Pokemon Adventures: Where Legends Cross

Disclaimer: I don't own Pokemon Adventures/Special.

No chattering this time. Writing away!

Began writing on August 22nd, 2011. Currently drafting Chapter 12 of Arc 2.

Chapter 30. Vs. Hydreigon: To be a Trainer

Black wasn't anyone who admitted defeat easily, especially before the fight had ended. But the moment he had begun facing Kyurem he could feel that, even with the help of three other Dex Holders and the Four Guardians, the best they could was to hold the monster off until the rest of the Dex Holders got through with their respective opponents. Such was the power of Kyurem when they first began battling, and now, for some reason, the creature appeared even stronger than before.

And now that monstrous Pokemon's eyes were fixed on Silver, saliva dripping from its maw as they opened wide and approashed him like death's door.

And Blue was running straight towards him, as if trying to meet their ends together.

And there was nothing he could do about it, as he and Cobalion were just staggering to their feet at the other end of the throne room.

"Silver! Look out!" "Blue-san, no! Where are you going?" "No, no... NO!"

"Rhyperior, use Rock Wrecker!"

The voice that gave out the command was grave and harsh compared to the screames of the young Dex Holders, but Black could still detect a hint of desperation in its tone. Before he could wonder about it, however, an enormous boulder came flying out of nowhere and cannoned into the side of Kyurem's head with a force of a wrecking ball. Caught off guard in its hunger, the Boundary Pokemon gave out a deafening shriek as it fell backwards with a great crash, causing Black's eyes to go round in shock. During their entire fight with the powerful beast him and the Four Guardians had never succeeded in toppling it like that, barely managing to bring it down to its knees once or twice.

Whirling round from Silver and Blue's shocked face to identify their savior, Black's already rounded eye to even grow wider as he spotted an immense figure at the back of the throne chamber, its two palms smoking with friction and a gravelly pant escaping from its form.

The dark man who called himself Giovanni stood facing Kyurem's thrashing form, his expression fathomless as he stood behind his Rhyperior, who must have used the ultimate Rock-type move to distract the Boundary Pokemon the hard way. But as far as Black knew he was still fighting Ghetsis, and Rock Wrecker was a move that induced severe fatigue to the user...

"Hydreigon, use Surf!"

"Look out!" Yellow's cry shot through the air right after Ghetsis's command, but it was too late; Black could do nothing but watch as a great tidal wave swept toward Giovanni and the Rhyperior from behind, threatening to sweep the entire floor before them.

At the last moment the black-coated man leaped out of the way in time - staggering and somewhat jerkily, Black realized -, but the Rhyperior wasn't so lucky. With an almost sick impact the Water-type attack collided into the Drill Pokemon with enough force to bring down a stone wall, collapsing the exhausted beast with an earsplitting bellow of pain. (#1)

"Saur, Leaf Storm!" Red's shout rang out from behind Black as the Surf attack towered over the Rhyperior, readying itself to collapse on top of the aghast Dex Holders. The next moment a fiery cluster of leaves flew towards the tidal wave, shredding through the water as if it was slicing through tofu. Black blinked in amazement at the sturdy Venusaur standing in front of his Master (how new they were all to him, yet they had been with Red for nine years!) as he completely blasted apart the Surf and stopped them from reaching the Dex Holders, but situation prevented him from dwelling in his might.

"Hm, that was a foolish move, and you know it," snorted Ghetsis in disgust as he faced the now-defenseless Giovanni, looking somewhat disappointed. "By bothering to save the boy - and postponing his end a little - you opened yourself to my attack... if you had let Kyurem take his course, this match could've actually proven a challenge for me. I don't know your motives for defying me, but you're finished hear because of the weakness you've betrayed just now."

"Say whatever you want to say," replied Giovanni coldly, ignoring the angry mutterings from the Dex Holders behind him. "I won't say I'm proud of what I did, but I don't envy you for defeating me. Weakness, you say? Perhaps. But you know nothing about these people that you think you can crush so easily... rest assured, you will find facing some of them more difficult than facing me." (#2)

"We shall see," Ghetsis sneered openly at him, finally turning his gaze to -

"Weavile, use Ice Shard!"

