Part 1: Genesis
Legends
of Team Rocket
Part
1: Genesis
By DK
KEY:
This indicates
thoughts.
{This indicates
Pokémon speech.}
[This indicates
psychic speech.]
(Author's Note:
In case this confuses you in the situation of a psychic Pokémon
talking, think of it this way: there is no Pokémon language to
psychic speech; you hear the words directly inside your mind and
they are completely understandable by all.)
(Four years ago)
As Utor entered the
dark, unlit room, he made sure that he closed the door as quietly
as he could. The Boss didn't need to be irritated further,
not after his latest blunder. He grimaced as he pictured the
Boss's reaction to his report.
"This may well be
my last," he muttered to himself as he strode forward
towards the tall, oaken desk placed near the back wall.
A shadowed figure sat
behind it on an expensive velvet chair. Utor's head was
bowed; he dared not make eye contact.
The deep, sinister
voice rolled across the room like thunder. "Darru has
escaped again." It wasn't a question.
Utor braced himself
for an attack. When it did not come, he realized that the Boss
was awaiting an answer. "Yes," he answered as firmly as
he could. The Boss didn't appreciate weak agents,
particularly the ones which communicated directly with him. Most
members of Team Rocket never even so much as entered his
presence.
The dark form got up
from his chair soundlessly, vastly in contrast to the loud
footsteps even the intricately woven Oriental rug couldn't
absorb. Utor contented himself to stare at the Boss's
costly, black, dress shoes. Even the slightest movement could
earn him a quick death.
The blow came swiftly.
Utor had been half-expecting it, so luckily he wasn't as
injured as he could've been. Utor's huge frame went
flying across the room and thudded heavily against the far wall.
His large body slid down with a slight screeching noise until he
lay in a crumpled heap upon the dustless floor. As the pain began
to ebb away, he contemplated whether to risk standing up, or to
simply lie there and catch his breath. The latter seemed to
appeal more to him, so he remained huddled on the floor, head
still lowered.
The Boss's voice
was soft with anger. "You underestimated him. As always. As
a former member, he knows our weaknesses. But," the Boss
added, and Utor could sense the TR leader's evil smile,
"I know his own limitations as well."
A powerful hand
clamped onto Utor's neck and jerked him up into the air like
an uprooted weed. Utor's thick boots hardly brushed the
floor as the Boss kept him suspended. Utor was forced to look at
the notorious leader's face: piercing brown-black eyes
peered out from underneath a mask of the darkness that shadowed
him; a sharp, well-chiseled nose; an angry line of a mouth, now
curled back to reveal white rows of even teeth in a cruel,
mocking grin; a hairline that rode farther back on his smooth
forehead; high cheekbones; and, lastly: slashing, thick eyebrows,
giving him a permanent frown on his face. Despite the frown, the
Boss may have been classified by most females as good-looking.
But the coldness in his eyes betrayed him; his entire being was
evil, and devoted to destructive causes.
His unblinking eyes
bore into Utor's skull, the evil in his eyes evident. Utor
didn't even bother struggling in the iron grip, which grew
tighter (with) every second that passed by. Utor's breath
was coming in short, ragged gasps, as he was gradually
suffocating.
The Boss opened his
mouth to speak. "You will capture Darru, alive, and bring
him back to me. I have been very lenient with you. One more
failure, one more mistake" - the dark man's grip
tightened with emphasis upon the words "failure" and
"mistake" – "and you shall never live to see
the light of another day." The hold nearly wrenched his neck
off. "Is that clear?"
With painful effort
Utor nodded his head. "Y-y-yes" he croaked
hoarsely. He didn't think he'd be able to last much
longer.
However, the Boss
seemed satisfied with that, as he dropped Utor to the ground. His
massive body crashed against the ornamented carpet, panting for
air. Utor lay sprawled out for a few minutes, finding his lungs
functioning again to give his windpipe a much-needed break from
being nearly strangled to death.
Once he had the air
moving normally again through his mouth and nose, he struggled to
his feet. "I won't fail you this time, sir," he
stated, his voice gravelly and rough from his coughing.
"Darru will be yours." He spoke with a bit more
confidence than he had earlier.
The TR head honcho
returned to his seat and sank into it with a slight creak.
"Good. Remember to bring him alive. You may do whatever you
want to restrain him, but leave him breathing. And if you fail,
you shall die. Dismissed."
That was all Utor
needed to hear to get out of that hellhole. He nodded quickly and
bolted out the door. Once safely outside, he leaned against the
outer wall of the Boss's office, closing his eyes and
enjoying the fact that he was still living. It surprised him; he
had expected to be either tortured or killed. He shook his head
to clear his joyful thoughts. Now was not the time to celebrate.
He had a job to do.
