Chapter 22

JUST PRETEND

'm not afraid

Of the war you've come to wage against my sins

I'm not okay

But I can try my best to just pretend

So will you wait me out

Or will you drown me out?

- Bad Omens

I

Erin sat on the bed with Metang lying on the floor below him as he gently rubbed the top of its metallic head. The rage and hatred within the Pokémon seemed to dissipate almost instantly, as if Erin had reached into Metang’s heart and flipped a switch.

“I am so proud of you, dork,” Seth said to his son. Erin simply beamed, his face radiating positivity, his dimples inviting everyone in. “I have to go now. Are you going to be okay?”

Erin didn't say anything, but his bright energy dimmed slightly as he continued to console Metang. Emily walked up behind him, peering into the broken door frame, admiring Erin, just as Seth did. “I'm going to take him to get something to eat. Meet you in the galley after your fight, alright?”

“Yeah, alright,” Seth responded.

“Seth,” she called to him as he began to walk down the hallway. He looked back at her, his serious expression etched across every aspect of his face. What did she want to say? That he shouldn't fight? That Brian was right? No, he needed to survive. But could she see it, his descent into darkness? It had been gripping him, ripping him apart, ever since Commerce Town, where he forced her to be a witness and Brian to be a participant in child murders. It was as if his inner light had been constantly under attack, trying to snuff it out. Erin was the only thing giving Seth something to hold on to. “Be careful, okay?”

II

"This is the last call for Seth Conklin," the announcer's voice bellowed through the glass cage as the ocean retreated into the distance on all sides.

"I thought you were going to run, coward," Misty screeched. Seth didn't answer, refusing to give her the satisfaction of a response. He walked onto the bloodstain-soaked floor, applause erupting upon his entrance. Michael Young's face immediately dropped upon seeing Seth appear to challenge him, Lycanroc sitting patiently next to him. Seth threw out his Pokéball, and Primeape materialized in front of him. A calm rushed over Seth as a sense of purpose focused his eyes on the obstacle, no older than 20, standing in his way.

"Primeape, remember your speed and keep your ears open, alright," Seth commanded. Primeape looked back sternly, nodding in solidarity, even if it was built off of resentment.

"Begin!" The stands erupted with anticipation as Lycanroc charged for Primeape, its mouth hung open, ready to grip and tear anything it could. Its green eyes leered at Primeape as its orange body blurred with its swift movements.

"Accelerock!" Michael screamed at the top of his lungs.

"Quick Guard," Seth called back. Primeape put his arms up to protect himself from the oncoming attack. Lycanroc's skull crashed into Primeape's cross guard stance, jumping back before Primeape could retaliate.

"Again!" Michael screamed. In a moment that eyes could barely witness, Lycanroc got to Primeape's right, flanking him and drilling into his side.

"Primeape!" Seth called out as Primeape rolled around on the ground, his fur getting coated in a more recent pool of blood from a previous fight. He got to his feet and ran towards Seth, situating himself between him and Lycanroc before anything could happen.

"You good?" Primeape didn't answer, just prepared for any oncoming attack. "Listen, I am going to play bait. He's a rock type. If you can just get one good hit, we'll have this."

Before Seth could prepare for a new tactic, Michael's voice traveled over the arena. "Crush Claw!" Standing resolute in front of Seth, protecting him once again, Primeape took the cross guard stance, and four deep slashes ripped through Primeape's arm, flinging blood into the air.

"Counter!" Before Lycanroc could retreat, Primeape gripped one of its forearms, flinging him up, then grabbing his now reachable tail. Lycanroc was now vertical in the air above Primeape until, with all the force that he could muster, Primeape flung his body down by his tail, crashing him to the steel floor. It created a thud loud enough to be heard by everyone in the stands, possibly even the ship.

Just as hope rose in Seth's heart, Lycanroc rolled quickly onto his feet and retreated in front of his trainer. "I really thought we got to him," Seth said, looking back at Primeape, the blood on his fur and his own blood dripping down his arm sparking worry in Seth's heart. "Come on, it's time to go on the offensive. You can't play defense any longer. Remember, I am bait." Primeape nodded in acceptance and drew up his offensive stance. "Close Combat, go!"

