Pokémon Radiant Sun


Let's get this show on the road. No updates or news to speak off, so let's get this thing going.

Shoutout to those who reviewed last chapter, which includes Madame Rodoshe, NullSilver2005, BraviaryScout (AKA My Wunderwaffle iz missin), and Sai Og Sus. Thanks for the support and feedback!

Enjoy.


Chapter 20: Broken Souls


Professor Kukui couldn't help but smile as he leaned against a tree, observing the scene before him. On a day like this, he felt like doing nothing but taking his Pokémon out into the wilds and learning all that he could. He had been at it for decades (not many of them, mind you, but it still counted) and could easily keep at it for many more to come.

So as he observed his Rockruff battling with three wild Spearow, all the while with a Tailwind bolstering the bird's speed thanks to a nearby Pellipper, he felt relaxed and happy and all sorts of other emotions.

Sitting at his side was Lillie, who watched the display with evident distaste. The poor girl who had fallen under his care unfortunately didn't share his love for Pokémon combat, but nevertheless took to the educational aspect of it with gusto. Incredibly intelligent and with a very kind heart, Lillie was definitely the kind of person he had been hoping to gain as an assistant.

Even if, between the two of them, the Pokémon Research Lab was kind of in shambles most of time. But that's what gave his home that special kind of charm!

"Professor?"

Kukui snapped out of his musings and glanced over Lillie, who was holding her precious Cosmog to her chest. The Professor glanced back at the fight for a few moments before he looked back at her.

"What's up, Lillie? Something on your mind?" Kukui asked, grinning at her.

"No…Well, nothing important, anyway. I was going to ask if you had seen what you were hoping to. At your Rockruff's current strength, it's certainly more than a match for those Spearow, so I was just wondering why you were dragging the fight on." Lillie wondered aloud as two of the Spearow dove down at the Rockruff, cawing loudly with fury in their eyes, only for the dog to roll to the side with surprising speed and launch a volley of rocks at them both, downing them at the same time. The final Spearow and the Pelliper supporting them took that as their cue to leave, so they did, leaving a happy and panting Rockruff barking in excitement.

"Well…As we've gone over in the past, a good bit of my research comes from working out moves in different settings. I mean, take for example our little experiment the other day concerning Rainy Day." Kukui said to Lillie, who nodded.

"I see your point. Hmm…" Lillie put a hand to her chin and was about to speak when Nebby suddenly burst free from her bag, letting out a loud cry.

"Nebby! Get back in the bag!" Lillie yelped, snatching up the Cosmog and frantically stuffing the Pokémon back in the bag, hoping no one had seen it. Lillie had spotted a Trainer a few minutes ago and couldn't chance the wrong person spotting it.

"Lillie…A lot of your problems would be solved if you just caught Nebby. Plus you wouldn't have to carry that bulky bag everywhere." Kukui said to the girl, though he knew what her answer would be. This wasn't the first time he had said this.

His assistant sighed as she zipped up the bag containing Nebby, leaving it just open enough for the Cosmog to get some air. She turned around to face the Professor and shook her head.

"You know why I can't do that, Professor." Lillie said quietly. She then pointed forward and Kukui turned around, only to see a panting and happy Rockruff sitting behind him.

"Ah, Rockruff! Excellent work over there, my friend! Lillie, can you take notes while I heal Rockruff?" Kukui asked his assistant, receiving a nod in reply. Soon enough the girl was jotting down the Professor's thoughts, though her own turned towards other things.

"Hau and Sun are supposed to be coming this way, aren't they? I wonder how they're doing…" Lillie thought with a small smile, hoping to see her friends again soon.


Meanwhile…


"I still don't understand why we couldn't stay at the hotel."

"Sun, for the third time, there's no point in wasting money on a hotel when you'll be getting all dirty and sweaty just a few hours later."

"It's the principle! Those were really cheap prices back there, Hugh. We didn't need to hang out by the path for the night. Those Zubat wouldn't stop waking me up." Sun grumbled, not particularly happy at the moment. On day twelve to their destination, the constant heat and lack of any sort of modern comforts besides communication were starting to wear on Sun. Plus he was a bit grumpy from his lack of sleep the previous night.

According to Hugh, this was something very common amongst rookies during their first month. Hau even admitted it happened to him back when he got Cassy and tried going out into the wilds himself, only to be turned back several days later by lack of supplies with Cassy sporting a nasty injury that required medical attention.

