Pokémon Radiant Sun


This one ran longer than I thought it would!

But oh boy, are you guys in for some fun battles over the next few chapters. Let's keep the action coming!

Shoutout to the legends who reviewed since the last update which includes SolanaLeonhart, Oragonking, Xehanorto, Sondragon66 and BraviaryScout. You all are wonderful, and I appreciate you immensely.

Enjoy!


Chapter 155: Oderint Dum Metuant


"All men make mistakes, but a good man yields when he knows his course is wrong, and repairs the evil. The only crime is pride."- Sophocles, Antigone.


Ula'ula Meadow

Many Years Ago…


Guzma grinned as Goliath delivered a brutal Slash against the Totem Pokémon of Ula'ula Meadow, which just so-happened to be another Golisopod. Of course, this one was much larger than Goliath and was bolstered by Z-Power, but it was a battle Guzma was currently having a blast with.

Nearby Johnny Kukui watched with interest alongside the Trial Captain, a tall and skinny young man named Antoine who was older than most of the other Trial Captains by several years now. He was bald and had tanned skin, but wore a faded pair of jeans and a T-shirt with a green and black spiderweb design on the front and back.

The Bug Captain was staring at Guzma the entire time, fascinated by the boy's clever tactics yet brutal and straightforward battle style. The fact that he could swap between both to keep his opponents off-guard was something that Antoine appreciated.

Guzma's bearing, however, was what worried the Trial Captain. It was clear that the boy was struggling with something. It was obvious in the way that Guzma carried himself, asking Antoine if he could possibly apply to be chosen as the next Bug Trial Captain once Antoine aged out. After all, Trial Captains couldn't be older than 20 and Antoine was currently 19.

And so Antoine watched the battle warily, but despite his unease he clapped alongside Johnny when Goliath managed to strike down Totem Golisopod and win the Trial.

"Excellent work, Guzma! You showed cunning and skill in evading my webs and even more, showed the resilience of even of the smallest of insects when facing a mighty predator!" Antoine boomed as he approached Guzma, who beamed at the praise as Goliath panted from beside him. Guzma took to healing his Partner while Antoine pulled out a light green Z-Crystal and handed it to Guzma.

"Take this Z-Crystal, the Buginium-Z, with pride." Antoine said, taking a minute to show Guzma had to do the special move with various poses. Guzma got the movement down easily, and returned his Golisopod before bowing to Antoine.

"Thank you, sir. And, um, if you think that was great, just wait. I'll keep powering through the Island Challenge, and then I'll be back to apply for your job!" Guzma said enthusiastically, grinning at Antoine. The Trial Captain's smile faded away, and he considered his next words to Guzma.

"About that…" Antoine rubbed his neck awkwardly, causing Guzma to frown. "Sorry to say, but I'm not sure you're cut out to be a Captain."

"...what." The words were spoke in a flat, dull voice. Johnny flinched at the tone of Guzma, who was staring intensely at Antoine.

"Sorry man, but as good as you were, I just didn't quite see what I was looking for." Antoine said apologetically, rubbing the back of his head. "Plus, you haven't beat the Island Challenge. We generally look for Trial Captains who've done that, or impressed us in some other way. The time isn't right for you to be asking for my position, even if you are a promising candidate. Alola hasn't seen a Bug-type specialist like you since…well me, but even then we're a rare breed."

Guzma stared at the Trial Captain with an unreadable expression, and the clearing was quiet for a very long time. Long enough for Johnny and Antoine to share a brief look of concern as Guzma stared at them.

And then finally…the boy spoke.

"Naturally…Of course. Once again, I give everything I've got, and it's just not good enough." Guzma spat the words like venom, causing Antoine and Johnny to flinch.

"Come on, Guzma, it's not like that-" Johnny tried to say, only for Guzma to whirl around on him.

"I thought you had my back! Have you been talking shit like Molayne, Johnny? Are you gonna betray me too?!" Guzma snarled at the boy, who's face paled as he frantically shook his head. Guzma seemed to realize what he was saying and took a step back, inhaling shakily as he desperately fought for control over his raging emotions.

"Sorry, Johnny, I j-just…" Guzma looked away, barely resisting the urge to scream with frustration. "I need to be alone!"

With that, Guzma bolted out of the clearing of flowers and ran off towards Po Town. Johnny ran a few steps after his friend, but stopped when he realized he'd never catch Guzma who was now sprinting away as fast as he could.

"Guzma! Guzma, where are you going!?" Johnny yelled to his friend, who ignored his calls. Antoine scoffed, shaking his head at the retreating boy.

"If he doesn't rein in that temper of his, he'll never go far." Antoine remarked, crossing his arms. "He's talented, but just not quite what I'm looking for. I didn't mean for the kid to take offense to it."

"He really wants to be a Trial Captain. It means the world to him. After everything he's been through with his crappy family, he's been more focused than ever on achieving his dream." Johnny said quietly as Guzma vanished from sight, with Antoine considering that knowledge.

"You know, in the end, the Island Kahuna is the one who chooses who becomes the Trial Captain of certain Trials. They may respect our judgment and take our recommendations into account, but it's their call." Antoine explained to Kukui, who's eyes went wide. He had never known this, and assumed that the Trial Captains chose their successors.

"So…even if you don't think he can do it, he can impress the Kahuna and have a shot at being your replacement?" Johnny asked with a hopeful smile. Antoine considered that fact and nodded, and then spoke again after thinking hard for a moment.

"Tell him to beat the Island Challenge and get back to me. Once he's a Champion, I'd like to battle him myself and see how he's grown." Antoine said slowly, sighing after a moment. "Against my better judgment, I'm gonna give him another chance to impress me. He may have aced my challenge, but there's more to a Trial Captain than strength and skill. And just because someone's not destined to be a Trial Captain doesn't mean they're not meant for bigger and better things."

"...What do you mean?" Johnny asked, intrigued. Antoine smirked at the boy's question and began to explain his line of thinking, but during the conversation Antoine continued to think about the frustrated (but talented) child who had fled from him. Something told him that Guzma was going to make a splash, and he was looking forward to battling him again.

Maybe he would be proven wrong and could anoint the boy as his successor. Only time would tell, though.


Present Day

Aether Paradise: Mansion Path


"I'm going to enjoy showing you both just how weak you truly are."

Oliver took a step back and swept out a wing, summoning Protect and bracing himself as Goliath lunged forward faster than the eye could see. The powerful Golisopod slashed deeply into the barrier that the owl had summoned with First Impression, causing large cracks to splinter throughout the shield.

Meanwhile Sun and Guzma glared each other down, with Gladion sitting down on the ground as he began tending to Type: Null's injuries.

"Sun, watch out! This one is somehow far stronger than he was a few days ago!" Oliver called to Sun, who looked surprised by this information. Guzma gave a careless shrug, smirking widely.

"Aether managed to crib some of that Colress dork's healing tech, which helped speed up my team's rehab. Plus some hardcore training for myself and Ariados. You don't stand a chance, kid. Maybe if you get on your knees and beg I might not totally wreck you like I did your boy Gladion." Guzma sneered as Gladion winced at the rebuke.

"Gladion's got more guts than all of Team Skull put together!" Sun said as his eyes gleamed red. "And if you think I'm going to lose to you, you're more crazy than you are stupid."

"What the fuck did you just say to me!?" Guzma bellowed, standing up now with a furious expression. Gladion was staring at Sun in absolute shock, especially because of the intense fury on the affable boy's face.

"No one is going to stop me from saving Lillie and stopping whatever crap is going down here. Whether it's Faba, you, or even President Lusamine!" Sun shouted as he flexed his wrist, with his Z-Ring shining with a bright light that Guzma recognized. It was the very light that he had used to take down Amber Fontaine's Umbral Rhyperior.

Sun then surprised him by forcing the light to fade away, rolling his wrist before pointing forward. "I don't even need to go all-out with Radiance to crush you. I'm doing this with my team and my own power. Oliver, use Spirit Shackle!"

"We'll see about that. X-Scissor!" Guzma roared as Goliath charged forward, his claws shining brightly. Oliver swiftly took aim and fired three ghostly arrows in quick succession, all of which darted around Goliath before slamming into him at the same time, stopping the massive bug in his tracks with a groan of pain.

However it didn't stop Goliath completely, as the bug suddenly rushed forward and delivered a brutal slash that made Oliver screech in pain, forcing him to flap his wings hard to create some space in between himself and the mighty bug. Sun wasn't going to let Guzma press the advantage, however.

"Leaf Blade!"

"Liquidation!"

Oliver swooped forward, summoning a bright green sword of energy just as Goliath created a sword of water, swinging it upward to meet Oliver's Leaf Blade in midair. A shockwave of raw force erupted from the two attacks, causing Guzma and Sun to wince. Meanwhile, the two Pokémon growled angrily as they struggled for dominance.

"You know this is wrong. Why do you help them fight?" Oliver asked Goliath, who snarled softly in response before suddenly pushing forward, breaking the stalemate between them by forcing Oliver to disengage and land on the ground.

"Use Pluck!" Sun called to Oliver, who made the Leaf Blade vanish and soared forward, his beak shining brightly. Guzma grinned and snapped his fingers, causing Goliath to hunch over and snarl softly, firing a bombardment of what Sun realized was Pin Missile.

"Dodge it Oliver!" Sun cried out as the owl weaved in and out of the onslaught, his eyes narrowed in determination as Goliath's own eyes widened in surprise. Oliver flapped his wings hard and put on a spurt of speed before smashing hard into Goliath's chest, sending the Golisopod skidding backwards with a pained roar.

