Pokémon Radiant Sun


The following chapter is brought to you from a guy who had a wonderful dose of writer's block for the past month. I should be able to finally get a handle on these chapters so that they don't take three weeks or more to come out now that I have a dedicated schedule and I'm ahead on chapters as of this update (next chapter is already at 6K words, and the one after is close to 2K). We'll see where we're at when I update the chapter next, considering my track record here.

A lot's happened in this past month and some change. Got me a girlfriend, been playing some Mystery Dungeon and binge-reading stories left-right-and center. Good times. Hopefully you all have been doing well.

Let's get down to it.

Shoutout to those who reviewed since the last update JDunks896, Oragonking, a Guest reviewer, SonicIKE, Joey, and another Guest reviewer. Thanks for the feedback and support, folks.

The following chapter contains scenes of intense violence, depictions of terrorism, gore, death and some seriously dark stuff. You've been warned.

Enjoy.


Chapter 112: Heroes and Monsters (Part I)


Many Years Ago…

Malie City


"I still don't see why I gotta do it…"

"Come on! It's relaxing!"

"Ugh, it's so boring though!"

"I'm not going to the party looking anything less than my best! Please?"

Ashton winced as Hina did her best impression of a sad Growlithe, her eyes shining with unshed tears as her best friend sagged, his expression one of defeat. He sighed deeply and reached forward, grabbing the hairbrush that was on the counter before pointing wordlessly to the chair beside them. Hina clapped her hands giddily before quickly hurrying to the chair, adopting a perfect sitting posture as Ashton face-palmed. Meanwhile Damien snickered at him from his position on the floor of the Pokémon Center.

"I still don't get see I gotta do it." Ashton muttered again as he began to carefully brush the girl's hair, with Hina beaming forward.

"Roran's big concert is tonight! He said it'd be an amazing performance, something life-changing for Alola, and I'm not going there with my hair looking like a Ratticate's nest." Hina reasoned as Ashton ran the brush through Hina's long black hair, causing the girl to shudder in pain for a moment before she regained control of herself.

"I guess so. His singing is pretty impressive, but not worth getting all dressed up for. Besides, Roran's a close friend of ours. He doesn't care what we show up in, really." Ashton remarked, ignoring a few smirks sent his way from other Trainers. Ashton's eyes flickered to red as he glared at them and those Trainers immediately looked away. After all, Ashton had beaten them all into the ground at one point or another.

The two Trainer's were then surprised by a sudden tremor that rocked the building, sending many people within the facility to the floor. Hina grabbed onto Ashton as the teen braced himself against the wall. Damien snarled, forcing himself upright as the earthquake rocked the city. In the distance, explosions could be heard, as well as the sound of screaming.

"Ash, what's going on?" Hina asked, scared of whatever was happening to the city. Ashton grit his teeth as the tremors slowly died down, allowing the teen to be the first out of the door and see the sight that awaited him.

Malie City was burning all around him, with flames pouring from the streets and reaching into the sky. Flames were quickly spreading onto buildings while people screamed in the streets and their homes. In the distance, Ashton spotted figures wearing bright red clothing he recognized on sight attacking the fleeing citizens with swords drawn, causing his blood to boil.

"It's them, Hina!" Ashton barked as his friend joined him outside, her face pale in the firelight as she beheld the flames slowly spreading through the city. Heat ran thick through the air and the smell of the city burning was nearly suffocating.

"The Ruby Raiders...but why? They've never done anything on this scale before!" Hina said as she eyed the flames warily, though her gaze drifted to Ashton who was gritting his teeth and clenching his fists.

"Enough is enough! Come on, Hina! Let's go!" Ashton barked as he called out a massive Passimian who grunted as he eyed the flames. Ashton also called out an Alolan Raichu, who floated above the ground with a worried expression on his face.

"Enzo, Rio, let's go!" Ashton called to the two Pokémon as he sprinted down the path, with Hina and her Incineroar named Hercule hot on his heels. Ahead of them, the flames burned hotter and hotter as the screams of his victims were carried high on the thick smoke blanketing the sky. Little did the two Trainers know what horrors awaited them further within the city, as a madman's ambitions began to consume everyone he had once promised to protect.


Present Day

Malie City


"Down there!" Sun called to Hapu's Flygon, who took a moment to consider the command before landing on a deserted street that was thankfully undamaged by the flames. Screams could be heard all around them, combined with the sound of crackling flames and shouting as people ran for their lives. Brief blasts of gunfire and explosions could be heard in the distance, making Sun shiver. Cipher was in the middle of tearing the city apart as the flames erupted into the sky, in a way that seemed eerie to Sun. It certainly didn't seem to be acting the way fire normally did.

The Kantonian was grateful for the vest that Colress had given him, which allowed him to weather the heat from the flames that surrounded the town and consumed many of the buildings around them. Sun discreetly checked the vest under his shirt and saw that it still had about an hour of power left, thanks to him being careful with its battery life. Lillie suddenly gasped and pointed out, catching Sun's attention. He followed her gaze and visibly winced, reaching forward to grab Lillie's hand to comfort her.

In the street there lay several motionless forms that were charred beyond recognition, which made Lillie look away and made Sun grit his teeth in anger at the monster who had done this in a manner that his father had done many years prior.

"S-sun, w-what do we do?" Lillie asked, holding onto the boy's hand tightly for comfort as she wiped a hand across her forehead. Sun gave Lillie a confidant smile as he called out Penny, Oliver, Brago, Finn and then finally the newly-caught Alastor. His team appeared in front of them, and the boy took a shaky breath to calm his nerves. Despite being braver than Lillie, confronting such a violent scene made him understandably rattled.

"We're going to see how we can help the others. Brago, can you find Aria? Or failing that, Professor Kukui?" Sun asked his trusty canine, who nodded and began to sniff the air. "We'll regroup with everyone. Safety in numbers, you know?"

"Hapu said she'll rejoin us as soon as she can. Um…" Lillie turned to the young woman's Flygon, who was watching them all. "Can you still command him?"

"Probably." Sun said as he looked to the Flygon, which turned his attention to the boy. "Can you help us stay safe until Hapu gets back?"

The Flygon thankfully nodded, though right after this Brago spoke up. "It's a bit hard to tell with all of the smoke, but I believe I found Aria's scent. Professor Kukui doesn't seem to be nearby."

"He's probably working with the Pokémon League right now. Oh well, you can't win them all. Brago, lead the way!" Sun said to the canine as he helped Lillie on top of him, with the boy himself hopping back on the Flygon. The Arcanine led the group down the street, though they didn't get far before they were accosted by two Cipher Peons in silver armor.

"Looks like we found some stragglers." A female Cipher member remarked with a soft laugh, hefting a black SMG over her shoulder. Sun quickly noticed something odd about the two Cipher members. Their armor was decorated with a bright red sigil that Sun had never seen before. Lillie gasped in surprise as Sun scowled at the two criminals.

"Seems so. Better yet, our primary and secondary targets are together. I wonder how much the old freak is gonna pay for them?" the man asked the female Cipher Peon, who simply grinned.

"We'll retire in days." came the smug reply as she pulled out a Poké Ball and called out a massive brown bear that Sun recognized as an Ursaring, cloaked in a shadowy aura. The man chuckled at the response and sent out a Staravia and Pidgeot that weren't Shadow Pokémon before they both trained their weapons on Sun. Oliver flew in front of Sun protectively, joined by Penny a moment later. Brago growled softly, taking a step back, knowing that his role was to protect Lillie. Finn prepared himself to battle on the ground while Alastor let out an audible growl of anger.

"Aww, how adorable! He think he stands a chance." The woman remarked as she leveled her weapon at Sun, grinning cruelly.

"I mean, I've kicked your sorry butts back at Royal Avenue and stopped Dawson. You don't seem that bad." Sun said with a determined glare as he hopped off of Flygon, his eyes bright red with anger as Lillie whimpered in fear behind him.

"That's because Admin Dawson was weak-hearted. Our new boss took care of him personally, and he's got an incredible plan for these backwater islands. All we have to do is buy him time to finish the ritual...And everything we could ever want will be ours!" the man said with a laugh before throwing out a hand and commanding his two birds. "Wing Attack, the both of you!"

"Alastor and Penny, use Rock Blast! Oliver, Razor Leaf on the both of them, but stay close!" Sun ordered his team, who leapt into action. Oliver reacted first, flapping his wings and releasing a wave of spinning leaves at the two approaching birds, who faltered slightly as the attacks slashed against them. It also had the effect of hitting the two Cipher Peons, who swore as the attacks impacted their armor. Alastor and Penny attacked in unison, firing off their attacks and blasting the two birds with three and four rounds of the attack before it ceased.

The female Peon swore and pointed forward, shouting out to her Shadow Ursaring, "Hyper Beam!"

"Surrrr!" the large bear Pokémon growled before opening its mouth and firing off a powerful Hyper Beam, which soared towards Sun. Oliver threw up Protect on Sun's command, blocking the attack and causing Oliver to cry out from the strain of the attack. To make matters worse, both Peons began to fire upon Oliver, which quickly began to overwhelm the shield.

"Flygon, use Dragon Pulse!" Sun shouted desperately as the Protect shield began to crack. Both Cipher Peons were surprised as the Mystic Pokémon took flight and quickly moved towards them, firing off a mist-like beam of energy that blasted through the streets and knocked down the Ursaring while causing the two Peons to throw themselves to the side to avoid getting caught in the attack.

"Dammit! We're so close!" the female Peon swore angrily, though she noticed her partner pressing a finger to his temple.

"Sir, this is Unit 31, reporting in. We require support down Ivory Street! Targets Number One and Number Two have been spotted, but are being protected by a high-level Flygon! Currently engaging." The male said into his helmet, causing Sun to narrow his eyes.

"Acknowledged...Standby. And keep them alive. I want to make the little ones suffer myself." a drawling voice responded, amusement clear in their distorted voice.

