Pokémon Radiant Sun
And another Nuzlocke down. Gotta say, going through the ending though did make me feel just as sad as it did in my first playthrough.
Lucky for me, I...Well, I'll not spoil it. Heh.
Final Team:
Tetra the Garchomp (Level 65)
Sasha the Crobat (Level 59)
Kaha the Jolteon (Level 72)
Washua the Wishiwashi (level 58)
Brock the Probopass (Level 58)
Dawn the Absol (Level 43)
Final Time: 50:36
Not too bad, honestly. Once I got past Sina on Akala Island I was set. Even with a few setbacks, I managed a good enough team with plenty of stuff in reserve. Grinding in the water within the Poni Wilds helped loads, especially once I managed to level up a few Pokémon. It also really helps that I know which Pokémon I should try to go after and which ones are duds no matter what. That said, I do try and go with Pokémon I haven't played with before.
Shoutout to MoonlightButterfree, jonesyboy456, RC-DA, Sai Og Sus, Technetium2, Cottonmouth25, AncientHero2000, a Guest reviewer, Angelfir3, SonicIKE, operettaoceanic, Okamiden14, and BraviaryScout. Thank you for the support! It's awesome.
I kept this AN short and sweet because everyone saw through my ruse. And I fucking love that, because it means you all have been paying attention to how I write this story.
So I may as well get to the point. I've been debating where in the story I wanted to use this chapter title, and I decided no other chapter was more fitting than this one.
And no...the chapter title doesn't refer to Sun.
Enjoy.
Chapter 67: The Fallen Child
"Well, if anyone has any ideas, I'm waiting to hear them." Giovanni growled as he sat down in a chair, slouching exhaustively as he shut his eyes. Each of the other Admins looked at each other, but the silence was deafening.
What did they do now?
"Well...We all have to decide right now whether or not we want this to continue." Venus said quietly, folding her arms in a very un-ladylike manner. "Grand Master Greevil was just killed on live television. The world knows we lost our leader, and that Red and Blue are standing in the way of us dominating Kanto. Do we even want to continue our plans in Kanto?"
"Yes." Dakim said pointedly, scowling in anger. "After everything we've done, pulling out now stupid."
Dawson coughed loudly at that, unable to help the smirk on his face.
"Something funny, little man?" Dakim growled at the mercenary, who chuckled in response.
"Hey, pulling out is nothing to be ashamed of. Some people aren't ready for the commitment. That said, you may want to change the sheets afterwards-" Dawson said with a wide grin before Dakim hopped out of his seat and lunged at Dawson over the table, only to get a pistol slammed into his face. Dakim remained completely still, knowing exactly what the strange pistol in Dawson's hand could do.
"Blew your load a little early, eh? It happens." Dawson joked as he took a step back and holstered his pistol while flipping off Dakim. "But getting back to the point, I agree as well. We're not wasting all of this effort. But we need someone to lead the group."
"But who among us is able to take charge?" Dakim grunted, looking out to the assembled Admins. Silence again reigned among the group, before Dakim continued with, "Well, if we have no takers...I will lead us."
"Hell no." Dawson said to the larger man, who made a move towards Dawson only for the man to raise his pistol again.
"Try me. You're way too hot-headed to lead a group of terrorists, and let's be real here that's what we are at this point." Dawson said calmly, his smile fading away. "I'm not cut out for this either. I can't lead us."
"Maybe an outside perspective would be best."
Everyone turned to Giovanni, who was sitting upright once again. The man offered the other criminals a smile and said, "None of you are obviously cut out for leading Cipher. However, I have experience leading a group of criminals. I formed Team Rocket and practically ruled here in Kanto for many many years. Managing two criminal syndicates at once wouldn't be much of a task for someone like myself."
"I mean...He makes sense." Dawson remarked after a beat, crossing his arms.
"He does. But that doesn't mean I want some outsider jumping into our business and making a mess of things." Dakim growled, looking at Dawson with a nod. Giovanni grinned as he rose to his feet, only for a silver dagger to suddenly slam into the wall right beside his head.
"You all are idiots." Amber stated as she lowered her hand. Giovanni stared at the dagger for a long while before he turned his gaze to the red-haired Admin, scowling at her.
"How so, Amber?" Venus asked, leaning forward.
"Because you all forget about someone you haven't even considered. Someone who's done more for Cipher than Greevil himself." Amber stated, gesturing to a slumped figure at the head of the table who was slowly rising from his stupor, having had his head in his hands for the entirety of the meeting. Borlath didn't take long to reply, turning to the assassin and giving her a hard look.
"No. I will not lead Cipher." Borlath stated firmly, rising from his seat. "Any one of you would make a better leader than me. I refuse to give myself that kind of authority."
"Why? She's right. You've been the cornerstone of our operations for years now, Borlath. None of this would be possible if it wasn't for you. Especially after your wonderful work in Unova." Venus said to the man as he stood and towered above them, his eyes flashing crimson and gold.
"I don't give a damn. I supported Cipher from afar because I knew you all could succeed given enough funding and time! Not because I wanted all that power and control for myself! I wanted to better the world, not rule it!" Borlath snarled in response, rising to his full, towering height and slamming his hands on the table.
"You don't need to rule the world." Giovanni said quietly, shutting his eyes. "Just have enough of a stranglehold to ensure your desires and goals are seen through. I'm of the mind that you're one of the most sensible people here. I say if anyone must lead, you'd be the prime candidate. Just keep Team Rocket's interests in mind, and we'll have no problems."
"No." Borlath stated again, eyes flickering to blue and cyan respectively.
"What are you afraid of, Borlath?" Dakim asked, confusion on his face. "You're ruthlessly powerful. You command the respect of a Legendary that stands as one of the strongest in our collection. You have wealth. Respect. Power. You leading is a sure thing. Why turn it down? What are you so scared of?"
Borlath seemed to deflate a bit at the larger man's words, because he sighed and looked down at the floor, bringing a hand to his face as he did so as his eyes both changed to a dark blue.
