Alola again, everyone! I know you're probably sick of waiting so long for chapter updates to this story… But keep in mind, we're only halfway through! And I'm really excited for what's ahead with this story!
When we last left off, Erika finally completed her grand trial against Nanu and is now off to Aether Paradise! Meanwhile, her brother and his friends are there, trying to deal with the likes of both Team Skull and the Aether Foundation! What could come of all this?!
Let's find out!
POKÉMON SUN & MOON
THE CHALLENGE OF A LIFETIME
Acerola perked up the second she heard the doors to the Aether House open, glancing over and blinking in surprise to see Erika and Pyrrha hurry inside.
"Oh, hey you two!" she greeted with a wave, "What brings you both back—?"
"We need to get to Aether Paradise!" the Ketchum girl suddenly interjected insistently.
"Wait, what?" the trial captain questioned, blinking rapidly.
"It's where her brother and cousin went off with Gladion to go get their other friend…" Nanu answered as he sauntered in, "At least… that's what I overheard, I think…" he corrected, rubbing the back of his head sheepishly as he glanced off to the side.
"Anyways, we gotta go and help them save Lillie!" Erika insisted desperately, "The fact that she's got Nebby with her…" she recalled, "I have no idea why Team Skull took her to Aether Paradise, but I don't care," she stated, "We're going to save her!" she declared fiercely.
"Right!" Pyrrha agreed with a nod.
"Huh…" Nanu groaned out, "Guess that means I'm gonna have to help get you there…" he grumbled in realization.
"If you can, please!" Erika pleaded to him.
"You can take me, too," another voice chimed in, causing everyone to blink in surprise. They turned to see Paige standing at the doorway.
"Paige?" Rotom buzzed out as it floated over.
"What are you doing here?" Erika inquired curiously, remembering how the silvery-haired girl had left after Calvin had completed his trial. She shook her head.
"That's not important right now," she said, "If Team Skull's done something with Lillie, we have to go and find her," she affirmed of the group.
"Great… another one…" Nanu grumbled. Nevertheless, he understood the worries of the trio of trial-goers. So even if it vexed him, he would help them get to wherever they needed to go.
OPENING
Insert "Eden Through the Rough" by Takanori Nishikawa
Opens with both Calvin and Erika throwing on their respective caps as they run down a rainy road together. The Pokémon logo then appears, followed by 'The Challenge of a Lifetime' being written in a glowing, rainy blue underneath it.
We continue with Calvin observing his Z-Crystal collection as his Pokémon look on with him. They then take a look ahead down the road, seeing the likes of Team Skull, Gladion, Plumeria, and finally Guzma ahead of them. Calvin hurries forward alongside his Pokémon, all while leaving his twin sister behind.
She's standing out in the rain by herself, crying as she feels the shadows of her father and older sister cast over her, making her feel like she's inadequate. It isn't until Starbright hops into her arms and wipes away a tear that she starts to smile, seeing her Pokémon gather alongside her.
As the opening continues, we get various shots of Sina and Dexio at their lab on Route 16, the Ula'ula Meadow, the police station where Nanu and his plethora of Alolan Meowth live, and finally Po Town under its rainy sky as its littered with Team Skull members. We see Calvin enter the town, having a determined look upon his face.
The scene changes to Mimi using Shadow Claw to take down the grunts' Pokémon, fighting alongside Poliwag and Togedemaru. In the meantime, their trainer has Toucannon use Beak Blast on Plumeria's Alolan Muk before Gumshoos attacks her Salazzle with Take Down.
Back with Erika, she commands Primarina against Nanu's Honchkrow, who's easily weaving around her Sparkling Aria in order to land a Sky Attack. The island kahuna exhales with frustration, knowing that his opponent can do better.
We then see Guzma and Calvin meet again inside the Shady House, where the former's Golisopod duels against the latter's Incineroar in a clash of Poison Jabs and Darkest Lariats. The battle comes to a point where Golisopod uses Liquidation to try and counter Incineroar's Inferno Overdrive. A fierce blast results from the collision, engulfing the house in smoke.
When the second verse begins, we see a determined Lillie being led away by Team Skull. From afar, Hau lies upon his knees with his Decidueye and Alolan Raichu fainted beside him, crying as he failed to protect her. We go various cuts of Trent training with his Greninja on Mount Hokulani, Paige doing pushups alongside her Blaziken at the outskirts of Malie City, and Pyrrha overlooking the horizon from the Hau'oli City beachfront, standing alongside a Lapras and a Typhlosion.
The scene changes to Erika pumping her fist forward, commanding her Alolan Sandshrew as he uses Ice Ball to take down a Gible, followed by Palossand blasting a Krokorok away with Earth Power. They follow their trainer as she makes her way to the Ruins of Abundance, where Tapu Bulu lies in wait…
We then see Gladion command Null to attack Calvin, who counters by sending in Mimi. After they clash for a moment, Gladion and Calvin share a glance. What follows is the two of them along with Hau and Trent venturing throughout Aether Paradise, coming across several employees and having to battle them. All the while, we see Lillie clutch her duffel bag tightly as she comes face to face with Lusamine, who grins evilly.
Elsewhere in Sinnoh, we see Leslie curiously looking at the Pokédex journal before stopping at a cliff that faces towards Mt. Coronet in the distance. The page she's on in the journal has a meticulous drawing of the mountain ahead. The camera pans back to unveil a pair of ghostly figures that are standing alongside her.
The opening ends with Erika, Paige and Pyrrha arriving at Aether Paradise, joining the boys in the raid ahead…
END OPENING
A Family Feud
Ash looked back worriedly at his daughter, who held onto the fourth journal in the backseat of Dawn's car as they were driving back to the lab in the morning. After seeing how she reacted to some part in the journal, the Pokémon Master wondered what could've made her seem so embarrassed. He didn't want to pry just yet though, knowing that it could possibly be sensitive to Leslie.
A few minutes later, they arrived at the lab. Ash saw his daughter speed-walk her way ahead of him and Dawn, blushing a little. Pikachu and Piplup also noticed, exchanging a glance of confusion with each other. As the sliding doors at the entrance opened for them, Leslie hurried in. She blinked in surprise before spotting someone, puffing her cheeks out angrily as she stomped off towards the assistant seated at one of the desks.
"Uh, Leslie?" her father uttered out, arching in eyebrow in confusion as he and the others watched her approach the man, who perked up and took notice of her.
"Oh, hey!" he greeted, "How was the journal?" he wondered curiously. The Unova Champion Master glowered down at him as anger was building in her eyes. "Uh… Miss?" he said, sweating a little. She held up the journal in both of her hands.
"WHY! DIDN'T! YOU! WARN! ME?!" she exclaimed in question, whacking the assistant atop his head with the book with each word. Ash, Dawn, Pikachu and Piplup looked on blankly in shock, hearing the man plead for Leslie to stop hitting him.
"Seems as if she's finished the fourth journal…" Rowan's voice chimed in, catching their attentions as they turned to see him approach alongside Goh.
"Hello, Professor…" Dawn greeted, "You, uh… know why she's acting like that?" she guessed, glancing back to see that Leslie hadn't relented from striking the assistant.
"Uh… yeah…" Goh answered while rubbing the back of his head with a heavy blush across his face, "We finished our copy of the journal this morning…" he pointed out sheepishly. Both Ash and Dawn shared a confused look. Moments later, they learned of the rather… surprising details.
"Oh, uh… wow…" the top coordinator stuttered out as her cheeks were pink, "So the journals are more like diaries, huh?" she guessed with a nervous chuckle.
"That last bit caught us all off guard…" Goh admitted while slinging his over the back of the couch, "It's like the story completely changed…" he mentioned.
"Mm," Rowan hummed in agreement as he nodded. Meanwhile, Ash went over to Leslie, who was seated in a chair as her cheeks were tinted a bright red. He knelt down in front of her.
"You okay?" he asked of her out of concern. Taking a deep breath, his daughter let off a small, reassuring smile.
