AN: Guys! THIS IS THE LAST CHAPTER! EEEK! I have been writing this for so long now! I don't even know how I managed to write all of this...ugh. wow. I am in awe at the moment. Let me have a second...YES I AM SO HAPPY! Thank you for all the support you guys poured out...I mean honestly, without you guys, I would have never been able to finish it, or any of the sort.

So let's talk sequel.

I got one very vehement agreement on a sequel, and not much else...I want to, and I have a plan for it, but it might take me a while, because I do indeed have a FE fic called Ylisse High, and another Pokemon fic out called Dark Words Leave the Truth Unspoken...it's a lot.

Even if in the end I decide not to write a sequel, I'm sorry for leaving you guys on a cliffy...but hey, I'm the writer! Plus, I dunno...hmm. I'm still a little indecisive. I think DWLTU will be a little shorter than this, and I have no idea how long Ylisse High will be...

Now, enough of my blabbering.

ON WITH THE LAST CHAPTER!

Beware...angst, tragedy, and hurt/comfort ahead...XD

Intense stuff...here's the adventure slice you ordered.

"Stay with me," Gary called, his voice filled with determination as he ripped through another guard's body.

"I'm right here," Leaf affirmed, tugging Misty and Ash along. "Guys, stay together!"

The foursome tried to fight their way out of Saffron City's busy streets. Or rather...bloodied, thrashing streets.

"NO!" Leaf's blood-curdling scream stopped Gary short as he whirled around, desperately trying to find his girlfriend through the mist of blood and the haze of smoke. When he spotted her, he almost screamed himself.

She was cornered in between to walls, three mutts hissing and snarling at her.

"Leaf!"

She seemed so small then. Just a tiny, young girl, blood splattered and clutching a knife and dagger, facing towering, nasty mounds of muscle, all about to come down on her.

But then she was moving, and zigzagging across the alley, slicing and the darting away, leaving the mutts roaring in pain.

"Gary! ASH AND MISTY!" Leaf shouted, whipping brown locks behind her as she furiously ran, eyes wide with panic. "WHERE ARE THEY?!"

Gary felt adrenaline shoot through him, his hair slicking to his head with blood, and everything felt itchy and dirty. Where are Misty and Ash? Where are Misty and Ash?

He turned in circles, trying to locate the pair. They were just here a second ago! In fact, Leaf wasn't so far away just a few seconds ago.

A Rhyhorn-Milotic-Ninetales mutt leered at him, the Ninetale face slobbering all over him. It blocked out whatever thin rays of sun that permeated through the smoky, disgusting air. It bared it's teeth, growling low in it's throat, and Gary froze up for a second, the close- up view of the enormous mutt rooting him to the spot.

No. You have to move. For Leaf. For Misty and Ash. And the Ninetale opened it's mouth for a Flamethrower. NOW! MOVE.

And suddenly, Gary felt the power to urge his feet to move, throwing himself back as the powerful attack singed his eyebrows off.

He didn't even bother fighting this one. It was enormous, and the sheer size of the mutt would slow it down from following Gary through the narrow streets. It wasn't worth it.

And maybe the reason he ran, was because of the fear that seemed to hit Gary all of sudden. Or maybe it was the primal instinct, telling him to RUN.

Whatever the reason was, Gary ran. Back towards where he had last glimpsed Leaf in the crowd of desperate people, and huge mutts.

He ran and stabbed, and sliced, and twirled and did whatever he could to remain alive. Blood splattered him as he thrust his knife into a mutt's throat, and drew another dagger to replace it. It gurgled and choked on it's own blood before its eyes rolled up and all that was left was white.

At some point, his body just started numbing the ache in his muscles, the stabbing pain from cuts and bruises. At least one of his rib were broken from being slammed into the ground repeatedly, but somehow, he found the ability to draw himself up, and attack again.

"Blastoise! Hydro Pump. Umbreon, Shadow Ball."

Sometime later, he was simply stumbling around, stabbing and killing whatever came his way.

The bland blankness enveloped him, going on autopilot. So when he slammed into a warm, soft body, he nearly sighed at the contact. Human.

"Gary."

Leaf's voice was breathless and filled with heart-wrenching relief and the crippling pain. "Don't leave me again."

"Leaf, I'm staying. Never leaving you. Right here." He called behind him, facing another mutt.

"Right here," Leaf repeated into his ear, voice taut with fear. "Right here. Did you find them?"

"I was so scared...I lost all of you," Gary admitted as the pair spun slowly in circles, back to back.

The entire alley was clear of mutts, but the slain mutts' bodies littered the streets, the black-blue blood running into the sewers and smelling worse than either of them thought it would.

