(A/N [August 16, 2013]: I actually finished editing this chapter a few weeks ago, but I'm posting it now along with Chapter 7 since they were originally planned to be one chapter. Here I've made quite a few changes, especially the two encounters that Logan has with Nexus outside of his mind, and other stuff that I've felt weren't important. The same applies for the editing I did for Chapter 7, which by the time this is up, it will already be posted.)


Chapter 6: The Nightmare Begins

Logan's mind, Normal POV…

The only sounds that Logan could hear all around him within the endless void that he was in were screams of pain and loud bursts of static. A sea of black and red water marked the ground, its substance stained by the wretched stench of decay and blood. Crosses and tombs of various shapes and sizes dotted the half sunken landscape, either intact, destroyed long ago, or twisted so much by the madness that they were barely recognizable. The air was thick and heavy, it made it difficult for him to breathe.

He knew right away that this was not a place of dreams. Such dreams would never create an environment as sickening and dreadful as this. This was more like a nightmare, and even then it wasn't a close enough description. It was something… much worse. One that Logan was all too familiar with. And it made his anger burn even more.

Of all the times he's decided to make his appearance, he chooses today of all days. He thought in deep annoyance before two swords appeared out of thin air and into his hands. "Just my luck," he muttered as he took a moment to scan his surroundings.

Another sound began to overlap the screaming and static. At first it was too quiet to make sense of what it was, but as it drew closer, he recognized the sound almost right away. It was the sound of laughter, the kind of laughter that made your blood freeze solid and told every single cell in your brain to run as far away as you could. Soon the distant laughter began to die down and began to speak to him. -Come now, Logan. You should know by now that these meetings are more than just mere luck.- It responded, not bothering to hide the malicious glee in its voice. -Have you already forgotten the reason why I come see you in the first place?-

Logan's eyes glanced over to his left, his voice raising over the maddening noises that were constantly emitting. "Go away, Nexus. I'm not in the mood to hear anymore of your lies."

The voice, now known as Nexus, cackled with malice. It was a truly sickening sound. -Lies? How would you even know if what I speak is lies? Have you ever taken the time to think them over and consider that they could possibly be true? Your friends will fear you and abandon you when they learn of the truth. I am merely helping you understand the situation that you are getting yourself into a little more.-

His anger rose to dangerous levels as he darted his head to the other side, catching a quick glimpse of a silhouette running in the darkness. "My friends would never abandon me! And they would certainly not stand by and watch me suffer by your hand!"

-Are you sure of that? Humans will change their minds when they discover that they've been deceived the entire time by their closest friends, and will take satisfaction in watching them pay for their actions. Vanguards and Psions will do the same. You are no exception. Once the others find out about your secret, then they'll have second thoughts about you being their leader. Thoughts that will make them believe that you are useless to them.-

"Enough!" The Vanguard shouted at the top of his lungs. His knuckles were clenching so tight around the hilt of the swords that they began to crack. "I'm getting tired of listening to your bullshit! Get out of my head, now!"

-I'm afraid that's out of the question.-

The moment the voice said those words, everything grew silent. There was no screaming, no chopped up or distorted static that flickered every so often. He heard nothing but the sound of his own breathing. Small beads of sweat began to trickle down his forehead as he looked all around him now, looking for any signs of the mysterious being. He could faintly hear water splashing around him, hinting that he was on the move. But it was coming from everywhere, he didn't know where they could appear.

I've got to keep my guard up. I can't let him get the advantage on me again. Have to remain focus. Have to remain strong.

Though it was easier to say it in his head, in reality he was struggling. He had done this many times before, but there was simply no way that he could possibly win this fight. Not after all the other times he's failed.

His ears immediately picked up on something that had changed. The water being splashed about was drawing closer, and if he was correct, then He was just behind him. There was another sound that followed the first; a whirring sound that sounded close to a chainsaw starting to rev up.

Chainsaw…

Logan's eyes widened as soon as he came across the realization and looked behind him, only to see Him standing right in front of him, its stitched-lined mouth stretching wide open and letting out a horrible scream. Its hollowed eyes glared down at him as blood poured out of them.

