Clash of the Entities

[mr_pikachu]

Yes! My third fic is finally started! It's PG for violence, but nothing you haven't seen before. Also, this is a crossover... but with what? (You'll know after the first chapter, I'm sure.) Anyway, here's the standard disclaimer: I have no ownership of the Pokemon or _______ companies. This is simply a fan work designed to promote the enjoyment of these two creations, blah blah blah. You get the point. Let's get started with...


Clash of the Entities


When the two most unlikely teams in all the world are pitted against each other, who will come out victorious… or alive?


Chapter 1


Ash grumbled as he walked along the poorly defined path back to camp. “Jeez, what is it with them? I just won my eighth badge, and I’m the one who has to go to the Ice Path to chill their drinks? It’s never enough, is it?” A loud growl broke the night’s silence as Ash looked down. “And I NEED FOOD!”

A buzzing noise got his attention, causing him to look down to his belt where his Pokédex was vibrating, shaking his already-cramping stomach. Ash groaned as he pulled the device off his waist, expecting an E-mail from his mother. For crying out loud, she didn’t have to write every single day to tell his to change his underwear, did she? After all, Ash was a young man! He knew what personal hygiene meant!

The fold-up device opened in his hands, showing a message from… a random spiel of letters and numbers. Ash glanced at the message title momentarily before deleting it. He sighed to himself, wondering how on earth these people got his E-mail address! After all, he’d only told his mom and the Pokémon League! Were they involved in some sick activities? Oh well. Ash didn’t have time to worry about it. He poked the button to close his Pokédex and walked on. However, he didn’t go very far.

Ash stared at his Pokédex in confusion. Why wouldn’t it close? He tried forcing it shut, but it was to no avail. His Pokédex was locked open.

He looked around him, a sense of fright overtaking him. His Pokédex was acting weird, his Pokémon were asleep at camp, and Misty and Brock had no idea where he was. He was all alone. The woods of Blackthorn could be somewhat frightening at night, even to someone who had strong Pokémon at his side. He broke into a run toward camp, dodging trees, ducking branches and hurdling bushes. As he leapt over a line of thick brush, his Pokédex shook and flew out of his hand. It smashed into the ground next to him, creating a small dent in the side. Ash stared in shock as the screen began to flash white rapidly. Several seconds later it stopped, revealing an instant message.

Ash blinked several times at the screen, gazing in wonder at the username. “‘g0d’? What kind of idiot would call himself that? That’s almost sacrileg–”

He never finished his sentence. The screen blinked again, showing the message that had been sent. Ash glared in rage at the text.

“Your Pokémon mean nothing… for there is a force far greater… if you take any pride in your creatures, come to Battle City in three days… if you defy this request, you do not deserve what little strength your Pokémon give you…” Ash slammed the Pokédex against a tree. He’d seen enough. The Pokédex closed itself, as if it knew Ash was finished. He’d be in Battle City in three days… no matter where it was!

Speaking of which, where was it? Ash suddenly realized he had no idea. He’d have to ask Brock.

Ash grabbed his Pokédex, slipped it onto his belt, and sprinted toward camp once more. Aside from the occasional hoot of a Noctowl and the screeching of Sneasels, he was undisturbed as he hurried through the night. The moon looked down on him in worry as the boy reached the point of gaining information that would surely be his doom.


Gary Oak sighed as he relaxed against the wall of the massive cave. After winning his eighth badge, he’d taken a little time to rest and recuperate with his Pokémon. His Umbreon was particularly tired after the tough challenge of Clair’s Dragons. However, after gathering berries from every tree he could find and feeding his Umbreon the nourishing fruit, the Dark type battler looked as strong as ever. A week of gathering health food passed, but he was finally ready to move on toward his goal: The Johto League.

His attention was diverted as the crimson machine that his grandfather gave him shook wildly, nearly flying off his belt. He grasped the fold-up machine, wondering what could be causing it to go crazy. He groaned as he saw the screen.

“This thing’s a waste! The spam guard’s totally useless! I can’t stand these messages! Every week it’s another piece of junk mail!” As he reached to close it, an instant message, much like the one Ash received, appeared on the screen. Gary chuckled as he saw the username, knowing that his grandfather would have loved to pound whoever dared to call himself “God,” especially a weird version of the name!

‘“How dare you mock His name!” he’d say… heh, Grandpa’s so religious! It’s a wonder he doesn’t go to church!...’ he snapped back into reality, glancing at the message he’d just received. After a few words of reading his face was nearly pressed against the screen. His anger had made him concentrate on the message even more than Ash had focused on his.

“You, as well as your Pokémon, are meaningless… if you wish to prove me wrong, be in Battle City in three days. There you will meet the ultimate challenge… you must fight like never before!”

The message ended, followed by a window appearing, saying, “g0d is now offline.” Gary pulled up his map on his Pokégear, searching for Battle City.

“Interesting… it’s three days south of here… but how could he have known where I was?” he mumbled to himself. He broke off his questioning, coming to a realization.

“If it’s Ash, I swear I’ll kill him! He won’t disrespect my Pokémon!”


The cold man grimaced at the sound of the voice. It was all too familiar to him, but yet… different. The man’s eyes narrowed, and the sound of his voice pierced the air around him. “What is it this time?” he growled into the phone. An angered growl like that would have made any sane human being coil in fear. But what happened next scared him more than it did anyone else.

The young male agent’s voice spoke into the phone. Or rather, it was him, but then again not quite. His normally flamboyant voice had become a completely monotone vibration. It was devoid of all emotion, save perhaps anger and hatred. “You will not speak to your future master that way. Listen closely. In the region of Johto, there is a city south of Blackthorn.” Already Giovanni had pulled up the city on his computer. He possessed unsurpassed speed at finding out what he wanted to know, by whatever means necessary. “In three days you shall arrive there with your pathetic Pokémon. There you shall participate in the battle of a lifetime. If you do not heed these directions you will not only be the most unworthy trainer of all time, but you shall be privy to MY CONQUERING!” Abruptly the male’s voice had been raised to a far higher volume. It now lowered itself to its previously calm level, but with even more defiance to slap in the face of Giovanni. “Do you understand?”

No one had dared challenge Giovanni since that deranged genetic creation last year, but he didn’t even remember that. All he could think of was how he would destroy his caller, no matter what the cost. And although that cost would be great, he would have to pay it. Or rather, these bumbling boneheads would. “Agreed. And where–”

He was never given the opportunity to finish his sentence. The phone on the other end clicked, and Giovanni clutched it madly in his hand for several minutes after. Finally his rage broke through, and his knuckles turned white as his muscular hands clenched the mechanism, eventually shattering it and breaking any value it may have had.

“No one has ever dared to turn against me… and after I teach him a lesson, NO ONE WILL, EVER AGAIN! EVER!!!”

[Heavenly Sage HLSOE]

Ooh...this is interesting. I like the fact that I can't spot any spelling, grammar or punctuation mistakes. The flow of the story goes well I guess, its smooth from what I read.

The only problem is that while this might not be entirely trainerish. Its like a followup of the anime and that...might not be so positive. We have to wait and see I guess.


Overall, well written.

[mistysakura]

Another anime spinoff! Well, at least you make them good. Very good.

I can't tell much from this chapter, thoguh. I don't even know what you're crossing over with. My first thought was The Matrix, but I hate the Matrix. It didn't seem to fit, anyway.

I don't have anything to say about this chapter, since it doesn't seem to give me a single idea about the fic. I'm still confused as ever.

That's two chapters of your fics in one day that i'm confused about. i think there are two possible scenarios:
1. I'm half-asleep, or
2. You're doing really well with the suspense.

[DannyBoy]

This sounds like a very interesting fic. The first chapter was good and so was description. I noticed a word I did not understand or of it was misspelled, sacrileg I don’t know if that is a word or a word spelt wrong. I think this might have to deal with Yu gi oh because I remember hearing battle city on a commercial for the show. Then I only noticed a few, not a lot of grammar mistakes but its ok. I think this should be very interesting. Keep it up!

[mr_pikachu]

...Wow. This has got to be the FASTEST three replies I have EVER recieved. No joke. Thanks, guys!


Heavenly Sage HLSOE: You know, I never thought I'd have you read one of my fics, after only seeing your responses be to the famous ones. Either I'm getting to be a better writer, or you pity me. :rolleyes: Your reason doesn't really matter to me, anyway! I'm just happy you replied!

Yeah, I pride myself on pristine grammar. You've probably noticed my ever-so-annoying-yet-lovable post in other writers' fics. ^^; Thanks for noticing! I'm glad there are people who appreciate good grammar!

