Chapter Ten: Inner Part Two: The Curse
"You won't get by us so easily." Darkora said, clenching a fist as Phantump stepped closer, a wicked grin on her face. She fired the strange energy at Darkora, who moved a hand to block it. However, the energy just fazed right through her, not even leaving a scratch. Darkora looked at herself in confusion, glaring at Phantump.
"What the hell was that?" She asked.
"You'll see." Phantump grinned. "That's a move I created known as the Forest's Curse."
"Forest's Curse?" Blaze asked. "What kind of move name is that?"
"Well" Phantump said, chuckling. "It's a curious move. See, it makes you a Grass Type."
"What?" Darkora asked, her answer coming immediately after.
Darkora dropped to her knees, crying in pain as vines began to come out of her mouth and ears as well as coming out from her eyelids. They also began to emerge from her hands and under her skin, a strange green glow coming from them.
"Darky!" Blaze shouted, going over to her as she convulsed in pain, her entire body becoming covered by the vines.
"In about fifteen painful minutes" Phantump said, snickering evilly. "Your girlfriend will be dead. And, she will be reborn as a Pure Grass type, fully submitted to my will."
"You bitch!" Blaze shouted, her body erupting in fire. She rushed towards Phantump, slamming the Ghost in the face with her fist. Phantump flew out of the window, landing on the ground outside. Blaze jumped after her, her entire body on Fire, her rage fueling it. She slammed Phantump in the face once again.
"You really think you can defeat me?" Phantump cackled, punching Blaze in the face, knocking the Flareon off of her. "You can't even save her. The only way to do that is to beat me."
"Consider it done!" Blaze shouted, charging up Fire Type energy in her hands, the energy pooling in a ball. Phantump grinned, firing a Shadow Ball at Blaze. Blaze released her Flamethrower, the powerful Fire type attack razing Phantump and causing her Shadow Ball to be swallowed up by its power.
Blaze stopped expending energy after about thirty seconds, dropping to her knees and panting. She knew she'd expended most of her energy using that attack. She knew that Phantump was tough, but not even she could come out of that unscathed.
Sure enough, as the smoke cleared, it was revealed that there was no sign of Phantump, save a small pile of ashes where she once stood.
Blaze chuckled. She hadn't expected it to be this easy.
"Seems" She said, a small amount of sweat on her brow. "Seems I won, bitch. Now Darky should be free."
"You'd think wouldn't you?" a voice asked from behind Blaze. Blaze's eyes shrunk to the size of periods as her breath hitched, her gaze shifting to behind her. However, before the Flareon could react, a hand punched her in the back of the head, causing her head to collide with the ground.
"That's at least a concussion.' Blaze said, trying to get up before Phantump stomped her boot on Blaze, planting her back on the ground.
"You really think I'm just gonna give up the Ghost because you used an oversized Roman Candle, you're wrong." Phantump said, grinning. "I'm a lot tougher than you."
"You" Blaze said, growling. "Will PAY for what you did to her."
"If you think you can make me." Phantump said, snickering. "Then go ahead."
Blaze gave a yell of anger, her flames covering her body. Phantump jumped off, flipping to right herself. Blaze lunged for the Ghost, throwing a powerful punch cloaked in the orange flames that made up her aura. Phantump dodged, slapping Blaze across the face with the back of her hand. Blaze spun around from the force of the blow, becoming disoriented.
She launched a fireball, Phantump smacking it away, rushing forward and kneeing her in the crotch, punching her in the side of the face.
Blaze bent over in half, curling in pain. Phantump grabbed Blaze's hair, kneeing her in the face as she released her hair, shoving her.
Blaze yelled in anger, rushing forward, pulling back once again for a powerful fire infused punch.
Phantump dodged the punch, grinning. She grabbed Blaze's flaming arm, taking her own index finger and coating it in Poison type energy. She jabbed it into Blaze's arm, right into a main artery in Blaze's arm. Blaze cried out in pain as the Poison entered her veins and turned them purple, then a sickly green.
