Chapter 41: Generation Force
Everything that transpired from the moment Ash's diamond revealed its power to the end of this final battle is a mystery to me. Oh, I can easily tell you what happened, my friend. That is no secret. What is a secret is the underlying power that allowed Ash and Sonic to take on the darkness hand to hand.
The form Sonic took was unheard of to everyone, even Sonic himself. No one, to this day, knows the true extent of its power. All we can say for certain is that the energy that transformed him is far more powerful than anything this world has ever seen. Yet it is a mystery to us: a puzzle, a riddle. Thus, in referring to Sonic's mysterious form, I shall use the ancient word for something mysterious: he shall be called Nazo Sonic.
The monster they fought was, similar to the Nazo power, an abomination the likes of which the world had never seen before and, I sincerely hope, will never see again. After this, as Cynthia and I continued our research in the region of Ferrum, we were shocked to see the Gaia energy had been drained away. Only about twelve percent remained unharmed, and now it is slowly recovering. I deduced that the foul beast must have absorbed and then corrupted much of the energy in order to attain its final form. Thus, in order to give this monster a name, I shall refer to it as Dark Gaia.
But I have delayed this story's conclusion long enough. Allow me now to complete my discourse.
When Dark Gaia erupted from the earth, it did not simply stay in one place. Its darkness, by this point, had spread all around the world. Thus, the world over, dark creatures began erupting from the earth and destroying anything and everything in sight. What's worse, more portals to its dimension opened up in certain places, swallowing the landscape. As the earth's structure was severely weakened thanks to Dr. Eggman's machinations, which I detailed in the beginning, the planet was on the brink of collapse by the time the battle ended. A moment too late, and this world would be no more.
These monsters sought to wreak destruction, and for several minutes after they emerged, they went unhindered. They destroyed houses and Pokemon Centers, showing no mercy. But this was not to last, for the powers of ages past, present, and even the future – legendary Pokemon who held the world in balance – emerged to fight back against this otherworldly evil. The result was a massive, climactic battle on a global scale to save the world we love so much. Many of these legends which usually squabbled with one another put aside their differences and united to hold back the onslaught.
The titans of the air, the first legends ever discovered, rose from their slumber in the Shamouti Islands to fight back the darkness and protect harmony. Articuno's freezing power froze the strange creatures in place until they dissolved into darkness. Moltres burned them away slowly with its powerful flames. Zapdos was the most successful, utterly destroying every dark creature that had the misfortune of receiving its deadly electric attacks.
In the middle of the Johto region, Entei and Raikou joined forces to confront the monsters as they laid siege to the burned tower. Suicune, meanwhile, fought back the onslaught on Mt. Silver. In the sky, meanwhile, the great masters Lugia and Ho-Oh utter destroyed any creature that dared turn them the wrong way. But the darkness in the sky was too powerful even for them to vanquish. As time went on, they slowly wore out.
In the eastern sea of Hoenn, Groudon and Kyogre awakened from their slumber once again. After Groudon created a patch of land for itself in the midst of the sea, it tried to fight the creatures with a Solarbeam, but the darkness above prevented it from charging the necessary energy. The creatures began to swarm it, but Kyogre came to its rival's rescue, eliminating the fiendish devils with a torrent of rain. Groudon swiftly recovered and absorbed a mysterious energy from beneath its feet, transforming into its Primal form. Kyogre did likewise, and the sun poured down its rays on Groudon's forehead, greatly increasing its strength. Even the darkness could not withstand its ability to desolate the land. Kyogre, meanwhile, summoned a massive rainstorm over itself. Though the two weather phenomena seemed to be in conflict, they were actually, for the first time in history, merely coexisting as the two titans fought for their world...and for each other.
Rayquaza also rose from its resting place on Sky Pillar and fought alongside Groudon and Kyogre, but instead of stopping the phenomena they created, it amplified them, allowing them all to support each other. Thanks to the synergy they shared in that moment, Rayquaza was able to Mega-Evolve. Their combined power was powerful enough to hold back hordes and hordes of dark creatures, but only for so long.
The Eon Pokemon, Latios and Latias, also fought above the darkness and beneath the stars, as dark creatures were falling from the darkness and materializing on the earth. They were able to hold many of them back, but not all.
