Part 1: Genesis

Legends of Team Rocket

Part 1: Genesis

By DK

KEY:

This indicates thoughts.

{This indicates Pokémon speech.}

[This indicates psychic speech.]

(Author's Note: In case this confuses you in the situation of a psychic Pokémon talking, think of it this way: there is no Pokémon language to psychic speech; you hear the words directly inside your mind and they are completely understandable by all.)

(Four years ago)

As Utor entered the dark, unlit room, he made sure that he closed the door as quietly as he could. The Boss didn't need to be irritated further, not after his latest blunder. He grimaced as he pictured the Boss's reaction to his report.

"This may well be my last," he muttered to himself as he strode forward towards the tall, oaken desk placed near the back wall.

A shadowed figure sat behind it on an expensive velvet chair. Utor's head was bowed; he dared not make eye contact.

The deep, sinister voice rolled across the room like thunder. "Darru has escaped again." It wasn't a question.

Utor braced himself for an attack. When it did not come, he realized that the Boss was awaiting an answer. "Yes," he answered as firmly as he could. The Boss didn't appreciate weak agents, particularly the ones which communicated directly with him. Most members of Team Rocket never even so much as entered his presence.

The dark form got up from his chair soundlessly, vastly in contrast to the loud footsteps even the intricately woven Oriental rug couldn't absorb. Utor contented himself to stare at the Boss's costly, black, dress shoes. Even the slightest movement could earn him a quick death.

The blow came swiftly. Utor had been half-expecting it, so luckily he wasn't as injured as he could've been. Utor's huge frame went flying across the room and thudded heavily against the far wall. His large body slid down with a slight screeching noise until he lay in a crumpled heap upon the dustless floor. As the pain began to ebb away, he contemplated whether to risk standing up, or to simply lie there and catch his breath. The latter seemed to appeal more to him, so he remained huddled on the floor, head still lowered.

The Boss's voice was soft with anger. "You underestimated him. As always. As a former member, he knows our weaknesses. But," the Boss added, and Utor could sense the TR leader's evil smile, "I know his own limitations as well."

A powerful hand clamped onto Utor's neck and jerked him up into the air like an uprooted weed. Utor's thick boots hardly brushed the floor as the Boss kept him suspended. Utor was forced to look at the notorious leader's face: piercing brown-black eyes peered out from underneath a mask of the darkness that shadowed him; a sharp, well-chiseled nose; an angry line of a mouth, now curled back to reveal white rows of even teeth in a cruel, mocking grin; a hairline that rode farther back on his smooth forehead; high cheekbones; and, lastly: slashing, thick eyebrows, giving him a permanent frown on his face. Despite the frown, the Boss may have been classified by most females as good-looking. But the coldness in his eyes betrayed him; his entire being was evil, and devoted to destructive causes.

His unblinking eyes bore into Utor's skull, the evil in his eyes evident. Utor didn't even bother struggling in the iron grip, which grew tighter (with) every second that passed by. Utor's breath was coming in short, ragged gasps, as he was gradually suffocating.

The Boss opened his mouth to speak. "You will capture Darru, alive, and bring him back to me. I have been very lenient with you. One more failure, one more mistake" - the dark man's grip tightened with emphasis upon the words "failure" and "mistake" – "and you shall never live to see the light of another day." The hold nearly wrenched his neck off. "Is that clear?"

With painful effort Utor nodded his head. "Y-y-yes" he croaked hoarsely. He didn't think he'd be able to last much longer.

However, the Boss seemed satisfied with that, as he dropped Utor to the ground. His massive body crashed against the ornamented carpet, panting for air. Utor lay sprawled out for a few minutes, finding his lungs functioning again to give his windpipe a much-needed break from being nearly strangled to death.

Once he had the air moving normally again through his mouth and nose, he struggled to his feet. "I won't fail you this time, sir," he stated, his voice gravelly and rough from his coughing. "Darru will be yours." He spoke with a bit more confidence than he had earlier.

The TR head honcho returned to his seat and sank into it with a slight creak. "Good. Remember to bring him alive. You may do whatever you want to restrain him, but leave him breathing. And if you fail, you shall die. Dismissed."

That was all Utor needed to hear to get out of that hellhole. He nodded quickly and bolted out the door. Once safely outside, he leaned against the outer wall of the Boss's office, closing his eyes and enjoying the fact that he was still living. It surprised him; he had expected to be either tortured or killed. He shook his head to clear his joyful thoughts. Now was not the time to celebrate. He had a job to do.

