Chapter 43: The Heart Doesn't Lie
Pyre fidgeted with his claws, tapping the long nails together nervously as he and Shadow waited for the elevator.
The charmander had always known his friend and have a dark, cruel streak…Well more than a streak. Shadow could be…well there was no other word for it…evil on occasion. Pyre never let that affect their friendship.
He was used to looking the other way and to spending long hours trying to rationalise whatever terrible deed Shadow had committed…
That Hunter was after Raiee's egg…Shadow was protecting her when he pulled his organs out.
That Absol nearly killed Blade…Any loving partner would have removed its spine…
But this was different. Ashachu was a kit. Just a scared kit who wasn't to blame for Blade's predicament. How could he allow his best friend to do this awful thing to him? Pyre didn't want to let this happen, but even so, he understood why Shadow was angry.
"Typical humans and their contraptions," The Darkrai muttered darkly as he pressed the touch screen to summon the elevator. "Complex and overbearing for the simplest of tasks."
"Hey, listen Shadow mate," Pyre said nervously. He knew what he had to ask, but felt like it would be foolish to do so. "Do you think, maybe…"
He fell silent as that red eye trained itself on him. He had no idea how the Darkrai had done it. Remained in the same position yet gave Pyre his undivided attention.
"You seem rather nervous their Pyre. Fearful what you have to say will displease me. I have often found it perplexing that after so many summers of friendship part of you is still deathly afraid of me…"
"I-I'm not afraid," Pyre protested, though his body told how he truly felt. "I…"
"Oh, come now," said Shadow dismissively. "Let us not pretend. Friends should speak openly should they not. I have seen you flinch when you look at me. Felt you shudder when you touch me. Now you stand their perspiring and unable to utter what it is you have to say to me…"
"No. I…I" Pyre tried to deny it, but he simply couldn't.
"Allow me to make a guess. You do not approve of the punishments I intend to inflict on Hikari. Is that correct."
"Well ummm…" Pyre swallowed and nodded. He couldn't agree with that term. It was hardly punishment, it was torment.
"I thought so. You have always had such kindness in your heart. Such compassion. It is one of the things I find endearing about you. But you were right to be frightened. I confess I would find such a confession to be irritating and of no consequence. And you know what happens you you become irritating to me Pyre." Shadow wasn't one for hollow threats, even so, he had no intention of harming Pyre.
The tone of Shadow's voice had not changed. It had even remained friendly. But something about his words made Pyre experience a chill through his entire body. As if he'd been plunged into a pool of ice-cold water. He shivered, which Shadow noted to his satisfaction.
"I have no intention of sparing that worthless piece of trash Hikari any torment or suffering. That rodent deserves nothing more than for his worthless life to come to an excruciating end for what he did my dearest Blade."
"But…He's just a kit." Three words uttered in an inaudible whispered. It was the most that Pyre had ever stood up to his friend in all the time they had known each other. And as soon as he had said it, he regretted it. He closed his eyes waiting for Shadow to inflict his punishment.
Shadow replied simply, "And death comes only for adults?"
The elevator arrived and the doors opened.
"You know Pyre many have asked me how I justify taking lives." The Darkrai placed a cold paw on his shoulder and pushed the Charmander into the elevator. "So, I lie and tell them: I don't kill those I hate, I simply move them forward to a time when they're no longer alive. Now onward." A lie, one he'd so willfully confessed to. And he followed Pyre into the elevator.
*Elsewhere*
Blade and Meowth walked through a forest. They'd been separated from Jessie and James and had been taken by the humans who called themselves Team Flare. To Blade's benefit, they had removed the collar from his neck. And if what they had been told by Porygon was true, their chances to escape were very low. Regardless, at least the artificial habitat for pokemon was well kept.
Blade wandered off ahead at the sound of movement leaving Meowth to make sure it was safe.
"Hikari!" Blade called out seeing him.
Hunter, for the second time that day, moved him aside to position himself protectively in front of Ashachu.
