Chapter 14: Crystals

  Fear continues to tighten in Aspen's gut as he feels Vera so close, her eyes blazing and her aura vibrating like that time in the library. He still hasn't forgotten what happened that day, when she nearly blew up entire bookshelves and left unspeakable chaos in her wake. The fear of that overwhelming psychic force keeps Aspen on high alert, but he has no time to think about it as a blurry violet figure charges toward him, moving with the fluidity of a trained assassin.

  It's Niko, brandishing two short swords with the ease of someone who's fought a thousand battles. The blades glint in the dim light, and they come at him so fast that he barely manages to lift his arm, now covered in a layer of poisonous crystals. The first strike creates a screeching spark, a sharp sound that tests the strength of the toxic barrier he hastily formed. The second sword finds a gap, sliding through it with a twist, forcing Aspen to use his index finger to divert its trajectory. He narrowly avoids being impaled, but the blade grazes his hand, opening a wound that instantly bleeds and burns, making him suppress a groan of pain.

  The attack doesn't stop there. Niko fluidly moves his body and delivers a powerful kick to Aspen's ribs, sending him flying into the air before he can react or prepare. The impact rips a gasp from his throat and the ground disappears beneath him in the blink of an eye. He thinks he's about to crash into the rocks, but Dozy stretches several meters away to intercept him. The impact against the Alolan Grimer's muddy body is less lethal than hitting a rock, though the pain still shoots through his back and neck. The air gushes from his lungs and for a second, the world spins, swallowed by a distant hum.

  Aspen hasn't yet recovered from the shock when a tingling in his veins tells him something is very wrong. The poison intensifies inside him, multiplying with every heartbeat. Despite his body's natural resilience, this toxin seems especially crafted, its effects worsening mercilessly. He grits his teeth, feels his forehead burning, but at the same time, he feels his spleen, the organ modified by the Five Poisonous Organs technique, react. The toxin doesn't stop completely, but the spleen condenses it into crystals that don't heal the damage, but at least reduce the immediate danger of falling unconscious.

  Aspen breathes erratically, feeling a tingling in his wounded hand, where blood still drips, and forces himself to his feet, staggering as Dozy curls up beside him. His free arm quickly forms another diamond-shaped shield of crystallized poison - a makeshift defense. He doesn't feel safe, but he has no other choice. In an almost desperate move, he throws Zubat's Pokéball. The Pokémon flutters around, blinking curiously, and after a moment, its eyes glint with a small glint of recognition, as if it recognizes Aspen as its trainer.

  Niko watches intently, his smile turning from arrogant surprise to quiet fury.

  Three Poké Balls open before Aspen, releasing Beedrill, a male Nidoran, and Bulbasaur. The presence of those three Poison-type Pokémon adds even more pressure. Aspen swallows hard, intimidated by the overwhelming force against him, but keeps his gaze steady. He looks at Dozy and, with a trembling voice, orders him to use Stockpile to strengthen himself before the imminent battle. Then, he harnesses the poison ravaging his body to form crystals around his ears, hoping to shield himself from the sound-based attacks he plans to use. He shifts his gaze to Zubat and, with a mix of mockery and determination, declares:

  —Noizy, make as much noise as you can.

  Aspen had just given Zubat that name, deliberately chosen to irritate Niko. The Zubat obeys, unleashing a piercing screech that reverberates through the cave walls—not strong enough to knock out the enemies, but enough to paralyze or at least distract them for a few seconds. Bulbasaur recoils; Nidoran raises its horn uneasily, and Beedrill buzzes, its wings trembling amid the cacophony. Aspen seizes the moment to take a deep breath.

  The sting in his hand hasn’t faded, and the poison continues to burn through his bloodstream. His legs tremble, his head spins, but he must remain conscious at all costs.

  Aspen blinks and catches sight of Kara fighting an orange-haired man wearing gleaming metal gauntlets, each punch carrying an aggression that reflects in every movement. Both have a Machop, but Kara also commands a Mankey, which leaps onto one of the man’s two Tyrogue. Alex, as he seems to be named, coordinates his Pokémon with precise strikes, and every time his gauntlets hit the rock, sparks fly. Kara counters with devastating kicks and a seamless chain of martial arts techniques, displaying her mastery. The spectacle borders on the superhuman, yet neither of them seems to pay attention to the surrounding chaos.

  Meanwhile, Vera and a pink-haired girl float at a distance, each surrounded by psychic barriers. Rocks lift from the ground and launch with a mere thought, while their Abra teleport to evade attacks. A Staryu and an Eevee belonging to the girl, apparently named Lisa, dash across the battlefield, occasionally attacking, while Vera’s Mime Jr., clearly inexperienced in combat, struggles to raise small protective walls whenever she takes a psychic hit. They’re both so consumed by their rage that asking for help is impossible.

  Shouts and growls echo, and occasional craters form in the cave walls, the result of their mental clashes.