"You're not very good at this." Phantump said, sighing. "I was expecting a better opponent. You're not even trying hard enough. You just fight with your anger. I'm bored now. I'll leave you and your girlfriend to your fates. I will find the daughter of Arceus later."
"You won't leave without fixing Darky!" Blaze shouted, rushing at Phantump once again, throwing a fireball as she pulled back for a punch. Phantump dodged the fireball, but was slammed in the face by the punch. She flew backwards, bouncing twice as she hit the ground. Blaze rushed forward as she bounced, slamming her elbow into Phantump's face. Phantump hit the ground hard, actually cratering it.
"You're good." Phantump said, snickering as she ghosted through the ground, appearing behind Blaze. She grinned at Blaze, Blaze beginning to pant from both the poison and her own physical exhaustion. She summoned her fire to her un-poisoned hand, knowing it was possibly the last of the fire she could summon. She noticed it was flickering, beginning to fade.
"Seems like I've beaten you." Phantump said, grinning. "Now, I'll give you one chance to surrender. If you do, I won't go too hard on your girlfriend."
Blaze threw the fireball, dropping to her knees, panting. She was out of power and Poisoned as well. Her sweat dripped from her forehead as she struggled to stand.
"I have won.' Phantump said, stomping on Blaze's back, causing the Flareon girl to cry out in pain as her chest collided with the ground.
"Do you submit?" Phantump asked, grinding her foot into Blaze's back, Blaze crying out in pain.
"N-never!" Blaze said defiantly.
"Fine by me." Phantump said, grinning. "You know, I was just toying with you the entire time."
Blaze's eyes widened at the revelation. Phantump giggled like a child.
"You know." She said, trying to contain her laughter. "The best part was when you actually thought you could beat me. Well, I sure showed you how that dream went."
"You bitch!" Blaze exclaimed tiredly. "I'll make you—"
"No.' Phantump said, stomping on Blaze again, the cracking sound of three of Blaze's ribs accompanying it as well as Blaze's cry of pain.
"You know.' Phantump said, grinning. "I think you'd be happy yet horrified to know that the pain you feel now is being felt a dozen fold by your little girlfriend."
"You'll pay." Blaze said, struggling to get up, Phantump stomping on her again, this time the squelching of Blaze coughing up blood joining the sound of ribs cracking.
"You can forget saying that." Phantump said, looking irritated for the first time in the entire battle. "It won't change. It's actually getting irritating. I can't believe you honestly think this will save your girlfriend. She's going to become my Cursed Slave and there's not a damn thing you can do about it."
Blaze finally stopped struggling, tears beginning to flow as she lay there. She realized the hopelessness of her situation. Phantump's words echoed in her head, recanting it. Give up. It's over. She's dead.
"No." Blaze said quietly, clenching her teeth.
"What was that?" Phantump asked, curious, leaning down over the broken Flareon girl's ear.
"I won't give in." Blaze said, struggling to stand up and just barely succeeding. She looked at Phantump, her anger and resolve burning in her eyes, boring a hole through Phantump with their fierce rage.
"Now, that's spirit." Phantump said, grinning. "I knew your spirit wouldn't break first."
"You need to constantly force your auras out to the max." Vapor's voice came into Blaze's head, echoing into her consciousness. "But, there will be a trigger as well. An emotional surge that pushes your aura beyond its normal limits."
Blaze thought about Darkora, the only thoughts in her head were telling her to fight, attacking Phantump, defeating her to save Darkora. Blaze looked at the Ghost with a fury that only three people had ever seen, two of which it was directed at. Phantump only grinned at it, knowing full well that she was clearly the more powerful of the two of them.
"I admire this new fight in you." Phantump said, giggling. "But, I think it's a little late to be showing your full fury. I mean, you've already gotten at least seven broken ribs and several other injuries. Are you sure you can continue? I mean, I wouldn't want to hurt you to the point of death. Well, unless you push me that is, you silly girl."
"You" Blaze said, growling.
"You're starting to sound like a broken record." Phantump said, groaning. "If you have anything left, just use it on me."
