Pokemon Virus Version Chapter 121: Yukiko Shattered
Location: The Home of the Mysterious Woman
Seth's POV
After encountering Morana and following her, we encountered the mysterious woman that has intrigued me for the longest time. She was standing at the foot of a cavern located deep within the forest of the snowy mountains, far away from any hint of civilization save for Aomori Village.
"Glad to see you have finally arrived," The mysterious woman said.
Morana was not at all surprised. Even so, she asked, "You weren't here earlier. Tell me, who are you?"
The woman giggled. She didn't acknowledge Mamoswine or Morana. In fact, she never took her eyes off me. "It appears I've found you, but I never thought you'd be at my doorstep," She said, "Come, our game of tag is over. I'll be more than happy to give you the answers you've desperately searched for."
Answers…At long last, I was going to get answers…
I stepped forward, Chandelure following me. Whatever danger lurked in the uncertainty lying in that cave and the mysterious woman, did not pose a threat to me.
"Some powerful pokemon should be living in this cave…" Morana smirked, "I'll be sure to add it to my collection." With that, Morana gestured to Mamoswine, whom she was riding, "Mamoswine, yip yip."
….
From the outside, this looked to be nothing but a typical cave waiting to be traverse by trainers and travelers alike. Looks can be deceiving.
"Impressive." Morana uttered as she continuously shifted her gaze.
This cave looked very hospitable, even for humans. I guess I shouldn't be surprised. Despite her having inhumanly pale skin, and living in extreme isolation, this woman has still shown to be human, with human traits. If anything, she's shown more human emotion than me.
"This wood and décor, I have brought from Aomori Village for my own practical use," The mysterious woman started, "Seth, you've been to Aomori Village. Can you tell that some of these antiques have been around since the days of the old world?"
The mysterious woman was right. The inside of this cave was surrounded by wood, just like an ordinary cabin, or the house me, Yumi, and Chikorita stopped in. Wood was on the floor as well, and the floor was blanketed by an old rug. It was old, but very well made. The mysterious woman even had enough wood to build walls and divide the cave into sections-or rooms, like a regular house. There was a living room, a kitchen, and one bedroom. I would have questioned there being just one bedroom if the mysterious woman wasn't living alone in such isolation.
"Please, make yourselves at home." The woman said.
Her long black hair glistened while in the presence of a Chandelure providing light.
I was skeptical, but chose not to question her, not yet.
Morana, on the other hand, "Why should we? We don't even know you."
I proceeded to sit down on an antique wooden chair, and watched how the mysterious woman handles Morana and her sharp tongue.
"I invited Seth into my home, not you. If you don't trust me, you could always get out."
"Hah, I'd like to see you make me!" Morana remarked as she hopped off Mamoswine and took a seat right next to me. She crossed her legs, closed her eyes, and gave off this arrogant vibe as she remarked, "A lonely girl like you should be honored to have me in this obsolete relic you call a home."
The mysterious woman narrowed her icy blue eyes. She gave Morana a stare so cold, it would've turned a weak-willed person into a frozen statue. Morana wasn't moved though.
"I'll get some tea." This was all the woman said as she proceeded into her kitchen.
This left Morana, Chandelure, Mamoswine and I in the living room. Like Aomori Village, this living room was outdated, despite the potential for hospitality. Maybe Morana was arrogant when describing the woman's home, but she was still honest nonetheless.
There was no reason for me to speak to Morana, but she broke the silence and spoke to me nonetheless, "You should marry that girl, dumbass."
"Huh?" Why?
"She's a dumbass like you. I mean, who's dumb enough to live all the way out here alone? I bet she's desperate to have anyone for a husband."
I crossed my arms and closed my eyes. I was not amused by Morana.
"You were supposed to blush." Just now, she sounded like Yumi, "You must have issues. I've never seen someone as emotionless as your dumbass."
"Close your mouth." I eyed Morana with annoyance.
"You're not high enough to tell me to shut up, loser. Remember?" The countered.
I groaned.
"Your tea, is ready." The mysterious woman returned to the living with a tray, and on the trey, were two cups of warm tea. You could see the steam coming from the tea, and it was a refreshing sight. It was so cold outside this cave. For a second, I almost felt like never leaving, because I knew that once this quest is over, we'll have to trek our way all the way off this mountain.
The trey was placed on the wooden dining table in front of us, and that was when Morana and I grabbed one cup respectively. Morana took small sips of the tea, while I blankly stared into my reflection. I was savoring the steam venturing its way to me.
After finishing a few sips, Morana sighed. She took one deep breath before asking the mysterious woman, "So, do you want to marry this guy?"
"What?" My eyes went wide.
When Morana was talking about 'me and the mysterious woman', I thought she was joking. Every time Yumi would bring up a subject like this, I could never take her seriously, because she was never being serious. Morana wasn't Yumi though. 'Me and the mysterious woman' was a legitimate subject that peaked her interest enough for her to be very blunt in asking that question.
The mysterious woman giggled about as much as she has all night. Earlier tonight, she expressed that she giggled so often, people would eventually just wave it off as a habit. I was about to be no different than 'people', until…
"Seth?" The inhumanly pale woman blushed. "Well, it DOES get awfully lonely up here. I would surely love for a man to keep me company." She blinked very fast as she covered her mouth with the sleeve of her white kimono, and it was here that I realized she was just playing along. Once again, this woman showed off her smarminess.
