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[attr="class","skulltitle"]導通抵抗

[attr="class","skullbody"]"Right. My bad," Isaac said, offering a slight smile. "I've been thinking about what gets me freezing up, and that's usually what it ends up coming back to. But it sounds like you've got that part well under control."[break][break]

It was fascinating seeing the contrasts between them. Isaac flew by the seat of his pants, and needed an endless supply of arrows in his quiver to make sure there'd always be room to maneuver. Meanwhile, Luka was a meticulous planner with boundless creativity, only to find herself locked away from everything by a solid wall of pressure. For all their similarities, their battling strategies couldn't be any more different.[break][break]

"You're right, though. All the pieces are there. Your Pokemon are strong, and their care for you is plain to see. You've got plenty of knowledge and experience. Once you get to the bottom of this, you're gonna be a hell of a battler."[break][break]

Now, how did they resolve this? How did you even train someone who had all the tools needed to succeed, and whose greatest obstacle boiled down to herself? Throwing her into danger was an idea, but something about it sat poorly with Isaac. Maybe it was because the last time he tried that, it went horribly, horribly wrong.[break][break]

"Okay. This is like, super not my usual jam. But I think I've got an idea." Isaac wasn't spiritual in the slightest, and inner peace was something that he'd resigned himself to never finding. Nonetheless, it was hard to ignore the obvious conclusion dangling in front of his face.[break][break]

"You ever give meditation a shot?"

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[attr="class","skulltitle"]導通抵抗

[attr="class","skullbody"]"Hey, don't sweat it." Isaac's grin was casual, almost amused, in the face of her attempts at finding the right words. "You know yourself better than I do, so don't be afraid to set me straight when I've got the wrong idea. That helps me help you, yeah?"[break][break]

He listened carefully to Luka's motivations, finding countless memories in her words. He remembered how for the longest time he'd given up on battling. Watson, Duster, Vivi . . . his inaction held them back from their full potential for half a freaking decade. Now, just a year later, he had more Pokemon than he could count, more potential than he could handle, and more accolades than he'd ever expected of himself. All it took was having the right reasons, for once in his life.[break][break]

And even those were tainted.[break][break]

"You're gonna," Isaac said, voice surprisingly full of conviction for someone he just met. "I've known you for, what. Half an hour? And I can already tell how much you care about your friends. You put even a fraction of that into your training, and you'll really surprise yourself."[break][break]

A more serious look crossed Isaac's face. "Just don't forget that you're already enough for the people you care about, alright? All this is just the cherry on top."[break][break]

She asked if he thought yoga and meditation would help. With how clouded her mind was, it was the only answer Isaac could think of yet. A soft smile spread across his face as Luka took ownership of her uncertainty, coming to an answer surprisingly quickly. "Then that settles it! Time to get our zen on."[break][break]

"But first, got any good spots in mind? Cause, uh." He looked around, leaned in a little, and whispered conspiratorially. "When I said this place was scenic, I was totally lying."

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[attr="class","skulltitle"]導通抵抗

[attr="class","skullbody"]"Wha-?"[break][break]

A bright blush lit Isaac's face up, but who could blame him? Of everything he'd been called in the past, this was the most unexpected. He could accept the fact that he was more competent than he thought. He could even start accepting that he wasn't a terrible person. But, come on? An angel?[break][break]

Angels didn't join Team Rocket, for one.[break][break]

"Hey, c'mon, that's . . ." His earlier bravado had vanished, Isaac shyly averting his eyes from Luka's own. He'd never be among the angels. Even before Rocket, he was a petty crook with fingers dipped in the grey market. Before all of that, he was a blemish on an otherwise perfect family. He was angry. He was prone to messing around. He certainly was no miracle worker, if his poor track record at averting disasters was any indication.[break][break]

But didn't it count for something that he was trying?[break][break]

His plan of being a light in Rocket's darkness, while failing, was born of good intentions. His so-called talentless, ambition-free ass had landed him a multitude of badges and success in several competitions. He had a tight inner circle of friends that loved him just as much as Luka knew they did, and nearly 100 Pokemon that felt the same way. And he'd pulled all that off in, what, a year?[break][break]

Bit by bit, moment by moment, he was crawling his way out of a hell of his own making. He was no angel. Yet maybe, just maybe, he could hack it as a risen demon. "Heh. Thanks for that," he conceded, his smile equal parts weary and appreciative as he won the struggle against himself. "You're pretty sweet yourself, y'know. It's no surprise your Pokemon trust you so much."[break][break]

Luka mentioned their next destination, and it couldn't have been further from Granite Cave if they tried. Petalburg Woods, where she'd grown a flower. If Granite Cave was the rumored site of his next tragedy, Petalburg Woods was the site where he'd left a bright new promise in bloom. It couldn't have been a more perfect analogy if he tried.[break][break]

"Do I mind?" he asked, tossing one last Pokeball off of his belt. It popped open, but nothing seemed to come out. How strange. His smile took a turn for the mischievous. Was that a bubble of psychic energy surrounding him and Luka, or was it all just a trick of the light? "I dunno-"[break][break]

And then they were gone.

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