Author's notes: Okay first, Merry Christmas on December 27th. I tried to upload this chapter yesterday, but for some reason the website refused to submit this chapter and kept giving me ERROR. It still did this morning, meaning the only way to upload it was to sacrifice a previously submitted chapter file and copy/paste this chapter on it. Hopefully it won't affect the previous story where that chapter was originally.
I know I originally said in the Prologue Chapter that this story was supposed to be in the same tone as the the Pokémon movies, but in this chapter something is done and implied in the dialogue that places the tone near the Pokémon Manga or an Anime not meant for little children.
Also, if you have not read the Pokémon Manga, the first scene here is kind of a spoiler for the Black&White arc, which is still unresolved and I wanted to resolve because I'm also an Agencyshipper or Chessshipper, whichever you want to call it.
And as I now reply to reviews at the beginning of the chapters;
Guest: Here's more!
10speed12: Already replying to your review IN THIS EXACT CHAPTER, I fixed that plothole by mentioning it and pointing out it's resistance. I also added some plot related dialogue between Alain and Batman Who Laughs in their departure.
Chapter 5: Dragonslayer and Dragonrider
Unova Region – Team Plasma's Castle
2 years ago…
''KA-ROWWWWL!''
''What a loud howl,'' Hilda said looking at Reshiram.
''Yeah, now that Zecrom's gone,'' Hilbert agreed, ''Reshiram must feel like half of itself is missing.''
Hilda's Tepig Bubu felt the tremors first due to it's small size, before Hilda lifted it up on her arms.
''Wha-?!'' Hilda asked as Reshiram begun to shine white.
''We're getting sucked in!'' Hilbert said as he started to feel Reshiram's shining and moved to protect Hilda and Bubu. ''Prez! Stay back! This is the same feeling I had back when Reshiram transformed into it's true form. Last time it was a feeling of liberation, but now it's opposite.''
Hilbert spread his arms to keep Hilda behind him as he begun to walk backwards away from Reshiram.
''Since Zelrom isn't here, Reshiram's reverting back to the Light Stone,'' Hilbert continued describing what he was feeling as they reverted backwards, ''we might get sucked in too, so we have to be careful.''
''What a lovely idea,'' a voice said behind them from the cage created by Stone Edge move. ''I'd very much like for you to be part of the Light Orb along with Reshiram.''
''Hilbert!'' Hilda said worried grabbing onto Hilbert's arm.
''Don't worry about anything, Prez,'' Hilbert said confidently as he looked between the stone pillars. ''Ghetsis, are you frustrated seeing how you can't do anything?''
''Frustrated? Why would I be? I'm elated,'' Ghetis spoke calmly from his small prison. ''To think that the hero who thwarted my plans would give me such a magnificent way to bury himself.''
WOMP!
Unknown force pushed Hilbert from where he was standing backwards toward Reshiram and got him stuck into the Legendary Pokémon's chest.
''Hilbert!'' Hilda screamed as Hilbert struggled to get his body out of Reshiram.
''GHETSIS!'' Hilbert yelled angry looking at the leader of Team Plasma who had been released from his temporary prison and a Beheeyem next to him. ''WHAT DID YOU-!?''
''A good comrade of mine simply lent me little of his power,'' Ghetsis said referring to the Psychic Type Pokémon next to him, which had been the reason for Hilbert being pushed to Reshiram.
''Are you thinking how unfair the situation has become?'' Ghetsis gloated Hilbert with a passive tone as he turned away. ''However, I hope we never meet again, Hero of Truth.''
With that, the Beheeyem used Teleport to transport Ghetsis and itself away, leaving Hilbert and Hilda to their fates.
''Hilbert!'' Hilda yelled and tried to him.
''Prez, don't come closer!'' Hilbert yelled back to her. ''If you do you might get sucked in too..!''
''Hold on!'' Hilda said turning around towards the door. ''I'll go and get help!''
''Prez!'' Hilbert yelled back to her once more, calmer now. ''My promise… I didn't break my promise.''
''Wha..?'' Hilda said confused looking at Hilbert. ''What are you talking about?''
''Don't tell me you forgot,'' Hilbert said beginning to open the zipper of his jacket. ''I promised you in Castelia City, remember? That when I enter the Pokémon League… I'll wear this.''
Hilbert pulled the labels of his jacket open and revealed the banner vest sporting BW Agency on his shirt.
''The company logo…'' Hilda said recognizing her talent agency's name and logo on Hilbert and remembered their promise.
''..In the Pokémon League you'll wear our company logo.''
''I'll participate the Pokémon League! And I'll wear the company logo, just like we promised!''
''You really remembered…'' Hilda said with tears in her eyes.
''There's more,'' Hilbert said as Reshiram's wings begun to close around him. ''When the winner of the tournament goes against the Elite 4, all the cameras will be focused on the winner. I know that and I planned to take my jacket off that moment and shout ANYTHING FROM ACTING IN DRAMAS, FILMS, ADS, AND PLAYS, PLEASE LEAVE IT TO THE BW AGENCY!''
