MARCH UPDATE

949 height

Turned on my friends and brought them pain. I have no right to show I can change. But I gotta try!

awards

4,328 posts

DOLLARS

part of

TAG WITH @isaacmerlo

POSTED ON Aug 4, 2023 1:07:13 GMT

John Sullivan likes this

[nospaces]

[attr="class","skullhover"]

[attr="class","skullimg"]

[attr="class","skulltitle"]導通抵抗

[attr="class","skulloverlap"]BUT HOLD YOUR BREATH, GUESS WHO'S RUNNING THE SHOW?

[attr="class","skullbody"]Slateport was the biggest city in Hoenn, its centralized location and proximity to the water turning it into an economic juggernaut. It may not have been as commercial as Lilycove, as industrialized as Mauville, or as scientific as Mossdeep, or as politically-central as Ever Grande, but if you asked anyone what city best represented Hoenn, they'd say Slateport time and time again.[break][break]

Slateport was Hoenn, warts and all.[break][break]

It was no secret Hoenn had a fraught political situation. It was a region of haves and have nots, the gulf between them split further and further with each skirmish in an endless war. Its people were victims of Rocket's wrath firsthand, barely spared the fate Sootopolis now buckled under. It was also a victim of its own growth, its poorest trapped beneath a sprawl of urban decay.[break][break]

Slateport was Hoenn. Warts, and all.[break][break]

Last year's Splashfest had been a celebration of the half of Slateport the region wanted everyone to see; sparkling beaches, magnificent high-rises, vibrant night markets, and soundstages full of glamorous (and League approved) celebrities. But this wasn't the Splashfest. This was the Magnificent Funtasia. This was an event that traveled the region, hellbent on its mission to bring joy to all.[break][break]

The Outskirts, the dirty little secrets of Hoenn's crown jewel, were also part of "all."[break][break]

Kurze watched, arms folded, as Isaac helped loop some fallen lights around the more stable parts of the Outskirts' infrastructure. "Bet it feels weird to see your old stomping grounds like this, huh?" Isaac asked, shooting the Kingambit a knowing look. In response, he simply shrugged. By this point, the Kingambit was no stranger to strangeness.[break][break]

For the most part, the Outskirts were home to simple pop-up rides. Unlike games of chance or food stalls, those didn't take what precious little cash the people of the Outskirts had to share. They were also one of the few places in Slateport with the free lot space to actually build them up. The end result was one gnarly bumper car arena, and one Isaac eagerly hopped on line to join.

[break]

[break]

[attr="class","skullinfo"]MOBILE POST / John Sullivan

[attr="class","skullcredits"]TAIKO!

[newclass=.skullhover]width:420px;-webkit-filter: grayscale(100%);filter: grayscale(100%);-webkit-transition:all 1s ease;transition:all 1s ease;-webkit-transition-delay:0.1s;[/newclass]
[newclass=.skullhover:hover]-webkit-filter: grayscale(0%);filter: grayscale(0%)-webkit-transition:all 1s ease;transition:all 1s ease;[/newclass]
[newclass=.skullimg]width:380px;height:200px;background-image:url(https://i.imgur.com/HOVZp0J.png); background-repeat:no-repeat;[/newclass]
[newclass=.skulltitle]font-family:verdana;font-weight:700;font-size:50px;position:relative;text-align:center;color:#D9B800;margin-top:-36px;margin-bottom:0px;text-shadow: -1px 0 black, 0 1px black, 1px 0 black, 0 -1px black;[/newclass]
[newclass=.skulloverlap]letter-spacing:1px;font-family:oswald;font-weight:200;font-size:12px;position:relative;text-align:center;margin-top:-0;margin-bottom:-5px;color:#e8e8e8;text-shadow: -1px 0 black, 0 1px black, 1px 0 black, 0 -1px black;[/newclass]
[newclass=.skullbody]div-align:center;text-align:justify;width:380px;line-height:15px;letter-spacing:.5px;font-size:12px;font-family:roboto;color:#d6d6d6;[/newclass]
[newclass=.skullinfo]width:380px;font-family:oswald;font-size:12px;font-weight:200;color:#767676;text-align:right[/newclass]
[newclass=.skullcredits]width:380px;font-family:roboto;font-size:12px;text-align:center;[/newclass]

