BadgeQuest

The Big Goodbye

=Part 9=

Till All Are One

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        It all came down to statistics.

        People called upon any number of fancy, beautiful, ultimately useless 
words whenever disaster struck in their lives; fate, kismet, destiny, luck, 
fortune, gods and goddesses…but in the end, it simply boiled down to a matter of 
numbers. Mathematicians had claimed for years that their craft was more closely 
tied to life itself than even art itself (though many had dismissed this as 
their way of trying to justify the fact that they sit around all day playing on 
their calculators). They were more right than most would care to admit.

        The epiphany struck Ash like a bolt of metaphorical lightning as he flew 
through the real stuff, propelled silently by Pidgeot's pure will through the 
heart of the horrendous monsoon that constantly hung above Pallet Town. He and 
Pikachu hung at the bird's side, wrapped in a golden aura as the Pokémon jetted 
off at speeds unheard of for organic creatures. Most of Ash's mind was devoted 
to urging his Pidgeot on, as if his own willpower could help (although he 
couldn't help noticing that Pidgeot was moving much faster than usual). The 
rest, however, was thinking intently about the two girls trapped in a house with 
a double-helping of megalomaniacal demon zombies.

        The more he thought about it, the more he realized that surprise wasn't 
warranted in the least; here he was, appointed guardian of the Earth by some 
strange, insubstantial woman who (as near as he could figure) lived in some kind 
of cloud, fighting evil demons that topped even his worst nightmares. It had 
been over a year since he had met her, and almost a year since he had found out 
about this strange destiny of his. And after all this time, nothing too terrible 
had happened.

        '…except Misty almost died.'

        Well, that was it, wasn't it? Statistics had tried to catch up with him 
back in Alaska, delivering the oh-so-deserved disaster after all of his 
gratuitous luck by taking away one of the most important things in his life. And 
what had his reaction been then? Simply a classic Ash solution; he had done 
whatever it took to win. He had cheated life itself and forced the gods' hands, 
threatening the entire world to beat those nasty numbers. Only now, he realized 
it hadn't been a real victory; It was just a temporary fix whose time had just 
run out.

        Pallet Lane, the simple little road the Ketchum's house had stood upon 
for nearly two decades, slowly came into view. Ash's eyes narrowed behind his 
old aviator goggles as he zeroed in on his old, white house with the matching 
picket fence. If statistics wanted to play rough, then it was about to come onto 
a nasty discovery; Ash was terrible with numbers.

        "Let's go, Pidgeot!" The Pokémon trilled its response, tucking its wings 
into a suicide dive that tore at Ash's skin even through the amber protection. 
He held his breath, clenching his jaw as he fought the impending blackness that 
was seeping into the edges of his vision. 'Can't black out…' He gritted his 
teeth, forcing himself to stay conscious. The force was so great that Ash could 
not get a command past his lips for Pidgeot to slow down, but his trust was 
absolute in his 'mon, and it wasn't misplaced. Pidgeot's wide wings and 
invisible power spread out wide, slowing them down until they made a gentle 
landing in the house's front yard.

        Ash took just enough time to recollect and holster Pidgeot before he and 
Pikachu leapt forward, running for the door. He felt a sense of panic welling up 
inside him, one that he felt mirrored in the house as he approached the open 
door. 

        It was like déjŕ vu all over again as he pushed through the door and 
into the house, dripping all over his floor and not particularly caring. "Misty? 
Dixie?" A shrill scream was the only reply, emanating from the kitchen. "Hold 
on!" he called back, rushing and skidding on the smooth wood flooring.

        "Ash!" Misty's voice screamed with panic as he shot through the doorway. 
It took him only a second to gauge the situation, though his brain was having a 
little trouble wrapping around it.

        Brock stood over Misty as she lay huddled in the corner, a frying pan 
her only defense. The large man's hands were raised to strike her, and judging 
by Misty's tussled appearance, it wasn't going to be the first shot. His mother 
stood near the table, cradling Dixie's still form in her arms. Both she and 
Brock wore similar smiles of disgusting delight as they handled their prey.

        Brock turned, dropping his hands. "Ash," he said brightly, walking 
forward. "Good to see you! Pull up a seat." He reached forward to pull a chair 
out from under the table. "We've got some catching up to do."

        Ash's eyes narrowed at the sight of his cowering friend and limp 
girlfriend. His hands curled into fists as they rose from his sides, wary as 
Brock approached. "Drop the act, Missingno," he sneered with curling lips. "We 
both know what you're here for."

        "Yes," Brock agreed amiably, "I didn't think you'd be able to get here 
so fast. But don't let the whole 'demon possession' thing fool you…I know 
everything Brock knows, you know."

        "Yes, dear," His mother spoke, laying Dixie onto the table. "Our souls 
are alive and well, just like everyone else's inside of Missingno. Soon, you'll 
be able to join-"

        "Ash!" Misty screamed, "What's going on?" She stood up, still clutching 
the pan as she looked between the three of them. "They just came in and attacked 
me, they knocked Dixie out…your mother…Brock…"

        "It's Missingno, Misty," Ash stared hard into Brock's slitted eyes, 
knowing that it wasn't his friend behind them. "He's taken control of my mom and 
Brock…and Giselle. They've been playing us the whole time."

        "Ash, Ash, Ash…" Brock shook his head, still lugging the seat. "You're 
the one playing…playing hero, I mean. Always rushing to the rescue, ready to 
save your friends. But tell me…which one of them were you more desperate to 
save?"

        "Pika…" Pikachu snarled at the approaching assailant. It was so obvious 
to the Pokémon now; that tainted stench that hovered around Brock now had been 
around Giselle the whole time. It was unbelievable that it had gone unnoticed 
until now. "Pikachu! Pi, pika pi pika!"

        "Were you thinking of Dixie, your little girlfriend?" His mother ran a 
delicate hand across Dixie's calm, unconscious features. "You two have grown 
quite close in just a few short months. I know you care quite a bit about her. 
Maybe you even love her…"

        "Don't you touch her," Ash growled, but he held back. Even with 
Pikachu's light-speed lightning, he could only hit one of them, and that would 
leave the other free to attack.