Primeape began his sprint towards Lycanroc, swinging his fists and slamming the ground, missing his target again and again. "Bite!" Michael called out, now extremely close to Lycanroc and Primeape, leaving Seth alone on the other side of the field. Almost immediately, Lycanroc's fangs were sunk into Primeape's side, crunching down as pain exploded and wrapped around the entire right side.

Primeape gripped Lycanroc's throat and pulled him off, his flesh giving way with skin and matted fur clinging to the teeth. "Close Combat!" Seth yelled out. Primeape let go of his neck, and Lycanroc struggled in the air, attempting to gain some leverage. Three consecutive punches rocked the Pokémon so quickly that they might as well have been all at once. Primeape felt the crack of ribs under his power, and Lycanroc soared just past Michael, crashing into the concrete wall.

Struggling to his feet, Lycanroc got up again, rising Seth's stress yet again. He was wide open, Primeape was on the other side of the field, this was it.

"Z-move Splintering Storm Shard!" Michael's voice rose above the energetic audience, "Attack the trainer!" Lycanroc dug one of his arms into the concrete wall and howled loudly. With his other three legs, he began racing towards Seth, with concrete being shredded behind him, shards of grey rock collecting and congealing behind him. Seth stood there defenseless, wondering if this gamble would work. Dust trailed behind Lycanroc as more concrete splintered and formed like daggers behind him.

Red light flooded the field, and suddenly, Aegislash was standing before Seth, its shield protruded with rocks and Lycanroc's claw as it stared in confusion. "Winner Seth Conklin!" the announcer roared as the referee pointed his hand towards Seth, and Aegislash still held back Lycanroc's tremendous force. It looked behind him to see a bloody fist over Michael's now decapitated body.

The sword behind Aegislash moved from behind the shield and struck Lycanroc in the chest, its eyes never taking its sight off Michael as the life faded from him.

III

Seth stood alone in the chilling darkness outside the Golden Tail Diner, peering through the glowing window that framed his loved ones. Warm light spilled onto the road, casting a deceptive glow around him, while the shadows seemed to writhe around him with an unnatural, almost predatory intent, as though unseen claws were pulling him away from his own home.

Inside, Seth's heart ached as he watched his family. Erin was held lovingly by Seth's father, the two of them sharing hearty laughter. Sarah, surrounded by her mother and father, giggled with joy as the trio pointed at Erin and his grandfather. Seth, overwhelmed with longing, reached for the diner's front door, his hand gripping the handle tightly, desperate to join them.

But the door refused to budge, as if mocking his yearning. His family, bathed in the warm light, continued to radiate happiness, their laughter infectious. Seth planted his foot against the wall, straining with all his might to force the door open, but it remained resolute. Frustration and desperation welled up inside him, and he screamed, "Let me be with them!"

His futile attempts grew more frantic, his foot chipping away at the brick wall as cracks formed. Yet the darkness, with insidious tendrils, tightened its grip on his limbs and neck, dragging him away from his family. Seth clung to the door, his fingers grasping desperately, but it was a futile struggle.

Turning around, he spotted the source of this malevolent force: Sarah's lifeless body, shrouded in shadowy appendages. Horror coursed through him as he turned away from her and sought refuge in the joy and love inside the diner.

But now, pale, decaying hands clawed at him, replacing the shadows. Seth fell to the floor, crawling toward the diner, but it was all in vain. Figures from his past crowded around him: Charlotte, Jimmy, Zoe, Brian and the decapitated corpse of Michael Young, their ghoulish forms tugging at his arms and legs. "Please, it's not my fault you died! Let me be with my family! Let go!" Seth's anguished plea fell on deaf ears as they pulled harder, dragging him down into the abyss of darkness. The diner receded, a dwindling beacon of light in the yawning void until it vanished entirely.

Suddenly, Seth found himself seated at a table, draped in a black uniform. Giovanni, Butch Miller, Allen Wade, the Pewter City Brute, and Misty surrounded him, their grins stretching impossibly wide as their laughter echoed, growing louder and more menacing. Their laughter felt like a million razors cutting into his mind, and they began to devour him, tearing his flesh apart piece by agonizing piece.

