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.

Chapter 60- Ring Around the City

Time: 13:10

Location: Calcenon City East Entrance

"…" A blond girl silently walked up to the Calcenon East City Entrance, alone. Earlier in the day she had someone with her… a friend, Aya. The purple haired Poison-Type leader. But right now, she was missing… Lucille felt guilt over the fact. Though, she had to thank Aya…

"Yo, Lucy!" Lucille was surprised to see the red-haired Rockstar, Rock-Leader of Reborn, Hardy standing right at the entrance. He was alone too, last that Lucille saw Hardy, he was with Percival, Marie, and Aya's brother Cain.

"Hardy?" Lucille hesitantly answered. "Where's everyone?"

"They went off to go see some friends of yours that are up here, I guess." Hardy shrugged, a bit less interested in what those three were doing. "Hey, where's Aya?"

"…" Lucille fell silent, before starting to recollect and tell the events of not too long ago.

It was back in the Calcenon Control Center. Where the duo Aya and Lucille had found several Meteor Grunts. Two of which were the Meteor Knight and Dame: Aster and Eclipse. Deep in enemy territory, Aya and Lucille had no choice but to fight. Lucille had taken on the duo before coming out victorious each time, and with Aya on her side it was another victory for them again.

"Damnit!" Aster cursed as both his and Eclipse's last Pokémon were taken out. "Eclipse, are you even trying?!"

"No, not really." Eclipse said, smiling. Lucille noticed something strange going on with Eclipse. With a sigh of relief Eclipse looked at the two girls. "I'm done. You win."

"Don't give up!" Aster confused Eclipse's attitude for being upset. "We Fight to the end! For Team Meteor!"

"I'm not 'giving up'." Eclipse quoted as she walked to a nearby consol. "I'm quitting."

"You what?!" Aster Exclaimed surprised, Meteor Members simply did not just quit.

"…" Aya and Lucille were also dumbstruck by Eclipse's behavior.

"And look, I'll even turn off the PULSE Clawitzer for you." Eclipse said as she typed things into the console. "Here."

"—PULSE 10-CLAWITZER: SYSTEM OFFLINE—" The PA Sounded through the room. The ones who were not Eclipse were all surprised with what just happened.

"That's what you wanted, right?" Eclipse turned her heat towards Aya and Lucille. "That's why you came here."

"Uh… About that…" Aya was about to explain they just wandered in here.

"We did just enter here by chance; we didn't know anything about the controls for PULSE to be down here. Though, if anyone did, I think you'd be fighting Saphira instead of us." Lucille said.

"Oh…" Eclipse said. "Well… I wanted it off. So, thanks for wandering in."

"Eclipse…" Aster was exasperated, perhaps in denial in what he just heard. "What the hell are you doing?"

"I literally just said like three different times." Eclipse snaped at Aster. "Were you not listening or are you actually just that stupid?"

"Eclipse why?!" Aster screamed. "I thought we were going to change the world together!"

"Yeah, well, I'm backing out on that." Eclipse responded. "This isn't the change I wanted." Eclipse tightened her fists. "Ever since we joined, we've done nothing but help Team Meteor hurt more and more people."

"But in the end—"

"This isn't WORHT the end!" Eclipse yelled in protest against Aster. Everyone in Team Meteor had joined for different reasons. Some had nowhere to but Team Meteors. Other's they just wanted to see the ones they loved safe and alive. Eclipse was the latter. "What good is a new world if the people we care about aren't in it?"

Aster was silent, being the former of Team Meteor. "I don't understand…"

"Yeah, you don't." Eclipse thought it was fruitless to try to convince him to join her. "You never had a family. You grew up on the street and the only one you ever had to look out for was yourself."

"Team Meteor gave me a home." Aster still tried to protest. "I will repay them with my life!"

"…" Lucille bit her lip, sensing… that Nero probably thought the same thing. Her own twin brothers.

"Great, do it. I don't care." Eclipse said honestly. "My father lives in Calcenon City. If one of those Clawitzer's hits his house, that's it. Game over. End of the line." Eclipse breathed. "We were assigned to guard the power station for those things, but I can't just sit here and make my dad into Schrodinger's Meowth."

"Who's what now?" Aster didn't understand that phrase.

"Huff." Eclipse didn't really care, she was very frustrated, it was just unlucky that Aster was the target. "And I'm pretty sure I've actually lost IQ points from being partnered with you."

"Uhh, sooo… Lucille, do we just let these two duke it out or…?" Aya was still stupefied by the fight that was going on between the two.

"…" Lucille was unsure, but if they left now, it would be easy for Meteor to turn the PULSE back on.

