Year 905, Middle of the Outlands…
The winds seemed to stir stronger that day as if sensing the confrontation about to transpire. Murder and destruction were common elements in the Outlands, as normal as a passing rain shower. What wasn't common was an arranged duel between two parties. Death came unexpectedly, not from preestablished agreements.
One could survive a chance encounter with death. A duel in the Outlands…meant certain death.
Rookie mercenaries Ulrich and Vilgot arrived a whole half-hour late to the agreement meeting point, hoping their lackadaisical presence would intimidate their opponents. After all, if they didn't show concern for arriving late, it would inform their opponents that they weren't taking the duel seriously. They had complete confidence in themselves.
Their opponents, however, weren't amused by their lateness.
"You fellows sure took your time getting here," said the Garbodor smoking from a pipe that spewed toxic gas. "Get lost along the way?"
Ulrich crossed his arms and laughed. "We were giving you one last chance to back down and walk away with some dignity."
Vilgot grinned. "You're looking at the successors of Pride and Envy!"
The Bellibolt beside the Garbodor scoffed and laughed. "These children were the ones Absalom arranged for us to fight? I was expecting something a bit more stimulating. Right, Denholm?"
The Garbodor huffed more smoke from his pipe. "You want to take them by yourself, Neely?"
"Nah. I don't want to deprive you of the fun. These brats need to learn the dangers of hubris."
Ulrich clenched his fists, generating sparks from his cheeks. "You fools will learn from your hubris! My partner and I are the baddest of the bad, and we're taking our rightful places as Pride and Envy!"
Vilgot pulled out a handful of seeds and grew them into a cluster of berries. "Together, we're an unstoppable duo! We'll be the ones to conquer the Outlands and run it as our personal paradise!"
Neely smirked. "These kids are actually insane."
Denholm spat out his pipe and raised his arms, generating toxic smoke from them. "Enough talk. Let's get this duel over with. We'll be sure to send your bodies back to where you come from."
Ulrich laughed. "Not before we splatter your guts across the sand and write out our names in your blood! Let's show these guys just how strong we are, Vil!"
Vilgot grinned. "Right behind you, buddy!"
With ferocious battle cries and unstoppable spirit, the duo lunged at the Pride and Envy bearers, ready to take on their new names in the Deadly Seven.
Both Phoebe and Magni knew the risks of taking on Ulrich in a fight as he easily had the speed advantage over them. However, that was only in the open plains of the Outlands. With the high walls of Copper Gorge and twisting turns to take advantage of, they stood a slightly better chance surviving the Alolan Raichu's wrath.
And fortunately for that, Ulrich didn't seem to be wielding his previous confidence.
"Get back here!" Taking high to the air, Ulrich unleashed a barrage of psionic electro shots, peppering the ground around Magni, who weaved in and out of the explosive volley. "40% Psycho Core: Almighty Blast!" Gripping his wrist, he concentrated a massive amount of psionic electricity through his hand before firing a wide laser through the canyon.
"Dodge!" Phoebe ordered.
With another boost from his Speed Boost, Magni sidestepped out of the beam's path and braced against the explosive backlash ripping through the earth. He kicked off the crumbling ground, bounced off the wall, and lunged ahead of the beam as it faded out, landing just ahead of the scorched earth.
"Agh!" Ulrich gripped his smoking hand, shaking off the blistering pain. Get a hold of yourself. You're not used to using this much of your power at once. Argh, but this is nothing. You have something to prove against these chumps. You are the best! You have what it takes to survive in the Outlands! No one else matters but I!
Ulrich leaned forward and picked up speed after the fleeing duo. "25% Psycho Core: Superior Storm!" He summoned massive electro spheres and fired them across the walls. The blasts dislodged the earth, sending down scorched debris on top of the duo.
"Stinging Spear!" Magni raised his horns and smashed through the rock ahead of him. With another burst of speed raging through him, he blitzed through the rock and turned it to rubble in a single charge. He used the cloud of dust for cover and turned down another pathway through the gorge.
Ulrich nearly flew past them, only slowing down upon catching the tail end of Magni's dust trail. "You think you can escape me?!" He spun around and sailed after them. "10% Psycho Core: Scattering Honor!" He unleashed a barrage of scattering shots through the gorge, breaking apart the rock in his way.
Magni raced around pillars of rock to avoid the blasts. Each shot punched massive holes through the pillars, causing many to topple over onto each other. The resulting crash of rock kicked up a plume of dust that Ulrich burst through unimpeded.
"50% Psycho Core: Overwhelming Presence!" His veins started to glow in surges of psionic electricity. With a single flex of his arms, he unleashed a powerful pulse of telekinesis around himself, the unstoppable wave smashing through rock and reducing it to dust. The wave crashed into the earth, splitting it open and pushing up a wave of dust and dirt that quickly rose to the height of the previously standing pillars.
Phoebe looked back at the encroaching wave of earth and scoffed. "Showoff." She loaded a Drill Bullet into her rifle, then wagged her tail to send Metronome through the bullet. "Keep it steady, Magni!" She peered down her ironsides, lining up with the vague silhouette of Ulrich in the dust, and pulled the trigger. "Mystery Bullet!"
The bullet ripped through the air, unleashing the stored power of Drill Run to rip through the dust. Phoebe randomly rolled Foresight into the bullet. Though it did nothing to its power, it homed in on Ulrich's position with near perfect accuracy even against the high winds.
