Chapter XIII: Naught's Return
October 1, 2061 11:50 p.m.
"What happened…?"
Misty limped through the rows of beds, her face pale with shock at the sights before her. The gunfire outside was the dominant sound, and the shake of several objects in the room seemed normal, now that she was used to the shelling. However, the scent was that of blood in puddles on the floor and sprayed on the walls.
She could feel her heart beating, stepping over a headless patient's corpse splayed over the wide-eyed body of a Sandslash whose chest was split open in an 'X', tendons hanging out and covered in recently dried blood. Another body on top of a bed had been sliced in half from the middle of his torso, taking off his hands as well.
Sparks bounced off the floor near a smashed desktop computer, with a blonde woman's head lying sideways with her neck cut out. The blood that had been running from her neck had seeped across the surface of the desk to land in the unmoving eye of a dead Nidorina underneath. Looking away, Misty only met the sight of more corpses, all with some sort of slash through them.
A weak whimper crossed her ears from one of the beds further ahead. Her breaths rushing, Misty ran to the sound and nearly slid in pooled blood next to the bed where Sollus was lying, red eyes wide. Somehow, even thought the beds next to her also contained dead Pokémon, whoever had come in and killed seemingly all but the two of them, she had been left nearly unharmed. The only difference for her that Misty could see was her quaking body and the blood splattered across her fur from the Pokémon in the bed next to hers.
Misty walked around the bed to the side that the Umbreon was facing, carefully wiping away some of the blood from her muzzle. "Sollus…what happened?"
(*gasp*!) Misty quickly turned towards the broken door that led out to the main hallway. A sound liking metal scraping together was being made somewhere outside the room. Looking back to the Umbreon, Misty petted her softly on the head before turning and limping towards the door, her wounds from the earlier battle still stinging…
…
Electricity shot up into the shadowy clouds above. A rumble rolled through the sky, followed by a bright flash as a massive bolt of lightning instantly ripped through the trees and obliterated the ground in front of Ash, tearing a group of screaming Ethereals to shreds that quickly dissolved into a purplish-black smoke.
The Pikachu's thunderbolt-shaped tail lit up like a star, leaving an arc in the air as he twisted and slashed his way through the crowd of Ethereals, jumping from one to the other. He heard only a pained scream from them as he swept through, slashing and dicing through the dark beings before stopping with a massive charge of electricity visible all over his body. (Shockwave!)
The Master let his aura loose all over his right hand to catch an Ethereal just as its long, thin black claws sliced into the air towards him, simultaneously slamming his other hand into its chest. Its scream razed the air when a flash of light burst from where Ash's hand was, exploding outward into a beam that cut into many Ethereals and zombie-like Pokémon behind it.
Catching his breath, Ash jumped high as Bolt's Shockwave ripped into the air under him. Sounds of all kinds ranging from the shredding of tree bark to the Ethereal's screeches filled the air as the electricity lit up the nighttime forest.
Static continued to crawl over the ground as Ash landed from his jump, immediately leaping backward and sliding to a stop behind Bolt, looking all around himself. A rustle went out from the bushes…
Ash let out an annoyed grunt, his eyes narrowing as his eyes lit up with His aura, allowing himself to see several more figures with the same sinister aura approaching them.
Lowering himself back onto all fours, Bolt cursed to himself as another horde rushed forward out of the shadows of the trees, screeching horrifically. (Damn it, this is crazy! There's got to be an army of them out here!) Bolt yelled to Ash as he jumped back and let massive bursts of electricity blast out from his paws like individual cracks of lightning.
"I know, where are they coming from? For one thing we have to do all we can to keep them from getting into the city!"
…
"…Very *cough!* good…now all we have to*cough!*…mmph, do is get her over there…*cough! Cough!*…too bad my condition is deteriorating*cough!*…so rapidly…Now, if I could get the translator on, if you will, Tenma."
"Of course, Dr. Namba."
ZZZZZZZZZTTTT!
"Electrical attacks won't work on that…Light."
