Pokémon Radiant Sun


Howdy. It's good to be back.

I hope everyone's had a nice fall and a Happy Holiday season. Mine was pretty good, and I'm excited as hell to get back into the story now that I've had a good long break from things.

Some quick-fire comments before we roll on with this AN.

The Detective Pikachu movie looks absolutely amazing. Ryan Reynolds is the only man who could pull off Pikachu in that manner, and I cannot wait to see this movie next summer. Expect a reference sometime in the near future.

Pokémon Let's Go (Eevee)...Was actually pretty fun. Definitely an enjoyable romp through Kanto and probably the most fun I've had in the region ever. They definitely made the effort to give the region some life and personality, and those who have a Nintendo Switch but haven't gotten it yet absolutely should. It's not a core title, no, but it was never advertised as such. It's just a fun showcase and was done to introduce casual Pokémon GO fans to the main series. I can attest to this, because my dad bought the special edition Pikachu Nintendo Switch that comes with Let's Go Pikachu.

Oh, and Smash Ultimate is amazing. I'd definitely be a lot more ahead than I am now if that game wasn't eating up a huge amount of time for me. Oh yeah, and Joker from Persona V is confirmed for the first DLC pack for the game too. Yes, I was very happy when I found that out.

Shoutout to those who reviewed since the last update, which includes Ulysses Quanta, Defender31415, SonicIKE, RC-DA, Cottonmouth25, BraviaryScout, sceptilezeno, Dario Flaman, Ways, Sai Og Sus, the totem natu, a Guest reviewer, Zombiesguy115, a new Guest reviewer known as Red Foxes 4 Life, as well as 2 new reviewers known as trevhall19, and AndieFlare.

This story got a lot of favorites and follows since the last update, so major thanks to those who did that while I was away. It definitely makes my day seeing more people joining in on this wacky adventure.

Anyways, enough rambling! Onto the story!

Enjoy.


Pokémon Radiant Sun

Act III

Retaliation


Chapter 74: The Price of Evil


"Faba, I really don't think that was necessary!"

"That's Branch Chief Faba to you, Miss Wicke!"

Colress looked up from his morning cup of coffee (Komala Coffee, to be precise), bemused as both Aether Foundation members burst into the break room, both looking agitated. Faba scowled in annoyance as he whirled around to face the purple-haired woman and glared her down.

"It was my place to punish them, not yours. I don't care what their reasoning was, I will not permit such unprofessional behavior at a facility such as this!" Faba stated angrily, with Miss Wicke putting her hands on her hips.

"Being Branch Chief doesn't make you a god, Elias." Wicke said with a disgusted look, making Faba stomp his foot in annoyance.

"That's Aether Branch Chief Faba to you! Don't you ever use my real name, Miss Wicke! Or I'll have you thrown out off this island faster than you can say 'the'," Faba declared, earning a confused look from Wicke.

"'The'?"

"Yes. It's a word that's very quick and easy to say. That's how easily I can get you fired from here." Faba stated smugly, crossing his arms and walking away from the woman who was just blinking in bewilderment at Faba's statement.

"You two are certainly an interesting pair. How have you not strangled each other yet?" Colress asked out of genuine curiosity, taking a swig of coffee.

"Because I value my job more than I value Faba's life." Miss Wicke muttered dryly, making the scientist from Unova choke on his drink as he laughed mid-sip.

Faba grinned haughtily in response, ignoring Wicke's remark and putting a hand on my chest. "Because I am the Branch Chief of the Aether Foundation and head of the island's Research and Development Team. I can basically control who lives and dies."

"And yet you still need my help using the stapler." Wicke remarked as she sat down in one of the armchairs in the break room they were in. Faba scowled while Colress smirked at that.

"That's exactly why I have peons like you and some of the others. Such menial tasks are beneath a man of my brilliance." Faba retorted, with Miss Wicke rolling her eyes.

"I see. So, what exactly happened? You both seemed relatively amicable this morning. Was there an incident?" Colress asked, earning a long-suffering look from Miss Wicke while Faba smiled nastily.

"It was nothing, really. I simple punished two unprofessional employees who were slacking instead of doing their job. I went easy on them." Faba responded, with Wicke shooting him an angry glare.

"You caught a husband and wife exchanging a brief kiss while they were standing close to your office, so you demoted the both of them and stuck them on janitorial duties for the next three months." Wicke explained angrily, making Colress raise an eyebrow.

"That's definitely uncalled for." Colress agreed as he looked at Faba. The man shrugged in response.

"What's done is done. Maybe that'll teach them a lesson about professionalism in the workplace. If not, then too bad. I hope they like scrubbing toilets." Faba said with a chuckle, making Wicke sigh in response.

"No, that definitely seems uncalled for." Colress remarked after a moment.

"Well it sure is a shame that you have absolutely no say in how we run things. You're here as my guest. Nothing more." Faba said sneeringly to Colress, who smiled back at him.

"A guest who's helped with the Purification Chamber just as much as you. You really don't need to act like this to everyone...sir." Wicke said tiredly after Faba gave her a look. "If you're trying to see who's a bigger jerk between you and Colress, then this is a pretty unfair contest."

"I disagree." Colress said with a soft chuckle, before adding. "I've got a few hundred innocent deaths under my belt. Even if you can be rather trying at times, you are not evil Faba, nor do you have the capacity to be. You lack the spine for it." Colress responded, making Faba blink twice in response.

"However, I do have the capacity for true evil. If I felt like it, I could destory this entire island along with everyone on it and not feel any remorse for my actions." Colress said, taking a sip of coffee while Faba and Wicke exchanged a glance of surprise and horror. Colress continued with, "However, it is because I choose to walk the path of good despite everything that matters the most. Our choices in life are what shape our character. Nothing else. I, for one, have chosen the path of redemption in order to find the answers to my questions. I hope that this path will help me in solving some problems with my character, primarily my general apathy."

Faba nodded after a moment. "I agree to an extent. After all, my many successes have shaped me into the genius I am today. And it was my success with the Orre Pokémon HQ Lab that has allowed me to make the strides I have with the Purification Chamber these past few months, after all. Years of clawing my way through the fields of science, politics, and being a stepping stone for those who do not understand the greater meaning and sacrifices that must be made in the name of science. However, thanks to my ambition, I have rose through the ranks of the world and achieved a position that is befitting a man of my genius. And if we stay on our current course, I will become only more famous and renowned as a result of our experiments with Pokémon Purification!"

"That was an amazing story. Truly we are blessed." Miss Wicke said in a completely dead voice. Faba ignored her while Colress choked on his coffee, hitting his chest repeatedly as he coughed in pain.

"I don't need this!" Faba declared before turning on his heel and sweeping out of the room. Wicke and Colress exchanged a glance before bursting into laughter.

Meanwhile, Faba was quickly making his way down the hall to the central elevator. Before long he was descending into the depths of the Aether Paradise and strutting into Secret Lab A. Why they were named this was beyond him, but it was a decision out of his hands so he just ignored the lazy name scheme. He was now far away from the mindless peons that annoyed him so, and was now in a place where science was hard at work creating unimaginable marvels.

