Frost's Frozen Heart Thaws
Latias gasped as she awoke in the middle of the night to a sudden pain in her chest. She clutched at herself, trying to understand what this strange pain was. It was unlike anything she had ever felt before.
Neo noticed Latias looking around in confusion and hopped down from the tree branch he was resting on. "You OK? Maybe some Sleep Powder to help you get back to sleep?" Latias looked over to Neo and panted, "It's not that. I just suddenly felt a weird pain inside me. I don't know what it is." Neo shrugged his shoulders and placed his hands against her body as he used Recover. "Hm.........weird. I can't seem to find anything wrong with you. Your internal organs don't appear to be damaged. Are you sure it's not just anxiety? That can cause pain-like sensations to happen near the heart." Latias sighed, "I guess that's it. I can't think of anything else......huh?" Latias looked up as she felt a raindrop.
Neo groaned as the sound of rain and the musk of wet soil began to fill the air. "Gotta work fast!" Neo planted his hands into the ground. A few seconds passed before a mass of vines shot up from the soil, intertwining to form a dome of sorts over the campsite. They were woven in a way that prevented the rain from leaking inside. "Looks like no one woke up. I'll just take this down when morning arrives." Latias then spoke, "But is everyone here?" Neo looked around in the pitch-black darkness. With his keen eyes, he saw that Ash and Frost's sleeping bags were unoccupied. "Looks like those two went out for a walk." Neo then focused a bit and parted a few branches at ground level, forming a narrow gap for them to pass through. It also allowed some light into the dome.
Neo turned to Latias and said, "The best you can do now is just get some sleep. I'm sure you'll be feeling fine once you wake up." He then walked over to a vacant side of the dome and leaned against a wall before using Rest to fall into a deep sleep. Latias then rested her head against the pillow and tried to ignore the unexplainable sensations she was feeling. (This almost feels like a bad omen. What is this feeling?)
Missingno stood over the corpse of the Chosen One, his impaled heart resting in his right hand. "Judging by the look on his face, he never even saw what happened. Heh, some omnipotent hero." The bioweapon then crushed the heart in his hand, blood oozing from between his fingers. "Looks like the original could never hope to match the improved version of himself." His gaze then rested on the trembling form of Frost. "Wouldn't you agree, XD-130?"
Frost dropped to her knees as tears began to cascade down her face, which was already soaked by the rain. Just a moment ago she was enjoying a wonderful private moment with the boy who had given her a noble reason to live. Now he lay in front of her with a gaping hole in his chest. His eyes still showed an expression of surprise, but they were now lifeless.
As she tried to deny what she had just witnessed, Frost crawled over to the boy she loved and kneeled next to him. "This.....can't be true..... No. You can't be dead..." She then heard Missingno chuckle, "What's wrong? You once said that killing him would make that troublesome feeling disappear. Or are you weeping out of sheer relief?" He then added, "I know you hated him. Wanted to make him pay for the humiliation he put you through. You just never had the courage to follow through, but I don't blame you. He was far stronger than you are."
Frost did not seem to hear Missingno as she clutched Ash's shirt and shook him frantically. "This isn't funny anymore! Wake up! You can't die now!" Ash's lifeless eyes remained open, blind to what was happening. Frost began to sob, "You can't die..... I loved you..." At this, Missingno burst into hysterical laughter. "You loved him?! Now that's a good one! How much longer are you going to lie to yourself?" Frost turned her head to face the bioweapon and growled, "What the hell do you mean? How could you possibly understand?"
XD-386 chuckled, "Because it's just impossible. Shadow Pokemon are not capable of experiencing pleasure or enjoyment outside of causing suffering to others." He continued, "Shadow Pokemon are Pokemon whose hearts have been corrupted with Shadow energy. They live only to battle and destroy. They don't care about how others view them. They are nothing more than misshapen abominations. They know nothing of love or kindness. They are simply not capable of any emotions." He then pointed to Frost, "The same goes for you! You are nothing more than a monster that is living a lie! You are a Shadow Pokemon that is immune to purification! You can't change that!"
Frost sobbed, "Just shut up. I don't care if I can't fully purge myself of my curse. I was given a second chance at life by the only human who saw me as a person. If it was anyone else, they would've killed me without shedding a tear." Frost then collapsed onto Ash's chest, weeping uncontrollably. Missingno grumbled, "Knock it off. I know you crave to kill. And that's what I intend to help you with. Come with me, and we will spill the blood of the Chosen Protector. After that, we can travel the globe, slaughtering whoever we see fit. An ocean of blood. Does it entice you?!"
Missingno waited a moment as Frost did not reply. He then grumbled, "Fine. If being around him will make you happy, so be it." He became covered in a blinding light. Frost was startled by this and turned to face him. When the light receded, a familiar voice asked, "Are you satisfied now?" Frost stared at Missingno's new form. He had used Transform to alter his appearance into that of Ash's.
"So, do you feel more at ease in my presence now?" Missingno asked. He smirked at Frost's expression of surprise, but he became puzzled when her face changed to one of anger. "You think this is funny?! You think I'll be happy with someone who only looks like him?! It doesn't matter what you do to change your body. You will never be the boy who I loved!" She then turned towards Ash again and pleaded, "I know you're not really dead. Please.....wake up."
Missingno shook his head in disbelief and reverted to his true form. "Unbelievable. You still can't tell that his life has ended? Guess I'll just have to convince you." He then walked over to Ash's corpse and formed another Icicle Spear in his hand. "If he's really just unconscious, then he should show some form of reaction to this." He then thrust the Icicle Spear downwards, skewering Ash through the abdomen. The two of them just watched for a few seconds, but nothing happened. Ash showed no reaction at all. Not even a shudder.
Missingno drew the Icicle Spear out of the body and cast it to the side. "There. If he was still alive, his body would've reacted in some way to that wound. And if you need further convincing, just feel his blood." Frost reached into the gap in his chest until her hand was soaked in his blood. She shuddered as it came in contact with her skin. It was somewhat cool. It was only then that the unbearable became clear to her. The boy she loved was no more.