"Yeah, I'm good…" she answered, "Like Goh, I just got caught off guard… by all that…" she pointed out, glancing off to the side while still blushing.
"Anyhow, I suppose you'd like to take a look at the final journal, yes?" Rowan guessed, getting their attentions as they saw him approach.
"Oh, yes please!" Leslie exclaimed in response with a nod. Moments later, she had the fifth and final book in her hands. It had a white hardcover, with Hikari's name etched in the ancient writing upon it. Curiously, the Unova Champion Master noticed that the journal was less thick than the previous ones. "Have you already taken a look at this one?" she asked of the professor.
"Prior to understanding the language written, yes," he confirmed in reply, "There is a lot of imagery in this one," he mentioned, causing her to blink in surprise. She opened the book to the first page. Right there was the drawing of a middle-aged man with stubble along his chin.
'That must be Satoshi…' she realized inwardly. She turned to the next page to see the writing inscribed upon it. 'It has been quite a long time since I have last written an entry for such an occasion,' she started to read, 'The village has grown immensely in the past few years,' the writer's words continued, 'We now find solace in this place and refer to it as Solaceon,' Hikari had mentioned, 'But more importantly than that to me…' she kept going. Leslie lightly gasped at the next few words…
Hikari and Satoshi had gotten married. It hadn't been long after what occurred on Coronet, but they were happily wed with most of the village attending their ceremony, including the likes of Akagi and Shirona. The young woman who'd spent most of her time documenting the Pokémon she found in her journals never felt happier.
Years went by, and a family was started. A little girl named Ayako and a little boy named Jun were born from Hikari and Satoshi's love. They were energetic children, playing with the Pokémon of their parents as they watched on happily. Though as time passed, the explorer of the family started to realize that her days of travelling were likely dwindled.
She had spent no time documenting any findings she uncovered, instead deciding to keep most of the memories of her journeys in her heart. That, and Satoshi had found out about her last journal, prompting her to avoid disclosing all of her experiences, whether or not they were related to Pokémon. But she did want to take on one last adventure.
"Coronet?" Okido inquired, sounding a little surprised as his pupil knelt in front of him at the table as they were drinking tea.
"Yes," she replied, "We have yet to attempt another expedition to its summit," she pointed out, "But now, I believe the time is nigh for me to make that treacherous climb," she declared in an affirmed tone. Her teacher chuckled.
"Well, that is your decision to make, so long as your family is happy with it," he assured to her in response. She tensed her shoulders.
"That… may be the exact problem, Master…" she admitted, causing him to perk up in surprise, "I do not know how I can tell my children that I will be leaving them for my own self-interests…" she confessed on, balling her hands into fists over her knees.
"Hmmm…" Okido hummed, taking on a serious expression. However, it changed back into a grin. "Do you truly think they won't accept your adventurous desires?" he inquired of the blue-haired woman, making her lift her head up, "Why do you think Satoshi fell in love with you in the first place?" he questioned on rhetorically. Hikari blushed, glancing off to the side with a cute smile.
"Thank you, Master Okido," she said in gratitude, bowing her head.
"Please, just call me Okido," her teacher insisted with a chuckle, "We are no longer a mentor and his student…" he continued, "but friends," he stated firmly.
"Of course," Hikari responded with a smile. Later that evening, she approached her husband and informed him of her plans.
"To Coronet?" he inquired quietly as their children were asleep underneath the covers of their bed mats.
"Yes," his wife replied with a nod, "It will be my last adventure to see whatever awaited us at the very summit," she told him, "I wanted to tell you sooner, but…" she continued, trailing off as she looked over at Ayako and Jun, sighing sadly. Satoshi noticed as he went over and wrapped his arms around her in a warm embrace.
"They will understand, Hikari," he assured to her, "Did you know that they want to become as adventurous as you one day?" he asked, causing her to blink in surprise. She then gave off a soft smile before hugging her husband back.
"When I return, I will tell them everything of my journey through this land," she vowed. The next day, Satoshi and the children saw her off as she left the village with Typhlosion and Mesprit traveling alongside her. The climb up the mountain that towered at the center of the land wasn't as treacherous as before, mainly because of how she was quite prepared to face such challenges ahead of time.
Whether it was an Abomasnow, a Graveler, or a Golbat, her Pokémon were able to handily defeat them. As she made her way through the cavern where she had saved Shinji, she arrived at a clearing. To her right, she discovered what looked to be a long stairway leading up.
"Meh?" Mesprit squeaked curiously, floating over and placing itself onto its master's shoulder. She gave a determined look, setting down her bag. She and the Emotion Pokémon then stood in front of the first step.
"Whatever we shall find, it will be something we will remember forever," she vowed with a smile. Typhlosion followed them up the steps. They ventured for quite a while upwards before reaching the summit, which resembled the ancient ruins of a temple. Hikari saw how the pillars that remained erected were broken in a way to resemble spears. She could feel the air grown thin around her as she took deep breaths to steady herself.
"Ty fro?" the Volcano Pokémon questioned as he sniffed around.
"Meh, sprih," Mesprit chimed in, floating about the area in search of anything. There did not seem to be much to the ruins at all. It disappointed Hikari somewhat as she frowned a little. But she was left wondering who created such structures. All of a sudden, there was a glow in the sky above her. Her Pokémon perked up and quickly went over to her side protectively. They looked to see what appeared to be a rift in the dark clouds above them. What followed was a glowing figure emerging from it. The adventurer could not believe her eyes as they shook.
Floating above her and her Pokémon was a white equine creature resembling a qilin or centaur with a gray, vertically-striated underside. The striated pattern had similar recurrences on the underside of its mane, tail, and face. Its four pointed feet were tipped with gold hooves. Its long mane jutted away from its head, and its face was gray, with green eyes and red pupils, and a green circular pattern below its eyes. It also had a streak of gold coloration on its head, and ears that pointed upward. Its neck was fairly long, with two pairs of extrusions to the sides, and a flap-like feature on the neck's underside that was colored white like much of the body. It also had a golden, cross-like wheel attached to its body by its round abdomen. The wheel also had four jewels attached to it. The pattern of striated gray of its underbelly resumed past its waist. Its limbs had gray undersides and extrusions at the tops of the legs. Its tail was fairly like its mane in terms of shape and coloration.
As it floated down towards those below, Hikari stared up at it in wonder. She didn't realize it yet, but this god-like being would be the final drawing in her journal. Because this creature was indeed one of a kind…
"Whoa…" Leslie uttered afterwards. She was already halfway through the last journal. And she couldn't help but wonder what was left.
X
"WATER SHURIKEN!" Trent roared in commanded. Drawing a pair of watery throwing stars from the markings at his legs, Greninja flung them out, striking a pair of incoming Golbat as they fell onto the ground. From afar in front of the mansion, Guzma and Plumeria looked on as the dark green-haired boy and the Ninja Pokémon continue their charge through the members of Team Skull.
"Do I know that brat?" the former inquired to the admin beside him.
"I think you beat him back on Ula'ula," Plumeria replied, putting her hands onto her hips, "We were on our way to Malie to find that girl," she mentioned in remembrance.
"Oh yeah…" her boss uttered upon recollecting the events, glancing back over to see Gladion and Null tailing behind the incoming Trent, "Heh," he chuckled, "Taking those dumb kids on'll be one hell of a workout…" he noted, taking out an Ultra Ball and enlarging it with a press of its button, "Don't leave yourself out of the fun, Plumeria," he insisted, catching her attention as she blinked in surprise, "You oughta' go ahead and take on Hala's grandson or that Ketchum kid," he advised with a grin.
"Not a bad idea, Guzma…" the admin admitted in response, readying her own Ultra Ball, "I do want payback on that Calvin brat…" she recalled, narrowing her eyes as she grinned as well.
