Pokémon Radiant Sun


So October has been one hell of a month.

I won't bore you all with the details, since that would add another thousand words to this chapter, but needless to say I've been extremely busy on the writing front and in my personal life. I'm hoping that November will allow me plenty of extra time to not only get back on track update-wise but also maybe get ahead, but we'll see.

On a more positive note, I'm happy to report that the Freelancer Collaboration is inching ever-closer to updating once more for "Phase Two: Betrayal." That's honestly where most of my time and effort has been directed this month, writing multiple chapters for the group and helping out others. With some luck, we'll be updating soon!

Now onto the main event! Shoutout to those who reviewed since the last update, which includes Madame Rodoshe, Oragonking, AnonymousEmboar, RC-DA, two Guest reviewers as well as a new reviewer known as Buried legacy! Thanks for the support and feedback everyone!

Also, on a fantastic note, Pokémon Radiant Sun has reached 500 Follows! Holy moly, that's wild! You all absolutely rock, and I thank you all for continuing to come along for the ride. I can't tell you how grateful I am for your support. And on that note…

Enjoy.


Chapter 130: Prince's Gambit


Many Years Ago…

Orre Colosseum, Orre Region


Within the depths of the howling and treacherous desert in the Orre region stood a stadium where only the strongest Trainers could stand tall. It was a place where the best of the best did battle. All in an attempt to etch their names in the annals of history, for the region was known for creating tough people and even tougher Pokémon.

Outside of the colosseum, two men garbed in red and blue respectively walked side by side. One of them was rigid with fury, his teeth grinding hard as he struggled to keep himself from screaming. The other was calm, a little smirk on his face as he watched his brother have a meltdown.

"I cannot believe I lost again to that brat!" Cipher Admin Ardos spat, his blue robes billowing slightly as the sandy winds brushed past them both. His fellow Admin, Eldes, regarded his brother for a moment, with the red-garbed man shrugging his shoulders a moment later.

"Peace, brother. Michael's strong in many different ways. We will rebound…" Eldes said soothingly as the duo continued walking towards a lone figure that was sitting down on a stone pillar a short distance away. Both men approached the elderly man, who was short and garbed in a royal purple cloak with an exhausted expression on his face. Despite this, he smiled at the two younger men.

"Excellent show, my son." Greevil said to Ardos, who sighed as he crossed his arms in frustration. "You made that child work for his victory. Your strength will grow in time. There's no need to linger on your failure. Learn from it."

"Of course, father." Ardos muttered, trying to squash the feelings of loathing he felt for the child that had derailed all of their plans. The only reason they weren't currently rotting in cells was because they had all made pleas with the Oore government in exchange for leniency and handed over control of Citadark Island to a private company that had purchased it for a princely sum of money. Now they were penniless and pariahs of the region, all thanks to Michael.

"Now…You failed to win against that boy. What is our next move?" Greevil asked his sons, who both looked at one another.

"Another region. We haven't lost everything. We've stored enough of our secrets in external files in some of the older systems within the Under. Thankfully the secret teleporters are still active. " Ardos remarked, shaking his head.

"You're really going through with this. Even after barely getting away with what we've done?" Eldes asked his brother, anger sharp in his voice like a knife.

Ardos whirled around, glaring down his brother and clenching his fists. "Are you truly willing to give up everything we worked for?"

"Cipher is done! Can't you get it through your head?!" Eldes shouted at his brother, who seemed ready to punch him in the jaw. Greevil looked back and forth between his two boys, his expression torn.

He sympathized with Ardos, who had always been his most fervent supporter during the startup of Cipher and had been instrumental in the later days of the organization's operation. Greevil wished that he had never been defeated by Michael, and that their scheme to control the Orre region had been successful.

But at the same time, he understood where Eldes was coming from. They had hurt countless people and Pokémon and it was through battling Michael that Greevil had come to understand the errors of his ways. Pokémon Battles had a way of connecting the hearts of two opponents, and through that, Greevil understood. Understood that Cipher had been a mistake, despite the great wealth and power it had brought him. Greevil's desires had nearly driven him mad, and now he understood.

However…the lure of power was an enticing thing indeed.

"This doesn't have to be the end, gentlemen." Spoke a smooth voice from behind them. Ardos and Eldes jumped in surprise and spun around, not noticing the man standing behind them now. At his side was a strange creature that they had never seen before, a green and orange Pokémon with tentacle-like arms. The man was tall and powerfully built, with a handsome tanned face and short spiky hair and wore a crisp brown suit and tie.

"What do you mean? And who are you?" Ardos asked, narrowing his eyes. It was Greevil who recognized the man and walked past his sons, suspicion in his eyes.

"Ashton Aupuni?" Greevil asked, receiving a nod from the smiling man. "What on earth brings you to a place like Orre?"

"Business, naturally. And some curiosity. You see, gentlemen, I came to see whether or not Cipher would be interested in an opportunity for redemption." Ashton Aupuni said with a grin, gesturing widely with his hands.

"Redemption?" Greevil asked, tilting his head in confusion.

"Yes. Redemption. You see, gentlemen, I've watched Cipher for a while now. I've kept my eyes on the various dangers of the world, and Cipher has been one of them. However, I find myself interested." Ashton Aupuni said, his tone even despite the strange note it held that none of the men present could identify.

"What are you getting at? And who are you?" Eldes asked the suit-wearing man, who dug into his pocket and drew out a business card with a flourish, flicking it towards Eldes.

"Ashton Aupuni, CEO of Aupuni Industries. I'm also the man who just bought Citadark Island and organized the complete destruction of the Cipher Key Lair after seizing the assets within." The man said to the stunned trio in front of them, who now understood plainly who was standing before them.

"You have some serious nerve...Who do you think you are!?" Ardos barked at Ashton, who shrugged after a beat.

"I gave you my card. That should sum it up pretty neatly. But to put it shortly, I'm exactly what you gentlemen need to stay relevant. Unless you'd rather let yourselves fade away into obscurity before everyone's eyes." Ashton responded, grinning at them again as his eyes flickered silver and purple. This served to further unnerve the trio, who had seen both eyes as green just a few moments prior.

Ardos smiled coldly at the statement while Eldes' expression became one of concern. Greevil simply looked at Ashton Aupuni with a contemplative gaze.

"What are you getting at? Why spend so much money and resources seizing the assets of a criminal organization so far away from Kanto?" Greevil asked Ashton, narrowing his eyes slightly in suspicion.

"Sometimes we all need a little help. I feel like I can use the services of Cipher to achieve some very big things." Ashton Aupuni said as he clasped his hands, grinning at the three of them. "Things that can literally change the shape of humanity as we know it."

"Or we could simply hold you hostage and take you down now! Shadow Ball, Iron Tail!" Ardos barked, pulling out two Poké Balls and calling out his Gengar and Tauros. Ashton raised an eyebrow and simply unclasped a single Poké Ball at his waist, calling out a massive Houndoom with a smooth gesture as the two Pokémon rushed towards him.

"Intercept and use Flamethrower." Ashton said in a tone that sounded almost bored, with Damien grinning as he leapt forward into the Shadow Ball that exploded harmlessly against him. Damien tanked the Iron Tail before blasting Tauros directly with Flamethrower, knocking it out with ease.

Ardos swore softly, pointing forward as he called, "Brick Break!"

The Gengar dove into the ground and tried for a sneak attack, flying towards Damien with a glowing fist, only for the Houndoom to blast it with a Dark Pulse without being commanded by Ashton. The Shadow Pokémon was knocked out without further delay, much to the awe of the three men from Cipher. Not even Michael, the boy who had dismantled Cipher almost single-handedly, had been this frighteningly powerful.

Damien padded forward, growling softly with annoyance in his eyes while Ashton smiled placidly at all of them. "Now then, gentlemen. Do I have your attention?" Ashton said mildly, gesturing with his hands as his eyes both flickered to two separate colors, silver and gold. "You want power. I can give you that. All I ask is that you let me be your guiding hand. Darkness doesn't have to be evil, you know. It can be channeled and used for all sorts of things, as I've come to learn. All it needs is direction. Help me help you, and we can all get what we want."

Greevil finally spoke then, his words careful and measured. "You strike me as a man of strong moral fiber, Mr. Aupuni. Why should we believe you have any desire to work with Cipher? Our forces are scattering and our bases are compromised."

"Call it an experiment of sorts. I want to see if myself and Cipher can do business. If together, I an use Cipher to achieve a safer and more secure future for this world. If we can come to some sort of an arrangement and make our goals align, then fantastic. If not, well…" Ashton's smile twisted into something darker as Damien suddenly growled, stepping forward and causing Eldes and Ardos to take a step back in fear. "I can assure you, I have ways of dealing with scum like yourselves."