(Namba! Let me out of here!)
"I'm afraid*cough!* that I cannot do that. You see, I am planning something VERY special for this*cough! Cough!*world, and you…are the main tool in building this little surprise. Have you heard of…*cough!*…a certain item, from a time long ago…a weapon known to the people of, say, fifteen hundred years ago…
… as 'Death's Hand'?"
(What? You're insane! I myself have no idea what kind of power that has, but I can freely say that you would have no idea how to use it, either!)
"*cough!* Exactly, my pretty little Raichu. *cough!*…no living creature, human or Pokémon, knows what power it has. Of course, as is my profession, it is my *cough!* duty to experiment. You…you are going to be the crucial element of this little equation to obtain that power."
(What makes you think I'd help you at all?)
"*cough!* ah yes, the part about you refusing to cooperate. I'm very well*cough! Cough!*…prepared for that, and I'm actually quite eager to persuade you to help me. In the end, you will do just that, whether you want to or not, whether you're still sane or not. I'll just tell you now…first, we just do what we had done to you before, when you were being…*cough!* punished for attacking your own team."
(Wha…what?)
"What do you mean, what? I'm sure…*cough!* you remember that little experience quite…*cough!* vividly. You were barely able to even squeek your little heart out after I was done with you. I got to see the ECLIPSE generator activated once more, I got to study its effects on one such on yourself…and I got to see some very…*cough!* EXCITING entertainment. Your resistance to its effects have given me enough reason to believe that you are one of enough…'purity' to summon the weapon."
(If Xepher was able to outdo you with Shadow over Zero, he'll be able to outdo you here as well! Shadow, Xepher and everyone else will ruin you!)
"Aha, that's what I'm hoping for: Shadow would be the perfect as the other half needed to summon this. If not him, I*cough!*…already have enough EtheTechs to fill the gap. In the meantime…you are going to experience exactly what I made you experience then, except now I have no reason to use the ECLIPSE generator on you. Thus…
…you will experience only the more nightmarish part, and in my opinion, the most entertaining part. Don't look so horrified now*cough!* …you'll be used to it by time that machine is through with you, and I guarantee that you are going to scream like you never have before."
…
(Catch me if you can, Shadow!)
AntiLight landed and instantly rebounded off the side of a tree the moment before Shadow splintered it with his Thunderbolt. She launched towards another, swinging up its limbs and launching herself in the air, with the Pikachu coming up right after her.
Black static-filled flame ruptured the space between them, bursting into the air like fireworks. AntiLight waved her glowing paws back, white and black energy fusing within them before slamming both paws together while yelling, (Nil Wave!).
Shadow dashed over the tops of the trees, past his own attack as it was split by the large silver energy wave, and drew his paw back as he smashed his hind paws into the trees to launch himself upward.
Once again an electrical blade formed at his paw. Stretching himself out, he rapidly spun towards her like a gigantic electrical buzz saw, his Iron Tail and Lightning Blade whizzing in the air.
The electricity exploded onto a transparent black field in front of him. His body twisted with the inertia and slammed his tail into it too, making the field ripple as AntiLight smirked behind it, her paws raised up at it.
She twisted her paws over her and released the shield to kick both of her hind paws into Shadow's face.
(Augh!)
Branches snapped and were flung out of the way as Shadow plummeted to the forest floor, crying out as he happened to land in a thorn bush. The tiny needles ripped several tiny cuts across his back and on his sides, like he had just fallen into a pile of razor blades.
Looking up, his eyes narrowed at the sight of AntiLight standing on one of the branches over him, smiling sweetly. (Are you okay, my DEAR Shadow? I wouldn't want you to get hurt…)
(SHUT THE FUCK UP!) He yelled, thrusting his arms out as he exploded with dark energy, obliterating the bush he had landed on and ripping the bark from several trees around him. AntiLight raised her arm over her face, meeting a barrage of wooden shrapnel from below. Peering over her fur, her eyes widened as Shadow was suddenly right in front of her, his paws overflowing with black static.
