CHAPTER 21

"Psychic!"

Lucario was able to get a hold on the ice arrow Wisemon shot at MegaGargomon. Given the current situation, he had difficulty with it and it took a lot of concentration to stop it from advancing.

"I..refuse...to...YIELD!" Lucario shouted as he launched the arrow back at Wisemon. It struck him and knocked him off balance causing to the portal to vanish. Lucario and the struggling Tamers fell down again on top of the building.

"Grr. Wretch, I shall make you pay for that!" Wisemon shouted as he shot another Arrow of Artemis at Lucario.

"Aura Sphere!"

The two attacks exploded upon contact. "We have to knock him down again." Lucario suggested.

"I've got an idea." Riolu said and he turned to Wisemon. "Hey ya big meanie! come and try me on for size! Hit me with all you got!"

"Very well. Pandora Dialogue: Giga Sea Destroyer!"

"Counter!"

A huge missile shot out towards Riolu whose body was enveloped in red energy. The missile stopped right in front of him and he struggled to push it back.

"Graah!" he yelled as he began to feel his counter weaken. He could barely handle sending back this much power. "I can't hold this up much longer!"

"Hang in there Riolu!" Lucario yelled as he ran over and supported his brother's back. Everyone else did the same supporting Riolu. He held on much longer now and was finally able to send the missile right back at Wisemon. It exploded and Wisemon fell back onto the roof while Riolu collapsed out of exhaustion.

"Did that do it?" he said panting a little. He saw the fallen Wisemon. "Let's finish him off now!"

"Wait!" Lucario yelled as Riolu ran towards Wisemon.

"Force Palm!"

But Wisemon vanished before Riolu's attack could hit. He looked around wondering where he was until Wisemon finally appeared and grabbed Riolu back the head. As Riolu struggled to get free, Wisemon showed him to the scared faces of the Tamers.

He seemed to grin evilly as he said: "Now, what shall I do with-"

In a split second, Lucario was there and he punched Wisemon right in the chest. He flung Riolu away and fell down several feet away. He tried to get up but Lucario jumped on him and began to punch him senselessly and angrily. He punctuated every word with a punch to his face.

"YOU-LAY-SO-MUCH-AS-A-FINGER-ON-MY-BROTHER-AGAIN-AND-I-" But Wisemon caught Lucario's fist before he could deliver another punch and then held up a red sphere to his chest.

"Pandora Dialogue: Sol Blaster!"

A powerful explosion of flames knocked Lucario off Wisemon and he landed near the Tamers.

"Lucario!" Sakuyamon cried out. Lucario was clutching a very bad burn mark on his chest while crying out in pain.

"Hang on. Good thing I still have my Treasure Bag." Riolu said pulling it out and rummaging through it. He found it, a Rawst Berry, and fed it to Lucario. His crying out stopped and the burn mark slowly vanished. Everyone gave a sigh of relief.

"Pandora Dialogue: Magna Antidote."

The sphere glowed and a rainbow light shone onto Wisemon's body. "Is he healing himself?" Justimon asked. His question was answered when the light stopped and Wisemon stood proud before them.

"Pandora Dialogue: Holy Espada!"

A cross shaped blast of energy caused the group to break away from Lucario who lay flat on the ground to avoid getting hit. He launched a Water Pulse at Wisemon but the latter vanished and reappeared above them again.

"Pandora Dialogue: Death Arrow!"

"Talisman Sphere!"

Sakuyamon was able to put up her barrier just before hundreds of energy arrows rained on them. They needed to find a way to ground Wisemon again.

"Sakuyamon, how can your barrier last?" he asked.

"A few more minutes. Why?" she asked in turn.

"Can you still block more attacks?" She nodded. "Keep it up, when the time comes, just play along with what I would do."

They just nodded and trusted his judgment. Wisemon began another assault of several attacks but Sakuyamon was able to hold her barrier up. Lucario stared at Wisemon waiting for the right moment.

"Pandora Dialogue: Spiral Flower!"

"Now!" To everyone's shock, Lucario jumped out of the protection of Sakuyamon's barrier. The cried out for him to return but he kept going and jumped. Wisemon shot a volley of flower petals that scored a direct hit on Lucario. Every single petal cut through his body and he fell onto the roof.

"Lucario!" Sakuyamon screamed.

"Brother, are you OK?" Riolu shouted. Lucario didn't get up. Sakuyamon let her barrier down so that everyone could get to Lucario but Wisemon suddenly appeared before Lucario's body forcing them to stop.