"Damn," Leaf groaned. "We need to find them. Now. Come on. There's none left."

Leaf darted forwards, leaning around the corner as Gary hobbled slowly after her. She turned around to check on him when he didn't follow quickly enough.

"What's wrong?" Leaf had a little crease in between her eyes, which were filled with shards of worry.

"Ribs...mutt pounded me into...the ground," Gary grunted slowly, sheathing his dagger and placing a hand on the injury, but still clinging to the short broadsword he was holding.

"Oh no," Leaf whispered, tracing the bruised, torn skin gently.

The skin was already turning a sickly gray as the dusty air swirled around them. A slow trickle of blood dribbled out of the wound, where a tiny bit of white bone peeked out.

Leaf whimpered a little, brushing it.

"Stop," Gary groaned, eyes a little blurry with pain.

"It's fine," Leaf said abruptly. "Come on, let's find Misty and Ash and get out of here. Tropius can carry you for the meantime. Trop! Hey!"

Tropius landed from where it was beating it's huge wings, eyes slightly crazed. "Trop, Tropius?"

"Yes, can you carry him?" Leaf asked gently.

"Trop," Tropius agreed, lowering himself further.

"Good. Now let's go find Misty and Ash."

"Mist!" Ash yelped scratchily, narrowly missing a swiping paw.

"Where did Leaf go?" Misty yelled as she rolled between his legs.

Ash jumped up and beheaded a mutt, the crunch of blood and splatter of blood familiar. "I don't know. How am I supposed to know? I THOUGHT WE WERE SUPPOSED TO STAY WITH HER?"

"Yeah!" Misty grunted as she kicked a mutt off of her and sprang up to attack it. "But she just disappeared!"

"So we need to find her again! And Gary!" Ash shouted. "Pikachu! Volt Tackle! Jolteon, Thunder Bolt! Charizard, Flamethrower!"

The fire Pokemon wreathed the pair of humans in fire, burning a few mutts in the process as the two Electric Pokemon attacked furiously.

"I agree! We need to find them! Starmie, Water Gun! Vaporeon, Acid Armor, spring out with an Aqua tail afterwards!"

"And Corsola! Spike Cannon, then retreat and use revive!" Misty quickly ordered, spinning around to stab another mutt.

Ash rolled below her, came up with a side sweep, another spray of blood joined the air.

"Gyrados! Hydro Pump! Blow them away, we need the room!" Misty called, her face contorted with concentration and anger, dried blood dotting her face. Her ponytail had come out and a wild mess of orange hair was tangled with mangled flesh and dripping with mutt blood. The ends were blue-black, and the lightweight armor they wore was soaked through.

Ash hissed as a mutt slammed it's forepaw down on his leg, refusing to budge.

And Ash panicked, because it was obviously getting ready for a Hyper Beam, and Ash couldn't stick around for that. So he yanked his leg out, tearing the armor into shreds and a few pieces of muscle tore off as well. "Arceus dammit!"

He made and arc with his sword, ripping open the mutt's chest, spilling guts into the slippery, dusty stones. Its heart was still beating slowly and it puttered out Ash beheaded another of it's allies.

"Return your Pokemon! We can't hold them! Too much!" Misty shouted, making a final decision. There were simply too many mutts. They filled the alleys and streets nearby to the brim, teeming with the monstrous beasts.

They filled them in a thick stream, every mutt shoulder to shoulder and often trampling over each other, but for whatever reason, they didn't attack each other and just milled around, looking for more humans to try and murder.

"Keep Charizard! We're airlifting out of here! Gyrados! Return! Corsola, Vaporeon, Starmie, return! ASH, NOW!" Misty slicked her hair back with bloody hands, wincing at the few cuts along her arm.

Ash obeyed, as it came with years of fighting alongside the carrot-haired trainer.

"Jolteon! Return! Pikachu come on!" The little rodent scampered up Ash and perched on his shoulder as he somersaulted into the air, landing astride Charizard with ease and grace that the boy usually didn't show.

"Ash!" Misty said desperately as three mutts circled her, and one had her pinned down, and another was slapping at her flailing arms. How she got in that position, nobody knew.

A burst of flames scattered the mutts quickly enough, and Misty scrambled up, limping slightly and climbing aboard the Pokemon. "Alright, let's go!"

The few mutts that could fly were slowly beating their heavy, wings to try and catch up with the smaller, more agile Charizard.

A torrent of fire and a large fire ball at the end drove a clear path to the general direction they last saw Leaf and Gary, and Charizard took off.

He zoomed towards the opening, and simply batted the few mutts that did get in the way with well-placed Dragon Tails.

