This chapter is the climax of the Swarm Arc. Naturally, it turned out longer than I expected.
A strange silence had descended over the clearing. Silence may have not been the right word, for screams and the sounds of battle still filled the air, but it was muted, as if all of it was coming from very far away. Medicham opened her eyes to see the Swarmlord and Wall both staring over at the form of the Behemoth. The Behemoth himself was standing still, fist still upraised, Drapion lying beneath him. Yet the Behemoth had not delivered the finishing blow.
Because Seeker-Of-Endings' horn-blade was buried in the Aggron's gut.
The Absol looked horrific. His fur was matted, he was trembling all over, and blood oozed from several wounds across his body. But his eyes glowed defiantly red as he drove his blade even deeper, pushing through the Behemoth's armor like it wasn't even there.
From the look in the Behemoth's eyes, he hadn't been wounded like this for a very long time. Medicham stared at Seeker-Of-Endings; as much as she hated to admit it, she knew in that moment that Drapion owed his life to him.
The silence was broken by the sound of pounding footsteps. Medicham's eyes widened as she saw Tooth and Claw rushing Seeker-Of-Endings from behind; she only now remembered that he'd been fighting both of them. "Not a smart move to turn your back on us!" Claw snarled. "Sniper: Claw-"
And then Claw was abruptly cut off by a loud grunt as a massive weight landed on top of him, driving him to the floor. Medicham smirked as she recognized Pangoro; the massive Dark/Fighting-type swiveled, still standing on Claw, and delivered a Bullet Punch to Tooth that sent him reeling backwards. Claw struggled, snarling in fury.
"You have to go three-on-one just to win a single fight?" Pangoro scoffed. "I can hardly believe Medicham and Drapion lost to you."
Medicham grimaced at that. Tooth glared at Pangoro. "They were weak," he growled. "And so are you. You want to fight me one-on-one? I can take you easy."
Pangoro glanced over to his side as Liepard hopped down into view. "I'd like to see you try," he growled. "Liepard. Handle this one." He crouched - a movement that extracted a pained snarl from Claw - and then leaped off, landing on both feet in front of Tooth, fists clenched.
"Aucun problème," Liepard responded with a smile, eyeing Claw as he rose to his feet.
The Swarmlord let out a wrathful snarl. Rearing up, he slammed both his front claws into Wall's prone form. As if that had been a signal, the clearing exploded into renewed conflict; Tooth and Claw rushed Pangoro and Liepard, while Wall lashed out with coiling vines even as he screamed in pain. Of the enemies in the pit, the Behemoth alone did not move, still in some sort of shock from the horn-blade in his gut.
Medicham felt her vision begin to achieve some sort of clarity. Putting both hands under her, she managed to raise herself to her feet. "Seeker!" she cried; at this point, the Absol looked almost like he was using the Behemoth to support his own weight. "Hold on!"
The Swarmlord, seeing Medicham beginning to move, attempted to leap off the downed Wall, but Wall was not out of the fight yet. "Sapping Tendrils!" Wall cried, lashing out once more with his vines; the Swarmlord roared in fury as he was once more ensnared. "Go, Medicham!" Wall cried.
Medicham lunged, fighting off pain and exhaustion alike as she dashed across the sandy surface. She saw Seeker-Of-Endings' legs finally give out as the poison caught up with him, saw him sinking to the floor. The Behemoth saw weakness; his eyes flashed and he raised a fist, aiming it at Seeker-Of-Endings' skull.
Medicham leaped. "Pure Power: Aura Finisher!" The words flew from her throat and out into the air; the Behemoth's eyes flicked towards Medicham as she hurled herself into the air. Twisting, she launched herself at the Behemoth with one blue-wreathed foot outstretched, a primal scream emanating from her open mouth.
The Behemoth raised one massive arm and took the blow on his forearm. A thunderous explosion of energy split the air as Medicham's attack connected. Grinding sounded from below as the sheer force of the attack sent the Behemoth skidding to the side, away from Seeker-Of-Endings and Drapion. She was only faintly aware of Seeker-Of-Endings finally crumpling, unconscious, to the ground as she continued to strain against the Behemoth. The Behemoth snarled, fighting to keep his position, but against the powerful, massively super-effective attack, even his massive frame could not resist Medicham's strength.
The Behemoth broke, an explosion of Aura propelling him into the wall of the arena. An entire section of the wall shattered under the impact, sending fully a dozen screaming Skorupi plummeting along with the destabilized rocks and earth. The Behemoth dropped to all fours as Medicham landed in a crouch. His head came up and he roared, lunging at Medicham like a feral beast.
"Pure Power…" Medicham raised her good hand and began to form a massive sphere of Aura. She'd never tried this technique one-handed, but she knew a simple blast wasn't going to cut it for this monster of a Pokemon. She felt her arm vibrating as she gathered all the Aura she could muster into that one outstretched hand, eyeing the Behemoth as he came closer and closer. With a mighty bellow, he leaped into the air, claws outstretched, no technique in the charge, just simple intent to crush.
In a way, Medicham felt sorry for the Behemoth. His mind and emotions had been robbed from him, his life reduced to primal instincts. She knew he'd once been a monster. But no one deserved to live their life like this.
I hope, once this is over, you find a better future.
"Aura Beam!"
The Aura lanced out from Medicham's palm in an unceasing stream, slamming into the Behemoth and arresting his leap in an instant. The Behemoth turned a half-circle in the air as the sheer force of the Aura Beam sent him flying back to earth. He landed on his back in an explosion of sand with enough force that the impact of his landing nearly caused Medicham to fall to the ground herself.
