Year 902 – Haunted Willows, the Outlands
Caractacus got a head start in the morning, an hour before everyone else was supposed to wake up. He was running on only a few hours of sleep, anxious over undoing his escape plan. It took him at least a week to get everything into place, especially with the threat of being noticed. Somehow, undoing the bombs was harder than lining them up. Perhaps it was the guilt.
He didn't want to waste time defusing every single explosive. One wrong mistake in his haste could set one off in his face. Instead, he carefully stored them in a small wagon outside the dig site. If he wasn't able to get all the bombs undone by the time everyone woke up, he would have to stash them somewhere safe until he had a moment to work.
He started with undoing the bombs in the center of town as that would cause the most damage. The bombs lined around the town's perimeter would be devastating, but the chances of anyone getting caught in the blast were minimal. They were lined up to cut off escape, not to focus the most destructive power.
He got about a quarter into dismantling the trap when his ears picked up on doors opening above ground. Cursing his thorough and intricate design, he scampered out of the hole and discreetly pushed the loaded wagon behind a bush with cover. He'll dispose of the bombs properly once everyone has been called for breakfast.
"Hey, Caracaracatus!" The Boltund shot an exasperated grin as the Marill, Silvester, ran up to him with bright, yet sleepy eyes. "Wow, you're not usually up this early. We usually have to drag you out of bed."
Caractacus rubbed his nape sheepishly. "Heh, well…guess I'm still feeling the buzz from the hut everyone built me. Thought I'd get a fresh start on chores."
Silvester looked down at the giant hole next to them. "What chore was this?"
"…" Caractacus darted his eyes nervously. "Dirt…inspecting…"
"Wha?"
"Uh, well, it's a fascinating study about the beneficial minerals found in the earth that help accelerate the growth process of plant matter to bring out their full potential…" Caractacus secretly smirked to himself as the Marill started to drift back to sleep. "Uh, but that's not important." He pushed the aqua mouse aside and kicked the mound of dirt back into its hole. "Just call me when breakfast is ready. I need to haul something back to my hut first."
Silvester grinned. "Need any help?"
"No, I will be fine. Go run along and get started on your morning chores before…Ma calls us," he said sheepishly.
Silvester snickered. "You're already a part of the family!" He turned and ran off.
Caractacus rolled his eyes and smirked. "Stupid kid…" He pushed aside the bush cover and bit down on the wagon's lever, pulling it back to his hut. "They won't notice if I'm gone for half an hour getting rid of these. I shouldn't worry too much. The fuse is now too deep underground to cause any trouble—"
"Oi, Caractacus!" He yelped and kicked the wagon back behind a nearby bush. He smiled nervously as one of the Abomasnow brothers walked up to him. "Ma needs some fresh berries. Can you go to the berry garden and pluck her some fresh sitrus? I heard she's making a hearty bowl of oatmeal today."
Caractacus grunted. "Oatmeal, huh? Ugh, alright." The snow monster marched off, and Caractacus dragged himself to the berry garden with a wicker basket balanced on his back. "Just grab the berries, get them to Ma, then get the bombs back to my hut for proper dismantling. Shouldn't take more than five minutes."
He wandered deep into the garden of bushes painted with multicolored orbs, navigating his way through the rows until he found the sitrus berries. He set the basket down and plucked berries off one by one, cursing his lack of fingers.
"Why did they send me to do this?" he grumbled. "Maybe I should invent a mechanical arm for myself. That'd make my life easier."
As he picked the berries, his ears twitched to the sound of rustling leaves. He shot his head up in alarm first, but didn't see anyone above the sightline. He did see a wicker basket bouncing above the bushes before plopping down on the other side. Someone was picking berries on the other side.
Caractacus sighed in relief and continued picking. "That you, Silvester?"
"…" His mysterious helper continued picking on their side.
"Well, thanks for the help, but I don't think Ma needs too many berries." He rolled his eyes. "Then again, she goes through a lot of fruit. Not the biggest fan of oatmeal, personally. Or maybe I'm just sick of eating it all the time. Easiest meal to come by in the Outlands. Really wears on the taste buds after a while. I suppose hers is tolerable since it has a flavor other than…blegh. You know? That sort of bland taste you get eating the same thing over and over?"