He had no time to react as the nightmarish fiend raised its weapon high up in the air, a blade outfitted with the crude teeth-like design of a chainsaw, and brought it down on him.


Outside Logan's mind; Normal POV

Logan shot upward as he let out a sharp gasp. He searched the area frantically as his hands reached down to the left side of his waist, the area where Nexus' weapon had hit him. He immediately noticed that it was morning, a little after dawn, and from overhead he could hear birds calling out. The lake was still in front of him, and the sun's rays peeked through the leaves of the trees.

He was relieved to find out that there were no signs of scarring and no pain as his hand covered his waist. Guess I made it through another night without injury. He thought.

As soon as that thought crossed his mind, he immediately looked back at the tent the two trainers were sleeping in. The tent was still there, unscratched or not bothered by anything outside. He breathed out in relief again. They were okay.

His gaze fell back on the lake, seeing the water flow ever so calmly in response to the breeze. A sharp pain throbbed within his head, making him cringe as he brought a hand up to massage his forehead. He really hated having those nightmares, but nothing made him more enraged than seeing Nexus. Once again, he had him right there, ready to bring him down with his swords, and again he froze in place! Unable to do anything but watch as the fiend came close to killing him! He had spent years preparing himself for the day he'll one day free his mind from Nexus' grasp, and so far he had yielded no success. What was he doing wrong?

Taking his eyes away from the lake, he looked back at the tent and felt the growing frustration subside. He didn't need to use his second sight to know that they were still in there. Even so, he had faced a few Endless that were capable of attacking without leaving any signs of their presence around. Guess I should go check up on them.

The Vanguard got up on his feet and made his way to the tent, all the while berating himself for failing to destroy that nightmare again. He was so close too, and yet somehow Nexus managed to succeed in the end. How could he have possibly failed at that attempt again?

No sense in drowning myself with these kinds of thoughts. He voiced out in his head as he pushed the questions back. I need to focus, and keeping my mind focused on that rotting corpse won't do anything about it. He soon reached the front of the tent and grabbed the zipper, pulling it up until it could go no further, and peered inside.

As soon as he did, though, he could not help but smile.

Lying on an assortment of pillows and a large blanket were Red and Yellow, both of them curled up and wrapped in each other's arms. Yellow's head rested against the nook of Red's neck, breathing softly as she slightly shook in her sleep. Her face bore a light shade of red, hinting that she must be dreaming something that she liked. Her long, yellow hair was untied, letting it lie across the makeshift bed. Red wasn't wearing his trademark cap, so Logan had a chance to see the mass of spiky black hair that he had. How the hat was able to stay on his head with his hair that spiky was beyond him. Like Yellow, he too had a small blush on his face, but it wasn't as much as the former's.

He closed his eyes for a few moments before opening them again. His eyes glowed brighter than they did before, and the interior of the tent immediately darkened. Everything became a shade of black and grey, from the tent walls to even the sunlight that peered through the door. The only two that showed a different coloured, though, were the two trainers. Their bodies glowed in a vibrant blue, and he could see in the center of their chests a light resonating in a steady rhythm. He recognized the meaning behind the beats, and couldn't help but smile even more.

He shifted his vision back to normal and zipped the door back up. Guess I should leave them be for now. At least until they finish with their fantasies.

His ears picked up on the sound of bushes rustling nearby, immediately catching his attention. His head turned to where the sounds were originating from and his hand immediately reached for the dagger.

The bushes shook, even more furiously now, until a small shape burst out of them. It ran at high speed at Logan, and before he had time to react, it pounced.


Red was the first to wake up to the sound of something crashing outside. When he opened his eyes, the first thing he saw was Yellow's beautiful, sleeping face. He blushed heavily as he felt her warm breath against his neck. She was snuggled so deep into him that he could feel her heartbeat against his chest. It was so gentle in contrast to his, it seemed to match her personality perfectly. And the way she slept… she looked so peaceful.

