December 20, 2005 Part IV: Legendary Invasions A dim fire was lit in the center of the dark, gloomy den centered by many rocks, and planks of wood burning up inside the campfire. It was small and had a slight chill to the atmosphere which was repelled by the warmth of the flames. Shadows swayed frantically against the walls from the crackling fire as his eyes remained closed. Excruciating pain stabbed his back. The venom! Why couldn't he feel it coursing through his veins, intoxicating him. But the question really was; how was he still alive? The poison from that tail should've killed him in minutes, maybe seconds. He lay on the floor, on his stomach, feeling the cloth of a towel underneath him. Finally opening his eyes, Michael sat up and looked around, everything coming to view. He wasn't wearing his black shirt or his headband. That explained why his hair was obscurring his vision. Green eyes took quick sweeps around the area, from the campfire, to the rocky walls, to the bowl wrapped in aluminum neaby. Assuming it was for him, Michael grabbed the bowl and ripped the foil away, tossing it uncaringly. Pushing back a lock of dirty scarlet hair, Michael took one quick wiff of the odor of the apparent soup and pressed the edge of the bowl to his lips, letting the broth and chunks of meat and vegetables flowing down his throat. The soup slipped through his teeth, some channeling down the corners of his mouth. Finishing his short meal, although still hunrgy like a starving peasent, Michael looked at his stomach. Wrapped around his belly and back were white bandages. Someone had treated his wound from the oversized seviper thing. Even then, Michael was curious how he survived. Turning to his right, there was darkened spot. Darkened from stained blood it seemed. The dry puddle looked gruesome but was it his own blood? He could not answer these questions alone. Standing up, Michael exited the den through the opening. Between the opening stood Trudly and Folly. Where was Cail? Or Mirror B for that matter? "So you're awake." The orange glasses man asked. "How's your back?" "It's fine. The seviper, how did I-" "Survivor?" Trudly cut in. "Yeah. "Because you are different." The voice didn't come from neither Trudly nor Folly. The deepness it contained was too deep for that of Mirror B or Cail either. A hooded man arrived from the stairs nearby with Mirror B and Cail close behind. "Remember me?" Pulling back his red hood, the man revealed himself, his features. The top of the head wore that all too familiar buzz cut, the outfit, the outfit somewhat familiar and reminding Michael of someone. The sharp, stern face was rememberable now. "I never expected to see you again; Zook." Michael confessed. "Ditto." "Where've you been all these years?" Michael asked. "Not here in Orre. Training Zangoose." Zook said showing Michael the single pokemon linked to his belt. "What happened to me?" Michael asked gesturing to the bandages that circled his back with a pointing thumb. "Your back was bleeding continuisly and we tried our best to stop it. But, it wasn't blood you bled." Michael arched an eyebrow. "Meaning..." "A dark purple toxin oozed from your wound for quite awhile until blood began to pour it. I guess when blood came out it meant the virulent poison had been removed through your body's efforts." Zook finished, seeing the disbelief displayed on Michael's face. "How-" "No idea." Zook shrugged. "Well it's good to see you're up sleepy head." Mirorr B sang. "Feelin' better?" "Somewhat." Michael said. "Okay listen up!" Zook started. "We can't stay here for long. While we were down in the lower levels of the cave, we saw things I wish we hadn't seen. There were these savage fiend things chasing after us. They would've gotten us if they hadn't-" "-Hadn't what? What happened?" Michael asked. "There were these blackish purple...pokemon. These shadow pokemon-" "Shadow Pokemon? WHAT?" Michael's face wore astonishment and confusion. After all, it was during the Second Incident where he stopped Cipher and their own artificial shadow pokemon plot. What was going on. Blackish purple. That didn't sound like you're average pokemon. "I don't undestand what's happening but, you're right, Zook. We gotta get outta here." Soon Michael was putting his shirt and vest on which both had holes on the back from that excuse for a pokemon last nite. "Let's go." Michael said. Taking their leave after dousing the campfire thanx to Vaporeon, the six men: Michael, Zook, Mirror B, Cail, Trudly and Folly departed the cave coming out into the bright sunlight. Michael checked his PDA. There was a new message and the time was 13:03. As they came out to the afternoon day, Michael checked his message. It was from Kylia and read: Where are you? Michael felt a knot tighten in his stomach. She actually cared about where he was. Michael and others were back on the ONBS studio. The white building had a door on top but instead they just climbed down the ladder near the edge of the structure which Michael hadn't seen the previous nite. Cail pointed this