The End of Our Song
"In the darkness is the light
Surrender, we'll win the fight
This girl's walked through fire and ice
But I come out on the other side of paradise."
--So Wierd Theme Song
*****
Fighting definately sucks. If I ever make it back home in one piece, I'm not sure that I'd ever fight again. But was it the fighting or the brute violence of it all? See, I've fought at school, seen the most violent movies, listend to rap music, but none of that could've prepared me for what I saw. I mean, I know that it isn't what you hear or listen to that matters, it's what you feel in your heart. I was feeling pretty sick then.
I would've expected a Pokémon battle to be as stratedgized and calculated as a small fight between Trainers. Nuh-uh, none of that here. What I was facing and zooming around and through, was instinctively fought. I should've been extremely indifferent to the fighting around me, but I wasn't. I felt frozen inside, deep inside in the place that says what's right and what's wrong.
I played the field, actually a meadow, full of angry, fighting, dangerous Pokémon, and I hovered, darted, and evaded attacks, going from tree to tree, and relying on my flight speed. Luckily, I was pretty quick, because I really had no true desire to fight. This body was too new, unfamiliar. I probably could've whooped ass in my own body, happy to do so, but as a Mew...well, I felt weak.
I barely dodged an Ice Beam from an irate Poliwrath; the tree behind me became an ice sculpture. An Ivysaur used its Vines to Whip the Poliwrath out to Viridian. I smiled in thanks and we parted ways. I hoped I'd get a chance to thank it later on.
I paused on the top branches of a tall tree, momentarily hidden though some of the branches were smoking and smoldering. I could see Pallet just down the hill and it seemed to be in the same state as every other city. In ruins.
The Kadabra from Moonsong's group had let us know that Xanady had taken Professor Oak, Ash's Mom, Misty, and Brock as hostages in Ash's own house. They were not human anymore. Xanady had to have known that I was back.
A high-pitched yelp knocked me from my thoughts and almost from the tree. In the few moments I'd been up a tree, Moonsong had gotten hit. I saw her fall, totally encased in ice.
Ice Beam.
I saw the Lapras responsible aiming another Ice Beam at Gary. He'd stumbled and fallen, apparently he'd run to aide Moonsong. It was more than I could presently take. Though I was about two hundred fighting filled feet from the Lapras, I rose high above the tree I'd been in and then I fell. I used the momentum from my descent to hurtle towards it. Anger for Moonsong fueled me and the air screamed around me. Then I realized I was screaming too, an incredible anger that nearly blinded me.
I didn't notice the backlash of my flight tossing fighters of both factions aside like dolls. I only saw the Lapras, its mouth opening slowly, saw the Beam readying. It moved in slow motion to me, while I moved like a speeding bullet. I watched the Lapras getting bigger and bigger, but I only sped up. When I hit it, bullet style, the Ice Beam shot up harmlessly into the sky. I had struck it hard, went through it, purple bits of matter flew everywhere. It took a moment to realize it had actually been a Ditto.
Suddenly, Gary was there, up and unharmed, save for a cut on his foreleg. I hovered by him, purple goo dripping off me. I didn't hear Gary when he said something to me. I dropped to Moonsong's side, the war raging on around us. She was solidly encased by the thick Ice. I punched at it over and over, ignoring my own pain. The only thing that ended up being hurt were my fists. I stood over her, blood dripped onto the ice, when someting clicked within me.
I felt power concentrated in my right arm. I pulled back and let my fist fly. I'd learned Mega Punch.
Shards of ice flew and Moonsong gasped, sucking in air to her battered lungs. She looked like she'd be okay, but I didn't bother asking.
It was the last straw for me. "Get her to someplace safe," I commanded Gary as I rose up into the air and darted to Ash's house.
It lay, untouched, undamaged, by the mess that Xanady had created. The rest of Pallet was as totalled as I'd thought I'd seen from the tree. I didn't even want to think about the damage done to Johto.
"Xanady!" I called out, my voice strong.
From the house below, came movement. A group of fighting Pokémon stepped out: A few Machop, Hitmonchan, and Hitmonlee. They saw me, hovering far above them. One ran inside and a moment later, came back, trailing behind Xanady.
The "reunion" wasn't as dramatic as I'd thought it would be.
"Looks like someone wasn't carefull," Xanady sneered, "Or didn't your precious Gary tell you anything?"
"Oh, he told me, aiight." I sneered back, "But enought of that. I'm not here to chit-chat. I'm not going to let your reign of terror continue anymore. You're finished."