Stretching his thick, strong arms, he proceeded down the long, narrow, dimly-lit passageway to the entrance of the briefing room. He had already a few members in mind to take along on the mission. The rest he would hand-pick during the briefing. He imagined Darru's scrawny little neck between his large hands as he strode down the hallway. His eyes slitted with hatred at the thought of the double-crossing bastard. His life had nearly been taken at the expense of Darru. Oh, he'd bring him back, alright. This time it was his last chance. He wouldn't blow it.

"Darru, you're mine," he whispered.

*=*=*=*=*

Sirens wailed in the distance as the sky began to darken, thunder rumbling in the distance, occasional flashes of lightning illuminating the shadowed landscape. All over Pallet Town, both people and Pokémon alike were baffled by the unusual weather. After all, it was the middle of winter; the white, powder-like snow was still fresh upon the icy streets.

One particularly pooped weatherman arrived home with his hair disheveled and his suit wrinkled after an extremely busy day. This sudden thunderstorm was really driving him bonkers. He frowned as a single, lonely raindrop fell from the gray, clouded sky and splashed on a bald spot on the back of his head. He rubbed the spot furiously, as if the droplet had been acid, and stormed into the house. As he entered, he slammed the door with such force that his wife, a trim, pleasant-looking woman in her forties, had to dive clear across the living room to save a very rare and valuable antique china doll from shattering on the hardwood floor.

Normally, being a loving husband, the weatherman would've helped her to her feet, apologized, then shared a laugh about the whole thing. But not today. His mood was as sour as lemon juice, and he was still a bit steamed about the storm. Actually, there was a storm of anger in his own head as well.

His wife recognized the warnings immediately, and kept herself out of his way. If she did the tiniest thing to upset him, he would explode. He was stressed out, and needed some time to relax, simmer down.

He plopped down onto the white, leather couch, grabbed the remote and began to idly flip channels, sipping his mug of warm coffee his wife prepared for him every now and then. He stretched his fatigued legs in straight out in front of him as his face flickered in the light of the bright TV screen. He happened to glance over at the living room window, curtainless and still revealing the lightning strikes of the storm. Angrily, his sour mood returning at full strength, he stomped over to the window and was just about to close it when something odd caught his eye. He shifted his gaze to stare at the strange occurrence, and to his utter shock he saw wide, muddy footprints making themselves quickly past the side of his house.

He rubbed his eyes thoroughly and looked again. There went the footprints. This time, they'd reached the sidewalk and the man could actually SEE the mysterious footprints shifting an invisible weight from foot to foot. Footprints and yet no ownerthe man blinked, then stared directly above the space where the footprints were. He saw nothing, assumed his mind was simply playing tricks on him, and was just about to turn away when, for a split second, he saw the distorted, faint outline of a dark, shadowy figure, and for only a second; the outline disappeared again into thin air.

The man just stood there, frozen at the window, completely lost in thought at what he'd just perceived. Finally he came to the conclusion that whoever he told this tall tale would think he was possessed, and shook his head vehemently to clear it. He threw his half-empty cup to the floor, cracking the mug and spilling coffee all over the floor. His wife stared at him for a moment, eyes wide, face pale. Her husband wouldn't hurt a fly, much less do something as violent as this.

He returned her appalled gaze, and opened his mouth to speak, say something soothing and apologetic, but a strange fury welled up inside him and clamped his mouth shut. He gave her a dirty look as he stampeded up the stairs. "Bad coffee," he muttered under his breath as he retreated to the safety of his room where at last he would get some peace and quietor so he thought

He opened the door to his quarters and there, resting comfortably in his favorite rocking chair, was a burly giant of a man, with arms as wide as tree trunks, a heavily muscled chest, a clean-cut looking face, and no less than twelve Poké Balls lining his double-belt. Surrounding him was an impressive gang of sneering, leering thugs just about as monstrous as he was. Immediately they surrounded him in a semi-circle.

Before he could bolt out the door, two thugs grabbed his shoulders roughly and shoved him in front of their huge leader, forcing him on his knees. He looked up with a mixture of anger and panic in his eyes as the towering blonde-haired man stared directly into them.

"Where is Darru?" The question came out as a growl.

What? the man thought, frantic and fearing for his life. "II don't know what you mean by that question," he stammered in a wavering voice, afraid to move from his kneeling position on the floor of his room.

The man only glared at him. "We have reason to believe you saw the outlineor shapeof a figure that we're looking for," he said coldly, not a trace of emotion in his voice.

