Pokemon: The Dark Side Chronicles

Chapter 3

The flames behind Dawn grew taller with every passing moment. Her perspiration soaked skin was a testament to how hot it truly was. The Viridian Forest was being consumed in a hellish inferno that seemingly was inescapable. The bird Pokemon made it out okay but the bugs that could not fly scurried away from the flames, desperately looking for somewhere safe. Dawn looked back at the remains of the northern entrance building. She hoped no one, person or Pokemon alike was killed. As bad as it looked, it did not seen that way.

"Do you have any idea what you've done?" Dawn said. "The forest is burning down around us, not to mention the number of people and Pokemon who were injured in those blasts."

"I couldn't care less," Samurai replied.

"Monster! How can you be so cold?"

Samurai chuckled. "The money makes it all worthwhile."

"You mentioned someone wanted me dead before. Who is it and why?"

"The who is none of your concern, as for why, I don't know and don't care. You aren't the only one if that makes you feel any better. But you were different. The purse on your head was much higher."

Dawn was taken aback by Samurai's revelation. Someone wanted her dead and was willing to pay off assassins like him to do it. She had many more questions to ask, but it became obvious to her that Samurai probably did not have them. With that crazed smile of his and eyes that bulged near out of the sockets, she wasn't sure she could trust anything that came out of his mouth.

"Empoleon," Dawn said. "We have to win this battle as quickly as possible, okay?"

Empoleon nodded. Dawn's thoughts turned to Brock. He was injured and she didn't know how badly. She would have already checked on him were it not for the Mega Pinsir in front of her. She'd never even heard of that Pokemon before, let alone seen one. It looked tough and Brock's help would have been appreciated. However, she knew there was no point wishing for what was impossible. Their lives were at stake and the ever burning forest around them was like a clock counting down.

"Empoleon, aqua jet!" she yelled, wanting to get the first strike in.

Empoleon instantly rushed upon Mega Pinsir, but it had risen above him.

"Get him with brick break!" Samurai yelled.

Mega Pinsir's right claw shone with a while aura as it came down on Empoleon. He squealed while being knocked back but remained on his feet.

"Okay Empoleon, hit it with bubble beam!"

Empoleon fired a large volume of bubbles from its beak, but Mega Pinsir flew around it. Empoleon fired again and again but could not get a single hit.

"Don't you see how pointless this is?" Samurai said. "It would be easier if you just surrender yourself to me now."

"Shut up!"

Samurai shrugged. "Suit yourself. Mega Pinsir, use super power."

Mega Pinsir dodged bubble beam again and was wrapped in a bright red glow as it swooped down on Empoleon. It was moving too fast to dodge so Empoleon crossed his wings in front of his chest just as Mega Pinsir ploughed into him. Empoleon was vaulted into the air and spun on the ground as he landed.

"Empoleon!" Dawn screamed. The tears were already forming in the corners of her eyes but she fought them back. Empoleon was still conscious and was fighting back to his feet for another go. She could not cry now, not with Empoleon trying so hard.

"Such a tough Pokemon, too bad it has to die," Samurai said. "What else can you expect from such a weak trainer."

"We're not close to finished yet!" Dawn retorted. "Besides, as strong as super power is, it lowers your Pokemon's attack and defense."

"True, which reminds me. Mega Pinsir, focus energy." Mega Pinsir was wrapped in a white light and boomed as soon as it dissipated. "What is it you were saying?"

"I…I…"

"Cat got your tongue. Oh, well." He shrugged. "Now Mega Pinsir, use x attack."

Mega Pinsir bolted toward Empoleon and bashed him with each pincer. He hit the ground again and got up…slower, this time.

Dawn was agape. She could not believe how much stronger Mega Pinsir was now compared to when they fought the other day. Empoleon was too much for it to handle then, but as Mega Pinsir it looked like the reverse. She tried to think of a way to win but her mind was drawing a blank. It seemed hopeless. Dawn slumped to her knees. Brock was hurt, the bug Pokemon were surrounded by flames and the entire Viridian Forest was in danger of being destroyed. All because someone wanted her dead. It was up to her to stop him but she couldn't imagine how.

"If only I could hit it," Dawn said to herself. "It's so agile, so hard to…wait, that's it."

Dawn got back up, the fear and disdain that was evident on her face from the moment the battle began were gone.

"What's with you?" Samurai asked. "Has your impending death caused you to go mad?"

"You'll see. Empoleon, use rain dance!"

Empoleon released a tower of water that fell to the earth as rain. It covered a large part of the forest, including the two trainers and their Pokemon, and put out much of the fire. The wild bug Pokemon cheered.

"What's the point of that?" Samurai asked. "Those Pokemon aren't worth the dirt beneath my boots. What a joke!"

Dawn smirked. "You'll see. Now, Empoleon, use ice beam!"

"Crap! Dodge it, Mega Pinsir!"

An electric like beam of ice was shot at Mega Pinsir and it just managed to dodge and fly around it. It dove down at Empoleon with incredible speed.