Ulrich, sensing the oncoming bullet, tried to fly out of the way, but wasn't aware of the added Foresight. The bullet missed his overall body, but the drilling aura surrounding it shredded across his side. Ulrich screamed out in agony as the aura tore through the left side of his torso, exposing shredded, raw flesh and muscle underneath that hung out like tattered streamers.
"AAAAAAHHHHHH!" Acting fast, he gripped into his side and screamed even louder as he forcefully cauterized his exposed side. The water content in his shredded muscle exploded with mist from the rapid application of heat, but he managed to burn his wounds closed.
Phoebe's eyes widened. "Fucking hell! Wasn't he the lazy one?!"
Ulrich's flight faltered, passing out for a couple seconds from the pain. He viciously slapped his cheeks to keep himself awake before screaming out toward the sky with the aroma of burnt flesh wafting off him. He smeared his blood across his face and growled at the fleeing duo.
"40% Psycho Core: Almighty Blast!" Ignoring the scorching pain in his body, Ulrich channeled his energy and fired the massive energy beam down on them.
"Magni!" Phoebe screamed.
Magni stopped running for a moment and conjured a massive, spiked boulder over his head. "Stinging Smash!" He whipped his head around full force and intercepted the beam with the boulder. It stopped the beam from advancing, but triggered an early explosion that sent both him and Phoebe flying into the air. Magni tanked most of the damage for Phoebe, growling through gritted teeth with his left side sparking with electrical burns.
"I'm not done!" Despite the pain surging up his arm, Ulrich immediately charged another Almighty Blast and fired on the airborne duo.
Acting fast, Phoebe drew one of her Metal Destruction Bullets and activated Metronome. "Mystery Bullet!" She recoiled from the firing, the bullet bursting through the air in a trail of intense silver.
It struck into the Almighty Blast, meeting at a stalemate as both forces pushed against each other. However, luck was on Phoebe's side as the move she randomly implemented was Triple Kick. As the seconds ticked by, the bullet's speed and power increased in increments, pushing through the beam until it finally ripped down the middle.
Since the bullet briefly stalled in the stalemate, Ulrich was able to cancel his attack and fly out of the bullet's path, though still recoiled from the rippling shockwaves coming off it.
Now safely out of harm's way, Magni reoriented himself and crashed down on his legs before breaking immediately into a sprint. Phoebe collapsed against his neck as her rifle's barrel crumbled to pieces. She pulled out another disposable barrel and attached it while saying, "Find us some cover!"
The Scolipede roared and made an immediate left turn into the maze of rock pillars ahead. Ulrich quickly caught up, but lost sight of their dust trail. He huffed before gripping his smoking arm and taking aim.
"30% Psycho Core: True Sight!" He concentrated another beam of energy through his arm and fired. The beam was half the width of his Almighty Blast, allowing him to manually guide its movements with sharp turns around the pillars.
The beam pierced through all the rock caught in its way, blindly digging through anything to tag the unseen duo. He gradually amped up the power, increasing its speed and destructive impact. If he applied too much power, he'll lose control on the turning, though he didn't necessarily mind the idea of turning the gorge into a smoking wasteland. He just needed to be sure he caught them before he could proceed with the excessive murder.
Clouds of dust filled the area with each successive blast through the rock. A web of electricity strung along the rock pillars with still no sign of the hidden duo. Eventually, due to the damage his attack was causing, the pillars lost their stability and came crashing down over each other, further drowning the area in dust.
Ulrich ceased his attack and took a deep breath. "50% Psycho Core: Overwhelming Presence!" He let out a loud battle cry, releasing his swelling psychokinetic power forward and plowing through the rubble and dust. The attack struck so hard that it carved a near perfect tunnel through the dust cloud and shaved the ground under it almost completely smoothed. "Quit hiding like cowards and face me!"
"Stinging Shower!" From the left side of the dust cloud, a barrage of jagged purple arrows streaked in an arc and rained down over Ulrich.
He scoffed and, with a wave of his hand, directed the arrows around him. "Pathetic—"
BANG!
Ulrich nearly missed it, but froze as a bullet came close to piercing through his head, stopped only by the timely activation of his Psychic. However, to his horror, it wasn't a regular bullet. It was blinking, glowing brighter and hotter with each successive tick.
"SHIT!" He flicked the bullet away and flew off before a fiery explosion went off from the tiny projectile. He shielded himself in Psychic as the explosion washed over him, shockwaves slamming into his body and throwing him back into the gorge walls.
Inside the dust cloud, Phoebe and Magni kept their breathing to a minimum, ducking behind a destroyed pillar. Phoebe loaded another bullet into the rifle and carefully peeked out behind cover.
"I was hoping he wouldn't notice it was a Time Bomb Bullet," she grumbled. She pressed her back to the rock and took a moment to catch her breath. "How are you holding up, big guy?"
Magni snorted. "Fine."
"If I took one of those attacks, I'd probably be dead right now." She scowled. "This guy may be an idiot, but he's not all talk. I don't think I've struggled this much just to shoot someone dead."
"What do?" Magni asked.
"We're at a disadvantage. The straightforward approach won't cut it, and I'm not exactly good at thinking outside the box." She scowled to herself. "Lancaster would have a better shot dealing with this guy, but I'm not sure he'll be in the best condition to fight even if he wakes up soon."
