Before the Raticate could even come close to Carlotta, he was enveloped in a purple light.

"Damn you're fast," Carlotta said. He threw him aside, knocking him against a rock formation. Despite being tossed like a ragdoll, the man got up.

"That was a clumsy mistake," he said, wiping blood from his mouth. Suddenly he disappeared and before Carlotta had time to respond he slashed her across the stomach.

"Shit," Carlotta cursed, arm across her stomach in order to stop the bleeding. She didn't have any time to breathe before the man started attacking again. Carlotta stepped back, using her wings to create some space but the man was too fast. Scratches appeared across her body more times than she could count.

And suddenly the sharp bursts of pain stopped, the Raticate jumped back, his dagger stained with Carlotta's blood. Carlotta noticed the scratches, lining her arms, her legs and even across her torso. The slash across her belly was still bleeding and she was starting to feel dizzy.

The man licked the blood off his blade. "Still want some more."

Carlotta was breathing heavily. Her vision was starting to blur but she steeled herself. She wouldn't die here, she still had to see Carmen. She still had to defeat all 8 gyms for Sean.

"You bet your ass I do," Carlotta said. The man disappeared again but this time Carlotta was ready. She stood still and felt the air with her psychic powers. As soon as a breeze passed by her, she caught it with her psychic power. The Raticate was caught in a bubble of purple light.

"Gotcha," Carlotta said.

...

The Charmander charged towards Giovanni, screaming bloody murder. Giovanni placed his hand on the ground and spires of earth rose beneath him, the Charmander leapt in the air and jumped across them like they were nothing.

Giovanni stood still, the Charmander came in with fire, literally. Launching two fireballs at Giovanni which Giovanni easily dodged and then slashing at him with his claws. Giovanni was rather clumsy since he was tired but he managed to dodge those two slashes and throw a dagger in return.

The dagger struck the boys shoulder but still he let out a scream and charged. The boy launched another volley of fireballs but Giovanni struck the ground with his foot and the fireballs hit them without so much as a flicker. The boy leaped above the wall, claws out but before he could even come close to Giovanni, Giovanni grabbed his throat and pressed.

Rex appeared from the helicopter. "Master need help?"

Giovanni shook his head and smirked. "No Rex, I got this idiot covered."

He turned to the boy who was shaking and kicking his legs, trying to burn Giovanni's arm with his tail, clawing at his arms but to no avail. Giovanni felt pity for the kid and let him go, causing him to sputter on the ground. The boy got up again and lunged at Giovanni but Giovanni kneed him in the stomach and he stumbled over coughing.

Giovanni grabbed him by his bright orange hair and yanked him upwards.

"And who might you be?"

The boy launched a fireball at Giovanni. Giovanni yelped and stepped back. the boy tried to go in for an attack but was promptly punched in the face.

"That was a nice suit and you ruined it," Giovanni growled. "I paid good money for it."

The boy was out cold on the ground, Giovanni stepped on his back and sneered.

"You and your father just don't know when to quit do you?" Giovanni said, digging the heel of his shoe into the boy's lower back. The boy cried out in pain.

"Cry all you want, nobody's going to save you," Giovanni said, grinning.

The boy tried summoning fireballs but all that came out were flickers. He tried extending his claws but Giovanni crushed his foot underneath his heel and Carmen yelled.

Kayla appeared from the helicopter. A lady with light brown skin and a black tank top with black tattoos snaking around her arms.

"Giovanni stop playing with that little kid," Kayla said. "We can't afford to be seen here."

Giovanni pulled Carmen up by his hair, staring eye to eye with the bruised boy. "But I was just having fun with Hitokage's little boy."

Giovanni let go of his hair causing Carmen to collapse on the ground.

Giovanni kicked him in the side for good measure and headed to the helicopter. Carmen struggled up and launched two fireballs that bounced off the side of the helicopter harmlessly. The last thing he saw was the helicopter buzzing upwards and dust flying into his face.

Carmen collapsed onto his knee letting out a cry. He couldn't save Sean and now his Master was dead. Dead. His brain didn't want to believe it. But when he saw the lifeless corpse of his old master's face, the wrinkles proof of his old age. His eyes closed. his arms crossed. Tears fell on his Master's face, Carmen's tears.

"I.. I’m sorry I wasn't there," Carmen said, choking out the words. "I.. I’m sorry I wasn't strong enough."

Carmen put his Master's hand in his, bring it close to his face.

Hitokage is... was a kind man. He took Carmen in as a child when his parents had abandoned him, taught him how to fight and how to survive. Carmen never got the hang of reading but Hitokage promised that he would teach him.

When Carmen was impossible, he was dealt with firmly. When Carmen cried, he was wrapped in his mighty wings. Carmen never knew his father but Hitokage was the closest thing he had to one.

And Hitokage never had a son. The last thing he thought of before he died was not about his tribe, or the safety of his people.

No. The last thing he thought about was which gym his son Carmen had challenged. The last thing he thought off was Carmen's smiling face as he brought a gym badge to him with a grin on his face.

...

