MARCH UPDATE

POSTED ON Aug 19, 2023 1:22:57 GMT

Cillian Quinn and Johanna Joy like this

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“Y’know,” Navy says while picking at a piece of funnel cake, “I prolly owe Joy somethin’ like, mmm…200 bucks at this point.” The two are looking at the souvenir booth. There’s Johanna Joy plushies, joyland posters, carnival masks, and so much more. “I think Hattori’s used her mug for his substitution jutsu like…five times.”[break][break]
Hattori skitters by Navy’s side. Ordinarily, a Greninja might turn some heads. Hattori, however, is much too small to draw attention to himself. Cool though he may be, rocking his eyepatch courtesy of Cillian Quinn , he’s hardly bigger than a Frogadier. Were it not for his awkward cough at the mention of his name, most wouldn’t recognize he was there.[break][break]
“Greninja, man. They’re great.” He waxes poetic about his partner Pokemon, like many trainers before and after him are prone to do. Doubtless, that isn’t why Isaac Merlo came calling.[break][break]
“Doubt you’re here to talk Horsea. How’ve you been? Enjoying my neck of the woods? Been a few months, boss.”

[break][break]

+ Isaac Merlo [break]
Visit the Joyland Pop-up souvenir booths.

[attr="class","pokeclass"]
Vortigern Rest/Sleep talk/Earthquake/Stone Edge/Sword’s Dance/Outrage/Poison Jab/Stealth Rock

Roland Electric Terrain/Psycho Cut/Moon Blast/Focus Blast/Thunderbolt/Knock Off

Thin Lizzy Shed Tail/Dragon Rush/Shift Gear/Quick Attack/Dragon Pulse/Rapid Spin

[attr="class","credit"]milky

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played by

Wanderer

The Liberator

he/him/his

April 10

Lavaridge Town

Figuring it Out

Penitent

Renegade

Short King height

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

awards

4,402 posts

DOLLARS

part of

TAG WITH @isaacmerlo

POSTED ON Aug 19, 2023 1:45:51 GMT

Johanna Joy 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"]"I dunno. Bet that's gotta be good advertising for her," Isaac quipped back. "Just got done with a gym battle, interviewer wants to know what's next. Challenger looks right at that plush and goes 'guess I'm going to Joyland!' " It was a ridiculous mental image. But so was shooting Johanna Joy a venmo every time one of her dolls got used as a substitute.[break][break]

Hattori wasn't the only diminutive water starter on the field today. Watson toddled behind Isaac, cheerfully rasping as he tried to get a look at the merchandise. After a few attempts at hopping and flailing his arms, he managed to grab onto the souvenir stand and do a little pull-up. His eyes sparkled with wonder as he looked at the selection, 90% of which was Johanna Joy themed.[break][break]

No steak in the exact size and shape of her face, though. For some reason, the stand felt incomplete without it.[break][break]

"Never caught one myself. But I've had a hell of a battle with one before," Isaac said. It was weird to fondly reminisce about a situation like the war in the Ultra Deep Sea. It was probably even weirder to reminisce considering his present company. However, the duel he'd had with Raziel Beckett and his Greninja was the stuff of legends, as was their tag team to rescue Eris Halla from captivity.[break][break]

A part of Isaac hoped, once he'd put in his notice, the two of them could give it a proper go.[break][break]

"Its funny. Never really thought I was the battle type, y'know?" With a space cadet Totodile, an Eevee that preferred cuddling to battling, and a Cubone that marched to the beat of his own drum, he wouldn't have been challenging any gyms a year ago. His strongest Pokemon wasn't even his! "Kinda wild seeing how far I've come."[break][break]

They'd both come so far. Navy was a fledgling gym leader months ago, and now he was walking around like he owned the place. It wasn't much of a surprise, if Isaac was being frank. The man walked around with a confidence Isaac thought he could only dream of.[break][break]

Even he noticed how much higher he'd been holding his head since Galar.[break][break]

"Time sure flies, huh? But the trip was worth the wait." As soon as Isaac could unravel a few last mysteries, he'd be able to walk around the place guilt-free. "You've got a damn good town. And I think the fair's even chased away some of the hipsters, too."[break][break]

"Bet you didn't expect all the traffic, huh?"

