"Aria, teleport to the sky! Oddy, Brutal Swing destroy everything!" I shouted, voice sharp with urgency.
The woman across from me snapped back with anger. "Rapidash! Use Flame Charge break through!"
All three Pokémon responded in unison.
Rapidash burst into motion, its sleek form enveloped in eerie purple flames that intensified with every step, fueling its speed. Aria's form shimmered, eyes narrowing as she focused her energy. She leapt in front of the charging Rapidash, disrupting its line of sight then vanished in a blink, teleporting skyward.
In that split second, Oddy spun forward, one of the gaping mouths on top of his head glowing with dark crimson energy. His BrutalSwing launched with a spiraling twist, the maw colliding with Rapidash mid charge in a jarring impact.
But the woman didn't hesitate.
"Rapidash! Break through Shadow Dash!"
I stumbled back, a chill crawling up my spine. "What the hell is that move…?"
The Rapidash's flames flared violently as it powered forward, the strange glow surrounding it warping like a shadow set ablaze. With explosive momentum, it tore through Oddy's attack, sending him hurtling into the air straight toward the edge of the ship.
"Aria!" I screamed.
In a flash of pink light, Aria teleported to him mid fall, grabbed him, and warped again, reappearing safely on the deck with the dizzy Gloom in her arms.
The woman across from me let out a slow, satisfied laugh behind her white mask as I stared at her kinda stunned.
"What… was that move?" I muttered, shaken.
She tilted her head, watching me like a predator admiring the last twitch of its prey. Then she broke into manic laughter.
"Hahahaha! Look at this trash! The one who said we couldn't even handle three brats! Oh, how your mind must be breaking right now realizing you can't win against me!"
My heart pounded as my thoughts spun. This woman is mad.
Still, I forced my voice out. "Hey! What was that move? I've never seen anything like it before."
Come on, I begged silently. Please be like a cartoon villain. Please god. Please explain the move. Please—
She gave me a weird look, then smirked as she turned to her Rapidash.
"Kill him," she said, her voice cold, "with the very move he's so curious about ShadowDash!"
"FUCK!" I yelled internally, scrambling to respond.
"Oddy, Brutal Swing again! Aria DoubleTeam! Distract it! Keep your real body close to me!"
Both Pokémon nodded and sprang into action.
Rapidash slammed its hooves down, sending out a ring of violet fire that spiraled around its body like a storm. Aria's form twitched then split. Illusions of her blinked into existence, each perfectly still, eyes locked on the approaching threat.
The fake Arias teleported into position, surrounding Rapidash in the moonlight, each flickering like a ghost, forcing it to hesitate. Oddy leapt high above them, spinning wildly, and brought his swing down in a wide arc.
But the woman was already a step ahead.
"Rapidash, don't waste your time with his Pokémon, go for the brat! Flame Charge, then Shadow Dash!"
The flames around Rapidash roared higher, its speed increasing in a blur. The fire tore through Aria's doubles, reducing each to ash in an instant. Then the energy condensed denser, darker and hotter until Rapidash moved like a living bullet of fire and shadow.
It sidestepped Oddy's attack effortlessly and bolted straight toward me, a blazing trail searing across the ship's deck.
I flinched as Rapidash almost materialized before my eyes, a blazing missle tearing across the deck. Each strike of its hooves against the wooden planks sent sparks dancing, its Flame Charge accelerating with every step until it was nothing more than a streak of purple fire. Before I could even react, Aria slammed into me with all her strength, tackling me aside just as Rapidash tore through the spot where I had stood an instant earlier.
The beast didn't stop. Its body smashed into the main deck, detonating the planks in a violent explosion of fire and splinters. Burning shards rained into the water as smoke filled the air, choking the breath from my lungs. I stumbled to my knees, gasping, the afterimage of death burned into my vision. Adrenaline crashed through me like a tidal wave, making every heartbeat scream in my ears.
"Ahhh… that's not good, Rapidashhh~" The woman's singer like tone cut through the chaos, her voice dripping with twisted delight. "Now you'll have to try one more time~." I could hear her smile behind that white mask.
