Pokemon : Negative Emotion System

Aron's pupils contracted in disbelief. He turned stiffly toward David, as though each motion weighed a ton. His voice came out dry and hoarse.

"Is what he… said the truth?"

David didn't say a word at first. He simply turned his eyes toward Larvitar.

There it was, sitting on the ground like it had zero clue it was the center of a war about ancient civilizations. Its stubby arms clutched the Smooth Rock tightly, and it was still happily gnawing on the weathered stone like a teething baby dinosaur.

Its eyes were wide, round, innocent.

Cute.

But not everyone was fooled by the act.

Because despite Larvitar's comically harmless behavior, both David and Aron could feel something deeply wrong—the type of wrong that made the back of your neck itch. From the dark black crown sitting on Larvitar's blunt horn, an eerie energy pulsed outward, cold and unnatural. It was the same malicious power flowing from the other ultra-ancient Pokémon.

No.

Worse.

The dark aura on Larvitar was on a completely different level. Even if you added up the energy coming off every other ancient Pokémon around them, it still wouldn't add up to even one percent of what was lurking inside Larvitar right now.

It was like standing next to a nuclear bomb disguised as a toddler.

Aron's face darkened as he stood frozen, then suddenly snapped his glare toward Giovanni.

"Are you insane?!"

His voice exploded across the battlefield.

"Isn't this Larvitar the descendant of your Tyranitar?!"

Clearly, Giovanni's experiment had crossed a line that Aron could no longer tolerate.

But Giovanni didn't so much as flinch. Instead, he sneered—calm, confident, and entirely unfazed by Aron's fury. His skeletal face showed no shame as he replied slowly and seriously.

"That's exactly why Larvitar is the perfect vessel," Giovanni said. "He is the first Pokémon in the world to perfectly control the power of the super ancient civilization."

There it was.

The core of the conflict that had haunted them for five long years.

Back then, both of them had witnessed firsthand the destructive capabilities of the ultra-ancient power. Aron had rejected it with every fiber of his being. He saw it for what it was—a forbidden force too dangerous for any Trainer to handle. That power had turned Giovanni's own Tyranitar into a raging disaster, and it had nearly destroyed Aron's Tyranitar in the process.

But while Aron turned away, Giovanni dove deeper.

Even after the Alliance banned all research into ancient power, Giovanni continued in secret. Obsessed. Deluded. He even used his own Tyranitar's offspring as test subjects—this very Larvitar.

It was something Aron could never forgive.

"Rooaaar!"

Suddenly, Tyranitar burst forward from the battlefield and stomped to Aron's side. Giovanni's Dusknoir and Banette drifted away, retreating back behind their master.

Aron turned toward his old partner. And then… he froze.

He stared.

Right at Tyranitar's chest.

His breath caught in his throat.

The gaping hole that had once marred Tyranitar's chest—a wound the size of a clenched fist—was gone.

Gone.

The fractured armor of green scales was completely restored. Smooth. Impeccable. Stronger than ever. The dull fatigue and fragility Tyranitar once showed had vanished completely. Its energy now surged outward, full and overflowing, stronger than it had ever been before.

There was even a faint pressure—yes, a clear sign. Its strength was no longer hovering at the peak of pseudo-legendary.

Tyranitar… was nearing Champion-level.

Aron couldn't believe it. His legs wobbled. He stumbled a step forward, eyes wide.

"Tyranitar… your wound…?"

His voice cracked.

Five years ago, Giovanni's Tyranitar had lost control, and in the chaos, Aron's Tyranitar had taken a fatal hit. The energy beam tore through its chest, nearly destroying its core.

Even after exhausting every resource, every potion, every mystical relic and rare item in the Alliance's arsenal, nothing had worked. The injury wasn't just physical—it was infected by the residual power of the ancient civilization.

Nothing could cleanse it.

The Alliance's finest researchers were baffled.

And so, with no options left, Aron had made the hardest decision of his career. He released Tyranitar back into the wild—deep inside the Mystery Zone. Hidden. Resting. Far from conflict.

He had planned for Tyranitar to live out the rest of its life in peace, far from battle.

