Author's notes: Merry Christmas/Happy Holidays everybody. I have completed and posted this chapter now on December 24th aka Christmas Eve. Sorry for the long delay. I had school and then there were the releases of Let's Go Pikachu & Let's Go Eevee(you can guess which one I got), Spyro Reignited Trilogy, Red Dead Redemption 2 and I have also been a little stick to focus on bringing what have in my head to the keyboard.
Anyway, here in this chapter we get some events happening at the same time as in Black 2 and White 2, as we saw from Team Plasma's appearance from the last chapter, because in a chapter I wrote exactly a year ago, I established that the events of Black and White happened 2 years before this story. And Black 2 and White 2 are set 2 years after those games. So that.
A character from Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire also makes an appearance.
Replies to Reviews:
-Cylon One: Then I wish to see how you like seeing the elements of Black 2 and White 2 as well as Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire mixed here too.
-Sailor Dragonball 87: Hawkman was here in the original Dark Nights METAL too around this part. And because of an actual connection shown here that was alluded in a previous chapter by the Dream of the Endless. As for Ash, you'll get a glimpse in the last scene.
-10Speed12: I am not closing that out just yet.
-Guest: I will, even if I end up with some small delays.
Chapter 14: Enter The Dragons
On the way to the Sky Pillar
Due to being a native Pokémon to the Johto Region, Heracross had been able to lead Batman and the other volunteered Pokémon to Azalea Town in Johto, where Batman had procuired some custom made Pokéballs for temporary usage from a local Pokéball expert, without the said expert's knowledge. Thanks to these Pokéballs, Batman had managed to put Sceptile, Krookodile, Heracross and, unwilling but tired to disagree, Greninja into safe keeping while Charizard carried him and Pikachu over the Johto Region and the ocean back to Hoenn and the tall Sky Pillar where another one of the six metal cards left by Red Death would be located.
Due to Batman's size and weight, Charizard had been made to carry him in the air by holding onto the line from the grabbling-gun while Batman soared below the Flying-Fire Type by using his cape as a paraglider. Pikachu on the other hand was allowed to be carried on Charizard's back during the flight.
Reaching to the destination on the island holding the Sky Pillar, Batman pulled the line to let Charizard know to let go of it and upon release, Batman dove into freefall towards the tall building and close to landing, spread out his cape once more to land safely.
''Good work, Charizard,'' Batman said as the Flying-Fire type landed next to him and recalled it back to the Pokéball. ''Now rest.''
As Charizard was recalled, Pikachu jumped off from the disappearing ride and onto Batman's shoulders as he took out the Key Stone and looked at the Sky Pillar.
''If it was me, I'd have either placed it inside the walls again or hidden to the top,'' Batman said to the small electric type referring to one of the remaining metal cards as he pointed the grabbling gun up. ''Hold on.''
''Pika!'' Pikachu responded taking a hold of Batman's cape with his tiny hands.
PTOOTH!
The grabbling hook flew up to the building and took a hold to a window, but then, instead of pulling them, the hook was pulled back to the grabble gun.
''Pikaa?''
''The structure is strong, but the outer walls are weak and falling apart,'' Batman grunted annoyed as he reeled the line back to the grabble gun and placed it back on his belt. ''No use for the grabble and Charizard is still tired from the flight here.''
Batman and Pikachu glanced at one another and acknowledged what needed to be done next. The fact that the falls were this weak meant that the metal card must have been up on the top floor of the Sky Pillar and they need to get up there from the inside.
As the two stepped inside Sky Pillar, they heard a mighty, but distant cry coming from above them.
''KHIIIIIIIIII-A-RAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!''
Dark Multiverse – Forge of Worlds
BRO-BAAAM!
Gigantic being brought down his two-handed hammer down to the cliff side Ash, James and Superman we're standing. Before it came down, Superman used his freeze breath to slow down the descending hammer before he grabbed the other two and jumped them out of the way.
''ALL ROADS LEAD BACK TO HIM…" the giant Hawkman's voice boomed swung back up, ready to be brought down again, ''…TO DARKNESS!"
