Chapter VI: The Storm Approaches
September 29, 2061 4:16 p.m.
(…)
It was a little weird for Shadow, just to be able to relax. Since the leaders of the army needed some time to think about the potential retake of Viridian City, everyone was practically relegated to holding the area while the other groups advanced in to even out the line.
They were still in a bump of sorts along the perimeter around Viridian, but the army detachment west of them made a breakthrough just the day before, and right now the detachment in the far east were supposed to be attacking.
Thus leaving the KAM-TS to wait for a safe go-ahead from command.
In the distance Shadow could hear the chatter of the mass of soldiers and Pokémon from the KAM-TS, but he was far enough away to not be disturbed…
He didn't specifically know where Light was, but he knew that Sentinel was keeping watch on the road with a group of fellow snipers, and apparently had to go somewhere later. A few other Pokémon from the forest had been talking to him, like a Pidgey that had flown by or a Tangela, but other than that he had been alone.
Sitting up in the tree, Shadow had just been thinking to himself.
…The prospect that the Ethereals weren't gone rattled him somewhat.
…Just because their leader is gone doesn't mean that they are. Shadow thought to himself as he heard leaves rustle around him with the breeze. Overhead he could hear several Spearow flying by, cawing to each other. Below he could see two Ratatta walking, sniffing into the air around them. One stopped, sniffing the tree Shadow was at before looking up at him. Cocking its head, its whiskers shook. (Do you know where we could find some berries?) She asked quickly. Shadow shrugged. (I'm not from here, so I couldn't really help you…but I think I see some berries over there.) He said as he looked into the distance to see a single bush with blue spheres poking out from it. Pointing in the direction, the Ratatta nodded to him and then signaled her friend. (Thank you.)
(No problem.) Shadow answered as they ran off in the direction he indicated. Sitting back down on the branch of the tree, he continued to think about the Ethereals…
A rustle sounded from behind him, somewhere on the other side of the tree he was on. Turning around, he saw a white leg emerge from the leaves, followed by a greener upper body with a red spike on the chest. Dark green, blade-like arms extended from the shoulders and upon those a white-colored head with red-colored irises. A light green spray of hair covered its left eye, and a large, fin-like dark green protrusion extended on the top of its head to make it look like the Pokémon had a gladiator's helmet on.
The Gallade looked down at Shadow, the color in his visible right eye contracting slightly. His right arm twisted back and forth, as if he were preparing to strike. Grimacing, the Gallade spoke up.
(Heh, I didn't think I'd see you with us...) He said with a slight southern accent. (Remember me?)
(…Your left eye…) Shadow responded, one ear sideways. The Gallade nodded as he reached up to the green strand in front of his left eye and lifting it, revealing an old scar that ran down the center of it, from his forehead to the bottom of the eyelid. The eye itself was only halfway open, but it appeared to be functioning well enough to look down at Shadow.
(Hmph…Blade.) Shadow said as the Gallade took a seat next to him.
It was just another thing Shadow had to face here:
Interacting with his old foes, like Blade.
(…I suppose you're here to cut me up?) Shadow asked. Blade looked to his right arm, then covered his left eye back up with the strand on his head. (No…We fought because we were enemies, Shadow. As is my honor, I can't take vengeance against anyone who injured me fairly in a fight. That and I don't want to do that.)
Suspiciously, Shadow watched the Gallade's arm. (What are you here for then?)
Blade lifted his right arm from the bark of the tree and laid it behind his head, leaning back on the tree trunk. (I suppose that I should get to know you better. I mean, we're on the same side now, so I might as well learn a bit about you…so first of all, I heard you just left Team Rocket.)
(Yeah, more like they drove me out. All that time that I thought I was worth something to them aside from being a living weapon I was wrong. As soon as I lost my sight for a while, they tried to kill me.) He said bitterly, each word spoken like they left behind a bad taste in his mouth. Blade listened quietly, one of his legs hanging off the tree limb swinging back and forth.
