"... I'm very, very surprised," Croce said. "Ike and Drech are our two strongest Luxio. A very pleasant surprise to see them beaten."
Croce's Magnet Rise seemed to be deteriorating in strength; he was slowly falling toward the Earth again, and Chuseph stepped back to avoid this landing occuring right on top of him.
"Pleasant?" Chuseph asked.
"All the more pleasure comes from killing a strong opponent!"
Croce, not even a second after saying this, descended. He hit the ground with a soft thud, and rushed toward Chuseph, flying at the speed of a bullet train.
It was inevitable for Chuseph to be hit. He couldn't possibly have predicted the Luxray's speed, as it was far beyond the speed one would expect for such a slow Pokemon. The force of Croce's hit knocked the wind out of him, sending him flying backward. He was lucky, though, as he managed to snag an odd green rock firmly anchored to the ground, and this stopped him from being sent any further.
"You pitiful rat! Haha! I'll eat like a king tonight!"
Chuseph leaped off the rock and stood there for a few seconds, pondering his next move. He had an array of attacks at his disposal, but he couldn't think of any that would do much to damage the tough hide he had just felt.
"Really, Croce? I'm sure you will. What'll you be having?" he asked.
"You, you stupid thing!"
"For some odd reason, I really do doubt that."
"You'll see, rat!" Croce roared, before lunging forth again. This time, it was done with a little less speed, leaving Chuseph the time to run to the side and dodge.
Croce skidded to a halt and turned toward Chuseph, his tail wagging behind him fiercely. Suddenly, he was enveloped in a bright yellow aura. Pulsations of electricity crackled from it, striking nearby objects, charring them black.
"That's the Boss's Charge!" that helpful voice in the crowd said in awe. "Wowsa, I'd never thought I'd seen him be so desperate!"
Chuseph recognized the attack name. It powered up certain electricity-based moves. Quick on his feet, Chuseph lunged toward that odd green rock and pulling it out of the ground with his good arm. He held it in front of him, waving it. He decided: he would use it as a weapon.
"Wait, Boss, don't-"
But it was too late. Croce dashed forward with that electrical aura spinning wildly around him. He slammed headfirst into Chuseph's Rock-shield, and it snapped right in two. Chuseph was sent tumbling back again, this time flat onto his backside. The world around him was dazed. Blackening.
But soon, his world went light.
"What the hell? What idiot let a Pikachu in the arena with a Thunderstone nearby?" Croce roared.
"... You, boss," the attack-naming voice called out.
"SHUT UP!"
"Yes, boss! I mean- y-..."
Chuseph hit the ground with a soft thud, but found himself able to stand up very easy. "... You call that a hit?"
Croce scowled. "Just because you've evolved into a Raichu doesn't mean anything!"
"I'm... wait, what?" Chuseph exclaimed, taking his arm and lifting it up in front of his face. It was an odd shade of orange now, more stub-like but also full of muscle. He looked down to examine his body: his stomach was a circle of tan in the midst of the orange, and his gut was more defined, muscle poking out (but also mixed in with some fat; he supposed it was a biological protection thing), his feet now tipped in black.
Chuseph clashed his fists together. "Let's get ready to rumble, Bossman! I FEEL GOOD!"
Croce let loose a feral roar and darted toward Chuseph. Chuseph danced aside, dodging the attack and catching Croce by the neck. He exerted a thin pressure, and watched as Croce crumbled to his feet.
"... Ow!" Croce said. "That hurt! Damn it, you motherfriggin' RAT!"
Croce leaped up to his feet again and lunged toward Chuseph. He managed to connect, electrically charged teeth grazing Chuseph's good arm - leaving both of them injured, one a little more so than the other. The wound on his previously good arm crackled.
Perhaps that was what gave Chuseph the idea of the move he would use to finish off Croce.
"You actually got a shot in!" Chuseph said. "Not half bad. But..."
Chuseph fell forward onto his arms, sending forth a surge of pain. He ignored it.
"Let's see how well you fare against my most powerful move!"
