Chapter 470: Darkrai's Side Mission! (2)
~Darkrai's POV~
[Almia Region, Later, Altru Building – Altru Tower]
With the Tears secured, I ascended. Not by conventional means, but by dissolving into the shadows and reforming, floor by floor, a spectral ascent.
The Tower vibrated now, a deep, resonating hum that thrummed beneath my very being. The Shadow Crystal cried out, a siren song of encroaching darkness, promising power, promising oblivion. But I was immune.
Azure and Jirachi had gifted me this iron will, this absolute dominion over myself. At best, I can feel the Shadow Crystal.
Soon enough, I was already at the tower's peak.
*Wooosh*
The Altru Tower felt like a needle stabbing into the heart of the sky. At the very top, the Shadow Crystal sat encased in a machine of horrific complexity—the Incredible Machine. I've heard about it in the news once before.
It was when Team Dim Sun was active that I was aware of these machines. It pulsed with a rhythmic, sickening light.
*Thump-Thump*
*Thump-Thump*
"Magnificent, isn't it?"
A man stood before the crystal, his eyes wide and glazed with a fervor that bordered on insanity. Kincaid. The current leader of Team Dim Sun.
I recalled in the past that Team Dim Sun was led by another human before it was dismantled. I can clearly see that this man revived a dead organization.
He turned to me, his hands trembling with excitement as he boasted, "The guardian returns! The Shadow Crystal called, and you answered. With you by my side, Darkrai, the influence of this crystal will be absolute. We will reshape Almia—no, the world—into a dream of eternal darkness!"
I landed on the cold metal grating of the platform, my tattered collar fluttering in the unnatural wind. I looked at him—this small, fragile thing who thought he could command the abyss.
I said, my voice resonating through the air like grinding stone, "You speak of darkness as if you understand it? Fool."
Kincaid froze. His jaw dropped as he muttered, "You... you can speak?"
I continued, my blue eyes narrowing at his bold claim, "I have only one master to follow. And he is currently teaching children how to be heroes. You? You are merely a fly caught in a web of your own making."
Kincaid's face twisted from shock to a mask of pure rage as he ranted, "You dare? I have the Shadow Crystal! I have the power of the void!"
He lunged for the controls of the machine, slamming a lever forward as he boasted, "If you won't submit, I will break you! Amplify the Shadow Pulse! Darken his soul!"
*HUMMMMMMMMM*
*ZAP*
The crystal erupted. A wave of pure, concentrated malevolence washed over me. It was designed to trigger the "Darker Impulses" of any being it touched, to turn a guardian into a monster.
I stood there. I didn't even blink.
Years ago, perhaps it would have worked. But my Master was no ordinary trainer. With the help of the Wishmaker, Jirachi, he had granted me a gift: absolute sovereignty over my own power.
I had mastered the nightmare. I was the nightmare, and a nightmare cannot be scared of its own shadow.
I asked coldly, "Is that all?"
Kincaid paled as he went into a childish tantrum, "Impossible... the readings... they're off the charts! Why aren't you under my control?!"
I said coldly, my voice indifferent, drifting closer, "Because you are playing with something you can't understand."
I raised my hand to end the farce…
*SHING*
… but a sudden, piercing cry echoed across the tower. A blur of blue and silver intercepted my path. I drifted back, my eyes widening.
Standing between me and Kincaid was a Lucario. But its eyes were not the calm, focused red of its species. They were a glowing, chaotic purple.
*Wooosh*
Beside it, the air shimmered as a Cresselia, my eternal counterpart and fellow guardian, descended, her lunar rings shadowed by the same corruptive energy. Finally, the floor hissed as a Heatran crawled from the shadows of the machine, its magma-laden body pulsing with dark light.
Kincaid laughed, regained his confidence as he commanded, "You are not the only guardian in this world, Darkrai! The Prince's Tears... they were the keys to their loyalty! By using the shards we had, we captured them. And now, they are the Shadow Crystal's puppets! Guardians, destroy him!"
"ROAR!"
The Heatran let out a metallic screech, launching a Magma Storm. Swirling vortices of fire and molten rock tore up the platform.
*CLANG*
I swerved, dodging a Bullet Punch from the Lucario that moved with unnatural speed boosted by Extreme Speed. Cresselia followed up immediately, her Moonblast glowing with a sickly violet hue.
