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.

Good lord, even though Testing for Pokémon Reborn is coming on... looking at the Development Blog there is talk about how a character was being added to the early-mid section of the game. Well... wonder how I'll work that into the story, cause I believe they are also going to show up in end game... (from what I believe). I don't know, i just know whenever the game is released I'm playing it from square one. Even if I'm not getting any info from it, it might give me more character info to work with. Rant Over

Now onto the new chapter. Fair warning: THIS CHAPTER HAS CHARACTER DEATH. Be prepared.

Chapter 72- Torment...

Time: ?

Location: ?

"…huh?" a blonde girl woke up in a lone room. This was none other than Lucille. She looked around confused, what happened? Did the plan fail? Where was she?

Lucille tried her best to recall what had happened. Only thinking back to hearing fighting moments as Adrienn and Ame entered the "Devon" entrance. Marie and Lucille went in right after them, as instructed. But… that's about all she remembered.

Looking at the room, there was click as a single door unlocked. With being captured like this, Lucille was certain something was bad if she exited. But then again, there wasn't anything other exit to the room. With a deep breath, and a heart full of dread, Lucille walked out into a new metal cage with a metal battle field. "…"

"Lucille?!" Lucille heard her name called, looking to the other cage Victoria had run into it. With the same metallic shut as the door closed behind her as well. "Eh, the door closed? I can't' get out! Lucy, what's go on here?"

"I'd tell you if I knew." Lucille looked at her friend in worry. Last she knew, Victoria was traveling with Percival and this person called Arclight. Now meaning that they two got captured somehow. But in other words, everyone got captured.

"Welcome." A voice called out to the two. Both looked at the screen to see a woman with light green eyes and hair. Though neither met her, it was undoubtedly the true leader of Team Meteor. Lin.

"Is that—?" As Victoria asked Lucille who the woman was, though already having an idea.

"…" Lucille unwittingly shuddered seeing the green haired woman.

"I understand that you and your petty shambles of acquaintances have come here to stop me." Lin stated before the girls. "How funny. You thought you were strong together. And here you are now. Let this be a lesson. Numbers do not help. Friends do not help. Spirit does not help."

"What does someone like her know about spirit?" Victoria questioned as Lin gave an interesting expression.

"In the end, you are still powerless. You are still a victim. You always will be, won't you?" Lin said, almost as if only to verbally abuse Victoria. Before moving on with a sadistic smile. "Now we will play a game. In order to reunite with your so-called friends, you must fight them. The winner may proceed. The loser will suffer a penalty. There are no rules. Begin."

"We have to fight each other to get out of here?" Victoria questioned, before breathing in. Looking at Lucille. "Fine. I'm not backing down. I promised Kiki I'd finish the job. Lucille, I know you have reasons for being here as well. So, give me all you've got!"

"…" Seeing Victoria throw out her first Pokémon, a Mienshao, was all Lucille needed to see how determined Victoria was. In most situations, Lucille would be fine with a battle… but this, she heard what Lin said how there will be a penalty for the loser. Hurting Victoria with that penalty, Lucille didn't want that.

But Lucille felt it in her heart. Nero was somewhere in this building. The thought of how much time he had left was clear in her mind. She didn't know when it would happen. But there was a deep pit in Lucille's chest. Something yelling at her to fight right here.

"I'm not planning on losing Victoria." Lucille finally threw out her Pokémon. The orange Arcanine, the fiery, Blaze.

"Good to see you're determined Lucille. Mienshao, High Jump Kick!" Victoria commanded the Mienshao swiftly moved around the room, before jumping up into the air, trying to crash down on Blaze.

"Blaze Dragon pulse!" Lucille commanded, and right before the Mienshao crashed on Blaze, Blaze dodged out of the way then blasting the Mienshao with a blast of draconic energy.

"Heh… you've gotten very strong Lucille." Victoria heckled to herself. Victoria has fought Lucille once, a very long time ago. It was Victoria's loss, but both have gotten stronger since. Victoria sends out her next Pokémon a giant red fire cat that stood on two legs, an Incineroar. "But we haven't given up yet."

