I find it almost ironic that I had them raise their fists into the air as a sign of victory…only for Ash to practically do that almost every major time he went Ash-Greninja…Ah, whatever, excuse my ramblings. Chapter 21 time!
Chapter 21
A Kindness
"Ninja! Ja! Ja!" Greninja cried out, flinging large quantities of Water Shuriken at the giant flower, but all of them just bounced off harmlessly. Ash groaned a little and ordered a Thunderbolt. Pikachu delivered, lighting up with bursting electricity before sending it flying. It struck the Weapon, but didn't leave a dent in it. Michael sighed, though he still had a rather nasty grin on his face.
"You won't be able to touch it," he said tauntingly. "I'm not having you ruin my plans like you seem to do every time. I took precautions against that very thing."
"Who cares? That's not gonna stop me from trying! Goodra, use Dragon Pulse!" Ash cried out. Goodra's mouth opened and fired the purple, draconic beam straight at the Weapon, cutting along its side, yet once again leaving nothing behind. Raichu quickly came from behind, slamming an Iron Tail against the surface that also did nothing.
"He must have put up some sort of barrier," Jack commented, glaring over at Michael. The man wore a knowing, but never telling, smile. "You always were crafty."
"Well then, we'll just combine attacks! Everyone, aim right at that point!" Ash said, pointing at the bulb that appeared to be right in the middle of the Weapon. All of his Pokémon cried out proudly and proceeded to send any long range attack that they could straight at the bulb. Only Hawlucha didn't join in on the attack as the combined Water Shuriken, Dragon Pulse, Boomburst, Razor Wind and Thunderbolt were sent out in an arcing line towards the bulb.
"Oh, enough of this foolishness. Dragon Pulse," Michael said lazily. Ash growled as he whipped towards Michael to see the Dragon Pulse collide with the attacks and break it apart before it could hit. "Not that I'm worried, but I'm not going to stand here and let you try!"
"Yeah, well, we're not gonna let you win!" Ash declared, sweeping his hand across himself. "Hawlucha, Karate Chop!"
"Lucha!" Hawlucha cried out enthusiastically. He had clearly been waiting for a chance to get back into the battle. Brandishing his fist with a bright light, he ran right at Hydreigon, whose three heads were snarling loudly. "Guys, you just keep pummeling at the console and the Weapon."
"Bad idea, Ash," Jack warned him. Ash looked at him curiously right as Hawlucha slammed down upon Hydreigon's heads with his powerful Karate Chop. "We have no idea if destroying the console will do anything and we may need it to stop this thing. Who knows how he's set that Weapon to fire. Keeping him away from it is well and good but attacking is a bad idea."
"All right, then! Just attack the Weapon, everyone, and dad, help them out!"
"You're directing me?" Jack asked enthusiastically. Ash just grinned at him. "All right then. Latias, sweetheart, help an old man out! You, as well, Raichu! All of you, let's destroy that weapon!"
"Pikachu!" Pikachu cried, leading the rest of the Pokémon in a cheer. Hawlucha landed upon the ground with a grin, ready to face off against Michael. Ash gave a nod to his entire team, filling them with confidence as Jack ordered off the first slew of attacks.
"Acrobatics," Michael said, still in the same bored tone of voice. Hydreigon hissed once more and zoomed up into the air as Latias blasted backwards and fired a Mist Ball off at the bulb, once more the attack doing nothing to its surface. Hydreigon's body glowed a light blue and it zigzagged through the air.
"Counter with X-Scissor!" Ash called. Hawlucha rushed right at Hydreigon, crossing his arms as the purple cross shape appeared. The two ran at each other as Hawlucha jumped up and the attacks clashed. For a moment, they looked even until Hydreigon got the upper hand and one of its heads slammed into Hawlucha's side. The Acrobatics broke through and Hawlucha crashed into the ground in a slight pile of dust. Ash didn't wait for it to clear. Neither did Michael.
"Dark Pulse and Dragon Pulse," Michael ordered, still acting like he wasn't taking the fight seriously whatsoever. Ash was determined to make him. From its two side heads, their maws opened and fired a Dark Pulse from one and a Dragon Pulse from the other, twisting and twirling along the ground in an unpredictable fashion as Hydreigon moved closer to Hawlucha.
"Now, use High Jump Kick!" Ash ordered simply. Hawlucha's eyes narrowed, his knee glowed and he leapt upward with a mighty jump. The dual pulses struck where he had been moments before, missing him entirely as his knee crashed against the middle head.
"Trap it, and use Tri-Attack," Michael ordered. Off to the side, Pikachu was beating relentlessly against the Weapon with Iron Tail to no avail. Ash grit his teeth as Hydreigon's side heads slammed inward, pinning Hawlucha powerfully before each head shined with a different light: the right was red, the left blue and the middle one coursed with yellow, almost electric, energy before they made a sudden breath attack. All three beams simultaneously battered Hawlucha, who cried out before he was released. Before he fell, though, a gleam returned to his eyes.
"Now, use X-Scissor!" Ash cried, pumping his fist through the air. His eyes flashing, Hawlucha's arms crossed and he flapped with his wings to shoot back up and slam into Hydreigon's chest with X-Scissor. He flipped away and landed gracefully on the ground; Serena's performance lessons were paying off with his extra mobility.
"Hmph, Acrobatics," Michael said, now sounding a little more serious than he had been taking the battle just moments prior. Ash liked the sound of that; it meant that Hawlucha was showing there was little gap between them. They could do this. As Greninja used a powerful Aerial Ace on the surface of the Weapon, Hydreigon zipped through the air with the blue glow.
"Wait for it, Hawlucha, and get ready," Ash said, watching the Brutal Pokémon's movements.
"Chalu," Hawlucha concurred, his own eyes watching the quick-moving Dragon type until at last Hydreigon was about to strike. It moved to the left, but Ash had watched it too well.
"Now, High Jump Kick to the right!" Ash commanded. Hawlucha's knee glowed and he reacted instantly. As expected, Hydreigon moved to the right side, allowing for Hawlucha to strike right then and there on its middle head. This time, the nature of Hydreigon attacking prevented it from mounting a counterattack and it flew off.
"Well, this isn't good," Michael admitted begrudgingly. "I really can't stand the fact that you keep getting in my way. I mean, I said it before but…every time. Sure, I got something out of it: breaking of the world's fabric and some further fissures in the dimensions with Monsu, Galactic and Operation Tempest, and Clime was a genius at modifying Colress' device for my needs. Not to mention Zygarde being too drained to interfere here and now, wherever it may be…but then when I tried to push the tipping point up with Ancien, and Nova, you were always there to put a stop to it. Guess Zinnia and Dalton just couldn't get the job done."
"So you used them!" Ash snarled out angrily. Noivern and Goodra were both raining blows upon the Weapon, but it was proving as resilient as ever while Ash glared at Michael. "They were people that were hurting and you used their pain against them."
"To prevent future pain, it was well worth it," Michael said, stretching his arms out as though it were obvious. "I used Zinnia's pain to attempt her actions in Ancien to try and force a tipping point. If not that, I could get my hands on Jirachi and end things then and there. When that failed, I used Dalton's own goals to poison things further during Nova. It was a shame that failed, but I always had Flare to fall back on."
