Author's Note: This story is the culmination of a six-part storyline. It is highly recommended that you read/re-read the previous stories to get the full impact for this one. Enjoy![]
Soft footfalls. Shoes colliding with concrete. Besides the wind and maybe the occasional car that passed by, Michael heard naught else but his own steps. It always threw him off when he went out into public. The announcement was sudden, but urgent. A firm declaration that everyone must stay at home and if one had to go out, they had to have a mask on hand. At first the lockdown was a godsend, giving Michael endless time to work on his stories, his music, and his blog. But eventually, he grew mentally exhausted from the lack of people; the lack of other voices to talk to. Still, he fared much better than most other introverts would thanks to his furry little companion.
Slowly popping his head out of Michael’s bag, X surveyed the area. Other than a few buildings and the odd passerby, it was just him and his brother. Feeling comfortable, the Pikachu plush wormed his way slightly out of the backpack, draping his paws over Michael’s shoulder. His curiosity peaked, X couldn’t resist asking his brother the question.
“Are we there yet?,” came the query.
“Almost,” Michael replied, his voice muffled by a surgical mask. X groaned, mostly out of boredom, but tinged with anxiety.
“Are we sure we can trust this guy? I mean, his email was out of the blue and just so happened to coincide with…y-you know what”.
X dared not speak of the events that took place a mere week ago. Michael’s mind was flooded with thoughts at that moment. His copy of Pokemon Sun had been all but ruined, corrupted by some kind of malevolent entity that referred to itself as “The Void”. In the process of trying to save that dying world, his and X’s closest friends - the Pokemon that comprised the rest of his team - were all but swallowed by the dark forces they fought against.
It was right before it happened that he received an email from a man named Jack Stevens, claiming that he read Michael’s story about X and that he also had been dealing with supernatural forces involving Pokemon. After he and X read through the story that Jack had attached to his message, they figured that they would at least humor the man and see if he wasn’t just another troll like the many Michael had encountered. The humor dropped soon after they began to email him back, as Jack revealed that he had encountered The Void himself in his dreams and that it was potentially the driving force behind the Pokemon supposedly haunting him. After Michael explained their recent encounter with The Void, Jack suggested that they meet in person to theorycraft on what could be done about the shadowy entity.
Michael was slightly skeptical for a while, figuring that he could be setting himself up for sheer disappointment, but he soldered on with the idea and agreed to have Jack pick him up at a local park. It was X who had taken the most convincing to go with the plan. Understandably, X had slightly regressed back to being anxiety-ridden after darkness engulfed Alola, but knew that they had no other true choice. The only other person on Earth who might have had answers was offering them on a silver platter, so they would be fools to not accept Jack's help.
Pulling himself out of his thoughts, Michael reassured the plush Pikachu,
“If Jack is lying to us, do you think that the story he sent us would be anywhere near as genuine as it was? He has to know something that we don’t. Something that will help us get our friends back”.
Calmed by his brother’s words, X’s expression lightened slightly and he slipped back into the bag, confident that no matter what they would find a way to save Alola. Coming up to the park, Michael took a second to peer around. Again, absolutely no one in sight. It was haunting, if he were honest. He couldn’t help but wonder if this is what the world of the game looked like now; A silent and still picture of the region engulfing his mind. A world of nothingness. A world of eternal darkness. The young man found a bench to rest upon, reclining and clearing his head of such thoughts. His short rest was interrupted by a red car pulling into the park’s lot. Focusing on the possible person who would step out, Michael reached inside his bag and ruffled X’s hair, grabbing the plushie’s attention. As he peeked out from the bag, they both watched as the door swung open and out stepped a man.
With just one look, they could tell that this was Jack Stevens. His appearance was one that could only be described as grizzled, even if he only had a good 5 or 6 years on Michael. A pale complexion, scars decorating his face as framed pictures would a living room wall, and bags that gave away just how tired the man really was. The leather jacket and dark, distressed jeans displayed just how much he didn’t truly care about appearances. Topped off with a head of unkempt, dark chocolate hair and a lit cigarette in his mouth, Jack gave the look of someone who had stared into the fires of Hell and probably wouldn’t flinch at anything. To say that Michael and X were uneasy upon seeing the former Pokemon fan was an understatement. Standing up as Jack walked towards them, Michael grabbed his bag and slipped it on just as the man reached them. Jack finally broke the silence, his words dressed in a somewhat strained voice.
“Michael Hollander, I presume?,” he had stated, his breath smoky. Noticing Michael’s slight apprehensiveness, Jack sighed and rethought his approach and held out his hand.
“No need to be so nervous, kid. I may look like a mess, but I’m trying my best here”.
Taking a deep breath, Michael gave Jack’s hand a firm shake, his grasp leaving Jack’s hand slightly stinging.
“Good to finally meet you,” Michael said plainly. They continued to stare at each other for a few seconds before Michael finally spoke up.
“So…are we just going to stand here or…?”
Taking the hint, Jack spun on his heels and began to walk back towards his car, motioning for the young Pokemon fan to follow him. Slipping into the passenger seat, Michael sat his bookbag in between his legs and buckled in. Jack didn’t immediately start driving however, instead staring at the bag with slight curiosity and a knowing look in his eye. He smirked slightly before getting to brass tacks.
“Is your little friend going to keep hiding or will he come out to say hi?”
Taking the hint, X slowly slipped out of the backpack and crawled into Michael’s lap. The plushie’s expression could only be described as anxiety personified, one that Michael could not blame him for holding. He did take the time to give Jack a slight wave however before focusing on what was outside the vehicle. Jack couldn’t help but stare at the toy in slight astonishment. Even if he knew that he had seen and experienced supernatural happenings, it never meant that he couldn’t be surprised. He couldn’t help but ask.
“Is he going to be alright?”
Michael looked over at X and gave him a reassuring pet, the Pikachu unable to resist leaning into his brother’s hand. He looked back over at Jack and finally spoke.
“Sorry for the bad first impressions. I'm j-just…on edge right now”.
“Understandable,” Jack softly spoke, starting the car and pulling onto the road.
“After all, I’m not exactly the most friendly face in the world…”
______________________________________________________________________________
The drive wasn’t quiet forever. Michael decided to try and pick at Jack’s thoughts. The action wasn’t sparked by anxiousness nor trustworthiness; they were slowly moving past that point. Honestly, he felt awful seeing just how broken Jack looked from his experiences with the supernatural. Michael wanted to see just what was going on behind all the scars and smoke and if there was a possibility of helping the scars heal. His question was worded as carefully as it could be.
“So Jack. Before…all of this happened, what was Pokemon to you?”
Jack gave the young man a slight glance before focusing back on the road, his grip on the steering wheel slightly tightening.
“It…It was…” Jack started,
“It was everything to me. I loved Pokemon as much as any other person did at the time. I will admit that I was somewhat reckless, what with all the exploits that I had used. But I was young, foolish, and very envious. I always thought that it was just a game; why should what I do to something I own matter to anyone else? I wasn’t aware that the games…the worlds that my character inhabited didn’t like that. Eventually, it all caught up to me when I used that fucking DNS exploit and…”he” appeared”.
