A Spirit's Journey

by PkmnMaster Rolf

A story, you say? Well, I know a few of those. Some of them are about me, and some of those are even true. This one's one of my favorites. It's how I came to be the Absol I am today. Of course, I didn't like it then, but that's how it always is with life. It's kind of funny that way. It starts with me running down the slopes of Mt. Coronet...

35. Chapter 35: Pitch-Black Pokemon Darkrai

Before we begin, let me make something clear about the last chapter. I know it is logically inconsistent for Arceus to really be God, since Arceus proved himself to be fallible and finite in Arceus and the Jewel of Life. I am a card-carrying Christian (Achievement Unlocked!: Alliteration) and so it is important to me that you all understand that. Also...brace yourselves.

Chapter 35:

Pitch-Black Pokémon Darkrai

The next thing I knew, I was in a cage built out of twisted, black metal encrusted with a dried red substance half-way between rust and blood. My first instinct was to check over myself, making sure it wasn't going to stain my fur. However, one glance outside the bars revealed exactly how foolish that was. It was a horrid parody of the Hall of Origin where Darkrai was seated on the throne. All the others were in the places they had been except for me. My cage was placed just to the left and one step below Darkrai's ebony throne. The floor was shrouded in mist, the ceiling oozed with dark substances, and the walls pulsated in a sickening manner. It was, in all serious, a place that could only exist in a nightmare.

Darkrai's laughter echoed through the chamber. Then it echoed again. And again. And again, each time growing deeper and more evil. He leered down at the assembled company and said, "Welcome! For the next minute and thirty-three seconds, you are my guests here in my hall, courtesy of your friend Spirit here. Unfortunately, Arceus will not be joining us, but priest Zorro will keep him company until we are finished. Also, Latios, being a shade, cannot fall asleep. And I would love to see Seth here, since he is such a mess of fear, but it appears he wasn't at the trial. So have no fear…for them." A general hue and cry rose from the crowd, all of it angry and all of it directed at Darkrai. The black-robed specter rose angrily. "SILENCE!" he shouted. For a moment, it worked. The sheer force of it was enough to momentarily halt their cries of outrage. "That's better. Now, one at a time, if you please."

"Darkrai…" Cresselia spat, "So finally you show yourself! Well, that will be your last mistake! Your existence ends here!"

"Don't be so hasty, Cresselia. Aren't you even a little curious about why I-"A beam of silver light struck him in the chest, burning a hole right through him, his throne, and part of the wall. Cresselia smiled triumphantly, but Darkrai did not seem terribly disturbed. His chest melded together again with the sound of tearing cloth and bubbling flesh, finishing with a truly repulsive, wet popping noise. He sighed. "Apparently not."

Cresselia was a bit disturbed by this turn of events. Gathering more light to her, she prepared to repeat her attack. With a wave of his hand, Darkrai made the floor rear up under her and knock her flying into the wall, which squelched and held her fast like a fly caught in glue. He chuckled as she angrily struggled to free herself. "Oh, did you think that would work when it had already failed once? I suppose I should not be surprised. Throughout your many years of pursuing me, it was always so easy to evade you. You were always so…predictable."

"Darkrai…" Xerneas said in disbelief.

"Ah, if it isn't Nature's Queen herself!" Darkrai rose and bowed mockingly. "Welcome, noble lady, to my hall! And Ho-Oh! What an absolute delight it is to see you again!"

Ho-Oh bristled, small flames appearing in her wings. "What is the meaning of this?" she demanded, "And you, absol! What are you doing aiding this monster?!"

"Is it not obvious?" Darkrai chuckled, shaking his head. "I assure you, the absol would rather be doing anything but helping me, but that is just how life is sometimes. But more to the point, I am toppling Arceus from his gilded throne. And you all are going to help me."

Lugia scoffed. "But of course. You're clearly insane. Why would we agree to help you?"

"Because, dear Guardian of the Sea, I still have a minute and thirty-three seconds to, ahem, convince you."

"Hey dead-head!" Pikablu shouted, "In case you hadn't noticed, talking to people takes up time! You have about a minute left!"

"Ah, but you forget, you are all dreaming," Darkrai said with a devious smile, "And when you are dreaming, so much can happen in the space of a mere second. We have all the time we need."

I was stunned. One of the ways I'd been comforting myself was by assuring myself that Darkrai couldn't do that much damage in little over two minutes. This revelation, however, threw that idea right out the window.

"Spirit," Syoran said, voice tight, "Just what is going on here?"

I sighed. Well, I knew I'd have to tell them eventually. "I…made a deal." Syoran's eyes widened in shock.

"But…but why?" Nine asked.

