Chapter Four: Search and Rescue Part 2
Previously on In Dark of Night:
-"This Gym's gonna be easy."
-"I'm Darkora. I'd like to see your power and test it. To see if you're a worthy trainer."
-"You've earned the Arial Badge"
-"I'm going to the mall."
-"They've been taken."
-"Did you miss me, dear sister?"
"L-Luna? Why are you doing this?"
"It's my job."
-"I'm going to have to take drastic measures to make sure we can take these guys on."
"Such as?"
"I'm going to have to evolve you two."
-"Will this hurt?"
"It will be more pain than you've ever felt in your whole life."
Ace used his powers to put shadows around Psy's mouth.
"This will prevent anyone other than us from hearing you." Ace said. "It's linked to both me and Pyro, so you can talk normally to us. The reason I'm doing this is because if someone sees us, it could be counted a Pokémon abuse, even though it won't hurt for very long."
"Understood." Psy said.
Ace knelt down next to her and put his hand in the air. Dark energy began to gather in it, almost making the day around them seem brighter. After about a minute, Ace's hand had taken resemblance to a clawed hand made of pure Darkness. After a little bit more, Ace brought his hand down, slicing Psy's arm. Blood spurted quickly from the wound Ace had made, but it stopped quickly. Ace had purposely aimed away from any major arteries or veins, instead hitting directly on the mark that was on her arm. Ace's Dark power tore through the mark and the skin around it (remember that a Ralts has a very small, petite arm). Psy screamed loud enough to shatter glass from the pain in her arm.
The mark on her arm began to glow as a figure came out of it in a cloud of smoke. He stood solid on the ground, laughing evilly.
He was wearing a black uniform that had fur on the inside. His hair was orange and resembled a Pyroar's mane. His eyes were a yellow color and they seemed sinister. There was a strangely shaped F on his uniform.
"Lysandre" Ace growled.
"You!" Lysandre exclaimed, stepping back. Ace shot the demon with a powerful Dark Blast, creating a hole in his chest.
"To think" Ace said, chuckling. "You were the only member of Team Universal that me and Shadow didn't kill."
Pyro and Psy (who had been freed from the shadows that held her and from Pyro standing on her) just looked on in silent shock. Ace, a killer? And Shadow as well? Ace was a rather mysterious and Dark individual, but killing? That just didn't seem like him.
"Well" Lysandre said, the hole in his chest regenerating. "It's my turn to kill you."
"Not exactly." Ace said. "See, your time's up."
"We'll see." Lysandre said, growling.
Lysandre charged at Ace, who punched him through the stomach, impaling him with his fist. Lysandre coughed up blood as Ace shot a pulse of Dark energy outward from his arm, causing Lysandre to turn into smoke as he exploded. The smoke Lysandre had become enveloped Psy and surrounded her, causing a white light to shine. Psy's body flashed and morphed as the light shone. She stood in a classic powerup pose. When the light stopped, Psy stood, imbued with a newfound power.
Psy had grown to twice her original height, about two feet and eight inches. Her long white "robe" had changed its shape to more like a tutu. Her legs underneath were revealed to be green and now made up about half her height. They were slender and graceful, seeming to be designed to dance. Her arms grew a little thicker at the forearms, her hands showing division between her fingers, of which she had three (two main fingers and a thumb). Her mouth had gotten a little bigger (which was expected considering her body got bigger as well). The back and sides of her hair changed from a bowl cut to a longer, flowing style that went past her shoulders. The front of her hair curled forward, moving over the entire center of her face in a v shape. Part of it was black at the bottom. Her eyes were now revealed and fully visible, the point of the front of her hair almost giving them an angry shape (but you could tell what emotion she was actually showing by the shape of her mouth). Their color was a more blazing red than before, signifying the fact that she now had a lot more power than before. Her overall appearance seemed like that of a dancer, showing her as even more graceful and gentle.
Now it was Pyro's turn to gasp. Psy's power gently moved outward from herself, seeming gentle, but at the same time strong and courageous.