"Very well…" Greevil said, a smile coming to his lips. "I considered Cipher a lost cause. But I've heard of you, boy. You're strong and determined. Let's see if we can, as you say, do business."

"Music to my ears. Gentlemen, let's head to Gateon Port. I hear that their Krazy Krabby Special is to die for." Ashton said breezily as he swept past the men with Damien padding alongside them. Eldes rubbed his face, lamenting the fact that they were getting dragged back into more Cipher schemes. Ardos looked quietly excited, his smile of cruel delight returning. Greevil simply remained thoughtful, wondering what had driven a young man like Ashton Aupuni to reach out to a group like Cipher.

"I'll have to ask Roran about this...I believe he knew this young man personally from his days back in Alola. Perhaps he'll give me an idea of what I'm getting into." Greevil thought to himself as he followed Ashton Aupuni out of the area alongside his sons, not realizing that he was about to see the second-coming of Cipher at the machinations of a man with far greater ambition than he could ever imagine.


Present Day

Onboard the Absolution, Hau'oli Bay


"Damn them...Damn them all."

"Amber?"

"Damn it!" Amber Fontaine hissed with fury as she stormed down the hallway of the ship, thinking of the idiots that hurt Ashton. The fools that dared hurt the man who had given up everything for this miserable excuse of a world. Who had saved her from the darkness and given her kindness.

"So strange, this feeling…" Amber muttered as she prowled through the halls, her mind racing as she considered what to do next. Avis the Xatu nervously floated behind her, unused to seeing her Trainer so agitated.

Amber stopped in place and considered the events of the day. Borlath had barely managed to pull through emergency surgery after Guzma's attack in Iki Town, surviving only thanks to siphoning power from Perfect Kyurem before he bled to death. That being said, the Cipher Master was currently resting as his doctors frantically tried to find a way to get him strong enough to invoke the powers of the Tapu and make his wish. The wish that would fix everything.

All four Tapu were onboard and secured, and they simply awaited Borlath to come and finish breaking the will of Tapu Koko before they would make his wish. The wish that would make everything okay again.

At the cost of Borlath's soul.

Amber's fists clenched in fury as she considered that fact. That Ashton Aupuni would be giving up everything, yet again, for the sake of this terrible world. But it was his choice. It was the escape he so desperately wanted.

And Amber would do anything for him. She may have devolved into a monster, a bloodthirsty killing machine that held no remorse for her victims, but she would always be loyal to the man who had saved her from Hazel.

"Right now it's up to me." Amber thought to herself, considering their options. Avis tapped her Trainer with her wing, and Amber absentmindedly stroked the bird's head for a moment as she thought.

"We'll secure the city. Lock it down and prevent anyone from teleporting to the Absolution, while at the same time ensuring that no one even dares to try to storm the boat." Amber said aloud, grinning to herself as she thought aloud. "The Legendaries will guard the ship while our personnel take down anyone who dares fight back. I can keep them from maneuvering with the Aegis Lock, which'll block any attempts to Teleport within the city...though the power drain alone will render our ship's invisibility useless. It's fine, though, because while our forces are causing trouble I can finish the job I started the other day."

"What are you thinking?" Avis asked her Trainer, earning a dark grin of malice in return.

"We're so close to the end, Avis. Let's end this show with a bang." Amber said as she made her way to a nearby terminal that would allow her to make an announcement over the ships comm system.

"Attention everyone! All Cipher combat personnel, come to the top deck and prepare for battle! This is not a drill! I repeat, all Cipher combat personnel come to the top deck and prepare for battle!" Amber barked into the mic before turning around, a mirthless smile on face as she placed a hand on Avis and directed a thought to the Xatu. Within moments, the duo had teleported back to the bedside of Borlath, who was quietly sleeping.

Amber moved forward, grasping the chain that was around Borlath's neck and gently moving the man's head so she could remove the Eternity Locket. As the ancient relic dangled in between her fingers, she fought a shiver as she felt the power roll off of it. This thing was what kept Perfect Kyurem, a walking WMD, in check. Borlath had talked about how this thing judged you…

And how if you tried to wear it without conviction, it would kill you where you stood.

"Amanda…"

The assassin looked down at Borlath, whose silver eyes were opening slightly as he regained consciousness. It had been hours at this point, and with everything the medics had pumped into him to save him, Amber was shocked he was awake. But then again, this was Borlath, who was the strongest person she knew. Borlath's eyes widened as he registered what she was about to do.

"Rest, Borlath. I'm going to keep those idiots busy. Because they will come for you. It's only a matter of time before they find the Absolution. So I'm going to make them work for it." Amber said to the Cipher Master, who took in those words. Borlath then nodded, lying back down and sighing.

"Kill whoever you have to. Just leave Laura and the children, Sun and Lillie in particular, out of this...Make sure they don't get hurt. Even if this all gets undone by the wish, I wouldn't be able to take it if they got hurt any more from my actions." Borlath murmured, receiving a simple nod from Amber.

"Of course. I'll spread the word that at the very least Miss Laura, Lillie Jardin and Sun aren't to be harmed. Anything else? Or do I have free rein here?" Amber asked, curious as to what his response would be.

"Do whatever...you have to. Kill the rest. Their deaths...won't mean anything if I make my wish. To undo my mistakes under Cipher. So end it. End them all...if that's what it takes. Just make sure to come back to me." Borlath whispered before succumbing back into the dark depths of sleep. Amber watched him for a few moments before stepping forward, a frown flickering across her face.

"I won't let them hurt you. I swear it." Amber promised as she held the Eternity Locket high into the air before carefully slipping it around her neck. Amber shuddered as she felt the coldness seep over her body…and then froze!

"Amber?" Avis asked worriedly as her Trainer's body slowly began to ice over. For several agonizing seconds, Amber remained entirely still, much to the mounting concern of her Xatu as frost coated the body of Amber Fontaine.

And then just as suddenly...Amber Fontaine smiled.


Hau'oli City

9:52 PM


"I can't believe you lost it, Dexio!"

"I could have sworn it was in its case, mon amour."

Sun looked towards the Kalosian couple with surprise as they made their way through the city on foot, with Wes and Aria leading the pack of Trainers. Several of their number had split up and were quietly organizing local Trainers to rally support for the coming battle. Sun shivered in anticipation, and hoped that everyone came out of this alive. Including the man who had started all of this madness.

Snapping himself out of his thoughts, Sun turned to Sina and Dexio and asked, "What did you lose?"

"Both my Mega Ring and Z-Ring have gone missing." Dexio replied as he looked to Sun, who's jaw dropped in surprise. Both of those items were priceless! Sun couldn't imagine losing his own Z-Ring.

"He is adamant that someone stole them. I hope he didn't just leave them behind in a suitcase somewhere when we flew back to Alola." Sina remarked dryly, her tone showing that she was at least trying to find some humor in the situation.

"It's certainly troubling, especially since we're about to embark on such a dangerous mission." Dexio muttered, shaking his head. Sina did a small fist pump, catching his attention.

"Non! We shall persevere without it! Our strength and might will help save the day!" Sina said as she struck a familiar pose, which Dexio quickly did alongside her. The Kalosian duo held the pose for several seconds while everyone just stared at them, wondering how the hell these two dorks had been put in charge of the Zygarde operation in Alola.

"Sometimes I wonder about my circle of friends." Sun remarked quietly, causing Rotom Dex to giggle from within his backpack along with Penny and Finn, who were moving alongside their Trainer.

"So tell me again why we aren't at the docks waiting for the Absolution to become visible?" Hugh asked the group, looking around. Wes sighed, drawing everyone's attention as he stepped forward.

"Because apparently if we did so, Cipher would just unleash the Pokémon equivalent of a nuke on us all at once in the form of Perfect Kyurem. Or Regigigas, if I'm being honest. There's a reason I went to such hard lengths back in Sinnoh to keep that stupid key out of Cipher's hands." Wes remarked, shrugging as he looked towards the horizon and the moon high above them.

"According to Vivian, Cipher is going to spread out their forces into the city and attempt to keep anyone and everyone from getting to the Absolution. Taking out individual Cipher members who aren't expecting a coordinated attack the second they're vulnerable is better than attacking the moment Cipher reveals themselves right at our target. Hell, they might just level the entire dock or worse yet, leave the port altogether." Aria explained to the group, with Wes nodding in agreement.

"They're staying close to Alola for a reason, despite having all of the Tapu. We're going to use that to our advantage. Plus we have the element of surprise on our side and we're going to make full use of it" Wes explained to the assembled group, tapping his ear piece after a moment. "Team B, do you read me?"

"Loud and clear." Anabel said in reply, being the head of the second team that would be coming up through Route 1 and heading deeper into the city via the main strip, taking up strategic positions where they could. This was the higher traffic area and where Wes suspected more of Cipher's forces would be positioned if Vivian's information was correct.