Morana gave me a knowing look, as if to say 'I told you so'.
I had expected the mysterious woman to ask me if she was pretty. It was the perfect opportunity while we were on the subject. But it never happened. I was almost curious, but ultimately decided against dwelling on the subject. The question would eventually find its way to me anyway…
I split second of silence fell upon us. I stared into my cup of tea once more, at my reflection. Morana took a sip, with the cup being held by just her index finger and thumb.
I allowed my thoughts to wander, until a single question was pinpointed. I looked up from my cup of tea and suddenly asked the woman, "What is your name?"
"Hm?" She stared at me, intrigued.
Following another sip of her tea, Morana lowered her cup and remarked, "I don't blame the dumbass for asking. I mean, coming into a stranger's home without even knowing her name is idiotic."
It was common courtesy for this woman to give us a formal introduction. But while we were on the subject of names, my mind began to wander again. Through every dream and vision I've had, and during our trek from Mahogany to Aomori, I've not once given my name to her. How did she know who I was? How did she know who Pryce was?
"What is your name?" I repeated, "How long have you lived in these mountains?"
"Yes, our game of tag is up. That's means it is time for me to reveal the type of woman I am; where I come from and how I came to be…" The woman looked at my untouched cup of tea before looking back at me. I was genuinely intrigued by the mystery surrounding this woman, ready to be solved. She caught onto this, and responded with just a chuckle. "My name, is Yukiko. I have been in this world for how long now? By this point, I've lost count. I live in the mountains, but like you, I come from an actual town that once flourished. I had a family, a partner pokemon…ha, a guardian…"
A guardian?
"Let's just say I was a very privileged girl. So privileged, that I was referred to as 'Princess Yukiko'. The city of Meiji was one that ironically stayed true to its Edo period roots, and I remain in love with Meiji, even to this day. Even so, my love did not stop me from wishing to travel Johto and the rest of the outside world. With my partner pokemon, my guardian, and my father, I travelled the world outside of Meiji, until I eventually settled down in Aomori."
I get it now…If this woman was priviledged enough to have been called 'Princess Yukiko', then she must have been viewed as a very pretty woman. Yukiko must have received the praise very often. She longs for the good days in Meiji, and she longs to be called pretty again. Which is why she continually asks me the question.
"Ha! You didn't even make it far in your journey." Morana remarked, "Meiji isn't too far south of Blackthorn, and Blackthorn is just a few days away from here."
Next, I remarked, "You're leaving out details." Yukiko's eyebrows furrowed, "Why did you want to settle down in a place like Aomori?"
Yukiko tried shrugging of my question, "Now now, you wouldn't be interested in the novel of an answer I have."
I narrowed my eyes, for I wasn't moved.
"You're right," Morana said, "The story was boring even without the details."
"No, it wasn't." I disagreed, "I want to know why Yukiko settled here in the mountains. I want to know what happened to her family. Her partner pokemon, and her guardian." My look intensified, "I want to know what happened to Pryce."
"Nothing. I don't know, alright." Yukiko chuckled.
"'I don't know' isn't 'nothing'." I stood to my feet and approached the inhumanly pale woman, "I've played your games long enough. Now it's time you answer my questions. If you're going to keep blowing me off with those crap 'I don't know' answers, I'll keep asking you the same questions until I have the answers I want."
"I don't remember…"
"Yes you do. You need to tell me what happened."
There was a look in those ice blue eyes of Yukiko's. If she didn't bring with her such a cold atmosphere, I'd venture to guess that she'd have a drop of sweat making its way down her face, because her hypnotism masked by carefree smarminess was starting to wane. My desire for answers had gained control over Yukiko's desire to be called pretty.
"I. Don't. Remember." She repeated, "I', trying to remember, but I just can't."
"Try harder." My voice was beginning to raise. In the matter of seconds, the scene of Yukiko showing us hospitality had turned into a scene of me interrogating her.
"I AM."
"If you can't try hard enough to remember what happened, I'm going to have to assume the worst. Pryce. Your Guardian. Your partner pokemon and family. My dreams. The Bergmite and Avalugg. The fact that as we nearly fell to our deaths, I heard YOUR voice." I started pacing back and forth, never taking my glare off Yukiko, "Yukiko, my lack of emotion shouldn't be mistaken for a lack of awareness and observation. I've disregarded all the warnings that Yumi and the others have given me about everything about this quest relating to you. They felt you were a danger to their lives…kind of like how other people in these mountains. Your guardian. Your family. The people and pokemon of the abandoned Aomori Village. PRYCE!"
I was pulling no punches, and Yukiko knew this.
"You're at the point of no return, Yukiko. If you still can't remember, I'm prepared to fight for my life tonight!"
There was no snarky remark from Morana, and there was no giggling or smarminess from Yukiko. The tension was at an unceremonious high.
"All the clues have come together, and all fingers point toward you."
Yukiko lowered her head to where I could no longer see her eyes. Her bangs had them covered. In this pause, Morana had set her cup of tea down, and you could hear the wind starting to pick up from outside the cave.
"They're dead."
"And you're the one who killed them." There was no change in my facial expression once Yukiko said the words 'they're dead'. I had already come to the realization that Yukiko's guardian, family, and Pryce were dead. I didn't ask her if she was the one who killed them, I told her with authority, as if my word was the final conclusion to tie in every piece of speculation thus far.
