All right, let's get this started then.

First up, the legal stuff. It's pointless and has no real weight, but it's here anyway.

All characters, locations and concepts are the properties of their respective copyright holders, whoever that may be. Since no-one reads my stuff, it's unlikely that I'm gonna get sued over it, and I'd be flattered either way, but please don't.

Second, content warning. As those few among you who are familiar with my earlier work will probably have guessed, this fic contains definite Self-Insertion/Sue and probable Canon Defilement. If any of this offends you, stop reading NOW. Although why are you reading fan-fiction if you get offended by Canon Defilement?

Now that all that pretentious rubbish is out of the way...

Poké Rangers: Darkness Rising

Chapter Four – Stonewalled

Things had been quiet since the last battle. To be fair, though, everyone knew it wasn't going to stay that way. At least, not for long. Sure, there was the occasional Karica popping up in the streets, but nothing major like the last two times.


Jon was back playing pool again. Eventually, he thought, he was going to get good at it. James fired one of the red balls into the corner pocket, before bouncing another and missing. He looked up, and noticed that Jon wasn't really paying attention. His mind was wandering.

"Hey. You in there? It's your shot."

"Is it? Sorry."

"Still thinking about what happened?"

"I guess so. It's just that... It took control so easily. And it could happen to anyone."


Somewhere in the world, someone sneezed.


"Maybe. Come on, lighten up a bit, it's over now."

Jon laughed a bit under his breath.

"Yeah. I guess so." He took the shot, and missed. Again.


He broke from my control; he must be made to pay.

The voice in the Darkness was not happy at all.


Outside, the normal atmosphere was disrupted by a rumbling sound. James looked over his shoulder, and saw a large black rock barrelling down the street, making everyone scatter.

"Look out!"

The pair dived out of the way just as the boulder shot past.

"What was that?"

"No idea. But I get the feeling we're gonna find out soon enough."

"What are you thinking? Follow it?"

"Yup."


The boulder continued it's rampage through the streets, smashing through anything that stood in the way. The two boys tried to keep pace, but failed.

"Rangers! The object you are chasing is radiating a large amount of Dark Energy. Be careful."

James grabbed his morpher from his belt, switching it to communicator mode.

"Whatever it is, we can't keep up with it on foot."
"Teleport in; the others are waiting and there may be something that can help you."

"Right."


In the clearing, all five Rangers gathered.

This new creature is fast, but you can be faster.

"How?" Lucas didn't understand.

With these.

A wall of branches slid back, revealing five sleek dirt bikes. Each bore the head of a Garchomp on the front, the front forks were styled on its wings, and the tail ran over the rear mudguard.

These Garchomp cycles will allow you to keep pace with even the swiftest of foes.

"All right." Jon was back in command. "Saddle up; let's get back out there."

Everyone grabbed their morphers.

"Power of light, Poké Rangers unite! Red Infernape Power!"

"Blue Empoleon Power!"

"Green Torterra Power!"

"Yellow Pachirisu Power!"

"Pink Medicham Power!"


The Dark boulder charged down another street, narrowly missing the News van that had parked up on the corner. The close call almost made the driver spill the coffee he was drinking all over himself, something which happened for real when the five dirt bikes tore past. He fired up the engine, and levered it out of the parking spot.


Lucas manoeuvred in behind the boulder, and pressed the button under his right thumb, which triggered a hail of laser bolts aimed right at the enemy. It stopped rolling, bounced into the air, and landed on it's feet, revealing itself to be a Dark Golem.

"Whoa. That hurt." It raised its hand, and an explosion erupted in the street behind the Rangers. Jon put his cycle into a slide, and drew the Fire Tail. He struck the Dark Pokémon on the back of the legs, to no effect.

Of course. Rock's resistant to Fire.

He was mentally kicking himself for not realising that. Lucas sped past, striking it higher up on the back with the Hydro Fin. It made the Dark Golem stagger, and it followed up by causing another explosion under Lucas' rear tire. He spun his bike out, as James bashed the Dark Golem with his shield, and Taki delivered a Psyche-bolt right into where the small of its back would have been. It staggered, and then collapsed. The Rangers dismounted, and began to set up the cannon.

"Ready?" Jon set the dial to green. Everyone else gave an affirmative.

"Solarbeam!"

The cannon barrel glowed briefly, then a powerful beam of white light lanced out and struck the Golem full force. It was enveloped in the explosion, leaving a corpse behind that slowly leaked Darkness.


NO. This is impossible.

The voice seemed to be playing up the villain stereotype. Thankfully no-one was around to hear it.

GROW.


At once, more Karicas formed in the shadows and sped into the downed Golem. James wasn't impressed.

"Here we go again."

"Right. Poké Zords, Engage!"

The five giant Pokémon awakened. The Infernape Zord rose out of the ground on Iron Island, the Empoleon Zord emerged from the sea near Sunnyshore City, the Torterra Zord slept deep within Eterna Forest, the Pachirisu Zord leapt off the mountain by the Valley Windworks, and the Medicham Zord awoke from its meditation by the Sendoff Spring. As they neared Veilstone, each Ranger was teleported into their cockpit. The Golem aimed another explosion at the Zords as they approached, but missed.

"Sinnoh Megazord, combination sequence engage!"

The Pachirisu and Medicham Zords laid down and folded up into their leg shapes, allowing the Empoleon Zord to climb on top. The Infernape Zord then grabbed hold of the combined unit and attached itself to the top, before the whole unit dropped to the floor to allow the Torterra Zord to climb on, forming the back plate and head. The Megazord drew its Sabre as it stood up, and the Golem set off another explosion just as it reached its full height, silhouetting it.

"All right. It's time to take you down!" Jon hit a button on the panel in front of him. "Psycho Cut!"

The Megazord's sabre began to glow with a magenta light, and it proceeded to deliver a slash right through it, repeating several times.

"Let's finish this. Seismic Toss!"

The Megazord grabbed the weakened Golem, and threw it into the air, striking it with the Sabre as it came back down, and sending it spinning into the side of Mount Coronet, where it detonated quite spectacularly.


Jon was sat by himself in the Sports Centre.

"Hey. How are you holding up?"

He looked up. Taki was stood next to him.

"Hey. I think I'm starting to get over it all."

"You know, if you keep isolating yourself like this, then you aren't going to solve the problem. It tried to drive you apart from everyone else, you make it too easy."

Jon laughed under his breath.

"True enough..."