"Razor Leaf!" Sun shouted as Oliver flapped his wings, releasing a wave of spinning leaves that slashed against the underside of the ace of Guzma, who was scowling with annoyance. That annoyance was compounded when he ordered Goliath to attack with Ice Beam, only for Oliver to counter the move with a well-timed Spirit Shackle that blew up in the Hard Scale Pokémon's face, causing him to stagger back with an snarl.

"You're letting him embarrass you! Liquidation!" Guzma shouted as Goliath summoned a watery sword and charged at Oliver, who had wordlessly summoned a Leaf Blade. The two Pokémon rushed at one another, with Goliath slashing open Oliver's left wing while Oliver stabbed the Golisopod in the chest. As Goliath (using his free claw) swiped at Oliver with a Poison Jab the owl ducked under the claw and retaliated with a kick that just so happened to be a Shadow Claw. Goliath roared as it's Liquidation faded, clutching its chest at the critical hit it had just suffered. Goliath then lashed out with surprising speed, catching Oliver off-guard with a X-Scissor and knocking the owl backwards. Oliver flapped his wings to catch himself and landed on the ground.

"There we go...There we go. Let's get back in this!" Guzma breathed, grinning as Goliath nodded alongside his Trainer.

Sun exhaled softly, seeing that things were about even in this battle so far. He had to keep it up. "Follow up with Leaf Bla-"

"Sucker Punch!" Guzma snarled, cutting Sun off as Goliath suddenly shined bright purple color, lunging towards Oliver and delivering a brutal slash that sent the owl hurtling backwards with an agonized screech. The Decidueye crashed down hard onto the ground as Goliath lowered his claw, growling softly in frustration.

"Not a chance am I losing again to some little shit. You got lucky the first two times. My team hasn't been 100% since battling Fontaine." Guzma admitted, scowling softly with annoyance. "But we're rebounding! Getting back to our full power…And I don't even need that to crush you, yo. Goliath, Poison Jab!"

Oliver slowly got back to his feet as the massive bug stomped forward, its claws shining bright purple. Sun grinned fiercely and pointed forward. "Counter with Shadow Claw!"

Oliver matched his Trainer's grin and flapped his wings backwards, propelling him upwards and allowing him to flip his body. Right as Goliath brought his claws down for Poison Jab, Oliver swept up his powerful talons for Shadow Claw. The result was another collision of attacks, which caught Guzma by surprise.

"He's matching Goliath's strength. Even with the type-disadvantage, he's not falling behind. Damn it Kukui, you really did take someone under your wing who's just as annoying to battle as you!" Guzma thought to himself, shaking off the familiar feeling of dread and focusing on the showdown before him.

Goliath let out a roar of rage before suddenly swinging apart his claws, ending his attack and forcing Oliver to back away and land on the ground. Both Pokémon were panting from the brief but intense exchange of attacks, but both knew this battle was only just beginning.

"X-Scissor!" Guzma shouted as Goliath charged forward, charging up its claws as Oliver braced himself.

"Spirit Shackle!" Sun called as Oliver swiftly notched a ghostly arrow and fired it. Goliath batted the arrow aside, tanking the explosion on his outer armor instead of the softer underside that Oliver had been aiming initially. Goliath then collided with Oliver, delivering a brutal double-slash with X-Scissor that knocked the owl to the ground yet again. As Oliver's Overgrow kicked in, Sun noticed that Goliath was snarling softly, swaying on his feet.

The Golisopod turned towards Guzma and retreated into its Poké Ball, much to Sun's surprise and Guzma's annoyance.

"C-coward!" Oliver hooted as he slowly got back to his feet, even as Guzma called out a strange flying bug-like Pokémon. Sun returned Oliver, much to Guzma's surprise, and called out Tetra. He then had Rotom Dex pull up the entry for this Pokémon on the Pokédex.

"Masquerain. The Eyeball Pokémon and the evolved form of Surskit. Its wings and antennae don't cope well with moisture. After a rain, it faces sunward to dry off. It intimidates enemies with the eye-like patterns on its antennae. Its four wings allow it to fly in any direction." Rotom Dex explained to Sun, who hummed softly as Guzma smirked. Tetra winced as the Masquerain's Intimidate Ability struck her, weakening her attack power.

"Looks like a fresh fight now." Guzma remarked, his smirk turning into something mischievous. "Use Quiver Dance."

"Tetra, use Dragon Claw!" Sun yelled as the dragon charged forward, leaping into the air and delivering a harsh slash with her burning claws as the Masquerain shined white, flitting through the air and leaving behind shimmering after-images of itself.

"Keep it up! Quiver Dance!" Guzma called out, completely unconcerned. Sun frowned, but knew that he had to knock this Pokémon out as soon as possible. Guzma was setting up his Masquerain with Quiver Dance, a move that boosted a Pokémon's speed and attack strength considerably. Sun couldn't let that happen, because with enough boosts, the boy's entire team could be knocked out!

"Dragon Claw again!" Sun shouted to his Gabite, who continued to attack despite the dancing that her opponent was doing.

"Keep those wings beating! Quiver Dance!" Guzma cackled as his Masquerain shined once again, flitting through the air as Tetra watched on in awe.

"Rock Tomb, Tetra!" Sun called to the dragon, who nodded and swept apart her arms, summoning a column of rock from below Masquerain. However to Sun's shock the bug Pokémon managed to dodge the move with ease. It then narrowed its eyes and glanced back at Guzma, who stood up and cracked his back.

"Bug Buzz." Guzma said in an almost bored tone as Masquerain faced Tetra and lowered its head, pointing its antenna at Tetra before releasing a red pulsating wave of sound. Sun and Gladion clamped their hands down on their ears as the sharp sound filled the air, but Tetra was struck directly by the attack and screamed in agony, getting hurled backwards by the strengthened Bug-type move. Sun opened a single eye and was horrified to see that Tetra had been knocked out cold by the attack, crumpling onto the ground senseless.

"Had enough?" Guzma asked smugly as Masquerain chirped happily, flying over to Guzma. "First battle you've had since we fought that red-haired bitch, and you came out on top. Hehehehe!"

"Good job Tetra." Sun murmured to the dragon as he returned her. Sun frowned as he considered what Pokémon to use here.

"I wish Alastor was here. He'd be perfect for this…" Sun thought ruefully, hoping at the very least his Pokémon was okay.

"Penny, let's go!" Sun said as he called out his Toucannon. Penny landed on the ground and glared at Guzma and battered Masquerain.

"Penny, use Drill Peck!" Sun called out, with Penny flapping her wings and soaring forward. The Toucannon spun wickedly, becoming a drill-like whirlwind as Guzma…yawned as if bored!

"Stun Spore!" Guzma called to Masquerain, who chirped and sent out a cloud of yellow powder directly into the path of Penny. The Toucannon tore right through the cloud, coating her entire body in the stuff instantly. To Sun's horror, the Toucannon immediately slowed down and veered towards the ground, tumbling in a heap as static crackled around her.

"Wow. A first-turn paralysis. How lucky for me." Guzma drawled as he grinned crookedly, squatting down on the ground. "Hit 'em with Bug Buzz."

"Raaaaaaiiin!" Masquerain trilled as it blasted the immobilized Penny with the move, causing her to tumble across the ground limply and shudder in pain. Sun grit his teeth as he held his hands over his ears, trying to think of something.

"Use Rock Blast!" Sun called to Penny, who opened her mouth and fired off three waves of pellets at the surprised Masquerain. The Eyeball Pokémon took all three shots of the super-effective move and nearly fell out of the air, but managed to catch itself at the last second. Guzma's eyes narrowed at that, and decided now was the time to end things.

"Air Slash!" Guzma barked as Masquerain nodded, sending out an arc of compressed air that slammed hard enough into Penny and the ground to leave a deep gouge in the concrete. Sun felt a pang of concern as Penny fainted, a steady trickle of blood on her chest from where the attack had cut into her. Sun swiftly returned his bird and whispered a thanks to her before sending out Brago.

"Alrighty, we've got Pokémon number four! Let's see what you can do, poochy!" Guzma laughed as he pointed forward. "Use Bug Buzz!"

Sun grit his teeth as the Masquerain blasted Brago with Bug Buzz, causing the Arcanine to howl in pain. However, Sun was just about done with this and decided to start striking a series of poses.

Guzma's eyes widened in surprise as Sun's Z-Ring glowed and transferred Z-Power to Brago, with Sun thrusting a hand towards Masquerain with an annoyed expression.

"Channel Flame Burst…and use Inferno Overdrive!" Sun shouted as Brago charged up a sphere of flickering fire within his mouth and fired it towards his opponent. The poor Masquerain had just about enough time to let out a squeal of horror before the Z-Move connected, causing a series of massive fiery explosions to erupt through the battlefield and shatter several of the windows in the mansion that they were battling beside.

"Whoops…Well, I can probably blame that on Team Skull." Sun thought with a wince as he realized that he had caused quite a bit of property damage just now. As the smoke began to clear, however, the boy grinned with relief as he spotted an unconscious Masquerain.

"Don't you think that was a bit much!?" Guzma demanded angrily, earning a shrug from Sun in response.

"And let you keep using Bug Buzz? My ears are going to be ringing all day from that!" Sun yelled to Guzma, who opened his mouth to retort, but realized that line of logic was actually quite valid. Either way, Guzma simply shrugged and returned his Pokémon before sending out his Ariados.