(…can you imagine what it's like to find out that the world you thought you were living in turned out to be fake? All around me…it was like reality just shattered.
(Frankly…I can't imagine what that's like. It must be somewhere around feeling like you were thrown into a pit of lava, eh?) Blade spoke, surprised to be feeling sympathy for the one who nearly sliced his eye in half.
(Yeah, I guess it could be like that…) Shadow replied with an empty chuckle at the end. Wind blew several yellow-green leaves past his face and flailed the tuft of fur over his right eye. Feeling the breeze calm down, Shadow reached to his head and patted the fur back into place.
(…How many people back in the camp would like to kill me right now?)
Blade almost flinched from the question. Asking how many people wanted to kill you was definitely not a sign of a happy or untroubled person.
Blade took his left arm from under his head and placed it to his pearl-white chin. (I'd say somewhere around…well, just about all of them. In other words you might want to stay under the radar until you can show them that you're on their side now, got it? You're obviously one infamous Pokémon right now.)
Shadow nodded slowly. After what Sentinel had told him regarding three things he wanted to do with Shadow, he wasn't surprised by the answer. Most of the soldiers here would have only two things for Shadow here out of the three Sentinel had told him.
One, asking him questions…
…more like brutal interrogation.
And two, shooting him, which he knew many of these men would gladly do.
(…Easier said than done, Blade.)
(It's gonna be tough, and I myself don't really know whether to trust you or not…but if the Master can trust you, then I suppose I can as well.)
(Great…would you mind leaving me alone for a while? It's not that I don't like the company, I just want to be able to relax by myself for the first time in…well, it seems like forever.)
Blade slowly stood up, pushing himself up with his thin, dark green arms. Instead of leaving, he stayed there and looked down at the Pikachu with a mix of seriousness and confusion.
(You're…pretty antisocial, aren't you?)
(Yeah. I've never been able to talk well with people I don't really know. Sorry, Blade.)
(Well, just open up to people Shadow. Whatever's on your mind can't be pent up forever.)
With that, Blade kicked his legs into the bark, launching himself far into the air above. Shadow looked up for a moment, observing Blade coming back down several yards away. Landing, Blade rolled to absorb the impact of hitting the ground and got back on his feet, jumping back into the trees behind Shadow.
So once again, Shadow was alone.
…
…I do get pretty lonely…
…Heh, but I am at that age…
Cool air flowed across Shadow's face like water. Yellowing leaves trickled down from the trees above, and all around the sounds of Pokémon in the forest was once again Shadow's only company.
…
The roadway stood quiet from the previous battle. Still small sheets of smoke rose from the edges of the woods, and here and there pricks of bright orange or yellow produced the gray fog. This place was quiet, almost obscenely quiet. The bushes beneath the trees swayed with the breeze…
…all except for two which stood at the edge of a clump of other bushes. Their leaves swayed, but the bushes themselves didn't move an inch, like there was no branches on them to sway. Under the yellowing leaves the sight of fabric could catch the eye up close. That, and the fact that camouflaged beams of metal stuck out from them, with similarly hidden scopes on top.
"It's good to shoot with you again, sir." Whispered one of the bushes.
"Sure thing, Roy." The other replied
"With all due respect sir, my current identity is Sentinel."
"Fine, I'll remember that…So let me tell you about my time away. First, I went to the Unova region in 2057 to look for some volunteers who might've been willing to come back with me. I almost found a group who could've come back with me, but it seemed they had their own damn problems to attend to. It was something about them getting back to their own world…"
"Who were they?"
"Group something or another, I know one of their names was Jon. I'm pretty sure that I managed to teach them to never underestimate aging men again. After that, I was sent to the area around Cerulean in '59, then to Saffron in late '60 until a month ago. Now I'm here, and staying back with the home squad…"
He sighed, glancing around at the road. Strands of his graying-black hair blew in the wind on his forehead. The slight wrinkles in his face moved with his muscles, flexing his jaw. "So how many kills have you gotten since our last meeting?"