Hilbert coughed a bit after yelling out that last bit and looked down on Hilda.
''I wanted to shout that out loud, but I guess I failed there,'' he said as Reshiram closed on him and his last words echoed in the air as they both reverted into the Light Orb. ''Did… I pay it all back? The money I owed for the equipment… did I work it all off? Prez…''
The Light Orb fell to the floor, leaving it and Hilda alone to the battle-damaged hall with Bubu.
''Yes, you did,'' Hilda said taking shaky steps towards the Light Orb and reached her hands towards it. ''It's all good then, right? So please… please…''
Before Hilda could grab it, the Light Orb flew away to the sky and into the horizon across the sea.
''PLEASE DON'T GO!'' Hilda yelled begging and fell to her knees. ''HILBEEEEEEEEEEEEEERT!''
Hoenn Region – Mauville City
Now…
''Ghetsis needed N to be the undefeated champion of Team Plasma, but when Hilbert defeated him with Reshiram that goal failed,'' Hilda said further explaining the origin of the Light Orb to Bruce, Serena and Dawn. ''Looker and the International Police have worked for the last 2 years taking them down while I looked for the Light Orb, so Hilbert could be freed from it.''
''So, besides the metal, it also has a person and a Pokémon inside it,'' Bruce said looking at the Light Orb. ''Or they formed into that metal when it reverted back into that form. You said it flew away from you when you first tried to grab it, how do you have it now?''
''I managed to find it recently from the Extralink clearing in Entrée Forest at the heart of Unova,'' Hilda said holding the Light Orb in her arms and looking down at it. ''Looker has been helping me keep out of Team Plasma's radar while I came to Hoenn.''
''You're multitasking,'' Bruce said voicing his conclusion as he pointed at May. ''You're meeting her to get Pokémon as clients to your company and trying to get help with the orb.''
''Can say that a little louder? I don't think Team Plasma's people-''
''Team Plasma is the least of our worries right now,'' Bruce said sitting up from his seat. ''The Drowned destroyed Lilycove City and killed it's entire populace as collateral damage without care. If they find us here, they might repeat that, and you will be another nameless victim on a long list.''
''All the more reasons why you need to get out of Hoenn,'' Looker said checking his phone before turning to Hilda. ''President White, I have something I need to discuss with Batman. Would you take Dawn and ms Yvonne to get unrecognizable makeovers? I'm sure there is clothing store open 24/7 somewhere around here.''
''Yeah, sure,'' Hilda said putting the Light Orb to her bag and got up from her seat.
''We can talk outside that clothing store,'' Bruce told Looker with his eyes glaring at Serena and Dawn. ''I'm not letting these two too far away from me after what happened in Lilycove.''
''Of course, you wouldn't,'' Looker said also sitting up. ''Shall we?''
The newly grown group of six left the diner with the women walking in the front and the men at the back. They remained at observation distance to see they were safe, but enough in the back to have a private conversation.
''What did you want to talk about?'' Bruce asked keeping his gaze on Serena and Dawn walking ahead of him with Hilda and May as well as their surroundings.
''Before Lilycove, there was another attack in the Kanto region,'' Looker said, speaking at an off the record kind of tone. ''Small town of Pallet was trembled under the feet of what the eye witnesses are referring to as a monster they can't differentiate as a Pokémon or something else.''
''You think it was one of them?'' Bruce asked as Looker brought up an image on his phone and showed it to Bruce, which made him pale silently.
''It was shown on the news once locally in the Alola region, before my superiors pulled it out from being shown anywhere else,'' Looker explained as Bruce looked at the picture of the monster. ''As far as the people who watch news know, Pallet Town was attacked by something, but the image of the culprit was pullet to stop panic. Or so I was briefed on the matter.''
''Unless they knew what this thing is, I wouldn't be surprised,'' Bruce said looking at the image of the unstoppable killing machine he was all too familiar with. ''This thing is called Doomsday in my world. It's specializes in adapting to the damage it receives.''
''Meaning?'' Looker asked noticing how Bruce was looking at the image.
''Kill it one way and it comes back unkillable that same way,'' Bruce said lifting his eyes from the phone. ''The first time I faced against, all I could do was keep out of the way for people stronger than me to take it down, at cost of one those other fighters' life.''
''So what kind of Pokémon would you suggest being used against it?'' Looker asked taking Bruce's words to heart and understanding the threat was serious.
''Strong and durable ones with others that can contain it to be sent away,'' Bruce said trying to re-establish in his mind what he was fighting against here again.