[googlefont=Oswald]
[googlefont=Roboto]

close tab

played by

Epic BugCatcher

Dr. Doug

He/Him

20 (40)

March 3

Viridian City, Kanto

It just works

Lt. Colonel, Medical Corps

AQUA Initiative

5' 11" (181 cm) / 180 lbs (82 kg) height

You're being healed. Please do not resist.

awards

2,879 posts

DOLLARS

part of

TAG WITH @bugcatcherdoug

POSTED ON Aug 6, 2023 1:00:59 GMT

Festivities For Everyone

'ullo, King Isaac Merlo

"Aaand boop." A young man said, gently placing the joltik-colored Band-Aid over a scraped knee. "That's that. Wasn't too bad, was it?"

He didn't get much more than a toothy grin for his troubles, but that was fine.

Waving as the little tyke ran off, he rose from his knees with a chuckle, patting dirt off his trousers before throwing his case atop his shoulder.

Dressed in the colorful uniform of the Magnificent Funtasia's medical staff, the youth looked somewhat out of place in the drab, dreary slums.

Lights, stands and paper mache could only mask so much dilapidation.

"That I remember well enough." He said as he resumed wandering around the festival's grounds.

Wandering around Slateport had been good for him. It had given him a better idea of how much of his past he remembered. Now he knew for certain—

His memories hadn't been erased nor anything so drastic like that. 20 years had just eroded most of the unimportant ones.

Ever the optimist, he tried to find the humor in his experiences of poverty and homelessness holding such a 'dear', permanent spot in his 'noggin.

"Oi mate." He suddenly addressed a random young man and his... Super-Bisharp, the galarianisms slipping out almost casually as he came across a particularly lengthy line. "What's the line for?"

Maybe he should stick around. With so many people, there were bound to be some accident prone folk in the mix.

STAMP:
-Cheer up a distressed kid.

close tab

played by

Wanderer

The Liberator

he/him/his

April 10

Lavaridge Town

Figuring it Out

Penitent

Renegade

949 height

Turned on my friends and brought them pain. I have no right to show I can change. But I gotta try!

awards

4,328 posts

DOLLARS

part of

TAG WITH @isaacmerlo

POSTED ON Aug 6, 2023 23:55:46 GMT

John Sullivan likes this

[nospaces]

[attr="class","skullhover"]

[attr="class","skullimg"]

[attr="class","skulltitle"]導通抵抗

[attr="class","skulloverlap"]BUT HOLD YOUR BREATH, GUESS WHO'S RUNNING THE SHOW?

[attr="class","skullbody"]"Its the line for bumper ca-"[break][break]

It had been a month or two. It had been twenty years. It had been just yesterday. Yet despite having never encountered the man before or since, Isaac found recognition stirring up within him as he turned to the man behind him.[break][break]

Genevieve Cromwell. She'd felt so alone, so abandoned. Yet, outside of Isaac and his merry band of circumstance-driven chucklefucks, this man had been the first and only to come to her aid. The pressure of the Ruination, and the hostility from some of the Rockets onboard, lead to Isaac getting much snappier than he wanted to be. Despite this, he hadn't forgotten the man's kind gesture.[break][break]

"Hey. You were there, weren't you?" With the sheer gravity in Isaac's voice, it was clear "there" could only mean a few things. "Galar, right? I don't remember seeing you after, but . . . I know you were there before. Helping people, best you could."[break][break]

"Thank you for that."[break][break]

But there was plenty of time for catching up later. For now, they were at the head of the line. Isaac slipped into his bumper car, grinning as he felt the grip of the wheel beneath his fingers. Shit, he missed the good old motorcycle days. One of these days, he needed to get his hands on a new one.[break][break]

"How about we catch up after a little bit of smash-up?"

