Pichu's rampage seemed to be endless, after each hit she just braced herself and fired another electric attack. And another. And another. No matter if it landed or missed, no matter if it had an effect or not, she just had to keep doing it.
The pain was so intense, she stopped feeling it. Her body was moving thanks to pure adrenaline alone. As well as pure, unadulterated fury.
The shape's cloak was getting torn on more spots, it had to actively try and dodge each attack now; blocking was highly ineffective. Even with its superior power and speed, her sheer persistence was closing the gap between the two.
Pichu's moves were a barrage of electrified punches and kicks that each had the strength behind them to let out a voltaic shock around each blow. Due to her small size, she complimented her offensive maneuver with jumps and constant movement, further confusing her enemy and making it all the harder to dodge effectively.
She spun in the air and tried to kick it in the face, forcing it to block her with its arms, the energy released on impact further searing its flesh.
Her heart was beating so fast she was sure it would explode soon, but like all the other red flags all over her body, she ignored it. Instead the only thing that was on her mind was revenge.
"You fiend! You… you monster!" Pichu snarled, blow after blow pushing the creature further back, "We did nothing to you! HE did nothing to you!"
"We just wanted to have a good day! We just wanted to have fun together!" She earned another grunt from it, landing a horizontal spinning kick on its cheek, "And look what you've done! You don't even have the dignity to speak!"
It finally saw an opening, holding her on its psychic grip, trying to crush her much like it did with her friend.
And that only managed to enrage her further, her blue eyes and the little tuft on her head shone even more. While struggling against its power her blue electrifying aura only burned brighter, now four times as bigger than her. The pichu screamed in agony and pushed herself even further, breaking the binding and launching herself towards it, headbutting the enemy straight on the chest once more.
"Give." She spun once more in the air, becoming a blue ball of pure energy, beating and shocking everything in her path.
She was so fast with her jumps that it seemed Pichu was flying, the blue ball she made using her own body tackling the airborne figure again and again, "Him."
She repeated these reckless attacks around ten times in a span of milliseconds, reappearing right on top of the enemy. All of the energy around her started to be channeled on her right paw, the weight of that much energy could easily rip it off, but she had no care for that.
"BACK!" She swung it down, hitting the shape straight in the face, a shower of thunder and lightning exploding around it, the punch blasting the foe to the ground with so much brute force that it created a cloud of smoke when it impacted the ground.
Before she could land, a large shadow ball hit her straight in the chest, denying her the momentum to keep the aggression going.
Then after that came another, then yet another one, earning pained cries from the small rodent.
She finally fell on the ground, her sparkling aura slowly disappearing.
After the cloud dissipated, the figure had many small bruises on its body, with more torn parts of its outfit, to the point where its short fur was visible. Its mask was mostly intact, but it now had small cracks all around it, especially the red lenses. Surprisingly enough, it now had revealed a long, thick tail that was previously hidden in its restrictive cloak.
Seeing the shape on its feet again made Pichu immediately run towards it, only to be met with a psychic swipe that tossed her on the wall, almost breaking her back on the blunt rocks.
It didn't stop there however. It blinked as soon as she hit the wall, grabbing her by the ears and slamming her on the rocky surface several times, so viciously and so violently that it cracked some of it.
Even in her state of frenzy, Pichu yelled in pain. A loud, high pitched cry of a suffering child who only wanted to see her friend again, now being tortured by his killer.
She started to charge the electricity once more, but the creature was faster, dropping her back on the floor and kicking the pichu in the face. Stunning the female long enough for it to grab her with its powerful and big tail, choking her a bit, before launching her in the air.
Pichu tried to take control of the free fall, but it was to to avail. The figure easily teleported behind her, mimicking what she had previously done with it, but this time it merely touched her back, shooting a point blank psychic blast that finally ended her small rampage.
It slowly levitated down, checking the now completely downed Pichu, no signs of any energy left. Bruises on every inch of her body, with large amounts of smoke coming out, thanks to the absurd amounts of energy she released. It needed to do nothing, for the Pichu had sealed her own fate when she tried to use something she didn't understand.
He just stepped away, eyes focused on the weeping Mirari.
