Pokémon Radiant Sun
Howdy folks. Coming at you with the bi-weekly update!
So, a lot of things have happened! Some quickfire thoughts on the Pokémon Presents from last week.
Pokémon Legends: Arceus looks as hype as ever. Loving just about everything I saw, especially some of the new Pokémon featured in the trailer and the open-world features (Basulegion looks so damn good). Really digging the catching and battling mechanics too, so yeah, just a few months more before we find out how it plays!
As for Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl (BD/SP for all future mentions), I'm really confident that I'll be enjoying it a lot. The Grand Underground alone made me want to play it right then and there (or bust out my Platinum Version and play that to hold me over). Really enjoyed the QOL features and it looks like a really great remake.
On a more story-related note, shoutout to the awesome folks who reviewed since the last update, which includes SolanaLeonhart, Oragonking, Madame Rodoshe, and Baistro334. You all rock and I appreciate your support!
Enjoy.
Chapter 128: Conflict Resolution
Many Years Ago…
Indigo Plateau
"Another successful defense, Champ. Well done." Lance remarked as Ashton Aupuni sat back down in the Champion's Throne, watching his latest challenger exit through the doorway, hanging their head in disappointment. Damien snorted and padded back to Ashton, who smiled fondly at his Houndoom.
"It's always good to see Damien do his thing. He works hard." Ashton remarked as the canine sat down beside his Trainer, earning a pat on the head. Damien snorted once again in amusement, though he did sigh contentedly after a few moments.
"That should be the last one of the day." Lance remarked as he waved at the cameraman who was recording the battles in the Champion's Room. With a nod he shut off the live feed, with Ashton waving to the camera with a smile before getting a thumbs up from the cameraman.
"Good. As interesting as it is to battle at this level again, this isn't really what I had in mind when I took the post." Ashton said as he got to his feet, stretching and dusting off his suit. Lance hummed thoughtfully but followed the Champion as he departed for a side room that led into the main facility of the Indigo Plateau.
Within minutes, Ashton was opening the door to a lavish study complete with plush leather couches, a massive television and several blooming plants with bright red flowers on them. Taking up the center of the room was a large mahogany desk covered in papers and a map of several regions. A photo of Laura and Sun was sitting on the desk as well, complete with a stunning bouquet of multicolored flowers sitting in a vase. These flowers were a gift from Lusamine and Mohn upon hearing of Ashton's ascension to Champion of the Kanto and Johto League.
"If things keep up like this, I may as well abacate the throne." Ashton growled, sitting down at his desk. Lance sighed as he leaned against the door, his eyes narrowed at the visible frustration of Ashton Aupuni. The man who had practically begged the Pokémon League to take action against Team Rocket, but was unable to convince the League to do so.
However, what Lance could never have suspected was Ashton Aupuni dominating the Pokémon League and Elite Four with a skill he hadn't seen since Red and Blue and crushing Lance's team with just Damien. Lance wondered why he never saw how strong of a Pokémon Trainer Ashton was in his previous dealing with the man. Perhaps it was the obvious fact that Ashton Aupuni despised being a Pokémon Trainer with all of his heart, but was forced to be one simply because he was so damn good at it.
"Ashton, with all due respect-"
"Please, call me Ash, Lance. I'd rather keep things casual, if you don't mind." Ashton said to the Dragon Master, who nodded and considered his words carefully. After all, he didn't have a particularly good read on the raven-haired man quite yet.
"Ash, with all due respect, all change takes time. You can't just take the throne and expect two entire regions to simply bow to your whims, even if they're justified. You have local and regional governments to appease and coordinate with, votes to make...all the while working with other regions to ensure our own proceedings don't mess with their own agendas. It can be extremely frustrating, yes, but I assure you in time we can make the changes you're seeking to implement." Lance explained to the new Champion, who considered the other man's words for a few moments.
"With all of the red tape and politicking that goes on, I'm starting to understand why my proposals were shot down earlier." Ashton mused as he bridged his hands together, sighing deeply. "I suppose it's just frustrating that even as Champion of two regions, I can't simply increase the security of the regions and work to stamp out all traces of Team Rocket."
"Just because we can't make any official declarations like that doesn't mean we can't utilize what resources are at our disposal. And it doesn't mean that we can't look into issues within the regions. For example, instead of an official declaration against Team Rocket, perhaps you can create an organization designed to root out criminal elements? Or appoint someone to look into possible sects of Team Rocket emerging in Kanto or Johto?" Lance suggested, causing Ashton to hum thoughtfully.
"Would you be willing to head such a group?" the new Champion asked, curious.
"...Yes, actually. I was preparing to organize a group shortly after Red departed the Pokémon League, but recent events kept me tied up until recently. Honestly, it's nice having someone else deal with the damn paperwork. I don't know how you do it." Lance remarked, causing Ashton to smile in response.
"Practice is the key. Even if it's boring as sin, someone's got do it. So, with that being the case…" Ashton trailed off, considering what exactly he wanted to do. After a minute of thought, he spoke once again.
"Lance, I want you to make some inquiries. Simple questions here and there. We've got a lot of land where Team Rocket could be holed up, and I want to start investigating as soon as possible." Ashton said to his the highest-ranking member of the Elite Four.
"What did you have in mind?" Lance asked, interested in where this was going.
"Maybe I can't make the changes I want as quickly as I want, but I can at least be proactive. You at least share some of my concerns. So I want you to look into some things for me in Johto. It's the most likely place for them to go to. Coordinate with the Gym Leaders there and with law enforcement and see what you can find concerning Team Rocket. There's no way in hell that I'll let those bastards hurt any innocents while I'm Champion." Ashton said with a conviction that promised retribution to the criminals that had attacked his family and friends.
"I can do that. I've got family in Johto, after all. Clair has mentioned some increase in crime in Mahogany Town and a few other places. I could see if there's some threads to follow." Lance said to the Champion, who nodded.
"Thank you for humoring me. If you could see if it's anything to look further into, I'd appreciate it." Ashton said gratefully as he watched Damien finally plop down on the large cushion that Ashton had dragged into the office yesterday.
"It's no problem. I've not been a fan of how we've handled things regarding Team Rocket in the past, but until recently I've been outvoted. Lorelei and Bruno have always been stubborn when it comes to change, especially from outside sources...The recent shakeup of the Elite Four and the new members seem to be doing us some good."
"Agatha offered to help my cause, didn't she?" Ashton asked Lance, who raised an eyebrow.
"Agatha, to be blunt, is absolutely terrifying. Of course she was ready to take the fight to Team Rocket. She'd probably offer to hunt them down and murder them herself, but she has to be in bed by 8 AM or she starts falling asleep standing up." Lance deadpanned as Ashton smirked with amusement.
"It's good to know some of you have your priorities right. Not like in some of the other regions...I hear Team Aqua is expected to get full pardons for their crimes in Hoenn." Ashton remarked, looking at Lance who seemed surprised.
"I...didn't hear that. How on earth can Steven Stone justify that?" Lance asked, sounding horrified. He had seen the news reports after what happened just a few months ago, regarding the great flood that had ravaged large chunks of Hoenn and nearly reached other regions before being stopped. Tens of thousands of people had been drowned in the Great Downpour and the property damage was estimated to be in the billions.
"From what Alder tells me, Steven was actually dethroned just last week. However, he's pressuring the new Champion, some young girl from Littleroot Town, to forgive Team Aqua for what they've done in order to press them into government work." Ashton explained with a deceptively even tone, causing Lance to scowl.
"That…" Lance sighed, shaking his head as he ran a hand through his hair. "Sounds like something he would do. After all, Team Aqua headed some incredible breakthroughs in Marine Biology. Their work could benefit mankind as a whole quite a lot."
"At the cost of spitting into the faces of the victims, yes, Team Aqua could help many people and Pokémon. But shouldn't they face the consequences of their actions?" Ashton asked Lance, who nodded in agreement.
"They should. But it's not our call to determine how other regions run their shows. We have to worry about Kanto and Johto, Ash. Me looking into Team Rocket is a good first move in making the regions more secure." Lance said almost comfortingly to the head of Aupuni Industries, receiving a small nod from the Champion. "I'll take my leave then. I've got some calls to make and perhaps some reservations to get prepared in Johto."
