Chapter 53- An Emerald in the Dark

A/N: This is an original Pokémon Fan Game, made by Amethyst. if you wish to check it out and play the game download it at Reborn Evolved. search for it on your web browser if you want to get to the website.

So... I've been addicted to the new game called Genshin Impact. Which has caused it to disrupt my usual schedule of things... this chapter was rather finished last minute compared to others. Gah, apologies. Why I mention this, is because for some reason the idea of writing a chapter or maybe even a new story for Genshin Impact is floating around my head... Which will definitely throw my schedule into more chaos... so over the next few weeks if Pokemon Reborn is updated slower or misses a chapter, I'm sorry ahead of time. Between needing to do school work, work, writing stories, and playing videogames, it has been chaos.

Alright, onto other news… More Nero backstory yay! By far, Nero definitely has the one worst backstory for my OC's. Gah… I sometimes feel bad for how bad his life is…

Time: 4:10

Location: Subseven Sanctum

Only a few hours since Radomus had release Percival and his friends, and taken the Amethyst Pendant. Percival would be off in Iolia Valley, making enemies with Bennett, then off to fight Luna for her gym badge. All the while, Solaris had returned to the sanctum. With the current stances of what happened, no one in this meeting was very happy. Not Elias with the escape of Luna and how Radomus had taken back the Amethyst Pendant. Solaris, with how incoherent Nero and Elias had acted, was rather displeased. Nero, he rarely expressed joy, but with being conflicted between the two sides of this ongoing struggle… was suffering in mental anguish.

While he was suffering, he clearly was still peeved at Elias. "This wouldn't have happened if you hadn't put me in chains!"

Elias calmly ignored Nero's yells, looking straight at Solaris spoke. "The seeds of betrayal are sprouting in him. He needs to be ridden of before he causes trouble."

"Betrayal?" Taka who was often with his father, Solaris, was surprised to hear this. He had known Nero for about as long as Nero has been in Meteor. "Elias, Nero has never indicated struggles for us before. He's done every order without question, albeit with his own difficulties… but has never shown lack of faith."

"You're still going about that?!" Nero continued; his anger was still flaring. "If I had to pick a moment of betrayal, it should have been the moment when those idiots ditched this place! Not stay here to get not listening to your belittlement."

"He knows not what he'll do." Elias ignored Nero's comments still. Continuing to speak. "The Darkness upon his heart is a plague. If he will not be rid of, he must be corrected."

"Pft… please, all that 'correcting' is just mind control." Nero rolled his eyes.

"It is the lords work." Elias for the first time this meeting glared at Nero.

Nero, unflinching, met Elias' cold stare. "No wonder Luna ran away from you. If you were my father, I'd deny any relation to you as well." Then thinking back to his own father. "I barely have the will to say father to my actual one. Maybe it wouldn't be too distant to call Luna my sister, after all."

"Hey, Nero don't you think you're going a little far?" Taka tried to stop Nero, but when Nero was this wound up, not many people could stop him.

"Why you little—" Elias' eyes were filled with rage at Nero's taunts.

"Silence." Solaris said a single word, and the fight between Nero and Elias stopped. Closing his eyes and deliberating a verdict, Solaris thought. Though it was only a few minutes, it felt like hours. The hate and contempt that Elias and Nero shared for each other was still there, but neither one would go against Solaris' commands. Finally, Solaris opened his eyes, first looking upon Elias. "Elias, you have had a bias against Nero since the day he joined. Your opinion in regards to Nero's behavior is up to be debated. Despite for knowing you for so long Elias, I cannot just do as you ask."

"Yes, my sire." Elias bowed his head, the respect for Solaris was carved deep in Elias's heart. For it was Solaris who gave this man while still blind a chance. A chance to be useful, helpful. Solaris was the same man who bestowed the Emerald Key, which later brought sight to the blind Elias. Elias' faith in Solaris was strong, never to betray him.

"…" Nero gave a silent smile as he thought he had won this argument.

"Nero." As Solaris called to him, Nero's face was stern and gave a look of respect. "In your case, you have had a terrible life, partly caused by Team Meteor. Case in point the fact your sister almost lost her life due to our actions. Even so still knowing this, you joined us. Do you recall why?"

"The bet." Nero answered, though Solaris gave a disapproving look. "…" Nero bit his tongue has he knew the actual answer… when told that the world would be reborn, made a new… there was only one thought on his mind. "Live in a better world. One where my sister never died…"

Nero often thought, if that day didn't occur… maybe he wouldn't have gone down this path. Maybe if his mother took him along, he'd still be at Lucille's side. Never knowing the horrors of Reborn's undercity, never feeling insecure about those he could trust, or… just being able to accept kindness in general. Nero never blamed Lucille for what happened… he couldn't he was just as powerless as her that day. Besides, she was on her deathbed, unconscious and unaware, how could he blame her? Nero blamed himself a million times more than he could blame her.