"…"
Caractacus shrugged. "I don't know. Living out on my own for so long, you kind of…become desensitized to everything. Maybe that's why I've been struggling so much to adapt to this place. It's…different. Everything is different. One big blast of culture shock, I guess. Or maybe I'm not used to being treated like a prize or something. Being held in such high regards because I was blessed with unfathomable understanding and intellect. Sure, I learn and understand concepts faster than a normal person, but does that mean I should've been robbed of my past?"
"…"
Caractacus sighed. "Maybe I've been thinking too much like an Outlander. My whole life has been nothing but a mind-numbing journey between gangs and Freaks. I've seen so much blood spilt just for my mind. I've stopped caring at a certain point. A ten-year-old not even flinching at the sight of blood splashing over his face? Messed up, right?"
"…"
"And now, here I am, farming with a bunch of outcasts who are outcasts from a land of outcasts. How funny is that? This is a place for normal people who want to rid themselves of the kingdoms and dictatorships overtaking the region. Sounds like my kind of place." He frowned. "Did you know last night was perhaps the only time I allowed myself to relax? Like, actually relax? It's weird. It wasn't for long. I had…other things on my mind, but it felt nice for the moment."
"…"
"I guess I've never really stopped to trust another living creature. I'm just a ticket to glory in their eyes. A gifted child with a mind mightier than anything you could produce in the Outlands. I stopped putting faith in others and followed my own instincts. Was I wrong to? Or was I doing what comes naturally?"
"…"
Caractacus scoffed before laughing. "It's not like you to be so quiet, Silvester. You're normally running your mouth off about some useless—"
BONK!
"AGH!" Caractacus scratched the back of his head, glaring at the ball that pinged into his skull.
"Sorry!" a voice cried outside the garden.
Caractacus swiped the ball and shouted, "Silvester, why is it that whenever you're playing with this damned thing that it always ends up hitting…" He paused. "…Silvester?"
He poked his head above the berry garden and saw the Marill and the other children waving at him. He stared at them, then at the ball, then at the rustling bushes.
"If Silvester's over there, who have I been…?"
A filled bowl of berries plopped on top of the bushes, and a figure rose out from the other side. The ball slipped from Caractacus' paws, his blood turning ice cold as the gleam of two, blazing blue eyes peered down on him. The figure's fur glimmered in the low light, hidden under a heavy coat and wide-brimmed hat.
"All lone bandits find destiny on that open trail, and we are the tumbling terrors twisted with dead branches and dressed in withered leaves." The Shiny Lucario stepped through the bushes and knelt before the trembling Boltund. "We make our own path, but you are not the road maker. I am the one with the shovel. I am the one who draws out the map. I am the weathervane on the farmhouse."
Caractacus shuffled away, his teeth clattering together sharply. "Y-You…!"
"…and I am The Ghost."
Patience. The weapon of a genius and a torturer. Weapons that Caractacus and Arethusa were highly versed in. Whoever wielded it with greater efficiency would prove to be the stronger combatant.
Neither of them thrived in a life-or-death-stakes match. Cunning was their specialty. Outwitting their opponent was key to victory. Caractacus believed himself to hold the advantage, riling the Milotic into fruitlessly attacking him until she wasted enough of her energy for a one-shot kill. It was an effective strategy that got Caractacus through all manner of confrontations.
But now, it seems he had lost control of the situation.
Floating aimlessly inside Arethusa's expanding water bubble, all he could do was sit inside his Negative Space and eye the Milotic as she casually swam through the water. She twirled and danced with some of the Freaks who were caught up in the bubble, wringing her tail around their necks until the last of their air funneled out. Many had already drowned in the water. Dozens of corpses floated around Caractacus, yet it did nothing to unnerve him.
He studied the water bubble to get a better understanding of how her technique worked. From what he could gather, she was using Surf to generate the water, then combining it with some other move to retain its rounded shape. He assumed it was a modified usage of Wrap, combining it with Surf to manipulate the water more effectively. Finally, he noticed an aura trailing off Arethusa, indicating she was also using Aqua Ring to replenish her stamina.
