Author's notes: Okay, first thing's first. As you can all probably tell, I have changed by pen-name here from SuOmAlAiNeN92 to Pikashades. This is because I have created similar username on other platforms, such as Steam, my Nintendo Account, Discus, Discord and I also have a Youtube channel named that as well. I read my Kingdom Hearts novels there as my way to promote the series as we wait for Kingdom Hearts 3's release to FINALLY happen in January 29th 2018. Are we clear on that? I hope so.
This chapter took some rewriting efforts due to one character moment Batman has in this chapter. There are actually couple of psychological elements in this story that you wouldn't probably expect to see in a Batman/Pokémon crossover, but I have consuming a looooooooooot of different anime shows and movies in taking influences on themes and tones there are with this many characters and other things. Also, when I have been planning scenes when writing Batman Who Laughs, I have come to imagine him as a kind of an anime villain by his appearance and personality.
And before I go to replying to reviews, I welcome my followers, of this story and myself, to be a part of my fanfictional multiverse. Welcome, and now to replying to reviews.
Replies to reviews:
-Guest: And let's see how like this one.
-bestpony666: Have you made it this far yet?
Chapter 12: Separation and Connection
Team Rocket Airship bridge, floating above Cinnabar Island
''The first thing the Dark Knights did when they arrived to this world was make Murder Machine look through every database to find a match to the person they were all based on and found a Bruce Wayne living here under the name of Ash Ketchum.''
Barry Allen, the Flash who had managed to get himself separated from Red Death, explained what he had seen happening while he had been trapped inside the evil Batman who had tried to steal the Speed Force from him. Struggling to keep his posture while reliving the traumatic events he had been able to just watch as the Red Death had done with his powers, Barry let Bruce, Thomas Jr, Serena, Dawn, Brock, May, Hilda, Hilbert and Team Rocket know everything he had learned about the Batman Who Laughs' plans when it came to this world.
''Once they had learned everything there was to know about Ash Ketchum, everyone was given tasks what to do in order to turn him into a Batman like them, by creating a multiplied trauma for him to go through'' Barry spoke trying to keep his words and terms as understandable as possible. ''My Bruce was ordered to take out the two people Ash had made a strong emotional connection with that when severed would have broken him.''
''Me and her?'' Dawn said confused and interoupting Barry as she also pointed at Serena.
''You and Ash traveled together for two years trying to reach your goals as a common objective, according to Murder Machine's Intel,'' Barry said turning to Dawn, who nodded in agreement, and then turned to talk to Serena. ''And she knew Ash from before he came to Kalos, not to mention what happened at their goodbye and just before Devastator-''
''Barry,'' Bruce said in a tired and heavy, but still authoritative voice, ''what is their back up plan?''
Barry took a few quick seconds to refocus himself as Serena looked at Bruce with a shocked expression on her eyes. While doing that, Dawn also looked at Serena, then at Bruce and shrugged rubbing her arms as she could only imagine what Serena could have been thinking about. Not just about the connection between Ash and Bruce, but the implication Barry had just made about Dawn and Serena's relationship with Ash. If that wasn't slightly awkward already, the Batman Who Laughs had gone up and above in making that situation so much worse that Serena would need years of therapy to have a normal relationship with her mother again.
As for Bruce himself, ever since he had just been pulled out of the nightmarish coma state, he had been putting up an otherwise silent appearance, but anyone who had ever lost at anything could tell that it was a front. In reality, the fact that he was still sitting made it clear that he was mentally going through the events of his capture from Johto and the nightmare he had been pulled out from while also absorbing new information from Barry and weighting on his options on what to plan next.
''Before my Bruce came to Hoenn for the two of you, the Batman Who Laughs told him to place a few of his metal cards to six different locations,'' Barry eventually said showing up his fingers to count down those locations. ''Mount Silver between Kanto and Johto regions, the Sky Pillar in Hoenn, Mount Coronet in Sinnoh, Extralink Forest in Unova, the Sundial in Anistar City in Kalos and Mount Lanakila in Alola Region. That's four connection points with a charger and a focal point for direction.''
''Grid, bring up those locations,'' Thomas Jr said commanding the nearest console next to them.
Grid, the sentient computer virus living inside the airship, responded to the order by projecting an image of the planet with highlighted red spikes on the locations Barry had just mentioned.
