Author's notes: For those of you who don't know, GEOGRAPHY LESSON! From Gens 1-4, the regions of Kanto, Johto, Hoenn and Sinnoh were based on the actual regions of Japan. In the map of Japan and in world of Pokémon, Kanto and Johto are located right next to each other and from the west of Johto, there is Hoenn. And the Sinnoh Region is located high far in the north at the peak of Japan. That is why when you have a large, flying Legendary Pokémon and are flying east from Hoenn, you will eventually make it the Johto Region.

As for Unova, Kalos and Alola, I have no idea where they are from the four previously mentioned regions, so travelling from there can either a short and fast or a long and slow journey.

Replies to Reviews:

Guest: Well, in this chapter, the featured Dark Knight will give Batman the most painful emotional mind fuck of a shock. The others before have so far surprised him, but this will hurt.

10speed12: Again, noted and fixed in the previous chapter. Mega Charizard X is a Fire/Dragon Type. Batman Who Laughs didn't remember it either, but ultimately it wasn't a big setback for him.

Sailor Dragonball 87: Again, nope. Not Ash, they are all Bruce Waynes. 'Up there=Batman's universe' and 'down there=Dark Multiverse'. Just making that sure again for you and everyone reading this.

Cylon One: If you have made it this far, have I managed to keep up with the quality.

Chapter 6: Road to Darkness

Dark Multiverse -Earth -32

That night…

BANG!

BANG!

How did I feel in that moment, when my whole world was changed?

''We're done here, kid,'' that man said pointing the smoking gun at me. ''Get down on your knees, close your eyes and you ain't gonna get hurt.''

When I stood there helpless as my mom and dad's blood was running into the gutter? I felt… nothing. Like the sky and the ground broke apart and all that was left was a void as big as everything. And that void was inside me. I didn't feel anything.

Not even fear.

And without any of that pushing me down to kneel near mom and dad, I stood up and ran after him. The man with the gun. Then it came to me.

''Bruce Wayne,'' green flowing light in front of me spoke and presented the ring to me. ''You have the ability to overcome fear. Welcome to the Green Lantern Corps.''

I didn't overcome fear. It was obliterated from me. And I didn't give a thought to the word "Corps" or even what the Hell it was talking to me. All I cared about was him. After took the ring, it took me to him, to the man with the gun, digging through dad's wallet.

''YOU BASTARD!'' I yelled when I confronted the man with the gun.

''What the-'' the man with the gun said startled as he saw and threw dad's wallet away. ''T-take the money!''

''I'm not helpless now!'' I yelled pointing the ring at him. ''DIE! KILL HIM!''

''ERROR!'' the ring protested. ''First Law of the Green Lantern Corps: Lethal Force not permitted!''

''I d-don't care!''

I didn't feel fear or doubt.

''DO WHAT IS SAY!''

''Willpower at 100%.'' the ring begun to comply. ''Willpower at 117%.''

I just felt the void inside me.

''HE DESERVES TO DIE!'' I yelled as the ring's energies materialized as the void inside me.

''ERROR! Willpower at 181%. ERROR! WILLPOWER EXCEEDS—SKWAAARK—MALFUUuNCTKRXBLTDZ—LETHAL FORCE ENABLED.''

SSSSHHHHHHHHHHHHH!

And I released the void, letting it out on the man with the gun. I had the most powerful weapon in the universe on my finger as the man with the gun got to learn the last thing he ever learned. But I would have given it up to have my mom and dad.

''R-ring…'' I asked as I returned to them, ''Bring my mom and dad back.''

''ACTIVATING.''

''Bbbbbbruuuuuuce…'' the ring made dad and mom's remains speak. ''We looooove youuuu...''

''DEACTIVATING.''

I would have traded everything, so I didn't feel so helpless. So… …alone.

Alola Region – Airport Terminal

''When are you going to come back to Alola, Ash?''

''I don't know,'' Ash said with his Pokémon out to say their goodbyes to their friends at Alola. ''I need to know what happened to my mom and Pokémon before I can think about that.''

''Pikaa,'' Pikachu said waving goodbyes from Ash's shoulder.