Barry, or that ghost of him, had told him that there were seven versions of him with the Justice League's powers and that the worst of them had Robins. Instead of a version of himself with Superman's powers, there was now one that had turned himself into Doomsday. Seeing Red Death and the Drowned refer to each other as equals and working together as teammates had also cleared out that they were not flying solo, so the Doomsday version had most likely held onto his or her awareness and wasn't a mindless killing machine like the original Doomsday was. Realization of this made that version even more dangerous than initially realized, which made Bruce even more worried about the most dangerous one with Robins that Barry had warned him about. And what could they possibly have planned for-
''Wait a minute? Did you say it attacked Kanto region?'' Bruce asked turning to look at Looker and then at Serena and Dawn walking ahead of them. ''Serena said she was there when she was little, but Dawn didn- Dammit!''
''What?'' Looker asked taking his phone back.
''I asked them if their paths had crossed anywhere, but it's not the places they've been,'' Bruce said realizing he had been an idiot. ''It's the people they know and have met. Tell me, you know Dawn, does she know anyone who is from Kanto?''
''The same people that I also know are Ash Ketchum and Brock Harrison,'' Looker answered as the women arrived at an open clothing store and went to look through bargain bins. ''Dawn spent 2 years travelling through Sinnoh with them until 3 years ago.''
''Ash Ketchum and Brock Harrison,'' Bruce repeated to the new information and pointed at Looker's phone. ''Can look up a picture of them for me? From social media or a witness file from that… Team Galactic case that Dawn mentioned?''
''Hold on,'' Looker said taking his phone and browsed it a bit before giving it to Bruce. ''Ash is the shorter one.''
Bruce took Looker's phone and seeing the image brought to it's screen, his eyes widened to a revelation provided by them. The taller young man with stern look in his eyes and darker skin tone didn't register anything, but the shorter boy with a cap and a yellow Pokémon on his shoulder was what made Bruce see the connection between Serena and Dawn. Without saying another word, Bruce marched into the clothing store with Looker's phone in his left hand.
Kalos Region – Mega Stone research site
''FIGHT!''
At Murder Machine's say so, Damian charged at Alain's Charizard with his claws ready to be sunk into the Fire Type's hide. Charizard stood his ground waiting for Damian to get into striking distance to be attacked with Dragon Tail as Alain had instructed him, but the insane eyes and mad open mouth grin on Damian's face was unsettling to the Pokémon and making it difficult to stay focused while facing his opponent. Because of this, Charizard turned away to use Dragon Tail too early, meaning his tail had moved past just before it would have hit Damian, who without needing to dodge it could sink his claws into Charizard's tail and climb up the Fire Type's back, wounding the Pokémon with multiple attacks.
''CHAR!'' Charizard roared in pain with every stab to his back by Damian's claws. ''CHAAAAR!''
''Charizard, get up in the air and shake him off you!'' Alain yelled as Damian begun to get closer to Charizard's wings.
''Damian, jump off and switch your weapons,'' Batman Who Laughs said with a calm voice, instructing his son by lifting a finger. ''Remember Firefly.''
''Yes, father,'' Damian said jumping off Charizard's back and landed safely on the arena floor before Charizard begun to shake him off.
Charizard felt the weight on his back fall off and refocused himself while staying in the air. Damian looked up with a maniacal grin on his face and threw away his clawed gloves, replacing them with his sword and a grabbling gun.
''Charizard, use Flamethrower!'' Alain yelled agitated.
''Now you're getting it!'' Batman Who Laughs yelled back exited as Charizard blew fire out of his mouth and Damian aimed his grabble gun up in the air.
As Charizard's Flamethrower attack hit the ground, Damian took advantage of the attack's weight and grabbled himself up the cave's ceiling, above Charizard who was just ceasing his use of Flamethrower. When he stopped blowing fire out of his mouth and looked up, Charizard saw Damian freefalling down towards him with the sword pointed first at him.
''COUNTER WITH DRAGON CLAW!'' Alain yelled seeing Damian's aerial attack and gave Charizard an order.
Charizard's hands begun to glow as around them formed larger constructs of larger clawed hands. One of them countered Damian's sword attack and the other pushed the eldest Robin down to the arena floor.
''Hah hah hah, bravo,'' Batman Who Laughs said clapping his hands. ''Okay, enough warming up, time to get this fight more interesting.''
''No, this has been enough!'' Alain said in protest. ''Your son can fight, I'll admit that, but-''
''What? You admit that you cheated at the Luminose Conference?'' Batman Who Laughs said threateningly and turned to the audience. ''You hear that, folks? The Champion admits cheating his way to victory! Post it on Twitter! Facebook! Instagram! Tumblr! THE WORLD MUST KNOW!''
''I-have-gone-through-the-internet-in-this-world-and-those-platforms-don't-exist-here,'' Murder Machine said in monotone as Professor Sycamore with his assistants and Mairin looked confused at Batman Who Laughs.
''Regardless,'' Batman Who Laughs said turning back to face the arena, ''if we haven't gotten to Mega Evolutions yet and everyone is still standing, the battle isn't over yet. Isn't that right, mister referee?''
''If-both-of-them-can-fight-the-battle-is-still-ongoing,'' Murder Machine answered.