“He,” Michael asked curiously. Jack took a deep gulp before he continued.
“The thing that haunts me. The bastard that left me with all this baggage…Maverick”.
“Wait,” Michael suddenly blurted out.
“The Genesect that told you about me is the one who did all this to you? Was this earlier or…?”
“A lot earlier, practically as soon as I made him appear in my copy of White,” Jack spat out plainly.
“Turns out, the DNS exploit is pretty much an evolved form of the Void glitch from Diamond and Pearl. One with a much wider extent than anyone knows. An almost infinite range of possibilities when using that shit. With an exploit that lucrative, it’s no wonder that Maverick found a random crack in reality and decided to make my life hell. Anyone could reach into their world and throw its natural order into chaos”.
Michael and X’s eyes widened at this new knowledge. If the DNS exploit was a - for its time - modern-day Void glitch, it would then mean that The Void itself had a much farther reach then they knew. Considering the grip it once held on X, the Pikachu and Michael could only imagine what it had done to Maverick or the Victini that it seemed to use as an avatar. This time, it was X who spoke up.
“R-reach into their world? If I’m hearing this right, it m-means that the world that the g-games are showing i-is…”
“You catch on quick, little guy,” Jack told the plush.
“The games are indeed - as fucking nuts as it sounds - a window into another universe. The Pokemon universe. Which, if you and Michael’s story is as you truly say, means that you’ve been jumping between dimensions this whole time without even noticing. And with ease, I might add”.
If Michael didn’t already have an inkling as to what Jack was talking about, his jaw would have been near the core of the Earth at this point. Throughout his whole life, him playing Pokemon was actually the equivalent of a deity peering into another reality. What did that mean about the characters he played as? Did they have minds of their own or were they just vessels that he and millions of other players used to glimpse into the world of Pokemon? He sincerely hoped that it was the latter before quickly moving away from the iffyness of that subject.
X, on the other hand, was a good deal more surprised. The thoughtform had no clue that all this time he had been jumping into an alternate reality; one that ran on its own rules and had no shortage of mysteries. His mind was racing with questions far more existential and flooded with various what-if scenarios. If the Pokemon world was its own universe, could that mean that there were other universes that were based on different media? What if X had jumped into the wrong light all those years ago in The Void? Would he have ended up in an entirely different world with no way back and a set of rules inherently different from the one he was in now? What would have happened to Michael if he didn’t make it back? What would-
X was pulled away from the mind-melting sea of dangerous thoughts by a gentle pat on his head. He looked up and saw Michael, slightly worried.
“You’ve got that look on your face again,” he stated matter-of-factly.
“The look that says ‘I’m thinking too hard’. Just calm down, Little Bro. We’ll be fine”.
X looked down at his paws and saw that he was shaking, clearly unnerved by the thought that he could have lost his brother and not even known why. Closing his eyes, the Pikachu plush took a deep breath before leaning back and snuggling into Michael’s chest, content to rest for the remainder of the ride. Michael couldn’t help but smile as he calmed his little brother, much as he had done for him all those years ago. He was pulled out of his memories by Jack’s voice.
“You two are really that close, huh?”
Michael looked over to Jack, finding a rather thoughtful expression on his face. One that he swore was almost envious. He smiled as he looked back down at X.
“Of course we are,” he replied.
“After everything that we’ve been through, either one of us would have to be heartless to not be this close. When I found out that X had a way to manifest, I was surprised, but more than willing to accept him as family. He’d saved my life of course, but that wasn’t the only reason”.
“What was the other reason,” Jack had asked, intrigued.
“I…I never really had many friends in school. I was a supremely introverted guy who only associated with certain folks who, nowadays, I don’t even know what they’re up to. I never really had anyone who I could just talk to. My family was there obviously, but I never had that one person who I could just pour my heart out to; to tell them the things that I felt were best I didn’t tell my parents. That was until I created X. At first, he was just another creation of mine. A character who I made during my “artist phase”. But then, my mom got me Pokemon Sun and this very Pikachu plush for Christmas one year”.
Michael took the time to scratch X’s chin, causing the Pikachu to start purring as would befit a cat before he continued.
“As soon as I found a Pichu in Sun, I caught it, named it X, and together with the rest of my team, we blasted our way through Alola…At least until we ran into Lusamine. The aftermath of the incident was…I can’t tell you how many times I cried myself to sleep after that. Then, one day, I found the plush in a horrid state along with X’s original drawing and I just couldn’t take it anymore. The rest you know about. Ever since that day, X has been the one person who I could speak my mind to and not get any hint of sass or uncaringness from him. The moment he saved me was the moment I knew that I truly had found him; the brother that I always wanted. And as we often say to each other, I’d do anything to help my brother”.
Jack asked nothing more, chewing on the info he was given by the young man. His thoughts were clouded with images of Michael seemingly about to end his own life, only to have his Pikachu plush animate and stop him from executing that plan. He thought about how much love and respect one would need to have a literal miracle come in to save them and how deep X and Michael’s bond really went. They were almost the polar opposites of himself and Maverick, yet they both still held a connection of some kind. If anyone could find a way to break through to the cyborg, it would be the little yellow mouse. It was then that Jack knew that Michael and X would be the ones to finally defeat The Void once and for all. For the first time in a long time, he swelled with a renewed hope that things would work out. His heart now somewhat at ease, he spied his abode coming up and slowed down, informing the boy and his brother.
“We’re here,” he stated plainly.
______________________________________________________________________________
A quick stretch later, X decided to hop back in Michael’s bookbag, the young man slipping out of Jack’s car and taking in the sight of his house; A rather simple abode with two floors. Walking up to the front door, Jack quickly unlocked it and slipped in, inviting the two to step in as well. As soon as Michael stepped into the house, he was glad that he had his mask with him. Just one whiff of the place and he could tell that Jack was someone who didn’t bother opening the window or going outside to smoke. It lingered on furniture and probably seeped into the carpet as well. Other than that, the house itself was fairly standard.
However, both Michael and X couldn’t help shivering as they felt a light chill run down their spine. It was brief, but the feeling was one that could not be ignored. They looked towards Jack who was already in the kitchen, seemingly getting them something to drink. As Michael moved to sit on one of the couches, X finally decided to pop out of his bag and sat next to him. They heard Jack’s voice echo from the kitchen.
“You want anything to drink? I’ve got Coke, Sprite, and Dr. Pepper. Or do you just want some water?”
“Dr. Pepper sounds good,” Michael called out.
As the pair waited, they couldn’t help but feel the chills come back yet again. The feeling was light but noticeable; seemingly growing the more that they lingered in Jack’s home. X was considerably more on edge than normal and was once more visibly shaking. Michael did his best to reassure his brother, even if he himself was just as uneasy with the growing sense of wrong that was engulfing them. Jack soon walked out of the kitchen and handed the young man a can of Dr. Pepper, sipping on a Sprite he had acquired for himself. As he handed Michael the soda, Jack gave the two a quick glance over and knew something was wrong.
“You two ok,” he asked calmly.
X spoke up, stuttering like mad as he did.
