Chapter 29;
.............full moon

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“It can’t be!” Jirachi’s eyes widened as Deoxys withdrew his tentacle, a menacing smirk etched to his face. The little wish Pokemon backed off; the sight of Uxie falling to the ground lifeless almost completely stunned him. He-he was killed so easily... But just as Jirachi feared his life, too, was in danger, Deoxys disappeared in a whirlwind of black fog, whooshing up through the top of the cavern where the cracks were just large enough to let in the faint moonlight above.

“He didn’t attack us...” It was the first time Sierra had spoken since the assault, and it was her voice that brought Jirachi back to his senses. He quickly whirled to the Riolu in panic.

“Sierra! Uxie! He was murdered!” Without waiting for an answer, he flew anxiously over to the First Power, peering down at the bloodstained Pokemon and the large hole that bore through his chest. It was a sight bad enough to make even the strongest of foes queasy. Jirachi himself wasn’t squeamish, but this sight made his stomach churn in on itself. Sierra’s footsteps echoed behind him as she glanced down at Uxie.

“What now?” she asked hesitantly. “Without the First Power how can we do what Xatu asked?” Her expression worried the wish Pokemon, but he was too busy focusing on Uxie to pay much attention to that. “Jirachi, are you listening?” she huffed after a minute of silence. He shook his head in a daze, completely preoccupied with other affairs.

“I’m sorry, did you say something?”

The Riolu sighed and raised a paw to her forehead. “Honestly! I was asking what we should...” But again, Jirachi tuned out.

I heard something, I know I did! Ignoring Sierra’s attempts to get his attention, Jirachi placed a very shaky hand on Uxie’s body. A tiny pulse could be felt, barely, but it was there. The beat sent shivers down his spine. Jirachi gasped instantly, drawing back from the figure.

“Sierra! He...Uxie’s alive!” As he spoke the words he knew it to be true. The Riolu followed his gaze and rested her eyes on the healing hole in the Power’s chest. It was closing with rapid speed! At that precise moment a beam of moonlight shone through the small hole in the cavern ceiling, illuminating the spot where Uxie’s body lay. The final threads of the hole sewed itself together and the Power’s fur was cleansed. Not a spot of blood could be seen.

As if rising from a very deep sleep, Uxie’s eyes opened drowsily and he smacked his lips together, pushing himself upright as best he could. Jirachi and Sierra could only stare in awe, mouths slightly ajar. The First Power blinked several times and raised a paw to his head in a daze, yawning.

“Oh, visitors. Can I help you?” Uxie’s voice was rather song-like, but held great wisdom, as with Xatu’s and Alakazam’s. It seemed he also didn’t remember what just happened, or else was being mighty calm about it.

“Y-you were dead!” Jirachi stuttered. “There was a great big hole in your chest!” He spread his arms wide to indicate the length of the hole as Uxie blinked again.

“Oh, I was?” He cocked his head to the side and frowned, thinking hard. “Oh! That big, red Pokemon came in here and stabbed me... I remember...” Uxie floated higher and higher into the air in thought, his gaze drifting over the two Pokemon in front of him slowly. “So...what is it I can do for you?” A sudden grin flashed across his face, causing both Sierra and Jirachi to start and shoot each other confusing glances. Uxie seemed to gather this. “Oh, I suppose you two would like an explanation as to how I just woke up, don’t you? Of course. It was the moon.” He raised a paw to the hole in the cavern ceiling where beams of moonlight shone through to illuminate the small area. Through that hole, Jirachi could clearly see a moon, which seemed fully round this night.

“The moon?” he questioned Uxie.

“Mmhmm,” the Pokemon replied with a slight nod of his head, still staring at the brightly lit hole. “See, the moon is where my strength comes from. I am Uxie, known as also as the First Power, the being of Knowledge. My extensive knowledge is drawn from everything around you, but it is the moon that provides me with that power. As it grows fuller, I grow stronger. If I am attacked on the night of a full moon, I will heal in almost no time at all. I am weaker as the moon wanes and if I am attacked then, I will not rise till the next full moon. In short, as long as the moon lives, so do I.”

Uxie flashed another grin towards the two stunned Pokemon. “Deoxys would have just sent us a warning, that’s all, but it was a surprise he did. You two must be special to provoke his wrath upon me like that.”