But now… this.

His partner had returned.

Whole.

Stronger than ever.

Aron stepped forward and threw his arms around Tyranitar in a fierce hug, overcome by emotion. He pressed his face into Tyranitar's chest, half-laughing and half-crying.

Tyranitar stood still for a moment, then gently raised one claw and pointed.

Directly behind Aron.

At David.

Aron turned and followed the direction of Tyranitar's claw.

David was standing a short distance away, still watching quietly.

Tyranitar pointed again.

David blinked, then straightened his back proudly and rested his hands on his hips, the very picture of "yes-I-did-save-your-literal-tank-of-a-Pokémon."

Both Aron and Tyranitar were now staring at him.

****

David suddenly froze in place—as if he had just remembered something so tragic it could shatter souls.

His eyes widened.

His lips trembled.

And then he turned to Aron with the face of a man who had just lost everything.

"A-Aron…" David's voice wavered, as if a thousand sorrows weighed on his throat. "That item I gave to Tyranitar…"

He sniffled. His expression darkened with dramatic grief.

"That was my family's heirloom! A panacea passed down for generations from my grandfather's grandfather's grandfather!"

He clasped both hands over his heart and looked up at the cloudy sky in anguish.

"I was supposed to inherit it. It was the pride of the Blake family!"

His voice cracked, and the drama dial turned up to eleven.

"But I gave it up… for Tyranitar! I broke the inheritance! I BROKE IT!"

David dropped to his knees like a soap opera protagonist. His hands flew up, reaching for the heavens.

"Grandpa! Grandson is unfilial! I failed you!"

He beat his chest and stomped the ground like a man being possessed by the spirit of melodrama. Twin rivers of tears streamed down his cheeks like someone had just unleashed the full Water Gun of grief on his face.

On his shoulder, Pikachu watched silently.

It blinked once. Then nodded.

Even the little yellow rodent had to admit—David's acting had leveled up.

He was really selling it this time. If only he'd remembered to use actual eye drops instead of just blinking a lot, the performance might've earned him an award.

But even so, it was enough.

Tyranitar, towering behind Aron, looked visibly moved. Its grumpy expression softened.

And Aron—who had already been emotionally exhausted—rushed forward with genuine concern, waving his hands in a panic.

"L-Little brother! Don't cry!"

"Even if I have to go bankrupt, I'll make it up to you!"

David paused mid-wail. His sobs cut off instantly like someone had pressed a mute button.

His head snapped up.

His eyes were now glowing. Literally glowing. Golden sparkles of opportunity danced in his pupils.

"Wait… for real?" he asked, voice instantly chipper. "You promise?"

Aron hesitated. "Uh… yeah?"

David grinned from ear to ear. "That's all I needed to hear!"

And before anyone could blink, he magically pulled out a legal-looking document—a full contract sheet—with neat lines, small print, and even a signature line marked with a shiny gold sticker.

No one saw where it came from. It was just… there.

"Oh! Aron Elite, could you sign this for me real quick?" David asked cheerfully, handing over the contract and a glittery pink pen.

Aron blinked. His instincts screamed that this was a trap. But curiosity got the better of him.

He read it.

His jaw dropped.

His eye twitched.

The contract said—very clearly—that all properties under Aron's name would be unconditionally transferred to David.Including all wealth earned through any means for the next seventy years.

In fact, it even had a little note at the bottom:

"Includes, but not limited to, rare items, Alliance Coins, real estate, secret treasure vaults, baked goods, and commemorative gym badges."

Aron nearly fainted.

If this contract landed in the hands of the Western Alliance, they could replace capitalism entirely.

[Acquired negative emotion value +2000 from Aron…]

[Acquired negative emotion value +2000 from Giovanni…]

[Acquired negative emotion value +3000 from Aron…]

[Acquired negative emotion value +3000 from Giovanni…]

Even Giovanni, watching from a distance, felt personally insulted.

David, meanwhile, was humming cheerfully, rolling the pen in his fingers like a man already counting his future billions.

Giovanni scowled deeply. If only I'd just let Tyranitar finish him off earlier, he thought bitterly.