Medicham fell to her hands and knees. She had been nowhere near prepared to exert such a strenuous effort. But as the dust cleared, she saw the Behemoth lying prone, motionless, eyes closed.
"Damn you!" The Swarmlord's roar brought Medicham back to reality. She turned her head in time to see the Swarmlord rear up, still grasped by Wall's vines. "Earthen Upheaval!" he snarled, bringing his Ground energy-wreathed claws down upon Wall's form. Even resisted, the point-blank Earthquake, focused entirely within Wall's body, clearly hurt badly; the Tangrowth screamed, his vines slackening, and the Swarmlord ripped himself free of the still-grasping tendrils. Twisting, he lunged straight for Medicham, claws flaring with Bug energy as he rushed her.
Medicham hauled herself to her feet, crouching as he came closer. There was no way she could muster enough strength for another Aura Beam, not so quickly in this state. Gritting her teeth, she readied her fist, summoning a small amount of Aura around it.
She knew it wouldn't be enough. But she would not just stand there and let the Swarmlord finish her. She would fight to the last.
The Swarmlord's eyes glinted as he raised his claws, aiming a blow straight for Medicham's throat.
"No!"
A roar came from the side, and in the moment before the Swarmlord would have impacted Medicham, a large purple-colored form cannoned into the Swarmlord's side, sending him tumbling across the sand. Medicham stood where she was, slack-jawed, as Drapion skidded to a halt. He crouched, panting heavily, even that momentary exertion leaving him exhausted.
"Drapion?" Medicham asked.
Drapion glanced at her. "Ah'm alright. Fer the moment."
Wall arose from where he lay. The Tangrowth looked shaky; it was clear that if not for Regenerator and his Leech Seed, he would have already fallen. But determination still glinted in his eyes as he stared at Drapion. Drapion turned his head to stare back at Wall.
There was a brief moment. Then Drapion grinned. "Ya got healin'?"
"It's not much," said Wall.
"Ah'll take what ah can get." Drapion glared back at the Swarmlord, who was rising from where he'd landed, face twisted in fury. "Ah'm gonna need it."
"You!" The Swarmlord's voice was strangled, as if words were barely finding purchase in his mind through sheer hatred, and spittle flew from his mouth as he roared. "You…this…this is all your fault! You should have died in that river like you were supposed to! You should never have even been born! I should have crushed your Arceus-damned egg the instant that Absol left! You are a blight! A curse upon this Swarm! Your only worth in this world is to die!"
"Maybe that's mah only worth in yer mind," Drapion retorted. "But ah don't give a crap what ya think about me anymore. Ah've got a new family now. A real family. Yer nothin' ta me, father, and what ya say means nothin' either."
As he spoke, Wall raised a tendril, glowing with Grass energy, and laid it on Drapion's shoulder. Drapion stood more strongly as healing trickled into him, closing his wounds slightly and rejuvenating his stamina.
"It's no substitute for real treatment," Wall whispered, "but it should keep you going for a little longer."
"You can all go to Distortion!" The Swarmlord hurled himself forwards. Drapion lunged to meet him, and as Medicham and Wall watched the two powerful Drapion came together in a whirlwind of claws and teeth.
"Flurry Impact!" With a barrage of Pursuit rays, Kriesh sent a Mantyke and a pair of Fletchling tumbling from the sky. A shriek came from behind her and she instinctively went into a dive as a Fletchinder skimmed over her head. A Butterfree launched a blast of Bug energy at her; Kriesh twisted to face the Butterfree and, with a cry of "Sky Impact!", dove right through the blast, the Flying energy that surrounded her body dispersing it. The Butterfree had about half a second to look terrified before Kriesh slammed bodily into it; something snapped and the Bug/Flying-type plummeted.
"Gale Wings: Air Cannon!" The Talonflame had been mostly content to let the other fliers harry Kriesh while he launched attacks from afar. "Beam Impact!" Kriesh snarled, unleashing a Hyper Beam that stopped the focused blast of Flying energy and pushed it back. The Talonflame dove out of the way; Kriesh saw no more as she was forced to twist around in order to defend against an opportunistic Wingull.
The horde of fliers never seemed to end, and even though Kriesh was bringing down adversary after adversary, she could already feel tiredness gnawing at her, slowing her movements. She'd also taken a couple stray hits - an Ember from a Fletchinder, a Water Gun from a Mantyke - which certainly hadn't helped matters.
"You can't defeat the full might of the Swarms!" The Talonflame's taunts were an unwelcome distraction. Kriesh knew that to bring him down, she'd have to focus on him, something that would be impossible until she brought down his allies. So she endured the mockery and the unrelenting swarm, forcing more energy into her body as she streaked back and forth through the sky.
I certainly hope the others are faring better…
Houndoom, seeing that many wild Pokemon had been swarming over the edge of the main camp, had gotten the bright idea to leap up onto the ledge and clear them out before they could cause his allies problems. It had not quite occurred to him just how many wild Pokemon he'd be facing with this plan.
"I am Cannon, of the Ocean Keeper Swarm!" The angry-looking Clawitzer glared at Houndoom. Around him stood a legion of at least two dozen mingled Skorupi and assorted Water-types - Tentacool, Skrelp, Clauncher, Carvanha, and even a couple Froakie. "Surrender, for no Fire-type could hope to defeat our watery might!"
"Solar Surge."
The Power Herb flashed around Houndoom's neck, and a fast-moving beam of Grass energy slammed into Cannon and sent him flying a good several yards. All eyes watched him as he flew; he hit the ground and rolled another few yards before finally coming to a rest, out cold.
