Black, Blue, And Red all Over
The Crowd Cheers For Carnage
By Iron Valiant-anon
The waiting room was dimly lit by hanging lanterns, which slowly swung to and fro, casting their light like a rocking metronome. Their orange glows illuminated the irregular stone masonry that made up the walls of the chamber. There was a muffled, thunderous cacophony of noise just beyond the heavy double-sided doors that braced the forefront of the chamber. The opposite end was a stairwell that was currently being blocked by a pair of large Obstagoons. Sitting on a worn bench was a single Pokemon that was hunched over. A red cloak covered most of their form, obscuring most details of their species beyond the fact that they were bipedal. A single blue-furred arm sat in their lap, adorned with a large, steely spike on their wrist. They tapped their paw in anticipation. A billow of smoke came out from under their hood.
"Hehe... Did you hear who they set the new guy up with this time?" One of the Blocking Pokemon spoke up to his mirror opposite. "Real bad type disadvantage. Odds are going up as high as 25/1 that he'll even win. I think someone really has it out for him after his winning streak. They're already prepping a burial plot." He laughs insidiously, bearing a mouth full of sharp teeth.
"Burial plot? There won't be a fucking body left once Vulcan is done with him!" The other Obstagoon joins in the cackling.
There was suddenly a loud, boisterous voice yelling from the stairwell. "HEY, FUCKHEADS! SIXTY SECONDS! MAKE SURE THE UNDERDOG IS OUT THAT DOOR WHEN THE CROWD GETS REALLY RILED UP! DON'T ROUGH HIM UP IF HE REFUSES; HE ALREADY NEARLY GOT HIS SHIT HANDED TO HIM YESTERDAY, AND HE'S BECOMING TOO MUCH OF A FAN FAVORITE. I CAN'T LET PEOPLE THINK WE'RE FUDGING SHIT ALL OF A SUDDEN. JUST CHUCK HIM OUT THE DOOR AND BOLT IT DOWN!" The two Obstagoons crack their knuckles and slowly approach the bench-warming Pokemon."
"You heard the Emcee. Get out there, or we're making you get out there!" Before one of the Obstagoons could even lay a hand on the Pokemon, they stood up with little objection, letting out another billow of smoke from beneath their cloak. They slowly made their way toward the doors and waited. The two Obstagoons shrugged as they flanked the Pokemon's exit, putting their paws on the two sides of the heavy double doors. "Good, nice, and compliant-like! Maybe we'll leave you some flowers once you're dusted!" They both laughed once again. It was hard to tell who was necessarily speaking, as they were practically clones of one another. The two Dark/Normal-Types thrust the doors open, sending a flood of bright light from outside.
The cloaked Pokemon entered a massive coliseum within a dark cavern. Great burning braziers stood in the corners of the arena like massive bonfires and lit up the entire place in a hellish glow. The air above them was barred by a huge metal cage through which hundreds, if not thousands, of cheering and jeering Pokemon of all types had taken to the stands. Many of them even held poster boards and assembled into coordinated images depicting what looked to be a Lucario with a heavily bandaged face. Signs displaying such messages as 'I <3 BLUE!', 'AURA YOU AFRAID OF DEATH?', and 'PUT THE DOG DOWN!'. They kept walking until they reached a marked stone tile in the center of the sandy arena, making no attempt to react to the fanfare from the crowd.
From the opposite end, similar double-sided doors burst aside, giving way to a massive red and black feline Pokemon wearing what resembled an executioner's mask that was crudely stitched together from what looked like hide or leather. Similar apparel braced his arms and legs like armor. Such a material being used only had grim implications in a world where eating other Pokemon was considered taboo when everyone was able to be sustained off the berries and vegetation of the land, if not treated as an act of murder, much less using their skins and hides as a macabre material for fashion. The huge creature rippled with muscle and sinew as they made their approach to the opposite side of the cloaked Pokemon on their own tile. A familiar voice howled out across the arena once they both took their positions toward the center. It was a gruff and seedy-looking Loudred amplifying their own voice from a booth built into the arena.
