6You'll have to excuse the inactivity on this story lately. I'm currently recovering from a dislocated kneecap and a ruptured ACL. But before you preface any reviews or PMs with "Are u ok?", let me state that I am in my eighth week of recovery, and I don't need surgery, which is good. Most of my time has been spent doing exercises, and hydrotherapy.
*BEEP* *BEEP* *BEEP*
That incessant noise… even through the sealed glass window, it grated on his ears painfully. But he wouldn't leave because of that irksome sound. No, he would never leave the side of the one who had opened her heart to him. For as long as it took, he would stay.
"Alice..."
She had been diagnosed with a lethal disease approximately two years after the guardian of time, Dialga, and the protector of space, Palkia, had chosen Alamos Town, his home, as their personal battleground. He couldn't help, but think that he was the one responsible. That somehow, his presence had caused her illness.
Darkrai had always been known as a legendary Pokémon, one with the uncanny ability to plunge any sentient being, be they human, animal, or Pokémon into an unending nightmare. Because of this, and his intimidating appearance, many had vilified him as a malevolent spirit, who sought to cover the world in darkness, and grant every being a terrifying dream, one from which they would never awaken.
But only Alice, and a few select others knew the truth. Darkrai was not evil. No Pokémon could ever be evil of their own volition. His powers… he was unable to control them. No matter how hard he tried, it was impossible. Whenever people slept, his presence alone would give them bad dreams. He had tried many times to curb the ability. None had succeeded. Finally, he surrendered, and retreated into the shadows, where he would watch, and defend the people of Alamos.
"Alice… come on, fight… I know you wouldn't give up…"
Her childhood friend, the one called Tonio, had appeared. Darkrai watched as he looked over the poorly girl. She didn't stir, which worried them both, until finally, she opened her eyes. Even though she had been sleeping, her eyes were bloodshot and pale.
"Tonio… it's okay…" she whispered, barely heard to Darkrai's ears. Were it not for his keen hearing, he would have never understood. Tonio took her hand, her left hand, as a ring glinted on her third finger.
"But I only realised… why didn't you say anything...?" Tonio's voice cracked, as he twisted a similar ring on his own finger. Alice just raised her arm weakly, cupping her husband's cheek.
"Tonio… you remember… that song…?" She whispered, the words barely escaping. But Tonio understood. Pulling a grass flute out, he began to blow into it, creating an enchanting melody that was all too familiar.
Oración.
But in the next few moments, the noise of the machines by her side rang out with an awful tone.
*beeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeep*
That noise sent terror down Darkrai's spine. He didn't know what it meant exactly, but he had a horrible suspicion. A suspicion that was quickly confirmed when Tonio wrapped his arms around Alice's frail body, hugging her tightly. Tears glinted down his cheeks. And then Darkrai understood.
His only friend was gone from this world.
And with that realisation, he disappeared into the dark night. But as he did so, he performed an uncharacteristic act.
He howled. In pain, in agony, in grief. Even when Darkrai had vanished, the mournful cry echoed endlessly. Even as the dawn rose, it continued to resonate through the town. It was a sound no one would ever forget.
Because afterward, Darkrai disappeared.
Forever.
"Alice… My friend… I'm so sorry…"
Leaving Alamos Town was not the easiest act. It had been his only home, the only place where he had been accepted. But Alice was gone, and now no one else would accept him. Even as he floated slowly above Sinnoh, he felt the pang of grief in his heart. He had no home.
He would never have a home again.
The sky raged, and a torrential rain began to fall. Darkrai didn't care. If anything, rain was a blessing. It hid his tears, expressed his emotions, and enveloped him in the dark sky. Even as a lightning bolt jolted from one cloud to another, Darkrai just kept moving forward. He didn't care anymore.
But all that changed when a supercharged bolt slammed into his back, electrocuting and stunning him. As the volts coursed through his body, he began to plummet to the ground. He wasn't able to summon any more strength. Even staying awake was an effort. He simply shut his eyes, and waited for the ground to hammer his body to a pulp.
The grassy knoll managed to absorb most of the impact, but the landing still hurt. As Darkrai bounced from the ground and rolled to the bottom of the hill, he began to black out.
Raising a weak arm, he groaned audibly, in the hopes of attracting someone's attention. But no one came, and he finally, mercifully, slept.
