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.

Chapter 59- Right Around the Corner

Time: 9:05

Location: Ametrine Cave

Wandering through the blue and white icy Ametrine Caves was none other than our heroes, Lucille and Percival. Percival Wisteria was a teen around the age of fifteen to sixteen years old, male, with long white hair. His usual style of clothes was a long black shirt with white cuffs, and long black pants, making well for this cold mountain cave climate. His companion Lucille was a girl around the same age with long yellow hair, a black blouse, and long black skirt. While not practical for adventuring it more than made up for in the cold climate. That being said, neither were extremely happy with the current situation.

It all started just a few days ago as they heard Team Meteor was attacking Calcenon City. A City where they had friends staying, a place they needed to get to. Another place of interest was Ametrine City a Mountain city that held a signal that was making the City of Agate into a sleep. Either way, they needed the machine Surf to get to either location. Having to go down to the Fiore Manor, where things did not go according to plan. In simple terms Percival and Lucille now needed the machine Waterfall. And forcing them to try and find a plausible location of the machine from their friends.

"Well, this is new." The familiar voice of Reborn's Rock-type Leader, Hardy, echoed round the corner.

"This ice is totally in the way, but isn't this the road to Ametrine." Cain another fellow friend said.

"Not anymore, it's not." Aya the current Poison leader of Reborn said. It was then Percival and Lucille walked up to see what their friends were seeing. A massive wall of ice. It was unnatural compared to the grey and blue rocks.

"What the…" Lucille gaped as she saw the strange formation of ice.

"Ah, Percival! Lucille!" The dark-skin, black haired, girl of around eleven years old. Marie Whitehall, Percival's half-sister.

"Oh, you guys caught up with us pretty quickly." Aya looked to see the two.

"Yo." Hardy gave a simple peace sign to Percival and Lucille, more focused on the ice wall rather than the two.

"Heyyy…" As usual Cain gave a drawn out hey. "You know, I said I'd go with you to Ametrine, but I don't think any of us are gonna get there with this in our way."

"This is bad…" Hardy groaned in annoyance. Clearly something bad was about this ice wall.

"…" Lucille looked at it trying to understand why Hardy would be so upset.

All the while Percival was giving everyone a rundown of what recently transpired. "And so… I need to find the Machine Waterfall, and a few more Gym Leaders."

"Geez…" Aya shook her head at hearing that. "You two just love to get into trouble don't you."

"Well, Waterfall's being held up in Ametrine." Hardy admitted it was the only known place for the TM.

"Then we have to get up there to save Agate and Amaria!" Cain shouted, trying to rally everyone's moral.

"Not even that." Though Hardy sighed in response. "Ametrine City itself, too."

"What do you mean?" Aya asked it was an odd thing to say.

"The only path is currently blocked… isn't it." Lucille the one to realized pointed at the ice wall.

"Yeah… Ametrine's pretty and all, but they ain't about to grow nothin' up there." Hardy just said the statement that was rather grim.

"So… With this thing here, no food can be delivered." Percival grimaced.

"They're gonna starve to death trapped in their own city?" Aya also winced at the realization.

"Not if I can help it, Gigalith!" Hardy roared sending out the hulking tank of rock and red Crystal Gigalith. "Aite, Gigalith, Let's shatter that Ice!"

"Giga!" The Gigalith Roared as it bashed against the ice. Just from standing nearby the trainers around could definitely sense that the Gigalith was strong… but the Ice…

"Not even a dent…" Whispered Cain though it was heard by everyone.

"Tch. If Gigalith can't scratch this ice, there's no way anything will." Hardy clicked as his Pokémon's attack did nothing.

"I concur, I don't think that Steel could leave a dent either." Percival admitted.

"Could we melt it?" Aya questioned.

"I don't think so… Just eyeballing it I think this has a similar structure to Never-Melt Ice… something that's practically Fire-resistant." Marie said trying to analyze the structure of the Ice.

"True beside… I think most Fire Pokémon would collapse before we made any headway." Percival responded; this was certainly a conundrum.

"I agree. I mean just look how thick this is." Cain said with an upturned smirk. "Trust me, I know all about thickness and headway."

"You what, mate?" Hardy cocked his head, disbelief that Cain would crack a joke then.

"What?" however the joke flew over the young Marie's head.

"Cain." Percival said in annoyance this time around. Though was usually in the mood for Cain's jovial innuendos.

"Sorry, just trying to lighten the mood~" Cain tried to wave it off as meaning no ill will.

"Hah, Gigalith Return." Shaking his head, Hardy returned his Gigalith to its Pokeball.