"It's because power corrupts. And absolute power corrupts absolutely. I can't give myself that kind of power, because I'd become the very thing I set out to destroy. I'd become nothing short of a monster." Borlath sighed, shaking his head. "I've fallen so far, but at my core I am still me. I'm still the man who set out on this path with the intention of changing the world."
Amber scowled and stepped in front of the businessman, saying, "Now we all know that's a bunch of shit. You've changed far more than you think, Borlath. You've condemned a country. You ordered the execution of millions. You've funded a dark revolution through fear, death, ice, and fire, Borlath. All it would take for us to make our goals a reality is just committing to leading us through this dark time and achieving the changes you've sought for so long."
"Not a goddamn chance! I refuse to follow that path of darkness!" Borlath shouted, flinging his arm aside. "Roran! Giovanni! Kayde! Archie! Maxie! Lady Isabel! Cyrus! Ghetsis! Lysandre! I refuse to allow myself to be drawn into that! To become part of the problem I've worked so hard to rid the world of. If I become leader of Cipher, I'd lose what little of myself that I have left!"
"Even when it means everything you ever wanted will fall apart at the seams?" Amber shot back, with Borlath's face contorting into one of pure fury. Then the Masked Admin shifted from his position on the other side of the room, chuckling softly.
"How far you've come, little monarch." The Masked Man remarked, laughing softly. "You're so scared of what you're capable of. You know that you're good for Cipher. Even in my short time with the group, it's obvious to see that you were playing Greevil like a fiddle. Manipulating him, and even all of us in a sense. You were using him to achieve your own goals. Taking charge isn't something you have to do...It's what you've already done."
"How did you know that nickname…" Borlath thought in his head before he remarked, "And how do you come to that conclusion?"
"Because without Greevil, we will fall apart. Cipher will splinter apart into several factions without a clear leader to rally behind, and wreak so much havoc across the world. However, we all agree on one thing. You can lead us to our destinies. The prospect of you leading us is the only thing keeping us in this room, debating, instead of scheming to take what power we can before the chips fall."
"Who are you?" Amber asked the man bluntly, making the Masked Masked laugh once more.
"Sorry, but it's dangerous for anyone to know who I am. Maybe in time I'll reveal that to you, but for now I'll die with the knowledge of my identity." The Masked Admin responded, crossing his arms. "But we're getting distracted. You know the best way forward. Overcome your fear and let us pave the way to a future where all of our desires come to be."
Borlath, was gritting his teeth at this point. He knew their arguments were well-founded. He could easily lead Cipher, and in a more effective manner than Greevil ever did. He could sculpt the group to better fit his own goals and make this so much less painful…
But if he became the new leader of Cipher...he would become the very thing he set out to stop.
Amber sighed and stepped forward, and Borlath turned to look in her the eyes. For a moment he flashed back to the day he met her on that forest path in Sinnoh. Her eyes had been so different back then, so broken and weak. She had become strong over the years and had served as his right-hand faithfully, as she did from the moment he saved her from her greatest demon.
Borlath took in the moment, marveling how that confused, destroyed teen he had saved all those years ago had become a deadly woman who inspired fear in the hearts of those who opposed Cipher. She become even more evil than the monster that had corrupted and shattered her so.
And then she spoke to him, her voice surprisingly gentle. "Sometimes we have to put aside what we want, and consider what we have to do. You've always been frustrated with Greevil's mistakes. You want to change the world in the only way it understands. Do it. This is your chance, Borlath! If you don't take it, then everything we've all lost up until now has been for nothing."
Borlath remained quiet, shutting his eyes and dropping into his chair. He didn't have a reply to Amber, and instead chose to think in silence, which the Admins allowed him to do.
"Is it worth it? Can I fall any further than I already have?" Borlath thought to himself, sighing inwardly. "I'm so tired...Tired of all of this. But I know what I have to do. Even if I hate myself for it. Even if before all of this is over, I become worse than Greevil ever was...I will make things right."
"I will continue to continue to fight. For a better tomorrow." Borlath said quietly, opening his eyes one final time before addressing the Admins. "Very well. I'll take control of Cipher. But make no mistake, I'll be doing this my way. And Cipher will be heading in the same direction, but not for the selfish reasons of power like how Greevil operated."
"How so?" Dakim asked, interested at this new motive for Cipher's slaughter and destruction.
Borlath nodded after a moment and said, "I'll explain in time. However, now, we must think about our next move. We'll have to use the confusion of Greevil's death to our advantage."
"Confusion?" Dawson asked.
"A lot of people are expecting us to be reeling for a long time after Greevil's death. And we are set back quite a bit with the amount of personnel we lost. We'll be unable to make any major moves against the Pokémon League for some time. But I say we remind them why they should fear us, as well as announce that Cipher is under new leadership." Borlath said heavily, shaking his head. "It all amounts to generating as much as fear as possible. Even if we have taken massive losses, the enemy doesn't know how much strength we truly possess. It will make them scramble while we recover and keep the masses talking about what we have done, not what we failed to do."
"I like that plan. But what did you have in mind to scare them that badly?" Giovanni asked, to which Borlath allowed himself a small smile.
"Remember our prisoner? She's outlived her usefulness." Borlath responded, earning a smirk from Giovanni. "We'll make a show out of it, and make them afraid again." Borlath said as he sighed and shut his eyes again, leaning back in the chair. He could do this. He would make this work, somehow, someway, he would ensure that all of their sacrifices would be worth it.
He only prayed that he wouldn't lose sight of who he was before everything was said and done.
"And to the left is our main market. You can buy all sorts of things there!" Lana said as she continued her tour of the city, leading Sun, Hau, and Lillie through the main street of the city. Despite it's prosperous nature, Konikoni City was fairly small in reality. The main road of the city was where most of the businesses in the city rested, with the outer buildings being purely residential save for a few exceptions here and there. Hau and Sun both browsed the TM stand and despite being interested in the wares being sold, didn't buy anything for their teams.
The group continued down the strip, with the group of children swinging by the local clothing store. Hau point-blank refused to change up his outfit, no matter how much Lana pestered him about it. That said, Lillie refused to either, though she did buy a new pair of colored contacts for the kit that she and Sun both had. Lana decided to buy a new sundress, light blue of course, as well as a few other cheap shirts for training days.