out saying, "where was that when we needed it?" Michael only shrugged. Pyrite Town was less chaotic sense it was day time. Less trainers and thugs were around, loitering run down buildings and wandering about. Coming to the townsquare, there was a fight taking place. A tall short black haired woman was scrapping it with a much smaller young man. She was about five-eleven and one muscular piece of meat. Her white and purple skin tight shirt showed off her enormous arms as did her purple shorts. The guy who was just knocked to the ground was a crimson haired, yellow eyed dude wearing a purple sweat outfit. He stood up holding his stomach in pain. "What're bothering me for, BUFFY!" He shouted. "I don't have time wit' you right now! Just leave me alone-" Cutting him off, Buffy grabbed the guy by his crimson hair and pulling his face to hers, she said, "not until you lick my shoes clean. Don't act like you don't know what you did. You kicked my shoe-" "Aw C' mon! It was an accident. I was in a hurry!" "To where, Chase?" Buffy asked tightening her grip on the one named Chase. Before Michael could do anything about the harrasment, Zook was already on it. Zook made his way to the fight that Buffy had an advantage over, being much larger than Chase. "HEY!" He hollered. Buffy looked to Zook confused and apparently surprised. "LEAVE HIM ALONE NOW, BUFFY!" Buffy let go of Chase approaching Zook, coming face to face with him who was much larger and taller than she. "Zook." She said. "What do think you're doing telling me what to do?" "You always tortured people over dumb stuff like accidently stepping on your shoe." "What're you gonna do about it?" She said with a powerful intimidating tone in her husky voice. Zook gripped his pokeball and shoving in her face. "Battle me. I don't feel like fighting a woman whose just as masculine as I am. I wouldn't look right." "You think you're funny? Fine then, you're on." Buffy turned from Zook and made some distance between her and him. Michael, Mirror B, Trudly, and Folly and Cail waited for the Battle to begin. Chase stood near the motel watching as well. As for that, local pedestrians were had been tuning in since Zook intervened. Both musclebound trainers tossed pokeballs which split open in illumination forming two pokemon. On Zook's end it was his Zangoose. Buffy's partner was a machamp, a pokemon about four feet tall and just as muscular as she was. It had rock hard calves, detailed quadriceps throughout it's humanoid shape. Around it's groin it wore some sort of loin cloth. Machamp came with a six pack and two bulging arms on each side. It's face contained a type of duck's bill and black eyes. "This is too good. I'll win for sure. Your pokemon is the normal type. My pokemon, a fighting type will wipe out you're little mongoose." Buffy smiled after her statement almost overconfident as she could possibly be. Zook creased a side smile and said, "sure you'll win." Buffy took it as an insult and shouted to her pokemon, "machamp crush his pokemon, use Dynamic Punch!" Machamp took off and swung a fist of fiery- like energy inching closer to Zangoose by every second. "Slip through in-between its legs." Michael heard Zook say. Just before the powerful fist would've stricken Zangoose, the silky white pokemon slipped through the large legs of Machamp and- "Zangoose, Slash attack!" Zook called. The sly pokemon turned quickly around and swiped at Machamp's back forging two long slash marks along its back. "Dammit! My pokemon, take him out with a Roundouse Kick!" Buffy ordered. Machamp suddenly swung one of its muscular feet towards Zangoose and collided into its face. Zangoose rolled a couple of times until it slowed to stop near Buffy. "Get up Buddy!" Zook shouted. "We gotta win and show her what we can do!" Zangoose stood weakly with a bruise forming on its right furry cheek looking at Buffy, glaring deadly at her then scampering to its trainer. "So," Mirror B turned to Michael. "After this battle where we goin'?" "To my home." Michael replied. *** Rui opened her violet eyes, warm rays relaxing her face. She looked through the window of Justy's home. The light was bright but she was alone. Wes and Chase were gone. Creeping upstairs trying to remain quiet, she looked over the banister and saw that Justy's bed was empty as well. Coming back downstairs, Rui put her Uggs back on and left the house. *** Wes and Justy were chilling on the steps that lead to Phenac City's local fountain which was functioning. An athletic trainer of some sort was getting a great exercise running around the fountain. His pace was constant as he paid no mind to anyone around him. Chase had left earlier telling Wes he wanted to get back to Pyrite Town. But he promised he'd meet back up with them. Though he didn't want to seem to return not with Rui disliking him and all. "That's quite a story," Justy said after Wes finished telling him what he, Rui, and Chase had been up to since the night before. "I heard about Fateen's sickness and I also believe it was not from her being old. Being old even