"Flamethrower!" Ghetsis countered swiftly, and Black was forced to duck for cover as a jet of white-hot fire shot through the air above his head. Looking up in shock at the voice that said it, Black looked past the Flamethrower attack collide and destroy the barrage of ice crystals ruthlessly flung towards the High Sage's head and looked at Silver's burning, almost hating expression. What could've caused the cool-tempered, almost cold-blooded Dex Holder to be so enraged? Because Giovanni had suffered for him?

What was the dark man to him that he would be angered by Ghetsis insulting him, and what was him to the man that he would save his life at his own expense? Now that Black took a closer look at Giovanni he actually looked quite frail, as if he had just leaped out of his sickbed to join the battle.

"You dare stand against my Hydreigon, even with a Pokemon on an advantage?" Ghetsis spoke as he turned to face Silver, his eyes gleaming in amusement. "This Hydreigon is the most powerful of my arsenal, a king among kings. I spent years seeking to bring forth its likes, searching all over the world and repeating capturing, releasing, breeding and discarding over a thousand times. Even with that Weavile of yours, you can never hope to beat the best of my weapon!"

"I had expected as much," growled Silver, his voice no warmer than Giovanni's as he glared at the arrogant man. "If Pokemon had meant anything more than tools or weapons to you, perhaps you might have turned out better than the trash you are now. Too late to regret that, or anything else that you've done in this room. I take you down, here and now!"

But he wasn't about to get that wish, if Black had it his way.

"Poka..." he growled in a low voice, watching as the Emboar caught onto his mood and readied for battle. Rage burned inside Black's heart like a fiend, tearing away at his heart and urging him to let it out on someone. What Ghetsis had just said, how he proudly announced that Pokemon were merely tools for his achieving... it was too much for even his steel heart. His words had ignited a flame of burning wrath that began melting him from the inside, screaming at him to do something... anything... destroy... die... die... DIE!

"Ghetsis...!" He snarled, taking a step forward. But for the second time that day, a cold, hard hand came down upon his shoulder like vice.

"Wait," Green commanded him quietly, and Black was just about to look back and protest when a very familiar voice spoke from behind the cold senior:

"Gyara... use Rain Dance."

The voice was definitely that of his Master's, but he had never, ever sounded Red's voice sounding so... deadly. Not even when he was hearing Ghetsis's speech in Opelucid was his voice this dark with violence. Looking back just in time to hear the enormous Gyarados - in a normal blue hue compared to Silver's crimson one - roar out in a commanding tone into the sky. He could easily spot his Master standing under and in front of Gyara facing Ghetsis, his face shadowed under his hat and his expression invisible.

The already-stormy heavens quickly answered the Atrocious Pokemon's call, and within moments heavy rain began pouring from the sky and pelting down to the devastated castle ground. Soaked and shocked to the bone, Black could only watch as Red took a few steps forward toward the High Sage, his face still hidden.

"Silver, Black, everyone... I'm sorry," murmured Red quietly as Pika, Poli and Saur gathered around him with solemn expressions. "I know you all want a go at him, make him take back what he said, but please... just this time... please leave this one to me."

The half-angry, half-pleading tone of his Master's quiet voice triggered something from within Black, and he quickly scanned the room around to see the other Dex Holders' expressions. Sure enough, just like when Ghetsis had first dragged in Kyurem into the chamber, every single one of them were staring at the High Sage with a similar fire burning in their eyes. But they heeded Red's pleas and held their ground.

"Let him," said Green quietly as he let go of Black's shoulder; Black stayed his feet, knowing that the senior had let him go out of trust. "He's asking to take on the thing that he hates the most."

Black understood. Judging from everyone elses' looks, so did they.

Now rain was falling all around the open-celinged chamber in earnest as Red faced off against Ghetsis, Pika standing in front of his Trainer with sparking cheeks while the rest of the Fighter's Pokemon crowded around a coiled Gyara. The only sound prevailing in the chamber besides that of the rain was the somewhat distant shrieks of Kyurem as the Four Guardians began pushing the creature away from the Dex Holders, luring it into a corner of the chamber.

"Leave me to you, you say?" Sneered Ghetsis as he took a step behind his Hydreigon, a sick grin spreading across his face as he looked up and down at the soaked Trainer in front of him. "You assume, then, that you will stand the slightest chance against me alone? Do you believe you and that little rat in front of you will have a silver of hope against my ultimate weapon?"