"You…You…" Ash couldn't even get the words out as Michael put his hand over his heart. It was sickening that he almost seemed to be taking pleasure in this.
"Ash." Said boy turned towards the sound of his father's voice as he looked at him. "Michael has been manipulating things for years, pulling at people's pain. Pulling at his own people's pain. The only way you can face him now is by mustering up your bulwark against pain. Remember your own words. Fight! Fight like you did in the Kalos League for everyone's dreams. Only this time, fight to end the pain and despair!"
"Right…You're right, dad. Hawlucha, let's show him we mean business!" Ash cried out. Michael appeared to smirk at him as he grabbed the flute from his neck and blew into it. Grimacing a little at the implication it brought, Ash turned to his other Pokémon while Hawlucha tensed for a continued fight. This was the man who had manipulated everything, not only affecting his own adventures but countless others as well. And he didn't care, as long as it was "for the greater good" of his own world. It was almost ironic how tragically different he was from Dalton, the one whose life he had perhaps affected the most through his actions. "Goodra, pull away, I need your help!"
"Dra dra!" Goodra complied, stomping away from the Weapon as quick as he could. Michael blew into the flute and Ash tensed, waiting for the foe that he knew was coming. In seconds it happened, the wind blasting over the area as Latios came streaming down. The flower petals of the Weapon continued to open.
"Dad, I'll handle this; focus on the Weapon!"
"If you say so, Ash. Remember that we're doing this together, though."
"And we'll all die together, too," Michael said before he scowled. "Dragon Pulse!"
"Use your own Dragon Pulse, Goodra!" Both of the dragons on the field opened their mouths wide and fired off. The draconic beams met in midair, but Latios was easily the more powerful, his purple beam opening its jaw to consume Goodra's before it slammed into him. Goodra still held his ground with a stern expression. Latios began turning to Hawlucha. "Quick, make a barrier with Ice Beam!"
"Goodra!" Latios began hanging back, like it was ready to shoot off towards Hawlucha. Goodra fired the frigid beam from his mouth, striking against the dirt and grass and moving upwards. A thick wall of ice began to form, clear in nature, but seemingly sturdy. That was put to the test in a moment as Latios rammed at it and smashed against it, only cracking the surface a little, but not breaking it.
"Great job, now Hawlucha, Karate Chop!"
"Get it with your Pulses!" Michael said, his lips turning into a sneer. He had clearly hoped for the battle to end instantly the second that Latios had hit the field, but Ash was glad he wasn't getting that chance. Hydreigon began interchanging between short bursts of Dragon Pulse and Dark Pulse towards the ground as Hawlucha flit back and forth. Meanwhile, Latios whirled around and blasted off the bright pink beam of Luster Purge. Goodra steadied himself as the beam hit and consumed his body, slamming into the ground beyond and causing the dirt and mud to be blown apart. When it faded, Goodra appeared to be glowing, having Bided the attack without a command. He turned with a grin to Ash.
"Great job, Goodra. Now, Hawlucha!" Hawlucha jumped up with his usual superior leg strength and brought his Karate Chop slamming down onto Hydreigon's head. The side heads instantly began moving in without a command, looking to repeat the same move as last time, but Ash wasn't going to fall for it as Latios sent a raging Hyper Beam at Goodra. Still, his loyal dragon endured it, though one of his eyes closed a little. "Twirl around and grab the head with your legs!"
"Hawlucha cha!" Hawlucha cried, flipping upside down like an acrobat and pinning the middle head between his legs. The side heads still snapped inward, but due to the change in position missed Hawlucha's body entirely.
"Now, double Karate Chop!" Ash ordered fiercely. Both of Hawlucha's fists glowed and he slammed them on both of the side heads before flipping over and slamming Hydreigon down into the ground. "Finish it with Flying Press off of the Weapon!"
"Hydreigon," Michael said coldly, as though his stern command would will it to get up. Hawlucha was moving quickly, running towards the Weapon like it was ropes around a wrestling ring. Then he touched against it and leapt forward spinning through the air and spreading his wings before slamming straight into Hydreigon powerfully. The dust cleared and Hydreigon was seen in a small crater in the ground, groaning in pain and unable to get up. "Unbelievable. You just never give up…stubborn idiot…"
"Maybe I am an idiot," Ash said as Hawlucha flipped back through the air to come stand before him, "but I'm not as much of one as you are. I haven't abandoned my world yet! You talk like you're saving yours and all the manipulation you've done to make our world break…but did you ever think that because you manipulated things here, that they never happened in your world?"
"I already explained this to you," Michael sighed out, like he was tired of the conversation.
"All you explained to me was that instead of working to save your future, you tried to ruin everybody else's! That doesn't make you any kind of savior for anyone! It makes you no different than Zinnia or Dalton or Lysandre!"
Michael inclined his head a little, his blue eyes piercing through the green glow and the darkness before he touched his hand to his keystone. "I don't care."
Latios shined brightly as his wings grew and he fired a powerful Luster Purge right at Ash, Goodra and Hawlucha. At the same moment Goodra fired his Bide attack, cutting through the Luster Purge as best as he could. The ground rumbled and cracked and a great burst of wind from the colliding attacks ripped through the area. Before he knew it, Ash felt himself and all of his Pokémon being blown away.
"Serena! Serena!"
The honey blonde turned, recognizing the voice that was calling her name. Around her, the horde of Pokémon was thinning, now being replaced with more people that were filtering in from the Left and Right Units. Braixen sent out a Flamethrower next to May's Blaziken, the ensuing explosion causing a number of Bibarel to fly through the air for Gary's Electivire to rip through with Thunder, and his Blastoise to blow them away with Hydro Pump.
"Bonnie! You're okay!" Serena cried out, feeling elation settle into her heart as the lemon blonde girl ran up to her and hugged her around her midsection. Serena smiled and quickly hugged her back.
"You look really dirty, Serena. It's weird," she said, her voice muffled against Serena's chest. Serena laughed and patted her head as she looked beyond to see Alain and Mairin running together, Charizard and Chespie cutting a swath through enemies with Flamethrower and Vine Whip (along with a few well-placed Toxics).
"Well, it's been rough," she responded to Bonnie, wiping at her brow. Clemont was puffing upwards as well, Korrina practically supporting him at his back as they moved forward into a reunion. "Glad to see you're okay, Clemont."
"Define 'okay'," Clemont whined out, almost looking like he wanted to collapse and just sit. "I feel exhausted."
"Well, we have been going all day," Korrina pointed out before slapping her boyfriend enthusiastically on the back. "Hey, come on, Clemont! We've got a battle to win!"
"Right…I know. Let's do this!" Clemont said, clearly finding the energy to move. Meyer rushed past him, Blaziken using Blaze Kick on the ground, causing it to explode with flames. "Where's Ash, by the way?"
"He went on ahead to meet up with Diantha and his dad," Serena pointed out, letting go of Bonnie and turning towards the continually opening petals of the Weapon. "We should get there, too."
"Right! Let's all go together!" Bonnie said, her usual moxie having returned now that she was free. Serena smiled at the little girl. "This is our world, right? I wanna be a Pokémon trainer, and that means I need to save this place first!"