*BANG*
I parried the Moonblast with a Dark Pulse, but the impact sent a shudder through my frame. I could easily overpower them if I used my full strength, but these were my kin. They were brainwashed, their spirits trapped in a cage of artificial darkness.
If I struck too hard, I might shatter their minds along with the machine.
*BOOM*
A blast of fire caught my trail. I hissed in pain. I was hesitating. I was holding back, and in a battle of this scale, hesitation was a death sentence.
The Lucario charged again, its paws glowing with Aura, preparing a point-blank Aura Sphere. I braced myself, preparing a Dark Void to simply put it to sleep, even though the Shadow Crystal might wake it back up instantly.
*RMBL*
Then, the sky split open. It wasn't a move.
It was a tear in the dimensions.
*SKREEEEE*
*VROOOOOM*
A beam of pure, prismatic psychic energy descended from the clouds like the hand of an angry god. It slammed into the ground between me and the Lucario, the shockwave throwing the brainwashed guardians backward.
I looked up. A familiar, bipedal figure descended slowly, surrounded by a faint purple aura. His long tail flicked with annoyance, and his three-fingered hand held a silver device. I sighed in relief.
His voice was a telepathic boom, arrogant and sharp, the newcomer said, "You're taking your time, Darkrai."
I sighed, the tension leaving my shoulders, "Mewtwo. Master sent you?"
*Tmp*
Mewtwo landed gracefully, holding up a Rotom Phone. On the screen, Azure's face was visible, though the reception was grainy. Azure's voice came through, "Darkrai? You there? Oh, good, I can see you! I can see Mewtwo made it in time – is that a Cresseila, Heatran… and Lucario?"
*Beeep*
Mewtwo scoffed, rolling his or its eyes, turning the phone off as he stated calmly, "The boy worries too much sometimes. Although you do seem to be in a bind..."
Mewtwo turned his gaze toward the Shadow Crystal. The crystal sensed his presence and reacted violently, lashing out with tendrils of dark energy that tried to pierce his mind. Mewtwo didn't move.
It raised an eyebrow, observing the Shadow Crystal with curiosity. He simply looked at the crystal with utter contempt as he said, "You are an artificial clump of concentrated grief. I was born in a lab to be the strongest being on the planet. My mind has been forged in fires your creators couldn't imagine."
*SHINNG*
With a flick of his finger, a barrier of psychic energy expanded, crushing the dark tendrils like dry twigs. Mewtwo asked me with a raised eyebrow, "Why haven't you destroyed this eyesore yet?"
I sighed helplessly as I explained, regaining my composure as I floated beside him, "I cannot simply destroy it. It is my duty to guard it. This crystal is the Luminous Crystal, corrupted by human incompetence. It needs to be purified, not shattered. The Red, Blue, and Yellow gems—the Tears—are the only way."
Mewtwo glanced at the three brainwashed guardians as they scrambled back to their feet, glaring hatefully at us. Heatran was charging another Magma Storm, and Cresselia was gathering lunar energy.
Mewtwo smirked with an arrogant expression. Mewtwo said calmly, his eyes glowing with an intense, haunting blue, "Fine. You play priest. I'll play the bouncer."
Kincaid screamed from his control booth in a demented voice, "Kill them! Both of them! Use everything!"
Heatran lunged, "GRAAAAA!"
Mewtwo didn't even turn around. He raised a hand casually as he stated dismissively, "Aura Sphere."
*POW*
A ball of blue energy, ten times larger than any a Lucario could produce, slammed into Heatran's chest, pinning the massive fire-type against the wall of the tower. Its eyes widened in genuine shock.
Kincaid ordered, "Cresselia! Moonblast!"
*FLASH*
*SHIIII*
The lunar Pokémon let out a melodic, pained cry as she fired. I moved to intercept, but Mewtwo was faster.
*CRACK*
He used Telekinesis, freezing the Moonblast in mid-air, then shattered it with a mere thought. Mewtwo commanded me, "Go. I've got this handled."
I nodded. I drifted toward the center of the machine, where the Shadow Crystal hissed. I reached into my Dark Void dimension and pulled forth the three gems.
The Red Gem. The Blue Gem. The Yellow Gem.
*CLING*
They began to orbit me, trailing ribbons of pure, elemental light. Kincaid lunged at me with a heavy wrench, his face a mask of desperation, "No! Stop him!"
I didn't even have to look at him. My shadow rose from the floor, grabbing him by the throat and hoisting him into the air. He gasped, dropping the tool as he dangled over the edge of the platform.