Yeah, the fics I've done here (so far) have all been anime follow-ups or the like. (This was actually supposed to occur after Blackthorn City in the anime, but I got so caught up with research that I had no way to get it done on time.) So far, a lot of people have enjoyed WDAMO. We'll just have to see if this is of the same quality.


mistysakura: You must really like WDAMO for your replies to carry over to this new fic! Well, thanks for replying! Yes, I know, another spinoff. I don't know why, but I enjoy those more than creating my own characters. I am developing a fic that's not a spinoff, but we'll see if it works or not.

No, it's not The Matrix... good guess, though! And I certainly hope you're not half-asleep! :D


IloveX-TINA: Hi there! You've never replied before, have you? Well, thanks for joining up with us, and welcome to the group!

"Sacrileg-", which you mentioned, is not technically a word. It is, however, the beginning of the worg "sacreligious". What this means is that Ash was beginning to say the word when he was interrupted by his Pokedex. And really, there were grammar mistakes? Hmm, perhaps I should take a second look at this chapter... and Yu-Gi-Oh, huh? Hmm...


Anyway, thanks for replying, and I'll try to have Chapter 2 up A.S.A.P.! The nature of this fic will be revealed shortly!

[DannyBoy]

Well it isn't major grammer mistakes but its like things like commas that shouldn't be there like,


As he reached to close it, an instant message much like the one Ash received appeared on the screen.

I think you added two commas that are not needed. I think it should be.

"As he reached to close it, an instant message much like the one Ash received appeared on the screen."

Also at the end you forgot to put a end of a quote mark. But its not that bad. I should have said that when I posted before.

[Heavenly Sage HLSOE]

Lol, not pity. I'm just checking out some other fics other than the more famous ones. Like MS said its a ripoff, a blatant one. But its good. XD

[mr_pikachu]

IloveX-TINA: Thanks! I left the commas in the sentence the same, as I feel they are natural pauses in the sentence. Thanks for alerting me to that anyway. And as for the quote, you're exactly right! What what I thinking?! ;)


Heavenly Sage HLSOE: Thanks, I'm glad it's not pity. :D Though I can't imagine why you'd call a continuation a ripoff! Whatever are you taking about? :D Anyway, there are many more fics to check out, too! If you'd like, I can give you some recommendations... ;)

[classy_cat18]

Ooh, I like this! You got me on the edge of my seat. Unfortunately, I'm supposed to be studying for Advanced Programming or my Ecology exam. Don't squeal on me!

[mr_pikachu]

classy_cat18: Hey, glad you like it! I was worried that people would be disappointed by this after reading WDAMO, but I was pleasantly surprised. I'm glad it's intense! And don't worry; I won't tell!


For those of you who read WDAMO, the "research" I mentioned was referring to this project. Yes, this is the one I've been working on for months now. But just why is yet to be seen! I'll try to get the next chapter up ASAP!

(Stupid midterms... screw the test! ;))

[GeneChildMewtwo]

Well, this looks interesting. I wonder if it is indeed a crossover with what I think it is. It seems that you don't want to say... but I have a feeling the man on the other end of Giovanni's phone was a certain rod wielding individual. ^_^ But I could be wrong.

How many "Battle City"s are there? I can only think of one.

Anyway, I'm looking forward to the next part. (Especially if my guess is accurate. ^_^) Keep it up!:wave:

[mr_pikachu]

GeneChildMewtwo: Well, you're sort of close... in a way... you'll see what I mean eventually. But not for quite awhile. :D Well, you'll find out how accurate your guesses are in the next chapter, I assure you. I hope you enjoy it, since I'll have it done in just a few days (or less, if I can help it)! :wave:

[mr_pikachu]

Well, here we go! Chapter 2 - and Battle City - awaits you, readers! Enjoy!


Chapter 2


“What’s the big rush, Ash? Why do you want to go to this… ‘Battle City’ so much?” Misty was giving yet another complaint regarding the speed of the group’s journey, which had been sped up intensely for the last three days. Ash sighed very audibly, which utterly failed to have any effect on the girl other than to increase her volume. “We’ve been running for an hour straight, Ash! We’re not marathoners!”

“She’s got a point, Ash. If you’d just stop and wait, you’ll be stronger for… whatever it is you’re hurrying off to!” Brock chimed in. After a few pants and an exasperated sigh from Misty, the young trainer halted, allowing his friends to collapse behind him.

Ash leaned over in exhaustion. He hadn’t realized himself how tired he was. His cap slipped off his head, falling softly to the ground. Ash took no notice, breathing in short bursts of air in a struggle to bring energy back to his body. The sweet taste of oxygen revived his spirits anew, and he rushed over the oncoming hill. After reaching the top, he stopped, glaring onward.

Toward Battle City.

The legendary city of giant buildings, thriving businesses… and something else that hadn’t quite clicked in Ash’s mind. Nevertheless, he sped off toward his destination with Pikachu right behind, carrying the boy’s hat all the way. Misty and Brock brought up the rear, however unhappy they may have been with the shortened break.

The city was now dark, shutting down after the grand event. It had boosted the city’s economy tremendously, but left no long-term effects in the end. As Ash neared a giant fountain, he realized that the visitors were leaving now that the “festivities,” if you will, had ended. Ash was walking around in amazement at the mass of people flooding out of the city when his eye caught a familiar face. That “familiar face” also saw Ash, and became instantly infuriated.

“Why did you send me that goddamn note? What do you mean me and my Pokémon are meaningless? What the hell is this about? AND WHY DO YOU CALL YOURSELF G0D?!”

Ash took a few frantic steps back as Gary closed in. “H-hold on a second, Gary. I got a note telling me to come here, too… from some guy named ‘g0d,’ like you said–”

Gary broke in, stammering, “But… huh? Then… who sent the note?”

Their quarrel was broken up by a loud, roaring sound above them. The two looked up to see a black helicopter preparing to land just to the side of the fountain. The two boys backed up hastily, awaiting the passenger. As the blades stopped, the door swung opened, and Ash stood in absolute shock. Could he be who contacted them? After all, Giovanni DID seem to have some sort of superiority complex…

“Where is he? Where is that damn boy…” He stopped as he spotted Ash and Gary. Ash was a familiar foe, but the other boy he had never seen before. But there was no trace of the caller. ‘Damn you, James,’ he thought to himself, ‘damn you! You call me in defiance, and then run like a scared Rattata! Damn…” He trailed off, as from the chaos of coming and going traffic, there emerged a young man. His brown hair and blue eyes seemed familiar (though he was slumped over and his eyes were very faded), but it didn’t fall into place until the second mysterious person appeared. A teenaged boy with the wildest hair any of them had ever seen now stood next to the first man. His purple eyes were drained of their normally fiery essence, his head hung down, and his hair looked like a rainbow-colored porcupine preparing to charge. The upside-down pyramid charm dangling from his neck looked somewhat old and faded, but the eye-like symbol in the middle flickered occasionally as if sunlight were reflecting off of it. It was then that Ash realized who the calls were from.

“You… you’re Yugi Muto, aren’t you? You’re the first Duel Monsters player to have ever beaten him… er… Seto Kaiba! That’s right! And… aren’t you the, uh, King of Games, Yugi?” Ash was far too overwhelmed with shock to realize he was talking with the enemy.

“WAS the King of Games. WAS.” The spiky-haired boy known as Yugi finally spoke, but it certainly didn’t sound right. His voice sounded even deeper than his normal tone, and it had an eerie echo to it, as if someone else was speaking the same words at nearly the exact same time. “He WAS the King of Games… until I DEFEATED HIM!”

Now things were really not making sense. First off, Yugi was referring to himself as “he,” and he said that he defeated the King of Games… but he WAS the King of Games! Something was definitely amiss, Gary decided.

“What… what are you talking about? You can’t defeat yourself! And even if you could, you’d still be the King of Games, because you’d take the title from yourself! But then…”

“Guess all you want. I’ve got all day.” The sarcastic voice of Seto Kaiba sounded dull, with a warped echo behind it, much like Yugi’s symptom. Though he did not bear his usual sarcastic smile on his face, his eyes glared at the three trainers in hatred. They were darkened and aged, as if he hadn’t slept for a week, but still somehow had energy in them.

Giovanni had been staring at Seto’s right wrist, which bore some sort of large device on it. There were spaces, notches, and a container for cards. ‘That must be his dueling deck,’ Giovanni decided. He had no idea about the rest, though, as he failed to keep up with current trends.

Gary suddenly came to a realization. Something about these two seemed… identical. But they were known for being exact opposites! And if they weren’t ever alike, then someone else would have to be…

“Where are you?” he spoke. “Show yourself!”

