Chapter 12: Love and Understanding
#12 of Love and Understanding
Chapter 12 of Love & Understanding
POKESPEECH/THOUGHTS:
"Normal Speech"
'Pokemon Telepathy/Pokemon Thoughts'
'Normal Telepathy/'Normal Thoughts'
" POKESPEECH/Abilities
DISCLAIMER: I FOUND "MISSINGNO" BUT I STILL DON'T OWN POKEMON.
NORMAL POV
'Master, this aura being radiated is more powerful than the earlier one, I can't even sense its emotions nor does it possess a living signature.'
Ash grimaced noticeably as the reality began to sink in that there may be no hope for the Gardevoir in front of them. Sighing deeply Ash pulled out a small stone with a leaf-shaped image etched into the multicolored gem pattern that adorned its surface. He then pulled off a pokeball from his belt buckle and enlarged it, watching the twisted Pokemon float in the air with an ominous wind backing it and flowing directly at the teenager.
"I suppose it can't be helped, I just hope Arceus forgives our judgement call. I choose you, Charizard!"
The pokeball opened to reveal a large orange Pokemon in the shape of a dragon, its majestic wings easily spanning over twice its height. A pair of piercing Amethyst eyes looked at the Hell Pokemon before it and a feral grin crept on its face.
" Finally! Something that might prove a challenge! I guess you aren't so hopeless after all, Ash"
"Listen, Charizard, I know how much you want to fight strong pokemon, im not saying there is anything wrong with that, but try and hold back some of your power on the Gardevoir in front of you. I need you to leave its chest spike intact if possible, just get it weak enough so that its mega-evolved state is forced to expire. I am not yet ready to give up on restoring its heart or its soul despite what we have been told about its condition."
Ash took a deep breath before turning his attention to the off-color Gallade, who had been listening the entire time. Charizard followed his trainers' gaze and teeth could heard gritting and gnashing against one another, the pokemon's fiery gaze landing on the petrified Psychic and Fighting-type.
" That is the Gardevoir's mate, I'm assuming, then?"
Ash gave a gentle nod.
" That will make this very tricky, you know how I hate holding back...nevertheless, I will do my best to leave it standing and in one piece."
"That's really all I can ask of you, friend. Now, let the aura wash over you and awaken your true power! MEGA EVOLVE!"
Ash held the small stone out and it began glowing fiercely, along with Charizard. The orange dragon Pokemon began to morph and change shape, its snout becoming more elongated while its wings became bulky and short. Despite this change Charizard's wings still retained their usual muscle definition and, in fact, seemed to have become even stronger. It's claws were a menacing sight to behold with razor-sharp talons curved in the shape of miniature scythes. Anyone or anything wishing to engage in close-range combat with Charizard risked losing plenty of flesh.
Instead of orange skin the Pokemon now had a lethal black, it's shade the same as midnight on a moonless eve. Charizard's wings were tipped with scythe-shaped protrusions that eerily resembled its claws and talons. The inner muscules of Charizard's wings were tinted with light blue webbing, providing a sleek yet deadly visual combination. It's eyes were burning brightly the color of crimson and its mouth, even when closed, poured intense blue flames from the edges of its maw. The flame on its tail had nearly doubled in size and intensity and a set of sharp blue spikes were lined up from small to large, with the smaller spikes at the tip while getting larger as they neared the base of Charizard's tail.
As Charizard landed on the ground following its transformation he was met by the twisted Gardevoirs' empty visage. It was truly frightening how different a Hell Pokemon was when compared to its normal counterpart, even the air that left its lungs was not an exception. The longer Charizard stared at Gardevoir's sinister form the more he was able to discern what kind of power he was going up against. Charizard was Ash's strongest Pokemon by leaps and bounds, the only exception being Pikachu who had seemingly discovered the proverbial Fountain of Youth for pokemon.
Charizard watched Gardevoir's movements with calculative intent, he could practically feel the raw power within the smaller Pokemon trying to escape its body. The energy flowing outwardly from this Gardevoir was much more intense than what would be deemed appropriate for her size. It was clear that whoever had altered this Pokemon held no regard for its well-being, using whatever tools necessary to shatter its individuality. The result was a heart-wrenching mass of hate, fury and unsurpassed rage, and that in itself was another disturbing revelation.