"Just admit your guilt," Morana said casually, "The dumbass has you in a corner."
Yukiko kept her eyes concealed beneath her bangs as she replied, "Yes. But," She finally looked up at me, "But might this mean the idea of 'you and I' is nothing but a fantasy now?"
"Yes." I replied coldly.
At last, I had the answer to my questions…Were the answers worth journeying all the way from Mahogany and trekking these mountains? Were the answers worth the exhaustion I now have? Yes. Now, I may finally rest at peace during the night. From here on out, I look forward to never having bizarre dreams about Pryce and a seemingly otherworldly woman haunting me.
"My business here is done." I was about ready to return to the house and get some much-needed sleep. I turned around and started away from Yukiko's house. Wasn't sure which direction Aomori Village was since I strayed a little too far, but I knew I would be able to manage.
"But you never even told me I'm pretty…" Yukiko whispered. "And you never drank the tea I prepared for you."
She was right. While Morana occasionally took sips of her cup of tea, I never even took a sip. My cup of tea was destined to stay on the wooden table and remained stationary.
"Fine then…"
"Ack!"
The woman appeared to whisper her last words to me as I was about to make my exit. But it wasn't until I heard a sudden gasp for air that my attention was returned to the inside of the home.
"Morana?" I questioned.
Morana's eyes were wide open, as was her mouth. Her breathing abruptly became audible, and dragged out. It seemed as if she was trying to force herself to speak, but the words weren't letting themselves out.
What was going on?
"Unlike you, this woman drank my tea, and she's paying the price," Yukiko said, "She certainly has a foul mouth, and she chose to continuously disrespect me in my own home. To say she deserves this fate is an understatement."
There was nothing Morana could do. She was not encased in any ice, but she was frozen.
"She's nothing like you, Seth," she continued, "I've begun to realize you won't fall to my hypnotism. Not like the others, at least. Just know…"
It was time for this woman to put the smarminess to rest, and at long last, that is what she did. Throughout the night, Yukiko has shown signs of her carefree nature being a mask, hiding her true nature. Until now, this true nature was shrouded in mystery. I have unlocked what has turned out to be a murderous which.
Though we were in this cave, the from outside began making its way in here. My black hair, blonde bangs, and black jacket blew in this wind, as did Yukiko's black hair, white kimono, and red obi. Morana could only watch her hair blow from beyond her control, for she was frozen.
Yukiko rose from her sitting position, and as she did, the cups of tea placed on the table froze over. She started to emit a white aura that felt very cold. How was it possible for the temperature to plummet from a coolness that already nears zero degrees?
Everything started to freeze over, following the cups of tea. The wood, the seats and tables…Ice started gathering on Morana's body as this hospitable home of Yukiko's was transforming. No longer was this a dining room, kitchen, and bedroom.
"…If I can't have you, nobody can." Yukiko's voice had regained that echo, returning to her the mystery she emitted since my earliest stay in Mahogany Town.
"You're threatening my life…" I narrowed my eyes.
"Luuuuurrrrrrr…" Chandelure had never been recalled. We were both ready to do battle.
Yukiko replied to me, "I'm not threatening your life all together, Seth. You…You're different from the others. You are without a doubt, the hardest person I've ever tried to hypnotize. Never did I think my hypnotism would eventually fail…You don't play hard to get, you really ARE hard to get, and that is something I genuinely admire." She told me she wasn't threatening my life, but that didn't stop her from summoning a means of offense for the first time. Yukiko materialized in her hand, shards of ice that looked about as real as authentic as deadly shurikens. "I don't wish to kill you. Instead, I will preserve you for all eternity. Once you're frozen, I'll make sure your eyes remain open, so you'll be able to savor my beauty forever. We'll be able to talk through your dreams and visions, and it will be then that you finally confess to me being pretty."
Yukiko readied to firing her ice shurikens, and it was then Chandlure and I got into our battle stances. I'll have to do my part, as well as Chandelure. The Fire-type may be the one doing battle against Yukiko, but Yukiko's main target is me. We're fighting for our lives…
The first attack was fired, multitudes of ice shurikens making their way toward the both of us.
"Luuurrrr." Chandelure did his part, dodging the first shuriken by ascending to his left, followed by descending close to the ground in order to avoid the rest.
Now was my turn. A single ice shuriken shard was ready to draw blood from me. I performed a dodge roll to my right, plenty of powdered snow moving out of place as a result. The powdered snow fell back to the ground, and settled as I rose to my feet.
"You tell me you don't intend to kill me, but I know better than to trust the words of a deceiver like you," I said, "From here on out, it's kill or be killed. Whether or not I'm a pokemon or human is completely irrelevant." I then turned to Chandelure, "Our flames will render your ice shuriken shards completely useless. Chandelure, use Flamethrower!"
I got straight to the point in that fire will melt ice. It was the same as having a type advantage.
"Luuuuurrrr." Chandelure was a collector of souls, and tonight, his hungry flames were going to be fed. This woman was going to burn in Chandelure's Hell before the night ends. Chandelure launched a stream of blue flame at the woman.
She is at the mercy of my flames.
"I can feel your confidence in this match up…" Yukiko's voice echoed as the flames neared her.
The flames were to engulf the woman and finish this fight before it truly starts. Then I would recall Chandelure and return to the house. Morning would arrive, and because Morana is here, I would defrost her and challenge her once more. After her defeat, I would proceed onto the next leg of my journey…It all comes back to starting with Yukiko. And she was right, I was confident I could make short work of a person who relies on deceit.
