Villainous Scum

Another day, another dungeon.

Diana 'n I were on our way to some run-down place swarmin' with ghosts. That was our intention, anyways, since she'd been adamant about takin' them on and I'd not got any better ideas.

"We've been walking for too long," she chimed in. Her tone was prickly, 'n I could tell she wasn't a fan've this.

This, of course, bein'... well, we were lost. No easy way'a sayin' it 'sides that. It'd been nearly half a day and we hadn't even seen signs'a the place. There was supposed t' be some great big brick place that stuck out real bad, but I hadn't seen anythin' like that.

Instead, sunset was approachin' and the most notable landmark we'd seen so far was some broken water spout. That'd tipped us off that we'd been walkin' the wrong way, so we started north...

"Hey, wait a minute. Apollo, do you see that?" Diana suddenly sung. Had we found the place after all...?

Huh, no. "Odd... what'cha think that big disk up there's for?"

Diana took a look at the giant ornament. It had a crack at the top of it and four giant holes surrounding its middle. On either side of it, some sort'a stone or wood was imitating what looked like fabric with lots'a square patterns on it. The strange piece've art sat upon a big brick buildin', not too unlike what we were lookin' for, with a long-worn sign in ancient runes right underneath it.

"It's a nest for the flyers, of course. Look-- you can see some Pidove beds in there already," Diana pointed a rigid tentacle in the direction of one of the holes, right at a small bundle of twigs.

That made me wonder. I hadn't seen many other Torchic 'round here, and def'nitely nothin' that looked like them. When I evolved, would I get t' fly like that...?

...I didn't let that thought linger too long. If I thought more 'bout how I was, here 'n now, I didn't think I'd end up very happy. "Makes sense. Guess they like it up there. It looks kind'a cozy."

"Hah, of course you'd say that. You're bird-brained, just like them. I bet you'll be making nests in there when you finally catch yourself a girlfriend." Diana didn't miss an opportunity to needle at me.

"Aw, do you think you're not good enough for me? It's very cruel of you to dismiss our lovin' relationship as just some fling, sweetheart," I teased back. I couldn't help but be a bit bitter 'bout it. A girlfriend sounded nice. Diana did not.

Diana didn't seem t' like the thought of that either, cuz her shit-eatin' grin melted away pretty fast after that comment. "Let's just go inside already."

I couldn't believe my eyes.

No Hero had ever been so lucky.

To be faced with such great villains, by pure happenstance...

...what greater luck could I have had??

The pair've us wandered into the buildin' like a pair of shmucks. We shoulda been more careful, on retrospect, but Diana was still bitter and I was too busy gapin' at all the strange stuff around the place.

Some kind of unused fortification could be seen beneath very large, rectangular holes in the wall. Those walls were repeated across the entire lobby, sometimes fitted with very torn paper or tons'a junk, and kept appearin' even into the hallways of the place.

"No ferals... yet..." Diana commented under her breath, tracing a tentacle've hers across the little grooves in the brick walls.

"'less you count us," I shot back. "I could go for a mindless fight right about now. All this walkin's had me restless."

Diana kept walkin' without lookin' back at me. "Easy for you to say. You can actually fight."

She switched topics pretty quickly. "Keep your eyes out for anything interesting. Loot, food, whatever. If we're not gonna dungeon dive today, we might as well try to get something out of it."

I concurred, and the two of us started searchin' rooms. We split up for a brief moment, 'til we were forced back t'gether again, and eventually settled on searchin' from back to front after a brief spat over how to loot this place best.

As we entered the furthest room of the buildin', the two of us were greeted with... some kind of window. A huge, opaque window. It was grey, just barely reflective, and wrapped across an entire wall like some kind of wallpaper. The thing was a bit torn here 'n there, but otherwise in startlingly good condition. I could walk up to it, peck it, and have my beak slide off it like water off a Ducklett's back. It was pretty impressive.

"Hey, this material's pretty durable! Maybe we can grab some've it and try to make some clothes out of it? Or sell it?" I called to Diana, who was pilfering through the endless rows of strange seats behind me. She gave the window and I one look, then squinted and shook her head.

"It's way too big. Either we take scraps that'll barely sell, or we end up carrying the whole thing for days hopin' someone will buy." She had a point, so I left the window alone.

This kind'a lootin' and searchin' went on for a while, probably past sunset, 'til eventually...