That said, Lana was admittedly very disappointed when Hau bought a pair of pink sunglasses for the sole purpose of looking ridiculous. Lillie and Sun both face-palmed, but accepted it without too many issues. Hau would be Hau, after all.
Sun ended up buying a Sandygast tank-top, and a beige colored outfit with black sneakers and a black scout pack to replace his current pack, which was starting to show signs of serious wear. It may have cost a fortune, but he was pretty well off thanks to his winning streak and the Amulet Coin he made sure to use.
Lillie and Lana both gave him grins of approval when Sun exited the changing room. Hau simply raised his pink shades and grinned at Sun, who just shook his head.
"So what's the plan now?" Hau asked as they made their way down the main stretch of road, purchases in hand.
"We see if Olivia is back home, and if she is, schedule you both to officially battle her. She's going through a dry streak in regards to challengers, so she'll probably be able to have you both battle her tomorrow." Lana explained as they approached the Kahuna's store, which was designed like most of the other buildings in the city save for the crossed pick design on the front sign and the other hanging sign that showed a hammer.
"So, this is where Olivia lives, huh?" Hau remarked as he eyed the building in front of them, with a sign that said "Olivia's Oddities and Stone Store."
"Yep. She has her own store and has basically cornered the market on rare stones and stuff. She even has a team of workers who search for Pokémon Fossils all over the world, as well as having contacts in Oreburgh City." Lana explained to her friends.
The quartet entered the store and were treated to a very clean shop with hundreds of stones, jewelry, and baubles on display in several tables and stands to the left of them, showcasing all sorts of things found only in Alola, as well as several other regions as well. A long mirror was embedded into the wall on the northern side of the room, allowing customers to see how certain items looked on them before purchasing them.
"Miss Lana! Welcome back!"
Sun and his friend turned to see grinning young woman with brown hair standing behind the counter, as well as an older woman with gray hair standing behind her. The Water Captain grinned and walked over to the two women, waving to them.
"Alola, Miss Carrie and Mrs. Avala. How's business today?" Lana asked the two women as she made her way to the counter.
"Booming as usual. New friends of yours?" Carrie, the younger woman, asked Lana. The bluenette nodded happily, gesturing to her friends.
"This is Sun, Hau, and Lillie." Lana introduced the trio behind her, who all waved in the traditional Alolan greeting.
"So many trinkets and jewelry. D-do you mind if I…?" Lillie trailed off awkwardly, but Lana giggled and shooed her away. After Lillie departed to the other side of the store, Lana gestured ahead of her, though Sun kept a watchful eye on his crush regardless.
"Miss Olivia sells all sorts of things at her store. But she prides herself on selling Evolution Stones and Pokémon Fossils to aspiring Trainers. Does that sound like it'd be interesting to either of you two?" Lana asked the two boys, receiving two nods.
"Duke and Kaha can both evolve using stones, so I'm gonna look at those." Hau remarked, leaning against the counter with an eager grin.
"Fossils sound really cool and I've already got a Fire Stone for Brago, so I'll give that a look if you don't mind." Sun said, walking around the counter to where Mrs. Avala was standing.
"My, what an adorable young Trainer. Well, let me tell you the rules. Only one per customer and that's set in stone!" Mrs. Avala proclaimed, though she giggled at her own pun and so did Sun. "So what do you say? You gonna buy...or no?"
Sun wasn't sure whether or not he really wanted to have a Fossil, but they were interesting and rare. Even harder was to find a way to revive the Pokémon within, due to the state-of-the-art technology involved in doing so. Sun didn't know if he could manage to acquire an alive Fossil Pokémon, but even if he didn't this was an opportunity he couldn't pass up.
"I'll buy. But what do you have?" Sun asked the woman, who laughed in response.
"Today I have two Fossils from Sinnoh! The Skull Fossil and the Cover Fossil." Mrs. Avala explained, so Sun put a finger to his chin and thought about it.
"I'll do it. I'll buy the Cover Fossil." Sun said to the lady, who grinned.
"Yessir! That's one petrifying example of a Cover Fossil right there!" Mrs. Avala remarked with a chuckle, though Sun was giggling at the wordplay going on. Sun purchased the Fossil and after being handed it, marveled at the weight of the rock. He could barely carry it.
"That is a rare find that the store's owner, Miss Olivia, brought all the way from the Unova region to help the spread of Fossil Pokémon. It is a fossil of the Prototurtle Pokémon, which is thought to be an ancestor of Turtle Pokémon. You can't find it here in Alola, so be sure to take good care of it." Mrs. Avala explained to Sun, who nodded in reply.
"I will ma'am. And thank you." Sun said as he bowed, nearly falling over thanks to the heavy Fossil in his arms. He walked over to where Hau was at, holding a Thunder Stone, Fire Stone, and a Water Stone in his hands.
"By their powers combined...I am Captain Planet!" Hau proclaimed while Lillie face-palmed from across the room. Lana was giggling up a storm. Lillie walked over to the group and walked out of the store, deciding to look elsewhere for the Kahuna.
Oddly enough, she was standing right outside the store.
"Hello there, my young friends! How's Konikoni treating you?" Olivia asked cheerily, putting a hand on her hip. Sun noticed that her smile seemed a little forced.
"Quite well!" Lillie said happily, though she glanced down at her bag as it wriggled slightly.
"I'm having fun. No wonder you, Mallow, and Lana live here. It's really nice!" Hau said happily, putting his hands behind his head.
"Looks like you bought some Evolution Stones and a Fossil! Thanks for paying for my groceries for the next month!" Olivia laughed, looking down at the Cover Fossil in Sun's hands. "Looks like you got a lovely specimen there. Take that to the Fossil Man on Route 8 and he'll work on making that fellow a living, breathing Pokémon again."
"Wait, the Fossil Man actually does stuff!?" Sun yelled out, amazed and horrified.
"Of course he does." Olivia remarked, confused by this outburst.