Two scientists were standing beside a mechanism, looking down into it with interested expressions while they muttered to themselves, with one of them tapping notes rapidly down on a data pad. Neither noticed Faba as he walked over to them, looking down at the objects of interest with a small smirk.

"Six months of hard work...Heh. Truly I am a genius." Faba whispered as he beheld the fruit of his labors.

Reflected in his gaze were two white orbs held in place within a small machine, both of which were made a material that looked similar to glass. However, within the balls was a swirling black smoke-like substance that crackled with purple and blue electricity every now and then. The orbs were also of different sizes, with one of them being about the size of a marble and the other being the size of a apple. However, they both radiated a sense of barely-contained power that all three of them could feel, even now. They had a strange ethereal beauty to them, Faba thought.

The Branch Chief reached forward and placed his pointer finger on the smaller of the two orbs, shivering as he felt a thrum of energy tingle through him before he moved his hand away, grinning widely in excitement.

"All reports conclude that they are stable, after removing and returning them to the holding mechanism as per your orders, Branch Chief Faba." The female scientist said as Faba glanced at her, earning a nod from the man.

"Excellent. We'll inform the President of this development. With any luck we can test the larger of the two orbs at a promising site and see whether or not our hypothesis was indeed correct." Faba remarked, stroking his goatee. "A world beyond our own...Heh! I can't wait to see how this furthers my legacy."

Faba didn't have to wait long for Lusamine to show up. The President of the Aether Foundation walked through the door with elegance, her heels clacking as she entered the room with a cool, calculated expression on her face. Faba led her over to the mechanism holding the two orbs.

"Project Mohn seems to have reached its most important phase yet, ma'am. We've ran and reran tests regarding the energy left behind several months ago, after Cosmog used its powers to escape the Aether Paradise with your daughter." Faba began, with Lusamine's eyes narrowing slightly. Faba continued. "Thanks to our efforts, we were able to harness the energy that lingered within the area after it used it's powers. We've also gathered the leftover energy we had contained from Cosmog when it was in containment. The results of those efforts lie in front of you in the form of those two orbs, code-named 'Ultra Spheres' by myself."

"By channeling the power of Cosmog, in the form of the energy we've harnessed so far, we should be able to open a portal to the Ultra Space by utilizing the spheres we've created from it's powers. Once we reclaim Cosmog, we should be able to create more of these with greater ease. That or chance upon a site where Cosmog has used its powers, but that's incredibly unlikely." Faba explained as Lusamine stared hungrily at the orbs, reaching forward and pressing her palm against the larger of the two orbs.

"If we capture Cosmog, we won't have to worry about using these Ultra Spheres to create an Ultra Wormhole to the Ultra Space. We can force Cosmog to rip open a Wormhole that we can simply travel through ourselves. However, given our lack of resources, this is a wonderful substitute and will greatly assist in plans for when we do reclaim Cosmog. After all, once we know how to generate an Ultra Wormhole...we only need the power to keep one open for a longer period of time. How long do you think the Wormhole would remain open if we used one of these Ultra Spheres?" Lusamine asked Faba, who put a finger to his chin thoughtfully.

"The smaller one would create an incredibly small Ultra Wormhole, no bigger than the size of the other orb, in all honesty. That would be for only a few minutes. That one was created more out of a desire to not waste any of the the precious energy we had, and in regards to our goal of reaching the Ultra Space it's basically worthless. The larger of the two Ultra Spheres should be able to generate a full-sized Ultra Wormhole for a period of ten to twenty minutes." Faba explained, making Lusamine frown.

"We couldn't just combine all of the energy into one larger sphere? Why make two separate ones?" Lusamine asked.

"The material we are using to contain the energy cannot handle the entire amount we have on hand at once. Therefore, we separated them into two different units."

Lusamine sighed, but nodded. She knew that she couldn't ask for miracles when working with science as complicated as this. She wished she could have recruited Colress into helping them with this project, but she truthfully didn't trust the man and had a feeling he would be more than able to put a stop to her plans if he got involved.

That said…

"Is the smaller Ultra Sphere of any importance to us?" Lusamine asked Faba, who shook his head. The man tapped a few keys on the nearby monitor and the mechanism holding the smaller Ultra Sphere released the orb, allowing the man to pick it up gingerly.

"It's practically useless. If anything, you could hold onto it ma'am. It's an interesting memento if nothing else." Faba said as Lusamine accepted the orb, holding it in her palm. "As far as our tests have shown, it isn't dangerous. Though you'll definitely feel some of the latent energy the orb possesses should it make direct contact with your skin. A simple tingling sensation, nothing more."

Lusamine examined the orb closely, seeing the swirling beauty of the energies within it. Carefully harnessed from Cosmog, it was her best hope of reaching the Ultra Space and saving the creatures trapped within it. And even if it couldn't, the orbs that they had would prove invaluable. Faba began speaking again, but Lusamine tuned him out, too distracted by her own thoughts.

"Branch Chief Faba...Excellent work." Lusamine breathed, admiring the orb in her palm as the swirling energies within took on a bright blue color. Faba allowed himself a proud grin at the praise.

"Between our progress with the Purification Chamber and finding a way to harness the energy harvested from Cosmog into two separate bursts of power, I'd have to say I've outdone myself yet again!" Faba preened, shutting his eyes and chuckling softly to himself.

"Yes...You've done wonderfully Faba." Lusamine murmured distractedly, bringing the ball closer to her face. Suddenly Lusamine's body twitched and she let out a hiss of pain, which snapped Faba out of his delusions for a moment.

"Madam President, are you alright?" Faba asked, stepping forward with concern. Lusamine held out a hand to stop him, exhaling softly to steady her breath.

"I'm fine. J-just a dizzy spell, that's all." Lusamine replied softly, the lie coming easily to her lips. Faba knew much about her true motives for the Aether Foundation as of late, but even he didn't know how deep her connection to the Ultra Space ran.

Faba nodded, smiling once again. "If you need to, ma'am, you really should get some rest. You've been looking a little under the weather lately, no doubt because of how hard you've been working with us down here in the labs."

Lusamine nodded in agreement, allowing herself a small smile. She was glad the man provided her with an excuse to get away. "Excellent suggestion, Branch Chief Faba. I'll do that. Please, keep an eye on things for me while I'm recuperating. I'm putting my faith in you and your considerable talents."

Lusamine could almost feel Faba's ego expand like a hot air balloon, but the man contented himself with a smarmy grin and a small bow. "Of course, Madam President. You can count on Branch Chief Faba to get the job done, as always."

"I want the remaining orb tested several more times before we do any tests with it, just as a precaution. I refuse to have our one chance at this ruined because we missed something. If this goes well...we could achieve all of our hopes and dreams. We will be the first to bridge our world and that of the Ultra Space together." Lusamine said softly, turning around and beginning to walk out of the room.

"My name would go down in history...hehehehe, leave everything to me, ma'am!" Faba proclaimed as he turned around, leaving Lusamine to depart towards the elevator, cradling the orb of energy within her palm with a reverent expression.


Lana and Mallow walked down the road to Konikoni City, heading away from the bustling city after having returned there the following day after Lana's date with Hau. Sun had caught himself a Poliwag that he had named Finn. Their flight back to the city was uneventful, so while Sun and co. were getting some shopping done in the city, the two Captains had chosen that time to slip away.