"I think I can..." Red's voice came out in a snarl, and Black almost gasped in shock as his Master finally raised his hat to reveal his face.

Up to now, he had described the Dex Holders' eyes being on fire as they stared at Ghetsis with open disgust. But even so, he had been thinking metaphorically. Not so this time; Red's scarlet eyes really were on fire, with his iris dancing in open flames as if they were tearing up. Black could also swear his eyes were shedding a crimson glow on his face below the dark, cloudy sky from where the rain fell. But even his blazing eyes were nothing compared to his expression; the passionate flame in his heart that had always inspired him had morphed into a vicious inferno of rage that distorted his face.

"Had it been N that I was fighting, or any of those innocent grunts you've blackmailed or honeytongued, or even the other Sages who trusted your vision, I would've held back, hesitated... because they hadn't let go of what was important to them," spoke Red in a strained voice, as if desperately trying to control his anger and dangerously close to failing. "At least they, mistaken as they were, knew that Pokemon were something to be treated as our equal, to be respected and shown affection, be it as comrades, friends or partners. But you... you don't even see them as living creatures with emotions or willpower, do you? They're no more alive to you than that lens on your face is. As long as that thought persists... as long as that Hydreigon is nothing more than a tool to you... then you'll never be able to beat me and Pika!"

"I can't wait to see the look on your face when you've lost all hope!" Cackled Ghetsis, sounding unimpressed by Red's words. "So you do plan on taking on my Hydreigon with that Pikachu! Is that why you made it rain, to gain a little advantage over us? Did you seek to use the weather as a weapon? Now let it be your doom! Hydreigon, use Thunder!" (#3)

Red quickly sprang into action, but not in the way Black had expected him to move. Without moving his feet by anm inch his left hand shot up to tear his red jacket off, revealing a sleeveless black shirt underneath. His other arm rose straight upwards, and Black noticed that his entire right arm was covered by some sort of rubber tape.

The Brutal Pokemon raised all three heads and howled a bloodcurdling scream into the sky, almost causing Black's eardrums to explode in resonation. The stormy sky quickly answered to the Hydreigon's call, and a crackling web of electricity quickly began gathering on a large patch of cloud directly above Red.

"Red-senpai! Look out!" Ruby cried in alarm from beside Black as the lightning bolts coalesenced into a giant pillar of electric energy, beginning to drop onto the floor in an earsplittling blast. Black felt his heart drop to his toes as he saw the sheer size of the pillar; it looked even more powerful than Zekrom's Discharge! How in the world was anyone supposed to survive from that?

To his dismay Red still refused to move, except for the fact that his palms opened; Black thought he saw a flash of dark in his open hand before the Thunder's glare blinded him.

"Master, look out!"

"Red, what are you DOING!"

"Red-senpai!"

"Red-san - NO!"

Everyones' screams - including Black's - were lost as the enormous thunderbolt slammed onto the ground on top of Red, momentarily blinding everything from sight. But before Black could sink to his knees in horror the light suddenly lifted, revealing his Master's form again -

Red stood tall, holding the lightning bolt within his hand.

"WHAT - ?"

Black reckoned that the exclamation was made by everyone within the chamber except the Pokemon; his own eyes felt as if they would tear themselves out of their sockets. His Master held the Thunder attack in his hand. How was this possible?

"Look at his hand!" Blue suddenly cried out, and Black's eyes immediately swiveled toward Red's raised hand... to see that his glove was not the red ones that he usually wore; even hidden under the blinding glare of the lightning, he could see that the glove was black in color.

"The electricproof glove he got from Surge...!" Green muttered in disbelief, slapping his forehead. "Damn him, I never thought even he'd try..."

Black's eyes widened further; it was the very glove his Master had given him before parting ways last year! He didn't wear it often, preferring to keep it as a token. Rummaging through his pockets, he found that the glove was indeed gone.

"Sear..." He spoke as he looked at the Simisear, who shook his head before pointing at Pika, who was standing side-by-side with his Trainer as they took the Thunder attack together.

Well, the Pikachu's loyalty to his Trainer wasn't in doubt.

Upon taking a closer look at his Master, though, Black could see that the effect of the powerful Electric-type attack had not left Red unscathed; the rubber tape over his arm had taken the bulk of the voltage and burned away, exposing his arm slightly to the current. His fingers, which the glove failed to cover, were little more than charred bones. Sparks were being discharged actively from the Thunder attack, singing Red's face and shoulder. The very fact that he had survived was a miracle, but he was still hurting from taking the blunt force of the Thunder attack directly.

