Chapter 127; Know your enemy
The wind rushed past Sonic's face as he soared above the Hoennian mainland, the vast, lush landscape stretching endlessly below him. From this height, he could see the forests, rivers, and fields weaving together like a living tapestry, a reminder of just how massive this region really was.
It had been three days since the party at the Aqua hideout, and for once, things had been quiet. Team Magma hadn't made a move, giving Sonic the rare opportunity to focus on his own journey. With no emergencies pulling him in different directions, he had finally been able to reach Petalburg City and challenge Norman for the Balance Badge.
To say the battle was one-sided would be an understatement.
Norman's laid-back but calculated style had been no match for Sonic's relentless training and recent challenges. Raichu's speed and power overwhelmed Slakoth before it even had a chance to slack off, and Vigoroth, despite its energy and unpredictability, struggled to keep up with the electric-type's precision strikes. Then there was Slaking—a true powerhouse, a titan of sheer strength. But that, too, hadn't been enough.
Because, in the heat of battle, Combusken had evolved.
Sonic could still hear the roar of his newly transformed Blaziken, its dark, almost shadowy plumage standing out from the usual fiery reds and oranges of its species. It was sleek, powerful—different. And Sonic had thought it was beyond cool.
With the Balance Badge in hand, Sonic had taken a moment to ask Norman about Ash and the rest of his group. He'd learned that Ash had challenged the gym on the same day as the rally in Mauville City, and afterward, they had all watched the broadcast of the fight.
They had seen everything.
Norman had even mentioned how Ash nearly bolted out the door several times, desperate to fly to the battle himself despite knowing he wouldn't make it in time.
That stuck with Sonic.
Even now, as he rode atop Tropius, gliding towards Mauville City, those words swirled in his mind.
"Ash wanted to meet me."
Why?
The obvious answer was what had happened between them in Johto—the unfinished business of their rivalry, the fallout from that fateful battle. Maybe Ash was still angry. Maybe he wanted to challenge Sonic again.
Or maybe…
Sonic shook his head. No point overthinking it. He'd figure it out when the time came.
For now, his plan was simple: cross the mainland by air, land in Mauville, and then follow the ground path toward Fortree City. He wasn't about to fly blindly into the dense forests surrounding Fortree and get himself lost.
And who knows?
Maybe, just maybe, he'd run into Ash and his group along the way.
As Sonic soared through the sky, the wind rushing past him, he guided Tropius over Mauville City. From above, the city gleamed in the midday sun, a perfect blend of technological marvels and lively streets. The amusement park shimmered with flashing lights, the Ferris wheel towering above like a beacon of joy, while the massive power station of New Mauville stood firm by the sea, humming with the energy that kept the city running.
Admiring the view, Sonic let out a slow breath. It was nice seeing something so full of life after days of pure chaos. But he wasn't planning to linger. He directed Tropius further east, soaring over the channel that split Hoenn's mainland in two. The ocean beneath them was a deep blue, waves breaking softly against the cliffs and beaches that lined the shore.
On the other side of the channel, a long golden beach stretched before him, untouched and serene. It was rare for him to land anywhere just to take in the moment—but right now, he needed it.
"Alright, buddy. Take a break." Sonic patted Tropius' neck before recalling him into his Poké Ball. His shoes sank slightly into the warm sand as he moved closer to the water, letting the salty breeze wash over him. He sat down, stretching his legs out and leaning back on his hands, his gaze drifting toward Mauville City in the distance.
From here, he could see the gleaming tower of Socexp Corporation rising in the middle of the metropolis. His eyes narrowed slightly.
"If Maxie or Shadow saw me fly over just now, how likely is it they come looking for a fight?"
He sighed, shaking his head. Hopefully not.
"Like, gimme a break. Too much has happened already."
Over the last few days of his journey in Hoenn, it had been nothing but nonstop battles and stunts from Team Magma. The incident in Forina, the theft of the Mikado Meteor, the showdown on Mt. Chimney, the rally-turned-brawl in Mauville.
Overall, the relentless pursuit of whatever twisted goal Maxie had in mind. One event after another, chaos stacked on top of chaos. And yet…
Something kept nagging him.
It wasn't Team Magma itself that weighed on Sonic's mind.
It was Shadow.
Sonic furrowed his brow, resting his arms on his knees as he stared at the ocean.
Shadow had almost died not once, not twice, but three times.
"Three for crying out loud" Sonic thought in astonishment. And it wasn't even just that.