Sentinel turned his rifle on its side, sliding a small black box out of a rectangular unit below the charging handle. A very small screen adorned the box, with numbers in red along with a gun status.
"Somewhere around 472 to 470 kills total, and…399 headshots, sir."
"Enough of this 'sir' business, dammit. You can just call me Archer. Anyway, good job. If I remember correctly that thing's a headshot counter?"
"Yes. I received it after I left sniper school, you know that. It's counted every headshot I've gotten since then. Some of the others use this mostly for competition on who gets the most kills in one day when we're out on missions."
"Hmph. Tell those dumbasses that this is no sport. This kind of job is supposed to be taken as seriously as it comes. Hell, without people like us, assassinations would be nearly impossible to pull off…"
Sentinel smirked under his balaclava, wiping sweat from his forehead. "Understood, Archer."
The old man smirked. "On second thought, I won't need you to be telling 'em. Once we begin the attack on Viridian, I'm sure they'll get back in shape once they see ol' Archer is back, eh? I'll just whip 'em back into the shape I had them in if I have to."
Sentinel let out a nearly-silent laugh. "Don't worry, the guys won't disappoint you. They're all still capable of pulling off headshots from half a mile away…without interference like enemy fire, anyway."
"…So where's your Eevee?"
"She's resting back at the camp. She's no longer an Eevee either. She evolved about three years ago into an Umbreon"
"Good to hear…sad to say, she might've compromised us if she went with us to where we're going…"
Archer froze in place, eyes to the road but still facing Sentinel. He quickly lowered himself onto his belly, Sentinel dropping next to him.
"…Weapons up." Archer whispered while turning his head slightly. In the next moment, both snipers had their right eye peering through their scopes towards the other side of the road.
The thin black cross within Sentinel's scope moved across the foliage, as if trying to pick at the greenery. Both of their breaths were held in their chests, their bodies completely still…
A spot of fur appeared within Archer's view of a tree, just behind the trunk. The creature moved out from behind the tree, holding large, spherical blue berries in its tiny hands.
"False alarm. It's just two frickin' Ratatta." Archer whispered. On the other side of the dirt road, the Ratatta emerged from the trees with another of its kind following, walking briskly across the road while nervously looking back and forth towards both sides of the road.
Sentinel kept his eye to his scope, still tense. Nodding in approval, Archer let a grin appear below his bushy, graying moustache. "Keep your scope steady."
"And never waste a bullet." Sentinel finished.
Sentinel never forgot that motto Archer had told him. He had the motto practically beaten into his head; given how many times Archer had smacked him after missing the center of a target. It was the main reason why Sentinel was so accurate now, in fact: Archer had gone with a 'more effective' approach to teaching him.
And Sentinel couldn't say that it didn't work.
"…Sentinel, I'll go in first, follow and watch all around." Archer said as he got up from his position in the bushes and began walking to the road, looking every which way for possible enemies.
Sentinel kept his rifle pointed out in front of him, following Archer as he rushed across the road. Both proceeded to get back into kneeling positions once they were back among the shrubs.
The ends of their rifles swept across the area. Sentinel carefully looked over a Nidorina who was leading a group of smaller Nidoran a ways from him, presumably her children. Seeing that she had no Rocket collar on or anything else to show that she was with them, he continued searching.
"Clear." Sentinel whispered. Archer looked back to him and nodded. "Alright…let's move. Those guys at Viridian can't wait forever."
Archer began to move forward with Sentinel close behind. As they journeyed deeper into the woods, their ghillie suits made them blend in and disappear from the sight of anyone who could've been at the road…
…
Dim shades of light penetrated Shadow's closed eyelids, his back to the base of the tree. His thin yellow and black ears were barely lifted at the sides of his head, taking in the sounds of the forest surrounding him.
A particularly colder breeze blew through his bright yellow fur. Pressing his tail to his body, he coiled up against the tree bark.
Early winter or what?
Static ran from his cheeks, perking up the fur on his body. With a sizzling sound, some of the bark under his body got charred.
(Cold?)
