Dusk

by Chustang

A dark pokemon fanfic. When a new prophecy arises from the ashes of the Shadow World, the powers of destruction, Vision, Strength, Speed, and Stealth, awaken the chosen children. Rebellion is futile against this murderous prophecy that shall destroy all t

4. The Revolt Grows

Dusk
By Chustang
* * * * *

Chapter 4
"The Revolt Grows"

Shadows healed the wounds of fierce battle, but the pride of the warrior shambled in disgrace. With dark coating his golden fur, the sleek Raichu sparked in anger, but winced in pain. Disturbed, his wound across his shoulder down to his flank began to leak dark blood once again. Sparky glared in anger at himself for being so stupid. He couldn't go see Revenge like this! Even though Sparky was a Leader too, Revenge was brutal and like a match in a gas tank. Especially after a loss, the hyena would be murderous.
Sparky stood outside a dark cave fringed with thorns, his long tail sparking and lashing the air. The sliver of moon dusted the edges lightly with silver, and the sparks emitting from his body seemed like small fireworks. With a sigh, the Raichu ruffled his lock of wild hair and trotted into the shadows. Suddenly, a dark flash of red and black glistened in the faint moonlight as a creature walked lazily out. Sparky paused, staring at the spirit, and soon recognized the third in command, Windy. His bright, almost glowing jade eyes pierced the dark and his crimson fur bristled in the wind. "Hey Spark, wazz up?" he asked with a hint of swagger.
"Ugh…." Sparky moaned, "I lost to the Vision Devil. Pretty badly, too." The Golden Raichu slightly turned to show his wound. "Guess I'll have to face him. Man, if that rookie wasn't strong and a good fighter, I'd make him run every little danger mission. That chicken ran off to nurse his wounds while I took all the wrath of Fear."
"Ooh," the fox winced. "Major trouble huh? Well, can't blame ya. Fear is a devil when it comes to fighting. That wicked wolf hunted me down once, and nearly won a race against me. 'Course, I was pretty young back then. Trust me, never, ever take a dog's bone." Windy flicked his bushy tail casually and lifted a black paw. In low spirits, the Raichu gave him a high five of luck. "Well, see ya Spark, I have to go on a raid for recruits in Celadon. Later!"
With that, the sleek fox trotted off swiftly, his crimson, black, and white body blurring into a flash that shined in the moonlight for a second before it vanished. The dust milled up from his paws lingered in the air then slowly drifted into the sky.
Suddenly, as the Raichu turned to face his fellow Leader, a blood-curdling screech of anger ensued by a flare of red light came from the cave. "Sparky!" the voice, fierce and thick with malice, barked and Revenge came barreling out, teeth slathered with blood and saliva. He was blazing, almost literally, with anger and he snapped with a tint of composure, "Sparky. I will ask you this once. Don't tell me you lost to Fear. Don't."
"Okay, I won't then-" Sparky nervously, quickly said before the hyena cut him off.
The Fire Opal glittered ominously with a silver tint, like a mood ring. "Sparky?"
"Yes?"
"I have an assignment for you," Revenge said with unnerving calm. His eyes were almost calm, yet the Pokemon could see straight through the act.
Sparky took a gulp. "Yes?" he timidly squeaked out, cringing before his comrade. A flush of his own wrath kindled in his chest from being walked over like this. He didn't ever act like this when Revenge got mad before, but since he had lost a very important battle, one that would have stopped the prophecy and would have ended one war, he decided not to push it.
"Go with Windy, and you better bring something more valuable than your thick head or else I will have it on a stick. Got that?"
"Yes…"
Sparky instantly whirled on his feet and dashed off, as Revenge snapped rabidly at his heals. His tail, cloaked in lightning, came down on the hyena's snout with a thunderclap, and he careened back in pain, yelping. He glared at the Raichu and gnashed his jaws in warning as Sparky ran off.
With a glare and a tint of disgust glittering in his ruby, gold, and emerald colored eyes, he snorted. The mist drifted up around his cheeks and he casually shook it away with a flick of his head. Then the hyena turned and trotted back into the cave. The blackness in the cave seemed to welcome him, and the lights emitting from the 3d console hovering about up to his shoulder flickered a bluish green light. As Revenge came up to it, the sleek, glistening Nidorino and Moltres gathered around it glanced up with the cold eyes of machines.
"A little trouble with your comrade?" Moltres smirked.
Revenge shot her a flaming glance but turned it back to the console that lay before him. It showed a map of the greatly changed Indigo Island. On the Celadon city site were four small red stars, marking the positions of the human Daemons.
"Nidorino, Moltres," Revenge said solemnly, "The humans have awakened and we have only a few months to stop them before all the Daemons are tamed. This here tracks their location as long as they aren't moving-"
"Wow, very cutting edge," Moltres said dully.
The poison pin Pokemon and hyena glared at her. "As I was saying," Revenge continued, "This machine finds their location as long as they aren't moving. I know this is somewhat primitive, but other than radar, it's the best tracking we have. Our time is running out even though we have the humans at bay. As we speak, the followers of the Psychic and Ghost gods are explaining the prophecy to the human Daemons. We must move quickly and smartly if we want the Revolt to survive and triumph.
"Now, Moltres, Windy and Sparky will return with some new recruits and you should take them and your best troops to guard the Stealth Daemon Shrine in Lavender Town." The hyena raised a paw through the hologram and pointed to a tower in the middle of a thick forest. "Nidorino, transfer the Fire troops from Cinnabar to guard the Speed Daemon Shrine in Cerulean City. Also, I want the Legendaries guarding the Strength Daemon Shrine in Rage City. I'll take my best troops to the Vision Daemon Shrine in Falcon City.
"Got that?"
The two sleek Pokemon nodded grimly, the light falling over their faces and disorienting it with shadows. Their green and flame red eyes were like gems in the dark. Nidorino saluted and whistled a Pidgeot over which had been waiting in the trees outside. Then he leaped on its back, with the liquid grace of a ghost, and flew off. The Moltres walked to the mouth of the cave, and the wind whirled up under her flaming wings. With one ember-spitting flap, she disappeared into the dark sky.
Revenge sat at the mouth of the thorn-framed cave, staring into the darkness.
The race was on.