"Thank you, Lance. I appreciate it." Ashton said quietly, with Lance nodding in response before making his way to the door. Lance stopped as he opened it, hesitating.
"You do realize that moving too strongly too fast will make you enemies, right? I'm all for change and making sure our people are safe, but you should...maybe rein that in a little bit? Just my two cents, Champion. I hope recent events don't discourage you." Lance said to Ashton Aupuni, who stared at him for several moments before responding.
"They aren't necessarily...But if things keep going like this, I'll be vacating this title sooner rather than later. I refuse to be a part of the system that looks the other way while evil continues to threaten those I love." Ashton sighed as he leaned back into his chair, his gray eyes darkening somewhat. Lance nodded and departed, leaving a frustrated Champion alone in his office. Ashton looked at Damien, who was looking up at him with concern. Ashton then turned his gaze to the photo sitting on his desk of his wife and child, Laura and Sun, who he swore to protect any cost. It was his duty, after all, as a husband and a father.
"There has to be a way...A way to make them all listen." Ashton muttered as he rested his head in his hands, sighing deeply as his eyes flickered from gray to black, showing the despair he hid from Elite Four and the rest of the world. "I have to do something. I have to protect my family. I have to...I can't lose anyone else."
Present
Malie City
"It's been a while, hasn't it?" Amber Fontaine remarked almost casually as she watched Hugh and Noah struggle back to their feet, grinning sadistically as she watched her Shadow Zapdos continue to wreak havoc on their teams. Standing beside the Cipher Admin was the newest addition, a Shadow Heatran.
The Lava Dome Pokémon had become Amber's seventh (and illegal) Pokémon as a result of the severe lack of Admins that could be trusted to handle the Shadow Legendaries at Cipher's disposal. Venus, Dakim, Dawson and Roran were all dead and she was the only surviving one at this point. Meaning she was the only one who could unleash an impromptu attack on Malie City.
Worst still was Borlath was currently resting with his team onboard the Absolution, and trying to determine what could be done about the Mega Crown. The headpiece had somehow become stuck on Borlath's head, and was now showing signs of damage, though Borlath wasn't sure as to how or why. It was times like these that Amber was glad that she wasn't able to use Mega Evolution or Z-Moves. Her mind was too damaged to even attempt to perform either, even if she was in her cursed state of mind.
So in the meantime, Borlath had ordered her to stir up some trouble. He even gave her permission to finally deal with the Unova brats who had been kicking up trouble for years now. It was only Borlath's orders that kept her from slaying them before, but that was before his current decline in sanity and being focused on ending his life to make amends.
"I'm conflicted on that, too...My other...self gave that girl, Lillie, that lore book and the information that detailed what Borlath's plan was. Currently, I see this as Borlath making his own choice to fix things and achieve our primary objective, so...Why does that make me feel angry? Angry that he's choosing to sacrifice himself for a world that doesn't deserve his kindness..." Amber thought to herself as Avis teleported to her side in time to block a Hydro Pump from Samson the Samurott.
She had only just revived her Xatu a minute or so ago, after she was knocked out (along with her Electivire and Chandelure) by the Kahuna of Ula'ula Island. Nanu had been a formidable opponent, even putting a dent in the chest portion of her armor, but she had been able to shoot him back in the chest and drove him away. To her annoyance, it seemed that the area around them had been totally evacuated somehow, an occurrence she attributed to the Kahuna of Ula'ula Island. It hadn't stopped her from killing over two dozen people in the city before she was accosted and forced to battle.
"You'll have to do better than that." Amber said to the two of them as she finally drew her knives and grinned evilly, embracing the darkness within her completely as she so rarely got to do. Avis teleported the assassin directly to Hugh and kicked him hard enough to send him flying backwards into the air and crashing down hard on the pavement. Noah cried out for his friend, only to be struck with a backhand that knocked him unconscious.
"Noah!" Amber turned towards the sound of the feminine scream and grinned when she saw Vivian running towards her. The violinist stopped dead in her tracks upon seeing Amber looking at her, with Vivian's eyes practically dilating with fear.
"We meet again. But will you show off how much of a coward you are? Or will you die like so many before you?" Amber asked as her team gathered in the streets, with Amber's smile like a Sharpedo before a Wailmer. Vivian actually trembled in terror, taking a shaking step back before she snatched up a Poké Ball and called out her Alakazam.
Amber chuckled darkly as Avis floated closer, prepared to attack as Decres the Alakazam braced himself. "So you choose death, then? Very well-"
Decres and Vivian teleported on the spot, causing Amber to stop speaking and focus on where they would reappear. To her surprise, Vivian and her Alakazam reappeared beside the fallen form of Noah and his Machamp, where she placed a hand on both before teleporting away. Amber grinned and plucked a grenade from her belt, pulling out the pin before lobbing it towards the downed form of Hugh. To her surprise a bolt of lightning struck the explosive right as Amber threw it, causing the assassin to get thrown backwards from her own explosion. While this happened, Vivian easily teleported to Hugh and recovered him and his Samurott from the street and teleported away while Amber staggered to her feet. She looked down the destroyed street, only to find two new Trainers standing alone.
"So, it's you." Amber noted dully, even as she prepared herself for a much harder battle. Aria wordlessly extended the blade on her Snag Machine as Zinnia grinned, pointing forward with her Altaria and Salamence floating beside her. On the ground Sophie the Jolteon and Sebastian the Lucario were ready to leap into the action at a moment's notice.
"Kind of out of the blue, isn't this? Not really Borlath's style." Aria remarked as Amber flashed her a soulless grin.
"No, but it's something I've been itching to do for a while. It's only out of the kindness of Borlath's heart that I haven't murdered you idiots until now. We're nearing the end of all of this, so now I've finally been let loose off of my leash, so to speak. You want to finally kill me? Avenge all of the friends that I've murdered? Let's go then!" Amber shouted as she jumped back to avoid a Shock Wave from Sophie, which struck her in midair anyway and threw her backwards. Avis soared forward and released a harsh wave of Psychic, which blasted Aria and Zinnia down the street.
Amber staggered to her feet with a growl, picking her knives back up and teleporting with Avis as the other two women got to their feet, only for Amber to teleport behind them with a wild grin.
"Dragon Dance, Dragon Claw!" Zinnia shouted as Salamence rushed forward, raking Avis with glowing green claws that burned with energy. Meanwhile Altaria used Dragon Dance, with Aria also following up with her own commands.
"Sophie, Shadow Ball! Sebastian, Stone Edge!" Aria shouted as Amber rushed in, with the assassin dodging a Shadow Ball by leaping into the air and doing a flip before crashing down on top of Aria. Sebastian summoned a glowing pillar of rock at Avis, but it was misdirected upon seeing his Trainer get attacked.
Amber grinned evilly as she kneeled on top of Aria, raising her right hand and plunging down her knife towards Aria's throat. The hand was caught by another, and Amber looked to her left in time to see a boot suddenly connect with her face, knocking the assassin off of the Snagger.
"You alright?" Zinnia asked as she pulled Aria upright, even as her dragons continued to attempt to battle the crafty Avis, who teleported in and out of the battlefield. Aria nodded before running forward, violently kicking Amber in the neck as the Cipher Admin tried to get to her feet. Amber hit the street hard, even as Aria advanced with her blade extended. However, an explosion of flames erupted from the street itself and forced her back.
Amber coughed as she got to her feet, grinning as Shadow Heatran returned to her side. Overhead Shadow Zapdos observed, eyeing them with fury in its eyes. With a scream of fury, Shadow Heatran made roaring flames erupt into the street as glowing fiery red cracks flowed through the asphalt. Shadow Heatran released a gout of fire from its mouth that blasted Sophie and Sebastian backwards with cries of pain, and forced Zinnia and Aria to put some distance between themselves and Amber.
"Well, this isn't very fair, now is it?" Zinnia grunted as she rolled to her feet, rubbing her arm as Aria took cover behind a nearby car.
"Amber never fights fair! It's why she's so goddamn annoying! If this was a straight-up battle, I'd kick her ass!" Aria complained as she jumped out from cover, throwing out a hand and yelling, "Seb, Bone Rush on Shadow Heatran! Sophie, Helping Hand!"