''Sinnoh and Alola are both the northest and southest of these regions while also being right at the other sides of the planet,'' Thomas Jr said pointing at the projection in a voice that kept him in charge. ''And then there are Mount Silver between Kanto and Johto with Extralink Forest at the center of Unova Region, also right at the opposite sides. That makes all four of these points to make an X that goes through the planet.''
As Thomas Jr spoke pointing at the projection, the red X was formed inside the globe to connect the four locations, while the other two were still highlighted as red spikes.
''But then we have these two locations that don't connect with each other and are in completely random locations,'' Thomas Jr continued before turning to May and Serena. ''What's left in Hoenn's Sky Pillar and Kalos' Anistar City?''
''What do you mean?'' May asked reacting slowly to Thomas Jr's point.
''I'm trying to understand what that mad man is planning and how he is going to execute his plan,'' Thomas Jr snapped at May's unwanted response. ''There are four points that penetrate the planet, so how would the fifth and sixth work? If you either of you knows what's happening on your home turfs, now would be-''
''It's where Rayquaza lives,'' May snapped back at Thomas Jr as her quickest answer. ''The Sky Pillar is, as anyone from Hoenn has been told, a 50-floor high tower that goes all the way to the atmosphere in of the planet and it is also where Rayquaza, the Legendary Dragon Pokémon, is said to roost.''
''Did we ever go there when we were in Hoenn?'' Jessie asked James and Meowth, who after thinking back to it shook their heads.
''Rayquaza,'' Thomas Jr muttered lifting up his gauntlet to read that Pokémon's data from his database. ''Dragon and Flying type Pokémon that has lived hundreds of millions of years in ozone layer and is said it would descend to the ground if Kyogre and Groudon were to fight. Ozone layer, hm…''
''Anistar City has a Sundial made from the same crystal minerals as the Mega Stones used for Mega Evolving Pokémon,'' Serena spoke suddenly, in a clear, but audibly depressed voice. ''After the last Pokémon League tournament in Kalos, Lysandre and Team Flare tried to use their corrupted Zygarde and the Sundial to-''
''What the hell is a Zygarde?'' Thomas Jr muttered browsing through his Pokémon database as Serena spoke. ''Dragon/Ground type Legendary Pokémon that has 3 forms depending on how many cores there are together in forming it.''
''-to destroy everything in this world except for themselves,'' Serena continued explaining the events of the Kalos Crisis. ''All they needed to do was to get their Zygarde and the Sundial to make contact and they would have succeeded.''
''If that's the case, then the Batman Who Laughs has done his homework when it comes to knowing your world,'' Thomas Jr said turning back to Grid's projection. ''Let's assume that these four points at the opposite sides of the globe are connected to each other through the planet, with the Sky Pillar going up to the ozone layer, creating a connecting network going from the core of the planet all the way above the surface. With what Serena just let us know about that Sundial, it most likely has some connection to a form of energies that when connected with the Batman Who Laughs' metal cards would...''
''It would convert everything in this world into Dark Matter and pull this world down into the Dark Multiverse. That is what the Batman Who Laughs has planned,'' Barry said when Thomas Jr couldn't bring himself to say it. ''With your world pulled from Hypertime and into a part of the Dark Multiverse, it would become as unstable as all the dying worlds down there and then they would use this world's destruction to blow a hole to the Source Wall keeping the 52 Multiverse isolated from the rest of the Hypertime. You can guess what happens after that.''
Barry's explanation caused a silence where everyone, willingly or not, begun to imagine what he had just told them would be like. Darkness taking over the world, being pulled into the Dark Multiverse they had been shown in Saffron City Gym by the Batman Who Laughs and all the death and torment that would follow once Barbatos and the Dark Knights had pulled everything into the Darkness. Everyone reacted to it in their own ways. Brock walked away with his hand on his forehead while Team Rocket took support from each other in their usual group hugs. May and Dawn portrayed perfectly the frozen and shocked expressions on everyone's faces while screaming internally. In Hilda's case, she had her arms wrapped tightly around Hilbert as if fearing that the worst thing that would happen was for him to be taken away from her, probably because they had just gotten reunited after two years apart. All the while Thomas Jr kept himself reserved thinking what to do, Bruce looked at Barry, who had begun to try and remove his torn costume, and Serena, who looked like she would never smile in her life again.