Sun smirked, knowing that Brago could beat this Pokémon quite handily. "Brago, use-"

"Sucker Punch!" Guzma barked as Ariados flickered, reappearing in front of Brago and lashing out with a sneak attack. Sun frowned as Brago growled softly in annoyance, especially while Guzma offered a middle-fingered salute in response.

Sun wasn't one to let that insult stand. "Extreme Speed!"

Now it was Brago's turn for a sneak attack. The canine grinned before bounding forward and then suddenly vanishing, moving faster than the eye could see and ramming hard into Ariados. The spider went flying through the air and crashed down hard on the ground, but was quick to get back to its feet.

"Shadow Ball!"

"Aerial Ace!"

Brago darted forward, a trail of white energy trailing behind him as he sped towards Ariados. Brago barrelled right through the Ghost-type attack and rammed hard into Ariados, flinging it across the battlefield with a pained squeal.

"Grrr. Shadow Ball again!" Guzma growled with annoyance as Ariados hopped back to the battlefield.

Sun grinned at the man's frustration. "Brago, hit it with Flame Burst!"

Ariados chittered softly as it fired off a Shadow Ball towards Brago, who tanked the attack and lashed back out with a stream of flames that soared towards the Ariados, who cried out as the flames rained down all around it. Guzma scowled in annoyance, knowing full-well that his type-specialization was biting him in the butt right now.

"Shadow Sneak into X-Scissor!" Guzma shouted as the spider quickly retreated into its own shadow and attacked Brago from behind, slamming hard into the canine with the powerful Bug-type move.

"Aerial Ace!" Sun retorted as Brago sped towards Ariados, knocking it onto its side with the swift and powerful attack. The bug was slow to get back to its feet, chittering softly as Guzma exhaled a deep breath.

"Use Giga Impact!" Guzma roared as Sun's eyes widened in surprise. Ariados scuttled forward as quickly as it could, its body glowing bright white. It then lunged at Brago, its form exploding with purple energy that manifested several yellow ribbons of raw power around it. Brago had just enough time to brace himself before the powerful attack struck, sending an enormous shockwave across the battlefield. Sun was thrown to the ground and Guzma held up an arm to block the fierce wind that kicked up as smoke filled the air.

"You…you're going to have to do better than that!"

Flames exploded within the smoke cloud, clearing the air and revealing a battered Brago holding a squealing Ariados within his mouth. Which was currently on fire!

Ariados had a few moments to writhe in Brago's Fire Fang before going limp, fainting from the damage it had taken. Brago tossed the bug aside, wincing in pain at the damage he had taken.

Sun sighed with relief, grateful that the canine was able to power through a surprisingly tricky fight. Brago was battered, but still had plenty of fight left in him. Meanwhile Guzma was down to two Pokémon, while Sun still had three.

Guzma's face was contorted in frustration and anger, grinding his teeth as he stared down the boy who had been seemingly hand-picked by his greatest rival to be a potential Island Challenge Champion. The sheer nerve of this boy who had overcome the odds to become one of Alola's finest made Gumza feel absolutely sick.

Because it only made the memories hurt more.


Many Years Ago…

Ten Carat Hill


Guzma would have been lying if he had said he wasn't dreading his battle with this particular Totem Pokémon.

The Flying Trial of Melemele Island was considered one of the toughest on the Island Challenge. It was why more often than not, Hala was battled second or third when it came to the Grand Trials. You could only battle a Kahuna when you completed an Island's Trials, and so as a consequence he was typically battled later. Indeed, it was very strange when one considered the wild difference in strength between the Totem Pokémon of Verdant Cavern and Ten Carat Hill.

So far, Guzma and Johnny had defeated three of the Island Kahunas and overcome every Island Trial except for this one. The Flying Trial of Ten Carat Hill. If they beat the Trial and defeated the Totem that lurked within, they would be granted the chance to battle their teacher, Kahuna Hala, and officially complete the Island Challenge.

Thankfully the challenge was straightforward. Collecting several colorful egg-shaped stones scattered throughout sheer cliffs throughout the area while dealing with various angry bird Pokémon attacked. Once you acquired all seven eggs and arranged them at the big nest in the center of the clearing, the Totem would arrive.

Captain Skyler, a young man of 18 who was well-built with long blond hair, watched Guzma collect the eggs for his Trial with barely concealed disdain. Johnny watched alongside the Captain, fighting the urge to punch the guy in the balls. No one actually liked the Skyler, even Kahuna Hala, and his attitude towards the Trial-goers as of late had been increasingly problematic. Thankfully he'd age out as a Trial Captain in less than two years.

"Hurry up! You take any longer and I'll disqualify you!" Skyler shouted, causing Johnny to glare at him.

"He's been going for five minutes. This place is massive." Johnny pointed out, causing Skyler to return the boy's glare.

"And I have a schedule to keep. Now shut the hell up before I kick you out of here. I only even let you tag along for this farce because you're Hala's special pupils." Skyler remarked acidly, grumbling under his breath.

"Gotcha!" Guzma shouted, holding up the seventh and final egg as Goliath knocked out an angry Trumbeak that had been chasing them. He placed the egg down at the next and backed away, grinning to himself.

"Finally! Now then, here comes the Totem!" Skyler called out as a shadow suddenly blotted out the sky above them. Guzma looked up and swore loudly as an enormous bird with an even bigger beak swooped down from the sky, crashing onto the ground and releasing a powerful screech that blasted Guzma to the ground. Goliath held his ground, but even he shivered in fear from the powerful Totem.

"Heh. That's all you got?" Guzma muttered, rolling to his feet and grinning widely.

"You got this, brah! It's all you!" Johnny called to his best friend as Goliath let out a battle cry. The Golisopod got into a fighting stance as the enormous bird stood protectively in front of her eggs before releasing a loud screech that tore through the sky. The Totem Pokémon's body erupted with Z-Power, a fiery orange glow that signaled that its strength had been boosted to some degree.

"Goliath, First Impression!" Guzma shouted as his Golisopod rushed forward, slashing the Totem Toucannon and quickly causing the massive bird to grow angry. It retaliated with a Rock Blast, but Goliath managed to block it with an Iron Defense and threw up its hands. Goliath then rushed forward at Guzma's command, having him use Razor Shell as the battle began.

Kukui watched on with baited breath, excited for his friend to finally overcome one of the most dreaded Totems in the Alola Region. Captain Skyler wore a look of disdain on his face, visibly annoyed as Guzma's ace and the feared Flying Totem brutally battled across the clearing. The enormous bird swerved through the air to avoid Pin Missile and slammed hard into Goliath with Drill Peck, sending him skidding through the dirt.

"CAAAAAAN!" the Totem screeched as two Trumbeaks flew towards Goliath from the nearby nests, but Guzma quickly had Goliath shut them down with an Ice Beam each before turning the beam to Totem Toucannon. Soon the bird was visibly panting in pain, and Guzma seized his chance.

"Finish it off with Poison Jab!" Guzma shouted as Goliath charged forward, even as Totem Toucannon's beak suddenly began to glow brightly. Johnny's eyes widened in horror and as he began to shout out a warning, Captain Skyler rudely put a hand over the boy's mouth and gave him a cold look.

"Let the little brat learn." Skyler remarked, flashing a mean grin towards Kukui before turning back to the battle, where Goliath had struck the Totem and was rewarded with a burn. It was then that Guzma realized that he had totally forgotten about Toucannon's signature move, Beak Blast.

"Uh oh." Guzma muttered before the explosion of heat erupted across the clearing, throwing Goliath backwards and knocking him to the ground, though he didn't faint. Instead, he returned to his Poké Ball and Guzma was forced to send out another Pokémon.

"Charger, let's go!" Guzma shouted as he sent out his trusty Vikavolt that many years prior his best friend had given him as a Grubbin. "Hit 'em with Thunderbolt!"

"Viiika!" Charger cried out as it lashed out with a mighty bolt of electricity, striking the Totem Toucannon and causing the enormous bird to shriek in agony. It retaliated with Rock Blast, but a timely command from Guzma allowed the bug to dodge the super-effective attack. The bird shuddered as it landed on the ground, trembling visibly from the damage it had taken so far. Guzma grinned widely in triumph.

Sadly, this was when things began to turn to tragedy for Guzma. A moment that would change things forever in the Alola region.

"CAAAAAAAAAAAA!" the Totem roared to the heavens, creating a shockwave of raw force that blew Guzma back a few steps while causing Charger to waver in the air. Guzma looked up and his eyes went wide at the sight of the Totem, who was shaking violently now.

"The hell is going on…?" Skyler asked himself, frowning at the odd behavior of the Totem.

Totem Toucannon's orange aura suddenly exploded outwards, darkening in color to a deep searing red. Crackles of raw energy filled the air as the ground splintered near the bird, who's eyes glazed over. The air was thick was a strange sensation, as if the very power pouring from the Totem was contaminating it.

"Looks like we're not out of the woods yet. Charger, use Shock Wave!" Guzma called to his Vikavolt, who hesitated for a moment before lashing out with the electrical attack. However the moment the attack struck Totem Toucannon, the bird's gaze shifted to Guzma and its eyes narrowed with absolute fury.

"CAAAAAAAAA!" The shriek was deafening, forcing the humans to cover their ears. It also served to distract Guzma enough so that he was too late to react to the Totem Pokémon flying directly…at him, its beak wreathed in flames. Charger buzzed urgently as Guzma screamed out in horror, and as the Totem drew closer Captain Skyler screamed out to his Pokémon alongside Guzma.