The whirring of a motorcycle engine hummed from the distance. The trainers still waited, as the two duelists bore blank expressions on their faces. As the engine seemed to get louder, Gary and Ash grew nervous with anticipation. Whoever it was sure knew a lot about them… and was very strange indeed. The sound finally halted as the cycle ripped through the crowds, winding up directly in front of the fountain, and in between the two duelists.

“You must be wondering who I am,” he spoke with a sneer. His high-pitched, screeching voice showed no signs of an echo, and he had plenty of emotion to display. His white hair flowed in the breeze, which was just beginning to pick up. He grabbed a long, golden rod off his bike, and proceeded to approach the trainers. Ash stared in terror at the rod, which had a large eye-shaped ball on the top end. Who knew what it could do? The boy interrupted Ash’s thoughts by continuing. “My name is Marik Ishtar. And yes, I am quite powerful, in case you were wondering.” The three stared dumbfounded at him. “Allow me to clear a few things up. This Millennium Rod allows me to control people’s minds. They do my bidding, much like these two here. Oh, and when Yugi said he had defeated the King of Games, that was me speaking. He lost the Battle City Championship, and as a result, I not only have the World Champion title, but I have the power of the Pharaoh,” he said, pointing to the upside down pyramid on Yugi’s neck, “as well as the three Egyptian God Cards! Now, on Yugi’s neck is the Millennium Puzzle, containing the power of the ancient Pharaoh. Not to mention the fact that I possess the three Egyptian God Cards; the ultimate power of dueling!”

“So you invited us here to give us a lecture on your titles. How nice. Umbreon, use–”

“Before you attack me with your Pokémon,” Marik broke in, “you might want to think about our decks. For that is what you are here for!”

“What… to duel you? But we don’t have Duel Monst–”

“That’s not the idea. I could take over the world at any moment, if it weren’t for the despicable Pokémon you possess. So, I must prove to the trainers of the world that even they cannot stop me!”

“What, you think that since you won some card tournament that you can rule the world? Not likely.” Ash gave a cocky glare to Marik, who could tell that there was just a tiny bit of fear behind the trainer’s cold stare.

“You underestimate the power of the cards, boy. And that will be your undoing!” Marik laughed maliciously as the beautiful city around them vanished into a sea of darkness, leaving only the duelists, the trainers, and the Pokémon in the sea of purple and black. Ash could feel himself becoming woozy, and he struggled to keep standing on his wobbly legs.

“Prepare to fight in the Shadow Realm!” Marik exclaimed as the three duelists removed the machines and tossed them aside, leaving only a leather strap holding down the deck on each duelists’ right wrist. “Call your Pokémon, and prepare to duel!”

[DannyBoy]

That was a ok chapter. THis might be hard for me to understand since I only seen a episode or two of Yu-Gi-Uh. Ash and Gary seemed excited yet freaked out when Yugi came and then Marick came. I only noticed one spelling error and that was Millennium and you spelt it 'Millenium'. It was ok length and you did good with description of the characters. Keep it up!

[mistysakura]

Interesting. As IloveX-Tina said, it may be hard for me to understnd what's going on in parts, since I have never seen a single episode of Yu-Gi-Oh in my entire life. Oh well.

That seemed short for you. Nothing seemed to happen much, although you did build up the suspense pretty well.

Waiting for the next chapter. In the meantime, I'll go and read WDAMO. :D

[mr_pikachu]

Whee! More replies!


IloveX-TINA: Hey, thanks for replying again! Sorry about you losing out on the Mod Contest, though. Sometimes I'd like us all to be mods. Then again, if we were, it wouldn't be much of an honor, would it?

I'll try to make this understandable, and I think I have a way to do it. You'll see what I mean soon enough. ;) I'm glad you're enjoying this, though. *looks over spelling error* Dang, you caught me again! I guess I shouldn't give you trouble anymore, huh? :D Thanks again for reading, and Chapter 3 will be up as soon as I get a few free hours to write!


mistysakura: *balloons pop* *confetti falls* *blasting trumpets deafen the crowd* It's our new Mod! Presenting.... mistysakura!!! Let's all give her a warm welcome! Come on up! ..... mistysakura? Are you here? Oh well, we'll continue without you! ;)

Anyway, as I told IloveX-TINA, I'll make every effort to make this understandable for people you don't watch YGO. Don't worry; I think I'm up to the task! :D And yes, this was short, but I think it served the purpose quite well. Thanks for reading!


Anyway, I'll try to have the next chappie up A.S.A.P.! See ya later! :wave:

[GeneChildMewtwo]

Well, I was right about some stuff... but I didn't expect that. So Marik won the Battle City Tournament? That can't happen, it breaks Yu-Gi-Oh's #1 rule: "Yugi cannot lose." =P

So, now Marik has all kinds of Duel Monsters havoc to unleash... I wonder how Pokemon strength compares to that of a Duel Monster. I have a feeling that the rules for Ash and Gary won't work like a standard Pokemon Battle, since Marik did pull them into the Shadow Realm...

This is going to get really interesting, but it seems that this deveates a bit from the plot line currently going on in the YGO show. (Marik is still normal) But if you've been reading ahead of what's aired in the USA, then you may know stuff I don't. But then again, if you just re-wrote the events from the show, that would be boring. ^_^ I'm just wondering where your time-line splits off.

And in case you haven't figured it out by now, I actually watch Yu-Gi-Oh every weekend. (I play the game too, but not a whole lot.) So, I can get a lot more of what's going on. (Or at least think I do until mr_pikachu says, "Nope, you're wrong!" and does something different. ^_^)

Well, I'll be waiting for the next chapter. Keep it up! :wave:

[mr_pikachu]

GeneChildMewtwo: Yeah, I hate that "rule". Give me a break! Show me a real life sport where the champ never loses, and I'll show you a sport that's rigged. :rolleyes:

So you don't think this'll be the quite what the trio of "good guys" are used to, huh? Well, I will say one thing: Marik's definitely going to unleash hell. Beyond that, you'll find out soon enough.

Son you think this deviates from the show? Actually, not from where I think you are right now. I did read a bit ahead in TV Tome, but I still don't even know the outcome of the semi-finals. I just had to get a feel for their decks, so that I could get a list of the cards myself. But you're right, Marik is normal. Why, you ask? That will be explained... eventually. :D

Yeah, I watch whenever I can, too. When I have the day to myself, I'm watching from 7-11 AM straight. Right now, though, I'm more interested in Pokemon Advance, for two reasons. One, it's a new season in a new land with new characters, etc., and two, YGO has hit a point where they're going through a little side-story. That's... annoying. :P I also play the games, as well. (I have just about every one except the card game itself. Go figure.)

Well, I'll try to have the new chapter up as soon as I can. Until then! :wave:

[mr_pikachu]

Here comes Chapter 3! The true nature of this meeting will now be revealed!


Chapter 3


Ash’s eyebrows curled upward out of disbelief. Okay, so this guy did somehow conjure up this bubble of darkness they were trapped inside. And yes, Ash was feeling weaker by the second because of it. But there was just no way he could bring those cards to life without the machines! And even the holograms wouldn’t last two seconds against real, living creatures!

Marik almost seemed able to read Ash’s mind, as he replied, “I’ll bet you think we can’t possibly do anything to stop you, correct? Then I shall prove my point. Go ahead and attack me with your Pokémon. You’ll have to find out about the Shadow Realm sooner or later, after all!

Ash and Gary wisely hesitated, but Giovanni was unnerved and enraged. He flung a Pokéball at Marik’s head, releasing a large Nidoqueen right next to him.

“Nidoqueen! Use Take Down! Kill that miserable piece of filth!” The Nidoqueen, being quite used to obeying malicious orders, sprang up and leaped on top of Marik. Instantly a nearly transparent sphere appeared around Marik, and as Nidoqueen collided with it, she was thrown backwards, skidding to a halt just before she would have crashed into her now very worried trainer.

“Fool. You can’t attack me. I haven’t even made a move to harm you yet,” Seto Kaiba spoke up, and Ash now noticed that Seto and Yugi flanked Marik on either side.

“So, then what? We just sit here until you release us?”

Yugi now stepped forward, still bearing the same slumped shoulders as before. “You can’t attack me. The rules are not the same for his minions.”

Gary just now realized that every time Seto or Yugi spoke, Marik was also speaking along with him. He must have been the echoing voice they had heard earlier.

“Minions? What’d you m–”

“Fool! It is simple. You have Pokémon. We have Duel Monsters. They fight each other. Whoever wins gets to stay alive. Get the picture?” Marik’s sneer was growing ever more present, and Ash could hear the grinding of Giovanni’s teeth on his right.