Her gut practically imploded from the force of his punch, exploding with electricity. Eyes wide, she continued to register that Shadow was in front of her for an instant before she was sent soaring into the air, in the direction of a strange lightning storm near the warzone that was Viridian. Spiraling through the air, the glance she got of Shadow jumping ferociously from tree to tree behind her made a smile cross her face once again.
…
["Xepher…*cough!*…damn you…"
"Sir, are you feeling alright?" "Of course I'm not*cough!*feeling alright, you imbecile! I've been stabbed*cough! Cough!*multiple times, and now I'm stuck on*cough!*life support for multiple lung wounds and loss of blood!"
"…my apologies, sir…anyway, Zero was dispatched by Shadow sometime after you were when he escaped. He's barely still alive, sir."
"…Marvelous…simply marvelous. Not only am I*cough! Cough!* slowly but surely*cough!*dying, but one of my best projects is beaten by his…"
"…No matter. He IS still alive,*cough!*…correct?"
"Yes sir."
"…Very well…this is*cough!*…"
"The perfect opportunity…to fire up the ECLIPSE generator once again…"]
…
"…How are you…?"
Zero glared at Xepher, his claws receding back into his paws. The doctor noticed an almost sleep-deprived look in the Pichu's eyes, like he was going to drop unconscious that very moment. "Alive? You know what, Xepher? With what Namba's done to me-URK!"
Zero's eyes flashed a bright green as he cried out, covering his face with his gloved paws. The blood ran cold in Xepher's veins as he saw a purplish-black aura rise around Zero. From between the digits of Zero's paws, Xepher could see his eyes just barely open, glowing a ghostly bright green.
Tremors ran through his body, intensified by the Pichu's cries. A sound like a knife ripping from a sheath sounded, and then Xepher saw Zero's claws extended once again, this time with a dark aura that formed itself into extended claws over his. Zero breathed heavily, arms shaking as he lowered them to his sides. The dark aura that had surrounded him slowly disappeared into nothingness. Looking up at Xepher, the bright green that had completely covered his eyes receded back into his irises.
Still shaking, Zero stood there silently, eyes wide and breathing in deeply. Lowering his head, his claws once again sheathed back into his paws. Sweat matted his body fur, allowing the short sparks that emanated from his cheeks to run over himself. The sound of lasers and explosions outside the building returned…
"…I know you don't like me, and I can tell you that I don't like you either…but…"
He sighed, gritting his teeth under his lips. "Look, I just want to…" Zero trailed off, a twitch running up his arm. "…talk to Shadow…where is he?"
The light reflecting from the dimming light that hung lopsided overhead managed to hide the contraction of Xepher's eyes. Beats of his own heart could be felt thumping against his throat. Beneath his glasses his eyes diverted from Zero to his dead colleagues' bodies on thr ground, bathing in their own pools of blood.
Zero disappeared from the top of the table, suddenly standing on Xepher's lap while he pulled his face down towards him with the claws in his other paw just barely extending under his neck. "ANSWER ME!"
"I really don't know where the hell he is, got it?" Xepher yelled, braving the feeling of the needle-like tips of Zero's claws against his neck. "And let me guess…you want to know where Light is, too?"
"Hmph…I know where she is…" He said, bringing his arm back from Zero's neck as his paw began to shake. Gritting his teeth, he balled up his paws, letting his slightly extended claws cut into the fabric of his gloves. "That's one of the main reasons I'm…here…"
He stumbled back to the ground in front of Xepher, cursing to himself as the pain once again lit through his head. The eerie glow of his eyes returned, flashing over the normal state of his eyes as he covered his face. With a slight groan, Zero lowered his paws, showing beads of water just barely forming at the corners of his eyes.
"…I…I need your help..."
…
"DIE! ALL MUST DIE!"
"Git the hell outta my sight, jackass…" Archer whispered as he lined up a shot at a Titan that was barreling down on them, eyes glowing bright orange with a feral laughter. Its eyes widened as the report of two sniper rifles boomed into the air. Blood splattered onto the ground behind it from a gaping hole that was torn into its chest where its heart would be.