Upon seeing Frost freeze with horror, XD-386 chuckled, "So, do you really see it now?" The Shadow Sneasel screamed, "This isn't real! Why?!" She then collapsed onto Ash's chest and screamed in sorrow. Missingno chuckled, "Oh come on. Let's just head back to the campsite and kill everyone there. The sight of their blood will make you feel more at ease. Trust me." However, Frost wailed, "How could you?! He meant everything to me! He showed me how to love. He even allowed me to become a mother to his child! How dare you! How dare you take him away from me!!!"
Missingno scowled as a dark aura began to billow around Frost's body. But almost immediately it began to turn a bloody red. Missingno felt cold sweat begin to trickle down his face as he realized just what was happening to her. "Red?! N...No! This isn't possible!" He took a step back, "This just isn't possible! The XD series of Shadow Pokemon should not be capable of entering Hyper Mode!" The Sneasel climbed to her feet and glared at Missingno, her eyes filled with raw hatred. "I'll kill you! I'll make you know the pain that you feel when you lose the one thing that gives your life meaning!"
Missingno shuddered, but soon regained his calm cool composure. "Heh, it's pretty ironic, to be honest." Frost snarled, "What do you mean?" XD-386 chuckled, "With the Chosen One dead, and that flawed XD-001's purification imminent, you are the only creature left alive that can actually destroy me." Frost sneered, "Is that a fact?" Missingno then smirked, "Yes, but it still won't happen. Just how do you expect to kill me?! 385 Pokemon in one body, along with the Chosen One's magnificent power! What makes you think one puny Sneasel can bring me down?!" Frost simply replied, "I don't plan on living through this. Just as long as I kill you, I can die happy. There's nothing left for me in this world." She then began to prepare a Shadow Chill in her right hand. "I don't care what happens to me now! But I'll take you with me!"
The Shadow Sneasel fired the Shadow Chill at Missingno, who was only able to barely evade it. "Her attacks travel at much greater speed than before! So this is the power that a XD series Shadow Pokemon acquires upon activating Hyper Mode." A voice spoke behind him, "You sure I can't kill you?" Frost then nailed Missingno in the back with a Shadow Break, causing the bioweapon to scream in agony as he slammed into the muddy ground. "That...actually hurt! Guh.....such pain..."
XD-386 began to climb to his feet, but Frost was already in front of him, a Shadow Blast in her palm. "DIE!" The Shadow-laced Aeroblast engulfed XD-386, sending him flying down the road. He gagged as he slid to a stop. "I never imagined that Shadow type attacks could be so painful. I need to keep a grip, or she really will kill me." With that, Frost charged Missingno with a Shadow Blitz. Knowing that her speed was no joke, he stood his ground and waited.
"Why won't you stay down?!" Frost screamed as she rammed Missingno head-on. The concussive shockwave of Shadow energy put a big strain on his internal organs, but this was the opportunity he was waiting for. "You should use caution when your opponent makes no attempt to evade your attack." He then slammed his fist into Frost's belly with Counter. It hit with double the force of Frost's Shadow Blitz, making her gag as the air was knocked out of her lungs. "And for a quick follow-up." Missingno then nailed Frost with a Force Palm, the shockwave sending her a good distance away.
"You should remember that your element consists of Dark and Ice. Both share a weakness to Fighting type attacks. I take it the pain is to your liking?" However, Frost simply laughed a little as she regained her balance. "I hardly felt a thing. The pain I went through when becoming XD-130 was far greater than what you just slugged me with."
Missingno smirked, "You really are something else. For a single Pokemon to take on 385 at once, along with the most powerful being on the planet Earth. It's just hard to imagine." Frost growled, "Are you trying to flatter me?" Missingno shook his head, "No. I'm just congratulating you for forcing me to resort to my greatest abilities." He then held his right hand out to the side. In a flash of dark energy, a very familiar triple tipped sword appeared in his grasp. "Since the Chosen One's DNA was used in my creation, I have BECOME the Chosen One. If you still think you can kill me now, ATTACK!!!"
Frost, not the least bit fazed by Missingno's change in battle style, charged with Shadow energy coating her claws. "It doesn't matter what you use! You're still going to die here!" But as she closed in, XD-386 performed a wide slash in the blink of an eye, neatly carving a deep cut along Frost's face. But this was not enough to stop her. She performed an upward swing with one hand, slashing across Missingno's face in a similar manner. Two deep cuts now adorned his face in-between the eyes.
Missingno staggered back at the pain that now coursed through his face. He then brought a hand to his face at the feel of a warm liquid flowing down it. When he brought his hand forward, he saw a red liquid sticking to it. "Blood? Is this.....MY blood?" He then looked back over at Frost, blood oozing from the cut on her face. However, she did not seem to be in any pain. "I never expected your pain tolerance to be this extreme. I could tear you open and you still wouldn't even yelp." Just then, he impaled the sword into the ground at his side and held out his hands in front of him, very nearly touching each other.
Frost gasped when she saw yellow, blue, and red streams of energy gathering into one spot in Missingno's palms. "Crap." She then held out both hands and began to prepare a Shadow Blast. After a moment of preparation, Missingno shouted, "Let's see if you can stop this one! BIG BANG ATTACK!!!" The apocalyptic blast of three elements roared towards XD-130 as she readied her own attack. "Don't get cocky!" At that moment, Frost countered with a Shadow Blast that seemed equal in size to the Big Bang Attack! The instant the two blasts collided, a massive explosion erupted into the sky!
Missingno was now thoroughly annoyed by Frost's attempts to kill him. He then took the Chosen One's sword in hand and shouted, "If physical injuries don't bother you, then I'll just have to strike a nerve instead!" Frost yelled, "Just what do you mean?!" Missingno's body was engulfed in a black cloud of darkness as he shouted, "I think I'll just bring back some bad memories for you! DARK VOID!"
In an instant, the Dark Void engulfed Frost, causing her mind to enter a dream state while her body still seemed to be wide awake. As she just stood there, Missingno cackled, "Now, show me your worst fears!" He then cast Nightmare on her while looking into her mind. "Just how much trauma can you take before your will breaks?"
Frost looked around in a daze. "What the...? What happened?! Where are you hiding, Missingno?!" Frost glanced around, keeping her claws sheathed in Shadow energy. Just then, a voice spoke, "What're you talking about? We took care of him back in Ever Grande city. Don't you remember?" Frost turned around and stared in disbelief. "Ash.....you're alive?"