Stretching his thick,
strong arms, he proceeded down the long, narrow, dimly-lit
passageway to the entrance of the briefing room. He had already a
few members in mind to take along on the mission. The rest he
would hand-pick during the briefing. He imagined Darru's
scrawny little neck between his large hands as he strode down the
hallway. His eyes slitted with hatred at the thought of the
double-crossing bastard. His life had nearly been taken at the
expense of Darru. Oh, he'd bring him back, alright. This
time it was his last chance. He wouldn't blow it.
"Darru,
you're mine," he whispered.
*=*=*=*=*
Sirens wailed in the
distance as the sky began to darken, thunder rumbling in the
distance, occasional flashes of lightning illuminating the
shadowed landscape. All over Pallet Town, both people and
Pokémon alike were baffled by the unusual weather. After all, it
was the middle of winter; the white, powder-like snow was still
fresh upon the icy streets.
One particularly
pooped weatherman arrived home with his hair disheveled
and his suit wrinkled after an extremely busy day. This sudden
thunderstorm was really driving him bonkers. He frowned as
a single, lonely raindrop fell from the gray, clouded sky and
splashed on a bald spot on the back of his head. He rubbed the
spot furiously, as if the droplet had been acid, and stormed into
the house. As he entered, he slammed the door with such force
that his wife, a trim, pleasant-looking woman in her forties, had
to dive clear across the living room to save a very rare and
valuable antique china doll from shattering on the hardwood
floor.
Normally, being a
loving husband, the weatherman would've helped her to her
feet, apologized, then shared a laugh about the whole thing. But
not today. His mood was as sour as lemon juice, and he was still
a bit steamed about the storm. Actually, there was a storm of
anger in his own head as well.
His wife recognized
the warnings immediately, and kept herself out of his way. If she
did the tiniest thing to upset him, he would explode. He was
stressed out, and needed some time to relax, simmer down.
He plopped down onto
the white, leather couch, grabbed the remote and began to idly
flip channels, sipping his mug of warm coffee his wife prepared
for him every now and then. He stretched his fatigued legs in
straight out in front of him as his face flickered in the light
of the bright TV screen. He happened to glance over at the living
room window, curtainless and still revealing the lightning
strikes of the storm. Angrily, his sour mood returning at full
strength, he stomped over to the window and was just about to
close it when something odd caught his eye. He shifted his gaze
to stare at the strange occurrence, and to his utter shock he saw
wide, muddy footprints making themselves quickly past the side of
his house.
He rubbed his eyes
thoroughly and looked again. There went the footprints. This
time, they'd reached the sidewalk and the man could actually
SEE the mysterious footprints shifting an invisible weight from
foot to foot. Footprints and yet no ownerthe man blinked,
then stared directly above the space where the footprints were.
He saw nothing, assumed his mind was simply playing tricks on
him, and was just about to turn away when, for a split second, he
saw the distorted, faint outline of a dark, shadowy figure, and
for only a second; the outline disappeared again into thin air.
The man just stood
there, frozen at the window, completely lost in thought at what
he'd just perceived. Finally he came to the conclusion that
whoever he told this tall tale would think he was possessed, and
shook his head vehemently to clear it. He threw his half-empty
cup to the floor, cracking the mug and spilling coffee all over
the floor. His wife stared at him for a moment, eyes wide, face
pale. Her husband wouldn't hurt a fly, much less do
something as violent as this.
He returned her
appalled gaze, and opened his mouth to speak, say something
soothing and apologetic, but a strange fury welled up inside him
and clamped his mouth shut. He gave her a dirty look as he
stampeded up the stairs. "Bad coffee," he muttered
under his breath as he retreated to the safety of his room where
at last he would get some peace and quietor so he
thought
He opened the door to
his quarters and there, resting comfortably in his favorite
rocking chair, was a burly giant of a man, with arms as wide as
tree trunks, a heavily muscled chest, a clean-cut looking face,
and no less than twelve Poké Balls lining his double-belt.
Surrounding him was an impressive gang of sneering, leering thugs
just about as monstrous as he was. Immediately they surrounded
him in a semi-circle.
Before he could bolt
out the door, two thugs grabbed his shoulders roughly and shoved
him in front of their huge leader, forcing him on his knees. He
looked up with a mixture of anger and panic in his eyes as the
towering blonde-haired man stared directly into them.
"Where is
Darru?" The question came out as a growl.
What? the man
thought, frantic and fearing for his life. "II
don't know what you mean by that question," he
stammered in a wavering voice, afraid to move from his kneeling
position on the floor of his room.
The man only glared at
him. "We have reason to believe you saw the outlineor
shapeof a figure that we're looking for," he said
coldly, not a trace of emotion in his voice.
