Story Notes:
In death, we are all equal in the sense that nothing matters.
In that respect, only a fool would trade even a day of his life for immortality in legend.
It is not immortality in the true sense of the word...
But what if one's life was not in the true sense of the word, either...?
The Legendary Pikablu
A few miles north of Cerulean City, located in the middle of a steep, treacherous range that only flying creatures or the extremely stupid would ever attempt to scale, the tall Hilltop Mountain stands. It was in fact a volcano, named differently as it has been dormant for centuries and considered to be completely safe. The process of sealing it up had created a natural indent in the peak, a valley of sorts, reaching into the mountain and forming the top like an arena with surrounding walls. The narrow edges and steep drop on every side rendered it impossible for anyone to be anywhere on the peak apart from this immediate area-
"-making it a perfect spot for legendaries to meet..." Pikablu said while throwing his hands up into the air, "... Or in this case, get what's been coming to them!"
"G-Geez, t-take it easy, will ya..." the Gallade said, collapsing on the ground in exhaustion, "... Bloody m-mountain's taller 'n it looks, 'n it looked pretty damn tall to me..."
"We're a day early, even..." Pikablu said while looking at the clock he had stolen from the trainer in Ilex Forest, "Good. Wouldn't want to miss this on account of Ho-Oh not being punctual."
"Gah, only one day of rest!?" the Gallade gasped, "We practically ran halfway across the globe for this, and now we've got to fight a legendary tomorrow!?"
"Actually, we might not even get that if they're early" Pikablu snickered while stretching his neck, "Again, you don't have to do any of this. Go home and be a family man!"
"Come on..." the Gallade said while rising to his feet, "You know you can't do this without me!"
"What do you mean? Of course I could!" Pikablu responded surprised as the Gallade flinched in pain and once again sat down, "... I will admit that you'll make it easier though, so you're welcome to stay for as long as you want. And, of course, once I become legendary you will have a place by my side."
"... You know what?" the Gallade said as he leaned back and looked up at the sky, "That honestly doesn't seem as important as it once did."
"... Huh?" Pikablu exclaimed, stretching his legs and arms at the same time.
"... Or finding a girl, getting famous, or any of that..." the Gallade continued with a smile, "Traveling the world like this while searching for the unknown has been so exciting! Even if I were to find a girl worthy of my beauty, how could I possibly settle down when there's so much more to see...?"
"I mean, if Ho-Oh actually shows up, that is!" the Gallade quickly finished as he stood up again.
"It looks promising so far" Pikablu said in high spirits, "Could you scan the area, see if you pick anything up?"
"I did while we were talking, and even though I hate to admit it..." the Gallade said mysteriously, "... There's definitely something strange here."
"Strange?" Pikablu asked with a confused look, "Strange, how?"
"Can't really explain it, I've never felt anything like it before" the Gallade said with a shudder, "... Gives me the creeps."
"So... You have finally come!" a muffled voice sounded. Both of them gasped as they heard something burrow its way up from underground, before an odd figure popped out of the ground. It was covered by a thick, brown shell, and had long scythes for hands.
"Kabutops!" Pikablu exclaimed cheerfully, "We thought you were licked!"
"Indeed..." Kabutops said in a more confident voice than usual, wiping some of the dust from his scythes, "Thank you for rushing to my rescue."
"Hey, we thought about it..." the Gallade said while shaking his head, "... But rushing out into a swarm of fiends like that was just TOO damn stupid for us to accept."
"Worse than trying to summon Darkrai by reading horror stories before bedtime?" Kabutops laughed, crossing his arms with the scythes sticking out behind him.
"Seems like it got a laugh out of you!" Pikablu laughed back, "I should get some kind of achievement award for that!"
Pikablu held his fist in front of him in a gesture, and Kabutops held out his sharp scythes. Then he lifted his right foot and held his leg out, which Pikablu headbutted.
"It's good to have you back, man" Pikablu said in a friendly manner.
"You know it" Kabutops smiled, "Thought you two would get here earlier than this, though."
"So, what happened?" the Gallade asked, "On our end, it was like... '-let go!', or something."
"Oh, I fought bravely for what seemed like hours, waiting for support that never arrived ..." Kabutops lied, "But really, I was doing fine! I defeated enemy after enemy before a hostage situation developed and I was forced to stand down..."
"As expected!" Pikablu said, somewhat regretting not being there, "I knew you were a fighter!"
"... Anyway, long story short..." Kabutops said, running out of fake stories to tell, "I explained the situation to them, and after they let me go I met with Astrid."
"Wait..." Pikablu said with a worried tone, "You... Explained the situation?"
"Yeah" Kabutops said in a reassuring way, "You know, some madman busted into the tower, beat up a Dragonite, I was helpless to stop him..."
"Ahaha! That's great!" Pikablu laughed heartily at this, "How was the Dragonite doing, by the way?"
"... I'm not sure" Kabutops replied, thinking back, "She was still at the Pokecenter when we left. I think you humbled her a bit, though."
"If that's not a heroic deed, I don't know what is!" the Gallade nodded.
"Anyway, so Astrid and I got talking about the past and stuff, and we not-so-surprisingly found out we had a lot in common..." Kabutops continued, "... And we're together now."
"Huh, no kidding?" Pikablu said before he once again got the same worried tone, "Wait, is she coming here today...?"
"No, she decided to sit this one out... But she helped! I rode her all the way here!" Kabutops said quickly before lowering both his head and voice, "And all the way there, as well, if you... Know what I mean..."
A moment of silence passed as Kabutops gained a blush so bright it was almost showing through his shell.
"Ahahaha! Way to go, man!" Pikablu laughed and patted him on the back, "And I'm empathizing the 'man' part!"
"Looks like you beat me to it!" the Gallade chuckled, "What will happen to the three travelling bachelors now?"
"Hey, did you forget that I've got a girl back home?" Pikablu sneered, "Seems that even though it was your goal all along, you were the only one who didn't find anyone!"
"No, that's just..." the Gallade snickered, before realizing that it was true, "Wait, what? How did this happen!? That's so unfair!"
"So you decided to see this thing through to the end?" Pikablu asked, ignoring the Gallade who had collapsed in defeat and started talking to himself.
"More or less, yeah" Kabutops replied, "Well, wanted to update you guys, and maybe even see a legendary..."
"Hmm..." Pikablu sighed while looking around, "Seems like that'll be a problem with the form of this place."
"No, wait! That's why!" the Gallade suddenly burst out, "I was looking for the most beautiful woman in the world, you guys just settled with whatever you had!"
"You watch it there, pretty boy..." Pikablu said menacingly while cracking his neck, "... Or you won't be pretty much longer!"
"Yes! That's how it is!" the Gallade kept going, "Tomorrow... I mean, the day after tomorrow... I'll search all of Cerulean City for someone worthy of my beauty!"
"... If there is a day after tomorrow" Kabutops said with a voice more reminiscent of his previous self, "We are fighting a legendary, after all..."
"Correction" Pikablu said sternly, "I'm fighting a legendary. You two remain hidden. I might have you help carry an unconscious legendary once I'm done."
"If it's a fire-type, I can fight too" Kabutops said, waving his scythes around.
"I know you're immune to fire, but Ho-Oh will most likely have some tricks up her sleeve" Pikablu said followed by a short laugh, "Nothing that will save her from a million volts to the brain, I'm guessing."
"And if she does?" Kabutops quickly replied.
"... Then I'll do it again!" Pikablu said triumphantly, "Don't worry, no one has more tricks up their sleeve than I do!"
"You don't have any sleeves, why do you keep using that expression!?" the Gallade shouted.
"But... You told me you couldn't use 25% in midair" Kabutops continued, forming a concerned look somewhere behind his protective mask.
"... Yeah, I can't" Pikablu sighed, "25% damages my insides, so I have to link myself to the ground so that I can constantly let out excess electricity. Nothing says I ever have to leave the ground when fighting Ho-Oh, though."
"So..." the Gallade said while looking around the barren indent, "... Where do we hide, exactly?"
"You're the one making the force field" Pikablu said with a sigh, "You tell me."
"Well..." the Gallade started, "I saw a small cave not far down from here, I can stay there and keep this area guarded..."
"... But?" Pikablu asked.
"We won't be able to see you, and if the legendaries are as strong as we fear I won't be able to hold them back if they keep pounding on the force field" the Gallade said.
"Eh, even for a legendary it should take ten seconds to punch through it, which is ten seconds more than I'll give them!" Pikablu said confidently, "Just be ready to activate it the moment you sense someone else enter this place!"
"Got it!" the Gallade said happily.
After hanging out for a while, Kabutops and the Gallade started climbing down the mountain as Pikablu sat and waited for the legendary. The hours passed slowly, as Pikablu was far too excited to sit still. He started by stretching and flexing, thinking the legendary could appear at any moment. After a while he got tired, and leaned against a wall to become somewhat hidden before falling asleep. While sleeping, he had a strange dream about fighting a Ho-Oh that sprouted several different heads, all shooting beams of varying elements.
A twinge in his heart woke him up. For some reason, he felt happy. Serenity washed over him as he remembered where he was, and noticed that night had fallen. He also noticed that he was no longer alone. In the middle of the giant crater, a strange being was floating.
Beautiful beyond all description, she was the embodiment of harmony. Purity and life positively radiating from her, even plants would be able to notice her magnificent presence and perk up to seek her touch. Although her body was small like a sapling, her form was like a flower in bloom with large blue eyes sparkling like dewdrops in the morning. Moving gracefully through the air, she was the closest thing to an incarnation of mother nature.
"C... Celebi...?" Pikablu said out loud as he was completely paralyzed and his vision slowly focused on the being in front of him, "Celebi... Celebi... CELEBI..." Celebi looked in his direction and gasped, quickly turning around to fly away. She only made it a few feet before being thrown back by an unseen force.
