Poke-genetics: the abominations
«We didn't make it. » Stan muttered, his gaze locked on the entrance of the cavern.
«No, you didn't. » Janes smiled. «It's such a pity, isn't it? You've finally managed to get past me, just to realize you are too late. »
Ash was about to reply, something which would have consisted of a big «shut up» and more probably one or twenty thunderbolt to the face, when he felt an unnatural fear freeze his guts.
He was not the only one to be suddenly paralyzed; everyone else had stopped and gaped at the dark cave. There was one however, that looked worse than the others. Genno's breathing had become heavy, his eyes blurry and his thinking process about to fade.
A solid pair of draconic arms encased him in a protecting embrace.
«I'm here, Genno. I'll protect you. » Stan whispered.
Another earthquake shook the ground under them and their fear started to engulf them. There was no doubt, this time. It was alive and it was coming.
Janes's laugher broke them out of their trances.
«It was about time you faced true evil, my poor little boys. »
The look of indignation and disbelief on their faces surpassed everything else. Coming from her, from JANES, of all people, that was just too much.
«Oh, I know what you little runts are thinking, but, truly, you are wrong. From what I gathered, you have faced many kinds of evil. Evil for the sake of one's greed, evil for the sake of power, evil for the sake of one's ideals, evil for the sake of one's fanatical views, evil for the sake of knowledge and even that rare breed of evil that is for the sake of loved ones, straight from your father, Ash. I'll admit that evil for the sake of one's pleasure is a good deal closer, my personal brand, boys, but you have not faced pure evil. » There was a light of triumph in her eyes that was scarier than any death threat she could have issued.
Her audiences was captivated by her words; that was one of her many talents.
«Would you like to know what true evil is? » Her eyes were locked into Ash's. «Evil for the sake of evil. »
They stopped breathing.
«Simple, don't you think? To do evil simply to be evil, to be evil without motives, to be evil as if that was more natural than breathing. Even someone like me will inflict pain on others because it brings me something in return. The monster that just hatched from that egg? It will destroy you with no other motives than it can. »
Genno's voice returned to him, only to break as he tried to speak.
«Stan… » There was pleading in that single word.
His expression was stern and severe, and, given the fact that he was a dragonite at the moment, it made him particularly scary. It was odd how some thoughts Genno never dreamed he could have would become perfectly plausible once you stretched your concept of a realistic setting far enough.
Janes saw the scientist and would have flinched, if not for the fact that she could see the anger directed at someone else.
«Would you like to hear something nice? » She asked.
She ignored the sparkling noise that was coming from the boys' direction and directed her gaze onto Stan. Even when he narrowed his eyes threateningly, she did not hesitate.
«It was all just a matter of pride. »
Stan's eyes widened, himself blinking in shock.
«At first, he seemed to have dreamed of creating a clone of Mew, only stronger. I must admit that this kind of thing gets boring after you already see it happen once. Giovanni's own pet project had failed him once and he wanted to try again. Unfortunately for him, I knew he would just let true power slip from his fingers. Jonathan, on the other hand, was much more promising though a bit boring. Did you know he did not particularly care about the rest of the world ignoring that creature's existence? »
It was as if lightning had hit both Genno and Stan.
«It was satisfying for him to just know he had accomplished his dreams. He was truly a selfish, self-centered man. Luckily, he was also a prideful one. All I had to do was ask how he could be so sure that it was really better than Mew. I think he realized that I would not be convinced unless I had a proof, because he modified his project. What better way to show without a doubt that he was the greatest poke-geneticist to ever walk this land than to create a monster that would defeat Mew in battle? »
Genno heard Stan mutter something in disbelief. It sounded like «…defective MAOA gene… undeveloped children behavior… dominance contest… but for a being that used partial parthenogenesis to…»
Despite his fear, Genno's mind accelerated, if only to remember about those genetic processes and behavior patterns he had learned about from his father.
«This is the result: a being of simple, yet pure, evil. It will attack anything in sight, destroy anything it comes in contact with, until its life is extinguished. Beautiful… » She finished with a sigh, looking at the sky with a deep melancholy and a look of tenderness that clashed with the very idea of that woman.
Ash and Pikachu were trying to think of something, anything really, to help. That feeling of dread was growing stronger with each instant. Whatever it was that Jonathan had created, it was getting closer to them.