"Hm. These 'Titans' ain't so tough against hot lead." " Of course not, old man. Who is?"
Archer turned his head slowly to face Phantom, who snickered to herself as she aimed and blew a grunt's head clean off his shoulders. "Yer helpful, but yer a bitch, Zorua. Cut the crap an' shoot."
"Hehe…Gotcha, old…" She trailed off as she looked out from behind the overturned car they were hidden behind, her jaw dropping. Archer gave her an odd look and waved his dusty, wrinkled hand in front of her face. "Hello? Ya still with me? What're ya lookin' at that's so…"
His radio buzzed to life with Vixen's voice booming through. "Archer, are you seeing what I'm seeing?"
He pressed his radio, noticing Phantom's face going pale. "What is it? Phantom here is freakin' out about somethin' too."
"Well…sir, you should take a look down the road."
The old sniper sighed and half-heartedly but carefully looked out from behind their cover. At first, all he saw was the gigantic dead body of the Titan they had just killed and a couple Rocket running for cover, yelling about something…
"Wait a sec…no one's firing…" Archer noted, about to push the button on his radio to scold his squad before he saw one of the Rockets running directly into the middle of the street, screaming his head off. Lifting his night vision goggles off his eyes and squinting, Archer noticed a dark figure running after the man, with slit-like red eyes.
"AAAAHH! AAAAAAAH!"
Archer's brow lifted, his moustache shifting over his mouth. "…Don't see that every day."
Two sets of three black knife-like talons punched through the man's back, making him release that gut-wrenching scream before the claws tore outwards. Blood rained down on the ground with the smooth, moist muscle the wrenched out of his abdomen. Before he could drop, the demon screeched and brutally sliced into the side of his skull from behind, letting copious amounts of blood dye his paling face crimson while it ran down.
Archer swept across the Rocket's end of the battlefield and, to his surprise, found many of the same…THINGS…delivering just as much death to the others as this one he had observed had done. Everything from bones to intestines to hearts were being ripped out of their bodies or torn into bloody pulps. A lone Kirlia ran out from the quivering shadows near a fire with tears running down her shocked face while a group of tattered and bloody Pokémon ran close behind, smiling eerily with eyes of bright red.
"Tango Sierra Charlie, we have a bit of a situation…"
Archer abruptly silenced as he heard a chatter of other radio messages crossing through his line, all frantic in nature. He could hear lasers firing in the backgrounds of radios, he could hear men being cutting off from their words and screaming before their line cut out.
General Surge's voice boomed through the chaos: "Attention all units, this is General Surge, commence evacuation order Bravo, I repeat, evacuation order Bravo, soldiers get the hell out of there!"
…
Dark energy smashed and crack trees in half, allowing their great plumes of green to plummet to the ground. The Raichu smirked as she looked to the burning city, noticing the silhouettes attacking many a group of people from the top of a larger tree.
"I'm not through with you yet!"
"And I'm certainly not done with you, Shadow!" AntiLight chimed before she jumped back off the tree a fraction of a second before the tree was split down its center by a powerful, vicious bolt of lightning. She landed on one paw and swung her tail at Shadow.
His reflexes did not fail him. Sidestepping the 'blade' of her tail, he grabbed the wire-like portion of it next to the thunderbolt shape and pulled with all his might. He let go just as he was facing a tree about ten yards from where he stood, allowing AntiLight to hurtle into a tree. A creaking, then snapping sound vibrated the air upon contact as the top of the tree toppled over on top of her.
"*sigh*…!" Shadow quickly raised his paws and stood firm against a torrent of black electricity that exploded from the bushels of leaves on the fallen tree. Rampant dark bolts defusing around him burned gigantic gashes into the earth and tore into the foliage around him. Bits of soil fired through the air, popping up from the electrocuted cuts in the ground like bits of popcorn.