[break]

[break]

[attr="class","skullinfo"]MOBILE POST / @navy

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

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played by

Teddie

Michael Navidson

He/Him

October 13th

Slateport

Heterosexual

E4; Gym Leader

Sheriff

5'10" / 177.8 cm height

In the warrior's code, there's no surrender. Though his body says stop, his spirit cries, "NEVER!"

awards

3,999 posts

DOLLARS

part of

TAG WITH @teddie

POSTED ON Aug 19, 2023 2:29:25 GMT

Tempest Quinn likes this

[nospaces]

[attr="class","arties"]

“Oh, trust me, they’re here.” He speaks with the solemn voice of a Lord-Commander at the mention of Hipsters. “It’s my job to fight them away. That’s the real mission, Isaac. Skeleton dragon, ultra beasts in the water, ghost Pokemon? Oh no, no. They’re all second to the real threat. Hipsters.”[break][break]
Some of them walk by, as if on cue. The beginning of the semester will truly chase them off. This is like one last hurrah. One last ride before they get back to their liberal arts, gender studies, and literature majors.[break][break]
Navy and Isaac don’t know it yet, but they’ve been tagged on social media. They’re inadvertently photobombing some young hipster couple’s photos. The tag #funtasia is there. Along with #Sheriff #SheriffDate #GentlemenPreferBlondes, and Arceus knows how many other dumb tags.[break][break]
“It’s been a popular l’il spot ever since the battle. I guess I help with that. People go gaga for local heroes.” The notion makes him scoff. He was born in Slateport, lived there most of his life. Yet somehow, this place has become his home. He’d fight for any of these people, die for them if he needs to. He proved that just one week ago when Tempest Quinn decided to show up and antagonize his gym.[break][break]
“Can’t speak to how you were a year ago, but it sounds like Mirage Island helped shape ya up. Glad to see it, too. Hoenn needs all the help they can get.” Callan opened Navy’s eyes to the wider threats. Now, he’ll never be able to shut them again. All of them, Rocket and League alike, are playing for stakes so high the average mind can’t comprehend them.[break][break]
“I like your little guy. Got one of my own. Heh, if I’d known ‘bout him, we could’ve had a playdate.”[break][break]
Hattori has much more mobility than his Totodile brother. He’s already made a trip to a nearby snack stand and has come back. He offers Watson a stick lined with Takoyaki. It’s the least he can do for a young son of the sea.

[break][break]

+ Isaac Merlo

[attr="class","pokeclass"]
Vortigern Rest/Sleep talk/Earthquake/Stone Edge/Sword’s Dance/Outrage/Poison Jab/Stealth Rock

[attr="class","credit"]milky

close tab

played by

Wanderer

The Liberator

he/him/his

April 10

Lavaridge Town

Figuring it Out

Penitent

Renegade

Short King height

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

awards

4,402 posts

DOLLARS

part of

TAG WITH @isaacmerlo

POSTED ON Aug 19, 2023 3:24:52 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"]"Finally. Somebody's found the greatest threat to our region." It was the same sort of lighthearted absurdity that made going hard in the paint in a bumper car battle feel so right. With the region in crisis every other day, it was fun to titter at an imaginary enemy and act like it was the biggest deal in the universe.[break][break]

The animosity, joking as it may be, was a one sided affair. To the people of Dewford, Navy had become a hero. It was what the town needed after being harrowingly close to both an active warzone and an interdimensional incursion. Maybe that was why so many people were pointing cameras as the two of them as they walked past.[break][break]

Wait, hold on. Why were so many aimed at his ass?[break][break]

"Its funny. You'd think being right by a battlefield would chase people off," Isaac mused. "Guess we're not the only ones too damn curious for our own good. Or maybe everyone's numb to the fear after the last five times the world almost ended."[break][break]

The worst of the worst came to Hoenn, time and time again. Time and time again, its people bounced back.[break][break]

Isaac was no exception.[break][break]

Mirage Island opened Isaac's eyes, but it was only the beginning. Every day he spent in the crucible since then made him stronger than the last. It wasn't even making up for lost time anymore. By now, he was heads and shoulders above where he could have ever envisioned himself. Why did it have to come at such a terrible price?[break][break]

So be it. He'd just have to make sure it wasn't all for nothing.[break][break]

"All we can do is our best, y'know?" It was an easygoing, casual statement with an easygoing, casual smile. The secret truth behind it, unspoken between both of them, was that their best Had to be enough. The alternative was needless bloodshed at best and the end of the multiverse at worst. "Day after day, one step at a time."[break][break]

