Draperade: The Game of Gangs Episode 1: How to Take a Life
(Gonna get some disclaimers out of the way: I do not own Pokemon, and I do not own the hybrids like Draperade or ones that'll appear later, those belong to Misdreavous525 (Type in Misdreavous525 000 on Youtube, look at his TPAS Pre Episodes to see what I mean)
Furthermore, this story takes place in a timeline where humans went extinct and the Pokemon have become more intelligent (think Mystery Dungeon set in the modern world…or Planet of the Apes). Also, with the populus being made up of what are basically animals, any meat foods you see are made up of alternatives (Think the Beyond brand stuff). With all that said and done, let's begin)
(The story begins at an apartment building at night. From the upstairs apartment we see a glow coming from one of the windows. Inside the apartment, someone is watching T.V. We then see the T.V and it's showing a commercial featuring a Nidoking presenting a Nidoqueen with a diamond ring, wanting to marry her. The Nidoqueen accepts and hugs her new fiance as an announcer speaks)
Announcer: Shop at Jay's Jewelers, and give her a proposal she'll never forget.
Jingle: Every jewel starts with 'Jay.'
(Whoever is watching T.V switches channels to a soap opera. In this soap opera we see a Lucario, who is about to board an airplane, trying to convince his lover, a Cinccino, to come with him)
Lucario: My beloved, please come with me back to Kalos. I can give you the life you always dreamed of, the life you deserve. I'll treat you like royalty. I'll be a better lover than my evil twin brother could ever hope to be. All you have to do is say yes, and I can make all of your wishes come true.
(The channel changes again, this time to a black and white movie. In this movie, a Gallade and a Gardevoir are kissing on a beach as a sea swell washes over them. This doesn't bother the couple as they continue to embrace and kiss each other)
(Disgusted, the Pokémon who was watching the T.V shuts it off. Said Pokémon reveals his face, and it turns out he's a fusion of two Pokémon: A Drapion and a Roserade. The hybrid Pokeon grabs his iPod and earbuds from the side table and starts listening to the Foongees, 'Killing Me Softly With His Song')
(Strumming my pain with his fingers. Singing my life with his words. Killing me softly with his song. Killing me softly with his song. Telling my whole life with his words. Killing me softly with his song)
(The hybrid gets up from his chair and slowly walks to the kitchen. On his way he passes a series of photographs showing him and a Braixen. He eventually makes it to the kitchen, opens the refrigerator, and grabs a bottle of Electrike's Hard Lemonade)
(I heard he sang a good song. I heard he had a style. And so I came to see him and listen for a while. And there he was this young boy. Stranger to my eyes)
(With iPod and bottle of hard lemonade in tow, the last thing he grabs is a stick that was broken in half but taped back together. He takes all of this stuff outside to the fire escape as he climbs to the roof. Once he gets to the top of the roof he lays down and looks up at the night sky. He looks at the broken stick before kissing it)
(Strumming my pain with his fingers (One time). Singing my life with his words (Two times). Killing me softly with his song. Killing me softly with his song. Telling my whole life with his words. Killing me softly with his song)
(As the hybrid named Draperade stares up into the night sky, we hear him narrate)
Narrator!Draperade: I know what you're thinking. This is literally the first few minutes of the story and this writer is already dropping some heavy stuff. If you haven't put two and two together yet, this stick I'm holding belonged to my recently deceased girlfriend, Braixen Phoxarri. Yes, the heiress to the Smucci Fashion Brand. She was one in a million. Smart, kind, hardworking, beautiful, filthy rich. She's what every man looks for when finding a girlfriend, and I was fortunate enough to have her, albeit a tragically short while.
(Yo, L-Boog, take me to the bridge! Whoa! Whoa-oh-oh ah, ha, ah! La, la, la, la, la, la! Whoa-oh! La-ah-ah! Whoa-oh! La-ah-ah! La-ah-ah-ah-ah!)
Narrator!Draperade: Ever since I met her and we moved in together, I felt like I was living my best life and nothing could bring me down. Alas, calamity struck in the most unexpected way, and fate snatched my little bit of happiness away never to be seen again.
(Strumming my pain with his fingers. Yes he was singing my life with his words. Killing me softly with his songs. Killing me softly with his song. Telling my whole life with his words. Killing me softly with his song.)
Narrator!Draperade: But who am I, you might be wondering? Why should you care about me and my depression right now? Well, come closer and I'll tell you. But be warned, the story I'm about to tell you and the events that unfolded on this tragic day are not for the feeble hearted. But first, cue the intro…
(Intro: Touch Off by UVERworld)
((Opening Instrumentals) Ato ikutsu no jiyuu wo! Na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na (More Instrumentals) Fire)
(In Verge City, the sun goes down and the streetlights come on. When the last bit of natural light fades from the city, all of the criminals come out to play. As an assortment of evil Pokémon go about their dastardly deeds, Draperade watches from atop a hill in anger and disgust. As he looks at the madness unfold in the distance, the title for the fanfic 'Draperade: Game of Gangs' appears in the skyline)
(Saa ore no ban da sentou battaa. Nani ga shippai ka nante mada shiru mae ni. Doukasen mitsukete. Soko ni Fire. Ogamu kami nante inai ya hoshi mo nai ya. Demo negau koto wa yamenakatta. Koukai osore tachidomaru ashimoto. Soko ni Fire)
(Draperade runs down a city street, taking out any criminal in his way. As he continues running, multiple citizens cheer him on, including an Oranguru, a Passimian, a Kommo-o, a Haxorus, a Golduck, an Ampharos, and a Floatzel. Soon, more hybrids join Draperade on his run. In order we see Simitelle, Gallatowl, Blaziape, Arcadash, Lunarock and Solatone, Conkelperior, Cazumarill, Shifquerain, Venentula. Each of these 10 hybrids take down a criminal as they appear on screen and join Draperade in the run. Speaking of which, a pan reveals that the group is running towards a huge mansion)
(Wasuretai koto wa wasurerarenai koto. Tengoku e no michi wa jigoku kara tsunagatteru. Wazuka na hibana ga honou ni kawatteku. Togatta mama de oi tsuzuketeku. Go to future)
(Our heroes make it to the front gate of the mansion where they find the mayor of Verge City, a Grimmsnarl named Mayor Grimm. The evil mayor snaps his fingers and sends out his 10 minions and their subordinates. They include…)
(A Honchkrow named Al Krowpone and his goons, Obstagoon, Krookodile, Scrafty, and Absol)
(A Sceptile named Sceptakuma and his goons, Decidueye, Breloom, Leavanny, and Cacturne)
(A Scizor named Scizward the Awful and his goons, Perrserker, Aegislash, Mawile, and Steelix)
(An Electivire named Eltonvire and his goons, High and Low Key Toxtricity, Eelektross, and Heliolisk)
(A Lopunny named Anne Punny and her goons, Primeape, Grapploct, Sirfetch'd, and Hariyama)
(A Noivern named Charles Noibergh and his goons, Fearow, Drifblim, Corviknight, and Staraptor)
(A Greninja named Grenseppe Grecco and his goons, Seismitoad, Poliwrath, Politoed, and a whole hoard of Tympole, Paplitoad, Poliwag, and Poliwhirl)
(An Alakazam named Alakalov and his goons, a male and female Meowstic, Beeheeyem, and Orbeetle)
(A Mr. Rime named Rimepoleon and his goons, Froslass, Jynx, Frosmoth, and Mamoswine)
(And a Banette named Nette Bundy who is all by himself, sporting a sadistic grin)
(Wazuka suusenchi datte negatta basho ni mukatte. Susunde yuku tomaru nante. Na, na, na, na, na, na, na!)
(Angry, Draperade rushes ahead at the evil mayor. Grimm's goons stand in Draperade's way and they fire attacks at him, but he's fast enough to dodge. The other hybrids take care of the villains as the Roserade/Drapion hybrid keeps charging at the Grimmsnarl)
(Kokoro ni aganatte satoshite wa akirameru. Sore de mirai de nani ga ieru. Na, na, na, na, na, na, na)
(Draperade makes it to Mayor Grimm and he fires a Pin Missle at him. The evil mayor dodges out of the way and hits the hybrid with Hammer Arm. As Draperade gets up, the other hybrids rush to his aide and help him on his feet as Mayor Grimm's goons rush to his side)
(Susunde yuku tomaru nante. Na, na, na, na, na, na, na)
(The two sides glare at each other and prepare to clash as the song ends and we cut to a shot of the city in the distance, signaling the end of this intro)
(After the intro we see a Pokémon egg sitting on a cushion on the floor. The year is 1994)
Narrator!Draperade: Now, in order to properly tell this story, let's learn a little bit about myself. So how about we start from the beginning.
(The egg starts to shake and crack and out comes Draperade's first form, Budrupi)
Budrupi: (In the same manner as the hearts from Lego Movie 2) Hello!
(The next couple of shots are from Budrupi's early years, between 1994-2004. We first see him hanging out with his parents, mother Roserade and father Drapion. The three of them are playing at the park, going to a carnival, chilling at the beach, and just hanging out at home watching T.V)
Narrator!Drapderade: My childhood was like most others. I had a loving mother and a wise and caring father to take care of me. We would often times go out every weekend and spend time together as a family. Those were easily some of the best days of my life.
(Budrupi is now seen attending elementary school and he's walking down the halls to his next class)
Narrator!Draperade: Also like most childhoods, I spent most of my time in school. It was an okay place to get an education from. I liked my teachers, I was passing every class, but the one thing I couldn't excel at was making any friends.
(Budrupi tries to act cool by leaning against a wall and striking a pose to impress a group of his peers that are walking by, but they end up laughing at him. The young hybrid gets confused, but then he looks behind him to see that his back is covered in wet paint. He then looks up to find a sign taped to the wall that reads 'Wet Paint')
Narrator!Draperade: There was no way around the fact that I was an awkward kid, both socially and physically.
(Now Budrupi is seen getting bullied by his peers. One example shows him getting tripped by a Mienfoo as he walks down the halls. Another example shows a Machop kicking him after someone taped a sign that read 'Kick Me' to his back. Another example shows an Emolga making off with his school bag when he wasn't looking. Another example shows an Igglybuff drawing on his face when he fell asleep during glass. A final example shows a Gible pouring hot soup on the hybrid at lunchtime)
Narrator!Draperade: Not helping matters was that hybrid Pokémon where I come from weren't exactly a dime a dozen. Naturally this made me a frequent target for a lot of bullying. I was too scared to tell my parents about what was going on. I didn't want them to worry about me and I didn't want to risk my bullying getting worse if word gets out that I was a narc.
(Budrupi is shown receiving a small gift box from his father on his 10th birthday in 2004. He opens it and inside was a Rare Candy. Budrupi eats it and in a flash of light he becomes Skorelia)
Narrator!Draperade: My luck initially seemed to turn on the day of my 10th birthday, however, as I was gifted a Rare Candy by my father. I ate it and bada-bing, bada-boom, I became a Skorelia. I felt like a whole new Pokémon after that day, stronger, braver, bolder.
