Chapter XXV: Haunted
August 29, 2061 6:52 p.m.
The sun hung frozen on the west side of the sky, blanketed the several billows of dark, swirled clouds that hung still as a painting over the meadow. Like statues, the several Ethereals and various Raichu, Pikachu and Pichu stared frozen at attacking Ethereals, their battle stopped along with the rest of time.
A great wall of purplish-black energy cut the field in half, the lonely apple tree in the middle like a marker on a crossroads in the center of the barrier. On one side stood a Raichu, a Pikachu and the demon's copy…
On the other side stood Shadow and the Ethereal lord himself.
(Very good…More and more you are coming to be exactly to my liking.) Marxus' deep, phantasmal voice echoed at Shadow. (Dive deeper into the pain, anger and suffering that you have felt…and let yourself become consumed by the power, so that you can destroy everyone and everything that caused you all this anguish.)
Heavy, rabid breaths came from Shadow. (Fuck you…you just think all the troubles I have are just some sick way entertaining yourself…and what pisses me off even more is that you act like you can understand me.)
Deep, blood-colored eyes made daggers at Marxus. (…There's maybe only two people that could understand me, and yet they're not the two I could confide in to just let it all out.) Shadow said, thinking of Ash and Bolt and how they must feel about having their own worlds crumble around them, then Xepher and Light's roles in allowing him to realize the truth about Team Rocket.
(So what you're telling me…is that you still cannot believe that the life you knew is gone…?) Marxus said shallowly, obviously finding twisted amusement from his own words.
(…It seems to me…that though you are a strong and hardened warrior on the outside…)
(…on the inside, you are basically just a Pichu, waking up to find that both of your parents are dead…a pathetic, fragile creature crying for your mother and father, knowing that they will NEVER return to comfort you…) Marxus spoke further, punctuated by laughter in his speech.
A loud, almost beastly growl flowed out from Shadow's throat. He seemed to be shaking out of sheer anger, all of his lightning-yellow fur erect with crackling electricity. Then, as if giving the cruel, sickening punch-line of a madman's joke, Marxus spoke once more:
(Oh wait…you don't HAVE a mother and father, do you…)
(…isn't that right, CLONE?)
Suddenly, the anger building in Shadow exploded outward like a massive dam failing…
On the other side of the wall, Bolt grimaced, seeing dark energy explode from Shadow's body, accompanied by a roar, showing both pain and madness as Shadow charged at Marxus.
(Heh heh heh…it seems that Shadow has snapped…) The Marxus-clone said to them, smiling as he looked back over his shoulder to Shadow attacking the real Marxus, then back to Lightforce and Bolt.
(Curse you…) Bolt said, breathing out to keep his cool. (You always have to play on our darker memories like the coward you really are…)
(I'm no coward…I just find it to be entertaining. What's better than to see someone try and FAIL to cope with their past…?)
Lightforce switched her view from Marxus to Shadow, seeming to be in her own world as she watched Shadow rabidly launch a wild assault at Marxus…
He's playing right into Marxus's trap…I must find a way to break this barrier, and quickly…
(You're no different than the way you were so long ago, are you…)
Her eyes sharpened. (…I would think that over a thousand years in the Void would teach you something…)
(Which brings me even greater joy in seeing Shadow explode in front of us. However, you cowardly mice wouldn't understand anyway. All you ever wanted was peace, the same as the pathetic humans and all the other Pokémon of this world…) Marxus responded, walking forward towards them.
(But sadly, the only way a group of people or Pokemon can bring peace to themselves in inevitably through the one thing they don't want: war. Just take a look at the war happening in Kanto now.)
His paw stretched out ominously, the echoed sounds of Shadow attacking the real Marxus on the other side of the wall passing by. (It is only destiny that the inhabitants of this place will destroy themselves along with everything, so I cannot fathom why you wouldn't want me to eliminate it all and make it easier for you to accept destruction…)
(War only happens…because of THINGS like you trying to ruin everything! So don't give us any talk about us destroying ourselves!) Bolt's fierce voice boomed. (I refuse to let you laugh at the scars we have that were forced on us and get away; you're going to go back to wherever in hell you came from!)