"Heh... Not even in my wildest dreams would I have thought I would encounter you this early...!" Pikablu said, before yelling with hate oozing out of his every pore, "KEEP HER HERE, NO MATTER WHAT!"
"W-Who are you?" Celebi asked, speaking with a soft, serene yet somewhat startled voice.
"Pikablu..." Pikablu said while collecting himself, "... Brother of Pichu. You are Celebi, correct?"
"... What do you want with me?" Celebi asked innocently.
"What I want...?" Pikablu laughed to himself, "Originally I was planning on becoming a legendary Pokémon, but now that you're here I think your death will be quite sufficient!"
Without hesitating, Pikablu threw his hands to the ground and exploded into an aura of lightning before moving towards Celebi at an immense speed. Celebi was taken off guard by his fastness and barely had time to react, but managed to cover herself in a barrier before he reached her. Pikablu was thrown back, sending a thunderjolt her way in mid-air which the barrier absorbed. The moment he landed on the ground he disappeared, appearing behind Celebi and using a strong thunderbolt attack. Celebi noticed this and soared up into the sky, but didn't receive even a light shock as the barrier repelled the attack. The pain running through Pikablu's body told him that this encounter was no dream.
"Wait! Stop!" Celebi cried as she settled high up in the sky, "Why!? What have I ever done to you!?"
"You killed my brother, bitch!" Pikablu screamed in anger, before exhaling and letting the lightning aura around him vanish.
"I haven't killed anyone!" Celebi replied, before quickly moving to the side as a stream of electricity missed her and flew up into the clouds above them.
"Of course you wouldn't remember some random squirt you killed on one of your big, important journeys!" Pikablu shouted while charging up another attack, "That would be beneath you, right!?"
"Please, calm down!" Celebi yelled desperately, "We can talk about this!"
"Oh, I'll talk plenty when I'm sure you won't escape!" Pikablu shouted back, "Most likely after I've paralyzed every part of your body!"
Closing his eyes, Pikablu sent strongest electrical attack straight up into the sky. He knew he didn't need to aim. Twenty branches of lightning rose from his body in an upside-down lightning strike, although from above it looked more like a vortex that was growing at a rapid pace. Celebi strengthened her barrier and flew even higher, before being pushed back by the restrictive force field the Gallade had raised.
Seeing the lightning below rising, she used her psychic powers to smash the ground below her. Looking around in surprise, Pikablu noticed how several rocks were being lifted up around him with an unseen force. Sensing danger, he cancelled his attack and jumped as the rocks all converged on his position and crushed themselves against each other. When he landed on the ground, he felt something like an invisible hand grabbing on to him before flinging him away into the distance. He too struck the restrictive force field and was sent back, barely managing to land on his feet.
"A counterattack!? I'm honored!" Pikablu said while hiding the fact that he was gasping for air, "Good, let's make this battle interesting!"
"No..." Celebi said calmly as she floated down to the ground, "This battle is already over."
"What." Pikablu said flatly, "... Did I win?"
"I can see into your body" Celebi said, staring into the pack of cells and many atoms before her, "You just exhausted your entire supply of electricity with that attack."
"Yeah, I know..." Pikablu said with a disgusted tone, "... But you can actually see into my body? Weird."
"I can also see that you are a heavily scarred Pikachu" Celebi said worriedly, "... Fight like this again, and your life will be over."
"Listen, it's time for you to get one thing straight!" Pikablu shouted while gritting his teeth, "All doubts and questions have been erased from my mind, and this battle will not be over until you are dead!"
"But... But I honestly haven't killed anyone!" Celebi said hopelessly, "I would never do such a thing!"
"... Oh yeah?" Pikablu said before taking a step forward, "Look at my face. Try telling me you don't remember anything."
Celebi knew it would be unwise to drop her guard, but for a moment she decided to comply with his request. She looked at him. He looked like a normal Pikachu in every way, except heavily scarred and unusually tough. However, somehow, when she stared into the deepness of his eyes, a memory from long ago sprung to life...
... I am flying through the woods. I knew I had done it now. Zipping through the trees, I can sense that the creature is still behind me.
"Wait! Stop!" the creature yells, not slowing down a bit.
"No! Stay away!" I shout. Why won't he leave me alone!? I had been so careful, yet someone had seen me and now I was going to be captured, experimented on, I will never free again!
A cliff. Perfect! Now the creature cannot chase me anymore! I quickly fly above it, turning around to look at the creature one last time.
He jumps at me. His eyes... So deep... Before I can react, his soft paw is touching me.
My mind scrambles. A male had touched me! I can feel the infection spreading, poisoning my womb and beginning the process that would force me into an early grave. Terrified and crying, I fly as quickly as I can to uncle Giratina who comforts me and tells me that I will only die if...
"... that Pichu was your brother?" Celebi asked silently.
"Finally remembered, huh?" Pikablu said while stretching his arms, "At least that's something. I'll make sure to remember you in the future, preferably by turning your head into a trophy!"
"W-Wait!" Celebi yelled sadly, "It was an accident!"
"I'll bet it was" Pikablu replied while cracking his neck, "If you knew you were going to die right here and now, you probably would have-"
"No, you don't understand!" Celebi interrupted, "I was just trying to escape when I flew over a cliff, and..."
"... And let my only brother plunge to his death!?" Pikablu interrupted back in rage, "Why didn't you stop him, or save him!?"
"I..." Celebi stammered shamefully, "There... Was something else on my mind..."
"THAT'S YOUR EXCUSE!?" Pikablu roared, "And then you just flew off, leaving him to die!?"
"It was important!" Celebi said trying hopelessly to justify herself, "I had to run, I was fearing for my life, I..."
"Oh, you'll be fearing for your life, alright!" Pikablu bellowed as he struck a pose, "Brace yourself, bitch!"
A booming noise was heard above them. Celebi looked up and noticed that the sky had turned black with dark clouds.
"If you can really see into my body..." Pikablu said menacingly, "... You must have seen that I filled it up to 25% with electricity earlier."
"I... I don't want to..." Celebi mumbled, at a loss for words.
"Well then, take a good look now!" Pikablu yelled while throwing his hands up to the sky, "I'm about to go for 50%!"
Everything turned white for an instant as lightning fell from the clouds above and struck down into Pikablu. He screamed loudly as a large blue aura surrounded him, strong electrical currents spiraling the area like flying snakes. Little by little the aura shrunk, and Pikablu's screaming receded.
When it was over, the aura was completely gone. Pikablu looked perfectly normal. Celebi decided to take another look inside his body, but realized too late what was going on.
Pikablu inhaled deeply, before shooting out a massive wall of thunder at Celebi. She saw that she had no hope of dodging it, so she reinforced her barrier instead. The thunder hit her harder than she had expected, and the barrier barely held up as the electricity crashed into the mountain behind her, sending debris flying in every direction.
"Tough barrier. Looks like I'll have to focus it a bit more..." Pikablu said, before shooting a giant pillar of light at her. It was fast, and while she herself managed to avoid it half her barrier got caught up in the pillar, causing the barrier to instantly evaporate.
"That's it!" Pikablu yelled cheerfully before unleashing stream after stream of lightning, whipping around the area. Celebi quickly regenerated her barrier, and tried dodging the electricity in vain. She was hit over and over, and desperate for an escape flew up into the sky.
"You think that's such a good idea...?" Pikablu sneered as he raised his arms. Celebi anticipated the attack and moved to the side, but was surprised as lightning struck her from behind. He had summoned down another lightning bolt! Growing exhausted and feeling her barrier wane, Celebi knew she wouldn't last long at this rate.
"You are forcing me to attack!" Celebi shouted before creating a set of magical leaves.
"No I'm not, I'm only forcing you to DIE!" Pikablu screamed while sending a ball of lightning her way. The leaves started moving and caught up to the ball in midair, after which they started spinning around it quickly, making it shrink and finally disappear.
"What the... What the hell just happened!?" Pikablu said, feeling speechless as the leaves started moving again and quickly approached him.
"Oh yeah? Try this one on for size...!" Pikablu growled before shooting another humongous wall of thunder above him, charring the leaves into nothingness. Celebi tried flying to the side but couldn't make it, and the wall struck her barrier once more.
"Ha ha ha! Did you see that!?" Pikablu laughed happily, "That's my 50% technique!" Celebi stared at him in disbelief.
"Even my body wouldn't be able to take 50% electricity swirling around..." Pikablu continued, "So I keep it immobile. Stored, if you will. Summoning lightning is a cinch, so thanks to that I have a never ending surplus of electricity! I can use my strongest attacks over and over, and I'll never run out!"
"How did you..." Celebi mumbled, still confused.
"What you think those scars on my inside just made themselves?" Pikablu shouted cheerfully, "For years I put myself through training that most people would compare to torture! All for this! All for this one battle! You should feel so grateful!"
Celebi looked down at him with a surprised face. Then, she lowered her barrier, and flew down until she was right in front him.
"W-What are you..." Pikablu said flustered as he took a step back from the approaching legendary.
"I surrender. I won't fight anymore..." Celebi said calmly, looking at him with her sincere sapphire eyes.
"You... You what!?" Pikablu shouted surprised with a stare fixed at her. Being this near her without a barrier between them made him feel strange, like all his earlier animosity simply went away and he was finally at peace.
"... You do realize what this means, right?" Pikablu continued, trying to shake off the pleasant sensation.
"You want to fight me in some big glorious battle? That's what you've been training for all this time?" Celebi said with a confident smile, "Well, I don't want to fight. And if I deny you the fight, it will all have been for nothing! I guess you have no choice but to extract your meaningless revenge and kill me right now!"
Pikablu responded by instantly using a powerful thundershock. Celebi yelped in surprise as she flew back for protection and quickly raised her barrier.
"Don't get me wrong..." Pikablu said darkly, "I'm enjoying the battle, but not as much as I will enjoy your death."
"Y... You...!" Celebi stammered in shock. Had she been a little slower, she would've been...