Gary, however, was not so emotional. “Yeah. Right. Duel Monsters. Suuure. So how’re you gonna conjure ‘em? Cause last time I checked you didn’t have any little machines with you.”

The three duelists all gave an identical vicious cackle at once. Marik reached for a card on his wrist, swiped it out of the leather strap, and held it in front of him to see. His eyes narrowed, and an evil grin spread across his face. Without a word he swung his arm back to his left, and whipped it back out, releasing the card like a frisbee in the process. The card spun rapidly as it flew and halted in the center of the group. A few flashes of light later, a large, green warrior with a giant sword and a tri-horned helmet emerged. The beast leaned on his sword and glared at Ash, striking fear into the heart of his enemy.

“And THAT,” Marik roared, “is a Duel Monster.”

Ash was too paralyzed with terror to make a move, but Gary was anxious to defend his comrade. “Scizor!” he cried out as he launched his Pokéball, “Metal Claw attack!”

The Steel bug swung his lightning-fast claw as he emerged from his Pokéball, but the Duel Monster that had been summoned merely blocked it with his sword every time the attack came near. Time and time again he swung, but Scizor just couldn’t get around the massive blade.

Marik chuckled loudly, snapping Ash out of the trance of watching the battle. Giovanni had stridden over to him and began throwing all his weight into the transparent shield surrounding the new King of Games. After several tries and a sore shoulder, he finally gave it up, panting loudly as he backed away, seemingly unaware of the battle still raging between Scizor and the Duel Monster.

Marik took a deep breath after his long laugh, then glared at the three trainers. Ash was hesitant to take any action for fear of how Marik might retaliate, Giovanni was ready to do whatever it took to take down the vicious duelist, and Gary was unaware of the eyes focusing in on them as he struggled to think of how to get around the Duel Monster’s blade.

“Well,” Marik sneered, “shall we begin?”

Yugi and Seto stepped forward to come even with Marik’s position. Both of them reached for a card on the wristband, and both of them tossed it out into the open with the same motion that Marik had used. A yellow creature with what looked sort of like colored horseshoes for hands emerged from Yugi’s card, and Seto’s revealed a pair of elvish creatures standing side by side.

Gary broke from his trance to see the two new entities as they glared at their lone opponent. He stood stunned as Ash and Giovanni simultaneously clutched Pokéballs. Yugi and Seto glared at them while still managing to maintain the same vacant look as before. As Ash’s Pokémon burst from its ball before he even threw it, Yugi’s eyes followed it until it emerged in the shape of a small, blue, upright crocodile. Giovanni was ready to throw out his until he realized that Nidoqueen was urging him to let her continue the fight. He consented, and she gave a roar of approval.

“I call upon Beta the Magnet Warrior!” Yugi called simultaneously with Marik. “Beta! Control that Scizor with your magnetism!” Beta obediently reached out its magnet hands and pointed them at Scizor, grasping the bug within a concentrated field. It was instantly immobilized, unable to make any motion to counter the unexpected attack.

“Vorse Raider!” yelled Marik, “Hack away at that Scizor!” The Vorse Raider swung his mighty blade into Scizor’s chest, sending a deep dent all the way through. He lifted the blade again, intending to repeat the process.

“Oh, no you don’t!” cried Ash. “Totodile! Spray that… thing with your Water Gun!” No sooner had Ash said the phrase “Water Gun” than a large stream of water flowed out of Totodile’s mouth, furiously pounding Beta. The Magnet Warrior strained to keep hold of Scizor, but gave it up just in time to allow the bug to leap out of the way of the Vorse Raider’s second attack.

Giovanni, in the meantime, was concentrating on the two elves released by Seto, and Ash’s attention was momentarily diverted. “Gemini Elf,” said Seto, “attack Nidoqueen from opposite sides!” They sprang up and raced to either side of the mighty Pokémon, forcing it to look back and forth to keep track of them.

“Wait a minute!” Ash exclaimed, “How come he let out two monsters?”

Ash had barely finished the question before Giovanni sharply replied, “Gemini is the astrological sign for twins! Why did you think the elves look identical?”

“Oh.” Ash turned back his head just in time to see the Vorse Raider swinging his sword at Totodile, who was dancing madly to get away from it. In the meantime, Beta was struggling to move, having already attained a thin layer of rust on its body. Scizor finished the job Totodile started by leaping forward and slamming into the Magnet Warrior, shattering it all over. The pieces instantly disappeared, and the card abruptly stopped spinning and flew into the eternal darkness.

Totodile continued dodging the Raider’s blade as Ash, Gary, Giovanni, Nidoqueen, and Scizor all stared at the spot where the Magnet Warrior had been. It had been shattered and disappeared into oblivion just as quickly as it had come. Now they all knew that this was much, much more than just a simple prank.

Nidoqueen was the first to break out of the trance as the Gemini Elves rushed toward her. Without warning the “ground” began to quake, sending the elves off balance and falling head over heels. Nidoqueen slammed her fists into both of them simultaneously, shattering them instantly. She then turned to the Vorse Raider and attempted to wrench the sword out of his hands. When he kept his grip, she swung him around and smashed him into the ground, adding a Stomp to the end to finish him off as well.

The Pokémon and trainers glared at their challengers as Marik clapped his hands slowly. He had a broad grin on his face, and Gary and Ash glanced toward each other. They had a bad feeling that whatever was coming up next would not be good.

They were right. Marik yanked a card out of the leather strap and held it up high, allowing everyone to see what looked like a mummy on the face. “Tribute to The Doomed,” Marik called, “activate!”

Instantly rows of bandages sprung out of the ground around Nidoqueen and wrapped themselves around her. Nidoqueen groaned with pain as they tightened themselves, and no matter how Nidoqueen thrashed, they would not set her free. Finally she collapsed to the ground, twitching occasionally. Eventually the bandages removed themselves to reveal the motionless Nidoqueen.

Giovanni stared in shock. Had his Nidoqueen just been…?

“What… on… earth… was that?” He stammered, the words leaking out like he had never expected to speak them. His open mouth was quivering, and beads of sweat were gradually appearing on his forehead.

“It’s called a Magic card, fool,” Marik stated simply. “Tribute to The Doomed takes out on opposing monster on the field.”

“But this isn’t a game!” Ash cried. “These are real, living creatures you’re messing with!”

Marik shrugged. “Don’t blame me. You knew the consequences when you accepted my challenge.”

Ash didn’t bother to tell him that they hadn’t.

[mistysakura]

Um... how do I put this? I think I'll be more of a fan of WDAMO... no offense, but this fic isn't my type. Can't explain why. I'll still read though.

Pretty good description; I get this stuff even though I've never seen a pic of anything yu-gi-oh related. That was cool, and the battle scenes really give you a sense of the power of the duel monsters. So the whole thing is because the yu-gi-oh peoople want a challenge? Hmm. pretty weird plot there.

Yeah, keep it up, the usual.

[mr_pikachu]

mistysakura: :D No problem. I figured this fic might not live up to the expectations I've set with WDAMO, but I thought it was an idea that was worth putting on the boards.

I am glad you could visualize what was going on, though. It makes me feel good to know I properly described the images. But your idea of the plot is a bit off. Basically, Marik is power-hungry, and he's done almost everything he needs to do to take control of the world (i.e. defeat the Pharaoh and obtain all three Egyptian God cards). The only thing that's left is to show his superiority over the Pokemon over the world, so that they cannot challenge his strength. Thus, he is battling the three most powerful trainers in the world. Once he defeats them, no one will be able to stop him...

Anyway, I hope you continue reading, and I'll try to post Chapter 4 soon! :wave:

[GeneChildMewtwo]

Of course Marik follows the YGO standard of "I don't actually mention any rules unless it's important for my victory." ^_^

So, does this put Marik at an advantage? There aren't any trap or magic card equivalents for the Pokemon Trainers. But they are battling in the Shadow Realm, who knows what they could do...

So far, this is working well as a crossover. You make the characters seem as they would in their respective stories and yet it still seems that it could work with both groups meeting. Although Marik's decision to wait on world domination (and unlocking the Pharoah's Power) seems a little off to me, but I can see how he would want to ensure his victory over the other monster wielders of the earth.

Well, It's late here and I have school tomorrow. I'm looking forward to the next chapter. Keep it up! :wave:

[mr_pikachu]

GeneChildMewtwo: It appears that I'm doing a ridiculously poor job of explaining things lately. (No, it's not just you, it's everyone else as well.) So I'll try again.