(Skorelia is now seen getting some much needed revenge on his bullies. He shoots the Mienfoo with Pin Missile after the former shoots a spitball at him. Next, he hits the Machop with Poison Jab, causing the fighting type to get poisoned and get sent to the Nurse's Office. Next, he steals the Emolga's school books. Next, he takes the Igglybuff's favorite pen and breaks it. Finally, he trips the Gible in the lunchroom as he's walking with a tray full of food, causing him to fall and the food to get all over him. The next time we see Skorelia, he is walking down the halls with the other students making sure to stay out of his way)
Narrator!Draperade: I quickly decided to use this new form to get back at everyone in my life who wronged me. Hurt them as badly as they hurt me, show them what real bullying was like. Before I knew it the entire school was afraid of me. Suffice it to say, they never messed with me again.
(Skorelia is seen befriending three shiny Pokémon, a Golett, a Gothorita, and a Pawniard and what the four of them get up to between the years 2004-2010. The four of them are seen causing mischief. They're first seen doing graffiti against a wall. Next, they're seen lighting a random trashcan on fire. They're then seen trespassing into a junkyard after hours just to hang out. Then they're seen running from a mini-mart, having stolen an assortment of snacks and candies)
Narrator!Draperade: My new ne'er-do-well attitude got me noticed by my neighborhood's local bad seeds, and they took me under their wing. Together we wrecked so much havoc on the public. For the first time I felt like I truly belonged somewhere. 'So what if what I'm doing is wrong, and my parents disagreed with my behavior,' I thought, 'As long as I'm happy, that's all that really matters.'
(2010: After getting hands on more Rare Candies, the quartet of hoodlums evolve into Golurk, Bisharp, Gothitelle, and Draperade. The four them get into more crazier crimes such as beating up a gang of Ghost Types at an abandoned theater, the four of them hotwiring and stealing a car, and even indulging in smoking some marijuana)
Narrator!Draperade: Things only got crazier when we evolved. At that point, we were invincible, nothing could stop us. The whole town feared the likes of us and we loved every minute of it. I definitely came a long way from the awkward, geeky little Budrupi I was all those years ago.
(Draperade is seen getting into an argument with his parents, Roserade and Drapion, and it ends with Draperade hitting his mother with Poison Jab, causing him to get exiled from the house)
Narrator!Draperade: My parents didn't like the path that my life was going down and they tried to put a stop to it. Of course me, being the dumb teenager I was, tried to fight back. I threw a punch at my father, but mother got in between us and took the attack for him. That was the moment when my luck ran out. They told me to pack some things and not come back until I learned some respect.
(Now Draperade is seen with Golurk, Gothitelle, and Bisharp smoking weed and doing graffiti in an alleyway until they are caught by two Police Arcanines. The quartet run away with Draperade taking up the rear, and one of the Arcanines tackle him to the ground and arrest him. The other three continue running and leave the hybrid behind)
Narrator!Draperade: I moved in with one of my friends, and life went on as usual for about a week or two until my bad luck struck again. The fuzz caught up with us and my so-called friends left me behind. I was booked and jailed right on the spot and sent to the local juvenile detention center.
(Draperade is seen spending 2010-2012 in juvie, biding his time by working out and writing letters to his parents. Being stuck in juvie meant he had to bear witness to the other inmates beating each other up, and he could only look on in horror. He is also seen trying to get his life back on track by taking some school courses in juvie to get his GED, and even spending some time doing some meditation)
Narrator!Draperade: The next two years or so of my life I wasted in lock up. To make matters worse, my parents have disowned me. I wrote countless letters to them expressing how sorry I was for everything I had done, but they never wrote back. On top of that, they never came to visit me. They cast aside their only child, and to be honest, for a very good reason. Fortunately, I was locked up long enough to do some thinking. I thought about everything I've done. All the people I hurt, and all the crimes I committed. I took one look at my surroundings and I realized then and there that I did not want my life to become something like this. I hit the books like never before and even went as far as practiced transcendental meditation to get some peace of mind.
(2012: A few days after his 18th birthday, Draperade is let out of the juvie and makes his way to the bus stop. When the bus arrives he gets on and takes it to the nearest city)
Narrator!Draperade: I emerged from that juvenile detention center a changed Pokémon, and I was ready to start my life over. But that just begs the question: Where can a recently reformed hoodlum, with hardly a penny to his name, and all of his family disowning him go to start life anew? And that's where the wretched hive called Verge City comes into play.
(The bus drives into the city and passes a sign that reads 'Verge City: Population 8 million and growing'. The bus stops at a bus stop in the city and Draperade gets off to find a potential apartment and job. As he walks down the street he looks over at a Druddigon and a Gliscor, both of whom give him a dirty look. He then spots a billboard which features the face of the city's crooked mayor, a Grimmsnarl simply named 'Mayor Grim')
Narrator!Draperade: Upon arrival into Verge City I immediately put my head on a swivel. I've heard horror stories about this place. Sure, the commercials make it look glamorous and depict it as 'the place to be', and, sure a lot of celebrities come here, some even going as far as calling this place their home, there are some nice restaurants, and there are a lot of things to do in this city, but the reality is that Verge City is packed to the gills with an assortment of criminals and gangs. The type of criminals and gangs that would make 'Past Me' and my ex-friends look like model citizens in comparison. And perhaps the worst person in this city is its mayor, Mayor Grimm. Let's talk about him for a minute, shall we?
(Mayor Grimm's family tree is shown for a brief minute, showing the current Mayor Grimm on the very bottom of it. We then get clips of every Mayor Grimm this city has ever had finishing up with the current one.)
Narrator!Draperade: The Grimm Family has been running this city for generations, and ever since the first Grimm became mayor long ago, they've all wanted the city to operate on a 'survival of the fittest' system. And the first step towards that is outlawing any form of law enforcement. Yeah, you heard that right, Verge City doesn't have a police force. That pretty much makes this place a hoodlum's paradise. With no police in this city, that meant anyone and everyone could do what they want and to hell with the consequences.
(We then get clips of multiple Pokémon who tried to run against the current Mayor Grimm in an attempt to better the city. We see a Bewear who lost one election to him by a number of votes. We then see a Goodra that tried to run against Grimm, but he's seen boarding a bus with his bags. We then cut to a Heracross who is found dead in his home as a silhouetted assassin leaves)
Narrator!Draperade: As time went on, other Pokémon got tired of Mayor Grimm's ideologies and tried to run against him in order to fix things. But one by one they all lost to him. Sometimes Mayor Grimm gets more votes, sometimes his opponent leaves town, and other times the opponent turns up dead. I'll tell you right now though, Grimm probably did something to cause all three scenarios so he can stay in office.
(We then get a shot of Mayor Grimm in his office, doing work on his computer)
Narrator!Draperade: There have been rumors circulating around the city that this generation's Mayor Grimm has big plans involving his 'survival of the fittest' way of life. Plans that would make his ancestors proud. No one really knows what those plans are though, mainly because they're all just trying to live to see tomorrow. If the rumors are true, the thought of what these plans could be makes my nightmares cringe. Well that's enough about him, let's get back to me.
(2013: Draperade is seen at Verge City's Thrifty Megamart where he works as a stock boy. One day at work, he spotted a Braixen who was struggling to grab something from atop a high shelf. He goes up to her and gets the item for her. They introduce each other and it was basically love at first sight as they engage in conversation)
Narrator!Draperade: I had only been living in Verge City for about a year. I found an apartment and I landed a job at the local grocery store. Not the most glamorous job in the world but at least it got the bills paid. One day while I was stocking the shelves with a new shipment of Croak-Croak Puffs, I looked to the left of me and found a beautiful Braixen trying to reach a jar of peanut butter. I decided to be a gentleman and get it for her and as one would expect she was grateful for my assistance. What I'm sure nobody expected at that moment was we started to have a conversation. Nothing important, just things going on throughout the city. But she ended our talk by asking if she wanted to go out on a date with me.
(We see Draperade and Braixen out at a restaurant having another conversation as they wait for their food and sip on some wine)
Narrator!Draperade: I accepted. I told her bits about my life and to my surprise she wasn't turned off over my past life. In fact she even told me she wasn't exactly a saint growing up either. She didn't tell me much, but she said that once she found Arceus she was a changed woman. She told me she changed her ways after she learned of her father's worries on who would take over his business when he was gone. And that is when I found out that this Braixen is the daughter of Marco Phoxarri, head CEO of Smucci. She told me that once she got her life in order that she worked on the Smucci design team, making well over $200,000 a year, and she hopes that her father will give her his CEO position once he decides to retire. Smart, beautiful, sweethearted, and far more affluent than me. Braixen was just the girl I needed.
(Between the years 2013-2016 (The latter year being when the story takes place), we see Draperade and Braixen moving in together and going out on more dates. Some to the movies, some to a bar for drinks, some to the local mall for a shopping spree, some at a miniature golf course, and some on a picnic lunch at the park)
Narrator!Draperade: The next three years with Braixen was like something out of a fairy tail. She allowed me to move into her apartment at Hamlin Towers where she lived on the top floor, and we went on even more dates. It was no secret that we were both madly in love with each other and we enjoyed every second we spent together.
(Braixen and Draperade are seen on the rooftop of her apartment watching a fireworks display, both ensnared in each other's warm embrace and the screen fades to black)
Narrator!Draperade: It seemed like after every dark turn my life took, I was finally going to get my happily ever after…Until one day.
(We cut to Draperade and Braixen's apartment on the morning of May 1st, 2016, specifically their bedroom. Braixen's alarm is going off causing the two of them to wake up. The fox Pokémon turns it off and looks at the time (6:30 A.M), and looks over at the waking hybrid next to her. They both hug and kiss each other to start the day)
Braixen: Good morning, darling.
Draperade: Morning, cutie. How'd you sleep?
Braixen: I always have my best sleep when I know I'm cuddled up right next to you.
Draperade: Yeah, the feeling's mutual. (Kisses her again) Did I ever tell you that you're the reason I wake up every morning?
Braixen: (Chuckles) That's funny, I was about to say the same thing about you. You complete me. (Kisses him again) I love you so much.
Draperade: I love you too.
(The couple stare into each other's eyes for a short while before getting out of bed and starting the day)
(We next see Draperade and Braixen eating some waffles with fresh cut berries and sipping on hot coffee as they watch the news)
Haxorus Hamilton: Good morning, Verge City, this is Haxorus Hamilton here with some breaking news. A series of priceless artifacts have been stolen from Verge City's History Museum last night. The security guards that were on duty that night were knocked unconscious by the assailant so they were unable to see who stole them. However, just before the camera system went down, they picked up the footage of a possible suspect
(The image shows a Breloom knocking out one of the security guards).
Haxorus Hamilton: The cameras picked up what looks like a Breloom breaking into the museum and knocking the guards unconscious. It's widely believed that because of this the heist was pulled off by Sceptakuma and his Sappy Fingers Crew. If this were a normal city, I'd say notify the authorities if you see Sceptakuma or any of his gang, but since we live in a city with no police force, all I can say is be safe when you go out, and pray to Arceus that things get better.
(Draperade and Braixen look at each other worriedly before changing the channel to something more light-hearted before continuing their breakfast. We cut to after breakfast where the couple separate for the day so they can go to their respective jobs. They see each other off with a kiss before walking off)
Narrator!Draperade: This day started off like many others, and it seemed like it would just be another normal day. But just you wait…
(Draperade gets off the bus and enters the Thrifty Megamart where he works. He punches in his arrival at the punch-clock and heads over to the soda aisle where he meets two of his friends and co-workers who are already there, a Floatzel and an Ampharos. The Ampharos seems to be doing most of the work while the Floatzel just looks at his phone)
Draperade: Morning, boys, how's everything going over here?
