Chapter 15: The soothing song of Jigglypuff
Kirby and Pikachu were running through the forest. "Crap!" Pikachu shouted frustrated. "Master Hand's and Max's scent is all over the place, we can't trace it anymore!"
Kirby glanced around the area trying to look for something out of place. However he could only hear footsteps running towards them, and getting closer. Both of them began to get into a defensive pose. Emerging from the trees was Link and Rai. "You two are only here?" Link shouted surprised.
"Well you have some explaining to do yourself!" Kirby shouted outraged, pointing threateningly at Rai.
Link glanced at Rai, "Oh… well he is with us now,"
"We have to hurry to the center of the forest!" Rai pleaded.
Kirby however still wasn't convinced. "For all we know he could be leading us into a trap!"
"He could…" Link sighed. "But I trust him!"
Kirby stared at Link in disbelief. "Did he promise an all powerful weapon that could destroy Master Hand?" Kirby shouted.
"Well the next best thing, he told us that Master Hand is weak at the moment and attempting a transformation! And we could destroy him,"
"I still don't buy it!" Kirby replied. "I'm pretty sure Master Hand is smart, so why would he be doing a transformation in the middle of the forest?"
Link thought for a few seconds before replying "Because it's so obvious that a normal person would skip it."
"But don't you think we'd oversee this simple fact?" Kirby instantly retorted
"But if we didn't, it could be a trap!" Link inquired.
"But if I—" Rai tried to interrupt the two fighters.
"Shut up." Link and Kirby shouted synchronized.
"But what if he anticipated we knew it was a trap." Kirby said.
"I have cake!" Rai once again interrupted.
"Perhaps, but what if we're predicting his anticipation." Link said ignoring Rai.
"But if Master Hand was predicting our predicting, wait who has cake?" Kirby asked.
"I have cake" Rai repeated himself, holding out a plate. On it was a delicious looking cake, covered with white icing, and several other colors making the border, on it with neat handwriting was written: CAKE. Kirby was instantly captivated by the thought of eating food, as for some strange reason neither of them had eaten any food recently and lacked all signs of hunger, and floated over to the cake. Rai gave Kirby the cake.
With one big bite, Kirby tried to swallow the cake whole. "AHHHHHHHHHHH!" Kirby screamed out in pain, spiting it out partly eaten. "What are you trying to do? Poison us? It tasted disgusting!"
Rai was shaking in fear, with Kirby glaring at him. Intimidated Rai began to cry. Link loomed over Kirby with the Megaton Hammer in his grasp. "Kirby you hurt Rai's feelings!" He said threateningly "You better eat the rest of that cake!"
"I'd rather swallow glass!" Kirby protested graveling on his hands and knees.
Link had all ready taken out an empty bottle. "That can be arranged." Kirby turned around facing the cake. Out of nowhere he pulled out a giant bottle of Ketchup, and drenched the cake in it. Kirby began to eat what was left of the cake. "Now apologize!" Link demanded when Kirby was done.
"That was very tasty," Kirby gritted his teeth in disgust, trying not to vomit.
Rai looked up in delight. "You mean it?" He didn't give Kirby time to answer the question. "Then I'll make you one every day!" Kirby's eyes widened, perhaps in shock, but all that over came his face was an expression of fear. "But you should have told me you wanted Ketchup on it! I'll put it on for you next time!"
"That won't be necessary!" Kirby pleaded as though it was his very life was being threatened. "Besides we need to find Master Hand now!"
"Agreed," Pikachu said. "We have spent too much time talking!" With that they all dashed towards the middle of the forest.
Master Hand had finished drawing several insignia in the dirt. The first part was two circles intersecting creating three different areas, while the outside contained an ancient text. Instantly it began to glow with a dark energy. "Step into that seal Max!" Master Hand urged him. Once Max was inside Master Hand floated into the other circle.
Preparing to begin the ritual a dark smoke emerged from the runes and held Max up, and knocked him unconscious. The Seal of Smash appeared on Max's forehead and for the first time on the back of Master Hand's palm. It then spread out, the crimson fire. Just then Master Hand received a vision.
A lone figure sat on a throne. He just sat there laughing evilly. His right hand was stretched out and floating above it was a smash shard. That shard was pure black, and radiated an evil that even Master Hand shook in fear from. "Master Hand…" The person said, its voice would send chills down a normal person's spine. "So you have graced me with your pathetic presence!"