  The ninjas who were Niko’s subordinates are no longer scattered across the ground. It seems they were teleported out of the caves before the battle escalated. Aspen hadn’t even noticed, and Niko doesn’t seem to care, as if they no longer serve any purpose. Niko stands impassively, chin raised, eyes fixed on his prey. His frown shows the cold calculation of someone who believes they are in total control. He dismisses his opponent’s intimidating presence with disdain, ignoring the fact that the cave has become a boiling pot of unrestrained violence.

  The poison in Aspen’s veins intensifies his heartbeat. A tingling courses through his arms, and he feels his body faltering, but he mentally repeats that he must endure. He commands Dozy to unleash his secret weapon.

  Grimer opens his mouth and emits an oppressive aura that spreads through the cave. The air thickens. The enemy Pokémon, even Niko’s, seem to cower for a moment, their attacks weakening as they glance around uneasily. It’s the intimidation ability copied through Power of Alchemy after that peculiar training with his grandmother’s Arbok.

  Niko, however, simply raises an eyebrow, his expression unreadable:

  —Do you think this will be enough?

  His face remains calm, but his gaze betrays a growing rage. Aspen, gripping his venomous shield, extends one corner into a sharp edge to wield as a weapon. But Niko reacts with lightning speed, lunging forward. The clash between his blade and Aspen’s crystallized venom sparks violently, shaking Aspen’s arm. His elbow nearly pops out of place, and he sees Niko shifting his leg for a brutal elbow strike to his jaw. Aspen barely twists in time, blocking with part of his shield, yet the impact leaves a high-pitched ringing in his ears.

  Meanwhile, Bulbasaur and Nidoran assault Dozy, who endures with Stockpile and bites back fiercely. Bulbasaur swings its bulb and lashes out with a Vine Whip that slams against Grimer, making him quiver. Nidoran follows up with a Poison Jab. Noizy flits wildly, using Agility to dodge Beedrill’s jabs and counter with waves of sound. The bug, slightly stunned by the intimidation, strikes at the air, unable to land a solid hit. Every time Noizy flaps his wings, screeches ripple through the battlefield, causing opponents to falter, offering Aspen a fleeting moment of relief.

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  A deep rumble shakes the cave. Perhaps from Vera and Lisa’s psychic duel, or Kara and Alex’s sheer force. Stones fall from the ceiling, even shards of stalactites crashing down, scattering white dust. One nearly hits Aspen’s head, forcing him to dodge. Niko seizes the distraction to slash at his leg, but luck lets Aspen move his foot just in time. The cut still draws blood, staining the rocky ground.

  Every breath is agony. He doesn’t know how much longer he can endure the venom, the wounds, and the adrenaline barely numbing the pain.

  Niko executes a quick spin, brandishing both swords, and the boy raises his improvised crystal blade to clash. Sparks fly, and the echo of metal twisting against hardened venom reverberates. Niko’s free fist buries itself in Aspen’s torso, forcing him back with the sensation that his spine is about to give out. The cave spins for a second. When he manages to blink, he sees Niko with a grimace of frustration, almost indignant that his prey is still resisting. There is no mercy in his pupils, only a trace of sadism.

  In a blind act of courage, Aspen orders Noizy to intensify his sound attack. The Zubat envelops himself in a thin aura and releases a Chatter that briefly confuses Beedrill and Bulbasaur. Nidoran staggers, and Dozy takes the opportunity to spit out a Clear Smog that covers part of the field in a repulsive haze. That mixture of toxins and noise stuns the opponents, and the boy, gasping, barely remains standing. He notices blood slipping from his hand, his breathing as heavy as if he were dragging an anchor. Seeking help from Kara is useless, as she is deep in her own battle, and Vera seems on the verge of mental collapse alongside her pink-haired opponent.

  Niko covers his mouth with a forearm. The smoke clings to his clothes while his Beedrill stumbles out, its antennae numbed by the sounds. Bulbasaur, hit by the smog, steps back with a growl of rage, and Nidoran looks close to his limits. However, Niko shows no sign of surrender. He charges at Aspen with a knee aimed at his stomach. He barely manages to raise the shield to deflect part of the impact, but the rest of the blow sends him crashing against a rocky outcrop. A crack resounds in his back, and the pain searing through him nearly makes him scream. The poison pulsing in his veins reignites with every jolt.

  There is no chance for respite. While Aspen writhes on the ground, Niko approaches to finish him off. He raises his sword and directs it at his chest with lethal precision. Aspen drags the shield and barely brushes against the blade, preventing the fatal stab. A screech of shattered crystals expands. A faint gray glow floods the cave again as Noizy launches another soundwave, trying to keep Beedrill and the others out of combat. Bulbasaur stumbles back, and Dozy reacts with a growl, biting onto its vines. One of the whips strikes the wall, sending a spray of pebbles everywhere.

  The air reeks of sweat, venom, and dust. Aspen suffers from dizziness that barely allows him to move. In his mind, the thought of dying right there thunders. He clings to the hope that his spleen contains enough poison to prevent immediate collapse, but the pain in his hand and ribs reduces his strength to a thread. Niko raises his sword again, a frozen fire in his expression:

  —Stop resisting, you’ll gain nothing by prolonging this —he murmurs, his voice devoid of any empathy.