"I like the way you think, Bonnie," Korrina said with a grin. "Let's go! One more push!"
"Braixen, Fire Blast!" Serena ordered with her hand thrown out. Braixen thrust her wand forward and the wheel of fire burst outward like a powerful stamp, crushing through the thin layer of enemies ahead. Seeing them tumble away, Serena began to run forward. "Everyone! Ash, Diantha and his father are right up ahead! Let's band together and DO THIS!"
"All right, Your Highness," Miette said with a smirk. "Slurpuff, restrain them with Cotton Spore!"
"Slurpuffpuff!" Slurpuff said puffing out a wide batch of cotton that appeared to separate the foes in front of them, creating a path. That clearing path allowed Serena to see Diantha's Mega Gardevoir blasting away enemies with Shadow Balls and an occasional Moonblast that practically split the ground. Tucking her hair back, Serena ran forward, quickly surging in front of her companions as they fell into a stream behind her.
"Blastoise, Hydro Cannon! Feel the groove!" shouted Tierno's voice. His wasn't the only one. Among all the other voices now joining the fray, Serena knew that she could hear Shauna and Trevor alongside the smooth voice of Professor Sycamore, whose Mega Garchomp came slashing about the field of Pokémon that was attacking them (gently, of course). In fact, Serena could even see all of them approaching their stream, the different Units finally joining up with them.
"Serena, you okay?" Shauna called out, standing next to Bethany. The latter's Vanilluxe was spinning around, creating glaciers out of the Pokémon near them, allowing Rocky's Rhyperior and Christopher's Tyrantrum to come rampaging through like freight trains that couldn't be stopped.
"Just fine, Shauna. Glad to see you're well!" Serena said. Her gaze turned skyward, noticing that the Airborne Unit was beginning to descend, with Alpha Squad leading them in doing so. The Pokémon in the air had all but been knocked out of the sky. That prompted Serena to turn back and see the Medic Unit finally come charging up the hill. Some stopped to tend to wounded trainers and Pokémon, but Brock and Aria were very quickly making a beeline for them to join in the battle.
"Have a catch-up later, twerpettes!" Jessie snapped, Gourgeist sprouting out Leech Seeds to trap more of the Pokémon around them. Serena used the momentary distraction to finish running up towards Diantha who noticed and acknowledged her with a nod before Gardevoir used Psychic to fling more enemies away.
"It seems much of the army has begun to thin," she said calmly once the area around them was relatively clear. Those trainers that had made it up to that point in the hill all looked tired, and were far less numerous than they had started off with. Nevertheless, Diantha smiled at them all appreciatively. "I take it we've been successful thus far."
"I think there's only one device controlling the army left," Clemont pointed out, nearly collapsed on his knees but holding it together, even without the help of Bonnie or Korrina.
"Then it's my old man's," snapped a rather cold voice. Serena frowned but turned to the sight of Travis and Seamus approaching. They both had Pokémon next to them (Alakazam and a Beartic, Serena noted), each glaring daggers at the other while Zoroark and Emboar appeared to be slashing and bashing frenetically at the army around them with nary an order from Seamus. In any case, neither of the boys looked happy to be working together. "He's always been a pain."
"Just like you, then," Seamus snapped back. "If Travis' dad is the last one in charge of the army, then let us deal with him."
"I did promise, I suppose…" Diantha sighed out. She turned and looked towards the Weapon, still unfurling its deadly petals. "All right. But Seamus, look after him. I want him to go back to prison when this mess is over. No slinking off."
"Really? Throwing me right back in? I helped you guys with all this, the least I could get is some kind of parole!" Travis snickered out, almost mocking every trainer that was glaring nastily at him. No one trusted him, and Serena could easily understand why. Still, not trusting one another would become tantamount to death in the situation, so Serena stepped forward towards the two former friends.
"Travis, you have helped us. But you've caused too much pain; just like Michael. I don't expect you to change your ways at all, because everyone knows you've had more than ample chance, but right now, we want to believe in some part of you. Some kindness in you. You want a parole, then earn it!" Travis blinked at her and frowned before she turned to Seamus. "Seamus, we'll get you as close as we can, then you take him down so we can hit the Weapon together."
Seamus smirked, and then he held his fist out. Serena reached her own in and bumped it against his. She wasn't alone as many others joined it, with only Travis trying to exclude himself. "What is it Ash always says? Never give up until the very end!"
"Yeah!" they all cried as one breaking apart and facing forward. Then they seemed to form a single line, watching the army clustering ahead of them, forming its own last layer of defense for the Weapon, like they were ordered to. Sucking in a breath, Serena noticed a large form just behind the first line of the Pokémon army, and a human next to it. Explosions sounded off in the distance, evidently Ash having his battle with Michael. Raising her fist into the air, the other trainers emulated her before charging back into the crowd.
"Psychic users, make a path!" Diantha called, instructing them on how to most effectively clear a path to Carl. "Anyone that has a Pokémon that can use concussive and explosive force, follow them up!"
"And leave that bastard of a father to me and this guy!" Travis said, grinning with almost sadistic pleasure. Seamus nodded and slapped him on the head.
"Pull yourself together, idiot. Your father won't just let us take the device from him. Keep your head in the game," he said. Travis looked at him with a snarl on his lips but let it go in favor of smirking towards his father, whose form was growing ever closer. The Psychic Pokémon struck, eyes glowing blue as they separated the group of Pokémon. Just as they finished, Braixen, both Blaziken, Luxray and Charizard stepped forward to send powerful long-range attacks into the crowd that exploded the opposing Pokémon outward. Carl was now in clear vision, patting at his breast-pocket. The Pokémon, or what remained of them, all became heightened and began closing ranks. Alakazam's eyes glowed, grabbing hold of Seamus, Travis and the latter's Beartic to lift them over the crowd and sail towards Carl.
"Hey, dad, surprised to see me after you tried killing me?" Travis yelled out over the din of battle. Carl cocked an eyebrow, but hardly looked surprised.
"Not particularly. You've always been tenacious enough to keep staining this world," was Carl's simple reply. "Though I see you brought Seamus with you. That makes this easy."
"Yeah, keep talkin' dad. Your number's up!" Travis cackled out, causing Serena to shake her head. "You wanna talk about erasing my 'sins'? Well, time for me to take care of yours that you so conveniently ignore."
"I have no idea what you're talking about. Feint Attack," Carl replied stoically, his facial muscles not budging an inch. Pidgeot flapped upward like a great billowing bird before sailing for the group.
"Alakazam, drop us and focus on dodging, then use Shock Wave!" Seamus ordered. Serena watched as the blue glow vanished from the boys' and Beartic's body, allowing them to drop to the ground as Alakazam floated away from Pidgeot. The avian swooped past Alakazam as its whiskers sparked with blue electricity and zapped outward. Pidgeot circled around and aimed for Alakazam once more. It was like a powerful clash of lightning against air. The Shock Wave coursed through Pidgeot's feathers, but the Bird Pokémon flew on to slam into Alakazam's chest. The blue glow vanished and Alakazam fell, landing gracefully on both legs with its spoons brandished.