Lightforce crossed her arms, a strong glare focused on the Lucario. (The only one who will be accepting destruction today is YOU, Marxus.)
As the echo of her last words dissipated into the soundless, frozen meadow, dark energy began to once more charge into Marxus's paws. He was evermore smiling, shifting attention back to Shadow fighting his real form on the other side of the purplish-black wall of energy behind him. (Heh…I wonder if I shall use the technique against him once more…that was very close before. And I assure you, he WILL remember what it feels like…)
"It seems to me that we're STILL too weak…how disappointing."
(Why…won't…you…DIE!) Erupted the rabid bellow from Shadow's throat, each pause occurring as he made another attempt to rip through his sinister foe with his Iron Tail. Each time he thought he had successfully cleaved through Marxus, he only found it to be an after-image as Marxus would continually spring up out of nowhere from behind.
(Aw, are you having trouble, Shadow? I thought that you were better than this…) Marxus taunted as he quickly shot out from another portal on the ground several yards from Shadow, slowly descending back onto the ground with psychotic, malicious eyes practically staring into Shadow's very soul.
Marxus motioned to the sky above, where the bright soul spheres still hung in a majestic halo. (You are not doing very well to be trying to get the souls back from me. To think, there's thirty-eight Pichu up there, waiting to be saved…and yet here you are, unable to land a sufficient amount of hits against me. Imagine how much loath Bolt will have for you when he sees that you let me take his sister's soul along with the Pichu's…)
The grass ripped under Shadow's paws as he clenched them. The sound of a low growl continually radiated out of his maw, his fur standing on end with static racing across his entire body.
And once again he heard his AntiReal's voice:
"How about we surrender complete control of our body to our dark side?"
Hell no. Knowing you, you'll make me turn on Bolt and Light.
"It looks like we don't get it, do we…" AntiShadow's voice echoed through his mind deviously. "I'm a part of you, channeling all of your negative emotions and getting stronger as you get closer to the dark. Since I channel said emotions, I too have a bit of loath for Marxus…"
Yeah right. You fucking bowed to him back at Pallet.
"All Ethereals must do so, and answer his call no matter what. To tell us the truth, me, for some reason, I actually hated him even before we knew him."
The sound of a small chuckle from AntiShadow caught Shadow's attention even more. "There are also…some things he knows that we should, but we do not. "
Like what, exactly? Shadow asked in his head, getting annoyed by this little conversation. After all, he knew that he should rather be concentrating on the battle at hand then be listening to his AntiReal antagonize him in his mind.
"Did you know…that he's been manipulating the course of our life from the start?"
…What?
"Just ask him, me."
(Why are you just standing there, Shadow? Don't tell me you're too worn out already.)
As if snapping out of a trance, Shadow gasped, blinking several times as his eyesight focused on Marxus about thirty yards away. A growl began to form in his throat once more.
(…How long have you known about me?) Shadow asked as calmly as he could, though he still sounded quite angry. Silence ensued as the echo of his voice ceased along the still grass.
He glared as Marxus uncrossed his arms and began walking slowly toward him.
(Do you really wish to know? I will tell you then…)
(I've known of you since before you awoke, five years ago. And since then…I've made sure that we would meet like this.)
Shadow shuddered a bit on the inside. So it's true…
Marxus looked out to his clone fighting Lightforce and Bolt on the other side of the energy field, who were beginning to get the upper hand on it. His foot swished slowly across the ground as he looked back to Shadow, eyes half closed. (You see, I have controlled the majority of your path in this thing you call life…from even before you knew of Team Rocket, I have controlled many things…and PEOPLE, especially…that have made an impact on your life.)
His evil eyes turned once more to Lightforce and Bolt. (And it all began five years ago, when Pallet Town was attacked by Team Rocket.)
(…Isn't it wonderful how so many people were shocked and somewhat confused about how Team Rocket went from a criminal organization, stealing Pokémon…to a paramilitary terrorist organization who is trying to take over Kanto?) He said further, watching as his clone caught Bolt by the leg and threw him high into the air.