        "But you and I both know that Misty's the more interesting subject." 
Brock smiled, now just a few feet away from Ash. His head tilted to the side as 
he smiled. "You really do look tired, Ash. Here," he raised the chair in an 
offer, "Have a SEAT!" The chair suddenly swung around in his grip, breaking 
apart against Ash's face and chest in a bone-shattering blow.

        Ash tumbled to the ground, feeling his ribs grinding against one 
another. He had forgotten just how strong Brock was, but the stars exploding 
behind his eyes were more than enough reminder. He saw Pikachu powering up to 
deliver a shock, but his 'mother' was still too close to Dixie. "Pikachu, no!" 
he cried out.

        "That's right, Pikachu," his mother smiled, looking first at Dixie, then 
at Misty, who still stood in the corner. "Mustn't hurt us. We're your friends, 
remember?"

        "Aren't I right, Ash?" Brock knelt down by Ash, smiling. "Misty's the 
real enigma in this situation, isn't she?" He looked back at the girl, giving 
her a grin. "Did you know that she cries herself to sleep sometimes over you?"

        "Shut up!" Misty yelled, turning beet red. "Shut up right now!"

        "It's true," Brock grinned. He planted a foot on Ash's chest, pinning 
him to the ground and drawing a yelp of pain from the boy as his boot ground 
into his cracked ribs. "She's been in love with you this whole time. Of course," 
he shrugged, leaning down harder on Ash and eliciting another moan, "You've been 
too wrapped up in yourself to notice, haven't you?"

        "Get…off…" Ash groaned, pushing uselessly against Brock's boot.

        "Badges, demons, leagues…you're a busy guy." Brock sneered. "Too busy to 
be a good friend, no matter how much you use them yourself. Ever stop to think 
about my needs? Or Misty's?" He didn't wait for an answer, twisting his heel 
into Ash's stomach. "No, of course not. You were too busy to notice that red-
headed skank's feelings for y-"

        That was as far as he got when a frying pan sailed across the kitchen, 
slamming into the back of Brock's head with a distinctive 'ping!' The burly man 
went down like a sack of Poké-chow, tumbling down onto Brock. 

        Throwing his arms up to deflect Brock's bulk, Ash didn't need a second 
chance; "Pikachu, Thunderwave!"

        "Pi-KA!" Pikachu powered up, throwing a hefty charge at his mother. The 
shot was high to ensure Dixie's safety, but perfectly on target. The electricity 
swept through her body, scrambling the impulses running through her body and 
knocking her unconscious. She slumped over next to Dixie, blissfully asleep.

        "Good work, Pikachu." Ash gasped, sitting up and clutching his ribs. His 
eyes slid sideways, catching sight of Misty. Her breath came in ragged huffs 
like his, but she seemed relatively unscathed. Her hand that had flung the pan 
still trembled as she walked over, using it to help Ash to his feet.

        "Ash," she said shakily, "What in blazes is going on? You said something 
about Missingno…"

        He nodded quickly. Leaning down, he was nonetheless relieved that 
Brock's body had a steady pulse, though that lump growing on the back of his 
head would leave him with one nasty headache…assuming they could save him. "It's 
Missingno, all right." he told her. "He's found a way to leave…I dunno, some 
kind of piece of himself in the bodies of his victims now. He's been playacting 
as Giselle this entire time, I think."

        "Can we save them?" Misty's voice grew quiet.

        "I think so…" Ash rubbed his chin, scowling. None of it made 
sense…Missingno clearly grew more powerful with each person he absorbed. That 
much he knew just from the inscriptions he had read in Exile's cavern, but the 
question was, how powerful had he grown? In the past year alone, he must have 
absorbed a veritable army…

        An army…

        "Oh crap." Ash suddenly felt his legs go weak. Misty had to lunge 
forward to catch her friend, lest he fall to the ground. "Oh, crap…Crap, crap, 
crap, crap, crap on a cracker…" Ash swore to himself. 

        "What?"

        "This whole time," Ash suddenly rose, glaring down at Brock's fallen 
body, "He hasn't been running at all. He's been biding his time, building his 
own personal army of zombies, or whatever!" he waved a hand at Brock and his 
mother. "He could control half the Island for all we know! He's been taking over 
while I was away, and…and…"

        "But why?" Misty demanded. If Ash knew something she didn't, she wanted 
it up front with no sugar coating. "What's the point? I mean, if he's like 
Exile, he can probably go into full daylight by now, with all the people he's 
snacked on!"

        "I know, I know…" Nothing was adding up anymore. "We just have to-"

        A soft moan and a stirring from the table caught the two teens and their 
Pokémon off-guard. Tensing for battle, Ash forced himself to relax as he saw 
Dixie begin to awaken with a groan. Misty moved forward to help her to her feet, 
saying soothing things to ease her back into consciousness.

        Once more, Ash was struck with an overwhelming sense of relief. Somehow, 
despite the odds, he had come out ahead again; Dixie and Misty were still with 
him. If he hadn't beaten Missingno's schemes out of Giselle, who knows what-

        Wait.

        "I didn't beat it out of her at all…" Ash mused to himself. His mental 
cogs were spinning once more, an act that gave him a piercing migraine. He had 
always left the heavy thinking to Brock in dire situations, preferring to act on 
impulse as he always did. But that wouldn't cut it at the moment; the demon was 
too smart to be beat by a last-minute act of heroism. "He told me…"

        "Told you what?" Dixie moaned, rubbing her head where Delia had given it 
a decent blow. "What's going on?"

        "Ash?" Misty looked up from her examination of Dixie's blonde crown, 
besieged though it was. "What is it?"

        "Pi?"

        Ash began pacing, his eyes narrowed as the pieces began to fit. He began 
looking back on the past couple of days, thinking about Giselle's actions in a 
new light; she had tried to touch Exile's container; she always made sure she 
was paired with Ash…and Richie; she had been the one to suggest their search 
patterns, keeping them far away from the heart of Pallet. "She told me that you 
guys were in danger." Ash said at last, pounding his fist into an open palm.