"Good. We move deeper once the boat reveals itself and Cipher begins their 'takeover' of the city. If we're careful, we make it through without too much craziness. But I also totally expect things to mess up almost instantly and as a result, we'll have to fight for several hours straight." Wes continued, his tone becoming dry as he shut his eyes. Wes then continued in an undertone "Sometimes I miss just chilling with Mohn on the island. Good times."

"Where is Mohn, anyway?" Sun asked quietly.

"He's far away from here. He's not really a Trainer and I don't want him to get hurt." Wes replied, looking to the boy for a moment. "Sun, are you sure you want to be a part of this? I know what I've said before, but...You don't have to do this. You have that choice."

"I don't think I really do, Wes." Sun said quietly, shaking his head. "If my Dad undoes his involvement with Cipher, then that means everything that's happened since then will be totally erased. Me moving to Alola. Meeting all of you and experiencing everything that I have on my journey. And my Pokémon…"

"Your journey would be completely wiped out. You wouldn't even have any memory of it." Wes muttered, tapping his foot on the ground for a moment before nodding. "That's as good a reason as any."

"Actually, here's a good question. Where's Vivian at?" Hugh asked, crossing his arms with annoyance. "This whole plan is happening because she has knowledge of the future. Shouldn't she be here with us?"

"She said that she needed to stay at the hospital with some of the others." Aria replied, looking concerned. "She made sure to give me a hug before she left though. I've got a bad feeling about it, but she was insistent that she would be more helpful there."

"We do have a lot of important people resting up there." Hugh admitted, frowning as he considered the matter. "Alright, fair enough."

"Let Vivian be. She's helped more than enough. We'll be fine with the numbers we have so long as we communicate effectively." Wes said with an air of confidence, as if he had a habit of doing things like this. Sun realized that exact thing was the case. "Just stay close and listen when I tell you-"

It was at that moment that an audible shimmer shuddered over all of the city, and the group spotted several Cipher members teleport into the streets and begin shouting at passersby with weapons drawn, even as on the horizon a massive battleship suddenly materialized into existence.

It was a massive hunk of metal and armor, armed with a strange cannon-like object on the top of the otherwise sleek vessel. It was snow-white and silver in color while also bearing the name Absolution. Four pillars of light burst into view from the deck of the ship, each colored yellow, pink, red and purple.

"The Tapu! I can feel them." Sun whispered, looking down at his Z-Ring. Somehow, Sun knew that they were onboard that ship. And that they were in trouble. Hau looked down at his Z-Ring with the same troubled expression as Sun, but then looked at the ship again.

"Whoa...that's one big ship!" Hau whistled softly, even as Wes gestured for him to get back into cover. It was just as well, because it was then that an incredibly loud voice began speaking to them all from what sounded like a speaker loud enough to broadcast a message to all of them.

"ATTENTION HAU'OLI CITY!" rang out the deafening voice that every single one of them recognized. Amber Fontaine now addressed the entire city, even as a large figure floated into the air above the Absolution. Perfect Kyurem let out a roar of defiance to the sky as the sky overhead crackled and rumbled, with storm clouds forming above the city.

"My name is Amber Fontaine. I'm sure I don't need an introduction at this point. If you know what's good for you, you'll remain in a sheltered location and out of the streets. Cipher has taken command of the city for the next few hours. Cooperate and you will survive the night. If you decide to pick a fight with us, then we'll respond with appropriate force." Amber Fontaine said to them all, sounding as if she was hoping that most people chose the second option.

"It's time. Get ready, everyone!" Aria called to their group, flexing her arm that was encased in the Snag Machine.

"The ship is vulnerable…Beginning our approach." Ollie muttered into Wes' earpiece, causing the former Snagger to smirk for a moment.

"Alright teams...Showtime." Wes breathed as he moved forward, ripping out his crossbow and sword with a grim smile on his face, his golden eyes narrowed with determination. Sun and Hau followed behind the former Snagger and his protégé along with the others, just hoping that they could end this madness before everything they ever worked for was ripped away from them.


Meanwhile…

Hau'oli Hospital


"Hey Lils...you bring me pudding?"

Lillie smiled weakly at Professor Kukui, who was currently drugged up on painkillers while resting in bed. Visiting hours were over, but considering the recent attack in Iki Town and how important Kukui was to the Alola region, the Professor's assistant was allowed to stay late.

The girl dug into her bag, with Nebby escaping with a joyous cry, and pulled out a six-pack of chocolate pudding. Professor Burnet laughed weakly as Kukui grinned with delight, even as Lillie handed the two of them pudding cups as she sat down herself. She had already dropped off pudding to Kahuna Hala and Olivia, who were both now sleeping after getting out of emergency surgery.

Doctor Colress had worked throughout the night to help the hospital deal with the sudden influx of victims that were admitted to the ICU. The poor scientist was ready to drop with exhaustion by this point and so were the hospital staff, but they still worked tirelessly to keep up with those who were injured. Only Colress and a select few staff from the hospital here knew how to properly use the Heal Pulse Treatment that had saved so many lives, and Colress was determined to save as many as he could.

"How are you both feeling?" Lillie asked the two Professors who had become like a second mother and father to her since she had escaped the Aether Paradise. Kukui laughed painfully, putting a hand on his chest with a wince.

"Doing better. Chest hurts, though…" Kukui groaned, setting aside the pudding cup with a sigh, relaxing on his pillows. Winter the Alolan Ninetales lay down on the floor beside Kukui, the pregnant fox snoozing peacefully even as Lillie reached down and stroked her chilly fur. Nebby chose that moment to fly over to Professor Burnet, nuzzling her cheek and causing the woman to smile.

"Get better soon!" Nebby cried out to the Professors, making Lillie smile warmly at her Pokémon.

"Aww, thank you Nebby." Burnet said gratefully as she hugged the little Pokémon. Nebby cried out joyfully as Lillie set down her bag and took a seat beside Professor Kukui, reaching into her bag and pulling out a book that she had been reading quite a bit recently with Sun.

"Whatcha got there?" Kukui asked his assistant, who showed him the cover of the book in question.

"Mega Evolution: A Compendium of Power...Where did you get a book like that?" Kukui asked, surprised that the girl would have such a book in her possession. Information on Mega Evolution was closely guarded in the Kalos region and wasn't well understood outside of it.

"Acerola helped me. She reached out to the Mega Evolution Guru out in Kalos, and Korrina sent us a copy of one of their books. I've been reading through it with Sun so that we could-" Lillie stopped herself mid-sentence, realizing that she had said too much.

"So that you could…?" Burnet asked, raising an eyebrow. Lillie felt a hot bubble of guilt within her chest, and like the good girl that she was, she couldn't lie to a parental figure. Mother had been very good about quashing any sense of rebellion in the blonde-haired girl and old habits were hard to break sometimes. Lillie had to tell them the truth.

"Me and Sun have been researching Mega Evolution for the past few days. Specifically, how to counter it...And looking into the strengths and weaknesses of certain Mega Evolved Pokémon. In particular, Mega Houndoom." Lillie explained, much to the surprise of the two Professors.

"Why would you be looking into something like that?" Kukui asked, completely baffled by this. Burnet, however, realized immediately what was going on and narrowed her eyes.

"Damien." Burnet muttered darkly, causing Lillie and Kukui to look at her. The Professor's expression was one of clear disapproval. "You're researching Mega Evolution to try and figure out a way to get the upper hand on Borlath's Houndoom. A Pokémon so powerful it can stand against the entirety of the Pokémon League. Lillie, did you really think that you and Sun could figure out something that all of those professional Pokémon Trainers couldn't?"

"I just w-wanted to help…" Lillie said quietly, causing Burnet's eyes to widen in surprise as she noticed the girl beginning to tear up. She hadn't been expecting Lillie to be upset. "And I thought the plan me and Sun came up with would work."

"You...came up with a plan?" Kukui asked, surprised by this. "How would you take down Damien in his Mega Houndoom form?"

Lillie told the Professors the plan she and Sun came up with. The strategy that she and her friend had devised thanks to their research on Mega Evolution and using Sun's team as a basis. As the girl finished speaking, Burnet's jaw dropped in surprise while Kukui simply pulled Lillie into a hug, a smile of sheer pride on his face despite the pain his chest was currently in. Lillie simply looked embarrassed the entire time while Nebby floated overhead.

"Yay! Hugs! Hugs hugs hugs!" Nebby cheered happily as he floated around the room.

"Genius! I never even considered using it's own strength against it." Kukui said breathlessly, releasing Lillie as he grinned with excitement. "I mean, it's a very dangerous strategy. It could easily backfire. Talk about using moves in fantastic new ways!"