"Alastor, use Thunder Shock on Pidgeot! Brago and Finn, use Flame Burst and Scald! Penny, support Flygon!" Sun commanded his team while Oliver hovered close, throwing up a Protect around Sun and Lillie as the two Peons opened fire once again. Oliver landed on the ground and poured as much energy as he could into the shield, determined not to let Sun or Lillie be harmed.

"Come on, take out the Flygon!" the female barked as the much stronger Pokémon let out a snarl of anger from overhead, releasing another powerful Dragon Pulse that knocked out the nearby Staravia with ease.

"Aerial Ace!" the male Peon called to his other bird, who shot towards the Mystic Pokémon and knocked it over in midair, though that opened itself up to be struck by Thunder Shock and then plowed into by Penny's Pluck attack. The Flygon then retaliated with a brutal Dragon Claw that knocked out the Pidgeot completely. on the ground Meanwhile, the Shadow Ursuring was snarling in pain through its burn as Scald struck it directly, though it did managed to blow apart the Flame Burst with a Shadow Wave.

"Shadow Rush!" the female Peon shouted as her male counterpart grudgingly returned his Pokémon, instead choosing to fire upon the Pokémon in the air to keep them away from the battle on the ground. Sun's eyes widened they went gray once again.

"Psychic on the guns! Break them!" Sun commanded, though as Finn made a move to disarm the Peons, the earth suddenly tore open and a pillar of flames suddenly erupted forth, engulfing Hapu's Flygon and causing it to scream in agony.

"Flygon!" Lillie cried out as the Mystic Pokémon quickly burst out of the flames, screeching in pain as it suddenly crashed into one of the buildings and fell to the ground, where it fainted. Sun made a move towards it, but was stopped by the flames as the ground around them continued to split open.

"I know all and see all, Little Monarch...and should I say Even Littler Monarch?" came a haunting voice that boomed across the city. Sun shivered at the gleeful malice in the voice. He knew who it belonged to.

"Sun, above us!" Lillie cried out, causing the boy to look up. Sun did so and noticed some sort of drone hovering a short distance away, emblazoned with the same symbol that the members of Cipher now wore on their armor.

"I'm currently a bit tied up at the moment...But I'm glad you came to help! It saved me the trouble of hunting you down later. Now, let's see how long you last against my forces. Your miserable father managed to bring an end to my scheme before, with some assistance...Good luck, Sun. I'll be watching, as always." Roran practically sang before his voice cut off. Sun scoffed in annoyance before turning his attention back to the Cipher Peons, who were both smirking at him.

"Slash!" the female Peon shouted as her Shadow Ursaring charged forward with glowing claws, attempting to attack Finn.

"Dodge with Water Gun and hit it with Brick Break!" Sun called to the Poliwhirl, who fired a stream of water right into the face of the approaching bear, which accomplished three things. One, damaging the Shadow Ursaring. Two, allowing him to dodge the Slash attack. And three, putting him in the perfect position to leap forward and strike down the Ursaring with a swift Brick Break, toppling the large bear. However, it didn't stop the two Peons from aiming their weapons at the two children and opening fire again. Lillie screamed at the gunfire while Sun flinched, but was surprised when the bullets never even impacted the Protect Oliver threw up at the last moment.

Because there was now a wall of ice standing in the way of the bullets, which were easily absorbed. The two Peons had a moment to look confused before suddenly screaming in surprise as their bodies were encased in ice. Sun and Lillie watched this happen through the ice wall, and were even more surprised when they heard a familiar booming laugh from behind them.

"Well, well...That was fun, wasn't it?" the Fossil man declared as he clapped his hands. Sun and Lillie gaped at the man while Oliver dropped his shield, though all of the Pokémon were still on-guard.

"You? Why haven't you run away?" Sun asked, causing the Fossil Man to shrug.

"Because I don't wanna? I initially planned on getting coked up to my eyeballs later today and these dipshits are ruining my fun. So I decided to rain on their parade." The man casually replied, leaning against the strange Pokémon standing beside him. It was an odd creature that Sun had never seen before. The bottom half of the creature resembled some strange blue finned dinosaur, one with frost and ice visible on its body and a tail that also had a fin. After its chest, however, it had an incredibly small yellow body with a bird-like head that was shivering violently, a snot dribble hanging from its nose.

"You're not worried about Cipher?" Lillie asked, earning a snort of amusement from the strange person she had come to warily respect to an extent.

"Heh. Not to worry, kiddos. Not one of these dorks can stop the Fossil Man." The creator of Dream Park proclaimed as his abomination of a Pokémon nodded beside him. Sun couldn't help but stare at the creature, which the Fossil Man noticed.

"You shouldn't stare at my Arctozolt like that. You'll hurt it's feelings." the Fossil Man remarked, putting a hand on the creature's head, ignoring its shivering. Lillie wanted nothing more than to give the poor thing a blanket or something. Sun just continued to stare.

"So what is it?" Sun asked, causing the Fossil Man to laugh.

"Why, one of the best ideas I've ever come up with. My little protege back in Galar, Cara Liss, devised a way to revive Fossils with a portable machine. But I had a clever little idea and decided why not mix-and-match them! Cara perfected the technique, and now these bad boys are more lethal than they ever were back in their heyday!" the man proclaimed as he removed his hand, holding it towards one of the open flames on the street to stave off the cold he felt while touching his Pokémon.

"That's...absolutely insane. You're combining Pokémon and creating new ones. That thing looks like it's barely able to stand!" Sun yelled at the man, who scoffed.

"Well, that's clearly an exaggeration. Yeah, it's shivering, but it's also quite powerful in its own right. That ice will hold those dorks in place for quite some time, even with this fire." The Fossil Man remarked before pointing down the road. "If I were you two, though, I'd head down that way. I heard they were evacuating people down Routes 10 and 11, plus Malie Cape. You should get moving so those creeps don't get you."

"What about you?" Lillie asked with some concern.

"What about me? I'm gonna give these braindead morons a piece of my mind. You kids go have fun somewhere else. Or don't, since you're kinda too young for that." The Fossil Man shrugged, ignoring the two blushing children who suddenly looked away from each other.

"I-it's still not a very good idea! The city is on fire and who knows what else could happen to the island." Lillie interjected, causing the Fossil Man to hum rather tunefully.

"Naturally, it's not smart. Won't stop me though. I mean, it's not a smart idea to sneak into the Farmer Engrid's pumpkin patch and fuck all the pumpkins, but that doesn't mean I don't really really want to do it!" the Fossil Man declared, chuckling to himself. When he didn't hear any kind of response, he turned towards the two children to see them fleeing down the street. The Fossil Man sighed, shaking his head.

"...Well, that was rude. The Fossil Man watched the two children run off for a time before returning his Arctozolt and and walking down the road, whistling an old tune as-


-the flames continued to race through the city, hungrily consuming everything they could touch. It was as if the earth itself had been torn asunder. People fled from the flames with their screams echoing through the smoke-filled sky. As all of this happened, the one who had sworn to protect them all watched with a hidden smile.

"Maybe this speaks to my own twisted mind...But I do love me a good fire." Roran said with a light laugh, crossing his arms as he watched from the rooftop of a nearby building, dressed in his Ruby Raider gear and completely unrecognizable to anyone who knew him.

The clothing he wore now was a much different outfit than his older self would wear decades later. Roran wore a bright red suit of leather and chain-mail armor, with black combat boots containing a dagger made of bone each. On his waist was the serrated black dagger he usually kept handy when he was donning the persona of the leader of the Ruby Raiders. Completing the look was a vibrant full-length ruby red cape that billowed behind him in the night and the mask that covered his face completely. However, the mask he wore was not a black and metallic one, but a simple red and white one adorned with glowing red calligraphy. Anyone who knew how to read ancient Alolan would have gone pale at the meaning of the words inscribed on the headpiece.

"Wonderful...wonderful...My men have the streets secured and the way is clear. With the flames burning bright like this, we can finally begin…" Roran breathed, exhaling deeply as he held out his hand, his Z-Ring flaring brightly as it willed it too. He glanced down at the object resting on the ground, which to everyone present was simply an unmoving fireball with a golden handle sticking into the air. Roran grabbed the strange artifact's handle and turned to those assembled behind him, the Admins and higher ups of his organization.

"My friends...Tonight we fulfill our destinies. And spit in the faces of those who turned their backs on us! Kill as many as you can!" Roran ordered the Ruby Raiders, who let out war cries before spreading out to terrorize the city, calling at their Pokémon as the disguised Kahuna smirked.

This was his maddest scheme yet. An all-out attack on the city he had lived in for most of his life. A city he cherished dearly and loved with all of his heart. But he knew this was necessary. Alola had become stagnant thanks to the ancient idiots who controlled the islands he called home. Even someone as revolutionary as Roran couldn't bring Alolan into the future if those in charge continued to hold him and everyone else back.

So what better way to get rid of the problem than to terrify them all? Perhaps end some of their lives at the same time. Yes, there would be innocent deaths along the way. But all of that was meaningless in the end. What was life or death when it came to the good of Alola as a whole?

Roran raised the artifact in his hand and caused the flames racing through the town to burn even hotter, with the flames surrounding the city rising higher and higher into the air as the cracks in the ground opened further, with the Kahuna's grin widening as he continued to exercise Heatran's influence. With the Magma Stone safely in his possession, he could ravage the island with ease if he so chose.

Roran then tensed at the sound as shouting nearby and glanced down at the street before calmly sidestepping a Flamethrower being shot at him. He stared down at the culprit, a very familiar boy with black hair and bright red eyes full of anger. The crown-like brand burned onto his shoulder was visible even from the rooftop, and Roran grinned underneath his mask.

"Oh Ash...It's a good thing I'm so fond of you. Otherwise I would make you pay for that." Roran thought as he walked to the edge of the building and stepped into a Shadow Sneak launched at him from behind, sucking him into the shadows and spitting him back out on the street, where he walked uninterrupted towards Ashton, who had out his Houndoom, Damien, as well as a tired Alolan Raichu. Hina and her Incineroar stood behind him. Roran snapped his fingers and an Ariados leapt out of the shadows with a hiss.