"…Not sure."
"Hmm?"
"Amos…is strong."
"…" Phoebe snickered weakly. "He is stubborn, I'll give him that." She sighed and peeked out around cover again. "Guess he's our best hope for dealing with this one. Let's relocate to somewhere else while the dumbass is recuperating."
"Mhmm."
Meanwhile…
Evelot shuddered, feeling the subtle vibrations of battle echoing through the canyon. She wanted to cling to Caractacus for safety, but didn't want to interrupt his focus. All she could do to distract herself was keep an eye on the anesthesia and make sure it wasn't running too low.
Though, she could sense even Caractacus was getting agitated from the fighting outside as sparks briefly erupted from his mechanical arm, forcing him to take a short break.
"So noisy," he grumbled. "Can't they learn to fight with a bit more decorum? Cleaning alcohol." He tossed aside the tweezers he was using and held out his mechanical hand for the Slowking to pass him the bottle. "Thank you." He rolled his shoulders before returning to his work.
Evelot gulped. "How much longer is this going to take?"
"What did I say about rushing brilliance?" He dragged an electrified claw over Amos' skin, sealing the prosthetic and flesh together. "Fortunately for you, I'm nearing completion. Evelot, how long would it take the anesthetic to wear off?"
The shivering Mimikyu tapped her fingers together. "Probably five minutes, but I don't think Amos will be in proper fighting condition when he—"
"I'm sure he'll manage. It's just a matter of putting those two morons out of commission. I'm getting real sick of people hunting me down. Sure, I know I'm brilliant, but it's getting a tad ridiculous."
Evelot narrowed her eyes worriedly at the cave entrance. "Phoebe…Magni…" She fidgeted in place.
"Something wrong? Worried about them?"
"…It's nothing. W-We ran into some other bounty hunters from the same group, and…my mind just wandered to something they said."
"Hmm…" Before Caractacus could push on the conversation, his ears twitched to a soft noise, like two wings beating the air. He groaned aloud, but didn't take his eyes off the surgery. "You're not stealthy! Stop hiding like a coward and come out!"
"Eh?!" Evelot spun back toward the entrance in shock.
Seeing that he was caught, the hidden figure flew out into the open: Vilgot Frisk.
"Y-You?!" Evelot gasped.
Vilgot glared at them, taking in the odd set up and situation. "Well, guess that explains why Lancaster wasn't a part of their little assault. They were trying to divert our attention away from this."
Caractacus smirked. "Yes, yes, you're quite studious. Now, kindly take a seat. I need to focus on my patient."
Vilgot chuckled confidently. "You're not in any position to make demands. I'm the one calling the shots, and I say you're coming with me, Caractacus MacGyver."
"Eh. No, I'm good."
"That wasn't a request—"
"I don't care. Kindly sit down and shut up so I can focus my brilliance."
Vilgot felt himself getting annoyed. He flapped higher to the ceiling, tucking his lower half close to himself. "I'm afraid you're confused. You are currently compromised, and you have arguably the most dangerous of your guests' group unconscious and vulnerable. You are in no state to refuse my demands—"
Caractacus groaned. "Look, I don't make it a policy to violate my barely artificial tongue with vulgarity, but I suppose I need to lower my vocabulary to something a bit more commonplace for you. Kindly shut the fuck up before I put you down for surgery next."
"…Tch." Vilgot curled himself into a ball and started spinning in place as he slowly descended toward the ground. "This is your own fault, just so you know."
Caractacus didn't even spare him a glance while Evelot fearfully shivered behind him. "C-C-Caractacus…" she whimpered.
Inches from touching the ground, Vilgot shouted, "You're both coming with me! Golden Demolition!" The very second he touched earth, he took off like a cannonball, fully intent to take them both out and kill Amos in one shot.
"AAAAHHHHHH!" Evelot covered her head and ducked to the floor.
"…Tch."
Vilgot thought he had the hound dead to rights, but something felt off. Because he couldn't see outside his shell, he had to make assumptions of his trajectory and speed. He felt like he was still moving forward, but he should've struck his targets seconds ago. Moreover, his spinning dramatically slowed down, and he felt himself suspended in the air.
"Huh?" Vilgot uncurled himself and saw why he had suddenly stopped.
He was an entire meter away from Caractacus, who barely gave the Flapple attention. Vilgot lay suspended in a faint veil of electricity surrounding the hound, and arcs of electricity surged into his fur off of said Flapple. It was a barely visible barrier that tinted the surrounding area yellow ever so slightly.
"W-What the…?"
Caractacus scoffed. "Yes, yes, continue to look dumbfounded while you sit down and be patient. I'll be with you shortly."
Year 905, Outlands…
In the Outlands, it was survival of the cruelest. Fighting wasn't a game for glory.
It was death.
"GAAAAAAAHHHH!" Seized by his ankle, Ulrich was thrown into the ground, blood bursting from his nose on impact. Denholm, using his elongated arm, pulled the Alolan Raichu back in and swung him over his shoulder, hammering his face into the ground once more. "AAAGH!"
"Tainted Claws." The Garbodor tossed Ulrich up and delivered a fierce slash across his chest, his sharpened fingers dripping in poison. He tore through Ulrich's shirt and protective layers, scraping out his flesh.
"AAAAHHHH!" Ulrich landed on his back, trembling from the pain and poison coursing through his body.