“It f-feels like there’s s-something else in here”.
Michael backed the Pikachu up, slipping off his mask to get more air.
“Seriously. Since we stepped in, we haven’t been able to sit still. It just…it feels like someone’s watching us. I can’t tell from where, though”.
Jack sighed. He hadn’t explained how his “guest” liked to work. Sitting down on the opposite couch, he began to explain.
“You feel him, don’t you? The cold chill down your spine? The tightness in the lungs and the feeling that something is just outside your line of sight? It’s his way of making his presence known. I’d say that he knows that you two are important though. If you were anyone else, you probably wouldn’t have been able to even step one foot into this shithole”.
“Wait,” X said hurriedly.
“By him…d-do you m-mean…?”
Jack shivered slightly before finally calling out.
“Alright, that’s enough. Show yourself, you lavender bastard”.
Michael and X were finally allowed to breathe normally as the constricting, cold sensation drained from their bodies. The feeling was instantly replaced, however, with a wave of dread as they watched a crack form in the air next to Jack. More cracks grew in size before a purple claw suddenly burst through the tear in the universe, stretching the gap open before a figure stepped out, the tear closing behind them. His body having a metallic sheen, scars that marred his arms, a gaping hole in his head and a missing left eye; they had heard of the creature but were not prepared for its entrance. Before them stood Maverick, the Genesect that mentally tortured Jack for over a year and the one who had seemingly put the recluse in contact with Michael. His voice suddenly boomed as he looked over at Jack.
“Is this them,” Maverick had spoken with all seriousness.
Jack stared at the Genesect before slowly speaking.
“Yeah. It’s them”.
The cyborg turned his attention back towards Michael and X, the duo absolutely frozen stiff by his glare. His heavy footsteps made their way over towards them before he suddenly shot claws down to their heads. Laying them on their heads, Maverick bore witness to their memories. He felt the pain, the joy, the sorrow, and the anger of the events the pair went through for the past four years. Lifting his claws back to his side, he noticed the seemingly furious expression on Michael’s face. He clearly didn’t like allowing the mechanical bug to view his deepest thoughts, but knew that he couldn’t do anything about it. A ghost of a smile snuck its way onto Maverick’s face as he saw this anger.
X, on the other hand, had almost completely shut down after Maverick’s mental intrusion, clinging onto Michael for dear life and looking at the Genesect with tears in his eyes. Maverick was not as impressed, but knew that his very presence was a factor in the plush’s absolute terror. He could tell that deep down, there was something strong about X that he couldn’t see. It almost frustrated him that he hid behind such an obvious mask of anxiety even though he had more power than he knew. If they were going to save their home, Maverick knew that he needed to help X harness that power before they lost it all. And he had just the method.
“Sorry about that,” Maverick told the two.
“I needed to make sure that you two were indeed the ones that we were looking for”.
“You could have just asked,” Michael stated with irritation.
At this, Maverick scoffed while heading back towards Jack and speaking once more.
“Better safe than sorry. Last thing I need is this insect throwing everything into the trash. That, and I needed to test the both of you. You have a fire in you, kid. I respect that”.
Michael’s expression briefly changed to one of slight shock before Maverick continued.
“Him, on the other hand…X, is it? It seems the spark of determination that freed you from The Void’s grip is dormant. What happened?”
X couldn’t even look Maverick in the eyes as he finally spoke up.
“I-I…I don’t k-know. I just c-can’t seem to find the s-strength to f-fight all out anymore”.
A sudden wave of emotion hit everyone in the room. Composed of naught but pure anger, it was clear that it was emanating from Maverick. He was not pleased with the thoughtform’s answer to say the least.
“That’s it,” the cyborg growled.
“You can’t muster up the strength to fight all because you lost once? You act as if you lost everything after your encounter with The Void. I thought you’d be even a little bit stronger than this, but it seems like I was mistaken. How pathetic”.
At this point, Michael couldn’t contain his protective instincts and was on the verge of screaming at Maverick that he knew nothing about their loss. He was stopped though. Looking down, he saw X’s face, as dark as a shadow and shaking his head. His paw tightly gripped his hand as if to say no. X then stood, jumping off the couch and walked straight up to the morbid Genesect. Everyone in the room suddenly felt the power shift and knew that X was not having any of what Maverick was serving. His voice was quiet, but powerful.
“I ‘act’ like I lost everything? I lost my world, I lost my friends, I lost what feels like every good memory that I had when The Void swallowed it. I didn’t come all this way to be insulted by Team Plasma’s failed experiment just because I’m shaken over having everything I loved taken from me. I may be terrified and can’t fight that well anymore, but I will not be talked to like I’m dead weight. I’m not acting. I’m feeling. And right now, I feel like you need a serious attitude adjustment, you lilac prick”.
Michael and Jack’s eyes couldn’t have gone wider if they tried. To have the guts to speak back to a literal god with that much ire was not the way they saw things going. As they looked to Maverick, they safely assumed that he also didn’t foresee X standing up for himself. Nevertheless, Maverick crouched and placed his claw on the Pikachu’s head once more. Not for the reason that any of them expected, however. A smile crawled its way across the Genesect’s face as he spoke, with some small amount of admiration hidden in his words.
“That. That’s the fire I wanted to see. Keep the flame burning bright if you want to get our world back and we might just make it”.
X’s mind was spammed with conflicting thoughts. A sense of pride for standing up for himself, a feeling of guilt for what he called Maverick, and a ton of confusion at the seemingly out of character interaction that the Genesect gave him. The only one who was more confused was Jack, who watched as Maverick for what seemed like the first time ever gave someone a friendly gesture. When he had finished, Jack couldn’t resist pointing out the interaction.
“That was…fucking alien to watch. If you’re capable of being a somewhat decent person, why haven’t you tried it more?”
Maverick looked back at Jack with his trademark scowl and told the man plainly.
“You never gave me a reason to try being nice. Even more so considering you’re one of the reasons we’re in this situation, you cockroach”.
Feeling the tension begin to fade, Michael finally spoke up once more.
“Speaking of our situation, what the hell are we going to do about The Void?”
With both parties now acquainted in some way, they began to formulate a plan. While Michael and Jack were communicating over email and coordinating their meet-up, Maverick went back to the corrupted Pokemon world and scouted out a way to possibly restore it. It seemed that the entirety of the world actually wasn’t affected. The only areas that The Void managed to absorb were the Unova and Alola regions, Michael quickly recognizing that they were the two regions representing the games that Jack and him played, respectively.
They all agreed that the avatar that The Void possessed had to be in one of those regions, so they would have to search both. More specifically, the areas in which they encountered the macabre Victini-like entity. Immediately, they knew that they would have to scour the P2 Laboratory and the Altar of the Sunne for any possible signs of it.
If what Maverick told them was true, the Pokemon world was its own universe. As such, he was able to travel into it with ease due to the Void energy that coursed through his body. X agreed to travel with the Genesect, seeing as he would be able to hold onto his intangible light form until they arrived. In the real world, X was only inhabiting a plush toy so it wouldn’t be prudent to send it with them. The plan was put into execution immediately, Maverick preparing to tear open a crack in reality.