The wind was a subtle, mysterious chord and the song of the dark and speed was completed with the rhythmic thud of paws on the whispering grass. As the silver dust of the moon was caught in their jade and dark gold eyes, the two rebels glided over the hills with the wind. Sparky was perched on the fox's back and he used Windy's back as a surfboard. Despite the passenger, the ruby fox whirled along at a steady 45 mph. Yet, he was in a smooth canter.
Soon, the grassy hills gave way to high trees that hissed like demons. They brandished their dark branches over their heads. The wind moaned with the tone of a thousand ghosts through the forest. The Shadow World was as dark as death, and it seemed to shudder in a prophetic force.
Suddenly, with the grace of a hawk, Windy halted, dust drifting up from his black paws. He alertly flared his nostrils and flicked his black ears as the Raichu leaped off from his mount. With silence a thick aura around them, the two Renegades gazed at a solid black void at their feet. It was cleverly hidden between the roots of a towering redwood tree. They glanced at each other, and nodded.
"Celadon City," Sparky commanded it. Suddenly, a swirl of blue and green and black, like a mini storm, formed into the vague image of a town with rusted but intact skyscrapers and Pokemon patrolling its perimeter. Then the Raichu and fox spirit confidently leaped into the void and it was dark once again.

It was totally silent as the four Pokemon trainers stared. They could of burst into flames and only blinked. The infamous pet of Team Rocket returned the stare, but soon curled up on his crate, the lips of the blanket wrapped around his waist.
Suddenly, Ash shook his head. He stood up and slowly backed away, his eyes wide with disbelief at the tale. "No… y-you're l-llying!" he stuttered with confusion fuming like acid in his brain. It couldn't be the truth! He was saying they were killers, hitmen! It was a joke, yeah, a joke, he assured himself. Just a prank pulled by Team Rocket to capture Pikachu. But he had none of his Pokemon.
A stinging flash of dark dreams scolded him and his heart seemed to twist in his chest. They venomously hissed, like a thousand screaming banshees, that it was true.
Lazily flicking his tail and glancing at Ash with a confident arrogance, Meowth said, "Then why are you here?"
Ash froze, gritting his teeth from the affliction the cruel truth brought, and the eyes of his comrades fell on him. Gary's lips tilted up in a triumphant smirk as his rival stared back, and he casually flicked his spiky brown hair.
Snapping back with rage, Ash clutched his hands in to fists, desperately trying to hold back his anger, and shouted, "I don't know, okay!!" Even with his mind swirling in dark dreams and chest burning with ire, Ash wondered why he was angry. It was the truth, yet he hated it. He turned toward the door coated with darkness, curling back the dirty blanket overhanging it, and he sparked with finality, "I don't care. If you want to continue this dumb joke, go find another sucker."
Suddenly, as he raised a foot to leave, the scratch cat yowled warningly, "Well, leave if you want." He stared at Ash, and, perched on his hind legs and with folded arms, added, "I guess you don't care what happened to your precious Pikachu."
Ash stopped cold.
"I guess a heart can deceive. Oh sure, once your Pokemon are around, you're the perfect friend, good-hearted, understanding. But once their gone, big whoop, who cares, huh?"
His hands dug into the aluminum wall as he clutched the rim of the door, and it cracked with an ominous metallic snap. In shock, they watched him angrily wrench off a chuck of metal from the wall, leaving a jagged hole, and crumple it in his fist like dry twigs. Still facing the dark forest, his flaming eyes were caught by the silver glow of the moon. It seemed to laugh at him, glistening a bone white. With a slow rage bubbling, he said, "I loved Pikachu. He was my best friend." For a split second, a wave tears teased at the edges of his emotional brown eyes. But it faded into rage. "I promised him!" Ash spun and suddenly chucked the jagged ball of crumpled metal at the cat.
It missed Meowth by an inch, barely brushing his pricked ears, and with a thunderous crash, shattered a hole in the wall behind him. With a shriek of horror, Misty and Aurora jumped up in fear and, trembling as they realized what had just happened, turned slowly toward Ash. Gary's jaw almost literally hit the ground. Meowth nearly fainted. And Ash stared at his hands in shock.
And very suddenly, very quietly, Ash walked numbly to his own crate and patiently sat waiting for the Team Rocket Pokemon to recover itself, ignoring the four thick layers of silence.
"As I was saying," Meowth croaked, feebly clawing his way back up to the top of the crate and flashing a warning glance at Ash, "You four have been chosen as the four human Daemons. Now, listen very closely. This is very important. You each have a Daemon to guard and aid you, but you must first tame them because they will not obey you and will test you gruelingly. Only once you have passed the test they present, will they oblige your command. They are in their own shrines, and you must travel the land to each one. The closest is in Cerulean City, and houses the Speed Daemon.
"But beware, the Renegades will be guarding them fiercely. If you don't tame the Daemons, they cannot bring the Psychic and Ghost gods back to power. And you will have to face the nearly the whole population of Pokemon existing on this planet.
"I would recommend you go to Celadon City and get supplies for you journey. You will need plenty of Ice Heals, trust me. Also bring a lot of food for the Renegades are very poor and some will stop at nothing for the tiniest morsel. One more warning, beware of your own Pokemon. Many trainers' Pokemon have rebelled against their masters, joined the Renegades, and have seriously injured people. If yours do, they will definitely try to kill you. Remember, you are their most wanted.
"All I can give you is a wish of good luck," the Meowth sighed, his grizzled fur bristling from the chill in the air, "and a single repayment to Ash and Misty." The Pokemon's narrow black eyes were shining with apology as it raised a small blue Ultra Ball. "While I was in Team Rocket, we found Ash and Misty unconscious and quickly took advantage by stealing every Pokemon they had with them. We raised Pikachu as well as we could. James even won a couple of badges. One day, two Machamps from the Revolt stole them from us from and Jessie and James died a few weeks later in the hospital from their Mega Punches. But we did raise a baby Pichu, Pikachu's son, into a champion." His eyes were glimmering in tears as Ash slowly reached out and gently touched the cold, metallic orb. It stung with memories. Pikachu's son… But there would be no Pikachu…
There would never be Pikachu.
"Take it and go."
Uncertain, Ash paused. He stared into Meowth's eyes and knew they had been truly sorry. So, hand bleeding slightly from the jagged metal, he took it shakily. Gary and the girls slowly walked out the door. Gary paused in the doorway, watching Ash clutch the Ultra Ball to his chest and stare at the Pokemon, his eyes silently pleading, 'Why?'
"Let's go Ketchum," he said with a surprising tone of cold concern.
"Yeah," Ash said, turning to walk toward the door, his hat tilted over his eyes, "let's go." He clutched the blue orb in his hand, and a single tear rolled down his cheek. His dreams were gone.

