Pokémon Radiant Sun
Guess what? Another long one.
Last one for a while though, so look lively folks! This has been a fight I've been looking forward to for a looooooong time. So let's get straight to it!
Shoutout those who have reviewed since the last update, which includes SomeCallItKey, SpoonyAzul, Anasazi Darkmoon, Oragonking, Zombiesguy115, TooMuchFreeTime, BraviaryScout, and SonicIKE. Thanks for the great feedback, folks!
Warning: This chapter has a lot of fighting, a lot of blood, and gets a bit graphic.
Let's get right back into it!
Chapter 89: The King of Nothings
Team Aqua Hideout
Two Years Ago…
Two Team Aqua Grunts sighed in unison, watching the entrance of the base. Mainly due to the important research they were doing, and also just because of basic security. But they were bored out of their minds.
"Seriously though, what's up with all those attacks on our guys in the field? You know what I mean, right?" one of the Grunts asked, a shorter man with a mustache.
"No idea, man. People hold grudges and shit. It'll pass and the cops will catch them. I know poor Shelly has been losing sleep about it." The other Grunt, a blond-haired man with buck-teeth, replied sourly as he crossed his arms.
"Yeah...I wonder what kind of sick freak is hunting our guys though."
"He'll be caught eventually, man. And if he isn't...Team Aqua might take care of him ourselves. We've got a lot of guys and a lot of power, still. Some lone moron with a vendetta ain't gonna stop us from helping this world." The blond remarked with a scoff, shrugging his shoulders.
"You know, you shouldn't talk about someone you know is listening." came a new voice from behind them.
The two Grunts whirled around in surprise, only to get two blades lodged in their chests and through their hearts. Dawson grinned as he yanked both blades out and shoved the men forward, with them toppling into the water with ease, their blood darkening the water and turning it sanguine. Dawson watched the two bodies float on the water for a moment, his green eyes dark with barely contained hatred. The man sheathed his blades with a click, scowling.
"Rest is peace, dirtbags. You're not going to hell alone tonight." Dawson said, spitting into the water with disgust as he turned around and took a few steps. The base hadn't changed in the few times he had been able to infiltrate the facility for reconnaissance. Dawson stepped forward, eyeing the massive Team Aqua banner ahead with a look of fury in his eyes. The man reached for a Poké Ball on his belt and called out Torkoal.
"Burn that abomination." Dawson commanded the Coal Pokémon, with the Torkoal nodding and releasing a blast of flames to burn away the massive banner. Dawson watched as it slowly immolated before his eyes, and reached into his pocket and pulled out an old photograph. It was a picture from that fateful day when Jamie died. Their mother had snapped a picture of the two boys before they had been forever separated by the raging seas, and now Charlie kept it wherever he went.
It was a reminder of what he had lost. And that he would never forgive Team Aqua.
And now the time had come for Jamie's big brother to settle the score.
"Alright...showtime." Dawson breathed as he put away the photo and strode forward, recalling Torkoal and calling out Roselia and Hariyama. The two Pokémon loyally followed the man, their own fury propelling them forward as they entered a room filled with Team Aqua Grunts.
"What the...who the heck are you?" One of the surprised Grunts asked. Dawson cracked wild grin and drew a small sphere from his cloak. He pressed down on a small button at the top of the device before hurling it forward. The room was thrown apart at the resulting explosion of ice that suddenly emerged from the sphere, freezing everyone in the room solid or impaling them with ice.
Dawson pointed forward as Hariyama charged forward, furiously shouting out as he smashed apart the frozen Grunts and ended their lives, much like how they had ended the life of Jamie.
"We've got an intruder!" Dawson's eyes snapped to a woman who was frantically running away, a radio in hand. Dawson drew a pistol from his belt and fired, obliterating the device in her hands as she screamed in fear. The woman turned around with a gasp, only for a second shot to put her down.
"How're we feeling, folks? I've got years of anger to let out, and I'm not resting until every single one of you bastards are sleeping with the fishes!" Dawson barked as several Grunts appeared from the teleporters in the room, horrified at the death and destruction in front of them. Two of the men ran forward, scowling at Dawson.
"We don't know what you want, but we're not going to let you destroy Team Aqua!" one of the Grunts shouted, throwing out a hand as one of the other Grunts tried to find survivors. He was horrified to learn that Dawson was very efficient. And that he wouldn't be denied.
"Bring it." Dawson breathed, his eyes blazing with fury as the two men glared him down. Both Team Aqua Grunts scowled and called out two Mightyena, who lunged at Dawson as he cracked a roguish grin.
"Stun Spore!" Dawson barked, pulling a pack of matches out of his pocket and striking one. Roselia let out a cry as he fired off a yellow blast of powder towards the two canines, who both snarled and yipped in pain as the spores began to slow them down. Dawson admired the flame for a moment before tossing the match forward, creating a deafening explosion around the two Mightyena as the highly combustible powder ignited all around and on them. The blast sent the two Team Aqua Grunts flying backwards and crashing onto the floor, clutching their bodies as the burns seared them.
"Hurts, doesn't it?" Dawson asked, walking over to them with a small smile. Soon enough he was standing above them, listening to the sound of Hariyama finishing off the Mightyena with ease. Hariyama stomped back over to Dawson, looking pleased with himself. Dawson simply ended the men's lives with two shots from his pistol before shooting the retreating third Grunt in the spine and downing him with ease.
"Good work, everyone. I think they felt that. Let's see if we can find the big sharks, eh?" Dawson said with a dark grin, returning Roselia and Hariyama. Dawson leapt into the teleporter and began his dark work.
Team Aqua wasn't prepared to deal with the unorthodox style of Charles Dawson, and because of that the man tore through their ranks with ease. An ease that Shelly and Archie took notice of.
"Grrr...that scurvy dog is taking out my boys! We've got to stop him!" Archie barked, slamming his hand down on the console as Shelly and Matt exchanged a worried look.
"The Dashing Rogue of Hoenn has come for us...But why?" Shelly asked softly, with Archie whirling around. Archie looked into the eyes of Shelly and his expression softened, with the Leader of Team Aqua cupping the woman's face. The face of his best friend, and his wife.
"We'll get through this. Together. Send a message to Maxie, Shelly. Warn him and the others and let them know what's going on. Send all footage from our cameras to them as well, so they can prepare for an attack like this." Archie instructed his wife, who nodded. Archie turned to Matt and a few of the Grunts that remained in the Docking Bag with them.
"Prepare the submarine, just in case. Matt, go help with the defense!" Archie barked, turning towards the man who had sworn loyalty to him. Matt nodded and stepped forward, and after a moment the two men embraced, with Matt pressing his head against Archie. Despite the difference in size and strength, it was clear who followed who.
"I've got this, bro...You and Shelly stay safe. And let good ol' Matt pummel this jerk into next week!" Matt boomed cheerily, with Archie grinning at his sworn brother and clasping hands.
"Get 'em, Matt. Show that fool the power of Team Aqua!" Archie ordered the man with a hearty laugh, and with that Matt charged into a nearby teleporter, vanishing into nothingness. Shelly sighed, shaking her head.
"Shelly…" The woman looked up and Archie exchanged a quick kiss with his wife, the one who had been so loyal to him and had always supported him, ever since they were children. "We must survive this. The world is counting on us to make amends...To heal the wounds we created. Stand beside me, one last time?"
"Anything for you, my darling. I'll stand by you until the end." Shelly breathed, grinning at him. With that, the couple separated and began their work. Aware of the fact that their sins were quickly catching up with them, and tearing apart their forces as a brother finally got his revenge. Neither one of the leaders watched as Dawson entered a lounge and attacked the men and women in their, wearing a terrifying grin.
"Stop him! Stop him, before he-Aaaaeeeeiiigh!"
"You can't stop me. So just accept it. This is what you all deserve." Dawson said as Slowking and Manectric sent lightning into the bodies of the Grunts, with Slowking using his powers to make the wild strikes more precise and lethal. Flappy the Pelipper had soaked them all with water beforehand, easily allowing Dawson to clear the entire room of Grunts and end their miserable existence.
"We've got to be getting close…" Dawson whispered as the bodies hit the floor, glancing around and trying to remember where the submarine bay was. That was where Archie seemed to be the most, and it was likely where the bounty hunter would find the leader of Team Aqua. Dawson frowned, tapping his boot against the ground before he heard a booming laugh from behind him.
"Hahaho! Look what we've got here. An intruder!" Matt called out loudly as he stepped out of the teleporter, with about a dozen Team Aqua Grunts following him a few moments later. The man ahead of Dawson was massive, completely covered in muscles and tattoos and not even wearing a shirt. He wore a good-natured smile on his face, but Dawson knew that he was one of the few directly responsible for the Great Downpour.
"Matt Cadings. Admin for Team Aqua...You'll do." Dawson hissed, drawing himself up tall as the hulking man ahead of him laughed.
"I can't help it! I've gotta laugh! Some skinny little thing is the one we're so scared of? Man, oh man...I'm gonna have a blast taking you down! Hooahahahahoo!" Matt boomed as he called out a Sharpedo, which snarled furiously as Dawson sighed, shaking his head.
"James Dawson." The man spoke, making Matt blink a few times in response. Some of the Grunts exchanged glances for a moment.
"Huh? Who's that?" Matt asked, confused by the sudden shift in the Dashing Rogue's attitude.
"He was my little brother. When you idiots unleashed Primal Kyogre, he drowned in the floods and torrential downpour that followed. And all these years later...I'm going to return the favor!" Dawson roared, his repressed fury being unleashed as he sprinted at Matt, who grinned and threw a punch at the man as his Sharpredo shot forward and began to attack Dawson's three Pokémon.
Dawson ducked under the punch and jammed a dagger into Matt's chiseled chest, but to his surprise the attack didn't seem to do much to the Admin as Matt swatted at him with a backhanded swing and sent him tumbling to the ground. Dawson rolled up to his feet and leaned back to dodge another punch as more members of Team Aqua poured in, surrounding them. Dawson scowled, annoyed that he had been momentarily outplayed. Dawson lashed out with a kick, making Matter stumble backwards before Dawson ran towards Sharpedo, who had just taken down Flappy and was lunging for Slowking.
"Signal Beam, Slowking! Manectric, use Thunderbolt!" Dawson barked, drawing both of his revolvers and firing upon Sharpedo. The Brutal Pokémon snarled in annoyance, which allowed the two attacks to strike it from behind. Hariyama charged up to the shark Pokémon and delivered a powerful Arm Thrust that knocked it out, making Matt scowl as Dawson returned Flappy.
"Alright, let's go for the big finish!" Dawson called out, with the man sending out Torkoal and Roselia, grinning as Team Aqua began to call out more and more Pokémon. The Dashing Rogue of Hoenn grinned like a demon as he whispered, "Toxic Spikes behind them. Then Stun Spore. Torkaol, get ready! Everyone else, keep them away!"
The two Pokémon leapt into action, with Roselia hopping into Dawson's arms as he threw the Thorn Pokémon into the air, and Manectric and Slowking kept the other Pokémon at bay. Roselia fired a wave of purple spikes on the ground around them, forming a circle around Team Aqua that none of them could escape. Dawson caught Roselia and held him forward as the Pokémon fired a steady stream of Stun Spore forward, making Matt and the others scream as the spores were inhaled and began to affect them. Even their Pokémon seemed to panic, though the important thing was that none of them could now move.
"Protect! Torkoal, OVERHEAT!" Dawson roared as the Grunts in the room watched Dawson with fear, perhaps sensing what was coming next. Roselia grinned as he threw up a barrier around the team, save for Torkoal. The Coal Pokémon stared at the struggling humans with disgust, seeingthat those who hadn't been hit by Stun Spore couldn't flee because of the Toxic Spikes. The Coal Pokémon nodded before releasing the fire within, sending forth a massive fireball that struck Team Aqua and burned them, as well as ignited the spores all around the room.
The explosion could be heard from Lilycove City.
"W-w-what the hell was that?" Archie growled as he swung around, scowling as the tremors stopped. For the first time in a long time, Archie was actually scared. He tried to hide it, but the fact that this man was tearing through his loyal followers like they were nothing alarmed him. Shelly bit her lip, shaking slightly, before she steeled herself and stepped forward.
"Archie, we should get to the sub. The others are holding off that man, but he'll be here any moment. We need to escape with the information we've got and get to Maxie. He said he'll protect us while we get word to Steven Stone." Shelly reminded the man, who stared at the teleporter ahead of him with a grim expression.
"Argh...agreed. I hate to admit it, but this guy's a force to be reckoned with. Maybe with the two of us working together we can put a stop to this." Archie mused, crossing his arms. Suddenly the sound of a teleporter activating alarmed the couple, making Archie step protectively in front of Shelly and call out his Sharpedo…
Only for Matt to stumble through the teleporter, crashing down onto the ground. His entire body was charted, and a knife was stabbed through his back. Shelly gasped in horror while Archie swayed on his feet, nearly falling over in shock.
"Matt...my brother. My comrade...I'm so sorry, matey." Archie murmured as Shelly checked over the man's body, checking for a pulse. Shelly let out a small sob as she stepped away from the man and back over to Archie. A few moments later, Dawson strolled out of the teleporter and aimed both of his revolvers at the couple.
"Are you ready to face the music?" Dawson asked lightly, slowly walking forward. Both Team Aqua leaders noticed a Pelipper sitting on the man's shoulder as he strode into the room. bounty hunter made sure to trod on Matt body, making Archie scowl in fury.
"Sharpedo, kill him! Aqua Jet and Crunch, tear him apart!" Archie ordered the Pokémon, with the Brutal Pokémon rushing forward. Dawson smiled as the beast speed towards him, mouth gaping wide and revealing several rows of razor sharp teeth.
"Just what I was hoping for." Dawson stowed his pistol and plucked another grenade from his belt and threw it forward before leaping to the side, with Sharpedo zooming past him and having the grenade vanish into its gullet.
"Sharpedo!" Archie shouted as his prized Pokémon began to suddenly convulse, shaking horribly as it let out a warbled snarl before suddenly collapsing onto the ground. Archie shook a shuddering breath before turning to face Dawson, but was surprised to find the man standing four feet away-
Dawson shot Archie in the leg, making him howl in pain and fall to the ground. Shelly screamed and ran at Dawson, but the man quickly ducked over her punch and delivered a quick strike to her leg, breaking it. He followed this up by throwing her against the railing, raising both pistols to shoot her in both arms. Shelly screamed before Dawson sprinted forward and clotheslined her over the railing, sending her tumbling into the water meters below.
"SHELLY!" Archie bellowed, struggling to get up despite the wound in his leg.
"Don't worry. With the injuries she has, she'll die quickly. Whether that be from drowning or blood loss, I'm not sure. But I can assure you that she's suffering. And it's all because of you." Dawson said merrily, though he wasn't smiling. Dawson crouched low, staring into the burning eyes of Archie as a tear rolled down the tanned man's face.