A small hand fell upon his face, snapping him back to reality. The dimly lit room came into focus, and Seth felt Vulpix nestled at his feet. Emily's soft snores filled the room, providing a soothing contrast to the nightmare. Seth's racing heart gradually slowed, and he let out a shuddering breath.

With Vulpix's head now nestled in his lap as he got up, he whispered, "I feel like I'm being torn apart from the inside out. Each day, I become less and less of myself. Is it worth it?" Vulpix offered no answers, simply closing her eyes, leaving Seth alone in the consuming darkness of his thoughts.

IV

"Misty wins Round 3 of the Tournament!" The announcer's triumphant voice reverberated through the audience as Starmie ruthlessly removed the last remaining limb of Mia Hughes, the tattooed woman's Dragonite with its mind. Despite her impending defeat, Mia stood with unwavering resolve, a testament to her courage. Seth couldn't help but admire her fearless demeanor in the face of imminent doom.

However, his attention soon shifted to his left, where Daniel stood, his expression a mixture of horror and disbelief. Seth couldn't deny the satisfaction he felt as he witnessed the shattering of Daniel's arrogance. Tomorrow, he would face a similar fate, and the realization seemed to haunt him. Amidst the cacophony of screams and the thunderous applause from the audience, Mia's indomitable spirit was slowly crushed. Starmie, with its psychic force, folded her body as effortlessly as one might crease a piece of paper at the small of her back. Blood started leaking down her mouth, ears, eyes, and to Seth's imagination any opening in her body as the crushing pressure of her organs from the attack had nowhere to go, leaving her body along with her life.

The crew came to clean up the remains as Misty skipped gingerly back to the sidelines as if partaking in the most minute chore, and Seth began to rub her badge in his pocket. His thumb rubbed across the smooth surface as he recalled his dream. Was he becoming them, something evil?

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“Folks, I apologize, but it seems Ethan Jackson, one of our next competitors, was discovered overboard this morning,” Seth grabbed his knees and took a giant breath as if this was the first breath he had taken in weeks. Like a giant pressure that was restricting his lungs simply disappeared in an instant. It wasn't a worry about losing; under no circumstances did he ever imagine losing, how could he? But he fell back into the memory of his dream, being consumed by the evil he knew. Was he becoming like them? He took another deep breath, thankful that he wouldn't be responsible for another hand gripping him back.

“Liam Foster and Caleb Carter, please approach the field,” the announcer's voice said more calmly, easily taking over the audience from the silent expressions caused by the dispiriting news. The resentment from Ethan’s death was thick in the air, as if his dying cheated the audience out of a treat. Seth hardly thought it was suicide, more likely that the Team Rocket patrols caught him escaping.

“You got this, Daddy!” Beth’s voice rang out. The young girl, just slightly older than Erin with whom they played together so well, was in the stands directly behind on top of the concrete wall, where she had been for all of his fights. He gave a small nod to Seth, walking up, and released Donphan to counter his opponent’s Vikavolt.

Seth should have stayed to watch the fight, but he was tired of being away from Erin. Just tired in general, he turned from Misty and Daniel, the two sole competitors left on their side of the bracket, while Liam’s determination clearly had an effect on Beth, who noticed her father not even blinking as she stared at him, absorbed in whatever activity he was doing.

V

“Let’s Go!” Erin yelled as he seamlessly transformed into Captain Phantom, a daring pirate from Sinnoh legend. A timeworn newspaper pirate hat rested jauntily on his head, while he wielded a makeshift sword from a broken wooden broom handle, clutching it with the utmost seriousness. His father, Seth, was equally committed to this whimsical adventure, embracing the role of Captain Phantom's unwavering second-in-command, Galen.

"Ahoy there, Dad-, Galen!" Erin declared, his voice brimming with the spirit of adventure. "Lets find the Manaphy Egg!"