at Fateen's age doesn't do that to your body." "I know." Wes agreed. "I believe it was Cipher's doing." Then Justy remembered. "That reminds me!" Justy turned to Wes, there was this truck hovering through the desert some time around ten last nite. It was white and seem to have a silent engine, as quiet as a hum." "Where was it headed?" Wes asked. "Somwhere north. North east maybe-" "Hey!" a familiar woman called behind the two men. Rui had arrived. "Nice to see you're awake babe." Wes said standing up kissing her. Justy stood up and hugged Rui kissing her as well on the cheek. "Good mornin' Rui." He said. "Hey Justy. What're you guys doin' out here?" Wes' girlfriend asked. "Talking about everything that has happened ever since the first day we've been back." Wes answered. "Yeah some crazy action ain't it Justy?" Rui said to their old friend. "Yeah. But I have to admit, it's sound a bit like a fantasy novel. But I know you two wouldn't make up things like this. Real Shadow Pokemon! And from what I heard they sound monstrous." "But I still don't understand one thing; when all of those pokemon were about to crush me and Umbreon and Espeon, they just dissapeared. Inches from me and poof just like. There was nothing left but a large drift of blackish purple smoke and it all was sucked back to the Under like a vacuum cleaner." Wes seemed bothered by the situation. "It doesn't make any sense." "Maybe," Justy started. "Maybe their's something about Shadow Pokemon that keeps them from co-existing in our world. You know like two sides of a coing trying to become one." "Wait, maybe you're right." Wes said. "The Xtra Dimension is Earth's evil shadow as I said before. It's like light and shadow. Both cannot exist together. So Earth and the Xtra Dimension cannot co-exist at the same time. That probably explains why they just dissapeared." "Shadow Pokemon can come here to our world but not for too long." Rui added. "Exactly," Wes said. *** "Redone, where's your brother?" Lovrina asked, pink hair swishing madly in the quiet air. I have have five brothers, which one?" Said the low voice of a cipher dressed in red armor. "Bluesix I mean. Why hasn't he come back from Sir Ardos's assignment? In fact what did he assign him in the first place?" "He sent that oaf to the Deep Colosseum to slow down Wes, the First Hero." "He did what? Why? Bluesix even with the powers our Master had given him can't handle Wes of all people. He could die." Lovrina was concerned of the welfare of the weakest member of the Hexagon Squad. And if he failed, Bluesix's older brother would...what if he was a already dead because of him? "Yeah we found out by Fein that Wes was headed to the Under after he poisoned the fortune teller." "So his role as the doctor went smoothly I take it?" Lovrina asked. "Obviously!" Redone smart mouthed. "Watch your tone!" Lovrina countered. Redone was the worst of the sextuplets that made the Hexagon Squad. "Listen up, the Master has told me he wants you to take out Snattle...permenantly. Got it." "Yeah, yeah, now get out my room!" Redone snapped. "Whatever." And Lovrina was leaving the cipher's room, going back to her own. *** "Dodge!" Zook shouted again. "Using Dig!" Zangoose quickly dug into the ground and in a parade of dirt was gone as Machamp missed its thrown punch. "Attack-" "Jump!" Buffy suddenly commanded and Machamp leaped high into the air but nothing happened. Zangoose hadn't arose from within the ground. Zook had fooled Buffy expecting this. "NOW!" Zook yelled. The ground exploded upward and Zangoose was covered in dirt, and peices of stone flew everywhere its body in a vortex of foliage. Just as Machamp was decsending, Zangoose's white fist met the fighting pokemon's chin and sent it back up into the air. "Finish it off with Revolve-Kick!" The mongoose-like pokemon flipped over top of Machamp and kicked it on top of its head. The grey pokemon was a rocket as it plunged head first to the ground, uplifting dust. A red beam outlined Machamp's figure and it was returned into Buffy's pokeball. The woman approached Zook and they shook hands respectfully. "Can't believe we lost to a normal type. But whatever. I except defeat. Now get outta my face." Zook smiled at her and left her to be and approached Michael. "You ready to go now?" "Yeah, let's be out-" "WHAT'S THAT?" Cail yelled. He pointed to the sky and everyone looked to where he was directing to. A large, gigantic portal was forming, opening wider as if something as large to acquint the size would emerge from it. The purple wormhole was like the one that had infected the Seviper the previous nite. Immediately Michael had a bad feeling about what was going to happen. Then a long object engulfed in black-purple flames emrged from the rift. Then a second long thing had arrived and Michael saw from the length and structure that they were black wings. Wings that were burning from dark flames. Then the body of the creature formed and came the neck, head, and face. The face had a long dark beak and evil purple eyes. There were flames blazing about