Chapter 4 - Family Reunion, pt 2
Shayne smiled mockingly down at Wolf, overjoyed that not only would he be able to start his own empire on the broken bodies of the Lucario clan, but that he would in the same strike take vengeance on the brown furred Lucario for taking his personal slave away from him. Wolf glared defiantly back, as much in defence of the Lucario clan as in defence of Eve. The Chimchar had edged closer to him, now clutching at his leg in a deep rooted fear. She didn't want things to return to the two years of abuse she had received from Shayne, the Infernape having stolen her from their parents and ran off. She had begged him to let her go, but the cruel pokemon had only laughed and heaped even more demeaning tasks on her.
The trees were thinner in this part of the forest, allowing each warband to fully appreciate the other. The Lucario were outnumbered by their foes almost a full two to one, though none of them showed any fear of the foe. Baeleruil stood in the centre of the gathering, with his champion on one side and the rest of the warriors fanned out in a defensive screen. Wolf's own pokemon were scattered throughout the line, each of which was a powerful fighter in their own right. Wolf himself wasn't far from the chieftain, Lucky standing tall by his side and Eve cowering behind him, paralysed by the sight of her brother. Her eyes were wide, mouth open slightly and she was quivering like a leaf.
"Eve, everything will be alright." He whispered to her, trying to comfort the terrified Chimchar. "I promise I won't let anything happen to you." She looked up at him, and though he couldn't afford to spare her a glance the words had their intended effect. She gulped nervously, easing herself out of the death grip she had on his leg. Shayne laughed again, before signalling to the Snorlax in his entourage. The massive thug moved forward, a look of pure mischievousness on its normally dull features as it began to pick up speed. With a blood hungry roar, the remainder of the warband charged after it, intent on slaughter. Feradeth was the first to react, hurling himself into the path of the onrushing Snorlax while the rest of the Lucario advanced cautiously, their movements guarded to provide them the best defensive positions. Wolf's pokemon hung back slightly, sending powerful attacks over the heads of their advancing allies and into the horde, bringing down some of them in the hope that they could stop the Lucario from being ganged up on and brought down through sheer weight of numbers. The only ones to remain in place were Wolf, Shayne and Eve.
"Looks like it's just you and me, hero." Shayne said, sparing Eve a look of contempt as he abandoned his perch and landed in front of the green eyed Lucario, Eve retreating a few steps at his approach. "At least for now."
"I'll agree with that." Wolf said, the easy confidence he always had before a battle showing in his voice. "Shouldn't take me too long to hand you your ass again." Snorting, Shayne launched himself at Wolf, who sought to dodge his attacks to start with like in their first encounter. This time however, Shayne kept himself relatively calm as he rained blows down at Wolf, who found them harder to avoid as a consequence. The trainer felt himself back into a tree, dropping an instant later to dodge the fist that slammed into it, leaving an imprint in the trunk roughly and inch deep. In desperation he launched a quick few punches into his opponent, forcing the Infernape back and giving himself some breathing room. He's much stronger than last time, Wolf thought to himself. I'm gonna have to end this quick.
As soon as the thought came to him Wolf darted after his opponent, intent on a combination of force palm and aura sphere that should give him a proper opening to finish Shayne decisively. Aiming his paw at the Infernape's face, Wolf's eyes widened in surprise as Shayne's hand flashed up to grab it mid swing. Undaunted, he raised his other paw to attack, but this was caught in short order. The pair were soon locked in a shoving match, both trying to force the other back. Wolf could feel the muscles in his arms burning as he resisted the force being brought to bear on them, his focus wholly on his opponent. Shayne grinned at him, only a faint few drops of sweat betraying the effort he was using to keep Wolf at bay.
"You know what?" he hissed at Wolf, eager to needle his opponent. "Maybe after I kill you, I'll rape your bitch as well as Eve. How's that sound, hero?" Wolf, having kept himself calm and ready for anything, was unable to stay that way in the face of such a grievous taunt. The image of this beast hurting and abusing Lucky and Eve was too much for Wolf to handle, and the trainer felt a new strength replacing that which he had through good intentions. Now it was hatred that lent his limbs power, hatred that allowed him to break the stalemate and hurl his foe back. Shayne kept the same mocking smile on his face even as Wolf threw him off, though the Lucario gave him no chance to rest. Wolf swiped at him in a rage, and the Infernape yelped in pain as he felt something sharp drag across his face. Having already been dodging back, he had been caught unaware when Wolf's claws had slid out of their sheathes and sought to remove his eyes. Shayne opened some more distance between them, pausing only when Wolf stopped to assess the situation. The Infernape touched the shallow cuts on his face gingerly, seeing a tiny drop of blood on his fingers as he regarded Wolf again, this time with a leer.
"So the hero has some claws, eh?" he asked, the smile reappearing. Wolf raised his right paw, faint red streaks whetting the trio of claws.
"Enjoy that grin," Wolf snarled, teeth bared. "Your last one's gonna be a red one in your neck!" Roaring, Wolf hurled himself at his adversary, his claws lashing out in an effort to wound Shayne and slow him down for the killing blow. He couldn't forgive the Infernape for what he had said, not only for what it meant if he lost but also because if he could say it that easily it was likely that he had committed such an act in the past already. There could be no mercy for such a monster.
***
Squishy watched the battle unfold before her, picking out a target each time one was far from one of the Lucario and sending a burst of water gun at it. She knew she had hit two of them pretty hard so far, and was quite pleased that she was doing so well. She couldn't spare a glance at her friends to see how they were doing, trying to focus on the task at hand. The Lucario were good, she knew. She also knew that these pokemon wanted to hurt them, and that was enough to decide her. Spying another pokemon that had retreated some distance away from one of the Lucario, she shot a burst of water gun at the Exploud, squealing in delight as the pokemon went down to the attack. It was just that momentary distraction that allowed another foe to sneak up on her. Eve, who had moved to hide behind a tree, noticed the rustling of leaves as a pokemon prepared to charge the Milotic.
