Pokemon Mystery Dungeon

THE DYING WORLD

Chapter one

The night sky was simply brilliant, a blazing white display of beauty streaked across the ebony background, seemingly frozen in place. The magnificent comet stood out in contrast in the night sky, the mythical Millennium Comet itself. Tearing my gaze from the cosmic beauty in the heavens, I rose to my clawed feet and started forward again, my deep breaths coming out as visible puffs in the cold autumn night. I had to keep moving, there wasn't much time left, I had to find her, even if it meant traveling through the night. I couldn't let him catch me, for I was torn between feeling of revenge and my own desire to set things right. I shoved the memories of that terrible night from my mind, the night the millennium comet first appeared in the sky. The night, I lost everything.

"My brother, how could you?"

The forest was silent, the only sounds that could be heard were those of my footsteps upon the cracked earth. No wind rustled the brown leaves of the trees, no lone Hoothoot called out into the lonely night. All was deathly silent in fear, for they are the ones who rule the night now. The Shadow Pokemon and their twisted brethren now taint the world, marauding at will, and often leaving no survivors. They are mutated, heartless apparitions that hunger for violence and destruction, resembling stronger versions of others of their kind. No one is safe. Anyone can become a Shadow Pokemon because everyone is born with evil in their heart. To be corrupted by a Shadow is a fate worse than death. Even in the day they wander fearlessly, but when night falls, even the strongest fear for shelter. Even the humans, the pathetic creatures that were once the masters of this world, fear the Shadow Pokemon. Dark Matter, the cause and product of Shadow Pokemon, now pollutes the world, slowly strangling it into oblivion.

That comet is my hope, my guiding light in this dark world. They say that when the Millennium comet appears in the sky, a being of great power appears and will grant a single wish to any who can find her. That was the goal of my quest, Jirachi. She was the only way I could set things right…

Then I felt it, a strange shiver down the length of my black, scythe like horn, a demon was near. Spinning around and bearing my blade like horn threateningly, I faced my attacker, the muscles under my snow white fur tensed and ready for combat. For a few moments, nothing happened as I glared into the darkness, the eerie silence only heightening my suspicions.

"Show yourself, demon!" I challenged, eyes still scanning the darkness. To my surprise, I heard the crunching of leaves behind me and I spun around to face someone I knew very well. An entirely jet black Absol with a serrated horn stepped out of the darkness, a faint purple aura resonating from its defiled body. I stood my ground, bracing myself mentally for the fight that was about to happen. This was it, he had found me at last, and there was no escape.

"Did you really think that you would be able to escape, brother?" The black Absol spat its malevolent, blood red eyes aglow in the darkness.

"You are no brother of mine, Fenris." I snarled, widening my stance and making the air around me agitated my whipping my horn around. Fenris suddenly lurched forward and interrupted my attack with a move so fast I barely had time to block his sword like horn with my own. Blades crossed, I growled and dug my claws into the earth and attempted to push him back, to no avail. He threw his head up, throwing me off balance and blasted me point blank with a Shadow Ball attack, flipping me on my back and sending me skidding back a few feet. I swore as I jumped to my feet, glaring violently at my brother who was standing in the same spot, an arrogant expression on his face.

Roaring a battle cry I charged him, scythe raised to cut his head off in one swing. I put all the strength I could muster and my own momentum of my charge into that slice, and he blocked it effortlessly. I strained and pushed but his blade didn't give an inch. With an evil grin, he overpowered me and slammed me back, his scythe rending a wound in my chest as she shoved me back. I flopped on my side a few feet away, winded from the brutal attack. While I was stunned, my demonic brother jumped over and pinned me with a clawed foot between my shoulders. I struggled, but it was no use. I was not strong enough to match my brother's newfound powers.

"If father was helpless to stop me, what chance did you think you had?" he mocked, leveling his scythe horn like a guillotine. In that moment, I realized the mistake my brother had made. Jerking my head skyward, the curved blade-like horn on my head stabbed his foot through the ankle. He howled and in his distraction I threw him off. Jumping back to put distance between us, I whipped up a whirlwind around me, leaves and other debris scattering in the wind. Fenris recovered from his brief distraction and his eyes narrowed in concentration as black lightning encased his serrated horn. I let images of mothers torn body and fathers bloody corpse fuel my anger as I transformed the howling wind into screeching, colorless blades of air. I snarled with savage fury as I continued to hold back the attack, condensing the numerous blades into a single blast of Razor Wind.