The legion of unevolved Pokemon turned back towards Houndoom with wide eyes. "What was that about watery might?" Houndoom growled.
A Skorupi snarled in rage. "Come on, all of you, get him! He's still just one Pokemon!"
Houndoom crouched, opening his jaws wide. "Flash Fire: Flame Surge!"
The wave of Fire energy that swept out from his jaws ripped through the enemy onslaught. The Skorupi were sent flying in an instant, their bodies trailing smoke as they were tossed away. The Water-types' natural resistance enabled them to survive the initial attack, but that was where Flash Fire came into play. Utilizing his control over the Fire energy, Houndoom grasped it as it flew past the Water-types and brought it up like a cresting wave, then slammed it back down onto their ranks. That did it; not even their resistant bodies could handle such a barrage, and they fell to the ground, charred and unconscious.
A chuckle came from above; Houndoom glanced up to see Siebold's Clawitzer perched on a boulder slightly above him. "Not bad," the Water-type admitted.
"Thanks," said Houndoom.
"Mega Launcher: Blast Bazooka!" Clawitzer abruptly pointed his arm-cannon forwards and fired it in one smooth motion. Houndoom twisted in time to see a Drapion that had been about to fall upon him; Clawitzer's blast of Water energy exploded as it struck the Drapion, sending it flailing through the air and showering Houndoom with dirt.
"Situational awareness needs some work." Clawtizer grinned before hopping out of view, firing another blast from his arm-cannon as he leaped.
Grinning himself despite the situation, Houndoom twisted and charged at the next pack of opponents, unleashing another blast of flames from his jaws as he ran.
Cloyster threw himself into yet another of the countless interconnected caves that dotted the walls of the main camp, firing off a Skill Link-enhanced Ice Flurry as he did so. Three Skorupi fell before the initial barrage, but a few more managed to take cover behind some nearby cave walls. As soon as the Ice energy dissipated, they leaped out, claws extended and teeth bared as they sought to tear apart the intruder.
Cloyster spun, sending two Skorupi back the way they'd come with a Wave Blast. "Defensive Shell!" he cried; two more bounced off his steely shell, and Cloyster rounded on them and threw himself forwards. One Skorupi crumpled; the other lunged again, only to be knocked out of the air by a rapid Ice Blast.
"After him!" Cloyster twisted to see a small group of Aron led by a sizable Lairon coming at him. Right, I forgot those guys were here.
"Impenetrable Shell!" Cloyster cried; the Lairon in the lead lowered his head, flaring Steel energy across it, and was not at all expecting to run into a Protect. He bounced off, staggering and shaking his head. "Skill Link: Wave Blast!" Cloyster cried; a tidal wave of Water energy swept out from his body, washing all of the Aron back down the passage they'd come out of.
"You'll pay for that," the Lairon snarled, his eyes refocusing on Cloyster.
Cloyster glanced out the cave entrance. "Hey, I saw an Aggron down there, and it looked like he was struggling. Maybe you should help him instead?"
The Lairon hesitated before dropping into a crouch. "I must fulfill my duty to the Swarm," he growled.
"Look," said Cloyster, "I'll be blunt here. You can't even touch me. So it would be a lot smarter for you to surrender and not try to fight me."
The Lairon shook his head. "I must fulfill my duty to the Swarm."
Fanatics. Cloyster shrugged. "Okay, then. Wave Blast!"
The Lairon's charge was arrested by another blast of Water energy, sending him flailing down the passageway after his friends.
Another one down, and…a lot more to go. Tensing, Cloyster leaped back out of the cave entrance, eyes already scanning for more caves to clear out.
"Harvest!" Trevenant cackled as vines sprouted from the ground under their command, wrapping tightly around four Skorupi and pinning them to the ground. The group of Onix that were fighting alongside them lunged forwards, slamming into the struggling Skorupi with Rock energy-wreathed headbutts. The Skorupi crumpled, ceasing their struggles.
Trevenant twisted and sent a Shadow Ball at another Skorupi who'd been trying to creep up on them from behind. The Skorupi squealed as Ghost energy overtook him. This is therapeutic, Trevenant admitted to themself. By now, the Trained Pokemon and Onix were making significant headway; nearly half the Swarms' main camp had been overrun, and hundreds of wild Pokemon had already fallen. A few Onix had gone down, but from what Trevenant could see, none of the Trained Pokemon had yet been felled.
We're winning. Trevenant's grin redoubled as they turned and ran after their Onix allies. We might just be able to get through this after all.
"Fire Attack!" Kamado clamped his jaws down tightly on a Skorupi; its shriek of pain was abruptly cut off as it went limp in his mouth. Kamado spat the Skorupi out, then twisted to see a trio of them charging him from behind. "Rock Manipulation!" Kamado cried, exerting his will on the stones and earth all around him. A large section of the ledge they were standing on erupted around the Skorupi, sending them all flying away.
Kamado released his hold on the earth and bent over, breathing heavily. He'd already been exhausted coming into this battle, and the strenuous fighting was doing him no favors. How much longer can I keep this up?
Low, grim laughter came from behind him. Kamado spun and looked up into the eyes of a well-muscled Drapion, at least twice his size and grinning evilly.
"I heard from some of my Skorupi that one of the enemies was unevolved," the Drapion growled. "Didn't believe it myself, but I guess they weren't lying. Shame I'll have to execute them all afterwards. If they were weak enough to lose to the likes of you, they don't belong in my Swarm."
Kamado glared at the Drapion, who laughed loudly. "What, you don't remember me? You don't remember Razor, leader of the Firebreather Swarm? I was hoping I'd get to gut the Medicham…but I remember you were there too, weren't you. So at least I can get some form of revenge."
