"Don't panic! Stay calm!"
Kashiwagi shouted, his eyes fixed on the snarling Mightyena and Obstagoon in front of him.
Looking closely, these two Pokémon had lost almost all semblance of reason, consumed entirely by primal instinct and unbridled rage. Ken likely knew this, which was why he had remained silent for the past few moments.
The two beasts advanced slowly, their gazes locked onto the growling Aron. They were searching for the easiest spot to tear it to shreds. They focused on Aron simply because their subconscious identified it as the primary threat; the non-attacking Chansey and the shouting human were deemed too weak and could be dealt with later.
...Maybe I can use that.
Kashiwagi leaned against the solid rock wall, his inner turmoil finally subsiding. Physically, he and his Pokémon were cornered. The gap between them had closed to less than three meters—breath-takingly close. While this increased his accuracy, it made it much harder to actually pull off a move.
If you can't find a loophole, create one!
"Rock Tomb!"
The opponents' sense of pain was dulled, as if they had a second health bar. They were willing to tank hits just to land a single strike. No normal Pokémon could withstand that, especially Aron, who was forced into a two-on-one disadvantage.
As he gave the command, Mightyena and Obstagoon lunged simultaneously!
Thud!
Aron was faster. Its claws slammed into the ground, and jagged stones erupted from the earth, mixed with fresh soil and dust. They poured over the attackers like a landslide. At a glance, the Rock Tomb looked like a towering wall of earth.
But Obstagoon and Mightyena didn't even flinch. They charged head-on, using their bodies to plow through the rocks. The former didn't even bother using its signature move, Obstruct.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
A series of dull thuds echoed as dark light flared, shattering the rocks into gravel and dust. The entire area was instantly swallowed by a thick cloud of debris.
Stray stones pelted Chansey, causing it to wince. But more than the physical pain, it was anxious about the lack of orders from Kashiwagi. Even with him right behind it, the silence felt terrifying. It didn't know if it should use Heal Pulse on Aron.
Just then, a tall silhouette burst through the barrier of dust, swinging a powerful arm down at Aron! Then, another shadow lunged—both targeting the iron-clad Pokémon!
Crack!
"Gron!"
Aron let out a pained grunt as it was pinned to the ground. It struggled as it was subjected to a brutal barrage of kicks, bites, and claw swipes. The berserkers' eyes glowed with a sickening red light through the haze.
But unnoticed by the attackers, two figures had already slipped away from the impact zone.
"Now! Sing! Aron, Dig down!" Kashiwagi's voice rang out from the new vantage point.
Chansey looked anxiously at the battered Aron. It wanted to wait for its friend to submerge, but Aron seemed dazed from the beating and didn't react immediately.
It couldn't wait!
Chansey raised its small paws and began to sing with everything it had.
"La~ Lala-la~ Lalah-lee~ Lalah-lee-lah~"
Pink light waves and colorful musical notes radiated outward. Mightyena and Obstagoon snapped their heads toward the source. Their murderous glares made Chansey's heart go cold, but it didn't stop. Instead, it sang louder, as if trying to bolster its own courage.
Nearby, Ken's expression flickered. The dealer who sold him the drugs said the heightened state of excitement would increase resistance. But he wasn't sure if that included the supernatural sleep induced by Sing.
How were Kashiwagi's Pokémon this stubborn? Aron's durability was one thing, but this Chansey was absolutely nauseating. Together, they had somehow held the line.
As the dust settled, his worst fears were realized. Three swaying figures became visible in the clearing.
Thud. Thud. Thud.
Three bodies hit the ground in succession.
"Crap!"
Ken's eyes widened, and he turned to bolt without hesitation. The "Triple Kill" from Sing had even taken down the dazed Aron, but Kashiwagi still had Chansey on the board. Whereas Ken—
"Honchkrow!"
Ken screamed toward the sky, hoping the bird battling Vibrava would descend to save him.
But Kashiwagi was faster than the bird.
"Chansey, move Aron and use Heal Bell!" he shouted as he sprinted forward, his footsteps sounding like thunder.
Ken glanced back and saw Kashiwagi charging at him with a knife drawn. His soul nearly left his body. What is wrong with this guy? Why is he charging me personally with a blade?!
Ken didn't dare stop to fight; the sheer wrongness of the situation killed any desire to resist. He ran for his life.
But then, a scream erupted from behind them.
"Lucky!"