"What?" I was confident, until we witnessed her disappear from Flamethrower's path. I was caught off guard.
Yukiko then reappeared behind me, and I didn't realize this until she spoke, "You're TOO confident though. That surprised look in your face tells me that you underestimate me."
She was right, I did underestimate her. It was never like me to underestimate an opponent. I knew she was a trickster, but I didn't count on true skill able to be utilized.
I remained speechless.
Yukiko readied more ice shurikens, this time from up close. "I've seen more than just your dreams involving Pryce. I've seen that you possess a much more methodical approach to fighting than simply using Flamethrower in such a straightforward manner. Come now, I'd like to see how you perform when your life is threatened!"
Yukiko launched more ice shurikens. Because the attack was launched from up close, there was a very narrow window of opportunity for me to react. I was not intimidated though.
"Chandelure, Will-O-Wisp."
"Luuuurrrr." Chandelure matched Yukiko's echo with an echo of his own, just as he matched her ice projectiles with his shards of fire.
The flames collided with the ice shurikens. Will-O-Wisp won out, as Chandelure began to spin his body, excitedly motioning the small flames to dispense of each and every ice shard with relative ease. I watched calmly as Chandelure motioned the flames straight for Yukiko. If she avoids this time, Chandelure will adjust the path of the flames accordingly.
Yukiko did exactly as I predicted. She disappeared as the flames neared her. I immediately turned around, not waiting for her to reappear as I commanded for Chandelure to change direction.
Yukiko rose her arms, and seemingly at her command, wind started blowing in our direction. The already intense wind was only intensified, and combined with the crisp cold air, I found myself having to cover my face from this human hurricane.
"Your flames won't reach me." As Yukiko said this the wind dissipated the flames, like blowing out a lit candle. The wind continued to blow, as did her long hair.
Able to hold her own against a pokemon? This woman had the abilities to make it seem as if I've underestimated her yet again. I DIDN'T underestimate her this time; she just has many surprises up those white sleeves of hers…Maybe she's strong enough to push Chandelure and I into using some of our hidden powers.
"Chandelure…" I called.
"Luuuurrrr…." Chandelure was all ears, and was ready for my next command. It was time for a signature move.
Whispers from the dead were calling. It was time for Yukiko to join them.
"Fire isn't going to work, so maybe darkness will. Send her into your flames!"
In Chandelure's dark, soulless eyes, a glint became visible, and the blue flames containing the souls of the dead grew strong.
"Hm?" Yukiko was bewildered, and for good reason.
The entire snow filled cave started going dark, turning into an endless abyss of pitch blackness. The mysterious woman's black hair camouflaged perfectly, but her inhumanly pale skin made her an easy target.
Any normal human would be frightened into paralysis at what was to come.
"Luurrr…" Chandelure disappeared into the blackness, but his long, drawn out, ominous wind echo of a cry remained. "Luuuurrrr…Lurrrrrrrr…Luuuuurrrr…"
Yukiko gaze at me as some of Chandelure's darkness began to surround me.
"Looking at me will do you no justice," I said, "You may not wish to kill me, but your actions suggest you're trying to kill a Chandelure who's already apart of the undead. If you're prepared to kill, then you should prepare to BE killed. I've yet to see Chandelure feed his burning flames, so I'll conclude that it's been a while since his last victim. Chandelure will swallow you whole, and your soul will burn in his version of Hell."
"LUUUUURRRRR." Chandelure's echo was magnified. He reappeared, only now, it was as if he took his size and multiplied it by five. He was huge.
"LUUUUURRRRR." In this illusionary blackness, another Chandelure appeared.
"LUUUUURRRRR." And another.
Chandelure and his dark illusions were ready. The illusions began to spin rapidly. The motion went well with their design and only served to compliment the spreading of blue flames everywhere.
"LUUUURRR." One by one, they charged at Yukiko, never halting their spinning.
"Ack!" With every hit, flames would gradually cover her body. Yukiko has shown to me such a cold atmosphere to her, it almost made me think she herself was cold enough to be melted by the flames. I wasn't correct, but metaphorically speaking, I was close to it. As the flames engulfed her, Yukiko dropped to her knees. She was helpless, and Chandelure wasn't going to let up.
"Luuuurrrr…" The Ghost was ready to Hex Yukiko, as they each started to control the darkness they were emitting.
I watched and waited as the darkness of Hex was rushed to the burning woman. In this pitch blackness, she and the flames covering her looked to be as bright as a star in comparison. However, the darkness was going to extinguish any sort of vision she would have about seeing the light of day again.
"Luuuurrrr…" It was time for Chandelure and his illusions to reveal more of what they're capable of. All three illusions descended into the ground, fazing through like any other Ghost with the power to do so. There was a second of silence before all three illusions gave off that ominous cry in unison. "LUUUURRRR!" The three illusions merged together, and their flames grew to an enormous extent. This could be seen, even though common sense says our vision of them should be blocked by the ground. Not only were the flames enormous, but so was the colossal Chandelure making his way from under the ground. Composed of all three illusions, this Chandelure was able to engulf Yukiko's entire body into the flames that lie in his glass body. There, Yukiko's soul was to burn to ashes.
