The flames swirled around Rapidash like a raging storm, devouring everything in their path. The moment the beast unleashed its fury, Oddy's body was swallowed by fire. A guttural snarl tore from the Pokémon's throat, twisted with pain, before it collapsed to the deck. But the flames didn't stop they burned the very air, rolling outward in a searing wave that reached Gligar. The scorpion screeched as the inferno consumed it, charring its wings before it, too, crashed to the ground with a heavy thud.
Boosted by Flash Fire, the power of the flames was overwhelming. No defense held against its Inferno.
I staggered back instinctively, heart pounding as Oddy and Gligar got defeated in less than a second. Their screams still echoed in my head. My throat tightened. What now?! What can I do?! I though to myself before my eye got a glimpse of Wigglytuff.
Could she even help?
The thought slammed into me like a wave. That woman said the only useful move it had was Tri Attack… If she meant that as an actual attack, then the other three must be status moves but what the hell are they?!
I clenched my fists, nails biting into my palms as the deck groaned beneath my boots. Aria still isn't finished I needed to buy her time. But how?
A chill clawed up my spine before I even came up with a answer. The sound of hooves cracking against scorched wood. I lifted my gaze, and there it was. Rapidash. Its body writhed in purple flames, its crimson eyes locking on me with a hunger that froze the blood in my veins.
And then a voice, a sharp, mocking whisper right behind me.
"What's wrong, kiddo? Scared~?"
The voice came from behind me. My heart stopped. I spun around so fast I nearly tripped. The masked woman stood there, close enough for me to feel the weight of her presence. The snow white mask couldn't hide the twisted smile pulling at her lips, or the joy in her blue eyes.
She walked forward casually, her steps echoing against the ruined deck, and stopped at Rapidash's side. The beast's hellish flames touched her skin without leaving a mark.
"I love when cocky people like you finally realize their place," she whispered, just loud enough for me to hear.
My jaw clenched as I met Wigglytuff's wide eyes across the deck. I gave a sharp nod.
"Rapidash! We talked enough Kill him with Shadow Dash!"
The words ripped through the air like a gunshot. Rapidash exploded forward, its body engulfed in shadowy energy that shimmered like a mirage. My instincts screamed, and I bolted in the opposite direction, boots slamming against the scorched deck. Sweat stung my eyes. Every thunderous step of Rapidash behind me was a countdown to death.
At the last possible moment, I threw myself to the side. The beast's attack tore past me, leaving a blur of darkness in its wake. I rolled across the deck, came up on one knee, and grinned through gritted teeth.
"AHHH! BOTH YOU AND YOUR DAMN HORSE ARE SO DAMN LOUD!" I roared, I taunted her one more time with rage and desperation.
It was reckless but I now knew how short tempered she was and could use this to my advantage. "Go on make a mistake." I though to myself as I locked eyes with her.
A minute ago, Rapidash had been nothing but a phantom of speed, a blur my eyes couldn't even track. But Oddy's StunSpore… it worked. The paralysis slowed it by half of its original speed. Just enough for me to see and react.
The woman's posture stiffened. Her head snapped toward me. "Rapidash!" she shouted, voice breaking with fury. "You useless pile of filth! I said KILL HIM! WHY IS HE STILL BREATHING?!"
Her hands curled into claws as she raked her nails across her own face, leaving thin, bleeding lines. Her eyes blazed like molten glass as she screamed again.
"USE OVERHEAT, YOU FREAK!"
Rapidash didn't even flinch at the woman's harsh words. It was as if insults like that were nothing new to the beast. With a snort, it unleashed another stream of fire. The attack lacked the same power as before. The Overheat had drained some of its strength, its power waning decreasing with every use.
But weaker didn't mean harmless.
I was still on the ground from rolling to side, legs shaking as I tried to push myself up. Too slow.
The heat licked at my face, searing the air around me. The fire was going to swallow me whole—
And then something soft and pink dropped in front of me like a shield.
Wigglytuff.
The flames smashed into her round frame, wrapping her in fire as the stench of burning hair filled the air. My breath caught in my throat.
"You're the best, girl!" I shouted over the roaring flames, desperation spilling out with every word. "Now use Perish Song! Please tell me you know it!"
Wigglytuff turned her head just enough for me to see her expression. A puzzled blink. She didn't understand or maybe she didn't know the move at all.
