Facing Destiny

By: Theodore ‘Blitz’ Leung

Theoleung@sprint.ca

"And how would you like to die?" Angel asked the Pikachu, stepping forward. Using his Psychic ability, Angel formed a sabre of pure Psychic energy in his hand, preparing to chop little Lin to pieces.

"She isn’t going to die," Alex muttered, stepping between Angel and everyone else. He gazed directly into Angel’s eyes, seeing the bitterness and death that lay within that Pokémon. He had seen that Angel just destroy his trainer.

"Well, so much for the idea that Angel was under their control when they revived him," Ignite commented, the Vulpix nervous about this foe.

"Let me at him!" Lin shouted out, the Pikachu charging up electric energy, using her ‘generator’ within to over charge herself. "He ‘killed’ me once, it’s time to return the favour..." Ice and Skymin remained silent. Void was getting nervous. Alex could tell, his latent Psychic ability made it possible, especially when the experiments also opened up Void’s Espeon genes.

"This one is mine..." Alex told Lin, stepping forward. His dark trench coat still continued to cover most of his bodily features.

"But..." Lin was about to protest, silenced with a cold stare from Alex.

"Lin...Nil...I don’t know what to refer you as, but I do know even with your ‘upgrade’, you’ll never be able to beat him," Alex told the young female Pikachu. "Only a Psychic can..."

"Alex...even with your Psychic ability, I don’t think you can stop him," Ice spoke out softly. Both Chimera subjects exchanged looks, before Alex stepped forward.

"So, you wish to die?" Angel spoke out, grinning. Alex narrowed his eyes. He would’ve thought Angel would’ve have seen him by now, but it surprised him. The Angel stood his ground, a sabre made of pure Psychic energy in his hand.

"It depends..." Alex answered softly, dropping his trench coat. Shocked gasps came from the group that stood behind him, as well as Angel himself.

Along Alex’s arm was an exoskeleton of bone, similar to that Angel wore. With it, to prove his similarities to the opposing Pokémon, he had a pair of angel wings sprouting from his back, the same of which Angel had.

"He has Angel DNA..." Lin stammered. "His Chimera mutation...altered him..."

"He’s...worse then me..." Ice thought, surprised.

"Time to face my destiny..." Alex thought, forming his own Psychic sabre in his arm. "The ability to destroy humans is in my fingertips...as it always has been. Genocide, even to a non-human, will still greatly damage a Pokémon."

"One Genocide will crush you," Angel spoke to Alex telepathically.

"You’re going to have to hit me first!" Alex shouted back through the Psychic link, dashing forward, using his wings to propel him faster then ever known.

"Good luck...Alex..." Void whispered mentally to Alex, watching for the battle to unfold.

* * * * * *

Psy slid to a halt, her eyes wide. Carter and the Hitmonchan stopped beside her, wondering what was going on.

"Ripper...remember back on the island when we lost Lin..." Psy asked the Hitmonchan. The Pokémon nodded slowly. "Angel is back...and there is two of them...fighting each other..."

"You can sense this?" Carter asked, but a more serious question emerged." Two?! I thought only you and Angel himself would have that sort of Psychic wave lengths!"

"Well...there’s a third now...and whoever it is..." Psy spoke, not finishing her sentence as she continued to rush towards the battle scene. If it’s one-on-one, Psy knew this Psychic wouldn’t stand a chance, especially since she needed some many bodyguards before she could fire her ‘Solar Beam’ to disintegrate Angel in the first place. Carter and Ripper realised that too, the pair picking up their pace.

* * * * * *

The two Psychic sabres collided, releasing Psychic feedback in the form of lightning bolts. Both Human and Pokémon gritted, trying the force the other’s blade away. The two took their fight to the sky, where only Skymin could get a good watch of the battle.

Finally, both fighters decided to retreat momentary, deciding how to attack the other.

"What’s going on?" Ice asked, trying to keep the sun out of his eyes as he watched the battle unfold above him.

"Don’t know..." Ignite responded, also trying to watch the battle.

"They’re trying to find a weakness in each other’s form," Void told the group, knowing what was going because of his Psychic abilities. Well, he had a better idea then the other because of the Psychic ability, but it doesn’t mean he knew exactly what was going on.

Lin, on the other hand wasn’t paying attention to the battle as much as the others. She held Styx’s lifeless body in her arms, wondering how everything had to happen to her.

