Catch All The Girlfriends! 2

by KJ Harlow

HP: 210/389

  - ATTACK: 150

  - DEFENCE: 145

  - SPCL ATTACK: 173

  - SPCL DEFENCE: 169

  - SPEED: 191

  MOVESET:

  Ice Fist - Type: Ice - 19/30 PP (Manipulate ice for offense purposes. Legendary only.)

  Fly - Type: Flying - 13/30 PP (Turn one: fly into the air. Turn two: swoop and strike the foe)

  Ice Palm - Type: Ice - 24/30 PP (Manipulate ice for defense purposes. SPCL DEFENCE sharply rises. Legendary only.)

  Wing Waltz - Type: Flying - 11/20 PP (Dance around foes, striking them with wings. 33% chance of critical hit.)

  The shared glance didn’t go unnoticed. Xark swung around, his open wings wafting the coldness in the room towards Yoshi.

  “Hello,” he greeted. His deep voice sounded even more ominous in this room. His face broke into a wide smile. Tendrils of his long, gray hair specked with white were stuck to his face. “You’ve come at just the right time. You are about to witness a world first: a man defeating a girlfriend with his bare hands.”

  “I know what you did to Angel on Mount Opus,” Yoshi said, taking a step forward. “And I know why you’re back here today.”

  “Oh do you now?” Xark turned side-on, glancing at Angel. “So you told him… but why? What do you hope to achieve by telling a mere human like this pathetic excuse of a trainer here?”

  “You are not going to take any more of Angel’s power. I will stop you,” Yoshi shouted.

  Xark leaned back and laughed, hands on his stomach. “Hilarious,” he said, wiping a tear from his eye. “And ridiculous. I’m trading blows with a girlfriend. Not just any girlfriend, a Legendary!” He shouted the last word in scorn. “And you think you can stop me?”

  “I don’t know what you are, but I do know that you’ve stolen an ice-type’s powers. That means you have an ice type’s weaknesses.” Yoshi looked at his girlfriends, who had assumed battle stances.

  NAME: Aion (Ai)

  REL’SHIP: Daughter

  NATURE: Vain

  TYPE: Steel

  ACC.: Carrot Top

  LEVEL: 18

  HP: 25/50

  - ATTACK: 20

  - DEFENCE: 28

  - SPCL ATTACK: 21

  - SPCL DEFENCE: 21

  - SPEED: 21

  MOVESET:

  Shoulder Charge - Type: Normal - 19/30 PP (Ram foes with your shoulder)

  Steel Heel - Type: Steel - 14/30 PP (Strike with the ball of your heel with enough force to break bones)

  NAME: Crystal

  NATURE: Unflappable

  TYPE: Rock

  ACC.: NIL

  LEVEL: 22

  HP: 32/58

  - ATTACK: 25

  - DEFENCE: 33

  - SPCL ATTACK: 28

  - SPCL DEFENCE: 32

  - SPEED: 19

  MOVESET:

  Boulder Punch - Type: Rock - 20/30 PP (Strike with a earth shattering force)

  Charge - Type: Normal - 25/30 PP (Bide energy for two turns before unleashing it on the third. Deals triple SPCL

  ATTACK)

  Bone Fissure - Type: Rock - 15/20 PP (Strike critical areas on enemies’ bodies, halving ATTACK points until the end of the battle)

  “I know how to really hurt you,” Yoshi finished threateningly.

  Xark laughed uproariously, doubling over. “No, please, stop! You’re killing me!”

  Yoshi’s eyes flashed. Now!

  “Ai, Steel Heel! Crystal, Bone Fissure!” Yoshi commanded under his breath.

  The gym bunny bounced forward, leaped in the air and drove her heels together into Xark’s shoulders.

  He stumbled back, only just managing to stay on his feet. Crystal rushed forward, arms fused into a gargantuan rock hammer. She swung hard, into his chest, the hammer following through over her right shoulder.

  He flew through the air, wings lifeless, crashing heavily to the ground and stopping five yards away from Yoshi. Angel flew over him, racing with Crystal and Ai to join Yoshi. He looked at her but didn’t say anything, watching the black web pulse on her arms and the back of her neck.

  “Is… is he dead?” Ai asked hesitantly.

