Congratulations and thanks to all of my reviewers in helping me to reach over 100 reviews! A special shout out to CleverPhoenix for submitting the actual 100th review. You guys are awesome! I am taking this time to not only thank you guys for the 100 reviews, but also to thank you so much for your politeness in them all. like I said before, you guys ROCK! :D

Disclaimer: My birthday's in 8 days (August 8)…Maybe I'll get them both as a gift! Then I could make money off them and go to Australia! Until then, I am not the owner of Sonic or Pokémon.

Chapter 9

Rouge's Wrath

Celestic Town

Professor Oak was shocked, to say the least; not because of the sight of the Pokémon lying on the stretcher bed, but more so because of the reaction of the Rouge that he had just met. As soon as she saw the red-streaked creature, her face lit up with recognition and worry as she let out a small gasp.

"Rouge, do you know this Pokémon?" he asked, genuinely interested.

The bat Pokémon ignored his question and ran over to the side of the other, grasping its limp hand. "Shadow!" she nearly yelled. "Wake up! Talk to me!"

When the black creature was unresponsive, she turned desperately to Nurse Joy, who was watching with just as much confusion as the Professor. "What happened?" she demanded furiously.

"You…You can talk?" the nurse asked, unsure of whether to believe her eyes and ears or not.

Rouge dropped Shadow's hand and marched right up to the red haired lady. Startled at her actions, Joy backed up until she was pressed against the wall beside the door. But Rouge didn't care. "I said,"—she lowered her voice and spoke through clenched teeth—"What happened?"

"I-I don't know the details," Joy said quickly. "But it was hurt in a battle."

"With who?"

"Ash."

Without another word, Rouge spread her leathery wings, lifted into the air, and shot out the door, ready to kill. The Persian ran after, keeping up very well, and Professor Oak was following in a second.

"Rouge!" he shouted after her, running down the hall. "What are you doing?"

Rouge didn't answer, but rather increased her speed and shut out the Professor's concerned voice as she raced towards the waiting room, her rage replacing her common sense. All that pounded in her brain was anger: anger at this Ash kid for hurting Shadow; anger at Shadow for allowing himself to fall for Eggman's trick that put him in this situation in the first place; but mostly anger at herself for not being able to do anything to help her friend. but since Shadow was already in pretty hard shape, and she wasn't about to beat herself up over it, this snot-nosed brat would have to do.

She pushed her way through the double doors she had entered from a minute before and landed, her heels clacking loudly on the tiled floor. She looked up at the three startled teens with dark eyes, coming to rest on the one with the red baseball cap. Somehow, she just knew that this was the boy who was to blame. Perhaps it was the way the blue-haired girl had showed such spite towards him earlier. Perhaps it was his guilty silence. Or maybe it was the fact that the other boy did not seem like one who would A: have the guts to do something like that to Shadow, or B: have the name 'Ash'. But above all, she suspected it was just her gut feeling pointing her in the right direction.

Not that she was exactly listening to her gut right now. Her gut was screaming at her to not do this right now, but her feelings were too jarred up right now for her to care. Shadow was hurt, maybe even dying, and it was because of this kid. Somehow, if she could just—

Without even knowing what she was hoping to accomplish, Rouge the Bat sprung off the floor, flapped her wings hard, and shot forward like a missile. And straight towards the boy with the red cap.

Ash Ketchum was startled, to say the least, when the odd white bat Pokémon had burst through the doors with enough force to shake the floor; even more so when it had come to lay angry eyes on him and him alone. It reminded him of a Scyther or Electabuzz when exposed to the colour red. Why was it so focused on him?

He wasn't going to get his answer; at least, not before Rouge got some of her anger out. Before he knew what was happening, Ash found himself flat on the floor with gloved hands pressing against his throat. His eyes widened in panic as he felt his airway cut off as he stared into the crazed eyes of this Pokémon. What had he done to make it so angry at him?

What happened next surprised him beyond all measure, because even though he had seen it quite a few times before and even that same day, a talking Pokémon in such a mindless rage was quite shocking. Because usually, the talking ones are the ones that help him save the world.