Samurai laughed hysterically. "Now finish that garbage Pokemon off with brick br—"

Mega Pinsir's right wing froze and it crashed past Empoleon. It tried to fly again but could not get off the ground.

"That's impossible!" Samurai screamed. "Your ice beam missed."

"That's true. I expected Mega Pinsir to dodge, which is why I had Empoleon use rain dance to douse it first. Ice beam was close enough to at least freeze one of Pinsir's wings. Now you've lost your air superiority!"

"Damn it!" Samurai stomped the ground furiously. "Mega Pinsir, shake it off and use…"

"Oh no you don't! Empoleon, aqua jet!"

Empoleon instantly rammed into Mega Pinsir and sent it rolling. Mega Pinsir got up but was knocked down by aqua jet again and again. Samurai's eyes bulged even more than they already were and saliva dripped out of his mouth.

"No!" he screamed, holding his head. "No, no, no! I'm not a loser! I'm not a loser, mommy!"

"Mommy? What are you talking about?"

Samurai breathed heavily. He laughed and wiped the saliva around his face, making an even bigger mess.

"I was a trainer with big dreams once," he said. "I met Ash in this very place all those years ago while on my journey. But I wasn't like him. I couldn't even get eight badges. My parents were very strict. They're both former champions and demanded that I not embarrass the family name. I tried again and again but I just couldn't do it. I never even saw the inside of Indigo Plateau. My parents disowned me and left me on my own. I wasn't to return unless I had won the championship, but I just wasn't good enough. I tried calling Ash to ask for his help but he never returned my calls. He promised me were friends, he promised that we would meet again. When I needed him, he was nowhere to be seen. The bastard! Because he refused to help me, I bummed from forest to forest, route to route, street to street for years. I was so disillusioned with my life that it got to the point when I could barely tell the difference between fantasy and reality. That was when he stepped in to save me."

"Who?"

"The superior. The leader of the Vexus."

"The Vexus?"

"That's why I can't lose. I can't lose to you. I owe him my life, and if I can't win here, I don't deserve to keep living! Mega Pinsir, super power!"

Mega Pinsir was surrounded by a red glow that was brighter than it was before. It was like Mega Pinsir could feel the desperation of his trainer and was going all out for him. Even the frost on its wing melted away.

"Empoleon, dodge with aqua jet!"

Empoleon did as he was told but Mega Pinsir relentlessly followed him. All Empoleon could see in front of him was that bright, red glow. Samurai wailed loudly.

"Empoleon, use bubble beam on the ground!"

Empoleon blasted into the air with bubble beam just as Mega Pinsir slammed into where he was."

"No!" Samurai screamed.

"Now, use ice beam and follow it with drill peck!"

Empoleon froze Mega Pinsir's legs and then doze toward it, his beak brightly glowing. Mega Pinsir could not move. It looked back at Samurai with a melancholic face, almost as if it was apologizing. Empoleon hit perfectly with his attack and plastered Mega Pinsir into the ground. It didn't move again after that.

"It's over," Dawn said, releasing a deep breath. She turned to Samurai, who was running toward his fallen Pokemon. "You shouldn't have used super power again. Mega Pinsir's defense was already weakened after the first one, the second one made it an easy target."

Samurai lifted the head of his beaten Pokemon and sobbed. "You did good, buddy." He returned Mega Pinsir to his Pokeball.

"Turn yourself in," Dawn said. "Maybe if you explain your situation to Officer Jenny, she will…"

"What makes you think," Samurai said, turning around, "that this is over!" He threw out a pokeball and Metapod appeared. "Now Metapod, takle!"

Metapod rushed Dawn the moment it was out of its pokeball but Empoleon intercepted with aqua rush. Samurai threw a knife as Metapod went flying that was on a direct path with Dawn's chest. She could not react fast enough to move out of the way, or to even utter a word. Empoleon batted the knife away with drill peck. Samurai drew his sword and charged like a man who had nothing to lose. Empoleon opened his beak widely and let out a very powerful, high pressure burst of water that slammed into Samurai. It sent him airborne through one half charred tree and bent his back over the trunk of another. He hit the ground with a thud that made Dawn cringe.

"I didn't know you could use hydro pump," Dawn said, hugging Empoleon. "Thank you." Empoleon screeched and then pointed his left wing toward a tree. "That's right, we have to help Brock."

Dawn rushed over to Brock and shook him. He groggily responded and managed to sit up on his own.

"I'm so glad you're okay," Dawn said. "I thought that…maybe…"

She began to cry, but Brock wiped away the tear. "I should be thanking you. Thanks to you, we're safe. I just wish I hadn't made you fight that guy alone again."

"Don't worry about it." Dawn lifted Brock up with Empoleon's help. "Let's look for a way out of here."

They walked toward the northern entrance, but it was in ruin. There was no going in or out. They turned toward the southern entrance when the bloodied, tattered and torn body of Samurai was just barely standing before them. He still had that crazed look on his face, almost like he was enjoying the pain he was obviously in.

"You again!" Dawn said. "It's over, don't you get that?"

He grinned. "Yes…it's over…for all of us…"

"What do you mean by that?"

