Chapter 33: Undefeatable

'If you face him now, you'll die, I have spoken!' Xatu's words rang out again in Pyre's ears.

"I am sure by now you are regretting your decision to face me alone, however, you never had a chance." Calamity Shadow cut Pyre's cheek. "I promise this will hurt.'

"Pyre! Forget us, just stop him!" Cobalt called from behind the wall of flames.

"Silence the mudkip." The cruel darkrai slowly cut across Pyre's chest. "You have such astounding resilience. Not like that fennekin at all."

Pyre froze up, as did Ivy.

"What?"

"What was her name? It becomes rather difficult to remember when I have to use a proxy. What was it? Oh," the calamitous darkrai forced Pyre to look him in the eyes. "Cynder."

"Don't you dare say her name!"

Just beyond the wall of flames, within an instant the group of weavile and sneasel dropped unconscious.

"Hey!" Eclipse's voice called out. "We'll get them out of here, stop screwing around!"

Pyre glanced over seeing Lucario and Swindle with his brother. "Guys…" a sickening schlick was heard as the cruel pitch-black pokemon stabbed Pyre in the gut.

"You know, I would have done this to Cynder if I were there physically."

"Sh-shut up!"

"To think, you never realized I was behind it. It was rather difficult controlling a body not my own, but a gyarados works fine for killing weaklings."

Pyre thrashed striking the darkrai, to no avail. "I said shut it!"

"But I have not yet told you the most enjoyable part. While I took a great deal of pleasure in killing the love of your life, it could never compare," He leaned in close, his voice barely above a whisper. "To when I snuffed the life from your unhatched egg. Yes, that little veil of pink you could see within her, it was a new life, one that I stole away."

Pyre fell silent as the Darkrai retracted his hand letting the Charmander collapse to the ground.

"You're sick!" Lucario called out from beyond the now dissipating flame wall.

"Now's not the time yo, we gotta make like a tree and get the fuck outta here!" Swindle lifted Ivy and Cobalt onto his back.

"Lucario, what did he say?" Eclipse grabbed Lucario by the arm and started pulling him.

"You sick fuck! He killed Pyre's unhatched egg."

A look of horror and rage erupted on Ivy's face. "You killed his unhatched egg!? I'll rip your fucking guts out you bastard!" The snivy jumped from Swindle's back only to be caught by Eclipse.

"He wouldn't want this, we have to leave!" Eclipse lifted him up, kicking and screaming and started dragging him away.

"No, I'm not leaving him! Pyre! Pyre! Pyyyyre!" Ivy thrashed in the charmander's arms.

*Within Pyre's Dream*

"Pyre. Pyre. Pyyyyre? Are you listening love?" The fennekin gave him a sweet smile.

"Sorry Cynder, I just got distracted by your beauty again." The Charmander smiled. "Why didn't you tell me Cynder?"

"I…I was going to, but I wanted to surprise you. And I certainly couldn't tell you while I was dying. I thought it would be better if you never knew, because I could already see how much it hurt you." Cynder nuzzled him gently.

"I'm sorry Cynder…I've tried so hard, but I don't think I can keep my promise…"

"You already did. You've still got your light, and you keep making people happy! That's all I wanted from you."

Pyre hugged her tight. "It's been wonderful to see you again."

"It has, but I'm afraid you have to go back now."

"But Cynder…I…I don't want to leave you again."

"I know, but if you stay," she nuzzled him and gave him a gentle kiss. "Who will avenge our baby?"

"I understand…" the charmander frowned.

"Pyre."

"Yeah?" He looked up, seeing Cynder smile.

"Kick his ass."

*The Waking World*

"Now, do not run, you will only die tired." The darkrai had slowly hovered to the edge of where the wall of fire once stood.

"We have to go, now!"

"Your mistake." As he advanced the wall of flames erupted again blocking him from the rescue team.

"Hey, hot topic, I'm not done yet!" Pyre taunted as he got to his feet, one arm still hanging limp. "I'll be damned if I let some nut job tell me my fate is to die here!"

"Are we really doing this again?"

Pyre held up his still good hand creating an orb of fire in his palm. "Damn right we are. If the future says I'll die, then I'll kick the future's ass! Just like I'm gonna kick yours!

Calamity Shadow created a fist engulfing the flames in darkness. "I am physically superior to you in every conceivable way. My darkness has consumed your light."

"You're superior to me, in every way?" Pyre asked, straightening his posture, his eyes flashed with that brilliant emerald color, and the flame on his tail suddenly swirled sapphire, violet, gold, and finally a black core to the flame. "Who decided that?"

