Writing Competition Submission: Hades

Hades0918 · August 16

"JUST STOP!!!" the Gardevoir squeals as she surrenders, pathetically shaking with fear as my burning blade hovers in front of her face. She's looking up at me with terror, her eyes wide with panic. "I-I'll let you go to the King. Just please, spare me!"

I look up at my Hisuian Zoroark companion, Snow, trying to seem serious and deadly but the childish excited twinkle in my eye betrays my act. Snow is smirking cruelly with joy as she watches but keeps her tone dead pan as she talks. "I don't know… Being Hades' bodyguard and all I'm not sure you deserve to be spared. Especially after you tried to stop us."

I nod in agreement, humming softly as she talks. The Gardevoir is in tears as she begs for mercy. "I'M SORRY!!!" she screams as she slowly backs away from my sword. "I'll let you go through and won't tell anyone! I swear on Arceus!"

I snort as I try not to laugh. It's too easy! I hate when they break so quickly, but the amount of fear she has makes up for that. "Well… That does seem like a good point… But me and my partner will have to talk about this decision."

The Embrace Pokemon nods eagerly as I walk away. I give her one last "intimidating" glare before turning my back to her and huddling up with Snow to "discuss" this. "She really thinks we're gonna finish her," Snow hisses with amusement.

"I know! That's probably the quickest surrender we've ever had," I whisper back with a small laugh.

"So how long should we keep the act up," the Hisuian Zoroark questions.

"Hmm…" I hum as I think. Me and Snow slowly turn to the Gardevoir to give her a silent glare. The Psychic/Fairy type doesn't seem to know how to respond. Right as she's about to say something me and my companion turn away from her again, immediately breaking into low snickering. "Okay, now we've done enough," I mutter, Snow nodding.

We turn back around in perfect sync, our expressions strict with zero emotion. The King's bodyguard watches us with a mix of hope and dread. "W-Well…?" she hesitantly asks. I look over at Snow, pretending to seem unsure. The Hisuian Zoroark gives a small nod back, her eyes never leaving the Embrace Pokemon on the ground before us.

"After much discussion and some arguing, me and my friend have decided to be kind and let you live," I tell her, the Gardevoir immediately breaking into tears of relief. "Under one condition," I add, causing the cowering Pokemon at my feet to freeze. "Tell us where King Hades is."

"Th-That's all," she asks, sighing with a soft smile when I nod. "He's right through that door." As she tells us this she points at a giant pair of dark brown wood doors behind us. This is the first time I noticed them, and judging from Snow's reaction it's her first time too.

"Wait… Was that there this whole time," I ask, glancing between the Gardevoir and the entrance she's pointing at. The Embrace Pokemon nods and I can't help my surprised reaction. However, I quickly regain my serious composure.

"Good. Now leave before me and Snow change our minds," I demand, my compadre giving a low growl as she takes an aggressive step forward. The Gardevoir quickly scrambles to her feet and dashes away. We can hear her yell "FREEDOM!!!" as she bursts out the castle and me and the Normal/Ghost type immediately burst into laughter.

"Oh, I love our job," I exclaim with a sigh as my laughter subsides.

"That's not part of our job description," Snow corrects me with a smile. "We choose to do that while saving the region."

"Good point," I respond with a nod as we walk up to the doors. Me and her look at each other, her with a smile and me with a would be smile if I had a mouth.

"This is it…" she says as we look back at the only thing between us and the end of the journey. "The last mission before we save the Kingdom and go our separate ways." I nod sadly as she pats me on my back. "This was an amazing adventure, Diamond. I'm glad I got stuck with you."

I let out a small chuckle as I blink back a few tears. "I feel the same. Promise me you'll keep in touch?"

"Of course," Snow agrees. We give each other one last nod before pushing open the wooden barrier. They slowly creek open, revealing a dim room with bright orange flames lining the walls to create a circle. There are shelves filled with books marked with the symbol of Giratina against the back wall, extending all the way up to the ceiling. In the center of the area is a Charizard with golden crown filled with purple gems atop his head.

"Took y'all long enough," he growls as we walk into the room. "You two really took your time out there."

"Why rush something that we've already won," I question with a shrug.

"Wow. What an arrogant attitude coming from someone who's about to meet her end," King Hades states with an unenthused tone.

"You are pretty arrogant, huh," I shoot back, Snow snickering behind me. The Flame Pokemon just rolls his eyes with a sigh of disappointment.

"I'm gonna enjoy crushing you," he mutters as he spreads his wings, glaring down at me and my partner with annoyance. I crack my neck and crouch down a bit, my blades ready. Snow slowly creeps farther back, shadowy energy swirling at her feet.

The Charizard moves first, pushing off the ground as he coats himself in flames. I confidently stand my ground as he crashes into me, the power of the Flare Blitz doing nothing to me as the flames swirl into my swords. "Flash Fire…" Hades grumbles with a glare as he staggers back a bit.

"That's right," I remark as my flames burn hotter. I lunge at the King, slashing him with Bitter Blade, the force knocking the Charizard back a bit. The enemy shakes his head, temporarily taken aback by surprise but quickly getting over it.

"So what," he snarls as he soars at me again, this time much faster. "I don't have just Fire!" He slices me with a Dragon Claw, pushing me back despite my attempt to stand my ground. As soon as I'm out the way, though, Snow takes the opportunity to send a blast of Bitter Malice at King Hades, landing a critical hit and decreasing the target's Attack.

"Take that," she cheers, me whooping in support. All Pokemon we fought before this point surrendered by now, giving into our overwhelming strength. But this one gets back up, snarling with anger. Me and Snow immediately stop our celebration, glancing at each other with slight fear.

"Um… Don't you surrender," I inquire as I take an offensive stance again.

