Chapter 19:
Winged Death
Silver swung his sword with a sharp yell.
Clang!
The blade made contact with Red's crossed scythes.
"Not bad," a voice behind him caused Silver to jump.
"Mondo," Silver said in a level voice. "What do you want?"
"I heard you went off to train."
"So?"
"That was hours ago. You considering a break before you all pass out?"
"We're pacing ourselves. I'm not stupid."
Mondo gave a sad smile.
"I never said you were."
"Why do you care?" Silver narrowed his eyes. He dug the tip of his falchion into the ground, and leaned gently into it.
Mondo placed a hand on Silver's shoulder.
"Do I need a reason?"
Silver jerked backwards out of his grip.
"I don't need you."
Mondo blinked.
"I never said you did."
"I'm not weak."
"No, you're not."
"I'm strong. My team is strong. We're not weak. We're strong."
Is he trying to convince me…or himself?
"I know."
"What do you want?"
"To help you."
Silver looked at him, eyes narrow in dull suspicion. Red walked up beside him, and gave Mondo a nod. Fang and Venom ceased their friendly, training battle and walked up to Silver. Fang leapt up onto Silver's shoulder with a cheerful gurgle. Venom pawed at the ground, glaring at Mondo. Minerva didn't move from where she was practicing her Slash and Metal Claw attacks on a large boulder, but did shoot Mondo a dark smirk while only looking at him from the corner of her eye. Silver sheathed his sword in its scabbard, which was strapped diagonally to his back.
"It's after midnight, Silver. You've been out here for hours. Your dedication to your team is admirable, but don't get too obsessed with it. They need a rest. And so do you."
"I'm fine. When they're ready to stop, they can. But I won't rest until I've become as strong as I possibly can. I won't let myself fail…again."
"I'm your friend, Silver," Mondo stressed. "I can help you become stronger, but only if you don't shut me out."
"Why do you care?"
"I've always cared, Silver," Mondo shook his head. "You needed someone looking out for you. You both did."
Silver stammered.
"If I could change places with her, I would," Mondo said quietly.
Silver lost his voice entirely.
Red gave Silver a gentle poke on the side.
"I know," he whispered.
Silver gave Red a soft pat on the head.
"You know, you're a lot like her."
"If I really was," Silver looked away, "then she'd still be alive."
"I didn't mean her."
Silver looked at him.
"I meant your mother."
Silver stumbled backwards, eyes wide.
"You…knew my mother?"
"Once, a very long time ago."
"Did…does…?"
"I don't know anything about who she is now," Mondo shook his head again. "All I know…is she loves you very much."
"Then…why did she give me up? Why did she let my bastard father take me away and bring me up in this hellhole?"
"She…had no choice. They had no choice."
"There's always a choice," Silver shook his head. "You always have a choi…" Silver's voice trailed off. He clenched his head.
"Silver?"
"Fine. Headache." Silver fought to keep his voice level. "Just caught me off guard. I'm fine. I…"
Silver turned sharply towards the direction of the Rocket base.
"You hear that?"
"They sound rather riled up," Mondo nodded. "I wonder what's going on…"
Before Silver could respond, the ground vibrated as the sounds of an explosion ripped through the air.
"What the hell was that?" Silver's face blanched.
Mondo visibly trembled.
"Mondo?" Silver turned to him.
"Not again…" Mondo muttered to himself in horror.
"Come on!" Silver yelled to his team, before running off towards the base.
Mondo watched, frozen to the spot, as they ran off after him.
Silver ran through the mountainside, dashing between the boulders. Water sprayed in all directions as he ran downstream in the creek, taking the most direct path back down to the base. Red caught up, sprinting alongside his Trainer and looking at him expectantly.
"Run ahead," Silver ordered. "Find out what's happening. And stay safe!"
Red nodded sharply, and the Scyther sped off with a swift Agility.
"Tototototo?" Fang asked from Silver's shoulder.
"It'll be okay, buddy," Silver told him.
I'll make sure of it.
The rusty warehouses slowly came into view, illuminated in the dark night by the moon, stars, and the flames from the furthest one, which had been obliterated into burning rubble.
"NO!" Silver yelled out, running with a slight increase of speed and a great deal more desperation.
He finally came to the far edge of base from the fire. He saw Domino and several Grunts standing next to one of the untouched warehouses, staring at the sight, appearing to be immobilized. Red was standing next to a Grunt, poking him gently with a scythe, but he got absolutely no response.
"What the hell are you doing?" Silver bellowed in rage. He stopped in front of Domino and grabbed her by the shoulder. "You're an Elite. Act like it!"
None of them seemed to hear him, simply staring in fear with pale faces and wide eyes.
"What the hell is your problem?" He yelled at them. "Your teammates are dying in…" he trailed off in anger, swearing bitterly under his breath. "To hell with this shit," Silver dashed off towards the blaze. "Bloody cowards."
The smell of rust and burning gasoline hit Silver like a brick wall. He stopped his charge, the burning warehouse already engulfing his entire field of vision. Silver coughed, choking on the fumes.
"Fang…" he wheezed. "Try to lessen this with a…a…Hy…Hydro Pump."
"Tototototo!" Fang did a front flip off of Silver's shoulder, landing in front of him. "Dile!" The small Totodile unleashed a torrent of water at the flames. The Hydro Pump had little effect on the surging blaze, but it was better than doing nothing.
"Li'l Boss!" A familiar voice yelled from Silver's right.
"You three," he recognized the Trio his father had assigned to him. "What happened?"
"We don't know."
"Are you alright? Who was in there?"
"We…" They looked at each other. "We don't know."
"Are you alright?" Silver repeated. Red and the rest of his team caught up, coming to a stop to his left.
"We…we're alive," James eventually stammered.
"We felt the explosion from the other end of the base," Jessie added, fear clear in her voice.
"Whad about da others?" Meowth added.
Silver looked at the burning building, watching as what remained of the roof collapsed inwards.
"Be thankful you weren't one of them," Silver said solemnly.