"To save Rio!" I snapped, using more force than I had intended, "Charon was going to eat him! You were all locked in battle! I was the only one with the opportunity to save him and…my body gave out on me. My only option…if I wanted to save him, was this."

"What exactly is this?" Lady Glacier demanded.

I looked them square in the eye. "An…exchange. For however long I used his power, he'd have control over me. It was over two minutes, but that conversation with the Zoroarks chipped some time away. Not that it matters now…"

"Darkrai," Dialga said, very seriously, "Release us right now. Or else."

This amused Darkrai to no end. "Or else? Or else what? You will smite me? Tear me to shreds? Pulverize me to a pulp? No, that's not your style. You'd rather erase me from the timeline entirely, wouldn't you? Well, why don't you try it?"

Syoran stepped forward. "Look, I don't care who you are or if you really are Darkrai, but what does this have to do with Spirit anymore? Can't you release him?"

"Oh my dear boy, don't you get it? Your precious absol's deal with me gave me the one thing I wanted: a way to directly manifest in the Hall of Origin itself! I can't let him go until I gather the strength to do it, and that strength will come when each and every one of you devoted followers of Arceus is defeated. And once I assume physical form, with the combined power I absorb from you all, I will be a match for Arceus!" He smiled. "Well, that's the plan anyway."

Suddenly, understanding flooded into my friends' eyes as they realized exactly how bad a situation this was. My heart sank into my paws, but a growl welled up in its place. A deep-throated, hateful growl, and it was directed solely at Darkrai. Not that he paid me any mind. I was no longer of any importance to him as long as I stayed caged.

"Let Spi'it go!" Psi demanded, trying to be intimidating.

"Oh HO! The child wants his friend back, does he? Yes, he's been a good little pawn, fearing you all would shun him if he told you the truth. He was about to several times and all would have been ruined, but fortunately you all managed to distract him every time. Just long enough for him to allow me entrance into the one place I never would have made it on my own: the very throne room of Arceus!"

Syoran gritted his teeth. "Well, let him go then! If you won't, then I…" Nine cleared her throat. "I mean, we challenge you to a battle!" I blinked in surprise. This certainly wasn't the reaction I'd expected. I'd hoped they wouldn't disown me, but to directly challenge Darkrai, Old Night himself? That was something I would never forget.

A wave of darkness shot out from Darkrai, washing over everyone in the room except for me. Syoran recoiled, eyes filling with fear. Even Dialga and Palkia flinched. Another mad cackle leapt out of Darkai's throat. "I never cease to be amazed by you humans. Arrogance is not a trait unique to your kind, but you certainly do it better than any other species. Do you not know who I am? I am the King of Nightmares! THIS IS MY REALM! Challenge me?! HA! You don't even know what you are saying!"

"Well," Lady Glacier said snarkily, "We beat Giratina in his realm. Or did you forget that as you were twirling your handlebar mustache and tying poor kits to train tracks?"

Pikablu grinned. "Knew there was a reason I liked her."

"Yeah! We'll beat you up and be home in time for lunch!" Mew declared triumphantly.

"Ooh! That sounds like a wonderful idea!" Celebi agreed enthusiastically.

"Original," Mewtwo sighed, "It's already dinner time."

"…can we get dessert then?"

Mewtwo did not bat an eyelash. "Only when Darkrai is defeated. Not that it will be difficult with our combined might."

"If we were still in that world, I would likely stand no chance. Cresselia would be immune to nightmares and we would constantly be striving for control of the dream," Darkrai admitted, "But here, as a result of the deal, she has no control. Even the fabric of reality is mine to command! Knowing this, do you still chose to challenge me?" Syoran nodded.

"We will all fight you," Palkia said, "Then, we will crush your little rebellion and send you and your followers where you belong."

Darkrai smiled triumphantly. "Then let the battle begin…"

An intense pain shot through my head and I fell to the floor of my cage, screaming and clutching at me skull. The room shook and crumbled away, turning into an empty plane. It stretched out into infinity with only blackness in the distance and overhead. The old floor melted away, transforming into mirror-smooth obsidian with only an oversized outline of a battle arena imprinted into it. Darkrai and I were on one side and everyone else was on the other. The pain subsided as the transformation finished and I rose cautiously.

"Hey! You! Tall, dark, and creepy!" I snapped, "What the heck was that?!" Darkrai ignored me. I wasn't sure if I was supposed to be happy or angry about this new attitude. "Hey! Listen! If you hurt one piece of fur on any of my friends, I will personally gut you like a…" He turned just enough to fix me with a piercing glare that not only made my mouth go dry with fear but completely drove the rest of the threat from my mind. I still can't recall what it was going to be today.