As he looked ahead and studied the surface of the bubble, he took note of how more buildings were being engulfed on both sides, meaning the bubble was indeed expanding. A high-volume of water required immense concentration and control to maintain, perhaps even substantial energy balance, explaining the need for Aqua Ring's healing properties.
The serpent-like shapes he noticed going after the drowning victims were likely another application of Wrap. Arethusa was creating artificial currents of pressure that could be remotely controlled, using them to bind and strangle anything caught inside the bubble. A nearly invisible threat that couldn't be harmed under conventional means, and the water acted as an extra layer of resistance to reduce combat efficiency. Only a Water-Type could hope to combat Arethusa under these conditions.
Finally, he took notice of the way the water weighed against his Negative Space. If he had to surmise an answer, she was manipulating the water pressure through her swimming on top of the bubble's increasing size. Any creature without substantial durability or natural aquatic pressure resistance would be crushed under these elements.
For Arethusa to resort to an elaborate means of execution for just one target, she undoubtedly figured out a flaw in Negative Space's invincibility.
Now, it was a matter of getting free.
Caractacus scanned the bubble's surface, the land beyond it greatly distorted. I can't see Alpha, and I'm not sure he can hear me in here. Swimming is doable, but I would need Arethusa to be distracted for that to work. I have no means of signaling the others while they're underground. This is nothing, Caractacus. You've survived worse. All this requires is a little ingenuity.
"Distracted, are we~?"
Caractacus lifted his gaze, hiding his emotions with a cold stare as he acknowledged Arethusa's presence. He scoffed and looked away. "Wasted enough of your time with those waterlogged corpses? I'd be careful if I were you. I've just about perfected my escape plan."
She smirked. "Oh. By all means, don't let me hold you up. I'm just enjoying a relaxing swim inside my domain." She circled around his barrier, giggling mischievously. "What do you think of it, by the way? A fitting technique?"
"Exhausting and insufficient," Caractacus grumbled. "It's an overblown technique only useful for drowning untrained bystanders. Congrats, you created the world's most energy-deficient technique to drown a city block of bystanders. I bet you save this for all the weaklings you target."
Normally aggravated by his comments, Arethusa just laughed and circled around until they were face to face. "So, why haven't you escaped yet, almighty genius?"
He scoffed. "Frankly, I'm so bored by your antics that I can't be bothered to lift a paw to do the bare minimum at this time. But feel free to chatter away about nothing while I think up my thirteenth—no, wait, fourteenth escape plan. Ooh, now it's fifteen."
Arethusa smirked. "You would be fun over a game of cards. Can't tell if you're bluffing or just that arrogant." She gently pressed the tip of her tail against his barrier. "I love it when men are arrogant. It makes that moment of pure suffering so much sweeter. It's like watching a house of cards collapse after hours of hard work at the peak of completion. The life just drains from their eyes. That brief moment of hopelessness. It's delicious."
"Can we steer the topic of discussion away from your perverted obsession with filling people's lungs with water?" Caractacus groaned.
She snickered, continuing to circle around his Negative Space. "How about I stroke your ego for a bit? This is truly a remarkable technique you've developed. I'm not sure how much you contributed to their deaths, but you must've been quite the pain for the rest of the Deadly Seven. A barrier that actually gets stronger when struck? Ingenious. You must've really wanted to keep people out."
He scoffed. "Oh look, I explained how it works, now you're acting like you figured it out on your own. Glad you can at least refer to my lecture without notes."
She hid her smirk behind her tail. "That's what I love about arrogant men, you know. They always act like they're in control. You're so proud and confident in that barrier that you would never assume someone like me could breach it. However, I think you overplayed your cards."
"…" He looked away, hiding the anxious twitch in his eye.
She circled back around, tapping on the barrier. "Any form of force that strikes this barrier is converted into electricity that is then funneled back into you to either power some other technique or strengthen this barrier. And, from what Babylas gathered from his spying, it seems to work even when you're asleep. An automatic defense that guarantees no one will reach you…barring any natural defense-breaking moves, of course."
"…What are you getting at?" Caractacus mumbled, though he cursed himself as his voice cracked a bit.
