Chapter 636: Vs. Swords of Justice Virizion
~Black H. POV~
[Unova Region, Pinwheel Forest - Rumination Field]
My head was spinning. The pressure from Virizion felt like a mountain sitting on my shoulders, but Azure's words acted like a tether. I needed to see this. I needed to understand. I gasped out, fumbling for the Poké Ball of my Munna, "Musha…"
*POP*
The pink, floral Pokémon appeared, floating lazily despite the tension. I asked firmly, "Eat… eat my dreams. Clear my mind."
Musha didn't hesitate.
*Chomp—num—num*
She latched onto my head, her snout pressing against my temple. I felt the familiar sensation—the rush of my cluttered, hyperactive thoughts being sucked away. My mind, usually a chaotic mess of ambition and "What-Ifs," began to drain.
The world turned from "blank white" to "solid black."
Suddenly, the pressure didn't matter. My perception shifted. The forest didn't look like trees and dirt anymore; it looked like geometry. Hexagons. Thousands of shimmering, interlocking hexagonal grids mapped out the Rumination Field.
I could see the wind currents as vectors. I could see the static electricity humming off Pikachu as a glow. This was Reasoning Time.
To White, who was huddled nearby, the battle was probably just a blur of green and yellow. But to me, in this state, it was a high-speed ballet of power.
Virizion lunged, 'You insolent creature!'
*SHHH-RING*
Her horns glowed with a brilliant emerald light—Sacred Sword. She moved so fast she left afterimages in the tall grass. But Pikachu was already gone.
*K-BOOM*
The ground where Pikachu had been standing erupted as Virizion's strike connected, but the rodent was already in mid-air.
Azure commanded, "Iron Tail."
*SHINNG*
Pikachu's tail turned into shining, hardened chrome. He spun like a buzzsaw at the incoming attack…
*CLANG*
The sound of metal hitting a Legendary's hide echoed through the clearing, a shockwave that sent a ripple through the trees, knocking me back into the arms of my Braviary, who had emerged to steady me.
Virizion hissed, 'Fast... for a whelp.'
She didn't stop. She turned her body in a fluid motion, her hooves barely touching the ground. She began to circle Pikachu, her speed increasing until she was a literal whirlwind of green energy.
*WHOOSH—WHOOSH—WHOOSH*
I watched through my hexagonal vision. Virizion was using Trailblaze, building momentum with every step. Pikachu stood in the center, his ears twitching.
Azure called out calmly, "Pikachu, Mega Punch."
Pikachu didn't wait for Virizion to strike. He Leer-ed, then lunged into the path of the green blur. His tiny fist glowed with a white-hot intensity.
*WHAM*
The impact sounded like a cannon blast. Pikachu's fist caught Virizion square in the chest, interrupting her momentum and sending the massive deer-like Pokémon skidding backward across the grass.
I couldn't believe it. My mouth twitched.
That was a Legendary…
A guardian of Unova…
And a Pikachu—a Pokémon I'd seen in a hundred pet shops and mascots—just punched it out of a sprint.
Virizion's voice was no longer just hostile; it was shocked. Her voice echoed in all our heads: 'How?! What manner of beast is this? No human-trained creature possesses such refined violence!'
Azure said casually, "He's just getting warmed up."
*Poof*
A purple mist suddenly swirled around Azure's feet. A Gengar popped out of his shadow, its red eyes wide and manic. She said jokingly, "Hehehe! She's a prickly one, isn't she, Boss? Want me to Curse her? Make her jumpy?"
Azure muttered, shaking his head in a dismissive tone, "Stay back, Gengar. This is Pikachu's workout."
A voice chirped from Azure's pocket. His Rotom Phone floated out, possessed by a Rotom, and chimed in, "Zzzzt! Analyzing power levels! Virizion's heart rate is spiking! Probability of human-induced saltiness: 99 percent! Zzt!"
I watched, mesmerized. Azure was talking to his Pokémon like they were coworkers at a cafe, while I was struggling just to stay upright.
Virizion recovered, her eyes glowing.
She gathered blue energy between her horns—Aura Sphere…
*PEW*
She fired it point-blank.
Azure countered, "Electro Ball."