        "That doesn't make sense." Misty insisted testily. "Why would Missingno 
want you to rescue us?"

        "Because," Ash retorted, "The first thing I would have done if I wasn't 
rescuing you would have been to check on…" he trailed off as the last piece fell 
into place, creating a terrifying picture. "Oh no."

        With an impatient sigh, Misty demanded, "What now?"

        "C'mon." Ash reached forward, grabbing hold of the girls' hands and 
dragging them back to the door. "Pikachu, let's go. Now!" Pikachu bounded after 
him as he brought the girls, one dizzy and the other protestant, out into the 
brutal storm.

        "Wait!" Misty shouted above the roaring winds and thunder, ignoring the 
pelting rain against her bare ivory skin, "Shouldn't we tie them up or 
something?"

        "Misty's right," Dixie shielded her eyes with a hand, squinting through 
the rain as Ash released Pidgeot with near-panic. "They might get loose or-"

        "No time! We have to get to the lab!" Ash shouted back. "Pidgeot, can 
you handle the four of us?" Pidgeot trilled a positive response, nodding its 
angular head as its ruffled brown feathers tossed aside the offending water that 
beat against its body. "Good."

        "What's at the lab?" Dixie asked, feeling Pidgeot's power wrap around 
her and her friends and lifting them into the air.

        Ash's response was a single word, and more frightening then the prospect 
of facing a hundred of their loved ones in battle. "Exile."

        Ash risked a look back as he snapped his flight goggles over his eyes, 
and was half-relieved to see the appropriate looks of horror on the girls' 
faces. They finally understood the true stakes of the match now. And as terrible 
as one demon had been for them, he couldn't bring himself to imagine facing the 
wrath of two working in tandem, and instead put his thoughts to those of haste 
as his Pokémon carried them up into the heart of the storm.

* * *

        Richie whistled a merry tune to combat the gloom that had hung through 
their extended monsoon season as he ran his broom across Oak's pristine hardwood 
floors. During his first week with the Professor, the old man had insisted that 
Richie take it easy, putting his energy into recovering his lost memories. That 
had lasted only as long as Richie's polite nature could hold out against his 
natural compulsion towards being helpful. After that, Richie had told Oak in no 
uncertain terms that he was going to earn his keep around the lab just like any 
of Oak's other assistants, recovery be hanged.

        Without any real scientific background (not any he could remember, at 
any rate), Richie had been content with cleaning up around the place. Oak, like 
any true genius, knew plenty about his fields, but very little about cooking and 
cleaning. The same went for his plethora of rotating assistants, though Tracey 
Sketch could at least pick up after himself. It didn't bother Richie so much…as 
long as he could be of some use, he didn't feel so bad.

        So as it was, Richie was sweeping the main living area, allowing his 
thoughts to drift to the beautiful blonde girl that had made a fuss over him 
just a few days before, when he first noticed it; a soft, low humming that 
seemed to be coming from outside. He frowned, halting the swish of his broom for 
a moment as he strained his ear to listen; it wasn't easy to pick up between the 
deafening claps of thunder, but there it was nonetheless.

        "Huh. What the…" Curious, he set his broom aside, tilting his head to 
listen further. It was easier to hear now, and definitely coming from outside. 
He walked over to the window, peering out through the water-streaked glass. 
There, off on the distant north road leading up to Oak's signature windmill, was 
a strange collection of shadows swaying to and fro. Several flickering lights 
danced amongst the darkened shapes, bobbing up and down like no creature Richie 
could think of.

        His curiosity grew as he ascended the steps to the upper level of the 
lab. There, he moved swiftly to the north wall's upper patio, mercifully covered 
for the season with a hastily-erected tarp. Professor Oak kept a small spotting 
scope set up on a tripod on his favorite patio, stationed there for Pokémon 
watching. Richie took advantage of the device, adjusting the focus on the lens 
as he peered through the scope. His curiosity morphed into a sense of urgency 
and confusion as he spied what awaited them at the other end of the scope, 
stumbling back with surprise.

        His feet carried him back into the lab, forgetting the open doors behind 
him as he sprinted through the corridors. He called out for the Professor, 
checking each room in the twisted maze of corridors Oak himself had designed. 
Even after living here for several months, he was convinced that he hadn't yet 
found everything in the lab, nor did he trust himself not to get lost if he 
didn't keep his mind on where he was going.

        After a few minutes, he finally found the old man. He burst into the 
main lab, short of breath and panting his words as he leaned against his knees. 
"Professor…there's…something…you…"

        Oak was leaning against the countertop, his ear buried in the telephone 
receiver and a cross look of worry creasing his rugged features. "Yes…" he 
nodded to the other voice on the phone, too low for Richie to hear. "Yes, I see. 
Thank you, old friend. Goodbye." He hung up the phone, looking back to Richie 
with increasing worry. "Richie."

        "Professor," Richie gasped, pushing his heavy teal cap up out of his 
eyes as his breath returned. "Out there, heading towards the lab, there's-"

        "Yes, I know." Oak nodded. "There's a mob." He turned to the computer, 
tapping in a few commands. "Dextron," he addressed the Lab's central computer 
crisply, "Activate perimeter defenses. Begin securing all loose Pokémon in the 
enclosures, and prepare to bring internal defenses on-line."

        Richie was a little surprised that Oak already knew; certainly, little 
that went on in Pallet Town escaped Oak's attention, but the aging scientist 
could hardly be expecting this. "You know?" He shook away his surprise, getting 
back to the real issue. "Professor, what's a mob doing here? What do they want?"

        "It isn't about what they want, lad." Oak's solemn gaze turned away from 
Richie to rest on his stainless steel isolation containers. There, inside one of 
them, rested the artifacts that Ash had given to him for safekeeping. Part of 
him, his scientific curiosity, hoped to see them in action this night. The rest 
of him…

        "It's about what 'he' wants."

* * *

        "There's something below us!" Misty called, pointing a finger straight 
down as they soared above the treetops.