"It's a gambit. A calculated risk for a chance to gain an advantage later." Burnet mused, grinning despite her husband's words. "Sometimes in situations like this, a little bit of risk is worth it."

"I don't know...I honestly hope that Sun isn't ever in a position to where he needs to use it." Lillie remarked quietly, trying to downplay things. Kukui shook his head, still wearing a smile of joy as he regarded his assistant and the girl who had become a daughter to him and his wife.

"Lillie, you're utilizing strategy and thinking like a Pokémon Trainer. And using not only successful strategies that professional Trainers use, but coming up with one against an opponent that's proven to be basically unstoppable." Kukui explained to the girl, placing a hand on her shoulder. "As someone who's studied Pokémon Moves all of his life, I can't tell you how proud I am of you."

"It's nothing, really…" Lillie said with a bashful smile as Burnet chuckled beside them.

"I think it's got a shot of working. If anything, it'll catch Borlath off-guard. Sun mentioned the other day that it's one of Borlath's weaknesses." Professor Burnet said, leaning back in bed. "They're strong, but not invincible. Heck, Borlath could die from his injuries before we know it."

"Something tells me Borlath won't die so easily. He wants to do that on his own terms...Otherwise he would've ended things himself years ago." Kukui said grimly, causing Lillie to shiver at the mere thought. She was grateful to have such supportive friends and guardians who helped her stay positive, despite the hardships she had gone through.

"We'll beat him...We'll make him understand that there's still hope out there. That he doesn't have to give up on this world and force everything to change." Lillie spoke softly, a note of determination in her voice that made both Professors smile.

It was then that the entire room was plunged into darkness as a deafening screech of fury erupted from somewhere in the distance.

"W-w-what was that?" Lillie yelped, hopping to her feet. Just then she felt a strange shudder wash over her, causing the girl to shiver despite herself. The darkness certainly did nothing to assuage her fear.

"What's going on?" Professor Burnet asked weakly as the emergency lighting for the building kicked in, even as Kukui tried to sit up. Nebby flew into Lillie's bag, sensing the tension in the room.

"Looks like the power to the building has gone out…" Kukui grunted, trying to get out of bed and managing to stand with some difficulty as Lillie went to steady the man. Lillie helped Professor Burnet as well, taking a few minutes to make sure that they were okay just in case they needed to leave the room.

It was then that the sounds of shouting became evident in the hospital distantly, and so Lillie tentatively walked over to the door and peeked her head outside, where she saw Noah dimly in the darkness.

"Noah, what's going on?" Lillie asked the pale young man, who grimaced as he looked down the hallway. It was then that Lillie noticed he had a Poké Ball in hand.

"Power's gone out to the whole hospital. Someone said they saw a giant yellow bird flying around the hospital at one point, but it's gone now." Noah said grimly in the dimly-lit hallway. "Sounds exactly like a Zapdos, and considering a certain asshole assassin had one in her possession as of just a few days ago…"

"Amber…" Lillie whispered fearfully, with Noah nodding.

"I don't think she knows what's happening right now in the city. But I can't imagine why she'd shut the power down to the hospital. It's almost like-" Noah was cut off mid-sentence by the sound of an impossibly loud gunshot going off, causing Lillie to shriek in fear as Noah pulled her to the ground instinctively.

Thankfully for them both, it was simply the sound of a gunshot going off over the hospital's intercom, but it was still extremely distressing for Lillie as the girl shook beside Noah, who swore quietly.

"What the hell's going on?" Noah muttered, tossing his Poké Ball into the air and calling out Maxwell the Machamp, who instantly went on the alert.

"Noah!" came a shout from down the hallway. Lillie turned and saw Vivian running towards them, her Chatot sitting on her left shoulder with a violin and bow in her right hand. Noah stepped forward and surprised Vivian by pulling her into a tight hug.

"You okay? What's going on?" Noah asked.

"Something weird is happening. Cipher should have only just now started its occupation of the city. I...I think it's something to keep people from teleporting away. Decres couldn't use Teleport when we tried it a minute or two ago." Vivian explained to her boyfriend, who nodded.

"Do you have any insight on that?" Noah asked pointedly.

Vivian bit her lip, shrugging her shoulders. "Aside from the fact that it's something that makes it so people can't use Teleport, I don't know. It's something coming from the Absolution. I just assumed it was some crazy tech Borlath came up with. MissingNo's visions of the future weren't exactly filled with play-by-play information."

"Right." Noah sighed, shaking his head. "Sorry. You're trying your best, honey. Thank you for your help."

"It's really nothing. MissingNo did all the work. He's the one who…" Vivian paused again, taking a shaky breath before continuing to speak. "Enough of that. What are we going to do? What's the plan?"

"All we can do is wait for the power to kick back on and wait for the others to storm the Absolution and take down Borlath. Thanks to you, we've got a shot at ending this." Noah said with a smile, causing Vivian to return it gratefully. It was than that a familiar voice spoke out over the intercom system, causing an icy wave of terror to wash over all of them.

"You really think I was just satisfied with hurting you idiots back in Iki Town?" came the voice of Amber Fontaine over the intercom system, her voice radiating with bloodlust. Vivian shivered with terror as Noah's hand found hers in the dark, and she gripped it tightly.

"No. Where's the fun in that? I'm going to hunt each of you down and kill you. I'm finishing the job here, and then I'm coming for the rest of you. No more holding back for the sake of Borlath. No more distractions. No more...So please, make things interesting." Amber's soulless laugh echoed through the comms before cutting off, making Lillie gulp nervously about what the assassin lying in wait for them had up her sleeve.


Meanwhile…

Hau'oli Pokémon Center


"That's right! Just stay inside and don't try any funny business!" barked a Cipher Peon as he brandished his rifle at the crowd assembled in the Pokémon Center, with five of his fellow Peons standing beside him with weapons drawn. Several Shadow Pokémon were present in the building as well, barely restrained by their Trainers from leaping at the humans in front of them who had already been relieved of their Poké Balls and phones.

"Now, we're just going to stay nice and calm for a while. No craziness. No bravery or foolishness. Follow our directions, and everyone gets to live to see tomorrow." Another of the Peons, a larger man with a massive chin said in a placating tone that fooled no one.

"I bet you said the same thing to the people in Malie City! Or Nimbasa! Or Celadon!" an older woman shouted out, causing two of the Peons to scowl and step forward. The calm Peon held out a hand to stop them.

"Don't let them rile you up." The Peon said to his comrades, turning towards the woman. "We understand your frustrations. But this is for the best-"

"You're absolutely right. This is for the best." Spoke up a voice that every single one of the Peons recognized immediately, drawing their weapons as one as they looked around the room.

"It's Wes!" one of the other Peons shouted out, panic in their voice.

"We're so screwed…" hissed another, glancing at the crowd with raw horror in her eyes.

"Yeah, probably. So, let's do this." Wes' spoke from right above them, causing all five of the Peons to look up in surprise, but by then Wes was already upon them. The former Snagger dropped down from the ceiling, alongside Aria, and lashed out with a spinning kick that knocked down two of the Peons while Aria dropped to the ground and slugged the third with her metal-covered fist. The two remaining Peons shouted out and raised their weapons to fire, only for Aria to drop to the ground, revealing that a Jolteon had been sitting on her back the entire time.

Sophie lashed out with a Thunderbolt that sent both Peons flying across the room, causing all of the Shadow Pokémon present to rush at the two Trainers. Wes grinned cockily as he wordlessly called out a Floatzel and snapped his fingers, causing the Sea Weasel Pokémon to unleash a powerful howling Blizzard that stopped the horde in its tracks, knocking out the dozen or so Pokémon in a single move.

Aria stepped forward as Wes took a moment to finish knocking out the stunned Peons, addressing the crowd by saying, "Is everyone alright?"

"They didn't hurt anyone. They took our stuff and Pokémon though." A young woman replied, sounding shaken up. "What's going on?"

"Everyone, this city is under attack by Cipher. We need everyone to call out their Pokémon and secure the building. Protect this place. It'll be important for later if we send people here for treatment." Wes said to the crowd, earning a new nods from the more seasoned Trainers who quickly began sorting through the bag of Poké Balls and items and handing them out to their owners. Illma stepped forward, looking at Wes with a determined expression.

"You lot go ahead. I'll marshal a group to defend the Pokémon Center and another group to join in the fight. I'm widely known and respected in Hau'oli, so don't worry about it." Illma said to the former Snagger, receiving a smirk in response before he exited the building and rejoined his group outside, only to see them in another battle with Cipher.

A Shadow Scizor descended from above, only to be blasted out of the air by a Fire Blast from Kiawe's Alolan Marowak, who stood stall beside his Trainer and Sophocles, who calling out orders to his Magnezone, which fired off a Thunderbolt with pinpoint precision that knocked back a Malamar. The Overturning Pokémon snarled as it charged up a Dark Pulse, only for a Metagross to crash down on top of it.