A violent wind howled. Something was cutting through the air at terrifying speed. Kashiwagi glanced back and saw the Mightyena—which should have been asleep—closing in. It was wheezing, its tongue lolling out, its face a mask of agony and fury.
The red glow in its eyes was gone. It had regained its senses, but it was in the throes of a massive chemical comedown.
The drug wore off? Kashiwagi cursed his luck.
"Hahaha! Heaven is on my side! Tear him apart!" Ken saw the Mightyena and screamed in triumph.
"Awoo!!"
The wolf responded. Even though it was suffering, it wanted Kashiwagi dead more than anything. It lunged!
Whoosh!
The dark glow on its claws flickered out—it was out of energy. But against a human, raw physical power was enough. It opened its jaws, locking onto the man's throat as he turned around.
Unexpectedly, the man didn't shrink away. He roared and thrust his arm directly into the path of those razor-sharp teeth.
"DO WHAT YOU THINK IS RIGHT—!!"
Mightyena's jaws snapped shut. Blood sprayed from the man's arm!
Tear him, tear—
Wait.
Mightyena froze. It found it couldn't move a single muscle. It wasn't fatigue; a pale blue energy had encased every inch of its body, locking its muscles in place.
Then, it heard its trainer's voice, cracking with disbelief.
"How is that possible? That's a Dark-type Pokémon!?"
What? The Mightyena's mind went blank.
"Only Pokémon that can fight have value!"
"What's the use of a healer? Do I look like I'm missing a few hundred credits for potions?"
"Useless! Attack it! How are you going to level up if you don't fight? Waste!"
The insults, the shouting... the beatings.
Those words, coupled with physical pain and the faces of countless disappointed owners, were etched into Chansey's soul. It couldn't understand why not being able to fight meant it shouldn't exist. To Chansey, the concepts were too complex; it only understood the simple, terrifying reality that "fighting" was synonymous with suffering.
It had been sold and returned, over and over. It had lost count of how many times it had been pushed into an arena to be hit by humans and Pokémon alike. The number of times it had fought back? Zero.
It wasn't that it couldn't move; it could dodge, and it could use Sing. But it could not bring itself to attack. Because it knew how much it hurt to be hit, and it couldn't inflict that on another.
Why must we hurt each other?
In the dark of its cage, it would remember a time when it was a companion to a little girl who treated it like a doll. There was no battling, just playing. Those were peaceful days. But eventually, a friend wanted to battle. The girl agreed. Chansey couldn't attack, and it lost.
That was the day Chansey learned that even "kind" people could be terrifying. The girl's face had twisted in shame and rage, and her tiny fists had rained down on Chansey. It didn't hurt much, but it broke Chansey's heart. It thought it was its own fault.
It was sent back the next day.
Years passed in a blur of cages until a cold-faced young man looked into its cage.
Is it happening again?
But the expected misery didn't come. The man, Kashiwagi, was cold on the outside but full of kindness. He fed it a peaceful meal. He talked to it. For the first time, someone just spoke to it for hours. When he said he only needed it to heal Aron, Chansey felt a spark of hope.
Maybe healing is enough.
But as the days went by, every time Chansey felt afraid or lost, a warm hand would rest on its back and give a gentle push.
Kashiwagi's hand.
For a moment, it felt like maybe attacking wasn't so bad if it was for him. But it was still too scared. When Kashiwagi's friend suggested it try a battle, Kashiwagi had refused.
"Forget it," he had said. "It hasn't crossed that hurdle yet. No need to force it."
Why? I can try! Chansey had wanted to say it, but its paws just twisted together in silence.
Then Kashiwagi had patted its head and smiled. "If you don't want to do something, just say no. I won't blame you. We're a team; we support each other. Do what you want to do. Do what you think is right. Aron and I are always on your side. The choice is yours."
Do what you think is right.
The choice is yours.
No one had ever said that. Chansey didn't know how the rest of that day passed; those words just circled in its mind.
I can choose?
I can decide my own fate?
I see. But... I still want you to push me. Just one little push, so I can face tomorrow.
Standing in front of the fallen Aron.
Chansey saw the Mightyena sink its teeth into Kashiwagi. It heard him scream those familiar words. It saw the hand that always gave it a gentle push—now covered in blood.
It stared at that scene. It felt as if its freedom, its peace, and all the gentleness of the past few weeks were being torn away.
"LUCKY——!!"
AAHH——!!
Chansey let out a hysterical scream. The massive reservoir of mental energy locked inside its mind shattered its restraints like a bursting dam, surging out in a wild, unstoppable flood.