Pokemon Fan Fiction / Pokemon Fan Fiction ❯ Ascension ❯ Shadow ( Chapter 6 )

Ascension

 

Chapter Six: Shadow

 

The Orre Region was the most lawless of them all, easily beating Kanto, Johto, and Hoenn in all criminal categories. It was an arid, desert wasteland, almost completely devoid of life aside from the scattered settlements. It was so inhospitable that wild pokémon were no where to be seen; they either were already owned by the few trainers that resided there, or they were property of Team Snagem and/or Team Cipher, the two most powerful criminal elements in the region.

 

Wes, who had ruined Team Cipher's plans for world domination five years ago, was now on the run, along with his constant companion Rui. He had once been a member of Team Snagem, capturing and turning pokémon into shadow versions.

 

However, one day he found himself stealing a portable snag machine and destroying most of Team Snagem headquarters. He later realized that something deep inside him was telling him to do all those things, as if some higher power was guiding him. Soon afterwards he had met Rui, and from there they went on an adventure, eventually successful in ousting the former mayor of Phenac City as the leader of Team Cipher.

 

But it was now five years later, and they had to keep on running. Something was chasing them, hunting them down with a brutal efficiency.

 

He had killed for the first time recently, when a familiar man had cornered Rui in a dark alleyway in The Under, intending to harm her or do unspeakable things to her. He killed whatever the creature was with his bare hands.

 

Only once he was done with the dark deed did he realize that the man had an undeniable resemblance…to himself. He had the same white hair, the same facial features, even the same birthmark on his right hand. Rui had told him that this was the reason why the man had gotten so close to her, because she had mistaken the stranger for Wes.

 

Rui had cried later that night, feeling responsible for the death of the stranger who looked like Wes. Wes had assured her that it was the only option he had, but still she wept and sobbed and cried through the night.

 

Rui was a very kind and sweet girl, having not changed in that department in the last five years. She was stronger though, the Orre region having toughened her up considerably. Not to mention being around Wes all the time, who tried his best not to seem too emotionless. She was special, he had realized from the very beginning, when she displayed an ability to see beyond the veil, to see the dark aura that surrounded only Shadow Pokémon.

 

Before they were on the run they had been continuing their journey of purifying all the Shadow Pokémon in the region, which never seemed to end. In fact, lately it felt like there was a rise of Shadow Pokémon in the area…but they had no time to investigate that, because now they were on the run from some dark force that had also sent that other Wes.

 

“Wes, they're close,” Rui whispered, clutching to his arm and closing her eyes fearfully. “We have to go now.”

 

Wes held her and led the way to his motorbike, knowing that the dark force hunting them was after Rui and the very special gift she possessed.

 

He did not know that they were also after the other Artifact in his possession, resting comfortably in his arm for the last five years.

 

The Other assigned to them smiled in the shadows nearby, savoring the moment before following behind them.

 

-

 

Michael was beginning to worry. The Orre region was a tough place to live, he knew, but this was getting ridiculous!

 

The rise in shadow pokémon was increasing by the day. Things had gotten so bad that several Pokémon Rangers had been sent by distant regions in order to keep control of the situation in Orre. However, they were arriving in small numbers due to an apparent shortage.

 

Michael did his best to help out, especially since he felt Orre could still be saved, still somehow have value despite being such a harsh place to live in. He would make it better, one purified pokémon at a time.

 

What was worrying him the most was the attention that was being placed on his snag machine. A number of people asked him about it, and one particularly zealous stranger attempted to steal it from him recently. Something about it being important…but he couldn't tell what for.

He had to be extra careful that one of those nut jobs didn't go after his sister Jovi in order to get to him, cause then things would have to get ugly.

 

-

 

It watched silently at the display, a knowing look on its features.

 

Latias did not like this place, did not like the cold shadows and the constant drip-drip-drip in the cavern that she found herself in. Around her was an assortment of pokémon, as well as a small group of shadow pokémon that had not yet been purified.

 

She looked towards it, knowing that it had assembled them here for a special purpose. She had initially refused its offer, preferring to stay by her island, but recently events had caused her to reconsider.

 

She, like all other psychics, could feel the balance of the world suddenly being shifted.

 

Psychics all over the world could sense that trouble was brewing, although the details were hard to ascertain.

 

Even Mewtwo, the one who had brought them all together, had a vague knowledge of what was to come. It knew that others, such as a Gardevoir and a human girl named Rui, had significantly more knowledge.

 

This puzzled Mewtwo, as it was considered one of the premier psychics in the entire world. Very few could match it, barring a handful of humans and significantly strong pokémon.

 

It had sent a telepathic message to the legendaries, yet only Articuno, Entei, and Latias responded to the call. Its mother and the remaining legendaries were no where to be found. What could have happened to them? How could they manage to completely disappear from his psychic radar?

 

“What is happening?” Latias meekly asked.

 

“I do not know,” it tiredly replied. “It's like a veil of shadow has been placed in front of my eyes.”

 

To be continued