Denholm scoffed. "You're supposed to be the newest of the Deadly Seven? We're doing you brats a favor ending your lives now. Isn't that right, Neely?"
Vilgot was struggling just as hard as Ulrich. Neely was the worst matchup for him. He rammed himself full speed into the Bellibolt, but the frog remained firm in stance and bounced back against the Rollout like it was nothing. The impact caused electricity to swell within his stomach.
"Charging Cannon!" Electricity swelled to the surface and released a wide beam of electrical energy forward, encompassing the Flapple and burning him alive.
"AAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!" Vilgot went flying through the air and crash landed on his face.
Ulrich's eyes widened. "VILGOT!"
Neely slapped his knee and laughed. "What a weakling! This sad little lizard wouldn't last two seconds against Helmut! Agh, now I wish I was beating up the other one. He might give an actual challenge."
Denholm scoffed. "Just focus on killing them. We have a schedule to keep—" The living trash monster recoiled from a surprise electrical shot to his face. "Agh!"
Ulrich stood up, his knees trembling under his weight, yet his face screamed with a furious scowl. "Don't you DARE hurt my partner!" He jumped onto his tail and took off into the sky. He raised his arm high over his head and channeled electricity through it. "100% Psycho Core—"
Blood spurted out from his open wounds as his muscles contracted. His veins glowed from the overabundance of power being pushed through his system at once. It was far beyond what he normally outputted, but he refused to die without giving it his all.
The electricity crackled out through his hand and condensed itself into a marble-sized sphere. Energy poured endlessly into the condensed space, causing an unimaginably bright light to shine and eclipse the sun over him. His arm shook from the great pressure exuding out of the tightened energy, forcing him to grip his arm and keep steady.
"E…Ever…Everlasting…E-Everlasting…"
Try as he might, his body was unaccustomed to the large quantity of power swelling from within. Through willpower alone, he maintained its strength, but he couldn't muster the dexterity to aim it toward the ground.
"AAAAAAAHHHHH! EVERLASTING PRIDE—"
SHIIIIING!
Ulrich's concentration suddenly crashed as Denholm's elongated arms extended through the air and stabbed into the psy-mouse's stomach. The energy in his hand crackled wildly before exploding out as a splash of teal across the sky, the shockwaves rumbling the atmosphere around him and the ground.
Poison seeped out through Denholm's claws, painting the mouse's stomach purple. The poison quickly spread across Ulrich's body, reaching and discoloring his face. He could barely stay awake, vacant eyes lost on the static-colored sky.
Denholm reeled the barely conscious Raichu in and scoffed. "Well, I must admit, that attack looked quite dangerous, though hardly threatening in the hands of an amateur."
Neely turned away from the scorched Vilgot and approached his partner's side. "Another batch of failures hoping to make it big. Geez, why did Absalom approve these two as our potential replacements? Guess they really did pester him until he agreed."
Denholm coiled his arms around Ulrich, squeezing down on his neck. "What's say we rip him in half and present his head as a trophy to the others? I'm sure he'll make a fine gift for Ali and Wig."
Vilgot struggled to pick himself up, his arms shaking as he pressed against the ground. The duo of mercenaries were so preoccupied with the presumed threat that they completely ignored him. Not that it mattered given his current state. He was barely gripping to consciousness himself.
He shouldn't have let Ulrich talk him into going after the Deadly Seven. They both knew the risks of initiation, but Ulrich assisted for the glory. Perhaps it was his own fault for being sweetened by honey and glory. The alure of power was too tempting for amateur bounty hunters like them, thus was it really Ulrich's fault when Vilgot had every opportunity to walk away and say no?
Even still, he refused to pass out seeing his friend being held high to be ripped in two. They were partners, and they swore they would conquer the Outlands together. They would become the biggest names in this lawless land, and no one would stop them.
He can't imagine a world…without his friend.
Precious time dwindling, Vilgot searched around for any way to save Ulrich, but he knew his chances were slim. Most of his berry supply was torched, and he didn't have the strength for another drawn out fight. He needed to do something, and in one shot.
He looked into the inner lining of his apple wing and picked through the pockets of berry seeds. One found its way into his hand. He sniffed it. "A jaboca seed." His eyes widened in realization. "There's a chance…"
He quickly searched the ground until he found sharp metal fragments hidden in the sand. During the fight, he had intercepted one of Denholm's attacks, causing his claws to snap off. The blades were virtually useless in Vilgot's hands, but he intended them for something else.
Seconds ticked by as he heard Ulrich's agonizing screams. Denholm squeezed tighter around the trapped Raichu and began to pull on his body. Any moment now, Ulrich will be ripped in two.
Vilgot cupped a hand over his eyes, mapping out a path for himself and his targets. Taking a deep breath, he stabbed the metal shards into his wings before growing the seed into a jaboca berry. He quickly scarfed it down and curled himself into a ball.
"Here goes nothing." He revved himself up and took off flying toward the two mercenaries. "HEY! ASSHOLES! LOOK AT ME!"
Denholm and Neely turned toward the charging Flapple, the latter laughing. "He's joking, right?! What a fool!"
Denholm scoffed, uncoiling one of his arms and rearing it back. "This idiot…"
Vilgot used a quick burst of Dragon Dance to launch himself up. He knew he didn't have the strength to inflict serious harm to them, but he wasn't some one-trick Ponyta. Vilgot was aware of the rising popularity of firearms thanks to the Senbo Kingdom as of late, and he understand the mechanics of how they worked.