Darkrai groaned, and rubbed his head, propping his limp body onto an elbow. As his vision cleared, he noticed that the scenery had changed. He had been moved to a small cave, illuminated only by a small fire. He was resting on a small bundle of grass, hay, and other soft materials. But no one appeared to be present. So who could have moved him?
"Where… am I?"
As he massaged the sleep from his eyes, he quickly became aware of another presence. It was like he was being watched with no one else present, as if his observer didn't want to be found.
"Awake at last, are we?"
As the Pitch-Black Pokémon spun around to look for the source of the voice. It was the voice of an irritating, infernal imp, one that irritated Darkrai to no end. He sat up, and began to float upwards, searching the cave's nooks and crannies for his watcher. But the shadows refused to betray this imp. He was nowhere to be found.
"Oh, you can't see me? How terribly rude of me! Give me a moment to slip into something more comfortable…"
Darkrai was growing frustrated. Was the owner of this grating voice some kind of trickster? Even when the voice spoke, it scraped in Darkrai's ears, causing him to grow angrier and angrier with each passing moment. But finally, the air in front of his face began to shimmer and distort. Darkrai looked closer, but was unable to identify a shape. He looked closer… closer…
Closer…
"BOO!"
A grinning face appeared from out of nowhere, with mischievous green eyes, and a purple face. Darkrai stumbled back in fright, startled at the sudden appearance of his observer. The face laughed hysterically, delighted at the prank it had pulled, revealing the rest of its body in the process. Darkrai looked up angrily, and finally identified the hellion who had been leading him ever since he had awoken.
The face was attached to a small body, barely smaller than a branch. It was primarily a lavender colour, with pinkish highlights around its head, torso, and wrists. It's eyes were coloured yellow and green, and had a permanent shine of mischief present. Hanging from a pair of horns was one golden ring, dangling limply.
"Name's Hoopa. Your saviour, caretaker, and prankster extraordinaire! Nice to mee- WHOA!" Hoopa was quickly cut off, as Darkrai unleashed a beam of black energy, which he narrowly dodged, eyes wide, as he watched the energy slam into the cavern wall with a fierceful explosion. Looking from the impact crater, he glanced back to Darkrai, who was giving him a truly malevolent glare.
"I save your life, and this is the thanks I get?" Hoopa groaned, gesturing to the hole in his wall. Darkrai just growled, and unleashed another Dark Pulse. Hoopa tried to dodge, but he was too slow. The full force of the beam nailed him square in the chest, catapulting him back into a wall. Dazed, he rubbed his head, and looked to Darkrai, who had turned his back to him.
"Nice moves. But could I at least get a thank you, pal?" Hoopa yelled. Darkrai just growled, and turned back.
"Do not patronize me, imp. Now leave me be." The shadow growled. Hoopa just floated up, and streaked after his friend.
"Aw, c'mon, I was only kidding. What's the matter, lost your home?"
"A… a friend has left me. Forever." Darkrai sighed. Hoopa just giggled.
"Heh. If they left forever, then they prolly weren't even a friend to begin with, ya kn-OOF!" Hoopa was interrupted by a claw striking him. Hoopa was sent flying back into the cavern, crashing through the wall into his… for lack of a better word, "sanctum". If one were to think of an underground altar, then Hoopa's sanctum would be an ideal image.
Sharp, glowing crystals erupting from the ground provided enough light to dispel some of the darkness, while a pool of crystal clear water, illuminated by the limestone it rested in, trickled gently in the background. But what would be the most eye-catching item in the cavern was a stacked pyramid, the walls engraved with ancient, faded hieroglyphics. At the top were two pillars, with a yellow ring of energy hovering between them, not unlike the rings that dangled from Hoopa's horns.
But the architecture mattered little to Darkrai. As he spun around dizzily, he regained his balance, before lunging forwards, black sparks ignited on his wrist. With an incoherent yell, he charged forwards, sparking fist held high. Out of instinct, Hoopa wrapped his hands around the rings dangling from his head, and threw them up into the air. The pair of rings inflated in radius, and pulsed with energy. One ring placed itself between Hoopa and Darkrai, and the other faced the rocky ceiling. Uncaring of what would happen, Darkrai continued his attack, unable to stop. As he entered one ring, he saw only a field of white for a small second, faster than it took to blink, before he was hurtling towards rock. Unable to stop his attack, Darkrai's fist slammed into the wall, causing his hand to ache. The rings were summoned back to Hoopa, and floated around him.
