Lapis headed to the last Gym he needed for the Nuzlocke challenge, expecting a straightforward win. However, he ran into rabid fans and the irritating Double Team strategy by Juan's Kingdra. Luckily, Pearl's Shock Wave saved the match, and the teen won his final Gym Badge. But as he made preparations to go to Evergrande City for the next part of his challenge, he received a letter that forces him to change his course. Who sent the letter, and how will this affect Lapis' journey?
Lapis' Pokémon:
Zuli (Lvl. 47 Swampert, male; Item: Soft Sand): Impish Nature, Torrent Ability, moves: Tackle, Strength, Mud Shot, Surf
Bixbite (Lvl. 44 Camerupt, male): Bold Nature, Oblivious Ability, moves: Rock Slide, Tackle, Ember, Earthquake
Onyx (Lvl. 47 Mightyena, female; Item: King's Rock): Mild Nature, Intimidate Ability, moves: Take Down, Rock Smash, Crunch, Bite
Pearl (Lvl. 47 Grumpig, female): Lax Nature, Thick Fat Ability, moves: Psychic, Psybeam, Shock Wave, Confuse Ray
Celestite (Lvl. 46 Altaria, female): Gentle Nature, Natural Cure Ability, moves: Fly, Safeguard, Take Down, Dragonbreath
Amethyst (Lvl. 47 Vileplume, female; Item: Miracle Seed): Quiet Nature, Chlorophyll Ability, moves: Petal Dance, Acid, Poisonpowder, Moonlight
Pokémon sent to the PLA: Tiger Eyes (Linoone, male), Citrine (Makuhita, female), Kyanite (Electrike, female), Moonstone (Swellow, female), SmokyQuarz (Numel, male)
Chapter 45: Unearthing the Forgotten Memory
Lapis could hardly contain his confusion and fury as he flew back to Lilycove City. The words on the letter repeated in his mind.
"Hello, Ruri. It's been a while, hasn't it? I thought you'd be in juvie or prison, but it seems you got bailed out. You know that I don't like to drag things out, so I'll tell you this: Team Aqua was not involved in Jade Ritva's kidnapping. But I can tell you who it is. Let's reunite here, at 30.997147, 130.672485. I'm looking forward to seeing you again."
The words, handwriting, and the dragon-like stamp on the paper… It can only be him…but how is that possible?
Lapis winced, feeling more of his repressed memories returning. But he had no time to process them. Celestite motioned to her Trainer that they were above the city. They landed in front of the Pokémon Center, where Detective Kei was waiting.
The man's smile faded as he saw Lapis' dark expression. "When you said you wanted to meet with me, Lapis, I thought it would have been on a happier note. But it seems I'm wrong."
"You got that right." The teen handed the International Police member the letter. "You recognize the writing or the stamp?"
A quick scan later, and the man sighed. "Unfortunately, yes. The stamp is the signature mark of a gang leader we've been trying to arrest for quite some time now: Kongō Daiya."
Lapis continued to struggle with containing his emotions, but he had to get more information. "Do you have any info 'bout him and his gang?"
"I…I'm not sure if I can disclose that information, but what I can tell you is that they're dangerous, especially Mr. Daiya. Despite his age, he's already on the International Police's radar."
"So you're sayin' I shouldn't go to the coordinates mentioned in the letter."
"Of course not! I know you heard me say he's dangerous!"
Lapis turned away, switching out Celestite with Zuli. "Sorry, Detective Kei. But I need to know the truth…'bout everythin'."
Ignoring the detective's calls to stop, the two ran towards the beach and swam toward the meeting spot.
"Damn it!" Detective Kei muttered as the teen and his Pokémon disappeared from his sight. "Why is he going there when I distinctly told him not to?!"
Then, he looked at the stamp on the letter again. His face turned pale.
Don't tell me…is Lapis remembering his relationship with Kongō Daiya? Oh no, I need to tell them about this…now!
As Zuli powered through the waves on Route 126, Lapis was finally able to think about his first memory of the person from his past.
Kongō Daiya…he was the one who gave me a sense of belonging after my parents' accident. He let me join his gang, the Ryūgōmon-sha, in exchange for helping him intimidate those who owed them money. He was hard on everyone but me… He treated me like a younger brother, even when I did things wrong. He even gave me the nickname, Ruri. But I haven't seen him since-
Lapis rubbed his throbbing head. Why can't I still remember that incident?!
"Lapis, are you sure this is the right way?"
He looked at the confused Swampert. "It gotta be. Let me double check." He checked his pockets and swore under his breath. "I left the letter with the detective! Now I don't have the coordinates!"
Then, he noticed a large island with abandoned steel structures. On a hunch, the two headed there. The beach was quiet, reflecting the eerie nature of the space.
