A Contender's Bonds

by Insane Dominator

Sequel to "The Fairy Contender". With the universe and Arceus saved, Nic can now enjoy his life in Fairy Tail and with Erza, but the adventures he's had are far from over. With Zeref and new threats on the rise, he and his Pokemon will learn that there was more to them than they had thought as they fight vicious battles, and learn more of their true power from within.

39. Colorful Prayers to Ghosts

Flying as silent as a Noctowl in the night, Nic flapped his Sky Form wings, twisting and turning with every tunnel that divided into another, and thus split into several directions that Nic had to travel through. From the earlier abrupt decline in Magic Power, he knew something was wrong.

'I don't sense anything. It's like all of the negative energy piling on suddenly vanished. Could that mean some of the Rivolta lost its ranks?' He thought with a serious front. Internally, he was in a fritz. With all of the chaotic energy in the atmosphere, it would've been next to impossible to detect the family nor anyone in his Meadow Form. The Impure Underworld was being very unkind to the nature energy as everything was either dead or dying. 'I need to find everyone, hurry!' He rushed on, flapping faster with every second counting down the precious time they all had left. 'Erza.'

---

Erza slashed one of her katana against Saboth's chest, but her attack merely bounced off and had her sliding backwards. She regained enough ground and footing to leap off towards the side and avoid another vertical swing of Saboth's blade, splitting the massive boulder in the way into halves.

Saboth turned towards Erza as she went for a jump. Overhead, she crashed down onto Saboth with her katana crossed. She slashed in an X-formation, but Saboth did not didge, rather she swung his sword like a bat. Upon the next interception, dark static met sparks, the airspace quaking as the Magic Power between the knight and the samurai were pushing against the other. However, with heavier momentum behind him, Saboth followed through with his swing, making Erza falter back down with a shout and thud painfully onto her back.

"Are you through? What feeble entertainment you turned out to be." Saboth taunted.

Erza opened an eye as she struggled to stand. 'His power just keeps growing. I couldn't get anywhere near a decent scratch on his armor in that last strike. He's even stronger than when we last fought.' Erza thought. 'Does his power truly increase as the battle rages on? Or is it some form of magic absorption? Either way I have to hurry and disarm him of that blade!'

She snapped back to reality in time to see Saboth overhead with his sword raised. Erza rolled off to the side in time to avoid the downward blow that cut into the ground. When she started to get up, she brought her foot around and requipped another katana, using her big and index toe to hold the hilt and swung a roundhouse, successfully cutting Saboth across his grizzled white cheek.

As the samurai recoiled from the sudden counterattack, Erza flipped to a stand again with both katana now on hand. Pivoting, she threw one of the swords like a spear, twirling and managing to knock the distraught samurai's blade out of the gauntlet, twirling backwards into the ground some ways away. With his guard down, he looked back at Erza, to receive a harsh shove by her free hand. The samurai shouted as he flew backwards into a nearby rock.

Erza adjusted her stance, glaring at Saboth. "Seems as though you've lagged a bit there." She berated.

The samurai said nothing back. He was fully conscious, but he was in shock from that abrupt stand. He slowly lifted his fingers towards his cheek, where he found liquid he craved so much dripping. While he loved seeing it shed, he disliked having his own shed. Yet another cold reality came when he turned to face his sword engraved into the ground. What he saw left him with heavy realization that piled on in a familiar form of a redhead that was ferocious and had a warrior's instinct developed, yet he was momentarily stood up.

Erza advanced unknowingly. "If I'm to end this Impure Underworld and see Nic…" She took and extra leap, springing faster than before. "I'll have to end you here!"

Saboth remained motionless as Erza advanced. He could feel her incredible Magic Power flourish into her sword. He became aware as to what was happening, and his shock turned into a smirk. "Interesting." He muttered.

Erza advanced with a loud cry.

"Interesting indeed."

She was meters away, time slowing down as her sword glowed pink from her magic poured into it.

Saboth's yellow eyes slowly shrunk. "Yes…yes…this is what I want. I…want…MORE!"

Erza swung forward, but when she was so close to making it, a brutal force came flying in from out of nowhere in a dark static projectile. The impact snapped her in the ribs, her eyes widening as the midair impact made her feel every none-crushing inch of dark energy paralyzing her nerves. The redhead gawked as she followed through with the tormenting impact, flying off to the side and tumble rolled across the ground to a harsh skid on her shoulder.

The pain she felt was extraordinary in her left ribs. She yelped in pain, eyes wide. As she gasped and gawked in extreme pain, the shocked redhead was paralyzed. 'He got me…but how? He didn't even use his sword.' Her brown eyes looked towards the direction where the sudden impact came from, her shock surmounting as she saw Saboth standing with a malicious smirk. Right beside him was Demon Karbia, floating off the ground and coated in dark static.

'That sword, it can't be. Telekinesis?' Erza thought.

"Fool." Saboth reached his arm out, the demonic sword shuddering in the air and flew back into his grip. Upon contact, static ran down the gauntlet, tickling him. "Are you not aware of Demon Karbia?" He began to slowly pace ahead towards Erza. "This sword is not a sword itself. It is my passion. My will…my everything. This sword is but a life of its own."

"A demonic sword…that has a will of its own?" Erza panted.

"This is Demon Karbia, the sword who bathes in blood. It dares not take weak-minded fools to a liking. Its thrill is what makes its power grow, the adrenaline when two warriors collide. A battle that makes his lust purge any need to hold any thought of mercy to a worthy adversary." His grip tightened. "And now look at what you've done." The ground began to shudder, black static beginning to boil all around, seeping through the cracks of the earth.

Erza remained stiff as her mind went blank from the sudden change in Magic Power. Her eyes palpitated in fright as she could barely move. 'This pressure…just what kind of strength does he possess? It's Magic Power is beyond the charts!'

Saboth moved both hands to grip the sword. "This sword trumps all. It is the sharp-edged devil that never sleeps. You can scratch it up all you want, that makes it more entertained." The blade began to create a death-like aura, a familiar theme Erza was all too familiar with. A great swell of black ions began to encompass the blade from the guard up, swirling like a helix.

"This move…!" Erza's eyes widened as a familiar chill went down her spine.

Saboth raised the sword overhead, the compressed helix now from the guard to the tip of the blade, huge masses of negative stored. "But when you knock Demon Karbia from my hand…you will suffer an eternity of deaths at the glorious expense of my blade! Deign Slay!"

He brought the sword down against the ground, an instantaneous impact erupting everywhere like an atomic explosion went off. Just as before, the horrendous linear black energy shattered and split the ground, exerting harsh shockwaves that smashed boulders apart. Everything shattered as the pitch-black attack was aimed for Erza. The redhead was last seen with widened eyes as a monstrous load of Magic Power grew closer. A dark eruption exerted everywhere, dark winds splattering everywhere. The landscape turned nearly upside down as every rock was turned over and possibly broken into tiny pieces.

As the dust cleared, Saboth showed some excitement as he saw the shattered trail lead up towards the end. "Hmm?" When he got a good picture, his shock was shown, with a hint of scowling, as the end trail was seen actually splitting the large hill that stood fifty feet tall, bisecting it completely. His frustration was seen as his teeth gritted. "Damn that fool. She hid away again, didn't she?" Being fooled a second time was not something he liked, but he knew that he caused significant damage from before. He looked around. "She hasn't gotten far. She's around here somewhere. If I find her corpse, I'll stab her face and skin her flesh off with every fiber of frustration I have." He declared darkly.

Hiding behind a few rock piles, Erza was leaning against the back of the loose gravel, panting as to catch her breath. She looked over her left shoulder, seeing Saboth turning his head left and right and trying to search for her. 'That was too close.' She thought as she tried catching her breath.

Her body had taken some deal of damage from Deign Slay unfortunately. While Erza was able to dodge at the last second, the indirect negative energy waves hit her like a wall. The shockwaves left her left arm and side as a whole grizzled, if not battered.

'His power just keeps increasing. And I still don't have power to pull out that Nakagami Armor. I don't even know how I was able to from the start. Damnit, what is it that I lack to suppress this demon? And after all of my training?!' She frantically thought as she needed a plan. '…wait, training.' Her eyes widened. 'My sword! Honedge!' She reached into her pocket, pulling out something clutched into her palm. She brought it closer to her face, inspecting it. Unlocking her fingers, it was revealed to be the Max Revive she had stored away. 'This is what Vanessa gave me awhile back. She said it can fully restore a single Pokémon. I don't have many options left, so this is what must be done!'

Saboth heard the sound of something being pulled out. He turned towards a direction and saw a glowing golden light, the light itself revealing Erza holding the Max Revive up to the Poke Ball as it began to manifest into energy and become golden sparkles that entered the button of the Poke Ball, restoring Honedge from inside.

"I found you!" Saboth raised his sword and slammed it like a hammer, sending a dark and swift shockwave that blazed across the ground and met the loose gravel. An explosion again sent everything flying, scattering dust in the area. The samurai smirked as he figured he got her, but remained subtle as a few seconds passed.

As dust raged, a powerful white light emerged, blinding him suddenly. "Grah!" He faltered back, just as Erza jumped out of the dust cloud with Honedge in hand with Slash. Erza swung Honedge diagonally downward, slashing Saboth across the chest. While it didn't leave a mark, it did make him slide back.

He looked back, seeing Erza standing a few feet away, confidence as she had Honedge out once more. "That sword again? Impossible." He growled.

Honedge's eye traced back to Erza. "Thank you, Erza." She thanked.

Erza nodded. "It's good to see you're alright." She grinned. "Now, I do believe we have unfinished business with this rapscallion."

Honedge looked back at Saboth, ready at her Trainer's words. "Absolutely."

"Tch, whatever you summon it matters not. My sword dares not fall to a puny mortal. Prove to me of your power!" Without any delay, Saboth raced after Erza, with the Requip Mage lunging after Saboth for the umpteenth time, this time with her Honedge yelling outwards for the fight to rage on.

---

Gengar floated above, snickering mockingly as he conjured yet another Shadow Ball at a steep angle. With great precision, the Ghost-type move was fired, and Magnezone barely had the space to slip off to the side to evade the attack that encompassed the ground in a heavy explosion.

"That was too close." He remarked cautiously.

"You think that was too close?" Gengar warned. Magnezone looked back up, Gengar coming down with yet another Shadow Punch. The Ghost-type move met its mark, the downward fist to Magnezone's head making him falter lower towards the ground.

The Electric and Steel-type regained balance and adjusted himself as Gengar lowered his own altitude, snickering.

"What's the matter? You're looking a little stiff. Is the cold air finally getting to that tin can body of yours?" Gengar taunted.

Magnezone grunted, unable to find a verbal response appropriate for the predicament.

"Heh, well here's your wake-up call then!" Gengar put his hands together, manifesting a jumbled mess of dark rings with purple outlining. The material was unleashed in a dark beam of rings that traveled across the airspace towards Magnezone. "Dark Pulse!" He shouted.

Reacting with haste, Magnezone began to manifest metallic energy around his body, the energy waves rippling towards his center in the form of an orb. "Mirror Shot!" He countered.

