Fade Away ~Amourshipping / Adventure { Pokémon }

In the Future of Darkness

<><>Serena's POV<><>

"DARKRAI!!!" I hear a voice roar next to me. I startle, and whip to face the body of which the voice originated from.

Is that...

Ash?

I swear I saw the ground collapse underneath him, but it's still intact. Wiping my tears away, I shakily stand up.

It is him. Ash is... Ash is alive...

Thank Arceus... he's here... still here...

I run over and hug my friend tightly for a moment, letting go a second later. Without another word, I turn to face Darkrai.

I'm sure it was his doing.

Clenching my fist, I realize how easily Darkrai could make me weak. Not anymore. If something like this happens ever again, I'll keep fighting.

No matter what.

True strength...

Never give up until it's over!

Ash's encouraging and kind voice echoes through my mind. Darkrai, still in shock, doesn't react fast enough as I quickly steal the Orb from his hands, dashing nimbly to the side.

Courage. He gives me the courage to live for a peaceful future, one not of strife and darkness.

The portal leading to the very world is wide open, an endless, dark void. Unfortunately, I don't notice that Darkrai has recovered.

Freezing cold hands grab my wrists, pulling me back, with the Orb of Beginning still in hand. I struggle to escape his grip, to no avail.

What is he doing? Pulling me... backwards...

Does he mean to drag me to the future with him?!

"Serena!" Ash cries, and both he and Absol start towards me. "Stay away!" I growl. "I'll be fine." However, the boy pays no heed to my words.

"Darkrai, let her go!" Ash shouts, desperately. A laugh the sound of nails scraping against a chalkboard sounds from the Pokémon.

Farewell. I will dispose of this threat, and take the Orb into my possession. No one will prevent it! My rule over the dark world shall continue!

And with that, he jerks both of us into the empty vortex.

The last thing I hear is a worried yell...

"SERENA!"

<><>Absol's POV<><>

I almost reach Serena, just as she gets absorbed by the portal.

"I'm going!" Ash snarls, and with Pikachu close behind, jumps straight in without a moment's hesitation. I sigh, and follow him, for the girl has the key of summoning Primia, and she...

She might have some connection to me.

If she's in Darkrai's hands...

My thoughts turn blank. The sensation is alike warping from a Star Circle.

Alike the time I had traveled to the past.

I come to in a gray, dreary and lifeless place. The one world I'm trying to protect, the one world I came from, the one world I despise.

I grit my teeth, realizing I didn't consider any possible consequences, returning here without thinking. What I felt... perhaps an instinct to save a comrade.

Ash had done the same.

Whatever. I rouse myself, and slowly stand. The boy next to me is still out cold, alongside his Pokémon partner, and I search for any signs of Serena. Or, in that case, Darkrai.

"Absol..." I hear a faint voice mutter. I immediately turn to the source.

It's Serena. Darkrai's devilish hands are gripped tightly onto her shoulders, his glare a menacing one, without any mercy whatsoever.

"And Ash. Wh- what are you doing here?" she questions, weak. I ignore her, demanding, "Darkrai. Release her."

The Pokémon cackles.

Or what? You'll fight me? But, oh, this girl I have caught would make do as a nice shield... You wouldn't want her getting hurt... do you, now?

I snap my jaws, but restrain myself, just barely. This cruelty is way beyond sanity; I don't believe anything exists in the world lower than that.

At this moment, Ash comes to his senses, and stares in shock at the scene in front of him. "Serena!" he cries, angrily, Pikachu shouting his concerns, as well. "Wait!" I say, sharply.

Looks like the whole group has awaken. Well, now that you're all up, you'll be coming with me.

I can barely hold myself in place. Even if he didn't hold hostage of Serena, in the state I'm in now, I know I won't stand a chance.

However, he'll probably send us to our deaths, if we abide his play.

What... what do we do?

And for the first time in my life, I don't know the answer to this question.

Every moment I've used preparing for the ultimate end of the darkness, preparing to cleanse the shadowed future of its evil.

And it only led up to this. Death, at the hands of the enemy I've strived to defeat, along with the few true comrades I've ever had.

And I...

I can't do anything to stop it.

====================

The late updates o.O Anyways, I'm sorry to disappoint you: I couldn't finish this book by October 31st (obviously) and cannot enter this one for the Pokémon Watty Awards. Well, it was near impossible from the start.

Oh, and Explorers of Sky players, like the Chapter title? XD

Hope you enjoyed! :)

~TheDreamRider