"…" Lucille nodded, looking at her Arcanine. Incineroar was a strong Pokémon, not going to be taken out with a single attack, but it's a shame not to try. "Blaze Close Combat!"

"Arr!" Blaze growled as it pummeled its paws into the Incineroar.

"…" the Incineroar didn't say anything as it took the attack.

"Earthquake." Victoria called, where the incinerator sent shockwaves through the field taking down Blaze.

"That was a nice earthquake, but Osiris has made stronger." Lucille said as she sent out a Tyranitar with black armor. The Tyranitar shook the room, taking out the Incineroar.

"Even with as strong as it is, WE won't lose to you. Gallade!" Victoria commanded, becoming the gallant Gallade to appear from its pokeball. Much different from the Gardevoir counterpart, Gallade was a Pokémon with blades on its arms ready to cut down its opponent. "Close Combat!"

"Gall!" The Gallade shouted as it rushed close to Osiris giving a flurry of blows and slashes.

"…" Osiris grunted as he fell down from the attack.

"Guess it's this way then. Aurras." Lucille said throwing out the soundwave Pokémon. Two sonic ears with giant turquoise wings.

"NOI!" Aurras the Noivern screeched as it flapped its wings.

"Air slash." Lucille called. Aurras released a small sonic wave creating a pressure differential in the air forming a blade that slashed into Victoria's Gallade.

"Damn… That thing is strong." Victoria said with a gritted smile. Choosing her next Pokémon as an enemy of dragons. The wing fairy, with spots of red and blue scattered across its white body, a Togekiss.

"That really doesn't leave room much… Except for this…" Lucille placed her hands over her ears before shouting. "Boom burst!"

"NOIVERN!" Aurras screeched with an exceptionally loud burst.

"Toge…" The Togekiss groaned as it endured the loud noise.

"Togekiss, Dazzling gleam!" Victoria countered, where the fairy brightened the room with a clash of Dazzling Gleam. Instantly taking out the Noivern.
"She definitely has a Raichu… one other… Well, just have to give myself the best of Faith." Lucille said, sending out a white Pokémon with a black horn and red eyes. This was Faith, the Absol that had marked Lucille.

"…An Absol?" Victoria looked on in surprise, this being the first-time seeing Lucille's Absol.

"Faith, play rough." Lucille simply stated as Faith ran forward to attack the Togekiss, taking it out with this strike. The Togekiss unable to endure another attack.

"That's fast…" Victoria muttered. Releasing a bluish Pokémon with black ears, and a control over aura. "Lucario, I'm trusting you here."

"Sorry, but Faith isn't losing here." Lucille apologized to Victoria as sent out her fifth Pokémon. Faith charged again with another play rough. Taking out another one of Victoria's Pokémon.

"it's that fast?" Victoria was surprised trembling as she held her final pokeball. "You can do this… to minimize the chaos within…" Victoria fell silent as she sent out the tanned Raichu with Alolan blood. Victoria looked to see that Lucille in this situation was much calmer than her. Between the two Lucille had more likely understood to control the chaos from within herself. Despite Victoria's façade of strength, she couldn't… "I'm sorry sensei…"

"…" Lucille closed her eyes she didn't want to hurt Victoria, but she had no choice. "Sucker punch."

As the Raichu was planning on unleashing a powerful discharge of electricity. Faith appeared before it slashing it to the ground with a single hit.

"Sensei—" Victoria finally shook her herself out of it as her Raichu fell.

"Victoria…" Lucille whispered as the cage the she had opened up.

"…Really?" Victoria said to herself in a self-depreciating laugh. "After all my hard work, training to be able to beat them—I said I'd never lose to Team Meteor again, but—" Victoria was cut short as electricity flowed through her metal cage, getting violently shocked.

"Victoria!" Lucille's eyes widened as she saw firsthand what Victoria's punishment was.

