Chapter 87- Night to Strike

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


The mountain's wind was freezing, and the night sky above did not provide warmth. The Moon had just reached the peak of its arc, making it past midnight. Many people waited on the western edge of Calcenon City, staring at the red barrier that blocked passage into Labradorra.

A few hours earlier, Bennett had crossed into Labradorra with an unconscious Zero. Bennett had said he would turn off the Barrier, but as of now, that had not happened, and everyone was starting to become impatient.

"How long has it been now?" Charlotte asked, letting out an annoyed yawn, glancing between the barrier and glaring at Nero.

"Too long," Hardy responded, standing closest to the barrier.

"Do you think something happened…?" Lumi asked, worry evident in her voice

"Nothing unexpected happened." Saphira stated her voice low, "He was just lying in the first place."

"Bold to assume Lin or the PULSE didn't outright kill him." Nero rolled his eyes. Ironic since Nero or Lucille would be the first to know if Bennett would die. "I've seen both; I can't say I liked Bug Boy's odds."

"I'm sure he's fine, and he wasn't lying," Laura argued, not wanting to believe that Bennet had either died or betrayed them.

"That's what people do, Laura. They lie, cheat, and hurt others, and they'll keep doing so until they have no other possible choice." Saphira snapped back. "THAT'S exactly why we must make that choice for them."

"..." Nero would argue about how many people on Team Meteor only joined because they had no choice. However, Nero did not want to get punched again.

Besides, Saphira was only talking to Laura, no one else. "THAT'S why all we have is each other. THAT'S why I have to look out for you. You're innocent. You can be hurt by these kinds of people. I'll make sure they never hurt you again."

However, there was one person in particular, stubborn or rather blunt enough to interrupt. It was the mad hatter himself, Radomus. "Have you always been this way?"

"Yes." Saphira stated without hesitation. "Ever since I understood what kind of world we live in, I've done everything I could to look out for my sisters. My job's not done yet. But it will be soon."

"And what comes after that?" Percival threw in, not to be accusatory… But he's heard one or two stories of Revenge. Nero's story certainly attests that even if they get what they want… they've never planned what to do afterward.

"Or how about before then?" Radomus added, wanting to pick Saphira's brain as they waited. "Before you understood, that is."

"That's…" Saphira's eyes narrowed toward Radomus and Percival. Percival's question needed thoughts for a future Saphira had yet to plan… While Radomus procured a question to a past, she'd rather not recall. "When I was naive. Innocent. Back then, that's not- That wasn't who I am."

While Saphira said that, Laura cut in. "After Mom and Dad passed away, she was really unstable."

"You don't need to bring that up."

"I remember that time you punched that one girl- the only one who was in the Circuit more than you or the criminal," Charlotte added to the conversation. "What was her name again?" Anyway… Saphira slugged her and then just started bawling."

"That happened more than once." Laura nodded.

"But you don't cry anymore, huh." Charlotte sighed; it was hard to tell if she was annoyed or concerned for Saphira

"..." Lucille glanced silently at Nero. In all her time in Reborn, she had only seen him act reserved or angry… He didn't seem much for emotions… but maybe she hadn't seen it yet.

"There's nothing to cry about, " Saphira said coldly. I just need to solve the problem. Put them in their place."

"But it sounds like you changed, after all." Radomus countered with a sly smile.

"So what?"

"If you can change, what's to say that others can't?" Radomus shrugged, his blue fedora shifting as he walked forward. "In my opinion, you underestimate others."

"Sorry if my life hasn't been so chock full of fairytales and fantasies as yours has." Saphira spat bac,k annoyed at Radomus' idiotic statements. "We don't all get the privilege to stay soft."

Radomus chuckled, taking another step toward the barrier. "And yet, you have a responsibility that shee cynicism cannot fulfill for you. The best moves often require not only trust in others, but also…"

"But also what?"

The barrier's reverberation slightly changed as Raodmus placed his hand on it. "Patience."

Brsshhh… Crack!

The barrier between Calcenon and Labradorra suddenly shattered, almost as if a glass window had shattered. Radomus turned to Saphira with a smug smile, his foot on the first step up to Labradorra. "Shall we be off? The endgame awaits us."

"Do you see now?" Laura said to Saphira. "Bennett really was telling the truth. He's on our side."

"We'll see about that. But for right now…" Saphira's eyes were dark. Sure, it was helpful that Bennett had released the barrier. Saphira didn't particularly care about him, instead… "I have an appointment with the doctor."

"Laura, you wanna help Bennett, follow me. Just hope that he won't get killed before we find him." Nero said before Laura could even respond to Saphira.

"Okay." Laura smiled softly, happy that at least one person here wanted to help Bennett

"That's a sentiment I can echo." Hardy cheered, running into Labradorra. "Let'sgo, Aya! I'm comin' for ya!"

"Um! Eve, I'm worried about Zero.""Then you'll have to find him." Eve said,

"You're not coming?" Lumi said surprised to her sister not coming with her.

"No, I can't be there to hold your hand this time." the concern in Eve's eyes betrayed her dismissive voice. She'd love to help Lumi, but she had a more impoeritvie task. "I'm going to do what I can about the PULSE Pokémon still in there. Whoever fights them will need to be prepared. This might be one of the precious few ways I can still unravel the things I've done."

"...Yeah, okay!" Lumi slapped her cheeks, preparing herself for the coming fight. "I don't need hand-holding anyway by now. We'll do what we've never been able to before- Divide and conquer!"