"Come back!" Pikablu shouted as Celebi flew away and he used another thundershock, "Didn't you say you were gonna let me kill you!?"
"You'll pay for that, you unreasonable..." Celebi shouted back, before noticing her own rage and calming down. She cupped her hands and created several seeds that she then shot in a wide arc at Pikablu. Pikablu quickly used electricity to destroy all of them, even the ones that were not at risk of hitting him.
"Like I'm going to let your seeds touch the ground!" Pikablu yelled, "It's bleedin' obvious what's going to happen if I do!"
"Oh yeah?" Celebi said in a mocking tone before swiftly flying down to the ground. Before she could make it, her path was interrupted by a line of lightning that spread and forced her to move back up.
"OOoooooohhh YEEEAAAAHHHH!" Pikablu screamed like a lunatic, moving his hips back and forth in a dance-like maneuver. Celebi once again stared at him in disbelief, before closing her eyes and muttering something to herself as her barrier disappeared.
She clapped her hands together, causing her skin to turn purple. The new skin became softer and softer, before she suddenly dashed at Pikablu who was preparing a counterattack. However, halfway down she halted herself, causing the purple skin to fly off her and fall on the ground next to Pikablu in a purple puddle. Pikablu recognized the smell of the purple substance right away.
"Toxic!?" Pikablu exclaimed in an insulted tone, "What the hell, you think I'm a bloody plant!?"
Celebi clapped her hands together again, and this time a clear, blue liquid covered her body. Flying forward in a twist, she threw this liquid on the poison puddle.
"You think I'm going to just let you do this!?" Pikablu shouted and shot a large torrent of electricity at Celebi. She looked up, and braced herself as her barrier absorbed the attack. Meanwhile, a wayward strike of lightning hit the puddle, causing droplets to fly around as it stirred.
"Wait, that's..." Pikablu whispered as he looked over at the puddle, "... Oh. I see what you were trying to do." Pikablu barely had time to finish his thought before Celebi threw out her arms, creating a lightning strike that hit the puddle. In an instant the puddle exploded, throwing poison-laced water everywhere. Pikablu saw this and jumped high into the air, where he saw Celebi quickly approaching.
"Shit!" he shouted and unleashed electricity at her, which she easily dodged before flying around him. Pikablu suddenly felt his back be pierced with what felt like a thousand needles, as he noticed his powers starting to drain.
"I am not as adapt with the elements as Mew..." Celebi said, having shoved many sharp tendrils into Pikablu, "... But Grass and Psychic are far from my only means of attacking!"
"B-Bullshit..." Pikablu weakly stammered while trying to turn around, "T-This is giga drain, isn't it...?"
"No energy, no fight" Celebi said confidently, "I won't let you hit yourself with lightning again. This time, it's truly over..."
"W-Wanna bet...?" Pikablu chuckled as he leaned his head back. Looking up, Celebi saw a pillar of electricity above her increasing in size, before showering the two of them. She quickly let go of Pikablu, who fell down to the ground but managed to spin around and land on his feet.
"A recharge, a defensive maneuver AND an attack!" Pikablu laughed while scratching the tiny holes on his back, "Whatever powers you've got, you can't match my battle experience!" Pikablu began noticing that the holes were itching quite a bit, and suddenly he couldn't move his arms anymore.
"Wh-What the...!?" he gasped as his vision grew hazy and his body was turning immobile.
"You see now what I said about this fight being over?" Celebi giggled as his legs failed him and he fell down to the ground.
"The hell did you..." Pikablu growled, lying face down on the ground.
"While using giga drain, I injected you with some stun spore" Celebi said happily, "You can't get rid of it if it's already inside your body. You lose!"
"Grah..." Pikablu muttered. He had been too careless. He was far from spent, but not being able to move would be a defeat as well. He struggled to move, trying to remember if he even once succeeded in moving after Anne had covered him in stun spores when they were young. Suddenly, he had a vision of a memory made not too long ago...
"When will you get over it...?" Anne asks with the concerned voice I've gotten to know so well over the past years.
"Never" I bluntly respond, "You should know that I will never get over it. The day he died, my life ended."
"... But what about now?" Anne asks, caressing me with her soft body, "You love eating. You love sleeping. You love... Being with me... With suicide, all of that will go away..."
"... It seems you don't understand, after all" I say, turning away from her, "It's not that I don't want to live, I simply cannot live. With his death, my every chance of ever being happy again disappeared. There's no light at the end of this tunnel."
"Pikablu..." Anne whispers sadly.
"However..." I continue, "Somehow, by doing this... I feel like I have a purpose to keep on living. To fulfill his dreams, surely I cannot die without at least trying! By not fearing death, passages have opened up that are beyond the reach of anyone else! Risking my life I've perfected a technique that will allow me to defeat anyone, what kind of fool would I be if I didn't put it to its proper use!?"
"I..." Pikablu said while using all his strength to force his left paw into his mouth, "I-I can't afford to lose! I was ready to die, but now I have been reborn for this one battle! FEEL MY WRATH!" Biting down on his paw, Pikablu unleashed 25%, but instead of controlling the surges he let them fly wild. He exploded in a storm of electricity, destroying the spores that had infected him as his muscles and wounds screamed in pain. He bit down so hard that he drew blood.
"Not... Over..." he struggled to keep talking as he rose to his feet, "Until... You're dead!"
"Impossible...!" Celebi whispered slowly before creating some distance between them.
Pikablu looked over his situation, and was truly starting to get worried. Even at 50% he needed a direct hit to cause any damage, and Celebi didn't even seem to pay notice to the weaker strikes.
"So, this is the power of a legendary...!" he mumbled to himself before raising his voice, "There's plenty more where that came from!
He knew that he might have to take it to the next level... But as his muscles cried out in stress, even he was getting concerned about the consequences.
He closed his eyes as tiny sparks started spreading from him. While they were weak, they were fast and were quickly swarming the area. It was as if he was a hive releasing angry hornets. Celebi sensed little danger from the attack, and merely kept her barrier in place. One of the sparks finally reached her, striking the barrier weakly and not causing any damage.
"... Got you!" Pikablu shouted the moment the spark hit her, and suddenly a large torrent of electricity flew in a direct line between them. This attack was faster than usual, so Celebi was caught off guard and took the full brunt of the attack. Her barrier started shaking violently and electricity was seeping through it, giving her small shocks.
"Y-You used electricity as a sensor!?" Celebi stammered as she wobbled around, "That's impossible!"
"Wrong, and right!" Pikablu explained, having regained his earlier fighting spirit, "I'm just using these sparks as conductors, laying out a path to you! Better not underestimate the weaker strikes, eh?" Using electricity this way was rather ineffective, but Pikablu thought that at least it might make Celebi waste energy evading harmless attacks.
"You..." Celebi said slowly as the sparks disappeared, "You still have new means of fighting?"
"Plenty!" Pikablu responded, "You ain't seen nothing yet!"
"... Interesting" Celebi said in a mysterious voice as she moved down to the ground. Striking a pose similar to Pikablu's earlier movement, she placed her hands on the ground.
"What the..." Pikablu exclaimed in surprise "... Are you imitating my technique!?"
"... Maybe" Celebi said, as a spark of electricity flew right above her head.
"W-Wait, you can generate electricity too!?" Pikablu stammered as he was taken aback, but then quickly regained his confidence, "Don't make me laugh! This technique took me 5 years to master, you have no hope of using it!"
"... That seems to be the case, yes..." Celebi said, still holding on to the ground.
"Your body is too piddly and weak!" Pikablu shouted, "It would've crumpled from a fraction of the training I put myself through!"
"Indeed..." Celebi said.
"... And you'll regret lowering your barrier!" Pikablu yelled as he created another pillar of light aimed at her. However, before he could use it, hundreds of plants and vines suddenly grew out of the ground and grabbed him. His attack was nullified, and he struggled to move around as he was ensnared by more and more growth until he was almost sealed in a cocoon.
"Y-You bitch, when did you...!?" Pikablu stammered before realizing what had happened, "... You tricked me! You weren't trying to imitate 25% at all!"
"I planted a few seeds, and let them spread" Celebi said calmly, lifting her arms from the ground and making a great system of miniscule roots rise from the ground. They covered the entire peak of the mountain, reaching as far as the edges.
"These plants are unaffected by your electricity, no matter how strong it is" she continued as Pikablu tried a thundershock to get free, "It's over."
"Stinkin' cunt! Let me go!" Pikablu shouted angrily as his rage overflowed and he tried biting through the vines.
"D-Don't say that word!" Celebi stuttered frightfully.
"... What, cunt?" Pikablu replied, noticing that his teeth weren't cutting through the plants.
"I said, don't say it!" Celebi yelled in a disgusted tone.
"Ahaha, you've got to be kidding me..." Pikablu started laughing while trying to pull his arms free, "You legendaries, much too high and fine for someone down and dirty like me, eh? Bloody f-" He was interrupted as the vines around him suddenly constricted, slicing into his skin and pushing all the air out of his lungs.
"I warned you!" Celebi shouted with fury as she moved closer, "Don't use that kind of language in front of me!"
"Geez, what the hell?" Pikablu asked as he recovered from the attack and was trying to figure out a way to regain his earlier momentum, "Aren't you supposed to be this old, wise thing? You're honestly offended by something like that?"
"I-I..." Celebi whispered slowly, surprised at her own behavior, "I'm not like you..."
"You're nothing but a weak prude!" Pikablu said with a short laugh, "I'd say you are the complete opposite!"
"... Maybe if I tell you..." Celebi said softly while looking away, "... Perhaps you will understand my plight..."
"Doubtful" Pikablu replied, slumping back and giving up on trying to use brute force to free himself.
"... I know your kind thinks we legendaries are immortal, but we are not" Celebi explained sadly, "Quite the opposite, actually..."