Arethusa noticed, making the shark-like grin stretch wider. "I'm curious. How much energy is required to keep that barrier up and running? I imagine it doesn't require much when on standby, but what's the threshold to keep it active against attacks? No barrier is truly unbreachable. Yours just…inverts the expectations. There has to be a certain amount of energy you need to add to the barrier to keep it running, and since no one would expect it to activate automatically, you have a means to keep replenishing its energy. After all, who thought of breaking a barrier with their weakest attack?"
"…" Caractacus clenched his teeth.
Arethusa tapped more on the barrier. "You would really love for me to hit you with everything I got. You're trying to rile me up into recharging your barrier. That won't work, hon." She snickered. "I think I finally have you figured out. This barrier was designed to nullify stronger opponents. It completely shuts down all means of kinetic energy and converts it into power for yourself. But does that same logic apply to steady pressure?"
Caractacus' eyes roamed the inside of his barrier. Throughout their conversation, he watched as the barrier gradually shrunk, giving him less room to sit. The water pressure around the barrier wasn't delivering as much as he hoped. The electricity funneling back into him was minimal. Eventually, the energy he was gaining will plateau to near zero, meaning the barrier will continue to siphon off his electricity until he can't feed it anymore.
She had him figured out.
He looked back at the Milotic, who swam off for a moment before returning with a drowned Raticate. She twisted her tail around the corpse's neck and danced gracefully with it, much to Caractacus' disgust.
"Oh, isn't it wonderful?" Arethusa whispered. "This is true art. That look of despair in his eyes as he floats along in the water." She coiled herself more around the rat and squeezed him, expelling a cloud of blood into the water. She and the corpse swirled within the blood cloud, and she waved her tongue through it. "Mmm. You can taste the despair~."
Caractacus fiddled inside his jacket for something that might help him. Unfortunately, in his haste, he didn't grab too much. Just a few inventions he grabbed on sight. They weren't useful at the moment. They were mostly ideas he had to improve his techniques, but what was there to improve? He would've scrapped the inventions, but something told him to keep them around. Just in case.
He never improved the functions of Negative Space. It was seemingly flawless. He never accounted for someone breaching the barrier, much less using its only weakness against him. How was he supposed to know he'd end up fighting a crazed water serpent who could manipulate water pressure?
He had every disadvantage going against him. She was faster in the water, and any means of counterattacking would deplete his energy reserves. If he wanted to make an escape attempt, everything needed to go perfectly.
He was a MacGyver. He can overcome any problem through intellect.
Year 902 – Haunted Willows, the Outlands
It hadn't been more than two minutes.
How did things get this crazy so fast?
Caractacus had made a beeline back into the heart of the village with a storm of Aura Spheres firing behind him. He slid into a barrel, kicking it over his head to intercept the first cluster. The explosion sent debris scattering through the air, detonating the rest of the Aura Spheres prematurely.
The villagers had raced out of their huts to see what commotion was transpiring. Their eyes widened as the flames billowing from their farmland. Once proud land cultivating a great number of crops, now set ablaze in a raging inferno the moment they look away.
The Venusaur picked Caractacus up in his vines and asked, "Kid, are you okay—"
"We need to get out of here! Now!" Caractacus shouted.
His eyes flickered back to the burning fields, and his blood turned ice cold. Emerging from the flames like a devil straight out of Hell, his jacket fluttering in the updraft of burning air, the bounty hunting jackal gleamed at the frightened hound with blazing blue eyes.
"To hunt or be slaughtered. That is the answer," the deranged jackal expressed sagely.
One of the Abomasnow twins shouted, "Are you responsible for this?! You're going to pay for attacking our land, you bastard!"
The other twin activated Wood Hammer and slammed his fists together. "We're gonna pound your face back into the soil!"
"No! Stop—" Caractacus screamed, but the brothers had already charged down the jackal.
The Ghost stepped back, dodging out of their swings, and fired back with heavy punches. The brothers staggered. One of them recovered faster and went for an underhanded swing, but The Ghost grabbed his arm and used the snow monster's weight to throw him over his shoulder, burying his head into the ground.
Silvester clung to Ma's skirt, trembling in fear. "W-What's g-going on?"