Xanady smirked, "I'd like to see you try...." Her eyes blazed blue...Psychic blue. "...when you're powerless to stop me!" She threw her hands forward and up; her hair lifted in some unseen gust of wind and I was frozen in place.
"I spliced my DNA with that of a Kadabra. I'll let you talk, of course! I'm sure you have questions!"
It dawned on me, as she rose up into the air, that the fighting had stopped and all was quiet. It didn't scare me.
The sight of Xanady hovering fifteen feet from me, didn't scare me.
The thought of loosing to her...that scared me.
Take the necklace off! The gentle chiming voice nearly gave me a heart attack.
Mew? I can't, I'm unable to move. Sides, didn't you say not to?
She didn't answer. I felt the necklace unclasp itself and slide off, dropping to the ground far below with a clinking noise. Suddenly, I was filled with knowlege.
"An interesting conversation, Cirrus. I hadn't known Mew was in touch with you. A mistake I won't make again..." Xanady hovered closer, her eyes glowing again.
"You're right," I said sadly, "You won't." I hovered a bit higher, ignoring Xanady's gasp, as I was free from her grasp, and I turned her attack back on her.
I heard curious murmerings from below and I looked down. Below, Pokémon of all shapes, sizes, and types milled about. Xanady's forces looked confused, like...
...like they'd been hypnotized! I thought.
"You had them completely under control, didn't you?" I asked her.
"Of course, you idiot. Not a one of them would willingly fight against each other." Xanady looked confident.
"Will you reverse the effects and turn yourself over to the authorities, Professor Holly Xanady?"
"Never! You really are such a fool, Cirrus!"
I faced her, barely ten feet away. "Then in the name of the Legendary Pokémon, I must and will punish you. For no one else can."
"Blow off, Outlander." Hostility dripped from each word.
"I call upon Zapdos and Raikou, Guardians of Electricity, lend me your power!" Lightning crashed in reply and I was outlined in a yellow aura.
"Moltres and Entei, Guardians of Fire, lend me your power!" I felt a wave of heat and the yellow was joined by red.
"No, stop! Don't listen to her!" Xanady cried out to those below us.
I glimpsed down to see that the milling Pokémon had, consciously or unconsciously, gathered into groups according to Type. They were watching us intently.
"Articuno and Suicune, Guardians of Ice and Water, lend me your power!" White and blue glowed on top of the yellow and red. It began to rain, a misty mix of ice and water.
"Ho-oh and Lugia, Guardians of Faith and Love, lend me your strength...Mew and Mewtwo, lend me the knowlege!" The power of all those I called upon swirled around me in a malestrom of colors, an aurora borealis of power. I closed my eyes and concentrated on what I had to do.
*****
Gary watched as Xanady started to scream in terror, he watched with other Fire types. The sleet never touched them or the Rock types. He watched Cirrus with something akin to awe. A multi-colored aura of power surrounded her tiny Mew form and he thought he'd seen the ghostly forms of the Legendary Pokémon she called upon.
"I only have to take three steps, Xanady." Cirrus' voice echoed, as if the Legendary Pokémon spoke with her. "All of your wrongs will be undone."
"ONE!" The rain suddenly vanished and bright sunshine replaced it. There was a ripple in the air around Cirrus, a ring that looked like Xanady's changewave, and it hung around Cirrus, like a bracelet around a woman's wrist. As it hovered around her, Cirrus closed her eyes and the ring began to glow brightly, with all the colors that surrounded her.
A second later, it shot away from a completely human Cirrus, becoming a wave of power. As it passed through buildings, they rebuilt themselves. When it passed through Pokémon, they became human, screaming as it passed. When it reached Gary, he screamed, though it was more out of surprise than fear. He tingled all over, as if suffering from a massive case of pins and needles. A moment later, he opened his eyes to find he was completely human.
There were real Pokémon in the mix of humans and it looked as if this wave merely refreshed them. The wave had disappeared, heading to Johto, Viridian, Pewter, Celadon....everywhere. If what he saw was any indication, everything would be as if Xanady had never done what she did.
"TWO!"
Gary looked up at the thunderous voice.
Xanady was changing and being lowered to the ground. The psychic glow faded from her eyes, leaving them their natural blue color. Her outfit, a black leather jumpsuit, changed to a flowing dress. Her black hair loosened from its tight bun and fell to her waist in loose waves. Xanady looked up at Cirrus in wonder, as if a great weight had been lifted from her shoulders.