"Ugh—" Victoria grunted as the electricity conducted through her body. Looking at Lucille. "W-what are you—waiting for?! Get g-going already! I'll be fine—! I'll prove... As K-Kiki's successor—ugh..."

"…" Lucille looked at her friend in worry. But turned to the exit. "Don't you dare die on me."

"It's gonna t-take a lot more than this—To break my spirit—" Victoria's' teeth chattered through the voltage. Lucille left to go deeper into the building.

It had been some time since Lucille fought against Victoria. Since then, she continued through this madness, forced into a battle against Arclight. Where Lucille managed victorious, shortly after Arclight fell down a shoot, the building violently shook. Causing Lucille to be surprised, she felt something off by how it shook, Where Lucille quickened her pace through this maze of madness.

"Oh… not again…" Lucille muttered as she arrived at another cage. Though it took her a second, she noticed something strange. "It's open?"

Lucille was surprised, because the cages on the sides of the battle field were both open. Lucille noted that there were a few lights that were also broken, perhaps because the building shook earlier, that this field was now broken. It was confusing, but not too long after Lucille appeared, two figures ran from the other cage.

"Lucy!" the smaller one was a girl with dark skin and brown hair, Marie.

"Lucille, you're by yourself?" Percival looked at her warily.

"Yeah, the building shook after I had to fight Arclight." Lucille said, "Seeing you two together, I'm assuming you've been more fortunate."

"Describe fortunate… We… the other two siblings, Ari and Kuro are here." Percival said with a frown.

"Oh… Well, fun." Lucille smiled at him, before looking at the sad face of Marie.

"I…" Marie was still a young girl, and to be thrown into this situation…

"It's alright… I'm sorry." Lucille consoled the young girl.

"Yeah, whatever reason for the building shaking earlier… well if it wasn't for that." Percival stopped; he was grateful that he didn't have to put Marie in a penalty in this horror story of a game.

"…" Marie was silent.

Lucille looked at the open door in the room. "Only one way forward…"

"And we're all dreading what we'll see…" Percival said.

With wonder and fear, the new trio pressed forward deeper into this maze of a building. The path before them felt anything but short. As the group was confused about why the building shake. Was it Team Meteor's plan to let them group up…? Or were they going to plan on capturing these three again.

The group eventually met an opening. Though it was blocked off by bars, two stood on the metallic factory field. It was battle, a battle between Reborn's champion Ame and Team Meteor's leader Lin. The two Pokémon out from Ame's side was a nine tailed fox of a blueish silver, an Alolan Ninetales to be exact. While Lin had the three headed dragon, a blue and black scaled beast.

"…" Lucille shook upon seeing Hydreigon, trembling again as she saw this one. Even seeing that Ame had the advantage with the ice fairy Ninetales, Lucille felt as if it… Ame couldn't win.

"Ninetales, Moon blast!" Ame shouted, the Ninetales let out a bright light that enveloped the Hydreigon.

"Drei…" But the Hydreigon simply shook it off.

"No way…" Percival voiced as it was unlikely for any dark dragon type to endure a fairy move.

"Ugh, it actually lived through that?!" Ame voiced, surprise clear in her voice.

"So, the so called "champion" is this weak." Lin flashed a smile, "Flash Canon."

"Dreigon!" The Hydreigon bellowed as it shouts out a metallic beam of energy, roaring with metallic clanging. The Ninetales held no chance to survive the blow.

"…" Ame was silent, unmoving, only able to clench her fists as she stood defeated.

"Checkmate. Now end it." Lin stated calmly. Ame had no time to react as the Hydreigon rushed forward pining her to the ground with its side heads, then using its main one to bite of Ame's head.

"""…""" the trio watching in horrified silence. Percival barely had the reaction to block Marie's eyes.

"Today, the heart of Reborn falls." Lin gloated as she returned the Hydreigon to its pokeball, glancing over at the group. "How Marvelous. And how droll." Lin walked away muttering something to herself.