''Barry, when you were trapped inside Red Death, was he aware of your presence?'' Bruce asked looking at Barry who had just removed his mask and gloves of his torn costume. ''Because if you are now separated from, does he know that you're here with us?''
Barry looked at Bruce's face, most likely to tell himself that Bruce was not the Red Death. Then he gasped and closed his eyes before talking.
''I screamed, and I begged, and I kept trying to reach out to him all the time I was trapped inside him with the Speed Force,'' Barry answered keeping his eyes closed in anguish. ''He never acknowledged my presence and kept shaking me off everytime I think I managed to reach him.''
''I'm sorry, Barry,'' Bruce said standing up from the hospital bed he had been laying in a sitting position. ''I'm sorry for everything you had to go through. But now, there is an advantage in Red Death not knowing you're here that we need to take on while we still have it.''
Dark Multiverse
''MY NAME IS NOT BRUCE!'' Ash yelled outraged as he was being carried by the two Nightmare Supermen and tried to get freed from the grips they were holding onto his arms. ''I'M NOT BATMAN! MY NAME IS ASH KETCHUM AND I-''
''Want to become the greatest Pokémon Master,'' the Nightmare Superman wearing the green and purple armor said. ''Yes, Bruce, we heard you the first time, but that doesn't change anything.''
''STOP CALLING ME THAT!''
''Are you sure he needs to be kept in one piece?'' the Nightmare Superman wearing a Batman costume asked the other Nightmare Superman. ''I don't even remember Bruce being this annoying.''
Ash shut his mouth and stopped provoking the Nightmare Supermen after that. The unfortunate truth was that he was completely at their mercy and even if they were to let go of him, he was being carried in a colorless void with the bottom to fall being the abyssal oblivion where all the world shown around him were spiraling down towards. That reminded Ash about what he'd been told about this place, about the Dark Multiverse. All these worlds were spiraling down to their death at the bottom without knowing it, living their lives before their time was up.
That had happened to these Supermen and they had survived their worlds' destruction by succumbing to the Darkness and pledging their alliance to Barbatos. Ash didn't know anything about what Superman was supposed to be, save for what he had heard from the monster that had destroyed Pallet Town, that he was something so powerful that a Batman had turned himself into that mindless killing machine. Then there was what Ash seen in the illusion shown by the Batman Who Laughs from his life before, where Superman had been his friend with a wife and a son. And from those observations, these two Nightmare Supermen had only their powers left in them, meaning that Ash would need to think a battling strategy as well as an escape plan.
What Pokémon do I have with me?
Ash thought looking down at the Pokéballs on his belt. There were five of them. Torracat's, Lycanroc's, Rowlet's, Squirtle's and Pidgeot's Pokéballs. Pikachu had been out as usual, so he wasn't here, but Ash still had one more Pokéball in his backpack. Ash also had his Snorlax with him.
He needed to create a battle strategy against the Nightmare Supermen and an escape plan to flee from them with that team of Pokémon. But before doing any of that, Ash would need to get himself, his hands to be exact, freed from the grips held by them.
''Sigh,'' Ash drew breath taking the first step in his improvised plan and said; ''How are Lois and Jon?''
Team Rocket Airship, Bridge
''The fact is that Batman Who Laughs, Barbatos and the other Dark Knights do not know that you are here with us, Barry, or what you have told us,'' Bruce said standing surrounded by Serena, Dawn, May, Brock, Hilda and Hilbert, Team Rocket, Thomas Jr and Barry. ''That is an advantage to strike back against them before they make their next move.''
At this moment he had but two options to go with. Go back to his Nightmares and let them finish turning him into their Wagon, which would have lead to him taking their place in the Dark Multiverse while they would have taken his place in his world and dragged it into the Darkness. The alternate solution would have been to use the knowledge that Barry had given about the Batman Who Laughs plans to use this world's destruction and try to stop them by taking the cards from the six locations, but…
''Start with the cards, take them from their locations and they won't drag your world into Darkness,'' Bruce continued telling them he was planning. ''After that is done, organize all your Pokémon so that they are focused on attacking only those Nightmares that they have a type advantage over. If Barbatos doen't have His army to fight for Him, He will be forced to retreat to Dark Multiverse without His backup.''