Besides just Pikachu, Ash had also let his Rowlet, Lycanroc and Litten temporarily out so they could say their goodbyes to their friends in Alola, while meanwhile at the other side of the security terminal a group of 4 was observing him.

''So, the Twerp is heading back to Kanto,'' Meowth said from the safe distance. ''It's not so long after we we're all just there.''

''It's not just following him back to Kanto, but our new orders,'' James said peeking from behind souvenir stand with Jessie. ''Why would the Boss suddenly want us to kill the Twerp's Pikachu?''

''Was it really the Boss who told us to do it or did those so-called Knights make him?'' Jessie added, with her Wobbuffet shaking next to her. ''This is one of those times when I'd wish for Bewear to get us back to the tree.''

''Wobbu-fet.''

''That is not going to happen.''

Team Rocket flinched as the Dawnbreaker suddenly appeared behind them and announced his presence. In order not to stand out from the crowd, the ring bearer was not wearing the green and black costume, but an attire of green hoodie, black shorts and white shirt, which were common for someone to wear in the weather of the Alola region. Only thing that linked him to the attire he had worn when previously appeared to Team Rocket were the same white goggles from before on his face obscuring his eyes, the green ring on his left hand and the same angsty attitude from before.

''On the planet called Okaara, there lived a being called Agent Orange,'' Dawnbreaker said raising his ring and created a construct of the said being. ''Otherwise known as Larfleeze, he was known for harnessing the Orange Light of Avarice, which he used to steal identities of the people he killed for trespassing on his property. Then he used the stolen identities to create his Orange Lantern Corps.''

''Stole identities?'' Jessie and James asked both confused and startled.

''Behold your Bewear!'' Dawnbreaker said as his ring flickered and a glowing green, transparent Bewear appeared. ''I never got to meet Agent Orange, but I learned of him from my ring. And the Darkness can work the same as Orange Light.''

''WAAACK!?'' Meowth screamed seeing the Bewear.

''WOBBUU!?'' Wobbuffet screamed doing the same seeing the fate of his fellow Pokémon.

''This is a precaution to keep you on your assignment and as another warning,'' Dawnbreaker said absorbing the Bewear construct back into his ring. ''If you don't do your job, I can steal your identities to my ring and make the new yous do the job for you.''

''Dawnbreaker,'' said a voice from the ring.

''What?'' Dawnbreaker asked in monotone as he spoke to the ring.

''Your-target-is-a-Legendary-Pokémon-flying-away-from-Hoenn-with-two-of-our-targets-and-the-Batman,'' the voice spoke from the ring again.

''The Batman?!'' Dawnbreaker said surprised with a completely changed attitude, before using the ring to change his attire to his masked costume.

Then, he flew up and away through the ceiling, without any damage with some of the energies from his ring, leaving Team Rocket behind.

''Say,'' James said turning to Jessie and Meowth, ''what is a Batman?''

''WHO CARES ABOUT SOME STUPID WHAT-A-MAN!? DID YOU NOT SEE WHAT THAT RING TWERP DID TO BEWEAR!?'' Meowth yelled jumping and pulling James' shirt collar. ''I ALREADY DREAD BEING PUT INSIDE A POKÉBALL! I DON'T WANNA BE TURNED INTO SOME KIND OF RING WRAITH!''

''Wobbu wobbuu!'' Wobbuffet cried holding onto Jessie's leg. ''Wobbu Wobbuffet!''

Team Rocket stood frozen in the thought of their ultimatum while Ash Ketchum, blissfully unaware of their presence thanks to their disguises, boarded his plane to take him and his Pokémon to the Kanto Region.

''So we have to either kill the Twerp's Pikachu-''

''Or be turned into Ring Wraiths for that edge lord.''

''Either way, we're not going to get out of it as ourselves.''

''Wobbuffet.''

''Excuse me, Team Rocket,'' someone said addressing to them from a hearing distance.

Slowly turning to that direction, they saw they were called out by the same man they had seen in Ash's- I mean, the Twerp's company the previous day when they had learned about the monster in Kanto and before the Dawnbreaker had conscripted them. Like Team Rocket, he had also dressed so that he wouldn't be easily recognized in a suit, jacket and a hat, while carrying his luggage in a large bag. In this attire, Thomas Wayne Jr looked like their boss, Team Rocket Leader Giovanni.