Marik was unable to unlock the power of the Pharaoh until he could prove his dominion over Pokemon. They acted as a sort of final seal over his rule. Thus, the conflict that ensues here.

Anyway, yes, Marik does have a distinct advantage, as trainers can't wrap opposing Pokemon in unbreakable bandages, and the like. ;) However, the Shadow Realm will have a distinct effect in this clash. But who will it benefit? Hah, you think I'm gonna just TELL you? :D But I'm glad I've done a good job of portraying the characters and their meeting. Thank goodness for small favors. :)

Well, I'm glad you took the time to read and reply! Chapter 4 will be up soon (hopefully)!

[DannyBoy]

That was a good chapter. Even though I dont really understand it, it is still fun to read. It is really weird witht eh duel monsters against the pokemon. I hope the pokemon can figure something out and kick the duel monsters butts. I really liked how you described the battle thing they had. I feel bad for Nidoqueen. Looks like she really getting it. Does Ash have Charizard with him in this? But this is very interesting with Marik, he seems to be a real jerk, he should have said something about where they were going to duel/battle. I can't wait to find out what will happen. Keep it up!

[mr_pikachu]

Finally, another update! You've been waiting for awhile, but it will be well worth it!


Chapter 4


A lone tear swept across Giovanni’s face before he brushed it away. No, he would have to be just as cold and ruthless as this cretin if he wanted revenge on him. He would pay for this atrocious act. He jerkily grabbed another Pokéball and launched it into the sea of black. From the depths of the ball sprang a gigantic stone, complete with eyes, tiny arms and stubby legs. It glanced around briefly, shuddering slightly from the new surroundings. Nevertheless, he grunted mightily, preparing for an attack.

The three duelists grasped cards once more, and again monsters appeared from the infinite reaches of the Shadow Realm. Marik’s monster looked relatively harmless; the small jar couldn’t possibly do very much. But it was the one-eyed face of the beast inside that made Ash’s stomach turn.

Yugi had summoned an elf not unlike those that Seto Kaiba had called upon, but his was alone with armor and a thin, yet deadly sword. It swung the blade around and grunted fiercely, awaiting a command from its owner.

Kaiba had perhaps played the most dangerous card of all. A gargantuan giant rose up from the surface of the field, roaring deafeningly. If the blue-green tint of his skin didn’t make him look ugly, his lone eye certainly did. Together with Yugi’s elf, the giant stepped forward to guard the small jar.

Giovanni grimaced in anger. Not only did the giant have an enormous size advantage on all the other combatants, but the elf brandished its sword like an expert warrior.

Totodile was the first to leap into action, spraying the giant in the face with another Water Gun. It failed to do anything whatsoever to the beast, as it grunted heavily and began to stare down the crocodile. In the meantime, Scizor dashed around the repeated slashes of the sword of Yugi’s elf.

Golem curled up and pounced at the giant, flinging its weighty body with extraordinary speed. Kaiba, however, in conjunction with Marik, had other ideas. “Hitotsu-Me Giant,” they cackled, “stomp that Golem flat! Smash it to pebbles!”

Golem recoiled in horror to see the creature’s massive right foot raised into the darkness above it. The foot sliced downward, and Golem could hear it cutting through the air within the sea of black as it neared. As Golem dove out of the way to evade the attack, the foot crashed down into the floor of the realm, disappearing momentarily before it was pulled back up by its owner. Golem took the opportunity to lunge toward the small jar that lay behind the giant.

As soon as Golem’s body touched the jar, however, the entire area began to quiver, and all three Duel Monsters disappeared into the mist that now flowed through the Shadow Realm. Just as quickly, the three trainers’ Pokéballs glowed a mysterious red, and without any command, returned their Pokémon to the confines of the spheres.

“Hey… what the…?” Ash grabbed the Lure Ball and tossed it into the darkness again. A loud buzzing was heard when Totodile should have been released again, and the Lure Ball floated back into Ash’s outstretched hand without any further action.

Marik sneered devilishly at Ash’s stunned look. “The Morphing Jar sends all monsters to the Graveyard, or in your case, back to their Balls. You have no way to release them again. The battle must end before your devices will be unlocked. Unless, of course, you have some dueling cards to help you out,” he added while his eyes grew ever wider with the fiery glare of rage and victory.

“So that means… we can’t use any of our Pokémon?” said Gary. His expression was one of confusion and dismay, as he’d never had a challenge he couldn’t use Pokémon for.

Marik put his hand to his head in aggravation. “They’re even dumber than I thought…” he muttered to himself. “No, idiot. Only the Pokémon that were battling when you attacked the Morphing Jar are locked away,” he sneered, rolling his eyes at the trainers’ lack of knowledge. “Any that were not battling can still be used. Except for your Nidoqueen, obviously,” he added with a harsh look toward Giovanni.

Now it was the trainers’ turn to regroup. They only possessed 14 remaining Pokémon, while these duelists still had their entire decks to go through. For some reason, however, Ash had noticed that all three duelists’ shoulders seemed a little more slumped over than they had when the battle first began. They must have also been feeling upset about their monsters in the same way that the three trainers cared for their downed Pokémon. But they sure showed it in a strange way.

“Alright, then. You’ll pay for trying to kill my Scizor. Go, Blastoise!” Gary called out. The sphere burst open as the boulder sized form of Blastoise emerged from it. It knelt over, its cannons locked on target directly at Marik. This time, Gary assured himself, they would have the upper hand.

Ash, in turn, called upon Cyndaquil, and Giovanni released a wily Sandslash. The three Pokémon glared at their adversaries, sure that there was no chance of them losing this time.

Yugi drew his card first. Marik grinned as Yugi stared at his new dueling weapon, and with one swift motion, the card was released from the depths of the realm. Blastoise stared in horror at the ground beneath it as a strange symbol resembling a fancy pentagram materialized at its feet. It rose up to the belly of the Pokémon before shooting blasts of electricity throughout its body.

Gary barely had time to speak a word before Marik explained. “Spellbinding Circle weakens the attacks of one monster on the field. In this case, we’ve targeted your Blastoise. I think it’s safe to say it won’t be so quick to ready an attack next time.”

Gary was merely able to retort with incoherent babble at best, but Ash stepped in. “Come on! Call a monster already!”

“So we shall. But you will regret your haste, boy. You forget who has the advantage here.” Marik pulled a card from his deck, and without looking plunged it into the ocean of black. “Let’s see how my luck holds with this draw.”

Indeed, his luck seemed to hold very poorly. He and Yugi both summoned small monsters. Yugi’s card revealed a fuzzy brown blob with green legs, while Marik called forth a fragile, decaying mask. That was until Kaiba flung his card into the midst.

“I sacrifice Kuriboh and the Mask of Darkness,” he yelled, “to summon the Blue Eyes White Dragon!”

“Oh, no,” Gary muttered. “This is not good.”

He couldn’t have been more correct. While the two small monsters disintegrated into nothingness, in the spot where they had lain, a mighty dragon arose. The spikes on either side of its massive jaws proclaimed its power, and its body alone took up a great deal of the space between the combatants. Its blue eyes sparkled even within the bleak setting that was now their battlefield, and its tail swished about, having no effect on the duelists though it was dangerously close to crashing into them.

Without a moment’s hesitation the dragon sprung into the air, and its muscular wings kept its bluish-white body aloft and over the head of all the combatants. The claws on its short hands and feet, though not its main weapon, were still a force to be reckoned with. The belly of the creature looked like it could hold a thousand Blastoise, a thought that made the one present shudder in fright. Indeed, all who now faced the beast were quivering in fear, while the duelists who were allied with it took the situation as if they saw a Blue Eyes every day, and that it was no big deal. Then again, it could have just been Marik’s mind control poisoning their very existences again.

“This is definitely not good,” Gary added as a massive ball of white energy began to form within the jaws of the airborne dragon.

[DannyBoy]

That was a ok chapter. Marik seems like a really cocky person. Ash, Gary, and Gio don't know whats happening so its not their fault they don't know a lot about it. They really need a miricle right now to help them out. I have a feeling though something might happen to help them out in the next chapter because of the end. Keep it up!

[mr_pikachu]

IloveX-TINA: I'm glad you're enjoying this! Yes, Marik is very cocky. After all, he just defeated the Pharaoh and King of Games, and is now facing opponents who barely know the rules! The "good guys" are in a tight situation now. Thanks for the reply! :wave:

[mr_pikachu]

Prepare for the wrath of the mighty Blue Eyes White Dragon!