"Oh, dad, you know full well what I'm talking about," Travis said with a smirk in his father's direction. Serena turned to order a quick Hidden Power alongside Piplup's Bubblebeam, keeping her eye on the battle. They had to be ready to move to the Weapon as soon as the battle finished. "How you always seemed to think of me as this horrible little child that got into trouble all the time, but it's not like you and mom were ever really there. Always looking for ways to have more. You were never satisfied with Nova Town, and then you were never satisfied with me. I might be a monster to some people, but at least I didn't have a greedy monster inside me."
"Hmph," Carl scoffed out, smirking just a little at his son's words. "Don't delude yourself, Travis. We're both monsters; sinners of the highest order. I wanted all this world had to give, and when it gave me a hellion such as yourself, I desired its destruction instead. You just wanted power, and you stained the world to do it."
"You both sound like you're on some sort of television show," Seamus finally snapped, clearly displeased with the course of the conversation. "Travis, work out your daddy situation later. And you…just…just shut the hell up."
"Don't order me around, loser. Beartic, Icicle Crash!" Travis roared, grinning madly as Beartic opened his arms wide. Above Pidgeot, the sky appeared to open up and send sharp icicles raining down from the sky above it to crash towards the avian.
"Steel Wing," Carl responded with a smirk.
"Pidgaw!" Pidgeot cried out, wings flapping open and shining brightly before it spun through. The icicles aimed right for its effortlessly gliding body as it pulled back to avoid one and zoomed forward to dodge another. Then it turned vertically, its wing pointing upward as it aimed straight for Beartic, cutting the last of the icicles aiming for it. Within seconds, it had reached Beartic before slashing through it, making the Freezing Pokémon cry out. Pidgeot circled around and aimed its wings inward. Then it dived at Travis. Serena looked between that clash and their own surprisingly easygoing battle in front of them. Right before Pidgeot was on them, Seamus moved, grabbing Travis' head and pushing him down.
"Hold it with Psychic!" he called from his position. Alakazam's eyes glowed blue and right after Pidgeot pulled out of its dive, it was suddenly held in place. Carl was still standing in his original position, looking calm, if unhappy about the fact he had to fight. He turned his head to look at her, only for a moment, before pressing his breast-pocket. A loud chittering noise filled her ears and she saw a sudden group of scuttling Ariados coming for her.
"Braixen, use Fire Spin!" she called out, her own command shouting over Travis' strained one. As Braixen plunged her wand into the ground, creating a pillar of flame that scattered the Ariados, Beartic charged at Pidgeot and slashed upward powerfully, slicing across its chest. Then its whole body was surrounded by a torrent of water and it jettisoned itself at Pidgeot.
"Mirror Move," Carl said as calmly and annoyingly as ever. Beartic once more struck Pidgeot's chest, but then the Bird Pokémon's own self was covered in water and did a few cartwheels in the air. Then it aimed at Beartic once more.
"Get off me!" Travis spat, finally pushing Seamus off of him. "Dodge it, you oaf!"
Serena's scowl etched in deeper; if he wasn't on their side for the moment, she almost considered wanting to set his butt on fire just to make him stop being so mean. Beartic leapt backward and shot off again, practically bending over backwards. Pidgeot gave pursuit, moving even faster than it had before, zipping after Beartic. The large bear led Pidgeot on a rousing chase through the sky (though lower than perhaps Pidgeot was used to). Seamus was still in the battle, however.
"Intercept with Drain Punch," he said, much calmer than his compatriot. Alakazam glowed and quickly lifted itself into the air, right between Pidgeot and Beartic to bring its green glowing fist right onto Pidgeot's water encrusted beak.
"Feint Attack, now," Carl said calmly. The water around Pidgeot broke and it suddenly disappeared, reappearing behind Alakazam and slamming into it. However, it and Carl hadn't paid attention to its surroundings as Beartic once more slammed into its stomach with another Aqua Jet. Then Alakazam's body sparked blue and simultaneously zapped the soaking Pidgeot before all three dropped to the ground. Feeling they had the battle under control, Serena turned back to the Ariados that were firing String Shots at her. She ordered Braixen to quickly intercept them, despite their numerous quantity. A sudden shadowy fist intercepted the strike and Serena turned to see Conway there, chuckling as he adjusted his glasses. The Ariados were then levitated by his Slowking's Psychic and chucked away as a glacier erupted nearby.
"Those boys don't know when to shut up, do they? But Seamus is reliable enough to get this done, I guess," Bethany joked, ducking low from a Doublade that nearly impaled her. Serena giggled humorlessly and shook her head as the girl fell back into the army, her boyfriend and Rocky joining her.
Then Serena suddenly felt her dress rippling out and her hair blasting back. In front of her, she saw Pidgeot's wings flapping up a practical typhoon as Alakazam and Beartic attempted to weather it. Seamus had grabbed onto Travis, who was flying back with the force of the wind. "See, this is what happens when I let a weakling like you deal with this."
"Shut up, Travis, I'm saving your butt," Seamus snapped at his former friend before reaching up to his neck. Serena's eyes narrowed as she saw him grip at his beaded necklace and rip it from his neck, a keystone dangling from it. That's when she saw the small stone embedded into Alakazam's spoon. "Let's go! Mega Evolve!"
"What the-?" Travis said, practically flabbergasted. Even Carl broke his bored explosion to squint at the transformation process. Serena had to admit her own surprise, yet seeing Seamus look so serious as he and Alakazam worked together flawlessly, she had to smile. The boy had come a long way since kicking other people's Pokémon around. "Since when could you do that?"
"Not long, and it wasn't easy, but life isn't easy," Seamus said, looking towards his Psi Pokémon. Alakazam seemed to understand because it waved its arms, a near insane amount of Energy Balls appearing at the tips of its spoons and then firing one by one like a Gatling towards Pidgeot's open stomach. They struck and the insane winds finally stopped. "That's what I'm trying to tell you, Travis. I'm not getting in your way, so stop thinking I am. I'm trying to not get you killed so that you can live and answer for all the crap you've done! Own it!"
"You're really annoying! Icicle Crash!" Travis roared. Pidgeot was still recovering from the Energy Ball barrage to the point that it was immobile enough for the sharp icicles to slam down onto Pidgeot's back, the bird crying out.
"As entertaining as your argument is, you're both scourges on this world. And it's time I take care of you both." Carl's own keystone shined brightly as he said this and Pidgeot began to Mega Evolve. Serena took the moment in the midst of the transformation to look around and see that the Medical Unit had almost finished approaching them as more and more Pokémon were blasted away. Some of them seemed to have broken free from the control and went scurrying off while others leapt right back into the battle. "Mirror Move!"
"Pidgaw!" Pidgeot squawked out once more as it opened its wings once again. A dark cloud quickly formed over Alakazam and Beartic before raining icicles down on the both of them. Only they stopped, Alakazam having halted them with Psychic before turning them around and flinging them straight back at Pidgeot. Pidgeot staggered and Serena watched a moment as it twitched, before flames began to lick its body, almost like it was burned in some sense. A small explosion fired up ahead and she smiled; Ash must have done some damage.
