Pokémon Radiant Sun
Man, I knew February was gonna be rough, but jeez.
Sorry for the delays folks. Real life is taking an exciting turn for me and I'm unfortunately very busy at the moment. Which is a shame, since we're in the climax of the story and these next few chapters are definitely going to be on the longer side of things.
Add onto that a very untimely double dose of me getting sick twice in the past two weeks and we've got nonsense on our hands. Oh well.
However, I am quite excited for Pokémon Day coming up in a few days time. Hoping we get some exciting new stuff for Scarlet/Violet and maybe some cool game announcements. I'm putting all I have into an Explorers of Sky Remake.
Shoutout to the amazing folks who reviewed since the last update, which includes Oragonking, Muramasa96, BraviaryScout and a new reviewer known as finhirblank. Thanks for the feedback and support!
Enjoy.
Chapter 153: Enigma Protocol
"Whoever fights monsters should see to it that in the process he does not become a monster. And if you gaze long enough into an abyss, the abyss will gaze back into you."- Friedrich Nietzsche.
Hau'oli City
Zinnia ran towards the gunfire with a growing sense of frustration and suppressed terror. It all reminded her of the terrible night Borlath had tried to end the world as they knew it. Gunfire, death and ice all around them. However instead of ice, bolts of deadly lightning struck the street all around them as a familiar screech of fury erupted through the city.
People fled down the street, with only a few being brave enough to head towards the sounds of gun shots to try and help. And that was exactly the situation Zinnia found herself in as she sprinted down the road, shoving people aside as she made her way further into the city.
And then finally, she spotted it. An enormous yellow bird launched itself high into the sky with a fearsome scream of fury, a purple cloak of darkness wrapped around its body as a single female Cipher member rode atop its back, barking orders. Zinnia noticed her helmet was decorated in a different gold and white style, making her stand out from the normal Cipher members.
"This is nuts…What on earth is going on here?" Zinnia asked as the Shadow Zapdos screeched furiously, charging up another bolt of deadly lightning and releasing it down the road. Zinnia threw herself to the side to avoid it before calling out Zygarde, who eyed the bird with a determined glare.
"I am unsure. But we face a familiar foe. Brace yourself, Zinnia!" Zygarde responded, opening its mouth and firing off a mighty Dragon Pulse that stopped the Legendary Bird from attacking a group of fleeing locals. The Shadow Pokémon turned to face Zygarde, who returned the glare without fear.
"What the hell do you think you're doing? You can't really think Cipher will succeed without your leaders!" Zinnia called to the Cipher member, who didn't respond vocally. Instead she drew a sidearm and fired it at the Draconid, who leapt to the side with a startled swear as Zygarde fired off another Dragon Pulse, blasting the Zapdos and causing the Cipher member to lose their grip on their pistol as the enormous bird recoiled in pain.
"Zinnia!"
The Draconid whirled around with some relief as she spotted Mohn and Wes flying towards her on a Ride Charizard, with the two Trainers landing on the street beside her. Zinnia glanced back at the Shadow Zapdos, which was now currently fleeing down the street and occasionally firing off black bolts of lightning.
"How are things back in Iki Town?" Zinnia asked as she turned back to Wes and Mohn, the latter of whom was looking down the street with worry.
"Kahuna Hala can't be reached thanks to the systems being down. Last we heard he was heading down to a secret spring of some sort to relax. He'll likely be back in the next two hours according to the locals." Wes informed the Dragon-specialist, who swore softly. "I suspect this particular attack was coordinated with that in mind. Captain Ilima is away doing a Trial and can't be reached either due to the communication issues."
"Not like those two alone can do much, even if they are strong. Who would've thought those Cipher guys would try to attack again?" Mohn wondered aloud, with Wes shaking his head.
"I don't think this is Cipher." Wes remarked, his expression contemplative as Zinnia and Mohn looked at him in confusion. "It's too slap-dash. Just chaos for the sake of chaos. Cipher's attacks are generally more coordinated."
"What do you mean?" Mohn asked, wondering where his friend was going with this.
"Think about it. Why would Cipher waste the element of surprise, their sparse resources and a chance to regroup and recover from their previous defeat by wasting it on random attacks and attacking the Island's communications networks? What do they gain from this? In a matter of days, maybe a week at most I imagine they'll be totally routed or defeated. So why go through the effort? It almost feels like…this is a distraction for something else." Wes muttered the last part under his breath, closing his eyes and truly pondering the situation.
"Kind of like a smokescreen?" Zinnia suggested, causing the former Snagger to nod in agreement.
"Yes. That's it exactly. Who else would be around to lead this attack? I sincerely doubt that Borlath or Greevil had anyone remotely competent enough left to lead Cipher, let alone the resources to attack as frequently and randomly as this." Wes responded, scowling as he tried harder to think. After a few moments he stared at the Shadow Zapdos as it swooped low, battling a few Trainers down at the end of the road who were brave enough to confront the monster.