"You...I'm guessing you're the bastard who leads the Ruby Raiders." Ashton hissed, clenching his fists as Hina warily watched the man ahead of them. The masked man chuckled softly, clapping his hands.

"Bravo to you for coming this far, little boy. But you won't be able to stop what comes next. My Ruby Raiders won't stop until Alola has been plundered through and through." Roran boasted, adding a harsh note to his voice with a bit of gruffness thrown in. His skills as a singer and performer made disguising his voice a simple matter. Even Ashton Aupuni, someone who knew him quite well, wouldn't be able to recognize hi.s voice

"Fat chance. Even if there's a lot to hate about Alola, there's still people here I care about! And I won't stand by and let you and your scumbag band of idiots keep hurting people! Now stop talking and fight! Damien, Flamethrower!" Ashton barked as Damien quickly fired off a torrent of flames that Roran threw himself to the side to dodge, rolling into a crouch as a laugh escaped him. The Kahuna, or rather the leader of the Ruby Raiders, stood tall as he threw back his cape and let out a laugh.

"I'm going to enjoy this! Now come at me!" Roran demanded as he drew a jet-black dagger from his cloak and pointed forward, the Z-Ring on his wrist flaring gold as Ashton braced himself to battle the leader of the Ruby Raiders, who-stood alone against the boy as he called out a Golurk to back up his Ariados. Ashton growled in anger alongside his Partner, the the group prepared for their confrontation with the leader of the Ruby Raiders. The teen thrust out a hand and shouted-


"Get him!"

"Oliver, Razor Leaf! Penny, Rock Blast!"

"More reinforcements are on the way!"

Sun resigned himself to another face-off with Cipher, with three of the Peons leaping into the road and calling out a Shadow Pawniard, a Dewgong, and a Shadow Nidoking. The boy stood protectively in front of Lillie as Oliver hovered nearby, throwing up a Protect even as his leaves soared towards the criminals accosting them on the street. Sun was once again dismayed by the lack of people he saw in the streets beside Cipher. There were many bodies lying in the road, but it was clear that they had long since stopped breathing from a mere glance.

Penny swooped by the three Pokémon and fired off a Rock Blast, only to be knocked out of the air by an Ice Beam. The Pawniard rushed forward, only for Finn to beat it back with a Brick Break. The Tadpole Pokémon winced in pain as he glanced down at the scratches on its hands from attacking the Sharp Blade Pokémon, but clenched his fists and prepared for the next attack. To his surprise, he found he didn't need to, as Brago bounded past him with a snarl and struck with a Flame Wheel, knocking out the Shadow Pawniard with ease.

"Damn it. This kid is good!" the Peon who owned the Shadow Pawniard yelled out as he returned his Pokémon, with the other two pointed forward to direct their Pokémon. Shadow Dewgong used a Blizzard, which struck Penny and Oliver directly and knocked out the latter, with Penny barely remaining conscious. Sun directed Finn to close in with a Brick Break, only for the Poliwhirl to be hit with a Shadow Rush, sending him reeling back. One of the Peons tried to fire their weapons at the children, but were thankfully stopped when Alastor suddenly hurled a rock in their direction and knocked the weapon out of their hands and into the fire with a well-placed Rock Throw.

"Nice shot!" Sun praised the Alolan Geodude, who gave him a flat look despite the situation.

"I'd offer to explode next to them and end their lives, but thanks to this blue idiot here, I can't do that." Alastor remarked, earning a thumbs up from Finn. "That wasn't a compliment, you moron!"

"Sorry, I can't hear you. The fire is really loud!" Finn remarked with a note of smugness in his voice before his eyes widened in surprise and he was struck by the Shadow Dewgong attacking with Shadow Rush. To his relief, Penny suddenly smashed into the corrupted Dewgong with a Brick Break and when followed up by a Flame Burst from Brago, knocked out the Shadow Pokémon.

Finn huffed as he got to his feet, clearly winded. However, as he looked up to take stock of the battle, he quickly used Psychic, much to everyone's surprise. His glowing eyes and stomach caused a chunk of rock that had been flying towards Sun's head to halt in its tracks, causing Finn to fall to one knee from the sheer effort it took.

Alastor noticed that the Trainer who had commanded the Shadow Nidoking responsible was nearby, and so he took a moment to focus his arm before aiming a Rock Throw at the man's shoulder, hitting him with enough force to break his shoulder and send him to the ground screaming. The Shadow Nidoking was swiftly brought down by a Flame Wheel and a Scald from Brago and Finn.

"That was unnecessary...But appreciated." Sun said after a moment, earning nothing more than a stare from Alastor, who turned back towards the unconscious Peons. Sun, however, turned towards Lillie with a worried frown. He thought about it for a moment before he heard another shout from nearby.

"I heard fighting over here!"

"Come on! The boss is busy right now with the council, so we can't let anyone disturb him. He says the more people we kill, the quicker the ritual will start!"

"Ritual?" Sun thought worriedly. Whatever they were talking about certainly wasn't good, especially if it required people to die. With that in mind, and the knowledge that more members of Cipher were closing in, Sun made up his mind and pulled Lillie into a nearby alleyway, taking a moment to Revive Oliver and heal him with a Sitrus Berry. With that, he pulled out his phone and began dialing numbers. After failing to reach Ollie, Aria, Hugh, and Noah, he ended up reaching Acerola.

"Sun! Are you okay?" the Ghost Captain asked desperately, clearly worried.

"I'm managing. Me and Lillie are back in the city. We couldn't stay away while Cipher's hurting people." Sun explained quietly, keeping an ear out for Cipher as he talked. "Is there anywhere that's safe from Cipher right now?"

"Malie Library is where we've been evaluating people too. There's a safe room in the basement, built after the last time this happened." Acerola explained, sighing deeply and saying so quietly that Sun almost missed it. "This is all my fault...I should have told someone."

"Wait, what? How is this your fault?" Sun asked, surprised by this sudden remark.

"Never mind. It's not important. Just try to get to Malie Library. Sophocles and his Totem are keeping guard with a few of the Trial Guides while me and Uncle Nanu try to keep people to safety-" Acerola said before she suddenly let out a scream and was cut off.

"Acerola? Acerola!" Sun said loudly as the line went dead. Sun sighed and rubbed his face as Lillie hugged him, with Sun feeling very tired all of a sudden.

"We've got to get out of this city...But with so many Cipher guys around, that's next to impossible right now. We shouldn't have come here." Sun thought, recalling the promise he made to his father not to confront Roran. It was clear why, now. The man only wanted to hurt and destroy as much as possible.

"If anything, I at least need to make sure Lillie gets to safety." Sun thought as Lillie moved away from him, looking at Sun with concern.

"Brago. I need you to take Lillie somewhere safe." Sun said as he quickly turned towards the canine and gave him a brief hug, staring into his eyes intently. "Protect her. Please. It's too dangerous for her to be here."

"Of course, Alpha. She'll be safe with me." Brago promised his Trainer before Sun turned to Lillie, who looked hesitant. She knew that she was only a liability in a circumstance like this, but she still didn't want to abandon Sun.

"S-sun...I don't want to leave you." Lillie said timidly, only for Sun to pull her into a tight hug. The girl returned it, tightly embracing her best friend. Sun was the strongest person she knew, but this was still an incredibly dangerous situation.

"I know. But I can protect myself, and I can join the fight to deal with these idiots. With just you and Brago, you can make your way to Malie Library easily, and Brago is fast enough to dodge anything that comes your way with just one person on his back. Just keep an eye on him. Okay?" Sun said to Lillie, surprising her with a kiss on the cheek. Lillie flushed bright pink before Sun said, "Come on!"

Sun helped Lillie get on Brago before the canine in question looked to his teammates. Finn gave him a thumbs up while Oliver said, "Stay safe, my friend."

"We'll try to rejoin you soon." Penny assured Brago, who grinned at them. Alastor remained silent, instead choosing to look down the road to keep an eye out for more Cipher personnel. To his disgust, he spotted two Peons on Skarmory holding guns soaring their way. Brago bounded out of the alleyway and dashed down the street as fast as he could, causing Lillie to yelp in surprise and tightly hold onto her hat.

"Primary Target #2 is escaping! Take down the Arcanine!" the female Peon shouted as Brago dashed away, dodging the brief gunfire with ease as Lillie screamed in terror from his back.

"Everyone, all at once! Razor Leaf! Rock Blast! Scald! Thundershock!" Sun shouted, fury in his voice now at the blatant attempt from the Peons to attack Lillie and kill Brago. Both criminals shouted out in surprise to see the onslaught of attacks suddenly crashed into them and their Pokémon, knocking both of their Shadow Pokémon down to the ground along with their Trainers. Alastor blasted both metal birds with a Thunder Shock each, knocking them out. Meanwhile, the two Peons shakily got to their feet, only to be smashed down into the ground with Psychic by Finn.

"That's for trying to hurt us!" Finn boomed as his eyes burned blue. Sun nodded and walked over to the two Peons, glaring down at them with red eyes of anger.

"Destroy their guns." Sun ordered fiercely, with Penny and Oliver grabbing their weapons and throwing them into the flames nearby. "Now talk. Why are you people attacking Malie City? And why did you side with Roran over my father?"

"Heh...wouldn't you like to know, brat?" the Peon laughed before Finn put more energy into his attack, causing him to scream.

"Finn, ease off. We're not like them." Sun ordered the Poliwhirl, who nodded as he reduced the power he was feeding into the attack. Thankfully, Sun's focused training on his usage of the attack was allowing him to control it better than he could during his battle with Guzma's Golisopod.