I howled and let the insane attack loose, aimed to cleave my brother in two. He waited until o let loose my assault before swinging his lightning encased blade horizontally creating a crescent shaped slash wave of crackling black lightning that sped towards my own attack. The two bladed attacked met with an unearthly screech of scorched air and screaming wind, creating a crash that ruffled both of our fur coats. For a moment, my attack held its shape before being cut through by my brother's unnatural Dark Matter attack. I frantically ducked as the horizontal crescent of energy passed over me. My best attack, worthless against the demonic power my brother now wielded.

"I told you it is useless to fight me brother."

"Like I would just give up!" I snarled back and before I could utter another word Fenris slammed into me with a quick attack, driving my breath out of me. I was knocked on my side and I rolled upon impact with the ground to dodge the descending blade that instead struck the ground. Getting to my feet swiftly, I slashed at him with my blade-like horn with the intention of cutting him in two. Instead of blocking my vertical strike like I expected, he side stepped my attack and tried to plunge his blade into my rib cage. I twisted to dodge and swiped at him with my claws, my strike leaving red furrows in his black fur. My attack didn't even cause him to flinch despite the wounds and he got in my face and blasted me with another Shadow Ball, this one hitting my chest as I tried to dodge.

I felt my feet leave the ground before my back slammed into the trunk of a tree. As I shook the stars from my vision, I saw Fenris's scythe become encased in black lightning again. It was only because I knew what was coming that I was able to dodge the vertical slash wave of black lightning that split the tree I had slammed into just moments ago, a horrible crunching sound echoed in the silence as the tree was no longer able to bear its own weight and fell to the ground. I tensed the muscles in my back legs and jumped back right as a Shadow Ball exploded in the ground in front of me.

The instant my feel touched the ground again I used Faint Attack, an attack passed down from my father, and briefly turned invisible as I leapt back to put more distance between us, working out a new strategy. Unsure of where I had gone, a random Shadow Ball detonated far to my right, then another. I used Faint Attack repeatedly putting more and more distance between us. I felt the strain to turn invisible get harder and harder as my stamina was running out, until I came to a halt at the edge of a sheer cliff. The rough strewn ground would make it difficult to dodge and move around, perfect. I strained my already tired muscles and spilled my energy out, causing the wind to whip around me like before. The wind was more stubborn and difficult to control this time, and beads of sweat ran down my back as I pushed on with the attack, causing the wind to form colorless blades. When the blades merged into one, I held back the attack and waited for my brother to come crashing out of the forest. I would have to be quick to catch him off guard; if I missed it would likely be over for me. My brother was stronger than me now that he was a Shadow Pokemon. Always before…I had been the bigger brother, the one looking after him... I shook my head, this was no time to get lost in memories, I had to win this fight or die trying. A nanosecond later, Fenris came charging out of the undergrowth, red eyes glowing and claws out as he ran.

And I hesitated to fire the blast that stood the chance of cleaving him in two. That hesitation was all he needed, for he saw me and let off a feral roar as he fired another one of his Dark Matter slash wave attacks at me. I swore, cursing myself for my hesitation and fired the Razor Wind assault at the approaching black crescent of energy. Like before, my brother's stronger attack cleaved through my own and sped towards me. It moved so fast, I barely registered raising my horn to block the attack.

I felt a massive amount of pain and vibration from the blade-like extension on my head as the brute force of the attack easily shoved me off the cliff. My head fell back as I started to fall; a deep nick had been cut into my steel hard blade from the attack. I felt the rush of adrenaline as I fell through the air, the world around me an undistinguishable blur. I hit the stony wall once, twice, and on the third time I felt something crack in me and then the ground rushed up to meet me. I instinctively tried to land on all fours, but I hit the ground so hard I rebounded before losing consciousness.

***The next day***

"Damn cliff!" was my first waking thought before the pain was unleashed upon my half conscious mind. My head hurt like hell, my side felt smashed, I was sure something had been broken on impact, but I had not found out what was broken yet, or what wasn't broken. Merely turning over on my stomach was utter agony, pain stabbing in my side. The thought that I had just fallen off a freaken cliff that high surprised me that I was waking up at all. Despite the pain, I focused my brain an sensed for Dark Matter, as my particular type was very skilled at finding. To my relief, I felt none. Either Fenris had lost track of me when I went over the cliff or thought the fall had killed me. Either way, I was safe for the moment, and I felt like shit.

Rain began to fall; soaking into my short white fur and making it cling uncomfortably to my skin. Great, even the freaken weather hated me at this moment. The first wave of sharp pain was fading and being replaced with a dull ache as the time dragged on. Despite the fact that dark gray clouds covered the horizon, I could tell the sun was up and high in the sky. Lightning crashed somewhere near me, this storm was getting bad, maybe I should think about finding shelter. I gritted my teeth and tried to stand.