Chapter 5


The energy crackled as the Blue Eyes roared, shaking the Shadow Realm itself. Waves of energy forced the trainers to their feet as Marik looked on confidently. Ash, for one, was struggling simply to keep from collapsing entirely, and his two partners weren’t having much better luck.

Another tremendous snap shook the void of darkness as the trainers desperately tried to pull some solution together from their rattled minds. The Shadow Realm alone was intense enough, and the extraordinary Blue Eyes White Dragon did little to calm their nerves. As their field of play shook once more, Sandslash’s ears pricked up, and it dashed toward Cyndaquil and Blastoise, who were huddled together in a desperate ploy to survive the attack. The trainers knew there was no point in recalling their Pokémon, for as soon as they were replaced, the attack would come again. Though the trainers couldn’t be attacked, and could protect their Pokémon within their Balls at will, doing so would initiate an endless cycle of attacking and recalling. There would be no point to it. And seeing as how they were already struggling just to maintain awareness, delaying the inevitable would be worse than futile.

Sandslash bounded toward its allies as the energy intensified and molded itself. The sphere grew larger until, at last, the power sprung forth in the form of a white beam, hurling itself at the frightened Pokémon before it.

The trainers knew that their Pokémon didn’t stand a chance. Within an instant they had grasped their Pokéballs, but in that instant it was over. Sandslash leapt over to its fellow Pokémon just as the attack hit, seemingly in a suicidal effort. The Shadow Realm was, for once, filled with bright light, as excess energy deflected off the Pokémon and showered the area. None of the trainers could see what was going on, as the energy directed itself toward them. Ash took a step back before realizing that he couldn’t be harmed by the attack; as Marik said, they couldn’t be attacked now. But their Pokémon had been left defenseless.

The energy receded quickly, and the trainers – as well as the duelists – looked on in awe at the sight before them.

Cyndaquil and Blastoise were covered in burns and bruises from the blast, but amazingly had not been seriously injured from the attack. Something had obviously drawn the attack away from them. The trainers now gazed upon Sandslash, who was standing upright, arms outstretched. But the most amazing thing about it was that Sandslash didn’t have a scratch on it.

“How… what… why…?” Marik struggled for words, and didn’t bother to speak through his drones now. He’d obviously been stunned by the events that had now transpired, and was definitely not in the mood to hear bad news, though he genuinely needed to know.

Gary puzzled over the question before them. The Blue Eyes White Dragon’s attack was one of the strongest in the entire game of Duel Monsters. That much he knew for certain. But the question remained of how Sandslash had somehow survived it in peak condition. It was as if he was immune to the dragon itself. But how could that be?

“Marik…” said Gary, his eyes blank in total shock of the discovery he and Sandslash had just made, “I think Sandslash found the weakness of your dragon.”

All three duelists turned their gaze to Gary. Marik was obviously trying to regain his composure, and seemed very unnerved about the unexpected turn of events. “The Blue Eyes’… weakness? But it has none… after all, its attack is so powerful… almost no monster can withstand it!”

“And that is the flaw!” Giovanni exclaimed, coming to the same realization. “Almost no monster can withstand it, but when the dragon went up against Sandslash, it was met with a mismatch!”

“A mismatch? BUT HOW? That puny rodent couldn’t possibly survive a White Lightning attack under any circumstances!”

“GROUND TYPES ARE IMMUNE TO ELECTRICITY!” the three trainers bellowed in unison, the very power of their voices sending Marik a few steps backward.

Sandslash was immune to electricity? But that was the only attack the dragon had! It was useless without its White Lightning! That was the only way it could unleash its power! The flaw of the dragon had finally been exploited, but not by a Duel Monster – by a Pokémon instead!

“You should’ve done your homework before you challenged us, Marik,” said Gary triumphantly. “Not knowing your own monster’s weakness will be the end of it and you!”

“Every trainer knows that everything, whether it’s Pokémon or Duel Monsters, has weaknesses. That’s just a part of life we have to live with,” explained Giovanni.

“ENOUGH!” yelled Marik, taking aback Ash before he could utter another defiant word. “So I can’t defeat Sandslash… I can still destroy your other Pokémon, because you won’t be able to defeat the Blue Eyes White Dragon, no matter how many immunities you have!”

Ash glared at Marik, who had his arms folded from beside Kaiba’s dragon. His sneer would normally be enough to pierce the heart of the strongest man. Only in this case, Ash was simply leading him on.

A crackling noise broke through the Shadow Realm, startling Marik out of his trance. Ash and Gary instantly recalled their Pokémon, mere seconds before the second shockwave hit. Cyndaquil and Blastoise were unharmed in the safety of their Pokéballs, leaving Marik to wonder why Sandslash had been left out. And what could be making the shockwave in the first place.

His face fell when he saw Sandslash clawing into the Blue Eyes’ chest right under his nose. Because of his arrogance, he hadn’t even noticed his beast being torn into. But before he could speak a command, the entire area exploded with pale blue light. The duelists and trainers strained to shield their eyes from the devastating blast, and as the light faded and the vision of the onlookers returned, the last pieces of the mighty Blue Eyes White Dragon disintegrated into nothingness.

Kaiba collapsed to his knees, and Marik shot a glance to his left. It appeared Kaiba was stunned by the loss of his beast, though Marik appeared relatively undaunted. Marik frantically clenched his teeth, and Kaiba returned to his slumped-over, yet upright position. Marik briskly turned his gaze back to his opponents. Sandslash was brandishing its claws proudly, while Blastoise and Cyndaquil were being re-released. The trainers’ glares bore into the heart of Marik, but he did everything he could to maintain his cool. In fact, over the past few minutes the Shadow Realm had grown intensely hot, what with all the energy flying around. Even the protective barriers of the combatants didn’t protect them from the miserable heat of this place, and they now found they had a new element to contend with, besides the overwhelming strain of the Shadow Realm.

Marik took a deep breath before drawing his card. Kaiba and Yugi remained motionless with two fingers over the tops of their decks, waiting eagerly for their master’s command to draw. But it wouldn’t come just yet. Marik threw a new card into the fray, and Ash was taken aback by the pale, ghostly hand that emerged from the card. It reached toward him, and no matter how fast Ash stepped back, he wasn’t getting any farther away from it. In fact, as he soon noticed, he wasn’t moving at all.

The hand reached him, and Ash shuddered in shock at what it might do. Without a moment’s hesitation it plunged itself into Ash’s chest, tensing as it gripped onto his heart, his soul. Ash cried out in agony, and Gary’s face contorted out of fear for his rival’s safety. Even Giovanni was disgusted by this strange torture Ash was being put through.

Ash’s shrill screams only served to amuse Marik, however. His laugh grew colder as the seconds grew on, and even stronger when Ash collapsed once the hand released its grip. “Did you enjoy the effect of Just Desserts, boy? Did you feel it ripping the life from your very beating heart? Hah! Don’t you fools realize that I have no mercy on my adversaries?”

“This has gone far enough!” Gary cried out. Marik glanced over in curiosity at him. “What you’re doing is sick! Sure, you may have a dream of your own; we all do! But how you’re trying to reach it… it’s disgusting! You’re acting demented! Let us out of here, and we won’t bother you again!” Gary’s pleas for pity caused Marik to raise an eyebrow, and no one seemed to notice that Ash had now spewed his breakfast into the darkness of the Realm.

“You just don’t understand… you are not here so that you can just tell others of my power. What I have in store is far more ‘demented,’ as you will see. You are the strongest of your kind, a force unparalleled by any other in your field. When people see the wretched condition of your remains after you are destroyed, none will dare to challenge me!”

Gary took a step back. Giovanni gritted his teeth. Ash lay on the “ground”, staring up at Marik. All three took a moment to comprehend Marik’s words. He just said that they would be remains after they were destroyed… did that mean he really meant to kill them? Was he really willing to go that far to accomplish his objective?

The duelists quickly drew once more in an aim to take advantage of the element of surprise. The three knew that the best was yet to come, and their cards had just revealed a method of obtaining it when the time came.

[DannyBoy]

That was a good chapter, it was a little short but still good. I liked how you stuck with pokemon rules like certin types being immune to others. I hope they keep figuring out all the weaknesses so they can win it. Keep it up!

[mr_pikachu]

ILXT: Who says they'll be able to exploit weaknesses? Remember, everything has a weakness. But you're forgetting that the trainers have 18 Pokemon to counter 120 cards. A bit of a mismatch, if I do say so myself. I highly doubt they'll be able to rely on weaknesses the entire match... ;)

[mr_pikachu]

Well, well! A new chapter is here! The ending will undoubtedly puzzle you, but all will be explained - eventually. :D


Chapter 6


“I activate Call of the Haunted,” said Marik, “to revive Kuriboh from the Graveyard!”