''Superman, see if you can get us to the top of that thing!'' Ash yelled pointing at the closed up smelted sphere. ''The Metal must be inside!''
''I can see an opening on the top!'' Superman yelled in response.
''HAIL DARKNESS!" The giant Hawkman yelled again throwing his hammer around at his prey. ''HAIL BARBATOS!''
''I'll keep Hawkman occupied, find that Metal in there!'' Superman said flying over the smelted sphere's top. ''Ash, James, this is up to you now.''
TOOOOOOOOOOOONG!
Superman caught the giant Hawkman's hammer with both of his hands to keep it from coming down on them.
''GO!'' Superman yelled after them as last encouragement before Ash and James jumped down to the abyss inside the Forge.
It was dark inside the sphere. Truly as the Dream of the Endless had told them, the Forge had gone dark and all hope had burned away from this dark abyss-
''TORRACAT, I CHOOSE YOU!'' Ash yelled releasing his fire type Pokémon to light up their surroundings and to see better how close they were towards any kind of floor.
''TWERP!'' James yelled as the new lighting provided them a better view of their surroundings. ''LAND!''
''SNORLAX!'' Ash yelled throwing another Pokéball at the ground below them. ''CATCH US!''
''SNOR!'' the large Normal type called out upon it's release and reached out it's arms to catch it's falling master. ''LAX!''
Ash and James were caught by Snorlax and Ash quickly recalled Torracat to it's Pokéball, not taking the chance to let it fall on it's feet. The landing they had fallen onto was a debris on a piece of a concrete with a broken streetlamp on it with a street sign saying Park Row. Except that the 'Park Row' text had been sprayed over by a tag saying, 'CRIME ALLEY'.
"We don't know how much time Superman can buy us,'' Ash said releasing Torracat out of it's Pokéball again to light their surroundings. ''Where is that Metal!?''
''Twerp, the Sandman said that the Metal in this Forge can slay Barbatos' army if it's bright, but look,'' James said with his arms spread around. ''Forge is dark. If it's creating anything anymore, it's not hopes and dreams, only nightmares that serve Barbatos.''
Ash shook his head in denial.
''No, James, there has to be some light left in the Metal!'' Ash declared looking around the abyss around them, which thanks to Torracat's provided lighting revealed more debris floating around and below them. ''We need to get down there, as deep as possible in the bottom. The Metal has to be there.''
With that, Ash recalled both Snorlax and Torracat and started jumping from one debris to another to get down and deeper into the Forge, with James looking after him, uncertain if he had it in himself to follow.
TOOOONG!
Then James looked up and saw the giant hammer's tip breaking through the smelted cover of the Forge, meaning that Superman's attempts at getting them time were running fewer. With that knowledge, James squilled, bent his knees and jumped down after Ash.
Team Rocket Airship above the Unova Region
Long story short, as it needed to be told to those who had not lived through it, was that two years ago Team Plasma had been trying to attack the Unova Region by passively telling everyone to release their Pokémon from being confined to their trainers. While appearing to have a noble cause, this had in reality been a ruse to make sure that Team Plasma were the only ones to still have Pokémon in Unova and so have absolute control over the region. Ghetsis, the leader of Team Plasma, had groomed a king for this end, one that Hilbert Black and Hilda White knew as N.
Raised with Ghetsis' views, N had travelled Unova to see how the Pokémon lived with the humans and to be brought closer to his destiny as the King of Team Plasma, to become even stronger with Pokémon than the Champion of the Pokémon League. That was what had brought him to a conflict with Hilda and Hilbert, conflict that had led to Hilbert fighting N with Reshiram as the Hero of Truth and N with Zekrom as the Hero of Ideals-
''Oh my God, JUST GET TO THE FUCKING POINT ALREADY!'' Owlman roared at Colress while holding him up in the air and pulled back his hand ready to punch the scientist soon. ''There was an artifact in the forest below, a card made from metal. Did Team Plasma take it or is it still there!?''