Shadow had been inches away from having his identity exposed when they captured him in the rally. Maxie had abandoned him on Mt. Chimney, leaving him to fall in the lava. Had it not been for Sonic, that's exactly what would have happened.
And still, Shadow continued following orders. Still, he carried out Maxie's will like nothing had changed.
Why?
Sonic had faced a lot of opponents before. He had learnt, especially during the war with team Rocket in Johto that to truly defeat your enemy, you had to understand them.
But Shadow… Shadow just didn't make any sense.
Sonic had seen the way Maxie treated him. It didn't take a genius to see it. Shadow wasn't a partner, hell not even a soldier—he was a tool. A weapon. A piece in whatever game Team Magma was playing. And yet, despite all of that, despite nearly dying repeatedly, Shadow didn't stop. He kept hurting Pokémon, kept mindlessly following orders, kept obeying Maxie's every command without hesitation, kept trying to spread terror.
Sonic clenched his fists in the sand. "Why?"
Was it loyalty? But why would anyone be loyal to someone like Maxie?
"Could it be he shared his vision?" Sonic thought.
Nah, it didn't make sense. Why would Shadow care about land development?
Sonic let his fingers rake through the sand, his mind turning over the thought that had been nagging at him since Mt. Chimney as he recalled more about his rival/enemy.
Shadow's movements in battle were relentless, calculated—every attack executed with surgical precision, every action meant to secure victory at any cost. There were no wasted steps, no hesitation. If something needed to be done, Shadow did it. No matter how brutal. No matter the consequences.
But there was something else.
Shadow wasn't just efficient. He wasn't just ruthless. He was angry.
Not just at Sonic. Not just at Ash. At everything.
Hell, Sonic had teased him about the rocket shoes and Shadow merely attacked him, didn't even try to banter back.
Sonic then thought back to the way Shadow grabbed Ash by the throat, the sheer hatred burning in his crimson eyes. The way he spat at Ash's defiance on Mt. Chimney, calling it foolishness, mocking him. But it wasn't just mockery—at least now it didn't feel like just mockery.
Sonic could see it in the moment, deep behind the words, behind the mask Shadow wore.
The black hedgehog's anger was palpable like an aura.
If his orders weren't to protect Maxie and the machine…
If he had no mission to complete in that moment…
Would he have killed Ash?
The thought sent a cold shudder down Sonic's spine.
Sure, Shadow had pulled some horrific stunts, things that made Sonic's blood boil. But murder? Was he really capable of taking a life?
Sonic's gut twisted at the possibility. Shadow fought without mercy, yes—but was he truly the kind of person who would go that far?
And then, another realization crept into Sonic's mind, even more unsettling than the first.
If Shadow's anger was real, but he hadn't crossed that ultimate line…
It meant something else entirely.
Sonic thought back to the battle on Mt. Chimney. The moment Shadow flew blindly into the crater to save the meteor, throwing himself into an impossible situation with no concern for his own survival. He hadn't been calculating in that moment. He hadn't been cold and controlled.
He just thought the rocket shoes would be enough. And they weren't. Sure they weren't because of the circumstances but it didn't change the fact.
He had been reckless.
Self-destructive.
Sonic exhaled, staring at the waves rolling against the shore.
Shadow wasn't just following orders like a soldier. He wasn't just acting out of loyalty to Maxie.
He was fighting like someone who didn't care what happened to him. Like someone who had nothing to lose.
And that, more than anything, made Shadow an even bigger mystery. As well as an even bigger threat.
Sonic had fought many enemies before, but Shadow… he wasn't just an enemy. He was a puzzle Sonic needed to solve.
Sonic sat on the beach for hours, digging his fingers into the warm sand as his thoughts spiraled deeper into the enigma that was Shadow. For all his battles against him, for all the times they had clashed, Shadow remained a mystery. He wasn't like Maxie, who clearly had an ideology driving him forward. But Shadow wasn't a mindless follower either—he thought for himself, he clearly had something to gain from all of this. And with his power, Sonic saw no reason why Shadow would need them. And yet… he was still bound to Team Magma.
But why?
Sonic had asked himself this question before, but this time he wasn't letting it go so easily. Shadow didn't believe in Maxie's vision, that much was clear. All he ever spoke about in their clashes was destroying Sonic. So why carry out missions for a cause he didn't support? What was he really after?
Then, a memory surfaced.
The battle at the river. The moment when Sonic had tried to reach out, to appeal to Shadow's selfishness, to give him a reason to stop, even if it was a self-serving one.
And for just a second—Shadow had considered it.