The moment the electricity stopped, AntiLight burst out from the leaves and twisted around to slash at Shadow with her tail once more. Dodging, Shadow grunted as he caught her left paw when she went in to punch, then was forced to let go as she sailed in with her right, full of grayish-silver energy.
She swung right paw back and opened it. Before he knew it, Shadow was thrown back as the energy exploded and produced a powerful shockwave from her paw. Growling viciously, Shadow ground his teeth together as he slammed his hind paws into the ground and launched himself back at her, both of his paws together over his head with a sphere of black electricity concentrating between them. The ground beneath them shook when he slammed the sphere down into the ground where AntiLight had been standing before she dodged, sending wild cracks throughout the ground in the wake of the substantial shockwave it produced. Waves of darkness rushed in towards the point of impact from the surrounding area, creating a short, rippling of the air around Shadow before a much more powerful explosion ripped up entire slabs of earth from the ground and uprooted trees that were caught in the blast. It was like a behemoth black ball was rapidly inflating around him, crushing and tearing up all in its path.
AntiLight lifted her arms and grunted as the waves battered her, tearing the trees into the air around her and spraying soil all over her fur. Even so, as she was bruised and cut by shards of rock and tree limbs, she held a sinister smile.
Dear Shadow…
You ARE slowly becoming one of us.
...
"Whaddaya mean there's no available birds in the air?" Archer yelled over the screams in the distance, looking back to see the other members of his squad running along with him. The radio buzzed as a Kanto army soldier nearby was decapitated by an Ethereal. "All lines are tied up right now! We're getting reports that this is happening all over Kanto and Johto, and maybe even Hoenn and Sinnoh! We haven't heard from anywhere else yet, but as far as we can tell, these things are probably popping up all over the world!"
"Does anyone have a clue as to how we can do SOMETHIN' to these bastards? As far as I can see, lasers and bullets aren't affectin' 'em very much!" He continued on, clenching an eye as the sound of a mammoth explosion echoed by. "Hold on a sec…Archer, listen up! Do you have a Pokémon capable of using dark type attacks with you?"
"Yessir!" Archer yelled, waving backwards to tell his team to hurry up. "KAM-TS Spec Ops Unit 7 Team 2 reports that dark type attacks are effective against these things. They're approaching the Trainer's School right now to pick up an HVI."
"HVI?" He yelled, spotting a Rocket on the corner of and intersection near the burnt shell of a collapsed bell tower attempting to hotwire a jeep while his Skarmory flew up and down, using Night Slash repeatedly to fend off several Ethereals at once.
"Dr. Xepher, his research is vital to reversing the effects of EtheTech transformations of Pokémon."
"Roger, we'll be there soon then." He said, taking his finger off the radio as the jeep the rocket was working on revved up.
"Retu-!" Was all the grunt managed to get out before chunks of his head splattered onto the jeep's back door, followed by another sound like fruit being crushed as the Skarmory fell out of the air, eyes stuck in a state of shock as blood gushed out from a hole between its eyes.
"Everyone, git in! Zorua, change back and give us a little cover, will ya?"
…
"You?" Misty gasped as she saw the Pichu standing just a few feet away from Xepher, claws only halfway extended. His eyes flashed green for a moment, narrowing his eyes at her. "Listen…I've beaten you once, you've beaten me once. I have nothing against you or your 'Vee friends now, so don't make me have to take your head off, got it?" He said, raising his claws toward her as a warning. "I'm quicker than I was before. I'm sure you can attest to that. Now…"
He faced Xepher once more. "So you don't know where he is, then…fine. I'll find him somewhere around here. Meanwhile, you…"
His ears twitched as Misty turned around to the sound of screams outside the building. Shots went off somewhere in the darkness as Misty rushed outside the door to a window in the hall. Hands on the glass, she focused towards the flames burning through the streets to find some source of the sounds.
"What are…" She started, trailing off and going mute as a group of humanoid shadows ran across the street. As one fell, three other creatures, with long, black claws swooped in on it. She could see the figure struggling on the ground crying out as the creatures slashed at him on the ground and screeched. Soon one of them plunged its entire claw through where his neck head would be, swiping at his neck with its other claw and lifting the disembodied head into the air, screeching once more.