"Why would I," Hades growls back as he twists his neck, the action creating an intimidating crack that echoes throughout the room. "I'm just getting started."

King Hades stomps on the ground, his foot breaking the flooring and sending debris into the air. He smacks the pieces with his tail and they instantly get turned to stones that fly at me and Snow. I raise my arms up defensively but still get hit hard, stumbling back as the Rock Slide slams into me. I lower my blades and get greeted by the Charizard's Shadow Claw.

"AH!!!" I cry out as I smash into the wall. I look over at Snow, finding her to be unable to attack, flinching from the Rock Slide. "Targeting me is unfair," I weakly say as I push myself forward, wincing lightly in the process. I force myself back into a fighting position and make my swords to reach a scorching level of heat. The enemy laughs at me as he shakes his head.

"I'm just taking out the threat," he replies, which actually fills me with pride. Not that I'd ever tell my partner that.

"That's rude," Snow growls angrily as frost begins to build around her.

"Just being honest," the King replies with a shrug, trying to seem nonchalant but the smirk on his face shows he's enjoying his taunts. The Baneful Fox howls with rage as she pushes the cold out. Hades chuckles as he Flare Blitz though it, melting the Icy Wind to not take damage.

I leap in front of Snow, Flash Fire absorbing it and rendering useless. The Hisuian Zoroark steps around me and screeches at the top of her lungs, the Hyper Voice forcing the Charizard to stagger and cover his ears. I immediately follow up with a Bitter Blade, taking back some of the health I lost. Without a pause between attacks I use Shadow Claw, landing a critical hit that forces Hades to the ground. I cackle as I look down at him, keeping my sword pointed at his throat.

"Thought you had us, huh," I sneer, my eyes twinkling with the joy of our victory. "But there was never a chance we'd lose!"

"Surrender if you want spared," Snow adds, as she begins to charge up a Bitter Malice. We both watch the weakened King as he attempts to stand but grimaces and falls back to his knee.

"Why would I surrender when I haven't lost," King Hades questions before whispering something under his breath. Suddenly, the candles around us turn purple and all light seems to die. The air feels hard and suffocating, breathing becoming a struggle. A dark gold aura begins to emit from the Charizard.

I want to attack him. To end him before he can finish whatever he's doing. But… I can't move. Whatever this is he's doing has taken over my body, restricting my movement to only be able to shake in fear. The King roars with power as the shadows engulf him, a giant golden Giratina bursting into existence as all the darkness disperse, revealing the new Charizard.

King Hades' has become three times bigger, his wind span wider and on full display. His scales have turned pitch black and his wing membrane is now dark purple. I can feel the bright gold flame on his tail from where I'm standing, which is unusual because I haven't felt heat in… ever. He glares down at me and my companion, who have begun slowly stepping away.

"Still think you have no chance of loss," he questions with a deep growl. I attempt to stutter out a response, but my words won't work. My heart is pounding in my chest and my blades are trembling. I think… I'm scared!

Without warning Hades soars at me with a Shadow Claw. I can't get myself to leap out the way, but luckily Snow takes action. She shoves me out the way and takes the hit, which should have had no effect but yet sends her flying back. She crashes into the wall, completely unconscious after the single hit. The Charizard then snaps his head to me, eyes wide with a predatory stare.

"S-Stop," I barely manage to whisper as I continue to back up. He takes one step closer, the entire castle shaking from the force of it.

"Start praying to Arceus," he snarls as he takes another earth shattering step towards me. "Because this is the last chance you'll get to do so."

Before I can reply King Hades rams into me with a golden Flare Blitz. For the first time in my life I take damage from a Fire type attack. And it BURNS!!! I get knocked to the ground and the unusual Charizard puts his foot on me, holding me down as he leans in and gets right up in my face.

"Pathetic," he sneers as he steps down harder on me. I howl in pain but he doesn't stop, smirking down at me as he hears something crack. "Good bye, Diamond. You weren't as strong as I expected."

"HA!!! You think you're something, don't ya," my voice suddenly rings through the room. Both me and Hades look over in confusion, and we gasp in surprise. I-It's me! Except I'm undamaged. Oh, and fake, because, you know, I'm on the ground right here about to die.

"H-How," the King questions under his breath, unable to believe his eyes. The other me cackles as she walks closer.

"Because you've been fighting a fake me," she answers with a casual shrug. "The one beneath you right now is an illusion from Snow."

I glance over at my partner to find her barely awake, a subtle shadow coming from her paw to the new me. She's using the last of her strength to trick Hades. And she's succeeding. The Charizard roars as he pushes off of me, pulling his claw back in a Shadow Claw. When he goes to slash the illusion Ceruledge he soars right through her, crashing into the bookshelves and getting buried in papers.

"Come on," the Hisuian Zoroark demands weakly, reaching her hand out for me. I nod and force myself off the ground, stumbling my way to my partner, my blade extended. Unfortunately, the Charizard isn't done, bursting out of the books and howling with fury. He lunges at us, arms outreached to strike us.

I leap at Snow, and as soon as we're touching I drop us into a Phantom Force. We barely avoid King Hades, the portal closing right before he hits us. We resurface in the middle of the forest surrounding the castle and both of us let out a long, tired sigh of relief.

"We survived," my companion exclaims weakly with joy. Suddenly, the entire ground shakes as a roar booms throughout the world, echoing all around us.

"Barely," I add as I fall onto my back. "We went into that arrogantly. We weren't ready."

Snow nods in agreement as she lies beside me. After a bit of silence she says "At least we have a bit longer before we go our separate ways!"

I laugh, but wince as pain spreads through my chest. "Y-Yeah. That's true."

We'll be back. And next time we won't lose.