Ampharos: (Glares at Floatzel) Things would be going better if I had another set of hands to help me out!
Draperade: Well thankfully when Floatzel drops the ball I pick it back up (Opens up a box full of liter soda bottles and starts putting them on the shelf) So what's going on Floatzel, is your phone more important than your job?
Floatzel: (Looking at a news article on his phone) Can you believe the city's crime rates for this year so far?
Draperade: Hmm?
Floatzel: In just these first four months of the year alone, there have been a total of 104 heists, thefts, and robberies, 187 kidnappings, 266 muggings, and 315 murders.
Draperade: Whoa!
Floatzel: The crime rates in the first four months of this year are double the number that the first third of last year gave us. And all because Verge City doesn't have a police force (Puts his phone away and gets back to work) When's it gonna stop?
Ampharos: Unfortunately when all the good people of this city are dead and the hooligans have completely taken over this city.
Draperade: Why does Mayor Grimm even want a survival of the fittest society anyway? Does he have an obsession with Suzanne Ludicollins' 'Hunger Games' or what?
Floatzel: Apparently he, as well as every other Mayor Grimm that's run this shithole, thinks the modern world has gone too soft and he wants it to get some 'thicker skin'. Him and his whole family tree are nothing but a bunch of goddamn lunatics.
Ampharos: You don't have to tell me. I'm telling you two, the moment I save up enough money I'm getting out of this city and moving to somewhere a whole lot safer.
Floatzel: Why is everyone's first instinct to run when things look bad? Someone should really fight for this city and everyone in it. We shouldn't let some crooked mayor and bands of criminals run us out of our homes.
Draperade: Why don't you fight for this city then? You seem more fired up about it than we do.
Floatzel: (Loses bravado) I mean I would, but, you've seen what happens to anyone who tries to oppose Mayor Grimm. 9 times out of 10 they come up missing.
Draperade: And just like that, you ran out of steam.
Ampharos: (Chuckles)
Floatzel: All I'm saying is he wouldn't be so high and mighty if he didn't have his Ten Gangs to fall back on. Now will you two shut up and help me stock these shelves?
(As the trio get back to work, the store's manager, a Golduck named Mr. Gold, comes up to them)
Mr. Gold: And how are we doing over here?
Draperade: We're doing fine, boss, just talking about the crime statistics.
Mr. Gold: Yeah this city really has seen better days hasn't it? (The three workers nod in agreement) Anyway, Draperade, can I speak with you for a minute before I forget?
Draperade: What's going on?
Mr. Gold: Don't worry, you're not in trouble. Just come with me to my office.
(Draperade leaves the soda aisle with his boss and they meet up in his office)
Mr. Gold: (Sits behind his desk and he points at an available chair in front of it) Have a seat.
Draperade: (Sits in the available chair in front of his boss' desk)
Mr. Gold: So this June will mark four whole years since you started working here. And boy, I gotta say I really like your work ethic.
Draperade: Thank you sir, I try.
Mr. Gold: And I applaud your efforts. Though I do have one question for you: How serious are you about having a career with the Thrifty Megamart Family?
Draperade: (Gets excited) Sir, are you offering me a promotion?
Mr. Gold: To Assistant Manager. So, what do you say?
Draperade: Oh, wow, sir! I can't believe this! This is really great! I- (Realizes something that brings his mood down) Wait, sir, I'm not so sure I can accept this. It's very likely that my girlfriend and I are going to be moving out of this city soon.
Mr. Gold: I see. You're still dating that Braixen who works at Smucci, right?
Draperade: Yeah, and she said that her father and the higher ups wanted to have a meeting with her today in regards to her future there. If it goes well then she said that they might move her to the Smucci Branch in the Alola Region.
Mr. Gold: Well Draperade, my boy, you're in luck. Because we just sealed the deal on getting a Thrifty Megamart there too and they're going to be needing an Assistant Manager there very soon.
Draperade: (Gets excited again) Really?!
Mr. Gold: Yes. So if your girlfriend comes home to tell you that the move to Alola really is happening, give me a call so I can call the soon-to-be manager of the new Thrifty Megamart and tell him that he's getting a very promising Assistant Manager.
Draperade: You've got it, Mr. Gold! (Shakes his hand) Thank you so much for this opportunity.
Mr. Gold: You're welcome, my boy.
(Later that afternoon, Draperade returns to his and Braixen's apartment at Hamlin Towers with a big smile on his face. When he enters he finds his girlfriend there waiting for him with an equally big smile on her face)
Draperade: Babe, you're home early. (Hugs his girlfriend and kisses her) Let me tell you I had the most amazing day at work today.
Braixen: So did I. Tell me about your day first.
Draperade: Okay, so Mr. Gold invited me into his office today to tell me that he's offering me a position as Assistant Manager of the Thrifty Megamart! And get this, I also told him about our potential move to Alola, and he said that he's opening a store there and I can be Assistant Manager of that store if the move was happening.
Braixen: Oh, sweetie, that is such great news! (Hugs him again)
Draperade: I know! So how was your meeting with your dad and the other big wigs at Smucci?
Braixen: It went better than I could've hoped. You want to know how well? Five words: We're moving to Alola, baby!
(The couple cheers loudly, happy that they're moving up in the world)
Braixen: So long, Verge City! A pox on your and you criminals!
Draperade: Yeah, we're out of here!
Braixen: With this new job at the Smucci branch in Alola, I'm one step closer to achieving the same CEO status as my father. On top of that, by accepting this new job yearly pay has doubled to $400,000 a year.
Draperade: That's amazing! This calls for a celebratory dinner! Are you thinking what I'm thinking?
Braixen: Mr. O's Noodle and Rice Emporium?
Draperade: Aw, yeah!
Braixen: I'll call him up to place an order for delivery. (Picks up the phone and tries to call the restaurant, but no one picks up) Hmm, busy line.
Draperade: It's a beautiful day, why don't we walk there and place the order in person.
Braixen: Then by that logic, we might as well just eat our food there.
Draperade: True, but I was thinking that while we wait for our food to get here, we celebrate our successes in 'another way.'
Braixen: (Gets a naughty smile on her face) And what way would that be?
(Draperade whispers in her ear his 'idea')
Braixen: Oh, Draperade, I love the way you think. Alright, let's go over there and place our order and head right back here.
Draperade: Okay!
(The couple leave their apartment to visit Mr. O's Chinese restaurant so they can place an order for delivery)
(Meanwhile on the streets of Verge City, we see a gang of four Dark types running down the sidewalk causing all kinds of mischief. This ragtag band of hoodlums consist of Obstagoon, Krookodile, Scrafty, and Absol. The Obstagoon appears to have a sack pack on his back. As they run they are laughing and pushing other pedestrians out of the way, not caring if they get hurt)
Obstagoon: Make way for the Shadow Men, bitches!
Scrafty: Yeah, good one dude!
(As they continue running they pass a Watchog on his way home from work. The Obstagoon snatches his briefcase and the four dark types play keep away with it before callously tossing the briefcase into the street, causing it to open up and send the Watchog's work papers all over the place. The four laugh at the Normal Type's misfortune before walking off)
(The four dark types eventually make it to a burger joint where they bust open the doors like the badasses they think they are)
Obstagoon: The Shadow Men are here!
(The image pauses as we hear Draperade narrate again)
Narrator!Draperade: Ugh! So you remember when my buddy Floatzel mentioned something about Ten Gangs? Let us use this opportunity to talk about them before we get into how these specific ones you see right now ruined my life.
(Draperade prepares to go over the Ten Gangs Floatzel mentioned earlier as 'Without Me' by Trevenem plays over it)
(Two trailer park girls go round the outside, round the outside, round the outside (x2))
(Mayor Grimm is seen in a meeting hall with each of the gang's leaders, Al Krowpone, Sceptakuna, Scizward the Awful, Anne Punny, Charles Noibergh, Grenseppe Grecco, Nette Bundy, Eltonvire, Rimepoleon and Alakalov)
Narrator!Draperade: Like I said before, Mayor Grimm wants to keep Verge City in a constant state of 'survival of the fittest.' And these ten gangs were hired by him to basically enforce that mindset, inspire other thugs to be like them, and act as his muscle in case someone tries to take him down for, let's be honest, very understandable reasons. He also entrusted them with aiding him with his supposed 'plans.'
(Guess who's back, back again? Trevy's back, tell a friend! Guess who's back (x7) (Instrumentals))
(A group photo of the Honchrkow, Al Krowpone, and his gang are shown before showing their misdeeds. Obstagoon, Krookodile, and Scrafty are seen beating up a rich Lickilicky and taking all of his money and any jewelry he was wearing. They're then seen raiding a Carnivine's wallet, only finding $10. The trio are not amused and Obstagoon delivers a fatal blow to the grass type with Night Slash)
Narrator!Draperade: First on the docket is Al Krowpone and his Shadow Men, Obstagoon, Krookodile, Scrafty, and Absol. They're just your average run of the mill muggers and occasional murderers. If their victim doesn't have enough money for them to steal, then they take their lives instead. From what I've heard about them, Krowpone doesn't like to do the deeds himself and usually sends his goons out to do the dirty work for him.
(I've created a monster cause nobody wants to see Marshall no more they want Trevy I'm chopped liver. Well if you want Trevy this is what I'll give you: A little bit of weed mixed with some hard liquor. Some vodka that'll jump start my heart quicker, then a shock when I get shocked at the hospital. By the doctor when I'm not cooperating when I'm rocking the table while he's operating. You waited this long to stop debating 'Cause I'm back, I'm on the rag and ovulating)
(The next group photo shows the Greninja thug, Grenseppe Grecco, and his Leaping Legion consisting of Poliwrath, Politoed, Seismitoad, and loads of Poliwag, Poliwhirl, Tympole, and Palpitoad. His huge entourage of henchmen are seen guarding him as he walks down the street. We then cut to the top of a building where Grenseppe, with his Leaping Legion there with him, tosses a Water Shuriken at the head of a Magcargo, killing him. Once that's done, we cut back to the shot of the dead Heracross that tried to run against Mayor Grimm, but this time the silhouette was revealed to be Grenseppe)
Narrator!Draperade: Next there's Grenseppe Grecco and his captains Poliwrath, Politoed, Seismitoad, and their little army of frog brats. Grenseppe is never seen walking around town by himself and he always has his Leaping Legion with him at all times in case someone tries to take him down with a sneak attack. Grenseppe is a skilled hitman and he always makes sure that his shurikens not only hit their mark, but that they kill while they do it. You want to know what one of his kills was? Remember that Heracross that tried to run against Mayor Grimm and how he ended up dead? Yeah, that has Grenseppe's name written all over it.
