[attr="class","skullimg"]

[attr="class","skulltitle"]導通抵抗

[attr="class","skullbody"]When Isaac first woke up in Navy's custody, he'd figured that he'd been comatose for damn near a decade. Bastard almost had him convinced, too, until Eris Halla walked in and told him to knock it off. It was just more of Hoenn's time rift nonsense at work, something he could only associate with poor Hearth.[break][break]

Fuck, now he just made himself sad.[break][break]

Regardless, it was a sight Isaac wouldn't get used to anytime soon. It was a symbol of just how badly this war aged Navy. Hell, how badly had it aged this region? Even moreso than 20 years in Galar, the long scars this war left behind were palpable. Between Rocket's meddling and an endless conga line of extradimensional horrors, who hadn't withered in its long shadow?[break][break]

With any luck, they would be able to envy a generation after them, free to grow up in a world freed from this pain.[break][break]

"That's my name, don't wear it out," he said, a wry smirk on his face. "Can't break faces, hearts, and all the damn rules from a hospital bed, y'know? So I figured I'd stretch my legs out for a change. Y'know. While I still can." Arceus knows Rocket would want him put back there at the earliest opportunity.[break][break]

His usual bravado, despite his best efforts, was more frail and hollow than usual. It was clear from the way he peeked over his shoulder that he wasn't joking about that possibility. It wasn't even that the hospital bed was safe. Navy had been there for the moment that facade came tumbling away.[break][break]

"Pretty sure fights have been out to pick me lately," Isaac remarked, another half joke, half unfortunate yet accurate assessment of his current fate. "This rate, if I don't keep up, I'm never leaving that room. And we both know I'm not about that life."[break][break]

"Its high time I take you up on that practice, don't you think?"

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[attr="class","skulltitle"]導通抵抗

[attr="class","skullbody"]The gym carried the rustic smell of tobacco. It was clear that Navy's new habit had been one for the long haul. Isaac couldn't say he minded, though it played strangely with the salty-smelling breeze that otherwise surrounded Dewford.[break][break]

What he did mind was what Navy was implying here. "Not much point, eh?" he asked, a spark of mischief in his eye. "How about we see if you still feel that way once I've got you on the back foot?" It didn't matter if the gym leader was fingertips away from the top champ himself. Isaac wasn't going to make this easy for him.[break][break]

"Congrats in advance, though. Don't got a doubt in my mind that you got this."[break][break]

Isaac had seen Navy fight casual and seen him fight serious. He'd seen him fight for hate and seen him fight for love. He'd seen him on missions, seen him in duels, and seen him in all-out war. At this point, the man's accolades spoke for themselves. To even get a chance to fight him like this, frankly, was an honor.[break][break]

Maybe that was why he felt the drive to make Navy fall back on that bag of tricks. Maybe that was why he perked up when he decided to break out his champiomship team. Isaac wasn't out to claim some title. Isaac was out to take his life back. That meant, even if he wasn't the very best, he'd need to fight as if he was. He needed to push Navy to his limits so Navy could push him to his in turn.[break][break]

"I'd love to give you a better reason." It felt so selfish. Even after a year and a half of earning the love and respect of others, he felt unworthy of focusing on himself. He wanted to say he was fighting for others. He wanted to say he was fighting for Hoenn. He wanted to say he was fighting for love. How could he in his current state? "But right now?"[break][break]

"I'm fighting to stay alive."

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[attr="class","skulltitle"]導通抵抗

[attr="class","skullbody"]When Navy had first mentioned tricks, Isaac took it as a snub. He didn't even realize that the man had meant it as a compliment. A touch of surprise flickered across his face. Deep in his heart he knew he was leagues ahead of where he'd been, but it was rare that he consciously processed all the progress he'd made. It was rarer still that he acknowledged that he deserved it.[break][break]

"Guess I've really come a long way, huh?" he said, before casting his eye towards Navy. The angry young man, admitting his fears in the throes of Ultra Space's hatefulness and Vortigern's bestial nature, seemed so far removed from the grizzled old veteran that stood before Isaac today. " 'Course, you have, too. Don't go forgetting that on me, y'hear?"[break][break]