on top of its bird head. The Shadow Pokemon had long thick legs and sharp carved talons to go with it. It was the legendary bird, Moltres. "That is a legendary pokemon!" Folly said looking surprised. "It's a Moltres!" Trudly stated. "But it's different. Like that seviper!" "Michael what're we gonna do?" Mirror B said approaching him, a pokeball gripped in his hand. Michael looked to Mirror B's pokeball telling him he wouldn't need to help. He opened up his leather vest and pulled out a purple masterball from an inside pocket. He threw it in the air and light as illuminating as the sun spilled along the entire town, briefly blinding everyone. Two elegant white wings formed from the powerful whiteness and a huge body as large as the Shadow Moltres materialized from the masterball. A long neck and pointed head shaped out as the light subsided. A tail lengthed in the back and Michael's most powerful pokemon emerged. The pokemon's eyes were encased in blue spikes and it had two blue horns at the end of its long dragon-like tail and along its back. The pocket monster was a hybrid of a dragon and an enormous bird. Lugia. After seeing a gigangtic bird made mostly of dark inferno, seeing another legendary pokemon was just as stunning. Michael leaped on Lugia's neck as it cried a loud powerful call, they took flight and leveled in the sky with Moltres. *** Wes, Justy, and Rui were still hanging out at Phenac City when they saw the commotion uprising at Pyrite Town. There were two pokemon fighting far out near the little community. One looked like a black gigangic fire bird. Moltres. The other was just as large but was white. Lugia. Wes was already standing looking at the destruction that was occuring. Wes had never seen anything like it. Rui just stared in silent awe. Justy as well was looking as if he had never seen such a thing. Wes felt he had to do something. There were people probably getting hurt over there. CHASE! Wes suddenly remembered his recently acquinted friend who had went over there- "Uh, babe-" "Yeah I see it Rui!" "No not that we got our own problem here." Rui pointed to a disturbance forming pass the entrance of Phenac. Wes and Justy saw it as well. The sand in the desert was piling over top of itself, hardening, shaping out into a large nine to ten foot body. Large boulders and rocks were forming into legs, arms, and tall sharp shoulders. But the sand began to darken, turning black, turning purple. The same color as the Shadow Pokemon. The now black earth formed a creature had several eyes which shaped out into the letter H in uppercase form like dots. "What-" "That's a Regirock!" Justy announced "A pokemon?" Wes asked. "A legendary one." Justy stated. "A Shadow one." Wes added. The rock beast smashed one of its powerful earthen arms through the entrance and approached the small town of a city. "I'll handle this." Wes assured and he leaped down the stairs and ran quickly to the Shadow Pokemon. He jumped straight into the monster's face and threw a punch which did nothing. Wes backflipped twice away from Regirock avoiding on of its humongous arms. He realized that his punch must've felt like a tickle to it. "First I gotta get this beast outta the town." Wes once more ran towards Regirock but slid on his stomach through its open legs and leaped up still running into the hot desert. Wes slid along the sand and waited. Regirock wasn't a fast opponet Wes thought as he summoned his Entangler. Regirock summoned a dome of sand and transformed it into a large boulder and lunged it at Wes. But instead of dodging it, using the power from his weapon, Wes formed a dark orb the size of an orange and threw it like a baseball at the boulder. In a large burst of rocks and other pieces of debris the attack was no more. But just as everything cleared, Regirock was gone. An enormous shadow arrived above Wes and it grew the more the Regirock came closer over top of the Snagger. Then BAM! The shadow pokemon landed in a splash of sand. The crowd of bystanders back at the entrance of Phenac, watched what had and most gasped, others screamed in horror. Rui as well couldn't help let out a frightful shriek. "I'm going out there!" Justy said. "No!" Rui grabbed his arm. "Don't!" "But he was just-" "I saw. He's not dead. Just Wait." Rui assured him. Justy snatched his arm away, not sure what Rui meant. "Fine." Wes you better be alive. Regirock was still resting on its stomach when it could feel something going on within the sand it lay over. Then its body of pure rock began to rise, higher, and higher. Beneath, the pokemon was Wes pushing against the tremondous weight using a single arm, the right arm. And with a final burst of strength Regirock was launched into the air. Wes shook his arm feeling a wave of soreness suddenly run through his veins. Using his left arm, he produced another orb. This one the size of a soccerball was crackling with black fire and blazing with shadowy lightning. He thrusted the mixed projectile and once it made contact with the stone titan- BOOM! In a shower of black and purple