Frost became calm as the Shadow energy engulfing her claws dispersed. "But.....how? I saw you die..." Ash kneeled down and embraced the little Sneasel, "I don't know what happened, but I'm fine. Maybe you just saw some kinda illusion." Frost sighed, "That was some illusion then. It felt so real." Ash grinned, "Maybe Missingno got you in some weird Hypnosis gig. But I'm fine." Frost smiled as she embraced the boy of her dreams. "I thought I lost you."
The Shadow Sneasel sighed, "Well, let's get back to camp. We stayed out late enough already." Ash smiled, "I guess. I'm feeling pretty drowsy too." As they walked east, Frost remembered something. "Hey Ash, now that I think about it, you didn't let your dad out when we set up camp tonight." Ash seemed surprised and asked, "Wha? Dad's in the Orange Islands right now." Frost looked at him funny and argued, "What are you talking about?! I was with you when he showed up at the beach just south of Sandgem town! He said he wanted to stay with you and you caught him in a Poke Ball!" By now, Ash seemed a bit worried and annoyed. "Frost, I think there's something wrong with your head. Dad isn't with us right now. He's still in the Orange Islands." Frost was puzzled by this, but her face soon became clouded with sorrow. "No..... Now this is just beyond cruel....."
Ash set his hand on Frost's shoulder as she turned around and started crying. "What's wrong? It's really weird for you to cry." But as soon as she felt his hand touch her, Frost screamed, "Get away!" She then extended her claws and spun around, slashing through Ash's chest. She was not surprised to see an empty void where his entrails were supposed to be. Ash then smirked and with a familiar voice spoke, "So you caught on. Unexpected. But now the fun part begins."
Frost jumped as chains seemed to come from nowhere. She did not last long before they shackled her hands and feet. Just like the last time, they felt more like iron bars than wobbly chains. "I should've known you would resort to this. Only a twisted mind like yours' could get any pleasure out of this." Frost sobbed as she hung helplessly from her shackles. Missingno chuckled, "I have no way of explaining why. It's who I am. Now then, I'm going to show you your worst fears 100 times over, altering them slightly every time. I have to wonder how long it will take before you go mad with grief. Shall we begin?"
Frost opened her eyes and saw Ash just standing in front of her with a smile on his face. Soon flames began to crawl up his body as his clothes ignited. Tears began to flow down Frost's cheeks as Ash's body began to turn dark as he burned away. The whole time, he was still smiling at her. Frost sobbed as she watched his arms fall off as the flames burned away at them. After several minutes, his whole body had been reduced to a pile of smoldering ashes and bones.
"Had enough yet? No? Then let's kick it up a notch." Missingno chuckled as Ash once again appeared before Frost. He was still smiling. After a moment, his skin started to bubble. Pockets of pus burst open on his skin as a vile orange liquid oozed down his body. Soon his body began to liquefy. Frost wept as she watched him shrink into a puddle of orange liquid.
"You must've had some sort of mental training to resist it for this long. But let's continue." Missingno then showed up himself along with Ash once again. "Watch this. It'll blow your mind." Using Minimize, Missingno shrank himself down to a size that Frost could not see. She was unaware that he had invaded Ash's body. Very slowly, Frost began to notice that Ash's body seemed to be imploding slightly. His skin was becoming saggy, as if his bones and muscles were disappearing from the inside. She gasped as he was steadily mummified right before her eyes. As if that was not enough, Ash's cloak of skin began to rise up from the ground as something filled it. Once it was standing up straight, the left hand reached for the face. Once it had a firm grip, the hand pulled away at the flesh, much like a thin plastic mask. Frost's eyes shuddered in horror at the sight of Missingno's face looking out from Ash's head. Worse, his lips seemed to be covered in blood. "Mmmm... Who knew that human meat was so tasty?"
Missingno continued on with his torture, his methods becoming more and more inhumane. Somehow, Frost was able to keep a grip on her mind, never screaming out in agony. "You have a very level head. But I've saved the best for last." Once again, Ash stood before Frost. But this time he was holding his unique sword. He also seemed very discontent with something.
Ash spoke, "Frost, I think it's time I told you the truth." This surprised Frost greatly, especially that he was not being destroyed right in front of her. He then looked up at her with a look of disgust in his eyes. "I lied. I never loved you. You tried to murder my son. I could never forgive you for that." He then raised his sword to her chest. "I hate you."
A river of tears began to cascade from Frost's eyes as she heard the three words that she never even dreamed Ash would say to her. "You're a monster. You live to kill. You're just a black hearted wretch. I could never love something like you." Frost sobbed, "It's a lie..... You have to be lying..." Ash grunted, "Keep telling yourself that. I always hated you. The only reason I let you stay with me was so I could earn your trust. That way I could kill you more easily." He then pulled his sword back as he prepared to impale the poor Sneasel. "Now. Just die."
Frost awoke to pain like she had never felt before as Missingno impaled her on the Chosen One's sword. He held her high above him, her blood oozing down the blade. She was completely silent with grief, but not from her wound. The bioweapon smirked, "So you're awake now. Did you enjoy my little performance?" He then lowered Frost to the ground and held her down with his foot as he drew the blade out of her. "You were never a real match for me, the Ultimate Bioweapon."
Frost came to her senses slightly, tears streaming down her face as she lightly sobbed. Missingno shook his head, "For a Shadow Pokemon, you rely far too heavily on Shadow type attacks. You could never defeat something like me with such an unbalanced arsenal. You fool."
Missingno turned to the west as he set his sights on Onyx, but just before he left, he faced Frost and asked, "You endured every last round of torture that involved Ash being destroyed in varying fashions. How were you able to put up with them?" Frost whispered, "Because.....he was already dead. The knowledge that he was already gone allowed me to understand that what you were doing was mutilating a corpse. I snapped at the end because Ash meant.....everything to me....and to see and hear him claim that he despised me was enough to break my heart."
Missingno shook his head, "You really are one pathetic creature. Shadow Pokemon are simply incapable of experiencing true love. Just accept it." Missingno then took a step back as Frost began to stagger to her feet. "Even if you can't feel the full amount of pain, you shouldn't be able to stand with that wound! What're you doing?!" Frost glared at him, blood still oozing down the middle of her face from the cut on her forehead. "You're right. I rely far too much on Shadow type attacks. And I always knew it. This Shadow energy corruption is nothing more than a crutch. I can't truly use my full potential with it weighing me down. That is why....." Frost paused as her red aura began to billow again. "That is why...I must break this curse!"