"Sh-she's so powerful." Pyro said, looking at her best friend.
"You ain't seen nothin' yet" Ace said, chuckling. "Wait until she enters her final form of evolution. There's pretty much nothing more powerful than a Gardevoir that's short of a legendary."
"Awesome!" Pyro said.
Psy twirled around, stepping closer to Ace and Pyro.
"How do I look?" she asked in a mock seductive voice.
"You look fine." Ace said, ignoring her tone. "Now take my hand. I'm going to try to warp us to Vineberg."
"Allright then." Psy and Pyro said, each of them taking one of Ace's hands (Pyro jumped and Ace held her in his arm).
"All right." Ace said. "Hold tight."
Ace used his Dark powers to open a portal that sucked the three of them in. Pyro and Psy closed their eyes, thinking there would be a force yanking them toward their destination, but when they opened them, they were already there.
With Shade (and Shadow)
"I can feel them." Shadow thought to Shade, both of the girls sharing their secret conversation. "They're close by."
"Are you sure?" Shade asked.
"I'm completely sure." Shadow said. "Ace wouldn't let me down. He's probably trying to find the right building."
"Couldn't you tell him what building we're in?" Shade asked.
"Two problems with that" Shadow said. "The first is that I don't even know what building we're in. The second is that I can't extend my Psychic powers past where you are for fear of someone figuring out I can use them."
"That seems like a problem." Shade said. "Well, I guess we're just reduced to waiting."
"Pretty much." Shadow said. "But I have full confidence in them."
"I'm back, Shadey." Luna said, walking in the door, almost stopping Shadow mid-sentence. "How was your wonderful conversation?"
"H-how did you know about that?" Shade asked, horrified that her sister knew she had been secretly conversing with her friend.
"I have Psychic powers too." Luna said, giggling. "Your friend's too weak to conceal her telepathy. Also, these walls aren't soundproof."
"How much did you hear?" Shade asked.
"All of it." Luna said, laughing. "It made me laugh how she puts all her faith in one person like that as if he's some kind of superhero."
"You'd be surprised at what Ace is capable of." Shadow said in Shade's thoughts (which Luna picked up).
"I have power on the level of legendaries." Luna said, laughing. "Your friend will meet his end if he even tries to fight me."
"The legendaries have become weak over the centuries." Shadow said. "You'd be surprised just how powerful beings in the past were."
"If you're any proof" Luna said. "then I'm not worried."
"I'm weakened by my restraints." Shadow said. "Ace is at full strength and very pissed off at your group. You're going to be in for a fight."
"We'll see." Luna said. "I'm no pushover."
"Neither is Ace." Shadow said. "Prepare for a fight."
Vineberg
"So this is Vineberg." Ace said. "Too boring. We need to find our friends, beat the gym and get out."
"What's the gym?" Psy asked.
"Grass." Ace said. "But most of the leader's Pokémon are part Poison, so you both have an advantage."
"Cool." Pyro said, spitting out a small flame. "We're gonna make short work of this Gym."
"Remember why we're here in the first place." Ace said. "To find our friends."
"If we need to find them fast" Psy asked as the three of them walked, looking for a building that their friends might be. "Then why did you take time to evolve us?"
"Because you two would have been in serious danger if I hadn't done that." Ace said. "Now, let's look for a building that would seem like a raZe Corp hideout."
"That one looks like one." Psy said, pointing to a building labeled 'raZe Arcade'.
"That's almost too obvious." Ace said as they walked inside the arcade.
"Let's take a look around." Ace said. "Stick together because I don't know the policy about unattended Pokémon and I don't want either of you in any kind of danger."
"Right." Psy and Pyro said, the three of them looking around for anything suspicious.
"Check out that poster." Psy said, pointing over to a poster on the far wall.
"It says 'there's nothing behind this poster. Don't push the button behind this poster.'." Ace read. "Oh my Arceo, this is so f #$ing stupid."
"I saw something similar in a manga." Pyro said.