''Well, no. Mayor Drayden of Opelucid City discovered an artifact similar to your description in the forest below, before it was retrieved by the Shadow Triad for Team Plasma,'' Colress explained in a calm voice, not resisting in any way. ''They were brought to me and I had just built a device to contain and use it's power when I was taken.''
''One of the five Metal cards from the Dark Multiverse,'' Owlman said dropping Colress down on the floor. ''I don't know what you were planning to do with it, but we are going to take it from you and destroy it.''
Owlman turned away from Colress and turned his focus to the other airship in the short distance.
''They are moving northeast,'' he said noticing their movement. ''Grid should be keeping us out of their radar, but they can see us if they see us. So…''
Owlman turned around to face his allies.
''If what he told us is true, the Metal card is where the Flash took him from'' Owlman continued. ''What we do next, is Colress tells us where in that ship he worked at and Grid is going to open us a Boom Tube over there. A simple snatch and grab.''
''Why do you want the DNA Splicers?'' Colress asked calling their objective by a name.
''The what?'' Owlman asked with his gaze down on Colress. ''Do you even know what that thing is and what it can do?''
''Yes, by my research, the DNA Splicers can be used to fuse two Pokémon together,'' the Team Plasma scientist answered. ''By far, it could bring the Tao Trio back together as one.''
Owlman grunted before taking a deep sigh. He was deep in a thought and the expression his exposed mouth was in gave the impression that made him look like he was trying to imagine possible outcomes to whatever plans he had already made when added the unexpected and unwanted interference by Team Plasma and their plans for this Tao Trio.
While he did that, Team Plasma's airship stopped into a position over a chasm to the north and begun to unload their cargo.
Seeing this, Owlman recomposed himself and turned to face his allies again.
''From what I managed to understand from that, they have an Ice Type Dragon Pokémon in their ship while we have a Fire Type Dragon Pokémon on our side here and out there somewhere is a guy with an Electric Type Dragon Pokémon,'' Owlman said with one long exhale before drawing breath again and continued. ''Key word, Dragon Types. Batman Who Laughs planned to have the Unova Card be guarded by Dragon Types. What weaknesses do Dragon types have?''
Brock was the first one to answer to that.
''They are weak to Ice, other Dragons and Fairy Types.''
''And we already have one Ghost/Fairy Type in her Mimikuy,'' Owlman said pointing at Jessie and then at Hilbert. ''As for Dragon Types, there is his Reshiram. Now, if any of you have more of the said types at hand, this is the time to say it.''
Owlman sounded tired the urgency of the situation was still present in his authority, so his inquiry was responded quickly with actions. May released her Glacion, the Ice type evolution of the Eevee line. Dawn released her Buneary and Togekiss, but also showed an unopened Pokéball.
''I have my Mamoswine in here, it's a big Ice/Ground Type,'' she said explaining why she had not releasd that Pokémon out. ''And Buneary knows Ice Beam.''
''Okay, that makes…'' Owlman scanned the Pokémon with his goggles. ''One Dragon Type, two Fairy Types, two Ice Types and one Normal Type that knows an Ice Type move. Very well…''
Smack!
Owlman kicked Colress unconscious on the floor and then pointed his clawed finger at four people among his allies.
''Jessie, Black, Maple and Berlitz, we're heading to that chasm where Team Plasma is heading. If they are moving their Dragon Type with them, they are most likely to use the Metal Card for the DNA Splicer purposes and that will make getting the card harder,'' Owlman said walking down to the hangar and made a gesture for them to follow him. ''Flash and mr Harrison, I leave you two in charge of the ship. There is a brig on board, start by throwing Colress in there.''
Jessie followed Owlman obediently, while it took a second for Dawn, May and Hilbert to comply. May was still a little drunk, Dawn because she had to drag her with them(and because she wasn't used to being called by her last name) and Hilbert because Hilda wanted to make sure he came back while Barry grabbed Colress and
THOOOOOOM!
moved him away at superspeed.