"To the right?" Misty shouted in Ash's ear, but Ash didn't seem affected.

"YEAH! WE MOVED TO THE LEFT, SO THEY SHOULD BE TO OUR LEFT!" Ash shouted over the howling wind. Misty buried her face into his back, and Ash would normally be blushing and flustered, he wasn't now. It wasn't time for romance or crushes.

"I can't believe that things came to this," Misty said sadly her chin on his shoulder as Charizard glided over the streets, teeming with mutts.

The two were silent as they flew, only the screams of people, the screeching of mutts, and crying wind to accompany them.

"So much carnage, so much death," Ash murmured, big eyes taking in the ruined scenery below them.

"There." Misty reached around him and pointed at a green shape flapping upwards. A mess of brown hair showed them that Leaf and Gary had the same idea they did.

"LEAF, GARY! HERE!" Ash yelled.

"CHARIZAAARD!" Charizard roared, letting out another Fire Spin as a flare.

Tropius started making his way over, and Ash felt Misty's warm breath caress his ear, the joy at seeing their friends again quite obvious. "Finally!"

They rushed towards Tropius, and soon enough, they met in the middle.

"You guys okay?" Leaf asked breathlessly, staring at them carefully and looking them over for wounds.

"We're good." Misty waved her off. "Come on, we got to go to Unova now. Orders from the Chief."

"Yeah, Cynthia told us too, but we needed to find you guys first. Couldn't leave you guys...and all these people. They don't deserve it," Gary said.

"Never took you for the caring, sentimental type," Misty said wryly, eyes hooded with exhaustion. "We have to go. I'm serious."

"We know," Gary shot back.

Ash nudged Charizard, who gave his trainer a tired smile, but shot higher up in the air, nevertheless, and continued flying. Flying out of the cursed city.

Tropius followed behind, and the foursome left the burning city behind, leaving the bodies, the blood, and the death.

But there would be much to come, before this war was over.

Zebulon Feller smiled slowly, almost sensually as he watched his world domination plan finally, finally come into reach.

All over the world, the regions were falling. Even the impenetrable Unova.

They had gotten a small squad in.

Enough, to take the green-haired Sinnoh Elite Four member.

He smirked widely as he picked at invisible lint on his impeccable jacket, grinning at the scene unfolding in front of him.

Cynthia was fighting against Flint and Lucian's hold, tears in all three of their eyes as they slowly pulled their leader back into safety. Back into the safety of the amassed Unovian army.

Aaron crashed into one mutt, hissing, as he gutted him with his short-sword. His other hand came over to knock another mutt away from him, the pommel of his dagger denting the mutt's face.

But it was all to late. Even as he ducked and twirled, sliced and killed...it was no use. He was completely surrounded.

And as Dr. Arang stood at the edge of the helicopter, the enormous tanks holding the slumbering Volcarona and Cryogonal.

"Thanks for the gift!" She called as she tossed the Pokeballs in her hands, smirking.

"And the bonus! I'm sure we can find poor little Aaron something to do...Right?" She winked. "Megan Arang. Thanks for the business!"

"No!" Lucian cried out, as someone shot a tranquilizer dart into Aaron's chest. But somehow, he gave them a feral grin, and continued tearing through the mutts, eyes glowing.

Dr. Arang didn't let any emotion through, simply ordering them to shoot him again. And again. And again.

Until his body was covered in little purple darts, the angry gleam in his eyes slowly fading away.

Aaron cast one last, pleading look towards the Unovian army, before he was dragged under.

"NO!" Cynthia screamed, shrieking and punching wildly at her fellow EIA agents.

But it was too late. Mutts grabbed Aaron by his shirt and threw him into the back of the helicopter.

Dr. Arang jumped into the plane and waved at them cheekily. "See ya later!"

The mutts groaned and growled in approval, attacking the Unovian army with renewed energy.

The Unovian army was able to put them down easily enough, but not without casualties and a few being infected.

Flint choked back a sob as he pulled the kicking and screaming Cynthia back towards the safety of the building. Lucian followed behind with Bertha, with a tight expression on her face.

Zelo nodded in approval, tapping the screen to freeze the video at that exact spot, Cynthia's screaming, pained face.

"Yes..." he mused to himself, "This is good. Not only do we have our hands on the Cryogonal and Volcarona, we got our hands on dear Aaron. In fact, Megan is correct. We have quite a few uses for him."

He reached over and clicked his earpiece, meanwhile surfing through all the video they had captured.

"Brother, you called?" Isaac's voice sounded in his ear, practically bursting with triumph and joy.