Once again, his mad view shifted to Shadow, who was listening to every word. (Yes, it was MY little surprise…instilling in Giovanni's head to begin making weapons and training grunts in combat. He was so very willing to do it…he just needed a little mental 'persuasion', heh heh heh…)
Marxus lifted his arms out to his sides, paws outstretched to make the figure of an apocalyptic preacher. (And so it began. With his feeble old wit under my control I pulled the strings of his mind to make the new Team Rocket attack Pallet Town and wipe it off the face of the planet. Thus began a war that he thought he himself had thought of…but it was I, instead.)
The patch of ground around Shadow was bare from the electricity around him eroding it away ever so slowly. The faint sound of battle crossed over the barrier as Marxus lowered his arms, his malevolent voice speaking once more. (And like the war, I manipulated him into ordering the more…scientific staff of Team Rocket to create deadlier, more powerful weapons to be used, and with it, came Project ECLIPSE…)
(…And with it, came YOU. Yes, Dr. Xepher may have kept it a secret from Giovanni, but it was the orders he gave…put into his mind by me, of course…that gave Xepher the initial thought of creating a Pokémon infused with the power of darkness.)
(That Pokémon, dear Shadow…was YOU. In his eyes, Xepher saw both the answer to ensuring Giovanni's trust in him and in creating a warrior that could eventually be used to destroy Team Rocket…but at the same time, you have become a crucial piece of my ambition. You will play a great part…in how I will meld this world with mine.)
(Do you really think I'll just play along? Go to hell! I'm not going to be used again, ESPECIALLY by you!)
Fists tightening, Shadow launched himself into the air, arms outstretched as his dark aura once again flowed from his body like smoke billowing from a wildfire. Below, Marxus watched intently, his smile widening once again as Shadow dove towards him with a mighty roar.
(It is futile.)
(Ggh!) Shadow cried out as Marxus quickly activated his own dark power to shoot towards Shadow as he came down, mightily smashing his paw into the Pikachu's chest. Cringing in midair as the air blasted out of his lungs, Shadow landed back on the ground, sliding backwards with his front paws to his abdomen. Inhaling as much air as he could, Shadow quickly reacted as Marxus came down upon him with his foot.
(Hurk…Ha!) Shadow grunted, holding his ground as the full force of Marxus's attack hit, small spikes of pain imbedding in his chest from the claws on the Lucario's paws. Catching his leg, Shadow held on to it as he spun around to throw Marxus away.
(Heh…) Marxus said as he rolled back to his feet, dark energy already formed into dark spheres around his upper paws that brightly flashed. Holding his paws in front of him at Shadow, the energy separated into six spheres. From there, the spheres connected to each other with lines up their energy crossing across where Marxus's paw was.
(I missed the first time…but I assure you, this will hit this time…) Marxus spoke as Shadow saw the spheres begin to swirl, going faster and faster until they formed a disk in front of the ethereal lord.
(You're going to try to do that to Shadow AGAIN?) Lightforce exclaimed, seeing the disk from Marxus's paw begin to ascend into the sky from the other side of the barrier. Looking up to see it as well, Bolt grimaced. Tweny feet from them, the clone of Marxus held his left paw to his chest, a steady stream of blood running down from a hole on the left side of his chest. Though a small crack of scarlet was running from his mouth, the clone managed to smile at the spectacle. (Yes, I'm trying it again…sad that this clone only has half the ability of my real self, otherwise it would be YOU two in this condition…)
(Oh well. This time I will make sure…that Shadow feels the power of all he's slain.) The Marxus clone spoke one last time, his eyes closing as he dropped backwards like a dead man, disappearing into the ground.
(All the ones he's…slain? What does he mean?) Bolt asked, immediately turning to Lightforce. She shook her head, glaring towards the flying, black disk on the other side of the barrier.
(…It means…he's going to know just how much pain he's caused in his life…)
(…all at once.)