That would have only delayed Barbatos and the Dark Knights' to try and do something else to gain access to the 52 multiverse and right now Bruce himself didn't have very much faith in himself either. After what Barbatos had revealed to Bruce about his life was…
''Even if He would come back, you would be ready for Him and the new Nightmares with Him this time, Bruce continued trying to be exactly as clear as he could be. ''That way, you can take your world back and keep it away from Barbatos' attacks.''
''That does work in theory,'' Thomas Jr said thinking about it and looking at others. ''We would need to review the Pokémon at hand and see what they can do against them, while also remembering that the Drowned can control Water Type Pokémon.''
''She would be needed to be taken out first,'' Barry said agreeing and then looked at Bruce. ''You think Barbatos would really retreat from this world if we take out his forces?''
''It's the best you can still do at this point,'' Bruce said looking at Barry and Thomas Jr.
The Flash and Owlman.
A hero who knew him and a supervillain who had taken the same road as he had to a different destination. If this version of Barry knew Bruce as well as the Barry that Bruce himself did, then these people could have had a chance to defeat that side of him that still existed inside the Dark Knights. And as a supervillain, Owlman had the advantage of knowing how to think like the Dark Knights now did, giving them that advantage as well. These two men could give them the advantage of knowing how to fight and defeat his nightmares.
''Bruce,'' Hilbert said stepping forward towards him, ''what do you mean by saying 'you' instead of 'we'?''
''Yeah, what's that about?'' Dawn asked with a skeptic tone in her voice. ''Why are talking like you wouldn't be in this with us, Mr Wayne?''
''Pikkapi?'' Pikachu asked pulling down Bruce's cape.
''I'm still one metal away from becoming their Wagon and they still think I'm laying here in a coma,'' Bruce said now with a clearer voice as he pulled his mask back to cover his face. ''And as long as they think they can still use my body to enter my world, they won't try to pull your world into the Dark. That is why I can't join you in fighting against them. They need to believe that you're keeping me hidden somewhere.''
''You would neve- the Bruce I used to know, that you're still supposed to be, would never hide,'' Barry said confused, also getting back on his feet. ''Where are you going to-''
''I'm not going to run or hide, I'm going to do the only thing I can still do,'' Batman said as his left hand flapped his cape to create distance around himself and
POFF!
then threw a smoke grenade to their feet. ''I'll buy you some time, by making sure no one will find me.''
Dark Multiverse
''So, how are Lois and Jon?'' Ash asked hoping to provoke at least one of the two Nightmare Supermen to let go of him. ''One or both of you were married to a woman by that name, weren't you? Or are you still? You also had a son named Jon. Is that short for some-''
''I have tape on my belt to shut him up,'' the batsuited Superman grunted to the armored Superman as he let go of Ash's arm. ''Hold him for a while until-''
''PIDGEOT, USE GUST!'' Ash screamed out slapping his hand on the Pokéballs on his belt and released his Flying Types and one more Pokémon. ''ROWLET, RAZOR LEAF! SQUIRTLE-''
Ash caught his Squirtle into his free hand as it was released and aimed it at the armored Superman's armor.
''-HYDRO PUMP!''
Totally improvised strategy, Pidgeot flapped it's wings to create wind into the void while Rowlet added sharp leafs to the mix. It wasn't an attack ment to do much damage, because to people called Superman, attack's like these would only be felt as hindarence. And at the moment that was the best Ash could have hoped to happen. With Squirtle's Hydro Pump attack, the armored Superman's powerarmor begun to show water logging damage, which forced the armored Superman to let go of Ash to reboot it.
''Squirtle, return!'' Ash said recalling Squirtle back to it's Pokéball as he begun to fall from not being carried in the void. ''Pidgeot, Rowlet, to me!''
''Pidgeooot!''
''KO KOWL!''
The two bird Pokémon howled in the void doing evasive maneuverers to get out of the beams of fire coming from the two Nightmare Superman's heat visions trying to burn away the leaf storm they had created before turning to freefall towards Ash. The bigger bird caught Ash on it's back while the smaller grass type owl kept itself on the air next to them. Next-
''Okay, that was impressive, Bruce,'' one of the Supermen's voice said from behind Ash, ''but what were you planning to do next?''
SWOOOOSH!
''And where were you planning to go next?'' the batsuited Superman asked appearing infront of Ash along with the armored Superman. ''You can't leave the Dark Multiverse on your own and considering how we were carrying you up towards the exit, that was a really stupid move you just pulled.''