Lapis let out his Mightyena. "Onyx, you sense anyone 'round here?"
She sniffed the air, then the ground. "It's faint, but I do smell the scent of strange humans."
"Then let's explore. Maybe it's the right place after all."
After returning his starter, the Nuzlocker and his partner walked amongst the rusty buildings. Suddenly, a dense fog covered the area. Lapis' hair stood on end, giving him a sense of dread.
"Onyx, return."
"But Lapis…"
"Hurry, Onyx!"
She felt the fear in his voice and obliged. Just after she entered her ball, the fog turned a brighter shade of white. Lapis coughed.
Sleeping gas?!
He tried to cover his nose with his bandana, but it was too late. As he fell onto the ground, he could make out some blurry figures before his vision turned to black.
? ? ?
Lapis' mind began to regain consciousness. Ugh…where am I?
He opened his eyes and saw he was on top of an ancient temple in the middle of a forest. The sun was at its peak, which meant he wasn't asleep for that long. A few men in dark blue and light yellow attire were around, watching him closely.
Then, he looked at his body. A thick rope was tied around his arms and legs, restricting his movements.
Damn it… I can't reach any of my Pokémon…
"So you've finally made it, Ruri… I was worried you wouldn't show up."
The familiar voice made Lapis turned his head in shock. A dirty blonde-haired man with amber eyes stood in front of the archway. He wore a light yellow short-sleeved shirt; a dark blue jacket and slacks with yellow and black trim gave him a sense of authority and power.
"Kongō… So you did send me that letter."
"That's right. And, knowing you, you came alone. That makes things easier."
Kongō knelt down to the Nuzlocker's level and smiled. This unsettled the teen.
The proper words, this attitude…this isn't the Kongō I remember... "W-Why're you doin' this to me? Y-You told me I'm the brother you never had!"
"Was. Was is more accurate, traitor." He spit into Lapis' face. "You ruined what I built five years ago. It was all thanks to my favorite client, who supported me for so long, that I was able to return the Ryūgōmon-sha to its former glory. And now, I'm going to hand you over to them as part of our agreement."
Lapis tried to break free from his restraints, but the rope was still too tight.
His former gang leader laughed at the struggling teen. "So you still have that spunk, Ruri. Just like when you accused that Team Aqua leader about kidnapping your girlfriend."
"She ain't my- Wait, how'd you know 'bout the kidnapping?"
The knowing smirk sent a chill down Lapis' spine. N-No…this can't be… He kidnapped Jade and blamed it on Team Aqua?! And now he's gonna kidnap me too?! I-I need to escape!
Lapis' hand got closer to a Poké Ball, but he hesitated. If Kongō's been watching me around Hoenn, then he must know I'm doing the Nuzlocke challenge. If that's the case, I can't battle my way out. Not if I want to risk losing any of my Pokémon.
"Boys, bring him to the ship," the gang leader commanded. "And make it quick. I want him to savor the last bit of nature before his confinement."
"Yes, Boss!"
"No, get away from me!" Lapis yelled as he tried to roll away from his captors.
But it was fruitless as one of the men lifted him over his shoulder. Just as he was about to lose hope, a shadow hovered over them.
"Looks like I arrived just in time."
"Stone?!"
Steven and his Metagross, Warrior, landed on the temple. He adjusted his sleeves and said, "Let Lapis go, Kongō Daiya!"
The gang leader forced a smile. "I didn't expect you to come this quickly, Steven Stone. It's almost if-"
"I've been tipped off? I have my sources. Now let him go!"
The man laughed. "Boys, throw him off the temple!"
The men obeyed his orders and Lapis winced, bracing for impact. But he was stopped before hitting the ground and was held up in midair by Warrior's Psychic. The Metagross moved the teen back to the safety of its Trainer. The goons tried to stop it, but the Steel type easily knocked them out with another Psychic.
"NO!" Kongō grabbed an Ultra Ball from his pocket. "You'll regret that, Stone! Mizuchi, destroy them!"
A Gyarados towered over them, glaring at his opponent. Despite his fearsome roar, Warrior instinctively put itself in front of Steven, the Attack drop rebounding off its metallic body. Its Trainer nodded.
"If it's a fight you want, then it's a fight you'll get! Warrior, Thunder Punch!"
The Iron Leg Pokémon charged forward, its right arm powering up the super effective move.
"What a predictable move from a former Champion. Dodge with Dragon Dance!"
The Water type twirled around Warrior and raised his Attack and Speed.
"Now use Flamethrower!"
Steven commanded, "Dodge with Double Team!"
The Steel type evaded the flames, but the Flamethrower made contact with several trees below, igniting them. Soon the entire forest was on fire, but the strong Trainers continued their fight. In the midst of this chaos, Lapis' vision started to blur. The flames, the smoke, the fight…they awakened the long-repressed memory of that day.
A young Lapis followed his new family as they were chasing after someone into an open space park. Being a member of the Ryūgōmon-sha, his dark blue jacket and cap reflected his loyalty to them.
"Finally!" A young adult Kongō Daiya shouted triumphantly as his gang caught up to a cowering, white-haired boy. "You ain't gettin' away this time, weakling!"
The boy, holding back tears, fearfully looked at his bullies. "I-I gave you all my money! I don't have anything else to give you!"
The leader shook his head. "Come on, kid. Your debt ain't goin' away with this measly change. You wanted high-quality stones, you gotta be able to pay their price."
Lapis watched all this unfold from the side. He'd known the gang to do everything they could to survive in a world where adults have pretty much abandoned them. And to pay them back for their acceptance, he helped with these types of extortion. But somehow, this interaction made him felt uneasy.
Then, Kongō heard a noise and glanced around. In that brief moment, the white-haired boy disappeared further into the tall grass.
"Damn it… We needa get that money… Let's chase that Ekans out with this." He pulled out a lighter decorated with a Gyarados pattern.
While the other members agreed with sinister smiles, Lapis was hesitant.
"Um…Kongō… You sure 'bout this?"
His brother figure looked annoyed. "What're you talkin' about, Ruri? This ain't new to you by now."
"W-Well yeah… But settin' a fire here? I know how scary fires can be…"
"Sigh… Look, Ruri. I know you still have nightmares 'bout your parents' accident, but you weren't even in that fire. Plus, that's all in the past. We needa focus on the here and now. And right now, we need that money for next month's supply."
Lapis' stomach rumbled. Maybe he's right…but still… "Wh-What if I find him? He couldn't have gone too far. I can bring him back to you right away!"
Kongō crossed his arms, smirking. "All right then, Ruri. You got five minutes."
"Th-Thank you, Big Brother!"
The yellow-haired boy ran into the grass, following the freshly trampled path. But once he got further into the park, he smelled smoke.
I-Is that…? N-No, has it been five minutes already? I-I'm running out of time!
"Come on, kid!" he shouted as the area around him began to grow warm. "Get out before the flames get ya!"
Then, the sight of orange flames, mixed with a blue hue, made him freeze. The fire! I-It's here!
Lapis had no choice but to sprint through the broken blades, his adrenaline rising. In a small clearing, he spotted the bullied kid, cowering in fear.
"G-Get away from me!" he shouted as Lapis got closer.
"Look, you can't stay in here! There's a fire out there!"
The boy didn't believe him until he also smelled the smoke. "Then come on!"
The two tried to find a way out of the large patch of thick grass, but they soon became disoriented.
N-No… I can't die here… Big Brother…help me…
The two children collapsed, and the last things Lapis remembered were a blurry brown figure, the rapid beating of wings, and the rain drops on his face.
"Lapis! Snap out of it, Lapis!"
The teen's senses returned to normal. There was a strong downpour, but not as strong as the one created by Kyogre. He looked at the person shaking him.
"D-Detective Kei?"
"Oh, thank Arceus!" The International Police officer tried to untie the binding. "Damn it, it's too tight. Chiaki, use Air Slash to cut the rope!"
The nearby Masquerain flapped her wings furiously, slicing through the rope with ease.
Lapis' eyes grew wide, finally realizing what he experienced as he passed out back then.
"So you finally regained that memory. But there's no time to discuss it now, Lapis." The detective watched the still ongoing battle between Mizuchi and Warrior amongst the dying flames. "We need to stop the fire before it spreads to the flammable materials in the abandoned structures."
"Not if we have anythin' to say 'bout that!" Several more goons appeared through the door, though one of them looked a little shorter than the others.
Before they charged at Lapis and Detective Kei, the shorter one smirked. "Take them out, Mercury!"
A Beedrill darted amongst the henchmen, knocking each one out with Twineedle. A stray needle hit the Gyarados, weakening him with poison.
Kongō turned around, his fury growing. "Pyro, you traitor! How dare you!"
The "henchman" laughed. "I could say the same thing about you, 'Boss'. Or show I say, serial arsonist?"
"Mizuchi, use Flamethrower on that pesky Beedrill!"
Fighting through the poison, the Atrocious Pokémon shot a stream of fire at Mercury. But it was weaker due to the rain.
"Double Team then Sludge Bomb, Mercury!"
The Poison Bee Pokémon evaded the super effective move and hit the Water type with several orbs of toxic sludge. Mizuchi roared in pain but refused to give in.
Steven smiled. "Thanks, Pyro. But I can take it from here."
"Ha!" Kongō taunted. "Your Metagross can't keep up with Mizuchi thanks to the multiple Dragon Dances."