"Thanks for the assist, Big Mo!" Sophocles grinned, with Molayne giving his cousin a fond pat on the head. Wes returned his Floatzel and sent out Pyrrha and Leon, his Braixen and Luxray, as he approached the Captains.

"We make quite a team. Let's keep moving, Soffy." Molayne said before his eyes darted to something in the distance, with the former Captain suddenly shouting, "Take Cover! Metagross use Protect!"

Wes leapt into action as Pyrrha ran forward, throwing up a shield of her own as Molayne shielded his cousin with his body and Metagross threw a barrier around them just before a massive blast of energy swept through the street, sending explosions ripping out all around them. Wes winced as a visible crack appeared on the shield keeping out the deadly attacks, but he had faith in Pyrrha. She wouldn't let him down.

Instead, Wes turned his gaze to the assailant, who he recognized after a moment. He wore Cipher's signature armor but it had yellow highlights on it, which made him stand out. Aria sprinted out of the Pokémon Center, coughing from the smoke, and glared at the man who hovered above them on a rather large Honchkrow.

"Captain Naps! A pleasure to meet you again." Wes called to the man on the Honchkrow, who scowled as he looked down at them.

"You should've stayed dead!" Naps barked down at them, with the Cipher Captain drawing a sidearm and a Poké Ball. Mallow and Kiawe joined Wes and Aria in the streets, their Pokémon ready to attack. "W-Why are you even here!?"

"You sound a bit shaken up. Did we attack you lot before you could properly take over Hau'oli City?" Mallow asked the Cipher Captain with a cheeky grin, causing Naps to grit his teeth with anger.

"It won't matter. Soon Borlath will make his wish. He'll make this world a better place and end all of this. And since Amber's currently…" Naps cut himself off, which made Wes raise an eyebrow. What was Amber currently up to?

"Tch. All forces, Code Red! I repeat, eliminate any and all hostile forces!" Naps barked into his headset, which prompted Wes to drop the shield and hold out a hand as Pyrrha aimed a Flamethrower at the Honchkrow, which it barely dodged before flying away. It was then that several of the other Trainers, including Sun and Hau, rejoined Wes.

"What the heck happened?" Hau asked, eyeing the ruined street with amazement.

"One of the few remaining leaders within Cipher that isn't an Admin. Naps was related to one of the Admins Greevil had in Orre, but fell out with Cipher after Michael beat him. Apparently he returned to Cipher once Borlath started getting involved with the group." Wes explained as he looked over the crowd of Trainers, sighing after a moment. "And I expect our job tonight to get a lot tougher if he's flying around stirring up what forces Cipher has left."

"I'm glad Lillie's safe back at the hospital." Sun remarked, sighing as he looked over at Finn and Penny, the two Pokémon he had chosen to start this battle off with. Though using the word "battle" for something like what was happening to come as an understatement to say the least.

"I think you mentioned her before. She's your friend, right?" Wes asked the boy, who nodded. "Probably for the best she's out of the spotlight for this fight. Makes me glad Zoey is nowhere near Alola."

"That's right! Didn't you used to bang a rockstar?" Mallow asked excitedly, causing Lana to roll her eyes while Kiawe facepalmed.

"I did more than that." Wes responded honestly, aiming a dirty grin right back at the Grass Captain. "I made her sing."

"Oooh! Do tell!" Mallow gushed, always happy to hear about new gossip. Lana placed a hand over her mouth, glaring at her best friend.

"Later. We've got a criminal organization to topple. We're not that far from the docks, but Naps has Cipher on high alert. Keep your eyes out for anything." Wes said to the group as he looked forward. "Let's move."

And it was on that note that the group charged ahead, with several teams of people splitting away to dart down side paths. Sun, Hau, Lana, Mallow and Wes happened to be near each other when another wave of Cipher Peons converged on them, drawing weapons and calling out their Pokémon.

"Psychic to hold the Trainers in place, Duke! Cassy, Aqua Jet!" Hau called out as he punched forward with a fierce grin, with Duke rushing forward through the air as his eyes glowed a harsh blue color. All of the Cipher Peons stiffened as the Alolan Raichu's power struck them, quickly taking the guns they had in hand and crushing them to bits. Cassy flowed forward with Aqua Jet and crashed into the Hitmonlee, Shadow Flareon and Archeops charging forward before Lana followed up with a Hydro Pump from her Araquanid, taking them down.

"Nice work, Hau!" Lana said with a thumbs up to her friend, causing Hau to laugh sheepishly as Cassy giggled beside him.

"Less flirty, more fighty!" Mallow called as her Tsareena leapt forward, meeting a Shadow Cacturne in midair and knocking it away with a Trop Kick. A furious roar from a Charizard a moment later pierced the air, and a torrent of flames slammed into the Cacturne, knocking it out instantly.

Sun looked back and saw that Red and Blue had rejoined them, with Red's fearsome Charizard swooping past them and releasing a Hyper Beam to clear the street far ahead for those who were further down the path.

"Damn it! It's them!" one of the Cipher Peons shouted as he Shadow Sneak'd onto the scene and called out a Shadow Swellow, thrusting out a hand as a Shadow Swellow screeched, soaring at them. "Shadow Rush!"

Several other Cipher Peons ordered a wave of Shadow Pokémon to attack them all. Sun ran forward as their group unleashed a wave of attacks to hold back the horde of Pokémon, but it was Aria who took charge of their group as Sophie unleashed a mighty Thunder that knocked out a cluster of Pokémon in a single shot. However, this had the added effect of making her a target, which meant that the mostly-recovered Jolteon was struck with an Earth Power and a Shadow Rush that sent her crashing to the ground, wincing in pain as Aria called out to her Partner with concern. Wes sprinted to the front alongside Leon and Pyrrha, standing right beside his protégé.

"Leon! Discharge!" Wes shouted out as the Luxray snarled with fury, leaping forward to land beside the stunned Sophie and releasing a tidal wave of lightning that struck the Flying-types and filled the air with screams of agony. The electricity also surged into Sophie, which made the Jolteon instantly perk up and grin at Luxray beside her. Sun looked at Wes with confusion, and noticing the boy's expression, he explained, "Sophie's Ability as a Joleton is Volt Absorb, which allows her to recover health and regain energy when hit by an Electric attack."

"Which makes Leon and Sophie a dangerous duo, even if they weren't mates." Aria grinned as Sophie nuzzled Leon's side lovingly, as if to emphasize this point. The surly Luxray took a moment to lick the top of Sophie's head before looking towards their stunned enemies, who were currently reeling from the force of the attack that had hit them.

"Give the command!" Leon barked back at his Trainer, causing Wes to chuckle with amusement. It was then that Cipher seemed to regroup, calling out another wave of Pokémon. Sina, Dexio and Hau stepped forward as did Sun.

"Wild Charge!" Wes barked at the same time Aria called out, "Helping Hand!"

"We've got contact!" Looker spoke into Wes' headpiece, causing a dark grin to appear on his face, even as he lunged forward, sidestepping a Flamethrower and aiming his crossbow, firing off an explosive arrow into the chest of a Peon aiming a rifle at them. The explosive detonated a moment later, sending him sprawling onto the ground with a scream of pain. Meanwhile Leon and Sophie were wreaking havoc on what remained of the group of Cipher Peons attacking them, with some actually retreating further down the street that led towards the docks.

"Keep pushing!" Wes shouted as the group continued to make their way through the street. Sun's eyes widened as a dark figure sprinted at the group from the shadows. Sun recognized it as a Shadow Primeape, but noticed that no one else had pointed it out. He then saw that it was charging right at Wes.

"Penny, intercept that Primeape with Blast Beak!" Sun shouted as Penny shot forward to block the Shadow Primape's Brick Break with her burning beak. Penny then opened her mouth, releasing a blast of scorching heat that sent the Shadow Primeape flying backwards with a pained screech. Finn snatched the Primeape out of the air and used Psychic to slam it hard into the ground, knocking it out.

"Oh yeah! That's teamwork!" Finn boomed as Penny flew by him, shaking her head but hiding a smile as Sun ran forward to keep up with the others. He was surprised by the fact that he wasn't totally out of breath, and wondered if all of the travelling had helped him get in better shape than he was before he became a Trainer.

Wes stopped in surprise and ran alongside Sun, grinning at the boy. "Good work. If we keep up this pace, we'll be able to make it to the Absolution in no time." Wes said as a fresh wave of Cipher Peons appeared from further down the streets and from the shadows.