"Hmph, oh how the mighty have fallen." Wisemon said kicking Lucario causing the others to growl angrily. "Now then," he faced Riolu. "One more abomination to elime-"

He suddenly fell face down; Lucario, feigning defeat, kicked Wisemon down and then jumped on him.

"Close Combat!"

The Tamers watched as Wisemon was subjected to numerous rapid punches courtesy of Lucario. Then, Lucario jumped high into the air and shot an Aura Sphere straight down at Wisemon. His body arced when the attack connected and Lucario finished with one more kick right to his chest. After that, Lucario jumped back to his friends.

"Brother, you're alright!" Riolu said relieved.

"But how did you survive that attack?" MegaGargomon asked.

"I waited for him to do a certain type of attack." he explained. "Plant type attacks like that one do minimal damage to me so I feigned defeat and struck when his guard was down.

He walked over to Wisemon who was groaning in pain. "Now, it is my turn to say: oh how the mighty have fallen."

Wisemon's right arms suddenly struck upwards.

"Pandora Dialogue: Dark Spirit DX!"

Several bolts of black electricity came from the sky and struck everyone except Lucario and Riolu. The two brothers could just watch as their friends were forced to return to their original forms.

"Everyone!" they screamed together as everyone but them were brought to their knees.

"Stop! One more move and I will destroy them all!" Wisemon warned, his arm raised. Lucario and Riolu stopped moving.

Everyone watch what Wisemon did next. He raised his other hand and the same large portal appeared behind him, the portal to Lucario's world.

"Now, I will offer you one last chance." he said seriously. "Take your brother and use this portal to return to your home world."

"But you will destroy my friends no matter what I choose! What difference would it make?" Lucario yelled angrily.

"The difference is that you would not be able to hear their screams of pain or stay and hear them yourself as you too are destroyed! Make your choice now!"

Lucario's mind was a whirl. He looked around and his eyes found Renamon kneeling down with a face that said that he should just take Wisemon's offer and go home and leave them to fend for themselves . He gave her a face that said that he would never do that but her expression didn't change.

He then looked at Riolu who said that he would follow him ever in the face of death. He wouldn't allow that either.

"What to choose!" he screamed into his head while closing his eyes angrily.

Then it hit him, the way so no one he cared about would never get hurt. He calmly opened his eyes.

"Jeri," he said loudly. She looked up at him confused. "I need you to do me a favor."

He closed his eyes again and paused before saying: "Please take care of my brother..."

With a loud cry, he charged forward and rammed Wisemon. Together, they fell onto the portal which glowed brighter.

"Lucario!" Renamon cried out getting to her feet.

"Brother, what're you doing?" Riolu said panicky.

"I simply refuse that any more harm could come to any of you so I am bringing Wisemon with me to my home world." Lucario said out loud while pinning down Wisemon's shoulders.

"It gives me great pain to leave this world." His eyes were on them while they just stared back in shock and disbelief. "I...I am proud to have fought on your side."

"Riolu," he looked at his brother who was close to tears. "This is one time where you cannot follow me. Please, stay here and work hard and one day, you will be as strong as me."

"Renamon," He eyes gazed into hers. "Meeting you...was the best part about coming to this world. Ever since I met you, I never regretted staying here in this world so long as I had you by my side. To me...you are the most wonderful creature that has ever existed. And though I must leave you forever...you will always remain in my heart even after death."

"...Lucario..."

Lucario's and Wisemon's bodies were slowly enveloped in blue light.

"...Renamon...I love you..."

"BROTHER!" Riolu screamed. Lucario and Wisemon flashed a brilliant white light. When it was over, they were gone.

"N...No way..." Terriermon said completely stunned. Every single one of them was quiet except fro Riolu who was crying his heart out while pounding the ground with his fists. The portal began to close slowly.

There was a yellow blur as Renamon dashed towards the portal, which was the size of a dinner plate, and shoved her hand into it. It stopped shrinking.

"Renamon! Wh-What're you-" But Renamon ignored her partner. She gave a loud cry and inserted her other paw into the portal and began to pull it apart. Everyone watched in silence as the portal increased in size. Renamon then used her legs to provide extra force and the portal got large enough for her.

"LUCARIO!" Renamon screamed as she dove into the portal much to everyone's shock. This time, the portal closed completely; there was another brilliant flash of light and it was gone.