The weatherman's thoughts raced, his blood pounded in his head, horrifying thoughts ran through his mind. "What if that figure really was somebody? What if he sneaks into my house unnoticed and murders me for telling this gang of despicable fellows his whereabouts?" he asked himself as the big man stared him down, waiting impatiently for the weatherman's response.

"I-I-I don't know what you're t-t-talking about," he stuttered, inching slowly back away from the squad of men until his back was against the door, his sweaty hand trembling upon the doorknob.

The blonde man saw his plans of escaping and waved his hand. It was apparently a signal of some sort, as four of the thugs immediately dashed forward with surprising speed and restrained him, by pinning his arms behind his back. Their grips felt like iron and he felt as if his arms would snap off any second. The blonde man got up from the rocking chair and strode forward towards him, one hand crackling with gathering energy and another on a strange-colored Poké Ball on his belt

He grinned maliciously. "If you refuse to give us any information, we will force it out of you in all ways possible."

As the terrified weatherman struggled uselessly against the unshakable grasps of the big man's henchmen, Utor's tall shadow advanced upon the wide-eyed, tremulous weatherman as the ball of energy in his hand began to grow larger

A bloodcurdling scream of terror and agony echoed throughout the house.

*=*=*=*=*

Underneath the pale moon, a transparent figure continued to tramp by a neat, quaint two-story house. His muddied footprints were less than inconspicuous, but he hardly cared. A fiendishly grinning, dark purple form followed the nearly-invisible outline at a short distance, constantly looking behind itself as if it was being followed. The figure reached the sidewalk and paused for a few seconds before going on, staring blankly up at the starry, cloudless sky while contemplating his next move. The purple shape approached him and opened its mouth to speak, revealing rows of white, pointed teeth, when a piercing cry of pain reached their ears.

The dark figure whirled around and stared for a moment at the house where the scream had come from, his senses on red alert, then turned on his heel and broke into a sprint.

The ghostlike creature started after him, a purple bullet, pushing its speed to the limit in order to catch up with the blurring shadow that was its friend and trainer. The figure, showing absolutely no signs of slowing or stopping, continued to run with amazing speed towards a nearby forest. He passed through the trees as if they were nonexistent until he disappeared from sight.

He stopped after he had put a considerable distance between himself and the house, his black sneakers smoking in curly, gray wisps. Despite his incredible run, he seemed hardly exerted, and was breathing normally. His little purple friend wasn't as in shape, as it stumbled the last few feet towards its friend, collapsing in a heaving, panting heap in front of the shadowed figure.

"He's looking for us, Gengar," the dark shadow said softly, his calm, deep voice barely audible. Around them, the sounds of the thickly-wooded forest were heard; the crickets chirping, the Caterpies crawling, and the leaves rustling gently in the cool, evening breeze.

Gengar looked up and nodded, its red eyes glowing like rubies in the darkness of night. {Yeah. I just wish we wouldn't hafta deal with Utor's sorry ass again. Last time we met's a memory I'd like to forget.}

Its trainer nodded gravely. "Yes. But our meeting is inevitable."

Gengar leaped to its feet with an angry scowl on its face. {That's a buncha bullshit, and you know it. Utor's been hot on our trail like a bloodhound, but has he caught us yet? No. Remember that you're outta Team Rocket now. No sense in livin' in the past.}

The dark figure was about to reply, when his sixth sense told him something approaching from behind.

Gengar sensed it too, and its eyes glowed a bright carmine red. Psychic energy surrounded it in a dark glow as it prepared itself for an assault. {Whoever it is, it had better not be Utor}

Suddenly, a gruff, yet loud, voice came rumbling from the shade created by the towering oaks. "Well, well, well, if it isn't Darru himself," an all-too familiar voice cackled as a tall, solidly-built blonde man stepped from the shadows.

{Speak of the devil,} Gengar murmured as Utor and his gang materialized. Utor grinned evilly at the still, solemn outline leaning against a tree, and chuckled to himself. This is just too easy, Utor thought.

His thugs, a rowdy-looking bunch of hoodlums dressed in the traditional dark-blue Team Rocket garb, cracked their knuckles in the anticipation of pounding this "insignificant traitor" and laughed along with their leader. They had been hand-picked by Utor himself, surrounded Utor like an honor guard, and their gray-and-white Poké Balls suggested that they contained Pokémon trained by Giovanni himself. The dark figure sized them up. A fight would best be avoided.

