Chapter 46: Family Bonds! Aria vs Hibiki!
As the three got situated, Nel just looked at Hibiki, who had taken off her helmet to let her hair out. "Somehow, I figured that you had survived. I know your family and what SHika had said didn't match up." Nel commented as she looked at Hibiki.
"At least one of you has experience with this kind of thing. Let me guess, my grandma?" Hibiki responded casually.
"Yep." Nel and Aria said in unison. HIbiki nodded as she looked around and thought about things to say to Nel.
"Ok first off, are you absolutely sure that you're fine sharing what you know about Neo Cypher?" Hibiki questioned.
"Positive, I felt it was only fair. Also, don't worry about any bugs in here, I made sure to clear all those out a while ago." Nel said.
"Wow, Neo Cypher must be short on trust." Break said as Hibiki took a sip of water.
"Well, when you're basically an admin for the evil team, trust is something that is fairly hard to come by." Nel responded. Hibiki immediately covered her mouth and slowly drank her water before coughing a bit.
"Come again?" Hibiki asked in a slightly hoarse voice.
"Figured that would catch you off guard. Yes, I was actually the last of the 4 admins of Neo Cypher, Intel." Nel answered.
"One of the admins? Well that answers how you had a direct line to the leader. Still, why were you one of the admins?" Discord questioned.
"Yeah I'm curious about that too. I was under the impression that Intel was someone from out of the region and has been a part of Neo Cypher." Hibiki commented.
"Nah, it's the one admin that is not just one person, but more a group of people. Specifically, the people in each region that Neo Cypher has roots in that feed them… intel." Nel explained in a calm voice.
"So, like a mole hidden in the system that feeds them info about the region?" Aria questioned.
"Exactly and they're usually someone who can easily get information about the goings on of the league." Nel elaborated.
"SOmeone like a trainer doing the gyms out or potentially even better than that?" Break suggested.
"Correct, though they usually go for someone from the local evil/troublesome gang, like me." Nel said with a sigh.
"What did they bribe you with?" Aria questioned curiously. In response to that, Nel simply responded by opening a drawer on her desk and getting out some checks that she held up to everyone. As they all looked at them, they all looked incredibly shocked at the amounts on those checks.
"How many zeros is that?" Break asked.
"Enough." Aria said.
"Did they pay you for all the good info you gave?" Discord questioned.
"Yep, though I'm positive a good chunk of this is all stolen, so I didn't bother to put them in the bank because I felt that wouldn't be a good move." Nel responded with a smile.
"Ok you know… I feel like I would be tempted by that much money." Aria commented, a look of hunger in her eyes. HIbiki simply looked at her mother with a deadpan look and sigh of slight disappointment. "What? Just because I'm a gym leader and I inherited Symphia's money doesn't mean I want more." Aria told Hibiki.
"You know… I hate that I kind of agree with you on that." Hibki said, an embarrassed look on her face.
"Oh? So the "pure Eversongs" actually do have desires?" Nel commented with a smile as she put the checks away. The mother and daughter both sighed at that mention, shaking their heads at that.
"Seriously, I still have no idea how that whole thing started. I get that the general public loves to put tags on names, but people here know that even grandma wasn't the most kind at times." Hibiki said in a slightly annoyed tone.
"Yeah I don't like the moniker either, but we just have to deal with it. Especially because I don't think it's going to get any better once people find our you're the one that dealt with Neo Cypher." Aria pointed out.
"Oh come on, that's something that is going to be behind a lot of people. You think th-" Hibiki was saying before getting cut off.
"Speaking from experience, yes. Yes they will." Aria answered. Break, Discord, and Nel all giggled at the interaction before Nel sighed, looking down at the ground.
"...Hey Hibiki, I know it probably won't mean much, but I'm sorry that I was willingly a part of this whole plan." Nel apologized.
"Apology accepted." Hibiki told Nel with a smile and pat on the shoulder.
"You really forgive and forget easily, you know that?" Break commented.
"I forgive more than forget. Speaking of which, you're going to turn yourself in this afternoon, either with my mother or by yourself. Got that?" Hibiki said in a semi serious tone.
"Yeah… is that all you want to know from me?" Nel questioned. Hibiki paused before turning to Aria, who simply gave her a knowing nod and a smile.
"Well, would you happen to know where the rest of Neo Cypher is based?" Hibiki questioned. Nel gave a coy smile before turning to her computer and typing to a few strokes of her keyboard, bringing up a map of the Alaria region.