"Move away from them!" shouted a voice nearby, causing Sun to turn around and see two more Cipher Peons charging down the road, with one of them aiming a sniper rifle trained at Sun. The Kantonian spotted a Magmortar and a Shadow Charizard alongside the two criminals. The boy froze in surprise as Oliver quickly threw up a Protect, but as this happened Sun took a moment to look at his team. He noticed all of them were showing signs of exhaustion, due to their prolonged battle against Cipher in the blazing heat. This couldn't last forever.

Thankfully, Sun would soon be receiving some much-needed backup.

"Not a chance!" barked a familiar and welcome voice. Sun turned around to see a flume of water suddenly crash down onto the Magmortar, knocking it to the ground alongside the two Peons. Standing over the Blast Pokémon was a Samorott that Sun recognized. A few moments later, it's Trainer caught up from down the street, a Simisage standing beside him. As the Peons struggled back to their feet, the new arrival ran over to Sun's side, prepared to battle alongside him.

"Hugh!" Sun called out with a wide grin. Hugh matched his young friend's smile, putting a hand on his shoulder. Samson the Samorott snorted and prepared to attack, causing Hugh to turn towards the criminals as they struggled to their feet.

"Stay lively, Sun. This shouldn't take long!" Hugh called before focusing on the Cipher reinforcements. "Get ready, you bastards. You're about to feel my rage."

"Thunderbolt!"

"Flamethrower!"

"Hydro Cannon!" Hugh bellowed furiously as his Partner let inhaled deeply before firing off a massive torrent of water that easily consumed the two attacks sent his way and blasted apart the the two Fire-types, knocking them both out at the same time. Both Peons swore loudly as they returned their Pokémon, choosing to instead fall into their shadows and vanish from the street.

"There's more of them out here. Stay alert." Hugh growled, his head swiveling around on the lookout for more danger. He shuddered slightly before he suddenly shoved Sun to the ground and leapt aside, barely avoiding a Shadow Ball that whizzed through the air.

"Not bad, kid!" boomed a deep male voice from nearby as a third Cipher Peon emerged from the shadows, a Phantump floating nearby. The man called out two Wobbufett, one male and one female, before shouldering the long knife he had in his hand. "Shadow Ball again!"

"Samson, use Aqua-" Hugh began to say before suddenly being grabbed from behind by one of the Cipher Peons that had just been defeated, getting thrown to the ground. Samson made a move to stop the attack but was struck by a Thunderbolt from a newly-recovered Magmortar that emerged from the nearby alleyway.

Sun got to his feet with wince as Oliver and Penny fluttered over to him. Finn blasted the Magmortar with a Scald, allowing Samson to recover and engage the Blast Pokémon. Hugh was now brawling with the Cipher Peon, having knocked off his helmet and given him a bloody nose. Sun turned his attention to the third Peon, who prepared to attack.

"Shadow Ball on the Dartrix!" the man cried out as his two Wobbufett bounced forward. The Phantump fired off the attack at Oliver, who hooted furiously at the other Pokémon.

"Penny, intercept and then use Pluck on the Wobbuffet! Oliver, use Pluck on Phantump! Finn, use Scald on the female Wobbuffet!" Sun barked as his Pokémon moved to attack. The Shadow Ball soared towards Oliver, only for Penny to smash right through it, her Normal/Flying-typing allowing her to cancel out the attack and avoid any damage. Oliver soared past her and slammed into the Phantump, knocking it out thanks to a well-timed critical hit. However, as Penny dove towards one of the Wobbufett and Finn shot a Scald at another, the Cipher Peon made his move.

"Counter! Mirror Coat!" the Peon barked, grinning widely as the attacks rushed towards his Pokémon. Scald bounced off of the female Wobbufett's shield, sending it back towards him with double the force. The male Wobbufett leapt forward to meet Penny's Pluck, only to be hurled backwards by a wave of energy that smacked into her, knocking out the Toucannon.

"Penny, no! Agh...Alastor, use Thunder Shock!" Sun commanded as he returned Penny and Oliver swooped back to Sun, eyeing the Wobbuffet's with intense anger in his eyes now. Sun was surprised when Alastor simply gave him another bored look before turning forward, his gaze narrowed at the human that was his opponent.

Alastor chose not to use Thundershock. Instead he hurled a rock as hard as he could at a nearby lamppost in the street, smashing apart the metal near the base of the post. The lightpost creaked as it tilted over, falling down into the street and coming down on top of the Cipher Peon, who screamed as the light smashed down on top of him and knocked him to the ground senseless. Sun shuddered as the Alolan Geodude laughed at the other man's groans of pain.

"Need a hand?" Sun turned around and saw Hugh walking towards him, breathing heavily and sporting a black eye, but behind him was an unconscious Cipher Peon and a knocked out Margmortar. The two Wobbufett's were staring at their Trainer in shock, which Hugh capitalized on and with two Megahorn attacks, the two Patient Pokémon were knocked out. Sun returned Alastor without another word, a troubled expression on his face.

"So...uh...your new teammate seems interesting." Hugh remarked, as Sun glared down at Alastor's Ultra Ball. Sun sighed and clipped the ball back to his belt, shaking his head.

"So what's going on?" Sun asked, causing Hugh to frown.

"Roran attacked the city just an hour ago. More of those cracks are spreading through the city, and worse still it looks like the bastard can control the flames himself. He's been appearing and reappearing throughout the city while his Peons wreck up the place. As for why, I have no idea. President Lusamine and Colress are evacuating people to the Route's while Aria and the International Police try and find Roran. I think the island leaders are also helping, but I've lost track of them." Hugh explained to his young friend, who nodded. "Now, why are you back in the city? And where's Lillie?"

Sun quickly explained why and how he returned to the city with Lillie, including his decision to send her off with Brago to safety. Hugh actually agreed with Sun's decision and clapped the boy on the shoulder with a grin before deciding that the two of them should try and track down their friends and aid them in the fight. The duo quickly healed their Pokémon and made their way deeper into the city as the flames continued to burn all around them.


Meanwhile...


Roran Rubinara smiled fondly as he stared at the large building ornately decorated in the ancient style that had become synonymous with his old home. In his isolation, he had chosen to forsake his home as he built his power and resources in obscurity. It felt wonderful being back in Malie City. The memories of him playing in the streets as a child. Selling colorful statues of Legendary Pokémon and ancient monsters to help his family make money during the harder years. His years as a Trainer, where he honed his skills. His coronation as Kahuna took place in Malie City as well…

It was also the site of his greatest failure.

Tonight would not be a repeat of that fateful night, over twenty years ago. When Fate itself had stepped up to oppose Roran and his ambitions.

"Agh, stop it! I'm moving!" cried out an old voice, which made Roran smile internally. With the last of the Alolan Regional Council out of the building and thrust out onto the street, Roran regarded them with a feeling that was of nostalgia and white-hot fury.

"Hello there, my old friends. How I've missed you." Roran said cordially as several of the older members of the Alolan Regional Council were thrown onto the ground, where they groaned in pain. Councilman Palena glared hatefully at the madman who had betrayed them so many years ago and had returned for the sake of vengeance.

"How dare you come back...you bastard!" one of the older members of the Council with a shaved head but an impressive handlebar mustache snarled at Roran, who simply shrugged.

"What can I say, Maxwell? Being me is a blessing...and a curse." Roran hissed through his mask, causing several of the men and women to exchange looks. Roran smiled cruelly underneath his mask, crossing his arms.

"You really thought that I'd just simply keel over and die like that? Oh no. Not a man of my ambition. And not after what you idiots tried to do to me. Me, who sacrificed more than any of you for the sake of Alola!" Roran spat out at the assembled men and women before him, his hatred for them palpable even through his disguised voice.

"You deserved that and so much more. We should have listened to our instincts in the beginning and done away with you. We knew exactly what kind of evil you were even back then, but we allowed ourselves to be swayed." Councilman Maxwell remarked with a heavy sigh, earning a few looks from some of the younger members of the Council, including Palena.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Palena demanded, looking at Roran, who barked out a laugh.

"It means that some of those on the Alolan Regional Council, and many of the other Councils, knew exactly what I was up to all those years ago as the leader of the Ruby Raiders. They knew I was stealing money and resources from the people and scaring the public into supporting me and my efforts to revolutionize our region and make it a true paradise for Alolans. A way to bring our people into the future while building on the past instead of shackling ourselves to it! The moment I was seemingly killed by Agent Jackal, they all turned on me...though not before ruining the man's career and making him a pariah." Roran explained to Palena, who looked horrified while some of the other members of the Council looked away in shame. "Yes, they knew what I was up to. All the experiments, the trafficking, and of course the drugs. They knew and they even took part in the crimes I committed for the good of our home."

Roran continued then, bending closer to the group that was now on their knees and being held at gunpoint by the Cipher Peon's under Roran's command. "And then you idiots tried to erase me. Erase my legacy. I. MADE. ALOLA. This was all me! I'm the one who created the Ruby Raiders to unify Alola against a threat! I revolutionized our world into a tourism powerhouse! We would've had a Pokémon League two decades ago if you morons hadn't shot it down! Everything I ever did...I did for Alola." Roran said as he clenched his fists tightly, causing the artifact dangling from his right hand to suddenly burn dark blue, giving off even more heat.

"You deserve to die for what you did! You're nothing but a monster!" Councilman Maxwell bellowed as he got to his feet, raising his fist in anger at the former Kahuna. The Cipher Peons raised their weapons at the man, but Roran simply waggled his finger admonishingly as his Claydol hummed beside him.

"All who dare to stand...Shall be made to crawl." Roran whispered as his Claydol floated ominously overhead, every one of its faces now glowing a harsh blue color. Councilman Maxwell gasped as his body was lifted into the air by Psychic. The Cipher Peons aimed their weapons at the other Council members, ensuring they didn't get any foolish ideas. All the while Councilman Maxwell cried out for mercy, his face wearing an expression of sheer horror.

That expression turned to absolute agony as his legs suddenly snapped in half at the shin. The Claydol then proceeded to break every single bone in his legs starting from the kneecap and working down from there. Roran laughed the entire time, his distorted giggles carrying across the city.

