Antivenom
Finale
"Game over"
I don't know how long I was out. I was just out for what felt like forever.
I woke up with a heavy weight on me. I didn't try to move just yet, so I peeked my eye that was closer to the ground open.
Ground's still dead, and I could see a big shadow and plenty of- pink colors.
Dammit... Palkia's not letting me slide on this. Maybe if I just lie still long enough it'll leave me alone.
As far as I know, it's just waiting for me to get up so he'll kill me out of insane rage or some shit like that.
What a way to go. At least my jackass parents would be happy to see me fighting the stuff of legends...
Humph. Sucks to be them.
They can't see me now, 'cause I'm not anywhere near home. Chances are, I'm gonna get another new home pretty damn soon.
Somewhere beyond this stupid, dead world.
If Palkia wouldn't kill me, someone else would've eventually. It's just how fighting goes: You keep winnin' until someone winds up being better than you, kicks your ass, and snaps your neck.
I don't feel like doing anything as far as I care. I don't give a flying one for anyone or anything.
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You know, I just realized. I'm probably gonna kick the bucket in a few minutes anyway, and you know what else?
That stupid old geezer Torkoal lied to me. Told me my wish would come true with a shooting star...
... Or maybe I -did- wish, deep down, that I'd wind up biting the dust sooner than later. I don't know what I want anymore, anyway...
All I've done is fight other folks, smack talk 'em too. I never did much to help in general otherwise.
That's all I'm damn good for... Just...
Just fighting things.
I don't even feel at home fighting anymore. I realize that it's just a quick get-away from the stupid truth; the damn brutal truth.
I'm useless and worthless and I can't do shit to change that.
I can never change.
You don't change a monster that only knows how to fight and hate.
All I ever -feel- is anger! I always get angry at anything and everything!
My only friend has been my thoughts. Kept me company all my life...
All my damn, pathetic life.
What am I supposed to -do- with myself, even if I somehow manage to get out of this in one piece?
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At least, if I die, I'm goin' to hell. And since that's true...
I'm gonna see my folks there when they kick it.
And you know what else? I'm gonna kick their sorry asses so bad, they're gonna need new ones!
At least I can use my damn ability to fight to satisfy myself, since I can't help anyone by being able to hurt others. You never win when you fight, even if you really do.
You wanna know why?
'Cause then you got someone else's blood on your claws. Not that I kill folks because they pissed me off, I ain't that much of an asshole. Or else they'd have to have pissed me off REALLY bad to get that prize.
When you got someone's blood on your claws, it's just another reminder that you just beat the stuffing outta someone and that they'll always remember the pain you put in 'em. They'll remember how you stood over them while they're helpless, and you can do whatever you want.
Take their stuff, make fun of 'em, or worst... Kill 'em.
If I win, I just leave 'em the hell alone. They get a square deal when they mess with me.
Then the decide to get tougher and go for revenge, and they come back and try to fight and lose again. It's a stupid circle of happenings that I hate being a part of, but I have to be a part of it.
You can't have peace without war, and you can't get war if there isn't any peace. It's just a thing about nature.
Everyone thinks about shit differently, I bet. Someone might be thinkin' that what I'm saying is a bunch of crap and that fighting is the best thing ever thought of by folks who're alive.
I say to hell with that. I've had enough fighting in my life to know that it ain't showbiz.
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Though... Now that I think about it, if I could... I know how I could help out other folks.
Keep 'em from fightin'... Have 'em get along.
They all find something happy in their lives 'cause I don't have anything. What's to lose when you got everything to give?
I know all about fighting. I should call myself an expert or a pro or something...
Too bad nobody would really believe me, and things would continue to be all fighty and nobody ever gets along for long.
And there I am again, proving that I'm a powerless piece of crap that can't get anyone to believe him. I'm a giant, ugly monster that beats the crap outta people for shits and giggles.
I never felt anything to anyone other than anger. I swear, I been angry for so long at so many folks, I probably can't feel nothin' else ever.
Ugh...
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GCK!
"STOP FEIGNING YOUR UNCONCIOUSNESS! I CAN SENSE YOU ARE AWAKE!"
I felt Palkia's grip on my upper body as he stepped off me and lifted me up. I opened both my eyes on the spot to stare at it's ugly mug.
Except it was all... not crystal-y.