Chandelure finished the job by allowing his glass body containing the blue flames to crack. Crack after crack, the glass eventually caved in, and shattered. Flames spread everywhere, and they were warm enough to melt parts of the snowy ground on contact.
For a moment, I was the only one present, alongside a still-frozen Morana. The glass has shattered, along with Yukiko, the woman of glass-like fragile ice.
"Luurrr." Chandelure has ascended, rising through the ground once more. He was normal size again, and he stood in front of me, not bothering to look at his surroundings. The pitch blackness returned to normal.
The sequence of moves from Chandelure just now…they weren't solely for the sake of defeating an opponent using brute strength. If I'd intended to play this fight like an average pokemon battle, I'd be blindly calling attacks one by one, as if I could afford to lose and call it a day. This wasn't a pokemon battle though; this was a fight for my life. Chandelure has many hidden powers aimed at using an opponent's psyche and turning it against them. Illusions are created, and the walls of one's mind come crashing down as they truly believe that inside Chandelure's glass body is the real Hell. Their psyche also causes them to believe they really are burning to death, causing the brain to enact death itself. The brain shuts down, and the target ends up dying for real. The combination of the Hex and flames magnifies this sequence greatly.
It would not surprise me if any unfrozen witnesses were here, and they jumped to the conclusion that Yukiko was defeated once and for all. They would be relieved that the ice assassin was assassinated.
…
"This isn't over." I uttered.
There was seemingly nothing left of her, but she was alive. I just had a feeling. The tension filling the air had not dispersed.
"Correct, you are. Hehehe…" The voice of the mysterious woman echoed throughout the entire cavern, "You truly believe me to be the thorn that will pierce your heart. You are holding nothing back, Seth, there is no denying that now. In that case…" From seemingly out of nowhere, the wind regained its rage. It was cold enough for me to think, for a split second, that Chandelure's candles could be blow out. As the wind went on, particles of snow could be seen being carried. Each and every small particle was going to play a major role in creating something bigger. "I will play your game accordingly." The many particles of snow gather to form…Yukiko. She had survived Chandelure's Hell.
Chandelure did not show any signs of visible astonishment at Yukiko surviving his attack, proving that he and I share the trait of not underestimating this woman.
"It's my turn to show you the powers I possess, Seth. Maybe…I will get you to tell me I'm pretty!" With this, Yukiko look up into the air, "…Heaven, the place you'll never reach, Seth…"
Yukiko's move started with clouds inexplicably gathering inside this cave. No longer, could be see the rugged rocks sheltering us from above. I looked to Yukiko again, only to see her staring at me with narrowed eyes. No words were exchanged as my vision of her was starting to become clouded…by hail.
"Hail?" I looked around in bewilderment as Hail began falling everywhere. What was Hail doing here? They were coming from the clouds…But then, where did the clouds come from? Yukiko…I guess whatever is to come will prove my speculation to be all too correct: Yukiko is just as inhuman as I suspected.
In a matter of seconds, the elements have become as formidable as a blizzard. There was a dire need for me to cover my face from the fierce gales, but not without keeping one eye slightly peeled. Yukiko didn't appear to be moving.
"Flamethrower!" I called. If these winds were any stronger, there would need to be a hint of struggle in getting Chandelure to hear me.
"Luuuurrrrr." Chandelure fired a stream of fire that was headed straight for Yukiko.
"Hmph." Yukiko's eyes glinted.
Suddenly, the stream of fire strayed from its path to Yukiko. These ice cold winds did Yukiko well, manipulating the fire.
"I am ice cold, but this attack is courtesy of my burning ambition!" At Yukiko's command, the flames had performed a 180, and were now headed past Chandelure and straight for me.
My eyes grew wide. Something as inhuman as a pokemon could take a stream of fire without suffering major damage, but for a human like me…I immediately readied to dodge roll out of the path of Flamethrower, but-
"Lovely battle, isn't it?" From right behind me…I slowly turned around, to see Yukiko.
'But…Yukiko was in front of me…' And as I thought this, I turned back around to see what I believed to be Yukiko, still standing in Flamethrower's initial path. Was what I was seeing an illusion?
"I will hold you here, and allow the fire to strike you down," Yukiko said, "Then I'll freeze you, so that I may admire you forever."
Nevermind her words, I tried to perform a dodge roll, but something wouldn't allow me. I tried moving, to no avail. I looked to the ground, to see that my feet were frozen in place.
"Ngh!" My effort was futile, but I refused to give in.
"Now now, Seth…No need to waste your energy…" Yukiko smirked as she locked her arms with mine from behind.
This was the first time I had touched Yukiko. She was a woman of ice cold pedigree, but I at least expected her white kimono to be somewhat warm. I was wrong. My struggle out of her grip and out of Flamethrower's path was becoming much unnecessary, just as Yukiko said. My arms were becoming cold enough for me to lose feeling. Coupled with my feet frozen to the ground and me staring into the stream of fire. One would think I would be in all but a hopeless situation now. Right?
"The end is here for you."
"No, it's not." If Yukiko really believed I had shown all I had to offer in battle, she was sadly mistaken. Chandelure was not the only one with powers of darkness.
I looked away from the flames, and at the ground, my blonde bangs covering my eyes. Now was the time for me to reveal to Yukiko a small hint of the power I possess.
"Contrary to what you've led yourself to believe, I do not fear death," I said, "In fact, right now, it is you who should be fearing me."