Councilman Maxwell dropped to the ground screaming in pain while the others watched on in shock and horror. Roran pulled out his sidearm and with a casual chuckle aimed it at a woman at the end of the line, firing a dart at her neck. The woman screamed for a moment before suddenly seizing up, falling over onto the cobblestone with foam slowly coming out of her mouth. She was dead within mere seconds.

Roran repeated the process three more times before continuing to speak, pacing back and forth. All the while, his Claydol continued its work, obeying his commands mentally as it picked up another Council member and began to break them as it did Councilman Maxwell.

"For nearly twenty years...I had to watch you idiots ruin everything! You let the land that I love become something pathetic, mired in the past instead of using it to improve! To become something better! After everything I sacrificed for Alola!" Roran shouted in anger before stopping himself suddenly, allowing himself to calm down somewhat. He then continued, "Alola has become a shell of its true potential. But no more. And do you know why!?" Roran asked, a hidden smile of insanity coming to his lips under the mask he wore. None of the Council dared to respond, as the fifth member had their legs broken in a manner that would cripple them for the remainder of their life, no matter how far medicine had come in recent years.

"Because I decided that this land isn't worth loving anymore…" Roran whispered, shutting his eyes and grateful for the fact that the mask he wore hid the fact that a single tear had run down his face. "I'm going to destroy Alola. I'm going to burn it all down, and bring everything back to zero. All these years allowed me to realize this was my true purpose all along."

"You're insane! You can't really expect to do all of this!" Palena shouted out, surprise and fear etched onto his face. Roran walked over to the man, one of the four remaining members who hadn't been either killed or crippled by Roran, and gently cupped his cheek.

"I can do whatever I want, you little fool. Because I was the one chosen by the Tapu to bring change to Alola. I was chosen to wield the ancient power given only to those worthy...Just as I was chosen to be cursed by them when they turned their backs on me. Justifiably so, but that doesn't make the curse I live with every day any less bearable." Roran explained to the confused man.

"C-cursed?" Palena asked, bewildered by this.

"Oh yes. The Tapu have been deified and their good natures exaggerated for centuries now. Most of you probably don't even know the truth behind their creation, I imagine." Roran said with a shrug, before adding, "But yes, the Tapu do have many powers that aren't well-known. Cursing those that anger them is one of those powers. With each of the Tapu able to deliver a special kind of curse befitting of a Guardian Deity." Roran said as he gestured widely with his arm, the burning artifact flaring in his hand.

"On that day, when I attacked Malie City in my attempt to impress upon the people the threat of the Ruby Raiders and to force the remainder of you idiots into supporting my efforts against them, I was cursed by Tapu Bulu. And since then...everything changed for me. I became something so much worse." Roran explained, reaching up to his mask and holding his head for a moment.

"Yes...The Curse of Abundance. But like with all things, I learned to make the most of my curse. And I've allowed it to transform me into something beyond anything I could have dreamed." Roran breathed, extending his hand out and allowing the Z-Ring he had on his wrist to burn a bright gold color.

"With the power of the gods at my hand, and the madness of the gods pouring through my body, I have become the harbinger of the end for Alola. I've embraced my inner demons and let them run wild. I've spread my wings and become the monster I always wanted to be. I can't even begin to tell you how liberating it is. To finally take the mask off and be...free." Roran said with a sigh before he moved away from Palena, who was gently raised into the air by Claydol.

"But that's enough of the monologue. I appreciate your time and for listening to me ramble on. I've waited a long time to vent, after all, but I do appreciate you all being good sports about it." Roran said cheerily as Palena screamed in horror, feeling the power of Psychic holding him tightly-

Only for a ghostly blade to suddenly slash at Claydol from behind, causing it to cry out in pain and drop Palena to the ground. Roran snarled as he called out his Cloyster, which quickly protected him from the Aegislash that suddenly tried to impale him with its blade before being blasted away by a Hydro Pump. Palena fell to the ground unconscious as Roran focused his attention on his opponents, Claydol and Cloyster floating beside him.

"About time someone showed up. I was surprised you people let me get away with this for so long." Roran muttered as a trio of new arrivals suddenly appeared on the street. Two males and a female, and he recognized them as Agents Quill, Looker, and Maiden of the International Police. Quill was carrying his sniper rifle while a Dodrio trotted beside him, looking antsy. Looker and Anabel had a Toxicroak and an Espeon out respectively, looking ready for a fight. The Aegislash that had attacked him reappeared behind Agent Quill, floating behind him.

"Stop this at once! Don't you realize what you're doing!?" Anabel demanded of Roran, who looked at her with hidden amusement.

"Duh. That's why I'm doing it. It's also why I crippled most of the Alolan Regional Council and some of them. I'm just a sweet guy like that." Roran said mockingly, though he was a little annoyed to see that none of the IP reacted to his humor.

"You're surrounded, Roran. You have nowhere to go. Just come quietly and we can end this." Looker said to the man, who sighed deeply.

"'Kay." came the reply from the Cipher Admin.

"Wait...what?" Looker asked, confused by the simple response. Roran looked at him before suddenly teleporting with his Claydol right in front of the man, chuckling deeply through his mask.

"You people are beyond help if you think I'm even remotely considering easing up anytime soon. I'm going to keep hurting people. I'm going to keep killing people. Until the streets of Alola flow with blood, and I...ascend." Roran breathed, gesturing widely with his arms. "It won't be long now."

"Alright, well I'm done listening to this." Ollie said with an annoyed sigh, quickly raising his rifle and firing off a quick shot that struck Roran in the middle of his forehead. The man stumbled backwards as the bullet bounced off of his metallic mask, but Ollie quickly adjusted his aim and fired off three more shots at the man's chest. The Claydol quickly blocked the shots with its body and let out a groan, firing off a Psybeam that Ollie had to throw himself to the ground to avoid. The beam smashed through a building, exploding violently as the Clay Doll Pokémon used Psychic to hurl the man into a nearby lamppost, curling his body around it. Claydol was blasted backwards by Anabel's Metagross, which quickly overpowered Roran's faithful Pokémon as Looker helped a wounded Ollie to his feet.

"GET HIM!" Ollie bellowed as he took aim again, firing at Roran as the man continued to keep hidden behind his Claydol while drawing out another Poké Ball and calling out an Archeops that was cloaked in a purple aura. The First Bird Pokémon suddenly shot through the air, flipping once as it struck the approaching Toxicroak hard, causing it to go sailing backwards down the street before firing off a Hyper Beam at the street below, blasting back Anabel and Ollie's teams respectively and giving Roran a moment to think.

"I'm good, but a three-on-one battle with two Trainers stronger than me isn't exactly a genius move." Roran thought as he watched his Shadow Archeops get battered back by a Psychic from Anabel's Espeon (which Roran hadn't noticed until now), which was followed up by a Sucker Punch from newly-recovered Toxicroak that knocked out Shadow Archeops. Roran dug into his cloak and hurled a Revive at his Archeops, but it exploded into shards as a high-caliber sniper round blasted it out of the air.

"Oh right, and I can't forget that one of them is trained for this kind of shit as a sniper. I guess if they're not holding back anymore, then I won't either." Roran said as he returned his Shadow Archeops and raised the flaming artifact in his hands and yelled, "You want to heat things up!? Fine with me!"

The street cracked open and fire burst out of the ground, twisting through the air and crashing down on the street, causing Anabel and Looker to move away while forcing Ollie to rethink his plan. Acting fast, Ollie used his Aegislash to quickly begin evacuating the wounded Council members while he called out his Braviary, his Dodrio frantically trying to attack the Cloyster and his Trainer. However, the flames were too great for them to get through. Cloyster and Claydol worked in tandem, firing off beams as the International Police tried to move in closer to attack while Aegislash quickly got the civilians out of harm's way. As this went down, Mask placed a finger to his mask.

"Standby Units 19, 20, and 21 come to Ascension Street. I have some friends that require some company. Hurry, or your paychecks and lives are forfeit." Roran spoke calmly as he mentally directed his two Pokémon in a manner that allowed them to work together to create a massive wall of ice that blocked him off from the International Police. Roran then raised his artifact into the air, summoning flames from the earth on the other side of the ice wall.

"Alright...Cloyster. You and me. Claydol, stall for us." Roran instructed his two most faithful Pokémon. The ones who had been with him through it all. And loyal to the very end. Cloyster grinned, joining her Trainer as Claydol hummed in response before quickly teleporting away from a Aegislash that slashed through the air behind it. Ollie, Anabel and Looker joined it a few moments later with Shadow Sneak, but was suddenly thrown back by an Earth Power. Meanwhile, Roran had thrown out his arm and was speaking to the Cloyster beside him.

"Remember our dreams...Our hopes. To save our home, we must purge it. Wipe the slate clean. Together." Roran whispered to the Cloyster as it nodded, a grin coming to her face as Roran's white Z-Ring morphed from white into gray, and then into jet-black. The Incinium-Z on Roran's Z-Ring become a purple crystal with a black and bright blue center as light flooded the street from Roran's wrist.

"What the hell is he doing?" Ollie demanded as he struggled to his feet. His Aegislash rushed forward and slashed at Claydol with a Shadow Claw, causing it to crash onto the ground with a groan. As it went in for the final blow, Roran raised his other hand and lifted the fireball-like artifact in his hands, causing a beam of fire to erupt out of the object and strike Aegislash directly, knocking it out.

Cloyster was enveloped in a glowing aura of power as the light from Roran's Z-Ring shined forth, causing the eyes of the Bivalve Pokémon to burn a golden yellow. Light crept out from the mask Roran wore, giving him an eerie visage as he quickly struck a series of movements, hugging himself as if he was shivered before throwing his hands down at the ground.

"Show them...the cold harshness of this world. And end their lives!" Roran snarled as golden light enveloped his body and then flowed into his Cloyster, who let out a defiant cry as icy energy began to charge up along every point of the Bivalve Pokémon as it prepared to use it's strongest possible attack.