And during that time, Mallow had chosen to disclose a newfound secret to her best friend.

"So…"

"So."

"I mean...After what happened at that party, I can't say I'm surprised to hear this. We all sorta suspected something was up when you ran away like that."

"Yeah...I did act kinda weird then."

"...yeah..."

"..."

"..."

"...Lana, does this...you know...change anything between us? Just because I um...Realized some things about myself?"

"...Are you serious?"

Lana turned and took a look at her friend, and considered her for a moment. While Mallow was usually the picture of confidence with a perky demeanor that usually couldn't be quelled, that was far from the attitude she had now. She looked downright terrified of what Lana would say, not even being able to meet the other Captain's gaze. After all, they had been best friends for years, and they cherished the close bond they had. Losing that friendship over something like this would be beyond terrible for Mallow.

Lana thought about what exactly to say, but then allowed herself a smile as she put a hand on Mallow's shoulder, making the girl flinch. "Just because you've come to terms with your sexuality doesn't mean you're ever going to stop being my friend, Mallow. Who cares whether you like boys or girls?" Lana asked her friend, who finally looked at her.

"A lot of people do! You and I both know that if word got out about...this, then a crapton of Alolans would pitch a massive fit. We're supposed to be role models! Protectors of the sacred sites of the islands! I just...I don't think I fit the bill anymore, you know?" Mallow muttered, crossing her arms.

"How?" Lana asked flatly, with Mallow giving her a confused look. "This changes nothing, Mallow. Okay, so you're Bi. This doesn't doesn't affect anyone but you, and it doesn't affect your duties as a Captain in any way. It's not something you necessarily need to advertise and if people have a problem with it, then that's too bad for them. After all, you've got an excellent track record as a Captain and this won't change that one bit."

Mallow blinked several times, surprised at how sincere and confident Lana was with her logic, which all made sense. Mallow had been a Captain for several years now, and was fairly popular on Akala as a result of her good track record. She had never had a major incident crop up like with Lana and Totem Araquanid.

"Maybe you're right...After some of the horror stories you hear about in the news and some of the other regions, I guess I was scared about something similar happening here. I don't know why, but I thought once I told you...I thought you might not want to be my friend anymore" Mallow said with a sad smile, with Lana grinning and throwing her arms around Mallow in response.

"No matter what, you will always be my best friend in the entire world. Always." Lana promised Mallow as she tightened her embrace on the Grass Captain, who couldn't help a chuckle as a grin appeared on her face. Mallow finally returned the hug and the two friends held each other for a moment before separating, both of them sporting wide smiles.

"We're so sappy sometimes. You wanna help me break the news to the other Captains on the group chat?" Mallow asked as she pulled out her phone. Lana nodded and did the same, with the two of them going to the group chat they had set on up Festival Plaza thanks to the newest Captain to join their group just a few days ago.

THE PEANUT GALLERY

*You've missed 100+ messages since your last log-in*

Mallow and Lana exchanged a double eye-roll before scrolling all the way down, where they were seeing an old argument flare up yet again.

CaptainKidd: For the last time, Ilima, I'm not fat!

ThePrince: And yet you post photos online of nothing but unhealthy snacks again and again…

TheBigBadMo: Actually, that was me, Ilima. We were prepping for a movie marathon and I kinda went overboard. (^_^;)

ThePrince: Riiiight. But that doesn't change the fact that you really do need to eat a bit better, newbie.

"How is he way more sarcastic and snarky over text than he is in person?" Mallow asked Lana, who just shrugged and kept reading.

CaptainKidd: It's genetic!

ThePrince: And you can overcome bad genes with healthy diet and exercise, which you refuse to acknowledge.

#2Spooky: Leave the kid alone, Princess. Not everyone is blessed with good genes, you know. It could be genetic, unlike your over-dyed hair.

Mallow snickered at Acerola's dig at Ilima while Lana just smirked. The two friends began typing away at their phones.

BestChefEver: So I guess it's cool to just bully the new kid now? Seriously Ilima, don't you have better things to do? Like licking chalkboards or something?

ThePrince: I'll have you know I only clean chalkboards twice a week to assist the teachers at the Pokémon School!

Mina: Is that because it's the only place you were ever cool?

WaterNymph: Or are you just jealous that Sophocles started his Trial just yesterday and it's already waaaaay better than yours?

ThePrince: My Trial is definitely cool!

WaterNymph: It's about as interesting as watching one of your ping-pong games.

ThePrince: I feel like we're getting off topic…

BestChefEver: Oh, we are. So I kinda have an announcement.

SpittinHawtFiya: Everything okay, Mallow?

BestChefEver: Kinda, Kiawe. So...God, this is so hard to say!

Mina: Just spit it out.

BestChefEver: I'm bisexual.

BestChefEver: I'm...still figuring this out, tbh. But I just wanted to tell you all this because we're all friends and Captains and it's possible that the wrong people may take this the wrong way should they find out.

Mina: It's possible. But I see no problems with this, my friend. I'll support you as always. (:D)

SpittinHawtFiya: Words cannot convey my shock. However, I do need to get back to work so I'm just going to say this. Good for you coming to terms with this, and I'm still down for lunch next Tuesday. Later all.

CaptainKidd: Whoa

BestChefEver: Bai Kiawe!

WaterNymph: Seeya!

ThePrince: Color me surprised.

TheBigBadMo: Good for you, Mallow!

#2Spooky: Yup! You're still growing up, you know. You figure out a lot of stuff like that when you get older. Kinda like how I realized how morbidly depressed Uncle Nanu is.

Mina: The fact that you're so cheerful about that worries me a little.

#2Spooky: Because being sad about what you can't change does nothing but bring grief. All I can do is be as strong as I can for him and be a Trial Captain everyone can rely on! (:3)

TheBigBadMo: Well said! Which reminds me, Soffy, you need to take out the trash still.

CaptainKidd: AEF424824u12jrmf owOdqjr19j123rq mfo

BestChefEver: And by trash, Ilima, Mo means you.

"Mallow, as much fun as annoying Ilima is, shouldn't we be doing this elsewhere? Maybe somewhere with food and air-conditioning?" Lana asked as she looked up from her phone. Mallow hopped to her feet with a grin and helped Lana to her feet, and with that the two best friends walked back to their city wearing smiles, content in the knowledge that their bond as friends was stronger than ever.


Lillie sipped her lemonade with her eyes shut, completely relaxed as the sound of beautiful music hummed through the square. Vivian was nearby, doing what she did best with her violin in hand and filling the air with an intricate melody. Noah watched with a fond smile, lying in his girlfriend's lap on the bench they shared.

The girl in white opened her eyes and cast the couple a glance, making her smile a little before she closed her eyes again and thought on the song she was listening to again. It reminded her of the better times in life, when there was nothing but Pokémon, music, and her family. Lillie was currently sitting down in a wooden rocking chair in the center of Konikoni City, hidden under the shade of an umbrella stand. Sun and Hau were currently having a tag battle against two locals (using a Charjabug and a Fletchinder respectively). The battle was pretty one-sided, but it allowed Sun to get some practice in with his newest teammate, Finn.

