Hey guys! Due to personal reasons, the next chapter is likely be here next THURSDAY instead of next Wednesday. I try to update weekly, but I miiiight be a little late.

Enjoy!

Chapter 33: A bad guy doesn't change

Lucian was sitting on top of a tree stump with his back facing the two girls that were with him. Marie was carefully patting Beatrice's head, who was still in tears because of her father leaving.

Lucian couldn't stop thinking about his little girl. What was going to happen now that she was being tested by her mother?

He felt a growing fear within his chest. What was he going to do if she won? It wasn't that he didn't want her to succeed- it was just that he was worried about what would happen if Lucia were hurt. The mere thought alone of Lucia being seriously hurt nearly brought the man to tears. He knew this day would come- that eventually, that little girl of hers was going to grow up, whether he liked it or not, but that didn't mean he'd be ready to see his daughter in pain.

A pink portal opened behind the worrying father. Marie and Beatrice gasped in unison. Lucian slowly stood up without turning around. He turned around.

Standing in front of the portal was Rebecca, Palkia… and…

Lucia.

One look at his daughter was all it took for Lucian to realize what had happened. His little girl waved at him with a wide smirk.

"What's up, Dad?" Lucia said.

Lucian was absolutely speechless. If she had defeated her mother, that meant one thing: She was ready. Lucian blinked, and for an instant, he saw Lucia as a small, 5-year-old girl, holding her mother's hand and looking up at him with a wide smile. He blinked again- and Lucia was back to her current age.

It was then when he realized that Lucia had a few bruises and was dirtied up from her previous fight- but was still standing… Like a warrior.

Proud tears welled up from the father's eyes.

"Wha-!?" Lucia ran up to her dad with worry. "Why're you crying!?"

"It's nothing-" Lucian wiped his eyes. "It's- It's nothing."

"Lucia!" Beatrice cried. Lucia turned and was almost knocked off her feet once Beatrice hugged her. Lucia froze from startlement, but then slowly wrapped her arms around her friend. "I'm so happy you're here…" Beatrice said. Lucia could hear Beatrice's voice choking from sobs.

The pink-haired man turned to Rebecca, who shared a nod with him. Lucian then turned to his daughter.

"Your mother and I are going to go get Palkia to locate Quinton... It's not going to take long." Lucian said.

"O-Okay..!" Lucia said. Beatrice started to audibly tear up all over again. "Hey- Hey, why are you crying?!" Lucia cried. She patted the back of the redhead's back affectionately. "Did you lose one million dollars or something? C'mon, shape up. We've got a battle to win."

Beatrice sniffled before pulling away. She wiped away her tears and nodded.

"You're right… This isn't me…" She said. "I'm-... we're the only ones who can stop my father."

Lucia placed her hands on Beatrice's shoulders.

"We'll crush him." She said, "And then, once he's in jail, everything's gonna go back to normal. I promise."

"...Yeah…" Beatrice said. "But… I can't shake the feeling that something's off."

"Whuddya mean?" Lucia asked.

"Beatrice talked about a theory she had about her dad," Marie said. She came walking in from behind the girls. "She said that her dad may have surrendered on purpose and is planning to betray the Crimson foundati-."

"Sorry to burst your bubble," Lucia interrupted, "But this Quinton guy's a bad guy. Mom said so herself. Once a bad guy, always a bad guy-"

"That's not true!" Beatrice said. "Quinton told me that he-"

Beatrice's eyes widened.

-Flashback-

"I'm disappointed. More than disappointed." Quinton said. He turned his head to his daughter, who had just said that she would never surpass him. "How can you and I share the same blood if you don't strive for greatness?!" Quinton roared. "If you want to be trained by me, you'd better not stop once you become as strong as me- you have to go even higher! Don't you ever fight a battle assuming you've already lost! It doesn't matter who your opponent is, be it me, or Arceus itself! Do you understand!? You can defeat Anybody! You WILL be the best! There is no if, ors, or butts. Do you understand!?"

Beatrice's eyes shot wide open. Tears started welling up in her eyes as she grinned widely. "Y-Yes!" Beatrice cried. "Yes! I do understand! I will become stronger than you! I promise!"

"Tell no one about the conversation we just had. No one. Especially Lucian. Understand? His opinion of me must not change."

"Why?" Beatrice said.

