Normal POV
"What have you done, you fake pokemon?!"
Walcotts' accusation came after a horrific wail escaped the S03 following a fiery blow from the half-breed it was shaped after. The wound inflicted on its shoulder moments ago was not healing or having new skin regenerate over the exposed body part, which was now oozing with the mysterious Crimson Agate which comprised its entire system.
The blood that was hit by Michaels' mega-charged Fire Punch began to boil and quiver chaotically, as though it was experiencing the same pain it's owner was experiencing. Those gathered, the ones who still had a close enough view of the fighting, reeled back in disgust as the blood tried reshaping into a mass of matter. Without the S03 to circulate the corrupted substance and, paired with the devastating blow from the half-breed, with no other place to go the writhing mass of crimson dispersed with a disgusting 'PLUP'
The open wound on the S03's shoulder was not healing, causing a satisfied smirk to form on Michaels' lips while Walcott, for the first time that day, had the look of a man seeing the writing on the wall. As if to accentuate this point Michael dashed forward and connected with another powerful Fire Punch on the open wound of the S03, causing another shriek to leave the corrupted pokemon. With his twisted counterpart down on one knee Michael began following Jessicas' psychic energy more closely.
The S02 was left completely open to Jessicas' attacks due to the sacrificial link it had with the S03. With no improvement being shown the corrupted Gardevoir was forced to keep its offensive capabilities sealed so it could direct more power to the S03, which was losing that power as fast as it was receiving it. As a result of this Jessica was able to finally put more focus on fighting rather than bolstering her beloveds' combat abilities.
Jessica, while not familiar with any sort of Fire-type attacks, used her exceptional psychic powers, now boosted thanks to her Mega-Evolved state, to decimate the S02 and its master, who was hiding behind the corrupted Gardevoir.
"Do something, you worthless husk!"
The S02, not having the emotions of a pokemon or the ability to process them, merely groaned as Jessicas' Psywave attack pierced through its body and inflicted massive damage to both it and Walcott.
The S03, seeing its master being hurt in battle, suddenly became enraged and shot towards Jessica, who had her back turned to the corrupted Gallade.
Time seemed to move in slow motion as Jessicas' psychic link with Michael alerted her to the incoming threat. Without even missing a beat she shimmied to the right just as the S03 was about to connect with a Poison Jab attack. As the attack sailed by, along with the corrupted Gallade, the half-breed known as Michael narrowed his emerald green eyes in anger that anyone would dare attack his beloved from behind.
Michael leaned in with his left knee and applied as much force as he could with his right foot to vault forward and shoulder-tackle the S03 away from Jessica. The two Gallade came to a rolling stop just behind Walcott, who was cowering behind the S02 in an attempt to shield himself from Jessicas super-charged psychic attacks.
"This...this can't be happening..."
Walcotts quivering voice was like music to everyone's ears, those close enough to hear him, those icy blue eyes going wide with primal fear as Jessica prepared another powerful Psywave attack. Moments before the attack left Jessicas hands a psychic link was forced into Walcotts mind.
Walcott was standing alone before a massive gathering of people and pokemon of all different types. Above him there were Dragon-types and flying-types circling him like buzzards would a carcass. As his eyes came back to ground-level he was met by a pair of vengeful emerald green eyes as well as a pair of amber ones.
As those eyes bore a hole deep into his soul Walcott could make out the forms of Blade, Amber, Ash, Pikachu, Latias and a slew of others close to the Kanto Champion and the half-breed. There was one figure that Walcott did not recognize, it was being held tightly to Jessicas' chest while avoiding the spike.
"You...bad...man..."
The voice that spoke to Walcott held so much innocence that it disgusted him, clearly this was the third child of the half-breed and Jessica. Unlike a normal pokemon, however, it had a human body with eyes a deep emerald. A small amber-colored spike was sticking out from the top of its scalp, indicating it to be a half-breed like its father.
"What...what is the meaning of this?"
Before Walcott could contemplate his situation any further the Dragon-types circling over him suddenly made a dive at him. At the same time Pikachu and Latias unleashed a powerful Thunderbolt and Psychic attack respectively.
As the two elemental attacks neared Walcott another vision filled his mind, this one even more nerve-wracking than the previous one.
He was standing before the Alpha Pokemon, Arceus.
The four-legged creator of all pokemon glared at the much smaller Walcott with both disdain and sorrow, neither of which could be discerned by the confused and enraged Walcott. As Walcott went to stand up he was forced back down by an unseen force, realizing it must have been a Gravity attack by Arceus due to how heavy his body felt.
"You are many things in this world, human...but you are certainly not a friend of my children or a friend of mine..."
Arceus' words were as heavy as steel and could have pierced ones own mind if he so chose. Walcott, in spite of this, was still trying to get back up to defy the god of all pokemon but never made it more than a few inches off the ground before Arceus forced him back down harshly.
"You have slaughtered many of my children and caused many more to suffer unspeakable pain and agony...all for the sake of what you call 'research'" Arceus dipped his head low until he was eye level with Walcott and, with a feral grunt, lifted his right foreleg menacingly. "Tell me why I should not end your life right here and now, human..."
