Pokémon Radiant Sun
Alright...Hopefully this will be my last big delay for a while.
I've been through a lot this past month. Two medical scares, several important tests, classes, and appointments as well as a job change at work. It's been a really hectic and honestly pretty rough February.
The only bright spot during this time period was the fact that I finally achieved my dream of going to Italy, which I visited a few weeks ago at long last. That was amazing, and if anyone is traveling there anytime soon, I can say that Rome is awesome.
(Also, I will be sharing my thoughts on Pokémon Sword and Pokémon Shield in the AN at the end of the chapter.)
So back to this story and this chapter. Which will set up some interesting stuff later on, but is more for the purpose of explaining the backstory of a character that has evolved in so many interesting ways since her conception.
Shoutout to those who reviewed since the last update, which includes RC-DA, trevhall19, JDunks807, Cottonmouth25, the totem natu, SonicIKE, BraviaryScout, Zombiesguy115, a Guest reviewer, Ways, snipermaster149, skyguyso5, as well as three new reviewers known as skatemanmystery, LDarkbow, and takedigi. You all are absolutely fucking amazing, and I cannot thank you enough for the outpouring of support, well wishes, and uplifting comments.
Special shoutout to Zombieguy115, who was my 1000th reviewer! Thank you for the support. It still feels weird to say that. But it's a fact and it's absolutely amazing.
I cannot believe that this story has reached this point. It's actually hit a 4 digit review number, which is just...insane. We're not even at the halfway point! That's honestly the main reason I decided to upload this entire chapter instead of break it into two pieces, just so that it feels like more a reward for everyone being so patient with me. The fact that this thing has been as well-received as it has been continues to just amaze me, but I suppose I'll just use that as motivation to keep working hard on this story and make it even better.
This chapter contains a small snippet of the song "You Are My Sunshine" by Johnny Cash, and doesn't belong to me in any way. Just a disclaimer.
Here we are. I really hope you all enjoy this one, because this is a backstory ten years in the making. Yeah...I've had the ideas for Amber's character in mind for ten years, and I'm glad that this story has given me the opportunity to tell it. This chapter is the longest that will be in this story, being almost double the length of the previous contender. And this chapter has the distinction of being the longest chapter I've ever written in my time as a writer. Most people were split when it came to feedback about either making this one big update or two large updates. I went with this in the end, because it just works out better.
Still...31,671 words. Damn...I have problems. And on a related note...
The following chapter will be disturbing. And will involve murder, depictions of extreme violence, and many bad things happening. Compared to what I've shown before, this may not seem that bad, but you've been warned regardless.
Enjoy.
Chapter 79: The Demon Comes
Amber saw nothing but white light as she floated through the void. She scowled as she drifted through the abyss, wondering how to best fight against the god she found herself facing. She tried to focus her thoughts and clear her mind, one of the few ways of even trying to protect yourself against Psychic-type Pokémon that was actually viable for humans, but found she couldn't concentrate due to the pain that flared around her whenever she tried to gather her thoughts.
"Don't bother...You are completely at my mercy." Tapu Lele spoke, its voice projecting all around her. Amber scowled and kept trying to block out the Guardian Deity, only for agony to ripple through her mind, making her grunt in pain.
"Now...Your heart will be judged."
"Judged…?" Amber muttered as she turned her head, enduring the pain the movement caused her. Her eyes widened slightly in surprise at the new sight in front of her. Floating there in front of her, sitting cross-legged, was a small girl with pink hair that resembled the Layla girl that Tapu Lele had been posing as earlier.
"Yes...I will judge you. And then I will kill you. You have a grand role in the proceeding events that have plagued this world, Amber Fontaine. Once you're dead, I will have rid the world of a great evil. But much like Tapu Koko, I am curious. Why do you do the things you do? Why are you so empty? You show no fear. You don't show much of anything. I want to know why. And so, we're going to take a look through your memories to see where this pattern of behavior comes from!"
Amber glared at the god and opened her mouth to speak when suddenly, the girl was in her face. Both of her eyes were black holes, streaming with jet-black blood as her mouth opened wide, razor sharp teeth grinning at her sadistically.
"LET'S SEE WHERE IT ALL BEGAN. SHALL WE?"
"I'm just saying, waffles are better than pancakes, Jess. No need to bite my head off."
"They are NOT! Once we make camp, I'll prove it Andrew!"
Amanda Faerun shook her head, her dyed blonde bangs swaying slightly. The scrawny 13-year old girl watched as her companions fell into their usual squabbles, all the while glancing up at the Natu perched on her head. Her Starter and her only Pokémon for the moment.
"Avis...you okay?" Amanda asked the bird, which opened an eye.
"Natuuu…" came a sleepy reply, making the girl chuckle. Even though she had only been a Trainer for a few while, the experience had been such an incredible one. After a week of traveling solo and leaving her hometown of Cherrygrove City, she had come across a gaggle of Trainers battling. It only took a brief battle with one of them, in which she lost due to her inexperience, before she was offered a spot in the traveling group. And now she was learning all sorts of things!
Jess brushed her brown hair out of her face, the short girl glaring at the slightly taller boy with short peach-colored hair. Andrew winked at her as he walked ahead, making Jess lunge at him, but not before a girl with dark skin grabbed her by the arm.
"Oh come on, Judith! Let me punch him!" Jess whined.
"He's not worth it. Instead, let's try and be good role models for Amanda. That way we can counteract how much Andrew sucks." Judith commented, making Jess grin and Amanda giggle. Andrew hunched his shoulders, looking annoyed.
"Kinda right here, you know."
"If it helps, I still think you're kinda cool. I'll beat you the next time we battle though!" Amanda chimed in, making Andrew chuckle under his breath.
"For a rookie, you weren't too bad back there, Amanda. You just need a bit of experience. Relying on Night Shade was a good idea, since your Pokémon was weaker than mine and that negates the defense boost I set up, but...The difference in strength was too much. That'll come in time." Andrew explained as he crossed his arms. "Maybe you could play around with Teleport? It'd help dodge attacks, if anything else."
"I'll keep that in mind. I've only had a few battles though, so I wasn't all that surprised I lost." Amanda said sheepishly, dubbing the back of her head. "My Mom warned me that I'd probably lose a bunch starting out."
"Was your Mom a Pokémon Trainer, Amanda?" Jess asked, with the girl nodding.
"Yep. She was a Gym Trainer for Pryce for a long while, but quit when she had me! My Dad works as a lab technician in Cherrygrove." Amanda answered the other girl.
"I can't imagine how cool it'd be to work under Pryce. He seems like a chill guy." Andrew remarked, warning two groans from Judith and Jess and a giggle from Amanda.
"Kinda reminds me that we still need to figure out a play to beat Morty. That guy's way too tough…" Jess lamented, shaking her head. "You think we'll figure out an actual game-plan while we're traveling around? That's why we decided to backtrack home to New Bark Town to begin with, after all."
Judith smirked after a moment before they dark-skinned girl shrugged in reply. "No idea. I think we just need a break from things, to be totally honest. Hey Andrew, you think if we can get the greenhorn here a few new Pokémon, that she can take down the Violet City Gym in a week or two?"
"That's up to her." Andrew replied with a dismissive way of the hand, making Amanda frown.
"I could totally do it. Just watch! Me and Avis are gonna be awesome!" Amanda proclaimed, her light-blue eyes shining with excitement. The three other Trainers smirked at the girl's enthusiasm, but didn't say anything in reply. After all, they enjoyed the girl's cheer and having a new friend tagging along had put them in good spirits.
"Looks like we've got maybe half an hour of light left. Let's set up camp tonight and make our way back to Violet City by tomorrow." Andrew piped up, adjusting his shoulder straps before looking back at the three girls. "Let's go, ladies! Double-time!"
Andrew set off at a sprint while the three girls exchanged confused glances. They each shrugged, and continued at a sedate pace while Andrew glared at them from down the road, with Amanda giggling all the while.
You were normal once. You were an ordinary girl, living the life of an ordinary Trainer. You had friends. You had a loving family. You were nothing special. Which seems odd, considering the extraordinary person that you are today. You were Amanda Faerun...Not Amber Fontaine.
However that changed one day.
The day you and your friends met...her.
"Three Gym Badges...Nice one, squirt!" Andrew said cheerily to Amanda as the girl grinned at the praise, looking up from the case that contained her badges that she held in her hands.
"That Gym Leader really made me work for it. Who would've thought Normal-types would pack such a punch? I only won because his Miltank knocked itself out in its confusion." Amanda remarked with a slight pout, making the others laugh.
"Still, it's progress!" Jess said cheerily, skipping ahead of them. "I say we celebrate! Cake tonight!"
"The cake is a-" Andrew began to say before Judith casually smacked him upside the head, though she played the movement off as stretching as she walked by him. Meanwhile, Avis and Amanda snickered from behind them.
"Man, why do all the women in my life bully me? It's no fair." Andrew lamented, shaking his head. The teen then stopped in his tracks, a look of confusion on his face. "Wait. Do any of you hear that? It sounds like...crying?" Andrew asked, tilting his head.
The others went quiet and stopped walking, only to hear the faint sound of someone sobbing nearby. Jess looked around in confusion while Judith turned her head. Amanda looked up at the Natu on her head, which closed her eyes, focusing its budding psychic powers outwards.
"Distress...Relief...Anger…" the Natu whispered in her mind. Amanda shuddered after a moment before saying, "Avis senses a bunch of emotions. It's complicated."
"Right…" Jess muttered, crossing her arms and frowning in thought. Andrew and Judith exchanged a glance before the dark-skinned girl nodded, moving towards the source of the crying.
"This way. Come on." Judith said quietly, taking a small breath to steady her nerves. She called out a Nidoking and a Bayleef, making her way through the brush as the others did the same. Andrew called out a Ninetales and a Haunter and Jess called out a Clefable. Amanda stayed at the back as the group pressed on, the sound of sobbing becoming louder to them.
Finally they emerged in a clearing, but what they saw made them pause in confusion...and then horror.
A dead body lay in the center of the clearing. An smartly-dressed man in his late-forties with graying hair. Kneeling by his side was a strange black and white Pokémon that was sobbing loudly, obviously grieving at the man's death.
"What is that? I've never seen something like that in Johto." Andrew murmured, narrowing his eyes. Jess pulled out her Pokédex and scanned the Pokémon from a distance.
"Pokémon Entry not found. Scanning National Database...Entry found. Gothitelle. The Astral Body Pokémon and the evolved form of Gothorita. Starry skies thousands of light-years away are visible in the space distorted by their intense psychic power. They can predict the future from the placement and movement of the stars. They can see Trainers' life spans." the Pokédex intoned loudly, catching the attention of the Psychic-type. The Pokémon looked confused for a moment, wiping the tears off of its face before it stood upright, watching the children as they slowly approached.
"Hey there...everything okay?" Jess asked quietly, to which the Gothitelle shook her head. Amanda shivered at the sense of foreboding, lingering back as her friends approached the Astral Body Pokémon.
"What happened? Was...was there an accident? Was that man your Trainer?" Judith asked, making an effort not to look at the dead man's body. The Gothitelle shook her head again, instead smiling sadly at them. And then all four children heard a voice whisper in their ears.
"There was no accident. I killed this man. And I will kill all of you, too."
Before any of them knew it, Jess was sent hurtling backwards and slammed into a nearby tree hard enough for several bones in her spine to shatter upon impact. The girl screamed in agony as her body burned with a blue psychic aura before she suddenly slammed into the ground again and again like a ragdoll, with more bones breaking with every hit. Jess' Clefable launched a barrage of stars at the Gothitelle with a scream of fury, which made the creature stop the assault on Jess and take a moment to send a massive Hyper Beam at the Clefable, knocking it away with a massive explosion of energy that sent the other children to the ground. After taking a few moments to recharge, the insane Pokémon's smile widened.
With the distraction out of the way, the psychotic creature picked up the sobbing teen with an expression of sheer happiness on her face before throwing Jess high into the air, releasing the hold she had on the girl as she soared above the tree lines. The children finally snapped out of their surprised terror and rushed forward, trying to find a way to catch their friend, but a blast of force sent them to the ground, which was about the same time Jess hit the ground head-first with a loud thump and sickening crack. The three remaining children didn't need to see her face to know that she was dead.
"Oh my g-god...You killed her!" Andrew roared, hopping to his feet as his Ninetales and Haunter got into battle stances, as did Judith's Nidoking and Bayleef.
"I did. And you will follow her." The Gothitelle whispered into their minds, her smile never fading in the slightest. It winced as Jess' Clefable crashed into it from behind, punching the Gothitelle in the back of the head with a fist of lightning as tears streamed down its face. The Psychic-type stumbled forward in time to catch a Flamethrower and a barrage of Razor Leaf in the chest before its eyes narrowed in anger. The Pokémon held out both hands towards Clefable and let out a yell, releasing a full-blast of Psychic energy that sent the Fairy Pokémon careening backwards through several trees. It whirled back around and leapt backwards to avoid a Horn Drill from Nidoking, though it did retaliate with a barrage of Shadow Balls it hurled from its hands, which the group of Pokémon managed to avoid.
"Yo, Amanda! Help out! We've got to stop this thing!" Andrew barked as he pointed forward. "Dark Pulse!"
Andrew's Haunter released a criss-crossing beam of darkness that rushed at the Gothitelle, which smiled widely before throwing out her arms, summoning a series of portals that dumped a barrage of rocks upon the Trainers and their Pokémon. Andrew screamed as his Ninetales and Haunter fell under the onslaught, but he was also caught off guard when the Gothitelle hurled a boulder at the boy directly, creating an explosion of dust where he stood and forcing the other children away.
"Andrew!" Amanda cried out as the Gothitelle effortlessly knocked out the boy's Ninetales and Haunter with a Psychic and a Dark Pulse each. Amanda fought the urge to bolt and run, but instead held out a hand, gathering her courage to fight alongside her friends. "Avis, use Teleport and Night Shade!"
The Natu nodded and vanished on the spot, reappearing behind the Gothitelle and blasting her with ghostly energy as the Astral Body Pokémon blasted Judith's Nidoking with Psybeam, knocking it out with ease. The Gothitelle winced in pain, but casually waved a hand towards Avis and repulsed her with Psychic, instead focusing on Judith as she scrambled to call out another Pokémon. The Astral Body Pokémon raised a glowing hand, enveloping Judith's hands and making them both snap apart at the wrists, making her scream loudly as she fell to the ground. Her Bayleef looked back in concern, which easily allowed the Gothitelle to lift the Grass-type into the air with Telekinesis and then blast it with a Hyper Beam. Judith screamed out in distress, only for a wave of force to suddenly knock her to the ground.
The Gothitelle was panting now, trying to recover its energy with a massive grin on its face. Judith tried to crawl away, but much like Jess, she was flung through the air by Psychic until a horrific snap filled the clearing and the girl dropped to the ground with a broken neck after hitting another tree.
"And then there was one…" the Gothitelle whispered, even as a small little Natu flew towards her. Amanda tried to run, but felt a force grip her legs and make her trip, sending her falling to the ground. Amanda looked back and saw a black shadow trailing from the Gothitelle to her own shadow on the ground, connecting the two of them somehow. That shadow was clutching Amanda's foot, ensuring she couldn't run away.
"Get out of here Avis! Save yourself!" Amanda screamed as the Gothitelle gripped her body with Psychic, raising her into the air. Avis dive-bombed the insane Pokémon, but the Gothitelle blasted her away with a Shadow Ball and sent her tumbling into the underbrush with a scream of agony. Amanda shivered with fear and pain as she beheld the field of bodies of her friends and their Pokémon. This fear was only amplified when the Gothitelle turned her attention back to Amanda, her smile widening to a maniacal degree.
The girl opened her mouth to scream for help, but the psychic hold on her body doubled in force, forcing the air out of her lungs. Amanda shut her eyes, preparing for the worst. However, she heard a whisper in her mind before she felt oblivion take her.
"Hello there...My name is Hazel. And we're going to be the best of friends."
How does it feel, being completely dominated like that? Much like you are, right this moment? You lost your friends and companions. Your closest friend was forced to abandon you? Yes, you felt the true meaning of despair that day.
And from that point on...Everything changed.
"Where...where are we going?"
"Mmm...Somewhere safe. For me. Not you."
"Please...I just want to go home. I...Why are you doing this? Please, just let me go!"
"Nope."
The Gothitelle limped along the forest path with Amanda marching alongside her, forced along by the Psychic attack being used to manipulate her body. The tears had dried up long ago, and now Amanda had taken stock of her situation. She was being held hostage by an murderous Gothitelle, she had no idea where she was now, and her friends and Pokémon were long gone. Hazel disposed of Amanda's remaining Pokémon after knocking her out, leaving her absolutely defenseless against the Gothitelle. And then the two began to move away from the scene of the attack and made their way north, where the Gothitelle killed anyone who was unfortunate enough to cross their paths.
Hazel herself had been surprisingly quiet, even after she kidnapped Amanda from that clearing. The Gothitelle left the bodies and carnage behind without so much as a backwards glance, but Amanda could feel the sheer joy radiating from her as they walked. She was truly happy about what she had done back there. Absolutely giddy that she had killed her friends as well as Hazel's Pokémon Trainer, who Amanda learned about simply through the mental connection they now shared.
Hazel's Trainer had been a renowned neurologist and a skilled Pokémon Trainer on top of that. That much Amanda could discern. She also realized just what a neurologist was (someone who studied how brains worked), and that the Gothitelle that had taken her captive was that man's Partner and only Pokémon. However, she was ruthlessly powerful and was incredibly adept at using her powers to manipulate others, thanks to some sort of special training she received...Amanda wasn't sure what that entailed, because Hazel became aware of their mental connection at the point Amanda had learned this information, and began laughing out loud in sheer amusement.
Amanda didn't understand this at all. And that only made Hazel laugh harder. Eventually Amanda just gave up on any hope of convincing the Gothitelle to let her go free.
"This will do." Hazel said quietly as long last, stopping them in a clearing surrounded by fallen logs. The Astral Body Pokémon finally released Amanda, who dropped onto the ground with a gasp.