Raising a massive arm, Razor swung it down at Kamado, who leaped instinctively to the side, barely avoiding the attack. It came close enough that the force of the wind from the attack nearly knocked Kamado off his feet, but he managed to keep his footing.
"Rock Attack!" Kamado launched a surge of Rock energy at Razor, who laughed again as he batted it out of the air with a contemptuous swing of his arm. "Pathetic," the wild Drapion growled. "You think the likes of you can overcome the might of the Swarm?"
With a mighty leap, Razor twisted and lunged for Kamado. Kamado knew in an instant he wouldn't be able to evade. He bared his teeth and lunged straight for the charging Drapion. "Head Attack!" he cried, pouring Rock energy into his forehead as he lowered it.
He heard a nasty crunch as he and Razor impacted. Pain split Kamado's head and he staggered backwards, shaking his head to clear it. But as he looked up, he saw to his immense shock that Razor had fallen backwards too, a couple of his teeth knocked out and his mouth dripping with blood.
Have I really gotten that strong? Kamado felt slightly faint as Razor glared at him. "You are nothing!" the Drapion roared. "You will never beat me!"
Kamado felt a surge of confidence. Maybe I can do this. The once-omnipresent tiredness seemed to have faded away, leaving only adrenaline in its wake. Kamado grinned. "Rock Manipulation!" he cried, taking hold of the stones around him once more.
"You will meet your end here!" Razor lunged again, and was instantly caught off guard as the ledge exploded around him. The Drapion reared up, roaring in surprise and pain, disappearing in an explosion of Rock energy.
Kamado had half a second to feel accomplishment descend before Razor hurled himself out of the cloud of energy. This time Kamado had no time to escape or fight; the Drapion slammed into him headfirst and sent him flying into the wall behind him.
"Dragon Attack!" Kamado cried, raising his claws and enhancing them with Dragon energy. Razor lunged again, all strategy discarded in favor of mindless rage, and leaped right into a raking blow from Kamado. The Drapion howled, but despite his injuries he still looked to be going strong. With a vengeful snarl he lashed out with one of his arms, smacking Kamado aside. Kamado tumbled across the ledge, his body afire with pain.
"Die!" Razor reared up, claws flexing. Kamado twisted and managed to roll away from the blow. "Rock Attack!" Kamado cried, and this time Claw was too committed to do anything about it; he staggered as the blast of Rock energy struck him in the face. Blood dripped as he focused back on Kamado, looking absolutely furious.
Come on, just go down!
Razor roared wordlessly and launched himself at Kamado once more. Kamado ducked to the side of a swinging arm, then under it as it lashed to the right. Unexpectedly, Razor threw a straight jab, catching Kamado in the chest. Kamado toppled to the ground on his back, coughing, each cough sending a fresh wave of pain rippling through his body.
Razor chuckled through bloodied teeth. "As expected. Weak. And you know what happens to the weak? They die."
Kamado growled furiously. I can't lose this. This is life or death! Trembling, he forced himself to stand. Razor roared victoriously as he charged, arms raised above his head to deliver the deathblow.
But in his haste to finish Kamado off, the Drapion had left his face wide open.
And once more, Kamado lowered his head and charged, summoning forth yet more Rock energy as he hurled himself forwards. "Head Atack!" Kamado cried; this time, it was less a crunch and more of an explosion as the two of them collided.
Razor bellowed out in agony, recoiling, his jaw shattered. Kamado reeled, the agony in his head nearly causing him to pass out. The noise of the impact echoed into nothingness as the two combatants collapsed to the ground, both completely spent.
Kamado slowly opened his eyes. He could see Razor lying on the ground in front of him; the Drapion was still stirring, albeit feebly. His eyes slowly swiveled over to Kamado. "You…you can't defeat me," he growled weakly. "I can't…I can't lose. He'll…he'll kill me…"
Kamado felt a small amount of pity well up in his heart, but pushed it away. He would have killed me. He would have killed me without a second thought.
Kamado stared into Razor's eyes. "Rock Attack," he whispered. Scorp crumpled, the blast of Rock energy finally too much for the Drapion.
"Get him!"
Kamado saw the horde of half a dozen Skorupi charging him out of the corner of his eye. He tried to muster up more Rock energy, but this time his stamina failed him and he came up empty. Blackness was threatening to obscure his vision as the gang of Skorupi lunged, their gleeful expressions and glistening claws leaving no doubt as to their intentions.
Is this it?
"I don't think so. Stone Manipulation."
Four of the Skorupi suddenly were struck and tossed away by a barrage of stones. Kamado saw Calem's Aurorus step into view, glowering at the Skorupi. "Earth Slam." A focused Earthquake sent the two remaining Skorupi flying after their fellows.
Aurorus turned towards Kamado. "Thanks," Kamado managed.
"We fossils have to look out for each other, right?" Aurorus smiled. "Come on, let's get you back to your Trainer."
Aurorus bent down, swiftly using a careful and fairly impressive manipulation of Rock energy to raise Kamado up onto her back. Then she turned and began to step back up towards the trees nearby, where Kamado knew Marcus would be waiting. He finally descended into unconsciousness as she moved, secure in the knowledge that he'd done his part.
"Sniper: Claw Shots!"
"Tranche Furieuse!" Liepard reared up on her hind legs and swatted the Pin Missile away with a flurry of paw-strikes. "Poursuite!" she hissed, unleashing a retaliatory barrage of rays, but Claw was already lunging forwards; he grunted in pain as the rays struck him, but they did not arrest his momentum.
