[attr="class","skullimg"]

[attr="class","skulltitle"]導通抵抗

[attr="class","skullbody"]In a week, this cave would be the site of Team Rocket's mission to track down Arceus' Sealing Stone. It was an absoltely idiotic idea that Isaac was convinced would spell the end of the region. Their presence was also catnip for the League, who would promptly start touching the stone after beating Rocket's expedition force into a twitching pile of pulp.[break][break]

That was next week's problem, though. Today, it was a cave system like any other.[break][break]

Today, Isaac's goal was to survey the caves as much as he could. He had to know every nook, every cranny, every twist, every turn. Maybe, just maybe, if he knew this cave better than anyone else, he'd stand a shot at preventing Hoenn's darkest hour from coming to pass. His Aron, Neo, was a natural spelunker. She'd be more than capable of guiding him. He'd just have to put his trust in her and focus.[break][break]

Earthquakes were not very conducive to that.[break][break]

A very pink trainer ran past, her Pokemon hot on her heels. A large, monstrous shadow loomed after them, wobbling closer with each quake. Clearly, they'd pissed off the wrong Pokemon. The time for fieldwork was over. The time for action was now. Isaac cracked open two more Pokeballs; Charles, the Rapidash's speed sorely needed to intervene, and Luck & Pluck, the Aegislash he could count on to protect him from any foe.[break][break]

They burst from the shadows, the pale glow of Charles' foe cutting through the dim light of the Granite Cave. A furious roar shook the walls at the presence of this new challenger. A rush of air indicated a sudden movement; the beast had reared back, and was about to smash Isaac into paste with a heavy Iron Head.[break][break]

Not today. Isaac took the King's Shield from Luck & Pluck, parrying the blow to the side and pressing the beast's head against the wall. Sparks kicked up in the wake of the collision, casting light on an all too familiar crown of horns. Isaac's heart dropped as a baleful blue eye glared into his soul.[break][break]

Isaac was left staring down an Aggron.[break][break]

Any will to just end this fight with a Sacred Sword vanished. Isaac couldn't bring himself to attack. However, he couldn't bring himself to let this Aggron hurt anyone. A long buried grief gnawed at Isaac as he withered under the shadow of a ghost from his past.[break][break]

A grinding hiss snapped him out of his reverie. Neo had crawled up from his lap, trotting onto Charles' head so that she could stare the Aggron down. It let out a rumbling laugh, amused by the challenge from its weaker counterpart. Yet Isaac saw no amusement here. If anything, he felt reassured.[break][break]

Isaac's own gaze met the Aggron's, as firm and unyielding as iron. His shield held the beast in place, forcing it to perceive him and Neo. Individually, they were nothing compared to this titan. Together, their will and bond were stronger than any iron. The amusement flooded from the Aggron's eye as their weight pushed against his.[break][break]

From behind, Isaac could feel Kiryu's presence. It was as if she was the one facing down this pretender to her throne.[break][break]

Isaac pushed the King's Shield an upward thrust, forcing the Aggron back into a staring position. The two held eye contact for what felt like an eternity. Churning earth gave way to pure silence. The temperature within the cave dropped to a chill. The tension was thick enough to slice with a sword.[break][break]

The wild Aggron, finally understanding, turned away to slink back to its lair.[break][break]

Isaac released a breath he didn't realize he was holding. He slid off of Charles' back and turned around, looking to see if the other trainer had stuck around.

[break][break]

[break]

[attr="class","skullimg"]

[attr="class","skulltitle"]導通抵抗

[attr="class","skullbody"]A small, confident grin spread across Isaac's face as the girl spoke. Compared to the trouble he got dragged into when the mask was on, staring down a giant monster was downright relaxing. Besides, it was nice to feel the warmth of an old friend at his back once more.[break][break]

Half a year gone by, and he still missed her every day.[break][break]

"Hey, don't sweat it," he said, a touch of amusement in his voice. "Far as troubles go, this one's not half bad."[break][break]

Before he could offer to help the girl up, her worn and weary team stepped up to the plate. Clearly, he wasn't the only one that had faced some trouble today. Just how long were they on the run from that Aggron for? And how much did it rough them up before they slipped away? Concerned worried at Isaac's mind as he looked the group over, checking for any injuries.[break][break]

They seemed more battered and scared than anything, but just in case Isaac gave Charles a pat on the flank. The noble Rapidash's hoen glowed a soft pink, and the light of a Heal Pulse washed over all present. Without any major injuries, a healing technique like that should be more than enough to get them back in gear.[break][break]

"You guys doing alright?" he asked as the light subsided.

