The glowing Skill Disc spun faster and faster in Ethan's vision, the six choices blurring into a rainbow of light. He clenched his fists, sweat dripping down his temple.
"Not Foresight… anything but Foresight…" he muttered. If Primeape learned that move, his ghostweave suit—the one thing keeping him alive during its rages—would be useless. The thought alone made his chest tighten.
The disc slowed. The pointer clicked once. Twice. Ethan held his breath.
The light flared—then stopped on Rage Fist.
Ethan's eyes widened. "Rage Fist…?"
For a second, he didn't react. Then the realization struck him like a hammer. Rage Fist—the move tied to a brand-new evolution, one that only Primeape could achieve.
The Poké Ball at his belt quivered violently. He barely had time to register the system's voice ringing in his head:
[Primeape has unlocked the hidden move Rage Fist.][Conditions met: Evolution possible.][Commencing evolution…]
The ball burst open in a flash of light. Primeape appeared, fists clenched, body trembling as if torn between agony and ecstasy. Shadows gathered around its form, coiling into its fur. The clearing dimmed, the air heavy with pressure.
Ethan staggered back as the transformation overtook his Pokémon. Primeape roared, its voice raw and furious, yet carrying a strange sorrow. Its body stretched, frame growing leaner but more menacing. Ghostly chains of energy lashed across its limbs. The fur around its head darkened, wisps of black mist curling like smoke. Its eyes glowed crimson, not wild but seething with unyielding wrath.
When the light shattered, a new figure stood where Primeape had been.
Tall. Grim. Its fists still clenched, but now surrounded by dark flames. Its aura was cold and vengeful, the rage of countless battles crystallized into something beyond death.
Annihilape.
Ethan's system confirmed it:
Pokémon: Annihilape
Level: 38
Rank: Elite-Class
Ability: Guts
Known Moves: Seismic Toss, Cross Chop, Rage Fist, Endure, Thrash, Close Combat.
Ethan swallowed hard, his heart hammering. "Annihilape… you really did it."
The Ghost/Fighting-type turned, its crimson gaze meeting his. For the first time since they'd met, there was no frenzy in its eyes. Only a steady, burning fury—directed not at Ethan, but at the world itself.
Then it stepped forward and knelt, lowering its head.
Ethan blinked. "You… you're submitting to me?"
The system chimed again.
[Annihilape's intimacy has risen by 20. Current score: 53.][Bond milestone reached.]
Ethan exhaled shakily. The suit was still on him, but it no longer felt necessary. He removed his gloves and pressed his hand against Annihilape's shoulder. The Pokémon didn't lash out. Instead, it closed its eyes briefly, as though acknowledging him.
"This is insane," Ethan muttered with a grin tugging at his lips. "Annihilape this early? Other trainers would kill for this kind of luck."
A sudden tremor rippled through the clearing. Annihilape stiffened, fists curling. Ethan looked up to see Charizard on alert, wings spread.
"What is it?"
Then he heard it—screams echoing from deeper in the forest, followed by the crashing of trees. Ethan leapt onto Charizard's back, signaling Annihilape to follow. They burst above the treeline and spotted the source.
A group of travelers had been ambushed by wild Pokémon—three Ursaring circling them, eyes glowing with territorial rage. The trainers' Pokémon were down, their defense broken.
Ethan didn't hesitate. "Charizard, Flamethrower! Annihilape, Rage Fist!"
Charizard swooped low, unleashing a torrent of flames that forced the Ursaring back. At the same time, Annihilape blurred forward. Its fist, wreathed in ghostly flame, smashed into the nearest Ursaring's chest with a thunderous crack. The bear Pokémon crashed into a tree, roaring in agony.
The second Ursaring lunged, claws bared. Annihilape didn't flinch. Another Rage Fist landed—this one harder, faster, empowered by the previous strike. The glow in its fists intensified, feeding on its own fury.
The third Ursaring hesitated, instincts warning it of the monster now standing before it. Charizard landed beside Annihilape with a rumble, both Pokémon glaring the foe into retreat. Within moments, the forest grew quiet again.
The travelers looked on in stunned silence. "Who… who is that guy?" one whispered.
Ethan ignored them, stepping to Annihilape's side. He rested a hand on its arm again, feeling the tremor of restrained power beneath the fur. "Good job. You're mine now. Together, we'll tear the world apart."
Annihilape let out a low growl of approval.
That night, Ethan made camp at the edge of the woods. Charizard curled protectively nearby, while Annihilape sat upright like a sentry, fists resting on its knees. Munchlax snored beside the campfire, crumbs littering its cheeks.
Ethan leaned back against his pack, gazing at the dark canopy above. His mind raced.
"Mega Charizard. Annihilape. Munchlax with Metronome that calls gods' moves. And soon… the Red Gyarados." He smirked. "Team Rocket, Sabrina, even the League—they won't know what hit them."
His system blinked one more time:
[Special Evolution Recorded: Primeape → Annihilape. Hidden evolutionary data unlocked.]
He chuckled softly, eyes closing. For the first time in days, he felt the rare comfort of security. With Annihilape at his side, even Sabrina's Alakazam no longer seemed invincible.
Tomorrow, he would head north again. The Lake of Rage awaited.
And when he arrived, the Red Gyarados would roar—not as a legend of Johto, but as Ethan's prize.