''That's right,'' Batman Who Laughs said throwing some green glowing patches at Damian. ''Time to bring this battle to the next level with Mega Evolution.''
Damian caught the patches and placed them against bare skin on his arms. As he did that, the veins in his arms begun to glow bright green and the muscles in his body begun to grow bigger and buffer with him also growing taller. Then he flexed his limbs to limber them up, having adapted himself up for the fight to go on.
''With Venom! Assume the Artorias style!''
Damian placed his sword up on his right shoulder and bent his knees. Then ran and boosted up a spinning jump at Alain's Charizard, making multiple flips in the air with his sword rolling around in flight. At survival instinct, Charizard jumped out of the line on fire, but landing Damian twirled around with two pirouettes, still almost cutting Charizard with it.
''Now would be a good time,'' Batman Who Laughs said grinning as he lifted his left hand up and patted his wrist with his right hand's fingers. ''Or are you going to forfeit?''
''Hrrr,'' Alain grunted as he looked at his Charizard dodging Damian's attacks and their forced audience held captive by the Alfred Protocol, then raised his left wrist where he was carrying his Key Stone and activated it. ''Charizard, MEGA EVOLVE!''
''Now we're talking,'' Batman Who Laughs said rubbing his hands as Alain's Charizard begun to glow dark light. The light took form of a sphere, which then broke open to reveal the Charizard having changed it's orange hide to a black and wings having grown larger in it's Mega Evolved form. Damian kept his battle stance against his opponent and just like his father, kept his face grinning and smiling as blue fire was spit at him from the Mega Evolved Pokémon's mouth.
''Hah hah hah hah haa, now we face Maleficent, my son,'' Batman Who Laughs said laughing with his arms spread, ''hah hah hah, AND ALL THE POWERS OF HELL!''
''What are you talking about!?'' Alain asked insulted and already enraged.
''Inside joke,'' Batman Who Laughs answered regaining his posture while keeping his grinning face, ''you wouldn't get it.''
''Are you taking this seriously!?'' Alain yelled outraged. ''Charizard, DRAGON CLAW!''
''Assume the Ornstein style!'' Batman Who Laughs said with one hand behind his back as Damian switched his sword to a lance and countered Charizard's attack by thrusting it between the attack's enlarged talons, twisting them to create pain and then-
''CHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAR!''
Induced electricity from the lance to shock the Pokémon.
''Flying types have a disadvantage to Electric attacks,'' Damian pulling the lance back and thrusted it between Charizard's other hand's talons, releasing the electricity once again.
''HOW IS THIS A FAIR FIGHT!?'' Mairin yelled from the audience. ''HOW COULD YOU ACCUSE ALAIN FOR CHEATING AND THEN CHEAT YOURSELF!''
''All is fair in love, war and battles to the death,'' Batman Who Laughs responded with his usually jovial attitude, before noticing Alain's Charizard resisting the electric attacks from Damian's lance. ''Although, now that I think about it, doesn't a mega Evolved Charizard change from Flaying type to a Dragon type? Well, who cares? Keep the shocks coming, Damian!''
''You never said anything about battling to the death!'' Alain yelled shocked at what Batman Who Laughs had just declared.
''I said I would have liked to challenge you to a battle, I never said it was going to be a Pokémon Battle,'' Batman Who Laughs said reaching his hand at the arena. ''You agreed to my challenge without asking for specifics, Alain. You heard me call my son a born assassin and even then-''
''I told you no then!'' Alain said in protest.
''Okay, let's take a break,'' Batman Who Laughs said making a T gesture with his hands, to which Damian took a wide backwards flip away from Charizard and landing put down his weapons while assuming a meditative state sitting with his legs crossed. ''Yes, you did say you wouldn't fight against us, but just like any terms and conditions deals, we insisted and asked you again if you were sure about that. You didn't say no to that and so, it was on!''
''What!?'' Alain said.
''You know, terms and conditions,'' Batman Who Laughs said with a gesture. ''You're asked once and then you're asked again if you're sure. We insisted, but also asked if you're sure and ultimately you agreed to the terms and conditions.''
''You never said anything about fight to the death!'' Alain said again.
''It was implied in the beginning, but hey, no one ever reads the terms and conditions, hah hah hah'' Batman Who Laughs said chuckling. ''Everyone, hah hah hah, everyone just agrees to them.''
''Break-time-is-over!'' Murder Machine announced. ''Battle-resumes!''
Damian reacted to this by jumping up on his feet and charging at Charizard with his electrified lance.
''Charizard, get up in the air!'' Alain yelled and Charizard did as he was told, getting up in the air.
''You want to win, kill the boy,'' Batman Who Laughs said daring Alain. ''Or do what you would do in any Pokémon battle and beat him senseless so can't fight anymore.
''Yes, do that,'' Damian said echoing his father's words. ''What do you think I have been slowly doing to your Charizard?''