[break][break]

[break]

[attr="class","skullimg"]

[attr="class","skulltitle"]導通抵抗

[attr="class","skullbody"]Oh dear. Even Isaac's oblivious ass could tell he was being stared at here. A slight blush dusted his cheeks as Luka's gaze settled on him. Being impressive was a new sensation for him. He was used to being the scrappy little underdog, a sentiment not helped by the way he constantly threw himself into danger against far more impressive foes. Apparently, when sink or swim was the rule of the day, your swimming muscles got real toned, real quick. Who knew?[break][break]

It was almost a relief when the poor girl composed herself. Well, for a certain definition of composed, at least. There was a fascinating note of bitterness between the girl's otherwise saccharine nature. She wasn't mad at him, was she? No, no. This wasn't passive aggression. There was genuine appreciation in her words.[break][break]

This was a sensation that Isaac was no stranger to; bitterness aimed at one's self.[break][break]

Something in Isaac's eyes softened as that all-too-familiar note was played. "I wouldn't be too sure about that," he said, looking over Luka's team. Two of them were strangers to him, but one he was all too familiar with. He may not have ever used his Musharna for battle, but it was one of his most important Pokemon. At the same time, while she was no longer with him, all of his years with Kiryu left Isaac all too aware of what an Aggron was capable of. "It might've seemed like a real bad spot, but-"[break][break]

Cart, meet horse, traveling in the wrong order. Now it was Isaac's turn to look a little bashful. "Heh. I'm probably getting a little ahead of myself, huh?" Maybe, just maybe, it'd be a good idea to get to know someone first before charging into their life, dispensing battle advice, and vanishing like a wandering fighthobo. "My name's Isaac. Nice to meet ya."

[break][break]

[break]

[attr="class","skullimg"]

[attr="class","skulltitle"]導通抵抗

[attr="class","skullbody"]Oh. No wonder Isaac craved toast.[break][break]

"I met you in a video game" was a terrible way of introducing himself, so instead he decided to distract himself. Luckily, Luka's team made for the perfect change of focus. They were all bubbly, adorable, and pink, so they matched their trainer well. Was she more the pet type than training type? Had she just been looking for another teammate? No, no. That didn't make sense. Nothing cute and pink lurked here.[break][break]

She had to be training. Further still, with the types of Pokemon she'd brought along, she was trying to play things risky. The Steel types of the cavern would give that Sylveon of hers a hard time, and the Fighting types would be very effective against her Lopunny. It was as if she wanted to push herself as hard as she could, and the Aggron obliged all too readily.[break][break]

"Hey, always happy to help." he said, hoping some kind words and a flash of his winning smile would stop her from picking up on his snooping. If only he realized that she was pulling the same fast one on him.[break][break]

"So what brings you to a cave like this?" Isaac, a little tease slipping into his voice. "Wait, lemme guess. Are you here to meet the friendly locals-" He nodded towards the path that the Aggron had trundled back down. "-and see all the beautiful scenery?" He motioned towards the clammy walls of dirt brown stone.[break][break]

"I know, I know. It's paradise down here."

[break][break]

[break]

[attr="class","skullimg"]

[attr="class","skulltitle"]導通抵抗

[attr="class","skullbody"]Aha! His intuition was dead on. Luka was there to train, and she'd gotten a little in over her head along the way. Sometimes, the simplest option was the best.[break][break]

That said, was the Aggron more than they could chew? Or did Luka just need to work on her eating technique? The girl seemed to flip between the two, as if afraid her earlier word choice was going to offend her team. Instead, she saved all that offense for herself. The poor girl accused herself of being a poor battler and strategist who held her team back. Ouch.[break][break]

Isaac knew that feeling well. Not a conflict went by where he didn't feel in over his head, relying on the talent and teamwork of his incredible Pokemon to get by. Maybe that was why he was trying so hard to prove himself lately. He took on the gym challenge with aplomb, from a humble start in Andrea Vaneau's minor league to an intense bout with the two-time alec foster. He pushed himself physically, both in grappling lessons with Zev Harcourt and swordplay lessons from Finnegan Yang. He refused to be the weak link any longer. Not when so many people depended on him.[break][break]

The more they spoke, the more Luka's struggle resonated with him. Ah, crap. Now he was invested.[break][break]

"Hm," he said, considering what Luka had to say. "You say you're not great at strategy, right? Then that means you're probably not a great judge of strategy either, are you?"[break][break]

A slight smile spread across Isaac's face. He scooped Neo into his arms, feeding the little Aron some much-needed rocks. "Well, how 'bout you let me be the judge of it, then? Neo's gonna be snacking for a good bit, so I've got time for you to tell me what went down."[break][break]

"Y'know. If that's cool with you."