''Not as stuid as this!'' Ash yelled back at the Nightmare Supermen as he pulled a green crystal from his jacket's pocket and placed it on the black bracelet ring on his left wrist. As he did that, Rowlet moved itself to be floating in the air in between Ash and the Nightmare Supermen as it begun to radiate a green glowing aura. ''Because this is-''
''What is he-'' the armored Superman asked when Ash begun to rise up to stand on his Pidgeot and his Rowlet moved in front of them.
''-our FULL POWERED-'' Ash yelled putting his hands together as both he and Rowlet radiated with the green aura.
''Is that…'' the batsuited Superman also said looking at the green coming from Rowlet and the bracelet on Ash's wrist, before terror rose to both of their faces.
''-Z MOVE!''
''KRYPTONITE!?''
''ROWLET!'' Ash yelled moving his hands around in a perfect synch with is Rowlet as his bracelet glew with the green light and moving the bracelet arm created a symbol form, before raising both of his arms up in a Y position and punched the air. ''BLOOM DOOM!''
''KOOOOOOOOOOOOOO KOWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWLLLLLL!'' Rowlet howled as the green radiation grew stronger around it and the look on the little Owl Pokémon's face turned serious as it got ready to release it's attack against the Nightmare Supermen.
Then the green light begun to take form to create what looked like a meddow of flowers as a floor on the void of nothingness and the two Nightmare Supermen were hit by a powerful explosion of green light.
''It's not Kryptonite,'' the armored Superman grunted as he and the batsuited Superman were hit by the green light.''Some form of magic…''
''That's Bruce, alright,'' the batsuited Superman grunted too, feeling some hindarence from the explosion as it threw them away. ''He knows how play these games with us.''
With the nature of the Dark Multiverse, the light from the Z Move didn't shine for long and the Nightmare Supermen quickly recoversed from the attack. But as it got clearer for them to see again in the Darkness they had been accustomed to live in, they soon also saw that Ash had used this distraction to make a strategic retreat.
''Hah, another typical Bruce move,'' the armored Superman chuckled looking around the doomed earths descending into the abyss below. ''Which one do you think he is hiding in?''
FOOF! FOOF! FOOF! FOOF! FOOF!
Barry moved his arms immediately to use his speed powers to create a wind to blow the smoke away, but Batman was already gone, having disappeared quickly from them at an ease.
''What did he mean by that?'' Brock asked as as Thomas Jr and Barry looked around the bridge of the airship with alarmed expressions on their faces.
''I don't want to make any assumptions,'' Thomas Jr said turning to the console Grid was using as it's interface. ''But considering what Bruce just said about buying us time by hiding and not letting his body be used, we need to remind ourselves about the fact that we are currently floating over an active volcano.''
''PIKKAA!'' Pikachu screamed running out of the bridge to the hallways taking into lower levels of the airship. ''PIKKAPII!''
''Pikachu!?'' May and Dawn called out to Pikachu, as Serena made a weak gesture to reach her hand to the direction Pikachu had ran off to.
''Grid, keep an eye on Pikachu and Flash, stand ready to join Pikachu if he finds Bruce,'' Thomas Jr told the ship's AI and to Barry before addressing the other. ''Everyone else are dismissed until further notice. There are quarters you can go rest in on the lower deck.''
With that, May and Dawn took to help Serena walk with them while Brock followed them with Hilda and Hilbert. Team Rocket were the last to almost have left the bridge when-
THOMB!
Thomas Jr punched the wall next to him and was shaking in pent up outrage.
''DREEEEEEEEEEEAAAAAAM!'' he then yelled out from the top of his lungs. ''DREAM! SHOW YOURSELF! IT HAPPENED! I FAILED!''
His yelling caused Brock to come back to the bridge, or at least to peak at from the doorway, to see what was happening as Barry also took a few quick steps back.
''Ash and my Bruce by extent are lost to the Dark thanks to Barbatos and Batman could be throwing himself into Cinnabar's volcano as we speak,'' Thomas Jr spoke falling to sit on the floor from exhaustion, while addressing to someone who was not present at the bridge. ''You might as well show yourself to me again, Dream. This qualifies as my failure.''
