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[attr="class","textbox"]If there was a lot for Isaac to unpack here, at least he didn't have to do it alone. The other Isaac apparently ruled this roost, and he was all too happy to show off what that entailed. Their bike took off down the dirt paths, flame as hot as Mt. Chimney itself belching out from the engines.[break][break]

"Sheesh, you really souped this thing up, huh?" Isaac asked, raising his voice to be heard over the voice of the engine. "Guess that's a Rocket paycheck vs a Gym Leader paycheck at work, huh?"[break][break]

"Dude, you were in Team Rocket?"[break][break]

"You weren't?"[break][break]

"Nah, man. I've got everything I need right here! Hell'd I need those clowns for?" Isaac couldn't help but bristle at this, only for his other self to give him a gentle punch to the shoulder. "Hey, c'mon, buddy. Just 'cause you thought you did doesn't mean you do. Knowing us, you're the one leaving them in the dust now."[break][break]

Isaac knew this trick well. His other self was talking themselves up to hide the insecurities within. However, this time, there were no cracks in the facade. Could he really be that confident? Was there any reason not to be? This Isaac hadn't been through Rocket. This Isaac hadn't been desperate enough to get swept up in their wake in the first place.[break][break]

This was the fully-realized Isaac he'd spent the last year of his life trying to chase.[break][break]

Their little journey took them all over Lavaridge. The outskirts of town were where all the hottest new developments could be found, both figuratively and oh so literally.[break][break]

"Y'know, I never thought "pizza stone" was so . . . literal." Nevertheless, the crispy crust, melty cheese, and slightly smoky taste were irresistible. The fresh, farm-raised toppings imported from Fallarbor only helped. Who knew Hoenn's most volcanic town might know a thing or two about heating up good food?[break][break]

"Yeah, yeah, sure. This is the kinda stuff we save for the tourists, you know." A wicked grin spread across the other Isaac's face. "You haven't really eaten 'til you've grilled something over a volcanic vent yourself. They try to keep people away from those sides of the volcano, but, trust me. I know all the right spots." Isaac found himself wondering if he could find those same vents in his Lavaridge.[break][break]

They didn't go up the mountain that day, but they drive past it to get a good look at it. It hung above the expanding town, rugged and as immense as always. It was almost as if Lavaridge was starting to wrap around it. "Brand new town, same Mt. Chimney as always, huh?" Isaac mused. "Guess even your flexing's got limits."

"Yeah. But I like the old rock the way it is." The other Isaac turned to face it as they drove, shooting the mountain a quick, cheeky wave. Isaac could've sworn that, in response, the lava at the top bubbled.[break][break]

Inside, the town kept more to the traditions that Isaac had always known. However, that didn't stop them from being kicked up another notch. The sleepy, outdoor markets usually frequented by the town's elderly were now vibrant and lively. Handcrafted goods and traditional snacks were abundant, some made by lifelong residents and others remixed through contact with newcomers and traveling traders.[break][break]

"Never seen so many people out on the streets in my life," Isaac mused between bites of a heavily caramelized dango. "Pretty sure most the people I knew from back home spent half their lives in the hot springs."[break][break]

"Oh, we did some work on those." With a smirk, the other Isaac nodded over his head. Where the traditional hot springs once stood, now Isaac stared down a state of the art spa. "The hot springs were always our thing, but they were just some quaint little sideshow. But now? Well, I think this boom town speaks for itself."[break][break]

"Sheesh, what are you? The mayor or something?" A touch of envy bled into Isaac's voice. Not only had his life been downright charmed, but his whole hometown was doing better, too. This had to be Father Winter fucking with him, right? Cherrypicking the nicest possible reality to rub his nose in?[break][break]

"Nothing wrong with being proud of where you're from." A little, teasing smirk crept up the other Isaac's face. " 'Sides. Gym leader, right? That's close enough." Before saying anything else, he headed into the spa, Isaac following in his wake.[break][break]

It turned out it was a lot harder to be grumpy at a guy when warmed by freshly-harvested volcanic rocks, cleansed by superhot steam baths, and fawned over by a gaggle of lovely assistants. If this was what pampering himself was truly like, Isaac needed to get in on that action! "Okay. Kinda seeing your point now," he said, a melted puddle of comfort at the hands of a full body massage. "You did a hell of job here. Bet El Sunderland'd love this place.[break][break]

The other Isaac looked over from his own massage. For the first time, that smarmy confidence left his face. Only confusion took its place, deepening as Isaac failed to elaborate on his words. Finally, he rolled over a little onto his side, both so the masseuse could more easily tend to the crook of his neck and so he could fix his curious look on Isaac's eyes.[break][break]

"Who's El?"

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[attr="class","textbox"]Who's El Sunderland.[break][break]

El his treasured little sibling, who he'd move heaven and earth for.[break][break]

El, the golden child, the one given the world that his father had always denied him.[break][break]

The father who, based on his derisive snort to Father Winter, now had no quarrel with him. The father who, without his head shoved up his ass, now presided over a thriving Lavaridge. The father who, when bested in a fair battle, passed his legacy on with a smile to his one and only son.[break][break]

"I'm going to fucking kill him." How dare he. How fucking dare he? El didn't deserve the burden of being the replacement for his failures. He didn't deserve the burden of being tossed aside because of something he hadn't even done. If this "better Lavaridge" was built on a world where someone so important to him was unnecessary, then Isaac would rather see it all burned to the ground.[break][break]

Only the tight hands around his neck reminded him that this wasn't the time or place. "Look, buddy. I don't know who you're talking about." The other Isaac's serene voice was a stark contrast to his harsh words. Were it not for the hateful glare out of the corner of his eye, Isaac might not have even realized the threat. "But I don't think I like it."[break][break]

"Yeah? Well, I don't like your timeline." The masseuse's hands tightened, but Isaac refused to back down. "And I don't like that you were born with some silver spoon in your mouth because our shithead of a father decided he didn't "need" a better kid to replace us-"[break][break]

CRACK. The masseuse's hands came down on a pressure point, and Isaac's world went still. He tried to so much as wiggle his little toe, and yet he was completely incapable. The other Isaac rolled off of the massage table, looking down at him with contempt in his eyes. "You want to meet him so badly?" he asked, intensity simmering under his cold fury. "Fine. Let's go see him."[break][break]

As Isaac's consciousness began to fade, the last thing he felt was the other Isaac slinging him over his shoulder.

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[attr="class","textbox"]Their first ride together was warm and jovial, full of smiles and laughter. Now, with a full moon overhead, it couldn't be colder. The only sound between them was the other Isaac's motorcycle, its roar almost mocking and judgmental as it carried them to their destination.[break][break]

"He's a busy man, y'know." The other Isaac's voice teased at the fringes of Isaac's consciousness. "He doesn't like being interrupted. And he's already got plenty of enemies-"

"Gee, wonder why." Isaac pried himself back from the brink with his one true weapon; his tongue. "Think it's 'cause of his winning personality?[break][break]

"You must think you're real funny."[break][break]

" 'Course I do. I'm an Isaac. It's what we do. Or did you forget that when you decided you'd rather be Terry Jr?"[break][break]

"Terry Jr." simply scoffed. "Look, I like ya, so here's some advice from one Isaac to another. Get it out of your system now." He didn't even bother looking at Isaac, eyes fixed on the road ahead. "Mouth off to him, and he'll have your head."[break][break]

Isaac could faintly make out a smirk creeping up Terry Jr.'s features. "Or maybe it's my lucky day, and he'll let me have some fun."[break][break]

"For a guy that's never joined Rocket, you sure sound like some goon to me." The smirk gave way to a scowl. "What, too afraid to step out of daddy's shadow and put on your big boy crime pants?"[break][break]

"And give up a gig like this? Please." Terry Jr. snorted derisively. "I can do whatever I want, wherever I want, whenever I want. You might've blown your shot being some toady, but I've got bigger things in mind."[break][break]

"Like what? Playing big dick on campus while throwing around cash that isn't your own? 'Cause so far I've heard you talk about three things all day, and they're me, myself, and I."[break][break]

"You say that like I should give a hot gay fuck about anything else." Terry Jr. leaned back, as if letting his motorcycle go on autopilot. "Dad's already got his eye on the bigger picture stuff. If anything, I did him a favor by taking that gym off his hands. I run this town, he runs the world. And if I'm gonna do that, I'm gonna do it my way."[break][break]

"Yeah? In my time, the miserable old fuck can barely run a waffle iron." Isaac tried to square the mastermind being implied with the drunken wreck from his home timeline, and it just didn't add up. "Here's my advice: figure your shit out before it all falls apart on you. You might be a prick, but I'm not gonna just sit back and let him ruin another one of our lives."[break][break]

"Ain't happening." The motorcycle ground to a halt. Much to Isaac's surprise, they weren't in front of some kind of towering skyscraper or magnificent mansion. Instead, their house was practically identical to the one that Isaac had seen months ago. Terry Jr. hopped off of the motorcycle, then gruffly yanked Isaac out of the sidecar. "There's your free ride. Now, c'mon. We're not keeping him waiting."

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[attr="class","textbox"]Did their house always have a basement?[break][break]

Okay, to call it a basement wasn't quite accurate. If anything, it looked more like a panic room. That shouldn't have been a surprise to Isaac. With the ground types his father commanded, now apparently at the levels of a gym leader, building downwards would've been trivial. There was no light on the way down. Instead, Terry Jr. shone the way with his phone in one hand, keeping Isaac's wrists pinned behind him with the other.[break][break]

"Shit." It wasn't long before Isaac heard the reason for his counterpart's frustration. The sounds of an animated discussion slipped out from beneath the steel door. It all went over Isaac's head; just a bunch of muffled words about about continents and expansion and rubies. "Now I'm going to have to interrupt him. See what you're making me do here?"[break][break]

"And now you even sound like him." Isaac cast Terry Jr. a frustrated glare. "Come on, man. Do you even hear yourself right now? You're not on rails, buddy. You could just walk away."[break][break]

"Oh, what? So I can just let you get away with what you said?" He returned Isaac's glare. "I don't know how long you plan on sticking around here for. But you have a problem with my people, then you have a problem with me, got it?"[break][break]

For once, the two of them had something in common.[break][break]

Without further ado, Terry Jr. threw the panic room door open. A far cry from the rough-hewn hall outside, the full basement was lavishly and gorgeously furnished. A gaggle of rough-looking men sat around in the smoky lounge, passing cigars around a poker table and murmuring among themselves.[break][break]

Sitting by the fireplace at the end of the room, a large mass of brown fur curled at his feet, was an all too familiar figure. The burgundy suit he wore was a far cry from the worn jeans and undershirts he favored in Isaac's world, and he looked to be in the best shape of his life despite the glass of brandy clutched in one hand and cigar resting in the other. The quiet contentment in his expression went away the second he saw his sons in the doorway, giving way to unbridled annoyance.[break][break]

"Dad, look." Oh no. Terry Jr. couldn't read the room. Had he pissed him off nearly enough to learn the tells? Did he not realize that furrowed brow, or the way he exhaled exactly three seconds later? "I caught us a faller! It's some weird, buff me, and he's got a problem with-"[break][break]

"The only problem I see," Terrence said, shifting ever so slightly in his seat to look his son dead in the eye. "Is that you are interrupting a very important meeting."[break][break]

"Bu-"[break][break]

"I don't have time for these games of yours anymore, Isaac." He turned back to his friends, turning away to dismiss Terry Jr. "Shouldn't you be off running your little gym right now?"[break][break]

A furrow of his brow, and an exhale three seconds later. Maybe Isaac and his father weren't so different after all.[break][break]

He pushed past Terry Jr., sending him stumbling back. "Hey, jackass! Shouldn't you be listening to your kid for a change?" The silence was deafening. Now the whole room was looking at the two Isaacs, much to Terry Jr's embarrassment and Isaac's glee. "He might be a spineless little shit, but for some reason he cares about you. And he knows more than you think he does. So how about you pull your head out of your ass and-"[break][break]

The air left Isaac's body, leaving each and every word he had to say at the front door. Terrence didn't even have to get up. Terry Jr. was more than content to sink a fist in Isaac's gut for him. "Fuck off!" he shouted, cracks of distress creeping through his voice. "I don't need you to fight my battles for me, okay?"[break][break]

Isaac smirked. Bullseye. " 'Course not. Not like you've got any of your own." Oh, Terry Jr. was seeing red now. Isaac could practically see the guy shake. "You're too busy fighting all this guy's for him."[break][break]

Terrence sighed, setting down his brandy. The second his glass clinked against his mahogany end table, Terry Jr. turned to him. "Hey! It's cool, it's cool. You said you got a big, important meeting, right?"[break][break]

"One your little guest is making quite the scene during."[break][break]

"Exactly! My guest, my problem. So I'll take care of it." Terry Jr. squatted down, staring the doubled-over Isaac in the eye. "So you don't gotta do a thing, yeah? I'll have the guy in a shallow grave before you're even done here."[break][break]

For a moment, Terrence's glare settled on the two Isaacs. Terry Jr. was sweating bullets, while Isaac simply cocked a brow in interest. "Don't tell me you don't think your one and only son, your pride and joy, can't handle little old me," he teased. "He's the Gym Leader of the greatest town in Hoenn! And you don't think he can handle a stranger from out of town?"[break][break]

"If I ran the place, that'd be real embarrassing."[break][break]

Finally, with a sigh, Terrence snatched his glance of brandy back up. "Fine," he said, strain creeping into his tone like cracks in a pane of glass. "Do whatever you want with him. But if you can't even clean up after your own mess . . ."[break][break]

The rest of the threat need not go spoken. Terry Jr. understood just fine.[break][break]

"Now get moving." Terrence downed a sip of his brandy, perhaps a bit more than someone should have in a single pour of a glass. "And take Entei with you this time, will you?"[break][break]

"Yeah, take- I'm sorry, what?"[break][break]

Isaac blinked rapidly in confusion. With each blink, the pile of brown fur at Terrence's feet started to shift its position. Spines like slate cliffsides. A mask of crimson and gold. A mane that rippled like fresh-flowing smoke. The meeting hall's other occupants scuttled back, giving the great legend room as he eased onto his feet.[break][break]

Suicune was an entire universe away, and now Isaac was staring face to face with his kin.

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[attr="class","textbox"]All the bravado in the world didn't change the fact that Isaac was in a very, very bad position. Entei's shadow stretched across the smoky room, threatening to swallow Isaac whole. As he took a few steps back, a heavy thud nearly spooked him out of his shoes. It was Terry Jr., slamming the room's iron door shut behind him. Isaac had stepped into the lion's den, and now he was trapped like a rat.[break][break]

Or was he? After all, he'd been able to hear Terrence speaking from the other side of the door.[break][break]

Isaac didn't have a choice. He pivoted on his heel and hopped back, feeling the heat of Entei's approach at his back. If he hesitated here, he was a dead man. What else could he do but barrel on ahead? With one step, then another, and finally a third, he launched himself towards the steely door with reckless abandon. Just before he made impact, he felt his body unravel, allowing him to slide beneath the door without issue.[break][break]

Isaac dared not sacrifice his windbound form. Peering over his "shoulder," he could make out the panic room door glowing and bulging outwards. Already, the shape of Entei was starting to press through the metal. Isaac wasn't about to stick around and wait to see what happened next. He had the speed advantage and the head start, and he couldn't let either of those go to waste.[break][break]

It was the right call. As Lavaridge became a speck on the horizon, Isaac heard the roar of a beast scorned. Much to his surprise, it wasn't Entei. Instead, it was Terry Jr.'s motorcycle, the behemoth of a vehicle tearing away from Lavaridge at speeds Isaac didn't think were possible. Flame spewed from overclocked engines, and a comet-like contrail enveloped it from the front.[break][break]

For all Isaac's head start, the two were soon neck and neck. They swerved back and forth, a pair of stampeding animals smashing into one another. Even in his incorporeal form, the heat from Terry Jr's engines stung at him. His own winds, spite leaving them particularly sharp and frigid, slashed at Terry Jr. in retaliation.[break][break]

"So how's a low-life like you catch a legend's eye, anyway?" Was it just more taunting? The genuine curiosity simmering beneath the surface of Isaac's words disagreed. With the questions of who he was, what he was supposed to be, and where he fit in the grand scheme of things still fresh on his mind, another gifted self was just as good of a person to ask as any.[break][break]

"I dunno how much you've heard, but my dad's got some big plans for this world." Was it the answer that left Isaac scowling, or the sensation of being slammed into by a heavy, flaming motorcycle? "That means I'm the next big thing. And that means I've got eyes on me."[break][break]

"Next big thing? Please. From what I saw, you don't even get a seat at the table." Isaac peeled off, hopping off route and diverting towards the treeline outside of Route 112. His windy body coiled around the treeline, navigating such tight quarters with ease. "Do you even care about all those big things?"[break][break]

"The hell would I?" He showed as little care for these big plans as he did for the trees his bike crashed straight through. "He gets to do big things. I get to live the good life. And whenever he needs something taken care of, I'm his guy."[break][break]

"So that's it? You're just gonna take some hand-me-down legend and use it to be some lackey?"[break][break]

"When it gets me everything I could want? Fuck yeah I'm gonna!"[break][break]

Isaac couldn't even believe that this was another him. Was he seriously so willing to just roll with the punches? To be a toady for someone that didn't even respect him? To just not give a shit if it meant he could eat, drink, and sleep his worries away?[break][break]