"You're giving up?" Aya asked as Hardy returned Gigalith."

"Hell no." Hardy shook his head, "We're gonna find another way. The Leaders in Calcenon are fighting Team Meteor, but maybe some can lend a hand."

"Is it far?" Aya sighed. "I'm not exactly used to mountain hikes like this."

"Not at all!" Hardy reassured her. "In fact, it's just right around the corner. We can slip through here. So, Let's roll!"

"Let's hurry then." Percival affirmed with Hardy. "We don't know how long this Ice Blockade has been here."

It wasn't much of a trek from the Icy Caves of Ametrine. Just as the group of people reached the stairs. Cain shouted. "Let's not waste any time! There are people waiting for us!"

Fshh!

Out of the corner of her eye, Lucille noticed a small flash, reacting quickly she pulled Cain back by his collar. "Cain wait!"

BOOM!

There was a shockwave, and a blast of air and some fragmented stone. As the group looked upon where the stairs once were… it was the impact of a crater.

"Woah…" Cain was speechless as he was just stepping away from the edge of the crater. Any closer and it would not have been good for him.

"Cain! Are you all, right?!" Aya, Cain's sister grabbed him trying to check if he was injured.

"I'm fine… Thanks Lucy, pulled just at the right time." Cain said in a slight petrified stare, quickly changing to a smirk at his sister. "Hey, you DO care."

"What?" Aya responded not making eye contact with Cain. Though they were brother and sister, they haven't really been able to see eye to eye recently. And a strained tension between the two. But they did still care for each other, though neither were willing to admit it. "Don't be stupid."

Hardy looking up towards the direction of where the blast may have come from… Edge between Calcenon and Labradorra. "That attack came from over the city. Something's goin' down."
"Looks like someone's coming down." Percival noted. Flying down the mountain to where the group was a woman with purple hair riding a Dragonite.

"Is everyone all right?!" The woman with purple hair, Saphira shouted. This concern wouldn't have been necessary if she believed there were enemies down there. But Saphira knew of the two Gym Leaders and three of the other companions of the group.

"We're fine." Hardy shouted in response. "What's going on."

"Team Meteor has occupied Labradorra City and is using PULSE Machines to control the area." Saphira explained the situation. Though it wasn't anything the group had already heard.

"We've heard. PULSE Mr. Mime are having a force field around Labradorra." Lucille called back in response. "We came to try and help."

"That's not the problem anymore." Saphira stated in exasperation, with another blue flash of energy. Saphira and her Dragonite quickly flew away. "Another one!"

The group saw as Saphira and her Dragonite flew at a ball of blue Energy that was heading toward Calcenon. With a strike from the Dragonite, the energy was deflected towards another area on the mountain. "What is that?"

"Team Meteor's assault." Saphira calmly responded. "They've set up a PULSE Clawitzer to siege Calcenon from afar. I can deflect the attacks, but as you can see, there's collateral damage. Sorry about that."
"It's fine," Cain accepted Saphira's apologies, it wasn't like she was trying to kill him. "I only saw my life flash before my eyes."

"So, I'm guessing that was like watching a split-second porno?" Aya smirked, teasing Cain.

"Eh, the dialogue was better." Cain shrugged.

""Can we not?"" Percival and Hardy were in sync in that phrase.

Seeing as there was no purpose in staying here, Saphira called out to the group once more. "I can't stick around to chat. If you want to get into the city, I suggest using the easter Entrance." Though Saphira stopped before she left. "Also… I've noticed that he still isn't there?"

"I haven't given up." Lucille boldly declared back to Saphira.

"I see." That was all Saphira responded before flying back to protect Calcenon.

"SO much for right around the corner…" Aya sighed, like she mentioned earlier she was not one for mountain hiking.

"It's fine." Hardy again tried to reassure. "Route 3 used to be tough, but the cities of Calcenon and Labradorra spent a lot of time building a smooth road for travelers. It'll be a straight shot, no problem!"

As the group progressed through the mountains. The found themselves at a wooden rope bridge. Deciding who would go first. Having Cain and Hardy cross first, followed by Percival and Marie then Finally Lucille and Aya. When Cain and Hardy were halfway across, Percival and Marie started their way. It was a few steps after that, Percival and Lucille noticed a flash of blue energy. Saphira had deflected another PULSE attack, and the deflection direction was…

"Move!" Percival pulled Marie further ahead, trying to get to the other side. Though the attack would reach before making it. Percival stopped sending out a hulking titan of Steel. "Steel Meteor Mash!"

"Meta!" The four-legged creature of steel hit the ball of energy trying to defend against it. Though it was strong, Causing the bridge to collapse with Percival, Marie, Hardy, and Cain still on it. Resulting in a loud crash.