He felt qualified to speak to that experience. He and Navy were two of a kind, and yet couldn't be more different. They'd both gotten deep into enemy territory, albeit through subterfuge instead of warfare in Isaac's case. They'd both been scarred by a deep-seated fear after a run in with Cillian Quinn. Now both of them remained here, wondering just what all of this had been for.[break][break]

It wasn't that Isaac needed to find a new reason. Isaac already knew. He could've taken the easy route. He could've shrugged his shoulders and walked away from a man he called a brother. He could've scraped together what little goodwill he had, gone to Cil, and asked to be taken off of active duty. Maybe he'd spend the rest of his days like Chu-e Choi, slowly dying in a last desperate grasp at peace.[break][break]

Isaac couldn't do that, and he damn well knew it.[break][break]

He would never stop fighting for love, but how could he help others if he couldn't help himself? How could he save lives if his own was thrown away? That, moreso than anything, was why he let himself indulge in this selfishness. Isaac needed to find the person that so many others knew he could be and grow into those shoes.[break][break]

Once he had the means to match his reason, it would be time for war.[break][break]

Until then, a skirmish would suffice. Navy's first two picks were polar opposites; a brand-new beast from beyond the dreamscape and the last old soldier of a fallen brother. Yin kept yang in check. Yang kept yin hungry. They were two halves of a whole, and Isaac was about to see their efforts firsthand. "Then we'll make sure to give 'em a damn good fight."[break][break]

Isaac's dragon was quick to meet their own, bursting out from his Pokeball without so much as an order. Vesper the Cyclizar looked up at the two circling dragons, facing Sol's roar with a deep rasp of his own. Already, he began bouncing back and forth, limbs loose and adrenaline pumping. He was ready for action![break][break]

A heavy teal claw on his shoulder brought a stop to his pump-up. Marie the Toxapex emerged from her own ball, shaking her head in the face of her companion's recklessness. Were he to use all his energy on posturing before the battle began, he'd be woefully unprepared. In response, Vesper simply nudged his head towards the two dragons. The battle had already begun, even if it hadn't.[break][break]

"Ves, Marie, take it away!" Marie was quick to act, technicolor barbs launching from every panel of her reeflike body. These Toxic Spikes would blanket the battlefield, useless against the current onslaught of fliers but a deadly trap for when the real heavy hitters like Vortigern would hit the stage.[break][break]

As she prepared her first volley, Vesper began chasing his tail in circles. This Rapid Spin wasn't just an extension of the Cyclizar's current hype. With each twirl, more Marie's Toxic Spikes would be pushed away from Isaac's end of the battlefield and closer to Navy's. A heavy sweep of his tail would even send a wave hurtling through the air, an unexpected risk for two flying dragons typically above it all.[break][break]

Beyond that, it seemed both Marie and Vesper were focused on setup. Was Isaac waiting to see how Navy would lead this dance?[break][break]

TEAL DEER;[break]
Marie the Toxapex uses Toxic Spikes, for obvious reasons.[break]
Vesper the Cyclizar uses Rapid Spin, boosting his speed and bouncing some of the Toxic Spikes directly at Sol and Smaug.

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Charizard uses hurricane, Roaring Moon terastallizes to ground and uses earthquake.

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[attr="class","skulltitle"]導通抵抗

[attr="class","skullbody"]"I'm at six, myself, though only five of them were fights." Alexei Ivanov was famed for his non-traditional obstacle courses and aerial duels. Frankly, Isaac would've felt out of place challenging him to a brawl. " 'Course, there's my 7th, too. But that one's more of a symbol."[break][break]

Isaac didn't know if the circumstances around Eris Halla' badge made it invalid or not, and frankly he didn't care. To him, it was his most important win.[break][break]

Navy wasn't here for a flag-waving contest, though. Navy was here for a battle. If Isaac was going to keep the comparison going, it would have to be blow by blow.[break][break]

Navy made a statement through action and word alike. A Hurricane gathered around Sol's wings. A gleaming crown purged any ailment from wayward Toxic Spikes, freeing Smaug to dive to the earth like a meteor. If Navy had his way, nowhere would be safe, and that was by design. He wanted to give Isaac his strongest from the outset, overwhelming him before he even stood a chance.[break][break]

Isaac could get it. He, too, loved breaking out the overwhelming force. He fought at his best when his opponent was off balance, and the best way to do that was often superior force. That wouldn't fly here. Navy played this game far better for far longer. It was a gym challenge to boot. Isaac couldn't just whip out a few extra Pokemon to fudge the numbers his way.[break][break]