"Escape Protocol Delta!" Ollie shouted, but not before Roran could complete the attack.

"Show them their place, Cloyster! Channel Icicle Spear...and use FROZEN FRACTAL FURY!" Roran bellowed as he channeled the incredible power of the gods through his Z-Ring, the blinding light filled the street. Cloyster screamed as it's entire body shined bright white, as flowing wisps of icy energy surged forth, freezing the ground beneath it. The energy consumed the entire block within moments, filling the street with an icy mist.

Colossal icicles than sprang out of the street one after another, deadly sharp and surging with icy energy. A few moments later and the street and buildings were covered in icicles, though this was far from the end of it. Roran couldn't see what was ahead of them, but was confidant at this point that his enemies were caught within the attack. He then snapped his fingers as Cloyster cried out, causing every single one of the hundreds of icicles that filled the street to explode violently, creating an icy explosion of raw energy. Roran grinned sadistically as the explosions rang out, one after another, before a silence filled the air. The mist began to clear, and the move ended. As the light vanished from the Trainer and Pokémon, Roran fell to his knees with a sigh.

"Gotta...stay awake. Can't...lose focus now." Roran murmured as Cloyster tiredly floated over to the man, with Claydol helping him to his feet. Roran nodded to them both before gazing upon the completely obliterated street with amusement, though he saw no sign of the International Police. No corpses, no Pokémon. The man scowled in anger underneath his mask before instructing Claydol to find them.

Meanwhile, on a nearby rooftop, the trio regrouped, trying to make sense of what just happened. Ollie and Anabel shivered violently from the cold, almost grateful for the flames that quickly began to warm them up. Looker wore an expression of terrified awe on his face.

"W-w-hat...what the h-h-ell was that?" Anabel whispered as she beheld the entire city block that had been reduced to a frozen wasteland. The area had been atomized by the sheer cold of the attack, leaving nothing behind. Roran had fallen to the ground, but was now up and looking around the street.

"That was some kind of Z-Move...but not anything I've ever seen." Looker remarked, looking down at his wounded Toxicroak. He quickly applied a Max Revive to his partner, who was awake within moments. However, it was still weakened as a result of the devastating move Roran had used on them. It was only thanks to the last second Teleport from Anabel's Alakazam that they survived the deadly attack in the first place.

However, Toxicroak and Metagross had been knocked out by the attack right before it had struck, which only made the trio of Trainers more certain that had they not escaped at the last moment, they would have perished. Ollie's Dodrio had been knocked out as well, but it was suffering more so than the other two Pokémon, so he applied an Ice Heal to the bird and returned his Partner.

"I believe I've figured out how he's controlling the flames inside the city. Roran has a Magma Stone in his possession, and he's using that to control his Shadow Heatran's powers and use them however he sees fit." Looker said to his two colleagues, who both looked surprised.

"How do you know?" Anabel asked, surprised.

"This was years before you came into the service, but I worked undercover in Sinnoh to stop Team Plasma from trying to meddle with a Heatran there. I became very familiar with the Magma Stone and it's powers." Looker explained gravely, shaking his head.

"But I haven't seen Heatran anywhere." Ollie remarked, earning a hum from Looker.

"Location doesn't necessarily matter when it comes to the Magma Stone. Roran and Heatran could be on opposite ends of the island and he could use its power freely...Though even if he has it in his possession, he shouldn't have this degree of control over it." Looker mused aloud, causing Anabel to snap her fingers.

"I felt something strange from that weird thing Roran was carrying. The thing that was on fire? Maybe that's the Magma Stone inside of it?" Anabel suggested, making Looker raise an eyebrow.

"That makes sense. Maybe some kind of device that serves as a conduit for Roran to channel the power of Heatran...It's incredible he was able to ensnare the city in a mess like this with just the Magma Stone." Looker said as he glanced around the city, seeing the flames clawing at the sky.

"Well, he's done this before. Only there doesn't seem to be some weird magic fire that ends the mess, so we're on our own. We have to stop him from hurting anyone else." Anabel said as she rolled up her sleeves and wiped her brow.

"I also don't much appreciate how he's been treating us. Let's return the favor and kill that bastard." Ollie remarked, reloading his rifle and grinning sharply. The other two Trainers nodded, and after a few moments to coordinate a strategy, teleported back to the street and launched a wave of attacks at the madman, who laughed and had his Claydol use Protect to shield him and Cloyster from the onslaught.

"Predictable…" Roran muttered as he stepped forward, only to fall to the ground, shaking violently as he coughed. Ollie frowned at the display as Cloyster's expression turned to concern, with the Bivalve Pokémon floating down to her Trainer and letting out a cry.

"What's going on with him?" Anabel asked, suspicious of some kind of trick. Ollie was thinking of something different, and so was Looker.

"Clearly on attack like that took a lot out of him. By our estimates, a man his age can't be pushing their limits like that." Looker remarked as his Toxicroak shuddered beside him, shivering from the aftershocks of the attack that had knocked it out. "Professor Kukui has repeatedly stressed that Z-Moves take a lot out of you, and shouldn't be used more than once a battle if you can help it. That news anchor fellow nearly killed himself battling Dawson doing that."

"You idiots...don't you dare underestimate me." Roran wheezed as he shakily used his Cloyster for support and slowly pulled himself into a standing position. Roran huffed as he carefully set down the artifact, continuing to speak. "Even broken as I am...my genius shines through. Using the power that our gods, our beloved Guardian Deities saw fit to bestow upon me, does exact a heavy toll...And I'm getting older, even if I don't like to admit it."

"But like any businessman worth his salt, I figured out a way to cheat the system!" Roran let out a cackle as he reached into his cloak and pulled out a syringe filled with a dark blue liquid. He quickly prepared the needle as Claydol put more power into the shield that was quickly being blasted by Metagross, Toxicroak, and Braviary. Meanwhile Ollie began trying to use a Revive on his Aegislash as he called it out, but by then Roran had carefully injected himself in the lower part of his neck with the serum, causing him to shiver.

"Hah...ahh...Hehehehehe...what a rush. I feel so alive!" Roran laughed as he moved away from Claydol and effortlessly picked up the burning artifact once again, now moving with much more ease and with certainty in every motion. Claydol dropped the shield and teleported on the spot, reappearing right behind the trio of International Police members, who whirled around in surprise.

"WE SHALL BURN TOGETHER!" Roran bellowed as he threw down the syringe, brandishing the burning object in his hand towards the Trainers assembled before them. Roran swung the artifact downwards, with it flashing bright white.

Hell came to Malie City then, as the flames that were slowly eating away at the city began to burn brighter and hotter than before. Meanwhile, the street that the battle against Roran was taking place on was now a literal hellscape, with flames pouring into the road from every angle from the crevices in the earth. The only spot that was safe was where Roran was standing unbothered beside his trusty Claydol. Like before, the International Police were nowhere to be seen.

"You know, running away from the fight before I've had the chance to butcher you is really-" Roran began to say before he was surprised by someone grabbing him in a chokehold and then slamming him down on the ground. Claydol tried to intervene, but it was slashed from behind by a ghostly sword and sent crashing to the ground, where it was promptly blasted by a Sludge Bomb and a Hyper Beam for good measure, knocking it out.

"That was for turning my gun into ashes, you prick!" Ollie barked, trying hard to break the man's neck or just suffocate him, whichever came first.

"Just die already!" Roran snarled as Ollie tried to strangle the man, only to find to his surprise that Roran's strength now far exceeded his own, thanks to the serum the ex-Kahuna had injected himself with. Roran forced himself into a standing position despite Ollie's efforts.

Roran yanked away Ollie's arm and smashed his head into the man's jaw, knocking him back. Ollie swung a fist at the man, connecting hard with the madman's jaw, but the older man barely noticed it, instead choosing to hit Ollie in the chest with a hard palm strike that a person his age shouldn't have been able to do with as much force as he did. Ollie grunted as he stumbled back, dodging an elbow strike and punching Roran in the chest, where he felt a muffled thud followed by a bark of laughter from his opponent.

"You think I didn't wear body armor to a scrap like this!?" Roran demanded as he grabbed Ollie's arm and hip-tossed him to the ground, stomping down at him, only for Ollie to dodge. Looker rushed the ex-Kahuna from behind, only for Roran to spin around and kick the other man in the head, sending him to the ground.

"FUCK YES! NOW THIS IS MORE LIKE IT!" Roran bellowed manically, laughing even as Ollie whirled him him around and punched him as hard as he could in the head, making the Cipher Admin stumble backwards before getting thrown down the street by a blast of Psychic from Anabel's Espeon.

Roran hit the street hard, bouncing three times before rolling slowly to a stop. However, the madman then smoothly rolled to his feet undeterred and grabbed his dart gun, firing twice at Ollie, only for Ollie to barely dodge the two shots before the dart gun was knocked out of his hands by Anabel, who had rushed the man from behind and kicked him in the neck. This blow had the effect of sending Roran staggering backwards with a strangled yell before Anabel attempted to throw him to the ground. Around them the Pokémon threw themselves at each other, with the flames dying out around them. Not helped was the fact that Roran' reinforcements had arrived and were now battling the Pokémon as their boss struggled to fend off the three agents.

"With whatever he just pumped himself with, he's more dangerous than ever!" Anabel called to her comrades as she struggled with Roran, who threw the woman backwards with a snarl of anger and snapped his fingers. Claydol used a Psychic to make the flaming artifact that Roran had been using to fly back into his hands, even as several Cipher members joined him on the street, their Pokémon showing signs of damage despite the brief exchange.

"I will rise...and the stars will fall. And I won't be denied my spotlight!" Roran barked as he pulled out a serrated black dagger that he had been using for more than two decades. Ollie and Looker braced themselves for another round with the madman before something happened that distracted all of them.