"I don't need to order you two around. Kick their asses!" Zinnia barked as her two dragons rushed forward, with Zinnia kicking forward and shouting, "Behold the strength of those who came before! Altaria, Mega Evolve!"
"I'm not done yet!"
Zinnia ducked to avoid getting her neck slit open by Abmer and threw a punch at the assassin, who swiftly blocked it with her arm and began to exchange a series of swift blows with the Lorekeeper, who was knocked to the ground in roughly ten seconds after Amber dodged a kick and hit her with an armored-forearm before sucker-punching her in the stomach.
A shout alerted Amber and she whirled around and hurled a dagger behind her, only for Aria to block the blade with her own and stab at Amber, who raised her second knife with a murderous laugh.
Meanwhile, Altaria's body was engulfed in a pink shell that exploded outward to reveal a far fluffier and far stronger Mega Altaria rushed Shadow Zapdos with Dragon Claw alongside Salamence, though to their surprise an howling Blizzard struck the two of them, knocking them away from the Shadow Pokémon.
Sophie looked to the side and saw a Kingdra blasting Zinnia's Pokémon with the Ice-type move and growled in annoyance, even as Shadow Heatran was brutally beaten back by Sebastian's Bone Club, doing extreme amounts of damage thanks to Sophie's Helping Hand. The Jolteon looked towards her Trainer and gasped as she watched Aria barely dodge a stab from Amber, with the mad assassin laughing as she slashed at the Snagger.
"She's good…" Zinnia wheezed, getting to her feet as she watched Aria dodge a roundhouse kick and slugged Amber in the stomach, sending her flying backwards into a light post with a loud crash. Amber landed on her feet, coughing up a dribble of blood with a demented grin.
"Not bad, girl. But you won't stop what comes next." Amber said as Avis teleported to her side yet again. Aria pulled out a third Poké Ball and called out her Darmanitan, Daruk. The mighty Blazing Pokémon roared as he pounded his chest mightily.
"Daruk, use Taunt!" Aria shouted as the Darmanitan joined the fray. Amber's eyes narrowed in annoyance as the Darmanitan's body flashed white as he beat his chest repeatedly, a display that only served to infuriate Avis as her own body flashed white.
"Very well." Amber remarked, her terrible smile returning as she gestured upwards, with Shadow Zapdos swooping through the air. "Thunder!"
The Shadow Legendary screeched as it released a massive bolt of lightning from its body directly at Aria, only for Sophie the Jolteon to intercept it. She then fired the Thunder right back at Amber herself, with the assassin dodging by rolling to the side with a mad laugh of delight. Amber then drew her sidearm with a devilish smile and fired twice. Both shots struck Daruk, who bellowed in pain as he staggered back, crimson pouring from his wounds.
"Daruk!" Aria screamed as Amber rose to her feet, reloading her sidearm before picking up her SMG.
"You know, it's nice finally being able to let loose. You idiots wouldn't have ever made it this far if Borlath hadn't felt so bad for manipulating you back in Unova." Amber remarked, shaking her head as she levelled the weapons at the two women and their Pokémon. "You didn't deserve his kindness."
"Go to hell!" Aria screamed as Sophie released a Thunderbolt that knocked Avis out of the air even as Amber retaliated with more gunfire. Sophie threw up a Protect, but it began to buckle right away under the onslaught of gunfire. Zinnia looked up and saw her dragons rush at the Shadow Zapdos, beating it down while avoiding attacks from the Kingdra and now an Electivire that had joined in.
"Zygarde! Come!" Zinnia shouted out, thrusting out a hand. To Amber's surprise, a green dog-like creature suddenly burst out of the ground underneath her, knocking Amber to the ground. Zinnia grinned as a strange green and black canine landed on the ground.
"Aria, regroup! Zygarde, let's cause some chaos!" Zinnia shouted as she watched her dragons fly away from a barely flying Shadow Zapdos. "Land's Wrath!"
"What the-" Amber began to say before Zygarde howled, causing green light to erupt from the ground and cause flowing green lines to ripple through the road, coming to a stop by Shadow Heatran. The Shadow Pokémon was then blasted into the air by an explosion of force from below, not only sending the Lava Dome Pokémon crashing down again in the street a few seconds later, but also knocking it out.
"Go for it!" Zinnia shouted as Zygarde's body flickered and then vanished, reappearing in midair beside a shocked Avis. Zygarde surprised the Xatu further by sinking its teeth deeply into her chest, hitting her with a Crunch powerful enough to knock her out as well. Amber watched in annoyance as her Partner was sent crashing senseless to the ground.
"Now I can see why you dorks wanted to reform Zygarde! Old dragon's got some kick left! Let's keep up the pressure!" Zinnia shouted as she thrust out her hands. "Triple Dragon Pulse! Kill that bitch!"
Mega Altaria, Salamence and Zygarde opened their mouths and released three massive beams of energy at Amber and her remaining team, forcing the Admin to throw herself to the ground to avoid being vaporized by the immensely powerful dragons and blasting back her Kingdra and Electivire. Amber dug into armor and yanked out a Revive, throwing one at Avis and waking the Xatu back up as she stumbled to her feet, only for a Salamence to smash into her.
The Cipher Admin hit the ground, but was spared from Salamence's wrath by a Shadow Ball exploding against its back and knocking out Zinnia's strongest Pokémon. Amber looked up to see that Aou had moved to a nearby rooftop, and had essentially sniped the dragon from above.
"What the hell...Alright, regroup!" Amber barked as Zygarde continued its onslaught, knocking out Amber's Kingdra with a well-timed Dragon Pulse. Amber gestured upwards and Zapdos descended from above, releasing a black bolt of lightning that struck Zygarde in the chest and sent it flying backwards. To Amber's surprise, Zygarde flipped around in midair and landed on its feet, growling softly as Zinnia rejoined it, a fierce grin on her face.
"Alright, Partner. Let's settle this!" Zinnia yelled as Zygarde's body rippled, the creature letting out a growl. Amber swiftly threw out more Revives to heal her unconscious team, aware that she was quickly burning through what she brought with her. Amber hadn't expected to run into the Lorekeeper, nor a creature like Zygarde.
"Your mind is a mess...Chaotic and shattered. Killing you will be a mercy." Zygarde intoned before dashing forward with a snarl, but this time Amber was ready, unclipping a grenade from her belt as she snatched up a Max Revive and tossed it towards Shadow Heatran, who was revived instantly. Zygarde lunged at Shadow Heatran, landing hard on the ground as Zinnia invoked Land's Wrath yet again, knocking back the Lava Dome Pokémon and forcing Amber to have her other Pokémon assist, though the Mega Altaria at Zinnia's command kept them at bay.
"Shit, gotta help Zinnia! Sebastian, Sophie, try to deal with them!" Aria hissed as she frantically healed Daruk's injuries with a Max Potion, hoping that would hold until they got the Pokémon more help. She returned the Darmanitan and turned around to see Zygarde dodging attacks from Electvire and Chandelure. Sophie and Sebastian joined the fray, only for Sebastian to get struck with a Flamethrower from Aou and get knocked out. Sophie barely dodged the flames, retaliating with a Shadow Ball that went Aou reeling away with a pained cry.
"Just hit the damn thing!" Amber barked as she hurled the grenade that had been in her hand for nearly a full minute. Zygarde reacted instantly, firing off a Dragon Pulse to destroy it, but was surprised when a shockwave of ice erupted outwards from the explosive and washed over Zygarde, coating it in frost.
"Oh no...Altaria! Help Zygarde-!" Zinnia yelled out, only for the Mega Altaria to get struck by a Magma Storm and a Psychic from Shadow Heatran and Avis respectively, knocking out the Humming Pokémon and causing it to revert to its original form. Zinnia swiftly returned her Pokémon just in time to see Electivire slam into the frozen canine with Giga Impact, breaking it free from the ice but also knocking out the Legendary and sending it crashing through a market stall that had partially collapsed onto the street.
"Zygarde!" Zinnia shouted out as the Order Pokémon dropped to the ground in a crumpled heap, it's body finally breaking down into Cells and Cores. Zinnia pulled out a Poké Ball to swiftly return Zygarde, lamenting that they had not yet found enough of the creature to allow him to attain its next form or maintain its current one.