Why had he taken the blow?

"Pika... take it!" Red gasped as he slowly lowered his free hand, allowing Pika to jump on top of it. Looking guilty as he looked into his Trainer's suffering, the Pikachu quickly clambered up to his shoulders and onto the other arm, putting himself directly into the Thunder.

"He's absorbing the Thunder's energy!" Pearl exclaimed in amazement as Pika let out an unearthly screech, drawing in the incredible force of the attack into himself. Black could see from the Pikachu's obvious strain that had the Thunder attack been any stronger, he would've been crushed under the sheer voltage of Thunder. With a jolt he realized why Red had insisted on taking the attack himself first, why he had covered his arm with electricproof garments.

"He got himself hit by lightning to allow his Pokemon to use it...?" Diamond gasped in shock from somewhere. Everyone whose expression Black could see looked dumbfounded, even the cold Green's and Silver's.

"Trainers... are more than people... who just sit behind their Pokemon... as they follow their bidding...!" Growled Red as Pika leaped down from his shoulder fully charged, allowing him to finally lower his blackened right arm. Looking straight into the dumbfounded Ghetsis and Hydreigon he continued: "Trainers are people... who fight beside their Pokemon as comrades! Sometimes, if I feel that my Pokemon aren't strong enough for a task... then as comrades, I help them achieve it! This is my duty as Pokemon Trainer!"

"You said it, senpai!" Gold yelled with a pump of his fists, putting forth a surge of morale among the Dex Holders, including Black. He could do this!

"Fool! You will die as a fool!" Ghetsis screamed in disbelief, ordering the Hydreigon forward with a wave. "I don't know how you managed to survive that, but this is the end! Hydreigon, use Flamethrower! Shred that little rat into kibble!"

"Pika, on me again!" Red cried as he awkwardly took a step forward, at the same time three jets of flame ejected themselves out of the Brutal Pokemon's jaws. Black almost gasped again as the Fire-type attack shot behind Red and Pika, trapping them in a ring of fire, but checked himself in time; this was his Master. The fire that melted metal was nothing compared to the fire in his heart that could melt souls.

Indeed, if anything, Red looked better within the fiery circle than when he was soaked by the falling rain. Almost regretfully Pika leaped back onto the Fighter's left hand as he strode into the middle of the ring, sligntly singing him again in the involuntary discharge.

"He has nowhere to go! Use Dragon Pulse!" Ghetsis roared, summoning a pulse of pure draconic energy from the Hydreigon's jaws.

"Oh, yes he has! Pika, up!" Red bellowed, abruptly throwing his arm upward and sending Pika shooting into the sky like a crackling comet, leaving Red alone in the fire to dodge the Dragon Pulse as best as he could manage.

"Let's make this final, Pika! USE THUNDERBOLT!" Red bellowed as he narrowly saved himself from diving into the firewall. Thrown twenty feet into the air by Red's above-average arm strength, by this time Pika's altitude was well over the Hydreigon's towering head. With a battle cry that represented the combined will of all the Dex Holders present in the throne room, the Pikachu let loose his stored energy.

The flash that illuminated the sky was almost... holy to Black. Pika's discharge lit up the sky in a brilliant light of yellow, just for a moment setting the entire sky ablaze... almost as if the sun had finally penetrated the clouds after so long. Then, as Black watched in amazement, sixteen bolts of lightning spread out from Pika's body in the shape of a web, streaking across the sky in their splendor. Directly below the Pikachu they rejoined, twisting and turning with each other until they could no longer be told apart, forming a great sprial of lightning that bore down upon the Hydreigon in a great burst of energy -

"Get down!" Green's shout exploded like a bomb inside Black's ears, and automatically he threw himself onto the ground just as -

KA -

The air shattered above Black, sending current after current of energy over Black's head as if a meteor had fallen into a lake. The ripple of energy was such that even flat on the ground Black felt his back tingle with electricity, and he was almost blown off by the resulting shockwave - only saved by Poka appearing behind him to cushion his fall.

This put him in an upright position, sane enough to see the extent of the move's power. What he saw next was simply mind-blowing.

