Chapter 35: Inflictions

Shadow was ready to begin, he simply needed to close the distance, he just needed to hurt Hikari first, terrify him, break his resolve. He could do that while they were on the ship, but he felt it more effective to give them a chance to recover first. Give them a false sense of security before he strikes. Even so, something bothered him more and more with every passing moment, a thought that made him want to kill Hikari even more. 'He just left….he knew they had Blade and he did nothing, was their friendship nothing to him…was Blade nothing to him…' the thoughts made him furious, it was the only explanation that made sense. Shadow physically couldn't save Blade without endangering him and anyone around them, but Hikari was able to walk in and out of Team Rocket's base freely, and he did nothing to help the poor Sneasel. Shadow gazed into his current victim's eyes. Though their owner could no longer gaze back with one of them

'Why has it all gone dark on my left side?' the sceptile thought feeling himself dizzy from blood loss. He watched on in terror as the darkrai dangled his own left eye before him showing off how easy it had been to remove one, and it was obvious that he was going to take the other. Sceptile felt the three digits of the darkrai's claw press into his eye socket. 'No, not my other eye!' his thoughts scattered as he thrashed and hit the darkrai, slashing him relentlessly trying to get him off. The pressure hit suddenly, the feeling of his eye being squeezed, the way the claw tips dug under the socket, the way his eye dislodged from it as the darkrai took hold, then it became pure darkness. Left staring into a void, unable to see anything but the dark, the image burned into his mind of that single piercing red eye, unwavering as it stole his sight.

Shadow leaned down to the now eyeless pokemon. "I am sorry, truly, you did not deserve my wrath, but that human forced you to attack me. Your death was out of your hands, and out of hers. She brought this upon you, as do all who try to capture me. I will make your passing quick, for the pain I've wrought you." Shadow took the green Pokemons head in his claws and wrenched it around with an instant and sickening snap. The human had long since run off without so much as a scream. "You poor creature, she abandoned you the moment I defeated you. You laid down your life to protect her, and she fled without an ounce of care for you. Perhaps I've done you a favor." Shadow let out a sigh. "No, I've simply done to you, that which has been done to him. I destroyed your life." Shadow sank into the ground beneath him 'A petty distraction from my true goal, and one that should have been avoided. It would have been, if that girl had simply left well enough alone.'

*Later*

Shadow had been watching from above, pokemon and humans covered the field playing a human game, they referred to as baseball, the game was dull and boring to the darkrai, but Hikari was in the stands, and he had no intention of losing track of the rodent. That little bastard cheered as if he had no cares in the world, Shadow would change that soon enough. But it was too crowded, too many pokemon to interfere if he tried now. That was both the benefit and inconvenience of Ryme City.

Aside from trainers moving in and out of the city, there was nary a pokeball in sight. The pokemon here were treated more as equals than anywhere else, but that also meant those that got in his way would likely be doing so of their own volition and not from the orders of a human. Not that it mattered, anyone that got in his way would suffer and die, but he saw no point in killing more than he had to. With as brutal as he always was, and how much Blade seemed to dislike it, Shadow was losing his taste for brutality. But he assured himself of one thing, he would brutalize anyone and everyone that stood in his way until he reached his target. If he could help it, Hikari and any member of Team Rocket that prevents him from freeing Blade would be the last ones he tortured. If he could keep himself in check that is.

*Even Later That Day*

Shadow had lost his patience, he'd followed these humans around all day and they hadn't secluded themselves enough for slaughter. But just as the thought crossed his mind, they ventured below ground to what the humans called a subway station. 'Well, luck favors me it seems, but since I will not be able to slaughter them here, I will simply do as I initially planned, I will terrorize them.' Shadow waited a moment before following slowly behind, he sank into the ground near the entrance.

His mere presence was noticed by the pokemon: two Pikachu, one of which was Hikari, a Lucario and a Riolu. Just with his arrival had they suddenly shivered, their fur standing on end and bristling. They could feel him, they simply didn't know it was him yet. The train arrived moments later and they began to enter, Hikari couldn't reach it on his own though. The perfect time to strike. His trainer lifted him as Shadow pulled himself from the ground "Hikari!" the human jumped from the sudden ice cold voice and he spun around looking directly at Shadow, holding Hikari tight for fear that the darkrai would take him. Shadow pointed at Hikari "You betrayed Blade!" Shadow formed a dark veil of energy between his claws "Dark Void!" And he threw it, striking both Hikari and his trainer putting them both to sleep. Before he could press the attack, the train doors closed and they were carried off. 'And thus I've sown the seed of terror within you Hikari.' With that, the pitch black pokemon teleported away.