"Sorry for the trouble." Eclipse turned back towards Aya and Lucille. "Look, if you're going to fight Team Meteor, there's something you should know. Team Meteor itself wasn't always bad. When Solaris lead us, we had one strict goal: Cleanse the city. We wanted Reborn to be pure again, but the people had to leave for that to happen. So, we started doing things to make them leave. But then, everything changed. After she launched through the ranks, Lin started—"

Eclipse suddenly stopped as a Chandelure suddenly phased through the floor latching onto her arms and legs. "Chand…"

"Eclipse!" Aster Shouted as Eclipse suddenly started writhing in pain.

"Turncoats will not be forgiven." Not one soul noticed the man with the eyepatch enter the room. The Meteor Admin, Sirius. "Chandelure erase her."

"Augh…" Eclipse shouted in pain as the purple flame of the Chandelure shot into her back "gugugughugh... ugh..."

"No…" Lucille recognized this. The Flames the woman, she just recently saw the vision from her Absol on someone dying this way. She didn't realize it could have been Eclipse.

"What's happening to her?!" Aya yelled in terror.

"Ughhhh…" Eclipse struggled, but her voice slowly got weaker

"Didn't you know?" Sirius turned his head with a terrible smile. "Chandelure's flames burn away the soul. The body remains even after the spirit is lost forever."

"Chand" the Chandelure quietly cried as it dropped Eclipse's soulless body on the floor.

"Done. Now for the next target…" Sirius turned his head to the girls, his eye landing on one girl in particular. Choosing the girl that would be a thorn in the side, to a thorn in his side. He gave twisted smile. "…Lucille."

"Get out of the way!" Aya pushed Lucille out of the way.

"Fine, then I'll take you instead!" Sirius, did not like that his prey got away, but Aya was a decent trad anyway.

"Ow-ow-ow!" Aya cried as Sirius' Chandelure grabbed Aya. "Let go of me!"

"You have friends headed to Calcenon, correct?" Sirius Asked Rhetorically, he knew already that Percival and co were headed there. "New plan. You'll make a fine hostage." Sirius turned his head. "Aster destroy the exit."

"I'm not leaving Eclipse." Despite what she had said to him, Aster still cared for Eclipse. Picking up her soulless body.

"Do whatever you want with the traitor. She's already gone. Team Meteor, retreat."

"…" Back in Realtime, Lucille had just finished explaining what happened. Hardy took a deep breath, before. "'Scuse me." Walked straight into Calcenon at an accelerated pace.

"Hardy!" Lucille realized that Hardy might be doing something crazy, tried to follow.

Right as Lucille entered the streets of Calcenon, seeing ground with the glass and flowing red and purple liquids. It wasn't a design that Lucille had seen before, it made her stop at seeing it. But quickly regained her barring. She chose the northern route, where she was immediately met with pink hair and a green plant-like dress.

"Laura!" Lucille immediately notices that Laura was in tears. And tried to help her, but before she could Laura bolted toward the east entrance of the city. "Ah…"

"Hey, Lucy. Sorry. Bit of a problem family issue, right now!" Next came another girl with pink hair, the youngest sister of Belrose Trio. Charlotte, Reborn's Fire-Type Gym Leader. "Elitist here will fill you in!"

"Lucille?!" After Charlotte ran after Laura, Percival. One of Lucille's friends had exited the Gym. With one look, he could tell something happened to her. "What happened?"

"…" And again, Lucille gave another story of what happened to her and Aya.

"Well… that's annoying…" Percival sighed as he heard that. A captured ally was really not something they wanted. And Percival felt bad that it was Aya of all people. "Well on the good side, we figured out a possible way to get to Ametrine."

"That's good? Is that why you were at the gym?" Lucille counted, really feeling like she was slowly calming down now.

"Yeah, Anna says that there are water tunnels inside of Ametrine. But to use them I need access to Dive." Percival explained. "Marie was lucky enough to have the TM. But to use it, I need another Gym Badge. The closest one being in Charlotte."

"Make sense… though what just happened?" Lucille asked indicating to Laura and Charlotte running out of the Gym.

"Yeah… Apparently Laura just got fired from her Elite 4 position." Percival sighed out explaining.

"She was what?!" Lucille exclaimed. "Why would Ame do that?"

"No clue." Percival shook his head. "Mistake maybe? I don't know… I—"

"Why the hell are YOU over there?!" There was a furious shout coming from the western side of the city. It was clearly Hardy. His shout caused Lucille and Percival to run over.

Over on the western side, the Barrier was clear to everyone to see. It was like a piece of Red unbreakable glass. And on the other side of that glass was a person, that no one particularly like, but did not expect to see.