Alain looked at the arena where the battle was going. Charizard's attacks were strong and Damian was fast. If he was to win this battle, he would have to get Damian to stay still to receive the attack from Charizard, but there was also the threat that Batman Who Laughs had given him. If Alain was to win, his Pokémon League Championship would become questioned and even when forced into a corner, Alain was not going to lose like this. He looked at their forced audience, Mairin, Sycamore and everyone held captive by the Alfred Protocol and he knew. The Championship title was not worthy of their lives and Alai knew what he would have to do.
''Charizard, let's finish this battle,' Alain said reaching his arm at the arena. ''Use Blast Burn!''
''Assume the Havel style!'' Batman Who Laughs said and Damian threw away his electrified lance.
Charizard flapped his wings as it stood in the air with his eyes lock onto Damian. All throughout their battle, Damian had hurt him with such brutality that burning away that maniacal grin and crazy eyes was long overdue. The Mega Evolved Pokémon did not know what had happened to this boy that had turned him into this thing before it, but as Damian just stood there looking up at Charizard, the Pokémon could imagine that the boy was asking to be released from what he was. And so, as he was commanded by his trainer, Charizard released his Blast Burn attack.
''CHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRR!''
The fire burned bright and hot as a large explosion at that side of the arena where Damian had stood and when it began to fade, there was laughter.
Hoenn Region – Mauville City
''With the budget we have, buying anything flashy is out of the question,'' Hilda told Serena and Dawn as they entered the open clothing store, which was pretty much a flea-market with bargain bins. ''If you're on the run and need to change your appearances, just pick something that makes you fit into a crowd and look different than before.''
Serena and Dawn picked out pieces of clothing from the bargain bins and exchanged glances.
''Piplup, come out,'' Dawn said releasing her Pokémon out of it's Pokéball.
''Braixen, you too,'' Serena said doing the same.
''Pip-Piplup!''
''Braixen-Brai!''
''Hey, we need you to approve our new clothes,'' Dawn told her Piplup and Serena's Braixen.
''You have known us the longest, so your judgement helps,'' Serena said showing pieces of clothing to the Pokémon. ''What's your opinion on these?''
While showing the different clothes to their Pokémon and the Pokémon had their focus on the clothes, Bruce moved quickly behind Serena passing her and put his hand in and out of her pocket, pick-pocketing the photograph she had in there. Then he moved quickly away, before anyone saw he was just there. Well, everyone except for May.
As May noticed it, she also saw the phone Bruce had in his other hand and without mentioning it, shadowed him back to Looker outside the clothing store.
''Do you recognize this as the same guy?'' May heard Bruce say to Looker as he showed him the picture.
''It has been over 3 years, but I suppose that is what he would look like now,'' Looker said as Bruce gave him the phone and compared whatever was on it to the photograph.
''Serena told me this picture is over a year old,'' Bruce said running his hand across his hair agitated. ''But I'll take your word for it. This guy is the connection Serena and Dawn have. Or at least the only one we know of right now.''
''Do you think we should tell them?'' Looker asked as May saw Bruce taking the photograph back to his hands.
''No, not yet,'' Bruce said looking at the photograph and then glancing at Serena and Dawn, who had tried some different clothes by now. ''Not until I know more about this guy. If they are both his ex-girlfriend and current girlfriend, adding awkwardness to our current situation won't make it any better.''
''Who are you two talking about?'' May asked, having decided to make her presence known to them.
Bruce flinched as he turned to look at May and from May's point of view, he looked like his was trying to figure out how her hair was done.
''All four of you,'' Bruce eventually said glancing at Serena and Dawn who were with Hilda at the store as he spoke to May, ''are from separate regions. You're a local, they are from Sinnoh, Kalos and Unova. But you knew Dawn from before, how did you two meet each other?''
''What does that have to do with-''
''Answer the question,'' Bruce said as a toned-down command.
''Through a mutual friend,'' May answered.
''Give me a name,'' Bruce said with a more serious attitude.
May threw her eyes across the hallway before answering, ''Ash Ketchum.''
Bruce's reaction was blinking his eyes, looking at the photograph and then at the store again.
''Were you talking about Ash!?'' May asked reading on from Bruce's reaction.
''The hell with awkwardness,'' Bruce said walking past May with the photograph in his hand.
Bruce walked to Serena and Dawn to whom Hilda had helped choosing clothes. Serena was wearing a short sleeved black jacket on a beige shirt with a green skirt and tall black socks on her feet. She had changed her pinkish hat to a brighter red baseball cap with a white symbol and tied her blue ribbon where it had been on her previous attire. Alternatively, Dawn had changed her clothes to a sleeveless pink jacket over a black t-shirt and knee long jean shorts with light green boots. Like Serena, she had changed her beanie to a red and black baseball cap that had some kind of blue symbol on it.
''Good timing,'' Serena said as she noticed Bruce there with them. ''How do we look?''
''You both look like Lois Lane and Lana Lang,'' Bruce said as a quick answer, then looked like he regretted saying it. ''Next stop is hair salon, we need to change your looks so much different that even I can't recognize you.''