Instantly shards of the tiny beast flew in from all directions, swarming the field and directing themselves toward one central spot. The pieces rebuilt the structure of the brown blob that was Kuriboh.

“Why that thing?” Ash murmured to himself. “Couldn’t he have revived that dragon we just barely lasted through? It’d be a lot stronger than that–”

“And next,” Yugi interrupted, “I’ll activate the Magic card known as Multiply to turn this one Kuriboh into an infinite swarm of them!”

“Oh.”

The card glowed a bright white, and positioned itself under Kuriboh once it was thrown. Now Kuriboh itself glowed, and new beasts identical to it were sprouting up all over the space between the duelists and the trainers. The monsters rose as one to chirp angrily at their foes, who were now taken aback at this strange strategy.

“Okay…” Gary slowly brought himself to issue a command to destroy the Kuriboh. “Blastoise, Hydro Pump!”

“Cyndaquil, Flamethrower!”

“Sandslash, use Fury Swipes!”

All three attacks were initiated perfectly. Sandslash dove forward and ripped its claws through several Kuriboh in the span of a few seconds. The sheer force of the Hydro Pump shattered every Kuriboh it met. And the Flamethrower roasted the furry monsters, creating a horrible stench in the air as it did so. Yet the Kuriboh force continued to grow, multiplying faster than they could be eradicated. After several minutes of repetitively battling the Kuriboh, the trainers realized that they were up against a force that they couldn’t stop like that. It would take a miracle to get past these beasts now.

Marik realized that as well, but he had more important matters to attend to right now. The trainers were growing pale from the strain of the battle, and Marik had to use that to his advantage. The only decision was whether to wear them out over time or attack them mercilessly and quickly. He chose the latter, as he wanted this done quickly so he could get on with his plans.

Yugi drew another card, and Marik smirked as he saw the result through Yugi’s eyes. His spirit was wild with fire now. The Blue Eyes White Dragon had been vanquished, but now these trainers were up against a monster that had vanquished the legendary dragon numerous times in the distant and recent past.

“Go, Dark Magician!” Yugi called out. The warrior appeared, and the trainers nearly burst out in laughter at its appearance. Its purple armor was funny enough without the curved cone on its head. The funny green rod looked like a kid’s toy, the blue hair was flat against the sides of the spellcaster’s face, and its determined look only served to further fuel the ridiculousness of its looks.

“Dark Magic attack!” Yugi and Marik called out in unison. The Dark Magician raised his green rod and pointed it at Blastoise. A crackling inferno of what looked like black lightning shot out of the rod and smashed into Blastoise, throwing him backwards. His shell cracked as he slammed into the protective shell around Gary. As he slumped to the ground, his Pokéball automatically recalled him. Ash glanced up at Yugi, who sported a defiant glare; the only emotion Marik had given him so far.

Suddenly the Magician was not so funny at all. He now was a fearsome threat to any foe he faced. The trainers were suddenly aware that this was not going to be as easy as it originally looked.

Gary took the time to toss out a replacement for the battler he’d just lost. “Go, Magneton,” he said with a quivering voice. Even his defiance had now vanished, and his spirit seemed as black as the Shadow Realm itself.

The Dark Magician hovered in the air, staring down its foes with a keen, yet empty glint in its eye. His rod now felt like a guillotine to the trainers who awaited the next powerful attack of the beast. Marik stood silently, apparently expecting the Pokémon to try to split up in a vain attempt to swarm the Magician. But they knew that as soon as they took any action, the burst of dark magic would once again devastate their forces.

Marik sighed before finally taking the initiative. “Dark Magic attack!” he commanded through Yugi. Without a word the Magician again raised his rod and aimed it toward Cyndaquil. The magical energy shot out of the rod’s tip, and aimed itself at the mouse.

“Cyndaquil, dodge it! Use Flamethrower if you have to!” Cyndaquil obeyed, leaping into the air as the darkness reached it. As the energy turned upward to follow the leap, Cyndaquil pointed his head down and engulfed the energy in flames, creating a swirl of dissipating power. The attacks consumed each other, and nothing was left of either attack.

But the Dark Magician wasn’t done yet. Upon another command from Yugi, it once again fired at Cyndaquil, who was still recovering its energy after the last attack. He gasped for breath, as he, too, was feeling the strain of the long battle and the Shadow Realm. The attack shot toward him, and he struggled unsuccessfully to evade the second strike.

Before any duelists could utter a word, Gary directed his Magneton to step in and block the attack. It trusted its trainer, and hovered in between the Dark Magician and Cyndaquil. The attack rushed toward it, and its three eyes closed lightly in an effort to withstand the magical energy that was about to crash into it.

And soon enough, the attack hit. But the effect was totally unexpected. Instead of striking a mighty blow against Magneton, the dark energy simply reflected off it, shooting out to the sides of the Pokémon. Magneton opened its eyes slowly to the shock of being entirely unharmed.

“But… WHAT?!” Marik yelled. Logic seemed to be totally confounded by this strange turn-around!

“I would’ve thought you’d know your Duel Monsters better, Marik,” Gary snorted. “It is a basic rule, after all.”

“But… how… you… when… it… that…” Words failed the confounded duelist, as Magneton hovered proud and strong after realizing its resistance to the attack.

“Machines cannot be harmed by any monster that uses magic. And somehow I think the Dark Magician qualifies. It’s a shame you didn’t know the rules to the very game you claim to be a master of.”

“But… that applies HERE? With Pokémon?”

“Whoa, Gary,” said Ash out of astonishment, “how’d you know all that?”

“Er… let’s just say I keep up to date on a few recent trends, that’s all. I guess it came in handy in the end. Magneton, Thunderbolt!”

The pulsating yellow energy emerged from Magneton and launched itself toward the Dark Magician. Before it could make a move to resist, it was engulfed by the electricity, and quickly shattered into nothingness. Before the trainers could celebrate, though, the glare of the many Kuriboh that were still multiplying caught their attention. Why did the duelists multiply all of them, anyway? Surely there was more to it than summoning these beasts with such blatant weaknesses. There had to be something more.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~

“Nnngh… urrghh…” The boy’s hand slowly formed a fist, his fingers scraping against the brick-covered ground in doing so. “No… you… can’t… GAH!”

With a gigantic gasp, he rose up from his prone position. His body felt weighty with only his arms holding him up, and he soon slid to rest on one knee. “Where… where am I?”

He glanced around nervously at the complete lack of a reply. “This all seems familiar, but… when have I been here before? It’s so… cold… and dark…” He shivered, though there was no wind to cause discomfort.

“How did I get here? And… where did I come from, for that matter?” The lack of memory was puzzling as well as frightening to him. He brushed a few lengthy strands of hair out of his eyes as he mulled over the question at hand. Somehow, he knew he needed answers – and quickly.

[DannyBoy]

That was pretty good. Still a little confusing with the whole concept since I don't know much about Yugioh but you do good in places where it's needed. Like with how Magneton had an advantadge against magic. The end was confusing but in a good way because it makes ya guess what the hell is going on. Keep it up!

[HedgeCat]

This is an interesting fic, Mr_Pikachu. The battle/duel vs Marik, 'Yugi' and 'Seto' is cool. It's good that weaknesses/resistances and YuGiOh rules work in the Shadow Realm, or else Ash, Gary and Giovanni would be creamed. I think I figured out a way that Ash and co. could wind, but I may spoil the fic (unlikely), so i'm not saying.

[Dark Nidoknight]

Great, you just had to kill a Nido, even if it was Giovanni's. I'm rather sensitve over Nido-killings.

Anyway, interesting fanfic. Sorry that I can't really say anything useful.

~Dark Nidoknight~

[mr_pikachu]

Well, after two long weeks, I have returned! And I come bearing gifts... a new chapter! But first, to respond to your many replies...


IloveX-TINA: I'm glad you liked that part. Magneton's advantage may have been the last of the strokes of luck for our heroes, though. We'll see.


HedgeCat: Welcome, HedgeCat! It's good to have you in our little group! I figured this might shake things up, since it's a fairly original idea. The trainers have some problems arise in the remaining chapters, though. You'll see eventually. And thanks for not spoiling the fic; I hate it when people predict things correctly! :P


Dark Nidoknight: Another new reader! It's good to have you, Dark Nidoknight! About your "Nido-killing" comment... I can't really say much of anything, since I'm strongly opposed to spoilers. But that simple comment should tell you something... ;)


Alright! Let's get this show on the road!


Chapter 7


“Okay. No more immunities. That’s it,” Marik muttered to himself. Yugi, Seto, and Marik each drew another card, and the results gave Marik a broad grin.