Zinnia gasped as Amber suddenly teleported in front of her, ducking a punch from the Lorekeeper and pistol-whipping the other woman in the face. Zinnia yelled out in pain, clutching her bleeding nose before Amber kicked her hard enough in the chest for several loud snapping sounds to echo throughout the street. Zinnia hit the ground hard, groaning in pain as Aria got up again, extending her blade once more as Amber turned to face her again.
"Checkmate." Amber said softly, grinning as she tossed aside from the empty SMG and drew a wickedly long blade, clearly more than ready to finally kill someone else today. Aria, however, recognized the blade in Amber's hand instantly.
"She killed my Murkrow with that knife…" Aria thought, flashing back to those days in Unova. Wes had given her a Shadow Murkrow as a gift, as well as a test. Aria had nearly opened the door to the Shadow Pokémon's heart after months and months of effort...Only for Amber Fontaine to steal away the poor bird's life right before her eyes.
Amber lunged at Zinnia, only for Aria to stagger to her feet and tackle Amber to the ground. The Cipher Admin easily kicked Aria off of her and got to her feet, only for Zinnia to slug her in the mouth with a right hook. Amber stumbled backwards before being rushed by both of the other women, with Zinnia kicking Amber in the face hard enough to bust her lip open while Aria punched her in the stomach with a Snag Machine-clad arm. Amber crashed onto the ground with an audible growl of anger, looking up for a moment before shutting her eyes, thinking fast. She opened her eyes in time to see a black blade hurtling through the air towards her.
Amber threw herself down onto the street to avoid being impaled and rolled to the side, aiming her sidearm and firing twice, clipping Zinnia in the shoulder and making her scream out in pain as she began to bleed.
Aria held out her hand to retrieve her blade, which flew back into its place within a loud click. Aria then extended it outward and moved towards Amber, only for a massive whirlwind of flames to smash down in front of them, forcing the Snagger and Lorekeeper back. Zinnia grit her teeth despite the blood streaming down her arm, even as Amber's Chandelure floated towards, badly hurt but still ready to keep fighting.
"Aou, use Psychic!" Amber shouted as the Chandelure rose from behind Amber, its eyes glowing a harsh blue color before the attack blasted both Aria, Zinnia and their Pokémon back. Amber strode forward, firing two shots of her pistol at Sophie as the Jolteon rushed at Amber. The two bullets struck the Jolteon in the chest, sending her falling to the ground with a whine of pain as crimson oozed from the bullet holes.
"S-Sophie!" Aria screamed even as she forced herself upright, only for a boot to slam her face down into the asphalt. Amber looked up at Aou the Chandelure and then pointed to Zinnia, who was on one knee, pulling out a Poké Ball. Aou struck the Lorekeeper with Psychic, sending her flying through the air and crashing through a store window.
"Now then...time to finish the job." Amber said as she kicked Aria onto her back and aimed her pistol so that it was level with Aria's face. Aria glared into the eyes of the heartless monster that had made her life, her mentor's life, her friend's lives and the lives of countless others absolute hell.
"...I really hope Borlath's stupid wish backfires horribly and takes you out." Aria spat at Amber, who's eyes narrowed in anger.
"Maybe it will. But you won't be around to-" Amber began to say, slowly pulling down on the trigger, before a familiar blue glow surrounded her body and threw her high into the air off of Aria.
The assassin struck the ground hard but rolled to her feet, looking around wildly, though when she looked behind her she gaped in surprise at the sight of a new arrival. A new arrival she could have never imagined would challenge her again. She had about two seconds to process this before a fist connected with her cheek and sent her toppling to the ground.
Aria rolled onto her stomach and her jaw-dropped in surprise as she watched Amber get violently punched to the ground before getting a crossbow aimed directly at her face. Tears stung in Aria's eyes as she began to wordlessly cry, unable to understand how and why he had come back. She was overcome as her breath hitched and her heart soared, because now she knew that they would be okay.
Wearing a dark cloak and what looked like black and white body-armor, Wes stood tall above Cipher's Angel of Death with a sword in one hand and a crossbow in the other. Pyrrha the Braixen stood beside him, firing off a Psychic of her own to blast away Aou the Chandelure. She also added a Flamethrower into the air to ward off Avis, who screeched in anger at the Braixen. Amber stared at Wes for a moment before quickly rolling to the side, dodging a bolt that would've gone through her head otherwise.
"You...I thought you were dead." Amber coughed as she staggered to her feet, glaring down the man who had first raised a hand against the infamous criminal organization.
"Not yet. Aria still owes me a drink, and I'll be damned if I don't get my bottle of Cinnabar Cinnamon Scotch." Wes remarked lightly as he took aim with his crossbow and fired a shot into Amber's armor. To her surprise, the bolt stuck rather than bounced off of it, but she was more surprised by the fact that the bolt was faintly beeping-
Booom!
Amber snarled in pain as she flew backwards as an explosion rocked the clearing, with Wes smiling cockily as he stowed the crossbow and lunged forward with his sword, even as his Pokémon leapt into action. Pyrrha battered away Aou while Leon the Luxray pounced forward, leaping into the air and hitting Avis with Crunch, getting blasted away by a Psychic a few moments later by the bleeding Xatu, who shut her eyes and glowed a faint white color for a moment.
Meanwhile on the ground, Amber and Wes were exchanging a series of swift blows, grunting as they pounded their blades hard enough against each other for the clangs to echo down the entire street. Wes finally got the upper hand by spinning around and backhanding Amber hard enough in the face to knock off her helmet and send her to the ground. Amber rolled backward onto her knees, only to feel steel touch her neck. Wes stared down at her impassively, his golden eyes narrowed as he beheld his mortal enemy.
"What are you really up to, Amber?" Wes said as he levelled the blade at her throat before scoffing to himself for even asking the question and then drawing back his hand and swiftly driving the blade towards Amber's throat, only for a wave of force to suddenly blast him backwards.
Avis floated over Amber, her glare harsh as Wes rolled along the ground and into a crouch, pointing forward as Eve the Sylveon shot forward with a Quick Attack. "Shadow Ball!"
Eve smashed hard into Avis and flipped in midair, firing off the Shadow Ball and knocking out the Xatu as Amber staggered to her feet, grinning madly as she snatched up the magnum on her armor and fired it at Wes, who dove to the side to avoid the gunfire as Amber laughed maniacally.
"Yes! We can finally end it. You and I!" Amber shouted as she reached into her bag and tossed a Max Revive at Avis even as Eve lunged at her with a Quick Attack. Amber rolled along the ground just in time for Eve to miss the attack, though it was just enough of a distraction for Wes to regroup and get close enough to engage with Amber, lashing out with his sword and slashing at her chest directly. He was surprised that the armor tanked the hit well enough, barely showing any signs of damage from the direct hit, and stepped back to avoid Amber firing a wild shot at him before Wes smacked the weapon aside with his sword.
"Seems like Borlath has been busy funding Cipher's toys. That armor wasn't nearly as durable the last time I tried to stab you." Wes remarked before suddenly snapping. Amber grit her teeth before throwing herself backwards in time to avoid a burning star-shaped blast of flames that exploded all around her. Wes watched the flames impassively as Pyrrha landed beside him, panting slightly while her eyes darted around the area frantically.
"Keep calm...We're in control of this." Wes softly reminded Pyrrha, who nodded in response before raising her stick and summoning a Protect, right before a colossal wave of fiery magma slammed into where Wes and Pyrrha were standing. Pyrrha cried out as her shield cracked, but Wes simply stared through the shield. He then looked down at his hands and noticed them trembling, and sighed to himself as Amber used another Mx Revive on her Xatu.
"We need to end this. Quickly." Wes remarked before saying, "Eve, Moonblast! Pyrrha, Fire Blast! Leon, Discharge anything that avoids the first two!"
"With pleasure!" A furious Luxray growled as it suddenly leapt out from behind a nearby car, catching the Kingdra off-guard by hitting it with a Wild Charge. Pyrrha and Eve attacked as one, and soon the air was filled with flames and shimmering lights as Avis dodged with an Aerial Ace and retaliated with a Shadow Ball that Wes casually side-stepped, only for Avis to be blasted out of the air by a tidal wave of lightning. The Xatu hit the ground, but teleported on the spot as her Trainer sprinted at Wes.