"Squishy, above you!" she yelled, breaking away from the tree in time to see the Shiftry jump down. Squishy looked up, crying out in pain as the grass type used its whirlwind attack on the hapless pokemon, blowing her hard into a tree. Squishy collapsed as the attacker loomed over her, extending one leafy hand to hover over her body. Eve could see the faint green glow as the Shiftry used giga drain, the attack sapping her of her energy and leaving her to moan in pain. Eve stood watching, horrified at how the pokemon seemed to enjoy torturing her. Horror gave way to a burning urge to punish Shiftry, and Eve's eyes narrowed in righteous anger.
"Leave her alone!" she cried, before blowing a powerful stream of flame at the attacker. Shiftry turned, irritation at being interrupted turning to fear as the flames engulfed him. Howling, he retreated back to Shayne's lines, uncaring whether or not he collided with other pokemon in his headlong race to find water and douse the fire. Eve ran over to Squishy, putting one hand on her head comfortingly. Squishy smiled weakly back, glad that someone had helped her.
"Thank you, Eve." She murmured, seeing that the little Chimchar needed some encouragement. "You chased him off. You're pretty strong..." Drained of her energy, the Milotic stopped mid sentence, falling unconscious. Eve stayed like that for a few more seconds, before a chilling voice broke her out of her thoughts.
"What say you and me have a little fun?" came a mocking laugh, and Eve turned to find a Skuntank waddling towards her, a malicious smile on his face. Eve was no stranger to that kind of smile, having seen it many times on Shayne's face when she had been his slave. She whimpered, before what Squishy had said came back to her. Wolf had been training her, and he had praised her progress highly even though she felt she had done nothing special. Was it true? Was she really strong?
Eve faced the poisonous pokemon, determined that she would defend herself rather than run. She had had enough of being afraid. She could fight, and she would win.
***
Lucky dispatched yet another foe, the Poliwrath groaning as it was knocked out by her force palm. Around her it was pure chaos, with pokemon fighting each other with abandon, and the number of wounded and beaten were increasing with every minute. She watched as a Granbull took advantage of a Lucario facing the other direction, dashing up and hitting it hard on the back of the neck with a headbutt. The Lucario went down with little sound, having been knocked out from its weakened state as well as the attack hitting a weak point. Lucky didn't waste time, sending a deadly accurate aura sphere crashing into the cowardly pokemon's back and knocking it out.
Seeing a few Lucario being ganged up on by several of the enemy, Lucky moved to help even the numbers. These cowards didn't deserve an honourable battle, but she would fight them without resorting to any such dirty tricks. Such was the way of the Lucario.
***
Feradeth snarled in defiance as he blocked yet another of the Snorlax's mega punches, the weight behind the punch almost causing him to lose his footing. But he was the champion of Eyllisithek, the chosen warrior of the chieftain much like his father before him. The clan's honour was at stake, and he would not be the one to let down hundreds of years of tradition.
He growled, moving to one side to avoid the next blow. Several times he had launched his own attacks at the massive enemy, only to have his blubber soften the impact to the point of it being a waste of time and effort.
"Why don't you just give up?" Snorlax rumbled, a smile on its face as it voiced the suggestion. "Maybe I'll even let you die before I eat you." Feradeth didn't dignify the taunt with a response, staring hard into its eyes. Noting that it didn't seem quite so fat in its face, an idea formed in the champion's head. Breaking into a headlong run at the beast, Feradeth lightly sprung into the air as the next punch struck the ground where he had been standing before putting all of his strength into a single force palm and smashing it squarely into Snorlax's nose. Roaring in pain and clutching at its face, it fell onto its back as blood streamed from its nose. Rage was mingling with the pain when it next looked at Feradeth, who was staring past Snorlax at the small group of pokemon that Shayne seemed to have held in reserve. They were charging towards the champion, intent on taking the Lucario out while he was still regaining his strength.
Feradeth smiled, dashing forward to grab Snorlax's foot. Disdain appeared, swiftly turning to shock as the champion brought his formidable strength into swinging the Snorlax around. Impossibly, Feradeth managed to shift its monstrous bulk enough to swing it around like a giant hammer throw. Roaring, he flung Snorlax into the oncoming group of pokemon, the sheer weight of the pokemon combined with the force he had used to throw it knocking most of them out instantly and trapping those who weren't underneath the immense blob. He allowed himself a moment to try and figure out just how far he had thrown a one thousand pound weight, chuckling in a fit of high spirits.
***
Wolf yelled in agony, Shayne's flamethrower attack having hit its mark. He forced himself to endure, not wanting to let him win. He had beaten the beast before, and he would do so again. For Lucky and Eve.
Ever since Wolf had unsheathed his claws, the Infernape had shown a great reluctance to close with him and risk the eviscerating points. Every time he tried to get closer, a burst of flames would keep him back. When he tried to counter them with aura sphere, Shayne showed that he was more than capable of dodging and retaliating at the same time. Now that Wolf had been hit, he felt much weaker. He knew fire attacks were highly potent against the part steel type Lucario, and he had been diligent in avoiding them, but this time his movement had been anticipated.
Wolf groaned, struggling out of the flames and falling to one knee. His breath came in short gasps, and he could smell the singed fur on his body. Another smell intruded on his own, and Wolf was taken unaware by the hand that grabbed him tightly around the throat. Distracted, he hadn't noticed the Infernape racing at him to take advantage of his weakened state. Shayne lifted him off the ground, smirking in triumph as he tightened his grip on Wolf's throat. Already the trainer could feel his breath becoming harder to draw, could feel the strength leaving his body as he feebly grasped at the hand choking him.
