Love in the Time of Trials

Chapter 27: A Demon

Shorter chapter this time (by quite a bit). However, like Chapter 25, I used a specific piece on repeat for the opening of this chapter called "Keyes the Dark Archbishop" from the Fairy Tail OST. It works very well. Also, please don't forget to support me on Patr(e)on! Now, let's go for Chapter 27!

Chapter 27

A Demon

"Luxray, use Wild Charge!" Clemont screamed, his voice ripping at his throat from anger. Luxray must have felt that impending rage inside of him, because as the Gleam Eyes Pokémon sparked, it came off as fury.

"Lux!" he growled and charged forward, leaving imprints of electricity behind.

"Oh ho?" Faba chuckled out, like he was amused. Clemont's face twisted into a snarl. "Future Sight!"

"Now!" Clemont roared. Luxray slammed into Hypno just as small portals appeared above its head and projectiles sailed into it. Hypno flew back from the force of the attack, slamming against some random machines. The sparks flew onto those machines and lit small fires that were just as easily snuffed out automatically. Clemont turned to his companion. "Get out of here, Gladion! Help Ash and Serena save your sister!"

"Oh, you're not leaving this lab," Faba chuckled out. He was stroking his goatee with one hand while another pulled out a small device, pressing it. There was a loud clunking sound, locking the door to the room as red lights began to glow like an alarm was set to go off. Clemont thought the last part was redundant, given that the whole Paradise likely knew they were here in the first place. "I have many more things to play with. Now that Null has been returned to me, I'd love to dissect it! See what makes its brain work! The possibility of that science is...titillating! It will raise me even higher!"

"Shut your mooooooouth!" Clemont screamed. "Restrain them with String Shot, Charjabug!"

"Chaja!" Charjabug cried, sending thick strings from his mouth that wrapped around Faba and the now standing Hypno. If he wasn't going to let them leave, then there was no way Clemont was going to let Faba go anywhere. He truly would keep good on his promise.

"Null, use Crush Claw!" Gladion ordered, the boy's face just as sickened as Clemont's. Null charged forward, his claw glowing a deep blood red as it sailed for Hypno. Hypno's pendulum swung back and forth while Faba laughed.

"Psychic!" he cackled out, like he found their circumstances amusing. Null stopped mid-attack, squirming back and forth in the air with a blue glow around his body. It was like Hypno's current state of restraint ultimately didn't mean a thing. With a jerk of its head, the Hypnosis Pokémon slammed Null into the giant test tube in the middle of the room, though it did little damage. "How does it feel, I wonder? Being back inside the lab you once called home? Is it all you imagined?"

"This place was never a home, you sick freak!" Gladion had catapulted himself over the desk, making way to punch Faba in the face. The scientist...no, Clemont couldn't call him that; the man wasn't deserving of such a lofty title. Faba slammed against the wall as his face was hit, his glasses flying off.

"It would seem I've struck a nerve...how fascinating! Psychology isn't my field, but the very brain waves Null must be putting off now would be glorious to-"

"Charjabug, use Spark! Luxray, Wild Charge!" Clemont cut off the man, trying to still calm the shaking that his body was undergoing. Charjabug's body was wreathed with electricity, just as Luxray was, and the two sailed forward. Gladion stepped out of the way, allowing Charjabug to nail Faba in the stomach. The man gagged, though it was nothing on Hypno. Luxray had charged into the Psychic type, sending it flipping backwards through the air until it landed on the desk and managed to break it in half.