Her view shifting from the disk in the air over Shadow to the barrier separating them, Lightforce began to charge white energy into her paw. Eyeing the wall with her paw clenched, she charged towards it, fiercely ramming her paw into it.
A burning sensation immediately engulfed her paw, her teeth clenching as she forced herself to push on it, charging more and more of her energy into it.
(Here.) Bolt said, approaching with his own energy charging into his paw. With a small grunt, he also plunged his fist into the barrier, wincing as he felt dark energy scalding him. Above them, the disk once again turned into a demonic looking eye, staring down towards Shadow…
(What the hell is that?) Shadow asked, still awed at the appearance of the eye above. His body felt cold, numb as the eye continued to stare down at him, unblinking.
(It's time to face the blood you've shed…)
Shadow gasped, turning around as Marxus grabbed hold of him from behind, restraining him as the X-like symbol from before appeared under Shadow. Shadow found himself shaking, unable to move as if he was hypnotized by the eye above.
(Shadow! No!)
With a small amount of struggle, Shadow was able to see Lightforce screaming for him at the corner of his eyesight, trying to force her paw through while Bolt was doing the same next to her, an almost panicked look on his face.
As he saw the eye brighten overhead, Shadow tried to move, or to flail, do something to escape Marxus's grasp. (It's time for you to face the ultimate nightmare. Know how much that you have caused…and make it entertaining.)
His arm moved very slowly, as if tied to five-hundred pound weights. He could not even charge electricity into himself as Marxus stepped back, throwing him directly at the eye.
(NO!) (Shadow!) He could barely hear Lightforce and Bolt screaming before the eye widened fully, firing a massive beam at him that blinded his vision…
…
…
"Can you hear me?"
Who are you?
"Who are…we?" "I'm sure you know." "You're the reason we're here." "Why?" "Why'd you do this to me?" "It's all your fault…" "Why did you kill me…?"
L…Leave me alone…!
"Was there any real reason why?" "Can you even grasp what you have done to us?" "Do you know our pain?" "Did you even think of the consequences?" "I don't even think you care what you've done!" "Our friends and family are crying over our bodies…" "With no knowledge of who did this!" "We didn't even get to say goodbye!" "Can you imagine what our friends feel?"
"And our families?"
"HOW WE FEEL?"
…
Lightforce stood frozen in shock, seeing Shadow writhe and make silent screams from within the black sphere that engulfed him, floating between the eye and the 'X'-like symbol under him.
(Ah, I can hear the symphony of voices screaming at him…every single one of them that he's killed, all at once…Thus brings new meaning to the term that you know as guilt.) Marxus said, looking up gleefully at the horrid sight.
Her muscles in her arm strained now from the intense concentration of white energy roaring across her body and into the force field, slowly but surely giving way as she and Bolt pressed forward. Her jaw tightening, Lightforce let out a mighty roar as she blasted her energy into the barrier through her paw, feeling her paw coming out the other side. (Keep going!)
(Urrrrrgh!) Bolt growled, forcing himself through the burning sensation as dark energy whipped around him from the barrier. With a massive push, Lightforce dug her other paw into the barrier as well.
(Hmph. Here they come to end my fun…) Marxus said with mock sadness, eyes half closed in annoyance as Lightforce slowly spread her paws apart to rip the barrier. Straining, she motioned for Bolt to go through first while she held it. His red eyes watched Bolt come through, his body already rampant with electricity as Lightforce stepped in as well, paying no attention to Marxus and instead to Shadow, stuck inside the black sphere. Inside, she could see him continuing to spasm all over, as if his entire body was being assaulted by an unseen, merciless force…
…
It felt like his arm was being broken, like he was getting impaled. The next moment, he could swear that his head was punched in, then the second like he had been sliced in half from the waist down.
He could not speak, he felt like he could not even breathe, feeling his blood splash and burst out of him relentlessly, the voices around him still screaming to him.
It was his own private hell, trapped with no means of escape, as all the Pokémon and people that he had killed slowly destroyed his mind with a barrage of all the strikes he had delivered upon them that had killed them. With the attacks came no numbness, no pause, only raw, unrelenting pain. If he could scream, he would. If only he could speak, move, cry out. There was no help for him, no way out, no end to the punishment handed to him from all of those he had killed.