"Ah, but you are rather talkative all of the sudden, Spirit," he said. Okay, I made up my mind! I preferred it when he ignored me. It lessened the feeling of impending doom. "Your part in this tale is over. So please, sit down and shut up."

Cresselia had been released from her bindings when the wall had disappeared, so she now took the lead of the forces opposing Darkrai. "Everyone, charge him at once!" she instructed, "Do not give him the opportunity to speak! And do not falter! Fear is his only weapon!"

Darkrai snarled. "My only weapon? You gravely-"

"Now!" Cresselia ordered. It was an impressive sight, to be sure. Not everyone charged. Giratina remained behind, watching the battle impassively. Celebi happened to choose that moment to try and chase Mew, so neither of them attacked. Rio didn't move either, appearing to be in some sort of trance. And for that matter, Chase was kind of paralyzed with fear just from being in Darkrai's presence and his two Pokémon were not leaving his side. But still, Dialga and Palkia alone were enough to make anyone wet themselves when in full sprint, mustering their energies for some reality-shattering attacks. However, just before they reached him, a major lance of agony shot through my skull, blinding me with pure pain. I screamed again, loudly. When I next could open my eyes, a great maze had appeared in front and below of me and Darkrai, trapping all those who had charged within it. Don't ask me how, but I could easily see into it, though they couldn't see out of it. Additionally, space was distorted around it, for I could easily see Mew and Celebi on the other side, looking down at the maze in bewilderment, even though the structure had to be at least a mile across.

"-Underestimate me," Darkrai said, finishing his statement.

Pikablu cursed violently, prompting Syoran to cover Psi's ears. "Which way?" he demanded of nobody in particular.

"I can tel'port us!" Psi volunteered.

"Do it then!" Cresselia ordered. Darkrai leaned in, grinning. I realized what was going to happen just before it did.

"Psi!" I shouted, "Don't teleport! Don't teleport!"

Either they couldn't hear me or weren't listening, because they all disappeared in a flash. Instead of appearing all in one spot safely outside the maze, however, they were scattered randomly throughout it, isolated from each other. This time, Pikablu cursed for about a solid minute. Darkrai, however, was immensely pleased.

"And now," Darkrai said, "My favorite part of the game…"

Celebi and Mew exchanged worried looks. "Mew-kun," Celebi said, very seriously, "I think it's time we worked together."

"Promise not to chase me until this is over?" Mew asked. Celebi nodded. "Okay then!" They turned to face Darkrai.

"Hellooooo! Hey! Listen! Hey! Hey! Hey! Heeeeey! Listen!" Celebi called over in a very annoying high-pitched tone.

"WHAT?!" Darkrai yelled, "If you want to get to me, you will have to find your way through the maze. That is the only question you could possibly have that could be of any importance right now!"

"Actually, we wanted to know what your favorite flavor of pie was!" Mew shouted back, "I like peach!"

Mew quailed under Darkrai's withering glare. "I am going to mount your head on my wall when this is over," he threatened.

"Now that's just disgusting!" Celebi scolded, crossing her arms, "How could you ever dream of harming Mew-k…k…" Her bravery withered under Darkrai's power. Something changed in the evil specter at that moment. He'd been intimidating, to be sure. His confidence and arrogant behavior, not to mention raw power, had spoken volumes about how much chance he thought we had, but now he revealed another aspect of him. The air crackled with rage, a fury that sought to devour everything and make it a part of itself. To swallow the whole world. Suddenly, he was not just a mere powerful opponent, but once again the incarnation of every horror and terror you meet in a dream. His form swelled and grew taller, bulkier, and large enough to overshadow the whole maze and the cowering pair of Legends. I instinctively scrambled to the other side of my confines, but he was once again ignoring me.

"I see you do not take this seriously. In fact, I doubt that any of you do. You must think that because you are powerful and many that I am no real threat. Well, I admit, it was fun playing along, taunting you, goading your friends into action, acting the part of the overconfident, clichéd villain. But now, I am in deadly earnest." Darkrai's eye radiated an aura of sheer terror, causing the two diminutive legends to tremble and hug each other tightly in panic. "You will watch as I break your friends one by one. You will not be able to save them, and they will not be able to save you."

"Th-they'll find a way!" Mew declared bravely, "Y-your s-s-silly maze won't hold them l-long!"

A cruel smile crossed Darkrai's corpse-like face. "The maze is only the beginning. Observe!" Meanwhile, those trapped down below were trying to find a way out and only managing to get hopelessly lost. Darkrai's eye roved over them, seeking out a target. His eye fell on Dialga and Palkia, who were journeying down parallel corners. "Ah, the masters of space and time. A perfect test of my power. What do they fear, I wonder?"