Seth adopted a blue bandana cap to fully engage in the fantasy. "Aye, Captain Phantom!" he responded with a theatrical salute. "This vessel be harboring secrets beyond imagination, yet none as precious as the Manaphy Egg! Shall we recruit this fine lass for our crew?" Seth asked, gesturing towards Emily, who was reclining on one of the beds in the room.

"No, we will let the Snorlax sleep, '' Erin decreed, making an earnest attempt to maintain a pirate's dialect.

"The fuck did he just say!" Emily retorted, sitting up abruptly and momentarily startling Vulpix from her nap.

"Run!" Seth cried out, shoving Erin out of the room and swiftly closing the door behind them, thus commencing their grand adventure. Side by side, father and son embarked on their escapade, with Erin leading the way. His small but determined steps carried them through the ship's labyrinthine, dimly lit corridors. Cereuledge illuminated their path with its eerie yet enchanting purple flames. Though she tried to embrace the playful mood, her form remained somewhat stiff throughout her participation.

As they ventured further into the shadowy depths of Deck F, the purple flames danced eerily upon an unsettling scene. There, Seth saw the haunting image of Sarah's naked body, her head resting atop the upper left portion of her torso, while her lower half twitched on the floor in a macabre mimicry of Brian's demise. "I am not doing this now," Seth resolved, swiftly turning left to exit the nightmarish scene.

Descending another staircase, Erin clutched his father's hand tightly. "Fear not, Captain Phantom," Seth reassured him with an affectionate tone. "I'll be by yer side through this treacherous voyage."

"Right! Go, Ditto!" Erin exclaimed, pressing the button on a Pokéball attached to his father's belt. Ditto emerged, playfully climbing atop Erin's head. The newspaper pirate hat was displaced, replaced by the curious sensation of Ditto's ever-shifting form.

They continued their exploration and, in due course, stumbled upon the ship's boiler room, bathed in a radiant red glow. "It’s treasure da- I mean Galen!" Erin cheered, pointing at a colossal pile of coal, with several Carkol rhythmically speeding up and down the room's expanse.

"Indeed, Captain Phantom!" Seth chimed in, grinning at his enthusiastic son. "That there be the treasure trove we seek."

"Go, Ditto!" Erin commanded, and Ditto sprang into action, transforming into the nearest Carkol. "Quickly, gather the treasure!" Ditto, masquerading as a Carkol, wasted no time gathering the coal treasure onto its back. The charade, however, was interrupted by the abrupt appearance of an older, imposing figure.

"“What are you all doing? You're not allowed here. Get that kid and go!” He bellowed, his anger intensifying with each uttered word.

"Run, ye scallywags, run!" Seth exclaimed in character, urging Erin and Ditto to retreat. With the ill-gotten coal treasure in tow, they fled from the room, leaving the irate man behind. "That was close, sir!" Seth remarked, fully committed to the pirate's role.

“Yeah. Now come on dad. Let's find Samiya!”

“The secret city.”

“Yupporuni!”

As they traversed the grand ship, raucous laughter filled the air, momentarily pushing aside the weight of their past traumas. Seth was awestruck by the pure joy sparkling in his son's eyes. It depressed him to think about but it had been well before Sarah died that he played this hard with Erin. Every step they took transformed the S.S. Anne into a magnificent vessel of wonder and delight. Erin, now fully immersed in his role as Captain Phantom, and Seth, his unwavering second mate, continued their quest with renewed determination. Together, they sought to uncover the legendary Manaphy Egg and etch their own adventurous tale into the annals of Sinnoh's legendary legends.

They reached the top deck, the glass floor beneath them providing a view directly down to the now-empty stadium and the blood-stained brown steel battlefield. "There it is, Dad! Samiya!" Erin exclaimed.

"Erin, let's not go there," Seth replied to his son, his gaze fixed on Sarah in the middle of the field. She had a massive hole through her stomach, blood pouring out, and the necrotic wound on her neck nearly reaching her forehead, juxtaposed with the open wound below her chest.

"Don't be scared! We can do this together, right, Ditto?" Erin encouraged, and Ditto, still perched sternly on the boy's head, nodded emphatically.

"Erin-" Seth began, but before he could say another word, Erin took off running for the stairwell at the bow of the ship, leaving his father to chase after him.

