Chapter 19
The Void
Riley is a stoic man in the face of danger. His aura reading allows for him to mess with people, and keep them on edge till he can maneuver himself into a beneficial position for himself. But going against a pokemon, especially one like Hoopa, has been a foray into fear he hasnt faced in a couple decades. But this pokemons rapid flipping from its small form into its larger form is an ability, like his own, that can keep someone on edge as well.
But this battle of wits was determined the second Hoopa decided to take him. His life, though diminishing, is filled with people he trusts. But the Ketchum's are a family that destiny loved to dine with on regular occasion. Now Ash is the child who helped him and his Lucario fulfill their destiny, and then even after that, Ash and his family pulled him from the time stream again and allowed him to have a life worth living. But it wasnt till he found out about Miracle, and aura read her that he knew she could eventually be the greatest entity to roam the planet. And having kept up with her more recent exploits, and her ability to pull people to her now is more than her adopted father could ever do.
Then there is Selene. This woman is the most recent aura guardian hes found and the first since a young Ash Ketchum. But unlike Ash, Selene was a natural and took to it like a fish to water. She can and will be stronger than any who came before or will come after her.
These two women, and by the look of it the crazy electric woman as well, have just emerged from a spacial portal. They looked determined as hell and he smiled from ear to ear. But Riley was thrown when the Hoopa screamed Miracle's last name.
"KETCHUM!"
"Wow Mira, that stupid little creature knows who you are," Azula laughed.
"Haha, shut your trap, Zula. We are here to kick its ass and get Riley back."
"Well, I'm not surprised your last name is quite a well-known one. Three plus generations of trainers will get you that reputation." Selene chuckled while she cracked her knuckles. Miracle shrugged her shoulders and focused her attention on the size changing Mythical.
Hoopa was enraged, these girls were nonchalant, and this blonde woman's aura and demeanor triggered it. This girl made him mad; she reminded it of something that happened to it before it met his master. "I will destroy you all, and you Ketchum... I will take satisfaction in eliminating you from the timeline, for what... For what you are making me feel!"
"What is your deal you damn djinn? Miracle asked, "Your mad cuz my name makes you a little uncomfortable!"
Hoopa's rage began to rattle the world they were all in, "That name is trouble, that name is a reminder of horrible things that have happened to me, its a name i will clense from this and every world in existence." Hoopa tossed a few portals up and launched a slew of punches out of them at Riley and the girls.
"Scizor, block what you can!" Miracle yelled.
"Incineroar counter with Darkest Lariat," Selene ordered.
"Electivire thunderpunch!" Azula smiled. With their bulk and speed the trio were able to block all the initial onslaught, but Hoopa's anger pushed more power and drastically increased the number of hoops around them.
It was Riley's turn now, and his Lucario appeared and was itching for a fight, "Force palm!" And within a snap the blue dog blasted the large arm and caused the mythic pokemon to flinch slightly.
"Scizor use superpower!" the black steeled bug bulked up and blasted the same arm and Hoopa staggered again.
"Im getting tired of all this," Hoopa growled, "I will leave a crater where you all stand." The holes where Hoopa's arms pop out all faced them palms up, "Try to stop all of these!" And then one after another they shot of focus blasts, shadow balls and energy balls, that peppered all four humans and all four pokemon.
"Holy shit Mira, how do we get through all this!?" Azula asked, her electivire doing what it could to at least protect her. Miracle tried to think, but she noticed Selene was holding out her hand like Riley and were deflecting what they could. But the look in Selene's eyes are what caught her off guard. Selene was smiling for sure, but her eyes spoke like she had a secret.
"Selene, you have something you're hiding!?" Miracle yelled.
The surfer smiled even wider, flicked her wrist to reveal a gem on the inside of her bracelet. The gem lit up and with a few power poses, which Incineroar mirrored, Selene yelled, "Malicious Moonsault!"
THe tiger pokemon became imbued with powerful energy and in an instant grabbed one of the arms. It spun it around into others, bashing them to the ground, it then leaped over them and slammed the same arm into the ground, not one, or twice, but five times back-to-back. Hoopa was raggedly breathing; its arms were beaten and tortured. But incineroar looked sapped of energy, which allowed Hoopa to blast it with a focus blast, "How unfortunate, but that is one down!" Its smile was menacing, but Mira and the others knew it was hurting.
"Electivire its out turn," Azula smiled, "I knew this move could be of good use, SUPERCELL SLAM!" The gorilla like pokemon covered its entire body in dark pulsating electrical energy, it then used it to launch itself nearly a hundred feet into the air and smash itself into the large body Hoopa had shifted itself into, and the impact sent Hoopa crashing into and through an upside-down waterfall. But it also left Electivire semi-vulnerable and allowed one of the arms to swing wildly and nearly send him over the edge before Azula returned him, "Good job big guy."