''That was a Green Lantern you were just talking to,'' Thomas Jr said approaching Jessie, James, Meowth and Wobbuffet. ''Tell me everything you know about it!''

Kalos Region – Vaniville Town

The day begun for Grace Yvonne as they all did. She got up and made breakfast for herself as her daughter Serena wasn't at home to eat it with her. Her Fletchling did keep her company as she prepared for her food, until she got an alert from her holo caster. As Serena was still in Hoenn and had been away from home almost a year, Grace herself had thought up to try and apply to a dating site for single parents. Originally Grace had not been too keen to apply for such things, but daily routine of just Rhyhorn riding and occasionally teaching about it just begged for a change of pace in her life. And now she had apparently gotten a match at the website with someone, who seemed to be online and ready to be communicated with.

''Hello, Grace,'' her match had written to her on the service's chat, ''how are you this fine morning?''

''About as I am in every morning,'' Grace wrote back as a neutral answer trying to form an opinion on who she was chatting with. ''So, your name is Bruce?''

''Well, you could say I am A Bruce among all the other Bruces in the world, hah hah hah,'' her match answered in a smiling emoji. ''Not to go too much ahead of things, but hopefully I will in the end become your Bruce.''

''That is being quite forward,'' Grace wrote back carefully.

''Yes, I know, but an old friend of mine used to tell me you never get anywhere without looking forward,'' Bruce's avatar answered quite quickly. ''That being said, what kind of plans do you have for today?''

''Umm,'' Grace said trying to focus on her response, then wrote: ''Nothing apart from my usual Rhyhorn riding exercises.''

''Well, why don't we meet after that?'' Bruce's avatar asked suggestively, before sending a long chat text. ''As a matter a fact, I'm coming back from a job close to your location, if there is to trust into the GPS in this thing. So, why don't take the chance? Go to your thing as you normally would and then let's meet up later. You know the local area better, so you choose where we meet?''

''Well, what do I have to lose?'' Grace thought going through her options before writing: ''Let's meet at Aquacorde Town afternoon. It's not that far from here.''

''I'll meet you by the bridge,'' Bruce's avatar wrote before signing off.

Grace hummed mildly ambiguously as she ate her breakfast and left for her exercises. On the roof of her house, the Batman Who Laughs sat with his legs crossed and looked after race as she left.

''So, Aquacorde Town is that way,'' the Batman Who Laughs said pointing behind himself and pulled back his mask. ''If the Joker could do it to Harley with a face like this, how hard can it be?''

He sat there for a few seconds before taking a metal card from his robes, which he then turned into bouquet of roses.

''Although, I don't suppose Ivy will mind if I used some of her pheromones to make it easier. She is dead after all, hah hah hah.''

Above the Ocean between Hoenn and Johto Regions

''KA-ROWWWWL!''

Reshiram's howling echoed in the air as they were flying from Hoenn to Johto, or in other words from West to East, the rising sun in the distance. Although in Hoenn it had been night for some time, but going from there to Johto across the ocean and the time zones, the people travelling there were skipping over the rest of the night and were approaching the morning… which seemed like it was getting further away.

''I managed to stop her from bleeding, but the minute we land we need to get her to a hospital,'' Batman said when he was done handling Hilda's gunshot wounds, which had been difficult to do when riding a Legendary Pokémon with six other people. ''How far are we from land?''

''At the speed we are going, we should be at Goldenrod City in the Johto Region soon,'' Looker told reading the GPS on his phone from the back of the line of passengers riding on Reshiram. ''Once we get there, I'll call this in to my superiors and get us better reinforcements against our enemy.''

''Good,'' Batman grunted while helping Hilda's weakened body stay on Reshiram's back.

The young president of the BW Agency was in a stable condition, but extremely weak from the blood loss. Murder Machine's Alfred Protocol had opened blind fire at them back in Mauville and due to Batman's initial priorities to protect Serena and Dawn, Hilda had gone unprotected and so badly wounded. She was still conscious, but because of the blood loss barely lucid, so she needed help sitting up not to slip off from Reshiram's back.