"STOP RIGHT THERE, EVIL SCUM!"

I straightened up as some kind'a psychic echo rang through my head. Diana must've heard it, too, cuz we both turned in the same direction. Near the entrance to the big room...

...floated a strange fella with a big red scarf and blindingly white metal. Between the dark-red seats 'n very dark everythin' else, it was hard not ta squint while tryna get a good look at him.

"HA! THE MERE SIGHT OF ME IS ENOUGH TO CAUSE COWARDICE! Perhaps I have overestimated you?"

The little guy was screamin' like we were ten feet away. He must not've known that we could hear him perfectly clearly even with the distance. That gave Diana an idea, of course...

"Hey now, better a coward..." I watched as the Deoxys began to phase...

...and reappear right behind the floatin' fella. "...than a safety hazard!"

That seemed t' spook the fella enough to make him jolt forward and do a 180, turnin' to face Diana.

I couldn't help but grin as this little floating weirdo tried to harass us.

I figured he was some wannabe guildie type. Some annoying squirt who was here to stop us taking what we wanted from wherever we wanted. Someone to be cleared out and forgotten about.

The white-and-gold kid was clearly taken aback by me, which was rather flattering, and tried his best to still look tough. "I-I am NOT a safety hazard! Not to the average citizen! Perhaps I am a hazard to villains like you, but to the good people of this world..."

I felt some niggling in the back of my brain. Was this guy trying to mentally raise his voice?

"I
AM
MEGA
X!!"

My question was swiftly answered. Ugh, he was grating.

I could tell this guy was one of those fanatic types. He was dressed in a proper getup, given himself a little v-shaped crown and everything, so I had a feeling that Apollo would be getting his wish rather soon.

"Geez, would it hurt you t' keep it down?" Speak of the devil. Apollo yelled back, stumbling back and forth. He must've taken the psychic intrusion worse than I had.

"Lowering your voice is for THOSE WHO DESERVE IT!" The kid kept screamin'. If he kept on goin' like this, I'd have to make the first move. My head was already spinnin', and I could tell he seemed t' fancy that.

"You two are known FAR AND WIDE for your misdeeds. So far, in fact, that I have heard of them! Even without ears to hear them with!!" He kept on goin'.

"You steal CANDY from CHILDREN! You throw BRICKS at EXPLORERS! You loot dungeons and SELL everything you find AT TWICE THE MARKET PRICE!" The dumb floatin' guy turned away from Diana and started approachin' me. I could feel my legs instinctively slidin' into that fightin' position...

"I intend to put a stop to your evil doings... HERE and NOW!"

The kid charged forward with a Tackle!

Thanks to his... extensive telegraphin', though, I was fine. Just leapt outta the way and let him crash into a wall.

"Ugh, okay. Apollo, you take this kid on. I'll play backup," Diana called back to me. She promptly teleported a few feet away, back to the rows of seats, makin' herself comfortable in one of 'em and giving me a funny look.

"Seriously?" I vocalized my discontent, only to get a nod in response.

Sigh. It wasn't like I could do much 'bout that. Diana was still in a pretty sorry state. She'd only had a full moveset for a month now, so it was only fair that I carry some of her weight.

"Stay STILL, you fiend!" The kid charged again, but he didn't even aim right this time. Flew past me without much effort. That gave me a window of opportunity, so I started cloakin' myself in flame. As the kid tried to get himself unstuck from the wall he now found himself in, I charged right at him!

My Flame Charge landed firmly on the kid's side, but it barely did anythin'. It caught me off-guard. From the way the kid was actin', I'd expected him to be an untrained pushover. I'd barely left a dent in him, though, and soon found myself squarely on the ground. He'd landed this new Tackle just fine.

"HAH! You LISTENED TO ME!" The kid... gloated? Proclaimed? I've got no clue what he was goin' for. "You make for a very bad villain, bird!"

"Wait, you know I'm bad but you don't even remember my name?" I limped away, tryin' to keep him talkin' while I thought up some other plan. I might've actually needed Diana's help...

"I am NOT GOOD with NAMES! The only ones that MATTER are those of UPSTANDING CITIZENS." The stranger was floatin' in the same place now, not even tryin' to hit me...

"Good. I guess you won't remember ours even if I shout 'em, then." I decided I'd drag Diana into this myself if I had to. I jumped from side to side, cheerin' briefly, callin' for her. "DIANA, DIANA!"

