The Final Battle: Perrserker's Punishment (Part 3)
As the horrifying shriek of the Distortion World's Guardian rang throughout the golden chamber of the Immortal Battleground, Ash clasped his ears. "What the hell!?" He said turning over to the origin of the noise. Grey and purple smoke billowed around the center as a six-legged colossus of a Pokemon came into view, one that stood taller than the Pokemon Tower in Lavender Town. Giratina surveyed the battlefield, eyeing its two targets: Ash's Charizard and Alexa's Lucario, with Lucario being the closest of the two.
Giovanni shared an evil laugh with his Pokemon Perrserker. "Tobias! Couldn't hold out any longer I see?"
"No! I just figured now is my time to exact my revenge against Ketchum!" Tobias said. "And I am going to do it with the exact Pokemon he imprisoned me with all those years ago!"
"Remember Tobias, you had nothing to do with its capture. When it no longer served its purpose to me is when I gave it to you. Do not disappoint me," Giovanni said in a collected tone.
"I won't!" Tobias replied.
"That thing's gotta be one of the Legends Darkrai was warning us about!" Ash said, speaking to his sister.
"It's a Demon…"
"No. It's still a Pokemon," Ash said to the teen who stared in awe at the mighty beast. "I know we can find a way to beat it!"
"Giratina, use Ominous Wind!"
"Heads up!" Alexa called out to the Pokemon on the field, as a purple gust of wind made its way towards the Ketchum's and their Pokemon.
"Charizard!" Ash called out to his Starter Pokemon, who swooped down in order to pick up Lucario. With Lucario on the back of Charizard, they evaded Giratina's oncoming attack.
"Nice one!" Ash called from the ground, shielding his face from the outskirts of Giratina's gust.
"Lucario, Aura Sphere!" Alexa called out. Lucario put its paws together, forming a single blue orb in its paws. Launching it, the orb rocketed forwards until it faded into Giratina's body.
"That thing's part Ghost type!" Ash said, turning to his sister. "It's also got a really Dark Aura to it. I gotta go see what's up. Leave this to Charizard and I." Touching back down on the ground, Charizard dropped off Lucario and picked up Ash as the two took off into the air together.
"Wait! Where are you going?!" Alexa called after her brother. "Ugh!"
'Alexa look!' Lucario said, getting its trainer's attention. 'I have never seen one of those things before…' The teen's partner Pokemon said, pointing at Giovanni's grizzled Perrserker.
"A Galarian Steel type and Meowth's long lost cousin," Alexa said in response, turning back towards the battlefield. "Should be a piece of cake!"
As Ash and Charizard soared up the length of Giratina's neck, Ash ordered his partner to fire off a blazing Flamethrower to catch its attention. After scorching the beast's neck, Ash next commanded his Charizard to hit Giratina with a Dragon Pulse when they reached its face. Charizard did as told, firing a blue draconic stream of energy in the Legendary Pokemon's cheek once it came into view.
"Shadow Claw!" Tobias shouted, pointing high above the head of Giratina. "Get Ketchum!"
Giratina let out a high pitched shriek, as two purple claws appeared at either side of the Ghost/Dragon type. While Ash and Charizard flew higher and higher into the air in an attempt to escape, things soon went dark for the duo when they became trapped in Giratina's clutches. Soon, the golden light from the Immortal Battlegrounds faded from Ash's eyesight.
When Ash came to, he awoke in pitch darkness, in a realm in which he was the only source of shape and color. "Ah shit!… don't tell me I died…"
'No. Nothing like that,' A new, deep, raspy voice said. 'I, however, am a prisoner in my own body, Aura Guardian. Much like the Darkness you are destined to fight.'
"You're Giratina," Ash said aloud. "The one that's fighting us right now."
'Yesss…' As Giratina's striking red eyes appeared inside Ash's mind. 'One whose body has fallen into the control of the enemy… But my thoughts move freely. If you defeat me, I just may be free of this mind-spell that I am under.'
"Well you sound a lot like my friend Mewtwo!" Ash said, now rubbing the back of his neck. "Well, he was my friend. Now I'm not sure who he really is in there."
'I am familiar to the one they call Mewtwo,' Giratina said. 'My essence has corrupted it thanks to your adversary. But there may just be hope for you yet. There just might be a way to defeat your friend. And I can tell you.'
"Tell me what you know," Ash said, opening his mind to what Giratina had to say.
