuing it much further. Even in their selfish control over all things Pokemon, and their lack of concern for the pain their meddling caused, the process was just plain inefficient. Even if they got the Pokemon they sought, it would come with too many strings attached to be worth it.[break][break]

Unless, of course, you were Gavin Merlino.[break][break]

Yet even Gavin wasn't just some unflinching monolith. His facial features shifted into an expression that was unfamiliar to Isaac. For the most part, he always seemed so decisive. Things weighed on him, true, but he always found himself back in control of the situation one way or another. Yet now, here he was, his mouth looking like it no longer quite fit together.[break][break]

Fuck it. He was already asking plenty of questions, right? "You okay? Seems like something's weighing on you."

[break][break]





[break]
[attr="class","skullinfo"]MOBILE POST /



[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

thorn

Gavin Merlino
he/him
36
october 28th
circhester, galar
demisexual
the harbinger
underboss
creatures of habit, carrion flowers, growing from repeated crimes.
awards
7,897 posts
part of
TAG WITH @gavin
Cillian Quinn
A Menagerie of Hard Cases and Bad Decisions [M]
POSTED ON Mar 1, 2023 15:20:28 GMT
Cillian Quinn Avatar
[nospaces]
[attr="class","twtgm"]
[attr="class","main"]Gavin shakes his head.[break][break]

"I don't. Shadow Pokemon are too few in number to conduct any meaningful surveys of their kind. I don't know of any two alike."[break][break]

Science relied heavily on being able to understand and repeat the process; yet another reason he pines for the days when their shadow machine might've given them more answers as to the corrupt condition.[break][break]

He shrugs his shoulders.[break][break]

"But that's part of what makes them so fascinating."[break][break]

Gavin's always loved a good puzzle.[break][break]

He seems surprised when Isaac takes notice of his subtle shift in demeanor. His stoic nature meant that most missed the minute changes in his emotions... but not all. has always possessed an uncanny ability to read him.[break][break]

He thinks for a moment, then answers honestly. "I've been poisoned by the toxin myself. It was an unpleasant experience."

[break][break]
[attr="class","tag"]

[attr="class","notes"]

notes

[break]
🔗 Mission: Bond Bridge


[attr="class","pkmn"][break]




[newclass=.twtgm] --accent: #765d75; [/newclass]
[newclass=.twtgm] width: 420px; margin: 0 auto; color: #aaa; font-family: arial; font-size: 12px; letter-spacing: .5px; text-align:justify; padding-top: 20px; padding-bottom: 20px; line-height: 15px; [/newclass]
[newclass=.twtgm .main] padding: 40px; background: #272727;[/newclass]
[newclass=.twtgm b] color: var(--accent); font-size: 12px; font-family: arial; letter-spacing: .5px; [/newclass]
[newclass=.twtgm a] text-decoration: none; font-size: 11px; font-weight: lighter; [/newclass]
[newclass=.twtgm h1, h2, h3] display: inline-block; [/newclass]
[newclass=.twtgm h1] font-size: 13px; font-weight: lighter; color: var(--accent); letter-spacing: .5px; line-height: 0px; font-family: monospace; text-transform: uppercase; [/newclass]
[newclass=.twtgm u] text-decoration: none;border-bottom: solid 1px var(--accent); [/newclass]
[newclass=.twtgm .tag] text-align: right; padding-bottom: 5px; padding-top: 20px; font: 11px monospace; [/newclass]
[newclass=.twtgm .tag a] font: 12px Montserrat; font-weight: 800!important; font-style: italic; letter-spacing: 0px; color: var(--accent)!important; [/newclass]
[newclass=.twtgm .notes] text-align: justify; padding: 20px 20px 10px 20px; font: 10px monospace; letter-spacing: .3px; border-top: solid 1.5px #323232; height: auto; line-height: 15px; [/newclass]
[newclass=.twtgm .notes h1] font: 16px Montserrat; font-weight: 800!important; font-style: italic; letter-spacing: 0px; text-transform: uppercase; color: var(--accent); text-shadow: 2px 2px 0px #1e1e1e; padding-bottom: 5px; text-align:center;[/newclass]
[newclass=.twtgm .notes a] font: 10px Montserrat; color: var(--accent); [/newclass]
[newclass=.twtgm span] display: inline-block; [/newclass]
[newclass=.twtgm .pkmn] text-align: center; margin: 0 auto; background: var(--accent); padding: 5px; width: 410px; margin-left: -40px; margin-bottom: -40px; margin-top: 10px; [/newclass]
[newclass=.twtgm .pkmn img] margin-top: -10px; padding-bottom: 5px; [/newclass]
close tab

played by

Wanderer

The Liberator
he/him/his
23
April 10
Lavaridge Town
Figuring it Out
Penitent
Renegade
Turned on my friends and brought them pain. I have no right to show I can change. But I gotta try!
awards
4,329 posts
Isaac Merlo DOLLARS
part of
TAG WITH @isaacmerlo
Isaac Merlo
A Menagerie of Hard Cases and Bad Decisions [M]
POSTED ON Mar 1, 2023 16:21:20 GMT
Isaac Merlo Avatar
[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"]Shadow Pokemon were a puzzle with torn up instructions, most of the pieces destroyed, and the rest scattered across the winds. It was as fascinating as it was impossible. No wonder Gavin was so enthralled by them. With how much focus he put on training, discipline, and enforcement, it was easy to forget that Gavin was something of a scientist himself.[break][break]

It was also easy to forget that he wasn't invincble. Much like the Shadows he commanded, Gavin still felt. He knew hates and loves. He knew kindnesses and cruelties. He knew triumph, but he knew pain, loss, doubt, and even fear. He did a remarkable job of concealing the signs, but Isaac was much the same. He knew the signs all too well.[break][break]

As easy as it was for enemies and allies alike to propagandize him as a monster, Gavin was a man. And men, too, could do monstrous things.[break][break]

Yet what he heard from Gavin was nothing like he expected. As much as he'd decided that Gavin was a Shadow Human, he didn't expect to hear that he had actually endured the pain of Nihilego's toxin. A wince of sympathy spread across his face, even as Isaac tried to hide it. He got the sense Gavin did not care for being pitied.[break][break]

He was approaching a dangerous topic. Maybe he should stop, turn back, ask about fossils instead. Yet he really was like Gavin in so many ways. They both craved understanding.[break][break]

"What was it like?"

[break][break]





[break]
[attr="class","skullinfo"]MOBILE POST /



[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]