24- One Shall Rise (part 1).
Dark energon hail pieces fell from the dark sky while Optimus was still on the ground, with Galvatron over him.
"Why is the blood of Unicron erupting from beneath the earth?"
"A question, Optimus, that you shall take to your grave." Galvatron declared, ready to execute him.
Fortunately, in that moment, a ground bridge appeared in front of them and Warpath and Wheeljack came out, pushing Galvatron backwards and started hitting him, Wheeljack punched him while Warpath shot at him.
"KABUM, Galvatron!" Warpath exclaimed firing both his chest cannon and his gatling gun.
Arcee jumped out of the portal too, and got shocked at seeing all the dark energon show. Elita One and Ratchet followed her.
"Quickly, we must pull him through." Elita said as she and Ratchet helped Optimus get up.
Galvatron managed to block Wheeljack's punch and punched him back. Fortunately, he recovered fast and Warpath's next shot prevented Galvatron to counter.
"Wheeljack, Warpath, we got Optimus!" Elita called.
"Now, now, now!" Arcee shouted.
Both Autobots changed to vehicle form and headed back to the portal, with Galvatron right behind him. Galvatron pulled out his sword, which surprisingly was covered in purple flames. Warpath fired his cannon back at him, but surprisingly Galvatron deflected them with his now powered up sword, but it bought them time to jump into the portal before the portal closed. Galvatron pulled out his gladiator bowler and tried to strike, but he missed. He groaned as he took a drop of dark energon from his mouth, and took a close look to it, which made him start laughing.
"This is merely the beginning. I now possess enough dark energon to reanimate Unicron himself." Galvatron cheered as his laugh echoed through the area. "YES!"
Back to the Autobot base, Bumblebee was managing the ground bridge as Warpath and Elita were helping Optimus.
"Easy Optimus. From the looks of things, you've been exposed to a massive amount of dark energon." Ratchet advised as he sat him on the medical berth.
"I am not the only one." Optimus said sitting down before looking at Max with a smile.
"Hey." Max saluted.
"He's lucky to be alive." Delia said, causing Optimus to look away in shame and sadness.
"Galvatron found more dark energon?" Serena asked.
"A volcano full." Arcee answered.
"The question is how?" Wheeljack said.
"No, the question is what? As in what in the world is the blood of Unicron doing here, on Earth?" Ratchet corrected.
"You are not stopping to say that dark energon is the blood of this called Unicron, but who is Unicron?" Bonnie asked.
"Is he some kind of ancient supernatural cybertronian?" Tracey added.
"It has to be, since its blood is able to create undead cybertronians."
"And you're right, Clemont. Unicron is an ancient evil, maybe the first one of the entire universe, whose fossilized blood comprises the matter which we call dark energon. As legend would have it." Ratchet explained.
"So, you're saying this Unicron is some kind of boogeyman?" Delia asked.
"Boogeyman?" Sideswipe asked.
"Make-believe creepy guy who hides in your closet." Ritchie explained.
"No, Ms. Ketchum. Unicron is very real. Was…that is… Well, I do believe he once existed I just don't subscribe to the theory that his primordial life force is the substance which…harmed Max." Ratchet added.
"I've heard enough. Ash, please help me get Max into the car."
"(But why that?)"
"Mom, I thought he was completely healed." Ash said in surprise.
"Max needs to be examined by real doctors. And his family needs to know what's happened, his real family."
"Mom, May and Max's parents can't protect him, not like they can."
"Delia, it deeply grieves me that I have failed. But I will do everything in my power to ensure that no harm comes to our friends, or any Earth life form. Ever again." Optimus promised getting up slowly.
"Optimus, they're children, they do not belong in your world. They should be worrying about journeys, pokémon battles, making friends, realizing their dreams. Not their own survival."
"Mom, dark energon is pouring out of the Earth. It doesn't do that. This could be about the survival of all people and pokémon of the world, not just ours."
"You're coming with me, all of you, and they will not be coming back."
"What?!" Ritchie exclaimed in disbelief.
"That's not fair!" Bonnie objected.
"I understand." Optimus agreed.
"That's it? After all we've been through together, goodbye? What about our freedom to choose?" Dawn asked.
"That may fly on their planet, but not here on Earth." Delia retorted as she helped Max in the car. "Get in!"
"I'm not going to ride on any vehicle which is not Moonracer."