His patience ran out.

"Dusknoir! Banette!" he roared, voice sharp and venomous. "Shadow Ball!"

Both of Giovanni's Pokémon leapt forward. A swirling mass of black and purple energy built up in their hands. The two Shadow Balls pulsed with chaotic, ghostly force—like miniature black holes—before being hurled toward David without hesitation.

"Tyranitar! Protect!" Aron shouted with perfect timing.

Tyranitar moved without hesitation, stomping forward and slamming its claws together. A green shimmering shield sprang up around David and Aron just as the twin Shadow Balls struck.

BOOM!

The energy barrier rippled violently but held firm. Emerald light vibrated around them, absorbing the force of the attack.

Dust and smoke swirled.

Then—

"Roooaaaar!"

A sharp, menacing cry cut through the haze.

All eyes snapped to Larvitar.

The little dinosaur had just popped the final piece of his Smooth Rock into his mouth and swallowed it with a crunchy snap.

He stood up slowly.

And when his red eyes looked up, they no longer looked playful.

No.

They glowed with a dreadful crimson.

The black crown on his horn pulsed with violent waves of ancient energy, like a siren calling destruction.

The sky above them darkened—pitch black, as though someone had painted over the clouds with ink.

An oppressive silence dropped over the battlefield like a blanket soaked in dread.

David's breath hitched.

Aron's expression tightened.

This wasn't just a Larvitar anymore.

The energy pouring off its body was dense and suffocating, an overwhelming ancient aura pressing down on the land around them. Every second it stood there, the ground beneath its feet cracked and crumbled.

And worst of all—it didn't seem angry or crazed.

Larvitar's face was expressionless.

Calm.

Still.

Yet… horrifying.

Because even though it hadn't moved yet, it now radiated the same terrifying energy as Giovanni's ultra-ancient Pokémon.

Actually—no.

It was stronger.

The darkness surged behind it like waves of pure chaos, swallowing the sunlight, swallowing the air.

Even Aron and David could hardly breathe.

And in that moment, standing beneath that darkened sky, with Larvitar's blood-red eyes locked on them, there was one terrifying truth they couldn't deny:

This wasn't just some experiment anymore.

This was the beginning of something much, much worse.

****

Aron didn't hesitate. He yanked another Poké Ball from his belt and flung it with all the urgency of someone tossing a grenade away from their feet.

With a flash of light, a massive Venusaur appeared, stomping into the field with a grunt. The enormous red flower blooming from its back looked more like a battle banner than a plant.

"Venusaur! Use Vine Whip! Restrain Larvitar!" Aron barked.

Venusaur understood the mission. Two thick vines shot from the flower on its back like snakes springing from a cannon. They snapped through the air, aiming straight for the ominously glowing Larvitar.

But just as they were about to reach him—

"Dusknoir! Disable!" Giovanni bellowed with a wild gleam in his eyes.

A cold blue light pulsed from Dusknoir's body. In a blink, Venusaur's vines froze mid-air like someone had hit the pause button. They trembled just inches away from Larvitar, refusing to go any farther, no matter how hard Venusaur pulled.

The shadow beneath Venusaur suddenly shimmered—Dusknoir had tethered it to his own.

Aron's heart skipped a beat. "No…!"

"Larvitar! Use Ancient Power on Aron!" Giovanni screamed, now absolutely foaming at the mouth with obsession.

Larvitar's previously hesitant eyes lit up as if some internal switch had flipped. The ground beneath his stubby feet cracked open like it had just received a text message saying "IT'S TIME."

Chunks of rock burst from the earth, shaped into perfect, sharp-edged cubes that hovered around Larvitar like a floating fortress.

With a simple snap of his little claw—

CRACK!

Each of those square boulders fractured into jagged rock blades, spinning like buzzsaws in the air. The air itself seemed to shiver from their rapid vibration.

The blades formed into a massive, spiraling earth dragon, roaring silently through the air as it rocketed toward Aron.

"Tyranitar! Protect us!" Aron yelled.

"RROOOOAAAR!!"

Tyranitar didn't even wait for the rest of the sentence. It leapt in front of Aron and David, arms crossed, and unleashed a shimmering emerald Protect barrier.