Before long, two sets of hands grabbed a hold of Rouge's arms and pulled hard, peeling her hands away from her victim. But Rouge was powered by anger and the fact that she was really strong to begin with, so she had no trouble throwing them off.

Jumping back to his feet, Brock rushed towards his friend's assailant again, only to be intercepted by a very wild-looking Persian that seemed to be defending the out-of-control winged creature. Ash would unfortunately have to get out of this one without any quick help.

Ash fought like a wildcat under the hands of his attacker, but to no avail. It was stronger than he was, and it was wild; unless, of course, Professor Oak had captured it. No matter how hard he struggled, it was no use.

Screams, shouts, and crashes sounded throughout the building as the humans tried desperately to contain the angered creature. The noise echoed through the corridors, spreading through the entire complex, until finally the sound waves arrived at a certain pair of ebony ears. One of them twitched at the sound, and a low groan escaped the figure that it was attached to.

Shadow the Hedgehog slowly opened his crimson eyes. "Where—?" He blinked and his vision sharpened into focus on the light bulb directly above him, which told him that he was for sure lying down. Slowly, he pushed himself into a sitting position and looked around, aware of a dull throbbing at his temples and the burning of his wrists.

He was on a rather uncomfortable bed that looked a lot like one you would find in a hospital, except smaller. There were no pillows or any blankets, but wires leading from his body to some kind of monitor told him that this was, indeed, a hospital of some sort.

But what am I doing in a hospital?

Almost immediately after the thought, a rush of memory came back to him; waking in the crude campsite, Brock's 'food', throwing Pikachu, fighting Ash's pets, Dawn's eyes, and his current predicament.

…But mostly it was Dawn's eyes.

I must have passed out again, Shadow thought, unable to recall anything past that. How embarrassing.

That was when he heard the sounds that had woken him; a distant "Ash!" and "Rouge, Stop it!" and—

He froze.

Rouge? As in, Rouge?

Without another thought, the hedgehog pushed himself off the bed and onto his feet. Then, with slightly wobbly knees and aching muscles, he set off. First out of this room and into the hall, then following his ears down the corridor and to a set of large double doors, panting and with slightly blurred vision by the time he arrived. When he pushed through the doors, he was surprised by what he saw.

Sure enough, his ears had not been deceiving him. Rouge the Bat was present, but not necessarily all there. Her mind must have been on something else—something that made her really angry—for she was on top of the dark-haired boy named Ash with her hands pressed to his neck and a savage spark in her eyes. At the same time, an elegantly ferocious-looking cream-coloured cat was snarling and hissing, keeping a group of four humans—two of which he did not recognize—away from his enraged companion. What had the poor boy done to become the subject of Rouge's wrath?

I must be dreaming, he told himself, blinking at the display. Rouge wouldn't do something like that. Rouge probably wouldn't be here in the first place. That would make his existence too easy. And yet, he felt too much like crap to be dreaming. Then again, one can dream they feel like crap.

That was when he noticed Pikachu—the stalker mouse from earlier—stumbling to its feet after apparently carelessly and roughly being thrown into a wall…one can only assume by a certain angry bat. Its eyes fell on its struggling master and his assailant, and instantly its expression changed from dazed and confused to angry and determined; such as that which it had when attacking Shadow.

Immediately he knew what was happening, even before the yellow sparks danced across Pikachu's red cheeks. And he also knew what would happen if the pending bolt of electricity hit Rouge.

Dream or no dream, Shadow couldn't let that happen. He had to get Rouge out of there.

Oh yeah, and Ash too. Can't forget about Ash.

Despite his weakened physical state, the hedgehog sprang into action. In a second, he was racing the steady stream of fatality through the air and towards the bat and the boy.

I'm not going to make it…

But dreaming or not, Shadow was the Ultimate Lifeform. Do you think he'd lose to a lightning bolt conjured up by a little stalker mouse that he could throw fifty feet across a field with his foot? Of course not!

At the last second, he felt his body make contact with that of the Dream Rouge, and the two of them were falling. Unfortunately, he couldn't get Ash out of there; but he was prioritizing, and Rouge came way before Ash. Dreaming or not.

Not that it really mattered; as he fell through the air, Shadow watched the electricity make contact with Ash. However, an odd expression and charred hair seemed to be all that resulted for the human. If it had hit either him or Rouge, the effects would have been far more severe and much more logical than simply charred hair and a blackened odd expression.

