Zarius roused from slumber along with Lucien. He sat up and rubbed his eyes, “What’s going on?” he asked as he felt quite warm. Toasty, in fact. Too warm. And the room was bright. He could smell something in the air – smoke. It was charred wood, but he had never smelled something so pungent until he realized it was pine tar – commonly used to help keep the wooden beams of the log cabins fixed in place and somewhat insulated between logs.
Lucien leaped to his feet and sniffed the air, “Smoke. Fire. Let’s get outside!” The Umbreon went to the door and reared up on his hind paws, unlatching the wooden slat, and pushing the door open.
Zarius got to his feet and saw the bright, red haze outside. People were shouting, screaming, trying to coordinate piling the snow into buckets set near a cabin that was ablaze. He instinctively reached for his sword and once his hand found the hilt, he felt a sense of cool rationale as any panic was suppressed. He shouted at one of the fur-wrapped villagers who was running past with a bucket full of snow turned to slush, “What happened?!” he shouted.
“Pokémon! A big one!” The man pointed to the far side of the village, “It went that way, chasing one of the hunters.”
“Acting as bait to save their village. How thoughtful,” Yveltal commented.
Zarius drew the sword and felt the cascading torrent of warmth surge up his arm and into his torso. “Lucien let’s go!” he began running, his movement swift as he sprinted at full speed. A shadow in the evening light, as he had slept most of the day. They entered the hinterland forest, the evergreen trees dozens of feet high and causing the dark to deepen even further.
Zarius could almost feel the darkness around him, pushing in from all sides and comforting him. Suffusing him with strength and speed as he sprinted through the shadows with Lucien next to him – the duo flickering shadows amongst the gloom. Somewhere, far ahead, he heard a loud clicking noise, followed by the scent of burning flesh. He could hear the brief scream before the sound went silent.
Then the scent of blood hit his nostrils, and he felt his blood pulse through his whole body. A manic grin took over his face as he raced onward, activating Double Team as that same tingling feeling overcame his body. He also felt the close heat of Lucien using Helping Hand, and Zarius activated Double-Edge.
He saw a glowing pillar in the center of a group of now-burning trees, the fire having embedded itself into the bark and flesh beneath as it consumed the living monoliths from the inside. The crackling noises were akin to screams with how loud they echoed in Zarius’ ears, and the scent of blood and cooked flesh lay heavy on his nostrils.
He saw the Pokémon, and instead of charging right in for a strike he came to a stop at the edge of the charred trees. Centiskorch, he thought having heard of the enormous, centipede Fire and Bug type before. Extremely hot and able to heat up the air around it.
“Intriguing. You know a decent amount regarding Pokémon.”
You can read my thoughts? Zarius asked in his mind, surprised.
“We are one and the same.”
That fact was comforting to Zarius, and he replied. All children of the cult were taught as if they were to be the next Prophet, including memorizing Pokémon from the tomes and scrolls. He felt Lucien next to him, and the Umbreon was sucking in light, shallow breaths as his rings flickered between the yellow and crimson. I could be instantly incinerated by this thing.
“Maybe,” Lucien whispered, “We use the Dark to our advantage. It is twice as effective against Bug types, and we can strike from the shadows.” Lucien looked over at Zarius and his mouth extended into a wolfish grin, baring his sharp teeth. “I’ll go to the far side of the clearing, you stay here. We use Bite from the shadows and run in opposite directions. Three second bursts in between, on your start.” Lucien dashed into the darkness without waiting for an answer.
“Interesting. An Eevee who knows about Types. Well, I suppose that makes sense, given that his species can become practically any type. But the strategy part? That is something else entirely.”
Zarius did not engage in the conversation even though he wanted to prod more. There was a powerful Fire-type Pokémon in front of him and he could feel the bloodlust in him rising. Driven by the Claw of Yveltal, he raised his hand in the finger-claw towards the Centiskorch. Making eye contact with Lucien, seeing the glowing, red eyes but no rings – the Umbreon having suppressed them – he spoke. “Bite.”