"If I thought you were immortal, why the hell would I dedicate my life to killing you!?" Pikablu said angrily, "No, my brother showed me that you were beings of flesh and blood, just like us."
"... He was a clever being, then" Celebi said, making Pikablu twitch, "I am truly sorry for causing him harm..." Pikablu became silent.
"My kind in particular has a special quirk" Celebi started telling her story, "When we give birth, our psychic powers are transferred into our child. The mother is left without any powers, and usually dies right away... That is why the name of Celebi lives on for much longer than the actual being. I flinched at those words earlier because I fear sexual activities, and avoid them as a survival instinct."
"Sounds like a boring life..." Pikablu sneered, "... But it sounds even more like a boring story."
"With my mother, something never heard of before occurred" Celebi continued, ignoring Pikablu's comment, "After giving birth to me, she managed to live on for a full year and gave birth to yet another child, my sister Zerobi."
"However, as all of mother's powers had already been transferred into me, Zerobi was born a normal Pokemon..." Celebi said while looking up as the black clouds above them growled, "... A Dark-Type even, completely devoid of all psychic abilities."
"L... I mean, my caretaker... Did not see my sister as a legendary, and left her to be raised among normal Pokemon. I was too young to do anything about it, and Mew became like a sister to me instead" Celebi continued with sadness in her voice, "She still is, but..."
"You're comparing the death of a sister you've never met with my brother!?" Pikablu suddenly burst out in anger, "From the time he was born we spent every moment together, when our parents died we watched out for each other, eveyone called us 'inseparable'...!"
"You don't understand!" Celebi shouted, "Zerobi was my only sister, which is a miracle in itself! I never even got to see her! I only find out she's been killed in battle, something I could have prevented had I been there!"
"So!" Pikablu shouted back, "What would you do if you found out who was responsible for your sister's death!? You'd hunt them down, wouldn't you!? We're the same, you and I!"
A moment of silence passed as Pikablu realized what he had just said. They both stared at each other as the wind blew past them.
"... You couldn't have just turned around for a moment that day...?" Pikablu asked, his eyes tearing up, "No, you just HAD to get away, to remain hidden like a damn mysterious force..."
"I..." Celebi whispered silently, "I'm sorry... I didn't mean to..."
"The battle resumes" Pikablu said, "Sorry to hear about your sister, but only by killing you will I find peace."
"You fool!" Celebi suddenly shouted, "Killing me will not bring your brother back!"
"Heh... It seems you do not understand the bond between two brothers..." Pikablu said as his tears started flowing freely, "Sure, it was an accident. You're sorry. None of this matters, you know? If not for you, my brother would still be alive. If I didn't kill you in return, what kind of brother would I be?"
"Your brother would not want you to throw away your life like this!" Celebi yelled desperately.
"You know nothing about my brother!" Pikablu screamed as a picture of Pichu reading a book about Celebi flashed through his mind, "If you did, you wouldn't have fled that day!"
"... You're being too selfish!" Celebi finally said, "Maybe you're OK with it, but your death will sadden other people, and my death as well!"
"Heh..." Pikablu cracked up before darkly laughing out loud, "HAHAHAHAHA! Your death wouldn't even be noticed unless I pranced with your corpse around town!"
"W-What!?" Celebi stammered.
"To most creatures of this world, you're nothing but a legend! You don't even exist!" Pikablu kept laughing, "Between us, I think the world would miss me more, and I'm a bit of an asshole!"
"B-But... That's..." Celebi stuttered, taken aback in shock, "I helped a human once!"
"With your abilities, you could have helped out humanity" Pikablu said sternly as he stopped laughing, "Heck, even I feel uneasy killing you, just because of that strange happiness aura you've got..."
"No!" Celebi shouted while shaking her head, "You're wrong!"
"You know it to be true, Celebi!" Pikablu shouted back while pointing at her, "Be as pure and good as you like, no one could ever care about someone as secluded as you!"
Fastening his feet to the ground, Pikablu started shaking. With the vines isolating the electricity, no one except for Pikablu himself and Celebi with her ability to see through bodies would know that he had just filled his body up to 25% with electricity.
"It's no use!" Celebi yelled, "You can't get free like that!"
"Hey..." Pikablu said in a disjoined way as the clouds above were starting to rumble, "If you have 25%... And add 50%... What do you get...?"
"37.5%!" Celebi quickly responded.
"... Really?" Pikablu asked in a confused tone, "Damn... Anyway, prepare yourself... For 75%!"
Celebi had been stunned by the earlier revelation and didn't have time to react as lightning struck into Pikablu's already electricity-filled body. Sensing his power grow, she threw herself back and created her most powerful barrier. Pikablu screamed in pain as his voice became progressively magnified, and starting to crack up like an old radio. The vines surrounding him quickly withered away, and a blinding flash filled the area as the transformation completed.
Soaring up into the air in a ball of pure light, Pikablu was surrounded by a constant thunderstorm. Celebi could sense that it was far more powerful than anything she had ever felt before, possibly rivaling even Mewtwo. The catalyst of lightning descended upon her with incredible speed, and fearing for her life Celebi quickly burrowing herself underground in order to gain shelter.
The ball of lightning smashed through the ground like water, causing a big rift to form in the mountain. Celebi looked back in terror as she was caught between rocks and a thunderstorm, and tried burrowing a new passage up again. As she passed by the electrical ball, a stream of lightning broke through the walls of solid ground and hit her, her barrier failing to absorb the attack and causing her severe pain. She almost fell unconscious right there and then, but pulled herself together and managed to make it back to the surface.
The orb of light burst up through the ground, still surrounded by the cloud of lightning. Panicked, Celebi used a psychic attack, throwing a very powerful invisible shockwave at it. The attack went through the glowing orb completely, leaving it unaffected but instead smashing the ground beneath it into giant boulders. The orb approached quickly as Celebi flew up into the sky while sending down magical leaves at it, but they were all reduced to ashes in a matter of seconds. As she flew higher, she noticed that the force field that had kept her trapped until now had disappeared. However, the orb was faster than her, and feeling the voltage approaching she focused all her power on her barrier while turning around and bracing herself.
The violent storm tore through her like lightning striking a leaf. Ripples of electricity ran through her body, palpitating her heart and constricting her lungs, making her muscles run haywire. The pain was unbearable, and she felt her own body turn lifeless as she was blacking out. Falling to the ground, she saw the blue light beaming above her, and she fought with all her might to stay awake. Realizing too late that the ball of electricity wasn't her only danger, she hit the ground hard with a silent yet painful thud.
When she came to a minute later, she couldn't move. She noticed some weird noises coming from behind her.
"-uck, so damn close..." Pikablu muttered.
"... Ah..." Celebi whimpered to herself, "... It hurts..."
"I'd love to put you out of your misery..." Pikablu said with exhaustion, "... But I'm out. Can't even move."
"I-It hurts!" Celebi shouted as an unfamiliar feeling burned in her chest. It had been many years since she had taken any damage.
"Shut up...!" Pikablu shouted weakly, "Don't be s-such a baby! You disgust me!"
They were lying on the ground, unable to make a move. Destruction from their heated battle was everywhere around them.
"In 75%, the electricity controls me..." Pikablu said quietly, "I'm just a conductor... Thought I'd tell you that before you die."
"I..." Celebi said, "I cannot move... Can't we call it a draw?"
"True, I don't think I can muster up another attack to kill you..." Pikablu grunted, "... Nope, sure can't. But... There is a sure-fire way to kill you..."
"Please..." Celebi said fearfully, "I didn't mean to..."
"100%..." Pikablu continued, "Converting my entire self into pure electricity... But after that, there will no longer be a 'me'. I won't exist anymore."
"D-Don't do it!" Celebi shouted with the last of her strength.
"I've never used it... But it's strong..." Pikablu continued, "... It'll reshape the earth, leaving a mark that perhaps even my brother will be able to see from above us..."
"There is no heaven, there is no afterlife!" Celebi shouted as tears welled up within her, "You won't be reunited with your brother!"
"You never know..." Pikablu mumbled as he closed his eyes.
"B-But you still have your whole life ahead of you!" Celebi kept going, feeling the jaws of death closing in on her.
"It's too late for me... 25% followed by 50% AND 75%?" Pikablu struggled to chuckle, "... I can hardly breathe anymore. The least I can do is see this thing through to the end... This is the only way!"
Pikablu focused on controlling his insides as he started glowing faintly.
"N-No!" Celebi stammered in horror, "Don't!"
"You took my life from me..." Pikablu whispered, "Now I'll take yours."
"I didn't take anything!" Celebi yelled as she started crying, "Even if your brother is dead, y-your life s-still goes on!"
"You know nothing of my suffering..." Pikablu muttered as his body was illuminated in a blue light, "Even in death, you shall remain unaware..."
"W-What about a-all those f-friends you boasted about earlier...!?" Celebi cried, struggling to move.
"..." Pikablu lay in silence before heavy shame weighed down his heart.
"... Anne. You'll have to forgive this fool one last time..." he whispered to himself. His body was shining like a star, and he felt his being disappearing into a haze of blue and yellow. Staring into the sky, the haze swirled around and reminded him of the love of his life. The reassuring look of Anne... The smile of his loved brother... Knowing his tears would work as a conductor he held them back, but was on the verge of bursting. He knew he couldn't hold it in much longer. He would have to let go of his better judgment and simply do it.
"Arceus, or god..." Pikablu shouted with a powerful voice into the sky as his very body turned into an element, "If there truly is a greater force out there, I have but one request...! Please, let my name reach the heavens, so that my brother may hear me one last time...!"
As he exploded into a crash of thunder, a mighty bellow filled the skies:
"I... AM... THE LEGENDARY... PIKABLU!"
That night, the volcano of Hilltop Mountain erupted. It did not spray lava, but lightning.
Lightning so immense that all the clouds covering the northern Kanto skies turned cerulean.
Lightning so resilient that it reached as far Pewter City before waning off.
