Hey, I actually did something! A tad unoriginal? Maybe. Do I like it? Hells yes.

Anyways, just a quick oneshot... and yes, it's named after the Verve song. Enjoy!

"Goddammit, Royce, that's three losses in a row!"

I rolled my eyes at my father's mentioning of my full name. Any time he was in a good mood, he would call me Roy, my preferred nickname... but he was almost never in a good mood. Go figure.

"How the hell are you going to become world-famous if your guys battle like that?" he asked, hopefully rhetorically.

In my defense, I was fighting a Salamence. A freaking Salamence. You'd be peeing your pants too if you had a pissed-off pseudo-legendary pokemon staring you down. My Mightyena never stood a chance against him, and Gallade only got a couple of hits before Salamence unleashed his might upon him.

So, of course, the natural solution for my dad was to get ticked at me.

"Wow, you really are worthless, aren't you?" he taunted, trying to rile me up. Too bad it didn't work.

"Can't believe I raised such a failure of a son..." he muttered, just loud enough for me to hear.

Can't believe I was raised by such a failure of a father.

Suddenly, he lowered his shoulder and plowed right into me like a football player, and I crumpled to the ground. He was a man of about 180-190 pounds, so that HURT. Physical punishment wasn't taboo in this family, though... just ask my mother.

I moaned quietly to myself, trying to keep my pain invisible to him, but he did the exact opposite of relent: he kicked me square in the head. And he was wearing boots.

It hurt. Like hell on fire.

My vision went black for a couple seconds, then decided it only half-wanted to come back, obscuring my vision with so many dots you'd think my irises were polka-dotted.

By the time my eyes finally decided they were done with their little tricks... I was kicked again, on the other side, and there I went again. My head felt like it had been severed from my body and thrown out to sea, slowly drifting away. I was quickly dragged back to reality, though, and I was seeing red grass.

Of course, that was all real: the red happened to be my blood.

"You just can't do ANYTHING right, can you? No way you'll ever be able to survive in the wild once you're out of the house," my dad said, ever the optimist.

He kicked me again... and again... and again... and finally I felt like I was ready to die. Hell, I was ready. I saw the light, and I had my arms wide open. I took one last look at Gallade and Mightyena, who were watching the scene with looks of horror plastered on their faces, and then the final blow came.

And then... nothing. Black.

Freedom.

Finally, away from that disgrace of a being I called my father.

Until I felt myself dragged back to my body, with two red eyes glowing at me in the pitch-blackness.

"Who... are... you...?" I asked, exasperatedly.

"Never mind that," boomed the thing. "I'm just a creature who thinks that the way you died was too terrible to let be."

"So... what are you gonna do about it?" I replied.

"I'm simply going to give you a second chance... and trust me, you will want your revenge," the creature said. I saw the outlines of several black extensions reach out and surround me, and everything slowly started to become brighter as I drifted away again.

"Make me proud... do what you have to do," it said, and then the light came back to me, embracing me as I regained consciousness.

I stood myself up slowly, and I realized that I was right back where I had died... with my father walking away with a slight bounce in his step.

"R-R-Roy?" a terrified voice asked from behind me. I turned to see Gallade and Mightyena cowering in fear... at me.

"What?" I asked, clueless.

"Take a look at yourself..." Gallade said, pointing one of his bladed arms at me.

I looked down... and saw my legs were blue and shorter, thicker. I turned my elongated neck, and saw sharp red wings protruding from my back.

I was a friggin' Salamence.

I turned to them, then looked down the road at my dad. Intense hatred corrupted every thought I had, and I glared at him with pure disgust.

That BASTARD! He didn't believe in me, so he KILLED me? Well, look how the tables have turned...

I flapped my wings, and sure enough, I was airborne. Perfect.

I flew right over to him, and landed right on top of him with a roar.

"Wh-where did you come from?"

"You know very well where I came from... and I know just where I'm going to send you, you disgrace," I retorted.

"W-What?" he asked. Don't ask how he understood me...

"I'm taking you to hell, you prick."

And just like that, I tore at his neck, nearly severing the head from his slightly stocky body. His eyes glazed over just after I tore at his chest as well, and I roared in triumph. I was invincible, and finally the demon I had to share a house with was gone.

I saw my two pokemon walking towards me, very cautiously, and I did my best to smile, however a Salamence could.

"R-Roy?" Gallade asked.

"Come on, guys. Let's go," I simply replied, motioning for them to get on my back.

"But... where?" Mightyena inquired, looking me over with slight fright.

"Anywhere but here. I want nothing to do with this place anymore..." I answered, and that seemed fine with them.

They hopped on my back, and we disappeared into the summer sky, lifes anew.