"I'll tell you, but I am curious about where you think the headquarters is." Nel responded, leaning back in her chair. Hibiki paused as she looked at the map, looking at all the major towns and where it could possibly be.
"If it was somewhere on land, we probably would have found it by now. In addition, they also have the potential of being here for roughly 15 years at least if Shika was the one that killed grandma. Any construction they would have done had the potential been noticed, but nothing ever came up, which means…" Hibiki thought as she looked towards the sea. Taking a moment to examine the coast line, she noted two major islands that caught her eye, Crescent Isle and an unmasked island. "There." Hibiki finally spoke, pointing at the unmarked island.
"...Excellent deduction skills, 'Miss Holmes'." Nel responded with a smile. HIbiki blushed and rubbed the back of her head as Nel clicked the area and typed in a password, the image of the island fading away to show a Neo Cypher Logo.
"That would explain why they haven't been able to be found yet, they're on an island." Aria commented.
"Admittedly, I haven't been there myself, so I can't get you any information about the interior. I was only told about this place a few days ago, mainly because according to Shika, it was 'time for the big finale'." Nel responded, a hint of concern in her voice.
"That… doesn't sound good." Discord said.
"Yeah, that's why I've been making preparations these past few days to head over there. I had just gotten off of a call with Shika about an hour before Aria had come to check on me and I had begun to make my final prep work to leave." Nel said.
"Good thing I caught you when I did then. Send that location to Hibiki, she'll be the one heading there soon." Aria said as she turned to leave.
"Wait, by herself?" Break asked in a concerned voice.
"That's the plan, but I have a feeling that my mom has some choice words about that." Hibiki said.
"Yes I do, quite a bit in fact." Aria said in a parental tone.
"If you two are going to argue, then please take it out of here. No offense, but I would like some time for peace." Nel told the two.
"Fair, come on Hibiki, I know a place where we can talk." Aria told her daughter. Hibiki nodded with a serious face as the two of them left the office and walked down the hall, leaving the other three alone.
"I would appreciate it if you two left as well." Nel said, getting back on her computer and typing some things.
"We don't want to, just to make sure that you are actually telling the truth and not trying to pull a fast one on us." Break said, leaning against the door. Nel gave a massive sigh and rubbed her face before turning to her two former comrades with a serious look on her face.
"Look, the skepticism is appreciated, but I am telling the truth. I honestly am just tired and a tad jaded about everything. Maybe it's because of who I am, but I've made my bed and I'm going to lie in it." Nel told the two. Discord and Break stayed silent as they both looked at each other, with Discord simply shrugging.
"All right, if you are telling the truth, then meet us in the viewing area when Aria starts up her matches." Break said. Nel simply nodded as Break opened the door and the two exited the room, leaving Nel alone in silence.
"...Why do I feel so remorseful for this? I know why I joined up, I was determined to see this all through, so why?" Nel thought to herself. After a few moments in silence, she nodded to herself before getting up and leaving her office to her mental destination.
Nearby battle room…
As they entered the battle room, Hibiki quickly looked at Aria with a hint of concern in her eyes. "Ok I need to know, do you actually have some issues with me going right into the hornet's nest or was that just to get us alone?" Hibiki questioned curiously.
"Oh I'm mostly fine with you going into Neo Cypher's base… mostly. I am a tad concerned, but nothing I haven't dealt with before. That being said, I do have stuff I want to talk with you about." Aria said with a heavy sigh.
"What have you hid from me?" Hibiki asked in a judging tone.
"Not hid more… left out for your safety. And before you jump to any conclusions, no your grandmother was not the leader of any nefarious organization." Aria told Hibiki.
"... Is it sad to say that I'm weirdly put at peace with that information?" Hibiki said.
"No, because I know how your mind works." Aria responded, a smile on her face as she walked over to a nearby console. Hibiki was silent as she wondered what the information was about, Aria taking the time to set up their battle. "I suppose I should ask a fairly obvious question, what do you think I want to talk with you about?" Aira questioned. Hibiki let that question sit for a moment before going through mental information before shaking her head.
"Honestly, I have no clue." Hibiki admitted.
"Ok, that means that I did a good job then. Well, me and Adagio did a good job." Aria said.
"Wait… Adagio?" Hibiki asked.
"I'll get to it, the best place to start is from the beginning after all. So, about 10 years ago, a few days before the the Surge, a group consisting of me, Adagio, and a few other gym leaders from various regions were contacted by… someone. Truth be told, we still haven't found out who sent it, though we know it was from out of the region." Aria began to explain.
"That is already setting off alarm bells in my head and I think I can take a guess at what it asked." Hibiki commented.
