"AWOO!"
One of the Mightyena circling the Ralts snapped its head up, nostrils flaring. Its predatory eyes locked dead on the bushes Zane was hiding in.
The other one didn't bother with a warning. It just opened its jaws and launched a Shadow Ball straight at him.
The sphere of dark energy moved like a blur. Before Zane could even flinch, it slammed into his chest with the force of a sledgehammer.
Son of a bitch! All I wanted was directions! Is a Shadow Ball to the gut really necessary?!
The explosion of movement yanked the two thugs' attention away from their prize. Their eyes swiveled to Zane, now sprawled on the ground, struggling for air.
"Grrrrowl."
A low rumble vibrated from the Mightyena's chest as it planted a heavy paw on Zane, pinning him down. It stared at him with pure malice.
"GAH!"
Seeing Zane get attacked was apparently the one thing that could get a reaction out of Cramorant. A brilliant white light flashed in its blank eyes. A split-second later, a series of glowing blue rings materialized in the air around it, humming with power.
The very air began to crackle, charged with a crushing pressure that made the whole world feel heavy.
"What the hell is that?!" the thug behind the Mightyena yelled, his voice cracking. He'd never seen a Pokémon—or a move—that felt so terrifyingly wrong.
He got no answer. An instant later, the blue rings erupted. Countless beams of searing blue-white light shot out, a storm of energy that lanced through the air and struck both Mightyena with perfect, inescapable precision.
Zane could only stare.
The impossible sight was reflected in the terrified eyes of the little Ralts. It stared at Zane, who was staring at his Cramorant.
One second. Two. Three.
The clearing in front of them was simply deleted from existence. Trees dissolved into green mist. The grass was vaporized down to the soil. The destruction was so total, so absolute, it looked like a glitch in reality.
The two Mightyena just dropped, their bodies limp and smoking.
When the blinding light faded and silence fell, Zane swallowed hard, his throat dry.
Okay. That's just stupidly broken.
He scrambled to his feet, staring at his Pokémon.
Having just unleashed an attack that could level a city block, Cramorant went right back to being a dopey-looking bird and landed on his shoulder.
The two poachers finally snapped out of their stupor, their faces pale with a primal fear. The edge of that world-ending attack had missed them by inches. Seeing what was left of their Pokémon, they didn't have to guess what it would have done to them.
They shared a panicked look, turned, and bolted.
They didn't get far. A new figure shimmered into existence on their path, blocking their retreat. She was tall, radiating a cold, regal fury.
A Gardevoir.
Her eyes glowed with psychic power. With an angry flick of her consciousness, she seized the two men with Telekinesis, lifted them off the ground, and hurled them like ragdolls against a massive tree trunk. They hit with two sickening crunches and slumped to the ground, out cold.
Damn, she's fast.
Before Zane could even react, a flash of white light, and the Gardevoir teleported directly over him. Psychic energy solidified into a glowing blade above her arm, poised to slice him in two. Suddenly, the tiny Ralts threw itself between them, shielding Zane.
Zane scrambled backward, putting as much distance as he could between himself and the terrifyingly powerful Pokémon.
Ralts let out a series of desperate chirps, pleading with the Gardevoir.
After a tense moment, the psychic blade vanished. The Gardevoir lowered her arm, her expression shifting from murderous rage to the stern look of a mother about to lecture her child.
Ralts squeaked softly, gave Zane one last look, and then vanished along with its mother in another flash of teleportation.
"Phew..." Zane breathed out, his heart hammering against his ribs.
She'd obviously thought he was with those scumbags.
'This world is actively trying to kill me. I just wanted to ask for the nearest civilization!'
He glanced at the bird on his shoulder.
So, what does it have, some kind of automatic counter-attack feature? A bodyguard mode that triggers when I get hit?
"Hey, use Origin Pulse again," Zane said, testing his theory.
"GAH?" Cramorant tilted its head, propped its head up with a wing, and gave him the same vacant stare as always.
Zane just sighed. "...Right. Still a feathered vegetable"
Giving up, he walked over to the unconscious Mightyena to get some intel.
Species: Mightyena ♂
Type: Dark
Ability: Moxie
Base Stats: 420 (HP: 70, Atk: 90, Def: 70, SpA: 60, SpD: 60, Spe: 70)
Moves: Crunch, Thief, Sand Attack, Snarl, Shadow Ball
Current Mood: Unconscious, imperceptible
Status: Heavily injured (unable to battle, cannot recover naturally), Near-fainting (will die without treatment)
Friendship: -50 (Beware! It has identified you as an enemy and will attack on sight)
One shot. Not just a KO, but it vaporized the landscape.
Even Zane, the guy who hacked it into existence, felt a chill. This thing was a crime against nature and game balance. He felt like he should be writing an apology letter to Game Freak.
If only this broken superweapon could actually understand me, he thought, feeling a familiar spike of frustration.
Knowing just how dangerous his partner was, Zane got back to business. He walked over to the two unconscious thugs. He checked for a pulse. After identifying that they were still alive, he got to work stripping their shirts off, twisting the fabric into makeshift ropes, and tying them securely to two different trees. He wasn't about to leave armed goons lying around.
Next came the looting. He emptied their pockets and arranged the haul on the ground.
Two empty Poké Balls, a black walkie-talkie, a couple of spray-Potions, a wallet with a decent wad of Pokédollars, and a ferry ticket for Slateport City.
"Slateport City... so this is Hoenn." That tracks with the Zigzagoon and Mawile. "Are these guys Team Aqua or Magma wannabes? Nah, the outfits are all wrong. Too generic."
Just then, the walkie-talkie crackled to life. A woman's voice, sharp and impatient, cut through the static. "Takehara, have you got it yet? The auction is ready to go. We're just waiting on your Ralts!"
Zane kept his silence.
A pause. The woman's voice sharpened with suspicion. "Takehara?"
"He's taking a nap," Zane said, pitching his voice low. "You've got me instead."
"???" The woman was no fool. Realizing the line was compromised, she immediately cut the connection.
As Zane set the device down, he saw the eyelid of one of the tied-up men flutter.
"Nice try," Zane said calmly. "Keep playing dead, and I'll find a new home for this dead fish I've been carrying. Trust me, you won't like where it is."
You think you're the first NPC to try that trick?
The man's eyes flew open. He glanced at the limp carp Zane was gesturing with, and a look of pure horror crossed his face. He quickly looked away, his eyes darting fearfully to the Cramorant on Zane's shoulder. "What do you want?"
"Simple," Zane said, his voice flat. "You're going to answer my questions."
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