The weatherman's
thoughts raced, his blood pounded in his head, horrifying
thoughts ran through his mind. "What if that figure really
was somebody? What if he sneaks into my house unnoticed and
murders me for telling this gang of despicable fellows his
whereabouts?" he asked himself as the big man stared him
down, waiting impatiently for the weatherman's response.
"I-I-I don't
know what you're t-t-talking about," he stuttered,
inching slowly back away from the squad of men until his back was
against the door, his sweaty hand trembling upon the doorknob.
The blonde man saw his
plans of escaping and waved his hand. It was apparently a signal
of some sort, as four of the thugs immediately dashed forward
with surprising speed and restrained him, by pinning his arms
behind his back. Their grips felt like iron and he felt as if his
arms would snap off any second. The blonde man got up from the
rocking chair and strode forward towards him, one hand crackling
with gathering energy and another on a strange-colored Poké Ball
on his belt
He grinned
maliciously. "If you refuse to give us any information, we
will force it out of you in all ways possible."
As the terrified
weatherman struggled uselessly against the unshakable grasps of
the big man's henchmen, Utor's tall shadow advanced
upon the wide-eyed, tremulous weatherman as the ball of energy in
his hand began to grow larger
A bloodcurdling scream
of terror and agony echoed throughout the house.
*=*=*=*=*
Underneath the pale
moon, a transparent figure continued to tramp by a neat, quaint
two-story house. His muddied footprints were less than
inconspicuous, but he hardly cared. A fiendishly grinning, dark
purple form followed the nearly-invisible outline at a short
distance, constantly looking behind itself as if it was being
followed. The figure reached the sidewalk and paused for a few
seconds before going on, staring blankly up at the starry,
cloudless sky while contemplating his next move. The purple shape
approached him and opened its mouth to speak, revealing rows of
white, pointed teeth, when a piercing cry of pain reached their
ears.
The dark figure
whirled around and stared for a moment at the house where the
scream had come from, his senses on red alert, then turned on his
heel and broke into a sprint.
The ghostlike creature
started after him, a purple bullet, pushing its speed to the
limit in order to catch up with the blurring shadow that was its
friend and trainer. The figure, showing absolutely no signs of
slowing or stopping, continued to run with amazing speed towards
a nearby forest. He passed through the trees as if they were
nonexistent until he disappeared from sight.
He stopped after he
had put a considerable distance between himself and the house,
his black sneakers smoking in curly, gray wisps. Despite his
incredible run, he seemed hardly exerted, and was breathing
normally. His little purple friend wasn't as in shape, as it
stumbled the last few feet towards its friend, collapsing in a
heaving, panting heap in front of the shadowed figure.
"He's
looking for us, Gengar," the dark shadow said softly, his
calm, deep voice barely audible. Around them, the sounds of the
thickly-wooded forest were heard; the crickets chirping, the
Caterpies crawling, and the leaves rustling gently in the cool,
evening breeze.
Gengar looked up and
nodded, its red eyes glowing like rubies in the darkness of
night. {Yeah. I just wish we wouldn't hafta deal with
Utor's sorry ass again. Last time we met's a memory
I'd like to forget.}
Its trainer nodded
gravely. "Yes. But our meeting is inevitable."
Gengar leaped to its
feet with an angry scowl on its face. {That's a buncha
bullshit, and you know it. Utor's been hot on our trail like
a bloodhound, but has he caught us yet? No. Remember that
you're outta Team Rocket now. No sense in livin' in the
past.}
The dark figure was
about to reply, when his sixth sense told him something
approaching from behind.
Gengar sensed it too,
and its eyes glowed a bright carmine red. Psychic energy
surrounded it in a dark glow as it prepared itself for an
assault. {Whoever it is, it had better not be Utor}
Suddenly, a gruff, yet
loud, voice came rumbling from the shade created by the towering
oaks. "Well, well, well, if it isn't Darru
himself," an all-too familiar voice cackled as a tall,
solidly-built blonde man stepped from the shadows.
{Speak of the devil,}
Gengar murmured as Utor and his gang materialized. Utor grinned
evilly at the still, solemn outline leaning against a tree, and
chuckled to himself. This is just too easy, Utor thought.
His thugs, a
rowdy-looking bunch of hoodlums dressed in the traditional
dark-blue Team Rocket garb, cracked their knuckles in the
anticipation of pounding this "insignificant traitor"
and laughed along with their leader. They had been hand-picked by
Utor himself, surrounded Utor like an honor guard, and their
gray-and-white Poké Balls suggested that they contained Pokémon
trained by Giovanni himself. The dark figure sized them up. A
fight would best be avoided.