"To Hell with the both of you!" Denholm swung his poison-tipped claws and struck the approaching Flapple.
Bullets were fired via controlled explosives plus a narrow pathway to increase the force of the explosion's released pressure. Though he lacked a pathway…
He could control the explosion from his own body.
Jaboca berries, upon consumption, released explosive retaliatory damage upon physical impact. And with the added bonus of his Ripen…
Denholm and Neely's eyes widened as the embedded metal in Vilgot's wings exploded off and ripped through the center of their heads in one clean blast. Denholm's hold on Ulrich weakened as he and his partner faltered back with blood and brain matter spurting out from their heads.
Victory…was certain.
Ulrich panted softly, gripping over his burned side as he floated through the rubble of the canyon. His eyes searched lazily, his mind still trying to keep up with his body. He trembled from his injuries, and the pain of his left side being nearly torn to ribbons weighed on his mind indefinitely. It was a miracle he was still conscious.
As he searched, Phoebe and Magni carefully navigated through the fallen pillars, staying just out of the Raichu's sightline. Phoebe plucked a bullet from her bag and carefully inserted it into the rifle so as not to make a noise.
Both parties knew their strengths. With Magni being the odd one out, Phoebe and Ulrich had the means to kill the others in a single quickdraw. It was a matter of who could get the first shot off first. No longer were they in a fight, but a standoff. Who would strike first?
"…" Ulrich seethed through clenched teeth, his shaking worsening. "There was something off about that whole day." He cupped his hands over his face and shuddered. "I do remember blacking out from the pain. I know I didn't kill those two in some unconscious trance. He lied to me. I didn't earn anything. I didn't earn my title."
Phoebe signaled to Magni, and they continued around the rock pillars to get behind the Alolan Raichu.
Ulrich sighed and dropped his hands. "But is it my own fault? Did some part of me know it was a lie? Was I willing to sink so low as to accept a handout?" He clenched his teeth. "I wasn't destined to suffer in this hellhole. What other choice did I have? Everything I know was from living here. There was no place in society that would accept me."
Phoebe and Magni managed to round the entire area and hid behind a collapsed pillar. They had a direct sightline on the Alolan Raichu's back.
Ulrich clenched his fists. "Heh. Then again, I'm one of the unlucky ones. Someone born with no innate talent for anything. No talent for fighting, and no talent for glory. I've seen people rise up from the Outlands and go beyond their wicked place, like that sparkling lizard and his crew of magnets. Oh, how I hated him. He was always shining brightly, and I was left as a dull star in his universe."
Phoebe peeked out over the rock pillar before resting her rifle atop it. She peered down the ironsides, lining up a shot for the back of the Raichu's head.
Ulrich clicked his tongue in frustration. "But nobody frustrated me more than him. Caractacus MacGyver. He was everything that pissed me off. Innate talent that allowed him to thrive in the Outlands. He never struggled or suffered like the rest of us. He was born, and he was suddenly better than all of us before he could string sentences together. It's unfair. Why was he born here? Why did he have to be born lucky? His arrogance is what drove me to get stronger, and what led me to searching out the Deadly Seven. All in a bid to prove I'm better than Caractacus!"
Phoebe closed one eye and carefully wrapped her finger around the rifle's trigger.
Ulrich tilted his head back and breathed in deeply. "I was weak all those years ago, but I've improved since joining the Deadly Seven." Psionic electricity sparked from within his eyes. "You won't find the weakly from yesteryear anymore—"
BANG!
Ulrich immediately tilted his head to the side, letting the bullet sail past him. Without missing a beat, he whipped around and fired a Psychic pulse into the pillar the duo hid behind, throwing them out into the open.
Magni dragged his feet through the ground to catch himself and inhaled. "Stinging—"
Ulrich flicked his wrist and fired sharpened stone at the Scolipede. Magni recoiled and hollered as the stone pierced through his sides and neck. Ulrich flicked his wrist again and threw Magni aside, dropping him atop the stone impaling his body and digging it in deeper. The megapede roared out in agony.
Phoebe scrambled to her feet and tried to grab her rifle, but Ulrich's psychic hold reached her and threw her against the wall. Before she could react, he sped into her, seizing her by the neck and dragging her up the wall until they skyrocketed high above the gorge.
Ulrich tightened his grip over her neck, pulling her closer to glare into her defiant eyes. "For I have accepted my role as the Winds of Pride."
Vilgot tried every possible way to reach Caractacus, ricocheting off the walls and hurtling himself faster and faster into the barrier. However, no matter how many times he struck down, he couldn't breach more than a couple inches of the barrier's one meter radius. It protected everything inside, even the operating table. Each time Vilgot struck the barrier, electricity would surge off and transfer into Caractacus, who barely paid the Flapple mind.
"Go on, keep hammering away until you exhaust yourself," Caractacus taunted. "You're never getting past my Negative Space."
Vilgot tried one last time, hurtling himself against the forcefield with all his might, but was met with the same outcome. He bounced onto the floor, panting heavily. "How…strong is this barrier?"
Caractacus laughed. "Strength? You think strength is the reason you can't get past my barrier? Oh, that's adorable." He picked at the apparatus attached to Amos' tail. "So, where's your partner? Given that you're not screaming like a lunatic at me, I'm guessing you're not the one after my head."