It was in the golden aura of the flickering campfire in a small grove of trees beside the path that the weight on their shoulders seemed to triple. Shadows loomed and pursued the light, like a Renegade stalking. They flinched at every flare of the light, when the dark skulked audaciously forward, but was soon fought off.
Around the Arashi-made fire, Aurora, who seemed the best at cooling the nerves of her comrades and planning, sighed and turned her eyes to each of them. Intelligent, concerned cerulean eyes; Arrogant, intense hazel eyes; and fiery, gritty sable eyes. In her heart, she knew that fear and heartache were no strangers to their lives now. Arashi curled beside her, her body shuddering from the ominous chill.
"Well," she said with a dull tone, "I guess this is it. Tomorrow we should do what the Meowth said, go into Celadon and get supplies for our journey."
Yet despite her words of soft comfort, they continued to hide their glances of fear and heartache. Ash, who had clearly endured the worst toll, sat with his back against the tree farthest from the rest of the group. With dark hair concealing his eyes, he tipped his tattered cap down and clutched the blue Ultra Ball to his chest, as silent as a shattered memory. He avoided them because he knew that Gary would mock him, he knew Misty would criticize him, and he knew that Aurora would overlook him for his condition.
"Come on you guys," Aurora encouraged softly, "you know we won't get anywhere if we don't act like a team."
"She's right."
Suddenly, they turned to discover that Ash was standing beside the fire, staring into the labyrinth of twisting ginger and crimson flames. He had the blue orb clutched in his hand. "We have to work as a team, else we are dead." He shrugged a backpack onto his shoulder and continued with the cold intensity of a trained commander. "We'll go into town, get the stuff we need, and head back here. If anybody gets separated, we should meet at Meowth's shack, Ok? Aurora, Gary, you guys have the only Pokemon, and we should share them in cause of attack. So everybody each take three."
The wind whistled like a ghostly lament, and it teased with an unnerving chill at their faces and hair, almost as if calling to come and play in the darkness outside the fire. Ash shivered and crouched next to the fire, warming his open palms over the flames.
"No way!" Gary rejected vehemently, wrathfully glaring at his rival who had seemed to find the leader in himself before he had. "They're my Pokemon so why should they have them, huh?" He folded his arms to add a tone of power and remained sitting. "I trained them hard, for what? Just to give them away like they were nothing? No way, no how. My Pokemon stay with their master, namely me. Got that?"
Across the fire, the flame-hair and orange blonde sighed with annoyance, flashing each other secret looks which were, undeniably, "Stupid boys…" Aurora dangerously snapped sparking eyes toward the most arrogant human Daemon, yet her usually intractable mouth was still.
Ash turned an accusing look toward his rival, and said, eyes narrowed threateningly in the golden glow of the fire, "Gary, just because you're Strength, doesn't mean that our opinions are nothing. For once in your life, accept the fact that someone besides your 'all-mighty' self is right." He was answered with silence from his adversary and a flaming challenge.
"Okay, calm down, we should get to sleep, okay?" Misty whined in a galled voice, rolling her blue eyes and moaning with the pure denseness of boys in general, especially Ash and Gary. She seemed to remind them of the lethal mallet she kept at the ready, and reluctantly, they withdrew slowly to their opposite sides and pressed their backs against the slick tree bark, but the argument of intense, mute insults were immortal.
Misty and Aurora curled the single blanket over them protectively, while they rested their heads against Kimawari. Misty gently stroked the Persian's luscious fur before she nudged her head against its flanks and turned to face the inky, star-freckled sky. The rhythmic purring massaged her throbbing headache, and Aurora turned before drifting off. But she glanced down from her sky gaze, to see Ash tossing dirt on the fire lazily with his hands. With a flare of refusal, the flames seemed to desperately stretch to the sky, as if trying to escape, but the earth sealed its fate. He sleepily murmured a few things over the ashes, as if asking for this nightmare to end. Ash flickered his gaze up and was locked with hers for a second, and it was then she saw it.
It was the first spark of depression and heartache that made him seem a thousand years old as he gazed back, his mind and heart twisted with infinite emotions. But he simply reverted his gaze to the rapidly dying fire. As soon as the silvery, ghost-like wisps of smoke teased the air, he leaned back against the tree, tilted down his hat brim, and with a final, weary sigh, drifted off.
But she knew what it meant.
Their lives were gone. Forever.