debris, the shadow pokemon was no more. Wes discarded his Entangler in a black flash and returned to Phenac where a crowd of people were cheering for his victory. *** Battlus wiped the sweat from his brow. "Finally, it's over. He was a load of work." He had lost the battle between a trainer who had made it to the hundredth platform at Mt. Battle One-Hundred. He'll never forget that battle between his two dragons Latias and Latios against his Manectric and Salamence. Mt. Battle was a volcano that hadn't erupted in decades, scores in fact. There were stands all along the crest of the volcano and a giant metal circular platform that was in the center of the magma. Four stations which all had bridges connected the platform to keep it from falling into the magma. The number one-hundred was in red paint blocking most of the main color of the mettalic material. "He was a strong trainer indeed-" There was a sudden rumble. Strange. This volcano hadn't erupted in so long. What was going on? Then another tremor surged throughout the volcano which was once believed to be "dead". Then the most bizarre thing happened. The magma was darkening as if it was being burned to a black liquid. The bubbles popped and some began to spill on the platform hissing as if in anger. Ripples spread out in the pool of black magma. Then in a sudden burst, the center of the platform was smashed open with brute force. And a gigantic monstrous head arose. The head was black and the crowd in the stands were screaming taking their leave. Giant-sized shoulders bulged through the platform widening the hole it made. The creature's height only continued to rised as it looked at Battlus with its menacing purple eyes. The thing was a pokemon. A legendary one. Groudon. A Shadow Groudon had emerged from within the volcano. Battlus stood there, a line of chilling fright running down his spine. He was too shocked to move but the blazing tongue of black fire made him dive out of the way, running to one of the stations that held up the platform. Groudon swung a massive clawed arm at the station and destroyed it. Battlus had managed to bring out his bird-like Latios to assist. Riding on his back. Latios was a blue and white pokemon with wings the shape of fighter jet wings. Flying in circles avoiding the tongues of dark conflagration, Latios and Battlus were too fast for Groudon. But in the process the three remaining stations were demolished and slowly the platform was melting into the magma. "Alright, Latias, C' mon." Using a free hand he brought Latias who was identical to Latios just a bit smaller in size and was red and white. On top of that, Latias was female unlike her brother. "Use Dragon Breath!" Battlus commanded. The long trailing greenish-yellow flame sprayed along Groudon's back which it didn't seem to notice. But it made a one-eighty turn, swishing the oily liquid, swinging an arm at the pokemon and grabbing with its hand, Latias was gripped and shoved into the magma. Battlus stared at the spot where his pokemon had been plunged into its death. Unable to move he didn't realize that an oncoming sea of flames were headed his way. And it swallowed him up. Battlus was no more. Groudon then seized Latios and plunged him into the shadow magma as well. Then a moment later, lifting both its large clawed hands, floating above them were two new black-purple pokemon. One being Latios with black wings and a purple body and Latias with vice versa the skin color. *** POW! Lugia rammed its pointed head into Moltres' chest and it was knocked before recovering and exhaling a huge violet fireball from its beak. "Hydro Blast!" Lugia let much energy build up inside its chest before letting it all out. A powerful cylinder of freezing cold blue water emerged from its jaws, cancelling at the fire and smashing into Shadow Moltres' chest. The black fire bird screeched in pain from the attack and fell from the sky. But it regained sense flapping its wings, flinging little dark embers from it. The others being: Mirror B, Trudly, Folly, Cail, and Zook watched, apalled from the battle of the birds. "You think he needs help?" Zook insisted gripping Zangoose's pokeball. "Don't you worry. This fight is in Michael's control." Cail assured. Back to the scuffle, Moltres suddenly seized Lugia, digging its curved talons into its chest. Lugia shrieked from the impalement and began shooting pyschic orbs from its mouth at Moltres. Michael lost balanced as he fell back and tumbled off of Lugia's neck. He managed to react to his fall, hanging on to the stegasaurus spikes at the tip of Lugia's tail. "Lugia, throw me up!" He shouted. With a quick flick of the tail, Lugia lunged Michael through the wind and the force from his momentum caused Moltres to lose its hooked grip on Lugia's chest who fell from the sky and crashed through the bridge connecting the town to the colosseum of Pyrite. With a louder than thunder thud, Lugia met the bottom of the chasm, much dust eroding from the destruction. Michael brought his Annihilater in an illuminating sheen. He pulled his white arm