"Sniper: Claw Fist!"
The blow was unerringly aimed towards Liepard's neck. Liepard barely managed to duck away in time, retaliating with a swift Night Slash that ripped a gash across Claw's shoulder. Claw twisted, swinging his tail at Liepard; once more Liepard dodged, though this time the tip of one of Claw's tail-spikes parted Liepard's fur and left a shallow cut on her own shoulder.
That Sniper Ability is dangerous…and he's pretty good with it. His aim's such that even with my speed, I can't go on the offensive. A strong, bulky Pokemon…like Pangoro, for example…could very easily just block his hits and strike back. But I'm going to have to think of something else.
Another Claw Fist was ducked, and another barrage of Claw Shots was ripped out of the air. The two were locked in a strange sort of stalemate; after nearly a minute of combat, both had only done incremental amounts of damage, not nearly enough to actually matter.
The problem was that Claw was a Poison-type. One good hit and he'd be able to inject Liepard with poison, something Liepard couldn't retaliate with. If that happened, Liepard wasn't sure she could beat Claw.
I'll need to figure out a solution to this problem, and fast. Liepard shot another wave of Pursuit rays at Claw, then ducked a retaliatory swing. Unexpectedly, Claw launched himself forwards in a full-body tackle; Liepard, operating partially off of instinct, hurled herself into the air, soaring over Claw and coming down behind him.
Twisting, she emptied yet another flurry of Pursuit rays into her opponent. Claw twisted and charged again. Liepard knew the same trick wouldn't work twice; with a swift leap, she lunged to the side, hoping it would be enough to elude her foe.
"Sniper: Claw Fist!" Unfortunately, Claw's reflexes were just fast enough to lash out and catch her hindquarters with a single claw-tip. Liepard stiffened, but apparently he hadn't managed to inject poison into her bloodstream, at least not that time.
As she spun to face Claw, she caught sight of Pangoro battling Tooth nearby, the two of them trading powerful blows, blocking with their massive arms and swinging haymakers that crunched against the others' body, sending each other staggering with each successful hit.
Wait a minute. Liepard cursed herself for a fool. Wasn't I just thinking that Pangoro would be able to do far better against Claw?
She darted back into the battle, eyeing Pangoro as he threw a powerful Fighting energy-enhanced punch at Tooth. Tooth deflected it with a Battle Armor-covered arm, but that didn't matter; all that mattered was that Pangoro had made the attack in the first place.
"Farceur: Imitateur," Liepard hissed as she lunged for Claw, ducking under a swipe of his left arm and sending a paw-strike at his face. Fighting energy flared across her paw as Pangoro's technique was copied to her strike; Claw, completely unprepared for the brutal hit, snarled in pain as chitin cracked from the strain of taking the powerful punch.
He focused back on Liepard, his eyes darkening with rage. Liepard grinned at him, knowing the battle was all but won. Pangoro's copied techniques would easily be able to overcome Claw's agile, non-defensive fighting style.
Seems like I've got this well in hand…let's just hope Pangoro can do the same.
"Iron Fist: Devastating Blow!"
"Battle Armor: Tooth Fist!"
Two mighty fists came together, unleashing a shockwave of Fighting and Bug energy as they clashed. Pangoro grimaced; he could tell his blows were more powerful than Tooth's. Every time they hit, Pangoro could tell they were doing more damage than Tooth's successful hits were doing to him. But it had slipped his mind that Bug was resistant to Fighting, something that was allowing Tooth to keep up a frustratingly effective defense.
Pangoro was beginning to understand just why so many Trained Pokemon valued type diversity in their moves so much. Aside from Bullet Punch, he only really knew Fighting and Dark-type moves, something that Tooth, with his plethora of Bug-type attacks, was able to take full advantage of. It was the only reason the wild Pokemon was even able to put up a fight.
"Battle Armor: Tooth Slam!" Tooth twisted, swinging his armored tail at Pangoro. Pangoro turned and launched a swift Bullet Punch at the tail, knocking it away. "Battle Armor: Tooth Fist!" Tooth snarled; the Battle Armor-covered fist slammed into Pangoro's gut, sending him stumbling backwards.
"What, you actually thought a weakling like you could take me on?" Tooth chuckled.
"Give it a few minutes and you'll be singing a different tune," Pangoro retorted.
"Don't make me laugh," Tooth growled. "This world is simple. The strong survive, and the weak die. A weakling like you can't beat me. That is fact. So stop trying!"
Pangoro glared at Tooth, but his words were striking an odd chord of familiarity within him. Shaking his head, Pangoro leaped back into battle. "Iron Fist: Piston Blow!"
"Battle Armor: Tooth Fist!" Tooth once again deflected Pangoro's strike with his arm. Pangoro's arm rose and came down twice more, battering at Tooth's defense; on the third strike Tooth finally stumbled, and the fourth strike cannoned into the Drapion's face and nearly bowled him over.
His eyes burned as he recoiled. "Battle Armor: Tooth Slam!" Pangoro easily batted the clumsy strike away. His mind was once again straying elsewhere. Strength…weakness…where have I heard that before?
"I have had enough of you!" Tooth spat. "Battle Armor: Double Tooth Fist!"
Lunging forwards, the wild Drapion came at Pangoro from the front, hurling both his fists forwards in a double blow. Pangoro, not paying enough attention to the fight, couldn't mount a defense in time; he managed to deflect one fist with his own, but the other sank into his stomach, doubling him over.
"Battle Armor: Tooth Slam!" Tooth whirled and drove a fist into Pangoro's chin, knocking him backwards. Pangoro staggered against the nearby cliffside, barely maintaining his footing.