"How very nice to
see you again, old friend," Utor chortled, mostly to
himself. "Last time we met was while you were still a member
of Team Rocket, I believe? Yes" Utor went on, not
waiting for an answer. "It was during the TR Tournament in
which you defeated me. I was shamed and ridiculed by that cheap
win." Utor's brow creased in a frown. "I've
never settled for second, and never will. You've nearly cost
me my life by running away, you dirty turncoat, and now
you're gonna pay."
The figure, casually
listening without a word and gazing off into space, now turned to
face Utor. "It's no mystery why Giovanni sent
you," he said in a quiet undertone. "Your pathetic
little grudge against me would make you the best agent to hunt me
down."
"Oh, no, no, no,
my dear Darru, you misunderstand," Utor replied, smiling
devilishly. "There are many other agents in TR who wish to
personally bring back your decapitated head and place it at
Giovanni's feet. But it is I who was chosen because of my
strength and skill."
From behind the dark
silhouette, Gengar snickered. {Yeah, bragging'd go awfully
well with your other hobby, Utor. Lying.}
"You insult me
from behind your master's back, you cowardly spirit,"
Utor retorted, "but do you dare say it to my face?"
Utor flexed his bulging muscles and took a step forward, openly
challenging the still-transparent figure and his ghost Pokémon.
Suddenly, Darru
snapped his fingers and the transparent cloak was lifted from his
body, revealing a sleek, athletic figure clad in a sleeveless
black shirt and loose, baggy jeans. Keen, discerning hazel-brown
eyes were covered by two long, jet-black bangs, which were
abruptly pushed out of the way. The rest of his hair was rather
short and spiky. His ebony-black hair, brown eyes, and tanned
complexion hinted that he was of Oriental descent. His features
were striking and well-defined, and he would probably be
considered good-looking by most girls. He clenched his fist, and
a large purplish-blue vein humped up on his well-muscled arm like
an anaconda on a sidewalk.
He gave a faint nod in
Gengar's direction, then fearlessly stepped up to meet Utor
face to face and said coolly, "Well, Utor, now's your
chance for revenge."
Utor gave a wry smirk.
"Yes. And I will relish every moment of it." Utor waved
a hand at his thugs, signaling them to surround Darru to prevent
his escape when Gengar floated up into the air, reaching
Utor's eye level.
{Yeah, I'd say it
to your ugly face,} Gengar said smugly, {but I think I'll
let my Nightshade do the talking!} Gengar released all the
pent-up energy it had been storing ever since Utor's
unexpected appearance in a thick, dark beam, aimed directly for
Utor's face. It traveled through the crisp night air
quickly.
Utor hardly had time
to instinctively raise his arm protectively in front of his face
before the attack hit home, sending Utor flying backwards into
some trees.
With angry roars at
the hit scored upon their leader, Utor's henchmen converged
upon Darru. Their thick arms were outstretched to ensnare him, an
impenetrable wall of formidable men. Darru calmly watched as they
closed in upon him. At the last minute, he drew a sharp, barbed
scimitar from his side. He nimbly dodged their punches with
relative ease, then struck one thug with such force the
thug's entire body was carved in two pieces, flopping side
by side on the forest floor.
The other men,
sickened by the gory sight of their fallen cohort, backed away
from the sword-wielding warrior. After a bit of quick thinking,
they decided that their Pokémon should do the dirty work.
Meanwhile, Utor rose up from the pile of broken tree trunks and
branches and began to walk towards Darru, his eyes narrowed in
hate, despising Darru's entire being with all his heart. He
reached out with both hands to grab a gigantic tree trunk, hefted
it onto his shoulder, then heaved it in Darru's direction
with a grunt.
Darru saw it coming
and reacted immediately, whipping his red sword in a fiery arc,
slicing it completely in half, the two distinct pieces dropping
to the ground with loud crashes. He eyed Utor's men warily,
silently daring any of them to step up and fight him. In answer,
Utor's agents released their Poké Balls, letting out the
powerful Pokémon inside
A Machamp, Rhydon,
Golem, Alakazam, Blastoise, and Beedrill popped out from the
Poké Balls, all in excellent fighting shape. Darru watched them
carefully; the odds were now against him six-to-one.
The agents sneered at
this young fool that openly defied the best of Team Rocket. One
of them stepped up, a leering smirk imminent on his dirty,
bearded face. "Little sucker, you jest got lucky
choppin' that tree. Machamp! Tetra-punch!" The Machamp
rushed forward, all four arms gaining energy as it ran with a
battle cry, then swinging at the same time in four Mega Punches.
Gengar zoomed in front
of Darru during the last second of the attack, setting up a
transparent psychic barrier around the two of them. The
Machamp's blows were so powerful, however, that the barrier
was shattered and Gengar was thrown back into its trainer's
arms, where it glowered silently. No one had ever broken its
barrier before.