The Poliwag had shown that he was pretty capable as a fighter, even if he was a bit flashy. This was shown when he dodged a Thunderbolt with a leap into the air, followed by a backflip that turned into a wicked Double Slap that sent the Fletchinder spinning through the air. Lillie could have sworn the Poliwag was posing when he landed, but it was hard to tell because Finn didn't have any arms.

"Charjabug, use Spark!" the boy yelled out as Sun grinned in response. The Bug/Electric-type charged forward as Finn stood his ground, also smirking.

"Hypnosis! Follow up with Scald!" Sun called out as Finn's eyes flashed blue, making the Battery Pokémon slow down in its tracks before slumping forward, fast asleep. It's Trainer let out a yell of worry before the Charjabug was blasted with hot water, knocking it to the ground.

"Let's wrap this up then! Duke, use Dig and then hit it from below!" Hau called out, with his Pikachu dodging an Ember from the passing Fletchinder and tearing a hole into the earth. The bird screeched in response before getting knocked out of the sky by a blast of boiling hot water from Finn. The Fletchinder crashed onto the ground at the same time as Duke burst out of it and knocked the Charjabug sky-high, sending it crashing onto the ground in a heap.

"And that's the win." Sun remarked as Hau jumped into the air with a whoop and ran forward, sweeping up his Pikachu in a hug. Finn hopped in place, crying out happily, before turning on his heel and jogging over to Sun.

And then promptly tripped.

"Finn is not nearly as graceful as he thinks he is." Oliver remarked, making Lillie open her eyes. She had nearly forgotten that the rest of Sun's team was nearby, resting in the shade with her. Brago and Penny both chuckled at the remark as Finn struggled to get to his feet. Sun helped him up with a grin, and though the Poliwag's expression was sour for a moment he eventually cheered up and was smiling after a few moments.

"He can fight though, which is good." Brago responded, glancing at Oliver as he shut his eyes again. Once again the owl was awake when he should have been sleeping. The Growlithe wondered when that would eventually catch up with him.

"He's much weaker than us though. We'll have to train him up." Penny said thoughtfully, smiling slightly. "We can all get stronger."

"Not a bad match. We just have to get you some more experience and we'll be all set for our rematch with Olivia." Sun said as he approached his team, reaching over and scratching Penny's head.

"And I can't wait to see it! Your last match was super close, wasn't it?" Hau asked excitedly.

"If it wasn't for that dirty trick, literally, I would've won. I'm going to make absolutely sure that Olivia goes down the next time we battle." Sun said with an excited grin, with Brago and Finn nodding in reply. Oliver looked away, unable to meet them in the eyes.

"They wouldn't have to fight her again if it wasn't for me…" the Dartrix muttered quietly enough so that no one heard him. The owl sighed softly, shaking his head.

"So have you decided on when you want to battle her again, Sun?" Hau asked Sun, who shrugged.

"Soon. Maybe a week or two?"

"Dude, you know there's a huge tournament going on then right?" Hau said to Sun, who blinked twice. He had completely forgotten about that.

"That's right!" shouted a familiar voice. The trio turned around and saw news icon/mogul Adrian Battlestorm strutting towards them with a camerawoman in tow. Lillie quickly shrank back in her chair, earning a look from the man before he suddenly blinked.

"Camera-shy?" Adrian asked Lillie, who shyly nodded after a moment. The sharply-dressed man grinned and said, "No worries, then. The camera's off. But it's good to see you kids again!"

"Likewise, sir. What brings you to Konikoni City?" Hau asked the dark-haired man, who showed off a dazzling grin in response.

"I'm looking for something interesting to do while I wait for Miss Olivia to get back to her shop. I wanted to get a few words from her about the massive exhibition match she's gonna be in at the Alola Grand Royale Tournament!" Adrian exclaimed enthusiastically, pumping his fist slightly. He turned to his camerawoman and said, "Kelly, she said it was like an hour, right?"

The blonde-haired woman holding the camera nodded, brushing her bangs out of her face. "Kahuna Olivia said she had to make a run to the Ruins of Life. Something about Tapu Lele getting restless?"

"Try as we may, the Tapu are just beings we may never understand." Adrian said with a small chuckle, looking back to the children. "But anyways, back to the tournament! How excited are you all for the Alola Grand Royale Tournament coming in just a few short weeks?"

"I thought it was called something else?" Hau asked the man, who shrugged.

"They changed the name. This sounds better anyway." Adrian said before grinning. "There's going to be a three day-long festival with food, carnival rides, and all sorts of shows. Trainers from all around the globe are coming to show their stuff. There's also word of a big announcement at the end of the tournament that will change the future of Alola forever! With the winner getting a chance of a lifetime at...something."

"Something?" Noah chimed in, opening an eye. Vivian stopped playing with a small sigh, setting her violin aside.

"Truth be told, I have no idea what the grand prize is. It's supposedly something incredible though, and a chance to make history." Adrian explained, with the older Trainers exchanging a glance.

"The reward is an opportunity of sorts, huh? And it's special enough that people want to win this thing over?" Vivian asked the mogul, who grinned.

"Well, there's a huge cash reward too." Adrian added, chuckling after a moment. "But I can assure you, this secret reward is something special. Professor Kukui wouldn't have hyped it up so much if it wasn't something incredible. All it takes is the right spin and people will be coming from all over to have a shot at becoming a legend."

"A legend?" Hau asked, his grin widening.

Adrian matched his grin. "See that, there? All it takes is the right kind of narrative. A special sort of spin to make a story work. With Alola trying to do everything it can to escape it's image of just being a tourist trap, we need every edge we can get."

"I see." Sun replied, thinking this interesting. He could definitely see the man's point, if nothing else. Adrian got a tap on the shoulder from Kelly, and after meeting her gaze for a moment the man snapped his fingers.

"Right, back to business. Anyways, you kids take care. I'll be looking forward to seeing you at the tournament." Adrian said lightly, holding out a hand. Hau and Sun shook the man's hand, and with that he and Kelly set off down the road.

"I like him. He kinda seems like he would be a jerk, but he's actually a pretty decent guy." Hau remarked, putting his hands behind his head.

"I agree. He wants Alola to grow and become better, so he's using all of the pull he has to do that. Plus he treats his employees really well. I don't really understand all of the nuances of running a network like his myself, but I can respect it. Professor Kukui has been doing the same thing, you know. Helping Alola grow and flourish." Lillie agreed, sipping her drink again. "I really hope this tournament goes well. Even if I'm not a big fan of battles, it does sound like an experience that shouldn't be missed."

"I wonder how we sign up?" Sun asked, receiving several shrugs.

"No idea. I imagine we can ask one of your Captain friends," Vivian said as she and Noah made their way over to them. "It sounds like fun."

"We haven't done a tournament in a while. Not since Driftveil, right?" Noah asked his girlfriend, earning a nod in response. Vivian opened her mouth to respond, but was cut off by a yell.

"Hello down there!" cried a familiar voice. The group looked up and saw Laura Smiles descending from the sky on a massive Pidgeot wearing Ride Gear. What was more surprising was the outfit the woman was wearing.

Up until this point, the group had only ever seen Sun's mother wearing dresses and the like. Right now she was currently geared up in a pair of faded blue jeans torn in several places and wearing a bright blue T-shirt decorated in a wave pattern. She wore black fingerless black gloves and wore a belt with gemstone skulls decorating it, along with the six Poké Balls of varying types. Her hair was tied in a ponytail and she wore a wide smile.