"And...that Shadow Zapdos was the same one that Amber used against us during the big battle. I've fought against it multiple times." Wes remarked, pointing to the back of the bird as it retreated from the Trainers and began attacking some of the buildings, but it was now close enough to observe more clearly. "See some of the chips on its talons and the scars? That was from the last time I battled it in a one-on-one fight with another Admin. And they were there before we battled it here in Hau'oli City."
Zinnia narrowed her gaze and saw that the legs of the Zapdos were indeed rather damaged, sporting various chips that were obviously never properly treated. Zinnia hummed softly and considered this.
"Didn't the Aether Foundation take all of the Legendary Pokémon for study after Borlath was defeated?" Zinnia asked Wes, who considered that particular fact.
"They also took control of most of Cipher's assets, including weapons, armor, and test subjects. I wonder…are they behind all of this?" Wes muttered to himself, crossing his arms as he considered it. "Why though? That makes no sense. They've been victims of Cipher, and have helped us the entire time during the crisis here in Alola."
"Maybe that explains why this doesn't feel like Cipher attacks. Maybe it's someone else pretending to be Cipher?" Mohn suggested, causing Wes and Zinnia to turn to the amnesiac with surprise before looking at each other.
"Maybe. But unfortunately we need to deal with this before we can investigate further. Zinnia, can you handle dealing with Zapdos while me and Mohn deal with whatever hostile forces are deeper within the city?" Wes asked the Draconid, who grinned and gave him a thumbs up.
"I believe today is going to be very interesting." Zygarde commented as it regarded the battle-torn street with an unreadable expression.
"I guess you're not wrong. So, shall we begin?" Zinnia asked the ancient dragon, causing it to laugh for a moment before slapping the ground hard and launching itself into the air to combat the corrupted Legendary.
All the while Zinnia wondered what else could go wrong today.
Meanwhile…
Aether Paradise
By the time Sun and Oliver had rejoined the group, Gladion was making quick work of two Team Skull Grunts who had been knocked to the ground after an explosive battle against the force of nature that was Type: Null. The monster stood tall amongst the downed Pokémon, snarling softly as Gladion put a hand against its head to calm it down.
That was when Gladion looked down the path (to what had once been his home) and saw Guzma standing there, grinning wolfishly at him. The Boss of Team Skull slowly reached out a hand and curled a single finger inward, inviting Gladion to come forth and challenge him. Gladion felt a spike of fury as he saw the man that stood between him and saving his family and sprinted forward, shoving aside several members of Team Skull that tried to stop him. Type: Null raced alongside its Trainer, acting as a battering ram and slamming into the thugs, allowing Gladion to barrel his way through.
"Guzma!" Gladion bellowed as the man cackled with delight at Gladion's shout of fury.
"Gladion, so glad you could join the party. You're just in time for the main event. Watching Alola get torn apart by a horde of monsters from another dimension!" Guzma jeered at the teen, further stoking the boy's fury.
"Shut up! I'll tear you apart!" Gladion roared at Guzma, thrusting out a hand while Type: Null snarled softly, crouching low as it prepared to face off against the infamous gangster. Guzma looked delighted, grinning maliciously at Gladion's declaration as he called out Goliath with a casual toss of the Golisopod's Poké Ball.
"Give me a beat, boys…It'll make the beatdown all the more fun!" Guzma laughed as Goliath growled softly behind Guzma, raising an enormous claw and beckoning Gladion and Type: Null to come closer and face their doom.
"That moron! What the heck is he doing?" Sun yelled angrily as the path closed in, with more members of Team Skull teleporting onto the path or stepping out of the shadows to block their way. There were certainly more of them here than in Po Town, and Sun wondered if this was the entirety of Team Skull.
"Whoa! There's, like, an uku billion Team Skull thugs in this place!" Hau yelped as he tried to make sense of the situation. "So the Foundation really was working together with Team Skull?"
"Looks like it…Which raises a lot more questions than answers. What's going on here?" Sun asked under his breath, his concern rising as he beheld the horde of Team Skull members with a growing sense of dread.
"This is, like, way too mind-blowing to think about right now." Hau remarked, rubbing his temples as he tried to process this.
"Then stop thinking and let's fight. Gladion's off on his own and we need to get to him, pronto!" Demi said to the two boys, earning two nods in response.
"Sun! Let's knock some skulls together for now!" Hau said as he charged towards the nearest Team Skull Grunt and called out Cassy the Primarina.
"Who the heck are you!?" the Team Skull Grunt yelped, surprised by Hau suddenly running up to him. That didn't stop him from sending out a Haunter to battle the boy.
"Don't you do something that makes other people sad!" Hau shouted back in response as Cassy fired off a Scald, with Sun nodding as he returned Oliver and sent out Penny and Tetra.