Lightning so powerful that reached down from the volcano, destroying a nearby cottage as well as damaging several wild Pokémon.
To this day, this phenomenon remains unexplained, and despite thousands of eyewitnesses has been written off as a mere legend. It was named from 'pika' which is the sound of lightning, and 'blue' to signify how the fully clouded sky suddenly turned blue.
It became known as
'The Legendary Pikablu' Chapter End Notes:Nothing
"-making it a perfect spot for legendaries to meet..." Pikablu said while throwing his hands up into the air, "... Or in this case, get what's been coming to them!"
"G-Geez, t-take it easy, will ya..." the Gallade said, collapsing on the ground in exhaustion, "... Bloody m-mountain's taller 'n it looks, 'n it looked pretty damn tall to me..."
"We're a day early, even..." Pikablu said while looking at the clock he had stolen from the trainer in Ilex Forest, "Good. Wouldn't want to miss this on account of Ho-Oh not being punctual."
"Gah, only one day of rest!?" the Gallade gasped, "We practically ran halfway across the globe for this, and now we've got to fight a legendary tomorrow!?"
"Actually, we might not even get that if they're early" Pikablu snickered while stretching his neck, "Again, you don't have to do any of this. Go home and be a family man!"
"Come on..." the Gallade said while rising to his feet, "You know you can't do this without me!"
"What do you mean? Of course I could!" Pikablu responded surprised as the Gallade flinched in pain and once again sat down, "... I will admit that you'll make it easier though, so you're welcome to stay for as long as you want. And, of course, once I become legendary you will have a place by my side."
"... You know what?" the Gallade said as he leaned back and looked up at the sky, "That honestly doesn't seem as important as it once did."
"... Huh?" Pikablu exclaimed, stretching his legs and arms at the same time.
"... Or finding a girl, getting famous, or any of that..." the Gallade continued with a smile, "Traveling the world like this while searching for the unknown has been so exciting! Even if I were to find a girl worthy of my beauty, how could I possibly settle down when there's so much more to see...?"
"I mean, if Ho-Oh actually shows up, that is!" the Gallade quickly finished as he stood up again.
"It looks promising so far" Pikablu said in high spirits, "Could you scan the area, see if you pick anything up?"
"I did while we were talking, and even though I hate to admit it..." the Gallade said mysteriously, "... There's definitely something strange here."
"Strange?" Pikablu asked with a confused look, "Strange, how?"
"Can't really explain it, I've never felt anything like it before" the Gallade said with a shudder, "... Gives me the creeps."
"So... You have finally come!" a muffled voice sounded. Both of them gasped as they heard something burrow its way up from underground, before an odd figure popped out of the ground. It was covered by a thick, brown shell, and had long scythes for hands.
"Kabutops!" Pikablu exclaimed cheerfully, "We thought you were licked!"
"Indeed..." Kabutops said in a more confident voice than usual, wiping some of the dust from his scythes, "Thank you for rushing to my rescue."
"Hey, we thought about it..." the Gallade said while shaking his head, "... But rushing out into a swarm of fiends like that was just TOO damn stupid for us to accept."
"Worse than trying to summon Darkrai by reading horror stories before bedtime?" Kabutops laughed, crossing his arms with the scythes sticking out behind him.
"Seems like it got a laugh out of you!" Pikablu laughed back, "I should get some kind of achievement award for that!"
Pikablu held his fist in front of him in a gesture, and Kabutops held out his sharp scythes. Then he lifted his right foot and held his leg out, which Pikablu headbutted.
"It's good to have you back, man" Pikablu said in a friendly manner.
"You know it" Kabutops smiled, "Thought you two would get here earlier than this, though."
"So, what happened?" the Gallade asked, "On our end, it was like... '-let go!', or something."
"Oh, I fought bravely for what seemed like hours, waiting for support that never arrived ..." Kabutops lied, "But really, I was doing fine! I defeated enemy after enemy before a hostage situation developed and I was forced to stand down..."
"As expected!" Pikablu said, somewhat regretting not being there, "I knew you were a fighter!"
"... Anyway, long story short..." Kabutops said, running out of fake stories to tell, "I explained the situation to them, and after they let me go I met with Astrid."
"Wait..." Pikablu said with a worried tone, "You... Explained the situation?"
"Yeah" Kabutops said in a reassuring way, "You know, some madman busted into the tower, beat up a Dragonite, I was helpless to stop him..."
"Ahaha! That's great!" Pikablu laughed heartily at this, "How was the Dragonite doing, by the way?"
"... I'm not sure" Kabutops replied, thinking back, "She was still at the Pokecenter when we left. I think you humbled her a bit, though."
"If that's not a heroic deed, I don't know what is!" the Gallade nodded.
"Anyway, so Astrid and I got talking about the past and stuff, and we not-so-surprisingly found out we had a lot in common..." Kabutops continued, "... And we're together now."
"Huh, no kidding?" Pikablu said before he once again got the same worried tone, "Wait, is she coming here today...?"
"No, she decided to sit this one out... But she helped! I rode her all the way here!" Kabutops said quickly before lowering both his head and voice, "And all the way there, as well, if you... Know what I mean..."
A moment of silence passed as Kabutops gained a blush so bright it was almost showing through his shell.
"Ahahaha! Way to go, man!" Pikablu laughed and patted him on the back, "And I'm empathizing the 'man' part!"
"Looks like you beat me to it!" the Gallade chuckled, "What will happen to the three travelling bachelors now?"
"Hey, did you forget that I've got a girl back home?" Pikablu sneered, "Seems that even though it was your goal all along, you were the only one who didn't find anyone!"
"No, that's just..." the Gallade snickered, before realizing that it was true, "Wait, what? How did this happen!? That's so unfair!"
"So you decided to see this thing through to the end?" Pikablu asked, ignoring the Gallade who had collapsed in defeat and started talking to himself.
"More or less, yeah" Kabutops replied, "Well, wanted to update you guys, and maybe even see a legendary..."
"Hmm..." Pikablu sighed while looking around, "Seems like that'll be a problem with the form of this place."
"No, wait! That's why!" the Gallade suddenly burst out, "I was looking for the most beautiful woman in the world, you guys just settled with whatever you had!"
"You watch it there, pretty boy..." Pikablu said menacingly while cracking his neck, "... Or you won't be pretty much longer!"
"Yes! That's how it is!" the Gallade kept going, "Tomorrow... I mean, the day after tomorrow... I'll search all of Cerulean City for someone worthy of my beauty!"
"... If there is a day after tomorrow" Kabutops said with a voice more reminiscent of his previous self, "We are fighting a legendary, after all..."
"Correction" Pikablu said sternly, "I'm fighting a legendary. You two remain hidden. I might have you help carry an unconscious legendary once I'm done."
"If it's a fire-type, I can fight too" Kabutops said, waving his scythes around.
"I know you're immune to fire, but Ho-Oh will most likely have some tricks up her sleeve" Pikablu said followed by a short laugh, "Nothing that will save her from a million volts to the brain, I'm guessing."
"And if she does?" Kabutops quickly replied.
"... Then I'll do it again!" Pikablu said triumphantly, "Don't worry, no one has more tricks up their sleeve than I do!"
"You don't have any sleeves, why do you keep using that expression!?" the Gallade shouted.
"But... You told me you couldn't use 25% in midair" Kabutops continued, forming a concerned look somewhere behind his protective mask.
"... Yeah, I can't" Pikablu sighed, "25% damages my insides, so I have to link myself to the ground so that I can constantly let out excess electricity. Nothing says I ever have to leave the ground when fighting Ho-Oh, though."
"So..." the Gallade said while looking around the barren indent, "... Where do we hide, exactly?"
"You're the one making the force field" Pikablu said with a sigh, "You tell me."
"Well..." the Gallade started, "I saw a small cave not far down from here, I can stay there and keep this area guarded..."
"... But?" Pikablu asked.
"We won't be able to see you, and if the legendaries are as strong as we fear I won't be able to hold them back if they keep pounding on the force field" the Gallade said.
"Eh, even for a legendary it should take ten seconds to punch through it, which is ten seconds more than I'll give them!" Pikablu said confidently, "Just be ready to activate it the moment you sense someone else enter this place!"
"Got it!" the Gallade said happily.
After hanging out for a while, Kabutops and the Gallade started climbing down the mountain as Pikablu sat and waited for the legendary. The hours passed slowly, as Pikablu was far too excited to sit still. He started by stretching and flexing, thinking the legendary could appear at any moment. After a while he got tired, and leaned against a wall to become somewhat hidden before falling asleep. While sleeping, he had a strange dream about fighting a Ho-Oh that sprouted several different heads, all shooting beams of varying elements.
A twinge in his heart woke him up. For some reason, he felt happy. Serenity washed over him as he remembered where he was, and noticed that night had fallen. He also noticed that he was no longer alone. In the middle of the giant crater, a strange being was floating.
Beautiful beyond all description, she was the embodiment of harmony. Purity and life positively radiating from her, even plants would be able to notice her magnificent presence and perk up to seek her touch. Although her body was small like a sapling, her form was like a flower in bloom with large blue eyes sparkling like dewdrops in the morning. Moving gracefully through the air, she was the closest thing to an incarnation of mother nature.
"C... Celebi...?" Pikablu said out loud as he was completely paralyzed and his vision slowly focused on the being in front of him, "Celebi... Celebi... CELEBI..." Celebi looked in his direction and gasped, quickly turning around to fly away. She only made it a few feet before being thrown back by an unseen force.
"Heh... Not even in my wildest dreams would I have thought I would encounter you this early...!" Pikablu said, before yelling with hate oozing out of his every pore, "KEEP HER HERE, NO MATTER WHAT!"
"W-Who are you?" Celebi asked, speaking with a soft, serene yet somewhat startled voice.
"Pikablu..." Pikablu said while collecting himself, "... Brother of Pichu. You are Celebi, correct?"