"What do we do?"
Silver hesitated.
The fires suddenly lessened, and the skies darkened from the rapid formation of clouds above.
"Dis ain't natural," Meowth trembled. "I can feel it."
"Ya think?" Silver breathed.
"What's happening?" James stood behind Silver, as if the teen could protect him from the building storm.
"I remember…this," Silver said as the air filled with the rumble of thunder. "The sudden storm…the feeling of dread…just…"
The fires that remained parted, revealing several dozen corpses of the unlucky souls that had been inside at the moment of explosion.
"Dear…God," The Trio muttered in unison.
"And the presence of death," Silver added, not even bothering to hide his horror.
No matter how vile of scum those Rockets were…no one deserves to die like that.
No one…save for a single man.
A shadow lurked amongst the scorched bodies and flickering flames.
"God save us," Silver muttered.
The four-legged beast stalked out of the burning building, climbing up on a chunk of rubble to look down on the bunch of survivors before it.
Dark blue eyes locked with dark red ones. Silver felt the cold grip of fear paralyze him. He understood now why the others couldn't react.
The gaze of Fear.
The mutilated beast that had once been a Houndoom simply stared down at Silver, tilting its head as if it, too, remembered the last time they had met.
SILVER! The memory of that night surged through Silver's mind. RUN!
Silver clenched his chest, remembering the feel of the beast's claws against it.
This nightmare is partly responsible for her death, Silver remembered, trembling as the strength of the Fear spell increased.
Courage is not the absence of Fear, a soft voice whispered in her mind. Courage is simply what happens when you act despite Fear, rather than out of it.
She didn't let Fear keep her from her duty to protect me, Silver shook his head, reclaiming control of his body again.
He glanced behind him, to see the Trio cowering together at the sight of the beast. Behind them, the other Rockets were either watching the monster in a similar manner, or looking to him for answers.
They're scum, a dark, velvet voice said in the dark recesses of his mind. They're cowards. Weak. Disgraceful. They let their companions die. They deserve death.
They're my men, Silver shook his aching head. They're depending on me. I'm responsible for them.
I'm responsible for them.
Silver drew his sword. The beast tilted its head the other direction with a confused growl.
I will not neglect my duty to protect them, no matter how vile or cowardly they are.
I will not let anyone else suffer at this madman's hands!
Silver charged the beast.
…
"Pika…" Pikachu tilted his head in concern.
"I told you," Ash said. "We're way out of practice. We need to train more."
"Isn't this whole Chosen One thing taking up enough of our energy?" Pikachu stood upon a log floating in the Marsh, trying to reason with his Trainer.
"That's just it," Ash crossed his arms, standing knee-deep in the Marsh. "Being the Chosen One…I have to be that much stronger. We all do. We have so many people counting on us. We have to be at our best. They deserve it."
Pikachu sighed.
"Do we have to be so secretive about this?"
"The Sage insisted we rested tonight," Ash shook his head.
"Maybe she did that for a reason, you idiotic—"
"I can't waste time," Ash insisted. "Attack me."
Pikachu shook his head.
"I have to get better. For these tests. For the world. For the others. For you." Ash's voice took on a desperate tone. "I can't fail. This isn't a League. I get it now. This is so much more than that."
You have no idea, Pikachu looked at him with a saddened expression.
"We're out of practice."
"Attacking you won't solve that," Pikachu tried to reason with his Trainer.
Ash turned away from Pikachu.
"Four times," Ash muttered. "I've almost died four times in the past twenty-four hours alone. I'm not stupid. I'll admit I'm reckless, but even I realize that this is much more serious than I first thought. There's something out there…something…evil."
"I was beginning to wonder if you even believed in truly evil people," Pikachu muttered. Growing up tends to sacrifice childhood idealisms… The Electric Pokémon sighed at the loss.
"You guys are always there for me," Ash didn't seem to hear Pikachu. "I need to make sure I'm at my best…so I can be there for you, too."
"This is not the way to do that."
"You have a better idea?"
"Wait until morning. Ask Nyx to help. Ask Misty. Ask Aura. Anything but push yourself too far."
Ash looked at his hand, the gauntlet rematerializing. The four Elemental Orbs glimmered in their slots.
"This is my responsibility."
"Pikapi…"
A rapid shadow covered the moon briefly, causing its light on the Marsh to flicker.
"What was that?" Ash looked up at the sky.
A loud splash from behind him answered his question. Ash froze, suddenly unable to turn.
"Pikapi…" Pikachu's eyes widened in fear, pointing at something behind the human teen.
Ash managed to slowly turn to face the newcomer.
The Returned Charizard's form blocked out the light from the moon, as the beast towered over them. Ash couldn't make out many of the monster's details in the night shadows. He took a step backwards.
What the hell is that? He couldn't find his voice. It…looks like a Charizard.
A Charizard from Hell.
Ash caught the shape of fangs in its mouth as the Returned snarled at him.
Dear God…those eyes.
The dark red eyes seemed to glow with hellfire, and Ash could have sworn he saw the brief flicker of gold swirl in them.
The beast swung its claws at Ash, flinging him aside before he could react. Ash fell face-first into the water. Ash tried to stand, throwing a Pokéball as he coughed water out of his mouth.
"Pidgeeeeot!" The Bird Pokémon flew straight into an attack at the beast's face.
With an unearthly roar, the Returned Charizard swung itself around, dodging the attack and slamming its spiked tail against Pidgeot. The Bird Pokémon shrieked as its feathers were ignited with the black flame. The fire thankfully didn't last long, as Pidgeot was flung into the Marsh water with a splash and a hiss.
"I think I should have listened to the Sage." Ash could no longer fight the growing terror that engulfed his senses.
"Pikaaaaaaa-Chuuuuuuuuu!" Pikachu attacked the Returned with a powerful Thunder.
"Nngh!" Ash helped with a Swift attack of his own before stumbling back down into the water.
The Returned shook its head, not even fazed by their attacks.
"What?" Ash stared at it through the water dripping from his hair down his face. "No!"