"All i wanted was to grant this time travelers wish. This would have allowed me to gain full access to the normal world to obtain my bottle, to regain my humanity... But you are all giving me no choice but to end you all and start anew." Hoopa struggled to get out, "The master of this domain took it, and my memories, and replaced them with these horrible emotions. Emotions i know i never had before. But happiness is never something ive felt, i am consumed by anger and hatred, and until you showed up," Hoopa looked at Miracle, "I didnt have a cause for my anger, my hatred was mostly inward at myself. I do not know you girl, but your aura reeks of an enemy ive long forgotten. But its name... a war cry of pure hatred... Ketchum. I must punish, i must cleanse, i must purge this world and all others of this word." The very air around all of them began to heat up and crackle with energy, "Ill leave you with this, words that are forever etched into my mind, but i think now i just found some context for, 'These worlds of oursarecrude.In a word,they areincomplete.It has been, and always will be, a struggle to survive in these worlds. Humans and Pokémon are likewise incomplete'."
Riley knew a rant like that, he had heard and seen a mad man a few decades back say some things eerily similar, but the passion in this voice was intense while the other was deadpan, almost lifeless. "He survived." He quietly spoke to himself.
Hoopa's rage became unhinged and it began to rattle the distortion world itself. The ground shook, the water quaked, and the air became heavy as Riley and the girls, sans Miracle found themselves intombed beneath falling debris. It wasnt much, but Hoopa was seemingly able to control all of this. "Now Ketchum, you and me, i will turn you into a stain on the ground of this world."
Miracle gave him a look, and quietly called Scizor back toward herself, "If you are being serious i guess i should be as well." Miracle popped two pokeballs off of her belt, "Come on out Galliant, and Pheramosa!" The pair of pokemon appeared flanking the black armored Scizor.
Selene noticed Miracle's newest pokemon she released, "How the hell?" She thought, "THis girl has an ultra-beast in her party?" The large bug took notice of the alolan adorned woman as well before focusing on the large enraged djinn pokemon.
"What the hell are these? Are these actually pokemon?" Hoopa demanded to know.
"Listen you insignificant wish taker, my name is one that has been given to me. Given to me by my mother of Cerulean City, and my father of Pallet Town. I am a child they chose, a child of destiny. My name is Miracle Delilah Ketchum, and i will not fall to a twisted version of a man who lost to my father thirty plus years ago."
Hoopa looked at Miracle, "What did you say child? Do you know my name? Tell me my name now!" Pheramosa and Scizor defensively used double team, and Galliant sunk themselves into the shadows.
"Why would i tell you that? You want to kill me." Miracle chuckled, "I heard your story, an emotionless man who was always looking to the stars. He amassed a small army of loyal subjects to try and corral space and time itself." Hoopa was trying to piece this all together, it was staggering to him, "But his plans were thwarted by children on the top of Mount Pillar. But the man, whose emotions never piqued, was then swallowed whole by the deceiver pokemon and taken to its world."
Struggling with all this information, Hoopa angrily began to lash out again, but all of Miracle's pokemon were unharmed. Then they struck out and blasted Hoopa again. This allowed Selene and Riley to use their aura powers to help free themselves and Azula.
Riley helped to dust them all off, "Miracle and i know who this Hoopa used to be."
"Who?" Azula asked, her and Selene both looked weirded out by that out their statement.
But Riley silenced her, "I can't say it, i think his name might help free him."
"SO, what should we do then?" Selene asked.
"I won't leave Miracle behind." Azula growled.
"You won't need to, i dont think it has much health left." Riley said.
"Yeah but our strongest pokemon are exhausted," Selene said.
"True... Azula, dont you have a form ive been told about?" Riley asked.
"Yeah, whats your play?"
"Assuming you are pure electric," He postures, and she nods, "So can yoube just as fast as the element itself?" Another nod gave him a smile, "With your potential speed, i think you can either find a way to leave... Or the true ruler of this world."
Selene's eyes widened, "You want her to locate the Distorted One, the devil himself Giratina!?"
"The myth is scary i agree, but Giratina does know and respect the Ketchum name. Miracle's father saved him several times and i believe the devil himself would respect the bloodline."
Azula smiled, "I do love an angry daddy!" Her laugh echoed as she shifted into her electric form. Her ears elongate, small fairy like wings and a long tail pop out of her back. Her nose flattens and a pair of small electric mandibles pop out. "This is feeling great. Ill be back!" And with a lightning strike Azula was gone.
"So what about us?" Selene asked.