And the only thing to keep him company was the empty blackness all around him.
…
(How do you like this masterpiece? A chorus of agony backed up by hundreds of angered souls, continually tearing his mind to bits…)
(…What is wrong with you…?) Bolt spoke, disturbed by the show of pain that Shadow had to be going through. He could actually see Shadow furiously clawing at the edge of the bubble around him, trying to make it stop. His eyes seemed to be focused on nothing, as if he couldn't see outside of the dark prison.
Continuing to stare at Shadow's ordeal, Lightforce's paws clenched, again filling to the brim with her energy. Her view shifted slowly to Marxus, her powerful, bright eyes showing both immense worry and absolute hostility. (Marxus…you're going to regret this…!)
(Odd…You're usually so calm…)
Marxus fully turned around, looking to his paw as he twisted it over to show his palm. (Is that you speaking…or your vessel?)
(To be honest…both.) She replied fiercely. Her paw went to her chest, her view turning downward. (It's because of her feelings for him…)
(…And the fact that I won't let you do this again…) She continued, her glare unyielding at the Ethereal lord. (…not to anyone, after how you killed so many of my friends and allies with this very same technique…)
Her paws continued to glow with white energy as she slowly drew them together in front of her, her eyes lighting even more when the energy in her paws began to focus into a massive, blinding sphere. Before long, tendrils of white electricity snapped out from her body, forming a dome around her of translucent white, flashing as more and more electricity stormed across it. All the while, Marxus watched in anticipation, doing nothing to stop her.
Lightforce and Bolt watched as Marxus stepped back from the sphere holding Shadow, by now unnecessary as Shadow's struggle appeared to have lessened quite a bit. The Pikachu's paw just lightly seemed to scratch up upon the side of the bubble, almost lifeless but still going. His eyes were still wild, bloodshot with a look of unreal fear upon him.
…
It still kept coming.
Blow after blow, one second he thought he was finally dead, the next he found that he had still not passed on, proof being another merciless, unrestrained strike across his body. He didn't know if he had lost no blood or all of it by now; nor did he know if this was a nightmare or if this was real.
It sure did not feel like any kind of dream or illusion.
Somehow, the phantoms all around him still refused to relent, obliterating and smothering him with their unyielding vengeance. Torturing his body and mind with the very same strikes that had he had killed them with.
…
(I think he's had enough…tell me if his mind has been broken or not.) Marxus said, callously raising his paw to the spherical prison. Almost at once, the sphere faded back into dark energy that returned to Marxus's paw. With sphere gone, Shadow's body dropped to the ground, with no attempt to break the fall. A small, hard thumb echoed across the frozen field as the Pikachu hit the ground, facedown into the earth.
No…!
First it was just a few, slow steps, and then Bolt broke into a full run towards Shadow, Lightforce just watching from where she stood, unable to move out of shock.
Sliding to a stop, Bolt flipped Shadow onto his back, shaking his shoulders to try to get a response. (Shadow, can you hear me? Answer!)
The only sign Bolt got that Shadow was still alive was his weak, shallow breathing. Other than that, a corpse-like stare stood out on his face, looking up towards the bundles of dark clouds up above, lightning stopped in its tracks in each cloud.
(Aww…is he dead? I was hoping he was going to be alive so that I could do more…) Marxus said with a mockingly sad tone. (Well, I could use this as an example…)
His paws touched in front of him, his arms stretched as he brought them apart, then swiftly brought them back together as a wave of dark energy blasted from him, a warping, ripping sound in its wake.
Lowering his arm from his face, Bolt could see the grass in front of them rise back up after the mass of energy that just passed through. Behind, he could once again hear 'Chus and Ethereals fighting at the edge of the meadow.
He's unfrozen time…
However, just behind the tree line Bolt could see a grayish wall all around, leading up to the sky above, whirling in a powerful thunderstorm. Strikes of lightning exploded on contact with the gray dome, sending streaks of static all across it. Wind managed to blow ever so steadily inside, just barely making the golden-colored grass sway.
