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[attr="class","skulltitle"]導通抵抗

[attr="class","skullbody"]Cian couldn't be more casual. Isaac wondered if he even knew the mental war raging inside of him right now. Hell, did Cian even know where he came from? A lot of Rocket fronts had crumbled in the wake of his turn, and Zev Harcourt had been sure he knew enough about Rocket that he needed to start being more careful about the Howling. But did that mean he knew all of the grunts?[break][break]

Maybe he did. Maybe he didn't. But the best thing Isaac could do right now is go with the flow. He returned Cian's handshake with a winning smile.[break][break]

"Well, if you're already breaking out the bag of tricks, then this is gonna be one fun fight," Isaac teased. "Shall we?"

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[attr="class","skulltitle"]導通抵抗

[attr="class","skullbody"]On the surface, a Drought seemed like the worst option possible for Isaac's team. As he rolled his Pokeballs out onto the battlefield, Polaris the Cyrogonal sure didn't seem to appreciate it. The icy wisps that made up its face lowered, forming a pair of furrowed brows that were practically asking Isaac "really?"[break][break]

"Sorry, buddy. One in four chance," he said, shrugging. "Just means we're gonna have to take 'beat the heat' literally. 'Sides, you've always got your special trick." An Ice type learning Solar Beam wouldn't be that helpful in this matchup, but if one of those fire types got cheeky and tried to Tera up it could come in clutch.[break][break]

Grimace didn't mind the heat nearly as much. Instead, he started hopping up and down in a motion similar to his Scorbunny foe, his stumpy legs and flopping head making him look absolutely ridiculous.[break][break]

"Let's do this," Isaac said, taking his space behind his Pokemon. He wasn't sure if he even had any business taking on badge 6 out of 6. He wasn't sure if he even had any business facing off with who many Rockets considered the first domino in the recent treason cascade. He wasn't sure where he even belonged. But there was nothing like a gym badge on the line to clear his head, if only because he needed to. "Best of luck!"[break][break]

It was a perfect mirror match, a brawler and a mage to a side. Knowing that it was in the same shoes as the Ninetales, Polaris decided to make Grimace's half of the job easier. The sun caught its many shimmering facets, focusing them into a Confuse Ray aimed right towards the Scorbunny. With any luck, that would daze and disorient it before it could start running any interference.[break][break]

In response, Grimace charged forward. For such a bulky creature, he moved with startling agility. Its head would rear back, as if preparing for a melee strike. However, the smash never came. Instead, when its head swung forward, it released a blast of concentrated prehistoric energy from its mouth. Ancient Power surged through its veins as it struck, just the mere act of attacking putting a little more pep in Grimace's step.[break][break]

TEAL DEER;[break]
Polaris the Cryogonal uses Confuse Ray on Cian's Scorbunny.[break]
Grimace the Dracovish looks ready to swing, but instead launches an Ancient Power at Cian's Ninetales.

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[attr="class","skulltitle"]導通抵抗

[attr="class","skullbody"]Grimace was confused. In other news, he'd successfully been hit by a Confuse Ray.[break][break]

A primal gargling escaped the Dracovish's throat as he was taken back to an era long since past. Isaac had no idea what he was seeing, but he knew that gargle meant one of two things. Either what he saw enraged the apex predator, or it frightened him.[break][break]

"C'mon, Grim! Snap out of it!" Isaac called, but to no avail. The Dracovish wound himself into a Brutal Swing with extra force, his head smashing everywhere like a rogue tetherball. In this state, he was as much a danger to himself as he was the Ninetales standing before him.[break][break]

Luckily, Polaris was both aware and unchecked. The Cryogonal flew beneath the rising Scorbunny and towards the Ninetales' flank. From there, he'd sail past in a makeshift bombing run, peppering the Ninetales with a broadside of Ancientpowered blasts.[break][break]

TEAL DEER;[break]
Grimace the Dracovish is confused. He flails wildly, his own Brutal Swing giving him some killer whiplash.[break]
Polaris swoops in to flank, launching his own Ancientpower at Ninetales.