"If you're going to say an offer to join an evil team, because surprisingly we do actually get those often, I don't believe so. It was more of a strange offer than anything else." Aria elaborated.
"What did it say?" Hibiki questioned.
"From what I remember, it was something along the lines of 'we are requesting for your help in a matter of the utmost importance, comply or else something would happen to those close to you.' You know, just generally really ominous shit." Aria explained.
"Yeah… that is something I would have immediately told the IPP about. Do you remember what they asked of you at all?" Hibiki said.
"Vaguely, it was just something simple, just some data of battles that we all had. Nothing too specific, just some general battle data of some pokemon battles." Aria explained.
"Did you end up giving it to them? Also just realized, why not only ask other gym leaders from various regions, but also Adagio who wasn't even a gym leader or even in the league organization at the time?" Hibiki questioned.
"That was one thing that gave me pause, along with the whole threat part, and since I am obviously in the region with the IPP Headquarters, I went to ask for their opinion on this matter. They agreed with my caution and actually suggested that while me and Adagio don't send anything to see if it happens, the rest do." Aria told Hibiki.
"A very interesting suggestion that I imagine you went through with." Hibiki responded, realizing where she was going with this.
"You can probably put the pieces together, but I feel like not responding might have made the Surge happen." Aria said awkwardly, stopping her typing.
"Oh for the love of… are you seriously blaming yourself for the Surge?" Hibiki asked in an exasperated voice.
"Arceus no, at least not fully. It just feels like I helped instigate it." Aria said. Hibiki was silent for a moment before cracking a smile and looking smugly at Aria. "...Ok just get the ranting over with." Aria sighed.
"Don't worry, I won't be holding this over you for too long. I just need to know, who was it that told me that nothing spectacular happened before the Surge?" Hibiki smugly questioned.
"Me." Aria responded in a slightly annoyed tone.
"And who was it that said she figured that there was probably something bigger behind this?" Hibiki inquired.
"All right, that one was Echo, but you were the one that pushed it forward." Aria said.
"True, and… I think that's all I have to say." Hibiki finished, surprising Aria.
"That's it? That's all you want to gloat over?" Aria asked. In response to that, Hibiki walked up and pulled her mother into a deep hug, which she returned with a smile.
"You know that I hate holding stuff like that over others, especially family members." Hibiki said in a soft voice.
"I know, sorry about that." Aria responded. The two stood in silence for a moment before it was broken by a beep from the console. "Looks like the preparations are ready, once we start our battle no one will be able to interrupt us." Aria told Hibiki.
"Good, I want this to be as private as possible, no offense to the others of course." Hibiki commented.
"Agreed there, now are you ready to be taught a lesson?" Aria asked as she started to move into place.
"No no no, I think you should be ready to see if your kid surpasses you." Hibiki retorted. Aria simply smiled at that as the two walked over to the battle area, both eager to see how they would do. As they were getting ready to start, the two heard a knock at the door.
"It's Nel, can I come in and watch?" Nel asked. Aria paused as she looked at Hibiki, who simply shrugged and gave a thumbs up.
"Sure." Aria called out. There was a brief pause before the door opened and Nel nervously walked in, making sure to close the door was closed and locking it. "Got a bit bored sitting by yourself?" Aria asked with a smile on her face.
"You could say that, it turns out when you're in a room alone being crushed by regret and various conflicting feelings, you tend to not be in the best mental state." Nel commented in a faux jovial tone.
"Agreed." Hibiki said, nodding in acknowledgement.
"Is that all?" Aria questioned.
"No, I do actually have something to give to Hibiki, but I can wait till after your battle to do it." Nel responded.
"Something for me? Must be rather important in that case." Hibiki said. Nel simply nodded as the two looked at each other, smiling as they reached for their Pokeballs. Hibiki smiled, grabbing Skuld's Pokeball before hearing another of her Pokeballs automatically open as Ahsha appeared happily. "Ahsha, again?" Hibiki told her partner in a judging tone.
"She's released herself before?" Aria asked, a small giggle escaping her mouth. Hibiki sighed as she walked up and pat Ahsha on the head, earning a joyful cry from the fairy pokemon.
"Yeah, she tends to do it when I'm not looking and wanders off on her own. I would try and stop her, but I feel bad about just punishing her. Yes it is a bit of a hassle, though it's one that I enjoy, admittedly." Hibiki explained, a small smile on her face.
"I know that feeling, it's always good to just have something to do with your team, even if it is looking after them." Nel told Hibiki. Hibiki nodded and was going to grab Ahsha's Pokeball before pausing, taking a look at her mother.