The thirty-meter-long earth dragon slammed into the green shield with the fury of an ancient beast awakened from its nap.

CLANG!!

The sharp rock blades screeched across the barrier, sounding like someone grinding knives across sheet metal. The air turned cold. The haze radiating from Larvitar's black crown thickened—an ancient, eerie fog that wrapped around the barrier like a sinister aura.

Strange symbols began to shimmer across the surface of Tyranitar's barrier—symbols exactly like the ones carved into the ultra-ancient Pokémon that had been tearing up the Mystery Zone earlier.

David took one look and instantly got goosebumps. "Why does it feel like the history channel is attacking us?!"

The green Protect barrier trembled. Tyranitar dug its feet into the ground, growling.

Then—

CRACK!!

The barrier shattered.

"RROOOARRR—!!" Tyranitar stumbled back, coughing up a massive splash of blood. It dropped to one knee, eyes wide, chest heaving.

The great earth dragon disintegrated into boulders, which rained to the ground with thunderous booms.

David's eyes widened in horror. "That was Ancient Power?? What is this, Ancient Nuke?!"

Even Aron looked shaken, staring at Larvitar like he was seeing a ghost.

And then, of course, Giovanni stepped forward with all the smugness of a man who'd just won an online argument.

"LOOK!" he roared, his voice filled with manic glee. "LOOK, ARON! This is the power of the super-ancient civilization!"

His expression was so proud it looked like he was about to declare war on science itself.

"Even a newly hatched Larvitar—just born!—can crush your Tyranitar with this power!"

He turned, jabbing a finger toward David.

"Larvitar! Use Ancient Power again! Hit that Trainer!"

Larvitar blinked.

"Lar?"

He tilted his head at Giovanni with visible reluctance, like a kid being told to finish his broccoli after already eating ice cream.

At that exact moment, David heard something strange—a mechanical voice echoing inside his mind.

[System error detected due to exposure to unidentified energy. Repair patch in progress…]

[System repair complete. Current version: 1.3]

David blinked and stared at Larvitar again.

And this time… the question marks on Larvitar's profile were gone.

He gasped as the full system interface lit up in his mind:

[Pokémon: Larvitar (Ground/Rock)]

Gender: Male

Level: 24 (Common)

Ability: Guts (When affected by a status condition, Attack is greatly increased; ignores Attack reduction from burn.)

Nature: Adamant (+Attack, -Special Attack)

IVs: HP (31), Attack (31), Defense (31), Sp. Atk (31), Sp. Def (31), Speed (31)

Moves: Ancient Power, Stomp, Outrage, Dragon Dance

Held Item: None

Potential: Exceptional Champion / Guardian

Special Traits:

Blessed by the super-ancient civilization; vitality is rapidly draining.

Blessed by a Legendary-level deity; lost vitality is being replenished.

Consumed a top-tier Smooth Rock, enhancing natural aptitude.

David's jaw dropped.

"What… what kind of monster have I picked up?"

This was no ordinary Pokémon.

This was a baby Godzilla with a royal bloodline, blessed by ancient civilizations and a Legendary being, munching on rocks like it was snack time.

No wonder the system glitched. No wonder the other Pokémon looked like toddlers playing tag in comparison.

Even the previous fear that Larvitar might be completely lost to the darkness…

It flickered.

David glanced up, eyes narrowing.

High above, the sunlight pierced the gloom—and for just a second, he thought he saw it again: the golden eye in the sky from the prophecy. Watching. Judging. Guiding?

If that eye was real…

Then maybe—just maybe—Larvitar wasn't a hopeless case.

There was still a chance.

A slim one.

But enough for hope.

David clenched his fists and took a step forward.

"I'm not giving up on him," he muttered.

No way he was going to let a baby dinosaur with god-tier potential be turned into Giovanni's pet nuke.

"Larvitar! What are you doing?!"

Giovanni's voice exploded like a banshee at a rock concert. His face was twisted, his voice cracked, and he was one pitch away from chewing gravel. "Hurry up and finish him! Crush him! Smash him! Eat him for all I care!"

