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[attr="class","skulltitle"]導通抵抗

[attr="class","skullbody"]Ah, the sub. Isaac's favorite location.[break][break]

By this point in his life, the sub had gone from home base to obligation. It was hard to blame him. The novelty of having an actual bed had died down now that he had a home to call his own. With his expanded social network and drastically increased confidence, he no longer relied on the Grunts to be his sole batch of friends. Worse still, the traumas he had experienced and the doubts he had felt turned its cold, iron walls and deep sea pressures from a comfort to a cage.[break][break]

Nowadays there were three reasons to visit the sub. The first was to hit the job boards, because even if he was too busy nowadays to meet his previous insatiable pace he still needed to pull his weight. The second was to train, because there were few better places in the region to cut loose with little to know risk.[break][break]

The third was by request, which is what brought him here with Ashley today.[break][break]

The man was energized in a way Isaac hadn't seen before. Ash always had that lowkey vibe to him that Isaac secretly envied. Triumphs and tragedies alike passed with a shrug and a smile. To see him this pent up was new. Part of him was glad to see it, because Isaac was always fond of people he cared about being happy and passionate.[break][break]

Yet part of him felt a strange, creeping dread.[break][break]

Nevertheless, he followed in Ash's footsteps, just as he always had and always would. "Alright, alright, I'm coming," he teased, having been ushered along for like the fifth time today. "So, are you gonna tell me what's going on before you explode, or what?"

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Isaac Merlo, ana fell, Gerald Kaiser, Makoto Kurumi[break][break]

NOTES

- Ash reveals his plan to Isaac. Mentions wanting to bring Cygne to help.[break]
- Has files on Makoto and Gerald, two Rockets he thinks won't mind to help.

MADE BY GUNSMILE

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[attr="class","skulltitle"]導通抵抗

[attr="class","skullbody"]Before the war, before the disaster, before the last few months had sent Isaac's life into a tailspin of uncertainty, Ash had mentioned their next adventure should be heisting a bank. At the time, Isaac figured it had been a pie in the sky dream, half-deliriously laughed about after braving the horrors of a haunted mansion.[break][break]

The dread of the Butcher was far different from the dread that hung in the sub's stagnant air. One was an inescapable flight or fight feeling, like being in the gaze of a hungering predator as its hot breath brushed past your skin and its talons sunk around you. The other was more weight, pressure, ever-present and inescapable. It was gravity, grabbing tightly onto any object it took hold of and pressing inward until there was little left but dust.[break][break]

It was such a relief to Isaac when Ash cut through the tension with something as simple as a bank heist.[break][break]

Not that bank heists were simple. If anything, they were so intricate and complicated that entire movies had been made about them. However, it was far simpler on Isaac's conscience than some of the more militarized plans Rocket had been implementing lately. No murders. No purges. No warfare. Just get in, get grabbing, get out. Simple.[break][break]

Before Isaac could even weigh in, Ash ripped out a pair of dossiers. He already had a crew in mind and everything. Had he been marinating on this plan since the Truesdales? It was as if Ash's commitment and loyalty to Rocket grew, day by day.[break][break]

"If they're getting half, then we're taking advantage of their resources," Isaac pointed out. He wasn't just going to pay Rocket for the privilege of existing. Not if they had no hand in their plan. "And if we find any collateral in the vaults, we figure out where its best off going." After all, the best vaults had more than just fat stacks of cash tucked away.[break][break]

With his two points made, Isaac mulled over the idea of the crew. Cygne, in his completely unbiased opinion, was a no brainer. "Cyg's brilliant," he said without even a moment of hesitation. "Her inventions and ghost types should open up a lot of avenues we'd have no access to otherwise."[break][break]

The next name on the list was an old friend and a pleasant surprise. "I've worked with Gerald a few times before. He's got a hell of a sharp eye and a real powerful team. If you need a lookout and some backup muscle, he's your guy." However, he couldn't help but remember them having to lie low for a bit after the Winters job. "Just be careful. When he goes in hot, he goes in hot. That might get some attention on us.[break][break]

The last name was an unknown, but far from one unsuited for the job. A heist, ultimately, was just thievery on a large scale, and rhey seemed to be a very promising thief. "We've got a good chance of slipping in and out undetected with this one on board," Isaac pointed out. "Far as I can tell, you've got a real good crew in mind. And something tells me you've been sweating the rest of the details, too."

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Isaac Merlo, ana fell[break][break]

NOTES

- Ash goes into the plan, and thanks Cygne for the food.[break]
- He asks the two of them if they want to get some money.