Vilgot glared. "As far as I'm concerned, he's not my partner anymore. I'm here to take you both in."
"Mmhmm. And what are you going to do after that?"
"When I earn favor from my employer, I'm going to takeover as the leader of the Deadly Seven, then I'll be the one to rule over the Outlands! You're only delaying the inevitable. You stand before the Daredevil of En…no, the Daredevil of Pride! I am the one and true holder of Pride!"
"…" Caractacus laughed. "How foolish."
"Excuse me?"
"Sorry, it's just I'm not good with children. They're a little too…I don't know, delusional for my tastes."
Vilgot clenched his teeth. "What's that supposed to mean?"
"You have these great ambitions, and you don't even know where to go. You're just going along the road without any actual thought or plan. You're a child dreaming up fantasies that'll never happen. You joined a big group of mercenaries and expected all the glory to come flooding in toward you. It's adorable. It's just adorable."
Vilgot growled. "Where do you get off telling me what I can or can't do?!"
"Envy or Pride, was it? Let me tell you a story I heard once. Are you familiar with The Kubfu and the Sacred Scrolls?"
"Huh?"
Caractacus smirked. "There are some gods and legendary figures in this world that people believe are real, and Kubfu is among those possible sightings. Whether or not one does exist, legends spawn around it and its branching evolution. This particular story concerns a proud Kubfu training under the masters of its homeland. Of the known fighting styles, there is Dark and Water, though some legends speak of different fighting disciplines in this land. The Kubfu of this land trained rigorously to master one of these styles until they were granted permission to peer into the secrets of the fighting style contained within a sacred scroll.
"But one Kubfu wanted to master all styles. He was told he couldn't because of their sacred laws, but this Kubfu was proud of his strength and didn't want to settle for just one. He envied his masters and wanted to be the best of all. He trained diligently to master all of them so that he would be granted the scroll's secrets, but he never truly mastered any of the fighting styles. If you look back far enough through the legends, this Kubfu may have been the inspiration for the term jack-of-all-trades. He knew every style, but he could never truly become a master of one. Outraged that he was denied his destiny, he attempted to steal all the known scrolls and take in their secrets.
"However, because he wasn't a master, the scrolls rejected him. Every single one. Because of this, he was forever stuck as a Kubfu. Skilled in all styles, master of none. He was scorned for his hubris and kicked out of his homeland for desecrating their traditions, forever branded in legend as the Talented Nobody."
"…" Vilgot narrowed his eyes. "Why are you telling me this?"
"Because you're an idiot if you think you can surpass your superiors. I can tell just by looking at you that you have no actual skill. Your fighting style consists of hurtling yourself at your opponent and eating a random assortment of special berries to boost yourself. Anyone can use a hammer, but it takes a truly skilled individual to wield and master the hammer. You're just a child swinging it like a stick you found off the ground." He smirked. "In fact, I can also tell you never earned the titles of Pride or Envy. After all…I actually knew the last wielders of those titles."
Vilgot's eyes widened. "What?!"
Evelot gasped. "You…what? But I thought you weren't familiar with the Deadly Seven?"
"Sometimes I tell half-truths. I have lived in the Outlands my whole life. Not like I cared to remember their names." Caractacus laughed aloud. "But I can tell just from one look that they could easily slaughter a pest like you! Let me guess, you killed them with a surprise attack? I always reward cleverness, so you have my praise for that. You're still a moron for thinking you could outwit me."
Vilgot snarled. "I'll show you—"
"You did show me. That's why I'm still here mocking you while I'm performing a complex surgery which, by the way—" He pulled his electrified claw away from Amos and stepped side. "I just finished."
Evelot gasped. "Wait, seriously?" She jumped onto the table and inspected Amos, seeing that he was indeed patched up.
Caractacus removed his mask and stretched his metal jaw. "Evelot, take him off the anesthetic." He slowly walked up to Vilgot. "As for me—"
Vilgot's eyes widened as some kind of force started pushing against him. He tried to fight back, but the force was overwhelming, carrying him off his lower shell and slamming him back into the wall. The barrier became opaquer and stronger as Caractacus closed the distance, the electricity flying wildly into him as the barrier pressed into the Flapple with crushing force. He couldn't move his arms or anything. He was trapped helplessly between the rock and forcefield.
Caractacus smirked evilly. "I'm still pretty ticked about you two compromising my hideout, so I hope you don't mind me letting off some steam."
Year 905, Outlands…
"Ulrich? Ulrich? Hey, Ulrich!"
The Alolan Raichu stirred, feeling the patter of a tiny hand against his cheek. As he roused, he winced from the aches and pains of his body seizing up. He struggled to open his eyes, though the little light he was seeing told him it was around sunset. How long had he been out?
Eventually, he managed to crack his eyes open. The first thing he saw upon opening them was Vilgot's concerned expression which morphed into a relieved smile.
"Thank goodness. I was worried I wouldn't save you in time."
"Eh? Wha…?" As Vilgot helped the Raichu sip up, Ulrich looked around in a daze. He winced at his injuries again and touched his chest, finding that he had been hastily patched up with tattered rags.
Vilgot laughed awkwardly. "Yeeeeeah, sorry. If I had known this would get as bad as it did, I would've remembered to bring proper medical supplies. I had to improvise with your shirt and jacket. Sorry."