"Stand back, let them deal with this." Wes said to Sun, slowing down slightly as Mallow and Lana's Pokémon rushed forward, taking down the trio of Cipher Peons with relative ease before pushing forward. Kiawe's Alolan Marowak lingered nearby, ready to use Protect on the two girls should any Cipher members try to hurt them. All the while Kiawe's Charizard soared overhead, providing assistance with coordinated Flamethrowers to further sow confusion into the ranks of Cipher. Hau, Aria, Sina and Dexio also remained close, with Hau looking visibly confused as Sina and Dexio talked to him.

"What do you mean I should hang back? My Pokémon are totally strong enough to take on these dorks." Hau protested, putting his hands on his hips.

"We simply mean that you shouldn't be so eager to leap into battle, my friend." Dexio said calmly, smiling at Hau as he gestured towards the Captains. "Your friends have experience and are strong. Let them shoulder some of the burden that this battle will bring."

"But why? Shouldn't we be jumping in to help out? " Hau asked. It was Aria who answered, already knowing where Dexio was going with this.

"Because pushing yourself and your Pokémon too hard during a long battle like this is a good way to tire them out. We've got plenty of people and right now Cipher isn't coordinated enough to mount a proper counteroffensive...Which makes me wonder where the leadership is. A few Captains here and there aren't enough to totally control all of Cipher." Aria wondered aloud, only for a ringing sound to make them all jump in surprise. Sun pulled out his phone with surprise, and saw that it was Lillie who was calling him.

Wes began to tell Sun to put the phone away, but Sun answered anyway and put the phone to his ear. He shouldn't have bothered, because when Lillie spoke up she was shouting.

"Sun! Amber is attacking the hospital! She knows we're here and she said she's going to kill us!" Lillie practically sobbed into the phone, causing the boy to freeze where he stood. The others all heard Lillie's voice, and Hau's face went pale in horror.

"What!?" Aria yelled out, clenching her fists in fury. Wes scowled and thought quickly, trying to determine the best course of action. They couldn't just let Amber kill more innocents, but they couldn't let her distract them from their efforts to reach the Absolution.

"We'll send some of our strongest Trainers to deal with Amber and meet up with us later." Wes said to Sun and Hau, turning towards the approaching trio of Red, Blue and Leaf, who were bringing up the rear and keeping Cipher from trying to attack them from behind, a key job in an attack like this.

"We've got a problem. Think you can help?" Wes said to the trio, briefly explaining the situation. Red visibly scowled in anger while Blue swore silently, but thought about it. After a few moments of considering their options he nodded.

"We'll head to the hospital to deal with Amber." Blue said, looking to Wes and Aria. "Me and Red are more than enough to get there on our own and take her down. Leaf, stick with them and support as much as you can. They need as many reliable hands on deck as they can get."

"Got it. Stay safe you two." Leaf said as she gave them a grin. Red tipped his hat to his friend wordlessly before snapping his fingers, with his Charizard dipping out of the sky and swooping low for the man to jump atop the Flame Pokémon as Blue called out his Pidgeot, with the duo soaring away moments later.

"Wes…" Sun began to say, but the older Trainer looked at Sun and shook his head.

"We have to trust that they'll make it in time. Red and Blue are two of the strongest Trainers of this age, and with that strange force over the city, we can't teleport to the hospital. I seriously doubt anyone in Cipher besides Borlath or Amber could ever get the drop on them. We could probably Shadow Sneak there in time, but Ollie or Acerola aren't in this group of Trainers and they might not be enough to stop Amber. We'll have to keep pressing and just get to the ship as soon as possible." Wes said to Sun, who bit his lip but nodded. They were committed to the attack now, and they had their shot. Sun prayed that Lillie and everyone else stayed safe from Amber's attack.

A scream and the sound of gunfire snapped Sun out of his thoughts and he was pulled behind Wes, who swung out his coat as a Cipher Peon fired his rifle at him. Somehow the shots bounced off of the coat and struck the man's armor, allowing Wes to rush forward and plunge his sword into the man's throat. Wes yanked it free with a snarl, stepping back and exhaling harshly as Sun looked away, shivering as he moved past Wes.

"Damn it…" Wes hissed, seeing that his own body was shaking. He felt a hand on his shoulder and looked to see that it was Aria, who looked at him with a gentle expression. Wes shuddered and looked away, and blinked in surprise as he noticed something strange in the distance. A massive figure rising from the ocean that Wes recognized after a moment.

"Oh hell...Regigigas is here too." Aria muttered as Sophie stood protectively in front of her Trainer. Wes wordlessly recalled Pyrrha and Leon and instead called out Jet the Floatzel and Lillith the Lilligant.

"Wes…?" Aria questioned as her mentor stepped forward, staring down the Colossal Pokémon intently as it slowly stomped their way from the offshore. Overhead Perfect Kyurem let out a roar of fury, releasing a pulse of white energy into the sky. To the amazement of the Trainers, the temperature of Hau'oli City began to plummet within moments as snow began to drift down from the sky.

"Incredible...to bring snow to Alola with so little effort." Kiawe whispered in awe of the ancient dragon who was their foe, drifting in the sky as it eyed them with fury. Kiawe shivered from the cold, lamenting the fact that he typically went shirtless.

Aria looked at Perfect Kyurem with gritted teeth of anger, and then to Wes who was looking at the dragon with a blank expression. Aria smacked his shoulder, snapping him out of his daze, and Wes spat on the ground before turning down the street and moving forward.

"Can't get caught up in memories. Not when there's still people to save." Wes thought as he tried not to think of the last time he had faced Perfect Kyurem. The last time he had failed to save the day.

He wouldn't let everyone down again.

"I'm fine." Wes said tersely, flinging the crimson off of his blade as he looked towards the docks, where Regigigas stood tall, now impassively waiting for them ahead. Wes gritted his teeth as he glanced at the people looking to him to lead the way. "Everyone! Get to that ship!"


Meanwhile…

Hau'oli Hospital


Colress was exhausted.

He was a great man. He wasn't full of himself by any means, but he knew that what he had accomplished in life was incredible. He had tamed Legendaries, mastered Mega Evolution, and pioneered countless inventions and ways to make the world a better place. His research into bridging about the greatest potential in Pokémon had led him to many places.

But the sad fact of life was that despite how powerful and intelligent he was, Colress was still just a man at the end of the day. A man who had poured all of his time and energy into keeping others alive for the past three days, thanks to Cipher's recent attacks, and he was ready to collapse.

So naturally Cipher decided to abandon all logic and attack Hau'oli Hospital. And now he was tasked with protecting those innocents he was trying so hard to save against one of the deadliest Trainers on the planet.

"Come now, Doctor! Now that the fight is fair, you're not quite as impressive as you were before!" Amber called as she dodged a laser beam from Colress' wrist and opened fire with her SMG. Colress laughed as he thrust out his hand, creating a pink energy wave that blasted away the bullets and continued moving towards Amber, forcing her to dodge with a combat roll and putting her right into the path of a Dark Pulse, blasting her backwards as Avis screeched in distress.

"I have only just begun to fight, Miss Fontaine." Colress tapped his wrist pad, creating three shimmering copies of himself that all walked towards Amber with matching smiles.

"Hyper Beam!" the Colress clones shouted out in unison, with both Metagross and Dusk briefly charging up a flickering black orb of raw energy before unleashing the mighty attacks, obliterating the hallway where Amber and her Pokémon stood, filling the hallway with thick black smoke. After a few moments, a Flamethrower, Thunderbolt and Shadow Ball pierced the smoke and flew towards Colress and his team. Dusk threw up a Protect alongside Metagross, though to Colress' annoyance his Metagross' shield failed and it was struck by the Flamethrower and the Shadow Ball. Thankfully, the Iron Leg Pokémon tanked the attack, and Colress looked forward to see Amber walk out of the smoke with a wild grin of malice.

"You're slipping, Doctor." Amber admonished the scientist, bloodlust radiating from her voice as she reloaded her weapon, sidestepping another laser beam from Colress, who managed another smile despite everything.

"True. I'm very tired, and the last time we did battle the tables were turned. My chances of victory here aren't quite what they were before. There's a chance that my efforts here tonight will end in vain. However…"

"You disagree?" Amber guessed mockingly, snapping her fingers as her Electivire, Aou, and Avis fired off another wave of Flamethrower, Thunderbolt and Shadow Ball at the scientist and his two Pokémon.