"Hey Ahsha, want to do something risky and possibly very stupid?" Hibiki questioned. Ahsha simply gave a determined look and turned to face Aria, knowing exactly what Hibiki was going to ask of her. "Ok, then let's see what you can do and, no offense, how long you last." Hibiki told Ahsha.
"Oh? Keeping her out in front of Poison types? Well then far be it from me to deny her the challenge." Aria said, gripping her chosen Pokeball in her hand. As she did, the barrier formed around the arena and the familiar announcement drone flew up into the air, hovering over the arena.
"The match between Challenger Hibiki and Gym Leader Aria is set to start. The first trainer to knock out three of their opponent's Pokemon first is the winner. Let the battle begin!"
"Let's show them what you're made of Scolipede!" As Scoliopede appeared on the battlefield, Hibiki and Ahsha both sighed as they saw Aria's choice of Pokemon before Ahsha put on a brave face, moving forward to engage in battle.
"All right Ahsha, let's open with a Reflect and follow it up with a Lightscreen!" Ahsha nodded and quickly put up two screens around her that glowed with a light purple energy before turning invisible.
"Scolipede, use Sludge Bomb!"
"Dodge it!" As Scolipede launched a ball of poison at Ahsha, she quickly dashed out of the way as it was about to hit her. "Use Calm Mind!" Ahsha paused as she took a moment to center her thoughts, feeling invigorated after a moment.
"Bulldose!" Scoliped nodded, rolling into a ball before revving up and dashing towards Ahsha.
"Protect!" Ahsha erected a barrier just as Scolipede impacted her, the bug pokemon simply slamming into the barrier and quickly unfurling.
"Smart Strike Now!" Ahsha went wide eyed and tried her best to reinforce the barrier, but it was quickly shattered as Ahsha was fung back, crying out in pain.
"Ahsha!" Hibiki called out. Ahsha shook off the pain and gave an assuring nod to Hibiki before turning back to the battle. "All right, then in that case. Use Moonblast!" Ahsha nodded as she launched a blast of fairy energy at Scolipede, who simply tanked it and began to approach. "Leech Seed!"
"Dodge and use Cross Poison!" Scolipede swiftly ducked under the incoming seeds, the attack landing behind him, before dashing up to Ahsha, attempting to knock her out.
"Substitute and follow it up with Psychic!" Ahsha quickly conjured a plush version of herself, feeling exhausted after the fact, and dashed backwards as Scolipede tore the substitute to shreds. The flow pokemon then smiled and launched a Psychic barrage at Scolipede, who cried out in pain as he shook his head from the attack.
"Bit of a tricky one I see. Ok then, use Dig." Scolipede nodded, shaking off the pain and digging underground quickly, disappearing from their line of sight.
"Use Synthesis to recover while he's under there!" Ahsha nodded and concentrated for a moment, letting her energy recover as she kept watch for Scolipede's attack. There was a moment of silence before the ground started to quake and Scolipede dug up behind Ahsha and attempted to slap her away, only for her to jump out of the way.
"Rock Tomb!" Scolipede dug its tail into the ground it had emerged from before launching an avalanche of rocks at Ahsha.
"Seed Bomb!" Ahsha quickly waved her flower and conjured several seeds before launching them at the rocks, causing them all to explode on contact and blocking the attack.
"Smart Strike!" Scolipede smiled, dashing forward and landing a direct hit on Ahsha, causing the grass fairy to scream in pain, but stood her ground as she smiled as well.
"Leech Seed now!" Ahsha quickly spat out seeds that landed on Scolipede, the seeds quickly sprouting vines that wrapped around Scolipede and started to slowly drain it's energy.
"Shit! Use Gunk Shot!" Scolipede struggled against the vines and quickly launched a shot of poison at Ahsha.
"Teleport and follow it up with Psychic!"
"Protect!" Ahsha teleported out of the way of the incoming poison ball and quickly launched a barrage of Psychic energy at Scolipede. The bug pokemon quickly blocked the attack with a barrier of its own, fighting through the pain of its energy being drained.
"Ahsha, let's take a Gamble! Use Metrenome!" Ahsha nervously nodded in acknowledgement and began to wave her flower in the air in a steady rhythm.
"Scolipede, stop her with Cross Poison!" Scolipede struggled against the vines before breaking them and charging at Ahsha, his body glowing a bright purple. Just as she reached her, Ahsha finished waving her flower and conjured a ball of light that impacted Scolipede, erupting into a pillar of light.