"... What do you want with me?" Celebi asked innocently.
"What I want...?" Pikablu laughed to himself, "Originally I was planning on becoming a legendary Pokémon, but now that you're here I think your death will be quite sufficient!"
Without hesitating, Pikablu threw his hands to the ground and exploded into an aura of lightning before moving towards Celebi at an immense speed. Celebi was taken off guard by his fastness and barely had time to react, but managed to cover herself in a barrier before he reached her. Pikablu was thrown back, sending a thunderjolt her way in mid-air which the barrier absorbed. The moment he landed on the ground he disappeared, appearing behind Celebi and using a strong thunderbolt attack. Celebi noticed this and soared up into the sky, but didn't receive even a light shock as the barrier repelled the attack. The pain running through Pikablu's body told him that this encounter was no dream.
"Wait! Stop!" Celebi cried as she settled high up in the sky, "Why!? What have I ever done to you!?"
"You killed my brother, bitch!" Pikablu screamed in anger, before exhaling and letting the lightning aura around him vanish.
"I haven't killed anyone!" Celebi replied, before quickly moving to the side as a stream of electricity missed her and flew up into the clouds above them.
"Of course you wouldn't remember some random squirt you killed on one of your big, important journeys!" Pikablu shouted while charging up another attack, "That would be beneath you, right!?"
"Please, calm down!" Celebi yelled desperately, "We can talk about this!"
"Oh, I'll talk plenty when I'm sure you won't escape!" Pikablu shouted back, "Most likely after I've paralyzed every part of your body!"
Closing his eyes, Pikablu sent strongest electrical attack straight up into the sky. He knew he didn't need to aim. Twenty branches of lightning rose from his body in an upside-down lightning strike, although from above it looked more like a vortex that was growing at a rapid pace. Celebi strengthened her barrier and flew even higher, before being pushed back by the restrictive force field the Gallade had raised.
Seeing the lightning below rising, she used her psychic powers to smash the ground below her. Looking around in surprise, Pikablu noticed how several rocks were being lifted up around him with an unseen force. Sensing danger, he cancelled his attack and jumped as the rocks all converged on his position and crushed themselves against each other. When he landed on the ground, he felt something like an invisible hand grabbing on to him before flinging him away into the distance. He too struck the restrictive force field and was sent back, barely managing to land on his feet.
"A counterattack!? I'm honored!" Pikablu said while hiding the fact that he was gasping for air, "Good, let's make this battle interesting!"
"No..." Celebi said calmly as she floated down to the ground, "This battle is already over."
"What." Pikablu said flatly, "... Did I win?"
"I can see into your body" Celebi said, staring into the pack of cells and many atoms before her, "You just exhausted your entire supply of electricity with that attack."
"Yeah, I know..." Pikablu said with a disgusted tone, "... But you can actually see into my body? Weird."
"I can also see that you are a heavily scarred Pikachu" Celebi said worriedly, "... Fight like this again, and your life will be over."
"Listen, it's time for you to get one thing straight!" Pikablu shouted while gritting his teeth, "All doubts and questions have been erased from my mind, and this battle will not be over until you are dead!"
"But... But I honestly haven't killed anyone!" Celebi said hopelessly, "I would never do such a thing!"
"... Oh yeah?" Pikablu said before taking a step forward, "Look at my face. Try telling me you don't remember anything."
Celebi knew it would be unwise to drop her guard, but for a moment she decided to comply with his request. She looked at him. He looked like a normal Pikachu in every way, except heavily scarred and unusually tough. However, somehow, when she stared into the deepness of his eyes, a memory from long ago sprung to life...
... I am flying through the woods. I knew I had done it now. Zipping through the trees, I can sense that the creature is still behind me.
"Wait! Stop!" the creature yells, not slowing down a bit.
"No! Stay away!" I shout. Why won't he leave me alone!? I had been so careful, yet someone had seen me and now I was going to be captured, experimented on, I will never free again!
A cliff. Perfect! Now the creature cannot chase me anymore! I quickly fly above it, turning around to look at the creature one last time.
He jumps at me. His eyes... So deep... Before I can react, his soft paw is touching me.
My mind scrambles. A male had touched me! I can feel the infection spreading, poisoning my womb and beginning the process that would force me into an early grave. Terrified and crying, I fly as quickly as I can to uncle Giratina who comforts me and tells me that I will only die if...
"... that Pichu was your brother?" Celebi asked silently.
"Finally remembered, huh?" Pikablu said while stretching his arms, "At least that's something. I'll make sure to remember you in the future, preferably by turning your head into a trophy!"
"W-Wait!" Celebi yelled sadly, "It was an accident!"
"I'll bet it was" Pikablu replied while cracking his neck, "If you knew you were going to die right here and now, you probably would have-"
"No, you don't understand!" Celebi interrupted, "I was just trying to escape when I flew over a cliff, and..."
"... And let my only brother plunge to his death!?" Pikablu interrupted back in rage, "Why didn't you stop him, or save him!?"
"I..." Celebi stammered shamefully, "There... Was something else on my mind..."
"THAT'S YOUR EXCUSE!?" Pikablu roared, "And then you just flew off, leaving him to die!?"
"It was important!" Celebi said trying hopelessly to justify herself, "I had to run, I was fearing for my life, I..."
"Oh, you'll be fearing for your life, alright!" Pikablu bellowed as he struck a pose, "Brace yourself, bitch!"
A booming noise was heard above them. Celebi looked up and noticed that the sky had turned black with dark clouds.
"If you can really see into my body..." Pikablu said menacingly, "... You must have seen that I filled it up to 25% with electricity earlier."
"I... I don't want to..." Celebi mumbled, at a loss for words.
"Well then, take a good look now!" Pikablu yelled while throwing his hands up to the sky, "I'm about to go for 50%!"
Everything turned white for an instant as lightning fell from the clouds above and struck down into Pikablu. He screamed loudly as a large blue aura surrounded him, strong electrical currents spiraling the area like flying snakes. Little by little the aura shrunk, and Pikablu's screaming receded.
When it was over, the aura was completely gone. Pikablu looked perfectly normal. Celebi decided to take another look inside his body, but realized too late what was going on.
Pikablu inhaled deeply, before shooting out a massive wall of thunder at Celebi. She saw that she had no hope of dodging it, so she reinforced her barrier instead. The thunder hit her harder than she had expected, and the barrier barely held up as the electricity crashed into the mountain behind her, sending debris flying in every direction.
"Tough barrier. Looks like I'll have to focus it a bit more..." Pikablu said, before shooting a giant pillar of light at her. It was fast, and while she herself managed to avoid it half her barrier got caught up in the pillar, causing the barrier to instantly evaporate.
"That's it!" Pikablu yelled cheerfully before unleashing stream after stream of lightning, whipping around the area. Celebi quickly regenerated her barrier, and tried dodging the electricity in vain. She was hit over and over, and desperate for an escape flew up into the sky.
"You think that's such a good idea...?" Pikablu sneered as he raised his arms. Celebi anticipated the attack and moved to the side, but was surprised as lightning struck her from behind. He had summoned down another lightning bolt! Growing exhausted and feeling her barrier wane, Celebi knew she wouldn't last long at this rate.
"You are forcing me to attack!" Celebi shouted before creating a set of magical leaves.
"No I'm not, I'm only forcing you to DIE!" Pikablu screamed while sending a ball of lightning her way. The leaves started moving and caught up to the ball in midair, after which they started spinning around it quickly, making it shrink and finally disappear.
"What the... What the hell just happened!?" Pikablu said, feeling speechless as the leaves started moving again and quickly approached him.
"Oh yeah? Try this one on for size...!" Pikablu growled before shooting another humongous wall of thunder above him, charring the leaves into nothingness. Celebi tried flying to the side but couldn't make it, and the wall struck her barrier once more.
"Ha ha ha! Did you see that!?" Pikablu laughed happily, "That's my 50% technique!" Celebi stared at him in disbelief.
"Even my body wouldn't be able to take 50% electricity swirling around..." Pikablu continued, "So I keep it immobile. Stored, if you will. Summoning lightning is a cinch, so thanks to that I have a never ending surplus of electricity! I can use my strongest attacks over and over, and I'll never run out!"
"How did you..." Celebi mumbled, still confused.
"What you think those scars on my inside just made themselves?" Pikablu shouted cheerfully, "For years I put myself through training that most people would compare to torture! All for this! All for this one battle! You should feel so grateful!"
Celebi looked down at him with a surprised face. Then, she lowered her barrier, and flew down until she was right in front him.
"W-What are you..." Pikablu said flustered as he took a step back from the approaching legendary.
"I surrender. I won't fight anymore..." Celebi said calmly, looking at him with her sincere sapphire eyes.
"You... You what!?" Pikablu shouted surprised with a stare fixed at her. Being this near her without a barrier between them made him feel strange, like all his earlier animosity simply went away and he was finally at peace.
"... You do realize what this means, right?" Pikablu continued, trying to shake off the pleasant sensation.
"You want to fight me in some big glorious battle? That's what you've been training for all this time?" Celebi said with a confident smile, "Well, I don't want to fight. And if I deny you the fight, it will all have been for nothing! I guess you have no choice but to extract your meaningless revenge and kill me right now!"
Pikablu responded by instantly using a powerful thundershock. Celebi yelped in surprise as she flew back for protection and quickly raised her barrier.
"Don't get me wrong..." Pikablu said darkly, "I'm enjoying the battle, but not as much as I will enjoy your death."
"Y... You...!" Celebi stammered in shock. Had she been a little slower, she would've been...
"Come back!" Pikablu shouted as Celebi flew away and he used another thundershock, "Didn't you say you were gonna let me kill you!?"
"You'll pay for that, you unreasonable..." Celebi shouted back, before noticing her own rage and calming down. She cupped her hands and created several seeds that she then shot in a wide arc at Pikablu. Pikablu quickly used electricity to destroy all of them, even the ones that were not at risk of hitting him.
