Chapter 5: kiss of death Ray vs Venam

Jenner's lab

Ray fell to the ground as the person in front of him vanished instantly.

"Nooooo!" He cried out as he held his side and stood up dispite the pain.

"Damnit" the red haired woman in the red team Xen uniform hissed.

She then touched her left ear activating an earpiece to contact the team Xen grunts "Listen up you grunts! This is Madelis, search every nook and cranny for the blonde girl Melia! She couldn't have gotten far! Rise Team Xen!, Team Xen forever!" She shouted in hopes of pumping up the masses and she did.

All around the city team Xen grunts were looking for the blonde girl in numbers.

The red lady then looks at Jenner with hatred in her eyes, "You're a failure Jenner, I'll have to report this to 'her'" she spits out.

She then strokes her short red hair to the back and strikes a cute pose with her touching her cheek as if sparkles were coming from that area.

As she's about to teleport away she looks at Ray trying his best to stand and says to him, "Next time you get in our way, don't expect to come back alive, Taataa!" Madelis says with a smile and vanishes into a beam of red light.

Ray's mind was still trying to figure things out as he moved his face towards Jenner who had his hands on his head.

"It wasn't supposed to be like this" the professor said to himself with the face of a grieving man.

As Ray was about to say something another person walks into the scattered lab,this person is no other than Ray's rival and Jenner's aide Ren.

The ninja like boy Sees how damaged Ray is and provides him a shoulder to lean on, "You look like shit buddy, team Xen grunts are all over the city, venam and Karrina's gang are taking down the bulk of them though" Ren informs him.

"Mel.... Melia..." Ray tries to speak but the words are difficult to say.

"Team Xen are after Melia, you must stop them at all cost, she should be at route 2 the two of you should go there, take the rail...." Before Jenner could finish something strange happened.

'bliiiiiiiikkkkk'  a dark purple figure appeared between Jenner and the boys, Ray immediately recognized the creature.

"You're..... that Gothitelle from the S.S oceana!" Ray pointed a finger at the creature

"Gotttt gotttt gotttt" as if laughing the humanoid purple and pink creature had a sadistic smile on it's face.

"(Don't be alarmed she's with me)"  a disembodied voice said from all directions.

"Who said that?! Come out!" Ren shouted trying to sound intimidating.

"(Shut up ninja boy, my business isn't with you. Jenner.... How irresponsible of you sending children to clean up your mess, you have no idea how it enrages me thinking about what Ray has gone through, if I hadn't interfered..... you have no idea how much a sin that is, for punishment have some alone time)" the womanly voice had a horrific sense of calmness to it and if that wasn't enough right next to Jenner a rift opened up.

Jenner couldn't react soon enough and the rift started to drag him towards it.

"Professor..... Gyah" Ren tried to reach for Jenner but the sadistic Goth Pokemon stopped  him with a slap to the face.

"Giiiii giiii gothhhh!" She laughed again but this time it was more like a Maniac than a sadistic laugh, while Ray still stood there looking at Jenner.

"Boys it's alright, I was selfish, Ray your pokenav will help you out in future I promise, and that Piplup I enhanced it so it would only follow you! Together with it.... You have to save Melia! If not..... Auuuugh!!!" These were Jenner's last words as he was swallowed up by the mini Rift and it instantly vanished.

"Noooooo!!!!!!" The boys cried out as their professor was taken, even Piplup and frokie were visibly saddened by the loss of there breeder.

"(As for the lot of you stay out of this, if you go after Melia.... only despair awaits you Ray, I can't you stop you, but I'll warn you don't do this again)" the voice said in a softer tone than before while addressing Ray.

"Like hell, I'll stop! Melia is my friend and I'll save her!" Ray yelled out with his remaining strength making even Ren shiver.

"(Come Gothitelle, there's nothing we can do now)" the voice vanished and so did the Goth Pokemon.

With all the tension gone nothing was supporting Ray's body as he was about to faint on the ground until.

"Whoops, got you buddy" Ren once again helps Ray onto his feet and helps him to the Pokemon center in the lab.

Lab district Pokemon center.

Along with having his Pokemon healed the nurse of the center sprayed a blue fluid on Ray's side and put a large bandage there, the injury from the Gyarados was no longer affecting him, allowing him to tell Ren all that had transpired.