The two attacks met in the middle, a mixture of darkness and silver-white exploding in the ar. The infused explosion expanded outwards, kicking up dust and blinding Magnezone for a brief's moment. The living magnet opened one eye as the dust settled, revealing Gengar to be gone.

"What? He's gone!" Magnezone exclaimed.

"Boo."

Magnezone went wide-eyed as he jerked his body to angle down, staring at Gengar's face as he was perpendicular and his upper body out of the dark floor. The look on Magnezone's face made him chuckle.

"Man, you're such a riot. You're almost child's play." Gengar laughed. He disappeared yet again, this time into the shadows once more and leaving Magnezone clueless. Gengar's voice began to echo throughout the chamber. "We can keep this little game going for as long as we want, I don't mind. I got all the time in the world." He echoed. "Picking on wimps isn't my forte, but it's amusing to see their faces when they get spooked."

Magnezone looked back up, somewhat startled. "Who are you calling a wimp?" He called out.

"Why, you of course." Gengar slowly fazed out of the darkness of the wall far in front of Magnezone. "Who else would I be talking to? Myself? I'm not that psychotic."

Magnezone narrowed his glare. "Just what are you up to?"

"I can ask you the same question, wimp. When you think about it statistically, don't we have familiar Special Attack?" Gengar inquired, keeping the topic off course. "We balance the other out. You're a stubborn thing, but why isn't it that you've been giving it your all? Are you holding back deliberately?"

Magnezone took action and raised his magnets. "I take offense to such a distasteful accusation!" He denied.

Gengar raised a brow. "Distasteful? It's a cliché mock." When he picked up on what Magnezone was feeling, his malicious smirk intensified. "Oh, I get it now. It's because I was your former trainer's brother's Pokémon now, isn't it?"

Magnezone began to brighten his body in static.

"As I thought, you really are a wimp." Gengar huffed.

"Gengar, why are you doing this? What is your purpose with siding with the Rivolta? Please, I insist, let's stop this already." Magnezone said.

"And what exactly is that supposed to mean?" Gengar replied. "Stop what? This battle? The spell? You've gotta be a little more specific, pal."

"Enough of your foolish games!" Magnezone snapped. "You know exactly what I mean!"

Gengar floated in the air, staring at the Magnezone in front of him who lost its cool. The ghost frowned, looking bitter as Magnezone continued.

"You should come back to us. Return to the side that was once the one you fought on, the side that is meant to stop the spell, like it has before. Why waste yourself over someone who killed your Trainer? Your compulsion was misled, Gengar. Did you forget Alpha was the one who lead Vince to his death? Why are you persisting in following that fool? Tell me! Tell me so that I can understand and help-!"

Magnezone was cut off when another Dark Pulse was fired. Startled, he veered out of the way as the Dark-type move crashed into the ground, erupting rock everywhere. Magnezone came to a halt, stammering as he looked back from the crash towards Gengar. The look of seriousness on his face said it all. Gengar was unamused.

"You really should've kept that tin can mouth of yours shut." He exasperated. He was glaring at Magnezone with a death-like sentence, sending a chill through the inorganic lifeform's body. "I didn't ask for your help now, did I? I didn't ask for it, nor do I ever need it from the likes of some pin-headed twit who doesn't even know the first thing about Vince!" There was intense venom in his voice. He was mad. "Come back to what? Strife? Anguish in defeat? A repeat of all those years ago? I'm sorry, but I ain't falling for that hardy tale. I have a new purpose now, and I intend to stay by Alpha's command until the end of our existences."

Magnezone was looking more tense than before. "Gengar."

"I can poke you with your own stick. You are you siding with your Trainer's daughter? Wouldn't you have rather been better off somewhere else? Why stay with a familiarity that only hurts the guilt inside?"

"My convictions got nothing to do with this." Magnezone argued.

"Then why tell me how to live my life when I have made my own choices? When the purpose was gone, guess who was there. It was Alpha. If I have to forsake everything to follow him now, then so be it, but it won't matter if Mark, Laura, or the likes of their own pets mingle around, because they're dead to me, as I was to them." Gengar began to conjure yet another Shadow Ball. "This isn't about redemption, it's about purpose, and my purpose, is to take down this accursed family that stands against me and Alpha!"

He threw the Shadow Ball once more, only for Magnezone to apply a counter as fast as he could with Flash Cannon. Both Ghost and Steel-type attacks met their mark in the center, another silver-black explosion erupting. Shockwaves blew about with high wind velocity. Magnezone and Gengar both backed away, remaining in the air.

Magnezone's glare was as tense as Gengar's. "So, you follow Alpha now because of your purpose. And your purpose is to follow him like a lost Lillipup? You and I see things very differently, Gengar, but…" He ascended, getting above him quickly. "I won't quit!" In front of him, a Zap Cannon was being made. "My purpose is to seek repentance. Even though I have hence forgiven my Trainers for their crimes, I must still repent for my crimes. If you're a crime, then I shall repent for you!"

Gengar infused into the shadows just as the menacing Electric-type move went flying after him. The attack exploded against the earth, sending eruptions of static and lightning in all directions. Magnezone remained stable in the air as he looked down at the dissipating electricity, seeing as how Gengar got away by the shadows yet again. Magnezone looked up, seeing Gengar popping his head upside down from the ceiling, his malicious smirk appearing on his face once more.

"You sure do talk big for someone who isn't going all out. Fine, let's continue playing some more…brother." Gengar said.

"B-brother?" Magnezone stammered.

"Why the face? Our Trainers were brother-in-laws, right? So, wouldn't you find it fitting that as their Pokémon, we call ourselves brothers?" Gengar pointed out. "After all, if this is a family feud…then naturally it'd be hard to press matters onto a brother who you find 'struggling', right?"

Magnezone's eye narrowed. "What makes you think that after everything that's happened, that I would call you something that you're not?"

Gengar snickered while still upside down. "So serious. Good…then this is going to be more fun for me, brother."

---

Kecleon went to get closer as Mariah stood completely still. The Color Swap Pokémon jumped onto a crystalized formation for higher attack altitude, and then came down with Slash. Mariah stayed completely still, closing her eyes.

By this time, Kecleon was certain to have Mariah figured out. While Mariah was not a close-range fighter, her long-range tactics and usage of crystalizing the atmosphere gives her a solid defense. If she could crystalize anything, including the air, invisibility was out of the question, and using her sticky tongue if vulnerable would crystalize it solid. In all honesty, Kecleon found herself at a disadvantage, but kept on fighting.

"Slash!"

Kecleon passed Mariah as she made no attempt to dodge. She posed behind as the Crystal Mage shattered to pieces, exploding to a million little fragments of pink crystal, much to Kecleon's shock. 'A crystal clone?' She thought.

"You are very adept to analyzing my attacks. Clearly you are not as profound to simple as I sought you were." In the distance Mariah stood, still adorned in her cloak and unscathed by her opponent's assault. She remained passive and calm as her body shimmered like glass for a moment before solidifying. "I praise you well for upholding such a high and proficient montage of attack combinations, little one, but the inevitable is always constant. What's inevitable here, is that my crystals will find a way to you, one way or another."

She extended her arm out, her finger stretched out. "Brush Comet!" Suddenly the shattered crystal clone pieces behind Kecleon remained stationary in midair before they started to swirl and expand out like a twister of little rocks. To counter, Kecleon looked towards the ground for answers, seeing crystal layered everywhere still. Using her raw strength, she axe kicked the ground, scraping up two solid chunks of pink crystal and used her toe claws to grip them. Turning to a handstand, she pivoted and spiraled in place, moving the tow sheets of crystal around and blocking the tempest.

When the attack subsided, Kecleon swung her legs around then beneath, flicking one of the dense sheets at Mariah. The sheet was dodged as Mariah shifted left, allowing the projectile to hit the crystalized wall. Kecleon regained her footing while still holding the one sheet of crystal on her toe claws.

Mariah extended her fingers out, unleashing a pulsing wind similar to Fairy Wind, the particles crystalizing and making way towards Kecleon. Kecleon lifted the sheet with her toe claws and it acted as a shield, taking scattered particle pieces and defending them against her.

'So, she's using my own crystals as defense. A clever tactic for her, she's smart.' Mariah pondered, adjusting her stance. 'However…'

Kecleon readied for her next attack, but as luck would have it, her reflexes kicked in. She sensed a strong swell of power coming from the sheet she had on her toes. Pivoting and kicking, she sent the sheet into the air, where as it twirled, the pink crystal rapidly expanded into a large mass of spiked crystals, which then shattered and became pink specks in the wind.

Kecleon back flipped away, maintaining a distance from the sudden change in dynamics. 'I saw that, but just at the last moment. She used her Magic Power to make the particles on the crystal sheet I used to defend to rapidly expand. Like dough when it's heated.' She looked down at herself, also the ground. 'If it isn't just the particles she sends out, then she can very well turn the atmosphere and ground into crystal, even if there was a base to begin with. When she also attacks, her attacks manifest close to her, possibly where the concentration of crystal is at its greatest.' Her head tilted. "You are very confusing." She said.

"As are you." Mariah commented. "But what is it that you really know about me? Rather…what do you know about yourself?"

Kecleon tilted her head. "I am a Kecleon. And I have many colors." She answered.

A moment passed before Mariah's stare finally succumbed to tiredness. She had eyelids half open. "That was a rhetorical question." She said tiredly. "…but, since you did bring up a point, it makes fallible sense."

Kecleon's head tilted back up. "The operator for this phone is pending."

"Tell me, do you know why my crystals are pink?" Mariah asked. She turned away, staring off into space. "Are you aware that crystals come in a variety of colors, yet mine are primarily pink? Pink is a mix of two colors; two of which were once separate entities. The purest entity of them all, the color of light and refinement. White. White is a simple yet complete color. It is the good side, the side that is of no fault." She began to flashback to when she was a small child in an orphanage, whereas all the other kids played and got along, yet the smaller Mariah was by the window, painting a canvas completely white. She didn't look in the least bit dissatisfied. "It is a color of innocence, where all seems right. However, red is another color. Red is…" All of the simple days she's spent in the orphanage went up in flames, literally. The orphanage where she resided was burning to the ground by Alpha and Gengar as they were scouring the lands residing near the isles. She could still remember the children screaming in anguish as fires engulfed them, their blood staining the ground, including Mariah's face and canvas. She looked so scared, but at the same time wasn't moving. Her white canvas was forever stained in splattered red, burning along with the building and town. "…a very powerful color. It resembles heat, passion, flare for one's ambitions. It is a color of fire that burns intensely…but, fire also burns. Red may have passion, but it more than exemplifies passion. It exerts the color of blood. As fire burns, blood spills. The color red is of anguish and turmoil, confliction that spills its color around…like a drop of blood."

Kecleon remained silent as her opponent continued to speak.

"White is a pure color, but it is also sensitive. When the anguish of red spills into it, the white is no longer pure. It is stained. It is ruined. And nothing will ever be white again." She remembered to when she developed Crystal Magic as Alpha guided her off. The eleven-year-old girl was emotionless, as she was in the orphanage that night. Years later, the color was still pink. "What the colors are matters not, but their own mixtures that taint the existence of another color. To many who wander, life is short and but a gray cloud." Her eyes closed once more. "But gray is a color made from two others. White, of purity, and then the color that swamps all. There is no color with greater power than it. Red itself is hopeless against…" Her eyes opened back up. "Black. The color of death." Around her, the crystal began to quake. The cracks began to glow a crimson color. "This is the cold reality that I have realized. Nothing is pure! The world will never be, neither is a soul or fragment of nature! Black takes everything and darkens it! And now, you too will be encompassed in black!"