"I won't let you hurt my best friend!" Blaze shouted, her anger exploding as well as her aura. A burning orange aura exploded off of her, burning the surrounding area in an inferno of pure heat and flame. Phantump snuck into the shadows, actually afraid of the fire, not having expected so powerful a flame, especially from simply Blaze's aura.
"How did you do that?!" She exclaimed, Blaze yelling in anger, power, and pain.
Blaze didn't answer, her screaming taking up the use of her vocal cords. However, Phantump noticed something that brought her both fear and curiosity.
Blaze's body began to change. Two long, pointed orange ears extended from her head, the insides pointing outwards. The insides were as black as coal. Her orange hair turned a cream color in the front center, standing up slightly. Her hair also had movement like a flame, wild and unpredictable. Her orange eyes turned coal black, seeming like liquid pools, jagged black lines extending from them. A cream colored, fluffy tail extended from behind her, its movement like a flame, wild and crazy. Around her neck, her scarf became more like a mane, becoming fuzzier. A set of flaming orange clothing now adorned her, moving like flame. Her clothing was similar to a sports bra and combat pants, combat boots as well. On the chest of her uniform, just over her left breast was a symbol of fire (picture the Fire type icon from the Pokémon TCG). Her fists became surrounded in a fire, resembling gloves of some sort. Blaze glared at Phantump, clenching her fists.
Phantump was nervous now. She knew Blaze's 'little' power boost was enough for her to overpower her. However, Phantump knew she had her one little trick up her sleeve.
Blaze charged at Phantump, Phantump throwing a punch which Blaze caught, slamming her fist into Phantump's throat. Phantump coughed, punching Blaze in the face. Blaze practically ignored the punch, kneeing Phantump in the gut, adding in a double fisted slam with her fists onto the back of her head. Phantump slammed onto the ground, Blaze slamming her onto the ground repeatedly using her ankles as her grabbing point. Phantump was slammed into two craters, which were made by her impacting the ground.
Blaze then threw her into the air, jumping up and grabbing Phantump's collar, using their combined weight to slam Phantump into the ground, making a bigger crater.
Blaze rushed forward, pulling back for a powerful Fire Punch. The punch collided with Phantump's face, sending her flying backwards. Phantump collided with a tree, slamming right through it. Blaze followed, firing powerful fireballs at her, her rage fueling her. Phantump landed on the ground, coughing. Blaze landed on her, her knees driving into Phantump's ribs, the Ghost crying out in pain. Blaze punched her with powerful fire punches, screaming in rage.
"DIE!" she shouted, throwing her punches. "WHY WON'T YOU DIE?!"
"Foolish Eievui." Phantump chuckled as Blaze stopped punching her. "You can't kill me."
"WHY NOT?!" Blaze shouted.
"Because." Phantump laughed insanely. "I'm already dead."
Blaze looked at her in shock and horror as Phantump summoned Grass type energy to her hand, impaling Blaze through the chest with a Leaf Blade attack.
Blaze's eyes widened as she coughed out blood once again, Phantump punching her off of her.
Blaze landed on the ground as Phantump kicked her into a tree, Blaze nearing unconsciousness as Phantump launched a Shadow Ball into her face, knocking her back once again.
"You know" Phantump said, laughing. "I actually thought you would be a problem with that transformation, but with your previous injuries, your body couldn't handle the power which you had unleashed. You dealt some damage, but you couldn't keep it up."
She walked over to Blaze, putting a hand on Blaze's ribs, pushing in, breaking another one.
Blaze cried out in pain, Phantump laughing as she kept breaking Blaze's ribs.
"The funniest part is" Phantump said, putting a hand around Blaze's throat, beginning to squeeze. "You couldn't save her. Even with your best efforts, you couldn't even save one person. It's such a shame you had to find out this way. Then again, those two Rescue Team members you met couldn't save you."
"R-rescue team?" Blaze choked out.
"Yep." Phantump said, grinning. "That Gardevoir and Lopunny pairing. Funny, they were coming to warn you about me. I'll bet you feel your girlfriend's pain now. She tried to contact you. Funny how that works."
Suddenly, a powerful ball of Dark type energy slammed into Phantump, knocking her off of Blaze. Both of them looked over to see Darkora, unscathed, rage glowing in her eyes as she stepped towards Phantump.