However, Guzma's Vikavolt flew right at the Totem, unleashing a Spark that deterred the massive bird. At least, for a moment. That was when the Totem Pokémon of Ten Carat Hill released the heat stored within its beak, creating an explosion with the force of a bomb. Charger hit the ground hard, covered in harsh burns as the Totem screeched, turning its baleful gaze to the terrified boy.

"This is wrong…What's happening?" Skyler asked as Totem Toucannon advanced towards the defenseless boy, who was fumbling with a Poké Ball. Meanwhile Charger twitched and slowly began to rise back into the air, bleeding from its wings.

"You have to help him!" Johnny said to the Captain, who frowned at the suggestion.

"No. We can't interfere or the boy will lose his Trial. We have to let it play out-" Skyler said stubbornly, turning and scowling at the other boy.

"Do something! It's attacking him!" Johnny shouted to Captain Skyler, who hesitated, torn between not wanting to stop such a battle but also not wanting to have someone seriously injured during their Trial. Tragically, in the time the two were arguing, Totem Toucannon was charging up another Beak Blast and narrowed its murderous eyes down to slits, with Guzma screaming in terror.

Charger buzzed loudly before crashing into Totem Toucannon again, causing the attack to go wide and obliterate the space several yards to the right of Guzma. Totem Toucannon whirled around and lunged at Charger, who dodged the Pluck and moved to the side, unleashing another Thunderbolt at the Totem Pokémon.

The enraged Toucannon shrieked in agony and crashed into the dirt, but was quick to rise before letting out a bloodthirsty caw as the crimson Z-Power around its body pulsed wildly, causing the ground beneath the beast to warp from the raw force on display. It then crouched low and launched itself at Guzma once again, spinning wildly as it tried to attack the Trainer directly with Drill Peck.

"Guzma!" Johnny shouted as broke free from Skyler's hold and ran towards his friend, with the Trial Captain in close pursuit. They wouldn't reach the other boy in time, as Totem Toucannon was already mere feet away.

However, at the last second, Charger the Vikavolt dove in front of Guzma and right at Totem Toucannon, buzzing loudly as it rushed at the monster in order to protect her Trainer.

"No! Charger!" Guzma screamed out as the Totem Pokémon slammed into the Vikavolt instead of him, ramming its beak through the chest of the Vikavolt and out the other side.

The clearing went silent.

"GUZMA!" Kukui screamed out, pulling out a Poké Ball and running forward, even as Captain Skyler grabbed the boy and shoved him back onto the ground. Skyler looked towards his Totem with a concerned look, but seemed hellbent on not interfering with the showdown taking place even as it had taken a deadly turn.

"The Island Trial is a test…of Trainers and their Pokémon. If they can't survive the Trials, then they can't become Champions." Skyler remarked quietly, watching the blood drip down the face of his Totem Pokémon while fighting the urge to shiver.

Johnny Kukui could only watch on in horror as Totem Toucannon continued to tear apart the Vikavolt that had dove in front of her Trainer at the last second to save him from a Drill Peck before tossing the corpse of Charger to the ground. Johnny and Captain Skyler stood there in shock while Guzma screamed, tears streaming down the boy's face.

The harsh crimson glow of the Z-Power that had engulfed the Totem burned like an inferno around the Totem as it murdered Guzma's Pokémon…And as it looked up from Charger's corpse, the enraged Toucannon glared hatefully at Guzma before flapping its wings hard and barreling right towards him with deadly intent, even as the boy gripped the Poké Ball tightly in his hands and threw it forward, sending out Goliath once again. Even as terror, pain, sadness and sorrow filled his body, another emotion was coursing through Guzma's body and began to quickly overwhelm him.

Rage.


Present Day

Aether Paradise Mansion Path


Team Skull balked slightly as what was once a duo of Trainers had grown to become a sizable force of resistance. Bone Unit 71 flanked Demi and Hau while Councilman Palena stood in front of them, with Ares the Talonflame glaring forward with a terrifying expression of fury on its face.

The Bone Brothers scowled under their bandannas, especially considering the fact that their teams were rather beaten down by this point thanks to Demi getting backup from her friends and Hau not being quite as much of a pushover now that he wasn't hopelessly outnumbered.

By now the Bone Brothers were down to C's Honchkrow and Gumshoos, B's Scizor and A's Magnezone and Drapion. And that was only because they had used what little healing supplies they had brought along to revive some of their Pokémon. Needless to say, things weren't looking great for Team Skull.

"Dad…You really came here yourself." Demi said with wonder in her voice, causing her father to shrug helplessly.

"I left the city in good hands. Besides, I still have some work to do. Now then, what's the situation?" Palena asked the children, before suddenly barking out, "Ares, use Flamethrower!"

"Flaaaaaam!" trilled the massive raptor as it surged forward, releasing a scorching torrent of flames upon the Bone Brothers' small horde of Pokémon, forcing them back as the Bone Brothers grunted at the deadly heat that rose up from the blackened concrete.

"Don't give them a chance to regroup." Palena said to his Talonflame as it attacked Team Skull before looking at the children. "So, the current situation?"

"Umm, turns out Branch Chief Faba kidnapped Ashton Aupuni and was torturing him here. Or experimenting on him. I guess both. Doctor Colress was being held captive in the Aether Basement Labs too. We freed them and now we're trying to get to the President's Mansion to save Lillie and stop President Lusamine from whatever crazy scheme she needs Cosmog for." Demi explained to her father, who gave his daughter a surprised look before regarding Team Skull with a scowl.

"And Team Skull's presence here…" Palena's expression became thoughtful. "Why would Team Skull be here, trying to stop you all rather than pillage the riches of the Paradise? Unless they're being supported by Aether somehow, and have been employed to stop anyone who made it this far."

"Seems that way, as much as I hate to say it. Sun's battling Guzma right now to help Gladion, and I came back to help Demi hold off Team Skull. Looks like her friends changed sides, too." Hau continued, grinning at Bone Unit 71. Kevin and Axen smirked while Kayla shrugged. Palena considered that information and hummed softly. He then made an executive decision.

"Hau, go on ahead. Demi and her friends will help me wrap things up here." Palena said before turning around and nodding to the boy. Hau grinned and gave them all a thumbs up before running off to join Sun and Gladion. It was then that Palena turned back around and stepped towards the Bone Brothers, scowling at them.

"I'll give you one warning. Turn back now. This isn't a fight that you want." Palena said to the trio of thugs, backed by dozens of battered Team Skull Grunts. "Team Skull has long since been a thorn in the side of Alola. But I also recognize that they're victims of the culture we as Alolans cherish so much. Stand aside now, and I'll work with Guzma to have your jail sentences reduced."

"Anthony…What do we do?" Bone Brother B asked, his tone one of concern. The eldest brother sighed and slapped the one-armed man in the back of the head.

"Same thing we always do, oh brother mine. We grit our teeth and get shit done. Bruce, Charlie…Don't you dare let me down." Bone Brother Anthony hissed to his younger brothers, his distaste at the situation evident. The two brothers swallowed and nodded in response.

"So…jail or a deal? I'm a busy man with things to do, so I'd appreciate it if we kept things brief." Palena asked the trio of brothers, who all chuckled in unison.

"Pfffft. We ain't going to jail! Fat chance, asshole!" Bone Brother Charlie laughed, slapping his knee.

Palena raised an eyebrow before shrugging his shoulders. "So be it. Ares, Aerial Ace!"

The mighty Talonflame rushed forward with a fearsome screech, slamming hard into Drapion and sending the Ogre Scorp Pokémon stumbling backwards with a pained hiss. The Bone Brothers prepared themselves for battle, squaring themselves up.

"Alright you little runts…Rush them! Everyone at once!" Bone Brother Charlie shouted, looking back towards the dozen or so Grunts left that had Pokémon still out.

"Nah…You can fight 'em yourself." One of the Grunts said, causing the Bone Brothers to whirl around in surprise.

But then they saw the expectant looks of the Grunts, who didn't seem all that afraid of the Brothers now. Not when a group like Bone Unit 72, who had been jokes mere months ago, were now standing up to them. Battling them, and it looked like they had the upper hand. No longer were the Brothers in a position where they could make demands.

"Prove that we should keep letting you guys boss us around. You treat us like shit, but when it comes down to it ,are you really all that? Fight without us." A female Grunt remarked, crossing her arms. The expressions of the Bone Brothers shifted into ones of abject fury before they turned back to the five Trainers who now stood against them.

"GET THEM!" Bone Brother Anthony screamed with frustration, pointing forward as Drapion fired off a Sludge Bomb and Magnezone unleashed a Thunder upon the enemy. Axen had his Hypno swiftly teleport Bone Unit 71 back out of harm's way, but Palena had run forward with Ares swooping through the air, firing off a Flamethrower that struck Gumshoos and Honchkrow. Scizor retaliated with Acrobatics, knocking away the bird with a brutal midair collision.

"Let's get 'em!" Demi shouted with a wide grin, standing beside her father as Bone Unit 71 sent their Pokémon back into the fray, with Demi sending in Torch to fight alongside them.

The resulting brawl was absolute chaos, with attacks being launched in every direction as the Bone Brothers furiously tried to subdue the Bone Unit 71 and Councilman Palena, who was unfortunately proving to be a difference-maker in the battle between the two sides.

Axen and Kayla tag-teamed Scizor while Kevin tried to keep Drapion distracted. Thankfully for the two former Team Skull Grunts, their Pokémon were just as swift and mobile as Scizor thanks to Fearow's speed and Hypno's Teleport, so they were able to keep the Pokémon distracted from attacking Tirtouga at the very least.