He noticed that the black band that she usually wore to hold her hair up was off, allowing him to look in admiration of her hair. It was so long that it reached below her waist. Now that he thought about it, he'd never seen her with her hair like this before. She always had it tied up in a ponytail, so he never had a clear idea of how it really looked without the band.

She's… so beautiful. It was the first thought that crossed his mind. His hand found itself brushing a finger gently across her cheek to move a strand of hair that was there. Her mouth moved slightly, mumbling something in her sleep. Arceus, he really wanted to kiss her so badly. She just looked so cute to him the way she slept. And the way her lips were slightly parted away, almost inviting him to close the distance, was enough to make his heart go in a frenzy.

He quickly caught on to what he was thinking and furiously shook his head. What am I thinking?! Yellow's my best friend! I shouldn't be thinking of these things while she's asleep!

He was pulled away from his thoughts by the sound of barking. And judging from the way it was, it sounded like it was coming from right out the tent. He felt Yellow beginning to stir in his arms and shuffle around. Taking this as an opportunity, he gently removed his arms from her. Soon as he did, her hands reached for one of the pillows and brought it closer to her. The barking grew louder, and this time, the Viridian girl slowly opened her eyes, wondering what was making all that noise.

She saw Red lying beside her and noticed just how close they were. Her eyes were now wide open as she felt her body suddenly warming up in response to his and lurched up, her hair now strewn around the makeshift bed. "Re–" She couldn't finish her sentence as Red covered her mouth with his hand. Her entire face was now a deep crimson, and it was only thanks to Red signalling to her to be quiet that she didn't exclaim in embarrassment.

He removed his hand and made his way over to the entrance. He grabbed for one of his Pokéballs and held it tightly in his hand. The barking was louder this time, and he thought for sure that he heard Logan's voice just now. Yellow had joined up with him with one of her Pokéballs, and her hair was already tied up in a ponytail. He mentally counted up to three before he unzipped the door and the two burst out, ready to call out their Pokémon at a moment's notice.

What they saw instead made them stop in their tracks.

Logan was lying on his back, his arms by his side, with a strange white fur coloured creature on him. It had a similar look and structure to a Growlithe, but it had a small black button nose, ears that jutted up like a Meowth's, and its tail was straighter and less bushy.

The little creature licked the side of Logan's face before it was picked up by the collar of its neck. The Vanguard got up to a sitting position and stared at the creature, either surprised or confused about its sudden appearance. Red couldn't tell exactly. "Scruffy? How did you know that I was here?"

The creature, now known as Scruffy, replied with a bark.

Knowing that he'll never understand it, he groaned quietly and placed it beside him. Now that it was free, it zipped around him, barking loudly before it stopped and looked at him, wagging its tail happily and its tongue out. He extended his hand out to it, and in response it began to lick his hand before rubbing its head against it affectionately.

Yellow had never seen such a strange creature before. It was definitely not a Pokémon, otherwise she would have known about it. And it was small too. How could such a small creature be able to pin Logan down to the ground?

The Vanguard took notice of their confusion towards Scruffy and spoke, "I take it you've both never seen a puppy before."

"A… A puppy?" Yellow repeated.

"I figured you guys might not know what that is since you have Pokémon instead of animals." he said in a matter-of-fact tone before explaining, "Where I'm from, we have these creatures called animals that look similar to the Pokémon you guys have, but they don't have any powers like fire or ice or lightning. Scruffy here is a puppy, which means that he's a younger dog."

The mentioned puppy quickly ran up to Yellow and placed its front paws on her leg and barked. She knelt down and began to pet it, and was surprised to see it licking her hand. The feeling of its tongue on her hand made her giggle.

"He's so cute!" Yellow squealed, "Is he yours?"

Logan shook his head. "No. He belongs to a kid I know called Leira. Speaking of which," He bent down so that he could look at the young dog in the eyes, "How's she doing? Is she okay?"

His answer was another bark, but this was more energetic than before.

The Vanguard was relieved to hear the news. "That's good to hear."

