Chapter Text
With the Hands giving a few others weapons and armor of their own and providing doors for the targets of their choice, everyone has gone to split up to take them down before facing EMMA and some other gods out there once and for all.
Akane chose Ken and Richter to accompany her, to which they agree, going to the grassy door as their pick. And when they enter through it, they were taken to a lake, with trees surrounding it.
"What is this place?" Akane wondered.
"I… I don't know. Why did the door that looks like grass take us to the lake?" Richter scratches his head.
"Beats me." Ken shrugged. "Hmm, but who do you think we'll fight?"
"Uhh…"
Just when they were about to think, they feel something rumbling.
"What was that?" Akane wondered, if not a little concerned.
"I don't know, but it sounds like it's coming from… over there!" Richter points to the lake.
And out comes a long green serpentine creature.
"Rayquaza!" Ken saw. "But why's he in the water? Shouldn't he be up in the sky or something?"
"I have no idea." Akane shook her head.
"You know, that's gonna bug me for the rest of the day." Richter said.
"Well well well, what do we have here?" A voice said.
Crawling out of the woodwork, literally, is someone who still wears the same sym uniform and still has a very punchable face.
"Oh god, not you. Literally anyone but you!"
"So that's the Phantom Thieves' first target. I see." Akane noted.
"That's right. I'm back baby."
"So, what are you here for? Trying to find a girl to creep up on?" Ken taunts as he has Akane behind him.
"Ha, that would be my usual go-to, but no, I got something else in mind. While I'm helping the guys ger what they want, I got a score to settle with, and that is you." Kamoshida points at Richter.
"Wha- me? What did I do?"
"You don't remember? You kicked me in the nuts so hard that the pain from it went all through my body! My balls swelled for 6 weeks and I had to take a lot of painkillers to numb it."
"Okay, I don't think you need to tell us that. There's children here." Ken calls out.
"Shut up! You've humiliated me for the last time. I'll have you groveling to your knees first before you're eaten alive. Long green thing, kill them!"
Rayquaza roars, swooping in, catching Akane by surprise.
"Akane!" Richter cried out.
The Pokémon flies around the lake, even diving in the water for a brief moment, seeing the prey it has captured. The girl got scared at first, but she remembers the powers given to her by the strange voices and decides it's time to put it to good use.
Rayquaza roars at her again, but this time, she pulls out a card with a stone on it, to which literal stone was thrown at the dragon, hitting it square in the face, losing its grip, and Akane was set free. A whip coiled around her body and was tethered to safety by Richter.
"Are you alright?" The vampire hunter asked.
"Yeah, I'm okay."
"That was awesome, by the way! It looks like you're finally using it for real!" Ken complimented.
"I am, even though it was the spur of the moment."
"By the way, have you guys seen Kamoshida?" Richter says.
The conversation was interrupted when Rayquaza emerged from the water again, roaring one more time before charging in on them.
"We can talk about that later. Let's just get this guy out." Ken calls.
"Right. Let's go." Akane readies herself.
Ken charges in first, throwing out a couple of punches and kicks in rapid succession.
"Senppukyaku!" He spins around for a Tatsumaki aiming for the midsection, followed by a Shoryuken.
Rayquaza sweeps him away before getting bombarded by Richter with axes, crosses and holy water, and even some throwing knives he got from Kirby as a means of extra arsenal. The dragon took that in response by charging an electric sphere from its mouth and fires it at the vampire hunter.
Akane draws a card from her top hat, revealing a bubble, encasing them in said bubble. The energy ball was reflected back at Rayquaza, dealing double damage.
"Nice one!" Richter gave a thumbs up.
"Thanks, I think I'm getting the hang of this."
"You are, and it's show- Oh, look out, he's coming this way!" Ken yells.
Rayquaza grabs Richter by the bubble, and starts grinding it to the ground until it breaks, and then actually grabbing him. While doing so, it also charged towards Ken and Akane, who managed to dodge it three times, before throwing Richter into the water.
"Wonho! Oh crap, looks like it's just us two until he gets back up."
"Yeah, looks that way."
What none of them expect was that the Pokémon dug underground, as a means of getting them by surprise. They have no idea what it'll do so they gotta stay alert. The ground crack above Ken, but he doesn't notice it, and Rayquaza struck above, breaking his bubble. When it did it again, Akane was ready this time, drawing a card, granting her a mallet, and whacks it with it.