''That moment has not come yet,'' a voice answered echoing in the bridge as white, sand like dust gathered to float at a location in fronto Thomas Jr and took a form of an albino man with white hair and black eyes, wearing a white robe with golden lines in it and a green pendent. ''But I have to admit you have caused enough, for better and worse, for me to direct you again.''
Above the Team Rocket Airship
By now, Barry and Olwlman must have realized what Batman was planning to do and had directed the sentient computer virus to lockdown all the exits on the airship. Fortunately, Batman had climbed up from the bridge and outside by breaking through the ceiling vents the old-fashioned way as quickly as possible fo that he had made it outside faster than the onboard AI could have noticed.
''Cough, cough, couch,'' Batman coughed as he got up on top of the airship. ''Volcanic fumes, hiding iplace only a robot could come up with.''
Batman covered his mouth with his cape and reached to put on a rebreather. Having done that, he took off his belt and held it up so he could properly see that all the pouches in it were filled and stacked with routine patrol equipment. He had had it like that since arriving to this world along with his costume that had been covered by the trench-coat he no longer had. Meaning, that Batman Who Laughs had let him keep them when he had been held captive, as if t wouldn't have made any difference against Barbatos and the Dark Knights. With his head down, Batman put it back on and begun to walk towards the edge of the airship.
This was how it was going to end. Not at the hands of some supervillain, not while saving others in a heroic sacrifice, not as an old man sleeping in his bed and surrounded by his family and friends. Batman was going to come to his end by jumping down to a volcano far from home and leaving nothing behind of his remains behind as they would burn away in the fire.
''Damian, Dick, Jason, Tim, Barbara, Cassandra, Alfred... Selina,'' Batman said listing up names with every step he took towards the edge. ''Jim, Clark, Diana, Hal, Barry, Arthur, Victor.''
With every name and every step, his mind flashed back to a memory of those people. First time he had met them, the good times and bad times, with hope that they would be stronger than him and that his world would keep turning with them holding it up. He had worked with those people, helped them and they had helped him. And his family, they had been raised and trained by him, with Alfred's help, to be good people who would be able to live their lives after he was gone.
That last thought brought a small smile on his face, under the rebreather, and a tear to fall under his mask, which caused him to fall on one knee for a few seconds. He took a peaceful sigh down at one knee before getting back up and resumed to walking towards the edge of the airship that was closest to the volcano. Then-
''PIKKAA!'' Pikachu yelled jumping on at Batman's back by using Quick Attack and forced him down on the roof of the airship.
''What are you-'' Batman asked pushing himself up on one knee again as Pikachu jumped in front of him battle ready.
''Pikapi, Pii Pika Pika Pikkaa, Pikkapi!'' Pikachu growled at Batman as his cheeks sparked with electricity. ''Pikka, Pika Pika Piika, Pii Pikachuu!''
''I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU'RE TRYING TO SAY!'' Batman yelled at Pikachu as he got up on his feet and grabbed a hold onto his cape, which was floating in the wind of the high altitude, with both of his hands. ''I do understand that you are in mourning for what happened to your trainer, but I need to do this before-''
''PIKA!'' Pikachu yelled again pushing Batman against the airship's roof with Iron Tail. ''PIKA PIKA PIKKAA!''
''You little idiot!'' Batman grunted at Pikachu as his priorities suddenly shifted from jumping to the volcano to keeping the small Pokémon from following him as he
CLAP!
intercepted Pikachu's attack by clapping both of his hands to catch Pikachu's tail between them. ''I'm doing this for you and your friends! It's the only thing I can do to buy you time! THE ONLY THING I CAN DO!''
''PIKACHU!'' the little electric type yelled back at Batman. ''PIKKAPI, PII PIKA PII KAA CHUU CHUU! PIKKA PII KNOW IT!''
''Wait, WHAT!?'' Batman said confused and surprised as he let go off Pikachu's tail and caught the little Pokémon to be held by his both hands. ''Did I just… understand you?''
''Batman?'' Pikachu said in what Batman understood as English language.
''HOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO-OH!''
Their fighting was paused when a howling voice was heard in the air and something big caught both of them from the roof of the airship. As Batman had been more focused on looking at the small Pikachu that had suddenly spoken to him in English, neither he or the small Pokémon could see what it was until it had caught them and begun to fly them some where else.