Darru said nothing as
he warded off the Machamp's attacks with his glowing red
blade. It was now raining blows with all four arms, and even
Darru with his own superhuman speed found it difficult to protect
himself from being hit. The trainer drawled from a few feet away
as he watched his Machamp continuously pound the young renegade.
"Yeh don't stand a chance, little feller," the TR
agent jeered as the rest of the gang joined him in raucous
laughter. Even Utor couldn't help but smile wickedly. Darru
wanted terribly to take his sword and cut that smile right off
his face, but he was busy.
Gengar recovered
itself quickly, springing into action with a Confuse Ray attack.
The attack briefly stopped the now-baffled Machamp as it fought
to regain its thoughts. Darru took this time to quickly score
three quick blows to the superpower Pokémon. His blade trailed
crimson streamers as he slashed the Machamp to ribbons, the
Pokémon's blood staining his black shirt a deep vermilion.
He calmly returned his bloodstained sword to his side as the
Machamp staggered for a few steps before toppling pitifully to
the ground in a pool of its own blood.
The man, surprisingly,
only laughed. "You ain't seen nuthin' yet, boy.
Nuthin'." He nodded to the other men, who each began to
bark out various commands to their own Pokémon. Gengar first
glanced in horror at the oncoming tide of onslaught, then back to
its master, who remained deathly still, simply standing there,
sword sheathed and still dripping with the Machamp's blood,
fists loosely clenched at his sides.
Gengar shook his head
in wonder. What the hell does Darru think he's doing
now? Gengar shrugged. Might as well help him out. It
was about to launch one of its most devastating Nightshade
attacks when, in the very back of its mind, he heard a very
inappropriate taunting psychic voice, directly in his mind.
Gengar had a sudden hot flash. The Alakazam!
Gengar spun to face
this worthy opponent. [Foolish ghost! You dare oppose Team Rocket
and expect to escape alive?] the psychic Pokémon bellowed in its
mind.
Gengar sneered. [I
think it's the other way around,] Gengar said in an
insulting tone. [If you're stupid enough to join Team
Rocket, you don't deserve to even be called a Pokémon.
Unless you were brainwashed and forced to join, but I doubt
that.]
[I was certainly not
brainwashed,] the Alakazam countered. [If I had been, you would
have noticed a glazed look in my eyes. But I joined of my own
free will. I wanted more than a petty, diminutive life of an
average Pokémon, always doing nothing but training and
battling.]
Gengar's lips
curled up dismissively. [Then you must've had a trainer that
treated you like dirt. That's what made ya turn tail, eh?]
Alakazam's eyes
glowed a bright white and a white beam shot out of its
outstretched spoons. Gengar, expecting the blow after its taunt,
nimbly dodged it. [You speak of things that you know nothing
about, my little specter friend,] Alakazam said without a hint of
emotion in its voice. [Your master has obviously not taught you
proper manners.]
A dark glow began to
surround Gengar as the two Pokémon rose into the air in psychic
balls of energy; Gengar's, a transparent black;
Alakazam's, a light purple. [You've just contradicted
yourself, Al,] Gengar pointed out with a mocking grin.
[Don't talk about stuff you don't know anything about.
Stung by your own Beedrill.]
Alakazam's eyes
narrowed in hate, and launched another Psybeam more powerful than
the one fired earlier. Gengar laughed as the beam was harmlessly
absorbed into the dark energy forcefield surrounding him, then
counterattacked with a Nightshade.
And so, the two
Pokémon engaged combat.
*=*=*=*=*
"Rhydon! Horn
Drill!" another TR agent commanded the Rhydon as it charged
forward with the force of a bullet train. Darru speechlessly
watched the Rhydon's deadly charge. He kept his eyes focused
on the blurring gray form, then just as the Horn Drill was about
to hit, he leapt aside, grabbing the drill with his bare hands as
he did so.
Darru grimaced
slightly as the drill burned and peeled the skin of his palms,
but he held on tightly, his powerful grip eventually stopping the
drill. Expressions of surprise and amazement were on the
agent's faces as Darru threw the Rhydon towards the
Blastoise, who quickly Withdrew, but couldn't keep itself
from sustaining minor damage.
"Beedrill! Twin
Needle attack!" The Beedrill rushed forward in a flurry of
wings, buzzing madly as it stabbed in nearly undodgeable blows
with its twin needle-like arms. Darru began to block them with a
series of extremely quick movements of his hands and forearms,
too quick for the human eye to see. Strangely, he seemed very
relaxed as he did this.
The TR agents wisened
up and decided to use more than one Pokémon at a time.
"Blastoise!" an old, haggard agent hollered at the
turtle Pokémon. "Quadra-cannon attack!"
As Darru looked on
intently at the mention of this new attack, the Blastoise's
shell opened two slots near the bottom, now packing a total of
four cannons. It stooped down on all fours, let out a loud rumble
which shook the forest, and let loose with four Water Cannons.