  The tip of one sword lingers mere centimeters from Aspen’s throat, while the other traces a light arc through the air, ready to deliver a lethal slash at any moment. A current of air thick with dust and venom shakes the rocks, shifting fragments of the ceiling that creak with the promise of an imminent collapse.

  Aspen’s body throbs with increasingly acute pain. The venom running through his veins, far from stabilizing, escalates in intensity, growing stronger with each heartbeat. His natural resistance to poison is not enough to counter the corrosive effect that Niko has injected through his blade, and the toxin’s weight feels like an anchor constricting his muscles. Even so, his modified spleen absorbs much of the substance, condensing it into crystals that do not heal the damage but slow the lethal advance.

  A sharp sting lacerating his left arm reminds him that blood is still flowing from the open wound. A piercing dizziness blurs his vision, but the terror of falling defenseless keeps his eyelids from closing. He grips the solid venom shield on his right arm, trembling with each breath. Niko keeps his gaze fixed on him, and in that deadly stillness, the certainty is evident—he intends to end Aspen’s life without hesitation.

  The edge of the right sword descends. Aspen attempts to raise the rhombus-shaped shield to block, and barely manages it. A metallic crash rings out as crystal collides with steel, scattering tiny shards of hardened venom spinning through the air. Niko’s other blade grazes Aspen’s side in a shallow cut, enough to draw a sharp cry from him. An infernal burning spreads through the wound, amplifying the toxic surge within him.

  A tremor shakes the cave, and large rocks break loose from a distant corner where Kara and Alex’s battle triggers devastating kicks against the walls. In the air, psychic waves from Vera and the pink-haired girl also reverberate, hurling debris that shakes the entire structure. Each clash lifts a cloud of dust, hindering sight and breath.

  Niko moves with the fluidity of a ninja. A circular motion, and his sword slices through the air toward Aspen’s lower abdomen. He barely manages to stumble backward, feeling the metal brush against the fabric of his clothes. A jolt of pain crosses his mind, aware that a more precise hit would be enough to send him into darkness forever.

  Aspen’s throat tightens. His consciousness wavers. Between the venom’s oppression and the fear boiling inside him, he barely clings to the hope of surviving. As he presses his left hand against the wall, a viscous thread drips down, and the numbing sting creeps up his arm. Through a veil of blood and sweat, he sees Niko’s figure advancing once more, weapons raised. He tries to call out to Dozy to move behind him, but his breath cuts off as Bulbasaur and Nidoran corner Grimer.

  A chill runs through him as he feels something thick inside himself. The toxin his spleen had been blocking builds up, putting pressure on his arteries and muscles. Dizziness clouds his mind, but so does a flash of understanding. The wound on his arm is leaking more than just normal blood – a purplish, semi-liquid mass bubbling from the open flesh. Desperate to breathe, he realizes his body is producing a mixture of poison and bodily fluid, which begins to crystallize upon contact with the air.

  A groan escapes his lips, the pain unbearable. He tries to move and his hand brushes against a rocky outcrop. Some of the poison drips from the wound onto the surface and he watches as it quickly hardens into a sharp, shiny layer. For a second, surprise makes him blink. He realizes he might be able to use this momentary gift as a last resort.

  Niko doesn’t stop. The attack aimed at his torso crashes back into the shield. Sparks multiply and Aspen pushes with his knees to resist. His shoulders ache and his pulse quickens. In a desperate impulse, he contracts his wounded arm, unleashing a wave of pain concentrated in the open scar. A sticky, searing mass bursts into a jet that slides across his skin and shoots forward. He screams an unrecognizable name, his voice hoarse, as the poison flows from the wound in a semi-solid torrent.

  Niko jumps to the side at the sight of the substance flying towards him, but the volume overwhelms his reflexes. A significant portion spreads across his left arm, part of his torso and the leg on the same side. He grits his teeth and thrashes, trying to clean the liquid before it hardens. However, an unnatural crunch confirms that the poison has reacted with oxygen, forming crystals of alarming hardness. Niko’s arm is glued to his chest and his leg is partially immobilized, caught in a shiny scab that covers his clothes and skin.

  Niko lets out a roar of outrage and strikes the glass with his right sword, his only free limb. The blade slips, only managing to leave shallow cracks without breaking it. Fury burns in his eyes. He swings his leg hard, producing a dry snap, but nothing gives. Breath on fire, he turns his gaze to Aspen, whose purple hair sticks to his forehead, soaked with sweat.

  Aspen kneels on one knee, exhausted but with a flash of triumph. He inhales raggedly, noticing how the poison inside him has diminished slightly after he expelled it. It’s no miracle cure—he’s still bleeding, he’s still weak, and his wound throbs—but at least the toxic current within no longer burns as intensely.

  The cave rumbles in one last, violent tremor. Dust and stones fall as the structure trembles, threatening to collapse. As the last echoes of the battle mix with the cacophony of crumbling rock, there is an eerie silence, broken only by the distant trembling of the earth and the screech of shattered gravel.

  Aspen Meloc

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  ~Grimer (Alola) [Nickname: Dosy]

  ~Zubat [Nickname: Noisy]