A Dragon's Tail
Tail 2: Zetarus' Tail – Ambivalence
Tail 2-3: True Intention
Zetarus quickly turned back to the owner of that voice and saw several mercenaries who were standing near the board of outlaws. But… Their attentions weren't at him. Their attentions were at a Pokemon who had just entered this tavern. That Pokemon was...a Charizard.
"…So what?" That Charizard spoke when he saw that the attention of everyone in this tavern, especially the mercenaries, was at him.
"Yes, you are!" A Krookodile mercenary said and showed the Charizard an outlaw poster with the Charizard's face on it. "A Charizard who tried to assassinate Prince Apollo and Regent Orion of Fireview Kingdom… It must be you!"
"…And what if that was me?" The Charizard asked.
"You speak as if you don't know, punk!" A Rhydon mercenary spoke.
"Ha!" A Gliscor mercenary spoke up after looking at the outlaw poster with Charizard's face. "The bounty on your head is extreme! If we capture you, it would be sure that we would live like kings for the rest of our life!"
"…Really?" Charizard said before he drew out his weapon, which looked like a spear. "Then I will send you to hell!"
Five mercenaries surrounded the Charizard. They were a Rhydon, a Krookodile, a Gliscor, an Excadrill and a Golem.
"Give up, Charizard." Excadrill spoke up. "You can't with against five of us, especially when some of us have a type advantage over you."
"…Will you SHUT THE FXXK UP WITH YOUR WORDS!" The Charizard roared and breathed his flame at the Excadrill.
"YAHH!" Krookodile and Gliscor used the chance when Charizard used the Flamethrower at the Excadrill to attack him! But the Charizard used his weapon to stab the Krookodile before flinging him at the Gliscor, making the Krookodile land on the Gliscor and both fell onto the floor! He even did this while he still used a Flamethrower at the Excadrill!
"Y…You…" Kroododile said as he stood up after being flung at the Gliscor. "You will pay for this! GRARAR!"
Krookodile charged at the Charizard, trying to attack him with Crunch, but Charizard jumped and used his weight to stab the Krookodile's head! Then he flung the Krookodile at the Gliscor, making both of them hit the wall! The Charizard then grabbed the Excadrill and flung him at the Krookodile and the Gliscor too. This made Excadrill, Krookodile and Gliscor fainted.
"Rollout!"
Using the chance that Charizard's attention was at Krookodile, Gliscor and Excadrill, Golem used the move Rollout at him! But Charizard did nothing more than dodging the attack. Because Golem rolled at a fast speed and the tavern was small, Golem couldn't stop his attack and hit the unconscious Krookodile, Gliscor and Excadrill instead!
Charizard then turned his attention to the last mercenary, a Rhydon. The Rhydon then rammed at him, but Charizard could dodge it, making him hit the wall instead!
"Y…You!" Rhydon was about to turn his face from the wall to the Charizard when he realized that the Charizard was standing behind him, with something in his paw…
"Take this!" Charizard roared and smashed something in his paw at Rhydon's eyes!
"ARRRRGGGRR!" Rhydon covered his eyes with his paws as his eyes were burned by the thing that Charizard smashed at his eyes!
"Do you like a Spelon Berry I feed to your eyes?" Charizard spoke brutally as the Rhydon suffered. "If not, then… HOPE YOU LIKE HELL!"
Charizard stabbed his weapon at Rhydon's abdomen and shoved it up to his chest!
"GRRRRARARA!" Rhydon roared before collapsing on the floor. Charizard then kicked it to the other four unconscious mercenaries.
"Whew…" Charizard wiped his sweat and walked up to where five unconscious mercenaries were. He then took their bag of PokeCoin before going to the counter. Right now, there were only three conscious Pokemon left in this bar; a bartender, a Charizard and a Garchomp.
"One bottle of Pecha Rum." Charizard ordered. The bartender quickly got it for the Charizard.
"Here." Charizard placed a bag of PokeCoin he got from the mercenaries. "This is for Pecha Rum and cleaning. And why don't you call it a day right now?"
Upon hearing the Charizard's words, the bartender grabbed the bag of PokeCoin Charizard gave him and quickly left this tavern.
"Hm!" Charizard poured one quarter Pecha Rum from its bottle into his throat and let out a small burst of flame. He walked up to where five unconscious mercenaries were before pouring the rest Pecha Rum onto their bodies. And…
"…Ember."
