บท 93: Chapter 93 Alakazam vs Nidoking

The Black Fang stood at the other end of the hallway, his trench coat catching the light with each flicker from the broken bulbs. His eyes, icy and predatory, scanned the situation with a detached calm. His Nidoking loomed, toxic fumes rising from its massive body, the ground beneath it cracking with every heavy breath it took.

"You're outmatched," Darius said, his voice cool and low. "You should've known better than to challenge me with that thing." He jerked his chin toward Alakazam, who swayed on unsteady legs. The poison still lingered from Arbok's 𝘎𝘭𝘢𝘳𝘦, the paralysis chaining it, slowing its movements. But not its mind. No, Alakazam's eyes burned with the same determination as mine.

"We're not done yet," I replied, my voice level, but inside, I was already working through the next move. I'd seen Darius fight before. He didn't play fair—hell, he didn't even pretend to. But that's why I'd prepared for this. I wasn't fighting just to win. I was fighting to survive.

Darius smirked, that cold glint in his eyes sharpening. "Nidoking, 𝘛𝘩𝘶𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘣𝘰𝘭𝘵."

The air hummed with electricity as Nidoking's claws sparked. Energy built around its horn, bright and crackling, before it shot forward—a bolt of pure power tearing through the narrow space.

"Alakazam, 𝘛𝘦𝘭𝘦𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘵!" The words left my mouth as fast as the attack came.

For a second, Alakazam hesitated, the paralysis fighting it. But then it vanished, just as the 𝘛𝘩𝘶𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘣𝘰𝘭𝘵 scorched the floor where it had been. The lights flickered again, and Alakazam reappeared behind Nidoking, panting but standing.

Darius didn't even flinch. His fingers twitched inside those black gloves, controlling Nidoking with precision. "Nidoking, 𝘌𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘩𝘲𝘶𝘢𝘬𝘦."

The ship groaned under the impact of Nidoking's foot. Cracks spread like lightning through the floor, the walls shaking as the shockwaves surged toward Alakazam. I gritted my teeth. This was the hard part.

"𝘙𝘦𝘧𝘭𝘦𝘤𝘵, now!"

Alakazam raised a trembling hand, and a shimmering barrier flickered to life. The 𝘌𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘩𝘲𝘶𝘢𝘬𝘦 crashed against it, but the sheer force of Nidoking's attack pushed Alakazam back, its knees buckling under the strain.

Darius watched me, that smug look still etched into his face. "You're only delaying the inevitable." His voice dripped with contempt. "Nidoking, hit it with 𝘚𝘭𝘶𝘥𝘨𝘦 𝘉𝘰𝘮𝘣."

A ball of toxic sludge formed in Nidoking's mouth, black and foul, before it hurled the attack at Alakazam. I could almost taste the venom in the air as it cut toward my Pokémon. But I didn't blink.

"Alakazam, 𝘒𝘪𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘪𝘴."

Alakazam's eyes glowed with concentrated psychic energy. The 𝘚𝘭𝘶𝘥𝘨𝘦 𝘉𝘰𝘮𝘣 wobbled midair, its trajectory twisting before it veered off course and splattered harmlessly against the wall. Darius's smirk faded for the time.

"Enough playing around. Nidoking, 𝘐𝘤𝘦 𝘉𝘦𝘢𝘮!"

I had mere seconds to react. The ice-cold energy built up in Nidoking's horn, the beam forming faster than I expected. I didn't think. I acted.

"𝘋𝘰𝘶𝘣𝘭𝘦 𝘛𝘦𝘢𝘮!"

The hallway filled with flickering images of Alakazam, multiplying in a blur of motion. The 𝘐𝘤𝘦 𝘉𝘦𝘢𝘮 tore through one clone after another, the real Alakazam staying just out of reach, but I knew it couldn't hold on forever. It was slowing down. We were running out of options.

Darius's eyes narrowed. He stepped forward, the scent of cigarette smoke clinging to his coat as he spoke with a low growl. "Nidoking, 𝘛𝘩𝘳𝘢𝘴𝘩."

Nidoking roared and charged, its massive arms swinging wildly, tearing through the clones with brute force. One after another, the illusions disappeared, leaving Alakazam exposed, barely holding itself up.

"Now, 𝘗𝘴𝘺𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘤𝘬!" My command was sharp, urgent.

Alakazam's eyes flared as it unleashed a wave of psychic energy that slammed into Nidoking's chest, staggering the beast. But Nidoking shook off the blow with a snarl, its muscles flexing with raw power.

"You're losing, Kid," Darius sneered. "Nidoking, 𝘌𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘩𝘲𝘶𝘢𝘬𝘦."

The floor trembled again, the hallway cracking beneath the force of Nidoking's strike. Alakazam wobbled, struggling to stay upright.

"Alakazam, 𝘗𝘴𝘺𝘤𝘩𝘰 𝘊𝘶𝘵—forward!"

Psychic blades formed in Alakazam's hands, slicing through the ground, trying to cut a path forward. But the 𝘌𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘩𝘲𝘶𝘢𝘬𝘦 caught up, shaking the ship to its core, and Alakazam hit the ground hard, barely able to rise.

Darius's grin widened. He was close to ending this, and he knew it. "Nidoking, 𝘐𝘤𝘦 𝘉𝘦𝘢𝘮."

The air froze as the attack charged. My mind raced, my heart hammering in my chest. There was no time to dodge. But we had one last play.

"Alakazam, 𝘍𝘶𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘦 𝘚𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵!"

Alakazam's eyes glowed one final time, its future assault locked into place, just as the 𝘐𝘤𝘦 𝘉𝘦𝘢𝘮 struck. The beam hit hard, freezing Alakazam where it stood. My Pokémon didn't move, its energy spent. I clenched my fists, my knuckles white.

For a moment, Darius's cold smile twisted into something like triumph. He took a step forward, towering over the frozen Alakazam. "It's over."

But then, the air shimmered. The future collapsed into the present.

The 𝘍𝘶𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘦 𝘚𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 struck like a meteor from above, crashing into Nidoking with unstoppable force. Darius's expression shifted in an instant—from confidence to shock—as the psychic energy tore through his Pokémon's defenses, sending it sprawling to the ground.

Nidoking groaned, beaten.

Alakazam stood, barely, but it stood. I exhaled, my chest heaving. "Told you... we weren't done."

Darius's face hardened. He recalled his Nidoking, his eyes darkening with cold fury. "Next time, you won't be so lucky again." As he throw his last pokeball.