This made Batman to think about the lives that the broken versions of him had taken and looked around himself that six other people he had with him, that he had still barely managed to keep alive. Then he turned his attention to the newest person in their group, who was really the one riding the Legendary Pokémon.

''Hilbert Black, I assume?''

''Yep,'' the Dragon Pokémon rider responded focused on flying Reshiram without turning to look at Batman or Hilda.

''Do you know what we are flying away from?'' Batman asked.

''Killers, I got that from seeing Prez,'' Hilbert answered, now glancing at Batman and at Hilda from over his shoulder. ''You and that machine man have the same appearance and marks on your chest, but you were helping Prez, so I take it that you're not with them.''

''I never was, they were once me,'' Batman said, feeling the fatigue of telling the same thing again to someone new. ''The one we saw in Mauville is one of seven. So far, we have come across other two and heard of a fourth one. There is still three we don't know about.''

''Is that one of them?'' Hilbert asked pointing to their left, at a dim green light in the distance.

As soon as Batman saw it, he gently but quickly pushed Hilda against Hilbert's back and she was lucid enough to put her arms around him to keep herself on board Reshiram.

''Don't go,'' Hilda told Hilbert in a weak voice as Batman rose up on his feet, quickly and carefully to stay on board Reshiram's back at the speed they were going. ''Please don't go.''

Batman struggled to keep his balance on the Legendary Pokémon's back while standing on his feet, until Serena, Dawn, May and Looker reached to grab a hold on his hand and his trench-coat.

''We got you, Bruce.''

Batman acknowledged this act by giving them a nod, before turning to look at the approaching green light source and activated his cowl's lenses to see further what it was.

''Green Lantern,'' Batman grunted as he saw another version of himself with a green power ring. ''They sent their Green Lantern after us. How many flying types do we have?''

''What is a Green Lantern?'' May asked as the green light source grew stronger as it approached them.

''Something against which we need to divide into more than one target,'' Batman answered squishing his right hand into a fist in frustration as he acknowledged the disadvantage of their current situation. ''Especially when we're flying over the ocean and can fall into it. If you have any flying type Pokémon that carry you, release them and use them to fly to- where were we going again?''

''Goldenrod City in the Johto Region,'' Dawn said reminding Batman. ''I have been there before.''

''Good, then you can direct her to a hospital when there,'' Batman said glancing down on Hilda, who still had her arms locked around Hilbert. ''Now get your flying Pokémon out and divide before-''

''INITIATING BLACKOUT!''

Dark Multiverse – Earth -32

Final night…

They called me a hero at first, but that title didn't last for long.

I killed without remorse or boundaries. Why would my enemies deserve to live when my parents didn't? Why!? The Ring worked by my willpower. And I'm willful to an extreme. But the void was inside me, too. I cracked open the Ring. Pushed it past the light. I let the Darkness inside me escape.

And in the Darkness… I wasn't alone anymore.

''Green Lantern,'' the police commissioner greeted me as I arrived to the roof of Gotham Police Department. ''I wasn't sure you'd show up.''

''Gordon,'' I told him. ''I advise you to remain polite with me. The last cop who threatened me regretted it.''

''W-we've got a couple of missing persons cases, thought you'd find it compelling,'' the police commissioner told me with a shaking voice. ''Most recently my detectives have been trailing a particular individual. He disappeared suddenly Tuesday night. Wh-what were you doing Tuesday night?''

''Okay, okay. I figured out your game,'' I told the Gordon without even looking at him. ''I know who you're missing. Penguin.''

''Lantern,'' Gordon told me having suddenly grown himself a spine. ''What did you do to him!?''

''Just look up, Jimmy,'' I told him as I pointed my Ring up in the sky and highlighted them for him. ''See? There's his spleen. And his brains...''

''Lantern… this has to stop. This isn't justice,'' Gordon told me really trying stand up to me. ''I-I don't care what you can do to me. Someone has to stand for what's right! What you did to Detective Bullock… God help him. I know you're hurting, but-''

''You don't know me,'' I said summoning my Lantern Battery on the roof.

''I'm not an idiot! It was only a couple of years ago,'' Gordon said, telling me what he thought I wanted hear. '''Three dead in Crime Alley.' Aren't you tired of feeling like this… Bruce?''