"I read that." Ace said. "I preferred the version of Red that was dark and badass, not the sh!tty version we now call Ash Ketchum."
"Well, Ash Ketchum actually existed." Pyro said. "He lived about a hundred years ago. I remember reading a report about him and his two friends, May and Brock talking about a meeting they had with this group of girls that called themselves 'Team Lunar Fire'. The way he described a couple of them kind of reminds me of you and Shadow."
"Two problems wrong with that." Ace said. "The first is that I'm twenty as is Shadow. The girls in that were thirteen. Second, this is the first time Shadow and I have travelled through time. Third, I'm a guy. Always have been, always will be. They could be another group from a time near ours, but I don't know. I highly doubt I know them. I've only met one other of my species and none of Shadow's. My sister is somewhere in this time, however. She might know. They might be from somewhere in my future, going by what they said. I don't think I'd know them, seeing as Shadow and I've never had kids or met other members of our species, barring my sister."
"Back to the matter at hand." Psy said, pointing to the poster again. "Should we push it?"
"Let's do it." Ace said, ripping off the poster ad pushing the button behind it. "I've always been the rule breaking type."
When Ace had pushed the button, a set of stairs appeared out of nowhere in the floor of the arcade. Looking around, Ace, Pyro, and Psy stepped down them, summoning energy to be ready to confront whatever awaited them in the hideout of raZe Corp.
Inside raZe Corp hideout— security room
"Sir" the security guard said to his partner. "We have a situation."
"What is it?" his partner asked, running over to him.
"This guy and these two Pokémon have entered the hideout." The guard said.
"Deploy the troops." His partner said. "Let's give them a warm welcome."
With Ace, Pyro, and Psy
The three of them walked deeper into the raZe Corp building, looking around for both enemies and the locations of Shade and Shadow.
"Where do you think they are?" Pyro asked.
"Just keep an eye out." Ace said. "There might be a secret door or something."
"On it." Pyro said.
"Halt!" a female voice came from up ahead. The three friends looked up to see a woman and two Pokémon, a Druddigon and a Flygon, the woman standing in the middle.
"You are trespassing." The woman said, clenching her fists.
"We're here for our friends." Ace growled. "And if you don't, I'll put you through a worse hell then you'll experience in the Distortion World."
"Your threats don't affect me, boy." The woman said.
"It wasn't a threat." Ace said, moving right in front of the woman with speed unnoticed.
The woman's two Pokémon stepped closer to Ace, prepared to attack him, when a powerful Moonblast from Psy onto the Druddigon and a Fire Fang from Pyro onto the Flygon caused them to turn their attention to their attackers.
With Psy and the Druddigon
The Druddigon shot a Flamethrower at Psy, but the newly evolved Kirlia was faster and leapt over the wall of Fire and threw a Pixie Punch (a Punch attack infused with Fairy type essence) that hit the Druddigon right on his nose. The Druddigon howled in pain from the Super Effective attack as Psy landed a close up Moonblast on his gut, knocking him out.
With Pyro and the Flygon
The Flygon shot a Dragon Pulse at Pyro, who dodged and sank her flame coated teeth into her opponent's neck. The Flygon shook her head wildly, trying to release Pyro, but all she did was cause Pyro to bite harder, hurting her (the Flygon) even more. When Pyro finally did release, the Flygon was burned, bleeding, and had whiplash. She used her manipulative powers over the Ground (Flygon is part Ground type, which can utilize the Ground in various ways) to apply some of the steel floor to her injured neck, making both a collar and a makeshift bandage of sorts.
"I'll bet that hurts, doesn't it?" Pyro asked, her voice low. "Well, let me ease your pain."
Pyro shot a Flamethrower twice as big as she was out of her mouth, engulfing the Flygon and knocking her out.
With Ace
"You don't scare me." The woman said, her confidence unwavering.
"Well, then" Ace said, his voice one of quiet anger as his eyes turned red. "Let me fix that."
Ace held up his hand and snapped his fingers, causing a black orb to rise from the ground. The woman stared at it before she realized what it was. The Dark Void attack (that's what it was) hit her, causing her to sink into an unrelenting nightmare.