"Whose there. I'm warning you," he barked.
Blade replied sarcastically "You know. There's honestly nothing more pathetic than a weak kid who acts like he's tough."
This irritated Hunter. He bared his teeth and growled, "What did you say. Who are you! Show yourself!"
The Sneasel revealed himself stepping into the light with a wide grin on his face. "Because seriously. I could knock you flat on your arse with my eyes shut…"
"Blade," Ashachu gasped, unsure whether to feel relieved or apprehensive.
Blade stared at him for a moment and had his arms folded.
"B-blade," he choked out. "I…I…I'm…I'm sorry. Blade I'm so…"
But before he could finish his sentence, Blade was upon him. The Sneasel moved so fast that neither of the two could react. Blade shoved Hunter in the chest so hard he nearly fell over, before raising his claws.
"Pika!" Ashachu wince, bracing himself for an attack.
Hunter let out an angry bark, "GET…Wahh!"
Rather than feeling sharp claws digging into his flesh, Ashachu felt Blade embrace him. Blade was hugging him, like a friend.
"Pi." He opened his eyes and was greeted by the sight of the grinning Sneasel.
"Ahh it's good to see you again kid," Blade happily exclaimed before giving him a lick on his forehead. "How the heck did you get here?" Blade released him, turned around and shouted into the trees, "Meowth. It's okay they're friends. It's them!"
Ashachu was in too much of a shock to notice. "You're…You're not mad," he whispered to Blade.
Blade coxed his head. "Mad. Why would I be…" He stopped mid-sentence, his eyes locked onto his tail. "Oh, my Arceus. What the fuck happened to your tail."
"Maybe you should ask your boyfriend," barked Hunter.
Blade looked over at him, but before he could say anything, Meowth came over. "Nya. Well well. Twerpachoo and the Riolu."
"M-Meowth," Hunter exclaimed in surprise as the scratch-cat Pokémon emerged from the shadows. "How did you get here?"
"Same t'ing as you," Meowth replied. "We were kidnapped by da fashion freaks."
"We've been here a month," said Blade. "We considered letting you out of those tubes, but we didn't know if it would be safe."
At this, Ashachu and Hunter turned to stare at each other, before turning back to the other two and saying in unison. "A MONTH!"
How could that be possible. How could they have been here that long?
"Th-that's not possible," stuttered Hunter. "It's only been a few hours. We were captured by Team Flare in Mossdeep City a few hours ago."
"Actually, it was three years ago," replied Meowth. "Come with us. We'll show ya…"
*Later*
Blade and Meowth led Ashachu and Hunter a little way further through the trees until they reached a clearing in the forest. Here was the first sign of any technology they had seen since entering the forest.
The end of a large metal walkway emerging from the trees, with a large computer monitor fixed to the railing.
Meowth poked his head under railing and climbed onto the platform, before gesturing to the others to follow. Ashachu put his front paws on the edge of the platform and quickly realised it was too high to pull himself onto.
Fortunately for him Hunter saw his predicament and gave him a paw up. He took hold of Ashachu just under his haunches and lifted him onto the walkway.
"Thanks buddy."
Once they were all gathered around it, Meowth tapped the computer screen with his paw. The familiar image of Porygon appeared.
"Master Meowth. How can I help you…"?
"Porygon," Meowth replied. "Tell my friends here where we are."
"Your friends are aboard the interstellar spacecraft the Centurion…"
"It's already told us that," groaned Hunter.
"Currently traveling through the Ultra Space one hundred light years from earth…"
He and Ashachu both inhaled sharply. "Okay that part was new," said Hunter.
"And where they are going?" Meowth asked.
"The Centurion is en-route to the Ultra Jungle. We will arrive in thirty hours…"
"And how long we been travelin' for?"
"The journey has taken us eight thousand years…"
Ashachu felt as if the ground had just collapsed from under his paws, opening into a gaping abyss. He was falling through a world of his own nightmares. How could the spaceship have been travelling for THAT long? He could remember Mossdeep. That could only have been a few hours ago.