"Wow, she looks ten years younger in that outfit." Vivian remarked with approval, watching as Jace the Pidgeot swooped through the square with a powerful screech.

"She looks like a Pokémon Trainer." Noah said with a smile, crossing his arms. Laura Smiles hopped off Jace and landed on the ground with a smile as the large bird touched down.

"Thanks Jace. I think we're all warmed up for our surprise later!" Laura said happily, with Jace cooing in reply and nuzzling Laura's side affectionately.

"Whoa, looking good Miss Smiles!" Hau said with a grin while Sun walked over to his mother, who was taking a moment to pat Jace the Pidgeot before he took off to the skies.

"Hey Mom." Sun greeted his mother, who returned his greeting with a massive bone-crushing hug.

"Hi sweetie." Laura replied happily, pulling away from her child and kneeling slightly so she could look her son in the eyes. She could see that for the first time since Ashton's betrayal, Sun's eyes didn't look like they were holding back pain. Her little boy seemed stronger than he did before.

"Mom?" Sun asked, only for his mother to offer a sad smile.

"You're looking better, dear. Better than you have in a long time." Laura said quietly, making Sun smile in response.

"I'm better than I've been in a while. I...I lost myself for a while there. I was so overwhelmed by everything that I just couldn't think straight. But thanks to Lillie and my team, everything makes sense again. I'm going to get stronger and keep going on my Island Challenge. That way I can protect everyone from Cipher and Dad!" Sun said with a determined grin in his eyes. Laura almost responded when she saw Sun's eyes change color from their usual gray to orange. The woman nearly gasped, but hid it. Sun knew something was wrong though.

"Mom? Everything okay?" Sun asked worriedly.

"Your eyes. Since when have they been able to change color like that?" Laura asked her child, trying to hide her unease.

"What do you mean?"

"She's right dude. Your eyes were changing colors and stuff earlier. Like, one minute they're gray and then the next they're going red and white and stuff. It was weird." Hau confirmed as Sun looked down, troubled. His eyes flickered to a darker gray color.

"Just like Dad…" Sun muttered, shaking his head and feeling the old horror creep in. Laura quickly pulled Sun into another hug.

"You are nothing like your father, even if you have a lot of his traits. You have too much love and kindness in you to be anything like that man. Don't think that some changing eyes make you any less of a better person." Laura said to her child, who looked up at her. She let go of Sun who nodded once before looking at his Pokémon, who had wandered over to him. Brago nudged Sun with his head while Finn bounded up and down a few times.

Penny and Oliver just crashed into Sun from above, knocking him to the ground and making him laugh as Brago and Finn jumped onto the dog-pile. Laura chuckled while Rotom snapped a picture of the group, snickering to itself. The device floated to Miss Smiles' shoulder, beeping for a moment.

"So Mizz Smilezz, what's with the new outfit? It lookzz great!" Rotom Dex asked, making the mother laugh again.

"I was going to ask that too. You look like you're ready to kick some butt." Hau noted, with Lillie nodding from her cozy little corner.

"I figured a change of pace would be nice. I used to wear something like this when I was running through the Kanto Gym Leader circuit." Laura said, stepping back and crossing her arms. "Since I'm planning on having a battle today with a friend, I figured why not dress for the part? Besides, I thought it looked cute."

"I like it, Miss Smiles." Lillie chimed in, earning a happy grin from the woman.

"Thank you dear. You look quite comfortable over there." Laura said with an amused expression. Lillie adjusted herself slightly and the bag in her lap became visible, with Nebby the Cosmog beside it wearing a sleepy expression.

"I figured Nebby would like to spend some time outside of the bag since it's such a nice day out, so I'm sitting in the shade to keep him hidden so he can enjoy the fresh air but still be hard to see." Lillie explained as she pet her Cosmog, who cooed happily in response.

"Makes sense." Laura said with a smile. Laura turned back to her child and said, "You all aren't busy, are you?"

"Why, what's going on Mom?" Sun asked as Lillie carefully set Nebby into the bag and secured him.

"Well, I was planning on meeting an old friend of ours in a few minutes and was wondering if you'd all like to join me. He'll be meeting us in front of the Pokémon Center." Laura Smiles said as she turned around with a smirk and made her way down the street. Sun tilted his head in confusion but shrugged and looked over to Lillie, who was walking over to them with a small smile. Hau chuckled as Duke the Pikachu hopped onto his shoulder and Sun grinned at his friends before walking after his mother, his best friends trailing behind him as they went to go meet up with this old friend of theirs.

Vivian and Noah hung back, allowing the others to go ahead. Vivian glanced at her boyfriend and asked, "You want to just head somewhere else? After what happened the other day, I don't think we should really hang out around Sun's mom too much."

"Agreed. He may have forgiven us for how we reacted to his father, but that doesn't mean everything is all good again." Noah agreed, nodding. "Let's try and find Sina and Dexio. I heard they were back in town with some big discovery."

"Did they say what it was?"

"Nope."

"Lame."


Aether Paradise


Lusamine leaned back in her chair, her mind racing as she stared down the man on the screen.

Borlath offered her a small smile before shaking his head, his black bangs swaying slightly as his eyes flickered back to their normal gray, from the two crimson orbs they had been before.

In all the years she had known Ashton Aupuni, she had never seen a moment where he did not radiate an inner fire. Whether it was the flames of anger, the burning desire for revenge for the death of a close friend, or the fire of desire to save those in danger. The man who had become Borlath was a man of emotion and passion, no matter what kind of facade of coolness he tried to create around himself. Yes, he had tempered himself as the decades passed...But deep down, Ashton was still the same.

He fought because he cared.

And because he cared...He wouldn't rest until he had succeeded.

Mohn had always found that an admirable trait in Ashton, even back when they had met him all those years ago. And even now, many years later, Lusamine found herself surprised to see the inferno of determination burning within his gray eyes.

"You truly are dedicated to this path. To think you've spent all this time manipulating the pieces around you." Lusamine said quietly, a small smile of appreciation coming to her face. After all, she was no stranger to twisting those around her to do her will.

"All things considered, Greevil left me with a massive mess to clean up." Borlath remarked, placing a hand against his temple and shutting his eyes. Lusamine smirked, though she knew that the situation her friend was in was no laughing matter.

The loss of Greevil and many of their forces at the Kanto Superdome was quite large, and set Cipher back a great deal in their conquest of Kanto. As a result, the public would soon begin to believe that the criminal syndicate could be stopped by the Pokémon League. Borlath had been working on several plans to reignite the conflict within the region, reducing some of the damage that their loss in Vermilion had on the organization by executing Lorelei on live television and proclaiming himself the new leader of Cipher.

It was a very effective display, if nothing else. Crude, though.

The effect could be felt only by those connected to the Pokémon Leagues directly, but even then Lusamine caught whispers of the fear and anger that the Champions and the Elite Four of the regions around the world felt after such a public display of death.

"So what will you do now?" Lusamine asked, curious and a bit concerned at the same time.