(I know that you got a job, Ms. Chansey, but your husband's heart problems complicating. So the FCC won't let me be or let me be me so let me see. They tried to shut me down on MTV, but it feels so empty without me. So come on and dip, bum on your lips. Jump back, jiggle her hip and wiggle a bit. And get ready cuz this is about to get heavy. I just settled all my lawsuits, FUCK YOU RIBOMBEE)
(The next group photo shows the Sceptile thug, Sceptakuma, and his Sappy Fingers Crew, Breloom, Decidueye, Leavanny, and Cacturne. They were seen stealing the artifacts from the museum from earlier, and on top of that they are seen robbing banks and stealing goods from armored trucks)
Narrator!Draperade: Our designated thieves, Sceptakuma and his Sappy Fingers Crew, Breloom, Decidueye, Leavanny, and Cacturne, are next. These assholes are some of the sneakiest thieves I've ever heard about. They know the layout of each building every heist they pull inside and out, they know how to shut down cameras without breaking anything, and they're efficient with every heist they pull: In and out like a Cosmog at the fair. And their heists aren't limited to museums either. They're not afraid to indulge in bank robberies and stealing shit from moving trucks.
(Now this looks like a job for me so everybody just follow me cuz we need a little controversy! Cuz it feels so empty without me (x2))
(The next group photo shows the Noivern thug, Charles Noibergh, and his gang of Snatchers, Fearow, Drifblim, Corviknight, and Staraptor. Noivern's henchmen are seen stealing members of the unsuspecting public from numerous places throughout Verge City and taking them away somewhere)
Narrator!Draperade: Now we have Charles Noibergh and his merry band of Snatchers, Drifblim, Fearow, Staraptor, and Corviknight. Kidnappings are these freaks' jam. No one really knows what happens to the Pokémon that they snatch up, or what Mayor Grimm even wants with them. But something tells me that the less we know the better.
(Little hellions, kids feeling rebellious. Embarrassed, their parents still listen to Lurantis. They start feeling like prisoners helpless, 'til someone comes along on a mission and yells, 'BITCH!' A visionary, vision is scary. Could start a revolution, polluting' the air waves, a rebel. So just let me revel and bask in the fact that I got everyone kissing my ass. And it's a disaster, such a catastrophe for you to see so damn much of my ass you ask for me)
(The next group photo is a Mr. Rime thug, Rimepoleon, and his Ice Queens, Jynx, Froslass, Frosmoth, and Mamoswine. Rimepoleon is initially seen running his own private jewelry store, 'The Shining Pearl'. But when it's closing time, him and his Ice Queens are seen working on making rings, all of which have the logo of one of the 18 Pokémon types. The Ice Queens are then seen distributing these rings to various thugs throughout Verge City)
Narrator!Draperade: Then there's Rimepoleon and his girls, the Ice Queens, which consist of Froslass, Jynx, Frosmoth, and Mamoswine. Rimepoleon apparently holds up the guise of a law abiding citizen during the day, even going as far as running his own jewelry shop. But when night falls and no one is looking, him and his girls apparently craft these rings that power up whatever moves the wearer has. No one really knows what makes these rings tick, but they're dangerous weapons when put in the wrong hands, which they inevitably do because once a batch is done, he distributes them to criminals throughout the city.
(Well I'm back, na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-ksh. Fix your bent antenna, tune it in and then I'm gonna enter it up under your skin like a splinter. The center of attention back for the winter. I'm interesting, the best thing since wrestling. Infesting in your kids ears and nesting. 'Testing, attention please,' Feel the tension as soon as someone mentions me. Here's my ten cents, my two cents is free. A nuisance, who sent, you sent for me?)
(The next group photo shows the Scizor thug, Scizward the Awful, and his gang of Metal Heads, Perrserker, Mawile, Aegislash, and Steelix. They are seen overseeing a bunch of workers at a mine shaft/steel mill, where they mine materials for Rimepoleon's rings. The workers who work in the mill make steel for the bands while the workers who work in the mine shaft mine the gemstones for the rings)
Narrator!Draperade: As for where they get the materials to make their rings, that's where Scizward the Awful and his Metal Heads, Perrserker, Mawile, Aegislash, and Steelix, come in. This lot rules over the city's steel mill and mine shaft with an iron fist, pun entirely intended. Lot of Pokémon are sent here to work, but something's telling me that they're not there by choice. There's definitely some major trafficking going on. And the possible trafficking doesn't stop there either.
(Now this looks like a job for me so everybody just follow me cuz we need a little controversy! Cuz it feels so empty without me (x2))
(The next group photo shows the Lopunny thug and her gang of Wild Boys, Primeape, Hariyama, Grapploct, and Sirfetch'd. They too are seen supervising a bunch of workers, but this time at a type of distillery)
Narrator!Draperade: Anne Punny and her Wild Boys, Grapploct, Sirfetch'd, Hairyama, and Primeape, seem to have taken a note out of Scizward's playbook in that they too have likely employed trafficking to get workers to work at her distillery. It's believed that whatever beverage they make there they serve exclusively at Eltonvire's nightclub, Studio 84.
(A-tiskit a-taskit, I go tit for tat with anybody who's talking this shit, that shit. Chris Eelektrik, you can get your ass kicked. Worse than them Impidimp Bizkit bastards. And Skippy, you can get stomped by Jumpy. You thirty six year old bald headed fag, blow me. You don't know me, you're too old, let go, it's over, nobody listens to techno. Now let's go, just give me a signal. I'll be there with a whole list full of new insults. I've been dope, suspenseful with a pencil ever since Togekiss turned himself into a symbol)
(The next group photo shows the Electivire thug, Eltonvire, and his gang of Live Wires, High and Low Key Toxtricity, Eelektross, and Heliolisk. They are seen running the Studio 84 nightclub and serving the more wealthy patrons the strange beverage that was made at Punny's distillery. One such beverage was given to a rich looking Furfrou. Eltonvire takes that Furfrou aside for a chat after he drinks the beverage, which puts him in a trance, and the Normal Type ends up giving him all of his personal information)
Narrator!Draperade: This place, run by Eltonvire and his Live Wires, the Toxtricity Brothers, Eelektross, and Heliolisk, may look like a regular nightclub, but this is not a place you want to go to, especially since the Ten Gangs like to hang out here during their freetime. I don't know much, but according to a news report Braixen and I watched once on the subject, apparently the beverage made at the distillery has an effect on the consumer's brain, and they can't stop telling the truth. Eltonvire uses that to his advantage to get the personal information of his richer consumers so he can bleed their bank accounts dry.
(But sometimes this shit just seems everybody only wants to discuss me. So this must mean I'm disgusting. But it's just me I'm just obscene. Though I'm not the first king of controversy. I am the worst thing since Lurantis Presley to do black music so selfishly and use it to myself wealthy. There's a concept that works. Twenty million other white rappers emerged. But no matter how many fish in the sea it'll be so empty without me)
(The next group photo shows the Alakazam thug, Alakalov, and his gang of Mind Flayers, Male and Female Meowstic, Beeheeyem, and Orbeetle. They are seen in a lab staring at floating orbs of light in a tank and writing information down. Some orbs are of different colors. Alakalov also has a private band of scientists in Snowpoint City, where they are seen making strange looking gloves meant to fit each member of the Ten Gangs)
Narrator!Draperade: Every band of villains needs a super genius, and that's where Alakalov and his Mind Flayers, the Meowstic Twins, Beeheeyem, and Orbettle, come into play. They apparently do research for Mayor Grimm, what kind of research, I don't know nor do I want to know. But Alakalov also has a small band of scientists working for him in Snowpoint City, and they send him some pretty strange tech from what I've heard. Again, the less I know about this tech the better.
(Now this looks like a job for me so everybody just follow me cuz we need a little controversy! Cuz it feels so empty without me (x2))
(The last photo shows a lone Pokémon, a Banette thug, Nette Bundy. He's seen going on a killing spree on the city streets at night, slaying any and all victims that cross his path. His victims always try and fight back or run away, but resistance was always futile in the end)
Narrator!Draperade: And last, but definitely least, we have Nette Bundy, probably the sickest freak in Grimm's group. Since he's a cold blooded murderer, he's pretty much a one man gang. Any sidekicks he does get he either scared off or he outright killed them. Nette is pretty much the reason you never wander off by yourself at night. The moment you hear him sing his song, your number is up, no ifs, ands, or buts about it.
(Hum didi lala. Lala, lalala. Lala, lalala. Lala, lala (x2) Kids!)
(All the members of the Ten Gangs are seen walking down the street with a villainous strut)
Narrator!Draperade: I didn't want to believe such freaks like them existed when I first heard about them on late night news reports, but they do. And with no police anywhere in the city, they pretty much own the place, and if you ever had a run in with any of them, your chance of surviving is very minimal.
(As the song ends, we cut back to the paused image of the Shadow Men entering the burger joint)
Narrator!Draperade: Well now that you know who all these psychos are, let's get back to the story and see just how the Shadow Men ruined my life in the worst possible way.
(The image unpauses as the quartet of dark types walks up to the Swalot at the counter to place their order)
Swalot: Welcome to Ultra Burger, how can I help you today?
Obstagoon: This is a to go order. Our boss said he wanted a #3 with no pickles and curly fries. I'll take an order of that for him, and for me give me a #5.
Scrafty: Give me a #7, fat boy!
Absol: Serve me up a #1.
Krookodile: (Clears his throat) I'll take a #4, a #2 with barbecue sauce, a #7 with extra mayo, two #6s, three #5s one without cheese, a 20 piece nugget, a vanilla ice cream cone, and a large diet soda.
Swalot: (Punches the orders into the register) That'll be $62.41.
(Obstagoon literally throws the cash at the Poison type, who picks it up and puts it in the register)
Swalot: Your food will be ready in just a few moments.
(A few moments later, the four dark types grab their food and take it outside to some picnic tables. They get their meals, with their boss' meal still in the bag, and they proceed to chow down)
Obstagoon: Dinner is served boys! Dig in!
(The four dark types proceed to eat their food with wild abandon. As they ate away at their food, the Krookodile looks across the street to find Braixen and Draperade walking towards Mr. O's Noodle and Rice Emporium)
Krookodile: Hey dudes, look over there! (Points across the street as the rest of his gang looks with him) Isn't that Braixen the one and only Braixen Phoxarri?
Obstagoon: Yeah, yeah I think so! (Looks over at the Draperade) I think I do remember hearing how she's dating a hybrid Pokémon.
Scrafty: Yo, you guys think she's loaded?
Obstagoon: She must be! All those clothes, purses, and shoes that they make, she must have an impressive net worth. (Turns to the rest of his gang as the couple walk into the restaurant) You boys thinking what I'm thinking?
Scrafty: One more mugging before we return to base?
Obstagoon: Precisely! Besides we need to get some money back after a certain someone (Glares at Krookodile) decided to buy one of everything on the menu!
Krookodile: My eating habits are neither here nor there, guy. Now let's milk that fox for all she's worth!
Obstagoon: Indeed. (The four dark types put their food back in the bag before it was handed to Absol) Abs, take the food back to base.
Absol: (Disappointed) Aw, you mean I can't join your guys?
Scrafty: Someone needs to give the boss his dinner.
Absol: You guys never let me partake in your activities. Why can't Krooks deliver the food to the boss?
Obstagoon: Do you really trust Krooks with food?
Absol: Good point (Sighs as he puts the handles of the bag around his horn so he can easily carry it). I'll see you guys later.
(Absol leaves as the other three turn their attention towards the Chinese Restaurant across the street. A few minutes after that and they see Braixen and Draperade leave the restaurant and head back home)
Scrafty: That was fast. They were only in there for, what 10 minutes?
Obstagoon: They probably placed an order for delivery
Krookodile: What are we doing just sitting around then? Let's follow after them! (Is about to get up and give chase when Obstagoon stops him)
Obstagoon: Hold on now, what's this?