Watson let out a cheerful rasp as the smell of takoyaki hit his nose. Immediately, he popped off of the stand, zooming over to his brocean from another ocean. He took the offered stick, looking at it with wonder in his eyes, and then proceeded to pop the entire thing in his mouth. Yes, even the stick. He didn't seem to mind, making little delighted sighs with every chew.[break][break]

As he gnawed away, Isaac leaned over at a jar of candies on the front of the souvenir stand. Apparently, if he guessed how many there were right, he'd win a prize. Maybe it'd be something to give to Watson. "He's been my #1 wingman for as long as I can remember," Isaac mused, a nostalgic smile on his face as he tried to count up all the bright blue candies in that round, stubby jar. "Don't get me wrong. I've got a hell of a team these days. But Watson's always gonna be right at the head of it."[break][break]

Another had filled that role, once. They did their best to live up to her memory.[break][break]

With only one eye, Isaac was never going to have the best depth perception. Most important things he had a handle back on, but he'd never be able to fully map this jar out. Shrugging, he wrote down his best guess, rounding up a few places just to be safe. "Who was yours?"

[break]

[break]

[attr="class","skullinfo"]MOBILE POST / @navy

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

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played by

Teddie

Michael Navidson

He/Him

October 13th

Slateport

Heterosexual

E4; Gym Leader

Sheriff

5'10" / 177.8 cm height

In the warrior's code, there's no surrender. Though his body says stop, his spirit cries, "NEVER!"

awards

3,999 posts

DOLLARS

part of

TAG WITH @teddie

POSTED ON Aug 19, 2023 12:41:06 GMT

[nospaces]

[attr="class","arties"]

“Don’t really use him much anymore, but I’ve got this old bastard I call Ironsides.” His smile waxes nostalgic, remembering the way that old bird and him had wandered into one another’s lives. “I was just an angry little rebel. Ran up some tall building ‘cause it made me feel cooler to smoke up there. Ran right smack dab into his nest. Imagine that, a Skarmory nesting in Slateport. Old bastard’s lucky I found him instead of the rangers.”[break][break]
Perhaps wanting to get away from the cameras, Navy starts walking. They have a whole fair ground to cover. Arceus knows what kind of trouble two young bucks like them can get up to here. Navy’s the hero, a proud soldier of the League. It affords him certain privileges, like getting to cut the line at the fun fair.[break][break]
“’Course, he tried to bite my head off, first day we met. Kept running into each other on the rooftops. Eventually, guess we just became friends. Been with me ever since.” Hattori scampers along after him. Perhaps no one will notice that a thief has swiped some of the candy. As they navigate this manmade jungle, Hattori will hand out intermittent treats to Watson while having a few for himself.[break][break]
“Through everything. He’s getting on there in years. Unless it’s serious, I let him rest.” Like the elderly deserve. “But…I guess I’ll have to start pullin’ him out soon. Shit’s gettin’ serious.” If Isaac was on Mirage Island, he knows the score better than the sheriff. He was there. His knowledge isn’t secondhand.[break][break]
“All the bullshit these people are goin’ through…it’s not their fight. Not their problem. They just wanna eat funnel cakes and get pissed off about how the latest superhero movie let them down.” There’s no derision in his voice. He doesn’t look down on them as Mareep for that. What some see as weakness, he sees as virtue. There is more to life than being strong.[break][break]
“But enough ‘bout that. You see that?” Navy points a dramatic finger skyward. People scream as they endure a sheer drop down a tower. “We’re gonna ride that.”

[break][break]

+ Isaac Merlo

[attr="class","pokeclass"]
Vortigern Rest/Sleep talk/Earthquake/Stone Edge/Sword’s Dance/Outrage/Poison Jab/Stealth Rock

[attr="class","credit"]milky

close tab

played by

Wanderer

The Liberator

he/him/his

April 10

Lavaridge Town

Figuring it Out

Penitent

Renegade

Short King height

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

awards

4,402 posts

DOLLARS

part of

TAG WITH @isaacmerlo

POSTED ON Aug 19, 2023 21:03:29 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"]For a second, Isaac's smile faltered. Then it came back even stronger.[break][break]

Navy wasn't the only one that had an old steel type close to his heart. Even now, a year later, he found himself missing Kiryu. He still visited her grave at least once a week. He still tried his hardest to live up to her example. He still tried to grow into a trainer and a person that she could be proud of.[break][break]