''SHUT UP, GORDON!'' I told him. ''You have a daughter, right? Sad.''

SSSSHHHHHHHHHHHHH!

''She'll have to grow up without her father… alone.''

''ENOUGH!'' Was yelled from above me as my Ring gave me a delayed alert.

''Alert. Bruce Wayne of Sector 2814. Incoming Green Lantern Corps.''

And there they were above me, the old blue skinned men in their robes who had forged my Ring and the other Lanterns to who they had given the Rings to. They thought they had come to seize me.

''You are a damaged Lantern, and we are here to fix your transgression,'' one of the blue men told me while pointing his finger at me. ''You have done the unimaginable. You let Darkness into your Ring. This could pollute the entire Green Lantern Corps! Hand over your Ring, NOW!''

''Ganthet, you're all tizzy over this scrawny poozer?'' one of the other Lanterns spoke. ''Leave 'im to me.''

''Whoa! This is wild!'' I said with sarcasm in my voice when I turned to face them. ''There's a ton of you! But… Ring?''

''INITIATING BLACKOUT!''

''I've got friend now, too,'' I told them as the Darkness surrounded them with everything I had seen and felting in there. ''I made them in the Dark.''

SKREEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!

As I withdrew the Darkness back into the void inside me, all that was left of the Green Lantern Corps was nothing but black bones. They might have been like me, but their willpower needed light to work, so their rings couldn't have worked in the Dark where there was none of it.

''Ssss-'' I heard one of them still alive. ''Stop. Th-the Darkness… It destroys everything.''

CHOK!

I let that last one out of its misery, but I still felt the same. Can you imagine? The most powerful weapon on my finger… and still I felt vulnerable. Helpless. I missed them. I couldn't take it anymore.

I didn't want to be Bruce Wayne anymore. I didn't want to be Green Lantern. Standing in front of my Lantern Battery, I still felt submerged in a shadow. Like I never left the cave under my mom and dad's house, with the Darkness, and the bats.

So, I climbed inside and merged with my Lantern Battery. I became… the Dawnbreaker.

But just at that moment the world begun to crumble away. I recognized it immediately as the Void inside me. The Darkness that consumed all light. I couldn't even see the stars, but I could hear him speak to me when they arrived.

Close to the shores of Johto Region

''With Darkness Black, I choke the Light.''

The airspace around Reshiram turned into darkness as the distorted voice spoke, with Legendary Pokémon's glow being the single source of light.

''No Brightest Day escapes my sight as I turn Dawn into Midnight!''

Even the behind them where it was still night, the stars were also out and in the front the rising sun was dimmed, leaving them into a void of darkness. Even the ocean below them was hidden in from their sight.

''Beware my power…'' the disembodied voice spoke getting closer and close enough for those with sharp ears to pinpoint where it was coming from, ''Dawnbreaker's Might!''

''DIVE!'' Batman yelled giving Hilbert an order to pass to Reshiram, making the Legendary Pokémon fly downwards and away from approaching the Dawnbreaker's attack. ''Light absorption? That's a new one.''

''Batman!'' The Dawnbreaker's voice echoed in the void of darkness around them. ''You're from up there, from the world of light!''

''Stay calm and maintain our course,'' Batman told Hilbert in front of him and to the people behind him before closing his eyes to concentrate. ''We might not see where we're going, but keep going towards Johto.''

''Our master told us the real truth!'' The Dawnbreaker spoke appearing in front of them with dim green monsters at his side. ''In the end, all roads lead to Darkness.''

PTOOTH!

Having focused his hearing to turn his ears into his eyes, Batman had made his senses to focus into being able to see in the darkness they were in and as soon as he had pinpointed where the Dawnbreaker was. As soon as he was sure he knew where the Dawnbreaker was, Batman acted as fast as he could and moved faster than the Dawnbreaker could think or react. He aimed and fired the grabbing gun at the Dawnbreaker, then pulled him out of their way, into his hands. Once he had him, Batman broke the fingers in Dawnbreaker's ring hand to take the ring for himself.

''In Brightest Day, In Blackest Night, no Evil shall escape my sight!'' Batman spoke with loud and focused voice as soon as he put the ring on his finger and the dark void around them begun disintegrating around Reshiram as they returned to the light coming from the rising sun over the Johto Region. ''Let those who worship Evil's Might, BEWARE MY POWER, GREEN LANTERN'S LIGHT!''