"But now it is found that she is alive." Solaris eyes weren't cold, but they certainly weren't warm either. Neutral, just as they often had been towards Nero. "Your reason for being here is shaking."

"…" Nero felt it hard to keep eye contact with Solaris at this second. As he subconsciously knew as well. Nero glanced at Taka, then his eyes falling back to Solaris. Nero reminisced of how he joined Team Meteor.

It had started three years ago, just about two months since Nero escaped the orphanage. Age of twelve the legend of the Black Demon steadily made its way through Seventh Street. the reason, it was apparent that someone with a black Absol single handedly destroyed the Aqua Gang, scaring the leaders face with a Houndour.

It was during Ame's reconstruction of the upper city. IT was certainly going along well, but it was far, far from being a perfect city. But even if the city was to become perfect, there were too many bad memories for Nero. He didn't want to stay here. But Nero knew that if he was to leave, he'd need far more than what he currently had. But saving was a rather hard thing to do: Food, and shelter were the reasons. Food was rather self-explanatory. Shelter, while it's true that poke centers will heal Pokémon without question, staying one raises more suspicion. Especially when you're twelve, and already known to have fled an orphanage. He needed money for a decent place to stay with little questions asked, which proved to be rather expensive.

Though… recently things had seemed to change in Seventh Street. Ever since Nero tried to buy some food off some priests, who attacked him despite him not trying to antagonize them, there were more yellow robed priests wandering about. Nero was both in understanding and confusion for this: Sure, he retaliated against the priests, they might want to teach him a lesson, but… this many it was weird. Nero did steal a box full of food from them, but he didn't think that would be any reason to look for a twelve-year-old. Sure, he found a dusk stone, which he used immediately on Raven, and a weird emerald jewelry piece… but the Emerald Broach didn't even look that expensive! Things seemed to be getting way too out of hand down there.

Meaning Nero definitely had to flee the city. But he'd need more money than he currently had, which brought him one option. Bet all he's worth on himself and his Pokémon in Seventh Street's illegal gambling ring. Nero knew the risks, but it was his only option. His name as The Black Demon was pretty infamous there, and from what he heard there was someone looking to challenge him. And who was Nero to turn down the idiot's challenge, it was his opponent's funeral.

It was densely packed at the ring this time round… Word had spread, rumor about the Black Demon's final time in the ring. Boy, this was a surprise… Nero as he saw the crowd wondered if there were any enemies of his hidden here, waiting for Nero to be weakened before attacking. Even so, Nero knew what he had to do. Nero walked through the crowd, spotting two people in yellow robes walking past. One didn't seem that interesting, the other was an older man with white hair, and white eyes. Nero thought the older one was blind, but with how he walked, Nero knew he thought wrong. What was worse they were walking towards his direction.

"Shit…" Nero muttered under his breath, pushing himself into the people next him. Using them as cover. He pushed through, waiting for the two priests to walk past. He heard them walk right by him, seemingly not noticing Nero. Which had Nero give a breath of relief, and knowing this fight was going to be far riskier. Nero was about to continue his way to the ring, when someone grabbed his hand.

"Hey, what's a kid like you doing here?" Nero blinked as he looked at the person who grabbed him. Nero expected it was one of his many enemies, but was wrong. It was a boy he'd never seen before. Seemingly three maybe four years older than Nero, with an ash-brown messy hair, and amber eyes. Nero's first instinct was seeing the boy's clothes which was a grey long sleeve shirt, tan pants, and wore a red scarf around his neck. Much nicer than Nero's tattered and torn clothes.

"Same could be said about you." Nero retorted, not many people would answer a question like that.

"Well… guess that's true." The boy scratched the back of his head, but he still looked at Nero in confusion. "My name's Taka. What's yours?"

"…" Nero hesitated for a second, but thought again that while he's known as the Black Demon, his real name is rarely known. Though Nero pushed away Taka's hand, and briskly said. "Nero."

"Nero, huh?" Taka didn't look to surprise to hear that, especially with Nero's all black clothes. "So… What's your reason for being here?"

"…" Nero looked at Taka blankly. "You can't guess?"

"Right… the retirement of the 'Black Demon'?" Taka said almost as if he hadn't really heard. "You're going to see his final battle?"