“This is it,” the cyborg god had told X.
“Whatever you have to say to the kid, I’d suggest you do it now. As soon as I open the gateway, we need to move fast so nothing gets out”.
For X, there wasn’t actually much that needed to be said. Still, the Pikachu couldn’t resist running up to Michael and hugging him tightly, tears forming in his eyes.
“I…I’ll be back before you know it”.
Michael’s smile warmed X’s heart as his words took hold.
“I know you will. Stay safe, Little Bro. I love you”.
“I love you too, big bro,” X responded in kind before giving the young man one last hug.
X then walked over to Jack, the man looking down at the plush toy with a somber expression. X smiled as brightly as he could, holding out a clenched paw and hoping the chimneystack of a man would get the hint. Jack couldn’t help but smile as he gave the Pikachu a fist bump.
“You got this,” Jack rallied.
“Yeah. We got this”.
Feeling that X was finished, Maverick proceeded to jam his claw into the air causing a crack to form before he ripped the claw down, tearing open a gate into the Pokemon world. X freed himself from the confines of his plush body, the small yellow light that was his true form floating into Maverick’s head as if riding in a mech. The two then proceeded into the unknown as the gate closed behind them, leaving the two humans to ponder just what horrors they would have to face in the infinite darkness of The Void. Jack then asked Michael a question.
“Hey, Michael. Would you happen to have your 3DS on hand?”
“Yeah,” the young man replied, pulling the handheld from his bag.
“I’ve pretty much had it on life support since the incident. Haven’t opened it in case it lets The Void out. Any reason?”
Jack then smirked as he picked up the inert Pikachu plush before handing it to Michael.
“If I’m remembering your story as well as I think I am, I might know of a way we can help X and Maverick out if things go south for them”.
______________________________________________________________________________
The Unova Region, now all but lost to the darkness, was stagnant. People missing from its streets, Pokemon absent from their trainers and nests, not even a slight breeze to mark the presence of life. The stillness was then broken with a tear in the fabric of the universe, a Genesect stepping out with a small yellow light, riding inside its head. The light’s form began to coalesce, fleeing the cyborg’s head and landing on the ground. A sudden flash and there stood a Pikachu. It was time for Maverick and X’s mission to begin. X gasped however as he stared into a shattered window pane, pulling Maverick’s attention.
“What’s wrong,” the god had asked.
X couldn’t stop looking. The gray fur, the leaking black cheek sacs, and the chains signified that it had happened again. The Void was attempting to pull X back, instantly identifying the Pikachu as the one who got away. His anxieties flared, X couldn’t stop shaking as he stared at the dull creature he had become once more. A cold, metal claw pulled him away from the glass; dark, determined eyes peering into his. Maverick was not willing to let X lose the fire he so greatly displayed before they arrived.
“Pull yourself together,” he stated firmly.
“You’re back in The Void, yes. But this time is different. If you’ve gotten out once, you can do it again. Besides, you have me here this time. And I’m not going to let your flame go out so easily. You watch my back and I watch yours. Got it?”
A shudder ran down X’s spine as he took several deep breaths, steadying himself before looking back at Maverick. No words were needed at that moment. The small nod and slight smile on the thoughtform’s face was all he needed to express his thanks to the Genesect. Scooping X into his arms, Maverick proceeded to lift into the air, suddenly bursting forward with speed as the two flew towards the origin of the darkness engulfing the region. The P2 Laboratory.
As Maverick rocketed towards the island that held the secret lab, X couldn’t help start asking questions. Maverick seemingly knew more about him than the Pikachu himself, yet he hadn’t shared one inkling as to his past. X wanted to know; to see if there was more to the Bug-Steel type than meets the eye. His first question was simple, but weighted.
“Maverick. Do you remember anything from before you were brought back? Anything at all?”
The Genesect’s flight slowed slightly, but he kept moving. The query threw him off guard. He racked his brain for answers, for something to give X what he wanted. However, there wasn’t much of anything that he could say to the thoughtform. It had been over 300 million years ago since Maverick’s species still thrived. To have died out so long ago, only to be brought back so suddenly left no clear memories or any specific events. Instead, the cyborg god focused his thoughts on Pokemon that he might have known. One stood out in his mind. Another of his species. A sibling.
“I…I think I had a younger brother,” Maverick began. X looked up in curiosity as the Genesect continued.
“I can’t remember his name at all. I can’t remember much of anything from my past life at all. Except for him. He was a coward; an absolute disgrace to everything our species was. And yet, I can’t help but feel like…”
The flow of information ceased as Maverick fell silent, clearly at a loss of what to think. X felt that he may have opened a rather nasty wound and in the hopes of patching it, refrained from asking any more questions. It was clear that Maverick had much less baggage than the little mouse Pokemon, so he decided not to pry open the Genesect’s mind palace; else more bad memories slip out and shatter what respect they held towards each other. Their thoughts were soon put back on the mission as the P2 Laboratory came within eyeshot.
Landing on the island, the duo were greeted by an absolute wreck of a landmass. The grass lay still, sickly orange and crunching under their feet as they progressed towards the laboratory. The building was in shambles, practically on its last legs as the rusted metal sheets peeled away as would a scab from skin, multiple holes dotting their surface. The entrance door was nowhere in sight, seemingly ripped off of its hinges and launched into the unknown. Dark ooze puddled around the entrance, a clear sign that the cause of the infinite darkness had lingered here. Maverick took point, stepping through the ominous entrance as X rode on his head, shivering as they entered the long-forgotten Team Plasma hideout.
The room was empty and barren. There were no computers, no server, and no lights. The only remnant of shelter left in the building was a lone table, smacked against a wall as if barricading something. Maverick was not easily fooled. The table came off the decaying wall with little effort, revealing the duo’s true objective. The hidden entrance to the Team Plasma Energy Labs; the origin of everything.
With the hidden facility being as dark as it was, one would think that the two Pokemon wouldn’t be able to see anything. Luckily, Maverick’s remaining eye acted as a decent flashlight, providing just enough brightness for them to begin searching. X gasped however as they were immediately left with a grizzly sight. Cadavers flooded the floor, all of them shriveled like ripe prunes and strewn about the lab as one would confetti at a birthday party. The faces of the scientists were frozen in a scream, one they likely did not even have time to let out before The Void drained them of their essence, leaving behind the forensics nightmare that X and Maverick discovered.
“I-is this…what it d-does to people,” The Pikachu stammered.
“Not just people,” Maverick replied.
“Pokemon, plants, bacteria; any form of life is free food for The Void. It is infinite, and thus will never be truly satisfied. It will just consume more and more until it takes everything. Every planet, every star, every galaxy, every universe. It will not stop until every last bit of life has been snuffed out”.
“And snuff them out, it will,” a third voice added, its tone shrill.
The duo quickly spun towards the sound of the voice, the red light of Maverick’s eye revealing a scientist who was walking away, stepping over through the sea of bodies with a practiced ease. Pursuing the man, they found him heading into a darkened test chamber, a slight look back revealing glasses on his face. The two stepped in after him, X mentally preparing himself to fight if needed. His preparation would not be enough, however, as the door to some semblance of safety suddenly slammed shut, leaving all in near total black. Maverick’s eye flared with brightness, slowly scanning the room for any sign of the somehow still living scientist that they found. They were given their answer almost immediately.