        Ash squinted, seeing the same flickering lights and moving shadows that 
Misty had spotted. He didn't know what it was, but it certainly couldn't be 
good. "Pidgeot," he called ahead to his navigator, "Take us down for a look!"

        Pidgeot gave a shrill squawk, tucking its wings as it led the teens and 
their Pika-partner down lower. The bird snapped its wings out with plenty of 
time to spare, following the road to Oak's lab as Ash and the others let out 
horrified gasps. Below them, a veritable army of people marched slowly towards 
Oak's lab. They wore ordinary clothes, as if they had dropped whatever they were 
doing to attend a come-as-you-are drafting. Some carried bats or pipes, while 
others held flaming torches high above their heads.

        "Torches?" Dixie scoffed in disbelief. "They have torches? Wonderful…all 
they're missing are pitchforks."

        As Pidgeot dipped lower, a pronged spear suddenly leapt upwards to stab 
at them. Pidgeot squawked, splitting their flight group to avoid the lance, even 
as another came.

        "You had to say something, didn't you?" Misty snapped as another 
pitchfork flew up, narrowly missing her leg. The angered cries of the impromptu 
army could still be heard as Pidgeot took them upwards to relative safety.

        "Hold on," Ash broke the impending fight apart, pointing ahead of them. 
"Look!"

        A large, wired fence was rising out of the ground, just in front of 
Oak's usual low-slung wooden barrier. The chain-link wall seemed to wrap around 
the entire facility, topped with nasty barbed wire that gleamed against the 
flashes of lightning in the background. Signs of warning dotted the fence with 
pictures of electric bolts and zapped stick figures, assuring any intruders that 
trespassing was definitely discouraged.

        One of the zombies on point made the mistake of running headlong into 
the fence as it reached the eight-foot mark, its growth coming to a halt. He was 
immediately thrown back by a powerful electrical shock, scorching his clothes 
and incapacitating him in one fell swoop.

        "Pika…" Pikachu murmured, impressed.

        "I didn't know Oak had one of those." Misty said as they flew over the 
fence.

        Ash shook his head. "I doubt there's anything the Professor 'isn't' 
ready for."

        They touched down in the main yard, right in front of Oak's lazily-
spinning windmill. Dixie and Misty looked apprehensively at the mob as Ash re-
holstered Pidgeot; the strange army was beating against Oak's defenses, risking 
shock with their bats and branches and torches, and whatever else they had been 
able to find on short notice. "What now?"

        Ash felt a shiver travel up his spine, totally unrelated to the weather. 
"Get inside…now!" Ash shouted, ushering them through the door. He cast one last 
look back at the mob, scowling as he recognized several faces as people he had 
known from Pallet Town as a child. The usually-pleasant faces of his friends and 
neighbors were twisted into expressions of hate as they pounded against Oak's 
perimeter. 'Missingno has a lot to answer for,' Ash decided silently as he 
entered the lab, putting the mob out of his mind. There were bigger problems on 
their way.

* * *

        The doors to Oak's main lab burst open for the second time that night as 
Ash and his friends rushed in, Pokéballs held at the ready. "Professor?" Ash 
called desperately as Pikachu sparked and spitted at his side, ready to launch 
everything it had against whatever stood in their way.

        Relief set in when Ash saw Oak and Richie sitting calmly at one of his 
examination tables. Oak sipped calmly on a cup of tea, monitoring the progress 
of the army laying siege to his castle. Richie looked like death warmed over, 
but he brightened as he saw Ash, Misty, Dixie and Pikachu riding to their 
rescue. "Ash!" Richie cried out, rising from his seat.

        "Hello, my young friends." Oak nodded a greeting, setting his teacup 
down. "Quite the predicament we're in, isn't it?"

        "Does anything get to this guy?" Dixie muttered sidelong to Misty.

        "You should see him when the world's ending," Misty countered, equally 
as quiet. "Solid as a rock."

        "Professor," Ash dashed forward, running his hands along the containment 
units. "Has anyone…anything-"

        "It's all right, Ash." Oak rose to join him. He rapped his knuckles 
against the unit reassuringly. "Nothing can get into this unless I want it to, 
believe me."

        "Open it."

        Oak's eyebrow quirked. "Beg pardon?"

        Frantically, Ash wondered how he could possibly sum the situation up. 
"Professor, Missingno's in control of most of the town, and they're pounding on 
your gates right now to get at those…artifacts." he chose his words carefully. 
"Missingno's probably on his way now to collect Exile, and we have to stop him."

        "Yes," Oak nodded, "I surmised as much."

        Ash froze, puzzled. "You did?"

        "And I had assumed that keeping the containment unit closed would be-"

        "I need Missingno's ball to beat him." Ash insisted. "Please, open the 
container!"

        Oak hesitated a moment, and then nodded. "Very well," he sighed as he 
typed the access code in. "Far be it for me to question the wisdom of the 
Disciple."

        A flash of annoyance crossed Ash's features at the title, but Oak took 
no notice of it as he swung the containment doors open. As he did so, even he 
was a bit surprised (and everyone else was terrified) to see a blood-red light 
pouring out of the tiny box. Inside, one of the twin obsidian spheres was 
alighted with deep, crimson light that shone with a deadly gleam.

        "That can't be good." Richie had the bad taste to comment as Ash drew 
the glowing sphere from the container, pocketing it quickly and quietly. The 
Disciple paused as soon as the ball was hidden, his head tilted as if listening 
to a distant voice.

        Dixie stepped forward, her voice quivering with panic. "What are y'all 
gonna do?" she asked. "That fence won't hold those people out there forever, and 
you said that Missingno thing is-"

        "He's here." Ash cut her off with a snap, whirling around with narrowed 
eyes. He scanned the deep shadows of the lab, and knew without a doubt that they 
weren't alone. He couldn't see the demon, but his pungent stench was 
overpowering to the tingle at the base of Ash's skull. "He's in the lab."