"I wasn't going to say that." Colress said simply, flashing a grin at Amber as his Metagross released a powerful blast of Psychic that repulsed the trio of attacks surging his way. Dusk rushed forward with a snarl and released a Dark Pulse that smashed Avis out of the air with a screech of pain. The Xatu barely caught herself right before she hit the ground, snapping her wings out and soaring towards the Mega Absol with Aerial Ace. Dusk was knocked backwards with a pained cry and crashed onto the ground, earning a look of what may have been concern from Colress before he turned around-

Only to find Amber lunging at him, spinning around and delivering a harsh kick to the ribs and made him double-over in pain as they broke from the force of the attack. Colress tried to step back, firing off another deadly laser wildly...only for Amber to dodge it and swiftly break the scientist's arm over her knee. Colress screamed in pain, his ever-present smile vanishing before Amber delivered another punch to his jaw, knocking back the man.

Amber drew a dagger from her armor, directing a thought towards Electivire who rushed towards an attacking Dusk, intercepting with Thunder Punch as Aou and Avis attacked Metagross at the same time, knocking it out. The assassin herself lunged forward, plunging her knife into Colress' chest and twisting it harshly as it ripped out the back of his coat, causing the scientist to choke on his own blood with a shuddering cough.

It was then that another pulse of Psychic slammed into Amber, sending her hurtling backwards down the hallway. Colress was then yanked backwards by a blue glow right before he could collapse to the ground.

Amber staggered to her feet, slightly dazed, in time for a blinding flash to ripple across the hallway. Avis screeched as Amber's other Pokémon cried out in pain, with Amber herself scowling silently as she waited for her vision to recover. Amber idly had Avis throw up a Protect around them just in case someone tried a sneak attack while they were vulnerable. They could try all they'd like, but none of them would escape her vengeance tonight.

Meanwhile, Colress was being floated up the stairs by an Alakazam as Vivian and Noah ran alongside the scientist as quickly as possible (with Noah holding the Poké Ball for Metagross, who had been returned in the chaos, in his hand). Dusk the Mega Absol ran alongside him, visible concern in her eyes as Noah called to his Machamp to carry Colress up the stairs as Vivian ordered Decres to fire off Psybeams down the stairs, blocking the path upwards completely. Amber would be able to clear it, but it'd take time.

The couple burst out into the hallway on the fifth floor, panting with exhaustion as several of the others gasped in horror. Lillie covered her mouth to keep from screaming as Colress was put on a nearby table, with a Gardevoir immediately rushing over to him and blasting his body with Heal Pulse, quickly going to work using the very treatment Colress had pioneered to save his life. Two doctors remained nearby, quickly trying to assess the damage and if it was possible to save him.

"What's the situation?" Kukui weakly asked Noah and Vivian, with Noah wincing at the question.

"We've begun evacuating everyone, but Cipher has the bottom floor secure. Some of the non-critical patients and personnel are having their Flying and Ghost-type Pokémon help get people out of here, but the Kahunas are still too injured to escape in such a manner, as are the Professors. And Doctor Colress…by the time we spread the word, he went down." Noah explained tersely, frustration at himself evident in his voice. "Not to mention all of the people Cipher killed already."

"You did your best." Spoke up one of the nurses attending Colress, a tall man with dark skin and pale blue eyes who everyone present knew as Chief Nurse Koa Sanchez. The Chief Nurse had been present on the fifth floor during the attack, and had quickly taken charge of the evacuation efforts in the hospital while frantically trying to help whoever he could while the power was out. "However, I refuse to let someone who's done so much for us to die at the hands of these monsters. We have to do something about them."

"But if we don't escape, they'll kill us." Lillie pointed out, barely able to keep her voice from trembling.

"You can't escape…" Amber said to them over the intercoms, her voice sounding amused. "I'm surprised emergency power keeps the cameras running. We'll find you and kill you….And then move on to the others."

"Shut up already!" Noah barked in annoyance, reaching out to hold Vivian's hand as the violinist shivered with fear. He knew how much Amber terrified her.

"She certainly...is thorough." Professor Burnet said weakly, sighing as she considered their options.

"So...now what?" Kukui asked, panting as he limped along the corridor with the rest of them, his wife in a wheelchair that Lillie was pushing. Sanchez snapped his fingers, a smile coming to his face as he stepped away from the unconscious form of Colress.

"We need to get down to the Basement Floor 1. We keep an Emergency Teleporter down there for patients that need to be quickly transported to another hospital. That shouldn't be affected by whatever they're using to keep people in the city, and so long as we've got an Electric-type Pokémon on hand to help power it, we can use it to escape...hopefully. If anything, we can hide down there." Chief Sanchez said quietly, looking at Colress with concern.

"But what about the other patients?" Olivia suddenly asked, stirring from her wheelchair. Hala still slumbered, but the Kahuna of Akala Island was warily alert. "We can't...-j-just leave them to die at Amber's hand."

Chief Sanchez nodded, though he looked down the hallway with a frown. "We're not going to be able to evacuate everyone. It's just not feasible...But I also don't think we need to. Cipher is clearly targeting you all for a reason."

"It's because Amber isn't being restricted by Borlath anymore. Since he's going to rewrite history with his wish, death doesn't matter to him. Amber can kill anyone who stands against Cipher now because it'll just get undone when Borlath invoke's the Tapu's power." Vivian said with a grimace, her fear of the assassin making her voice tremble.

"Wait, what?" Sanchez asked, but the others ignored his questions and focused on the new escape plan.

"Let's move then! Lead the way!" Noah said as he called out his Galvantula, which scuttled along the ground as the group slowly made their way to the nearest elevator. It was then that something occurred to Lillie.

"How can we power the elevator with the hospital losing power?" Lillie asked.

"We have certain failsafes established in our building where the elevators can be temporarily recharged by Electric-type Pokémon. Noah's Galvantula could easily power it enough to get us to the Emergency Teleporter in the basement. There's only one elevator that leads to the basement floor, due to security issues, and it's just down the hallway from here" Chief Sanchez said as they approached the hallway, which ended at a rather large elevator. The Chief Nurse had Kukui's Lycanroc bust open the small panel by the switches for the elevator, and then asked for Noah to use a high-powered Electric move on the panel. One Thunder Wave later and the elevator was functioning again.

"We'll all have to cram in here and hope the others can find a way out too." Sanchez said with a heavy sigh, hoping that them leaving would make Cipher leave as well. There wasn't a good solution to this. The group quickly began to pile into the elevator, which Lillie was happy to see could fit quite a lot of people and weight. She vaguely remembered Doctor Colress explaining that they had to take into account different weights for Pokémon, which is why the elevators could hold more space and weight. She hoped Cipher hadn't realized what they were doing and had the Elevator stop on a floor they were on.

Once most of their group were piled into the elevator, Vivian turned to Sanchez, who was currently helping Kukui stay upright. "This is the only way down here...Right?" Vivian asked the Chief Nurse, who nodded in reply.

"Yes, this is the only elevator that leads to the Basement Floor. The passageway on the Basement Floor leads directly to some of the more sensitive equipment in the hospital. I don't believe there are any other ways to get down here that Cipher can access easily. Certainly not by the time we escape, thanks to them cutting the power." Sanchez responded, with Vivian nodding after a moment. The violinist then turned towards Noah and pulled him towards her, whispering something into his ear.

The young man looked confused, and then alarmed for a moment, but Vivian pulled back and kissed Noah deeply on the lips. Noah's eyes flew open in surprise before Vivian pulled away from him a second time, tears in her eyes.

"Goodbye." Vivian whispered, smiling sadly at her boyfriend before suddenly shoving him backwards to the elevator floor. Noah crashed onto the ground hard with a yelp, but before he could do much more than that Vivian snapped her fingers and Decres' eyes flickered white, creating a blinding flash to all of them. The group screamed out in pain, unable to see as Vivian continued walking backwards with her eyes closed.

"Do it." Vivian directed a thought towards her Alakazam, who released a wave of Psychic that slammed into the roof of the hallway, causing the floor above them to collapse and fill the hallway with debris and rubble, blocking Vivian from the group's view as their vision slowly recovered.

"Vivian!" Lillie shouted out, only for a laugh to echo back in response.

"Run, you dorks! Get to safety! This was always the plan, so go! Go and live your lives!" Vivian laughed, even as her voice broke. Noah got to his feet with a yell, trying to move the rubble with his hands.

"No! What are you doing?!" Noah shouted angrily, trying to move a large chunk of rubble and panting from the effort.

"This was my sacrifice Noah! I love you! I love you with all of my heart! Now go! Go and fight for your futures!" Vivian called from the other side of the rubble, laughing again despite her fear and sorrow and tears in her eyes as she walked away.

"Come on, let's go! We need to get everyone to safety!" Chief Sanchez said as he began to hurry the Kahunas and Professors along with the other patients into the elevator again. Lillie and Noah lingered, looking back at the rubble.

"Why...Vivian, why!?" Noah demanded, angry tears dripping down his face as Lillie rubbed her eyes, tears of her own threatening to fall. She had liked Vivian, despite her quirks and oddities. She had been a friend to them all, and now here she was, giving up everything to buy them time to escape.

