Unsurpassable Foe

"Should have known you would be able to find out about that. Since you could block most of my Observation, you obviously have an Observe skill of your own." Sagely eyes turned a bright pink. "However, I will not be turning off my ability. You're a rather interesting character, and give off a large amount of Mental Force for someone as young as yourself."

'Mental Force? That must mean Psychic-type energy...' Dust thought to himself for a few moments, a bit calmer now that someone he couldn't beat appeared in front of him. "Don't consider this a threat, but I would like to inform you that I have the power within me to destroy the entirety of this hospital if I wish. I'll die in the process, like a suicide bomber, yet so will all of these patients and staff."

"Ho? Do you think you could destroy anything in my presence? Youngsters these days really underestimate their elders." Finch harrumphed, his voice still like that of the friendly old man. "You have no idea the limits of the bond between Pokemon and humans. Let's make a bet."

Dust blinked to find himself in the middle of an open field, the old man flying in the sky above him. "Here's the bet. If you can impress me by landing a single hit on me or my partner, I will give you a certain weapon I believe you can make very good use of, and absolve you of all your crimes. The spy's body has already been cleaned by the way. If you cannot hit either of us even once, or impress me greatly in some other way, I will kill you."

Dust shivered, the pressure from someone who was just acting like a loving relative shifting into a torrent of energy caused the pressure to have twice the effect.

'Now that I can see more, let's Observe.'

Species: Mind Up+++ Human (914/926 HP)

Type: Fighting/Psychic/Ghost

Potential: 8 Fighting, 9 Psychic, 3 Ghost, ???

Abilities: Pressure (Exhausts opponents' energy at higher speeds), Memory Reaver, Maximized Bond (Gains certain powers of bonded pokemon), ???

Sex: Male

Level: 99; unable to reach level 100 before death without special item

Bonds: Marshadow, Salamance, Kadabra, Hypno, Hitmontop, Exeggutor (??? Variant)

Moves: Somewhat Inestimable

High-Top Moves: Never Ending Nightmare (1⭐), Superkinesis (1⭐), Draco Meteor (2⭐)

Top Moves: Observe (3⭐), Living Carnage (4⭐)

"Well, this is shit. Ok, are there going to be any caveats? You're like 7 times my level and have crazy powerful moves." Dust bit his lip.

Finch snapped, and Dust's body lit up in a yellowish light. "I can't do anything about that, I'll have enough trouble just controlling my power to not kill you with one hit. But, I can give you one buff. You can use your abilities without your muscles and bones turning into mush. You are only eight, after all."

The wind blew about as Dust nodded. "Then, are you ready?"

"Yes, begin."

Not a single sound was made as Dust just appeared behind Finch, using 20% of his energy all at once at the very beginning of the fight: 15% on the movement and 5% on the punch. This dropped Dust to 75% of his energy from prior usage in the hospital.

His speed was increased with each percent of his energy he used as well since the move had 'evolved' from Full Speed Step to Shadowless Step, 15% energy moving him at around 250 Miles Per Hour. 5% on the Full Force Punch netting insane force when including the kinetic energy from moving at such high speeds just prior.

Unfortunately, this was a level 99. "Weak."

A shadowy haze easily caught this punch between its two tiny arms. 'Marshadow is here?'

Yes, Marshadow was there. Dust was correct. The aforementioned pokemon leaped out of Dust's shadow, aiming to kick him in the back of the neck.

Dust used another 5% of his energy to use his new move, Energy Pulse.

"Oh?" While Finch jumped back, Marshadow carried on with its kick. It wasn't even using a move or energy, just a normal kick.

The forces collided, each one struggling for dominance before the energy just... shattered.

Dust had put up his guard when he felt his energy pulse weaken, taking most of the hit with his arms. A massive black welt sat where he was kicked. That simple, energyless kick would have beheaded him if it wasn't mostly blocked.

"Whoo, that's a good one." Dust grinned, jumping up into the air. "Let's see how you handle this though." He began rapidly spinning while falling, using Perfect roundhouse kick with around 30% of his energy. 'If only I could use these attacks normally...'

The ground cracked, pieces of stone flying out into the air and blocking everyone's vision. Dust kicked off of the flying boulders using small Shadowless Steps, moving at about 20 MPH and using 1% of his energy per kick.

When he was behind Finch again, choosing to go after the human rather than the pokemon, Dust kicked a flying boulder at him before landing on the ground.

"Pointless. Not only am I not impressed, frankly, I'm disappointed."

A frown lit up the mayor's face as he punched through the boulder. However, white light shone from behind it. Xena flew in with a fully charged Pound, hitting the mayor right in the face. He had turned off his Psychic sensing to make the battle a bit more fair, so he was quite shocked.

Of course, he only slid back around four inches. "HAHA! I never expected this. You have an interesting dynamic with your pokemon, and it just makes me... HATE YOU MORE."

Ghost energy rose up from the ground, turning into hands. "New bet. Survive this, and I'll let you live as an outcast, never to return to the town. Otherwise, be trapped in eternal suffering, child who would send his pokemon to die."

'Fuuuuuck, I didn't think he would realize Xena was meant to be a distraction for me to escape... She wasn't actually supposed to hit him!'

"Never Ending Nightmare"

Dust was immediately punctured through the calf, liver, bicep, and jugular by the hands, which quickly exited his body and punched him from each side. He went careening off into dozens of trees, breaking them all on impact. His head was completely caved in.

The last thing Dust heard before his body died was the voice of one of the things he hated most: Lucifer. "Not to steal that baldy's words, but how's about we make a deal?"

Growling as he awoke inside of what was probably his mindscape, Dust rubbed his forehead. "What do you want, Lucifer?"

"My dart. All I want is my dart, and I will restore you to life."

"I don't have any dart. You killed me with one while I was in the afterlife, or something like that."

Lucifer appeared in front of the boy. "No, you have my dart. It merged with your soul, which is why your growth rate has been so high until now. But I want my dart back. When I'm not by it, my power is limited. You have around thirty seconds before I become unable to bring you to life. Make a decision in that time."

"That's not a choice, it's a fuckin ultimatum! Dammit, take your dart back, just leave my soul intact." Absolutely, Dust could not die in this world. But this was his only cheat, his only golden finger. Now that it was gone, he didn't have any one-ups on anyone other than his Observe, which most old people had already.

Of course, nothing is that simple. The boy felt an agonizing pain worse than death as the dart slowly came out of his very soul. along with it, a mess of gears and metal rings. "I'll take your LeftRook components while I'm at it. You don't need them now that you live in a magical world; they'll be too outdated for them to be of any use soon enough anyways."

Dust awoke to his own mind rending shrieks. His wounds were closed, but not healed, and too much stress would result in them reopening. 'Lucifer was a cheapskate.'

"Well, it appears you actually managed to survive. Congratulations, you shitfaced brat." The mayor walked up, hatred adorning his face.

"I can't allow myself not to try entering Verdain." Dust looked up at the sky. "My partner was taken by your lackeys. And of course, I knew you wouldn't kill Xena. I was going to run for it, sure. But that was to bide my time and grow stronger until I could come back and get my pokemon. Both of them."

Around a minute's worth of Dust's memories entered Finch's mind at that time, around thirty seconds being watching the government official take Chiki.

Finch looked deep into the memory, trying to place the man. "I am afraid I do not know who this person could... WAIT! There's no way, but could that be... Donavan? You live?"