Shadow's eyes slowly blinked open, followed by a slight yawn. Standing up, he shook out his body quickly.
(Hey…I'm trying to sleep here…)
Rubbing his eyes, he half-drowsily looked down towards the Pokémon on the ground…
His breath caught in his mouth, and he stood silent, suddenly fully awake. The chill in the air returned, but it held up to nothing against the waves of electricity that began to travel through Shadow's body.
His Antireal's emotionless-sounding voice betrayed the smirk held underneath his piercing red eyes.
(So you beat Marxus, Me. Good job.)
Shadow jumped back off the tree branch and landed in the grass, glaring at AntiShadow like a hawk. For several seconds they stood, staring menacingly at the other…
(…What the hell do YOU want?)
(I came to see how we're doing on the other side of the war…so far, I can tell we're not dead. Surprising, considering how many of them we've killed…unless they don't know our real name yet?)
(That's none of your business.) Shadow growled back. (Whenever they find out, they'll find out. It's simple as that. Now fuck off.)
AntiShadow crossed his arms while his eyelids lowered. (I suppose you don't want to see me then. Too bad, though. No matter how much you may not like it, as long as you're alive, I'll still be here to be the shadow under your feet.)
Another chilly wind crept through the air, flailing grounded leaves all around them. Meanwhile Shadow's vision tunneled on his Antireal.
(…So how's things on your end then? Chaotic since Light and I killed your leader?)
AntiShadow frowned. On the other hand, Shadow managed to smirk on perhaps managing to deal a counter blow to his supposedly uncaring Antireal.
The feeling dropped as soon as it came as AntiShadow's eyes widened, followed by his smirk returning. Was he actually HAPPY that Marxus was gone?
Shadow obviously felt unnerved by AntiShadow's grin. The dark Pikachu lowered his arms to his sides, completely mirroring Shadow's own pose.
(Shadow…do we realize just what kind of madness we may have unleashed because of his defeat?)
AntiShadow's tone of voice seemed happy as well. Crazed, but happy. He even chuckled a bit after the sentence.
(What do you mean?) Shadow answered quickly, electricity starting to charge into a ball in his right paw. Looking to the crackling sphere, AntiShadow flexed his own right paw into and out of a fist.
(Have we noticed my fellow Ethereals out and about? Maybe at the road the other day, taking control of, say, corpses?)
(Yeah. So you Ethereal can take control of bodies.)
AntiShadow nodded, lifting his head up slightly to look over Shadow's shoulder. (Exactly, me. And that won't be the last kind of freakish things we'll see. I'm afraid that even more horrifying things are one the way…)
This is enough.
(Give me a straight answer, Antireal. What kind of things are you talking about?)
AntiShadow crossed his arms once more, pointing one digit out past Shadow. Taking a step back, Shadow quickly looked over his shoulder to hear the sounds of rapid footsteps…
The next moment, Light burst through a bush that was in the way, sweat glistening in her fur. Sliding, she came to a stop next to Shadow, her tail whipping forward.
(Light!) He said calmly as she stood up, looking somewhat nervously at Shadow. Immediately he could see the bright flashes going through her eyes like lightning in a thundercloud.
She really can detect when I could be in danger…
Shadow glared back at AntiShadow, letting out a small gasp when he saw that Light's Antireal was now standing next to his.
AntiLight rubbed the back of her paw across her right cheek. (Well…I think this could get fun.)
(Quiet.) Light responded coldly. Shadow flinched at the hostile nature of her reply. His Antireal even looked somewhat shocked. The smirk that once adorned his face had receded to a frown, while his eyes had widened to form an almost worried look on his face.
AntiLight stared hard into Light's eyes, actually seeming a little angry by the fact that dark energy was beginning to rush around her paws. At the same time, her head lowered slightly to give an upward glare at her 'Real' self. (Huh…I didn't know we could be so bold. Perhaps the other one is doing more to us than I thought.)
(Whether it's her or me, we'll stop you. Shadow and I know exactly what you things are capable of, and we won't let you hurt anyone and get away with it.)