Neither growth nor grief were something to just be done with.[break][break]

He listened to Navy's words with rapt attention. A part of him wanted to say, no, anything but that. Don't drag Ironsides back into this war. Don't disturb his rest. Let him live out his days until he was older and grayer, even as war drew closer to his doorstep. Then he remembered how hard he had to try to convince Kiryu to accept a rest far more eternal.[break][break]

They were stubborn creatures, but it was born out of love.[break][break]

"Just make sure if you do, you treat him like gold for it." If Isaac knew how little time he'd have left with Kiryu, there was so much he would have done differently. "Gotta pay respects when an old fighter comes home to roost, yeah?"[break][break]

Not that it mattered to the world at large, as Navy so eloquently said. Even Watson and Hattori were more concerned with their suspiciously-growing pile of snacks than they were with the state of the region, and Hattori had already lost an eye over it! "Maybe they're just trying to keep on the one way they know how," Isaac said, nodding his head over to the two water types. "Maybe we should take some hints from them every once in a while."[break][break]

Even the lighthearted could be warriors. Isaac learned that when Watson felled a Shaymin in a single blow. Why couldn't warriors be lighthearted, too?[break][break]

Sometimes, that light heart needed an intense scare. Isaac followed Navy's finger, a smile of approval spreading across his face as he saw its destination. He hadn't expected to catch a thrill like this at a pop-up carnival, but man was it a pleasant surprise. It sure beat the Dugtrio Ring Toss. "Oh, I like the way you think," Isaac said, giving Navy a friendly elbow. "First one to scream buys the next snacks?"

[break]

[break]

[attr="class","skullinfo"]MOBILE POST / Navy

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

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played by

Teddie

Michael Navidson

He/Him

October 13th

Slateport

Heterosexual

E4; Gym Leader

Sheriff

5'10" / 177.8 cm height

In the warrior's code, there's no surrender. Though his body says stop, his spirit cries, "NEVER!"

awards

3,999 posts

DOLLARS

part of

TAG WITH @teddie

POSTED ON Aug 20, 2023 10:26:08 GMT

[nospaces]

[attr="class","arties"]

Watson and Hattori face an unfortunate reality check at the gate: they are much too small for a ride this intense. Even with the constitution afforded to them simply by being Pokemon, they’re still forbidden entry. Remembering horror stories he’s heard about these rides, Navy doesn’t put up too much of a fuss.[break][break]
Besides, Hattori has something to keep him busy. He’s showing off for Watson at a stall just across the street. It’s one of those cute little games where you have to pop balloons with darts. Hattori’s one eye is an eagle’s eye. Pop, pop, pop.[break][break]
Just to show off a little bit, he turns around, aims over his shoulder, throws a dart. Pop. The frog makes a show of twirling a dart between his digits. His eye grows solemn as he watches his Lord and the latest friend he’s made climb higher and higher into the air.[break][break]
“Easier ways to say you wanna buy me something, you know.” Navy remarks as they reach the top of the tower. They have a wonderful view of the town from here. They’ll be sent careening into a terrifying freefall shortly, but for now they’re afforded a quiet moment alongside their fellows.[break][break]
“Arceus I love this little town. You should try small town livIIIIIIIIIING” They fall mid-sentence. That hardly counts, right?

[break][break]

+ Isaac Merlo

[attr="class","pokeclass"]
Vortigern Rest/Sleep talk/Earthquake/Stone Edge/Sword’s Dance/Outrage/Poison Jab/Stealth Rock

[attr="class","credit"]milky

close tab

played by

Wanderer

The Liberator

he/him/his

April 10

Lavaridge Town

Figuring it Out

Penitent

Renegade

Short King height

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

awards

4,402 posts

DOLLARS

part of

TAG WITH @isaacmerlo

POSTED ON Aug 20, 2023 18:39:34 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"]Hattori may have accepted defeat with dignity, but Watson tried every trick in the book to make the cut. He stood up on his tiptoes. He puffed up his chest. He tried to scramble onto Isaac's shoulders and argue they were one entity. He even shot the poor Joyland staff the biggest, wettest, saddest puppy dog eyes.[break][break]

Alas, his endeavors ended in defeat.[break][break]

Luckily, Hattori was on the scene. The Greninja quickly did the next best thing to jingling a pair of keys in front of Watson's face. His dart show left Watson watching, starry eyed. Every hit left the Totodile whooping and cheering up a storm. Every miss?[break][break]

