Chapter 35: Pitch-Black Pokémon Darkrai
The next thing I knew, I was in a cage built out of twisted, black metal encrusted with a dried red substance half-way between rust and blood. My first instinct was to check over myself, making sure it wasn’t going to stain my fur. However, one glance outside the bars revealed exactly how foolish that was. It was a horrid parody of the Hall of Origin where Darkrai was seated on the throne. All the others were in the places they had been except for me. My cage was placed just to the left and one step below Darkrai’s ebony throne. The floor was shrouded in mist, the ceiling oozed with dark substances, and the walls pulsated in a sickening manner. It was, in all serious, a place that could only exist in a nightmare.
Darkrai’s laughter echoed through the chamber. Then it echoed again. And again. And again, each time growing deeper and more evil. He leered down at the assembled company and said, “Welcome! For the next minute and thirty-three seconds, you are my guests here in my hall, courtesy of your friend Spirit here. Unfortunately, Arceus will not be joining us, but priest Zorro will keep him company until we are finished. Also, Latios, being a shade, cannot fall asleep. And I would love to see Seth here, since he is such a mess of fear, but it appears he wasn’t at the trial. So have no fear…for them.” A general hue and cry rose from the crowd, all of it angry and all of it directed at Darkrai. The black-robed specter rose angrily. “SILENCE!” he shouted. For a moment, it worked. The sheer force of it was enough to momentarily halt their cries of outrage. “That’s better. Now, one at a time, if you please.”
“Darkrai…” Cresselia spat, “So finally you show yourself! Well, that will be your last mistake! Your existence ends here!”
“Don’t be so hasty, Cresselia. Aren’t you even a little curious about why I-”A beam of silver light struck him in the chest, burning a hole right through him, his throne, and part of the wall. Cresselia smiled triumphantly, but Darkrai did not seem terribly disturbed. His chest melded together again with the sound of tearing cloth and bubbling flesh, finishing with a truly repulsive, wet popping noise. He sighed. “Apparently not.”
Cresselia was a bit disturbed by this turn of events. Gathering more light to her, she prepared to repeat her attack. With a wave of his hand, Darkrai made the floor rear up under her and knock her flying into the wall, which squelched and held her fast like a fly caught in glue. He chuckled as she angrily struggled to free herself. “Oh, did you think that would work when it had already failed once? I suppose I should not be surprised. Throughout your many years of pursuing me, it was always so easy to evade you. You were always so…predictable.”
“Darkrai…” Xerneas said in disbelief.
“Ah, if it isn’t Nature’s Queen herself!” Darkrai rose and bowed mockingly. “Welcome, noble lady, to my hall! And Ho-Oh! What an absolute delight it is to see you again!”
Ho-Oh bristled, small flames appearing in her wings. “What is the meaning of this?” she demanded, “And you, absol! What are you doing aiding this monster?!”
“Is it not obvious?” Darkrai chuckled, shaking his head. “I assure you, the absol would rather be doing anything but helping me, but that is just how life is sometimes. But more to the point, I am toppling Arceus from his gilded throne. And you all are going to help me.”
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A Spirit's Journey (Pokemon Watty Awards 2014 3rd Place Winner: Adventure)
FanfictionA story, you say? Well, I know a few of those. Some of them are about me, and some of those are even true. This one's one of my favorites. It's how I came to be the Absol I am today. Of course, I didn't like it then, but that's how it always is with...