The other noteworthy trait about this particular Gardevoir was the state of its emotions. While hate and reckless fury made up the whole of the pokemon's emotional infrastructure, the fact that there was, literally, nothing else to find meant that whoever had done this made sure to shatter its mind. It was painful to think that any memories the Pokemon may have had, anything regarding its past life, were merely wiped clean and replaced with unbearable pain and unimaginable suffering. The black dragon knew enough from battling that such a combination of negative energy and raw power made for a lethal opponent.
The time for introspection came to an abrupt halt as a sinister power was being formed in Gardevoir's hands, which were now glowing a fiery mix of red and purple. The two energies mingled together and created brief distortions in the air around the pokemon. Anyone nearby knew that whatever attack Gardevoir had in mind was going to cause some serious damage.
Ash didn't want to wait and see, finally making his move and initiating what would become a hellacious evening.
"Charizard! Use Flamethrower!
Charizard reared its head back and unleashed a torrent of blue fire, the intense heat washing over Gardevoir ruthlessly. Ash smirked, somewhat, but even he knew the battle wouldn't be won just like that. As if on que Gardevoir beat the flames back with her aura, still charging whatever energy she could find into an unknown attack. Tense moments were quickly followed by a frightening revelation, a certain Emanation pokemon recognizing the danger and alerting Ash.
'Master! Don't let Charizard get hit by that attack! Its size betrays its power!'
Moments later Jessica fired off a volley of shadow-infused fireballs directly at Chrizard.
"Dodge it, Charizard." Ash called out calmly. It was soon apparent that Lucario's premonition was the correct call.
Charizard leaned back and twisted its body before taking off into the sky, the line of fireballs passing beneath him and crashing into the nearby tree line with devastating results. What had once been a flourishing forest had been reduced to splinters and charred earth in seconds flat. Ash groaned at the display of raw power from this Hell Pokemon whose strength would make even Mewtwo flinch.
Ash began processing the details of that last attack and attempted to create an appropriate counter for it. 'It's obviously a Fire-type attack but it had traces of dark energy in it, so a Fire and Dark-type attack. The speed at which it was fired and the amount of projectiles being expelled, factoring in the trajectory and attack pattern, means it has the same properties of Pin Missle.' "Charizard! That was a Shadowflame Volley!" Ash twisted his cap to the right and ordered his attack. "Hit it with Metal Chaos Tail!"
Angling its body into a dive Charizard's tail began glowing with a metallic sheen and was soon joined by chaotic energy before merging into one power. With the attack at the ready Charizard swung its spiked tail in a devastating arc, attempting to smash into the Gardevoir's lower body. Rather then try and avoid the attack, though, she grabbed his tail with both hands. Ash and Charizard were dumbfounded at the physical strength of this Gardevoir; no Pokemon had ever managed to take a direct hit from Charizard's ultimate tail-based attack, yet this Gardevoir managed to grab it at the point of impact as if it were a featherweight.
"Charizard, fly into the air and throw it down with your tail!" Ash barked out his orders, all the while leaving a stunned Gallade watching the battle with mixed emotions running through his mind. On one hand he was grateful that Ash believed Jessica could still be saved, on the other hand he was worried about Charizard and if he would be able to hold back his power long enough to not kill his beloved. His thoughts were interrupted when another roar came forth from the black dragon and it took off into the air at a breakneck pace, its tail swinging wildly back and forth like a pendulum. Jessica's body was sent hurdling towards the ground at an incredible velocity and Michael forced himself to shut his eyes. Surprisingly there was no earth-shattering impact, nor were there any screams of pain coming from Jessica.
It turned out to be quite the opposite from what anyone had been expecting. Charizard had been surrounded by a red bubble, the inside of which was filling with a thick crimson liquid. Charizard pounded the lining of its prison with its claws and talons but was unable to make any headway, the eyes of Ash and his Pokemon slowly filling with fear from the unknown attack. Soon the bubble had filled completely and Charizard could be seen thrashing about, air leaving his lungs. What happened next horrified Ash. The interior of the bubble began glowing a fiery orange before everything inside burst into flames. Charizard's screams could heard even while being engulfed in liquid fire. Ash tried returning Charizard to his pokeball but the bubble redirected the beam away from the trapped dragon. After several agonizing moments the bubble burst and the liquid fire fell to the ground, eating away at the surface like acid.
