Chapter 41- Aftermath

A/N: This is an original Pokémon Fan Game, made by Amethyst. if you wish to check it out and play the game download it at Reborn Evolved. search for it on your web browser if you want to get to the website.

Time: 13:00

Location: Belrose Mansion

Percival Whitehall found himself, running from the Meteor Base in side Tanzan Mountain. Why was he running? there multiple reasons. One was the fear of encountering the Team Meteor's Leader, Lin. A woman, who hadn't even sent out a Pokémon, had Percival in a cold sweat. Every cell in Percival's body said to have as much distance between them as possible. The other, was to see if the friends that were captured escaped, and to see if the one who helped him attack the Meteor Base, Saphira, made a safe escape from the leader.

Percival rushed into the Belrose Mansion, giving a sigh of relief as everyone was safe. the two twins of Anna and Noel were sitting in chairs at a table with Shelly, Charlotte, Marie, Laura and Lucille. "Thank Arceus…" But Percival then noticed that there was a missing person. "Where's Saphira?"

Laura looked back, with a worried look. "We haven't seen her since she freed us from the cell. I'm getting worried... ... .."

"Look, I'm sure she's fine. This is Saphira we're talking about." Charlotte said trying to calm Laura. "She's not gonna go out that easy."

"Yeah, she was so cool riding that Steelix!" Anna shouted with excitement in her voice. "You think when she comes back, she'll let us take a ride on it?"

"Anna, she fell off of it at the peak of Tanzan Mountain." Noel said, looking away from the group. "Saphira probably won't make it."

"…" Percival remembered that one final shake, after meeting Lin. With that a shiver was sent down his spine.

"I didn't see anything… Nor did she show up…" Lucille mumbled to herself, though it was overheard by almost everyone.

"Didn't see anything? You marked by an Absol or something?" Charlotte laughed, not thinking of having an implication in her words.

"Yeah…" Lucille said. Percival looked at her curiously… there was something down with her words… something he couldn't place.

"Right…" Charlotte said, uneasy with how Lucille was. "anyway, Saphira will pull some mid-air "Dragonite, help me out!" thing and then just fly away peacefully. People in our family DON'T go out that easily."

"umm…" Shelly tried to interject. "Speaking of your family… where are your parents?"

Charlotte just decided to look away, and said. "There's a reason we were in the Orphanage, you know."

"Oh…" Shelly had realized a mistake with what she said.

But before she could apologize, Charlotte had already brushed it off. "Let's not talk about that. Who was that woman on the Hydreigon? Also, Lucy you okay since seeing it?"

"I'm fine." Lucille said, but everything else about her said she wasn't… but it was definite that she didn't want to say.

"There was a lady there?" Anna questioned, "I didn't see anyone…"

"Yes, Anna." Noel said, surprised to hear this. "That Hydreigon didn't just appear on its own. Someone was riding it. Percival, you raided Meteor's base do you have any idea."

"…" Percival shuddered at just thinking about her. "Team Meteor's Leader… Lin."

"…" Everyone could feel the shudder from Percival. Charlotte breaking the silence. "…Lin? That's a gross name."

"Hey!" Anna then chose to interject to quickly ask. "You didn't happen to get my Pendant back, did you? The Amethyst Pendant?"

"Amethyst Pendant…" Percival thought back to the base. "No… I didn't see it." Percival then remembered what Sirius said about keys. "There was mention that The Doctor was used to get two keys, Ruby and Amethyst… I think by that your pendant was mentioned."

"What? They're using my pendant as a key?" Anna said confused as Percival about that.

"A key? Wait…" Shelly mumbled to herself. "Anna, where did you say you got that Pendant from?"

"I've had it as long as I can remember." Anna responded.

"It was a gift from our father." Noel chimed in.

"Shell Bell you got something?" Marie asked excited seeing a thinking face of Shelly.

"I just remembered an old story I read." Shelly said, then seeing everyone's look of wanting her to continue. "In the story, it described an ancient city built around the crash site of a meteor. The temple that housed the meteor was sealed by four crystal keys: Ruby, Sapphire, Emerald and Amethyst. But the city fell into ruin, and it was lost. What if your Amethyst Pendant is actually the key from that story?"

"Then, that would mean that the ancient city…" Noel said, understanding the implications, "Became Reborn."

"So, this ancient temple is just underneath Reborn City?" Asked Marie, who hadn't much to do with Meteor till now.

"Right… Wait! The Grand Stair Way!" Shelly then just shouted. "Percival, Lucille, Meteor Blew that up!"

"Right… but… Lucille did you see anything there?" Percival quickly remembered

"… A strange doorway…" Lucille mumbled as she remembered that night. "Ruby, the seal of pain. Sapphire, the seal of love. Emerald, the seal of faith. And Amethyst, the seal of the beyond… or at least that's what Solaris said that they were needed to unlock a door."