Kecleon noticed the Magic Power change has happened. The Color Swap Pokémon began to grow worrisome as this pressure change had begun to affect her. Her legs began to feel weak, and her energy was starting to decline. It was like darkness was spouting all around her, acting like a Leech Life. Her beady eyes stared at the wall behind Mariah, seeing the crystal wall cracking.

"…dark colors, disgustingness has increased." Kecleon said wearily.

The wall was suddenly stabbed with black crystals prodding outwards. The crystals were large, like a sideways Stone Edge. Mariah looked more than a little hostile as she glared at Kecleon.

"Black Crystal Arts: Gaia Mayhem!"

The four black crystals all extended their reach and went speeding after Kecleon like thing spikes. At the last second, Kecleon dodged, not wishing to take chances as the elongated black crystals prodded into the ground, sending shattered pink crystal everywhere. The fragments of pink became black slowly. Kecleon stared with surprise. 'They did a scene change.'

Mariah raised her arms, looking somewhat intimidating. "This is the Black Arts that transcends to crystal. The color of death washes over everything it touches." She informed. "Everything turns to black eventually, one's life has black in it, no matter how pure white it may seem. Nic, the Pularis family that has been around, its colors are black as death. They were that very color. And yet they intend to brighten things up!" She swiped her arm across, sending a crescent of black crystal that traveled across the ground. The crevice embedded into the earth was dark as an abyss. Kecleon dodged by veering left, evading as the crystal crescent met the wall nearby, scattering black crystal everywhere. Mariah continued to swipe her arm in a slow yet long arch, this time making black crystal pillars shoot up from below like Stone Edge. As Kecleon raced across the ground, her little feet were swifter than ninja. She constantly shifted, avoiding the ever-growing crystals that wanted to stab her from below.

"You're only delaying the inevitable. The Impure Underworld shall make the world see its truest color, as black as the dark side of the moon. It is forever there. Infinite. And thus, you too shall see black."

Kecleon's beady eyes widened as she caught the sensation beneath. Just as the ground shattered, she jumped and shot upwards, evading the black crystal that tried to stab her. She used the pink crystals that were sent flying as footholds and jumped upwards constantly, getting further away from the ground.

As Kecleon found herself high above the ground, Mariah did an intricate hand sign, where middle and ring fingers were curled inwards while the thumb, index, and smaller fingers connected like drawbridges. "Black Crystal Flying Ryu!"

Shooting out of the ground beneath were three very large serpentine black crystal dragons with yellow eyes. They arched up in perfect formation, attacking Kecleon head on.

'She made me fly on purpose!' Kecleon looked up towards the ceiling, noticing that the pink crystal layer was several feet above her head. Taking evasive action, Kecleon swiftly opened her mouth and used her long sticky tongue to extend out. The tip coiled around stalactite, allowing Kecleon momentum that she used to reel herself up, successfully dodging the three dragons that rammed into each other head on. Small fragments of black crystal spread everywhere, but Kecleon was well out of range as she dug her claws into the ceiling crystal spike.

"She's avoided using her tongue than means of invisibility. Clever." Mariah admitted.

Kecleon stared down at her, trying to ponder in her awkward and exotic mind. 'What doors does she have that I can't find keys to? Must I go through the window? But what if the door has no window?' She began to think back to the start of the battle, where she began to formulate a plan. Her opponent turned to crystal, and she turned everything else into crystal; Kecleon didn't have much experience in terms of crystal, especially with how Carbink had Clear Body so her Screech wouldn't be of my help at all other than break other forms of crystal around the Carbink. That's when it hit Kecleon. 'Wait…' She thought back to when she used Screech before. 'Okay then, I'll pick this lock to her door.'

The pressure in the atmosphere shifted yet again, the battle's intense climax at last reaching a peak. Mariah glared at Kecleon with an unemotional gaze plastered on her face. Her demeanor was back to being calm. "Are you ready to accept the color of death? Maybe I'll had to persist you."

Kecleon pried her claws from the crystal spike just as a sharper pink spike expanded from it. She began to fall, where Mariah summoned black crystal geysers that shot up at Kecleon.

Kecleon faced the incoming geyser of black crystal and her mouth glowed orange. "Screech!" She exerted red soundwaves that rippled out from her mouth, reaching the pillars and expanding all the way out towards the area encompassing them. Mariah covered up, the Defense-lowering attack getting to her ears. The black crystal pillar beneath Kecleon began to crack up, eventually breaking apart, shattering like glass.

"The crystal…!" Mariah uncovered her ears, just as Kecleon landed and stopped her attack, the intense soundwaves produced lowering her momentum to a safe falling speed.

Kecleon faced her, darting ahead with blinding speed. As she maneuvered, she became invisible once more, her red zigzag still there. She opened her mouth once more, following with yet another high-pitched Screech.

Mariah swiped her arm forward, summoning another black crystal prolonged spear that shot from behind her. The dense and long spear of black went into the soundwaves, but upon reaching the Screech, the intense soundwaves made the spell shudder, the pink flooring also giving in and cracking apart. The spear shattered once again, the invisible Kecleon shrieking as Screech continued to produce high frequency soundwaves. Mariah covered her ears, grunting in searing pain. As she winced from the intense soundwaves piercing her ears, her eyes began to dilate, her arms and her cheeks beginning to crack up.

Kecleon's Screech eventually stopped, but Mariah wasn't taking chances. She lashed her cloaked arms around, summoning and funnel of black crystal that eventually surrounded her until it was a dome of black.

Kecleon stopped outside, turning visible as she glanced at the dome of sheer defense. "She put up another door…"

Inside, Mariah was surrounded in darkness. "This is the Dome of Dark Jade. Attack it physically if you'd like, but know that you shall be covered in dark crystal."

A short silence fell upon her. It was quiet, too quiet to be more or less accurate. She got no sound from outside, which began to unnerve her.

"What is she doing? Why isn't she attacking?" Mariah pondered quietly. "Has she conceded? Or rather-!"

She was cut off when the dark flooring shot a black shadow beneath, striking her abdomen. The intense impact was so powerful that Mariah could feel her insides shatter. Her eyes were wide, her shock surmounting as the shadow extended upwards, until she shot straight through the dome ceiling in a sharp angle into the wall, smashing into the weakened crystal and gasping in shock. She faltered towards the ground, grunting as her abdomen and body was covered in cracks.

"B-but…how…?" Mariah looked up, seeing her crystal dome shattering like glass and falling towards the ground. As the specks slowly showered down onto the cracked pink earth, Kecleon slumped ahead, walking forward steadily and tilting her head.

"Crystal is like rock, but it is like glass too. It is fragile, like ice." Kecleon pointed out. "Screech is pitchy, and thus it shatters like glass when the pitch is too much. Defense goes down." She straightened her head. "And you can't get away after you use black crystals." She recalled as to how she made crystal clones, but they were all pink. "Your structure becomes the same color and property of the crystal used. You can't change into a clone…a dark outlook is bad for your health."

Mariah winced, unable to move. 'She…she figured it out?' Mariah tried her best to stand. "N-no. I can't give up yet. For the sake of the spell, and what I can persevere left. I refuse to lose."

Kecleon dashed ahead, her claws elongating and brightening. "Your true colors are splattered! Your art is but gray voids themselves! Slash!"

Kecleon closed the gap almost instantly, time slowing down as she had her right claw brought back and her posture set. Slowly, Slash was brought forward towards Mariah, but the Crystal Mage was smirking.

"Hm…"

A stab sound was made as everything for Kecleon had turned black that very moment. The chameleon-like creature's vision returned in a blurry manner, her beady eyes dilating as she felt a cold chill running up and down her body. "Wha…chilly…?"

"You've misplaced the judgment of the situation." Mariah said.

Kecleon looked down, her eyes widening in shock. Her green skin almost paled as she saw that Mariah's abdomen had a black spike protruding from it, connecting all the way to Kecleon's belly, stabbing her.

The Color Swap Pokémon backed up, another bolt of pain exerting from her. She Began to feel cold circulating into her veins, her body growing numb quickly. It wasn't just a typical paralysis, but something on a much grander scale, one that disturbed her greatly. The black spot that was now a layer of black crystal rapidly began to grow on her body.

"Black, it's…making me heavy…" Kecleon looked towards Mariah for an answer, the Crystal Mage staring with an unemotional gaze.

"Your fate is sealed, lizard. This is the potential of the Black Crystal Arts. Any and all who are touched by it cannot escape. It will slowly start at a superficial level, and then works through your cells, turning them to solid crystal. Once it reaches your heart…it's the end of the line for you."

Kecleon's eyes widened.

"You may have discovered my weakness to frequencies, but even your soundwaves cannot penetrate the black crystal when it gets to your throat." Mariah finished. Her eyes narrowed. "Worthy as you were, this is the end of the line for you."

Kecleon's body grew weak, getting herself to a knee and grunting in agonizing pain. The black crystal began to spread all over her body like a swift virus. She grunted in agony, her weird little mind going nuts. 'The leaves on my trees…they're withering away…I can't make them bloom. The season is too great. Nature is formidable…' The crystal grew until it began to encompass her figure and eyes, trapping her as though she was within stone. Before she knew it, her hopes were swept away as the crystal fully engulfed her body, trapping her beneath a sheet of black crystal.

Mariah stood at the large black crystal the harsh edging, encompassing her foe inside. This was the fate she always sought the world to realize. Black takes over everything eventually, death succumbing life, with nothing left but for a shattered existence. That's what Mariah saw. "I will give your regards to your Trainer if I happen to come by him." She turned on her heels and walked off, no remorse for the fate she had put Kecleon in.

Inside, Kecleon was paralyzed, unable to move. She was in crystal, and it felt as though it was burning away at her skin, but in the case she was in now, it was merely the fact that the crystal was getting to her skin, literally.

'Darkness is getting under skin. If I had thicker bark on my tree and sturdier roots, I'd…' She could feel her numbness enhance, her eyes wincing in pain. 'Nic…'

---

As Nic traveled down the corridor, something in him began to hurt. His eyes widened, surprise mounting on his shoulders. He stopped for a moment, his momentum gone as he could feel a small pain and emptiness beginning to grow inside. 'What was that just now?' He thought. He could've sworn his heart plopped into his stomach, the sickening intensity increasing. 'Did I hear Kecleon just call out my name?' He looked towards the sensation's source, his face looking pale. "Kecleon."

---

As hope was dying on the chameleon as crystal began to eat at her cells, she began to recollect some vivid memory. For some reason, her body's temperature stopped dropping.

Route 6, the very same route where one could capture a Honedge. The grass was tall, very tall, and all the Pokémon were living their lives in the grass as shelter from others. Espurr, Sentret, and Oddish were aboveground.