"N-no...Shelly...my...my...damn it!" Archie screamed, pounding his fist against the ground with fury and pain pounding through his shout. Dawson soaked in the moment, seeing the man behind all of his suffering in such a position. Everything had led up to this moment, and it was beyond satisfying.
"Does it hurt?" Dawson asked softly, making Archie glare at him with hatred burning within his gaze. It met Dawson's hatred head-on, and Archie understood then.
"Go to hell. I don't know who you are, but you're worse than we ever were. We've been working these past few years to make things right! What more do you people want!?" Archie bellowed, trying to crawl forward and grab at Dawson, only for the man to grab him by the throat and pin him to the ground. Dawson began to choke the life out of Archie, dropping both of his pistols to the ground. Dawson started to punch the man in the face, striking him as hard as he could, each strike punctuated with a yell. When his fists began to get sore, he bent down to speak to the madman who had tried to drown the world for the sake of his selfish schemes.
"My name is Charles Dawson. And you bastards tried to flood Hoenn, killing my little brother Jamie in the process. The Pokémon League may have let you slip through the cracks, but it's about time you people faced justice!" Dawson snarled, tightening his grip on Archie's throat as he heaved and lifted the man upright. Dawson threw Archie backwards, making him fall on top of several consoles, panting as his leg seared with agony. Dawson scooped up both of his revolvers off of the ground, glaring at Archie with disgust.
"Hah...So that's the score. Well, if you're gonna be like that...then I hope he suffered when he died!" Archie shouted at Dawson, who's expression twisted and put a bullet into Archie's other leg, making him scream.
"Ahahahaha! It hurts so bad...but knowing you're suffering makes the pain worth it! So...Team Aqua is scattered to the winds now, but...The pain will never leave you. And this blood on your hands, it stains your soul, matey. Trust me, I know." Archie panted, attempting to move from the consoles supporting him up to try and punch Dawson. Flappy shot out a Water Gun and sent the man crashing backwards onto the console with an angry squawk.
"I'm going to tear everything you care about apart. You thought you could hide in your base? Not a chance. Because I'm gonna kill every last one of you for what you've done to me and everyone else!" Dawson bellowed, spinning both revolvers in his hands as Flappy nodded in agreement.
"Do...your w-worst!" Archie gasped, barely able to speak through the pain as his two injured legs spurted blood. Dawson cracked a dark smile, aiming both revolvers at the man's chest. Archie glared at Dawson in defiance.
"Gladly. Farewell, Archie. Enjoy hell." Dawson said quietly, allowing himself a wide grin before he put the remainder of both revolvers into the Team Aqua leader's chest, with several of the bullets going right through his heart. The man died instantly, twitching slightly as crimson fluid drained from him. Dawson holstered his pistols as Flappy fluttered to the ground, looking up at Dawson for a few moments as he took a shaking breath.
"I did it, Jamie...I did it…" Dawson whispered, leaning against one of the consoles and taking off his hat. The man rubbed his eyes, brushing a few tears away, before he let out a small laugh. That laugh soon grew and soon enough, Dawson was standing there in the middle of that blood-soaked room laughing his head off.
"God...I really did it! They're gone! They can't hurt anyone ever again! I...I finally got my justice. For Jamie. For my family. And for everyone who was hurt by Team Aqua. We did it, everyone…" Dawson breathed, grinning in triumph as he turned around and looked at the monitors for a few moments. The man turned on his heel and strode out of the room, deciding to leave the place behind. He called out his team as he walked through the destroyed base.
"It was less satisfying than I thought it'd be. Probably because I know we're not done yet…" Dawson's smile twisted, becoming something darker. "Team Magma is next. And then...and then…"
"I'll move on to people just like them. I'll stop all of them. All of these criminals, thinking they can destroy innocents to fit their insane agendas. Plasma, Dim Sun, Aqua, Galactic, Rocket...Whatever! I'll end all of them!" Dawson barked, gesturing wildly as his team watched on. Dawson spun on his heel, grinning at his team.
"That's what we'll do. We'll move on from Hoenn. We've taken care of Team Aqua. We'll burn Team Magma to the ground...and move onto the world. We'll destroy evil and protect those who can't stand up for themselves! What do you say, team?" Dawson asked the others, who let out happy cries of agreement.
Slowking nodded, saying "After today, I have no doubt that we can truly make a difference, Charlie. We did as you said we would. We have become truly stronger. And now, with this victory...We shall proceed forward! Others around the world have suffered losses like us. We should not allow ourselves to become complacent!"
"No, we shouldn't...We'll take them all down. And protect everyone from the darkness in this awful world. I'll protect all of them!" Dawson shouted, with the team that had followed him for so long cheering in agreement. Charlie whirled around, a determined grin on his face, ready to keep fighting.
Ready to keep killing.
And more than ready to sow more destruction for the sake of helping protect others…
Unaware that he was sinking deeper and deeper into the darkness.
"Well, alright then." Dawson said as Cynthia's head drooped, the woman falling unconscious yet again. Dawson shrugged before reaching into her coat pocket and pulling out a strange white key. It was translucent, resembling ice, and there were three different jewels embedded in the handle of the key. Dawson felt coldness from the artifact spread through his fingers, but he also felt power flowing through it, and allowed himself a grin.
"A key, huh? That's about what I was expecting. We probably could have just searched your person at the beginning of this, but...eh." Dawson remarked, pocketing the key with a wink and a grin he stepped away from her unconscious form, careful not to slip in the puddle of blood. Dawson hadn't noticed that in this efforts to obtain information from Cynthia, he had coated himself in crimson.
"How's everyone doing? Status report." Dawson said to the other Admins, crossing his arms as the barrier fell around him, allowing Shadow Articuno to fly into the empty stadium and land on the ground beside him. The Dashing Rogue of Hoenn saw that the bird was sporting some injuries, but none looked like nothing that needed to be worried about right away, so he ignored it for now.
"Tapu Lele has proved just as wily as I expected. Deoxys has retreated to recover from the Tapu's powers, but will return shortly. My avatar was also destroyed during the struggle, so I'll be sending another drone out so I can observe things properly. I'll likely be joining you to discuss how we proceed into Phase 4." Borlath remarked, sounding annoyed. Dawson smirked at that.
"These Captains are putting up a good fight. But Umbral Torkoal is making quick work of them. I can hold out here for a while longer." Mask responded after a few moments. Dawson rolled his eyes, but a long pause caught his attention. There was a certain someone not responding to the summons.
"Hey Amber. Status report." Dawson said, tapping his earpiece.
Nothing.
"Amber?" Borlath asked, his voice urgent.
"Amber...reporting." The Admin's voice sounded strained, but Dawson wasn't surprised. Apparently she had been involved with the heaviest fighting for the past three hours, and had been struck by the curse several times. The woman was a fighting machine, much like the Shadow Pokémon under their command, but at the end of the day she was still human."Tapu Lele escaped, but it's hurt badly. Once I'm done with Guzma and Professor Kukui, I'm going to kill it. Umbral Rhyperior has been pretty heavily damaged, but it's holding together well. It should be more than enough to kill these idiots and finish off that god."
"Guzma's here? That's the leader of Team Skull. Why on earth are they getting involved?" Mask asked, sounding somewhat surprised.
"Apparently hurting Team Skull was enough to piss this asshat off. Now shut up...I'm going to need to focus for this one." Amber snapped at him before cutting off her communication.
"We should probably send her some backup." Dawson muttered, opening several screens up. Just as he did that, though, a massive blast of wind rippled out from the entranceway off to the side and sent the three Cipher Peons that Dawson had guarding the entrance flying backwards into the battlefield and crashing down onto the ground, unconscious. Dawson turned around in surprise as a man in a tuxedo burst onto the battlefield, a massive Dragonite hovering behind him.
"Looks like I've got company. Be prepared to bail." Dawson muttered before muting his comm. Louder, he spoke up to address the tuxedo-wearing man as he leapt off his Partner and landed lightly on the ground, grinning at him as the Dragonite behind him flared its wings.
"That was kind of rude, you know." Dawson remarked, placing a hand on the hand-cannon resting on his hip. "So, who're you supposed to be? You look familiar."
"The name's Adrian Battlestorm!" the man proclaimed with a wide grin, jerking a thumb towards himself. "This here is my Partner, Dragonite. And we'll be the ones stopping you this evening, Admin Dawson."
Dawson frowned, eyeing the man with confusion before his eyes widened. The Admin then broke out into a grin. "You're one of the captives we had that escaped."
"That's right. Couldn't exactly hold me forever, now could you? Those morons you had watching us were really easy to trick, you know. You should probably invest in people who can't be distracted by something shiny." Adrian advised Dawson with a small chuckle, making the man facepalm.
"See, this is why we don't trust the Hexagon Brothers with anything. This right here!" Dawson remarked, shaking his head with a small sigh.
"I don't know what any of that means, but I do know you're going down!" Adrian called out, punching out his arm and letting the Z-Ring glimmer in the spotlights shining down on them. Adrian grinned in response, twirling Justice in his hands as he considered the man's words.
"Interesting. Well, I'm sorry to say that I'm just about done here. But I'll level with you. I'm a fair guy. So I'll offer you a deal. Take me down as you promised you would, and I'll call off the assault right here and now." Dawson said with a grin, with Adrian's own grin widening.
"I'll take that deal. And better yet…" Adrian reached rolled up his sleeve, revealing a strange metallic bracelet of sorts covered in buttons. The man quickly typed in a sequence, and to Dawson's surprise the cameras set up around the stadium suddenly turned on, broadcasting Dawson and Adrian as they stood on the battlefield to the arena and everyone watching at home.
"What the…" Dawson muttered, bewildered as the massive screen to his left suddenly showed a dynamic shot of the two men standing across from one another.
"You see...I want the entire world to watch as I take you down." Adrian said seriously, drawing Dawson's attention back to the media mogul. The man was staring at him intensely, a fiery passion burning in the man's eyes.
"I'm sorry?" Dawson questioned, amused.
"Look at what you've done." Adrian said, anger surging through his voice. "You're tearing people's lives apart…causing fear and heartbreak wherever you go. My life has been dedicated to informing people about the world around them. But that goes for anyone who's serious about journalism. I'm a bit deeper than that, because I also understand that knowing about all of the horrible things that go on around the world can get people down. That's why I wanted to bring the news to people in an entertaining way."
"This world is a pretty dark place. You're quite aware of that, considering the awful things you've done tonight." Adrian said, making Dawson's eyes narrow. "So I try to be as uplifting as possible when I present the news. I make jokes, I let my employees have free reign so long as they do their jobs well, because it makes people smile. I donate as much time and money as possible to make people happy, and keep them alert. To inform and entertain is my duty, Admin Dawson…"
"Which is why defeating you in front of a worldwide audience is going to give the world hope. Hope that you bastards aren't invincible, even with your twisted Pokémon and evil Legendaries. I don't give a damn what your agenda is, because I'm going to help everyone by putting your sorry ass down." Adrian said to Dawson, who clenched his fists as the media mogul finished his speech.
"You do realize that I took down Cynthia with nearly no effort. You got a death wish or something?" Dawson asked, tapping Justice against his head with a devilish grin.
"Not at all. But I've got an entire region depending on me. I've seen what you people do. You create fear. Pain. Suffering. And what I've learned in watching heroes like Red, Ethan, May and Wes and all those others kids...is that all it takes it a little effort. Some hope. And determination." Adrian said firmly, flexing his hands. "And I've got that shit in spades. The world is watching, Charles Dawson. And I'm going to be that ray of hope for Alola! For the region I love...I'll give everything I've got to take you down!"
"Very pretty speech. I almost shed a tear." Dawson said mockingly, crossing his arms. "So if you're as good of a journalist as you say, then you're well aware of how utterly broken our world is. How the Pokémon League constantly fails to do its job and allows evil to rise up and try to take over our world. How countless people are cut down before someone, usually a child prodigy of some sort, comes to save the day?"
"Absolutely. No government is perfect. Not by a long shot. And the Champions are even more flawed. That's why we have the League system in the first place. And there's always room for improvement. But if all you wanted to do was change a messed up system, you're going about it in a completely backwards way." Adrian replied, his expression darkening.
"How so?" Dawson challenged.
"Because not a single person is going to take you seriously if all you're going to do his hurt people. All you're doing is being an awful person and hurting people." Adrian replied, his eyes narrowing in anger. "And you've not only hurt my friends, but you've threatened the lives of my fellow Alolans."
"I did what I had to do. I don't like doing any of this-" Dawson began to say, but Adrian cut him off with a laugh.
"That's complete bullshit, dude! No one does what you've done without enjoying it on some level. You've been tearing Cynthia apart for hours. You could have probed her brain with a Psychic-type or used a dozen other methods. You stuck to cold-blooded torture. So don't give me that shit about being noble about your intentions. You're a bastard who hurts people for your own twisted goals. That's all." Adrian shot back, making Dawson growl angrily.
"You people don't get it. If Cipher doesn't act, this world will be doomed. I refuse to let people suffer like I had to from Team Aqua. I refuse to stand by and let others suffer. There's too much evil in the world that can flourish because of the systems we have in place now...With Cipher's plan, we don't have to worry about it. We can strangle the darkness from this world, and become the only shadow left. But in order to do that, we need reform. And if the path to reform needs to be paved with blood...then so be it. I refuse to let evil people hurt others again and again." Dawson shot back, throwing an arm aside.
"Someone has to get their hands dirty. Someone has to be willing to go the extra mile to exterminate the scum of this world! Why shouldn't I tear those with evil intentions apart like the monsters they are? Better I do it, than some child who still has hope for the future! I don't want another Jamie...That's why I'm with Cipher. To make sure that never happens again. Borlath's plan is wonderful, and I'll happily follow it for the sake of true peace." Dawson breathed, glaring at Adrian. The media mogul looked unimpressed.
"So when you say monsters, do you mean people like yourself? Because all I see in front of me is another one of those bad guys." Adrian said quietly. Dawon flinched at that, making Adrian grin in response. "You're not any different than any of those other criminal groups. And that's why it's my duty to defeat you. Simple as that" Adrian finished, a wicked grin flashing across his face as he threw out a hand.
"Dragonite, let's take this joker out in front of the entire world! After all, I'll need to finish this up quickly so I can get back to Kelly. It's not every day you kiss your secretary and run off like a total dick." Adrian called out, with Dragonite letting out a roar in response.
"Wow...That is a dick move." Dawson agreed, smirking a little now. "Is she hot at least?"
"Oh yeah, absolutely. But I admire her dedication more than anything else. She's driven and cares about the good work we do for the people of Alola. So yeah...I'm kind of a massive dick for stealing a kiss and then throwing myself into a life-threatening situation." Adrian remarked, making Dawson smile now.
"I agree. You shouldn't have done that, man. Granted, I'm not much better. I'm admittedly a bit of a man-whore and I have a blast with it." Dawson remarked, shrugging carelessly.