He could feel it, the very culmination of his hatred, the pain he felt, Blade's very suffering had been in that attack, and Shadow watched on as he saw the nightmare play out like a movie.

*Within The Nightmare*

The same tree he'd met Blade under, with the Sneasel laying against it and bleeding out. Hikari approached and placed a paw on the Sneasel chest, and was suddenly filled with pain and sorrow, filled with despair and loneliness.

The Sneasel spoke "Hikari" Blade said as his claws gripped the Pikachu's throat. Fear gripped the little rodent as Blade strangled him mercilessly. "You betrayed me…" Tears streamed down the dying sneasels face.

Hikari shook his head vigorously.

"You killed me" Hikari tried to pry Blade's claws off, but stopped upon seeing the blood on his paws, Blade's blood. "You were my friend, and you killed me"

Suddenly the Pikachu fell through his claws and into a black abyss. He reached out for Blade, but what he saw was the poor Sneasel, being devoured by a living rocket, as it drained the very blood from his body.

*Out of the Nightmare*

*The Next Night*

Shadow watched him as he had taken to doing. Observing the little rodent before he'd inflict another nightmare. And the night was perfect for it, open route, away from Ryme City. The trip was uneventful, they simply took a ferry from Ryme City to the Hoenn Region. And they were camped along one of the many routes between towns. The perfect place to cause harm. As Shadow gazed at the little mouse pokemon his eye flashed. And Shadow began to watch once more as his own pain at losing Blade was forced into the small chu.

*Within the Nightmare*

"Hikari. You betrayed me" the sneasels suddenly red eyes, sunken and hollow, bored deep into the Pikachu's soul.

"No Blade I didn't I swear" Hikari pleaded for a quiet forgiveness.

"Those humans took me because of you. Now I'm left here to rot" Blades body was thin, and almost skeletal, he was recognizable as a pokemon, but he seemed distorted somehow.

"Five…Four….Three"

Hikari looked around as if searching for the voice that now spoke, but Blade spoke first "That's my life slipping away. A life you robbed from me."

"Blade…No, I"

"Two….One….Ignition"

Without warning Hikari watched as the Sneasel was engulfed in flames, a loud cry erupted from him, his fur burned away and his body melted off the bones, his heart was visible for a few moments, a faint beat resounding around them before that too melted away leaving little more than a blazing skeleton.

"You killed me Hikari"

"I. I did…Blade I. I'm so sorry. I'm sorry." He cried out.

"You were my friend and you betrayed me."

"I'm sorry!"

*Out of the Nightmare*

Hikari awoke in a panic waking his trainer who began to comfort him. He felt safe and warm, then he noticed the single glowing red eye staring at him through the canvas of the tent he was in, and all the warmth faded. Shadow disappeared moments later.

"And so it begins."

*The Next Night*

Shadow had done it again, though they his within a secret base created by one of their pokemon, Shadow sat out over the ocean, eyes locked onto Hikari and forcing another nightmare. It didn't last, there was interference from the pokeball he was in. Regardless Hikari let himself out of his ball and peered from the entrance. Shadow smirked making direct eye contact as he heard him cry out. "Why. WHY ARE YOU DOING THIS TO ME!?" Shadow maintained himself a few moments before disappearing from Hikari's view.

"A strange turn of events, but one I am more than happy to exploit….however" Shadow thought of Hikari for a moment "No wonder you betrayed Blade, your trainer is a moron and didn't train you properly. Truly, who encounters a Darkrai like myself, and witnesses me torment them only to lock them away in those little prison balls. I'll not complain, the more alone he feels the easier he'll break, and nothing pushes someone away like unjust punishment. Perhaps you will break Hikari for me then." Shadow chuckled, but became grim once more. "A worthless excuse for a trainer, to punish your pokemon, for what? His friendship with Blade, that would make sense, but if so why wait this long?" Shadow grew irritated thinking of Ash. "Why wait until he's been attacked to punish him? His life is threatened and your first instinct is to keep him away from the ones who will protect him? You're a fool, and a bastard it seems. When push comes to shove, who will Hikari go to when I finally come to claim his life, if it continues like this, something tells me he'll be all alone in his mind when I kill him." Shadow sighed "As much as I crave your death Hikari, I do pity you greatly."