Frost began to growl as what seemed to be cracks began to creep all over her body. White rays of light seemed to be shimmering between the cracks as her black fur began to turn a deep purple. The red aura surrounding her surged as she groaned. "I will not allow this curse to command me any longer! I will destroy you! No matter what it takes!"
Suddenly, the dark purple fragments that were being separated by the shimmering cracks all over Frost's body exploded outwards, sending a cloud of purple fog throughout the battlefield! Missingno covered his face in a reflexive move. "What the hell?! Is this Shadow Mist?!" It did not take long for the fog to dissipate. But once Missingno could start to make Frost out, he gasped, "No way..... There's just no way..... You couldn't have..."
The creature that stood before Missingno no longer seemed to be a Sneasel. Her ears now both had feathers on them, but were now lower on the head, near the sides. What was more, the feathers were now red instead of pink. The claws on her toes had become longer and sharper. Her hands now had three claws instead of two. What surprised him further was that her wounds had disappeared. The three tail feathers on her posterior had seemingly fused into a red tail that seemed to part shortly after the base. On top of her head was a wide fan shaped red headdress that seemed to be made up of the same kind of feathers on her tail and ears. There was also a collar of sorts that was around her neck. It seemed very similar to the headdress in layering and it went all the way around, with her breasts just under it. Her deep red eyes glared at the bioweapon as a dark purple aura surrounded her. "She.....evolved."
Frost could feel that the Shadow energy within her was no longer anchored to her heart and was surging throughout her body. She could feel its sting, knowing that it could kill her if she did not do something with it soon. "All of it.....to my right hand." The aura that surrounded Frost began to gravitate to her right hand, forming a type of bomb in her palm. "I only have one shot with this. I need to make it count."
Frost looked over to Missingno and shouted, "You took everything away from me. Now I'll take everything away from you!" With that, she vanished. Missingno looked around franticly, sensing the massive amount of Shadow energy in her hand, but not able to see her. "She's just too fast! What the hell happened to her?! She just might even be faster than Neo at full power!" The newly evolved XD-130 flew around the battlefield, making sure to get XD-386 as confused as possible. "Now.....disappear!!!"
Missingno glanced down at the last second to see Frost thrust the Shadow energy bomb into his abdomen. "This is my final move! Shadow Oblivion!" The blast struck home and Missingno was completely engulfed. He screamed in searing pain as the corrosive energy ate away at him, corrupting every ounce of his being. The blast flared as it consumed the evil XD-386.
Frost stood silently as she watched and listened as Missingno screamed in agony as the dark flames burned away at him. After a moment that felt like an eternity to him, Missingno collapsed onto his back, dark purple flames burning away at his limbs while very slowly making their way up towards his body.
"I was perfect..... The ultimate life-form. I was created to surpass XD-385 and the Chosen One. I was created to be the strongest creature in existence....." Missingno muttered, the flames reducing his limbs to dust. As XD-386 lay dying, Frost approached him. "You...you triumphed over the unbreakable curse..... Instead of being purified by something else, you purified yourself..... You succeeded in doing the impossible..."
Frost gritted her teeth as she demanded, "Why?" XD-386 looked up at her with a puzzled expression. "Why did you not kill me?" Missingno's glum expression began to turn into an evil grin. "As soon as I struck with that last blow, I left myself open. You could've landed a fatal blow on me. You could've taken me with you. Why did you not strike?" Missingno let out a chuckle and replied, "Because.....that's exactly what you wanted me to do."
Frost growled, "What?! You could've had your revenge on me!" Missingno laughed, "True. I could've killed you, but I chose not to. To allow you to go on living without the person that gave your life a noble reason is far more agonizing than death." Frost shuddered, "You were a mistake... Something as vile as you should never have been created......" XD-386 smirked, "I was created to bring suffering. It's what I am." The flames had already destroyed his arms and legs and had started on his torso.
Neo awoke with a start to feel a trickle of water on his face. "Tch. Still not enough?" Just as he was about to adjust the branches to close off the leak, a few more drops hit him. By sheer chance, one managed to get in his mouth. He muttered, "Hm. Almost tastes salty." As he adjusted the branches a little, Neo froze. "Wait.....salty?" A chill shivered down his spine as Neo realized why the rain tasted like tears. "No..... ASH!!!"
Neo ran over to Latias and asked, "Latias, are you OK?" She was still awake and gasped, "So cold..... Why do I feel so cold...?" Neo then held his hands to her chest and focused. (This is bad. Her life-force is weakening. She's dying. And that can only mean.....) Neo applied Sleep Powder to Latias and ran out through the gap in the branches to the east. "Who would dare?! Whoever you are, I'll kill you!"
Frost stood in disgust at what she was hearing. "How can you enjoy bringing suffering to people?! You don't have to do what you were created to do! Just do whatever you think is right!" Missingno chuckled, "That's just it. I could've chosen whether or not to fulfill the purpose that I was given. But that's just it. I enjoy bringing misery. It's who I am. It's just the way things are with me."
The dark flames had by now consumed Missingno's entire body. Only his head was still intact as the flames began on their last leg. Knowing his time was short, XD-386 gloated, "I bestowed my final curse upon you, XD-130. Now, go on living without a reason. Continue existing without the person that made your life worth living! You think you won by killing me, but you're wrong. You lost everything! I am still the victor of this battle! And I always will be!" As the flames consumed his face, XD-386 burst into cackling laughter as his existence came to an end. All that remained of him was a scorched outline in the grass where his body used to be, and his laughter being carried away on the wind.
Frost dropped to her knees as she was consumed with despair. "It's not fair..... I have been denied everything. Even my death." She then turned towards the corpse of the boy she loved, his eyes still staring lifelessly at the sky. Robbed of her reason to live, Frost approached her lover one last time.
Frost laid herself on his chest as she placed her hand over his eyes and pulled down, closing them. "You were always so sweet to me. You were my light. It was your love that enabled me to triumph over my curse." She then cupped his face and brought her lips to his and closed her eyes. His lips were cold, but she could still feel his love through them.