"HUMPH... WHAT A HIDEOUS CREATURE, NOW THAT I LOOK AT YOU WITH A SCHOLARLY EYE. ONLY SOMETHING AS FOUL AS YOU COULD COME FROM THE VOID THAT KRAUSMER SOUGHT," Palkia began.
"Like you should be talkin'," I sassed.
"I'LL IGNORE YOUR INSOLENCE FOR THE TIME BEING. HOWEVER..."
He was holding that fatass Krausmer in his other claw. Looked normal again... Nothing freaky about him.
"BOTH YOU AND YOUR 'MASTER' SHALL BE FACING JUSTICE FOR YOUR HEINOUS CRIMES OF DESTROYING THIS WORLD WITH MY POWER," Palkia bellowed.
"Screw that. It's all on him. I was with him 'cause he made me, then he dumped me into that stupid 'Void' he wanted," I told him, trying to make an excuse.
"I CARE NOT. YOU SERVED HIM ONCE, AND YOU FOUGHT ME DURING MY INSANITY. YOU ARE A LOYAL MINION TO KRAUSMER THROUGH AND THROUGH- YOUR PETTY ATTEMPTS TO GAIN AMNESTY ARE FUTILE."
"Palkia! Stop!", Juniper's voice called out.
Palkia looked down at Juniper, who was also next to Mac just a little bit away from itself.
"HM? AND WHY SHOULD I CEASE DISPENSING JUSTICE TO CRIMINALS OF THE LOWLIEST CALIBER?"
"Because Canderack isn't just... He never wanted to help Krausmer! He tried to help us fight him!"
"AND IN HIS OWN FEAR, HE ATTACKED ME TO SAVE HIMSELF FROM POTENTIALLY FALLING VICTIM TO MY IRRATIONAL WRATH. YOU CANNOT CHANGE MATTERS THAT ARE OUT OF YOUR HANDS, LITTLE GIRL."
"You... You're..."
"I AM THE ALMIGHTY DRAGON OF SPACE. OPPOSE ME IN MY JUDGMENT, AND I SHALL SENTENCE YOU AS WELL TO THE SAME PUNISHMENT AS THESE TWO CRETINS."
Juniper sunk like she had no idea what to do.
Krausmer was quiet the whole time, just listening on like he wasn't there.
Palkia looked back to us.
"AND AS JUDGE FOR YOUR CRIMES, I HEREBY SENTENCE YOU TO YOUR PUNISHMENT," Palkia bellowed once more.
Then a big rip in space opened again. No doubt about it... It's the Void.
"Oh no. You aren't tossing me and him in there," I said.
"OH, BUT I AM. YOU ARE INCAPABLE OF FIGHTING NATURE'S LAW. ARE YOU SUGGESTING YOU CAN OPPOSE ME EVEN THOUGH YOU LOST TO MY POWER EARLIER?"
"Wouldn't hurt to try."
"LAUGHABLE."
"Please, Palkia...! Just... Don't!", Juniper cried.
"NO. I MUST CORRECT WHAT HAS BEEN WRONGED. I SHALL, HOWEVER, GRANT BOTH MINION AND MASTER LAST WORDS THAT MAY BE SHARED WITH THE REST OF YOU ALL."
I actually looked around, and there were all sorts of Pokémon gathered. The treasure townies, the Magnezone cops, a bunch of Ice-types that I think was led by Turv... All sorts.
Palkia glared at Krausmer.
"HAVE YOU ANYTHING TO SAY?"
Krausmer cleared his throat.
"I have nothing to say. None would want to have it, anyway," Krausmer calmly answered.
"VERY WELL. AND YOU?", Palkia said, turning his head to me.
"Yeh. I got somethin' to say. And it's right to you, big guy."
"OH? AND JUST WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE TO TELL ME?"
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"You're a prick."
Palkia glared at me for the longest time. I looked him dead in the eyes, too.
And I swear, I could've sworn and crossed my heart and hoped to die, that I saw the slightest grin form on his face that just SCREAMED "I know".
"ENOUGH TALK, THEN. MAY BOTH YOUR MASTER AND YOUR HIDEOUS VISAGE BE NEVER SEEN IN OUR WORLD EVER AGAIN, OR ELSE FACE YOUR DESTRUCTION!"
Then he threw his arms up, and chucked us both into the rip in space- into the Void.