Chuseph lunged forward, his new body suddenly enveloped in a crackling aura of electrical power. Croce followed this pattern, amazingly enough: he too was surrounded by a less intense aura, and the two of them met halfway, tackling each other with force beyond what the two of them could handle.
Chuseph felt a searing pain rush through his body: he had been hit with extreme force, and returned it with equal intensity, and so he knew a few ribs were broken. His arm bones snapped. He was sent flying backward and skidded uselessly.
The last thing he heard before consciousness slipped away from him was a short conversation.
"Boss! BOSS! You bastard, you'd done beat Boss! I'll kill ya myself!"
Croce's voice.
"... Don't ... touch him ..."
"But Boss, he's-"
"I.. said... don't... touch.. him... nurse.. him..."
"... Why, boss?"
"... He is ... a mighty ... mighty warrior ... worthy of the title ... of Luxray ..."
"Oy," Gardenia said. "Looks like yer finally awake again, huh?"
Mana blinked, throwing the blurred world that she saw aside, trying to make it a clearer image. She paused for a few moments before speaking. "Yeah. Any luck finding Volkner?"
"Unfortunately not," Gardenia replied.
Mana sighed. "Then why are you here?"
Gardenia looked at her for a few moments. "It's night time, gal. It's nice to see ya worried so much, but no one can search durin' the dead of night."
Chuseph slowly regained consciousness, looking up at the ceiling of the cave: he didn't see it. Instead, he saw a bright blue light, mixed in with a shade of black.
"... Looks like I have friends in high places," Chuseph muttered.
The light was the skin and fur of Croce. Chuseph recognized it immediately. It was his Magnet Rise skill.
"You're awake. Don't try to move: we have a small search party out for some Sitrus and Cheri berries. Once we find those, you should be able to search for your human. But take it easy," he said.
"...I'm still in one piece, right?" Chuseph asked.
"Yes. We didn't eat any of you. Despite how... tempting it is, now that you're a bit more plump."
...Hope those berries get here soon, Chuseph thought.
And they did. It only took a few more minutes for a small troupe of Luxio to come in with small branches full of berries carried in their mouths.
Chuseph ate them eagerly. He felt his strength return: wounds mended inside of him and outside. He had the strength to sit up.
"... Good," Croce said. "Now then. Meet us at the front of the cave when you feel you're prepared to leave. Take anything you'd like that we've got."
Chuseph shook his head. "No, I'm fine..."
"... Then come with us."
The group headed toward the front of the cave. The trek was barely able to be considered one, taking a grand total of ten minutes.
"Well then, Chuseph," Croce said. "You'll leave here with three things: The pride of knowing you are considered a warrior among warriors, the satisfaction an evolution, and a search party of three, yourself included; Ike, Drech, step forward."
Ike and Drech stepped forward from the crowd, eagerly nodding toward Chuseph, their tails dragging along behind them. Chuseph nodded in response, and leaned forward on his previously broken arms.
"Thanks, Croce," Chuseph said with a smile. "Now then: Let's go, boys!"
The three of them dashed off into the forest, and Chuseph felt a spark of hope.
"Release him," the voice said. "If you want your cut."
"...Why him? He owes me something," the other voice, thicker, responded.
"It's that or no deal. I've got all the money you'll ever need - don't be stupid enough to ignore the opportunity."
"...Give me time to think on it."
"Fine. You have a couple days. If me and my associate come back to this place and he is here and not in a hospital, forget it. Don't be stupid."
Saturn smiled, as the two walked away. He was surprised to see the other boy who had been there; the hostage. It was a refreshing thing though, as, when Captain Giggles walked away, Saturn unhooked the gun from his belt...
... and felt a crashing pain in his stomach. He released the gun reflexively, and dropped to his knees.
"Don't act like you don't remember me, Saturn," Cyrus muttered, watching as his Murkrow came back over to his side. "And don't even think about hurting me. I'll bring the proof of my wealth next time... remember: don't be stupid."
Mars giggled. "Rather stupid in the first place, isn't he?"
"Quite."
The two walked away, and Saturn scowled, slowly pulling himself to his feet. "...You better not be lying, Giggles."
"It's Cyrus."
"...Cyrus."