Frost broke the kiss and rested her head against his neck. "I'll wait right here. I will not move from this spot until my time comes. No matter how long it takes, I will wait here with you until death comes to take me. I will see you again. And we will be together again. Forever."
Neo noticed Latias looking around in confusion and hopped down from the tree branch he was resting on. "You OK? Maybe some Sleep Powder to help you get back to sleep?" Latias looked over to Neo and panted, "It's not that. I just suddenly felt a weird pain inside me. I don't know what it is." Neo shrugged his shoulders and placed his hands against her body as he used Recover. "Hm.........weird. I can't seem to find anything wrong with you. Your internal organs don't appear to be damaged. Are you sure it's not just anxiety? That can cause pain-like sensations to happen near the heart." Latias sighed, "I guess that's it. I can't think of anything else......huh?" Latias looked up as she felt a raindrop.
Neo groaned as the sound of rain and the musk of wet soil began to fill the air. "Gotta work fast!" Neo planted his hands into the ground. A few seconds passed before a mass of vines shot up from the soil, intertwining to form a dome of sorts over the campsite. They were woven in a way that prevented the rain from leaking inside. "Looks like no one woke up. I'll just take this down when morning arrives." Latias then spoke, "But is everyone here?" Neo looked around in the pitch-black darkness. With his keen eyes, he saw that Ash and Frost's sleeping bags were unoccupied. "Looks like those two went out for a walk." Neo then focused a bit and parted a few branches at ground level, forming a narrow gap for them to pass through. It also allowed some light into the dome.
Neo turned to Latias and said, "The best you can do now is just get some sleep. I'm sure you'll be feeling fine once you wake up." He then walked over to a vacant side of the dome and leaned against a wall before using Rest to fall into a deep sleep. Latias then rested her head against the pillow and tried to ignore the unexplainable sensations she was feeling. (This almost feels like a bad omen. What is this feeling?)
Missingno stood over the corpse of the Chosen One, his impaled heart resting in his right hand. "Judging by the look on his face, he never even saw what happened. Heh, some omnipotent hero." The bioweapon then crushed the heart in his hand, blood oozing from between his fingers. "Looks like the original could never hope to match the improved version of himself." His gaze then rested on the trembling form of Frost. "Wouldn't you agree, XD-130?"
Frost dropped to her knees as tears began to cascade down her face, which was already soaked by the rain. Just a moment ago she was enjoying a wonderful private moment with the boy who had given her a noble reason to live. Now he lay in front of her with a gaping hole in his chest. His eyes still showed an expression of surprise, but they were now lifeless.
As she tried to deny what she had just witnessed, Frost crawled over to the boy she loved and kneeled next to him. "This.....can't be true..... No. You can't be dead..." She then heard Missingno chuckle, "What's wrong? You once said that killing him would make that troublesome feeling disappear. Or are you weeping out of sheer relief?" He then added, "I know you hated him. Wanted to make him pay for the humiliation he put you through. You just never had the courage to follow through, but I don't blame you. He was far stronger than you are."
Frost did not seem to hear Missingno as she clutched Ash's shirt and shook him frantically. "This isn't funny anymore! Wake up! You can't die now!" Ash's lifeless eyes remained open, blind to what was happening. Frost began to sob, "You can't die..... I loved you..." At this, Missingno burst into hysterical laughter. "You loved him?! Now that's a good one! How much longer are you going to lie to yourself?" Frost turned her head to face the bioweapon and growled, "What the hell do you mean? How could you possibly understand?"
XD-386 chuckled, "Because it's just impossible. Shadow Pokemon are not capable of experiencing pleasure or enjoyment outside of causing suffering to others." He continued, "Shadow Pokemon are Pokemon whose hearts have been corrupted with Shadow energy. They live only to battle and destroy. They don't care about how others view them. They are nothing more than misshapen abominations. They know nothing of love or kindness. They are simply not capable of any emotions." He then pointed to Frost, "The same goes for you! You are nothing more than a monster that is living a lie! You are a Shadow Pokemon that is immune to purification! You can't change that!"
Frost sobbed, "Just shut up. I don't care if I can't fully purge myself of my curse. I was given a second chance at life by the only human who saw me as a person. If it was anyone else, they would've killed me without shedding a tear." Frost then collapsed onto Ash's chest, weeping uncontrollably. Missingno grumbled, "Knock it off. I know you crave to kill. And that's what I intend to help you with. Come with me, and we will spill the blood of the Chosen Protector. After that, we can travel the globe, slaughtering whoever we see fit. An ocean of blood. Does it entice you?!"
Missingno waited a moment as Frost did not reply. He then grumbled, "Fine. If being around him will make you happy, so be it." He became covered in a blinding light. Frost was startled by this and turned to face him. When the light receded, a familiar voice asked, "Are you satisfied now?" Frost stared at Missingno's new form. He had used Transform to alter his appearance into that of Ash's.
"So, do you feel more at ease in my presence now?" Missingno asked. He smirked at Frost's expression of surprise, but he became puzzled when her face changed to one of anger. "You think this is funny?! You think I'll be happy with someone who only looks like him?! It doesn't matter what you do to change your body. You will never be the boy who I loved!" She then turned towards Ash again and pleaded, "I know you're not really dead. Please.....wake up."
Missingno shook his head in disbelief and reverted to his true form. "Unbelievable. You still can't tell that his life has ended? Guess I'll just have to convince you." He then walked over to Ash's corpse and formed another Icicle Spear in his hand. "If he's really just unconscious, then he should show some form of reaction to this." He then thrust the Icicle Spear downwards, skewering Ash through the abdomen. The two of them just watched for a few seconds, but nothing happened. Ash showed no reaction at all. Not even a shudder.
Missingno drew the Icicle Spear out of the body and cast it to the side. "There. If he was still alive, his body would've reacted in some way to that wound. And if you need further convincing, just feel his blood." Frost reached into the gap in his chest until her hand was soaked in his blood. She shuddered as it came in contact with her skin. It was somewhat cool. It was only then that the unbearable became clear to her. The boy she loved was no more.
Upon seeing Frost freeze with horror, XD-386 chuckled, "So, do you really see it now?" The Shadow Sneasel screamed, "This isn't real! Why?!" She then collapsed onto Ash's chest and screamed in sorrow. Missingno chuckled, "Oh come on. Let's just head back to the campsite and kill everyone there. The sight of their blood will make you feel more at ease. Trust me." However, Frost wailed, "How could you?! He meant everything to me! He showed me how to love. He even allowed me to become a mother to his child! How dare you! How dare you take him away from me!!!"