Of all the Pokemon to fight against the monsters, Darkrai had the easiest time. As it was a living embodiment of darkness itself, it was hardly affected by their onslaught. Nevertheless, it didn't dare venture far from where it was. Its counterpart, Cresselia, was severely weakened by the overhanging darkness, maybe on the verge of death, and the creatures who plagued the world were especially hellbent on killing her. Darkrai, however, cared deeply for Cresselia and wouldn't let any of the monsters get to her: it acted as a shield to protect her. Thanks to its near immunity to the dark power, the Lunar Pokemon was safe.
Regigigas rose from the Snowpoint Temple and summoned its underlings to fight back. They did just that, protecting Snowpoint City and all of Sinnoh from the wrath of the darkness. Meanwhile, the Pokemon known as the Swords of Justice and the Forces of Nature fought back in their own way. Reshiram and Zekrom also fought in anger against the monsters that threatened their home, while Kyurem was absolutely vicious and merciless in its rampage against the darkness.
Xerneas was, like Cresselia, weakened severely by the darkness, while Yveltal, like Darkrai, was practically immune. Because of this, the Pokemon of destruction fought viciously to protect Xerneas. Despite its efforts, the environment around them was weakening because of the darkness, and the Pokemon of life was slowly dying. While Yveltal was becoming desperate, Volcanion emerged from the depths of the earth in another location along with Heatran, and the volcanic activity they caused actually did more good than harm for once. The magma that flowed through the land fried every dark creature in its wake.
Zygarde, meanwhile, had transformed into its complete form. With its immense power, it easily overpowered any attack thrown its way, fighting to protect the environment it was created to protect. Thanks to its power, Xerneas was able to hold onto its life force.
Thus, the whole world fought with passion and vigor to defeat the onslaught of darkness. But for all their effort, it would make little difference in the end. Dark Gaia's power source was concentrated in a monstrosity in the middle of the Ferrum region. Everything depended on destroying this.
And there were only two who could defeat it.
cLeAnLiNeSs iS A GoOd pLaCe tO sTaRt Dark Gaia sneered. Two of the purple wisp-like tentacles on its back slashed down through the group of heroes in an attempt to wipe them out in one hit. Everyone got knocked onto their backs except for Sonic and Ash, but they all got back on their feet quickly. Then they all started throwing Pokeballs into the air, releasing their strongest Pokemon: from Misty's Gyarados to Serena's Braixen. Ash, meanwhile, took what he'd taken out of the backpack earlier and threw the three Pokeballs into the air, releasing Charizard, Sceptile, and a newly revived Greninja.
"All right, everyone!" Ash shouted. "Let's do this!"
"Gyarados!" Misty commanded, "Use Hydro Pump!"
"Steelix! Dragon Breath!" Brock said likewise.
The two serpentine Pokemon unleashed powerful blasts that slammed right into Dark Gaia's snake-like torso, knocking it back a little. iNsOlEnT FoOlS! it snarled in anger.
"Togekiss!" Dawn shouted, "Aura Sphere!"
The winged Fairy-type opened its mouth and launched a powerful sphere of energy that slammed into Dark Gaia's neck. This attack in particular seemed to hurt Dark Gaia significantly more than the others, as it roared in pain. However, like always, it swiftly regained its composure and swiped at Togekiss with its bony hand. Togekiss barely dodged the attack, twirling gracefully through the air.
"Dragonite!" Iris commanded, "Give this thing a Dragon Rush to the face!"
Dragonite shot through the air, glaring all the while at Dark Gaia, and rammed into its face. For some reason, the monster was completely caught off-guard, as the force of the impact knocked its massive head to the side. It roared in pain as it did so.
"How about this?!" Sonic shouted, flashing into the air and slamming its other side. It reeled back again, roaring furiously. This time, however, it recovered its bearings quickly and snatched Sonic out of the air, choking him with its grip. "Guh! Why...can't I escape?"
"Oh no!" Ash exclaimed. "Charizard! Get Sceptile, Pikachu, and Greninja over there to save him!"
Charizard nodded as the three Pokemon climbed onto its back. It took off and flew right in front of Dark Gaia's face. Dark Gaia barely noticed them until Sceptile leapt up and slashed one side of its face with Leaf Blade, Greninja struck the other side with Water Shuriken, and Pikachu slammed into its eye with Iron Tail. At this, Dark Gaia released its grip on Sonic as it brought its hands up to its eye, howling in pain. Lightning flashed all around it as the Pokemon returned to their trainer.
