Think of this as Shadow recounting it all in his head while speaking to Ash. R&R.
And HOLY HELL...this is long. Remember to take a break in between so you don't burn out your eyes!
Chapter III: Shadow's Story
September 6, 2061 7:12 p.m.
The fire crackled hotly in front of him. To his side, Light held his paw, earnestly smiling to assure him. On the other side of the hot orange, Ash and Bolt sat, silent.
So many memories went through his head. There was just so much to tell…but he wanted to tell.
It was like a way to just…let it all out, so maybe someone else could try to understand him, like Light maybe did.
Shadow exhaled, looking directly at Ash and opening his mouth to answer Ash's question…
…
I am Shadow.
I am the end result of a good man's experiments that had to be used for evil.
I was raised to believe that the cause I was fighting for was right, and that the ones fighting us were enemies to both my 'friends' and me personally.
They had told me I was fighting to avenge my parents. They had told me that the Kanto Army was responsible for their deaths, and by extension, so were the people of Kanto themselves.
I fought, bled and tore through the ranks of Kanto Army regulars many, many times. With my own two paws I bashed so many skulls in. With my tail I had sliced clean through their bodies. With all by legs I had stepped upon their fallen like a mass carpet of death for me.
Soon enough my name had begun to be known. Even those in the higher ranks of the Kanto Marines had come to dread the day in which they might have to face me in battle. Some had the ability to defeat me with enough bloodshed of their own. Some would not be able to hold up against me for even a minute.
Everywhere I went, whether on a mission or in general combat, I left behind a swath of destruction, ranging from piles of bodies to the burning facades of entire buildings.
…and yet all the time, it did nothing for me.
Vengeance for my parents was always out of reach, because the men, women and Pokémon who fought to defend their homeland continued to stand. Through the many battles I had experienced I could see that they refused to give in. None seemed to dare surrender, no matter how much punishment I personally gave them. It just enraged me…to see that no matter what I did; no matter how hard I tried…they refused to give in to me or to Team Rocket.
Time just kept on ticking for me. New and old faces came and went. However from the time I was placed in a squad it was always the same two with me; Light and Darrel.
…
Darrel and I always had a bit of a rift between us. At times he showed mercy to the Kanto men; at other times he relished stabbing them in the back.
But with Light, I was torn.
She was one of a kind in Team Rocket. She never wanted to kill. Her voice carried the tone of worry almost all the time. Instead of focusing on the mission at hand…she nearly always had to focus on me.
It irritated me, there was no doubt about that. She couldn't just get the mission done herself…she always had to make sure the others were alright. No matter how much I scorned her, no matter how much I told her to leave the stragglers behind, she always had to go back for them.
I knew she meant well, but sometimes it ended up nearly getting her killed. I can remember about four to five times I had to drag her broken body back to a camp to get medical attention for her wounds.
At the same time her kindness to me was…new. The kind of compassion she showed to me was something that I had never experienced before. Whenever I wanted to talk, she would listen. Every time she saw me, she wanted to help.
…
As a whole squad, we were nearly unbeatable. Darrel, though he rarely needed to use one, was an expert with the electro-sabers. He was sometimes even able to deflect lasers back at the people who shot them. Meanwhile, I was the one who would get up-close and personal with the targets, using my natural speed and enhanced strength to beat down opposition. Light would attack from afar, using her electrical abilities as a Raichu to jolt enemies and blast all machinery apart. Even then she had some impressive skills in close quarters, but nowhere as good as mine.
However, our 'unbeatable' squad finally met defeat…overwhelming defeat, even…at the power of Ash and Bolt.
I realize that even if Light hadn't turned on me during the battle, they still would have defeated us. That battle was a decisive point in my life, for sure. From that battle I later trained myself to use Thundershield and Lightning Blade…
…
I continued on in life at Team Rocket, facing battles at Celadon against a woman I've come to know as 'Misty' and against Bolt again. The battle there that left a lasting impression on me, though…was the fight I had with Bolt.
I wouldn't be surprised if Bolt could match the electrical power of Zapdos, or even Zekrom. With one single, powerful electrical attack called 'Thunderstorm' he completely destroyed the street we were fighting on, killing everyone but myself and him.
But then came his comments:
"Is that what they told you? That WE killed your parents?"
That one pissed me off, and even then when I went up to him and started beating his face in, he still seemed calm:
"Shadow, let me ask you…do you think THEY would want you to be in Team Rocket?"
I answered:
"Of course…what better way to have revenge on you guys for killing them?"
…But he only had a short, simple reply that froze me in contemplation:
"Are you sure…they would want you living a life…of pain and hate like this?"
…
I was sent into the foggy, stormy ruins that was what used to be a place called Pallet Town.
As I walked through the streets, I could see nothing but the echoes of destruction. Buildings left and right were torn into by massive holes or were collapsed into piles of concrete, rotten wood and meager plant life.