Meanwhile Demi and her Father dealt with Gumshoos and Honchkrow. Ares dove under a Dark Pulse and attacked with Flame Charge, crashing into the Big Boss Pokémon who shot back with Foul Play, sending Ares flapping away with a pained cry. Meanwhile Torch was blasting at Gumshoos with Flamethrowers, but the Pokémon was crafty and kept lashing out with Mud Shot, slowing down Torch more and more.

"Hit 'em with Fire Punch!" Demi shouted as Torch managed to lunge forward, delivering a flaming uppercut that sent Gumshoos toppling to the ground. It got up with a snarl, and Bone Brother Charlie grinned maliciously under his bandanna.

"Hyper Beam!" The thug shouted as Gumshoos opened its mouth and fired a burst of raw energy that erupted towards Torch, who threw himself to the ground and avoided the move. To Demi's dismay, the attack soared into the sky where it struck Ares dead-center. The Talonflame screeched as the resulting explosion knocked it out of the sky for several moments before it managed to recover in midair.

This also served to shift the attention of the Talonflame to its new assailant, firing back with a Flamethrower that made the Gumshoos reel in pain before Kevin's Tirtouga finished it off with a Brine.

Unfortunately the victory was short lived as a burst of lightning suddenly erupted from out of nowhere and zoomed past Tirtouga, striking Kevin and sending him sprawling onto the ground with a high-pitched scream.

"Kevin!" Axen yelled out in distress before turning towards the culprit, a Magnezone floating next to its smug Trainer.

"Shocking, isn't it?" Bone Brother Charlie asked mockingly as Magnezone beeped beside Anthony, who shook his head.

"Focus. We need to deal with these idiots now. Magnezone, use Zap Cannon on Kayla!" Anthony shouted as Magnezone swapped focus from Kevin to Kayla, who gasped as the Magnet Area Pokémon charged up its most dangerous attack.

"Intercept with Flamethrower!" Demi shouted desperately as Torch let loose a stream of raging fire.

"Sunny Day!" Palena shouted as Ares charged up a sphere of light and shot it into the sky, casting a harsh sunlight onto the path around them. The Bone Brothers grimaced at the light, but its effect on the battlefield was more pronounced as Torch's Flamethrower and Magnezone's Zap Cannon connected in midair. The two attacks hovered in place for five agonizing seconds…and then Torch's flames exploded outwards, augmented by the power of Sunny Day and overwhelming Magnezone completely, knocking it out within several moments. Demi exchanged a smile with her father, who returned it before focusing on the aerial showdown in the sky.

As his Pokémon hit the ground senseless, Bone Brother Anthony decided had finally had enough of trying to even remotely fight fair.

The thug shifted his attention to Bone Unit 71, spotting that a certain Typhlosion was now drawing closer with two burning fists. Anthony noticed that Ares was currently busy dueling in midair with Charlie's Honchkrow, freeing him up to focus on the kids.

"Let's see how you deal with this. Cross Poison!" Bone Brother Anthony shouted as Drapion rushed forward, slamming into Torch with its two arms glowing bright purple. Demi gasped as her Typhlosion dropped to the ground, though thankfully he hadn't fainted.

Hypno and Fearow jumped in and began attacking Drapion, who battered the both of them away with a Sludge Bomb. Bone Brother Anthony chanced a glance over to where his Brothers were battling Palena, and saw to his annoyance that they were losing. In fact, the battle was nearly over.

Ares the Talonflame and Charlie's Honchkrow were battling in midair, trading Dark Pulses and Flamethrowers as they circled one another. Palena called for a Flame Charge, causing the Talonflame to dive downwards and then rise upwards, slamming into the surprised Honchkrow hard. Scizor tried to assist by soaring into the air and attacking with Air Slash, but a surprise Shadow Ball from Hypno slowed it down just enough for Ares to finish it off with a Flamethrower.

Within moments it was falling out of the sky, and Bone Brother Anthony sighed with irritation as Scizor crashed onto the ground senseless alongside Honchkrow. Now they were down to just his prized Drapion, who had already done quite a bit of the heavy-lifting in this brawl. At least most of the remaining Pokémon on the field were worn out, and Drapion still had plenty of fight left in him.

"Naturally…Alright, fuckers. I'll clean this mess. Drapion, get them with Night Slash!" Bone Brother Anthony snarled as Drapion scuttled forward, hissing as it slashed apart its arms and struck Hypno with the force of a truck and sent it crashing to the ground hard. Axen cried out to his Pokémon, only for a clawed hand to suddenly backhand him hard enough in the chest to send him flying backwards with a resounding crack as something inside of Axen broke, causing him to drop to the ground with a scream of agony.

"Axen!" Kevin called out, horrified that the Bone Brothers had seriously injured his friend. Anthony turned around and pointed a finger at Kevin and his Tirtouga, a cruel grin on his face.

"Blast them all away! Giga Impact!" came the command from the Bone Brother leader as Drapion roared, its body becoming a mass of raw energy as it charged towards Kevin. The entire path shook as the Drapion's attack connected with Tirtouga, resulting in a massive explosion of force that sent both Tirtouga and Kevin flying backwards.

"That's right, bro! You show 'em!" Bone Brother Charlie laughed, clapping as the smoke slowly cleared to show an unconscious Kevin lying beside his fainted Pokémon.

"Enough!" Palena shouted as Ares soared back into the fray, zooming towards Drapion with a determined glare as the massive scorpion recharged. "Ares, finish this! Flare Blitz!"

"Toxic!" Bone Brother Anthony shouted Ares crashed into the Drapion with Flare Blitz, resulting in an almighty explosion of flames and sending him to the ground with a roar of agony. But not before Drapion managed to blast the firebird in the face with a deluge of purple liquid. Ares landed on the ground with a grimace as the poison began to immediately take effect.

"Don't you dare lose, Drapion." Bone Brother Anthony said to the exhausted Ogre Scorp Pokémon, who's eyes snapped open in response to the coldly spoken words. To their horror, Drapion slowly rose to its feet with a pained groan, panting heavily from the enormous amount of damage it had taken.

"Fearow, use Pluck!" Kayla called to her bird as it soared forward, ramming into Drapion with a fierce cry. The eldest of the brother noticed this and scowled under his bandanna.

"Deal with the kids. I'll handle the rest." Bone Brother Anthony instructed his brothers, who both laughed softly before running forward onto the battlefield, making straight for Bone Unit 71. Kayla and Demi were surprised by this sudden action, and within seconds the thugs were upon them.

Bone Brother Bruce kicked Demi hard in the stomach, sending her to the ground with a vicious thud. Meanwhile Brother Charlie had grabbed Kayla by the neck, laughing softly as she struggled in his grasp. Fearow saw what was happening and zoomed back towards her Trainer, though it was unable to avoid getting hit by a Night Slash from behind as Drapion took advantage of the confusion. Ares dove forward to continue the fight, though without direction.

Mostly because Bone Brother Anthony had suddenly rushed Palena himself and was now in a fistfight with the Councilman.

"Kayla!" Demi shouted as the one-armed Bone Brother threw the girl to the ground, her head hitting the concrete. The thug wasn't done, and began to violently stomp on the back of Kayla's left knee. The teen screamed in agony before her Fearow dove at the Bone Brothers, driving them away before landing beside its Trainer as she writhed on the ground. The damage had been done, and now Kayla's leg was bent at an unnatural angle as tears streamed down the girl's face.

"Our Pokémon may be going down…But we won't lose!" Bone Brother Bruce laughed softly, pointing towards where Bone Brother Anthony and Palena were still brawling. The thug was currently sporting a black eye, but Palena had a bloodied mouth and his suit was in disarray. Bone Brother Anthony then surprised the Councilman by dropping to one knee with a laugh, dodging several Pin Missiles fired by Drapion that soared past and exploded all around Palena.

The Councilman hit the ground hard, writhing in agony as everyone except the Bone Brothers watched on in horror. Bone Brother Anthony casually strode up to the man and curb stomped his skull into the concrete with a malicious laugh.

"Daddy!" Demi screamed with tears in her eyes as Palena dropped to the ground, clutching his skull as it streamed crimson. Ares the Talonflame screeched in distress and flew to his Trainer's aid, only for Venoshock to blast away the poisoned Talonflame and send it crashing to the ground. The other two Bone Brothers laughed alongside their brother, advancing towards the fallen man. They were surprised when a furious yell erupted through the air and a deluge of rocks suddenly rushed the two Bone Brothers and forced them to throw themselves to the ground to dodge.

"Cheap shot! How about you deal with me, motherfuckers!" Kevin shouted as his Tirtouga fired off a Brine, which Drapion intercepted by smashing it apart with a Poison Jab. A battered Kevin took a step back as the Ogre Scrop Pokémon laughed menacingly, advancing towards Kevin and his barely-conscious Tirtouga.

Palena remained still, his head coated in blood as Demi felt a cold thrill of fear roll through her. That fear quickly morphed into anger, and she glanced to her left to see Torch slowly rising to his feet, growling softly. Demi scowled as she looked back and saw Tirtouga and Ares fighting through the pain and battling Drapion, who was launching nonstop Sludge Bombs to keep them at bay.

Demi should have known that the brute was too strong to be downed even by Ares' strongest attack. Palena had been a powerful Trainer in his prime, but he hadn't been in a serious battle in decades and Ares was his only remaining Pokémon.

Kevin was keeping the Bone Brothers busy for now, but if they got close to them again they were done for. Kayla was still down on the ground, clutching her broken leg as her Fearow worriedly checked on her. Axen was slowly pushing himself upright beside his unconscious Hypno.