"Good work, you guys," Ash saluted them.
"Whew!" Sonic wiped his brow. "Thanks, Ash."
"Take it easy out there, Sonic," Ash replied.
i'Ll ShReD yOu tO PiEcEs! Dark Gaia roared in fury. As if on cue, two more green eyes opened on its sides, staring down with the same hatred as the first eye.
"Oh yeah?" Tails retorted, bringing out his rocket launcher again. "Well, don't be too quick! I've got a nice little treat for ya! Sonic! Distract him for me!"
"Uh-oh," Sonic muttered. "Are you doing what I think you're doing?"
"You bet I am!" Tails grinned.
"Right, then," the white hedgehog nodded, and he flew in front of Dark Gaia's head. "Hey, you got any firebreath in there? Just curious. No need to demonstrate. A simple answer will do."
i pReFeR tO DEMONSTRATE! the monster roared, opening its mouth wide.
"Hook, line, and sinker," Tails grinned. Then he fired another rocket straight at the monster's open mouth. It went right in and detonated. The explosion came as a complete surprise to Dark Gaia, who swiftly reeled back in agony, clutching its mouth as though it were swollen. Though it quickly recovered as usual, its mouth was steaming now, though it was unclear whether this was from the explosion or its unstoppable rage. That was when it felt something poking its torso. Confused, it looked down and saw something climbing up its body.
"Say hello to your little friend!" Knuckles called up with a grin as he climbed the slimy body. Annoyed, Dark Gaia expelled a jet of darkness from its body and knocked him off. "Oof!" he grunted when he hit the ground again. "Ow…"
"Now that just had 'bad idea' written all over it," Ash grumbled.
"Where?" Knuckles asked in confusion. "I didn't see any writing. Besides, how would you know if there was writing on that body?"
"Anatomy class," Ash mumbled sarcastically. "You'd be surprised what you can learn there about snakes."
DIEEEEEEE! the fiend abruptly roared, unleashing a wave of darkness that knocked everyone onto their backs once again. This time, half of them were knocked out, along with their Pokemon.
"No!" Ash cried. "Misty! Brock!"
"Ungh," Brock grunted. Ash ran to each one of them to make sure they were still alive. When he confirmed this, he looked back at the monster angrily.
"You'll pay for that, you monster!" he shouted.
nOt BeFoRe i fInIsH yOu the fiend retorted as it swung its wisp-like tentacles. It whipped one at him in order to grab him.
"BRAIXEN! FIRE BLAST!"
Serena's signature Pokemon unleashed a powerful flaming attack that struck Dark Gaia, delaying its attack so Ash didn't get hit. But the fiend once again recovered and tried to knock the trainer out with its tentacle again. Before it could, however, Serena jumped in the way and took the hit. It hit her in the gut and knocked her to the ground
"SERENA!" Ash screamed in horror. He ran up to her body and cradled it in his arms. Her eyes were barely open. "Oh, no…" he whispered.
"Ash," she replied, her voice hoarse. "Don't worry about me."
"But Serena –"
She stopped him by putting a finger to his mouth. "I'll be fine. It just hurts, that's all. I...need a nap…" She started to slip into unconsciousness.
"But why'd you do that?" he asked, eyes glimmering. "You could have died!"
She smiled at him and giggled softly. "Iris was right," she said. "You really are a kid, huh?" Her eyes fluttered. "These are the kind of things you do...for the people...you...love…"
With that, her hand fell limp and her eyes closed. Despite this, her mouth was still curved into a peaceful smile. A tear escaped out of each of Ash's eyes as he gently laid her down. He placed his fingers on her wrist. She had a pulse: she was alive. He sighed with relief, but that swiftly turned to anger as he stood back up.
"YOU!" Clemont suddenly shouted in rage at the monster. "You will pay for that! LUXRAY! USE WILD CHARGE, NOW!"
Luxray rushed forward, sharing its trainer's rage, and slammed into the bottom of Dark Gaia's torso, bouncing back afterwards. Dark Gaia responded by knocking both it and its trainer out with one of its tentacles.