Ruby fur glistening in the pale, golden rays of morning, the fox was the first to awake, his jade eyes sleepily rolling as he tediously stretched his legs. Once his energy began to pulse in his veins, the spirit combed out a few burrs from his fur from the grass bed he had slept on, curling back his black lips in disgust as he picked at them with his fangs. Windy flicked his long, flowing tail causally and lunged through the bushes surrounding their hidden bed, while Sparky remained sleeping. He landed on agile black paws in the paw-printed, narrow path that led to the heavily Renegade guarded Celadon city, his muzzle gently stroking the wind as it whistled through the dense branches.
But nothing was detected. The golden, strawberry-tinted sunrays were captured in the dew on the emerald grass, like diamonds. A few savage cries from the disturbed Sperows in an overhead branch threateningly scolded the fox but, with a smirk, Windy spat a flame at the birds that bitterly squawked at him before they scattered. With an arrogant laugh, he snorted a few embers from his nostrils and pranced happily back in to the grove.
Sparky sat, his cheeks raining healthy, crackling sparks as he lazily stirred from his bed beneath a thorn bush and whipped his tail to rouse himself. The Electric mouse supported himself on his stubby, blood-blackened paws and shook the glittering dew from his gold fur. With a restrained yawn, he asked, "How's it look?"
"Cost is clear." Windy tossed his head in his impatience, sending the dew that had collected in his coat flying in a water barrage. "Hurry it up would you," he snapped, "I haven't eaten and I want to finish this assignment before I retire as an old geezer."
Sparky warningly released a few solitary white sparks that floated before the fox but shrugged it off and crouched to leap through the bushes. His fur suddenly was crackling with potent lightning as he paused, and the Raichu flinched in surprise. His frilly black ears twitched involuntarily, and he detected the faint wisps of human with his button nose. "Somebody's coming!" he whispered to his comrade, who promptly lay next to him, crimson and black body pressed against the ground and staring up through the gaps in the delicate leaves.
It was the soft thud of human feet.
Sparky and Windy both narrowed their fiercely gleaming eyes.
The Daemons.
Strength, the arrogant-eyed boy, led the way, perched on his Ponyta, which furiously teased the wind with its nose. Speed, the blue-eyed girl, pressed her delicate hands against the horse's flank and followed, nervously scanning the path. Stealth, the flame-haired girl, attentively focused on the ominously whispering trees and glanced back at the last Daemon. Vision, who had the supplies in a knapsack strung over his shoulder, suddenly froze as if he had been struck by lightning. His emotional sable eyes flickered as the dark dreams began to stir again. They remained eerily silent, yet they bristled with warning and kept shrieking in their screeching voices to run.
The rest of the kids ignored this and continued to warily walk on, but it was the accusing glare of Vision aimed straight at the bushes that made Sparky remember. It was the kid he had seen in the Shadow Void, and he felt the intensity of the glare cause him to flinch. The dark eyes of Vision were deep in a thick, sleepy trance and they drilled straight through them, like a ghost.
Unnerved, Windy resisted a spooked whine and flashed glistening jade eyes toward the Raichu. Sparky nodded.
Gary turned his head of spiky brown hair, staring heatedly at his rival, but quickly yanked on the Ponyta's mane to halt. Suspicious, he called out, "Ketchum, what are you doing?" With a snort, his fire horse reared suddenly, its body cloaked in an aura of pure flames. It fiercely shrilled a challenge, wildly slashing at the bushes with steel-hard, glinting hooves, its eyes a flaming hell of hate. The Ponyta's nostrils were violated repulsively with the stench of their bloody fur and violent intentions.
Misty quickly jumped back in shock but focused and firmly wrapped her fingers around its head and held it down as much as she could. The fire horse instantly thrashed against her and flung its hind legs violently into the air, screaming. It stumbled, as its hind legs came down off balance, and was thrown to the ground with Gary still on its back. Panting, she stood back as Gary scrambled off its back and recalled his unruly Pokemon. The Ponyta was paralyzed in mid leap at the bushes, its shrill challenge cut short, and the red energy surged back into the Poke Ball with a metallic echo.
Ash walked up, and his smirk twisted his face.
"Ketchum, shut up." Gary threateningly raised a fist that almost seemed to pulse with dark red light. His eyes were as icy and cruel as a steel chain, but were flaming dark warnings. "Don't think I can't thrash you as easily as a Charizard trashes a Oddish. Strength is no match for Vision."
Ash suddenly jerked over to the side as fast a thunderbolt as Gary tried a surprising spinning kick. But it fell with zero effect a foot short. Gary shrieked in surprise as Ash simply grabbed his foot and firmly held it. He hit the ground with a thud and he groaned weakly.
"Jeeze! Would you guys stop fighting?" Aurora whined, rolling her amber eyes. "Get serious! We don't have time to fool around when we have a job to do. I don't know about you but I listened to Meowth. He said we had to stop the Renegades. And this doesn't help us one bit to fight." She glared at Ash and Gary. "Now, shake. I don't want another scrap."
With a gleam of resent and anger, Ash sighed but he couldn't betray his good-hearted conscious. Even though he hated Gary's guts because of his relentless, cruel harassment, he knew he couldn't deny that they were once friends. So, despite the pride churning in his stomach, he offered his hand.
Folding his arms, Gary refused it by arrogantly turning away and sticking his nose in the air.
Misty whacked him in the head.
So, with anger burning in his flaming eyes, Gary resentfully finished the handshake. Suddenly, a shock flickered down both their spines, and they realized what they were doing. Memories of their long rejected, long forgotten friendship haunted them, and they stared at each other, before limply recoiling their hands. We they ever going to be friends? It had been years since the fight.
But Gary quickly regained his arrogant, abhorring glare and violently yanked his Arcaine's Poke Ball out and as the fearsome fire dog materialized from the red energy, leaped on his back, walking on down the road. "Forget it losers," he spat at them, "especially you Ketchum. That was a long time ago."
Misty shook her head. "Boys. Think they're so smart, act all cocky, then when they get sentimental, act like jerks or idiots. And they say we're hard to figure out." She folded her arms. "I guess they don't look in the mirror much."
Aurora, who led her Tauros yearling, laughed lightly and quickly slipped a spare piece of rope around his blunt muzzle as a halter. "I guess Gary isn't going to wait for us, knowing him," she said, "so we'll ride Jewel."
She swiftly flung her legs over its back, clutching his spike horns, and once mounted, she offered a hand up for Misty. Once she was on as well, Misty offered her hand to Ash. With a flicker of doubt in his emotional sable eyes, Ash hesitated for a moment, but accepted it and jumped on.
So, with one slight nudge of her heel, Aurora sent the Tauros cantering after the Strength Daemon. Jewel temporarily staggered but soon discovered a good gait and caught up.
Just as the dust from the hooves settled against the horizon, Windy, growling fiercely, snapped violently and leaped from the bush. The fox narrowed his eyes at Sparky as he emerged. "Why didn't you say go??!!" he roared, and dodged a retaliation thunderbolt from the Raichu. "WE HAD THEM!! They had weakling Pokemon! No Daemons! We could have stopped the Prophecy right here and now!" His fur bristled warningly, and lethal white fangs flashed against his black jaws.
Sparky shot a weak, lazy Thundershock at his comrade, and it knocked the fox to the ground lightly. He brushed the wild lock of gold fur from over his eyes, which glowed a bone white in anger, and he spat back, "Windy, think! I didn't get to this position in life by being a fool, like you are. The first rules your commander taught you in boot camp are to consider, strategize, and then attack! Damn it, if you had leaped out just then, they would have whomped you hard. You realize that you are only a level 3 trained spirit against four Daemons."
Snarling in rage, Windy leapt back up and snapped back, "A spirit and a level 1 trained Raichu! We could have taken them, they were inexperienced and we had the element of surprise!"
"I wouldn't have helped you do such a idiotic thing, ever!" Lethal sparks and a thunderclap emitted from the Electric leader's body, and he whipped the fox's nose with his long tail. Sparky snorted, a mist rising from his nostrils slightly, in arrogance as the spirit staggered back up. Windy's body pulsed with dark red light, his jade eyes flaming with livid green light, yet the high lieutenant remained silent.
"Have you learned your lesson, lieutenant? I don't want to resort to stronger attacks…" he warned, raising a fist enclosed in white sparks. "I do have the power and option to kill you on the spot, even though it wouldn't please Revenge. So I think you should respect your leader. Once we finish the raid, we'll attack with the new recruits and then we'll be able to stop them. That way we'll kill the Daemons with out getting to badly hurt, and it'll get the recruits some experience." He stared at Windy, who glared coldly back, and turned on his agile paws and trotted causally down the road. Reluctantly, the fox sulked after.
And the vast adventure to come unfolded, one called Celadon City.