"Well this clears up a lot, we'll have to go to route 2 then, knowing Melia she'd head to Sheridan village a quiet place to hide from team Xen and the only way to get there is through amesthyst cave" Ren explains.

"Alright then! let's get Venam and...." Before he could finish Ren shoved two objects in his face, one was a purple and silver badge and the other was a brown and blue ticket with a lipstick mark on it.

"What are these?" Ray asked dumbly.

"You can't get to route 2 without the gym badge from the Venam's gym and you'll also need the Karrina pass to access the train to route 2, also you got beat up pretty bad so think of this as your training to get stronger" Ren explains in greater detail.

"Training Arc!!!, Okay bring it on, I'll get stronger, save Melia and continue my Pokemon journey!" Ray gets up from the hospital bed and yells.

"Shhhhh!!!" The nurse tries to silence him.

"By the way Venam's gym is north east of here, start by beating her in a gym battle" Ren says this and walks towards the door.

"What are you going do?" Ray asked curiously.

"I'll be surveying route 2 before the two of you get there" as he says this he leaves. (His as worried about Melia as much anyone else) Ray thought to himself.

East Gearan streets

As Ray leaves the lab he sees multiple team Xen grunts being taken down by a group of people with instruments and a gang wearing black and brown jackets, at the center of the group was a girl with light purple hair, a black dress and white skirt, she marched with her huge boots shouting a crazy battle cry "Dogarssssss!".

This was no other than the gym leader of east Gearan Venam, as Ray wanted to say Hi to her a scream reached his ears "Minnnnnnn!", He turned around to see 2 team Xen grunts by the park trying to capture a light brown looking rodent.

"Come here little Minccino" The male grunt said.

"I sure hope Madelis doesn't find out we aren't looking for Melia, Wilbur" the female grunt says worried.

"Don't worry Hayley, as long as we catch this thing and turn it into a shadow Pokemon she'll even reward us!" Wilbur says with a greedy smile.

"Not on my watch team Xen!" Ray shouts as he intercepts them and throws his pokeball.

"Bellllll sprout!!!!" The lazy looking plant cried as Ray prepares to battle.

"You dare confront us!" Hayley shouts.

"You regret messing with the glorious team Xen!" Wilbur says as both he and Hayley join hands and form a giant X to intimidate Ray, which fails.

"Go bidoof!", "Go Mawile!". The duo send out a brown beaver like creature and a petite black and yellow creature with a giant mouth sticking out from the back of it's head.

"I don't have time for this! Vine whip Bellsprout!" Ray ordered.

"Bell!!!!!!" The usually lazy flytrap then whips it's arms around like a swaying rope and thanks to the grass terrain the attack was incredibly powerful knocking out both Xen Pokemon.

"So fast?!", "You haven't seen the last of us!!" The duo quickly get their Pokemon and run away from Ray.

'Sighhhhhh' Ray then checks on the rodent and finds it's collar saying it belongs to the Chrisola hotel and decides to return it there before challenging Venam.

Chrisola hotel

The Minccino doesn't take long until it finds it's owner who thanks Ray profoundly.

Before he can leave he takes a wrong turn and ends up in the battle room of the hotel where a lone girl sees him and calls out to him shyly "Ex....cuse me".

She's light skinned and pretty, her long silver wavy hair held by a blue headband made her red pupils stand out even more, her clothing was that of a native with black feathery jeans and a white top.

"I heard..... a trainer was taking help quests... in the city , did you....happen upon mine "Please battle me" mmmmm" she asked shyly again.

Ray recalled himself taking that quest but was too busy with Melia to handle it so he just nods in response.

She opens up to him immediately he nods and says "Thank you so much for accepting my request, I'm a wandering trainer trying to find her place in the world, the name's Novae".

"My name's Ray, I'm an upcoming trainer so I hope I can keep you entertained with my battle style" the dark skinned boy smiles as he readies his pokeballs.

"I'm nothing special but hearing how pumped you are makes me pumped, I'll give my best" Novae says with Rosy cheeks.

The Battle commences and it's a four on four, they seem evenly matched until they send out their final Pokemon.

"Pip, let's go!" Ray sends out his starter. "Pippplupp!" The penguin stands on his toe's to look taller.

"Passimian we can win this!" Novae sends out a black and white monkey Pokemon with a green coconut shell as a helmet as well as holding another bigger coconut like a football "passssiii!" The monkey cries out.