There was a rhythm to Carlotta and the Raticate's battle. Carlotta was ashamed to admit it but it was like a dance. The Raticate swiped at her, Carlotta stopped him with a psychic bubble and fluttered behind him. For every blast of wind Carlotta launched, the Raticate disappeared and slashed at her.

The battle continued like this until suddenly the man stopped swiping and there was a grin on his face. An ugly, contorted grin made even uglier by his razor-sharp teeth.

"I'm tired of all this fighting lass," the Raticate said. "Those psychic powers of yours are a bitch. Reminds me of two mercenaries they hired to kill the boss."

Carlotta was about to attack but the man said something that stopped her in her tracks.

"Those two had antennas like yours," the Raticate said. "Said they were from the Caterpie tribe too. They were husband and wife, decided to raid our Celadon base, took out a lotta good men too."

The man grinned at Carlotta's angry expression, tapping his knife against his hand while strolling back and forth. "We managed to take down the man, the lady on the other hand put up a helluva of a fight. She was stubborn like you. We couldn't manage to get anything outta her. She pushed aside anybody who tried to interrogate her was pushed aside by her psychic powers until the boss had a clever idea."

The man made a motion with his dagger. "We sliced her antenna off. One of them at least. She cried out in pain, spilled everything soon after. She couldn't use any of her powers. And on that day, we made an important discovery when dealing with your kind..."

The man disappeared. Carlotta was on guard but the man didn't slice at her body.

Her left antenna floated downwards, teetering right and left like a see-saw.

Suddenly an awful pain shot through her head like needles in her brain. She collapsed on the floor, vomiting.

"Oh, that looked painful," the man whispered in her ears. His breath against her neck. "How bout I slice the other one?"

She stumbled away from him, the pain like a dagger through her brain. The world around her swirling and twirling like a roller coaster. She tried focusing her psychic power but doing so made it feel as if her brain would explode. The man sliced at her body, her arms, her legs, her stomach but nothing compared to the pain in her head.

This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.

She fell on the ground, breathing heavily. Blood running down her body.

The Raticate frowned. "Man, this is getting boring, you're not as fun when you're not running that mouth of yours."

The man pulled her hair and smirked. "Time to finish you off."

"N-no," Carlotta said, tears running down her face. The pain burning her skull. "I-I can't. P-please."

"Begging won't get you anywhere, lady," the Raticate said.

The Raticate pulled up her hair, the world swirling around her. But she saw, saw the crater of Mount Moon. Where Carmen was. She wanted to see him, she wanted to see him so badly.

The Raticate's slid his dagger across her throat. "Pretty view huh."

She wanted to see all of the so badly. Carmen, Patricia, Sean. She wanted to see her tribe again, she wanted to win those badges for her team.

"N-no, please," she begged. Tears running down her face. "Please."

Slice.

And Carlotta was gone.

...

As they climbed up the mountain, the amount of Team Rocket grunts started fizzling out. Soon they were no Team Rocket grunts and it was just Seth and Rune.

They saw a jet-black holiday buzz away in the sky. Seth tried flying toward it but it unfortunately went too high up so Seth had no choice but to return.

Meanwhile Rune was caked with dry blood, his face littered with red dots like ketchup. He had killed so many Team Rocket goons that Seth lost count. He was completely and utterly ruthless and his fight lacked the honor that was taught amongst the tribe.

The crater was just in the horizon but what they saw ahead paralyzed them better than any stun spore attack.

Paras were feeding upon the corpses of Rocket stragglers who had fled the battlefield. That wouldn't have been a problem if it wasn't for the fact that up ahead, Paras were climbing the crater of Mount Moon, swarming across the cliff like ants.

"Oh no," Rune muttered underneath his breath.

...

Carmen had his head buried against his surrogate father's chest, tears pouring down his cheeks. He grabbed his pale hand, calloused from all the battles he had fought and all the work he had done for the tribe.

"I swear," Carmen said, through the tears streaming down his face. "I swear I'll avenge you."

Carmen covered his Master's corpse with his cape, this would have to do until the funeral rites. Ahead of him the Lunar Pillar gleamed a bright green. His master always used to take him to the Lunar Pillar, especially on nights of the full moon. They would watch the Clefairy dance and hear the Jigglypuff sing and would sit together, cuddled up when the night got cold staring at the Pillar that gleamed silver like the Moon.

His master told him that the Lunar Pillar was made up of Moon Stones and that once they proved their worth, the Jigglypuff and Clefairy would pluck a stone and let its power course through them, attaining the surge.

That's what Carmen needed. A surge. If he got more and more powerful, he'd be able to kill that bastard that took his Master and Sean away from him.

Suddenly he heard a moan, an anguished moan and a moan that sounded all too familiar.

From the sides of the crater, Paras came crawling, landing on the ground with a sickening crunch. Like maggots they crawled towards Carmen, towards his Master.

"NO!" Carmen roared. A large ring of fire appeared around him burning the Paras to lifeless husks but more took their place. Carmen let out another roar and ran towards his master, savagely ripping through the Paras that stood in front of him.