MADE BY GUNSMILE

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[attr="class","skulltitle"]導通抵抗

[attr="class","skullbody"]Isaac turned to return Cygne's kiss, quick, warm, and loving. "My hero~" he said, half to her and half to the delicious bag of bagels she lobbed onto the table. "Glad you could make it. We couldn't do this without you."[break][break]

Maybe they could, though Isaac would never want to. Hell, maybe Ash could without any of them. Ash had thought this plan through to a real deep level. It was like since he'd came up with the idea months ago, he'd been honing it to a fine point. He didn't stop at getting dossiers. He scouted basic intel on the location. He identified its preferred security Pokemon. He'd even come up with some basic countermeasures. He could've come into this alone with a gaggle of complete randos, and he'd still be able to say with confidence that he had this shit figured out.[break][break]

Isaac wondered how much was that Kanto Rocket mentality resurfacing, and how much was new heights of deviousness he'd only now unlocked.

"I'd be careful on anything like that," Isaac warned, as Ash didn't say they'd be using poison. "Bodies leave a trail. And that trail could lead back to us. Not only would security be on high alert, but they'd also be coming at us with a hell of a grudge."[break][break]

They wouldn't be the only ones upset over the senseless deaths of innocent Pokemon, either.[break][break]

"Far as I can tell, best defense is not getting caught in the first place. Not only is it gonna save us from dealing with a mess in the short term, but we're not gonna have to lay low in the long run, either. Money's a lot harder to spend when it's got blood all over it."[break][break]

How much of this was genuine warnings, and how much was trying to spare his gentle heart the worst case scenario? On one hand, it was true that there was only five of them against Arceus knows how many guards, plus anyone that would be attracted in the chaos. Avoiding that fight until they could leverage it into a chase sounded like the best option. On the other hand, Isaac just had no interest in trading lives for quick monetary gain.[break][break]

At least he was among loved ones. He knew they'd understand.[break][break]

"Cyg, didn't you say you had that security footage looper device? Between that, a cleanse tagging on the halls, and whatever distractions we can bring for the Houndours, we should be able to make it in pretty deep before anyone realizes what's up."

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Isaac Merlo , ana fell [break][break]

NOTES

- Bagel... with cream cheese.[break]
- Ash listens to Cygne and Isaac's small pushback, with their plans to hit the joint.[break]
- Introduces the dossiers to Cygne on Gerald and Makoto![break]
- Makes recommendations on big and small Pokemon. Who knows?[break]
- Tells the difference between commercial and investment banks, and might be getting at his father's company a little.[break]
- Ashley bitter arc, lets go.

MADE BY GUNSMILE

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[attr="class","skulltitle"]導通抵抗

[attr="class","skullbody"]"Right?" Isaac said in response to Cygne's surprise at Ash's preparation. "I was expecting groundwork, and this guy walks in with a three story building. But, hey. That just means we're already making progress."[break][break]

That was helped all the more by Cygne's suggestions on how to avoid poison. They could be slowed, distracted, hypnotized, tricked, even paralyzed, frozen, or put to sleep in a pinch. "You're right. Pokemon can do some incredible things," Isaac said. "And anything they can't, your tech and our wits can make up for. We've got this, no issue." Why limit themselves to a smash-up when they could scheme circles around this place?[break][break]

Key to that would be the Pokemon that Cygne let out. Seeing her Porygon2 and Rotom excitedly pal around with each other reminded him of his own Kilobyte and Ex Machina. They were fitting picks for the gearhead of the group, especially with her ghost gang backing them up for the purchases of thievery. "Great choices, Cyg," Isaac said, giving her a gentle nudge of approval. "And it's great to meet the dorks."[break][break]

Ash hadn't picked his own Pokemon yet, but that wouldn't stop Isaac. He considered his team, which by now was reaching a downright Concerning size. Their strengths. Their weaknesses. Their aptitudes for the job. No two Pokemon were the same, and each had situations they thrived in, but a few immediately came to mind for Isaac's purposes.[break][break]

"Be right back." With that cryptic warning, a Ralts popped up from behind Isaac's back, giving him a pap on the head with both hands. Cygne and Ash would barely have any time to react before Isaac disappeared.[break][break]

Then, in another instant, he was back, tossing a Pokeball up and down. "See that, right there? That's why we're taking Echo," Isaac said. "Telepathy. Telekinesis. Teleportation. All the teles. He can also heal us up in a pinch and put any guards we come across to sleep. He's like my little swiss army knife." The Ralts giggled up a storm as Isaac ruffled his hair.[break][break]

"But if we wanna take swiss army knife more literal? Meet Delirium." A blob of pink emerged from the Pokeball that Isaac had just shown up with, barely keeping its form for five seconds before shifting into what appeared to be a chibi caricature of Isaac. "Del . . . can be a bit of a goofball sometimes. Fancies himself the artsy type. But he can be anything we need him to be, and it's not like the rest of my team doesn't have their quirks."[break][break]