"Mimi, Shadow Claw!" the Ketchum boy commanded from afar. His shiny Mimikyu had a pair of shadowy appendages cloaked in a dark, purple-outlined aura before slamming them against a Salandit and a Zubat, knocking them both down with ease. Meanwhile, Hau's Vaporeon was preparing a building ball of water in front of her open mouth, firing it off to strike an Alolan Raticate in a powerful splash. The Team Skull Grunts shuddered in fright from the strength of both boys' Pokémon.
"Huh…" Hau exhaled after a moment, "Why're so many of 'em here?" he wondered aloud.
"I guess whatever's going on with Nebby, they really don't want us in the way…" Calvin concluded, wiping away some of the sweat forming along his brow.
'But what does Team Skull want with Nebby at all?' he questioned through his thoughts, 'Or maybe… someone else wants Nebby…' he inferred inwardly.
"Mee, mee!" Mimi squeaked out, snapping her trainer away from his thoughts.
"What is it, Mimi?" he inquired as he blinked. All of a sudden, he saw a shadow start to loom over him as he glanced up in surprise to see the familiar figure of a Salazzle coming down towards him.
"Sludge Wave!" Plumeria's voice commanded from afar. A big blob of dark purple grime formed around the Toxic Lizard Pokémon's body. She swung herself around, unleashing the sludge down towards the shiny Mimikyu.
"Watch out!" Calvin quickly yelled. Mimi hopped back in the nick of time, letting the sludge splash onto the ground before Salazzle landed. She licked her lips as her trainer approached behind her.
"So we meet again…" she noted to the pair of trial-goers, who glared back at her.
"What'd you do with Lillie?!" Hau shouted in question.
"Relax, kid…" the Team Skull admin responded, stuffing her hands into her pockets, "We didn't do anything to the girl," she assured, "Though… I doubt Prez minced words with her…" she mentioned eerily.
"Prez?" Calvin repeated as he blinked in confusion. He then started to think about the current circumstances, with all the chaos erupting on Aether Paradise. Wouldn't Lusamine be aware of it all?
'What if… she's the one…?' the Ketchum boy inquired to himself.
"Get out of our way!" Hau shouted, causing him to flinch in surprise as he turned to see the angered look on his cousin's face, "We're here to save Lillie and Nebby!" he declared fiercely.
"Tch… jeez…" Plumeria scoffed, taking another Ultra Ball off from her belt and enlarging it, "I'll tell you both now, I'm only interested in getting even with Ketchum…" she said with narrowed eyes onto Calvin, who blinked in shock before taking on a determined look. He watched as she backhanded her Ultra Ball forward. It popped open, with its light spilling out onto the ground next to Salazzle, shaping into a dome-like form.
When it dissipated, it revealed a small Pokémon with large, starfish-like tentacles sprouting from the top of her head. She had bright blue eyes with yellow sclera and pupils. Her main body was a dark purple and consisted of two sections: her head and lower body. Her head turned dark blue on top where the tentacles connected, and her lower body had triangular protrusions extending in all directions. Additionally, her body was suspended due to the length of her tentacles.
The tentacles themselves were light blue on top and covered with spines and dark blue with pinkish-purple spines on the undersides. When the inner spikes were present, the outer spikes sunk back into its tentacles, and vice versa. The tip of each tentacle had two yellow claws, and there was a ring of yellow spines around a pinkish-purple marking where all the tentacles met on top.
"Taaahhhh…" she hissed out, keeping her two front tentacles lifted up in order to stare down her foes.
"What Pokémon is that?" Calvin inquired, having never seen the Brutal Star Pokémon before.
"A Toxapex…" Hau answered, getting his attention, "She must be the Mareanie that beat Pyrrha's Misdreavus back in the tournament…" he recalled.
"You two'll be just enough for me to handle," Plumeria chimed in as they looked over to her as she put her hands onto her hips, "Even if you do beat me," she continued with a smirk, "you still gotta get through Guzma…" she pointed out. Meanwhile, her superior opened his Ultra Ball to have its light zip out in front of him, shaping into form before dissipating to reveal a Vikavolt.
"Veekah!" he buzzed as he flew about. His trainer grinned, seeing Trent arrive alongside his Greninja and Arcanine.
"You remember me?" he inquired of the Team Skull boss as he glared at him.
"Hmmm…" Guzma hummed, placing his right hand onto his chin, acting as if he was struggling to recognize the dark green-haired boy, "Nah, I don't think so…" he lied, causing Trent to growl angrily, "Maybe you were just too weak for me to really remember…" he suggested mockingly.
"FLAMETHROWER!" Trent roared in command. Arcanine leapt forward, making flames billow within his mouth before unleashing a powerful spray of them towards Vikavolt and Guzma. The Team Skull boss hopped back to avoid them, while the Stag Beetle Pokémon flew away with ease. Seeing that, the dark green-haired boy growled again. "Greninja, Night Slash!" he ordered. The Ninja Pokémon prepared a pair of purple energy blades in his hands before leaping up towards his midair foe.
"X-Scissor!" Guzma commanded as he swung his left arm. Vikavolt's mandibles glowed a light green as he zipped down towards Greninja. They collided with each other, making sparks fly about the air before they were both blown back by a shockwave of air. As the Ninja Pokémon landed back down on the ground, Gladion had arrived on the scene alongside Null.
"Null, Take Down!" he quickly called out. The chimera-like creature had a light bronze energy surround its body before a golden force field appeared in front of it. It crouched, ready to begin a charge. However…
"Stop him with Flamethrower!" Trent bellowed out as an order. Arcanine suddenly whipped around and unleashed a stream of flames that struck Null, making it grunt in agony as it stumbled back.
"Null!" Gladion called out worriedly. He then glared towards the dark green-haired boy. "What are you doing?!" he yelled in question, "Guzma's right there!" he pointed out.
"Shut up…" Trent growled out as a response, causing the former enforcer to blink in surprise, "You're one of the damn people I'm gonna take down, too…" he mentioned, "So I'll let my Pokémon tear you apart…" he decided firmly with a fearsome look in his eyes. Gladion grimaced in frustration.
"GAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" Guzma cackled while readying another Ultra Ball in his hand, "So we're gonna have ourselves a Battle Royal of our own, huh?!" he guessed, flinging the spherical container out. It popped open, with its light spilling out onto the ground and dissipating to reveal a Scizor.
"Sssizzz!" he buzzed, readying his pincers.
"Ergh…" Gladion growled out. With Trent seemingly being difficult for the moment, fighting Guzma would be even more of a challenge.
"Sludge Wave!" Plumeria commanded from afar. Purple slime surrounded Salazzle before she spun around to unleash it towards Mimi and Ariel.
"Dodge it!" both Calvin and Hau called out. The Mimikyu and the Vaporeon hopped back to evade the sludge as it splashed against the floor.
"Now Shadow Claw on Toxapex!" the Ketchum boy ordered, pumping his left fist forward. The shiny Disguise Pokémon brought out one of her appendages from beneath her cloak, encasing it in a shadowy aura with a purple outline. She lunged out towards the Brutal Star Pokémon. However, Plumeria cracked a smirk.
"Baneful Bunker," she instructed. Toxapex put down her two front legs as all of them glowed a bright purple. Mimi slashed at her, but she was seemingly unaffected as she didn't budge from the attack's force. As the shiny Mimikyu retracted her appendage, she suddenly glowed a bright purple, wincing with agony as sparks and bubbles came off of her body.
"Mimi!" Calvin cried out, "What the heck just happened…?" he wondered aloud.
"Baneful Bunker," Plumeria repeated, getting his attention, "It's Toxapex's specialty," she pointed out, "When a Pokémon hits her when she's using it, they not only don't leave a scratch, but also wind up getting poisoned," she explained, "And I think you know damn well what happens to Pokémon that fight us who get poisoned…" she mentioned as she sneered, "Venoshock!" she commanded. Salazzle leapt up, rearing her head back before spraying a stream of poisonous purple liquid from her mouth, heading straight for the Disguise Pokémon.
"Mimi, look out!" the Ketchum boy screamed. Fortunately, Ariel leapt in and took the liquid to her head in a burst of white smoke. It cleared moments later, revealing the Vaporeon glaring ahead with determination in her eyes.