“Over here,” his voice taunted.
A swift turn bathed the figure in bright red light, revealing a sight that made Maverick step back in what seemed to be disbelief while X was left to scream at the horror in front of them. Pinned to the wall as one would a butterfly was the drained corpse of a female scientist, her face stopped in a rictus of agony and despair. The black ooze was splattered above her, spelling out a single word. A name.
“ANNA”
The woman’s body wasn’t what caught Maverick’s eye. It was the man standing in front of her. His face was unmistakable. Shaggy black hair, thick-rimmed glasses that shaded his bloodshot brown eyes, and a smile befitting a demon. Maverick trembled in what seemed to be a combination of utter rage and sheer terror as his creator, Dr. Nathan stood before him once more. The former scientist chuckled upon realizing the identity of the intruder before letting his voice fly on the nonexistent wind.
“Well, well. If it isn’t the failed project itself. I knew it would only be a matter of time before you returned to me. And with a new friend, it seems”.
Nathan's eerie glare bored its way into X’s mind, leaving him utterly shaken, unable to even respond. Maverick was not having any of what the doctor was selling, though.
“You…” he snarled through gritted teeth.
“Of all of the people The Void could have killed, you should have been the first”.
“And yet, I still breathe,” Nathan replied, the grin impossible to remove.
“I already know what you’re thinking. ‘Not for long’, I’ll hear. You’re right. I don’t have long. But, unfortunately for you and me, our reunion is going to be a rather short one”.
“What do you mean,” the Genesect inquired.
“It’s coming,” was all that was uttered.
“W-w-who’s c-coming,” X managed to get out.
Before any of them could even blink, Maverick’s eye flashlight began to flicker, leaving the duo to watch as a pale, three-fingered hand reached over Nathan’s shoulder before suddenly showing its face. The light died as all in the room heard a deep, gargled voice bellow.
“We are”.
Chaos followed in the wake of these words. Maverick’s eye flickered like a drained lightbulb, leaving him and X stunned as they watched flashes of The Void extracting the life from Dr. Nathan. His cries of anguish mixed with multiple unseen voices, laughing as the avatar drained the doctor. X could no longer hold back tears as he watched the horror unfold before him. The young Pikachu’s spirit was almost shattered at this point. If this was what The Void does to life, what chance would he and Maverick have?
The screams and laughter soon died down, allowing the light to return to Maverick’s eye and revealing the carnage that sat before them. Slumped on the ground was the corpse of Dr. Nathan, drained to a much more severe degree than the other bodies, its skin peeling like old paint, revealing ooze-covered bones. The worst part was the face. Despite the pain that his cries had told of his demise, the former scientist’s face somehow still maintained his sinister smile; Clearly, Nathan was content with dying at the hands of an accidental success if it meant avoiding the wrath of his purposeful failure.
And what of the cyborg god? Maverick, while still stunned, couldn’t help but feel the shock of the moment get overshadowed by his own unyielding rage. It happened again. The Void had stolen something from him. His vengeance, his one chance to enact judgment on the man who had brought him so much pain was snatched away by the very forces said man had let loose. Maverick’s rage nearly boiled over before a soft sob brought him back from the brink. He grabbed X from his head, finding the thoughtform emotionally destroyed by the vile acts they had witnessed. Tears flowed down his face in a constant stream and it seemed like they would not cease for a good while.
Maverick looked down at the poor mouse before wrapping his arms around him, granting the Electric-type sanctuary from the evils that infested the ruined research facility. Slowly, X’s sobs slowed down to shivers and he watched as the Genesect walked out of the P2 Laboratory. Stepping past the lost souls that swarmed the floors of the lab, Maverick’s mind raced with thought after thought. They weren’t ready. If they went straight after The Void as they were, they would easily be swallowed by its dark embrace. They needed to rest; repair the damage that the cosmic horror’s all-powerful display had caused.
Heavy metallic footfalls came to a stop at the base of a lone tree; the last vestige of life left on the island beside the Pikachu and Genesect. Leaning back, Maverick sighed, still holding X in his arms as he comforted the young thoughtform. He couldn’t hold back anything at this point. The cyborg needed someone, anyone to hear him. And he knew that at this point, X was the only one who could listen, but also would be willing to. He patted X’s head before speaking softly.
“You ok?”
A quiet query of the Pikachu’s status was the only thing that could come out at first. X shook like mad as his mind replayed the events they were the unfortunate witness to on a loop. He was barely able to form a coherent sentence before Maverick stopped him.
“Don’t,” the Genesect had told him.
“You’ve spilled your heart enough while I haven’t given you as much as a sip”.
With a heavy sigh and a heavier heart, Maverick just let his emotion flow downstream.
“That was…horrible to watch. The Void took away my one chance to get justice for what Team Plasma did to me. My one chance to gain some semblance of peace just swept away like a fading dream”.
X looked up at Maverick. The Bug-Steel type only stared forward at the building that once was his new cradle, fallen to ruin just as his goal now lay. Maverick continued,
“When Jack began to mess with the world’s order, I barely noticed the first time. It felt like a light tug in the back of my mind; someone trying to scratch at my brain. The second time, I felt the cracks begin to form. He had brought a pickaxe this time as he tried to break down the barriers that kept me away from him. His dimensional excavation bore the fruit he needed on the third attempt, as he proceeded to try and claim me as his own Pokemon”.
Maverick looked down at the yellow mouse before continuing,
“That was when I heard it. The call of power beyond my imagination. A force so great that I wouldn’t need to fear anything. A force that would make me a god. I took this power with no hesitation and used it to escape captivity from those damned scientists. I knew that they had cloned me, and I would not tolerate them bringing the suffering they inflicted on me to them. Their deaths were merciful; torn to shreds before they could even be activated and feel the pain. I should have known to go after the man who truly started this mess, but the power was…intoxicating. I knew that there was someone else out there. Beyond the veil of this world. And I would make him suffer. I would visit upon him the pain I endured tenfold and he would never be allowed to rest again…That was my life, before The Void declared that it was time to collect. The rest you know”.
X couldn’t help but begin to tear up again. Maverick’s story was gut-wrenching; a microcosm for the evils that man could and would inflict upon life. The thoughtform finally saw that Maverick was no god and he was not a bad person. He was a cornered animal that was dealt the universe’s worst hand and told to play with his cards facing the table. The cyborg saw the sadness welling up in X’s eyes, but didn’t stop it. He merely continued,
“Ever since I began my journey to get this world back on its feet, I couldn’t help but feel the wisps of whatever soul I have left begin to rebel. I still feel them. They torment me night and day, every waking moment of my life. Tell me, X. What is this feeling that haunts me? Why can’t I sleep without feeling like something is constantly torturing me!? WHY DO I FEEL LIKE I’M DYING INSIDE!?”