back and threw it forward punching its face with the power to split its skull or even obliterate it. Moltres fell silent as it took in the exploding punch and Michael let go meeting the ground little by little. In a huge burst of debris, Lugia returned to the sky, much gravel and other pieces falling from its body and wings. Once more inhaling the air around it, Lugia prepared for its signature move. Then letting it out, a long tornado-like blast of high pressured wind met the center of Moltres chest and drilled through it with intense power. Moltres' bird voice cracked and then it darkened even more. Suddenly it began to coil as if it were made of paper and it was being crumbled into a ball before finally exploding in millions of black-purple shards of XD powder which rained toward the ground. Just after, a wormhole just as before materialized and absorbed all of the leftover residue and shadow powder of the fallen Moltres. Then there was a loud, mysterious, alien cry of satisfaction in the end before the dimension vanished. Michael landed with a firm drop on two feet and Lugia descended closer to the ground as everyone backed away giving its massive size some space. It ceased flapping and Michael mounted himself on the neck. "C' mon, we're leaving." But they were frozen from the excitement and the adrenaline which was settling from the amazing battle that had just taken place. Other nearby citizens were just as shocked as the next person from everything that had just happened. "Hey! Let's get going." Michael snapped. They all seemed to awaken and all but Cail joined Michael. "Cail?" "I'll stay. I don't need to leave Pyrite." Cail told him. "Fine. I'll see ya later then." And the rest of the group were off as the giant white dragon-bird took its leave after Michael commanded to go east, to the Pokemon HQ Lab. *** A giant shadow pervaded the lab, swallowing it in darkness. Then a powerful wind blew along the grass and the leaves were shaken off their limbs. Lugia arrived. And it wasn't alone. Riding on its back was its master, Michael who was accompanied by Mirror B, Trudly, Folly, and Zook. Michael jumped off as the doors to the HQ Lab opened. Lily, Kylia, and Professor Krane appeared through the door all looking concerned. Lily approached Michael hugging him tightly. Where have been?" She exclaimed. "You didn't tell me you were going out, I was worried." "Mom!" Michael protested trying to pry himself from her tight embrace but it was futile. She was strong when she was worried or scared. "I'm twenty years old in case ya forgot." "Being twenty doesn't change the fact I'm your mother." Lily had a point. "Well I'm fine see." Michael managed to release himself from his mother's grip and turned around. "You sure?" "Absitively, posilutely." Michael assured her. "Michael welcome back." Krane greeted. "Thanx Krane, hey Kylia." "Hey. Where've ya been?" Kylia asked. "Long story. Trudly, Folly, Zook, Mirror B, this is my mother,Lily, Professor Krane, and my friend, Kylia." Michael introduced. Everyone greeted each other and then Michael said to Krane, "Something has happened. Something bad." "I know. We need to talk-" Interupting Krane was the sudden flash of purple light from behind them. It was like before. Michael knew what it was. "EVERYONE! INSIDE, NOW!" Without question everyone ran inside the Labarotory. Everyone that is except- "Zook? What're you doing? You have to get outta here!" Michael yelled. The portal was now enlarging releasing something from within. "I'm staying." "Fine. But be careful though." Michael added. He might need help. Zook seemed like the only on capable to stay strong and brave at a time like this."Get ready." Michael added. The wormholes were widening as the large beast shape of multiple dog-like abominations were stepping out into their world. They were large dark purple aracanine the size of horses. Their fangs appeared serrated when they growled menacingly. There were two seperate flashes behind the lab and one more on the roof. Then two more arcanine came from behind the lab and one from the above where a dimension rift let loose a third Shadow Pokemon. To add to the two that appeared from the first wormhole there were five altogether. The first two lunged forward. Michael quickly seized the power of his Annihilator and it appeared on his left arm. The first Arcanine approached Michael, mouth opened revealing sharp, drooling fangs. Michael used his Annihilator and swung his white mechanical fist into the pokemon's snout. The punch was so brutal, it knocked the Arcanine out and its mangled body tossed and turned on the ground. Its body darkened and the Arcanine just like that exploded in millions of dark shards until they faded away. Zook was busy with two other Arcanine trying to take them on single handidly since Zangoose had been exhausted from fighting Machamp earlier. He attempted to punch the Arcanine in the snout but the vicious oversized K-9 avoided the feeble punch and camped down on his wrist. The fangs of the pokemon were so sharp, blood immediately began