Ares furiously screeched as Drapion lashed out with Dark Pulse, which the enormous bird barely dodged as Bone Brother A cackled with delight. Meanwhile the horde of battered Grunts behind him watched with a mixture of expressions, as if unsure who they wanted to root for in the first place.

"That thing's got to be on its last legs…" Demi thought as she watched Ares dart forward again with Flame Charge, desperately trying to end the struggle. The girl looked back at her Typhlosion and noticed a familiar aura of red energy shining around him. "Kayla! You think you can help me out?"

"What's the plan?" Kayla asked through gritted teeth as Demi looked back at her.

"I just need you and Fearow to stun that stupid thing. One good shot to the head, if you can. If I can get Torch close…I think we can finish him off." Demi said quietly to her friend who held her gaze for a moment before laughing softly.

"Gladion may have been an emo prick sometimes, but he did wonders for your confidence. Let's do it!" Kayla said with a pained grin, pointing forward. "Drill Run, Fearow. Hit that ugly bastard with everything you got!"

"Rooow!" the bird said with a sharp nod, turning its baleful gaze towards Drapion as Kevin desperately tried to fend off the final Pokémon in the Bone Brother's arsenal while keeping the Brothers themselves at bay.

Fearow took flight, flapping its wings hard as it dove at Drapion with the speed of a bullet before spinning rapidly in midair, becoming a whirling drill of force. Drapion tanked a wave of rocks and delivered a Venoshock to Tirtouga, knocking out the Prototurtle Pokémon. But that was just the distraction Kayla needed.

The bird was moving too quickly for the Bone Brothers to react, slamming hard into Drapion and nailing him with a super-effective hit in the back of its skull. The massive beast roared in agony, dropping to the ground briefly before clutching its head.

"What the hell was that!?" Bone Brother Anthony demanded, whirling around in horror at the sneak attack. He then spotted Demi standing beside Kayla with a determined expression, a battered Torch growling softly as he got back up for one final rush.

Councilman Palena slowly began to regain consciousness, his vision a haze of blood and blurs as he rolled onto his stomach, rubbing his face as he groaned. He then squinted as he saw Drapion being attacked by a Fearow, but more importantly, he spotted his daughter preparing to jump back into the fight.

"Get 'em girl!" Kayla shouted as the Fearow swooped away, even as Drapion staggered forward with a dazed look in its eyes. Torch dashed forward, fighting through the pain as a whirlwind of crimson energy shined through him. Demi waited for her Pokémon to get into position…and then gave the command.

"Night Slash!" Bone Brother Anthony shouted out, but the Drapion hadn't yet recovered from Fearow's attack, and so it was unable to dodge what came next or counterattack.

"FLAMETHROWER! FULL POWER!" Demi screamed as Torch let the power of Blaze course through him, releasing an inferno of white-hot flames from his mouth that completely consumed the Drapion with a defiant roar.

The howl of agony from the strongest Pokémon in the arsenal of the Bone Brothers was enough to cause everyone present to feel goosebumps, but Demi wore a wide grin as her beloved Typhlosion blasted Drapion with everything he had. Palena watched from the ground with an awed look, seeing the powerful Trainer his daughter had become during her time with Team Skull and Gladion. The rush of pride he felt for his little girl was almost overwhelming to the Councilman.

Finally, the flames died down and Torch collapsed onto all fours, panting heavily as the maelstrom of fire ceased completely. Drapion was revealed to have been completely burned over, his body a dark shade of gray and black with its eyes closed tightly. The Bone Brothers looked unnerved, but clearly weren't ready to admit defeat yet no matter how bad things looked.

"Enough of this! Kill that damn thing! Cross Poison!" Bone Brother Anthony shouted to his Pokémon, uncaring of its state after such a powerful attack. To the surprise of the thug, his Pokémon remained completely immobile. "Hey! I'm talking to you! Kill it! Kill them, right now-!"

Drapion let out a final groan before it finally tipped backwards, crashing down hard onto the concrete as the Bone Brothers watched on in shock. Demi grinned with triumph as Torch spit out a burst of flames from his mouth in disgust, glaring down the fallen ace of the Bone Brothers with contempt.

"No way…No fucking way! We can't lose!" Bone Brother Anthony whispered, his hands shaking as he knelt down next to the fallen Ogre Scorp Pokémon, trying to rouse it. However, Drapion was out cold and they had no way of reviving it. They were out of supplies to keep the showdown going, and even if they had worn down most of the other side, the result was inevitable.

"Well…Shit. End of the line." Bone Brother Charlie grunted, crossing his arms with a hidden scowl. Demi took that moment to help her father stand once again, enjoying the smile that Palena gave her before they looked back towards the furious gangsters. Behind them Team Skull looked absolutely stunned, seeing that the strongest members of the gang had been beaten down.

"How the hell were we supposed to win against that!? Seriously, what the hell?" The one-armed Bone Brother snarled, stepping forward. "You think showing up at the last second makes you big and bad!? You stupid son of a-"

"I'm about tired of your whining." Palena remarked, enjoying the sight of the frustrated looks on the thugs faces. "Ares, deal with them!"

The infamous trio were shocked when the mighty Talonflame rushed forward, slamming hard into the lead Bone Brother and dropping the other two with kicks from its powerful talons. As the trio crashed onto the ground, the massive bird sat down on top of their crumpled bodies with a smug look while staring down the battered remnants of Team Skull. Ares was surprised when the lead Bone Brother scrambled out from underneath the surprised Talonflame, yanking out a switchblade with a scowl as his bandanna fluttered away.

"Not a chance!" the thug snarled, a wild look of fury in his eyes. "Not a chance in hell I'm going down without a fight!"

"Excuse me, sir?"

Bone Brother Anthony whirled around in time to see Palena winding up a punch and then delivering a fist right into his nose. The thug's nose shattered, dripping blood down his mouth as he staggered several steps backwards and then dropped like a stone onto the ground, knocked out cold. Palena rubbed his sore knuckles for a moment while Axen and Kayla laughed at the strange sight of a member of the Alolan Regional Council knocking out someone.

"That was a solid right hook." Kevin remarked to Demi, who couldn't help the smirk on her face as she nodded in agreement.

"Got blood all over my suit. Tch, the bill for getting this suit cleaned is going to be obnoxious. Is everyone okay?" Palena asked, looking at the children behind him and earning a chorus of nods, even from Axen and Kayla who had several broken bones but were in no immediate danger. Palena sighed with relief, though a new thought occurred to him as he looked over the former Team Skull Grunts as they excitedly talked to Demi.

"Team Skull…They're a nuisance, but they represent a problem that Alolans have seen fit to place blame solely on the individual rather than our culture. I'm at least partially responsible for their plight extending to this day. Something needs to be done to help them. Like cases such as Demi and Ashton have taught me, those left behind in Alola will only suffer more if they are not given a helping hand, or even some guidance. Even beasts like Guzma could have been prevented had our system not failed him." Palena thought as he looked at the swath of thugs who were sporting burns and various other injuries. Bone Unit 71 merrily healed one another's Pokémon with the supplies the Councilman had brought while celebrating their victory over the bullies that had made living in Team Skull more difficult than it needed to be.

"I may not ever be able to make things right, but…I have to try. That's all a man can do at the end of the day." Palena thought to himself, smiling ruefully to himself before becoming aware that he was being poked in the shoulder by Demi.

"Dad?" Demi questioned, with the man looking down at his daughter. "Umm, what are you going to do now?"

Palena considered that for a moment. "That's a good question. I believe we can leave dealing with Lusamine to your three friends for the moment, considering that they're so far ahead. We should get your friends some medical treatment first and make sure everyone's alright before going to assist Hau and the others."

"And for you too. You look terrible." Demi pointed out, causing Palena to grimace. He knew he looked like a mess, and he currently had a terrible headache. Palena was grateful he didn't have a concussion from Anthony's stomp.

"I'll be alright for now. Leaving Team Skull to lick their wounds unsupervised could prove to be-" Palena began to say, only to be cut off by the sound of a horrific booming sound.

The entire Paradise trembled, shaking violently and nearly sending Palena to the ground. Bone Unit 71 toppled like dominoes while Demi clutched her father's side with a terrified expression.

"What the hell is going on? Is this an earthquake!?" Kevin yelped from the ground as the quaking stopped. Palena looked around frantically, but realized that the quaking had stopped as soon as it started. However, he couldn't shake the awful feeling of dread that had settled over him.

"Is everyone okay!?" Palena asked everyone, who responded with an affirmative but were clearly frightened. He then looked back towards the main complex where smoke was lightly trailing out of a side of the building that was practically a fortress.

"Something terrible is about to happen…" Palena breathed as a shiver rolled down his spine. Ares the Talonflame chirped softly, and it was then that Palena noticed that the massive shutter doors leading back to the Aether Paradise were currently closed when they weren't just a few minutes ago.

"Was that done to keep others out?" Palena wondered as he frowned with concern. "Or keep something in?"


Meanwhile…


"Attack!" Faba shouted as his small army of Aether Foundation members suddenly opened fire on Ashton Aupuni, who regarded the Branch Chief with amusement as gunfire rang out. Jackal called out for Nagato to throw up a Protect around himself, Wicke and Colress while Ashton simply laughed…

Because Deoxys was easily holding back all of the gunfire with its psychic powers, not even bothering to shift into its Defense Forme and throw up a shield. Ashton Aupuni stared down Faba, open contempt on his face as he looked back at the shocked scientist.