"Hardy! Cain!" Aya shouted,

while at the same time Lucille shouted. "Percival! Marie!"

""""Uggh…"""" The two girls could hear a collective groan coming from the four that were laying on the ground near the other side of the bridge. Everyone was alive at least.

"No… problems… huh?" The sarcastic groan came from the youngest, Marie.

"…" Percival shook his head as he stood up, extending his hand to his younger sister. "Please I'm sure you've caused far worse explosions beforehand."

"Heh… maybe." Marie smiled slightly, taking Percival's hand.

"I'm good. Splitting headache." Hardy said holding his head, looking at what he had landed into. "That rail hurt."

"Geez…" Cain groaned, "First Terra, now you slam into the Rail? You've taken a beating, and now in a good way."

"There's a good way to get beat?" Hardy with a possible concussion responded. Meanwhile, Percival gave Cain a glare not to say another word with Marie here.

"Sorry~" Cain smiled.

"You guys good down there?" Lucille called; the bridge was really destroyed. Definitely no easy way for Aya and Lucille to get to where everyone else was.

"We're fine. If it wasn't for Percival, I doubt we'd get out as luckily as we did." Hardy called. "But looks like this bridge is out, but we can probably still get through."

"So much for straight shot…" Aya groaned in annoyance.

"It's never as easy as they say, isn't it?" Lucille agreed. They really didn't have time to waste struggling around a mountain side.

"No worries, we got this." Hardy the Optimist reassured them.

"Though, it possible more stray shots may appear. They say lightning neve strikes twice…" Percival quoted, "But it practically has."

"Aye, Let's stay close and move quickly." Hardy reasoned. Spread out too far would not be good.

"Lucy! Take care of Aya for me, will you?" Cain called up to Lucille to protect his sister.

"I can take care of myself!" Aya snapped back before Lucille had a chance

"Alright then, Aya, take care of Lucille for us!" Percival shouted to them instead. "She has a habit of getting into trouble. So be careful!"

"Hey!" Lucille shouted in defiance… though she had no real words to defend herself.

"Catch up with us as soon as you can!" Cain shouted to Lucille and Aya, before with a smug smirk. "And don't worry, I'll be gentle with your boyfriend~"

"…" Lucille raised an eyebrow at that remark from Cain. "(I doubt Percival would allow anything to happen with Marie nearby.)"

Though like Cain had originally intended, it got a reaction from Aya. "He's NOT my boyfriend! Wait, just what are you planning on doing with him?!"

"With Marie around… probably just saying that to annoy you." Lucille reasoned.

"Ugh…" Aya was extremely annoyed. "So, I'm stuck with you, huh?... Sorry, I didn't mean for that to sound mean."

"It's fine." Lucille brushed it aside. From what she could tell. This was certainly wasn't what Aya expected when visiting the northern Region of Reborn.

"Look, I'll try not to bother you too much, okay?" Aya said before briskly trying to find a path through the broken bridge.

Together the duo of Lucille and Aya walked on the mountainous path of Route 3. It was a trek that led into out through of some mountain side caves. It was rather bland without anyone talking that was until Lucille finally decided to try.

"You know, you don't need to act so guarded." Lucille smiled calling out to Aya. "I don't bite."

"…" Aya was silent though.

"Uh… Unless you actually like that?" Lucille said trying her best with a joking attitude.

"What the hell?" The comment was certainly unexpected. "I think you've spent too much time with my brother."

"That could be true." Lucille shrugged, but with a jovial attitude as she finally got Aya to respond to her. "But that's what happens when you spend time with friends."

"…And you want to be my friend?" Aya asked somewhat incredulously.

"Oh, don't be like that." Lucille said to Aya. "You keep spouting how you're a toxic person. But You really aren't. I've seen how you've reacted through out all of this: First thing you worried about was Hardy, you decided to follow us to Calcenon even though you didn't have to. Third, I saw the panic in your eyes when that blast almost hit Cain."

"…" Aya couldn't meet Lucille's eyes. "I'm… Not a good person. Cain shouldn't even—"

"Your relationship with Cain is strained not broken." Lucille corrected Aya before she finished her sentence. "Cain is a jokester; he plays things off. It's only obvious, but deep down he wouldn't let anyone innocent be hurt, that includes you. Don't let it remain strained, or it will eventually break."

"…" Aya couldn't meet Lucille's eyes. But she didn't fall into an everlasting silence. "You too..."

"Huh?" Lucille couldn't really hear Aya's mutter.