Amanda curled into a ball, shaking like a leaf while Hazel glanced around the area. Her eyes burned blue and a loud snap reverberated through the clearing, making the teen yelp in fear and look up. A Noctowl dropped out of a nearby tree and crashed onto the ground, twitching weakly with a broken neck as the life left its eyes. The blonde put her hands to her mouth, her expression one of absolute horror. Hazel carelessly flung the body into the trees and sat down next to a log, sighing deeply.
"W-why did you...kill it? Why did you…" Amanda whispered, but the words died in her throat when Hazel looked at her with a happy smile.
"Because I'm free. And no one will stop me now that I can hurt as much as I want to, now." Hazel replied cheerily shutting her eyes. The Gothitelle sighed softly, placing her hands in her lap and closing her eyes.
"Today was exhausting. We may have to stay here for a little while." Hazel said as she opened a single eye a few moments later. Amanda stared at her, uncomprehending.
"But...I don't understand! Why did you attack me and my friends!? Why did you kidnap me? W-what...What do you want?" Amanda asked in a whispered, hugging herself as the psychotic Gothitelle chuckled softly, a twisted sound that made the girl shiver in fear.
"Would you like me to tell you a story, child?" Hazel suddenly asked, slowly looking up at the rising moon in the sky. Amanda stared at the creature, unsure if the question was a trick or a trap. Either way, the Gothitelle began to speak.
"Once upon a time, a man stumbled upon a injured Gothita in a land far away from here. He took it in, and nursed it back to health. The Pokémon was happy and thankful for the man's kindness, and so in turn she never left his side. She returned his kindness with loyalty." Hazel began softly, her words brushing against Hazel's mind in a manner that seemed so loving. Intimate, almost...Before suddenly Amanda clutched her head in agony, feeling something clawing through her brain itself as she fell to the ground.
"The Gothita spent many years with the man, becoming his most faithful servant. She became stronger and evolved twice during those many years. And no matter what happened, her Trainer showered her with kindness and love. But that blinded her, you see. The man had cast a veil over her eyes and hid his true nature away from her...And when she discovered the terrible secrets he held, he expected her to follow in his footsteps."
"W-what...What was his true nature?" Amanda asked in a whisper, with the Gothitelle shutting her eyes.
"That man was a monster. A person who lured in others with his kindness and killed them. But he was clever, and hid his tracks well. And when the Gothitelle found out the truth of what he did...She joined him in the acts of murder. Because she loved her Trainer and was very loyal to him. These people were playthings to her Trainer, and so they weren't worth keeping alive. With every death, her soul become darker and more twisted, until she was just as horrible as the man himself."
"The worst part...Is that she enjoyed it. The man had been sculpting his own loyal Gothitelle into a monster as well, and she loved every moment of it. Even though she knew how terrible it was, she did everything he asked with a smile. Until finally...The Gothitelle realized that she was never a partner to the man. No. She was a mere puppet. And so finally, after many years...The puppet broke her strings."
"And that was where the man's story ends...and our story begins, Amanda Faerun."
Hazel opened both of her now-glowing eyes, and Amanda screamed as the pressure returned. The girl's screams were suddenly cut off as she felt a force knock the air out of her lungs and fire burned through her limbs, making tears run down her face as the Gothitelle beamed at her anguish.
"Violence in a cycle, little girl. Those who have had dark things done to them shall become dark and continue that cycle of darkness. It takes a truly powerful person to stop that cycle of hate. But where's the fun in that?" Hazel whispered as she increased her pressure, making the girl shut her eyes and almost beg for the Gothitelle to put her out of her misery.
"My Trainer can't hurt anyone else anymore. I'm free...Free to do whatever I want. And so I shall. But why should I have to do any of this alone?" Hazel asked as she released Amanda, her smile becoming practically demonic. Amanda tried to turn around and run away, stumbling due to the pain she was in, but made it as far as the edge of the clearing before she was suddenly pulled to the ground. Amanda rolled onto her back and looked down to see a shadow connecting her and Hazel, just like before.
"You won't be able to escape me. And without a Pokémon or any weapons, I won't have to worry about you killing me. And rest assured, if you act unruly, I can make what I just did seem like fun." Hazel said sweetly, shutting her eyes.
"I'd recommend getting some sleep. I have plans for you soon, and you'll need it." Hazel whispered, sighing softly before seemingly falling asleep.
Amanda stared at the Gothitelle for a time before she sighed shakily, trying to keep herself calm. What did Hazel mean when she said that their story would begin? That she had...plans for Amanda? The girl was scared, hurt, and alone.
"I miss my friends...I miss my family...I miss Avis…" the blonde-haired girl whispered, pressing her face against the grass and curling into a ball.
Amanda cried herself to sleep that night, knowing that it was helpless to do anything else. She couldn't run away. She couldn't get the help of any passing stranger or Pokémon even if she could escape, for fear that they too would meet a terrible fate.
So Amanda fell into despair, knowing that she was within a monster's clutches with no way out.
Taken away from all that you cared about, you became a plaything of a monster. A tool to be used by a creature of evil, born from the darkness within the hearts of humanity.
Amanda had fought quite hard against Hazel today, putting up the most fight yet in her six months as the Gothitelle's captive. Hazel had just slaughtered a group of young Trainers near her hometown of Cherrygrove City, and it somehow drove the true unfairness of her situation home for her.
And so she struggled. And fought for all she was worth. And even though the results of her defiance would have horrific consequences for her, it was worth it just to slap that smile off of Hazel's face for just a moment.
"STOP STRUGGLING!" Hazel snarled as she slammed Amanda into the dirt, her face contorted in a deadly scowl. "Every moment you're conscious, I have to battle against your will. Why can't you just have some fun?"
"I'd rather die than spend another moment with you!" Amanda screamed back, her expression furious as she struggled to break free from her bonds. "I can't stand it! You're an evil monster who doesn't have a heart!"
Hazel's scowled deepened and a moment later, Amanda felt something clawing through her mind as Hazel's eyes burned dark blue, with every ounce of the Gothitelle's power hitting her mind at once. Amanda screamed as loud as should could as her eyes flew open, knives embedding themselves into her mind as Hazel slowly walked over to her, her scowl slowly fading into a smile.
"Maybe...I can be a bit more direct in this. My old Trainer was a very intelligent man. And as such, he taught me many things about Pokémon and Human minds. I wonder...if after some tinkering, I could make you listen to me better?" Hazel whispered, her smile widening to a maddening extent. Amanda didn't reply, but twitched with each lance of pain to her brain, with each burst of agony followed by a chilling sensation through her body. After one particular brutal burst of pain during an eternity of torture, Hazel finally spoke.
"Oh? Now that was an interesting reaction. Maybe if I…" Amanda could hear Hazel musing aloud before Amanda suddenly blacked out…
When she came to, she felt incredibly cold. She had a massive headache, and her body felt oddly sensitive. Amanda slowly pushed herself up off of the ground and saw Hazel standing above her, beaming down at her. Oddly enough, Amanda felt absolutely none of the anger that she had felt before. Just...nothing.
"That's better...Now, let's go. That was tiring, so let us find a place to rest." Hazel whispered as she used Psychic to pull the girl upright. With a dazed nod, Amanda walked behind the Gothitelle, trying to gather her wits. The now-redhead, her blonde hair dye having faded ages ago, tried to ponder just what the Gothitelle had done. The last thing she remembered was her finally snapping at the Gothitelle. And then everything went black.
"How do you feel?" Hazel asked Amanda quietly, her smile wavering slightly as she glanced at her captive.
"I don't...know?" Amanda murmured, as the Gothitelle picked her up with her Psychic powers. She never understood why the odd creature did this instead of letting her walk normally. It's not like she had any choice, thanks to the Hazel's Shadow Tag ability keeping her shackled to the Gothitelle.
Finally, after several mores hours of travel, they had arrived at an acceptable location to set up camp for the night. A small clearing surrounded by large trees. Hazel nodded in satisfaction and released Amanda, who collapsed onto the ground with a sigh of relief as Hazel finally let her go. She knew that the monster's power wouldn't allow her to flee, but any moment where she was not under directly control of the Astral Body Pokémon was worth savoring to her.
"You humans never fail to intrigue me. Truly." Hazel remarked as she sat down on the ground, shutting her eyes. "How you all gained such prominence and influence in the world is beyond me. I'll have to continue picking through your mind further."
Amanda didn't reply, not having the energy to be confused by the odd statement. But instead shakily got to her feet and began setting up camp for herself. Thankfully the Gothitelle had allowed her to gather some simple comforts for the road. Though, these comforts were stolen from the supplies of the Trainers that the Gothitelle had slain, so they didn't really comfort Amanda that much. Regardless, the girl munched on a granola bar with a sigh of relief as the Gothitelle left her alone. The entire time Hazel stared at her with her usual creepy grin, looking almost triumphant.
"Why are you so happy today?" Amanda asked warily, curling her legs in and resting her chin on them. The Gothitelle laughed softly as her eyes burned dark blue. Amanda gasped as her head suddenly spiked with pain, with the girl collapsing onto the ground.
"Because, my friend...Today is a wonderful day for you to suffer." Hazel said gently, with Amanda clutching her skull as she rolled around in agony. Amanda could feel once again the sensation of something clawing, tearing through her mind as if Hazel was searching for something…Amanda shut her eyes and did everything she could to resist. Her efforts to throw off the Psychic-type were muddled and confused, but they were enough to earn a groan of annoyance from the rogue Gothitelle.
"Why do you resist me!? Humans are capable of so much evil. If I could make you understand, I could all sorts of fun with you!" Hazel snarled mentally, with the pressure increasing.
"Is it cowardice!? Your youth? Simple defiance? I don't understand...But I will tear you apart until I do!" Hazel promised as Amanda felt a awful chill creep down her body,
"What...What did you just do to me?" Amanda whispered, shivering uncontrollably. Hazel clutched her own head, though she wore a maniacal grin on her face the entire time.
"That should have made you a bit more compliant." Hazel said tiredly, shutting her eyes and exhaling softly. "I pushed myself too far though."
"What did you do to me!? W-what are you trying to accomplish here!?" Amanda asked, frustration in her voice. Oddly enough, she didn't feel any of the usual fear that she should have felt when addressing Hazel. Especially in such a raised voice. To her credit, Hazel giggled in response and gave Amanda a warm smile.
"You poor girl...Fine. I'll explain what I've been trying to do the past few months we've been traveling together." Hazel said softly, her smile becoming less warm and more deranged.
"I keep you alive because wandering the roads alone is boring. I want to kill everything I can before I eventually meet my end. I was sculpted to be a weapon by my Trainer, and so that is what I am now. And I wish to do the same to you, so I can understand why my Trainer did it to me. And also…" Hazel's smile vanished completely, replaced with a completely dull expression.
"I'm a monster. And I enjoy killing. I enjoy making others suffer. And having a pawn I can make suffer and keep me company sounds and is a wonderful comfort to me. And with some work, I'll make you just as terrible as me. I have all the time in the world to make you into my perfect little weapon against the world." Hazel explained to Amanda, who's eyes shot open in horror and disgust.
The pressure vanished from Amanda and she collapsed onto the ground, shaking violently. She shut her eyes, clutching her head and twitching in pain as Hazel sighed with exhaustion.
"I'm tired. My efforts to mold you were clumsy and took more out of me than I thought. We'll rest here for a day or two and then proceed onward." Hazel said as she shut her eyes, leaving Amanda to wonder what other horrible truths would be revealed to her as long as she was shackled to the side of the insane Gothitelle.
The next two days passed without incident, though things took a turn for the worst when they were setting up camp that next evening. Amanda was sitting besides a fire that Hazel had allowed her to set up, when she heard a rustling sound from nearby. Amanda tensed and Hazel opened a single eye, weary from dragging Amanda along and tormenting her mind as she usually did.
Suddenly, a teenage boy stumbled out of the trees and into the campsite, glancing around for a moment before looking at Amanda. He was a lanky boy with long brown hair, perhaps about a year older than she was. On his shoulders was a Butterfree. He gave her a grin and said, "Heya. Name's Luke. You mind if I crash here with ya?"
Amanda blinked twice before saying, "Huh?"
Luke rolled his eyes and said slower, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "I would like to request I stay in your little campsite for the night. I suck at making fires, you've got a fire, and I'll go away in the morning."
Amanda shut her eyes for a moment, trying to think of a way to warn Luke about the psychopath holding her hostage or the fact that he would be in danger himself if he stayed nearby. Instead, she felt her body stiffen, and she began to speak without any control over her words.
"Sure, why not? Just don't be too noisy. My Gothitelle needs her sleep." Amanda spoke, shock and horror filling her as a certain someone she knew manipulated her words. Luke thanked her and began setting up his own camp, leaving Amanda to try and figure out what had just happened.
"I'm getting better at this." Hazel whispered smugly as Amanda glanced at her, the girl hearing the amusement in the Astral Body Pokémon's voice. "That wasn't even a full Psychic attack. Simply extending a tendril of thought into your damaged mind is allowing me some control over your motor functions."
"Damaged mind?" Amber thought, bewildered. Last time she checked she was definitely still sane. She chalked it up to the psychotic Gothitelle being psychotic and decided to shut her eyes, hoping that Luke would get a clue and run for her life before Hazel decided to slaughter him out of boredom.
"So...the name's Luke Lokoni. From New Bark Town." The teen said cheerily, propping himself on his elbows while watching Amanda as she stared at the fire. She ignored the pang within her at that. Her friends had been from that town as well. Amanda opened her mouth to give him her name in reply, but heard Hazel whisper to her, "No. Don't use your real name."
"Why?" Amanda asked warily, thinking at the creature.
"Names have power, my friend. How about...Amber? Amber Fontaine. Having a name different from your actual one will be useful to have, I imagine. Now tell answer his question, or else." Hazel said to the girl, who sighed and nodded.
"I'm Amber Fontaine." The girl replied sullenly, with the boy snorting in amusement.
"That's...heh, some name. Well, what brings you out to this neck of the woods?" Luke asked trying to get comfortable in his sleeping back. Amanda glanced over at the Gothitelle, staring at her for a few moments before glancing back at Luke, who's Butterfree was napping on top of him now.
"Can't say. Top secret." Amanda deadpanned, earning a scoff from the teen. She had the impression that her weak responses to his questions were somewhat off putting to him, but as tired and in pain as she was, she couldn't really care less.
"Right, right. Well...Whatever. Thanks for letting me crash here." Luke said awkwardly, somewhat thrown off by the remark. The teen burrowed into his sleeping bag and sighed, shutting his eyes.
"I'm not allowed to have anything nice while you're tormenting me, huh?" Amanda asked Hazel, who opened a single eye. "I'm alone. In pain. And stuck with you...You're the worst."
"You know, I actually do like the name Amber more than your original name." Hazel remarked as she chuckled softly. "I believe some would call this a false identity? Regardless, you have left your old life behind. I think I'll just start calling you Amber now, my little friend."
"Call me whatever you want, so long as you leave me out of your twisted plans." Amanda grunted, her eyes slowly drooping from the exhaustion of the day.
"Now where's the fun in that, Amber?" Hazel whispered with a giggle, her eyes opening slightly as they glowed a harsh blue color. Amanda stiffened as pain wracked her body, with the girl silently standing up from her position like a puppet being animated by its master. She could feel Hazel's influence spreading through like a plague, now. She didn't know how, but she understood what the Gothitelle had been doing all this time. Amanda's movement was jerky at first, but became smoother as the girl walked over to the pack on the ground that she had dropped earlier.
"My Trainer believed in the ability to control a person through their minds using psychic abilities. Complete control. Should enough of a bond be formed between a human and a Pokémon, the two will become stronger through said bond. You're weak...So I'll give you my strength." Hazel said happily as she made Amanda fumble through the pack before she found what she was looking for. Amanda slowly pulled out a worn switchblade that had been scavenged just days ago, and her eyes widened in horror.
"No...Nononononono! You can't!" Amanda internally screamed as her body slowly turned around to face the sleeping form of Luke. The teen's Butterfree slowly stirred as the girl put one foot in front of the other, knife slowly rising into the air.
"The first kill of many...Don't you see, my friend...I want you to be my tool of destruction. I want death. But why walk the road alone?" Hazel asked as Amanda walked towards the unsuspecting Luke. The girl, to her horror, could feel the bloodlust radiating from whatever control the Gothitelle had over her. Amanda could feel the emotions of hatred and twisted amusement burning through her, driving her to put one foot in front of the other. She wasn't scared of what she was doing, no. But she knew it was a horrible thing to do the tried her best to fight it.
"Please! Stop it! I'll do anything, just don't...make me...do this!" Amanda begged as the Gothitelle cackled mercilessly in her mind.
But she couldn't. Hazel was too strong, and was too skilled at manipulating Amanda's body and brain with her powers. As Amanda stood above the boy, Luke's Butterfree twitched and looked up at Amanda in surprise, only for a blast of Psychic to suddenly smash into the Pokémon and send it twitching into the grass.
"Huh...W-wha?" Luke mumbled, rolling over as his eyes flickered open. He saw Amanda standing over him, a switchblade in her trembling hands as a Gothitelle stood over her shoulders with a demonic grin.
Amanda couldn't help the sob that escaped her as she brought the knife down, with Luke's eyes widening in horror. The girl felt Hazel's sickening glee as Amanda ended the young man's life and drove the blade home...
And with that, she committed the very first of many strikes against her soul.
Your first kill...It's effects still linger within you to this day. You cried and struggled and fought against your captor, but to no avail. This was the first step towards the destruction of the girl once known as Amanda Faerun.
A year. A full year since she had fallen under the control of Hazel.
Amanda fought as hard as she could all the while, but Hazel would not be denied. How did a human truly fight against someone who had complete and utter control of your body and mind in ways that seemed like something out of a nightmare?
The answer was that you couldn't.