I scoffed despite myself. It seemed ludicrous that the two embodiments of the very forces that upheld the universe could possibly be afraid of anything. "Good luck with that," I muttered.

He spared me a glance and a moment of attention. "I could almost be offended," he said, "But you shall see shortly. I suppose some thanks are in order. Originally, I had planned to merely turn you into my devotee. But I never could have predicted this! If you had given in, I would never have had this opportunity. So, I thank you."

With that he turned back to the maze. The two dragons were both angry, walking along and occasionally trying to blast part of the wall apart. However, nothing they did could so much as scratch the obsidian stone.

"Oh that won't work. In fact, nothing you do will. I am master of reality here, my dear friends." The two looked up sharply, glaring but not seeing past the boundaries of the maze. Darkrai sat back, resting his chin on one of his hands. "Out of curiosity, I must ask, how does it feel, hmm? To be powerless? Especially when you normally have so much power." He chuckled."Why, I could kill you right now with my bare hands! You're weak, pathetic, and useless now! After all, your power is what is most important to you. Take that away, and what are you?"

"Show yourself!" they roared in unison, "I'll show you how useless I am!"

"On the contrary, I will show you!" A mirror appeared in front of each of them and they froze, apparently stunned by what they saw. "Oh what's the matter? Can you not handle seeing the truth? Is the sight of what you truly are unbearable? Without your powers, you are nothing! You were mere puppets anyway, created by Arceus in order to better regulate the universe. You are not true beings at all! You are cogs in his machine and when those cogs lose their function, they belong in the scrap heap! True, I have only temporarily deprived you of your vaunted power. You will regain your powers when you wake up, but that will still not change what you are: Arceus' tools, ready to be used until they wear out and then replaced!"

The twin masters of space and time were frozen, staring at their respective mirrors in wide-eyed shock, confusion, and fear. "It…it can't be!" Dialga said hoarsely.

"This is impossible!" Palkia protested, "Arceus wouldn't let this be real."

"Oh but it is, and you know it. Deep down, you've always known it," Darkrai said smoothly. The two sank to the floor, staring unblinkingly at the mirrors in front of them.

Darkrai laughed wildly. "Two down," he said.

Suddenly, Giratina broke his silence. "This is a sham," he said, "Dialga and Palkia would never fall so easily, not even to words like that. I know. I fought them before."

Darkrai's smile was truly something to behold. It stretched sickeningly wide, cracking the skin on his face. "I agree," he said, "Were it not for the fact that, deep within them, they had already invented the fear. I did nothing but awaken what already lay sleeping inside." He paused. "Now…who should I do next? Any…suggestions?"

"Darkrai, I…I demand you stop!" Mew said, but there was no force behind his demands.

"A friend of yours, then, Mew," Darkrai said, "Or maybe…a brother?" Mew stiffened. "Oh? Does that…disturb you? Well maybe you should try and make your way through this maze and stop me." Mew hesitated, eyes searching the room for an alternative. "Not going to even try? Then let me begin my work."

He leaned over the maze and leered down at where Mewtwo was calmly walking along, not rushed, not concerned by anything. He was just single-mindedly making his way toward his goal: the way out. "Though…" he muttered aloud, "I would not put it past Darkrai to intentionally make sure there was no way out."

Darkrai laughed a deep-throated laugh that rose from inside his chest and cascaded out his gruesome mouth like a flooded waterfall. "Perceptive as always, Mewtwo," he said. A slight pause in Mewtwo's step was the only indication he had heard. "Oh don't be that way. Come, unleash the rage I know hides within you. I want to see it first-hand. Feel it tear my body to pieces. I want to know exactly how powerful is the world's most powerful Pokémon."

"I no longer claim that title," Mewtwo snapped.

"Is that so?" Darkrai's voice betrayed intense disappointment. "Well then, I suppose there is one title you still must claim. The world's most intelligent Pokémon?" Mewtwo did not respond, but that in and of itself was a response. "Then allow me to give you a challenge. If you can find your way out of this maze, I shall immediately surrender myself. Do we have a deal?"

"You already hinted that there is no way out," Mewtwo countered.

"Perhaps, or perhaps not. Or perhaps, you are just not intelligent enough to figure it out. Did I mention that Syoran, a human with nowhere near your mental capacity, has already made it out?" It was a lie, but that didn't stop Mewtwo from stiffening. "So start searching for a way out of this little puzzle, Mewtwo, or admit that you were defeated by a mere human boy."