"Now we're thinking with-"
"SILENCE!" Darkrai howled, and charged for another attack. Hoopa raised his hands, and Darkrai's attack was once again redirected into a wall. Beyond reason, Darkrai continued to charge forwards, only to be redirected each time.
"Hey, calm down, pal! You're just wearing yourself out!" Hoopa yelled over the chaos. But Darkrai refused to listen, only content with charging forwards, desperate to shut the imp up. But with each impact, cracks began to form, and dust was shaken from the ceiling. As a trickle of dust descended, Hoopa looked up worriedly: if Darkrai continued, then the entire room would collapse inwards, burying the both of them. This was no time for pranks, or jokes.
"Pal! Slow down, listen to me! If this keeps goin', then we're gonna get buried!" Hoopa shouted. Darkrai just looked at Hoopa angrily.
"Death matters little to me now. Now stop running, and FIGHT ME!" He roared, his bruised fists sparking one final time, before becoming engulfed in a black fire, emitting a pulse of raw, furious power.
But that spike of raw energy was the final impact on the walls, as a stalactite, weakened from the vibrations of Darkrai's impacts, finally broke loose with a crack, which went unnoticed by the two combatants below them. Darkrai charged, while Hoopa threw up his portals. But just as the Pitch-Black Pokémon was about to enter the ring, the falling rock landed on Hoopa, causing his other portal to fly upwards, as the imp's concentration was broken. Within an instant, the portal glowed brightly, and Darkrai shot out, landing in a heap atop the pyramid.
Darkrai groaned, as the ground glowed brightly beneath him. Hoopa recalled his portals, which shrunk, and hung themselves over his horns, before floating up to the pyramid's summit. Darkrai looked at the imp with a malicious eye, but before either Pokémon could act, a pulsing glow emitted from the ground, illuminating in the shape of an invisible rune, before the pillars sparked with electricity. Darkrai looked up curiously, while Hoopa began to panic.
This relic was no simple construction buried by time, and lost to history. This was where Hoopa's most powerful portal resided. While Hoopa could easily warp local space to transport itself, and others via the rings hanging from its head, this portal was so much more. Instead of warping local space, it scythed holes for a short while between universes and dimensions, allowing free passage to worlds that were very different from their own. Such a power had only been used under the strictest supervision, and Hoopa knew the risks that arose if this portal was misused.
As the pillars sparked, bolts of energy shot out from the top of the pillars, and engulfed Darkrai's wrists, wrenching them back. He struggled, trying to yank himself free. Behind him, the portal sparked, and a dark threshold appeared within, beginning to pull Darkrai towards it. Hoopa rushed forwards, only for a stray bolt to strike him dead on, sending him flying away. As he tumbled on the ground, Hoopa looked up helplessly, as Darkrai struggled.
"YOU… YOU WILL PAY FOR THIS, IMP! YOU TRICKED ME!" Darkrai howled furiously. Hoopa just watched helplessly.
"I'm sorry, pal! I never wanted this to happen!" Hoopa screeched. Uncaring of Hoopa's apologies, Darkrai just continued to roar in a frenzy.
"I WILL INFLICT A THOUSAND NIGHTMARES ON YOU WHEN I GET FREE! I SWEAR, YOU WILL SUFFER GREATL-"
Darkrai never finished, as the vortex finally claimed the thrashing creature, the darkness swallowing him up. The vortex vanished, and all grew silent, barring Darkrai's screams echoing around the cavern endlessly. Hoopa just looked away mournfully. This was his fault. No matter what anyone would say, his pranks had gone too far. Now Darkrai was gone, trapped in another world. This would not bode well for anyone. Least of all…
"HOOPA."
Hoopa jumped, as the all-too-familiar voice boomed through the cave. Looking around, he saw a sparkling aura hovering in the dusty air. As it twisted and turned, it formed into the familiar shape of his superior.
Arceus.
Hoopa bowed politely.
"M-my lord, I-I wasn't expecting you. Why have you graced me with your presence?" Hoopa gibbered nervously. Arceus just looked down at the kowtowing imp.
"YOU NEED NOT GROVEL, HOOPA. I COME WITH AN REQUEST." Arceus explained. Hoopa looked up, wiping some dirt free from his face.
"An request? An request for what, my lord?" Hoopa asked. With a sigh, Arceus answered.
"TO ASSIST ME IN UNDOING MY GREATEST MISTAKE."