Chapter 33: To Challenge Nerezzik

I unleashed a massive hydro pump at Nerezzik. He dug his feet into the ground and withstood the attack. He countered with a bolt of darkness. I held out my arm and blocked the attack with it, feeling a slight numbing as I did. For my next move, I decided to take the battle to close range. I rushed in and unleashed a wave of mud on Nerezzik. He jumped to his feet and cleared the mud away with his psychic powers. He then turned these powers on me, throwing me into the air.

I landed with some slight pain, and continued by using my take down. I rammed Nerezzik at full speed, knocking him to the ground. It was time to end this, so I pinned Nerezzik to the ground, and started to unleash my water attacks in the attempt to drown him. After the second hydro pump, he started moving. He broke from my grasp, and executed an upwards kick, slicing my entire body with his sharp claws. He then flicked his tail at me, catching me with the sharp red crystals. The crystals cut into many places across my arms, but I managed to knock Nerezzik away with a mud shot.

My blood mixed with the water soaking the ground. I had taken some bad injuries, but I would fight on. I used an Earthquake next, and Nerezzik was knocked over. The wet and muddy ground made it difficult for him to get up, so I hit him with a hydro pump. He raised himself and used his psychic powers to drain away the water. He rushed forwards, and I used another mud shot to stop him. He swatted the mud-shot away, receiving almost no damage from it. He continued forward and hit me with a powerful slash, slicing my side. I grabbed Nerezzik by the legs and threw him as hard as I could to the ground. He seemed a bit shaken now, but unleashed a wave of darkness upon me. The world seemed to darken and my senses dulled as I was hit.

Nerezzik continued with another flick of his tail. This time the sharp crystals tore open my back. My whole body seemed to be burning with pain, but I still had a little strength left. I unleashed a hydro pump which interrupted Nerezzik, and then charged him with endeavor. I scored a massive punch straight to Nerezzik's chest, which sent him sprawling to the ground. I used another earthquake, jarring the fallen Nerezzik.

Nerezzik used his incredible stamina to jump high into the air after my attacks. He now fell towards me, charging up all his energy into his right hand. As he fell towards where I was standing, he unleashed his new attack. He hit me in the chest with the large crystal in the center of his palm. The crystal pierced deeply and the dark and psychic energy Nerezzik had been charging exploded into me. The last thing I could remember was flying backwards as the pain overcame me.

Opal ran to my fallen body. Blood pooled beneath me from the many cuts and slashes Nerezzik had given me. She began to undo the lid from the vial of sacred water, but soon found an energy holding her back. In the distance, Nerezzik held out his arm, channeling his psychic powers to stop Opal.

Aureolus launched herself to the air and started flying towards Nerezzik. "I'm fighting you next, so leave her out of this!" she demanded.

Nerezzik just gazed indifferently. "I can't have her reviving my foes, so I'll stop her first."

Suddenly, Nerezzik was hit from behind by a powerful shadow ball. He turned to see that Mewtwo had returned. "So, Mewtwo, are you going to try to face me?"

Mewtwo landed with anger burning in his eyes. "I told you to leave Opal alone, but now I'll have to defeat you since you did not heed my warning."

Nerezzik and Mewtwo charged their energy for the upcoming battle. "I'm the strongest, and I'll show it to all of you," Nerezzik announced. "Once I'm done I'll rule both worlds through strength."

Mewtwo was tired of listening to Nerezzik and had unleashed his first attack. Mewtwo tried unleashing a psychic attack on Nerezzik, but found his energy would not hold his opponent.

Nerezzik flashed an evil grin. "Such attacks are useless against me. You'll be easy."

Nerezzik then shot a beam of darkness from his hand. Mewtwo felt the energy darkness interrupting his concentration, but after a short while it cleared away. He concentrated hard and lifted a large boulder that had been buried in the ground. Mewtwo flung this at Nerezzik, who dodged to the side. Mewtwo called forth another boulder and now he threw both at Nerezzik. One of the boulders hit Nerezzik, and he was blocked from Mewtwo's sight by the large rock. Mewtwo released the rock and it fell to the ground, but as it did, Nerezzik jumped on the top of it. Nerezzik jumped onto the next rock that was floating in the air, and then propelled himself towards Mewtwo.

Mewtwo shot a blast of lightning at Nerezzik, but his momentum carried him forwards towards Mewtwo. Nerezzik reached Mewtwo and sliced his chest with his claws. Mewtwo floated upwards and healed the injury, and started unleashing shadow balls at Nerezzik. Nerezzik dodged the first one, but Mewtwo continued launching attack after attack. Nerezzik soon was hit by several shadow balls and was knocked to the ground. Mewtwo charged up his energy and unleashed a massive blast of lightning on Nerezzik.