Pyro and Psy walked up to him just as he had finished with his "opponent". They looked at her, then at Ace.
"He's oddly calm for someone who's best friend was kidnapped." Psy said in a telepathic conversation with Pyro.
"Oh, I'm thoroughly pissed off." Ace said. Psy's eyes grew wide as she realized that Ace had heard her. "I'm just keeping my emotions in check so I don't unintentionally give you two horrifying nightmares."
"How did you hear that?" Psy exclaimed, shocked.
"My best friend is a Psychic type." Ace said. "You can't be best friends with a Psychic type for just over twenty years without picking up some skills."
"So" Pyro said. "You can read our minds?"
"I prefer not to." Ace said. "But, sometimes, I can. We need to keep close contact for now and Psychic powers just might be what we need in case we get separated."
"Right." Pyro and Psy said.
"Good." Ace said. "Now let's go. I think I can sense Shadow nearby."
The three of them walked down the hall until the walls began to be lined with what resembled small jail cells. Ace stopped at a random one and ripped its door off its hinges. Psy and Pyro looked inside to see the same white clothed girl from Ace's dream sitting on the floor. She had several cuts and bruises as well as other marks. She was sitting on the floor, chained to the wall, staring out into space, her eyes glossy.
Psy noticed that it wasn't the look of one who was dejected, but one who is concentrating, as if using Psychic powers. However, Psy realized that if she was using Psychic powers, they were on a level far above her own.
"Shadow." Ace said. Pyro and Psy noticed that his voice now carried shock, sadness, and sympathy.
The girl (Shadow) blinked a few times, looking around for a second before her eyes fell on Ace. There was a clear, distinct change in the tone of her eyes, from glazed over in concentration to vibrant and joyful.
Ace shot the chains restraining her as he walked over to her, extending his hand toward her. She gingerly took it and Ace gently helped her up, the two of them staring into each other's eyes.
After about ten seconds Shadow fell forward into Ace's chest as he wrapped his arms around her.
"I knew you'd come." She said.
"So did I." Ace said. "What happened to you?"
"They took my blood on several occasions." Shadow said.
"How come you didn't break out earlier?" Ace asked. "You're just as strong as I am."
"They knocked me unconscious in my Clefable forme." Shadow said. "I couldn't gather enough power to escape before they used those power limiting cuffs on me, keeping me from gathering any more power with which to break out."
"That's bad." Ace said. "Well, at least you're safe now."
"Right" Shadow said, snuggling close to Ace's chest.
"We need to find Shade." Psy said.
"Right." Ace said. Shadow stood up fully, her power restored. She stretched, relieving any tension she had in her muscles.
"Let's go." She said. "I'm going to give Shade's sister a piece of my mind."
"Shade's sister?" Pyro asked. "You mean Luna?"
"Yeah, her." Shadow said. "She's in on this. We need to help Shade fast."
"On it." Ace said. They turned to leave the cells when about ten armed soldiers with randomly assorted Pokémon, the majority of them Psychic type.
"Halt!" they all shouted. "You're going to be shot if you don't comply."
"Oh, is that so?" Ace said, stepping closer to the soldiers.
"Ace" Shadow said. "Don't do this."
"Oh, it's too late for that." Ace said. "It's happening."
As Ace continued to step closer to the soldiers, the Psychic type Pokémon with them started backing away from Ace, terrified looks on their faces. The soldiers noticed this and sent the non-Psychic types to attack Ace. Ace snapped his fingers and several orbs of Darkness enveloped the attacking Pokémon, knocking them out. The soldiers radioed to someone and another put on an eyepiece of sorts (if you picture a scouter from Dragon Ball Z, that's about what it looked like), scanning Ace with it. He tensed up and began backing up like the Pokémon were. Ace chuckled as he continued moving towards the soldiers.
With Shade and Luna
"So, Shadey" Luna said. "What should I do with you first?"
"Let me go?" Shade attempted.