"Not too long now." Shayne chuckled darkly as he kept up the pressure, feeling Wolf's pulse weaken under his grip. He would have liked to have taken his time on the Lucario, but he would be content with just choking the life from him. "I bet your bitch will sound lovely when she screams, especially while I'm raping her." Wolf's mind became clouded with rage, the hatred resurfacing but not quite giving him the strength he needed to break free. His anger turned to cruel thoughts, of how much he would like to burrow his claws into the screaming, pleading beast that stood before him.
Shayne yelped in pain, his hand suddenly coming free as though it had been burnt. He glared at Wolf, seeing the black aura that surrounded him. Wolf coughed, drawing in a lungful of much needed air as he grasped at his throat, only dimly aware that he had just used dark pulse. He had little time to dwell upon it as Shayne charged in again, roaring in fury as he swung his fist, seeking to break Wolf's muzzle. Wolf swung his paw to bat aside the punch, and the Infernape shrieked as the Lucario's razor sharp claws clove through his wrist, the pokemon staggering back and cradling the bleeding stump of his left arm, the hand flopping uselessly on the ground.
Wolf didn't give him a chance to recover, putting what remained of his strength into a final charge and ramming his shoulder into the beast's stomach, sending him sprawling. Before he could react, Wolf had his knee pressed on his chest and his claws poised in front of his face, drawn back for the killing blow. Sunlight streaming through the trees caused it to shine, the blood on them lighting up and making them seem as though they were on fire. Shayne cringed back, seeing his death reflected in those wicked metal claws.
"Wolf! Stop! Please!"
Lucky's shout broke through Wolf's frenzied mind, appealing to the reason that had been brutally suppressed by the rage. He turned to find his love standing several metres away, her eyes widened in horror at what he was poised to do. His other pokemon were approaching her, Ivysaur and Happy supporting Squishy while she looked weakly at him. It was Eve's face that struck him hardest though, her terror the same kind she had displayed when Shayne had turned up. But it wasn't her brother she was looking at. It was him.
Wolf looked back at the pokemon pinned beneath him, still cowering in fear and trying to stem the flow of blood from his ruined arm. Wolf drew back, shocked to the core at what he had been prepared to do. At what he had done already. Wolf backed away from the shivering heap, falling back and crawling away, afraid of himself.
"Wolf..." Lucky said, approaching her horrified love. Wolf didn't respond, jumping to his feet and dashing away into the forest.
***
The brown furred Lucario was bent over a running river, desperately rubbing at the blood stains on his claws. They were proving troublesome, the short time they had been on there enough to dry them significantly.
"Come on!" he cried, increasing his vigour. Panicked thoughts raced through his mind, compounding the urgency he felt at removing the caked blood. What if this was only the beginning? What if he became addicted to bloodletting, getting enjoyment from maiming others? He didn't want to be like this, but he was afraid of the way he had lost control. What if he did so again? He couldn't allow Lucky, or Eve, or any of the others to be near him again. He had to leave, get away from everyone and everything, somewhere where nothing could draw out the blood lust again.
"Wolf."
Surprised, already panicky on the verge of breaking down, Wolf lashed out with his claws only to have his arm stopped mid swing by Baeleruil's own paw. The chieftain looked down at him, though the look was kind rather than angry. Wolf was breathing heavily, the adrenaline still surging though his system. Baeleruil pushed Wolf's arm back down, gently letting the claw soak in the rushing waters of the river. They simply waited there for a minute until Wolf saw the blood beginning to break up. Soon enough his claws were clean again. He collapsed back, his breathing slowing only a little. The physical reminder was gone, but he would carry the memory with him for the rest of his life.
"I heard what he said." Baeleruil said, his tone making it clear that he wasn't to be interrupted. "Your reaction was understandable, but it is nothing to fear. Your actions were born of noble intentions, and though the shedding of blood is wrong it was your good spirit that ultimately allowed you to draw back instead of dealing the fatal blow." He remained silent, allowing Wolf to absorb what he had said. As the message sank in, Wolf turned his still fearful gaze to the chieftain.
"So, I'm not a lost cause?" he asked, voice quivering. Baeleruil shook his head, holding out his paw. Cautiously, Wolf took it and let the chieftain help him to his feet. Baeleruil smiled warmly at him, and Wolf could feel his self doubt beginning to leave him.
"You are not." He replied. "Those who love you have not given up on you, and you should not either." Wolf smiled weakly, feeling as though a great weight had been taken off his shoulders.
They were disturbed by a sudden snarl, and both turned to find Ahnaeir standing there, still somewhat worn out from the fight in the ritual pit. He glared at both of them, drawing angry stares from the trainer and the chieftain.
"You betrayed the clan." Baeleruil stated, his wrathful stare not letting up for a second. "You sent those misguided pokemon to attack us, and for that there is only one punishment."
Ahnaeir didn't respond, instead hurling himself headlong at the chieftain, intent on murder. Before he could even lay a paw on Baeleruil, Wolf threw an aura sphere at the onrushing Lucario, watching as he crumpled under the force of the impact. The trainer and the chieftain moved to stand over him, regarding the pitiful traitor with nought but contempt.
"Do you mean death?" Wolf asked, his voice wavering again. Baeleruil shook his head.
"Worse." He said simply.
***
Once the clan had taken care of their wounded, they had bound Shayne and Ahnaeir to ready them for their final journey. Only Baeleruil and Feradeth had accompanied Wolf and his pokemon in escorting the prisoners, the chieftain telling the Lucario to stay and make sure that no one else would attack the clan's territory. Many had wanted to protest, but they took the orders of their chieftain seriously enough to listen. They had also allowed the pokemon that had followed Shayne's corrupting influence to leave unharmed, remorseful for their actions and unable to understand why they had followed him when they were happy enough with their lives.