"Alright girls, get ready. We're about to power through them!" Sun warned the bird and dragon, who both nodded and readied themselves for a brawl. A Team Skull Grunt quickly squared up to Sun while several others swarmed Hau and Demi.
"I gotta keep the boss from getting his hands dirty, so I'm gonna wreck you myself!" the Team Skull Grunt shouted, sending out a Golbat. "Use Leech Life!"
"Dragon Claw, Tetra!" Sun shouted as Tetra charged forward, her claws bursting into blue flames as she leapt into the air. The Golbat bit down hard into Tetra's shoulder as Tetra brutally slashed at the Golbat, who released its hold on Tetra and flapped away with a painful cry.
Sun knew better than to let the enemy regroup. "Aerial Ace! Keep up the pressure!"
"Mean Look!" the Grunt shouted as Golbat's eyes glowed bright red, causing Tetra to glow red as well and forcing her to remain in combat. Nevertheless the Gabite sped forward as a trail of white light, slamming hard into the Golbat and causing it to tumble onto the ground with a pained hiss.
"Leech Life! Fight back, yo!"
"Finish it off with Dragon Claw!"
Tetra and the Golbat clashed yet again, but this time despite the Bat Pokémon clamping down its teeth into Tetra and absorbing her energy, Tetra managed to do enough damage with her burning claws that the Golbat fell to the ground senseless.
"Wasn't me who got crushed! It was my Pokémon, right? You think so, too, right?" the Grunt yelped as the boy simply stared at the Grunt with annoyance as he returned his Golbat. "The boss is not gonna be happy about this…I wish he would punish my Pokémon instead of me!"
"Get out of my way!" Sun yelled as he shoved the Grunt aside, running down the path where Guzma was fiercely battling Gladion. Sun glanced upwards and shivered as he saw several Pokémon hovering overhead, glaring down at him with menacing glares. Thankfully a certain Toucannon was already on the case.
"Watch out!" Penny shouted to Sun, soaring forward to slam into a Honchkrow that was speeding towards Sun with a shining beak. While Penny dealt with the rogue Pokémon attacking Sun, the Trainer and his Gabite dealt with the next Grunt in their way.
The Grunt stepped up to Sun, clutching a Poké Ball with a hidden snarl. "This is for the sponsor who supports Team Skull!" the teen shouted, basically answering Hau's question from before while also adding to Sun's unease about the situation.
"Dragon Claw, Tetra!" Sun shouted as Tetra charged forward, lashing out with burning claws as the massive Alolan Raticate that the Grunt sent out snarled in pain. To Sun's dismay, the Pokémon retaliated with a Crunch attack that knocked Tetra out cold, forcing him to send Finn out to finish the job with a Brick Break.
"All our strength comes from the money we've gotten…" the Grunt sighed, rubbing the side of his head as he returned his Pokémon.
"So the Aether Foundation is sponsoring Team Skull, huh?" Sun asked as he used a Revive and a Super Potion on an unconscious Tetra while Finn helped Penny deal with the horde of Pokémon flapping overhead. Thankfully Psychic made very short work of the Zubat and Golbat screeching loudly above him, allowing the boy to heal his dragon back to full health.
"I'll do anything if you pay me for it! Like, let's see…Wanna see me get hit with Hyper Beam?" the Grunt offered, causing Sun to scoff and brush past him as Finn and Tetra charged ahead. Meanwhile, Penny rejoined her team just in time for Sun to confront the next Team Skull Grunt.
"Yo, yo, yo! Pretty strong, ain't you?" the teen asked Sun, who simply shrugged as his trio of Pokémon braced themselves for a battle.
"Then go right ahead. I'm no numskull. I don't fight battles I can't win!" the Grunt said with a sheepish laugh as he stepped aside, causing Sun to sigh as he ran past the Grunt.
"If only the rest of Team Skull was like that guy. Would've saved me so much time…" Sun thought to himself before he was suddenly thrown backwards by a psychic wave of energy. The boy was then slammed into the ground harshly, his body now glowing bright blue. Sun managed to glance up without moving his head, seeing a Golduck and a Vikavolt emerge from behind the trees along with a female Team Skull Grunt.
"Not a chance, yo! Let Gladion and the boss have their playtime. You're ours!" the Grunt shouted with a laugh. Tetra growled angrily and fired off a Dragon Rage, which was blown back by the Golduck's Psychic attack. As Sun's Pokémon prepared to attack their newest opponent, Sun heard two familiar voices cry out.
"Duke, Thunderbolt!"
"Aou, Flamethrower!"
Sun sighed with relief as the psychic pressure on him was released and two streaks of lightning and fire rushed forward, slamming into the two Pokémon and knocking them out instantly. The Team Skull Grunt swore loudly and fled down the path as Hau and Demi rejoined them.
"You okay, bud?" Hau asked his friend, helping him to his feet.