[break]

[break]

[attr="class","skullinfo"]MOBILE POST / John Sullivan

[attr="class","skullcredits"]TAIKO!

close tab

played by

Epic BugCatcher

Dr. Doug

He/Him

20 (40)

March 3

Viridian City, Kanto

It just works

Lt. Colonel, Medical Corps

AQUA Initiative

5' 11" (181 cm) / 180 lbs (82 kg) height

You're being healed. Please do not resist.

awards

2,879 posts

DOLLARS

part of

TAG WITH @bugcatcherdoug

POSTED ON Aug 10, 2023 0:51:17 GMT

Festivities For Everyone

'ullo, King Isaac Merlo

"Huh? Yeah!" He said, brain dead smile unshaken. Doug had been through a lot of incredibly grave circumstances.

"Really felt like the world was ending for a sec there, huh?" He said with a laugh, shoulders quaking with his chuckles. Littleroot had been wild.

"Anyway... Aren't bumper cars? a safety hazard?"

Then again, he supposed that was par for the course for any carnivals worth its salt.

Wait, Galar?

"Uuuh—" He said, blinking slowly as the young man essentially thanked him for his service. He hadn't even finished retiring yet and he was already getting the Unovan vet treatment! Well, the fun half of it anyway. "You're, uh, welcome. Always happy to help! Didn't quite catch—"

Oh, oup, they were up. They were on the bumper cars!

"Uh. Sure, mysterious handsome young man."

Doug hadn't enjoyed the privilege of meeting a Young Isaac Merlo unmasked— the faces and names of most rockets he had spent time with were inconveniently blurry, too, even the ones he had really hung out with and come to understand— so he was left wondering which rocket this might be based on character and just... general vibes.

"First time in nearly two years I get thanks for my work and it's from a rocket." He muttered to himself with a laugh. Hoenn sure was special.

Stamp:
-Ride in the Bumper Cars.

close tab

played by

Wanderer

The Liberator

he/him/his

April 10

Lavaridge Town

Figuring it Out

Penitent

Renegade

949 height

Turned on my friends and brought them pain. I have no right to show I can change. But I gotta try!

awards

4,328 posts

DOLLARS

part of

TAG WITH @isaacmerlo

POSTED ON Aug 10, 2023 14:19:19 GMT

John Sullivan likes this

[nospaces]

[attr="class","skullhover"]

[attr="class","skullimg"]

[attr="class","skulltitle"]導通抵抗

[attr="class","skulloverlap"]BUT HOLD YOUR BREATH, GUESS WHO'S RUNNING THE SHOW?

[attr="class","skullbody"]"You said it yourself, man. Feels like the world's ending every other month around here." Necrozma, digital worlds, region-ending meteors, Ultra Space and Dream Mist bleeding into reality . . . even without their 20 lost Galarian years, it had been so much. "What's a little bumper cars compared to that?"[break][break]

Danger and conflict the people could actually control was a luxury in the face of the end times.[break][break]

With one last comment about him being handsome and mysterious (yay), it was time for them to rev up their engines. The good news was that the cars were all set to Joyland specifications; intense enough for a thrill, but not fast enough to start knocking people out. It was all some good, clean fun.[break][break]

Okay, so compared to the adrenaline of literally fighting for his life, it was tame as hell. But Hoenn's civilians didn't dive into parallel universes for shits and giggles, so it was probably the high point of their summer excitement.[break][break]

However, it might've been a little too intense for some. As Isaac drove towards his latest target, he couldn't help but notice they seemed to be having some trouble. They were a kid, probably just on the cusp of being old enough to ride, and their attempts at steering amounted to them wiggling back and forth while doing little donuts. Did they sneak onto the line because they thought it looked cool?[break][break]

Isaac slowed to a halt, not about to bump some poor kid with no clue what he was doing. Instead, he cracked open a Pokeball, an orange ghost floating by his shoulder. "Alright, Ex. You're on big brother duty today," Isaac said, the Rotom tilting its body in mild confusion. "Make sure that kid has a good time, alright?"[break][break]

Now understanding, Ex Machina zipped into the bumper car's motor. Its chassis took on an orange hue, a light blue glow spilling out from beneath it. At first, the kid seemed confused. Then, when the car started to slowly and steadily drive itself, his eyes lit up with excitement.[break][break]

He proceeded to point to another nearby driver. Seemed like, with his inability to drive taken care of, the kid was just as bump happy as everyone else. Luckily, the Rotom's paddle-like hands helped stretch the bumper outwards a little, giving the kid a low-impact experience as he eagerly joined the fray.[break][break]

Isaac shot Ex a thumbs up as he drove past. With the kid's day brightened, now he could focus on his own driving.