Darkness loomed and listened to the stalking presence of the two Renegades as they silently, carefully placed their black paws against the cold steel. The eerie light emanating from their glowing eyes was the single motion of life in the pitch-black room. Sparky, with the occasional spark leaping and twisting from his dark cheeks to light the way, led silently, coldly glaring down at the targets.
Windy, who easily pierced the swirling night with his jade eyes, paused suddenly, then lightly stomped his foot. A sultry, hot wind circled in the dark, steel-walled room, and the Raichu glanced back at his accomplish.
It was the signal.
As they walked on the steel rafters, their hearing detected a deep, rumbling growl, which was not unlike thunder, from below. The guardian of the Pokemon Center barracks, a large Nidoking, flicked its spiky ears and detected their stealthy movement, yet was unable to pinpoint their location. Its blunt nose quivered, as it smelled acutely, and it was acridly violated with the bloody, revolting smell of evil they emitted. Nidokings, despite their enormous strength and bulk, were dull and this one couldn't have anticipated the ruby fury that descended with the screaming accuracy and swiftness like a diving hawk. Windy, claws extended, slashed at the Nidoking's susceptible eyes and screeched. In his open jaws, red embers danced and flickered as the fire he summoned came in a sweeping flame that broiled its target's eyes.
A roar so thunderous rumbled from the giant drill Pokemon that the bolts securing the pillar that Sparky stood on shook ominously. Instantly, his tail erect in fright, the Revolt leader heard the shrill whine of metal snapping and, in the light of Windy's Flamethrower attack, saw the bolts shoot from their sockets like bullets from guns. Suddenly, as Windy leaped away from the tortured Pokemon that clutched its eyes and the burned Nidoking released another bellow of rage and pain, the rafter gave way.
The detached beam, as if manipulated by Windy's concentrated jade eyes, hit the armored tank of Nidoking and sent it crashing to the ground, with Sparky clinging to it for dear life. Sparks were flying dangerously from his dark cheeks in fear, and he quickly leaped off the beam, panting. The Raichu nodded toward Windy, whispering, "The Pokemon should be around here but be careful. The humans probably have the whole place rigged."
"Should we get the Nidoking?"
"Only after we get the other Pokemon. But I'm not sure if he's even going to see after this," Sparky said softly, glancing back at the Nidoking's bleeding, glazed eyes that painfully shut. Its body shuddered before fading to unconsciousness. "He may not even live."
"One casualty. Not bad for a raid."
"Yeah, but we have to get moving," he warned, his face lighted by the sparks glowing in his cheeks. The Renegades turned to explore the dark barrack, only to be greeted by the angry shout of the guard.
"Hey! Who's there?" a human voice alerted them from the far corner. With intense, glowing eyes, they saw that he had been sleeping on a cot during their entrance, and the crash had awakened him. With a flick of his wrist, he raised a black pistol, and it clicked menacingly. Sparky, who nodded to his comrade to find their bounty, savagely snarled, his body glistening with lightning. In a lethal flash, the demon of speed crashed in a head butt into the human. Snarls and screams were the song of victory as the electric charge he shocked the human with knocked him out, and damaged his nerve system severely. The body fell onto the cot.
Meanwhile, his acutely quivering nose lowered to the ground, the ruby fox tracked the hidden Poke Balls. His paws landing on the floor echoed against the dark, bloodied walls, and once Windy reached the far corner, his nose flared and he yipped softly to Sparky. A small sack that clinked metallically when disturbed sat in the corner, slumping. As Sparky probed at it with his tail, to check for a trap, the lip of the sack drooped and a green Great Ball rolled out.
"Yes! That's it, now grab it and let's go!" Sparky whispered excitedly.
The jaws of the fox closed around the neck of the sack, and just as he lifted it…
BRIIIIII-iiiieee-NNNNNNNNNNNGGGGG!
A shrill alarm, screaming impending defeat into their ears, and they cringed as a crack of sudden light came from the opening door.

Ash, Misty, Aurora, and Gary, the four Daemons, paused as the thick, whispering foliage on the trail stopped, revealing their destination against a fairy-wing blue sky. Rusted, scarred skyscrapers stood, defiant against the sky and glistened dully in the sun. The people that had busied the streets in their memories now were wary, dark clothed and sulking, not smiling, not laughing. Only a few, darting eyes were raised as they, in shock, slowly, silently, walked down Main Street. They looked up from fires in barrels, from under black hats, from under cardboard boxes. A few, dangerous Pokemon were at their masters feet, but they seemed accusing of their masters. Every once in a while, a Pokemon, which was restrained on a leash, would savagely bark and scream and bear fangs and claws, thrashing to escape the leash and attack them.
"Well, this place has definitely changed…" Misty said worriedly. "Just look at the people. They seem so afraid, like their being attacked. And the Pokemon, they act like they want to kill us!" She shook her head, unnerved at a Rattata that fiercely snapped at them from its cage on the street.
"War does change people," Aurora said. "During the war, you're always on the alert, always fighting. It wrecks your nerves horribly. And afterwards, you keep seeing the enemy's troops walking down the road, standing in your yard, shooting in your house. The Pokemon, well, they take it just as hard as their masters and turn mean. That's why they hate us."
Up ahead, on his Arcanine, Gary said, "Yeah, they must be trying to rebel like the other Renegades. That's why they try to kill us. They know who we are." The coldness of his own words sent a shiver down his spine. "I guess we should get going, else who knows, they might get off their leashes…" He brushed his fingers causally through his spiky brown hair, and halted his mount suddenly, going pale.
"Hey, Gary, what's the matter? Why did you stop?" Ash yelled from the rear of the concession. He leaned over the side to see Gary, and instantly knew why.
Dusty daggers bristled dangerously and clashed hungrily, while the scythed claws drilled, spinning furiously, into the concrete road. Thin, wiry fissures appeared beneath the glinting blades as the massive creature bent forward on its claws. The dark, narrowed eyes flamed with the seasoned look of a killer, and the Sandslash smirked. It was at least 4 feet tall, and the bristling spines made it seemed twice as high. "Sand-SLASH!" it roared.
"It doesn't look to happy to see us does it?" Ash said fearfully, as it narrowed its eyes dangerously and raised one scythe to strike.
Suddenly, Gary said, rearing back his Arcanine, "Arcanine! Fire Barrier!"
Obediently, the dog released a flame barrier from its jaws and the thick flames blocked out their sight from the Sandslash. They crackled ominously, swaying in the wind, and they sighed in relief slightly. But the Arcanine didn't relax, as the Fire Barrier crackled, its black nose furiously quivered.
"SANDSLASH!"
The dark flash that plunged easily through the barrier swiped glinting scythes, and it screeched. The claws came down with a whistle and Gary violently twisted his Pokemon's head to dodge it. With a yelp of pain from Arcanine, the claw slashed down, barely missing his head. But despite the swiftness of the attacking Sandslash, Arcanine reacted quicker and aimed his fangs at its belly.
Suddenly, the Arcanine was head butted fiercely by the Sandslash and sent flying into Jewel behind it. Gary was flung onto the head of the Tauros, almost impaled on its sharp horns. The impact from him and his Pokemon sent a potent jolt through Jewel and, in the chain reaction, flung his riders to the ground as well.
Misty and Aurora both landed right on top of Ash, but he almost angrily shoved them off. His head had taken a hard blow, and Aurora was unconscious. Misty seemed to have endured without any bruises, and was sitting up, lightly rubbing her head. "That was definitely a ride. My head hurts… oww…" she said dizzily. Misty glanced over at Gary, who staggered up, leaning against the dizzy bulk of his Arcanine.
"I swear mommy… I didn't eat the cookies…" was all the dazed, misty response that he gave. Clutching his stomach, he then promptly puked.
Ash's own stomach became nauseous at the sight. Dazed and confused like the rest, he vaguely reached out a hand for Misty to help him up but didn't see the dusty brown-coated man and three others appear on the street. Suddenly, like cobras striking, they lunged forward and clapped their hands over Gary and Misty's mouths, quickly sedating them with needles. Misty quickly screamed, but it fell limp and dead because of the kidnappers' hands as she was dragged out of the street. Through misting, swirling eyes, she could see them pick up Aurora's limp body and quickly net the Pokemon.
Ash, blinded by impending black, only felt the gruff hands seize him by the mouth and arms and the slight, silent prick of a needle. Soon, he numbed and fell asleep as the hit men dragged them off.
The only voice was that of someone saying, "Good work Sandy. Now we'll dispose of those wicked Renegades."

