Chapter 40: Light and Darkness
Sonic hovered in the dark atmosphere, staring down the Mega-Evolved Shadow Mewtwo. "This is it," he said. "You're going down!"
"So sure, are you?" Mewtwo sneered. "Very well...I'm done holding back."
"So am I," Sonic replied. With that, he shot forward and rammed into Mewtwo's stomach.
"GUH!" Mewtwo grunted. "So quick to attack, are you? We just got started with the witty banter."
"I'm not here to talk," Sonic snapped. "I'm here to save the world!"
"Fine, then," Mewtwo growled. "But like I said: I'M DONE HOLDING BACK." As he spoke, he held his palms apart as a Shadow Ball formed between them. Then he fired the ball right at Sonic. It went too fast for Sonic to escape, and he got knocked away. He quickly recovered and appeared before Mewtwo once again.
"Here I come!" he shouted, charging right at him. But just as he was about to strike, a strange force repelled him, sending reeling backwards. "What?!"
"An impenetrable force field surrounds me," Mewtwo sneered as a pale blue field of energy surrounded him. "You cannot harm me!"
"Watch me!" Sonic retorted, charging straight at him again. This time he aimed for the force field. When he collided with it, he felt Mewtwo's power pushing him back, but he persisted. After a few seconds, he prevailed and knocked Mewtwo back. The startled Pokemon grunted in pain as his shield crackled with energy, indicating that it had been damaged.
"You call that impenetrable?" Sonic taunted him. "No need to bluff with me. I know you're no pushover!"
"You insolent creature!" Mewtwo snarled, unleashing another Shadow Ball. This time, Sonic dodged the attack. Suddenly, he felt like he got a large headache. Psychic? he thought. Must be. Gotta break free! He swiftly shook off the attack and charged at Mewtwo once again. Mewtwo retaliated by firing a Shadow Ball. Thinking quickly, Sonic kicked it back at him. Mewtwo's shield crackled once again when it hit, and sparks continued to crackle every now and then.
"Whoops!" Sonic chuckled. "I hope you're not sick, cuz you just got a taste of your own medicine!"
"ENOUGH!" Mewtwo roared, firing a lavender scythe-like energy attack. Psycho Cut! Sonic thought in alarm. He leapt over it through the air, but Mewtwo anticipated this and fired another one, striking the hedgehog in the stomach. Sonic swiftly shook off the attack and charged at Mewtwo's shield once again. Just as he was about to strike, something blindsided him and knocked him away.
"What?!"
"This is my realm," Mewtwo sneered. "I am the darkness, and the darkness is me!"
Ash watched from below as a dark wave of energy that came out of nowhere knocked Sonic away. He clenched his fists. "There's gotta be a way to help him," he said. "But without my other Pokemon, I can't figure it out!"
"Pikachu," Pikachu moaned.
He looked around but saw nothing but darkness for miles, if measurements were even legitimate in this dimension. He put his hand on the stone that hung around his neck. "Come on," he grit his teeth. "Come on."
"GRAH!" Shadow Mewtwo cried as Sonic slammed into his shield once again. It crackled with energy, then ripped itself from its owner, destroyed.
"Here I come!" Sonic cried, flying headfirst at Mewtwo. Just as he was about to hit, something else repelled him with a force even stronger than the force field. "Gah! What was –?"
"Did you really think I'd be so foolish as to put up one force field? No, you fool. THIS is the reason why you cannot harm me!"
"Let's test that theory!" Sonic retorted, flying at him again. Just before he could strike, Mewtwo disappeared. He looked around, puzzled, before something slammed him from above. "Ungh!" he grunted as he shot towards the ground.
"Fool," Mewtwo sneered as he followed the flailing hedgehog. "Thinking he could defeat me."
"Sonic!" Ash cried as the glowing hedgehog slammed into the ground. Dust flew everywhere, but it quickly dissipated. Ash rushed up to his friend. "Are you okay?"
"Of course I am," Sonic grinned. "With the power of the Chaos Emeralds, nothing can hurt me."
"But how long can you maintain this power?" Mewtwo sneered as he descended to them, his golden force field still protecting him. "Not much longer I imagine. It's not in your essence. MY power IS my essence, and I will use it to erase you from existence!"