Shayne and Ahnaeir were tied to each other with ropes from Wolf's new collection, though none had bothered to explain to Shayne why Wolf had such things. Now they marched in silence as Feradeth lead them to the spring path, keeping a tight hold on their bindings. Wolf pulled Lucky back a few steps, asking her what was to become of them.
"There is a legend among pokemon that tells of when the world was young, shortly after the great ones created time and space, and the weavers of spirit created the souls of all living things. Good cannot exist without evil though, and the shadow dragon was created as a result. It is Giratina, and it looked upon the new world greedily."
"Giratina?" Wolf asked, but Lucky didn't answer him, continuing with the story.
"Giratina gathered those who had darkness in their souls and formed them into a mighty army." She continued. "At first they took everything they wanted, the good pokemon unable to stop them. Finally Dialga and Palkia stepped in and defeated the army with little effort. Giratina saw their power, the devastation it wrought on his army, and realised what he had become. The weavers of spirit, Mesprit, Azelf and Uxie, saw that Giratina wasn't wholly to blame for his actions and they suggested a compromise."
"Giratina was to spend the rest of time in redemption." She said, not looking at Wolf. "Dialga and Palkia created a realm on the other side of this one, and it became Giratina's own. He was not banished there, like your people seem to believe, but those who cannot be saved from the shadow are banished there. Giratina is not a prisoner, he is a warden."
"So, they will be sent to this prison?" Wolf asked, looking at the traitor and the beast. Lucky nodded, not looking at either of them.
"Yes." She said simply. "There is no chance for redemption for them, so they must be imprisoned where they cannot hurt anyone again." Wolf kept staring, almost feeling pity at their punishment. Baeleruil had been right, death was much more merciful than an eternity imprisoned in a realm of nothing but shadow.
The journey had been relatively quick with Wolf in his Lucario form, taking only a fraction of the time it would have had he been human. They had only just crested the final hill, leaving them on the crest of a natural crater, a calm blue lake in the bottom of the indentation. It was hauntingly beautiful, especially knowing what fate awaited most of those who came to this place. They climbed down onto the sole section of land in the crater and entered the cave that waited there, much like a hungry mouth. Wolf shivered as they entered, and he was glad to see he wasn't the only one.
They walked through a single hall, markings engraved along its length depicting the legend that Lucky had just told him. The group remained silent the whole time, instinctively afraid of offending the malign power that waited to greet them at the end. Once they reached the end of the tunnel, they came upon a great chamber dedicated to Giratina. The room was dimly lit, four torches flickering in an ethereal wind. Carvings depicting the shadow dragon lined the walls, while a single giant tablet stood in the middle of the room flanked by two more torches. Text covered this wall, written in a forbidden language Wolf was glad he couldn't read. Sitting in front of the wall was a Gengar, who looked upon the group as they entered with interest, his eyes lingering on Shayne and Ahnaeir.
"Two more?" he asked rhetorically, his eyes scanning the group. "You two, I will need you to help me open the gate." He said, indicating Serenity and Happy. The three of them all knew subconsciously that a psychic type, a ghost type and a dark type were needed to perform the ritual that would open the portal to the distortion world. Silently they took up positions in front of the tablet and began to read the inscription.
Wolf could feel the air getting charged as they recited the ancient text on the tablet, as though something terrible were being stirred to wakefulness. He resisted the urge to run from the chamber, noting that Feradeth had tightened his hold on the rope. No one was speaking except the pokemon of spirit, and all wore an expression of dread as the shadows began to pull towards the dais on which the tablet was mounted. They pooled there, forming a perfect circle and bubbling like the surface of a cauldron filled with tar. The chant abruptly stopped as an enormous shadow detached itself from the pool of shadow.
This, all knew, was Giratina.
The shadow dragon took in his surroundings, its skin of darkness distorting in the air to give him a rippling shape. Two massive pinions of shadow extended from his back, but what evoked the most fear in the assembled group were the two blood red eyes that regarded them.
"You have prisoners." Giratina stated, his eyes sweeping over Shayne and Ahnaeir. Both pokemon shrank under his forbidding gaze, evidence of their guilt.
"Yes." Baeleruil replied, his position demanding that he be the one to speak with Giratina. The shadow dragon's eyes focussed on him, the chieftain flinching only slightly as he was studied by Giratina. He said nothing, the pinions sweeping forward and grabbing both of the prisoners. The shrieking and pleading that streamed from their mouths did little to comfort the others, but they were silenced once Giratina hurled them into the pool of shadow. No one made a sound, the last few moments of their relative freedom a horrible reminder of the day's events. Giratina's gaze moved over the assembled group again, as though he were trying to see into their very souls. For all Wolf knew, the shadow could.
"The one who walks between worlds." Giratina said, the assembled group flinching yet again. Slowly, all present looked at Wolf. Without knowing how, they knew it was him that Giratina referred to. Gulping nervously, Wolf stepped forward. Would Giratina take him too?
"Yes?" he asked, his voice quivering. Giratina stared hard at him, and it took all of Wolf's self control to keep his legs from collapsing underneath him.
"You have a blessing on your soul." The dragon said, his head tilting in interest. "That is all." Wolf stared up into Giratina's eyes, trying to look for some kind of explanation. What did that mean? A blessing? Before he could ask, the door between the worlds closed and Giratina disappeared back where he had come from. Silently they trooped out, none daring to speak until they had returned to the clan's home.
While Wolf's pokemon tried to forget their encounter with the shadow dragon, Wolf simply sat on the edge of the platform that housed Lucky's cave, the Lucario and her son sitting next to him.