Darkness, and a swirling storm of burning pain in her brain. Voices, a soft beckoning of life that seemingly became only a dream to listen to. Her body was numb and therefore did not exist in this black abyss of thoughts. Misty slowly detected the cold wind nipping her cheeks and a sharp intake breath of cold air caused her to open her eyes. Despite the haze from sleep, she saw the icy, dark walls around her and the dull light that flooded through the small, barred window. One wall was made of steel bars. Her heart quivered with fear in her chest as she realized where she was.
In a jail cell.
Sore and drowsy, Misty weakly raised herself from her laying position on a hard cot that was strung to the wall by chains. Her long, tangled orange-blonde hair fell in wisps over her face and through them she saw Aurora with her arms crossed and face dangerously glaring, sitting on a rickety chair on the other side. "Well, this isn't quite the welcome I expected…" she whined, then, as she saw Misty awakening, said, "You finally woke up! Those drugs must have put you out pretty hard."
Confused, she asked, rubbing her head as she sat up, "Drugs? I got drugged?"
"Don't you remember? After we got knocked off Jewel, they drugged you guys. Right, Gary?" Aurora turned to face the barred wall, which showed the two boys in their own muddy, filthy cell. Dirty and tired as well, Gary leaned up against the bars with his hands limply hanging out. His eyes were half closed, still slightly effected from the sedative.
"Yeah, whatever… just please be quiet… I've got a huge headache…" he moaned drowsily.
Aurora laughed. "That's a yes," she reassured Misty.
Misty staggered up and looked across the corridor to the other occupied cell to see that Ash was standing on their chair, straining to look out the window. With a drained sigh of dejection, he sat back down and rested his chin in his palms. His muddy, ragged hat was barely holding together, limp and faded, yet he still kept it. "Hey you guys, what do you think Meowth meant when he said the Daemons would test us?" he asked suddenly, raising his head from his hands.
Gary, who leaned fully against the bars and let his arms hang limply through, as if depressed, was the first to talk. Dark brown eyes half closed, he drowsily said, "What was the question again..." Lazily murmuring in disorientation, the Strength Daemon slumped to the ground, totally asleep in the corner.
"I think what he meant was that they want to see if we're good enough," Misty replied, brushing her fingers through her ruffled orange blonde hair. "But the test itself might just depend on what Daemon it is," she added. The lanky girl reached up to the top bunk, and swiftly pulled herself up to gaze out the window. Through the barred window, which seemed to laugh at her in her prison, she could see only a grimy back alley littered with tipped garbage cans and the occasional, black-smeared Ratattas snapping over a scrap.
Aurora glanced up at her. "What do you mean?"
"Well, just think about. The Speed Daemon must test how fast you are, the Stealth how sneaky you are, the Strength how strong you are, and Vision… hmm, I guess I don't know about that. What kind of test would have to do with Vision?" Misty turned her curious blue eyes toward the Vision Daemon as if silently asking him.
Suddenly, a click of a steel door being opened echoed ominously through the silent hall. Instantly, Ash, Misty, and Aurora caught their breaths, and then raced to the bars. Misty brushed back her long orange hair which she had pulled back into a ponytail with a piece of rope they had found in the shack, leaning through the bars as much as she could managed without being wedged in. The cold, bitter bars felt like steel-ice against the warm flesh of her cheeks. All of the Daemons glanced up at each other, their eyes tensed in fear.
Dusty brown spikes bristled like daggers as the sleek, lethal Sandslash entered on its clawed feet, scythes at the ready. A muted light flooded in through the opened door, highlighting the dangerous creature. Its refined head acutely scanned the corridor, its intense black eyes landing on their cells. The Pokemon tilted its head back toward the door, hissing a swift, "Slash!"
"Let 'em out Sandy. They check out," a gruff but compassionate, vaguely male voice said from the door. A sudden black silhouette of a human cut the light from behind the Sandslash, raising a jangling ring of keys and flicking them toward his Pokemon. The Sandslash easily caught the keys around its scythe claws. With an obedient nod, it walked down the corridor while clutching the keys between its long claws.
"Careful," Aurora whispered as it came closer, "this could be a trick." Her voice was deathly serious, and she apparently recognized the importance of this mission. Fiery amber eyes narrowed, she locked a suspicious glare on the Sandslash as it skillfully placed the key into the steel lock. A healthy dust brown, the Pokemon's scale-like daggers relaxed against its skin, making it seem much smaller. The key slid into the lock, clicked, and the door automatically swung open.
Misty and Aurora felt a sudden breeze of cool, refreshing freedom brush lightly against their skin as the bars seemed to recoil, releasing them. The Sandslash stepped out of their way, as courteous as a servant, as the female half of the Daemon group embraced in happiness, savoring their freedom.
"Hey, the guys would also like to get out!" Ash said sharply, his bloodied hands tightly clutching the icy, forbidding bars.
"Oops, sorry Ash, I guess we kind of forgot," Aurora apologized sincerely. A slight flush of embarrassment dusted her cheeks, and she swiftly wrenched out the key of their lock and unlocked his cell. She grasped the bars and pulled the wall back like door. As the Vision Daemon stepped out of the imprisoning cell, he turned to see the man walking towards them.