"You truly don't seem to understand just how far beneath me you are." Ashton remarked as Deoxys dropped the bullets onto the ground, with hundreds of shells clattering to the floor in a metallic cacophony. "I commanded gods and monsters in my conquest of this planet. I conquered the Tapu of Alola under my own power. You really think an idiot with a superiority complex would be able to stop me?"

"I'm honestly shocked you're monologuing at a time like this. Why not have Damien just burn them all away?" Colress asked Ashton, who glanced back at him but didn't answer verbally. However, Jackal, Wicke and Colress felt a presence touch their minds, and the voice of Ashton spoke.

"I'm keeping them in reserve." Ashton directed the thoughts towards the others, using Deoxys as a telepathy conduit. "Faba had my team in PC Storage for most of the time they were here, and had only removed them from storage this morning for analysis. Deoxys should suffice for dealing with this idiot, unless he actually decides to unleash-"

"I will not be insulted like this! Not by someone who's caused so much death and destruction!" Faba snarled as he shouted, "Send out your Pokémon! Kill him!"

Half of the Aether Foundation personnel assembled did just that, calling out their Pokémon of all types and sizes. Ashton's smile widened, his eyes flashing a shade of darker gray before he simply snapped his fingers.

Deoxys shifted into its Attack Forme, letting out an ominous shout as its body exploded forth with Psychic, burning with dark blue flame-like power. Four Trumbeak and a Toucannon soared at Deoxys, who swiftly teleported past them and lashed out with Psychic, blasting them all away. Then two bolts of lightning struck Deoxys in the back, causing it to whirl around and fire off a Psycho Boost at the Electivire and Heliolisk attacking it. The resulting explosion flung the two offending Pokémon back, but Deoxys had already turned around and was dashing towards the horde of Pokémon on the floor that were charging towards Ashton.

The DNA Pokémon was swift but ruthless, using its incredible power to decimate the small army that was trying to bring down the humans that it was now charged with protecting, including the friend who had saved it all those years ago. The one who had promised to make amends for his sins.

Jackal and Wicke watched in awe as Deoxys dismantled wave after wave of Pokémon, whether that was with its swift teleporting to dodge attacks with ease or unleashing brutal waves of Psychic energy that struck down every opponent. Even the handful of Dark-types were not able to stand against the might of Deoxys, and with a single Hyper Beam the last of the Pokémon that were immune to the Legendary's Psychic attacks were dealt with.

"Now you see…You never really stood any chance of winning against me." Ashton said slowly as Deoxys lashed out with a final Psycho Boost, blasting down a Serperior and a Salamence rushing towards it.

The moment both Pokémon collapsed onto the ground, Deoxys eyes flashed and suddenly every single one of the attacking Trainers stiffened as a blue glow surrounded them. Then, one by one, each and every one of those Aether personnel went limp and collapsed onto the ground as they were precisely knocked out by Deoxys.

"As much as I want to…No more killing. Even for these cretins, that's too much." Ashton thought to himself, sighing inwardly as he looked towards the horrified scientist who had led the brigade against them.

"You can still make things right, Faba. You can stop all of this. It's not too late-" Ashton began to say, only to violently backhand a sphere of energy that Faba sent his way and absorbing it with his gauntlets, taking a moment to send it right back at the scientist who screamed and fell to the ground, barely avoiding the attack.

"Nonononono! He can't…It can't end this way!" Faba whispered frantically, shaking as the last of the Aether personnel collapsed onto the ground. The ones that hadn't moved forward to attack were too terrified to move forward, even as Ashton Aupuni sauntered over to the Branch Chief.

"Now then, I would like to speak calmly about Lusamine's schemes and your aspirations for the Paradise." Ashton said as Deoxys hummed beside him. "If you value your life, you'll turn over the Umbral Medicham and stop hindering our efforts to stop Lusamine before she unleashes pandemonium upon the Alola region."

"Shut up! Like I'd ever listen to you!" Faba screeched back, unable to hold back the fear in his voice. However, he felt a calming, almost sweet voice speak to him.

"Release me…I will protect you."

Faba's face twisted into a defiant snarl as Ashton approached, with the Branch Chief holding out the cracked Poké Ball containing the final living Umbral Pokémon as Ashton's eyes narrowed.

"Hope! Assist me in ending their miserable lives!" Faba shouted as Deoxys surged forward, shifting into its Speed Forme to get to Faba in time.

However, it failed. And the Poké Ball opened, sending out a black burst of energy that struck the ground and slowly coalesced into…something. Deoxys was blasted backwards by the shockwave of raw force that erupted from the Poké Ball, shifting into its Normal Forme and staring at the strange thing before it with surprise.

At first glance, it was hard to tell that the Pokémon before them was even a Pokémon. Or that it had once been a Medicham. Its once-powerful legs had degraded down to limp, tentacle-like appendages with small spikes along the sides. Its entire body was an ashy gray color, with several glowing gems embedded within its chest. The creature was oddly thin and looked almost frail, swaying slightly as it tried to find its balance. A small spiral horn stuck out of its head, crackling with a black static.

And then it slowly raised its head and opened its white, milky eyes.

"It's…blind?" Wicke whispered, her voice shaking with terror at the sheer wrongness that seemed to radiate from the thing in front of them. The Umbral Medicham regarded them all with interest, despite the fact that it couldn't actually see them.

And then it smiled, revealing a row of razor sharp teeth that slashed into its own mouth and lips, causing blood to gently trickle down its face. Pitch-black veins flowed along the length of the monster's face and its arms, which were thin and narrow and had small claws at the tip of each finger.

Wicke and Jackal looked stricken by the mere sight of the Umbral Pokémon while Colress and Ashton both shivered, knowing full-well that things had just gone from bad to worse. Faba however marveled at the sight of the powerful creature, watching with awe as the dark aura of the monster billowed wildly around Hope.

"Hello there…You seem well, my master." Hope said politely, bowing to a horrified Ashton and the others who beheld the twisted form of the Umbral Medicham.

"You don't look like what I imagined you would." Faba remarked quietly, eyeing the abomination before him with barely-concealed horror. Hope glanced at Faba, a soft mental giggle echoing through the air.

"Yes, I imagine so. My body was mutilated and torn apart as a result of the actions of Cipher while Project Umbra was active. For example, my vision has long since faded, even as my strength grew and grew. My body can barely contain the sheer power it possesses. The pain can be unbearable, at times." Hope agreed, slowly holding out a hand in front of herself, facing towards the intruders of the Aether Paradise. "However…I'm strong enough now to take revenge on those who inflicted this upon myself and so many others."

"Watch out!" Ashton screamed as he suddenly flung himself to the front of the group, with Deoxys teleporting to him and shifting into its Defense Forme, creating a massive barrier around them.

And not a moment to soon, as a flickering sphere of darkness formed within the twisted grasp of the Umbral Pokémon's before erupting forth so violently that the Pokémon's entire body jerked back, sweeping it across the floor and obliterating three Aether personnel who just happened to be within range of the attack while also punching through multiple walls of the massive complex. The beam would erupt outside of the main building and blast straight into the sky.

Faba's eyes went wide as he beheld the destructive might of the Umbral Pokémon. To his horror, the beam had seemingly reduced the Aether personnel it had struck and were reduced to smoking piles of ash. Hope had killed them instantly, and left almost nothing behind.

"Whoops! I almost forgot my own strength." Hope remarked idly, as if she hadn't just murdered three people with barely any effort. Faba snapped out of his horrified daze and approached the Umbral Pokémon with an angry look.

"What!? You just…you just killed three of our personnel!" Faba shouted at the Umbral Medicham, who simply shrugged jerkily in response, almost unable to control the movement. Meanwhile Jackal, Colress, Wicke and Ashton were watching the scene with mounting terror.

"That…that's some firepower." Jackal muttered, putting a hand on his sidearm while Nagato the Kecleon shivered uncontrollably, able to feel the raw bloodlust pouring from the mutated Pokémon.

"It is distracted…We should strike now." Deoxys spoke to Ashton, who nodded slowly.

"Hit her with Psycho Boost. Full-power, but don't hit Faba if you can-" Ashton mentally instructed Deoxys, but he stopped mid-sentence when he noticed Hope's gaze flit to him and narrow. "Oh shit, I forgot that she can-"

The Umbral Medicham smirked and her useless eyes shined brightly, with the monster opening her mouth wide, a sphere of raw darkness already half-formed. Ashton had just enough time to scream, "MOVE!"

An enormous blast of pure darkness erupted from the abomination's mouth as Wicke, Jackal and Colress threw themselves to the ground. Deoxys shifted forms and tried to move in front of Ashton, but the blast tore through the shield and blasted apart the barrier, tearing through part of Deoxys' chest and arm and striking Ashton directly, sending him hurtling backwards into one of the elevators pillars and crashing onto the ground in a smoking, bloodied heap.

"Ashton!" Jackal shouted as Ashton's limp form twitched and gurgled in response. However it was obvious that most of the bones in his body were shattered, and that the man himself could barely speak.

Faba gaped at Hope's sudden attack before smirking, enjoying the fact that she was now directing her power towards the enemy instead of his own forces. Perhaps he could overlook her early mistake and continue this battle.

"Sorry. I wanted to get that out of my system. I promise that all future violence will be straight to the point." Hope said brightly as the light left Ashton's eyes, only for him to suddenly twitch, his body writhing as bright multicolored lights shined around him and the Tapu's powers coursed through his system. The man floated a little off the ground, his eyes snapping open as he let out a rattling gasp and was revived.

"Hope, I need you to hurt Ashton badly enough for him not to recover like that." Faba said with a terrible grin of malice as the others got to their feet. "And then kill the others. As painfully as possible, if you would!"