"But he's insane! And does drugs!"
"...I wasn't aware of his drug use. I'll have to have a word with him about that. He's too useful to have in jail." Olivia remarked, shaking her head. "The Fossil Man is an important part of my business and a family friend."
"Unbelievable." Sun muttered, shivering at the thought of the man in question actually being an important part of anything.
Olivia chuckled at Sun's attitude, but her smile faded as Lana stepped forward and asked her, "Miss Olivia, is everything okay?" Olivia blinked twice before she suddenly sighed, shaking her head.
"You're perceptive, Lana. Hau, be on your guard. She's a wily one." Olivia joked wryly, making Hau laugh and Lana blush bright pink while Sun and Lillie giggled behind them. "To tell the truth, I'm pretty annoyed. I just had a date and it...did not go well."
Hau's expression become one of supreme dumbfounded amazement as he looked Olivia up and down. "Is that man like...blind?"
Lana burst into giggles while Olivia smiled slightly, reaching forward and patting Hau on the head. "You're sweet. But no, he just wasn't...right. It's hard to explain. I am not one to frivolously date like little Mallow. If I start down that road, I will date someone who is rock-steady like myself. A true man with...style! Strength! Charm! But...the chances me finding someone who matches my tastes is very unlikely."
"So...you're really picky about boyfriends?" Sun asked, with Olivia laughing in response.
"Absolutely. Hala and Nanu love to poke fun at me for it. In return I punch them in the stomach." Olivia remarked offhandedly, ignoring Sun and Hau covering their stomachs in worry. Oliva chuckled again, waving her hand. "No worries, boys. You're far too young for me anyway. I prefer men a little older than myself."
"Don't let Mallow hear you say that." Lillie remarked, giggling.
"She's definitely tried her hardest to get me a boyfriend. Speaking of Mallow, I managed to catch her finally. Me and her had a long talk and she wants to have a talk with you in a few days Lana, when the weekend rolls around." Olivia said to the Captain, who sighed angrily.
"Did you find out why she's being so weird?" Lana asked, with the Kahuna nodding.
"I did. However I'm respecting her privacy and allowing her to come forward about this in time. She's going through some personal problems and I won't divulge things she wouldn't want me to-" Olivia began to say before the sound of familiar music filled the air. Olivia frowned as Sun and his friends turned around, only to come face to face with two members of Team Skull that Sun and Hau knew fairly well at this point.
"Yo, yo! It's the hardest boys around on Akala Island!" Axen boomed as he threw his arms apart, with Kevin joining him in his gyrations. Lana and Olivia exchanged a long-suffering look while Lillie hid behind them, with Hau taking a step forward and glaring at the two teens.
"What are you dorks doing here?" Hau demanded, a scowl creeping onto the boy's usual smiling face. Both Team Skull Grunts shrugged in response, though Axen stepped forward.
"Gotta stir up some trouble and try to snatch some Pokémon, same old same old. You may have beat us down before, but this time'll be different!" Axen proclaimed, throwing out a Poké Ball and sending out his Drowzee. Kevin just stood behind the teen awkwardly, unable to do anything.
"Don't do this to yourself, Axen. Just...walk away." Sun said to the teen, earning a glare from the teen.
"Hell no! This dipshit beat us four-on-one! I ain't gonna let my brothers and sisters in Team Skull get disrespected like that. It'll also show the Kahuna that we mean business!" Axen growled, stomping a foot down. Sun turned to Kevin, who was watching the display silently.
"You're going to let him do this?" Sun asked the other teen, who scowled under his bandanna.
"I'd be helping him do it if I had a Pokémon to battle with! Team Skull's loyal like that, little homie. I may not have a problem with you, not really, but I'll back up my boy Axen no matter what." Kevin proclaimed, stepping forward and glaring down Hau.
"Sun, leave them be. Another butt-kicking is just what they need." Hau said as he called out Cassy, who grinned widely as she appeared in a flash of light.
"Right, because humoring them being total dorks is going to make them stop." Sun said sarcastically, looking to Lana and Olivia. "Your thoughts?"
"I sympathize with Team Skull, but I'll not have them harassing my people. That said, I'm content to allow Hau to teach them a lesson." The Kahuna responded, with Lana nodding in agreement.
"I've tried to help them several times, Sun. They hate us Captains, so they just ignore my words whenever I try to reason with them." Lana said quietly, with Axen throwing aside his arm.
"Drowzee, use Confusion!" Axen barked, with Hau grinning in response.
"Aqua Jet!" Hau yelled out, with the Brionne shooting forward in a flume of water and smashing into Drowzee before it could even launch its attack. The Drowzee soared backwards and crashed onto the ground, wheezing in pain.
"Drowzee! You okay, bro?" Axen asked his Drowzee, who groaned in pain and slowly rose. Sun scowled and stepped in front of Hau.
"Seriously man, you're way better than these two. Let me handle this." Sun said to his best friend, who sighed but waved him on. Sun walked over to the two Team Skull Grunts.
"What do you want, yo? Can't you see I'm trying to get back in the game, fo sho?" Axen asked as he tried to lift his injured Drowzee off of the ground.
"Or you guys could just do something else. Seriously, what's the point in this?" Sun asked them, earning hidden scowls from both Grunts.
"It's to strike fear into the hearts of Alolans! To get some respect, damn it!" Axen barked, directing his words towards Lana, Hau, and Olivia.
"Then you're going about it in a really crappy way. Because the only person who remotely gives a crap what you have to say or think is me. Why do you think that is?" Sun asked the both teens, who all remained silent.
"Why don't you guys just go somewhere else? Maybe catch Kevin a Pokémon, since he still doesn't have one." Sun suggested, with Axen scowling.
"You think suckas like us our allowed to buy shit at Pokémon Centers? Not a chance, dawg." Axen scowled, crossing his arms. "Otherwise we'd have done that already. Not like we could really afford it anyway. But we could definitely afford it after beating you all down and taking your money!"
"Alright then. I'll do you one better." Sun said, walking past Axen and holding out the Cover Fossil to a surprised Kevin.