And wait…If they had been here for eight thousand years…That meant his parents…His friends…His rival…Gym battles and badges and everything he had ever know was…gone. His little mouse brain refused to process it.
"No way," Hunter declared scornfully, folding his arms and scowling at the monitor. His voice sounded oddly distant to Ashachu. "No way we've been here eight thousand years. It's been hours. Days maybe."
"I told ya we've been here at least a month," said Blade again sounding a little irritable. Blade himself had been confused at first, when faced with the information.
"Yeah and Ashachu here's a great detective," Hunter replied sarcastically. "There's no Pokémon that can live for eight thousand years!"
"Nine thousand years," Porygon corrected him. "While in transit you have been in Hyper sleep."
From a projector at the very top of the monitor, a large green holographic projection was beamed above their heads, causing Hunter to gape and Ashachu to gasp.
"Whoa."
"Pika."
Ashachu recognized what it was supposed to be – the glass capsule he had found himself trapped inside earlier that day. He shivered.
"A series of drugs were administered to induce a coma and preserve cells allowing your bodies to exist beyond their natural life expectancy. You were then placed inside one of these sleeper pods. The temperature inside the pods is then lowered to help preserve you bodies. This allows humans and Pokémon alike to be transported on space flights thousands of years in duration."
"So that's what the capsule was for," breathed Ashachu. He gripped Hunters fur. "oh Hunter. What are we going to do?" Tears welled up in his eyes.
Hunter scoffed. "You really believe this crap."
Before Ashachu could reply Blade raised his claws and said calmingly, "Settle down their kid. It's not as bad as ya think…"
"My life…Is over! Oh fuck. Fuck, fuck, fuck…" Ashachu said in a panic.
"Ashachu," said Hunter concernedly. He patted the mouse on the back.
"Get a hold of yourself kit. It's not as bad as you think," said Blade. And once again he elected to ignore that name.
"Time in ultra space is a lot slower than on earth," added Meowth. "It's probably barely been a few hours back on earth. Porygon tell 'em da t'ing about the time difference?"
"Very well Master Meowth. Observe."
Porygon beamed another holographic projection into the air. This time it was some sort of star map. The air around them became filled with tiny green spirals. Ashachu stopped hyperventilating and looked up.
"The Centurion is currently traveling across the ultra space wilds. Represented by the empty spaces in this map…"
A tiny red dot appear just above Hunter.
"orio…"
"Whist it is difficult to represent ultra-space in a three-dimensional model, each of these galaxies exist in different dimensions…."
Porygon then projected purple spheres around the different spirals.
"Each of the spheres represents a different dimension. And within each dimensions exists an array of galaxies. The Centurion has spent the last ten thousand years traveling through an ultra wormhole. This acts as a bridge between galaxies."
A tunnel like protection appeared joining two of the spheres.
"We have now entered the Ultra Space wilds. That is the name that has been given to this dimension…"
"Okay, I think I understand," said Ashachu, though really, he didn't. "But what does this have to do with time."
"Time on the earth is heavily dilated but a number of supermassive black holes at the centre of the galaxy. But the gravitational waves do not penetrate the ultra wormhole or have any affect within this dimension. So, time in the ultra wormhole and within the ultra space wilds moves much slower than in our dimension. The differential is approximately one hour of time on earth equals a week here in the ultra space wilds."
"See twerpachoo," Meowth slapped Ashachu on the back. "Everything back on earth is still just the way ya left it."
Ashachu hadn't understood a word of that explanation. But in his state of shock and fear, his tiny Pikachu mind was happy to just latch onto anything positive or reassuring. Anything that would mean he would be with his family or friends again.
"Great…"
"Yeah that's great and all," said Hunter. "But how do we actually get back to our dimension. Porygon can you turn this vessel around…"
Meowth put a finger in the air. "Now dat is more a problem."