"M - Megavolt..." Yellow whispered in awe as she limped into view, gazing at the site of devastation in astonishment. While Black didn't understand what the term meant, he could see that the skill was aptly named; a fifteen-feet radius area where the lightning attack had struck had just about vaporized, leaving a severely-sizzled Hydreigon lying in the middle of a giant crater that had taken its place. Ghetsis was sprawled flat on his back just outside the hole, looking as if he had been spared when the blast had knocked him backwards. On the other side of the charred circle was Red on his knees, cradling his bone-fried right arm in his good one and sweating bullets with a pained expression that almost scared Black.

"Red-san!" Naturally, Yellow was the first to rush over to the Fighter, at once setting to heal his wound with tears playing around at the edge of her eyes. Black quickly joined her as he rushed over to his Master, followed by everyone else.

"Thanks, Yellow..." grimaced Red, though his expression was soft as Yellow's healing powers quickly took to work. Then his face again took a harsher tone as he looked up at Ghetsis's thunderstruck face as the High Sage struggled to his feet on the other side of the crater. But it wasn't Red who spoke to him.

"You have no idea what just happened, did you?" Green said coldly as he walked around the crater toward Ghetsis, his expression unreadable. "Red had just proven you that the bond between Trainer and Pokemon can overcome any difference in power... but he forgot himself. Not everyone can understand that as well as he can. You... your expression tells me that you never will. But as long as you remain ignorant... victory will never be in your grasp."

"NO!" Ghetsis screamed as he leaped to his feet, one hand over his face and an expression of utter rage and disbelief on his face. " I created Team Plasma with my own hands. I'm absolutely perfect! I AM PERFECTION! I am the perfect ruler of a perfect new world! And I will not let any of you interfere with my perfect plan! Crush them all, Kyurem! Feast on their carcasses! Use Blizzard!"

"Oh - !" Black had completely forgotten about Kyurem, completely immersed in his Master's battle with the raving Sage. Just as the thought of the insane Pokemon reached his mind, an explosion of cold energy somewhere behind him had him whirl around - just in time to see the Four Guardians being blasted back into the walls, frost covering half their bodies.

Kyurem towered over them, yellow eyes blazing and agape jaws salivating in hunger. Now that Black noticed the Boundary Pokemon looked more powerful than ever, literally radiating energy from its body. Almost for the first time, he realized that Reshiram and Zekrom were truly shells of their former selves while they battled.

"But I dont' understand," protested Sapphire as she hurriedly rushed over to the fallen Virizion. "Why is Kyurem listening to Ghetsis at all? Does he have something to control or brainwash him?" (#4)

As soon as he heard the word 'control', a sudden thought rushed through Black's brain. Wordlessly he grabbed onto Musha's Poke Ball, silently commanding the Drowsing Pokemon to use Dream Eater on him. As soon as his head was cleared, he realized with a jolt: Every single time Ghetsis issued a command to Kyurem, his had been touching his lens.

"It's his specs!" Black and Green shouted simultaneously before looking at each other in surprise. Then Green relented with a tiny smile, allowing Black to continue: "He tweaks his spectacles everytime he gives orders to Kyurem! It must be some kinda device to control Kyurem; maybe feed his insanity!"

"I'll get it!" To his surprise, something quickly darted past him straight toward Ghetsis. Whirling around in dismay Black saw Pearl dive straight at Ghetsis - alone! - reaching out toward the lens on his face.

"Oh, no you don't!" Cried the High Sage as he dodged Pearl's swipes, leaping up to a small mound of rubble to evade the hasty boy. "Even defenseless, you won't getto my face so easily! Go, Eelek - "

"How 'bout this, then?" A rough voice suddenly rang out from behind Ghetsis, and Black's eyes rounded in surprise as the earth behind the High Sage exploded, revealing Gold and his Sandslash as they popped out of it; how had he gotten there so fast?

Ghetsis didn't even have time to turn around; as quick as a flash Gold's billiard cue shot forward, knocking the Sage's lens clean out of his head without striking the head itself somehow.

"Get it!" Black heard Silver yell out as Ghetsis dived toward the falling specs, but just before his hands closed around the device it suddenly lifted up, swinging into the air as if something invisible had hooked it up - or rather, a slightly visible string did.