  Xark stirred and slowly sat up. He got to his feet, flexing his wings to check for damage, before cricking his neck left and right.

  “Unfortunately for you, I’m not, my dear. Though I must admit your feet did pack quite a punch… or should I say kick?” He chortled to himself.

  “What are you?” Yoshi shouted. “Why are you doing this?”

  “What am I?” Xark asked. “Very good question. Though I do believe I already told you that I was the Convergence.” He started walking slowly and casually towards them.

  Angel used Ice Fist!

  The attack once again took the form of a grid of ice arrows. With a cutting motion, she propelled them at Xark. He spun on his feet, opening his wings out, slapping them to the side of the room.

  It’s not very effective…

  “As to the answer why I’m doing this… you’ll have to direct your question to Dominus.”

  The impact on Angel hearing that name was visceral. Her knees buckled and she clutched her head with both hands.

  “Triggered some memories, Angel?” Xark crooned. “Hush now, you won’t be seeing him again. Not after I’m done with you.”

  Xark raised his left hand. After a couple of seconds, ice started rushing in the air towards it. A longsword four fingerspans in width was in his grasp. He cut through the air, pointing at Angel.

  “Ready or not,” he hissed.

  “Ai, Steel Heel! Crystal, Charge!”

  “Got it!” the gym bunny chirped. She bounded forward, metal-clad feet clanking noisily. Xark charged towards her and she aimed a high kick at him. He simply leaned back, letting her attack sail safely through the air.

  Steel Heel missed!

  Using his momentum, he spun on the ball of his foot and swiped the leg Ai was standing on, bringing her crashing to the floor.

  It’s not very effective…

  Ai has fainted!

  NAME: Aion (Ai)

  LEVEL: 18

  HP: 0/50

  “What?” Yoshi stared at his steel-type. She was clutching her leg where Xark had cut into it. He was standing above her, sword raised, pointing over Ai’s heart.

  “Ai, get back!”

  The blue ring light struck her just as Xark’s ice sword came screaming down. It shattered on the floor, sending shards in every direction.

  Thank Frank, that was too close.

  “Yoshi,” Angel uttered, getting to her feet. “He’s strong. A lot stronger than you think. Your girlfriends won’t be able to defeat him.”

  “What level is he?” he asked. It was a question with no answer. How did one gauge strength if a man possessed the powers of a girlfriend?

  “I’m going to keep fighting,” Angel murmured. Xark was coming towards them. He was moving his hands around in a peculiar motion slightly behind him, as if he was molding something into the shape of a ball. He threw his hands out, launching a bolt of ice towards them.

  Angel used Ice Palm!

  The Legendary ice-type raised both hands. A solid wall of ice hissed into existence. Her fingers pressed into the walls as the bolt of ice crashed into it, an almighty BOOM! shaking the entire room.

  “Leave this room,” Angel said, gazing at Yoshi with intense eyes. “Go back up the stairs. You would have seen doors on each level. Go into the first room outside my room at the very top.”

  “I’m not going anywhere,” Yoshi responded. “We’re going to defeat Xark. I promised you.”

  “We’re not going to defeat Xark.” Angel took her hands away from the ice barrier. She clenched her fists and it exploded in a puff of tiny ice shards. After floating in the air for several seconds, they rushed towards Angel, forming a lance with a curved pointed blade at the tip.

  Xark emerged through the smog of ice, a new blade in hand, raised about his head. He brought it crashing down just as A
ngel lifted her lance to greet it. The clash produced a force so strong it blew Yoshi off his feet. He landed on his stomach, several feet away.

  Angel and Xark had taken the fight to the air. They were both flapping their wings, exchanging blows with their weapons of ice, weaving and manoeuvring themselves through the air around each other.

  Crystal’s energy is full!

  “What?” Yoshi looked around for his rock-type. He had completely forgotten that she had been biding her energy the whole time. She was standing by the far wall, energy rippling around her arms. She was also looking up at the two winged warriors, not taking her eyes off them.

  “What does she want to–?”

  Crystal released her energy!

  She slammed her hands into a pillar. The entire room shook as the stored energy rippled up the wall. Icicles the size of stalactites several feet long swayed side to side. A few of them fell, nowhere near Angel or Xark. They crunched into the ground, piercing it and driving themselves until they were halfway deep.