The bolt of lightning struck Nerezzik. He now had some electrical burns from such an attack, and he could smell his own charred flesh. Nerezzik shot his own shadow ball at Mewtwo, and used this distraction to start running towards Mewtwo. Mewtwo tried another barrage of shadow balls, but Nerezzik dodged from side to side to avoid each one. Soon, he was right under where Mewtwo floated, and jumped upwards. Nerezzik held his arm back and charged energy into the crystal on his palm.

Mewtwo shot one last shadow ball at Nerezzik. The attack exploded against Nerezzik, but he kept moving upwards through the blast. Nerezzik flew straight to Mewtwo and hit him with the same attack that had defeated me. The large red crystal pierced Mewtwo's chest, and dark energy began to surge into him. Nerezzik fell, but Mewtwo was right below him, taking the full effects of his attack. Right before they hit the ground, Nerezzik pulled the sharp crystal out of Mewtwo, and then they both slammed into the ground, kicking up a wave of dust. As the dust cleared, Nerezzik stood over his defeated foe. He was breathing heavily after his latest attack, but he still had much more endurance left.

As Mewtwo and Nerezzik fought, Opal had given me the sacred water. The wounds closed and I now slept as I was restored both inside and out. Opal moved me away from the bloody grass and wiped off the remaining blood from my skin. She then placed me to rest next to the others that were still unconscious from their battles. She paused to watch the battle, but gasped as Mewtwo was defeated.

She rushed out to help the fallen Mewtwo, while Aureolus flew out to face Nerezzik.

Nerezzik took his stance once again. "So, Aureolus, looks like we fight again. Last time we fought, we were evenly matched, but I believe that has changed. I've grown stronger over time and you've grown feeble."

Aureolus launched herself to the skies. "The darkness can never overcome the light. I will not let you win. The worlds will always have light and hope to fend off whatever darkness threatens them."

The yellow lines on Aureolus began to shine brilliantly as she unleashed her first attack. The crystals around her gathered the light that shone from her and then shot many beams into the sky. Nerezzik ran forwards to attack, but just as he jumped up, he was smashed into the ground by a massive pillar of light from the sky. Just as Nerezzik finished getting up, he was knocked down by another beam of light from the heavens. He curled up against the several more attack he knew would be coming, and was hit by three more. The light seemed to cause a strange burning whenever it hit Nerezzik, and the agony was almost unbearable.

Aureolus swooped down on the crouching Nerezzik and her fierce talons raked across his back. Nerezzik quickly jumped towards Aureolus as she flew away. As he went past her, Nerezzik flipped in the air, hitting the wing of Aureolus with his tail's sharp crystals. The injuries were severe enough to disable the wing, so Aureolus glided to the ground. Red now stained the soft white feathers of her wing, but Nerezzik was bleeding more. Aureolus stretched forth her other wing, and the crystals around her began flashing. Suddenly, thousands of tiny needles of light began to hit Nerezzik from all directions, and the pain was unbearable.

Slowly the attack ended, and Nerezzik made another run at Aureolus, desperate to end the battle. As he dived to attack her, she lifted one of her feet to stop him. The sharp edges of her talons sliced Nerezzik diagonally across his belly and torso, but his speed carried him forward. With a clawed hand he grasped the neck of his most hated enemy. His hatred gave him strength and he crushed the windpipe of Aureolus. She coughed and gasped for air, but soon slumped to the ground.

The sacred water had healed me completely by then, and I rose to see the fatal exchange of blows between Aureolus and Nerezzik. Aureolus lay unmoving, but Nerezzik lay clutching his bleeding wound. I ran out and Nerezzik still was holding on, but his life was slowly bleeding out of him.

He glanced at me as he heard my approach. "It seems like you all have beaten me. I do not regret my choices. I only regret my beginning. So, what are you going to do to me now? I'm almost dead as it is."

I prepared for a final blow. "Nerezzik, you did not suffer enough, but I want the pleasure of killing you. If only I had been able to kill you earlier." I brought my arm down upon his neck, breaking it. Nerezzik was no more. I had finally avenged my family, Ninetales, and even Aureolus, who had all been victims in this terrible war. With the end of Nerezzik came the end of our conflict. Each person involved had changed, so what would we do now that it was all over?