"Yes, brother, you have seen the footage from a few minutes ago?" Zelo nodded, his voice smug.

"Yes, we have won," Isaac gloated, and Zelo could practically hear the smirk in his voice.

"Not to hasty," Zelo cautioned. "We are close to victory. We must not let the arrogance get to us. We still have to create a cure for the virus. I refuse to be reduced into a beastly mess. We must be careful. I do not want our carelessness cost us the rest of the war. We have succeeded in starting it. Now we must finish. There are billions of people within the regions. We must conquer most, if not all. Then we can rule brother. We still have to get out hands on more legendaries. You said we have Kyogre and Groudon? What about Mew?"

The line crackled at Isaac's light laughter. "Did they not inform you brother? We have Giratina, Cresselia, Latios and Latias...the list continues. We have nearly them all. They were all distracted when we released our beautiful mutts into the world. See? Now we have them all in those special containers you and Megan created. This is wonderful."

"They...did not tell me. I will go punish them for their foolishness now. Thank you. You are taking care of everything else, correct?" Zelo asked.

"Yes, don't worry about it! I got it covered," Isaac reassured.

"Good. I'm trusting you on this."

"Okay, okay, go back to watching your video," Isaac said with a laugh. "Go on!"

Zelo rolled his eyes. "Go back to focusing on Team Solaceon Isaac. This is important."

"I know. I'm not stupid." He was obviously insulted.

Zelo sighed. "Whatever. Signing off. Do your job."

"Okay."

The line clicked off, and Zelo sighed again. "This better work."

"Jimmy!" Marina felt as if time slowed down, the sharp claw heading straight for Jimmy's exposed neck.

And she felt herself moving, tossing herself into the trajectory of the claw, knocking Jimmy flat on his back as the claw sliced open her arm.

"Dammit Marina!" Jimmy stood up, swaying slightly, and tried to defend both of them as Marina curled into a ball to look at her arm. She crouched at the edge of the bridge, and stared at the red, rushing waters below.

Jimmy and Marina had been tasked with holding the bridge, where it was essentially a choke point.

The enormous glass building behind them served as the E4 fort, and people were being ushered there through flying and water Pokemon, and once they got there, they had warm food and water to sustain them. They got a ticket and they would then wait for the time to be able to take off at the port for Unova with their flying Pokemon. And those who had extra flying Pokemon, that could carry a human of course, were given and stashed, and those who didn't have a flying Pokemon got to borrow one.

So far, no mutt had gotten past the two alive. It was quite useful that only a couple could attack at once though.

"Flareon, Flamethrower. Typhlosion, Flame Wheel, Beedrill, Pin Missile. Protect Marina at all costs! Espi, Psychic, protect your master! Little Miss! Perish Song! Pink, Psychic with Espeon! Wani Wani, Aqua Tail!" Jimmy resorted to punching a mutt in the face when his knife got stuck inside another mutt's body.

He quickly slid another dagger out of it's sheath, stabbing a mutt in the neck.

Marina cradled the arm, which was practically split in half. The torn flesh dangled sickeningly from a few parts of the bone, and Marina groaned at how deep it was. Even the gentlest of pokes caused immense pain.

"Fuck that hurts..." Marina cursed, holding her arm gingerly. "Alright, suck it up Marina."

She drew a spare dagger, and joined Jimmy once more, trying her best to keep her bad arm away from the mutts.

"Marina, that was stupid!" Jimmy scolded her, his mouth in a tight line. "Look at how bad your arm is."

"Yeah, well I was trying to save your damn life," Marina snapped.

"But there were other ways to go about it!" Jimmy said, thrusting his knife inside a mutt, and left it buried there.

"Well when you see me about to die, you see how calm and collected you are, yeah?" Marina grumbled. "Just be grateful, okay?" She knew that it really was only because Jimmy was concerned but she couldn't help being short-tempered. They were fighting a war now.

There was no chit-chat, no time for affection or worry. It was life or death, and if Marina sacrificed a wounded arm for a few more days for Jimmy, then it was worth it.

"Just shut up and fight!"

Jimmy yanked Marina out of the way of an intense Dragon Breath attack, and smiled at her pointedly. "See?"

"Well there wasn't time for that!" Marina said, rushing back towards the mutts and her Pokemon. Jimmy glared at her for a second before joining her again.

They had both lost count of the times they managed to save each other's lives.

"Two o'clock," Marina warned as she twisted in the air, stabbing a mutt straight in the back before landing light on her feet.

Jimmy didn't even bother looking before he slammed the flat side of his sword towards two o'clock.

They moved in sync, shouting out combinations and moves for their Pokemon, using strategies that they had all come up with in practice, and now was putting it to good use.