Jirachi flinched as if he’d just been blamed for the Pokemon’s near death, but nodded weakly. “We have actually come to seek your knowledge of how to rid this world of its darkness, Deoxys included. We need help to defeat him, and both Xatu and Alakazam told us to find the Three Powers. Alakazam was the one who teleported us here.” He stole a quick glance at Sierra who nodded at his words before eying Uxie.

“Can you help us?” she pleaded.

The being of Knowledge slowly absorbed all the information, raising a paw to his mouth and staring intently at both Jirachi and Sierra. “I believe I can,” he stated after a short time, “but that also depends on the cooperation of my siblings, Mesprit and Azelf, for you will need their help, too.” He broke off to stare into space again, seeming to think very hard.

“I believe… I know of a certain ritual that may buy us enough time to take down Deoxys, but it’s tricky. Very tricky. You will need the aide of my kin, as well as the Freedom Fighters and especially the new Light Pokemon. Oh yes,” Uxie smiled, answering Jirachi’s quizzical gaze. “News travels fast, and she is making quite the name for herself.” The First Power grinned at the thought. “But enough of that; I expect you wish to hear of this ritual?” Both Sierra and Jirachi nodded simultaneously. “Very well, then. Follow me, if you please.”

Uxie whirled and raised his hands outwards to gesture to the Pokemon to follow him. They were led through a small passage at the back of the cavern, the walls glittering like thousands of tiny jewels, all gold and grey, quite similar to Uxie himself. Jirachi reached out to touch a gold crystal and was surprised when it felt warm beneath his palm.

“Crystallised fossils,” Uxie said, spotting the surprise within the small Pokemon’s eyes. “The Sableye are kind enough to infuse my cavern with fossils of ancient Pokemon. After a time, the fossils harden and crystallise from the moisture running through the walls. You can feel that they are warm because they are not quite dead; a spark runs through all fossils until reanimated. The gold crystals come from the Pokemon Lileep, I believe,” he added, turning and gliding further down the passage.

Jirachi blinked in amazement, his paw still lingering on the Lileep crystal. “Hey, come on!” He felt a tug on his arm as Sierra stared at him and nodded towards Uxie.

“Oh, right.” He left the crystals reluctantly, following Sierra and Uxie as the passage began to widen. A room soon joined onto the rocky passage, looming over them like a huge dome. The round walls still glittered fiercely, but stone carvings were amongst them. In the centre of the cavern lay a huge pool, ripples spreading from the middle to the very edge. The rest of the clearing was bare. Uxie glided over to the edge of the pool and sat down, his short legs dipping into the water as he waited for Sierra and Jirachi.

“This is the Pool of Knowledge,” he stated simply as the ripples lapped up his legs. “From here I can see what is happening in the outside world, the Farplane and also the past and future, given the right circumstances. I wish to show you a vision from the past before we proceed, which might clear some questions. You must know how Deoxys was created, in order to destroy him.”

“Wait a minute,” Jirachi intervened, “does this mean Deoxys can’t just be killed?”

Uxie nodded. “Deoxys was created by pure malice from Darkrai, and so he must be sent back into Darkrai, but that can only happen from a pure good source; a Light Pokemon. Because Altair was the last Light Pokemon before he died, there was no possible way to kill Deoxys until now.”

“The new Light Pokemon!” Jirachi exclaimed. “So we need her help! But how?”

“As I understand it, she is travelling with a group of companions to the Wingardom Missionary to rally the Freedom Fighters. I would have you two meet them there as soon as possible; there is much to discuss. After I show you this vision, I will contact both Mesprit and Azelf to inform them of what must be done. You two will head off to the Missionary and tell the Light Pokemon how Deoxys can be defeated – that is your task. Now,” he ushered the two Pokemon to the pool edge. “You must each wade to the centre of the pool to access the vision. I will take it from there.”

Glancing at each other with worried faces, Jirachi and Sierra hesitantly stepped into the cool water. Ripples splashed against them as they waded towards the deep centre, water droplets covering their small bodies. Once they stood calmly in the middle of the pool, Uxie floated into the air and began to zoom around the edge, dipping his paw into the water at five separate places, causing a beam of light to illuminate the water and join each of the dots together. A glowing circle soon surrounded both Pokemon, swirling in an anti-clockwise direction, the ripples seeming to pulsate at they flowed outwards.