"Dude...Is that a Fossil?" Kevin asked, blinking in confusion.
"Yep. Take it. Apparently the Fossil Man on Route 8 can restore Fossils. Take this to him and get yourself a new Pokémon. You need this more than I do." Sun said seriously as he began to struggle holding the Fossil up. "Please take it, this thing is heavy."
Kevin accepted the Fossil from Sun with a stunned expression on what was visible on his face. He stared down at the Cover Fossil and looked up at Sun, seemingly speechless. Axen was likewise unable to say anything, amazed at the amount of kindness being shown to them.
"Sun, you're rewarding them for being absolute douchebags?" Hau demanded, amazed at this.
Sun looked back at his friend and said firmly, "No. I'm helping someone who needs a Pokémon a lot more than I do. You really need to look at things from a different perspective, Hau. Treating people who use violence for their goals with more violence doesn't solve anything. A little bit of kindness goes a long way. You know that better than I do."
Hau looked away, recognizing Sun's point. Sun turned back towards Kevin, who he was surprised to see was actually tearing up.
"H-holy shit...Like, this is the nicest thing someone's done for me. You...T-thanks, little homie. I'll take good care of this guy once he's alive again! I promise!" Kevin swore, even as tears leaked from his eyes, a happy grin hidden underneath his bandanna. Axen couldn't help but sigh, though he too was smiling at this development.
"We freaking threaten you and your friends...And you give one of our guys a priceless Fossil? Kid, you're way too much." Axen remarked, shaking his head with a small laugh escaping him. "But you're right, man. In a way. But what other way do we got? Team Skull's got no one but each other. The Island Challenge is all everyone cares about, and damn anyone who isn't good enough to beat it or wants out."
"That's not true in all cases and you know it." Olivia replied, though she did shut her eyes and lower her head. "I will admit that it is a shame that so many consider it a great dishonor to give up on the Island Challenge. Hala and Nanu are of the same mind, though they do not voice it aloud."
"Ha! So you admit the Island Challenge is toxic as hell and messes with people's minds!" Axen yelled out, only for Olivia to scowl and step forward, eyes blazing.
"You lot don't make this easy, though. Reasoning with Team Skull usually ends with us having to send you packing and running away. Turning to crime and harassment to make a point is a poor solution to the problems plaguing the families of Alola." Olivia replied sharply, crossing her arms.
"Just like that monster of Gladion's said…" Kevin remarked, sighing quietly. Lillie froze at hearing her brother's name, but didn't say anything about it. "Fine, we'll bail. We've got shit to do and it's obvious we can't beat you down."
"Psh. I could totally pull it off." Axen remarked, though he put a hand on his Drowzee as Kevin did the same. Both teens vanished with Teleport, making Olivia sigh deeply.
"I feel bad for them. They're Alola's darkest stain, a reflection of the price we pay for adhering to the traditions that have kept our way of living thriving for all these years." Olivia remarked before she shook her head. "Enough of that. Would you kids like to come inside for some tea?"
"Me and Hau also like to schedule our Grand Trials, Miss Olivia." Sun said to the Kahuna, earning a wide grin from her.
"Haha! I'd love a chance to battle two fantastic boys like you two. How does tomorrow at noon sound, Sun? Hau can battle you right afterwards at 1 PM?" Olivia said to the two boys, earning two nods from them both.
"I'll be busy with my Trials then, sadly. But I'll be cheering you both on in spirit." Lana said warmly to Sun and Hau, making the boys grin.
"And even if I'm still wary of watching Pokémon get hurt, I'll support the both of you personally!" Lillie said with a smile, with Nebby crying out from within his bag.
"Let's discuss this more over tea, shall we?" Olivia said as she turned around and walked through her store doors. Hau followed after the woman, but as Sun made a move to do the same, he felt a hand on his shoulder. Sun turned round and saw Lillie standing there.
"What's up?" Sun asked his friend, who laugh softly.
"Sun...I really respect how you handled Team Skull back there. You're really something else, aren't you?" Lillie said quietly, beaming at him with pride. Even if they were the bad guys, Sun saw that despite that they were still people. He treated them with kindness and got them to back off, when others would have resorted to harsh words and violence. Sun saw the good in people even when they didn't, and Lillie admired that so much about him.
Sun blushed and walked inside of the building after Olivia while Lana giggled quietly behind them.
A few hours later, Lillie was sinking into her seat in the Pokémon Center lobby, a cup of Tapu Cocoa in her hands. She looked across the room and saw Vivian playing her violin masterfully atop a chair, a crowd of children watching her work in awe while Noah watched her proudly. Hugh was lying down on the floor, dozing. Hau and Lana were chatting quietly while Bubbles and Kaha played tag in the lobby, with everyone else watching the two adorable baby Pokémon play. Sun was upstairs taking a nap with his team, making sure to rest up before his Grand Trial tomorrow.
Lillie considered her next plan of action. Kahuna Olivia would be giving her a tour of the Ruins of Life sometime soon, when her schedule allowed it. Lillie wondered if it was possible for her to even meet with the Guardian Deity of this island, Tapu Lele. She had just begun reading the book that Sun had given her for her birthday, regarding the Alolan legends, and she wanted to know more.
"I suppose I'll have to take my time with this. So long as Mother doesn't catch wind of my plans, I'll be okay. And so will Nebby." Lillie thought as the Cosmog poked his head out of her bag, letting out a small coo. Lillie smiled and unzipped her bag, allowing Nebby to free himself and fly into her arms, nuzzling her chest.
"I'm so sorry I have to keep you hidden Nebby. I just want to keep you safe." Lillie whispered, hugging Nebby close to her. Nebby replied with a happy cry, which made Lillie smile.