"Oh, that's nothing. I think at this point, once I'm done kicking your ass, I'll have to tell about the time I got chased around Heahea City by the all of the female Captains at the same time back in my Trainer days. Maaaan...I'm such an asshole. More of an asshole than you, though. You're evil, not an asshole. So that's why I'll win!" Adrian bragged, making Dawson scowl in response. Dragonite's expression became one of confusion as the two men began to banter back and forth.
"That logic makes no sense...The fact that you think you're more of a prick than I am, that is. Not the whole winning thing." Dawson remarked with a smug grin, his earlier annoyance practically gone. It was like he was arguing with himself in the mirror. It was a shame they were on the opposite side of the conflict at hand. Dawson would've been happy to share a beer with Adrian Battlestorm if things were different.
"Really now? Last time I checked, which I haven't, you're not an Island Challenge Champion. With a can-do attitude, some awesome moves and intense motivation you can do a whole hell of a lot of damage!" Adrian said as he stepped forward, grinning like a shark as Dawson drew Justice, though he casually spun the pistol on his finger expertly while wearing a smug expression.
"You think you're a bigger asshole than ME!?" Dawson called as Shadow Articuno shuddered, its eyes narrowing in fury at the opponent across from her.
"Damn right I do! Flamethrower" Adrian declared, pumping his fist as his Dragonite shot into the air with a hateful glare sent at the Cipher Admin ahead of them. The massive beast snorted before firing off a massive torrent of flames that struck Shadow Articuno in the chest, sending it toppling over to the ground with a shriek of pain. Dawson drew Justice and fired at Dragonite, forcing the Dragon Pokémon to stop its attack and dodge.
"Let's hit 'em with our best shot. Full force Z-Power, right from the start! Everyone in the world is watching! Alola is counting on us! Let's stop the fighting with a single attack!" Adrian shouted, his smile fading as a serious expression expression finally settled on his face, the energy burning from his Z-Ring illuminating the area around him.
"Heh...Alright then, you son of a bitch! Hit me with your best shot!" Dawson bellowed, drawing taking aim with Justice, a deadly grin on his face as the two men began to fight for the fate of Alola.
"Dragonite! Channel Dragon Rush...and use Devastating Drake!"
"Shadow Freeze! Show the entire world the strength of our justice!
"~Spooky scary skeletons, send shivers down your spine. Shrieking skulls will shock your soul, seal your doom tonight!~"
Acerola bounced her head up and down as she sang merrily atop her Driflblim. The Captain wore a smile as she floated through the air, kicking her feet out happily as her Palossand smashed into a Cipher Peon that was harassing Captain Ilima, who was protecting two unconscious Trainers that had been attacked by Cipher.
"Your singing could use some work, Acerola! But I appreciate the assist nevertheless!" Ilima called in response, using this moment to have his Smeargle knock out the Cipher Peon's Shadow Tangela. The beast snarled, whipping out its vines rapidly, but Smeargle swung its tail and released a Flamethrower from its tip, blasting away the creature and knocking it out.
"Your face could use some work, but I appreciate your thanks!" Acerola responded, earning a dirty look from Ilima before the young man grinned and charged off, his Gumshoos letting out a powerful roar before slamming into a Shadow Ponyta, sending to tumbling to the ground. One Bite attack later, and the Shadow Ponyta was unconscious. Acerola watched the young man retreat, taking a moment to appreciate his butt, before shrugging and pointing forward.
"Onward, Drifblim! There's evil to thwart!" Acerola proclaimed as she returned Palossand, standing atop the Blimp Pokémon as it soared forward, letting out a coo as it began to fire Shadow Balls downward. This action helped out several members of the Aether Paradise, including President Lusamine.
The woman battling wore a fierce expression on her face, an angry Ninetails and a Milotic spraying flames and water at a writhing Shadow Steelix as it battered away Faba's Hypno and Miss Wicke's Togetic, pinning down three other members of the Aether Foundation under its tail.
"Hmmm. Time for an intervention!" Acerola called, pulling a Poké Ball off her dress and calling out her Froslass. "Ice Shard, my friend!"
"Lasss!" the Snow Land Pokémon cried out, sending a massive chunk of ice hurtling forward, crashing into the back of Shadow Steelix. The beast roared in fury, turning its head towards Acerola. Lusamine took her chance.
"Fire Blast, Hydro Pump! Together!" Lusamine commanded her Pokémon with the all the grace she could muster. Her two loyal Pokémon unleashed their attacks, bringing down the Shadow Steelix as its head crashed onto the ground with a groan. The Cipher Peon swore loudly and suddenly vanished into his own shadow, leaving the group alone.
Lusamine hurried forward with Miss Wicke while Faba used his Hypno to lift the fallen Shadow Steelix off of the Aether Foundation personnel. Lusamine turned towards Acerola while the two other adults checked over the people who had been injured.
"Thank you for the assistance, Captain Acerola." Lusamine said to the young woman with a soft smile, reaching forward patting her Froslass with a kind smile. "It's wonderful to see everyone working together to repel these horrid people."
"Yep! Everyone's working really hard! I didn't know you were a battler though. Those were some good moves." Acerola said cheerily to the woman, who let out a tinkling laugh.
"Once upon a time, I was quite talented. But time dulls all skills, as you can imagine. If it wasn't for my friends and loyal employees, I doubt I could hold my own against Cipher's goons. I will have to make efforts to retrain my team in the future." Lusamine said to the Captain before she turned to her left. Acerola followed her gaze and in the distance, she spotted what looked like Lyra battling two Peons that were giving her a lot of trouble. Acerola hopped atop her Drifblim, giving the Aether Foundation President a silly salute before floating away. The young woman soared through the air, and could hear the yells of Lyra as she approached.
"Azumarill, use Water Gun! Quick!" Lyra yelped as a blast of lightning crashed down beside him, two Shadow Galvantula hissing angrily at her. Acerola scowled at that and urged her Drifblim forward to help, but found that after a few seconds, she didn't need to do a thing.
Because Lyra would soon receive some of the best backup in the world.
A massive Pidgeot swooped past Acerola, nearly knocking the woman down as it sped forward, letting out a piercing screech. Acerola spotted a young man atop the Pidgeot, which was barreling right towards the woman in distress. Lyra cried out as her Azumarill was knocked out by a Thunderbolt, which left her defenseless against the two Elespider Pokémon, making the woman take several steps backward with an expression of sheer terror on her face.
"Typhlosion! Help out Lyra with Flamethrower! Make some distance!" the new arrival shouted, hurling a Poké Ball through the air and releasing a massive Typhlosion that released a deadly firestorm ahead of it as it shot through the air. Lyra gasped as the Volcano Pokémon landed in front of her, releasing a shockwave of flames that kept the Shadow Pokémon at bay.
Lyra sighed with relief, smiling a little as the young man dropped lightly to the ground and returned his Pidgeot. "You're late, Ethan! I thought you were gonna be here for the big main event with the Champion!"
"That wall of ice was harder to get around than you think. You okay?" Ethan asked, looking concerned. Lyra grinned and nodded, with the young man sighing in relief before turning to face the Cipher Peons that had been attacking her.
"They've been attacking everyone in sight. They've got crazy Legendaries too...it's honestly been terrifying." Lyra shuddered, looking at Ethan as he looked down at her. Lyra was smiling up at him, almost playfully. "You think you can help out, Gold?"
"I'm gonna do what I can. First off, we clear the field." Ethan remarked, turning back towards the two Cipher Grunts as they kept their distance, eyeing the powerful Typhlosion warily.
"Hey assholes. Back away from my girlfriend and get the hell out of here. You're ruining our vacation." The young man growled, stepping forward and adjusting his silver and gold cap. Acerola drifted closer, allowing herself a better look at him. The young man with black hair and steel-gray eyes, wearing a red tank-top and black gym shorts. And he seemed very, very powerful...and very familiar.
"Get him!" the lead Peon yelled, throwing out a hand. "Shadow Rush!"
"Typhlosion...put them down." The young man replied quietly, grabbing Lyra's hand as he leaned forward with an intense expression, his scowl deepening as the Volcano Pokémon let out a roar. The powerful beast bounded forward, becoming a spinning disc of raging flames. The Flame Wheel smashed into both of the Shadow Galvantula with the force of a speeding truck, sending both spiders careening backwards and into a building with a crunch. Both Peons took several steps back in fear as the young man advanced towards them, a burning determination in his gaze. Both men called out a Shadow Jellicent and a Cacturne, which snarled at the Fire-type ahead of them and shot forward to attack them.
"Is that really Ethan? The Golden Hero of Johto?" Acerola asked with surprise as the former Champion's signature Typhlosion shot forward with a roar, releasing a massive blast of flames at the two Shadow Pokémon and easily repelling them. Lyra leaned against the man with a cheeky grin, knowing her boyfriend had this in the bag. The former Champion of Johto and Kanto had a merciless grin on his face as more Cipher personnel converged on him and Lyra. Five of them now surrounded the hero that had driven Team Rocket out of Johto and defeated the Legendary Trainer, Red. Clearly the criminals here thought that overwhelming the young man with sheer numbers would help them.
Acerola didn't think the odds were good for those Cipher Peons. She also wondered if it would be weird if she asked for Ethan's autograph. She decided against that, after a moment's thought. She did take a moment to admire his butt, though.
With that, she decided to float off in another direction, but she was stopped yet again by a new arrival. Or rather, arrivals. Two figures dressed in white outfits, wearing a blue and red mask respectively, dashed through the street while an Espeon and Glaceon raced alongside them. The duo lashed out at the stranglers of Cipher on the street, easily battering them aside.
"The Masked Heroes of Kalos have arrived! Préparez-vous!" Sina declared as her Glaceon shot forward, firing off an Ice Beam and struck down a flying Shadow Noivern. That beast screeched in pain, releasing a Boomburst that erupted forth and blasted apart that street. Sina and Glaceon were flung backwards, but the woman rolled on the ground and into a crouch, scowling.
"Glaceon, fall back! Abomasnow, Mega Evolve and use Blizzard!" Sina cried out as she sent out her strongest Pokémon, throwing out her hand as her Mega Ring flared up. A flash of light exploded from her Abomasnow as it stomped forward, morphing into a larger and more powerful form before releasing a wicked snowstorm that tore through the street and took out the remaining Shadow Pokémon. Acerola simply had Drifblim float higher in the air to avoid the move, but she had to admire the strength behind it.
"Excellent work, my darling!" Dexio remarked proudly, seeing the path of devastation his longtime friend and newfound girlfriend had created. Sina beamed at the praise, stepping up to Dexio and surprising him with a peck on the lips. Both adults flushed as they separated, but both were grinning.
"We'll need to do a lot more to stem the tide here. From what Agent Quill was saying, Tapu Lele has been defeated by Amber Fontaine. That woman is still on the prowl, and we must be cautious." Sina said aloud, making Acerola gasp in surprise as she floated back down on her Drifblim.
"That woman took down a Tapu?!...Jeez, that's pretty rough." Acerola remarked, frowning at last as the two heroes stepped towards her.
"Captain Acerola, I thought you were assisting with the relief efforts?" Sina asked, confused.
"I was, Miss Sina! But I-"
"I'm not Sina! I'm the Masked Hero of Kalos!"
"...riiiiight. Totally. You're someone I've never met before and totally isn't my penpal from Kalos who wrote to me for over a year about wanting to make out with her partner and being terrified of confessing your feelings." Acerola winked at the woman, grinning at her blushing form.
"You...you did what now?" Dexio asked, absolutely dumbfounded by this sudden revelation.
"S-s-shut up...You were just like me all this time, so don't even think about making fun of me!" Sina pouted, with Dexio chuckling after a moment, barely restraining himself from hugging the poor woman.
"I wouldn't dream of it, mon chéri. But maybe we should get back to the point?" Dexio remarked, making the two women nod.
"Me and Uncle Nanu already evacuated everyone we could. All of the people here want to and are fighting. So I decided to join the fray and help out! After all, I am a Captain. And the strongest one out there, besides maybe Mina." Acerola explained as she hopped down from her Pokémon and did a small twirl.
"Hmm. Well, I suppose that is a good a reason as any. You Captains are quite powerful in your own right. Just please, be careful." Dexio said with a nod, glancing to his left and into one of the city squares, where the Cipher Peons seemed to be regrouping, knocking out Jasmine's Steelix and forcing her and Volkner back, with the latter carrying an unconscious Roxie.
"Now come, my darling! We've got more bad guys to stop!" Sina said mischievously, grabbing Dexio's hand and pulling him along the road with a laugh. Dexio's face burned with embarrassment, which was visible even with the mask, and Acerola smiled as she watched the new couple dash off.
"Ahh...Young love." Acerola sighed dreamily before bursting into giggles. Acerola turned around and had time to gasp before being knocked to the ground with a kick to the gut. The Captain hit the ground with a cry as her Drifblim cried out, only to be blasted by lightning and screeching in pain.
"You...you're one of them Captains?" Acerola looked up to see a Cipher Peon glaring down at her, a Shadow Raichu snarling as it sent deadly lightning into her Drifblim as it floated down onto the ground.
"W-w-what's it to you?" Acerola groaned, trying to reach for another Poké Ball, only for the man's boot to stomp down on her arm. Acerola screamed out in pain, with the man drawing a sidearm and grinning cruelly.
"You'd just get in the way of our operations on Ula'ula. See-" the Peon had time to say before of a pair of arms wrapped around his head. The Peon had time to look alarmed before-
CRACK!
Acerola whimpered as the man dropped to the ground, his neck and jaw bent at an impossible angle as he lay limply on the ground. Above him was a scowling man with red eyes, looking annoyed.
"U-uncle Nanu?" Acerola said quietly, shivering slightly as the man scoffed. Meanwhile an Alolan Persian was slashing into the Shadow Raichu with a ferocity Acerola had never seen, angrily knocking it out with a Dark Pulse. Acerola shakily got to her feet as Nanu looked her over, a flicker of worry coming over his face that vanished in an instant.
"Yeah...You should probably keep more of an eye out. I won't be around to protect you forever, kid." Nanu muttered as he walked ahead of her, his form slouched over as he walked off. Acerola stood there, still stunned from that encounter. Nanu's Persian nuzzled Acerola as she returned her Drifblim, and Acerola patted the Pokémon's head before running after the Kahuna. Nanu grabbed Acerola roughly by the arm and the two of them were sucked into a shadow, appearing on a high rooftop a few moments later.
"Explain yourself." Nanu grunted, not looking amused. Which wasn't out of the norm for the Kahuna.
"Well, I had to help out! It's my duty!" Acerola responded hotly, putting her hands on her hips. The man's scowl deepened, making Acerola flinch.
"Maybe so. But ensuring the protection of civilians is more important. That is your duty above all else. That's what I taught you." Nanu said harshly, making Acerola tremble slightly at the man's anger. "At least until we can be certain they are safe. Right now I've got some of the visiting Gym Leaders helping out, and Tapu Lele is on the beach with everyone recovering from the battle."
"Is it okay?" Acerola asked timidly.
