Chapter Text
Pain.
Umbreon felt agony ripple through his muscles as another earthquake shook the platform where the battle took place. A crack spidered its way through the ground and Umbreon leered at it, taking a cautious step away and then fixating his eyes on the opponents across the field. A crouched Swampert and slowly spinning Claydol glared at him and his teammate, Hitmontop.
“Umbreon, use confuse ray on Swampert and Hitmontop, return!” His trainer Wes shouted. A red beam struck Hitmontop and his body briefly glowed before returning to his Pokeball. Umbreon leveled a heavy stare at Swampert as the golden rings on his body lit the air around him for a moment before returning to normal. Swampert appeared dazed across from him, while Claydol delivered a physic attack on the freshly released Noctowl, who stumbled before hooting in indignation and fluttering into place.
Swampert’s eyes swiveled before launching a surf off the platform, leaving Umbreon and Noctowl to breathe a sigh of relief. Wes then commanded Umbreon to use crunch on Calydol while Noctowl put Swampert to sleep using hypnosis. Claydol retaliated by using rock tomb on Noctowl, who screeched in pain and fluttered back to its position. Umbreon noticed she was favoring one foot and scowled before rearing back to crunch Claydol again, knocking it out.
As Swampert slept on, their opponent released a Camerupt who let out a billow of smoke from its nose and stomped the ground with its hoof. Noctowl used dream eater on Swampert, causing her to stand up straighter and steadily on both feet. Camerupt then aimed a stream of red-hot flames toward Umbreon, who collapsed and cried out from the severe burns covering his face and front legs. He could feel blood running into his eyes as he struggled to stand, legs quivering as waves of pain coursed through his body.
Wes shouted his name and Umbreon turned towards his voice, cracking open his stinging eyes to see a sitrus berry sailing towards him. He snapped forward to catch it in his mouth and forced himself to chew despite the way his face pulsated and radiated pain while he did so. After swallowing, he could feel much of the pain leave his body as he turned to see Swampert fall from another dream eater.
Camerupt galloped towards Noctowl to stomp her middle, Umbreon wincing as he saw Noctowl fly several feet from the attack. A Cradily appeared on the field, letting out a battle cry and fixating its eyes on Noctowl. Knowing that Cradily would unleash a rock-type attack onto Noctowl, Wes directed Umbreon to use fire fang and for Noctowl to use fly on the creature. Umbreon bit into Cradily with all the strength he could muster, his teeth gleaming with flames, and Cradily’s neck blackening under the temperatures. Cradily swiped a tentacle at Umbreon who evaded and ran away from Cradily, suddenly skidding to a stop when a boulder slammed into the ground inches from his body. He heard his opponent’s trainer curse at the miss as Umbreon continued to run.
From a distance, Umbreon heard Cradily screech in pain as Noctowl hit her target, knocking it out.
“NOCTOWL!” Wes screamed, Umbreon whipping his head to see a boulder nail her in the face and knock her off the platform. With bated breath, Umbreon’s heart pounded
one,
two,
three times.
She did not fly back up to them.
Tears unwillingly gathered in Umbreon’s eyes, knowing there was a lake filled with lava below the platform. Mt. Battle was built into a volcano, he didn’t need to wonder what happened to her.
Wes weakly called Hitmontop back into battle, their opponent sending out a Metang. The Metang catches his eye from across the field and mockingly makes a motion of punching into the air before turning its gaze onto Hitmontop.
Hitmontop was faster than anyone on the team, showing his speed by immediately knocking out Camerupt with a high jump kick, before whirling back to stand (spin) next to Umbreon. The opponent sent out a fucking Raikou, where the fuck did he get that, Umbreon thought as his fur bristled with fear. Legendary Pokemon were not enemies one wants to face in battle. They are cruel, fickle, and ruthless - even more so when there is a dark purple haze bleeding off their skin.