"What the hell?" Vivian suddenly remarked, snapping Lillie out of her thoughts and making her look up. She noticed that the TV in the Pokémon Center was having some connection issues, cutting in and out of the broadcast before-
Suddenly the channel changed, and Lillie was looking at a large figure sitting on a silver throne, their body mostly obscured by darkness. A pair of gleaming evil eyes in the shadows could just be seen from the side of the throne, but Lillie's eyes were on the man sitting on the throne, a silver crown with a shimmering jewel in the center that she faintly recognized resting on his head. The camera panned out and Lillie saw several Cipher Grunts standing at attention, with Amber Fontaine walking past the camera to stand beside the man on the throne, a smirk on her face. The room brightened slightly, allowing Lillie to see that the man on the throne was tall and well-built, dressed in a pristine white suit. His long black hair was tied in a neat ponytail, and he had a pyramid-like necklace around his neck. His eyes were the strangest part of him, though. One eye was gold, the other was brown.
And then, the man spoke.
"Hello friends...I hope you all are doing well. My name is Borlath...and I represent Cipher. I apologize for hijacking your current program, but it was of the utmost importance that I speak to you all." The man's voice said pleasantly, with Lillie blinking at how the man sounded. It was as if he was speaking, addressing the world in this odd broadcast, as if he was speaking to an old friend. The voice was calm and comforting, with Lillie feeling herself being drawn into the man's words even though he had said but a few words.
"Borlath!" Hugh snarled, leaping to his feet and scaring Lillie in surprise. Vivian and Noah likewise glared at their former friend who had betrayed them back in Unova, who sat upon his throne as his eyes gleaming in the light. Lillie gasped as she saw the man's eyes changed color from gold and brown to both of them being blue. And then the man began to speak, his smooth and dulcet tones almost hypnotic to the ears of everyone listening to his words.
"A few days ago, the world saw the fall of the man that has led Cipher for well over a decade and a half. Ienzo Greevil, Grand Master of Cipher, fell while battling two former Champions at the Kanto Superdome during a confrontation between our forces and that of the Pokémon League. After losing our leader, we naturally fell back to reevaluate our position...but do not take this act as a means of surrendering or backing down. Far from it, actually. We have been set back. We are indeed struggling to recover...But make no mistake this is hardly the end of things."
"Lillie, go get Sun. He needs to see this!" Hau said to Lillie, who nodding and ran to the nearby staircase, bounding up them. She pounded on Sun's door until he opened it, confused.
"Cipher's doing a broadcast! Come on!" Lillie said, grabbing Sun's hand and bringing him downstairs.
"Already? But they just got beat in Kanto!" Sun stated, bewildered that this would happen so soon.
"I guess it wasn't enough to keep them down for long." Lillie said as she brought Sun back into the lobby, where Borlath had paused in his speech as Amber leaned down to said something quietly to him.
"That's Borlath." Hugh explained, with Sun frowning as he watched the man.
"Borlath...You mean the guy who helped doom Unova, right? Your biggest enemy in Cipher besides Amber?" Sun asked, watching the man cloaked mostly in shadows turned away from the camera. Borlath then faced forward once again, and Sun felt his blood turn to ice.
"My apologies. Had to take care of something. Now, after careful consideration, we've decided to continue forward and ensure that Cipher achieves their goals. However...There is of course going to be a change in leadership. And with every change in leadership, some things will be differently. But make no mistake, we will still be the same group to be feared. We will still carve out a path of destruction and death in order to build a road to a better tomorrow." Borlath said from the throne he sat on, steepling his fingers as he shut his eyes.
"I know that sounds ridiculous and probably insincere coming from someone from Cipher. But I am different than the man who came before me. It has been decided that I take the reins and lead Cipher down this path, and become the leader it needs. Rest assured that once we have recovered from the setback we suffered yesterday, we will continue our fight in earnest." Borlath said quietly, his eyes flashing purple and green. This helped Lillie break out of her trance again and look at the others in the room, who were watching the broadcast with looks of awe and horror. But her eyes stopped on Sun, and her heart clenched.
Sun's face had gone sheet white. His hands were clenched so hard that his fingernails were digging into his palms and drawing blood. Sun's entire body was shaking so badly that Lillie thought he was having a seizure. The worst were that his eyes, which were slowly darkening into black coals that seemed so full of pain, sorrow, and absolute hopelessness.
"S-Sun? Are…you okay?" Lillie whispered, with the boy not even recognizing that his friend had even spoken. Borlath rose from his throne and Lillie saw that the man was also wearing a white cape behind him that fluttered slightly as he moved forward. Each of the Cipher Grunts fell to a kneeling position out of respect to the man who would lead them to victory against the world.
"Let's go greet a friend of mine some of you may know very well, shall we?" Borlath said with a small smile before a figure reached out from his shadow and dragged him into the darkness. The camera remained fixed on the throne room of sorts before suddenly cutting to a much different room.
This room couldn't be anymore different than the room before it. This new dimly illuminated room had no windows or doors, and resembled a cell more than anything else. Dried splotches of red coated the ground and a lone woman with fiery red hair was lying down on the ground, breathing raggedly as the lone light in the room shined down on her. Borlath stepped out from the shadows and the woman bolted upright, allowing the camera to see her face.
The woman's formerly beautiful face was covered in slashes and burns, her flowing red hair in tatters behind her. Behind her broken glasses and marred face, a single red eye glared down the new leader of Cipher...her other eye a gaping hole that looked as if the eye had been gouged out of its socket.
"Friends...Meet Lorelei. Former member of the Kanto Elite Four and a good friend of mine." Borlath said, a small smirk on his face at the remark that obviously wasn't true.
"You...Y-you're back." Lorelei spat, the former Elite Four member growled at Borlath as she tried to get to her feet, only for her legs to fail her and cause the woman to drop down to the ground. Borlath sighed and stepped into the light, his cape swishing behind him.
"Well...I have news, Lorelei. First off...Say hello to those watching at home." Borlath said, gesturing towards the camera that the Ice-type specialist couldn't see. The woman turned towards the camera, a confused expression on her face before she turned back to Borlath.
"S-so...What's happened then? Come to torture me some more? You've already killed my team. You took my eye. Unless you're prepared to finally end it, I can't imagine why you're here." Lorelei remarked, her words dripping with cold fury.
"No. Sorry to say, this is the end of the line for you." Borlath said quietly, with Lorelei gritting her teeth. "You knew this was coming."
