The oldest and most powerful emotion in the history of the Universe fear.
Fear has ruled the hearts of every living creature since the beginning of time. Its purpose is simple: survival. Fear is the body's first defense, the instinct that screams run when danger looms. It is the shield that keeps life from shattering.
But there is one emotion that can stand against fear. One force strong enough to defy it, to crush it underfoot. That emotion is anger.
If fear is the shield of living creatures, then anger is the spear, the weapon that strikes back when cornered, the fire that burns even in the deepest darkness.
Throughout history, countless souls have surrendered to anger, letting it flood their hearts and minds.
But among them, in current day two stood apart. Two people whose anger burned hotter than any other, whose rage could swallow the world. They shared the same fuel even though they come from different worlds. Revenge.
When Alex first stepped into the laboratory in Pallet Town to choose his starter Pokémon, excitement filled within him. Yet beneath that excitement, something far darker stirred a deep, relentless anger that had taken root sixteen years ago.
And in that very moment, someone else felt it too. A presence that would change his life. Hidden in a pokéball, scarlet eyes flickered open, sensingthe storming emotions inside him. The creature didn't hesitate, she reached into his soul and twisted his emotions just enough, so when the moment came to choose, Alex's hand moved towards her.
Neither of them knew, but that day, the world signed a silent contract for them. As long as one of them keeps their anger alive, they will never lose. Till the very end.
And now, on the edge of death, that promise roared to life.
Alex's body was broken. His bones screamed with every breath, his blood painted the shattered deck. Charlotte's boots slammed into him again and again, each kick a drumbeat of pain. Most would have given in dunk into darkness, surrendered to fear of death.
But not Alex. His heart refused to break.
Fear surged first, flooding his veins with the desperate will to live. But then, as fear reached its peak, something stronger erupted from within. Anger. Pure, searing, unstoppable rage.
It tore through his pain. It drowned out the sound of his bones cracking. It burned so hot that even death itself seemed to hesitate.
And then, something strange happened. Alex smirked. A weak twitch of the lips at first, but it grew. The smirk became a grin. The grin became a laugh.
Blood dripped from his mouth as the sound left his throat not a cry of despair, but a laugh. Low and broken at first, then louder, rising like fire devouring dry wood.
Charlotte froze for half a heartbeat, staring down at the boy who should have been dead. His Scarlet red eyes burned not with fear, but with something far wilder.
Even as Charlotte felt a shiver run through her spine, The laugh didn't stop so she bit down on her fear and forced her body to move. This had to end. Now! She lifted her boot and brought it down toward Alex's face, the final strike—
But something impossible happened.
A hand shot up. His hand. Bloodied, trembling, yet firm. Alex caught her boot inches from his face. He should not have been able to move, his body was broken, beaten, pushed beyond its limit but still, he managed to stop her.
Before Charlotte could even process it, Alex twisted her ankle and kicked at her standing leg. Her balance gave out. She gasped, a sound half panic and half disbelief, before she crashed onto her back against the deck.
"What are you doi—" The words froze in her throat.
She couldn't move. Couldn't breathe. Her wide blue eyes locked on the boy now towering above her, his shadow cutting across her pale skin. His scarlet red eyes glowed with something she had also felt for years. Focused on her and her alone, as if the world beyond didn't exist.
And as the rising sun bled across the horizon, painting the sea in fire and gold, one thought cut through her mind like a knife.
Oh… I messed up.
Alex bent down slowly, his movements deliberate, almost calm. His bloodied fist slammed into her face.
"You hit me—"
Another blow followed before she could even react, his knuckles cracking against her snow white skin, splattering more blood across the deck. Sunlight washed over them, painting violence in orange hues.
He raised his arm again but then he heard a sound. The heavy, burning crash of hooves slamming against wood.
The ghostly Rapidash charged, its mane of purple fire trailing like a comet, aiming to trample him where he stood. Alex's instincts screamed. His legs, already screaming with exhaustion, pushed to their limit as he leapt back just in time. The Rapidash tore past, splitting the deck with its fury.
Stumbling, his steps clumsy and uneven, Alex steadied himself. Breathing hard, he scanned the ruined floor until his eyes locked onto a broken plank, a splintered piece of wood from the crates he had been smashed into earlier. He reached down, fingers tightening around it until his knuckles whitened.
Charlotte staggered upright, clutching her face where his fist had struck, her breath ragged and her nose was bleeding. Fear and rage twisted together in her expression. She raised a trembling hand, her finger pointing toward him.
"Rapidash… use Flame Charge." Her voice cracked, then softened into something almost human. "…And don't miss this time. Please."
The word lingered in the air like a ghost.
The Rapidash's eyes widened for the briefest of moments, almost startled by the plea. But it didn't hesitate. Its mane roared brighter than ever before, white hot against the morning light, and with a screeching snort it bolted forward. Every step burned holes into the deck, the wood splintering and hissing beneath its hooves.
And still, Alex did not move.
He stood rooted in place, gripping the broken piece of wood with all the strength his shaking arms could muster, his bloodied eyes locked on the charging beast.
The ghost horse came for him like death itself.
"Let's be real I can't dodge this," I thought as my eyes locked onto Rapidash, its burning body tearing toward me like a comet. My chest heaved, every muscle screaming, but I forced myself to focus on nothing else but the beast.
I just need a little more time… Aria's almost ready, I can feel it. But me? I'm done. My legs feel like they'll snap if I even try to move. If I run, I'll fail and then I'll die.
The ground shook beneath its hooves, the heat washing over me.
So what can I do?
A grin pulled across my face, bloody and
desperate, as Rapidash closed the last few steps between us.
"The answer's easy!" I shouted in my head as I bent my knees.
"Just kill it before it kills me! "
I leapt straight into the charge. The world blurred in firelight as I raised the broken plank high and brought it down with all the force left in my body.
The wood slammed against Rapidash's flaming skull. The ghostly horse reared back on its hind legs, shrieking as sparks and purple fire erupted from its body. I jammed the plank deeper, shoving past the heat, refusing to let go.
But the makeshift weapon didn't last. The flames devoured it in seconds, burning it down to nothing in my hands. My skin seared, flesh blistering from the heat.
And then came the scream.
I couldn't tell if it was mine or Rapidash's. The sound tore through the ship, pain and rage twisted into one deafening cry that rattled the burning deck beneath us.