"Bonnie, I'm serious."
"You are not my mother!" Bonnie said getting behind Moonracer.
Clemont sighed. "Don't worry, Ms. Ketchum, we will return back home. I can assure you."
"Not you too, big brother!"
"What about you, May? I don't think we have to come to this."
"I'm sorry, Max. But after what happened to you, I believe this may be the best." May said in surprise, before she turned at Warpath. "I'm sorry, Warpath."
"Don't be. You're thinking for the best of your brother." He supported her, but hiding inside the feeling that he would miss her.
"Tracey, I trust you to make sure everyone returns with their families." Delia told him before looking at Ash. "Let's go, Ash."
Ash looked away with slight hesitation, not sure what to do, as he heard Hot Rod walking up to him, so he looked up at him.
"She's your mom." Hot Rod said, but with a little of sadness. "Cheer it up buddy, I will go to visit sometimes."
Ash smiled at him before he looked at his mom.
"Okay mom."
Delia smiled. "Thank you for understand it, son."
"Ash." Serena said hugging him.
"Fear nothing, Serena. We can still see each other."
"I will miss all the time we could have spent together." She said, trying to contain her tears.
"Pika pi." Pikachu said cleaning her eyes.
With all settled, Ash and Pikachu went into the car in the co-driver seat, while May was with Max in the rear seats, who looked at Bee through the glass with sadness, the same as him.
"Ratchet, activate the ground bridge." Optimus asked.
"That will not be necessary, Optimus." Delia reassured as she drove out of the base.
Max looked back at Bumblebee as faded away from their sights. He sat back down in her seat as he wiped away tears from his eyes, as May tried to comfort him. Right in that moment, someone called them.
"Prime, do you copy?"
"I hear you, Ranger Kellyn."
"Have you been watching the news? Or mother nature has gone crazy or there are some legendary pokémon somewhere battling in rampage mode. But we haven't received any reports which confirms that."
"We know about the volcano of Cinnabar Island." Elita told him.
"And the quakes? Seven major temblors of the same magnitude at the exact same time as the volcano eruption. All over the globe on different tectonic plates. In theory, unrelated. If they hadn't happened…"
"At the exact same time." Ratchet finished.
"Look. That's not the only thing." Ritchie said looking at the TV.
"Freak storms unlike any region has seen. Tsunamis threaten the coasts of Unova's biggest cities while lighting storms pummel the Hoenn's desert. Meanwhile, electromagnetic anomalies plague urban power grids. These abnormal global phenomena are leaving most to wonder: why now and what next." The TV narrator reported.
"Don't tell me the Cons have built a weather machine." Ranger Kellyn suggested.
"One that powerful? Highly unlikely." Ratchet answered.
"I do not believe the appearance of dark energon at this point in time to be coincidental." Optimus deduced.
"This looks similar to when we were with Ash at the Shamouti Island. During that time the global weather was also unruled." Misty reminded.
"This happened before?" Bonnie asked surprised, earning a nod from Misty.
"Yes, but that was because someone disturbed the harmony of Articuno, Zapdos and Moltres." Tracey clarified.
"Did that also included volcanic eruptions and earthquakes?" Clemont asked.
"Hm…no. That was only like a drastic climate change." Misty answered.
"Then this is not the same."
"But, if this is happening all over the world, then that means it could also happen here. And Ash and the others are out there!" Serena said alarmed.
"I don't care if Delia doesn't think we can protect our pals, we gotta get them back." Hot Rod decided heading to the exit.
"(I'm going with you.)"
Just in that moment, Delia was driving down the road, way back to Pallet Town. Meanwhile, Max and Pikachu were passing time looking outside the window.
"One one hundred, two one hundred." Max muttered.
"What are you doing, Max?" His older sister asked.
"We saw lightning. I'm counting until the thunder…" Max said until they heard it, which scared Pikachu and went hiding behind May.
Delia laughed nervously. "Looks like a storm. My garden will love it."
"I don´t know. This doesn't look like a normal storm." Ash observed.
"Pi? Pika pi!" Pikachu said alarmed.
"What is it, Pikachu?" Delia asked.
Moments after Pikachu sensed it, the storm started to increase the number of lighting, making some of them to almost hit the car. As Delia tried her best to dodge them, Pikachu exited through the window, jumped on top of the car and started to use Thunderbolt to block all the lightning which went at them, but there were too many. At the end, the car crashed against a rock.
