Chapter 10b ( Hope Peaks and Crumble- Part Deux)
Yay, I'm finally finishing the last part of the alternate ending of the Fantasy Games! (yes, I renamed it, but Fantasy Games sounds better.)
I apologise for the long wait, but I've been busy.
Well, here goes... *sobs* [crying cos I'm really reaching the very end, and I doubt I'll write anymore... cos I've ran out of ideas...]
Mienfoo: Shouldn't you then do a good job on this one?
Me: Shut up. I never asked for your input.
(Growlithe's POV)
"This is a battle between Slowpoke and Growlithe. Each battler can only use one Pokemon. When all the challenger's Pokemon are unable to battle, he loses. No substitution of Pokemon is allowed. This time, it is a fight to the death, as this is the very last battle of the Fantasy Games! Oh, before I forget, I'll be changing some aspects of this battle, such as the layout of the arena." Mewtwo cackled, his maniacal laughter reverberating around the battlefield.
The empty room transformed into an illogical environment, because on one half of the room, it was filled with huge rain trees, while the other half remained the same, with the exception of a creation of a swimming pool. Yes, the typical swimming pool at a typical swimming complex, with the metal railings cowards use to inch into the freezing water, and the diving boards for gung-hos to jump straight into the chlorine filled pools.
"I believe in you Growlithe!" a shrill scream rang out in the tense atmosphere. I turn around, and saw Mienfoo's encouraging smile.
Salty tears gathered in my eyes, about to creep down my cheeks.
I forced them back.
But I could not stop the endless thoughts racing across my mind. I'm just hoping that was true for Slowpoke too.
As I looked back at past events, my despair kept rising. With every murder, it jumped to new heights. With every failed attempt at seizing power, despair skyrocketed. But then, a sudden notion interrupted my train of thoughts.
It's all Slowpoke's fault.
I think carefully, and before I knew it, rage surged in my soul.
The idea struck me like a thunderbolt, and it was as clear as day.
Ever since the start of the Fantasy Games, Slowpoke has been doing absolutely NOTHING. He never suspected anyone, and he never ruled anyone out, making all of us suspicious of each other all the time. We never knew who could be trusted because of him. What was worse was that he knew he was incompetent, and yet he didn't allow me to take over. I had so many ideas I wanted to implement, but I feared that he would consider them draconian.
He was useless. At the last moment, when he accused Axew, it was too little, and too late. I'm not even blaming him for being wrong. But I'm blaming him for his inaction.
But that's not the worst thing.
The worst thing was, he protected the damn murderer!
He already knew that Treecko was the one who committed the murders. He could have ended the game then. But no, he went on with his silly ideas of defeating Mewtwo, and caused the innocent deaths of Mareep and Froakie. We could have all went home together. After seeing the failure of his plan, he could have just killed Treecko, then we still could go home. But no, he's so selfish he would rather have a chance to save Treecko than letting Mienfoo and I live. And now, it's him once again, preventing me from returning home. It was all his fault since the beginning of the game!
Well, today I'll make sure he gets defeated, make him pay for his sins.
"Growlithe, I think you would be pleased to know, that I've increased your powers! Now you would have a fair fight with Slowpoke. And let the battle begin! I do hope to see some interesting surprises!"
With the fury blazing in my heart, I sent an inferno towards Slowpoke with a powerful Flamethrower. Slowpoke defended himself with a torrent of water. The two blasts pushed against one another, but none could overpower the other.
My paws shook as I tried to maintain my balance. I thought Slowpoke would slip up, but he was unrelenting as he kept up his seemingly unlimited water supply.
Unexpectedly, a brainwave popped up in my brain.
I was expecting Slowpoke to be also hoping for me to give up on my assault, so I did just that.
I dodged sideways, and the gush of water slammed against the wall, causing a deafening explosion. I presumed that Slowpoke would take a breather, so I sprinted forward through the smoke with a ferocious Wild Charge, electricity crackling around my golden body. Slowpoke was caught off guard and was subsequently rammed to the ground. I was careful not to come into contact with his Zen Headbutt or Aqua Tail, so after the impact I quickly leapt to his side, biting his tummy forcefully with my Bite attack. I snarled in satisfaction as liquid rubies spilled out from his body.