Ulrich held his head as a brief wave of vertigo hit him. "Ugh. What…happened?"
"You got beat up pretty badly and poisoned. Luckily for me, I had some lum berry seeds left."
Ulrich cracked one eye open and noticed the Flapple's burnt state. "You…look like you could've used some yourself."
Vilgot waved it off. "Nah, I'm fine…kind of."
Ulrich massaged his face and groaned. Just then, he realized something was amiss. "Wait. Why are we both still alive? I could've sworn that trash heap had me dead to—"
"Oh, that?" Vilgot looked away, awkwardly scratching his cheek. "W-Well, I guess you were amped up on adrenaline when it happened."
"Huh?"
"You killed them."
"…Huh?"
Vilgot shrugged. "Well, technically, you killed the Pride bearer, Denholm. Neely was basically dead, but I killed him while he was down. See?"
Ulrich looked around the Flapple and, to his shock, saw the corpses of the Garbodor and Bellibolt laying in pools of their own blood. Ulrich wasn't sure why, but something seemed off with the way they were killed. It didn't seem like how he would usually execute a target. They weren't burned by his electricity or anything. They seemed to be bleeding from their heads.
"Whaaaa—" As Ulrich rubbed his eyes to get a clearer picture, Vilgot suddenly grabbed his cheeks and turned him away from the scene.
"Uh, it was incredible, actually! You broke free from Denholm's grasp and tore off his own fingers to fire them like bullets. You killed him with his own claws! It was incredible!" Vilgot let go and laughed. "I was lucky you mustered the strength to weaken Neely for me."
Still confused, Ulrich massaged his temples. "I…do remember getting pissed with them—"
"Exactly! You bravely stood up for me and showed them their place! That's what happens when you challenge the dynamic duo of Ulrich and Vilgot, right?"
"…" Ulrich glared. "I…killed Pride."
"Yep!"
"Are you…sure?"
"Absolutely! You earned it, buddy!"
"…" Letting the Flapple's words sink in, a smile broke out over Ulrich's face. "Heh. I killed the Pride bearer." He rolled onto his feet, teetering for a moment, and raised his head high with laughter. "I killed a Deadly Seven! HA! Take that, you losers! That's what happens when you challenge the best!"
Vilgot laughed. "That's my pal!"
Ulrich wrapped his arm around Vilgot, pulling him close. "Look at us now, Vil! We're proud members of the Deadly Seven! We'll be raking in the glory in no time! The Outlands will become our territory, and we'll be seen as the champions of this wasteland!"
Vilgot raised his fist and laughed even louder. "You got that right! Once we rest up—"
"Oh no, I'm not wasting a second of this!" Ulrich flipped his partner onto his shoulders and hopped atop his tail. "Until this burst of adrenaline wears off, we're going all the way to Absalom and getting officially instated as members of the Deadly Seven!"
"Uh, heh. Right. Okay! Let's go!"
Ulrich pointed west and exclaimed, "To our new adventure!" With a burst of psychokinetic force, the Raichu took off into the distance, his laughter booming across the lawless desert.
Vilgot laughed along with his friend, though looked away to hide the expression of guilt creeping to the surface. He didn't have the heart to tell Ulrich the truth. He wanted the title of Pride so badly. Vilgot didn't have the heart to crush his dreams.
For now, it'll just be his little secret.
Suspended high above Copper Gorge, Phoebe didn't say a way out of Ulrich's grasp. The fall would almost certainly mangle her body if not outright kill her on impact. Her rifle was gone, not that it would serve her well at such close range. Despite it all, she didn't show weakness or fear under the Alolan Raichu's stare.
Ulrich scoffed. "I hate that look in your eyes. Unwavering confidence against someone of my stature. It makes me sick. You think you're better than me, don't you?"
Phoebe forced a smirk. "Hon, you ain't that special. I look down on everyone."
"Tch. Well, now you can do that from hundreds of feet in the air." Ulrich gestured out to the land beyond Copper Gorge. "Look around at all that untapped potential wasting away under the iron fist of lawlessness. It could be all mine with just a thought."
Phoebe rolled her eyes. "Is this the part where you try to spare my life by convincing me to become your queen or sex slave or something?"
Ulrich growled. "As tempting as those options are, my future Outlands doesn't have room for your ego." He pressed his hand to her temple and started charging up his Psycho Core technique. "If I recall, I attempted to kill Lancaster with this same maneuver. This time, there won't be any escape. You and that foul mouth of yours can rot in Hell."
"…" Phoebe closed her eyes and snickered. "Are you trying to scare me? I don't fear death. Oh, but while we're on the subject of fear…" She opened her eyes and glared at him. "You are, by far, the most pathetic man I've had the displeasure of meeting."
"Taunting me will only speed up your demise," he warned.
She snickered again. "All that talk about hating people with innate talent? You earned your power? Yeah, real mature thinking. Skill and talent, how tragic. Here's a little life lesson for you, brat: talent isn't all that it's cracked up to be. Some of us wish we didn't have a talent for certain things."
Ulrich glared. "What's that supposed to mean?"
"Let me tell you a story. It's about a man and a woman. The man was a notorious serial killer in the Outlands. He was ruthless. He was bloodthirsty. He didn't know love, empathy, or morality. He sought only to listen to the voices in his head and satiate his desire to paint his hands red in spilt blood. However, that man would eventually find love in a different way. He would meet a woman with a ravenous appetite for flesh and death. The man felt something he never felt before. He felt a carnal sensation as he and the woman battled each other. They mauled each other without remorse, giving into their natural desires for death. But eventually, those desires shifted, and they mauled each other in a…different sense of the word."