But Larvitar?

Larvitar plopped his little black rock body down onto the ground with all the enthusiasm of a toddler who'd just been told it was naptime. He sat there. Unmoving. Calm. Like a noble statue. Except, you know, he blinked. Slowly.

Giovanni was about to rupture a blood vessel.

Watching this unfold, Aron's brows drew together in a tight furrow. He couldn't hide the flicker of surprise in his eyes. This… wasn't normal.

Pokémon infected with the power of the super-ancient civilization—all of them—had lost their minds. There were no exceptions. They became rampaging monsters, like prehistoric wrecking balls that had one setting: obliterate.

But this Larvitar? This little black nugget of mayhem?

He wasn't rampaging. He wasn't growling. He wasn't even glaring. He was sitting on his butt like a rock-type monk on a snack break. Somehow… he still had his mind.

Could it be?

Had this Larvitar actually succeeded in perfectly inheriting the power of the ancient civilization?

Even Aron, who despised this taboo power, was forced to admit—that was... impressive.

But among everyone present, only David knew the truth.

Giovanni's so-called success was a complete fluke. If not for a certain mysterious "someone" supplementing Larvitar's rapidly deteriorating life force, the poor guy would've dropped dead before he could've taken a second breath.

David knew exactly how this was going to go originally. Larvitar was never meant to live more than a few hours, tops. The super-ancient energy running through him was so volatile, so corrosive, it would've eaten him alive.

All that combat power? That wasn't Giovanni's doing.

That was survival on borrowed time.

David knelt down, fishing into his jacket. With a gentle smile that looked half-paternal and half-suspiciously sales-y, he pulled out something shiny and colorful: a fresh energy cube.

He extended his hand slowly toward Larvitar, voice as soft and welcoming as a TV kindergarten teacher.

"Larvitar, come here, buddy. You want a snack?"

Larvitar's eyes lit up like someone had just offered him free lifetime Netflix and a heated cave.

He launched himself forward on all fours, scuttling toward David with impressive enthusiasm for someone who looked like a bowling ball with limbs.

However…

Pikachu and Ralts, who had been watching quietly from the sidelines, suddenly took a synchronized step backward.

Their faces—dear Arceus, their faces—looked like they had just witnessed a crime.

Eyebrows narrowed. Eyes full of judgment. Mouths slightly agape.

If Pokémon could talk, their expressions would've screamed:

"Seriously? You're bribing a baby with snacks now? Have you no dignity?"

David felt the heat of their judgment before he even turned his head. He looked over his shoulder and was instantly met with Pikachu's unblinking stare of disappointment and Ralts' narrowed glare of utter betrayal.

A cartoonish tic mark appeared on David's forehead. "Oh come on!" he snapped. "What kind of person do you think I am?!"

He waved the cube dramatically. "This is just a normal energy cube! No laxatives this time! I swear!"

Pikachu folded his little arms. Ralts crossed his legs and turned his back.

Even Aron, standing a few feet away, twitched like someone had poked him with a stun baton. His eye twitched. His mouth opened slightly. And then—

"Laxatives?!" Aron coughed. "You put laxatives… in power cubes?!"

David looked genuinely offended. "Only once! And it was a tactical choice!"

"A tactical choice?" Aron repeated, like he was hearing that phrase in English for the first time and still didn't believe it existed.

David shrugged. "You've never had to slow down a rampaging Snorlax, okay?"

Pikachu facepawed. Ralts muttered something that sounded suspiciously like a curse in Pokémon language.

Giovanni, who had just finished screaming himself hoarse at Larvitar, now looked like he was witnessing a circus where the clowns had stolen the stage director's script.

He twitched. Twice. Then finally shouted, "DUSKNOIR, BANETTE—DO SOMETHING!"

But the scene still belonged to David, squatting calmly in front of Larvitar like some rock-type whisperer, holding out that cube of salvation while arguing with his own team like a street magician being heckled by his own pigeons.

Larvitar, blissfully unaware of the drama swirling around him, opened his little mouth and munched down on the cube.

Happy. Calm.

Unleashing destruction could wait.