Silently, Shadow nodded and clenched his right paw, reabsorbing the dark energy he had been charging into his body. However, his body stayed tense, ready to attack at any given moment.
(…Again, what kind of things are you talking about?) Shadow repeated, calmer but still wary.
AntiShadow grunted, smiling once more. (Truly FREAKISH things, for one. I let you in on a little secret …Dr. Namba is still alive.)
…No way!
(That's impossible! Xepher stabbed him to death!) Shadow said angrily, remembering the screams Namba made as Xepher drove his knife into the madman's body multiple times. The blood Shadow felt splashing on his fur was real too. There was no way to deny that Namba must've died…
Shadow may have not seen him die, but he sure as hell smelled the scent of his blood heavy in the air then. He could confirm it when the dark energy awoke in him, and he saw the mad doctor's body slumped on the wall.
(Hmph. Or so you thought, DEAR Shadow. He may not be quite as functional as his old self…) AntiLight continued on with a playful and sadistic tone. (…but he's just as…CREATIVE as then. Even more so. He's the one responsible for that giant back at the road some nights ago. If I recall, he's made a new chemical that will boost physical abilities to be just like what you saw…and then, there's the other weapon he's working on right now.)
(What weapon?) Light demanded, followed by Shadow's growls.
AntiLight looked to AntiShadow, motioning her head to the other two. (Should we tell them?)
(Sure…I'll tell them.)
Stepping forward, AntiShadow raised his head to unleash the full, unnerving sense of murder in his scarlet eyes. Dark energy concentrated into a ball in his upheld palm, swirling in various sheets of black and dark gray.
Black static formed around Shadow's own paws, his red cheeks sparking like firecrackers. Smirking, AntiShadow looked across both him and Light, who stood with both paws in front of her body, forming a sphere of white electricity. Looking down to the sphere in his own paw, AntiShadow spoke:
(Imagine this, me…Light…Imagine how much raw power is built up into the purest of dark energy, constantly powered by one's negative emotions…
…by this time I'm sure we all know what it's like to be hit by an attack powered by this. Not only does it burn like you've been set on fire from the inside, but it feels like that area of your body has become locked in frostbite. The sheer pain makes you feel numb…and when it's concentrated around and in you, it can really change your demeanor…)
AntiLight chuckled behind him, eyeing Shadow with what could be described best as mocking affection. (Isn't that right, Shadow?)
(Get to your point.) Shadow said sharply to his Antireal, somehow managing to restrain himself from attacking the other.
( Consider…the same attack, only on a much larger scale…say, a blast the size of Saffron City?)
A choking feeling of dread gripped Shadow. At the same time, Light gasped. (That's impossible! Nothing could possibly-!
(-Be concentrated at such a massive level…thankfully, Dr. Namba already has a machine that can concentrate dark energy. It is the same thing that brought Marxus, along with us, into this plane once more. All he has to do is up-scale it…and we have the ancient weapon, Shibousha-Te…Death's Hand.)
(THAT weapon will have the power to cause destruction equal to that, and more.) AntiLight chided devilishly, taking a stand next to AntiShadow once more. (Think of it: Team Rocket, wielding a weapon of such magnitude…it does not sound very good to your ears, does it?)
(No, it doesn't…) Shadow admonished, keeping a steady eye on both her and his Antireal. Left of him, Light did the same with her paws still holding her energy ball.
(…Why are you telling us all of this? Why would you care what happens?)
Shadow agreed silently. It seemed completely odd that these two would be telling them what Team Rocket planned to do. Even stranger, the fact that they were warning them in the first place. Thinking back once more, he remembered another thing AntiShadow mentioned in Pallet:
(…You're only here because Light and I are alive. If we die, then you go too.) Shadow finally said.
AntiShadow nodded. (And I…WE don't want to go yet. This world is just too much fun…)
(…and we both hold a valuable piece of you. So you can't kill us either…or you'll lose that piece of yourself.)