(He looks to see the delivery car drive into an alleyway next to the Chinese Restaurant to get to the back parking lot, and inside that car was another Scrafty, this one wearing glasses, a black muscle shirt, and a blue bandana on his head. Obstagoon notices this and smiles wickedly)
Obstagoon: Things just got a whole lot more interesting.
(Meanwhile, the Delivery Boy Scrafty gets out of the car and enters the backdoor to the restaurant where he meets up with his boss and the restaurant's owner, a Kommo-o named Mr. O)
Delivery Boy Scrafty: Alright boss, I'm back.
Mr. O: Very good, how was traffic?
Delivery Boy Scrafty: We live in a highly populated city, how do you think traffic was? A ten minute trip took what felt like ten hours.
Mr. O: Well I hope you're ready to sit in some more traffic because we have another order for you. It's for Braixen Phoxarri and her boyfriend.
Delivery Boy Scrafty: Oh I love those guys. Easily some of the nicest and most pleasant customers we get.
Mr. O: Yeah, they're great. (Hands him the box which has their order) Anyway, their order is in here. I also wrote down the address of their apartment as per usual and put it in the box as well.
Delivery Boy Scrafty: Thanks boss, I'll catch you later. (Leaves)
(As the Delivery Boy Scrafty leaves once again out the backdoor, makes his way to the car and puts the order in the backseat, he's heard singing to himself)
Delivery Boy Scrafty: (Singing) I am the one! I am the one! Hmm-hmm-hmm, forever united as one! Hmm-hmm-hmm, together the battles are won! Hmm-hmm-hmm, through us let your–
Obstagoon: Hey you!
(The Delivery Boy Scrafty turns around to find Obstagoon, Krookodile, Scrafty marching up to him, and then without warning)
POW!
(Obstagoon uses Mega Punch to knock the Delivery Boy Scrafty unconscious)
Scrafty: Ha, ha, nice shot Obby!
Obstagoon: Thanks Scraft. Now, put his clothes on.
Scrafty: On it! (Begins stripping the Delivery Boy Scrafty of his clothes and putting them on himself)
Obstagoon: Krooks, look through that delivery box to see if you can find an address (The Krookodile does so). I'll take care of the body.
(Once Scrafty put on the Delivery Boy Scrafty's clothes, Obstagoon took the delivery boy Pokémon and put him in a nearby dumpster, making sure to lower the lock bar so he wouldn't get out)
Scrafty: (Whilst modeling in his disguise) Hey, Obby, how do I look?
Obstagoon: Like you're ready to deliver some Chinese Food to a couple of suckers. (Turns to the delivery car where Krookodile was) Hey, Krooks, what's the 411 on the address?
Krookodile: (Looks at his cohorts with a mouthful of noodles) Hmm?
Obstagoon: Damn it, Krooks, you can't go five minutes without eating something?
(Obstagoon then goes over to the delivery box to look for the address himself. He looks to find a card that reads 'Phoxarri - 24 Weston Ave - Apt. 6-2.')
Obstagoon: (Smiles wickedly) Bingo! (Turns to Scrafty and Krookodile) Next stop, Weston Avenue!
(Meanwhile, back at Draperade and Braixen's apartment, the two of them are laying in bed cuddling)
Draperade: Oh, babe, you're so warm and easy to cuddle.
Braixen: Same to you, Drappy. Who knew Poison types would be such great cuddlers?
Draperade: I'll be honest, I kind of knew. Only because there was a Muk back in my old hometown who was known for being very affectionate and giving out hugs to Pokémon he's never even met.
(The couple laugh)
Draperade: I just can't believe the good luck we ran into today. Promotions galore. (Realizes something) Which reminds me, I have to call Mr. Gold and tell him about our move to Alola.
Braixen: It can wait until after dinner. Right now I just want to enjoy the feeling of being next to you. (Nuzzles her face into his chest)
Draperade: You're so cute. (Rubs her back) I wonder what life in Alola is going to be like.
Braixen: I don't know, but I heard it's a beautiful place. Crystal blue waters, lush forests, the populus are total sweethearts, and the best part is that there's hardly any crime.
Draperade: That's one thing I'm certainly looking forward to. I'm not going to miss having my head on a swivel every 10 seconds. Yeah, Alola is a great place to settle down. Perhaps even start a family?
Braixen: That'd be so wonderful. Living in a nice oceanside cabin. Just me, you, and two or three little children running around with hardly a care in the world.
Draperade: You think our children will be a regular Fennekin, Budew, and/or Skorupi, or do you think they'll be hybrids like Fenrupi, or Budkin, or something like that?
Braixen: Hard to say, but I know I'll love them just the same. (Looks up at her boyfriend) Almost as much as I love you.
Draperade: I love you too, Braxi. (Gives his girlfriend a kiss as his stomach growls)
Braixen: (Chuckles) Someone sounds like he's getting hungry.
Draperade: I am. I hope our food gets here soon.
(Meanwhile, back at Mr. O's Noodle and Rice Emporium, he's seen walking outside through the backdoor of the restaurant so he could have a smoke break. The moment the Dragon-Fighting type stepped outside he saw the delivery car still parked in its spot)
Mr. O: What the hell? Why is the delivery car still here and with the door still open? (He looks inside the car to find the order box he prepared was all disheveled and the carton holding the noodles was all empty) What happened here?!
Delivery Boy Scrafty: (From inside the dumpster) Help! Help me somebody! I'm trapped in here! Help!
(The Kommo-o looks to see the dumpster shaking as he hears someone screaming inside of it. He rushes over to it and opens it up to find the Delivery Boy Scrafty was trapped in there and he has a black eye)
Mr. O: What the heck are you doing in there, boy, what's going on? What happened to Braixen and Draperade's order? And what happened to your eye? And what happened to your shirt, glasses, and bandana?
Delivery Boy Scrafty: You will not believe what just happened, boss! So I was loading the order into the car when these three Pokémon just came up to me and punched my lights out. Next thing I know I woke up to find my clothes missing and I was locked in that dumpster!
Mr. O: Do you remember who locked you in there?
Delivery Boy Scrafty: Yeah. There was an Obstagoon, a Krookodile, and another Scrafty. (Both him and Mr. O gasp with horrific realization) Those are some of the same Pokémon that are a part of Al Krowpone's Shadow Men! Boss, you don't think…
Mr. O: Those dirty rascals probably think that since Braixen works as a designer for Smucci that by robbing her they can get a nice payday. I have to hurry to Hamlin Towers before something terrible happens!
Delivery Boy Scrafty: The chefs and I will hold down the shop while you're out, boss! Good luck and be careful!
Mr. O: (Immediately runs off) Thank you!
(As that was going on, the Obstagoon, Krookodile, and Scrafty have not only made it to Braixen and Draperade's neighborhood, but they were standing right outside Hamlin Towers)
Scrafty: Pretty swanky place, 24 Weston Avenue is. Now let's go in there and get to robbing!
Krookodile: Hold on, man. (Points at Hamlin Towers' doorman, a Golisopod) That Golisopod ain't gonna let us in without a fight. And it'd be a fight he'd likely win considering he's a bug type.
Scrafty: Dang! So what do we do now?
Obstagoon: At what point did you two forget that we don't use front doors. I'm sure this building has a backdoor if we look hard enough. Follow me.
(He leads his cohorts down an alleyway where they find Hamlin Towers' cellar doors)
Obstagoon: Bingo! Krooks, do the honors.
Krookodile: (Steps up and bears his claws) Dragon Claw! (Uses his claws to break the lock on the cellar doors)
Obstagoon: After me. (He leads his two fellow dark types into the cellar and towards the door that leads to the stairway)
(The three Shadow Men are then seen running up the stairs to the top/sixth floor where Braixen and Draperade reside. As they run, we cut back to a brief clip of the couple, still cuddled in bed, chatting about their future plans, unaware of the travesty that's coming for the both of them. Once that's done, we cut back to the trio of dark types as they finally made it to the top floor)
Obstagoon: Card said that their room was 6-2. (He looks until he finds the door with the placard that reads 6-2) And here we are. (Turns to Scrafty) Okay, Super Eats, do your thing.
Scrafty: (Steps forward still wearing his disguise) With pleasure! (As Obstagoon and Krookodile hide next to the door and get as close to the wall as they possibly can, Scrafty walks up to the door and knocks on it three times)
(Still in bed, the couple hears the knocking)
Braixen: That must be the food!
Draperade: I got this.
(Draperade gets out of bed, leaves the bedroom, and makes his way to the front door. Once there he looks through the peephole to find who he thinks is Mr. O's Delivery Boy Scrafty)
Draperade: Alright, food's here!
(Unaware of who this particular Scrafty really is, Draperade opens the door and…)
Scrafty: Rush 'em, boys!
Draperade: What the?! (Scrafty and Obstagoon push past Draperade to get into the apartment and they immediately hide in a nearby closet) Hey stop!
Krookodile: (Grabs him) Come here, Romeo! (Pushes him inside and tackles him to the floor)
Draperade: AGH! (Braixen hears the commotion outside and gets out of bed to check it out) Get off! Get off me! Braxien, don't come out here! No!
(Too late, Braixen already made it to the living room to find the Dark-Ground type pinning down her boyfriend)
Braixen: (Takes out her fire stick) Who the heck are you!
(Without warning, Scrafty, now out of his disguise, leaps out of the closet with Obstagoon and the Dark-Fighting type pins the Fire Type to the wall)
Scrafty: We're what nightmares are made out of, Ms. Phoxarri!
Draperade: Look, whatever you want, I'm sure we can talk this out.
Obstagoon: Yeah, about that, we're not exactly the talking type.
Draperade: Wait a minute. A Scrafty paired with an Obstagoon and a Krookodile? (Gasps with horror) You three are Al Krowpone's Shadow Men!
Scrafty: Ding, ding, ding! Someone give the man a prize. (Turns to Braixen) You've got yourself a smart one, missy.
Braixen: What do you three want? Why are you here?
Obstagoon: Isn't it obvious? (Walks up to Braixen as Scrafty gives him the honors of pining the Fire Fox against the wall while he closes the curtains so nobody gets suspicious) You are Braixen Phoxarri, the heiress to the whole Smucci company. We want whatever money you have. And that goes double for your little boyfriend over there.
(Draperade continues to try and break free from Krookodile's grip, but he keeps managing to pin him against the floor)
Krookodile: Probably a bad time to mention…(Bears his claws in front of the hybrid's face) I hate when my victims squirm around like a Magikarp.
Obstagoon: Well then, Ms. Phoxarri, it seems we've reached an ultimatum. Either you give us some money, or we rearrange lover boy's face. Your choice.
Braixen: Please, it doesn't have to come to that. My purse is over there on the side table.
Obstagoon: And what about lover boy. Where's his wallet?
Draperade: In the kitchen.
Obstagoon: (Smiles) Alright, so we're finally starting to understand each other. Krooks, check the lady's purse. I'll head to the kitchen and pilfer his wallet.
Scrafty: (After having closed all the blinds) And I'm just going to kick back and relax. (Lays down on the couch and closes his eyes, pretending to be asleep)
Obstagoon: (Looks at Braixen and Draperade) You two wait here.