So onwards the trio walked, battling the odd trainer here and there. Hugh kept up a running conversation as always, this time talking about the time he and his best friend Nate had fought Neo Team Plasma. As Hugh ended the story, Sun asked Hugh a few questions about it.

"So whatever happened to Purrloin…or I guess, Liepard? The one you got back for your sister?" Sun asked.

"It's back home with my sis and my family. I tried getting them to leave Unova, since it isn't very safe, but they couldn't just get up and leave like that. Neo Team Plasma hasn't made any moves towards the island that area of Unova lives on, so for now, they're alright. Liepard and my Eelektross are keeping an eye on things over there and are ready to protect my family should anything happen." Hugh explained as he stuck his hands in his pockets.

"Looks like you thought ahead, huh?" Hau asked.

"Brace for the worst, hope for the best." Hugh replied. "My friend Aria had a habit of saying that, after a few months of training with Wes, so I've taken that lesson to heart now that she's…gone."

"…What were they like?" Hau asked hesitantly, almost scared of asking Hugh about such a painful subject. After a few seconds, Hugh answered with a small smile.

"Wes was…heh, he was something else. I thought the guy was just some thief, but he was one of the most down-to-earth and good guys out there. An actual hero, you know? He was always looking out for other people and just wanted to stop Cipher from hurting anyone else. Weirdly enough, for an ex-criminal who knew how to make homemade bombs, the guy had a great sense of humor and loved Pokémon with a passion. I'm proud that he called me a friend." Hugh said, a smile on his face now as he stared off into the sky.

"And Aria?" Sun asked. Hugh's smile vanished, replaced with a more somber, aching expression that vanished almost as quickly as it had appeared, leaving Hugh's face in a neutral expression.

"Aria was kind of a tomboy. She wanted to become stronger so she could get revenge on Team Plasma for killing her brother. Wes helped her achieve that power, but taught her that wanting strength out of revenge is never a good road to go down. Because of that, she decided she wanted to become the Unova Champion and protect others with her strength…We used to joke about that. Vivian used to make jokes about her and Wes, and Vivian even nicknamed her Aria the Heroine. She was a natural Trainer though, even with just a year under her belt. She was kind and brave and awesome and always had a way of cheering people up, even in their darkest hour. She was also very, very determined. No matter what, she never gave up. Not on me, not on her Gym Battles, or even when Ghetsis beat Wes and Nimbasa City fell…She refused to ever give up."

"When Wes…well, when we realized Wes wasn't going to be able to help us out of our current mess, we looked to Aria to lead us. She had a plan to try and make things right, but she went missing when Wes vanished one night. I don't know what happened to her. But…There's nothing else to do but keep on going. It's what Aria would have wanted." Hugh said haltingly, hunching his shoulder and shutting his eyes. Despite what he had said, it was obvious the young man was still coming to terms with what had happened to the heroes he had known back in Unova. Sun decided to remain quiet at that, but Hau didn't.

"You loved her, didn't you?" Hau asked in a very quiet voice.

"…Maybe. I'll never know if she felt the same way, though, so it doesn't matter how I felt towards her. Thanks to Cipher and Neo Team Plasma, I'll never see her again. Now can we change the subject?" Hugh said pointedly, and with that the trio lapsed into a silence.

Hugh eventually reigned in his emotions and released his Cutiefly, deciding to take that time to continue to bond with his newly acquired Pokémon. Oliver and Penny flew from Sun's hat and arms and began playing with the Cutiefly, the three of them flying around in midair playing some kind of game.

Sun, however, was thinking about what Hugh had said. Was wanting to gain power for the sake of revenge really such a bad thing? He hadn't wanted to become a Pokémon Trainer out of power, he had wanted to become one out of the sake of exploration and self-discovery, and his own love of Pokémon.

But now?

Sun didn't know what he wanted. He didn't know if he wanted to become stronger for revenge or become stronger just so that he could prepare himself for the day that he faced down Cipher…Or the day that Cipher come for him.

The Kanto-native thought long and hard about the subject, but was snapped out of his thoughts when he spotted something odd down the road.

"Wait…What's that?" Sun suddenly piped up, pointing directly ahead. Both Hugh and Hau looked forward (since both were zoning out at that point) and were confused by the sight of a strange red and white bird that looked like it was carrying a sack of sorts with it. The bird itself was scrambling down the road, chirping loudly.

"Looks like a Delibird. Wonder what it's doing all the way over here? Isn't it too hot for a Pokémon like that?" Hau asked, confused.