His rough, spiky brown hair was straight in the air, and the instant Misty and Ash's eyes fell upon that hauntingly familiar face, their hearts were torn between tears and fear. The man's tanned, ruggedly handsome face was dark from dirt and the same squinting eyes that only held compassion and laughter, like so many memories proved to be true. He was at least six feet tall, with a slight, warm smile on his lips. It was like staring into a mirror, watching your remembrance suddenly become your reality; one you knew couldn't truly be what it was. His dark, rough attire was made up of a black bandana, dusty brown pants, and a leather vest. "Sorry about locking you guys up," he said with an apologetic smile, "but we have to be careful. A lot of Dittos have been morphing into people and attacking lately. You guys check out though, you're free to go. Your Pokemon are at the Pokemon Center being treated."
Ash leaned slightly toward Misty, whispering in her ear, "Hey, that guy looks just like Brock! Do you think he could be?"
Misty only slightly turned her head toward him, so the guy wouldn't notice. "No way! It's been over five hundred years since we last saw him, before all of this. Brock couldn't have stayed fifteen for that long! Its impossible!"
Meanwhile, as outgoing and friendly as she was, Aurora had boldly offered her hand and the Brock-look-alike shook it. He possessed the same Brock charm and compassion, but the mirror-memory they were witnessing couldn't really be…
"Hi! My name's Aurora Leah, nice to meet you," she happily introduced herself.
With a hearty laugh, the man replied, "Nice to meet you to! The name's Tremaine Slate. And my Pokemon is Sandy." Sandy, its brown scales bristling, rubbed against its master's leg, seemed to really love Tremaine. Its black eyes were sealed and it obediently followed as his master suddenly noticed Misty whispering and turned his gaze toward them. "And who might you be?"
"I'm Misty," she replied. "This is Ash." She pointed behind her "And the guy asleep in the cell is Gary. I was wondering, are you related to someone named Brock? We, uh, kind of knew him-"
"No way!" Tremaine suddenly interrupted, surprised. He stepped back, scratching his head. "Brock was my great-great-great-grandpa! In the hospital, he told me when I was two that he knew two kids named Ash and Misty when he was a kid. But that's impossible!" He was stunned, but the familiar echo of memories of Brock in Tremaine let them knew that he was happy to finally see them, even if Brock couldn't. "Well, I guess if you are Ash and Misty, you four must be the Daemons."
"Yeah! How did you tell?" Aurora asked, curious.
He causally reached down with a hand to stroke his Sandslash, Sandy. "Well, if you knew Brock when he was a kid, over four hundred years ago, you must be the Daemons because no human who wasn't could have lived that long. A Ghost god created the Prophecy so naturally, because Ghosts have a power to preserve human bodies and souls, they should be able to live as long as they were in the spell of Sleep. Besides, it kind of gave away when he said you guys had encountered the Ghost and Psychic gods before."
Tremaine paused, as there was a slight, pained moan from the waking Strength Daemon. Sleepily, weakly opening his light brown eyes, Gary slowly stood up. He yawned loudly, still recovering from the drugs, and leaned heavily against the bars, clearing his vision. "What'd I miss?" he asked mistily.
Instantly, a flicker of mischief devilishly told them exactly how to react. Three smirking eyes met as they nodded slightly, laughing inside. "Oh, not anything important…" Aurora said slyly, her hand gently pushing the door shut. Being as drowsy-headed as a Pikachu-ketchup-high, Gary didn't notice that they were outside while the door clanged shut.
"Hey!" he snapped swiftly into reality, just as the door was about to lock. With a smirk of vengeance he deserved so much, Ash stopped the door, but only a slim fraction of an inch from being locked in again. Gary had lunged at the gate, and now froze instantly in place as he saw just who had held it.
"Well Gary, I guess the tables have turned." Ash tilted back the edges of his lips threateningly in an irrepressible smirk. His fingers snatched the keys out of the lock, and jangled them like metal bait in front of Gary.
"Come on Ketchum, knock it off."
"I have a first name you know," he said a little cynically.
"Just open the door, okay?"
"Why should I? I don't owe you a single favor."
"I'll give you a very hard punch if you don't."
"From all the way in there?" he asked, mocking him. "I don't think so."
Dangerous eyes narrowed, he repeated through gritted teeth, "Just do it."
Ash met the fiery glare with his devilish smile. "Hmm… I guess we could leave him here while we get the supplies, or maybe longer, couldn't we?"
"Certainly," Misty confirmed.
"Okay okay! What do want me to do, Ketchum?"
"My name's Ash."
"Fine, Ash, what do you want?"
"A complete apology."
"WHAT!?"
"No apology, no keys."
Gary grumbled dangerously to himself, barely audible.
"Can't hear you, Gary."
"ALRIGHT! I am sorry!"
"Aw, say it like you mean it," Ash said in a mocking, babyish voice.
"Shut up…"
"Okay guys, let's go!" he said causally to Misty and Aurora, slightly turning and relaxing his grip on the bars.
"Wait! Alright, I'll do it. I'm really sorry."
"For what?"
"Don't push it."
Ash laughed, his hand pulling the door back just enough to admit Gary through, and slammed it shut after him in emphasis. With a glare, he smoothed down his mud-knotted hair and threateningly sparked a challenge. It retained the arrogant fire he constantly fed by tormenting Ash, obviously unaffected by his apology. As if he was reading his mind, Ash gritted his teeth behind his sealed lips as Gary haughtily walked past. Once again, the dark dreams stirred sleepily, only nipping at the thought of retaliation. But he ignored them. One day, he thought, Gary will pay.
"Okay, let's go get your Pokemon and I'll explain the situation on the way," Tremaine said, gesturing the four Daemons to follow him. "We have a lot to tell you, if you want to survive the Prophecy, unlike the last group." Sandy nodded and she bristled her long, dangerous spikes in warning as they walked down the corridor and were flooded with light as the door opened at the end.
All the time, they kept thinking, "The last group?"