Walcott struggled to move, let alone breathe while in the presence of Arceus. Only the most determined of efforts allowed him to say what was on his mind.
"Fuck...you...!"
As the words left Walcotts' lips the vision shifted to one of complete darkness. Not a sound could be heard, not the wind, the chirping of birds, even his own heartbeat failed to produce a sound while in this darkness.
Walcott, noticing that Arceus' Gravity spell had expired, made to stand up as he began to contemplate his new surroundings. The incredible Pressure of the Alpha pokemon was gone, replaced by an overwhelmingly sense of foreboding within the enveloping darkness. The moment Walcott registered this change he began to pick up different sounds.
The first sound Walcott heard was laughter, strong laughter at that.
Distress filled the P.A.I.R. leaders heart as the laughter became more profound, closing in on him at an agonizingly slow pace until Walcott could practically feel something breathing on the back of his neck. With a startled yelp Walcott swung with his left arm at whatever was behind him but encountered only empty air, the laughter not lessening in the slightest.
The P.A.I.R. leader began to grind his teeth in frustration as another voice joined in the laughter, followed by another and another until it was all that Walcott could hear. Sweat began dripping down his face and his heart-rate escalated until it was at nearly one-hundred and fifty beats a minute. Panic began to overtake Walcott as hallucinations plagued his vision.
In front of the P.A.I.R. leader was an over-sized Gengar with teeth so sharp they could have chewed through a Steelix and not lose their edge. It's eyes were blazing with rage, yet it had the visage of something that was going to torture its victim.
Walcott tried to speak but he found his mouth had been sealed shut by some unknown force. If fear hadnt begun to cloud his mind it most certainly did now.
The panicked leader of P.A.I.R. tried grabbing for his face and noticed his hands were not there. A quick glance at the Gengar revealed he had somehow taken his hands clean off the bone without even so much as a sound, aside from the maniacal laughter it created.
Shaking his head vigorously to try and escape this horrific vision Walcott partially achieved this goal. He escaped the vision only to be back in the real world with an enraged Gallade holding him by the neck with his arm blade a hairs breadth from decapitating him.
"Go on, half-breed...this is...what you wanted, right?"
Michael stood there, emerald green eyes ablaze with fury.
"To think that the notorious P.A.I.R. leader, Sir Preston "Blaze" Walcott, had a fear of Ghost-type pokemon..."
Michael would have laughed but he had much more on his mind than some quick humor; he was holding the man who upset the balance of not just his life but the lives of innumerable pokemon around the world by the neck.
Michaels POV
He was right there in my grasp; the man who single-handedly changed my life, as well as the life of my beloved, our children, the entire Kanto region. Too many lives had been sacrificed all in the name of this bastards idea of research, too many innocents had shed their blood needlessly because of this man.
It would be so easy, oh so very easy to cleave through this mans skull and bash his brains into countless bits and pieces. It would be so easy to slice through his neck and watch his lifeless eyes stop moving. It would be even easier to give this man an agonizingly slow and painful death, much like that guy who worked for him learned that night Jessi was captured.
This man had used vile tools and performed hideous experiments on my beloved before turning her against me. Were it not for the bond we share I have no doubt I would never see her again except as an afterthought. My beloved was turned into that...thing. This world would be so much better off without the likes of this man...no, this thing isn't even good enough to be categorized as a human being...so, why...
'Why can't I do it? Why cant I end this bastards life? Nobody would blame me or think less of me for doing it. Why, of all times, does the human side of me want to leave this fool alive?!'
I fought with my innermost self, trying to sort the countless emotions swirling through my weary brain. What Walcott had been exposed to made me smile inwardly, even if it was just an illusion created from his fears.
While only seconds had passed out here, Jessi had locked Walcott in a nightmare that would have felt like hours. In the time he was indisposed of I was able to shatter the chest spike of the S03, thanks in no small part to my discovery that fire was its greatest weakness.
It wasn't a typing clash, a Gallade wouldnt be weak to fire, but common knowledge about all living things. If you expose open wounds, specifically blood-soaked wounds, to open flame it causes the blood to boil, causing a chain reaction throughout the entire body. Seeing as how both the S02 and S03 were made out of that Crimson Agate stuff, I figured the same theory would apply to them as well.
Thank Arceus I was not wrong in this assumption.
I wanted to make this fool suffer as I have...as my beloved had...as Blade, Amber, Ash, Latias and everyone else who have been forced into this sick game of his have suffered. That isn't even counting those who died because of him.
'Professor Langston...'
Fresh tears welled up from my eyes as my right arm blade, the one I was keeping Walcott suspended with, tightened its hold around his neck.
Professor Langston had such a bright future ahead of him. He was advanced beyond his years and was one of the most intelligent human beings I had ever been fortunate enough to come across. He was the only person to have successfully cracked the code behind the Pokerus virus and had even immunized himself to it. It was a discovery that would have sent the worldwide media into a frenzy of questions and, undoubtedly, led to personal revelations of human and pokemon bonding.
