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[attr="class","textbox"]For the self-proclaimed steward of the Petalburg Woods, Isaac's scent sure was hard to find around here.[break][break]

The Petalburg Woods, once a barren wasteland of ash and decay, had once more become a dazzling feast for the senses. How could the nose focus on any one scent when fresh flowers, ripe fruit, and the trails of countless migratory Pokemon all conspired to interfere? Worse still, each and every one of these scents carried that essence of Isaac, brought down in the Woods' localized, all too regular rainstorms.[break][break]

In a frustratingly cliche way, it was like every part of these woods carried a little part of him.[break][break]

It was a beautiful sentiment, but a tracker's frustration. Potential leads became dead ends, his windborne travel wiping away the scent between Point A and Point B. Cascades of pollen blowing along the breeze risked turning these expeditions into a sneezing fit. At times, the hunt came tantalizingly close to an end, only for it to lead towards an easily-crushed Combee drone.[break][break]

Temp's heart was in the right place, but he may have been going about this the wrong way.

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At first it had been easy to blame his own tracking skills. A nest of combee. A patch of lovely flowers. A mossy log, decaying and beautiful. With growing frustration, the evidence was being mounted against him.[break][break]

Shaking fists, Tempest stopped in his tracking, blowing a sharp sigh out of his nose.[break][break]

He was being toyed with.[break][break]

Icecube flicked his purpled ears back, glancing up at his Trainer.[break][break]

Pressing the palms of his hands against his closed eyes, Tempest pressed until he saw stars forming in his vision.[break][break]

"I'm fucking tired of this. Just come out." It's not screamed, only a broken request to the woods.

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[attr="class","textbox"]Temp made his plea to the universe, and it was answered. Unfortunately, instead of his intended recipient, it was heard by Sewaddle dipping down from the trees and Rattata poking out from their burrows. Temp was surrounded, and yet he had never been more alone. He had found, and yet he had never been more lost.[break][break]

Was he, dedicated to the direct approach, simply lost as to what to do next? Did it confuse him as the quickest route from Point A to Point B proved not to be a straight line? Was it mere frustration that cracked at the edges of his voice as he made his plea to be done with this job?[break][break]

Or was he still unprepared to use cruelty as bait against someone he once loved?

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Anger. Frustration. Disappointment.[break][break]

It all roiled in Tempest's gut in a fluffy of emotions. Partly at Isaac Merlo, mostly at himself. When he stood in silence with no reply, another breath was let out as he grit his teeth.[break][break]

"Come on, 'cube." Muttered, Tempest trudges through the growth for a more familiar spot.[break][break]

At the edge of the twisted, barren spot in Petalburg woods, Temp kneels down to a certain patch of dirt. Overturned, tested, a handful of small raised mounds packed tight into the dead earth. Tiny metal rods are unearthed from each mound, popped into a device from his bag. The machine gives a small beep with each sample, a small frown on his face as he reads the instrument.[break][break]

There was no need for this to be a wasted trip.[break][break]

"Hmm... three did the best but acidity is still... one did... ah, maybe from the vents? But getting..." A quiet rambling of half formed thoughts let loose into the air.

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[attr="class","textbox"]"Y'know, I was wondering whose those were."[break][break]

How long had Temp been distracted by his scientific endeavors? Apparently, long enough for the quarry he was looking for to just end up waltzing up behind him. It was the strangest thing, too. There were no footsteps, no scents, and not even any shadows giving away his position. There was only the whisper of a cool breeze through the treeline.[break][break]

"My team's been trying their damndest to patch this place up, but. We tried not to interfere with anything that was being used." It certainly explained why, even after months of concentrated healing efforts, this big patch of desolation remained mostly untouched. Perhaps Naomi Sato had made it clear not to touch anyone's unattended instruments. "Didn't take you for the nerdy type, but, hell yeah. Rock on, man."[break][break]

"Whatcha puzzling at?"

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Icecube started to growl as soon as Isaac Merlo started to talk.[break][break]

The man yelped, flinching and dropping his equipment; whirling around, he tried to throw a punch in shock. Altogether ineffective, though. He was too close to the ground and Isaac was too far away even for this.[break][break]

Surging to his feet, Tempest snarled down at the man who used to be his friend, eyes narrowed.[break][break]

"What the fuck do you care? Gunna go take all my hard work to the fucking League?" His fingers twitched, forming into fists at his sides.[break][break]

Raring for a fight. A snarling dog hoping to bite.[break][break]

But for the moment, Tempest did not reach for the other.