The flight wasn't long at the speed they had been flying and soon both Batman and Pikachu were dropped to the top of Mount Silver. Unfamiliar with these surroundings, Batman got up carefully while Pikachu did so faster.
Once on their feet, the two looked up at the Rainbow winged Legendary Pokémon that had caught them from the air and brought up there.
''Batman, that is Ho-oh,'' Pikachu spoke to Batman while looking at the Legendary Pokémon before them.
''I think I get it,'' Batman said removing the glove of his left hand and looked at the old wound in the palm. ''It's because of this how I understand you.''
''What is it?'' Pikachu asked jumping up on Batman's shoulder to see the wound on the bare hand better.
''I got this the first time I was taken from my world and I was connected to a living machine to find some coordinates to find the person who had taken me after I escaped,'' Batman said remembering back to what felt like had been so long time ago. ''It was living machine that worked as a time machine and a space ship, that was used by a 2000-year-old alien who looked like Scottish magician. That machine also had circuits that worked as a universal translator, which is how I can hear you, and those elves I met in that other world, speaking English.''
~Which is why we need you to lead these Pokémon against your nightmares~ Another Pokémon's voice spoke, this one's voice coming from Batman's head. ~This Pikachu already follows you and you can understand it, so we all know you are one to lead us in fighting the danger threatening our world.~
''Lugia,'' Pikachu said as Batman turned around to face another Legendary Pokémon that was silver colored in contrast to Ho-Oh and it had small army of Pokémon with it. ''And all of you..?''
''These Pokémon,'' Batman said looking at them as he removed his mask to see the Pokémon's reaction to seeing his face, '''they wouldn't happen to Ash Ketchum's Pokémon that were driven away from the Laboratory in Pallet Town after Merciless killed Professor Oak?''
''That face is-''
''With Pikachu he really looks like-''
''But that mark he wears-''
''Same as the killer from the lab-''
''I don't trust him-''
''I take those responses as a yes,'' Bruce said pulling the left-hand glove back on and frowned at the Pokémon for their responses at him. ''Is there anyone among you who can represent you all as a whole?''
''I can-''
''Not you,'' Bruce told Pikachu with a glare as he folded his arms. ''You haven't been with them since this all started and that is why I need to talk to one of them.''
The Pokémon looked at each other while also exchanging glances with Pikachu and the two Legendary Pokémon overlooking them all. Bruce also looked at the two Legendaries with his eyes moving around while his body stood still. A cowardly noble sacrifice was no longer an option and the thought of almost going through with it made him realize now the foolishness of the decision and the results.
No matter what was going to happen now, with all self doubt cleaned away from his mind, the only what-if scenario that was allowed to happen at the end of all this was that Bruce was the last Batman standing here and not his Nightmares. Giving up for either this world or his own was not an option Bruce had the privilege or freedom to choose anymore.
''I have been keeping order among this group longer as long as Ash has been training us, so you can talk to me,'' a Grass Type Pokémon, still in it's earliest evolutionary stage, spoke walking away from the group on four legs and towards Bruce and Pikachu. ''You can call me Bulbasaur.''
A dying Earth in the Dark Multiverse
Ash flew down towards the ground with Pidgeot, basically freefalling as they got closer to the surface of the planet. No doubt the Nightmare Supermen were following behind him, so Ash was keeping him free hand covering his mouth not to even accidentally scream or yell anything they could hear. Closing in on a city below, Ash gave Pidgeot orders with hand gestures in pretty much just pointing where to fly and not doing much else, besides time by time glancing behind himself to see Rowlet flying after them.
Eventually they got to the surface of a skyline of a city Ash did not recognize and landed on the roof of a building with globe made of brass metal on it. Having managed to sit down to catch his breath, Ash released his other Pokémon and gave the all the command to
''SSSSSSSSHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!'' Ash hushed at Squirtle, Torracat, Lycanroc and Snorlax as a warning and a headsup to inform the of the current situation. ''Long story short, we're on the run and I have no idea where we are and-''
''Bruce?''
Ash's heart skipped a beat as he heard once again being called by that name by that same voice this quickly.
''SNORLAX, LYCANROC, USE-'' Ash's first reaction was to call out orders to his currently strongest Pokémon to be ready to attack the Nightmare Supermen, but he then shut himself up as he saw this Superman.
This Superman was floating above him next to the cupped globe, which Ash could now see had written Daily Planet on it, and he looked down on as with emotions on his face that were mixed between relief and confusion.