Shadow's right fist trembled. (Piece of myself? I'm already whole! I'm not missing anything here.)
AntiShadow chuckled, shaking his head. (…As far as you know, me.)
AntiLight raised her paw in front of her, her other paw and arm becoming covered in dark energy. Giggling, she waved with the front paw. (Until you figure it out…bye.)
She fell backwards, disappearing into the ground in a pool of black flame that sealed up almost immediately.
AntiShadow held his own arm back, doing much the same. The hateful glare Shadow gave him seemed to make him happier. (Go ahead and try to follow, if you can.)
AntiShadow fell back into the ground, quickly raising both arms to the sides. Instead of disappearing into a black pit of flame, he left a black silhouette on the ground…
Gritting his teeth, Shadow pushed Light out of the way as the shadow on the ground dashed towards them, exploding with a hail of dark energy as AntiShadow shot back up with his fist up. Landing, AntiShadow chuckled once more and crossed his arms.
(You…) Shadow said as he got up, the dark energy in his paws rampant. On the other side of AntiShadow, Light picked herself up and stuck her paw out, coursing with white energy that was ready to be used against the Antireal.
(That's a technique called Ethereal Spike. You fell for it once…but it looks like you know when to dodge now…)
(I'm not falling for the same thing twice…) Shadow snapped. AntiShadow nodded. (Good…like you did with Lightning Blade and Thunder Shield…try to replicate that…)
Once again Antishadow fell backwards, this time into a pool of black fire that erupted under him with a distant-sounding flare.
The dark energy surrounding Shadow's arms quickly dissipated. With a frustrated look, he put a paw to his forehead. (…What are we going to do about…whatever that thing's name was?)
Light shook her head. (I don't know…)
An idea came into her mind. Thinking as hard as she could, she asked a question into her own mind:
Are you there? Did you hear any of that?
…
"…I heard."
(…Shadow, listen closely.) Light finally said, her voice soft but commanding.
(…What do you know about that weapon?) Shadow said, already knowing that tone of her voice well enough to know that it was Lightforce, speaking through Light.
…Images of her own past came to mind. Memories of a time long ago…
…Memories of that day.
She closed her glowing eyes, and Shadow could see a single tear roll down her cheek. Sighing, she opened both eyes and spoke.
(…Shibousha 'Te…or in the present tongue, Death's Hand…was the very weapon Marxus used to nearly wipe out everything once before, in my time. Hundreds of thousands died in the onslaught…)
(What exactly does it do?)
(It is used to tear the barrier between this world and the Ethereal world apart. You see, normally Ethereals can only be brought here when they are summoned, or they can do so at will only if they are Antireals, like yours and Light's…)
(…if that shield is destroyed, they will overrun and conquer this world, leaving behind a swath of absolute destruction. It took an entire army of Knights…Pokémon Masters, as you call them now…to just hold back the Ethereal army into one place while my friends and I went in and dealt with Marxus…)
(Errgh…so Marxus was doing all of this even then.)
(But it wasn't all his doing. The events that have led to now…were the results of what his master had done…)
(Master?) Shadow asked, shocked. Lightforce took on a grim expression. (Yes, his master…Kovnorath…)
She shuddered, eyes narrowed. (Just saying his name…is like drowning me in a lake of fear. That madman desired to have everything, and live as the eternal ruler of an enslaved world. And if he couldn't have everything, then he was going to send it all into oblivion…
…Wielding the Death's Hand, Kovnorath first tested his new power by destroying an entire city single-handedly…
Next, he demonstrated his other, unnatural power…creating the first truly living Ethereal. That is, he corrupted the mind and soul of a living being so far as to make it as evil and as heartless as a real Ethereal. And do you know who he did this to?)
(...Marxus.) Shadow answered gravely, pricks of cold spiking all over him.