Erin's laughter intermingled with Sarah's taunts as he finally reached his son, pushing open the doors to the arena. The warm sunlight filled the space as Erin's jubilant laughter echoed through the vast emptiness of the glass arena.

"We found it!" he shouted, his words bouncing off the walls about three times before fading away.

"Yeah, we did," Seth agreed, firmly placing his hand in Erin's dark, curly hair. His eyes, however, remained fixed on Sarah's lifeless, naked body sitting about five feet away in an empty seat. "No," he muttered to her.

"No, what, Daddy?"

"Oh... um... nothing, buddy. Come on, let's get that Manaphy egg," Seth said, pushing aside his trauma to focus on his son.

"Hey," a voice called from behind them as Liam and his daughter, Beth, made their way down the stairs, entering through the same door Erin and Seth had used before.

"Apologies, Beth saw you guys and wanted to play. Do you mind?"

"Nah," Seth replied. "Let dad take a breather, Erin, and play nicely." The two children's laughter filled the space as they ran up and down the stairs, marveling at the landscape on the right side of the ship. They laughed even harder as they watched Ditto transform into each of their Pokémon.

"I have a confession to make," Seth turned to Liam, his expression concerned. "Beth didn't see you. I was looking for you. I have something to ask." His eyes narrowed under his thick glasses, almost hiding beneath his extremely bushy black eyebrows.

"Go on," Seth replied curtly sitting down in an empty seat and then Liam following suit.

"If I win tomorrow," Sarah was directly behind Seth now as Liam spoke, her words drowning out his own, barely making them audible. "Do you have a plan for your boy?"

Seth looked down at the blood-soaked field, trying to push his wife's chants of "You can't save him" out of his head. What did he have? Emily would take him, but would that just leave a life of hiding until Johto finally decided to fully invade them, leaving behind the mask of Team Rocket? No, he didn't have a backup plan. He would win, he would get Erin out.

"Yeah, I have a friend on the ship with us," he responded simply. "Do you?"

"A friend of mine is waiting for us at Fuchsia to take us to a small town on the outskirts," Liam explained, worry washing over his face as he sat, watching Erin release Noivern onto the bottom row of seats just beyond the cut-up concrete wall. "If you do win, will you make sure she does get to him?" He looked seriously at Seth, the desperation clearly visible.

"Of course," Seth assured him. "I guess you're not going to tell me which Pokémon you are using, are you?"

Liam began laughing loudly until an awkward silence began to settle over them. Erin started climbing up on Noivern's neck, Beth doing the same for a transformed Ditto, slowly taking flight a few feet off the ground. Their fathers both looked nervously at them but held back, allowing their children to enjoy themselves. Seth glanced over at Liam and noticed he was no longer watching his daughter, who was laughing and soaring in the air on the glass stage, but at the arena's floor below, where the bloodstains now dominated.

"Will they have to go through this when they are older?" Liam asked. "Just going from shit to shit without any break?"

"I am doing everything in my power to make sure that doesn't happen," Seth replied, the expression on his face as if this were the most obvious answer in the world.

"Even if it means giving up your humanity?" Liam just looked at his hands and fell silent for a moment.

"I've already cast that aside. All that matters now is Erin's humanity," Seth said somberly, looking at his cheering son, who was now flying even faster, gripping onto Noivern's white fur. The two sat together for a while, not discussing anything in particular anymore, simply watching their children, hoping that their joy could push back the trauma that consistently dragged them down. The light still bathed them, but both felt as if the void inside them had swallowed it whole, leaving them in the dark.

VI

"Misty and Daniel Rivera! Please, come forward!" The announcer yelled out as the entire ship seemed to shake at the sheer volume of their cheers. Misty walked up, her yellow shirt with contrasting red suspenders swaying breezily as she smiled to the adoring fans that now started chanting her name. To Daniel, those cheers seemed to torment him into a withering form as he made his way to his side of the field but barely able to suspend his own weight. His purple shirt now seemed dinged and frayed. Absol emerged in front of him, his only hope to survive this torment standing equally as confident as him.