But as a mutt knocked Jimmy into a wall, and was about to tear his head off, it got tossed into a pile of rubble, along with two of it's brethren.

An enormous Onix barreled forwards, mouth open wide in a terrifying, silent roar.

Bruno's mouth was in a grim line as he rode on the Onix. Onix's tail batted away a couple of stray mutts, eyes glowing with triumph.

Bruno hopped off of Onix, who lumbered off to join Marina and Jimmy's Pokemon. His face was creased and lined with worry and stress, but he offered them a slow smile.

"Thank you for holding the bridge. We have soldiers and people coming to take over. Nearly every citizen in the nearby hundred miles is safely on their way to Unova, and only a few dozen more need to leave. You guys must leave now. Cynthia needs you there. You are part of Team Eevee. You already made a huge difference in the amount of lives we were able to save. Now is the time to go." Bruno turned to Marina, who was shaking her head vehemently, eyes wide.

"I'm not leaving Johto! This is my homeland. I can't, can't you see?" Marina protested, vaulting over Bruno's head to slice a mutt in half. Bruno grunted in thanks before darting off the bridge to slice an oncoming Shadow Ball into pieces.

"I understand Marina, but you must go! That is a direct order from your E4 leaders! I command you! You have done enough! No more people will die because you aren't here. GO!" Bruno argued, fighting along the pair.

Marina continued to argue with him, adamantly refusing to leave.

Finally, an exasperated Bruno turned to Jimmy. He shrugged sheepishly shook his head before pointing with his chin towards Marina. "She's a tough one. Don't worry. I got it."

"What?" Marina asked indignantly. "I'm serious! I grew up here! I love Johto. If there's going to be war, I'm standing with Johto. You have to understand! There are lots of innocents here. Look!" She pointed at a couple kids still huddled at the damp doorway of a shabby orphanage, unsurely looking out.

"If we weren't here, they'd probably not make it. They're lives. Each and every single one deserves to live!" Marina came over and scooped one up, and led another one towards Jimmy and Bruno as they made room for the blue-haired beauty to make it through unscathed.

"I understand, but you are more important there. If you get to Unova alive, you will help save thousands of lives. Why can't you see that? And more reinforcements are on their way. You are no longer needed here. In fact, you are needed there." Bruno tried to reason again.

But Jimmy had had enough. "Get your head out of your ass Marina!"

She gasped lightly at the crude language, but turned to glare defiantly at Jimmy.

"Salamence come on out!" Jimmy cried, tossing the Pokeball in the air. As the gorgeous dragon Pokemon emerged, he turned to Marina with furious eyes. "You are being selfish. Yes, you love Johto. This is your homeland, as it is mine. But as an EIA agent, your duty is to your world. The entire Pokeworld. You cannot forsake the world for the few lives that are here. Next to no one will loose their lives because we headed to Unova this instant. This isn't fun and games. This is a war. And if you are going to fight a war, you have to fight it with the entire war in mind, not just a battle."

"You're just being selfish!" Marina said hotly. "Your scared of dying! Remember Mrs. Olsen? Or...or Mr. Kublai? They are old, and their Pokemon have been released. They won't make it out alive unless we help. There are hundreds of people like that! And if we hold the bridge, then the reinforcements can go help them! Isn't a little risk worth it if we can save lives?"

Jimmy almost growled as he picked up Marina and practically tossed her onto Salamence.

"NO. You, Marina, are being selfish. You are giving up thousands of innocent lives, for those you are slightly familiar with. For those you love and care about. Would you give up the entire world for your family? If yes, you are being selfish. I understand that you care. It's all in here, but the thousands are much more important." Jimmy returned all of their Pokemon except for Little Miss, and hopped on behind her. "Let's go Salamence."

Salamence shot into the sky as Marina wriggled to get free. "No! But...but there are all those children and..." Marina trailed off, her lips trembling in a pout. "It's not fair. Why do they have to die for 'the better good'? I don't understand..."

Jimmy sighed through his nose, eyes focused on the dark horizon. "This is war Mar. I don't decide what happens. War is unfair. I can't change it. But I do know that you are stronger than this. You know how to keep your emotions in check, and know when it's for the better good. So why are you being so stubborn on this?"

Marina exhaled and leaned back into Jimmy's warm chest, and closed her eyes. "Because my little brother can't walk, remember?"

Jimmy wrapped his arms tighter around her as Salamence soared towards Unova. "That's right."

He watched as silver tears lined Marina's teal colored eyes.