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[attr="class","skulltitle"]導通抵抗

[attr="class","skullbody"]Isaac could see the aura of malice starting to radiate from around the Ninetales. If it was allowed to formulate Nasty Plots like that unchecked, it could end up turning into quite the powerhouse. "Careful, Polaris!" Isaac warned.[break][break]

Luckily, the Cryogonal already had a plan. Having chased the Ninetales for long enough to get a sense of its pacing, it aimed its Confuse Ray a little bit further ahead from its previous AncientPowered assault. By leading its shot like this, it aimed to break the tempo of their current chase and score a direct hit.[break][break]

Grimace was in a lot less control of his own situation. His wild, aimless strikes were easily avoided by the Scorbunny, allowing it to retaliate with a harsh Quick Attack to the leg. For a moment, the Dracovish's leg buckled, the force of his own swinging head leaving his other leg precariously wobbling.[break][break]

However, the pain had provided an opportunity in its own right. Grimace's long, flexible neck shot towards the impact site. His gaping jaws further distended, revealing rows of razor-sharp teeth. His Fishious Rend bore down on the Scorbunny at great speeds, all while the coils of his thick, flexible body walled his target in.[break][break]

TEAL DEER;[break]
Polaris the Cryogonal fires a Confuse Ray and leads the shot, hoping Ninetales' momentum will carry it into the attack.[break]
Grimace is hit by the Quick Attack and, still confused, lashes out at the impact site with a Fishious Rend.

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[attr="class","skullbody"]It was a direct hit. Perhaps a bit too direct. Grimace's head barreled into his side as quickly as it had barreled into Hopps. It was becoming clear to Isaac if, were Grimace to stay confused any longer, he'd end up wearing himself down with his own wild strikes.[break][break]

Worse still, Cian's Ninetales had met its mark. Isaac could only watch as a brilliant plume of flame washed over Polaris.[break][break]

He sighed in relief as he saw the first plumes of shimmering light sneak out from between the flames. The Light Screen held firm, giving a sweating, wobbling Polaris all the cover he needed as he flew away from the situation.[break][break]

Two on one meant good odds, but both of his Pokemon were hurting. If he wasn't careful, this could end in disaster.[break][break]

It was time for a tide turner.[break][break]

Isaac fished his Tera Orb out of his pocket, the sphere of polished stone radiating a dusty brown glow. "Let's show 'em what you're made of, Grim!" Isaac said as his Dracovish was swallowed up by the light.[break][break]

When the light shattered away like breaking glass, Grimace's entire body was encased in brown crystal. Patterns almost resembling a spine and ribcage stuck out along the facets, and his head seemed to be encased in a helmet of crystal skull.[break][break]

As Grimace opened his eyes, his confusion was gone. The sharp focus of an apex predator took its place.[break][break]

Grimace's head swayed back and forth as he approached the Ninetales, looking for all the world like a cobra preparing to strike. He faked a lunging bite to the Ninetales' right, then turned to spew a Tera Blast of crystalline bone at its flank.[break][break]

TEAL DEER;[break]
A desperate Light Screen keeps Polaris in the fray, barely.[break]
Polaris is on its last nonexistant leg. Grimace is weakened from Confusion induced wear and tear.[break]
Isaac used Terastalization on Grimace to clear his confusion.[break]
Grimace feints a bite before spewing a Tera Blast at Ninetales.

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[attr="class","skullbody"]In the face of the inferno, Grimace's entire body tensed up like a spring. Black smoke pushed against the shimmer of the Light Screen. A collision was inevitable. There was far too little room for Grimace to dodge.[break][break]

Instead, as he was swallowed up in the blaze, he came bursting out jaws first.[break][break]

Once more, Polaris' earlier tactics paid dividends. With the Tera diminishing his resistance, and the sun baring down overhead, that much heat would have flash fried Grimace otherwise. Instead, his defenses bolstered by the light, he was able to push through by the skin of his teeth.[break][break]

And now, the skin of his teeth was coming for Ninetales.[break][break]

This time, the point of his Fishious Rend was less as a powerhouse strike and more as a positioning tool. If he was able to hold the Ninetales in place, it would have far less chance to dodge when Polaris rained Ancientpower down from above.[break][break]

All the while, Isaac cocked an eyebrow at Cian's . . . interesting choice of tactic. Luckily, the plush didn't seem to be a smoke bomb or anything like that. But if his shot at his sixth gym badge somehow ended by surprise plushie, he'd never live it down.[break][break]

TEAL DEER;[break]
Grimace pushes through the Fire Blast. Its painful, but the Light Screen on Isaac's team lets him tank through.[break]
Grimace aims to grapple Ninetales with a Fishious Rend.[break]
Polaris bombards Ninetales with Ancientpower from above.[break]

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