Ma picked the shivering Marill up and shouted, "All of you! Evacuate the village immediately! It's not safe!"
The elderly Mandibuzz raised her wings and squawked in defiance. "Bah! I ain't going nowhere! This is my home just as much as it's theirs!"
"Jo-Anne, be reasonable!" the Gothitelle caretaker shouted.
"I haven't been more reasonable in my life!" The old buzzard grunted as she gave her wings a quick test flap before taking off into the air. "Get the kids to safety! The adults will take care of this pest!"
Caractacus gritted his teeth as all the adults (sans Ma) armed themselves with farming tools and rushed down the invading Lucario. "Wait, you can't—" He tried to run after them, but Ma pulled him back with Psychic.
"You and the kids' safety comes first," Ma said, picking up Silvester, the Illumise, Geodude, and Magby in her Psychic while the Skarmory stayed dutifully by her side.
"N-No, you don't understand!" Caractacus shouted. "That's the guy that's been chasing me!"
Ma's eyes widened. "W-What?"
"He's here because of me. Just let me run. He'll probably leave you all alone if try to escape!"
Silvester shook his head. "No way! You're our friend!"
Skarmory stomped his foot down. "That's all the more reason why we've got to remove that creep!"
"Like Hell, you are!" Ma snapped.
Caractacus shook his head frantically. "You can't! He's too dangerous—"
"AAAAHHHHH!" The group gasped as Venusaur went flying through the air and crashed down through one of the huts.
Looking back, the others were being overwhelmed despite outnumbering the bounty hunter. The Ghost effortlessly smashed through their weapons and knocked them flying with a few quick jabs. One of the twins tried to clobber the jackal from behind, but The Ghost caught his Wood Hammer and twisted his arm all with just the power of his grip.
"AAAAAAAAAHHHH!" the snow monster screamed.
The Ghost kicked him across the face, sending him crashing into the burning fields, and set his sights on Caractacus. He rolled his shoulders, patted the ash off his coat, and slowly approached him, Ma, and the children.
Ma clenched her teeth and pushed everyone behind her. "D-Don't you come any closer. If you want to get to Caractacus, you'll have to get through me first—"
BAM!
Caractacus and the kids gasped as Ma was sent flying by an unseen backhand. She skidded face first through the dirt and crashed into the porch of a nearby hut. Their eyes trembled in fear at the nasty gash of blood dripping from the side of her face.
"All things end in a sea of feathers," The Ghost whispered, towering over the petrified group. "The sun's nemesis for the arrogant. A reminder to always uproot your shrubbery, lest you find the missing coins of your future."
"W-What the heck is he talking about?!" Skarmory yelled.
"Just run!" Caractacus screamed.
He and the kids tried to make a break for it, but froze in their tracks. The Ghost instantly appeared in front of them, eyes glowing like two blue suns. "Don't forget to look both ways before crossing the river of death."
Caractacus backed away, but stopped when he saw the scared faces of the kids. Would this bounty hunter actually be cruel enough to put children in danger just to get to him?
He growled and faced the jackal. "Electro Ball!" He fired the electrified orb at the jackal's face.
The Ghost caught it in his hand and crushed it instantly. Caractacus, in the brief window of opportunity, bit down on the back of Silvester's shirt and scooped the other children onto his back. "RUN!" He and the Skarmory took off running.
"Run?" They gasped as The Ghost instantly appeared in their path. "Where are you running to—" The ground split open, and a massive cluster of thorned roots rose up, ensnaring the bounty hunter.
"Kids!" They looked back and saw Venusaur, panting with his vines plunged through the ground. "We'll handle this! Just get somewhere safe!"
Caractacus nodded and carried on with Skarmory, trying to get to the village boundary. However, a horrific scream came from Venusaur, causing them to stop and turn around.
The Ghost severed the roots off his person and attacked Venusaur, plunging a pitchfork through his neck. The Ghost grabbed his face and smashed it repeatedly into the ground, blood splattering over himself.
"Uncle Bors!" Skarmory cried. He tried to go after the Venusaur, but Caractacus bit his tail feathers and pulled him back.
"No time!" Caractacus shouted before trying to flee again.