"You are weak!" Tooth roared. "The weak deserve to be trampled underfoot by the strong! So stop fighting and learn your place!"
The memory came in a sudden jolt, like a Thunderbolt to the face.
"Five years of trainin' fer what? Sittin' on a rock an' bullyin' Yungoos?"
"Oh, so is that what this is about? You trying to defend them? News flash: they're weak too. And those that are weak-"
"Deserve to be crushed by the strong. Blah, blah, blah. That's what they always say."
Pangoro clenched his fists tightly. "Oh, believe me, I know my place," he growled. "Strength, weakness…you know something? I've always thought the same damn way. It's been what drives me. What makes me strive to be stronger, to be better. But you? You use it as an excuse. You act all tough, but in fact, under all that chitin is the heart of a coward."
Tooth let out a wordless, enraged bellow and lunged at Pangoro, abandoning all strategy, not even bothering to call the name of his attack.
Pangoro neatly sidestepped the wild blow. "Iron Fist: Bullet Blow." His fist caught Tooth square in the jaw and sent him tumbling to the ground, coming to rest belly-up in the sand.
"Iron Fist: Crushing Blow." Pangoro's next fist landed in the center of Tooth's stomach. Tooth curled around the fist with a pained gasp, blood splattering from his mouth as at least one of his ribs snapped under the strain of Pangoro's attack.
"Iron Fist: Bullet Blow." Pangoro's other fist, wreathed in Steel energy, lashed out and cracked Tooth right in the teeth, shattering several and pounding the Drapion's head into the sand. He followed that up by raising his foot and stomping down on Tooth's stomach, forcing Tooth to coil up once again. Pangoro reached out and grabbed Tooth's head as it came back up, forcing the Drapion to look into his eyes.
"Now I know why he hated me so much when we first met," Pangoro growled. "Because I reminded him of you."
Tooth snarled defiantly; it was the last noise he made before Pangoro delivered one final punch to the face that knocked him completely out cold.
Pangoro rose from the fallen body of his foe just in time to hear a gurgle from his left; he turned in time to see Claw crumple to the ground as Liepard withdrew cleanly, Fighting energy fading from her paw.
She saw Pangoro staring at her. "Seems we're done here," she said with a smirk. "I'm pretty sure Drapion can take the Swarmlord."
"Liepard," Pangoro murmured, "how much did they remind you of me?"
Liepard frowned. "A little bit," she admitted after a few seconds.
Pangoro lowered his head, saying nothing more. Liepard quickly spoke again. "I do believe our friends up there could use our aid."
"Right," Pangoro growled. Liepard swiftly dashed off, heading for a ramp up to one of the camp's many ledges. Pangoro followed close behind, casting one last glance back at the fallen forms of Tooth and Claw as he went.
In a way, Drapion had been both awaiting and dreading this moment since the day he'd woken up on the side of that river. The moment where he would finally come face-to-face with his father once again, not as a weak, helpless Skorupi, but as a fully grown Drapion.
He'd always feared the Swarmlord. Even now, Drapion knew that the odds were against him. The Swarmlord was fresher. Well-rested. Hadn't just come off of a bout of momentary half-consciousness caused by the fist of an Aggron impacting his head, something that had almost certainly given him a concussion. Wasn't still standing almost entirely because of patchwork healing from a Regenerator-wielding Tangrowth. And knew a move that was potentially capable of defeating him all on his own.
And yet, somehow, as he faced the Swarmlord for what he knew would be the last time, Drapion felt a surge of confidence. I can win this, he thought. I can beat him.
He glanced back at Medicham and the Tangrowth, both of whom were watching from the side. He could tell there were others watching as well, many sets of eyes waiting for the fight to commence. He looked back at the Swarmlord, readying himself for the coming combat.
Across from him, the Swarmlord swished his tail through the air, glowering as he gazed upon Drapion. "You have cost me so much," he growled. "So much annoyance, so much pain. Months, years, of having to endure your legacy of weakness. It will end today."
"Yeah," Drapion retorted. "It will."
A low, rumbling snarl emanated from the Swarmlord's throat, a snarl that grew louder and louder until it crescendoed in a frenzied roar. The Swarmlord pounced, one arm upraised. "Battle Armor: Blade!"
"Battle Armor!" Drapion raised his own arm and allowed his chitin to take the impact of the Swarmlord's blade. Sparks flew as the chitinous blade scraped off Drapion's armor. With a snarl of his own, he thrust his arm forwards, tossing the blade away. "Battle Armor: Slam!"
"Battle Armor: Shield!" the Swarmlord growled, manifesting a chitinous barrier across his face. Drapion's strike hit home, but once more chitin cracked against chitin, and though the Swarmlord was shoved slightly back, he didn't seem all that injured from the hit.
"Earthen Upheaval!" the Swarmlord bellowed, unsurprisingly going straight for his ultimate technique.
"Block!" Drapion manifested a Protect in front of him, deflecting the bulk of the Ground energy-formed shockwave that burst out of the Swarmlord's claws. "No Escape!" A barrage of Pursuit rays flew at the Swarmlord as the energy cleared, but the Swarmlord, with a savage grin, simply raised another chitinous shield, deflecting the rays.
"Such pathetic techniques will never work on me," the Swarmlord growled. "I warned you, didn't I? If you continued to fight like that…if you refused to fight like a real member of the Swarm…you were always going to lose."
"Ya think ah haven't won battles?" Drapion retorted. "Ah have. An' ah'm gonna show ya that yer so-called 'correct' techniques ain't everythin'."