"Scolipede!" Aria called out. As the pillar of light faded, Scolipede simply stood there motionless before flopping to the side unconscious.
"Scolipede is unable to battle!"
Ahsha cried out in celebration at the successful battle, turning to Hibiki who was clapping and smiling out of pride. "Way to go Ahsha, didn't think we could get through that fairly unscathed… I said fairly." Hibiki told Ahsha, adding the last bit after seeing a judging look from her pokemon.
"I do have to agree with my daughter, you did good for being thrust into this." Aria commented as she recalled Scolipede. Ahsha cried out in joy and jumped for a moment before being surrounded by a bright white light. Hibiki was silent with joy as she saw Ahsha evolve, growing taller along with her flower growing bigger as well, big enough that it needed to be held in two hands. As the light faded, there floated a tall and elegant fairy with a long, parasol-like flower with a look of happiness and confidence.
"You evolved, I'm happy for you Ahsha!" Hibiki exclaimed out of happiness. Ahsha bowed out of acknowledgement before turning back to Aria.
"Well, that should definitely help you… but only a bit because she is still a Grass/Fairy." Aria told Hibiki.
"Yeah, well what can you throw at us?" Hibiki asked with some cockiness in her voice.
"How about this? Let's go Nidoqueen!" As Aria's next Pokemon appeared on the battlefield, Ahsha sighed as she looked at Hibiki.
"We just have to try our best." Hibiki said. Ahsha gave a thumbs up before turning back with a determined but terrified look on her face.
"Nidoqueen, use Sludge Wave!" Nidoqueen nodded before stomping the ground and creating a wave of poisonous sludge that surged towards Ahsha.
"Teleport and use Energy Ball!"
"Tank it and use Icy Wind!" Ahsha teleported up in the air and pointed her flower towards Nidoqueen, launching a ball of green energy at her. Nidoqueen took the blast and opened her mouth, letting out a chilly wind that blew over Ahsha and caused her to grit in pain.
"Giga Drain!" Ahsha opened her mouth and Nidoqueen grunted in pain as she felt her energy being drained and given to Ahsha. "Follow it up with Psychic!"
"Dodge and use Thunder Bolt!" Nidoqueen dashed out of the way of the psychic barrage before stopping and sending a bolt of thunder at Ahsha, which also connected, but didn't do that much damage.
"Trying to paralyze us I see, sadly you did fail. Ahsha, use Seed Bomb!" Ahsha nodded as she waved her wand and sent out a barrage of seeds that rained over Nidoqueen, who braced for the several explosions that soon followed.
"Don't falter, use Sludge Bomb." Nidoqueen panted for a moment before shaking off the pain and spitting up a ball of poison.
"Dodge and follow up with Grass Knot." Ahsha swiftly dashed out of the way, feeling a little sluggish for some reason, before floating to the ground and conjuring a knot of leaves that tripped Nidoqueen.
"Now, use Poison Jab." Nidoqueen quickly got up and dashed as fast as she could up to Ahsha, her fists glowing a bright purple.
"Protect!" Ahsha attempted to put up a barrier to stop the incoming attack, but failed as he body tensed up from paralysis. "Ah hubris, how familiar you are to me." Hibiki said to herself while pinching her nose. Nidoqueen, taking the opportunity, landed a flurry of punches on Ahsha that knocked her back with a yell of pain and she fell to the ground unconscious.
"Flogress is unable to battle."
Hibiki gave a long sigh before smiling and walking up to her newly evolved partner, smiling as she kneeled down. "You did amazing Ahsha, get some rest." Hibiki said as she got our Ahsha's Pokeball and returned her there.
"Looks like you spoke a bit too soon there." Aria commented as Nidoqueen took a small breather from the fairly hard battle.
"Yep, should have noticed it sooner and played safer. Ah well, she put up a good fight against a very bad match up for her." Hibiki responded.
"That she did, now hurry up and bring Skuld out. I imagine that you want to do the same to me." Aria said.
"Oh for sure. Let's show her what we're made of Skuld." Hibiki yelled out as she tossed Skuld's Pokeball out. As the valkyrie Pokemon appeared, she looked at her opponent before smiling as she drew her sword and got ready for a fight.
"Nidoqueen, use Rock Blast!" Nidoqueen nodded and opened her mouth, conjuring a large rock that she shot at Skuld.
"Dodge and use Iron Defense!" Skuld flew up into the air to dodge the incoming rock before extending her shield and hardening her skin. "Follow it up with Swords Dance!" Skuld then dragged her sword along her shield as she took an offensive stance while ethereal swords appeared around her.