"No way!" Ash shouted. "You'll never get away with this!"
"Are you still holding onto hope?" the evil Pokemon said, sounding slightly surprised. "Your world is succumbing to the darkness as we speak, and still you have the audacity to resist? Your power can only reach so far, Ash Ketchum. Don't your realize you're fighting for a lost cause?"
Ash reached up and flipped his cap around. "Even if this is a lost cause," he said, "it's the only one worth fighting for!"
Mewtwo clenched his fists in rage as his force field began to crackle violently with energy. "You have defied me for the last time, you insolent human! Now...you will DIE!" Mewtwo's force field glowed so brightly that the Pokemon was no longer visible. Then he shot straight at Ash.
"NO!" Ash screamed, covering his eyes and bracing himself for a world of pain. Just as Mewtwo was about to collide with him, however, the diamond-shaped stone in Ash's necklace glowed a bright white, creating a force field that repelled Mewtwo's attack.
"What?!" Sonic exclaimed in shock.
"What's...happening?!..." Ash said, barely able to speak as the stone seemed to be using his energy.
"GUH!" Mewtwo cried. "WHAT...WHAT IS THIS?! MY...POWER...FADING?! NO! THIS...CAN'T...BE…!"
Light and darkness clashed in that void as the battle reached its unexpected climax. Then, with a bright flash and an ear-piercing shattering sound, Mewtwo was consumed in the light, as were Sonic, Ash and Pikachu. When the light faded, they found themselves in a meadow.
"Huh?" Ash groaned, slowly opening his eyes. "Where...are we?" He looked down and saw his necklace laying on the ground. The stone it held was completely shattered. Only the diamond-shaped core of the stone remained unscratched. "Ah," he muttered. "It broke."
"Ash!"
He recognized that voice instantly. "Misty?!"
The red-haired gym leader ran up to him and hugged him tightly. "Oh, Ash," she whispered. "I'm so glad you're safe!"
"Thank goodness you're all right," Brock said, coming up to him.
"But…" Ash stammered, confused, "what...happened?"
"Looks like we got teleported out of that dimension," Sonic, still in his super form, said.
"Does that mean we won?" Tails asked, running up to them with Knuckles and Amy behind him.
"No," Knuckles shook his head. "Look up."
They did so and saw Shadow Mewtwo, no longer Mega-Evolved, descending to them. His torso glowed with light. He looked weak, his hateful eyes closed. Finally, he set foot on the ground.
"My...strength…" he whispered. "My...power…"
The orange spike on his shoulder suddenly and quietly shattered, the shards fading into the air. Then Mewtwo's whole form glowed, as dark energy flowed off of his form and into the air, fading into wisps. When the spectacle ended, Shadow Mewtwo was gone, and Mewtwo stood in his place.
He opened his eyes. They, also, were restored to normal. Though his irises retained their lavender hue, his pupils were no longer slit. There was no hatred or darkness in them. Rather, there was only confusion...and remorse.
"Where…" he whispered, his voice normal once again. "Where am I? This...this is not the same…"
"Mewtwo?" Ash whispered, stepping forward cautiously.
Mewtwo looked at him, and his eyes widened with recognition. "You!" he exclaimed. "You're that...human...the one who…" He trailed off as he closed his eyes and remembered.
You gotta stop this right now!
Ash, no!
Wait!
STOOOOOOOOOP!
He opened his eyes again. "Thank you," he said softly, "for freeing me."
"Freeing you?" Ash blinked, puzzled.
"From what?" Sonic asked.
Mewtwo turned around and indicated a small object sitting on the ground. It was hexagonal in shape and blackened like charcoal, but it emitted a sinister glow from its center. "That," he said.
Ash walked up to the strange stone, puzzled. "What is this?" he wondered. He reached his hand out to touch it, but then suddenly a small, dark portal appeared. The stone floated into the portal and vanished. "Well, I guess that's that," he shrugged. He turned to Mewtwo. "What was that thing?"
"The Shadow Synergy stone," Mewtwo replied. "It is a dangerous object with the ability to seize one's inner darkness and twist it to its own ends."