"A blessing..." Wolf murmured to himself, puzzled. Lucky and Caelas held him, trying to ease his troubled thoughts. "Oh, great." He said, looking down at his family. "I was hoping this visit would help me get more sleep!" Lucky giggled and held him closer, while Caelas climbed up onto his shoulders and nuzzled his hair. Wolf grinned, unable to remain focussed on such a problem when with his loving family.Chapter End Notes:Out of all I've written up to this point, this is a chapter I would encourage honest reviews on. Looking forward to hearing (seeing?) your opinions
The trees were thinner in this part of the forest, allowing each warband to fully appreciate the other. The Lucario were outnumbered by their foes almost a full two to one, though none of them showed any fear of the foe. Baeleruil stood in the centre of the gathering, with his champion on one side and the rest of the warriors fanned out in a defensive screen. Wolf's own pokemon were scattered throughout the line, each of which was a powerful fighter in their own right. Wolf himself wasn't far from the chieftain, Lucky standing tall by his side and Eve cowering behind him, paralysed by the sight of her brother. Her eyes were wide, mouth open slightly and she was quivering like a leaf.
"Eve, everything will be alright." He whispered to her, trying to comfort the terrified Chimchar. "I promise I won't let anything happen to you." She looked up at him, and though he couldn't afford to spare her a glance the words had their intended effect. She gulped nervously, easing herself out of the death grip she had on his leg. Shayne laughed again, before signalling to the Snorlax in his entourage. The massive thug moved forward, a look of pure mischievousness on its normally dull features as it began to pick up speed. With a blood hungry roar, the remainder of the warband charged after it, intent on slaughter. Feradeth was the first to react, hurling himself into the path of the onrushing Snorlax while the rest of the Lucario advanced cautiously, their movements guarded to provide them the best defensive positions. Wolf's pokemon hung back slightly, sending powerful attacks over the heads of their advancing allies and into the horde, bringing down some of them in the hope that they could stop the Lucario from being ganged up on and brought down through sheer weight of numbers. The only ones to remain in place were Wolf, Shayne and Eve.
"Looks like it's just you and me, hero." Shayne said, sparing Eve a look of contempt as he abandoned his perch and landed in front of the green eyed Lucario, Eve retreating a few steps at his approach. "At least for now."
"I'll agree with that." Wolf said, the easy confidence he always had before a battle showing in his voice. "Shouldn't take me too long to hand you your ass again." Snorting, Shayne launched himself at Wolf, who sought to dodge his attacks to start with like in their first encounter. This time however, Shayne kept himself relatively calm as he rained blows down at Wolf, who found them harder to avoid as a consequence. The trainer felt himself back into a tree, dropping an instant later to dodge the fist that slammed into it, leaving an imprint in the trunk roughly and inch deep. In desperation he launched a quick few punches into his opponent, forcing the Infernape back and giving himself some breathing room. He's much stronger than last time, Wolf thought to himself. I'm gonna have to end this quick.
As soon as the thought came to him Wolf darted after his opponent, intent on a combination of force palm and aura sphere that should give him a proper opening to finish Shayne decisively. Aiming his paw at the Infernape's face, Wolf's eyes widened in surprise as Shayne's hand flashed up to grab it mid swing. Undaunted, he raised his other paw to attack, but this was caught in short order. The pair were soon locked in a shoving match, both trying to force the other back. Wolf could feel the muscles in his arms burning as he resisted the force being brought to bear on them, his focus wholly on his opponent. Shayne grinned at him, only a faint few drops of sweat betraying the effort he was using to keep Wolf at bay.
"You know what?" he hissed at Wolf, eager to needle his opponent. "Maybe after I kill you, I'll rape your bitch as well as Eve. How's that sound, hero?" Wolf, having kept himself calm and ready for anything, was unable to stay that way in the face of such a grievous taunt. The image of this beast hurting and abusing Lucky and Eve was too much for Wolf to handle, and the trainer felt a new strength replacing that which he had through good intentions. Now it was hatred that lent his limbs power, hatred that allowed him to break the stalemate and hurl his foe back. Shayne kept the same mocking smile on his face even as Wolf threw him off, though the Lucario gave him no chance to rest. Wolf swiped at him in a rage, and the Infernape yelped in pain as he felt something sharp drag across his face. Having already been dodging back, he had been caught unaware when Wolf's claws had slid out of their sheathes and sought to remove his eyes. Shayne opened some more distance between them, pausing only when Wolf stopped to assess the situation. The Infernape touched the shallow cuts on his face gingerly, seeing a tiny drop of blood on his fingers as he regarded Wolf again, this time with a leer.
"So the hero has some claws, eh?" he asked, the smile reappearing. Wolf raised his right paw, faint red streaks whetting the trio of claws.
"Enjoy that grin," Wolf snarled, teeth bared. "Your last one's gonna be a red one in your neck!" Roaring, Wolf hurled himself at his adversary, his claws lashing out in an effort to wound Shayne and slow him down for the killing blow. He couldn't forgive the Infernape for what he had said, not only for what it meant if he lost but also because if he could say it that easily it was likely that he had committed such an act in the past already. There could be no mercy for such a monster.
***
Squishy watched the battle unfold before her, picking out a target each time one was far from one of the Lucario and sending a burst of water gun at it. She knew she had hit two of them pretty hard so far, and was quite pleased that she was doing so well. She couldn't spare a glance at her friends to see how they were doing, trying to focus on the task at hand. The Lucario were good, she knew. She also knew that these pokemon wanted to hurt them, and that was enough to decide her. Spying another pokemon that had retreated some distance away from one of the Lucario, she shot a burst of water gun at the Exploud, squealing in delight as the pokemon went down to the attack. It was just that momentary distraction that allowed another foe to sneak up on her. Eve, who had moved to hide behind a tree, noticed the rustling of leaves as a pokemon prepared to charge the Milotic.