I began to emit a dark aura. This aura came with such energy, is clashed with the high winds. Yukiko was intrigued, but not bewildered enough to let down her guard. She did not ask any questions, she simply observed whatever I could do to escape from the jaws of defeat.
My dark energy was becoming so great, Yukiko found herself getting blown back.
She questioned me, watching as I calmly allowed the dark energy to shield me from the flames completely. When the flames dissipated, me remaining unscathed, I turned to Yukiko, exchanging one long stare before rushing one large patch of darkness to her.
"Luuurrr." Chandelure followed with a Shadow Ball.
Yukiko smirked. Just before the combined forces of darkness was about to strike, wind began to violently blow around her again. I gritted my teeth, as she was using the icy snow to shield herself in the same manner I used the darkness for protection.
"You're…very unique." Yukiko was perplexed. She said this as the darkness was no more. Adding to the matter, in the palm of her hand, she held the ball of shadows launched by Chandelure. It was surrounded by the violent icy winds. "Every person and pokemon I've ever crossed paths with…they always appear altruistic. They forsake negativity and try to embrace the light positivity in their lives. But you're not like that. From attempting to send me to Hell, to trying to suffocate me in darkness, you're a person who thrives on negativity. You have no problem embracing the darkness that humanity endlessly resists. Whatever a normal human aspires to be, you're the opposite."
"You're point?" I questioned.
"It'll be such a shame, I'll never allow your soul to reach Hell." Ironically, Yukiko produced more shards in the shape on shurikens.
"Prepare Will-O-Wisp." I called to Chandelure without altering my gaze.
"Luuuurrrr!"
For the second time, it was the ice shurikens versus the ghostly flames of Will-O-Wisp. Like last time, a cloud of smoke was created.
My eyes narrowed, because at this moment, I knew of something that could be done, in order for a strike to be landed on Yukiko. I rushed the darkness to shatter the ice surrounding my feet, and followed that by rushing into the smoke, in the direction of Yukiko.
"Luuuuurrrrr."
"A futile effort…" In the smoke, I could hear the echoes of both Chandelure and Yukiko as they waited for the smoke to clear to engage in another showdown.
Shame, I had no intention of there being another showdown. As the smoke began to clear, I rushed some of the darkness to my hand, clenching my hand into a fist.
"Oh?" As soon as the smoke clear completely, Yukiko was met with the sight of me and my darkness closing in on her. I readied my fist, and I was counting the seconds in my head to see if Yukiko could react fast enough to avoid my attack. Hmph. Not fast enough, Yukiko was. Through her pitch black hair being blown in the violent wind, I could see those ice cold eyes widen. Her mouth hung open slightly. She had no clue that I was going in to strike her myself.
I raised my fist and punch the air, which rushed the darkness straight to her head. "Ngh!" I halted right behind her, and swiftly turned around. The darkness in my purple eye grew stronger as my Fear half took over for a split second, in order to deal the finishing blow.
I raised my fist and aimed it at Yukiko one more time before Fear used this certain ability for the first time, "Mind Crush…"
It was as if this moment played slow motion in my head, because I was still counting the seconds. Fear had my heart racing, because he was just as hungry for death as Chandelure. Yukiko has expressed that she was not fully intent on killing me, but that wasn't the case on my part. Every move, every attack called, I've attempted to send the woman to a dark Hell to melt, and then burn forever. And now, with this move, I have defeated her. Mind Crush…I've had my Fear form long enough for me to discover obscure powers as Fear and I grow. But to possess this of all abilities…
"…" With no passion in my eyes, I watched as the darkness claimed its next victim. Yukiko was as fragile as ice, and I held no qualms splitting her head open accordingly. On her face, a gaping crack was born as she fell to the ground.
Yukiko was as lifeless as a broken doll…
"My love…" Those were the last words to escape her mouth, before the icy woman's body stopped moving, like it was frozen.
Yukiko was torn apart. She was torn apart from me, Pryce, Morana, and every person she has killed. He reign over Aomori's surrounding region is now over. This cave, once her homey cabin used to house unsuspecting guests, was now beginning to fall apart. The rock ceiling began cracking, as if an Earthquake was in progress. The ice was disappearing, the wind shrinking to the impact of mere whispers.
I allowed the darkness to shield Chandelure and I from the falling rocks. We remained unharmed by the time the cave had completely collapsed. The night sky, I gazed at. The dark of the night showed no signs of giving in to the light of morning anytime soon. Despite the cave and the ice inside it dissipating, snow remained outside, on the ground and on the naked trees.
"Stupid wretch!" Hmph, a backhanded remark? I heard the sound of high heels stomping on high accompanying the remarked. Chandelure and I looked to see Morana, who was now unfrozen. She took it upon herself to repeatedly stomp on the already cracked face of a fallen Yukiko. Her heels were doing not one dent of damage to Yukiko. "You! Meant to! Trick ME?! How! Dare you! Who do you! Think you are!" Morana was angry, she did not want to stop stomping on Yukiko, but her foot started to tell her otherwise, after minutes wasted. She breathed heavily as she whispered, "I was on the precipice of defeat…Only because I was deceived…Nobody deceives me…This quest all the way to these mountains, they were a waste of time. I can't believe there weren't any rare pokemon to capture…" She sighed before starting to walk, in my direction.
With Yukiko defeated, there was no reason for Fear to be in control anymore, so the darkness around me dissipated as Morana faced me from up close. What was Morana going to say?