"Tch...At least let me die on my feet." Lorelei growled, but Borlath's mouth twisted into a scowl.
"I don't think so. You, Lorelei, deserve to die on your knees. I started down this path so long ago because I thought I could use Cipher to bring about change. I don't want power. I don't want wealth or even world domination...This world is broken, Lorelei. And I will fix it." Borlath said as fire burned from his voice, making the woman shrink back.
"I've watched the world turn, and be threatened by evil time and time again. And each and every one of those times, what have you done? No matter which region, the Pokémon League has stood by and allowed children to do their job for them. Put themselves in harm's way and save the world that they're supposed to be guarding. So...I will destroy your world. I will burn down everything and take control over all of the regions, and force change. That way no one has to hurt ever again." Borlath intoned as his voice changed from soothing and pleasant to one of absolute conviction, which reminded Lillie horribly of her own mother.
"You're...you're insane." Lorelei hissed, shaking her head.
"Am I? Do you realize just how useless the Gym Leaders and the Champions are? What have they done to help this world? Look at well they've protected the world from Cipher? Iris is in hiding. Alder and N are both struggling to fight back in Unova. The nameless child that wielded the Legendary Dragon of Unova is dead by my hand, and Lance would have fallen to us if it hadn't been for Red and Blue. Who left the League behind because they were too weak for even children…"
"Things have to change, Lorelei. Otherwise the world will destroy itself. Some psychopath will actually succeed and destroy the world we hold so dear. We have tried the road of peace so many times, but it never works. That is why I have to use force to create a better tomorrow. Cipher will control everything, and destroy everything we have to in order to ensure a better future... And that is why you will be the first to die, in a long line of many." Borlath finished as he turned towards the camera, where the man's eyes both changed colors one final time, and when he opened them again Lillie could help but let out a gasp.
Staring back at her on the screen was a set of very, very familiar gray eyes.
Eyes that were just like Sun's.
"In this world, there are heroes and there are monsters. I decided long ago that in order to become hero that this world needs to survive...I must become the monster that destroys everyone who stands in the way of Cipher." Borlath said quietly, his voice filled with a sadness to it. He then turned to Lorelei, who was staring at him in horror.
"Goodbye, Lorelei. I'm sorry things had to be this way. But I'm not sorry that you have to die. I'll grant you the small mercy of having it be quick." Borlath said as his gray eyes gleamed with malice, raising a single hand up and holding it out in front of him, his smile becoming cruel as Lorelei scowled at him. And then, he said two words that would send the world down a darker path just when things seemed like they would get better.
"Damien...Kill."
"Dad no! Don't do it!" Sun screamed at the screen, but his words did nothing to stop what happened next.
Ashton Aupuni, known as Borlath to the rest of the world, snapped his fingers with a sinister grin on his face. A massive shadow shifted behind the businessman before lunging forward. The creature became visible within the light as a massive skeletal black dog with white horns and razor sharp fangs. Lorelei had time to let out a scream before the beast crashed into her, knocking her to the ground as he tore at the woman with his claws and fangs. Lillie and Lana looked away from the screen, but Sun watched helplessly as his body trembled and shook.
Lorelei's screams of agony were cut off quickly, though they had long stopped before the massive Houndoom incinerated the body with a blast of fire, leaving a burning corpse as all that was left of the former Elite Four member. Borlath spoke again, his dark smile gleaming in the firelight.
"We'll be in touch soon. Farewell for now, my friends." Borlath said quietly as the Houndoom padded over to him, eyes gleaming in the sparse light of the room before the transmission cut out, leaving the group of heroes sitting in stunned and horrified silence. Lillie turned to face Sun again, and saw that he was staring ahead at the static-filled screen with a hundred-yard stare. Lillie couldn't blame him.
Lillie reached for Sun's hand, but the moment she touched him he snapped out of his reverie and yanked his hand away. The boy began to hyperventilate, looking down at the ground and trying to process everything. Eventually Sun just fell to his knees, gripping his sides and trying to fight back the tears.
"Sun...Talk to me. Please. What...That man was your father?" Lillie asked quietly, to which Sun replied with a weak nod, looking like he was about to be sick. Lana and Hau exchanged a silent look, unsure of what to make of this revelation. Hugh turned to Sun with a scowl of absolute rage.
"Figures. That bastard wasn't content to just doom a region and stab us in the back. No, Borlath had to send his son to come finish the job and take over Cipher himself!" Hugh spat as he glared down Sun, whose face somehow become more pale as Hugh drew called out his Samurott to the horror of the children around him. The Formidable Pokémon lowering his horn directly at Sun with a angry snort as Vivian and Noah watched on in surprise.
So...There we are.
Sun's father is the new leader of Cipher, and also happens to be the same person who betrayed Aria and Wes back in Unova and doomed an entire city.
Yes, many people called it a while back. Kinda hard to keep people thrown off the trail as to who Sun's father was, especially since I spent so much time focused on Borlath's character, but hey, it is what it is. I think I still did a pretty good job of keeping people guessing despite that.
Also, I'm very aware that Damien being a Houndoom is very cliche for a villain character. So for those readers who want to let me know this...Please don't. I'm aware. There's many reasons I went with a Houndoom for Ashton's signature Pokémon, and not because it's an evil-looking Pokémon. Also, this chapter does confirm Sun's original last name, Aupuni, which means "Monarch" is Alolan/Hawaiian.
Let's see how things progress from here. Especially since next chapter is the long-awaited Kahuna battle!
Q and A
From: Guest
Is Ashton Ash from the anime or is he one of your OC and if so what happend to him?Also would the 'Perfect Kyrem' be Zekrom,Reshiram and Kyrem merged but show or is it just an OP Shadow Kyurem.
As MoonlightButterfree explained in the review section (thanks for that, btw) Ashton/Borlath is an OC for mine, not the Ash from the anime. And as for what happened to him...I think chapter answered that question, heh.
Perfect Kyurem is the merged version of Shadow Kyurem and Zekrom and Reshiram, the latter two not being Shadow Pokémon .