"*Rid of annoyance*" Is what Percival though he heard… but he didn't understand. Lucille like most times seeing a Hydreigon was pale and trembling. Marie was hyperventilating here as well. "C'mon we have to find the others." So many things were rushing through Percival's head as he rushed Marie and Lucille through the halls. Some of it was fear of if Lin returned to face them, others was dread of facing against Team Meteor. Lucille seemed frozen in a trance, but was still following along. Marie was much like Lucille in this regard, albeit for different reasons.

Eventually they found a cross roads, one path leading to the left, another leading to the right. Percival was about to guess in which way to go when…

"Aro!" there was a cry of a Pokémon, and suddenly a black Pokémon grabbed Percival by the sleeve and dragged him, Lucille and Marie down one path.

"Huh?! What the?" Percival shouted; he recognized the species… more like the Pokémon itself. It was Grim, Nero's Ace Pokémon. Before they realized it Lucille, Marie, and Percival were in front of some panel, with a few tubes near them.

"What?" Marie said confused, snapping out, looking at the computer.

"…" Lucille however was still staring of into space.

"Why… Why are?" Percival trying to place why Grim was here but no sign of Nero.

"…" Then it grim bumped its horn into Percival, using its skills to silently and effortlessly cut off some notes tied it. Before Grim broke down a door and ran off.

Percival blinked in wonder as he picked up the paper… two seemed like letters addressed to him and Lucille. while there was a third, sprawled with messy writing of "I'm Sorry."

"What is—?" Before Percival could even think about the notes, there as a beep before a loud slam onto the ground.

There was a collective groan, as Kuro, Ari, Adrienn, Victoria and Arclight were sprawled onto the ground before them. Presumably spit out from the tubes. Marie who was fiddling with the panel weakly said, "sorry…"

"Oh, goodness. I was not ready to ride that ride…" Adrienn groaned as he got off the ground.

"Is it… over?" Victoria sat on her butt.

"With any luck it is." Percival sighed, giving her a hand to get up. Percival looked at his two siblings. "You two alright?"

"Shoes are a crisp." Kuro said leaving charcoal traces as he stood up.

"Everything hurts… Why did my cage have to be electrified?" Ari, the water type specialist, cried. "I thought that was going to be the end for me."

"Arclight, man, wake up~ This is no time for a nap!" Adrienn called to xyr companion, trying to shake them awake, before screaming. "Oh, god."

Seeing Arclight unmoving, Victoria hesitated in asking. "He's not… dead, is he?"

"No, he's not." Adrienn said giving a sigh of relief. "That's the good news."

"…" seeing as Adrienn wasn't answering, Victoria and Percival stepped over. Victoria was the one to scream out the news though. "They—tore out his eye!?"

"What!?" Kuro screamed as of hearing that. Thinking what the hell has Percival gotten them into.

"That would be the bad news…" Adrienn sighed.

"Why?!" Victoria asked.

"Well, based on what Lin said to us, I would reason that that was his "penalty"." Adrienn looked sad, comparing the burning floor that he got compared to Arclight. "Goodness, I must have gotten lucky. After Arclight went ahead, the floor of the cage I was in became super-heated. And while it hurt, I was fine thanks to the help of my Pokémon."

"What the fuck was the point of this?" Kuro yelled the question everyone was wondering.

"Before that, while it seems we're missing someone, some new people are here as well it seems." Adrienn noted the appearance of Kuro and Ari. "And Lucille seems rather pale."

"First, Adrienn those are my other siblings. Second, we just saw Ame fight against Lin…" Percival said briefly.

"…" Adrienn was silent in understanding Percival's cut off. "So Ame is—" Adrienn breathed, "It's up to us, then."

"I don't get this… If they wanted to stop us, why haven't they done it yet?" Something inside of Victoria snapped. "Why not just kill us all and be done with it?!"

"The only thing I can think of would be in order to send a message." Adrienn stated, the foundation of the guess was weak. The only reason xe had was because they all were still alive.