(Obstagoon releases Braixen from his grip as he walks into the kitchen while Krookodile releases Draperade and goes over to the side table to dig through the purse. With the three Shadow Men seemingly distracted, Draperade comes up with an idea)
Draperade: (Whispers) Hey, Braixen,
(Braixen looks over at her boyfriend and he does hand gestures at her. First pointing at himself and her, then pointing at Krookodile who is currently digging through Braixen's purse, then putting his claws together, saying that they should attack him while his back is turned. Braixen nods in agreement as she takes her fire stick out and Draperade bears his claws. The couple slowly attempt to sneak up on Krookodile, but Scrafty, who is still situated on the couch, opens his eyes and sees them trying to pull of their sneak attack)
Scrafty: (Leaps from the couch and gets in between them and Krookodile) No, no, no! (Begins to form a Focus Blast between his hands) One more step and things are going to take a very dark turn for the both of you.
(Draperade and Braixen back down and Scrafty ceases his attack)
Krookodile: (Continues to rifle through Braixen's purse) What's going on back there?
Scrafty: Nothing, I took care of it. Keep rifling.
Krookodile: If only there was more too rifle. Ms. Phoxarri apparently only carries $8 on her.
Obstagoon: (Comes out of the kitchen carrying a small amount of cash) Well lover boy's no better. I only found $7. (He puts that money and the $8 in his sack pack)
Scrafty: (Looks over at Braixen and Draperade) What gives Ms. Phoxarri? We thought you were loaded. We didn't come all this way just for chump change.
Draperade: Look, we swear on everything that that's all we have. Why don't you three just get out of here, now. Things don't have to be like this.
Krookodile: Yeah right, we ain't leaving until we get more money from you assholes! Now where is it! Wall safe? Hidden in a mattress? Stashed under the floor? We'll turn this pretty little abode of yours upside down if we have to!
Obstagoon: (Calmly feigns benevolence) Krooks, Krooks, Krooks, settle down. If they say that $15 is all they have, we have no choice but to believe them.
Draperade: Yeah, listen to your friend, dude.
Obstagoon: Of course, if these two know anything about us Shadow Men, they should know that when they don't have enough money for us to take, we instead take something else. Something far more valuable, and impossible to replace…(A toothy grin spreads across his face as he bears his claws)...a life!
(Draperade and Braixen gasp)
Obstagoon: Under normal circumstances we would kill both of you. But, because I'm feeling extra wicked today, I'm just going to kill one of you and force the other to bear the burden of knowing they witnessed the death of their true love and there was nothing they could do about it!
Braixen: (Scared out of her mind) You…You fiend!
Obstagoon: Fiend?! Aw, that's not very nice. In fact, just for that, I think I know who I want to kill! (Charges at the fire type) Mega Punch!
(Punches Braixen hard in the face, knocking her to the floor)
Draperade: BRAIXEN! (Tries to make a move against Obstagoon)
Scrafty: (Grabs a hold of him before he gets anywhere) Where do you think you're going?
(Obstagoon towers over Braixen as he bears his claws to deliver his next attack, and all Braixen can do is look at the Dark-Normal type in horror)
Obstagoon: This is the part of my work that I love!
Draperade: Damn you! (Uses his clawed tail to scratch Scrafty in the face, allowing him to break free of his grip and charge at Obstagoon) X-Scissor! (Hits Obstagoon in the back with X-Scissor, causing him to double over in pain. Draperade is about to hit him with another X-Scissor, but Krookodile steps in and grabs a hold of him)
Krookodile: That was very naughty of you, Romeo!
Obstagoon: (Gets up and glares at the hybrid) You've got a lot of nerve to attack me like that, brat!
(Draperade just glares back at him)
Obstagoon: You know what, I've changed my mind. We kill him instead!
Braixen: No…
Obstagoon: Scraft, go in their bedroom and see if there's any jewelry we can take. I want to salvage this outing as much as we can.
Scrafty: Consider it done!
Obstagoon: Krooks…kill!
Krookodile: (Glares at Draperade) Alright, Purple Boy, let's boogie!
(The Dark-Ground type tackles the hybrid to the floor once again and they get into a scuffle. The two combatants are rolling around on the floor, Krookodile the aggressor and Draperade the defender. All of Krookodile's attacks are made with the intent to kill while Draperade puts up his arms to block each attack, occasionally finding an opening to hit the Dark-Ground type back. In the middle of the fight, Krookodile manages to bite Draperade's arm causing him to let out a blood curdling scream of pain)
Obstagoon: (Watches the scuffle with a sick smile) Give him hell, Krooks. And maybe send him there too while you're at it.
(With the Dark-Normal type distracted by the display of violence, Braixen uses this opportunity to try a sneak attack on him)
Braixen: Fire Punch! (Hits Obstagoon in the back with the attack causing him to double over in pain. She then takes out her stick and makes her way to the scuffle on the floor) Get off my man, asshole!
Obstagoon: (Grabs Braixen by the ankle before she goes far, trips her as a result, and pulls her back over to him) You really thought that attack would take me down? All it did was make me angrier! (Hits Braixen with Mega Punch) Stupid ass fox whore! (Hits her with Mega Punch again) You're a goddamn fox whore! (And again, afterwards he grabs Braixen by the ear and growls this into it…) Now be a good girl and watch your man die!
Braixen: (Weakly) You're gonna pay for this…I promise you!
Obstagoon: Shut up! (Punches her one more time, knocking her unconscious)
(As this altercation is going on, we briefly cut to Mr. O the Kommo-o running down the street as fast as he can towards Hamlin Towers)
Mr. O: Arceus, please don't let me be too late!
(Back to Draperade and Braixen's situation, Obstagoon looks upon the unconscious fire type while Draperade and Krookodile still battle it out)
Scrafty: (Returns from the bedroom with handfuls of jewelry) Got some jewels, Obby. They might not have a lot of that green stuff, but we can pawn some of this off to get some.
Obstagoon: Nice work, Scraft. (Opens his sack pack and Scrafty puts the jewels inside)
Scrafty: So how are things in here? (Looks down at Braixen) Seems like you did a real number on her.
Obstagoon: She'll be fine (Turns over to Draperade and Krookodile) But he won't be.
(Draperade and Krookodile continue fighting until)
Draperade: Night Slash! (Slashes Krookodile right in the snout, distracting him long enough for Draperade to kick the Dark-Ground type off of him)
Obstagoon: Damn it, Krooks, I thought you could handle it.
Krookodile: (Gets up) He's a slippery little devil, I'll give him that.
Scrafty: (Cracks his knuckles) Maybe we should lend you a hand?
Krookodile: Oh, I like the sound of that.
Draperade: (Gets up to face the three dark types) Listen you guys, I'm still willing to end this in a peaceful manner. Leave now, and there won't be any more problems. I don't want this situation to spiral anymore than it already has.
Krookodile: You might not want it to spiral…but we do!
Scrafty: Let's get him! (He charges forward with a Headbutt, but Draperade dodges out of the way causing him to get his head stuck in the wall)
Obstagoon: Mega Punch! (Throws a Mega Punch which Draperade catches before pushing him away)
Draperade: Poison Jab! (Comes at the Dark-Normal type with the attack but…)
Obstagoon: Obstruct! (Blocks the attack and since Poison Jab is a physical move, it lowers Draperade's defense. He feels a little bit weaker)
Draperade: Damn you! Pin Missile! (He fires the attack at Obstagoon who leaps over it and winds up behind him. Obstagoon tries to stay out of Draperade's line of vision for most of this battle, leaving Krookodile and Scrafty to deal with him)
Krookodile: Dragon Claw! (Charges at Draperade with Dragon Claw)
Draperade: (Dodges every slash Krookodile makes) X-Scissor! (Hits Krookodile in the belly with X-Scissor causing him to double over in pain)
Scrafty: (Gets his head unstuck from the wall and decides to flank him) Focus Punch!
(Draperade sees Scrafty coming from the corner of his eye and he dodges out of the way. While that was going on, Krookodile was preparing another attack)
Krookodile: Stone Edge! (Fires a series of stones at Draperade and he dodges them all, causing the stones to get lodged into the wall)
Draperade: (Takes some of the stones that were stuck in the wall and throws them back at Krookodile, dazing him for a bit)
Scrafty: Throat Chop! (Charges at Draperade with Throat Chop, but he dodges, grabs Scrafty by the arms and throws him into Krookodile.
(With the two dark types knocked on their asses, Draperade attempts to finish them with Pin Missile…but Obstagoon is still right behind him!)
Draperade: Pin Miss…
Obstagoon: Thunder Punch!
POW!
(Obstagoon hit Draperade in the back with Thunder Punch. And worse yet, he gets inflicted with the attack's paralysis effect making him unable to move. He falls to the floor, completely at the mercy of the Shadow Men)
Obstagoon: Now the fun really begins!
(Without hesitation, the three dark types begin their savage beatdown on Draperade. Obstagoon delivers some strong punches and kicks as well as a few slashes from Night Slash. Krookodile also kicks and slashes at the hybrid with Dragon Claw, but he also picks him up and slams him down on the floor and into the walls numerous times. The Dark-Ground type even went as far as using his tail to beat Draperade around. Scrafty kept hitting Draperade with Focus Punches and at one point even picked him up only to hit him with a Focus Blast at point-blank range! The three Shadow Men were having the time of their lives, laughing and cheering as they viciously beat their victim who was screaming in pain)
(At this point, Braixen, still badly beaten from her altercation with Obstagoon, was regaining consciousness. She awoke to the site of her boyfriend being badly beaten by the trio of dark type thugs. As she watched, she slowly started to get angry and a red aura started to slowly form around her. Her Blaze ability was kicking in)
(Meanwhile, Draperade is forced onto his knees as Scrafty grabs a hold of his left arm while Krookodile grabs a hold of his right, and Obstagoon stands in front of him with his claws bared, ready to finish him off. Draperade was beaten so bad that he could barely keep his eyes open)
Obstagoon: That was the most fun I've had all day. But unfortunately, it's like they always say, all good things must come to an end. (Looks down at Draperade) And with them…you. (Prepares one final Night Slash)
Braixen: (Witnesses Obstagoon prepare the killing blow as her red aura grows a bit more. The three dark types and Draperade are still unaware that she's conscious)
Obstagoon: When your girlfriend awakes you'll be long gone. Hmm, I can just hear her cries of despair now. It's music to my ears.
Braixen: (Gets even angrier)
Obstagoon: Night has fallen on your life, lover boy! (Raises his claws over his head) Say goodbye!
Draperade: (Shuts his eyes in anticipation for the end)
Braixen: (Growls in fury as her aura burns even brighter than before, catching the Shadow Men and Draperade's attention)
Scrafty: Now what's up?
Braixen: (Stands up as the red aura continues to envelop her) I told you assholes before, leave my man alone! (Takes out her fire stick which is completely engulfed in flames)
Draperade: (Weakly) Braixen…
(Krookodile and Scrafty push the hybrid aside as they, along with Obstagoon, look at the enraged Fire type)
Braixen: (Pointing her flaming fire stick at the trio) So boys, who wants to dance?
(Krookodile and Scrafty look more than ready to fight the Fire Type as they proceed to step forward)
Krookodile: We'll play with you, foxy!
Scrafty: Yeah, let's mambo!
Obstagoon: (Holds his arm out in front of them) No, Krooks, Scraft. This fox whore's mine! Return to base, you're both done here. I'll meet you there a little later.