"It's been so long since I had a proper challenge. That jackass Guzma was interesting, but he doesn't hold a candle to you!" Amber laughed maniacally, rushed forward as Wes dashed forward to greet her, slamming her sword against her dagger and ducking a stab, backhanding Amber with his hand before kicking her in the chest. Amber allowed the kick to send her backwards before drawing two throwing knives from her armor and hurling them at Wes, who dodged them both with a sidestep before stabbing at Amber.
The assassin laughed as she dodged the stab and punched Wes hard in the chest, causing him to grunt in pain and leap back, firing a shot with his crossbow that Amber shot out of the air and then shifted her aim to Wes himself.
"Not this time!" Amber whirled around to receive a wicked left hook from Aria, sending her spinning backwards before she righted herself and was promptly shot again with another explosive crossbow bolt that stuck to her armor, detonating and throwing the assassin back to the ground.
"I forgot how annoying battling Amber was. It's never a normal battle." Wes groused as Pyrrha chuckled, throwing up another Protect to shield them from a Fire Blast from Aou. Avis teleported back towards Amber as the assassin got back to her feet, painting as she gave them a bloodthirsty grin. The Xatu's eyes flashed blue and sent a wave of force backwards as Protect failed, forcing Wes to leapt to the side alongside Pyrrha. Aria wasn't able to move fast enough and was sent flying backwards with a scream of pain. Wes watched Aria crash down on the ground hard, and when Wes turned back towards the assassin as she began to giggle dementedly.
"Now this is a fight! Now I can...c-can...Agh!" Amber let out a scream of pain as her body began to shake uncontrollably. Wes levelled his crossbow at the assassin, but slowly lowered it in surprise as pink flames erupted from Amber's eyes, followed by her shrieking in absolute agony.
"No! Not now! I was so close...To finally killing him!" Amber howled as she fell to her knees, unable to do anything as the Curse of Life took full effect, forcing the assassin to experience the feeling of her emotions rushing back to her as Tapu Lele's sinister powers brought the assassin's rampage to a screeching halt.
"Whoa…" Pyrrha breathed, sensing that all of the Pokémon had stopped fighting to see what was happening with Amber Fontaine. As it was, Cipher's "Angel of Death" was currently curled up in a ball on the ground, sobbing uncontrollably now.
"What the hell was that?" Wes muttered, aiming his crossbow back at Amber. To his surprise, the assassin looked up at him with some surprise, her watery pink eyes glowing with light. Wes nearly gaped in surprise at the unmistakable expression of absolute sorrow on her face as she stared at him.
"You...How? Why did you come back?" Amber asked quietly, her voice shaking as Wes glared her down, unsure if this was a trick or not. Either way, he readied himself to shoot the assassin in the head and be done with it.
"After all of the hurt I put you through...You deserve this. Kill me and be done with it." Amber remarked somberly, smiling bitterly as she shut her eyes and awaited the end. Wes' eyes narrowed, remembering everything that Amber had done. Not just to him, but to the world at large, and with that Wes pulled the trigger without a second thought.
Only for a glowing blue aura to ensnare the bolt as it came within an inch of impacting Amber's forehead.
Wes yelled out as a wave of Psychic blasted him backwards, with Leon rushing forward to attack Avis as she flew towards the former Snagger. The Luxray snarled as it attacked the Xatu, with Shadow Zapdos soaring overhead flinging bolts of lightning down at Pyrrha and Eve.
Amber slowly got to her feet, but gasped as she saw a glowing Poké Ball fly forward and strike her Shadow Heatran in the head. It was sucked within the Poké Ball (or rather, a Timer Ball), with the capsule landing in the grass and shaking once...twice...three times. Click.
"Aria!" Wes called as he watched his protégé stagger to her feet, panting as she held out a hand and the newly snagged Shadow Heatran's Poké Ball flew into her hand. Wes turned his attention back to Amber, who was backing away and swiftly returning her Pokémon while she continued to cry.
"I'm so sorry...I don't deserve your forgiveness, Wes. But I'm so sorry for what I've done." Amber whispered, tears streaming down her face. Wes then noticed that the woman's hand was moving, and threw himself backwards in time to avoid something being thrown in his direction. To his relief, it was only a flashbang, which only hurt and wasn't deadly as it blinded everyone present. Unfortunately, by the time Wes' vision had returned, Amber and her Pokémon were gone.
"Damn it...She'll be back. But by that time I'll be able to finish the job." Wes scowled for a moment, glancing down at his trembling hands before curling them into fists. "Everyone, come on-"
"You son of a bitch!" came a very familiar shout. Wes turned around just in time to get slugged in the mouth by Aria, causing the former Snagger to stagger backwards with a cry of pain as Aria lowered her fist, which was shaking violently.
"Alright, I kinda deserved that." Wes remarked, rubbing his cheek as Eve and Pyrrha slowly walked over to them, eyeing the exchange warily. Aria screamed with fury as she swung at Wes again, punching him in the stomach, another blow that Wes allowed her to take.
It still hurt, though.
"Alright...N-now are you done assaulting me yet, brat?" Wes grunted as he tried to straighten up, this time choosing to side-step a swing from Aria and smack her lightly on the back of the had. Aria spun around, letting out another scream of rage...before she suddenly threw herself at Wes and pulled him into a tight hug.
"So you're back…" Wes looked backwards at the familiar voice, and saw Vivian standing beside a battered Noah and Hugh, who both looked relieved to see Wes and Aria alive and well. An Alakazam stood beside them, keeping an eye out for further danger.
"Naturally the first thing you do when you do return to us is save the damn day...T-the more things change, the more they stay the same." Noah continued with a sigh, though he wore a teary smile of relief on his face. Hugh was looking back and forth at his girlfriend and her mentor with a dumbfounded look, unsure if this reunion was actually happening. Vivian watched on with a melancholy, but knowing, smile.
"Yeah, I know I've got a lot of explaining to do. But first thing's first, let's see if there's anything we can do to calm the chaos back where Amber first attacked and get everyone treated at the hospital." Wes said to his friends, who both nodded as they began to treat their Pokémon. Meanwhile, Aria continued to tightly hug Wes as she struggled in vain to keep her composure, tears dripping down her face.
"It's okay...I'm sorry. I'm sorry, Aria…" Wes muttered consolingly as he returned the embrace, holding the woman that had become not only his protege, but like a sister to him. "You've worked so hard, keeping up the fight while I've been away. I'm proud of you, Aria."
At those words Aria completely broke down, sobbing uncontrollably. Wes didn't even bother to fight the tears of his own back, especially when Hugh, Noah and even Vivian joined in on the group hug. Yes, they had all been through absolute hell together. But in the end, their hardships and separation had made them all the more stronger.
Aria being thrust through time. Vivian's guilt and her battle alongside MissingNo. Noah's efforts to remain healthy and keep fighting Cipher despite his sickness. Hugh coming to terms with his misplaced anger. Wes losing the will to fight after being beaten by Perfect Kyurem and watching a city fall.
Despite it all...the team was back together again.
Two Days Later...
Iki Town
Sun sighed as he sipped some juice from Kahuna Hala's front porch, wondering how and why Iki Town had so many parties. Somehow, Sun blamed Professor Kukui.
After losing to Totem Mimikyu (and dealing with both Oliver's failure to evolve and Alastor attacking him), and hearing the news about Amber's attack on Malie City and his own father's capture of Tapu Bulu, Sun decided he needed some down time to mentally recover from literally everything going wrong in one day.
So Sun decided to go home that night, where his mother greeted him with a hug and made him some homemade pizza while Ollie told Sun a few humorous stories from his time in the International Police.
Hau and Lillie came with him, since Hau wanted to train his Komala up a bit more before taking on one of the strongest Totems in Alola and Lillie wanted to stay close to her friends. Professor Burnet was also staying at the Pokémon Lab, so Lillie was more than happy to spend time there and help with the Professor couple's research.
Aria and Zinnia had been able to fend off the full might of Amber Fontaine and a Shadow Zapdos and Shadow Heatran, with the former snagging the Shadow Heatran from the assassin before she fled. Why exactly she fled, Sun was unsure, but he was pretty sure it had to do with the fact that Wes had finally revealed himself and fought her off.