''Why are you calling me 'Bruce'?'' Ash asked looking at the Superman as he landed on the roof in front of him.
''I have trained myself to recognize certain heartbeats among all the others,'' this Superman, who seemed to be a native to this world, said looking at ash with glowing blue eyes. ''Most importantly Lois' and yours, but your DNA does not match Bruce Wayne's. At least not one hundred percent, so you're not Bruce, but I still recognize you as Bruce.''
''Listen… Superman,'' Ash said raising his hands up to keep distance from this Superman. ''My name is Ash Ketchum and I'm not native to this world. The reason why you might be recognizing me as… Bruce Wayne, is because I might have been born in my world as him but raised as a separate person.''
''You're not Bruce and you're not from my world,'' this Superman said sadly as his head falling to look at their feet in disappointment. ''That means there is no one left here.''
Ash didn't know how to respond to that. With this Superman falling to a sitting position while obviously going through grief, Ash moved himself to the edge of the building and looked down to the streets below. Seeing what was down there, Ash placed his hand over his face in shock as he understood what this Superman was talking about.
''There is no one left alive here,'' Superman said as Ash looked at the walking dead roaming the streets of this city and by what Superman had just said, could only imagine this was happening all around everywhere in this world.
It was another nightmare that had been given form in the Dark Multiverse.
''I am… a survivor of a dead planet... again.''
''Yeah, welcome to the club,'' another Superman's voice said above, and Ash knew that the Nightmare Supermen had found him again. ''Wow, what happened here?''
Ash turned around to see the Nightmare Supermen floating above him and this world's Superman, who was sitting on the roof with him.
''Plague, of an unknown origin, started turning everyone into flesh eating cannibals,'' this world's Superman answered from his sitting position in a miserable voice. ''At first it was just civilians, then it caught street level heroes and eventually got to magic users and the superpowered people. Including me.''
This world's Superman rose back up on his feet and pulled the collar of his suit to show faint bite marks near his neck.
''Possibly due to my alien DNA, it didn't affect on me as fast as the others, leaving me with a split-second decision,'' he continued with a miserable voice. ''Stay and turn into one of them eventually or fly to the Sun and charge my solar powered cells to burn the plague away from my system… all the while the plague spread killing everyone on the planet.''
''Tough luck, Clark, but we have some good news for you,'' the armored Nightmare Superman said landing infront of this world's Superman and placed his hand on his shoulder. ''This world is going to crumble away, letting all these people out of their misery, relatively soon. You can crumble away with them or you can come with us to serve a greater purpose. We just need to take that young Bruce to our Master and them-''
''My world, your world, his world,'' this Superman said rising his head to confront the Nightmare Superman in armor while also glancing at Ash and the batsuited Nightmare Superman. ''Tell me, in what kind of a world, would be wearing Lex Luthor's armor or Bruce's Batsuit and talk about taking someone like him to some Master?''
TTTTTTTTZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPP!
This world's Superman's eyes turned red and his heat vision shot fire at the Nightmare Superman's armor, burning a great deal from it to smelted metal.
''My world might be gone, but there is still one human being here that I can protect from monsters like you.''
Ash recalled all his Pokémon, save for Pidgeot and Lycanroc, as this world's Superman pushed the armored Nightmare Superman at the batsuited Superman and took his place in the air between them and Ash.
''You will be taking Ash Ketchum to your Master only over my dead body. I will protect him as the last person I still can, because I'm still Superman.''
Author's notes: Talking Pokémon is not very comforting concept, safe for Meowth, so just imagine the Pokémon Batman just met as just saying their names over and over. If you're asking why Batman can just now use the thing in his left hand to understand Pokémon talking to him, it's because that thing has been recharging itself after he used it to call to the Batcave from a Pokécenter's videophone in Chapter 1.
And then the world in Dark Multiverse that Ash has escaped into for now, it's based on a fanmade concept I came across a few years ago called 'DC Zombies' which was a fan take on Marvel Zombies. It was pretty much just a long synopsis of a what-if scenario that begun and ended like how that world's Superman explained here. Due to it's dark, tragic and sad nature, I saw it appropriate to make it a part of the Dark Multiverse as one of Superman's worst fears.
Next chapter will be up most likely some time in September, where it will make a full year how long I have been writing this story.