''How may I help you?'' elderly man in a sweater with a store-worker's name tag asked appearing next to Bruce.
''I'm not here to buy anyth-'' Bruce said quickly, before getting silenced as he turned to look at the elderly store-worker and went pale. ''Alfred?''
''Who's Alfr-'' Dawn was about to ask, when suddenly the elderly man split up into multiple copies to surround them and their hands turned into guns.
''How-may-I-help-you?''
Kalos Region
''Hah hah hah hah hah hah hah,'' Batman Who Laughs laughed in cold and dark voice as he lifted his left hand to point at the right side of the arena from Alain's point of view, where Damian had stood and who had been there behind him.
The audience, or what was left of them in their burned, charred corpses.
''Mairin… Professor…'' Alain said shocked looking at his friends now dead, before turning to look the Batman Who Laughs with furious anger. ''You did this!''
''Hah hah hahah hah hah haa, NO!'' Batman Who Laughs responded with a wide grin and pointed his finger at Alain. ''All I did was push and you did it yourself! And by the way, the battle isn't over yet.''
''Fun fact about Blast Burn,'' Damian's voice said from under the cinders as a dark blob rose from the scorch mark in the arena. ''It is a such powerful attack that the Pokémon using it needs to rest up during their next turn and is so left vulnerable for attacks.''
FHOM!
Damian rose up on his feet and threw away his cape to reveal himself free from burn marks, before adding, ''And Havel style comes from Havel the Rock, bishop soldier who wore a heavy armor and shield. In his case, the protection for his armor cost him his mobility. That is why I stood still and took your Charizard's Blast Burn attack.''
''Damian, I'm proud of you,'' Batman Who Laughs said throwing Damian another weapon. ''Now finish this battle!''
''Yes, father,'' Damian said grabbing the weapon and pointed it at Charizard, before shooting ice from it.
TZAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHP!
Charizard was flash frozen with the freeze gun and Alain knew he had lost the battle. But Damian wasn't done yet as he took an icepick from his belt and begun to approach Charizard with it.
''Charizard, return!'' Alain yelled panicked and pointed a Pokéball to recall his Pokémon just before Damian's icepick hit it. ''You won already!''
''I did? Huh,'' Batman Who Laughs said pretending to be absent minded, before beginning to walk across the arena with his right hand extended. ''Well, it seems I was wrong. You won your Pokémon League Championship fair and square without cheating. Put it there!''
Alain didn't take his hand to shake or even acknowledge it as he was focused on looking burned corpses in in the audience.
''Oh, right. That!'' Batman Who Laughs said putting his hand on his chest, with Damian and the other Robins doing the same. ''To honor those who got burned, let us take a moment of silence…''
Less than a second later.
''…during which we are of course allowed to speak, starting now,'' Batman Who Laughs continued, then immediately turned to Murder Machine. ''So, have you gotten any updates from the Alfred Protocol about our friends in Hoenn?''
''I-just-got-an-alert-from-Mauville-City,'' Murder Machine replied rising his hand up. ''It-was-recognized-and-called-Alfred. It-has-to-be-the-Batman.''
''What a great timing!'' Batman Who Laughs said clapping his hands together. ''Let's go and-''
Batman Who Laughs' attention was caught by another vibrating metal card inside his robes. He took it out and shook it to turn it into a mobile device.
''Actually, you go ahead,'' Batman Who Laughs said looking at his mobile device and waved his hand at Murder Machine. ''My Single Parents' Dating profile just got a match and I have a date!''
BOOM!
''Can-you-get-back-without-a-Boom-Tube?'' Murder Machine asked as he opened a Boom Tube.
''I have my toys for that,'' Batman Who Laughs said shaking the mobile device back into a metal card and Murder Machine stepped into the Boom Tube, closing it after him.
BOOM!
''Why?'' Alain said as Batman Who Laughs was about to walk away. ''You said you were looking to meet me. You wanted to do this to me. WHY!?''
Batman Who Laughs turned slowly back to face Alain, but he wasn't smiling anymore.
''What do you do to the jerk who stole candy from the baby and then punched the baby off from the carriage?''
''What?'' Alain asked.
''I would probably laugh at it before thinking 'was I the baby who candy got stolen before the abuse?''' Batman Who Laughs said walking back to Alain with a frown and his hands behind his back. ''That jerk would deserve to have all of his candy thrown into the thrash!''
''I don't know who you are-'' Alain said trying to physically attack the Batman Who Laughs, but was stopped as he was caught by his throat.
''You're right, you don't know me, but you do know A me,'' Batman Who Laughs said as the nails in his fingers were pushed against the flesh on Alain's throat. ''And that me is, as the saying goes, one of my people. Not now, but soon he will be and you stole something from him. He was being a good loser, but seriously, if that had been me you stole from, this exactly what I would have done.''