"Who are you?" Master Hand shouted out somewhat afraid.
"My name is of no importance!" The shadow figure laughed. "All that I will allow you to know is that I hold the final shard, and there is no hope for you obtaining it, and this is why!" The figure stood up and instantly disappeared. Almost instantly several cuts appeared on Master Hand. The figure reappeared, and in his hand was a silver sword. "You would be a mockery for even the weakest member of The Nine!" Instantly the vision ended.
Master Hand returned to reality. On his hand, he had no cuts, but he could feel the spot where each of the attacks had landed. His palm was lying flat on the ground. He was intimidated by who that person was, and frustrated as to why he had never sensed him before. And more importantly who were these Nine that he had spoken of. It took him a few seconds to realize that the ritual had stopped. Max was still unconscious, and being held up by the smoke.
Emerging from the forest was Link, Kirby, Pikachu, and Rai. "So you have betrayed me!" Master Hand said to Rai. "Oh well you were pathetic anyways! Your brother and sister were much more efficient. Now then I'm sure you know Max all ready, soon he will become a part of me!"
Link drew the Master Sword. "So why do you need Max?" he asked.
Master Hand looked at Max. "I have done this several times before, however the bodies normally decay and it isn't long until I have reverted into this cursed Hand form. But I'm doing this because of Max's knowledge of Pokemon! Now then I'll let Max defeat you." Max had regained consciousness and stepped out of the barrier. The seal of Smash had scattered across his body, and a most notable change was in his right eye, the pupil had now been replaced with the red seal, and everything else was black.
"Go Pichu!" Max ordered. Pichu stepped out from the shadows and in front of his master. "Start off with Pikachu! Trash him!" Pichu dashed forwards towards Pikachu, electricity surrounding him creating the attack Volt Tackle.
Pikachu on the other hand was having a mental battle of sorts trying to figure out if he should harm his little brother. 'Its still him inside even if he was taken over by the darkness!' he told himself refusing to attack. Pichu bashed against Pikachu sending him into a tree, a blinding light was sent across the place and when it cleared Pichu was on the ground unconscious, while Pikachu held a lance made out of electricity in his mouth. "What just happened?" Pikachu asked himself out loud.
Max glared at Master Hand with a rather annoyed look on his face. "You said he wouldn't fight back against his brother!"
"He didn't," Master Hand replied calmly. "His mind decided one thing, but his heart decided on another, they conflicted and the strongest desire won. It is as simple as that, but that lance on the other hand that might be something else I will have to look into."
"One of the twelve's weapons" The NES sword said.
Max went back into the barrier. "Now then hurry up and finish the stupid ritual," he barked. Master Hand began the ritual; The Seal of Smash slowly began to consume all of Max and Master Hand. It then appeared on the ground spreading out across all 3 circles.
"You said the bodies decayed after a while!" Link shouted to Master Hand. "What makes you think Max's body will be different?"
Master Hand just laughed. "I don't." He replied evilly. "I just need his knowledge about Pokemon!" The Dark smoke returned and began to support Max. "And now it begins!"
"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO MAX!" Rai shouted out running into the seal with out thinking. When he stepped into the first barrier sparks began to repel him.
"Fools I prepared for everything!" Master Hand laughed. "Even your interference! If you continue to try and go through the barrier it will only mean your death!" These words didn't discourage Rai like they were supposed to. Instead he pushed on further, harder than before.
"For taking away my family," Rai cried "I can at least do one thing to ensure your defeat!" Rai lifted up his hands in front of him, and finally penetrated the circle that Max was in. The dark smoke coming from each of the runes was holding Max up. Rai placed his hands on Max's shoulders supporting himself. Electricity built up in Rai's hands and shocked Max, waking him up from the trance he was in. Max fell down onto his knees, and Rai collapsed onto the ground. The runes stopped glowing and the barrier went down.
Master Hand was not impressed with what Rai just did. "You idiot!" he shouted. "Why did you do that?"
Rai just laughed. "You'll never understand the way we humans think!" This comment enraged Master Hand. He opened up the palm of his hand and sent beam of energy at the two boys. However something jumped in front of it stopping the attack. Pichu was using all of the electricity it had in its body to stop the attacks. Quickly Pichu was overpowered and was consumed by the light. Max and Rai followed. When the light cleared the three were on the ground badly wounded. All of them having cuts over most of their body.
"So what are you going to do fight me, or watch them die?" Master Hand asked Link.