“I play the magic card Ultimate Offering!” called out Seto. The very name of the card made the trainers cringe, as they knew they were in for more than they bargained for. The danger would increase even more once this card was on the field. The card spun in midair as a bright flash pulsated through the field.

“Is… that it?” asked Ash. “Just a flash?”

Marik roared with laughter. Soon he would find out. Very soon.

“I play Buster Blader by sacrificing two Kuriboh!” Yugi yelled. Two of the furry creatures vanished from the field, and a large armored warrior took their place. He was certainly a sight to behold: His purple armor was top-of-the-line, and his massive curved sword was easily wielded with his brute strength. His mask was certainly strange, with a small, twisted strand of metal coming off either side. He didn’t seem to have a face, or at least you couldn’t see it through the small holes provided for his facial features.

“I’ll summon Melchid, The Four-Face Beast!” Marik bellowed. His card spawned a hovering team of four masks that formed one monster. The beast spun slowly, showcasing all four of the vile grins. Though it didn’t look as threatening as the Buster Blader, it would still be a problem that would require dealing with.

“Go, Vampire Lord!” Kaiba muttered. Another Kuriboh disappeared as the wretched vampire took the field, preparing to lunge at Cyndaquil with the first chance it got.

“Buster Blader, attack that Sandslash!”

“Melchid, destroy Magneton!”

“Take out that Cyndaquil, Vampire Lord!”

The three monsters flew at their targets in an instant. Cyndaquil easily dodged the Vampire Lord’s first attack, but it swung its arm wildly and sent the Fire Mouse flying across the realm. Sandslash was nimble enough to dodge the Buster Blader’s sword swipe, but before it could react, the Buster Blader started a second swing. Thankfully, Melchid was slow to attack, which ended up being a blessing.

“Magneton, quick! Stop the Buster Blader with Thunder Wave!”

As the armored foe’s sword reached Sandslash, its sword was stopped by an electrical field. Before the warrior could make a move, its sword was ripped out of its hands, leaving it defenseless against Sandslash as it tore the armor right off him. Magneton was just getting ready to celebrate when Melchid rammed it in the back, sending him spiraling out of control. As the Vampire Lord charged in for the kill, a torrent of flame blasted him from the shadows.

“All right! Way to go, Cyndaquil!”

The Vampire Lord quickly responded, however, by backflipping out of the way. Melchid flew after Magneton, but was diverted when its left mask was torn off by Sandslash’s claws. The Vampire Lord struck Cyndaquil again before he felt an immense blast of electricity flow through his body. With his back smoking, he turned around just in time to see Magneton as it sent him flying with a Body Slam.

“Melchid, triple attack, now!”

The remaining trio of masks stunned all three trainers when it sent its masks flying in separate directions. They made contact with one Pokémon each before they were electrocuted, barbecued, and sliced up, respectively. Marik snorted as his monster vanished into the great beyond.

“Why’d you just leave your monster vulnerable like that, Marik? Didn’t you care if it was destroyed?”

Marik chuckled softly. “Because I don’t care, you idiots. Melchid was a weak monster, and I just wanted to deal damage to your Pokémon. Just because I had to sacrifice my pathetic masks didn’t mean it wasn’t worthwhile. Monsters are expendable. Your Pokémon, on the other hand, are all you’ve got.

Ash gasped as Cyndaquil stumbled over to him before passing out. The strain of the battle had finally gotten to him, and it would take a long time before he could battle again. Ash glumly recalled him as Marik drew another card and threw it out to the field.

“Ha ha ha! You fools! Say goodbye! GO, HINOTAMA!”

As the card exploded into oblivion, the Shadow Realm became lit up for the first time in centuries. Ash yelled out in terror as a giant ball of fire burst from the light and dropped toward him. Before he could react, the flames engulfed him, burning his torso until it was almost black. His clothes smoked as the fire dissipated.

“But… what?!” Gary yelled. “I thought you couldn’t attack us in this battle!”

Marik’s slow chuckle was following by a resounding laugh. “You imbecile! I said I couldn’t attack you! That didn’t mean I couldn’t let my cards do my dirty work! I suggest you throw a Pokéball, Ash, before I have a monster attack!”

Ash grumbled as he plucked a Pokéball from his belt. He heaved it into the darkness before it erupted into light, revealing Bayleef. She whimpered and shrunk in the face of the cold darkness, obviously affected by the complete lack of sunlight.

Yugi and Kaiba quickly pulled their cards and tossed them into the abyss, revealing a large, rock soldier and a massive, robed ogre. A Kuriboh vanished in the process, but twenty more took its place in a heartbeat.

“Now, Judge Man, attack!” Kaiba yelled.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~

“How did I get here?” the boy asked the darkness. For the twelfth time, it gave no replied. The teenager sighed and allowed himself to sink to the ground. After what seemed like endless searching and numerous traps, his quest to discover the truth continued to be in failure.

“Maybe if I try to remember… okay… I was in my room… the announcement came on… I was going to face…” He jumped as the memories came flooding back. “Oh no! HE must have done this to me! But how could he have? After all, he couldn’t have done this as long as I have–”

He gasped as he looked down at his shirt. “No way… he couldn’t have… not unless… not unless he won!”

After looking up, he sighed. “I guess that just means I have to figure this mess out even faster!

[DannyBoy]

A bit short but not bad. Poor little Cyndaquil...I feel bad for the little buga. Marik is evil and should die! DIE! Ok...im calm. I think you could have described the monsters a but more though on what they look like since I have no idea. But it was ok. Can't wait to see what happens. Keep it up!

[Light_Togetic]

Ah finally I got done reading this! *does happy dance; gets weird looks from others*

Now I've only watched a handful of Yugioh episodes; namely the Pegasus ones, but I have seen Marik before, and I do know most of the rules/monsters so I'm not as lost as some others might be! ^^

So far, it's been really good! I like your description (as always), and the story's been interesting. My favorite part so far has to be the part where Blue Eyes' attack didn't effect Sandslash. I just loved that part!! Poor Cyndaquil is right! At least it got off better than poor Nidoqueen... And if anything bad happens to Bayleef... I WILL JUST DIE!! ;_; Okay, I won't really die, but I might cry; 'cause Bayleef's my favorite of Ash's pokemon... Noooo.... Bayleef......

And speaking of Ash, the poor guy seems to be getting the worse of the three trainers! First he gets to feel the grip of a hand in his very soul, and then he's engulfed by a giant ball of fire! What a bad day...

Anyway, I wonder if perhaps Yugi and Seto won't somehow be able to help out, eh? *wink wink* Then again I could be really wrong and very stupid (which is possible).

I look forward to the next chapter! In the meantime, I think I'll work on reading WDAMO... I have a LONG way to go... ^-^;

[mr_pikachu]

ImmortalDreams: AIEE!! I didn't realize I never replied to your post! Arrgh! I feel terrible! Sorry, so sorry. Anyway, I'll try to describe the monsters in more detail from now on. And yes, Marik should die. He's a pain in the arse. But enough Marik bashing. For now. :D

Hey, wait a second! You changed your name! Was having people ask "Who is X-TINA" and mistaking you for a girl getting annoying? I can imagine it would. Ah, well. Like the new name, and I see you've used the word "Dreams" from my other fanfic! Whee! ...Okay, sorry 'bout that. Too much sugar for one day. ;)


Light_Togetic: Hey, alright, you made it! We all love the happy dance, don't worry. I'm glad you understand the rules, as it's tough writing exclusively for people who have no idea what I'm talking about! :o

Yeah, Bayleef's cool... and a Blue Eyes was stopped by a spiky mouse! Yeah, that was a fun part to write. I'm glad you enjoyed it on the other end, too. Ash is having a bad day, but it'll get even worse for someone else soon enough... I'm looking forward to writing the most terrifying part of the fic! And it's not what you think, I can assure you! (Okay, maybe part of it is what you think, but I bet you won't be expecting everything I show in that chappie!)

Will Yugi and Seto be able to help out? Are you kidding? They're under mind control, and they don't exactly have a best friend around to snap them out of it! But no, you're not stupid. Don't worry. You're just hyper and giddy, that's all. :D

Well, I hope you packed a snack for WDAMO, 'cause a lot has happened since I saw you last! Anyway, you'd better work on your own fic, too! It's well worth the time and effort, believe me! :yes:


And as for an update on the progress of the chappie... things are going well now, but I had tests every day for two weeks straight, which left no time for writing. Thankfully, the torture is over for the time being, so I'm back to full-power production! Stay tuned! :wave: