Chapter 46 – The death match! Shadow vs Ashachu and Charizard

"We're in the middle of nowhere, it below freezing outside, the area is only accessible by train, and we control the railway," exclaimed an unhappy Butch. "So, what on earth is it?"

He, Cassidy and Namba had gathered in the cabin of the locomotive. A moving object had been detected on the radar, setting off the early warning system. It was there, before them on a black screen, a small green dot moving toward them at a raid speed.

"I don't know, growled Namba in his usual irritable manner. "But I'd feel more comfortable the more distance between us and it."

Cassidy nodded. "Agree sir. Raichu, roll us out."

She prodded the plump mouse hard in the ribs, who promptly reached out with his paw and pushed the throttle leaver and releasing the brake. The engine started to whine, and the train started to shudder as it inched forward.

"And while we're at it, get the drone up there. See what we're dealing with," snapped Namba.

"On it sir," Butch replied, pulling his control out of his pocket…

[Pokémon]

"What the fuck is wrong with you. FUCKING DIE…"

There was something seriously wrong with this Darkrai. No matter what blow Charizard dealt him, he didn't seem to notice them. They didn't seem to stop them. Charizard slashed at him with his claws and belched flames, but Shadow remained standing…With his own claws upon Charizard's wings.

Charizard gets knocked down, but Charizard gets up again…

No sooner had collapsed from the blue beams overhead, than he had pushed himself back and thrown himself on Shadow, attacking with a combination of Dragon Claw and flamethrower. Most Pokémon would have recoiled or retreated or tried to push him off.

Not Shadow…The Darkrai had actually embraced Charizard, putting his arms around him and sizing hold of his wings and pulled. And he pulled hard. Shadow was pulling so hard, Charizard though he might be trying to pull them off. And it hurt. Seldom had Charizard been in such agony. Especially when combined with the pain in his neck.

But Charizard's attacks were stronger. They had to be. The fire and the claws. No other Pokémon would be able to persist with this the way Shadow was. No other Pokémon had a body capable of withstanding such punishment.

"I offered you an alliance. A chance to work together," Shadow said, his voice far too cool for the situation. "In you arrogance, you rejected it. I think I will keep you alive long enough to watch Ashachu die. Perhaps I'll strangle him with your own entrails."

[Pokémon]

"Oh, my Arceus…"

It was almost uncharacteristic for Cassidy to sound or look worried. In all the years Butch had been her partner, he had known her to have two modes: ordinary and angry. Rage manifesting as aggression and violence was how she normally reacted to bad situations.

With poor Butch usually on the receiving end of both. Now she was staring at the screen, pale faced with her hand clasped over her mouth. Perhaps it wasn't surprising given what the screen was showing.

The drone had taken flight, hovering somewhere high above the line. It's camera was long range, but even so it was straining to see this far. Even so, the picture clearly showed another train. A great square steel beast, barrelling down the line, snow flying in its wake.

"How is that possible?" Butch snapped, surprised to hear his own voice a few octaves higher than normal. "We have control of the railway."

"Clearly not entirely," rumbled Dr. Namba. "Cassidy, how long before contact."

Despite the lack of colour in her face, Cassidy was calm when she replied. "Given it's distance and speed relative to ours, I wouldn't give it longer than a few minutes."

"Can we go faster?"

"Yes, but not…"

"THEN INCREASE SPEED, DAMNIT!"

Namba stamped his foot. Cassidy in turn hit Raichu on the head and barked, "You heard the professor. Step on it."

"Rai Rai." Raichu nodded and pressed down on the throttle leaver.

[Pokémon]

CRACK…Charizard felt his wings snap. The bones shattered; the wing pulled from their socket. The pain promptly overcame him. His eyes filled with tears and for a moment he stopped attacking. The flames stopped pouring from his mouth, his claws fell by his side.

And that was all Shadow needed. He gave an almighty push, wrestling Charizard to the ground. "Not much of a Charizard if you can't fly," he said, a note of taunting in his voice.

"Fuck you," Charizard growled as he fought against the pain. He raised a claw and tried to strike at Shadow again…Only to have Shadow since him by the wrist.

"Why don't you drop the tough guy act? In your situation there is no shame in crying." Then with his free hand, Shadow took a hold of the claw in Charizard's middle digit and pulled. "In begging! In screaming in pain."

To Charizard's horror the claw was ripped right out of his paw, causing him to let out a pained snarl.

"Besides, it's more fun for me when you do so."

Charizard gritted his teeth, fighting against the pain. He concentrated, summoning all his strength to thrash, to throw Shadow off. He took aim at Shadow's head with his free right Claw.

But this time, Charizard couldn't land a blow. Still gripping his left arm, Shadow slipped around him, so that he was now positioned behind his head. Charizard felt a rough claw grip him by the horn and force him into a sitting position.

At the same time, forcing his arm behind his back in a half nelson, where he started to twist it. "I've fought and killed many of your race, some for far less than what you've done, so perhaps the punishment should fit the transgression."

Charizard continue to thrash and spit fire, but he was unable to get an aim or hold of Shadow now the Darkrai was behind him. Worse, Shadow continued to twist his arm, forcing it not an unnatural angle. Poor Charizard's body could only take so much. It wasn't long before the bone snapped.

"Fuck…I'll kill you," Charizard snarled but his voice was becoming increasingly more pained and the tears in his eyes were undeniable. "I won't let you put your grubby paws on Ashachu, you bastard! Ashachu, HELP ME!"

Shadow laughed. "Please, cry, as many people as I've had do so, none were anywhere near as enjoyable as watching a Charizard do so. Now indulge me and cry! Let your tears flow before you die. And accept that you die here."

Charizard felt a fresh stabbing pain in his lower abdomen. He glanced down and to his horror that Shadow had, with his free claw, driven something into him. He quickly realised that it was his own detached claw.

"I suppose you can take solace in the fact that you died protecting what you loved…Speaking of which!"

A Charizard's claws a sharp. Sharp enough to penetrate the scales of other Charizard – Of their own scales. Slowly, Shadow pulled the scale down Charizard's body, cutting him open. Blood poured out of him. It was a sea of red and a sickly-sweet smell of rotting meat filled the air, even in the wind and the cold. Even on the now thundering train.

"No…No…No." Ashachu whimpered, his eyes filling with tears. Words could not express what he was seeing. Charizard was going to die. He was watching his boyfriend being murdered

He was watching the Pokémon who had saved him when he was at his worst. Who loved him completely and with all of his heart? Who was the father (or mother, Ashachu wasn't quite sure how it worked) of his unlaid and unhatched egg, being slaughter, right in front of him?

And he was powerless to do anything. Even to call out, to shout at Shadow to stop. It's like his entire body was frozen. All he could do was sob, tears cascading down his fur like a waterfall. "Charizard…It can't end this way. I love you!"

Charizard knew the end was near. He knew that death was coming. It was like sinking into a black pain. Soon he would join the ranks of Shadow's other victims. But he sure as the distortion world wasn't going to give Shadow the satisfaction of crying and begging.

"Ashachu:" he cried out through gritted teeth. "Don't worry about me. Get out of here and protect yourself. Find Ash and save yourselves. Leave me here." The pain was becoming unbearable now. It was hard to talk, but no way would he let Shadow deprive him of his next words.

"And know always Ashachu that I love you. With all of my heart and soul. I love you Ashachu and this brief time we've been together has been the happiest of my life. I know my death. That our deaths. Are going to hurt you, and I hate what this sick fuck is taking from you as well as from me. But know Ashachu that I want you to be happy. I want you to share your heart again. Don't forget me please but find someone else and make them happy too. I LOVE…Ahhhh."

Cut off mid-sentence by the sensation of Shadow – reaching inside him with his claw. The Darkrai was actually putting his hands inside the cavity of his body. Reaching inside him and pulling out…

"No," Charizard growled. "Not my egg…Not our egg!"

"Dearest Blade would never anyone harm and unhatched egg," said Shadow. "So, I will remove it from you. I'll let you die reaching out for it."

"You sick fuck," gasp Charizard. "You sick fuck! I hope someone fucking ends you!"

"The egg!" Ashachu's eyes widened as he watched Shadow pull the small round object out of Charizard. Orange in colour with splotches of cream, flecked with Charizard's blood. His blood. "Oh no you don't!"

And that was when something deep inside Ashachu snapped. He was not going to stand here crying while Shadow brutalised his boyfriend. He was not going to cower when he threatened that unhatched Charmander. He was not going to let Shadow torment and terrorise him anymore.

"PIKACHUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU!"

In that moment all of Ashachu's fears had gone out the window. He wasn't scared of Shadow anymore. In fact, in that moment all of Ashachu's thoughts, emotions, desires went unheeded. Almost everything that made him who he was. He had become a Pikachu on auto-pilot with one objective.

To protect Charizard.

To protect Charizard and the egg.

"What in the name…" Preoccupied with torturing Charizard, Shadow didn't see the charging Pikachu, surrounding by lightning, until it was too late. To his mild surprise the force of the impact knocked him right off Charizard and sent him skidding along the roof….

Almost falling off the edge.

Shadow propped himself up, to find an angry looking Ashachu standing between him and Charizard. Had he not known it was Ashachu, as there were no other Pikachu there, he would not have recognised him.

Every single hair on Ashachu's body stood on end, like it was super charged with static. His eyes had seem to grow dark and menacing, leaving little trace of their usual warmth, and his fangs were protruding from his open maw.

Even when he growled, he managed to sound almost as dark as Shadow himself. "Get away from him, you bitch! CHUUUUU." Ashachu jumped and backflipped in the air, using his tail to lob an orb of electricity that struck Shadow in the chest.

"Fuck…." Blade, still hanging onto the side of the rushing train for dear life, gaped at the unfolding scene, has jaw falling open. Ashachu had attacked Shadow…Not only that but knocked him down. Without fear or hesitation. "So, you finally learnt to trust your instincts, kid!"

Not only that…

"And when did you learn electro web?"

For Shadow had become entangled in a web or electricity. It covered him like a flashing yellow net. Pinning Shadow to the ground.

Ashachu slowly returned to his senses; the enraged expression on his face slowly turned to one of surprise. He glanced down at his paws, then looked up and noticed Shadow. His eyes widened, "Whoa, did I do that…How did I. Is this what Blade…"

He was distracted before he could finish the thought, by a low whispery moan from behind him.

"Ashachu…"

"Charizard." His ears and tail feel as he saw the state is boyfriend was in – lying on the back, his arms and wings sticking out at odd angles, his breathing laboured and surrounded by a glowing pool of his own blood. Even Ashachu's fur seemed to fall flat again.

As he ran towards him, Charizard gasped. "The egg. Where's my egg?"

"Oh." Ashachu stopped and looked around.

Shadow had, thankfully, dropped the egg. It lay on the ground just beside the electric web. Ashachu ran over to it. Picked it up in his front paws and ran back to Charizard.

"It's here, Chari. I've got it. I'm here."

Charizard had just enough strength to raise his head. "Ashachu! Y-you were amazing…As for me, I wasn't strong enough…"

"Don't say that" said Ashachu. He put the egg down besides Charizard neck and lay his paws on the side of his muzzle. "You're going to be okay Charizard. You're going to live."

Charizard gave him a weak smile. "I feel…So cold. Please come closer."

Ashachu straddled his neck, stroking the sides of Charizard's head. "Please Charizard. You can't die here. I need you. You're all that's holding me together."

"I'm sorry I have to leave you! I wish we'd had more time together. I love you Ashachu."

"Please, you can't go." Ashachu's eyes were filling with tears again. "We can save you. I can save you."

He felt a wet sensation against his face, as Charizard extended his tongue to lick him. "Promise me something Ashachu. Promise me that you'll take good care of that egg. Of our egg. Make him strong Ashachu. Make our baby strong!"

"You're not…GOING TO DIE." Ashachu gripped the sides of Charizard's head and closed his eyes. "You healed me with your love, Charizard. So, I'm going to heal you with my aura…"