“W-what’s going on?!” exclaimed Jirachi. “I’m getting dizzy just looking at them!”

“Then don’t look!” Sierra replied sharply, her own eyes closed.

But Jirachi was too mesmerised. He watched silently as the circle spun faster still, until the white glow began to absorb the whole room, and Uxie’s fading body was no longer visible. Momentarily blinded, Jirachi raised a paw to shield his eyes until the light receded and vanished.

The first thing he noticed was that the atmosphere had darkened, and an eerie feeling was beginning to spread through his body. Twisting his head slightly, he noted both he and Sierra were standing in the middle of thousands of Pokemon, all looking intent to kill. Surely it couldn’t be… The Great War! The war between the Light and the Dark Ones had begun again. Only this time, they were standing right in the middle of it.

***

Deoxys flew with grim satisfaction from Uxie’s cavern. By now the insolent little Pokemon would have arisen again. He had taken pleasure in stabbing him, even if he wasn’t technically dead. The main worry causing Deoxys to seethe with anger, however, was not that of a rising Pokemon. The fact that the two little ones would soon know how to kill him hung over him like a large shadow of dread. If they managed to tell that Pikachu then he was liable to be pushed back to where he came from and he never wanted that.

For the first time in many years, Deoxys began to feel an odd kind of emotion which could only be described as fear; that as it happened, was the source of his anger. Granted Deoxys had little emotion other than the malice he was born from, so it virtually came as a shock whenever he felt something else. He’d spent too long in this world; he was beginning to create his own emotions. This could not be tolerated.

Trying to steal the Pikachu’s soul had been a failure, too. Having her soul would have meant that he could control both Light and Dark powers and make an infinite army of Pokemon to do his bidding! But his plan never reached fruition, so it seemed he had to turn to another one.

They would need the help of the Three Powers to destroy him, and if that were so, he would just have to kill them first. Even if the little Jirachi pest could relay his message to the Light Pokemon, they could not perform the ritual needed without the aid of the Powers. So now he knew what he must do and it was simple. If Uxie, Mesprit and Azelf drew their power from the moon, he would just have to destroy it. Destroy the moon, kill the Powers and create a dark army, maybe a light one… rule the world… Things finally seemed to be looking up.

Only one creature barred his way now, but he would easily overcome her with Darkrai’s help. Even if he could not enter this world himself, there was another who could traverse both, and he would be the tool Deoxys needed to break Cresselia down.

Bring the boy… he hissed silently into his mind to Darkrai. As soon as you can. I have a task for him. It is time everyone will learn to bow to you, Master.

Excellent, came the deep reply. I will send him to you once his training nears completion. He will defy me, but not for long. Every moment he is here with me my control deepens, taking root within his core. Though he will soon be able to master his abilities, he cannot defy my will. You will have him before the next full moon, in time to complete your request. Strike when the moon is just a slither, and Deoxys… Darkrai paused as he seemed to think. Do not fail me again. I want Cresselia DEAD!

With a sharp growl, the connection cut out and Deoxys was almost overflowing with glee, or malice; whichever made him the happiest. Darkrai’s threat had no effect on him and he was not yet doomed. He would not give up! Not until that human was wishing she’d never entered this realm. The space Pokemon changed direction and flew upwards, breaking through the many layers of the planet’s atmosphere, chanting silently to himself; Wait, then plan, then strike!

***

Jirachi was frozen. Not the scared kind of frozen, even though he was scared, but the kind of frozen that comes with learning something so important you can’t even blink in case you miss it. So he didn’t blink. He kept his gaze firmly fixed on his surroundings, which consisted of Light, Dark and normal Pokemon in a rocky terrain. It looked like the Dark Lands, but he could have been mistaken.

“This is the foot of Meteor Mountain, I think,” Sierra whispered to him, causing the wish Pokemon to start. Everything else was eerily quiet. So it was true; they were at the base of Deoxys’ lair. “That’s the Freedom Fighters over there.” Sierra pointed a paw towards Light Pokemon leading others behind them. If he counted right, there were three, one of them resembling Altair. “The other side is Darkrai and his army. It seems small, but don’t let size fool you,” she stated warningly.