Pits dotted the desolate, bleak roadway. Many were filled with rainwater, while some led directly to the sewers under the street. Every now and then I came across…skeletons, with tattered clothing just barely hanging to their whitish-gray bones. Many had fallen along the streets and the sides, with parts of bone missing or cracked. A dirt road leading out of town had a hill nearby, with a single, nearly-destroyed structure on top of it with the remains of a windmill on the ground, rusting next to it.
And all around, the smell of blood hung in the air discreetly, but noticeable. Chills went through me with each breath of the stench.
I saw a single, Pikachu-like figure amongst the silhouettes of the ruins. When I stared at it, I saw that there was blood running from its eyes, onto its pitch-black fur. The smile it had was both threatening and friendly:
"Keep Going."
I tried to follow it, but it disappeared into the rain just as lightning illuminated my view. Just then I noticed several more figures approaching me, low to the ground. Once they were close nough I could see what they were in detail: They were like genderless humans, their skin pitch-black. Their faces were nearly blank, save for two, slit-like scarlet eyes. Long talons extended from their hands like curved daggers. As they encircled me I got on all fours and demanded to who they were, only to be answered by an otherworldly screech.
I got up on two feet and charged my electricity into an electrical rod, dodging an attack from behind when one of the creatures lunged at me from behind, piercing my ears with its scream. Recovering, I exchanged slashes with that one creature, smashing by Lightning Blade against its talons until I got an opening. With speed, I jabbed at the creature…
But my attack went right through it, unaffecting the monster. Pain swelled on my back as another ripped its claws into me. I managed to dodge a second strike, but my back was on fire.
If I couldn't damage these things, then how was I supposed to defeat them?
I noticed a cloaked figure standing on top of one of the ruined buildings near me. Its gloved hand touched the unseen face beneath its hood:
"Only the powers of Light, Twilight, and Darkness can harm them."
Using a Thunder attack to hold them off, I jumped back. I turned around at the sound of a click, to have my arm seized by the cloaked figure that was just on top of the building. I struggled for a few short seconds before seeing Ash's face under the hood:
"If you want to defeat them, you have to use this power…the power I saw you use before…"
Seconds later I was on top of the building, dark aura enveloping me. What he had done to me was unknown…but I recognized the feeling of that energy. It was the very same energy I had unleashed when I fought him and Bolt in the forest.
We talked there for a moment. I asked why he was trying to help me…
"Because I want you to help me destroy Team Rocket."
No.
I didn't care if he was a Pokémon Master or not. There was no way that I was going to leave Team Rocket behind, and there was no way I would leave Light and Darrel. Even with the suggestion that I take them with me, I was adamant. There was no way that I would turn on the ones who made me a home…
My reasons for fighting were not for the war. It was to avenge my family…who was killed by the Kanto Army.
Ash was surprised by what I said. Despite the downpour clattering on the cement or the thunder, I could hear him chuckle, angering me:
"I found it funny…because it kinda reminds me of myself."
I challenged that, and found myself dangling in the air a second later, his grip tight around my neck. Cold eyes scanned over me as I glared defiantly at him with bright, scarlet eyes:
. "How would you know I haven't suffered something like that, exactly? What if I told you…that this place, Pallet Town, was my home at one time before your so-called allies came and brutally killed everyone who couldn't escape them, and then obliterated the entire area?"
He gently tossed me back so I could land on my feet, allowing me to get my breath back. He continued on, saying that no matter what, that place would be his only home.
And the creatures below us, he called Ethereals. They were the reflections of the darkest parts of a being's soul. They were…Darkness incarnate…
He walked forward to the edge of the building, allowing himself to fall off. As I rushed to see him fall, he had disappeared…below me Ethereals were clawing their way up the façade of the building. I opened my paw to see dark energy already flowing into it, at my will. Looking down to the Ethereals, I dove off the building with my dark energy awakened…
When I got to my objective in the ruins, I again saw him, with a rose in hand. He planted it in the center of the massive crater while handing me the beacon I had to pick up.
It seemed that he had set this all up. He had sent someone into the base to give me the mission, all so that he could talk with me.
He warned me to keep Light safe. He also told me to keep her power secret from the boss. In the way he spoke about the importance of keeping her power secret, I could tell he was dead serious. Despite the fact that he was an enemy, I figured I should probably do what eh said…
…
The day I found out that Light was actually a spy for the Kanto Army. The day she turned on me and Zero, knocking him out and returning to Misty's side.
That…was one of the lowest points in my life. After all the trust I'd given her, after how much I had begun to warm up to her…she was on the other side, all along. For all I knew, she and Misty had set it all up.
Mourning.
Confusion.
Betrayal.
All of these feelings drenched my mind in a rain. But above all that, one emotion stood supreme:
RAGE.
We fought long and hard. Right before the fight began, Zero had awoken and had gone after Misty. Meanwhile, I stood to contend with Light.
It was my inner power against hers. Light against Shadow. The White versus the Dark.
I hadn't actually summoned my dark power until near the conclusion of our battle, but still…it was a tough battle for me. I could not focus, and thus I could not fight her effectively. In normal situations I might have been able to stop her even when I hadn't powered up. But I was so unstable, so heart-broken by the mental pain that I had to use my dark energy just to pull off a stalemate with her.