"Because if I do this, then we have a chance to end all of this. MissingNo knew what it was doing when it erased itself from this world. Just like I knew what would happen when I asked it to rewind time during Roran's attack." Vivian explained, her voice getting further away. "Now go! Go and live your lives! Just…"

Vivian's voice broke off again as she spoke one last time to her friends. Her love, and those she hoped would be able to save. She was truly a coward at heart, but she still cared. Always did and always would.

"Just remember me. Okay?" Vivian asked softly before walking down the hallway, directing thoughts towards Decres to continue collapsing the roof, pulling out equipment from side rooms to continue blocking the hallway to protect the elevator. She ignored the protests from Lillie and Noah, and slowly breathed to calm herself.

It was almost over.

After proceeding a decent length down the hallway, Vivian opened her violin case and took out two gleaming rings with gemstones embedded within them and a small gleaming jewel. A Mega Ring and a Z-Ring, both stolen from Dexio earlier that day. Vivian carefully slipped one onto each wrist and handed the Alakazite to Decres, who placed it into his Attachment Collar with a gentle sigh. The violinist looked over the stolen items with a pang of guilt. She then shook her head, ridding herself of those feelings. This would take everything she had.

About two minutes later, after the sound of her comrades had finally faded away, meaning they were currently moving down the hospital and had fled to safety in the basement, she arrived. The sound of armored boots on the floor was extremely loud, and Vivian gulped nervously as she waited for the object of her greatest fears to come for her.

As the sound of boots stopped, Vivian heard the movement of weapons being readied and shut her eyes, knowing that they wouldn't attack right away. Amber was confident, and for good reason. She had no reason not to indulge her curiosity.

"What is this?" Amber demanded, gesturing for her men to stand down as she walked forward, a terrible grin on her face as she confidently approached the violinist. Vivian gulped in terror, a bead of sweat dripping down her neck, before taking a deep breath.

"This is my sacrifice, Amber. The only way for things to work out is for me to face my greatest fear. It's the only way to save them. All of them…and end the Cipher once and for all." Vivian explained as she opened her eyes, and what Amber saw in them surprised her. It was a deep sorrow, but also a determination that had become sharpened into something razor-sharp and focused. It was the look of someone who was ready to fight for their life. No…

Someone ready to give up everything for the sake of those she cared about.

"And you think throwing away your life will save your friends?" Amber asked, crossing her arms and raising an eyebrow. She should've just shot Vivian, but the violinist's words gave her pause. "You think you can really stop me? You've done nothing but run away from me up until now. If you choose to fight me right now, you're going to lose. I'll kill you."

"Very true...Even now, it's taking everything I have to not run away right now." Vivian said quietly, her voice trembling as she spoke and placed her bow against her violin. Arpeggio the Chatot ruffled his feathers in preparation of what was to come, even as Amber shook her head with clear disgust.

"You're scared. You're shaking. You look like you're about to start crying." Amber pointed out, shaking her head with disgust at the cowardly Pokémon Trainer standing across from her. Vivian took a shaky breath, willing herself to accept what was going to happen. She was so scared. So terrified of the woman in front of her and what she was going to do.

But Vivian had seen all of this play out. She had seen all of this because MissingNo had shown her the future she'd be accepting if the Anomaly reversed time to undo the damage that had been done by Roran. A future where her friends had a second chance to stop the madness of Cipher. A future where Sun and Aria and everyone else could live happy lives of peace. There was a price to pay for such a chance at a future like that.

A future that she'd never be able to see.

"That's because, Amber Fontaine...I am going to die." Vivian said slowly and softly, much to the confusion of the Cipher Admin. "My friend MissingNo showed me many things about the world. About many worlds. And that our story is just but one of endless possibilities. You and Cipher are fated to meet your end."

"You're delusional. You wouldn't be able to stop me, let alone the Cipher personnel I've brought with me. And my forces have this city under control." Amber's smile widened as she considered finally ending the lives of the Trainers who continued to meddle in their affairs time and time again. "You idiots wouldn't be able to mount a counterattack until after Borlath has recovered and completed his wish. Striking while the iron is hot at long last is immeasurably satisfying."

"See...about that." Vivian's voice became just a little bit more confident, causing Amber's arrogant smile to fade just a little. "I knew all about your plan for the night. How you were going to come to the hospital and kill everyone who was hurt in Iki Town. And how you were going to come to the Pokémon Lab one you were done and attack again. You were going to kill us all in one fell swoop after locking down the city, so that no one could interfere with Borlath's wish."

"How...how could you possibly know that?" Amber demanded, annoyance and confusion on her face.

"Because I made a choice in Malie City. When Roran Rubinara killed my friends and threatened the city and Alola and the world with his madness. I asked a friend of mine to do the impossible, at the cost of their very existence. To go against the natural order of reality and rewind time itself. And it did just that, at my request...But only after showing me flashes of the future I would be creating by asking it to do just that." Vivian explained to a perplexed Amber, who slowly walked forward.

"So here you are, with all of this supposed knowledge of the future, standing in my way." Amber Fontaine said with a cruel grin, now aiming her guns at Vivian.

The violinist continued to smile at the assassin, despite the unrelenting terror clawing at her heart. "Yes. And this sacrifice will give everyone else more than enough time to punch through the meager defenses you have left and bypass your Legendaries. And it'll give someone very special the chance to join the fight." Vivian said as she shut her eyes, thinking about that particular moment in time. "After that, it's checkmate."

Vivian then laughed at Amber as she opened her eyes again, knowing full well what came next. She thought of the journey she had taken alongside her friends. She thought of the people she had met and the connections she had made. All of the songs she had performed.

This would be her greatest yet. A masterpiece.

Vivan pressed her bow to her violin, staring down Cipher's Angel of Death as the assassin's lips curled into a snarl of rage. "Your only chance of saving Borlath is getting to them, but you have to get through me first. So…take your best shot. Because I'm going to stand here for the rest of my life."


NEXT TIME! Vivian vs. Amber as the final battle against Cipher continues!


Q & A

From: Madame Rodoshe

Now question time!

- Alastor reminds me of Stripe from the Gremlins movie. Is Alastor inspired by Stripe the Gremlin? Unlike other Gremlins, Stripe is evil, cold-hearted, cunning, manipulative, cruel, intelligent, and cunning. Even as a Mogwai, Stripe is born evil.

- I'm surprised Ashton survive from this brutal impact! Did he used some drugs or medicine? Usually, a person could die from this brutal impact. This reminds me of a Naruto Shippuden episode where Obito survived from Kakashi's Chidori.

- Before Hina's death, did Ashton had feelings for her? I'm curious what their relationship be like if Hina's still alive? Will there be a love triangle between Ashton, Laura, and Hina? It'll be pretty cute though.

- What was Lahela's personality like in her younger days? I'm sure she has a cruel heart just like her Pokemon, Tsareena.

Alastor wasn't really inspired by anyone in particular, I just liked the idea of Sun getting a Pokémon that despised humans and made his personality from there, with a few unique elements that'll come more into play later. I wouldn't be surprised if he was similar to other characters.

Borlath survived because he was leeching energy from Perfect Kyurem and the second he was out of Iki Town, he had access to some of the best healing equipment money can buy (second only to Colress' being a literal science magician).

Ashton would have eventually figured out that Hina had feelings for him, though he never returned them. He viewed their relationship as more of a sibling/mentor thing, and would've turned her down gently. Until Laura, Ashton didn't really dabble in romance and even after her doesn't want to move on to someone else.

Generally Lahela was a kind-hearted but reserved woman in her youth, though also a bit of a doormat. Which made it really easy for someone like Ano, a charismatic politician who manipulated people daily, to win her heart and make her look away from the terrible things he was secretly doing.

From: RC-DA

Dang, that was intense. That's all I can really say. This chapter was incredible, characterization is on point as always and we see some progress being made on Oliver. I'm excited for the conclusion of this amazing arc. I smell character death on the horizon.

You may have already answered this question, but who's been your favorite character to write so far?

I think I may have, but I'll answer it again, and give you my two runner-ups.

1. Oliver

2. Guzma

3. Lillie/Sun

From: Guest

Will in this confrontation Sun learn what Borlath did to his own Pokémon? I'm sure he will be upset since he must have close ties to them, especially the Toucannon Borlath had.

I'm just gonna say this…

"At What Cost?"

That's all for now! Stay tuned with an update in the (hopefully near) future as we speed on towards the end of the Cipher Arc!

In the meantime, please show your support in the review section below and let me know what you think! Plus I answer questions. And as always, you can also Favorite and/or Follow the story to stay updated. There's also Discord for the story for discussing things both story-related and other things and a TV Tropes page.

Take care and stay awesome!

Until next time, FlygonNick out!