"Not really. Ice-types might not enjoy the heat, but they're not going to melt or anything. Some even enjoy the heat, since it balances out the inner cold that they must feel inside…I don't actually know if that's true, I don't have any ice Pokémon." Hugh said with a sheepish laugh. Sun meanwhile had Rotom pop out of his backpack and scan the distant bird, which was now approaching them with a frantic look on its face.

"Bzzzzzt! Delibird. The Delivery Pokémon. Although it naturally prefers colder locales, Delibird in Alola seem able to withstand the heat to a certain extent. Guess that answers Hau's question then. Delibird here in Alola are tough little guyzz, huh?" Rotom remarked, landing on Sun's head. At that point, the bird had reached the trio and was waving its arms frantically, looking agitated.

"Brrr! Deli deli!" the strange bird screeched, pointing back down the road where it came from.

"Looks like this little guy needs a hand. You two want to check it out?" Hugh asked Sun and Hau. Both children exchanged a brief look before nodding at the same time. Before Hugh could do anything else, the bird flew forward and grabbed Sun's backpack strap, making the boy yelp as the bird dragged him forward.

"H-hey! Help!" Sun called out to Hugh and Hau, who began following at a sedate pace. Penny and Oliver hovered nearby, with Penny looking ready to attack the other bird while Oliver watched with an neutral expression on its face. The owl hooted a few times at Pikipek, calming her slightly…

Only for Oliver to swoop down and knock Sun down into the dirt.

"REALLY!?" Sun yelled out at his starter as the Delibird continued to drag Sun through the dirt, uncaring that he was no longer on his legs. Penny glared at the now-laughing Rowlet and smacked him upside the head with her wing, shutting him up. Hau and Hugh just watched on in absolute confusion, slowly following the Delibird and Sun.

"Man…Oliver is kind of a jerk, huh?" Rotom asked as it floated above all of them, looking somewhat amused and somewhat concerned.

"Hey Hugh!" Sun called out after being dragged through the dirt for about ten minutes. Penny and Oliver were now chirping and squawking at each other in the air, apparently having a fight, but Sun was too busy being dragged to care.

"Yeah, Sun?" Hugh replied.

"What's a really good, inappropriate word for a big jerk?"

"Why do you ask?"

"Because jerk doesn't quite fit Oliver anymore. I thought he was calming down with the whole assaulting his Trainer thing, but I guess I was wrong. I need a good insult for him." Sun replied, wincing as he hit a rock.

"Alright, I can help out. But you have to promise never to tell anyone you heard it from me."

"Deal."

"Hmm…How about douche-canoe? That's Noah's favorite."

"What is it though?"

"An insult. And don't you dare ask what a douche is, because you're waaaay too young for that."

"…I'm eleven."

"Okay, and you're still too young."

"Fine." Sun agreed with a sigh before looking up at his two birds, still arguing.

"Oliver!" Sun called to his starter, getting the bird's attention. "Stop being a freaking douche-canoe!"

Oliver had the grace to look somewhat offended before Penny chirped even louder, slapping Oliver with her wing again. Oliver glowered at her before resuming their argument and Sun prepared himself for even more dragging…

Only to be dropped into the dirt as the Delibird finally reached its destination.

"Where are we?" Sun asked as Hugh helped him to his feet, his entire body aching. He was hoping that they'd be able to get to the Pokémon Center soon.

"Looks like we're at the Berry Fields…Oh yeah! Tutu said that the farmer there helps supply Melemele Island with all kinds of different berries. There's even a few special one's that don't usually grow at other places here too." Hau explained as he helped dust Sun off. The Kanto-native returned his two squabbling birds, intent on having a heated discussion with them later. Sun then looked down at the Delibird who had dragged him for the past fifteen minutes with a glare.

"I hope you're prepared to offer an explanation for that. Because if not…well, I'm not going to do anything but give you a really annoyed look for an entire hour." Sun admitted lamely, sagging his shoulders. The Delibird replied by hopping up and down on its feet and pointing towards the Berry Fields, a worried expression on its face.

"Izz something going on in the Berry Fields then? Bzzt! We can't let this stand! Get in there, Sun! We have to keep my berry supply safe!" Rotom buzzed from atop Sun's head.

"What are you talking about? Also, can you even eat in that body?" Sun asked, confused.

"Zzzt! Nope! But it's the principle! Onward, noble steed! Through grit and determination we shall overcome all!" Rotom buzzed happily, pointing forward as the trio began following the Delibird down the path.

