There he stood, the rat himself. The rat of all Raticates, Paarthurnax.
Pulse's muscles tensed as he, Akaldeep, Jabetu, and Ciaran had a stick up with Paarthurnax and his starter friends, Nami and Carrion.
Pulse growled.
This was his first time challenging the little rat to a battle with new team members.
He had to strategize.
This was also his third fight in general with the rat.
He remembered calling him Lizard Breath earlier.
He remembered back then an Absol had tried to arrest him.
He always wondered why.
All he did was kill a simple Applin in front of her.
It wasn't even on purpose.
He even accidentally used a move on some officers.
Maybe I was trying to see how far that ember went, but that's all.
His father was the first one who he purposefully killed.
That was when the rat was first here, and wanted to first create the squad.
You know that's not how they died. You were always a villain. You will always be a villain. A voice in his head told him.
Pulse glanced down.
He didn't want to remember.
He was a good Houndour, right?
No. You've never been a good Houndour. You and I will be doing evil things together. You have no choice in this matter. The voice told him.
But don't I?
"Put your paws in the air! You and you evil team give up your actions! You're under arrest!" Paarthurnax exclaimed, a slight Ember attack coming out of his mouth.
Pulse found himself cackling, but it didn't sound like him.
"No, how about you burn, Lizard Breath?! That sounds like a nice way to pay respects."
Pulse found himself using a move he didn't want to use: Fire Fang.
He sank them into Paarthurnax who cried out.
There's No PoInT! The voice told him.
YoU'vE alreAdY gone ThiS FaR.
Pulse felt a slight ache in his heart, or whatever heart the beast inside would let him have.
The beast was himself.
The him he hid.
He was a monster.
Why should he try to hide it?
A sudden jolt of electricity made him grunt, his Fire Fang ending.
He lifted his head to see a Pikachu couple nearby with cheeks sparking in anger.
"Leave him alone, you hell dog!" The male exclaimed as he used Thunder bolt once more.
It was weak.
Well, Pulse convinced himself it was weak, but his eyes started to water in pain.
He backed up from Paarthurnax who was panting in pain.
He did a good number on him, and the battle had barely started.
The female Pikachu next to her apparent lover used a Thunder.
Pulse easily dodged the attack though, and Jabetu immediately started attacking them in a new form.
She had just evolved into Doublade, and it was a big help.
They had trained for days on end until this show down, and Pulse was convinced they would win with ease.
The Starter Squad didn't really have much of a good start.
Pulse chuckled as the male Pikachu tried to use Thunder Bolt again.
"You starters are so weak. Can't even use strategy." He laughed as he let himself go to the darkness completely.
Whoever wanted him evil would get their way.
After all, Paarthurnax had stupid goals. While he had revolutionary ones.
Only Arceus would allow the true victor to win in the end.
He knew he was strong enough.
His raw power with Jabetu's created something extraordinary.
Paarthurnax and his minions stand no chance of survival.
Pulse grinned.
"I hope you can survive the heat."
A burst of flames came out of his mouth, flowing all the way to the female Pikachu, hitting her and almost one hit KOing her.
The burst of flames caused the female to scream in pain, her mate running to her side.
"Levina!" The male cried out in anguish as the attack was finally stopped.
Levina was holding her stomach.
She grunted in pain as flames danced around her body.
She had been burned by the Flameflower attack.
I-I did that! Pulse thought with amazement.
It was a new move.
He knew he had the potential to evolve long ago, but he never allowed himself to do so because he wanted to look way friendlier.
But I guess that dream was a waste of my time. No one will ever think Dark Types besides starters are good. No one will think scary Pokémon aren't scary!
Now Pulse truly realized why his parents granted to send him to boarding school.
It was because he was a monster.
They were looking out for him. They wanted him to become a good Pokémon. He just had to make sure he wouldn't be sent there.
He was so selfish then, and even now as he faced them down to make sure Liberty rings over everything.
But maybe I can ensure I get whatever I want now. I might not be able to redeem myself now, but maybe I can make sure I still get myself what I want, exactly when I want it, and this freedom is what makes me kill.
The male Pikachu held Levina with his paws.
"Come on, Levina! Get up!" The male begged, putting a Rawst Berry in his mouth.
The female was still in pain, her body covered with the leftovers of the burns and bruises.
She was gripping her mate with her paws.
"How pathetic. Can't even handle a Flameflower attack. This is your so called powerful squad? If they can't even beat me at my worst, then you won't ever be able to capture me, Paarthurnax. You may be stronger, but I'm still stronger than any of you." Pulse declared.
He used a second Flameflower on Nami.
Despite the attack not being as affective due to water being super-effective against fire, the attack managed to do far more damage.
They were winning.
And it's all because of me!
Pulse laughed, feeling adrenaline pulsate through him.
The Pokémon by his side also attacked, but every attack his Doublade friend did missed every single Pokémon there.
Akaldeep's attacks mostly hit Paarthurnax, but they were weak.
The Astonishes he did were no match for the Smokescreen and Dragon Rage combos that Paarthurnax used.
Akaldeep grunted as almost half of his health was taken in one go.
The second combo made him stumble around.
The third almost made him faint, but he tried to hold on.
That was when Akal realized he could use something else instead.
Akal focused deeply, the rest of the Pokémon watching him as his energy began to intensify.