"I'll be fine. Come on, let's back up Gladion." Sun said as he turned around, only to stop as he noticed something very concerning. The fact that what looked like fifty Team Skull Grunts were charging after them from the main Aether Paradise building, trying to keep them from getting to Guzma.
"We're gonna have to deal with that…" Hau remarked worriedly, realizing now that attempting to power through the horde of thugs had left them mostly pinned in.
"No, just me. Keep going! I'll buy you guys some time!" Demi shouted to Sun and Hau, who both looked surprised. "You're both stronger than me! I can handle Team Skull! You deal with the real threats!"
"We can't leave you alone!" Hau protested, causing Demi to grin at him.
"I'm never alone. Now go, you two! Hurry!" Demi urged the two boys, who were very conflicted about leaving the girl against her former teammates. "Help Gladion, you dummies! He's strong, but Guzma is tricky! Please help him!"
"Demi, are you absolutely sure?" Sun asked the girl, causing her to give him and Hau a thumbs up.
"I'll be fine. Trust me!" Demi called as she turned around, her expression determined. Aou and Torch moved in front of the girl and released a torrent of flames, forcing the approaching wave of Team Skull to back off. Sun and Hau exchanged a quick look before nodding and running to support Gladion.
Meanwhile Demi focused her efforts on dealing with her former team. As the flames began to die down, Demi's heart sank as she caught sight of a certain trio of Team Skull making their way towards her. The Bone Brothers looked particularly irritated, and Demi knew that they were the strongest Team Skull had to offer.
Even worse, Demi spotted Kevin, Axen and Kayla from Bone Unit #71 within the pack of Team Skull attempting to get through the fire.
"I have to keep them all away…Come on, guys! You can do this! And so can I!" Demi whispered fiercely as she braced herself for what was going to be a hellacious battle against the group that had become a family to her. A family that she now was standing against in a battle where everything was truly on the line.
Meanwhile…
Jackal was the first to admit to being confused as the Ride Sharpedo he had commandeered leapt high out of the water and skidded across the alabaster floor of the Docking Bay of the Aether Paradise. The International Police Agent and former Commander of the Alolan Police Force was struck by how…quiet the normally bustling facility was.
"No personnel around to greet me…For better or for worse. That's an ominous sign." Jackal remarked as he called out Nagato, his Kecleon. Not for the first time, he wished that Gretel was still around. Aside from the fact that he dearly missed his former partner, her abilities as a Dusknoir would be extremely helpful in this sort of situation where stealth was paramount.
"Nagato is a quick study though…So let's get to work." Jackal thought as he knelt down to Nagato and fastened a collar of sorts on him with a built-in camera. Nagato nodded and went invisible, climbing along the walls and scouting ahead as Jackal slipped on a pair of black sunglasses that showed him everything from the attached camera.
From there, it was almost child's play to navigate his way to the main lift without attracting any kind of attention. What few Aether Employees were roaming around were none the wiser that a new intruder had infiltrated their building. Jackal looked down at the datapad and scoffed, quickly pulling out a second pair (this one blue) of sunglasses and putting them on before hitting a subtlety hidden button on the side. The keypad for the elevator shimmered before Jackal's eyes and showed him which inputs had been hit the most frequently. From there it was easy for the man to simply guess the password and ascend to the next level of the Paradise while slipping into his own shadow.
He was very glad he did so, as dozens of Team Skull Grunts were currently swarming the floor, making their way towards the large door that Jackal knew for sure led to the President's Mansion. Jackal peeked out of the shadow and saw that, even more strangely, several Aether Employees were shouting encouragement to the thugs.
"Beat those kids up!"
"Tear them apart! Do it for the President!"
"Take down those thieves!"
Jackal frowned thoughtfully as he stepped out of his cover, putting a hand to his chin. That seemed extremely out of character for employees of the Aether Foundation, who were known for their kind demeanor and Pokémon Conservation efforts.
"Team Skull and the Aether Foundation? What about Cipher? Very odd…But that also brings with it certain questions." Jackal thought to himself as he spotted the entourage of thugs vanish through the large door that led to a outside section of the facility, as well as an area where Jackal knew the Aether President and her family lived.
Jackal stepped out from his cover and walked towards the open door, even as an Aether Foundation Employee typed in a passcode and closed the door behind them. With that, the Aether Employees quickly hurried away to tend to their tasks, leaving a perplexed Jackal alone.
Well…not quite alone.
"Good afternoon, Agent Jackal. I'm glad someone from the International Police could be spared to assist with this mess."
Jackal turned around with some surprise to see a woman with mauve-colored hair in an Aether Foundation uniform smiling faintly at him. The rather confused agent took a few moments to remember something rather important about the woman he just remembered existed.
"Rather odd question from someone who works here. What the hell is going on, Agent Angel?" Jackal asked Julia Wicke, who smirked in response.