''Who... are you?'' Alain asked the nails of the Batman Who Laughs pierced his skin and he felt something enter his body.
''Look at me,'' Batman Who Laughs said as he used his free hand to remove his mask and showed his face to Alain. ''What do you see? I'm not the boy you stole Championship from, but imagine if I was him.''
''Ash?'' Alain said looking into the eyes of the Batman Who Laughs. ''How can you be-''
''Well, I'm not,'' Batman Who Laughs said throwing Alain into the ground. ''And let me tell you a secret, neither is he. He might think he is, but he is really me from up there while I'm him from down there. And when he is one us, he will let everyone like me from down there to up there.''
Listening to Batman Who Laughs, Alain suddenly felt an itch in his throat.
''What did you do to me?'' Alain asked as the nail marks in his throat turned green, he begun to get cold sweat and his vision started to turn blurry.
''You mean besides making you kill your girlfriend and those other guys?'' Batman Who Laughs said putting his mask back on. ''I gave you gift from the mind of a Scarecrow. Mairin, Sycamore and those others might be cinders, but they won't be gone for long. In fact, I think they will be with you for the rest of your life. Hah hah hah hah hah hah haa!''
Batman Who Laughs turned around and begun to make his way out of the cave they were in. As he took another metal card and turned it into a Batmobile, he laughed listening to the screams from Alain coming from the cave.
Hoenn Region – Mauville City
''How-may-I-help-you?''
''GET DOWN!'' Bruce yelled as soon as he saw the Alfred copies' hands turn into guns and pushed everyone he was fast enough out from the line of fire, right before the Alfred copiess begun to fire projectiles from their handguns.
''How-may-I-help-you?'' the Alfreds spoke in a unison.
''Keep your heads down and get out of the store,'' Bruce told Serena, Dawn and Hilda. ''I'll see if I can distract it.''
''Aah!'' Hilda grunted as she tried to move and reaching where she was hurt found herself bleeding. ''I got shot!''
''ALFRED, STOP!'' Bruce yelled getting up with his hands spread around. ''Alfred, tell me what is-''
''How-may-I-help-you?''
''Are you even Alfred!?'' Bruce yelled as an outraged demand. ''Or are you just wearing his face?''
''Blaziken, use Blaze Kick!''
''BLAZIKEN!''
A large fire Pokémon jumped out and kicked all the Alfred copies, which upon the impacts were revealed to be composed of small nanites. At the store entrance May was standing with Looker and Pokéballs in her hands. With the backup provided by May and her Pokémon, Bruce grabbed the wounded Hilda off the floor and begun the to make their way away from the nanite Alfreds.
''Who is that guy supposed to be?'' Dawn asked as they got to May and Looker.
''The man who raised me after my parents were murdered,'' Bruce said as May yelled commands to her Blaziken and looked into Hilda's gunshot wounds. ''How badly are you injured?''
''Blaziken, use Fire Spin!''
''It doesn't… hurt that much,'' Hilda said in a shaking voice. ''I think it's…''
''Stay conscious!'' Bruce said giving Hilda to Looker to carry and pulled on his gloves and mask. ''You were shot with small nanite projectiles that have left your body already and aren't there to keep you from bleeding.''
''What does that mean?'' Serena asked as Bruce was scanning Hilda's wounds with his mask's lenses as Batman.
''I need to tend to her wounds before she bleeds out,'' Batman said reaching to his utility belt as Hilda's skin begun to go pale. ''She is already going into a shock.''
''Can we help you?'' Dawn asked as Looker set Hilda on the floor to have her lay on a stable level.
''Help her in keeping those Alfreds from getting to us,'' Batman said pointing at May and her Blaziken fighting the nanite Alfreds. ''I can stop her from bleeding, but we need to get her to a proper hospital after th-''
BOOM!
''Is that an Ultra Wormhole?'' Looker asked as a large portal exploded next to them.
''No, it's a Boom Tube,'' Batman said as a figure with long ears walked out of it and as it closed, they were faced by a cyborg, with a red, round Bat-symbol on it's chest and blue lines going through it's dark metallic body.
''Hello-Batman,'' the cyborg spoke as it
BOOM!
closed the Boom Tube behind it and walked towards Batman. ''Everyone-of-us-has-been-looking-forward-to-meeting-you-ever-since-we-learned-the-truth.''
''What happened to you and Alfred?'' Batman asked with his focus shifting between another version of himself and Hilda who needed medical attention.
The cybernetic Batman raised his and at the televisions on the walls of the hallway, remotely hacking into them and showed different shifting footages about events from it's past as it's answer.
''Tell us where the Batman is before we get really rough!'' Twoface saw seen pointing a gun at Alfred.
''Batman? What… dear me… is a Batman? Perhaps there is another way I can be of service?'' Alfred was seen speaking wounded as Bane lifted him up and brought down on his knee back first.
''Bruce, what happened to Alfred was horrible…'' Clark Kent was seen telling an unmasked Batman in the Batcave with Diana Prince, Steve Trevor, Victor Stone and Oliver Queen.