"I'm sorry, Holly Xanady, but you can't be trusted." Cirrus said sadly. "Perhaps one day, your efforts will be better appreciated and you might have the knowlege to use them more wisely."
As Xanady's feet touched the earth, she froze and changed completely, her arms held out, palms up. Her head tilted up, her eyes looking blankly up at the sky.
Xanady was now a statue of the finest pink marble.
Cirrus touched down next to Gary, the rainbow aura fading and then vanishing completely. She looked tired, but not exhausted, and she smiled at Gary.
A gentle, warm breeze blew past them, bringing the winds of change, the scent of flowers and the cleansing rain that had been.
"You said there were three steps." He said.
"I did." Her eyes sparkled in the sun, a light amber color, the only change left undone. She paused as Mew and Mewtwo appeared on either side of her. "But I think this is more their style."
People had begun to gather around Cirrus in a mix of curiosity and fear. Now they backed away as the two Psychic Pokémon held paws and rose up into the air.
Cirrus looked up after them. "It is better this way, like you told me Mewtwo, that no one remembers this. What happened here is better off a bad dream."
"NO!" Gary cried out, grabbing her by the shoulders. "I don't want to forget. Not you, not any of this! You can't do this!"
"No, I can't, but they can and will. You deserve better, Gary Oak. Better than this, better than me." She looked up at him, tears in her eyes. "But I don't want to forget either." She shook him off and walked to join Moonsong, who had been patiently waiting with Umbreon.
"No, Cirrus!" He yelled out in desperation. He ran, but tripped over a rock and fell into the trampled tall grass. Something shiny gleamed in the mess and he grabbed it and lept to his feet. "Cirrus, please! You've showed me what's good in life and that I don't have to be an ungreatful jerk to get it! Don't leave me now, not like this! Not after...all we've been through."
She faced him, tears glinting in her eyes, and she smiled at him. "Now, Mewtwo, before I change my mind."
"THREE!" Mew and Mewtwo shouted, a telepathic booming in Gary's mind.
"No, Cirrus! I lo..." But a bright Flash lit up the area and all was quiet.
*****
"Gary? Gary, are you okay?" The voice was male, a bit rough, and Gary opened his eyes.
Ash Ketchum gazed worriedly down at him.
"What do you want, looser?" His voice was harsh.
Ash merely sighed and looked back. "He's gonna be okay!"
"Oh, gee, what a relief." A female voice said blandly, obviously not concerned with Gary's welfare.
Gary sat up to see he was in a cot bed beneath a window. The building only had one room and it was completely wooden. A fire blazed merrily in the fireplace. He saw Ash, Misty, Brock, and Pikachu staring at him.
Gary blinked, his mind was a scattered mess. For some reason, he didn't expect to see them looking so normal. He took a look around again and it dawned on him. He was in Gramps' cabin.
"Your Grandfather told us you'd been training up here for a few weeks," Brock said, looking up from the pot he was stirring. "When you didn't answer his calls and you didn't call him, he sent us up to look for you."
"Yeah, and apparantly, you'd gotten caught in that freak snowstorm." Misty said as she brought over a bowl of soup Brock had given her. "Careful, it's hot."
Gary ignored the bowl, "What do you mean, snow? There isn't any..." He struggled to look out the window at the blinding whitness outside. The sun was shining brightly, but it wasn't the summer-fest he'd been expecting to see. "But I remember it being warm and sunny..."
He missed seeing the looks that passed between the trio as images sped through his mind, memories of nothing and yet, he felt they were more important than breathing.
"...we found this clutched in your hand," Brock was saying, and he held out something shiny. "Ah, we didn't know if it was important or not."
Gary held the silver necklace in a shaky grip, his Eevee lept up onto the bed and nosed him. Gary looked down into Eevee's chocolate brown eyes and aksed, "When can I go home?"
*****
The next morning, Gary and the others stood outside the cabin in the snow. He gripped the Pokéball he held in his hand, shivered, and turned to the others. "You sure you can make it back okay?"
"Sure, I'm sure. I know what I'm doin'," Ash said, ignoring the snickers from Brock and Misty, "You just make sure you're okay. I want a rematch with you cause this time, I'm ready for you!"
Gary smiled, "Whatever you say...Ash. Later."
Ignoring Ash's look of amazement at having said his name and not "Looser", Gary threw the Pokéball into the air and a large Fearow formed and waited. Gary climbed on its back and as the Fearow climbed into the sky and winged its way towards Pallet, Gary Oak wondered what he was missing.
Whew, what an adventure!
But, is it really the end? Or is there an epilogue in sight?