"Vayyy!" she exclaimed. The Team Skull admin seemed a little surprised.
"Do whatever you want to us…" Hau challenged, catching her attention, "We're still gonna beat you and get to Lillie!" he vowed fiercely.
"Hau…" his cousin uttered out, amazed by his determination.
"Hm," Plumeria scoffed, "In that case, I oughta' get a little more serious…" she realized as she narrowed her eyes, "Poison Jab!" she commanded. Toxapex raised her front two tentacles, having the claws upon it glow a bright purple. She leapt out towards her foes.
"Aurora Beam!" Hau yelled to Ariel. The Vaporeon opened her mouth and fired off a multicolored ray of light from it. The Brutal Star Pokémon spun around it though, jabbing its claws against her back.
"VAAYYYYY!" she shrieked in agony, grimacing as she fell onto her stomach.
"Ariel!" her trainer cried out. The Bubble Jet Pokémon's body glowed a bright purple, making her wince as bubbles and sparks came off of her form as well. "Darn…" Hau grumbled out in frustration. Calvin glanced over to see how weakened Mimi seemed from being poisoned. Against their foes, they were at a great disadvantage.
"Sure you know what happens next, brats…" Plumeria pointed out, snapping her fingers, "Venoshock!" she commanded. Salazzle reared her head back again, spraying out a stream of purple poisonous liquid towards both of her poisoned opponents.
"Quick, dodge it!" Calvin cried out to his Mimikyu. But both she and Ariel were far too weakened to even move all that much. All of a sudden though, a streaky blue beam of light with yellow and pink circles flew by, striking the incoming purple liquid. Everyone widened their eyes in surprise.
"You're not gonna hurt by friends or their Pokémon anymore, Plumeria!" a familiar voice declared firmly. The pair of trial-goers turned around, gasping in surprise to find Pyrrha there alongside a Mismagius.
"Pyrrha?!" they both exclaimed, widening their eyes.
"That brat…" Plumeria started to remember as she blinked. A smirk appeared upon her face. "Looks you're here for some payback of your own, huh?" she guessed.
"No…" Pyrrha responded to her surprise as she blinked, "I'm here to help my friends!" she vowed. Both Hau and Calvin were stunned. It almost seemed like their fellow trial-goer was a completely different person. They saw her ready a Poké Ball in her right hand, enlarging it by pressing its button. "Let's go, Cinder!" she called out, tossing the spherical container forward. As it opened, the blue light that shot out formed upon the ground before dissipating to reveal a Typhlosion.
"TYYFRRRAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!" he bellowed, igniting his back as the flames from it burned mightily.
"Tsk…" Plumeria scoffed out, somewhat annoyed.
"Pyrrha, what are you even doing here?" Calvin inquired of the red-and-yellow-haired girl.
"I'm here to help rescue Lillie," she answered, reaching back into her bag for something, "Here," she offered as she tossed both him and Hau a Pecha Berry, "Get your Pokémon healed up from the poison and keep moving," she insisted, "We'll deal with Plumeria ourselves…" she affirmed confidently.
"Ty, fro!" Cinder exclaimed as his flames were still burning brightly.
"Mis mahh…" Miss Magic chimed in, narrowing her eyes onto their foes. The Team Skull admin gave off a serious look, prepared to do battle against her new opponent. Back near the mansion, the battle that should've just been Guzma against both Gladion and Trent had turned into a free-for-all.
"Arcanine, Flamethrower!" the dark green-haired boy commanded. The Legendary Pokémon had fire billow up within his mouth before he unleashed a stream of it that streaked towards Vikavolt and Scizor, both of whom evaded the attack. Their trainer cracked a smirk.
"X-Scissor, Vikavolt!" he ordered. With his mandibles glowing a light yellowish green, the Stag Beetle Pokémon flew down and slashed at Arcanine in an x-shaped formation, blowing him back.
"Null, close in and use Aerial Ace!" Gladion quickly instructed with a swing of his left arm. The chimera-like creature had white streaks of light surrounding its body as it charged towards Scizor.
"Counter with Bullet Punch!" Guzma called out. A silvery white light shrouded both of the Pincer Pokémon's claws as he dashed out towards Null, about to strike it.
"Take 'em both down with Night Slash!" Trent yelled suddenly to their surprise. Without warning, Greninja raced in, drawing a pair of purple energy blades before slashing at both of his targets, causing them to wince as they faltered slightly.
"Null!" Gladion exclaimed, growling as he whipped around to glare over at Trent, "Hey, we should be on the same side!" he pointed out angrily.
"Shut up!" the dark green-haired boy shouted back to his surprise, "I'd never be on the same side as someone like you!" he roared out, "Arcanine, Extreme Speed!" he ordered. A greenish aura surrounded the Legendary Pokémon's body before he dashed out in an instant, striking Vikavolt, Scizor, and even Null.
"Sivaaahhhh…" the latter of the trio hit groaned as it slowly tried to stand back up.
"Null…" its trainer uttered worriedly, clenching his teeth together.
'This is bad…' he inwardly realized, 'Now that we have to deal with two opponents at once, I'm not sure we can even break through…' he admitted to himself, glancing back to see the battles occurring behind him along the pathway back to the main entrance, 'Damn…' he cursed through his thoughts.
"Thunderbolt!" Guzma commanded. Yellow electricity encased and sparked about Vikavolt's body before he fired off a bolt of lightning that struck Arcanine, who grimaced in agony.
"Crunch!" Trent ordered. The Legendary Pokémon made his teeth glow a bright white and sharpen. While still being zapped, he lunged up and bit down onto the Stag Beetle Pokémon, resulting in a blast of smoke that enveloped the both of them. They crashed onto the ground a moment later, both having swirls in their eyes upon fainting.
"Hmph," Guzma scoffed with a grin, "Using a Fire-type against Bug-types and still losing?" he inquired, now sneering as he chuckled, "You must be one lousy trainer…" he remarked to Trent, who clenched his teeth together tightly with anger. He held out his Poké Ball and returned Arcanine to it in a beam of red light. After putting it away, he glared out at the Team Skull boss.
"Greninja, take care of that Null thing first," he instructed, pointing towards the chimera-like creature. Gladion gasped in surprise.
"Hey, wait a second—!"
"Neen," the Ninja Pokémon croaked out, zipping over to Null. Before it could react in time, its foe pulled off another pair of watery throwing stars from his legs, flinging them out to strike his target squarely at its head in a burst of white smoke.
"NULL!" Gladion screamed, seeing the chimera-like creature fall onto its side as it groaned in agony.
"HA!" Guzma laughed out, "At this rate, you'll just destroy yourselves!" he pointed out as he sneered, "That'll be no fun though…" he mentioned, crossing his arms over his chest.
"Don't worry…" Trent chimed in, turning to face the Team Skull boss with a fierce glare upon his face, "I'll have fun destroying you next…" he vowed in a growl.
"Heh," Guzma chuckled. Meanwhile, Gladion knelt down beside Null to check its injuries. It managed to lift its head up, looking to see just how worried its trainer was.
"Greninja, Acrobatics!" Trent commanded, sticking his right hand out. The Ninja Pokémon rushed forward as his body glowed a light blue, zipping towards Scizor.
"X-Scissor!" Guzma ordered. The Pincer Pokémon had his claws glow a yellowish-green before he lunged out. Both he and Greninja were ready collide at any given moment.
"Stone Edge!" another voice called out, causing both trainers to perk up in surprise. All of a sudden, multiple, jagged, light blue stones shot up from the ground, surging towards both Scizor and Greninja. They took notice too late before they wound up struck, landing back in front of their respective trainers.
"What the hell…?" Guzma grumbled out in question, glancing over to see who had intervened in the battle. Trent looked over as well, growling with frustration. However, that instantly vanished into shock upon seeing who was there. Gladion peeked back, widening his eyes.