As the Ditto and Ralts began roughhousing, Isaac's next Pokemon hit the deck. This time came a sextet of Falinks, looking up towards Isaac expectantly. "If multitasking's a problem, Crash and the Boys here are a solution. These guys are like if I could fit a whole team in a single Pokeball, and they work like a well-oiled machine. Isn't that right, Crash?" The lead Falinks fired a salute with his shield, then began leading the other Falinks in some marching drills. Echo and Delirium fell in line as well, even as they treated it more like some kind of conga line.[break][break]

The parade of surprisingly smol Pokemon continued with a Klefki, each of its keys glowing with a different Illumina pattern. "B.B. here's a master of unlocking. And on a mission like this, that's could be life or death. But he's not just here for his Fairy Locks and lockpicking skills. He can light up the darkness with ease, and if we need to bust anything his Recycle can cover up any traces of damage."[break][break]

By now, it was almost a shock when a grizzled, scarred-up clam emerged to take its place among his surprisingly cutesy teammates. "But for when we don't want locks or break-ins, Kage here's a master infiltrator. His Sticky Hold lets him climb any wall, his Acid Spray can slice through anything we can't pick or hack, and when his Acid Armor kicks in . . ." Isaac snapped his fingers, and Kage became more limber than water. He slid back and forth through the crack of the door with ease as a little demonstration.[break][break]

"That just leaves the most important one. Come on out, Shiver!" Isaac released his Pokeball, and a tidal wave of fish splashed into the room. Nestled atop them was the head of Isaac's Wishiwashi school. "Meet the getaway vehicle. Looks like an innocent school of fish, turns into a ride big enough for five once I give the signal. All those eyes let her double as a killer lookout, too."[break][break]

By the time Isaac was done with his little demonstrations, his corner of the room looked like a zoo. Shiver's school was reshaping itself into several configurations, Delirium doing his best to follow suit. Kage held Crash up by the foot to give him a curious once over, the Falinks flailing and squirming as his fellows jumped up and down to try and catch him. Echo studied the illumina patterns etched on B.B.'s body, his horn resonating at frequencies similar to the ones that they did. And here Isaac sat in the center of it all, looking perfectly at peace in the midst of the chaos.[break][break]

After all, what did he have to fear? They were going out of their way to avoid needless casualties. They were making the rich and powerful sweat. And he was working with the two people he loved most in the entire world. He raised a toast to the sentiments Ash put forward, his Pokemon doing their best to replicate the gesture with varying results.[break][break]

This was going to be fantastic.

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Isaac Merlo, ana fell[break][break]

NOTES

- Ash is happy both of them are so into the idea.[break]
- Explains about how the money is dead and how to use it.[break]
- Tells them of his own team that isn't present, save Sunny.[break]
- Notes he wants to hit the joint in May.

MADE BY GUNSMILE

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[attr="class","skulltitle"]導通抵抗

[attr="class","skullbody"]The way Isaac saw it, he needed to give this job his all. Jobs were a lot like machines. The smoother everything went, the less strain got put on the system. The less strain got put on the system, the smoother everything ran. It was a self-fulfilling prophecy, where success brought further success and failure cascaded in on itself.[break][break]

When strain got put on the system, the parts holding it together suffered more than the system itself. They bent under the strain of what they had to do. They cracked, snapped, and eventually shattered under the pressure.[break][break]

They ended up beaten within an inch of their life. They ended up locked up for the rest of their days. They ended up dead. Worse, they ended up doing things that they could never take back in a desperate rush to avoid such fates. Nobody stood to gain from a broken system; not the parts within, and not the people tampering with it.[break][break]

The job didn't end with the score, either. They'd need to drop the haul off in an offshore account and tap into it, little by little. No toasting vodka from a crystal skull while settling back into swimming pools of molten chocolate. Effectively, they had a little bit more money, a lot more savings, and a weight that would hang over their heads until the heat died down or every last drop had been spent.[break][break]

Rocket, of course, wouldn't have such issue. Isaac just knew they'd find a way to immediately put their half to work to continue their pathway to destruction. Why'd they always have to have it easier than the hardworking, honest crooks on the other side?[break][break]

"May works for me," Isaac said. He knew damn well why Ash was delaying the inevitable. The instability of the Ultra Space rifts became more and more apparent with each visit. All eyes were on the Granite Cave rift, which was expanding at a rate that made the others blush. By April, it was forecast that the damn thing would practically rupture, allowing access to the Ultra Deep Sea on an unprecedented scale. They knew not the exact date of when, only to prepare themselves for the inevitable.[break][break]

There were matters of importance before then, too. Ash had not divulged their nature, but Isaac knew that even before the rift opened there would be no rest for the wicked.

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