Mewtwo stopped in his tracks, eyes narrowing. "I accept your challenge," he said, spitting out each syllable like a curse, "If there is a way out I will find it. Understand?"

"Don't listen to him, Twosie!" Mew called, but Mewtwo didn't hear him, only Darkrai.

"Oh," Darkrai crooned, "I understand perfectly." Then, to himself and to we who were not in the maze, he added, "But there is no way out. Not for you. You will drive yourself mad trying to find it, but the fear of not being good enough to beat my challenge will spur you on until you give up all hope. And it hasn't even been one second yet." He glanced up at Rio's statue-like form and grinned. "And what about you, my dear lucario. Who should be next?"

Rio did not respond. He didn't blink, he didn't move, he didn't even breathe. He was, in all respects, like a very realistic statue. Darkrai's smile faltered. "It appears your lucario friend is not fully asleep, Spirit, but he is of no consequence. What threat to me is one lucario?"

Chase chose that moment to speak up. "Y-you'd be surprised what us i-insignificant people can d-do."

"True," Darkrai mused, "But I am much more interested in what the significant people can do. Watch."

And so he proceeded to do the same sort of thing to each of the Legends in the maze. Ho-Oh fell to a gruesome retelling of the events leading up to the burning of her tower in Johto, the thing that had made her hate and distrust humans in the first place. The riots, the bloodshed, the full-on war. A pointless war which fueled only the ambition of two, old men, so-called kings. Darkrai whispered in her ear, telling her of all the things she could have done to stop the war and save all the lives that had been lost. He convinced her that it was because she did not act that these things happened and the weight of it crashed down on her like a rockslide, burying her under it as she collapsed to the ground.

By contrast, it was the present that defeated Lugia. All the bickering and squabbling. The abuse of Pokémon by humans. The injustice that runs through the world like the blood it spills on the ground. All the horrors of the modern age flashed before his eyes along with a single question: how can you defend a god who allows this to happen to his creation? Lugia paused, contemplating this and trying to give an answer, but Darkrai pressed him too fast and hard for him to create a coherent response and, in the end, his own tender heart couldn't withstand the horrors he was shown and he wept.

The future was the weapon Darkrai wielded against Xerneas. Her realm, he said with dark glee, was fading. It was being destroyed. The natural order would soon bow to the whims of the human race. All her power would be taken from her. She would be in chains, whether or not she actually was put into a Poke-ball. She would become a relic of a far-gone age, withered and old, any chance for freedom and honor long past as factories blotted out the sky and machines tore down the mountains and forests to fuel them, as humans tore the beautiful gems from the virgin earth, as they choked out the oceans with grime and muck. With a scream of horror and terror, the legendary deer took off running through the maze, not caring if she ever made it to the end or not.

"And now, the real fun begins," Darkrai said with his wicked grin spreading ever wider. "Cresselia, can you hear me?"

She didn't hesitate to respond, though her eyes stayed on the maze ahead. "I can hear you, monster."

"Dialga and Palkia both stand idly, realizing for the first time that they are nothing but machines made by Arceus in order to uphold the cosmos. Ho-Oh lies broken, reliving the events of ancient times and desperately seeking for a way to exonerate herself from blame. Lugia's mind is wrapped in grief for the world today, blocking out all other thoughts. Xerneas is incapacitated by the most insipid of fears: that of the future and what it holds for her. And Mewtwo wanders through the maze, desperately seeking a way out that will never appear to him. His intellect has failed him and when he realizes that fact, it will break him utterly. And I still have one minute and twenty-nine seconds. I'd say your chances of winning are looking pretty slim."

"I do not need the odds in my favor. It is my destiny to destroy you forever!" Cresselia declared.

"So you tell me. But then, consider this: can you stop me from destroying them? Will you reach me in time? I do not have to defeat you, only delay you." He grinned. "I'd start moving faster, my dear opposite. Your friend's lives depend on it."

Cresselia hesitated, then suddenly zoomed down the corridors of the maze, taking the turns way faster than was good for her health and colliding with the walls each time. She continued on, not heeding the pain of the hard walls against her fragile wings, desperate to save us from Darkrai's grasp. The dark wraith leaned backwards, satisfied with his work.

"Now all that's left is to finish up before she can make it out. She's failed to stop me before, but never with so much on the line! A failure of this magnitude will break her spirit forever!"

"You're evil!" Celebi shouted, "Just…evil!"

"Oh, what gave it away?" Darkrai said, voice dripping with spiteful sarcasm, "I suppose that is the best reaction you can come up with. You shelter yourself from the real world, hiding away in the forest. I suppose coming face to face with something like me would bewilder a naïve, pathetic creature like you. But I assure you, this is what the real world, the world outside of the protective bubbles you two live in, is like. It is cruel, pitiless, and merciless. Not for pretty, fragile things like you two. If it were up to me, I'd keep you too in a cage so that everyone could see you. You'd be kept safe and everyone else would be amused by your…antics."