"Shall we?" Ice asked, kneeling down beside the Pikachu and beginning to dig out some dirt.

"B-But...aren’t you going to watch the battle...?" Lin asked, a bit surprised with Ice’s suggestion.

"I have faith in Alex’s ability to handle the situation..." Ice commented, continuing to pull up dirt with his bear hands. "Styx was a good companion...we should remember him well..." Lin nodded slowly, helping Ice with his suggestion.

"Faith in a Human who is genetically altered by the DNA of something hell bent on destroying Humanity...what faith..." Void thought, catching the conversation. "Then again...what better faith to be put in then an Angel?" Void thought next, mentally chuckling at the thought. "Oh...how irony works..."

Irony didn’t seem to matter, Alex’s destiny fell right into his hands, and if it meant protecting his friends in the process, he’ll do so. To the Pokémon/Human hybrid, it all worked out quite well. He was a Psychic Angel, in more ways then one.

The two finally decided on a strategy, somehow both being the same. Both rushed forward once more, and both let lose their sabres of Psychic energy. However, on the next retreat, they each began unleashing waves of Genocide attacks against each other, knowing it would be damaging, and most likely fatal.

The duel became a dogfight in the sky. Skymin was forced to retreat from the battle or face possible extinction from stray fire. But even with the distance, those watching from the ground were still viable of getting hit. Alex just had to make sure the shots weren’t directed towards his companions.

The battle continued for a few more minutes, before both fighters paused, Angel saying something only audible to Psychics within the area.

"Why don’t you stop trying to protect your friends?" Angel asked Alex harshly, in a mocking tone. "Come...release your full potential on me, you half-breed."

"Half-breed?" Alex thought back, raising an eye brow. "Is that what you think of me? Better a half-breed then a mass murderer who can’t survive long without the power of a Phoenix."

"Your latter part is true, however, you are still quite ignorant on what you are dealing with," Angel responded, surprising Alex with the comment. "I have absorbed a Phoenix, as your Pikachu companion may quote. I believe his name was...Burner..."

"Yes, his name was Burner, and his memory will be fondly remembered, unlike yours!" a female voice shouted out psychically.

"Wha?" both ‘Angels’ exclaimed, tracking the location of the voice.

On the ground below stood a Bulbasaur, her bulb charging with Grass/Psychic energy.

"You!" Angel shouted out mentally, staring at the Bulbasaur named Psy down below, the same Bulbasaur that annihilated him before.

"Who?!" Void shouted aloud, glancing over to where Psy stood. His shout out got the attention of the rest of his team, and they followed his gaze, Ice and Lin finishing their goal.

"Psy?!" Lin shouted out towards the Bulbasaur, just as Carter and Ripper made their appearance on the scene, wondering how their Bulbasaur companion ran so fast.

"L-L-Lin?!" Carter shouted in amazement, seeing the familiar Pikachu in the distance. "Whatever...talk later...protect Psy!" the former soldier shouted out next, grabbing the trusty Desert Eagle he always carried with him. The Hitmonchan took a position between himself and hopefully the flying target known as Angel. Lin didn’t know what was going on, but it was quite clear they knew what they were doing, especially since they survived the first true encounter with Angel.

"Don’t ask who they are, but they survived an encounter with Angel! They know what they’re doing!" Lin shouted to her party, rushing towards the other trio to assist in the attack. Ignite wasn’t much to protest, leaping forward as well and keeping pace with the Pikachu.

"Trust them on this," Void told Alex, using Agility and rushing over to help Psy. Alex ‘nodded’, then noticed Angel about to dive towards Psy. The Psychic Angel flew in front of Angel, raising his blade.

"I don’t think so," Alex spoke verbally, entering a defensive stance.

"Out of the way, Human," Angel growled, but gave no chance for Alex to move in the first place. With unseen speed, Alex was slashed across the chest, his eyes wide with amazement from the attack. The Human/Angel hybrid began a long decent to the ground, knowing Angel was desperate not to get hit by that Solar Beam Psy was charging up.

"Alex!!!" Ice shouted out, breaking his sprint to assist the other groups.

"No..." Alex spoke into Ice’s mind, tapping into the latent Psychic ability that a Lapras had. "Forget about me...Psy knows what she is doing...protect her...and we all might come out of this alive..."

"What?!" Ice shouted back psychically, but got silence as a response. "Oh...damn you Alex..." Ice cursed, continuing his path towards Psy.