"F***!" I swore as pain shot through my side and front right ankle and caused me to fall. This was bad, if my ankle was broken, then I would never find Jirachi or stay away from Fenris. Arrgg, this was so painful. It was then when I was trying to muster up the courage to stand again that I noticed a shiny black, blade- like object lying on the ground in front of me. I took a closer look and realized with dread what the broken object on the ground was.

It was my scythe shaped horn that had broken on impact with the ground from my fall. All I was left with was a six inch jagged spike on my head. That explained why I couldn't sense the storm. Without the sixth sense that I had been born with, I felt blind. My ability to sense coming disasters was fractured and my ability to sense Dark Matter had decreased a good deal. My horn would grow back, but it would take time, a lot of time that I didn't have right now. I lifted my gaze skyward and stared at the patch of sky where the Millennium comet would be tonight. I only had five days left now, I couldn't just waste time sitting on my ass, I needed to get the move on and find Jirachi before it was too late. Jirachi only appeared for one week, I had to find her…and bring them back to life, my family. Yet, even if my outrageous wish could be granted and I found Jirachi, one member of my family would still be gone forever. Once you became a Shadow Pokemon, there was no going back.

I pictured the brilliant image of the comet in my head, remembering that first time I had seen it. The very same night, I lost everything. That comet had appeared as a symbol of the end of the peaceful life I once lived, and the beginning of the nightmare I now endured. All because of the Shadow Pokemon, that was the reason for all of the misery everyone was facing, and no one could do anything about it.

The rain had stopped, leaving me and the surrounding area drenched. By this time most of my body's natural painkillers had kicked in, and I was done lying here in suspense that a Shadow would come by and end my life. I got up carefully, putting all my weight on my good legs and avoiding bending or twisting my torso. My ankle was not broken, only mildly sprained, I could keep going. Drawing upon a tiny trickle of energy left in me, I started scanning for a concentration of Dark Matter in case a Shadow suddenly appeared. I hobbled forward, saving most of my stamina for when I would have to fight. I willed myself to keep moving, to walk off the pain, for if I stopped now, I would likely pass out again. I was so focused on putting one foot in front of the other and searching for approaching Dark Matter, I literally bumped into someone.

"What the hell." I swore as the yellow and black mouse had walked strait into my injured side, causing the pain to flare up again. The pathetic yellow rodent fell on his butt after hitting me. I glared at the Pichu who stared back at me in wonder. Shouldn't the mouse be running for cover right now, I was an Absol, everyone is supposed to run away from me as some of my kind are unfairly blamed for the calamities we try to prevent. The Pichu opened its mouth and began jabbering super fast in an annoying high pitched voice while it stared at me.

"Wow, whatever happened to you, it looked like you got your butt kicked by someone. I've never seen an Absol before, I always thought they would be just a bit bigger, no offense. Aren't you supposed to have a cool looking black, scythe shaped horn on your head, oh my gosh you broke yours off how did that happen did you get into a fight with a rock Pokemon or something, they can be really painful to deal with sometimes. Hey I heard Absols can predict the weather, can they, can they? Is it going to storm again or will it be clear tomorrow. That must be so cool being able to detect coming disasters, I wish I could do that all I can do is shoot electricity, not that being an eclectic type is boring but anyway I also heard that Absols can control the wind. Is that true mister, it doesn't sound very true. Can you really make a whirlwind, I find that hard to believe, can you do it right – hey where are you going?" It said running after me as I attempted to hobble past the annoying yellow rat.

"Go away!" I growled interrupting the constant chatter of the Pichu. It changed subjects faster than a Kelcon could change colors. And God, it was so damn annoying.

"Where are you going, are you going back to your den, I lost mine can I stay with you. Yeah that's a great idea, after all two are better than one, what is your name my name-"

I ignored the annoying electric type that strangely seemed hell bent on following me. Why couldn't the damn mouse just leave me alone, my head hurt enough already without the useless chatter of the small, high pitched electric mouse that somehow walked on its hind legs instead of all fours like normal Pokemon. God, why won't it just stop talking.