(Yes, it was Marxus. To believe…that at one time Marxus was normal is beyond even me. Once he was transformed he gained the personality you know him to have. He did everything Kovnorath told him to do, perhaps out of some sort of lingering loyalty to him…but that all shattered when he turned on Kovnorath at a great temple called the Infinity Shrine. Once he gained control of Death's Hand, Marxus decided that he was going to take up what his master was going to do...)
…
"Wh…What?" Lightforce said, dumbfounded at the sight of the Dark Energy blade protruding through Kovnorath's heavily armored chest, overtaking the numerous scratches and dents that already stood out on the blue metal.
The Pikachu Rift gaped next to her, utterly as surprised as she was. Behind them, the Knight Satoshi breathed heavily in a kneeling position, covering the cut through his own blue armor while keeping his other hand clutched around his sword…
Kovnorath appeared very shocked and surprised himself as blood seeped from the wound. Turning his head in slight jerks, he was met by the eager, crazed eyes of his 'ally'.
Surprisingly, he too let a weak smile appear on his face as blood formed at his lips.
"I…knew this…would happen…" He choked as the bottom of his cape flared up under him, the top part pinned to his back by Marxus's blade. The Lucario stood silently with a mad grin on his face, staring into his former master's eyes with his own, demonic sight.
"…Mere humans…no matter how powerful…can never hope to control the power of Death's Hand. It was foolish of you to let your guard down, especially around an Ethereal like me…thus, seeing how erroneous even you are with this power…"
"…Do it then." Kovnorath coughed again, his face paling from the blood loss.
His bloodshot eyes turned to Lightforce, Rift and Satoshi. "If I cannot have…the power…"
"…Then no…mortal can…!"
"I agree. However, not even you could've had it. Goodbye, MASTER."
Kovnorath's teeth clenched fast as Marxus brutally ripped the blade upward from his body, splashing blood everywhere around them. The once-great warrior hit the ground in kneeling position, dark energy evaporating round his neck as he shook violently.
"ERRRAAAAAH!"
She flinched at the sight of Kovnorath bursting into black flames, his blood spewing from his mouth and the massive cut that practically split his torso in two. Even as the skin around his face went up into flames, Lightforce could see he still wore a crooked smile…
Seconds after the fire had engulfed him, a blackened skeleton wearing the necklace crumpled to the ground with a splash of the scarlet beneath it.
Beneath Marxus the necklace rumbled as it began to float up from the skeleton, placing itself into his paw. Seconds later, Lightforce, Rift and Satoshi witnessed a bright flash as the necklace absorbed into him.
A swastika appeared on the back of his right paw in front of the spike, sending waves of black energy all across his arm. With a satisfied look, Marxus turned his head up towards the three, his eyes becoming pure, lustrous black…
"Have no doubt…" Satoshi said calmly, forcing himself up while raising his sword in front of him. Despite the rip in his body, he kept focus on Marxus as Lightforce and Rift got on all fours in front, ready to attack as one once more.
"…have no fear…!" Rift said as he growled from the release of his dark energy, zapping around him and evaporating most of the blood off of his tattered body, his wounds steaming as they began to heal on their own.
"…and we shall not fall…" Lightforce said while her own, white power ran from her chest to all over her, her eyes beginning to glow. The energy flowed across her fur, and through her body. It lit her heart with resolve. Her own spirit summoned the power in her soul, and the might within fully awakened to fight the evil once more.
Marxus raised his paws up, black energy flaring from them as if trapped behind barriers of some sort, like there was much more of its power waiting to be unleashed. His eyes looked over the gallant knight, his black hair whipping about his head and shoulder armor, hands tight on his diamond-bright sword. The array of colors given off by his 'Chu friends made his bluish armor like a great sapphire. Grayish energy flowed through his body like a mist, wrapping itself around his body like a Twilight cloak. He was the most intimidating, and the most tranquil.
His view traveled onto Rift, cheeks alight with static while black energy buzzed at his feet. A cut on his ear looked like it could've torn it in half before regenerating, along with all his other wounds to leave behind scabs. All the while his face showed his fearlessness, and an unnaturally strong bravery.