"You know, a few months ago, I would have never been able to do this with Alakazam," Seamus said, walking forward calmly. Carl stepped back, Serena noticed, almost like he didn't want to be approached. "I would have only thought of Mega Evolution as nothing but a tool used to achieve my ends. I was no different from either of you…but then I made different choices. I altered my path, and now Alakazam and I stand together. Emboar and I stand together. I work with all of my Pokémon. I gave them second chances, and they gave me one as well. That's what I'm offering you, Travis: a chance to live again. A chance to own what you've done and start making better choices. Trust me when I say the road is long, but I think it's worth it."
"Ugh, you're just as sentimental as Ketchum," Travis said. "I have no desire to change my ways. I don't care if you got some fancy new toy you don't deserve. He's mine to deal with!"
"Fine, be that way. But I'm hauling you back to prison one way or another."
"Or you'll both be dead. I find that to be a good option. Hurricane!" Carl cried, his lips now snarling. Any manner of confidence he once had was now gone, replaced with sheer anger and a determination to end them. Pidgeot's large wings, now spread even wider than before, began to flap up the tempest.
"Alakazam, use Psychic to make a wall," Seamus said clearly and confidently. Alakazam's eyes were closed, but all of its spoons began to circle around, speeding up more and more. Then Serena felt the ground rumble and then split. Her eyes widened as the grass and dirt between the two boys and Carl churned violently, splitting up and rising like a giant wall. The Hurricane slammed into it, but other than large chunks of dirt flying off, Alakazam and Beartic remained unaffected. Seamus gave a nod and Alakazam's hands waved around, pushing the new embankment of grass and mud until it rose higher and higher before bending to cover Pidgeot, who was crying out loudly at the move. With a loud crack! The mud sealed itself over Pidgeot like a dome.
"Freeze it with Ice Punch," Travis said, smirking wildly at the way they had managed to trap Pidgeot. Beartic roared forward and punched the surface of the mud with a chilly fist, sending ice spreading up its surface before crystallizing. Serena frowned, but exhaled a little. They had trapped Pidgeot, but the battle against Carl wasn't over. "Now he's mine!"
"Travis!" Seamus yelled, but he was too late. Travis was running right at his father, who, to Serena's shock, was staring at the dome without making a move. His son quickly approached him and he finally turned, grabbing another pokeball before he was socked across the face with a fist. Serena turned to Braixen and smiled at her, pulling her away from the battle. The both of them walked forward to join Seamus, the others blasting apart the enemies that were left. Beartic stood around with a sense of confusion. "He's incorrigible…"
"You were, too, you know?" Serena said with a smile and a light wink in his direction. Seamus harrumphed at that. "Where did you get the Mega Stone?"
"Mom found it," Seamus explained. In the distance, at the side of the dome, Travis was grappling with his father before kneeing him in the chest. He looked far too happy doing it. "I asked her to help some with the school and she went on a little expedition, just happening to find this. Pure coincidence, but me and Alakazam worked at it."
"Kazam," Alakazam concurred, stroking its beard a little.
"Hey, loser!" Travis barked out as he was punched across his own face by his father. Travis retaliated by grabbing the man's arm and twisting it. "You wanna get rid of that device or what?"
"Alakazam, could you…?" Alakazam nodded and its eyes once more glowed blue. Serena then witnessed the sight of the familiar circular device rising out of Carl's breast pocket with the blue glow. Carl attempted to grab it desperately, but it slipped from his fingers. Alakazam brought its hands together and then ripped them apart. The device was practically ripped away with it, hanging on only by the thin screen.
"Yes!" Serena whispered out, turning to Seamus and offering a high five. He took it, just as Carl elbowed his son in the chest. All around them, things suddenly went silent, save for whatever battle Ash was waging in the background. The Pokémon were done fighting. The Seven had been stopped.
Bm-bmp!
Serena slapped at her ears, fearing that something was wrong with them as a strange noise had affected her. She wasn't the only one, though. Next to her, even Seamus was sticking his finger in his ears. He looked at her with worry before a low moan sounded out. At first, Serena didn't realize where it was coming from, until she saw Alakazam clasping its head. Then she heard Braixen's mewling as she dropped to a knee.
"What is…going on…?" she asked as fear, uncontrollable and unexplainable, settled in.
Bm-bmp!
"What is that ungodly sound?" said Diantha's voice, closer than Serena had expected. It was clear that she had come to see the finale of the battle against Carl. Another thrill of fear caught on Serena's heart and she stumbled forward towards the circular disc. Her hands were trembling as she bent down to pick it up. For the most part, it was cracked, the display and signal having gone dead…except for the six red circles lining the edge that were pulsing angrily.
"Pidgeot!" Carl yelled. Travis scrambled after him angrily, but Carl kicked out, hitting his son in the face. He looked like a man suddenly desperate as he clawed at the frozen dome that Pidgeot was kept under. "We need to get out of here! Now! I didn't expect this! Use Steel Wing!"
Pidgeot's cries returned muffled from under the dome as Carl reached it and slammed against it angrily. Travis continued crawling along, tackling his father's legs. Carl struggled against him, punching him viciously on the back of his neck. The younger redhead refused to let go.
Eeeeeeeeeeee!
Serena covered her ears from the absolutely atrocious sound, still holding on to the device. All around her, the others were doing the same from the noise and Serena felt her heart speeding up. That first noise was now intermixed with the shrieking. Carl took advantage of that, saying something inaudible as he reached down and grabbed his son by the throat before slamming him against the ice dome.
"Travis!" Seamus yelled, straining against the noise to run to his friend's side. Serena's body continued to tremble and she noticed that Seamus was shaking with every step he took over to that place.
"What is that noise? !" Bonnie screamed in evident pain, her and Dedenne crouched in on each other. Serena wanted to get to her, to help her and soothe her fear, but her own legs were afraid to move.
"It could be the Weapon," Diantha commented. "Perhaps if we band together and destroy it…"
"That's going to take a lot of firepower," Alain commented. Behind him, the Medical Unit seemed to have caught up, Aria's Delphox and Aromatisse out next to Brock's Chansey and Croagunk.
"We have to at least try," Diantha replied to him.
Bm-bmp!
"Conway," Serena shouted over the continually shrieking sound. Seamus had finally reached Travis and was trying to pull him up while Carl banged on the dome. Cracks were appearing near the dome. "Does it sound like any Pokémon you've heard?"
"Not at all," Conway said, a small quiver of trepidation making its way into his voice as he nervously adjusted his glasses. His voice was right next to her ear, but she didn't concern herself as Clemont, Bonnie and Korrina had slowly made their way over. A small distance away, Team Nova was huddling together as they watched Seamus and Travis.
"Let me see that, Serena," Clemont asked, holding his hand out. Having full faith in her friend's abilities, she placed the device in his hands and he looked it over. It seemed to only take seconds for him to pale considerably. Serena tilted her head as he turned towards her with wide, fearful eyes and a ball in his throat. "I think we really screwed up."
"How do you mean?" Diantha demanded. Clemont didn't face her, keeping his eyes on Serena.
"These definitely controlled the army, but Clime had a secondary function built into them, something Cedric hinted at, which I'm only realizing just now," he told them, his voice vibrating as Korrina put an encouraging hand on his back. "I think…I think that Michael had a backup plan, just in case we could defeat The Seven. He…he contained something and by stopping the army we…I think we broke that container."