Charizard was still suspended in the air with parts of its black hide scalded and singed from the impromptu lava bath. Meanwhile Jessica's body began levitating towards the ground, her arms outstretched and holding Ash's Charizard in a manner very similar to the Psychic-type namesake. Suddenly Jessica let loose an ear-splitting banshee wail, long locks of blood-red hair stood on end and, for the first time, Michael could see the full scope of the damage done to what he treasured most dearly about her-
-Jessica's eyes.
The eyes he had fallen in love with, those sweet amber orbs with a hint of honey swirling about within the spark of life present in all living things, were gone. Not a trace remained and a seemingly endless abyss met Michael's gaze. It was one thing to lose Jessica the way he had, it was another to see her in such a twisted state of mind and body, however her lack of eyes was the final straw for Michael's will. His eyes rolled back into his head and he felt his soul being crushed by the dark energy radiating off of what was once his beloved, unable to even utter a whimper or shed a tear. All emotion had left the human-turned-Gallade and he was suddenly bombarded with voices and images from his past.
MICHAEL'S POV
_ Voices _...
"Mr. Kramer, I regret to inform you that your wifes' cancer has returned and we will need to begin treatment within the next two weeks."
_ Sadness _...
"Michael, I'm about to tell you something very important, alright?" The man sounded like my father but he was fighting back tears so his voice was masked.
_ A nightmare _...
"Your mother is not expected to make it through the night..."
_ Grief _...
"-was a shining beacon of light in the darkness that sought to enshroud the land we walk on. Through her strength of spirit we-"
Different...that is what I am...
"Dad, what did the doctor say was wrong with me? The kids at school say my brain is messed up."
Unfamiliar...
"I want to introduce our newest student who has jumped the learning curve by leaps and bounds. Please welcome Michael Kramer from the Johto Region."
_ Loneliness _...
"Hey, squirt, keep your pre-pubescent eyes off the girls before us big boys put you in your place!"
"They must really be desperate if they let a kid in this school."
"Go back to your mom and dad you freak!"
_ Depression _...
"I-I-I d-don't get it, A-Arceus! W-Why do people h-hate me so much? W-What have I done t-t-to deserve t-their ire? All I-I-I want is a friend!"
_ Hope _...
"You're a Ralts, aren't you?" I saw the Pokemon nod it's head. "My name is Michael, I hope we can be best of friends"
_ Happiness _...
'Our minds are...now linked...Michael...'
'Friends...You are...my friend!'
_ Love _...
'Michael...let's...become one...'
'Let's bond...in the most...sacred way...'
'I...want your everything...and I...will give you...mine...'
_ Her voice...I can still hear her voice... _
_ 'I believe in you, my beloved.' _
_ 'I believe in you...' _
_ 'I believe in you...' _
_ 'I believe in you my beloved...' _
_ Arceus...help me save...my beloved. _
*Flashback: Earlier that day*
'These are dark times, my child, and those you love will be tempted by the great evil that threatens to wash over our world. Should that happen even I would be unable to stop the tide of darkness to follow. The ones changed by the corruption can be saved but it will come at a cost.'
" I will do anything to protect the ones I love, Arceus! You know I will! Tell me what it is I must do to stave off the great evil and I will offer my very soul to stem the flow of corruption."
'Your life will not need to be sacrificed, my child, however...' Arceus looked at me with a hint of regret in his crimson eyes. '...only the most powerful evolution can stem the tide and reverse its flow and you are not yet ready for such an evolution. While you are ill-equipped to gain my divine blessing, there is a way for you to save those who have not yet been fully corrupted, so long as their voice still echoes in your heart.' I watched as he lifted a hoof and smashed it onto the floor we stood on, creating a mesmerizing void of swirling energy pitch black in color yet exuding a heavenly light from within its depths. From the vortex rose a small stone covered in runes and marked with all the colors of the rainbow, its mere presence nearly sending me to my knees.