The last strike formed a grayish sphere around us. I could only hear her consciousness, not see her. Lamenting in my own mind, I eventually found myself back on the ground, bleeding heavily. Across from me I could see her also lying in the dust, breathing and bleeding as heavily as I was.
Sadness was all that remained in me, and then it was rage that allowed me to pick myself up and slowly, but surely, drag myself to where she lied. Every fiber of my being ached, and every sense of trust and feeling I could've had for her had already broken.
Her eyes held fear, and almost as much sorrow as mine held madness. Seizing her by the neck, I screamed into her face, tears running down my dusty red cheeks...
I had trusted her. She was supposed to be my friend. She had said to me before that she wanted to help me…
But now I saw that she was really on my enemies' side. I took it that she had never really wanted to be my friend at all…it was like I had told her, when we first met:
I'M JUST SOME SORT OF FREAK.
My paw rose above my head, depressed and cold eyes looking over her for what I thought would be the last time. Electricity formed into a blade in my raised paw.
I had actually liked her a little, and I told her that as my Lightning Blade crackled by her chin. Raising the electric saber, I yelled goodbye…to a would-be friend.
Suddenly I was blasted back when she suddenly raised her own paw towards me, hitting me square in the face with an attack of her white energy. Trying to open my eyes, I found that my sight had become very blurry, with photo-negative color to everything. It burned to just keep my eyes open, and I could feel my blood running from them. Figures and shaped in the night bent and twisted into impossible ways…
I could see the terribly distorted image of Zero appearing over the edge of the crater I had landed in. Urgently, I called for him to get help before I passed out…
…
Blinded, I was useless. Bruises and cuts covered my body from the battle. Both outside and inside, I was broken. I could not move. I could not fight back the tears I shed in the infirmary. My entire body felt cold, not exactly numb, but cold nonetheless.
Again, the emotions I felt most in there was a strange mixture of sadness and anger, all concentrated on Light.
I had trusted her. I had…I had come to know her as a friend.
But that was all fake.
Voices in my head tormented me. Whether I was going mad or not, I didn't know. What I could tell was that the voice sounded much like a fiendish version of my voice...
I heard someone walk into the room. The voice was very familiar to me; this man, at least, was a friend to me: Xepher.
He was uneasy, I could tell by the way he was talking. He wanted to take a blood sample from me. Then he told me to act like I was asleep. Immediately afterwards, another entered the room: Dr. Namba.
Heh, they might as well have called him Satan. He was so obsessed with his damn bioweapon research, and he was always using numerous unfortunate test subjects for his experiments. His very voice seemed malevolent, like he was a demon in a human's skin.
That's when I found out about myself. Namba expressed the fact first, rather mockingly, to Xepher:
"It was YOU who suggested telling him those lies about his so-called 'parents' being killed…"
"It was YOU who suggested taking the DNA of that Pikachu of Ketchum's during the siege on Pallet…"
"…new life…through this CLONE."
The word rebounded in my head, over and over again. Was that the reason why I had this power? Because I was just some kind of…EXPERIMENT?
Namba jabbed a syringe of something into me. Whatever it was, it couldn't have just been poison since it travelled through my body so fast. I felt like…like a painful version of what I felt when I summoned my dark energy. Pure darkness concentrated into a syringe?
No. the very concept sounds ridiculous.
The next thing I heard was the sounds of Namba screaming and Xepher roaring. I heard ripping and squelching sounds. The next thing I felt was warm blood splattering on my legs.
I felt the dark power. I removed the bandages covering my blinded eyes.
The energy flowed through me.
Namba had said that I was useless to Team Rocket now. They didn't need me anymore.
It was like Light had said to me when I fought her: I was just a tool to them, only useful until I was broken, like now.
She…she was right.
I just…had to save her. What she had said to me during that battle truly was concern for me. I could remember the worried tone of her voice, but at the time I thought she was just mocking me.
Now I knew it was genuine.
In the next moment I was heading toward the testing area with Xepher, after making my way through many, many Rocket grunts and Pokémon. I killed all who stood in my way, and I…actually enjoyed it.
…
When I finally got to the testing area with Xepher, the main observation room was destroyed, and burning. I jumped out of hole in the wall that leads to the main testing zone. Down there, I saw Light standing in a corner, alone.
I approached her, seeing her body bruised and cut up even more then when In fought her. There was almost no static coming off her body.
She whispered for me to get away from her.
I felt confused. The voice from earlier told me to do what she said.
She told me to get away from her once more, her voice feral this time.
The next moment I was sent flying back when she punched me. HARD.
I could feel residual dark energy coursing over me. When I looked up, I saw her giving the most demonic smile I had ever seen. Her eyes were blood red, with white pupils lined by a ring of black.
Then I heard her voice.
It was unlike anything I had heard before from anyone's mouth. Her calm, soothing voice layered over by another that was deeper, completely sinister. That other voice alone sounded warped…but together they were completely haunting.