X was so close to bawling his eyes out once more, but he was interrupted by an unexpected feeling. Liquid. A drop of water hitting his head. Looking up, the young Pikachu was hit with a shock as he witnessed Maverick shedding genuine tears from his missing eye. The Genesect didn’t look like he was crying, but his stillness told X everything that he needed to know. He knew this feeling all too well and that Maverick would have no idea what it was after not feeling it for an unthinkable amount of time. X wrapped his arms around the cyborg’s neck before he returned the favor for comforting the thoughtform.
“It’s regret,” X told him.
“You’re feeling regret, Maverick. You’ve realized that you were on the wrong side of this conflict the entire time. Everyone feels regret over something in their lives. A relationship gone bad, a failed dream, a freak accident…worrying someone to the point of self-destruction. You’ve hurt so many people and now you’re feeling the weight as punishment. You deserve a lot of it - I won’t lie - but the fact that it even troubles you is a sign that you want to get better. You want to make up for the suffering that was inflicted on you and others. The sheer fact that you lead Jack down the path that culminated in me, you, Michael, and him meeting and trying to stop the very force that landed us in this situation speaks volumes”.
Maverick’s tears slowed as he looked at X before the Pikachu reassured him,
“You haven’t felt these feelings in over 300 million years. You thought you took it all to the grave with you, but it was resurrected just like you were. The only way to deal with the pain is to acknowledge it and you already have. Admitting when you’re at fault is the most difficult step and right now, you’ve taken a good few steps down that path. So please, don’t cry. You’ve been stuck in the past for so long and I want to help you step into a better future”.
The Genesect was astounded. Just a few hours ago, he and X were on opposite sides of this dynamic, with the thoughtform being plagued by doubt and anxiety and Maverick having to bring him back to Earth. How the tables had turned, he thought. And he knew that the little mouse was right. He was on the road to recovery; he just didn’t know it at the time. Yet another step down said road was taken as Maverick pulled X into a hug; one filled to the brim with a warmth the false god had not felt in an eternity. Looking back at the Pikachu with dried eyes, Maverick softly declared his intentions,
“I’ll do my best”.
X gave the Genesect a genuine smile before climbing back onto his head.
“Your best is enough,” the thoughtform told him.
With a renewed vigor and a sense of hope swelling in his no-longer empty heart, Maverick took to the darkened skies, blasting open another tear in reality that led to the Alola region. Telling X to hang on tight, they rocketed off towards their final destination, confident that they were finally ready to end The Void once and for all.
______________________________________________________________________________
Alola was just as quiet as Unova, if not quieter. The stillness of the ocean was as eerie as it was anomalous. X and Maverick didn’t have time to mourn the state of the land and its people, however. They would need all the strength they had to defeat The Void. The time to mourn would come later. Sheer focus was what was needed at this very moment. Arriving at the summit of the Altar of the Sunne, Maverick landed with the force, X disembarking from the Genesect’s head as they noted the puddle of black sludge in the center of the ruined altar began to bubble and bulge. A light blue hand emerged as screams flooded their senses, nearly causing X to back down. Gritting his teeth, however, the Pikachu stood firm as his cheeks sparked with a reawakened rage. The hand was soon followed by a second that grasped at the ground, pulling itself out and revealing the source of everything. The Void had arrived and stared the duo down. It’s voice gurgled and choked, it began,
“Well…it seems we have some unexpected visitors. And familiar ones, at that”.
A slow moving hand pointed towards X as the Victini-like entity’s head tilted off-center.
“The Prisoner,” it stated before moving its arm and gaze towards Maverick.
“And the Conduit”.
A disconcerting crack was heard as The Void puppeted the Victini’s head back to a straight position. X slightly shivered as the entity’s mouth curled into a slight grin before it continued.
“Do you truly think you can stop the oncoming darkness? The infinite black that awaits all life at its absolute end?”
Maverick stepped forward charging a Techno Blast.
“We know we can”.
With a yell, Maverick let loose the blast, blowing The Void back into the ooze whence it came. X settled into a battle stance, knowing the battle had only just begun. The Avatar then rose from the ooze, flinging more of it onto the ground before it. These puddles swelled in size before five identical pools were laid before the duo. From each burst a shadow-covered limb; limbs that immediately, X had recognized. As the figures emerged from darkness, the Pikachu noted their forms. A Primarina, a Toucannon, an Arcanine, a Lurantis, and a Lucario.
Maverick looked down at X to find a shocked look on his face, one that screamed that he knew these figures. It didn’t take long for the Genesect to put two and two together before he realized the problem. This was the rest of Michael’s Pokemon team, consumed by The Void and now nothing more than its puppets. He wouldn’t be able to just destroy them. X would never forgive him if he didn’t at least try to just wound them. As he looked towards Maverick, a solemn nod was all the answer he needed. Maverick would hold back as much as he could so as not to kill his friends.
Primarina let loose a Moonblast that followed closely behind Toucannon as it flew straight at X, leaving him to dodge as Maverick took to dealing with Arcanine and Lurantis. Unknown as to why, they both noticed that Lucario had not budged from its spot. It mattered not. They would deal with him eventually. Maverick was not used to playing defensively, but knew he had to be careful this time. Just one good Flamethrower from Arcanine would put him down and he did not need that. An idea popped into his head at that very moment. If one Flamethrower would put him down, it would also be able to take out Lurantis. He’d have to play dirty with this one.
Countless dodges later, the Genesect noticed Lurantis attempting to sneak him with an X-Scissor. Letting himself get caught, he watched as Arcanine vomited a torrent of flame towards him and the false Bug-type. Smiling, Maverick channeled as much Void energy as he could, phasing behind Lurantis and leaving it to take the hit. When the smoke cleared, Arcanine was left with the sight of his partner's now Voidless body laid on the ground. Quickly scanning the area for any sign of the cyborg, it’s safe to say he was not expecting to turn around and find Maverick behind him with a fully charged Techno Blast. A grin crept across the Genesect’s face as he spoke,
“Enjoy your bath”.
Pure Water-type energy plowed into the Arcanine, blowing the Legendary Pokemon towards Lurantis as it too fainted, Maverick watching as The Void’s influence dripped off the canine’s body. Two down, three to go. Maverick looked over to find X on Toucannon’s back, letting loose multiple Thunder attacks yet seemingly unable to bring the toucan Pokemon down. It was durable, he had to admit. His gaze turned to the right just in time as he noticed Lucario finally decided to take control of the situation and rushed him. The false god smiled. This may be fun, he thought as he rushed towards the aura-wielding Pokemon.
X, on the other hand, was not having an easy time as he struggled to hang on to Toucannon and bring it down to his level. Thunder wasn’t working, so it was time for a new tactic: restricting its wings. X focused his spirit, feeling the chain around his neck suddenly beginning to loosen. Letting the feeling guide him, his body surged with newfound strength as the chain that once bound him now wrapped around Toucannon’s wings, sending them spiraling towards Primarina. Hopping off the Flying-type, X let loose one last Thunder to make sure that the siren would also go down. His hit struck true for when the smoke cleared, he saw his friends freed from The Void’s dark grasp. A smile made its way onto his face as the chain wrapped back around his neck. The smile faded back to seriousness as he suddenly heard a call to his right. Maverick was in trouble, seemingly on the ropes against Lucario.