I turned my attention back to the crystal. I intoned, my voice vibrating with the power of the ancient world, "By the tears of the Prince! By the blood of the earth, the soul of the sea, and the spark of the sky. Hear thy Shadows of Almia! Purify!"
*SHIIIIIIIIIIING*
I slammed the three gems into the heart of the Shadow Crystal.
*FLASH*
The sound was deafening—a high-pitched chime that seemed to vibrate every atom in the Almia region. The purple darkness that had choked the tower was suddenly burnt away by a flash of brilliant, blinding white light.
*CRA-CRACK*
The Incredible Machine began to moan as its circuits overloaded. The dark influence was being sucked out of the air, drawn into the gems, and neutralized.
*SHINNG*
I saw the light wash over the guardians. The purple glow in Lucario's eyes vanished, replaced by a confused blink.
*THUD*
Heatran slumped to the ground, the internal fires of its body returning to a steady, natural orange. Cresselia let out a long, sighing breath as her lunar rings regained their soft, ethereal glow.
The Shadow Crystal was gone. In its place floated a diamond-clear stone that radiated a warmth like a summer morning.
The Luminous Crystal.
Kincaid whimpered, his spirit broken as the shadows finally dropped him onto the metal floor, "It... it's over..."
He looked at his hands, then at the tower, realizing everything he had built was failing as he uttered, "My masterpiece..."
Mewtwo drifted over to him, looking down with a cold, clinical gaze as he snorted, stating coldly, "Your masterpiece was a pile of scrap metal and stolen dreams. You're lucky my master prefers mercy over results."
I approached the three guardians. Lucario bowed its head to me, a gesture of deep respect and apology. Cresselia floated near, her mind meeting mine in a silent bridge of gratitude. And Heatran eyed me and grunted happily.
They were at peace once more.
I turned back to the Luminous Crystal, the gems now circling it like a protective crown. My duty is fulfilled.
The balance was restored. I pulled out my own Rotom Phone—a gift from Azure-from my Dark Void dimension.
The screen flickered to life. Azure's voice was much clearer now, "Darkrai? I felt the shift from here. I assume everything went well?"
I said thankfully, feeling a rare sense of satisfaction, "The crystal is purified, Master. Mewtwo assisted. The other guardians are safe."
Master sighed in relief, hearing my words as he replied cheerfully, "Whew… thank goodness. Good thing I called Mewtwo to back you up. Tell Mewtwo to bring you back. You gotta tell me what happened."
I nodded as I said calmly, "We are on our way."
I looked at Kincaid, who was trying to crawl toward an escape hatch. I asked coldly, "Where do you think you're going?GET OVER HERE!!"
I raised my hand, and a sphere of swirling, pitch-black energy manifested. I promised to give the disruptor a never-ending nightmare, and I don't break my words…
Dark Void.
*VROOOM*
The sphere expanded, washing over Kincaid. He didn't even have time to scream before he fell into a deep, dreamless slumber—one he wouldn't wake from until the Almia Rangers arrived to cart him away to a very deep, very dark cell.
Mewtwo placed a hand on my shoulder as he chuckled, seeing the other Guardians beginning to leave, "Ready to go back to the brat? Didn't expect my day to battle two Legendaries assisting you."
I let out a soft, dark chuckle as I replied calmly, "He is not a brat, Mewtwo. He is the one who keeps the world from falling apart on a constant basis while we're busy fighting crystals."
Mewtwo muttered with a shrug, "Same thing."
*FLASH*
With a flash of psychic light, we vanished from the Altru Tower, leaving the Luminous Crystal to shine its light over a world that was, for the moment, finally at peace. It was time to return to my Master's shadow.
/////
~Azure S. POV~
[Sinnoh Region, Nighttime, Hearthome City – Grand Hearthome Hotel]
The Hearthome Grand Hotel was luxury at its finest. I was sitting in the corner of the lavish dining room, the table spread with enough food to feed a small army, as I finished my training for the day. Pikachu, Eevee, and Pichu (Mew) were happily chowing down on their food in a messy manner.
Diamond was currently having a "who can eat more" contest with Lax, his Munchlax. Pearl was arguing with a waiter about the nutritional value of the appetizers for his Monferno. Platinum was gracefully sipping tea, though her eyes kept darting to the empty chair beside me. She noted, setting her cup down, "You've been distracted all evening, Azure, after your training. Is something wrong?"