Mew paled. "A cage? That would be awful!"

Darkrai leaned forward. "What would? Not being free? Not being allowed to do what you wanted? Don't you realize that's how Arceus treats you? He goes on and on about 'proper boundaries', allowing you both limited freedom, but the instant you step out he punishes you. It seems to me that you are already in a cage, but you don't even realize it! Admit it, you're Arceus' pets!"

"We are not pets!" Celebi retorted sharply.

"Arceus said he loves me and I believe him!" Mew added, crossing his arms and glaring. Darkrai's laughter caused him to falter, but he did not cower like he had before. An improvement, I supposed.

"But I digress!" Darkrai turned to me, a knowing smile on his face. "And now, Spirit, you have witnessed my power. So tell me, which of your friends shall be the first to fall? The bold, dauntless trainer of yours? He'd be almost too easy. His fear is losing one of you, his family. I don't even have to speak to him. Just conjure up an image, an image of you standing over the bloody corpses of the others with that smirk of yours." I growled hatefully. "Or maybe the child, Psi. A few monsters should do it. I see he's particularly scared of zombies. How delightful! Being chased through the halls by, say, an undead version of those he trusts…oh, I can already hear his screams!" I snarled and threw myself at the bars of the cage, but they held fast.

"You're sick, twisted, and vile!" I screamed, "Even if it was to save Rio, I'm still horrified that I had to make a deal with you!"

"But then again, I terrify children all the time. There is no real…thrill to it anymore. Perhaps…a better target. One that strike at you and Mew. So…" He grinned and leaned over the maze once again. "I believe it is Pikablu's turn."

The cloned electric mouse was running at a steady clip down the halls, taking whatever turn suited him, making sure he always kept moving. He didn't bother trying to figure out the maze, trusting to luck and persistence to show him the way. "Well, Pikablu, do you still want to punch me in the face?"

Pikablu faltered in his step, looking around wildly. When he realized that Darkrai wasn't exactly right there in the corridor with him, he continued his journey, albeit with more caution, scanning the area constantly for a sneak attack. "Course I do! Is that even a question?! Spirit took down Giratina, I don't want to be shown up!"

"I should have guessed as much. After all, you were your creators' pride and joy, the last prototype before they started on their ultimate clone." Pikablu's ears and tail stiffened, though he didn't stop running. "The last of Team Rocket's clones before they started on Mewtwo. That quaint little mansion on Cinnabar really was the birthplace of monsters, wasn't it? I bet you could defeat me all by yourself, just with the crushing weight of your own ego!"

"Oh, I'm sooo scared," Pikablu said mockingly with his usual smirk firmly in place, "Darkrai, who just challenged Arceus, is accusing me of being prideful! I'm practically shivering out of my fur. You know what? I give up. All hail Darkrai! May he find a bed made of ten-thousand red-hot needles and get pinned there by an anvil. Yeah, that's right: an anvil! Cartoon style! King of Nightmares destroyed by a stupid cartoon about a rattata and a liepard!* How do you like that idea, oh great and terrible one?"

"Vaguely insulting," Darkrai responded, "Besides, I much prefer real life chaos and mayhem. I suppose I have you to thank for some of that, am I right?"

Pikablu faltered slightly. "What are you…never mind, I don't want to know."

"Oh, but I think you already do," Darkrai said smugly, "I must say, you caused more destruction, ruined more families, and inspired more fear than the best of my acolytes."

"Shut up!" Pikablu snapped.

Darkrai just smiled and continued on. "How did it feel, 'Pikablu', when you kidnapped those children's Pokémon? Did it feel exhilarating? Did you do it to please your masters? To earn their respect and merit their attention? Or when you stole all those eggs from the Day-Care Center and left the guards lying in pools of their own blood? Did you feel anything at all? Were you numb the whole time? Numb to the tears, the cries of despair, the broken hearts, the wounds that not even time could heal? Did you even notice the pain you created, because it truly was a masterpiece! But it was all for the cause, wasn't it? The glory of Team Rocket."

Pikablu placed his forepaws over his ears and gritted his teeth. "I told you to shut up!" he hissed between clenched jaws.

"Admit it! You were the best of the best! Team Rocket's greatest agent! The one, the only…" A triumphant light blazed behind Darkrai's eye as he tipped Pikablu over the brink. "…Rocketchu."