In the middle of all that, Serena, who had just stood observing and listening, turned away to the windows looking outside and at the other airship. In her mind, she was thinking about how she was in the middle of all this and what her chances were in this mess. Owlman had asked for Fairy Types and Serena had one. She did have her Sylveon and she had kept her her mouth shut when Owlman had been asking for Pokémon that had a Type advantage against Dragon Pokémon. She could have gone with them, but…
Serena drew breath reviewing in her mind about why this was happening. Owlman had killed his own brother and then dumped his soul on Ash when he had been born. Owlman was the reason why Ash had been killed and thrown into somewhere Serena could only see him in a dream world. Owlman was why nightmares made from Batman's greatest fears were invading her world. Owlman was the reason why Batman Who Laughs, the worst of Batman's fears, had turned Serena's mother into something that was worse than…
Serena drew another long breath as the mental image of her mother had just entered her mind. Her mother, Grace Yvonne, in Batman Who Laughs' hands, surrounded by those Robins and liking it. Serena could only keep herself from falling apart from imagining that with the knowledge that the Batman Who Laughs must have done to her the same thing he had done his own son and the Dream of the Endless had told Serena that it could have been reversed with the Metal that Ash had been told to find from the Forge and-
''WHAT THE HELL IS TAKING SO LONG!?''
Owlman's outraged roar brought Serena's trail of thoughts back into reality and to realize it couldn't have taken that long or maybe Hilda and Hilbert had really been saying goodbye to each other for long enough to justify Owlman's behavior. His roar was loud and aggressive enough to pull those two apart for now.
''Your world, not mine!'' Owlman hissed impatiently. ''Why am I the most motivated in trying to save it?''
''KYRAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!"
Another roar, except this one came from the outside and away from the chasm. No matter how angry Owlman had just been, he also rushed to the window with everyone else to see this roar's origin and to witness a large black Dragon Pokemon fly past their ship- On the Dragon Pokémon's back there was someone who had a long green hair.
''Zekrom,'' Hilda said at first identifying the Dragon Pokémon.
''And N,'' Hilbert said recognizing the other Dragon Rider.
''The entire Tao Trio in one place? Fantastic,'' Owlman said grabbing Hilbert with his right hand and May with his left, with Dawn complying by helping to bring May. ''Let's go now, Twerpettes and Hero of Truth.''
Dark Multiverse – Inside the Forge
Freefalling deeper to the abyss, even when they were jumping from floating debris to debris, it was like Ash and James were not making any head way to the bottom, which they couldn't even see getting closer to them. Every time they though they had made progress towards their goal, another piece of debris from a world long destroyed kept coming to break their fall and lift them back up towards the dome that the giant Hawkman was trying to tear open. It wasn't clear how long they had been doing the same thing over and over with the same results, but they were both starting to get tired doing with Ash's spirit starting to wither down and James' shape running out.
''Keep going, Twerp,'' James said out of breath as he fell onto the latest piece of debris. ''Leave me- huff huff -you can keep making it to the Metal…''
''James…'' Ash said turning around to look as he set himself to lay on the debris tired.
''Jessie, Twerpettes, Owlman... they are fighting,'' James huffed out of breath laying on his back, ''you have to keep up with-''
''The Forge is dark, James,'' Ash said falling off his feet to sit down with James. ''I have been wanting to fight ever since I learned what happened to my home back in Alola. That's why I tried to attack you when I saw you at the beach-''
James chuckled amused when he heard that.
''-but we are not getting anywhere in here,'' Ash continued running his hand through his sweaty hair. ''We're trying to get to the bottom to find the Metal, but it keeps repelling us every time we move and we can't even go back to retreat-''
''YOU WILL BE RETURNED TO THE FORGE, TO DARKNESS!'' the giant Hawkman roared, having finally torn the dome open and snarled at them. ''PREPARE YOURSELVES! THERE IS NO RETREAT!''
''No! There is not!'' James suddenly yelled back, tired and coughing, as he picked something from his pocket. "'To retreat- huff huff -to retreat is to walk alone, to explore is to walk with generations- huff huff -dead and alive, in an act of love…'"
''What?'' Ash asked in between confusion and anticipation of what was happening.