And so they wandered the region of Johto, cutting down anyone that stood in their way. Or rather, anyone that happened to wander into their path. All the while, the rogue Gothitelle would continue to mentally pick at Amanda's mind, tweaking and and adjusting whatever she felt like doing. And there was nothing Amanda could do about it.
Over time, she began to truly understand just what the Gothitelle was doing to her. Slowly but surely, began to lose interest in the small things she had used for positive reinforcement to her situation. Seeing the ocean no longer brought a smile to her face. The sight of a new wild Pokémon no longer excited her. And the tantalizing possibility of escape seemed like an impossibility.
Amanda understood after a while what had happened. Slowly but surely, the Gothitelle was tearing down the person she was before meeting her. Amanda Faerun was slowly dying, and being replaced with someone else. Someone who wouldn't care about hurting others. Someone who was a demented killing machine just like Hazel. And it was a long, long painful journey.
Tonight had brought them into the company of a rather large Hiker who kindly allowed them to share in his food and campfire. Amanda enjoyed the taste of baked beans and bacon for the first time in years, savoring the taste of the meat in particular. She remained quiet when the man asked her questions about herself and about the smiling Gothitelle by her side.
When it came time for them to sleep, Amanda rose from the ground and prepared to kill as Hazel took control of her body using her psychic powers. However, she had accidentally kicked a rock as she took her first step, waking up the Hiker and drawing his attention to her.
"W-what...what are you doing!?" the Hiker yelped, seeing Amanda advance towards her with knife. Hazel blinked in surprise, losing brief control for a moment.
"Run! She's crazy and she wants to use me to kill you!" Amanda shouted before Hazel regained control and she was forced into silence. The Hiker put two and two together and scowled, drawing out two Poké Balls.
"No worries, missie. I'll take care of this!" the Hiker barked, calling out a Machoke and a Graveler. Hazel chuckled as the Machoke stomped towards her, only for Hazel to move Amanda's body in front of her as a human shield. The Machoke stopped in its tracks for a moment, which was all Hazel needed to knock it out with a Psybeam.
The Graveler proved to be more difficult, using Rock Blast to force Hazel to dodge the attack while keeping control of Amanda. The girl didn't know why, exactly. It wasn't like the Hiker could beat Hazel with just a Graveler, and she couldn't escape because of Shadow Tag being in effect.
"I still can't believe she took almost a year to explain how she kept me from escaping her." Amanda grumbled internally as Hazel was hit by a barrage of rocks, knocking her backwards with a snarl of pain. Finally, Hazel released Amanda and put her full effort into the fight, a sinister grin on her face as the Graveler attacked with Rock Blast again. Hazel halted the next wave of rocks coming at her and threw them back at the Hiker, who cried out as he tried to dodge one of the rocks, only for one of them to clip his hand.
"It's fascinating to see how far you've come, my darling little Amber." Hazel murmured as she dispatched the man's Graveler with a second Psyshock, looking slightly annoyed at the effort it was taking her to deal with the Rock-type. "In another time, you'd be cowering on the ground and begging for someone to save you. It isn't like you to just stand there."
"What's the point? You're just going to kill him anyway." Amanda replied dully, crossing her arms. If anything, she was almost bored with the display. Seeing it again and again had made her nearly numb to the terrible plights of the victims Hazel killed in her rampage of Johto. Though Amanda wasn't sure if her slowly breaking psyche helped things.
"S-stop! Please, I don't want any trouble!" the Hiker yelled, returning his defeated Pokémon and trying to run. However, Hazel's Shadow Tag stopped the man in his tracks much like the many times Amanda had tried to escape, making the man fall to the ground. The Hiker stumbled to his feet, his eyes dilated with terror as Hazel's eyes burned with power. Amanda gasped as her body began to move of its own accord, every muscle on fire and surging with an indescribable pain that had become so familiar to her.
Instead, she flipped the blade in her grasp and hurled it. The blade sank into the man's back and downed the Hiker with a howl of pain, with Amber's body slowly walking towards the man, Hazel striding alongside her.
"My ability to manipulate your finer motor control is improving...Now finish the job." Hazel whispered happily, with the girl reaching down and yanking out the blade, making the man scream out in agony. She then brought down the blade and ended his life. Another stain on her soul. Another crack on her heart.
And yet...in the end all she felt was emptiness.
This was the true beginning of Amber Fontaine. The girl who was stripped of her humanity to become a soulless killing machine. Bit by bit, emotion by emotion, you were transformed into something else...something darker.
Olivine City was a bit of a mess, all things considered. Not because it was a bad place to be or the weather was bad. No, if anything, Amber found the atmosphere relaxing and wished that she could be in the city under better circumstances. Before all of this, she enjoyed being near the ocean, having lived alongside it most of her life in Cherrygrove City. Hearing the waves, smelling the salt in the sea air...She had missed it, in a way.
Instead she was in the middle of a police standoff.
Hazel hummed merrily as the officers outside barked commands from outside, ordering the Gothitelle to give up her hostages of the building that they had taken refuge in. At this point, however, it was only her and Amber left alive inside of the building. Hazel had Amber kill them herself, not that the police knew that she wasn't exactly a hostage in this scenario, but an unwilling accomplice.
"I wonder how long it'll take for them to actually come in her themselves." Hazel mused as Amber leaned against a wall, sighing softly. "Oh come now, don't sulk. It's hardly becoming of you, Amber."
"Can't we just be done with this? You're just wasting my time now." Amber asked dully. Hazel rolled her eyes, laughing softly.
"It's so fascinating. Two years of playing around in your mind and this is what happens. You're almost boring now! At least back then you put up a fight." Hazel whined, with Amber scowling at her, annoyed at the direction this conversation was going. Mainly because it was one that had occurred several times.
"You destroyed everything I was. I'm not even me anymore. And there's no point in fighting...I don't have a way to stop you, so instead I'm just going to try as little as possible and pray someone finally manages to kill one of us at some point. If it's you, then I'm free. If it's me, then I'm out of your grasp forever." Amber said dully as a loud boom echoed through the building.
"And there's my cue!" Hazel sang as two officers barged into the room with their sidearms drawn, a Snubbull and a Granbull flanking them. Hazel used Psychic to drag Amber close to her, making it seem like she was using the girl as a hostage. The officers hesitated, and with that Hazel sent both of them careening into the wall with a Psychic attack. The Pokémon looked back at their Trainers with concern, and Hazel dispatched them both with relative ease. The Gothitelle drifted forward to finish them off, leaving Amber to her thoughts.
Seeing Hazel go wild was absolutely horrifying in an earlier time, but Amber had stopped being scared a long time ago. It was business as usual, at this point. Sometimes, Hazel would drum up a bit of a spectacle so that they could make a show out of it. Amber knew it was so she could kill more people, though.
"Psychopath…" Amber muttered darkly as the Gothitelle walked back towards her.
"You know, I'm the only one having fun here. You could cause some lovely chaos with that blade of yours. You've come so far, my friend. Why not show it?" Hazel said as she and Amber made their way of the office that they were hiding in. Amber continued to think about what Hazel had said. How far she had come…
Several years had passed since the initial attack and her meeting with Hazel. Amanda had watched Hazel cut a path of destruction through Johto, to the point where Hazel the Gothitelle was making national headlines. By the end of Amanda's first year with Hazel, they had gone from small attacks in the wild to actively fighting the police. And yet Hazel's shrewdness allowed her to escape every time.
And all the while, Amanda was tortured by the Gothitelle. There really was no other word for it, really. Forced to kill again and again with no say in the matter, all the while having the Gothitelle subject her to psychic attacks and mental probes. She could feel the numbness of her feelings spread until it had become nearly all consuming. Eventually, she realized what Hazel had done. She was making her into someone new.
She hadn't felt like Amanda Faerun in a very long time. She longed for those days. The handful of emotions and feelings that she had been allowed to keep or managed to hang onto over the course of her imprisonment allowed her to remember what she had lost. And who she had become. She was Amber Fontaine, now. A tool for a monster who was damaged in a way that she didn't think she could come back from.
A scream broke Amber out of her thoughts, with Hazel falling to the ground as a Shadow Ball from a Gengar struck her from the ceiling. Several officers with assorted Pokémon stormed into the building from a side entrance that had been sealed off beforehand. They spotted Amber slowly getting up, grabbing her knife from where it fell.
"Get them!" one of the officers barked, with Hazel laughing as she sent a Psybeam their way. The Gothitelle engaged the officers and their partners, though one of the men charged at Amber, raising a large nightstick, making her sigh. So, this man would die by her hand then. Maybe she could let him kill her? That was a thought.
She jumped back to dodge the man, moving quicker than the man had any reason to suspect she could. The man swung and punched at Amber, who calmly ducked and dodged the attacks, feeling a slowly rising feeling of excitement within her. She had no idea where it was coming from. She hadn't felt like this in any of the other situations where she had fought other humans. It was as if all of the emotions she felt whenever Hazel was feelings when controlling Amber and making her kill, were now effecting her even without Hazel in control.
Amber tightened her grip on the knife in her hand, a small smile flickering onto her face. The blood lust, the pounding of her heart, the thrill of the hunt all roaring through her brain. She fought against it for a moment, but eventually she realized how much it made her excited. This was the most emotion she had felt in months, and so she decided to go with it and see where the emotions led her.
The officer swung his nightstick again at the young woman, who moved quicker than she thought possible and easily dodged the swing, ducking away from a backhanded swipe as well. Amber snorted in amusement at the man's confusion before she lashed out, going on the offensive, which meant slamming a fist into the officer's face and sending him crashing to the ground. The teen looked at her fist in surprise, and then down at the officer, who was clutching his broken jaw and spitting out blood.
"Did I do that?" Amber asked dumbly, blinking in confusion. She wasn't nowhere near that strong! What was going on? The man replied by looking up at her and aiming his pistol at her face. Instinct kicked in, making the teen promptly kick the firearm out of the officer's hand before pouncing on him with her knife, stabbing him deeply in the chest before ripping the blade free. Amber stood there as the man twitched and let out a death gurgle, the girl panting heavily with a bloodthirsty grin on her face. After she caught her breath, she put a hand to her head and allowed the shock to hit her.
"I...I enjoyed that." Amber whispered, looking down at her bloodied hands. "I killed him so easily. And it made me feel more alive than I've been in years."
"That's because I killed most positive emotions you possessed before." Hazel answered as she shakily rose to her feet, panting from how tired she was now and at the effort it took to knock out all of the Pokémon around her. "Needless to say, my influence over you worked better than I thought. You'll be as bloodthirsty as me in no time."
"How?" Amber asked as she hurled the blade at Hazel, who blasted it out of the air and threw Amber into the ceiling, dropping her painfully onto the ground in response.
"Because of how much I've bonded with you, despite how unwilling you were. My own thoughts and feelings have bled into your own. It's as simple as that. Throughout our time together, I have used my powers to give you my strength so that we can terrorize these fools and claim their lives." Hazel said quietly, smiling proudly at the young woman. "And you're learning well, my little Amber. That was the first time you've killed without me helping you." Hazel whispered as the Gothitelle guided Amber out of the street with her hand on the human's shoulder.
"What...How? I'm not that strong. And those...feelings." Amber asked the Gothitelle as the Pokémon glanced down the street. More police cars were heading down the street, with the Gothitelle scowling.
"We don't have the time for conversation like this. But if you must know, the real reason I subjected you to so much pain was to test another theory by my old Trainer." The Gothitelle began to explained, a bloodthirsty grin appearing on her face before she said, "Shut your eyes."
Amber did just that as a wicked flash of light erupted from the eyes of the Gothitelle, blinding the officers speeding down towards them and making them swerve off of the road into nearby buildings. Hazel shook her head several times as Amber opened her eyes again, bemused at the wreckages rather than disgusted or horrified. In another time, she'd be screaming in horror. Now? What was there to be freaked out about? She had done worse herself, thanks to Hazel.
Instead she just stood there and watched the Gothitelle pick off the survivors with a detached feeling of awe. She wondered if Avis would have been able to grow that powerful if she had continued as a Pokémon Trainer.
All too soon, the Gothitelle turned towards her and beamed, her eyes glowing blue and hitting Amber with Psychic. The girl winced as her body shrieked in agony, but she was almost used to the pain at this point. No screaming out, no tears. It was pain. How was it any different than the hundreds of other attacks she had endured?
"You've become stronger, my little Amber. My old Trainer had a theory that I've slowly been testing the past few years, on top of my attempts to turn you into a subservient puppet. When a human becomes stronger through exercise, they tear apart their muscles, yes? Those muscles then repair themselves and become stronger. With my powers, I have been attacking those muscles and forcing them to tear apart and weaken, but come back stronger. That is why you were able to harm that man with ease, despite being your stature and weakness before." Hazel explained, though her smile dipped slightly.
"But you also wanted to torment me, as well as corrupt my mind," Amber stated in a bored tone, gritting her teeth as the pain increased. Hazel nodded, giggling softly.
"With each kill, the soul breaks a little more. It doesn't matter if you're in control or not, the damage is done regardless. And I believe that as many times as I've talked with you and controlled your body, my dark mind has been affecting your own. Don't deny it...Despite yourself, you enjoyed killing that man back there." Hazel crooned, walking forward as Amber floated beside her.
"So this is what you meant…" Amber whispered,
And if every bit of pain she was going through made her stronger...then maybe someday she would become stronger enough to break free of the chains that shackled her to Hazel.
Revenge...That was a goal to work towards, wasn't it?
You became stronger through means even I don't think I could replicate. To think that such a deranged creature would have figured out a way to force a human to become stronger in such a manner…but it wasn't worth it, I feel. All of that extra pain and suffering was not worth your abnormal physical abilities.
But that wasn't all that she did. As much as you tried to fight against her…you ended up enjoying yourself after long enough. The blood lust and sadistic nature of Hazel soon bled over to you, just as she had intended.
And then he saved you.
"You've come so far, my little puppet."
"..."
"No words? You've been much more silent as of late. That said...I have destroyed your ability to feel any of the emotions that would make you snark back to me." Hazel remarked pleasantly, to which Amber remained silent.
After all...She didn't want to give Hazel the satisfaction of a response.
Amber didn't even know why she was bothering. The Gothitelle had won. Amber was nothing more than a plaything for the Astral Body Pokémon. An instrument of destruction that had been carefully desecrated, with much of her humanity being systematically destroyed in an attempt to make the perfect killer.
"This is my life...I will kill. I will kill, and then I will eventually be killed. And it'll be a mercy." Amber thought to herself, not even caring if the thoughts reached Hazel or not. The Psychic-type was simply using a probe of thought to guide Amber along the path.
"Perhaps...But I'll never let you go, my friend." Hazel whispered, beaming at the captive teen as they walked along the snowy path. It was winter in Johto, and they had just left Mahogany Town just yesterday. Amber wore a thick coat that was two sizes too small for her as her only real protection from the cold, but despite that she barely felt it. After so long...She felt nothing.
"Blackthorn City is quite nice this time of year. We can claim quite a few new victims there before moving on. I'll have to look into new ways for you to do your work, my friend." Hazel said lightly as she gathered a small amount of the falling snow into a ball. She tossed it up and down before throwing it a short distance away, smiling wider.
It had been a merciless cycle. Travel, kill, flee, repeat. Travel, kill, flee, repeat. They had traveled all around Johto over the past three years, leaving a swath of death wherever they went.
Amanda, or rather Amber, had become powerful in that time. The repeated exposure to the insane Gothitelle's psychic powers had made her much physically stronger than she had any right to be. She could hit harder, move quicker and for longer periods of time, and even the pain she felt was muted. But that all came at the cost of the torture she had gone through. Her muscles and mind being constantly prodded and manipulated by a psychotic creature that only wished for bloodshed. She had grown up on top of that, becoming a young woman during the past few torturous years.
They had become a perfect team, however. No one would suspect a quiet, beautiful girl like Amber to slaughter people in their sleep or break into buildings and sabotage machines and devices to explode, as well as many other destructive acts.
"Hmm...Travelers at this hour?"
Amber snapped out of her thoughts and opened her eyes, seeing what the Gothitelle had been talking about. Ahead of them, a man in a suit and a thick winter cloak walked alone on the road, whistling a faint tune. Amber shut her eyes, trying to zone out and make the time pass by further. The man passed by them without a word, though that made Hazel speak again.
"Staying silent won't make this easier for you. It's so much easier to finally give in, my friend." Hazel said quietly, placing a hand on Amber's shoulder.
"If I had the feeling of hate anymore...I'd tell you that a loathe you." Amber said aloud, making the Gothitelle burst into laughter.
"Well, it's too bad you can't feel anymore. But I like it that way. I can have all the suffering for myself!" Hazel proclaimed, throwing her arms up and preparing to hug Amber.
"Damien? If you would?" came a smooth voice from behind them.
Amber felt the a wave of heat behind her before Hazel let out a scream of pain as a torrent of flames slammed into her. The Gothitelle was knocked away from Amber, which had the effect releasing the young woman from the Psychic-type's embrace. Amber fell into the snow, gasping for breath and clutching her head as she shut her eyes.
"Good call, Partner. Looks like she was being manipulated by that thing...Are you okay?" came a firm male voice. Amber opened her eyes and saw a man standing in front of her, a massive Houndoom standing protectively in front of him. The man looked back at Amber with a look of concern on his face. He was several years older than her, with stormy gray eyes and neat black hair. He wore a clean cut suit and a thick winter cloak over his shoulders.
"I'm...no." Amber replied with a whisper, shaking her head. The man frowned before turning his attention back to Hazel, who had risen back to her feet, scowling with fury before her expression smoothed.
"Foolish…" Hazel whispered as she smiled, projecting her thoughts outward before releasing a barrage of rocks from above via Rock Slide.
"Damien, Faint Attack! Follow up with Dark Pulse!" the man barked as he leapt back to avoid the rocks falling from above. Damien's body flickered black as he dashed forward across the snow, dodging the attacks and drawing closer to the rogue Gothitelle and slamming into her and making her yell out in pain. Damien followed up by releasing a cross-crossing beam of darkness from his maw, sending the Gothitelle screaming to the ground at the super-effective attack. Amber watched in silence, still in disbelief that this was happening. That someone was helping her deal with the evil Gothitelle that had all but enslaved her for the past 4 years.