"Indeed." Caractacus gasped, a hand seizing his jacket and pulling him off his paws, dropping the children onto the ground. His eyes shook in terror as The Ghost held him to eye level. "You have wasted quite enough."
"Leave those kids alone!" Jo-Anne soared down from the sky and slammed across his side with Sky Attack, forcing him to drop Caractacus. "Kids, get out of here—"
The Ghost grabbed the old buzzard's neck and bashed her into the ground before repeatedly stomping on her face. The old woman's screams were gargled with blood, but she managed to fire off a Dark Pulse into his face.
"Gwanny!" the Magby cried. Silvester scooped up the young fire duck, and the rest of them took off running.
"This is crazy!" Skarmory cried with tears dripping down his face. "How are we supposed to get rid of that guy?!"
Caractacus' eyes flickered to the bushes and saw how close the fire was getting to them. He gasped and immediately darted toward them. "Stay there!" he shouted.
"H-Huh?!" they gasped.
"Hey, you stupid Freak!" Caractacus shouted. "Come and get me!"
The Ghost ceased stomping on Jo-Anne and ran after Caractacus. The young Boltund ran as fast as he could, knowing the jackal could easily catch up with him, and lunged at the bushes. Collapsing inside, he found the bombs right where he left them.
"Yes!" He reached for a fuse hanging off the side right as The Ghost grabbed his leg. He bit on the wire, sparking it with electricity, just before he was pulled out into the open.
The Ghost looked upon the terrified Boltund, his gaze as emotionless as the day he first witnessed it. "All roads lead to The Ghost, for I am The Ghost."
Caractacus clenched his teeth. "Let's see how you like this, Freak! Protect!" He enveloped himself in a protective, green bubble, partially taking in the jackal's hand. "Prepare to die—"
A stone hurled through the air, nearly striking The Ghost's head, but the jackal caught it without looking. Caractacus' eyes widened as the kids started running up on them, armed with sickles, rocks, and the like.
"Leave him alone!" Silvester screamed.
"YEAH!" the kids shouted.
Caractacus frantically shook his head. "No…NO! STAY BACK—WAH!" The Ghost raised him up like a club.
"Learn from your own ego, MacGyver." He swung Caractacus through the bushes, using his own Protect to send the bombs scattering from their wagon.
Silvester and the kids stopped, gawking at the sparking devices hurtling over their heads, one of them landing in front of them. "W-Wait, what's thi—"
"NO!" Caractacus kicked The Ghost in the face and lurched himself from his grasp. He ran for the kids, lunging at them. "GET AWAY FROM THA—"
The fuse receded into the bomb.
BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!
An unfortunate chain reaction went off. The bombs scattered on the surface. The bombs that were still planted underground. It all lined up perfectly for what would surely be a cataclysmic event that could be witnessed for kilometers. A massive plume of flame and ash erupted from the hidden valley that housed the Outlands' outcasts. No one would know what the cause of such a powerful, destructive blast was. Was it manmade? Was it the results of a powerful Pokémon laying waste to all in their way?
Only one soul would know the truth of these unfortunate events.
The lone survivor of Haunted Willows, a community that just wanted to isolate themselves from the troubles of Virdis.
A village of freedom.
Caractacus kept an eye on Arethusa as she distracted herself with her dance. Little time remained inside his barrier, and the surface of the bubble was about several dozen meters away from his current position. The water bubble had grown to enormous size, threatening to swallow the whole of Knife's Edge. Eventually, it may even reach the hideout and drown everyone inside.
Now was the time for action.
Taking a deep breath, Caractacus planted his paws down and gently phased his legs through the barrier. Hurriedly, he started paddling his way to the bubble's surface.
It wasn't the most dignified swim, kicking his legs like a newborn Ducklett, but he managed along with little difficulty. He constantly checked over his shoulder to make sure Arethusa wasn't watching him before hastening his swimming speed.
The bubble's consistent speed of expansion made the swim increasingly tedious, feeling as if it was getting farther and farther away by the second. Doing the rough calculations in his head, he should be able to reach the surface in about thirty-two seconds so long as he kept up his current speed. He was fortunate to have maintained his leg strength after so many years because the repeated swimming motions was beginning to make his muscles burn.