I watched as the stone approached me and began to glow with blinding intensity, its power radiating with such force I could feel my skin begin to burn.
" What is that object, Arceus?"
'To the humans it is known as a Mega Evolution Stone. It is used to further strengthen the power of a Pokemon, but only if its trainer is in sync with their heart in every way. Such bonding takes years to achieve and, sadly, many do not have the inner strength or desire to create a permanent bond. Only a select few have managed to do so and, as you will soon find out, my Chosen One has made such a bond with many of his Pokemon.'
" H-How does that help me, though, Arceus? I do not have a trainer and I doubt your 'Chosen One' would want a half-breed like me. Besides, I don't even know who they are or what they look like." I watched as the stone began to fade and make its way into my body, interrupting my thoughts as I darted my eyes back and forth from Arceus to the place where my body absorbed the stone.
'I have blessed that particular stone so you will not need a trainer to activate your hidden powers. Remember what I told you, my child, that the power you will need is the same power that has always slept dormant inside you. Alas, you had no outlet to manifest it with but, due to your bond with the one you call Jessica, that outlet has been created. The bond you share with Jessica transcends space and time and all manner of conflict, no matter what happens between the two of you that bond will never break or crumble. If there should ever come a time when your bond is put into question just activate the stone and your true power will glow so brightly that the threads connecting your bond will be woven anew, as though they were just created.'
I gave a slow nod as I attempted to process all of this information.
" How do I know if the power of the stone has activated, Arceus? I have no idea what a mega evolution even entails other than its another stage of evolution-"
'Temporary stage, my child, I apologize for interrupting but you must know that the changes you will experience are not permanent. The great power that flows through a Pokemon during their mega-evolved state is so great that it would upset the balance if it were allowed to persist longer than necessary. While the power is tremendous so is the responsibility and if I find that you or any other Pokemon abuse that power then it will be stripped away just as easily as it was given.'
" Why do I have a feeling there is a catch to this, Arceus? This is so much to take in and it's all nothing but good. Surely something must be sacrificed to gain such power, correct?" I saw the Alpha Pokemon nod slowly.
'You are correct, my child, for you there must be a sacrifice made to activate this power. Unfortunately I am in no position to force this upon you as I still value the free will of all my children. Due to you not having been born a Pokemon you must sacrifice your remaining humanity and become a full Pokemon.'
I was floored, in order to fulfill the destiny planned for me and Jessica I would need to give up my humanity, what happen that entail? Would I lose all cognitive reasoning? Would I even be able to talk normally? More importantly, though, would Jessica respect my choice? After all, she fell in love with the human side of me. Would she hate me? Would she abandon me? There were more questions than I could count surging through my head, yet Arceus sensed my inner conflict and lowered his head against my right hand, using the most basic Psychic-type skill to calm my nerves and remove the doubt in my heart.
Calm Mind
'You have many questions I am sure, my child. Know that I leave the choice entirely up to you, though I would be lying if I said I wasn't hoping you would choose to follow the destiny before you. In the end you must ask yourself "What is it that YOU want?" Does a future with the one you call Jessica sound like paradise? Were you happy with your human life? Don't rush your decision, my child, remember to always keep what you love close to your heart...the answers to your questions will soon follow.'
*End Flashback*
My eyes opened to find Ash clutching another pokeball as Charizard was being tossed around like a rag doll, its roars filled with pain. The mega evolution had already faded and the orange dragon Pokemon was doing everything it could to buy time for Ash to come up with a plan. Fortunately that would not be needed as I knew what I had to do now after much self-reflection.
" Ash, let me take it from here, I know now what must be done..." I trailed off before using a high-powered Barrier to shield Charizard from the volley of shadow-infused fireballs being tossed from Jessica's fingertips. In reality I had no clue how to activate the hidden power within the stone, yet I would not doubt the wisdom of Arceus despite all the pain and despair I had endured in the last twelve hours. I stood before Jessica and my eyes met hers, what was left of them. As I approached the levitating Hell Pokemon that was my beloved I felt a furious presence invade my thoughts, triggering a massive jolt of pain that shot through my spine like lightning.