"You…" he uttered out. Standing alongside her Lycanroc and Oricorio was Erika, who had a determined look upon her face. Normally, the Team Skull boss would've sneered at the sight of her. But seeing the expression she donned made him fail to do anything of the sort.
"Where's Lillie?!" she roared in question.
X
"Whoa…" Goh uttered out upon being shown the sketch of Arceus in the final journal, "That's the Arceus?" he inquired aloud.
"Mm-hmm," Dawn answered with a simple nod, "Me and Ash would know…" she mentioned over to the Pokémon Master standing alongside her. The research fellow glanced back and forth between the two of them rapidly. His eyes bugged wide open.
"YOU'RE SAYING YOU ACTUALLY MET IT?!" he questioned loudly, causing them to both flinch in surprise.
"Not just them," Leslie chimed in, giving off a cheeky smile.
"HUHHHHHHH?!" Goh exclaimed out of complete shock.
"Goh, please calm down…" Ash pleaded as he held his hands up in a placating.
"But…! You…! Arceus…! Ah…" his friend stammered out, trying to wrap his head around all of the new information being put upon him. Everyone around gave off awkward laughs in response. From what Leslie had already uncovered, it sounded like Hikari's last adventure was meeting the Alpha Pokémon. Pikachu and Piplup eagerly propped themselves up alongside her upon the couch, wanting the white-haired woman to read the second half of the journal to them. She giggled, turning the page from the Arceus sketch.
"And so, I met the creator of this world…" she began reading.
"Who might you be?" Arceus asked curiously in a deep voice as it descended, landing before Hikari and her Pokémon.
"Y…You… can speak…" she stammered out, trembling with astonishment, "But… how are you speaking?" she wondered aloud, noticing that the equine being before her did not appear to have a mouth.
"I am speaking through your mind, child," the Alpha Pokémon answered, "It is one of many gifts I bear in traveling through realms," it pointed out. The woman before was left amazed.
"Meh!" Mesprit squeaked out, suddenly floating over to Arceus.
"Ah, Mesprit," it greeted, seeing the Emotion Pokémon fly around it, "I take it that you have enjoyed your time in this world…" it guessed.
"I have, Arceus!" it responded in a squeaky, girly voice. Hikari blinked before letting out a surprised gasp.
"M-Mesprit?!" she stammered out, getting its attention, "You can speak like that as well?!" she inquired out of disbelief.
"Mm-hmm!" the Emotion Pokémon responded with a nod, floating back down to its master, "I am sorry I did not let you know sooner…" it apologized to her, "I was afraid Typhlosion would be envious of being unable to speak to you like this…" it noted while looking over to the Volcano Pokémon. He blushed a little, turning away with a look of embarrassment upon his face. Arceus telepathically laughed.
"I am glad to see that you are well," it said, "Now then…" it continued, turning its attention onto Hikari, "I believe introductions are in order," it decided.
"Oh, of course!" the explorer responded, immediately bowing her head to the Alpha Pokémon, "My name is Hikari," she introduced, "I've come from a village called Jubilife," she mentioned.
"Ah, I see…" Arceus replied, closing its eyes in thought, "Hmm…" it hummed, "And you have children…" it noted curiously. Hikari was a little surprised for a moment, but then recognized just who she was speaking with. Of course the god-like being before would know of her family. "You also bear a third…" it mentioned, causing her to blink in surprise before staring down at her belly. Her eyes shook before she gave off a small smile.
"Then I suppose this is my last journey…" she concluded, "Your name is… Arceus, correct?" she guessed, recalling what Mesprit had said earlier.
"It is," it confirmed with a nod, "I am the Original One, the one who helped to create this world you and all other creatures like in," it told her as she looked around, "Time, space, reality…" it listed off, "I take charge to govern them all," it said, "Though in due time, my duties of creation will fall onto others," it added.
"Others?" Hikari inquired curiously as she blinked in surprise.
"You are finally granting your duties to new beings of your creation, Arceus?" Mesprit guessed.
"Indeed," the Alpha Pokémon replied with another nod, "One day, I will leave this world and possibly help build another," it pointed out, "But before I do eventually depart, I will not leave this world in disorder," it decided, "I've come to learn many things about you humans," it mentioned towards Hikari, who perked up, "You all vary in many ways, whether through knowledge, willpower, or emotion," it told her as Mesprit giggled, "But what I sense from you… is such purity," it noted, holding its front right hoof out to the explorer. It placed it upon her chest, right over her heart. "I haven't seen such a pure soul in a long time…" it admitted.
Before the woman could say anything, she felt a golden light wash over her body. She looked herself over before looking to her Pokémon, who were also bathed in the same luminosity. Curiously, she turned to Arceus.
"What are you doing?" she asked of it.
"Imparting you with a final gift," the Alpha Pokémon answered, "I'm trusting you with knowledge of the future and the beings that will govern it," it stated, "Please… tell your people to continue to expand their knowledge, strengthen their willpower, and express their emotions…" it insisted of her in plea, "And I promise that your ancestors will uphold those values for all time," it assured.
"Arceus…" Hikari uttered. In that moment, she felt extremely grateful. Tears streaked down her face from her eyes. She didn't need to explain why she was crying, as the Pokémon around her could all tell. This final journey… had been amazingly rewarding.
"My third child, Sayuri, was born months after that meeting," Leslie read, having reached the final page of the journal, "In time, I will tell her everything I can about Arceus and the duty it imparted onto me," she continued, "I can only hope that with each passing generation, we all will understand how grateful we should be to the Pokémon who've helped guide us," she finished. After that, she turned the page and found a final sketch of Hikari alongside her Typhlosion and Mesprit.
"Are you done already?" her father asked, getting her attention.
"Yeah, actually!" she replied, closing the journal, "It was a really great story overall…" she admitted with a small smile, "What'd you two think?" she asked of the Pokémon beside her.
"Peekah!" Pikachu squeaked delightedly.
"Pip!" Piplup chirped out with a happy expression upon his face. Leslie giggled at both of them.
"I guess that means you're probably gonna be heading out of here soon…" Goh realized, rubbing the back of his head with his right hand, "I kinda have to take off, too…" he mentioned sheepishly.
"What for?" Ash asked curiously as he blinked.
"There's rumors about the legendary Pokémon of Unova being spotted, so I wanted to check it out!" his friend replied excitedly, "I know we didn't get a lot of time to catch up…" he pointed out to the Pokémon Master, "but I'm glad we got to see each other again," he admitted, holding his right hand out to him. With a grin, Ash accepted it with his own in a firm handshake. A few minutes later, he and the others saw Goh off as he had packed his things and gotten into a cab.
"So," Dawn chimed in, getting the Pokémon Master's attention as he looked to see her walk up beside him and his daughter, "you up for staying one more night in Twinleaf?" she inquired of them, "After this whole week, I'm sure my mom won't mind one bit," she mentioned, giving off a giggle. Ash smiled.
"Of course we'll take you up on that, Dawn," he assured in response. With that, the three of them ventured off to head back to the Berlitz Household. The top coordinator made quick glances towards the man she had once developed feelings for, blushing a little. After learning about Sinnoh's history and the potential ancestry of Hikari, she was left to wonder a few things. And tonight, she would find out all she could.
X
"Toxapex, Poison Jab!" Plumeria commanded. The Brutal Star Pokémon had the claws upon each of her tentacles glow a bright purple before she lunged out towards Miss Magic. She swiftly evaded her attempted jabs though, floating back towards her trainer.
"Shadow Ball!" Pyrrha ordered, sticking her right hand out. The Magical Pokémon formed a purple-and-black ball of energy with sparks in front of herself, firing it forward.
"Baneful Bunker!" the Team Skull admin instructed quickly. Toxapex put her tentacles down once she landed, forming a dome around herself as she glowed a bright purple. The ball struck her harmlessly, followed by the light around her body fading.
"Use Psybeam, Miss Magic!" Pyrrha commanded, pumping her left fist forward. The Mismagius' eyes glowed a bright blue before she unleashed a streaky blue beam of light with pink and yellow circles. The moment the Brutal Star Pokémon lifted up her front two tentacles, she was struck by the ray, tumbling back beside her trainer. She scoffed in frustration. Clearly, the red-and-yellow-haired trial goer wasn't the same one she faced back in the Aether Tournament.