Such a turn of events would undoubtedly have its fair share of critics, but something as sacred as the bond between a trainer and their pokemon is not something to trample on. There is no justification for trying to end that sacred bond just because this bastard had an unfortunate early life! This person took his pain and misery and tried to make everyone else feel it too.
Professor Langstons research was destroyed, as was the cure for the pokerus virus. His wife was tossed down a storm drain like a piece of trash and his home burned to the ground. His pokemon were released from their pokeballs and then killed because of this bastard. This fool put me against my beloved and tried to take Blads and Ambers mother from them...
I subconsciously tightened my hold on Walcotts neck.
"...You have committed so many unforgivable sins, Walcott..."
I could feel a wad of spit land between my eyes, my vision turning red as I extended my left arm blade to its maximum length.
"Then...kill me...half-breed...or are...those balls...only good...for creating trash...?"
He was baiting me, that much was obvious. I had every right to crush this fools throat and let death take him quickly...and yet...
"...Knew it...you're all...talk...you can't...even...kill...me...after your...bitch-
I tossed Walcott to the ground and drove both of my arm blades into his legs until they came out the other side. Before he could even utter a whimper I headbutted him, undoubtedly breaking his nose. I kept the blades where they were; lodged deep inside before pushing them all the way through. The sound of my arm blades hitting the hard-packed ground were a mere consolation prize to me, though.
I wanted to take his life...yet that would make me just like Walcott.
"I am not like you, nor will I ever become like you! If I kill you here and now I would be a murderer just like you!"
I pulled my arm blades out only when I saw Ash and Gary approach me. Walcott would never be able to walk again; that much I made sure of. The fate he would suffer at the hands of the world, however, would make him wish I had killed him.
"No, instead, I will let you see what it is like to be tossed around the judicial system and then have the entire world witness the horrors you've committed! When they see all of the pokemon you've tortured and killed...when they learn of your ties to Professor Langstons death..."
I turned around and, after gesturing for Misty to have her Lapras wash my arm blades clean of the blood on them, finished my thoughts.
"...You will beg for death to come but you will not be given it!"
With that I finally let my mind ease and allowed my body to relax. The Mega Evolution, having done its job, relinquished its hold on me and I took on the form of my usual self.
I could, at long last, take a breath of air in without needing to hold it for fear of a surprise attack. I could finally hear my own heart beating within my chest spike and it was a much less labored beat. I could finally look at the devastation the battle had caused...
A part of me wished I could've acted quicker.
Viridian Forest was nothing but a charred husk of twigs and dead trees. Any pokemon that had been there were undoubtedly killed when Moltres went on its destructive corruption-fueled rampage. It would take many many years for the forest to return to its former glory; it will never come back in spirit, however.
The Viridian City Gym was destroyed; only the front marble stairwell even signified that a gym used to be there. Rebuilding it would be cost-heavy, no doubt. I am certain that charities and the good people of this world will offer their assistance once they learn the details surrounding its fall.
Numerous Agents and one Shadow had been killed in the chaos that the battle created. Ironic it was that the very person who captured my beloved ended up being the one to save her life fe before losing her own. I gazed at the lifeless eyes of Shadow Yule and paid a quiet bid of respect for her sacrifice.
A bright light shone behind me and, immediately after its disappearance, I felt a pair of soft hands drape around my neck and caress my chest spike.
"It's finally over...my beloved..."
I reached back with my hand and carefully laced my fingers with my beloveds own.
"Yeah...it's all over, Jessi..."
I knew not what the future would hold for me, Jessi, Blade, Amber and our soon-to-be new arrival. Surely there would be those who, for whatever reason, decide to blame me and the others for spreading the corruption. While I have no doubt that they will be heard soon enough, the vast majority would see our actions as ones that were ultimately necessary for the betterment of human and pokemonkind alike.
I felt a pair of hands grab my own free one while another pair pulled at my leg. Blade was looking into my eyes, his emerald green shining with an intensity I never noticed until now. Amber, still as adorable as ever as a Ralts, was tugging on my right leg in an effort to get my attention.
Smiling at my daughter I let go of Jessi's hands long enough to pick Amber up and hoist her on my left shoulder. Once I knew she was secured I quickly sought my beloveds fingers again.
The dying shade of twilight cast a somber glare over the devastated area. I knew it would be a long and grueling recovery for Viridian City and its citizens. Those who lost their lives would be honored and ceremonies would undoubtedly be held due to the Kanto Champions involvement in dispelling the chaos. In the end all I really wished for was the spotlight to stay off of me so I could get back to what was truly vital in my eyes:
The power to protect what is most important to me.
This chapter ends the Hell Pokemon Arc. I hope everyone has enjoyed reading this story as much as I enjoyed making it.
A special shout-out to CR0553, Tesler, Mockstevenh and so many others for taking the time to give their input and offer suggestions on making my story better.
Before I close the book on this story I'm also going to do a final looking over to make sure I've removed as many errors as possible.
See you all soon! Again, thank you ALL for taking the time to read this!
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