"-and then out of no where this giant white star appears in the sky. I learn from a Pidgy that it is called a comet, but not just any, the Millennium comet. That's a cool name, the Millennium comet, so then I remembered that there is a Pokemon that I can't remember right now that grants wishes during this time. If you could have a wish, what would it be? Wait, do you think we are only allowed one wish, or can we have as many as we want? That would be so awesome, being able to have whatever you want. Wow! Did you see that tree we just passed, it was all twisted and gnarled and creepy looking. Is it because of Dark Matter, can trees become Shadows too, or do they just die like humans do when they are exposed to Dark Matter. Hey wait a minute you are a Dark type, I heard that they can sense Dark Matter a lot more accurately than even a Psychic type. Is it true, can you sense any Dark Matter coming from that tree-"

"SHUT UP!" I yelled finally losing my temper and blowing my top. This damn kid just won't shut the hell up, he just kept talking and talking and it was driving me insane. I seriously felt like knifing him with the six inch spike on my head and ditching him to get some godforsaken silence.

"What's your problem?" the Pichu asked in a all too innocent manner. I felt like lopping his head off.

"Why are you following me? Leave!" I growled. The kid just looked at me funny and puffed up his tiny chest. The kid opened his mouth to argue or say something but before he did I felt a sudden tingling sensation in the back of my head. Before I could say or do anything a twin Bubblebeam shot out and struck me and the Pichu in the face, causing me to stagger and the small mouse to go tumbling head over heels. You would think that small burst of water that resemble bubbles wouldn't hurt, but it felt like rocks pelting my face. I turned to face my opponent as the Pichu got to his feet and gasped.

A Shadow Crawdaunt emerged from the forest, towering over both of us with its black armored bulk. Shit, I had been so distracted by the kid that I failed to notice the Shadow coming for my blood. To make matters worse, it was not alone. Two Shadow Rattata came charging at me and the kid. The one coming at me jumped, and as it closed in on me I did an uppercut stab to its stomach while it was still airborne, impaling it upon the jagged six inch dagger I still had left. It shrieked and twisted once before going limp as it died. I threw it aside to see the other demon leap at the Pichu, who dodged the attack better than I expected. Its tiny tail lit up and it spun around, slicing the rattata across the shoulder with its tiny, iron-blade like tail, leaving a red gash that barely stopped the Rattata.

That wound was all the distraction I needed to slide my horn between its ribs, killing it instantly. I had maybe a seconds time before a Bubblebeam struck my injured side, causing me to fall to the ground and skid a bit. Damn it that hurt, my insides felt like they were getting poked my the sharp broken ends of my ribs. While I tried to get a hold of myself in my pain, the kid hunched over, causing static to erupt from his body as he built up his electricity before shooting it at the Crawdaunt.

The electrical attack missed entirely, striking a random rock instead. The Crawdaunt lurched forward and hammered the yellow mouse away with a sweeping blow from its claws, the Pichu going flying across the ground and bouncing once before tumbling to a stop. The demented crayfish Pokemon now turned its sights on me, moving forward on its armored appendages. I struggled to my feet, adrenaline hiding the pain as I sprang forward, slashing with my claws and my bladed spike. My claws scraped uselessly on its armor, leaving only shallow scratches in the thick carapace before it smacked me into the ground with its claw. I slammed into the unforgiving ground, stunned by the force of the blow. The Crawdaunt opened its other claw to finish me off and I braced myself for the impact.

A jolt of electricity surged through the Crawdaunt, which now flailed wildly as the lightning coursed through its body. I looked and saw the Pichu clinging on to one of its legs, unleashing all the electricity he could muster as he held on despite the flailing. In its seizure like movements as it was shocked, it tangled up its legs and fell into the ground, the yellow mouse barely avoiding getting crushed beneath it and slumped on the ground, panting. I wasted no time while it was merely stunned by the attack, before it could get up again I stabbed its torso through one of the chinks in its armor with my blade. I ducked under a sweeping claw that tried to smash into me and stabbed it under the chin where there was no armor. I expected the move to kill it, but I was thrown off its body as it shook itself and got to its feet, clearly in agony from the wounds I dealt it.

"Give it up and die already, demon!" I yelled as I jumped on its back and stabbed it right behind the star on its forehead, my horn vibrating painfully from punching through its armor. Still I had to fight to horn on as its claws tried to grab me but were not flexible enough. Why can't this thing just die already? My claws found a foothold on its shoulders and I flexed my back and stabbed it through the eye with my six inch horn. The crayfish finally died and suddenly fell over; I had to jump off its back as it collapsed. I checked just to make sure it was dead before breathing deeply and turning away from the defiled corpse.

I swayed on my feet, a bit unsteady from all the exertion I had put my body through. The Pichu came running up to me, somehow already recovered from his earlier exhaustion of using all his electricity at once.

