Linkage

28

When the two landed upon the summit of Mt. Coronet, they were outnumbered by one. There was one powerful enemy more than they expected. One enemy, that Wes knew terrified Cynthia.

In front of the two stood a Dawn Hikari, oozing with an incredibly dark energy, as if she were supercharged with it. Wes could feel Cynthia's apprehension as they looked on to what was going on behind them.

Between Cyrus and and Fein stood Darkrai, charged by the machine which had turned Wes into a shadow person. He looked at Dawn's belt. There were only 5 Pokémon there, which didn't seem right for her as a champion. But then he saw where Dawn's sixth was. Her legendary Giratina was above the machine.

Wes charged for Cyrus and Fein, but Dawn held him back with a strong grip. Cynthia released her Lucario who shot an aura sphere and allowed Wes to keep running. Wes ran, jumping over a fallen column.

It was the that Wes came face to face with Fein. He froze and flinched, a sudden sense of fear taking over him. He stumbled backwards and tried not to trip over himself from fear. The man looked at him and began to walk.

"So," he mocked. "Did you actually think to come up here and stop us? You're outnumbered."

"I can't quit now," said Wes as he kicked Fein and tried to run past him with a punch.

Fein pulled Wes into a chokehold using Wes's own arm to trap him. As Wes gagged, his feet were lifted off the ground as his enemy took any little leverage he had left. Wes could feel the pressure on his lungs and the fear in his heart as he struggled. His aura flared to life and he tried to find a way to reach Cynthia in an emergency move.

Mentally, he began to channel Cynthia's aura. The blue flame went to a rainbow one for a few seconds. Fein hissed as he let Wes go, burnt somehow by the power of Wes's aura. Wes took a side sweep, which Fein jumped back from.

It was unbelievable to Wes how good of a fighter Fein was. His enemy blocked every advance, kick, and punch that Wes made on him. After a while, Wes began to feel powerless, as if the fight were impossible.

"I tried to give you a chance to be part of this new world, to be part of this new world," Fein snarled, "but you chose to not kill that bitch."

Wes struck a spinning kick to Fein's side. His anger made his movements more scattered, but Fein seemed to predict these moves too. Wes needed a new edge to the battle, because nothing his training taught him gave him an edge over Fein. For a moment Wes wondered if he was a more powerful enemy.

But even if he was more powerful, owned the moon and the stars, and had the power to strike down Wes with one hit, he couldn't quit. Wes had to keep going. There was no other way.

Everything was on the line.

He took his Rapidash out and climbed upon it. Perhaps if he could not beat Fein on foot, but it didn't mean he couldn't try on horseback. He rushed for Fein at full speed, planning to jump over his head, but Fein stood there arms wide open with two Pokéballs.

He released Wes's Umbreon and Espeon. The Rapidash soared above Fein's head. Wes collapsed on the ground. He took his pokeball and withdrew his Rapidash. Fein towered over him. Wes felt the attacks of his own Pokémon assault them.

His mother's Pokémon.

Wes curled into a ball and took the hits. He couldn't bear to hurt his own Pokémon, shadow Pokémon or not. He could feel the bruises form over his body, making it difficult to stand without the adrenaline pushing him on. He couldn't give up, not now.

Everything was on the line.

Fein laughed at his attempts to hit him. "I'm going to reiterate my question. What in the world made you think you could beat us?"