"Are you all okay?" Delia called.
"I'm fine, mom." Ash answered.
"Me too." Max followed.
"I think so." May said.
"Pi? Pika pi!"
"What now, buddy?" Ash asked.
"Pikachu!"
"Oh no."
Right in front of them, right where some trees where being sent flying and lots of wild pokémon were running away, they saw a tornado destroying everything on its way. And it was coming at them.
"A tornado?! That has never happened here before!" Delia exclaimed in disbelief.
"We need to get out of here."
"You are right, Ash." She answered before trying to turn on the car. "Come on, come on."
"It's not use. The hit must have let it stuck or damage." Max deduced.
"We need to get out of here now!" May said alarmed.
"Let's get out of the car!" Ash suggested.
They tried to exit, but the doors didn't open.
"They don't open. It must be stuck." May deduced.
"Pikachu, try to use Iron Tail to open the door by force!" Ash instructed.
"Pikachu." He nodded.
"We are gonna need to earn more time." May said as she pulled out one of her poke balls and summoned her Beautifly. "We need you to use Silver Wind to slow down that tornado. Hold it off as long as you can."
"Beautifly" The butterfly pokémon nodded before start to use the move against the tornado.
Pikachu started to hit the car's doors with Iron Tail in order to break them and allow Ash and the others to get out, but it looked harder than expected. Beautifly's Silver Wind managed to hit the tornado, but it was too strong and it was getting closer, enough to start pulling the car.
"I don't like the look of this." Max said scared.
"We are gonna need more help here, Charizard!" Ash said calling one of his strongest pokémon.
Once seeing what was happening, Charizard grabbed the car from behind and started to pull to prevent it to be dragged by the tornado. But as it was getting closer, the tornado's effect was getting stronger, making Charizard's claws to start to slip off the car. But suddenly, a pair of bigger hands grabbed it before Charizard lose grip of it. Everyone saw it was Hot Rod.
"We need to hold it while Bumblebee gets them out!" The young Autobot explained, earning a nod from Charizard.
Bumblebee teared off the car's doors before changing to vehicle form next to it.
"(Get in!)"
"He wanna us to get in." Max translated.
Ash helped Max to get in first, followed by May, Delia and Ash at the end. Once it was done, Hot Rod nodded to Charizard and released the car, which was dragged by the tornado. As they were about to leave, Pikachu was also starting to be dragged in too.
"Pika!"
"Pikachu!" Ash said alarmed.
"Help him, Beautifly!" May commanded.
Beautifly managed to grab Pikachu, but the wind's force was hindering their way back with the group, until Charizard grabbed them both and returned with Hot Rod, who changed to vehicle form, allowing them to get inside. Finally, both Autobots drove back to base, with everyone safe and sound inside of them.
"Thank you." Delia thanked.
"(You're welcome.)"
"He says you're welcome." Max traduced.
"We're glad that you came at time." Ash appreciated.
"Well, that's what friends are for." Hot Rod simply said.
Meanwhile, the Decepticons were all around Cinnabar Island's volcano busy with a massive mining operation, extracting crystals of dark energon from the ground and taking them to the Nemesis. Galvatron saw the entire scene from his ship's bridge.
"Rivers of your very lifeblood, rising from the depths to become one with me."
Then, Galvatron had another vision: the volcano erupting again, but this time cracks forming around the surface before the planet explodes. Meanwhile, Bumblebee and Hot Rod returned to base with their passengers.
"We're back." Max announced.
"And we are glad." Ratchet smiled.
"I think I owe you an apology, for not believing you were able to protect us." Delia admitted.
"There is no need for that. We just act the best we can." Hot Rod answered.
"See mom? If there wasn't for them, we may not be able to get out of that mess." Ash supported after he and May retrieved their pokémon.
"Ash!" Serena called before she went to hug him. "I'm so glad you're okay. I was starting to fear the worst."
"Easy Serena, we're fine."
"We could say you guys have been lucky, given how things are out there." Wheeljack reassured.
"What do you mean?" May asked concerned.
"You guys should see what's going on in TV." Bonnie explained as she hug Max.
"World leaders are classifying these bizarre weather patterns as a global emergency." The TV voice continued reporting.
"Global?" Delia asked in shock.
"And scientists believe the phenomenon is somehow related to the current planetary alignment."