[break]

[break]

[attr="class","skullinfo"]MOBILE POST / John Sullivan

[attr="class","skullcredits"]TAIKO!

close tab

played by

Epic BugCatcher

Dr. Doug

He/Him

20 (40)

March 3

Viridian City, Kanto

It just works

Lt. Colonel, Medical Corps

AQUA Initiative

5' 11" (181 cm) / 180 lbs (82 kg) height

You're being healed. Please do not resist.

awards

2,879 posts

DOLLARS

part of

TAG WITH @bugcatcherdoug

POSTED ON Aug 13, 2023 20:22:27 GMT

Festivities For Everyone

'ullo, King Isaac Merlo

Swinging himself atop his own ride, John took stock of the situation, nodding to himself silently.

"This is gonna go poorly." He said shortly after, gripping the wheel firmly with both hands.

It had been about 20 years, or a couple of months depending on who you asked, since he had driven a car himself. Not that a bumper car was anywhere near a real car, but...

"Bah, whatever." He said, lifting his foot high up— "Pedal to the metal!"

And stomping down on the pedal.

There was a brief moment, a delay between pedal and machine where John just stared ahead as he waited for something to happen.

Nothing happened.

For god's sa—

"Zeke." He intoned, at which point his phone suddenly floated out of his pocket— Porygone-Zeke, his weathered partner in crime, stared at him askance.

"Make it move." His now empty phone fell back onto his lap as the Porygon-Z leapt out of the device, and into the 'vehicle' below it...

Then, in a sudden, jerky motion, the vehicle lurched forward just as the mysterious handsome stranger happened to drive by, ramming the man's car on the side.

"OKAY, WE'RE DRIVIN'!" He yelped in surprise, hands slapping on the wheel.

STAMP:
-Help fix a ride.

close tab

played by

Wanderer

The Liberator

he/him/his

April 10

Lavaridge Town

Figuring it Out

Penitent

Renegade

949 height

Turned on my friends and brought them pain. I have no right to show I can change. But I gotta try!

awards

4,328 posts

DOLLARS

part of

TAG WITH @isaacmerlo

POSTED ON Aug 14, 2023 2:58:17 GMT

[nospaces]

[attr="class","skullhover"]

[attr="class","skullimg"]

[attr="class","skulltitle"]導通抵抗

[attr="class","skulloverlap"]BUT HOLD YOUR BREATH, GUESS WHO'S RUNNING THE SHOW?

[attr="class","skullbody"]Kids required being handled with care. Ex Machina's encouragement and the tricked-out ride his powers created were a testament to that. But the equally mysterious stranger was no kid. Even if he shared Isaac's youthful good looks, he carried himself with the world-weariness of someone who had been through hell and back.[break][break]

That meant the best way to motivate him was the old fashioned way.[break][break]

Doug had made the first strike, an accidental press on the gas leaving him bonking into Isaac's side. If he thought he'd be mad, he'd be surprised to see Isaac pumping a fist cheerfully in response. Hell yeah, we're driving!" he cheered, revving up his own motor in response.[break][break]

Bumper cars weren't exactly graceful creatures. Isaac's pull out was less a smooth, easy motion and more him moving in a jittery half-circle to try and get some distance from Doug. However, once he was able to make it, he was all too happy to engage in a bit of back-and-forth in response. There was no malice. There was no hostility. There wasn't even any overly hefty hits. Instead, Isaac was doing his best to ease Doug into the madcap chaos that was the bumper car ring.[break][break]

It may have been hard to believe, with how much of Hoenn they'd endured, but sometimes a little bit of chaos was just what the doctor ordered.