[break][break]

[break]

[attr="class","skullimg"]

[attr="class","skulltitle"]導通抵抗

[attr="class","skullbody"]Isaac hopped onto the makeshift bench next to Luka, continuing to hold his Aron close. Luckily for him, the Aron read the atmosphere in the room, eating rocks as quietly as one could possibly eat rocks. He made sure to give her an appreciative scratch behind the helm for her thoughtfulness.[break][break]

With that, he gave Luka the floor. True to her words, she was far better at assessment than execution. Perhaps it wasn't her strategy that she needed to work on.[break][break]

Their goals truly were the same. They wanted to stop holding back the people they cared for, and stop being a limiter on their team's potential, so they struck it out on their own to find the strength that lied within. "Hey, hey, it's okay. You're good," he gently encouraged as she apologized mid-story. Her assessment was sound. Her self esteem, on the other hand, was rock bottom. Isaac was starting to see the commonality here.[break][break]

Her Pokemon, much like Luka, froze up at a critical junction. They'd wandered into the Aggron's lair before they were ready, and froze up from choice paralysis when the fight kicked into gear. It was a tale as old as time. Even way back when, on the day Isaac took El Sunderland out to catch their first Pokemon, a moment of hesitation at a critical moment ended in disaster . . .[break][break]

"Sometimes, we can't be in control of everything." Was the thought aimed towards Luka, or was it aimed at himself? In either case, Isaac snatched the thought and ran with it. "There's three of them and only one of you, right? If you're trying to command them all at once, you're just gonna get yourselves tied up in knots."[break][break]

Isaac looked over to the three Pokemon on the bench, his smile soft. "Why don't you three show me what you can do?" He set Neo on the ground, the Aron toddling up to an open, spacious part of the cavern. Her eyes began to glow as cracks spread around her, a herald to the many slabs of Rock Tomb that sprang up around her. "If you're up for it, these should make for some pretty good target practice."

[break][break]

[break]

[attr="class","skullimg"]

[attr="class","skulltitle"]導通抵抗

[attr="class","skullbody"]A proud smile spread across Isaac's face as he watched Luka's Pokemon spring into action. "They really care about you, huh?" he asked. "If you ask me, that means the hardest part's already done."[break][break]

Everything here was just gravy. That meant it was time to turn these rocks into a . . . Thanksgiving dinner? Okay. That analogy barely even got off the runway before it crashed and burned. Not Isaac's finest work.[break][break]

Bonbon, on the other hand, did get off the runway! She got a little too high off the runway. The poor Lopunny almost bonked her head mid-move, leading to her High Jump Kick hitting with a less than ideal amount of force. The boulder shuddered, shook, and even cracked, but didn't dust to pieces as Luka may have hoped.[break][break]

"Honestly? A good hit with that move and you would've sent the Aggron packing," Isaac admitted. "But in a place like this, I can see why you didn't go for it. Not a lot of space to pull a clean hit off."[break][break]

"That doesn't mean the move's a no-go, though. Just means you gotta turn it around in your head a little. Get it outside the box a bit." The main reason a high jump kick went high was to take full advantage of the user's powerful legs. The initial momentum from the ascent and the gravity from the drop were a killer combo. "Try changing up the angle a little bit, Bonbon. Instead of jumping more up, jump more forward. Kinda like a . . . long jump kick, I guess?"[break][break]

Man. He wished Finnegan Yang was here. He'd be great at explaining this kind of thing. But in lieu of that, he was just going to have to rub his brain cells together to try and become half the teacher he was.[break][break]

He and Luck and Pluck strained against the crumbly boulder, turning it around so its crack was facing right towards the Lopunny. Her unfinished work was right there, staring back at her. Time to kick its ass so it wouldn't have the last laugh!

[break]

[break]