Though it was enough to take it off track of the assault, Rayquaza curls up into a tight circle, its body generating enough electricity, striking Akane through the bubble, zapping her. She screams from the pain, and falls to her knees.
"So this… this is that pain that the Phantom Thieves suffered through. What Dad suffered through." She panted. "But this pain is nothing compared to theirs. If they willed through it, then I can too!" She draws another card. "I made a promise to them." She turns the card to reveal an ice block. "And I intend to keep it!"
Hail struck Rayquaza aggressively, knocking it down, but it was still not out. Its eyes flash, creating a small explosion that broke Akane's bubble. Just when it was about to strike again, it itself got struck by an axe, with Richter, now out of the water.
"You thought you could keep me down? Well think again! I.M, let's finish this!"
"Right behind ya!"
As they prepare their combined attack together, so too did Rayquaza, charging up a beam that could potentially kill them all.
"Maria!"
"Sean!"
With Maria Renard and Sean Matsuda fighting side-by-side, they combine their strongest elements together, to which they call it the 'Holy Pyro' and blast it straight to the dragon.
The shot sent Rayquaza up and down to the ground (with a few explosions here and there), letting out one final roar before fainting. Just like Petey Piranha, Rayquaza glows blue and fades away, possibly acquiring Soren another Spirit.
"Looks like Soohyun got himself another Spirit." Richter said.
"Yeah, just like Petey." Ken nods.
"Gaugh, that useless trash! He was supposed to do ONE job and he's worse than Mishima!" Kamoshida yelled in fury.
"Hey, you're the one who didn't help him." Akane bit.
"Shut up, scamp! I'll just have to deal with you myself!" Kamoshida went in for the punch.
"Whoops." Richter stuck his leg out, making him trip and fall into the water. "That's my bad."
Now wet from the water, and dirty from the grass and mud, this couldn't get any more humiliating. Oh, but it can.
"Those self-righteous pieces of shit, they took everything from me!" He slams his fist on the ground.
"They took everything from you? They took everything from you?!" Ken was not having it. "Who do you think had more taking from when you nearly put those boys in body bags and shot 20 CC's of liquid dream killer into those girls?! They were high school students, fucko! They had futures!"
"Oof." Akane reacted.
"Goddamn." so did Richter.
"That all ended because there was a group of people that chose to stand up against you and bring you to justice! You acted like a friend to the public eye, a star to the mass media, but in reality, you are a predator! You used your prestige to get what you wanted! That's how you survived! I survive because I respect boundaries! The boys survive because they're not gonna be wheelchair bound for the rest of their lives! The girls survive because they don't have to worry about being called into your office for 'private lessons'! Old people survive because they don't feel like they wanna die just yet! And YOU survived because YOU thought to yourself 'Oh, this poor piece of shit! Woe is me! I can't stand the idea of someone speaking out of turn against me! I guess I'll smack the goofy out of some guy I don't like or put a baby in some girl I wanna leer on or some shit!'"
While Richter hurt him physically, Ken hurts him emotionally, as the disgraced Olympian now cries like a little bitch because that's what he is and always will be: a predator.
The portal opens a few seconds later after the tirade.
"Alright, down you go."
Akane uses the wind card to blow Kamoshida into the portal, who no longer has the strength to move, with the portal closing once he was in.
"Whew, that was an outlet I didn't know I needed to let out." Ken heaved a sigh. " But I really needed it."
"You sure do. It feels great getting that outta your system." Richter pats his back.
"Yeah, totally."
"So uh, where are the voices?" Akane wondered.
"Hmm, they're not contacting us. I'm guessing they're trying to keep a low profile from EMMA so that she doesn't find them."
"That's a smart move. Better not expose yourself too much, unless you want to get caught by her." Richter thought.
"Yeah, that makes sense. Then I guess that leads to another question. How the heck are we going to get out of here? We need to regroup with the others."
"I dunno. Ah, you're probably right, Akane. We should've thought about that sooner."
Then suddenly, a door appears in front of them.
"Huh. Say no more I guess." Ken blurted. He noticed it opening slowly. "And creepy too."
"Whatever may be in there, I hope we can regroup with them." Akane braces herself.
"Me too."
They go in the door, prepping themselves for whatever may come next. It's only a matter of time that they'll have to fight again, but as long as they have this sliver of hope, it will come soon.