Red knelt down to take a closer look at the puppy, who had already moved away from Yellow and placed his paws on him. The puppy barked happily as he waited for Red to pet him, who did so with slight hesitation. "How long has this Leira girl had him for?"

"A year, I think. She's very shy around people, so it was hard for her to make friends. Her parents decided to buy her a pet in order for her to have someone to be with her. Since then, the two have become inseparable, going wherever the other goes."

Yellow became interested in the topic, as it reminded her of when she first got Ratty. "How old is Leira?"

"Six."

To say that Yellow was shocked to hear that was an understatement. She had never heard of children at that age having their own pet. "What? And she's been raising him all on her own?" she asked.

Logan shook his head. "Mostly. Sometimes me and Amanda chip in to look after him while Leira's busy."

"She sounds like a sweet girl. Would it be okay for us to go see her?"

He pondered over the request for some time before he finally answered. "Sure. I don't see why not." He gave her a smirk as he added, "Plus, it would be a great opportunity for her to make some new friends." He looked away from the two trainers and down at the puppy, "Hey Scruffs, you think you can lead us back to Leira?"

The young canine barked before he got up on his paws and ran to the edge of the clearing. He stopped and looked back before barking, waiting for them to catch up.

Red scratched the back of his head as he made his way to the tent. "We should probably get to work on taking down the campsite. No sense in leaving it here." he said to the others as he began to pull out the stuff that was inside.

Yellow nodded her head and grabbed one of the bags before she joined up with him. "We can head for Viridian City to put them away at my home, then head for Pallet Town to put away the rest."

"Yeah! And while we're at it, we can go check up on Green and see how he's doing! It's only been a few weeks since what happened at the Battle Frontier, so he's probably working extra hard at the Gym to keep it up and running."

Logan watched as the two trainers continued their talk as they began to pack up the campsite. He had to admit, he admired how calm they were, given what happened yesterday. At the very least, they were taking it a lot better than he expected. Perhaps he underestimated them.

With a shook of his head and a non-existent smirk, he walked over to give them a helping hand.


It didn't take long for them to finish packing up the campsite, as they were now making their way to Viridian City. Logan walked ahead of them with Scruffy by side, carrying most of the camping gear and medicine, while Red and Yellow followed closely behind with their own bags.

The trip was more or less a quiet one, and for a good reason. Yellow knew for a fact that, even though he was being friendly with them and helped them out, there was still something about Logan that bothered her greatly. He had told them what happened that made him wind up in this mess, but that was about it. There was still so much about him that they didn't know about. Who were these people that he mentioned who were with him? What was hidden beneath those bandages that were around his torso? Where he did he obtain those weapons and that power? Even if he had used a small amount against the Endless, she could still sense a lot more inside of him.

And more importantly, just who exactly was he? He had purposely left out his back story during his explanation, so there were still some things that she didn't know about; like what his family and friends were, what his childhood was like, or his thoughts on this whole war thing and his reasons for being in it. He knew a great deal about her, and yet she knew nothing about him. This made her feel like he was being unfair to her.

Scruffy's barking evidentially brought her out of her thoughts, and as they stepped out of the shade of the trees and into open sunlight, she could see the familiar buildings and structures that was Viridian City. She smiled as soon as they the city. It wasn't exactly home to her like the Forest, but it was the closest thing to one.

The group began walking down the streets of the city, passing by people old and new to them. Some people recognized them and exchanged their hellos while others asked if they'll have a match with them one day. Some people though took notice of the Vanguard that was with them and backed away. Whether it was because of his intimidating form or the way his eyes seem o glare right into their soul, Yellow couldn't be sure. But she couldn't help but notice the tinge of sadness that appeared in his eyes.

After a minute or so went by, Red spotted a grey coloured building close by, and the sign that was on top of the doors. The sign was merely one word consisted of three letters, reading out as 'Gym'. He pointed at the building as he caught up with Logan. "Let's go see if Green's at the Gym."

"Green?" A non-existent eyebrow rose up in curiosity on Logan's face. He had heard them say that name before, but he didn't pay much attention to it up until now.