Calamity Shadow smirked.

"Your darkness consumed my light?" The flaming orb in his palm burst, banishing the darkness around it. "Who decided that?"

Calamity Shadow narrowed his cold crimson eye in irritation.

The charmander closed his fist around the orb, wreathing himself in flames. "I am the one who decides!" The fire lizard moved at incredible speed toward the darkrai.

The dark type was unfazed by the speed, and quickly moved to counter each of the charmander's attacks, first raising his arms to block.

But when Pyre's first punch landed against his arms he slid back into the wall of flames as if gravity itself had pushed him back. The force of the attack dropped him to the ground, forcing him to sprout legs just to land on his knees.

"Did you find something down there on the ground?" Pyre taunted.

When the darkrai looked up he felt a twinge of fear within him. The look on Pyre's typically confident face was twisted in disgust and hatred. He was no longer insulting him for fun, or to throw him off.

"Yes, I really do think that low of you. Stand up, you're a disgrace." Pyre scowled and turned away from the Darkrai. Calamity Shadow used the opportunity to lunge forth reaching for Pyre's tail. As if in a split second the sapphire tailed Charmander had turned back around and slammed him face first into the ground. "I said stand up."

The darkrai teleported to the other side of the floor. "What the hell are you?"

"Superior? What a joke." Pyre taunted as he strutted slowly toward the darkrai.

"Dark Void!" The darkrai sent forth a barrage of the attack hoping at least one would hit and subdue the Charmander in a nightmare.

But Pyre didn't dodge, he simply took each one and pressed on. "You're trying to show me a nightmare? Why would I ever feel fear for one so much weaker than I am?"

Once the distance closed Calamity Shadow lunged again, aiming his claws at Pyre's throat. But the charmander's body crackled with electricity and he dodged it. In the same motion, he struck the Darkrai in the gut with his fist, then again with his elbow, only to follow up by yanking the darkrai to the ground to slam his tail into him. Before the darkrai could react, Pyre kicked him in the gut and spun, slapping him with his tail, only to spin back the other way and hit him again. And finally, Pyre leaped into the air, spinning and striking the darkrai in the face multiple times with his tail.

As the calamitous pokemon reeled he saw what seemed to be a golden aura in the shape of a Raichu enveloping Pyre. The Charmander rushed forth, closing the distance and pinning him on his back as he began punching him again and again.

He suddenly summoned numerous shadow balls all around them and pulled them in a barrage surrounding them both. Despite each ball hitting Pyre from all angles the charmander seemed to simply ignore the damage and keep punching, his single fist seeming to hit harder with each successive strike. Finally Pyre jumped and slammed his fist into the darkrai one last time creating a small crater in the ground.

As he stepped back away, the calamitous darkrai was able to see a pitch black, Darkrai shaped aura enveloping Pyre.

"Get up. I'm not finished with you yet." Pyre taunted again.

Calamity Shadow burst from the ground and tackled Pyre, slashing and stabbing him relentlessly. And yet Pyre didn't seem affected. He continued his assault grabbing Pyre by the ankle and slamming him into the ground over and over again several times. With one final heavy throw Pyre's body bounced off the solid stone from the force, and the darkrai slammed him back down with a sudden kick.

The onslaught didn't end, as calamity Shadow slammed him into the ground and emitted pure darkness from his body in powerful destructive waves trying to force Pyre back into the ground. Even then he didn't stop, he resumed slashing the charmander mercilessly. And with one final move hit Pyre with both fists so hard he created a charmander shaped crater in the ground. The darkrai was left panting heavily as he hovered toward the wall of flames again to await his freedom.

"Is that all you've got!?" Pyre called him again as he pulled himself from the hole and casually dusted himself off.

"Just what the fuck are you!?" Calamity Shadow roared with anger as he turned around and rushed Pyre again.

The sapphire tailed Charmander took in a deep breath and exhaled a single word. "Undefeatable." And in that same breath burst forth, completely wreathed in flames. But he hadn't gone for the darkrai, he'd shot straight into the sky with flare blitz. And as he slowly began plummeting back to the ground, he twisted himself in the air, spinning as sapphire flames enveloped his body again. With a sudden burst of speed, like a bolt of lightning, Pyre once more called out as his body reached its peak temperature. "SAPPHIRE! STARFALL!"

Upon impact with the darkrai, and incidentally the ground, a massive explosion of blue flames erupted putting out the wall of flames and leaving nothing more than a dust cloud in its wake.