Ash watched in terror as Clemont fell down. He ran over and checked to make sure he was still alive. He was. Then he stood up, his expression more surprised now than anything. I've never seen Clemont look so angry before he thought. Did it...have something to do with Serena?
yOuR fRiEnDs aRe WeAk Dark Gaia snarled. Ash, the only one of his friends still conscious, looked up, fists clenched by his sides. Sonic slowly lowered to stand by him, still glowing a bright white. wHeRe iS YoUr hOpE nOw?
"In a place where you can't touch it," Ash replied. "But you've heard it all already, haven't you? You're sick of all the noble talk, aren't you? Well so am I! I think we've made it clear where we stand, and that we won't lose. The time for talking is over. It's time to make good on what we promised!"
No sooner had he finished saying this than Dark Gaia slowly rose up, towering over them. Suddenly, two more bony arms emerged as the side of its torso split open, a green liquid oozing out like blood. His wide head began to grow taller as its mouth, which spanned its whole width, opened. Seven green eyes were now visible, the one in the middle larger than the rest. It had a strange crystalline structure to it, but, like all the others, it was green with hatred.
Sonic's eyes widened. "It's the Shadow Synergy Stone!" he said.
"Well that explains a lot," Ash mused.
i WiLl nOt bE DeFiEd bY yOu! the monster snarled, its voice now echoing across the world. wHeN i HaVe dEsTrOyEd yOu, ThE sUn aNd MoOn wIlL bOw DoWn bEfOrE mE!
"Oh, really?" Sonic smirked. "Why don't you go ahead and tell them that? I'm sure they could use a laugh."
In response to his snarky remark, they heard a thunderous, majestic roar from the west and a calm, serene call from the east. Ash turned to the west and was shocked by what he saw.
A large, lion-like creature stood on a rock. It was a bright white with orange streaks all over its body. A blue gem was on its forehead, and it looked as though there were a galaxy in there. Ash looked to the east and saw a large, bat-like but beautiful creature hovering in the sky. Its wings were shaped like crescents, and the stars seemed to reside under them. A gem similar to the lion's was also in its head.
"Uh," Sonic blinked, "I was only joking, you know."
Suddenly, the darkness in the sky recoiled from the solar eclipse that Dark Gaia had made, or so we thought. Now, however, it was clear that the Pokemon they saw were responsible. It was a sign of hope: a strange one, but a sign nonetheless. Then the sky changed color: to the west, it glowed a bright orange with tints of golden, while to the east it brightened into a dark blue with tints of a royal purple. The east seemed similar to the darkness, but there was no menace in it.
Only hope.
WhAt?! Dark Gaia suddenly snapped. mY pOwEr...FaDiNg?! NO! THIS CAN'T BE!
"Fading?" Sonic raised a sharp eyebrow (or whatever he had). "If anything, I think he's stronger now than he was before. I thought this was his true form."
"I think he is," Ash agreed. "But those Pokemon seem to be reducing his power and purging the darkness." He turned to him with a smile. "Now's our chance. If we can finish him off now, we can save the world!"
"You really think you can do that without this kind of power?" Sonic asked, gesturing to himself.
"Nope," Ash shook his head with a grin as he held open his palm, which held the diamond. It was still glowing brightly. "That's why I'm gonna use it."
"What?!" Sonic exclaimed. "Ash –!?"
Before he could say another word, Ash raised the diamond above his head. Its light burst forth in a blinding spectacle that surrounded him and his Pokemon. Dark Gaia roared in agony and rage as it covered as many eyes as it could with its hands. When the light faded, Sonic gasped.
Pikachu glistened with a silver hue, and it looked as though he now wore armor. Charizard had Mega-Evolved into its Y form, Sceptile had also Mega-Evolved, and Greninja had transformed into Ash-Greninja. All of them, Ash included, glowed with a soft, white aura.
"Ash," Sonic said softly, "aren't you worried? Mastering the transformation with Greninja was hard enough. Do you really think you can maintain it with all of us?"
"This diamond has immense power," Ash replied. "I don't know if it's enough to keep the strain down, but we don't have much of a choice."
Sonic nodded slowly, and they turned towards Dark Gaia with determination. "Then let's do it," he said, rising into the air.
"Together!" Ash cried, mounting Charizard. They shot up into the air to fight Dark Gaia, the light of the sun and moon to their left and to their right, guiding them and renewing their hope. Dark Gaia glared at them in fury and prepared itself for its last battle.