*ZZZZZT*
Pikachu leapt, spinning his tail to generate a golden sphere of crackling electricity. The two orbs collided in the center of the field.
*CRA-KOOOM*
The resulting explosion created a thick, grey smokescreen. This led to Virizion being emboldened.
Virizion's voice echoed, 'Now!'
*SWOOOOSH*
She used the smoke.
She vanished within it, her Trailblaze speed now at its peak.
A green whirlwind erupted within the smoke, sucking Pikachu upward. I saw the leaves—sharp as scalpels—swirling around him. Virizion was inside that vortex, planning to pummel him from every angle.
White screamed, finally finding her voice, "Pikachu!"
Azure said coolly, "Relax. Pikachu, use Flash."
*SHINNNNG—FLASH*
A strobe-light effect better than the sun exploded from the center of the whirlwind. Even with my Reasoning Time, I had to wince. Virizion, with her sensitive, forest-adjusted eyes, let out a mental shriek of agony.
*Swoooo*
The whirlwind faltered. Azure's voice regained that 'Champion' edge, the one that made your hair stand on end. He commanded, "Now let's turn this around, partner! Strong Style! RISING VOLT TACKLE!!"
I'd never heard of a 'Rising Volt Tackle' move. But I saw the results.
*ZZZZZZZT—CRACKLE*
Pikachu didn't just use Volt Tackle. He became lightning. He began running in a tight, vertical circle on the ground, creating a golden, electrical vortex that rose upward, counter-rotating against Virizion's dying whirlwind. The green leaves turned gold as they were infused with tens of thousands of volts…
*CRACKLE—SWOOOSH*
The vortex swallowed Virizion…!
Virizion's telepathy screamed as she was dragged into the sky, riding the lightning, 'AGH! WHAT IS THIS?!'
Pikachu was at the heart of it, a black-and-white blur coated in shimmering gold. He slammed into her repeatedly as they ascended, finally delivering a booming strike at the apex of the vortex.
*BOOOOOOOM*
*THUD*
Virizion was ejected from the top of the golden cloud like a discarded toy. She crashed into the center of the field, creating a massive crater in the soft loam. Pikachu descended, floating down on the remnants of the static charge, landing with a soft thud.
*Zzzz*
Yellow sparks danced around his body—recoil damage—but he simply shook his fur and let out a bright, "Pika! (Come on! Get serious already!)."
I stared at the crater. Virizion was struggling to stand, her elegant form covered in soot and bruises. Her breathing was heavy, ragged. She panted, her telepathy flickering like a dying candle, 'I... I am a Sword of Justice. I have faced armies... I have outrun the wind... how can a mere human and his pet...'
A new voice entered my head, 'Pet?'
It was Zorua, who had poked his head out of Azure's bag. He defended Pikachu with a smug expression and dismissive snort, 'Hey, lady, that 'pet' has beaten gods. You're lucky he's holding back.'
Azure walked toward the edge of the crater. He said in a serious tone with his arms crossed, "Pikachu, let's end this battle. We've wasted enough time. You can go all out now; don't need to hold back anymore."
The world seemed to stop.
Go all out?
Don't hold back?
I thought, my hexagonal vision flickering…
Wasn't he going all out before...?
Pikachu nodded. He looked at Azure, then at Virizion.
Through Musha's connection via her Hidden Ability Telepathy, I heard Pikachu's thought process as he focused and cried out, 'Got it, partner! I needed to stretch my legs and show this gal what real Extreme Speed is.'
Pikachu didn't move. He vanished.
*POOOF—ZOOOOM*
There was no sound at first. Just a trail of golden energy left behind by his feet, marking a path that defied logic. He was zigzagging across the field so fast that there were ten Pikachus visible at once—afterimages created by sheer velocity.
*WHACK-CRACK-THUD*
Virizion was being bounced around like a pinball. She tried to swing her horns, tried to find a target, but she was hitting air.
*Swooosh—BASH-SMACK-ZAP*
She cried out whilst getting attacked, 'I CANNOT SEE HIM! WHERE IS HE?!'
Azure said knowingly, "Right above you."
*ZZZZZ—CRACKLE*
Pikachu appeared in the air, glowing with a soft, ethereal light. Azure called out, "Pikachu… Pika Papow!"