"What something?" Serena asked, her own eyes widening. Her heart dropped at Diantha's whisper.
"Yveltal."
"Seamus, MOVE!" Serena yelled suddenly, as though it were a complete gut reaction. Seamus looked at her for just a brief second before he grabbed ahold of Travis and dove to the side, down what remained of the hill. Pidgeot burst through the top of the dome like a drill before flying down to grab ahold of Carl to take to the air.
Then the ground exploded.
From underneath the ground emerged a familiar sight, even if it was one that Serena had only seen once. A bright red underside with large wings that were adorned with spikes. A grayish mane that garnished its neck. The Destruction Pokémon emerged from beneath the ground in a powerful haze, sending everyone in the area tumbling backwards as the grass around it died instantaneously.
Kreeeeee! Its cry pierced the air and then it flapped, taking to the sky, its blue eyes shining with fury. Yveltal's sleep had been disturbed and it was beyond angry. With another great cry, an aura of palpable death surrounded it before a great violet beam shot out, piercing the clouds in the night sky and the air around it. Serena watched in absolute horror at the violent scene, but most particularly, her eyes were on Carl, whose Pidgeot flapped upward in an attempt to gain altitude for their flight from the area.
Only the violet beam suddenly struck them and Serena's eyes widened. It was such a soundless scene almost as Carl and Pidgeot began to turn to stone…and then crumbled away, as if nothing. The last of The Seven had truly fallen, eclipsed by Yveltal's destructive light. This was not the same Pokémon they had seen raze the Allearth Forest; it was far angrier, and far more prone to death. A collapsing noise was heard behind her, and Serena saw Mairin collapsing to her knees.
"I…I can't move…" she whispered out, paralyzed by the fear of what was before her. Even Serena could admit that her feet didn't want to take one step in front of the other; and she had faced Rayquaza's destructive capabilities before.
Kreeeeeee! Came the loud cry again as Yveltal, in its rage, swooped over the area, leaving a chasm behind from where it had emerged. Braixen drew close, placing her paw on Serena's hand to give her encouragement. Serena swallowed her fears as Diantha approached Clemont.
"Clemont, can you modify that device to bring Yveltal back under control? Or perhaps do something to interrupt the Weapon?" At the Champion's question, Serena looked back at the Weapon to notice that it had slowed in its opening, like no more energy was pulsing into it with Yveltal removed. It was still opening, however. Clemont looked at the dead device and shook his head.
"Every single one of them was destroyed. I have no idea how the circuitry works and it would honestly take me forever to figure out a way to do one of those things," he said, panic settling in. His fist was clenching around the device. "I feel so useless."
"Incoming!" yelled Gary's voice. Yveltal was coming straight back towards their clustered group.
"Everyone, reflective shields, now! Everything you can!" Diantha ordered. Right away, any Pokémon that could use Protect, Reflect or Light Screen threw them up as Yveltal's violet beam slammed into their group. The shields held, though only barely against the destructive force of death. "None of us here are useless, Clemont. We each have something we can do."
Clemont looked downcast, shaking his head. He looked so lost that Serena wanted to reach out and pull him into a hug before reminding him that everything would be okay. Korrina beat her to it, stomping in front of Clemont, grabbing him by the shoulders and kissing him. Serena would have dropped something if she were holding it. Bonnie and Meyer looked over the moon. "Clemont, pull it together! You're a great inventor, and you don't give up! Just like I didn't give up with Lucario and Mega Evolution! Now think of something!"
"Something…" Clemont muttered before his gaze lit up powerfully. "There is something; Clime mentioned restoring a console for the Weapon. If I could get to it, maybe I can shut it down from there, or at least modify it."
"Then we have our course of action," Diantha said. "You'll shut it down while we deal with Yveltal and work on destroying the actual Weapon from our end."
"I'll go with you, Clemont!" Serena insisted. "No way you're doing this alone."
"Right," Clemont said, having found the courage to do what needed to be done. "Bonnie, stay here with Korrina and dad, okay? Make sure you and Dedenne help them as much as you can!"
"Count on me!" Bonnie insisted with a salute before quickly hugging her brother. Serena smiled at the scene as more screeches came from the air. Next to him, Luxray was glowing green, along with Braixen, and Serena turned to see Brock grinning at them, Chansey happily flapping her arms. Mouthing a thanks for the healing, Serena and Clemont turned towards the giant weapon where Ash was no doubt battling. Offering one last nod to Diantha, they set off.
Yveltal blasted past, an extremely powerful Dark Pulse cutting along the ground, making a practical trench in the dirt. Serena quickly leapt over it before helping Clemont do so. Having crossed that, Serena noticed Seamus holding onto Travis as the latter struggled to stand. Next to them, the ice and dirt was breaking apart into chunks.
"Seamus, you need to move," she called out to him, and before she knew it, she was running over to grab his free hand to pull him and Travis away. The debris of the broken dome was now crumbling to pieces from the Dark Pulse attack, crashing into the spot they had been moments prior. Another screech filled the air and Serena could see the violet light barreling from behind the cloud of debris, turning it to dust. She tugged on the boys one more time, trying to pull them away from the deadly light. Only she felt a hand on her upper chest as she was suddenly pushed away. The ice melted and the dirt broke apart as Serena landed on her butt. Seamus had fallen into the trench, looking up wildly at the only one of the three that was still standing.
"You really suck, you know that," Travis said, standing there, having dropped to one knee from pain. He clearly hadn't recovered from his father's attempt to kill him. "If I had it my way, I would've pummeled my dad and left you all in the lurch, but you just had to keep saving my life like it would mean something. Well, guess what: consider this my only act of kindness for the one person who showed me any."
"You idiot," Seamus said angrily.
Then Yveltal's light struck Travis as a great torrent of water exploded in the distance.
Ash coughed loudly, feeling cuts, scrapes and bruises all over his arms. That blast between Goodra and Latios had sure been something. Groaning loudly, he attempted to stand, noticing that everything had shifted around him. He was farther away from the Weapon than he had been before, though the console was still close, having been pushed back by the blast as well, now straining against the cables holding it together.
"Pikachu? ! Everyone, are you okay? !" Ash coughed out, hoping for a positive answer.
"Pika…pi…" Pikachu coughed out from right next to him, struggling to stand. The others soon followed his response, except for two others.
"Dad?" he asked. Another groan followed.
"I'm here," Jack replied. "A little sore, but that's to be expected. Latias seems to be fine, too, though Raichu's pretty down for the count. I've returned her."
"And Goodra? Goodra, are you all-" Ash's voice died. Goodra was there all right, arms stretched wide in front of their entire group in the dusty surroundings, but he was heaving large breaths, nasty looking bruises all over his body. "Goodra!"
"Goo…goo…" Goodra breathed. Even though he was still standing, it was obvious that he couldn't move, all of his energy gone. Ash stood now, still groaning loudly and took a step towards Goodra. A looming shadow appeared overhead, causing Ash to stop and then he saw a giant wing slam out and strike into Goodra. His beloved Pokémon flew aside, slamming into the console, but leaving no damage behind, like it was protected along with the Weapon. Ash's eyes narrowed, but he focused in on another shape emerging from the dust.