"So, they found the locked door, and now they need the keys." Charlotte nodded getting an understanding of the goal of Team Meteor.

"Percival you said something about them acquiring Ruby right?" As Marie asked, Percival nodded. "Wasn't there that girl that was being shocked by the doctor, Shell's friend?"

Percival was then remembered Corey's last words. "(Heather has in her possession a certain Ruby Ring. She will be hunted for it. Please watch over her for me.) … She doesn't have it anymore… Gah!" Percival yelled as he realized. "Meteor has two of the keys!"

"We have to stop Team Meteor from getting those other keys! Whatever they're trying to do down there, it can't be good!" Anna shouted.

"Which leaves Emerald and Sapphire, right?" Charlotte asked, as Lucille nodded. "Seeing as two are embedded into jewelry… Laura, do you remember those Sapphire Bracelets Dad gave you for your birthday that one year?"

"Oh," Laura stood up surprised to hear them mentioned. "I had entirely forgotten... ... .."

"Where is it?" Charlotte asked Laura as she trailed off.

"I-... ... ..I lost it when Mom and Dad died... ... .." Laura said sadness in her voice.

"…Oh." Charlotte said looking away.

"It's possible it didn't survive the fire... ... .." Laura responded, leaving another awkward mood

To which Anna once again broke. "Fire? Is that where you got those burn scars from?"

"Burn Scars?" Marie decided to ask, as this was the first time, she heard of this. Looking over Charlotte. "I don't see anything…"

"Right! Sorry," Anna realized her mistake as Charlotte glared at her. "I keep forgetting! I won't talk about them anymore! But since it is important, what fire are you talking about?"

"…" Charlotte gave a heavy breath.

"Um, well... ... .." Laura looked to Charlotte, before returning her glance to everyone else. "It was something that happened with Charlotte when we were younger."

"Yeah, okay." Charlotte then started to walk out of the room. "I don't wanna be here for this."

As the door opened and shut, Laura got up and chased after her little sister. "Charlotte... ... ..!"

"…" Marie stayed quiet, as She looked to Shelly.

"Awkward…" Shelly muttered,

"Yeah…" Anna felt guilty with what just happened and changed the subject. "Sooo how is everybody?"

"eh, I have control over my arms, but my legs are still numb." Marie shrugged, as she was previously hit with a thunder shock from Sigmund's Electivire.

"That's good!" Anna said with excitement in her voice

While Anna, Noel, Shelly, and Marie continued to talk about how they were doing. Percival noticed how off Lucille was, and went to talk with her. "Hey, are you alright?"

"I'm fine Percy…" Lucille shook her head, but it was clear that she wasn't.

"Did he do anything to you?" Percival asked, still believing that Nero did something to Lucille.

"This isn't about Nero, Percival." Lucille shot back, a bit of anger in her voice.

"I didn't even mention his name, for all you know I could have meant Sigmund." Percival said. "but did he do something, didn't he?"

"He didn't do anything Percy!" Lucille shouted back. "This…" She brushed it off with another sigh.

"So, you're saying just because you look like his sister, it's okay?" Percival asked, he didn't want Lucille to keep getting attacked or targeted.

"It's not because I look like, his sister!" Lucille shouted back,

"Then what is it about?!" Percival was getting frustrated with Lucille not giving him a straight answer.

"I don't look like his sister. I am his sister!" Lucille shouted, at Percival then immediately covered her mouth as she realized what she yelled.

"…" The room went dead silent as even the kids were looking over at them.

Percival was still stunned at what he just heard. "You're… what?"

"…" Lucille didn't say another word, and bolted out of the mansion.

"Wh-Wait, Lucille!" Percival was just about to chase after her, when Marie called to him

"Percival stop!" Marie shouted to Percival. As Percival stopped, he looked back at Marie wanting to continue. "If you go, your just gonna get mad. The face you have is pretty much the same as when Kuro forcibly evolved Vee."

"…" Percival stopped all movement as he heard Marie say that… Any and all attempts to try and talk to Lucille like that, would most likely kill the friendship they had. "but…"

"Laura is already out there looking for Charlotte. Lucille also has her Pokémon, besides after raiding Meteor's Base, you think they'll be countering attacking any time soon!" Marie told Percival off. "She'll be fine, and will come back when she feels ready give her time."

"*Sigh*" Percival could only give a sigh to his little sister. "you're right."

"…" Noel looked at the two, then back to Marie. "that was pretty mature of you."

"Oh, that. Heh, the girls of the Whitehall family are the smart ones. All the boys are just hotheads who forever want to do Pokémon battles." Marie smirked.