"…Huh?" Ulrich gasped, slightly disgusted by the sudden and random story.
Phoebe raised her hands dramatically and laughed. "How do you suppose a child of such two beasts would turn out? If you ask me, I imagine the child would have an innate talent for death." Her grin grew wide. "What a sad and lonely existence that must be, living a life knowing only death and decay because you were born from the worst. You really think you're bottom-of-the-barrel scum? You haven't seen the worst of the Outlands if you think being outshined by children is the highlight of your moronic tragedy?"
Ulrich gritted his teeth, amping up the power in his charging attack. "You dare…!"
Phoebe's eyes glimmered with delight and bloodlust. "I've been daring the reaper for over twenty-four years! Don't you get it, you moron? When it comes to survival in this hellish world—"
With his attention solely focused on her mad rant, she pulled her dagger out from hiding and stabbed it straight up into his chin.
"ONLY THE TRULY CRAZY SURVIVE!"
"GAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!" Ulrich kicked her in the stomach, causing the dagger to tear through his jaw as she fell. He grabbed the underside of his jaw and screamed as he forcefully cauterized the wound.
Phoebe threw her head back and laughed as she careened toward the ground. "Even now, my head exploding against the ground doesn't even faze me! What a way to die!" She smirked madly. "But I'm not dying before a bitch like you! Forced Drawing!"
All three digits of her tail glowed dark purple as she wagged them in sync. She twisted her body and conjured up a whirlwind in the form of Hurricane, creating an immeasurably strong force that slowed her descent near the ground. She crashed against the side of the gorge, the impact lessened, and rolled down to where Magni lay.
I won't be able to use Metronome for seventeen minutes, but that's a small price to pay!
"Magni, get up!"
Despite being impaled with rock, the megapede roared and forced himself onto his feet. Phoebe jumped atop him and used her dagger to stab into the rocks sticking out. She cut off the exposed parts, leaving on the rock plugging up his wounds.
"Can you still move?" she asked.
Magni stomped his feet down and roared out to the sky.
"I'll take that as a yes—"
"RAAAAAAAAHHH!" They both looked up at the sky and saw Ulrich speeding down with hatred bursting from his eyes in the form of psionic electricity. "I'VE HAD ENOUGH WITH YOU!"
Phoebe raised her dagger. "Get ready, big guy!"
Magni stomped his feet down and charged energy through his horns. "Stinging—"
Ulrich pulled his hands back, charging up massive psychokinetic spheres. "25% Psycho Core—"
BOOOOOOM!
Everyone came to a sudden stop as the gorge wall suddenly burst open in an electrified explosion. From the blast, Vilgot went flying out into the open covered in burns and slammed into the opposing wall. The impact caused him to cough up blood before collapsing to the ground.
Phoebe's eyes widened. "Eh?"
Magni looked toward the hole in the wall and glared. "Him."
Ulrich glanced toward the hole and glowered at the figure stepping out. "You!"
Stepping out into the open was Caractacus, waving the dust away from his face. He chuckled aloud. "It's almost sad you thought you stood a chance against me." He looked around at the gaggle of faces before him and grinned. "Well, well, well, guess I made it to the party. Glad to see you two are still alive!"
Phoebe glared. "Is Evelot alright?!"
He waved her off. "Yeah, yeah, don't worry. She'll be safe in the hideout. By the way, I just finished with Lancaster's surgery, so he should be waking up any minute now." He glanced up at the irate Alolan Raichu glaring down at him. "You two still having trouble with this one?"
Magni grunted. "Very tough."
"Oof, you did a number on each other." Caractacus smirked. "Tell you what, you can manhandle the Flapple for me while I keep the rat company. That more up your speed?"
Phoebe cracked her knuckles. "Works for me."
Ulrich clenched his fists. "Caractacus. So, we meet again!"
Caractacus grinned. "So, you're my supposed archnemesis that's been after my head! Well, I must say, it's an honor to see you again! Glad to see the times haven't been too rough on you. You never know what you'll encounter in the Outlands."
Ulrich slammed his fists together, generating vast amounts of sparks. "I'm going to enjoy ripping you to shreds."
"I'm sure you will. Though, uh, quick question." Caractacus tilted his head and raised his brow at the Pride bearer. "Um, who are you again?"
"…"
"…"
"…"
"…"
"…RAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!" Ulrich sped toward the ground. "I'm going to KILL YOU!"
"Oops, time to bounce!" Caractacus immediately turned and took off running down the gorge, moving at speeds that could rival Magni's. His laughter echoed through the gorge alongside Ulrich's infuriated screams.
Phoebe and Magni watched them run off in bafflement and annoyance. She groaned. "What a weirdo."
"Mhmm," Magni mumbled.
"Uuuugh, my head…" The duo turned back to the crater in the wall and saw Vilgot picking himself up. He massaged his head, teetering in a daze. "W-Where the hell did he…?"
He paused and finally acknowledged the two killers glaring daggers in his direction. Magni scuffed his foot against the ground while Phoebe juggled her heated dagger in one hand, smirking with vicious intent.
"…Oooohhhhh nnnnooooo."