"Nidoqueen, Rock Tomb!" Nidoqueen stomped the ground before grabbing several rocks and tossing them up towards Skuld.
"Slash through them with Sacred Sword!" Skuld looked eyes with the various rocks headed towards her as she dashed forward, using her sword to easily slash through the rocks before flying past Nidoqueen with a powerful slash.
"Fire Pinch!" Nidoqueen, tanking the damage the best she could, managed to grab Skuld after the dash, and deliver a flaming punch to the gut. The punch sent flying to the ground, which she quickly recovered from while wincing in pain.
"Use Psychic!"
"Protect!" As Skult attempted to launch her own psychic attack on Nidoqueen, but was stopped by a defensive barrier around herself.
"Psycho Cut!" Skuld nodded as she coated her sword in a bright pink, psychic energy before slashing and sending a sword beam at Nidoqueen.
"Endure it and follow up with Stone Edge!" Nidoqueen breathed in as she let the Protect fall and the lash passed right through her, causing her to cry out in pain. It looked like she would fall to the ground, but stopped herself and stomped the ground, causing a surge of rocks to head towards Skuld.
"Detect!" Skuld breathed in and concentrated on the ground, feeling the vibrations as the rocks got closer, before jumping just as a large spike erupted under her.
"Fire Blast Now!" Nidoqueen quickly opened her mouth and launched a burst of fire at Skuld, who was still in the air.
"Quick, use Hurricane!" Skuld was a tad confused at the order, but quickly nodded and flapped her wings as strongly as she could, creating a violent windstorm that launched towards the Fire Blast. As the two attacks met, the Hurricane blew past the Fire Blast and managed to hit Nidoqueen, who was doing her best to tank it, before the Fire Blast hit Skuld, causing an explosion upon contact.
"Huh… thought that was going to be a bigger blast. …Oh shit that should have been a bigger blast." Aria thought to herself, realizing what had happened.
"Quick Attack!" Skuld emerged from the smoke at lightning speed, dashing up to Nidoqueen and delivering a fast slash with hersword. "Sacred Sword!"
"Thunder Punch!" Skuld quickly turned around as she got ready for her last attack, NIdoqueen doing the same as her fist was enveloped in electricity. The two got close together and Nidoqueen launched her attack, thinking that Skuld would dodge, but was shocked as Skuld took the attack straight to her face and pushed through. Skuld delivered a mighty slash as she knocked Nidoqueen away before falling to one knee from the pain she felt.
"Skuld!/Nidoqueen!" the two trainers called out. The two Pokemon were still for a moment before Nidoqueen attempted to stand up, ultimately failing as she finally fell unconscious and Skuld stood up with a proud smile on her face.
"Nidoqueen is unable to battle!"
Hibiki nodded in pride as she looked at Skuld happily before looking towards her mom and taking a deep breath. "How about that?" Hibiki said happily. There was a moment of silence before Aria simply started to clap.
"Ok, even I have to admit that was a very tactful move, though still a crazy one. Using Hurricane to weaken the flames of my Fire Blast to make sure that Skuld would be able to safely survive was a good move." Aria responded, recalling Nidoqueen so she could rest.
"Was a bit on the spot thinking and I wasn't sure if Skuld could pull it off, but I had to trust in her." Hibiki commented, a proud and happy smile on her face. Aria nodded and moved to grab her last Pokemon when she saw Skuld walking up to Hibiki. "What is it Skuld?" Hibiki asked nervously. Skuld simply smiled, patting Hibiki on the head, before pointing to her belt.
"I think she wants you to switch her out." Aria told Hibiki, being patient as she waited to see where this goes.
"Are you sure? But I'm not sure who exactly to bring in." Hibiki said. Skuld smiled in her cluelessness before pointing to a Pokeball that she had separated from the others. "...Wait, you want me to bring Viola out?" Hibiki questioned. Skuld nodded before grunting in pain and falling to one knee, breathing heavily as the pain caught up with her.
"I think it might be a good idea to swap her out Hibiki. It might not be what you want, but think about it." Nel called out. Hibiki paused as she looked at the kneeling Skuld before taking a deep breath and getting out her pokeball.
"Get some rest, I'll call you if we need to finish it." Hibiki said in an apologetic voice. Skuld gave a nod before looking at Hibiki with a look of happiness as she was recalled back to her Pokeball. Hibiki was silent as she got out Viola's Pokeball, looking at it with a glance of uncertainty.