"Gladion has returned to Aether Paradise with several comrades to save Lillie and stop the President. They're attempting to breach the President's Mansion now. However, I've noticed dozens of Team Skull members appearing from out of nowhere to follow the children, with no one from Aether even trying to stop them. I suspect that Lusamine and Team Skull's Boss, Guzma, may be working together for some reason." Wicke explained to a shocked Jackal, causing the man to scowl after a few moments. "Meanwhile Faba and most of the Aether Foundation personnel have seemingly vanished. I suspect he's preparing for something new to deal with our young friends."
"Worse and worse…How could an entire organization dedicated to Pokémon conservation be helping a group of misguided youths like Team Skull? Makes no sense. And what is Lusamine up to with all of this? Why is she doing this in the first place?" Jackal asked Wicke, who sighed and lowered her head.
"She's turned from a loving mother to a sociopath who doesn't care for anyone other than herself. Her change in behavior is too drastic, too sudden for anything else but an outside force. I suspect…it may be the same thing that caused the Aether Employees to go berserk as well." Wicke responded quietly, sadness deep in her voice. After all, she had been a friend to Lusamine for years and had only recently become a secret member of the International Police.
"What do you mean?"
"I believe…That President Lusamine may have poisoned many of the Aether Paradise Employees using a venom of the Ultra Beast the Paradise was studying. I believe it may have come from the same monster that attacked the Paradise several months ago." Wicke explained to Jackal, causing the man to consider that before frowning.
"Tell me everything." Jackal said to Wicke, who quickly began explaining what had happened to the Aether Employees.
Several Years Ago…
Aether Paradise
Wicke made her way through the reception with a thin smile on her face, her elegant black dress swishing softly around her as she carefully moved around a waiter carrying champagne. It was a big night for the Foundation, as they had hired on a dedicated group of researchers to assist in their conservation efforts and to research ways to better both humans and Pokémon alike. President Lusamine had organized the ceremony, filled with plenty of reporters and news outlets present, to generate as much buzz as possible.
Speaking of which, the President had been seemingly cold to Wicke the past week and the assistant was unsure why. Perhaps it had to do with Wicke mentioning that she didn't approve of how overbearing Lusamine had been to Lillie and Gladion lately, dictating how the children acted down to the smallest of ways. She even caught the woman scolding Lillie harshly when she sang out of key during a duet the two were sharing in one of the gardens.
When asked about it later, Lusamine denied being angry and simply remarked how she had a lot on her mind and thanked Wicke for her concern. The mauve-haired woman accepted the thanks, but ever since then, she had been wary of Lusamine. The strange mood swings of the President worried her, and she was even more worried about the President's children. She doted on Gladion and Lillie, who considered her an aunt of sorts at this point.
Wicke stood and clapped as Lusamine finished her speech, inviting everyone to enjoy the buffet. She also remarked how she wanted to propose a toast to the new Branch Chief of the Aether Paradise, Elias Faba, who had become rather well-known in the science community for the various projects he had been involved with lately.
Various waiters then passed out shimmering glasses of purple champagne, with Wicke daintily accepting a glass as she stood beside Faba himself. She hadn't interacted with the man much, but he seemed nice enough, though a bit pompous and over-eager to prove himself. Wicke was curious as to just what the scientists would actually be working on.
Wicke was snapped out of her thoughts when a loud chime rang through the air and everyone looked towards the assembled stage where Lusamine held a glass of bright purple champagne just like everyone else seemed to be drinking from. Well, except for Wicke. She never cared much for alcohol.
"Ladies and gentlemen. Distinguished friends of the Aether Foundation. We are gathered here to celebrate an exciting new chapter in the story of the Aether Foundation." Lusamine said warmly to the crowd, smiling radiantly at them all. "From our humble beginnings in the Kalos Region to this very facility here in Alola, our group is dedicated to expanding our loving reach to those who need a helping hand."
"Our partnership with the men and women who will join us in growing in scope and strength will allow us to work harder than ever to make this world a better place for all." Lusamine spoke, gesturing towards Faba and several of the other researchers and scientists who would be officially working at Aether starting today. "I'd like to take this moment to thank you all for taking the next step of their journey alongside me."
Thunderous applause erupted throughout the room as Lusamine smiled brightly, waving a demure hand while Wicke smiled at her friend. Lusamine waited for the clapping and cheers to die down a little before raising the glass of champagne in her hand.
"I'd like to make a toast. To the Aether Foundation. To our team of brilliant new friends. And to a better and more beautiful world for everyone!" Lusamine called to the room, who matched Lusamine's gesture and raised their glasses before drinking from their glasses.
As Wicke made to take a reluctant sip, she noticed something odd about her glass of champagne that made her stop. Wicke stared down at her drink with some confusion, spotting a small glob of purple goo that was sitting on the rim of her glass. The woman took a few moments to stare at the strange glob, wondering if it was a piece of food stuck to the glass or something.
