The Path of Sacrifice

AN: Okay. I made an error. In the last chapter, I stated there were one pokemon per trainer. I was wrong. I forgot about poor Anarchy. Lol. I\'ve edited that sentence accordingly. Please disreguard that error. ^^;



------------------------



“Go, Anarchy!” Angel called out, casting forth the large bird\'s pokeball. The proud pokemon appeared, wings fully extended, in a classic-looking American Eagle pose. Pride he might have, but it would be an up hill battle. Not only could electricity hit him double, but he had a wall of levels to get past, too. “Anarchy, try to take it out with an Earthquake!” immediately, the bird flapped its wings to get as high as it could.

“Electabuzz, use...” Gary started, then trailed off, as if he were thinking hard. If he won this fight, Angel couldn\'t get that free ticket to Johto, and he would have to travel there himself, hunting alone for Giovanni – it was his duty as a Rocket Admin, and the Champion. If she lost to his pride, then Lord only knew what kinds of angry she\'d be with him. As her Aerodactyl collapsed his wings to tackle the ground and make it shake hard enough to damage his pokemon, he knew what he had to do. “Use Brick Break!” as if expecting an electric attack, the Electabuzz began to sparkle, prepping. But, when he realized exactly what his master said, he shot the human a look that basically said \'What the fuck?\' Confused, the Electabuzz charged a path towards the rock bird from 65 million BC. He only got halfway when Anarchy\'s mass struck the ground, making it shake as if a real quake had struck. The waves of quaking force shook the electric pokemon off it\'s feet and face first into the arena floor, which had begung to crack from the bird\'s hit.

“BUZZ!” it exclaimed, as a the ground slowed down. Both Angel and Gary had to flop down on the floor through the quake, but as Angel stood, the Electabuzz couldn\'t. It struggled to stand even up on to it\'s knees. Gary winced. Could he really let her win like this? He couls hold his own in Johto looking for Giovanni. That settled it – he was going to beat her, and show her exactly why he was Champion. She\'d be so impressed, and wouldn\'t mind staying behind! Yeah that was it!

“ELECTABUZZ, THUNDER!” he barked, reaching slyly into his pocket. The diamons-shaped three-d yellow candy was barely consealed in his hand, but Angel was too focused on the battle to notice.

“Anarchy, Ancient Power! Stay low to the ground, be harder to hit!” Gary smirked softly as he shoved the item beside Umbreon\'s pokeball. She was the best levelled pokemon he had; and Anarchy was about to go down. Soon, he would have his victory. As the item asperated into her ball, Anarchy began lifting the broken pieces of arena floor from his earlier earthquake, with his mind. The weakened Electabuzz charged his Thunder Attack, and put so much energy into it, he could hardly even see through the surging electrical aura hovering around him. At the same time, Anarchy let loose the chunks of floor, and Electabuzz shot off the electricity. Unfortuately for Anarchy, electricity was faster than flying rock – and the poor bird went down like a lead baloon.

“NO!” Angel exclaimed, dashing out onto the field as Anarchy\'s eyes turned swirly. “I\'m sorry buddy, I should have known better!” she spoke, running her hand on the muzzle of the pokemon, before recalling it. That was it – it was either her nearly dead Umbreon, or Slaughter. His pokemon WAS just about gone – she could handle it, right? Silently, she sent out the ball – hardly noticing the eager expression on Gary\'s face.

“Nine!” she called, as the fire fox appeared. She began to stretch, grateful for being released – finally.

“Slaughter, Iron Tail! Focus on your target, you can do it!”

“Electabuzz, use Thunderbolt!” Gary commanded, as the fire fox dashed towards his pokemon. Already, her fur was sparkling, and her tails were hardening in a fan behind her. His higher levelled pokemon was faster, and before she reached her target, was struck hard by the electricity. Gary expected her to stop, but to his surprise, the stubborn fox kept attacking – and there sat his strongest pokemon, swirly eyed. Charred and tired, Slaughter returned to her place, twitching and blinking alot on her way. Paralyzed and over half damaged, she flopped down at her spot in field. It was over.

“YES!” Angel screamed, jumping up and down. Her exclamation woke Moonlight, who gave her an irritated glance. He\'d only just fallen asleep.

“It\'s not over yet!” Gary spoke, a confident smirk on his face. “GO, UMBREON! DIG!” he grinned, casting out the ball. Heaving with pants, the female Umbreon appeeared on the field, her fur matted with her own blood, head hung low. She was too far done to fight; but her master called for her to keep going. After a pause, she quickly dug under the arena, utelizing a hold left from Anarchy\'s Ancient Power.



“Oh no! Slaughter, try and dodge!” she ordered. Moonlight\'s eyes shifted over to Gary. Was he insane? That pokemon had no juice left! She looked more tired than he was! He himself was only so tired because of his lack of hit points; she was out from fighting too hard. He frowned; he knew he\'d have to go against her again. Angel, though, was too focused on her paralyzed fox to even think about healing him. He shook his head. This would cost them the championship. That, and Gary\'s pride. Angel would not be very happy after all this played out. His focus then turned to Slaughter, whom was trying desperately to move – despite being paralyzed. His mate, technically – was still trying hard to fight. Her spirit was undying, even if she couldn\'t move. His mate. His female. And that Umbreon, that hot piece of ass, was about to hurt her. A great anger boiled up within him. Angel couldn\'t see what was going to happen; she didn\'t care. His blue markings began to glow a sheer white; the same ghostly white as that Darkrai\'s hair, the same as that ghostly orb that had entered Slaughter.