"Are you sure about that?"
The gang leader was about to question the rare stone enthusiast's words when he saw Warrior preparing a Thunder Punch.
"Got outta the way, Mizuchi!"
"I don't think so. Warrior, stop Mizuchi with Psychic!"
Despite his increased speed, the Water type was unable to flee from the Iron Leg Pokémon's psychic powers. It followed up with the electrifying punch, slamming the Gyarados onto the temple. Kongō was horrified to see his partner crumpled on the stone.
Detective Kei took out his ID and a pair of handcuffs. "Kongō Daiya, you're under arrest for gang activity, extortion, illegal trafficking, and arson."
The gang leader slightly recovered, hiding a laugh. "You're still trying to get me convicted, Inspector? No wait, you're a detective now. My mistake."
"Your efforts to provoke me are pointless, Mr. Daiya. We have finally have proof that you started the fire at National Park in Johto."
"Oh, please. I love to see what it is this time."
Pyro, now wearing forensic gloves, showed the powerless man a familiar object from Lapis' memory. He opened the Gyarados-themed lighter, revealing its orange-blue hued flame.
"I'm sure you recognize this, 'Boss'."
"H-How did you find my-" He stopped himself, knowing what this would implicate. "I want my lawyer."
"Fine with me." Detective Kei snapped the handcuffs onto Kongō's wrists, After reading the crook's rights and making sure the restraints were tight, he turned to Lapis. "Steven and Pyro will tell you more, if you're still curious."
Before the Nuzlocker could say anything else, the detective flew away on his Masquerain as Warrior helped them carry the accused back to Lilycove City.
Lapis had a hard time taking in the recent events. Steven and Pyro, who finally revealed himself to be International Police agent Magma Brandt, helped him sit down.
"So it was Detective Kei… He was the one who saved me in that fire… But why was he there in the first place?"
Magma let out his own Gyarados, who put out any remnants of the fire with Hydro Pump. "I can probably answer that, Lapis. Back when Detective Kei was an inspector, his first case in that position was to arrest members of the Ryūgōmon-sha, especially Kongō Daiya. He worked really hard on that case, especially with a certain someone's livelihood on the line."
Lapis clenched his fists. "That was me, wasn't it, Brandt?"
The undercover agent was surprised. "You know about Detective Kei's relationship to you?"
"Yeah, he told me a while back. But I never expected him to risk his life to help me."
Steven smirked. "Friendships can last even after a person leaves this earth, Lapis. I didn't know your dad personally, but Detective Kei always talked fondly of him. But a friendship can also sour and cause a long-lasting feud if unchecked; take this island for example."
"Oh, yeah. What is this island anyway? I didn't see it when I passed by this route before."
"This is Monsu Island, the place where Maxie and Archie used to conduct research to find ways to better the region. But their arguments about which side to focus on first tore that friendship apart, leaving this place abandoned. It's just a hunch, but you could've found this island now due to your memory returning. After all, you and Kongō Daiya have a frayed relationship."
"Guess that makes some sense. But how did you know I'd be here?"
Magma crossed his arms. "Detective Kei had a hunch about the Ryūgōmon-sha resurfacing based on Jade and Archie's testimonies about her kidnapping. So he asked me to go undercover to find any evidence."
"So that's how you got the lighter and the location…" Lapis thought he'd be relieved, but he wasn't. "Still, I can't believe Kongō betrayed me like that… H-He was like a brother to me after Mom and Dad…"
He wanted to cry but didn't want to embarrass himself in front of his rescuers.
Steven clasped his shoulders. "It's okay, Lapis. At least you now know the truth."
The teen wiped his eyes. "Not really. I don't know the client Kongō's working for."
"I…I think you already know who that is, Lapis," Magma replied with a sigh.
I know who it is? Wait…no, it can't be… But there's no other person. Lapis gritted his teeth. "'Course he's involved, as always. Looks like I ain't gonna rest easy 'til I beat Wallace…"
"You got this, Lapis," the undercover agent encouraged. "Don't forget, we're all behind you."
"What're you talkin' 'bout, Brandt?"
"I'm afraid that is still classified." The red-haired teen got up. "Ready to go, Steven?"
The man nodded. "Good luck, Lapis. Be careful while going through Victory Road. From what I've been hearing, the Trainers in there will be some of the strongest you'll meet before the Elite Four and Wallace."
"Appreciate the advice."
The two left the island, leaving Lapis alone with his thoughts. Despite knowing more about his past, there was still that nagging question: what is the source of Arian Cowden's hatred towards him? That question would eventually be answered, just not in the way Lapis expected.
Questions for the Chapter:
What did you think about the full extent of Lapis' past memory?
What did you think of the battle against Kongō Daiya?
How will Lapis do on Victory Road?