"Flamethrower!" she ordered to Salazzle.
"You too, Cinder!" Pyrrha called out to her Typhlosion. Both Pokémon had flames billow within their mouths before unleashing torrents of them toward each other. They collided, resulting in a fiery tornado that towered into the sky.
"Whoa…" Hau uttered in amazement while still tending to Ariel.
"Miss Magic, Mystical Fire!" Pyrrha ordered as she swung her left hand out.
"Mah!" the Mismagius responded. A ring of sparkling, orange fire spun before herself. She then exhaled her own stream of fire, which enhanced the second it passed through the ring. Salazzle had no time to dodge the attack as it struck her in a blast of black smoke.
"Salazzle!" Plumeria cried out, growling a little, "Toxapex, Liquidation!" she commanded. Leaping up, the Brutal Star Pokémon had water swirl about around her tentacles, diving down towards Cinder. He hopped back to evade each attempted swipe, glancing back to his trainer, who nodded.
"Thunder Punch!" she ordered. Closing his right hand into a fist, the Typhlosion had an orb of yellow electricity crackle around it before slamming it against Toxapex, blowing her back.
"An Electric-type move?!" the Team Skull admin exclaimed in disbelief.
"Cinder's normally weak to Water-types," Pyrrha pointed out, "so it'd make sense for us to have counters for that!" she added with a grin, "Miss Magic, Shadow Ball!" she commanded. The Mismagius formed another purple-and-black ball of energy with sparks crackling around it in front of her mouth. She fired it out, having it strike Toxapex in a fierce blast.
"Tahhhhh…" she moaned out, having sunk onto the ground with her tentacles laid around as swirls were in her eyes.
"Tch…" Plumeria scoffed with frustration, "I wouldn't get cocky yet, kid!" she yelled out angrily as she swung her right arm. "Salazzle, Dragon Pulse!" she ordered. The Toxic Lizard Pokémon reared her head back before firing off a multicolored beam of light from it, taking the shape of a dragon's head as it struck Cinder in a fierce blast. "Heh!" the Team Skull admin chuckled, thinking that she was victorious.
"You know, I did think a lot about having a rematch with you…" Pyrrha chimed in, causing her to blink in surprise. The smoke cleared, causing her to gasp as she saw the Typhlosion still standing as he growled angrily. "But I'd never want it like this," his trainer stated firmly. Cautiously, Plumeria stepped back.
"H-How…?" she stuttered in question, "How did you get so strong?!" she wondered aloud. A small smile tugged at the red-and-yellow-haired girl's lips as she remembered being comforted by Erika back on Mount Hokulani, and reversing roles when in the Haina Desert.
"I had a friend there for me," she answered, taking on a serious expression, "Cinder, Blast Burn!" she commanded, sticking her left hand out.
"What?!" Plumeria yelped in surprise.
"TY FRRRRRRRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!" the Typhlosion roared out as a flaming, orange aura surrounded his body. He then slammed his right fist against the ground. Orange lights burst up from the wave of energy thrust into the surface, heading straight for Salazzle. Her trainer grimaced.
"Get out of there!" she called out quickly. The Toxic Lizard Pokémon attempted to slither her way around the incoming orange lights, but the cracking ground caught up to her, leaving her with no place to run. She became enveloped in a massive explosion just seconds later.
"A-Ah…" Hau stuttered out, completely shocked at how powerful Cinder had become from the Quilava he last saw him as. Smoke emitted from the holes in his back as he breathed heavily. Once the black cloud around the area cleared, it revealed that Salazzle lied upon the ground with swirls in her eyes. Plumeria was speechless.
'How…?' she wondered inwardly, hearing her pair of Pokémon groan with agony.
"Thanks for the hard work, Cinder," Pyrrha said with gratitude, returning the Volcano Pokémon to his Poké Ball in a beam of red light, "Hau, is your Vaporeon okay?" she asked of the ponytailed boy, getting his attention.
"Oh, yeah, she's fine!" he assured in response while petting Ariel gently, "How'd you get here by the way?" he asked curiously.
"Mister Nanu got us here," Pyrrha answered as Miss Magic floated over to her.
"Mister Nanu did?" Hau inquired on as he blinked in surprise, "Wait… us?" he questioned, raising an eyebrow out of confusion.
"I'm here, too," another familiar voice chimed in, getting their attentions as they turned towards the main building of the artificial island. Hau widened his eyes in surprise. Coming out and dragging Faba by the collar of his coat alongside a Vibrava was Paige, who sported a grin.
"P-Paige?!" the ponytailed boy stammered out, somewhat frightened by the sight of her dragging the branch chief along the ground, "Um…" he uttered, pointing towards Faba, "what did you do to him?" he asked as he started sweating nervously.
"Oh, he was already out cold by the time I got in there…" the silvery-haired girl assured in response, gesturing towards the entrance, "He's supposed to know what goes on here, right?" she inquired.
"Uh… yeah…" Hau replied as he stood up from the ground, returning Ariel to her Poké Ball in a beam of red light.
"In that case, let's stick around here and ask him some questions when he wakes up," Paige insisted firmly, "I get the feeling he'll know exactly what's going on with Lillie…" she mentioned, narrowing her eyes onto him.
"But… what about Cal and Gladion?" the ponytailed boy questioned worriedly.
"Don't worry, Hau," Pyrrha assured to him, getting his attention, "She's here, too," she pointed out with a confident grin. Back near the mansion, Calvin and Mimi arrived, blinking in surprise to find Erika standing their yards apart from Guzma. Not another word had been exchanged between them yet. And then with a growl, Trent stomped forward.
"Erika, you better get out of my way…" he warned, "That guy's—!" He was interrupted as she suddenly pivoted around and smacked him squarely in the face by the Ketchum girl's right hand. Both Calvin and Gladion widened their eyes. Greninja blinked twice, failing to register what he had just witnessed. His trainer stumbled back a few steps, bringing his hand up to his stricken cheek. He then looked over to Erika, who turned around.
"I should've done that the last time we saw each other…" she pointed out in frustration, balling her hands into fists, "If you're stupid enough to think that your friends are holding you back…" she continued, "then you've got no right being a trainer!" she shouted angrily.
"E-Erika…" Trent stuttered out, evidently stunned, "Wait… I…I didn't mean—"
"AHAHAHAHAHA!" Guzma cackled, interjecting his stammering, "Friends, huh?!" he repeated loudly, giving off a crazed smile to the Ketchum girl, who didn't flinch, "I think the brat was actually getting somewhere until you came along…" he pointed out, raising an eyebrow.
"Erika!" Calvin called out as he jogged over alongside Mimi.
"It's okay, Calvin," his twin sister assured, holding her left hand out to entice him to stop with his shiny Mimikyu, "I've got this handled," she promised with a small smile.
"That right?" Guzma inquired as he sneered, "Weren't you the little girl who cried after I beat you down?" he guessed on. His words elicited a growl from Calvin, who clenched his fists as they sparked with electricity.
"Yeah, I cried…" Erika admitted in response, causing everyone to look over at her in surprise. The Team Skull boss blinked. "That's exactly why I'm here to beat you this time!" she vowed fiercely.
"…Hmph," Guzma scoffed, "I don't think you know who exactly you're up against…" he remarked, rubbing his hair with his right hand, "so let me put to you in a simple way…" he continued as his ominous grin returned, "I'm the guy who'll beat you down and beat you down and never let up…" he declared, "I'm the big bad—!"
"Revelation Dance!" Erika commanded, interjecting him. Oricorio danced forward, making embers flicker off of her wings before she swung them to unleash a searing fireball that struck Scizor in a fierce blast before he could even react. Everyone gasped in shock at the sight. Guzma glanced back to see the Pincer Pokémon fall onto the ground. Swirls were in his eyes as he groaned.