The Swarmlord spat. "You only 'won' because your Trainer feeds you everything on a platter!" he snarled. "How about that 'Block' technique? Really feels good to have an impenetrable, replenishable barrier on your side, huh? I'll bet you didn't even learn that technique, you just had it gifted to you!"
Drapion curled his lip. "An' ah suppose ya worked so hard ta learn Earthquake, didn't ya?"
"I earned this!" The Swarmlord lunged again, forming chitinous blades on both his arms this time. "Battle Armor!" Drapion snarled, forming chitin across both his own arm. With grunts of effort, the Swarmlord slashed at Drapion with his blades, again and again, and each time Drapion managed to parry, swatting away the Swarmlord's strikes with speed and strength honed through months of training.
"I spent years living as a refugee!" the Swarmlord bellowed, slashing wildly with his Battle Armor-formed blades. "Eking out a living in a region that wasn't my own! Watching as that damn Aggron came down on us, threatening to wipe us out just for being in his way! I worked for even longer after that to unite the Swarms, to make it so that no one could ever threaten us again!"
A snarl ripped from the Swarmlord's throat as he brought down both his blades in a double-blow, forcing Drapion to raise both his arms to block it, both of them pressing against one another, straining to overcome each others' strength. "You know what happened to Team Flare when they came after us?" the Swarmlord growled. "We sent them running with their tails between their legs. The one Swarm that was captured is now gone, and we are better for it. That is what I have toiled for so long to create! That is what your very existence jeopardizes! So do not dare claim that I have had anything handed to me! If anything, Earthquake is what I deserve for my struggles! Earthen Upheaval!"
Drapion had no time to react to the point-blank Earthquake; the surge of Ground energy sent him staggering backwards, though he managed to regain his footing in time to summon a Protect to deflect the Swarmlord's follow-up slash.
"Battle Armor!" Drapion lunged forwards, forming a solid wall of chitin across his shoulder as he brought it forwards straight into the Swarmlord's nose. A nasty crunch sounded as the Swarmlord recoiled. "Battle Armor: Double Slam!" Drapion roared; this time it was the Swarmlord's turn to go on the defensive, raising his own arms to try and force Drapion's away.
"Ya think ah didn't struggle?" Drapion snarled as he pressed down on the Swarmlord's defense. "Ah had ta endure everythin' ya threw at me. Ah had ta endure ya tryin' ta drown me in a river just 'cause ah didn't fit yer ideals of 'strength' an' 'weakness'. Ah had ta endure months of livin', tryin' ta think of what ah did wrong. Ah blamed mahself - mahself - fer ya tryin' ta murder me! An' ya don't even wanna know what ah've endured with Marcus."
"You're right," the Swarmlord growled. "I don't. Because I don't care. Because you deserved all that pain, all that misery. It is the right of the strong to survive: it is the role of the weak to die. You were born weak, you were always weak, and you always will be weak! Earthen Upheaval!"
"Block!" This time Drapion was expecting it; as his Protect took the Ground energy-formed shockwave, Drapion raised his arm and brought it down directly atop the Swarmlord's head. The Swarmlord dropped to the ground with a pained snarl as Drapion's Protect dissipated; Drapion twisted, swinging his tail at the prone Swarmlord-
"Earthen Upheaval!"
His Protect was simply not ready. The sheer force of the Earthquake sent Drapion staggering backwards. He managed to drop back to his feet, snarling in pain-
"Earthen Upheaval!"
Again Drapion was thrown upwards, pain bursting forth across his body; again he barely managed to regain control and drop down-
"Earthen Upheaval!"
Not even he could stay up against this one. Drapion fell, tumbling to the ground, sand flying all around him-
"EARTHEN UPHEAVAL!"
This time, the explosion of Ground energy sent Drapion flying; his body bounced off the wall of the arena and dropped back to the sandy floor. There he lay, gasping for breath, trying to find anything beyond the pain that engulfed him.
What if you told the ground to erupt instead of collapse?
Sylveon's voice came to him almost randomly; he latched onto it at once, dragging himself back into reality. He could see the nervous expressions on the faces of the Tangrowth and Medicham, the excitement on those of the numerous Skorupi and Drapion watching from above. And the victorious glint in the eyes of the Swarmlord as he advanced slowly towards Drapion's fallen form.
"Q…quake…" Drapion got out, summoning Ground energy to his front claw. He touched it down; a burst of Ground energy exploded outwards, but dissipated before it could even come close to the Swarmlord.
"What do you think you're doing?" the Swarmlord asked. "Do you honestly believe you can still win this fight? I've already won! Just accept it!"
"Quake…" Drapion whispered. The shockwave was larger this time, but still fizzled out too quickly to make any sort of impact on his opponent.
"Are you even listening?" the Swarmlord snarled. "You. Have. Already. Lost!"
"Quake." The shockwave reached the Swarmlord this time; he grimaced slightly as it licked at his claws. Snarling, the Swarmlord lunged forwards, grasping Drapion around the neck and slamming him against the cliffside. "Why?" the Swarmlord roared, spit flying from his mouth. "Why do you insist on fighting your fate? Why do you refuse to understand that everyone would be stronger without you? Why won't you just die?"
Drapion stared into the Swarmlord's pitless eyes, seeing only pure hatred within them. "Yer…" he whispered. "Yer wrong. All ya do is talk about strength an' weakness, an' yet ya don't understand any of it. Ya call me weak. Ya call mah friends weak. But look around. Yer Swarm's fallin' ta pieces. Yer so-called 'real sons' are lyin' unconscious on the ground. An' it's all yer fault. Everything ya built…that united Swarm ya spent so long toilin' ta make…it's all gone. 'Cause ya couldn't just let me live mah life."