Sonic's eyes widened slightly.
"He actually thought about it."
He had been so caught up in the battle, so fueled by anger after Shadow nearly caused those water pokemon to dehydrate to death, that he hadn't processed it properly. But now, sitting here in the quiet, away from the chaos, it stood out like a flashing beacon.
Shadow had hesitated.
And that only made things more complicated.
Sonic had always seen Shadow as someone driven purely by self-interest, willing to do anything to achieve his goals. And yet, his unwavering loyalty to Maxie painted a different picture—one that completely contradicted that selfish nature.
Sonic groaned, rubbing his temples. "None of this makes any sense."
Shadow wasn't just some hired muscle or a soldier blindly following orders. He was in this for something. He had to be. But at the same time, he had been tempted, if only for a fleeting second, to stop. That meant something.
Sonic forced himself to push aside his animosity toward Shadow, just for a moment. If he really wanted to understand him, he needed to take a step back, look at this from another angle.
"Maybe the answer lies in Shadow's past."
But there was a problem with that theory.
"No one knows anything about him."
Shadow had just appeared in Green Hills one day, a straight-up arrogant bad boy, and casually decided to torment Sonic and his friends.
"But where was he before that? Who was he before that?"
Where had he come from? What had shaped him into the fighter he was now? And more importantly…
"Why does he see everything as just another steppingstone to power?"
Could it be fear? A fear of weakness?
If that was the case, then what created that fear in him?
Sonic exhaled sharply and leaned forward, resting his arms on his knees. His mind kept looping back to the river battle, to that hesitation.
Then another thought crossed his mind.
Maybe it wasn't a contradiction after all.
Maybe… Shadow wanted to stop but couldn't.
Not because he lacked the ability to walk away—Shadow was the undisputed alpha of Team Magma. If he wanted out, no one could conceivably stop him. So why not leave?
Maybe whatever was pushing Shadow wasn't external at all.
Maybe it was something inside him.
Sonic frowned, his fingers tightening around the sand. If that urge to be who Shadow was, was internal…
"No this is ridiculous" Sonic thought but couldn't deny his thought in the moment.
Could Shadow actually change? Could he be reached?
And then another realization hit him—a bitter one.
He had been so consumed by his own anger that day, so blinded by his rage, that he had thrown away the chance to dig deeper. Shadow hesitated, and instead of pressing on that opening, Sonic had given in to his fury.
Shame crept in.
For all the talk Sonic had claimed about wanting to earn redemption, to understand others more, he had made the same choice he always did in that moment.
In that moment, he had failed.
His rage had spoken louder than his reason once again.
Despite that, it was now undeniable.
The hesitation was proof that Shadow wasn't beyond reach. But if he could really be reasoned with… what would it take?
Sonic let out a slow breath, watching the waves crash onto the shore. He still didn't have an answer.
But now, he had a new question.
Not who is Shadow the Hedgehog?
But rather—how do you reach someone you're not sure you want to try and reach?
How do you try to reason with someone like him?
How do you get yourself to forget all the horrible things Shadow had done, and try to get him to change?
It felt utopic. And pointless.
But at the same time… what if this was the only way to prevent further battles? Further suffering of pokemon?
Sonic once again was caught in a crossroad. And now he had to make a possibly region-shaping choice once again.
Try to understand Shadow, or continue trying to bring him down?
The first choice felt like the correct one. But how would Sonic convince anyone of this?
Tails? Shadow had trashed his workshop. Knuckles? Shadow had beaten him up twice. Wally? He literally lived in Hoenn and saw all of Shadow's horrific actions. Steven and Blaze? Shadow tried to frame Devon for grand theft.
And certainly, team Aqua would never agree to even consider the idea.
"This is so stupid. Why am I trying to understand someone like him? Why am I even troubled?"
That was indeed an interesting question.
Why did it matter?
Noone else of his allies would be doing this. Tails, Knuckles, Ash, Wally, Blaze, Team Aqua. They all saw Shadow for what he was—a ruthless enforcer, a threat to Hoenn, an obstacle to overcome. To them, trying to understand him was a waste of time at best and an inconceivable act at worst.
He was the enemy, nothing more and nothing less.
But Sonic didn't see it that way anymore. No matter how much he told himself he should.
His gaze drifted toward the horizon, the sun glowing brightly in the sky. Maybe it was because of the way Shadow moved, the way he fought—relentless, brutal, calculated. The way he threw himself into battle like nothing else mattered, like his own well-being wasn't even a factor. It was familiar.
Too familiar in fact.