Hitmontop fell with a physic from Metang, Wes opting to send out Typhlosion, planning to quickly get rid of Metang so Raikou would be the only opponent Pokemon left on the battlefield. This idea came to be extremely short-lived, as a green sphere enveloped Raikou and Metang let loose a powerful earthquake, sending Umbreon tumbling toward the edge of the platform. He heard Wes cry out again and quickly picked himself up, nearly falling as one leg ended up dangling off the edge.
The floor had spiked in multiple places, jagged pieces of stone jutting into the air. Umbreon leaped onto one, only to feel his heart drop into his stomach. Wes was crouched over a body with a slowly growing pool of blood surrounding it. Typhlosion had been spearing through the neck, his mouth slack and eyes wide open, looking off into the distance at nothing.
“Send out your next Pokemon you fool! My Pokemon are hungry for success and they are not afraid to attack you, little boy.” the giant man across the field yelled. Wes’ head slowly rose, his face equal parts rage and grief, before unclipping a ball from his belt. Gardevoir released from the ball with a flash of white light, stretching before looking at Typhlosion, then Wes, then their foes. A steely look entered her eyes and Umbreon felt himself begin to float as Gardevoir placed him next to Wes. Wes then used a super potion on Umbreon, the last potion they had - all the others used in the battles leading up to this one. An x defend was used on Gardevoir, strengthing her from the attacks about to come.
“Gardevoir, physic on the Raikou. Umbreon, use fire fang on the Metang.” Wes said.
Umbreon felt embers fill his jaws as he raced towards Metang with full intentions of payback for killing one of Umbreon’s first teammates. Wes’ first shadow Pokemon. With a leap, Umbreon’s mouth attached itself to Metang’s arm, an ear-piercing shriek emitting from the creature as its arm melted from its body, falling with a heavy thud to the ground.
Metang retaliated with a strong punch, sending Umbreon sprawling and his ears ringing from the impact. Metang floated towards Gardevoir, who successfully dodged a thunder attack from Raikou. Hissing as his vision swam, Umbreon called a warning to Gardevoir before collapsing back onto the ground.
His body was spent. Bloody, burned, and likely with multiple fractured bones, Umbreon could no longer stand. He panted with exhaustion and pain, feeling blood trickle from his ear from Metang’s assault. He could do nothing but watch as Wes sent out his last Pokemon, choosing to disregard the rules of battle after being faced with a bloodbath. Espeon appeared on the field and Umbreon felt tears gather in his eyes, knowing she was the weakest on the team. Her job was to be a supporter, not a fighter. Their opponents were too strong, too bloodthirsty. Gardevoir cried out as Metang hit her with a vicious flash cannon, despite how weakened the monster was.
Espeon heard the cry and lept into action, casting a wish on Gardevoir to heal the damage she took. Raikou immediately targeted her, hitting her with a crunch as she wailed in pain. Umbreon didn’t see her collapse, but he knew how strong legendaries were. It was unlikely she would get up again.
With a snarl, Raikou began stalking toward Wes as their opponent’s trainer laughed.
“You have no more Pokemon left, kid! You should have known better than to mess with the great Dakim! Metang, finish off that Gardevoir. Raikou, the kill is yours.” Dakim said as sparks flew from Raikou’s body. The beast was ready.
Umbreon willed his body to stand, to fight, to do anything!
But he could not.
With a roar, Raikou lept at Wes. But before they made contact, a blinding flash filled the arena. A shriek was heard. The light dimmed.
Gardevoir was dead.
Wes fell onto his knees, knowing there was no way he would escape his fate. Umbreon could take no more. He closed his eyes as the sounds of screams and tearing flesh echoed through the volcano walls before abruptly coming to a stop. Umbreon hoped Wes died quickly. Umbreon’s breath shuddered through his beaten and broken body. Moments passed as Dakim withdrew Raikou into its ball.
A low grumble was heard from above him. Umbreon cracked open his eyes to see Metang standing over him. It raised its fist.
Umbreon closed his eyes.