"Tell me, Ash. Do you really think you can save this world?" called Michael's callous voice. The dust began to fade away and Ash could see the form of the blond-haired, blue eyed man striding through. He looked slightly roughed up himself. "This world is dead and dying. Haven't my actions shown that? How many people chomped at the bit for a chance to pretty much destroy the world?"
"That…doesn't matter," Ash groaned out once more, but he finally put himself in an upright position. Strength yet again flooded his body. "There's always gonna be people like you. But…there's always gonna be people like us; people who make the choice to stand and fight against people like you. That's all we need to save it."
"Yes…as long as one person is left breathing," Jack said and Ash saw his father coming to his side to place a hand on his shoulder. Michael frowned, even if Ash wasn't sure whether he was disappointed or just plain annoyed. Either way, he seemed rather tired himself, allowing Ash the chance to look around. Goodra was plain exhausted, but he had pointed something out to Ash: there was a force field around the Weapon and its console, one generated by an exterior source. One that was likely on their ship. The key could pass through it due to the connection from the Weapon, but anything else…
"Dad, we need to shut this thing down, right?"
"Of course. And we will, by defeating Michael and getting the key," Jack insisted.
"What if we don't have the time for that? What if that Weapon fires before we can?" Ash asked. His brain was working really hard, and he still couldn't figure out what exactly he wanted to say. This kind of science stuff was so much better suited to Clemont, but without his inventor friend there, he knew he'd have to try and figure it out with his father's help.
"Ash, don't go throwing in the towel just yet!" his father chuckled out. "I'm not giving up."
"Neither am I, it's just…even Latias hit that thing and didn't make a dent. And he mentioned that he wasn't going to let me stop him…then Goodra didn't even scratch the console one bit and what if…"
"A Reflect generator?" Jack mused before grinning. "I like the idea."
"If we can shut that down, maybe we can destroy the Weapon…then it won't matter if we beat Michael quickly," Ash pointed out. He knew he could have been fooling himself about how much time was bought, but that didn't matter right then. Jack nodded, obviously giving the idea some merit. Michael appeared to finally be recovering from whatever momentary spasm he was having.
"Leave that to me, then. I'll send Latias to destroy whatever's generating it while I work on the console and try to figure out what I can do to mitigate damage, just in case. Can you take care of Michael?"
"You're talking to the Kalos League Runner-Up! I can do it!"
"Of course you can! You're my son," Jack said. Before Ash could stop him, his father took him into a hug, tightly wrapping his arms around him before whispering, "Give it your all, and we will, too."
"Gotcha," Ash replied back, returning the hug. Then they split. Ash quickly took his pokeball and returned the fallen Goodra as Jack ran towards where his friend had just been.
"Latias, you heard him! Wreck that ship!" Jack cried, touching the keystone in his watch to Mega Evolve the Eon Pokémon before him. Unfortunately, Ash noticed that the other one was on the move without Michael's commands. Before the Mega Evolution process could finish, Latios was firing a pink beam of Luster Purge at Latias, who quickly responded with a Mist Ball. The two attacks collided and sent a buffeting wind through the area. This time, Ash stood his ground.
"Talonflame! Brave Bird!" Ash ordered. From behind him, his Scorching Pokémon raised up and increased his speed while his body glowed with a shimmering blue towards Latios. Just as the Mega Evolution process on Latias finished, Talonflame rammed powerfully into Latios' stomach and pitched him backward. Jack continued to run, sliding over to the console and attempting to touch it. He wasn't allowed to, but Talonflame's attack allowed Latias to go whisking off towards the ship.
"Focus on them," Michael told Latios. "Even with the defenses gone, they stand little chance of destroying the Weapon before it's time."
"Yeah? Try us!" Ash said as Talonflame swooped through the air and returned to his side. Behind him, Greninja, Hawlucha and Noivern all assembled while Pikachu hopped in front, ready for a battle.
"Guess you do have some moxie…" Michael pointed out. "Well, I'll honor your request. Sorry, Latios, looks like you'll have to watch one last vision of carnage in this war. You've been a faithful ally, but this really is the last battle we'll fight together."
Latios cooed. Then he whipped around and began charging towards Ash with nary a command, glowing bright blue on his head. Ash quickly threw his hand forward. "Pikachu, Iron Tail!"
"Pika!" Pikachu cried, jumping up and meeting Latios head on with his glowing tail. The two attacks collided and Pikachu grit his teeth against the strain of the attack. Ash silently encouraged his partner on, knowing he could handle another Latios, just as he had before. Instead, he turned his voice towards another command.
"Noivern, use Dragon Claw!" he cried. Noivern soared forth, his claws large and green as he deftly flew around and brought his attack onto Latios' exposed back. The Zen Headbutt finished and Pikachu was able to make a clean uppercut on Latios' head. "Now, Boomburst!"
"Hyper Beam," Michael spoke emphatically, suddenly so near to them and the console. Gone was any sense of underestimation. He was now determined to take control of the battle as he approached where Jack was. Ash was about to cry out to his father until the older man whipped around and made a punch right into Michael's gut. At that moment, Latios expertly spun in midair, a better flier than even Noivern, and fired the dark beam right at the incoming blast of soundwaves. Ash could tell a contest between the two wouldn't last long.
"Talonflame, blast through it with Flame Charge!" Ash cried. Talonflame gave a squawking cry and then lit his body on fire as he sailed into the air. Talonflame turned his body a little and allowed his flaming wing to cut across Latios' stomach until he reached Noivern's side and spun into the Boomburst. In a second, he reached the joining of the two attacks and he charged inward, cutting a swath through the weakening Hyper Beam. The attack finished just as Talonflame reached Latios' head.
"Dragon Pulse," Michael wheezed out, evidently affected from Jack's unexpected strike.
"Dodge it!" Ash called, but Talonflame was too close. Latios' purple Dragon Pulse had little distance to travel before it struck the Scorching Pokémon at point blank range, sending him crashing towards the ground. Before he hit, Ash quickly called him back. "Hawlucha, you're up! Use Karate Chop!"
"Luchacha!" Hawlucha said, his face looking furious as his fists glowed white. Then he bounded through the air to land squarely on Latios' back before pummeling it with Karate Chop.
"Do you know the beauty of Latios?" Michael suddenly asked. Ash tried his best to ignore him, and would have done so if not for a second sound entering into his head, making him feel almost woozy, like a heartbeat pulsing. "He's extremely loyal. Once he picks a cause, he'll fight for it until the end. It just so happened that he picked my cause. Perhaps it was the sight of such bloodbaths that he wanted to stop; or perhaps he knew what would happen in the future and believed my way was the best way to end it. Maybe he was even a dimension traveler like myself and felt a kindship with the notion."
"Don't flatter yourself, Michael," Jack insisted. "Latios and Latias simply had very different views on how to go about saving this world and the others. In a way, we were just chosen as proxies."
"Maybe, but I find the two of them beautiful because they're two of the least chaotic legendaries that exist…far unlike Yveltal."
"Yveltal?" Ash asked. Another heartbeat, and then a screeching noise. Ash felt himself paralyzed, almost gripped by the sounds in his head. His Pokémon felt the same, though Latios did not, spiraling down with a Giga Impact that lowered the level of some of the ground and left Hawlucha in the dust. Michael was less affected and he ran at Jack once more. This time he didn't make it.