"Something like that." Nero couldn't help but smile.

"Really… I've never seen him battle, but from what I've heard his battles are pretty…" Taka hesitated, not really wanting to believe the rumors.

"Bloody." Nero finished for Taka. "Please, the other battlers have done just as bad. *If not worse…*" Nero finished with a mutter…

"…" Taka looked at Nero in surprise, if he was to know that. Then surely, he's been here many times before. Which wasn't something a normal twelve-year-old would expose themselves to. "D…Do your parents know you're here?"

"Dad's dead, mother abandoned me." Nero shrugged, "It's only me and my Pokémon. No need for much else."

"Y-You can't be serious?! How do you survive?" Taka actually ended up showing concern for Nero instead.

"Like most people down here. Steal, con, and well… Bet." Nero said, pointing towards the ring.

"A… A kid like you?" Taka stammered more hearing that, "I… aren't there age limits for betting down here?"

"There are," Nero answered, he could tell that Taka wasn't really used to this side of Seventh Street. Taka definitely seemed different then the common criminal, but with how calm he was, Nero could tell that Taka was no strange to the other portions of Seventh Street. "But like most rules, they can be loosened. Especially when you're the one fighting."

"What?" Taka's eyes widened; he couldn't believe what he just heard. "A kid like you? Fighting in there? Your lying, you have to be."

"Believe what you will, but people will do what's necessary for survival." Nero and his Pokémon hated being here, but understood that they didn't have much of a choice. Nero seeing the uncomfortable glance of Taka, "So, why are you here?"

"Uh… Me?" Taka was slightly surprised with the sudden switch of topics. But with what he knew… "I'm… uh… I can't say."

"…" Nero knew that the response was suspicious, but most people wouldn't say. "Even if you can't. Coming here by yourself? That's stupid."

"Oh… uh that… I'm—" Before taka could explain himself.

"Taka!" There was a feminine voice calling out to taka. Nero glanced to the side, slightly flinching seeing the girl. She was about the same age as Taka. But what caught Nero's eye was her yellow hair and hazel brown eyes. Though there were obvious discrepancies, the girl looked a lot like Nero's twin, Lucille.

"Ah… Luna. You kind of walked off." Taka knew the girl, and apparently her name was Luna. "This here is—"

Taka was cut off again, this time as Luna stared into the eyes of Nero. With one quick word from Luna, Nero's heart felt a twist. "Brother!"

"What?" Taka couldn't believe his ears as he heard Luna utter that word. Looked between the two very quickly. "Wait… what? Did—"

"The hell, are you?" Nero asked, his voice had a quiet rage. The only family that cared for him was dead, or at least to his knowledge. Hearing that from Luna, only pissed him off.

"Oh, my name is—" Luna was going to explain herself, but Nero didn't care.

"You know what, screw it." Nero just briskly left, dispersing himself into the crowd. He heard Taka call out, very confused by the situation, but Nero didn't care. Nero knew even if Luna didn't mean anything mean by it, he would have hurt her, not that he hasn't hurt people who've pissed him off. But to them they didn't even know him, so no use making enemies out people he didn't want to deal with.

Nero made his way through the crowd, pushing his way to where the bet Coordinator was. Well the one before Archer. This coordinator was named Michael, he was a mischievous, but also honest fellow. Never cheated Nero out of a bet, nor did he ever sell him out, but always wanted to see Nero struggle against his opponents. In Nero's opinion, he wasn't too bad… but couldn't really care. Nero made his way, finding Michael with two fellows. One was the old man with the White hair he saw walk by earlier. The other was a man with a trench coat and a long grey pony tail

"Oi, Michael. I thought you said I'd be only fighting one tonight." Nero called out, obviously seeing how the odds had just switched to being against him.

"…" The robed man with the white hair looked at Nero, then to Michael. "I thought I asked for the Black Demon, not a child."

"…" The other man, looked at Nero. Which Nero responded with his own glare.

"Keh, you're looking at him." Nero laughed lowly, a twisted smile. If it was the white-haired man, Nero could tell he was being underestimated. Could likely win against him. While the other man, Nero didn't like the looks of him… the other man was studying Nero's behavior. Probing him without asking Nero a single question.

"I assure you, Nero here is the same one who single handedly took down the Aqua Gang." Michael spoke, trying to reassure the two.

"Hmph." The robed man, snorted in disbelief.

"Michael, I could care less if they chose to believe or not." Nero blatantly said, "Just let me place my bet and send which ever my opponent is down."

"Ah… Yes," Michael nodded, understanding help from Nero wouldn't be much. "How much are you betting tonight?"