' Fool! You think you can stand before the might of hell itself?! I will crush you where you stand!'
I watched with one eye open and the other closed as Jessica whirled back and began charging an orb of electric fire, its size and strength growing exponentially until it was almost as big as she was tall.
' Very well, then! Your life is FORFEIT_!'_ The huge ball of mixed energy flew at me with deadly precision and speed.
Before the orb made contact I focused my mind and began chain-firing Double Team as the ball of chaotic fury smashed into the copy of me. Over half of the clones were destroyed instantly from the resulting explosion yet none of them were the real me. I watched as Jessica's hair began to blaze and hellish blood-red fire was expelled from her fists in a super-charged Fire Punch.
" Jessica! Stop this madness! This isn't you! Please come back to me!"
My plea was met with a vicious uppercut laced with painfully hot flames, my body slamming against the ground in front of Ash who was protecting Pikachu. I saw the look of worry in his eyes but I merely smirked and leapt back on my feet and charged Jessica once more. I pulled my right arm back and extended my scythe about halfway out of its slit and swung the blade in a horizontal arc, hearing the metal slice through bare skin. I saw flames erupt from where I had cut Jessica and I retracted my blade back into its slit, attempting to hold her in place with a Submission. It was a dangerous approach but I had to get my voice through to my beloved somehow.
" JESSICA! PLEASE LISTEN TO MY VOICE! COME BACK TO ME JESSI! I KNOW YOU'RE STILL IN THERE-"
' THERE IS NO "JESSICA!" ONLY THE MASTER I SERVE! SOON ALL WILL FALL BEFORE THE POWER OF THE HUMAN RACE!'
Those words cut through me deeply but I refused to be deterred, I knew I hadn't imagined hearing Jessica's voice earlier, my heart could feel her presence. All I needed was the right stimulation to awaken her and reignite the bond we shared. I felt Jessica begin to break my hold on her so I pulled my right arm back once again and extended the blade, aiming the tip at her left shoulder and driving the blade home...
...Or so I thought...
Before the blade could pierce flesh I was suddenly flung back by a mighty force, my head smashing against the rapidly deteriorating tree line and causing my skull to crack open upon impact. I could already feel the dizzying haze fill my senses, my steps becoming less and less stable as I began losing my center of gravity. I was soon seeing double and Jessica was upon me like a shark that smelled blood in the water, smashing the side of my face with another Fire Punch, this time though the flames were much more intense and I could feel my skin melting from the bone. I tried desperately to push her away but she had her full weight pressed down on top of me, the look in those forever-endless holes, that once were her amber orbs filled with hope, pierced my very soul and I felt an intense pressure on my chest spike.
" J...e...ssi...d-d...ont...d-do...this...I...k-know...y-you...a...re...in...th...ere..." My throat was filling with my own blood and I knew I was at the end of my rope. Those hellish flames soon wrapped around my chest spike and began incinerating it without a care, I could feel my life slipping away and a small light formed in the recesses of my mind. I saw a a faint specter that closely resembled Jessica as I knew her, her lips moving in a frantic manner as though she were trying to say something to me. I could make out syllables that vaguely resembled words and phrases until I was able to gather what she was saying.
'Mi...cha...el! I...c...an...h...ear...you! D...ont...gi...ve...up! I...lo...ve...you! I love...you, Michael! Don't die, Michael! Please don't die! I love you with all my heart and soul! I believe in you, my beloved! I believe in you!'
I knew what I wanted in that very moment, my heart wanted to be with Jessica forever. Whatever life I had as a human meant nothing to be anymore, not when I had my life in front of me.
The trigger was pulled and a glorious power welled up within my dying form. An explosion of psychic energy erupted from my body and sent Jessica flying into the dirt, her hollow eyes glaring daggers at me through the cloud of smoke that had formed around me. I was suddenly aware of numerous changes with my body and I began to take them in while I could.
A silvery double-edged blade was attached to both of my' wrists like they were part of my body.
The bottom blades on each arm were a sinister shade of emerald green while the upper blades were coated in silver and boasting the same metallic sheen as in my normal form. The spike on top of my head had curved more inwardly, looking like an actual helmet rather than a fashion accessory.