Once he escaped, he would have to change his plan of attack. With the relative ease Arethusa can keep the technique active, she could either conjure a second one or find some way to drag him back inside. She wouldn't fall for the same trick twice. He would need to find a way to recharge his energy. Throwing himself against something sturdy would only gain so much. He needed a strong energy source to power himself back up.
Alpha. I could link myself with Alpha and use its energy to recharge myself. As soon as I get my head out of the water, I'll call to it.
Caractacus hurried his swimming anxiously as he closed in on the bubble's surface. He was so close. He sucked in a breath, ready to call upon his cube-shaped partner and take back control in the battle—
"Oh, you were so close, too~."
Caractacus' eyes widened as a wave swirled around his barrier and pulled him back into the depths of the bubble. Three transparent serpents coiled around his barrier, hissing at him before throwing him.
"WHOA!" Caractacus spread his paws out and maintained his balance as the barrier spun through the water.
"Did you really think I'd let you get that far without being noticed?" He glared up at the hovering Milotic, snickering through her devilish grin. "Now, which one of us has the peanut-sized brain again?"
Caractacus scoffed. Screw it. "Electro Ball!" He fired through his barrier, the electrified ball surging through the water. Even if this misses her, it'll fry everything around it!
Arethusa smirked and twisted her body, forming a cold sheet of aura around herself. "Ice Serpent's Armor." She floated to the side and let the Electro Ball fly past. The electricity crackling off lit up the surrounding water, but Arethusa remained mostly unaffected, only twitching from its presence. "Oooh, was that supposed to do something~?"
Caractacus growled. Ice isn't a good conductor for electricity, but it's not nullified. "Electro Ball!" Electricity crackled through his throat, then he fired a barrage of smaller shots at the Milotic.
Arethusa twisted her body, channeling more ice over herself, and tanked the incoming attacks as they exploded against her. With the water serpent distracted, Caractacus kicked his hindlegs out of the barrier and started kicking for his life.
He didn't even get a whole meter before something grabbed his leg. One of Arethusa's transparent serpents coiled around his leg and pulled him back, swinging him like a flail.
"Get. OFF!" He kicked at the serpent despite knowing it was useless. He channeled his electricity down to his prosthetic leg and fired a burst of electricity through his sole, the explosion briefly ripping the water apart, allowing him to pull himself back inside his barrier.
"It's like I keep telling you, puppy~!" Caractacus's barrier rumbled as Arethusa coiled it in another of her water serpents and tossed it toward the bubble's surface. "True despair comes from the peak of hope's final hour!"
Caractacus tumbled inside the barrier, squinting at the light shimmering above. He was a foot away from breaching the water, but the currents acted up and steered him back down. Arethusa swam in circles, cackling as currents threw Caractacus around and around inside the bubble.
"I wonder what the peak of despair looks like to you~." Arethusa stopped spinning and twisted her body, catching the barrier in two of her serpents. She snickered. "Oooh, maybe it has something to do with a little place called…Haunted Willows?"
Caractacus' eyes widened. "W-Wha—"
"The Ghost did quite a number on that nothing village. A town of rejects who wanted nothing to do with the outcasts." She cackled. "Oh yes, he gave a thorough report of his mission after finally losing your trail! It was a truly delicious tale! Who would've guessed someone like you would be callous enough to turn a village of happy people into kindling for his little trap?!"
Caractacus clenched his teeth. "Sh-Shut up!"
"Oooooh, did I strike the puppy's nerve?" Arethusa's eyes gleamed red in the low light. "What's the matter? I thought you only cared about yourself. Why else would you burn those losers to ash? Why else would you throw away your new friends?" Arethusa cackled madly. "Face it, puppy! You're just as bad as the rest of the Outlands! Who else would be willing to burn his friends just to get by?!"
Caractacus' eyes crackled with electricity "I said shut up!"
"Ooooh, you're mad~!" Arethusa flashed her twisted smile at him. "What are you going to do about it, puppy? Are you going to cry—"
"I'LL VAPORIZE YOU, YOU MORONIC EEL!" Caractacus opened his jaw wide and channeled the full might of his electricity into an orb of blinding light. "Now die! Positive Cannon!"