"Oh, sup, nerds." It was the green haired annoying rival, Fern. Fern turned back to looking at Hardy bashing against the Barrier. "You know you're not gonna get through this barrier."

"You know… Surprisingly, I'm not surprised to see you over there." Percival said walking up to the barrier himself. Looking Fern straight in the eye.

"Yeah, you I side with winners. Don't you Whitehall." Fern said in a smug mocking tone.

"No, some of the lesser me members aside, I know you'd just love to side with scum." Percival returned the tone. "And it's Wisteria now."

"…" Fern rolled his eyes in return. "Either way. When Team Meteor recreates the world, I'll be at my rightful place at the top. And looks like Hardy's little girlfriend's just another pawn in their game!"

"Giver her back now!" Hardy pounded against the barrier once more.

"As if." Fern smirked. "But I'll give her a kiss for you if you want."

"Don't you dare." Hardy growled.

"Just kidding." Fern laughed the thought away. "I wouldn't touch her if she paid me to."

"Mate, I swear to god, when I get through this wall, I'm gonna punch your face in." Hardy swore, stating what everyone thought.

"Get trolled. Anyway, I have work to do. Later, losers!" Fern laughed walking away from the group.

"He seems like a pleasant person." Saphira the purple-blue haired eldest Belrose sister stated.

"That's not even the half of it." Hardy Punched the barrier once more before walking to where Saphira stood. "I ain't giving up. I'll save Aya myself."

"…" Saphira noted Hardy's determination, looking at Percival and Lucille. "Well met, you two. Meteor's attack seems to have ceased, but I will remain vigilant."

"Yeah… About that." Lucille started the tangent of how the Meteor Dame Eclipse turned off the power to the PULSE herself. Warning that Meteor might return to the Control Center to try and restart it.

"So, a Team Meteor agent turned off the machine herself? That does explain why the barrier has remained." Saphira affirmed. "One was configured to Calcenon's power system, and one to Labradorra's. Once Team Meteor reactivates the PULSE Clawitzer or switches it to the Labradorra power grid, the attack will resume."

"Well, if they had the PULSE Clawitzer's powered by Calcenon's systems… Couldn't we infer that they can't run both PULSEs on Labradorra's system?" Percival asked. Because if they were invading Calcenon's power grid to power them, it means that the PULSE controlling the barrier may be taking more power then expected.

"Either way, until it is destroyed, I will wait." Saphira stated. "No matter how long it lasts, I won't take any risks with my sisters in this city."

"Let go of me already!" The voice of Aya rang out from the other side of the barrier. "Stop it."

"Aya!" Hardy saw her first running up to the barrier. Everyone saw the purple haired girl being dragged down Labradorra's stairway by her hair. The one dragging her was the one-eyed Sirius.

Holding Aya hostage, Sirius looked upon the four. "Good. You're here as well. Our terms are simple. We know you have the Ruby Ring, Percival. Give it to us, or the girl's life is forfeit."

"We aren't interested in negotiating." Saphira quickly and firmly stated.

"Like hell we aren't!" Hardy shouted in response to Saphira's statement. "This is Aya's life! Percival! Just give them the Ring!"

"Whatever you do, do not give them the ring." Saphira turned her head to Percival their eyes meeting.

"It's a stupid piece of jewelry! It's not worth killing her!" Hardy turned.

"…" But in truth there was more to the Ruby Ring, it was one of four keys that Team Meteor wanted. Percival knew this, but Hardy didn't…

"Apparently some people disagree." Aya said in self-distress. "No surprise there."

"Team Meteor is not a pack of thieves." Saphira warned Hardy. "The Ruby Ring is not just a ring, it's a key."

"Does that matter? They're gonna kill her if you don't give it to them." Hardy shouted at Saphira once more.

"They're going to kill her if we do give it to them." Saphira responded.

"…" Percival breathed… his mentality agreeing more with Saphira… Who said Meteor would honor the agreement?

"That doesn't even make sense!" Hardy shouted, "I bet you wouldn't be saying the same thing if it was one of your sisters over there!"

"Wrong. That doesn't change anything." Saphira said, barely giving a glance to Charlotte coming upon this scene. Percival and Lucille took notices of this as well.

"Ugh!" Hardy roared in annoyance. "You don't make any sense! First you say you'll do anything for your family and then you say you'd willingly let her die for a stupid ring?"

"Oh, so that's what this is about." Charlotte finally spoke. "Percival's Ruby Ring?"

"That's right." Saphira affirmed. "Team Meteor is holding that girl hostage."

"…So, Sis." Charlotte looked at Saphira hurt. "You'd really let me die over something so insignificant, huh?"