The phantasmal, spectral black mouth appeared on the mid-section of the Fire type and crunched down. The creature dropped the smoking body it was snacking on and wheeled around to face Zarius, unleashing a torrent of flame.
But Zarius was already on the move, running clockwise around the creature to his left. The gout of flames scorched the trees behind him and set them alight, and he could feel the rush of heat that chased him as the creature spun to try and catch him. 2…1…
Another Bite appeared on the creature, and it shut off the gout of flame as it spun to face Lucien, who was keeping pace in the same direction, but directly across from Zarius. The Centiskorch unleashed another stream of flame, chasing the Umbreon who deftly dashed behind a tree only to dash out from behind it.
My turn, Bite! Zarius thought as he gripped and squeezed once more. He could see the injury done to the monstrous foe; green blood dripping down and sizzling from the bite marks all along the torso where the dark, shadowy mouths had now taken three bites out of it. The thing let out a mix between a screech and a roar and wheeled on Zarius.
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He felt the hackles on the back of his neck rise and instinctively rushed behind a tree. And not a second too soon, as there was an enormous blast of heat – an area-of-effect Move – that would have hit him no matter how fast he had been running. The tree he was hiding behind barely kept him safe from the scouring flames.
But he heard another roar, and the heat faded as he began sprinting once more. Lucien had got its attention, and the Umbreon’s rings flickered crimson in the tree line, giving Zarius a sense of where he was. My turn then. 2…1…Bite! Once more the jaws appeared, drew blood, and then faded.
But the Centiskorch seemed fed up with their tactics, and it flattened itself against the ground as it glowed white-hot.
“Back off!” Yveltal ordered.
Zarius did so, and lost sight of Lucien as he dipped further into the tree line. But Zarius could smell his scent, and saw the faint, glowing trail of yellow out of the corner of his vision as his senses started to blur together. His pulse was racing as he backed into the trees.
Then the world exploded. A cataclysmic inferno that surged upward. An artificial volcano that blasted skyward, sending trees crashing over and bending them outward from the origin point. The fire surged outward, and Zarius was at the very edge of the Move, feeling the incinerating heat against him as his flesh was seared. He had shut his eyes and turned his face away, and felt the blistering heat begin to bubble the flesh on his cheek.
He let out a scream of pain as he shoved his face into the snow, relying on the cold to soothe the burning wound. But…he also heard a hiss of pain. Synchronize, he thought. It’s burned me, so I’ve burned it. Lot of good that will do against a Fire type. He shoved himself to his feet and saw through the blasted trees that the Centiskorch was still prone, seemingly breathing heavily as blood oozed out from all around it.
“Bite!” he shouted as he made the claw-closing gesture once more and saw his tattered, burned apparel. The spectral maws appeared and ripped into it, tearing off chunks of flesh and eliciting further hisses of pain from the monster.
Another set of spectral jaws appeared and crunched down into it, eliciting another pained noise. Zarius got up and ran forward, closing the distance to the creature as an inner craving drove him. He had to strike this thing with the Claw. He did not know what drove him, but he was driven onward nonetheless as he surrendered to the frenzy.
Getting close, he could feel the radiating heat, but closed distance anyways and chopped down into the head of the creature. A second strike manifested in the air next to him and carved down from the earlier use of Double-Edge, and once more his forearms felt like they were being pulled toward the verge of tearing apart.
It let out another hiss and the bulk of its body whipped around to strike Zarius. But thanks to his earlier Double Team, his body was ready, and he dodged with scant inches to spare – but the heat like a furnace from being so close assailed him and he had to back away. Lash Out! He thought as he got to the edge of the trees.
The surging shadows flickered from all around him and shot forward, spikes of pure, black energy piercing the creature as it wailed out its agony. The flames along its exterior billowed out but were cut off as the green, viscous ichor of its blood poured out from the same wounds. It let out a low-pitched keening before collapsing.
Zarius ran forward and carved down into it, laughing with glee as he chopped into the carapace over and over, ensuring it was dead. He could feel the blood coating his blade as he hacked away with abandon, and each time he brought the sword back he felt the hot ichor splash over him. Not burning hot, but a pleasant warmth like he had just stepped into a hot spring.