It wasn't a standard move. It was a manifestation of the bond between them; a concentrated burst of pure electrical affection and power began building up. A blinding golden flash erupted…!
*SH-BOOOOOOOOM*
The explosion didn't just fill the field; it cleared the forest canopy. The shockwave sent a wall of air rushing outward, snapping smaller trees like toothpicks.
Virizion was launched. She flew, crashing through three thick oaks before disappearing into the deep woods miles away...
Silence fell over the Rumination Field.
The only sound was the crackling of ionized air.
Pikachu trotted back to Azure, who reached into his bag and handed him an Oran Berry. He said happily, "Good job, buddy."
The mouse began munching on the berry, looking entirely satisfied. Pikachu cried out, "Pika! (Heh. He was nothing. Tapu Koko is faster than this gal.)"
Azure looked toward the treeline where Virizion had disappeared. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a sleek, purple-and-pink ball with a large 'M' on it…
A Master Ball.
He didn't aim. He didn't wind up. He just tossed it lazily into the distance. It vanished into the shadows of the forest.
*Click*
The sphere hit the unseen target, sucked the unconscious Legendary inside in a flash of purple light, and dropped to the moss. It rocked once. Twice. Thrice.
*Ding*
Captured. Just like that.
Azure turned back to us. White was staring with her mouth open, her eyes rolling back into her head. She let out a small "eep" and promptly fainted into the ferns. Azure looked at me, rubbing the back of his neck with a wry expression.
He said casually, "See? It's this easy. You just have to pay attention."
My mouth twitched. I felt the Reasoning Time fade as Musha finished her meal, leaving me with the cold reality of what I had just witnessed. I managed to croak, "Easy? You just... You just beat a Legendary like it was a wild Patrat. You caught it in one throw!"
Azure said, walking over to pick up the unconscious White, "Technique, Black. And perspective. You're so focused on becoming 'Champion' that you're treating Pokémon like tiles in a puzzle. They're more than that. They're forces of nature. If you want to beat a force of nature, you have to be the storm."
I looked at my clenched fists. The power gap wasn't a gap; it was a canyon. It was an ocean. I looked at my Poké Balls containing Tep, Tula, Mighty, and Vee. And to my side were Musha and Brav, sighing in relief now that the battle was over.
I wasn't discouraged. For the first time in my life, I wasn't just dreaming of the Champion's throne. I was seeing the man who stood above it. I thought, the fire in my gut reigniting ten times hotter than before.
I'm coming for that level. Azure... I'm not just looking to be Champion. I want to be the one who beat the 'Uncrowned Champion.'
Azure called out, already walking toward the forest exit, "Come on, Black! We've got a gym to get to. And move it! Rotom says there's a 70% chance of rain, and I don't want my hair getting ruined. Zzt!"
I shouted, "Hey! Wait for me!"
I took one last look at the scarred earth of the Rumination Field. The hexagons were gone, but the lesson remained. I ran to catch up, my heart racing. The journey through Unova had just become a lot more interesting.
/////
~Azure S. POV~
[Unova Region, Later, Pinwheel Forest]
The air in Pinwheel Forest was thick, saturated with the scent of damp earth, crushed ferns, and the lingering, ozone-heavy tang of high-voltage electricity. Sunlight struggled to pierce through the dense canopy of ancient oaks and twisting vines, falling in jagged, golden splinters across the mossy floor.
I stood at the edge of a small clearing, the silence of the forest returning now that the thunderous claps of battle had ceased. My boots were caked in mud, but my focus was entirely on the small, violet-and-white sphere resting in my palm.
The Master Ball. Inside sat Virizion, a member of the legendary Swords of Justice, humbled and broken by a Pokémon a fraction of her size. I just checked her info, briefly considering if she's worth the trouble…
[Virizion the Grassland Pokémon. According to legend, Virizion, alongside the other Swords of Justice, had challenged the humans to protect other Pokémon from losing their homes to humanity's expansion. During the battle, Virizion used its speed to shield the other Pokémon from sparks and embers. The three Swords distrust humans because of a war that resulted in a forest fire in the Moor of Icirrus.