He felt his paw move slightly, and upon looking back down to Shadow, Bolt saw that the Pikachu was stirring, shakily trying to raise himself.
(Here, let me help you.) Bolt said as he took a hold of Shadow's paw, immediately feeling Shadow's entire arm spasm before Shadow almost dropped back to the ground, only staying up because of Bolt supporting him. Again, Bolt raised him onto his feet.
Shadow could still hear his own heartbeat. The pain was gone, but the immense fear that had stayed with him throughout the entire experience was still there, causing him to stare forward, focusing on nothing in particular. Not even the sight of Marxus on the left side of his vision really affected him, compared to the nightmarish attack that was just unleashed upon him. In a way, he was still unconscious.
(Shadow, can you hear us?) Lightforce asked, quickly running to his side as Bolt held his arm over his shoulder, slightly picking Shadow up. A low, quiet groan escaped from Shadow's mouth as he shifted downward, almost falling down again.
(Come on, stay up.) Bolt commanded, trying to give Shadow some leverage with his shoulder. Angered and saddened at the sight, Lightforce spun around to face Marxus. (How could you do this?)
(I suppose that he doesn't feel too well right now, does he…after so many years, it seems that I haven't lost my skill at breaking people's minds.) Marxus said, turned away from them and looking at the chaos that once again ensued at the edge of the meadow. Both Lightforce and Bolt could hear a low chuckle coming from Marxus, malevolently enjoying the sight of 'chus slowly but surely getting killed by the Ethereals.
The sound of the gut-wrenching screams and ripping flesh sent an icy chill through Bolt, himself watching Ethereal's claws tearing into the unfortunate 'chus who got in the way. White and black energy shot around the scene as experienced members of both clans continued to try to repel the dark creatures using their abilities with aura. Less experienced 'chus appeared to be trying to flee back into the woods.
(How sad that your race is so naturally weak…yes, there are some of you who become very strong, very proficient with your dark and white energies along with the energy of your element…)
Marxus's paws raised to the sides of him, towards the thunderous sky above. (…But on the other hand, the majority of you never truly learn how to control such power…until it's too late, like now. I see so many trying to flee…the outer barrier will stop them, of course. )
(…Monster…)
Bolt and Lightforce snapped to see Shadow, slowly raising his head up, his shocked look somewhat gone now, though he was still a little shaky. With a sigh of disappointment, Marxus turned around towards them. (…It seems…that I either must improve the Nightmare technique…or you have a strong mind, Shadow. Either way, impressive, to say the least…)
With a grunt, Shadow removed his arm from Bolt's shoulder, balancing himself by spreading his hind legs out slightly. Breathing heavily with an almost uncontrollable shakiness, static began to spread from Shadow's cheeks. Through sheer willpower, he managed to make himself stop shaking.
(…Now…now I don't know whether I'm more apprehensive…or more pissed…!)
Marxus tilted his head, peering up to the stormy sky once more, seeing the ring of souls circling where the sun would likely be on the edge of the horizon. (Good…still more time for you to try to save the Pichu..and your sister, Bolt.)
(Don't worry about it…we'll get them back, and you will regret coming here in the first place.) Bolt responded. On Shadow's right, Lightforce's aura rose. (Get ready Marxus…your fall is near!)
(Indeed, I would not be surprised if this could be my last battle…)
The three 'chus watched as Marxus slowly landed on the ground once again, aura beginning to flare up. Almost at the same time, Bolt and Lightforce drew into their own stances next to Shadow as the evil being spoke once more. (You three are collectively very powerful, even separately…I have already seen what you can do before, and so now…I wish for you to come at me with all your might…)
He chuckled even more as he raised his right arm above his shoulder with his left to his front.
(…Give me the pleasure of crushing your hopes…)
…
She sat on the cold, metal fold-up chair with her hands clasped together on her lap. Her long, burnt orange hair fell down past her shoulders like cascades of water. Body armor, all but cosmetically the same as the normal Kanto soldiers, was covering most of her body. Her helmet lay sideways on the ground, leaning on the foot of the chair with a crack on its visor. A fire sat in front of her, slowly licking away at chunks of blackened wood in front of her. Hearing approaching footsteps, she looked up to see a very familiar face coming forward. Sighing, she looked back to the flames.