'Mewtwo is an unstoppable force… to beat this, you must give in to your own inner darkness…'
Ash opened his eyes and caught his breath, gazing up at the Legendary towering above him. Lying on the ground next to him was his Charizard, awake, but hurt from the Shadow Claw throwing it into the ground. Clutching his head, he had a thumping headache.
'My inner darkness... Guess that plan is a bust,' Ash thought to himself. In his past, there were times when he had given in before, using his powers to do terrible things. That was not something he was prepared to do in this battle.
"Ash!" Alexa screamed running onto the field to her brother's side. "You and Charizard got knocked down! Are you okay?" She uttered, as she began dragging him back to their side of the field.
"Ugh, my head!" Ash said through the pain. "Charizard, you alright?" The trainer called out to his partner. Him and his Pokemon now stood on two feet, as his Starter turned and nodded its head.
"We've got this! Lucario, finish off that Perrserker with a Bone Rush!" Alexa shouted, as her Aura Pokemon faced off against Giovanni's Steel type.
Lucario swung its staff around its body, but missed the ducking feline Pokemon who raised its metallic claws, shattering the staff into two pieces. Lucario readied each half for some duel-wielding action, baring its teeth as it grew frustrated with its nimble opponent. Swinging its two weapons once again, Perrseker sprang upwards, delivering a slash across Lucario's chest. Spinning around in an attempt to strike, Lucario faced its opponent, but was hit with a Gyro Ball to the stomach. Being forced backwards, Lucario was growing agitated that it could not land a single hit. Entering a fury, Lucario swung its weapons forwards, but the Viking Pokemon managed to evade every attempt at a hit.
"I know you can get him, Lucario!" Alexa shouted.
Seeing that Lucario's anger was getting the best of it, the Rocket Boss just had to wait for the moment he could make a critical strike. "Metal Claw!" Giovanni shouted, as his Pokemon's claws grew longer and sharper once more.
The two Pokemon rushed head on at each other swinging their respective weapons at each other. While Lucario brought its clubs down onto Perrserker, the Galarian Pokemon countered by interlocking its claws to shield itself from the attack. Letting out a roar, Perrserker pushed back and kept Lucario off. Then, leaping forwards with its claws outwards, Perrserker slashed Alexa's partner across each of its eyes simultaneously while its guard was down. Lucario let out a cry as it felt the sharp claws of its foe tear into the flesh on its face. Lucario covered its eyes with one arm as the Aura Pokemon crumpled to its knees, with blood dripping from its face, down its arm and onto the ground.
Alexa put her hands over her mouth and let out a high pitched scream, seeing Lucario go down this way. "Lucario! Are you alright?!"
'Alexa… I- I can't see!' Her Pokemon responded. Turning to her, the Pokemon revealed its scarred face, and closed, damaged eyes. With three claw marks on each side, Lucario's eyes appeared to have been permanently damaged from the ruthless attack brought on by Perrserker.
"No, Lucario!" Alexa cried out seeing her injured partner Pokemon. Jutting her hand outwards, she returned her partner Pokemon to its ball and held it close to her, as she broke into a fit of tears. "I'm s-sorry… I- I thought we could take him... It's not fair!"
"How shameful," Giovanni said, cracking a grin. "You thought that you could outclass my Perrserker with a type advantage, and look at where it got you."
"No… I just thought-"
'Alexa... I'll be alright,' The faint voice of Alexa's partner said in her mind, cutting her off. It did not want her engaging in conversation with Giovanni. 'Just finish the battle at hand...'
"Lucario will be alright, sis," Ash said, reassuring his sister. "Charizard, return!" Ash said, calling back his Pokemon. "Go Sceptile!" Ash declared, throwing out his ace of the Hoenn Region.
"Right," Alexa said with a sniff, wiping away some tears. They had a battle to finish, regardless of the condition of her injured Pokemon. Before she could pick her next Pokemon, one of the balls from her belt burst open at its own free will. Stepping forwards onto the battlefield, past its trainer was her eight-foot tall Electivire, looking to pummel the Pokemon that harmed its teammate.
'I got this one, Little Lady,' Electivire said in a serious tone, stepping forwards, not meeting her gaze. 'You just let me bring on the Thunder.' Alexa gave a nod while remaining silent, allowing her massive Pokemon to take the field.
'This one's for Lucario!' Ash's Sceptile said, stepping forwards next to its battle partner, placing its twig in its mouth. Together the duo stared down the towering Giratina, and the much smaller Perrserker, each hunching down to prepare for an assault of their own.