I knew that call. I knew that move. What a slimy bastard.

I got up, off of my comfy seat, and teleported back onto the battlefield. "If I die, I'm blaming it on you."

I reappeared opposite Apollo, once more right behind the annoying kid. I let loose near-instantly, trying to minimize the amount of time the kid had to react, Wrapping him tightly with my tentacles, squeezing harder than I'd otherwise be able to thanks to Apollo's Helping Hand...

...and didn't get any kind of reaction. I was half-surprised, half-not: I still wasn't in fighting shape, but this was the first time I'd not been able to do a smidge of damage.

"FOOL!" The kid writhed back and forth in my tendrils, shaking me so violently I almost felt like I was going to end up phasing through the floor. I held on as tightly as I could, keeping the kid in place--

--while I charged right at the guy, intendin' to kick him straight through Diana 'n back into that busted-up wall. I'd taken the time to focus my fire specifically around my beak, hopin' it'd be hot enough to do somethin'--

FWOOM

It did! As my beak made contact with the kid's scarf, it blew up in flames. Diana let him go soon after, attempting and failing to dodge my collateral damage. She was fine, though, after a Recover.

"EGADS!" The kid cried out, already beginning to panic. All I'd done was blow up his scarf. He wasn't even burnin' too bad on the outside. "HOW DARE YOU, FIENDS!!"

The kid wasted no time in tryin' to Take me Down, only missin' narrowly thanks to my quick duck. He flew right above me, into the big screen thing, and got stuck almost instantly. "A TRAP? HOW CONVENIENT!"

My head was spinnin' somthin' fierce with how loud the kid was. His volume was very impressive for some dickweed with no mouth. I wished he would just shut up.

"Have you got anything for projectiles?" Diana yelled. "I can't get him from here!"

I gave my bag a quick look-through-- "No, nothin'!"

That was actually trouble. We couldn't take this kid down in these circumstances. We were already feelin' sore from all the walking, we hadn't trained in days, and this guy was made of some kind of super-steel that didn't even retain scratches. "Better we run than keep this up!"

"AH, SO YOU ARE COWARDS!" The kid just kept getting louder 'n louder, but... he was stuck in that window real firmly. Now was our chance!

I took one look back at the guy, then did a 180 and made a run for the entrance. Diana wasted no time in runnin' after me, practically breathin' down my neck as we scrambled down the foyer.

We kept runnin' and runnin', yellin' strategies to each other while we did so, tryin' to brainstorm some way to beat that kid when none've our moves would scratch him...

"Thorns!" "Out've 'em!" "Orbs?" "What could we even hit 'im with? A Hurl?" "Maybe if we had one..."

It wasn't long before the kid was on our tail again. I heard some kind'a big boom, and, next thing I knew, he was flyin' between us and into another wall.

"Sheesh!" I had to admit I was scared. Not that I'd actually get taken down by this dork, but that he'd managed to cause some kind of explosion. What part of him caused explosions? We needed to figure out which one, 'n quick. I was just thinkin' as--

"Apollo, *look out!"

Diana's shout was too late. I was rocketin' into the other side of the buildin', flyin' along at mach speed as this piece of garbage kid ran into a wall--

--with my body bein' used as cushionin'.

"APOLLO!"

Why'd I shout again? There was no need. He was hurting really badly, I could tell-- but he'd heard me before! I had to do something, not say it!

The kid was just... laughin'. I was wheezin' and strugglin' to breathe, and he was laughin'. It made me start to wonder if he was just insane, and attackin' us because he was already turnin' feral.

"You didn't even put up a fight! What kind of villains are you??" The kid gloated, not lettin' up on the pressure.

I tried my best t' give Diana a Helpin' Hand so that she could get me out've this situation, not really seein' a way out by myself, but even with all my squirmin' I couldn't do anythin'. The move failed, and all I could do was grunt as the kid dug himself in further. Eventually, he hit some kind'a nerve, and I lost my cool a little.

"Right, that's enough. Get OFF-A me!*" I shrieked, and quickly burst into flames.

These flames weren't just like Flame Charge's, though. I could feel 'em searin' my feathers, burnin' up whatever moldy remains of fabric remained on the ground beneath us, settin' fire to the rest of the kid's garb... and promptly forcin' him to let go.