"Nice try." Luna said. Before she could say anything else, the speaker in the cell blasted out a voice.
"This is Squad one." The voice said. "We need assistance."
"What's the problem?" Luna asked, answering it.
"We have an intruder." The soldier said. "He's dressed similar to Prisoner Two."
Luna looked back at Shade, who was confused.
"What's he like?" Luna asked.
"Can't tell." The soldier said. "All the Psychic types we brought are scared of him."
"That doesn't help." Luna said.
"Hold on." The soldier said. "I'm getting my scouter (er, I mean tracer) and it said he was a Dark type. He's with Prisoner One and he has a Kirlia and a Flareon with him. Oh, Arceo, please don't hurt me—"
The connection went dead after he had said that.
"Funny." Luna said to Shade. "Weren't your Pokémon a Ralts and Eevee?"
"Yeah." Shade said. "Why?"
"This guy is breaking out your friend and has the evolved formes of both of your Pokémon." Luna said. "That's a pretty big coincidence."
"You don't think it could be…" Shade started to say.
"If it is" Luna said. "He'll be pretty hard pressed if he wants to rescue you. I'm no pushover."
"Neither is he." Shade said. "From what I know of him, he's pretty tough."
"I doubt it." Luna said.
"Oh, I don't know." Ace said, warping in through the shadows. "I'm pretty tough. I've managed to hold my own against legendaries."
"How did you get in here?!" Luna exclaimed, jumping back. "That door is locked and is two feet thick steel. Not even a Tyranitar could break through it."
"I'm more powerful than any Tyranitar." Ace said. "I'm here for her."
"Sorry." Luna said, stepping in front of her sister. "You're not going to get her that easily. She still belongs to us."
At that moment the door was kicked into the opposite wall. Standing on the other side of it, and having just punched it in, was Shadow. Pyro and Psy were staring at her, their jaws dropping to the floor.
"How did you do that?!" Pyro asked.
"I'm stronger than I look." Shadow said in her quiet voice.
"Now, let our trainer go, you bit— Luna?!" Psy said, realizing who her best friend's captor was.
"Well, well, well." Luna said, chuckling a little. "Pyro and Psy. You guys've grown."
"Those are Pyro and Psy?" Shadow thought to herself. "They've gotten so powerful. I can remember when Psy couldn't lift a pencil with her Psychic powers. Now she's probably three times as strong as she was before."
"Let her go, Luna." Psy demanded.
"Oh, I don't think so." Luna said. "I'm going to run some tests on her first."
"Yeah, no." Ace said, snapping his fingers. Dark tendrils sliced through Shade's restraints, freeing her. Ace took her hand and disappeared into the shadows with her. Shadow teleported with Pyro and Psy.
"Damn it!" Luna cursed to herself. "She got away. But, I'll get you next time Shadey. Mark my words. I let you go this time, but you will be ours. It will not repeat, I swear it."
With Shade and the others
"Where are we?" Shade asked as the group landed in a wooded area of some sort.
"We're in the woods outside of Vineberg." Ace said.
"How did we get here?" Psy asked.
"We teleported." Ace said. "We can grab the badge in Vineberg and get the hell out of here as fast as we can."
"All right." Shade said, standing up. But before she could go anywhere, she was hit by a strange attack and fell over.
"Hey, you bitch!" a feminine Pokémon voice shouted. "You're on my turf!"
To be continued-next chapter: Felicia and the Gym
well, there you guys go. The conclusion of the Search and Rescue Arc. I'll go more into what they did afterwords in the next chapter. I wonder who this Felicia is (not really, i already know :P ). Her concept art will be on Deviantart soon (as well as the mechanics explanations for certain types (you'll see when i upload them) under this same username. If you're wondering why i didn't have Ace fight Luna or anything, i didn't want to reveal things too quickly. You'll find out about Luna and raZe Corp. later on. Oh, and another note: Ace and Shadow will mostly stay in human forme from here on out as it makes it easier for me (and possibly you guys). Well, i've rambled on long enough. Enjoy.