Jirachi turned his gaze to Darkrai and glared. I hate him! I just want to… GRR! He huffed with anger but soon forgot all about it as he spotted three Pokemon overhead. They were soaring through the air like shotting stars. One was yellow, the other was blue and the third one was pink. Recognising the yellow helmet, Jirachi cried out.

“Look! That must be Uxie and his siblings! What do you think they’re doing?” He cast a glance towards Sierra who held up a paw and motioned for him to be silent. Jirachi obeyed, watching at the three Powers spun in a triangular pattern in the centre of the two armies. It was easy to see that the fight was almost over; both sides were brutally wounded and cut short, numbers rapidly falling. It seemed they had retreated for a brief time to recover. The three Light Pokemon themselves already looked grim, their white fur fading. It wasn’t until now that Jirachi was able to get a close look at them.

The one leading the army at the very point was the Pikachu, Altair. The other two were of a different species but still glowed a brilliant white. He had only heard stories about those two, but rumour had it they died fighting bravely. It seemed he would soon find out. The second Light Pokemon was a Grovyle named Scry and the third was an Aipom called Trix. Scry was said to be the brawn of the three, preferring to use muscles over intelligence; Altair was the brains. Trix used her cunning sarcasm and wits to antagonise her opponents, leading them into carefully laid traps. As it was, the Aipom had a huge grin stretched across her face, but her eyes were narrowed in concentration. Scry had a claw resting on her shoulder to remind her that the focus was to keep cool.

Jirachi spun his head back to look at Darkrai. If he was there, then where was Deoxys? It took a moment for the wish Pokemon to remember what Uxie had said – You must know how Deoxys was created, in order to destroy him.

So Deoxys wasn’t born yet. This must have been the very battle where he was unleashed upon the world.

“Jirachi, look!” Sierra whispered and nudged him lightly, causing the Pokemon to stare in the direction of her pointed paw. It seemed Altair was walking across the battlefield – straight towards them and towards Darkrai! The Light Pokemon was enveloped in a circular shield of white, sparks surrounding him as a further defence. But why was he just walking over to Darkrai? Was he surrendering?

No, Jirachi thought. Even Altair wouldn’t do that.

He knew little about the Light Pokemon, but he knew Altair had enough pride never to surrender to darkness. So then what could it be? But it appeared Altair wasn’t crossing to talk to Darkrai. The Pikachu halted merely a few feet from them in the centre of the battlefield and raised his head towards the Three Powers. He held up two fingers in a kind of sign to the Pokemon before spreading his arms wide. Altair then closed his eyes, apparently muttering something from the way his lips were moving. An incantation? Whatever it was made his shield grow brighter, this time with pure white energy. It was so powerful Jirachi could even feel it, not just see it.

He could only watch in awe as it expanded across the gravelly area towards the Dark Army. Jirachi caught movements from the corner of his eye; Darkrai lashed out, but stopped only a metre from where he had been standing a moment before. The light energy was too powerful for him to cross into it. As the light reached the army of Dark Pokemon, they dissipated into ash. One by one they fell, until only a few of the stronger ones survived, Darkrai included. The rest were just blown away by the wind.

It was at that moment Altair lowered his paw and took a step. Towards Darkrai. Jirachi made to move, but Sierra grabbed his shoulder firmly.

“We can’t help; it’s a vision.”

He sighed, but relented; he knew she was right.

“You’ll suffer for this, rodent!” Darkrai’s howl of pain rang clearly through the night. He lay – doubled over – on the ground, clutching his right arm as Altair stood before him and smirked.

“The battle is over,” he stated calmly, more than a hint of derision lacing his voice. “Darkrai, you lost. Now go back to the pits of hell where you came from and don’t bother me again. Or else.” The Pikachu narrowed his eyes in a demonic glare and as he did so, Jirachi’s eyes widened. This wasn’t the Altair he knew. Something was different about this one.

This Altair gave off an aura of slight darkness, even though he was a Light Pokemon. His face looked rougher; his glare harsher, his fur more coarse. This definitely wasn’t the Altair he knew, or was used to. This one seemed angry. But why was he so different now? Had he changed after he’d died? Let go of his anger?