"Don't… don't y-you… d-dare…" A female whisper came from behind it.
From the 'unconscious' Pichu.
Just how much willpower did she have?
Enraged with the child already, it turned around, charging another shadow ball, ready to end her for good.
-Chapter X: Brave Decision-
…
…
…...
He was in peace.
Slowly falling down the black waters of the void.
No need to breathe. No need to think. No need to feel.
Bliss overtook him. He was finally free from the nightmare. Free from pain. Free from worries.
Free from the burden of living. Free from the burden of caring.
Just calm silence. Silence and the stillness of water.
I...orry…
?
...so...ry…
What were those sounds? What was disturbing his peace?
...pro...you…
He wanted to cover his ears, hearing that hurt! It hurt to remember! It hurt to care!
...dra...this…
Shut up! Shut up! Forget about him! Let him drown! He just wanted peace for once!
Terri….riend….
Why… Why does his chest hurt? Why does his eyes burn? Why does he want to move his mouth?
I'...so…
Why does his head want to think? Why do his arms want to embrace? Did they not know that would cause pain?
So...ry…
What was that voice? Why did it make him want to move?
I'm...rry
Why does hearing that voice make him want to cry? Crying hurt! Why does that voice make him want to get hurt?
Please…
Did he know that voice? Why… Why was he doing that? What was he feeling? That hurt!
Please don't go…
Shut up, voice! He doesn't want to move! He wants to… he wants to…
"Listen to it."
H-He didn't know that voice.
"Listen to it. Cling to that. That feeling in your heart."
What feeling?
"That indescribable feeling you've always felt. Use it to remember."
Remember what? He just wanted to sleep! He just wanted to rest!
Don't leave me…
Wait… t-that was…
Mirari!... he couldn't speak…
Please… don't leave me…
He remembered.
"Now, human. What do you feel?"
He was crying.
He felt sad.
"What would you like to do?"
He wanted to hug her.
He wanted to say it was not her fault.
He wanted to say she was funny.
He wanted to have their little talks.
He missed Mirari.
He still had to help Pichu with her house.
He hadn't thanked miss Kommo-o for taking care of him.
He wanted to do so many things… he wanted to learn so much… he had so much he still wanted to do!
Then what… what was he doing here? Screw peace! Screw silence! Screw calm!
He wanted to feel sad, to get hurt, to worry, to get stressed! He wanted to care! He wanted it all! Not because he liked it but…
But because…
Because…
He felt the water all around him moving. The shapeless darkness was no longer still. Small ripples gently caressing his body.
He opened his eyes.
Somehow, even in the depth of that bottomless bit, he could see something up above.
"Mirari…"
His eyes widened. She was-
"Crying…'
Elder Crustle was examining carefully the pendant. Checking what seemed to be small runes painted by its lines.
It began to shine.
A gentle, yet fierce light shot from the small relic.
It slowly lighted up, then down again. Then it came back, and repeated.
Like a heartbeat.
Crustle widened his eyes, he knew exactly what that meant.
He could feel her tears!
She was crying! He… he was making her cry!
The little dragon from above reached out to him.
He tried to lift his own little hand, only to feel a sharp sting of pain. It was broken.
He wanted to go back to Mirari...
To Pichu…
To Kommo-o...
He couldn't just lie down and die!
Not when they needed him!
Not when that thing was hurting them! When it was making her cry!
And he…
He…
"Say it, human."
He felt something suddenly appear around his neck. It felt metallic. It shone.
"And I…" Lawrence whispered, still underwater.
He could feel an energy entering his body, mending his wounds. It came from all around.
"I… I…!"
He felt his shell cracking, his body bursting back to life, his lungs refilling with air, his heart beating with vigor.
"And I… I won't watch this anymore!"
And just like that, he reached out once more to Mirari, feeling as though he could fly, intending on getting back to her no matter what got in the way.
Mirari layed down still, weeping uncontrollably. Her scarlet eyes widened when she saw the villain charging one final attack to finish off Pichu.
The jangmo-o couldn't stand up as much as she tried. Oh, what a mighty dragon she was. Her pain was so intense she just couldn't do it, plus her broken leg only made it even more difficult. She cursed her own weakness. She was going to scream for that thing to just STOP.