  It was always going to be a long shot. Knowing that she wasn’t strong enough to take him on directly, the rock-type turned to her environment to find a way to defeat Xark.

  “Crystal, get back.” He withdrew the rock-type, who was still riveted on the flying combatants. His only two girlfriends who were super effective against ice-types were too weak.

  Damn it… what do I do? Yoshi stared up, hands balled by his side. Should I send out Flick or Arlif? Xark swept in a wide horizontal arc. Angel timed the parry perfectly, clutching her lance with hands wide apart. Even with that, the strike sent her across careening across the room, flapping wildly to regain her equilibrium.

  She was getting tired… think, Yoshi, think! He looked around. I might not be able to defeat him, but I need to distract him so Angel has a chance to get away. The room was bare, except for some chairs that were frozen stiff to the ground. He ran across to one that was lying on its back.

  Grasping onto one of the legs with both hands, he put all his weight on it and pushed down. The ice, combined with the wood, made it thicker than a baseball bat. “Come on damn it, break!”

  SNAP!

  He almost fell forwards, grasping the chair leg with both hands.

  “Hey!” he yelled. “Bird man!”

  It was a half-assed attempt at an insult, but it got Xark’s attention. He paused mid-strike, eyeing Yoshi from the corner of his eye. “Seems like you’ve got yourself a hero, Angel,” he said, rebuffing her with a casual swipe.

  Yoshi gripped the chair leg defiantly. “Big man with powers you stole from a girlfriend… take that away, what are you?”

  Xark’s mouth twisted in displeasure. He fell into a swoop, wings flat against his back. He turned them up just off the ground, landing gracefully on his feet. “I didn’t steal the powers, silly little trainer. They were… given to me.”

  Yoshi eyed Angel, who was floating in mid-air. Get away damn it! Fly out through the windows! “Why were they given to you? Were you that shit a trainer that it was easier to beat girlfriends up rather than get them to respect you?”

  “Shut up!” he screamed. Yoshi blinked and Xark was in front of him, ice sword thundering down. Yoshi raised his frozen chair leg and turned his face away.

  Shit, this is it.

  Angel used Ice Palm!

  A wall of ice a foot thick appeared between the two men. Xark’s sword sheared through several inches of it before it got stuck.

  “Raaargh!” He let go of his weapon, kicking it with the bottom of his foot, flapping great gusts at the same time. The ice wall keeled over, falling to the ground. It was heavy enough to make the remaining icicles on the ceiling quiver. Yoshi skipped back a few steps, slipping on the ice, but staying upright.

  Angel flew down and landed, extending an arm in front of Yoshi. “You have no business with him. I am your enemy.”

  “You are my prey, Angel,” Xark responded, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. “And he is my enemy. Anyone who gets in my way is my enemy!”

  Xark sped forward, feet inches off the ground. Like a dart, he sped frighteningly fast straight at Angel and Yoshi.

  “Nooo!” Yoshi yelled. He grabbed Angel’s shoulders and threw both of them to the side.

  POW!

  There was a small explosion in the path of Xark’s trajectory. He cursed and swerved the other way to avoid it.

  “Who’s there?” he hissed.

  Sun had broken through the skies again. It shone in through all of the arched windows, its light refracting through the ice, creating a shattered rainbow of chaotic beauty.

  Someone stood in the frame of the arched window closest to them, hand resting along the curve for support. Her long hair rippled in the wind, regarding everyone silently from her vantage point.

  Yoshi’s eyes became wide. Did he dare believe what he saw? He focused on the girlfriend, her stats fading in next to her:

  NAME: Serenette (Starry)

  NATURE: Reserved

  TYPE: Interstellar

  ACC.: Cat Eyes Tee

  LEVEL: 25

  HP: 37/75

  - ATTACK: 24

  - DEFENCE: 20

  - SPCL ATTACK: 26

  - SPCL DEFENCE: 25

  - SPEED: 22

  MOVESET:

  Gaze - Type: Normal - 30/30 PP (Lower defence by staring into opponent’s eyes, stun effect for 3 seconds.

  Siren Song - Type: Interstellar - 22/30 PP (Devastates foes with a hope-dashing song, 40% chance of confusion.)