Darkrai glared back at Altair, evenly matching the Pikachu’s. “I… I have not lost!” With his good arm, he lashed out at the Light Pokemon, but Altair dodged with ease, his smirk rising higher. For a second, he even let out a gentle laugh, but it was cold.

“No, I’m pretty sure you’ve lost. And now I’m going to send you back. I don’t care where you came from, but you’re never getting out again!” The Light Pokemon thrust a paw into Darkrai’s chest, a beam of light spreading outwards from his palm.

Darkrai shuddered; Jirachi could see he was desperately trying to hang on, but he was losing. Soon it would all be over. Altair would sacrifice himself to save the world and send Darkrai into the Farplane. But… something wasn’t right. The light that pierced Darkrai began to grow dim and the shadow Pokemon raised a clawed hand to Altair’s, grasping it firmly.

“W-what?!” The Pikachu was momentarily stunned, the beam of light from his paw abruptly smothered by the darkness of Darkrai’s, and his smirk turning to an expression of utter amazement. “Let go of me, you brute! What are you doing!?”

“Ehehehe…” Darkrai’s almost silent cackle filled Jirachi’s ears as the wispy Pokemon reached a claw into his own body, near his heart. Altair’s eyes were wide, this time with fear. He obviously had no clue what Darkrai was doing anymore than Jirachi did. And he knew that he didn’t like it. The Pikachu tried to tug away, but to no avail; his strength had most likely drained from the battle. When Darkrai withdrew his claw, ever so slowly from his chest, a strange, dark matter oozed with it. It seemed to be pulsing, like it was almost alive somehow. A small red and black pulsating blob of dark matter.

Altair could do nothing as it was plunged into his own chest. His cry was lost as his eyes fluttered, his light aura fading rapidly, turning first purple and then black. The Pikachu’s scream was demonic, altered by the dark matter. His fur turned a dull grey, his stripes turned a piercing black and his eyes grew hollow; a glazed, hollow red that seemed almost familiar to Jirachi.

The Light Pokemon across the field grew chaotic. Without warning, they rushed towards Darkrai with utter hatred for what he was doing to their leader. One by one they tried to reach him and were repelled by a dark force invisible to their eyes. The Three Powers, Uxie, Mesprit and Azelf had stopped their rapid flight patterns and were crying out to Altair, but their voices never reached him. The Light Pokemon was too far under now, and Jirachi could tell what was happening. For he had seen those eyes somewhere before. The same eyes Altair now had… he had seen many times within Deoxys.

As quickly as he had plunged his paw within Altair, Darkrai withdrew it, dragging with him an essence of pure white. Altair’s figure crumpled on the ground, his fur still grey and matted, his eyes glazed red. Even from the distance away that Jirachi was, he could hear the Pikachu’s ragged breathing that was steadily growing worse.

“Sierra…” he whimpered softly. “I don’t understand why Altair is… is dark.” But part of him knew what it was. Darkrai had taken all of Altair’s light essence, and left him only with the darkness that he held; and so he was no longer a Light Pokemon, but a Dark one.

The Pikachu’s paws slowly grasped the ragged ground beneath him. Ever so slowly, Altair dragged himself up off the gravel. Though he wavered, he never fell. His red eyes scanned the battlefield warily. All of these Pokemon rushing towards him… they were intruders. And intruders had to die for entering enemy territory!

Altair growled and launched several blasts of dark energy from his paws towards the remaining Light Pokemon, and the Freedom Fighters. Stunned, they never had a chance. Most were killed instantly; demolished and incinerated by Altair’s attacks. Scry and Trix avoided the blasts, dodging them just in time, and raced towards the now dark Pikachu. They didn’t attack him, but merely dodged all the attacks sent their way; they obviously hoped they could save Altair.

Darkrai stood behind the Pikachu, smiling with glee and fondling a small ball of white, red and black energy within his claws. With this energy he could create what he had hoped to achieve; an army of infinite Light and Dark Pokemon! A new era would soon be born; a new creation would lead the way. Now that he had stolen Altair’s Light powers, and the Pikachu attacked his own kin, he would be free to walk away. Free to live as he pleased. He watched as they fell, one by one, and grinned.