"Hi Ash."
"How's your leg, Misty?" He asked, taking a seat on a nearby folding chair. The sounds of helicopter rotors could be heard in the distance, muffled by the sounds of Kanto soldiers and Pokémon in the encampment all around.
"Doing better…By the way, I met that scientist Xepher you were talking about earlier. He's a pretty smart guy, maybe even smarter than Gary…not exactly as laid back though. He seems to be a bit of a worrywart."
Ash laid back on the chair, looking over to her as he made a slight smirk. "He has every right to be stressed, considering he had to be watching his back for about six years already. Espionage in Team Rocket is hard to do… if you don't do what they tell you to do, they probably kill you…"
He looked back to the fire, his brow creasing. "…bastards."
Misty's hands tightened around each other, a cold feeling creeping up her spine. True, she could probably never know how he felt…to have your entire hometown destroyed, including some people he had considered the closest to a complete family…
In fact, from what she had heard, almost all of his Pokémon were either captured or mercilessly killed during the battle.
All of it just changed him from one day to the next. The week before it happened, she remembered him visiting Cerulean City with a few of his Pokémon. Though he had matured already from when she first met him as a good-hearted, though sadly ignorant ten-year-old, he still had a good amount of comicalness in him…
But when she saw him, bandaged up at the Pokémon Center in Pewter City, he had then reminded her nothing of the boy she once knew.
His sense of humor had vanished, and his usual smile was nowhere to be seen. Added to that, he was absolutely silent, just giving the thousand-yard stare to the tiles on the floor. He didn't even seem to acknowledge her when she first walked up to him, even when she sat next to him, trying to make him talk…
Misty straightened up in her chair, trying to forget the subject. "…I heard that Light escaped from the Rocket's HQ. Where is she?"
At first, he made no reply, simply continuing to stare down the flames. With a crackle of sparks as a burning piece of wood collapsed into cinders, he turned his head towards her. "Do you remember Shadow?"
"…How can I forget Shadow? Sure, I was fighting that speedy little Pichu, but when I saw Light fighting him…It was like nothing I've ever seen before."
Misty ran her hand through her hair. "That little Pikachu is some sort of demon or something-"
"Wrong."
"What?" She asked, astonished that Ash seemed to be defending a Rocket agent. With a shrug of his shoulders, Ash continued. "Shadow is by no means a demon. Yes, I'm pretty sure he went rabid on you and Light back in Celadon, but you have to agree, it was probably a huge mental shock to him. I mean, he thought Light was his friend, and then he sees her with you, an enemy…"
"Yeah, I guess…" Misty replied while peering up towards a rather large Charizard flying overhead, the mass pumping of its wings creating small gales that seemed to be fanning the already magnificent inferno on the end of its tail.
"Wait a minute, I was asking about Light."
"Exactly." He responded, also looking up at the sight of the mighty dragon-like Pokémon. "Light is with Shadow. They're both somewhere in the forest near the coast around Pallet with Bolt."
A small amount of excitement showed on her face. "You mean that they've captured Shadow?"
"No. I'm actually happy to say…that Shadow's on our side now."
"…wow. If you're serious, then that's just unexpected. I never thought that I would be his ally." "Heh, who knew…" He replied with a voice of seriousness, his mind suddenly racing.
What is this feeling?
"Is something wrong, Ash?" She asked, noticing that he suddenly seemed a little worried about something.
Ash stayed looking up towards the emerging stars, his mouth a line as wind flailed his hair somewhat. "I don't know…Something doesn't feel right…"
Something's wrong here. I feel as if…
All three of them are in danger…
Congrats to PhoenixFlare023 for getting the question from last chapter right. Yes, it was the Nazi Swastika…I would like to let it be known that no offense was intended upon anybody.
Aside from that, see you for chapter 26!