"YOU TOOK EVERYTHING AWAY FROM ME YOU MONSTERS!" Carmen roared. "I'LL KILL YOU! I'LL KILL YOU ALL!"

He summoned two fireballs and charged at the hall.

...

Patricia was worried. Worried about Carmen, worried about Carlotta. Sean's death was... too much for her. It was hard to believe he was gone. Together they followed Carmen and Carlotta, Zubair and Zinnia joined and she was grateful for their company.

Jenna was pale with worry, she really hoped Carmen was okay. The sentiment was shared with Patricia, Carmen was the only one who trained her despite how weak she was. Carmen was the only person who didn't make her feel pathetic for even trying. And the rest, they all appreciated her talents. The party they had together felt more like a family than her own family. She wouldn't be able to stand if she lost...

Any (her pale hands were around her bleeding throat, stained crimson).

Of (scratches littered her body and she was missing an antennae).

Them (her eyes, her eyes were wide open. Staring at her. Glassy and hollow)

Patricia collapsed on her knees. She could feel bile burning in her throat and her breathing, she was breathing so fast she needed air. Her heart, her heart felt so heavy from all the pain, from the fear of seeing her friend dead.

The rest of it was a blur. She felt strong hands around her, Jenna telling her it was going to be okay through tears. Was Carmen also...

Dead. The words couldn't leave her mouth. She couldn't believe Carlotta, Carlotta who called her Gorgeous, Carlotta who cracked jokes and called everybody nicknames. She couldn't believe she was gone. She felt anger, despair, grief and hurt all swirl around her heart like a chemical reaction of pain that shot through her entire body like poison.

And a fight broke out and ended. She heard screaming though it wasn't Zinnia or Zubair or Jenna or Martin. It was the murderer, the butcher that murdered Carlotta and took her away from them.

She turned despite Jenna's protests and saw Zubair's fangs in the man's neck. The man unable to move, unable to fight back as he was reduced to a hollow husk and landed on the ground with an empty thud. A pale husk of a man.

And she vomited. She vomited on the ground, she pushed Jenna away trying so hard to say I'm sorry but the words were caught up in a throat like a snare.

And then she ran, the world around her a blur. Jenna and Martin's protests off in the distance. She ran and ran and ran.

Carlotta's smile (Blood running down her throat), her jokes (scratches all over her body) and those nicknames of hers (pale, glassy eyes). She ran and ran and ran, tears running down her face and the pain, the pain never stopped.

...

Carmen tore through all of them. All of them. ALL OF THEM.

He burned through them, turning them to ashes. Slicing through them till they were nothing but ribbons and ripping them limb from limb.

They would not take his Master from him. THEY WOULD NOT TAKE HIM AWAY FROM HIM AGAIN.

Still the Paras came in, like maggots. Like fucking maggots. And Carmen would kill all of them, for Sean, for his master, for his tribe.

He stepped on one, crushing his head. He ripped the arm of another and tossed its burning corpse to Paras that were closing in on his master.

One of them tried to bite him but he put his claws in his mouth and ripped him in half. He punched one in the stomach and launched a fireball, making it explode from within. He ripped and tore through them till they were no more, till he was stained in their blood. Their filthy rotten blood.

And then...

The Parasect stood in front of him. The monster that killed Sean stood in front of him and its host. Its host had the audacity to grin. The corpse the Parasect inhabited smiled at him, its rotten mouth contorted into a toothless grin.

Carmen let out a roar. The Parasect's mushroom shriveled up and released a burst of white spores but despite the tiredness taking over his body, Carmen did not yield. The Parasect raised a claw that Carmen ripped out of his body. The Parasect defended himself with his other claw but Carmen ripped it off too.

Carmen ripped off the Parasect's hosts head. The body still lagged towards him, red mushrooms sprouting upwards to replace the missing parts but Carmen would not let it win. He would never let it win.

Carmen was wrapped in a white light. He ripped the body of the Parasect the mushroom as his tail turned a shade of crimson and a horn grew from his head. The veins connecting the mushroom to the corpse of the human withdrew with a slurping noise as the Carmen tossed the original body away and it landed on the ground with a squashing noise like a rotten fruit. The mushroom tried attaching itself to Carmen but Carmen fought back and tore through the mushroom, slashing and slashing and slashing. Fighting and fighting and fighting until the Parasect was no more.

Letting out a scream of defiance, Carmen collapsed on the ground. The exhaustion finally settling in on him. He gave one look to his Master before he fell off to sleep.

...

Seth and Rune rushed in only to see a sea of bodies around the Lunar Pillar. As expected, Rune ran around, looking for the Chief but seeing all the corpses Seth was surprised. Just what kind of monster did this? Not even the Chief had the strength to handle all of these Paras.

"The Chief!" Rune exclaimed. "The Chief is dead!"

Seth obviously rushed towards Rune. Everything was a blur, all of this information too much for him. But amidst the sea of corpses he was sure he saw a Charmeleon lying on the ground, drenched in blood. And amidst all of the swirling thoughts rushing through his mind he thought:

"That's one hell of a Charmeleon."

To be continued...