Nevertheless, with an enormous effort Slowpoke managed to hit me with his Aqua Tail, and immediately followed up with a Water Gun. The blast of water threw me backwards, hurling me straight into a tree. Grrr... how dare he retaliate? He should be accepting his punishment for betraying all of us! He was supposed to be on MY side!
With this renewed outrage, it galvanised me into action, shrugging away the blood trickling down my temple. With a battle cry I fired another Flamethrower. The fiery blast (I cringed at the lies Treecko said when she was "attacked by a fiery blast") charged at Slowpoke like a raging bull. Slowpoke resumed his barricade of liquid, parrying my firestorm. I tried the same tactic again, but this time, Slowpoke was prepared. The moment he heard the explosion, he didn't even move an inch, as his eyes darted around warily, looking for signs of an ambush. I knew that if I were to slither any closer, he would not hesitate to deter me with another Water Gun. Drat, the same trick doesn't work twice.
I need something that can ward off the water. No doubt his attack cannot penetrate my wall of flames if he tried, but I can't advance too.
I looked at the trees surrounding me. (Slowpoke is at the other end, but he's on land) They looked like impregnable fortresses. In my mind, they seemed to transform into wooden pawns, into the cannon fodder I needed to overcome the water barrier.
I stepped closer to the gargantuan tree, like an executioner descending onto his target. I breathed scorching flames at its roots, before hurling myself at them with a Flare Blitz. The mighty tree gave way and collapsed like a bowling pin.
I rotated the tree sideways, before pushing it steadily towards the unsuspecting bear. Slowpoke raised an eyebrow, before attacking with a Water Gun. However, his curiosity turned into horror as the aquatic attack ricocheted in random directions, due to the jagged edges of the tree bark. I increased my pace, from a slow crawl to a canter, then to a alacritous gallop as I maintained my wooden shield in front of me. Electricity buzzed around me and I began my transformation of this blunt shield to a deadly electric weapon. I intended to hit Slowpoke with the log fuelled with voltaic currents. As I charged, sparks and charges accumulated in the log, ready to zap the stupid bear.
Slowpoke was rooted to the spot, half with fear because of his fruitless attacks, and half because of his inability to evade the log. He had already spent too much time trying to defend himself. With my exponential increase in velocity, there was no way to avoid the collision.
I saw Slowpoke's head tilt upwards, and I assumed he was praying to Arceus to let him enter heaven. I snorted in disgust. With his self-centeredness, who would let him? I don't even think Giratina would want this dumb selfish fool to be in his army of evildoers. But I grinned, because this only means one thing. I could go home! All my hopes and dreams of returning to my warm cosy home...
was drenched by a shower of freezing rain.
I glanced upwards for a second, and I realised that Slowpoke was shooting water at the ceiling. I screamed in pain as a continuous stream of water was redirected downwards, engulfing my body.
I wanted to back off, but I decided that it wouldn't be worth the effort I put in for my scheme. Gritting my teeth and bearing the rain (and the pain), I made a concerted effort and pressed on, dashing forward at a speed that would put a Raikou to shame.
It paid off, as the burly timber smashed into the helpless bear, along with a jolt of lightning. Slowpoke momentarily ceased his assault, but was soon going to regret it. I jumped at this golden opportunity, and used a combination of Flare Blitz and Flamethrower, incinerating the tree that served me so well.
Unlike just now, where I took a long time to accumulate the electrical power (because wood is an insulator of electricity), this time it took a mere few seconds for the entire log to be enveloped in wildfire, roasting this puny bear. Slowpoke screeched in agony, before straining himself to use Water Gun and Aqua Tail to extinguish the flames. However, I already anticipated that move, so I quickly retreated into the shelter of the forest before any of the pesky liquids could touch me.
Eventually, both of us overcame any imminent dangers. I hid in the forests, and Slowpoke just stood outside waiting.
I couldn't believe my luck today. Here Slowpoke stands, waiting for me like a fool.
Of course I'm not going to greet him.
I'm just going to stay in my hiding spot and heal off my injuries with Morning Sun. The rays of light from the glowing lamps caressed my wounded body, nursing my injuries.