That is not fair, was all Shadow had time to think before he felt himself make contact with the floor.

And then he was on top of Dream Rouge, gazing down into her startled aqua eyes. She dream-stared at him with dream-shock and opened her dream-mouth.

"Shadow?" Rouge asked in a whisper, unable to believe her eyes because what her eyes told her was too unbelievable. Shadow, awake? When did that happen? On that note, what was he doing?

Shadow was also startled, but for a different reason. He was still dreaming. Rouge was still here. Usually he would wake up as soon as he hit the floor in his dream, and yet here he was. And he still felt things; the floor under his hands, the ever-present burning of his wrists, the dull headache caused by Pikachu's Iron Tail, and every bruise or scratch that he had received during and since his arrival. It all seemed too real and precise and long to be a dream.

Finally, after what seemed like an eternity but was really only a few seconds, Shadow pushed himself to his feet and extended a hand to Dream Rouge. She took it hesitantly and allowed him to help her to her feet, then looked around her. Shadow did the same, and was partially surprised to find everyone—including Pikachu and the gasping, slightly crispy Ash—staring at the two of them. Brock was the first to speak.

"So…I take it you two know each other?"

Rouge was about to reply when she noticed Shadow's dazed expression, and instead she turned to him. "Shadow, are you okay?"

"Humph," was his typical response, turning away from her. He felt fine.

Who am I kidding? I feel like crap.

No sooner had the thought crossed his mind and a wave of light-headedness bombarded his brain and he swayed, the light at the end of his tunnel disappearing to blackness. Again.

Rouge acted quickly, shooting out her arm and catching Shadow's limp form before he hit the floor. As she gently lowered him to the floor, the others gathered around curiously—especially Professor Oak and Nurse Joy.

"Is it okay?" Ash asked quietly.

Rouge turned on him angrily. "'It?'" she asked incredulously. "Are you blind? For goodness sakes, he's a guy! Don't you people have genders around here?"

All humans—with the exception of one—exchanged confused glances. Since when do Pokémon talk like that?

Ash, however, had something else on the mind. "Well, it's not like it deserves special attention just because it talks," he sneered.

Rouge's expression darkened and she stood to her full height, turning to face Ash. "You have no right—" she began, but was cut off by the boy.

"I have more right than you or your friend!" he snapped, also standing. "You're nothing but an animal; a slave to be trained for battle. Nothing more."

"Ash!" Dawn scolded, glaring at him. "What is wrong with you?"

He returned her glare and replied with, "I'm simply informing it of the laws of nature."

Dawn nearly stumbled in shock at his words, and Brock and Professor Oak dropped their jaws. Nurse Joy's expression turned hard, and even Pikachu was completely taken aback by his statement.

The only thing that kept Rouge from attacking him a second time was the slight movement of the ebony figure on the floor. In a second, she was at Shadow's side, but not before shooting another glare at Ash. If looks could kill, Ash would have suffered the most painful and torturous death imaginable four times over.

"Unnnnhhhhh…"

Rouge watched anxiously as Shadow's blood-red eyes flickered open and looked at her uncomprehendingly.

"…Rouge?" he asked. "You're still here?"

She smiled, forgetting her anger at Ash for the moment. "Of course. Where would I go?"

He frowned and looked confused. "I thought I was dreaming."

She laughed. "No such luck, hon. It's all real."

Sighing, Shadow tried to push himself to a sitting position. "Please tell me I did not just faint in front of you."

"I can say that if you want, but I know you hate being misled," she teased with a wink.

His expression darkened. "Rouge, if you ever repeat this—"

"Relax, handsome. I would never dream of spreading the news that Mr. Macho Ultimate Lifeform fainted in my arms," she continued tantalizing, mischief dancing in her eyes. "Speaking of which, why…?" She allowed her voice to trail off, knowing that Shadow would understand.

Without a word, Shadow nodded and held up a hand for her to see. She gasped when she saw the red stained bandages. "Oh, Shadow…" she said sympathetically. "What happened?"