"Kanto was our main priority, with the other regions going on the back-burner for now. However...I underestimated the resources that Greevil had put into setting up an Alolan operation. The base we have established on Ula'ula Island is fully operational, with considerable work having already been put into place to capture the Tapu of the island there." Borlath explained, sighing softly and showing how exhausted he was for one brief moment. "I didn't want to get involved in Alola again, Lusa. I really, really didn't."

Lusamine nodded sadly, knowing what he meant. "Still hung up on bad memories, Ash?"

Borlath's mouth twitched for a moment before he let out a soft laugh. "Something like that. You don't forget the kind of things we went through, all those years ago. Nor do you forget the kind of upbringing my loving parents made me go through. Why do you think I left in such a manner?"

"True. You basically spit in the face of a god, back then. So again, your plans for Alola?" Lusamine pressed, her curiosity piqued. Borlath sighed again, but continued.

"Greevil was adamant on dominating a weaker region and acquiring the Legendaries within. He also wanted to explore the possibility of harnessing Z-Power and acquiring a stockpile of Z-Rings from the region, which is easier said than done. Not just anyone can get one, and only a Kahuna can make a properly functioning Z-Ring, after all." Borlath explained, with Lusamine nodding understandingly. The making of Z-Rings was a closely-guarded secret in Alola, and how exactly the Kahunas made them was a mystery that only they and the Tapu knew.

"That being said, we also have next to no opposition in Alola. A small, scattered police force and handful of International Police operatives at best. Most importantly, no Pokemon League. Yes, we're dealing with the remnants of Aria's little ragtag group, but they can be dealt with in short order. It's one of many reasons that I'm unfortunately going to have to throw support behind the Alola campaign and bolster our efforts there...Our next move is to control Alola and use that as a stepping stone to attack Kanto once again." Borlath remarked, his words dripping with acid. Lusamine couldn't hide a smile there. Poor Ash had gone through so much just to leave Alola behind and never return, and now he was being forced to meddle in the region he wanted nothing more than to never deal with again.

Lusamine considered her friend's plight. The opposition in Kanto was just too much right now, after such a major and public loss. Focusing their efforts and amassing more resources in a new region with little opposition made sense, and it kept their enemies on their toes. However, she felt as if there was more going on.

"There's more to this than just wanting resources. You're marshaling your forces now, rather than later. You're planning something." Lusamine remarked, earning a grin from man.

"Astute. One of our eventual goals lies in accessing the lair of two Legendaries on our radar. One of those is within Kanto. I can't say exactly where, since I don't know myself, but Giovanni is spearheading the effort and I don't imagine he'll let me down. As for the other, it's in a location you may have heard of. Does the Snowpoint Temple sound familiar at all to you?" Borlath asked Lusamine, with the woman pursing her lips in thought. The President of the Aether Foundation racked her brain for a few moments, before recalling a story she and Mohn had read to Gladion once in a happier time.

"That's in Sinnoh...You want to unleash Regigigas? The Ultimate Titan?" Lusamine said quietly, with Borlath grinning in response.

"We already have a set of the Regi Trio within our possession. They are the keys to awaken it, and Regigigas will be an excellent partner for us when we resume our Kanto campaign. All we need is a way into the Sanctum. The ice that makes up the Sanctum is incredibly powerful, and tied to the life-force of Regigigas itself. So trying to get in through more direct methods would be impossible at this juncture without harming the Legendary within, which I refuse to allow. We have a plan for this, though. If everything goes well, we should be able to breach Snowpoint Temple within the month."

"Oh?"

"Yes...I plan on sending Dawson and Amber to Alola to assist another Admin with a certain plan happening there. There will be a large event happening soon and when it comes to Alola, it's not hard to get some celebrity guests involved in anything. Gym Leaders, famous researchers, government officials, and...one of the strongest Champions of all time." Borlath explained, a cold smile flickering onto his face. Lusamine thought about it for a moment and realized what her friend was getting at.

"You mean to go after Cynthia?" Lusamine asked, surprised. It was a task that was easier said than done. Cynthia was one of the most renowned Champions in recent history. She would not be an easy foe to take down.

"Champions know many secrets about their regions. We know that she has the means to access the temple, as we've observed her entering it. I wouldn't be surprised if she knew how to gain access to the domains of other Sinnoh Legendaries as well." Borlath explained, leaning back in his chair. Lusamine considered this, and realized there were several flaws in this plan.

"She will put up a fight, you know."

"We have a plan. And a backup plan. I don't even need to capture her. But she'll not be left unscathed from our meeting. Sinnoh is just as guilty as the other regions for allowing monsters to run amok while they sat around and did nothing. There's a reason we went after them first, following Cipher's failure in Orre." Borlath responded dismissively before allowing himself a genuine smile.

"I really do appreciate you making time to talk with me, Lusa. Nowadays I have so few people I can actually trust. Getting having the chance to talk with a friend and get this off my chest is more relieving than I can explain." Borlath said earnestly, making Lusamine smile back at her old friend.

"Heh. You'll always be that bratty little boy we saved from a bunch of evil Golem." Lusamine teased with fondness in her voice, making Borlath cringe.

"Why did you have to bring those things up? Did anyone ever deal with those, by any chance? It's been years, after all." Borlath asked the President, who shook her head.

"Not quite. I personally saw to it that they would not attack anyone who did not stray into their domain. They're still around and, last time I checked, as violent as ever." Lusamine replied, earning a scowl from Borlath.

"Those things are a menace to society." Borlath grumbled, his eyes flickering to green and blue.

"So are you, my friend." Lusamine pointed out, making the businessman blink twice before he sighed, seemingly crumpling inwards.

"That...is not an entirely false statement." Borlath said quietly, smiling ruefully. "I've made a lot of mistakes, Lusamine. But I have faith that my mistakes will bear fruit and things will be right again. And once they have...I can step away from this. I can go back to the way things used to be."

"You can't go back, Ash." Lusamine said softly, her expression pitying. "I know more than anyone else what it's like to lose everything. But no matter how much you wish you could turn back time, you can't get back what you've lost."

Borlath's expression darkened, but he remained silent. The silence reigned for a time while the two collected their thoughts.

"So what of your own plans, Lusa? You've got me sharing secrets. Anything you feel like sharing?" Borlath asked, smiling faintly. Just then a Houndoom's head popped into view, making Lusamine smile.

"Damien! I was wondering where you were." Lusamine said happily, with the canine's expression equally happy.

"A certain someone doesn't like to keep me informed anymore." Damien remarked pointedly, with his Trainer looking away guiltily. "I hope you've been doing well."

"You really shouldn't keep secrets from him, Ash. Keeping secrets is bad for your health, you know. Not that I can really say that and not be a hypocrite." Lusamine said with a small chuckle. "Truthfully it's nothing as dastardly as your exploits. Our progress regarding reaching the Ultra Space is moving along. We've managed to harness the energy left over from Cosmog into a physical object that can be a carried and transferred. With luck, we can use the energy harvested from Cosmog to replicate its powers and open an Ultra Wormhole. We may be able to test these things at a site on Melemele Island in a few days."

"A path to the Ultra Space...To think there was something to all of Mohn's crazy theories. He'd be proud of you, Lusa. Continuing his work like that." Borlath said with a small smile, shutting his eyes for a moment. Because of this, he missed Lusamine's smile fade away, replaced with a guilty expression.