The laser exploded out from his Negative Space, ripping through Arethusa's bubble and hurtling toward her. Arethusa's eyes widened as the beam neared her, the light engulfing her surroundings in a searing flash.
The laser ruptured through the bubble's surface with a powerful boom, turning a good chunk of it into hot steam. The laser traveled higher and higher into the sky, shining like a beacon in the daylight, before dissipating among the clouds.
Caractacus snapped his jaw shut and panted softly, drifting silently through the water. He felt a wave of calm rush over him, a budding moment of peace after escaping the Milotic's taunts. He closed his eyes and let himself take the moment to relax.
"Screw you," he mumbled.
"Oh, little puppy~…"
His eyes snapped opened. Arethusa hovered above him, unscathed and just as wicked as ever. She cackled through her tightly curled smile as the barrier between them started to fizzle.
"You just screwed yourself over~."
Whenever Positive Cannon was used, it depleted all the stored electricity in Caractacus and nullified his techniques for a short while. It was meant to be a guaranteed kill shot. However, Arethusa still proved to be more adept in the water than him, dodging his attack at the last second.
The barrier dispersed, and a rush of water crashed over Caractacus. He immediately sucked in whatever air he had and clamped his jaw shut before being completely submerged. He turned and started kicking his legs for the surface.
"Oh? No, no, no~!"
Caractacus' eyes widened as something slithered around his body and bound his legs together. He stared into the face of Arethusa's water serpent, lashing him with its transparent tongue.
Arethusa snickered as several more serpents appeared and coiled around her like scarves. She hid her grin behind her tail and said, "I've decided to play with you, little puppy~. After all the trouble you put me through, I'm going to draw out the deepest depths of your despair. I'm looking forward to breaking you!"
Caractacus kept his jaw clamped tight, screaming internally as the serpent squeezed around his body. It pressed most of its strength against his stomach, tightening just about his lungs to force the air out. Mini bubbles vented from the corners of her metal jaw.
"Oh, imagine the looks on those poor villagers' faces," Arethusa said, swimming around the trapped Boltund. "They must be grinning down on this moment, cheering for the death of the devil who killed them. After everything you put them through, they must hate you a lot. You brought a monster to their home, and you tried to repay their kindness with bombs~! The hate they harbored for you in their final moments must've been insurmountable!"
Caractacus barked angrily on instinct, instantly regretting it as the serpent squeezed him tight and expelled the air out of his lungs. The Boltund kicked and struggled, feeling water filling his empty lungs.
Arethusa laughed. "Oh, don't worry! As if I'm going to let you die that quickly! What's the fun in execution? It's all about the theatrics!" The serpents coiling around Arethusa leapt off and plunged into the Boltund's open maw.
Caractacus froze and twisted uncomfortably, feeling the serpents worming their way into his lungs and pumping out the water, siphoning fresh air into him. However, it was only a temporary relief as the serpent coiled around him squeezed and expelled another helping of air while crushing his legs and ribs.
Arethusa cackled, slithering closer to the Boltund's panicked expression. "I can end this right now. All you need to do is beg for forgiveness—oh, what am I saying? You have too much pride for something like that." She threw her head back and cackled louder as her serpents continued to crush and resuscitate the flailing hound.
Over and over, water and fresh air cycled through his lungs, whether by his frantic choking or the serpent squeezing down on his stomach. Each cough he made colored the water in front of his snout red. He tried to snap his teeth down on the serpents to break them, but a tail curled around his neck and maw, keeping him still.
His vision began to darken from the pain. If this kept up any longer, he was going to die from the stress before actually drowning. His mind raced for a solution, but…
He had nothing.
He had no way out of this predicament.
He was going to die.
After all his efforts to survive, he was going to die.
He was going to die…
Caractacus narrowed his eyes sadly.
Why…wasn't he as worried about that?
A part of his withering mind knew why he felt calm in his inevitable death. This torturous dance was nothing more than, what many would call, karmic retribution for his actions. A silly notion for someone governed by scientific reasoning, but…
Perhaps I deserve this. Maybe this is the only way I'll be free from my chains.