Kecleon's species could only be found in Route 6, and their chances are very slim. Add in the fact that they turn invisible makes the case all the more impossible to stomach for a Trainer to put up searching for.

Other Kecleon were busy doing whatever they had to do, while the Kecleon in particular was standing at the base of one of the Berry Trees at the base of a hill. It was a female Kecleon, and she tilted her head, looking at the berry from another angle.

The way her head always tilted, made the other Pokémon gathered around the tree feel awkward. She opened her mouth, lunging her long tongue up and getting a piece of fruit. With a quick yank, it fell down and into Kecleon's mouth, another lunch to settle into her.

"(The tank must add more fuel.)" She said.

"(What the heck is wrong with her?)" A Nincada asked.

"(She's weird.)" An Espurr pointed out.

Kecleon got this a lot. No wonder everyone didn't feel comfortable around her. Her wording and creepy monotone voice wasn't helping. She couldn't help it, it was just how she communicated. Even after hatching from an egg, she was always the odd one. It was never fair to her, but she couldn't do a thing about it.

"(Hey, freak show.)" Kecleon turned around, facing a grumpy-looking Nincada. "(Whatever your beef is, are you done? Because you're in my way.)"

Kecleon simply tilted her head in another direction. "(Glaciers melt too quick if the sun gets hot.)"

"(Grrr…just move it!)" Nincada swiped his arm, using a Scratch attack. Kecleon evaded by leaping towards the left, but then her momentum was lost and she ended up tumbling down the hill's steep side. As Kecleon rolled off, Nincada nodded with a huff. "(Serves it right.)"

"(Ow! Eeeh! Ah!)" Kecleon regularly tumbled, sliding down the hill until she ended up on the far incline of Route 6, near the northern hills to be more accurate. She grunted in pain, feeling dizzy with spirals for eyes.

"(Round and round my brain goes…)" She groaned. Once she was back up to speed, she shook her head and blinked, trying to get a sense of where she was at. While she knew she was on Route 6 still – obviously – tall grass always made it hard for her to understand where she was.

"What's the meaning of this?!"

She heard a masculine voice, her eyes widening and her invisibility activated, leaving her red stripe open. She looked up at the hill behind her, staring beyond the bushes and at the huge estate that seemed to be as expansive as anything that's been relevant. With herself cloaked, she stared at the gates that were far off in the distance, seeing a 15-year-old boy with sunglasses and sleeveless coat being pushed out of the gates.

The butler in charge guided Nic from behind. "Sir, you must depart, the owner's orders." He said.

Nic was shoved out of the gates, looking back at the butler. "Didn't you hear what I said? I don't care! We need that Poke Flute if we wanna rid of that Snorlax!" He insisted.

"Not our problem. If you wish to apologize for saying his Furfrou looks unhappy, then we can arrange for that…plus a doubled fee." The butler said.

Nic's eyes narrowed. "This is a public museum. You can't do this, it's unethical."

"Good day." The butler closed the gates on Nic, the railing slamming in front of his face.

Nic stared out at the gates, his furrowed brows showing his intense irritation. He had hands to his hips, his foot tapping the ground. "Prissy ignorance slob. Two-faced primidone." He cursed beneath his breath. He hated the rich so much, and although inexperienced at the time of not even a couple months, he's already met plenty of people and Pokémon, and won hundreds of battles so far. His Frogadier – which evolved just recently from Froakie – and Charmander have won a good share of battles thanks to Nic's training, which was still growing for them. People like the owner inside Parfum Palace, those were the kinds that he wanted to punch in the face. They had no value and only cared about money and glory. Nic could've told that the Furfrou inside was unhappy and spoiled, and even when he spoke up, he was thrown out, leading to now.

Nic glared up at the palace. "You wanna play hard ball, fine."

Kecleon tilted her head, looking suspiciously at Nic. "Huh-?!" She slipped, causing her to fall back into the tall grass.

Nic's eyes widened upon hearing rustling sounds. "What?" Wondrous, he walked away from the palace gates, now intrigued by that loud thud pass the bushes. He looked tense. "Who's there?" He called out, but got no answer. He peered over the hill ledge and bushes that bordered the hills of Route 6 and Parfum Palace. He saw nothing, but his eyes narrowed beneath his sunglasses, leering at something running away.

"Hold it!" Taking a big leap, he flew several feet into Route 6, jumping nearly ten feet from the inclined hill down into the tall grass.

As the invisible Kecleon tried to evade, Nic abruptly ended up in front of her, making her shriek in shock. The Kecleon lost her focus, showing her true colors, literally.

Nic's eyes widened, seeing as how it wasn't a person. "A…Pokémon?"

Kecleon blinked, tilting her head. "(A human…)"

Nic tilted his head, following Kecleon's head turning. He pulled out his PokeDex and analyzed the Normal-type.

"Kecleon, the Color Swap Pokémon. It can freely change its body's color. The zigzag pattern on its belly doesn't change, however." The PokeDex announced.

Nic looked back down at Kecleon, perplexed. "A Pokémon that changes color…?"

Kecleon began to fade away back to invisible, her red stripe fixed, just as the holographic device announced, much to Nic's surprise.

"Wow…!" He stared at the red stripe as it began to slowly walk backwards. "It's alright, I have no quarrel with you…for now." He enforced. He looked back up at the hill, looking peeved. "Right now I have bigger problems to deal with."

"(Bigger Magikarp to catch than me?)" Kecleon tilted her head again.

Nic looked back at the red stripe in the distance. "No offense to you, sincerely."

Kecleon stopped backtracking, blinking. '(He…decoded my encoding?)'

Nic began to walk off towards the incline of the hill. "While would love to battle, I'm afraid I have to go and teach someone some manners…as in my standpoint, he gets Fs all around."

Kecleon's eyes widened in shock. She never heard someone speak somewhat like her. And she understood!

As Nic began to walk up the hill, the invisible Kecleon slowly leered at Nic as he went on his way, staring up with eyes wide.

…

The owner stood in front of Nic and Frogadier, guards behind him and looking peeved. "Aha! I caught you!"

Nic and Frogadier clutched their fists, standing in front of the glass casing with the Poke Flute in one of the lavish rooms in the palace.

"You're coming into custody." The owner said.

"I defy everything you say." Nic bluntly said. "You don't understand. A Snorlax is blocking the road, and that road connects patrons and everyone else to-"

"Not our problem." The owner cut him off. "Everything here belongs to me. My elegant Furfrou here, he's just the best…and you mocked him." He growled.

Furfrou rolled his eyes, groaning.

Nic spread his legs, looking to fight. "Then it looks like we have no choice. Ready, Frogadier?"

Frogadier got a battle stance ready. "(As I always am!)"

The owner extended his arm out. "Apprehend this naïve fool at once!" He demanded. "Let the police know that my property has been stolen!"

At that instant, the guards ran for Nic and Frogadier. Nic and Frogadier trained for this, as they intended themselves to. There were only a few guards, but they both had strength. Nic took care of two, while Frogadier took care of two more with a Quick Attack. As men went flying, Nic threw a guy with all his might, hitting another guy, and swiftly turned around and elbowed a guy in his face.

Quickly, the battle was a distraction, while the casing began to remove itself unexpectedly.

The owner's face grew shocked. "Wha…what's happening? Why are you defying authority?!" He shouted.

Nic punched down another guard, with Frogadier at his back. They both glared at the owner and the butler beside him. "You wouldn't understand." He murmured. His glare hardened, sending a chill down the owner's spine. "Like I said, Camphrier Town is depending on me, and no matter who I am up against, police, you, or anyone, you won't stand in my way."

The owner was losing patience, he wanted to get Nic out of his sight. "You…! Yoou~…!" His face turned red, his anger spiking.

The butler adjusted his glasses, seeing something off. "Master!"

"What?!" The owner exclaimed. His eyes widened as Furfrou barked, seeing the spot behind Nic and Frogadier. The Poke Flute was missing. "The…the Poke Flute! It's gone!"

"What?" Nic looked behind, seeing that it was missing.

Furfrou began to bark.

"What now, my adorable Furfrou?!" The owner exclaimed. "Can't you see that I'm-!" Suddenly he was raked across the face by an invisible pair of claws. He recoiled in pain. "GAH!"

The butler looked baffled. "Master! Are you-!" A long visible tongue with a flute at the end conked his head, making him fall backwards.

Furfrou shuddered, not understanding what was going on. He saw a tongue, and now Nic and everyone was going crazy. "(I-I'm getting out of here!)" The Normal-type went running off, scurrying away.

Nic and Frogadier faced the tongue dangling the flute above. Nic's eyes narrowed. "Is that…?"

The Kecleon flickered, revealing herself for a moment's notice. "(The pine tree has its pinecones!)" She happily announced.

Nic's eyes widened. "It is Kecleon!"

Footsteps could be heard, and running towards Kecleon was the owner. The Normal-type looked over, seeing him reach for the flute stuck in the air. "Gngh! Give that back! It's not yours!" He shouted.

"Neither to you." Nic pointed out. He began to take strides towards the owner, who was beginning to lose it. "You stole that important piece of music from someone who has more appreciation and free spirit than what your Furfrou will ever have. You are a selfish snob."

Flustered and nowhere to go, the owner made a last-ditch attempt and sprung after Nic and Frogadier. "Get out of here!" He shouted. He punched forward, Nic leaning right without much effort.

Nic clutched a fist. "Sorry, but you need to understand." With a left hook, he socked the owner across the face, knocking him down and out cold.

"(We're in big trouble.)" Frogadier pointed out, looking at the owner and the guards.

"(Even decayed Rawst Berries can be used for juice.)" Kecleon said.

Frogadier blinked as he stared at Kecleon, simultaneously, both tilted their heads; Frogadier more along the lines of wonder.

"(…uh, yeah. They'll appeal to reason, I hope.)" The Water-type said.

Nic looked down at Frogadier and Kecleon. "I think we've gone a little overboard, but we at least got the Poke Flute…" He looked around, inspecting the damage. "Explaining this will have to take place in Camphrier Town I'm afraid." He then watched as Kecleon began to head towards the window leading outside. "Kecleon?"

Kecleon held onto the flute as she went towards the ledge. When she began to pick up pace, she took a big leap. "(I'VE NEVER FELT SO ALIVE!)" She descended, much to Nic and Frogadier's shock.

Both shrieked and went towards the edge, eyes wide as they looked down at what happened to Kecleon. She had thankfully landed on one of the bushes planted outside, her sticky tongue still on the flute. She laid on her back against the bushy shrub, sighing with a carefree and creepy composure as her head was turned towards the side.

"(This mattress is a little itchy.)" She said.

Nic and Frogadier looked at each other, blinking once and looking back at Kecleon. As they did, they saw how she looked enthusiastic. They both smiled, along with Kecleon down below.

Eventually police arrived, and of course Nic got in some serious trouble, but Camphrier Town and the karate man's case overruled anything the owner implored. While there wasn't property damage, the owner was still outraged, but he was overruled and Nic got the Poke Flute, at the expense of Camphrier Town observing Snorlax waking up at the karate man's music and attack. As shocking as it was, Kecleon battled beside Nic rather than Frogadier or Charmander, much to Nic's own shock included. Miraculously, they took down Snorlax and drove it back into the mountains, and it was only after the battle that Nic, Frogadier, and Charmander unanimously agreed that Kecleon was more than welcomed with open arms.