"Who are you? Why are you helping me?" Amber whispered as the black-haired man helped her to her feet. The man offered her a smile in return.
"My name is Ashton. That Houndoom is Damien, my best friend and my Partner. And I'm helping you because you were in trouble. And helping people is what I do." The man replied with a small smile before he returned his attention to the battle, where Hazel was knocked back by Damien's Flamethrower. The man's expression hardened as he saw the battle progress.
Hazel suddenly shot out a torrent of toxic liquid from her throat, coating Damien in the substance. While the Houndoom snarled in pain, he was suddenly blasted with a massive Hyper Beam from the Gothitelle, knocking him down and dazing him, which gave the Psychic-type a reprieve. Hazel gasped for breath as she recharged, with Damien stunned for a moment and trying to gather his bearings after such a brutal attack.
"You will fall by my hand!" Hazel declared as she lashed out with her hands after a short time had passed, shattering the ground and snow and sending it towards Damien, who replied with a scorching torrent of fire from the ground. Hazel used her psychic powers to float away from the flames, turning her attention to Ashton and Amber. The Gothitelle's smile widened as she raised a hand in their direction-
Only for an strange green bird to suddenly flicker into existence behind her and tackle the Astral Body Pokémon out of the sky, sending her into a snowdrift. The bird cawed angrily before teleporting in front of Amber, hugging her tightly with its wings.
"Amanda! I missed you so much!" The bird cried out, with Ashton looking confused.
"Do you know this Xatu?" Ashton asked Amber, which looked at the strange bird for a few moments before it suddenly hit her.
"Avis...is that you?" Amber asked quietly, knowing that she should have been relieved and happy to see the bird again. However, she felt nothing.
"Yes I...Your eyes. They're empty." Avis whispered, her eyes tearing up as she looked at Amber. "W-what did that thing do to you?"
"I can't even explain...But she destroyed me. I'm not the person I used to be...I'm Amber now." The redhead replied quietly, putting a hand on the bird's head and patting it. She felt nothing in the gesture, but she knew that her old friend and Partner would appreciate it."How are you here?"
"I've followed you for a long time. Watching. Waiting. Growing in strength by fighting the wildlife. I knew I could never beat Hazel on my own. So I eventually decided to strike at her weakest moment. And that is now." Avis explained to her Trainer, receiving a nod in response.
"Stay down!"
Amber and Avis looked ahead and saw that Hazel was being forced back by the ferocious Houndoom, which had succeeded in burning the Gothitelle badly. However, the poison was wearing him down and Amber knew that the canine couldn't last forever.
"We should help him." Amber said quietly, walking over to Ashton. Avis flew in front of her, wings outstretched.
"No! It's too dangerous! We should teleport away and get as far away from here as possible." Avis pleaded with her Trainer. However, they were both surprised when Ashton spoke up.
"Besides, we don't need help. Me and Damien have faced far worse than an rogue Gothitelle. Let's show them our strength." Ashton said with a scowl, leaning forward as his eyes changed colors. Now they were a darker shade of blue, as opposed to the gray they were before. "Now, use Dark Pulse!"
Damien replied by firing off massive swirling vortex of raw darkness, which the Gothitelle barely managed to dodge by throwing itself into the snow. The Psychic-type stumbled to its feet and tried to use Psychic on the hellhound, putting all of her strength into sending away the canine, but Damien was completely unaffected and dashed forward, blasting the Astral Body Pokémon into the snow with a plume of fire.
"Damien...Kill." Ashton ordered the canine, the command sounding familiar and cold. The Houndoom merely responded by increasing the power of the flames that spewed from his mouth, which became a deadly torrent of white and blue flames. Hazel screamed in agony and tried to stem the tide of fire with her powers, but found that she encountered resistance. Another force was fighting her efforts, which, combined with her weakened state, meant she couldn't escape the flames.
Hazel let out a shriek as her powers completely gave out and she was incinerated by the deadly flames, which Amber and Avis watched with satisfaction. Avis' eyes glowed like beacons, having been the main reason that the Gothitelle couldn't save herself from the attack.
"It's been a long time since we've taken a life." Ashton said quietly as Damien ceased his efforts, snorting with satisfaction at the burning crater he had made. Avis stopped her attack on the Gothitelle, sighing with relief.
"Is she dead?" Amber asked softly, staring at the burning mess ahead of them as she hugged herself. Ashton opened his mouth to reply when Avis suddenly stiffened.
"She lives. Barely." Avis whispered, floating off towards the crater. Amber watched for a few moments before numbly following. The young woman and her Partner made their way to the pit, where they beheld the melted and marred body of the Gothitelle that had caused so much suffering. Its face was contorted in a pained grimace, with one eye glaring at them both.
"May you rot forever, monster." Avis hissed at the creature, making it shiver and rasp for a moment before it wheezed weakly. Amber and Avis both felt a minute tendril of thought touch their minds, with Hazel staring directly into Amber's eyes as this happened.
"I will die. But that's okay. You'll always be Amber, my darling little puppet. My best...friend." Hazel whispered gleefully to the girl, giving her one last smile before she shut her eyes and exhaled her final breath.
Amber fell to her knees in the snow, shaking with an overwhelming and unidentifiable feeling rolling through her body. Even if she couldn't feel the emotion of joy or relief, she felt as if a terrible weight had been lifted from her shoulders.
"It's over. You're free, Amanda." Avis said quietly, hugging her Trainer with her wings. Amber shook her head, sighing heavily.
"No I'm not." Amber whispered in reply, making the Xatu jerk back in surprise. Amber looked up at the bird with a sad smile. "I'll never be free, so long as the scars remain. I'm barely alive, Avis. I'm a shell of who I used to be. Broken...I am a broken soul." Amber muttered, shivering slightly in the cold. Avis tightened her hug on Amber, who shut her eyes and took in the moment, while at the same time wondering what she would do next. What could she do next?
"What now?" Avis finally asked after a while, though all she received in response was silence from her long-lost Trainer.
"I don't know. We find a new path." Amber replied after a few minutes had passed, though she shook her head wearily. She had no idea what path that would be. With the amount of blood she had on her hands and the destruction of who she was before, there was no roads for her to walk down…
"You can come with me, if you'd like."
Amber and Avis looked at the dark-haired man that had helped them. He smiled warmly at the two of them, crossing his arms as Damien sat down on the ground beside him. Ashton chuckled and said, "I feel like it'd be pretty poor form to just leave you on your own. Besides, I've got to know the full story here. Let me take you back to my place back in Kanto, at least until you recover. Being controlled like that isn't an easy thing to bounce back from."
"Why?" Amber asked hollowly. "Why would you help me just like that? And what were you even doing down this road to begin with?"
"Because it's the right thing to do. This world is a harsh and terrible place at times. It's up people like me to help those who cannot protect themselves from the evil of this world. I have power. I choose to use that power in a way that destroys evil. Does that make sense?" Ashton explained, his smile fading. Amber could sense there was more to his reasoning, but remained quiet. Instead she nodded, and Ashton offered her a hand. Amber stared at it for a time before she slowly grabbed it, allowing the man to pull her upright.
"Thank you. For everything." Amber said quietly as the man began walking down the path, with her and Avis following Ashton now. Damien nodded his head while Ashton began whistling once again.
"...You never answered why you were out here." Avis pointed out, with Ashton barking out a laugh in reply.
"It's a bit embarrassing, but...Would you believe it if I said that I really love this kind of weather and just wanted to enjoy a nice walk? No matter how much I hate my old home, I'm still an islander at heart. Seeing snow like this is sort of magical for me."
And from that day, you forged a pact. A bond between Ashton Aupuni and Amanda Faerun was formed that would change the world. He brought you back to civilization, to help you reclaim what you had lost. To help heal your broken mind and ruined soul.
But you were never able to regain your lost humanity, were you?
"Are you feeling well today, Mrs. Aupuni?"
"Just a bit under the weather, dear. I'll be okay."
Amanda nodded, her smile widening a bit in response. "Alright. Just let me know if there's any way I can help."
Laura Aupuni nodded from her chair, glancing down at her swollen belly before returning to her book as Amanda made her way quietly out of the room. The woman would be giving birth soon, and wasn't exactly doing great at the moment. Amanda walked through the opulent mansion, the sights of the home familiar to her.
It had been almost a year since she had been taken under the wing of Ashton Aupuni, a talented Trainer originally from Alola who had made his fortune all over the world. An investor and shareholder in some of the world's leading tech industries and a pioneer of his own right, Ashton was an immensely wealthy and powerful businessman and was only adding to that every day.
Amanda Faerun, having taken to being called by her old name again, was taken along for the ride. She was doted on by Ashton's wife, a cheerful woman named Laura, who was expecting a child any day now. Amanda assisted where she could and traveled with Ashton whenever he left the region on business.
During that time, he had taken to trying to help the girl improve her mental state. The man had even given her lessons on how to act like a normal person again, which at least allowed her to pretend she had emotions with decent enough success. However, she was still emotionally dead inside and felt little in the way of happiness despite the fact that she was free of Hazel's torture and influence.
The girl wandered through the mansion idly, taking in the opulence. Most of the pictures on the wall showed Ashton and his wife in various places around Kanto with their Pokémon, looking very happy to just be together.
Amanda didn't get it, but then again things like love didn't need to make sense anymore. Even though she had been freed of Hazel's control, she still couldn't feel emotions like she used to. The coldness and emptiness of life was almost unbearable at times. Yes, theoretically she could try and fill that void again with violence and bloodshed like she did with Hazel and block the emptiness out, and which had worked during her broken state in that awful period of time...But she was trying to get better. To become normal again. To become Amanda, and not Amber. She didn't want to kill anymore. She remembered the pain each death had inflicted on her very well.
Amanda's wandering eventually led her to Ashton's office, where he was mulling over a laptop with a smirk on his face. He looked up when his assistant entered his office without ceremony, blinking twice before smiling. "Amanda! Come in, come in. I thought you were reading?" Ashton asked as Amanda walked further into the room.
"I was, but then Laura came into the room and I didn't want to bother her. She's not feeling that great anyway, so I figured she could use the comfort of that room more than me right now. The baby's being pretty hard on her." Amanda said as she shook her head, shaking her dyed blonde hair. It was something she had taken to doing again before they had arrived in Kanto all those months ago, so that maybe she could help reclaim the personality she used to have. It comforted her as much as it could at this point, anyway. She may have been a natural redhead, but she always preferred being blond for some reason.
"She'll be fine. Laura is a very strong." Ashton said fondly, smiling widely now. "I have to admit, I'm actually really excited about this. I've...I've always wanted to be a Dad."
Damien snorted in amusement from the large cushion he was lounging on, earning a scowl from Borlath. "Yeah, I'll admit it! You were right, you mangy mutt!"
"You'll make a good father. You're very kind and Miss Laura is quite affectionate to those around her." Amanda said stoically, making Ashton smile wider at that. However, after a few moments the man frowned and leaned back in his chair.
"What about you, Amanda? How are you feeling? I made sure not to tell Laura any of what you mentioned to me about your experiences with Hazel. Just that you were a hurt girl in trouble that I decided to take in...Do you feel like you you're recovering at all?" Ashton asked the young woman, who took several moments of thought to respond.
"I feel a little better than I used to be. Some days I can feel flutters of positive emotion. Other flickers of random feelings. For the most part I just feel empty. Cold. It's horrible." Amanda responded quietly, leaning back in her chair. Ashton nodded, with Damien giving her a sympathetic expression.
Ashton sighed softly, running his hands through his short black hair. Amanda could tell the man was tired, but he did it well. She wondered what sort of secrets he hid within his soul. The brief snippets she had gained within the past year she had stayed with him in Kanto as an assistant were interesting, but she could sense there was more.
"What matters is that there's some kind of improvement. Even some of the world's best can't figure out how to fix such extreme brain damage. And getting another Psychic-type to rummage around in your mind is something you likely couldn't handle. You could possibly completely shut down if anything tried to mess around in your head again." Ashton said heavily, leaning forward in his chair and bridging his fingers.
"There's no other options? Living like this is...Almost unbearable. The emptiness is consuming me, Ashton. I'd almost rather die than keep living like this." Amanda said quietly, crossing her arms and shutting her eyes.
"Believe me, I know the feeling of wanting to end it all." Amanda's eyes snapped open in surprise at that, with Ashton's gaze looking upwards. "But I continue to survive. I continue to fight. And I promised a friend something, and I won't die until I fulfill that promise."
"What promise was that? And with whom?" Amanda asked out of curiosity, tilting her head in confusion.
Ashton lowered his gaze, an expression of sorrow on his face. His eyes changed color from gray to dark blue, which Amanda recognized as a sign of the man being sad about something. Even if she couldn't feel sadness, she at least recognized the emotion.
"My best friend from my old life. Back then, I was in a very dark place in life. I met so friends along my journey who helped me see the good in this world and showed me how powerful I really was inside. After a time, we encountered the true evil that lurked within the depths of Alola. We fought against them, and my friend lost his life." Ashton explained softly, his eyes becoming jet black.
"That was when I promised to become stronger. And use that strength to save this world."
Ashton opened his eyes, which were now gray again. He smiled weakly at Amanda and said, "I still continue that journey today, my friend. All of the money and resources and connections I have today are a result of that promise. I hope to enact change and reform to the broken systems of the world so that there isn't another incident like back in Alola or with Team Rocket here in Kanto."
"Sounds rather noble." Amanda admitted, with Ashton nodding.
"I'd like to hope so. We can't allow groups like Roman and his damn Ruby Raiders to form. We have to have stronger Pokémon Leagues that actually have an active role in the world to help prevent things like the destruction of Malie City or the Silph Co. takeover from happening. I could become Champion and lead the League myself, but that wouldn't solve anything." Ashton said to Amanda, who frowned.
"How so? Leading them yourself sounds like it'd solve everything. You've been a Champion before, haven't you? I know you relinquished the title shortly afterwards because of your business stuff, but I don't get why that wouldn't be used as a platform to enact change." Amanda said to Ashton, who sighed again.
"Because Alola doesn't have a Pokémon League, and as a result doesn't have a Champion. A protector who actually gives a damn about the citizens living there, unlike those demented gods that dwell there. And becoming the Kanto Champion only allows me to actively protect Kanto. My influence would be limited, and I would be shackled with responsibilities that would keep me in just Kanto, instead of traveling the world like I do trying to spread change. There's an entire world of criminals out there. A world that has shown me that there is no end to the evil out there. I don't want to save Kanto...I want to save this world. I want to save everyone." Ashton explained as he stood up, his eyes shining with passion. Amanda could tell that he truly believed what he was saying and his intentions were just.
"Well, I'm sure you'll figure something out." Amanda said with a shrug, making Ashton smirk.
"You know, you're included in everyone, you know." Ashton remarked, making Amanda blink in surprise. Ashton's expression softened and became more serious. "If I can't save the mind of a single girl, then how can I save this world from the darkness within it?"
"No one can save me. I'm a freak, now. A soulless freak, thanks to Hazel." Amanda remarked with a note of bitterness as she looked at the floor, nearly shivering as a sliver of the emotion crept through her. She was glad she couldn't feel the emotion of despair or hopelessness, otherwise she'd probably be crying at the injustice of it all.
"Amanda...Look at me."
The blonde looked up and saw that Ashton had sat back down, but his arms were crossed now, with the large man leaning forward. "I will make a promise to you. Someday, somehow, I will find a way to return you back to normal. I will find a way to restore your empathy and humanity to you. I swear it."
Amanda just stared at the man in surprise for several moments, genuinely shocked by his sincerity. However, given what she knew about the man and his motivations, she knew it was an act of kindness from him. He was someone who wanted to help people. He wanted to help her out of the goodness of his heart.
"Very well...Then we will continue to share a bond then. In return, I'll help you however I can, I suppose." Amanda replied with an amused smile, making Ashton nod after a moment, though he too began to smile.
You tried in vain to become who you once were. You couldn't care. You felt almost nothing inside. You had been rescued from the clutches of a true monster, but you were too far gone to be saved. Ashton's promise however meant something to you...His kindness to you inspired loyalty to him as well.
And then...you rediscovered who you were. The tool of destruction that Hazel crafted so carefully to become the bane of humanity.
The day of days had come, with Laura being rushed to the hospital to deliver the child. Amanda had learned that it was to be a boy, and that Laura would be taken to the one of the best hospitals in the region, which luckily happened to be in Celadon City.
"Breath sweetie. Just breathe…" Ashton murmured, holding his wife's hand and trying to ignore the death grip she had his hand in.
"I...AM...breathing!" Laura hissed at him, making the man laugh nervously.
"Everything's going as well as could be." the doctor said in reply, looking at Ashton and Laura. Amanda lurked in the corner next to Damien, feeling distinctly uncomfortable. She wasn't about to leave, though. Ashton needed her support with something like this-
Suddenly, the room went dark and Laura gasped in surprise. The doctor glanced around the room in confusion while the group could hear several shouts and screams from nearby.
"What in the world?" The doctor yelled, glancing around. Ashton scowled at the annoyance, looking down at Laura worriedly. And then a voice began to speak on the P.A. system.
"ATTENTION ALL HOSPITAL PERSONNEL...We are experiencing a technical difficulty and have lost partial power to the facility. We should be able to have the lights back on momentarily. Until then, please remain calm until full power has been restored." a smooth voice said over the intercom.
"Administrator Chansen will have the lights back on in no time, don't you worry." the doctor said to Laura comfortingly, who suddenly began to moan in pain. Ashton looked incredibly worried, placing both hands over Laura's.
"You will get through this. I'm not leaving your side." Ashton promised, staring into his wife's eyes. Laura smiled weakly as Ashton kissed her, pressing his forehead against hers a moment later.
Just then, the door was kicked in and all of the adults yelled out as a man in black clutching a pistol barged into the room, a massive red R emblazoned on his chest. The man aimed his pistol at Ashton and grinned widely.