"Fuck, this has been a great break," she yelled, throwing Swampert out of her Pokéball arrogantly, bathing in the applause.

"Begin," the referee on the sideline yelled.

"Absol, Nightslash!" Daniel roared out, the feeling in his legs attempting to come back to stand strong against her. Absol ran across the field, the horn on its head starting to stand out. It wasn't glowing but doing the opposite, as if all light started falling into the horn, making it standout against the setting. The distance closed between them; Absol ran faster at its known impending doom.

"Bulldoze," Misty said quietly, smiling ear to ear. The creepy slit in her face seemed to welcome the oncoming chaos. Swampert jumped up when Absol was twenty feet away and slammed onto the steel floor, which vibrated wildly as if an earthquake had hit it. Absol immediately slowed down as it lost its balance, attempting to realign itself to attack Swampert.

"Ice Punch," Misty whispered, just barely audible to Swampert in front of her. Ice shards formed on Swampert's closed right fist. It launched itself towards Absol, plunging its cold gauntlet into Absol's chest. Absol flew into the air, unable to cry in pain as its chest plate cracked, taking all the air out of its lungs. It fell hard halfway across the battlefield. The cheers and Misty's laughter filled the silent void of Absol's crash to the ground. She started to skip herself towards Daniel, whose tiny form stood at odds with her crazed face, as if she was completely taken over by a psychopath ready to finally indulge herself in butchering her prey.

Swampert grabbed Absol, who was on the ground gasping for breath desperately, the black voided look of its horn completely dulled. "Swampert, I need the horn. Please," she said, skipping by her partner. Swampert grabbed Absol by the horn and began flinging its body against the ground over and over again, each thud causing Daniel to shriek even more as Misty continued to slowly close the distance, her deranged demeanor stepping closer and closer. Finally, the horn on Absol's head gave way, snapping at the tenth time its body was flung and crashing to the ground. Swampert threw the bladed horn at Misty, falling shorthand, sliding along the blood-ridden floor next to her.

"Thank you, sweetie," Misty was now cackling widely, picking up the blade and walking towards Daniel.

"Please let me go, please, please, please, PLEASE!," He was screaming between his loud sobbing as Misty was now only ten feet away from him. The crowd was egging on his murder, begging for it.

Swampert finally let go of Absol, which was now just a blood-riddled corpse with barely any white left on its body, replaced by the thick red that lay all around it. Misty towered over Daniel's shaking body as he knelt, begging for mercy with his hands clasped together as if he were praying to her. Without an answer, she flung the blade, impeding its left shoulder and wrist, nearly cutting them off clean.

"You bitch!" Daniel screamed in pain. With more effort than she would care to admit, she finally got the blade out of Daniel, whose screams nearly took over the onlookers' cheers. On the floor, Misty now straddled and plunged the horn into his chest, suddenly lowering the volume of his screams as one lung was deflated. She pulled it out, then plunged it into his right shoulder, then again, and again, blood flinging up every time she pulled it out of Daniel's pathetic body, painting her face, chest, and stomach.

"Winner is Misty, the Cerulean City Gym Leader." The announcer came over the glass cage giving words to the referee pointing towards Misty’s crazed actions, echoing throughout. However, Misty didn't hear; she was having too much fun watching the life fade from Daniel.

A dark cloud began to drift over the S.S. Anne, blocking out the light as rain started to drizzle on the glass surrounding them. Seth stared at Misty sinking her hatred, her insanity over and over again into Daniel, who he felt deserved this but only to an extent. Finally, she lifted herself off him and walked pleasantly back to where Seth and Liam were standing. She didn't say anything; she didn't need to. For someone whose whole existence revolved around torturing others, the mauled body on the floor, draining blood as the cleaners placed it and his Pokémon on the stretcher, was worth more than any words she could say.

A streak of lightning ripped in the sky over the water, which was now turning as dark as the sky. "I just wanted to say good luck," Liam said to Seth, extending his hand, which Seth took.

"Seth Conklin and Liam Foster, please come forward for our final Semi-Final match." The audience cheered, but not as loudly as Liam’s daughter Beth, who sat in the middle of the stands directly behind them.