FHOOOOOOOOF!

Even in their short time the dark void, their eyes had adjusted ever so slightly to it so when they saw the daylight again, it was blinding, and they couldn't see as Reshiram crash-landed to the Route 34 next to the Pokémon Day Care. Serena, Dawn and May jumped off to the small pond to ease their landing, followed by Looker while Hilbert and Hilda stayed on the Legendary Pokémon as they struggle to stay on their balance from their landing.

Then, once everyone had recovered from the landing, they looked up to see Batman floating in the air with his trench-coat and rest of his costume now green, black and white, with the Bat-symbol having a white circle in it holding a green lantern shape. He had his right hand in a fist with green ring and in his left hand he was holding a short person in a black, worn suit.

''Use your Pokémon to restrain him!'' Batman said descending to the ground and threw the Dawnbreaker off his hands.

''Ka-Rowl!'' Reshiram howled little calmer as Hilbert directed the Legendary Pokémon to push its winged pawn on the ringless Dawnbreaker.

''Aren't you going to use that more?'' Looker asked as Batman took the ring off his finger, which made his attire turn back to normal and kept it in a closed fist.

''It didn't choose me, and they have a built-in safety measure to give a painful strain to unchosen users,'' Batman said shaking his right hand as he walked to see the ring's owner. ''Now let's take a look at-''

Seeing Red Death had been a surprise that had caught Batman off guard. The Drowned was a mild surprise as female version, but knowing about the multiverse had helped Batman come to terms with seeing himself as a woman. Murder Machine and his Alfred Protocol had shown up when Batman had been mentally prepared to be ready for them, but this? At least those three had once been Batmen, or in the case of the Drowned a Batwoman, like he was, but in the case of the Dawnbreaker, looking at him made Batman freeze.

Serena, Dawn and May noticed soon what had made Batman freeze seeing this, yet another version of himself and why that had happened.

''Bruce?'' Serena asked worried turning to Batman.

''Mr Wayne?'' Dawn asked shocked turning to Batman.

''Batman?'' May asked confused turning to Batman.

Where Batman and all the previously seen versions of him were grown adults in their 40s, the Dawnbreaker was still a small child. A little Bruce Wayne, barely over the age of 10.

''How did you get this ring!?'' Batman asked in a shaking and hollow voice holding the green ring in front of the small child version of him.

''It came to me after my mom and dad died,'' the Dawnbreaker said as Hilbert climbed off Reshiram's back with Hilda's unconscious body in his arms. ''It helped me avenge them.''

Batman responded to the answer with a stone-faced silence, before looking away to Hilda and Hilbert. Then he reached to his belt with his right hand and pulled out handcuffs, which he then put on the Dawnbreaker's hands behind his back. Dawnbreaker grunted and spit at Batman as it was done. Then Batman turned to the direction of the north.

''There's Goldenrod City?'' Batman said looking at the city close to them. ''Dawn, show them to the hospital.''

With Dawnbreaker in handcuffs, Reshiram took its winged pawn off him. As Dawn complied with Batman's orders and left to Goldenrod with Hilbert and Hilda, the Legendary Pokémon also took off to fly off in the sky after them.

''Serena and May, let Braixen and Blaziken out of their Pokéballs and have them destroy this ring,'' Batman continued, shaking and not looking at them as he gave orders on what to do next. ''Looker, be a cop and call your people to have this… him taken into custody.''

''Destroy the ring?'' May asked, still picking out Blaziken's Pokéball with Serena taking out Braixen's.

''Bruce, are you sure that's-'' Serena was about to ask as well, but was quickly silenced.

''I HAD YEARS! YEARS TO COPE OVER WHAT HAPPENED TO MY PARENTS!'' Batman yelled out his emotional outburst as he turned to face Serena, May and Looker, who had picked Dawnbreaker up and kept him restrained. ''I mourned for them. I kept asking 'why did it happen?' 'why were they taken from me?' and I didn't confront their killer until I was a grown man. By that time, I was smart enough not to let my emotions guide me.''