Nami's eyes widened in realization.
He was going to use Shadow Ball.
"Lookout!" He exclaimed as the Lament started firing off multiple Shadow Balls, one of them immediately knocking out Levina, who cried out in pain.
The attack had sent her in the air, and she hit a tree, her eyes swirling.
More of the Shadow Balls were fired her way, and her mate immediately jumped in front of her wounded bodies.
The attack sent him flying back against the ground.
"Thunder!" Paarthurnax exclaims, reaching out with a paw at the Pikachu as he took every attack.
The Pikachu huffed as he got up, shaking out his fur.
"I'm okay, Paarthurnax! Let's keep going! These villains may be strong, but let's see them handle this!" The pikachu exclaims as his tail twitched slightly, a yellow ball charging up in the middle of his tail.
He then fired off his Electro Ball at Pulse, who easily dodged it.
A tree nearby exploded and Paarthurnax groaned.
"Guys! We have to hit them hard!" He informed them.
"How can we do that when all our attacks are easy to dodge?" Carrion asked.
Paarthurnax glanced at the Bulbasaur.
"Then use an attack that won't miss."
The Bulbasaur nodded immediately, sucking in the bulb on his back.
The bulb on his back immediately spit out a dark green seed that hit Jabetu in the face, grabbing onto her and sucking.
"Ew! What the fuck is that attack?!" She screamed.
"Take that! My special Leech Seed!" Carrion exclaimed, and then a vine grew out of his back, smacking Ciaran with a couple of them.
They did minimal damage to him.
Paarthurnax then continued his own attacks, using his own Flameflower attack to weaken Ciaran.
Ciaran retaliated by using Giga Drain on Nami, who immediately fainted after the attack.
Ciaran gained back all his health.
Pulse could hear Thunder groaning from watching.
Healing moves sucked sometimes.
Ciaran screeched as Carrion sucked more of his health, healing little by little of Carrion's health.
That Bulbasaur is going to be a pain! Pulse thought as he used Fire Fang on him.
The Bulbasaur then dodged the attack with skill.
The fire within the fangs dissipated when he missed.
Pulse growled in fury.
How dare he dodge his attacks!
"Stay. Still!" He exclaimed as he tried using Fire Fang again.
He wanted his fangs to feel Carrion's body rip apart as he destroyed him, feel his blood pool on the ground as he died.
He wanted to hear his dying screams as everything Paarthurnax knew and loved broke apart.
He wanted to rip the life out of him, wanted to rest that bulb off of his back, and wear it.
The little Bulbasaur wouldn't let him have his way, using Leech Seed on him as well.
Immediately, the Bulbasaur was hit with a Sword's Dance boosted Iron Head, sending him hitting a nearby Chansey who was passing through.
Carrion groaned as he struggled to get up.
Thunder was easily defeated by another Iron Head, and it was now only Paarthurnax and Carrion.
"You might have had more Pokémon than us, but you cant defeat us. We still have all our members!" Pulse exclaimed as he used another Flameflower on Carrion, this time intending to not miss and do even more damage to the Bulbasaur than with Fire Fang.
"We're not playing games!" Pulse growled as the attack hit Carrion.
Carrion was weakened greatly by this attack. But he still stood anyways, managing to keep himself up despite his legs shaking.
He was one strong-willed Pokémon.
The Bulbasaur stood with his head held high.
"Fire may be stronger than grass, but I won't let you take me down that easily!" He exclaimed as he used Razor Leaf.
The attack hit everyone, doing critical damage to every villain, but still not doing enough to Pulse or Jabetu.
That was, until Paarthurnax fainted Jabetu with a Flameflower attack.
"No!" Pulse roared as he quickly used Bite on Paarthurnax.
Paarthurnax cried out in pain.
Pulse sank his teeth in deeper an deeper, getting blood on his teeth.
He didn't like it.
He preferred them on his paws.
He was about to end Paarthurnax. Everything was going as planned.
Even what happened next was according to plan.
"Pulse?" A voice squeaked out as a shiny Froakie hopped over to the middle of the battlefield.
"What's going on?"
"Get out of the way!" Carrion immediately exclaimed.
The shiny turned to Pulse, her eyes widening as she saw the blood beginning to pool beneath the other shiny.
"What are you doing?!" She exclaimed in shock, immediately going to action.
She used a Water Pulse almost immediately, sending Pulse back.
"Why are you biting this shiny my Charmander?!" She exclaimed in horror.
Pulse chuckled, licking his lips.
The metallic taste of blood reached his tongue. It was salty.
Disgusting.
"Because he's in my way. Why are you defending him? He's corrupt. He's corrupted these Pikachu, Squirtle, and Bulbasaur. Let me end his life like he tried to end mine!" Pulse roared, trying to get past Rau.
The shiny Froakie shivered, but stood her ground.
"No! I won't let you do that! He's trying to help Pokémon!" She exclaimed as she defeated Jabetu with an Acrobatics.
"No! He's making this world become corrupt! Look at him, he's just seething in rage to get back at me because I want this whole world to prosper together. And what? He wants only the most powerful to survive? Psh. Some 'helpful' Pokémon he is." Pulse growled.
Angry, Rau used Blizzard, defeating Akaldeep and Ciaran.
Pulse picked up his sword friend, not caring what happened to the other two, fleeing into the forest beyond for the second time.
