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[attr="class","skullbody"]Small-time poachers had such a way of making Team Rocket's job harder. Everyone's guards got raised, law enforcement and rangers started snooping around, and jobs of actual worth got delayed or scrambled. And for what? So some low-lifes with nothing better to do could steal a few sheep?[break][break]

Oh well. It was mutual benefit. Rocket got to chase some small-timers off of their turf and get the heat off of their own operations. Isaac got to rough up some poachers and play the hero. His soft, squishy heart may have been a detriment to their more hardcore operations, but a job like this was the Rocket equivalent of shiny keys to dangle in front of his face. It helped distract him from the realities of his role and reminded him thst he wouldn't have this power to intervene without Rocket.[break][break]

Even with his increasing discomfort around Rocket's activities, it was something he could hold onto and pretend.[break][break]

On the bright side, his civilian persona could reap the benefits of his increasing amount of clout. From contests, to races, to spectacular gym performances, "Isaac Merlo" was starting to feel almost as well known as "Blackjack" was. He found himself depending less on that skull-shaped mask for attention, and no longer needed the shady underground to feel validated. In fact, when he showed up to help today, the owner just seemed glad someone who "knew his way around a cow" had shown.[break][break]

Sure enough, it was Silph Cup champion Buffaloman that he had brought with him today, the Aqua Breed taking all too naturally to the mud surrounding the farmhouse. He wallowed through at surprising speed, Baconator the Pignite eagerly following in his footsteps. He held Midnight, Isaac's tracking Poochyena, high in the air above, while the ever-fussy Colonel tried to hop between drier sections to avoid getting his feathers dirty.[break][break]

A cow, a pig, a chicken, and a hound. Isaac had basically turned this mission into a BYOB (Bring Your Own Barnyard). He was more than equipped to tackle this job. Yet little did he know he wasn't the only one on the case . . .

"?"

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[attr="class","skullbody"]Naturally, Isaac had also decided to scope out the barn. If there was livestock missing, and livestock were found in the barn, it was a no-brainer place to get started.[break][break]

It was such a no-brainer that he wasn't the only one to go looking there. A girl was patrolling around the barn, stumbling through the torrent of mud that was blocking off the front entrance and prowling around for other means of entry. Windows, carelessly left open? Holes in the wall that had gotten busted open? Perhaps even tunnels dug under the mud? Whatever the reason, her focus was intense.[break][break]

So intense that perhaps she wouldn't notice if he snuck up on her. Isaac shooshed his team. Baconator, flashing a mischievous smile, raised a finger to her lips. The Colonel, pressing a talon to his brow ridge and sighing, relented and agreed to hush up. Buffaloman passed through the mud like a knife through hot butter, slowly but surely making his way behind Ayana.[break][break]

Once he was just close enough, Isaac spoke. "Y'know, if you're trying to case the joint, you should probably make sure you're not being watched first," he said, keeping a serious expression on his face. With his imposing, jet-black steed, backup team behind him, and inquisitive tone of voice, he probably looked like quite the fright.[break][break]

He held the act just long enough to let it sink in. And then he lost it, bursting out into a fit of snickers. "Oh, man, I'm totally just messing with you," he said, sighing a little as he righted himself against Buffaloman's back. "Looks like I'm not alone in scouting out what's up, huh? Good. This farm's too big for a one-person job."[break][break]

"I'm Isaac, by the way. What's your name?"

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[attr="class","skullbody"]Isaac had expected a little startle, or maybe for some desperate, fumbling assurance that the girl wasn't a thief. Instead she turned around, her face blank and her stare intense, before fishing into her bag for . . . something. The second Isaac assured her that he was messing around, it was like flipping a switch. Her eyes went from dead and cold to full of life. A bright smile exploded across her face. Strangest still, she apologized for her focus.[break][break]

In just a moment, the girl went from unnerving to sunshine. The heck was going on?[break][break]

"Hey, don't sweat it. Though, sheesh. I wish I could focus half as good," Isaac admitted. His mind was always wandering at a mile a minute, and it was all too easy for him to get restless if he tried to keep such a sharp eye out. Give him a project to tinker with and he could throw himself at it all day, but just raw focusing? Nope. Nuh uh.[break][break]

That said, what he lacked on focus, he made up for in awareness. The girl was a cafe owner, local to the area from the sound of it. She was the type to take on a hands-on approaching to problem solving. And she was a strong believer in repaying the kindness she'd been shown. It was always interesting to see what people revealed about themselves as they spoke.[break][break]

"I'm here for the same as you," Isaac said. "Not that I'm around the area or anything. But from the sounds of things, the farm's been having a hell of a time with this problem. So I figure while I'm here, might as well lend a hand, y'know?"[break][break]

Seeing her jumping up and down in the mud, Baconator whooped excitedly and joined her. So, too, did Buffaloman, though he was less the jumping tight and more content to wallow around. Even on a mission like this, Isaac's Pokemon couldn't help but get sucked into the fun. He shook his head at their antics, snickering a little. "Great. Now they'll never leave you alone," he teased.

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[attr="class","skullbody"]Baconator grinned, leaning into the pets. Isaac couldn't help but snicker as he watched the pig melt. "You say that now, but trust me. When these two's rivalry flares up, my house turns into freaking Wrestlemania." As if on cue, Baconator looked past Ayana, sticking her tongue out tauntingly at the Colonel.[break][break]

"The whole dang group's chaotic, and these guys are just the tip of the iceberg." Even as he said this, a warm smile spread across his face. "But, they're my chaos."[break][break]

With everyone's warm fuzzies out of the way, it was time to get to work. Ayana sprung into action with a sharp eye, peering down at a pair of round, squashed together footprints in the mud. "Shit, I totally thought that was one big circle," he admitted, only now noticing the tiniest groove between the two prints. "Nice eye."[break][break]

Most farm Pokemon didn't have such rigid, attentive posture. Isaac's first thought was a fighting type, but would most of those have such small, delicate feet? He took a picture to preserve the evidence, occasionally taking glances at the picture so he could try to guess more on the road.[break][break]

After all, it wouldn't be much of an investigation if all he did was stand still! He snickered a little as he was deemed Ayana's "friendly ward." "Sounds good to me, chief," he teased, as if this friendly girl he'd fallen into an adventure with was some kind of police captain.[break][break]

If only he knew how close he was.

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[attr="class","skullbody"]"Not just the doors, but the locks, too," Isaac pointed out, giving the lock on the door a quick jingle for emphasis. "This thing's a beast. And while I'm sure it could get picked, it doesn't look warped or damaged any. That tells me either we're dealing with some real careful thieves, or they found another way to get in."[break][break]

That said, Ayana was right that stealing these Pokemon would be a difficult feat. If there was a getaway vehicle, they could load it up and drive them off, no mess, no fuss. But without that? Either they'd have to do it the old fashioned way, which would leave countless tracks visible, or they'd have to round up and catch each and every one.[break][break]

"Is there any damage in or around the barn? Any sign of a struggle?" Isaac asked. If there were any damages that they could survey, it might hold valuable clues. "Even your common Wooloo and Lechonk can kick up a mess when distracted. And trust me; nobody wants to mess with a Miltank."[break][break]

That said, they'd need access to the barn to make that happen. Much as Isaac could probably pick the lock if he needed to, it was probably better to keep his head down when around his "boss." Instead, he spanned the length of the barn, trying to check for any open windows. Being on the shorter side, he'd probably need to get a boost from the Colonel or Baconator to make it inside, but he didn't want to rule the possibility out.

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