The Swarmlord did not move, simply held Drapion where he was, every breath trembling with fury.
"Ah ain't the weaklin' here," Drapion growled. "Ya are. An' ah'm done lettin' ya walk all over me. It's time ah ended this. Once and fer all."
Drapion flexed his claws, pouring Ground energy into the tips, screwing up his eyes, his mind, in concentration. And as he slammed his claws onto the ground, it was as if a light had turned on in his mind. Like his evolution, or his Ability, the technique slipped in neatly, as if he'd known it all along.
As if it had just been waiting for him to remember.
"Quake."
The earth erupted.
The Swarmlord roared in agony as Drapion's Earthquake slammed into him, hurling him bodily off Drapion and tossing him halfway across the arena. He landed on his side, skidding through the sand for several additional feet. Drapion dropped to the ground as the Swarmlord rose, chitin cracked in places, his eyes burning with wild rage.
"Earthen Upheaval!"
"Quake!"
Dual Earthquakes burst out from the two battlers, slamming into one another and erupting in a huge fountain of sand. The entire camp seemed to shake from the force of the impact, several chunks of earth even tumbling off the walls and into the arena.
Out of the flying sand, the Swarmlord charged, roaring in rage. "Battle Armor: Blade!"
"Battle Armor!" Drapion snarled; just like in the beginning of the fight, the Swarmlord's attack scraped off Drapion's defense. But this time, instead of retaliating with an ineffective attack, Drapion was already rearing up.
"Quake!"
The Swarmlord flew a good several feet into the air before coming back down on his stomach, his legs giving out. Drapion stepped back as the Swarmlord struggled to his feet yet again.
"This can't be happening…" the Swarmlord murmured. "This can't be happening! How? How did you learn it? How could you possibly have figured out the technique on your own?"
"Simple," Drapion growled. "Ah worked fer it."
The Swarmlord let out a frenzied howl. "Earthen Upheaval!" he bellowed; the Earthquake bounced off Drapion's Protect even as the Swarmlord lunged, manifesting blades from both arms once again. He slashed wildly three times, each one parried or ducked, before Drapion twisted and slammed his shoulder into the Swarmlord as he overcommitted, sending him tumbling across the sand yet again.
"I can't lose to you!" The Swarmlord struggled to his feet again, chest heaving and bleeding heavily from multiple wounds. "I've come too far - sacrificed too much - to lose to a weakling like you!"
"Like ah said," said Drapion, "yer the only weaklin' here." He began to summon Ground energy to his claws again. "An' what was it ya always said? The strong survive, an' the weak die? Quake!"
The Swarmlord screamed as the outpouring of Ground energy slammed into him, and finally his strength gave out and he was carried bodily into the nearest wall. The Swarmlord fell to the ground, barely moving.
"How does it feel ta be the weak one?" Drapion asked as he advanced upon the fallen Swarmlord. The Swarmlord looked at him, eyes sparkling. "Is that fear ah see in yer eyes?" Drapion spat. "Tell me - do ya still think the weak deserve ta die when yer the weak one?"
The Swarmlord glared up at him, saying nothing.
Drapion loomed over him. "Ah'm not gonna kill ya, father," he growled. "But ah doubt yer gonna live long. 'Cause the rest of yer Swarm ain't gonna take too kindly ta havin' a weak leader, ain't that right?"
"I…" The Swarmlord's words sounded as if he was having to forcibly drag them out of his wounded body. "I…I'm…going to…kill you…for this…"
"Yer welcome ta try, father." Drapion turned his back on the Swarmlord and began to step over towards Medicham and the Tangrowth, exhaustion creeping up on him with every step. But it didn't matter.
All that mattered was that, after so long, he could finally rest easy.
"Beam Impact!" Another Fletchinder plummeted out of the sky. By now, every beat of Kriesh's wings brought fresh aching to them, every attack having to be forced out. The enemies had blurred; she'd taken hits she would have dodged with ease at the beginning of the fight simply because exhaustion was impeding her concentration.
A Mantyke flew at her; she twisted and dropped him out of the sky with a Flurry Impact. Idly, she wondered why the Talonflame hadn't launched another attack. Usually he would have by now.
And then a choked cry caught her attention.
The Talonflame was stationary in the air, staring down with shocked eyes at a scene below. Kriesh turned her head, following the Talonflame's gaze, and saw a sight that brought immeasurable relief to her heart. Drapion, standing next to Medicham and the Tangrowth that Medicham had called a friend, while behind him the Swarmlord lay motionless, clearly and unambiguously defeated, in the sand.
"There's no point…"
Kriesh looked back at the now wretched-looking Talonflame. "What hope is there for us now?" he whispered. "If even the Swarmlord has fallen…then there is no hope…no chance for victory."
Kriesh nodded slowly. The Talonflame looked absolutely defeated as he stared at her. "What must I do?"
"Gather your soldiers," Kriesh growled. "Tell those who still fight to surrender. They will be treated fairly."
Nodding, the Talonflame slowly began to lower himself down through the air, looking lethargic as he did so. Kriesh paid no attention to him; she herself turned and began to fly towards the center of the arena where Medicham and Drapion stood.
The battle was over. She wanted nothing more than to rest. And yet Kriesh knew she could not until she was absolutely sure that Medicham and Drapion were alright. So she descended, as all around her the last remnants of resistance winked out and the forest that had once been filled with noise gave way to an eerie quiet.
Next chapter will be a sort of epilogue for the Swarm Arc. Definitely will be a more standard length.