"Professor Kukui needs to update your programming when we get back to civilization…"


Berry Fields


The trio of Trainers were initially surprised at the sight of the Berry Fields. Dozens and dozens of bright and colorlful trees teeming with berries loomed above them on all sides of the farm, with several fields of berries sitting in patches ready to be picked or still in the process of growing. Sun was almost overwhelmed by the sight of so many berries at once, since he had never been at a farm where they were harvested for Trainer use.

"Looks like we've got trouble." Hugh said as he pointed forward, his eyes narrowing as two familiar figures came into sight.

"Team Skull? What are they doing here?" Hau asked, sounding a little nervous.

"Nothing good, I can tell you that." Sun said as he quickened his pace, seeing two of the Team Skull grunts accosting an older man who had to have been a worker or owner of the Berry Fields. A cowering Delibird was hiding behind the man, looking terrified. As the group drew closer, they could hear one of the grunts speaking.

"Looks like you got a lame bunch of Berries…Now Team Skull's your adversaries!" Grunt A said with a laugh, throwing his arms about. "Takin' your Berries off your hands is just the start of our plans, yo!"

"Let's get Figy with it! Watch while I Nanab me some Berries!" Grunt B said as he took a step towards the man. Sun couldn't help a snicker at the wordplay, even if it was from someone from Team Skull.

The other man scowled at the two Grunts before him. Sun read the name-tag on the man's chest that informed him that his name was Stanley and that he was indeed the owner of the Fields. "I'll happily share my Berries with any Pokémon for free. But you won't be getting a single one from me!"

Grunt A stepped towards the man, getting up in his face with a growl. "So, what? I'm lower than a Pokémon!? I already got self-esteem issues, man!"

At that point the two Grunts had noticed Hugh, Hau, and the other child who's name didn't start with the letter H. Team Skull Grunt A whirled around, his eyes narrowing in anger.

"And what are you three looking at, huh!? Huh? Huh? HUH?" Grunt A yelled, getting even more upset. Then recognition hit the young man fully and he blinked in surprise.

"Yo, hold up, you're-" Grunt A began to say.

"You got a bone to pick with us, homie?" Grunt B asked, sounding a little annoyed. "You and Cap may have beat us at the Marina, but you won't get so lucky if we get serious, yo!"

"Really, because if I remember right I beat like, a dozen of you with just one Pokémon back at Hau'oli City." Hugh said with a smirk, making both of the Grunts give the older Trainer a nasty look.

"Getting back to why we're here…You guys can't just go around stealing this man's berries." Sun said to the two Grunts, who seemed amused at the statement and seemed ready to offer a rebuttal, but Mister Stanley beat them to it.

"I appreciate your concern, children. But these Team Skull punks do nothing but talk big and act small. You three just carry on with your Island Challenge. Don't give them a moment's notice."

"Yo, we're standing right here!" Grunt A yelled at Mister Stanley. "At least act a little bit afraid of us or something, y'know!?"

"It's okay dude. I think you're pretty cool." Grunt B said to Grunt A, making the other Grunt give B a thumbs up.

"Same to you, man. Same to you."

"These guys…I can't even." Sun said with a sigh, shaking his head. Hugh seemed to be in agreement, but Hau seemed amused. Both Grunts however heard Sun's remark and zeroed in on him.

"Yo, you trin' to run away? We're gonna have to take your Pokémon along with the Berries!" Grunt A said as he pulled out a Poké Ball. Grunt B walked up to his partner, smirking at Sun underneath his bandanna.

"Yo, check out how hardheaded Team Skull Grunts can be!" Team Skull Grunt B proclaimed, drawing up his own Poké Ball…

Before Sun held up a hand to stop them.

"Uh…huh?"

"Tell you what. I'll battle the both of you on my own. No Hugh or Hau backing me up. Just me." Sun said to the two Grunts, who seemed a bit surprised. So did Hau and Hugh.

"Sun, are you sure?" Hau asked the other Trainer. Sun nodded and then turned back to the Team Skull Grunts.

"Well…Alright, little homie. Two-on-one it is!" Grunt A said with a laugh, stepping away from the child to give them both room to battle.

"On one condition."

Both Team Skull Grunts stopped in their tracks, wondering what Sun's condition was. Grunt A rose to take the bait and said, "And what would that condition of yours be?"

"You tell me your names." Sun said simply, earning confused looks from the duo.

"Huh? Our names?"

"This whole Grunt A and Grunt B business is getting really annoying. I know you guys are part of Team Skull and all…But that's still really demeaning to you, isn't it?" Sun asked the both of them, making them exchange a look.