"But...I'm not doing it for Mohn. My beloved...I gave up on you, didn't I? When did I stop trying to find you, my darling?" Lusamine thought sadly, unsure of when that was. She felt the old despair and misery from before creep into her heart, making her miss the times before Mohn had been taken away from them. When her precious babies still loved her and this island was truly a home.

"So what are you going to do if you can open an Ultra Wormhole using that leftover energy? It'll only remain open for a few minutes, right?" Borlath asked shrewdly, making Lusamine nod in response, forcing her expression to remain neutral despite the maelstrom of emotions within.

"We just want to see if we can do it. If all goes well, we will be able to recapture Cosmog and use it's powers to create a permanent Ultra Wormhole. With that...we will be able to travel to another plane of existence. And perhaps even allow the Ultra Beasts to come visit us." Lusamine said, a strange feeling of euphoria filling her at the thought. It drove away her despair and pain, and reminded her of what was truly important. And why her children would suffer for standing in her way.

"Whatever happened to Cosmog, anyway? From what it sounded like, you had that thing under lock and key. How did it escape?" Borlath asked. Lusamine wondered how Borlath would react if she told him everything. She had told him some of what was going on, but certainly not all of it.

Lusamine decided with the truth, and to explain herself. "Cosmog was stolen directly from our labs by Lillie. I'm currently using everything at my disposal to hunt her down and bring her home, but she's eluding me."

"Lillie stole Cosmog!?" Borlath shouted, absolutely dumbfounded. Damien looked between the two of them worriedly, with Borlath's eyes flickering to blue, yellow, and then gray again.

"Why would she do that?" Borlath asked after a moment, with Lusamine sighing frustratedly in response.

"Teenage rebellion, most likely. She was a spoiled brat who had everything she wanted in life, but yearned to break free from chains that didn't exist. Hardly surprising, looking back. Her brother stole another pet project of mine as well." Lusamine said bitterly, with Borlath's expression softening. A part of Lusamine hated lying to her friend, but she knew that Borlath couldn't know the real reason why Lillie and Gladion had fled. Why they were so determined to stop her.

"So they've both left the Paradise? I...Wow. Lusa, you know I can help you find them." Borlath offered, adding after a moment. "Lillie probably shouldn't be parading around with a Pokémon containing the power that Cosmog does, and as for Gladion...Wait, what kind of experiment did he take?"

"Classified, Ash. I can't give away all my secrets." Lusamine smirked, making Damien grin in response. "After all, you haven't."

"She's right you know." The Houndoom responded, making Borlath roll his eyes.

"Very well. But the offer stands." Borlath said to the President of the Aether Foundation, who shook her head.

"I appreciate it, Ash, but I'll keep this in house. Those kids can't hide forever, and when I do find them I will make sure they never disobey me again." Lusamine said quietly, her tone becoming cold in a way that her friends had never heard her speak in. Damien's eyes narrowed at the small crimson vein that was sticking out of Lusamine's neck, but Borlath didn't see it because he was focused on his friend's words, his expression one of horror.

"Don't hurt them, Lusamine. They're your kids." Borlath said quietly, a note of worry in his voice. Lusamine's gaze became colder as she stood to her full height.

"I refuse to allow my hopes and dreams for the future to be waylaid by my rebellious children. And you're one to talk, Ashton. How badly have you hurt Sun? Think about that before you lecture me on how I deal with my unruly children, because compared to you I am a saint!" Lusamine barked at Borlath, who recoiled sharply. Borlath's eyes went white before slowly turning jet black. Lusamine allowed herself a smug grin, knowing she had won.

She knew that unless Ashton was keeping himself calm with effort, his eyes would change to reflect the emotion he felt. Lusamine and Mohn had learned that when Ashton was truly scared by something, his eyes turned white. And when he was in one of his many depressions and he was overwhelmed by despair, his eyes would become as black as the abyss.

Borlath ended the call, and Lusamine's smile faded after a moment when she realized that she had crossed the line.

"He was right...I've lost sight of everything. Mohn would be disgusted if he could see what I've done. Who I've become." Lusamine whispered, sinking down into her chair. She brought a shaking hand to her forehead, breathing in slowly before exhaling deeply.

"I hurt him. One of the few real friends I have left. The only one who probably understands me most right now. What have I become? What...what have I done?" Lusamine murmured, clenching her fists. For a brief moment, she had forgotten about the Ultra Sphere in her palm and promptly crushed it.

"What!? No!" Lusamine yelled as the energies contained within the ball rushed outwards, swirling around the room and making the woman shiver as the room began to glow a harsh blue color. And then-

A tearing sound ripped through the office, creating a small, shining rift of light. Lusamine gasped and took a step back, her mouth agape in a silent scream as a fierce wind kicked up in the room.

And then heard it.

"Mother...We're here."

Lusamine's eyes widened as a small tentacle slowly extended from the tiny Ultra Wormhole. The tentacle was white in color, but a blackish liquid dripped from the appendage and onto the floor. Lusamine slowly smiled, taking a step forward.

"So it works...An Ultra Beast." Lusamine rasped, taking several strides forward before she stopped in front of the shimmering rift. The woman felt a single tear run down her beautiful face as she beheld the fruits of her efforts, though she knew it would take much more to free those wonderful creatures from the prison that contained them.

"Save us...help us...Mother…" the voices cried out helplessly, piteously, in a way that made Lusamine's heart constrict. She despised the fact that she could do nothing but wait and listen to the screams of those precious Pokémon that were suffering.

Lusamine extended her hand out, her pointer finger touching the tentacle extending outwards, even as black goo dripped from it. The liquid seemed to absorb into the woman's skin, but she didn't seem to mind. Indeed, she smiled as a vein in her arm slowly glowed a crimson color before dying down, a similar color leaping into Lusamine's eyes as her smile widened.

"...so lost...we are so alone...save us...please…"

"I will save you. I just need a little more time. I will make everything okay. Just wait." Lusamine quietly promised as the tentacle wrapped around her finger, with more of the poison seeping into Lusamine's hand. The woman smiled happily, shutting her eyes.

"We love you, Mother."


A new plan is set into motion! New friends and enemies converge and Colress is as sassy as ever! Stay tuned!

Q & A:

From: Defender31415

Wow. Excellent job. A few observations/ questions:

1. I really think Hau and Lana make a good pair. You've done a really nice job with that ship.

2. Wow. Hell hath no fury like Lillie scorned. You know, you don't see Lillie angry that often in-game, so if this is an invented instance of anger... how are you gonna enhance that scene in Ultra Space where she flies off the handle at Lusamine?

3. Finn, huh? He's an interesting one. I can see him and Oliver becoming an excellent source of comic relief.

4. Actually, hell hath no fury like LELE scorned. Wow. That Pokemon is basically evil. And I still have no clue what Zinnia is doing in this story.

5. Who on earth is Hazel? And is she going to appear in this story?

6. For that matter, why can't Amber feel emotions? Is she an actual psychopath?

Great job. See you around Christmas! Stay safe out there!