Hattori didn't miss.[break][break]

It was only after Hattori stopped to watch the Tower rise that Watson stepped up to the plate. He slapped a few bottle caps down on the table, took a few steps back to build up some distance, and spewed a Hydro Pump with enough power to wipe out an entire set of balloons in a single blow.[break][break]

That wasn't even remotely how the game was played. However, when the Joyland employee saw Watson's cute little victory dance, he figured there was no harm in tossing him a factory defect. Watson was now the proud owner of a Johanna Joy plushie with an upside down face. He would cherish it for the rest of his days.[break][break]

Most people at the top of the tower were figuring out how to hold onto their lunch. Instead, Isaac and Navy were already competing up a storm. "Oh, please," he said, shooting a teasing grin Navy's way. "Gonna take a lot more than a little drop to make me scream, man. Maybe I just wanna make sure you're tough enough for Dewford."[break][break]

He couldn't lie. The view from the top was beautiful. It was a shame not every small town was created equal. "Psh. I got my fill in LavariiiiiiIIIIIIIIIIDGE!"[break][break]

Neither of them screamed. You can't prove anything! Gravity just dragged the words out of their lungs, clearly. "Don't get me wrong. There's a lot of great ones," Isaac said, slightly dazed as the tower started pulling back up for another loop. "But, shit, man. Lavaridge might as well be Hoenn's retirement home."

[break]

[break]

[attr="class","skullinfo"]MOBILE POST / Navy

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

close tab

played by

Teddie

Michael Navidson

He/Him

October 13th

Slateport

Heterosexual

E4; Gym Leader

Sheriff

5'10" / 177.8 cm height

In the warrior's code, there's no surrender. Though his body says stop, his spirit cries, "NEVER!"

awards

3,999 posts

DOLLARS

part of

TAG WITH @teddie

POSTED ON Aug 21, 2023 10:51:50 GMT

[nospaces]

[attr="class","arties"]

Hattori, for his part, picks a plush that’s grown popular in recent times. Garchomp has become a mascot for the town. While none of the children are brave enough to venture out to the cave just outside town where Vortigern and his brood have made their nest, they all whisper stories about the place. Hattori will never be a great black dragon, but he doesn’t need to be.[break][break]
But gosh is the fur of the plush soft. He rubs his face against it purely to savor the sensation. When he spies humans looking at him strangely, he hides the plush and blushes. Afterwards, he jumps down onto the ground and meanders about with Watson. Anything to pass the time while the Lord and his guest avail themselves of the high tower.[break][break]
“Crazy part is…this town has plenty of old people too.” Navy says in a breathless voice while they climb. “If you come back next month when all the kids go back to college, you’ll see what I mean. The old people try harder to be hip here than the kids.”[break][break]
Anything to stay young, huh?[break][break]
“It’s my job to make sure they’ve all got a town to come home TOOOOOOOOOOOOOO-”[break][break]
And, again, the tower drops.

[break][break]

+ Isaac Merlo

[attr="class","pokeclass"]
Vortigern Rest/Sleep talk/Earthquake/Stone Edge/Sword’s Dance/Outrage/Poison Jab/Stealth Rock

[attr="class","credit"]milky

close tab

played by

Wanderer

The Liberator

he/him/his

April 10

Lavaridge Town

Figuring it Out

Penitent

Renegade

Short King height

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

awards

4,402 posts

DOLLARS

part of

TAG WITH @isaacmerlo

POSTED ON Aug 21, 2023 15:17:04 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"]"Well, duh, I don't have anything against old people." Sure, the crusty old fucks running Rocket and the Council needed to just stop already. But the hungry young fucks trying to run the show could be just as bad.[break][break]

"Real problem? There's nothing to do!" Isaac gestured for emphasis at the enormity of Dewford stretching beneath them. "You guys get beaches and surf contests and meeting halls and a whole cave system to explore. And what can I do? Shrivel up in a hot tub and bake in the sun til I look 20 years older?"[break][break]

"Or climb the mountain that nearly took my little sib's leEEEEEEEEG!?"[break][break]

Isaac wished he could blame it on the gravity. It was a shame the words came tumbling out before the fall had even begun. He'd never considered it that way before, but it was hard to deny. Lavaridge's one landmark of note, maybe one of the coolest in all of Hoenn, had forever been tainted by what had happened to El Sunderland.[break][break]

A part of him hated being so weak. Another part hated that, even after everything he'd been through, he jumped to using such words to describe his tender heart.