I saw the entrance slowly close, and I didn't do a damn thing to even try to fight my way back.
You gotta know when to fold 'em.
Here I am again... Floating in this damn place. I did just notice however that my shell was red again. Maybe Palkia took the Void outta me and Krausmer to get his sanity back?
Whatever.
I looked over at Krausmer. He looked at me.
We stared at eachother for a bit, just idly drifting...
We were starting to drift apart into the darkness. It was getting harder and harder to see him.
"So this is the sensation... The feeling of your own body, dissipating into true, absolute nothingness...", Krausmer spoke.
He continued, "The grip of the Void shall gnaw away at our very bodies, until we too are a part of it for eternity. The Void is where all has begun, and all shall end. We are merely returning to our true roots, you and I. We are no different."
"To hell with your crackpot ideas. You can't make me do what you want any more," I said, telling him off.
He started to disappear into the blackness around me.
"You shall join me, as well as the Void, in our eternal rest from everything worldly. It will be best, either way. I shall not have to gaze upon your hideous visage ever again once I join the Void..."
"You're obsessed with absolutely NOTHING. You got a damn 'Void' in your frickin' HEAD! You're nuts, you're CRAZY, you're SO insane that you made Palkia look like a NORMAL guy!"
Urngh... I felt myself starting to feel pressure all around me.
The last of what I could see of Krausmer was gone. I could hear his voice echoing, though...
"Do not resist. YOU will disappear soon, as well."
... Is that how I have to go out? I just disappear into nothing, and nobody will ever know me again?
What about all those folks back in that other world I was just thrown out of? Could I remember them if I went away forever?
Going away forever...
I sighed. I started to let it take me.
It'll... be over soon.
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Wait a damn second!
I ain't giving up to this shit!
If I'm gonna die, I'm dying on my OWN terms!
I started to wrestle against the blackness around me, trying to get it off.
"I'm NEVER gonna do what you say! I'm NEVER gonna vanish! That's just what you damn want, and I'm gonna LIVE! I'm gonna live just to piss you off! I don't care if you can't hear me or see me, but I'm not gonna let you win! This fight is MINE!"
I kept struggling. I had to find a way out.
There has to be some kind of way out...
When it can open up and close, it's bound to open up again at some point. I just gotta hold out until that happens.
I might get dumped into the future where everyone's dead but me and there's nothing but steel types going around...
Wherever it dumps me, or however I get saved...
I'm getting out of this Void, one way or another. I swear on my horns that's gonna be the last move of this game.
I kept moving around until I stopped feeling like I was going to be crushed. I felt free... Sorta.
I looked around. I could see myself, yeah, but everything else was just dark.
It's like swimming in air. And it's pitch-black at night.
Two things that don't mix very well together.
It felt like hours that I was looking around, 'swimming' around trying to find an exit, but no luck. Maybe it'd just take more time...
Or maybe I really couldn't get out of here and my only option is to disappear.
... To hell with that.
If I'm gonna disappear, I'm gonna starve to death first. I'm gonna DIE before I get turned into nothing, just to stick it to that fat piece of crap!
I heaved a sigh. I stopped looking after a while... I needed to rest. I needed to get my strength back.
I haven't eaten in a day though... I don't think I'll be getting a lot of energy soon.
I closed my eyes and tried to picture a bunch of flowers.
At least I could do that. If I could see things, they were gonna be in my head. I could be anywhere and anything I wanted as long as I imagined it.
I'll at least die happy that way.
I opened my eyes again, just to-
Wait...
What's that?
I... I see something! Over...
It's over there!
I gotta go to it!
It's a chance to get out!
Hallelujah, I'm getting outta here!
I started kicking like mad to try and get over to it.
It'll be another shot...
Another shot to set things right.
Maybe.
Or I'll just... Hurt others again.
Whatever. I'm gonna live, and that's all I care about.
I'm getting the hell out of here!
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And so, Canderack was to flee his prison once again and escape to a world beyond... A new world with new possibilities. Will he truly learn from his past mistakes? Will his wish be granted? Shall the Void continue to haunt him wherever he goes?
All of these questions shall be answered... Though that is a tale for another time, and another day.
The poison of the Void has finally left the world of Pokémon. Palkia has purged it fully- And taken back control. The world has received it's antidote...
Its Antivenom.
Fin