"Howdy, folks. This is a takeover for the hospital. We've come for Ashton Aupuni." The man said cheerily, with Laura looked worriedly at Ashton and then the gun aimed at her husband's head.
"Laura...remain calm. Focus on the baby. I've got this." Ashton said softly before he let go of his wife and calmly set his hands in his lap. "So...Team Rocket, huh? I thought you all disbanded after Red defeated Giovanni."
"Not quite true. But I won't spill the beans. I do know that we're looking for some charitable donations to our cause of world domination and that there's quite a few rich dudes hanging out in this hospital in various states of being hurt. So that's where we come in. If you would be so kind as to accompany us to a more...private location, we'd be happy to make a business transaction and let you go on your way." The Team Rocket Grunt remarked lightly, shifting his aim to Laura after a moment.
"I'm the one who want. Leave her out of this." Ashton growled, making the man chuckle.
"Not until I get what we want. We need money, and you've got plenty of it. Why do you think we stormed this place and cut the power?" the Team Rocket Grunt remarked gleefully, adding, "The best part is Executive Petrel made it so no one would even think to call to the the police. To most of the people here, this is just a blackout."
"Right...Well, now that I've determined why Team Rocket would be interested in trying to kidnap me...Damien, kill." Ashton said calmly, with the man blinking in confusion. The massive Houndoom that had been waiting in the shadow lunged at the man in black from his position next to the door, taking the criminal down to the ground and sinking his teeth into the man's neck, killing him as Damien shook his head back and forth. Ashton whirled around as Laura panted in pain, the stress of the situation getting to her.
"Laura, honey...please, just remain calm. Damien and I will make sure they don't get anywhere near you." Ashton vowed as he stroked his wife's hand, his eyes becoming yellow before returning to grey.
"How did a Team Rocket member get all the way here without any problems? Someone should have called security." Laura asked with a whine of pain.
"I've heard of Petrel before, actually. He's a master of disguise and can mimic people's voices with incredible accuracy. My guess is that Team Rocket captured the real Administrator and that was Petrel taking." the Doctor remarked, scowling at the thought.
"We...have to do something!" Laura said with a pained wince, shutting her eyes.
"Laura, focus on our son. He needs you." Ashton reminded his wife, looking torn and confused at what to do. Amanda stood up and called out Avis, who flared her wings.
"We'll investigate. See what's going on." Amanda said to Ashton, who nodded.
"Be careful." Ashton said to Amanda as the girl made her way out of the room. She exited the room and made her way down the darkened halls, squinting in the dakrness. After a few minutes of wandering around, she came across a bright wavering light ahead of her and she moved quicker to catch up to it. However, it turned out to be a Team Rocket Grunt standing beside a Hitmonlee and a Charizard.
"Hey! What are you doing here?" The man barked, pulling out a jagged knife and a black pistol with his other hand. Beside him, his Pokémon tensed up and prepared to attack.
"I should be asking you the same. Team Rocket has no place here. Leave now." Amanda said coldly to the man, who cracked a lopsided grin.
"Heh. As if. Team Rocket needs some start up money for a move like what we've got planned. So if you know where any of those rich idiots are, you better tell me where they are, or else!" the man barked angrily, tightening his grip on his weapon. The man then took a step back as Amanda burst into laughter, throwing her head back as she cackled with a horrific glee. Suddenly Amanda's head snapped back down, showing a defiant grin on her face.
"You can't threaten me. I've murdered many, many people who never deserved the ends they met. You however...I refuse to allow you to hurt those who saved me." Amanda said as Avis teleported to her side, throwing apart her wings as she stood beside her Trainer.
The Team Rocket Grunt scowled, but aimed his gun upward. "Tch. Die then, bitch!"
Avis teleported on the spot with Amanda as the man pulled the trigger. With a yelp, the man staggered back as Amanda flashed into existence in front of him, grabbing his arm and pulling him into a swift knee strike, doubling the man over as he clutched his stomach. Amanda snarled as she grabbed the man's head and suddenly slammed it into the wall as hard as she could, making him groan in pain and drop the gun he held. Avis, meanwhile, was throwing around the Hitmonlee and Charizard like ragdolls, a look of fury on her face as she showcased the results of her training with Damien.
"I'll kill every last one of you…" Amanda hissed, slamming the man's head into the wall again. And again. And again. Amanda lost herself in the gesture, the old feelings returning. The satisfaction of having an opponent within her clutches. The feeling of their bones crunching beneath her fists. Their wonderful screams of agony as the last bit of life in their body was snuffed out-
"You'll always be Amber, my darling little puppet."
Amanda let go of the man with a gasp, stepping back with widened eyes. The man slumped to the ground, groaning as crimson trailed down his head. Avis let out a scream as she finally knocked out the Charizard with a Shadow Ball, leaving the Xatu free to check on her Trainer, who was looking down at her shaking hands.
"Are you okay?" Avis asked Amanda softly, with the young woman shaking her head.
"No...I felt it, Avis. Those old feelings...Everything Hazel showed me. Everything she taught me came rushing back to me." Amanda said quietly, lowering her hands and hanging her head, a small tendril of horror creeping into her. "Am I really nothing more than a killer now? Is that all I'll ever be. I enjoyed hurting him. I felt good causing him pain...I'm a monster like her now, aren't I?"
"Of course not." Avis said quietly, hugging her Trainer with her wings. Amanda sighed and returned the embrace, feeling some comfort in the gesture.
"Then what do we do? If I fight, I'll risk falling back into the old ways. If we don't...We risk those Team Rocket guys overrunning the place." Amanda asked Avis, who remained silent for a time.
Finally, the Xatu said, "There are ways to fight that are just. Even if you must lose yourself in the ways that Hazel taught you, you can hurt others for good reasons. Even kill them, if you must. These men are evil. They wish to harm innocent people. No matter what happens, I will support you. "
"She only wanted suffering in the world. So do these men. So…"
"So?" Avis prompted her Trainer as she looked down at the fallen Team Rocket Grunt, who rolled over on his back and was staring up at them with a dazed look. Amanda stared down at the man before allowing herself a smile without any emotion.
"No mercy." Amanda said softly, walking over to the man. The woman looked down at the gun on the ground and picked it up, stuffing it into her belt. She then returned her gaze to the man before lifting up her boot...and bringing it down onto the man's throat as hard as she could with a shout, breaking his neck with the strength that Hazel's 'training' had given her. Amanda began walking down the hallway, leaving the dying man to his death.
"There's ten more of them. I can sense them up ahead." Avis warned Amanda, who grinned wickedly as she sprinted over to where the railing was located. With it, she got a look down below, where several armed Team Rocket Grunts were waiting.
"Where's Jim at? He's late." one of them remarked.
"We were just supposed to have a quick look around after disabling the power. It's not like him to not check in." another Grunt remarked, crossing his arms. Amanda hopped up onto the railing and fell downwards, falling twenty feet below and landing on top of one of the men's head. The man fell with a strangled cry, especially considering the broken neck he received as Amanda rose to her feet, taking care to grab the knife from the man's belt and brandish it at the men, who moved away from the woman.
"Who...who the hell are you!?" one of the men barked, with the teen chuckling darkly in response.
"Why bother telling you? You'll be dead in three minutes." The men and women shivered at the maniacal grin on the girl's face as she flipped the blade in her hand, getting into a fighting stance. Avis flared her wings above the girl, narrowing her eyes.
"If I must descend into the darkness further...Then so be it. I refuse to allow Ashton or his family to be hurt. Not after what he's done for me!" Amanda declared, her eyes burning with bright bloodlust and a sadistic grin, with all of the old emotions rising within her like a murderous inferno. She could almost feel Hazel over her shoulder, beaming with approval.
"Open fire!" one of the grunts barked, firing his pistol. The shot was redirected with a blast of Psychic from Avis, who teleported on the spot and reappeared above the Rockets. Avis screeched loudly and hit them all with a powerful blast of Psychic, forcing them to the ground.
Amanda descended upon them like a vulture, rushing forward to swiftly kick the pistol out of the hand of one of the Rockets before plunging the blade into his neck, ripping it away with a spray of crimson. Avis' control of the Rockets broke then, after the Xatu was hit by a Thundershock from a nearby Magnemite, and the Rockets converged on her.
Amanda ducked as a Murkrow dove at her and sidestepped a swing from an Ursaring, instead choosing to lunge at one of their Trainers and slam her fist into their face. The woman staggered back with a scream of pain, but that was cut off when Amanda stabbed her in the throat and dragged the blade downwards, ripping it free as the woman dropped to the ground with a gurgle.
The Team Rocket Grunts looked at the woman in horror, while she just grinned back at them. Meanwhile, Avis was wreaking havoc on their Pokémon, teleporting around the room and devastating them with attacks from afar. She quickly teleported in front of Amanda, throwing the girl at the cluster of criminals while the young woman wore an expression of maniacal glee and stabbed a man in the face as she hurtled through the air, dragging him down to the ground.
Amanda released her blade as she rolled forward, swinging around and knocking another man to the ground with a kick to the leg. As Amanda got to her feet, she felt a fist slam into her stomach before an arm grabbed her around the neck. Amanda struggled in the embrace, but she was too weak to break free from the powerful grip, and any attempts to hit the person holding her were met with no response. Finally her hands grabbed something on the man's belt and after pulling it free she realized it was a gun.
The man holding her realized what was about to happen, but was still too slow to stop Amanda from putting a bullet in his head. Amanda dropped to the ground and inexpertly aimed at two women pulling out their weapons. They were quicker to shoot at the girl than she was, but they didn't have a teleporting Xatu that diverted any danger away from her precious Trainer.
"You were fools to come here. And you're even more foolish to try and fight me. I've killed more people than any of you, I bet." Amanda said with a chuckle of amusement as the two women frantically reloaded their guns, only to be dropped by two shots to the torso each as Amanda walked towards them.
Amanda turned around and was greeted with a fist to the face, sending her crashing to the ground. Avis screeched and blasted the man to the ground with a Shadow Ball, and used Psychic to hold the remainder of the Grunts, who were helpless to the power as all of their Pokémon were knocked out.
Amanda walked over to the man that had punched her and grabbed a handgun off of him as well as another knife. She killed him with a knife to the head, and then repeated the process for the rest of them. Avis watched with grim horror as her Trainer relentlessly executed the criminals with an expression of cold amusement. Amanda looked around the lobby, she noticed several cowering forms hiding behind a counter that looked up at her with awe and terror. She ignored them and looked at Avis.
"Come on, let's get back to Ashton and Laura. We've got to make sure they stay safe." Amanda said to her Partner, receiving a nod from the bird as she wrapped her in her wings and teleported them back to the hospital room, only to see Ashton fighting off two Team Rocket Grunts while trying to keep them away from the hospital room. Damien was meanwhile dueling with three massive Honchkrow and a Quagsire at once.
"Avis, help Damien!" Amanda barked as she jumped forward, slamming a knife into the spine of one of the Rockets and ripping it to the side. The woman screamed in agony and fell to the ground, which allowed Ashton to twist around and throw his other attacker to the ground. The large man dropped the criminal with a nasty punch to the face, breaking his nose and knocking him out.
"Thanks...Doctor, how is she!?" Ashton demanded, looking inside of the room as Amanda silently slit the unconscious Rocket's throat, ensuring he never rose again. She could hear Laura sobbing from the room, but chose to meet with Avis and Damien, who had finished off the Pokémon attacking them.
"Damien, you should keep watch her. We'll do a walk around the area and see if there's any more of them. Maybe see if we can find a leader or something." Amanda said to the two Pokémon. Damien nodded and bounded back towards his Trainer while Amanda stalked off down the hallway, hearing the faint cry of, "I see the baby's head!" from the doctor.
"Why would they come with such a small team...They had to have known they couldn't take a hospital with such small numbers, even with distractions and a blackout." Amanda asked Avis, who sighed.
"I do not know. Maybe if we find their leader, we'll get some answers."
"I just hope that these idiots will continue to underestimate me so I can kill them."
"Because who would expect a innocent-looking young woman to be strong enough to kill them in such a manner?" Avis asked as they floated down the corridor, only to hear a chuckle from ahead of them. Amanda looked up and saw a man walking towards them with a sinister smirk on his face, flanked by two massive Weezing's and four Koffing.
"Hehehe...What have we here? Perhaps the person who attacked my men earlier?" the man asked, chuckling softly. He had purple hair and shifty eyes, with his hands stuffed in his pockets. Amanda scowled as Avis flared her wings, ready to fight. Amanda wondered how much more her Partner had left in her, after having battled for so long. She was getting strong, but she wasn't Damien.
"The name's Amanda. Might I have the pleasure of hearing yours?" Amanda asked pleasantly, drawing upon her acting lessons. After all, if the leader of these Rockets took her less seriously, it'd be easier to kill him.
"Hmm...Very well. My name is Petrel, the renowned master of disguise and one of the four Executives of Team Rocket." The purple-haired man said politely, gesturing forward. "And I'm afraid I have business with Ashton Aupuni. I know he's up ahead, just past you. So I must ask you to step aside."
"I'm sorry, but that can't happen. Now, would you please leave the way you came? I'd hate to have to end your miserable life like the rest of those idiots I ran into." Amanda said sweetly, yanking out a knife and a pistol and aiming the latter at Petrel. The man jerked back in surprise before drawing his own sidearm, throwing out his other hand.
"Flamethrower! Sludge Bomb!" Petrel cried out, with his Pokémon unleashing their attacks. Amanda stepped back and allowed Avis to teleport her behind the Executive before the Xatu unleashed a massive blast of Psychic, knocking all of the Koffing out cold and severely weakening the Weezing. Petrel whirled around in surprise, bur managed to fire off a shot into Avis' left wing, making the bird screech in pain. The two Weezing both unleashed a Dark Pulse at the Xatu, sending her crashing to the ground senseless.
Petrel grinned victoriously as his two Weezing hovered beside him, with the man leveling his gun pistol at Amanda. "You're strong, little girl. Why not join us? Team Rocket will soon regain its strength, especially within the Johto region."
"Not interested. I'd much rather you suffer and die though!" Amanda replied as a ferocious grin, with Petrel jerking back at the declaration. This gave Amanda a chance quickly raise her gun to shoot at the man, and so she did just that, aiming at his heart. However her shot went wide, and she succeeded in hitting the man in his shoulder.
"Agh! You...You bitch!" Petrel screamed as he staggered backwards with his hand clutching the bleeding wound, right as a Team Rocket Grunt stepped out of the shadows with an Ariados beside him.
"Executive Petrel!" the man shouted out as Petrel stumbled into him. Amanda emptied the remainder of her gun at the two criminals, but continued to miss much to her frustration.
"Retreat! Get us out of here!" Petrel screamed as Amanda fired again fro her second pistol, the bullet racing towards the criminals. To Amanda's disgust, the two remaining Team Rocket members vanished into their shadows before projectile could hit them. Amanda swore softly as she looked down at the pistol in her hand.
"This looks so much easier in the movies." Amanda muttered as she shoved the empty weapon in a pocket and kept the other tightly gripped in her hand . She looked down at the pool of blood on the ground and sighed softly, feeling a weight on her shoulders that hadn't been there before.
Twelve...twelve members of Team Rocket dead at her hand.
Twelve strikes against her soul. What was it that Ashton had said? Every time you kill, you destroy your heart and soul even more. Make it easier to hurt others...And it will almost certainly make the damage done to her worsen should she continue down that road.
"It was worth it, to protect them. I owe them...At least Hazel's corruption hasn't affected my sense of loyalty." Amanda thought as she turned on her heel, tearing herself out of her thoughts, and made her way back to the room where Ashton was waiting with Laura. She heard the sound of sobbing in the hallway, accompanied by high-pitched bawling that Amanda recognized faintly as an infant crying. The young woman woman stuffed her weapon away and walked back down the hallway, seeing Damien standing guard outside the door. The canine relaxed upon seeing Amanda, who was rubbing her head.
"Ugh...My head hurts. Why...I wasn't even hit in the head." Amanda muttered as she brushed past the canine and looked up to see what had happened while she was fighting off Team Rocket.
Ashton stood beside Laura and the doctor, holding a newborn child with a small tuft of black hair on his head. The child was crying faintly as his father held him, a look of gentle happiness on his face, his gray eyes shining with emotion as he held his child in his arms.
"My boy...My little baby boy. He's beautiful, Laura." Ashton said quietly, his voice sounding thick and rough. Amanda could see that the man was barely hiding back tears of joy, but the sheer happiness on his face was visible for all to see. The love he held already for the newborn in his arms was already very strong.
"He looks like you. Of course he's beautiful." Laura replied with a giggle. Ashton chuckled tearfully, holding the newborn child closer to him. Meanwhile, Amanda treated Avis' injuries, wrapping up her wing in bandages.
"I'm more ruggedly handsome than beautiful. I'd say you're beautiful, though." Ashton replied with a watery chuckle, holding the whimpering newborn with an expression of reverence. "He has my eyes, Laura. I wonder if they'll be able to change colors too."
"Congratulations you two. Although I do have to ask, have you decided upon a name for your son?" the doctor asked the couple, who exchanged looks.
"You both still can't come up with anything?" Amanda asked with a raised eyebrow, drawing the attention of everyone and making Laura gasp in surprise. Laura's eyes widened at the blood covering the girl, but she was cut off from saying anything by a hand on her head.
"I'll handle this, dear. Just...relax. Amanda, what happened?" Ashton asked the girl, who sighed heavily as she pressed a hand to the side of her head.
"I killed the Team Rocket Grunts I found and drove off the man who seemed to be leading him. Some creep named Petrel. I'll explain later. My head hurts." Amanda said as she walked over to a wall and sat down, resting her aching head. She did return Avis, much to the injured bird's displeasure, but Amanda knew the Xatu needed her rest.
"I told you what more killing would do to you...Your mind must be reeling from what you've done. Just rest, alright?" Ashton said to the young woman.
"Hey, at least I didn't wait until the last minute to decide on what to name my newborn kid." Amanda shot back, making Laura giggle weakly.