1. Thanks. I'm definitely having fun with it. Especially since I faked everyone out with Demi for a while. Heh.

2. That's actually one of my main criticisms of my own writing. In making some comedic moments, I've made Lillie in particular act a bit OOC. Granted, she's becoming less subdued thanks to spending time with Sun and co. and it's how she develops as a character over the course of the story. But it's a bit over the top and I'll be making small edits to tone it down a little. However when it comes time for her confrontation with Lusamine, there will be fire and the scene will be expanded quite a bit. She's not going to be a happy girl when it comes for her big moment.

3. Oh yeah, him and Oliver are gonna get up to some mischief.

4. The game POORLY handles the Island Guardians to a frankly criminal degree. Tapu Lele will definitely be my favorite in this story. However, given some explanations for how Legendaries act, it's behavior isn't entirely unreasonable. And Zinnia's role in the story will become pretty obvious in due time. It actually does tie into the main game to an extent.

5. Hazel is a Gothitelle from Amber's past. And yes.

6. To be explained in a later chapter.

From: SonicIKE

Finally, mon beau héros. Is that French?

Yep. Essentially Kalosian is French, and Alolan is Hawaiian. She called Sun, "My handsome hero."

From: RC-DA

Nice teaser for the next act, how fitting that Amber is "afraid" of something that keeps her from running away. Though that does raise an interesting question, how did she manage to get away from something with Shadow Tag? Especially if it's ferocious enough to worry her.

Shadow Tag is a Hidden Ability for Gothitelle, and considering those are fairly rare, chances are that Hazel just doesn't have that ability. That said, I had no idea Gothitelle's Hidden Ability worked like that and it's...rather fitting.

And there's a lot of ways to get away from something that won't let you escape. We'll be visiting that topic soon in probably my most anticipated chapter for this entire Act.

From: Dario Flaman

Oh and that foreshadowing with the Blinding One at the end there? And Hazel? Who even is this Pokémon? Is Hazel a...Beyond Umbral Pokémon?

And I wonder if that Anomaly Heliolisk will appear, what's its deal?

Either way I'll be looking forward for the next chapter! Retaliation Act here we go!

Oh oh and last thing, I promise, since you played Persona V...who do you think is best girl? XD

1. Nope. Hazel is just a regular Gothitelle.

2. Heh...That'll be revealed in time. Though I will say, the Heliolisk/Anomaly is probably my favorite idea in all my time of writing on this site. I'm very proud of it, and it's a damn shame I never got to use it properly. I've basically got to settle for using it in short bursts.

3. Futaba is best girl. I'm actually planning on doing a small fanfic detailing hers and Akira/Ren's path to love because I ship them so much. When I have time, that is.

From: Guest

Hey, great Fic, I just wanted to ask something. Considering Necrozma's backstory and the fact it's constantly in pain, can it be turned into a Shadow Pokemon? Or does it technically count as one already?

Oh, it could absolutely be turned into a Shadow Pokemon. Whether or not Cipher could actually catch one is the question. And no it doesn't count as one, even if it is in constant pain.

From: trevhall19

i have caught up with reading your story and it's really incredible so far. Each chapter is written with great details, regarding the characters' emotions, Pokemon battles and the attacks, and what the Pokemon are saying to each other. While reading, I can that you're using the non-linear storytelling method, through the use of flashbacks, effectively as they're providing details that happened to a character in the past and they happen throughout the story and not all at the beginning. I praise the maturity, realistic, and dark tone of your story. Having caught up, i do have a few questions to ask you.

1. Which film composer's score, (i.e. Hans Zimmer, John Williams, etc...) do you think will fit perfectly with your story?

2. i recognized the villain team, Cipher, from Pokemon: Colisseum and XD Gale of Darkness, what made you picked them to be the main bad guys of your story?

3. Regarding the conflict between Sun and his dad, was it inspired by Final Fantasy X?

4. If this was made into a film, who do you want to direct it and what might the cast be?

5. When Sun's father mentioned he killed the nameless child with the legendary dragon of Unova, was he referring to N or the main player character from the black and white games?

6. At some point, will Lillie catch her own pokemon? If so, how about a vulpix?

7. Is Sun's dad's hounddoom's name, Damien, a reference to that trainer, who abandoned charmander in the rain, who was rescued by Ash and later joined his team in the anime?

8. About Perfect Kyurem, you mentioned that it's a fusion of kyurem, zekrom, and reshiram. Is it a fusion of all three together?

9. What was the inspirational for the character Borlath, Sun's dad?

10. Does Borlath have other umbral Pokemon more powerful and dangerous than his hounddoom?

Last question

11. Why is Poliwag named Finn? Is it a reference to Adventure Time or something else?

1. A combination of the RWBY soundtrack and Undertale the Musical. It sounds crazy, but those two things have had such an impact on the story and I strongly urge readers to check them out.

For example, "Star" from the Genocide Package really syncs up with Amber Fontaine's character arc.

2. I always felt that Cipher was one of the best villain teams in the series, honestly. That said, it was moreso because Wes was such a fantastic main character for the first game that I became interested in expanding on the story there. There is so much to this answer that I could write an essay on it, but the fact of the matter is that I found a story I could tell with Cipher and that Pokemon Sun and Moon allowed me to do it. Sun and Moon doesn't have a strong central conflict, so I made one with Cipher to correct that.

3. Nope. I have never played any of the Final Fantasy games.

4. I have no idea. Maybe whoever is directing the Detective Pikachu movie so Ryan Reynolds can play Dawson or Ollie. That'd be pretty awesome.

5. Borlath had the main character player of Black/White killed before the events of RS take place. N is alive and well.

6. Heh. Wouldn't you like to know?

7. You know, I never thought of that. I just always had the name for Borlath's Starter in my head with the character. Weird how that works.

8. Perfect Kyurem is a fusion of Shadow Kyruem, Zekrom and Reshiram. Only the first one was a Shadow Pokemon.

9. It was a combination of many things. I wanted a character that was at his core, a good man trying to do the right thing in the worst manner possible. I'll admit that Asgore from Undertale did inspire a few elements of his later development as a character, but I've had the core character in mind for years now. A ruthlessly intelligent businessman using evil to make the world a better place, betraying everything he cared about to create a better tomorrow. He's not insane by any means and genuine does want to fix the problems with the world.

10. Borlath doesn't have any Umbral Pokemon as of now. He's sacrificed his entire team except Damien to be experimented on to be turned into Umbral Pokemon, which will either turn them into soulless killing machines or kill them outright. The only active Umbral Pokemon Cipher has right now is Amber's Umbral Rhyperior, though they do have enough Nihilego venom from Lusamine to make a few more.

11. I named Finn what I did actually as a nod to the WWE Superstar, Finn Balor, who I am a fan of. How Finn Balor fights in the ring is similar to how I've imagined Finn the Poliwag fighting down the road.

You'd be amazed at how many references I put into this story, especially when it comes to names.

That's all for now, everyone. We're back to a weekly update schedule, which is gonna be a freaking blast to get back to. I'll be back with another update next weekend. I also threw up a cheeky poll on my profile, so check that out when you can!

In the meantime, please show your support with a favorite and/or follow and leave any feedback/questions in the review sections below. Seriously, the feedback means the world to me and it makes me happy to see.

I'll see you all in 2019. Have a very Happy New Year!

Take care and stay awesome!

Until next time, FlygonNick out!