There was the obvious comparison—speed. Sure, Shadow's was artificial, the result of his rocket shoes, but even then, the way he used it, the precision, the deadliness—it reminded Sonic of himself.
That was the outside similarity. But what lay beneath was what was making him question everything.
Sonic clenched his jaw as flashes of memory flickered through his mind. Memories of the Johto journey.
The things he had done to Team Rocket.
The way he had Knuckles shatter Proton's legs in that cave, a punishment for the horrors the executive had inflicted on those poor slowpokes.
The interrogations, where he used fear, intimidation—violence—to pry information from the grunts they captured.
The moment Raichu had been stabbed. The blinding, uncontrollable rage that had overtaken him. He hadn't just wanted to stop Proton—he had wanted to end him. If rhydon hadn't intervened…
"Would I have done it? Would I have crossed the line?"
He gulped.
He certainly felt ready when he had Giovanni at his mercy at the floor of the president's office at Silph co.
His breathing was shallow now. His own darkness, the anger he had buried deep within himself—it wasn't so different from Shadow's, was it?
Blaze's voice echoed in his mind.
"You are not a monster yet. But you are certainly capable of becoming one".
Back then, Sonic thought he was becoming like Giovanni. But now… staring at the reflection of himself that Shadow presented…
That was the monster she warned him about.
Was it already inside him?
His hands tightened into fists. No. He wasn't like Shadow. He wasn't.
He had saved Shadow's life three times. That proved he wasn't like him.
…Right?
…Right?
He forced a breath, shaking his head. Sitting here wasn't going to give him answers. He had a path ahead of him, and no matter how heavy his thoughts were, he had to keep moving.
If he wanted to understand Shadow—if he wanted to stop him—he would have to do it face to face.
And when that moment came, he would decide then and there. Maybe, for once, they wouldn't have to tear each other apart. Maybe there was another way.
Maybe.
Just as he stepped onto the road, his phone buzzed. Frowning, Sonic tapped the device and brought it up to his ear.
"Yeah?"
"Sonic," came Archie's gruff voice. "Got something for ya."
"Lemme guess," Sonic sighed, rubbing his temple. "Magma's up to something again."
"Bingo," Archie confirmed. "Some of our guys were out on a forest restoration mission when they spotted your favorite black-and-red hedgehog on foot, heading east."
Sonic blinked. "On foot? Shadow literally has a Salamence, he would never travel that way unless he had to." His frown deepened. "Where exactly was he going?"
"Larousse City."
Sonic's ears perked up in surprise. "Wait, the futuristic place? The one along Route 123?"
"That's the one."
Sonic groaned, dragging his hand down his face.
"Of course he would" he thought frustrated.
Just when things had finally settled down, when he had a chance to breathe, Shadow was already setting the stage for another clash.
"So, what is up to, another mission?" Sonic muttered, already knowing the answer.
"Most likely," Archie admitted. "It could be nothing. But if the enforcer's making the trip on foot, it means something."
Sonic finished the thought for him, his voice edged with frustration. "It means a new mission. Great. I can never catch a break."
"Didn't think you'd get one anyway," Archie said dryly. "But listen, it might not be a complete shot in the dark. We've been putting some pieces together. If we take what Magma pulled on Mt. Chimney into consideration…"
Sonic narrowed his eyes. "Elaborate."
"There's been talk for a while now about some kind of energy source being studied in Larousse," Archie explained. "Been under research for about four years. If Team Magma's after a powerful energy source, like the Mikado meteor from a few weeks ago—"
Sonic's mind raced. "Then it's either another shot at their endgame, or…" His stomach twisted. "A countermeasure for me."
"My thoughts exactly scampo."
Sonic clenched his fists. "I'm not letting that happen."
"Didn't think you would," Archie replied. "I take it you're heading there?"
"Yeah," Sonic said firmly. "I'll stop whatever Shadow's planning before things get out of hand."
"Good. Keep me updated. If you need help, we'll be there before you say nature."
"Appreciate it. Later."
Archie hung up.
Sonic lowered his phone, staring at the road ahead. His shoulders slumped, exhaustion threatening to creep in. The weight of it all—the endless battles, the constant chaos, the never-stopping action—was suffocating.
But he couldn't let it drag him down. Not now.
Dropping to one knee, Sonic took a steady breath, closing his eyes for a brief moment of calm before whispering to himself:
"Gotta go fast."
Then, in a burst of energy, he shot forward, leaving nothing but a streak of blue light in his wake—racing toward Larousse City and whatever awaited him there.