Slowpoke must have eventually thought of that, and he attempted to move towards the swimming pool to hide.
Of course I'm not letting him do that.
I bounded from my spot and bulldozed him with a zealous Wild Charge. But to prevent him from being hurled into the pool, I immediately grabbed hold of him with a strong bite, swung him around, and then flung him against the wall.
But I guess I was careless, as in my vehemence I just threw him with all my might, without noticing the direction that I would send him. I think you could guess this predictable plot...[I shake my head at the author's lack of creativity, before retracting my words upon seeing the imminent tsunami floating above my head]
Of course Slowpoke landed in the pool.
I cursed at my luck. Considering that Slowpoke would use this chance to recover, silly me thought that I could also do the same. But apparently my memory was rather terrible, as Slowpoke merely gave me a taste of my own medicine. The moment I lay down, a water tornado burst from the pool, hitting me hard. I considered moving away and resume my healing in the forest, but this would just prolong the battle, and I would have to think of a new strategy because my earlier attacks would be nullified by Slack Off.
Damn, this is bad. Slowpoke can just rejuvenate right under my nose, and I cannot do anything about it. My Flamethrowers would just dissipate in water. I could consider a Wild Charge to send electric currents in the pool (I'm not planning to jump it, I just want to "shock" the water) but this would cause me to come into contact with water, and if I was careless I'll fall into the pool, leaving me at Slowpoke's mercy.
Nevertheless, I think Mewtwo's elevation of my powers is really great, as I seem to have thought of another idea. I never knew I could be so smart, even if I sound arrogant when saying this.
I walked towards the pool calmly. While healing, Slowpoke stared at me with a puzzled look. I pretended to try to disrupt his healing by using Flamethrower. The thin column of flames was extinguished within seconds. I guessed that Slowpoke must have thought that I ran out of ideas, as a smile grew on his face at the ostensibly hopeless battle I'm facing. I casually walked towards the metal railings as though I wasn't planning to, and seeing Slowpoke's relaxed face I knew he wasn't aware of my strategy. He probably thinks I'm trying to enter the pool.
Of course I'm not.
When Slowpoke least expected it, I bumped into the metal railings with a Wild Charge. I didn't hit it too hard as that wasn't my plan. However, the electricity blitzed across the metal bars and entered the pool, zapping Slowpoke in all directions. Slowpoke hollered in pain as the spasms of electricity tingled in his jerking body. He climbed out of the pool in a jiffy... only to be run over by an electrical train. Surprisingly, he managed to hit me with an Aqua Tail, halting my onslaught
Slowpoke writhed in pain as the familiar pain lingered in his body. However, I wasn't feeling too well either. Both of us stood in the open, with Slowpoke staying near the pool, and me just outside the forest. Both of us wanted more opportunities to repair our bodies, but unfortunately Mewtwo wouldn't allow it.
"Yawn... to prevent boring battles, I'm removing your recovery moves. Stop trying to hide like cowards and fight like a warrior." Mewtwo drawled.
Still, both of us didn't budge, as we panted again and again, trying to catch our breath.
But I noticed that Slowpoke was looking at me with interest, like there was something around me. Maybe he was planning something. Being influenced, I looked closer at the surroundings around him, seeing if there was something near the pool that I could use to attack him. But I could not see anything, apart from an expectant smile growing on Slowpoke's face.
Out of the blue, Slowpoke suddenly cried: "Do it Treecko! Now!"
What? Was this a scam by Slowpoke for me to turn around? It can't be that silly right? Who would fall for it?
But Mewtwo's words rang in my mind.
I do hope to see some interesting surprises.
Does this mean... it's a double battle after all? After all, Treecko could be really hiding in the trees.
I turned around and activated my Flare Blitz. The burning flames surrounded me like a fortress, ready to singe any intruder...
only to be demolished by a wave of water.