Charizard spit a little ember at the mercenaries! With the Pecha Rum that covered their bodies, the ember quickly became a blazing flame that burned their bodies!
"Ah…" Charizard mumbled as he saw the flame burning five Pokemon's bodies. "The smell of burning flesh… If only…" Then Charizard left the tavern.
"…" Zetarus looked at the burning bodies of five Pokemon. Then he left the tavern and followed the Charizard.
"…What do you want, mxxxxxxxxxxr?" Charizard asked as he left the town and noticed that a Garchomp from the tavern had followed him.
"I was in that tavern with you." Zetarus said. "And when I saw you battle, I think that…perhaps you could help me."
"Fxxk off." Charizard said. "Why should I help a bastard like you?"
"And why shouldn't you?" Zetarus asked.
"You little son of a—" Charizard cursed. "I am a wanted criminal from Fireview Kingdom, if you fxxxxr forget what those mercenaries said."
"Yes, I forgot." Zetarus said. "I forgot to tell you that I am in the same status as you, but I am from Dustorm Empire instead."
"Really?" Charizard looked at Zetarus. "Still, I don't help a weakling."
"Then, want to go on a hunt?" Zetarus asked, making the Charizard a bit surprised.
"What?!" Charizard said.
"You don't seem satisfied with a hunt at that tavern." Zetarus said. "And if we go on a hunt together, you could also see my power too."
"…Fine." Charizard said. "But you know what will happen if I found that you are such a loser."
"Don't worry." Zetarus said. "It won't happen."
"Then, hurry up." Charizard said. "Before I fxxxxxg burn you down right here."
A Garchomp and a Charizard stopped in front of a cave guarded by two sleepy bandits. This cave was a lair of 'The Mirage Dust', an infamous group of bandits that had raided several villages and killed many merchants that traveled across the Dustorm Desert. Many mercenaries were sent here to subdue them, but none had ever returned from here alive.
"Here we are." Zetarus spoke up as he and the Charizard were hiding behind a rock to avoid letting the bandits see them.
"How do you know about this place?" Charizard asked.
"They often came to where I was imprisoned and 'bought' some prisoners from guards." Zetarus answered with a voice that showed a disgusting feeling towards them.
"Then, let's go." Charizard said.
Zetarus and Charizard appeared from where they were hiding and dashed up to the bandits. Because those bandits who guarded the entrance of their lair were sleepy, they didn't notice what had happened until they were opened fire by a Garchomp and a Charizard! The next thing that happened was those guards were now 'sleeping peacefully' on the ground.
"That's fxxxxxg easy." Charizard said.
"So, shall we continue our hunt?" Zetarus said. Then both of them entered the lair of The Mirage Dust.
The 'hunt' of a Charizard and a Garchomp went out smoothly as none of The Mirage Dust bandits could stand a chance against them. They all fell to Charizard's burning flame and Garchomp's bullets.
"Whew!" Charizard said after he burned the last bandit down to ash. "They are such fxxxxxg weaklings. But… At least you aren't weak like them, Garchomp. I must say that I am… quite impressed by your skill with that pistol."
"You too, Charizard." Zetarus said. "You are very skilled with your spear."
"Fxxk it, Garchomp." Charizard said and showed his weapon to Zetarus. As he saw it at a close range, Zetarus noticed that Charizard's weapon wasn't a spear. "Drive it into your axxxxxe brain if you still have it that my weapon is a Naginata."
"Nagi…What?" Zetarus said.
"NAGINATA, you axxxxxxn!" Charizard roared.
"Whatever…" Zetarus mumbled. "Now the only thing left is… their boss. Actually, when you finish him, do not kill him."
"Why?" Charizard asked.
"I have a bad memory with him. So, let me take care of him. Don't worry about this. You will love what punishment I have for that axxxxxe." Zetarus said.
"Fine." Charizard said. "But where is that bastard?"
"I don't know." Zetarus said. "But I think I have a good idea about this."
Zetarus led the Charizard to the deepest part of this cave. In front of both of them was a big steel door.
"That fxxxxxr must be behind this door." Zetarus said.
"And how the fxxk could we open it?" Charizard asked.
