The Black Fang stood at the other end of the hallway, his trench coat catching the light with each flicker from the broken bulbs. His eyes, icy and predatory, scanned the situation with a detached calm. His Nidoking loomed, toxic fumes rising from its massive body, the ground beneath it cracking with every heavy breath it took.
"You're outmatched," Darius said, his voice cool and low. "You should've known better than to challenge me with that thing." He jerked his chin toward Alakazam, who swayed on unsteady legs. The poison still lingered from Arbok's ๐๐ญ๐ข๐ณ๐ฆ, the paralysis chaining it, slowing its movements. But not its mind. No, Alakazam's eyes burned with the same determination as mine.
"We're not done yet," I replied, my voice level, but inside, I was already working through the next move. I'd seen Darius fight before. He didn't play fairโhell, he didn't even pretend to. But that's why I'd prepared for this. I wasn't fighting just to win. I was fighting to survive.
Darius smirked, that cold glint in his eyes sharpening. "Nidoking, ๐๐ฉ๐ถ๐ฏ๐ฅ๐ฆ๐ณ๐ฃ๐ฐ๐ญ๐ต."
The air hummed with electricity as Nidoking's claws sparked. Energy built around its horn, bright and crackling, before it shot forwardโa bolt of pure power tearing through the narrow space.
"Alakazam, ๐๐ฆ๐ญ๐ฆ๐ฑ๐ฐ๐ณ๐ต!" The words left my mouth as fast as the attack came.
For a second, Alakazam hesitated, the paralysis fighting it. But then it vanished, just as the ๐๐ฉ๐ถ๐ฏ๐ฅ๐ฆ๐ณ๐ฃ๐ฐ๐ญ๐ต scorched the floor where it had been. The lights flickered again, and Alakazam reappeared behind Nidoking, panting but standing.
Darius didn't even flinch. His fingers twitched inside those black gloves, controlling Nidoking with precision. "Nidoking, ๐๐ข๐ณ๐ต๐ฉ๐ฒ๐ถ๐ข๐ฌ๐ฆ."
The ship groaned under the impact of Nidoking's foot. Cracks spread like lightning through the floor, the walls shaking as the shockwaves surged toward Alakazam. I gritted my teeth. This was the hard part.
"๐๐ฆ๐ง๐ญ๐ฆ๐ค๐ต, now!"
Alakazam raised a trembling hand, and a shimmering barrier flickered to life. The ๐๐ข๐ณ๐ต๐ฉ๐ฒ๐ถ๐ข๐ฌ๐ฆ crashed against it, but the sheer force of Nidoking's attack pushed Alakazam back, its knees buckling under the strain.
Darius watched me, that smug look still etched into his face. "You're only delaying the inevitable." His voice dripped with contempt. "Nidoking, hit it with ๐๐ญ๐ถ๐ฅ๐จ๐ฆ ๐๐ฐ๐ฎ๐ฃ."
A ball of toxic sludge formed in Nidoking's mouth, black and foul, before it hurled the attack at Alakazam. I could almost taste the venom in the air as it cut toward my Pokรฉmon. But I didn't blink.
"Alakazam, ๐๐ช๐ฏ๐ฆ๐ด๐ช๐ด."
Alakazam's eyes glowed with concentrated psychic energy. The ๐๐ญ๐ถ๐ฅ๐จ๐ฆ ๐๐ฐ๐ฎ๐ฃ wobbled midair, its trajectory twisting before it veered off course and splattered harmlessly against the wall. Darius's smirk faded for the time.
"Enough playing around. Nidoking, ๐๐ค๐ฆ ๐๐ฆ๐ข๐ฎ!"
I had mere seconds to react. The ice-cold energy built up in Nidoking's horn, the beam forming faster than I expected. I didn't think. I acted.
"๐๐ฐ๐ถ๐ฃ๐ญ๐ฆ ๐๐ฆ๐ข๐ฎ!"
The hallway filled with flickering images of Alakazam, multiplying in a blur of motion. The ๐๐ค๐ฆ ๐๐ฆ๐ข๐ฎ tore through one clone after another, the real Alakazam staying just out of reach, but I knew it couldn't hold on forever. It was slowing down. We were running out of options.
Darius's eyes narrowed. He stepped forward, the scent of cigarette smoke clinging to his coat as he spoke with a low growl. "Nidoking, ๐๐ฉ๐ณ๐ข๐ด๐ฉ."
Nidoking roared and charged, its massive arms swinging wildly, tearing through the clones with brute force. One after another, the illusions disappeared, leaving Alakazam exposed, barely holding itself up.
"Now, ๐๐ด๐บ๐ด๐ฉ๐ฐ๐ค๐ฌ!" My command was sharp, urgent.
Alakazam's eyes flared as it unleashed a wave of psychic energy that slammed into Nidoking's chest, staggering the beast. But Nidoking shook off the blow with a snarl, its muscles flexing with raw power.
"You're losing, Kid," Darius sneered. "Nidoking, ๐๐ข๐ณ๐ต๐ฉ๐ฒ๐ถ๐ข๐ฌ๐ฆ."
The floor trembled again, the hallway cracking beneath the force of Nidoking's strike. Alakazam wobbled, struggling to stay upright.
"Alakazam, ๐๐ด๐บ๐ค๐ฉ๐ฐ ๐๐ถ๐ตโforward!"
Psychic blades formed in Alakazam's hands, slicing through the ground, trying to cut a path forward. But the ๐๐ข๐ณ๐ต๐ฉ๐ฒ๐ถ๐ข๐ฌ๐ฆ caught up, shaking the ship to its core, and Alakazam hit the ground hard, barely able to rise.
Darius's grin widened. He was close to ending this, and he knew it. "Nidoking, ๐๐ค๐ฆ ๐๐ฆ๐ข๐ฎ."
The air froze as the attack charged. My mind raced, my heart hammering in my chest. There was no time to dodge. But we had one last play.
"Alakazam, ๐๐ถ๐ต๐ถ๐ณ๐ฆ ๐๐ช๐จ๐ฉ๐ต!"
Alakazam's eyes glowed one final time, its future assault locked into place, just as the ๐๐ค๐ฆ ๐๐ฆ๐ข๐ฎ struck. The beam hit hard, freezing Alakazam where it stood. My Pokรฉmon didn't move, its energy spent. I clenched my fists, my knuckles white.
For a moment, Darius's cold smile twisted into something like triumph. He took a step forward, towering over the frozen Alakazam. "It's over."
But then, the air shimmered. The future collapsed into the present.
The ๐๐ถ๐ต๐ถ๐ณ๐ฆ ๐๐ช๐จ๐ฉ๐ต struck like a meteor from above, crashing into Nidoking with unstoppable force. Darius's expression shifted in an instantโfrom confidence to shockโas the psychic energy tore through his Pokรฉmon's defenses, sending it sprawling to the ground.
Nidoking groaned, beaten.
Alakazam stood, barely, but it stood. I exhaled, my chest heaving. "Told you... we weren't done."
Darius's face hardened. He recalled his Nidoking, his eyes darkening with cold fury. "Next time, you won't be so lucky again." As he throw his last pokeball.