The infinite, welcoming arch of the passive blue sky clashed with the dark, tense presence of warring shadows. Hunting, fire-lit eyes only thrived on vengeance, and their sleek, swift bodies glided on shadow-wings. Their gazes settled on the group of human youths, their narrowed eyes glowed with retaliation.
They knew.
Meanwhile, oblivious to the death stares they received, the four Daemons walked out of the shabby building, a rundown apartment. Its windows were boarded up, as if being bombarded by an army, and the punished building sagged in the picturesque sunlight, only one ghastly reminder of the harsh cruelty of the twisted destiny overhanging Indigo Island. Tremaine led them out, while he recalled Sandy to her Poke Ball, raising his palm to shade his eyes.
As usual, Misty and Aurora led the Daemons. They seemed to maintain respect for their teammates more than the two males. Ash came out third, his fiery brown eyes narrowed at Gary. His lips form an insult, only to be discovered by Aurora who kicked him, and stopped. The final Daemon came out the door, joining the group as they looked down the street.
Tremaine glanced around the street, as if expecting an assault, his hand resting against an ominously bulging pocket. His dark fingers tightened around it, but soon relaxed and turned toward the Pokemon Center. Sunlight cascaded down the street that lay in disrepair and smudged with mud, trash and the occasional dead Rattata. Just as Tremaine nodded to them, again, destiny twisted just to show them their paths wouldn't be the forgiving ones.
The sudden flare of venomous eyes that glowed in the dark alley across the street loomed like twin nightmares.
"Neo." Tremaine's face twisted agitatedly, instantly turning to ice. Ash, Misty, Aurora, and Gary all cringed, terrified. Their backs against the walls, they all reached for their shining Poke Balls. Somehow he noticed. "Don't, your Pokemon aren't strong enough to stop him. Neo is a demon, and they'd only be hurt."
"Neo? What are you talking about Tremaine? How could he be a demon?" Misty asked, her voice quivering. There was a flare of pain in her chest.
"You'll see." His voice was cold.
Ash flinched. Neo? Again, the familiar dark dreams hissed and circled. They were again furiously snapping at his mind, as venomous and bitter as poison. Flashes. They were of the darkening, narrowed eyes that shadowed over in anger. Pain. Whiplashes over the nose. Angry words and angry screams. Shadows. Light. Evolution. Revenge. Screams. Thirst for more vengeance. Rebellious snorts and roars. Attacks. Pain. Rage. People throwing ropes. Snapping. Stomping. Screams. Only one thought. Why?
Ash blinked, his eyes flashing a last time, one that echoed ominously, and found only the sky staring back. He was on his back, dizzy from the visions. They hissed but faded, like a final wisp of smoke from a firestorm.
"Hey Ash, what are you doing?" Misty and Aurora's concerned, fearful eyes leaned over him, glimmering like gems in terror. "You gotta get up, that thing's attacking!" Misty said, reaching out a hand. Quickly, he accepted it and was swiftly yanked to his feet, longish black hair unruly beneath his loose hat. Blinking from the punishing sunlight, he leaned against the wall to straighten out his rocked mind.
"I-it's nothing… I'll explain later," he said quickly, his fingers, still bloody, were gently massaging his throbbing temples.
Neo. Again. Neo, a demon? His dreams only pictured a bloodied, rugged Donphan, a Pokemon. Not anything close to a demon.
The narrowed, rage-misted eyes locked solidly on Tremaine. Suddenly, there was a furious, thunderous roar from the dark alley, and twin, glinting horns were thrust into the air dangerous, swinging furiously. Only pure hatred could of rivaled the fearsome creature in potency, as the demon thundered out.
Dark, navy blue armor glinting in the sunlight; two long horns on his long, narrow head that curved lethally; leather-skinned, immense bulk powerful enough to destroy a brick building with a few tackles; stocky, rock-hard legs that quaked the frail ground beneath their thunder-power; and finally, the narrowed, fury-burning eyes that were over-shadowed ominously by the horns.
The rhino demon lolled its head dangerously, the horns slashing, angrily roaring in its hoarse, desperate voice. It must have been at least a towering ten feet. Feet pawing, it flashed a glare in Tremaine's direction. Instead of charging in a destruction spree, it suddenly opened its mouth and spoke. "Well Tremaine, I've finally had enough. The Celadon Defense will be my next victory." Neo's rough, rumbling voice was like listening to slowly rolling thunder. "Do you really hope to stop me? It doesn't look like you've got Zapdos to help this time. After that battle, I don't think that turkey will ever squawk again."
Tremaine now cradled a pistol in his hand, which clicked threateningly. His eyes, once passive, were as angry as hell. "Neo quit it. You know the truth. Don't tell me you actually believed it was your master who beat you. It was the circus master whipping you again in a dream," Tremaine said, aiming.
Neo's dangerous eyes narrowed, his long horns lowered. "Shut up human," the low, nightmarish voice rumbled. Suddenly, the rhino leaped forward, landing in the street that cracked at impact before Tremaine. Its swift, darting eyes landed on the four kids, darkening. "The Daemons…"
Tremaine, shocked, yelled in fear, "No, don't!" Suddenly, he yanked back on the trigger.
Time echoed the failure, the smashed bullet falling to the ground, easily deflected off the glinting armor. Neo's smirk flashed. But it faded instantly, as the massive rhino demon summoned a golden glow around its horns. It reared back slightly, preparing to shoot the orb of swirling gold light that was barely restrained. Hyper Beam. Tremaine swiftly, in one furious movement, raised the gun and shot again, but the bullet fell to the ground, deflected by the leathery, thick skin.
Neo's hyper beam, flickering around the orb like unruly lightning, lashing out to attack wildly, began to glow. Directed straight at the four destined humans, it was only the first of many times when would destiny throw them a curve.
But the demon didn't just aim vaguely. His sights focused on the Strength Daemon, one who answered the attack with cold, angry eyes that fumed icily. Gary didn't run, but simply stood straight, confident and impassive at the same time. Wild, fiercely spiky hair slightly waving, he said to the demon, "Take your best shot."
"Gary, what are you doing?? You'll get killed!" Ash said suddenly, surprisingly concerned for his most hated rival.
"Shut up Ketchum."
Aurora, her usual cynical self, she said to herself, "Pathetic last words."
It shot.

Author's Notes
*****************

This chapter could have gone on for a very very long time, but I decided this is a good a place as any to stop. Man, I love cliffhangers. The name for the chapter didn't even exist until I was writing this. Lately, I've been losing my inspiration (you know, more and more school kind of tires you out.) but don't worry. I've just got to relax a bit. But I'm still sad cuz for clubs in school Capture the Flag is over… Wah!

Chustang@nativestar.net