Virizion attacks its opponents by first darting around them with whirlwind-like speed, before using its sharp, sword-like horns to swiftly cut them down. Virizion is depicted as the most intelligent member of the Swords of Justice. As seen, it can create an energy blade out of its head.]
|Name: Virizion (Grassland Pokémon)
|Type: Grass/Fighting
|Tera: Flying
|Level: 65
|Gender: Female
|Held Item: None
|Ability: Justified (Telepathy)
|Nature: Serious
|Moves—
Yeah, I knew my answer after I saw her info, not bothering to check her moves. On my shoulder, Pikachu let out a soft huff, sparks still dancing lazily between his cheeks. He muttered, sounding more bored than exhausted, "Pika-pi."
He'd gone all out for the final stretch, and as usual, the world had reminded itself why my partner was a force of nature.
"Ugh… my head…"
I turned my head slightly. White was finally stirring. She had fainted during the height of the pressure—the raw, suffocating aura Virizion had unleashed back in the Rumination Field. Beside her, Black was helping her up, his face a mask of awe and lingering terror.
Black's voice cracked, "White! You're okay!"
He looked at me as White rubbed her temples, her eyes fluttering open. She looked around the clearing, seeing the scorched grass and the shattered tree limbs. She asked nervously, "The green one… where is she?"
I held up the ball. I said coolly, "Right here. Safely tucked away."
A cold, mischievous chuckle echoed from behind my heels. A pair of crimson eyes manifested in the darkness of my shadow, followed by the jagged, purple grin of my Gengar. Gengar cackled, her voice like grinding gravel and silk, "Kee-hee-hee! The big deer got put in a tiny house! She didn't like the sparky-mouse's bite, did she?"
A voice echoed directly into our minds. Zorua, perched on a fallen log nearby, flicked his tail. His blue-tinted fur shimmered as he maintained his physical form, 'Focus, Gengar! She's a proud one. She's going to be livid when she wakes up.'
I muttered, "I'm counting on it."
Black took a step forward, his hand resting on the Pokéball of his Tepig, Tep. He said firmly, "Azure, we should get moving. The exit to the forest is just through that grove. If we hurry, we can reach the Skyarrow Bridge before sundown. We shouldn't stay here... that pressure... I can't shake it."
I looked at the Master Ball, then back at the path. I sighed, knowing what to do, as I stated in a firm tone, "Go on ahead a few steps. I have some business to settle with our 'guest' before we continue."
White paled. She pointed to the jagged tears in her clothing, her breath hitching shouting, "Wait, you're going to let her out? Now? Azure, she nearly killed us! Those Leaf Blades... she cut through my jacket like it was paper!"
I remembered the encounter vividly. In the Rumination Field, Virizion hadn't just been defending her home; she had been hunting us with a cold, calculated hatred. The pressure she emitted was a physical weight, a psychic scream that told every cell in a human body to flee or die.
Black and White had been paralyzed by it. It was a primal form of intimidation used to ward off the "dishonorable" humans the Swords of Justice so despised.
I said calmly, shrugging my shoulders, "I'm used to the pressure, White. I've stood before Legends and Myths. A disgruntled forest protector isn't going to stop me. But you two should stand back. This won't be a friendly conversation."
Black looked curious, his trainer's heart battling his survival instinct, but he ultimately nodded and pulled White back toward the thicket near the forest exit.
*Whirr-click*
My Arc Phone floated out of my pocket, Rotom's face flashing on the screen. He said cautiously, "Zzt-zzt! Caution advised, Azure! Heart rate of the subject inside the Master Ball is stabilizing! She's awake and angry-zzt!"
I said neutrally, "Perfect."
I reached for another ball on my belt. I hurled it out as I said in a soft and gentle tone, "Audino, come on out."
*Pop*
With a soft pop, the pink-and-cream Pokémon appeared. She gave a cheerful "Audino-du!" and adjusted her feelers, sensing the tension in the air. I instructed, "Get ready with Life Dew and Heal Bell."
I pressed the button on the Master Ball…
*Fwoosh*
A burst of white light erupted in the center of the clearing, coalescing into the elegant, feline-like form of Virizion. As the light faded, the legendary Pokémon collapsed onto her knees, her breath coming in ragged gasps. Her sleek green coat was matted with soot and burn marks, and her majestic horns were dulled.