But then, the mono-red room was pierced by a single ray of light, coming from under the waters of the dark lake. Pure white. No… more like a rainbow.
Then after the first, came another. And another.
Before they all knew it, the heavenly light had covered the entire room. Just staring at it made the shape grunt in pain, having to cover its face.
A huge ball of light was shining like a beacon under the black water, it was shaped like an egg… or a tear, depending on how you looked at it. It appeared to be 'hatching'.
That's the closest word Mirari could use to describe it.
And then, just like that, it bursted out of the water, making it seem like it was raining in the room for a moment.
When Mirari opened her eyes, she saw a dainty, white pokémon with a red and blue triangular ring pattern on its body. The pokémon was standing in the middle of the lake, seemingly floating with their delicate wings on their back.
The pokémon emitted a white/rainbow glow, with a gentle silver-ish aura that flowed like water around their body. The shine this holy pokémon created completely vanquished the previous red light, shattering it like glass.
Now the room was illuminated properly, color had returned. And Mirari could better gaze at the mysterious sight.
The angelic pokémon touched one of his feet on the water's surface, now walking right towards her. Each step it made changed the black, corrupt waters into a shining, crystal blue. The purity was infections, cleansing it more and more with each gentle splash his steps made.
Mirari simply could not turn her gaze away. And the pokémon couldn't either, their brownish-yellow eyes gazing deeply at the jangmo-o's scarlet ones. Just staring made her forget the insane stress she was feeling moments ago.
The mysterious pokémon arrived at the edge of the lake, right where the sniffing dragon was. Slowly, they reached out their gentle, glowing hands, to touch her cheek slowly.
Wherever his hand touched was healed. Broken and battered scales, became gleaming examples of draconic beauty.
His hand eventually made its way to her eye, tenderly wiping the single tear that was still there. It was by then she saw the pendant around his neck, bursting with energy much like its user.
"L… Lawrence…?" She whispered, feeling like she was in a dream.
The togetic smiled, then closed his eyes in a mixture of kindness and sheepishness. She felt like she could cry, jump, laugh, scream and faint. Mirari had so many feelings just bubbling up! For one of the first times in her life, the jangmo-o simply didn't know what to say.
And both her and Lawrence knew that nothing needed to be spoken.
With his free hand, he gently touched her broken leg. And just like that, in a flash, it was mended.
"Rest now. It'll be alright." He calmly said, voice still youthful and high pitched as Lawrence's was… but with a clear hint of maturity. Strength. Confidence. "You are a wonderful friend, Mirari. You saved me as I drowned in darkness. Thank you." He slowly floated away from the lake, and from her.
"W-Wait…" she tried to reach out and follow after him, but despite the healing, she was still utterly exhausted.
"Fear not." That voice was so… Gentle, so innocent, like she remembered… but there was so much power behind it! It was out of this world, "It's my turn to protect you."
Her stomach felt like it had butterflies in it. She somply nodded and sat back down, in absolute awe at the sight of her transformed friend.
Lawrence the togetic looked at the cowering shape, still trying to recover from the staggering light, the fairy's face was no longer of happy serenity. Now he had a more serious, borderline angry expression.
"You have no more power here. Cease." He ordered, not raising his voice even a tiny bit, but still making the wounded creature take one step back.
It recovered, fumming with anger. Quickly, it shot a shadow ball at the holy pokémon. He easily slapped it away, making the attack crash against the wall.
It then threw a psychic wave at him, exploding where the togetic once was.
But when the bigger pokémon could see more clearly, it saw that Lawrence was actually standing in front of Pichu, his speed so shocking the monster didn't even see him move. The togetic held her little broken paw, his silver aura flowing to her. Saving her from death's doorstep.
"M...Mew, is that you?" The still groggy Pichu said, looking at least thirty times more debilitated than Mirari, her eyes closed.
"No such thing. I'm much less impressive." He cupped one of her cheeks with his hand, she quickly was lulled to a peaceful rest.
When Lawrence got up, he saw thousands of energy balls surrounding him, while the shape just stared at them with its three fingers glowing.