Missingno scowled as a dark aura began to billow around Frost's body. But almost immediately it began to turn a bloody red. Missingno felt cold sweat begin to trickle down his face as he realized just what was happening to her. "Red?! N...No! This isn't possible!" He took a step back, "This just isn't possible! The XD series of Shadow Pokemon should not be capable of entering Hyper Mode!" The Sneasel climbed to her feet and glared at Missingno, her eyes filled with raw hatred. "I'll kill you! I'll make you know the pain that you feel when you lose the one thing that gives your life meaning!"
Missingno shuddered, but soon regained his calm cool composure. "Heh, it's pretty ironic, to be honest." Frost snarled, "What do you mean?" XD-386 chuckled, "With the Chosen One dead, and that flawed XD-001's purification imminent, you are the only creature left alive that can actually destroy me." Frost sneered, "Is that a fact?" Missingno then smirked, "Yes, but it still won't happen. Just how do you expect to kill me?! 385 Pokemon in one body, along with the Chosen One's magnificent power! What makes you think one puny Sneasel can bring me down?!" Frost simply replied, "I don't plan on living through this. Just as long as I kill you, I can die happy. There's nothing left for me in this world." She then began to prepare a Shadow Chill in her right hand. "I don't care what happens to me now! But I'll take you with me!"
The Shadow Sneasel fired the Shadow Chill at Missingno, who was only able to barely evade it. "Her attacks travel at much greater speed than before! So this is the power that a XD series Shadow Pokemon acquires upon activating Hyper Mode." A voice spoke behind him, "You sure I can't kill you?" Frost then nailed Missingno in the back with a Shadow Break, causing the bioweapon to scream in agony as he slammed into the muddy ground. "That...actually hurt! Guh.....such pain..."
XD-386 began to climb to his feet, but Frost was already in front of him, a Shadow Blast in her palm. "DIE!" The Shadow-laced Aeroblast engulfed XD-386, sending him flying down the road. He gagged as he slid to a stop. "I never imagined that Shadow type attacks could be so painful. I need to keep a grip, or she really will kill me." With that, Frost charged Missingno with a Shadow Blitz. Knowing that her speed was no joke, he stood his ground and waited.
"Why won't you stay down?!" Frost screamed as she rammed Missingno head-on. The concussive shockwave of Shadow energy put a big strain on his internal organs, but this was the opportunity he was waiting for. "You should use caution when your opponent makes no attempt to evade your attack." He then slammed his fist into Frost's belly with Counter. It hit with double the force of Frost's Shadow Blitz, making her gag as the air was knocked out of her lungs. "And for a quick follow-up." Missingno then nailed Frost with a Force Palm, the shockwave sending her a good distance away.
"You should remember that your element consists of Dark and Ice. Both share a weakness to Fighting type attacks. I take it the pain is to your liking?" However, Frost simply laughed a little as she regained her balance. "I hardly felt a thing. The pain I went through when becoming XD-130 was far greater than what you just slugged me with."
Missingno smirked, "You really are something else. For a single Pokemon to take on 385 at once, along with the most powerful being on the planet Earth. It's just hard to imagine." Frost growled, "Are you trying to flatter me?" Missingno shook his head, "No. I'm just congratulating you for forcing me to resort to my greatest abilities." He then held his right hand out to the side. In a flash of dark energy, a very familiar triple tipped sword appeared in his grasp. "Since the Chosen One's DNA was used in my creation, I have BECOME the Chosen One. If you still think you can kill me now, ATTACK!!!"
Frost, not the least bit fazed by Missingno's change in battle style, charged with Shadow energy coating her claws. "It doesn't matter what you use! You're still going to die here!" But as she closed in, XD-386 performed a wide slash in the blink of an eye, neatly carving a deep cut along Frost's face. But this was not enough to stop her. She performed an upward swing with one hand, slashing across Missingno's face in a similar manner. Two deep cuts now adorned his face in-between the eyes.
Missingno staggered back at the pain that now coursed through his face. He then brought a hand to his face at the feel of a warm liquid flowing down it. When he brought his hand forward, he saw a red liquid sticking to it. "Blood? Is this.....MY blood?" He then looked back over at Frost, blood oozing from the cut on her face. However, she did not seem to be in any pain. "I never expected your pain tolerance to be this extreme. I could tear you open and you still wouldn't even yelp." Just then, he impaled the sword into the ground at his side and held out his hands in front of him, very nearly touching each other.
Frost gasped when she saw yellow, blue, and red streams of energy gathering into one spot in Missingno's palms. "Crap." She then held out both hands and began to prepare a Shadow Blast. After a moment of preparation, Missingno shouted, "Let's see if you can stop this one! BIG BANG ATTACK!!!" The apocalyptic blast of three elements roared towards XD-130 as she readied her own attack. "Don't get cocky!" At that moment, Frost countered with a Shadow Blast that seemed equal in size to the Big Bang Attack! The instant the two blasts collided, a massive explosion erupted into the sky!
Missingno was now thoroughly annoyed by Frost's attempts to kill him. He then took the Chosen One's sword in hand and shouted, "If physical injuries don't bother you, then I'll just have to strike a nerve instead!" Frost yelled, "Just what do you mean?!" Missingno's body was engulfed in a black cloud of darkness as he shouted, "I think I'll just bring back some bad memories for you! DARK VOID!"
In an instant, the Dark Void engulfed Frost, causing her mind to enter a dream state while her body still seemed to be wide awake. As she just stood there, Missingno cackled, "Now, show me your worst fears!" He then cast Nightmare on her while looking into her mind. "Just how much trauma can you take before your will breaks?"
Frost looked around in a daze. "What the...? What happened?! Where are you hiding, Missingno?!" Frost glanced around, keeping her claws sheathed in Shadow energy. Just then, a voice spoke, "What're you talking about? We took care of him back in Ever Grande city. Don't you remember?" Frost turned around and stared in disbelief. "Ash.....you're alive?"