"How very nice to see you again, old friend," Utor chortled, mostly to himself. "Last time we met was while you were still a member of Team Rocket, I believe? Yes" Utor went on, not waiting for an answer. "It was during the TR Tournament in which you defeated me. I was shamed and ridiculed by that cheap win." Utor's brow creased in a frown. "I've never settled for second, and never will. You've nearly cost me my life by running away, you dirty turncoat, and now you're gonna pay."

The figure, casually listening without a word and gazing off into space, now turned to face Utor. "It's no mystery why Giovanni sent you," he said in a quiet undertone. "Your pathetic little grudge against me would make you the best agent to hunt me down."

"Oh, no, no, no, my dear Darru, you misunderstand," Utor replied, smiling devilishly. "There are many other agents in TR who wish to personally bring back your decapitated head and place it at Giovanni's feet. But it is I who was chosen because of my strength and skill."

From behind the dark silhouette, Gengar snickered. {Yeah, bragging'd go awfully well with your other hobby, Utor. Lying.}

"You insult me from behind your master's back, you cowardly spirit," Utor retorted, "but do you dare say it to my face?" Utor flexed his bulging muscles and took a step forward, openly challenging the still-transparent figure and his ghost Pokémon.

Suddenly, Darru snapped his fingers and the transparent cloak was lifted from his body, revealing a sleek, athletic figure clad in a sleeveless black shirt and loose, baggy jeans. Keen, discerning hazel-brown eyes were covered by two long, jet-black bangs, which were abruptly pushed out of the way. The rest of his hair was rather short and spiky. His ebony-black hair, brown eyes, and tanned complexion hinted that he was of Oriental descent. His features were striking and well-defined, and he would probably be considered good-looking by most girls. He clenched his fist, and a large purplish-blue vein humped up on his well-muscled arm like an anaconda on a sidewalk.

He gave a faint nod in Gengar's direction, then fearlessly stepped up to meet Utor face to face and said coolly, "Well, Utor, now's your chance for revenge."

Utor gave a wry smirk. "Yes. And I will relish every moment of it." Utor waved a hand at his thugs, signaling them to surround Darru to prevent his escape when Gengar floated up into the air, reaching Utor's eye level.

{Yeah, I'd say it to your ugly face,} Gengar said smugly, {but I think I'll let my Nightshade do the talking!} Gengar released all the pent-up energy it had been storing ever since Utor's unexpected appearance in a thick, dark beam, aimed directly for Utor's face. It traveled through the crisp night air quickly.

Utor hardly had time to instinctively raise his arm protectively in front of his face before the attack hit home, sending Utor flying backwards into some trees.

With angry roars at the hit scored upon their leader, Utor's henchmen converged upon Darru. Their thick arms were outstretched to ensnare him, an impenetrable wall of formidable men. Darru calmly watched as they closed in upon him. At the last minute, he drew a sharp, barbed scimitar from his side. He nimbly dodged their punches with relative ease, then struck one thug with such force the thug's entire body was carved in two pieces, flopping side by side on the forest floor.

The other men, sickened by the gory sight of their fallen cohort, backed away from the sword-wielding warrior. After a bit of quick thinking, they decided that their Pokémon should do the dirty work. Meanwhile, Utor rose up from the pile of broken tree trunks and branches and began to walk towards Darru, his eyes narrowed in hate, despising Darru's entire being with all his heart. He reached out with both hands to grab a gigantic tree trunk, hefted it onto his shoulder, then heaved it in Darru's direction with a grunt.

Darru saw it coming and reacted immediately, whipping his red sword in a fiery arc, slicing it completely in half, the two distinct pieces dropping to the ground with loud crashes. He eyed Utor's men warily, silently daring any of them to step up and fight him. In answer, Utor's agents released their Poké Balls, letting out the powerful Pokémon inside

A Machamp, Rhydon, Golem, Alakazam, Blastoise, and Beedrill popped out from the Poké Balls, all in excellent fighting shape. Darru watched them carefully; the odds were now against him six-to-one.

The agents sneered at this young fool that openly defied the best of Team Rocket. One of them stepped up, a leering smirk imminent on his dirty, bearded face. "Little sucker, you jest got lucky choppin' that tree. Machamp! Tetra-punch!" The Machamp rushed forward, all four arms gaining energy as it ran with a battle cry, then swinging at the same time in four Mega Punches.

Gengar zoomed in front of Darru during the last second of the attack, setting up a transparent psychic barrier around the two of them. The Machamp's blows were so powerful, however, that the barrier was shattered and Gengar was thrown back into its trainer's arms, where it glowered silently. No one had ever broken its barrier before.