«Then again, evil by carelessness is a pretty funny variant too. It has a beauty that can't be quite replicated too. » Janes turned to Ash, ecstatic about something only she knew.
Forgetting for a second about Jonathan's creation, they stared at her with apprehension. Going against every single one of his instincts, Ash asked:
«What do you mean? »
As her sole answer, she moved one hand, with an obvious difficulty, and placed it on her belly.
Ash felt his face get drained out of its blood.
«I trust you need no additional explanation. It's definitely gone… by your fault. »
And as a last testament to her madness, she was the only one joyful, when nature stated she should have been the most devastated.
She was not, but the pikachu that had addressed her had gone silent.
Ash felt the world twist madly as the realization hit him. Everything was a cold blur, negatives colors covering everything, his mind dawning over the monstrosity of his actions. What had he done? Genno's…
Alex would never meet his mother, because she was a killer and a monster devoid of any humanity. He had killed too now. How would he ever look at his son ever again? How could he ever become the role model that he had sworn to become?
He would never be a good father; he had stopped being a good person at the very moment his attack had hit Janes.
What had he done?
His imagination suddenly gave him a horribly vivid image of Alex's egg shattering and his brain abruptly shut down, unable to process the unthinkable.
He… he felt as if a frightening darkness was going to take over. He had killed… he had killed his friend's unborn child…
From the corner of his mind, he could hear the sound of a very distant screech, as if an unspeakable pressure was threatening to shatter everything in its path. With a frightening precision, he understood that his sanity was on the verge of disappearing. That was too lenient of a punishment for a murderer like him, was it not?
Then, cutting right through the overwhelming horror, came Stan's voice.
«What is she talking about? » He asked, blissfully ignorant of the predicament Ash was living.
Pikachu, the only one that could still talk, spoke with a shaking voice, rightfully concerned about Ash.
«She said she was pregnant. »
A wave of disbelief showed on Stan's face, before it turned into disgust.
«Don't tell me she… » He shot a sorry look at the paralyzed pikachu in his arms. «…slept with Jonathan… »
Simultaneously, all three pikachus blinked in astonishment.
What?
The absurdity of the situation, combined with the unexpected and out-of-place exclamation, shocked them out of their stupor and put them into another.
Unfortunately, Genno also felt very sick at the implications and his stomach rebelled, which made Stan jump backward.
«Seriously… not helping me feel any better, Stan… » A traumatized Genno sourly commented.
«Sorry! I talked without thinking! » He instantly apologized.
«It's… because of what she… » Pikachu tried to explain, his mouth dry. «… did to Genno.» He completed, shooting a worried look at his trembling friends.
«Huh? That's impossible. »
Stan was stroking Genno's back to help him relax, ignoring the shocked expression that had painted itself on the ditto's face.
«She told u… » Pikachu paused, petrified when he realized what he was about to say. Janes had told them something and that meant it was true?
«Genno… did you honestly believe what she said? » He asked softly, turning to the pokemon he had sworn to protect.
«I… I don't know what to think! It's so dark… so painful…» He seemed to be looking beyond them, to look beyond the simple reality to see something so terrifying it could only be the matters of nightmares. «I don't know what to think! I don't know HOW to think anymore! » Tears were streaming down from his eyes and Stan made a calm shushing noise.
«It's okay, Genno. I swear you're going to be okay. And don't worry about that bitch's lies. A human cannot get pregnant from a pokemon; it's one-hundred percent impossible, even if it's a ditto. Humans and pokemon are two completely different groups of organisms and cannot, under any circumstances, reproduce together. »
Ash's mind turned a peaceful shade of white, any and all traces of madness being washed away by the blessed truth. He could only thank every single force of the universe that it had been revealed to him before it was too late.
There were no words to describe their reliefs… or Janes's anger.
«What did you say? WHAT DID YOU TELL THEM? » She screamed, enraged that the boys had recovered from her attack. «DO YOU KNOW HOW MUCH PLANNING IT TOOK ME TO GET THEM AT THE EXACT STATE OF MIND THAT WOULD MAKE THEM ALL BREAK? »
All that work… only to be crushed by a moronic scientist like Stan Folklow?
She froze when she felt the killing intent emanating from them. Even the broken ditto was exulting a murderous aura that made her shiver to the bones.
She would have died, right there, the very next instant, had it not been for the horrifying scream that rose from the depths of the mountain.
It was far from human, far from anything a pokemon could ever produce; the only word that could ever describe it was otherworldly.