For some reason, Kecleon began to grin, the warmth in her body returning. Her body began to give off some altered energy relevant to the color turquoise.

---

Mariah continued to walk away, but behind her, a blue light began to erupt. Her eyes widened, her shock evident as she turned and saw the black crystal beginning to shimmer a turquoise-like energy from within. The light got brighter and brighter, eventually, beginning to seep through cracks forming.

"Impossible…" Mariah muttered. "Just how did she…?"

The crystal split apart, shattering like glass and expanding outwards, crumbling at Mariah's feet. Still left shocked, she turned up and saw Kecleon was still alive and unhindered, standing with her head tilting to the side and her body surrounded by a dome of turquoise energy. Kecleon looked all around, seeing as how she was unharmed and the translucent turquoise energy shielding her faded away.

"Protect?" Kecleon inquired. "I…learned Protect."

"Whatever you did, it won't happen a second time. I'll make sure of that." Mariah announced. She extended her left arm out, sending a linear expanse of black crystal jutting after Kecleon. Kecleon jumped into the air and dodged, flipping to land atop of the crystal spikes without hesitation. As Kecleon began leaping from crystal to crystal. Mariah was caught startled as the chameleon wasn't solidifying a second time.

'What's this? She isn't solidifying like before? But how?' Mariah wondered in astonishment. She was met with Kecleon appearing in front, bringing a knee back.

"Thief!"

Mariah saw the kick coming around, but summoned a thick wall of black crystal between her and Kecleon. Kecleon kicked the wall, making it shudder and crack apart. The pieces went flying everywhere, with Mariah covering up while Kecleon back flipped away to a halt.

Mariah had both arms out and brought the palms together with a clap. "Black Crystal Flying Ryu!"

Once again, she summoned three large crystal serpentine dragons that had Kecleon in the center. They all roared and arched down onto her, but she made no attempt at moving. Instead, she put her arms up.

'Now to unseal this new delivery.' "Protect!" Once again, a turquoise shield erupted around her, shielding her from all three large heads, which shattered upon impact. Protect faded, and Kecleon looked up to inspect the pieces. She jumped again and leaped from shattered speck to speck.

Mariah could feel her patience wearing thin. She was getting almost nowhere with her opponent. "She's touching the crystals again, but I don't understand. How?"

Kecleon got to a high point after lunging from another large spike of black crystal. Using her tongue, she snapped it at the large piece beneath her and got a hold of it. She pivoted in midair, and dragged the humungous structure all around. She whipped it at Mariah, sending it at high speeds. Mariah, however, dodged and avoided the impact, but the scattered crystal bits went everywhere like an explosion of needles. She took a couple harsh shards to her shoulder and abdomen, leaving her with severe cracks on her body.

Kecleon landed, tilting her head. "I have different colors. Though not pretty, they are what make me similar to your colors."

"Similar…colors?" Mariah's eyes narrowed. 'Wait, I remember our Master's Gengar having an Ability of Levitate. What is this one saying? How did her skin get to be immune to touching black crystal?' She began to think deeper, but no answers came.

"I have Color Change. My type changes when my opponent's attack hits me." Kecleon said. "Meaning my skin has absorbed crystal compounds." Kecleon tilted her head. "I'm more than 50 shades of gray…or black…or both."

Mariah's eyes widened. 'No…if her type changed, it must have occurred as she was solidifying! Not only did her skin cells absorb the black crystal components to make her feel like a crystal, but with the cells running through her body, she's immune to the Black Crystal Arts permanently.' She cursed. 'That was like a vaccine. I should've known. This is bad.'

Kecleon began darting ahead after her, head straight. "So what if white is tainted. Nothing is perfect!" Her speeds were shocking, startling Mariah. "Just because white is a different color doesn't mean it's gone! Life is full of beautiful colors other than black! I've seen them all, and I say art isn't for destruction! It's to make the world a more beautiful place!"

"Stay away!" Mariah extended her arm out, sending a pillar of black crystal at Kecleon. Kecleon's claws glowed and she went slashing through the pillar, dicing it in split seconds, much to Mariah's horror as Kecleon was lunging in midair.

"Beautiful is in eye of beholder, and I shall make you behold my art! Slash!"

With a strong battle cry, Kecleon's claws glowed and elongated further. She let out an awkward shrieking yelp. Mariah had nowhere to hide, and her body was unable to hold itself together due to Kecleon's earlier Screech attacks – while she still had that move – made her almost shatter. A harsh and bright flash erupted, with Kecleon posing behind Mariah with her Slash fading. As she straightened her posture, she tilted her head, just as Mariah's entire right side was diagonally shattered, revealing black crystal inside. Kecleon looked away as Mariah stood puzzled and in shock of her defeat, her fragments sparkling bright as time slowed down.

A long few moments that seemed like eternity eventually ceased, and the Crystal Mage continued to speak.

"…I have lost." Mariah said. "Seems black arts has turned me into hollow crystal after all."

Kecleon, while have her head tilted, looked over her shoulder towards Mariah. "My Trainer, he is a good artist. He sees a lot of colors, but his mind and conviction…are what crystals are prettiest as. Clear."

Mariah stood there facing away as her body was cracking up. She took the last moments she had to process what Kecleon said. Out of all the years, black and pink were all she saw were her preferred colors, her purity stolen. Yet imagining something clear, it was like looking through diamonds, a rich mineral superior to crystal. Water was crystal clear, so long as those who cared for it keeps it filtered.

"Crystal clear…" She grinned. "What an interesting color."

Finally, Mariah shattered, black crystal sprinkling everywhere. Kecleon stared over her shoulder as her opponent was no more, becoming black specks of dust that fluttered everywhere. While the black specks dissipated, Kecleon noticed that the crystal in the room started to fade away, the magic fading with Mariah's life.

The chameleon turned around, looking up and watching the last speck turn a shimmering bright before fading. She tilted her head slowly, blinking. "Colors are wonderful…and so are potatoes."

---

For the umpteenth time, the chamber ruptured, the land quaking as the attacks kept pouring out. Dust raged, yet Magnezone and Gengar were still in their heated confrontation. Attacks were shot left and right, mainly of those that both were able to dodge. It was a dance with the devil that kept stalling for Magnezone as Gengar was slowly gaining ground. With Gengar having the superior speed, he was literally battling circles around Magnezone. He had him cornered eventually, where Magnezone was against the wall, and Gengar standing several yards away, snickering as his energy was brimming.

"Heh, well brother, didn't peg you as a scaredy cat underneath that heartless tin can." Gengar taunted.

Magnezone grunted, finding himself in a tight spot. "Quiet! What makes you think that I would call you a brother if you turned your back on us?" He retorted.

Gengar raised a brow. "Oh, trying to assure dominance I see. Who's the role model here, I wonder. Is it me because I got you saying 'brother', or is it you, good old repentance?"

"More like the stinker versus the honorable if you ask me." Magnezone corrected.

"One might look at it that way." Gengar smirked. "Well then…" Gengar enthused, he dived back into the shadows, giving Magnezone little clue as to where he would pop up. Having a sizeable hunch, Magnezone pivoted and turned around, floating backwards away from the wall as Gengar appeared.

"Shadow Punch!"

"Mirror Shot!"

Both attacks were launched. Shadow Punch stretched out as Magnezone discharged his sphere of metallic energy. The fist and orb attacks met in the center, engulfed in yet another explosion. Ultimately due to both preferring long-distance fighters, Magnezone's Steel-type move got the upper hand, and Mirror Shot went into the wall, engulfing it in another small burst of silver energy.

"Did I get him?" Magnezone questioned.

The smoke and dust began to settle, but no sound came out. Gengar's figure was seen, frowning, but then it grew into a smirk. "Not quite there." He huffed. "My Shadow Punch minimized the damage. So tell me, got more juice left?"

Magnezone glared hard at Gengar, grunting in frustration. "Don't sell me short yet!" He began to charge up for a Flash Cannon, silver light beginning to reach his red eye.

The smile on Gengar widened. "Now we're talking!" He put his hands together, creating another Shadow Ball.

Both Pokémon charged up their attacks until they met the right amount of infused energy. They yelled out just as they unleashed their moves. Magnezone fired a more concentrated blast, narrower, yet faster, while Gengar added a spin to his move, making the Shadow Ball spiral up and around the incoming attack. Both Magnezone and Gengar were engulfed in the opposite attack, both screaming out as a black and silver explosion that erupted in the respective airspaces. Light and dark infused into one another, the two explosions overlapping and making a far larger explosion, one greater than before.

Magnezone shot back fast, slamming harshly into the opposite wall and slumping towards the ground. Gengar slammed against the opposite wall as well, his back aching. The explosion's dust settled after minutes went by, but as before, Magnezone and Gengar both began to get up, grunting.

"You're…persistent…" Magnezone said. "Just like this Vince once was."

Gengar stood back up, a few bruises on his ghostly form. He grunted, but then evolved into a boisterous laughter. His chuckling uproariously evolved into something much more sinister, a malicious laugh that could rattle bones. Magnezone went wide-eyed, seeing Gengar going mad.

"What…?"

Gengar stopped laughing, his smirk wider and darker than ever. "Now we're talking! This was a battle I've been craving for a very long time!" He shouted. "I haven't had this much of a thrill since battling the easier ones back in the old days. N speaking of such…" His eyes narrowed, piercing dark daggers that rendered Magnezone uneasy. "You forgot that it's just us now. Mark and Vince aren't here! And I ain't too thrilled of you speaking of him as though you knew him, because you didn't. You're just offending me. That isn't nice." A small swell of pressure began to alter around the Ghost and Poison-type. "Perhaps your brother should teach you some manners!"

Magnezone's eyes widened. "What…what is this pressure?"

"Alpha!" Gengar yelled.

In the far caverns, within the chamber that housed the Impure Underworld circle, Alpha stood there, smirking knowingly as he could hear Gengar's call. He smirked, pleased to hear the ghost's call to arms. The energy around him began to become more gross, and at the same time, began to electrify dark static from his body. "Yes, Gengar. I hear your call. And since we're starting to run short on supply, then it'd be in our best interest…if we pick up the slack a little, right?" He removed a compartment from his right gauntlet, revealing a Key Stone. He brought a finger around, pinching the Key Stone. When he did, it exerted a rainbow light, hence immediately turned into an expanding wave of the Mega Evolution energy. It gave more depth to Alpha from the angle it was at. "Now, Gengar, show them what our true power can do!" He raised his arm, the light shining brighter than before. "Mega Evolve!"

Gengar unknowingly began shuddering, growling as his body was undergoing Mega Evolution. The light encompassed him, his presence giving birth to a dark veil around the light.

Magnezone stared with shock and horror, unable to comprehend what he was seeing. 'Impossible.'

Spikes began to arise from behind, the tail elongating heavily, a third eye appearing. The arm elongated and thickened with smaller spikes. His lower body had ripples going into the ground, sinking a little. When the Mega Evolution light faded, there he stood, with a big monstrous smirk and menacing eyes. The shockwaves reached out, expanding and bowing away nearby rock and turning smaller components to dust.