And finally, Lightforce, standing with her white energy counterbalancing the black that flowed from her mate like static, while hers seemed more like a flame. With eyes glowed like pearls, the Raichu seemed to have taken on a completely silver color, apart from the grayish-brown that still existed from the dark parts of her fur. Out of all of them, she was the most magnificent, and the most awe-inspiring.
The torches in the great hall flared up, catching the banners they hung under aflame as Marxus raised his arms, power exploding from within. He laughed as the stone of the great shrine cracked all around…
"With this…the beginning has ended. Now…for the beginning of the end."
…
(…The dark power from the Death's Hand is enormous. But…combined with the already horrible aura of Marxus …it felt like I was going to die right there. I had never felt anything like it before...the power of the darkest weapon…combined with the power of the darkest being.) Lightforce continued on with a worried look. (In the end it was the three of us against him, atop the place you know as Mt. Silver. Literally millions of Ethereals on the ground below us were fighting the Knights who had assembled to stop them…because of that battle I lost the one I loved most…and I almost lost the human I had come to know as a friend. All because Marxus had the Death's Hand.)
Traces of static sparked from Shadow's cheeks. (…And now Team Rocket could get that weapon…!)
(Precisely, and we both know what methods Team Rocket has when it comes to using weapons. Namba especially will not hesitate to destroy the cities of Kanto, and he would even have the power to go after the other regions…we have to stop him.)
(Damn, we don't even know where the hell he is, if he's still alive. I don't know if the Antireals were bluffing or not, but the prospect of Team Rocket having that kind of power is bad either way.)
He let a growl escape his mouth, frustration gripping him. (And if he's the reason behind that…'thing' at the road before, then there's definitely a problem. When he gets his mind on something, he stays with it. He's probably developing more bio-weapons right now!)
(There's no use in getting angry, Shadow. We should go and talk to Ash about how to deal with this. I'm sure both as a Master and as a member of this army he'll be able to help us get the dark energy generator destroyed, before it's too late.)
He exhaled, the heat in his face draining slowly. The static crawling from his cheeks soon stopped as he nodded to her.
(Let's go find him then.)
…
Archer and Sentinel reloaded, leaving the corpses of a Rocket patrol behind them, Pokémon and human alike with parts of bone missing from their skulls and blood splattered on the ground where they fell.
Archer pulled back the bolt on his rifle, disapprovingly eyeing Sentinel. "…Hmph. To think he was the actually the Pikachu you had to be watching for. If he was still with Team Rocket you would probably dead right now."
"I doubt it. Your lessons gave me a quick shot, and I'm sure I could've killed him. But after seeing him kill those Rockets and then walk directly up to me with the other two, I couldn't kill him. I saw him as a probable ally now, and it looks like I was right. He even seems to be a little special Archer, and so does Light. The Captain even said I could trust him…and you know his credentials in that kind of matter."
"It looks like your instincts were right then, Sentinel. However on official terms you should've killed him, dammit. Knowing what he had done should've told you to put a fuckin' bullet through him…" Archer scowled back, kneeling behind a bush.
"But, if what you said about the Captain trusting him holds true, I guess we can, too."
Sentinel crouched near a fallen tree, watching the opposite side of where Archer was watching. "Okay…so Archer, what's the distance to Viridian?"
"I'm checking; hold your Rapidashes for a minute."
Numbers streamed across the screen of the small GPS Archer held in his hands. A blue arrow pointed to a large expanse of trees, followed by red dots around the arrow that moved slightly every few seconds. At the right side of the screen a clearing with small houses could be seen, with an arrow pointing east of the houses that read 'Viridian City: 14 miles'
"14 miles to go, Sentinel. We'll get there soon."
Sentinel nodded uneasily, whispering. "Hopefully that policewoman didn't get discovered; otherwise we're doing this trip for nothing. That and retaking Viridian will be hard as hell with all the Rocket's defenses."
"Damn straight. Let's keep moving."
…
…
It looks like Shadow needs to watch out…the storm is coming, and it's going to be a bad one. See you next time!