What Porygon said next robbed from Ashachu the little hope he had just recovered.
"Negative…Only the captain has destination and course privileges…"
"Then who's the captain?"
"Behold the captain…"
Ashachu jaws dropped and Hunter face palmed as an image of the captain appeared on the screen.
"Oh, you gotta be kidding me," Hunter exclaimed.
The captain was the person Pyre had killed when he had initially rescued Ashachu.
"We've been trying to work out how to turn this rig around for da past month," said Meowth bitterly. "It seems Porygon will only recognize her…"
"But…Aliana's dead," said Ashachu. "She was killed just now. Pyre broke her neck."
Porygon seemed genuinely surprised by this information. "Oh…In that case all privileges of the captain divert to the next highest-ranking officer."
"Please…You have to understand," said Ashachu desperately. "We've been kidnapped. We're prisoners on this ship and we need to get home. Can you make an exception? We're all Pokémon, right?"
"I'm sorry master chu but I can't override the program." And Porygon sounded genuinely apologetic.
Ashachu punched the monitor with his paw. "Fuck. So, we are trapped here." He turned around and looked at Blade. "You told me it wasn't that bad."
Blade shrugged. "It's not. There's a field full of berries just through the trees there and this place is actually quite nice." Blade was looking at the positives for once, but it seemed that wasn't the best idea this time.
Ashachu gaped at him. "That's what you meant?"
But before Blade could say anything else, something happened…the light in the room started to go out, the shadows of the trees grew longer, and a chill came over the air. Ashachu's fur stood on end…He knew exactly what was happening…
"Oh no. He's found me!"
Hunter gasped in terror as Meowth and Blade looked confused.
"Fuck…"
"Who's coming?"
"Certain I found you little Hikari," a cold voice answered. "A basic Pokémon like you was never going to escape a legendary like me."
He arose from the ground. The great black billowing form for the Darkrai rose off the ground like a puff of smoke, his great red eye glaring at Ashachu.
"You know there is an old human poem, that I have always had some affinity for. Allow me to recite a version to you. It goes, one blind mouse. See how it runs. It ran after the Team Flare Whore, who cut off it's tail with the Weavile claw. Have you ever seen such a thing in yore? As one blind mouse…" Shadow was so prepared to kill Ashachu he hadnt even noticed yet.
"No. NO." Ashachu turned and tried to run. But Shadow had much quicker reflexes. He grabbed him by the scruff of his neck.
"You are a slippery one Hikari. You certainly have a frustrating strong self preservation instinct and luck seems to favor you. But no matter. I have you now." Shadow's fingers wrapped around Ashachu's throat and he begun to squeeze, cutting off Ashachu's air.
"NO! LEAVE HIM ALONE," Hunter screamed in horror as Meowth and Blade stood their frozen. "YOU'LL KILL HIM."
He threw himself at Shadow, raising a paw to punch him. Shadow slapped him away with a flick of his free claw, sending the Riolu flying into the railing. There was a sickening crack and Hunter's head made contact with the bar.
"H-hunter," Ashachu managed to choke out. His lungs were screaming for air and his vision was going fuzzy.
"You are correct dear Riolu, I shall kill him," said Shadow casually. "Death is inevitable. I simply expedite that inevitability. Hikari, feel free to fight and cling to life until the end. That won't be long."
"SHADOW! NOOOO…. What the fuck are you doing." Blade cried out in horror seeing his lover strangling his friend.
At the sound of his voice, Shadow's grip slackened. This allowed Ashachu to fill his grateful lungs with precious air.
Shadow's red eye turned it's focus off Ashachu and onto Blade. To his surprise the Sneasel was glaring at him, teeth bared, and claws raised.
"Blade," he said. To Ashachu's surprise his voice had become…Softer and less threatening. Beyond friendly. As if he were speaking to someone he truly cared about. "But…What are you doing here?"
"Let him go right now," Blade demanded.