"Oh come on, don't lump the blame on me. I've been busy lately and I'm awful at names. Why do you think I named my Starter Damien?" Ashton complained with a grin, looking at Amanda and Laura before looking down at his son.
"You're the one who couldn't decide…" Laura laughed weakly, closing her eyes. Ashton smiled and laughed in response, with the doctor shaking his head in mirth.
"I don't know how I could decide. Names are important, you know. They have power. Meaning." Ashton said as he looked outside, seeing a beautiful view of the city in the light of day. Amanda wasn't sure how the man could enjoy the view with the crying newborn in his arms, but somehow he continued to look like a man of such joy and happiness.
"Something that has meaning?" Amanda asked Ashton, who nodded as he glanced down at the baby he held carefully in his arms, still bawling his eyes out. Despite this Ashton laughed softly, sitting down beside Laura and carefully beginning to rock the child in an attempt to calm him down.
"Yes...Meaning. Now shush, little one. It's okay. Daddy and Mommy are here." Ashton whispered to the baby boy, his expression gentle. "Heh...I haven't felt this happy in so long."
"You'll be such a good father, Ash." Laura said happily, placing a hand on her husband's shoulder as he leaned closer to her, his eyes still lingering on his new son. And then, too everyone's surprise, he began to sing slightly.
You are my sunshine,
My only sunshine.
You make me happy,
When skies are gray..
You'll never know, dear,
How much I love you.
Please don't take my sunshine away…
Ashton stopped singing, though he was grinning widely. "I can't hold a tune to save my life, but I felt it was appropriate. It was a very popular song back in Alola when I was younger, and I always had a fondness for it growing up."
"You're so happy, aren't you? I can't say I feel anything like that...But it's good that you're happy at least, Ashton." Amanda said dully at the man, smiling hollowly.
"I think you may have stumbled on a name there, Ash." Laura remarked, making the man blink.
"What?...Sunshine? I...Huh. You're right. It does have a nice ring to it. What do you think, Laura?" Ashton asked his wife, who chuckled quietly.
"I think it's adorable. Sunshine...Sunshine Aupuni. It's a wonderful name, sweetie, especially since Aunpuni means "monarch" in Alolan. Our son will be our little prince of sunshine." Laura said quietly as Ashton gently placed the newborn back in his mother's arms. The woman cradled her baby boy with a loving smile, a tear running down her cheek. "Sunshine...My little Sun. Welcome to the world. It's nice to meet you."
"A child of light...A child strong enough to pierce through the darkness of this world, filling it with love and hope."
Laura and Ashton turned to Amanda, who finally shut her eyes. She did open one after a moment later and said, "I've been hanging around you both for too long. But this feels important to me, anyway."
"That's because it is. Amanda...I can't thank you enough for what you've done today. You helped me protect my family. And for that I'll always be grateful." Ashton said softly, walking over to the young woman as Laura dozed off from exhaustion, holding a much calmer Sun in her arms. The businessman knelt next to Amanda, who had shut her eyes again.
"I owe you a debt that can never be repaid, Ashton. You saved me from my hell, and for that I will do whatever is necessary to help you. I told you this." Amanda said quietly, opening her eyes slightly.
"Amanda, you know that's not-" Ashton began to say, but Amanda held up a hand that cut him off.
"No...That's not me anymore." The young woman said quietly, offering Ashton a smile that held no warmth. The woman could tell that Ashton was unnerved by her smile, perhaps because it was different. It wasn't her usual empty hollow smile, but something much darker.
"From now on, call me Amber...Amber Fontaine."
That was when you learned your purpose. You were no longer a girl. You were a warrior. A fighter. A killer. And you would use the resolve of the Fallen One to create a new era of darkness in the world.
"DAMN THEM!"
Ashton slammed his fist into a nearby tree with a roar of fury, ignoring the pain coursing through his fingers. He retracted his fist and continued to storm through his yard, trying to calm his breathing. It wasn't working.
"How could Lance just stand around do nothing!? Team Rocket's Executives escaped the Radio Tower. And he's content to just let them roam wild! He'll take the word of some kid that they won't just go to another region and recruit more people into their damn gang." Ashton growled, with Damien sighing beside him, though Ashton could sense the canine agreed.
Team Rocket had flourished once again within the Johto region, and yet was brought down once again by a prodigy child Pokémon Trainer within the region. However, despite having their new leader, (a man named Archer) at his mercy, the child had let the man go after Archer promised to never rebuild Team Rocket again.
The Champion of Kanto and Johto, Lance, was content to leave things at that. Ashton was not, however, and neither did several Gym Leaders within both regions. However, the Champion's word was final and they were to remain on standby for any other Team Rocket activity.
"Idiots...I can't allow them the chance to hurt anyone else. Especially after what they tried to do the day Sun was born." Ashton growled, with Damien nodding in agreement. The canine's ears twitched and he turned his head, barking out. Ashton whirled around, pulling a silver magnum from a hidden coat pocket. After the attack, he decided to go everywhere armed with a weapon.
"Come out!" Ashton shouted, with the figure revealing themselves a few moments later. It was a familiar redheaded woman, though she was wearing a bulletproof vest and a skintight black outfit. On her back was a black shotgun, and she was carrying two brown bulging sacks over her shoulder with a smirk on her face.
"Amanda...Where have you been?" Ashton asked sourly, crossing his arms. "It's not like you to just vanish."
"I told you to call me Amber now." The woman replied, though she dropped the sacks she was carrying a moment and crossed her arms, her red hair drifting behind her in the soft breeze.
"I don't see why. I also don't understand why you refuse to come back to the house anymore. Laura misses you, you know. It's been months since she's seen you." Ashton said to the woman, who sighed and shook her head,
"I don't understand it myself. I thought those emotions were entirely dead, but I feel as though it'll hurt her if she sees how much darker I've become. It's better this way, Ash." Amber said quietly, offering him a blank smile. Ashton didn't reply, though his frown deepened.
"I do have some gifts for you though." The redhead smiled in amusement, tossing one of the two bags to Ashton. The man blinked twice before opening the bag and finding it full of flash drives and data-discs.
"Courtesy of the secret Team Rocket Base located deep under Olivine City. Turns out your fears were right. I followed a string of murders and found them in the process of creating a new hideout, after their fall in Goldenrod City." Amber remarked, grinning nastily. Ashton shivered at the sadistic grin on her face, though she continued.
"I recovered data on all of their plans for the region, and I imagine with some time I can take care of them myself. I've also begun creating a Pokémon team of my own, after catching a Horsea while I was in Olivine. I figured Avis could use the backup in battle." Amber remarked with a shrug.
"I...You went through a Team Rocket base? Alone?" Ashton asked quietly, looking up at her with a horrified expression.
"Yeah. And I slaughtered all of them. After that Ethan kid beat Archer, he scattered his troops all over the region, according to the records I found. This was one of their new bases. Archer planned to create more. So in other words, he completely lied about disbanding Team Rocket." Amber explained to the shocked man.
Ashton's face contorted with anger, his face bared in a snarl. "Idiots...I told them this would happen. The League was so prepared to just let Team Rocket off the hook without any consequences, not even bothering to hunt them down!"
"This'll be proof that their stances on these criminal teams is far too light. Remember Team Aqua from a few months ago? They nearly destroyed the world." Amber reminded Ashton, who's scowl deepened.
"This has to stop. I can't let this continue to happen. This cycle has to end somewhere, and I refuse to let it end with the world's destruction and innocent people dying. All because those with power refused to do anything!" Ashton snarled, pacing back and forth in the yard. Damien barked something to Ashton, who stopped and nodded.
"Damien's right. I can do something about this. We can do something about this. I can use this data to convince Lance to start being proactive. To hunt down the remnants of these criminal groups and punish them the way they deserve." Ashton said with a satisfied nod.
"What happens if he doesn't listen?" Amber asked.
Ashton's expression darkened, his eyes becoming red. "Then there'll be hell to pay. Team Rocket nearly killed me and my wife. They have to listen to me."
"Not necessarily. Team Rocket isn't exactly a recent problem. Criminal groups trying to push their agendas on people isn't exactly a new concept. You told me yourself."
Ashton clenched his fists, scowling angrily at the words. Amber knew that it was bothering him, and she wished it could bother her as well. But she didn't care. She was merely presenting facts.
"How did you even do this? Killing all of those Rockets? For one person, that seems impossible." Ashton asked testily, crossing his arms and attempting to reign in his rage.
"I dealt with them. You forget that I spent all that time with Hazel. I've learned killing people isn't difficult." Amber noted, tossing a bag on the ground to the man. Ashton looked down at the bag before carefully untying it. Ashton swore and stumbled back as the bag fell to the ground, showing Damien was it contained. The canine backed away with a shocked expression on his face, staring at the decapitated head of the Team Rocket Executive Petrel in horror.
"At least not for someone who put up with Hazel for nearly four years. I'm much stronger than a regular person. And don't worry...I made him suffer before he died." Amber said with a small chuckle, leaning against a tree. Ashton looked away, trying not to throw up at the sight of Petrel's head, so with a sigh Amber walked forward and picked up the sack, tying it up and covering up the sight of the head again.
"I...I don't even know how to process this information. I can't even believe you did all of this. What possessed you to even try to fight them, let alone kill them all? How could you?" Ashton asked, with Amber replying with a somber smile.
"If I could feel sadness anymore, I'd tell you that I'm sorry I let you down. But I can't. All I can say is that I realized that they were a threat and if they went after you once in an attempt to get money for their criminal activities, they'd try it again. And if they could track you down to the hospital, they could definitely track you down to your home." Amber reasoned, with Ashton nodding. The two shared a silence for a time, and when Ashton broke it, his voice was heavy.
"I want to thank you, Amber." Ashton said, regarding her with black eyes. "I'm so sorry that it came to this, but I thank you for doing what Lance and the League were too cowardly to do. You've helped a lot of people with your actions."
"You and I both know that, but that doesn't exactly make me any happier. I did it because I knew they were a threat to you, nothing more." Amber said with a small sigh, a bitter smile on her face. "I don't care about anyone or anything anymore. But I still have my sense of loyalty. I still recognize that you and Laura treated me so well, even though I was so strange and broken when I came into your care. I can't forget that, even as badly messed up as I am. So yeah, I slaughtered Team Rocket. And I enjoyed it. I probably stained my soul way more with my actions, but I don't regret it. Hell, I even enjoyed it."
"You enjoyed it?" Ashton asked, a concerned expression on his face.
Amber shrugged, her smile empty. "You can only have an insane Gothitelle whispering murderous thoughts and imposing her will upon you for so long before you start to enjoy the killing yourself. And I'm so apathetic to everything that I don't really care about it anymore. Back at the hospital there was some hesitation. But now? I don't care. I like hurting people, Ash. Especially the people who mean you ill will. That's just how it is now."
Ashton remained silent, staring at the woman for a time before he said, "I will find a way to save you, Amber."
"I know you will. I trust you. But how long will that take? And what if you need me? Team Rocket is far from done, because the other Executives have fled to other regions by now. And if the League doesn't listen to you, then I may be the only other recourse you have." Amber said to Ashton, crossing her arms. "Just like you, I have power. I'm strong. And I have absolutely nothing to lose. With my broken and twisted mind, I don't care who I have to destroy to get what I want. And what I want is for you and your family to be happy. You deserve that."
Ashton smiled at that, saying, "You don't have to do any of that. We just did what was right when we took you in."
Amber shook her head, saying, "Doesn't matter. In the end, I'm doing this of my own free will. I want to help you however I can, Ashton. And the only way I can do that is by being the very thing Hazel made me become. A weapon."
Ashton looked at Amber for a long time before replying. "If that is how it has to be...Then I say we cement this deepening of our friendship, Amber. I propose a Blood Oath."
"Blood Oath?" Amber asked, tilting her head.
"It's an ancient Alolan tradition. One of the few I actually believe in, to an extent. The promise between those of similar ideals that cannot be broken, save by death. It's a way of binding our fates together. Just as I saved you from Hazel, you saved me and my family. So...we shall walk this road together, wherever it leads us."
"I approve, actually. So what do I have to do?"
"Give me your knife."
Amber handed Ashton his knife and after a few moments they were clasping each other's right hand over the knife, the blade digging into their palms lightly.
"I will begin the ceremony, and you just repeat after me." Ashton said to Amber, who nodded. Ashton tightened his grip on Amber's hand, causing the blade to dig into their palms and make a trickle of blood drip down onto the ground as a horrified Damien watched on.
"Ua paʻa mākou i ke koko, a hiki i ka hopena. ʻO kā mākou mau kaula paʻa mau loa e ulu a hōʻemi i kēlā lā i kēia lā, a hoʻokō mākou i nā'ōlelo hoʻohiki a ko mākou naʻau. E hoʻonui aku mākou i kahi honua maikaʻi, ae ho'ōla au iāʻoe mai kou aku. Ma o ka hoʻohikiʻana o ko mākou koko, eʻike mākou i kā mākou mau'ōlelo hoʻohiki ma o." Ashton intoned, closing his eyes as he tightened his grip on the blade even further, making it cut deeper into his and Amber's hands. More and more blood spattered on the ground, though neither of them cared. Amber repeated the words slowly, not understanding any of it.
"What does that all mean?" Amber asked quietly.
"We are bound by blood, until the end. May our bonds forever grow and deepen with each passing day, until we fulfill the promises of our hearts. You shall help me make a better world, and I will save you from yourself. By the oath of our blood, we shall see our promises through." Ashton answered, offering Amber a kind smile as he released the blade and stepped back and pressed his hand against his side, stemming the flow of blood.
"That was a Blood Oath. We are now bond, you and I. Together...We shall change this world, Amber. I promise you that. And I promise you that there will come a day when you will never have to kill again, and that you'll be able to walk whatever road you want...Completely whole again." Ashton said as crimson dripped down his hand. Ashton flexed his hand, grinning widely. "We start with Team Rocket. You've already proven that you can use your skills to devastating effect. I can give you backing, supplies, training, weapons and whatever else you need. I'll research ways to correct the damage done to you in the meantime. There's got to be something out there."
"This'll be fun...I wonder if this counts as excitement or blood lust." Amber mused, smirking at Ashton. The man's determined expression faltered for a moment, a sadness coming to his face.
"I...am sorry it's come to this though. You know that this will make your problems worse and worse, right?" Ashton said to the woman, who nodded after a moment.
"Ashton, I owe you everything. When I had given up hope, you saved me. You and Laura showed me kindness and tried your best to repair my broken soul. And for that, I will always be grateful. I may not have much sanity or whatever left, but I still have my sense of loyalty. It's all I have left...So I choose to follow only that."
"You are a good person, Ashton. And you've always wanted a world where people like the Ruby Raiders and Team Rocket cannot flourish and grow, hurting people and destroying lives along the way. You want to protect others, just like you did with your friends in Alola. And I'm ready to help you with that goal however I can. If that means breaking myself further...then so be it." Amber said with a shrug. "I wasn't getting better anyway. And I'm prepared to do whatever it takes to become me again. Even if I have to burn this world to nothingness and become a complete monster." Amber replied with a feral grin as she raised her bleeding hand, closing it into a fist. Ashton's face looked troubled for a moment before he sighed, though he smiled a moment later.
"Good. I can begin looking into getting you some real training. With my resources and your skills, we could make you even more lethal. And after we oust them from Johto, we can start working on the other regions. Cleaning up the trash will take time, but...The end goal is worth it." Ashton mused, with Amber smirking slightly. Amber quickly got out some basic bandages from her bag and treated their hands as well as she could.
"And what is the end goal here, Ashton?" the woman asked. To her surprise, Ashton did not reply right away. Instead, Damien nudged Ashton and grunted something, to which Ashton placed a hand on the canine's head and inhaled deeply, inhaling slowly and steadying his nerves.
"A better tomorrow, Amber." Ashton whispered, looking skyward towards the full moon as his eyes turned gray again. "A world where my son can live in peace. A world where evil cannot flourish and where justice reigns. A world where no one has to hurt anymore. I will protect my family with everything I have. I will pave the road to a better world…"
Ashton's eyes flickered to crimson, the color of blood. "And I'll destroy anyone who dares get in my way. I'll make sure none of them threaten my loved ones again."
So...You have walked a road of darkness and destruction, until you became a complete monster. You continue down a path of destruction, looking for a way back to the person you used to be before you and your friends found Hazel…
Very well...Your heart is an interesting one. And I've quite enjoyed the memories we've seen, as well as the pain I've put you through. Soon enough you'll be dead.
So why not have a little more pain?
Amber's world became full of color again as she was thrust out of her memories, with the woman collapsing onto the ground, gasping. She felt the wetness on her cheeks but felt nothing except annoyance and pain as Tapu Lele hovered in front of her, amusement radiating from the god's thoughts as they brushed against her own.
"You feel nothing anymore, except for the some odd emotions here and there. Annoyance, amusement, blood lust that's left over from your time as a puppet for a demented Gothitelle. You're aware that you wish for your missing compassion and emotions to come back to you. But you continue to kill. You continue to serve a man obsessed with revenge, even though you know that every death you cause is a mark against your very soul…"
"You are beyond redemption...But that's okay."
"Because it means I can make you suffer in the worst way possible with no qualms in doing so." Tapu Lele explained as Amber tried to rise to her feet, only to be sent hurtling into the nearby cliff. The woman slammed into the rock wall hard enough to hear the cracking sound in both the rocks and in her back and shoulders, making her gasp in shock and pain before being sent to the ground, crashing up and down on it as more and more pain shot through her body.
The clearing swirled with glowing pink scales that healed the damage almost as quickly as Tapu Lele caused it, with the Legendary making Amber it's plaything just like Hazel did all those years ago.
"If this is what the protectors of Alola are like...No wonder Borlath wants the place to burn." Amber thought dryly as she held back a scream, her ankle bones shattering at the same time as Tapu Lele forced her psychic powers into her.