The Returned roared at them again, before unleashing a strange, beam-like attack Ash had never seen before, and sent Pikachu flying.
"PIKACHU!" Ash bolted to his feet and tried to reach his friend.
The Returned, taking advantage of its opponent's turned back, slammed its claws into Ash's side, knocking him over and shredding through his jacket and flesh.
Ash collided with a boulder, groaning in pain. He turned to face the monster again, clenching his bleeding wound with both hands.
What…what is this? What do I do?
The Returned let out another roar, releasing a strange flame from its mouth and nostrils at the same time. The resulting illumination revealed its full appearance to a horrified Ash.
What the hell is this nightmare?
Ash tried to stand, but fell backwards against the boulder again.
"Piiika…" Pikachu's voice echoed Ash's terror.
Crimson eyes, Ash remembered Aura's hysterical words from the night of the sea storm. They no longer seemed so hysterical to him.
No wonder she's so messed up, if she faced this nightmare once before.
The Returned Charizard extended its wings, blotting out all light from the sky above Ash, casting him into utter darkness, save the burning, red eyes.
Death has wings, she had said.
Ash's lungs froze, his entire body paralyzed in fright.
I'm going to die.
…
"Snea!" Minerva slashed at the Returned Houndoom with a flurry of Metal Claws.
The beast simply dodged each one with an unnatural speed, and found shelter in the dying flames as it unleashed a burst of multicolored flames at the Sneasel.
"Hydro Pump!" Silver yelled rapidly.
"Tototototo!" Fang was able to redirect the attack, though the flames' heat still evaporated the attack's water before it could reach the beast.
"Double Team!" Silver shouted over the roar of the worsening storm.
Red circled the beast with copies of himself. The Returned wasn't the least bit fazed, simply turning its head to face the real Red.
Oh, God.
"Feint!" Silver ordered.
Red vanished, causing the unnatural fiend to blink in mild confusion.
"Brick Break!" Silver bellowed, just as Red reappeared behind the Returned.
The Returned made a sound halfway between a yelp and a snarl as the Scyther knocked it over with great force.
"VENOM!" Silver shouted as he ran around the burning rubble, getting into position and thinking quickly. "Head Smash!"
"Nid!" The small Nidoran head butted the beast with a loud thwock!
Snarling, the Returned swiped Venom away with one blow of its paw. The Nidoran landed on the ground a few feet away, and shook his head from the recoil of its previous attack.
"Nidoran!" he yelled in a determined challenge to the monster.
Without a sound, Silver charged the Returned Houndoom from behind and swung his sword, aiming for its neck. Before he could make contact, however, the monster turned completely around and grabbed the blade of his sword in its mouth, stopping his attack.
"No, you don't!" Silver yelled, kicking upward. His foot made contact with the underside of the Returned's throat. It let go of the blade, making a strange, wet, gurgling sound.
"Nid!" Venom attacked unbidden, clamping its mouth down on the Returned's shoulder in a Super Fang.
The beast growled in irritation, and whipped Venom with its barbed tail, sending the small Pokémon flying again.
"Snea!" Minerva started to charge the monster again.
The Returned expelled a burst of multi-color fire from its mouth, hitting Minerva at full force. The Dark Pokémon shrieked in pain and started to use Icy Wind on herself in desperation to stop the burning.
"Minerva!" Silver yelled in concern.
Red struck suddenly with an Aerial Ace, catching the Returned off-guard enough to back up again before it could counterattack.
Silver charged the Returned again. However, this time, he feinted and rolled to the ground and under the monster, attempting to slash his blade against its underside.
Still too fast for the teen, the beast reacted by pivoting on one front paw and slashing Silver in the shoulder with the other. Silver knelt on the ground, grabbing his bleeding shoulder and fighting to keep his eyes open and his gaze on the Returned.
Why does this wound burn so much more than others I've had? It's just like before…three years ago…
Silver's thoughts were interrupted by the sight of Fang attacking the Returned in defense of his master, the little Totodile surrounded by the swirling water of an Aqua Jet attack.
The Returned turned to look at the Totodile, and gave it an annoyed growl before slamming both front paws down on him, pushing him into the dirt.
"NO!" Silver yelled in agony, bringing his sword down on the Returned, the blade finally making contact as it sank into the beast's shoulder.
The Returned roared in pain, spinning around to face Silver again, slapping him with its barbed tail in the process. Silver fell backwards, jolting himself forward as his back made contact with a still hot piece of metal rubble. The Returned clamped its jaws down on Silver side. Silver shouted in anguish, slashing futilely at the monster's side with his falchion, desperate to make it let go.
Red charged the beast, swinging his blades at its other side, as well as kicking it. He tried absolutely every attack he knew, but the beast simply would not release his Trainer.
Just as Silver was about to give himself up for dead, he saw something fall from the sky and land mere inches from his nose, embedding itself in the ground.
A black tulip.
No way.
Suddenly, the Returned released Silver as it shrieked in pain, the cackling sounds of electricity clear in the air.
"You leave him alone, you damned hell-demon!" The last voice Silver expected came to his rescue.
Silver struggled to position himself to look up at her.
"Domino?" He blinked at her. "You…why?"
"I'd be a rather bad partner if I stood by and watched you die, wouldn't I?"
Silver tried to find something to say. He struggled to his feet, the deep wound in his side throbbing with a pain that seared through his veins.
Behind her, Silver saw that the Grunts had gathered, whips and blades and Pokéballs poised for their attack.
"For the Team!" One yelled.
"For Elite Silver!" A younger Grunt yelled. "He who fought with the courage and ferocity of a Rocket!"
What. Silver blinked. Am I hallucinating?
He still stared straight ahead as they charged the Returned Houndoom as one.
The Team…on my side? Fighting for me? To protect me?
Even her?
Silver shook his head, and turned to watch the tables finally turn in their favor.