"I cannot honor your request Blade," Shadow replied sternly. "This tiny fuck…"
"You let him go right now Shadow," said Blade, a little more forcefully. "Or we are through. Finished. I'll never speak to you again." Blade could hardly believe he's threatened Shadow like that, and for once, he knew he wasn't just saying something, he meant every word.
Shadow released Ashachu and he fell hard on to his butt. He winced as the cold metal platform made contact with his injury.
Blade rushed to his side. "You okay kid," he asked as he gave him another hug.
Ashachu was too bewildered to respond.
"That piece of vermin is the reason you are imprisoned here. The reason the humans caught you," said Shadow. "Why do you seek to protect him."
Blade shook his head. "It's not the kids fault. We were ambushed by a human. Some other kid who then used us to infiltrate the Team Rocket base."
"But that Pikachu was working with Team Rocket." Shadow was confused, angry and relieved all at once.
"Nah his trainer's not a Team Rocket member. And in any case, I'm free from Team Rocket now. I escaped. Haven't ya noticed. Ta-dah." He pointed to his neck, which no longer had the collar around it.
"Ahh. You are no longer wearing the collar," observed Shadow. "But if you are no longer Team Rocket's prisoner. How did you come to be here?"
"Snuck onboard," Blade replied. "Had a little help from a friend." He gestured to Meowth who had backed away into a corner, watching what was happening with disbelief.
Ashachu wandered over to Hunter and licked his face.
Shadow's red eye narrowed. "But what reason could you possibly have for doing so. For being so reckless, for risking your life to help me, you little imbecile. What were you thinking?" Shadow was angry, and worried, Blade could have gotten hurt, or worse.
"I saw what Team Flare did to you on the beach," said Blade. "I couldn't let them. I love you man…"
"Oh, I almost forgot, one of us does have a heart." All of the rage disappeared at once. "You did this…for…me. I-I…I'm at a loss for words, so allow my actions to convey my feelings." He was overwhelmed with emotions, joy and love like no other.
The scowl on Blade's face changed into a wide smile. "C'mere you."
The two embraced and held each other close like lovers…
"No way," barked Hunter.
One moment Blade had been wrapped up in his Darkrai lovers arms and everything was, more perfect than ever before.
The next Shadow dropped him causing him to hit to the floor. His ears filled with a sound more terrible and horrifying than any Blade had heard before.
Shadow was screaming…Something was hurting him. Actually, causing him pain.
"S-shadow. What's happening to you…"
"Look! Up here," squeaked Ashachu.
"The fuck!" Blade blinked in disbelief as two flying…things, he had no idea what they where, flew from out of the trees.
Basically flying trash cans, what a sight to see, it would have been comical if Blade wasn't so worried about Shadow.
"Shadow. Can you hear me," Blade shouted desperately to his mate again, but no response.
"Let's get out of here," said Hunter.
Ashachu replied, "agreed."
The two scurried off, around Shadow and up the metal walkway.
"Cowards," muttered Blade resentfully.
They were caught moments later and Blade was helpless to see it. "Shit," mumbled Blade.
"More of the fuckers," one of the humans spat.
He wasn't sure what to do. His instincts told him to run, to flee into the forest. But at the same time, he didn't want to leave Shadow. The Darkrai wasn't moving.
"Get it with the miniremo drone…"
His indecisiveness cost him dearly. He suddenly felt a massive pain in his head before losing control of his body…
It hurt, it was similar to when Shadow would control his body, but he felt angry, and everything hurt as if to perpetuate his anger.
Everything passed in a blur, they had all been captured, Meowth, Ashachu, and Hunter had been bound and gagged. And Shadow and Blade simply followed without question. They moved against their will. They were all brought to a control room. A brief conversation among the humans who had caught lead to two decisions. Shadow and Pyre would be returned to stasis, but the rest were to be executed. But one grunt had managed to convince them otherwise, suggesting that they were more valuable alive.