Lucien came over and sniffed the body, “Disgusting bug.” He sat on his haunches and eyed Zarius, “Having fun?”
Zarius let his laugh answer and only ceased his massacring of the corpse when the language of the gods appeared in his vision.
-----
[Combat Concluded]
[Experience Awarded: 200]
[Bonus from Harvester of Life: 100]
[Total Experience: 300]
[You have Leveled Up!]
-----
Zarius, Chosen of Yveltal [Level 6]
- Experience – 375 / 428
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[New Ability Gained]
- Shadow Brand
- Whenever the user strikes a target with a Dark type Move, their Bound Pokémon’s next attack or Move detonates the Shadow Brand, dealing additional Dark damage.
-----
[New Move Gained]
- Taunt (5) [Dark]
- Forces the target to focus on the user. Additionally, if used by a Trainer, their Bound Pokémon’s next Move inflicts additional Dark damage.
[Trainers may replace one of their four active Moves by spending 8 hours meditating. This time is reduced to 4 hours with a Bound Pokémon nearby.]
-----
Zarius felt a rush of energy as the life essence of the slain foe flowed into him. Lucien glowed a bright, deep crimson before the rings faded to a pulsing blue, and then their usual yellow-orange glow. He glanced up at Zarius with a coy expression. “Ah, the language of the gods has prompted me. I may learn a new Move called Sand Attack. Ground type, and it will make the foe’s attacks less likely to hit.”
“Then learn it,” Zarius said as he sheathed the blade and began investigating the corpse that was now a charred, crisp piece of jerky that was once a villager.
Lucien shook his head, “I am not like a Trainer. I can only know four Moves at once, and I must forget one to learn a new one.”
Zarius quickly glanced at the floating words of the gods above Lucien and nodded, “Lose Take Down. I don’t want you to suffer the backlash damage. Plus, you have more uses of Bite than me, so if anything I’m going to be getting up closer and personal while you can support me from the rear.”
The language of the gods above Lucien shifted, and Zarius could read it.
-----
[New Move Gained]
- Sand Attack (15) [Ground]
- Temporarily blinds a target, causing their attacks and Moves to have a higher chance of missing.
-----
“Do you not get new Abilities?” Zarius asked as he pulled the human corpse to the side of the new clearing, the still-burning trees flickering with the inner flame still burrowing through them.
“Trainers gain new Abilities every five levels. Bound Pokémon gain them every ten.” Yveltal sounded proud. “This is a good development, Zarius. Your new Ability will be excellent for your developing combat strategy.”
“Which is?” Zarius asked as he moved over to the Centiskorch’s corpse.
Lucien replied, “Switch hitting. It would be wise to have you swap out Double-Edge for Taunt, so that you can have Bite as a ranged option, Lash Out to deal damage upon being harmed, Taunt to get foes towards you – opening them to damage from me, and Double Team to increase your evasion.”
Zarius looked over at Lucien and his jaw practically dropped at the sudden well-articulated explanation of Move utilization and planning. “How do you know all of this?”
“I’d like to know as well,” Yveltal added.
Lucien walked over to Zarius and sat on his haunches with a smug expression. “Pokémon know how to fight. It just comes to me.” He nudged Zarius’ shoulder with his snout. “Shadow Brand will let me detonate more damage, and I can use Sand Attack, Growl, and Helping Hand to keep supporting you and weakening opponents. Bite is how I’ll detonate the mark.”
Yveltal laughed, and it was a deep, chortle that resonated with Zarius’ soul as he also laughed. “Ah, Pokémon. You always fascinate me with your new developments.”
Zarius felt his stomach rumble and pulled his pack off his back as he pulled out a carving knife. He licked his lips as he cut into the flesh of the Fire and Bug type Pokémon. “I wonder what this will taste like?”
If you like dark fantasy gamelit, go check out Winchester's newest story - it's about a sentient sword that gets power from killing! Lots of thematic overlap with my story here. (Plus, he's a fantastic guy who you should support!)