Darru smiled. It was a
familiar attack pattern, the same one the Machamp had used
earlier. Before the water reached him, he thought quickly and
determined that the Beedrill's weakest point would be
straight up the middle, the sides being well-covered by his
needles. If he could just do it at the precise moment
In a split second,
Darru had slammed his fist into the Beedrill's chin in a
fierce uppercut, launching it into the sky. Then Darru proceeded
to follow it into the air, executing a combination of
air-bending, blurring punches and kicks that left Beedrill dazed
and battered. Once back on the ground with a half-conscious
Beedrill in his arms, he quickly dodged the shooting jets of
water with a series of somersaults and flips, ending up right
next to the Blastoise. Darru saw the opportunity to strike and
cocked the Beedrill behind him before flinging it, stinger first,
at the Blastoise.
The Beedrill was just
about to hit the bullseye when a basketball-sized fist smashed
into the limp body of the bug Pokémon, sending it flying into
some underbrush. The mighty Golem smirked at the runaway, its
Virginia ham-sized fists still clenched, then raised its arms
over its head like an executioner ready to swing down his ax.
With an earth-shaking roar, it slammed both fists into the
ground, sending earthquakes along the forest floor and uprooting
entire trees. Darru avoided the various tree trunks and branches
that crashed down from above as the Golem continued to wreak its
havoc in the forest. The TR agents only scoffed at Darru's
unfortunate predicament, themselves being protected in a psychic
barrier a Kadabra had set up over them.
Darru had no choice
but to bring out his sword; he couldn't possibly avoid the
falling trees and elude the Golem's Earthquakes at the same
time unarmed. Drawing the red-hot blade so fast it whistled,
Darru proceeded to slice and dice his way through in trying to
get at the Golem.
"Fool!" Utor
shouted from under the protective barrier. "You cannot
possibly survive!"
Darru's eyes
narrowed. "Try me."
Utor's brow
wrinkled. Something about the way Darru had said, "Try
me" made him reevaluate his statement. "All right
then," he called out cheerfully to the hacking and dodging
Darru, "I'll raise up the stakes! Blastoise, Hydro
Pump!"
Darru's eyes
widened as, in addition to the never-ceasing quakes, immense
blasts of water rocketed up from the split ground all around him.
It wouldn't be long before he finally gave into the
elemental surge. It appears that I have no choice, he
thought to himself as opened his right hand wide, palm up, and a
black-and-white Poké Ball floated in it. "Quastar,
go!" he whispered voicelessly as the Poké Ball opened in a
blinding white flash of light. (Author's Note: If
you're confused how I came up with this name, try looking up
the word "quasar" in a dictionary.) Almost immediately,
a celestial, starlike Pokémon appeared at Darru's side. It
was glowing so brightly it was difficult to make out the shape of
the Pokémon, but the brilliant effulgence faded quickly,
revealing a medium-sized, four-pointed star Pokémon, somewhat
resembling a Staryu. The jeweled center sparkled a ruby red, and
the remainder of the Pokémon's body was a shimmering white.
Darru's blade was
in a thousand places at once, hacking and slashing for dear life
as Utor and his cronies looked on with smirks on their faces. One
particularly large tree trunk snapped without warning, and
tumbled down upon the unsuspecting Darru. His hands were full,
and he wouldn't be able to dodge in time
The oak was inches
from crushing the marrow out of every bone in his body when three
white stars shot out of nowhere, striking the tree and reducing
it to sawdust. Knowing where the Swift attack had come from Darru
quickly commanded, "Star Shield." A glowing, circular
shield constructed of pure energy materialized in his hand with a
dazzling burst of light. A red star was imprinted in the center
of the shield, hence the name. Just as another violent gust of
water erupted from the ground, Darru calmly stepped into the
pathway of the Hydro Pump. Darru felt nothing as the force of the
impact was absorbed into the shield, and the water harmlessly
splashed to its sides.
Utor was now more than
ready to lash out at his longtime enemy and rival, but he waited
for the precise moment. For now, he simply bided his time under
the protective barrier, which shimmered from time to time due to
various blows from falling trees.
Darru shifted his gaze
from the trees to the Golem, which momentarily stopped its
frenzied pounding to glare back. I'll have to make this
one quick, he told himself as he shot a glance at the
hovering Quastar, which awaited his command. "Quastar, you
know what to doNova Strike." Quastar glowed briefly,
then shot forward in a white blur, cutting straight through the
surprised Golem with remarkable swiftness. As it skidded to a
halt not far away from the Golem, the Golem's rock-hard body
was separated in half. While it was still in shock from the
slicing and not yet completely dead, a dazzling explosion lit the
forest as the Golem's body burst into pebbles.