Even in the darkest of hells, Dagger's voice echoed from his early childhood teachings, we can find within our hearts the purity and the bravery to stand and fight, to inspire our people, to bring them together. This is the greatest power, the finest strength, any creature can have, human or Pokémon.
Silver smirked.
Not so unprotected now, am I? He took a step towards the fight, brandishing his blade.
For you.
Fighting against his pain, Silver leapt back into the fray with a smile.
…
Moonsbane chuckled in a low tone.
The Ancient sat cross-legged upon a flat boulder, his blue-green eyes clouded over with a reddish haze.
The Blood-Witch scowled from her nearby shelter. He had still not left her territory, much to her annoyance. And, to anger her further, he had gone to share Sight with his vile beasts within sight of her home.
She was familiar in this practice of his, being learned in every manner of Blood Magic, something that few humans believed in anymore.
He could use his eternal bounds to his Returned beasts to look through their eyes. And, having two eyes himself, he could split his Vision between two of his Returned.
Which, she decided, he was most certainly doing, as he looked back and forth from his left to his right in sharp, rapid motions. His long, dark red hair, tied back in his usual ponytail, whipped back and forth with his head, making the action seem even more violent in nature.
The Blood-Witch looked over at the motorcycle that rested against a nearby tree.
Oh, how she'd fantasized about destroying that vile machine while he slept. It wouldn't have as much of a hindering effect on his movement as she'd like, but at least it would be something.
Though, it would have the backfire of his reliance on his Flying Returned beasts for travel. Which could make him more dangerous in theory, and bring him back to her territory far more often in certainty. As much as she knew she had to play her part in order to finally bring him down properly, once and for all, she quite detested his…attentions.
The lack of aging brought on by my practice of this terrible Magic is certainly a double-edged sword, she mused.
"I said, take the boy alive!" Moonsbane yelled, jerking his head to the right. "I need Giovanni's son alive!" The man snarled in rage. "You stupid animal!"
Well, I'm afraid he might be a little less inclined to come to you so easily, the Blood Witch smirked to herself. You may not remember the bonds of love, but he certainly does, and I'm certain he desires revenge against you and everything you command.
May God go with the poor child.
"What?" Moonsbane spat in irritation, snapping his head to the left. "What do you want, you winged lizard? What's so…?"
Moonsbane blinked, his eyes widening.
"That…black hair…those eyes…" He breathed. "That's not possible!"
The Blood Witch narrowed her eyes. Could he be…?
NO!
"You bastard!" Moonsbane snarled. "Damn you, Gyles!"
…
Ash looked up at the Charizard-like monster that towered over him with its glowing red eyes.
I'm going to die, Ash felt horror surge through him. He closed his eyes and exhaled deeply.
He looked up at the Returned Charizard, glaring at it in the eyes, refusing to die showing any sort of fear.
The Returned made a strange noise, partway between a snarl and a growl, once more revealing its rows of sharp fangs. It grabbed Ash in both of its clawed hands, causing the human to flinch slightly as the claws ripped his sides slightly.
"Pikapi!"
"Get your claws off of him, you son of a bitch!" A female voice yelled from somewhere behind him.
"Wha?" Ash blinked.
A dark blur flew in from behind Ash and collided with the Returned's face, causing the behemoth to release Ash as it snarled in irritated pain. Whatever Ash's savior was, it was silent as it continued to apparently bash on the beast's face. Ash couldn't make out any real details on even its general shape, due to the low light on the night and how fast his rescuer was moving.
"Pikapi!" Pikachu jumped onto Ash's throbbing head.
"Pikachu…" Ash blinked slowly, trying to think through his headache.
"Are you alright?" Pikachu asked.
"I'm alive," Ash half-chuckled.
"Pidgeeeeeeoooot!" Pidgeot rose out of the Marsh water with a shrill cry, launching himself at the Returned's dead. The blur was knocked aside in the struggle, and it fell to the Marsh with a splash.
The figure rose out of the water not far from Ash, its silhouette suggesting a vaguely feminine humanoid shape.
"M…Misty?" Ash asked nervously.
"Not…even," the voice gasped in a rougher tone.
"Aura?" Ash gaped.
"Chosen One." The Lucario spat, lifting her head into the moonlight. "Do you just attract trouble? How have you survived for so long without a freakin' bodyguard?"
"What…is that…thing?" Ash tried to think over the shrieks of Pidgeot and the monster it was trying to peck blind.
"Bad news," Aura turned to look at it with a scowl. "And in more ways than one."
"What do you mean?"
"Get up!" Aura grabbed the front of his shirt and, with a sharp pull, forced him to stand. The Lucario charged the Returned, which had finally dislodged Pidgeot from its skull, striking it in its chest with a Metal Claw.
The Returned bellowed in frustration, swiping at Aura. Light blue sparks flew out of the beast's claws as they struck Aura just above her chest spike.
Aura stumbled backwards, cursing bitterly. She shook her head, before charging back at the Returned with a Sky Uppercut. The attack made contact with the underside of the beast's jaw with the clanking sound of teeth colliding.
Before Aura could even fall back to the Marsh, The Returned pivoted, swinging its tail around and slamming Aura with the spiky end of it. Aura shrieked as the black fire on the tail's tip ignited her pelt as the force of the blow knocked her away.
Smoke mushroomed out of the Marsh as Aura fell into the water, the splash accompanied by the hissing sound of fire and water fighting each other for existence.
"AURA!" Ash felt rooted to the spot in horror.
"Pika-Pika-Pika…!" Pikachu leapt off Ash's head, dashing at the Returned, sparks of electricity building up in his fur. "PI-KA!" Pikachu slammed into the monster's side with a Volt Tackle. Pikachu back-flipped away into a safer distance from the recoil.
I have to help! Ash's mind jumpstarted. We have to work together! I'm…I'm the Chosen One!
"Rrraaaaaaaargh!" Ash swung his hand, shooting a flurry of stars out of it in a Swift attack.
The Returned growled in confusion and slowly turned to look at Ash. It blinked repeatedly in a lethargic manner.