Darru said nothing as he warded off the Machamp's attacks with his glowing red blade. It was now raining blows with all four arms, and even Darru with his own superhuman speed found it difficult to protect himself from being hit. The trainer drawled from a few feet away as he watched his Machamp continuously pound the young renegade. "Yeh don't stand a chance, little feller," the TR agent jeered as the rest of the gang joined him in raucous laughter. Even Utor couldn't help but smile wickedly. Darru wanted terribly to take his sword and cut that smile right off his face, but he was busy.

Gengar recovered itself quickly, springing into action with a Confuse Ray attack. The attack briefly stopped the now-baffled Machamp as it fought to regain its thoughts. Darru took this time to quickly score three quick blows to the superpower Pokémon. His blade trailed crimson streamers as he slashed the Machamp to ribbons, the Pokémon's blood staining his black shirt a deep vermilion. He calmly returned his bloodstained sword to his side as the Machamp staggered for a few steps before toppling pitifully to the ground in a pool of its own blood.

The man, surprisingly, only laughed. "You ain't seen nuthin' yet, boy. Nuthin'." He nodded to the other men, who each began to bark out various commands to their own Pokémon. Gengar first glanced in horror at the oncoming tide of onslaught, then back to its master, who remained deathly still, simply standing there, sword sheathed and still dripping with the Machamp's blood, fists loosely clenched at his sides.

Gengar shook his head in wonder. What the hell does Darru think he's doing now? Gengar shrugged. Might as well help him out. It was about to launch one of its most devastating Nightshade attacks when, in the very back of its mind, he heard a very inappropriate taunting psychic voice, directly in his mind. Gengar had a sudden hot flash. The Alakazam!

Gengar spun to face this worthy opponent. [Foolish ghost! You dare oppose Team Rocket and expect to escape alive?] the psychic Pokémon bellowed in its mind.

Gengar sneered. [I think it's the other way around,] Gengar said in an insulting tone. [If you're stupid enough to join Team Rocket, you don't deserve to even be called a Pokémon. Unless you were brainwashed and forced to join, but I doubt that.]

[I was certainly not brainwashed,] the Alakazam countered. [If I had been, you would have noticed a glazed look in my eyes. But I joined of my own free will. I wanted more than a petty, diminutive life of an average Pokémon, always doing nothing but training and battling.]

Gengar's lips curled up dismissively. [Then you must've had a trainer that treated you like dirt. That's what made ya turn tail, eh?]

Alakazam's eyes glowed a bright white and a white beam shot out of its outstretched spoons. Gengar, expecting the blow after its taunt, nimbly dodged it. [You speak of things that you know nothing about, my little specter friend,] Alakazam said without a hint of emotion in its voice. [Your master has obviously not taught you proper manners.]

A dark glow began to surround Gengar as the two Pokémon rose into the air in psychic balls of energy; Gengar's, a transparent black; Alakazam's, a light purple. [You've just contradicted yourself, Al,] Gengar pointed out with a mocking grin. [Don't talk about stuff you don't know anything about. Stung by your own Beedrill.]

Alakazam's eyes narrowed in hate, and launched another Psybeam more powerful than the one fired earlier. Gengar laughed as the beam was harmlessly absorbed into the dark energy forcefield surrounding him, then counterattacked with a Nightshade.

And so, the two Pokémon engaged combat.

*=*=*=*=*

"Rhydon! Horn Drill!" another TR agent commanded the Rhydon as it charged forward with the force of a bullet train. Darru speechlessly watched the Rhydon's deadly charge. He kept his eyes focused on the blurring gray form, then just as the Horn Drill was about to hit, he leapt aside, grabbing the drill with his bare hands as he did so.

Darru grimaced slightly as the drill burned and peeled the skin of his palms, but he held on tightly, his powerful grip eventually stopping the drill. Expressions of surprise and amazement were on the agent's faces as Darru threw the Rhydon towards the Blastoise, who quickly Withdrew, but couldn't keep itself from sustaining minor damage.

"Beedrill! Twin Needle attack!" The Beedrill rushed forward in a flurry of wings, buzzing madly as it stabbed in nearly undodgeable blows with its twin needle-like arms. Darru began to block them with a series of extremely quick movements of his hands and forearms, too quick for the human eye to see. Strangely, he seemed very relaxed as he did this.

The TR agents wisened up and decided to use more than one Pokémon at a time. "Blastoise!" an old, haggard agent hollered at the turtle Pokémon. "Quadra-cannon attack!"

As Darru looked on intently at the mention of this new attack, the Blastoise's shell opened two slots near the bottom, now packing a total of four cannons. It stooped down on all fours, let out a loud rumble which shook the forest, and let loose with four Water Cannons.