"Squishy, above you!" she yelled, breaking away from the tree in time to see the Shiftry jump down. Squishy looked up, crying out in pain as the grass type used its whirlwind attack on the hapless pokemon, blowing her hard into a tree. Squishy collapsed as the attacker loomed over her, extending one leafy hand to hover over her body. Eve could see the faint green glow as the Shiftry used giga drain, the attack sapping her of her energy and leaving her to moan in pain. Eve stood watching, horrified at how the pokemon seemed to enjoy torturing her. Horror gave way to a burning urge to punish Shiftry, and Eve's eyes narrowed in righteous anger.
"Leave her alone!" she cried, before blowing a powerful stream of flame at the attacker. Shiftry turned, irritation at being interrupted turning to fear as the flames engulfed him. Howling, he retreated back to Shayne's lines, uncaring whether or not he collided with other pokemon in his headlong race to find water and douse the fire. Eve ran over to Squishy, putting one hand on her head comfortingly. Squishy smiled weakly back, glad that someone had helped her.
"Thank you, Eve." She murmured, seeing that the little Chimchar needed some encouragement. "You chased him off. You're pretty strong..." Drained of her energy, the Milotic stopped mid sentence, falling unconscious. Eve stayed like that for a few more seconds, before a chilling voice broke her out of her thoughts.
"What say you and me have a little fun?" came a mocking laugh, and Eve turned to find a Skuntank waddling towards her, a malicious smile on his face. Eve was no stranger to that kind of smile, having seen it many times on Shayne's face when she had been his slave. She whimpered, before what Squishy had said came back to her. Wolf had been training her, and he had praised her progress highly even though she felt she had done nothing special. Was it true? Was she really strong?
Eve faced the poisonous pokemon, determined that she would defend herself rather than run. She had had enough of being afraid. She could fight, and she would win.
***
Lucky dispatched yet another foe, the Poliwrath groaning as it was knocked out by her force palm. Around her it was pure chaos, with pokemon fighting each other with abandon, and the number of wounded and beaten were increasing with every minute. She watched as a Granbull took advantage of a Lucario facing the other direction, dashing up and hitting it hard on the back of the neck with a headbutt. The Lucario went down with little sound, having been knocked out from its weakened state as well as the attack hitting a weak point. Lucky didn't waste time, sending a deadly accurate aura sphere crashing into the cowardly pokemon's back and knocking it out.
Seeing a few Lucario being ganged up on by several of the enemy, Lucky moved to help even the numbers. These cowards didn't deserve an honourable battle, but she would fight them without resorting to any such dirty tricks. Such was the way of the Lucario.
***
Feradeth snarled in defiance as he blocked yet another of the Snorlax's mega punches, the weight behind the punch almost causing him to lose his footing. But he was the champion of Eyllisithek, the chosen warrior of the chieftain much like his father before him. The clan's honour was at stake, and he would not be the one to let down hundreds of years of tradition.
He growled, moving to one side to avoid the next blow. Several times he had launched his own attacks at the massive enemy, only to have his blubber soften the impact to the point of it being a waste of time and effort.
"Why don't you just give up?" Snorlax rumbled, a smile on its face as it voiced the suggestion. "Maybe I'll even let you die before I eat you." Feradeth didn't dignify the taunt with a response, staring hard into its eyes. Noting that it didn't seem quite so fat in its face, an idea formed in the champion's head. Breaking into a headlong run at the beast, Feradeth lightly sprung into the air as the next punch struck the ground where he had been standing before putting all of his strength into a single force palm and smashing it squarely into Snorlax's nose. Roaring in pain and clutching at its face, it fell onto its back as blood streamed from its nose. Rage was mingling with the pain when it next looked at Feradeth, who was staring past Snorlax at the small group of pokemon that Shayne seemed to have held in reserve. They were charging towards the champion, intent on taking the Lucario out while he was still regaining his strength.
Feradeth smiled, dashing forward to grab Snorlax's foot. Disdain appeared, swiftly turning to shock as the champion brought his formidable strength into swinging the Snorlax around. Impossibly, Feradeth managed to shift its monstrous bulk enough to swing it around like a giant hammer throw. Roaring, he flung Snorlax into the oncoming group of pokemon, the sheer weight of the pokemon combined with the force he had used to throw it knocking most of them out instantly and trapping those who weren't underneath the immense blob. He allowed himself a moment to try and figure out just how far he had thrown a one thousand pound weight, chuckling in a fit of high spirits.
***
Wolf yelled in agony, Shayne's flamethrower attack having hit its mark. He forced himself to endure, not wanting to let him win. He had beaten the beast before, and he would do so again. For Lucky and Eve.
Ever since Wolf had unsheathed his claws, the Infernape had shown a great reluctance to close with him and risk the eviscerating points. Every time he tried to get closer, a burst of flames would keep him back. When he tried to counter them with aura sphere, Shayne showed that he was more than capable of dodging and retaliating at the same time. Now that Wolf had been hit, he felt much weaker. He knew fire attacks were highly potent against the part steel type Lucario, and he had been diligent in avoiding them, but this time his movement had been anticipated.
Wolf groaned, struggling out of the flames and falling to one knee. His breath came in short gasps, and he could smell the singed fur on his body. Another smell intruded on his own, and Wolf was taken unaware by the hand that grabbed him tightly around the throat. Distracted, he hadn't noticed the Infernape racing at him to take advantage of his weakened state. Shayne lifted him off the ground, smirking in triumph as he tightened his grip on Wolf's throat. Already the trainer could feel his breath becoming harder to draw, could feel the strength leaving his body as he feebly grasped at the hand choking him.
"Not too long now." Shayne chuckled darkly as he kept up the pressure, feeling Wolf's pulse weaken under his grip. He would have liked to have taken his time on the Lucario, but he would be content with just choking the life from him. "I bet your bitch will sound lovely when she screams, especially while I'm raping her." Wolf's mind became clouded with rage, the hatred resurfacing but not quite giving him the strength he needed to break free. His anger turned to cruel thoughts, of how much he would like to burrow his claws into the screaming, pleading beast that stood before him.