"Ollie!" shouted a familiar voice to the man, who's blood ran cold. Everyone's head turned towards Sun and Hugh, who had just arrived on the scene to help. It took a few moments for them to drink in the scene, seeing that the International Police were currently battling against the enigmatic Roran Rubinara.

"Well, well...Looks like we drew some attention. Perfect." Roran crooned through his mask, turning towards Sun as he flipped his dagger in his hands. Sun shivered at the man's presence, staring him down. He remembered his father's warnings about Roran, and the promise he made not to confront the man.

Suddenly he felt like coming back to Malie City had been a grave mistake. Seeing the expression on Ollie's face told him that the man who had become a guardian and a friend to him was now terrified for him.

"I need to go...I need to get out of here." Sun muttered just quietly enough so that only Hugh could hear him. Louder, he said, "So you're Roran, huh?"

"Good to see you again, Sun! You came just in time for me to slaughter these cretins! By all means, sit back and watch the show!" Roran remarked almost casually, putting a hand on his hip while the other gripped the artifact in his hands tightly, causing the flames to billow around Looker and Anabel. Ollie positioned himself in front of Sun while Hugh glared at the man.

"Sun, you know him?" Ollie asked, surprised by Roran's statement. Sun shook his head, looking concerned as well, but Roran simply laughed in response.

"You'd be surprised, Sun, but we've actually met several times before. I know a lot about you." Roran said to the boy, who looked confused. Roran tapped the mask he wore a few times, chuckling softly. "Do you want to know why I call myself Mask, Sun? Well, it's certainly not because of THIS mask. That'd be really boring and cliche, and I'd like to think I'm above that kind of thing."

"I was kind of assuming it's because your face looks like Exeggutor's shriveled scrotum." Hugh remarked, his eyes flashing with anger.

Roran simply shrugged, though the motion had the effect of causing the flames to swirl around him, blocking a Shadow Ball from Anabel. Roran casually swung his artifact in her direction, causing the ground to crack open by her, allowing Anabel and Espeon a brief moment to evade getting incinerated, though it knocked out her Metagross again. Roran continued talking all the while. "It's because I wear many different faces when I have to. Different masks, so to speak. Some of them literal, others metaphorical…I wield many different personas and many different aspects of myself, depending on who I need to become."

Roran paused for a moment before suddenly whirling around, grabbing an attacking Looker, (who no one had seen suddenly leap at the Cipher Admin) by the throat and slamming him down on the ground. Ollie and Hugh moved to help, but were thrown back by a Psybeam that was blasted at the ground from a not-quite knocked out Claydol. Roran slammed Looker's head against the ground a few times, hard enough to knock the man out. Roran stood up again and side-stepped a Hydro Pump that was sent his way as Roran's Cloyster fired off an Ice Beam that Hugh and his Samurott dodged. Anabel's Espeon attempted to attack through the fire with a Psychic, but a column of flames erupted from the ground beside Anabel and her Espeon yet again, knocking them both back. Cloyster cried out as the Pyschic attack struck it, knocking it out, though Roran tossed a Revive at the Bivalve Pokémon and it was revitalized within moments as Roran summoned more flames into the street.

Roran took that moment to reach up to his mask and tap the hidden button that retracted the mouth portion of the mask, allowing his mouth to be free. He then reached into his cloak and pulled out something that none of them could quite make out, though Sun thought he caught a glint of gold before Roran stuffed what was in his hand into his mouth and chewed it a few times before swallowing. The man shivered violently and made a few groans before suddenly straightening up, looking towards them all once again.

"There we go. Much better." Roran breathed as he shook his hands, trying to ward off the strange tingling sensation in his fingers. "You have no idea how hard it is to speak when you're drugged out of your mind. Thankfully, I've had plenty of time to practice my monologue. Now then, back to business?"

Roran thrust out his hand, the Z-Ring on his wrist flaring gold once again. This time Claydol teleported in behind him as Cloyster suddenly fired off an Ice Beam, which Hugh intercepted with his Samurott. Roran called out a Shadow Rampardos, which promptly blasted Samson the Samurott with a Thunderbolt, knocking it away.

"Sun, run! It's too dangerous!" Ollie barked as his Braviary dove at Roran, who swung down his artifact and called up a wall of flames to ward off the bird. Ollie was surprised when Roran suddenly teleported behind them, stepping towards Sun.

"You look so much like your father, you know. Your eyes are kinder, though. Less harsh. I wonder what he'd think to see me standing before you now." Roran said quietly, tilting his head as Sun stepped back slowly, sheer horror as his face as the flames flared behind him, cutting off Hugh and Ollie.

"He'd tell me to kill you!" Sun shouted, trying to keep the fear out of his voice. Roran laughed softly, stepping towards the boy.

"Of course he would...He knows what I'm really capable of. He dedicated his life to fighting evil however he could because of me. Ashton never did forget that night onboard the AFPSO Endless, all those years ago." Roran mused as his Claydol and Cloyster floated beside him.

"So why are you doing this!? Just to be a psychopath? Because you didn't get the job done last time?" Sun demanded, hoping to keep the man talking in time for one of the others to help him. Sun wasn't even going to entertain the idea that he could take on Roran in a fair fight. Dawson had been a skilled fighter and leader, but was ultimately a poor trainer.

Roran had proven to be lethal in all three aspects, considering the damage he had caused so far and the fact that three top agents of the International Police had yet to bring him down. There was no chance that the boy was going to be able to take down the former Kahuna in a battle. Finn braced himself to fight as Oliver flared his wings, glaring down the madman.

Before anything could kick off, however, Ollie leapt out of Sun's shadow and lunged at the Kahuna with a snarl of rage, punching him in the side of the head before roundhouse-kicking him to the ground, causing Roran to shout in pain. He weakly tried to get back to his feet, only for his arms to fail him.

"Agh...damn it...don't kick an old man like that!" Roran bellowed as Ollie pulled out a sidearm and aimed it down at the former Kahuna, only for Roran to snap his leg up and kick Ollie in between his legs. The Captain howled in pain, allowing Claydol to blast him down the street with Psychic even as Roran called back out his Shadow Rampardos. The flames parted in time to let a Samurott smash through the flames and veer towards Claydol, who teleported on the spot to dodge. Hugh leapt through the flames as Ollie struggled to his feet.

"Sun, get out of here!" Ollie yelled as hobbled towards Roran, who was now battling Hugh. While the red-eyed Trainer had the advantage of power, Roran had experience. Samson dodged an Earth Power by leaping into the air, firing off an Ice Beam that Claydol teleported to dodge, only for Cloyster to hit Samson with Icicle Cannon. As Samurott powered through the attack, it was struck from behind with Psychic, knocking it to the ground.

"Damn it, this guy is pissing me off!" Hugh growled as he called out his Flygon, only for it to be promptly hit by an Ice Beam, and then smashed into by a Shadow Rush. Roran cackled with delight as Hugh growled in anger. Ollie called out for his Braviary, which swooped in to attack as his battered Aegislash moved in front of him, having recovered somewhat from Roran's attack earlier and been hiding in Ollie's shadow until that moment..

"I'm more than aware of the fact that in a fair fight, the two of you would defeat me. That's why I always stack the deck in my favor. Like so." Roran spoke as the flames suddenly parted, with Roran striking a pose as his Claydol shined bright gold, with Roran's eyes burning with golden flames through the metallic mask he wore.

"Now would be a good time!" Hugh shouted, causing Roran to pause before a series of explosions rang out around him and his Claydol, causing the attack they were about to preform to fail, with their respective glows failing. Roran glared at the Simisage that was now visible on a nearby roof, tossing Seed Bombs at him and Claydol. Roran glared at the monkey for a moment, then to Ollie and Hugh, and then to the retreating form of Sunshine Smiles down the street.

"I have a better idea!" Roran said smugly as his Cloyster and Claydol teleported to him, with Roran returning Shadow Rampardos. To their surprise, the madman teleported from sight...only to reappear down the road, in front of Sun.

"Get away from me! Finn, Scald! Oliver, Razor Leaf!" Sun barked, taking a step back as Roran laughed softly, gesturing with his hands. Scald was easily tanked by Cloyster, who fired an Ice Beam at Oliver who barely got a Protect up in time to shield him and Sun. Claydol knocked out Finn with a Psychic as Roran slowly clapped.

"Pitiful showing, Sun. You can surely do better than this." Roran remarked, gesturing with his arms as he stepped forward as gripped his knife tightly. Claydol struck with Psychic, hitting Oliver with it and holding the bird in place as Sun cried out, only for Roran to suddenly appear in front of the boy, shoving him to the ground. Sun stared up at the Cipher Admin, hearing the soft distorted chuckle from the madman.

"The stage is set, my boy. Go on! Fight me! We don't have much time before-" Roran raised his serrated dagger into the air, to end Sun's life the way he had done so many others, but the madman was once again cut off by Ollie as the man charged out of another shadow nearby, punching the man in the jaw and sent him tumbling to the ground. Claydol fired off a Hyper Beam, which was blocked by Aegislash. The Royal Sword Pokémon began fending off both Claydol and Aegislash, but Ollie's Braviary interjected with a Shadow Claw on Claydol, knocking it out again. Roran swore in anger and tried to return Claydol, only to be kicked in the head by Ollie. The IP Captain drew his sidearm and aimed it at the man's prone form, but had his entire arm had become frozen solid by an Ice Beam fired by Cloyster, who quickly teleported in front of the Captain and grinned mercilessly at him.

"Iron Head!" Ollie shouted as Aegislash rose from behind Ollie, quickly slashing at Cloyster and made it dodge with a Teleport, which carried Roran a short distance away as well. The former Kahuna slowly got to his feet, shaking his head and shaking the artifact he held, which caused more fire to suddenly break free from the ground and cut off Ollie's chance to attack. The IP Captain shook his frozen arm desperately, smashing it against the ground in an attempt to free it as he fought the urge to shiver.