That just meant he'd have to whip out every trick in the book.[break][break]

"Marie, get in there!" Isaac called. Her part of the plan was easy enough, and a sharklike grin spread across her face as she prepared to execute it. Her coral flaps carried her forward as quickly as possible, something easier said than done for a Pokemon as cumbersome as a Toxapex. It was highly likely Smaug would descend before she'd even make it.[break][break]

Just in case, as she neared the Roaring Moon's shadow, Marie flung herself forward in a final, desperate skid. She stretched her flaps out as far as possible in the hopes the Roaring Moon smashing into at least one piece of her Baneful Bunker. Not only would the sturdy cover shield her from both of these forces of nature, but weaponizing it this early into the battle could potentially hobble their most dangerous foe.[break][break]

"And Ves, c'mere! Like, right here!" It didn't escape Isaac that they'd descended to this pitch on what was basically an elevator. The dome below was far larger than the false battlefield above. That meant, even outside of the boulders littering the battlefield, there were two massive pieces of cover that they could take advantage of.[break][break]

It helped that Cyclizar, despite their saurian roots, moved more like apes than other dragons. What seemed like forelegs were actually arms, giving the Cyclizar a bipedal stance that it often favored in combat. Vesper took this physiological quirk to his advantage, pushing off the ground in a four legged leap only to straighten himself in midair. His claws spread wide, finding purchase in the elevator platform that brought them down to this level of the battlefield.[break][break]

A wise man once told Isaac to use every part of the battlefield, not just the meat in front of him.[break][break]

Gales ripped against his back as he swung behind the platform, a preview of what would have been in store for him had he not gotten behind wind-breaking cover. Earth shook the world below him, a warning as to the battering he'd face if he were to slip and lose his grip. Worry filled Isaac's eye as he watched Vesper's trembling claws, hoping against hope they'd hold out.[break][break]

When the rumbling died down, he couldn't help but sigh in relief. The same went for Ves, who wasn't sure how much longer he could have withstood such a barrage for. Before letting himself drop down, he poked his head out from behind the platform, a Thunderbolt tearing from his mouth towards Sol to cover his descent.[break][break]

"You've got some damn good moves yourself! Hope you don't mind me twisting 'em up a bit," Isaac said, a compliment and a tease wrapped in one. It was time for the lords of these domains to meet their tricky usurpers.[break][break]

TEAL DEER;[break]
Marie's Baneful Bunker protects her from the incoming onslaught. Before using it, she tries to throw herself in the path of Smaug's descent, hoping he'll crash land into it and poison himself.[break]
Vesper rushes behind the cover of the arena's elevator platforms, the verticality keeping him above the earthquake and the structure breaking up the worst of the hurricane winds. He fires a Thunderbolt Sol's way before dropping down to rejoin the fray.

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Both clowns take hits. Roaring Moon uses breaking swipes. Charizard mega evolves to Mega Charizard Y. Uses flare blitz on Marie. I don't know if you can actually terastallize one pokemon and mega evolve the other but fuck it we ball.

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[attr="class","skulltitle"]導通抵抗

[attr="class","skullbody"]To say Marie was in for a bad time would be an understatement.[break][break]

In the best of circumstances, Toaxapex made for poor dodgers. Smaug's weight punning down a part of her Baneful Bunker meant this was far from the best of times. His claws buffetted her on all sides, shards of coral flying away with each strike. It was an onslaught she could weather, but could she do so on all sides? Sol's meteoric descent put that theory to the test.[break][break]

Solar powered, the strike crushed clean through the panel on the Mareanie's back. Flames licked through the damage, scorching her main body directly as she was smashed through stone after merciless stone. Even for a Pokemon as sturdy and fireproof as Marie, this onslaught hurt. Worse still, with her flaps in their current condition, there'd be no way she could reform her Baneful Bunker in time for the next pounding. Any more of this and she'd be left in great peril.[break][break]

A flash of red light showed that Isaac agreed.[break][break]

"Easy, girl," Isaac said, even as her Pokeball writhed angrily in his palm. "You'll get your shot later. Take 5." In her stead, he tossed down another Pokeball, his Heracross appearing in another red flash. The bug beat his chest, eager to jump into the fray.[break][break]