"Wha…?" he uttered out in disbelief.
"No way…" Calvin said as his eyes widened.
"Thanks for that, Oricorio," Erika said with gratitude, returning the Dancing Pokémon to her Poké Ball in a beam of red light, "Take a good long rest," she insisted as she smiled. Guzma trembled in disbelief before he found himself clenching his teeth with rage.
"What… the hell…?!" he growled out.
"Calvin, go with Gladion and Trent to find Lillie," Erika advised, "I'll handle Guzma and whatever he throws my way," she promised assuredly.
"…Okay," her brother responded with a nod as Mimi hopped up onto his shoulder, "Guys, let's get going!" he called out to the two boys nearby.
"Yeah," Gladion replied, returning Null to its Premier Ball in a beam of red light. In the meantime, Trent stared over at Erika with wonder and worry in his eyes.
"Erika… I—"
"Don't start with me, Trent," she interjected to his surprise, "We'll talk after you guys save Lillie and after we beat Guzma," she vowed firmly, "Got it?" she inquired.
"…Got it…" he replied. He jogged off after Calvin and Gladion, heading into the mansion. As the doors shut, the Team Skull Boss reached into his pocket and pulled out an Ultra Ball, enlarging it by pressing its center button.
"You're gonna regret making a fool outta me…" he growled out, tossing the container forward. It popped open, and the light that shot out from it formed upon the ground. Afterwards, it dissipated to reveal Golisopod there.
"Rrrrr…" Lycanroc growled upon seeing him.
"Calm down, Lycanroc…" his trainer advised, narrowing her eyes, "This time, we're gonna play this battle smart," she decided, setting the Lycanium Z onto her Z-Power Ring.
X
As the night arrived in Twinleaf, Ash and Leslie enjoyed another dinner with the Berlitz Family. They conversed playfully, with Dawn being continually embarrassed by her mother insisting she try and get a boyfriend as soon as possible. Leslie was happy to vouch for her, citing the fact that she didn't wind up dating until a few days ago.
"Well… I'm totally full…" she remarked, patting her stomach contently.
"As am I, dear," Johanna chimed in, "Would you care to help me do the dishes?" she requested as she stood up from the table.
"Sure!" the Unova Champion Master replied, getting up as well. They went into the kitchen moments later, scrubbing the plates and glasses with sponges before rinsing them out in the sink.
"Huh…" Dawn sighed as the redness slowly left her cheeks, "I swear, she's probably already put me on a dating site at this point…" she muttered out, causing Ash to laugh a little. She pouted, giving him a glare.
"Sorry, sorry…" he apologized, letting one last chuckle escape his lips, "You know…" he started to say, "I remember that there's this guy from Ben's world who'd probably be great for someone like you," he told her. She sighed again.
"Ash, I really don't need you to play matchmaker for me…" she pointed out.
"Even though I'm with Mira?" he inquired back, causing her to blush a bright red before she laughed, playfully punching his left shoulder.
"Knock it off, would ya…" she grumbled with a grin. Afterwards, she stared at him with a longing expression. After all this time, she never really knew how handsome the Pokémon Master had become. But deep down, she liked him because of who he was. He was a good person with a strong heart. He had willpower like that of Azelf. And she carried emotions much like… She blinked in surprise and gasped lightly.
"Hm?" Ash uttered upon overhearing, "Something wrong, Dawn?" he inquired out of concern. It was only an idea that she was forming in her head. But something was telling her, especially after learning of Sinnoh's history, that there was one last thing she needed to make sure of.
"Can you come with me to Lake Verity?" she asked of the Pokémon Master, who blinked in confusion. A while later, the two of them trekked along a dark pathway through the woods before arriving at the body of water that was next to Twinleaf.
"Wow…" Ash uttered, seeing the moonlight reflect off of the water, "I never knew how pretty it was at night…" he admitted with a sheepish grin, "Maybe because I only got to see Lake Valor that one time…" he suggested while rubbing the back of his head sheepishly, "So… why'd you wanna come here?" he asked Dawn, who stood at the edge of the lake.
"You remember how you, me and Brock each met one of the Lake Guardians?" she questioned back, causing him to blink in surprise, "I guess… I never really wondered why Mesprit picked me," she admitted, "But…" she continued, looking at her reflection in the water, "maybe it's because it recognized me… as someone it knew in the past…" she suggested. Ash widened his eyes.
"Are you saying… that you might be…?" he started to guess.
"Eh, heh…" Dawn chuckled, "It's only a silly idea I thought of, Ash…" she pointed, "As much sense as it makes, it could just be that Mesprit wanted my help because it could trust me," she told him. At that moment, the water of the lake brightened. The Pokémon Master noticed, letting out a small gasp.
"Hey… look!" he exclaimed, causing her to perk up. She watched in amazement as she and Ash saw the water slowly rise in one spot before an invisible figure splashed out, though they could see its outline. It suddenly flew over to them, appearing fully as the Emotion Pokémon itself.
"M…Mesprit…" Dawn stammered, having her eyes shake in disbelief.
"Spree?" the lake guardian squeaked out as it blinked, floating around the top coordinator curiously while giggling. She steeled herself, taking on a determined look.
"Do you… know of a person named Hikari?" she asked of the Emotion Pokémon, causing it to stop as it turned to her in surprise, "Am I… an descendant of hers?" she wondered on. Mesprit floated in front of her for a moment, staring straight into her eyes. She stared back. Ash watched on, awaiting whatever would happen. And then, the jewels upon the lake guardian's tails and head glowed brightly. It was only for a moment, but afterwards, Dawn found herself laughing happily as tears poured down her cheeks. "I am her descendant…" she realized.
"Meh!" Mesprit squeaked in confirmation as it nodded. It flew back to the lake, cloaking itself before it submerged into the water. Afterwards, Ash approached the top coordinator.
"…Are you alright, Dawn?" he asked, putting a hand onto her shoulder. She let out a giggle, wiping the tears that pricked her eyes away.
"Yeah…" she assured, "No need to worry!" she added with a bright smile. Underneath the moonlight, Ash cracked a grin.
"You know that's when I worry the most…" he replied. He then pulled her into a warm hug, which she happily returned. As thankful as she was to find out who her ancestor was to her, she was even more thankful to share that with Ash.
X
"Lillie!" Calvin cried out after he, Gladion and Trent made their way into the mansion, slamming the doors open. No response came as the doors wound up shutting behind them.
"I'll go ahead and check the west side!" the blonde-haired boy of the trio decided as he ran off, "You guys look through the east!" he advised, hurrying down the hall.
"Hey, I'm not taking orders from you!" Trent yelled out angrily.
"Just go with it, Trent…" Calvin muttered out, getting his attention, "We gotta find Lillie before something bad happens to her," he insisted.
'I hope it's not what I'm thinking it is…' he said through his thoughts, glancing off to the side for a moment.
"Okay, fine…" Trent grumbled out, "I'll go down the east like Gladion said," he promised, "You head up the stairs and see if anything's happening in the back," he advised of his rival.
"Sure thing," the Ketchum boy replied with a nod. He watched as the dark green-haired boy and his Greninja ran off down the hall.
"Mee?" Mimi squeaked upon her trainer's shoulder, getting his attention.
"Don't worry, Mimi," he assured to her, "We're gonna get her back," he vowed firmly. Hurrying up the stairs, Calvin thought back to all the time he had spent with Lillie. She was a different girl than most, having taken one such a responsibility to look after Nebby while not even carrying a single Pokémon to help defend herself. In all honesty, she was really noble and brave.
"Ah!" a familiar voice yelped, causing the Ketchum boy to screech to a half upon hearing it. He recognized the sound as the blonde-haired girl's voice.
"Lillie!" he cried out. He quickly ran into the first room he could, slamming the doors open. Upon entering, he blinked in surprise to find Lusamine there with Lillie. The former had her arm positioned in a way that she had just smacked her daughter. And based upon the building redness in the girl's left cheek… "Lillie…" Calvin uttered out. She gasped in surprise, whipping around to see him there.