Scrafty: Right.
(Krookodile and Scrafty make their way towards the exit, but Braixen isn't willing to let them leave so easily)
Braixen: You two aren't going anywhere! (Raises her stick as she prepares a Flamethrower attack at the fleeing Dark Types, but Obstagoon stands between her and them before she has a chance to fire it)
Obstagoon: Obstruct! (Blocks the Flamethrower, giving Krookodile and Scrafty enough time to get away. (Since Flamethrower is a Special Move, Braixen's defenses didn't lower when it hit the Obstruct))
Braixen: (Once the other two dark types are out of her line of vision) Damn it?
Obstagoon: Just you and me now, Phoxarri! Let's have some fun! Night Slash!
(Braixen dodges and quickly prepares a counter attack)
Braixen: Fire Punch! (Hits Obstagoon in the face, making him angry)
Obstagoon: (Prepares Mega Punch with his two hands) You bitch! (Charges at her)
Braixen: (Holds up her fire stick) Bring it!
(Obstagoon and Braixen clash, the latter treating her fire stick as if it were a sword. Every punch Obstagoon threw at the fire fox was blocked by her. Draperade could only watch in pain as his girlfriend fought the dark type thug to the bitter end. Braixen eventually pushes Obstagoon away and prepares another ranged attack)
Braixen: Shock Wave! (Fires a bolt of electricity at Obstagoon)
Obstagoon: Obstruct! (Blocks the attack again, rendering it ineffective) You can't touch me, you little fox whore! I'm too fast and my defenses can't be beat!
Braixen: We'll see about that, asshole!
Obstagoon: Make your move, foxy!
Braixen: Ladies first!
Obstagoon: Goddamn, you! (Charges at her with Mega Punch) Mega Punch!
Braixen: (Leaps over Obstagoon, dodging the attack, and she takes out her fire stick to retaliate) Flamethrower!
(She launches a stream of fire which hits Obstagoon, causing the Dark-Nomral type to scream in pain)
(Meanwhile, on the street corner where Weston Avenue begins, Kommo-o arrives. He looks across the street to see the Krookodile and Scrafty booking it)
Mr. O: That must be the Scrafty and Krookodile my delivery boy was talking about! But where's the Obstagoon? (He looks down Weston Avenue to see that Hamlin Towers isn't very far) Arceus, please let them be okay. (Continues running towards the apartment complex)
(Back at Braixen and Draperade's apartment, Obstagoon gets up from the Flamethrower and is glowing with a red hue, signifying that he's been inflicted with the burn status ailment)
Obstagoon: You've actually burned me! Not bad. Although, you've just made things harder for yourself (His eyes glow red too, showing that his Guts ability has kicked in as a result of the burn!)
Braixen: Your threats mean nothing to me! I'm going to show you what happens when you come into my home, steal my belongings, and perhaps worse of all, savagely attack my man! I'm going to make you pay for what you've done! Take this! (Charges at Obstagoon)
(Draperade watches as Braixen charges forward with her flaming fire stick as she prepares to take a swing at Obstagoon. He looks over at the Normal-Dark type to see him prepare a Night Slash attack, but since Obstagoon's Guts kicked in, his claws grew longer and wider in size and the hue surrounding said claws has become a dark purple instead of a light one)
Draperade: (Weakly) B-Braixen…stop!
(Too late, Braixen took a swing at Obstagoon with her flaming fire stick, he dodges it, counterattacks with his powered up Night Slash, and then…)
SLASH!
(Obstagoon's powered up Night Slash left a deep and fatal cut on Braixen's chest. Blood immediately starts gushing from it as the fire type's power dies down along with the fires on her stick. She drops her stick in horror as she gets down on her knees and looks at the sticky red fluids leaving her body and staining her fur. Draperade, having witnessed the savage attack, was speechless and on the verge of tears. Obstagoon meanwhile just walked up to the dying fire type, stepping on her stick and breaking it in half in the process, and looked at her)
Braixen: (Looking at her bloodstained fur and hands) Dammit…no…
Obstagoon: Sorry, whore (Braixen looks up at him in horror). Better luck next life!
(Obstagoon takes one small step back before…)
POW!
(He delivers a strong kick to Braixen's head, knocking her unconscious once again as blood continues to pour from her wound)
Draperade: NOOOOOOOO!
(Obstagoon turns in the direction of the hybrid's scream to see that despite being both beaten badly and suffering from paralysis ailment, he's crawling towards him as if wanting to fight some more. Draperade has tears of sorrow, fear, and anger welling in his eyes)
Draperade: Bastard! I'm going to kill you for this!
Obstagoon: Kill me? Kill me?! Bitch please, you can barely move. (Picks Draperade up by the head with his left hand) Why don't you do yourself a favor and take a load off! (He hits Draperade with Mega Punch and with that the hybrid finally gets knocked unconscious)
(With a savage battle over and his two victims unconscious, one of whom being on Death's door, Obstagoon just reached into his sack pack to pull out a Rawst Berry flavored energy drink and took a sip from it, healing his burn. After that he took a look around at the chaos he and his buddies inflicted upon the couple)
Obstagoon: Well ain't this a shame? It looks like I've killed the both of you after all. Oh well, let's get this over with.
(Obstagoon reaches into his sack pack to pull out one of the gloves that Alakalov and his Mind Flayers were seen working on earlier. He slips his glove on and it immediately starts to glow. He looks over at Draperade who was slowly regaining consciousness. His eyes opened to the site of Obstagoon and his glove towering over him)
Obstagoon: You first.
(The Dark-Normal type reaches for Draperade's chest, as if he was going to rip his heart out, but before any further damage could befall the hybrid, Obstagoon heard someone coming up the stairs from out in the hallway)
Mr. O: Draperade! Braixen! I'm coming!
Obstagoon: Hmph, lucky devil!
(Obstagoon gets up and heads towards the windows where he rips the curtains off, opens the one of the windows up and proceeds to escape by using the fire escape. But before he could get anywhere far, Draperade calls after the hoodlum)
Draperade: Wait, stop!
Obstagoon: (Turns back to face the hybrid) We won't be meeting again. (And with that, he makes his leave down the fire escape)
(Just as Obstagoon made his exit, Mr. O and the Golisopod door man entered the scene)
Golisopod: Oh no!
Mr. O: We're too late!
(The Kommo-o runs to the open window to see that Obstagoon has just fled from the scene)
Mr. O: Dammit he moves fast.
Golisopod: Mr. O, you might want to take a look at these two, (The Kommo-o looks to see Draperade and especially Braixen in bad shape).
Draperade: (Weakly) M-Mr. O…
Mr. O: It's going to be okay, Draperade. We're going to get you and Braixen to a hospital. Just hang in there.
(With Mr. O carrying Draperade and Golisopod carrying Braixen, they rush out of the apartment and take the two injured Pokémon to the nearest hospital. As he was being carried by Mr. O, Draperade was in so much pain that he blacked out)
(We cut to later that night when a news report airs on T.V)
Haxorus Hamilton: Good evening, Verge City, this is Haxorus Hamilton with some breaking news. Al Krowpone's gang of Shadow Men have struck again, this time in Hamlin Towers on Weston Avenue. (A picture of the apartment building is shown in the corner of the screen) They broke into the apartment belonging to Braixen Phoxarri and her boyfriend Draperade. The end result was the two Pokémon getting severely beaten and the dark types getting away. Just another reason why Verge City desperately needs a police force.
(Now Golisopod and Mr. O's faces are shown on the corner of the screen)
Haxorus Hamilton: Phoxarri and her boyfriend were found by Hamlin Towers' doorman, Golisopod, and owner of 'Mr. O's Noodle and Rice Emporium', Mr. O. The two Pokémon took the couple to St. Audie's Medical Center where they are currently being treated for their injuries.
(We cut to said hospital, more specifically, Draperade's room where he is seen laying in his bed covered in an assortment of casts, bandages, and stitches. Around his bed are the Golisopod door man, Mr. O, Mr. Gold, Ampharos, Floatzel, and Braixen's father Marco Phoxarri. Draperade wakes up to see all of his friends and the doctor surrounding him)
Floatzel: Morning, sleepyhead.
Mr. O: You really had us going for a minute.
Draperade: Huh? Where am I?
Mr. Gold: St. Audie's Medical Center, my boy.
Draperade: Really?
Mr. O: Yes. Golisopod and I found you and Braixen badly beaten in your apartment so we took you both here.
Draperade: Braixen?! Shit, where is Braixen?! Where's my girl?
Marco Phoxarri: She's in the ICU. That cut that that Obstagoon left her with put her in a bad way, and those blows to the head he gave her didn't do her any favors.
Draperade: Mr. Phoxarri, I'm so sorry. (Gets teary eyed) This is all my fault. I was the one who let them in. And I should've fought harder, then maybe we wouldn't be here right now.
Marco Phoxarri: Look, son, it's not your fault any of this happened. You can't control the things that monsters do. And I'm sure you fought against them as hard as you could, but they outnumbered you and easily overpowered you. It's not your fault that they play dirty.
Mr. O: Not only that but their Scrafty and my Scrafty look so much alike that when put in the same clothes anyone would get mixed up. Bottom line, the Shadow Men are completely to blame.
Draperade: I guess. I just wish the doctor would hurry up and tell me what's going on with Braixen.
Ampharos: We'll probably have to wait a while. Just about every doctor was super busy when we got here.
Marco Phoxarri: (Hands Draperade some Cheri Berry vitamins) Here, son, the doctor prescribed this to you for your paralysis.
Draperade: Thanks. (Opens the bottle and takes a pill)
(As the group waited for news on Braixen's health, they hear moans of pain coming from the hallway. Floatzel looked to find a Machamp with all four of his arms broken as a Chancey and Blissey was escorting him to the ER)
Floatzel: The hell happened to him?
Chancey: (Overhearing him) Poor thing got into a fight with a Garchomp after the latter tried to mug him. The damn dragon broke all of his arms and made off with his wallet. But don't worry, he should be fine. (Follows after the Blissey and Machamp)
Floatzel: (Heads back into Draperade's room) The damn crime rate is worsening by the minute.
(Everyone waited for another few minutes before Draperade's doctor, a Reuniclus, enters)
Draperade: Dr. Niclus!
Dr. Niclus: Oh, you're awake.
Draperade: What's the prognosis? How long do I have to stay in these casts? When can I go back to work?
Dr. Niclus: Well the good news is you can take those casts off in 6-8 weeks. You can go back to work then. Until then get plenty of rest and keep taking those Cheri Berry vitamins I prescribed to you.
Draperade: Thank you doctor. (Gets a little worried with his next question) But what about my girlfriend, Braixen? Is she alright?
(As everyone looks at Dr. Niclus for an answer, his face immediately drops, meaning he has some sad news to tell)
Dr. Niclus: That's actually why I came in here.
Draperade: How is she, doctor? Tell me!
Dr. Niclus: (After a moment of silence) I'm sorry, everyone. We did everything we could, but it wasn't enough. Her injuries were far too severe and she died a few minutes ago.