''That was written as the foreword- huff huff -in the one book in the Library that wasn't burning and – huff huff - that had this a bookmark,'' James said showing a photograph to the giant Hawkman's face.
In the photograph there was an elderly fit man and a woman whose age was close to same as him with a younger man likely their son and a child with albino white skin. Ash leaned down closer to get a better look at the photo and even when he had met him briefly, he managed to recognize the child as a younger version of the man from the Library.
''It was named 'Journal of Carter Hall, the Hawkman' and- huff huff- it was addressed in ownership to his grandson- huff huff -Daniel Hall, who sent us here. The Dream of the Endless, the Sandman, who still must see his grandfather as hero.''
''THERE IS NO HAWKMAN HER-''
''No, you're damn- huff huff - right there isn't,'' James said letting go of his posture and relaxed in tireness as Ash's attention was drawn back and forth from James and the giant Hawkman. ''That hero, Carter Hall, must be long dead.''
''YES… '' the giant Hawkman spoke in a slowing pace. "CARTER…HALL… IS…''
''James,'' Ash said, when suddenly he caught a glimpse of a spark below them. ''The Forge… I can see the Metal!''
''Good,'' James said with a tired smile on his face when Ash jumped down towards the sparking light in the dark. ''Go- huff huff - get it, Twerp.''
Unova Region – Great Chasm
In the cave inside the Great Chasm, the temperature was going down in the presence of grey Dragon Pokémon as ice kept spreading around it. Next to it, the elderly man in a black robe drew his breath and held on to his cane, but otherwise stood his ground.
''Increase your power, Kyurem, and cover all of Unova in ice!'' The elderly man, Ghetsis of Team Plasma spoke urging the grey Dragon Pokémon as the temperature decreased and the ice kept spreading.
''KYRAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!" voice of another Dragon Pokémon roared and with a blast of electric attack, the Black Dragon Zekrom flew into the icy cave with a rider on it's back.
''So, you came, the freak without a human heart,'' Ghetsis said mockingly greeting the arriving Pokémon trainer as he got off from Zekrom's back. ''N.''
''Zekrom told me Kyurem is suffering,'' N said going straight into his point when confronting Ghetsis. ''I can't allow selfish humans make Pokémon suffer.''
Ghetsis barely snorted at N's words.
''And I like Unova, it's the place that taught me how to live as a human'' N continued speaking in a passive but also passionate tone in his voice. ''Unova is what made me notice the harmony between the Pokémon humans living together.''
''Excellent, that was a moving expression of your determination, so the education I provided to make you King of Team Plasma wasn't a complete waste,'' Ghetsis responded amused to N's emotional confession before turning sinister. ''However, all of that aside, I still haven't forgotten that you disrupted my plans. You need to be taught another lesson with these DNA Splicers.''
Ghetsis took out an item that looked like metal card, but then when he held it up it changed it's form into thin and pointy cube like shard with band.
''KHYR-RAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGH!'' Kyurem roared reacting to the DNA Splicers as they both started to glow before the DNA Splicers were absorbed into Kyurem.
''It's time, Kyurem, GO!'' Ghetsis yelled and Kyurem begun to attack Zekrom.
''Zekrom!'' N yelled concerned as his Dragon Pokémon begun to fly around the cave with evasive manouvers before trying to attack Kyurem.
Kyurem didn't move much, but it's ranged attacks did their job in reaching and doing damage to Zekrom. Especially the attacks that radiated the same glow as Kyurem and those attacks in particular begun to immobilize Zekrom and pull it closer to Kyurem. That was when the DNA Splicers begun to merge the two Dragon Pokémon together as one-
''KA-ROWWWWL!''
In the middle of Kyurem's and Zekrom's fusing together, a fire blast attack was fired at them to stop their merger. With the third roar, white Dragon Pokémon flew into the icy cave with five people riding on it. The main rider of this Dragon Pokémon is what caught Ghetsis off guard.
''Hero of Truth?'' Ghetsis spoke in disbelief at the sight of Hilbert coming down from Reshiram's back.