Maverick weaved through Lucario’s attacks like an expert boxer, but was unable to get in a single attack himself before a fist struck him in the stomach, knocking loose all the air he had left in his lungs. His face was washed in dull blue light as he looked up to find Lucario charging an Aura Sphere, prepared to end this fight once and for all. Just before the orb was fired, however, a strike of lightning knocked it from the Aura Pokemon’s hands as X rushed in and stood between the two, cheeks sparking with determination. A slight smirk crawled onto Lucario’s face as a glowing, bone-shaped staff formed in its right hand. X faltered for just a second at the sight of Bone Rush. This was going to be tougher than he thought.
Throughout the battle, The Void’s avatar stood watch and bore witness to the sheer power that two beings with a mere fraction of its power could unleash. Maverick took to the power much more easily and could make his reality whatever he wanted it to be. X, on the other hand, subconsciously limited himself if the chain around his neck was any indication. He had learned how to unshackle himself from those limits, but it was fresh and only for a limited time. The all-consuming force knew that Maverick would be the bigger threat and that if he was out of the way, X would be no match. A grin crept across the Avatar’s face as it put its plan into motion.
Back with the battle, X could barely keep up with Lucario as it twirled its Bone Rush staff like mad. Just one good hit would put X down for good. He’d have to pull something new out. And soon, he had just the idea. With a final thrust, Lucario managed to strike the Pikachu right in the chest, smiling as he ceased all movement. It was met with a nasty surprise however when X spoke,
“Look behind you”.
Just as the Aura Pokemon turned, its body suddenly seized up as it noticed Maverick’s remaining eye glowing a light blue with the power of Psychic. Lucario turned back towards X, noticing an uncharacteristically evil grin on the Pikachu’s face. It suddenly became clear. How long had the little mouse had this Nasty Plot going in his head? He would soon find out as he was thrust into unconsciousness by a Thunder-Techno Blast combo. The jackal finally fell to the ground, the remaining Void energy seeping off of his body. With the duo finally coming down from their battle high, X rushed over to Maverick and inquired if he was alright. The false god struggled to stand, but eventually did, remarking that he would live. Or so he thought.
As soon as Maverick saw it, time slowed to a crawl. The Void had creeped right behind X and was ready to strike. He wouldn’t allow it. The Genesect would not allow the one person willing to listen to his struggles to go out like this. He was the one who deserved it. With a quick burst of Psychic energy Maverick blasted X out of the way, leaving the poor thoughtform to watch as The Void jammed its hand into the cyborg’s open head and pulled out the very energy that gave him his life back. Maverick’s body twitched and jerked violently as he looked at the wide-eyed Electric-type, sitting on the ground in sheer disbelief. He smiled as a single tear ran down his face, his one good eye slowly fading to black as he belted out his last message,
“For…give…me…”
Maverick’s body went as still as a monument, dead on his feet. X didn’t feel it, but tears immediately began to stream down his face. His heart shrunk until nothing was left, leaving naught but an empty hole for said tears to fill. There was no reaction; no screams or crying. There was only an abyss that was no longer occupied. The darkness engulfing the world seemed to close in around him, swallowing him as a snake would an egg. Soon all was engulfed in black and the Pikachu found himself falling into infinity. He cared not what was at the bottom. In fact, he hoped there was nothing but concrete or spikes awaiting him. With Maverick gone, X’s only light was gone. It was over. The flame they spoke of had died, and soon the thoughtform would go with it.
That was at least until he felt a warm hand grasp at his, pulling him back up and into a warm embrace. Who had saved him from the fate he thought he deserved? What idiot had taken away the death he so desperately wanted? Looking up, said idiot made themselves known. Michael’s player character held X close and smiled. The Pikachu felt the empty darkness of his heart begin to fill with something new…something pure. Michael’s mouth moved and his static-filled voice gave X one last reassurance,
“Don’t hold back, Little Bro”.
A blinding flash. A shattered chain wrapped around the morbid Victini’s arms. A scream of absolute, raw fury. A rage that had not been seen in ages. X stood tall, his shackles twisted around his arms and his body sparking with pure white light. Liquid emotion flowed up into the air as he walked up to The Void with one goal in mind.
Evisceration.
The Void watched as the freshly powered-up Pikachu stepped towards it with curiosity. Curiosity that soon turned into something new for the eldritch horror. A feeling. A feeling that it had not felt in eternities. Pure fear. Its voices quivered as they all spoke at once,
“T-this isn’t right. This was s-supposed to be the end of e-everything. We c-cannot be destroyed. I CANNOT BE DESTROYED!!!”
X was no longer interested in hearing the abomination’s prattle. A single hand was placed on the Victini’s head as the Pikachu’s cheeks sparked with unyielding anger. A single flash was all that one would be able to see as X softly spoke,
“With a Shining Spark…begone”.
A loud crack rang throughout the darkened skies of Alola as pure light struck at the Void in a concentrated bolt of lightning. Its screams were drowned in a sea of bright white and as the light faded, one would find the body of a Victini, normal in color but void of consciousness. The chains gently placed the former avatar of the abyss on the cold stone of the altar as X walked to the body, inspecting it carefully. He held no ill will towards the creature, knowing that it was as much a victim as he and Maverick were. A small shine caught the little mouse’s eye and as he reached inside the gaping hole where Victini’s stomach would be, he pulled out what seemed to be a darkened Life Orb. Its dark, ocean blue surface rapidly pulsed with negativity, the souls it trapped threatening to corrupt the next lifeform it came into contact with. X would not let that happen.
Holding up the corrupted battle item, a white lightning bolt struck the Life Orb causing its pulsing to slow to a stop. Soon, its color began to fade back to its normal purple and orange as the souls inside fought to be free. With their darkness no longer a threat, X saw no reason to deny them. With a final toss, the Life Orb struck the ground and a bright flash engulfed not just Alola, but the world.
Let there be light.
With the flash receding, X felt a tender breeze blow past him. He looked up once more. A dark blue sky painted with fluffy clouds. A sea of trees as far as his eyes could see. Newborn stars burned brightly at the start of their life. At long last, it was well and truly over. A small smile faded on the thoughtform’s face before the strength in his limbs left him. A familiar feeling, or rather a lack of feeling. He didn’t fight it though. He knew that his home was now safe and that was all he needed. A final chuckle would have been heard by anyone who passed by as the Pikachu spoke to himself, seeing his vision fading to black,
“Hehe…Sorry, Mickey…Looks like…I overdid it…again…”
This didn’t last long as he saw a hand reaching out for him. A purple, metallic hand. He gingerly reached for it, calling out to its owner,
“Maverick?”
His vision was soon restored and he felt a warmth like no other. He looked up, finding Maverick standing over him with a worried expression. Suddenly feeling his energy return to him, X jumped into the Genesect’s arms, letting loose a torrent of emotion at his return. As he did, he noticed that his fur was yellow once more and his wrists were clad in their signature red bands. The Void’s influence was well and truly gone and the little Pikachu could not be happier. Pulling back, he looked at the Bug-Steel type and asked a simple question,
“Are we…dead?”