As the two girls made there way into the City, Percival glanced at Marie and Ari. "Marie, help Eve in gathering data about the PULSEs. Ari, Eve will work better knowing Lumi is protected so follow her."

"Got it!"

"Never thought I'd be taking orders from you, Percival, but you got it, boss!"

"..." Percival shook his head at his sister's strange ways of wording.

"C'mon, c'mon already!" Julia jumped up and down impatiences getting to her. "They need all the help they can get, right? And what better help than tactical explosion support!"

"Oh, sure." Amaria responded with disinterest before meeting Percival's gaze. "I look forward to fighting alongside you, Percival."

"..." Percival was silent… Lately, he and Amaria haven't had the best relationship. One of the last times they met, Amaria tried to drown him out of jealousy toward Titania.

Seeing the edge of Amaria's words, Lucille looked to Percival, concern in her eyes. "I've seen the reports that since losing her memories, Amaria has become… emotionally volatile… But what happened when you challenged to her to a battle?"

"Let's just say she saw I had the Saphire Bracelets… and jealousy consumed her." Percival said, hiding the fact that Amaria tried to kill him.

"Uh… so while you two were talking, the Fire Leader… and Victoria just walked into Labradorra without saying a word," Kuro said with worry and apprehension. Neither Victoria nor Charlotte looked happy.

"She's after Solaris, no doubt." Cal interjected, "Well, I guess I'm in for her. And however many other reasons I have to judge myself."

"Well, you won't be alone," Percival said. "While I may not like Solaris… He may be the one person to quell Labradorra… But chances are low since he was overthrown…"

"..." Cal didn't seem happy to hear that, though he knew what was more likely to happen.

"Kuro, Lucy, and Noel." Percival looked at the three. "I leave the safety of the others to you."

As Percival left with Cal. Lucille and Kuro discussed the best course of action. When Noel finally added in.

"You can go ahead. I…" Noel's voice was hesitation but also resignation. "Don't need to go…"

"What do you mean?" Lucille asked, worried about Noel's demeanor.

"I don't really think I'm crucial to anyone's plans," Noel admitted. "I don't have a reason to fight like everyone else."

"Kuro, locate where the PULSE Clawitzer is. Now that the Barrier's gone, I think they'll try to get that thing back up." Kuro silently nodded, charging up the stairs into Labradorra. Once he was gone, Lucille bowed down, meeting Noel's eyes. "Noel, when I first got here, I was just a girl who survived a train explosion… practically no reason to get involved in fighting Team Meteor, yet here I am. Heck, Kuro's only here because he lost a bet."

" Noel's eyes widened… He knew Lucille's goals had became her reason for fighting… but her initial reasoning was lacking.

"You don't need a great reason to fight," Lucille reassured. "Even if it's something small like not wanting to see your friends hurt… that's good enough."


The Battle for Labradorra had begun under the moonlit sky. Chaos ensued, Pokémon everywhere, explosions from ice beams, flame throwers, and rockslides alike. The Streets were a mess, but the city's center had a brewing storm.

"Of all the regions I had to travel to, I picked the one in the middle of a war." Kuro cursed under his breath.

Arriving in the center just in time, he noticed a Saphira on her Dragonite facing off a woman with green hair. Kuro remembered the woman with green hair, the last time he saw her, she pined him against Percival in some weird death game.

"This time will be different," Saphira said brazenly on top of her Dragonite.

"Difference is cheap. Success is paper thin." Lin had no Pokemon as she stepped closer to the dragon rider. "As are you. Did you forget?"

"Forget what? The last time we-"

Boom!

A resounding thunder echoed as a blast of blue energy suddenly slammed into Saphira's Dragonite. "Ugh- That's- Nothing I can't stand against!"

"Alone, perhaps. But it is not alone. And you always have been." Lin stated, clenching her hand into a fist, striking the Dragonite.

"?!" Kuro was speechless as he saw a normal person send a Dragonite flying through the air.

Saphira was knocked to the ground from the strike and was now stuck at Lin's mercy. "You were never strong enough to protect anyone. Especially not yourself. That was just a desperate child's lie. A cry for help that no one would ever answer."

"How's this for an answer- Heather, use Air Slash!"

BzzzzssshT!

A sharp burst of air flew out of the wings of a Yanmega, knocking Lin away from Saphira. Shelly appeared with her Yanmega, ready to fight. Seeing that Saphira was on the ground, Shelly, the young girl, reached out her hand to Saphira. "Are you okay?"

"Oh… You're that girl…" Saphira was slightly dazed but could vaguely recall Shelly.

"I'm not just "that girl,"" Shally responded with an annoyed sigh as she took Saphira's hand. "And if I'm gonna be helping you off the ground here, the least you could do is learn my name. It's Shelly. One day, I'm gonna be the greatest Bug Type Gym Leader in the whole world, so remember it, okay?"

"Hmph, so you say." Saphria shrugged as she got off the ground, hiding a slight smirk from her face. "Thanks, Shelly."

"Somebody call for reinforcements?" Titania arrived with Lucille, Florina, and Serra in tow. They seemed annoyed that the party had started without them, but the reality was they arrived in time. Lucille explained to them they'd already begun their attack. So it was time to retake Labradorra.

"Saphira, you're not alone." Lucille reminded the Dragon Gym leader.

"Numbers will not help." Lin interrupted.

"A statistical improbability."

"Tactics will not help."

"As if anyone operates without them."

"Freinds will not help."

"Watch us!"

The battle continued in the center of the City—Lin vs Five Leaders and League Manager. Blasts from the PULSE Clawitzer kept on firing. Kuro knew there was only one choice to make… If he could make it there… that was another question.