"Oh my! You actually fell for that?" Slowpoke chortled wildly. For a moment, I thought he was becoming as insane as Mewtwo. But slowly, my blood boiled with rage. How dare he resort to this type of trickery, especially after he let all of us down? My eyes radiated with fury and without even thinking I burst towards Slowpoke with a vengeful spite in my enraged soul. I instinctively dodged all the miserable Water Guns, and even when I couldn't evade the last one, I simply bulldozed through, ignoring that little pain. It was worth it, as I rammed into Slowpoke, giving hell to this evil bear.
Regrettably, as I wasn't thinking straight then, Slowpoke and I went headfirst into the pool.
Slowpoke seized the chance and went on the offensive, blasting me with a powerful Water Gun. The power was amplified by the aquatic environment, and my Flamethrower was of pitiful resistance as it was extinguished even before contact with Slowpoke's attack. The Water Gun pinned me to the bottom of the pool. I thrashed about, but to no avail. Slowpoke seemed to have infinite stamina as the water column seemed to be holding me downwards for an eternity.
The worst thing was: Even if I didn't die to the Water Gun, I'll die due to drowning. I was becoming giddy due to the suffocation, and started to have a severe headache.
No, I must not die like this. Especially when I literally gave Slowpoke the victory by my mistake.
I can't let Mienfoo down.
I can't let Vulpix down.
I can't let myself down.
With all my remaining strength, I activated all the energy in my body to unleash one more Wild Charge. The electricity burst out and struck Slowpoke, weakening the force that was pinning me down. Seeing this, I concentrated harder, forcing every electron out of my body, electrifying the entire pool. Strangely, in water the Wild Charge seemed like a Thunderbolt, once again zapping Slowpoke from head to tail. As the strength of the Water Gun diminished, with a lucky burst of energy I sprung upwards with the Wild Charge, successfully leaping out of the water. Slowpoke, not wanting to stay in this electric field any further, followed suit, scrambling out of the pool.
Both of us just lay on the ground, too exhausted to move. I was surprised I was still alive. I tried to pick myself up, but my limbs were like lead. I took a closer look at Slowpoke. His eyes were closed. Was he dead? I wasn't sure.
Still, I slowly lifted myself up, then took another glance at Slowpoke. This time, his eyes were opened. He looked like he was getting up. But all his eyes showed was despair.
"Treecko... I'm sorry... I tried... Maybe we could be together in heaven..." he spoke, before closing his eyes and collapsing to the stone cold floor.
"SLOWPOKE! NO!" Treecko wailed from the sidelines, before shrieking in misery and disbelief. However, to me, her cries of pain was music to my ears. I'm starting to wonder if I'm sadistic... but who cares? This only meant one thing. I AM FREE!
I let out a whoop of joy, looking upwards to heaven, thanking Arceus profusely for the great deed he has done. My mind warped away to the joyful wonders I can finally do with Vulpix. (is it just me, or does that sentence sound wrong?)
I imagined myself at Slateport Beach, building sandcastles with her, sharing a cold lemonade, playing tag with one another, splashing water at one another mischievously...
But then, all of a sudden, someone was saying "Look out!"
I whirled my head around, seeing a tsunami...
that consumed me, along with Vulpix and all the joyful wonders I could have done with her...
Apparently, Mienfoo was the one shouting "look out".
But it was all too late.
I was tricked again.
With my dying breath, I let out a rasped croak: "Mienfoo, I'm really... really... sorry...". Mienfoo rushed forward and gave me a reassuring hug, saying: "You did your best... I'm thankful for that."
Salty tears gathered in my eyes, about to creep down my cheeks.
I let them flow.
I'm sorry Mienfoo. I did what I could...Hopefully we would see each other soon, I promise to change my nasty ways...
(Narrator)
"Growlithe is dead! Therefore, Slowpoke and Treecko have won! Any last words Mienfoo?" Mewtwo snickered.
"You'll regret what you did Slowpoke! I assure you, it would haunt you for life!" Mienfoo yelled defiantly, before a dazzling violet ray pierced through his heart, sending him into the afterlife.
Slowpoke and Treecko looked at the dead bodies of Growlithe and Mienfoo with sombre expressions. Treecko was filled with remorse. It's all my fault that they are all dead. Maybe I shouldn't be so selfish. They were innocent after all.
Slowpoke seemed to have read her mind and gave her a pat. "It's over. We can go home now. After all, you chose the best possible option. You weren't to blame. Let's go back, shall we?"