"A passive function?" Clemont ventured a guess.
"No. It is at once sentient, intelligent, and full of malice. It lives in that other dimension we escaped from just now." Mewtwo bowed his head in shame, then started to fade. "I don't know how it took control of me, but...it was a nightmare: one I hope I will never have to witness again." With that, he disappeared.
"Well, if the Shadow Synergy stone is back in its dimension," Sonic said, "I guess it can't hurt us anymore."
sO sUrE, ArE yOu, hEdGeHoG?!
Everyone's eyes widened in horror. "No!" Ash cried.
"It's still here?!" Sonic moaned.
They heard a howling noise coming from over the edge of the cliff. They looked down and saw a huge, gaping void of darkness that was starting to devour the landscape. Suddenly, a large, bony hand erupted from the void and clutched the edge of the cliff. They leapt back to avoid its grasp. Another bony hand emerged and grabbed the cliff. Then, an indescribable monstrosity emerged and towered over them, dark lightning flashing all around it.
"What is that thing?!" Sonic cried.
nOw yOu SeE mY tRuE fOrM. ThE dArKnEsS CaNnOt bE vAnQuIsHeD. i WiLl rUlE ALL!
The monster that stood before them had a snake-like body. Its head, however, was very large and horizontal. It looked as though it were more a mouth than a head, though it already had a head and mouth. Frightening purple tentacle-like energy whips protruded from its back.
"Arceus help us," Ash whispered as the monster leered down at them. His courage began to fail him as fear gripped his heart.
DEATH...TO...THE LIGHT! the fiend roared, and began to bring its clawed fist down.
"LOOK OUT!" Ash screamed at Serena and Bonnie, who were right in its trajectory. Serena immediately picked up Bonnie and leapt out of the way, narrowly evading the crushing blow.
"You overgrown Arbok!" Sonic growled, still in his super form. "I'll make this quick!" With that, he shot up straight for the fiend's head. But when he got within inches of it, a sudden force repelled him. "What?!" he cried in shock. "What in the –?!"
BEGONE! the fiend roared. A small but forceful explosion of dark energy erupted before him. Sonic was sent hurtling straight into the ground. To everyone's shock, he had reverted to his normal form. The Chaos Emeralds fell beside him, drained of their power.
"The Chaos Emeralds!" Ash cried in horror.
"No," Dawn whispered.
"How can anything have such power?!" Knuckles exclaimed.
"YOU!" Tails shouted at the monster angrily. "Nobody hurts my best friend and gets away with it! I'll blow you to smithereens!" As he said this, he pulled out a rocket launcher. When he finished speaking, he fired a massive rocket. But compared to the monster's size, it was nothing. It hit the fiend's snake-like body, but the monster didn't even flinch from the impact or explosion.
"I don't believe it," Brock whispered. "It's...it's impossible! There's no way we can beat this thing!"
"Without the Chaos Emeralds," Tails moaned, "there's nothing we can do."
"Even if Sonic and I used his transformation again, we would still come up short," Ash said, clenching his fists. He looked back at one of the backpacks they'd taken on their journey and quickly walked over and sifted through it, pulling something out.
BeHoLd the fiend sneered, gesturing to the sky, tHe eNd oF ThE wOrLd! The darkness parted to reveal a small patch of sky. The sun was visible for a brief moment before something dark completely obscured it.
"It's a solar eclipse!" Max gasped.
"Probably just for show," Knuckles mumbled.
bOw tO tHe dArKnEsS! the fiend roared in their faces, causing such a strong wind that it pushed them back. As it roared, Ash covered his face to shield himself from the wind. As he looked down, he saw the diamond-like core of that mysterious stone he wore around his neck before it shattered. He didn't know what compelled him to give it a second thought, but he bent down and picked it up. He looked intently at it as he held it in the palm of his hand. It was clear as glass and, despite all that it had gone through, it remained unscratched. There were no marks whatsoever on its surface or within.
It takes a lot of resolve to withstand all the hell this thing has gone through he thought. He closed his fist around it as the monster's roar ended. And that's just what we need. Someone has to stand tall to face down this monster, no matter how grim the odds.
With that, he stood up and stared at the monster with determination. "No," he said.