She backed away from the window and covered her mouth, eyebrows creased downward. "Those aren't Pokémon…" "Fuck, they're here already!" Zero yelled angrily as he jumped up to the window, extending his claws. The sound of jet engines flaring roared through their ears before he looked up through the glass to see the sleek, black metal nose of a burning MiG-117 spiraling down to the road like a meteor. As the nose penetrated the road the rest of the jet split from the cockpit and tossed wildly, out of and into the air in a crazed, fiery roll that sent it hurtling right at where Misty and Zero were watching…
…and just as the back of the jet was two seconds from impact, the silhouettes of a Pikachu dashing after a Raichu appeared before them, the Raichu with bright red eyes and the Pikachu with a tuft of fur over his right eye.
Misty slid across the floor and into the room where Xepher was just getting up as the building shuddered, licks of flame and plumes of smoke spurting out from the doorway along with chunks and shards of concrete, wood and metal. The doctor stumbled back from the door, his glasses hanging off his ears and against his sweaty chin. Quickly regaining his composure and pushing his glasses back up to his eyes, Xepher rushed to Misty and helped her up. "Are you okay?"
"I'm fine…wait…" She paused, her eyes suddenly widening. "Sollus! Novus! They were in the room!"
"There you are, Shadow." Zero said to himself with a noticeable edge in his voice from the other side of the wreckage, stepping out onto the grass through the mammoth hole the crash had made in the wall. Getting on all fours, his eyes once again flashed green before the grass under him tore out by their root from the incredible burst of speed he made, pursuing Shadow like a bullet.
An Ethereal screeched as Shadow's paw ripped through it with a flurry of dark energy, followed by another as he spun with a nearly jet-black Iron Tail. Ahead of him, AntiLight smirked as she jumped over an army jeep that was speeding down the chaotic street, grabbing onto the head of the woman at the turret gun and slamming it backward, snapping her neck in one swift motion as she flew over. Shadow could hear an older man in the driver's seat of the jeep swearing with a twang in his accent, rushing by while swiftly uppercutting another Ethereal with his blackened paw.
All hell had broken loose; as far as he could see, Ethereals were everywhere, attacking both human and Pokémon. Screams echoed out here and there from within the smoke, pouring through the burning and crumbling buildings. Somewhere above a helicopter buzzed over, firing lasers at the creatures behind him.
(!) Shadow saw her suddenly jump and turn in the air with her glowing black and white paws out towards him, laughing as the energies quickly formed into one and shot out towards him. Shrapnel from the road burst across his view and against his dirty yellow fur, a grayish flash bursting at the lower right side of his vision after he dodged and sped up his pace.
Where is she…
WHERE?
(Well, well. I think we have company, Shadow!) She laughed as she landed and continued onward, jumping up and launching lightning strikes from her paws, crossing one another in shades of black and white around Shadow. Evading a burst, he noticed a yellow blur flash past him. A moment later, a wave of sound like the buzzing of something revolving at high speed hit his ears. He watched the thing for another moment, noticing it slow down until he could see a Pichu's face looking at him with bright green eyes, almost glaring.
Who…
…no way…
AntiLight jumped down a small downward ramp flanked by short walls and into a large marble courtyard, pocked with blackened holes from where lasers had hit before. A water fountain in the middle sprayed water from a busted pipe in a half-shattered pedestal that had the body of a Lugia figurine at the top, missing its head.
AntiLight turned and slid to a stop by the fountain as Shadow leapt down the stone ramp and stopped as well, static bursting from his cheeks. At the same time, claws sprung from the Pichu's paws as he slid backwards against the marble, grinding thin grooves into the stone beneath him with his claws before he too came to a stop.
They stood there silently as the war-torn city around then continued to sound off with the noises of screaming, gunfire and explosions. Whether AntiLight was looking at him or zero, Shadow was uncertain, but he could certainly tell that Zero was giving him a hard stare.