"Damn it…" I Cursed through clenched teeth, mind racing. "Okay, forget that. Do you know Disable? Come on, if we can shut down that shadow move, we've got a better chance of winning!"
She shook her head slowly, the gesture almost childlike, even as flames licked across her back.
The woman's voice ripped through the smoke like a blade.
"SHADOW DASH!"
After the flames stopped I looked behind Wigglytuff and saw Rapidash lower its head, exhale once, and then the world blurred. Its body dissolved into a shroud of ghostly energy, hooves pounding as it tore across the deck like a living phantom.
"Miss Wiggly, please, be care—"
The words died in my mouth.
Rapidash went throught Wigglytuff like a phantom. One moment Wigglytuff was there, and the next she was gone. The impact didn't hit her instead It hit me.
The force slammed into my chest like a battering ram, hurling me across the deck. My back shattered through a stack of wooden crates, splinters biting deep into my skin as the crash shook the ship beneath us. For a moment, I couldn't breathe couldn't think only stare at the cracked boards above me as the taste of blood flooded my mouth.
The woman walked toward me with slow, deliberate steps, each one echoing on the shattered deck. I was barely clinging to consciousness. Every nerve in my body screamed with pain, my muscles twitching against my will. I wanted to cry out, to curse her, to do anything but the agony pinned my voice down like chains.
She knelt in front of me, moving with an eerie calm. Her fingers reached up to the mask covering her face, and she pulled it away with a slow, deliberate motion.
The moonlight spilled over her features. Her skin was pale like porcelain left out under the stars. Blood streaked her cheeks and chin, but even so, there was a cruel elegance to her face.
She reached forward and gripped my chin, forcing me to meet her eyes. Her fingers were cold against my burning skin.
"It would be such a waste," she said softly, tilting her head with a smile that didn't reach her eyes. "To let a face like this be ruined."
She stood, letting my chin drop, and extended her hand to me as if offering mercy. "I'll only ask once. Join us. Do that, and maybe you live."
Her words barely reached me through the ringing in my ears. The world felt distant, like I was listening through water. The night was fading. I could see the first hints of dawn clawing at the horizon. Light was coming, but not for me.
And then, in that haze of pain, I remembered Aria. How she would decide whether she'd let someone pat her head or phase their hand straight through her. How nothing touched her without her permission just like how Rapidash went through Wigglytuff.
"So that's why I lost, huh?" My voice cracked as I tried to grin, tasting blood on my teeth. The woman's eyes narrowed slightly at the sound.
"What will I get," I said, "if I say yes?"
Behind her, Wigglytuff let out a sharp cry as she fought desperately against the ghostly figure of Rapidash. The pink fur around her was scorched black, but she didn't stop, she tanked every hit with no way to counter.
The woman smirked, blood dripping from her nails and temple as she tilted her head. "First, you stay alive. Second…" Her eyes glinted coldly. "You'll have the chance to have your own Adapted Pokémon..."
She paused. Slowly, her gaze shifted past me toward Oddy. Lying motionless on the ruined deck, his small body barely moving.
Her voice turned sharp, venomous. "Where the hell did you get that Gloom?"
Before I could answer, her hand clamped onto my coat and yanked me upright. My ribs screamed as she dragged me close enough for me to feel her breath.
"Tell me!" she hissed, her nails biting into my skin.
I coughed, choking on blood, then forced out a grin. "Stole it… from you fuckers… in Viridian Forest."
For a second, her expression froze. Then her grip loosened, and I collapsed backward, slamming my head against the splintered crate behind me.
The next thing I felt was her boot crushing into my ribs. Pain exploded through me, a white hot flash that ripped a scream from my throat only for it to be cut short by another kick.
And another.
And another.
Her face twisted into something almost inhuman, a vein bulging on her forehead as she shouted with each strike.
"Do you have ANY idea what you've done?! How much trouble you caused us because of that, you worthless brat?! DIE! DIE! DIE!"
Each word came with a blow, each impact sending shockwaves through my broken body. Blood splattered the deck. My vision blurred.
And then, slowly, everything started to fade. My thoughts slipped like water through my fingers. The pain dulled, replaced by a cold emptiness. The sound of her voice, the smell of blood, the weight of my own body all of it drifted away as darkness closed in.
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Do you guys want me to finish the fanfic right here?
:D