  Mind Mine - Type: Psychic - 9/10 PP (Place and detonate mines telepathically)

  39

  She Lives!

  “S… Starry…” Yoshi stared up at his girlfriend. Was that really her?

  She flicked a glance over at her stupefied trainer, mouth solemn. She glanced up at Xark, regarding him with a look of disdain.

  “Who the Frank are you?” Xark sneered.

  She raised a white palm.

  Starry used Mind Mine!

  It was almost imperceptible. A blob of energy flew from her hand towards Xark. To the naked eye, it rippled like a gas leak in the air, though it travelled without sound.

  Xark noticed it and kicked himself back. The mine suddenly accelerated, streaking through the air until it crossed the distance between Starry and Xark, disappearing completely.

  “What?” He looked around his body, patting himself down. “Where did it–?”

  Starry clenched her fingers into a fist.

  POOOOOW!

  “Uuuuuurgh!” The mine exploded on Xark’s chest. He spiralled to the ground, falling heavily onto his left wing. Starry leaped from the window, landing on her feet. Outside, Yoshi thought he could see a pink-feathered girlfriend zipping past the windows, a familiar face gawking through.

  “Starry,” Yoshi said, watching his girlfriend crossing the floor. “How did you–?”

  She placed a finger on his lips. “Not now.” She eyed Xark. He was leaning on a pillar for support, injured wing at a strange angle. His eyes boiled with hatred.

  Angel was back on her feet, back turned to her. Her wings were half open, arms relaxed by her side.

  “I take it that this is the guy we have to beat to get out of here,” Starry said matter-of-factly. She was remarkably calm for seeing a man with wings.

  “Yes. I’ll explain later,” Yoshi said.

  “Me too,” Starry nodded. She stepped to the front and stood beside Angel. The Legendary looked across at the interstellar-type and brought her face close to Starry’s. She raised her wing, stopping Yoshi from eavesdropping on her hurried whispers. They must be discussing tactics to defeat Xark. Angel lowered her wing. Both girlfriends were facing forward.

  Xark was already back on his feet, face twisted in fury. “That will only work once, you bitch,” he spat at Starry. Xark stepped back, hands twitching by his side. Ice whistled towards them and seconds later, he was gripping a tomahawk in each hand.

  “Rrrrrargh!” He flung one side-o
n and it whistled through the air. Starry leaped to safety, exposing her trainer to the weapon.

  Angel used Ice Palm!

  She threw her palm out at Yoshi, lifting a thin wall of ice. The foot-long tomahawk crunched into the wall and both shattered.

  Yoshi shielded himself from the debris, his eyes shut.

  “Eeeeeearrrrggggghhhh!”

  Angel’s sudden cry of anguish made his gut clench.

  No!

  “Angel!” he yelled, rushing towards her.

  Starry used Siren Song!

  The interstellar-type started singing. Her voice was amplified by the large room, a melody of resolution and defiance in the face of adversity.

  Yoshi stopped dead in his tracks, staring at the horrific scene.

  Xark had embedded a hatchet into Angel’s neck, half decapitating her. He let go of the small axe and clutched his hands to his ears.

  “Angel!” Yoshi said, rushing to the ice angel. Her eyes were wide, staring at Yoshi without seeing him. “No, you’re not dying!”

  She swayed like the giant tree that Scardino had lived and died in, in the Glasshouse. The only difference was that Angel fell.

  She was on her knees, her wings grazing the icy floor. It was growing slick and shiny, almost like the super slippery lake ice. All the while, Starry was singing, leading Xark around the chamber, away from Yoshi and Angel. He flung ice projectiles at her with one hand, the other pressing onto his ear.

  “Angel,” Yoshi repeated. “You’re not going to die.”

  She blinked, returning. “I’ve left something for you on the first door down from my chamber at the top of the tower. You must get it before you leave.”

  He stared at the axe on her neck. Maybe if I quickly pull it out and wrap my shirt around it…

  “Yoshi!” she yelled, eyes fierce. “Promise me!”

  He snapped his eyes back up at her. “I… I promise.”

  Angel smiled. There was something different about this one. It seemed like the sadness that had clung to her had finally lifted.