"And my mother doesn't have Pokemon on her. They'll both die tonight if the mutts invaded our town. New Bark Town is small. Your parents moved to Olivine. They don't have to worry. It's a big city with lots of safety precautions...and it's by the sea. They're safe. I just was thinking...if there were people like my family here. And I wanted to help them." Marina shrugged in his arms. "I couldn't control my emotions. and I'm sorry."

They were silent after that.

"It's fine, just prepare yourself. This is war is going to cause a lot more heartbreak and death before it's over."

Marina nodded against his chest, and slowly her breathing evened out.

Jimmy watched the violence below him, and shuddered out another sigh. "This isn't going to end well...is it?"

"No. NO. NO!" May screamed, a sob tearing through her. "NO!"

May felt the brokenness hit her then.

And then she felt the wetness on her face as she cried. And sobbed.

She knelt on that bloodied, gory battlefield and screamed as Drew held her.

He whispered softly in to her ear, his breath soft and warm against her neck, and the gentleness of his arms. May leaned back against him for support, his hands wrapped around her torso. She felt his sticky skin press into the nape of her neck, and the wet, warm tears roll down her back, Drew sobbing alongside her.

"It'll be okay, I'm here, it's going to be okay, I'm here," he repeated like a mantra, his voice low and throaty with pain, guilt and horrible, horrible dread for what was coming. What had already swept through their lands. Hoenn. Their home. "But we have to go May, we have to go."

May's fists were curled into fists, and she squeezed them tightly as the blood dripped onto the ground.

As she pounded her fists on the ground and screamed the injustice of it all to the world. She punched the ground until her knuckles split open and the blood dripping down her hands became her own, and the tangy scent of fresh blood filling the air even more.

She felt Drew's will give as he let her yell and scream. As he gave up trying to take her to Unova. He simply stood there, eyes hooded and dark as he watched her completely, and utterly, shatter.

As she felt her heart snap and tear, and as she retched and gagged, her tears blurring everything into a smear of red, gold, orange, brown, and black.

The setting sun illuminated all the tattered, torn apart bodies, and May yelled and cried.

She didn't know when her voice gave out, but the wretched pain engulfing her, spreading out from her traitorous heart, as she cried her body trembling and aching. Aching for justice that hadn't come.

The tears were warm and salty, blue because of the mutt blood swirled in.

She felt dirty and grimy. The splintered flesh, splash of blood, and the screams that would never leave her ears haunted her.

Specifically the scream of Max.

She felt her hoarse voice crack as she screamed one more time. "Arceus, why? Wasn't my parents enough? Why is this happening?"

There was no answer. But the screeching caws of the Mandibuzz filled the air as they circled above. The smell of the fresh carrion, blood, and torn up flesh, it was pungent and strong, but the pair kept sitting there, crying, and mourning.

For all who had given their lives to this cause, to fight for freedom, to fight against the most evil man the world has ever seen.

For all who was going to give their lives for this cause yet.

For all...all who would be affected by this.

For all the lives that would be lost.

And when the she had finally finished, she stood up, looked at Drew, and nodded. Weary and battered, but ready.

Drew didn't say a word as he helped May onto Flygon, occasionally cutting down the stray, flying mutt.

Flygon was warm beneath them, and the setting sun turned everything all the more bloody. But, they had no option, but to be ready.

So, they would be ready for the war that was coming.

No turning back.

No more hiding.

No more breaking down.

No more wasting time.

They were ready.

And there could be no fear.

AN: So...this is the end. But don't worry...here's a sneek peak.

But first! Thank you all, who have been here throughout the journey...I really appreciate it. I know some writers get hundreds and thousands of follows and favorites, but I'm just happy with the reviews, follows and favorites I got. Thank you for sticking with me...seriously. Love!

I think that I'll wait a little while before shooting out the sequel..but I hope you'll all stick around to read it, yeah? :D

I love you all and I'll see you soon! I hope...;)

-Ange

Key:

Thoughts

The Vine

Normal

Sneek Peek

Aaron thrashed on the hospital bed, fighting the restraints. He felt something rumbling inside his chest, and when he roared in anger, a burst of flames came out of his mouth.

What is going on?

The sedatives they were pumping into him were driving him absolutely nuts. It made everything hazy, all the voices slurred, and his head hurt horribly.

"Quick! Put it under! This isn't good..."

Aaron's entire body felt like molten lava, as if the Changing wasn't bad enough.

What were they talking about? What could possibly be alive...yet an object? Ouch, everything hurts. Thinking hurts. Ow, ow ow.

He tried to scream again, but everything was so hot...burning, burning. Even breathing was difficult. Why was this so painful?