The fragments of
Golem's body showered down on the barrier as Utor grew
angrier and angrier. He felt as if he were a ticking timebomb
about to blow. All that pent-up rage exploded from within, and he
rushed out of the barrier with surprising speed for such a huge
man. He created a hole in the barrier with a well-placed punch
and charged straight at Darru, drawing his own door-sized
broadsword with a metallic ring.
Darru was just about
to deal with the Blastoise when in the corner of his eye he saw
Utor rush at him in a furious rage, giant broadsword swinging.
Darru's own glowing scimitar stopped the blow just in time
before it could remove his head from his shoulders, but the force
of the blow was so strong Darru was sent flying into the air. He
performed a quick flip in the air and landed safely on a fallen
tree stump. Darru's eyes narrowed into calculating slits.
"Still at it, I see," he said quietly. "This
battle is pointless. It will never lead to anything but more
violence and killing."
"Then perhaps you
should give yourself to prevent further attacks on innocent
people," Utor shot back. "You want to end all this
fighting, correct?"
Darru remained silent.
Utor laughed aloud.
"Insolent coward! I refuse to end this battling until I hurl
your little pieces across the sky as a victory banner! You know
this as well, Darru. I suggest you stop running and start
fighting. As I and my men have proved today, fleeing from Team
Rocket is useless." Utor threw his thickly muscled arms out
wide at the city that lay at the outskirts of the forest.
"Innocent blood will continue to spilled in the streets
until you are eliminated. Giovanni will tear the entire world
apart, if need be, and he has the power and brute strength to do
so. There will be nowhere to escape."
Darru still said
nothing, but his glowing red sword remained poised.
"You have two
choices," Utor went on. "You may either be taken here,
right now, in this calm, peaceful forest, or you may be taken in
the shattered, burning remains of this earth."
Finally, Darru spoke.
"There is a third choice," Darru stated plainly.
"I can defeat you here and now in this so-called calm,
peaceful' forest and end this foolish fighting." Darru
tossed his shield up into the air, which disappeared with a flash
of light, then returned his Quastar. Utor signaled his men and
his Kadabra to back off and give them some room.
Utor's lips
curled up in a smirk. "And what is your choice, then?"
Darru's blade
rose, and he crouched in a fighting stance.
Utor's eyes
slitted. The time had come to vanquish this traitorous upstart
once and for all. "So be it."
Utor raised his
broadsword as well, the moonlight glinting off the silver blade.
His body suddenly seemed to engulf in bright energy, and he
roared as the energy flowed through his entire body. Darru nearly
shuddered. Utor's roar had all the soothing effect of a
chainsaw.
Darru closed his eyes
and began to concentrate, and dark, shimmering energy began to
surround him as well. Waves of dark energy began to radiate from
his body as his feet left the ground, his entire body rising into
the air. When he reopened his eyes they were colored a blood red.
They rushed at each
other, blades swinging, slashing, thrusting, parrying. Darru
blocked a blow that send him reeling, but quickly regained his
balance and counterattacked with an slash that nearly made Utor
lose his grip on his broadsword. The two swords clashed with
explosions of red and white sparks. As Gengar and Alakazam passed
by, exchanging psychic blasts, Gengar joked, {Now, all we need is
some blue, and we'll have a regular Fourth of July fireworks
show.}
The two battling
Pokémon disappeared from sight as Darru let loose with a barrage
of air-bending slashes. Utor, surprisingly, was able to block
them all, but each came a hair closer to cutting open his body.
The last blow packed such a punch that Utor went hurtling
backward into half a dozen trees before hitting the side of a
large cliffside.
The impact shook the
entire mountain, raining down an avalanche of boulders on
Utor's unmoving body. Darru, assuming he'd done enough
damage to Utor for one day, turned to leave the forest when he
heard a tremendous cracking noise behind him. Whirling around, he
saw Utor emerge from underneath the high stack of rubble with an
explosion of energy. Utor thundered out, "I'LL KILL
YOU, DARRU!!!" when he caught sight of Darru and began to
fly toward Darru at breakneck speed, energy trailing behind him.
"I should've
seen this coming," Darru muttered to himself as he swung his
scimitar with incredible force, the glowing-hot blade trailing a
crimson streamer of light. He was more than astonished when Utor
deflected the blow effortlessly with his own sword and slashed
Darru's torso from right shoulder to left hip. Darru was
violently propelled backward, skidding across the ground in a
blur until he came to rest by hitting a large tree trunk, his
back smoking. He had paved the forest ground in front of him in a
trail leading to his broken, bloodied body leaning against the
cracked tree.