"C-Calvin?" she stuttered out, "You… actually came to help me…?" she guessed as her eyes shook and shimmered with shock. In that moment, the Ketchum boy could only give her a reassuring smile.
"Yeah," he answered with a nod. Lillie's lips quivered before she put her right hand over them, crying a little as tears fell out from her eyes. Calvin recognized that she was crying out of relief, still giving her a warm smile.
"Thank you… Thank you!" she repeated with gratitude. The Ketchum boy then looked towards Lusamine… and was immediately stunned to see the somewhat disgusted look she had upon her face. She seemed very disappointed.
"A gifted young man like Calvin…" she grumbled out, "and he fraternizes with someone like you?" she wondered with a shrug, "How disappointing…" she remarked to his surprise. Before he could offer a retort…
"I don't need your approval, Mother! Or your permission!" Lillie shouted back to his astonishment as she turned around to face the Aether Foundation president, "I will save Cosmog!" she vowed fiercely.
"Wait… Mother?" Calvin repeated out of confusion, causing the blonde-haired girl to blink in realization, "Lillie… is Miss Lusamine really your…?" he started to guess. She merely nodded back, not looking him in the eye.
"Hmph," the Aether Foundation president scoffed, "My… you do say such incomprehensible things," she snarled out, "Calling me Mother?" she inquired, clenching her teeth together, "I don't have any children!" she shouted, "Certainly not ones who'd run away and reject my love!" she added vehemently.
"Wh…What?" Calvin stammered out, noticing Lillie tremble. Back outside, Golisopod and Lycanroc glared each other down. Their trainers awaited the first move to be made.
"First Impression!" Guzma roared in command. With a glint in his eyes, the Hard Shell Pokémon lunged forward in an instant as a yellowish-green light outlined his body. He slammed his right arm hard into his foe's torso, making him wince as he gnashed his teeth together.
"Lycanroc, Counter!" Erika called out. The Wolf Pokémon perked up, balling his right paw into a fist as an orange aura built up around his body. Before Golisopod could even react, his opponent struck him squarely in the gut, sending him sliding back along the ground.
"Grrr…" Guzma growled out, seeing the stoic look of determination upon Erika's face. In the meantime, Faba slowly woke up to find himself surrounded by the likes of Hau, Paige, Pyrrha, and Rotom. Blinking twice, he let out a frightened yelp before finding himself with his back to the wall. He gave off a nervous grin, knowing that there was no way to escape the incoming interrogation. Gladion and Trent were still running about the halls of the mansion in search of Lillie, who Calvin had already found as they were face-to-face with Lusamine.
And she was much different compared to when Calvin met her last. She seemed… more sinister than caring. The fact that she rejected the idea that Lillie was even her daughter made the situation even more jarring.
"So what will you do, Lillie?" she asked of the young assistant, "You've failed to convince me of anything and you're not even a trainer…" she pointed out, "All you seem to be capable of is begging so desperately…" she remarked with a disappointed sigh, "Perhaps it is for the best that you left me after all…" she mentioned. Hearing that caused Calvin to jolt his eyes wide open.
"Hey, what the hell are you—?!" His shout was stopped as Lillie put a hand out in front of his approaching form, enticing him to come to a halt. He was quite confused as to why she was letting her mother rant on.
"You're not beautiful enough for my world…" she said, turning around, "but that's fine," she assured as she let off a small smile, "Since you're here anyway, you can watch me summon my sweet beast," she told her daughter, who widened her eyes in horror, "And then… you can leave," she promised. Lillie clutched the strap of her duffel tightly in her trembling hands.
"I'm not being foolish or selfish…" she claimed as Calvin and Mimi watched on worriedly, "I'm only asking you to listen, Mother!" she yelled, "Please don't sacrifice Cosmog just for that beast's sake!" she begged, "If you're to open the Ultra Wormhole…" she continued, still trembling, "Cosmog will die!" she pointed out.
"…Yes, it probably will die," Lusamine responded to her shock as well as those of Calvin and Mimi, "Because I'm going to force it to use its power whether it wants to or not!" she declared, walking towards the mirror at the end of the room.
"MOTHER!" Lillie screamed. The Aether Foundation president pressed a few keys upon a keypad beside the mirror, causing it to suddenly slide up to reveal that there was a teleporter pad behind it. She stepped onto it, turning around to face those still in the room.
"Maybe if you had been like a real daughter to me, I would've listened to you…" she inferred coldly, letting off a sinister grin, "Too bad," she said. At that moment, she disappeared in a flash of light. Silence filled the air in the room. Balling his hands into fists, Calvin approached Lillie.
"Lillie… what's going on?" he asked. The blonde-haired girl tensed her shoulders.
"…Cosmog was being used by my mother and the Aether Foundation's researchers in order to recreate the Ultra Wormhole," she told him, "After some time, I decided to rescue it…" she recalled, sniffling a little before she turned to the Ketchum boy, "Calvin… I'm really happy you came here for me…" she confessed as tears streaked down from her eyes, "but…but…" she stammered, struggling to hold back her sobs of frustration, "I have to be selfish one more time…" she realized, "Please… help me save Nebby!" she begged of him.
Calvin didn't fully understand the situation at hand. But seeing the girl in front of him with tears in her eyes, he knew what he had to do. What he needed to do.
"Yeah, I'll help you," he assured to her.
ENDING
Insert "Hold Me Now" by Red
We open with a younger Gladion and a younger Lillie sitting on the floor at the end of a bed in a dark, white room. The latter is crying into the former's chest as he holds her close out of sympathy. Cut to present day, Gladion stands alongside Null and his other Pokémon as they look out onto the horizon. He balls his trembling left hand into a fist.
Meanwhile, we see Lillie clutching the strap of her duffel bag tightly as she's led down a hallway by Team Skull grunts and Aether Foundation employees. Upon reaching the end, she meets Lusamine, who glowers at her with contempt. Nevertheless, Lillie has a determined visage.
The scene changes to Calvin and Hau battling against Elio and Selene inside Aether Paradise, while Gladion and Trent face Faba and another Aether Foundation employee. As their fights continue, Plumeria and the grunts of Team Skull are confronted by Paige and Pyrrha. In the meantime, Erika goes to fight Guzma.
As the chorus kicks in, Gladion commands Null to use X-Scissor on Faba's Hypno, while Trent's Skarmory takes out a Ledian with an Aerial Ace. Elio's Pupitar comes up against Calvin's Steenee, who uses Magical Leaf to knock him back. Selene has Corsola use Surf, but it winds up rendered useless by Raichu's Discharge.
The music picks up into the third verse, with Pyrrha's Typhlosion landing a Thunder Punch on Plumeria's Salazzle, while Paige's Blaziken and Electabuzz work together to take down the Pokémon of the Team Skull grunts. Guzma cackles as his Golisopod appears to be winning against Erika's Lycanroc, but he steels himself, slamming his right fist against the ground to strike back with a powerful Stone Edge.
The final scene has Gladion, Lillie, Calvin and Erika entering Lusamine's collection room. We see the Aether Foundation president raise up the containment case Nebby is trapped inside before the group the group pays witness to her unleashing its power to create an Ultra Wormhole…
END ENDING
And we're finally starting the second half of the story! I gotta say, I didn't get to cover everything I wanted to in this chapter, but I've noticed that I've been reaching 30 pages with my most recent entries. So making this shorter was the best call in my eyes.
That said, I'm looking forward to what you all think of this! We've got quite a while to go, but there's plenty of stuff to come! I'll see you guys next time! For now, it's back to "RWBY: Omni Force"! Here's a summary to keep you all occupied!
SUMMARY
Erika's ferocious battle against Guzma continues as the secrets and truths behind the Aether Foundation are slowly unraveled! And with Lusamine about to use Cosmog to open an Ultra Wormhole, it's up to Calvin, Gladion and Trent to stop it! Will they succeed?!
END SUMMARY
Short and sweet this time! See you later!