The hoarse, wild, Pokemon-like scream ripped throughout his body, and he shuddered as he felt more sedative fluids enter his bloodstream. It burned. Arceus-dammit, it burned.

As he tossed his head back and forth, sweaty green hair falling into his eyes, he felt even his eyes burning then. And they were watering, despite his best efforts to try and see clearly.

He could make out the blurry shape of Dr. Arang, and he bared his fanged teeth at the thought of the horrible woman.

"GET IT DOWN, NOW."

And suddenly, Aaron figured it out.

As his eyes trailed along the wires and tubes, following the twining paths to...tanks. Enormous tanks filled with some sort of greenish liquid, with floating legendary Pokemon inside.

All of them had their eyes closed, and floated peacefully.

Lugia, Mew, Latios, Latias, Volcarona, Cryagonal,

But the wires attached to them occasionally gave them shocks, and it seemed like they were extracting data...DNA?, from then...and pumping it into him.

He growled and shrieked, suddenly all primal. The words he uttered were said with a guttural finality. "LET. ME. GO!"

But the doctors ignored him, in fact, binding him down tighter, pumping more and more fluids into his body.

Another shock of pain washed through him, and he was burning...burning.

His skin itched as if something was trying to crawl out of it, and he was so hot, and his hair was plastered to his forehead, and everything was blurring, and it hurt so much, and it was becoming unbearable, and they wouldn't stop screaming, and, and...and...And everything went black.

It panted a little as it nudged closer to the girl's face, snuffled lightly, while the Mew's tail curving upwards in curiosity.

It hovered, observing the child, who was slumped over on the gravelly ground.

Brown hair splayed across the blood-soaked pebbles, and the bruises and cuts alongside her face were strange. Padded armor decorated her torso, arms, and legs, and a few blood-stained knives were sprawled across the ground, as if she had dropped them.

It sniffed the girl again. Why was the smell so familiar?

She smelled...like the sun. And vanilla, and cinnamon. Family. Home...She smelled like...

...

A woman's laughter lit up the room, and she flashed it a rare grin. "Hey!"

...

A pounding headache rushed through it, and it backed away slowly, its Volcarona wings beating unsteadily, and it landed clumsily, its Entei paws clutching his Lugia head.

That hurt, like someone was drilling a knife into its skull. More images flashed through his head.

...

The same brown-haired girl giggled as she knocked it flat on his back, smirking above it.

"You loose again!"

"At least I'm still your superior."

The girl snorted and pulled it up. "Right. But I'm still better. How is it being beat by a teenager?"

...

It hissed in pain, glaring at the girl with red eyes. What monstrosity made him hurt like so?

Kill. Kill. Kill her. Now.

The Vine echoed inside its head, soothing the aching pain, and it released a heavy breath. The Vine's chorus of voices, all of the mutts under its control, all muttering with restlessness as their master was attacked ruthlessly by the pain, and was in turn, soothed by somebody above it in the Vine.

It stared at her, eyes contemplating.

Now. KILL IT NOW. ALPHA, KILL IT NOW.

Who was ordering it to kill her? Alpha did the ordering to the lower tiers, but who was the demanding voice in the Vine, forcing it to do things?

But as it hesitated, its headache returned, and it groaned and squeezed its eyes shut in pain.

...

A blond woman with brilliant gray eyes smiled widely at it, and pointed at a bunch of kids, all sprawled across the grass, munching on sandwiches.

"Aren't they adorable?"

It turned to look at them carefully. "Yeah, the little kids...so young. Too young for this."

"Dude, we've been over this." A red-haired man gave a laid-back grin, shooting it with a finger gun. "Give it up already!"

...

"Hey, you okay?" Bright blue eyes met its, and she put a gentle hand on its shoulder. "Hey, ARE you okay? Your spacing out. Hey!"

"Hmm? I'm fine." It found itself saying, eyes squinted shut.

"Okay, good! Because you promised to help me throw knives today."

...

It let out a loud screech, clutching its head, blinking rapidly, trying to figure out what was going on behind its eyelids.

The visions were uncommon, and when they came, all they brought was pain.

But Alpha couldn't help its curiosity. Why did this girl trigger visions? Very few things have.

A bunch of tiny, pink flowers once brought the onslaught of visions.

The first time it was ordered to kill a human, it had visions.

And the first time it emotionlessly ordered all of the amassed mutts below it to attack an innocent town.

KILL HER NOW OR THERE WILL BE CONSEQUENCES ALPHA.

The sharp pain returned yet again, and it grunted as it tried to resist the urge to tear the girl's tanned, throat out.

It struggled for a moment...

He. He.

He was a male. Not an it.