Of course he would. Isaac had been the same, once. Then he'd died, again and again and again. With each death, a piece of that selfish veneer chipped himself away. He stopped holding himself back from caring. He stopped hiding behind fake promises of doing some greater good. He stopped letting himself be afraid. All the while, he immersed himself deeper into Hoenn's affairs, seeing how the world that once wronged him had been so wronged in turn. He saw the suffering of friends and enemies alike, and his loathing for their fate fueled him.[break][break]

Terry Jr, merrily suckling on a silver spoon, knew nothing of that sacrifice. All he knew was a hedonism that had never been tempered by lack, a selfishness that had never been tempered by an open heart, and a need for acceptance that had been pacified without ever truly being fulfilled.[break][break]

How could Isaac hate him? He could only pity him.

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[attr="class","textbox"]The chase dragged Isaac and Terry Jr. straight through the Jagged Pass. Hikers and campers flung themselves to the side, not wanting to risk being caught in the wake of Terry Jr.'s blazing motorcycle. If Isaac had been hoping the rocky path would do a number on his opposite number's bike, he was sadly mistaken.[break][break]

At this point, he was penned in. There was only one way to go, and judging by the predatory grin on Terry Jr's face, they both damn well knew it. The two raced forward in their little game of chicken, the orange stone of the Jagged Pass blurring into a deep crimson with every passing second.[break][break]

When Isaac skidded to a halt, Terry Jr. answered in kind. "I gotta hand it to you, buddy. You've got some good taste in battlefields." Of course he was biased. Even in his full riding gear, the guy wasn't even breaking a sweat. Heat to him must have been what cold was to Isaac. "But, man. Talk about a dumb choice. Ever heard of a home field advantage?"[break][break]

"Just gonna make it sweeter when I wipe that smirk off your face." With a flick of his wrists, Isaac sent moisture rolling down his arms. Even in this heat, his ice was unmelting. He lunged, his blade of ice shaping as his arm was in the process of swinging. Against anyone unaccustomed to the speed of Suicune's avatar, it would have been a sure strike.[break][break]

Unfortunately, Isaac's mirror was all too accustomed to how this went. A volcanic plume formed into a blade of obsidian, just in time to meet Isaac's own head on.[break][break]

"So you've got more to you than running away like a little punk? I'd say I'm impressed, but." The air around Terry Jr.'s sword continued to combust. With each flare, not only did Isaac's blade start to crack, but Terry Jr.'s continued to grow. With a smirk, he pulled back a little, then smashed clean through Isaac's in a single, hefty blow. "Mine's bigger."[break][break]

As Isaac reeled from the strike, the air around him began to shimmer and crackle. Sweat gathered along his brow, and only then did he realize what he was in for. He pushed himself away, rolling to the side just before the air nearby exploded. Of course. If the gases Mt. Chimney regularly belched weren't enough, Terry Jr.'s volcanic techniques would just let him make more.[break][break]

He watched Isaac struggle, not even needing to lift a finger as he ran from explosion after explosion. With each one, more smoke rose into the air, forming a cloud that hung ominously over their battlefield. Cinder and ash danced from within its plumes, blotting out any form of natural light. As the darkness settled over Isaac, and a burning smell hit his nose, he found himself scowling.[break][break]

How dare this cheap knock-off version of him just toy with him like this? Every close call, every narrowly-avoided explosion, every glance at Terry Jr.'s smug smirk pissed him off more than the last. Finally, he couldn't take it anymore. "You wanna see me run?" he snarled, shifting into a runner's stance. "I'll run, alright."[break][break]

One minute, Isaac tore off like the wind. The next, he'd stopped short, letting natural momentum bury his shoulder right into Terry Jr.'s gut. He may've been a better fighter than Isaac expected, but he hadn't trained how Isaac did. A simple takedown was all it took to leave him grounded, letting Isaac quickly take the mount. Fist after fist rained down on Terry Jr.'s face, Isaac hellbent on wiping his smug grin away himself.[break][break]

It never faded. If anything, it only grew bigger. It wasn't until a shadow loomed over him that Isaac finally realized why.[break][break]

With Extrasensory power, Entei tore Isaac off of their master. He claws at invisible hands, trying his damndest to wrench his way out of a purely mental grip. As he struggled, Terry Jr. pried himself off the ground. "Took you long enough to show up, big guy," he said. He called forth another volcanic plume, this time shaping it into a bat made of hard granite. "But, hey. 'Least you left me with more reason to scramble this guy's guts."[break][break]