At the sound of that name, Pikablu flipped out. I mean, I'd seen him downright furious before, but this was pure, primal rage. He screamed an incoherent curse, lightning coursing through his body and scorching the walls and floor of the maze. "I AM PIKABLU! ROCKETCHU IS DEAD! I AM NOT HIM ANY LONGER! COME DOWN HERE, DARKRAI! I'M GOING TO FRY YOU SO MUCH YOUR FACE MELTS OFF YOUR SKULL!"

"I think you made him mad, not afraid," I said mockingly, "He wants to kill you more now."

Darkrai laughed wildly in response and lifted a hand over the unfortunate mouse. A minor headache flared up right behind my eyes, but not enough to cause more than a grimace. Suddenly, the walls around Pikablu melted away, replaced with images of a giant cell block. Cries of pain and despair rose from it, the cries of countless humans and Pokémon, while black-clothed men and women moved back and forth from cell to cell, bloody bludgeons and whips held in their hands.

Pikablu's furious barrage of electricity came to an abrupt halt. He stumbled backwards, horrified. "NO!" he screamed, taking off down the hall in the opposite direction. My headache flared up and another scene appeared in front of him. A…dissection lab. Trash cans were everywhere, filled with corpses torn apart with surgical precision. Some were young, barely kits. Some hadn't even been ready to be born, twisted freaks made from bumbling experiments. A sob rose from Pikablu's throat as he skidded to a halt, backpedalling desperately. He turned down an adjacent hall, only to be greeted by a line of men in Team Rocket's uniform, cheering and saluting him.

"No, no, no! Stop it!" he screamed, "I hate you! I hate you! I hate you!" Electricity crackled through his fur. "NEVER AGAIN! I HATE, HATE, HATE YOU!" A brilliant bolt of white electricity leapt from his body and consumed the members of Team Rocket. But as the brilliance faded, it was a group of young trainers and their Pokémon, fried to a crisp. Pikablu took a sharp, horrified breath and tried once more to run, but he ran into something: the leg of an expensive, black suit. He slowly raised his eyes and saw a middle-aged man with slicked back hair and a red 'R' emblazoned on his breast pocket. Even I recognized this human and it filled me with dread.

"G-Giovanni…" Pikablu stammered, quivering before him. The man, however, smiled and reached down to pat Pikablu on the head. And then he said two words, two words which, even though they weren't directed at me, I will never forget.

"Good job."

Pikablu screamed in outright terror and collapsed onto the ground.

On the other side of the maze, Mew was crying. "Pikablu…no…" he said through tears, "Don't give in! Fight back! You always do… You're not like that anymore! You're my friend now. You save lives…please…don't give in…"

"Too late, and he can't hear you," Darkrai said, not a hint of remorse of pity in his voice. "Now who's next?"

Mew wiped the tears from his eyes and glared. "You…" he said, hate in his voice, "You…I will…" Celebi backed away from him warily. Suddenly, the anger disappeared, replaced by a slightly insane giggle. "You know, Darkrai, I happen to be a very powerful psychic. And we psychics, our specialty is manipulating minds. Guess where we happen to be right now?" He waited a second. "A MIND!" With that, he fell to the floor, laughing hysterically. Okay, now I was officially scared. If Mew really went crazy, then we were in for real trouble. He was pretty insane to begin with. Unhinged, he would be downright deadly.

Darkrai, however, was unimpressed. "Your point?"

Mew smiled at him. "I can easily manipulate reality here! Just as easily as you can! Watch!" He grinned widely. "Eat exploding pie, Darkrai!"

Nothing happened. After a few moments, we all realized nothing was happening and looked at Mew. "Why isn't that working?" the kitten-like Legend demanded.

Darkrai gave him a condescending smile. "You forgot something, Mew. This particular mind is filled with dark energy, both mine and Spirit's. You have no power over it. Now, tell me, who is next? Lady Glacier, the glaceon who is so afraid of being helpless that she became a tyrant in order to never feel that fear again? Or maybe Z, the enigmatic Zangoose. Who knows what goes on inside his head? Always so silent, so protective, content to stay in the background, never complaining, always sacrificing his own safety for that of others. Especially for a certain young lucario. Hmm, silent, in the background, and protective. Bodyguard, maybe? Perhaps 'Rio' reminds him of something, some failed duty. If so, he's gotten over it rather well, don't you think? Shall we put it to the test?"

I glared. "You harm them and I will…"

"Or perhaps," Darkrai continued on like I hadn't spoken, "A certain…Ninetales. Ah yes…her. Your one true love, love forged in the…fire of danger. You love her, don't you. You'd do anything to help her, wouldn't you?"