[break]

[break]

[attr="class","skullinfo"]MOBILE POST / Navy

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

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played by

Teddie

Michael Navidson

He/Him

October 13th

Slateport

Heterosexual

E4; Gym Leader

Sheriff

5'10" / 177.8 cm height

In the warrior's code, there's no surrender. Though his body says stop, his spirit cries, "NEVER!"

awards

3,999 posts

DOLLARS

part of

TAG WITH @teddie

POSTED ON Aug 22, 2023 4:58:03 GMT

[nospaces]

[attr="class","arties"]

By the time they’re let off the ride and back into the real world, Navy’s legs wobble. The world spins. Arceus, is it good to feel this way. Carnivals have a way of grounding you in the moment.[break][break]
Hattori, who was busying himself losing at a test your strength game, rushes to his Lord’s side to hold the man up. Hooking under his shoulder, he helps Navy walk along.[break][break]
“You should see, see, uh, the places they’ve got to eat ‘round here. Whenever the old timers get word something’s trendy, someone will buy a franchise or put their own spin on it. Mmm…really is like all the big city flavor but none of the bullshit…”[break][break]
He glances over at Isaac, wondering how far he could push that. They’re on the edge of nightmares, even if you wouldn’t know it to look at this place. Behind the happy faces, just up the road, the League has a base where they stage dives down into the rift. They’re mining ore. Prepping for something big. The bigwigs call all the shots, he deals with the fallout. [break][break]
“You know…you ever get tired of the bar scene, you could move down here. It’s a bit out of the way, but there’s plenty to do.”

[break][break]

+ Isaac Merlo

[attr="class","pokeclass"]
Vortigern Rest/Sleep talk/Earthquake/Stone Edge/Sword’s Dance/Outrage/Poison Jab/Stealth Rock

[attr="class","credit"]milky

close tab

played by

Wanderer

The Liberator

he/him/his

April 10

Lavaridge Town

Figuring it Out

Penitent

Renegade

Short King height

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

awards

4,402 posts

DOLLARS

part of

TAG WITH @isaacmerlo

POSTED ON Aug 22, 2023 14:15:17 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"]Seeing his equally woozy trainer, Watson prepared to return the favor. Unfortunately, at his small size, there was little he could do to support Isaac as he swayed and stumbled back and forth.[break][break]

Inspiration struck at a key moment. The little croc hopped on up, snatching a Pokeball from Isaac's belt. When he next stumbled, it would be into the cool chrome chassis of an Iron Thorns. The mechanical Tyranitar sighed fondly as she tried to help brace him with an arm.[break][break]

Dewford's reputation of a land of trends apparently lead to a fascinatingly rich food culture. As an island, Isaac had been there far less often than the mainland cities. Judging by the rumble of his stomach, it may have been high tide he change that. "Sounds like I gotta take a food tour here sometime," he said, mind already wandering at the possibilities.[break][break]

It was almost a surprise when Navy brought up the bar scene over in Slateport. Guy was a natural salesman for his home. Isaac had to give him credit for that. "Y'know, believe it or not, that's not really my home, either," Isaac mused, casting an eye out to the distant sea. "Never really had a place to put down roots, if I'm being honest. Too much to do to just call one place home, y'know?"[break][break]

Once, it was because he was a stupid kid with no plan, no direction, and no hope. Now it was because his eyes had been opened to everything the world had to offer and refused to let it pass him by. Besides, what could beat sleeping under a starry sky?[break][break]

In another era, a more peaceful one, he'd be the model of a roaming trainer.[break][break]

He would have loved to wax lyrical for longer. However, as he stared down the coastline, his eye began to narrow in suspicion. Two men were carrying a writhing box up the shoreline, a carnival barker type taking it off of their hands. Judging by his lack of Joyland uniform and the distance his rinky-dink stand had from the rest of the fair, he wasn't part of the show. Nonetheless, after making the handoff, he began calling out and beckoning to the crowds.[break][break]

"Say. Navy." Isaac's voice was careful and deliberate. Clearly he was planning something. "Interesting show down there, don't you think?"[break][break]

"Maybe we should check it out."