"Dumbass." I see some people never change, "I was deceived, and for that reason, I've no reason to treat you like some sort of hero. What? Were you expecting some sort of 'thank you', or vivid expression of gratitude?"
Was I supposed to be offended?
"No matter what happened tonight, you still do not have my respect, dumbass. Remember, it is I who found the mysterious woman, not you. Had I not found you, you would've wandered the mountains until freezing to death, so that makes us one for one." Morana snorted, "I could care less who you beat just now. You still have one defeat, courtesy of me. You may think you're strong, but I'm still stronger."
"You know, it's about time I shut you up," I replied.
"What, you want a rematch right now, dumbass? Why not have it right now?"
"Because you've unfinished business."
Echo…
Morana's eyes grew wide, as did mine.
That echo…
We stood in the calm night, and the clouds were beginning to give way to the crescent shaped moon in the sky. Unlike earlier in the night, the moon looked to be here to stay. The clouds…those were the last batch of clouds to pass by over the Aomori mountain region. It appeared as though tomorrow was going to be sunny. Sunny, but still cold. As cold as ice.
From beneath the debris left over from the cave's collapse, icy mist began seeping through.
"I am a woman of ice. When you shatter me, what remains of me becomes as sharp and dangerous as glass."
'She…she's supposed to be dead…Her head was shattered…' I was in disbelief as I thought this to myself.
"I don't blame you for believing I was beyond dead." In between every small crack of space between the debris, the mist was now accompanied by ice, ascending from the dead, and gathering in one spot to form a white silhouette of a human body.
"I shattered your face. I killed you…" I replied.
"You are only half correct," The echoed voice started, "You've shattered my face, as well as my heart. The woman of snow has been defeated…" Once our eyes were adjusted, Morana and I were able to see the white silhouette for what it really was. The woman of snow was reformed…with the exception of her now shattered face, which was now a mask of ice. We could see a drop of blood drip down, staining the snow below. "However, there is one thing you must now…I've been dead for many years now."
"What?" She's been dead…for years?! For a moment, I found her words to be the most absurd I have ever heard from the mouth of a human or pokemon. Morana even scoffed, believing those words to be a joke. How could a woman be dead, yet talking and fighting us like she's the life of a war? I nearly scoffed at those words as well, until I began thinking back to the backstory Yukiko briefly explained to us.
"My name, is Yukiko. I have been in this world for how long now? By this point, I've lost count. I live in the mountains, but like you, I come from an actual town that once flourished. I had a family, a partner pokemon…ha, a guardian…Let's just say I was a very privileged girl. So privileged, that I was referred to as 'Princess Yukiko'. The city of Meiji was one that ironically stayed true to its Edo period roots, and I remain in love with Meiji, even to this day. Even so, my love did not stop me from wishing to travel Johto and the rest of the outside world. With my partner pokemon, my guardian, and my father, I travelled the world outside of Meiji, until I eventually settled down in Aomori…"
Earlier, I had interrogated Yukiko for leaving a cliffhanger to her backstory. Revealing to us that she's already dead has given me a clue as to what she was hiding from us.
If Yukiko is dead, then she can't be human anymore. Am I right?
"You have defeated my deception, Seth. From here on out, I will no longer deceive you. I will instead, will remain honest when defeating you once and for all…" Her shattered ice face…it began to crack, and Yukiko began to glow.
Yukiko desired to reveal her true form, and I'd say the transformation was drastic, astonishing even. Small, near microscopic shards of ice began falling off Yukiko's face, and onto the ground. Her long, black hair started blowing off her head, and was led by the wind into the unknown night. Those icy eyes remained as they never looked away from me. As the seconds past, the small shards falling off Yukiko's face gradually turned into large clumps, like an avalanche was at work.
"She isn't human…" No longer did she even have the look of a human by the time the last of her shattered face fell off completely. What I saw, was some sort of humanoid hollow, retaining the white kimono and red obi. Her head was now shaped like a water droplet, and was topped with two ice crystals resembling horns. Her head also had several holes in it, resembling a mask. Through those two holes, her crystal eyes now had a yellow sclera. Below her 'mask', was a mouth.
"A pokemon…" I whispered to myself.
So the entire time, Yukiko was not a human, but a pokemon…She just had the look. But, what kind of pokemon was she? It was one I have not seen before.
She was no longer deceiving me. Yukiko looked…she looked…
"Do you think I'm pretty now?" When she asked this question, this time from different from all her other attempts. For once, Yukiko put aside the smarminess, and she was gentle. She genuinely wanted my opinion on how she looks.
Under the night sky, she was very…
Who's that pokemon?
"Froslass." It was as if Morana read my mind, answering my question before it could escape my lips.
"Froslass?" I parroted, keeping my eyes on this pokemon.
"It's a unique pokemon with disputable origin. It's not common for people to have never seen this rare pokemon," Morana said.
I narrowed my eyes as I muttered, "How do we know if it's as common as you say? Maybe every person who crosses paths with Froslass gets killed, either through deceit or the sharp ice."
"Your questioning only adds to why its origins are disputable." Morana's eyes then glinted. I could see her staring at Yukiko in awe as she whispered to herself, "What a discovery. Perhaps my venture into these mountains wasn't a wasted effort. Finally…a pokemon worthy of serving me…"
There was a pause in action, and the Yukiko Froslass took it upon herself to address me again.