"What do you mean?" Grunt A asked, confused.

"I mean that…You guys aren't just nothing but lower-ranking guys from Team Skull. You're people, with names and hopes and identities and stuff, right? Seems really weird to just go by Team Skull Grunt whatever letter you are…I don't know, but that bugs me really bad. Yeah you're part of Team Skull, but don't you want to known as something more than that? I know I would if were in your shoes, but that's just me." Sun explained to the two Grunts, who seemed thoughtful.

"That was pretty well said, Sun." Hau said to his friend, smiling widely as he put his hands behind his head.

"Dang…Little homie might be onto something. It'd certainly make things less confusing." Grunt A said quietly, putting a hand on his chin.

"Alright You've convinced us. I'm Kevin and this is Axen." Grunt B said to the younger Trainer.

"Alright then. I'm Sun. Now, like we agreed on, I'll take you both on!" Sun said with a grin. He pulled out Penny's Poké Ball and released the Pikipek, who let out a chirp upon being released.

"I'll start this one off, man." Team Skull Grunt A, or Axen, said to the other delinquent. Axen drew a Poké Ball and released a Drowzee.

"Penny! Use Peck!" Sun ordered the bird as it fluttered above him. Penny nodded and darted forward, her beak glowing bright white before she reached the Drowzee, pecking it repeatedly with her elongated beak of energy.

"Drowzee, hit that little birdie with a Pound!" Axen called out. His Drowzee yelped at the attack before it's arms glowed white and it smacked away Penny, making the bird reel away in pain.

"Use Echoed Voice!" Sun called out to the bird, who chirped before making a loud screech, creating a small sound-wave of energy that washed over the Drowzee and made it yell out in pain as it skidded backwards in the dirt.

"Pound again!" Axen ordered the Drowzee. The Pokémon somehow kicked off of the ground, surprising Penny and smacking her out of the air and making her fall to the ground.

"Penny, no! Uh, hit it with Echoed Voice again!" Sun commanded the bird as it slowly rose out of the dirt. Penny released another sound-wave of energy, this time much larger due to the power of Echoed Voice being increased after repeated uses. As the attack buffeted the Drowzee, Axen growled.

"Hit it with another Pound! Make this one hurt it bad, yo!" Axen said to his Pokémon. Drowzee replied by trudging forward and hitting Penny with another Pound, this one making her screech out in pain as she hit the dirt again.

"One last time, Penny! Echoed Voice!" Sun called to the little bird. Penny launched herself into the air with a defiant cry and swooped down to meet the Drowzee.

"Hit it with a Pound! This time, knock it out for good!" Axen yelled out. The Drowzee crouched for a moment before leaping it the air, both of its arms ready to deliver the final blow. Penny then released one last Echoed Voice, this one creating massive waves of sound that halted the other Pokémon in midair and sent it hurtling back towards the ground. It slammed into the earth hard enough to knock it out completely.

"Yes! Awesome job, Penny!" Sun called to the Pikipek, who just replied with a chirp as it tiredly flew down onto Sun's hat.

"Yo, I'm feelin' mad annoyed that my team just got destroyed." Axen said as he crossed his arms before digging into his pockets and flinging a few bills on the ground. Sun was surprised that the criminals would even follow the general rule of Pokémon Trainers that if you lost in a battle, you give the winner half of the money you had on you. Sun scooped up the money while Grunt B, AKA Kevin, sauntered up to him.

"Yo, for real!? You best stop trying to act hard, kid!" Kevin said to Sun, who was just smirking like crazy. Hugh and Hau were wearing similar expressions of amusement, which did little to help Team Skull's mood.

"Yo, I'm so annoyed right now, homie! Let's go mess with Ilima again!" Kevin said to Axen, who perked up slightly and nodded.

"Aww yeah, let's do it! Verdant Cavern is pretty close by anyway…And you!" Axen pointed to Sun, who cocked his head in mock confusion.

"Me?"

"Yes you! You better listen to what my boy says and drill it into that thick skull of yours! For real! You better not forget, numskull!" Axen yelled to Sun, who just shrugged.

"It's not my fault you guys are sore losers." Sun said to the duo as they both sprinted by them, with Hugh shaking his head in disgust.

"Not even sure why you tried reasoning with them like that, Sun. They're idiots who just like to cause trouble. That other Grunt didn't even want to battle you after you beat the first one." Hugh said as he stepped forward.