"Upupupuupupupupuupu... do you really think I'm gonna let you go just like that?"
Slowpoke's heart froze.
"I did remember saying something along the lines of 'I shall not kill you now. But do not be pleased, as I promise that there is hell to pay for your crimes'. After what damage you did to my beautiful memory chamber, do you think I'll just let you Pokemon go? Hellishly naive!"
"Surprisingly, I'm not going to kill all of you. That wouldn't be any fun. I was thinking, how about you pokes decide the deserving one to live?"
Slowpoke's mind traced back to the moment when he found the memory chamber. So that's what Mewtwo meant! [chapter 18 of Nightmare Resurrection if you don't remember] Wait, does this mean...
"Yes! Only one of you can go free. And I do mean it this time, I'm only allowing one Pokemon to leave this place. (no worries this isn't a play with words cause you might think that one Pokemon is me myself) Furthermore, even if both of you decide to commit suicide, I wouldn't mind either, but that simply is no fun because there is no victor of the Fantasy Games. Nevertheless, the choice is yours. You could have another fight, or one of you can sacrifice yourself, it's all up to you~~"
Slowpoke and Treecko stared at each other. No one was willing to kill each other, especially after the horrifying reminder that two more lives were wasted.
Slowpoke turned around and said: "There must be some way to escape this place..."
But Treecko had other ideas.
Slowpoke heard a swishing sound, and instinctively turned around, only to see Treecko put her Leaf Blade next to her heart.
"No! I'll rather die instead! Don't kill yourself!" Slowpoke pleaded.
"I don't want to bear the guilt of causing the deaths of so many Pokemon!" Treecko protested.
"But you already went through so much! You deserve to live!"
"I just don't want to. I'll be haunted by this."
"But..."
"JUST STOP TRYING TO PERSUADE ME!" Treecko screamed hysterically and before anyone could react, she ran the blade through her chest, stabbing her own heart.
"NO..." Slowpoke cried as he crawled towards her.
And with her dying breath, she managed a rasped croak: "I'll always love you... don't miss me too much...you are still... as cute as ever..."
Slowpoke just put his arms around her, and let every single tear fall from his cheeks.
(Mewtwo's POV)
As I saw Slowpoke crying, I merely levitated him and sent him back to his hometown.
I actually intend to let him live. Treecko made the right choice.
Because every moment that he is still alive, he would be reminded of all the mistakes he made, all the trouble he went through to save his darling Treecko, and how his plans all crumbled into dust.
Sure, he would tell everyone of my existence. But all I need to do is to be slightly more careful, (and I'm always careful) and I'll still not get caught. The police have already given up on trying to nab me, after I killed so many of them, including Growlithe's father. Maybe I can't invite people to this party, but I can always kidnap them. Maybe I'll need to change hideouts more often, but that wouldn't need too much effort.
And believe me, I'll be taunting Slowpoke every single day, reminding him of the Fantasy Games, and as a reward for winning the event, every year I'll surely send him footage of the latest Fantasy Games. But this time, to prevent any more witnesses, I'll kill all the participants after the event , including the victor(s).
And chaos is going to descend upon this mortal Pokemon world...
(Slowpoke's POV)
Thin white veils of magnolia white clouds hung in the sapphire blue sky. The golden sun was a fireball, emanating searing rays of energy that pierced through my home's windows, exposing all the dusty areas in the room. Oh, I think I sense a human being observing me.
Well, before I carry on with my actions I would just like to tell you that my life is tremendously boring. Every action I take requires many minutes before it is properly executed. Hence, the untidy state of my house. Since you, human being, are so interested in my life, I would be a nice host and give you great detail about what I am doing and why I am doing that. I think it might help you in your research paper on Slowpokes. Yeah, I am a Slowpoke, one of the laziest Pokemon on this planet, only beaten by a select few such as Slakoth and Munchlax.