"LAAAAAAAAAAAADIES, AND GENTLEMON! BRIGANDS AND VAGRANTS OF ALL WALKS OF LIFE! WE WELCOME YOU TO THE MATCH-UP OF THE DECADE HERE AT SHATTERSKULL CAVE! LET'S INTRODUCE OUR CONTENDERS! COMING IN FROM THE CHALLENGER CORNER, YOU KNOW HIM WELL, MANY OF YOU LOVE HIM, AND EVEN MORE OF YOU HAVE TRIED TO RIP OFF WHAT FEW LIMBS HE HAS LEFT! HE'S THE AURA DOG UNDERDOG WITH NO PAST, THE STRANGER WITH THE SHINING SWORD, THE HOUND WHO WON'T STAY DOWNED, THE ONE ARMED AND ONE LEGGED BANDIT HIMSELF! GIVE IT UP FOR..."
"BLUE. THE. BLIND!" The audience explodes into a deafening wall of noise.
Upon the declaration of his name, the Lucario tore away his cloak, exposing his form. He was adorned in dirtied bandages that tightly covered what was a clear absence of a left arm from the elbow below. Similar wraps covered his chest and were stained with specks of blood. His face was similarly wrapped up and bloodstained. A red blindfold accompanied the old bandages on his head. In his muzzle, which peeked out from the wraps, was a smoke pipe that he took steady puffs from. Around his waist was a red sash that displayed a heavily tarnished guild badge that had long since lost its luster, and his thighs were braced in armored faulds bound by dark orange ropes. His imposing form was supported by a metal prosthetic that replaced his left leg below the shin, substituting the large foot that composed almost half of Lucario's typical digitigrade leg. He flexed and stretched his single, muscular arm as he awaited what was to come, his tail kicking up dust behind him in anticipation.
"ANNND EVERYONE GIVE A WARM WELCOME TO OUR VERY WARM AND UNWELCOMING CHAMPION! YOU KNOW HIM AS THE LIVING FURNACE FROM THE UNDERWORLD, THE MOLTEN HOT MIRACLE OF MUSCLE, THE FIRE/DARK-TYPE THAT WILL LIGHT UP YOUR NIGHT BEFORE KNOCKING YOUR LIGHTS OUT! TEAM DAZZLE'S DESTROYER! THE ONE THOUSAND MON KILLER! GIVE IT UP FOR THE INCINEROAR FROM THE SAND CONTINENT, VULCAN THE EVISCERATOR!!!"
The massive Incineroar let out a roar skyward, practically causing the very air to reverberate with his cry. The audience cheered once again. More appreciation came in from the crowd as various signs and banners were waved back and forth across the countless viewers. There were such homages as 'TAN THEIR HIDES!', 'BADLAND BURNERS FOREVER!', and 'I WANT YOUR EGGS!' being displayed in fanatic devotion to the Heel Pokemon.
"YOU BOTH KNOW THE RULES! THE UTTER LACK OF THEM! HAHAHA! BUT SERIOUSLY... LAST MON STANDING WINS! AT THE SOUND OF THE BRONZONG, FIGHT!"
There was barely any time to register what was going to happen next as the Bronze Bell Pokemon let out a chilling sound throughout the cavern arena. Both Pokemon immediately broke into a sprint, colliding at each other with explosions of Fighting-Type energy maneuvers. The Lucario had temporarily created a bone club of aura, which was used to parry the burning claws of the Incineroar. They both bared their teeth at each other as they let out feral growls and cries that would be seen as unbecoming of civilized Pokemon.
After being locked in their clash for what felt like an eternity, they sprung off each other and kept their respective distances as they started circling each other and firing off volleys of projectiles. Fireballs and aurabolts continuously crashed into each other in a pyrotechnic display of red and blue lights.
"Stop playing copycat, dog! Get in really nice and close so I can twist your neck and end your little charade here already! You should've died yesterday! If that Ceruledge was playing easy with you, wasn't he?! He's fucking next! We don't put up with any backroom deals here in Shatterskull! There's no free lunch around here, Lucario!" Vulcan leaps forward, attempting to body-slam the Lucario as the Aura Pokemon narrowly dodges the collision, being licked at by a shockwave of flames that burns at the fabrics on his body. The blindfolded fighter quickly dives and rolls along the coarse sand to put himself out, coughing violently as he pulls himself back onto what are technically his two feet.