It was then at that moment that the goo…twitched.
"What the hell?" Wicke breathed, forgetting herself for a moment before brushing the substance aside with her finger, only to jerk away she noticed it begin to eat away at the satin glove. Wicke swiftly threw the glove to the ground, grateful to not have suffered the fate of her poor glove as it was swiftly dissolved. Wicke then looked around and saw with some horror that she was the only one to have seen what just happened with the goo and the glove, and that everyone else was drinking the purple champagne that had just eaten through Wicke's glove.
Faba, who had taken a few moments to puff up his chest, raised his glass to the room before attempting to take a drink from his glass. Naturally he was very surprised when Wicke suddenly slapped the drink out of his hand with an alarmed expression, spilling the champagne over his labcoat.
"Aggh! Miss Wicke! What is the meaning of this!?" Faba screeched, naturally drawing attention to himself and the situation. Wicke walked over and began to apologize profusely, though she was inwardly relieved to see that Faba hadn't ingested…whatever the purple goop was inside of the glasses of champagne.
Wicke did happen to chance a glance up at the top of the stage where Lusamine was looking down at them, her face a porcelain mask that revealed nothing, her emerald eyes boring into Wicke's…before she smiled warmly at the woman. Wicke shivered and turned away, attempting to help Faba clean his uniform.
However the irate scientist was already in the middle of storming away, cursing under his breath and lamenting the fact that he was working with "clumsy idiots". Wicke stood there for a few moments before shuddering and walking away to talk with a nearby colleague as Faba glanced back and gave the woman a venomous glare.
Never would the man have guessed that his colleague had saved him from falling under Lusamine's mind-control.
Present Day
"To be completely honest, Faba never did quite get over me embarrassing him that night. He's always disliked me and randomly brings that event up sometimes. Apologizing about it even years later never seemed to make things better." Wicke remarked with a small sigh as Jackal tried to wrap his head around it.
"And you think whatever that purple goop was…Seemed to be a poison of some kind?" Jackal asked Wicke, who nodded.
"I have managed to get a peek at some reports regarding the venom of the Ultra Beast that attacked the Aether Paradise. Its poison has all sorts of strange properties. It's essentially a neurotoxin that messes with your mind, reducing your capacity for inhibition. It causes you to become more prone to violence and losing your composure, as well as allowing people to become more susceptible to manipulation. I've also seen that poison goop drop from that jellyfish Ultra Beast when Sun was battling it, and again when Cipher attacked the Paradise." Wicke explained to the veteran Trainer.
"That's right…The whole place went on lockdown, right?" Jackal asked.
Wicke nodded. "Yes. And Lusamine, Faba and many others used these strange glass orbs filled with a smoky energy to create Ultra Wormholes and summon those Ultra Beasts. One of them nearly…n-nearly got me." Wicke choked up slightly, looking away. "I was saved by a friend…and Lusamine threw them into the Ultra Space."
"I'm so sorry…I can't imagine what that was like." Jackal said quietly, nearly wincing at the level of pain in the woman's voice and the dread he felt hearing what Lusamine had done.
"The poison I saw from those creatures looks just like that goop I saw on my glass that night." Wicke quietly explained to Jackal, causing the man to scowl as he considered the implication. "I suspect the President used some of that goo to manipulate the other Aether Employees. I only recently put the two together when I noticed the Employees acting strangely to the President's declaration over the intercom. The only people who weren't affected were those who I know for certain didn't attend that party, myself and Branch Chief Faba. I've been checking on those people discreetly over the past hour or so, and so far my theory seems to be correct. Those who weren't there and didn't drink that champagne aren't acting like violent lunatics."
"That's shaky at best, but you may be onto something. These people are normally friendly and helpful, and now they're acting completely erratic. I don't want to think Lusa is behind something terrible like brainwashing her employees, but now we're definitely at the stage where we have to investigate everything going on here." Jackal remarked, a glint of determination leaping into his eyes.
"I'll be more than happy to assist however I can." Wicke said to the man, frowning softly.
Jackal opened his mouth to ask another question, only to start as the main lift to the building started moving again. Jackal stepped in front of Wicke and aimed his pistol at the lift, only to blink in surprise as Ashton and Colress rose to their level, with the former supporting the latter on his shoulder.
"Ashton, what the hell are you doing here?" Jackal demanded as he stepped forward with an annoyed growl, aiming his pistol at his former friend. Ashton didn't raise his hands, since death no longer held any real meaning for him, but Colress looked genuinely astonished. Meanwhile Wicke looked at Colress with a horrified expression, seeing the awful state her colleague was in.
"Commander Jackal? I…was led to believe that you were dead." Colress said in a quiet voice as Jackal's expression darkened.