Zetarus didn't answer Charizard's question. Instead, he just kicked the door with his foot and the door opened!
"What the…" Charizard mumbled as he and Zetarus entered the room.
"As I thought." Zetarus said. "This fxxxxr had his mind on something else."
There were three Pokemon in this room. Two of them were female Pokemon that cuddled the last one, which was a male Rhyperior.
"BANG!"
"What?!" Rhyperior turned his attention from those female Pokemon to the source of the sound, which is Zetarus' Raider Pistol. The other two female Pokemon, however, seemed to be unaware of a sound of gunshot.
"Hi there." Zetarus said.
"Y…YOU?!" Rhyperior said and stood up. "W…Wait a minute… Y…You are that fxxxxr from Desert Prison. H…How could you have come here?!"
"That doesn't matter." Zetarus said. "Let's just say that I came here to give back the pain you gave me while I was at Desert Prison."
"Do you think you can do it?!" Rhyperior said and charged at Zetarus and Charizard, but both of them dodged the attack easily, making the Rhyperior hit the steel door instead!
"Ouch!" Rhyperior covered his head with his paw.
"Charizard." Zetarus turned his attention to the Charizard. "While I fought him, take care of his bxxxxxs."
"…Fine." Charizard said and walked up to the two female Pokemon, who still seemed to be unaware of what's happening right now.
Zetarus turned his attention to the Rhyperior, who had now recovered from hitting the door. "Y…You will pay for this! RRRAGAG!"
Rhyperior summoned a giant rock and then threw it at the Garchomp, attacked him with the move Rock Wrecker! But just before the rock hit the Garchomp, Zetarus disappeared into the ground!
"Hey! Show your face, coward!" Rhyperior said.
"Right here!" Zetarus's voice came from behind the Rhyperior! The Rhyperior quickly turned back and saw Zetarus in midair, pointing his pistol at him!
"Take this!" Zetarus barraged the Rhyperior with a rain of bullets fired from his pistol!
"Y…You!" Rhyperior roared as he used his paw to shield the bullets.
"And… now!" Zetarus said as he landed on the ground and placed his paw on the ground to summon Zygarde again!
"Thousand Waves!"
The Rhyperior was attacked by several seismic waves beneath the ground. Not only that, the Rhyperior also found that after he was attacked, he couldn't move his body as if he was glued to the ground!
"Damn you!" Rhyperior said and tried to struggle free, but it was no avail!
"Well… That was much easier than I thought." Zetarus said and walked up to the Charizard, who now carried a blood-soaked Naginata in his paw. "Did you take care of those bxxxxxs already?"
"Yes. I killed them." Charizard answered. "But… They didn't seem to know what was happening even when I stabbed their hearts…"
"Well… It was because of this." Zetarus picked a small pack that contained a gray powder. Upon seeing it, Charizard became a bit shocked.
"T…That…" Charizard seemed to know what it is. "I understand now…"
Zetarus walked up to the Rhyperior, who was still stuck into the ground.
"I think you remember what you did to me using this." Zetarus showed the pack of gray powder to Rhyperior, which made his face pale.
"N…No." Rhyperior mumbled.
"I still remember that day when you poured it into my mouth…" Zetarus continued speaking. "It made me stuck between life and death for many months…"
"I…I am sorry about that!" Rhyperior said and struggled again, but it was still useless.
"Well… Today, I am in a good mood, so, I will let you live…" Zetarus said.
"Wha—" Rhyperior was about to speak when Zetarus continued his words.
"IN HELL!" Zetarus said and walked up to the Rhyperior. He then used his claw to grabbed the Rhyperior's chin and forced him to open his mouth, then he poured all of the gray powder into Rhyperior's throat! While Zetarus did this, Rhyperior struggled very hard, but Zetarus was too strong. And finally…
"Rrrrr…" Rhyperior stopped struggling. He seemed to doze off after Zetarus poured the gray powder into his throat. His condition right now was no different than the condition of those two female Pokemon whom Charizard killed.
"…Garchomp…" Charizard walked up to Zetarus.
"Well… It seems like our hunt is over." Zetarus said. "Let's get out of here."