The first smash to his gut stole Isaac's breath away. The next left him coughing up a storm. The third one, raised ever so slightly, threatened to crack a rib. Between Entei's extrasensory powers and Terry Jr.'s vicious bludgeon, he was in barely any position to retaliate. It was as if they were hellbent on having fun dragging out his torment. How long would it be before they worked their way up to the limbs, one at a time, letting them crunch until they'd sent their message?[break][break]

Yeah. No. Isaac wasn't about to let that happen. As his vision blurred and his breaths grew raspy, he flung his hand right towards Entei's face. Droplets of water hit his eyes, doing little more than leaving the legend peering in irritation. Then, with a snap of his fingers, they spread out into a layer of frost.[break][break]

That got his attention. With a hateful roar, Entei's focus shattered. Isaac hit the ground just in time for Terry Jr.'s next bat strike to sail over his head. There was no time for graceful technique. He pushed himself off the ground, smashing Terry Jr.'s own gut with a lunging headbutt. From there, their fight devolved into a breathless cacophony of wild strikes. One hand each set upon the granite bat, while the other flailed at each other between headbutts, knee strikes, and shin kicks. They pushed and pulled like a pair of warring children, desperate to get the upper hand on one another.[break][break]

It was Isaac's own technique that proved his undoing. He wrenched the bat away from Terry Jr., brandishing it triumphantly, only for his two occupied hands to be met with both of Terry Jr.'s freed ones. One cupped the back of his head, while the other blasted burning cinders and suffocating smoke right into his face. Isaac stumbled back, covering his face and swearing up a storm.[break][break]

That was all the time Terry Jr. needed. With one last fist driven into Isaac's gut, he left him crumpling. From there, he hoisted Isaac onto his shoulder like a sack of potatoes. "Y'know? It's a shame. Was kinda nice having a me around that seemed to get it," he admitted, disappointment in his voice. "But, well. We've got a way of getting rid of pains in the ass like you."[break][break]

Before Isaac could ask what it was, Terry Jr. rolled his shoulder. The sickening sensation of a long fall answered any question he had.

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[attr="class","textbox"]Was Mt. Chimney always this deep?[break][break]

Isaac had no idea. All he knew was that, as the sweltering heat forced him awake and the noxious vapors threatened to put him back asleep, it felt like he had fallen for hours. Somewhere far below, bubbling in eager anticipation, Mt. Chimney's lava flows threatened to swallow him whole. Somewhere far above, peering over the side of the volcano to admire his handiwork, Terry Jr. sneered.[break][break]

He fired off a mocking salute, then twisted his fingers skyward. The volcano churned in eager anticipation, a rush of smoke belching upwards and swallowing Isaac whole. This wasn't going to be some quick, passive death. Terry Jr. had come to make a statement, and it would be written in Isaac's ashes.[break][break]

Fucking showoff. He'd only won because he'd rigged the deck. If Suicune wasn't stranded in another universe, far, far away from here, Isaac would've had him handled.[break][break]

A spot of brightness pushed through the haze. Since when was Suicune the only Pokemon he'd had to rely on?[break][break]

Mt. Chimney churned, a grumble that escalated into a roar as loud as Entei's itself. Terry Jr. smirked, folding his arms as he watched a column of lava shoot up from Mt. Chimney's tip. So content was he with a job well done that he didn't even notice the silhouette wreathed within the pyroclasm.[break][break]

Out from the ashes shot Isaac Merlo, Flying through the air atop a dragon's wings.[break][break]

"Wha-?" Isaac didn't even give him the chance to answer. Instead, swiveling in midair, he smashed a gilded boot straight into Terry Jr.'s chin. He rode the momentum of his dive kick, lancing back into the air and looping around for another fly-by pass. Again and again he repeated the process, leaving Terry Jr. punch-drunk and stumbling from his vicious airborne assault. Finally seeing his opportunity, he slipped behind Terry Jr., locking him tight into an airborne sleeper hold. He wrenched up with all his might, leaving his opposite number staggering around on his tiptoes and desperately pawing for mercy.[break][break]

Entei wasn't about to let this happen. They surged forward with Extreme Speed, fangs blared and claws tearing gouges into Mt. Chimney's stone. However, they weren't the only one on the attack. Zephyrus the Dragonite surged out from behind Isaac, flying over his shoulder to smash Entei down into the stone with a powerful Aqua Tail.[break][break]