Nero dug through his pockets, taking every single cent he owned out. Nearly 100,000 Pokedollars. "So, I'm placing this much on me tonight." {A/N: I never know what to do with Pokémon currency… since I think the speculation exchange of Pokémon currency, that I got from a quick google search, I have the approximation that Nero currently has is approximately 860 U.S. Dollars: Good for him, he's worked hard for that!}

"Woah… That's a—" Michael stared at the amount of cash that Nero was handing to him. "I guess this really is your last battle, eh?"

"Yeah." Nero answered, then pulling out another item, the Emerald Broach. "I also have this, know how much it might be worth?"

"So, you are the one then." The robed man's demeanor changed on a dime. "Return that to us now."

"…" Nero stepped back on reflex, though he didn't flinch under the robed man's pressure. The other man was now more interested in Nero. With one glare from him, Nero understood whatever this broach was… well, Nero just pissed off a Beedrill's nest. It was time for what Nero did best in these situations, bluff and struggle. "Return? I bought this with a box of food."

"You did not. Two of my sentries said a boy with a black Absol stole that from them." The robbed man fired back; anger clear his eyes.

"Those two… Yeah, I offered money, they took it, then tried to attack me." Nero defended, as his story was very close to truth. In actuality they didn't take any money, but did try to attack Nero. "So, I fought back and took what's owed. It's what any honest crook would do, just ask Michael."

"!" Michael flinch as Nero tried to turn their attention to him. "Nero, don't you try to—"

"If you return the broach to us, then we will have no qualm with you." The man in the trench coat offered, holding his hand out for the broach.

"Sire, you can't think to be—" The robed man tried to intervene, but was interrupted.

"Yeah, right." Nero scoffed at those words; he's been burned too many times on too many misplaced ideals. "Who says you won't just try to kill me after I give it back." Those words were more emphasized on the robed man. Between the two, Nero thought he could have a somewhat rational conversation. But the man in the robe, he clearly didn't like Nero, so why should Nero like him.

"You have little trust for a child your age." The man in the trench coat noted the coldness in Nero's eyes.

"The worlds a cruel place. Any one that I've trusted either backstabbed me or died." Nero thought back to every painful event he's been through.

"…" The man with the trench coat almost didn't know how to proceed. The man then proposed to Nero. "Then how would you proceed?"

"Sire, you mustn't!" The robed man shouted.

"…" Nero was rather surprised… This man, he hasn't looked down upon Nero, nor has treated him like a child, or as an enemy yet. The man in the trench coat only looked from a neutral perspective. "We battle, I win, you buy this thing off me for a million."

"And if you lose?" The man asked back.

"That's for you to decide, as what I'm asking for ain't cheap." Nero returned a compliment to the man. Something about him… Nero felt that he was trustworthy to a degree.

"Fine. If you manage to beat a single Pokémon of mine, then I shall declare it your win." Nero thought his heart skip a beat when the man said that. Was he that arrogant, or just that strong… but what was next said surprised Nero more? "Though if you lose you will return the Broach, and join my team."

"Solaris!" The robe man shouted, "A criminal like this child has no dealings with our work. It would be a mistake to—"

"Deal." Again, before the robed man finished, Nero stuck out his hand. Between Nero's newly evolved Honchkrow and his undefeated Grim Reaper. Nero liked the odds he had… though his perspective of the odds were far from the truth…

"So be it." The smile on Solaris face was good.

"O-Okay…" Michael stammered for a second. "So, the bets are set… Please, get into position and the battle will start shortly."

As Michael said that. Nero and Solaris walked away from each other to their positions. The robed man complaining to Solaris, who just waved his complaints aside. In a few minutes the battlers were in place. Benjamin had gone over the introduction of Nero, the Black Demon. Then moved onto the man, "Introducing this first timer, old timer to the ring, Solaris!"

"…" It was an interesting name, but Nero only cared about which Pokémon Solaris was placing his faith in. To claim to beat Nero with only one Pokémon, meant one of two things: One, he was arrogant. Two, he had the power to back his words. Nero really hoped that it would be the former, but seeing the determination in the man's eyes it was most likely the later.

"Come, Garchomp." Solaris calmly took out his Pokémon. Out came a draconic Pokémon. Bipedal with mainly a dark blue (Almost black) scales, it's underbelly was red following to its bottom jaw. On its hammer head shark like head, there was a yellow star. Following its arms were sharp claws followed by long fins.