"Rock smash let's go!" Novea orders and her monkey rushes at Piplup with it's coconut.

"Dodge it then use Peck!" Ray counters, "pippp!" Piplup using hiss smaller body to his advantage dodges the attack and elongs his yellow beak to attack however.....

"Passss" Passimian moves out of the way and dodges as well.

"It won't be that easy! Another rock smash!" Novae orders again and the monkey charges.

"Switch to long range attacks bubble!" Ray says but Piplup is looking pissed as his elongated beak starts to foam with tiny blue bubbles around it.

"Pippppppppppppppppppppp!!!!" The blue penguin unleashes a highly concentrated beam of blue water bubbles that heavily damage the charging monkey and knock it out.

"Was that a new move?!!" Ray shouts in surprise as Piplup pops a smirk on his face.

"Ahhh, that was my first battle against a human, I usually just battle wild Pokemon, you've shown me a lot" Novae smiles as she returns her Pokemon to it's ball.

"No biggie" Ray blushes as he picks up Pip.

"I sure hope we can meet again, also don't forget to pick up your reward it's pretty special, bye for now!" She says this and leaves the hotel and so does Ray.

Help center

Ray collects the reward which is 600 pokken and a rare Pokemon a Pichu which he keeps in his PC box for now until he can evolve it to a Pikachu.

East Gearan gym

The building was a huge gray and purple factory with pipes everywhere, inside was surprisingly white and clean with purple lining on the wall symbolising that this was a poison type gym.

As Ray makes his way to the lobby he sees the contact panel Jan told him about and activates it.

"Yo Ray, so you've made it to the gym, so what do you want to know about? Venam's ace Pokemon?, her signature move?, Or a strategy against her?" A hologram of Jan appeared from the panel and addressed Ray.

"Just tell me everything, the more I know the better" Ray replies.

"Alright then her Ace Pokemon is Seviper the fang snake Pokemon it's a powerful poison type, watch out for it's glare attack and it's sword like tail.

Her signature move, you do know all gym leaders in Aevium have one? Well hers is called Venam's kiss, (Ray then thinks of something perverted making his face red). It can't poison your Pokemon so don't be too scared of it.

Next! The terrain is a corrosive field meaning all grounded non poison types will be damaged every step the take, so be careful.

Finally I advise you to use psychic type Pokemon like that Swoobat of yours"  Jan says to Ray in a teacher like manner.

"Got it thanks Jan" Ray bows his head to the hologram.

"Hehehe alright then, good luck rookie" the holographic Jan says with a smile before vanishing.

As Ray continues into the gym he hears from the annoying girl Luca(the girl he met in the sewer) that he'll need to correctly mix a huge tank of different colored poisons to pass 3 rooms to finally reach Venam.

After a series of mixtures and failures he finally made it.

Venam's room

Corrosive field

Ray enters a high balcony like room with the ground floor looking like a poison forest with purple leaves on decaying trees and a terrifying purple mist flowing around (was this the corrosive field he heard about).

"Yo Ray, those team Xen nitwicks were messing around with the town, you should have seen me, I took down 5 with a single blow!" A loud and rasty voice shouts at Ray from the other side of the balcony.

"Venam! Yah I saw a bit of it, you were amazing!" Ray says in admiration.

"Hehehe,wait don't try to butter me up, even though the stakes are high as the gym leader I can't go easy on you, so give it your all!" Venam yells again with vigour.

"Got it!" Ray shouts as well.

Luca comes from another door from the corner of the balcony room, ready to be the referee.

"Hey, it's your girl Luca! This gym battle will be a 2v2, with the weird challenger Ray vs the sensational Venam!!! Battle start" the yellow uniform wearing girl yells out with glee.



"Mareanie rock it!", "Swooo, don't mess this up!" The two then throw out their pokeballs.

Venam's Pokemon is a mareanie which was similar to a starfish standing on it's tentacles protect it's small purple body and a big yellow stinger on it's head.

Ray used his Pokedex to find out more,

Mareanie the brutal star Pokemon a water and poison type these creatures are known to be merciless at times when they grab pray with tentacles and poison them with it's stinger.

"Okay new plan Swoo! Don't touch the ground, and keep your distance from Mareanie with gust!" Ray uses a strange tactic.

"If you plan to fight like that get ready for my counter! Mareanie spike cannon!" Venam commands

"Marrrrreaaaaniiii!" The starfish spins around shooting countless white spikes at the bat.