"They're Axen and Kevin. They're not like Team Rocket or Cipher. I'm starting to see that, now..." Sun mused quietly, shaking his head before looking at Hugh and Hau. And I'm betting I'll see them again anyway. They said they were going to go cause trouble at the Verdant Cavern, didn't they? I say we call Ilima in advance and see if we can help him out." Sun said to both of the other Trainers.

"Good idea. Mister Stanley, how're you doing over there?" Hau asked the owner of the Berry Fields, who was wearing a big smile.

"Just fine, lad! You and that little Pikipek did a number on those two!" Mister Stanley remarked as he addressed Sun. "Allow me to thank you three for driving off those Team Skull numskulls."

Mister Stanley handed each of them an Oran Berry each and explained how the Berry Trees all over the islands of Alola dropped berries of all kinds pretty frequently. With that, the trio bid Mister Stanley farewell and exited the area, with Sun wincing as he walked.

"Yeah, we're going to have to have Nurse Joy look you over. I imagine getting dragged through the dirt for that long had to have hurt a lot." Hugh remarked as Sun grabbed Penny off of his head and held the Pikipek in his arms. Sun opened his mouth to reply, but was cut off by Rotom suddenly flying in front of them.

"Now, enough of this whole 'helping folks outta pinches' stuff! Let's get on to the main event! The Normal Trial at Verdant Cavern!" Rotom declared as it zoomed ahead of them, with Sun staring in bemusement at the boisterous machine. Hugh shook his head, but then was surprised when his phone started ringing.

"You sure do get a lot of phone calls, Hugh." Sun noted as the teen pulled out his phone and checked who was calling him. Rotom returned then and slipped into Sun's backpack with a mechanical and over-dramatic sigh.

"I've got a lot of people to keep in touch with. Friends, family, associates like Gym Leaders. Being part of the group that helped take on the bad guys back in Unova makes you pretty well-known." Hugh said as he answered the call.

"What's up, Nate?...What? You're coming here? Why, they need you…Alright, fine. I wasn't super busy anyway. I'll meet you there in two days. Talk to you later, man. Bye." Hugh hung up, stuffing his phone into his pocket and looking over at Sun and Hau.

"Looks like once we get to the Pokémon Center by the Trial Site, I'll be leaving our little group. My buddy Nate is coming to Alola to drop something off to me, and says I have to meet him back at Hau'oli City. If he's coming all the way here to do it personally, with everything going on in Unova, it has to be important, so I have to go once you both are where you need to be. Sorry guys." Hugh said with a sigh to the two children.

"Hey, don't worry about it! We've learned a whole lot from hanging out with you, Hugh! We're just happy you got to come along for the trip!" Hau said brightly to the older teen, who smiled at that.

"Absolutely. I think me and Hau should be able to manage out here on our own, thanks to your help. Seriously, do what you've got to do, Hugh. Thanks for coming along with us and showing us the ropes." Sun said gratefully to Hugh.

Hugh smiled at that and laughed sheepishly. "Heh. I had fun hanging out with you both. You both have some serious promise as Trainers. I bet with some time and effort, you'll be Island Challenge Champions in no time!"

With that, the trio continued their way towards the Verdant Cavern. They arrived later in the evening on their 12th day, having been stalled by several wild Pokémon encounters and a few Trainer battles. Hugh bid his two friends farewell and managed to hitch a ride back to Hau'oli City thanks to another Trainer with a Kadabra. After some dinner and a quick call with Captain Ilima to confirm that they were nearby, that they were ready to do the Trial, and giving the Captain a warning about Team Skull, Sun and Hau settled in for the night, preparing themselves for their Trial the following day.


Eastern Kanto

Celadon City


Amber stifled a yawn as she shifted in her stance, trying to find some comfort after having stood still for so long. Having stayed up through the night on security detail, the assassin was finding her patience and alertness slipping by the hour.

The woman eventually decided that pacing through the room may alleviate some of the boredom and get her to wake up a bit, so she began walking through the boardroom, wondering just what was taking so long for him to get there.

Cipher had always been a complicated affair for her. She supposed that for him, that fact was even truer.

Amber finally grew bored of pacing and sat down on the table itself, looking over at the window that allowed her a glimpse of the ruined city in the early morning. Scars of fire and destruction were still very clear, even on the half of the city that hadn't been attacked by the Shadow Moltres under Cipher's control. She smiled thinly at the memories of the night.

Killing Erika the Gym Leader had been very, very satisfying for Amber. One of her best kills in quite a while.