[break]

[break]

[attr="class","skullinfo"]MOBILE POST / Navy

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

close tab

played by

Teddie

Michael Navidson

He/Him

October 13th

Slateport

Heterosexual

E4; Gym Leader

Sheriff

5'10" / 177.8 cm height

In the warrior's code, there's no surrender. Though his body says stop, his spirit cries, "NEVER!"

awards

3,999 posts

DOLLARS

part of

TAG WITH @teddie

POSTED ON Aug 23, 2023 9:49:28 GMT

[nospaces]

[attr="class","arties"]

“Looks like there’s a few more clowns in the circus.” His tone is business once Isaac points out the rinky dink stand and the sneasely man running the show. Try as he might to shirk the title, he is law enforcement. If there’s something going on, it’s his job to deal with it.[break][break]
“Come on, Deputy Isaac.” A hastened step keeps Isaac from seeing the smirk. Hattori disappears, but not before helping Watson back up onto Isaac’s shoulders. A shinobi is one who lurks in the shadows. Never seen, never heard. The last thing a man never knows is there.[break][break]
“I have in my possession a jewel of the sea, ladies and gents.” The crowd is small, mostly disinterested passerby. None of them are serious trainers. “The child of a legend. A baby sure to give any trainer which purchases it a unique advantage.” His accent is foreign, slurred, like spilled ink running over a fresh printed newspaper and muddying the words. Galarian, if Navy’s ears are working right.[break][break]
“Hear that? He’s got himself a legend.” Navy scoffs. Legendary Pokemon are legendary for a reason. People don’t just hunt them down, capture them, and keep them in a box. That would be foolish.[break][break]
And then, he opens the box.

[break][break]

+ Isaac Merlo

[attr="class","pokeclass"]
Vortigern Rest/Sleep talk/Earthquake/Stone Edge/Sword’s Dance/Outrage/Poison Jab/Stealth Rock

[attr="class","credit"]milky

close tab

played by

Wanderer

The Liberator

he/him/his

April 10

Lavaridge Town

Figuring it Out

Penitent

Renegade

Short King height

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

awards

4,402 posts

DOLLARS

part of

TAG WITH @isaacmerlo

POSTED ON Aug 23, 2023 13:19:28 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"]Frankly, Isaac preferred the term vigilante over deputy. That might not have been smart to admit in front of a gym leader, though, so Isaac kept his butt hushed and followed along.[break][break]

Isaac had to give the barker credit. He may've looked, sounded, and smelled like oil, but he had confidence in what he was peddling. Not many people could keep the grift going while their town's gym leader came waltzing up to them. That went doubly so when said gym leader was flanked by a mechanical Tyranitar.[break][break]

Nevertheless, the man's face lit up. "I see one of Dewford's finest jewels has found another," he said, eyes twinkling with predatorial opportunism. "Your battling style is something to behold, my friend. Power, wit, and ruthlessness. In these trying times, this city is so lucky to have you."[break][break]

Laying it on thick. Of course he was. It only became thicker as the box creaked open.[break][break]

"What if I told you that you could put your challengers through the greatest of trials? To make them understand a heart that is no longer their own?" Manaphy, the Prince of the Sea, could do this. The Phione whose eyes squinted uncomfortably from the yellow makeup smeared around them was not. It turned to look towards Navy and Isaac, head weighed down by two counterweights braided into its tassel.[break][break]

"One in every million daughters of the sea bears the might of her father. Impressive, is it not? I even have the egg it emerged from as proof." The man must have read up on his myths for this grift, at least. The halves of an eggshell contained in the glass box he held out were painted in the Manaphy's spitting image.[break][break]

It was astounding how much more care he showed a broken egg than a living creature.[break][break]

Isaac looked ready to go apeshit on the guy then and there, but he restrained himself. Instead, he slung an easy arm around his shoulder. "You've clearly got an eye for excellence," he said, fully prepared to turn his brand of oily bullshit right back at him.[break][break]

"How 'bout the three of us talk price on a nice, scenic beach walk?"

[break]

[break]

[attr="class","skullinfo"]MOBILE POST / Navy

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

close tab

played by

Teddie

Michael Navidson

He/Him

October 13th

Slateport

Heterosexual

E4; Gym Leader

Sheriff

5'10" / 177.8 cm height

In the warrior's code, there's no surrender. Though his body says stop, his spirit cries, "NEVER!"

awards

3,999 posts

DOLLARS

part of

TAG WITH @teddie