(This news saddened the whole group. Mr. Gold, Mr. O, Golisopod, Ampharos, and Floatzel were speechless. Marco Phoxarri just sat in the chair that was present, put his hands to his head, and began to quietly sob. Draperade was feeling the most intense emotions of all of them)
Draperade: (With tears in his eyes) B-Braixen…
(He gets a flashback of when they first met at the Thrifty Megamart)
Draperade: Dead…
(He gets another flashback of their first date)
Draperade: This can't be real…There's no way this is happening right now.
(He gets another flashback of them cuddling in bed, moments before the Shadow Men invaded)
Draperade: They took her away from me…they ruined my life.
(He gets one more flashback to Obstagoon slashing her with Night Slash)
Draperade: They killed her…She's dead!
(After letting his girlfriend's death fully sink in, Draperade lets out the loudest scream of anger and anguish that he possibly could. His scream echoed through the halls and could be heard outside the hospital)
(What follows is a montage of the next 6-8 weeks while Draperade heals)
(Moment #1: Braixen's funeral - In attendance for this moment is Draperade, Marco Phoxarri, Mr. O, Mr. Gold, Ampharos, Floatzel, other members of the Phoxarri Family, and Braixen and Marco's co-workers at Smucci. They all watched as Braixen's casket was lowered into the ground. Draperade had a blank expression on his face, trying to hold back his emotions)
(Moment #2: Marco Phoxarri, Mr. O, Mr. Gold, Ampharos, and Floatzel are seen in Draperade's apartment as they try and fix up the damages caused when the Shadow Men invaded. Marco is seen taking his daughter's taped up stick and mounting it on the wall in memory of her. Draperade, who is still in his casts, tries to get up and help his friends, but they insist that he sits on the couch and gets some rest)
(Moment #3: Marco Phoxarri is seen in his office at Smucci drowning his sorrows with a bottle of Bluk Berry Wine)
(Moment #4: Obstagoon, Krookodile, Scrafty, and Absol are seen hanging out at the local park, smoking some cigarettes and drinking beer, the former three not caring at all about what they've done)
(Moment #5: At the Thrifty Megamart, Ampharos and Floatzel are seen stocking the shelves when Draperade walks by on crutches. Marco Phoxarri is with him and he's helping him buy groceries. The Electric and Water Pokemon couldn't help but feel sorry for their friend as he went passed)
(Moment #6: Draperade is back at the apartment and he answers the door for Mr. O, who had just come by with a box full of Chinese Food. He hands it to the hybrid and leaves. Draperade sets the box down and looks through it to find a note that reads, 'Things will get better. If it means anything you and Braixen always were my favorite customers.')
(Final moment: The montage ends with the 6-8 week healing period ending and Draperade having his casts removed by Dr. Niclus. The doctor looks at Draperade to see that he was still hurting emotionally from the loss of Braixen)
(After the montage, Draperade is seen returning home where he sits down in front of the T.V, flipping channels before turning it off. He is seen grabbing Braixen's stick, his iPod, and a bottle of Electrike's Hard Lemonade before heading to the roof and laying down when he gets there)
Narrator!Draperade: Well now, I believe this is where you came in. I guess you know now why I am so depressed. My girlfriend was killed by the Shadow Men, and with no police force around they basically got off scott-free, and are likely doing the same thing to some other poor unfortunate soul.
(After taking a few sips of his beverage, Draperade walks over to the roof's edge and looks down at the street below. He closes his eyes and he looks ready to jump!)
Narrator!Draperade: At that moment I honestly felt like I couldn't go on. No girlfriend, no justice, no happiness. Everything was going wrong for me again and I wasn't sure what to do next. There was only one way out for me at that moment in time. 'It's real easy,' I thought, 'Just close your eyes and take one big step. Your suffering will end and you can be reunited with Braixen.'
(Just as Draperade was about to step forward, a light appeared behind him. He opens his eyes and turns around to find a human woman with long platinum blonde hair wearing a white dress. She had a wreath of roses around her head and she was carrying two staffs, one with an owl on top of it and one with an eagle on top. This woman's name is Leora)
Draperade: (To himself) A human? But they died out long ago? What's going on? (Outloud) Hey, who are you?
Leora: Taking your own life is such a foolish deed.
Draperade: That doesn't answer my question. Who are you and what are you doing here?
Leora: I'm merely someone who is making sure everyone throughout this multiverse with a pure heart or a strong will stays on their intended path. And you my dear boy were about to do the unthinkable and not only stray away from your path, but stray away from it in favor of one with a dead end.
Draperade: I don't know why you'd come to me. Based on some of the things I did in my past I wouldn't say my heart is pure, and you almost saw me jump off this building so I don't know what that says about my willpower.
Leora: Your will is stronger than you think it is, my dear boy. You've been through a lot of heartache as of late, but you mustn't let it consume you. Use that heartache to fuel you to do amazing things.
(Draperade looks at Leora quizzically)
Leora: I know this city is in disarray, and I know that it needs someone like you to set everything right with it. Use your heartache to wipe the slate clean so that this whole city can start anew.
Draperade: How do I do that?
Leora: The ones responsible for your misery, take care of them first.
Draperade: The Shadow Men.
Leora: Yes. Take them out now and everything else will happen naturally.
Draperade: How can I do that? Verge City doesn't have a police force.
Leora: If this city is without the law, then you must be the law. Take matters into your own hands and give these Shadow Men you speak of a reason to fear you.
Draperade: (Thinks for a minute) I think I get what you're saying, lady.
Leora: I think so too. Before I go, let me share a prophecy with you.
Draperade: Hmm?
Leora: (Her eyes begin to glow and her voice gets a reverb) Slay the dark fighters and you shall meet; some folks just like you who can't be beat. Join forces with them and you shall create; a city worth living in, free of hate.
Draperade: What does that mean?
Leora: That's for you to figure out, my boy. Never forget this moment. Farewell.
Draperade: Hey, wait!
(Too late. Leora had already disappeared before he could ask anything else. Draperade spent the next few moments pondering everything that had just happened. But before he could ponder any further, he heard a group of hoodlums laughing)
(He looked over the edge of the building to see a group of four consisting of a Raticate, a Dewott, a Weavile, and a Sableye running up to a parked car. The Dewott breaks the window and unlocks the car from the inside, allowing the four to get in. They hotwire it and the next thing they know, they drive off for a joyride)
Dewott: (Amidst the cheering of his three friends) Yee-haw!
(As Draperade stared at the joyriders driving away in disgust, he heard what sounded like a woman screaming. He ran to another side of the roof and looked down to see that a Lilligant had her purse stolen by an Electabuzz, who was running away with it. The Lilligant could do nothing but watch him run and cry. As the hybrid watches this display from the rooftop, he hears some of the words Leora say to him echo in his head)
Leora: I know this city is in disarray, and I know that it needs someone like you to set everything right with it.
Draperade: (Still thinking about what Leora had said) Slay the dark fighters.
(He thinks about Obstagoon, Krookodile, and Scrafty)
Draperade: I think I get it now. (He grabs his things and proceeds to go back to his apartment) Maybe Mr. Phoxarri was right. I might not be able to control the things that monsters do…but I can certainly punish them for the things they do.
(The moments where the Shadow Men beat Draperade up are played back. After that flashback, Draperade is seen entering his bedroom)
Draperade: Those three are going to pay out the nose for what they did. Both to me and Braixen.
(Another flashback shows Obstagoon kicking Braixen in the head after he slashed her chest. Once that's over, Draperade is seen in his bed looking up at the ceiling)
Draperade: And who knows? Maybe I'll take out Al Krowpone with them.
(An image of the Honchkrow in charge of the Shadow Men is shown before we cut back to Draperade in bed)
Draperade: One day real soon…their number is up. And this city will be a much nicer place with them gone!
(Draperade closes his eyes and goes to sleep as the episode comes to an end)
(Closing Credits: Alumina by Nightmare)
(Nagareru toki no naka matataku. Setsuna teki kirameki wo. Kono yo no kioku ni kizamu tame. Aruki tsuzukeru believer! (Instrumental))
(Draperade is at Braixen's grave site mourning her. Suddenly a hand is placed on his shoulder, he turns around to find Braixen! He runs to hug her, but she vanishes. He turns back around and finds Obstagoon, Krookodile, Scrafty, and Absol waiting for him. Draperade is enraged upon seeing them and charges up to them, looking for a fight)
(Dare ni mo mirenai yume wo mite. Iranai mono wa subete suteta. Yuzurenai omoi kono mune ni yadoshite)
(Other minor characters are seen in this part. Ampharos and Floatzel are seen stocking shelves at Thrifty Megamart with Mr. Gold watching. Haxorus Hamilton is seen in his dressing room, grooming himself and getting ready to go on the air again. Marco Phoxarri is seen at 'Mr. O's Noodle and Rice Emporium' sipping some tea and talking with the owner of the place, Mr. O)
(Mada riaru idearu no hazama ni ite. Gisei no kze ni ashi wo torarete mo. Afureru shoudou wo osae kirenai. Tsuyoku motomeru kokoro ga aru kara)
(Back at the graveyard, Draperade had just beaten the four Shadow Men as they are seen lying on the ground unconscious. But he turns around again to find the leaders of the Ten Gangs, Al Krowpone, Grenseppe Grecco, Eltonvire, Rimepoleon, Charles Noibergh, Anne Punny, Sceptakuma, Scizward the Awful, Nette Bundy, and Alakalov glaring at him, wanting a fight as well. Fortunately, the likes of Simitelle, Gallatowl, Blaziape, Arcadash, Lunarock and Solatone, Conkelperior, Cazumarill, Shifquerain, Venentula appear right beside them and they are ready to fight as well)
(Kirei goto wo tsukitoosu koto. Itsuka makoto e kawaru. Katakuna ni shinji tsuzuketai. It's just my faith, the absolute truth)
(Simitelle and Grenseppe are engaging in hand to hand combat and are evenly matched. Scizward keeps trying to hit Arcadash with Metal Claw, but the Arcanine-Rapidash hybrid is too fast for him and he hits the Bug-Steel type with Flamethrower. Venentula tries hitting Eltonvire with Bug Buzz, but he dodges, wraps her up in his tails and hits her with Thunderbolt. Gallatowl dodges a Wing Attack from Noibergh and he counters with Psycho Cut, but Noibergh dodges in the air and hits him with Boomburst. Nette dodges a Rock Wrecker from Conkelperior and then teases him about it, getting the Conkeldurr-Rhyperior hybrid angry)
(Nagareru toki no naka matataku. Setsuna teki kirameki wo. Kono yo no kioku ni kizamu tame. Aruki tsuzukeru believer!)
(Lunarock and Solatone are engaging in a Beam-O-War with Alakalov, his Psybeam vs Lunarock's Ice Beam and Solatone's Flamethrower. Cazumarill is dodging Sceptakuma's Leaf Blades before trapping him in Leaf Tornado. Blaziape is engaging Anne Punny in hand-to-hand combat, but when the Blaziken-Infernape hybrid misses a punch, Punny uses the opportunity to hit him hard with a High Jump Kick. Shifquerain is hitting Rimepoleon with her Leaf Blades, but he keeps blocking with his cane. Finally, Draperade is seen defeating Krowpone with Poison Jab)
(Closing instrumentals)
(After defeating Krowpone, Draperade looks to see Mayor Grimm standing right in front of him, looking at him with a sinister grin. Draperade glares back at the corrupt mayor. The two continue to stare at each other menacingly as the music comes to an end and the title 'Draperade: The Game of Gangs' appears in the sky)