[break]

[break]

[attr="class","skullinfo"]MOBILE POST / John Sullivan

[attr="class","skullcredits"]TAIKO!

close tab

played by

Epic BugCatcher

Dr. Doug

He/Him

20 (40)

March 3

Viridian City, Kanto

It just works

Lt. Colonel, Medical Corps

AQUA Initiative

5' 11" (181 cm) / 180 lbs (82 kg) height

You're being healed. Please do not resist.

awards

2,879 posts

DOLLARS

part of

TAG WITH @bugcatcherdoug

POSTED ON Aug 18, 2023 0:21:18 GMT

Festivities For Everyone

'ullo, King Isaac Merlo

After several minutes in... yeah, he felt he had seen enough. Some kid on a super charged car had knocked him out of the running, at any rate. Even though Zeke couldn't frown, he could feel the Porygon-Z seething in his pocket.

Still— he could see the charm, specially for young kids. Just couldn't seem to get fully into it. He appreciated the mysterious handsome stranger's efforts— it truly did make his heart beat in an nostalgic, familiar way. Almost stirring something in him.

A familiar pretty face seemed to almost form in his mind. An old memory that had nearly completely faded away in Galar.

It never quite finished forming, though.

"... Think I'm good." He had his fun. It was time to make room for kids who would enjoy it even more.

As the round came to an end, John hauled himself off the cart, thanking the staff in charge of the ride before walking out into the cool open air.

He swallowed the urge to sigh. To claim he had been disappointed would've been silly— he hadn't had any expectations to begin with.

"I should get something to eat." He said, briefly forgetting about his earlier talks.

STAMPS:
-Ride at least one carnival ride.

close tab

played by

Wanderer

The Liberator

he/him/his

April 10

Lavaridge Town

Figuring it Out

Penitent

Renegade

949 height

Turned on my friends and brought them pain. I have no right to show I can change. But I gotta try!

awards

4,328 posts

DOLLARS

part of

TAG WITH @isaacmerlo

POSTED ON Aug 18, 2023 1:33:27 GMT

John Sullivan likes this

[nospaces]

[attr="class","skullhover"]

[attr="class","skullimg"]

[attr="class","skulltitle"]導通抵抗

[attr="class","skulloverlap"]BUT HOLD YOUR BREATH, GUESS WHO'S RUNNING THE SHOW?

[attr="class","skullbody"]In contrast, Isaac was having a blast. Maybe his inner child as stronger. Maybe chaos and cacophony were more his style. Maybe he just missed going fast, because his motorcycle had been toast for almost a year now. Whatever the reason, he was all smiles as he hopped off of the ride.[break][break]

He was quick to fall back in step with his mysterious new friend. After all, be a shame to just drift apart after a single bit of bumper cars, right? Especially when they were talking about how hungry they are.[break][break]

"Lucky day. I know Slateport's dining scene like the back of my hand," Isaac said, a mischievous smirk on his face. "Pretty sure they've got the night market up and running early thanks to the carnival. Wanna go check out what they've got going on?"[break][break]

In some regards, Lower Slateport was kind of a world between Slateports. It was far less gentrified than the affluent homes filling Upper Slateport, but the priciness of its night life meant trips were beyond the means of those in the Outskirts. With the carnival came discounts, half an advertising measure for the wealthy and half a chance to share the joy with those less fortunate.[break][break]

Isaac wished the city could always be this connected. The divides and scars that split it up ran just as deep as the ones that ran across Hoenn. Would this just be a break from the norm? Or would it be a chance for things to finally start healing around here?[break][break]

He wished so badly he knew how to make sure of that.

"Name's Isaac, by the way," he said, remembering that they'd been going off of "that guy from that place" for far too long. "S'good to meet ya."

[break]

[break]

[attr="class","skullinfo"]MOBILE POST / John Sullivan

[attr="class","skullcredits"]TAIKO!

close tab

played by

Epic BugCatcher

Dr. Doug

He/Him

20 (40)

March 3

Viridian City, Kanto

It just works

Lt. Colonel, Medical Corps

AQUA Initiative

5' 11" (181 cm) / 180 lbs (82 kg) height

You're being healed. Please do not resist.

awards

2,879 posts

DOLLARS

part of

TAG WITH @bugcatcherdoug

POSTED ON Aug 23, 2023 21:52:10 GMT

Festivities For Everyone

'ullo, King Isaac Merlo

He jolted when the mysterious handsome stranger popped back up.