Shayne yelped in pain, his hand suddenly coming free as though it had been burnt. He glared at Wolf, seeing the black aura that surrounded him. Wolf coughed, drawing in a lungful of much needed air as he grasped at his throat, only dimly aware that he had just used dark pulse. He had little time to dwell upon it as Shayne charged in again, roaring in fury as he swung his fist, seeking to break Wolf's muzzle. Wolf swung his paw to bat aside the punch, and the Infernape shrieked as the Lucario's razor sharp claws clove through his wrist, the pokemon staggering back and cradling the bleeding stump of his left arm, the hand flopping uselessly on the ground.
Wolf didn't give him a chance to recover, putting what remained of his strength into a final charge and ramming his shoulder into the beast's stomach, sending him sprawling. Before he could react, Wolf had his knee pressed on his chest and his claws poised in front of his face, drawn back for the killing blow. Sunlight streaming through the trees caused it to shine, the blood on them lighting up and making them seem as though they were on fire. Shayne cringed back, seeing his death reflected in those wicked metal claws.
"Wolf! Stop! Please!"
Lucky's shout broke through Wolf's frenzied mind, appealing to the reason that had been brutally suppressed by the rage. He turned to find his love standing several metres away, her eyes widened in horror at what he was poised to do. His other pokemon were approaching her, Ivysaur and Happy supporting Squishy while she looked weakly at him. It was Eve's face that struck him hardest though, her terror the same kind she had displayed when Shayne had turned up. But it wasn't her brother she was looking at. It was him.
Wolf looked back at the pokemon pinned beneath him, still cowering in fear and trying to stem the flow of blood from his ruined arm. Wolf drew back, shocked to the core at what he had been prepared to do. At what he had done already. Wolf backed away from the shivering heap, falling back and crawling away, afraid of himself.
"Wolf..." Lucky said, approaching her horrified love. Wolf didn't respond, jumping to his feet and dashing away into the forest.
***
The brown furred Lucario was bent over a running river, desperately rubbing at the blood stains on his claws. They were proving troublesome, the short time they had been on there enough to dry them significantly.
"Come on!" he cried, increasing his vigour. Panicked thoughts raced through his mind, compounding the urgency he felt at removing the caked blood. What if this was only the beginning? What if he became addicted to bloodletting, getting enjoyment from maiming others? He didn't want to be like this, but he was afraid of the way he had lost control. What if he did so again? He couldn't allow Lucky, or Eve, or any of the others to be near him again. He had to leave, get away from everyone and everything, somewhere where nothing could draw out the blood lust again.
"Wolf."
Surprised, already panicky on the verge of breaking down, Wolf lashed out with his claws only to have his arm stopped mid swing by Baeleruil's own paw. The chieftain looked down at him, though the look was kind rather than angry. Wolf was breathing heavily, the adrenaline still surging though his system. Baeleruil pushed Wolf's arm back down, gently letting the claw soak in the rushing waters of the river. They simply waited there for a minute until Wolf saw the blood beginning to break up. Soon enough his claws were clean again. He collapsed back, his breathing slowing only a little. The physical reminder was gone, but he would carry the memory with him for the rest of his life.
"I heard what he said." Baeleruil said, his tone making it clear that he wasn't to be interrupted. "Your reaction was understandable, but it is nothing to fear. Your actions were born of noble intentions, and though the shedding of blood is wrong it was your good spirit that ultimately allowed you to draw back instead of dealing the fatal blow." He remained silent, allowing Wolf to absorb what he had said. As the message sank in, Wolf turned his still fearful gaze to the chieftain.
"So, I'm not a lost cause?" he asked, voice quivering. Baeleruil shook his head, holding out his paw. Cautiously, Wolf took it and let the chieftain help him to his feet. Baeleruil smiled warmly at him, and Wolf could feel his self doubt beginning to leave him.
"You are not." He replied. "Those who love you have not given up on you, and you should not either." Wolf smiled weakly, feeling as though a great weight had been taken off his shoulders.
They were disturbed by a sudden snarl, and both turned to find Ahnaeir standing there, still somewhat worn out from the fight in the ritual pit. He glared at both of them, drawing angry stares from the trainer and the chieftain.
"You betrayed the clan." Baeleruil stated, his wrathful stare not letting up for a second. "You sent those misguided pokemon to attack us, and for that there is only one punishment."
Ahnaeir didn't respond, instead hurling himself headlong at the chieftain, intent on murder. Before he could even lay a paw on Baeleruil, Wolf threw an aura sphere at the onrushing Lucario, watching as he crumpled under the force of the impact. The trainer and the chieftain moved to stand over him, regarding the pitiful traitor with nought but contempt.
"Do you mean death?" Wolf asked, his voice wavering again. Baeleruil shook his head.
"Worse." He said simply.
***
Once the clan had taken care of their wounded, they had bound Shayne and Ahnaeir to ready them for their final journey. Only Baeleruil and Feradeth had accompanied Wolf and his pokemon in escorting the prisoners, the chieftain telling the Lucario to stay and make sure that no one else would attack the clan's territory. Many had wanted to protest, but they took the orders of their chieftain seriously enough to listen. They had also allowed the pokemon that had followed Shayne's corrupting influence to leave unharmed, remorseful for their actions and unable to understand why they had followed him when they were happy enough with their lives.
Shayne and Ahnaeir were tied to each other with ropes from Wolf's new collection, though none had bothered to explain to Shayne why Wolf had such things. Now they marched in silence as Feradeth lead them to the spring path, keeping a tight hold on their bindings. Wolf pulled Lucky back a few steps, asking her what was to become of them.