"BASTARD!" Aura rose out of the water, yelling and cursing as streams of the muddy liquid poured down from her pelt. "You think you can kill me so easily? You think so?" The Lucario yelled in a blind rage, jumping the Returned Charizard, taking it by surprise with a flurry of ThunderPunches.
The Returned tried to bring down its claws on Aura's skull, but the Lucario's barrage was too fast for the counterattack to make contact. The demonic dragon roared at her in annoyance, swiping repeatedly at her.
"Pidgeot!" Ash yelled. "Help her! Air Slash!"
"Geeeeeeeoooot!" Pidgeot screamed as he fell from the sky and swiped his wing against the Returned like a sword's blade.
"Iron Tail!" Ash smirked.
"Chuuu…" Pikachu leapt up and flipped, falling back down tail first. "PIKA!" Pikachu slammed his glowing tail down onto the Returned's skull. The Returned staggered backwards, shaking his head.
"Raaaaargh!" Aura yelled, shooting the purple fire of a Dragon Pulse out of her mouth and into the behemoth's stomach.
"Yeah!" Ash cheered. "We've got this! Thunder!"
"Pikaaaaaa…Chuuuuuuuuu!" Pikachu unleashed a large bolt of electricity on the Returned, causing the beast to roar in pain.
"Not so tough, now, are you?" Aura jumped out of the water and onto a boulder, taunting the Returned with a cocky smirk. "Yeah, why don't you go back to your twisted master?"
"Master?" Ash turned to her. "This belongs to someone?"
"Face the power of Aura!" The Lucario ignored him. She raised her hands, her smirk deepening.
Then, suddenly, she yelled out in pain for apparently no reason. She stumbled back, slipping off the boulder and back into the water, completely submerged.
"Aura!" Ash yelled.
"Ka-Pichu!"
"Pidgeot! Steel Wing!"
"Piiiidge!" Pidgeot flew upwards before gliding back straight down, his wings glowing with a silver shine.
The Returned turned its head sharply, and snapped Pidgeot right out of the air. Pidgeot shrieked briefly from the Returned's fangs, before it spat him aside.
The Returned turned back to Ash and Pikachu.
"Piiii…" Pikachu growled in challenge, his cheeks sparking.
The Returned roared at him at a massive volume, causing both Pikachu and Ash to flinch in auditory pain.
"Piika!" Pikachu forced himself to overcome the sound and flung himself at the Returned.
The Returned slapped him down with a single wing beat.
"PIKACHU!" Ash yelled. "NO!"
He shot another Swift at the monster, but didn't seem to damage it at all. In fact, it seemed…intrigued, tilting its head at him.
With another roar, the Returned leapt at Ash, grabbing him in its claws and slamming him back against a large stone.
Ash groaned in pain.
Not again.
He looked up at the red eyes, which were now glowing with a ferocity that illuminated its whole face. The fangs were bared in a crude smirk.
Chosen One, a dark voice echoed in Ash's mind. After all these years…I have you now!
…
Moonsbane threw his dagger with a howl of rage, the blade imbedding itself into a tree.
"You lying bastard!" Moonsbane yelled, storming around the clearing.
The Blood-Witch smiled softly to herself.
You were right, she thought.
Never trust the words of a falling man, if he does consider himself to be you enemy. I thought you were just talking funny, but you're right.
How does it feel? She straightened her expression, but couldn't help but feel a victory over the Ancient cursing and raging in the clearing. How does it feel to know that you've been so utterly lied to and manipulated? To have been tricked into playing into someone else's hands, for the purpose of their own…desires?
How does it feel to suffer a strike from your own blade?
Moonsbane yanked his dagger out of the tree's trunk, sending splinters of wood flying everywhere. In his fury, he barely even noticed when some of them embedded themselves in his hand and arm.
"YOU LIED TO ME!" Moonsbane roared. "YOU TOLD ME HE DIED IN CHILDBIRTH! YOU LIED TO ME! AND I BELIEVED YOU!"
He stopped in his tracks, closing his eyes and exhaling deeply. Calmed down, he opened his eyes, still glowing red in his double Shared Sight.
"What?" Moonsbane smirked in amusement. "The little red-haired punk has learned how to fight?" He chuckled. "Well, then, I suppose if I don't have any real use for you, then I should make sure you don't get in my way. So sorry I don't have time to handle this properly... In…person."
Moonsbane smirked briefly, as if amused by a personal joke. Then, his expression sobered, and his eyes narrowed
"Kill him."
Moonsbane jerked his head to the left.
"As for you, you pathetic excuse for a dragon, bring me the Chosen One. Alive."
The Blood-Witch's mouth twitched slightly, as she fought back a frown.
Looks like the Traitor's caught on to your real identity, Chosen One.
The Blood-Witch closed her eyes.
May the spirit of Hikaru guide you. May the power of Arceus go with you.
For the sake of us all.
…
Silver rose his sword, horizontally blocking his face with the blade.
Clang!
The Returned Houndoom's claws clashed with the falchion. Silver forced the blade upwards against the Returned's strength.
"Now!" Silver heard the signal.
Silver kicked upwards, jabbing the Returned in the ribs with his foot with as much strength as he could muster.
The Returned yelped as it fell backwards, collapsing onto its side. It shook its head before staggering to its feet, coughing up small amounts of what appeared to be blood.
It blinked, as its line of vision aligned with a small, black tulip stuck in the ground. It growled in confusion as two more fell from above and landed behind it, forming a triangle around the beast.
The Returned roared in agony as the tulips shot out bursts of electricity, paralyzing it.
"Silver!" He heard Domino yell. "Kill it, now!"
Right.
Silver readjusted his sword in his hand. He gave it a twirl to check that his throbbing wrist would last during the final assault. Then, he dashed forward a few feet, swinging the falchion back in preparation.
The Returned turned sharply and looked him straight in the eye.
Silver stopped in his tracks, gaze locked.
"Silver, what are you waiting for?" Domino yelled from her position, standing on top of a pile of metallic rubble.