"Huh?" Sonic raised an eyebrow (or whatever he had).
"Ash?" Misty said.
wHaT iS ThE MeAnInG oF tHiS?!
"We will not bow," Ash went on. "It's like I said before: the night is darkest right before the light of day comes. Your power is immense, but it has one fatal flaw."
aNd wHaT iS tHaT?
He smiled slightly. "Darkness may be powerful, and its influence is unstoppable. But with one single candle, you have the power to hold it back."
yOu uSe WAX tO FiGhT mE?
"Nope," Ash replied, his smile growing. "We have something brighter than any candle: our love. The love we have for this world, for our Pokemon, and for each other is the light we will use to extinguish your darkness!"
lOvE iS wEaKnEsS!
"No it isn't. It's power." He held his fist which held the diamond up. "Love has the power to ignite the stars! And that power is what will give us strength to fight back and defeat your darkness!"
Suddenly, something within his raised fist began glowing with a white light. "Gah!" he cried, keeling over and falling to his knees as it burned him.
"Ash!" Sonic cried, rushing up to him. "Are you okay?"
"Ungh," Ash grunted, slowly opening his fist. "This...diamond...it's…"
The diamond he held in his hands was glowing brightly, blinding anyone who looked directly at it. tHaT lIgHt! the monster screamed, roaring in pain.
"What's happening?!" Misty cried.
"Unbelievable," Brock breathed.
The diamond began to float in the air, rays of light continuing to burst forth from the tiny stone. Suddenly, seven beams of light shot out from it and connected to the drained Chaos Emeralds. Those began to float as well, slowly glowing with a bright, white light. They circled around Ash and Sonic, slowly spinning as the diamond's light continued to shine brighter and brighter.
"Whoaaaa!" Sonic exclaimed. "Is it...happening again? No, wait...it's different somehow!"
"Power," Ash breathed, looking at the diamond in awe. "Overflowing!"
As the diamond continued to shine its light on the two heroes, they suddenly felt their essences begin to combine once again as they had before. Only this time, there was much more power flowing through their veins. Then a bright, blinding light engulfed them. When it faded, everyone's eyes widened in utter amazement.
Sonic stood there, but he'd taken on a form no one had ever seen before. His eyes had narrowed and once again changed to gold, but his quills were now sticking up completely. His tail and the quills on his back were four times their usual length. On top of all this, his entire body now glowed with a blinding white light, as wisps of light energy slowly moved around him.
"Sonic…" Tails whispered. "What's...happened to you?"
"I don't know," Sonic said, his voice ethereal. "But it appears I've taken on a form that combines the powers of Ash's transformation and the seven Chaos Emeralds. It's immense...massive...overflowing! This may be what we need to defeat the darkness once and for all!"
yOuR LiGhT iS A nUiSaNcE! the fiend snarled in rage. i WiLl eXtInGuIsH iT!
"We'll see about that!" Sonic retorted. "HYAAAAAA!" He shot straight for the fiend's head again, like he had before. This time, right as the barrier popped up, he blasted right through it and slammed into the monster's head.
GAHHHHHHHH! the fiend roared in agony, clutching its head. tHiS...cAn'T...BE!
Sonic returned to the meadow. He wasn't even scratched. "Wow!" Ash exclaimed. "That didn't even faze you?!"
"I didn't feel a thing!" Sonic grinned.
Ash looked at the stone in his hands. It still glowed brightly as if there were still more energy in it. "Maybe others can share this power," he thought.
yOu HaVe dEfIeD mE fOr tHe LaSt tImE! the monster roared in fury. Suddenly, something in the middle of what was supposedly its forehead opened up, revealing an eye full of hatred. i WiLl kIlL yOu...WITH MY BARE HANDS!
"Not a chance!" Sonic shouted, his voice echoing across the plain...and the whole world. "You've had your night to destroy! The dawn is coming, and you can't stop it!"
"This is where it ends, you monster!" Ash shouted. The light grew brighter. "When this battle ends, one of us will fall and never rise again!"
THEN COME, YOU INSIGNIFICANT FOOLS! the fiend roared. COME TO YOUR DEATHS!
The final battle for the fate of the world began then and there.