"Faba, please be rational! That thing is a monster." Colress said tiredly to the man, who sneered at the other scientists' words. Meanwhile Deoxys had regenerated completely using Recover, while Ashton had pushed himself into a kneeling position, breathing deeply to calm himself after the shock of being brought back to life.

"Kill Colress first, Hope. Break his legs and rip him apart! Hehehehe!" Faba laughed with savage delight as the others watched the man with disgust and fear. However, Hope was simply regarding the man who had released her with an amused expression.

"I must apologize, Branch Chief Faba. But I do have a question for you before we truly begin." Hope said politely to the scientist, who seemed confused that the Umbral Pokémon would be asking him a question at a time like this.

"And what would that question be?" Faba asked impatiently as Deoxys teleported past the attack and was zooming towards them. Hope casually sent another wave of darkness towards it, forcing the DNA Pokémon away. Hope then turned back to Faba, her terrible bleeding smile widening with delight.

"Who said you were in charge?" Hope asked Faba sweetly as the man looked at the Umbral Pokémon with confusion.

Faba then paled as he felt something slowly, painfully dig into his head and felt his very mind explode in agony as the sensation of a thousand burning blades stabbed into his psyche. The Branch Chief shrieked in absolute agony, clutching his head and frantically pounding on the Mega Helmet that had been designed to suppress such psychic attacks, but apparently was no match for Hope. The Umbral Medicham even reached for one of the dark gems on the headpiece and casually crushed it with ease.

"You were never in control, Faba. You never have been. Even Lusamine was holding your strings while you danced to her tune. And while your actions were your own, you've become just like the man you despised so much in your pursuit of revenge!" Hope crooned mockingly as Faba screamed helplessly. Hope gestured with her hand and summoned a shimmering purple barrier that intercepted a Psycho Boost from Deoxys, who had attempted to attack the monster and free Faba.

"But you promised! You…y-you said that you…w-w-would…" Faba trailed off as Hope's eyes narrowed, causing Faba's body to twitch violently. The Branch Chief went limp in the psychic grip of the Umbral Pokémon, even as a droplet of blood dripped from the man's nose as he passed out.

"Oh, you naïve human. Promises are meant to be broken. As are tools that have outlived their usefulness." Hope said sweetly as she dropped Faba's unconscious form onto the ground with a thud.

"You humans are all the same. Manipulative and vile. There is no redemption for any of you in what you do. And so you shall die. Well, except for you, my dear master…" The Umbral Medicham then turned towards the four Trainers that stood between her and absolute mayhem, flashing them a bloody smile of malevolence.

Deoxys teleported to the side of the room as the barrier around the monster holding Faba hostage was dropped. Deoxys glowed bright blue and attempted to lash out with Psychic, only for the creature to look towards him with amusement and swung her arms towards Deoxys.

To the horror of the humans, the arms suddenly extended like tentacles and rapidly expanded in size, even as enormous black claws sprouted from them. Deoxys barely teleported away in time to dodge the attack, but the two clawed fists slammed into the wall hard enough to punch through it entirely, leaving two enormous craters behind.

"You cannot die, Ashton Aupuni. But that makes things more fun." The Umbral Medicham spoke softly, retracting its arms from where they had embedded into the walls. The entire body of the Umbral Medicham violently writhed as Hope took a step forward, only for Deoxys to suddenly lash out with a Psycho Boost that slammed hard into the Umbral Pokémon and created a massive explosion of force.

"We need to get in between it and the door to the President's Mansion! Wicke, can you seal the door?" Ashton asked the woman, who shook her head.

"Faba locked me out of everything this week. Said he was adjusting my privileges in the system." Wicke responded, shaking her head.

"I'll…hack into the system. Buy me time." Colress murmured as he limped over to the nearby console. Ashton growled as he whirled around, with Deoxys floating beside him.

"Ashton, what are you thinking?" Jackal asked the younger man, who gave him a grim look.

"If we can't hold her back, she'll escape to the mainland of Alola. Who knows how many lives will be lost before someone manages to stop her." Ashton said as Deoxys suddenly sent another Psycho Boost into the smoke cloud, creating another explosion.

"She's that powerful?" Wicke asked, horrified at the implications.

"Yes. And more importantly, she knows what will hurt me the most. If I can't kill her, she'll go after Sun and likely kill him in front of me just to watch me suffer. And then kill everything else on the island." Ashton remarked with a shaky exhale, unable to keep the nervousness out of his voice. "And likely keep me alive, but in a state where I would be wishing for death. I wouldn't put it past that thing to help Lusamine unleash the Ultra Beasts should it reach her just for the sake of causing more chaos. She's…well, deranged would be putting it mildly."

"That's absolutely horrifying. Dammit Ash, you really fucked this one up." Jackal remarked dryly, and he was about to add more to that statement when the sound of ethereal giggling filled the room. Wicke and Jackal watched on with horror as the smoke cleared, revealing Hope once more. The Umbral Medicham's body was blown apart, it's arms barely attached to its body as blood streaming down her body.

"Well, that hurt." Hope giggled with amusement as her arms and neck slowly began to regenerate, skin and muscles knitting themselves back together.

"We never did test her regeneration factor. Looks like it's slower than Umbral Torkoal but faster than Umbral Noivern." Ashton noted before nodding slowly. "I'm going to try and deal with this myself. Back me up if things get dicey."

"Oooh…You're going to try and be the hero? How wonderful!" The abomination sang with a laugh as she took a writhing step forward, grinning widely even as more blood dripped from her teeth. She then lashed out with her arms, forcing Deoxys to teleport to dodge, attacking with Psychic to blast the Umbral Medicham backwards. However, the monster dug its clawed hands into the floor and stopped its movement fairly quickly.

"I'm never going to be the hero. I'm simply going to try to make amends for the awful things I've done." Ashton said to the Umbral Pokémon, who simply laughed at him. It was then that a soft groan came from Faba, who was beginning to stir on the floor.

"Hmm…On second thought, I may have some use for you yet, Branch Chief Faba." The corrupted Medicham whispered with delight as it lifted Faba's awakening form. Faba's eyes fluttered open and he gasped upon seeing he was in the grasp of the creature he had unleashed upon them all.

"Hope…p-please, have mercy-" Faba began to say, only for his body to suddenly fly into the Umbral Medicham's side-

The monster's back suddenly ripped open, liquid darkness tearing apart to reveal a gaping maw that snapped at Faba, who suddenly began to scream. The Branch Chief was pressed against the back of the Umbral Medicham, and everyone watched on in horror as the man's body was slowly swallowed up within the ghastly form of the abomination. Tears streamed down Faba's face before he was swallowed by the darkness…all the while the bloody smile never left the monster's face.

"Humans and Pokémon. Aether and Cipher. And anyone else who happens to cross my path. None will be safe from judgment." The Umbral Medicham whispered to them, her presence slowly creeping into their very minds. Faba's muffled screams could still be heard inside of the monster as it smiled horribly at them, razor sharp teeth coated with her own blood gleaming back at them.

"My name is Pandora. I am the last surviving Umbral Pokémon." The corrupted monster of a Pokémon intoned, its body glowing a harsh purple color and cracking the floor with the sheer might of its psychic powers, its mutilated body writhing. Despite that, her terrible smile never faded. "And in your final moments…I will show you just how little hope you have!"


NEXT TIME: Sun vs. Guzma continues. Meanwhile Ashton faces the terrible might of Pandora…


We're now in the endgame! Pandora has been unleashed and Sun is in the fight of his life against Guzma. Stay tuned for more!

Q & A

From: SolanaLeonhart

I've been wondering about that Medicham's name for a while. Seems a bit odd for it to be Hope of all things. If memory serves, wasn't she Greevil's pokemon? Somehow she seems even more disturbing than Hazel.

Random thought but I can't help wondering, are any of Ashton's other pokemon going to make a comeback soon?

Yes, Pandora was once one of Greevil's Pokémon, so she's at quite a high level even for an Umbral Pokémon. And I would say she's definitely more deranged than Hazel at this point.

And yes to the second question as well. Having Ashton just send out his entire team all at once makes things chaotic to write, as shown in this chapter regarding the Bone Brothers. They'll be featuring very soon, likely the next update.

From: Sondragon66

Another great chapter as always, i do have a couple questions though, Is there going to be more characterization with Guzma, perhaps some context between him and kukui or perhaps a original backstory that corelates with the game?

Second - if you could give a specific voice to Faba, what would it be?

That's the plan. I've got a few more flashbacks planned for the next chapter to wrap things up, plus some stuff with Kukui later on. Guzma's story has been one I've wanted to cover for ages now so I'm excited to finally be getting to show it. Most of it was inspired by the few hints of backstory on Guzma the game provides.

As for the second question, in all honesty? Faba's current English Dub voice sounded fairly spot-on for what I imagined it to be. Egotistical, but not nasally and sounding like an actual person. I'd leave it as is.

But I'm also not well-versed with the VA community, so take that statement for what you will. Generally, most of the dub voices in Pokémon are solid, except for a handful of characters. I don't even mind Lillie's voice too much, though I do agree she could've been done better. Her voice later on in Pokémon Evolutions is perfect.

That's all for now, everyone. I am very sleepy and shall be going back to bed now.

While I'm taking a snooze cruise, please Review, Favorite and/or Follow the story to show your support and stay updated with the story and my nonsense. I also have a Discord server and I answer questions in the review section below!

Take care and stay awesome!

Until next time, FlygonNick out!