The earth started shaking, just like before. The only difference between this earthquake and all the other ones before it was that this one was so strong it made pieces of the mountain detach.
«Look out! » Pikachu shouted, trying to be heard over the rumble of apocalypse that was drowning every other noise, without any chances of success.
The rocks started falling and Ash saw their shadows loom over them, unable to stand. He wanted to dodge, to move out of the way, but his fear had reduced his muscles to jelly.
«Yes, we are going through with the evacuation plan after all. I've received radio communication and it seems the mission's first objective was a failure. » Gregor Dexter explained on the phone, looking tense.
Behind him, Mandy was waiting patiently for him to be finished with his phone call. She ignored the small tremors of the ground with a very distinct professionalism.
Seconds later, the mayor of Viridian City hung up the phone and sighed.
«This is not good. » He massaged his forehead with a very tired expression.
«Would you like some coffee, sir? » She asked, not letting go of her stoic façade.
«Yes, please. » He nodded, looking outside, only to see public service officers in the streets, guiding civilians away, while every network was displaying the same high alert warning.
«Is… is everything going to be okay, dad? » Sebastian walked up to his father, grabbing his hand for a little bit of comfort.
«I hope, son. » He gently stroked his son's hair. «I hope. »
«This is it... » Delia looked up at the storm clouds forming in the horizon.
Marco nodded slightly, unable to speak to her the way he was.
«Ash is over there, » she said, tossing one strand of her hair aside, ignoring the powerful wind blowing at this attitude. «We must arrive in time. »
Ash only caught a sight of a yellow blur. The second after that, he was thrown out of the way, his very eyesight becoming nothing more than foggy shapes and colors.
An impossibly loud noise overwhelmed even the growls of the shaking earth and his mind recovered a cold clarity, albeit a limited one.
They had failed. It was coming.
All around him, he could make out the shape of the falling mountain, breaking into pieces each time the blocks made contact with the roaring earth.
They had failed. It was coming to destroy them.
He could not see much, clouds of dust were clouding his vision. He was alone. All alone.
They had failed and it was coming to destroy the world.
«Ash! » He heard his friend call him and he turned around in time to see Pikachu, his face inches away from his own.
«Pikachu? » He muttered, unable to say another word.
«Stay strong! It's not over yet! » And the trainer could see that grim determination in his pokemon's eyes. It would be hard, it would be painful, but he would never give up.
They had failed. It was coming. It was going to try to destroy everything in its path, but they would stop it!
They would not fail anymore. They had too much to protect, too much to lose, so many things they could never afford to lose. They were going to win!
The fear disappeared, being washed away like imprints on a beach.
Ash stood up, steady even if the very ground he was standing on was being shaken beyond its limit. It mattered not. His family mattered. His friends mattered. The whole world mattered much more than this.
The dust fell down suddenly, and he could see the entrance to the cave perfectly now. It was of pitch black darkness.
The earthquake stopped as well, though it hardly came as a relief. From the moment it had faded away, they had truly sensed the creeping evil of Jonathan's creature.
Stan and Genno by their sides, Pikachu and Ash stared down at the darkness. It would look away before them.
«Pikachu, Genno, Thunder! Stan, Dragon Rage! » He pointed at the cave.
«I don't know how to! » Stan replied strongly, slightly hysterical with the very uncomfortable instinct of an apex predator facing something stronger than itself.
«Get angry! » Genno yelled instinctively.
And that was something ridiculously easy to do these days.
The four of them unleashed their attacks, pouring as much power as they could into the assault.
In the middle of that torrent of power, right where they had aimed, Ash caught sight of a subtle hint of brown before the lightning and the blue energy replaced everything in the cave.
Panting slightly, Ash noticed a slight regression in the feeling of terror that was spreading out of the darkness. Whatever was hiding there had been disturbed by their attacks.
For a second, he was filled with hope.
But it shattered the very next instant.
They all fell down to their knees, an incomparable pressure filling the air.
Ash could not hear anything over the beating of his mad heart anymore. They all understood it the moment it fell down on them. It was of a power equal to that of a legendary pokemon; it was beyond their reach.
The shadows were covering Genno from head to toes now. He could only see through a thick veil of darkness; only hear through their shrieks of terror and their mad laughers.
But he could see that being hovering before them with a perfect accuracy, for it was but a produce of the realms of insanity and its most powerful incarnation.