She immediately tried to stand, her hooves slipping on the damp moss. Her head snapped up, and those piercing, intelligent eyes locked onto mine. Her voice rang in my head, a telepathic snarl that carried the weight of centuries of resentment: 'Traitorous… human… To use such a foul device… to trap a soul of the forest… have you no shame?'
I said softly, ignoring the insult, "Audino, now."
*Clap-drip-ding*
Audino clapped her hands together. A shimmering, crystalline mist descended over Virizion—the Life Dew. The legendary Pokémon's wounds began to knit together, the scorched fur smoothing out.
Then, a chime like a thousand silver bells rang through the trees—Heal Bell—clearing the paralysis and the lingering ache of Pikachu's Pika Papow. Virizion stood fully now, her stature returning. She was taller than I expected, a literal embodiment of grace and power.
And of course, like any prideful Legendary…
*THWUMP*
The pressure returned—a heavy, suffocating blanket that made the insects in the trees go silent. But I didn't budge. I just squatted down, resting my arms on my knees, looking her in the eye. Pikachu stayed on my shoulder, his tail twitching, ready to end it again if she lunged.
I said bluntly, "You lost."
Virizion stiffened.
Her neck lengthened as she looked down at me, her hooves digging into the dirt. She hissed telepathically, 'And what now? Will you parade me through your stone cities? Will you use my strength to burn more forests? To settle your petty human wars?'
I let out a short, dry chuckle. Shaking my head, I said firmly, "You've got a real chip on your shoulder about the Moor of Icirrus, don't you? I know the history. I know about the fire, the war, and the humans who forgot the value of life. But don't get it twisted, Virizion. You didn't lose because I'm a 'foul human.' You lost because you attacked my friends without provocation. You saw a group of humans and decided we were all the same. You played the judge, the jury, and the executioner."
She retorted, her telepathy spiking with a sharp, mental static, 'You are all the same! Cruelty is in your blood!'
I said neutrally, standing up, "Maybe for some…"
I brushed some dirt off my jeans. But then added sternly, "But you picked the wrong opponent this time. I'm not some poacher you can scare off with a little bit of aura. I've seen the best and worst of your kind, and honestly? You're acting like a child throwing a tantrum because a human finally hit back."
I saw her eyes flicker to the Master Ball in my hand. She tensed, her blades—the glowing green energy on her horns—beginning to manifest. She telepathically growled, 'Then finish it. Take me to your cage.'
I said dismissively, "Nah."
I reached out and pressed the release function on the Master Ball.
*Click*
The device beeped, the purple casing glowing white before the digital signature of Virizion's capture was wiped clean. The ball fell silent, its internal mechanism disengaged. It was now just an empty, expensive shell.
From the bushes, I heard Black's muffled shout throughout the area, "HE JUST RELEASED IT?! Azure, what are you doing?!"
Virizion froze…
*Hummm*
The green energy around her horns flickered and died. She stared at the empty ball, then at me, her head tilting in genuine confusion.
She asked mentally, 'Why?'
I said casually, waving my hand dismissively to Virizion, treating her like a lost pet, "I've got no interest in keeping a Pokémon that hates the ground I walk on. You'd never listen to me. Even if I used my badges to force compliance, it wouldn't be a partnership. It'd be slavery, and I don't roll that way. I caught you for one reason: to teach you a lesson. I wanted to humiliate you. I wanted the Great Virizion, Sword of Justice, to know that she was beaten, caught, and held at the mercy of a human—only for that human to find her so unremarkable that he just… let her go."
If looks could kill, I would have been incinerated on the spot. Virizion's pride was her greatest weapon, and I had just shattered it more effectively than any Thunderbolt could. Her chest heaved, her nostrils flaring.
She gritted her teeth. Then asked mentally eyes leveled a glare at me, 'You think this makes you superior?'
I turned my back on her—a deliberate move of absolute confidence. I replied firmly, "It makes me the one who's leaving this forest on his own terms. Go back to your fields. Think about why you lost. Maybe next time you see a human, you'll wonder if they're the one who can put you back in a ball."
I started walking toward Black and White.
I said, stopping and looking over my shoulder, "Oh, and one more thing."