to pour from his arm and soak his sleeve. "AHH!" He screamed now punching the pokemon trying to break free. The Arcanine clenched its fangs and threw Zook away to land on the groun leaving him out cold. Michael turned seeing his partner knocked out and went to assist seeing as how he was unable to defend himself. But the two other Arcanine appeared, blocking his path. "Out of the way!" He shouted while leaping high into air and forming a white spear of pure ice and light energy and throwing at the first Arcanine. The spear slipped right through the dark fiend's torso with ease and it instantly fragmented into multiple shreds of purple-black. The other last Arcanine Michael was to handle was taken down with a powerful downward punch as he descended to the ground. Once again the punch was so powerful it defeated the monster-pokemon and it was no more. There only two left now and Michael had to stop them from getting to Zook. Meanwhile everyone watched as Michael handled the Shadow Pokemon from with the lab. Kylia only wished whoever Michael's friend was would survive. But it was the very first time she had seen his Annihilator in action. Of course she had heard of it but she was actually witnessing how it worked. Returning to the fight, Michael was running over to Zook who was about to be finished off. He was very close but- RAM Michael suddenly found himself lying on the ground. Confused, he looked up to see the Arcanine that knocked him down was closing in on him, drooling from the mouth, tongue flopping around. He quickly leaped up and jumped towards the savage pokemon and shoved his Annihilator fist into its throat and blasted a powerful Hyper Beam which severly damaged it, also destroying it. Once it was out of the way Michael could see Zook regaining consciousness. But as he stood up the open jaws of the Arcanine exhaled a powerful blast of fire completely engulfing Zook in flames. He didn't even get the chance to react let alone escape his fate. Michael froze in shock and could not move. What was left of him was a cindered ash-like figure which was demolished by the Arcanine with a quick swipe destroying what was left of his body. Shock was replace with anger and soon Michael was finding himself in a silent enraged state. His Annihilator began to flare up with a bright white ablazing his entire body. "That was your biggest mistake." Michael whispered. He ran faster than usual and grabbed the Arcanine's snout with his right hand. Using his left arm he thrust it through its chest and completed his assualt with a massive roundhouse which turned the pokemon into XD debrise at once. The attack was over. But with a casualty. Michael turned back to the heap of ash that was left of Zook. in the center was an orange-sized lump. Michael wiped away the ash and picked it up. Zook's pokeball. But suddenly it burst in his hand. A purple laser shot out arranging itself into the shape of Zangoose. But the pokemon wasn't itself. It was one of them. Zangoose was mostly black but with purple evil eyes and purple paws. It hissed at Michael before it suddenly leaped upwards into a wormhole which suddenly ripped through the open air and Zangoose was gone hissing angrily at Michael as it closed. *** It was orange-peach in the sky. Hours had passed since Wes defeated Regirock. He, Rui and Justy were inside his home. They were discussing a situation Justy had remembered. "So your saying that other than these hover-trucks traveling at nite there have also been a few traveling in the direction where the old Cipher Lab used to be?" "Yes Wes." Justy answered. "I'd say if you plan to investiagte these secret activties that you'd best start at the old Lab." Justy suggested. "I thought about this. It is closer and I have no idea what's located east of Phenac. Besides, if Rui stays I'll have an easier time not having to worry about her safety knowing she's with you." Wes pointed out. "She's in good hands." Justy assured. "When do you plan to leave?" Rui asked. "Tommorrow. I gotta find out Cipher's intentions and find out what may they be planning." Wes said. "And don't forget that you might wanna find out what is their significance in poisoning Fateen." Rui reminded. "Yeah, I will. I recently contacted Chase. He says that battle that took place around the same time I fought Regirock was because of a Shadow Moltres and a Lugia. The lugia belonged to the Second Hero." Wes stated. "The Second Hero owns a Lugia?" Rui asked. "I thought that Lugia was a Johto native pokemon?" "It was." Justy said. "Cipher managed to capture Lugia and turn it into an artificial shadow pokemon during the Second Incident. But Michael managed to free Lugia's shadow state." "Michael?" Wes said. "Is that the Second Hero's name?" Rui asked. "It is." Justy answered. "He's a good friend of mine." "Then we need to meet. After I infiltrate Cipher's Lab that is." Wes said. "Why after?" Justy asked. "Because getting into contact with him could slow me down and the more we wait the closer Cipher gets closer to whatever mission they have." "True." Justy