"Oooh! Speaking of battles, why doesn't Noel and Percival finish their battle from earlier!" Anna shouted trying to change the downing atmosphere once again.

"…" Percival hesitated before saying. "I guess I could use a battle to clear my own head."

"Despite you working together with Saphira. I suppose it is necessary." Noel had said.

"Okay!" Anna shouted, getting from the table. "Last one there is a rotten Exeggcute!"

"Wait, I still can't walk!" Marie shouted.

"Here, I got you." Percival said, picking up his little sister. Then mumbling to himself. "*did Saphira figure it out, that fast…*" referring to when Saphira had just first seen Lucille. he had no clue if she knew… but could guess that it was most likely. And with how Nero was acting in the cave, he was the one who found out first… Percival then wondered how he should feel about Nero… Percival walked out of the Belrose Mansion carrying his sister, preparing to fight Noel.

Time: 13:30

Location: Tanzan Mountain

Lucille found herself wandering through Tanzan Mountain. Since being captured by Nero, and getting fragmented memories from her childhood returning. Lucille felt her semblance of herself slipping. She knew she was the better part to Nero, and after she "Died", he slipped into darkness, guilt racked her mind. She felt that she could only blame herself for what happened.

Lucille didn't know what to do… What could she do? Her close friends were fighting against Team Meteor, while her brother was apart of Team Meteor. Who joined because of the disaster she left in her life…

"Ahhhh!" Lucille could only answer by screaming. When she came back to Reborn to learn more about herself, about her past… this was the last thing she expected to happen.

"Quit you're screaming will ya… other people are trying to sulk." Lucille heard a voice from behind a rock.

"Charlotte?" Lucille asked surprised, she knew that Laura had chased after her earlier… but would have thought Laura would be consoling her by now.

"Yeah, it's me." Charlotte poked her head from out behind the rock, looking clearly at Lucille. "You comin' to collect me or somethin'?"

"…" Lucille thought about it for a second… then walked over and just sat beside Charlotte. "Surprisingly no. I don't want to go back right now."

"That is odd…" Charlotte noted the tone of Lucille. She seemed to be really upset. "This have to do with you being captured? If so… don't let it bother you."

"That isn't happening…" Lucille sighed, thinking about her story. "Charlotte you knew Nero from, before didn't you?"

"Yeah." Charlotte answered. "If your looking for revenge, and seeking out weak points sorry. Lot can change in three years… but you could—"

"I'm not looking for revenge!" Lucille shouted at Charlotte, angry at her for thinking that was her goal. "I was asking for how he was!"

"Oh… sorry…" Charlotte was shocked to see Lucille getting angry. "Hm… Well the first time we talked, well I tried to talk to him, we got into a fight less than a minute and beat the shit out of each other. We both were locked into the Circuit that night."

"…" Lucille facepalmed, but also trying not to laugh.

"But I think you mean personality…" Charlotte snickered, with a teasing smile at Lucille "Well… he was type of person to keep to himself… Didn't like the other kids. Saphira didn't particularly like him after the first incident with me. But, it kind of works with what the rumors said about him."

"What rumors?" Lucille had keen interests in this.

"MH… Things like abused by his dad, dad was alcoholic and drunk himself to death, stuff like that." Charlotte said, and Lucille became pale as she said that. "There were also rumors that Nero was in a gang at one point. But that was before he joined Meteor."

"The hell?!" Lucille shouted as she heard that. "Did that really cause all of this…"

"What caused what now?" Charlotte looked at Lucille confused.

"Charlotte… you know about Nero's sister, right?" Lucille asked.

"Ah… heard she was killed by a dark-type. Nero blamed himself for it." Charlotte nodded hearing that information before. "That got something to do with this?"

"…how would you feel… if someone you cared about died, and you felt responsible for it." Lucille asked, Charlotte's expression turned sour, but Lucille continued. "How would you react if they ended up being alive?"

"Lucy, what are you getting at?" Charlotte looked at her confused and a bit hurt from her words.

"What if you almost die from a Hydreigon and wake up with amnesia?" Lucille said taking off her silver necklace. "And your mother keeps all of your past hidden from you? Eventually when you finally return home, you find out the brother you can't even remember joined an evil organization!?"

"…" Charlotte didn't know what to say as Lucille started to cry, as she said that. Lucille's locket was open showing the picture of her and Nero. "Lucy… ah…"

"Charlotte, I don't know what to do!" Lucille cried into Charlotte. "I don't know what?! I want to help him, but after all of this he must hate me! He has to!"

"I'm sorry Lucy… I can't say he does or not…" Charlotte says trying to calm her down. But to know avail. "Just… cry it out…"