"We set up a barrier, and keep Miracle clean," Riley said, "We are still capable of that." The pair nodded and ran up toward Mira and her trio of pokemon, each of them deflecting an arm strike with their aura abilities.
"Nice of you to join me again. Im assuming my wife is up to some hijinks?"
"She's looking for daddy?" Selene smiled. Miracle looked confused for a second before realizing the statement.
"Good for us," Mira smiled, "Galliant use shadow sneak! Pheramosa use low kick!" The pair rise above the attack, but their moves were significantly different then what Miracle called out. Pheramosa's flying kick started to glisten and in an instant her body began to spin rapidly as she cracked Hoopa with a Triple Axel. Then as Galliant went to mold into the shadow, a burst of light shot from its wrists and a pair of blades popped out and it pierced the hands of Hoopa dealing a new load of damage.
Hoopa roared in excruciating pain, "How are you getting stronger? This is my domain, my power reigns supreme in this realm, i will absolutely end you!"
"You will do no such thing child of mine!" The entire battlefield is ringing as a massive voice rings out.
"Master?!" Hoopa says in fear and apprehension, "How are you awake now?"
"Thats my doing!" Azula smiled as she stood proudly in her mutant form.
"I give you the power of my world,you abduct humans and bring them here and try to openly try to gain hold in my domain. Not to mention its family of one i hold in high regards." Giratina's presence was making Hoopa cower.
"All i was trying to do is grant wishes like you told me to do. They were being difficult Master."
Giratina growled, "You have disobeyed one of my commands. Child i knew you were nothing but trouble when i granted you asylum in my realm. I must teach you a lesson, and since you have forsaken my rules i will take back what i have given you so generously."
"Please master dont do this, i didnt mean any harm!" Hoopa screamed.
"You chose this place over the world you were born into, i gave you the emotions you were lacking and you grew resentful, i took your pain and you use this to try and usurp my power. I take my boon back child of Sinnoh, so now you will face the world you had left behind. Return to your world Cyrus, beaten by your hubris."
Shadowed fire ignited over the Hoopa's body, and once consumed it left a half-naked man with blue hair. Huffing and inhaling as much air as he could, but his old form was decrepit and nearly crippled. He tried to show his emotions, but the endless gaze he had before had returned. A man once more, and once more emotionless.
"HOly fuck that was intense," Miracle sighed, and returned her pokemon. Miracle grabbed Azula and spun her into a kiss, "You are absolutely electric darling." Her smile wide with the pun.
"You are an idiot," Azula says back and returns the kiss.
Selene smiles to Riley, "Kids these days."
Riley chuckled, but the exhaustion of being in this world for so long was beginning to set in, "Do you three happen to know of a way to return?"
"Yeah, Sakinah has a lock and will flare the portal in a bit." Azula spoke, reluctantly detaching herself from Miracle.
"Children of the earth, i do not know how you got here without my ex-minion or myself, but i must get you back before the effects of my world take hold." Giratina said.
"You... Are not what i expected," Azula smiled, "Relatively calm and collected."
"Eons of anger, followed by a few decades of meditation little electric one." Giratina chuckled, "But i do have some words for two of you. First you, child of Ash Ketchum."
"Really, what exactly do you want to say to me of all people?"
"Your father is a man of renown vigilance, and heart, I have seen this first hand. You have the same heart and aura young bug girl. The legendries were right to keep an eye on you and those you encounter. I see more fighting in your future, and if success is destined for you as we see it then you will do the world a great service for years to come. So, i bestow onto you a boon." A spherical light appeared out of nowhere and it dropped into Miracle's hand. It was a black onyx colored ball, and it looked older than time itself, "This goes with an item i feel you have on your person. A rock just as dark as the ball itself." Miracle nodded and Giratina turned to Riley, "I remember you aura guardian, its been some time hasnt it? It looks like your time is close to being done, in fact i think leaving this world may be the end of you."
Riley smiled and sighed, "Ill admit it, im tired."
"I can return your pokemon to their proper time, but you i would like you to be my new champion, a protector of my domain, a ferryman of souls who have lost their ways?"
Riley smiled back at the girls, who were all shocked at this, "My time has come to an end my friends. I dont have much left to say." He felt the strain start to pull his body, "Giratina, i accept this partnership. Just get them all home safely."
Giratina nodded, "And so it shall be done." And with a bright flash of light the girls disappeared. "Now to keep you safe, you need a new form." Giratina touched a wing to the tired Riley, and his form burst with energy. When the energy dissipated a large hulking bear stood in its wake. Its form was calm and focused, "Welcome my new champion, the ferryman to my world is now a just and worthy creature. Now lets give you a tour."
"Urshi!"
tbc