I fell to the ground 'n coughed, quickly bitin' dirt and fallin' on my face into the flames. I tried t' roll over and get up on my own, but by the time I faced the ceilin' Diana was already lookin' over me and wrappin' me up. She prompted me back onto my feet and pointed to the kid, whisperin' to watch under her breath.

The kid was panickin'. The fire had really taken to him, and he was flyin' from end to end of the hallway trying t' get it off. He was only lucky that the entire thing was built out of brick-- had he been doin' this someplace wooden, we'd all have burned to death by now. "EVIL! EVIL FLAMES! What have you done, imps??"

"...t-thanks," I coughed again. I hated to admit it, but the kid had put me in a seriously stick situation. And if I was the powerhouse of the duo... ugh, Diana was in trouble, wasn' she? I shook the dirt off my feathers and kept myself straight up, even as I wanted t' fall over, keepin' my eyes on the prize as I slowly approached him. "Haven't done nothin' t' you, scamp. You shot first. Now, are you goin' to leave us alone?"

The kid looked at me with his one crazy eye. I could tell he was more focused on the fire still burnin' where we'd been, now engulfing that side of the wall and beginning to peter out. Somethin' must'a happened, too, 'cuz within a few seconds his eye started dartin' from side to side. I checked behind me, lookin' for Diana--

WHUMPH

He'd gotten me again. I felt like a complete idiot. Right in the cheek, too. I could feel a big bruise swellin' up. I tried t' hold back a shout as I crumpled onto one knee, trying my best to ignore the huge pain this kid had left me in as he went flyin' past me and back into the burning wall...

I wanted to speak, but all I could do was gasp. The kid must've been made of boulders or something. Air barely kept in my lungs as I tried t' cough somethin' out, and I just tried t' focus on gettin' back on two feet...

That twerp was still going at it. Only now was he starting to show signs of wear and tear... when Apollo was nearly down for the count.

The crazy kid pulled himself out of a wall once more, surely lacking any kind of thinking devices after running face-first into bricks so many times, and gave me a glare. "Neither of you can escape! I won't allow it! You two COWARDS must be put down like the DIRT you are! How you have been allowed to run rampant for so long is beyond me, and truly disgusting!!"

I could see a glint in his eye that meant he was charging up to run again. If he kept at this for much longer, I could see the walls starting to give in. I couldn't let him get to that point.

As the kid came charging at me, I didn't move. I needed to test a theory, and this was the only way to do it. So I let him fly towards me, as fast as he possibly could...

KKRCK

...and he phased right through me like I wasn't even there.

For the record, I hadn't done that of my own volition. It was still hard to control my phasing well enough to do that. But this move... taught me all I needed to know.

The kid only had normal-typed moves.

That was perfect. It was-- well, it wasn't exactly what I needed... it would lead to a war of attrition that I didn't want to partake in, assuming the building didn't collapse on us first.

I could already hear the bricks starting to crack. I was running out of time. I really, really needed to restrain this kid.

"Interesting... if I just keep going..." He was still broadcasting his thoughts, but the comment was one that only made the situation more urgent. He was taking notice of the exact same thing as me, wasn't he?

That was justification enough for me to launch myself forward, changing forms to try and wrap him with thick, Defensive tentacles that he couldn't as easily slip away from.

"HEY!!" The twerp yelled, wriggling around in my grip. "Let GO of me, criminal!! Unhand me or I will be FORCED to make you!"

"How? With mean words?" I taunted, unable to help myself. The opportunity was too good to let slip.

"With THIS!" He tried to launch himself forward again, but I had him tied down properly this time. I slowly struggled to force the kid into a corner, heaving him with each step I took, fighting against his constant jerking back and forth to stuff him into a corner...

"You're a bit of a one-trick pony, aren't you? Not much to your name save for some lame jerking around..." I looked around for Apollo, trying to make sure he was alright... and saw him nearly passed out on the floor, quite a ways away from us. Strangely, I felt a little downtrodden by the sight... but I refocused my attention on what really mattered, and began trying to force the kid to stay still some more.

"Release me!!" He squealed. I was about to taunt him--

--when he spun around and hit me right in the eye, clawing at my cheek and drawing a bit of blood.

I ended up doing as he said, my tentacles instantly taking to my eye, all my efforts going towards regenerating the torn skin instead of capturing the kid. I was left vulnerable, my side exposed to him, still focusing on repairing my skin and trying to figure out why his claw could scratch me but the rest of him couldn't...