My body was literally trembling with rage. "Y-yes…" I spat through clenched teeth, "And I swear by all that is holy, I will do my utmost to destroy you if you harm her!"

"You should be careful with an oath like that," Darkrai said, "You might just be held to it." He stretched both hands over the maze again, reaching for where Nine walked, carefully watching every approach for any hidden danger. She was looking in the wrong place. The danger wasn't coming from outside her, but within. I was frozen, petrified, caught half-way between berserk rage and mind-numbing fear. Half of me wanted to scream and threaten and beat against the walls of the cage until I had Darkrai in my grasp, the other wanted to fall down sobbing, begging and pleading with him to spare them. Then, Darkrai began to speak.

"Greetings, my dear." Nine's head jerked up and she gasped in surprise. "It has been a long time since I had the opportunity to treat with a being of your lineage. The offspring of a true saint. I apologize for my earlier actions. I assure you, I meant you no ill will. It was those with you that I wished to defeat."

"In that case," Nine said, clearing her throat, "Show me the way out of this maze so we can talk face to face."

"Of course, forgive me," Darkrai said with a merry laugh, "Here you are!" I groaned as another headache lanced through my skull and a straight path formed before Nine. Seriously! Every time he…changed the…world around us…I got a headache. Hmm…I pondered that, racking my brain to try to figure out a way to use it to my advantage.

Nine hesitantly began walking down the path opened for her. "I must say," Darkrai said, "I admire your courage."

"We have no choice but to face and defeat you," Nine replied evenly, "Whether or not I actually have enough courage…well, I guess I'll find out at the end of this tunnel."

"I see, but that was not what I was referring to," Darkrai said, "I was more interested in your apparent love for Spirit. Do you really love him."

She smiled. "Of course. I actually admire him for dealing with you in order to save Rio. I wish he had told me about it of course, but…"

I wanted to scream at her to stop talking. I did scream at her, actually, but she didn't hear me. I figured she was trying to encourage me, but Darkrai had already shown that nothing he did was without a purpose.

"How noble! To love someone who will only live one-tenth as long as you!" Darkrai said, applauding her. Nine blinked in surprise. "Oh, didn't you think of that? He'll grow old and die when you are still, practically speaking, a child by your species standards. Your kind matures much, much earlier in their lifespans of course, but still, think of the long years ahead. First you will see him grow old, his body failing, his strength ebbing. Then, you will watch him die. But, unlike most who have the comfort of knowing they will join their loved ones in a under a decade or so, you will linger on, practically immortal, until even his bones crumble to dust. Until everyone you know crumbles to dust."

Nine stood stock-still, mind racing. She clearly hadn't given much thought to this. To be honest, neither had I. The thought was a little frightening for me to think about, but it was quickly pushed aside with the urgency of figuring out a way to stop Darkrai. I knew I got headaches when he changed things around, but what the heck was I supposed to do with that information?

On the other side of the maze, Chase was curled up into a ball, trying to ignore the situation around him. Not exactly an inspiring start for a new legend, but there was not much he could do. Eve stood guard over him, her glare daring Darkrai to try anything. Patch ran around them frantically, not doing anything productive. Mew was still staring at Darkrai, stunned after his failure with the pie. Celebi was hesitantly approaching him and Giratina just stood back, watching with disinterested eyes. Mew suddenly turned and rounded on him, scaring Celebi slightly.

"You could help, you know!" he snapped.

Giratina chuckled humorlessly. "A few minutes ago, I was your enemy and now you want my help? This is not my fight. I have no part in the fate of this world anymore." He paused. "Besides, this is just a dream. And dreams change at the whim of the dreamer. Therefore, I cannot help you."

At first, I was angry. I understood he might have been a bit bitter, but he should still at least try to help! Standing by and watching while Darkrai tortured everyone? How despicable! But then, I paused. Dreams change at the whim of the dreamer. Well, since we were inside my head, wouldn't that make me the dreamer? I chuckled. How simple the solution sometimes is! Darkrai glanced over at me, curiosity in his eyes. I grinned at him.

"Darkrai," I said, fighting down the inevitable wave of panic that swept over me whenever he turned his attention my way, "You have to be the sneakiest bastard I've ever met in my life. But there is one, crucial detail you overlooked."

He frowned at me, not worried, just annoyed. "And what would that be?"

"This is my head. We're all in my dream," I said, "Which means that in this instance…" With a thought, I shattered the cage, sending the splinters flying toward Darkrai. For kicks, I made them explode on impact, knocking him back a good ten feet. I grinned ferociously. "I am a power to be reckoned with."

*I personally love Tom and Jerry, so don't get any ideas from Pikablu calling it 'stupid'.