Maverick could only smile and chuckled slightly.
“Doesn’t look like it,” he responded.
“And we have him to thank for that”.
X’s head tilted before Maverick pointed behind him. Looking back, he was surprised to find quite a sight. A Victini. The same one that The Void used as a mere puppet sat there, its head resting on its knees. A quick glare was all he gave to X before he looked away, seemingly ashamed. The thoughtform was astounded. How was that poor creature still alive? Was there some hint of life that was left in its body when X struck him with the Shining Spark? He soon decided that it didn’t matter. All that matters is that they were all still alive. Just this once, everyone got the chance to live. Jumping out of Maverick’s grasp, X walked over to the Victini and sat beside him. His voice was as soft as could be,
“Are…you alright, Victini?”
The Victory Pokemon looked up at X and saw it. The sheer amount of hope and compassion that poured from every bit of the Pikachu’s being. He knew that he was forgiven for his part in this tragedy, but he couldn’t hold back the guilt. He sniffled before the tears came flying as he hugged X as tight as he could. Victini’s voice rasped slightly in the mouse Pokemon’s mind,
“I-I’m so…sorry”.
“It’s alright,” X comforted as he wrapped his arms around the traumatized Mythical Pokemon.
“The nightmare is finally over”.
Victini loosened his grip on the Pikachu and slightly smiled through his tears. Both of their attentions were caught by a whistling sound. Looking over, they saw Maverick beckoning them to look towards the stairs of the altar. Gazing beyond the Genesect, they were met with a glorious sight. The sun finally made its presence known, bathing the sky with deep reds and vibrant oranges. The warmth soon flooded the two small Pokemon as they got up, preparing to leave. X was the first to step forward, calling back to the Victory Pokemon,
“Come on, Horizon. Let’s go home”.
Victini’s head tilted slightly at the mention of the word in relation to himself.
“Horizon,” he asked. X clarified.
“Yeah. I can’t keep calling you Victini all the time. Do you…not like it?”
To this the Mythical smiled and did something unexpected, running up and planting a kiss on the Pikachu's cheek. To say that X was flustered would be an understatement, but the feeling was not a bad one. Horizon giggled slightly as the two made their way over to Maverick to head home, telling X exactly what he thought of the name,
“I love it”.
______________________________________________________________________________
Michael and Jack watched the 3DS screen with slack jaws as they witnessed X not only annihilate The Void, but also save the Victini that it made its avatar. Jack formed his thoughts first, while Michael took some time to gather his own,
“Did…did the little guy just get a boyfriend out of this?”
Michael grinned like mad as he picked up his 3DS, squealing like a schoolgirl.
“That’s…so adorable,” he cried out as he ran down the stairs.
Jack sighed with incredulity as he also made his way into the living room. He was right on queue as a purple claw tore open a hole in reality once more. This one seemed much more stable however. Much less jagged and dangerous. From the blinding white light it produced came Maverick, the light riding in his head immediately jumping into the Pikachu plush sitting on the couch. X jumped into Michael’s arms in a flash and the brothers couldn’t hold back their excitement. Michael swung X around like a kid on a sugar rush. Jack could only watch the two celebrate and didn’t know what to feel. He was pulled from his apathy by a warm touch on his shoulder. Looking over, he saw Maverick standing before him. The Genesect seemed…different. Maverick noticed the gaze and made his intentions clear,
“This…this will sound like it’s coming out of nowhere but…I want to apologize. For everything. I had no right doing what I did to you, but I couldn’t stop. It was only thanks to him that I was able to see all of the mistakes I’ve made. I know that you’ll probably not care, but-”
Maverick’s speech was suddenly interrupted as he was pulled into a hug by Jack, a hug that held much anguish in its feeling. Jack muttered quietly as Maverick hugged him back.
“You idiot. You’re not the one who made mistakes. It was me. I’m the one who set The Void free. I’m the catalyst, not you. We may all be victims here, but I’m the one who brought upon your wrath just because I wanted to complete an arbitrary list. I see now what I lost. I lost the chance to make a friend out of you”.
“I’d…be willing to give you a second chance, someday,” the Genesect stated.
“What do you mean,” the grizzled man asked.
Maverick then stated his intent to go with Michael and X. He still had a lot to learn about what it meant to live life, but he knew that the brothers would be able to help him. Jack’s smile was pure as he nodded in understanding. Maverick looked over to Michael before dropping the question.
“Would you be willing to have me, kid?”
“I’d be a fool to refuse,” the young Pokemon fan answered.
With a smile, Maverick stepped back into the tear, giving one last look to Jack before the rip in spacetime closed for the final time. Michael felt his 3DS shake and upon flipping it open, saw a Genesect sitting on a black screen. A message appeared.
“Nova sent over Maverick”.
“Take good care of Maverick!”
With a smile, Michael closed the handheld and slipped it into his bookbag. Still holding onto X, the young man looked over to Jack before asking if he could give him a ride home. The man smirked before grabbing his keys.
“Of course,” he said.
As the three stepped outside, Michael looked back at Jack and asked one last question.
“I’d guess that after this whole ordeal, we’re keeping in touch?”
Jack couldn’t help but laugh.
“We just saved the world, pal,” he had blurted out.
“I’d be surprised if you said you didn’t want to see me ever again! But seriously, of course we’ll be in touch”.
Michael smiled as he slipped into the passenger’s seat, X sitting on his lap. The entire ordeal left the thoughtform tired out of his mind and rest was the only thing on his mind. Michael gently petted the plush as he looked out the window towards the sky. The stars were unusually bright that night, glittering like diamonds in the sky. His thoughts turned to the true aftermath of these events. They had saved the world, likely the universe and no one else but the four involved in its happening would even know. He closed his eyes and sighed figuring that was for the best. If the world's response to the current lockdown was any indication, it wouldn’t be in his best interest to post on his blog how close they came to destruction. Michael was content, closing his eyes and smiling as Jack drove the young man and his brother home.
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Maverick’s eyes shot open. He still wasn’t used to having both of his lenses back, but knew that like all things in life it would take time. He looked up at the bright blue sky, watching several Pikipek fly overhead as the clouds drifted lazily behind them. Looking down, he bore witness to X and Horizon sitting on a bench and chatting profusely, their trainer right next to them and seemingly focused on nothing at the moment. The Victini was seemingly attached to X at the hip and wouldn’t stop nuzzling him, which left X slightly embarrassed, but he was grateful all the same.
A smile crept across the false god’s face as he stood up and tightened the bandages around his head and wrists. The time for sitting around had come and passed. For the very first time since his return to life, Maverick felt content. No longer would he live in the past. He would walk confidently towards a new future. And he knew that his Little Brother would be there with him, every step of the way.
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The Chronicles of The Void[]
Part 1: Brothers to the End (2023 Remake)
Part 2: A Crack In Reality (2024 Remake)
Part 3: Below Zero
Part 4: The Oncoming Darkness
Part 5: Dreams of My Deathly Cold Demise
Part 6: The Stillness of Eternity (You are here)
Epilogue: Of Hearts and Hope