That other voice was Marxus.
By the time he had released Light from his influence, I was too tired to go on. He just gloated there in front of me and Light.
"This will prove to be interesting and enjoyable all in one…I will make sure to keep an eye on both of you…"
And the next moment he was gone. I…I had allowed him to leave.
Everything was just falling apart around me. My allies were now enemies. The one I thought was a traitor was actually my friend…
…
Zero had taken Xepher hostage. When I and Light arrived in the room Zero was holding him in, it was filled with Rocket grunts. In the next moment, however, all of them but one were on the ground, dead.
Zero told the last one to leave. Instead, the man stood frozen in fear. When he moved to his rifle very shakily…
Zero slashed his throat.
Light was not feeling well. Her body was far too fatigued from the battle before, when Marxus had control of her. That's when Zero rushed to Xepher at impossible speed for a Pichu, pressing a single claw to my friend's neck;
"…If either of you get within ten feet of Xepher, I'll slice his head clean off."
…That Pichu was probably the fastest enemy I'd faced until then. When he got mad and began slashing all around me, I literally had to stay on my toes. One moment he on my left, then right, then behind and in front. Slash after slash of his claws came…until he went after Xepher when he saw Light trying to release him from the ropes binding him. He disabled me with an electromagnetic slash that paralyzed me, then he went in and quickly dispatched Light before aiming his claws at Xepher…
…but Light jumped in front of him before Zero ran his claws through Xepher, taking the claws meant for him.
I was infuriated beyond the limit now. That day was already horrible for me, but seeing Zero about to execute her just made me snap.
It happened so fast. I caught his paw, then I smashed him into a wall and began choking him, then I threw him out the door.
I walked slowly, viciously toward where he landed while blasting rocket grunts out of the way with fierce Thunderbolts. He weakly raised his claws to me…
"I….I won't…surrender…to a fucking traitor…like you!"
That's when I punched him through the floor below. That's when I saw the life draining out of him as he lay there, dying. I still remember the fear on him turn into weak malice:
"Shadow…somehow…!"
"…somehow…I'll…get even…!"
"…some…day…"
I could still feel a weak pulse coming from his heart, but his blood was running out of him like a river. Looking down at him one last time, I jumped up through the hole above and returned to Xepher and Light, ready for the final part of the escape.
…
Freedom.
We had made it out alive. While Xepher returned to the Kanto Army, Light and I walked through the forest, just trying to find a way. I seriously had no idea what to do at that point. I was lost, but her company gave me some hope.
We were up in a tree after meeting a Pidgeot who told us where we could go: Apparently there was an area full of other 'Chus that we could go to. I told her what he told me, but I was negative about them accepting me. She told me that being a clone meant nothing, and that it shouldn't get in my way.
"…You're stronger than that, Shadow…I know you are…"
All these encouragements…I didn't understand them. After all that I've done in Team Rocket, and what I had done to her sometimes. Sure, I may have saved her from Marxus…but still, anyone else would not even dare go near me after seeing what I had done, like her. Even with that kind of knowledge, she lifted my spirits.
I knew there was more to her encouragement of me. What was she getting at?
Then she touched her cheek to mine and gave our species' 'loveshock' to me…
"I…I love you."
I didn't know how to react…
…love?
For ME?
…
We went through Pallet Town. We saw the numerous, crumbling buildings drowned by torrents of rain. The horrors of so many skeletons, some lined up in rows with holes through their skulls, and others lying randomly in the streets, blackened in holes full of soot or lying like they were shot down while running away.
Light was crying. She said she could hear their voices, wanting us to make their pain stop. She would not take one more step, so I had to drag her on through the downpour of the storms above.
Then we saw a massive bolt of lightning strike the ground far in front of us. Emerging from the electricity was a Pikachu with a dark aura and glowing, scarlet eyes…
…that looked just like me.
"I'm our Ethereal…or as I am specifically, an AntiReal"
Then, HE came out from a portal with what I can assume was Light's AntiReal…
Marxus.
Damn that…monster. He dared to come out now, just after he forced me to fight Light. This time, however, I wanted to fight him myself.
But he…wasn't in the mood for it. Instead, he sent my AntiReal to fight with me.
…I seriously don't know who I hate more. Marxus, or…my AntiReal. I suppose you could call him something along the lines of…
AntiShadow.
Anyway, 'AntiShadow' taunted me about why I really had Light following me. Just the thought of what he suggested…just pisses me off.
To have her there for something like sex later on?
I feel sick at the very idea.
He…he truly was the embodiment of my darker thoughts. I could feel the chills while fighting him, so many negative thoughts going through my mind with each blow me traded, up until Marxus came diving out of the sky with a rod of dark energy…
Only to be blocked from striking me by Ash.
I don't know where he had come from, but I didn't care. He was there, and he had probably just saved my life, now that I know Marxus's true power.