"A really good friend of ours." Red explained, "I've known him for more than five years and he's a really good trainer. Practically gave me a well fought battle in the Championships." He grinned at that last statement.

"He's probably in the middle of a battle." Yellow interjected.

"All the more reason to go see him!" Red smiled at her. She felt her blood rush to her cheeks once again as she shyly looked away. Arceus, she loved that smile. It always made her heart go into overdrive. She heard him talking once more, "With any luck, we might be able to introduce him to…" He turned around to see that Logan was no longer standing beside them, but already standing a few feet away from the Gym's front doors, "…you." he finished.

They caught up to him as he continued looking at the building, expecting it to open if he glared at it hard enough. Red cupped both his hands over his mouth and shouted at the top of his lungs, "Hey Green! It's us! Red and Yellow! We want you to meet someone!"

Silence was his only answer. No one emerged through the front doors, and no one responded to his shout. He didn't even hear the familiar sounds of a Pokémon battle happening. He walked up to the doors and reached for the handle…

"He's not inside."

Red jumped upon suddenly hearing Logan's speak up and turned to face him. "How do you know?"

"First off," He pointed at the doors, "The sign says closed." Red followed his finger and saw the sign as well. He sweat dropped. "Second," Logan continued, "There's a note taped to the door. It says that he's gone to Pallet Town for something important."

"Pallet Town?" Red repeated, "He's probably there to go see Professor Oak."

"Professor… Oak?"

"He's one of the greatest researchers on Pokémon who has his lab established in Pallet Town." Yellow replied, "He's also Green's grandfather."

Logan was even more confused over the fact that someone had Oak as a last name, but decided to go along with it. "I see."

Red looked over at Yellow as he stepped away from the doors, "Looks like you'll get to meet him after all. Once we drop off Yellow's stuff and then mine, it's just a short walk to the lab from there."

"Then there's no sense for us to be standing here, then." Logan added as he walked past the two trainers. He stopped and turned around, his eyes landing on the Viridian Girl, "Which way is it to your home, Yellow?"

She walked over to him and pointed at the road that was beside the Gym. "Down this road. It's closer to my home, so we should be able to arrive at Pallet Town a little early."

"Alright. Let's get going. I'm interested to know more about this Green friend of yours."

And with that, the two humans, Vanguard and canine made their way to where Yellow's home was. Logan walked behind the trainers this time, as it seemed logical for them to lead the way, and that he was unfamiliar with this city's layout. It wasn't the only reason, though, and soon his mind was already processing over the information he knew so far.

His friends were more than likely close by, as Scruffy's appearance had proven that. The question, though, was had all of them met up by now. If they have, then they're more than likely waiting for him, and he didn't want to make them impatient. But if some of them were still out here, then he needed to find them, and fast.

It's not that I don't mind Yellow and Red's company, but at a time like this I need to have a familiar face around. And with the Endless somewhere out there, then we need to regroup at once and come up with a strategy to deal with them. It's only a matter of time before they launch an offensive. He hummed as another thought crossed his mind, this one causing his body to tense a little bit. We also need to figure out who's leading the Endless this time. With powerful Endless like Arachnia and the Wargarians, it's only a matter of who or what were exactly up against.

He flinched as he felt another headache assault his mind again. He gritted his teeth and placed a hand over his face, trying to push back the pain. Damn headaches. Keep getting more and more frequent as the days pass. The pain lasted for a while before it vanished. While grateful that it was over, it did nothing to remove the Vanguard's anger. He's really starting to get on my nerves now. I need to think of some way to stop him… and end this pointless nonsense.

But… what exactly can I do to stop him? He's not even a living being like the Endless or the Wargarians. Anything I throw at him he just ignores it, and he keeps getting stronger every day. He knows all my strengths, my weaknesses… my past and my friends. He knows everything about me that he can exploit as a tactic, and I know none of his. I'm at a major disadvantage against him.

He realized that if he continued to ponder over these thoughts, then they'll be the only thing he'll think about for the day. He has to focus on finding his friends first. And from there, focus on the Endless.

Right now, though, he needed to focus on putting away some camping gear.