"Why is this freak fixated on you, Sun? And where's Hugh and Anabel!?" Ollie muttered, glancing around and ensuring Sun was behind him and that Aegislash was watching his other side. "Aegislash, get Sun to safety. Far away from here."

"Ollie, I-" Sun began to say, but Ollie cut him off.

"No, Sun. Leave this to the adults. Children shouldn't have to fight a battle like this. It's one of the few things I can actually agree with your father on." Ollie admitted, concern visible on his face. "Besides...this guy is going out of his way to interact with you. He's getting something out of it. And we shouldn't give him a chance to try something. Now go! Leave this to me and the others!"

"So brave, Agent Quill. But my friends have those two held up at the minute...for now it's just me, you, and Sun." came the distorted voice of Mask as he teleported behind them, his newly-revived Claydol floating beside him as the man flipped his serrated black dagger in his left hand while holding a fireball attached to a golden handle in his other. Ollie opened his mouth to speak, but Roran raised the artifact and unleashed another beam of raw flames, causing the two Trainers to scatter as their Pokémon sought to dodge the fire.

"Braviary, Aerial Ace on Claydol! Aegislash, use Iron Head!" Ollie barked as as Roran chuckled softly, stepping forward, only for Cloyster to teleport on the spot. Ollie heard them reappear behind him and fire off another Ice Beam, which Aegislash blocked with King's Shield at Ollie's command.

"Razor Leaf!" Sun shouted out, with Oliver releasing a barrage of leaves that slashed at Cloyster and Roran both, causing the madman to swear loudly as several of the leaves slashed through his cloak.

"Little bastard. I might have to remove some fingers for that one." Roran remarked lightly, flipping his blade backwards in his hand as Cloyster smashed into Aegislash with Icicle Crash, even as Claydol teleported above them and continued to do battle with Ollie's Braviary, getting knocked by with another Shadow Claw.

Suddenly the Cloyster moved back as Roran raised his artifact once again, firing off a beam of pure fire at Aegislash. The Royal Sword Pokémon cried out as the attack struck King's Shield again, but the move failed and a result Aegislash was blasted into a nearby house as Roran laughed.

"Braviary!" Ollie barked as the Valiant Pokémon swooped past, smashing into Cloyster with Aerial Ace as Ollie called out his Swellow, with the other bird hovering nearby as Roran regarded the new Pokémon.

"So brave, Agent Quill. But who protects the protector? My friends are keeping yours busy, after all! And I've come too far to let my ambitions all short now!" Roran remarked as he swung his burning artifact downwards, creating two rifts of fire in the ground that erupted from the street. Claydol fired off a Psybeam at Swellow, who quickly dodged the attack. Ollie called for a double Aerial Ace, which knocked back the Claydol much to Roran's annoyance. The Steel Wing on Cloyster didn't help things, and that was when Sun realized that if this was a straight-up battle, Ollie would have won handily.

However, this wasn't a regular battle. Both of Ollie's birds were knocked back as another wall of flames erupted from the streets beneath them. Meanwhile, Claydol and Cloyster teleported into the air behind them and struck quickly, with Cloyster hitting Swellow with an Ice Beam as Claydol struck with Psychic, manipulating the Ice Beam in a manner that caused Swellow to freeze solid. Ollie returned the bird with a soft swear, leaving Braviary to stand alone against them as Roran barked a laugh.

"Go for the boy! After all, he's the star of the show! We can't leave without him." Roran remarked off-handedly, almost carelessly. Ollie grit his teeth as Sun called out Penny, preparing himself to join the battle.

"Sun, why the hell are you still here? Go!" Ollie yelled as Braviary dove in and out of the air, dodging Ice Beams and Psybeams skillfully.

"Sending our young friend away so soon? Well, if you're so eager to end it all, you simply just needed to ask." Roran taunted the man as he snapped his fingers, causing Cloyster and Claydol to teleport to his side, both looking worse for wear.

"Claydol, Hyper Beam on the boy with the two birds! Blow them away!" Roran bellowed dramatically, hiding a smile as he saw a flicker of movement out of the corner of his eyes. Sun called for a Protect as Oliver shot by him, but Aegislash was suddenly floating in front of the boy. The Royal Sword Pokémon looked very badly injured, but was still more than willing to serve its Trainer loyally.

"King's Shield!" Ollie barked as the Royal Sword Pokémon quickly moved to protect Sun from Claydol's Hyper Beam, quickly switching stances and throwing up a light purple shield of energy. The attack struck the shield, but Aegislash held firm. As the attack ended, Claydol was suddenly enveloped in a bright purple glow as it shuddered.

"Good work, now-" Ollie began to say, but was he cut off when someone grabbed his shoulder and yanked him around. To his surprise, it was Roran, who let out a laugh as he lowered his dagger with a triumphant laugh...burying his dagger in Ollie's throat.

Sun screamed out for his friend, reaching a hand out towards him. Time seemed to slow all around them as everyone, people and Pokémon, took stock of what just happened. Roran turned towards Sun, regarding him with a calm air.

"Those who don't learn from the past are doomed to repeat it..." Roran said to Sun as he twisted the knife lodged in Ollie's throat mercilessly before gently pushing Ollie backwards, a cruel grin hiding behind his mask as Ollie staggered, desperately clutching at the knife protruding from his throat even as crimson poured down his front. Sun simply stood there in absolute horror and shock as a freezing cold sensation rolled through his entire being. The world seemed to move in slow motion as Ollie slowly fell backwards, his eyes full of alarm and pain as he struggled to breath through the knife that had torn through his throat.

It was then that Sun finally understood.

He understood why his father was so terrified of Alola. Why he despised the islands so much as a result of his experiences as a Trainer growing up in these islands. He understood the endless paranoia of Ashton concerning his only child, and his desire to safeguard him against all harm by keeping him away from the Trainer lifestyle. Sun realized why his father had become consumed with a desire to save this world from evil, even at the cost of his own humanity and conscious and no matter how many lives as it took. And he understood why he was so terrified of Roran that he was willing to sacrifice everything to protect Sun from him.

He understood...because as he watched Ollie fall sideways onto the cobblestone, a dagger jammed through his throat with crimson spurting from the fatal wound, Sun felt his world tear apart. He felt the tears already dripping down his face as Ollie let out a strangled gasp of pain as he twitched on the ground, the life slowly leaving his eyes as a pool of blood quickly began to form on the ground. Sun could only stare now at the man who had inspired and protected him. Who sacrificed his safety and life for Sun…and who lay dying on the ground, his gaze staring upward at the night sky as he breathed his last breath.

The crying child turned his gaze to the Cipher Admin who shrugged helplessly as he regarded the child of Borlath with amusement, reaching towards his mask and tapping the hidden button underneath, causing the mask to hiss and become loose. With an exaggerated movement, Roran began to remove the mask.

"Now then...Dance with me, my friend. The gods are watching. Show them you're worthy of a starring role in this, the performance of a lifetime!" Roran demanded as he removed his mask completely, revealing his burned face and a terrible smile of sheer malevolence as his Claydol and Cloyster floated beside him. The hellfire that the former Kahuna had filled the city with was reflected in his insane orange eyes. Eyes that promised more unspeakable evil unleashed upon Alola, as Ollie lay dead on the ground at Roran's feet.


Next time: Sun achieves the story's bad ending, Roran tries to beat Amber's kill count, and Dizz reveals his secret.

Q & A

From: JDunks896

In all honesty, I could kinda see Demi just randomly bumping into a Cubone and catching it. But that probably wouldn't fit into the storyline you've already established. Anyways, now that Sun caught Alastor (that is a terrible omen for a name... Hazel is Nightmare Fuel), I have a question. For the purposes of Radiant Sun, what exactly are the mechanics of Self Destruct and Explosion? Can they actually kill the user, or is it just knockout like in the games?

The explosion from Self-Destruct and Explosion knocks out the Pokemon that uses it, and it certainly hurts them a lot to use it, but it doesn't permanently harm them.

From: Joey

Another great read and I can't to see what happens next now that Cipher is now starting to reign destruction upon Malie City. I'm both surprised and impressed Borlath went through that whole conversation with Lillie without once mentioning her mother by name. I also wonder if we'll see any flashbacks regarding Roran's past down the line, because surely there's no way he was born to be a cannibalistic monster lol. Also glad to see more Demi and Gladion/Team Skull stuff. I knew Sun was gonna get an Alolan Geodude which is pretty cool I guess. I like how Alastor downright hates humans which I think will be fun to see him interact with his new teammates and Sun. I'm curious to see how Sun will eventually get Golem, since Golem is regularly a trade evolution. Only got 2 questions to ask this time:

1) Since its was previously established that Laura's Meowth is the son of her starter Persian, does that mean Damien is the father? Houndoom and Persian are in the same group after all ;)

2) Do you plan to include any of the other prominent Cipher figures from the games such as Gorigan or Ein?. I know that Naps showed up during the Royal Avenue arc and the Hexagon Brothers got mentioned as well so this is just something I was wondering. I never actually played Colosseum and GoD since I don't own a GameCube so I wouldn't really care if any more did show up.

1.) That's a thought, but no. Damien's kinda already hit the peak on doing questionable things out of loyalty to his Trainer. Laura's Meowth is not the offspring of Padma (Laura's Persian) and Damien.

2.) And no, I have no plans to include any of XD's other Cipher Admins, mainly because all of them repented and just gave up crime altogether by the end of the game, save for Greevil's son Ardos. Borlath revitalized the shattered remnants of Cipher after XD and recruited Dakim, Venus, and Ein to his cause because they still willing to play ball and help run Cipher. Ein was killed by Wes (if memory serves) in Unova during the whole Neo Team Plasma resurgence.

That's all for now! Please make sure to review and show your support, because feedback is amazing and it makes me feel all warm inside. If you haven't Favorited and/or Followed the story yet, then do that very thing to stay updated with the fic. I also answer questions in the review section, and you can stay updated with the story by joining my Discord. PM me for an invite.

Stay safe and stay awesome!

Until next time, FlygonNick out!