As soon as it closed it, the energy balls came crashing down, surely crushing them. To their surprise, the togetic was just standing there calmly, a large royal blue barrier protecting him from all fronts.
Mirari smirked from the sidelines, being much easier to use protect when you were standing still. Though she was aware that was probably the last move she'd use in a long while, for soon after she fell down and closed her eyes.
The foe fumed once more, its eyes staring daggers at the fallen jangmo-o, deciding to end her for good, it charged another ultra powerful psychic.
It was stopped by a small hand touching his, somehow lifting it rather easily, completely breaking its focus and its aim.
That visibly shook the enemy, which proceeded to charge a powerful punch at the small pokémon. He just stepped out of the way, lifted his other hand and shot a blast of fairy magic that easily blew away the shape towards the now pure lake. It fell into the waters with a loud splash.
The togetic began ascending to the skies, charging a sphere of rainbow energy on one hand. The pendant the young human-turned-pokémon wore floated on his neck as if it was still underwater, or on zero gravity.
Then the former human threw the moonblast towards the purefied waters, it exploded near the bottom. Despite the sheer power behind the attack, the water only moved slightly, the fairy explosion shooting rainbow lights that were reflected by the surface.
The togetic remained with his serious expression, even as from the depth slowly came a wounded, large humanoid pokémon. It huffed in exhaustion, yet it still seemed to have quite enough stamina left. Most of its features were still hidden by its cloak and the mask, though its grey and purple fur is now more exposed than ever. The shattered mask was also on full display, no longer hidden by the clothing on its head.
"I feel great anger in your heart." The togetic tried to reach out, no longer afraid to speak to the vicious enemy.
His species' instinctual empathetic powers increased tenfold thanks to his new form and he was all too eager to use this newfound power too, "You seem to have jealousy inside you as well, though I still do not understand why you are doing this. There's still time to stop. You can speak to me about what shrouds your heart with those negative emotions, if it would help."
The youthful fairy lifted both of his hands in a surrendering pose, "I promise you, we won't hold anything against you. Just please, stop this while you still can and let's talk."
The creature didn't seem to consider his sincere words, instead it blinked to his side, punching Lawrence in the face.
The boy flew down, before the figure appeared right in front of him, landing a kick on the small fairy's stomach, then it grabbed the togetic's large throat, squeezing it mercilessly.
It glared at the fairy's eyes, then it tossed him up and slammed his cheek with its fists.
As the fairy flew from the impact, the shape kicked his stomach once more, earning a bloody cough from the frail angel bird pokémon.
It then used his superior body weight to press the togetic against the floor, earning more pained cries from him.
"What do you…" the togetic spat some blood, staining some of his pure white feathers with scarlet blood, "... hope to accomplish with this?"
After the question, Lawrence fired a powerful dazzling gleam on the shape's face, enough to temporarily blind it and allow the fairy's escape back to the air, "have words always failed you, so you resort only to violence instead?"
It snarled, trying to bind the fairy again. It was surprised when the togetic multiplied into ten identical copies, all charging another huge attack, "Full power…"
It angrily swiped all of them away with a single psychic wave. They all vanished.
For the real one was flying high on top of the shape, right in front of the hole that iluminated the room, charging the same attack that dazed the monster a while ago, now with way more power behind it, "dazzling gleam!"
It connected. The blast of light was so intense it turned the entire place white, it was so bright that it would probably blind the togetic's allies if they had they gazed directly towards it.
When the light faded, the figure was on the ground, its dark aura all but gone. One fourth of its mask shattered, exposing a feline face, bruised and with a similar short fur as the bits of its body.
The togetic slowly flew back down, until he was no longer airborne, eyeing carefully the enemy, as it somehow slowly got up, seeming to never fall for good.
As time went on, the aura around the youth gradually went down, he didn't notice before, but now he could see just how much his shine had vanished. Lawrence felt as if what he had used to boost himself was reaching its end.
And the shape knew it too. It had reduced the amount of power it used for that very reason. To stall and steadily make the togetic lose his advantage.
Both of them glared at one another, each charging their respective strongest move.