From: jonesyboy456
Cool Gladion has a Zoura! Huh Cipher has Non-shadow Legendary. How did THAT happen?
Mainly because Borlath isn't as...evil as some of the other members of Cipher. Granted, that doesn't mean he isn't a terrible person since he's got a higher body count than Amber at this point, but he doesn't use Shadow Pokémon if he doesn't have to and sees the benefits of having a willing Legendary assisting you.
From: Sai Og Sus
So, kind of curious. How does Borlath possessing Deoxys ties in with Delta Episode. Does that means Brendan never bothered to find it after defeating it or there are more behind Borlath's tale?
Sun needs some pills. Or maybe weeds. That will help him.
I see more tie-ins to Ultra. Cool. Cool. Just kind of curious where does that Zorua comes from?
1. It is actually a different Deoxys that fell from a meteor hundreds of years ago. Borlath caught wind of Deoxys after hearing for the events the Delta Episode and began trying to acquire his own. He essentially went meteor-hunting and got lucky. It's been shown in the movies and other games that there's more than one out there, and someone with Borlath's resources could track one down with enough effort and again, luck.
My original plan for this was to have him attack Brendan and steal Deoxys from him, but decided against it because trying to cross so many stories and paths into this story honestly gets too hard to keep up with. Also this would have been a decade ago, so this was just easier.
2. My headcanon for this story is that you're able to catch the same kind of Pokémon you can get in US/UM in the story, you just have a harder time of it. Sun will not be catching any US/UM exclusive Pokémon however. Gladion's Zorua comes from Melemele Island, where they are very rare but can be found. Keep this in mind for later, because it will come into play with Hau later and for a few other things.
From: Technetium2
But, I just- I have to ask, man: now that we've seen Red and Blue, will we get to see Leaf too? 'Cause she needed to come to Alola with the boys.9
I'm considering it. Especially after seeing some really funny comics about Leaf getting pissed that Red and Blue are going to Alola without her. If she does show up she'll have a very minor role though.
From: AncientHero2000
Okay, I have a couple questions, If you can't answer them, that's fine.
1. If you recall at the beginning of the story (I think, or at least close to it) Sun has a dream of running away from what is presumably a monster. Have we gotten to the point where that has been resolved? or has it been made mention of again? Please let me know because a skipped one or two chapters when our journey was in the early fifties,
2. WHAT IN DIN'S NAME IS AN UMBRAL POKEMON?! Have you made mention of unholy abominations before chapters 65 and 66? Not that there's anything wrong with them, their awesome! It's they just popped out of nowhere. If I were to guess though, the must be a more advanced form of a Shadow Pokemon, but who knows.
1. Funnily enough, it did get resolved in this chapter. That monster was a nightmare representation of Damien, who Sun associates heavily with his father's betrayal. No, it hasn't been mentioned really since, but Sun's had a lot of nightmares since then of the same scale. I also don't recommend skipping any chapters, because important stuff usually happens in all of them and if you do that, you'll be missing information and context.
It was also a heavy hint of Sun's father being Borlath, since Borlath was responsible for the frozen city depicted in the nightmare (Nimbasa City) and was commenting on how strangely beautiful it all was.
2. Umbral Pokemon is a heavily modified version of a Shadow Pokémon, except that it's considerably more violent and possesses far greater strength than a regular Pokémon. It is nothing short of a monster, with regenerative powers.
Also, Umbral Pokémon are nothing new to this story. They've been mentioned in passing since the late twenties and early thirties, I believe. Chapter 56 explained what they were in-depth, and Chapter 60 showcased Amber's Umbral Rhyperior and how deadly those Pokémon can be when it laid waste to dozen's of Trainers and slaughtered most of them and their Pokémon with ease.
However the process to create Umbral Pokémon is so damaging to the Pokémon that it drastically reduces its lifespan as well as reduces the Pokemon to a literal WMD. It can't be purified. It cannot be reasoned with, the door to its heart has basically been destroyed, meaning there is no way back. The only way to deal with an Umbral Pokémon is to put it down, which Red and Blue managed to do.
It's nearly impossible for Cipher to make Umbral Pokémon. The first time they managed it, they got lucky. Since that first attempt, they couldn't manage to replicate the results another time. Until Lusamine began to help them, offering them a small amount of Nihilego venom to aid in the stabilization process. Hence the creation of Umbral Noivern and Rhyperior.
From: Guest
You know the shadow Zapdos and Articuno, what happened to them? And is the Noivern dead cos when it got Blast Burned it got healed by itself ? Also is Lance and his Dragonite okay cos A) didnt Lance get sickled in the chest so it would of destroyed his vital organs e.g. lungs,stomach B) His Dragonite took a bullet which would kill a normal dude so what happend? And finnaly, what happend to Zoe's fellow singers and is Zoe's mega stone in or on her mic?
They were quickly returned when Cipher and Team Rocket retreated, and vanished from the stadium.
It's definitely dead, since Red's Charizard damaged it badly before snapping its neck and dropping it a few hundred feet onto the ground.
Lance and his Dragonite are fine, but injured. Dawson managed to hit vital organs, but Aria's Lucario happens to know how to use Heal Pulse to heal human injuries (perks of being friends with Colress). Lance's Dragonite did suffer some serious injuries, but it's also a incredibly powerful dragon that can take a lot of abuse before falling over, you know?
Zoey's singers bailed in "Kingslayer Part 1", when Zoey told them to run. And Zoey's Mega Stone is in a necklace she has around her neck, though it wasn't visible or specified since it's sort of covered by the crazy outfits she performs on stage in.
From: operretaoceanic
Will Gladion catches Pokémon based on USUM? I do remember playing UM where he has a Zoroark in his party
It'll be a combination of both. I've decided that he and Hau will have full teams based on a combination of both their S/M and US/UM teams. How that'll happen though...we'll see.
That's all for now. Next chapter we've got a Kahuna battle and the fallout from this revelation. Please show your support with a review, favorite/follow, or a question submitted in the review section below.
Take care and stay awesome.
Until next time, FlygonNick out!