Darru smiled. It was a familiar attack pattern, the same one the Machamp had used earlier. Before the water reached him, he thought quickly and determined that the Beedrill's weakest point would be straight up the middle, the sides being well-covered by his needles. If he could just do it at the precise moment

In a split second, Darru had slammed his fist into the Beedrill's chin in a fierce uppercut, launching it into the sky. Then Darru proceeded to follow it into the air, executing a combination of air-bending, blurring punches and kicks that left Beedrill dazed and battered. Once back on the ground with a half-conscious Beedrill in his arms, he quickly dodged the shooting jets of water with a series of somersaults and flips, ending up right next to the Blastoise. Darru saw the opportunity to strike and cocked the Beedrill behind him before flinging it, stinger first, at the Blastoise.

The Beedrill was just about to hit the bullseye when a basketball-sized fist smashed into the limp body of the bug Pokémon, sending it flying into some underbrush. The mighty Golem smirked at the runaway, its Virginia ham-sized fists still clenched, then raised its arms over its head like an executioner ready to swing down his ax. With an earth-shaking roar, it slammed both fists into the ground, sending earthquakes along the forest floor and uprooting entire trees. Darru avoided the various tree trunks and branches that crashed down from above as the Golem continued to wreak its havoc in the forest. The TR agents only scoffed at Darru's unfortunate predicament, themselves being protected in a psychic barrier a Kadabra had set up over them.

Darru had no choice but to bring out his sword; he couldn't possibly avoid the falling trees and elude the Golem's Earthquakes at the same time unarmed. Drawing the red-hot blade so fast it whistled, Darru proceeded to slice and dice his way through in trying to get at the Golem.

"Fool!" Utor shouted from under the protective barrier. "You cannot possibly survive!"

Darru's eyes narrowed. "Try me."

Utor's brow wrinkled. Something about the way Darru had said, "Try me" made him reevaluate his statement. "All right then," he called out cheerfully to the hacking and dodging Darru, "I'll raise up the stakes! Blastoise, Hydro Pump!"

Darru's eyes widened as, in addition to the never-ceasing quakes, immense blasts of water rocketed up from the split ground all around him. It wouldn't be long before he finally gave into the elemental surge. It appears that I have no choice, he thought to himself as opened his right hand wide, palm up, and a black-and-white Poké Ball floated in it. "Quastar, go!" he whispered voicelessly as the Poké Ball opened in a blinding white flash of light. (Author's Note: If you're confused how I came up with this name, try looking up the word "quasar" in a dictionary.) Almost immediately, a celestial, starlike Pokémon appeared at Darru's side. It was glowing so brightly it was difficult to make out the shape of the Pokémon, but the brilliant effulgence faded quickly, revealing a medium-sized, four-pointed star Pokémon, somewhat resembling a Staryu. The jeweled center sparkled a ruby red, and the remainder of the Pokémon's body was a shimmering white.

Darru's blade was in a thousand places at once, hacking and slashing for dear life as Utor and his cronies looked on with smirks on their faces. One particularly large tree trunk snapped without warning, and tumbled down upon the unsuspecting Darru. His hands were full, and he wouldn't be able to dodge in time

The oak was inches from crushing the marrow out of every bone in his body when three white stars shot out of nowhere, striking the tree and reducing it to sawdust. Knowing where the Swift attack had come from Darru quickly commanded, "Star Shield." A glowing, circular shield constructed of pure energy materialized in his hand with a dazzling burst of light. A red star was imprinted in the center of the shield, hence the name. Just as another violent gust of water erupted from the ground, Darru calmly stepped into the pathway of the Hydro Pump. Darru felt nothing as the force of the impact was absorbed into the shield, and the water harmlessly splashed to its sides.

Utor was now more than ready to lash out at his longtime enemy and rival, but he waited for the precise moment. For now, he simply bided his time under the protective barrier, which shimmered from time to time due to various blows from falling trees.

Darru shifted his gaze from the trees to the Golem, which momentarily stopped its frenzied pounding to glare back. I'll have to make this one quick, he told himself as he shot a glance at the hovering Quastar, which awaited his command. "Quastar, you know what to doNova Strike." Quastar glowed briefly, then shot forward in a white blur, cutting straight through the surprised Golem with remarkable swiftness. As it skidded to a halt not far away from the Golem, the Golem's rock-hard body was separated in half. While it was still in shock from the slicing and not yet completely dead, a dazzling explosion lit the forest as the Golem's body burst into pebbles.