"Swoooooo!" Swoobat was unable to dodge any and was falling to the corrupted ground.

"No Swoo! use gust on the ground!" Ray recovered.

"Batttoooo!" The blue bat regained it's senses and stopped inches from the ground..... however.

"Chanceoooooo! Mareanie knock off!" Venam seeing an opportunity took it.

"Marrr reaaaa niiiii!" The starfish using 2 of it's tentacles slapped the bat  twice and knocking it down to the ground and damaging it.

"Damnit Swoo! so this is the power of a gym leader! Don't let up! heart stamp let's go!" Ray once again commanded his Pokemon.

"Oh no, I won't let you get any momentum! Mareanie poison jab!" Venam yelled.

"Mareeeee!" The corrupted field gave the starfish more power to it's purple colored tackle however....

"Swoooooo battoo!" The pink clad bat was faster and thanks to the type advantage (psychic>poison) it overwhelmed the starfish and swept it up to sky.

"Mareanie counter with knock off!", "Maaaaa..." Venam tried to command her Pokemon but at that time it's body was flinching due to the bat's attack.

"Alright! Full assualt! Finish it with Confusion!" Ray orders.

"Swoooooo!", " Marrr!!!!!!!" Swoobat sends the starfish crashing to the ground with psychic waves ejected from it's eyes, knocking out it's fishy opponent.

" 'Sigh' Mareanie is unable to battle, the round goes to Ray!" Luca says after seeing Mareanie's swirling eyes.

"Alright, one more win and we get the badge! Keep it up Swoo" Ray shouts smiling.

"Swoo, swooo Swoo" the psychic bat breathes deeply, it suffered severe damage from the starfish and the terrain but it still kept itself afloat.

"Who the hell said you could push me like this! Well I'll have show you my full power then!!! Seviper!" Venam yells as she throws out her last Pokemon, the one Jan warned Ray about.

"Sevippppperrrr!" The giant black and purple snake hisses revealing it's long red fangs and tongue.

"Okay another heart stamp!" Ray commands.

"Wait for it..." Venam instructed making Ray curious of her strategy.

"Swoooooo!" Swoobat clad it's body in psychic energy and charged the serpent looking straight into it's eyes.

"Now Glare!" Venam yelled.

"Vipperrrr!" The snake shot two yellow beams of light directly into Swoobat's big eyes paralysing it, "battttooo!" The bat cried as it fell to the ground again and got damaged.

"Finish it with Night Slash!" Venam shouts again.

"dodge it Swoobat!" Ray cries.

"Sevipppp!" The snake uses it's sword like tail covered in dark energy to slash the paralyzed bat doing super effective damage (Dark>psychic)

"Batttoooo!" Enduring the hit the bat managed to get back to the skies safely.

"Damn it, so it was a glare + night Slash combo, Swoobat aim for it's head one last time! Heart stamp!" The dark skinned boy orders

"Swoooooo!" In one last desperate attepmt Swoobat sends itself straight at the snake like a psychic missile.

"Eat This! My signature move Venam's kiss!" Venam shouts this and blows a kiss to Seviper.

"Seeeeeevvvv!" The snake unleashed a poisonous gas from it's mouth that takes the shape of it's trainer and engulfs the bat in a single go.

"Swoobat!!!" Ray screamed worrying about his Pokemon trapped in a heavy poison gas fog.

'bufffffff!' Swoobat was unconscious but it's body was still targeting Seviper with it's psychic powers after emerging from the gas cloud.

"Seviper dodge it now!" Venam shouts but it's too late.

"Vippppeeeee!" The snake cries in pain as it's forehead it hit and causes a small pink explosion.

The dust from the explosion clears revealing Seviper with a huge red bump on it's forehead but still standing, while Swoobat was motionless on the ground.

"Swoobat is unable to battle, the round goes to Venam, next point wins!" Luca annonces again.

"Hehehehe how do you like that!" Venam let's out a cheeky smile.

"Thanks Swoobat rest up" Ray returns his Pokemon, "You're amazing Venam, probably the strongest trainer I've fought so far, but.... I'll win this no matter what!" Ray resolves himself once again.

"Pip! It's you and me!" Ray sends out his starter.

"Pip....luuuuu!" Piplup enters the field with joy only to feel pain as his feet touch the ground.

(With limited movement it's best that we wait for Venam's move and counter it) Ray thinks to himself.