She took note of her reflection for a moment, cocking her head slightly at the red-haired woman looking back at her with light-blue eyes filled with amusement. She was startled by the door opening suddenly, surprising the tiring assassin and making her jump off of the table in surprise, hurling a throwing knife from her belt that barely missed the entering figure.

"…Well, hello to you too." The man said with a small chuckle, reaching up and yanking the blade that rested an inch away from his head free from the wall. Amber regarded the imposing man clad in a white suit before her for a moment, having not seen her superior in over a week.

He was tall, standing well over six and a half feet, with a heavyset build and board shoulders. His tired, calculating gaze landed on Amber, with one of his eyes blue and the other brown, with his mouth was curled into the smallest of smiles. His long jet-black hair was tied into a simple ponytail, swaying slightly behind him as he walked towards her, examining the blade in his hands for a moment before tossing it back to her.

"My apologies, sir. Reflex." Amber said as she stood up a bit straighter, regarding her superior for a moment before preparing herself for whatever he had to say. After all, she really wanted to get some sleep…

"Let's get this over with, since I know we both would rather be sleeping instead of dealing with idiots." The man said with a sigh, walking over to the nearest chair and sinking into it.

"Meeting not go well, Borlath? Why does that not surprise me?" Amber asked, a smile coming to her face.

"Because Greevil's losing his touch and everyone knows it. Pretty soon he'll have lost all of his credibility and his power over us will begin to truly slip away." Borlath said as he looked over at Amber, shutting his eyes for a moment. When they opened again, they were red and purple respectively. Amber shivered for a moment before Borlath continued.

"Our fearless leader, Grand Master Greevil, is losing the support of the Admins. Venus told Greevil directly that his failures in the past make them question his leadership. She used me as an example of someone who actually got something done right as of late, which makes me suspect that the others are trying to get me to overthrow Greevil as leader of Cipher…" Borlath continued, shaking his head slightly.

"And that would be a bad thing because…" Amber trailed off, confused.

"Because power corrupts, Amber. And absolute power corrupts absolutely. I have no desire to lead this den of devils down a path of further destruction." Borlath said firmly, though he shut his eyes again and said, "But that's not how life works, I'm afraid. I have no doubts Greevil will keep making mistakes, and with me taking a step back to focus on furthering the Shadow Project, I don't think he'll survive to see the end of our campaign in Kanto."

"Wouldn't that be a shame?" Amber said sarcastically. "Stupid fool has it coming, after what he's pulled. And why would you want him to survive anyway? You hate him, don't you?"

"Hate's going a bit too far. I don't approve of his methods and he doesn't approve of mine. He actually complained about the fact that I donate to charities still, despite my position within Cipher as Senior Admin." Borlath replied to his assassin, who blinked at that.

"He actually got mad because you donated to the Pokémon Ranger Union? Why would he care? It's your money, not his." Amber asked, genuinely confused.

"He's grasping at straws and trying to deflect attention away from himself, ignoring the fact that I've funded Cipher's efforts for years and made all of this possible...But that's another matter for another day. We need to talk about you." Borlath's gaze hardened and Amber braced herself for the scolding that was coming.

"You're getting worse. You walked into a meeting with investors, coated in blood, and threatened one of our Admins. You can't keep doing whatever you want whenever you want, Amber. It sets a bad example and undermines my authority, and it makes you look bad in the eyes of the other Admins." Borlath explained, receiving a roll of the eyes from Amber.

"I am what I am…A sociopath that could kill every single person in this building with a smile on my face. Their perspectives won't change that. Besides, you hardly inspire me to act like a good little girl when you're actively trying to piss off the boss in meetings. You actually insulted the guy. How do you defend that, sir?" Amber replied with a small smile, though she did sheath her throwing knife with a single fluid movement, the blade hitting the holster with an audible metallic click.

"I piss him off because he needs to be able to take the heat. I'm hardly the only one questioning his leadership, after his failures in Oore and Sinnoh. I can't keep having you act out like this. While you did wonderfully during the Celadon mission, what with you taking out Erika and sending our message to the world, we can't afford to look weak in front of those financing the revolution here in Kanto. We have to appear as strong as possible. No weak links." Borlath continued, closing his eyes.

"Are you calling me weak? After everything I've done?" Amber asked, her tone becoming dangerously cold. Borlath's eyes didn't even open, though his mouth did twitch into a smile.

"So, how's the therapy going?" Borlath asked her, ignoring her remark. It wasn't as if he didn't want to answer it, he just saw no need to. Amber knew exactly how much Borlath had trusted her, so he was immune to her threats. As expected, Amber sighed and grabbed the nearest chair, sinking into it with a frustrated look on her face.

