The chimneys erupt.
Not with smoke.
With flame.
With violet hellfire that arcs straight into the sky like someone jammed a nuke into a charcoal grill and dared it to dream big. Trees around the clearing ignite in seconds, branches curling inward like they're trying to escape the heat. And in the center of it all — hunched, growling, and pulsing with power she clearly doesn't know how to control — is the lizard.
Ugh... Can't believe I'm saying this, I wish Rotom was here right now, Would have loved to know what I'm actually up against.
The moment that name crosses my thoughts, the System pings.
[Trishout (Xenoversal Form) — Lvl. 35 — Agitated Temperament — Threat level: high][Hurt, panicked, and lost, poor girl is in desperate need of a hug.]
... Okay now I just feel shity, I mean, she will probably try to kick my ass, but now I'll feel bad kicking hers.
"Let's make this quick," I mutter, dragging one paw down my face. My cursed energy roars to life, rippling in pink flame across my fur. One sharp inhale, and I feel him stir — the grin, the malice, the king. Ryomen Sukuna, patron spirit of bad decisions and worse fashion.
My body shifts, just a little. The extra mouth doesn't appear yet — I'm keeping things subtle — but the shadows flicker in ways they shouldn't. My aura sings like piano wire drawn too tight.
"Alright, you lava-coughing Digimon knockoff," I growl as the ground splits under my feet. "Let's dance."
She turns toward me. Her eyes glow like dying stars. Her breath steams violet. And then she screams up into sky — her voice slamming into me as I feel my insides rattle.
The scream rattles something deep in my ribs — like she reached down my throat and shook my spine for fun.
"I take it back," I wheeze, staggering one step back as I stop my advance, "this is definitely a Digimon. And she skipped straight to the final boss episode."
She doesn't charge — not yet. Just stomps forward, heavy, smouldering, each step a fresh crater. Her tail lashes behind her, scattering embers like she's grooming the battlefield for a proper BBQ.
You making fun of me or something? I CAN kick your ass! Just... Give me five minutes for my insides to settle down...
My cursed aura flares harder, pink fire curling around my limbs as I brace.
And then she vanishes.
"What—?!"
I duck just in time, thank you anticipation-sensei, and she crashes down behind me like a meteor, claws whistling past my ears. The impact craters the earth, shockwaves flinging dirt and shattered roots in all directions as her flame charge sets that general direction ablaze.
No countdown. No warning. Just pure instinctual slaughter mode. "Alright, as long as you don't die, the mission should be successful right?"
I flip backwards, land on a tree, then blast off the trunk like a springboard, slamming a cursed punch right into her side.
She grunts — not a roar — and whips around with a burst of fire that sends me flying. I crash through two trees, bounce, and roll to my feet in time to see the ring on her wrist pulse again — the cracks across her body glow brighter.
[Warning: X-Energy Output Spiking — Stability: 23%]
"She's gonna burn herself out," I mutter, teeth clenched.
Not just dangerous — self-destructive. Like a firework trying to go supernova, in this case, trying to melt into goo.
The worst part? Her expression.
She's not fighting like someone trying to kill me.
She's fighting like someone trying not to die.
"...Yeah," I exhale, pink energy crawling up my arms again, "now I really can't kill her, mission or not."
She lunges again — and this time, I meet her halfway, cursed aura flashing bright as we clash mid-air, fists and claws colliding in a storm of flame and desperation.
And somewhere deep in the chaos, I feel it:
She doesn't want to hurt anyone.
She's just lost.
| May POV |
Nurse Joy's still on edge, running scans and muttering under her breath like the machines are going to start lying to her. Treecko's stable — barely. Whatever Rio did before bolting off into the forest probably bought her time. But it's not enough.
I'm pacing. Again.
"Come on, Rotom," I mumble, flipping open my PokéNav. "Finish that reboot already. We really need a walking encyclopaedia with attitude, stat."
The doors swoosh open behind me.
I whirl around — heart skipping a beat — only to see Null lumbering in, his tail dragging trails of soot and mud across the pristine tile floor. Ralts is perched on his back, little arms clutching tightly to the fin on his armour.
They don't look injured.
They also don't look happy.
"…Where's Rio?" I ask slowly.
Null pauses. The tip of his tail thumps. Once.
Ralts looks away.
I feel my blood run cold. "Where. Is. Rio?"
She finally speaks — voice quiet, hesitant. "He told us to come back… said it was too dangerous."
The sentence hits me like a Focus Blast to the chest.
"You left him alone?! With whatever corrupted Treecko?! Are you insane?! He's a Lucario with a death wish and no adult supervision!"
Null lets out a guilty huff, like even he knows this was a bad idea. Ralts tugs her head down, practically hiding inside Null's plates.
"Oh no no no—" I'm already halfway to the door. "We're going after him right now before he either levels another forest or makes a dramatic new friend that explodes on contact."
I shoot Joy a quick look over my shoulder. "Keep Treecko safe. I'll try to keep the idiot alive."
Joy doesn't stop me. Just gives a solemn nod — like she knows what's coming might be above even her pay grade.
And just like that, we're off again.
I am going to kill him.
Like, not figuratively. Literally. With fire, Combusken should be able to sear him into a well done state... Maybe Null can help dig the shallow grave, and Ralts can say a few nice words over the ashes.
"I told you to watch him!" I hiss at Ralts, who just looks down in shame, and now I'm the bad guy... Great. "Don't worry, I'm sorry okay? I know that he can take care of himself, but you worry about him more than I do, so you know how I'm feeling right now."
We tear through the forest, the scent of burnt bark and something worse in the air — ozone and scorched metal and… weirdly, marshmallows?
When we finally break through the last line of trees, I expect disaster. Flames. Screaming. A crater. At minimum, a new crater, well, there is one flaming crater... But I expected a ruined battlefield.
What I find instead?
Rio.
Sitting cross-legged on the scorched ground, fur still glowing faintly with cursed energy. Arms limp around the figure curled in his lap — a Charmander looking thing. Peaceful. Breathing slow.
Rio glances up when he hears us. There's soot on his face, singed fur at the edges, and a tired, satisfied grin like he just solved a sudoku with his fists.
"BZZZT! Update complete! How are you friends? Did anyone grow a second head? Oh? This is a female Trishout! It is a dual-type Fire/Sound-type Pokémon from the Eldiw region of the Xenoverse Universe!"
We glance at Rotom as he fires up a hundred scanners on the poor thing.
"Weird, it seems the rampant x-energy inside of her has been removed! How did you do that? Some secret Tibet monk technique? Maybe a pure love's kiss? OH OH! What about a legendary artifact from Arceus himself? Can't wait to expand my database! :D"
I swear I'm going to dunk that thing in water one of these day...
"Rio, is your... Friend... Okay?"
"She's okay," he says quietly, stroking her head like she's some lost Growlithe. "I got it all out. Mostly."
"You suplexed the corruption out of her, didn't you?" I ask, confused, but not surprised from the outcome.
"I prefer to think of it as... emotionally persuasive violence."
Null snorts. Ralts glares at the sleeping Pokémon as if they killed her family.
I pinch the bridge of my nose. "...I'm calling dad... Again."
Word Count: 1369
Man, 39 chaps in? Honestly I felt like I would have lost the drive awhile ago.
MC: Yeah yeah whatever, but... I just realized... Why is there romance, r18 and harem tags?
The joke here is sex.
MC: WITH WHO?! I'M A POKEMON!
Your little Star wouldn't mind, just wait for her to grow up you creep...