"Do you feel anything now, human?" Tapu Lele asked as it raised a hand, lifting Amber into the air. The woman scowled at the Guardian Deity in response, not answering. In reply Tapu Lele's eyes burned dark blue and every single bone in both of Amber's arms shattered. The woman opened her mouth and screamed in agony, though it only lasted about ten seconds until the bones snapped back into place, thanks to the healing scales swirling around them.
"Why I can't break you!?" Tapu Lele whispered harshly, sounding frustrated as it flipped Amber through the air and then slammed her again and again into the dirt. Amber snarled as both of her arms were torn out of their sockets as she was thrown across the clearing, landing in a crumpled heap a short distance away.
"Is that all you got?" Amber wheezed, trying and failing to get up.
"Maybe...I can try something else." Tapu Lele seemed to perk up as Amber slowly picked her shaking form off of the ground, glaring at the god as her arms hung at her side, slowly snapping back into place a few moments later because of the swirling scales around her. The assassin then blinked in confusion as a field of energy suddenly engulfed her, trapping her in a sphere of light. Tapu Lele's eyes had become jet-black, it's hands raised towards Amber.
"Allow me to heal everything...And bring back what you lost." The Guardian Deity hissed before the sphere of light imploded around Amber, engulfing her in the strange and wild power of the Tapu.
Amber then let out a scream.
A long, painful, drawn-out scream of absolute pain. Tears streamed down her face as a pink lace of energy traveled down the length of her body, her eyes glowing bright pink as a fiery aura of darkness burned around her. The wind around them picked up in intensity, whipping around the clearing and blowing even more of the scales around the area. Tapu Lele giggled softly as it beheld it's handiwork, especially as Amber collapsed onto the ground once the energy had faded away from her.
"How do you feel?" Tapu Lele asked the fallen assassin, who groaned in response. Amber slowly picked herself up off of the ground, her arms shaking slightly, before she slowly looked up at the god. Tapu Lele smiled inwardly, seeing that Amber's eyes had changed in color now. Instead of being light blue, they were now bright pink.
Amber let out another scream, clutching her head as an overwhelming torrent of emotions flooded through her body for the first time in sixteen years. "What have I done?" Amber whispered, tears streaming down her face as she struggled to process everything she had done. Everything that she had done. Bloodshed, mayhem, lies, betrayal, arson, destruction, and so many deaths…
"Do you feel it now, Amber Fontaine? Do you feel your sins, crawling on your back? Do you feel your crimes, weighing down on your neck? Can you even comprehend the endless amount of suffering you have caused? Now that you are whole again, as a result of my curse, you appear to be unable to handle the weight of your actions." Tapu Lele mused as Amber grit her teeth, her pink eyes burning a brighter color.
"What did you do to me!?" Amber demanded, shutting her eyes to try and will away the pain of her newly returned emotions. To her surprise, it helped just a little.
"I simply used my powers of healing to restore you back to the person you used to. Temporarily. You'll likely return to normal in a short amount of time, and then revert back and forth between having emotions and your broken, evil state until you die. The process will be incredibly painful and if I didn't plan on killing you myself, I doubt you'd be able to live with yourself after everything you've been through and done." Tapu Lele explained happily, with Amber's eyes opening slightly.
"These...are my emotions? This is what I've been searching for all this time. It hurts...I can't bear it. What Hazel did to me...What I've done." Amber hissed as she staggered upright, feeling a awful sensation tunneling into her very soul, coursing through her like a frigid flood of ice. Guilt. Awful, painful guilt at everything she had done in the name of Hazel and Cipher. Every single act that had caused her already broken soul to splinter further, until she was something else entirely.
"KILL ME!" Amber screamed at the Tapu, who cackled with delight.
"I'll admit I'm unsure where my curse will leave you. You may even regain some of your emotions in your regular, broken state after a short while. But until then...it hurts, doesn't it?" Tapu Lele asked Amber as the woman hugged herself tightly,
"Why…" Amber hissed, looking up at the god. Tapu Lele giggled softly, floating down and cupping Amber's cheek with its hand.
"Because I don't care what horrible hand you were dealt with in life...In the end, you chose to be evil. You chose to continue down this road. You've spent too long hiding behind your lack of empathy to escape from your sins. So now you will have the very thing you wanted most...and then I'll take it from you. Again and again and again until you die…" Tapu Lele whispered, placing its other hand to Amber's temple. And together, they saw a vision. Amber saw her own death. She saw her last waking moments of this world.
She didn't know where the location was, nor what events led up to it. But she knew that the cycle of violence for her would soon come to an end.
"My my, what a delicious demise. And not too far off from the horizon. But…" Tapu Lele's expression turned to confusion as Amber felt her body seize up as a Psychic attack struck her in such a manner that she felt the chilling, creeping and terrible sensation of fear for the first time in over a decade. "Why would you be dying then, if I'm about to kill you now?"
Tapu Lele's answer to that was an explosion of darkness hitting it from behind, making the creature scream in pain. Amber gasped in shock as she was dropped to the ground, just in time for an Xatu to teleport beside her and wrap her wings around her. Tapu Lele screamed and released an arc of pink energy at Avis just as she teleported again, barely dodging the attack.
Amber and Avis reappeared on a random dirt road elsewhere, with Amber falling to her knees the moment her Xatu let go of her. The woman clutched her head, groaning as she tried to make the emotions stop. The horror from the encounter with Tapu Lele chilled her to the bone in a way she didn't think it ever could. The visions she had seen made her furious that she had been taunted in such a manner…
And she was disgusted at what she had done.
"Amber...I'm so sorry. That Tapu had me knocked out for a while. It nearly killed you." Avis said raggedly, looking badly hurt and exhausted. Avis was surprised when Amber threw her arms around the Xatu and pulled her into a bone-crushing hug.
"It's me. I'm Amanda again. I'm okay again." Amber whispered, pressing her face into the feathers of her longest friend. Avis gasped and remained still for a few moments before slowly wrapping her wings around her Trainer.
"It's okay. Just breathe. We'll get through this." Avis whispered, tears welling up in her eyes. "It's so good to see you whole again, Amanda."
"It hurts...It's so painful, Avis." Amber murmured, trying to make sense of the maelstrom of emotions raging inside of her. Besides the guilt and horror, her burning embarrassment at being humiliated by the Tapu. The prickling indignation of having memories taunted and ridiculed by an all-powerful god before being tortured by it because of the hand the universe dealt her. And finally the chilling feeling of shame…
After everything she had done, the worst part of it all was that she had chosen to continue the cycle of violence. She had done so out of loyalty, but that didn't excuse the mountains of bodies that she had left in her wake.
"Damn, I wasn't expecting this place to come in handy so quickly." Came a drawling voice from behind them. Amber looked behind her and saw a familiar man wearing a cloak and a smirk, a stylized hand-cannon clipped to a belt at his waist.
"Dawson?" Amber asked, confused as she looked up.
The mercenary nodded, crossing his arms. "I told Avis to teleport here if there was ever an emergency. I set up a Secret Base nearby. I guess this counts as an emergency. So what's going on? Your scouting mission not go well?"
"We were attacked by the Tapu. It showed me some of my memories and placed a curse on me. For a short time, I'm completely healed of my...condition." Amber said quietly, hugging herself with a shiver.
"Condition? I don't see anything different, aside from the cute pink eyes. You definitely sound different. You sound...normal. A bit overwhelmed, but it's preferable to your usual dead-sounding voice. So what do you mean by your 'condition'? Does that mean you're not a psycho bitch anymore?" Dawson noted rather shrewdly, with Amber nodding.
"Tapu Lele tormented me with some of my worst memories. The most important steps of my life to me becoming who I am today. The worst part is that she healed me of my problems and gave me the very thing I've been fighting for ever since Hazel died...But it's too much to bear." Amber said quietly, with Dawson looking down at her with some concern.
"How so?" Dawson asked.
"I can't bear the weight of my crimes. The horrible, evil things I've done. A normal person couldn't handle so much horror without their psyche breaking to some degree, or being able to justify their actions to a terrifying extent. I don't have any of the righteous motivation that you or Borlath do. I kill to kill. I've enjoyed it, because my mind and heart were so distorted from Hazel that I didn't care anymore." Amber explained with a scowl, hating every word she spoke. She wondered if Borlath had the same level of self-loathing as her, after everything that he had done. She couldn't help but feel more guilty, having helped him with his crusade against evil...That ultimately ended with him becoming evil himself, in a way.
"Hazel? You mentioned that name before. A Gothitelle if I remember right." Dawson said, kneeling down to Amber's level. She looked up at him, nodding.
"She was a rogue Gothitelle that me and some friends encountered when I was 13 years old. And she was completely insane and essentially a serial killer on top of that. She killed my friends and kept me hostage for almost four years, using her knowledge of the human mind and psyche to strip away my emotions and turn me into someone who could help her kill as many people as possible. Borlath saved me, but by then it was too late." Amber explained, with Dawson's eyes widening in shock.
"That's...horrifying. And it makes everything so much clearer. You'll have to tell me more later. For now, you should probably rest. You might seem totally healed, but I'm willing to bet that you're exhausted mentally from that Tapu's bullshit." Dawson said to the assassin. Amber sighed and nodded, but before she could do anything else the group heard a loud squeal of horror from behind them and saw a terrified candle floating towards them from out of the forest nearby.
"Is that a Litwick?" Dawson asked, confused. The Pokémon spotted the two Trainers and floated towards then, letting out a shrill cry before hiding behind Amber.
"He says that there's an evil man chasing it." Avis translated as she ruffled her feathers.
"Then why the hell are you hiding behind us?" Amber asked testily, trying to calm her breath. The emotions were so hard to control, though she had to admit feeling the entire emotion of being annoyed was rather odd compared to her usual annoyance.
"Jeez, talk about rude." Dawson remarked, his smile curling playfully. Amber blinked a few times before realizing he was right.
"Hmm...Fine. Sorry about that." Amber remarked, taking a slow calming breath. "This is so hard to process. Everything is overwhelming me. It hurts...After so long having nothing, I suddenly have it all. It feels like I was living in darkness for a lifetime, only to suddenly find myself on the sun and burn in the light."
"I'll be there to help you through it. No matter what." Avis promised the assassin. Amber felt a rush of indescribable warmth at the words, a lightness going through her that made her smile at her Partner.
"Wow...You really are totally different as a normal person." Dawson stated, drawing the gaze of Amber and Avis. The man seemed genuinely awed, though he smiled a moment later. "It's nice to see this side of you, though."
"Don't expect to see much of it. Apparently it's temporary...As much as this hurts, I can't tell you how it feels to...feel again. I'm myself again. As bad as the past is, and as much as my crimes are tearing at my mind right now, everything is as it's supposed to be." Amber said as she shakily got to her feet, with Dawson helping her upright. The bounty hunter opened his mouth to speak when suddenly four figures suddenly burst out of the nearby forest, panting and swearing at each other.
"What the…?" Dawson muttered as the Litwick behind them shivered. Ahead of them was a man with ragged brown hair glared at them, flanked by women wearing worn outfits that clearly didn't fit them. Standing at the front of them was a rather strange-looking black and white colored Pokémon that glared at them with narrowed eyes.
"Found you! Now I'm gonna find out whether or not you can kill a ghost." Night Slash hissed gleefully before he looked at the people standing in front of the Litwick. He pointed his machete at Dawson, scowling darkly. "Move out of my way, or else!"
"Fat chance. If I did whatever people asked of me, I'd be an overweight accountant in Sinnoh right now. How about you back off?" Dawson shot back, his hand resting on his trusty hand-cannon.
Night Slash's response was cut off by the sound of a terrified scream of sheer horror. Everyone looked to see Amber staring at Night Slash's Gothitelle, her sheet-white face contorted with absolute fear. The assassin took several steps back, shaking as she tried to get away from the very same species of Pokémon that had taken everything away from her.
"Well, that's my cue. Psychic!" Night Slash barked, throwing out a hand.
"No!" Avis screamed, teleporting in front of Amber and throwing up a shield. She was a moment too late, as the Gothitelle blasted the bird aside before she could perform the move. The Gothitelle's eyes burned blue as she waved a hand at Amber, who continued to scream in abject fear.
"Get ahold of yourself!" Dawson barked as he took aim at Night Slash, firing his pistol at the man. The bandit swung his machete, which took the shot meant to kill him but blasted a part of the blade off.
"No! You don't understand! I'm not going through that again!" Amber screamed, sprinting down the road. She was caught off-guard by a Shadow Ball exploding in front of her, throwing her backwards. Amber rolled to her stomach and saw from afar Dawson dodging slashes from Night Slash while the Gothitelle flung electricity at him. The mercenary was doing a pretty good job of dodging, though he was having trouble being able to line up a shot to kill either of them with his pistol. He was surprised when one Night Slash's accomplices snuck up behind him and put him in a headlock, though he managed to easily place his hand cannon against her side and blow a burning hole through her body. The woman fell to the ground,screaming as her body burned away into ashes. Dawson turned towards the Gothitelle in time to be struck by a Psychic attack, sending him slamming into a nearby tree and making the man yell out in protest. The Gothitelle repeated the attack, with one particularly nasty crack sounding out from Dawson's leg that made him howl in pain. The mercenary gasped in relief as the Gothitelle released the attack, preparing another volley of lightning, only for Dawson to fire his weapon at her and clip one of her face appendages, making her scream in pain, though it did little more than hurt her.
Amber stared at the scene from afar, her breathing coming in ragged gasps as her body shook uncontrollably. The chilling, mind-numbing fear that surged through every ounce of her being was unlike anything she had ever experienced. Maybe it was because of the emotional whiplash she was going through right now. Maybe it was because the mental scars that Hazel had created were ripped upon and fresh again thanks to Tapu Lele...But the fear was an all-consuming thing that made her unable to be near that creature.
"Damn it!" Dawson barked as he leapt back on his good leg, firing a burning shot of energy at the Gothitelle as she launched a wave of lightning at the man. The Gothitelle ducked to avoid the shot, though it also caused her to miss her attack in response. Dawson began to call out Pokémon, despite the fact that he knew he was outclassed here. And he couldn't get a shot off to hit Night Slash himself because the Gothitelle was in his way. Speaking of said Gothitelle, it launched a Dark Pulse which managed to clip the merc in the shoulder, making him groan in pain and send him to the ground. Dawson's team rushed at the duo, but were swiftly knocked out by the much higher-leveled Pokémon. The mercenary pulled out a silver object from his cloak and swung it, causing a tomahawk blade to unfold from the device. Dawson hurled the weapon at Night Slash, who barely managed to block the projectile with his blade.
The assassin watched on, cursing herself and cursing Tapu Lele. They wouldn't have been in this situation if it wasn't for her. Granted, they could simply teleport away with Avis, but they were laying low in this region for a reason and couldn't let someone like this bandit run around risk messing up their plans. And on top of that…
Amber felt the burning fire of anger within her, consuming her veins as she thought about how humiliating it was for her to shriek in fear at the sight of a Gothitelle. Hazel had been dead for over a decade, and yet here Amber was, running from a fight from a Gothitelle. She wanted to make this man pay for what he had done. For reminding her of her fears.
"Damn it...Damn everything. Avis!" Amber shouted to the Xatu as she rose to her feet. The Mystic Pokémon teleported to her side with a wince, looking exhausted after being attacked like that while not recovered from the beating she took from Tapu Lele. The bird wobbled on her feet, panting heavily.
"Amber, I know you're not in your right...I mean your usual state of mind. But you need to fight. If that man gets the upper hand on Dawson, it'll mean trouble for our plans here." Avis reminded Amber as the woman grit her teeth, her body shaking as the newly returned feeling of dread crept into her, digging its icy fingers into her heart. She wanted nothing to do with that Gothitelle, but on the other hand she needed to help out her fellow Admin.
Amber sighed and clenched her fists, yanking out a long serrated silver dagger and flipping it expertly in her grip. Avis nodded in approval and said, "No matter what, I'll be there with you."
"Thanks...I never would have made it to this point without you, you know." Amber remarked, smiling thinly as the Xatu floated above her head.
"Probably. I should also remind you that you have an entire team of Pokémon that are fresh and ready to fight, while it seems Night Slash just has the one."
"..."
"..."
"...Hey, I've had a really shitty day, alright? I think I can get a pass on this one." Amber said as she began walking towards the fight, where Dawson had out a Manectric and a Slowking, the both of which were faring badly against Night Slash's Gothitelle. Amber watched it for a moment as it took a Dark Pulse to Slowing, knocking it down but not out.
"That thing's strong, but it's not as strong as Hazel was. I'm stronger than I was before. Even with this damned cursed, I refuse to lose!" Amber growled as she and Avis teleported into the fray, with Amber letting out a yell and throwing out a hand. Avis fired off a Dark Pulse at the Gothitelle, knocking it to the ground with a scream of pain.
"Damn it! No!" Night Slash yelled out, slashing his blade towards Dawson, who blocked the slash with a sickle that he had produced from out of nowhere. The man then swiftly knocked the blade aside and kicked Night Slash in the chest, sending him sprawling to the ground as Dawson aimed his hand-cannon at him and hissed in pain as he favored his right leg. Dawson glanced at Amber, who looked at him after a moment.
"Your worst fear was Hazel. A Gothitelle, right?" Dawson asked Amber, who nodded silently. "You told me you'd be terrified if you saw one and weren't completely dead inside. I get it. No worries." Dawson said quietly, gritting his teeth.
Amber looked ahead and saw that Night Slash had risen to his feet, with his Gothitelle slowly rising behind him. Dawson then asked, "Any particular reason you're not murdering him with your Umbral Rhyperior?"
"Well for one, that would make this far too easy."
"You've gotta be fucking kidding me..."
"And the second thing is that with all of these new emotions back inside of me...I want to conquer my fear. That damn god made me relieve all of my times being tortured by Hazel. I might not like that I have to do this, but I'll do it. With just me and Avis. Consider it an act of redeeming my failure for not stopping her over a decade ago and letting all those people die by her hand." Amber said as the exhausted Xatu nodded, flaring her wings and letting out a screech.
Night Slash scoffed and said, "Cute. Well, let's get back to it. I've got people to kill and a ghost that needs to be erased off of this plane of existence."