My dad Slowking always emphasised the importance of treating guests well. So, distinguished guest, I will do my best to brighten up your life (which I personally think must be very boring because you are so bored that you want to look into my life. Rather, why not you go and take a look at Caterpie or Weedle's life. They change forms and do things quickly. Totally unlike me)
Oh, you ask about the Fantasy Games? Excuse me for a moment. *grabs a tissue box, starts weeping in sorrow* Alright, I apologise for this, but every time I think about it, I cry over what I've done. I never should have opened the Memory Chamber.
When I returned home, Slowking was so relieved that I was okay. He told me about the failed rescue mission, and all his efforts to rescue me.
We went to the police station and told Lucario the chief of police everything we knew, such as how the invitations were sent, and where the Fantasy was. Later on, Lucario told me that he sent a heavily armed police force there, but there was no sign of the Fantasy.
Nevertheless, we went around and informed everyone of the existence of the Fantasy Games. We even went to the families of the victims to explain their child's disappearance. Soon, everyone in my city knew about this, and were taking drastic measures to safeguard their child.
Slowking and I realised that the dates that we received the invitation were different. So we inferred that there was no particular day where the invitations would be sent. This caused a lot of problems, as families were fearful of their children going out alone. Birthday parties ceased to exist. Some families even withdrew their child from schools, while others accompanied their child to school, keeping a watchful eye on their children all the time.
Also, because I mentioned about Mr Mimes and Houndooms being Mewtwo's henchmen, any Mr. Mime and Houndoom found in the streets would be brought in by police for questioning, and some were beaten up by a mob.
Nevertheless, with all those draconian and irrational measures in place, people still got abducted. Interestingly, while the adults were so concerned with their child, they forgot to realise that they themselves could be victims, and poof. Thirteen more victims. [I don't remember if there was a specific number] Not to mention, children still got abducted right under their parents' noses, but the adults could do nothing to stop the Psychic monster.
Eventually, the Pokemon stopped being so fearful but they just accepted the inevitable, as they could do nothing about it.
Some people attempted praying to Arceus, while other crooks around jumped on this opportunity to abduct children. Any kidnapping nowadays would be seen as being forced to join the Fantasy Games, and the parents would just cry in sorrow. This probably led to an increase in Pokemon trafficking and child labour.
As for myself, every year I receive videos of the latest Fantasy Games. I threw them away, but for some reason they would keep reappearing until I finished watching the video. I was bombarded with nightmares every night, and even Darkrai told me one day that he didn't conjure them. In other words, my mind was creating them.
I keep telling myself that it wasn't my fault, but every now and then I get reminded of all the opportunities I missed. I could have ended the game and killed Treecko, freeing at least four Pokemon, but I didn't, and all of them died because of me.
Eventually, the emotional pain got more manageable. Don't get me wrong, I never got over it. But the pain was less intense. So out of pure curiosity, Slowking asked me about my ordeal in the Fantasy Games. He didn't ask it before as he didn't want to rub salt into my wounds, but he couldn't hold his curiosity any longer.
"So... what happened in your Fantasy Games?" he asked gently, trying to look out for any sign of misery.
"I was responsible for the lives of six Pokemon," I replied bitterly. The images of Axew, Mareep, Froakie, Mienfoo, Growlithe and Treecko flashed before my eyes.
"Don't blame yourself, you had to live. I would have done the same. But I'm surprised so many other Pokemon died by other means." Slowking consoled
"But I wasn't the murderer."
Salty tears gathered in my eyes, about to creep down my cheeks.
I broke down, and let them flow...
~~END~~
AND THAT'S IT! THE END OF THE ALTERNATE ENDING!
I was really busy these few months, and I had a free weekend, so I spent it writing the final chapter of the entire Fantasy Games series! (Murder Party).
I really had a lot of fun writing this, and I hope you have fun reading this too.
Feedback is really appreciated, and if you are really impressed by the whole Fantasy Games series and want to thank me in any way, I'll just want to see YOU write a murder mystery too. Fanfiction doesn't have many completed ones, so I'll love to have a read of one of those.
I know the last part sounds very unrealistic but... oh well...
And sadly, I really won't be writing any more fanfics anytime soon (if i ever do, you'll wait even longer than the wait for this chapter), so I'm sorry. I ran out of murder ideas.
Thanks to all my readers who read the whole thing from start to end.
Farewell~~~
missingnown