"Am I pretty?"
Her eyes, they were hypnotizing-as hypnotizing as in my dreams. I may be lacking a heart, but I was still a young man. That was the only explanation I could come up for myself as I felt my eyes turning as ice blue as when we were in the caverns battling Avalugg. Yukiko was magnetizing.
Was she pretty? Now was the time to tell her my answer. On the inside, I was eager. But at the same time…
Flashback…
'I feared for my life, Seth. I feared that if I died, I'd never be able to see you again. I worried that I'd never be able to tell you how I feel…that was, until I found out that you're aware of my feelings. Death was on my doorstep, and if I'd left this life, I'd despise the fact that I never got you to return my feelings. I want you to embrace me when I hug you. I want you to embrace me when I try and kiss you. I want to get you to blush one day…I want you to call me pretty, Seth. Am I pretty?'
Every time I have been asked this question, I have thought about the mysterious woman who has turned out to be the Froslass floating before us…And I think about Yumi.
"That question…" I said to myself before looking at Yumi, "That question has annoyed me all day. I've no reason to answer it."
"That's the point!" Yumi argued as she grabbed my hand, "I've wanted an answer from you since day one! Alice told me that you once called her pretty, why can't you call ME pretty? Am I pretty?! Am I pretty?" I didn't want to acknowledge it at the time, but Yumi was hold back tears that looked to have passion in them. "Am I pretty?"
"Let go!" I yelled.
"Not until you tell me I'm pretty! Am I pretty? Am I pretty?"
I winced in frustration, "No! You're not!"
Yumi paused when those words left my lips. My answer seemed to unnerve her greatly. The strength in her arms minimized, allowing me to pull away.
I only looked away as Braixen and even Chikorita rushed to Yumi's side, trying to comfort her.
"You wanted an answer, now you've got it."
End Flashback…
Why did behave that way? Was it because I was eager to find the mysterious woman who wants to murder me right now?
I was a fool, clouded by rage.
When I was younger, my mother once told me to never call a girl ugly. How could I have gone back on her word? Just imagine if I were to call my mother or sister ugly?
'Yumi hasn't been the same since that argument. I shouldn't have blown off the very girl who saved my life.'
I didn't want to make the mistake of answering the question 'am I pretty' again, so I left Yukiko's question with a cliffhanger.
Yukiko drooped. She was visibly saddened, "You don't think I'm pretty?"
Like I said: I refused to answer that question.
The Froslass slowly closed her eyes as she said, "Fine then...If you won't give me your love, I'll have to take it by force…"
Yukiko began to slowly float in my direction. I tried to move, body wouldn't let me. It was a mystery…or was it? This predicament reminds me of my dreams, when Pryce was helpless as Yukiko neared. I was hypnotized, almost as badly as Pryce, and I was just as helpless. Yukiko was not deceiving me, my body and mind were just acting of their own will.
"The heart of a man can always be won…through a kiss." My hypnotized ice blue eyes went wide. She…
Was she now going to reenact what I had experienced in my dream?
The Froslass, as she neared me, started glowing a pink aura. She closed in, and planted a kiss on my kiss. Why would a pink aura be required for something as simple as a kiss? What this some sort of pokemon move I was not familiar with?
'This is the very kiss that sealed the fate of people like my guardian, my family, and your precious Pryce.' Yukiko did not let up. Instead, she was speaking to me in my mind while still glowing the pink aura.
In my mind, I replied, 'You say the heart of a man can be won through a kiss. Well, how can you when my heart when I have none?'
'I'm not blind.' She quickly answered. 'You care very much about this Yumi girl. Chikorita is your dearest friend, and through trial and error, you've made an oath to yourself to treat all your pokemon with the same level of respect. You have a sister, a brother, and a family that you think about every day. They drive you to satisfy your thirst for vengeance. Seth, what lies deep inside your shattered heart, is ambition filled with passion. Have you never realized this? It's not that you don't have a heart, you've just grown a disdain for acknowledging that you have a heart that continues to develop as the days go by. Your growing heart, is mine…"
It…it felt like my energy was being drained. Or maybe I'm already drained? I told myself multiple times that it's been a long day, yet I refused to rest.
"Draining Kiss, dumbass." Morana looked at the confusion on my face, and felt the need to answer, "The move Froslass is using, is Draining Kiss, and it fits her personality perfectly. Your energy will be stolen, used to revitalize her shattered spirit. You seem to need some assistance, but I find it amusing to see men like you act so helpless in the face of a pretty girl. Once you're dead, I'll capture this Froslass for myself."
In just moments, I felt no energy inside me. There was no longer a will to stay awake...I…I fell to my knees, and then to my stomach, as I fell asleep.
'Sweet dreams on this beautiful night.' The Froslass said, 'Get some rest. When you wake up, you'll be my prized frozen trophy, and then you'll finally tell me I'm pretty."
To Be Continued…
Author's Note
Alright, this and next chapter will be where all the plots and subplots within Mahogany Town come together. I'll admit, I kind of liked giving Seth the characteristic of decent interrogation skills. It meshes well with him. Other characters wouldn't have been able to pull off what he did.
I hoped you like the fight as well. Thank goodness, I can justify Chandelure's abilities using Litwick's role in Super Mystery Dungeon! I also hope the unique twist I gave for Ice Shard looking like shurikens made of ice.
Look forward to the next two chapters.