Lin unleashed a Thunder Wave in hopes to stall Angel’s progression, but the attack hit an invisible barrier.

"He’s got a Safeguard up," Void told Lin, the two still running in step with Ignite. "Attacks like that won’t work."

"Then let’s see him stop this!" Ignite screamed out, blasting out with a corridor known as Flamethrower. Void added his own Flamethrower to Ignite’s, creating quite a blast that bent towards the descending target. The fire hit home, engulfing the Angel completely, but after the flame dissipated, Angel still remained unscathed.

"Light Screen!" both Ignite and Void shouted in surprise.

"He’s getting those attacks up fast!" Skymin spoke from above, hovering over the trio of Pokémon on the ground. The Pidgeot made no more sentences, only dived forward and split his form, the Double Team attack taking into affect. Skymin hoped the confusion would stall Angel.

It didn’t at all. Angel quickly ‘detected’ the real Skymin with his psychic ability. The Psy Sabre in his hand grew longer and slashed the Pidgeot, making him crash into the ground.

"We aren’t stalling long enough!" Ice shouted, knowing the Bulbasaur known as Psy wouldn’t be able to unleash her power beam fast enough. "But what can stop something this powerful...? Wait..." Ice had an idea, and he prayed it would work.

"Void, back me up here!" Ice told the Eevee, unleashing an Ice Beam at the ground in front of Psy. He slowly made a pillar of ice that reached towards the sky, though Angel was going to break through it. Void added his own Ice Beam to the combination, thickening the ice as well as making a sphere that would encase Angel for a brief few seconds. The Angel wasn’t seen anymore, but cracks were clearly visible against the ice sphere.

"Allow me to assist," Ripper told the pair, leaping at the sphere, his hand sparking with Ice energy. The Ice Punch impacted against the sphere, adding a new layer to where cracks were beginning to form.

"That won’t hold him long!" Ice screamed out, trying to release more power.

"Then melt the ice! Ripper, Ignite, make that ice water!" Void ordered, stopping his Ice Beam. The two weren’t sure what the Eevee meant, but they didn’t have any other solutions. They bombarded the ice shell with Fire Punches and Fire Blasts, quickly turning ice to water. However, the water continued to stay in a dome.

"L-L-Lin...g-g-g-o ahead..." Void stammered, trying to hold the water barrier with as much of his Psychic ability possible. The female Pikachu needed no more incentive, blasting the water with electricity, creating a thunder prison around Angel. However, it didn’t hold long, the Psy Sabre from Angel already beginning to cut through.

"I-I don’t...think...so..." Void continued, using his remaining energy to enclose the dome of water. All voltage conducted and stored in the water was pressed into Angel. He might have Light Screen, but there was no way he could Light Screen around him.

The attack lasted only for a few seconds, Void running out of juice and dropping the water/thunder barrier completely. Those few seconds was enough to paralyse him in the spot.

"Curse...you..." Angel muttered, shrugging off the paralysis and continuing his descent.

"Psy?!" Carter shouted out, firing a few rounds, but knew they would bounce off a Reflect.

"Need...more...time..." the Bulbasaur muttered, her body unable to hold much more. She knew she would need this much to stop Angel.

"You’re going to get more time!" Ripper yelled out, slamming his fist into the ground. An earthquake erupted for less then a second before massive pillars of rock and earth blasted out from the ground, creating a wall so tall around Psy. Three slashes from the Psy Sabre did away with a section of the wall, but Ripper wasn’t through yet. The Hitmonchan leaped up at the hole of the wall.

"Psychic V.S. Fighting?!" Ice exclaimed. "Are you crazy?!"

"We need crazy if we want to survive this..." Ripper thought, his fist connecting with the face of Angel, but at the same time, the Psy Sabre pierced his body, cutting right through. The two remained paused in the air for a few seconds. The earth wall receded, showing Ripper’s inability to keep it up anymore. Slowly, the Hitmonchan slid off the edge of the sabre, but his punch was strong enough to momentary stun Angel.

"Psy..." Carter spoke softly, wanting to end this now. Two were down, one was exhausted, and the rest of them couldn’t do much to stop the Angel. It was all up to the Bulbasaur now.

"Not yet...I will blast him...into...oblivion..." Psy responded. Angel shook off the dizziness from his head, quickly regaining his bearings and dived down, only a few feet away from Psy now.