He lowered his hand and rubbed the wrist with the other, wincing slightly. "I can't say for sure, but I think the Rings shattered just before the teleportation was completed. That would explain why so much of my energy has been depleted. If they were gone before the full release of the Chaos, I would have nothing to regulate the amount of my own power used in the process."

"What are you talking about?"

The two Mobians turned their attention to a very confused-looking group of humans, in particular a man wearing a white lab coat. In truth, Shadow and Rouge had forgotten they were even there.

Professor Oak stepped forward. "What's all this about teleportation and rings and ultimate lifeforms?" he asked with a mixture of astonishment and genuine curiosity.

Rouge and Shadow exchanged glances. "Well, we're certainly not in Mobius anymore," Rouge commented quietly to her companion. "There's someone here who hasn't heard of you."

"Mobius…" the Professor repeated slowly. "I'm not familiar with that region. Are all Pokémon there like you?"

Rouge rolled her eyes and climbed to her feet, pulling Shadow up with her. "First of all, gramps, stop calling me a 'Pokémon'. Secondly, I think we deserve a few answers before we start answering to you, first question being: What in the world is his problem?" she demanded, pointing an accusing finger at the now half-terrified-looking Ash.

All eyes turned to the pale and trembling boy. "Yeah, Ash," Dawn said, not trying to hide her current spite towards him.

"I…I d-don't know," he replied shakily, looking around all the disapproving faces. "It just…happened." He backed to a nearby chair and plopped down in it, taking deep breaths and staring into the distance. "Ever since we came across the Poké—I mean, Shadow, I just…haven't been feeling like myself."

Angry faces turned less angry and more concerned, except for Rouge's. She was still fuming at being called a 'slave' and an 'it' and an 'animal'.

Professor Oak placed a gentle, almost parent-like hand on Ash's shoulder. "Have you any idea what could be causing this?"

"Cough PMS cough," Rouge choked out under her breath.

Ash glared at her angrily and abruptly stood from his chair. "How dare you mock me!" he snapped so suddenly that Rouge and nearly everyone else jumped. "You have no right to question my actions! I don't answer to you! I don't answer to any of you! My master is only myself, and I will not be interrogated by you lesser beings!"

Then, just as suddenly as his outburst had begun, Ash's expression changed drastically from anger and superiority to confused and apologetic. "Rouge, I…I didn't mean—"

"Just stop talking, Ash," Brock said coldly. "You've already said enough."

Frowning, Ash retook his seat.

"Hmm…" Professor Oak sounded, catching the attention of the company. "I have a feeling," he said slowly, "that the appearance of Shadow and Rouge and Ash's strange outbursts may be connected somehow."

"What?" Dawn asked, looking from the Professor to Ash, then to Shadow and Rouge. "How could that be?"

"It's just a theory. But I believe there's more to their story than what we've heard so far," he explained.

"Hello," Rouge said, annoyed. "Wake up and smell the roses. The kid has issues! Issues that are gonna get him in trouble some day very soon," she added in a warning tone.

"He might be right," Shadow said quietly, and Rouge turned to him with surprise. He shrugged slightly. "You know that the Chaos has the ability to affect certain individuals. If dark energy is absorbed, a personality change such as Ash's can occur. I've seen it before in Sonic."

He closed his eyes for a moment and drew in a deep breath to steady himself before continuing. "It's time we all got some answers, but first some explaining must be done. Starting with us, Rouge."

Rouge began to protest, but a quick glare from her fellow anthro changed her mind and she sighed in defeat.

The others, with absolutely no clue what they were talking about, waited rather impatiently for whatever was about to happen.

However, before another word could be spoken, a sudden burst of wind bombarded the room, sending papers flying and metal carts crashing, which in turn caused a very distraught Nurse Joy. Immediately, all eyes flew to the entrance of the building to find the doors wide open and a stiff red animal with a crescent moon birthmark and wide, bloodshot eyes standing in the doorway. Flying just in front was a round, feathered creature that all humans present recognized immediately as a Hoothoot. Finally, standing in front of both of them was a cobalt blue and spiked figure with a peach front and arms and a confident smile on his muzzle.

"Heya, Shads!" Sonic the Hedgehog said in his normal care-free and arrogant voice. "What's happenin'?"