"Sir?" A Grunt asked, gaping at him.
Hello, Silver, a velvet voice whispered in his mind.
Moonsbane.
Yes, it continued. It has been a while.
Murderous bastard.
She was in my way. No longer.
Silver twitched at the words.
The Returned roared at an unbearable volume. Domino and the Grunts clenched their ears and slammed their eyes shut, trying desperately to muffle the sound.
Silver couldn't move, trapped in the storm of a memory.
The Returned roared again, slamming down against the ground with its front paws. Bursts of fire shot up out of the ground in various places surrounding the beast, and the entire mountainside shook violently.
Silver and the others all stumbled and fell, but Silver could not tear himself from the Returned's gaze.
Silver! A feminine voice, faint in the distance of the memory, called out to him. Run!
You're still the same, weak, little boy you were three years ago, Moonsbane's voice taunted.
Red flew at the Returned, striking it with an Air Slash. The Returned growled briefly, and turned to the Scyther, bashing him over the head with its whip-like, barbed tail.
Red was knocked over into a crumpled heap on the ground.
"Silver!" Domino's voice yelled out.
The Returned leapt onto Red's failing body, and spat a series of strange, dark orbs at him. The Scyther clenched his eyes and scraped at the ground with his scythes, but made no vocalizations at all.
Red… Silver struggled to even think, fighting the shadow in his mind–the fear in his heart–for control of his knees.
Before Silver could succeed, the Returned Houndoom jumped upon him, pinning him back against the ground. Silver's vision was engulfed in the blaze held in those red eyes, as a flash of gold briefly swirled in them.
Red lifted his head slightly where he lay, and scraped the ground in Silver's direction, crushed that he could do no more to protect his Trainer.
"SILVER! NO!"
SILVER! Mondo's voice echoed in Silver's mind.
That little punk won't save you this time! Moonsbane seemed to sense the memory.
Mondo…where did you go?
The Returned yelped as it was suddenly thrown aside by some outside force.
WHAT? Moonsbane's rage surged through Silver's mind.
Silver slowly stood up, his head heavy and throbbing, using his falchion for support.
A Marowak was throwing, catching, and throwing its bone at the Returned in a continuous Bonemerang attack. The earth trembled, as a Graveler ripped through the ground, smashing the monster with a Rock Throw.
Mondo's Pokémon!
The sudden turn in advantage didn't last, however; the Returned shot a burst of black energy out of its mouth, hitting the two Pokémon at point-blank range.
They were knocked into the ground, the air filled with a sickening scent of burning flesh and metal, despite their status as Ground types.
No!
The Returned turned to Silver again.
Shit, Silver rose his sword slightly, but found his arms to suddenly be too heavy to move much.
A howling sound ripped through the night sky.
Now what? Silver turned slightly to look behind him.
A canine-like shape was approaching from the mountains, running into the battlefield and illuminating itself in the dying flames as it leapt at the Returned.
It was a Mightyena, but it was…different. Its pelt was golden, not black, in color, and its eyes were an icy blue, and chilled with a calm fury.
A…shiny?
Was this the weird Pokémon of local legend? The reason Silver and Domino had been sent to this damned base in the first place?
Silver fell to his knees, finding himself grateful for the sudden appearance of his mysterious rescuer, whether it had caused his danger or not.
As the Returned and Mightyena fought tooth and nail, their even strengths allowing neither one to gain an advantage, Silver noticed something else odd. The Mightyena had a scruff of extra fur on the top of his head, which appeared to be dark brown in color.
The Returned shot its dark blast at the Mightyena, who yelped sharply, but he managed to keep his footing. The Mightyena snarled in a low tone, glaring at the Returned. He snapped at it, grabbing the monster's leg in a Thunder Fang, electricity sparking noisily from the impact. The Returned howled in pain, swiping at the Mightyena's face.
"Silver!"
Silver felt the arms of someone helping him to stand.
"Mondo?" He asked groggily.
"No," Domino blinked at him. "I sound like Mondo?"
"What?" Silver's head throbbed. "Get…off…me."
"You're hurt," Domino said slowly, as if to a small child. "Don't you feel it?"
Just my head…and my chest.
Silver clenched his ribcage as the memory of her torn body surged unwilled through his mind.
What's…this? Moonsbane's dark voice whispered in Silver's mind.
Get…out…of…my…head! Silver felt rage explode in his chest.
The Mightyena unleashed the golden light of a Hyper Beam on the Returned, attacking mere inches from the monster's face. The Returned shrieked in massive pain.
Yeah! Silver felt a small jolt of joy.
The Returned stumbled backwards, shaking its head.
Don't think you've won, boy, Moonsbane's voice whispered in Silver's head. By the time I'm done with you, you'll wish you'd never been born.
The Returned sped off, away into the mountains. As the first drops of a gentle rain began to fall, the Mightyena chased after it, fading into the distance.
"That…was weird," Domino said.
"Get…off," Silver forced himself out of her grip.
Silver stumbled forward and tried to find his balance. He over-corrected himself, and found his body swinging backwards out of his control.
A pair of strong arms caught him before he hit the ground.
"Go find help," Mondo's voice was strangely calm and gentle. "I'll make sure he holds on."
"What?" Silver's mind felt muddled.
"You've lost quite a bit of blood."
"Where?"
"Your side," Mondo sounded confused. "You can't tell me you didn't notice it bite you."
"I…" Silver stammered.
It did hurt. A lot. But…he seemed to only sort of feel it.
Just like…three years ago…
Silver… her voice whispered. You can rest now. You're safe. I'm here. Rest.
"What?"
"I said, you can relax, Silver," Mondo repeated himself. "Elite or not, you're still human. You're still mortal. You fought well. Rest."
Sleep.
Silver thought of the feel of her arms, of the comfort he once found in them as she held him in slumber. How, even though they were both beaten, bloody and raw, they found sanctuary in each other's company.
"Are the…others…okay?"
"They'll be fine for now," Mondo chuckled. "Don't worry."
"The Grunts?"
"They'll recover."
