So, we left off where Kahrik was feeling extremely ill with seemingly no cause. Someone came into the base and found him, but who? That's going to be answered here.
Just to warn you, a chunk of this chapter is complete, utter filler. I feel like I took a Snickers bar and jet-puffed the cookie inside it, removed the peanuts and caramel, and turned it into a 3 Musketeers. But it was inescapable. A time skip would've made shit that didn't connect, so I couldn't avoid it. Believe me. I tried.
I extend a thanks to Anazuma for Arath the Abra. I will work him in... somewhere!
I don't own Pokemon. If I did, this would actually be in production... probably.
Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: The Eternal Nightmare
Chapter 11: A Message from Entei?
Kahrik's POV
When I came to, Spirit, Victor, Kyuri, and the Lairon from the bank were all standing over me. They were staring at me like I'd just come out of a coma. Slowly, I sat up and found that my muscles were all cramped and achy. I brought a hand up to my face and rubbed the sleep out of my eyes.
The Lairon (I think he said his name was Vindico) stomped over and frowned. "I came to ask you if you were quite alright. I saw you puke some black stuff that killed that patch of grass. It's a good thing I did, too. I walked in and you were passed out on the floor. You were writhing in pain while you slept."
Spirit looked troubled. "Black stuff? Oh, no. You didn't yak up your fire-bile again, did you?" He used his tail to turn my face towards his. "Don't tell me you did that again."
Ignoring his question, I forced myself to my feet and cracked my back. "How long have I been out?" I grumbled, rubbing my head.
"Three days!" Kyuri screamed, smacking my gut with her club. I doubled over, clutched my belly, and fell to my knees again. "Thanks for the heart attack, jerk!"
"Oh, yeah, because it was totally a prank I thought of, just kind of spur of the moment! Hey, how about I cough up something important to my existence and then pass out after going off on my own! That's a great idea! I'll do that!" I snarled sarcastically, standing up quickly and smacking her across the room with a heavy blow from my tail. "I never joke around!"
I made to move forward and continue my assault, but Spirit stopped me with his tail. "Kahrik, this isn't like you," he whispered, genuine concern in his voice. "Something is wrong."
For a moment, I just stared at him, no emotion in my expression. Then, I closed my eyes, sighed, and backed off, glowering at the ground. "Whatever," I grumbled.
The Dragonair lowered his tail and shook his head, but said nothing more. Victor flew up and landed on my shoulder. "You need to be more careful. What made you cough up your bile?"
Obviously, I didn't have an answer. I waved him off and walked over to the water basin, dunking my head in and taking a long draft of the ice-cold water. Normally, I'd prefer to heat it to boiling before drinking it, but now I didn't care. The chilling liquid hit my stomach like a kick in the gut, churning with the steaming acid inside my stomach until it was heated to a neutral temperature for me. When I pulled my head out of the basin, they were all staring at me. I shook the water off, turned around and strolled over, turning my chair to them, and slumping down.
"Okay, something is definitely wrong with you," Victor said, shaking his head. "Since when do you drink anything cold?"
I didn't feel like answering any questions. My stomach was still hurting, and my throat felt rather scratchy, even though I just had a long drink of water. Slowly, I lowered my head, resting my hands on my stomach. "I just need to sleep a while. I'll be fine."
"But-" Victor began. A quick, venomous glare courtesy of yours truly shut him up. He motioned with his head for the others to follow, and they left me and Spirit alone.
The Dragonair slithered over and put his tail around my shoulders. "Kahrik, you're going to end up killing yourself. I realize you're upset about the whole Kehrimohr thing-"
"Don't even mention his name," I growled, turning my head away.
Spirit persisted. "-but it's no reason to give your life. Yes, your father was in hiding. Yes, he was a low-down runaway that didn't have the balls to deal with his responsibility." I chuckled at that. "But that doesn't mean you're going to be the same. Let Kehrimohr be Kehrimohr. Make Kahrik be Kahrik. You can't be anyone but yourself." With that, he left the room.
After a while of silence, I got to my feet and shuffled into the bedroom, flopping down on my bed. I shifted my tail so it wouldn't catch the bed on fire and set about falling asleep. It didn't take long.
^..^ ^..^ ^..^
The volcano. An eruption, and loud roar from behind me at the same time. The legend rang in my ears.
"It is said that when the Legendary Beast of the Flames runs, the very earth shifts. When he roars, the volcanoes echo his cry." My mother told me that bedtime story probably a thousand times. I always wanted to hear about Legendary Pokemon. The legendary birds and beasts. The Pokemon charged with their control. The creatures of stone, ice, and steel. The eon twins. The dragons of creation. The lords of earth, water, and sky. The two from the one. I knew all the tales by heart. But only one matched that description.