Link grabbed the NES sword off of his back ready to fight Master Hand. "I will fight you!" He replied calmly. "But they aren't going to die! Their wounds are far too minor for that!"
"Far too minor?" Master Hand asked puzzled. "We are looking at the same casualties aren't we? I see them nearly dead!"
Link, Pikachu and Kirby ran towards Master Hand. Pikachu holding the electric lance in his mouth attacked Master Hand. Every attack he did seemed to leave a bit of electric energy in the air. Now that Master Hand was distracted Kirby had turned into a refrigerator and spit a single Maxim Tomato. Link cut the tomato in to four parts and Kirby then gave each of the three a piece of the tomato. Their wounds were partly healed and they regained consciousness.
Pikachu on the other hand was beginning to have a bit of difficulty against Master Hand as his opponent decided to retaliate. A barrier appeared around Master Hand blocking the attacks from the electric lance.
Link and Kirby ran to Pikachu's assistance. The three warriors faced Master Hand. Pikachu was panting because of his previous onslaught tiring him out. "Here take this," Link said handing Pikachu the last quarter of the Maxim Tomato. Pikachu ate it and his strength began to return.
Master Hand began to panic, knowing that he might not be able to take on all three of them at full strength, so he slowly began to escape. "Until we meet again!" He laughed beginning to depart.
A soothing song played through the air, Master Hand seemed to be affected by it instantly slowing down. Pokemon that had been watching the battle from the trees fell down. The only ones who weren't affected were Link, Kirby and Pikachu. Instantly they wondered why they weren't getting tired by the strange melody, Link looked down at their feet, and saw that they were on the inside of the barrier Master Hand had created. He looked back at Rai, Max, and Pichu, the attack from Master Hand had knocked them out of the barrier.
From the bushes emerged a creature that looked exactly like Kirby except for a small fluff of pink hair, and it had ears. "You didn't fall asleep!" it said shocked. "How did you do it?"
"No ears?" Kirby suggested.
"I'm tone deaf due to listening to crappy rap music, for the past 8 years…" Pikachu replied.
"That isn't important right now!" Link said stepping out of the barrier his attention once again was forced towards Master Hand, who was beginning to wake up from the song. Link began to charge an attack. "We have to end this!" Master Hand realized what was going on and created a barrier around him. Kirby and Pikachu were also getting ready for an attack. "Sing another song quickly!" Link shouted stepping back into the barrier.
Once again the song began to pierce the air, and Master Hand wasn't immune. He began to get drowsy once again. His barrier was weakening.
"It ends here Master Hand!" Link shouted, realizing now was the time to strike. With one swift movement he sent a sword beam at Master Hand. Pikachu and Kriby also fired their attacks, Pikachu let off a large amount of electricity, while Kirby spit up a star. The sword beam mixed in with the electricity and star pierced through the barrier and pierced Master Hand's palm. In the palm of Master Hand there was a small hole, about the size of a penny. Master hand was no fool and promptly disappeared.
"Get back here you coward!" Link shouted enraged. "We're following after him this is our chance to kill him!"
May and Brock ran into the clearing. "We saw the light!" May breathed heavily. "And we came as fast as we could!" Their eyes glanced at Max, Rai, and Pichu, seeing their wounds. "What happened?"
Link glanced at the two. "This isn't the best time to discuss it…"
Pikachu walked up to Link, it had previously been talking to Jigglypuff. "The Jigglypuff says that there is a cave that Master Hand will most likely flee to! However it is across a river, and is home to some powerful Pokemon!"
"Hey what happened to that lance you had?" Link asked noticing it was missing.
"It disappeared," Pikachu responded. "Anyways she said that we should at least wait until dawn until proceeding to the cave, and that she knows a good place to rest until then. She also thinks we are being followed by the Rebellion."
"The Rebellion?" Link asked.
"A group of Pokemon wanting to get rid of all humans so that they can become the superior species," Pikachu responded.
Link nodded walking over to Rai. Max, Rai, and Pichu were sleeping peacefully. Link lifted up Rai and put him on his back. Brock did the same with Max. Pikachu grabbed his brother and put him on his back. "We best be leaving then," Link said walking forwards. He was actually surprised by Rai's weight, he was a lot heavier than he looked, but then again it might of also had something to do with carrying two swords on his back and a shield along with about a hundred pound kid. Regardless they began to walk forwards through the forest path.
To be continued…