"My…team?"
"They'll survive."
Silver looked up, to see Mondo's concerned face, bordered by the dark grey of the storm above. The left side of the teen's face was stained with the blood of a nasty gash on his forehead. Blood seeped from small cracks in his lips and from a sharp line across one eye. His brown hair was disheveled and tainted a dark red.
What had happened to him? Where had he been?
Silver felt the soft splashes of the rain on his face. His wounds stung from the water's contact, but it faded as his world slowly went black.
All he could feel before he lost all thought, was the throbbing pain in his chest. One that was not born of any single, physical wound.
…
Ash blinked in sheer terror.
Who are you? Why are you in my mind?
The Returned Charizard loomed over him, tightening his grip on Ash's limp body.
You will know soon enough, the dark voice chuckled in his mind.
The Returned unfurled its wings, filling the air with an ominous wind.
"NO!" Ash heard Aura's voice yell in anguish. "NOOOOO!"
"PIKAPI!"
"ASH!" A new voice cut through the night.
Wha…
A torrent of water collided with the Returned's face. The shock of the sudden surprise alone caused the monster to release its hold on Ash.
"What?" Ash blinked, as he fell back onto the boulder again, sitting waist-deep in the Marsh's waters.
"Horsea!" A small, blue Pokémon fell from above into the water in front of Ash.
"Hor…sea?" Ash said groggily.
"Pikachu-Pi," Pikachu breathed next to Ash.
"Ash!" A humanoid figure appeared on Ash's other side. "Are you okay?"
"Misty?" Ash looked up at her.
"Looks like we're just in time," Ash heard Nyx from somewhere on Misty's other side.
"Few minutes ago would've been nice, too," Ash heard Aura scoff, sounds of splashing accompanying her voice.
"Yes," Ash heard Maeve's voice above him. He looked up to see her flying above his head as she continued to speak. "It would appear we have attracted his attention after all."
"What do you mean?" Ash blinked.
The Returned roared, having recovered, and swiped its claws at Maeve. The Crobat barely managed to dodge the attack.
"Explain later!" Aura yelled. "Fight now!"
Yep, Ash staggered to his feet, watching the Lucario swing continuous Metal Claws at the Returned. That's Aura.
"She's right," Nyx nodded in between Shadow Ball attacks. The Shiny Umbreon's voice was unusually dark.
Ash felt the ground pulling at him, and stumbled to his knees again. He felt a pair of hands on his shoulder and back, guiding him back to his feet.
"I'm fine," Ash looked at Misty. "I don't need your help."
"Of course you don't," she chuckled, but didn't let go.
"Pi…ka…" Pikachu staggered over to them, shaking his head.
Nyx shot another Shadow Ball at the Returned Charizard.
The Returned roared, and fired a dark beam at the Umbreon.
Nyx leapt to the side, mostly avoiding the attack, with the beam just grazing the side of his hind leg. The Shiny Umbreon groaned slightly upon landing again, but continued his barrage on the Returned.
"Die!" Aura yelled, slamming a ThunderPunch onto the beast's wing. "Just. Die. Already!" She beat upon it desperately with a Close Combat.
Maeve was attacking from above, spitting a series of Sludge Bombs onto the monster.
"Horsea!" Misty yelled. "Help out with a Bubblebeam!"
"Sea!" Horsea shot a burst of bubbles at the Returned.
The Returned turned and looked at the small Water Pokémon. It snorted once, before leaping at him, grabbing his small form and surrounding him entirely in his claws.
"Horsea!" Misty cried out.
"NO!" Aura barked, before unleashing the purple fire of a Dragon Pulse on the Returned.
Then, a burst of piercing, white light shone from the gaps in the Returned's claws.
Could it…?
"Horsea?" Misty breathed.
The Returned loosened its grip to see what was happening. The monster was greeted by a massive burst of water as the light faded.
Hydro Pump, Ash identified the attack.
The Returned roared in pain, dropping the offender as it stumbled back a few feet.
"Dra!" The Pokémon that had fought back roared as it splashed back into the Marsh.
"Horsea…evolved?" Ash blinked.
"Seadra!" Misty yelled. "Thank God you're okay," she muttered to herself. Then she spoke up again. "Hydro Pump again!"
"Dra!" Seadra obliged with a shout.
The Returned roared again, and slammed its fists onto the ground. The very earth trembled from the impact, knocking everyone but Maeve over.
"Enough!" Maeve yelled, and unleashed a bright purple beam from her mouth, hitting the Returned squarely between the eyes.
Ash and Misty looked up at the Crobat's attack.
"What…is that?"
"A sign," Nyx coughed somewhere behind them. "A sign that Maeve is highly in-tune with her Element, that she is a very powerful Sage."
The Returned roared in agony. It unfurled its wings again.
Do not think this is over, Chosen One, the dark voice spoke in Ash's mind. I will have you soon enough. Know that your friends have now marked themselves for death, for coming between me and my prey.
I will be watching you, it remained strangely calm.
With a single wing beat, the Returned launched itself into the night sky. The behemoth soon vanished into the darkness.
"Pikachu, are you alright?" Ash got back on his feet, picking up the Electric Pokémon.
"I…think so," Pikachu assured him.
"Pidgeot?"
"Geeeot," the bird Pokémon stumbled out of the Marsh.
"Rest, bud," Ash recalled him. "I don't think that a Center will be able to heal those wounds."
"They might," Maeve flew down to face him. "But, you do not want to draw attention to yourself. Not like this. Fortunately, there is a place you can go, nearby the next Temple, where they will not ask questions."
"What…the hell…was that thing?" Misty asked, recalling Seadra as she stood back up.
"A monstrosity," Maeve said solemnly.
"Yeah," Nyx nodded. "It's very existence is a sin against nature…against life."
"It's a sin against death," Aura added from behind them.
"Aura," Ash stumbled over to her. "Are you okay?"
"I'm fine," she spat.
"Thank you," he said, "for helping me."
"Whatever," she scoffed.