"I was thinking of enjoying some carnival treats, actually." He said with a laugh, shaking his head, reaching into his jacket to procure his stamp list. "Gotta get all my stamps in, you know?"

He had been a little late to get started, after all.

Taking the lead to find the nearest churro stand, Doug gave the other a curious look as his name came up, briefly roving through his memory for the name as the woman behind the counter handed him his sugary treat...

"Oh, King Isaac!" He said suddenly, causing the woman to freeze just short of handing over her goods, staring wide eyed at them. "sheesh, you'll have to forgive me there, your majesty. Sort of forgot your face!"

He snickered before reaching over to yoink his churro, chomping down on it.

"Pleasure to meet'cha again. I'm John Sullivan."

STAMP:
-Eat a carnival treat.

close tab

played by

Wanderer

The Liberator

he/him/his

April 10

Lavaridge Town

Figuring it Out

Penitent

Renegade

949 height

Turned on my friends and brought them pain. I have no right to show I can change. But I gotta try!

awards

4,328 posts

DOLLARS

part of

TAG WITH @isaacmerlo

POSTED ON Aug 24, 2023 0:57:27 GMT

[nospaces]

[attr="class","skullhover"]

[attr="class","skullimg"]

[attr="class","skulltitle"]導通抵抗

[attr="class","skulloverlap"]BUT HOLD YOUR BREATH, GUESS WHO'S RUNNING THE SHOW?

[attr="class","skullbody"]King Isaac.[break][break]

Arceus, it had been forever since anyone had called him that. It felt weird. Even when his court was saying it day after day for twenty years, it felt weird. "Ah, c'mon, it was nothing," he said, the ghost of a blush dusting his cheeks. "If anything, I was more like some kinda spicy mayor."[break][break]

Sure, he was responsible for damage control on the edge of the apocalypse. Sure, he'd helped turn it from a run-down shell of its former self to a bastion of progress among the wastes. But it was but one city, small enough that he could see its growth firsthand from the safety of a train car. True kings had entire nations hanging in the balance. True kings needed to make the impossible possible, even as a million competing voices cried for their attention. True kings didn't get yanked away after 20 years; they reigned until death or dishonor.[break][break]

It left an awful taste in his mouth, but Isaac was starting to understand the League's struggles.[break][break]

"Right back at you, John. If anything, I'm glad I left a good impression!" Clearly it had been, if someone was apologizing for not even recognizing him. "And its nice to know I'm not the only one who still remembers what happened back there."[break][break]

It took time. It took effort. His Musharna had stored his dreams in little glass bottles, and they were the only record he had of those fateful 20 years. Some had forgotten entirely. Isaac refused to share their fate.[break][break]

"How did you spend those 20 years?"

[break]

[break]

[attr="class","skullinfo"]MOBILE POST / John Sullivan

[attr="class","skullcredits"]TAIKO!

close tab

played by

Epic BugCatcher

Dr. Doug

He/Him

20 (40)

March 3

Viridian City, Kanto

It just works

Lt. Colonel, Medical Corps

AQUA Initiative

5' 11" (181 cm) / 180 lbs (82 kg) height

You're being healed. Please do not resist.

awards

2,879 posts

DOLLARS

part of

TAG WITH @bugcatcherdoug

POSTED ON Aug 24, 2023 12:54:48 GMT

angelo vestri likes this

Festivities For Everyone

'ullo, King Isaac Merlo

"That's a good mindset." He replied with a smirk, approving of the dismissal.

Screw monarchy.

It was nice to meet people who remembered things more clearly. So far, Doug only had FERNANDO SILPH and Isaac, though.

Perhaps he should've asked angelo vestri... but he had been too focused on living in the moment at the time for that.

"Nothing much." He said between nibbles of his churro, casually holding another to the former King. "My skillset was limited to fighting and healing, so I fought and healed."

At some point he had become both General and physician, like some sort of knight Hospitaler.

"Oh— I did learn some sculpting on the side, too." He said after a moment. "Sorry for all the littering."

He had left a lot statues near the roads after the poison had receded. He hoped it made people's travels less monotonous.