The only other noticeable change I could really discern was the lengthy cloak-like apparatus that clung to my shoulders and flowed down below where my knees would be. It was split off at the bottom, as though it had been sheered with scissors. The cloak itself looked very light but gave me the appearance of a Blade Master. The cloak was a dark shade of navy blue, the same color as the lower half of my body.
At that moment the smokescreen I had created faded away and I could see Jessica had already begun her swinging motion, launching volley after volley of shadow-infused fireballs my way.
What happened next felt as natural as breathing.
I held my arms out at my sides and extended my blades, noticing that I could now use both blades at the same time for a devastating new style of attack. I focused my mind on the flurry of fire and shadow coming at me and began singing my arms left and right, slicing through the hail of hellfire with the efficiency of a knife cutting through butter. Orb after orb was cut in half and flew out by my sides, triggering explosion after explosion and devastating the landscape. I could see the empty pools of black stare at me with bewilderment, and then more hate. When the dust settled I was still standing and barely breaking a sweat while Jessica's forehead was wrinkled with disgust and her messy blood-red hair was falling down in clumps. This was nothing like the Jessica I knew and loved and I was tired of looking at this facade of the woman who stole my heart.
Perhaps my mind had decided to start playing tricks on me but I could have sworn I saw the same specter from earlier blush and smile warmly at me from just beyond where Jessica stood, causing me to smile as well.
" It's time to end this and bring you back where you belong, my beloved. Blade and Amber need their dinner and I need my Jessi back in my arms."
I gazed at the smiling specter as it waited with baited breath at the opportunity to reclaim its body which had been torn of all emotion.
" Jessi! Your 'master' holds no sway over your life! I will crush him and end this madness once and for all!"
I yelled out with a battle cry as I extended my blades and brought them together in front of me, taking a spearing position and planting my feet firmly on the ground. I could see no fear or worry in those empty pools that once were Jessica's eyes. It merely confirmed that whoever was in charge of this chaos was stripping all emotion from Pokemon and leaving their voice or choice out of the equation. They were being made as tools of war as Arceus had mentioned. As I was preparing to charge I felt a soft presence wiggle its way into my mind, followed by another that was stronger. I recognized their signatures and felt a tear fall from my eyes.
'Bring mommy back home, daddy! I believe in you!'
'You can do it, dad! I know you can, and one day i'll beat you!'
I smiled warmly and took a deep breath, steadying myself and aiming my blades in a proper position, legs spread ever so slightly and taking careful aim...
" NOW!"
Steel met flesh as both of my blades pierced Jessica's chest, causing her to cough up blood mixed with fire. Her hair was set fully ablaze with fury and I could feel her twitch and convulse as her corrupted chest spike began to crack. The moment was now and I would have only one shot to save her. I leaned in and firmly pressed my lips against hers, ignoring the coppery taste of her blood and opening a mind link with her flailing body.
'Jessi! It's time! Enter your body and I will pour my power into you!'
I felt a presence enter my mind and then leave it just as quickly, the specter floating into the convulsing Hell Pokemon digging its claws into my armor. Once I saw this I began channeling my most precious psychic energy and some of my own lifeblood into Jessica. I saw her body twitch violently and it took everything in me to hold her in place so she didn't fall to the ground, my mega-evolved state allowing me to exert greater physical pressure than what I was normally comfortable with.
A piercing banshee wail echoed through the air and I could see the corrupted body of my beloved begin to glow brightly in a white light, my own body soon following as my mega-evolved state had reached its limit at just the right moment. I saw Jessi slump and fall without any attempt at stopping herself, her body having lost the white glow and, after what seemed like forever and a day, was back to the Jessi I knew...
...Her Hell Evolution had ended and she was a normal Gardevoir once again.
I looked up at the sky and lipped a silent word of praise to Arceus before collapsing and joining my beloved in deep slumber. Before I passed out I could feel a pair of arms wrap around my waist and carry me off and I heard another pair of feet near where Jessi had been. The nightmare was finally over...for now.
ABILITY LEGEND:
*-Shadowflame Volley: Shadow Ball + Ember + Pin Missile *
-Metal Chaos Tail: Iron Tail + Dragon Tail