"Sometimes I wish I were. But that's besides the point. Ashton, you got broken out of that prison cell and are mucking around Aether. Depending on your answers, I won't shoot you in increasingly painful places." Jackal said to the former Cipher Grand Master, who looked amused for a moment before deciding to oblige Jackal and explaining the situation.
Ashton quickly recapped the past few days for himself as he was tortured by Lusamine and Faba, who experimented with his immortality thoroughly once they realized their assassination attempt wasn't going to cut it. Colress added in an anecdote about being captured by Faba, who got the jump on him, and the duo proceeded to explain everything that had happened with Sun and his friends and how they were currently attempting to breach the President's Mansion to rescue Lillie. They also explained the importance of tracking down the missing Umbral Medicham before Lusamine or Faba could unleash it upon them all.
"Dammit Lusa…what the hell are you up to?" Jackal growled as he lowered his weapon, concern on his face as he processed this information. Meanwhile Wicke had helped a still-injured Colress to the ground and applied a healing ointment to his injuries.
"We believe she's attempting to breach the Ultra Space and tear open more Ultra Wormholes, ones large enough and strong enough to allow Ultra Beasts to cross from their world to our own…permanently." Colress explained to Jackal with a pained hiss, causing the man to sigh deeply before adjusting his cap. "Needless to say, she must be stopped. Those monsters are powerful beyond comparison. Even a few hundred of them could be enough to threaten life as we know it on this planet, and that's without taking into account the extra-dimensional barriers that the President is meddling with."
"She was never the same after Mohn vanished…But I never knew she was this bad. Nanu was apparently looking into Aether for years and gathering evidence with Angel's help." Jackal remarked, causing Colress and Ashton to look at him strangely.
"He means me." Wicke explained, smiling at the two men. "I go by the designation Angel when working as a member of the International Police. I normally work in scouting for new agents and recruiting, but took a break to work at Aether Paradise with Lusamine years ago. I secretly help out where I can with the International Police, though, and have been feeding the Ula'ula Kahuna news whenever I can get it."
Wicke's expression grew somber. "I've also been assisting Master Gladion and Miss Lillie in escaping their mother's clutches so that they can be safe. Unfortunately I have failed in that regard."
"Don't beat yourself up over it. You couldn't have predicted that Team Skull were involved and would play such a nasty trick." Ashton said to the woman, who looked at the former criminal with some surprise.
"I also had no idea you were here as well. I hope you plan to behave yourself, Mister Aupuni. Or is it Borlath?" Wicke asked the man pointedly, causing Ashton to shrug.
"Ashton is the name." The cursed man remarked, grinning crookedly at the woman. "Making amends for my countless stupid decisions is my game. And I plan to help save Lillie and help the kids stop Lusamine however I can. It's the least I can do for what I've done. "
"I believe we've all made mistakes in some form of another. The point is we're all on the same page here and that Faba and Lusamine need to be stopped. Those kids need some backup and we're in the position to help 'em." Jackal said to the other three adults, who all nodded. "I still can't believe it though…Lusa being the bad guy."
"You were too close to Lusa, Jackal. It's not your fault for not seeing what she's become." Ashton said gently, smiling at the man. "Now we've got a chance to stop her before she goes past the point of no return. Even after what she and Faba did to me, I owe it to the woman who was once my friend to save her children and figure out why exactly she's acting this way."
"Then it looks like we've got some work ahead of us." Jackal remarked, nodding to them with a dark smirk as his Kecleon cried out in agreement.
"First thing's first. We deal with Faba. The idiot has a set of special protocols in place for dealing with dangerous situations at the Paradise, and he's trying to go about setting off one of them." Ashton said to the others as he crossed his arms.
"Are you talking about the Enigma Protocols?" Wicke asked, tilting her head. Ashton nodded n response and Wicke said, "He's mentioned them in passing before when Cipher attacked the Paradise."
"Well, apparently they're failsafes Faba set up just in case his life was ever in danger. And apparently the seventh one on that list is unleashing the Umbral Medicham that I stupidly allowed Cipher to make on whatever threatens the Paradise. If that thing gets released from captivity, there's no telling what sort of carnage it'll cause before something can take it down." Ashton spoke solemnly, his eyes flashing dark gray.
"Then that's where we start." Jackal said with a nod of finality, with the others nodding in agreement.
"That reminds me, what on earth are you doing here, Jack?" Ashton asked Jackal, who gave the younger man a lopsided smirk." I thought you wanted to keep a low profile."
"I go where I'm needed. And I-" Jackal began to say, only to be interrupted by a distinctly unpleasant voice that three of them knew very well.
"Well, well, well…Look what we have here."
Ashton scowled as he turned to see Branch Chief Faba standing alongside his Hypno, glaring them down from where the lift was located. Wicke gasped as Faba leveled a strange-looking rifle at them, scowling furiously as the weapon glowed brightly with energy.