"Like I'm going to let your seeds touch the ground!" Pikablu yelled, "It's bleedin' obvious what's going to happen if I do!"
"Oh yeah?" Celebi said in a mocking tone before swiftly flying down to the ground. Before she could make it, her path was interrupted by a line of lightning that spread and forced her to move back up.
"OOoooooohhh YEEEAAAAHHHH!" Pikablu screamed like a lunatic, moving his hips back and forth in a dance-like maneuver. Celebi once again stared at him in disbelief, before closing her eyes and muttering something to herself as her barrier disappeared.
She clapped her hands together, causing her skin to turn purple. The new skin became softer and softer, before she suddenly dashed at Pikablu who was preparing a counterattack. However, halfway down she halted herself, causing the purple skin to fly off her and fall on the ground next to Pikablu in a purple puddle. Pikablu recognized the smell of the purple substance right away.
"Toxic!?" Pikablu exclaimed in an insulted tone, "What the hell, you think I'm a bloody plant!?"
Celebi clapped her hands together again, and this time a clear, blue liquid covered her body. Flying forward in a twist, she threw this liquid on the poison puddle.
"You think I'm going to just let you do this!?" Pikablu shouted and shot a large torrent of electricity at Celebi. She looked up, and braced herself as her barrier absorbed the attack. Meanwhile, a wayward strike of lightning hit the puddle, causing droplets to fly around as it stirred.
"Wait, that's..." Pikablu whispered as he looked over at the puddle, "... Oh. I see what you were trying to do." Pikablu barely had time to finish his thought before Celebi threw out her arms, creating a lightning strike that hit the puddle. In an instant the puddle exploded, throwing poison-laced water everywhere. Pikablu saw this and jumped high into the air, where he saw Celebi quickly approaching.
"Shit!" he shouted and unleashed electricity at her, which she easily dodged before flying around him. Pikablu suddenly felt his back be pierced with what felt like a thousand needles, as he noticed his powers starting to drain.
"I am not as adapt with the elements as Mew..." Celebi said, having shoved many sharp tendrils into Pikablu, "... But Grass and Psychic are far from my only means of attacking!"
"B-Bullshit..." Pikablu weakly stammered while trying to turn around, "T-This is giga drain, isn't it...?"
"No energy, no fight" Celebi said confidently, "I won't let you hit yourself with lightning again. This time, it's truly over..."
"W-Wanna bet...?" Pikablu chuckled as he leaned his head back. Looking up, Celebi saw a pillar of electricity above her increasing in size, before showering the two of them. She quickly let go of Pikablu, who fell down to the ground but managed to spin around and land on his feet.
"A recharge, a defensive maneuver AND an attack!" Pikablu laughed while scratching the tiny holes on his back, "Whatever powers you've got, you can't match my battle experience!" Pikablu began noticing that the holes were itching quite a bit, and suddenly he couldn't move his arms anymore.
"Wh-What the...!?" he gasped as his vision grew hazy and his body was turning immobile.
"You see now what I said about this fight being over?" Celebi giggled as his legs failed him and he fell down to the ground.
"The hell did you..." Pikablu growled, lying face down on the ground.
"While using giga drain, I injected you with some stun spore" Celebi said happily, "You can't get rid of it if it's already inside your body. You lose!"
"Grah..." Pikablu muttered. He had been too careless. He was far from spent, but not being able to move would be a defeat as well. He struggled to move, trying to remember if he even once succeeded in moving after Anne had covered him in stun spores when they were young. Suddenly, he had a vision of a memory made not too long ago...
"When will you get over it...?" Anne asks with the concerned voice I've gotten to know so well over the past years.
"Never" I bluntly respond, "You should know that I will never get over it. The day he died, my life ended."
"... But what about now?" Anne asks, caressing me with her soft body, "You love eating. You love sleeping. You love... Being with me... With suicide, all of that will go away..."
"... It seems you don't understand, after all" I say, turning away from her, "It's not that I don't want to live, I simply cannot live. With his death, my every chance of ever being happy again disappeared. There's no light at the end of this tunnel."
"Pikablu..." Anne whispers sadly.
"However..." I continue, "Somehow, by doing this... I feel like I have a purpose to keep on living. To fulfill his dreams, surely I cannot die without at least trying! By not fearing death, passages have opened up that are beyond the reach of anyone else! Risking my life I've perfected a technique that will allow me to defeat anyone, what kind of fool would I be if I didn't put it to its proper use!?"
"I..." Pikablu said while using all his strength to force his left paw into his mouth, "I-I can't afford to lose! I was ready to die, but now I have been reborn for this one battle! FEEL MY WRATH!" Biting down on his paw, Pikablu unleashed 25%, but instead of controlling the surges he let them fly wild. He exploded in a storm of electricity, destroying the spores that had infected him as his muscles and wounds screamed in pain. He bit down so hard that he drew blood.
"Not... Over..." he struggled to keep talking as he rose to his feet, "Until... You're dead!"
"Impossible...!" Celebi whispered slowly before creating some distance between them.
Pikablu looked over his situation, and was truly starting to get worried. Even at 50% he needed a direct hit to cause any damage, and Celebi didn't even seem to pay notice to the weaker strikes.
"So, this is the power of a legendary...!" he mumbled to himself before raising his voice, "There's plenty more where that came from!
He knew that he might have to take it to the next level... But as his muscles cried out in stress, even he was getting concerned about the consequences.
He closed his eyes as tiny sparks started spreading from him. While they were weak, they were fast and were quickly swarming the area. It was as if he was a hive releasing angry hornets. Celebi sensed little danger from the attack, and merely kept her barrier in place. One of the sparks finally reached her, striking the barrier weakly and not causing any damage.
"... Got you!" Pikablu shouted the moment the spark hit her, and suddenly a large torrent of electricity flew in a direct line between them. This attack was faster than usual, so Celebi was caught off guard and took the full brunt of the attack. Her barrier started shaking violently and electricity was seeping through it, giving her small shocks.
"Y-You used electricity as a sensor!?" Celebi stammered as she wobbled around, "That's impossible!"
"Wrong, and right!" Pikablu explained, having regained his earlier fighting spirit, "I'm just using these sparks as conductors, laying out a path to you! Better not underestimate the weaker strikes, eh?" Using electricity this way was rather ineffective, but Pikablu thought that at least it might make Celebi waste energy evading harmless attacks.
"You..." Celebi said slowly as the sparks disappeared, "You still have new means of fighting?"
"Plenty!" Pikablu responded, "You ain't seen nothing yet!"
"... Interesting" Celebi said in a mysterious voice as she moved down to the ground. Striking a pose similar to Pikablu's earlier movement, she placed her hands on the ground.
"What the..." Pikablu exclaimed in surprise "... Are you imitating my technique!?"
"... Maybe" Celebi said, as a spark of electricity flew right above her head.
"W-Wait, you can generate electricity too!?" Pikablu stammered as he was taken aback, but then quickly regained his confidence, "Don't make me laugh! This technique took me 5 years to master, you have no hope of using it!"
"... That seems to be the case, yes..." Celebi said, still holding on to the ground.
"Your body is too piddly and weak!" Pikablu shouted, "It would've crumpled from a fraction of the training I put myself through!"
"Indeed..." Celebi said.
"... And you'll regret lowering your barrier!" Pikablu yelled as he created another pillar of light aimed at her. However, before he could use it, hundreds of plants and vines suddenly grew out of the ground and grabbed him. His attack was nullified, and he struggled to move around as he was ensnared by more and more growth until he was almost sealed in a cocoon.
"Y-You bitch, when did you...!?" Pikablu stammered before realizing what had happened, "... You tricked me! You weren't trying to imitate 25% at all!"
"I planted a few seeds, and let them spread" Celebi said calmly, lifting her arms from the ground and making a great system of miniscule roots rise from the ground. They covered the entire peak of the mountain, reaching as far as the edges.
"These plants are unaffected by your electricity, no matter how strong it is" she continued as Pikablu tried a thundershock to get free, "It's over."
"Stinkin' cunt! Let me go!" Pikablu shouted angrily as his rage overflowed and he tried biting through the vines.
"D-Don't say that word!" Celebi stuttered frightfully.
"... What, cunt?" Pikablu replied, noticing that his teeth weren't cutting through the plants.
"I said, don't say it!" Celebi yelled in a disgusted tone.
"Ahaha, you've got to be kidding me..." Pikablu started laughing while trying to pull his arms free, "You legendaries, much too high and fine for someone down and dirty like me, eh? Bloody f-" He was interrupted as the vines around him suddenly constricted, slicing into his skin and pushing all the air out of his lungs.
"I warned you!" Celebi shouted with fury as she moved closer, "Don't use that kind of language in front of me!"
"Geez, what the hell?" Pikablu asked as he recovered from the attack and was trying to figure out a way to regain his earlier momentum, "Aren't you supposed to be this old, wise thing? You're honestly offended by something like that?"
"I-I..." Celebi whispered slowly, surprised at her own behavior, "I'm not like you..."
"You're nothing but a weak prude!" Pikablu said with a short laugh, "I'd say you are the complete opposite!"
"... Maybe if I tell you..." Celebi said softly while looking away, "... Perhaps you will understand my plight..."
"Doubtful" Pikablu replied, slumping back and giving up on trying to use brute force to free himself.
"... I know your kind thinks we legendaries are immortal, but we are not" Celebi explained sadly, "Quite the opposite, actually..."
"If I thought you were immortal, why the hell would I dedicate my life to killing you!?" Pikablu said angrily, "No, my brother showed me that you were beings of flesh and blood, just like us."
"... He was a clever being, then" Celebi said, making Pikablu twitch, "I am truly sorry for causing him harm..." Pikablu became silent.