Blue steadies his stance as he holds out his sole arm, gathering a flurry of aura into his palm. Upon squeezing his paw into a tight fist, the aura exploded into the shape of a flaming blue sword. "I don't think so, kitty. Everything between him and I have nothing to do with you. I was going to let you live but now you're making that seem like a bad idea!" He sprints toward the wrestling tiger and attempts to stagger him with an onslaught of slashes from his aura blade, causing blinding flashes of light each time the blade strikes against the Incineroar's burning claws.
"I'LL SHOW YOU A KITTY! GET OVER HERE!" The villainous Pokemon swings a low kick, causing Blue to stumble before being launched back by a burning open palm. The wrestling Pokemon winds up his body as an inferno begins to consume his body. He unleashes it in a terrifying vortex of fire and flies towards the Lucario. "ONCE I PEEL YOU APART, I'LL USE YOUR STEEL BONES FOR A SHINY TROPHY!"
The Lucario hits the ground rolling once again as he uses a bolt of aura against the floor to project himself skyward like a rocket from the explosion, hooking his sword into one of the gaps of the cage above them. The audience simultaneously boos and cheers from the display as Vulcan narrowly misses running his smaller opponent through with Darkest Lariat, a signature move of the Incineroar species that is normally lauded as being unable to be dodged due to its tornado-like nature. "I said... I don't think so, KITTY!"
The Fire/Dark-Type slows down his spin in disbelief, practically slobbering in anger. "YOU FUCKING LITTLE PIECE OF SHIT! GET DOWN HERE AND DIE LIKE THE HALF OF A MON YOU STILL ARE! I'LL MAKE SURE THERE'S ENOUGH LEFT OF YOU TO SEND BACK HOME!" The feline Pokemon begins a running leap as he springs high up in an attempt to grab and pull down the Fighting/Steel-Type.
"Hrm... I wish that it was possible to go home once... But I think I like it here now!" Blue begins to rock back and forth, using his momentum to eventually launch himself off his aura sword, which vanished in a shower of life energy. He plummets downward like a missile at the Incineroar with his right foot extended. The Lucario executed a High Jump Kick and connected with Vulcan's snout with a loud crackling of bone and flesh, causing them both to crash into the arena floor with a billowing eruption of sand and dust. There was a ferocious roar of pain and anger from within the cloud of debris.
"AAAUGGGFFFH!! MYFF FACEFF! MYFF BEAUTIFULF FACEF! THAT'F ITF, I'MF KILLINGFF YOUFF SLOWLYFF! POKEMONFF HEREF AREF GOINGFF TOF LEARNF TODAYFH HOWFH TOFH COUNTFH ANDFH SPELLFFH WITHFFH YOURFH FUCKINGFH BONESFH ANDFH ORGANSFH! WE'REFH STARTINGFFH WITHFH AFFH FORFH APPENDIXFFFH!" An explosion of fire emitted by the wounded Incineroar caused the dust to burn away. Blue was struck back by the burst of heat and cinders, leaving him painfully burned and wounded on the ground.
The one-armed Lucario coughed smoke and blood as he slowly pulled himself up. "Yanno... At least it's not A for Anus." A burning fist knocked him across the jaw, launching him into the opposing arena wall. His body embedded itself in the stone, causing cracks to run along its surface before plummeting onto the coliseum floor. "Ah... Ah... I actually felt that. Balls..." Vulcan grabbed Blue tightly by the throat and lifted him up, slamming him repeatedly into the wall he had just collided with, finally knocking the smoke pipe he held stubbornly out of his mouth as well as more blood from his wounds. Each collision made his mind reel as he felt his metal skull start to ring like the Brozongl from earlier. Vital fluids soaked the bandages on his face and seeped out from underneath his blindfold as he started feeling himself get weak. The tiger Pokemon's face was a deformed mess, as his snout had crumpled into a bruised and bleeding injury that might never fully recover without intense treatment. Blood dripped out of his nostrils as well as his mouth. It was almost unbelievable how the attack didn't cause the Incineroar's sinuses to collapse into his own brain, potentially killing him.