"Before you start to doom spiral yourself, and I'm sorry if this hurts, remember that we still have a match to finish. I'll talk with you after if you still have worries." Aria said in a motherly tone. As she heard her mom say that, something inside Hibiki clicked and she let out a heavy sigh before giving a big grin. Aria, seeing the action, gave a knowing smile before the two trainers got ready for their last battle.
"Sure thing. Now then, let's bring it home Viola!"
"Let's give it all we got Roserade!" As the two pokemon appeared on the field, Nel was shocked as she saw another Meloetta appear on the battlefield.
"You good for a fight Viola?" Hibiki asked. Viola nodded, wanting to get used to the feeling as she looked at Roserade with a timid confidence. "Perfect, now I'm going to need you to help me out a bit and fight on your own for the most part. I can order to use a few moves that I'm fairly sure you know, but I'm in the dark on your full capabilities." Hibiki explained.
"I know I shouldn't allow that, but what the hell? This is going to be fun." Aria responded, Roserade nodding in response. The two pokemon were still for a moment before they dashed at each other, ready for a fight. "Roserade, use Power Whip." Roserade nodded and swiped her arm in front of her as a giant vine emerged from her flower hands.
"Dodge!" Viola did as she was ordered, jumping over the incoming vine and landing on the ground before dashing up to Roserade. She delivered a quick swipe to Roserade, not doing a lot of damage, but as the plant pokemon turned to look at Viola, he saw her holding a Sitrus Berry.
"Ok, she has some physical moves like Thief, but that tells me nothing. In that case, Seed Bomb!" Roserade obliged as she extended her arms and launched various seeds from them over a wide area, causing Viola to stop and take some of the attack.
"Echoed Voice!" Viola paused before taking a deep break and letting out a loud, echoing screech that passed over Roserade.
"Dazzling Gleam!" Roserade quickly recovered before producing a bright light from his eyes and letting it loose. Viola, thinking quick and not wanting to get hit by that attack, put up a barrier around herself that deflected the light.
"Ok good, she knows Protect… though how does she know that?" Hibiki thought, musing over other possible moves.
"Poison Jab!" Roserade quickly started to move towards Viola, his arms glowing a bright purple as Viola dropped the barrier. As he attempted to hit her, Viola slowed down as a ghastly energy came off of her before she enveloped her first in fire. Roserade's eyes went wide in surprise as he tried to dodge, but he failed as he was hit in the gut with a Fire Punch.
"Curse and Fire Punch?! Ok, maybe presuming a special attacker like was a bit hasty. Then in that case, use Toxic!" Roserade, using Viola's decreased speed as an opportunity, recovered and aimed at his target before launching a glob of venom at Viola. Viola had attempted to dodge the attack, but was unable to as she was coated in a poisonous substance that she immediately felt the effects of.
"Crap. Viola, you got any ideas that would end this quickly?" Hibiki called out. Viola paused as she remembered what she had learned before nodding and opening her mouth, letting out a massive beam of energy.
"Protect!" Roserade nodded as he put a barrier just in time as the Hyper Beam collided with it and pushed him a few feet from the force. As the beam faded, Hibiki wondered what Viola's plan was before noticing something as she realized what was going on.
"Roserade, use Venoshock." Roserade quickly dropped the barrier and dashed forward before launching a barrage of poison needles at Viola, who looked like she was still recovering. The attack hit and tore through Viola, only to reveal that the Viola that Roserade had seen was a substitute. Looking a bit shocked, Roserade looked around for his target, finding nothing obvious that he could see. "Don't panic, she's just trying to psych you out. Use Ingrain to restore your energy!" Roserade nodded and moved to plant roots into the ground, but was quickly stopped when a portal opened next to him and Viola popped out, delivering a ghostly empowered swipe.
"Fire Punch now!" Wasting no time with her surprise attack, Viola quickly turned around and delivered a powerful punch to Roserade's face. Feeling the poison coursing through her, Viola put all of her energy into one last push, launching Roserade into the virtual wall before falling to her knees. Roserade attempted to get up, but as he did, he felt his energy fade before falling to the ground unconscious.
"Roserade is unable to battle! Leader Aria is out of usable Pokemon! The winner of this match is Challenger Hibiki!"
HIbiki was stunned for a moment before clenching her fist and cheering in victory. "ALL RIGHT!" Hibiki screamed. Viola nodded happily as she slowly walked over to Hibiki, who noticed her and got out an Antidote to cure her with. "That was amazing Viola! Sorry for making you battle on your own for that one, but I just didn't know what to do." Hibiki apologized as she picked up Viola and pulled her into a hug. Viola gave an understanding nod as she accepted the excited trainer's praise.