"They didn't give Kiki a message! She didn't get the chance to live! Why should I—" Victoria yelled wiping away tears that were forming in her eyes, never fully able to bear the guilt. "Why did I have to be the one to live?!" Victoria avoids everyone's eyes.

"…" Kuro himself looking away from the group.

"Don't get me wrong. I'm livid with Team Meteor for everything they've done. I will never forgive Cal for siding with them even for a second. I don't plan on ever forgiving Lucille's brother for what he did." Victoria spat out. "But most of all—I'm furious with myself for not being able to stop it."

"Victoria, darling, listen to me." Adrienn stood up, trying to console Victoria. Everyone else listing in keenly. "I cannot pretend to know what your story is, any of your stories, but I know this: We cannot blame ourselves in the present for the mistakes we made in the past." Though the room was sealed with no windows, Adrienn placed his hand on a wall. "Down there, outside... There's a truly wonderful city. It is, even now, lumbering, insurmountable, putrid, horrifying, unknowable... But still altogether wonderful. And not a day goes by that I don't think, for the past however many years that did not exist for me, if I had been here, maybe I could have kept things stitched together long enough that none of this would have ever happened. Maybe this city would still be the shining paradise that it is now only in our memories… Maybe I could have been there for my best friend in her time of need, to take her son for her… If I hadn't made a trivial mistake like falling into a fairy ring—But no. Those thoughts will not fix the city, it will not replace the years I've lost. They will not bring those we've lost back. And they will not help us move forward." Adrienn said as xe turned to everyone. "We must choose to move forward. And we'll drag the world along with us, even if it's kicking and screaming the whole way. You have that power too. So, will you help me?"

"You must be crazy if you think I'll back out now." Percival forced a smile, agreeing with Adrienn.

"…" Victoria sighed. "I'm tired of trying to follow in the footsteps of the dead. But someone's got to lead this city now, right?"

"…" Lucille was still silent but looked on in admiration.

"I… I wanna help too!" Marie yelled inspired by Adrienn's speech.

""what?!"" both Ari and Kuro responded surprised to hear that.

"Yes." Adrienn smiled. "Let's do it together. All of us."

"First we'll need to get out of here." Percival said, looking at the door Grim beat down. It seemed like a viable exit as it had some Meteor grunts knocked out in the passage.

"Here, I'll get this guy." Adrienn said hefting Arclight over their shoulder. "Up we go! Now! Where to?"

"This way, I guess. It seems like the only way forward." Percival led them to the door.

It took some time but the group of: Victoria, Lucille, Marie, Percival, Adrienn, Arclight, Kuro and Ari found themselves outside of the building.

"Adrienn, what exactly happened?" Victoria asked.

"When Arclight activated the signal, we entered through the front as planned. There was the expected resistance, but then as soon as we finished dealing with them, the exits sealed." Adrienn explained. "It was some kind of gas trap. I don't remember what happened after that."

"Well, something similar happened to us not long after we found your headset." Percival explained. "It was also around that time we found Kuro and Ari were in this city.

"And again, I was too weak to stop it…" Victoria said disheartened.

Though everyone's voiced lessened more and more for the pale Lucille. She hadn't stopped trembling since seeing Lin in person. She hadn't stopped since witnessing that Hydreigon mercilessly kill Ame. She hadn't felt well since feeling the building shake.

"…ah…" Lucille quietly voiced as she stumbled. Her silver necklace falling from her neck. As it hit the concrete ground.

BOOOM!

A deafening blast echoed into the night time streets of reborn. Most of the group looked up, wonder what the hell happened. Only vague able to see the visage of a Hydreigon, with what assumed to be a woman standing beside it.

While Lucille looked down in horror as her silver pendant opened with the glass cracked on Nero's old photo.

"Om god is that an arm!" Ari yelled seeing a singed human arm landing on the ground.

"No…" Lucille muttered only for herself to hear.

"You have to be kidding me." Percival the only other one to fit the pieces together.