Rustling. This was going to be it. As he had predicted, that bitch erupted from the floor, making his Slaughter fly into the air like a rag doll. Her eyes went swirly before she even hit the ground. Something within Moonlight snapped; and as Angel was reaching for her pokeball, his eyes switched to a haunting blood red. Before anyone could even blink, he was on the battle field, his fangs latching to the unsuspecting Umbreon\'s throat. His canines punctured into her jugular and esophogas. Weakly, she tried to struggle, as Gary snapped out of his egotisicals stupor. Moonlight was killing her.

“UMBREON!” he exclaimed, trying to recall her. He missed every time – Moonlight was thrashing her about, wailing her body side to side like a pit bull attacking a kitten. Slowly, she slowed her fighting. The light in her eyes was fading. Moonlight couldn\'t even hear Angel screaming at him to stop. All he heard was the lovely squeaking of the dying bitch that hurt his mate.



“MOONLIGHT! STOP!” Angel screamed for the fifth time, crying as Gary still tried desperatley to recall his first pokemon. Neither dared to get close – Moonlight wasn\'t himself. He\'d be liable to attack. “IT\'S NOT WORKING! MOONLIGHT, RETURN!” she screamed, resorting to breaking her promise – she had to. Moonlight vanished from the arena, and Angel collapsed to her knees, her heart torn into bits. Had he lost his mind? Gary ran across to his barely breathing Umbreon, picking her up in his arms.

“I\'ve got to get her to the Pokemon Center. Go to the hall of fame and register, Angel!” he stood, running for the door.

“I\'ll go with you!” she said, clutching Moonlight\'s ball much in the same way she had Darkrai\'s, starting after him.

“No!” he stopped, turning to look at her. “We\'ll have to fight again if you don\'t! GO! You can fly out to meet me in Pallat town at Oak\'s later, you HAVE to do this! If not for me or the title than for what\'s right!” Angel could hardly process her own thoughts, let alone his. All she knew was he was right.

“Hurry then! She doesn\'t have time...”



Without another word, Gary took off through the opposite door. Curious glances from the Elite Four on his way through warranted no response, but Angel wasted no time explaining before she went in to the hall of fame, behind the spot Gary had been standing, not a minute ago. She desperately wanted to be with Gary, with Umbreon, and be there to hear the news about her first hand – but this wouldn\'t take long. Before her stood her goal; the Hall of Fame Machine. How ironic that it had been in search of Giovanni, and not of her own heart. But, there were other elite fours, other regions, other times. Carefully, she placed all her Pokeball onto the machine – lastly, Moonlight\'s. The machine glowed as she stared at the red and white ball. Something had changed within him; obviously, but it wasn\'t just a personality thing. Something was wrong with him.



* * * * *



“...You\'re telling me...MOONLIGHT nearly killed Gary\'s Umbreon?...” Oak spoke, as Angel sat herself down on a chair. She\'d been pacing, staring at Moonlight\'s pokeball on the table. She\'d been unable to touch it once she set it down.

“Yes...I don\'t know what came over him; he just flew into the fight, and bit her throat...He was glowing white instead of blue, and his eyes were red, instead of yellow....Oak, what\'s the matter with him?” a long pause fell over the lab, as Oak stared at the pokeball. He didn\'t have the foggiest idea what had happened. He\'d never heard of any pokemon with issues like this before – it most certainly wasn\'t the nature of a Dark Type to murder. Cause trouble and mild injury, yes; but this? No.

“I don\'t know, Angel. But I can send him for psychological examination. I would recommend you leave him here with me, until I can guarantee you that he is himself again...”

“I...I supose you\'re right...” she nodded, biting her lip. She didn\'t want to leave him behind; but she didn\'t really have a choice. Moonlight was dangerous – dare she admit it, he had become too dangerous even for her to try and control. She couldn\'t even let him out to say goodbye – he would be panicked from being in his pokeball, from the battle. It was just not safe. “I\'ll....Leave him here...” her eyes glazed over, shortly before they started to tear up. “I...I have to go to Johto...” she continued, as the lab door clicked open. “Gary and I....have to go...” silently, Gary slid up behind Angel, and took her into his arms. She glanced up, and seeing he was there, she burst into tears, burying her head on his chest. “I\'m so sorryy, Gary...” she sobbed, clinging tight.

“Hey hey, it\'s okay honey...Umbreon is okay. She\'s out of commission for a while, but she will live. It\'s okay, Angel...”

“No it\'s not....I have to leave him behind, he\'s too dangerous...” she cried, between sobs. Gary\'s face fell, as an awkward looking Oak busied himself with sorting vials – the same vials he\'d sorted already.

“Oh...I\'m sorry, Angel...Maybe gramps will sort it all out. Maybe you\'ll have him back again, you never know...” clearing her eyes and fighting back the sorrow, Angel composed herself as best she could.

“You think so?...”

“I almost know so. Moonlight won\'t be like this forever. Gramps is a brilliant professor with wonderful connections. He will send him to the best. Okay?”

“....Okay...”

“It\'s just gonna take time.”

“You\'re right...” she sighed, resting her damp face on his shoulder. “And time we can\'t spare waiting here. We have to go – duty calls.”

“Are you sure you\'re ready to do this, Angel? Don\'t want to take a few days before we go?...”

“Giovanni might not have a few days, Gary.” she spoke, forgetting completely about Oak being in the room. “We can\'t let those three cold bastards take over. Giovanni might be an evil man, but he\'s an evil man with morals – the lesser of the evils. We have to go...soon.”

“Alright...off to Saffron, then. We\'ll get those tickets there. Gramps, I\'ll explain that tp you later. Come on, hon – off to Goldenrod City.”



------------------------------------

THE END!!!!



































............Of this part of the trilogy. :D I know, evil. Lol. Keep you eyes peeled for The Path Of Sacrifice 2!