"Aside from being completely exhausted, yes. People are keeping their distance, but it's obvious that this entire city would've been lost if it hadn't been for Tapu Lele's intervention. And those who are fighting right now…" Nanu trailed off, looking across the city, where everyone fighting Cipher seemed to be doing so with fury and determination burning in their eyes.
"They're inspired...I was too, when I heard Tapu Lele's proclamation. I guess there's a lot we don't know about the Tapu, huh?" Acerola remarked quietly, making Nanu shrug.
"Maybe. But what I do know is that if we don't stop this shit soon, there will be deaths. Tapu Lele isn't around to heal people anymore, and we're gonna have a body count soon. And Jackal isn't answering my calls…" Nanu scowled again, shaking his head. "Whatever. Let's storm the generator building. The other Captains went there some time ago and haven't reported back, so I'm assuming they ran into trouble."
"Let's? As in, me and you?" Acerola chirped happily, hugging the man as her earlier sadness vanished in an instant. Nanu allowed the hug for several moments before pushing Acerola away, making her pout.
"Respect my personal space, kid. Now let's roll." Nanu said, dropping through the ground into his shadow. Acerola called out her Sableye and followed the Kahuna, hoping to be able to stop more people from getting hurt.
"Umbral Fire! Keep going until that thing is dead! Burn it all down!" Mask proclaimed as black flames raged around the building. The man watched with glee as Kiawe and Mallow returned their Turtonator and Trevanant respectively, flinching as the flames flashed around them. Ahead of them was something that could only be called an abomination of nature.
Umbral Torkoal stood ahead of them, with Mask standing a short distance behind it. The Coal Pokémon looked nothing like what it had before Cipher had experimented on it, with the shell of the Torkoal resembling a black diamond of with spikes jutting out the back, with matching plating covering its head and legs. It small tail had tripled in size, resembling a barbed whip of sorts that twisted and curled around it, with the smoke coming out of Umbral Torkoal's back being a strange blue color. The worst part was the eyes...there was nothing in them.
"Mallow, keep back! That was your last Pokémon! I'll finish him off!" Kiawe barked as he ran forward, leaping over the flames as his Alolan Marowak swung his bone, dispelling them. Kiawe charged at Mask as Alolan Marowak began to attack Umbral Torkoal, swinging a fist at the masked man who grunted as the fist collided with the side of his head.
Meanwhile, Kiawe's Marowak was repeatedly hitting Umbral Torkoal with a combination of Bone Club and Shadow Bone, dancing around the blasts of flames that the monster spewed. Mallow noticed that despite the extensive damage the two Captains had done to the Umbral Pokémon, it was still standing tall. And it had burned through their entire teams at this point.
"Just what did they do to that poor Torkoal to make it so powerful?" Mallow wondered, shivering after a moment despite the intense heat in the room from all of the tainted flames.
"Umbral Shot!" Mask called out, trying to run away from Kiawe as the Umbral Torkoal grunted and turned towards them, releasing a beam of pure darkness that slammed into Alolan Marowak and sent him flying across the room, smashing into a pillar and knocking him out.
"What the heck is that thing!? It's so...powerful." Mallow whispered, fear evident in her voice as Kiawe leapt back to avoid being blasted by the flames.
"You'll pay for that punch, you brat. Don't you know what it means to disrespect your elders?" Mask barked, pointing forward. "You've got no Pokémon and no tricks left. Now stand still and die already!"
Kiawe scowled, but his eyes drifted upwards.
The Captain grinned.
"I don't think I'm out of tricks yet. Toxic, and then Venoshock!" Kiawe shouted as Mask stepped forward with a shake of the head, though he stopped a moment later.
"What is he-" Mask asked before purple fluid suddenly splashed over Umbral Torkoal, making it cry out in pain before a barrage of purple globules smashed into it from above, making it sink down onto the ground and roar in pain. Mask looked up to see a massive black and purple lizard leaping down from the ceiling and land down in front of Kiawe. The Fire Captain grinned as he punched forward, and the massive Salazzle suddenly began to glow with a fierce orange aura.
"A Totem Pokémon...So the Captains still retain the ability to call forth their Totem Pokémon in times of crisis. I imagine the other Totem Pokémon of the Grass Trial is on its way as well. This could be problematic. But Umbral Torkoal should be more than enough to end this, even while badly poisoned." Mask remarked, tapping his foot.
"You know an awful lot about the Captains. That was supposed to be a secret!" Mallow yelled out.
"I know many things. Your head would spin if you knew how dark Alola really is, little one." Mask remarked, shrugging.
"Enough! Totem Salazzle, let's show this creep we mean business!" Kiawe commanded, his voice becoming harsh as the Totem Pokémon hissed softly in response. "Channel Sludge Bomb...and use Acid Down-"
Kiawe was cut off with a torrent of black flames shot towards him, bypassing Totem Salazzle as it hissed in alarm. Kiawe dove to the side, rolling into a crouch as his lips curled into a snarl. Mask laughed as he strolled forward, seemingly unconcerned as smoke poured from Umbral Torkoal.
"You didn't think I'd let you pull of a Z-Move like that, did you?" Mask asked, snapping his fingers. "Kill them. Make their bodies tremble as our power surges forth!"
"I don't know whether I'm being threatened or seduced. Or both." Mallow remarked, tilting her head in confusion. Mask actually remained silent for a few moments, unsure of what to say.
"I would confidently say...threatened." Mask decided after a moment, putting his hands on his hips.
"Ah. That's not as fun." Mallow pouted.
"Maybe for you." Mask replied, chuckling as he held out a fist. "But I'm enjoying every moment of this. Watching this pathetic region burn to the ground will be my masterpiece."
"We'll never let it happen!" Kiawe barked, stepping forward. Mask simply stared at him before sighing.
"Yaaawn. Talk about a standard and cliche line, Captain Kiawe. You're boring me…" Mask replied, putting a hand to his forehead. The man then snapped his fingers with a chuckle, throwing open his cloak and reaching within it.
"I always keep a few of these on hand in case I run into things that bore me. This'll liven things up quite nicely." Mask remarked as he pulled out a small syringe, the needle gleaming in the light.
"He's going to inject his Pokémon with that! Mallow, we have to stop him!" Kiawe yelled out. Just then, a certain pink mantis burst through the front doors, glowing a harsh orange color and letting out a cry as it jumped forward and landed protectively in front of Mallow.
"Aww yeah, I'm back in the game!" Mallow cheered as she pointed forward. "Petal Blizzard! We've got to stop him from injecting that into his Pokémon!"
"Psh. Who said this was for him? This is mine!" Mask remarked with a laugh. Kiawe and Mallow both shouted out in horror as the man raised the syringe and jammed the needle into his wrist. The man began to twitch and convulse, pumping the fluid into his bloodstream and giggling with delight as the two teens watched on in horror.
"What the hell is with this guy…" Mallow whispered, with even Totem Lurantis taking a step back.
"Yessssss...god damn I feel amazing! It never gets old!" Mask cackled as he stumbled forward, giggling dementedly as Umbral Torkoal remained beside him, even as the evil old man staggered towards them, his arms twitching erratically.
"Salazzle, Dragon Pulse! We've got to take care of him and get that generator down!" Kiawe shouted, with the Totem Pokémon huffing for a moment before releasing a large draconic blast of energy at the Umbral Pokémon, knocking it back a step. Kiawe charged forward, running right at Mask as Mallow nodded and pointed forward.
"Umbral Charge!" Mask barked, with the beast running forward and colliding with Totem Salazzle, creating a shockwave of force as the Totem went flying across the room. Totem Salazzle somehow managed to right itself in midair and land on its legs, hissing angrily as it fired off a Venoshock that struck Umbral Torkoal directly, making the beast falter. Totem Salazzle hissed and leapt onto the walls, seeing its Captain battling against a much quicker Mask.
Mallow took her chance now that Umbral Torkoal was stunned. "Petal Blizzard!" Mallow commanded her Totem Lurantis, who let out a cry before swinging down her arms and releasing a massive wave of petals. Umbral Torkoal flinched as the powerful attack struck it, though it didn't stop what came next.
"Umbral F-f-f-firestorm!" Mask shouted as Kiawe swung a fist at the man, who knocked it aside deftly and began to block the punches the Fire Captain threw at him. Umbral Torkoal snorted, black fumes of darkness pouring from its nose before it released a massive column of pitch black flames from its back. The air hummed as the flames whirled around the room, blasting a hole through the ceiling. Flames swirled around Umbral Torkoal, with Totem Lurantis hissing as the flames neared them. Totem Salazzle cried out as the flames struck it, making it leapt back. The Toxic Lizard Pokémon began to scale the walls, enduring the flames that rushed past it so it could help its Captain.
Mallow grit her teeth, panting from the intense heat that had enveloped the room. She could see Kiawe and Mask trading blows, with Kiawe pressing the attack to subdue the man. Mallow privately thanked Olivia for making sure they took self-defense classes way back, even if Mallow was rusty.
"Lurantis, let's break through those flames! Solar Blade! We've got to help Kiawe!" Mallow shouted, with Totem Lurantis nodded and holding up its arms. After a few moments, solar energy engulfed the arms of the Bloom Sickle Pokémon as it rushed forward, swinging the blades around and slicing apart the flames, dissipating them.
"Keep it up! Get that Torkoal!" Mallow urged her Totem as it battered the flames with wild slashes, succeeding in landing a direct hit on Umbral Torkoal. The Coal Pokémon cried out, flinching after a moment.
"Slash! Hit it with everything you've got!" Mallow shouted, with Totem Lurantis letting out a shout as the Z-Power around her flared even brighter. The Totem released a massive barrage of slashes on Umbral Torkoal with all of its strength, making the monster take several steps back as the slashes racked it's tough skin and armor, leaving gouges that dripped purplish blood. Despite this, Mallow saw that the injuries were slowly sealing up even as the blades of Totem Lurantis danced across Umbral Torkoal's skin.
"Blow it away, damn it! Umbral Firestorm!" Mask shouted, seeing his Umbral Pokémon being attacked. The beast cried out, blasting Totem Lurantis back with a wall of fire that made the Totem have to elegantly leap backwards, though it fell to one knee and groaned as it glanced down at the burns around its legs.
"We can't get through that…" Mallow muttered, eyeing the flames whirling around the Umbral Torkoal, barely able to see Kiawe as he sidestepped a punch from Mask. Kiawe spun around to kick the man in the head with a roundhouse, only for Mask to easily catch his foot with one hand.
"W-what?" a shocked Kiawe said as Mask began to giggle, his distorted voice making the noise sound absolutely horrifying to the young man. Mask threw aside Kiawe's foot with tremendous force, making the Captain stumble backwards. Kiawe righted himself and snorted in anger, dashing into uppercut the man, only for Mask to slam both palms into Kiawe and knock him backwards with a pained shout.
"You think that little boost was just for show?" Mask asked with a laugh, rushing forward and kicking the young man harshly to the ground. Totem Salazzle rushed forward, spewing flames and making Mask leap high into the air to avoid it, flipping backward with ease and landing on the ground. It was all so unnatural to everyone there that they could hardly believe what they were seeing.
"It's incredible how far science has come. Then again, I perfected this particular serum myself. The swirling colors I get to see when I use it is just a wonderful side effect." Mask said with a little laugh, throwing out his hands. Kiawe and Mallow noticed they were shaking slightly.
"Alright, we need to start turning this thing around… I got it. Lurantis, use Sunny Da-" Mallow began to say, only for Kiawe to quickly shout, "No! That'll just make his Fire-type attacks stronger!"
"Actually, Shadow and Umbral Moves are a type all of their own. But they don't need to know that." Mask thought, trying to focus as his body continued to shiver with energy, even as his vision twisted and distorted in front of him. The two children ahead of him seeing like glowing red outlines, their "Umbral Buildup!"
Umbral Torkoal let out a snarl as the flames in the room vanished...or rather, they were suddenly sucked up inside of the hole on Umbral Torkoal's back. The beast's eyes began to burn black and red and the temperature within the room began to climb rapidly.
"Kiawe...I don't think we've got this." Mallow said quietly as Totem Lurantis forced herself back up, panting heavily as it cast Synthesis. Kiawe grit his teeth in anger, especially as Mask began to laugh.
"What's so funny? We're not done yet!" Kiawe barked at Mask, who hunch over as he continued to laugh.
Mask slowly got himself under control, though he was still hunched over. "Hehehee! How delicious. Can you feel the dread creeping in yet!? God damn, what a rush! Umbral Torkoal, finish them off! One massive attack to end all of their lives! Umbral Inferno-!"
"Can you not kill them? I kinda don't want to deal with the paperwork."
Mask looked over to the entrance of the building and saw Nanu standing there, looking slightly annoyed. Kiawe sighed with relief while Mallow gave Mask the middle finger while he wasn't looking.
Nanu sighed, shaking his head in disgust. Though maybe not for the reason people would imagine, given the circumstances. "Seriously, you couldn't have waited another day to pull this stunt? I was going to pass out in the streets while drunk off my ass tonight. But no, you had to try and raze the city."
Mask chuckled as he snapped his fingers. "Kill him."
Umbral Torkoal released a torrent of black flames at Nanu, with Kiawe and Mallow screaming out as the man simply stared at it with a bored expression. The flames tore through Nanu, quickly enveloping the man…
Who suddenly stepped out from behind Mask and smacked him in the back of the head.
"Seriously, stop it." Nanu said to Mask, who stumbled forward and whirled around to glare at the Kahuna.
"You...shit, why is there three of you? Agh, this is confusing." Mask hissed, getting annoyed now.
"Maybe you shouldn't have drugged yourself up before fighting two Captains. Well, three Captains and two Kahunas." Nanu amended, with Mask quickly looking to his right to see Acerola helping a furious Olivia to her feet. Mask wondered how the girl had woken the Kahuna up, but decided he'd sort that out later when he wasn't surrounded.
"You son of a bitch…" Olivia hissed, calling out her Lycanroc. The wolf howled, crouching low as preparing itself to attack at the Kahuna's command.
"All in all, not looking good for you." Nanu finished, smirking now. He enjoyed being the distraction, if only because it required next to no effort.
"Three Captains and two Kahunas...Heh." Mask crossed his arms, leaning backwards and falling against his Claydol as it teleported right beside him. "I'm not going to push my luck. I wouldn't want to hurt my beautiful mug crushing you lot, and I'm willing to bet we're about done here."
"Yeah, I'm willing to bet that the second you remove that mask, your face is going to look like an inside-out asshole." Nanu remarked, making Mask jerk back in surprise.
"Well...Shit. I don't have a comeback for that one. Umbral Torkoal, can you deliver a rebuttal? And an Umbral Wave?" Mask asked as he hopped atop his now-floating Claydol, with the Umbral Torkoal releasing a massive wave of darkness that sent everyone down to the ground. Nanu threw himself behind a pillar as the attack struck them all, downing the Totem Pokémon. Lycanroc shielded Olivia with its body, protecting her despite the incredible pain it was subjected too.