"…" Nero started to regret making this bet… this Garchomp was not one to be underestimated. With just one look, Nero doubted that Solaris needed to give it commands… How would Nero go about this… Rather not risk Grim or his newly evolved Honchkrow, of this moment they are his strongest. Hades… would a burn even do anything against this thing? Hela and Izanami were pretty fast they might get an attack in… "Hades, I have hope in you."

"Aro." Hades, Nero's Houndour looked upon the battlefield. Seeing its opponent, he shivered.

"Yeah… I know…" Nero said in a low mumble… "Hades, Flamethrower!"

"…" The Garchomp didn't even flinch as it blocked the burst of flames with its fin. Then in the same second the flames stopped the Garchomp charged, slashing into Hades. Brining him down in one shot. Much like Percival's future battle against Solaris, the results of this was quite similar. Hela and Izanami fell without even a chance to attack. Raven to Nero's surprised summoned a murder of Murkrow, but even they barely did anything.

Despite all that… Nero couldn't give up. He's come this far he can't give up. Nero still had one Pokémon left, thick and thin. Grim wasn't to be trifled with. Hand over his final Pokémon, Nero breathed as he usually did. A cold sensation shifting through his body: a remembrance of dread, fear, and anger. Nero blinked his grey eyes now a light shade of blue. "Come, Grim."

"Aro!" A black furred creature came out, white claws, and white horn protruding from its head. The Disaster Pokémon, Absol. Nero's strongest Pokémon.

"And here we have its folks!" Benjamin shouted to the audience. "The one who has more than once turned the tides of battle for Nero, the dreaded Grim Reaper!"

"…" The Garchomp shifted his form, realizing this Absol wasn't to be trifled with.

"…" Solaris saw it as well, Grim was different from Nero's other Pokémon. "Garchomp, Dragon Rush."

With in seconds of the command, the Garchomp rushed at Grim, fins like scythes ready to slash down Grim. Nero eyes shaded blue, foresaw the attack. "Grim kick off, then slash!"

"…" Grim silently grunted as it leaped towards Garchomp. As it leaped the first slash from the dragon Rush barely missing by a hair, Grim didn't even flinch. Then following through the attack, Grim's white horn turned black with nightly energy slashing into the Garchomp.

"Chomp!" Garchomp ignored the pain from the heavy blow continuing through its rush. As its fin came upon Grim, it was suddenly blocked by Grim's horn.

"A…ro!" Despite being able to block most of the damage, the pure power of the Garchomp was different than Grim's. Grim was knocked back, though far from

"Ah, I see." Solaris smiled seeing the moves of Grim. The attack from Garchomp should have been fast enough that Grim shouldn't have seen it coming, but Grim still managed to block it (Partially). Solaris had heard legends of these people… ones who have the deep trust of an Absol. The ones who are marked. "You are a rare being."

"Huh?" Nero didn't understand what he meant… he needed to focus on the battle at hand. But even so, as Nero battled Solaris… He felt that it wouldn't be bad to lose to him. Throughout the battle, Solaris never looked down at him. Though Nero wasn't one to simply surrender.

"Garchomp, feints nor surprise attacks will work." Solaris called to his Pokémon, where Garchomp took a battle stance once more, ready for a different kind of approach. This time the strategy was to over power Grim. Sure, Grim was strong, but Garchomp had been through harsher and longer battles. How long could Nero keep up with the stress of predicting the future? Nero didn't know, but Solaris was about to test how long.

The battle that night raged on for about twenty-five more minutes until Solaris' Garchomp managed to overpower Grim. After that battle, Nero would swear his loyalty to Solaris and Team Meteor. There he would interact with Taka and Luna more regularly. Despite Luna often calling Nero to be her brother, Nero liked the interactions with her and Taka. When Luna left, Nero didn't follow, he'd sworn his loyalty to Solaris and felt that he couldn't just leave Taka. While his conditions were still sketchy at best, the next three years of Nero's life passed somewhat blissfully.

Back in the Subseven sanctum the final bit of the discussion is finished. Solaris looked upon Nero and said. "I would rather not lose faith in you, but until you can prove your resolve, you are assigned to the level of a grunt."

"…" Nero despite him not liking this, couldn't say anything against Solaris. Nero simply bowed is head and responded. "Yes, sir."

A/N: Alright… So people are probably curious for why Luna is apart of Team Meteor in the flash back, but in current time is not. Well to sum it up in not too much spoilers… her opinion on team meteor changed, to the point where she doesn't believe Elias to be her father. So… how do I know Luna was once part of Team Meteor, later in the game, after making some decisions that affect the story… the player can learn that Luna was once part of team Meteor, but left due to some reasons that will remain left unknown.