"Oh, boy…" Hardy sighed, seeing as this was going to throw fuel to the fire.

"Percival!" Charlotte cried, taking Percival's hand. "What about you? Would you be so callous as to throw me to the dogs for the sake of some stupid ring?"

"…" Percival hesitated; Charlotte knew Percival wouldn't abandon his friends. But Charlotte also knew how important that Ring was, meaning… there was truly one answer to say. "The ring is more important."

"Percival?!" Lucille shouted in surprise.

"Oh, how could you?!" Charlotte cried, in admonishment. "If that's how it's going to be, then I just need to steal the Ring to save myself!"

"Uh, wasn't it just a hypothetical question?" Hardy asked, giving not time as Charlotte stole the ring from Percival.

Jumping a small distance from the group. Charlotte called out to Sirius. "Team Meteor! I'll give you the Ring! I have to run so these people don't take it back, but I'll give it to you at the Power Control Center! Meet me there!"

"Charlotte, no!" Hardy called as she ran off with the Ruby Ring. Lucille almost ran after her too, if it wasn't for Saphira.

"Stop." She said one word and the two had stopped all movement.

"Hmph." Sirius grunted; this wasn't what he expected. But it was something he would benefit from. "I'll send someone down."

"Ow, ow, ow!" Aya cried in pain as Sirius started to drag her back up the stairs. "Stop dragging me around!"

"Aya!" Hardy shouted as she was drag away. Before turning to Saphira in a growling tone. "Yo, look, I don't expect anybody else to care about her like I do, but you could at least try giving a damn!"

"Do you have any siblings?" Saphira asked, ignoring the obvious responses from Percival and Lucille.

"So, I—What? Yeah, I have a sister." Hardy responded. "You remind me of her. You're both impossible to deal with."

"So, you're not close." Saphira noted, it seemed like a common occurrence from the three around her. "But when you've been through as much as my sisters and I have, you learn to have absolute faith in each other. All we have is each other. If we doubted that, then there would be nothing left."

"That's some kinda absolute faith you got, for sure." Hardy snickered. "She just got upset and ran off with our only way to save Aya!"

"No. She just saved Aya herself, at least for the time being." Saphira believed in her sister.

"Because of her, Team Meteor no longer believes we have anything of value to them. Therefore, they have no reason to threaten Aya's life." Saphira explained, before looking at Lucille and Percival. "If you want, follow her to confirm this."

"I know, I'm not naïve." Percival sighed; it wasn't hard for him to figure out.

Percival and Lucille arrived to the East Entrance to Calcenon. Sitting in a chair right at the entrance was none other than Charlotte. Smiling. "'Sup? That was a pretty fun show, huh?"

"Define, fun." Percival rolled his eyes at those words.

"Charlotte are you serious?!" Lucille wasn't much for deception… and wasn't particularly happy about this.

"What? Upset about the whole 'throw me to the dogs' thing. I know you didn't mean it. Nice going along with it, Elitist." Charlotte waved it off. "It was the right answer anyway. In any situation where someone is making an ultimatum, you never acquiesce to it. Case in point, Team Meteor could kill every person in Labradorra City, but that doesn't get them anything they need. So as long as we don't bargain with them, they won't reach their goals." Charlotte then shrugged. "But if we give in like your little friend Hardy wanted to, that would have just validated their power and encourage that behavior. That's all it is. Rewards and punishment, really. We just have to train them. As it turns out humans aren't that different from dogs after all."

"That's not really humane…" Lucille said to Charlotte.

"I don't care." Charlotte bluntly stated. "I don't have the liberty of feeling guilt like most people. That right burned away years ago."

"Charlotte…" Percival said pitting her… it wasn't her fault.

"It doesn't matter if you think you have the liberty or not, your human just like the rest of us." Lucille said to Charlotte.

"Anyway, here, Elitist." Charlotte fell silent at Lucille's words only able to hand the Ruby Ring back to Percival. "Team Meteor doesn't know you have that now, and they're going to waste time going back down to the Control Center, so that's a double win. Besides Anna told me about the Ametrine Issue. You need Dive, right?"

"Kind of Ironic that the Fire Leader will enable a water machine, wouldn't you think?" Percival smirked seeing as Charlotte didn't want to continue the previous conversation.

"Yeah." Charlotte smiled. "This'll be my first proper battle in Mom's Gym, so I'm expecting a good fight, yeah?"

"Sure, right about now's probably the best" Percival affirmed. "… How's Laura?"

"…" Charlotte sighed at that. "I never found her, but I'm sure she'll be fine."

With that, Charlotte and Percival readied for their inevitable gym fight. Though there were still events happening around Calcenon, and even Labradorra.