Aria was still teary when she explained what happened to Sun and his friends, and explained that Colress and her group would be running damage control in Malie City thanks to Amber's attack. Purifying the Shadow Pokémon at the Aether Paradise would, sadly, have to be put off just a few days more. President Lusamine was understanding, though she still refused to leave the Aether Paradise herself. Sun found this odd, but didn't comment on it.
Sun watched his team amble about the festival. Brago was currently cuddling with Winter, Professor Kukui's Alolan Ninetales. The pregnant ice fox was dozing beside her mate while Brago kept a fierce watch, though he did allow Lillie to pet him on the head. Sun smiled at that, knowing that despite Lillie's protests about not wanting to play favorites when it came to Sun's team, she adored the Arcanine.
Finn was currently sparring with Kahuna Hala's Poliwrath, who stood over a foot taller than Sun's own Poliwrath. Hala observed with interest, commenting to some children watching the fight about the importance of fighting styles being different between Pokémon of the same species. Finn was swiftly dodging all of his opponent's attacks, laughing all the while.
Penny roosted from atop the roof of Hala's house, keeping to herself. Sun knew that the Toucannon was a bit of a loner and was uncomfortable with crowds, at least according to Oliver, so he completely understood this. Penny caught his eyes and looked over at him, and when Sun waved at his Toucannon, she seemed to smile and waved her wing in response.
Alastor remained in his Poké Ball, unwilling to associate with other Pokémon or humans at a party. Sun sighed internally as he looked down at the Ultra Ball in his hand, frustrated with the actions of the Alolan Graveler and unsure of what to do. He had attacked Sun during the Totem Battle at the Abandoned Site, and he had contributed heavily to their loss. Sun really didn't know what to do about a Pokémon that hated him, that he also couldn't get rid of.
And as for Oliver...well, that was an even more complex matter. The owl was also in his Poké Ball, but only for the simple reason that he was too upset to be out and about at the moment.
The Dartrix had all but shut down as a result of his failure to evolve. His depression had worsened to a worrying degree, and whenever Sun could get him to speak the Dartrix would comment on how worthless he was. That Oliver was nothing but a failure and that was why he couldn't evolve. Sun blamed that particular occurrence on the remnants of the Ultra Beast poison that Branch Chief Faba had been unable to purge from the Dartrix despite his efforts. Despite his efforts, however, Oliver remained unconsolable. And Sun was at a total loss.
Sun was surprised when he felt a gentle pair of arms wrap around his chest from behind. He then heard a soft giggle that he knew very well, and turned around to see a lightly blushing Lillie, who stepped away with a demure smile.
"Sorry. Hau said you looked like you needed a hug." Lillie remarked, pointing towards where Hau was chatting with a disguised Demi. The Team Skull Grunt and Hau waved to them both, which made Sun wonder something.
"Where's Lana? You'd think she'd be here to talk to Hau." Sun asked Lillie, who's smile faded.
"The Captain's are guarding Mahalo Trial and keeping in constant contact with Kahuna Hala. He's convinced that your father will attack Tapu Koko tonight...I think he threw this party as a pretense to gather as many strong Trainers here as possible. Even Blue and Red are here tonight!" Lillie whispered to her friend, pointing to a spot by the bonfire in the middle of the town. Red was standing by a snack stand watching with a small smirk as Blue and a woman (who Sun would later learn was named Leaf) danced with other locals. Well, dance could describe what was happening. It was more accurate to say Leaf was spinning Blue around wildly and pulling him all over the place, resulting in the living legend looking very green in the face.
"Do you want to dance, Lillie?" Sun asked the girl, who's blush deepened. She did nod, however, and Sun smiled as he walked forward and grabbed his friend's hand before walking with her towards the bonfire. Unaware that they were being watched from the shadows.
There's the target...Damn it, never a good time for this. And not what I'm after. Gotta keep moving...stay unseen.
The dark figure continued to move undetected through the festival, even as another figure appeared as if from nowhere from behind one of the houses in Iki Town. This new arrival stood tall in a crisp white suit, a Greninja standing beside him as he tightened his grip on the staff in his hands. The man inhaled deeply, and then exhaled a long breath to calm his nerves. And then he sank into his own shadow, with none of the partygoers any the wiser.
Meanwhile, Lillie was laughing as Sun spun her around, with the boy grinning as he pulled her close. "Not bad, huh Princess?"
"Not bad at all. You've gotten better. We didn't really get to dance at the Festival of Celestial Lights, did we?" Lillie asked Sun, who thought about it. They had danced a little that night, but it had only been for one song before they had gotten dragged off for some reason or another. Either way, it was nice for him to be able to have a moment like this with his crush.
"Not really…Thank you, Lillie." Sun said to the girl, who looked confused as to why Sun was thanking her. "I wasn't really in a good place a few minutes ago. I'm feeling a lot better now."
Lillie gave Sun a bright smile that made his heart skip a beat. "It's like I told you Sun, I'll always be there to support you. Like morning follows night, I'll be by your side rooting for you!"
Sun grinned right back at Lillie and pulled her into a warm embrace, flushing slightly. Lillie's blush was far more pronounced, but she returned the hug happily. The two best friends walked out of the throng of dancing people. They didn't notice Hau watching with a wistful expression on his face before Demi lightly smacked his shoulder and handed him a cream puff she had been holding.
"So what now, Princess?" Sun asked his crush, who shrugged as she sat down on the front steps of one of the houses. Lillie opened her mouth to speak, only to get interrupted by a familiar voice.
"You two are so cute!" Sun and Lillie turned around to see Laura Smiles walking towards them with a wide grin of motherly pride on her face. Ollie walked alongside her, his hand holding Laura's.
"Mom?" Sun asked, surprised by her arrival. "Ollie?"
"Hey there, kiddo. How's it going?" Ollie asked as he snatched away the boy's cap and ruffled his hair fondly. Sun offered a half-hearted smile, shrugging as Ollie replaced the boy's hat.
"Well, I lost my first Island Trial and my Alolan Graveler is being a total…"
"Ass?"
"Ollie!"
"It's not like he hasn't heard worse, Laura!" The International Police Captain retorted as he held up his hands in a gesture of surrender, causing Sun to smile again.
"Yeah, that's accurate. He's been causing a lot of problems since I caught him, but he...actually attacked me during my Totem Battle at the Abandoned Site two days ago. On top of him and Oliver's evolution problem, I'm really...not sure what to do." Sun admitted as Ollie walked over to the boy, frowning with concern. "Lillie's helping me keep my mind off of that stuff. Getting in a funk over it isn't productive."
"Good on you, Lillie. Thank you for looking out for Sun." Laura said gratefully to the girl, who lowered her sunhat slightly with embarrassment.
"I-it's not trouble at all. After all, Sun's helped me so many times. It's the least I could do for a friend." Lillie said shyly, causing Laura to grin at the girl.
"Oh, so Sun's just a friend huh? I guess my little boy is going to have his heart broken, since he likes you so much! And after all of the adorable things you too have gotten up to since you met!" Laura pretended to get upset, which Sun saw through right away. However Lillie wasn't quite as savvy as he was when it came to people messing with them and was quickly getting frazzled.
"H-huh? N-n-no, he's not just a friend! Sun's my-Wait, no! That's not what I meant!" Lillie protested, getting more and more flustered. Sun and Ollie watched on with amusement as Laura continued to tease the girl for another few minutes. By the time Laura explained to Lillie that she was kidding and patted the girl on the head fondly, Lillie was pouting with a deep red blush on her cheeks.
Sun hadn't ever seen Lillie look so adorable.
"So, getting back on track now that Laura has decided to stop bullying someone less than half her age..." Ollie began to say, only to be interrupted by-
Smack!
"Worth it." Ollie remarked, rubbing his face while Laura huffed indignantly. "The Alastor thing and the Oliver thing. You mentioned that before, with what happened at the Aether Paradise. Your Dartrix got poisoned, right?"