Ash began talking with Marxus. I can't imagine how Ash was able to keep his cool when Marxus mentioned the destruction of Pallet. The talk was brief, however:
"I wanted to have some entertainment…however you have ruined the show. Thus, I will be taking my leave now."
That was the second time I had allowed him to leave, in a span of two days…
Ash got my attention off the thought, however. He told me that if Bolt's parents could not beat Marxus so many years ago, then there would be no way I could defeat him alone any time soon. Next, he asked if Light was ready to return to their base with him…
But she refused, and opted to stay with me instead.
"…I want to stay with Shadow. I'm sorry if this causes any trouble, sir…but he's already saved my life once, and even before then he protected me in battle…I believe I owe him my trust…"
"…and my love."
…
So we arrived at the edge of a large meadow. To my surprise…
Bolt was there to meet us. He and his brother Raisen were both there, and they took us to an apple tree in the middle of the meadow. They and their sister Raika had already dug me and Light a burrow of our own under the tree, next to theirs.
They gave us their own clan symbol: a lightning bolt with a single slash through it. Afterwards, Light and I climbed down into our new home.
The burrow was built very well. The floor and ceiling was all soil, packed together so hard it felt almost like concrete. Two dips in the soil that were about three feet apart from each other were filled with grass for bedding.
I patted down the grass somewhat as I lied down. Opposite me, Light also lay on her side to rest. Instead, however, our eyes made contact.
Then I did not know what made her eyes…light up the room so much. The brilliant color of her coat shined in the dark too. Her lean and curved body enhanced her beauty to me even more so. And to top it off, her soft, understanding voice always had a tone of care and feeling for me…
"Hm. It looks like our friend is having some fun of her own over there…speaking of fun…"
"When are we finally going to have some more…PHYSICAL fun with her, me? It's probably the only reason we allowed her to follow us around, isn't it?"
The very sound of his voice in my head was like poison burning my mind. The message it delivered like the death sentence for a king to me.
Damn it. It's gone through my head before, I must admit it. Doesn't that kind of thought go through everyone's head at one time or another? I valued the friendship we already had, and I didn't and still don't want to ruin it by trying something like that with her…It would be just too soon.
Sure, someday I might like to…maybe…have a litter with her…
But the strain it would put on her would be too much, especially during this war. Besides…I was and am content with the relationship we have now. She seems happy, and I'm happy with it.
Until she says that she's ready for something like that, I'll respect her for it…
"Is there something wrong, Shadow?"
My thoughts were broken by her voice.
I didn't want to worry her, so I told her everything was fine. She smiled at me and turned over on her bed, dozing off. This left me to ponder for a while:
She loved me.
ME…
…
I was standing in a river, confused at everything that had happened. I had stormed off from Bolt, leaving him, Raika and Light behind by a crashed Rocket fighter plane.
My own past came to haunt me in those thoughts. Every truth they told me, now like fragments of shattered glass in my mind. Shattered truths were revealed for the lies they really were.
And now I was left with nothing. What was I supposed to look forward to now? The image of myself in that mirror they had created for me had broken; the mirror image of what I should be broke into shards like everything else.
I noticed that Light was approaching from the grass at the bank.
Cold water splashed from the movement of my legs. At the shore I sent a charge over my body to dry myself, hearing Light greet me.
I told how I was feeling: depressed. Absolutely miserable…
…I just…didn't know what to do now.
Like I had said before, I had no cause now. No reason to continue in the face of my situation. It pained me like nothing I had ever experienced before.
It just wasn't fair. I was a puppet to Team Rocket all along, nothing more. Even if I did try to turn on them, the Kanto Army would instead shoot me on sight.
And worst of all, I was losing myself.
I could feel it within; the dark aura within waiting to be released once more. The knowledge that every time I unleashed it, I lost more and more of myself to that power. That power was the the reflection of me, smiling and staring back at me when we were in Pallet. I could hear the haunting sound of his voice in my head:
"I am the darkest part of you."
Tears fell from my eyes, hitting the cool sand beneath me. I had never shown tears before, nor did I let the sadness ever get the better of me…but this time, it was too much.
All I had been had come to nothing. Everything I had fought for was an illusion. And the worst part:
My life in itself was a lie.
…But then I felt her arms around me, consoling the broken spirit within me. I could only stare out at the red sun over the horizon as she brought me closer:
"…I will help you through anything… and I don't care what happens to me…"
"…You can call yourself tool, fake, lie, or whatever. You'll always be real enough to me…"
"…I'll always be with you…"
…
There was fighting brewing within the clans.
Several Pichu from both had gone missing, and they each believed the other clan was to blame.
We divided up and went searching for them, for some sign of them.
But…
Throughout the whole searching, I found nothing. Even as the skies above took on dark blue shades and the moon came out, I found nothing.
To make it worse, it had begun to rain.
I always had the feeling about myself that if it began to rain when I out, something bad was bound to happen. It had happened in the Pallet Ruins, for instance, when I first saw and fought the Ethereals. It had happened just recently when I first met my AntiReal.
So the question was whether or not something bad would happen.