And he wasn't a mutt...he...wasn't...

The Alpha struggled, sweat dotting his feathered face, muscles screaming, body straining.

He...wasn't...the Alpha.

He was...human. And his name was...

The pain slammed into it harder. The simple, sharp pain turning into a blinding, white pain, filling everything in his head with burning numbness.

He roared in anger, slamming hard into the ground, his powerful body crashing to the floor.

He...not it.

The Vine pushed against him, adding more pain to his throbbing head. His head felt like it was being split open and he gasped for air, claws tearing gashes into the ground.

Can't...do...it.

And he finally surrendered and succumbed to the wishes of the Vine.

Each step brought more relief, and when he finally leaned over the limp body, he felt no pain at all.

The amazing feeling of being painless washed over him as he reveled in the moment. But as he waited, the Vine became inpatient.

Now do it. Kill her...spill her blood, the ground is already bloody...what's a little more? The Vine whispered greedily in his mind.

But as the overpowering smell of the girl, the extremely familiar smell.

It absolutely crippled its willingness to kill.

He.

Something said firmly within his mind.

He. You are a he. Refer to yourself as so.

KILL HER! WHY ARE YOU HESITATING?!

The Vine shrieked, and he could feel all the lower mutts trembling at the blatant fury that traveled through the Vine.

But something was fighting inside of him. Something that fought the urge to please the master within the Vine, and something gasped and thrashed inside of him, throwing his innards into turmoil. Something was bubbling up, spilling out of the dark recesses of his mind, and clawing at the control the Vine had over him.

The Alpha panted, drooling over the girl's face as he lifted his head to meet the gray eyes of a scared, desperate looking woman. The same woman from his visions.

And that something that was fighting, broke free for a split second as their eyes met.

She peered out from inside the stronghold, more people gathering. But the Alpha's attention was entirely on her. The window was from floor to ceiling, and the Alpha's chest moved up and down, the fur barely brushing the girl below him.

She rolled a little, curling up tighter.

The Alpha stared at the brunette, and hesitated again, the Vine's control washing over him.

NOW ALPHA.

He lifted his eyes again, desperately needing the surge of power looking at the woman gave him.

The blond's eyes were begging. Begging him. Begging him not to hurt the girl.

And something inside of him broke, and this time, instead of a thread reaching through, it was a tidal wave.

A wave of HIM washed over this mind, and it completely swamped any whisper of the Vine's power away from him.

As the Vine roared in outrage at the...thing's breakthrough. The Vine tried to reach up through the waves of pure him, and take over. The thing fought within him, against the Vine, to stay on top, to stay in control.

"Get...May...to...Cynthia," he rasped, his husky voice unfamiliar after not speaking a word for years. "To...Door."

He shuddered.

May. Her name is May. She was your student. Get her to safety.

And before he could overthink it, he snatched up the frail girl by the collar of her armor, hissing as the Vine continued to fight him, and dashed for the doors.

What are you doing, you fool!? KILL HER THIS INSTANT!

The rest of the people were watching, he knew. But only one knew what was happening.

Cynthia rushed towards the stronghold doors, while the Alpha dropped the still-unconscious girl into a heap in front of the barred, metal doors.

She was crying.

Stormy, gray eyes were filled with tears.

And she recklessly opened the doors.

No Cynthia! I can't...hold on for much longer! I...can't...

She was standing there...so helpless. So vulnerable. So WEAK.

The Vine hissed with glorious joy, finally pushing the thing inside of him away. Finally pushed HIMSELF away from the helm.

A snarl ripped through him as he glared at the woman, who held her hands out, as if placating him.

He darted forward, resting a smooth, claw against her throat, hissing savagely.

Her pulse was so sweet...so inviting...

Yessss...So much better. Yess, KILL HER! The Vine screamed in glee.

But her eyes were calm, and her pulse only rose slightly, and beat steadily.

More of himself came and fought the Vine, shoving it down and away from the helm.

He pushed the mutt away from the center of his mind, his human self gaining control again.

After slumbering for so long inside...he was filled with fiery anger.

He would protect May. And Cynthia.

And to do that...

The Alpha panted on last time, gave one more low growl, and connected his gaze with Cynthia once more, before tearing away.

Rising up in heavy, tired wings. He levitated himself, hurtling away as fast as he could.

Because when he couldn't fight the Vine anymore, when the mutt inside would gain control again, he couldn't be within striking distance.

But he couldn't resist one last look before the darkness came for him.

The woman, cradling the brunette in her arms, staring after him, with silver tears in her eyes...turned away. And barred the gates.

And the human inside him was finally satisfied, and succumbed to the darkness once more.