"Mask, reporting in. They've overwhelmed me with sheer numbers. Requesting all available personnel to keep the Kahunas and Captains busy. I'll secure our fallen personnel in the meantime." Mask said as Olivia staggered towards him, a look of absolute fury on her face.
"Get back here, you bastard! I'm not through with you yet!" Olivia screamed as Mask gave her a casual salute and vanished on the spot with his Claydol. The Kahuna ran forward, only to stumble after a moment falling to one knee, barely catching herself. As everyone tried to get back to their feet, the woman uttered a groan and put a hand to her head. Nanu's eyes widened as the Captains rushed forward worriedly, but then the older Kahuna scoffed and approached.
"Stay still, Olivia. There's no telling what the man did to you while you were out of it." Nanu said as he walked over, kneeling down and looking over the woman. "No way of knowing whether or not they drugged you. That man had several syringes on his person. We should probably get you to a hospital ASAP."
"I'm not leaving until those people are out of this city. I am a Kahuna. It is my duty to stop these bastards." Olivia hissed, forcing herself upright through sheer force of will. Nanu rolled his eyes, but allowed the woman to lean on his shoulder for a moment.
He then shoved her towards Kiawe so he could do it instead, earning a glare from Olivia and a surprised look from Kiawe.
Mallow just stared in complete confusion.
"Um, Uncle Nanu?" The group turned around and saw Acerola looked at the generator for the barrier within the stadium. She pointed at it and everyone spotted the strange disc-like device attached it, bearing a strange sigil. A gold and silver crown bearing a stylized letter C.
"Is that their symbol? Looks fancy." Mallow remarked, tilting her head as she examined it. Nanu sighed, shaking his head with annoyance.
"Looks like they've tampered with the generator. Tch. It's been a while, but I think I can get this sorted out. You kids watch my back. I have no doubt they'll be sending everything they've got to make sure this barrier stays up." Nanu instructed the Captains, who all nodded.
"I've got some healing supplies on me!" Acerola said to the others, who called out their fainted Pokémon. Nanu promptly ignored her, instead focusing on taking care of the device. Though at the same time he wondered…
Who was the Admin in the mask? And what were they hiding?
"Crabbominable, use Ice Hammer!" Hala bellowed as two Peons opened fire with their weapons, filling the air with gunfire. Hala's prized Pokémon roared as the bullets bounced off of its powerful skin, and were smashed aside by the Wooly Crab Pokémon's powerful attack. Their Pokémon charged forward, overwhelming the massive beast and forcing Hau to step in.
"Duke, hit 'em with Psychic! Cassy, Aqua Jet! Kaha, Shadow Ball rapid-fire!" Hau called out, running forward as Kaha let out a cry from atop his head. The Eevee cried out, firing off Shadow Balls as quickly as possible while his other Pokémon swarmed the Shadow Pokémon attacking his grandfather's Pokémon. Hala smiled with pride at seeing how far his grandson had come.
"He'll make a fine Kahuna, someday." Hala thought fondly, stepping forward and clapping the child on the shoulder. Hau looked surprised as he looked back at Hala, but grinned at the Kahuna before turning forward. Hala himself limped forward and approached the downed Cipher Peons, who were struggling to their feet.
"Where is that masked man? The one who nearly killed me?" Hala demanded, with the Peons remaining silent. Hala sighed, but lashed out with two powerful punches to the face that knocked out two of the men. Hala stood tall over them, but was surprised when both men suddenly sank into the ground, becoming enveloped by their shadows.
"I guess Cipher is using Pokémon to make sure their knocked out people stay out of the fight, just like how Tapu Lele teleported everyone injured to safety." Hau remarked, with Hala nodding after a moment.
"You're correct. However, we have more pressing matters." Hala grunted, glancing down at the burns on his left leg and arm. "We cannot keep this up forever. My team is still weak from that battle from earlier, and I fear I'll become a target in my injured state."
Hau looked at them too, worried, but shrugged that off. "Tutu, we can have Tapu Lele help you out! It was amazing earlier, and it could probably help you in a snap!" Hau said bracingly, making Hala chuckle.
"Perhaps. Though maybe some pudding and a nap will assist in that." Hala laughed, walking forward as his grandson bounded alongside them. They both then heard two clicks behind them, making them stop.
"Freeze!"
Hau and Hala both remained perfectly still as two Cipher Peons slowly entered their line of sight, aiming rifles at the two of them with narrowed eyes.
"Move an inch and we'll shoot." One of the men grunted, glancing at the Pokémon that were tensed up, ready for a fight. "Same goes for you lot. Don't move a muscle or your Trainers are as good as dead."
Hala swore softly, making Hau wonder if Miss Smiles would suddenly burst in through the window. On the one hand, she would save them. On the other hand, Hala wouldn't be able to sit down for a week.
"That's right, hands in the air where we can see them." One of the Peons growled, smirking after a moment. "The Kahuna and his grandson. They'll be good hostages, yeah?"
"Better than some of the other ones we've gotten a hold of. And since we're not having the Idiot Brothers guard people, we can probably keep them there for way longer. Now…" the man trailed off, frowning as he cocked his head to the side. "Do you hear music?"
"What do you...wait, yeah. I do! The hell?" the two Peons glanced around, confused as they lowered their weapons slightly. The music grew louder and louder, which confused them all further, at least until a very tall man moon-walked out from behind a nearby building, spinning around and doing a hip-thrust towards them.
"Hello, my adoring public! Your savior has returned!" Miror B. proclaimed as he strutted towards the group, making both Cipher Peons drop their jaws in shock. Hau smiled widely, holding back a laugh.
"Holy shit...That's Admin Miror B. The Dancing God himself!" one of the Peons yelled out, almost sounding excited. The other nudged his partner roughly, surprising him.
"Focus, man. This feels weird…" the other Peon remarked, scowling after a moment. "So, the traitor comes back. What are you up to?"
"~Oh yeah, baby...Just keeeeep on groovin'!~" Miror B. sang out, striking several pops and locks as the Cipher Peons slowly lowered their weapons in confusion. That got them absolutely nowhere. Hala and Hau exchanged a small glance, absolutely bewildered at what was going on. Was this strange man about to help them out of this tight spot?
"Sir, what are you doing? You do realize there's a massive battle going on, right? Is this really the time to be dancing?" The first Peon asked curiously as Miror B. The other elbowed his partner, looking annoyed.
"Dude, he's not a sir anymore. He stopped being an Admin years ago! He's just another enemy to Cipher!" the more sensible Peon remarked, shifting his weapon to the dancer as Miror B. spun around elegantly.
"Perhaps so, darlings! But you forget...I'm always the center of attention no matter where I go!" Miror B. cried out as he continued to groove, making Hala secretly jealous that he couldn't move like that anymore.
"Center of attention…" the more serious Peon muttered before his eyes widened in horror. "Wait a second! It's a trick!"
Right as that thought was called out, two men leaped out from an alleyway and crashed into the two men, kicking the both of them in the nuts before headbutting them to the ground. Miror B. chuckled as Trudly and Folly pummeled the two men, even using their own fallen weapons as bludgeons until the two Peons were unconscious.
"And that, my little bitches, was called a distraction. ~Nighty night!~" Miror B. sang, wearing a mischievous grin and a wink as both men fell unconscious. The Wanderer looked over at Hau and Hala and gave them a small wave. "I always love doing that trick, It never fails!"
"That was some distraction. You said you've done that before. How many times, out of curiosity?" Hala asked the dancer, who put his hands on his hips and chuckled.
"Seven in the past hour. Before that, me and my boys were hiding in the pancake-taco hut eating our hearts out." Miror B. said shamelessly, licking his fingers with a twinkling smile.
"And taking money out of the register. I mean, Miror B. ate there. They owe us the money for the great PR we gave them." One of Miror B.'s cronies said with a chuckle, making Hala and Hau narrow their eyes.
"...I'm pretty sure that's stealing." Hau piped up after a few moments of silence.
"I prefer to think of it as a redistribution of wealth, sweetie." Miror B. replied cheekily, winking at Hau.
"I prefer to-" Hala began to say, but a Shadow Gengar suddenly rose out of the ground and let out a snarl of fury, making the trio suddenly let out shrieks and run in the other direction.
"What a bunch of weenies." Hau stated, with Hala shaking his head. Hala pointed forward as his Crabombinable released an Ice Beam at the creature, making it retreat into the shadows. The Cipher Peon who had tried attacking them jogged off, leaving the grandfather and grandson alone.
"They're an interesting bunch. I'll have to investigate them when this mess is all done with. For now, we should continue helping out. There's still hundreds of these people here." Hala remarked as he and Hau continued through the city, before they both spotted Sun running ahead, to their surprise.
"Sun, my boy!" Hala boomed, catching Sun's attention. Sun grinned and waved, only for a Cipher Peon to suddenly teleport in front of him with an Alakazam and blast him and his team backwards with a Psychic. The boy crashed onto the ground, screaming in agony and clutching his chest as the woman advanced towards him.
"The Prince is down! Moving forward to collect!" the Peon barked into her helmet's radio, grinning nastily as her Alakazam floated forward grimly. Hau felt a ripple of white-hot fury as he watched his friend, curled up on the ground and shaking in pain.
"Oh no you don't! Kaha, Shadow Ball! Rapid-fire! Get her!" Hau screamed out, surprising Hala with the outburst of anger. Likewise, Hala scowled and recalled his Crabominable and sent out his Hawlucha. However he quickly realized that he didn't need to help out, as a Braviary and Swellow suddenly shot down out of the air and swarmed the evil woman's Alakazam, hitting it with a Brave Bird and an Aerial Ace before Kaha's Shadow Balls made contact. The Cipher Peon swore and pulled out a rifle, aiming it at the two attacking birds, but Oliver suddenly shot forward with a screech and kicked the rifle out of the woman's hand before Penny blasted both the Peon and her Alakazam to the ground with Echoed Voice.
Hau jogged over to Sun, dropping down to the ground with a worried expression on his face. Rotom Dex hovered above the boy, beeping loudly.
"Bzz-zz-zzt! Sun, speak to me! You gotta get up, buddy!" Rotom Dex cried out, sounding genuinely scared for his friend.
"You good, man? That was a nasty hit." Hau asked, looking Sun over.
"M-m-my chest…" the boy groaned as he struggled to breathe, clutching his chest with both hands. Hala gently pushed Hau and aside and painfully knelt on the ground.
"Take it easy for a moment. Focus on the pain...And breathe. Slow...in...and out." Hala grumbled, lifting up Sun's shirt to examine the injury. Several angry rib splotches streaked across Sun's chest, and Hala gently pressed on several spots, making Sun scream out in pain.
"Definitely broken ribs. Perhaps three. You should be resting, not trying to run through a battleground." Hala said as Hau snapped his fingers in thought.
"Sun, I'm gonna help you stand again. Lean against me when you're up, got it?" Hau said to his best friend as Hala dropped Sun's shirt, who painfully nodded. "Duke, use Psychic to lift Sun upright."
The Alolan Raichu did just that, gently moving Sun without aggravating his ribs. Once the boy was upright and standing again, Hau allowed his best friend to lean heavily against him. Hala sighed, running a hand through his gray hair.
"I...I got attacked by Amber before. K-kicked me in the ribs. This...this just made that way worse. But I can't stop. I've got to help Adrian. I can make Dawson stop this…" Sun wheezed, trying to stand on his own. Hau watched his friend do this worriedly, but after a minute of effort Sun stood without leaning on Hau, even as his two birds watched him worriedly. Sun looked to Ollie's Swellow and Braviary, smiling at them.
"Thanks you two. Can you watch over me a bit longer? I've got to get to that statue." Sun asked the two larger birds, who both chirped and nodded in response.
"Are you sure we should go there? You mentioned stopping this Dawson person, but you're hurt pretty badly, Trainer." Penny asked, looking up at the boy.
"I'll be okay. I've got to be strong. Besides, with an awesome team like mine, I can't lose." Sun said with a painful smile, making Penny smile back. But Oliver was less convinced.
"Sun, I...You should take it easy. I don't like seeing you get hurt again and again." Oliver said quietly, looking away from the boy. Sun's eyes softened and he knelt down, gritting his teeth at the pain before putting a hand on Oliver's head. The owl looked at Sun and stared into his eyes.
"I know. And thank you, Oliver. But I need to do this. Dawson's lost, just like Dad is. But there's still a chance we can make him understand. I think I can make him stop all of this. No...I know I can make him stop. I believe that there's still some good left in him." Sun said to Oliver, who nodded after a moment. "I'm going to need all of your help. I'm hurt right now, so I'm going to be counting on you all to make sure I stay safe. Okay?"
"Got it!" Oliver and Penny chirped in unison, making Sun grin.
"That is risky, Sun. That Dawson man has played a very calculated game. You're skilled, but that man is not an Admin of Cipher for nothing. I imagine this will be your hardest battle yet." Hala rumbled, though he put a hand to his chin in thought. Several more Cipher Peons began to notice the trio on the street, and began heading towards them. Hala grunted, placing himself in between Sun and the criminals.
"Go then, my boy! I can tell your heart is set! Perhaps we will be close behind to lend some assistance, but for now we shall ensure these people don't follow you. Hau, with me!" Hala boomed, with the Peons flinching at the strength in the Kahuna's voice.
"Alright guys, let's do this!" Hau called out with a grin, squaring off against the Cipher Peons as his team surged forward. The grandfather and his grandson stood their ground as Sun made a break for the statue, gritting his teeth as his ribs seared with intense pain.
He knew there wasn't any time to waste.
"Hell yeah, it's the Boss!"
"Big Bad Guzma is here!"
"We're saved!"
"Aww yeaaaah!"
Guzma chuckled, soaking in the adoration of Team Skull for a moment as Amber Fontaine struggled back to her feet, looking stunned as a line of blood dripped down from the corner of her mouth. Avis' eyes narrowed and she shot towards Guzma with Aerial Ace, screeching in fury.
"First Impression." Guzma said calmly, with Golisopod suddenly flickering out of existence. He reappeared in front of Avis and swiped at the Xatu with a powerful glowing claw, smashing her into the ground. Avis lay there, stunned, while Amber watched on with some surprise. Guzma crouched low, assuming a squatting position with a look of calm smugness on his face. "Liquidation."
Amber scowled as Golisopod snarled, raising a massive hand who's claws extended with water before bringing it down, but the hand was thrown back by a blast of Psychic from a slowly emerging Xatu. Avis shot forward, releasing an Air Slash at Golisopod and forcing it back a step. Avis flew high into the air, panting as Guzma and Golisopod stared up at her. By that point Amber was standing again, looking annoyed. "That really hurt, you know. I'll have to kill you for that."
"That's my line. You don't mess with my family, hoebag. Guzma's gonna thrash your scrawny ginger ass until there's nothing left." the man said, standing back up and cracking his neck.
"You're not the first to make that claim. Your buddy Kukui can't seem to take me on. What makes you think you can take me on?" Amber asked Guzma, who chuckled in response.
