Disclaimer: I don't own pokemon

The Grand Quest
by Dawn Hunter
Prologue

Location: The End of Time

Lighting flashed brightly against the black sky. A dead tree was blown to smithereens as the bolt connected with it. But this went unnoticed by anyone, for no one had lived in the valley for a long time. All of its once numerous vegetation was dead, weather by the lack of sunlight or the evil that rose from deep beneath the earth, no one knew.

For many years, this valley lay blackened like the rest of the planet's surface. The many people that once lived here had either left long ago or died. Only in rare places, by certain "Holy Springs" or by areas where powerful pokemon once lived, did vegetation grow. The remainder of the planet's living residents could be found living in harmony around these areas. But now even the holy power of the springs was beginning to weaken as darkness and evil grew stronger.

The source of all this evil: a man. A man of extraordinary power and might, one who had conquered this world millenia ago. As his dark power grew, the planet itself was slowly consumed. Many had risen to fight him, but those that survived the onslaught of his endless undead army were no match for his own power.

But something strange and unusual was taking place at this moment. Something that had given the people of this world hope. Hope enough to rise up against the evil again for the first time in centuries. For at this moment, at the evil one's own fortress, a collossal battle was being fought; an apocolypse.

However, our interest does not lie in the battle between the massive armies, but with a far smaller and more important struggle. One taking place at the top of a large tower. On this tower were five people. Three were frozen with shock, staring helplessly in awe and horror at the duel between the other two.

One of the duelists, a young man with jet black hair and brown eyes, grunted as he swung yet again at his opponent. Two blades met in a shower of sparks. The other duelist, being far more powerful and experienced, swiftly struck again at the younger man. His scythe's blade barely cought the other man's side. Though the cut was small, it was enough.

As the younger man winced and automatically brought a hand down to his side, his opponent struck again. With a victorious cry, the man gathered together enough of the evil energy within the atmosphere for it to take shape. He launched the compressed ball of pitch black smoke at the wounded fighter. His aim was true. The ball hit its target in the chest, and, though it dissapatated on contact as if it were really smoke, it left a mark. The young man dropped his sword, the hand that carried it moving to his chest.

Being farther away, the other three couldn't see the details of this fight. At that moment though, a flash of lightning provided them enough light to see clearly the damage wrought by the mysterious attack. Where he had been hit, the armor had been incinerated. Blood was running from a painful hole in the center of the exposed flesh.

The group gasped in fear. The first of them to recover, a woman about the same age as the wounded fighter, moved for the first time in several minutes. Her comrades struggled with her as they tried to stop her from running to their friend's aid. Her brown hair falling over her blue eyes, she cried out his name, "Mark NO!"

Mark looked up at the sound of his name. He watched his wife, struggling between the two men, trying to get to him. He was filled with a sudden resolve and staggered to his feet. Turning, he saw the Emperor preparing yet another attack. Mark rolled out of the way of the coming scythe, hearing its blade imbed itself in the stone he had been standing on. Getting to his feet, Mark slowly backed away from the Emperor as he wrenched his weapon out of the tower's stone.

"Give me the Stone Emperor!" Mark yelled, "Give it to me and I promise to spare you of death!"

"Ha ha ha ha," the Emperor cackled. He reached inside his tunic and brought out a smooth, oval shaped stone. It looked more like glass, but there was no mistaking it. "Why should I give you this when you have one of your own?"

Mark instinctively reached for a small pouch on his belt. Thinking fast, he realised what he would have to do. He knew that even without the stone's power, his opponent would still be a threat. Picking up his sword, Mark charged at the Emperor as he called out to one of his friends. "Janus! Now!"

Janus, who had blonde hair and blue eyes, turned away from the struggling woman and brought a pokeball from his belt. After a hesitant moment, he threw the ball yelling, "Go Articuno, you know what to do!"

A majestic Articuno, its blue feathers waving in the wind, burst from the pokeball. Immediately, it turned towards the Emperor. With a cry, it began to launch an Ice Beam attack at him. The Emperor turned to face this new threat, temporarily forgetting the old one. This was his mistake. Mustering up all of his strength, Mark lunged at his oppnent. He snatched the stone from the Emperors hand and rolled away.

Stunned and angry, the Emperor turned to Mark, but he was too late. Holding up the stone, Mark pointed it at the Emperor. Black, smoke-like energy started to flow from him into the stone. Wailing in agony, the Emperor fell to his knees as most of his power has sucked from him. When all of the energy had been sucked into the stone, it turned to the color of the sky at midnight.

Holding it in the air, Mark gave the stone to Articuno, who then flew it to safety. He watched it fly away, relief flooding his heart. At the sound of his friends yelling, Mark turned around. The blade of the Emperor's scythe sunk deep into his torso. Gasping in pain, Mark felt himself leave the ground as the scythe pulled upward. With a great heave, the Emperor detached the target of all his hatred from the scythe by sending him flying into the air.

Mark slammed into the waiting stone and passed out for a few seconds. When he came to, he saw the Emperor advancing on him, eyes red with hate. He tried to push himself up, but his left arm was broken. Mark's vision became blurred, and the pain in his chest and arm began to dull.... he was dieing.

Thinking frantically, Mark was struck with a sudden idea. Taking his own stone from the pouch, he pointed it at the Emperor. His opponent stopped curiosity and aprehension written on his face as he stared at the stone. Using all the strength left in him, Mark used the stone to launch a powerful blast of blue energy. It struck the Emperor dead on, and Mark stated his punishment.

"Emperor! For the death and misery you have caused, you shall be stripped of all your power and be sent back in time forced to live forever as an exile."

With one final push, the blast of energy sent the weakened ruler sailing out of sight. The power of the blast was so strong that the stone shattered in Marks hand. Exhausted, he let his arm fall as all feeling left his body and his senses weakened. Though they were blurry, he recognised his two friends and his wife running towards him.

They knelt down next to him, and he felt his wife bring him into a tight embrace. Acting quickly, while there was still life left in him, Mark spoke, "Janus, Kojak," he said weakly, "the stone is safe now, everything will return to normal. However, should the stone be endangered once again, I promise you that my descendents will defend it. Even if they need a little push, like I did," he and his friends let out small chuckles. Then turning to his wife, he spoke his last words, "Mary... I-I love you...." With one final sigh, he was gone.

The black clouds that had hung over the entire planet for so long began to disperse. As the sun shone down on the planet for the first time in thousands of years, everyone began to cheer. All across the world, life was spreading, repopulating as the survivors raised their voices in joy. All in all, it was a splendid occasion, except for three people, whose experience was marred by the death of a friend.

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That was rather depressing, wasn't it? Next we'll go to the present with Ash. It might be a while before I can update again due to computer problems. Please review, thanks! -Dawn Hunter