To compound this, the rain had this affect on me to have me think back on all my mistakes. The rain had always carried a dreary feeling with it for me. When it rained I always believed that either nature or Kyogre was trying to mess with me.
The scent of wet soil wafted through my nose. Streams of water pattered down from the leaves above me, in the trees. All around large puddles began to form on the ground…
I saw a light shade of yellow.
It had stepped out from behind a tree ahead of me, and was now sitting down beneath the edge of a bush. It's ear were triangular, and it seemed to have an L-shaped tail behind it. It looked very much like…a Pichu.
I jogged towards it, hearing sobbing sounds coming from the small 'Chu. I bent my head low to meet its eyes, assuring its safety to it, and that I was there to help…
However, what I saw in its eyes shocked me, its face turning up towards me with a sinister smile: Its eyes were completely light-emerald, glowing with ominous energy.
I heard a sound like knives unsheathing. Jumping back from it, I saw that it had swiped metallic claws at me, each at least six inches in length.
But that's not all that alarmed me…
"Zero?"
It stood straight up, chuckling to itself.
"…We killed him…"
Then, right in front of my eyes, that strange Pichu shape-shifted, its ears growing narrow and its tail forming a thunderbolt pattern like any other Pikachu. The glow of bright emerald dimmed into a chaotic bright scarlet. A tuft of fur rose over its right eye and a torn, leather collar with a red 'R' appeared around its neck…
AntiShadow.
…
I grew angrier with each taunt he made to me…every word that crawled from his mouth bit like the fangs of an Arbok. The very sound of this fiend's voice was enough…but in claiming to actually be ME…
That was where I drew the line. HE was not ME. I am me, and no one else is.
However, I decided to 'play along' with his claim.
I told him about how much I hated the fact that I had just been used…and thus, I said that he must've hated that too.
But it was nothing to him either way. The way he responded made me believed he just simply shrugged it off. He insulted me for the pain I had. He mocked the tears I had shed before, all because they made me seem weak to him.
But then, he crossed the line:
"What, are we about to cry again?"
"Do you want me to go and get our precious Light for you so you can cuddle up like some pup to its mother? Ha ha!"
The pressure I felt as his neck smashed into the tree behind where he had stood was enormous: the sheer force I had used had knocked several branches of it. Even with this, he smiled:
"Did a certain word slip, me? Maybe…"
"LIGHT?"
I seized his neck and slammed him into a tree behind. Dark aura flared up around me as I screamed into his face, forming a blackish sphere of energy around me. But he continued to spew razor-sharp remarks at me, his eyes filled with insanity.
I swung him back in a semi-circle, immediately Thunderpunching him when he tried to recover. With each hit I gave him my temper flared even more. Dark energy rushed from my body with each brutal punch, ending with a roar as I smashed one last fist into his chest. He went flying back, cracking a tree upon impact and making it fall over him. I stood, fuming with dark energy still crackling around me…
Then I heard his laughter. He ripped through the downed trunk he was under and stood out on the outer branches of the fallen treetop. Another strike of lightning lit up the air...
"…Minus this collar around my neck…We are the same…"
"WE ARE ONE."
…
I heard explosions and the sounds of energy racing through the air all around. Bolt ran through the chaos alongside me, a Pichu we had saved minutes before riding along on his back, scared out of her wits.
Ethereals attacked the hundreds of 'Chus all around us, unearthly screeches issuing from their mouths each time they slashed at a 'Chu, either missing or slicing bloody wounds into them.
Suddenly a massive beam of white energy shot out from my left, ripping apart Ethereals that had been in front of me. Even more surprisingly, the massive ray had come from Light.
I turned to face her, and was instantly shocked by her eyes. They were a glowing, brilliant white that had both her usual, mellow caring and at the same time, they were fierce and powerful. Bright aura surrounded her entire body, like a great white fire.
"…I'm sorry that we have to meet again under these circumstances, Shadow…"
Her voice echoed, layered with Light's serious and another's calm voice. Behind a great BOOM seemed to shake the ground. All at once I noticed that the many, many ethereal had stopped attacking and were now looking towards the source of the sound.
Another crack sounded in the sky as Light rushed toward the source, before I could call after her. Saying one or two expletives under my breath, I ran after her.
She stopped several yards away from a ball of black energy that was gathering in the air. Getting on all fours, she stared up to the sphere:
"There you are."
Ethereals around us dropped into the ground as the sphere created one last shockwave before dissipating. Dark energy crackled all around as a single figure floated down to the ground, feet touching and its arms out before it finally touched the ground. Red eyes with black rings around white pupils stared at me and her.
The figure smiled at us, even as both began charging electricity all around us.
Before us stood the answer to this attack:
Marxus.
…
He was the one responsible for those Pichu disappearing…
…He had taken their very souls.
Light, Bolt, Raika, Raisen and I stood there in shock as Marxus displayed the glowing spheres floating above his paw. I could hear small cries coming from them. And all through this Marxus was smiling like the maniac he was.
Light demanded him to release them.