''Ghetsis, N,'' Hilbert said in a deep mono tone and pointed at his companions, ''this is Owlman.''
PTOOTH!
Owlman pointed and fired his grabble-gun at Kyurem's chest, right at the spot where the DNA Splicers had merged into with the Pokémon.
''Fairies, fire at will!'' Owlman ordered as he took a hold of the line and begun to pull the DNA Splicers. ''Ice Types, stand by.''
''Mimikye, Play Rough!'' Jessie yelled sending in her Mimikye to attack Kyurem, which was the only Pokémon attacking the grey Dragon.
''Don't tell me that is the only Fairy Type attack we have,'' Owlman said looking at Dawn, who had not sent out her Togekiss.
''Okay, I won't,'' she said kind of awkwardly.
''WHAT ARE YOU DOING!?'' Ghetsis yelled outraged at the actions done before him.
''WE ARE TRYING TO SAVE YOUR WORLD!'' Owlman yelled back, managing to pull the DNA Splicers off Kyurem thanks to Mimikye's attacks and into his hands. ''THIS is a part of a set that can pull your world into the Dark Multiverse where you will be swallowed by cosmic nothing!''
''He knows that,'' one of the few similar voices belonging to Batman said echoing inside the icy cave. ''Team Plasma exists to conquer and dominate, which is why they were told to hold onto that card while waiting for you to come for it.''
''And with Unova frozen, it would live through being pulled into the Darkness,'' Ghetsis said complying with the unseen Batman's voice, ''where Team Plasma will reign over it.''
''You cannot be that stupid!'' Owlman said disgusted at the idea while Hilbert shared his attitude and N looked at Ghetsis even more disbelief.
''People in this world are children even at an old age,'' unseen Batman spoke again, now sounding clearer. ''And Team Plasma likes to play command and conquer.''
''Which one is that?'' Hilbert asked looking at May and Dawn. ''You two have seen and heard them all, WHICH ONE!?''
''Slower than Red Death, not female so not the Drowned,'' Dawn quickly begun to try list out potential nightmare batmen ''no machine voice like Murder Machine or childish voice or cold-''
''Barbatos has already released His voice and the Metal has heard it,'' unseen Nightmare Batman's voice said again as a
-click-
was heard echoing after it. ''Your world haS ALREADY BEGUN TO SINK TO THE DARK!''
''Devastator,'' Owlman said recognizing the changing voice.
''Not just him, Big Brother,'' childish voice Dawn had just listed out spoke and a green light construct snatched the DNA Splicers the startled Owlman's grasp. ''And he owes you a mauling and stabs from glass shards.''
''That creepy little twerp from Alola,'' Jessie said with shivers in her voice.
Dawnbreaker used his ring to swing the DNA Splicers around the cave, hitting both Zekrom and Reshiram with it-
''Zekrom!'' N yelled as
''KYRAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!" Zekrom roared as it was pulled towards Kyurem.
''Reshiram!'' Hilbert also yelled as
''KA-ROWWWWL!'' Reshiram roared as it also felt Zekrom's fate.
-infecting them with the same aura as his ring, before sticking it back into Kyurem. And using his ring, the Dawnbreaker controlled the DNA Splicers to make the Dragon Pokémon to be absorbed and merged with the third one.
''KHYR-RAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGH!'' Kyurem roared having now been merged with Zekrom and Reshiram as Devastator landed next to it with Dawnbreaker floating on it other side.
But there was also another Nightmare Batman. Merciless had appeared on Kyurem's back and was already pulling out an effort to turn it into another steed for the God of War.
''Ice types, ATTACK!'' Owlman commanded pointing at the Kyurem now at the hands of Merciless.
May ordered her Glacion to use Ice Beam while Dawn had Buneary to also use Ice Beam and Mamoswine attack with Ice Shard. But against these few Ice Pokémon, this newly merged Tao Trio Dragon had all of it's parts' typings. Ice Type Kyurem originally had made it more resistant to Ice attacks and Fire Type from Reshiram caused it to retaliate in demonstration that drew all the color from the other side's faces.