As Terry Jr. shook Isaac off, he flew back to Zephyrus' side. The Liberator had lost this fight, but that was simply one facet of Isaac's potential. Now, clad in a Sygna Suit that matched his Dragonite's majesty, he was hellbent on leveraging that potential. With one hand raised each, they called down a Rain Dance to quench Mt. Pyre's heat.[break][break]

"Damnit, Entei!" Terry Jr. snarled, the legend shaking off their brief daze. They didn't even need the order from their trainer to continue. Instead, they surged forward, their entire body wreathed in Sacred Fire. Isaac didn't even blink. Instead, with his hands at his sides like a gunslinger, he lobbed Pokeball after Pokeball in the legend's path.[break][break]

Shockmaster and Neo were the first to emerge, the Electivire and Aggron standing shoulder to shoulder. Even as sparks flew from the source of impact, they pushed back against Entei, shoulders dipped and heads buried into their neck. Once they'd gotten enough leverage, they stopped pushing back. Instead, they turned the legend's own extreme speed against them, flipping them clean into the air.[break][break]

That was where Toto, Zephyrus' last companion, had been waiting. The Blastoise's cannons folded out to their full size, his Water Spout knocking Entei clean out of the air. As they tumbled, Shockmaster excitedly barked out orders, the fearsome foursome wasting no time in surrounding Entei. After all, they were already shuddering back to their feet, snarling in the face of such group tactics.[break][break]

The fifth of Isaac's Pokemon, ever-faithful Luck & Pluck, remained by Isaac's side. With the great Aegislash in one hand, and his King's Shield in the other, Isaac dove right back into the fray. "C'mon, where's all that fight?" he asked as he flew down, walloping Terry Jr. in the gut with the flat of Luck & Pluck's blade. A gout of fire breath answered him, Isaac holding up the King's Shield to repel it. "Don't tell me Lavaridge Gym's being held up by some big cat."[break][break]

Unfortunately, it didn't stop at fire breath. The flame around the King's Shield quickly hardened to stone, pinning both it and Isaac to the ground. Terry Jr. scrambled up the new foothold, gauntlets of volcanic rock encasing his fists. "As if I need any Pokemon to beat you down," he spat as he slugged Isaac first in the face, then in the gut. As he pulled back for another volley of shots, he found himself interrupted by a sharp pain in his back. With a Shadow Sneak, Luck & Pluck had broken his flow.[break][break]

It was a clash of styles on the unyielding slopes of Mt. Chimney. Isaac floated like a Butterfree and stung like a Beedrill, dancing around reckless explosions and weaving in and out of Terry Jr.'s stand your ground style. To his side, the Stormbringers and Neo used their numbers game to make up for Entei's massive strength advantage. When one was sent flying by Extrasensory or wrestled to the ground in a hateful Crunch, another two mobbed the legendary dog to beat him back. Water and flame, air and earth, two halves of one whole.[break][break]

Yet in the face of Isaac's relentless pressure, even flame could snuff and stone could crack.[break][break]

As Terry Jr. caught Luck & Pluck's blade in his stone gauntlets, Isaac had him right where he wanted him. Two hands on a blade, no hands free to protect himself; a very familiar predicament. This time it was Isaac who took advantage, slipping around his Aegislash and snaring Terry Jr. in a midair armbar. Between Zev's training and his borrowed power of flight, he was less like an Avatar and more like a luchador. Any time Terry Jr. could break free from a grab, Isaac practically floated around him, snaring him in lock after lock. The ankle lock. The octopus hold. The kimura. Finally, once he was well and truly wore down, Isaac locked him into as tight a sleeper as he could manage.[break][break]

Terry Jr. refused to go quietly. His quips and barbs had given way to primal roars, his powers of combustion turning each one into a larger gout of flame than the last. He thrashed like a fish on a line, hellbent on tossing Isaac off of him. At times, he even full-on punched and clawed at himself in his desperate attempt to get Isaac off of him. Eventually, his fight fading, Terry Jr. fell on his palms.[break][break]

Even then, he refused to let himself sink to his knees. It seemed there was still some Isaac left in him.[break][break]

Soaring up into the sky, Isaac prepared to end things. As Isaac held his hand high, draconic energy gathered in the curve of his palm. "We don't gotta do this, buddy," he said, exhausted pants slipping between his words. "We can just-"[break][break]

"Fuck you!"[break][break]

So be it. With a sorrowful sigh, the energy in Isaac's hand continued to grow. Once it was at his apex, he flung his Draco Meteor down to the sky below. To his credit, Terry Jr. did not go gently. Instead, he spewed his furious, sputtering flame, completely engulfing himself in fire and smoke as he tried to push back against the Draco Meteor. It wasn't enough. Dust and shrapnel kicked into the air as the Draco Meteor found its home.[break][break]