...but he didn't do anything. He didn't charge at me. He waited for me to heal up.

He'd made a grave mistake.

"SO, COWARD! Do you admit DEFEAT? Will you FOLD to my mighty heroics, and turn yourself in for the Guard to claim prisoner?"

I felt something welling up in me. I wasn't sure what. Some kind of glee? Some kind of resentment? A strange mix of the two.

It was hard to ignore how humiliating this felt. To be randomly stopped by some kid and be left on my last legs with my partner down to nothing.

Through gritted teeth, I gave the kid a small nod. "...sure. I fold."

Even speaking those words jabbed at a heart that I didn't have. It felt wrong. Even knowing why I said them... no, it wasn't worth focusing on.

I switched my attention to the kid. He was bobbing up and down with glee. Was this the first time he'd actually triumphed over someone?

"YET ANOTHER VICTORY for the mighty MEGA X!! AH, I've got to start keeping track of these! I'll be able to tell the whole village I took down the toughest troublemakers..."

His blabbering faded into nothingness, as did I. While the kid went on, rambling to himself about how excited he'd make all his do-gooder friends, I took the opportunity to melt into the shadows engulfing the entire foyer.

"...and the guildmaster might promote me, and... and..."

The kid trailed off as he realized he'd been left with nobody but Apollo. Nobody but a fainted yellow chicken... and the darkness around him.

"...oh, is this one knocked out? I can't carry him like this. Maybe there's a Reviver Seed here somewhere...?" The twerp kept thinking and shuffling, floating from side to side.

Whatever I'd been feeling began to coalesce into something tangible. I snuck behind the strange gray kid, staying within the shadows and keeping myself hidden, before just... letting the feeling that'd built up within me go.

I froze up.

I heard something nearly as loud as my own voice, almost twice as loud and certainly more chilling.

YOU WON'T BE CARRYING ANYONE ANYWHERE.

In front of me was a giant monster, nearly thrice my height. It nearly touched the ceiling while it was crouching. The beast was made of utter darkness, shaped like some kind of unspeakably evil being. It had two enormous wings and an equally-enormous tail, with claws on either end of itself and devillish horns protruding from its head. A greedy smile gaped across its entire face, the monster's enormous maw grinning with delight as it sized up me and my shining armor.

"...s-s-s-s-somewhere..." I stuttered, completely frozen. I struggled to even spit out the same word I'd already said. I began trying to back away, shaking in my shell, unable to do much more than keep talking. "...m-m-monster..."

The beast slowly approached, each step it took sending shivers down my spine. I tried, briefly, to outrun this beast... but it just appeared in front of me once I ran to the other side of the room. It chased me back and forth, back and forth, back and forth... until, finally, blocking off the hall with its massive body.

I cowered beneath it, my nerves fully gone, shaking and shivering as the beast beat down upon me with its giant claws! With only a few hits... I seized up and fell to the ground, shaking.

"...E-elder..."

The kid was mumbling constantly. He was shaking like a leaf in a tornado, too, almost violently so.... until he finally stood still and fell to the ground. Whatever the hell that dark Shade had done to him... I didn't think I wanted to know. It wasn't very fun to watch.

I reappeared next to Apollo, my defensive forme fading away as I returned to normal by his side. "Hey. Wake up."

He didn't say anything. He was properly knocked out. I turned the chick over to check, and sure enough... next to the enormous bruise on his cheek, his eyelids were shut. Taking a peek underneath them showed me nothing but spirals.

"Shoot. I haven't got any Revivers, either..." I glanced back and forth, somehow hoping that would help... before realizing it wouldn't and letting out a sigh of resignment.

I carefully wrapped my tendrils around my companion, gently lifting him onto my shoulders. I made sure his head was leaning on my shoulder, even if it was a little uncomfortable, to make sure his legs stayed within my chest-hole and he remained securely fastened around my back. I slowly shifted forme once more, double-checking for just a moment to make sure that our supplies were still with us-- thankfully, they were-- and dashed out of the building, wrapping my remaining two tendrils around Apollo and our loot respectively.

I took mental note of the place: not to return until I was a bit stronger. Whatever I'd done back there, I didn't want to have to rely on it... and I definitely couldn't control that yet, so I had to work on it for sure. When I got back to our shelter, too, I'd need to sort the loot myself. Oh, and...

...my head was flooded with busy thoughts as I sped off through The City, into the newly-born night, rushing my partner to safety.