"Anyffth lastfh wordsffh beforeff Iffh ripffh yourfh ribcageffh openff likeffh aff pantryffh andff letfh yourffh gutsffh fallfh outff?" Vulcan used his free hand to grab at Blue's chest spike. Blue gasped and coughed as he felt the spike being tugged on, pulling against the very bones it was attached to. The Incineroar sounded like he was being literal about what he was going to do to the Lucario's ribs! The canine slowly lifted his head and raised his arm, patting the giant contender on the bicep. "Just... Just one thing, big guy... Just a little thing I need to say... Before you... Let everyone see how I truly am on the inside." He took a deep breath before quickly planting his paw on the tiger's face. "FORCE PALM!" A shockwave of aura emanated from Blue's hand and directly into the Eviscerator's head, causing his already vulnerable face to crumple inward. The giant Pokemon let the Lucario go as what little impulses left in the monster's head ceased to be, collapsing with a resounding thud. Whether he was dead or not wasn't Blue's concern, just that he was alive after being pitted into what was hopefully his last arena challenge, and that Ceruledge didn't have to kill him or get killed in the previous match. The reigning champion of the appropriately named Shatterskull cave had been defeated.
The audience held a pregnant pause before cascading into a deafening combination of celebration and disappointment. Many signs and posters for the former champion were flung onto the arena, landing on the cage covering it. Blue simply gazed skyward as he was sprawled out on the sand and bared a shit-eating grin at both his fans and haters alike. Everything soon started fading as a Hatterene and a Machoke appeared by his side and started frantically attending to him to give him first aid and move him off the field. He could just barely hear himself being declared the new champion of the arena by the Loudred as the scene completely faded.
The view soon transitioned to the face of the same Lucario that fought in the arena, smoking a pipe in his muzzle and holding tightly onto a mug of alcohol. He didn't look as bloodied and haggard as he did back then. He smiled towards his viewer. "Well? What did you think?"
"Wow... And I mean... Wow... Did all of that really happened? What happened after that? And who's Ceruledge?" The Riolu sitting beside Turk asked with wide, shocked eyes. The pair were hanging out at the Blue Claw Inn among many other members of the guild after they'd all arrived back from various requests and tasks they had taken up that day. The Lucario had just finished what was a shared vision of one of the many twists and turns his life had taken before he had arrived at the Clover Guild. Riolu was one of the few Pokemon privileged with the inherent powers of aura, despite them being less developed than Turk's own, and thus held the capability to participate in aura rituals like sharing memories with less training. The smaller dog of the pair looked onward in thought over what he saw.
The older aura dog takes a drag of his smoke pipe and blows it skyward before setting it aside. "Yeeep... I couldn't fake something like that if I wanted to, though. I'm not a Psychic-Type or something, little guy. Hope it wasn't uh... Too much... You saw the world as I saw it... Hope my aura senses dropped that R-rating to a PG-13 for you... Haha... You have no idea what I mean... ANYWAY! As for those other questions... Well, I'd like to indulge you in any... Lapses in detail, but it's getting a bit late, don't you think? I also think your partner is looking for you, bro." Riolu nodded in understanding before his Eevee companion called out to him from across the bar.
"Ah, I guess I do have to go. Thanks for the tale, Turk. It was... Really more intense than I expected!" He hops off his chair and proceeds to walk away.
Turk raises a mug for the Emanation Pokemon. "And thank YOU for paying for my bar tab in exchange, Riolu! Also, remember to let Cyndaquil know I have your back if he says anymore cursed shit about your body! Remember what Old Turk has to says... If somebody tries to do or say something to you that makes you feel uncomfortable, that's NO GOOD!"
The Riolu looks back one more time with an awkward smile as if he wasn't sure he ever wanted to speak to Turk again or just felt plain sorry for him. He chased after his Eevee friend without a word.
The scruffy Lucario then downs the fermented berry beverage and let out an unceremonious belch. "Haha... Nice."