"You both are looking a little tired. Beating some crazy killer with a worn-out team will be child's play. I mean, don't get me wrong. I understand. Not everyone can have my stamina when it comes to destruction." Guzma shrugged, his tone mocking. Kukui fought the urge to roll his eyes. Guzma shot the man a look and said, "You got something to say, Kukui?"
"Oh no, not at all. I'm just surprised you didn't boast about your so-called stamina in the bedroom, Guzma." Kukui replied, slowly and painfully getting to his feet. Guzma scoffed, shaking his head.
"I don't joke about that very often because it's a curse, not a gift. I mean, when all the ladies in Alola are clamoring for Guzma, you don't get much sleep at night. Not every man has my unquestionable charisma and good looks, so it's a burden I must bare alone." Guzma said with a small sigh, though he was still grinning.
"I'm guessing humility isn't something that you've bothered with since the last time we met." Kukui grunted, glancing down at his leg. He wouldn't be winning any marathons anytime soon.
"Humility? Kukui, do you know who you're talking to? I'm Guzma. I don't need humility. And you wonder why you have a hard time getting me to give a damn about what you have to say." Guzma remarked snidely.
"I just figured that was because it's hard to get much to penetrate that thick skull of yours, Bonehead." Kukui shot back, making Guzma glare at Kukui with a flicker of fury in his eyes.
"I'm going to penetrate your wife with my cock, Kukui." Guzma replied, making the Professor scowl angrily in response. "Now shut your face, I'm busy cleaning up another one of your messes." Guzma snapped, turning back to face Amber as the woman smirked. Avis was staring at Guzma with a look of confusion on her face.
"Who is this man? He's so...odd." Avis questioned.
"I'm the hated boss who beats you down, and beats you down, and never let's up. I'm your boy Guzma, leader of Team Skull. And I'll be administering the ass-whopping you're about to receive." Guzma said to Amber and Avis, a sneer on his face.
"I've heard of you before, actually. I didn't recognize him at first, but now I do. From what I understand, you're an interesting one alright. Mask had a profile on him. Guzma, leader of Team Skull. Bug-type Pokémon specialist, and former apprentice of Hala Pakelaai. Despite being a high-profile Pokémon Trainer, you're one of the very few not to become an Island Challenge Champion." Amber stated as Avis landed next to her, heaving slightly. Beside the two of them, Umbral Rhyperior snorted, shifting its massive frame slightly.
"Not bad. I guess even a bunch of freaks like Cipher want to know all about Guzma. But the thing is, Amber Fontaine, that a little bit of insider knowledge means jack squat when you're facing the genuine article. And I don't need no fancy Island Amulet or Z-Ring to tell me that I'm the best Trainer in these islands. You dig?" Guzma asked the woman, who grinned back at him.
"Then show me what you've got. I may be slowing down, but if you don't think I can't still kill every person in this city still you're dead wrong." Amber replied, drawing a silver dagger from within her armor and flipping it backwards.
"Bring it on, bitch." Guzma breathed, his eyes suddenly lighting up with excitement. Team Skull began to cheer loudly, with Plumeria appearing in front of them with a worried expression.
"Kick her ass, Guzma!" Plumeria shouted, with Guzma nodding as he squatted down on the ground, a grin appearing on his face. Avis let out a screech and fired off a Shadow Ball, with Guzma grinning.
"Shadow Claw. Then Swords Dance to power-up" Guzma ordered, with Golisopod nodding as it stepped forward, swatting the Shadow Ball away with a claw of shadowy energy. The massive bug then used Swords Dance, a faint red glow surrounding its body while Avis fired off an Air Slash.
"She's keeping her distance. I hit her with Taunt a few minutes ago, so she can't recover or evade like she could before. She's playing it safe." Kukui said aloud, with Guzma scoffing.
"No shit, buttmunch. I've got a fix for that." Guzma remarked, grinning nastily. "Butterfree, Shadow Ball."
"Freee!" the Butterfly Pokémon cried out, fluttering up into the air and charging up a sphere of darkness, firing it off and hitting Avis out of the sky as an explosion of force sent her downwards.
"Avis! Snap out of it!" Amber shouted as the Xatu plummeted towards the ground. The Xatu flared her wings, halting her descent, glaring at Golisopod before darting towards it with Aerial Ace. Guzma didn't look the slightest bit bothered.
"Use Return." Guzma said, crouching low as Avis smashed into Golisopod, with the Hard Scale Pokémon hissing in pain at the move. The massive bug glowed a harsh white color before punching Avis hard, sending her crashing onto the ground senseless, creating a small crater in the concrete from where she landed. Amber frowned at that, returning the fainted Avis as Guzma laughed.
"One down! You gonna quit yet?" Guzma taunted the woman, who shrugged.
"Not bad at all...But I'm not done yet." Amber said as she snapped her fingers. Umbral Rhyperior stiffened at that, stepping forward with a groan. Guzma chuckled, his grin widening as he took in the sight of the mutated and strange-looking Umbral Pokémon. The beast shuddered, the pitch-black eyes of the beast narrowed as the darkness billowing around it flickered in the breeze.
"Heh...doesn't look so tough. Liquidation." Guzma ordered Golisopod, who charged forward and slashed at the monster ahead of it with watery claws, which didn't even make a dent in the powerful armor of Umbral Rhyperior.
"Umbral Smash." Amber instructed the Umbral Pokémon, who let out a soft growl before suddenly charging forward, the darkness surrounding it exploding outward before the monster collided with Golisopod, knocking the Hard Scale Pokémon back several feet as it made a groan of pain, several cracks appearing on its armor. Guzma's eyes widened as his strongest Pokémon suddenly began to glow a faint green color, suddenly vanishing into its Poké Ball at his waist.
"Aw, did your Pokémon run away?" Amber asked with a smirk.
"Naw, that was it's Ability...But how the hell did a single attack hurt him that much? That thing ain't normal." Guzma muttered as his Butterfree landed on his head.
"Guzma, you can't take her lightly! She's destroyed half the city with that Rhyperior, you've got to be careful!" Kukui warned the man, who simply replied with a middle finger salute.
"Ain't no way in hell I'm taking advice from you, Johnny. So as the kids say...go fuck yourself with a rake." Guzma said, turning his attention back to Amber.
Kukui sighed, digging into his coat. "Fine, if you're going to just get yourself killed, be my guest. Just take this. It'll help."
Professor Kukui pulled out an old Z-Ring, which made Guzma blink in surprise before the man tossed it towards the Team Skull Boss. Guzma caught it with ease, admiring it for a moment before looking at Kukui with an expression of wonder. It quickly became a look of pure scorn
"You really do keep this old thing with you...You're an idiot." Guzma muttered, though he slipped the Z-Ring onto his wrist regardless, marveling at how the device still fit his wrist perfectly after all these years.
"You'll need it to deal with that Umbral Pokémon. It can take an incredible amount of damage and heal injuries. It's a killing machine with no soul, Guzma. You've got to take it seriously." Kukui warned the man, who scoffed.
"That's stupid, and I don't care." Guzma responded, looking forward at Amber. "Shadow Pokémon. Umbral Pokémon. None of it means shit to me. Because I'll beat down anything that gets in my way."
"Call out all of your Pokémon. This is the strongest thing we have in our arsenal right now. Even if we hadn't tired out Tapu Lele, Umbral Rhyperior would have beaten it. Deoxys can't stop it, nor can any of the other Legendaries we've got in our little collection. So hit me with your best shot!" Amber called out, charging forward at Guzma.
"Alright then! Ain't the first time I-Whoa!" Guzma ducked under a slash from Amber, pushing her backwards before swinging around with a roundhouse kick, which Amber blocked with some effort. Amber shoved away the man's leg before dashing forward, slashing and stabbing at Guzma in a wild frenzy, with the taller man barely able to avoid the slashes before kicking Amber in the chest and sending her tumbling backwards. Amber rolled and stood right back up, drawing a pistol before shouting, "Ambral Artillery!"
"Psychic to block and land on my head." Guzma grunted, calling out his Masquerain. "Help out with Silver Wind!"
Rhyperior screamed out as it threw out its arms, firing a maelstrom of rock-like bullets at Guzma and his Pokémon. Butterfree's eyes shone like beacons while Masquerain fluttered its wings hard, creating a powerful wind that slowed down the attack slightly as Butterfree tried to stop it altogether. Guzma snatched Butterfree out of the air and began to charge at Amber, dodging the weaving past the much-slower attack as Amber watched him with surprise. As soon as Guzma made it past the initial wave, he threw Butterfree into the air and yelled, "Psybeam!"
Amber fired her pistol, with Guzma diving to the side to dodge the shot as Butterfree shot its beam at the assassin, striking her in the chest and sending her weapon cluttering to the ground. Guzma scooped it up, admiring it for a moment before he aimed it at Amber.
"You think I ain't having people keep on eye on your demented ass? I know what that thing can do. I just know that I can beat it." Guzma remarked as Amber stared at him, looking impressed.
"You're certainly a better challenge that I was expecting. Umbral Smash!" Amber shouted, with Guzma whirling around as Rhyperior turned towards them, charging at the Team Skull Boss before a massive blast of water struck it in the side. Umbral Rhyperior stumbled, glancing up at Masquerain with hate in its eyes.
"Get out of there!" Guzma shouted as Amber grinned evilly.
"Stone Edge!" Amber shouted, with Rhyperior throwing up its arms and sending up massive spires of glowing blue rock, slamming into the Eyeball Pokémon and sending it fluttering towards the ground.
"Umbral Smash!" Amber shouted, getting to her feet and running at Guzma. The man took aim and fired several times, with the bullets bouncing off of the woman's armor before she managed to tackle Guzma to the ground, kicking away the empty pistol and slamming an armored fist into the man's face. Meanwhile, Umbral Rhyperior charged forward, smashing into the falling Masquerain and sending it flying into a nearby lampost, where it remained embedded into the metal.
"Masquerain!" Guzma shouted, kicking off the assassin with a furious yell as he turned to see his Pokémon twitching in the lampost. It looked like both of its wings were broken, and it was slowly oozing bloodish goo from one of its eyes. Guzma returned his badly injured Pokémon, turning towards Amber with a wild look of fury on his face.
"One down…" Amber said quietly, grinning at the Team Skull Boss as he grit his teeth.
"This means nothing. Scizor, cut this monster down to size!" Guzma growled, running forward. Amber charged forward to meet him, slashing at the man's chest as he ducked under the swing, tackling her to the ground. The two Trainers rolled along the ground, trading blows as Amber tried to stab the man, succeeding in nicking his chest and neck before Guzma punched her hard in the jaw, making the two two Trainers charged at each other again, exchanging a series of powerful punches and kicks, which allowed Kukui to see how Guzma had grown as a fighter since the time they had last met.
It was clear that while Kukui was more technically proficient as a fighter, Guzma could tank hits and dish them out with far more power. The man was much better suited to brawling with Amber Fontaine, able to hit her in ways that made her feel the pain despite the strong armor she wore. As Amber kicked Guzma in the back of the leg, and getting elbowed in the throat for her troubles, and two separated again.
"Poison Powder! Iron Head and Bullet Punch!" Guzma barked as Amber ran at him, leaping into the air with a spinning kick that Guzma caught. With a shout of effort, Guzma tightened his grip on the woman's leg and swung her around and over his head, smashing her down into the ground, cracking her head open on the pavement.
Meanwhile, Butterfree was scattering poisonous spores around Umbral Rhyperior as Scizor sped towards the beast and slammed its head into it, forcing the monster back as the speedy Bug/Steel-type delivered a swift barrage of powerful punches, which the monster just took. Kukui noticed this, and realized that the Umbral Pokémon had a massive weakness to it.
"Guzma, that thing can't act without a command! If she can't order it to do anything, it's a sitting duck!" Kukui shouted as Guzma wrenched Amber's foot, making her shout in pain before the woman kicked away his hand and sprang to her feet with a wince, throwing a knife at Guzma who caught it. Guzma's hand began to bleed, but his grin after the fact showed he didn't care at all.
"Thanks for the update. But as I've said before, I don't need your help." Guzma breathed, running forward as Amber dashed at him, the two exchanging several blows with the blades before Amber slammed the blade home into Guzma's chest.
"Guzma!" Kukui shouted.
"Boss!" Plumeria and many of the Team Skull Grunts screamed. Guzma staggered back, a surprised look on his face...that suddenly changed into a grin, even as blood dripped down his face.
"How's that stab wound treating you?" Amber asked, grinning before she said, "Umbral Smash! Knock that Scizor away and then take care of Butterfree with Stone Edge!"
Umbral Rhyperior roared, charging forward and colliding with Scizor, making the Pincer Pokémon skid backwards across the concrete with a shout of pain. Umbral Rhyperior screamed as it threw its hands into the air, summoning a Stone Edge that Butterfree barely avoided. However, it was obvious that the poison that now flowed within the veins of Umbral Rhyperior was taking effect as the monster's breathing became labored. Scizor suddenly sprinted at Umbral Rhyperior with both pincers open wide, going for the head. Amber's eyes widened as the Pincer Pokémon swiped at her Pokémon's eyes, and the scream of agony from the beast told her that some serious damage had been done.
"Damn it. Kill them, Rhyperior! Stone Edge!" Amber barked as her Pokémon threw up more stone pillars, knocking back the armored mantis.
"Just go down already!" Guzma barked as Scizor jumped back, panting heavily from the damage that it had taken. Despite this, Guzma could see that the injuries the monster had been dealt wasn't repairing itself anymore. Umbral Rhyperior was shaking slightly, twitching as its one eye glared at them both.
"Psybeam and Bullet Punch! Don't get hit…and as for this knife" Guzma ordered his Pokémon, grinning like an animal as he ripped out the dagger with a spray of blood and charged at Amber, who grinned at the man.
What surprised everyone was when Guzma's hair parted slightly, allowing a string of web to fire out of it and hit Amber directly in the chest. Before the Admin could process this, she was suddenly getting pulled towards Guzma, who leapt into the air and drop-kicked the woman in the face, sending her crashing down onto the ground with a scream of pain. Guzma landed on the concrete with a pained gasp as a green spider scuttled out of his hair, looking worried.
"Give me some web...q-quick…" Guzma muttered, holding out a hand. The Spinarak complied, spraying a glob of web in Guzma's hand and allowing him to stuff the web into the bleeding wound.
"Not a perfect fit...but it'll work. Thanks little guy." Guzma breathed, grabbing the little spider and putting it into his hair as he glanced over at his team, scowling as he noticed that despite the constant wave of attacks they were dishing out, they still weren't any closer to beating this thing.
Amber got to her feet, grinning tiredly at Guzma, her entire body heaving as she tried to catch her breath. "Wasn't expecting that."
"Most never don't. My awesome hair is the perfect little nest, eh?" Guzma remarked smugly as Spinarak shot out Poison Sting at Amber, making the woman cover her face as the stingers bounced off of her armor. This let Guzma get close and deliver a powerful clothesline to the woman, knocking her down again. Guzma picked up the stunned woman and threw her to the ground, panting hard as he let out a laugh.