"That was so awesome, it was like 'No your dead stay down' as you kept attacking it. That was a tough guy wasn't it?" He said, having to stop talking to catch his breath, maybe he was still a little tired.

"Bah, whatever." I said despite the fact that if the Pichu hadn't shocked the Crawdaunt and saved my ass, I would be dead right now. That Crawdaunt had been one tough son of a bitch to take down, it just refused to die. The Shadow Rattata had been easy enough, so long as you didn't let them get close enough to tear you apart. Underestimating a Shadow Pokemon based on their species was the quickest way to die. I bet even a Shadow Pichu could be deadly. You couldn't take any chances with the Shadows; it was kill or be killed, or worse. I turned from the rapidly decaying Shadow Pokemon and strode away, limping a slight bit.

"Hey wait where are you going?" yelled the Pichu in an annoying high pitched voice, his constant chatter only broken by the fact he had to run to catch up to me. Arceus, I didn't want to deal with any more of his useless chatter. If he started jabbering again, I might lose my patience and just cut his head off and be done with it. My headache was killing me, even worse now that I had to fight a battle. I was an Absol, the world had decided that I was to be alone, why did this fool continue to follow me.

"For the last time, go away!" I demanded through clenched teeth , brandishing my horn spike. Arceous my head hurt so freaken bad, why couldn't I just have some peace. This kid was going to kill me with his constant chatter more painfully than Fenris could. The Pichu flinched at my display of aggression but somehow must have seen through my empty threat.

"You are looking for it too aren't you? You are searching for Jirachi just like I am because the Millennium comet is in the sky." He said.

"So what if I am!" I countered.

"We should travel together, it would be safer and so much more fun that way. We kick butt together, we are like the dynamic duo, killing the evil Shadow P- hey wait up!" He yelled as I attempted to walk away while he was talking. Travel with an annoying, small, hyper kid like him to find Jirachi, ridiculous. I didn't need anyone tagging along, I could take care of myself and Fenris was still after me, and anyone with me could be killed by him too. Unfortunately for me, the combination of broken ribs, sprained ankle, and sheer exhaustion didn't allow me to move very fast. Even when the kid easily caught up to me, I refused to accept it and looked forward stubbornly.

"You are going the wrong way you know." He said and I stopped.

"How would you know where Jirachi is? She is a freaken legendary who only appears every 1000 years!" I shot back now glaring at the kid who looked back with those large innocent black eyes.

"I had a dream-" he started and had to stop as he coughed a bit, probably still hurt on the inside from being knocked around like a soccer ball in the fight with Crawdaunt. Still he regained himself and started to speak again a few seconds later.

"That I was in a cave somewhere is those mountains, and Jirachi in all her glory, golden cloak and all, appeared before me." He said pointing towards a mountain range that was far to the right of where I had been wandering. He had a serious tone, which told me he was not just running his mouth or making something up. I grunted, what the hell, it is not like I know where to go anyway. Maybe it would help to have him come along after all. Unlike me, he knew where to go.

"Fine, but on the condition that you keep your mouth shut." I said. No sooner had I finished that sentence then he literally jumped for joy throwing his arms up and started rapidly talking back in that annoying tone.

"Don't worry, we will get along fine. This is so cool, it is just like the stories, the shady and antisocial Dark type and the valiant and awesome Electric type teaming up to save the world from evil, only we are looking for Jirachi instead of saving the world, but it is still so cool. This is going to be so much fun, me and…what's your name?" he asked halting his rapid onslaught to wait for my answer.

"Rikko." I said.

"I'm Piech, pronounced like the fruit, nice to meet you. That's a cool name, Rikko, usually Pokemon get their names from a variation of their species, like I heard of a Bulbasaur named Saura once. I guess that is different for Dark types. My name is really cool because it refers to the color my fur and it sounds like Pikachu and Pichu combined, not only that it reminds me of food too. I hate peaches, do you like them. They have those pits and all that makes them kind of unappetizing, even if they are sweet. I always liked berries…"

"Will he ever shut up?" I wondered as I tried to tone out the useless chatter of Piech and tried to concentrate of searching for Dark Matter. Now I knew where to go, and I had someone to guard my back in combat. I was just one step closer to Jirachi. One step closer to bringing my family back from where my brother had sent them. I would find Jirachi first, then I would deal with my demonic brother, my little brother who was now dead to the world. Consumed by the darkness that was polluting the world, and there was nothing anyone could do about it. We can only survive, and continue to fight until the day the darkness claims us as well.

An ominous wind shook the trees and my fur coat, bringing with it the smell of ashes, and corpses. Somewhere, a city was burning...

Review, tell me how I did.