STAMP:
-Offer a carnival treat to someone else.

close tab

played by

Wanderer

The Liberator

he/him/his

April 10

Lavaridge Town

Figuring it Out

Penitent

Renegade

949 height

Turned on my friends and brought them pain. I have no right to show I can change. But I gotta try!

awards

4,328 posts

DOLLARS

part of

TAG WITH @isaacmerlo

POSTED ON Aug 24, 2023 13:29:25 GMT

John Sullivan likes this

[nospaces]

[attr="class","skullhover"]

[attr="class","skullimg"]

[attr="class","skulltitle"]導通抵抗

[attr="class","skulloverlap"]BUT HOLD YOUR BREATH, GUESS WHO'S RUNNING THE SHOW?

[attr="class","skullbody"]Isaac quirked an eyebrow at the mention of sculpture. "So that's where all of those came from," he mused, sounding more amused than anything. "They really helped liven things up around the place. Maybe they could do the same for Hoenn."[break][break]

Arceus knoww the poor, war-torn region could use some healing.[break][break]

It was just a shame that something about the idea gave Isaac an odd vibe. "Say," he said, voice trailing off ever so slightly as he tried to gather his thoughts. "This is gonna sound real weird, but . . ."[break][break]

"Do you still remember how to do it?"[break][break]

Isaac, certainly, had 20 years less muscle memory on the side. It didn't stop his swordplay lessons from Finnegan Yang from getting interrupted by dreamed up fragments of Galarian technique. It didn't stop him from having the occasional flash of inspiration when peeking at a malfunctioning machine. It didn't stop his brain from trying to turn the current state of Hoenn around like a Rubik's cube, desperate to find answers to a puzzle too big for him.[break][break]

At times, it was like his past life was trying to make itself known once more. It was just a shame that, whenever he tried to hold onto these skills, they faded to dust like the dreams they were.

[break]

[break]

[attr="class","skullinfo"]MOBILE POST / John Sullivan

[attr="class","skullcredits"]TAIKO!

close tab

played by

Epic BugCatcher

Dr. Doug

He/Him

20 (40)

March 3

Viridian City, Kanto

It just works

Lt. Colonel, Medical Corps

AQUA Initiative

5' 11" (181 cm) / 180 lbs (82 kg) height

You're being healed. Please do not resist.

awards

2,879 posts

DOLLARS

part of

TAG WITH @bugcatcherdoug

POSTED ON Aug 24, 2023 23:37:09 GMT

Festivities For Everyone

'ullo, King Isaac Merlo

He smiled at the familiar question, chomping down the rest of his churro before fishing into his pocket for a...

Carving knife?

"Not really." He said, spinning the tool in between his digits clumsily as one would a pen. "But also, yeah?"

He knelt before the other man, setting down his case and opening it in order to fish for a block of wood he apparently just kept inside. Upon closer observation, one end had clearly been carved into, the shape vaguely resembling the silhouette of a head with an equally vague hairstyle.

Casually, the young man leaned back onto the churro stand and began to whittle away at the wood, humming as he slowly filled the floor with its shavings.

"Intellectually, I understand what I need to do. I know for a fact that I'm much better at this right now than I ever was when I truly first started." He said, rolling the cube in his grasp to look over his work, before beginning to chip away once more. "But it's nothing compared to what I was doing towards the end of Galar."

The muscle memory hadn't carried over, but the intellectual know-how and experience seemed to convert into hyper-accelerated progress.

"In the same vein— I've all the knowledge needed to be a general physician. Wouldn't dare attempt surgery on anyone with my own hands, though." He said as he continued to chip away, the block in his hand slowly beginning to take form, the hairstyle perhaps beginning to look familiar to Isaac now. "Not yet."

His gaze rolled over to Isaac, as it oft had while he was working on the wood block, for whatever reason, though this time it lingered on his eye.

Well, his missing eye.

close tab

played by

Wanderer

The Liberator

he/him/his

April 10

Lavaridge Town

Figuring it Out

Penitent

Renegade

949 height

Turned on my friends and brought them pain. I have no right to show I can change. But I gotta try!

awards

4,328 posts

DOLLARS

part of

TAG WITH @isaacmerlo