admitted. "Well then I guess after only three days returning to Orre you will be back at again eh Wes?" Justy joked. Wes laughed alittle. "Yeah, again." *** Michael with the assistance of Vaporeon cleaned up what was left of Zook's remains hours ago. Since then, the lab was abnormally quiet. No one had spoken to Michael believing he needed to be alone. Mirror B, Trudly, and Folly left to the Pyrite Motel about a half-hour ago. His only company had been his mother, the professor, and currently his trio. All three cat pokemon were napping by the foot of his bed that is until Flareon awakened sensing someone coming with heat signatures. Michael sat up but relaxed. It was only Kylia. Kylia entered his room looking at him. She looked as if she had been crying. "Hey," Michael greeted. "You okay?" "Me? Are you okay? You seemed to know that guy the most." Kylia was concerned and worried. "I'm..." There was a pause before Michael answered. "...I'm fine. I've just never seen anything like that before. It sorta shook me up a bit." "I bet. Have you ever watched someone die before?" Kylia asked. "No." Kylia sat down, moved closer to Michael and held his hand. "Niether have I." Michael looked at Kylia. Her brown eyes looked so scared. "I don't know how I'm going to be able to stop this... But I know one thing; if anything ever happened to you I wouldn't forgive myself." "Michael-" "Kylia, I have these amazing companions," He directed to his trio. "To assist me and even then I couldn't save Zook. If I couldn't even save Zook, I can't promise your safety. To be on the safe side I think you should not be around me as I seem to attract these monsters." "Don't say that Michael-" ""Ky-" "No listen to me! I'd rather be with you in the face danger rather than be away from you. I-" Kylia froze. There was something she wanted to say but obviously couldn't. "What?" Michael asked. "Nothing." Kylia stood up. She made her way to the door but before she left she said to Michael, "I hope you'll feel better." Once Kylia left, Michael went to his door and slid it shut. He removed his vest and shirt and used the mirror to view his back. The wound was healing but slowly. He had to be careful the next time he was to deal with Shadow Pokemon. The PDA suddenly hummed in Michael's pocket and he pulled it out and read the message. It was from Krane. Michael I need to see you. It read. *** In Krane's office Michael sat across from the professor as he told him what he was needed to do. "Michael there has been more activity at the old Cipher Lab then before some of which taken place even during the day." Krane announced. Michael caught notice of how Krane acted as if nothing at all had happend today. As if no one hadn't been killed today. "Are you kidding me? Then I need to find out what they are planning." Michael decided. "I'll leave for the lab tommorrow." "I understand that today must have been truly, truly the most devastating thing to happen to you. I'm deeply sorry Michael." Even though he apologized, Michael didn't feel convinced he meant it for some strange reason. "Thanx Krane. But I gotta question." "What is it?" "What do you know about the body being able to treat its own injuries through intense efforts?' "Hmm. What do you exactly mean?" "Well I was attacked by a seviper last nite and it struck me in the back with its tail." As Michael was saying this he was removing his shirt showing his wound. As he expected, Krane gasped. "Michael! You need to see a doctor right away!" "Shhh! Professor I don't want the hold lab hearing about it. Besides I feel just find. My back's sore but other than that I don't think the toxic from the tail effected me. You see while i was unconscious, my body was bleeding out the venom excessively until blood began to pour out. It was as if my body had removed the venom on its own." "Strange, possibly you were born with this ability." "Possibly. But it still bothers me." "Hmm, stay here." Krane left for a moment. When he returned, he held in his hand a hypodermic looking needle. "Now I'm going to simply draw a very small sample of blood from your body." "Fine." Michael put out his arm. Krane injected the needle into Michael's arm and expelling a very small amount of blood with the plunger. Once done, Krane removed the syringe and threw it away. "I'm going to run some tests on this sample and find out just what's going on in your body." "Let me know as soon as possible." "I will Michael." Michael left Krane's office and slept in his room with only one thought on his mind; get inside the old laboratory and find out what Cipher plan to do. End_of_Part_4_______________________________________________________ Pokemon Techniques: Revolve Kick (used by Zangoose) A powerful axe kick that is used mostly used by fighting pokemon. My notes: Officially the only Shadow Pokemon that appears in this chapter that were not legendary pokemon were the pack of Arcanine. Arcanine is known as the "legendary pokemon" under species name so that's they are included in this chapter. Thanx for reading the fourth chapter.