"Man...it's kinda bad that I had to put a sticky white load into the hole, but hey...it was bound to happen in this fight sooner or later." Guzma laughed, making Amber stare at him blankly from the ground. She turned to Kukui with a questioning look as she got back up.
"He's always been like that." Kukui answered for her, making Amber nod before turning back to Guzma. "Umbral Artillery."
Umbral Rhyperior screamed as it swatted at Scizor, knocking back the Pincer Pokémon as the Drill Pokémon threw out its arms and unloaded an onslaught of bullet-like rocks at the duo of Butterfree and Scizor. Butterfree tried to slow down the attack with Psychic, but it was too much for it alone. Scizor quickly snatched Butterfree out of the air wrapped its arms around it, turning around and shielding it with his own body from the attack. Guzma's eyes widened as the attack washed over his Scizor, downing it after a few moments. Butterfree was spared, but Scizor's armor was badly damaged and dented all over, with both of its claws mangled and beaten from the attack.
"You...you bitch." Guzma hissed, returning his Scizor. Amber chuckled, even as Guzma noticed that one side of her face was swollen from his drop-kick and her own blood coated her hair and face. She could only see out of one eye, just like her Umbral Rhyperior. Guzma called out Pinsir, scowling angrily at the woman as he charged at her.
"Submission! Brick Break! Butterfree, keep your distance and support him!" Guzma shouted as he charged at Amber, who threw two throwing knives at him. Spinarak blasted them out of the air with Poison Sting and Guzma threw a punch into the armored chest of Amber, sending her crashing to the ground. Kukui longed to move, but he knew that Guzma would probably attack him if he tried. Guzma looked down at his dislocated knuckles and calmly popped them back into place, not even wincing from the pain.
"S-shit...Agh…" Amber panted, glaring up at Guzma from the ground as she tried to get back up. The man in question smirked before suddenly kicking Amber in the skull, sending her rolling several feet away with more blood streaming down her forehead. Guzma stomped forward and kicked down on her arm, making her grunt in pain. Guzma kept on stomping down, grinning sadistically.
"You think you can just show up and try to invade Team Skull's turf! No way! And ain't no one stepping to Guzma and not getting thrashed! I'm gonna beat you down, and beat you down, until there's nothing left!" Guzma barked, picking up Amber's limp frame and throwing her backwards onto the pavement. Umbral Rhyperior simply watched silently, unable to attack without a command as Pinsir and Butterfree continued to assault the beast. Amber hit the ground with a grunt, trying to get back up as Guzma plucked her dagger off of the ground, grinning widely as he stalked forward and jammed the blade into the back of her leg where there was less armor protecting it. Amber yelled out as more crimson spilled onto the ground.
"Guzma, stop! You've beaten her, you don't have to kill her!" Kukui shouted, with the man giving him a look.
"What are you, stupid? She's a fucking psychopathic killer! She tried destroying the entire goddamn city, you moron. I ain't showing her any mercy." Guzma grunted, snapping his fingers. "Butterfree, come here. Pinsir, keep up the pressure."
"Rhyperior...Umbral Sp-" Amber began to say, but Guzma stomped down on her face, silencing her.
"Butterfree, use Psychic to snap her neck-" Guzma began to say, only for Kukui to shove the man angrily, wearing an expression of disgust.
"You're really to sink that low? To her level?"Kukui said angrily as he hobbled forward, only for Guzma to suddenly kick him in the leg, sending him crashing down to the ground. Guzma whirled around to order his Butterfree to silence the woman, only for Amber to point a finger at him.
"Umbral Spear!" Amber commanded the monster beside her, which shuddered to life with a snarl as it took aim and shot a massive spike of rock right at Guzma. The man was suddenly engulfed in a blue glow and thrown aside, his Butterfree flowing forward as it tried to save her Trainer and stop the attack, only for the Umbral Spear to impale the Butterfly Pokémon through the chest.
"NO!" Guzma screamed, watching the Pokémon go limp as it was raised high into the air. The pillar retreated into the ground and Butterfree dropped towards the ground, only for Guzma to run forward to catch it. Kukui knew even before it fell into Guzma's arms that the Pokémon was already dead.
"I'm not going to lose to someone like you...Not after the hell that I've been through." Amber wheezed, getting to her feet and leaning against her Umbral Rhyperior as Guzma stared at his slain Butterfree with shock on his face. Pinsir suddenly ran at the Drill Pokémon without a command, snarling angrily as it charged up both of its fists for a Brick Break. Guzma quickly grabbed a Poké Ball and returned Butterfree, getting to his feet as he yelled out, "Pinsir, Superpower!"
"Stone Edge!" Amber shouted as the Stag Beetle Pokémon leapt forward, using its pincers to grab Umbral Rhyperior by the horn as the Bug-type glowed white. With a scream of effort, the Stag Battle Pokémon succeeded in picking up the beast and throwing him back down into the ground with hellacious force, shaking the entire street.
"Holy shit…" Kukui breathed, amazed at how well Guzma had trained his Pokémon in the last few years.
"Stone Edge again, while it's above you!" Amber shouted, anger seeping into her voice as Rhyperior's remaining eye narrowed and it sent a single pillar of rock smashing into Pinsir, sending it flying through the air. The Stag Beetle Pokémon crashed down into the ground with a crunch, wincing in pain. Guzma stared at Amber, but noticed something about Umbral Rhyperior.
The strange aura of darkness that surrounded the beast was become a more twisted shade of black, with flickers of purple and red within it. "It's aura is darkening…" Guzma muttered, shaking slightly as he looked down at the Poké Ball that contained his fallen Butterfree. Wordlessly he sent out Golisopod again, with Pinsir hissing angry at the beast ahead of them.
"Braviary, use Brave Bird! Lycanroc, Accelerock!" Guzma glanced to the left and saw Kukui standing up, glaring down Amber as his Pokémon shot forward, striking the Umbral Pokémon twice and knocking it down.
"Come on, Guzma. We've got to work together! I know she can't take the both of us." Kukui said to the man, almost pleadingly. Guzma scoffed, but decided to just let the man assist him. It was obvious that Amber wasn't above killing his Pokémon and he knew he didn't want to see another one die. He'd deal with Kukui later.
"Go for it, you idiot. Pinsir, Brick Break! Golisopod, Liquidation!" Guzma bellowed, throwing out a hand.
"Stone Edge!" Amber shouted, limping away from Umbral Rhyperior as it unleashed a series of stone pillars forward. Lycanroc shot forward again with Accelerock, smashing through two of them and allowing Pinsir and Golisopod to break through, striking Umbral Rhyperior with their attacks, making it roar in pain as it staggered back.
"Steel Wing, Braviary! Lycanroc, let's get ready for a Z-Move, oh yeah!" Kukui shouted as the wolf bounded back towards him, with Braviary repeatedly battering the rock monster with its wing strikes of steel. Amber scowled, remembering how Kukui bested Rhyperior last time with a Z-Move.
"I can't let them get the upper hand...Umbral Artiallary!" Amber shouted, with the monster roaring loudly and unloading the attack onto all of them. Kukui hit the deck, throwing himself onto the ground as Golisopod shielded Guzma with his own body, while everyone else was showered in the deadly pellets of rock.
"Agh! Doesn't that thing ever get tired!?" Guzma demanded as Golisopod shuddered in pain, purple fluid drip down the body of his trusted Partner. The attack finally ended as Golisopod fell to the ground, heaving in pain and allowing Guzma to see the devastation that the attack had wrought. Kukui had managed to escape the carnage with some scraps, but Lycanroc was badly hurt. Braviary was out cold, with several deep gashes in its feathers. Pinsir was the worst, though, as its pincers were badly chipped and cracked and it was bleeding from several places on its body. Guzma returned his Pokémon, painfully aware that most of his team was down and out.
Kukui returned Braviary, calling out Winter instead. "Ice Beam!"
The Alolan Ninetails fired off a wicked beam of ice, striking the massive beast and making it roar in pain. Kukui and Guzma both saw the aura around the monster darken another few shades, this time becoming tinged with white. Rhyperior fell to one knee, heaving as it tried to catch its breath.
"It's almost there! Come on, guys! Blizzard! Stone Edge!" Kukui shouted, punching forward. Amber grit her teeth as the whirlwind of snow slammed into her, stinging her injuries and blowing her down to the ground.
"Rhyperior, hit them with everything you have left! Umbral Uprising!" Amber shouted from the ground, with Rhyperior letting out a scream of fury before slamming down its arms, creating a series of portals all around them.
"Lycanroc, Protect!" Kukui shouted as the canine's eyes widened and it cast a barrier around them. However, to their surprise, the portals simply vanished into nothingness.
"Huh...So that was a dud." Guzma muttered, glancing around in surprise.
"Shit...Earthquake!" Amber shouted, with Rhyperior raising a hand and punching the ground, creating a massive shockwave that sent all of them crashing down to the ground, even Amber. But as the Admin looked up, she couldn't help but laugh at Guzma as toppled to the ground, clutching his body and writhing in pain.
"Just...as I thought. You fought me...and fought me...But you can't beat me!" Amber shouted gleefully as she slowly stood back up, making Guzma glare at her.
"Come closer and say that, bitch...I'll wrap my hands around your throat and see who's beaten who…" Guzma growled, trying to push himself upright. Guzma saw that Kukui and his remaining team were struggling to get up as well, with Lycanroc looking particularly beaten up. Kukui was struggling with his hurt leg, as well, and it was clear the man would be of no further help against Amber.
"Nah...I'll just let Rhyperior deal with you. I don't know why I ever thought a weakling like you would be a challenge." Amber laughed painfully, making Guzma grit his teeth.
"Shut your damn mouth!" Guzma snarled, with Golisopod heaving itself off of the ground through sheer willpower, glaring at Amber with hate in its eyes.
"Rock Blast." Amber said smoothly, with Umbral Rhyperior holding up an arm and firing a series of bullet-like rocks at Golisopod and Guzma, knocking the bug down again and making Guzma snarl in pain as the rocks tore through his skin and clothes, splattering the ground with more blood. Three waves of rocks hit the Hard Scale Pokémon and his Trainer before the attack stopped, leaving both of them shaking in pain. Kukui watched the display with disgust as Amber mocked the man further, delighting in how difficult he was finding the task to stand.
"No. I won't shut up. But I do think it's amusing that you're so angry about that. What, don't like being called weak?" Amber asked, grinning at the man.
"I said...SHUT UP!" Guzma screamed at her, managing to get onto both of his knees.
"Nah. Don't feel like it...I'm going to enjoy this. I haven't felt this alive in a long while. And I have so many people I'll enjoy killing. That girl and her brother. That little Captain. Tapu Lele. The good Professor over there. But I'll continue on this path of darkness by finishing your pathetic ass off. You talked so much trash, but in the end you were just another weakling who couldn't get the job done. Like everyone else who thought they could stop me." Amber said to Guzma, who glared at the woman with eyes that burned with hate. Golisopod groaned as it slowly began to move again, fighting against the pain and letting sheer rage give it the strength to rise once more.
"You're still going to fight, huh? You're stupid. Another stupid, foolish man thinking that they can stop the monster that's come to help usher in a new world. You're not worth keeping alive, Guzma. You're not worth it. So I'm going to kill you." Amber finished, taking some strange sort of delight in the pain that her words were causing the man. She had no idea why they did, but the effect they were having on Guzma was obvious, as he was beyond furious.
"You be quiet...And let me kill you...Keep talking, you monster. Guzma's gonna beat you down!" Guzma yelled with a wild look in his eyes. Kukui, for the first time in a long time, felt pity for the man.
"Why? What are you going to do about it?" Amber asked, grinning maniacally as Umbral Rhyperior shuddered beside her, shaking from the endless pain it was in. "Your team is destroyed. Your final Pokémon can barely stand, not counting the pathetic little spider you've got in your hair. And Kukui isn't really in a position to help you. In the end, you're just another kill on my list. Another body to the pile. And once I'm done, I'll kill all of them too." Amber said, nodding towards Team Skull. Amber turned her attention back to Guzma, her mouth curled into a grin. "All of those little brats are nothing. Just like you. You...You're the king of a bunch of nothings, haha. And nobody that no one will remember your-"
"I said shut yer trap!" Guzma shouted as Golisopod finally got to his feet, letting out a roar of defiance as Guzma got into a kneeling position with one foot beneath him, his teeth bared into a painful snarl.
"I ain't weak…" Guzma hissed, his eyes wide as he tried to stop the torrent of memories.
Failure.
Nothing.
Reject.
Outcast.
Weakling.
"No! FUCK THAT!" Guzma roared, forcing himself to stand as he punched out his fist, with Golisopod mimicking the movement. "Ever since the beginning, Golisopod and me have fought and clawed our way to the top! We're not weak! We're strong! Strong enough to reject Alola's stupid traditions! And strong enough...to take you down!""
Kukui watched Guzma shout, the raw emotion on his face showing that the facade around the man had finally broken. All of the anger, the hurt, the pain that Kukui suspected the cocky and arrogant man carried was bared right now, but that wasn't what surprised the Professor.
No, that would be the fact that the battered old Z-Ring on Guzma's wrist was glowing brightly, as if reacting to the man's words. It slowly began to become a darker shade of white...into gray...and then finally black. The Buginium Z that was embedded within the device slowly began to morph, glowing a myriad of colors now. Kukui felt like he was staring at a rainbow, or perhaps a prism. Guzma ignored all of this, glaring down Amber Fontaine as she stared at the man with surprise.
Without his eyes leaving Amber's, Guzma pointed to the crowd of Team Skull, watching Guzma with concern and worry. Plumeria looked horrified, seeing how Guzma's team had been torn apart by Umbral Rhyperior.
"Every single one of those kids watching right now, and hundreds more across these damn islands, look up to me. I'm the only person in this world looking out for those brats, when Alola turned its back on them! And I can't let them down...I've got to show them how to be strong enough to stand up on your own two feet. To make your own goddamn destiny and become stronger by any means necessary! To spit back in the face of the gods who condemned us as outcasts, and show the world who we really are!" Guzma shouted, the Z-Crystal on his ring shining like a star before it faded away, replaced by a Z-Crystal that was white and blue, shimmering in the moonlight. Golisopod took a step forward, drenched in its own blood but every bit as determined as his Trainer to prove its strength. Despite the pain, they would endure, and show all of them that they were no weaklings. They weren't nobodies. And they were going to kill Amber Fontaine.
"I have to be strong for all of them! I have to be strong for my Partner! And I have to be strong…" Guzma took a shuddering breath, his eyes burning with fury and anger and a determination as endless as the sea.
"So that I can prove Alola wrong." Guzma said quietly, a strange calm coming over the man as he crossed his arms, looking down at the ground as Golisopod let out a roar into the night, making Team Skull burst into cheers. Guzma's Z-Ring began to glow a variety of different colors, though what amazed Kukui was that a golden glow of light entered the eyes of Guzma and Golisopod. Two creatures bound by the same belief, with determination burning within their hearts. Kukui knew then that the years of hardship and struggle had made the bond between those two something truly powerful.