Or had it? As Isaac looked down, Terry Jr. was gone. In his place was a web of criss-crossing spires, wrapped around a heart of obsidian.[break][break]

"Heh. Not bad." Isaac couldn't help but smile at his other self's tenacity. Damnit, why'd it have to be this way? In another world, a better world, they'd be going on a two-man power trip to tear down whatever the heck his alternate timeline dad was up to around here. Instead, all that potential was wasted on licking boot.[break][break]

Maybe he'd have to reach him in the one language he understood.[break][break]

Isaac took one last page out of Zephyrus' book, rocketing down towards the mass of stone with Extreme Speed. As he descended, he whipped off the bike-like visor of his Sygna Suit. In its place was a far more familiar horned helmet. His Sygna Suit changed to match; its aerodynamic orange contours pushed out into a bulkier, spikier configuration as the armor cooled into a dark, stony grey.[break][break]

Naomi Sato had once told him force was mass and acceleration. Zephyrus had given him the acceleration. Now Neo was here to share that mass. His gauntlet glowed a blight white as he cocked his fist back. Second by second, Terry Jr.'s stone bunker grew closer and closer. He counted under his breath. Five . . . four . . . three . . . two . . .[break][break]

"HEAVY SLAM!"[break][break]

Isaac's fist crashed straight through the bunker. Fissures spread where Isaac's fist landed, only a rush of adrenaline and a spike of Infinity Energy preventing him from shattering it outright. Volcanic rock exploded from the site of impact with such force that Isaac's Pokemon had to run for cover. Even Entei, a legend in their own right, was left stunned by what had just happened.[break][break]

The dust finally settled. Terry Jr. lay prone at Isaac's feet. Had he wanted, Isaac could have killed him in an instant. Perhaps Terry Jr. even sensed the possibility, flinching as Isaac's hand poked out through the smoke and rubble. However, instead of a closed fist, Isaac offered an open palm. "Bet you didn't know we could do that, huh?" he asked, a mischievous smirk on his face.[break][break]

Terry Jr. smacked his hand away. It was limp, feeble, the last defiance of a dead man walking. However, such weak defiance was defiance nonetheless. In a show of respect, Isaac pulled his hand back, taking a few steps away from his opposite number. "Just think about it. You don't gotta be me. But you don't gotta be Terry Jr. , either."[break][break]

"Just be the best you that you can be, alright?"[break][break]

Terry Jr. slurred out a growl that Isaac could barely understand. An agreement? A last insult? The onset of a concussion? He couldn't tell, and he wouldn't have the chance to ask, either. As Terry Jr. tried to push himself up, his body finally forced a surrender. His arms gave way, leaving him slumped against Mt. Chimney's rubble.[break][break]

Entei limped over to their trainer, stumbling over Shockmaster and Toto's fainted bodies in the process. As they did, they turned to Isaac, their eyes locked onto his. Silence passed between them, underlined by a a Pressure not as nightmarish as Lugia's yet not as comforting as Suicune's.[break][break]

It hung for an uncomfortably long time. Then, with a nod, Entei turned and walked away. Extrasensory carried Terry Jr. after him, the two slowly disappearing along Mt. Chimney's smoky horizon.[break][break]

Letting out a sigh of relief, Isaac staggered over to Neo and Zephyrus. The Aggron braced him on one side, while the Dragonite braced him on the other. They looked down at him, Neo's grin ecstatic and Zephyrus' smile shy. "Hell of a fight, huh, guys?" he asked, his eyes starting to grow heavy and his knees starting to grow weak. "Alright, alright. You made your point, Father Winter. Think it's . . . time you took me home . . . yeah . . ."[break][break]

Isaac would wake in his bed at Dewford Gym the next morning, just in time for Wintermas. For a moment, he wondered if he'd dreamed the whole thing up. He had been tapping hard into the Navidson eggnog reserves, after all. Soon as he stumbled out of bed, he was pretty sure he'd forget the whole thing. That is, of course, until he noticed what sad beneath the very unseasonal-for-Dewford Christmas Tree.[break][break]

It was Terry Jr.'s motorcycle, just as Isaac remembered. The only differences were a bow clumsily plopped atop the seat and a tag tied around the handlebars.[break][break]

Because every boy should have the chance to get a bike on their birthday.