"You know, guys? This reminds me of that time when the weather turned crazy and I had to save the world." Ash remembered.
"Indeed, Ash. Except that in that case there wasn't active volcanoes and earthquakes." Tracey revealed.
In that moment, the elevator opened and Ranger Solana and Ranger Lunick came out, alongside their partners, Plusle and Minun, who were welcomed by Pikachu, Sparky and Dedenne.
"What have you learned, Prime?" Ranger Lunick asked.
"This situation is getting big for us, so we need anything that can explain this in case it is not the work of a furious legendary pokémon." Solana added.
"We have learned this: as with the so-called magma from the volcano, these earthquakes originated far below the Earth's crust, from the very center of the Earth's core in fact." Ratchet started.
"Quakes don't start there. Do they?" Lunick asked.
"I don't know." Bonnie answered.
"Don't look at me." Max added.
"They don't. They start from a tectonic plate shift." Clemont clarified.
"Tiny tremors, rising and falling in a consistent pattern. Almost like…" Ratchet trailed off seeing the readings, and he thought about something. "By the Allspark. If I convert these data points to audio files…"
"What? What is it?" Solana asked.
"Listen."
Ratchet combined the readings and turned them into sounds. Everyone waited until they started to hear a curious constant thumping noise, one that started to make the pokémon nervous. No one knew what that meant, except Optimus. Soundblaster was reproducing the same sound too.
"Stop, Soundblaster. Turn it off. I can still hear that pounding in my brain." Galvatron groaned clutching his head.
Finally, they started to realize.
"That sound. It looks like…" Dawn started.
"A cybertronian heartbeat?" Ritchie identified.
"How is that possible?" May retorted.
"A heart is supposed to pump blood, there's nothing inside Earth's core to pump, except…" Clemont started.
"The blood of Unicron!" Ash realized.
Immediately, all pokémon turned at the reproduced sound with weird reactions: some ones, like Plusle, Minun and Dedenne, seemed scared, Piplup looked nervous, and both Pikachu and Sparky stood in battle position, like if they know the sound's owner nature.
"What's wrong, guys? Do you not like that sound?" Misty asked them.
"I think what troubles them is what is making that sound." Tracey deduced.
Deep inside the Earth's core, while dark energon continued to emerge, two purple eyes opened, revealing to be the source of all it Something that started to cause the same reaction on all the pokémon near the volcano.
"I awaken."
Back at base…
"Hold on, you mean something is living down there, inside our planet?" Serena asked.
"I fear that the Earth's very core is not comprised of magma, as your science suggested, but of dark energon." Optimus theorized.
"And if we're hearing a spark, then Unicron is the rising darkness that the prophecy foretold." Elita realized.
"So, how do we stop this thing from rising?" Lunick asked.
"That I am afraid was not foretold." Optimus answered.
"How could something be in our Earth's core and be alive?" Solana asked.
"Such a thing is not unprecedented. Before the beginning, there was Primus and there was Unicron. One the incarnation of creation, the other of destruction. For eons, Primus and Unicron battled. The balance of power shifted between them more times than could be counted. Only by creating the Thirteen, the original Primes who preceded me, was Primus finally able to defeat Unicron, and cast him out. Primus became one with the very core of our planet, creating life through the Well of all Sparks. While Unicron was never to be heard from again, until now." Optimus related.
"Maybe we can find the hole this ancient Con left when he dug himself all the way down there and strike him hard enough to force him to get out."
"Ranger Lunick, I do not believe that Earth became Unicron's home, but rather that, with time and gravitational force, debris collected around the slumbering titan."
"Forming your Earth itself. Very long before the most ancient legendary pokémon started to mold your world." Ratchet finished.
"And he's only awakening now due to the magnetic pull created by the planetary alignment." Arcee added.
"And what happens now when Unicron wakes up from his billion-year nap?" Ritchie asked.
"Yeah, does he stretch and Ka-Pow, Earth poofs to dust?" May followed.
Optimus didn't answer.
"You don't know, do you?" Delia asked.
"My guess is that Unicron has transcended physical form as we know it. Nonetheless, we must find a way to ensure that this force of nature never fully awakens. The fate of your planet depends upon it." Optimus decided.
At the same time, on the Nemesis…
"Lord Galvatron, our cargo hold is nearly filled with the dark substance. I recommend a retreat: the troops are growing weak from its effects." Airachnid reported.