The Gothitelle's eyes suddenly burned dark blue, and Amber was blasted backwards by Psychic. Dawson leapt to the side to avoid the rush of energy, ripping out his hand-cannon and firing at Night Slash, who responded by ducking under the blast. He grabbed the arm of his accomplices and hurled her forward into Dawson's next shot, causing her face to explode in a shower of sparks before her body collapsed onto the ground. The Gothitelle retaliated with a Thunderbolt, striking Dawson directly and dropping the man to the ground.
Amber rolled to her feet and sprinted forward, throwing a knife at Night Slash and missing by a hair as the man growled in fury. The bandit barked out a command for Psychic, which struck Amber and made her grit her teeth in pain. It did not, however, stop Avis from tackling the Gothitelle and pecking her repeatedly. Night Slash looked at Amber and glared her down, even as she tightened her grip around the dagger in her hand. Avis teleported beside her, screeching at Night Slash and his Gothitelle, a cry of defiance to the two criminals.
"Shadow Ball!" Amber and Night Slash barked to their Pokémon, who both hurled a barrage of pulsating orbs of darkness at one another. Avis teleported above Gothitelle after the two Pokémon dodged the attacks, sending an Air Slash at the Astral Body Pokémon. The Gothitelle screeched in pain as the attack hit her directly, but retaliated by flinging her arms upward and sending a crackling bolt of lighting at Avis, dealing serious damage to the Psychic/Flying-type.
Amber dove forward, stabbing at Night Slash with inhuman speed and a cold expression of fury on her face. The bandit barely blocked the stab with his machete, staggering back in surprise at the amount of power the woman held. Amber disengaged her blade and sidestepped a slash from the bandit, quickly spinning around and kicking him in the side of his head and sending the man toppling to the ground.
Amber raised her blade to finish the man off, but froze.
"I...I can't. Not again. Not right now…" Amber realized, lowering her blade and taking a step back. "What did that Tapu do to me?"
"I've broken her psychic powers within her mind!" Avis suddenly screeched with triumph, flaring her wings as she threw up a Protect shield around Amber. The assassin looked over at the Gothitelle, which was currently clutching her head and looking incredibly disoriented.
"G-good...Just leave up the shield. I can't...bring myself to do this seriously right this moment. I have to wait for the curse to pass again." Amber hissed, with Avis looking at her with incredulity.
"Who knows how long that would take!? Just kill him! It's not that hard!" Avis proclaimed, with Amber giving her a cold look.
"Don't you tell me what's hard and what isn't! You don't fucking know!" Amber spat at a shocked Avis, fury in her voice. Amber then turned her head and saw the Gothitelle staggering towards her, hands outstretched as lightning crackled around her hands. Amber opened her mouth to issue a command, but her mind suddenly seared with pain.
"Agh! Not...not again!" Amber screamed, falling to her knees and surprising everyone. The others watched as her eyes suddenly burned with a black fire, making the woman clutch her face in agony. Avis' lowered the shield in surprise, allowing Night Slash a chance to have his Gothitelle hit the Xatu and her Trainer with a Thunderbolt. Avis shrieked in pain…
Amber slowly lifted her head as the lightning shocked her, grinning maniacally as her light blue eyes gleamed like gems in the moonlight. Night Slash took a step back in horror as the woman rose to her full height, ignoring the direct electrical attack like it was nothing.
"I haven't felt true fear like that in a very long time. You'll pay for that." Amber said gently before she took a step forward, her soulless smile vanishing. In its place was a scowl of annoyance as she trudged onwards, her body still being filled with deadly electricity.
"What...h-how in the world?" Night Slash hissed before he yelled out, "Stop the attack! Shadow Ball!"
Amber sighed with relief as the electrical attack ended and the Gothitelle fired off a ball of darkness at her, which the woman sidestepped with a bored expression as Avis floated overhead. The Gothitelle launched a wave of lightning at them both, but Avis cast Protect and shielded them from harm.
"You do realize I'm doing this right now out of sheer stubbornness now, right?" Amber remarked, gesturing to the four Poké Balls at her waist. "I could've killed you ages ago, even with the curse in effect. I only needed to use the rest of my team. This was a simple matter of facing my fears, really."
"Shut your goddamn mouth!" Night Slash hissed, pointing his blade at Amber. "I only wanted that damn ghost! You didn't have to interfere."
The Gothitelle growled in annoyance as she stared down Avis, throwing out her hands and launching a Dark Pulse at the flying bird, who teleported away and reappeared in front of her, launching a point-blank Air Slash at the Astral Body Pokémon. The Gothitelle was knocked away and hurled a Shadow Ball at Avis, knocking her away and onto the ground in a crumpled heap, though the Gothitelle collapsed onto the ground as well, panting heavily.
Amber glanced to her side, where the scared Litwick was currently floating. After a moment's thought, Amber glanced at Dawson, who was now standing, though he was clutching his hip with a pained expression and seemed to be holding himself upright with difficulty.
"Hey, do you have a Poké Ball?" Amber asked the man, who blinked twice before wordlessly pulling out one from his cloak and tossing it to Amber. Night Slash's eyes widened in fury as Amber said to the Litwick, "Stay in this Poké Ball if you want to live."
With that, she pressed the device against Aou's forehead, making the bandit opposite them scream in anger and rush at Amber, slashing down at her. The assassin easily sidestepped the slash as the Poké Ball dinged in her hand, notifying her of a successful capture of Demi's former Pokémon. Amber slammed a fist into Night Slash's stomach and tried to stab him with her other hand, only to be hit with another Thunderbolt. Night Slash staggered back, eyes bulging at the strength of the single punch to his gut, and pointed forward. The man's Gothitelle limped forward, increasing the amount of deadly lightning pouring into the assassin, who simply grinned at the creature, sending chills down the Psychic-type's spine.
Those chills were suddenly replaced with a searing, burning sensation of agony as a bright burst of energy suddenly tore through the Gothitelle's shoulder, making her release the attack and making Night Slash scream out in horror as they looked at the wounded mercenary holding onto a tree for support and lowering his weapon.
"Not on your life, bitch." Dawson spat as he fell to the ground, though he caught himself in time to land in a sitting position. The Gothitelle staggered back with a scream of pain clutching her shoulder with a pained gasp that was silenced when Amber pounced on the Astral Body Pokémon with a murderous grin, swinging her knife across the stomach of the creature before burying it in the Gothitelle's throat. The Pokémon staggered backwards with a surprised expression on its face, even as Amber kicked it in the chest and sent it tumbling backwards.
"NO!" Night Slash screamed as his Gothitelle toppled to the ground with a strangled cry, hitting the dirt with a thud as her fingers weakly fumbled with the dagger in her throat. She couldn't stop the flow of crimson that poured from the mortal blow, however, and soon the light in her eyes gave way to nothing but emptiness.
"No…" Night Slash whispered, falling to his knees. It was all over. Without his Gothitelle, he couldn't do anything…
"Yes."
Night Slash looked up just in time to get a boot to the face, which sent him rolling along the grass. When he stopped, he pushed himself upright and snarled at Amber as she walked towards him, her eyes flickering back and forth between pink and light-blue and neck twitching erratically. In her hands was a silver tomahawk, the one that Dawson had dropped during the earlier brawl.
Amber stalked towards the man with a maniacal smile on her face, making the bandit try and crawl away, still having trouble breathing after the blow to the gut the woman had given him. Suddenly Amber tensed and let out a yell of pain, her eyes suddenly burning with a bright pink fire as her body shook uncontrollably. The others watched in horror for a few moments before the flames subsided, leaving Amber staring at Night Slash with bright pink eyes. She looked exhausted now, but her eyes narrowed in anger and she continued walking towards the man.
"Today you made me feel true terror. I had to relive my worst nightmare today twice, and I can't communicate in words how that makes me feel. Especially now that, thanks to Tapu Lele's curse, I can do that now." Amber said quietly as Night Slash continued to try and flee. Amber shook her head, sighing softly as her fingers tightened around the weapon. "I haven't felt fear in so long. But I also haven't felt anger in just as long. Annoyance, yes. Irritation, also. But anger? True and genuine anger...that I haven't felt in far too long. And I'm angry now. It feels almost...Like an inferno. I want to tear you apart. I want to murder you and laugh the entire time. I want you to suffer...But I can't do it. I won't kill you or anyone else. Not when I'm able to feel again."
"Ha! Even after all of that, you're too much of a coward to do the job?" Night Slash laughed as he quickly hopped to his feet, sprinting forward and reaching for the tomahawk in the assassin's hand. Amber felt a rush of agony tear through her body, a hand going to her head again as again the curse struck her. Night Slash slammed into her, trying to rip away the weapon from her grasp, but he was surprised when the weapon seemed to be stuck in an iron grip.
Amber's eyes snapped open, her light-blue eyes narrowed down to slits as she grabbed the man's outstretched arm and pulled it past her, kneeing the man in the stomach before swiftly spinning around and breaking the man's arm over her knee. Night Slash screamed in agony stumbled backwards, though Amber wasn't done, as she spun the man around and kicked down at his kneecap as hard as she could, breaking the man's leg for good measure. Night Slash howled as as he fell to the ground in a heap, writhing around as Amber stared down at him. This wasn't helped when Avis' eyes glowed bright blue, meaning moments later, Night Slash was lifted into the air, his entire body burning with pain as Avis applied her powers to his helpless form.
"I can't do this for long. I'm at my limit…" Avis hissed, her eyes flickering as her powers threatened to give out.
"I don't need long." Amber said lightly, her eyes gleaming with malice as she stalked the man, twirling the tomahawk in her hand.
"I thought you said...You w-wouldn't kill me!" Night Slash cried out as Avis began to manipulate his broken arm with a sinister expression of glee on her face, making the man scream. Dawson staggered to his feet, chuckling softly.
"Nah, ain't that simple man. You don't mess with two Cipher Admins like that and expect to tell the tale. Maybe that'll teach you to stop tormenting random Pokémon for no reason. Just ain't sporting, you know?" Dawson remarked as Amber looked down at the new Poké Ball at her waist and called out Aou. The Litwick moved over to Amber and made a soft cooing sound, looking confused.
"He hurt you, right?" Amber asked the Candle Pokémon. The Litwick nodded in reply, to which Amber turned her gaze back to the injured bandit. Night Slash saw the depths of true evil within those eyes. An awful, wonderful evil maelstrom burning with Amber's light-blue eyes. The eyes of a killer who showed no remorse to her enemies.
"For the first time in sixteen years...I felt. I had everything I ever wanted. But it was too late for me. With all of my emotions and feeling back, I can't handle what I've done and what I've seen. Who I've become. When I'm my old self again, like I was a few moments ago, I can't bring myself to kill. I have no idea what will happen to me in regards to my mental state because of this curse, but I know exactly what I feel now. I feel anger, even in my normal broken state. And I feel humiliation. And I feel hatred." Amber whispered as she stood above Night Slash, her words laced with the kind of toxic seething hate that sent chills down the man's spine. Dawson backed away from the woman as she towered above the man on the ground, who stared up at her in abject horror.
"Y-you...What are you?" the bandit asked as the woman, her expression twisting into a demented, horrifying grin. The man's blood turned to ice as Amber's eyes gleamed with something new then.
Acceptance.
"My name is Amber Fontaine. And I'm a monster." Amber replied softly in reply before she brought her tomahawk down on Night Slash's uninjured leg. Dawson looked away just in time, but he heard the sound of metal tearing through flesh and hitting bone, followed by the blood splattering the grass. The bandit screamed as Amber laughed softly, pressing the blade deeper into the man's leg as she felt the familiar rush of bloodlust and satisfaction rush through her.
"I'm not going to kill you, Night Slash. I am going to destroy you. Just like Hazel destroyed me all those years ago. And just like how that god almost destroyed me back at that ruin. Because there is no justice in this world. There is no justice for me. Not after what Tapu Lele showed me. I won't be getting my happily ever after…And there's no possible chance for redemption." Amber whispered, closing her eyes for a moment.
There was no going back. Not now, not ever.
"My better tomorrow will never come. But neither will yours."
I have waited so long for this chapter. And you somehow made it to the end! Congrats!
Special thanks go out to RC-DA for the idea of using Shadow Tag to keep Amanda/Amber in check during the earlier days. At first I dismissed the idea because I figured Hazel could use her powers to keep her prisoner under control, but the idea of Shadow Tag became interesting to me and I decided to go with it. So thanks for the awesome suggestion!
Q & A
From: RC-DA
Also how does one go about killing a ghost? Good luck with that Nightslash.
It's definitely possible, at least in my own little canon. We might even find out how soon enough.
From: trevhall19
My apologies for not reviewing this when it was released. I was busy playing Kingdom Hearts III. On that note, I do have a few questions.
1. How many subplots are there in your story? I ask this because they mentioned Zygarde cells. I understand they're part of the Sun and Moon games, but I do hope you do not have too many subplots in your story. They can get a bit confusing at times.
2. We got an appearance from Shadow Lugia in this chapter. Is this a different Shadow Lugia than the one in Pokemon XD Gale of Darkness?
Last question:
3. I did not expect Necrozma to appear right now. Why did you have it appear at this moment instead of later?
I'm well aware that's one of the many flaws in this story. In my attempt to create a complex story with intertwining arcs, character growth, and a original plotline that compliments the Sun and Moon plotline, I've made everything convoluted as hell. It'll calm down eventually, and most of the cards are on the table at this point so everything will only get more clear as time goes on. This chapter was honestly the biggest roadblock left for me to overcome with this story, and in a way I was dreading it because I know that it'll only mean as much as it does to me and not everyone else. But things will be picking up shortly after this, and we'll have a nice break from Cipher nonsense for a bit.
The over-complexity thing probably stems from my first main story being so basic in terms of plot and me wanting to correct that in future stories, now that I think about it. Even my Jak story was fairly straightforward in terms of plot.
2. You mean Shadow Moltres, right? And this is a different Shadow Moltres than the one that appeared in XD, under the control of Greevil.
3. SPOILERS for some really cool stuff in the future. Though I'll admit it was partly to introduce Kahili, explore Ten Carat Hill, have Penny evolve before the Tournament, and explore some backstory, as well as continue along with the Aether Foundation storyline.
From: trevhall19
Finally, some insane action for Sun as he faces off against Necrozma with mid-level Pokemon, one of them having evolved during the battle. I do have a couple of questions.
1. So Sun's father was a child of promise, but the hatred in his heart allowed him to sink into the darkness. This sounds familiar. Was Anakin Skywalker somewhat of an inspiration?
2. You stated the next chapter will be much darker. Will it be towards Sun or another character?
3. Wasn't Kahili one of the Alolan Elite Four?
Final Question
4. Are we ever going to see development in Oliver and Penny's relationship?
1. Nope. At least not intentionally. Before I decided to make this story, I changed Borlath's backstory considerably. Most of the characters in the Cipher plotline were created years ago, except for Damien, Mask, and Dawson. Maybe some others. I'll admit the whole "you become the very thing you wished to destroy" thing is basically a quote from Revenge of the Sith, but that's just how it happens. Sometimes you can't help it if two characters walk the same road, at least on some level.
2. Obviously this question has been answered.
3. Yep. She'll have a bigger role in this story than she did in the games.
4. We're already seeing some, actually. Penny beating Oliver in battle for the first time and her subsequent evolving did change their relationship somewhat. As I've said, some of the character arcs in this story are on a slow boil, though I'll happily say it pays off in the end. We will see more development on behalf of all of Sun's team, especially in regards to the first three, since Finn is still getting used to being there in the first place.
On an unrelated note, I think I have a ship lined up for at least four of them (out of the six) so far. Nothing yet for Finn and #5, but I'm working on it!
From: JDunks807
Anyways, Tapu Koko was talking about Sun's dad. Does that mean that the Island Guardians tried to shape him during his Island Challenge? And could that tie into why he hates Alola with a burning passion?
Although, given the fact he was kicked out of his home and forced to do the Island Challenge would probably be a big factor. Poor guy. Damien must have been the only good thing to happen to him...
Which brings me to another question. Borlath started his journey with Damien, I know that. But what Pokemon did he sacrifice for the Umbral thingy?
Spoilers, but it'll be explained relatively soon, along with a lot more backstory that will clear some things up. But let's just say that he has perfectly valid reasons for hating Alola. Amber's ordeal with Tapu Lele touched upon it though.
Borlath sacrificed his entire battling team except for Damien. Meaning that the five teammates he's had with him for over a two decades were subjected to a fate worse than death itself. That said, he has began to reconstruct a new team, which includes a Greninja.
That's all for this chapter! And now, a sidenote!
My thoughts on the Pokémon Sword and Pokémon Shield reveal are...optimism. I liked what we saw from the reveal trailer and the region looks neat. Basing it on the UK/England is a great choice, and I'm looking forward to seeing what ideas they have in store. Personally I'm hoping for some influences from old history for this one, and a really good plot. So we'll see.
As for the starters, I like them. Scorbunny is a awful name, but I like the Pokémon design itself and will be using it in my first playthrough of the games, since I always start off with a Fire-type in the first run I have in a new Generation. Grooky looks great and I can only imagine how badass it'll look later. Sobble is...interesting, but kinda neat.
We should be back to regular weekly updates, now that this mammoth of a chapter is done and we're hitting the Tournament Mini-Arc! Next chapter will bring us back to normal, with adorable fluffiness and some lighter themes.
Please show your support with a review in the section below and tell me your thoughts on the massive chapter that I've poured a ton of effort into, writing almost 27,000 words this past week. And if you haven't already, please favorite and/or follow the story. Oh yeah, and if you have a question on something story-related (or not story-related), then feel free to drop a question in the review section and I'll answer it with the next update. This chapter was an absolute beast to complete, and I'd love to hear your thoughts on it.
Thank you for your continued patience and support. This story would never have reached this incredible point without you, and I'll continue working as hard as I can to entertain you all with my nonsense. I'll see you all next weekend!
Take care and stay awesome!
Until next time, FlygonNick out!