"And you're just another obstacle in my way, you dirty bitch!...So move aside." Guzma finished quietly, a maniacal grin crossing his features as he thrust out both of his hands. Golisopod mimicked the movement as energy flew from the Z-Ring and into the Hard Scale Pokémon, a golden aura surrounding the massive bug mimicking Guzma as he moved into what looked like fighting stance, with one arm thrust forward and the other poised above his head, as if ready to strike.
"Golisopod! Channel...First Impressions...and use ARTHROPOD ANNIHILATION!" Guzma bellowed, throwing apart his arms as Golisopod continued to burn gold. The Hard Scale Pokémon suddenly dashed forward, its claws extending out by two feet each as it suddenly lunged forward, kicking off the ground hard enough to create an indent in the concrete as it flew through the air.
"Rhyperior, Umbral Shield!" Amber barked, taking cover behind the monster as the beast threw up a barrier. Meanwhile Kukui just stared at Guzma, an expression of awe on his face. Never in all of his years of studying moves had he ever seen a Z-Move like the one Guzma was using. Nor did he ever see such a pure light radiating from a Z-Ring before. Such wonderful colors...and such strength.
"Guzma...just what are you channeling right now…" Kukui thought in awe as Golisopod surged through the air, a golden light filling the streetas the massive bug charged straight at Umbral Rhyperior.
"Tear them apart, Golisopod! Show them what happens when you fuck with a nobody!" Guzma shouted, bringing down his arms with a terrifying grin on his face. The man's Pokémon followed his movements, swinging both arms down as it encountered the dark shield of energy that protected Amber and Umbral Rhyperior. The light seemed to tear through the shield with little effort, allowing Golisopod to drive a golden claw right through Umbral Rhyperior's chest and right through Amber Fontaine. The assassin jerked back, letting out a scream of pain as the golden claw of raw energy impaled her through the chest.
Golisopod removed its claw and began to slash. And slash. And slash.
Every single blow, every swing, and every movement seemed to radiate defiance. Kukui and Amber could feel it in the attack and the energy that now filled the air. Guzma embodied the very concept of defiance ever since he was a child, and now it was being unleashed upon Amber Fontaine and the twisted monstrosity that had caused so much pain. Kukui watched in amazement as Umbral Rhyperior was slashed apart, deep gashes that spurted black and purple fluid appearing all over its body as Golisopod unleashed its devastating Z-Move. Team Skull had stopped cheering, awed as the golden lines of energy created by every slash filled their air. They realized that the lines were criss-crossing, resembling a pattern. A massive spider-web of golden light.
"END IT!" Guzma bellowed, jerking his thumb across his neck with a savage look on his face. Golispod let out a roar as it spun around and slashed across Umbral Rhyperior's neck…
Decapitating it.
Goloisopod struck a stance and stopped moving, the golden spider-web around it fading completely as Umbral Rhyperior's head was separated from its neck, flying into the air and landing with a clunk down onto the concrete. The Umbral Pokémon shuddered for several moments as blood poured from its neck before the beast slowly fell over onto the ground, finally dead. Beside him on the ground lay Amber Fontaine, who had separated herself from the beast before the Z-Move had reached its zenith.
"Y-y-you...You killed my Rhyperior…My Umbral Pokémon...you killed it? W-w-what...was that!?" Amber gasped, flabbergasted amazement on her face as Guzma stared down at the Z-Ring on his wrist. The woman was missing several chunks of her armor and various parts of her body were bleeding, including the hole in her chest that was spewing crimson.
"I ain't nothing...I'm strong." Guzma breathed, his breathing erratic and shaky. Golisopod nodded in agreement before letting out a groan, its body seizing up as Guzma clutched his head, swaying on his feet.
"Guzma, what was that!?" Kukui demanded of the man as he fell to his hands and knees, panting. Guzma looked up, glaring at Amber as the injured woman tried to stem the flow of crimson flowing down her front as she tried to crawl towards her helmet.
"I'm down...need...extraction…" Amber gasped a few moments after slamming the helmet down, her hands pressed down against the massive gash in her chest. Guzma forced himself upright, limping towards the woman as Golispod collapsed beside him, falling to one knee with a groan. Guzma stopped as Spinarak leapt out of his hair, letting out a small cry before it glowed a bright blue color, slowly becoming bigger and bigger before the glow finally stopped, revealing a massive red and purple spider.
"Aaaarrr!" the newly evolved Ariados cried out, with Guzma tiredly patting it as he walked by, a faint smile on his face. He glanced at his loyal partner, Golisopod, who was staring at him. The beast nodded, and Guzma grinned.
"Don't worry about it, buddy...Me and Ariados will finish her off." Guzma growled as he turned towards the assassin, snatching Amber's dagger off of the ground with a dark grin on his face as the Long Leg Pokémon scuttled alongside its Trainer. Amber's eyes widened as Guzma neared her, plunging the dagger downwards and right into the gaping hole on Amber's chest. Amber screamed in pain as Guzma twisted it, grinning like a madman as he shouted, "How's that feel, bitch!? You kept talking all that good shit a second ago! Who's the weakling now!?"
Amber was barely able to think through all of the pain as her vision swam. Guzma ripped out the blade and plunged it towards her throat, only for the Guzma to suddenly glow blue and get thrown backwards. Guzma crashed onto the ground with a yell as Kukui stared at the strange orange and greenish-blue creature that floated downwards, landing in front of Amber.
"Deoxys...about time…" Amber coughed, spraying blood as she spoke. The woman was lifted into the air and placed into the arms of Deoxys. The DNA Pokémon stared at Kukui and Guzma for a moment before the two of them vanished on the spot, making Guzma blink several times before his expression twisted into a sort of insane fury.
"W-wha...No. NO! GET BACK HERE!" Guzma bellowed, staggering to his feet and whirling around wildly, throwing the dagger onto the ground before screaming, "You don't get to run away! Not after disrespecting me like that!"
"G-guzma...she's gone." Kukui said quietly, limping over to the man as he suddenly clamped his hands onto his head.
"GUZMA! WHAT'S WRONG WITH YOU!?" Guzma roared, making Team Skull collectively flinch. Plumeria looked worried, but didn't approach the man as he tried to comprehend that the woman he had been fighting had slipped away right before he could win.
"A lot, actually. But that move...Could that have been the true potential of Z-Power? Ultra Z-power or...I never did decide on a name for it, now did I?" Kukui laughed, limping forward. "The greatest strength that lies within the bond of human and Pokémon? Bringing out the full potential of the Z-Ring and the power within it?" Kukui asked, his voice quiet. He looked back at Guzma to continue talking, only to get a fist to the face.
Winter and Lycanroc cried out as Kukui hit the ground hard, especially when Guzma kicked him repeatedly in the chest with a feral snarl on his face, every kick punctuated by a furious scream of pure rage.
"You! Stupid! Shit! I could have killed her if it wasn't for you interfering! Why do you always have to get in my way! You always make everything worse!" Guzma shouted, glaring down at Kukui with fury and intensity in his gaze.
"Because...you're my best friend. And ohana...doesn't give up on each other, Guzma." Kukui wheezed, opening a single eye as Guzma jerked back. The man looked away, and for a single moment Professor Kukui felt a flicker of hope. That he had gotten through to the man.
Guzma silently unclipped his Z-Ring and tossed it onto the ground. With a soft growl, the man brought his foot down on the device, breaking the Z-Ring into several pieces right in front of Kukui's eyes. The Professor stared at the shattered Z-Ring in horror before Guzma walked away.
Guzma took a few steps before glancing back at the man who had, once upon a time, been a brother to him. His best friend. His comrade. But for many years that had been enemies, both onopposite sides of a conflict that had been brewing in Alola for centuries. Unless things changed in the region, there would never be peace between them.
"The next we meet...Expect me to beat you down." Guzma spat, turning forward and calling out, "We're done here! Come on, let's bail!"
The Professor watched Guzma limp away, with Team Skull close behind. The boys and girls that followed Guzma cheered the man, patting him on the back and trying to comfort the man as he stalked away. Kukui collapsed back onto the ground, hanging his head.
Once again...he had failed.
Sun emerged from the darkness of the tunnel, only to find a rickety door awaiting him at the end. The boy had an arm wrapped around his chest, finding the act of breathing to be absolute agony. But still he pressed on.
The descent from the statue underground and the subsequent tunnel trek wasn't all that long, thank goodness. The passageway underneath the statue had been left open by Adrian Battlestorm, which helped Sun because he had no idea where the switch would have been originally.
The boy wrenched open the door and found himself staring at three bemused Cipher Peons who looked rather battered already. Sun grinned and called, "Finn, Hypnosis!"
"Sleeptime!" Finn yelled out as he bounded out of the passageway, making the three men drop their weapons to the ground and collapsed onto the ground, asleep. Sun grinned, patting Finn on the head as he and Brago followed Sun out of the passageway and into the corridor. Sun turned down the familiar path that led to the battlefield, shivering slightly.
"Bzzzt! We appear to be in the same tunnel we used to get to the Battlefield! Adrian was right!" Rotom declared happily, floating ahead of Sun and landed on Finn's head. "Also, Finn just learned Body Slam!"
"Good job, Finn…" Sun said with a smile, making the Poliwag laugh happily.
"Are you scared, Alpha?" Brago asked quietly. Sun looked down at the canine, who wasn't meeting his eyes. Sun knelt down and hugged Brago again, knowing what was on his mind.
"I'm not scared. I've got you guys backing me up." Sun said quietly, releasing the canine after a moment and feeling his nerves fade away. Finn grinned up at Sun, bouncing up and down on the balls of his feet.
"I can't wait! We're gonna stop the bad guys and save the day! What could be better than that?" Finn asked as Sun called out Penny and Oliver.
"We made it inside?" Oliver questioned, glancing around the empty corridor. He smirked evilly when he saw the three sleeping Cipher Peons nearby, and made a move towards them, only for Penny to slap him in the back of the head.
"Not now, Oliver. We have a mission, don't we?" Penny asked Sun, who nodded with a small smile.
"Besides, we have company." Brago growled, crouching low as the group looked down the hallway, where three Peons were charging towards them holding weapons.
"I guess he called in backup. Oliver, fly right at them! Use Protect!" Sun commanded his Starter, who nodded and flapped his wings hard, darting towards the trio as they opened fire. Oliver threw up his barrier, deflecting the gunfire as the bird stopped flapping his wings and his momentum carried him towards the Peons, who yelped in surprise and began to run away. Penny used Echoed Voice to released a blast of sound down the hallway, and to Sun's surprise, the blast hit the back of the barrier Oliver produced and made him hurtle down the hallway with even more speed. The owl crashed into the three Peons, crushing them beneath the shield and knocking the three of them out cold. Oliver dissipated the shield, landing on one of the men's backs with a smug look on his face.
"That was rather simple." Oliver remarked, preening himself. Sun approached his Partner, patting him on the head, before turning to Penny with a grin.
"So you can use Echoed Voice to make that Protect...You know what, I'm calling that move Protect Charge." Sun said with a grin, before continuing. "So Penny can use Echoed Voice to propel Oliver's Protect Charge forward. That's a good trick to know. Good work teamwork, you two."
"Naturally. With Penny's strength and my talent, we are a great duo." Oliver boasted, with Penny smiling and shaking her head at her friend and teammate's remarks.
"I think you're a bit full of yourself." Finn chimed in, grinning at Oliver before the bird swatted him with a wing.
"A bit? Thank goodness we're fighting inside of this massive stadium. Anything less and it'd collapse under the weight of Oliver's ego." Brago remarked with a smirk, making everyone except Oliver laugh. After a few moments the bird in question began to preen again, though he did so with the smallest of smiles.
"Alright...First up, let's heal you all. I don't know what to expect in there, and we should be ready to deal with anything." Sun said as he set down his backpack and began to pull out Super Potions and Ethers. A few minutes later and everyone was back to full health, which made Sun thankful that Lillie had shared some supplies with him the other day. He made a mental note to thank her for that as he put his backpack back on, looking down the hallway that led to the stadium ahead with narrowed eyes. Sun returned Finn and Brago, deciding to go with his two trusty birds first.
"You ready for this, Trainer?" Penny asked, looking up at Sun as he took a deep breath. The boy exhaled slowly, wincing in pain as his ribs flared up, but he held strong. He just needed to hold out a little longer and stop Dawson. Sun nodded, smiling at the two first Pokémon he had ever caught.
"Yeah. I'm...We've got this. I can make him listen." Sun said firmly, walking forward. Penny and Oliver took flight, soaring alongside Sun.
"No matter what, we'll be there. Okay?" Oliver said quietly, flapping his wings as he glanced at Sun. The boy's small smile broke into a grin as he nodded and made his way up the steps, where a showdown was already underway...
Next chapter, we have the explosive finale to the Tournament mini-arc! Will Sun be able to bring Dawson to his senses? Can Adrian put a stop to Shadow Articuno? What sort of power did Guzma channel in order to stop Amber and kill Umbral Rhyperior?
Find out next time! With a normal-sized chapter!
Q & A
From: SomeCallItKey
I do have to wonder though, if Tapu Lele had gone in at full power, would it have been able to get the win against Umbra Rhypherior or is that thing on Legendary Level?
Umbral Rhyperior is the strongest thing in Cipher's arsenal, given that it was a high-level Pokemon before it was turned into a Shadow Pokemon, and then an Umbral Pokemon. Meaning it's stronger than Umbral Torkoal.
However, in a fight between both at full strength, it would be a tough call. Tapu Lele would have to kill Umbral Rhyperior in a way it couldn't recover from, and it would likely tire out the god before that point came to be.
I'd put money on Umbral Rhyperior. Not that it matters anymore, that is.
From: Oragonking
By the way, can you make a character sheet? I think it's best to know better about their personalities. I'm planning to do it as well.
Now on to other things, what do you think of the new trailer of Pokémon Sword and Shield? The Gigantamax rumor has been proven true and I hope the one of the evil Legendary is true too. But i do hope they wouldn't really show fat Pikachu. I also still hope that the Regional Variants, Galar Form Pokémon, will appear in this game as well.
I'm working on something like that, actually. Once I return to proper chapters, and not 20K monsters, I'll be able to work on it again. Stay tuned for more info.
And I'm very excited for Sword and Shield, and the trailers look wonderful. It genuinely disgusts me with how the fanbase has treated the game because it's not featuring the National Dex. I won't go into that debate, but I will say keeping each game series unique is something I fully support. So I'm fine with no Z-Moves or Mega Evolutions.
That's all for now, folks. This one is my last lengthy chapter for a long, long time, I hope. It took a lot of effort, so any feedback you could offer would be amazing. And by that, I mean reviews of course. Favorites and/follows are also definitely appreciated, as are questions submitted in the review section.
We'll have another update in two weeks once I'm back from vacation, where we have our climactic end to this crisis! Stay tuned! And if you want to stay updated about the story, PM me for a link to my Discord channel!
Take care and stay awesome.
Until next time, FlygonNick out!