As the dust settled, Magnezone could feel the immeasurable power difference. "You…you Mega Evolved?" He stammered. "This can't be…"

Mega Gengar opened his mouth, releasing a ghastly purple breath of foul air with a hefty sigh. "Shocked? I don't blame you. Mega Evolution is a good perk to have, especially if you have a Mega Stone." He snarled.

"But…how?!"

Again, Mega Gengar maliciously smirked. "Guess no one told you. When the spell killed everyone, it wasn't like the Key and Mega Stones just got disintegrated. They were still spotless. So Alpha and I decided to work with it." He explained.

If Magnezone had hands, he'd be clutching them so hard right now. "And that's basically trading one bond over another. Mega Gengar, why are you persisting? Where's your morals?!"

Mega Gengar opened his mouth. "Morals? Heh, that's funny coming from someone as weak as you who doesn't have the guts to take down someone who is family! How's about this for morals!" Dark energy intensified around the mouth, converging to one point and a dark sphere was evident. "Dark Pulse!" He fired a larger version of Dark Pulse, making it expand and shatter the ground beneath as it raced after Magnezone.

Shocked with how grand the attack was, Magnezone floated up in a hurry, evading Dark Pulse, but the shockwaves expanded into a large field of darkness that shot heinous winds everywhere. The winds pushed Magnezone up some more, the draft making him dangerously close to the ceiling, where a lot of spikes were.

"And where do you think you're going now?! Sludge Bomb!" Mega Gengar opened his mouth, where he fired a barrage of large balls of brown sludge packed with poisonous potency. The Poison-type attack shot at a high angle, but Magnezone was caught shocked.

'Wait, doesn't he know Poison has no effect on Steel?' Magnezone wondered.

Mega Gengar's eyes narrowed. "Gotcha!" His Sludge Bomb drew closer, but Magnezone watched the attack go overhead, bombarding the ceiling with consistent assaults left and right. The chamber quaked, and Magnezone found the spikes above plundering down onto him. Shocked, he had nowhere to go as the harsh spikes stabbed him. While they didn't penetrate him, he did feel constant barrages of rock shattering atop of him.

"Heh! How's that? Now for the good stuff." Mega Gengar slowly went forward, his upper body vanishing as though going through an invisible doorway.

As Magnezone felt the assault stop, he opened his eyes, grunting as he was barely any means of stable. As he felt intense agony, an unfamiliar vibe was arising beside him. Mega Gengar's upper body was revealed, his mouth wide open for a large Shadow Ball to be forming.

"Say 'Ah'!" Mega Gengar yelled. "Shadow Ball!"

Magenzone's eyes were wide, but his metallic guts told him to make a break for it. Ascending once more, he dodged the Shadow Ball, the sphere and its dark static flaring as it traveled at such vivid velocities. It struck the wall. A menacing explosion of darkness erupted, in which the shockwaves expanded out behind Magnezone, leaving him speechless as he looked back at the deepened wall.

"What…what power." He muttered. He turned around to face Mega Gengar, but he wasn't there anymore. "What?! Where did he-?!"

"Heh." A cold chill came from beneath Magnezone, but the injured magnet had no time nor capability to cover his blind spot. A fist coated in thick black aura and purple blazing outlining manifested, with Mega Gengar snickering. "Shadow Punch!" He drove an uppercut up, the Ghost-type attack hitting at a point-blank range. Magnezone's world went white for a moment as everything in his conscience faltered as his body flipped and he went sundering down towards the earth, shaking the landscape beneath.

Magnezone regained his consciousness, but he found himself wedged into the ground. Mega Gengar reappeared from his dimension on ground-level and glared at Magnezone with a heinous smirk. The odds were thoroughly stacked against Magnezone, with his will broke and his metallic body feeling nothing but hollowness. Not even his Sturdy Ability was helping him.

"It's a shame when you think about it." Mega Gengar spoke. "Just look at you, where's all that bravado you had when you charged in with everyone against the Rivolta? Are you not strong independently? Where's your wild Pokémon instincts? Or did being punished by Mark and Laura made those magnets of yours rusty?"

"Shut up." Magnezone grunted. He managed to wedge himself out, but just barely. He thudded against the earth before bouncing back a few feet into the air. He hesitantly looked at Mega Gengar, distilled ambition interlocked with frustration. 'Damnit. How am I gonna be of much help of I can't beat him? Why am I wasting my time here?'

Mega Gengar raised a brow. "Turning your back. Big mistake."

As Magnezone was very slowly backing up, an unknown force suddenly halted him. His body repulsed back forward with a shove. "Hey, what was…?!" He turned around, revealing nothing was there.

"When I become Mega Gengar, my Ability changes." Mega Gengar explained. "Instead of Levitate, I have Shadow Tag. You can't escape, even if you tried."

Magnezone grunted. 'He got me cornered. Damnit!'

"Did you really think hiding from me would work? I have a third eye. I can see through another dimension and see your every angle." He slid slowly forward, similar to a step. "There is no hiding from the Rivolta. I honestly thought that myself, but why leave such a place when Vince left a legacy for me to carry out. I can't dishonor that so easily now, can I? I mean, as you said, he is family." His head raised itself, beaming with mocking pride. "But, even you had a small glimmer of hope, what then?"

Magnezone looked confused. "What are you saying?"

"Let me ask you this. How many of us are left? Hmmm? From what I could sense, I'd say…maybe Saboth, Imaci, Vermilius, Alpha, and of course myself. A few already kicked the bucket, but what of their sacrifices? But if I ended up defeated by your hand, what do think would happen?" Mega Gengar's smirk loosened some, a sense of seriousness coming across him. "Do you think I'd side with you? Did you think Alpha would never forgive me? No, no. You see, unlike natural battles, I have a…certain consequence to pay."

The wat Mega Gengar worded it unnerved Magnezone. It left his 'brother' unnerved.

"What might that be?" Magnezone powered through.

"I'll die."

Magnezone again was met with shock. He jutted back, startled with much after a single gasp. "You…you'll die?" He repeated. "But how? That's foolhardy!"

Mega Gengar's smirk widened. "Believe it. When the Impure Underworld activated, I underwent a little metamorphosis you can say. You see, Ghost-types do generally last a long time, but my structure conflicted with the spell's negative energy. If you recall that Crowhaw is a living, well, guess I'm pretty much the same. If I get defeated here, I'll end up dead like that guy." The intensity around him and Magnezone thickened, darkened almost. "And I know being a repentant means you'd hate making sins such as killing, and you can't bring yourself to kill your brother now, can you?"

"No…" Magnezone didn't have the words. For someone who was inorganic, having emotions was hurting him worse than all those attacks from earlier.

"So what's it gonna be? Are you gonna suck it up and do what you think is the best put me out of my misery, or are you gonna be a wuss and I kill you instead? It's your choice." Mega Gengar opened his mouth, another Shadow Ball forming. "I'm sticking with Alpha, because I know loyalty just as much as you! For Vince, I'm ending you here!"

The Shadow Ball was fired, blasting towards Magnezone with fury. The energy began to increase and expand the Shadow Ball as it closed in. All that came at Magnezone was darkness that was like a wrecking ball that would break him apart. He wanted to move, but he was too paranoid at what Mega Gengar said. 'This can't be. Shouldn't he be working to stop the spell? What has the spell done to him? If he's permanently warped like this…' He began to think back to when he tortured Nic, and how he flailed with each constant Spark. 'No, there has to be a way, right? I can't make another sin cause harm! Not to family!'

"Goodbye, brother!" Mega Gengar heinously shouted.

Shadow Ball blinded Magnezone, a purple light encompassing the Magnet Area Pokémon. His eyes were wide, the purple becoming white. He began to hear silence, and epiphany on the rise. 'What is…what am I feeling…?' Silence took over as a memory began to flow, back to a time where it all began to change for the better.

The doorbell rang, echoing through the household.

Sitting on the couch watching a romantic comedy was Michael. Raising his head, he looked over towards the door, hearing the bell loud and clear. "Hm?" He inquired.

Joanna walked out of the kitchen with a pink apron on, a mixing bowl in hand. "Who could that be?" She questioned.

"I don't know." Not wanting to be rude, Michael hopped on up from the couch. Standing on his two feet, he raised a brow and walked on over. He made it in front of the doorway and turned the knob. Despite it being around 2 or three in the afternoon, they almost never get visitors, especially since their next door's incident a few years back. "Hello?" He opened the door, seeing a police officer standing there. Shock came across him with wide eyes.

The officer tipped his cap. "Good day, sir."

"Uh, good day to you." Michael parroted. "Can I help you?"

"I understand that you are in custody for Nic and Vanessa Pularis, am I right?"

"Uh…y-yes?"

"Michael, who is it?" Joanna called from the kitchen, with a 14-year-old Vanessa right by her side, learning the concepts of baking.

Michael turned to look back. "Honey? Can you and Vanessa come here for a sec?"

His call was answered, and sure enough Vanessa and Joanna set their stuff down and came towards the door, the two gathering with Michael in front of the police officer.

The officer looked at the man and two girls, seeing as how they were one man short. "And what of Nic Pularis?"

Michael furrowed his brow, looking at Vanessa, who frowned. He looked back at the officer. "I'm sorry, but Nic's been on a journey. He hasn't been here since."

"Well, is he wanted for contact information?" He asked.

Joanna stepped up. "What's going on?"

The officer took out a notepad and a pan. "Well, you have a very special visitor for them today, so I thought it was best that they were both here for this visitor." He explained.

"A visitor?" Joanna questioned.

"Who is it?" Vanessa asked, looking more than a little interested as she weaseled her way to the front.

The officer stepped to the side, allowing the special visitor to be visible. Floating in the air was a Magneton, and it made no movements other than stay completely stiff, staring with its three large eyes at the three family members.

"A Magneton?" Michael inquired.

Vanessa blinked, staring at the Magneton. Something about the Magneton seemed odd. It wasn't moving magnets or making any sudden movements, as if it were frozen, only to awaken by a command. It did, however, blink.

"(Hello, Vanessa.)" Magneton greeted.

Vanessa didn't seem to understand it at first, but then the symptoms became all too clear. Her eyes widened, a gasp escaping. She stood stiff, as if paralyzed by intense shock. "It…it can't be…" She muttered.

"So you do recognize it. This is the very same Magneton of your father and mother." The officer said.

All three household members went wide-eyed. The foster-parents zoomed in front of their unnerved foster-daughter, Michael looking more assertive than before.

"What is it doing here?" He demanded to know. "Why did it come back?"

Magneton remained silent, cascading its gaze towards the ground.

"It shouldn't be here, not after what it did to Nic." Joanna testified.

"Look, just give me time to explain." The officer implored. He saw the looks on all three. Though Michael and Joanna were only present by staying away from the fence during the crossfire of Mark and Laura terrorizing the police, they could still only imagine the horror of the pain they inflicted, the kind of torment no human being should go through.

"What is it?" Vanessa asked.

The officer took out a notepad, with some aged scribbling and notes inscribed on it already. "Now, if I recall, let me run down with this analysis." He cleared his throat, beginning the review. "Now, Vanessa, was it true that three years go, Magneton did NOT engage in battle with the forces?"