Scry and Trix had reached their limit, too. As Altair stepped over their crumpled bodies, they could do nothing but gasp in surprise. The Pikachu smiled and raised a foot deftly before bringing it down upon their necks.

Both Jirachi and Sierra heard the crunch and turned away, unable to watch anymore. Now he knew that Altair was never a hero. He tried and failed. The Pikachu was Darkrai’s pawn in the end and only ended up killing his own teammates. The wish Pokemon’s anger had sparked. How he had ever admired him he would never know! Now all he wanted was to return to the world, the Farplane, and torture Altair like he murdered his own kind!

Now that the battlefield was empty, it was all over. Altair turned to Darkrai, the only Pokemon left on the field. He stared for what seemed like an eternity, unblinking, unmoving. His chest heaved with heavy breathing, his fur holding the clotted blood of others. All traces of the Light Pokemon had vanished.

“Come now,” Darkrai called to Altair. “You and I will rule the world, side by side. Isn’t that what you wanted?”

The air was eerily quiet as the Pikachu stood still and continued to stare. “Yes,” came the hollow reply. “It is all I ever wanted.” He glared, twisting his head to the remains of his teammates. “They were all holding me back. I never wanted to be one of them. I am better, stronger now.”

Darkrai was satisfied with the answer and turned, Altair following him up the path to the mountain. He still held the ball of energy within his claws, only one of them didn’t seem to like the others. The white energy he had pulled from Altair was struggling, sparking out wildly at the Dark Pokemon. A red hot burning sensation spread through Darkrai’s claw and he dropped the ball of energy, the white spark thrashing and breaking away from the others. It flickered madly and flew through the air until it hit the Pikachu’s body, knocking the air clean from him as he crashed into the ground. Altair growled and struggled, holding a claw over his chest, scratching away at it and not seeming to care about the gashes he was needlessly causing.

“STOP THE BURNING!” he shouted into the night, sending yowls of pain through the air. “ARGH!” But Jirachi and Sierra were frozen and for once, Darkrai was too. As Altair’s thrashing slowly subsided, his fur grew brighter, the darkness fading. The two energies held within his body fought for control. The Pikachu finally coughed and spluttered, a dark matter flowing from his mouth. As it did so, his breathing softened and his fur returned to the normal white it used to be. The darkness was forced out from his body and sent back towards Darkrai, who cursed. He had never imagined Altair’s will to be stronger than his own. But it didn’t matter; everyone was now dead and he had still won.

Still somewhat triumphant, he turned, scooped up the ball of energy and took a step. But that was as far as he would ever get. Darkrai’s face paled to a dull grey, his eyes widening with surprise. His vision grew hazy and wavered, but he turned it towards the ground and it focused enough for him to see a white paw forcing its way through his chest – straight through his dark heart. The dark energy held within his claw fell to the ground and flowed down to the earth.

Wasting no time, Altair opened a door to the Farplane; a sphere of white light that acted as a dimensional hole between two worlds. Withdrawing his paw he forced Darkrai into it and watched as he disappeared into the white light, forever bound to the Underworld. He sighed heavily and turned. Letting his guard down was the last thing he should have done. A dark claw reached out and swiped through Altair’s body. Stunned, the Pikachu staggered and fell into the portal, unable to close it in time. A second later it vanished, leaving Jirachi and Sierra alone on the field. Completely and utterly alone.

It had all happened so fast, there was almost no time to see any of it. Darkrai had turned Altair into one of them, but his Light energy had rebelled and forced the darkness from his body, though too late. The Light Pokemon had killed his kin. He had then killed Darkrai, only to be careless and taken with him. But... the energy still remained. Red… and black.

Their time grew short and Jirachi could feel his body tingling. He knew this feeling, as he had felt it before, not too long ago. He knew enough to know that he was fading from this dream realm. As his vision blurred he strained to see through the clouds, but he was able to discern one thing. The dark matter that still lived began to take shape, writhing and wailing. Several blurred tentacles formed and a howl so ear-splitting erupted from the darkness. Jirachi cried out and the Pokemon turned. But it couldn’t see him, could it? He wasn’t there.

All the same, the Pokemon stared straight at him. Stared at him with hollow red eyes.