''GRID!'' Owlman screamed into his gauntlet while gesturing Hilbert, Dawn and May(recalling their Pokémon), Jessie and even N to get closer to him as soon as he saw that. ''EVAC! NOW!''
BOOOOOOOOM!
The Boom Tube opened below them and dropped them back to the Bridge.
Hoenn Region – Sky Pillar
The Sky Pillar was a tall building that went up very high into the sky. Climbing it upwards with Pikachu, Batman took notice that it's interior structure was holding with some kind of different material than the exterior walls, meaning when it had been built, the Sky Pillar was meant to be able to stand all the way up to atmosphere and be strong enough to stand when the walls would wear down from the tests of time and the carvings telling the pillar's history placed on the inside of the walls. In Batman's opinion, the Sky Pillar was this world's equivalent for the Tower of Babel in his world. It reached to the sky and if what Batman had been told lived up there, the completion of the Sky Pillar was done with the blessing of God, who in world was called Arceus.
''Piiikaa, piikaa,'' Pikachu moaned coming after Batman and voiced his tiredness.
''You volunteered, don't fall behind,'' Batman told Pikachu, but not a scolding like he would have to a Robin in training. ''If you any openings grabbling point, let me know. Maybe we can get up faster.''
''Pika!'' Pikachu responded and begun to look around their surrounding more actively as they climbed the stairs up towards the top.
''Hmm,'' Batman hummed in thought as he too kept an eye on their surroundings and carvings on the walls. "'In the Primal Era, the sea was considered as the Alpha, the land as Omega and the sky revered as Delta overseeing them.' Am I reading this right?"
''Pika-pii-ka!'' Pikachu yelled calling to Batman's attention.
''Ladders,'' Batman said noticing what Pikachu was pointing at and took out the grabbling gun. ''Recently installed, should support the weight. Hop on!''
''Pika-CHU!''
PTOOTH!
Batman fired the grabbling hook up the top of the ladders, one by one getting both him and Pikachu on his shoulder up to the top of the Sky Pillar. The rooftop entrance opened up to a two floored space, the one where they came out and a small arena in at the top of a small flight of stairs.
''If the climb up here without the grabble would have taken this long, then the card should be here,'' Batman said taking out the Key Stone again. ''But why did the card on Mt. Silver turn into a Key Stone? Would that mean the metal is connected to Mega Evolution?''
''Piika pi,'' Pikachu replied shrugging his shoulders.
''Hmm,'' Batman hummed thinking and then released the Pokeémon he had on him from their Poké Balls. ''Those of you who can Mega Evolve, show hands.''
Charizard, Heracross and Sceptile complied by raising their hands. Krokodile shook it's head with hands on it's sides and Greninja stood silently not reacting.
''Three of you and I know how Ash-Greninja works,'' Batman said nodding as an acknowledgement. ''Maybe the card here turns into a Mega Stone that applies to one of you. As if-''
'''KHIIIIIIIIII-A-RAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHH!''
Batman and Pikachu had heard that roar when they had entered the Sky Pillar as a distant snarl. Back then it had sounded like that, a warning to stay away, but now it was like being yelled into ear. Batman and his allying Pokémon turned at it with startled impulse and came across it's source.
A big green serpent Pokémon floating in the air on the upper area of the roof. A Dragon Type Pokémon that reminded Batman of dragons from the Chinese mythology in his world and then he remembered the name May had mentioned when Owlman had asked about it.
''Rayquaza,'' Batman said looking at the Legendary Dragon Pokémon with his attention focused entirely on it, as just as his Pokémon's attention were.
This would have been, and it was, a proper opputurnity for anyone sneak on them.
''It won't attack as long as you stay down here,'' a voice said behind Batman. There was a woman in her mid-20s standing there, wearing a tattered robe over otherwise modern clothing. ''Hi, I'm Zinnia, what tribe are you from?''
Team Rocket Airship over Unova Region
BOOOM!
''Hey, Big Brother,'' the cold voice of the Batman Who Laughs spoke as soon as the Boom Tube closed.