Vanessa looked at Magneton, seeing the Electric and Steel-type still floating and remaining silent. She felt unnerved still, but was calm enough thanks to her foster-parents being there. "Y-yes?" She answered.

"And from what you and Nic answered from before, it ONLY attacked upon commands by the parents? And otherwise did not do anything besides that?"

Vanessa nodded, again another point made.

"And as you detailed, it did attack Nic once he rebelled ONLY because it was threatened to do so?"

The memory still hurt, but Vanessa powered through with yet another nod. "Yes."

The officer flipped to another section of the notes stockpiled. "So, if this sounds accurate, Magneton was a docile Pokémon who only served out of fear. Unlike Mark and Laura Pularis, Magneton willingly surrendered, and was taken into custody to the Informant and Constructive Institute. There, we have been observing Magneton diligently."

Magneton nodded for once in agreement.

Michael still looked unnerved. "Then…what?"

"Well, according to the sentence, Magneton was to be observed, and judging by how it reacted, its sentence could either be a decade, life, or perhaps instant release. Well, according to our staff here." He pointed at the sheet he held in his hand. "Magneton was very docile, otherwise sat without much food or nutrients. It's been described as a very guilty Pokémon, however, it did not lash out and accepted coping treatments with full compliance."

"It was?" Vanessa looked at Magneton with wonder, but Magneton looked away.

The officer pulled out a yellow certificate, with two squares in ink as Magneton's signature. He handed it to Joanna. "This certificate signifies that Magneton is fully recovered and has been released from his sentence early. Three years is up, and it may now do as it pleased."

Michael narrowed his eyes, his own sense of security risen, yet staring at Magneton didn't seem to be an equivalent ideal. "Then why is it here? Shouldn't it be conducting its service near Route 15? Or sent back to Lost Hotel?" His question certainly had a hitch of spite, which Magneton accepted humbly.

The officer looked back at Magneton with equal wonder. "We tried, but when we tried sending it back there, it resigned itself to staying. We would think that after getting a psychologist to come in, we've deduced that Magneton would rather see the Pularis siblings and apologize. What else it wants is another wonder entirely."

Magneton looked around, seeing that it was just Vanessa. "(Is Nic not here?)" It looked back at Michael and Joanna, inspecting their faces. "(Oh, that's right. Nic went away. I was hoping to apologize for what I've done.)"

Vanessa stepped forward, her eyes narrowed in discerning Magneton.

"Vanessa…" Michael reached forward, but didn't advance and Joanna held him back. When he looked towards his wife, he saw her shaking her head.

Everyone remained silent as Vanessa and Magneton stared at one another, glaring intensely in the case of Vanessa. Her blue eyes met Magneton's, hers as pure as could be.

"(Vanessa…)" Magneton said. "(I know this is wrong of me to say, but I-)"

"You." Vanessa interrupted. "Magneton, I have many things that I wanna say, but some other things I also want to say, so listen well." She started.

"(I'm all ears.)" Magneton braced itself, ready for any means of berating.

It thus started. "Magneton, you were older than me, older than Nic, and of us two, you hurt him. You hurt him in so many ways that I have nightmares of. You shocked Nic to where he couldn't feel his nerves. Looking at you is nothing more than a hurtful reminder of what Mom and Dad have done to a caring brother and real family. Your actions are not forgivable. If I want to, I'd want you to get out, and never see you again."

"Vanessa…" Joanna muttered.

Magneton stared at Vanessa blankly for a few moments, but then closed its eyes. While he was sad of what he was told, his humility and need to repent was what it cost. "(I understand. I just wanted to see you just one more time before I depart is all.)" Magneton began to turn away, ready to finally follow the officer and go back to Lost Hotel, where he was caught all those years ago.

"But!" Vanessa added, stopping Magneton and making him turn around. "I made a promise to Nic. I made a promise that I couldn't break." Her fists began to ball up. "I…promised that I would grow up, and get more independent. I could learn for myself, and be a big girl, and learn from the mistakes I've made. If I overlooked what you did, I'd have a painful pill to swallow. I wouldn't be biting the bullet. I wanna leave the past behind for good. But every time I go outside, I always look at the field that was once the hell that was our house. It'll always be there. I have to see weeds grow, but I can deal with that, because grass grows over barren lands someday." Her eyes started to mist. "I wanna blame you so much for what Mom and Dad did…but you're not them, and if I can't see that, then how am I growing up?"

Nobody said anything. They just stood there quietly as Vanessa continued her prolonged speech. By the looks of things, they were shocked.

"Magneton, you feel the same, right? You know an apology will never begin to make up for hurting family. Hurting Nic was like hitting a nephew or son you never had. I know Nic wouldn't accept you as family as easily as he did with his Pokémon over these years, but you're Pokémon too. You were just following orders. I can't forgive you so easily, but leaving a broken heart untended would be wrong. It just…would be wrong." Her fists stopped balling and relaxed, her composure coming back. "So here's what you need to do…when I go on my journey very soon, you're accompanying me."

Magneton's eyes widened. "(What?)"

"What?" Michael, Joanna, and the officer exclaimed.

"Making up for what you did goes a long way, but moving forward and doing the right thing is what must be done. Hurting family may have been easy for Mom and Dad, but I value my life, so if you know what's right and wrong, then you know that doing the right thing isn't hard, but it means growing up. So please, if you wanna truly mean that you're sorry…I will give you this one chance. I know Nic would've appreciated this."

Magneton stared at Vanessa, shock on his face. It was at that moment that everything changed for the better for the Electric and Steel-type.

A powerful explosion engulfed the atmosphere, erupting rock and sending a powerful shockwave through the chamber. Mega Gengar's spikes bristled consistently and he had a large smirk on his face, watching with awe as he saw a huge cloud of dust and darkness erupt upwards, as though a dynamite bomb went off.

"Whoa. I think I may have overdone it a little." He said to himself.

The dust began clearing, revealing a figure present. It didn't seem like anything at first, but it was shaped in a familiar sense. Mega Gengar's snickering and smiling dropped to a frown. The dust cleared, revealing Magnezone, coated in static and brimming with electricity. The hefty magnet had a harsh glare from his eyes, his red eye glowing with a new sense of passion.

"Impossible." Mega Gengar growled, barely maintaining much calm. "How did you survive that?!"

Magnezone gained elevation, his body brimming in electricity.

Mega Gengar's eyes widened. 'Of course, he must have used Spark to weaken the blow. That was bold of him, but he survived nonetheless. Not shabby, but still…'

"This once." Magnezone muttered.

"Heh? What are you saying?" Mega Gengar growled.

"Just this once, I will commit a grave sin." Magnezone announced. "This once, for the greater good of repentance."

Mega Gengar didn't seem to understand at first, but as he stared longer into Magnezone, his smirk returned. "So, you got yourself figured out there now? What's it gonna be?" He asked.

Magnezone floated higher, as if glowering down onto the ghost itself. "Mega Gengar, you are indeed powerful, and formidable as you say you are. You may be my former Trainer's brother-in-law's Pokémon, and that would make you family, but I also see something else in you."

Mega Gengar quizzically narrowed his eyes.

"You were infected by the Impure Underworld. Whether you like it or not, if this fails, you may end up dying anyway. You were a good Pokémon at heart, even for a Gengar, but I will honor your life, and saving your grace by returning you to your side with Vince. It's time to move on." He raised his magnets. "It's time to fully pay my debt…brother!"

Mega Gengar's smirk widened. "Heh…return me to Vince you say?" He spread his arms. "I'd like to see you try!"

Magnezone and Mega Gengar gathered energy, each firing Flash Cannon and Dark Pulse. The two attacks rushed into the other, blitzing across the earth and generating a bright flash. Much the Mega Gengar's surprise, the two attacks cancelled out, despite their difference in power. However, his surprise only made his grin stabilize.

As the bright flash dissipated, Magnezone charged ahead, which Mega Gengar lunging through the space and dimension to quicken the gap closure. Their heads and bodies met in the center, their individual forces, colliding once again.

This was no longer a battle between two Pokémon, but instead, it was a battle of dead and alive, brothers as one could say quarreling for ideals. Siblings fight, but that never changes the morals that they must care and look out for each other. Magnezone may care, and that's why he knows the pain Mega Gengar feels, thus he will make sure he helps him, by being a saving grace and end the misery of being parted from Vince.

As Magnezone's body was cloaked in Spark, Mega Gengar retreated back into the dimension, reappearing several feet above Magnezone, though only his front half.

"Shadow Ball!"

Mega Gengar fired another Shadow Ball downward, but Magnezone shifted towards the side and evaded the explosive attack. As the shockwaves blasted about, Magnezone used the dust as a tailwind and zipped faster towards the right.

"Mirror Shot!"

Magnezone unleashed a metallic orb and used the drifting as angular fire. His attack met Mega Gengar's side, enveloping him in a silver explosion. The Ghost and Poison-type yelled out as the explosion enveloped him and shoved him out the dimension, his entire body thudding against the hard. Dark ground.

"Gngh! Lucky shut." He grunted. A blue aura enveloped him, his body wincing from the attacks. When he opened his eyes, Mega Gengar's vision was a little blurry. "Wait, I can see fine. What is this?!" He looked all around, everything fading either into doubles or becoming singular.

Magnezone looked at his disoriented state with no signs of falter. "Mirror Shot's additional effect. Your accuracy declines. Try aiming now." Not wanting to waste a second, Magnezone covered his body in electricity, diving at Mega Gengar in Spark. While he did have formidable speed, the ghost proved to have an advantage as he retreated backwards into the dimension, making Magnezone cease his advances. Mega Gengar reappeared behind him with a Shadow Punch. As he swung forward, Magnezone turned around, meeting the fist with his magnet. The electrical and dark static collided against the other, neither side bending into the other's will. Magnezone's fierce glare rivaled his Mega Evolved adversary, again breaching another stalemate and resorting for both to back off.

As Magnezone slid to a halt, he felt his energy fade, faltering some. Mega Gengar snickered, but his body suddenly was engulfed in yellow static. "W-what?!" He winced, his nerves struck by the electricity coursing through his ghastly body. "Paraly-sis!" He grunted again, finding himself faltering some. "Gngh! Damnit!"

Magnezone began twirling his magnets, manifesting large amounts of electrical energy. It began to surge into an orb with a core, high voltage unleashed in a single blow.

"Zap Cannon!"

Magnezone fired Zap Cannon, making static flare in the surrounding atmosphere as it traveled. Mega Gengar opened his mouth to intercept with a Sludge Bomb forming, but it retreated as paralysis got him. He faltered again, leaving him wide-eyed as Zap Cannon made everything flash green and yellow. The Electric-type attack exploded with intense voltage rampaging everywhere, rattling the atmosphere and dispersing rock. Mega Gengar shot backwards, slamming his back against a large boulder still in one piece. He slumped down, his lower half in the dimension.

"D-damn you." He growled. He struggled to get back up. "So what if I'm paralyzed now and accuracy lowered?" His left arm was cloaked in Shadow Punch. "Shadow Punch never misses, remember?"