"Let's just say it's necessary, so I can keep my allies close, and my enemies closer. It's absolutely pivotal that you do not tell a single word of this conversation to anyone, especially Lucian. Do you understand? Nod if you understand!"

Beatrice nodded quickly. "Y-Yes sir!" She cried. Quinton sighed, he turned around and crossed his arms.

-end of flashback-

"Quinton told you that he what?" Lucia asked. Beatrice shook her head.

"Never mind." She said, "Never mind."

"...Oookay…?" Lucia said. "Anyway- Yeah, Quinton's gonna get smacked."

"Okay, guys," Rebecca's voice reached the three girls, and they spun to Rebecca and Lucian. "Palkia found Quinton's location. Ready to go?"

"Yeah," Lucia said.

"Uh-huh!" Marie nodded. She was more than ready to see her hero again.

"...Yes." Beatrice said. Only one thought was in her mind. What was Quinton thinking of doing? She shook her head. Now wasn't the time for thinking.

Now was the time for action. She, Lucia and the other adults stood as Palkia opened the portal that would take them to Quinton's location.

All of them walked right into it, and the portal closed behind them.

There was a massive blue cloud of dust that pulsated like a barrier waiting for the group the moment the group came out of Palkia's portal.

"Where's Quinton?" Lucian asked. "And what's that?"

Palkia roared at the top of its lungs. Rebecca spun her head to it, and then nodded in understanding.

"That's Dialga's roar of time." Rebecca said. "At least that's what Palkia is saying."

"Wait- Roar of time?" Lucian's eyes widened in sheer shock. "Wait- no, that means- That means that-"

"Quinton either fought against Aldrich after leaving Beatrice, and that Aldrich guy used Roar of time…" Marie said, "Or, after gaining Dialga's power, Quinton used Roar of time Against them…"

Beatrice sighed. Whatever plan that Quinton had just went flying out the window.

Aldrich's suit was gone because of his transformation.

He was now completely shirtless- his body was now as white as a sheet of paper, with thunder-shaped streaks of gold that went down his chest like they were straps on a backpack. On his stomach, he bore the sigil of Arceus- a mark that was shaped like the halo that hung behind his head. His sclera was pitch black, and his irises were a shining gold.

Behind his head was Arceus's halo, the one that the Pokémon wore around its body like a belt.

If Quinton had to give his honest opinion… the power Aldrich had gained… the form, he reached... It was… sublime. A twinge of jealousy crawled down his spine.

"Instead of you looking down upon me…" Aldrich's voice carried an echo behind it, a thunderous, booming echo that carried the weight of a God's overwhelming strength. " I look down upon you… Quinton… My lord…. This power… can still be yours. This is what you've dreamed of this power is what you want. What you need. Even now, I can give it to you…"

Quinton furrowed his brow.

"I'll admit, the old me would have definitely said yes," Quinton said. "But things have changed, Aldrich."

"You say that," Aldrich said, "Your situation may have changed, But I know-... You know… that you haven't changed. I can see it in your eyes., you are enchanted by this power of mine… you needn't hold yourself back, my lord…"

Quinton gritted his teeth and clenched his fists. The more Aldrich shone, the more tempting the offer became. But Quinton had to stay strong.

He needed to stay strong.

"Why?!" Aldrich cried. "Why do you hold back your urges!? You are holding back a beast within yourself! It gnaws at its chains, and roars to be let out! Let it out, Lord Quinton! Let it out- and-!"

"I refuse!" Quinton cried. "I'm not going back to my old ways… I will not go back! Not while I have my family to think about!"

Aldrich's eyes widened in realization. He chuckled, then that chuckling turned into mad laughter.

"I see… I see..!" Aldrich's smile became as wide and insane as his eyes. "So, if I use this power to get rid of them…"

"What!?" Quinton cried.

"That's right… I'll erase BOTH of your loved ones! Beatrice and your wife will be eliminated, and once they're gone- you'll have nothing left… you'll HAVE to accept this power!"

Instinct carried Quinton's hands toward his invoker bracelet. In one push of a button, his entire body shone before becoming clad in armor.

"Don't you dare lay a finger on my family!" Quinton roared. Aldrich's halo that hung behind his head began to spin rapidly as it rose high above his head.

"Oh, Quinton… You are a king… But what is a King to a GOD!?" The light that shone from the halo grew so bright that it nearly rivaled the sun itself.

Quinton fearlessly rushed after the deity who hung high in the air.