Virizion was still standing there, a statue of emerald fury and confusion.
My mouth formed into a sly grin as I said, making her piss the hell off, "I hear you have an apprentice. Keldeo."
Virizion's entire posture changed in an instant.
Her ears pinned back, and a low, guttural growl vibrated in her chest. She got into a defensive stance, replying, 'Do not speak his name, human!!'
I said confidently with a smirk, "I'm interested in him. He's young. Fresh-minded. He hasn't had his head filled with centuries of bitterness yet. I think he'd appreciate seeing the world with a trainer who knows what they're doing. Unlike you, I think he might be worth the effort of a capture."
*ZOOOOM*
The reaction was instantaneous.
Virizion let out a sharp, piercing cry, "VIIIIRRR!!!"
*WHOOOSH*
In a blur of green and white, she lunged—not at me, but away. She bounded over the fallen logs, her speed supernatural, vanishing into the deep shadows of the forest in seconds. She was likely heading straight for their hidden sanctuary, desperate to protect her pupil from the 'predator' she now perceived me to be.
I watched the spot where she disappeared for a moment, then exhaled. Rotom announced, circling my head, "Zzt! Subject has left the vicinity at high velocity! Threat level: Zero! Good riddance, my little pony!"
Gengar popped out of the ground, clutching her sides. She laughed, slamming her fist onto the ground, rolling around as she exclaimed, "OH MY GOD!! HAHAHA!!! Oh, you saw her face! 'Don't talk to my son ever again or me!' Kee-hee-hee!"
I walked over to Black and White.
They were both staring at me as if I'd just grown a second head. Black was vibrating, his face red. He yelled, throwing his hands up, "Azure! That was a Legendary Pokémon! A one-of-a-kind, mythic, super-powerful… thing! And you just let it go! Pikachu fought so hard! Why would you throw that away?!"
I shrugged, the Eevee on my head readjusting its position and letting out a sleepy 'Vee…' sound. I replied, explaining myself, "Black, look at her. She's a zealot. She's spent hundreds of years hating humans. You think she's going to help me win the League? She'd probably try to 'accidentally' Leaf Blade me in my sleep. Trust is the foundation of power. Without it, she's just a high-stat liability."
White crossed her arms, though she still looked shaken. She asked curiously about me wanting Keldeo, "But what you said about Keldeo… were you serious? Are you really going to go after their apprentice?"
I said curiously, looking toward the light at the end of the forest trail, "Maybe, to be honest. The Swords of Justice are stuck in the past. Keldeo is the future. If I'm going to take on the Unova League and whatever Team Plasma is cooking up, I need Pokémon that want to be there. But for now…"
I pointed toward the looming structure of the Skyarrow Bridge, which was finally visible through the thinning trees. I grinned wryly as I said, "…we have a city to reach. I'm starving, and I'm pretty sure the BW Agency president needs a new jacket."
White looked down at her torn clothes and sighed. She shot a glare at me, stating, "You're paying for it, Azure. Professional hazard and emotional damage."
I laughed, "Fair enough."
As we walked, the forest began to open. The oppressive, ancient atmosphere of Pinwheel Forest gave way to the salty breeze of the ocean. Ahead of us lay the Skyarrow Bridge—a massive, sweeping feat of engineering that dwarfed the trees we had just left. It was a testament to human ingenuity, the very thing Virizion hated.
Black was still mumbling to himself about the Master Ball. He couldn't help but mutter in disbelief, "I would've kept it. I would've at least asked for an autograph or something. A legendary… man…"
Zorua's voice drifted into his mind, rolling his eyes, and said in an indifferent tone, 'Stop whining, Black. Azure has enough legends in his pocket to sink a ship. One grumpy deer wouldn't have made a difference.'
Black looked at me. Then, processing Zorua's words, he yelled, "Wait, what?! What do you mean 'enough legends'?"
I stayed silent, a small smirk playing on my lips. In the depths of one of my specialized Master Balls, the icy presence of Kyurem remained dormant, and the shadows around my feet held more than just a Gengar.
Heh. I've already got enough legends, to be honest, but a few more that genuinely want to come is always a plus in my book.
/////
A/N: Hope you like the chapter!