There was a sudden explosion of dirt behind him and Ash whipped around to see the gigantic form of Yveltal emerging. With a great flap of its wings and a beam that split the very atmosphere, a great gust of air billowed over them, this time causing Michael to tumble backwards away from the console. He was up in seconds but Ash ran forward, blocking the way to his father. Ash looked back to see his father grinning at him and noticed at the same time how much the Weapon had slowed.
"Well, looks like your friends bought a little bit of time with the Weapon," Michael spat, a small trickle of blood mixing in with the spit. "If they survive Yveltal, that is."
"Dad, how much time did we buy?" Ash asked. Noivern flapped back down, looking positively furious as Ash recalled his fallen brother. Greninja and Pikachu also closed ranks.
"A bit, but not much," Jack called back. "Not that I can read these things that well. But the Weapon absorbed quite the bit of Yveltal's power…probably why it's so angry."
"Great," Ash breathed, adjusting his hat a little. He didn't like the sound of any of this, especially with the generator still not shut down. For a brief moment, Ash wondered if there was anything he would be able to do in this situation, until he felt Greninja placed his webbed hand on him and nod. Ash smiled at that. His Pokémon were here with him; anything was possible.
"All right, Noivern, use Acrobatics! Greninja, Aerial Ace! Pikachu, use Thunderbolt!" Ash cried and he dug his feet into the dirt to start off a sprint towards Michael. His Pokémon reacted instantly. Noivern pulled up into the air and then zipped down with a turquoise glow as Greninja rushed at Latios with glowing fists. Pikachu planted himself where he was and sent out a Thunderbolt that made some of the grass blades tingle. As Greninja reached Latios, so too did Ash reach Michael as both punched upward. The blond wasn't fast enough and Ash's attack made contact with his jaw. There was also the snapping sound of both Noivern and Greninja landing their attacks before Pikachu's Thunderbolt seared into it.
Michael rebounded, his eyes flashing with menace as he punched right at Ash's chest. The blow smarted a bit, but Ash made sure to catch the next blow and bring his head crashing into his opponent's. "I didn't…believe the rumors. But you've proven me wrong. You're not bad."
"Neither are you, but I'm not letting you destroy this world."
"And I'm not letting you ruin mine!" Michael roared, grabbing Ash's arm and throwing him over his back. Ash slammed into the ground and with his weary vision noticed as a powerful Luster Purge ripped through the air. When it finished, Noivern dropped to the ground, twitching slightly. Ash flipped back onto his feet and turned around to return him to his pokeball. He then glanced at Greninja and nodded before looking at Michael.
"You know, all you do is talk about destruction this and destruction that, but did you ever think of working together?"
"Of course not," Michael answered. "Because you and I are similar, Ash; we're both stubborn to a fault. Once I decided on my path, I was set in it. I would never turn and ask for help from your world that so endangered my own. See, I'm not like Dalton or Zinnia in that way. I don't just have three years of hatred simmering in me, but a whole decade. And I'm not doing this for one person, but because I've lost too many people to you monsters."
Ash noticed that he neglected to mention that he had led so many of those people to their deaths in his insane vision. Knowing that, he sighed loudly. "Maybe some of us are monsters…but we're also strong, kind, hopeful and wonderful people who live and grow. We're just like you; live the same, die the same. I can understand wanting to save your world, but there's no way I'm gonna lie down and let it happen this way. I'll beat it into you, and then maybe we can take hands and try together."
"Go ahead," Michael said. Ash frowned and stared at him in determination, throwing his arm high as Greninja did the same. Michael wouldn't be dissuaded. It was down to a fight; one Ash would win no matter the cost.
"Greninja, full power!" Ash cried, feeling the synchronization kick in. Feel the water on his back, his limbs light and acrobatic as the torrent blasted outward in a giant column around Greninja. Pikachu's cheeks sparked as he grinned from the sight until at long last the water receded and Greninja stood there with his giant shuriken. Michael barely even blinked; he had seen it before after all. "Let's go!"
"Ninja!"
"Latios, Hyper Beam."
"Block it with your Water Shuriken!" Ash yelled, bringing his arms in front of himself and crossing them as Greninja did the same, only holding tightly to his shuriken as the Hyper Beam blasted into him. Pikachu scuttled behind Greninja to avoid the attack. Meanwhile, Michael ran at him and punched him square on his cross-guard. While he guarded that, another fist came up and slammed into his stomach. Then the blond man kicked onto his left side, slamming into it with the leg and sending him stumbling into a freefall. His side hurt and the Hyper Beam broke through, making his chest hurt from Greninja taking the blow as well.
They both fell back from the force of the attack, exhaustion seeping into both of them until they hit something that blocked their fall. A patch of fur rested on Ash's back and he could feel the sensation of claws gripping onto his arms despite the fact they weren't physically there. He turned his head.
"You all right, Ash?" Clemont's voice said and Ash felt a grin split his face. Finally turning around fully, he saw Clemont standing there with a tired, but triumphant, look, as Luxray supported him. Then he turned to the other side at Pikachu's enthusiastic voice.
"Pipika! Kapika!"
"Sorry we took so long," said the voice he most wanted to hear. Finally catching the other side, he saw Greninja being supported by Braixen, and next to her was a dirty and disheveled Serena. Most important, though, was the smile on her lips and the fire in her eyes. They most certainly weren't done yet. "Now let's finish this, Ash. All three of us."
Author's Note: Whew, this chapter, I felt, was intense. We now know how deeply entrenched Michael is in his views. On the surface, he's ridiculously cliché with wanting to destroy the world, but inside he's simply a broken, desperate man, yet different from the likes of Dalton and Zinnia who did things after loss, rather than before. Of course, this also had me pull the thread from the series from Ancien to Nova to here, which I rather enjoyed doing.
More importantly: yes, Travis is dead. Ironically, he was actually supposed to die in Chapter 11 when his father stabbed him (you know, when you all actually thought he was dead), but I considered it a very poor end to his character and extended his presence to here so that he could have just a single redeeming moment of saving the person who was once his best friend. Not enough to actually redeem him, though. However, the ending of Ash, Serena and Clemont all coming together to battle Michael. This was originally not going to happen. It was going to be Ash against Michael while they were down with everyone else to deal with Yveltal and the Weapon…then I decided that I'd already done it before. I also wanted this moment of the three of them, this glorious family, to stand together against their greatest foe. Hence, here we are. I hope you like this idea.
Before I disappear until the next chapter, let me thank the people lending their awesomeness to this story in its final stages: SilverStorm300 for favoriting; AxemKnight0 for following; and the hugest, heartiest thanks to Daisy Pragnya, potat lasaro, Cato Yugi, Omegaz, AdvancedAlto, ultimateCCC, sparkydragon98, ChE clarinetist, FantasyLover88, aliensinnoh, Cottonmouth25, AmourshippingCanon, Daniel31, Thatoneguy753 and 1 guest for reviewing. The climax is almost concluded and the big battle is coming your way, so please stick around! Until we next meet on the chapters, please Review and remember, Dare to Be Silly.