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[attr="class","textbox"]Isaac didn't step back from Temp's fist. He knew, with where the man was currently positioned, he'd do little more but pound angrily at the ground.[break][break]

Theirs had become quite the strange dynamic. Time and time again, Temp threatened him with violence. Time and time again, he froze up before actually pulling the trigger. Even if Isaac had been right next to him, would he have been able to throw that punch? Or would he find another reason not to commit? It was like the man himself said. He didn't want to kill.[break][break]

And yet, he ended up here.[break][break]

"Why would I do that?" Frankly, he couldn't consider Temp an enemy if he tried. Maybe that'd be the death of him one day. bryan delarosa was proof he could take that mercy a step too far and end up way over his head. Even those who held back and still loved him could prove all too dangerous. Despite that, Isaac refused to jade himself. "I care 'cause you're you."[break][break]

He stooped down to pinch at the soil. It was so crumbly, more like dust than anything that could bear life. He frowned at the feeling. " 'Sides, I care about these woods, too. It's why I tried to help them heal in the first place." He nodded to the treeline around them, smaller and scrawnier than it had once been but growing stronger by the day.[break][break]

"You don't gotta tell me if you don't want to. But I'm not just gonna kick over your work. Especially not if it ends up helping."

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A snort, clearly Tempest didn't believe whatever drivel that Isaac Merlo was saying.[break][break]

Icecube still growled, tail lashing, the Glaceon standing between them.[break][break]

"Didn't have much problem sucking their dicks to get on their good side." Spat out, accusatory, but Tempest just takes a step back. Flicks his eyes over at his work before leaning over to grab at his dropped device. Turning it over in his hand, he inspects it for damage before putting it away.[break][break]

"You can't do shit for these woods. You're part of the problem." Another sneer of disgust, then Temp's eyes flicked around vaguely. "That gay dog of yours if probably sapping the fuck out of this place as bad as it is you."

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[attr="class","textbox"]"No sucking dick here. Just me being me." The softness in Isaac's eyes was almost melancholy. "There are people there that loved me before I left, and people that're going to judge me no matter what I do from here. I'm not changing myself just to try and please them."[break][break]

"Anything I'm doing is because of me. Including this." He'd let his nonaggression speak for himself.[break][break]

Temp disagreed. If anything, Temp attributed his actions to a factor Isaac hadn't even considered. "What are you- gay dog-?" he asked, the serenity in his eyes giving way to confusion. "Wait. Do you mean Suicune?"[break][break]

"Dude. Suicune hasn't even been here."[break][break]

They were, once. It had been that one day, early on, where Suicune and Celebi had teamed up to save his life and set him free. Together, they purged Elisabeth Fiorelli's toxin from the land, their hearts beating as one and their wills united as they pushed against Wo-Chien's curse. After that, they had gone their separate ways. Suicune was as flowing water and rushing wind themselves. Such stillness didn't suit them.[break][break]

"Yeah, sure. They helped me fix what Lis had done to the place. But, after that? They've been off, wherever they need to be, while I keep an eye on things from here. And I'm not doing it alone, either." With a whistle, a dark shape from above blotted out the sun. It circled overhead, then touched down behind Isaac; not a legend, but simply a Dragonite.[break][break]

"Zeph here's been refreshing the place with Springtide Storms." A proud scratch behind the wings left the Dragonite practically melting. "And he's not the only one. Ceres and Dandori have been making sure all of the plants grow back nice and healthy, and all Sectonia's drones are buzzing around the place to keep everything pollinated the old fashioned way."[break][break]

"C'mon, Temp. You know me. I'm not the kind of guy to just sit around waiting for a miracle."

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Temp just rolled his eyes at Isaac Merlo's defense of himself; it was clear that he didn't believe him. Suicune, any Legendary for that matter, was an enemy. A controller. A liar. Isaac was just one more fool who was lulled in by the pretty words.[break][break]

"It's killing you." Harsh, but repeated softly. Temp gave Isaac a clouded, but reproachful, look. Already mourning for a death that hadn't happened.[break][break]

But he wouldn't elaborate. Wouldn't argue on those points.[break][break]

The pokemon surround. Icecube bares his fangs at the Dragonite, tail still slashing, but he only sticks close to Tempest's side.[break][break]

"Aerobic Bacteria's dead. Soil's too toxic for replacements. You're wasting your and your pokemon's time." Leaning down, Tempest dug his hand into the dead soil and got a big chunk in his hand. It was wet, but still came apart in dead clumps when he brushed his thumb through it. A dry brown even when you dug deep.[break][break]

When it was all gone, Tempest dusted off his hands.[break][break]

"I came out here to try and find you."[break][break]

An admission, slow, as Temp raised brown eyes from the ground to meet Isaac's.[break][break]

"It was supposed to be a nice house call."