        *Very good, Disciple.* a disembodied voice floated from every corner of 
the room, startling all but one of its inhabitants. *Your talents continue to 
grow with each fight. Why, soon enough,* he chortled from every direction, *You 
may even pose a threat to me.*

        Ash's head swiveled on his neck as he looked around the lab, trying to 
pinpoint Missingno's location. Down by his feet, Pikachu was bristling and 
snarling. Sparks rained down from the Pokémon's cheeks as its tiny hackles 
raised, growling at the invisible enemy. "Everyone," Ash ignored Missingno's 
taunting, tossing his voice to his fellows on the side, "Get out of here. Lock 
the door."

        Misty began to protest, but thankfully Oak had the good sense to usher 
her out before her voice could even rise properly. The other two followed 
quickly as they ran for the door, only to run into Oak's back as the portal 
slammed shut on its own, halting their escape. 

        Missingno's ghostly voice cackled with delight as Oak tugged furiously 
on the doorknob. The door refused to budge, much to the demon's increasing 
delight. *Now, you can't leave just yet.* he scolded them, *The fun is just 
beginning, and I would feel just awful if you missed out on it!*

        "Leave them out of his, Missingno." Ash shouted at the walls, turning 
about. He forced Oak's muttered curses, Dixie's and Richie's frantic shrieks, 
and Misty's roar of frustration to the back of his mind, focusing his new senses 
in desperation. "I'm the one you want," he insisted, "This is between you and 
me. Goddess business, and all that."

        Another laugh echoed across the cavernous lab, chilling the trainer to 
the bone as he tried uselessly to find his enemy. *You? Hardly, little one. You 
see,* he gleefully informed his quarry, *I'm far beyond the acquisition of a few 
paltry souls and bags of meat.*

        "You don't have a soul of your own. You said it yourself a few days 
ago." Ash shot, wiping the sweat that beaded at his brow. "Well, I have a nice, 
big, juicy one right here, Grade A and Goddess-approved. So c'mon." He wait a 
moment, watching for any sign of the demon's approach. "COME ON!" he roared, 
throwing his arms out wide.

        *You have been left out of the loop, haven't you?* Missingno sounded 
almost piteous of his prey as his voice shifted about the room. *Well, let me 
illuminate a few things for you, Oh Chosen One.*

        The very shadows of the room began to shift and move as if possessed of 
a life of their own. Darkness everywhere twitched and poured, slithering across 
the floor from the darkest depths of Oak's lab. Even Ash's own shadow vanished, 
swiftly crossing the floor to coalesce with the other blackness in the center of 
the room. It formed a large, circular pool, swirling and glimmering in the 
shadowed lightning outside. 

        Then a dark shape began to rise out of the pool, slowly at first, but 
gaining momentum as it went. A pair of long, jagged projections was first, 
followed by a hideous, elongated skull with two red, burning eyes and long, 
deadly teeth. Shoulders soon rose to support the head, followed by a pair of 
gigantic, muscular arms attached to a chiseled torso. Long, smooth legs followed 
the creature's hips, with knees that bent in an inhuman direction and rested 
upon cloven feet.

        *I've got a new look,* Missingno said through a mouthful of the dagger-
like teeth, using his massive hands to sweep aside pieces of Oak's enormous 
analytical equipment as if it weighed nothing. *And that look comes complete 
with a soul of its own, thanks to generous contributions from victims like you.*

        Dixie was more frightened than she could ever remember being in the 
entirety of her short life as she backed up against the wall, sinking to her 
knees. Every description she had ever heard of in church, every image she had 
ever seen painted, matched Missingno's new look to the Morningstar himself. 
Faced with a real-world Satan hungering for her soul, she felt her control 
slipping away. "H-h-he's huge…" she murmured, feeling her hope slip away.

        "He's solid," Misty whispered with amazement, looking up (and up!) at 
the towering monster before her. Missingno had always been limited in the 
physical world by his gaseous state, but now it seemed he had found the strength 
to pull his insubstantial body together into something far more powerful.

        Ash glared at the menacing demon, the bile in his throat rising. His 
senses, the intangible tools the Goddess had apparently blessed him with, were 
screaming one thing at him right then; Missingno wasn't lying. He had a soul of 
his own. Which meant…what? "He's whole." Ash growled in a low voice.

        *You noticed.* Missingno leered down at them, folding his massive arms. 
*Now, do you want to surrender now, or are we going to do this the hard way?*

        "Pikachu," Ash shot a look at his Pokémon as he ripped the Demon Ball 
from his pocket, "FLASH!"

        Pikachu roared in reply, bringing every ounce of external charge it had 
deep into its body as the mysterious facilities the Hidden Machine had created. 
With a shrill cry, Pikachu exploded with a brilliant blast of light that blotted 
out every last detail in the lab, replacing everything with pure, blinding 
white.

        Ash waited for the attack to fade with his arm across his eyes, 
protecting him from the blast of light. As soon as it was over, he threw his arm 
back, clutching the Demon Ball tightly as he prepared to throw it at the 
disabled demon…

        Except Missingno was fine.

        Certainly, he looked slightly worse for wear; the obsidian surface that 
composed his skin was smoking and sizzling. Thick, disgusting boils now blotted 
his body, oozing black liquid as they burst under the pressure. But the demon 
himself was unperturbed, still standing with his arms calmly folded across his 
chest.

        *That stung.* Missingno sounded more irritated than anything else. He 
shifted his arm, reaching down towards Ash and Pikachu with a sneer on his face.

        Panicked, Ash brought the glowing ball between him and the demon, hoping 
the painful red light would somehow ward Missingno off. It had worked once 
before, back in the mountainous caves that had served as Missingno's prison. 
"Stay back!" he cried.

        Missingno froze for a moment, bathed in the light of his former cage. 
Then he smiled, darting forward faster than his size should have allowed as he 
plucked the glowing ball from Ash's hand. *I have a soul now, Disciple. Do you 
know what that means?* He began rolling the ball between his massive fingers, 
inspecting the tiny artifact. *It means I am finally free.* With a sickening 
smile, he squeezed. The ball cracked under the pressure, grinding down into a 
fine powder between in his crushing grip and falling to the ground, twinkling in 
the air. *You can no longer hold me within this prison. You cannot stop me.* He 
leaned forward, putting his jagged, repugnant face down to Ash's level. Rancid, 
rotting breath rolled in massive waves over Ash as the demon laughed in his 
face. *You cannot BEAT ME, Disciple!"