"And yet I grow stronger. Airachnid, you're in command until my return."
"Your return from where, master?"
"From my audience with Unicron." Galvatron revealed before he left.
As the Nemesis left, Galvatron flew in vehicle form right at the crater of the volcano, where he transformed and landed.
"I feel your presence, share your very spark. I call on you as my lord and master, almighty Unicron!"
The volcano started to become more active, generating a huge cloud of smoke, and a couple of purple eyes appeared in front of Galvatron with a shadow of a figure.
"Who speak to me?" Unicron demanded.
"Your servant most humble: Galvatron, leader of the Decepticons." Galvatron introduced himself bowing to him. "And your very herald, the one who wielded the dark energon which binds us, to awaken you once again. The prophecy has been fulfilled. It is only the beginning of what we shall accomplish, together. For you shall rule this planet, and those who walk upon it through me."
"Prideful fool!" Unicron said, surprising Galvatron. "How dare you think yourself capable of summoning my lifeforce? I rise because I have deemed it my time!" He yelled approaching his face to Galvatron.
"Master, I did not mean to overstep…"
"Silence, worm! I have no need of your lowly assistance."
"Please, my lord, I exist only to serve you." Galvatron pleaded as he got on his knees.
"What is this I sense? The taint of Primus, here?"
"That is Optimus, the last of the Primes, our sworn enemy." Galvatron answered as he got up.
"You profess loyalty to me, yet allow a disciple of Primus to live?!"
"I will destroy him for you. His screams will be heard…"
"I grow weary of your prattle. Surely if you had the power to destroy this Prime, you would have done so already. I will deal with him myself."
And with all said, Unicron's shadow disappeared, as well as the smoke, leaving Galvatron disappointed. At the same time, Optimus was exploring the inside of the Grampa Canyon, in the Kanto region.
"Ratchet, this epicenter is consistent with the findings of the others. It's terrain is rich in ore." Optimus reported.
"So, what does tell us?" Ranger Lunick asked.
"It follows that the natural metals in your Earth would be extensions of Unicron. His limbs, if you will." Ratchet explained.
"So, he did have his morning stretch, which is why these quakes happened." Solana deduced.
Then the terminal sounded.
"Optimus, we're detecting a swell in Unicron's spark activity."
"Rest assured, Elita. I will proceed with vigilance."
Suddenly, Optimus heard something from a rock wall behind him, as he saw lots of Sandshrew, Sandslash, Diglett, Dugtrio, Geodude, Graveler, even Onix getting away from there, like if they knew something was hidden there. For his shock, a face with purple eyes appeared on the wall.
"Do you know me, Follower of Primus?"
"Unicron, the Chaos Bringer."
"Good."
The rocks started to break and crumble, until a little portion of the wall was no more. In its place, stood a tall rock body which resembled the body of Unicron: a tall cybertronian with long horns on his head, like-demon skeletal wings on his back and two sharp melee combat weapons, a club and a scimitar instead of hands, a cybertronian devil.
"Now know me as Unicron, your destroyer!"
Unicron attacked him, but Optimus managed to block his attacks with his swords and jump out of the way. Suddenly, he retrieved his swords and simply stood in front of him.
"I humbly request your ear, lord Unicron."
That surprised Unicron, who stopped attacking. "And what would a Prime be so compelled to say to me?"
"I make this appeal not for myself, but for this planet which you constitute, and the beings who inhabit it. Humankind and pokémon relies upon you. For life, sustenance, your resurrection will only result in the destruction of the species which evolved from the seeds of your very greatness."
"So this humankind and pokémon of whom you speak, you consider them my progeny?" Unicron asked.
"Indeed."
"Parasites! They too shall know my wrathful hand once I am finished with you." Unicron declared as he changed his weapons for hands and launched lighting to Optimus, sending him flying backwards. "The line of Primes has grown weak in my absence, and thus you shall fall." He said, ready to shot more lighting.
"That outcome is inevitable, but not on this day."
Optimus pulled out his cannons and fired at Unicron, until the rock avatar was down. The manifestation disintegrated, but in that moment, Optimus heard crumbling noise and looked around to see more Unicron manifestations raised around him.
"Yes, disciple of Primus. On this very day, for Unicron may be one, but we all are Unicron!"
To be continued…