He wasn't the only one. Vesper charged towards Sol and Smaug, fire in his eyes and pride in his heart. With his head lowered and his throat purring like a motor, he seemed ready to run the opposition straight through.[break][break]

Perhaps that made it all the more shocking when, instead, he pulled into a drift. His tail began to glow, and with a heavy flick he sent it flying clean off of his body. As it twisted through the air, his body turned to light, returning to Isaac as if by a Pokeball's command.[break][break]

When his Shed Tail hit the ground, it unfurled to reveal none other than Marie. The flaps that Smaug savaged and Sol burst through were shorter and paler than the others, but much of her surface injury had healed. Any damage that remained was more than compensated for by the tail draped around her like a mantle. She grinned impishly towards her foes, taking a little bow at her grand redebut.[break][break]

Between Smaug's poison and Sol's overflowing power, Navy's team threatened to burn itself out. Isaac may have halted all offensive momentum, but his Regenerators threatened to piece themselves together as they weathered the storm. What seemed like a normal gym battle had quickly become a clash of philosophies.[break][break]

Perhaps that's what they all were.[break][break]

TEAL DEER;[break]
Marie the Toxapex gets battered real bad. So bad that Isaac immediately switches her out.[break]
Megalon the Heracross, released in her stead, does his best to look threatening.[break]
Vesper the Cyclizar feints a charge, only to instead use his Shed Tail.[break]
Out comes none other than Marie, Regenrator healing her on the switch and the Shed Tail further safeguarding her.

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Roaring Moon charges Cyclizar, hitting the shed tail as Marie comes back out with breaking swipe. Charizard uses flamethrower on Heracross.

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[attr="class","skulltitle"]導通抵抗

[attr="class","skullbody"]"I dunno, man." Isaac may have been able to redirect Navy's trump card, but it wasn't without a cost. Marie's extra shielding was immediately torn through by Smaug's twice-empowered strikes, and poor Megalon was left staring down the barrel of Sol's incredibly dangerous techniques. "You threw your weight around, and I had to scramble for an answer. If it knocks me off balance, it did its job, yeah?"[break][break]

In a perfect world, Vesper and Marie could've strung out their little dog and pony show for a lot longer. Instead, Megalon was put right in the all too literal hotseat. Sol was an expert fighter and veteran of several battles, and his strafing patterns meant what would normally be a simple stream of fire instead flooded the battlefield. There was no avoiding this.[break][break]

Luckily, Megalon wasn't the type to avoid his problems. Instead, just as the flames washed over him, he lifted his elytra. The Heracross charged through the air, the crackle of embers drowning out the buzzing of wings until he burst right out from the flame. His shell, once a cool blue, took on warmer tones like a lobster being boiled alive. His expression, once unbridled confidence, was now an obvious wince.[break][break]

Nevertheless, with how hard the dragon king burned himself out, Megalon knew he had a chance. As he emerged from the flame he lifted his hands in a crossed chopping motion, aiming to smash Sol right in the throat. If his Throat Chop rang true, he'd at least be able to squeeze some gain out of this suicidal charge.[break][break]

Marie was in a far more comfortable position. As Smaug stumbled off balance, she curled two of her flaps high into the air. One after the other, they rained down against the Salamence's flank, Liquidation bursting from them like little geysers of force. It would take a lot more than that to bring down a beast like Smaug, but in the face of his unbridled ferocity every bit of punishment counted.[break][break]

"I'd love to meet them some time." Far from their usual amped up tone this battle, Isaac's voice took a turn for the soft and sincere. Not only was Sol impressive as all hell, but he was also clearly of great importance to Navy. It would, frankly, be an honor to see the rest of Gabe's team. "Your brother sounds like a was a hell of a guy."[break][break]

TEAL DEER;[break]
Rather than try to avoid the flames, Megalon tries to charge through them. He's already hit real, real bad, but tries to camouflage among the flames to land a key Throat Chop.[break]
Marie, not really fast enough to get fancy with her tactics, tries to batter Smaug's exposed flank as he recovers.

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[attr="class","Navypog3-icon"]

Charizard grabs Heracross, flies up, and then crashes down with flare blitz. Consequently, Charizard is k/o'd. Roaring Moon notices and simply watches.