"Yeah, while fighting the Ultra Beast. Branch Chief Faba did his best to get rid of the venom, but he warned me there might be some aftereffects. Oliver's been dealing with strange mood shifts since then. He acts more wild, and can't restrain himself from doing things he'd normally be able to hold himself back from doing." Sun explained to Ollie, who frowned as he thought about it. Sun also explained how Oliver was unable to evolve during the Totem Battle two days ago, which was also concerning to the Captain of the International Police.
"Aether said that they tried to help, huh? I remember you mentioning that. Hmm...They've been acting kind of odd lately." Ollie remarked, frowning as he put a finger on his chin. "Shutting down the whole island like that...Plus Cipher apparently attacked the Paradise itself, but we received no word as to what happened. President Lusamine has been very quiet lately on top of that."
"Actually...we did discover something." Lillie said very quietly, causing everyone to look at the girl in surprise. "Professor Burnet noticed a series of intense readings on her equipment back at the Dimensional Research Center. Apparently there was intense Ultra Space activity at the Aether Paradise on the day Cipher attacked it. Far more intense than the day that Sun battled the Ultra Beast."
Sun frowned at the tone of the girl's voice, which sounded strange to him. As if Lillie was trying to keep her composure while speaking those words. Ollie nodded slowly, reaching into his pocket and pulling out a small notebook. After snatching a pencil out of his sleeve he quickly jotted down a note in his book before closing it with a snap.
"We'll look into it. The International Police has been interested in Aether for a while. Don't worry yourselves about it." Ollie said reassuringly, turning back towards Sun. "I wish I knew what to do with Oliver, Sun, but this is out of my area of expertise. I know someone who's had some run-ins with the Ultra Beasts, but they're a sore subject with him. If you want, I can talk to him, but no promises."
"It's okay...I'll have another talk with Oliver tonight." Sun said quietly, not really sure what he could do about it. He was still struggling with his own mental health problems, having seen Doctor Cabela just the day before. "What about Alastor, though? I still don't know what to do with him. Is there any way I can make him start to listen to me or calm down?
"Why not try evolving Alastor?" Laura suggested, causing both of them to look at her in surprise. "The Golem line, both the normal one and the Alolan Regional Variant, evolve via trading. And evolution helps a Pokémon grow and mature. Maybe that's what Alastor needs. A form that suits him and can help him grow out of awful this phase he's in."
"There is merit to that. I had a friend who dealt with something similar when he had a Machoke that acted up all of the time. It was combative and hated humans with all of its heart." Ollie said, a thoughtful expression appearing on his face. "She managed to connect with it, however, after she evolved it to its final form. Evolution is regarded as a healing process of sorts within some circles, allowing a Pokémon to begin anew in a fresh form."
"Based on what you've told me, Sun, Alastor's just about as strong as everyone else on your team. I've never owned anything from the Golem line, but I know generally that you should evolve them once they reach a certain threshold." Ollie remarked, crossing his arms as he looked down at the boy with a warm smile.
"So...you think if I evolve Alastor, he might mature a bit more and stop being such a jerk?" Sun asked Ollie, who nodded.
"It's possible. If anything, you'll have some extra firepower added to your team. That's never a bad thing." Ollie said with a grin.
"I don't know...it feels wrong to help Alastor evolve when he's been so awful lately. Especially since Oliver somehow wasn't able to evolve during the Totem battle. It'd feel like rubbing salt into the wound." Sun muttered, not really liking the idea. "But it's not like I can get rid of him. May as well try something…"
"Nothing ventured, nothing gained." Laura said as she clapped her hands together. "There's a trading machine in the Community Center. If we're serious about this, let's head over that way."
A few minutes later, Sun was walking into the building followed by his team. He called out Oliver and Alastor, who both exchanged looks of hatred before looking to Sun.
"Alright, so...We've had a few days to process what happened at the Abandoned Site. We lost. It happens. But I feel like we can do better in a lot of ways." Sun said to his team, smiling at them. Oliver looked away as soon as he felt Sun's gaze on him. Sun shut his eyes and considered his words carefully.
"I think our next steps forward are going to be sorting out why Oliver didn't evolve the other day, and ensuring Alastor reaches his next form." Sun said to the group, earning a surprised look from Oliver and a smug one from Alastor.
"So, you finally see the truth-" Alastor began to say, but Sun was about done with his attitude, and cut him off.
"No, I see you're a complete jerk who was so full of himself that he basically threw a battle Oliver had won for us." Sun said firmly, causing Alastor to scowl with anger. "I want all of our issues ironed out before we take on that Totem again. Alastor, we're going to evolve you now since it'll make taking on those ghosts slightly less scary for you."
"How dare you!? I was not scared of those little…things!" Alastor snarled, stomping forward. Little did he know that a red little Pokédex had snuck up behind him.
"Boo!" Rotom Dex shouted as loudly as it could, causing the Rock Pokémon to jump a foot into the air with a shout of fear, landing back down on the ground with a massive thump. The entire team burst out into snickers, especially Oliver, who looked the happiest he had been in days.
"Like I said, we need to work on your ghost problem. Evolution should help with some of the issues we've been having with you." Sun said to the Alolan Graveler as the said Pokémon crossed his arms.
"That's only because that useless idiot over there can't evolve." Alastor remarked, causing Oliver's smile to vanish instantly. Penny made a low growling noise from her beak that sounded terrifying, but Sun held up a hand to stop her from beating the crap out of the Alolan Graveler.
"He's not the one who needs to evolve right now. The only reason this is happening is because your ego was so out of control the other day you thought attacking me was more important than winning a battle. Oliver took out the Gengar." Sun pointed out to the Alolan Graveler, who clenched its fists in anger.
"Perhaps it was just your own guidance that was at fault. You're the Trainer, after all. At the end of the day, any weakness on my part is simply your own failing at work." Alastor shot back, causing Sun to sigh as he struggled to remain calm. As it was, Laura was actively being held back from interfering in the discussion that was happening right now.
"Do you want to get stronger? This'll do it in a heartbeat." Sun responded, staring down Alastor with eyes that flickered red. Alastor stared into those eyes before scoffing and walking forward.
"Let's do this already." Was all the Alolan Graveler said, with Sun returning him a moment later.
Sun and Ollie approached each side of the Trade Machine and placed a Poké Ball each into their respective slots. After a confirmation process, both balls were consumed in a flicker of light and transferred through the machine, with Alastor's Ultra Ball appearing on Ollie's side of the table. The International Police Captain called out the Alolan Graveler, who looked at each of them in turn, his gaze landing on Oliver last. Alastor smirked at the Dartrix…
And then began to glow.
Sun couldn't muster any kind of excitement as a bright blue glow filled the room, and Alastor's form began to shift before their eyes. Soon four arms became two and his body became more smooth, with something strange protruding from his back as a face emerged from his body. As the shine ceased and Alastor's evolution finished, Sun gestured to Rotom Dex, who floated forward.
Alastor now stood before them looking somewhat like the Golem's that Sun was familiar with, except that his arms were noticeably shorter, ending in two claws instead of actual hands. A strange object protruding from Alastor's back struck Sun as odd, black in color and resembling a cannon of some kind. Alastor's face was now reptilian, with what looked like a thick black beard, mustache and eyebrows. His red eyes narrowed, a grin coming to his face.
"Rotom Dex, coming to the rescue with a Pokédex entry! Woot woot!" Rotom Dex cheered as it drifted closer to Alastor, flipping to the appropriate entry.
"Golem. The Megaton Pokémon and the final evolved form of Geodude. Alolan Regional Variant. It fires rocks charged with electricity. Even if the rock isn't fired that accurately, just grazing an opponent will cause numbness and fainting. Because it can't fire boulders at a rapid pace, it's been known to seize nearby Geodude and fire them from its back." Rotom Dex explained as Alastor examined his new body.
"Very nice...I feel complete. Stronger. This form feels good. In fact…" Alastor turned towards Sun, even as electricity surged around the Alolan Golem. Sun's eyes widened as Alastor aimed the cannon on his back directly at the boy, only for Oliver to land directly in front of Sun with his wings outstretched. Penny, Finn and Brago joined a moment later, all of them glaring down Alastor as the Alolan Golem chuckled. After a few moments the electricity around the newly-evolved Pokémon vanished as he straightened his back.