''I call it the Alfred Protocol…'' unmasked Batman was seen telling Victor Stone.
''Please… you don't have to kill me too..!'' Bane was seen begging for his life from multiple Alfreds.
''That is a hungry virus looking to feed and grow…'' Cyborg was seen telling unmasked Batman in the Batcave, followed by ''…don't let it in here!''
''You don't have to become some kind of horrible Murder Machine!'' Cyborg was then seen on his knees before the cybernetic Batman who told him: ''Everyone-else-is-a-weakness-that-I-am-prepared-to-shed!''
''You lost Alfred and turned him into an A.I?'' Batman said understanding that much from the footage montage. ''And the A.I turned you into that?''
''The-best-thing-I-ever-did-was-let-him-back-into-the-cave,'' the Murder Machine spoke raising his hands and looked at them in a retrospective as the nanite Alfreds gathered around him. ''I-still-remember-the-fear-when-they-surrounded-me. I-realized-quickly-that-my-plan-to-reprogram-him-was-not-going-to-work. I-would-not-be-able-to-affect-the-program-in-time. And-when-they-grabbed-onto-me, started-to-spread-through-my-entire-body, I-was-foolish-enough-to-scream-in-fear. That-was-the-first-thing-my-father-fixed-in-me. He-took-my-ability-to-feel-fear-away, my-ability-to-feel-sadness.''
As the Murder Machine spoke, he drew attention away from Hilda and her need for medical attention as she was bleeding out. While her consciousness was still there with them, Hilda reached out for her bag where she was carrying the Light Orb and called out for
''Hilbert…''
''You-know, Batman, to-that-point-I-had-spent-my-life-obsessing-over-my-lost-birth-parents, ignoring-the-one-who-was-there-right-in-front-of-me,'' Murder Machine continued as the nanite Alfreds combined back into one entity next to him. ''I-was-free-of-that-as-well. Next-came-my-weak, human flesh. It-was-growing-older-and-more-brittle-by-the-day. He-rebuilt-me. Made-me-str-''
''KA-ROWWWWL!''
Murder Machine's monologue was cut howling voice coming from the Light Orb that Hilda was holding onto and now it was shining with bright light. She kept holding onto it as it rose up into the air and the light shining from it kept getting brighter. Then the Light Orb begun to expand larger in it's size, larger than the hallway they were standing in.
''Outside,'' Batman said looking around the hallway for an exit that lead to the outdoors. ''OUTSIDE!''
Batman lead Serena, Dawn, May and Looker to the exit leading to the park in the middle of Mauville and kicked the door open. As they moved and were followed by Murder Machine and his Alfred Protocol, the expanding Light Orb stood in between them. Then, when they got outside to the park, the expanding Light Orb exploded into a large white Dragon Pokémon, Reshiram.
''KA-ROWWWWL!'' Reshiram howled at Murder Machine and the Alfred Protocol before attacking them with Fusion Flare.
While the white Dragon Pokémon kept them away from Batman, Serena, Dawn, May and Looker, a figure of a young man wearing pale blue jacket, black pants and a red cap stood on it's back holding Hilda's unconscious body in his arms.
''Get on,'' the young man told them as he looked down at them. ''We're leaving.''
Without needing to be told twice, everyone recalled their Pokémon back into their Pokéballs before getting up onto Reshiram's back and it got up in the air to fly away from Mauville and Hoenn.
''Dawnbreaker,'' Murder Machine spoke looking up in the sky at the Dragon Pokémon flying away from him, ''your-target-is-a-Legendary-Pokémon-flying-away-from-Hoenn-with-two-of-our-targets-and-the-Batman.''
Kalos Region – Vanavile Town
The twisted Batmobile of the Batman Who Laughs curved up at the side of the town and the Batman Who Laughs jumped out of it followed by his son and Robins.
''Okay, first impressions,'' Batman Who Laughs said rubbing his hand against his Batmobile and it turned into a metal card to be carried in person. ''I'll save that to impress her later. Damian, you're in babysitting duty for your brothers, understood?''
''Yes, Father,'' Damian said taking the leashes tied around the other Robins' necks.
''Good, by the time I'm back you all might have new mother,'' Batman Who Laughs said taking out the metal card that turned into a mobile device and rechecked his profile. ''So, who was I supposed to meet here again? Aah, here she is, Grace Yvonne.''
Author's notes: Grace Yvonne, as in that the ''date'' Batman Who Laughs has is with Serena's mom. I got the idea when I was thinking about what all kinds of bad things he would do and considering the tones and lengths I have gone by now, this is something he would go and do. Expect her to get similar kind of treatment that the Robins have gone through.
As for THE Batman, which is what the Dark Knights are calling him now, I think he and the other characters probably will be absent in the next chapter in favor of Ash, Thomas Jr and Team Rocket. Or not, I might change my mind during the writing process.