"There is a legend among pokemon that tells of when the world was young, shortly after the great ones created time and space, and the weavers of spirit created the souls of all living things. Good cannot exist without evil though, and the shadow dragon was created as a result. It is Giratina, and it looked upon the new world greedily."
"Giratina?" Wolf asked, but Lucky didn't answer him, continuing with the story.
"Giratina gathered those who had darkness in their souls and formed them into a mighty army." She continued. "At first they took everything they wanted, the good pokemon unable to stop them. Finally Dialga and Palkia stepped in and defeated the army with little effort. Giratina saw their power, the devastation it wrought on his army, and realised what he had become. The weavers of spirit, Mesprit, Azelf and Uxie, saw that Giratina wasn't wholly to blame for his actions and they suggested a compromise."
"Giratina was to spend the rest of time in redemption." She said, not looking at Wolf. "Dialga and Palkia created a realm on the other side of this one, and it became Giratina's own. He was not banished there, like your people seem to believe, but those who cannot be saved from the shadow are banished there. Giratina is not a prisoner, he is a warden."
"So, they will be sent to this prison?" Wolf asked, looking at the traitor and the beast. Lucky nodded, not looking at either of them.
"Yes." She said simply. "There is no chance for redemption for them, so they must be imprisoned where they cannot hurt anyone again." Wolf kept staring, almost feeling pity at their punishment. Baeleruil had been right, death was much more merciful than an eternity imprisoned in a realm of nothing but shadow.
The journey had been relatively quick with Wolf in his Lucario form, taking only a fraction of the time it would have had he been human. They had only just crested the final hill, leaving them on the crest of a natural crater, a calm blue lake in the bottom of the indentation. It was hauntingly beautiful, especially knowing what fate awaited most of those who came to this place. They climbed down onto the sole section of land in the crater and entered the cave that waited there, much like a hungry mouth. Wolf shivered as they entered, and he was glad to see he wasn't the only one.
They walked through a single hall, markings engraved along its length depicting the legend that Lucky had just told him. The group remained silent the whole time, instinctively afraid of offending the malign power that waited to greet them at the end. Once they reached the end of the tunnel, they came upon a great chamber dedicated to Giratina. The room was dimly lit, four torches flickering in an ethereal wind. Carvings depicting the shadow dragon lined the walls, while a single giant tablet stood in the middle of the room flanked by two more torches. Text covered this wall, written in a forbidden language Wolf was glad he couldn't read. Sitting in front of the wall was a Gengar, who looked upon the group as they entered with interest, his eyes lingering on Shayne and Ahnaeir.
"Two more?" he asked rhetorically, his eyes scanning the group. "You two, I will need you to help me open the gate." He said, indicating Serenity and Happy. The three of them all knew subconsciously that a psychic type, a ghost type and a dark type were needed to perform the ritual that would open the portal to the distortion world. Silently they took up positions in front of the tablet and began to read the inscription.
Wolf could feel the air getting charged as they recited the ancient text on the tablet, as though something terrible were being stirred to wakefulness. He resisted the urge to run from the chamber, noting that Feradeth had tightened his hold on the rope. No one was speaking except the pokemon of spirit, and all wore an expression of dread as the shadows began to pull towards the dais on which the tablet was mounted. They pooled there, forming a perfect circle and bubbling like the surface of a cauldron filled with tar. The chant abruptly stopped as an enormous shadow detached itself from the pool of shadow.
This, all knew, was Giratina.
The shadow dragon took in his surroundings, its skin of darkness distorting in the air to give him a rippling shape. Two massive pinions of shadow extended from his back, but what evoked the most fear in the assembled group were the two blood red eyes that regarded them.
"You have prisoners." Giratina stated, his eyes sweeping over Shayne and Ahnaeir. Both pokemon shrank under his forbidding gaze, evidence of their guilt.
"Yes." Baeleruil replied, his position demanding that he be the one to speak with Giratina. The shadow dragon's eyes focussed on him, the chieftain flinching only slightly as he was studied by Giratina. He said nothing, the pinions sweeping forward and grabbing both of the prisoners. The shrieking and pleading that streamed from their mouths did little to comfort the others, but they were silenced once Giratina hurled them into the pool of shadow. No one made a sound, the last few moments of their relative freedom a horrible reminder of the day's events. Giratina's gaze moved over the assembled group again, as though he were trying to see into their very souls. For all Wolf knew, the shadow could.
"The one who walks between worlds." Giratina said, the assembled group flinching yet again. Slowly, all present looked at Wolf. Without knowing how, they knew it was him that Giratina referred to. Gulping nervously, Wolf stepped forward. Would Giratina take him too?
"Yes?" he asked, his voice quivering. Giratina stared hard at him, and it took all of Wolf's self control to keep his legs from collapsing underneath him.
"You have a blessing on your soul." The dragon said, his head tilting in interest. "That is all." Wolf stared up into Giratina's eyes, trying to look for some kind of explanation. What did that mean? A blessing? Before he could ask, the door between the worlds closed and Giratina disappeared back where he had come from. Silently they trooped out, none daring to speak until they had returned to the clan's home.
While Wolf's pokemon tried to forget their encounter with the shadow dragon, Wolf simply sat on the edge of the platform that housed Lucky's cave, the Lucario and her son sitting next to him.
"A blessing..." Wolf murmured to himself, puzzled. Lucky and Caelas held him, trying to ease his troubled thoughts. "Oh, great." He said, looking down at his family. "I was hoping this visit would help me get more sleep!" Lucky giggled and held him closer, while Caelas climbed up onto his shoulders and nuzzled his hair. Wolf grinned, unable to remain focussed on such a problem when with his loving family.Chapter End Notes:Out of all I've written up to this point, this is a chapter I would encourage honest reviews on. Looking forward to hearing (seeing?) your opinions