Frost became calm as the Shadow energy engulfing her claws dispersed. "But.....how? I saw you die..." Ash kneeled down and embraced the little Sneasel, "I don't know what happened, but I'm fine. Maybe you just saw some kinda illusion." Frost sighed, "That was some illusion then. It felt so real." Ash grinned, "Maybe Missingno got you in some weird Hypnosis gig. But I'm fine." Frost smiled as she embraced the boy of her dreams. "I thought I lost you."
The Shadow Sneasel sighed, "Well, let's get back to camp. We stayed out late enough already." Ash smiled, "I guess. I'm feeling pretty drowsy too." As they walked east, Frost remembered something. "Hey Ash, now that I think about it, you didn't let your dad out when we set up camp tonight." Ash seemed surprised and asked, "Wha? Dad's in the Orange Islands right now." Frost looked at him funny and argued, "What are you talking about?! I was with you when he showed up at the beach just south of Sandgem town! He said he wanted to stay with you and you caught him in a Poke Ball!" By now, Ash seemed a bit worried and annoyed. "Frost, I think there's something wrong with your head. Dad isn't with us right now. He's still in the Orange Islands." Frost was puzzled by this, but her face soon became clouded with sorrow. "No..... Now this is just beyond cruel....."
Ash set his hand on Frost's shoulder as she turned around and started crying. "What's wrong? It's really weird for you to cry." But as soon as she felt his hand touch her, Frost screamed, "Get away!" She then extended her claws and spun around, slashing through Ash's chest. She was not surprised to see an empty void where his entrails were supposed to be. Ash then smirked and with a familiar voice spoke, "So you caught on. Unexpected. But now the fun part begins."
Frost jumped as chains seemed to come from nowhere. She did not last long before they shackled her hands and feet. Just like the last time, they felt more like iron bars than wobbly chains. "I should've known you would resort to this. Only a twisted mind like yours' could get any pleasure out of this." Frost sobbed as she hung helplessly from her shackles. Missingno chuckled, "I have no way of explaining why. It's who I am. Now then, I'm going to show you your worst fears 100 times over, altering them slightly every time. I have to wonder how long it will take before you go mad with grief. Shall we begin?"
Frost opened her eyes and saw Ash just standing in front of her with a smile on his face. Soon flames began to crawl up his body as his clothes ignited. Tears began to flow down Frost's cheeks as Ash's body began to turn dark as he burned away. The whole time, he was still smiling at her. Frost sobbed as she watched his arms fall off as the flames burned away at them. After several minutes, his whole body had been reduced to a pile of smoldering ashes and bones.
"Had enough yet? No? Then let's kick it up a notch." Missingno chuckled as Ash once again appeared before Frost. He was still smiling. After a moment, his skin started to bubble. Pockets of pus burst open on his skin as a vile orange liquid oozed down his body. Soon his body began to liquefy. Frost wept as she watched him shrink into a puddle of orange liquid.
"You must've had some sort of mental training to resist it for this long. But let's continue." Missingno then showed up himself along with Ash once again. "Watch this. It'll blow your mind." Using Minimize, Missingno shrank himself down to a size that Frost could not see. She was unaware that he had invaded Ash's body. Very slowly, Frost began to notice that Ash's body seemed to be imploding slightly. His skin was becoming saggy, as if his bones and muscles were disappearing from the inside. She gasped as he was steadily mummified right before her eyes. As if that was not enough, Ash's cloak of skin began to rise up from the ground as something filled it. Once it was standing up straight, the left hand reached for the face. Once it had a firm grip, the hand pulled away at the flesh, much like a thin plastic mask. Frost's eyes shuddered in horror at the sight of Missingno's face looking out from Ash's head. Worse, his lips seemed to be covered in blood. "Mmmm... Who knew that human meat was so tasty?"
Missingno continued on with his torture, his methods becoming more and more inhumane. Somehow, Frost was able to keep a grip on her mind, never screaming out in agony. "You have a very level head. But I've saved the best for last." Once again, Ash stood before Frost. But this time he was holding his unique sword. He also seemed very discontent with something.
Ash spoke, "Frost, I think it's time I told you the truth." This surprised Frost greatly, especially that he was not being destroyed right in front of her. He then looked up at her with a look of disgust in his eyes. "I lied. I never loved you. You tried to murder my son. I could never forgive you for that." He then raised his sword to her chest. "I hate you."
A river of tears began to cascade from Frost's eyes as she heard the three words that she never even dreamed Ash would say to her. "You're a monster. You live to kill. You're just a black hearted wretch. I could never love something like you." Frost sobbed, "It's a lie..... You have to be lying..." Ash grunted, "Keep telling yourself that. I always hated you. The only reason I let you stay with me was so I could earn your trust. That way I could kill you more easily." He then pulled his sword back as he prepared to impale the poor Sneasel. "Now. Just die."
Frost awoke to pain like she had never felt before as Missingno impaled her on the Chosen One's sword. He held her high above him, her blood oozing down the blade. She was completely silent with grief, but not from her wound. The bioweapon smirked, "So you're awake now. Did you enjoy my little performance?" He then lowered Frost to the ground and held her down with his foot as he drew the blade out of her. "You were never a real match for me, the Ultimate Bioweapon."
Frost came to her senses slightly, tears streaming down her face as she lightly sobbed. Missingno shook his head, "For a Shadow Pokemon, you rely far too heavily on Shadow type attacks. You could never defeat something like me with such an unbalanced arsenal. You fool."
Missingno turned to the west as he set his sights on Onyx, but just before he left, he faced Frost and asked, "You endured every last round of torture that involved Ash being destroyed in varying fashions. How were you able to put up with them?" Frost whispered, "Because.....he was already dead. The knowledge that he was already gone allowed me to understand that what you were doing was mutilating a corpse. I snapped at the end because Ash meant.....everything to me....and to see and hear him claim that he despised me was enough to break my heart."
Missingno shook his head, "You really are one pathetic creature. Shadow Pokemon are simply incapable of experiencing true love. Just accept it." Missingno then took a step back as Frost began to stagger to her feet. "Even if you can't feel the full amount of pain, you shouldn't be able to stand with that wound! What're you doing?!" Frost glared at him, blood still oozing down the middle of her face from the cut on her forehead. "You're right. I rely far too much on Shadow type attacks. And I always knew it. This Shadow energy corruption is nothing more than a crutch. I can't truly use my full potential with it weighing me down. That is why....." Frost paused as her red aura began to billow again. "That is why...I must break this curse!"