The shape put its two three-fingered hands together in front of its chest, its uncovered red eye shining with anger. In between them, a dark ball of negativity appeared, growing more and more.
Lawrence was fighting on instinct, his body guiding him up until now, almost as if there was someone else aiding him. He spread his arms, feeling light building around him, until it covered him like a white flame.
The shape then started to charge at the fairy, holding the giant ball in one hand as it rushed the togetic, who had no choice but to fly recklessly to the enemy as well, leaving a trail of the rainbow colored fairy energy in his path.
Before the two could clash, the pendant stopped floating on the togetic's neck, the brightness stopped.
He felt his body growing stiff. His heart stopped beating for a second. All the instinctive combat experience he showed just minutes ago all but vanished.
The power was gone.
And in a flash, the togetic became a togepi midair, all of his power dissipating as he clumsily fell from where he was previously flying, his attack and his power completely cancelled. The creature's exposed eye widened, as if it was smirking under its mask, the ball of darkness doubling in size, ready to blast Lawrence.
The togepi gasped, staring at his own doom. Cursing himself for not being fast enough. For not just ending the monster when he could. Cursing himself for not being able to control that miraculous power for just a while longer.
But then, another barrier saved the fairy on the vert last second, also royal blue, but with a hint of red.
It was from a large, very angry adult dragon.
Lawrence had failed to notice, but when he cleansed the room of the miasma, he had also freed the exits.
And in Kommo-o's case, an entrance.
The adult used one of her clawed hands to keep the barrier protecting the weak togepi, her scales clanging a melody as she fell from the hole on the ceiling.
The creature's shadow ball collided with the protect and shot the young boy towards the edge of the lake, right where Mirari was laying down.
Kommo-o controlled her fall, doing a backflip whilst holding her clawed hands together, firing an aura sphere at the monster.
Lawrence was out of words, stunned by the quickness of everything. His mind dizzy and quickly feeling the aftereffects of what happened, fatigue creeping up the togepi's small body.
A large bag was suddenly thrown his way, it was quite old, but seemed surprisingly well kept for its age. It had something written in the fabric, but he couldn't read the words.
"There's an orb, supplies and a letter inside." Growled the heavily armored adult, cracking her joints, "Use the orb to leave. Cross east and go to Gobi. You will find the Odyssey guild there, give them the letter and tell them who you are."
The dragon growled her orders in a desperate, yet composed pace, her eyes were staring fiercely at the bruised shape, who seemed to ignore everything around it, everything but the interloper.
"What are you waiting for, human? NOW!" Snarled the dragon, which quickly made the togepi move to pick up the bag, nervously looking at the snoozing Pichu across the room.
"B-But Pichu…"
"She will be fine! I promise you! You two are what he's after!" Kommo-o had to clash her armored hands against the other pokémon, who apparently was male, to stop him from blowing past her.
"Please go! Hurry! You've wounded him, but now that you are no longer absorbing the waves…" She bit her lower lip, explaining would only cause more confusion on the child, "Grab the orb! Use it like I've taught you, little one! Pick up Mirari and go, please!"
The togepi looked at the wounded shape, to the worried mother, and to the sleeping electric type.
His heart sank. Lawrence just couldn't leave her. Not after all they've been through.
But yet, he looked at the young dragon next to him, also fallen. His little body completely burnt out after his fight with the shape.
He just had a revelation moments ago! All that talk about friendship and all that stuff, just for Lawrence to have to make such a terrible choice! The human turned togepi wanted to carry Mirari to where Pichu was and get them both out of here! Better yet, he wanted to use that energy again to kick that stalker's butt!
But, as his small oval body reminded him, the togepi had barely enough energy to stand up.
"Please little one, I can't hold-" She was silenced by a punch in the face, followed by a shadow ball straight in her armored chest, having to assume a defensive position against the ultra-aggressive pokémon.
The evil pokémon's dark aura was coming back, his need to hold himself back vanishing with the togepi's defeat.
Lawrence saw the spikes slowly growing back on the doors, "Human! You won't be able to escape! LEAVE! Now!"
The young male closed his eyes, running for the bag and grabbing it, taking towards him and Mirari.