Outside The Mirage Dust's lair…
"Garchomp." Charizard spoke up once they left the cave. "You said that you were forced to take that…powder, yet you seem fine right now… But as I know…"
"There was no cure for it." Zetarus said. "Anyone who took it once and didn't take it again will live in suffering until they died. For me, I don't know why, but I am still alive even after that suffering…"
"…" Charizard said nothing after hearing Zetarus' story a bit.
"Anyway…" Zetarus changed the topic of conversation. "What do you think about that hunt? Did you enjoy it?"
"Of course." Charizard said. "And… It seemed like you are not a 'weakling' as I said. So, you said that you want me to help you with something, right? Let me hear about it…"
"Well…" Zetarus said. "As I said, right now, I am doing something and I think that you may like to help me with it. It's a dangerous thing to do, though…"
"…And what is it?" Charizard asked.
Zetarus closed his eyes and recalled a thought that came into his head when he was about to be executed. Then he opened his eyes and spoke it up.
"…To kill the emperor of Dustorm Empire!"
"What?!" Charizard became a bit shocked after hearing Zetarus' word. "Are you fxxxxxg serious?"
"Yes." Zetarus answered. "During my life, since the day I was born in Desert Prison until right now, that was the duty I must do, no matter what."
"Wait a minute…" Charizard spoke up. "Why must you do something like this, especially when you said that you was born in Desert Prison and spent your whole life there?"
"I don't know." Zetarus answered, much to Charizard's confusion.
"What?!" Charizard said. "You don't know why you must kill the emperor, yet you must do it no matter what?! That's fxxxxxg stupid!"
"As I said, I don't know why, but I felt like I must kill the emperor, no matter what." Zetarus said.
"…Alright..." Charizard crossed his arms. "As I know, the place where the emperor stayed must be a very well-guarded place, so how will you get in there and kill the emperor?"
"That's easy." Zetarus said and showed the Charizard something. It was two invitation cards of Prince Terrus' Succession Ceremony. "I 'got' this from a merchant. As I know, there will be a 'Succession Ceremony' of the emperor's son, and anyone who have this card can join this ceremony too."
"Really?" Charizard looked at those invitation cards.
"Yes. As I know, there will be some Pokemon that will join this ceremony too, such as Pokemon of Dustorm Empire and Pokemon from other nations too, because I saw a Zoroark who said that he is a prince of Shadowlost Territory. He also said that he will join this ceremony in the name of Shadowlost Territory too."
"What?!" Charizard said. "…I see…"
"Well…" Zetarus said. "What do you think about it? Will you help me or not? I know that you may not want to help me with this as this is a dangerous thing to do… And I have nothing to give you for helping me with this…"
Charizard looked at Zetarus before he spoke up. "…You may be strong in a battle, but… You really are a fxxxxxg IDIOT!"
"What?!" Zetarus looked back at the Charizard.
"Why didn't you say about all of this sooner?" Charizard spoke up.
"…Does that mean…" Zetarus said.
"I will help you." Charizard said. His answer surprised Zetarus.
"REALLY?!" Zetarus said.
"Do I look like I was fxxxxxg kidding?!" Charizard said.
"But… Why?" Zetarus asked.
"I will get something by helping you too." Charizard answered.
"Really… Fine." Zetarus said.
"But…" Charizard looked at Zetarus again. "Why did you ask 'me' to help you about this?"
"Again, I don't know." Zetarus answered. "I just think that… you may want to help me."
"Well… You are fxxxxxg right." Charizard said.
"Now, let's go." Zetarus said. "We have a lot to do…"
"Okay." Charizard said. Then both of them was about to get back to the town when Zetarus remembered something.
"By the way, we still don't know each other's name yet." Zetarus said. "I am Zetarus the Garchomp. I am a prisoner who escaped from Desert Prison. What about you?"
"I am a gladiator who escaped from Brawl Arena in Fireview Kingdom." Charizard said. "And my name is Diego the Charizard."
To Be Continued…
Dragon of Vale: And thus the second tail has fallen deeper into the abyss of darkness, and it seems like it will fall even deeper into darkness as right now, Zetarus finally got a comrade, Diego the Charizard, who is a Charizard who like to battle and kill other Pokemon.
And… We finally learn what is Zetarus' goal; he wants to assassinate the emperor of Dustorm Empire! Not only that, he also wants to do it without any reason! Wow… That was a very… extreme thing to do…
A special thanks to Ridin Valon for helping me with the error correction.