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[attr="class","textbox"]"They saved my life." It was the truth, plain and simple. Cillian Quinn had broken him; mind, body, and spirit. If someone hadn't found him, he would have died amidst the ruins of his old grove. Even if someone had, the chances of a recovery were slim to none. "I wouldn't be here if not for them. Anything that happens after that is my problem to figure out."[break][break]

"Is that what you're running these tests for?"[break][break]

He wasn't convinced. Far from it, in fact. However, this strange insistence of Temp's stretched across multiple encounters now. It went deeper than Isaac himself; nobody decided to just set up a research station in the middle of the Petalburg Woods for the hell of it. Not when it had been a hotbed of Avatar activity, not once but twice.[break][break]

As Temp made his point, Isaac couldn't help but smile. "Exactly. Control group. We gave that patch some space so we wouldn't step on your toes." Even if they were a far cry from the woods' original splendor, the fresher, more vibrant areas surrounding this desolate spot were signs that not all hope was lost. "We've been focusing on the north side for the last few months, and the south side's been coming along nicely over the last month, too. East is still pretty fresh. Feel free to set up stations all over. Bet you'll be amazed."[break][break]

There was an optimism in his eyes, that same spark that he'd fought to hold onto throughout his Rocket career. It was as if, even when the weight of the world pushed against him, he refused to believe things wouldn't be okay. Was it stubbornness, refusing to accept the inevitable? Was it fear of the alternative? Or was it just genuine goodwill and strength of spirit?[break][break]

Whatever he had, something new tempered it ever so slightly. Knowledge.[break][break]

"It's not perfect," he admitted. "You're right. I can try and cheat reality all I want. Some parts are gonna take months, years even, to be back. Some never will. And none of it's going to be the same as it was before. The old Petalburg Woods are dead. But that's all the more reason to help new life bloom. I'm done letting corpses rule my world."[break][break]

Legends and fate and life and death and stagnation and change and the looming specter of the inevitable. A million and one topics underlined their conversation. However, in the end, there was only one thing truly drawing Temp out. "Well, I'm here," Isaac said, his smile soft. "And I'm always gonna be."[break][break]

Did he know how hard he made this?

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Whatever point Isaac Merlo thought he might have been making was just turned into a bitter snarl on Tempest's face.[break][break]

"So my research had been a waste fucking of time. Got it."[break][break]

Once again, Tempest had just been the one made to stand in the corner while the real people did the actual work. Too stupid to be trusted. Then laughed at when he thought he was actually helping.[break][break]

Even if Isaac didn't laugh, it still was the same hot wash of shame that bled down his throat. The being left out in the dark. The subtle mockery.[break][break]

Control group..[break][break]

Sure.[break][break]

"The energy is killing you."[break][break]

Repeated. But Tempest only turned his back on the other and crashed through the undergrowth and deeper into the woods. Away from him and the confusing mix of emotions that always rose to the surface.[break][break]

Icecube flicked his ears up in surprise, chattering softly. The Glaceon gave one last, sharp look at Isaac and his pokemon before darting off to follow after Tempest.

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[attr="class","textbox"]"Waste . . . ?"[break][break]

It was too late. Before Isaac could ask what he meant by that, Temp was already storming off. One last warning danced around in his ears, but it was the last thing in the world he could worry about. Right now, Temp's tempestuous temper was of far more importance. He stumbled after the man, still his physical inferior even with his healed body narrowing the gap between them.[break][break]

"Are you kidding, man? Nobody in the world's got numbers like these!" Relentless. Perhaps Isaac trying to negotiate with Temp even as their big, bad battle bugs wrestled should've clued him in as to how this second encounter would've gone. "You think I'm even doing half of what you're doing here?"[break][break]

Springtide Storm infused the breeze with life. Ceres' Overgrowth enriched the soil. Dandori's very nature called the seeds from their slumber. His own Rain Dance fed them with revitalizing waters. Sectonia's pollinators prepared the cycle for its next, more natural step, ready to inherit the earth in the loam left behind once these techniques faded. It was a powerful cycle, and yet . . .[break][break]

"You're dead on about the soil, you know?" The undergrowth they barreled through was already thick, the ignoble end of this first layer of the cycle. Isaac parted it some and struck the earth, revealing the same dusty, crumbling ground beneath those first layers of loam. "We're trying our best, but we don't know how this land died."[break][break]

"You're seeing what I never could. And the answers you find aren't gonna need a miracle, or some perfect combo of rare Pokemon."[break][break]

"They'll be for everyone."[break][break]

How many places in the region were facing this problem on a larger scale? Waterlogged paradises like Alto Mare shared a globe with the barren wastes of Orre. Isaac and his merry band of chucklefucks couldn't spend their entire life slowly marching across every corner of Orre. However, if means of fighting desertification, both through Pokemon techniques, natural means, and technology were studied, who knew what could be possible?[break][break]

And that was simply for natural fears. Right now, the best way to beat the man was to beat the man. If Temp's analysis could find any remnants of Elisabeth Fiorelli's rot, if it could get to the root of just what made Wo-Chien's grudge into a tangible poison, who knew what breakthroughs could be made? Could you take a god's work apart and replicate it in a lab? Could man, through their ingenuity, overcome it?[break][break]

Isaac's excitement was visible. For Arceus' sake, he had a literal bounce to his step. "I want to know more about what you've got to say," he admitted. "About your research. And what you're hoping to do with it."[break][break]

"And the warning you keep trying to give me."