(…Shadow.) (…Zero.)
(It looks like everyone's here.) AntiLight said, glaring towards Shadow before she looked towards the Pichu and chuckled to herself. (Aw, even the little boy is here. I saw that the good doctor Namba gave you quite the 'gift'.)
His claws made a swishing sound as he swung them to point at her, a growl coming from deep in his throat. (I'm no little kid, got that? Do you think a kid would still have his sanity after what I've been through?)
She shifted her shoulders, sighing. (That's just it. You're no child…you're a freak, just like Shadow. Even more so. For one, I've never seen a Pichu that had claws like yours until now. Then again, you were made exactly to your creator's design, weren't you?)
(Wanna see what these claws can do, then? I'll be happy to shred you!) Zero yelled back while crossing his claws together in front of himself, showering sparks before they went out to his sides with his arms, one overhand above his head and the other underhand in front of his waist.
(So you want to fight me then? I'm a little occupied with Shadow at the moment, so I have no time to play with you. How about you fight Shadow instead?) She laughed, turning back to Shadow. (After all, you're the reason he's cursed like you now, right?)
(…True…) He said, locking eyes with Shadow.
What other reason would he be here now, if Shadow hadn't nearly killed him, only for Namba to bring him back from the brink of oblivion? In a way, knowing what he had to live with now, he almost would've preferred dying then.
(…Not interested. I need him for something later. Tough luck.)
(What would that be, exactly?) Shadow said as he began to charge electricity into his paws. Zero felt a twitch cross his body again, forcing him to close one of his eyes and visibly wince as his entire open eye flashed bright, ghastly green. Shadow froze and looked to Zero, gasping a little as he saw Zero's eyes continue to flash. For a moment, Shadow could've sworn his claws had, for an instant, turned metallic.
(Why fight it? Eventually you're going to lose it, like Shadow did to you then…) AntiLight spoke once more, looking behind herself with those bright, luminescent red eyes. (Hmm…I suppose there is a way you can get back at Shadow, in a way…)
Behind her, a blackish spot near a small crater fluctuated against the ground before it shot forward and expanded out until it made one, massive expansion that made it blast out black sparks in the midst of another Pikachu bounding right out from it. As the shadow on the ground disappeared, the Pikachu who stood there now gazed directly at Shadow with bright red eyes like AntiLight's, smirking with his arms crossed.
(Miss me, me?) AntiShadow said, drawing a growl from Shadow. (Did I give you enough excitement earlier against the bird fusion?)
(What the hell do you think?) Shadow called back as AntiShadow looked towards Zero. (And you…I remember you. I remember punching you through three feet of concrete and leaving you for dead. Did Namba work on you, too?)
Besides looking frustrated, Zero looked somewhat confused, looking from the real Shadow to his AntiReal counterpart. (Let me guess; you're another one of those thing like whatever she is?)
(You could say that…kid. You said you wanted a fight, and since my friend here is busy with him, I'm all for fighting you.) He replied while getting on all fours, snickering. (You won't cry when I do the same thing he did to you before…right?)
(Zero…) Shadow said. Facing him again, Zero saw Shadow motion towards the AntiReals in front of them with a dead serious expression. In reply, Zero simply raised his right arm over his head again with the blades of his claws pointed towards them. (I'll take…you. You go after that bitch there.)
(That's what I was hoping for.)
…
"James, ya there, boy?"
"Um…who is this?"
"What do ya mean, who the hell is this? It's yer Uncle Vincent Leeroy Jenkins, dammit! You should know what I sound like by now! Anyhow, get ready to land that helicopter of yers. Yer gonna be takin' Sentinel's group out of here along with Xepher."
"Oh, okay…wait, what about you and your team?"
"…You've got a magnetic winch on the helicopter, right? Do ya think it can lift an army jeep with five people in it?"
…
…
And now the fun can begin. Ethereals are overrunning Kanto and several other countries, Light's the captive of Dr. Namba, and Zero's officially back. Until next time!