He glared at her, his smile lessening but not completely disappearing from his mouth. Like me, he apparently didn't expect HER to say that:
"…But then again, you're not really Light herself, are you…"
"No, I am not. You know that very well, Marxus. And you know exactly who I am, don't you?"
With his free paw the demon-Lucario quickly charged dark energy…
"I know who you are…Lightforce."
…They had energy attacks colliding with each other. Around the center of collision the very space was getting disfigured. Ground was curling up into the gray area. Sighing, Marxus dodged the last of Lightforce's attack and chuckled.
Moments after Raika interrupted him from speaking a second time, Marxus had grabbed her from behind and had her choking against his arm, with his chest spike pressing down on the top of her head.
Bolt yelled angrily at him:
"Let go of her!"
But instead, Marxus grinned one more before yelling something in some unknown language…
…and ripped Raika's soul from her.
I snapped at the very mention of her 'joining' his collection of souls. I was not about to let him take her, like he had done with the Pichu.
Lightforce, Bolt and Raisen all readied themselves next to me. Looking down at all of us, Marxus threw the ring of souls up to the sky, circling while he spoke:
"…If you manage to defeat me, I will give you back the souls…"
Marxus laughed as more energy began to pour into his paws, all while I charged dark energy and electricity over myself. Lightforce did the same, except with white energy…
"…however, if I defeat you…"
Electricity formed one, unified sphere over all of us. Teeth clenched, I put my hind leg back, ready to spring...
"…I will take your souls as well."
…
The battle went on and on. Raisen had fallen during the very beginning of the battle. The rest of us, however, refused to submit to Marxus…
…But he was not letting up either. Wave after wave of his power came at us. Swift and devastating attacks tore the meadow apart, piece by piece.
He stopped time for a while, so he could get no 'interference' from the 'Chus fighting Ethereals at the side of the meadow. I had been thrown into a nightmarish void, where all I felt was the final blows I had given so many that I had killed while with Team Rocket, all the while being tormented by their voices.
Adrenaline continually pumped through me. If I stopped for even a second, Marxus would surely kill me. At the same time, I had to keep attacking in any way I could.
Electricity danced all around me with each Thunderpunch or Volt Tackle I charged at him with. Bolt's Lightning Blade twirled in the air with him as he distracted Marxus for Lightforce to charge an attack using both of our energy…
A blinding beam exploded from her paws, streaking through the air before ripping into Marxus.
Moments later when my sight returned I could see smoke trailing in heavy volumes from the crater, churned ground all around it. Dust hung in the air as another strike of lightning hit the dome Marxus had erected over us.
We all watched the crater with anxiety before Marxus blasted out with a trail of debris in his wake. I could see blood plopping down from his forehead as he raised himself to face us, still smiling:
"White and dark energy, combined…truly, a chaotic mixture…powerful enough…to cause even me this much physical damage…"
Bolt had somehow shielded both of his downed siblings from the blast. He was to the right of Marxus from mine and Lightforce's position. Looking over both of them, Bolt shifted his view to Marxus when he raised his arm to charge another dark sphere in his paw.
My already sore body tensed up again, ready to sprint away from this attack. The sphere continued to charge in his paw, with rings beginning to revolve around it. When the center of it began to glow, Marxus laughed as he brought his arm back…
…and spun around to throw it at a large crowd of fleeing 'Chus.
The sheer sight of so many 'Chus dying and screaming lit dark energy all around me. The sound of Marxus laughing at it, however…
Made me and Bolt completely SNAP.
Both of us rushed at Mzrxus, cursing him with each earth-shattering Iron Tail or Thunderpunch we smacked into him.
Black aura smashed into him from my Shadow Flare. More and more the ground was cut as the fallout of Marxus's earlier attack kept raining down in small sparks.
Recovering from a Dark Aura attack Marxus hit me with, Bolt hastily told me to go with Lightforce. She, in turn was already behind me, asking me to go with her…
Bolt was fighting him valiantly. He rushed around and over Marxus several times, dodging nearly every counter or strike Marxus had to offer. Even when Marxus used a Reversal to instantly appear from behind Botl continued to fight, true to the fact that he was, after all, a Master's Pokémon…
On the other hand, Lightforce had grabbed my paw. I let her take as much dark energy from me as she needed to. With painstaking care, she released my paw and steadied her arm to aim at Marxus.
By this time I could see that Bolt was absolutely exhausted. He had bitten down into Marxus's arm, refusing to give in.
But Marxus would have none of it. The next I saw Marxus had slammed Bolt into a rock jutting from the ground. Alarmed and angered further, I rushed in to meet Marxus, while Lightforce came rushing in behind with her energy attack.
Marxus ran to get me first. With a powerful wind-back, Marxus punched at me. Only through sheer determination was I actually able to hold his punch, keeping his arm in place:
"This would be unexpected of your species, Shadow…"
"How very FREAKISH…"
I swung off his paw to try to strike with my Iron Tail. Instead, he ducked before slamming his fist into my back, sending me flying into the air.