        Ash scrambled back with Pikachu hot on his heels as Missingno's claw 
descended upon them. The terrified cries of the others were miles away to him as 
the demonic claws tore away chunks of the concrete flooring, narrowly missing 
their true target. His hands acted on instinct, yanking his Pokéballs and 
thumbing the activation triggers before he even thought to. "Everyone, GO!"

        There was no room for Articuno, but the rest of his team joined the 
fight in an instant; Wartortle, Ivysaur, Charizard and Pidgeot were reassembled 
from their energy states with a dazzling flash of light, forming a protective 
circle around their fallen friends before Missingno could mount another attack.

        He was about to order an attack when another set of flashes from the 
side caught his attention, accompanied by a steady, high-pitched voice. Looking 
over, he saw an entire team of Water types hit the floor just seconds after his 
own team. "Staryu," Misty cried, "Starmie, Seadra, Psyduck, Poliwrath, Togepi!"

        A shout of protest was on Ash's lips, but he swallowed it as his eyes 
met Misty's. He could almost feel her determination mirroring his own, covering 
the same fear in her that he could feel poisoning his own courage. Instead, he 
turned back to his own team. "Strongest attacks, guys. GO!"

        Missingno was forced back with a roar of pain as a wall of flame, water, 
lightning and wind slammed into him, accented by dozens of tiny, razor-sharp 
leaves. His outline was blurred against the torrent of elemental power. Ash 
thought for a moment that it might have worked, until a wall of dark energy 
began pushing the attacks back at them.

        "C'mon guys!" Ash cried out, urging his team on. He knew his Pokémon 
were putting everything they had into the attacks, but it wasn't enough. Little 
by little, Missingno pressed ahead through the wave of destruction, moving ever 
closer to his targets.

        *You're just delaying the inevitable, you know.* Missingno grunted from 
behind his shadowy shield. Ash wished desperately that Missingno would stop 
talking and just roar, or something. It was far more disturbing to have a demon 
that talked to him. *You can't hold out-*

        Another wave of attacks hit him, this one in the form of a tiny tidal 
wave that slammed into his side, forcing him to one knee. Misty let out a cry of 
triumph as her team, even her usually-useless Psyduck, blasted out with thick 
streams of crystal water, adding to Ash's elemental gale. Her Togepi stood by, 
blasting at the demon with cascading psionic energy that flew between the 
columns of water.

        *This…is…hardly…fair…* Missingno grunted, expanding his shield to cover 
Misty's added attacks. Ash had a sinking that Missingno was merely toying with 
them, that he could have destroyed them at any moment. It was either good 
fortune or a really bad sign that the demon had decided to toy with them. 
*Perhaps I'll call in a little backup of my own.*

        The air next to Ash began to ripple as a small point of light grew from 
nothingness, expanding until it was the size of a large doorway. Ash shielded 
his eyes as the intensity of the light grew to its apex, then vanished in a 
blast of air as quickly as it had come. When he opened his eyes again, a new 
horror greeted him with a friendly, familiar wave.

        "Hey," Brock said in unison with Missingno, adopting a fierce scowl. 
"Neat trick, huh?" The Brock-puppet ripped a Pokéball from his waistline, 
tossing it into Ash's face. The young trainer was blinded once more as the ball 
spat out Brock's hefty Graveler, who shook the floor with its landing. 
"Graveler, attack!" Graveler looked back at its trainer for a moment, confused; 
it recognized the target as one of its friends. But Brock stood firm, pointing 
and foaming at the mouth as he screamed, "Do as I say! ATTACK!"

        Ash ducked as four blocky hands lanced out towards him, narrowly 
avoiding Graveler's crushing grip. Pikachu and the others scattered as Brock 
brought out his Vulpix, which immediately began spraying plumes of molten death 
about the room. "Misty!" he called out, "I could use a little help here!"

        "I'm busy!" came the snappish reply. It was only then that Ash noticed 
that Brock hadn't been the only one to be transported into the lab; Giselle and 
Misty were deadlocked in battle, with their Pokémon duking it out around them. 
"Get offa me!"

        "Time to die, children." Missingno spoke in time with his earthly 
extensions, creating a triumvirate most strange. "Or rather, to be reborn as 
servants to the one true king." With no one to oppose him, Missingno strode 
forward towards the containment block, his enormous fingers flexing with 
anticipation. The prize within would be most sweet; his brother's rebirth, and 
their united destruction of the old ways as they remade the world in their 
image. "Me."

        "Guys!" Ash cried out, ducking as Brock released his Geodude into the 
melee to try and silence Ash more quickly, "Keep Missingno away from Exile!"

        Pikachu heard its trainer's cries, and was torn. The Pokémon desperately 
wanted to help Ash, but it knew that he was right; if Missingno breached the 
containment, then all was lost. "Pika!" the mouse rallied its fellows with a 
cry, "Pika, pikachu!" Together, they charged forth, meeting Missingno head-on. 
Pikachu himself slammed into the demon, who was more surprised than hurt as the 
four others joined in, giving the attack everything they had.

        Misty struggled as Missingno, in his Giselle shell, began pulling at her 
raven locks. The beautiful prima donna's face was contorted with rage as the 
demon's primary body struggled with Ash's Pokémon. "Dixie!" Misty cried, "Help! 
Use your Pokémon!" Her own Water types had the advantage over Giselle's 
primarily Ground type team, but without her instructions, they lacked the 
fighting edge she could give them. "Help us!"