Batman gasped for air from his rant as Serena and May looked at him with fear and concern. Even Looker flinched while the Dawnbreaker smirked.

''But him? He didn't even get a minute before he was given the most powerful in the universe and he poured all of his darkest emotions into it. Everything I remember feeling when I was in that age,'' Batman continued looking down on his small child version. ''And I know you didn't stop at Joe Chill. It always starts with the one. How many did you-''

''Penguin, Scarecrow, their men, Detective Bullock,'' the Dawnbreaker said provoking Batman, who was shaking with rage, ''Jim Gordon, the Guardians and their Corps, some annoying Pokémon-''

''You little-''

''Batman, don't!'' Looker told in a stern tone as Batman raised his hand. ''You two, take him to Goldenrod and let him calm down. I'll call my people to come pick this sad little boy into custody before joining you.''

Batman took a deep breath as he lowered his hand to his mask and pulled it off his face. He placed the ring into a pouch in his belt and turned around as Serena and May took him by his hands and begun to lead the tired man towards Goldenrod City.

Kanto Region –The airport near Pallet Town and Pewter City

Brock Harrison, the Pokémon Doctor-in-training, stood outside the plane terminal waiting for his friend to walk out of it. In his company, Brock had two Pokémon waiting with him. A bird Pokémon standing with great expectations in its eyes and a turtle Pokémon that had black, triangle shaped sunglasses on his face. Not waiting any longer as Brock eventually saw his friend walk out of the terminal, having changed his Alolan attire into a longer pants and a dark red jacket over his Alolan t-shirt, with the familiar electric mouse Pokémon riding on his shoulder

''Ash, over here!'' Brock called out to his friend as he waved his hand.

''Brock,'' Ash answered to the greeting and hurried to embrace his friend with a 'my man' handshake before acknowledging the Pokémon with him. ''Squirtle, and Pidgeot.''

''Pidgeooooooooooot!'' the bird Pokémon chirped.

''Squirle!'' the turtle Pokémon said fixing his sunglasses.

''Pi-Pikachu!'' Pikachu also greeted his old comrades.

''And I also have your Snorlax here in it's Pokéball,'' Brock said presenting two Pokéballs to Ash. ''After what happened to Professor Oak's lab, I thought you'd want to have what Pokémon you still have back to you. I called Officer Jenny to bring your Squirtle to meet you here after we spoke on the phone yesterday and came through Viridian Forest with it to pick up the Pidgeot.''

''Aah, and I was supposed to come see it myself eventually,'' Ash said taking Snorlax's and Squirtle's Pokéballs and kneeled to properly face his Pidgeot. ''I'm sorry for making you wait too long, Pidgeot.''

''Pidgeooot!'' the bird Pokémon answered.

''I got to introduce you to everyone,'' Ash said getting back up and threw out his Pokéballs. ''Say hello everyone!''

Ash let his Rowlet, Litten and Lycanroc out of their Pokéballs and let them meet and greet with his old Pokémon, including

THUMB!

''Snoor-laax!'' the large Normal Type groaned upon it's release and picked Ash up to for a large bearhug.

''Hey, Snorlax,'' Ash said patting his largest Pokémon as the moment on the head. ''Hold on, Brock. With all the Pokémon you brought me, I have 7 of them and every trainer is only allowed to have 6 on hand.''

''Oh right, I didn't realize that,'' Brock said realizing the math of the situation. ''Maybe I'll hold onto to one of them for the time being or-''

''No, I don't mind that now,'' Ash said as Snorlax put him back down. ''Snorlax is the only one who survived from Professor Oak's lab. I'm not leaving him behind.''

''Snor!'' Snorlax said nodding gratefully before Ash recalled it to its Pokéball.

''I'll keep Snorlax as a back-up for the future,'' Ash said putting Snorlax's Pokéball into his backpack and recalled the others. ''Pidgeot, I don't have your old Pokéball, but wouldn't mind getting a new one?''

''Pidgeot!'' The bird Pokémon nodded proudly as Ash took out an unused Pokéball and allowed to be caught into it.

''Alright!'' Ash said lifting up the Pokéball up in the air. ''I just caught a Pidgeot!''

After the brief celebration, Ash, Pikachu and Brock turned to leave the airport.