"Nice work, Yellow," grinned Red with a thumb's up (with his left hand; his right arm was still scorched black) as Yellow reeled in the device with her old fishing rod, sending the lens flying into Ruby's hands.

"Sapph, do the honors," chuckled the sixteen-year-old as he lightly flung the supposed device toward his friend, who caught it with a replying grin. Then her face turned up into an angry frown as she stared down at the accursed object that had caused them so much pain.

"All the Pokemon that suffered 'cause of this crap..." she muttered with an almost savage growl, and Black's eyes grew wide in shock as the tendons beneath her tough arm flexed once, shattering the specs in her grasp as if it was a snowball.

"NOOOOOOO!" Howled Ghetsis as Sapphire flung the destroyed gadgetry at her feet, even caring to grind the remains of glass and metal under her feet. In a senseless rage he lounged at the closest Dex Holder - who was, of course, Gold - with both hands raised, who immediately prepared to retaliate with his cue swinging dangerously.

"Gold, don't take him head-on - hey, Crys! Wait!" Silver's cry rang out just in time for something to whip past Black and towards Ghetsis in surprising speed, causing him to blink in surprise as Crystal dashed straight at the fighting people. As Black wondered what she was trying to do, the seventeen-year-old Dex Holder suddenly leaped into the air and -

And delivered a spinning kick straight into the Sage's side!

"Wha - " Black and White exclaimed in shock simultaneously as Ghetsis reeled and staggered away from Crystal's attack; what kind of an assault was that?

"Hey, nice one, Cr - whoa!" Gold suddenly shouted in alarm, and Black followed his gaze to see that the kick had completely thrown Ghetsis off balance, and the High Sage was stumbling towards a cavity made in the wall when Green's Ninetales had blasted through with Solarbeam less than an hour ago.

"This is only the beginning of your pain, ignorant ones!" The High Sage screamed as he tumbled over the edge of the wall, vanishing out of sight as he continued to curse: "You have no idea of what this world is about to face, and you still depend on those flimsy emotions as if they'll save you from the coming darkness! Ha! When chaos finally arrives at your doorsteps you will finally know the meaning of DESPAAAAAAAAAIIIIIIIIRRRRRRR!"

"Oh, my goodness!" White shrieked in horror as the villian vanished out of view, and Black turned to see her almost instinctively take a step forward - that is, until Silver stopped her with an arm.

"There's nothing we can do," he said firmly, though his voice wasn't without regret as he turned his back on the broken wall. "If he is dead, he had paid with his life. We have no time to check on him... we have a greater foe to face here."

"Right," acknowledged Gold as he walked toward them, his eyes fixed on the exhausted Guardians over to the menacing figure of Kyurem. "So that's a villian down..,. now what do we do about the god here?"

Holy crap, am I slow! At this rate, it's gonna take me more than a week to upload a single chapter... :( I'm working my best, but I'm not as free as I used to be three months ago...

#1. I pity Rhyperior. Battle-wise, assuming that their level are the same the fellow can't hope to beat Hydreigon...

#2. Personally I don't count this as Giovanni's defeat, since he had sacrificed himself to save his son. Hell yeah, SCREW YA GHETSIS XD

#3. Sadly, Ghetsis's Hydreigon doesn't know Thunder. As a matter of fact, Hydreigon can't even LEARN Thunder... Let's just say Ghetsis genetically modified it or something... it's a kind of stuff he would've done gladly.

#4. Of course, Sapph has the Blue Orb in mind! XD And did she just mention Kyurem as a HE? Well, I thought it'd be weird of the dude was a female...

the Red King, it turns out to be the first option after all :)

firstinclass, I've just been snooping around blog operator who posts spoilers on their websites, so I only know snippets of information. Ah, how I wish...

Sadly, there's a chance I may have to go on a very long hiatus, starting from early November. Then it will be decided if I will be capable of sitting in front of a computer for the next year... while I serious don't want this to happen - and I'll go a long length to prevent that - , well... thought I'd let you know, just in case.

On a happier note, in the next chapter the Dex Holders prepare to face off against Kyurem... but a certain revelation awaits them - and a decision to make. No more spoiling here! XD Oh, and aren't we forgetting someone who's been in this chamber for, like, ten chapters? XD Until then, R&R!

Writing completed on August 28th, 2011. This is Yowl of Time, out.