        Dixie cowered in fear, still in the corner with Professor Oak and 
Richie. The aging scientist knelt beside the teens, keeping a protective arm on 
each of them as they watched the ensuing chaos. She desperately wanted to help, 
but this was unlike anything she had ever seen before. Missingno was the demon 
that haunted her dreams, and he had already claimed two of the people she 
thought of as friends. What happened if he claimed her? "I…I can't!" she cried, 
tears leaking from her eyes. "I'm sorry. I'm…I just…"

        "Misty," Ash grunted, avoiding the swipe of Brock's surprisingly-nimble 
Rock types, only to nearly fall into the hands of the Rock trainer himself. 
"Misty, we have to do this on our own. We're the only ones who can."

        "We can't!" she cried, trying to loosen Giselle's grip on her head. 
"Missingno has everything…We can't win!"

        "We have to!" he retorted, darting away from Brock's deft grip. "We're 
the only ones left! Besides, we have one thing he doesn't." It was a poor time 
for a pep talk, but he could feel fear pouring off of Misty in waves, and he 
knew he couldn't do this alone.

        "What?"

        "Us."

        Misty wasn't sure how, but she could feel Ash with her. Not see, not 
hear, but feel him…one hundred percent. And just like that, she knew without a 
doubt that, despite her own confused feelings, despite everything that changed, 
Ash was there for her now, just as he had always been. "Okay." she said, 
steadying her voice. "Okay, enough corny lines. So what do we do?"

        That part, Ash hadn't quite figured out yet. His own Pokémon were doing 
the best they could against Missingno, keeping the demon distracted. That, plus 
the fact that he was actively splitting his focus between Brock and Giselle had 
to mean that he was at least a little off-guard. It wasn't much, but Ash would 
take anything he could get. Suddenly, a strategy popped into his head. "Switch!" 
he yelled. 

        With a running jump, Ash leapfrogged over Graveler, pushing the Pokémon 
back into Geodude, who in turn was knocked into Brock. Without even thinking 
about it, Ash began shouting instructions to Misty's Pokémon as he sprinted to 
the rescue. With a trainer to see the overall big picture of the fight, Misty's 
Water types began taking back ground, knocking out Giselle's team one by one. In 
the meantime, Ash was able to get a clear shot at Misty's attacker, knocking her 
off with a flying tackle that took them both down in a heap.

        Finally freed, and with a victorious team, Misty caught on to Ash's plan 
in a heartbeat. "Everyone," she called, "Watergun Brock and his 'mon, now!"

        The Pokémon obeyed without question, sending five powerful streams of 
water Brock's way. Brock's team was powerful, but every last Pokémon he had out 
at the moment possessed a critical elemental disadvantage that was right up 
Misty's alley: The water slammed into Geodude, Graveler and Vulpix, knocking 
them out almost instantly and blowing them back against the far wall. Brock 
himself was lifted off of his feet, screaming as he slammed into one of Oak's 
pricier machines. His head slumped to the side as he fell to the floor, sopping 
wet and unconscious.

        "I hope you're ready to die, Ketchum." Giselle sneered from atop him, 
raising her fist to pummel Ash's face.

        "I am." Ash retorted. "Are you?"

        A dark blur caught Giselle square in the face as Misty brought her foot 
up and around, booting the dark-haired vixen right off of Ash with one blow. 
"You have no idea how good that felt," she quipped, helping Ash to his feet.

        "What, kicking Missingno?"

        "Huh? Oh, right, right…Missingno."

        A shrill, mousy cry stole Ash's attention away from his victory with 
Misty as Pikachu, the last of his standing sentinels, was thrown to the floor. 
Missingno was covered with cuts and burns that bled a thick, black ooze, but he 
seemed far more angry than hurt. "Off with you, flea!" he shouted, kicking 
Pikachu across the floor.

        Ash felt lost, watching Missingno approach the container as his own 
Pokémon picked themselves up off of the floor. Suddenly he felt a hand slip into 
his, and a calm sense of determination washed over him. "I'm ready, Ash." Misty 
told him, standing next to him as they stared Missingno down. Ash simply nodded; 
It was all or nothing.

        "Togepi, Psywave!"

        "Pidgeot, Hurricane!"

        The commands came flying from their mouths as Ash and Misty rallied the 
last offense against Missingno. A blast of psionic energy blindsided the demon, 
even as Pidgeot built up a small ball of pure wind between its wings. By the 
time the miniature tempest struck the demon square in the back, Misty had her 
twin stars, Staryu and Starmie, lined up for a dual Watergun blast that forced 
the demon back. Before he could begin pushing against them, Wartortle was in 
place at Ash's command, adding to the wall of water.

        "Charizard, Fire Blast!"

        "Seadra, hit Psyduck!"

        While the Water team regrouped to catch their breath, Charizard held 
Missingno at bay with an enormous star of pure flame, pounding into the demon's 
hide with white heat. In the meantime, Psyduck found himself on the wrong end of 
Seadra's tail. After a few good blows, it had just the splitting headache Misty 
was counting on.

        "Psyduck, Confusion!"

        "Ivysaur, Cut! Go for the face!"

        Misty and Ash stepped closer to the demon, still hand in hand as he was 
lifted bodily off of the floor by Psyduck's blue psychic field. As Missingno 
struggled uselessly against the air, Ivysaur's long whips shot out from its 
central bloom. The razor edges at the ends of the four tendrils slashed across 
Missingno's face, gouging into one of the great beast's burning eyes. Missingno 
howled in fury, swiping uselessly at the air, but he couldn't move until Psyduck 
dropped him unceremoniously to the ground.

        "Pikachu!" Ash called his number one Pokémon back into the fray as he 
released Misty's hand. She backed up, somehow already knowing what Ash would do 
before he even spoke. The tiny yellow mouse bounded up to its trainer, ignoring 
the intense pain that its battle-injuries gave it. With a little hop Pikachu 
dove into Ash's waiting arms, raised up high as he lifted the Pokémon up and 
over his head.

        *You think you've won!* spat Missingno, propping himself up on his 
elbows. His left eye was closed, useless thanks to the last attack. He was 
heaving mightily, struggling for breath as his wounded chest rose in short, 
unsteady gasps. *You've won nothing! You can't beat me, even with your little 
light trick. Don't you get it?*

        "It's over." Ash said calmly.