"A bit of unexpected development, but I am happy with the result. It's not often I get a Pokemon that is willing to fight on their own." Aria commented as she recalled Roserade and walked up to Hibiki. Hibiki let go of Viola as she walked to meet her mother, the two slowing as they got closer together and Aria took out a small purple badge with a spiking waveform on it. "As a gym leader, I have to say that it was one of the best battles I've ever fought. Here, the Noise Badge is yours." Aria told Hibiki.
"You would think that they would have come up with a better name for this thing after this many years." Hibiki noted as she took the badge.
"Hey, it fits. Now as a mom, I do have a bit more to say." Aria said. Hibiki was going to ask what she wanted to say when she was pulled into a hug, immediately shutting her up. "No matter what you say or think about yourself, you will always be the best that you can be. I don't care if you wanted to hear this or have already heard it, I just wanted to say it. …Sorry about not being a better mother to you two." Aria told Hibiki in a calm, motherly tone. Hibiki was in a bit of stunned silence for a moment, before smiling and returning the hug to her mother.
"I love you too mom and thank you." Hibiki said. The two stood in a hug for a moment, just wanting the moment to last as Viola looked on, giving a small smile as she sighed and held her hand close to her chest. The silence was broken by Nel clapping, reminding the two of her presence as they broke the hug and nodded at each other before walking towards Nel.
"I do agree with our leader here, that was a great battle. You should be proud of yourself Hibiki." Nel said.
"Thanks Nel and I hope we entertained you." Hibiki responded.
"Definitely, but I do have one question? When did you get her?" Nel asked in a somewhat bewildered tone as she pointed to Viola. Hibiki smiled as she began to giggle as Viola looked a little smug as she floated over to her trainer and sat on her shoulder.
"Just before I jumped off the main building of the Resort and faked my death. Given that you didn't know about her, it looked like the ploy either worked or Shika is just playing along and knows I'm alive." Hibiki explained.
"Not 100% sure on that, but I'm leaning more towards the option that she figures that you're alive. She had told me to keep an eye out if any weird trainers came by. Either way, she had just said that she had the 'package' was secure, nothing about another Meloetta." Nel said. Hibiki let out a sharp sigh of frustration, half happy that Viola was unknown and half annoyed that Shika had a good eye.
"Nothing that can be done about that for now, but that is good to know." Hibiki commented.
"She always was more clever than she let on." Aria said.
"I kind of did expect that, but I suppose the next question for me is where do I go from here. I want to work on reaching their base to rescue Melody, the question is how do I get there without giving away the fact that I'm alive?" Hibiki responded aloud. The three were silent as they thought about what to do before Nel snapped her fingers as she remembered something, reaching into her pockets.
"There is one way I can think of, but I'm not sure you'll want to go through with it." Nel offered, making sure she had the item she was looking for.
"Any suggestion would be good." Hibiki said in a casual tone. Nel nodded before finding the item in question and pulling it out, revealing it to be a light purple Pokeball with an M on the top. "Is that a-?" HIbiki began to ask.
"Yes, it is. A few days ago, I was given one last big mission by Shika, to head to Crescent Isle and capture Darkrai." Nel explained.
"God, she really is a piece of work. Why didn't you go aside from the possibility of being noticed?" Aria questioned.
"Honestly, I'm not entirely sure myself. Maybe I just got tired of following orders, maybe my conscience finally started to kick in. Either way, I forgot about it til about an hour ago when Shika contacted me." Nel told the two. Hibiki nodded as Nel held the Master Ball out for Hibiki to take, which she stared at for a moment before grasping it.
"Thank you, do you two know of an easy way to get to Crescent Isle undetected?" Hibiki questioned.
"You're going to see about recruiting Darkrai?" Aria responded.
"Well, it's worth a shot." Hibiki said. Aria smiled as she looked at Nel for a brief moment before Aria frowned and shook her head now, leading to a long sigh from Hibiki. "Figured as much, thanks though. I can probably figure something out." Hibiki said as she began to get out Viola's Pokeball.
"Actually, there might be one way. Don't know if it works and it's part of the reason I didn't want to do the mission, but it's all I have." Nel began to say.
"Oh?" Hibiki asked nervously.
"Tell me, how do you feel about risking complete atomization?" Nel questioned awkwardly. The room went dead silent as Hibiki processed that information for a moment before her eyes started to sparkle.
"...Viola, do me a favor and make sure she actually doesn't kill herself." Aria said with a heavy sigh. Viola nodded as she looked at her trainer with a worried look as Nel began to explain what to do.