Behind them, Team Rocket and Thomas Jr moved to leave the airport as well, having used the flight to Kanto to trade information to come to terms of now having a common goal. They had told the old supervillain about the Dawnbreaker and his friends which Thomas Jr had understood to a degree with his knowledge of the multiverse. And so, they were working together now.

''James and Meowth, keep doing what you always have and keep shadowing Ash'' Thomas Jr said walking in front of the Team Rocket. ''Jessie and Wobbuffet, show me the way to Team Rocket HQ.''

Johto Region – Route 34

''HQ? I'm at Route 34 in the Johto Region, south of Goldenrod City, requesting for extraction,'' Looker spoke to his phone, leaving a request message and report to his colleagues at International Police. ''I have a suspect tied to the attacks in Pallet Town in Kanto and Lilycove City in Hoenn in my custody. Further report given upon extraction. Do you copy?''

''No-they-don't,'' was answered from the phone and

ZOOOOOOOOOOOOM!

Red Death ran from across the ocean and struck his vibrating hand through Looker's chest, killing him instantly as

BOOM!

Boom Tube opened next to them, with Murder Machine and the Drowned stepping out of it.

''Where-is-your-ring?'' Murder Machine asked the Dawnbreaker as Looker's body hit the ground.

''The Batman has it,'' Dawnbreaker answered as the Drowned broke the handcuffs on him. ''He would have destroyed it, but I managed to provoke his emotions enough to make him forget it.''

''So, the Batman has both of those targets and the orbs,'' the Drowned said looking down on Looker's body ''and the little boy's ring. In other words, he has hit us with setbacks.''

''No, the-Batman-Who-Laughs-has-altered-our-plans,'' Murder Machine spoke observing the Goldenrod City in the short distance. ''Yvonne-and-Berlitz-can-be-left-alone-for-now. As-for-the-orbs, the-important-orbs-are-the-ones-located-in-Sinnoh. Merciless-has-been-there-since-he-left-Kanto-and-should-have-his-hands-on-those-orbs-as-we-speak.''

''What is the Batman Who Laughs planning?'' another Dark Knight wearing a full black bodysuit asked joining the others woods. ''What are we supposed to do now?''

''Something-that-from-all-of-us,'' Murder Machine said turning the Dark Knight joining them, ''only-you-can-do, Devastator.''

Dark Multiverse – what remained of Earth -32

After the destruction...

''Nice Earth you got here, how's it working out for you?''

Floating in the Void in the Darkness, I came across them, my elders. They were me, but they were older than I was.

''Call me the Batman Who Laughs, and I'm recruiting,'' their leader spoke to me as he stood on the debris that was once my Earth along with his sons and the two he had with him. ''This is the Red Death and Murder Machine. You'll be fast friends, I'm sure. You have so many things in common. Revenge, Justice… first names, hah hah hah…''

I looked at the two other men, the one in red and the one made of machinery. They were both on their knees with their hands also forced on the ground. Then he spoke to me again.

''There is a world bathed in light. The people there are fools who deserve to be dragged into the Dark. Their world will crumble like yours. MY LORD BARBATOS DEMANDS IT! You are a warrior of the Darkness. You can extinguish the lights of this bright world. And if you do… Barbatos will spare you from this oblivion and give you what you most desire… your parents back… alive.''

That last part caught my attention.

''All my Lord Barbatos demandes is your obedience,'' the Batman Who Laughs told me before I had the chance to answer. ''Will you kneel? Or will you die?''

Author's notes: So, as you have no doubt picked up by now, I have used the METAL tie-in issues as templates to write the Dark Knights' origins to be showcased in the story here and showed them in the same order as they were publicized by DC Comics last fall. Meaning, as this chapter had the Dawnbreaker, the next one should obviously have the Drowned. Unfortunately, I already had her tell her origin in Chapter 4, AND the Drowned's METAL tie-in was not from the best of DC's writers and it was mostly just narration of random scenes while she also fought Aquaman and Mera in the present day.

So, in the next chapter I'll be skipping over the Drowned's origin and jumping right into the Merciless, who will be shown working in the Sinnoh Region on his own end. Expect to see Cynthia and some more Legendary Pokémon.