        *Over? OVER!* Missingno was suddenly on his feet, pounding and breaking 
the cement floor beneath them. He raised his hands high above his head, just as 
Ash had, and summoned a great ball of shadow from around the room. The ball 
crackled with energy, kicking up invisible forces that roared to life in the 
room like a freak cyclone. *NOTHING IS OVER EXCEPT YOU, GODDESS-PUPPET!* 
Missingno shrieked.

        The ball continued to expand, as did the terrible, burning winds that 
tore apart the interior of the lab itself. With a screech of rending metal, the 
very roof of the lab gave way, flying high into the air and out of sight as 
Missingno continued to gather darkness about him.

        *What do you think, Disciple?* Missingno guffawed, leering down at Ash 
with his one good eye. *I don't even need my brother to take care of the likes 
of you. It ends here.*

        Ash felt a calm settle into his body. His senses dulled as he left the 
world behind, feeling himself retreating inward into an inner calm. Then, as if 
on a rubber band, his senses snapped back, sharper than ever. Only they weren't 
just his senses; they were too acute, too precise. He could smell the taint 
wafting off of Missingno, hear every crackled that the terrible storm the 
demon's ball of darkness had created. He could sense the fear off of Misty and 
the others, as if it were a scent he could pluck out of the air. He could see 
the demon so clearly, because he was seeing him with more than one set of eyes.

        He was Pikachu.

        Pikachu was him.

        "You're right," Ash spoke, feeling as though his body was pouring into 
the mouse he held above his head. "It ends here. Pikachu," he spoke evenly, not 
even raising his voice, "Flash."

        Missingno began laughing as the Pokémon drew its power inward once more. 
That laughter soon died down as the light returned, stinging him and burning at 
his tough exterior. He winced in pain, but knew that it would end soon enough.

        Except it didn't.

        Pikachu continued to grow brighter, and brighter. Soon, Ash could see 
the light as clear as day even though his eyelids. And still Pikachu grew 
brighter. The entire compound was bathed in a light a hundred times brighter 
than the sun…then the surrounding valley…then the town itself…Soon, American 
space shuttles were able to pick the light up visually from their lazy orbit 
around the planet, and ceased their experiments to look upon the marvel and 
wonder what created it.

        …and still, Pikachu grew even brighter.

        The grunt of annoyance Missingno had first uttered was long forgotten, 
replaced with a howl of pure, unadulterated agony the likes of which the demon 
had only inflicted in the past, but never experienced. He fell to his knees, 
clutching at his burning skin, swiping uselessly at the source of light, cursing 
Ash's name and his ancestors and promising swift death to the boy, and all the 
while he knew he was helpless and dying.

        Ash could feel it; he could feel his strength entering Pikachu, giving 
the thunderous mouse a power it had never known before. He could feel the lost 
souls trapped within Missingno being freed, slowly at first, but then with 
greater and greater force. It was almost done…just a little longer…

        "NO!"

        She sharp, shrill cry from behind Ash had come in tandem with 
Missingno's own. Quickly, he turned, and spotted a dark shadow with long, 
flowing hair running at him. The shape clutched one of the wall studs that 
Missingno had torn free when he had destroyed Oak's laboratory. With his hands 
raised, Ash was helpless to protect himself. He dared not try to stop whatever 
it was, not when they were so close to defeating Missingno.

        "Ash, look out!" a male voice slipped through the pure light. Ash 
watched on, all-powerful and yet powerless, as another shape lunged at the dark, 
armed shadow. The two shapes struggled for a moment, until the two-by-four swung 
about, catching the male shape off-guard. There was a sharp crack and a cry of 
agony as he went down. The long-haired shadow wasted no time, renewing its 
attack on Ash. But it was too late.

        "Now, Pikachu!" Ash cried out, "Thunder!"

        Pikachu looked up to the heavens, still a luminous beacon that outshone 
anything in the night sky that hid above the overcast clouds. The terrible 
thunder that had ravaged Pallet Town in the never-ending monsoon now bowed to a 
new master as Pikachu called upon the lightning, focusing it into a single spot; 
the demon, Missingno. With one final howl, the beast disappeared in an even 
greater flash, burning away at the pure electricity that pumped from the heavens 
into his dark body, until at last there was nothing left.

        Pikachu's light faded almost immediately as the two boys dropped to the 
ground, completely drained. Before them, amidst the wreckage of Oak's room, was 
an enormous scorch upon the ground. Stray tendrils of black shadow twitched here 
and there, but Ash could no longer sense Missingno's vile presence in the room.

        As quickly as he had hit the ground, Misty was at his side helping him 
to his feet. "Ash!" she cried. "Ash, are you all right?"

        "I…I dunno." The whole experience was still a little raw for Ash. He 
felt…concerned for some reason. He saw the same concern pouring out of Misty as 
she looked at him, eyes welling up with tears. Throwing aside her doubts, Misty 
lashed her arms around Ash, wrapping him in a hug.

        "Thank God…" she sniffed, "Thank God you're all right." He could feel a 
trail of hot tears running down his neck as he returned the hug. Though it had 
been a victory, something didn't feel right.

        Misty tentatively released him from the hug as he bent down to pat 
Pikachu. His partner seemed on the verge of collapse, but otherwise fine. "You 
did a great job, buddy. You all did." he added, looking at the others around the 
room. "We did…"

        He froze as he saw a most unwelcome sight: His girlfriend knelt over a 
still form in the middle of the room. It took Ash only a moment to remember that 
it was the exact spot where his mysterious defender had fallen protecting him. 
Dixie's shoulders were shaking as she sobbed over his still form, her face 
buried in her hands. Professor Oak walked up to her, trying to place a 
comforting hand on her shoulder, but she threw it aside with a shrill cry, 
refusing to let anyone draw near.

        Ash stared numbly at Richie's body, watching the boy struggle for breath 
in the midst of a fitful unconsciousness. He looked about the ruins of the room, 
and at his injured friend Brock, and the unmoving Giselle. He watched his 
girlfriend sob piteously over her old friend. Oh, they had won, all right…

        But the price had been enormous.

=To Be Continued=