"Poorly. The people you have me speak with know nothing about me and what's wrong with me. The self-help exercises are particularly insulting and a waste of my time. Time that could be better spent killing those that may be a thorn in our side later. My soul is twisted and broken sir…No amount of therapy will change that. Besides, killing is fun. I enjoy it, and no amount of therapy will save those who Cipher deems unfit to live." Amber replied with a shrug.

Borlath shook his head, muttering, "You can be saved, Amber. Those who are damaged beyond repair often find that they were simply not looking for the proper tools. Continue the sessions and stay out of my meetings. I'm tired of cleaning blood out of the carpets. Until I see an improvement, no missions for you."

"…What." Amber's tone become frigid then, the woman rising from her seat and taking a step forward, but she stopped when Borlath opened his eyes. One a stormy grey, the other a bright forest green.

"You heard me. You're becoming unhinged, even more so than you were when I found you. You are the ace up my sleeve. The Eliminator. Cipher's very own angel of death. The one who strikes down the ones who wish to damage the work we've sacrificed so much for. I cannot afford to have any mistakes be made at this juncture, Amber. Especially if Greevil falls, because I'll have to pick up the reigns and guide our path. So, no more missions until I can see some sort of breakthrough with you. If you continue down this road, you will destroy yourself, and I'd rather not have that." Borlath said calmly, not even remotely phased when the assassin drew her knife and took another step forward, a look of abject fury on her face that proved the point he had just made about the killer in front of him. Amber sheathed her blade with a frustrated growl and leaned against the window, glaring at Borlath.

"Good…But not enough to tip my hand. However, if you're really in that much need of some kind of way of getting rid of your pent up emotions, I suppose I can scrounge together an unimportant recon mission for you. A simple one that will allow you to get away from the stresses of this job and allow you to enjoy yourself in your own deadly little way." Borlath's words were calm and smooth, fitting for a businessman like himself, but Amber eyes widened slightly at the sudden change of heart and felt the fury ebb away, replaced by confusion and a bit of curiosity.

"What's the catch? You always have an angle, sir." Amber replied slowly, shifting her stance as she crossed her arms.

"Just catch as many Pokémon as you can while you're out. I can arrange a list of Pokémon we currently don't have within the Shadow Project and you can search these species out, capture them, all the while killing the rest. That should allow you to release your pent up emotions and maybe work on cultivating those that you believe to elude you. Just because you're a monster now, doesn't mean that you can't become something better...or stop yourself from becoming something worse." Borlath explained as he rose to his feet, towering above the tall woman as he pulled out his hair band, his long jet black hair tumbling down to his shoulders. The man pushed his chair in and walked to the door and looked over at Amber, who was staring at him with surprise on her face.

"Besides, I know exactly where to send you. While we don't have any operatives there, per say, it'd be interesting to see if you can stir up some trouble while you're catching us some exotic Pokémon for experimentation. Now…come along, Amber." Borlath's words turned curt as he opened the door wide, allowing Amber to walk out of them with a dazed look on her face, confused but also curious as to what the man in the white suit had in store for her.


Mmm…I wonder what'll come of that.

Alrighty, folks. We're twenty chapters in now and next chapter we'll be finally at the long-awaited Normal Trial/Totem Battle. They'll be two separate chapters, but I'm feeling pretty hyped about it and hope you all are as well. Oh, and Lillie will be showing up a bit more often soon, so don't worry about that. Gonna make an effort to keep her more involved, but its hard since some of the story stuff doesn't have her around at all. She's absent for a large part of the game, despite her being a main character in it. Same with Hau, though that's more easily fixed since he's on the same path you are.

I'll work on it.

So since we've hit another ten chapter mark, how about another poll? Nothing crazy this time, just a simple gauge of interest.

What is your favorite generation of Pokémon?

Everyone's got a favorite region or generation of Pokémon, more or less, and I'm curious as to what the census is amongst you all. If you're feeling more awesome than usual, vote on the poll on my profile and/or drop a review in the section below and give me your thoughts. For the poll I'm only letting people choose one choice, but feel free to explain your answer (or answers) in the review section below if you feel like it. You can expect my own answer next chapter as well.

Thanks again for all of the support. We're a tenth of the way through this story and I'm more excited than ever to keep this thing going strong. The support and feedback I've gotten so far is absolute bananas and I'm looking forward to even more awesomeness soon.

Until next time, FlygonNick out!