The fragments of Golem's body showered down on the barrier as Utor grew angrier and angrier. He felt as if he were a ticking timebomb about to blow. All that pent-up rage exploded from within, and he rushed out of the barrier with surprising speed for such a huge man. He created a hole in the barrier with a well-placed punch and charged straight at Darru, drawing his own door-sized broadsword with a metallic ring.

Darru was just about to deal with the Blastoise when in the corner of his eye he saw Utor rush at him in a furious rage, giant broadsword swinging. Darru's own glowing scimitar stopped the blow just in time before it could remove his head from his shoulders, but the force of the blow was so strong Darru was sent flying into the air. He performed a quick flip in the air and landed safely on a fallen tree stump. Darru's eyes narrowed into calculating slits. "Still at it, I see," he said quietly. "This battle is pointless. It will never lead to anything but more violence and killing."

"Then perhaps you should give yourself to prevent further attacks on innocent people," Utor shot back. "You want to end all this fighting, correct?"

Darru remained silent.

Utor laughed aloud. "Insolent coward! I refuse to end this battling until I hurl your little pieces across the sky as a victory banner! You know this as well, Darru. I suggest you stop running and start fighting. As I and my men have proved today, fleeing from Team Rocket is useless." Utor threw his thickly muscled arms out wide at the city that lay at the outskirts of the forest. "Innocent blood will continue to spilled in the streets until you are eliminated. Giovanni will tear the entire world apart, if need be, and he has the power and brute strength to do so. There will be nowhere to escape."

Darru still said nothing, but his glowing red sword remained poised.

"You have two choices," Utor went on. "You may either be taken here, right now, in this calm, peaceful forest, or you may be taken in the shattered, burning remains of this earth."

Finally, Darru spoke. "There is a third choice," Darru stated plainly. "I can defeat you here and now in this so-called calm, peaceful' forest and end this foolish fighting." Darru tossed his shield up into the air, which disappeared with a flash of light, then returned his Quastar. Utor signaled his men and his Kadabra to back off and give them some room.

Utor's lips curled up in a smirk. "And what is your choice, then?"

Darru's blade rose, and he crouched in a fighting stance.

Utor's eyes slitted. The time had come to vanquish this traitorous upstart once and for all. "So be it."

Utor raised his broadsword as well, the moonlight glinting off the silver blade. His body suddenly seemed to engulf in bright energy, and he roared as the energy flowed through his entire body. Darru nearly shuddered. Utor's roar had all the soothing effect of a chainsaw.

Darru closed his eyes and began to concentrate, and dark, shimmering energy began to surround him as well. Waves of dark energy began to radiate from his body as his feet left the ground, his entire body rising into the air. When he reopened his eyes they were colored a blood red.

They rushed at each other, blades swinging, slashing, thrusting, parrying. Darru blocked a blow that send him reeling, but quickly regained his balance and counterattacked with an slash that nearly made Utor lose his grip on his broadsword. The two swords clashed with explosions of red and white sparks. As Gengar and Alakazam passed by, exchanging psychic blasts, Gengar joked, {Now, all we need is some blue, and we'll have a regular Fourth of July fireworks show.}

The two battling Pokémon disappeared from sight as Darru let loose with a barrage of air-bending slashes. Utor, surprisingly, was able to block them all, but each came a hair closer to cutting open his body. The last blow packed such a punch that Utor went hurtling backward into half a dozen trees before hitting the side of a large cliffside.

The impact shook the entire mountain, raining down an avalanche of boulders on Utor's unmoving body. Darru, assuming he'd done enough damage to Utor for one day, turned to leave the forest when he heard a tremendous cracking noise behind him. Whirling around, he saw Utor emerge from underneath the high stack of rubble with an explosion of energy. Utor thundered out, "I'LL KILL YOU, DARRU!!!" when he caught sight of Darru and began to fly toward Darru at breakneck speed, energy trailing behind him.

"I should've seen this coming," Darru muttered to himself as he swung his scimitar with incredible force, the glowing-hot blade trailing a crimson streamer of light. He was more than astonished when Utor deflected the blow effortlessly with his own sword and slashed Darru's torso from right shoulder to left hip. Darru was violently propelled backward, skidding across the ground in a blur until he came to rest by hitting a large tree trunk, his back smoking. He had paved the forest ground in front of him in a trail leading to his broken, bloodied body leaning against the cracked tree.