His blade connected with a Light Screen strong enough to pause the attack. Angel’s eyes went wide as he glanced towards Void. The Eevee maybe be down, but he would sacrifice his life for this. He lived as a creature for as long as he remember, Void wouldn’t mind for that nightmare to end now.

"Void, let go!" Psy screamed out to the Eevee, finally unleashing the Solar Beam with the power of Genocide. The Eevee was all too anxious to comply, also with a slight compassion for life.

The energy beam rocketed forward, only to impact against another Genocide attack. The resulting shockwave flattened all frail material within the area.

"Christ...I wasn’t counting on this..." Psy muttered, exhausted from all her charging. It seems like the Angel would win this one.

"Don’t give up yet," Alex told Psy, flying behind Angel while he was distracted. Blood dripped from his injured body, but Alex didn’t care, he intended to end this now. "We do this together."

With those words, Alex jammed his Psy Sabre into the back of Angel, causing a cry of pain unheard of from anyone before. The energy was quickly being sapped from Angel. Withdrawing this blade, Alex flew back, firing his own Genocide and catching Angel in a crossfire of two Genocide’s, the Pokémon unable to maintain his own Genocide that halted Psy’s.

Energy collided, creating a massive shockwave with Angel in the middle of it. If Angel barely survived the one Genocide attack, there was no way he would survive this mess.

* * * * * *

The now large group sat around a room in the Pokémon Centre at Cianwood City. The threat was over, and it didn’t seemed like the escapees were clear from pursuit for at least a little while. Now all that matter was future plans.

"Lin... I guess you should get back to Pallet Town...I’m Ryna would be happy to see you again," Carter suggested after the female Pikachu wondered aloud what to do.

"Yeah...it would be nice to see her again..." Lin agreed softly, still thinking at Styx. There was nothing anyone could do to break that train of thought from her mind.

"And what about you, Alex?" Void asked the Psychic Angel. "You’ve fulfilled your ‘destiny’ now..."

"I think I’ll just fly around..." Alex told them after a bit of thought. He again donned his trench coat so he wouldn’t scare anybody with his mutated body. "That’s all I can do...no one will accept me...and Ice...before you try to change my mind, don’t try. I’ve made up my mind." Ice nodded, knowing Alex could and probably did read his mind.

"Then I guess I will find this daughter of Dr. Sapphire...Sarpal I believe..." Ice spoke, telling of his plans.

"You’ll find her in Glacier City," Carter told Ice. "It’s a path north after passing eastwards at Cerulean City. Tell her I say hi." Ice nodded, glancing towards the window that looked into the adjacent room. Ripper lay there, stable, but well out of it.

"What are you going to do then?" Ice asked Carter, still gazing towards the window.

"Those people who oppose the Rockets at the Trilands...they interest me..." Carter mused. He didn’t need to add anymore, it was quite clear what he wanted to do.

"Um..." Void spoke, unable to express himself yet. "Can I come with...Carter? If you ask why...I just want to learn more about myself...from other sources..."

"Besides, Psy interests me..." Void added mentally, but luckily, only for himself as well. The Eevee wasn’t sure how the Bulbasaur would react to such a comment.

"Skymin...Ignite...?" Psy spoke to the remaining two, wondering what their plans were.

"I’m sticking with Skymin. Half our team maybe gone now...but we still got to go on...without Styx..." Ignite spoke, glancing at Lin when he mentioned that name. "And without Alex..."

"You can come with me, if you like," Ice suggested, watching for the reaction. "I wouldn’t mind the company." The Pidgeot and Vulpix exchanged looks, then nodded.

"The more, the merrier," Skymin told Ice, smiling a bit. Ice smiled back, watching the others. The party broke down into many smaller conversations about now, with much less serious talk.

"I guess I’m free now..." Ice thought, glancing outside towards the setting sun. "Wait for me, Sarpal."

<Fin>

Author’s Note:

That ends Crusaders...after much time in between fics. I got a Series 4 and 5 planned, but I don’t know when I’ll implement them. We’ll see.

Anyway, I don’t own Pokémon, Nintendo and Gamefreak does. The characters introduced within these three series are mostly mine, as well as the unique attacks. Credit for GTK and his Chimera process. If you would like to use these characters, please ask. Permission will most likely be granted, but it depends on what time frame you intend to use the character. Ah well, enough babbling, g’night readers.