Frost began to growl as what seemed to be cracks began to creep all over her body. White rays of light seemed to be shimmering between the cracks as her black fur began to turn a deep purple. The red aura surrounding her surged as she groaned. "I will not allow this curse to command me any longer! I will destroy you! No matter what it takes!"
Suddenly, the dark purple fragments that were being separated by the shimmering cracks all over Frost's body exploded outwards, sending a cloud of purple fog throughout the battlefield! Missingno covered his face in a reflexive move. "What the hell?! Is this Shadow Mist?!" It did not take long for the fog to dissipate. But once Missingno could start to make Frost out, he gasped, "No way..... There's just no way..... You couldn't have..."
The creature that stood before Missingno no longer seemed to be a Sneasel. Her ears now both had feathers on them, but were now lower on the head, near the sides. What was more, the feathers were now red instead of pink. The claws on her toes had become longer and sharper. Her hands now had three claws instead of two. What surprised him further was that her wounds had disappeared. The three tail feathers on her posterior had seemingly fused into a red tail that seemed to part shortly after the base. On top of her head was a wide fan shaped red headdress that seemed to be made up of the same kind of feathers on her tail and ears. There was also a collar of sorts that was around her neck. It seemed very similar to the headdress in layering and it went all the way around, with her breasts just under it. Her deep red eyes glared at the bioweapon as a dark purple aura surrounded her. "She.....evolved."
Frost could feel that the Shadow energy within her was no longer anchored to her heart and was surging throughout her body. She could feel its sting, knowing that it could kill her if she did not do something with it soon. "All of it.....to my right hand." The aura that surrounded Frost began to gravitate to her right hand, forming a type of bomb in her palm. "I only have one shot with this. I need to make it count."
Frost looked over to Missingno and shouted, "You took everything away from me. Now I'll take everything away from you!" With that, she vanished. Missingno looked around franticly, sensing the massive amount of Shadow energy in her hand, but not able to see her. "She's just too fast! What the hell happened to her?! She just might even be faster than Neo at full power!" The newly evolved XD-130 flew around the battlefield, making sure to get XD-386 as confused as possible. "Now.....disappear!!!"
Missingno glanced down at the last second to see Frost thrust the Shadow energy bomb into his abdomen. "This is my final move! Shadow Oblivion!" The blast struck home and Missingno was completely engulfed. He screamed in searing pain as the corrosive energy ate away at him, corrupting every ounce of his being. The blast flared as it consumed the evil XD-386.
Frost stood silently as she watched and listened as Missingno screamed in agony as the dark flames burned away at him. After a moment that felt like an eternity to him, Missingno collapsed onto his back, dark purple flames burning away at his limbs while very slowly making their way up towards his body.
"I was perfect..... The ultimate life-form. I was created to surpass XD-385 and the Chosen One. I was created to be the strongest creature in existence....." Missingno muttered, the flames reducing his limbs to dust. As XD-386 lay dying, Frost approached him. "You...you triumphed over the unbreakable curse..... Instead of being purified by something else, you purified yourself..... You succeeded in doing the impossible..."
Frost gritted her teeth as she demanded, "Why?" XD-386 looked up at her with a puzzled expression. "Why did you not kill me?" Missingno's glum expression began to turn into an evil grin. "As soon as I struck with that last blow, I left myself open. You could've landed a fatal blow on me. You could've taken me with you. Why did you not strike?" Missingno let out a chuckle and replied, "Because.....that's exactly what you wanted me to do."
Frost growled, "What?! You could've had your revenge on me!" Missingno laughed, "True. I could've killed you, but I chose not to. To allow you to go on living without the person that gave your life a noble reason is far more agonizing than death." Frost shuddered, "You were a mistake... Something as vile as you should never have been created......" XD-386 smirked, "I was created to bring suffering. It's what I am." The flames had already destroyed his arms and legs and had started on his torso.
Neo awoke with a start to feel a trickle of water on his face. "Tch. Still not enough?" Just as he was about to adjust the branches to close off the leak, a few more drops hit him. By sheer chance, one managed to get in his mouth. He muttered, "Hm. Almost tastes salty." As he adjusted the branches a little, Neo froze. "Wait.....salty?" A chill shivered down his spine as Neo realized why the rain tasted like tears. "No..... ASH!!!"
Neo ran over to Latias and asked, "Latias, are you OK?" She was still awake and gasped, "So cold..... Why do I feel so cold...?" Neo then held his hands to her chest and focused. (This is bad. Her life-force is weakening. She's dying. And that can only mean.....) Neo applied Sleep Powder to Latias and ran out through the gap in the branches to the east. "Who would dare?! Whoever you are, I'll kill you!"
Frost stood in disgust at what she was hearing. "How can you enjoy bringing suffering to people?! You don't have to do what you were created to do! Just do whatever you think is right!" Missingno chuckled, "That's just it. I could've chosen whether or not to fulfill the purpose that I was given. But that's just it. I enjoy bringing misery. It's who I am. It's just the way things are with me."
The dark flames had by now consumed Missingno's entire body. Only his head was still intact as the flames began on their last leg. Knowing his time was short, XD-386 gloated, "I bestowed my final curse upon you, XD-130. Now, go on living without a reason. Continue existing without the person that made your life worth living! You think you won by killing me, but you're wrong. You lost everything! I am still the victor of this battle! And I always will be!" As the flames consumed his face, XD-386 burst into cackling laughter as his existence came to an end. All that remained of him was a scorched outline in the grass where his body used to be, and his laughter being carried away on the wind.
Frost dropped to her knees as she was consumed with despair. "It's not fair..... I have been denied everything. Even my death." She then turned towards the corpse of the boy she loved, his eyes still staring lifelessly at the sky. Robbed of her reason to live, Frost approached her lover one last time.
Frost laid herself on his chest as she placed her hand over his eyes and pulled down, closing them. "You were always so sweet to me. You were my light. It was your love that enabled me to triumph over my curse." She then cupped his face and brought her lips to his and closed her eyes. His lips were cold, but she could still feel his love through them.
Frost broke the kiss and rested her head against his neck. "I'll wait right here. I will not move from this spot until my time comes. No matter how long it takes, I will wait here with you until death comes to take me. I will see you again. And we will be together again. Forever."