I let out a shaky laugh under my breath, more from stress than amusement. My hands trembled as I looked down at Aria. She was tense, her scarlet eyes locked on the rubble where Rapidash stirred like a demon clawing out of hell.
What can I even do? I can't just attack it'll dodge everything and come for me instead. He's too fast. My mind raced, grasping at straws until a glimmer of an though surfaced. Wait… how did Aria reach me if it's faster than her?
I turned to where she'd been standing before and saw faint pink particles shimmering in the air. The image burned into my mind, and suddenly, the path forward clicked.
"That'll do," I whispered, snapping my fingers. My voice tore through the din as I barked my orders.
"Oddy! StunPowder hit him while he's stuck! Dash, go wild use Bite! You two buy us a minute!"
I hurled Dash's Poké Ball high just as Rapidash tore free from the wreckage, its mane flaring like molten steel. Oddy appeared first, leaping behind the Poké Ball midair. With a swing of his arm like vines, he smacked the capsule forward like a bullet. It burst open in Rapidash's face, releasing a golden Growlithe in a flash of white light.
Dash didn't hesitate. The instant his paws hit the deck, he lunged and sank his fangs deep into Rapidash's foreleg. The fiery steed screamed, swinging violently as Oddy's mouths spewed a cloud of shimmering yellow spores. They clung to Rapidash's coat like pollen, sparking faint paralysis through its body.
"Tch!" The masked woman's voice sharpened. "Rapidash! Use HighHorsepower on that mutt!"
Both Dash and Oddy flinched as Rapidash wrenched free, fury blazing in its crimson eyes. Its body surged with a golden aura, hooves pounding like war drums as it charged. Each stride cracked the deck, the air humming with raw power.
Dash lowered his head, inhaling deeply. White energy rippled across his pelt as he bolted forward with Quick Attack, vanishing into a blur. He circled Rapidash in dizzying arcs, trying to outmaneuver the monster, but the horse wasn't fooled.
"Flame Charge then Stomp!" The woman's voice cracked like a whip.
Rapidash erupted in flames so bright they turned the smoke orange. Its speed spiked in a terrifying burst, and in a heartbeat, it pivoted, predicting Dash's path. The impact came like a cannon blast. Dash cried out, his body folding under the crushing weight of Rapidash's hooves.
"Dash!" I roared, watching him writhe. He ignited in desperation, cloaking himself in a raging inferno. Raging Fury burning with everything he had left. But the flames didn't save him. They were devoured, sucked greedily into Rapidash's mane as its purple fire flared brighter than ever thanks to Rapidash's ability Flash Fire.
"Rapidash, don't kill the Growlithe!" The woman's tone was venomous now. "I want that mutt for myself. Go for the brat instead."
My blood ran cold as I pushed to my feet. Aria's gaze met mine before she vanished in a shimmer of pink sparks.
I turned back just as Rapidash lifted its hoof from Dash's fainted form. Its eyes locked on me two blazing furnaces in a mask of bone white flame. The purple fire roared higher, consuming its mane, its tail, its very breath. Then it moved.
The deck shuddered as the demon horse lunged, and I raised my arm to the sky.
"Gligar Acrobatics! Oddy, Brutal Swing!"
A shriek ripped through the night as Khan's Gligar dove from above, wings slicing the air like blades. Its body split into afterimages shimmering with azure energy. It struck Rapidash hard, claws raking and using Sand Attack into its eyes. The beast screamed, shaking its head violently as grit blinded its vision.
Oddy seized the moment. With a roar, he leapt high, vines spiraling around his body before crashing down in a vicious BrutalSwing that smashed against Rapidash's skull. The deck groaned under the impact, and for the first time, Rapidash faltered pinned to the boards, muscles straining.
"Push harder, Oddy!" I shouted, my throat raw.
The masked woman's heel slammed into the wood, splintering it. Her voice sliced through the chaos like a blade.
"Rapidash! Overheat! Finish this madness!!"
Rapidash's eyes ignited, molten red against the storm of violet flames consuming its body. The air warped from the heat as the monster drew in a breath so deep it sounded like the sea collapsing into its lungs.
And then it exhaled.