(Their too far away for a Venam's kiss to be effective so i ought to attack from close range) "Seviper night Slash!" Venam commands.

"Pip grab it's tail!" Ray yelled.

"Pipp!" As the snake swings it's darkened blade tail, Piplup grabs the blunt side.

"Shake it off you!" Venam's says still remaining calm however.

"Serrr serr serr!" The snake swung it's

Tail up and down but the penguin continue's to hang on, and due to Seviper's protection from the corrupted field Piplup is safe from damage as long as he holds on.

"Fine then, Glare at it!" Venam starts to get frustrated as he shouts another command.

Yet as the snake stares at Piplup, the penguins focus isn't on it's eyes but it's tail, "What the?!" Venam yells in confusion.

"I knew it! As long as you don't look directly into it's eyes you won't get paralyzed!" The dark skinned boy claps his hands together as he makes this discovery.

"That doesn't matter, you're in my range! Seviper use Venam's kiss!" Venam blows a kiss to her snake once again ordering it.

"Sevvvvvvvv!" The snake unleashes the venam shaped fog that embraces Piplup in it's poison.

"Cut through it Peck!" Ray shouts

"Pipppp lupppp!" The brave bird elongates it's beak and flails around driving the poison fog away but still receiving damage! Bubbles then started to form around it's long beak.

"Now's our chance! Use Crunch!" Venam commands and her snake's fangs glow with black energy as it charges at Piplup.

"Behold the bond between Pip and I! Our sure kill new move! Bubbleeeeebeamm!!!" Ray strikes a pose like his pointing a gun at Seviper.

"Pip lupluplupppppp!" The penguin  jumps backwards from the snake's tail and shots a blue beam of concentrated water bubbles too both he's and Ray's surprise the corrosive field turns the beam purple adding more power to it, engulfing Seviper's head and creating a purple explosion.

"No Seviper!!!" Venam screams but it's too late, the snake falls backwards fainted by the sheer force of Piplup's new attack.

"I don't believe it! This weirdo of a challenger actually won?..... I mean Seviper is unable to battle the winner is challenger Ray!" Luca quickly recovers from her confusion.

"Despite your flaws..... You're a pretty good trainer!" Venam Begrudgingly compliments Ray.

"Yoshaaaaa! We did it partner!", "Pippplup!" Ray and Piplup celebrate by highfiving even though the penguin doesn't have fingers.

"Damnit I honestly thought I had this one, but.... It's for the best, here it's the poison heart badge!" Venam speaks her mind and throws Ray the v shaped purple and silver badge.

"Yeah I just won......the poison heart badge!", "piplupppp!" Ray poses with badge and so does Piplup (it's contagious).

"I called Karrina she'll be here later to give you her pass, then you meet Ren and I at route 2" venam informs him.

"Okay got.... " As Ray was about to finish the purple haired girl interrupts him.

"I have to ask.... Do you even care what's going here?" Venam asked and this question gets his full attention.

"You just got here a few days ago you bearly know any of us, I'm not trying to be mean or anything it's just been bugging me" Venam continues her bangs now covering her eyes.

"You don't have to help if you don't want to...." Venam is cut off by Ray.

"But I want to. I want to save her, I want to help you guys, I want to do all these things, nobody's forcing, Melia..... Melia trusted me, a complete stranger.... I'll show her that her trust was in the right place! I'll save her for sure!!!" Ray declares his objective once again with Piplup standing next to looking just as determined.

Venam couldn't comprehend this guy's action, he just a newbie trainer yet, he had the guts to go this far for strangers, something within her chest flared up and she turned her face away from him.

"Do..... Do whatever you like" Venam immediately takes the back exit in the gym and leaves.

"What was that about?" Ray once again was confused by the action of this girl.

"Hey you! what crazy strategy was that?!! You better teach me!!" Luca tackles Ray to ground and Mounts him.

"What..... What?!" His confusion and his embarrassment fight for dominance as his face turns red and smoke comes from the top of his head.

Sometimes after the battle

A shadowy figure appears in the same spot venam stood during the battle, the figure was definitely a woman's as the shape of the hips and chest gave it away not to talk about her long braided pigtails at her back.

Recalling the memories of what had taken place drew a strange smile across her dark skinned cheeks.

With that Arc 1 of rejuvenation has ended next time a short story before Arc 2 kicks it into high gear!