I said calmly, checking my Arc Phone, "Just waiting for some friends."
*POP*
The air in the center of the room suddenly buckled. A shockwave of psychic energy sent the napkins flying and made the chandeliers jingle.
*WHOOSH*
Two figures materialized out of thin air. The hotel guests screamed.
Pearl jumped onto his chair, pointing a finger as he was startled, "GHOST! AND... AND... WHATEVER THAT IS!"
Dia shouted, nearly choking on a bao bun, "Whoa!"
Darkrai stood there, looking as stoic as ever, though he looked a bit dusty, but otherwise fine. Beside him, Mewtwo stood with his arms crossed, looking thoroughly annoyed by the sudden attention.
I said casually, not even looking up from my stir-fry, "Hey, guys. Took you long enough. Darkrai, did you get the gems back?"
Darkrai nodded, floating over to stand behind my chair like the world's most terrifying butler. Mewtwo projected as he telepathically said, 'I suggest calling Green. She seems concerned about the Almia energy readings and my presence.'
I sighed as I nodded my head, and I muttered, "I'll call her back later. You guys want to join us for dinner? The Wagyu is incredible."
Mewtwo looked around at the gawking socialites and the terrified hotel staff. He looked at Diamond, who was staring at him with a piece of broccoli hanging out of his mouth. Mewtwo shook its head, replying calmly, "I'd rather deal with the Shadow Crystal again than babysit a bunch of kids. I am returning to the Air Ship. Deoxys and I are in the middle of a chess tournament."
I blinked, hearing that. I asked, grinning, "Which one? The chill one or the one that still thinks humans are a mistake?"
Mewtwo smirked, a rare, sharp expression as he replied, "You figure it out."
*ZAP*
With another flash, Mewtwo was gone. The room fell into a stunned silence. Platinum was staring at me, her mouth slightly agape.
Pearl looked like he was about to have a heart attack. Platinum started, her voice trembling slightly, "Azure... Was that... was that the legendary Pokémon of the Kanto region? And is that a Darkrai currently guarding your seat?"
I nodded as I said, casually patting Darkrai's side, "Yup!"
The shadow Pokémon leaned into the touch slightly as I asked, "So, Darkrai. How was the trip? Almia's all good?"
Darkrai's eyes glowed softly. He began to recount the battle—the Sinis Trio, the Altru Tower, the corrupted guardians, and Mewtwo's 'gentle' intervention.
As he spoke through telepathy, the three Dex Holders sat there, completely forgetting their food. Pearl stammered, his face turning red, "You mean to tell me. That while we were practicing helping Platinum train her Contest Skills... you sent your Pokémon to fight a world-ending threat in a different region?!"
Pausing, I then nodded casually as I said, finally digging into my ramen, "Multi-tasking, Pearl. It's a vital skill for a Trainer. Besides, Darkrai was called there for his duty. I'm just glad he came back safe.
Diamond said suddenly, his eyes shining with a new kind of determination as he gazed at me intently, "I want to be like that! I want to be so strong that my Pokémon can save the world while I'm eating dinner."
I laughed, ruffling the kid's hair as I replied encouragingly, "Stick with me, Dia. We'll get you there. But first..."
I looked at my lineup on the table. Pikachu was sharing a fry with Pichu (Mew), and Eevee was trying to steal a piece of chicken from my bowl. I reminded them, "… first thing in the morning, we assist Platinum with her contest performance."
Platinum looked at Darkrai, then at me. She smiled as she said, regaining her composure and straightening her dress, "I suppose so, and your help would be greatly appreciated. That if we are to travel with a man who commands legends, we should at least finish our meal with some dignity. Diamond, wipe your face."
Dia chirped, "Yes, Lady!"
I leaned back, feeling the warmth of my team around me. The Sinnoh journey was just beginning, and with Team Galactic moving in the shadows, I knew things were going to get a lot louder soon.
But for now?
The ramen was hot, my partners were home, and the night was peaceful.
I whispered, "Glad to have you back, Darkrai."
The shadow poked a clawed finger toward a plate of spicy crackers as he asked, "Master... may I?"
I grinned, handing him the plate, "Help yourself, buddy. You earned it."
As the legendary shadow Pokémon began to nibble on snacks in a five-star hotel, I couldn't help but smile. Life in the Pokémon world was better than on Earth.
/////
A/N: Hope you liked the chapter!