He struggled to his
feet, and that's when Utor's viselike hand grabbed him
by the neck and jerked him up as if he were a ripe turnip during
the harvest. As Darru thrashed uselessly in the steely grip, Utor
sneered wickedly. "Incompetent fool," he said as he
relished the moment, squeezing as hard as he possibly could.
Darru could feel life itself escape from him as Utor continued
talking. "I should finish you right now, you stupid bastard,
but I won'tjust yet." As Darru's face
contorted with pain and his body began to go numb, Utor cocked
back his powerful arm. "First I'll have a little fun
toying with your battered body." With that, Utor's fist
smashed into Darru's chest, sending him crashing against an
oak. Blood spattered across the rough bark as Darru slowly slid
down the trunk, gasping for air.
Energy began to gather
in the palm of Utor's hand as he continued his incessant
taunting. "Had enough yet, my dear friend? Or perhaps
you'd like some more?" Utor launched an energy ball
straight for Darru. With every ounce of strength left in his
body, Darru rolled off to the side just as the tree vaporized. He
grunted in agony as Utor's foot caught his side, catapulting
him in the air, where Utor's sword intercepted him in
mid-air and opened a large gash in his back. He struggled to his
knees, coughing up a mixture of saliva and blood. Utor's
giant frame stood over him, his shadow looming over his kneeling
body.
"Such a pitiful
sight, to see the great Darru reduced to a limp, ragged
wreck," Utor crooned. "In a few minutes, Giovanni shall
have you in his grasp, and I shall be the top agent in Team
Rocket yet again." He cackled evilly in pure triumph as his
thugs behind him erupted into loud cheering and shouting.
The eerie red glow in
Darru's eyes had winked out long before, but now it had
returned, and a renewed strength seemed to recharge the fallen
warrior. "I'm not done yet, Utor," he said in a
hoarse whisper. "You have underestimated me."
"What?" Utor
spat as Darru leaped to his feet, energy crackling down his
muscular arms and down into his hands. Before Utor could say
more, a gargantuan beam thudded into his chest. Utor flew
backwards, through trees and rocks, until he reached his group of
men, Kadabra's barrier still suspended over them. His entire
bulk striking the barrier had destroyed it completely, and he
crashed headlong into his men before finally coming to a painful
stop. As Darru looked on silently, Utor slowly got up. Strangely
enough, he looked hardly scratched at all despite the incredibly
long fight in comparison to Darru's rent, maimed body.
Utor sneered at Darru
from across the ruins of the forest. "I can see that I have
indeed underestimated you," Utor called out. "I will
wait until a more opportune time to assault you." But just
as he turned, he called over his shoulder, "Compare your
condition with mine, Darru. You may call it a victory, but I call
it progress! Next time we meet, you may be sure that your life
will be crushed between my bare fists." With a snap of his
fingers, Kadabra's barrier surrounded his band of troops
once again and the group rose into the air. Alakazam and Gengar
broke apart, Alakazam saying, [We will fight again,] as it too
rose into the air to join Utor and the others. In a matter of
seconds, Utor had disappeared completely from sight. But his
laughs still rang in Darru's ears as the bruised warrior
slumped down into the tangle of broken branches, saplings and
tree trunks. Gengar flew down to his side, deeply concerned.
Darru cracked open his
bleeding lips to speak, but Gengar silenced him. {He didn't
win, and that's all that mattersfor now.}
Darru nodded in silent
contemplation. Then he turned his head towards the sky, staring
at the spot where Utor had disappeared. As the first welcoming
rays of dawn peeked out over the treetops, Darru whispered,
"This is only the beginning, Utor. Only the beginning."
*=*=*=*=*
End of Part 1.
Copyright © 2000. E-mail: rpgmaster@netzero.net
---POKéDEX---
Quastar
Type 1: Star
Type 2: Light
A celestial Pokémon
known to travel through outer space. Some are mistaken as stars
due to their solar-reflective skin when seen at night. No other
information on this Pokémon is available.
Evolution: When a
Quastar reaches its maximum level, a Star Stone will cause the
Quastar to evolve into a Quastellar.
Attacks used:
Swift
Type 1: Normal
Type 2: Star
A nearly unblockable
series of stars hits the target. Size, shape, and color may vary.
Star Shield
Type 1: Star
Type 2: Psychic
By sacrificing
one-fourth of its max HP, the Pokémon creates a shield which
protects the bearer from nearly all attacks. Once the shield is
returned, the Pokémon will regain its normal HP max and any lost
HP. If the Pokémon is knocked out or killed, the shield will no
longer function.
DISCLAIMER: Of course
I don't own Pokémon, if I did I'd probably be in some
100-room mansion in Japan talking trash with Nobuo Uematsu and
not writing fics, so don't sue me. However, Darru, Utor,
Quastar, and all other aspects of this fic are mine (well, duh, I
made them up!), so get permission if you wanna use em.