Magnezone's body was cloaked in electricity, via Spark. Mega Gengar lunged ahead, with Magnezone meeting in the center. Both hollered out as they collided, electricity and shadows mixing as they passed the other. As the world slowed down for a brief moment, the mixture of compounds generated another rupture, expanding outwards. The shockwaves made both Pokémon fly haphazardly, both tumbling and sliding against the ground to painful halts.

Both struggled to stand, nee keep their eyes open. They were battling hard, and it was clear both were on their last legs. They had no juice left, and yet they knew failure – for either side – was of no option. Both knew their options were down to what their next attack had in it.

As Magnezone got into the air, Mega Gengar stood back up, panting in heavy pain. "You…you are becoming a nuisance!" He opened his mouth, Dark Pulse beginning to swell into a large jumbled energy. "It's time we finish this! This is where I make my mark as the superior, brother!"

Magnezone remained motionless. "Then what are you waiting for…" He spread his magnets out. "I'm right here! Come at me!"

Finally reaching his wit's end, Mega Gengar widened his mouth, the Dark Pulse expanding. "That does it! This ends here! Dark Pulse!"

With that loud yell, the ground rumbled as Dark Pulse was unleashed. The rings of darkness blitzed into Magnezone, yet he made no attempt to move. Instead, he remained firm, ready for whatever he could've possibly handled. 'I may want to repent, and have forgiven everyone, and they've forgiven me as well.' The Dark Pulse made impact, a direct hit in which dark streams showered everywhere as Magnezone stood his ground, unwavering as the cold pressure was like a hammer denting metal. 'I have yet to have forgiven myself, that was what's been missing.' He began to lose ground, an intense agony rioting with so much pain that it felt like he was gonna break at any given moment, yet he persevered. 'Mark, Vanessa, you both mean well, and I was proud to have been passed down as a sign of being a guardian. A role of a guardian is important, but I came to realize that Vanessa is far above me. She looks out for me, and took me in, and I took the concept of family in a deterred demeanor. That's why right here…' Dark Pulse finished, yet Magnezone was still in one piece. His vision was hazy, but he didn't falter. 'I will put my guilt at rest, along with the pain the Pularis family had endured.'

Mega Gengar's eyes widened in astonishment, his opponent severely grizzled, yet still in one piece. "Impossible. How? Not after all the attacks he's put up with." He stammered.\

Magnezone had a confident glare, staring at Mega Gengar as electricity began to diffuse from his body. The yellow electricity around his body began to turn silver suddenly, converging into a swirl and becoming a rectangular mirror.

Mega Gengar's eyes widened again, horror brimming brightly. 'It…can't be. Is he…instead of Spark, he's using a different move. He's learned a new attack?!' He looked exasperated as he saw the residual dark energy from Dark Pulse converging onto the front of Magnezone's mirror. It began to compress into a dense energy, one of which was so pressurized that the small rocks around began to defy gravity.

Mega Gengar opened his mouth, making another Shadow Ball. "Die!" With one last attempt, Mega Gengar fired his Shadow Ball attack, making it blitz across the battlefield in a familiar fashion.

Magnezone focused all of his power and the mirror glistened.

"Mirror Coat!"

With what strength he could summon in his loud scream, the mirror brightened, and the Dark Pulse unleashed from before reappeared in front, unleashed in double the size and pressure. The Psychic-type attack blitzed in a harsh and dark beam that met the large Shadow Ball. The repelled Dark Pulse ripped through the Ghost-type attack, shooting even faster in a straight line and compressing at it closed in on a paralyzed Mega Gengar. The adversary attempted to move and evade, but his fears came to fruition as paralysis from the Spark from before – when Magnezone still had it. Mega Gengar's entire world went wide as he was hit with full power in the smallest beam possible. It hit him straight in his third eye, his weak point. At the point of impact, it tore right through the Mega Evolved Pokémon, the Dark Pulse blitzing out from behind his head and hitting the wall.

Mega Gengar stood there as his eye and head was penetrated, purple cracks appearing around his body as he began to glow a bright light. The Mirror Coat ceased, and Magnezone began to back away, but the bright light resonating from the now-screaming ghost intensified. The bright light strengthened, engulfing Magnezone as he also screamed.

Eventually, complete silence took over. A white space was all that could be seen as Magnezone slowly opened his eyes. He blinked, realizing that he was not in the chambers anymore.

"Where…where am I?" He questioned. He looked all around, seeing that there was white and gray, as if it were a dense fog. "I can't see what happened? Wait, what did happen anyway?" He was stuck in confusion, unable to recall much other than the battle taking a turn. "I used that move, and then…"

"Heh."

Magnezone looked ahead, his eyes set on the appearance of his adversary. Strangely enough, it was Gengar, regular Gengar. He wasn't in his Mega Evolved form, which again shocked Magnezone.

"Gengar?" Magnezone sounded shocked, if not surprised.

"Tch, looks like you got me good." He modestly admitted, his smirk wayward. "I gotta say this, you are one tough bastard, for a tin can of course."

Magnezone kept a blank expression. "…I suppose." Whether he meant it in a mocking tone or an honest one really didn't matter at this point. From what happened, the battle ended, so Magnezone didn't seem so easily offended.

"Guess there's no easy way for me to say this, but you won." Gengar smirked. "I had fun."

Magnezone looked down, looking a little modest of not a little sad. "Yeah, I suppose so. I haven't had a battle like that before."

"It's those kinds that always keeps you guessing. Vince and I gave it our all, and at times we got the feel like we did in our battle, just like when he stormed that spell years ago." The memories of Vince came to Gengar's mind. While there weren't pleasant times, he still wouldn't have it with any other human. The image of Vince made his insides hurt.

"I'm sure Vince appreciates you." Magnezone said. "Even if you did stray with Alpha, I'm sure loyalty means no bounds."

Gemgar's smirk returned, a snickering muddle escaping. "Heh…if only you knew."

"What?" Magnezone asked. He began to notice Gengar's ears starting to fade to purple specks, dazzling as they ascended upwards. "Gengar-!" He warned.

Gengar closed his eyes, snickering low. "Guess my time's up. Sorry, brother. Wish I could've gotten to hang around more."

Magnezone looked on in sadness, but said nothing as he knew this was meant to happen.

"Guess the Pularis have something to prove after all. Vince and I embrace negativity and used it as our strength. That was really all that we fed on it seems…" Slowly, his forehead began to fade away into purple specks. "Guess that's what led us to where we might go." Still, even in this time of turmoil, his smirk was still there. "It's time for me to say goodbye, but before I do, there's something I've gotta say."

"Something to say?"

"Alpha is more than meets the eye. There's a reason why I hung with Alpha, more than just because of the Impure Underworld." His legs, tail, and arms were all gone, leaving only his face. "It's best that you see for yourself of what I mean. It'll surprise you."

Magnezone's eyes went wide. "See for myself? Wait, what-"

Gengar closed his misting eyes, his face starting the glow and fade. "See ya around, and be safe…brother." Gengar's form faded away, leaving a shocked Magnezone as he watched him pass on. 'Alpha, forgive me. You can go on.'

The white space faded, and Magnezone realized he was back in reality. He didn't process the surroundings as he instead stared ahead with a distraught gaze as Gengar was gone. The only thing that was left in Gengar's spot was the Gengarite. Magnezone stared at it, watching the Mega Stone crack apart and disintegrate into purple specks, glistening just like what happened with Gengar.

Magnezone lowered his head, mourning for the loss of family. "Goodbye…brother. I hope to see you again someday."

Just then, Magnezone's energy began to drop, he fell to the ground, unable to get up and his strength gone. He had to rest…for now.

---

The Key Stone in Alpha's gauntlet shattered on its own. The fragments broke down, disintegrating into smaller fragments. Alpha had his head hung low with eyelids cascaded in what one could describe as a disappointed mourning. He remained silent, staring in sadness of Gengar's fate. It was bound to happen at some point, but Alpha couldn't help but feel distasteful of his comrade's defeat so soon. Even with Mega Evolution, it didn't change. To have the Rivolta built with Alpha and Gengar as the first ones; this sparked a connection. For once, Alpha felt sadness. He said nothing, maintaining a despondent frown as two more members of the Rivolta met their ends.

---

Nic continued his course through the caverns, his path treaded by his quick feet. His eyes widened, his path halted by the revelation that unfolded just now. He stood still, feeling a cold energy fade away, a familiar one that he sensed not long ago.

"Gengar…" Earlier, he sensed an energy dissipate, but that wasn't a familiar one. This energy was indeed Gengar's, and if it faded away, it could only mean that he's been defeated. The link that could've led to answers of Vince was gone, but at the same time, sadness and relief flourished. It was for the best, and safe than sorry was a priority. Nic balled his fists, silently mourning for his Uncle's Pokémon.

He wasn't the only one. Mark and Laura felt it as well. They laid on the ground, still badly injured from their fights from before. The two were down in their chambers, silently misting in the eyes as they could feel Vince's Gengar pass on, finally at rest after all of the hardships he's endured. Both parents knew it how grim it was, but it was for the best, much to their own dismay.

Nic raised his head, his eyes no longer narrowing in sadness. He silently mourned Gengar as he continued on, his objective still a clear priority.

---

Lightning flashed above, the battle still raging as another lightning bolt zoomed down from the pitch-black skies. A show of constant flashing erupted without stopping, making it bright for Imaci and Vanessa as they continued their quarrel.

Imaci's eyes narrowed. "You haven't got much time left. Have you exhausted yourself already? Because if so, there's no shame in a mercy kill here."

Vanessa panted, her 16-year-old frame barely keeping up with heavy labored breaths. She adjusted her footing, her teal aura forming around her hands once more. "I…I won't stop." She declared.

Imaci maintained his glare, unamused. "Well then, the devil will dance this night in your blood." His eyes widened. "Vanessa Pularis, the demons that you see will be the last things that will flash before your eyes. Show me, prove me wrong otherwise!"

Vanessa hesitated, but the Aura Mage readied herself for her next duel against Imaci as lightning flashed above, howling like a monster.

---

And FINALLY! Phew! This chapter took me so freaking long to make. I am so sorry this took me forever to wrap up, but I got very easily distracted by a number of reasons. I just got over a small cold this weekend, so that's one; the second is bluntly the fact that I digress and don't pay attention to what I do. I got sidetracked by listening to heavy metal songs. I am going to try REALLY hard to wrap up this long arc by mid-April, so maybe if I pace myself, a good 4 to 5 chapters to go, if I pace myself fast enough.

If you guys saw what I did in this chapter, I made Kecleon and Magnezone's forgotten moves make a profound impact. So long to Screech and Spark, but at least I made those two attacks go out with a big bang. So now Kecleon has Protect while Magnezone has Mirror Coat. If you guys haven't figured it out yet, Parfum Palace is the location in the game where the player gets the TM for Protect, so the flashback had some relevance to Kecleon learning Protect.

So now the Pokémon fights are out of the way, that just leaves Erza and Vanessa left, and then there's Alpha and Vermilius to put up with. There's isn't much time until the blood moon reaches its peak. Big surprises still to come! With Honedge back up to speed in Erza's battle, things will be a lot more fun!

So share your thoughts and tell me what you thought about this chapter. Hope you were enticed by it! Until next time!