Owlman rose up quickly from their fall and saw the leader of the Dark Knights standing in their hideout. The Batman Who Laughs was holding a yellow wand with a lightining bolt on it with the Flash laying at his feet.
''The boys are currently looking for the others you left behind in here, they are rather fond of raw meat, but Grace has managed to get us a round of 'Batmen'," the Batman Who Laughs said raising a glass at the others with Owlman, who were frozen at sight of him. ''For those of you who don't know, that drink is a tall glass of 'Just-Ice', hah hah hah.''
''How did you get in here?'' Owlman asked not understanding how the Batman Who Laughs had managed to find the Airship with Grid's stealth tech.
''Good question and I'll answer to that by-'' Batman Who Laughs raised his glass and drank down all the liquid from his glass before
Krack!
throwing it away in the ground.
''I could tell you we found you by Murder Machine following the Boom Tubes you kept opening and closing all the time or by telling we have an insider among you,'' Batman Who Laughs said in a rather calm behavior like he was leading up to something, ''but I think I'll go with the good old classic BECAUSE I'M BATMAN!''
Dark Multiverse – The Forge of Worlds
During that week Superman had spent in the Sun while the Zombie Plague ravaged through his world, he had not just burned away the virus from his body, but also charged solar powered cells of his body, making him more powerful than he had ever been. All that power, everything he could have done with it and he had been too late to save his world from plague. Finding Ash Ketchum and learning what he had been through, however, had given Superman one last chance to be help and do good with the power he had been given.
But ultimately the fact that he was from a dying world from the Dark Multiverse, meant he was only an aspect of the fears haunted the real Superman who lived in the world above. Even with the the powers he had, his nature made him as vulnerable to the Metals from the Forge, which included the hammer carried by the giant Hawkman. That was why Hawkman had managed to deal with Superman faster than expected and disposed of him before resuming to go after Ash and James inside the closed off Forge smelted and molded into a sphere.
''Lois,'' Superman said laying in the rubble around the canyon, looking up to the spiraling down earths and above them, ''your Clark will keep your world safe, but if he can't be here for this, it's the last thing I can do for.''
With this determination, Superman rose back up in the air and flew back to wards the smelted sphere of the Forge at the velocity faster than a speeding bullet. He found the sphere torn open open by giant Hawkman who had frozen in place and not moving as aggressively as before.
''Ash! James!'' Superman called out for them when he stopped to float over the Forge. ''Carter, what have you-''
''PIDGEOOOOOT!''
A bird Pokémon cried from the open hole in the sphere, causing Superman to look down to it and see Ash's Pidgeot flying out of it, but looking different. This Pokémon's wings were now bigger and wider, with it's colorful mane longer and it's body otherwise having grown in size. In it's talons it was carrying James' body, tired and collapsed unconscious from exhaustion, while the character riding on it's back was almost unrecognizable to Supeman.
While wearing seemingly normal clothes of baggy cargo pants and a black long-sleeved t-shirt with fingerless gloves, those clothes were covered by shining white plates of armor.
''Clark,'' the figure spoke looking at Superman, with the voice of Ash Ketchum, but with an unrecognizable tone in it. ''We found the Metal. It bonded with me and caused Pidgeot to Mega Evolve without a Key Stone or Mega Stone.''
''Ash?'' Superman asked.
''Yes, but not now,'' the character answer from under his shining helmet with two long ears. ''With the Metal bonded with me, I am truly now the Bruce Wayne of Earth-3, the Batman Who Never Was.''
Author's notes: So, in the comics, Carter Hall and Shiera Hall had during one of their lives had some children. One of them was Hector Hall, who at one point was Doctor Fate and Hector also had a son called Daniel Hall. And Daniel Hall is the civilian name of one the people who have carried the mantle of the Dream of the Endless. So, yeah, Hawkman here is the Grandfather of the Dream of the Endless who has guided our protagonists during this story in the most neutral way he can. I think it was alluded, but not gone forward with in the original Dark Nights METAL storyline.
I'll see how much time I have to get a following chapter out before January 13th. Until then, Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.