It had come to them seething evil, the shadows distorted by its presence as if they were stretching to move toward it. The light was dying upon contact with its fur and its eyeless face was only a reflection of the abyssal depth of its power.
Ash, Pikachu, Genno and Stan looked at the creature before them and felt their courage crack.
It looked back at them and those cracks spread from top to bottom.
Another second passed and it shattered like glass.
Before them was the pinnacle of evil, the greatest achievement of a genius and of an amoral man, a creature that had for sole purpose the destruction of anything and everything, a black eyeless copy of Mew.
Without a sound, it unleashed a wave of destruction of an unbelievable violence and their vision turned black.
The abyss of unconsciousness was blissfully empty: nothing, absolutely nothing, until the very end of the universe. No fear, no pain.
What else was there in the world anyway?
If only it would stay like this… if only things could be gone forever…
But even in the void there could be fear, so long as there was a mind.
An obscure light flickered in the corner of his eye, just outside of his field of vision. When he turned around, it was gone.
Or was it?
It seemed to linger, the shadow of a shadow, waiting, patient. Did time matter to things unseen? Did time matter to him anymore?
Shadows started to gather in the darkness, a pitch black void that absorbed everything, that stole away everything, until only a void was left.
It was growing bigger, slowly gaining in size, threatening to engulf him too. There was but one thought left in his mind: run. He wanted to run away and to save himself from the darker darkness.
But he could not move.
Claws had dug into his flesh, firmly maintaining him in place until it would be too late.
Staring at the abyss, Genno felt it stare back and blinked.
He was not alone.
Not even in the middle of the abyss could he be at peace, could he taste the simple pleasure of being alone. Never alone, always watched.
It shrieked an echo of madness and a frightening silence.
A silence that was pierced by a peaceful light.
«Genno. » He heard a melody in a voice and it brought tears to his eyes. It chased away the darkness, pushed the shadows aside, leaving him safe and grateful beyond words.
«M…Milosia? »
«Wake up. It is not over yet, everyone is waiting. »
The light started to spread and he felt pulled toward it.
«Come. »
He woke up jolting forward.
«Are… kay? … hear… » Someone asked me.
He gasped, blinking. This world was as mad as the one he had left.
No sound reached him, but an annoying buzzing. Looming over him was the worried shape of a woman. It struck terror in his heart… until he heard what she had said.
«Are you okay? Can you hear me? » She repeated and motioned to her ears.
He stared, not registering what was happening.
«Chansey, this one is under shock, transport him away. » She turned to the nurse pokemon at her side and it nodded in response.
But it did not have the time to obey. An explosion blew them all away.
He fell back on the harsh ground, but the pain was much weaker than what he had come to expect.
It was only when he tried to stand that he realized he was no longer in his pikachu body. The shock and the subsequent fainting had made him change back, healing his physical injuries.
«STAY IN FORMATION, WE MUST BRING IT DOWN! » Someone shouted, and that voice overwhelmed his senses.
He transformed, using the sample he had forced his body to constantly create. His body became that of Ash Ketchum again and his sight returned to normal.
What he saw made him falter.
The abomination was still there, breathing and creating fear and pain. It was floating a few meters above the ground, staring down at a bunch of humans and their pokemon.
Humans he recognized.
The gym leaders of Kanto were making their last stand. They were the last pillar to hold the region together; they would protect it to the end.
They attacked and it stood there, facing their assault without flinching.
Genno felt his knees tremble at the sight. It was not going to work; his instinct as a ditto and a future poke-geneticist told him that. That monster had been created to face Mew. The man he had once considered a father was a genius; that much could not be denied.
Already, that thing had shown some of its power.
For the clearing was now a devastated plain, fallen trees and cracked earth covering it. Its first attack alone had done that. It was a miracle they had survived.
He looked at the darkening sky, the fallen fighters, the ones that were still fighting and he made his choice.
He was aware of his own condition, he would not last long, but that was something he owed this world. Jonathan had brought that monster in the world; he'd take part in its destruction.
Genno started running toward the maelstrom, the pinnacle of the conflict, where everyone's fate would be determined, and he accelerated. It was time.
Unbeknownst to him and most of the others, there was someone that should have been there, that should have stayed down, and was now gone.
One person, a woman, realized this and left.
Two were missing, one that was attempting to flee and one that would die before it happened.
Again.