He struggled to his feet, and that's when Utor's viselike hand grabbed him by the neck and jerked him up as if he were a ripe turnip during the harvest. As Darru thrashed uselessly in the steely grip, Utor sneered wickedly. "Incompetent fool," he said as he relished the moment, squeezing as hard as he possibly could. Darru could feel life itself escape from him as Utor continued talking. "I should finish you right now, you stupid bastard, but I won'tjust yet." As Darru's face contorted with pain and his body began to go numb, Utor cocked back his powerful arm. "First I'll have a little fun toying with your battered body." With that, Utor's fist smashed into Darru's chest, sending him crashing against an oak. Blood spattered across the rough bark as Darru slowly slid down the trunk, gasping for air.

Energy began to gather in the palm of Utor's hand as he continued his incessant taunting. "Had enough yet, my dear friend? Or perhaps you'd like some more?" Utor launched an energy ball straight for Darru. With every ounce of strength left in his body, Darru rolled off to the side just as the tree vaporized. He grunted in agony as Utor's foot caught his side, catapulting him in the air, where Utor's sword intercepted him in mid-air and opened a large gash in his back. He struggled to his knees, coughing up a mixture of saliva and blood. Utor's giant frame stood over him, his shadow looming over his kneeling body.

"Such a pitiful sight, to see the great Darru reduced to a limp, ragged wreck," Utor crooned. "In a few minutes, Giovanni shall have you in his grasp, and I shall be the top agent in Team Rocket yet again." He cackled evilly in pure triumph as his thugs behind him erupted into loud cheering and shouting.

The eerie red glow in Darru's eyes had winked out long before, but now it had returned, and a renewed strength seemed to recharge the fallen warrior. "I'm not done yet, Utor," he said in a hoarse whisper. "You have underestimated me."

"What?" Utor spat as Darru leaped to his feet, energy crackling down his muscular arms and down into his hands. Before Utor could say more, a gargantuan beam thudded into his chest. Utor flew backwards, through trees and rocks, until he reached his group of men, Kadabra's barrier still suspended over them. His entire bulk striking the barrier had destroyed it completely, and he crashed headlong into his men before finally coming to a painful stop. As Darru looked on silently, Utor slowly got up. Strangely enough, he looked hardly scratched at all despite the incredibly long fight in comparison to Darru's rent, maimed body.

Utor sneered at Darru from across the ruins of the forest. "I can see that I have indeed underestimated you," Utor called out. "I will wait until a more opportune time to assault you." But just as he turned, he called over his shoulder, "Compare your condition with mine, Darru. You may call it a victory, but I call it progress! Next time we meet, you may be sure that your life will be crushed between my bare fists." With a snap of his fingers, Kadabra's barrier surrounded his band of troops once again and the group rose into the air. Alakazam and Gengar broke apart, Alakazam saying, [We will fight again,] as it too rose into the air to join Utor and the others. In a matter of seconds, Utor had disappeared completely from sight. But his laughs still rang in Darru's ears as the bruised warrior slumped down into the tangle of broken branches, saplings and tree trunks. Gengar flew down to his side, deeply concerned.

Darru cracked open his bleeding lips to speak, but Gengar silenced him. {He didn't win, and that's all that mattersfor now.}

Darru nodded in silent contemplation. Then he turned his head towards the sky, staring at the spot where Utor had disappeared. As the first welcoming rays of dawn peeked out over the treetops, Darru whispered, "This is only the beginning, Utor. Only the beginning."

*=*=*=*=*

End of Part 1. Copyright © 2000. E-mail: rpgmaster@netzero.net

---POKéDEX---

Quastar

Type 1: Star

Type 2: Light

A celestial Pokémon known to travel through outer space. Some are mistaken as stars due to their solar-reflective skin when seen at night. No other information on this Pokémon is available.

Evolution: When a Quastar reaches its maximum level, a Star Stone will cause the Quastar to evolve into a Quastellar.

Attacks used:

Swift

Type 1: Normal

Type 2: Star

A nearly unblockable series of stars hits the target. Size, shape, and color may vary.

Star Shield

Type 1: Star

Type 2: Psychic

By sacrificing one-fourth of its max HP, the Pokémon creates a shield which protects the bearer from nearly all attacks. Once the shield is returned, the Pokémon will regain its normal HP max and any lost HP. If the Pokémon is knocked out or killed, the shield will no longer function.

DISCLAIMER: Of course I don't own Pokémon, if I did I'd probably be in some 100-room mansion in Japan talking trash with Nobuo Uematsu and not writing fics, so don't sue me. However, Darru, Utor, Quastar, and all other aspects of this fic are mine (well, duh, I made them up!), so get permission if you wanna use em.