What Ashton noticed was the Umbral Poké Ball hanging from a clip attached to the scientist's cloak. The capsule seeped with shadowy energy, practically pouring out a cloud of darkness.
"You have a lot of nerve coming up here." Faba hissed at the trio, his gaze narrowing sharply with barely suppressed fury.
"You have a lot of nerve still being alive." Ashton shot back, grinning darkly at the Branch Chief as he stood across from them, garbed in what looked like some sort of armored cloak. On his hands and arms were a variety of different gadgets, with what looked like a Z-Ring on his right wrist. What completed the strange ensemble was the helmet on his head which contained not only a Keystone, but several Psychic and Dark Gems embedded within the headpiece as well.
"What is all of that, Faba? What are you scheming now?" Colress asked wearily to the other scientist, who ignored the man's words because he had just realized Miss Wicke was standing behind the men.
"And you! You damned traitor, siding with the enemy, eh?" Faba barked, shaking a fist in Wicke's direction. "I knew you had it out for me since the day I was hired!"
"I was talking to the two people you held hostage in the labs and a member of the International Police, Faba. You have some questions that need to be answered." Wicke said calmly to her boss, who dismissed her words with a shake of the head.
"No matter. I will not allow the Paradise to be overrun by evil. I will not have my ambitions be eclipsed by those who wish to dominate the entire planet!" Faba shouted furiously, taking aim with his rifle and firing it at Ashton, who didn't even react when the rifle shot went wide and missed him completely.
"He's not listening to reason…Shocking." Ashton muttered under his breath as Faba tried three more times to shoot the former criminal, only to miss each shot. Jackal ignored him and stepped forward, reaching into his coat and pulling out his badge.
"Branch Chief Faba, my name is Caleb Jackson, known as Agent Jackal. I'm currently serving a search warrant for the Aether Paradise and-" Jackal tried to say before Faba held out a hand and grinned wickedly. A small blue sphere of energy crackled into existence within his hand and Colress' eyes widened in surprise.
"Hit the ground!" Colress shouted as Faba fired off the sphere of energy, with all four of them throwing themselves to the floor as the energy ball soared past them, colliding with the wall and releasing a wicked explosion of electrical energy.
Faba's smile then turned into something truly twisted.
"That's more like it. Truthfully I haven't field-tested most of my combat-related inventions, but I feel as though there's never been a more fitting time to do so. I will crush all of you…And then I will allow my new friend Hope to kill you all." Faba jeered, gesturing to the Umbral Poké Ball that contained the deadly creature.
"Who's Hope?" Ashton asked, frowning at Faba's declaration. Faba was caught off-guard by this question, as it wasn't something he was expecting from the man who had helped create the Umbral Pokémon in the first place.
"He's distracting you…crush them now, and let me finish them off."
Everyone but Faba shivered at the terrible feminine voice that reverberated throughout their minds. A voice that held a terrible note of something wrong within it, and Ashton grit his teeth as he realized what had spoken.
"Faba…I don't know what she's been telling you, but the Umbral Medicham's name isn't Hope." Ashton said to the furious scientist, who ignored Ashton's words and pointed a finger at him. "Her name is-"
"Enough talk! I'll strike you four down and cement my legacy right here, right now! En garde!" Faba shouted as several APT members suddenly flickered into existence around Colress, Wicke, Jackal and Ashton. Every single one of them was armed to the teeth, with weapons being aimed right at them.
Ashton rolled his eyes as Deoxys flickered into existence beside him, stepping forward without a trace of fear. The former Cipher Master reached into his pockets and slipped on a pair of shimmering metallic gloves, flexing his fingers as Faba glared at him with unrestrained loathing.
"If you insist on making things difficult…then come. You will fall like the others." Ashton said as Deoxys shifted into its Attack Forme.
Despite everything, Ashton couldn't help a dark smile coming to his lips as he prepared himself for battle against the misguided scientist who went rogue. To his credit, Faba stood his ground and aimed his rifle at Ashton again as a dark scowl twisted his lips.
Meanwhile the gentle sound of twisted laughter filled all of their minds as another deadly battle started within the so-called "Paradise".
NEXT TIME: The story behind the legend that is Guzma…and our heroes face down the entirety of Team Skull!
The next few chapters are gonna be big ones! Stay tuned folks!
Q & A
From: Muramasa96
I was wondering when Faba would have unleashed Hope, so will it be Deoxys vs Hope? Truly a terrifying fight. But I dont remember, is Faba under the effects of Nihilego poison? Or is Hope's influence that afflicts him?
That is to be answered in two chapters! And the answer may surprise you.
That's all for now, folks. Chapter uploads will be erratic for the next few weeks as my life becomes more hectic and we reach the climax of the story! Please Favorite and/or Follow the story and review to show your support! Also ask questions in the review section because I answer them!
Take care and stay awesome!
Until next time, FlygonNick out!