The shape immediately tried to teleport towards them to stop this, only for Kommo-o to sucker punch the foe, then grab him from behind to try and restrain him, in an attempt to buy the fairy some time.
He picked up the bag and scrambled its contents with his little hands.
The shape recovered and slipped away from the dragoness, blinking towards the togepi.
Kommo-o tried to charge a quick aura sphere, but had no time.
Lawrence grabbed the giant orb, hugging Mirari's neck and lifting the item up.
The creature's hands were filled with pure evil energy, ready to kill the two right there.
Lawrence moved to throw the orb.
The creature was ready to swipe his head off.
But then a blue electric shock paralyzed it for a second.
More than enough time.
Last thing Lawrence saw was the Kommo-o ready to unleash her attack, and the semi-conscious body of Pichu on her feet once more, if only for that second of desperation.
The orb exploded on the rocky floor, Lawrence just held his friend tight and thought of somewhere far from here. Far from all of this. He'd rather face the desert than one more second of that thing.
-?, Sand Continent-
When his eyes opened, his wish had been fulfilled.
He felt the cold breeze of the night.
The still warm sands on his little feet.
The full moon illuminating the desert, giving a somewhat bluish tone, the sands almost looking like they were painted.
The stars were plentiful. Giving some veracity to the old myth Mirari told him, that they were all their ancestors watching over them.
...He couldn't help but wonder for a moment. What were his ancestors like?
It was then the weight of what had happened hit him.
He failed to let go of his cowardice for good.
He failed to defeat the shape.
He failed to protect Pichu.
He failed with miss Kommo-o.
He failed them.
Lawrence fell on his knees, head almost splitting open once more, the bluish cold desert becoming a burning inferno. Fire covering everything and everywhere.
Screams. They were a woman and a young girl. He knew them! Or did he...?
In the middle of the blazing inferno, a humanoid figure wearing that same dark cloak.
Looking down at him in the same contemptful way.
Leering at his kneeling self.
Sparking a primal fear the boy had known all too well.
Before Lawrence knew, he had fallen on the sands facefirst, the exhaustion and stress knocking him down. His amulet had lost its shine completely, now looking like a useless trinket.
He reached out and touched Mirari's claw for comfort. She instinctively moved and placed his head on her scaly chest, right on her white tuft, her red scarf almost completely destroyed.
"You remind me… that it's not so bad… not… so… bad…" He sang, slowly falling asleep. The dragon rumbled peacefully, nuzzling against him. Blissfully ignorant of their situation.
The two fainted children had no way of noticing a small figure approaching them from one of the dunes, easily crossing the desert at night.
Mirari heard her scales playing a melody as they were dragged against the sands bellow.
She still had no energy left, barely managing to open one of her red eyes.
He saw a pokémon, walking on two feet, wearing something that covered their body. This pokémon was dragging her by the tail with their claws, while they had Lawrence on their shoulder.
The jangmo-o desperately wanted to struggle and wiggle free, begging her weary body to let her do something. Anything.
The best she managed was to meekly pull her tail from the pokémon's grasp, getting completely dropped on the ground with a thud.
"You slippery little-" Came an assertive, rash male voice, who seemed to be talking mostly to himself, "As if the snoring wasn't enough!"
Her snores weren't… so… bad…!
Before Mirari could think of what to do next, her eyes slowly began closing again, the last thing she saw were shining golden eyes staring at her, before their owncer nonchalantly grabbed her tail once more, resuming their walk.
Now completely asleep, the dragoness started letting out loud, tired noises that to some might sound like a mixture of a grumpig getting choked and a tyranitar growling.
"My poor, misguided child… so close you were to my loving coils. So near to the answers you desperately sought. Such endless bliss you could have experienced, had you not struggled... It matters not. You may only elude destiny for so long."
"I'll be waiting…"
"... My adorably foolish chosen."
Arc 1: Oasis Village/Prologue -Over-
A/N: Fun fact: This is the chapter with the least words I've ever wrote! (and that wasn't originally part of a single huge chapter that was split).
rycorop: Sorry if it was too bleak! After the storm comes the rainbow, right? XD
Next up: The journey begins! And a new ally?