"Funny though." Darkora said, growling. "Ghosts are afraid of the Dark. So, let's turn down the lights a little."
"How did you escape my Forest's Curse?!" Phantump practically screamed.
"That would be me." A woman's voice said, its owner stepping into view, Phantump's eyes widening at the sight of her.
Said woman was dressed in a green uniform consisting of a pair of dark green pants tucked into green shoes of the same shade as well as a lighter green top that resembled a pant suit top in its look. However, it was in material more like a battle uniform. Under that was a whitish green shirt with a symbol on it that was mostly covered. She wore green fingerless gloves, a symbol on them as well as the clip in her hair. The symbol in and of itself was peculiar. It was a blue background. There was an orange fire in the center that had what resembled a moon in the center. The moon was split into a crescent and the larger part. The crescent was pink on its top half and bled into purple on its bottom half. The larger portion of the moon was black and had a green, upside down star inside of it. Two lightning bolts appeared to be striking the moon, both in the same place. The bolt on the right was black on the top and green on the bottom. The bolt on the left was orange on the top, but bled into purple in the middle and then pink on the bottom. Her hair was white green from the roots to the tips, which were a darker green. Her hair was tied into a single ponytail, which was centered on the back of her head. Her eyes were azure, the color of the sky, piercing and powerful.
"Y-you!" Phantump said, backing away. "You're that warrior from Johto!"
"Precisely." The woman said. "As are my two friends."
Behind her, two more individuals emerged: Gardenia and Lolo, both clad in similar outfits to the woman's, however, Lolo's was brown while Gardenia's was a variety of green, white, and blue. Both of them, however, had the same crest on their gloves as the green woman.
Blaze looked at them, confused, but her quickly fading consciousness kept her from being too confused.
Darkora snapped her fingers, a Dark Void opening beneath both her and Phantump. The two of them were sucked in, being in the other dimension the Void traveled through.
"You think taking me somewhere else will give you the edge to beat me?" Phantump said, laughing.
"This is where we're going." Darkora said, teleporting behind Phantump and punching her in the back of the head. "This will be your grave."
"Stronger beings than you have tried and failed to kill me." Phantump said. "Even your friend's Pokéforme couldn't beat me. What makes you think you will?"
"This is my domain." Darkora said, Darkness in her fists. "This is where my power comes from, the powers of the Darkness and Nightmares. This is where you will meet your doom, Ghost!"
"Bring it on!" Phantump shouted, laughing. "I may not have been able to beat your mother and I certainly couldn't beat your grandmother, but I will have no problems taking care of you."
"We'll see about that!" Darkora shouted as she and Phantump began to trade blows, Darkora slamming Phantump in the face with a fist infused with Darkness.
"This is for hurting Blaze!" She shouted, her hand becoming infused with darkness, making it into a claw shape. She slashed Phantump with it, causing a gaping wound, which oozed green blood. Darkora slashed her again and again, yelling in anger each time.
Eventually, she stood up, punching Phantump one more time, snapping her fingers. Claws of the darkness of the Void grabbed Phantump, dragging her deeper, the Ghost screaming the entire time.
"Enjoy your stay in hell.' Darkora growled, leaving the Dark Void.
As she did, the woman in green was busy using Heal Pulse on Blaze, Blaze slowly recovering. However, her ribs and other broken bones would take time to heal, effectively taking her out of play for a bit.
"She'll be alright." The woman said. "She needs to rest and recover."
"Who are you?" Blaze asked. "I mean, thanks for saving us and all, but I have no idea who you guys are. I mean, I know those two (considering they kidnapped us and all), but you still elude me. As well as that crest. Are you guys a team or something?"
"Let's get you inside." The woman said. "We'll explain there."
Later
"So" Blaze said. "Who are you?"
"My name" the woman in green said. "Is Cela B. Floracia."
Oh shit! That was a battle! And, Blaze unlocked her pokeforme. Cool. But, that still leaves the mystery of who this Cela is and what relation she has to Gardenia and Lolo. Find out soon.