"I took precautions…just in case I lost. The entrances…aren't the only places…that had explosives. I buried a bunch of them…underground."

"What?"

"Enough to send the entire forest sky high." Samurai pulled a detonator from his pants pocket that Empoleon blasted away with bubble beam. "Too late. Already…pressed the button." He fell to his knees. "In death, I kept to my word." He fell on his back. "You have a minute left. Make the best of it."

Dawn frantically looked from left to right. There was nowhere for them to go, but it did not stop her from trying to find one. Brock touched her shoulder to calm her.

"What do we do, Brock?" she asked.

"Take us back to the northern entrance," he replied.

"But Brock…"

"I know, just trust me."

Dawn nodded. She and Empoleon took Brock back from where they came from.

Samurai looked up at the sky. It was a nice day, as good as any to die. He called his Pokemon out, one on each side. He reached out and held each one of them.

"I'm sorry I've disappointed you," he said. "The pain only has to last one more moment. Just one more…"

The sky turned white as the entire Viridian Forest exploded. The charred remains of the once beautiful forest blackened the sky and rained down on those outside of it.

"Oh no! Brock!" Officer Jenny shouted. She punched the ground. "If only I got there sooner. Damn it!"

"Ma'am, we need to fall back," another officer said, grabbing her arm.

"No! We have to help…"

"Help who? The place is up in smoke. I'm sorry about your pal but unless you want to end up like him too, I suggest we…"

Officer Jenny glared at him and he looked away. She sighed.

"Retreat from this area. There's nothing more…there's nothing more we can do here. The fire department will have to handle this."

The officer saluted and turned but quickly ended up on his butt. A large black and gray colored Pokemon had burst out of the ground and landed perfectly on both feet. It roared loudly.

"It's an Aggron," Officer Jenny said.

Officer Jenny approached the hole it made and peered down. All she saw was darkness. As she was about to turn away, she heard, "You look good from this angle, too."

Brock stuck his head out of the hole. Officer Jenny pulled him out and hugged him so tight, he almost passed out.

"Relax Jenny, I'm injured," Brock said.

"Sorry. I'm just so…"

"I know."

Dawn climbed out right behind him, followed by Empoleon. Officer Jenny led them to an ambulance and all received medical attention. Dawn explained to her everything that happened, from battling Samurai to him destroying the Viridian Forest in a last ditch effort to kill her.

"I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for Empoleon," Dawn said, rubbing her Pokemon's back. "Mega Pinsir was really tough but Empoleon still managed to win." Aggron roared, Dawn giggled. "You too, Aggron. You really pulled through for us."

"I wish I had been more helpful," Brock said, rubbing the back of his head.

"It's not your fault, you were injured. Besides, without Aggron we would have been history."

"I guess."

"If you like, I could massage that bump of yours," Officer Jenny said with a wink.

"Sure but Nurse Joy already offered to do me fir—"

"What was that?" Officer Jenny said with a malicious glare.

"Just kidding," Brock said, half terrified. They all laughed.

"I just wish I knew why he tried to kill me," Dawn said, changing the mood.

"You said they called themselves The Vexus," Brock said. "Ever hear of them, Jenny?"

She shook her head. "I'll have to look into it. An organization like that must have a paper trail to follow. It'll only be a matter of time before we catch up to them."

"I hope so," Dawn said.

She watched as firemen and their Squirtles sprayed the remains of the Viridian Forest with water gun to douse the flames. She realized how lucky she was to survive. She tried to save as many as she could but it was obvious that many Pokemon lost their lives that day. It was all because someone wanted her dead and did not care who had to die to see it happen. She wondered what she could have possible done to enrage someone that much, but was drawing a blank. In the end, what she knew above all else was that as long as The Vexus existed, her life would be in danger. Ash and Misty had already met their fates, she was determined not to let the same happen to her.

I can't let something like this happen again, she thought. Not just for me but for Ash as well. I have to get stronger, stronger than I've ever been. The Vexus can count on that.

Overlooking the chaos that was the Viridian Forest from afar was Whitney dressed more like a tourist than a member of The Vexus. She grunted and shook her head.

"Samurai, what a waste," she said. "He could have at least taken the girl with him. And after all my help."

Her cell phone rang. She pulled it out of her pants pocket and flipped it open.

"I hear Samurai's dead," a muffled voice said.

"Seems he used explosives and destroyed the entire forest," Whitney replied. "The fool. Even with those explosives and a pinsirite to mega evolve his Pokemon, he still couldn't get the job done."

"Giselle informed me that those very items had gone missing."

"Guess he stole them."

"Seems so. In any case, how are the other operations going?"

"They're both going as planned. May should be eliminated before the sun sets tomorrow. Iris is moving around but I think she'll be travelling soon. We'll get her then."

"Splendid. Inform me of any new developments."

"Will do, bossman." Whitney hung up and focused her sights on Dawn. "I almost want to see why Samurai lost to someone like her but I have bigger fish to fry." She dialed a number on her phone. "But I know someone who will be more than happy to entertain you, sweetheart. This time, you won't be so lucky."

To be continued…