Outcasts

The Seviper was curled up on a high branch, resting, after killing and eating an unlucky Pichu that wandered too far from his pack. The little guy put up a pretty good fight, but once his fangs slid into his tiny body, it was all over. The outline of the Pichu could still be seen, as the meal slowly digested.

Then the Seviper heard something below him. He lazily opened one eye to see it was a Zangoose He gave a hiss, his instinctive nature to fight and kill him rising. But after eating a meal, he was sluggish and tired. So he had to be careful.

“Letsss ssse now,” the Seviper thought. ‘If I can drop down at jussst the right time, I can get my tail blade into him before he knowsss I‘m here. He should be immune from my poissson, but maybe I can land a fatal blow and end thisss quickly.”

The Zangoose, meanwhile, didn’t see him. He was still looking around for any sign of the Seviper. He heard from a sobbing and pregnant Raichu that a Seviper ate her son, and slithered off in this direction. She wanted revenge, but he got away before she could. She was about to follow, when the pack stopped her, because of the danger to her and her unborn child. So she asked him to do it for her.

So now the Zangoose was following the lead he was given. He found a couple of clues that told him he was on the right track, but no Seviper. At least, not until the attack came from above. He barely had time to dodge the slash from the tail blade. And while it wasn’t a killing blow, it did open a nasty gash on his shoulder, drawing blood. The Zangoose stumbled back, holding a paw over the wound. Luckily, this blow didn’t poison him.

Both combatants gave a hiss at each other, as they stared each other down. Both pairs of eyes narrowed, as they stared into the eyes of the other, daring their opponent to make the first move. A light wind blew between them.

“You haven’t been building a very good reputation, Seviper. Not only did you do something to a Vulpix, but you also killed a young life for food,” the Zangoose hissed. “I don’t care about the fact that you have to kill to eat, but killing a kid is over the line.”

“Asssk me if I care,” he hissed back. “I do what I wisssh. And right now, I’m going to kill you. I’ve beaten Zangoossse more experienced than yourssself, so what makesss you think you have a chance?”

“I made a promise. A promise that I would return from this battle. And it’s a promise that I intend to keep,” the Zangoose answered.

“Never make promisssesss you can’t keep, ” The Seviper replied, before lunging at him.

The Zangoose slashed at his face as he lunged, hitting him in the side of the face. He quickly recovered from the force of the hit, and aimed a bite at the arm. He missed the bite, and brought his head back, ,looking for a good spot to attack. The Zangoose watched warily, ready for anything.

Except a Slam attack. Which the Seviper launched right at his stomach, using his head. The Zangoose had all the air knocked out of him, and the force of the attack brought him to the ground. He looked up to see the mouth coming right for him, the fangs dripping with poison, intending to bite through his neck. The Zangoose brought his claws up, and the Seviper’s neck got caught between the claws, stopping his strike. The Seviper’s mouth snapped at him, trying to hit skin, and failing.

The Zangoose stood, with his neck in his claws. He brought his paw up and threw the Seviper against the ground. The Seviper’s head hit the ground, and he sat there, dazed. The Zangoose brought his claws up, and prepared to slice his neck. But then Seviper’s mouth came up, and his fangs slid into his arm.

Zangoose could feel the poison seeping into his veins. As the Seviper ripped at his arm, not knowing the poison was affecting him, the Zangoose brought his hand down on the back of his neck, forcing the Seviper to let go. Some blood dripped from the wound, and poison pumped his way through his veins.

Knowing he had to end this quickly, before he succumbed to the poison, he launched himself forward and plunged his claws right into the Seviper’s body. His attack came so quickly that the Seviper had no chance to dodge.

The Seviper fell dead, a pool of blood growing around it. The Zangoose, breathing hard, looked at the dead body for a minute before starting back towards his den. He needed to get that antidote, before he died.

To be continued…