"My kind in particular has a special quirk" Celebi started telling her story, "When we give birth, our psychic powers are transferred into our child. The mother is left without any powers, and usually dies right away... That is why the name of Celebi lives on for much longer than the actual being. I flinched at those words earlier because I fear sexual activities, and avoid them as a survival instinct."
"Sounds like a boring life..." Pikablu sneered, "... But it sounds even more like a boring story."
"With my mother, something never heard of before occurred" Celebi continued, ignoring Pikablu's comment, "After giving birth to me, she managed to live on for a full year and gave birth to yet another child, my sister Zerobi."
"However, as all of mother's powers had already been transferred into me, Zerobi was born a normal Pokemon..." Celebi said while looking up as the black clouds above them growled, "... A Dark-Type even, completely devoid of all psychic abilities."
"L... I mean, my caretaker... Did not see my sister as a legendary, and left her to be raised among normal Pokemon. I was too young to do anything about it, and Mew became like a sister to me instead" Celebi continued with sadness in her voice, "She still is, but..."
"You're comparing the death of a sister you've never met with my brother!?" Pikablu suddenly burst out in anger, "From the time he was born we spent every moment together, when our parents died we watched out for each other, eveyone called us 'inseparable'...!"
"You don't understand!" Celebi shouted, "Zerobi was my only sister, which is a miracle in itself! I never even got to see her! I only find out she's been killed in battle, something I could have prevented had I been there!"
"So!" Pikablu shouted back, "What would you do if you found out who was responsible for your sister's death!? You'd hunt them down, wouldn't you!? We're the same, you and I!"
A moment of silence passed as Pikablu realized what he had just said. They both stared at each other as the wind blew past them.
"... You couldn't have just turned around for a moment that day...?" Pikablu asked, his eyes tearing up, "No, you just HAD to get away, to remain hidden like a damn mysterious force..."
"I..." Celebi whispered silently, "I'm sorry... I didn't mean to..."
"The battle resumes" Pikablu said, "Sorry to hear about your sister, but only by killing you will I find peace."
"You fool!" Celebi suddenly shouted, "Killing me will not bring your brother back!"
"Heh... It seems you do not understand the bond between two brothers..." Pikablu said as his tears started flowing freely, "Sure, it was an accident. You're sorry. None of this matters, you know? If not for you, my brother would still be alive. If I didn't kill you in return, what kind of brother would I be?"
"Your brother would not want you to throw away your life like this!" Celebi yelled desperately.
"You know nothing about my brother!" Pikablu screamed as a picture of Pichu reading a book about Celebi flashed through his mind, "If you did, you wouldn't have fled that day!"
"... You're being too selfish!" Celebi finally said, "Maybe you're OK with it, but your death will sadden other people, and my death as well!"
"Heh..." Pikablu cracked up before darkly laughing out loud, "HAHAHAHAHA! Your death wouldn't even be noticed unless I pranced with your corpse around town!"
"W-What!?" Celebi stammered.
"To most creatures of this world, you're nothing but a legend! You don't even exist!" Pikablu kept laughing, "Between us, I think the world would miss me more, and I'm a bit of an asshole!"
"B-But... That's..." Celebi stuttered, taken aback in shock, "I helped a human once!"
"With your abilities, you could have helped out humanity" Pikablu said sternly as he stopped laughing, "Heck, even I feel uneasy killing you, just because of that strange happiness aura you've got..."
"No!" Celebi shouted while shaking her head, "You're wrong!"
"You know it to be true, Celebi!" Pikablu shouted back while pointing at her, "Be as pure and good as you like, no one could ever care about someone as secluded as you!"
Fastening his feet to the ground, Pikablu started shaking. With the vines isolating the electricity, no one except for Pikablu himself and Celebi with her ability to see through bodies would know that he had just filled his body up to 25% with electricity.
"It's no use!" Celebi yelled, "You can't get free like that!"
"Hey..." Pikablu said in a disjoined way as the clouds above were starting to rumble, "If you have 25%... And add 50%... What do you get...?"
"37.5%!" Celebi quickly responded.
"... Really?" Pikablu asked in a confused tone, "Damn... Anyway, prepare yourself... For 75%!"
Celebi had been stunned by the earlier revelation and didn't have time to react as lightning struck into Pikablu's already electricity-filled body. Sensing his power grow, she threw herself back and created her most powerful barrier. Pikablu screamed in pain as his voice became progressively magnified, and starting to crack up like an old radio. The vines surrounding him quickly withered away, and a blinding flash filled the area as the transformation completed.
Soaring up into the air in a ball of pure light, Pikablu was surrounded by a constant thunderstorm. Celebi could sense that it was far more powerful than anything she had ever felt before, possibly rivaling even Mewtwo. The catalyst of lightning descended upon her with incredible speed, and fearing for her life Celebi quickly burrowing herself underground in order to gain shelter.
The ball of lightning smashed through the ground like water, causing a big rift to form in the mountain. Celebi looked back in terror as she was caught between rocks and a thunderstorm, and tried burrowing a new passage up again. As she passed by the electrical ball, a stream of lightning broke through the walls of solid ground and hit her, her barrier failing to absorb the attack and causing her severe pain. She almost fell unconscious right there and then, but pulled herself together and managed to make it back to the surface.
The orb of light burst up through the ground, still surrounded by the cloud of lightning. Panicked, Celebi used a psychic attack, throwing a very powerful invisible shockwave at it. The attack went through the glowing orb completely, leaving it unaffected but instead smashing the ground beneath it into giant boulders. The orb approached quickly as Celebi flew up into the sky while sending down magical leaves at it, but they were all reduced to ashes in a matter of seconds. As she flew higher, she noticed that the force field that had kept her trapped until now had disappeared. However, the orb was faster than her, and feeling the voltage approaching she focused all her power on her barrier while turning around and bracing herself.
The violent storm tore through her like lightning striking a leaf. Ripples of electricity ran through her body, palpitating her heart and constricting her lungs, making her muscles run haywire. The pain was unbearable, and she felt her own body turn lifeless as she was blacking out. Falling to the ground, she saw the blue light beaming above her, and she fought with all her might to stay awake. Realizing too late that the ball of electricity wasn't her only danger, she hit the ground hard with a silent yet painful thud.
When she came to a minute later, she couldn't move. She noticed some weird noises coming from behind her.
"-uck, so damn close..." Pikablu muttered.
"... Ah..." Celebi whimpered to herself, "... It hurts..."
"I'd love to put you out of your misery..." Pikablu said with exhaustion, "... But I'm out. Can't even move."
"I-It hurts!" Celebi shouted as an unfamiliar feeling burned in her chest. It had been many years since she had taken any damage.
"Shut up...!" Pikablu shouted weakly, "Don't be s-such a baby! You disgust me!"
They were lying on the ground, unable to make a move. Destruction from their heated battle was everywhere around them.
"In 75%, the electricity controls me..." Pikablu said quietly, "I'm just a conductor... Thought I'd tell you that before you die."
"I..." Celebi said, "I cannot move... Can't we call it a draw?"
"True, I don't think I can muster up another attack to kill you..." Pikablu grunted, "... Nope, sure can't. But... There is a sure-fire way to kill you..."
"Please..." Celebi said fearfully, "I didn't mean to..."
"100%..." Pikablu continued, "Converting my entire self into pure electricity... But after that, there will no longer be a 'me'. I won't exist anymore."
"D-Don't do it!" Celebi shouted with the last of her strength.
"I've never used it... But it's strong..." Pikablu continued, "... It'll reshape the earth, leaving a mark that perhaps even my brother will be able to see from above us..."
"There is no heaven, there is no afterlife!" Celebi shouted as tears welled up within her, "You won't be reunited with your brother!"
"You never know..." Pikablu mumbled as he closed his eyes.
"B-But you still have your whole life ahead of you!" Celebi kept going, feeling the jaws of death closing in on her.
"It's too late for me... 25% followed by 50% AND 75%?" Pikablu struggled to chuckle, "... I can hardly breathe anymore. The least I can do is see this thing through to the end... This is the only way!"
Pikablu focused on controlling his insides as he started glowing faintly.
"N-No!" Celebi stammered in horror, "Don't!"
"You took my life from me..." Pikablu whispered, "Now I'll take yours."
"I didn't take anything!" Celebi yelled as she started crying, "Even if your brother is dead, y-your life s-still goes on!"
"You know nothing of my suffering..." Pikablu muttered as his body was illuminated in a blue light, "Even in death, you shall remain unaware..."
"W-What about a-all those f-friends you boasted about earlier...!?" Celebi cried, struggling to move.
"..." Pikablu lay in silence before heavy shame weighed down his heart.
"... Anne. You'll have to forgive this fool one last time..." he whispered to himself. His body was shining like a star, and he felt his being disappearing into a haze of blue and yellow. Staring into the sky, the haze swirled around and reminded him of the love of his life. The reassuring look of Anne... The smile of his loved brother... Knowing his tears would work as a conductor he held them back, but was on the verge of bursting. He knew he couldn't hold it in much longer. He would have to let go of his better judgment and simply do it.
"Arceus, or god..." Pikablu shouted with a powerful voice into the sky as his very body turned into an element, "If there truly is a greater force out there, I have but one request...! Please, let my name reach the heavens, so that my brother may hear me one last time...!"
As he exploded into a crash of thunder, a mighty bellow filled the skies:
"I... AM... THE LEGENDARY... PIKABLU!"
That night, the volcano of Hilltop Mountain erupted. It did not spray lava, but lightning.
Lightning so immense that all the clouds covering the northern Kanto skies turned cerulean.
Lightning so resilient that it reached as far Pewter City before waning off.
Lightning so powerful that reached down from the volcano, destroying a nearby cottage as well as damaging several wild Pokémon.
To this day, this phenomenon remains unexplained, and despite thousands of eyewitnesses has been written off as a mere legend. It was named from 'pika' which is the sound of lightning, and 'blue' to signify how the fully clouded sky suddenly turned blue.
'The Legendary Pikablu'