"I said, YOU TOO!" Aya shouted. "I'm not the only one with a bad family dynamic, am I? I'll… I'll do my best to make up with Cain. So… Don't you dare give up on your brother."

"…" This time it was Lucille who was surprised into silence. Sure, Lucille knew it was mentioned to Aya that Lucille had an estranged relationship with her twin Brother. A separation of the two siblings when they were young, after an accident that nearly killed Lucille. Which led to two things happening: Lucille forgetting of her past, including her brother. And her brother, Nero, believing that it was his fault that his sister somehow died. The two from then on moved through different paths, only to intertwine now in the present, on two different sides. Lucille, fighting on the side for the betterment of the Reborn Region. Nero, fighting with Team Meteor, who have done much to destroy the Reborn Region. Hearing those words of encouragements from Aya… Lucille knew she couldn't hesitate. "I won't. So, c'mon let's go!"

The two happily tried to continue to the next possible bridge only for a few feet away from it seeing another flash, and a loud crash.

The next possible bridge for them to cross was now gone. "Again, huh?"

"Again…" Sighed Aya. "Though if this bridge only just went down, then the others probably got across safely."

"Though that does mean we have to take another alternate path…" Lucille sighed… The trail may have been arduous, but there was far more mental damage at the fact that any route back is going to be overly annoying.

"It'll be a straight shot, they said." Aya muttered loudly in frustration.

"It's right around the corner, they said." Lucille followed up. In which the two looked at each other and laughed.

While it wasn't much of a merry trail. It wasn't so bad either. That was until the Duo tarted to come across some meteor grunts. Which were easily dispatched by the Poison-Type Leader and Lucille. They continued on, and through the caves and ended back on the cliff side. That is where Lucille noticed her.

"Hey!" Lucille froze as she noticed the white four-legged Pokémon, with a large black horn. It was an Absol, more accurately it was the Absol that marked Lucille.

"…" Her red eyes met with Lucille's grey eyes. With in a breath Lucille was shown an image. It was a woman enveloped by a purple flame. The vison was blurry, and Lucille couldn't tell who it was… but. Why? Why here, why now? Why of all times was Lucille getting a vison now? With in the same instance the Absol started to run parallel with the cliffside eastward.

"Uh…" Aya didn't know what just happened. To her all she saw was just an intense staring contest between Lucille and an Absol. "That was an Absol… The others are okay, right?"

"They are fine… I can assure that much." Lucille stated calmly, while she was frightened of the vision she saw. She would be far more alarmed if Percival, Marie, Hardy or Cain were in it.

"Alright, and uh, don't tell them that I asked." Aya blushed as she finished.

"Sure, I'll wait for you to tell them yourself." Lucille joked with her, and the two continued the mountainous path as best as they could leading into the caves… but further in it changed from rock to steel… The floor wasn't uneven and electric lights hung from the ceiling. This certainly wasn't a nice place.

"This place is weird." Aya was odded out by the change in scenery. "I thought it was supposed to be a random cave, but this is too strange."

"I'd say be on your guard. I don't know how long this has been here. But Meteor has had a record of setting up bases in mountains." Lucille warned. "Though… In theory this is under Calcenon… It could be Calcenon's Power Grid."

"Ugh… That means we're totally off track." Aya groaned as they turned the corner seeing three people in Meteor Uniform.

Fortunately, or unfortunately as they saw, Lucille recognized two of them. The Meteor Duo. Aster and Eclipse. Eclipse was the one to turn at Aya's voice instantly recognizing Lucille. "Oh, good. it's you."

"Good?" Lucille nearly did a double take as she heard the relief in Eclipse's voice. Why was she relieved to see Lucille of all people? It didn't make sense.

"Huh? Well, well! Look who showed up!" Aster then turned his head looking at Lucille. He smiled. Calling a Grunt. "Hey, grunt! Go call for back-up! Tell 'em we got a good catch down here!"

"Yes sir." The meteor Grunt nodded running through a side hallway. Going to warn other Meteor members.

"Is that really necessary?" Eclipse questioned Aster's orders. The tone of voice, really confused Lucille. Lucille knew from past experiences that Eclipse was more in tuned with Aster, on the idea to follow Meteor's orders… but this time something was clearly different.

"Heh, I know what you mean, Eclipse. We'll pound these guys into the ground ourselves!" Aster boasted reading his Pokémon.

"I don't think you know what I mean at all." Eclipse sighed, "Let's just get this over with."

"Aya…" Lucille said, preparing her first Pokémon.

"We're fighting our way through, aren't we?" Aya sighed, already agreeing to her fate as she prepared her Pokeball.

Though the way this fight would end was not in the way anyone could have expected.