"Entei," I hissed, turning on my heels to face him. He was like a large, well-built mastiff hound, his fur a deep brown color. His powerful paws were snow white, despite always running around the earth. He had a pointed mask, gold on top, bright red on the sides, and silver on the bottom. His white muzzle stuck out under the mask, parted between the gold and red to reveal his piercing eyes. The spikes on either side of his back were gray as well, as was the billowing cloud of smoke that issued from the back of his neck to form a mane. Each leg had an obsidian cuff just above the ankle. His presence commanded respect.
"Kahrik, I have come to give you advice. Abandon the path you are on." Like hell. "This will only lead to your eventual destruction." Good. Now I have something to look forward to. "Your very sanity will crack, and you will succumb the beast within you."
I clenched my fists. "Arceus damn me if I'll change my ways. I'm a hero. I've always been a hero. And damn it, I'm going to die a hero, in a blaze of glory. I'll give my life if it means protecting the ones I call friends."
This didn't sit too well with the legendary beast. He stomped on the ground and roared again, setting off another volcano. "I'm trying to save you! Look at yourself!" he snarled, sliding a mirror over to me.
I continued glaring, but looked down at the piece of glass. I looked like I did in my dream with Groudon, bruised purple with a silvery blue underbelly and hateful, blood-red eyes. For a moment, I was silent. This was what I would become? "If this is what must be..." I began, flexing and unflexing my claws, "if this is what I must do to save those I love..." I glowered at the other Pokemon. Without another thought, I took a deep breath and fired a Shadow Wave at him, sending him flying backward.
So be it.
^..^ ^..^ ^..^
I woke up to screaming, and my eyes snapped open. I jumped up out of bed and ran outside. "What the hell?" I growled, looking around. A crack was opened in the ground, and all my friends were clasping the sides, trying desperately to stay out of the dark depths below. All but Spirit and Victor. They were nowhere to be seen.
Of course. Spirit had no hands to speak of. Not yet, anyway. He must've already been deep in the crevice. Victor must have tried to save him and quickly found that the Dragon Pokemon was too heavy for him to handle.
Then, I saw the last thing I could've possibly wanted to see. There, in the crevice, were a pair of golden eyes, surrounded and accented by glowing crimson lines. It had to be Groudon doing this. No other Pokemon could create a crack in the earth like this with so little effort.
His voice rang in my ears. "I AM TAKING YOUR FRIENDS TO MY LAIR!" he bellowed, his claws wrapping around the edges of the crevice. "PERHAPS THERE, THEY WILL BE SAFE FROM YOUR RECKLESSNESS!" With that, he slammed the opening shut, taking Spirit, Victor, Kyuri, Soul, and Victoria with him.
Groudon. That son of a bitch! The voice was whispering in my ear again. How dare he take your friends without a reason? You've done nothing wrong, it hissed. For once, I agreed with it. It didn't make any damn sense. Why the hell did he think it was fitting to take my friends? What recklessness?
You're right for once, voice. I responded, staring at my claws.
I can lend you my power for your vengeance, it cooed, stretching its control over my arm. As it did, the arm turned that same dark violet color, and the claws morphed to solid gold. To test it, I slashed a nearby tree with as little effort as possible. The tree buckled, the bark shattered, and the tree fell back. If that was holding back, what could my full potential become?
Such power...
Yes, I know. Would you like to use it to its full extent? You need only let me spread to every inch of your body, the voice hissed, retreating from my arm. Together, we can destroy Groudon. He'll never touch your companions again.
Before I could protest, it forced its way to the rest of my body. As it did, starting from my heart and working its way out, things changed. My belly became the same silvery blue as Shadow Lugia's. My black scales turned violet, shadowy, and dark. The rest of my claws became that same regal, deadly golden color. The flame at the tip of my tail flared from blue to jet-black. Finally, I felt that dark strength stretch up to my neck and down my muzzle, ending at my nose.
Slowly, I walked over to the water and looked down. Despite the whole 'evil' motif, I looked like I was about to 'bust a cap', as the humans would've put it in the stories. I narrowed my now crimson eyes. The voice spoke in unison with my own thoughts, forming an eerie double-growl.
Together, we will win.
End Chapter 11
I couldn't time-skip this time. If I time-skipped, you'd all be thinking 'Hey, when the hell did Kahrik go Shadow Charmeleon/Chuck Norris mode?'
Okay, so questions. Why the crap did Groudon deem it vital to take Kahrik's friends? Why the crap does Entei want Kahrik to just step back and let time flow as it wants? And when the hell did Spirit become Kahrik's Yoda?
Okay, the third one was just for the sake of having a third question, but whatever. You know what I mean.
And before you review, I'm going to say it. That part with Groudon in this chapter was utter shit. But I couldn't come up with anything better. I shall explain away the shittiness of it in the next installment.
Coming Soon! Chapter 12: Dusk Volcano! In which there will be another fight scene! Yay epic recovery! *considers making that a Dragon Ball Z-style fight scene* No, I better not do that. I won't get to the next part for another five chapters. XD You know its true, Diablo!
Still. Need. Evil. Team. Members.