More pain ripped through my back. My fists clenching in the air, I launched more electric attacks at Marxus, giving Lightforce just enough time to get within range of him…
She screamed something else in that unknown language, just before her paw met Marxus's chest.
I was thrown even higher into the air, followed by waves of rubble and rock from the ground as the explosive force of the attacks blinded me…
I regained my senses far from where they both stood, glaring at each other. From my distance I could only see silhouettes. I slowly began to walk towards them, seeing both suddenly hunch over, the shorter of the two falling onto all fours…
...Marxus stood bleeding heavily, beginning to chuckle despite the fountain of blood pouring from him. Opposite him, Lightforce breathed just a heavily as he did. I coldly told him to just die already. His reply was simple, and sinister:
"Not…yet…"
He stepped back and began to charge an enormous amount of dark energy into himself. Pieces of rock beneath me rose up, crackling from the power. Suddenly things began to get sucked INTO the great sphere he had encased himself in. Waves of energy exploded from it with each piece of forest that rushed into it.
Lightforce ran to my side once more, yelling for me to let her take my power again. I hesitated, knowing what she planned to do:
Jump straight into the black hole.
She screamed my name. Relenting, I grabbed her paw and fired as much of my dark power into her…
Moments later she released my paw, hearing the faint sound of Marxus laughing.
Yelling a battle cry, the silvery form of my power and hers enveloped her as she dove into the sphere…
The next minutes were blurry…
But they were there.
Marxus was there on the ground, motionless in a pool of his own blood. Across from him Lightforce was barely standing on all four legs.
My left leg dragged slightly in the dust when I made my way towards her tired form. She looked up towards me, breathing even more heavily than I was; both of us were covered in bruises and scars. Weird twitches were going through both of us, however she looked more like she was about to drop than me. But we both stared into each other's eyes, speechless though obviously thankful for the other's help.
From behind, Bolt dragged himself forward, holding a paw to his head with his tail raised, almost limp behind him. Looking over the corpse, he looked to Lightforce:
"…You…you did it…"
"…HA…"
We all took a step back as we heard Marxus's weak laugh.
Impossible…how he was still alive was unknown…
But he seemed to know he was going to die…because he began to mock us.
He tempted me to actually go up and kill him. I angrily ran up and punched him, only for him to madly tell me to continue and laugh at me.
Bolt held me back, demanding why the demon was doing all this:
" This world…is nothing BUT a game…you live your life, enduring hardships day after day…and what do you get out of it?
…Death. No matter how much you try, no matter what you try to do to stop it…you end up…passing on into the abyss…"
We all saw that his body was beginning to ignite into black flames. Even when he looked at them, he just continued on:
"I have killed, destroyed, and manipulated both people and Pokémon…all for the reason of making them see how useless they truly are…and once they see, they are far more willing to do things…that would entertain me…"
"…And in it all, I have found that all life is nothing…nothing more than being completely pitiful. To seek eternal life to avoid death is just even more pitiful…by denying death, you only waste yourself away even further…"
…He turned his head to look at me, smiling still despite the fact that his face was beginning to go up in the black inferno:
"…It was fun…to give you nothing more…than a life of lies…"
"…SHADOW…"
"…Your nightmare…is just beginning…"
…Looking up, I saw the ring of souls begin to circle faster before dispersing, going down to the Earth to find their bodies. One shot down to the forest behind us, where I believe Raisen had taken Raika's body…
…
What I remember next is myself waking up the next morning to Light, sleeping soundly in the bed by mine. I stood over her, wondering who it was who had really helped us there yesterday…
Her, or 'Lightforce'…
…or both.
…Outside I saw many, many 'Chus of both clans, working together to replant the meadow that had been torn apart by the battle the last night. Some were trying to help those who were still wounded by the trees…
Raika approached from behind, thanking me for helping Bolt and Light to save both her and the others from Marxus. There was already a lot of talking about me, she said.
…heh. I was a hero.
I still don't know whether I should be given the title or not. Even after I ahd a bit of revelations in the forest. Even after I had a final talk with her and Raisen before having to say goodbye…
…But I know I can achieve it now.
I've thought it over for myself. I can fix everything now. As long as I believe that I can do it, without letting the other Kanto men knowing who I really am…
I know that I can fix it all…
…and as long as Light is at my side as well, I won't give in.
…
Gray and white cinders piled below the wood that had been put in by Ash from a small pile he had to his right. The flame still burned brightly, illuminating all their faces in the night.
The Master had his eyes closed in thought, hand to his chin. All three of the 'Chus looked to him, waiting for him to say something.
"…You've been through a lot…both of you have…" He said while raising his head, eyes hovering over Shadow and Light.
"And yet your will is still strong as ever. What I saw in both of you was true…and if you can go through all that you've struggled through up to now…"
"…Then I know you'll be able to face whatever comes in your futures."
Sorry if it seems to be a filler-type thing. I just wanted to allow you to imagine how Shadow himself would feel within, telling his 'tale' to Ash and Bolt.
Anyway, I hoped you liked it!