"Why did you…?" Ash started, placing a hand on her shoulder.
She jerked out of his grip, and sulked away without another word. Before she vanished into the night, Ash noticed that she was clenching her chest.
"I don't get it."
"We saw her leave," Misty said. "She wouldn't tell us why she was leaving the Temple, so we followed her."
"Good thing, too," Nyx nodded. "That monster nearly killed you."
"Or worse," Maeve added.
"What was it, though?" Ash asked again. "It looked like a Charizard, but…."
"It was one…once," Maeve said. "But, now is not the time to explain. We must return to the Temple, and heal our collective wounds."
"But," Ash started.
"You'll sleep better not knowing," Nyx insisted.
"O…okay," Ash rubbed his head.
Why did his head hurt so much?
Who was that voice?
And, why did it fill Ash with a primal fear he didn't know was possible to feel?
…
"So," Moonsbane blinked, his eyes returning to their normal, blue-green color. "Young Ashura…you are alive after all. Arrogant, determined, convinced that you're fearless, and still so ignorant," Moonsbane chuckled. "You are definitely the son of Gyles. Your father's lie might have protected you for sixteen years, but it will protect you no longer.
"The lie you grew up with will be your end."
Moonsbane looked up to the sky.
"I think it's time I left," he mused.
So do I, the Blood-Witch scowled from her shelter. Unfortunately, once you leave, the Chosen One will be in even more danger than before.
"As for you…son of Giovanni," Moonsbane sat back down with a smirk. "Perhaps I condemned you too soon. After all, if the son of Rayne is so determined to keep you alive that he would come out of hiding to protect you…then there must be something special about you after all."
Moonsbane chuckled darkly.
"Indeed, you have a swirling power within, the unfocused emotions raging in your heart.
"I gave you those emotions, I granted you that power. I see that now. Now, I see the perfect opportunity I had never imagined. This could not have gone more perfectly if I had planned for it myself.
"I will have to develop your power, and teach you to focus your rage, your hunger for strength, your thirst for revenge.
"Your pain."
…
Ash rubbed his shoulder delicately.
"You must go, now, Chosen One." Maeve insisted. "If you remain, we will be overrun by Returned before nightfall."
They stood outside the eastern wall of the Marsh. The sun was rising behind them, as they face the wall, where Maeve was perched.
"What was that thing?" Ash repeated.
"What are the Returned?" Misty nodded.
"And, how do you know about them?" Ash added to Aura.
The Lucario pulled on her jacket and looked pointedly away, refusing to speak.
"We do not have time to explain," the Sage shook her head. "You may ask Nyx for answers when it is safe to be given them. You must be in a calm, protected place, yet guaranteed that no human, beyond yourselves, may hear."
"Why?"
"There are vile things, ancient things, in this world that humans no longer know of or believe in."
"And that…?" Ash started.
"You must leave now," Maeve stressed. "Their master is relentless. He will certainly be hunting you now. You cannot remain in one place for too long. Unless he feels directly threatened by your presence, he will be convinced that your capture is inevitable and easy to perform."
"Then, why did he give up last night?" Aura asked.
"When I used my Elemental Beam," Maeve started, "it became clear that Ash's life could be lost in the struggle to…get us out of the way. He needs Ash alive…the Traitor knows that he must kill the Chosen One himself. This is your most useful weapon. Learn to use it to keep your companions safe, young Ashura."
"The Traitor?" Ash blinked. "He's alive? Odin said…."
"What?" Misty turned to him. "You know something about this?"
"Figures," Aura scoffed.
"Leave!" Maeve yelled, cutting their conversation short. "You must travel to the region of Orre. The Ground Temple is somewhere in the desert of those lands, north of the human settlement known as Pyrite. In Pyrite, you will also find a place to rest without judgment or suspicion. Go now, and may the grace of Arceus protect you all."
The Crobat flew off without another word.
"She's right," Nyx nodded. "I'll explain everything when we're safe again. We'll be lucky to get to Pyrite without anyone taking too much notice of our bandages. We can regroup properly when we're there, and we can talk about what happened last night in the Ground Temple. We'll be safer there."
"He's right," Aura nodded. "So long as he thinks you're alive, he'll never stop hunting you. And…we're all in danger now, for protecting you."
"Aura," Ash started.
"How ironic," she spat, before running off to the East, into the sunrise.
"She's got the right idea," Nyx nodded. "We have to go, to the nearest town with an airport or a seaport. Anything. We have to get away!" The Umbreon ran off after her.
"I don't understand what's going on," Ash shook his head.
"Do you ever?" Misty asked. "All I know is that Horsea evolved, and we have a monstrous nightmare after us. Really, Ash, it's not like we haven't been in deep trouble we didn't understand before."
"There's something different this time," Ash insisted. "I just know that I should know what it is this time, but I don't."
"We'll know soon enough, Ash," Misty said. "But, Maeve's right. We have to go. We can't endanger them by staying too long."
"You still up to this?" Ash asked. "I mean, if being around me is a deathtrap…"
"It's not the first time being your friend has been the equivalent of a death wish," Misty chuckled.
"Yeah, but…"
"Let's go, before they get too far ahead," Misty dashed off after the shrinking images of Aura and Nyx in the distance.
"Well, I tink," Jerzy's voice started from Ash's pack.
"Shut up," Ash gave his backpack a jerk.
"She's right," Pikachu nodded. "Everything always turns out okay when you're around, so don't be so afraid." The Electric Pokémon leapt down from Ash's head.
"I'm not afraid of anything," Ash retorted automatically.
"Then, let's go already!" Pikachu dashed off after the others.
Ash glanced backwards to the wall of the Marsh.
What do you want with me?
And, why did you wait until now to attack me?
With a sigh, Ash turned and ran after the others, vanishing into the horizon.
…
A/N: Bleh. Done. Writing fight scenes while sick is not easy. My Beta should have helped to make it understandable. I can't think of what I wanted to say here, so see you next week (unless this illness kills me. It. Won't. Go. Away.).