"So, you know how you said evolution is supposed to make a Pokémon more mature?" Sun deadpanned to Ollie and Laura, who had both watched the display with horror in their eyes.
"Is that what your end goal for this was?" Alastor snorted with contempt, grinning even wider. "No, no...I still loathe all of you. I do thank you for giving me access to my final form though. Now I can confidently say I'm the strongest amongst us."
"Is that so?" Finn said hotly, stepping forward with his fists raised.
"Considering he's got the type-advantage against every single one of you...He makes a compelling case." Sun muttered, sighing as he rubbed his face. Alastor was surprised when Ollie returned the Alolan Golem, also sighing as he placed the Pokémon's ball back onto the Trading Machine.
"Well, Sun? I can get rid of this troublemaker for you if you want-" Ollie began to offer, only for Sun to shake his head.
"No. If I can't get Alastor to behave, then I'll have even more problems down the road. It's a test, in a way. Pokémon won't always respect you. If I can get Alastor to get over this, I'll be a much better Trainer for it later. Trade him back." Sun said in a tired voice. Ollie nodded, a small smile on his face as he booted up the machine again and traded Alastor back to Sun. The boy clipped the Ultra Ball to his belt and returned his other Pokémon.
"Sun?" Lillie asked the boy as Sun continued to rub his face, his red eyes darkening to gray as he struggled to remain calm. Lillie had no idea what to do or say, but before she could do anything Sun began to walk towards the front door of the Community Center.
"Let's just go back out to the party...I need some candy." Sun muttered as stormed out of the Community Center, with Lillie close behind with concern on her face. Laura face-palmed while Ollie frowned, wondering just how Sun's team problem would sort itself out.
Meanwhile…
Ruins of Conflict
Borlath stepped out from the shadows of a nearby tree, smiling as Deoxys eliminated the last of the security placed along Mahalo Trail, which included several of the Trial Captains and a battalion of police officers. Borlath looked down at the green-haired teenage girl unconscious on the ground with sympathy and sighed, shaking his head.
"I wonder...was she forced into this role? Manipulated? Or was this something she chose for herself?" Borlath wondered aloud, glancing around for anything else that could stand between him and his objective. He looked towards what looked like a partially constructed bridge and snorted with amusement, even as Zorro the Greninja dragged him into the shadows and they appeared on the other side of the bridge.
Borlath gazed upon the Ruins of Conflict, stepping towards it slowly with the Harbinger staff gripped tightly in his hands, the metallic gauntlets he wore clinging tightly to his palms. With a deep breath, he raised the staff into the air and jammed it into the ground.
"Deoxys, run intercept position. Ensure no one gets in my way. Just be careful not to hurt anyone too badly." Borlath said to the DNA Pokémon, which responded with a nod before teleporting away.
So...that's the guy, huh? He looks taller in person.
Borlath stepped forward, unable to help the feeling that he was being watched. He called out Damien, who appeared in a flash of light. The canine stiffened and looked towards a nearby cluster of bushes, growling softly.
"LOOKING FOR SOMEONE?" spoke a voice from Borlath's Z-Ring, which faintly glowed as the Cipher Master tensed at the sound. Damien spun around and crouched low, prepared to attack.
Meanwhile Borlath smirked as he slowly turned around, seeing that his target had presented itself to him. A strangely colored creature of yellow, orange and black stood before them, staring down the Cipher Master without fear.
Tapu Koko, the Guardian Deity of Melemele Island and the Alolan God of Conflict had come to confront him.
The Legendary Pokémon stood proudly, its stance unusually calm and still as it regarded one of the strongest of the Chosen that had ever stood before him. Someone who had withstood tragedy and become stronger than most could ever dream. Now consumed with despair, he would seek to use the darkest powers of the Tapu to unleash a cursed wish upon the world. At the cost of his own soul.
The Land Spirit Pokémon stared at Borlath, it's head tilted slightly as it tried to determine the best course of action. In the end, the God of Conflict could only see one path forward. And for a moment, its wild heart felt sorrow...But then it steeled itself for what would come next. It's greatest battle since its clash with the Blinding One a few months ago.
"YOU'VE LIKELY HEARD THIS FROM THE OTHERS, BUT...I AM SORRY FOR YOUR SUFFERING. USING OUR POWERS TO FULFILL YOUR DESIRES WILL ONLY CAUSE MORE PAIN. YOU MUST KNOW THIS, MY CHILD." Tapu Koko said to Borlath, who's eyes took on a manic gleam of red, white and black.
"You're right. I have heard this from the others. And I'll tell you what I told them. You had your chance to make things right. And now I'm going to do what you all were too weak to do. I'm seizing destiny by the throat and fixing my mistakes!" Borlath shouted, stepping forward even as Tapu Koko shook its head in dismay.
"YOU ARE LOST...I DID WARN YOUR SON OF THIS EVENTUALITY." Tapu Koko remarked, getting into a fighting stance.
"...What?" Borlath stated as Tapu Koko seemingly crossed its arms, as if thinking.
"MANY MOONS AGO, I ENCOUNTERED YOUR WAYWARD SON IN MY DOMAIN. I SAVED HIS LIFE, AND THEN LOOKED INTO HIS EYES. I KNEW THAT HE WOULD BE AN AGENT OF CHANGE IN ALOLA, AND SO I CHOSE HIM. SO FAR...I BELIEVE I CHOSE WELL." Tapu Koko explained to Borlath, who's hands shook as he processed this information.
"Sun? You... gave him a Sparkling Stone? It was you!?" Borlath growled, fury welling up within him. Tapu Koko nodded, even as it began to bounce up and down on the ground. Damien growled and felt fire billow within his body, sensing the Tapu was preparing for the fight that was to come.
"YES. I SAW WITHIN HIM AN INCREDIBLE AMOUNT OF STRENGTH. MUCH LIKE YOURSELF, I SAW A TROUBLED SOUL...BUT MORE SO THAN THAT I SAW A KIND HEART FILLED WITH COMPASSION. ONE UNMARRED BY THE CRUELTY OF FATE THAT WAS SO UNJUSTLY THRUST INTO YOUR OWN LIFE, MY CHILD...YOU AND HE HAVE THE SAME EYES, AFTER ALL. THE EYES OF CHANGE...EYES THAT SEEM VERY FAMILIAR TO ME, FOR REASONS MY OLD MIND CANNOT REMEMBER." Tapu Koko explained, even as the air around them began to glow a faint yellow color and a buzz of electricity could be heard slowly growing louder.
"Damn you...It's your fault he became a Pokémon Trainer! After being Chosen by one of the Tapu, how could he not become one!?" Borlath roared, thrusting out a hand. "Damien, Flamethrower!"
Damien opened his mouth and released a white-hot jet of flames as Tapu Koko kicked into the air with a screech, swiftly dive-bombing the Houndoom and slamming into him hard before spinning into the air and summoning a lance of lightning into its hand. The clearing darkened as the power quickly drew into the hand of Tapu Koko before it hurled the bolt at Borlath's heart. The Cipher Master reached out, and to Tapu Koko's surprise caught the attack easily, with it dissipating with ease.
"You'll have to try a little harder than that. Now then...I am going to hurt you. All journeys begin with a single step. And Sun's began when you marked him. Your choice to pick my child as one of your Chosen, much like Tapu Bulu did to me, only condemns him to the fate I never wanted for him!" Borlath barked as Damien rose to his feet with a snarl of anger, releasing another blast of Flamethrower at Tapu Koko as it retreated into its shell to block the attack. Damien then blasted himself into the air with Flamethrower and he chomped down on Tapu Koko's shell with Fire Fang, causing the Tapu to fly at the ground and slam into it hard to shake off the massive canine. Damien retaliated with a point-blank Fire Blast that sent the Tapu flying away, separating its shell and throwing back its arms with a wild cry as it glared down the Trainer and Houndoom batting it.
Tapu Koko suddenly fell to the ground and landed lightly before releasing a massive wave of electricity, which Damien dashed right towards and leapt right through, tanking the Discharge and releasing a Sludge Bomb at Borlath's command. Tapu Koko dodged the attack and retaliated with two pink bursts of energy, with both rushes of Nature's Madness striking the Houndoom and throwing him backwards. Damien landed on the ground as his claws tore through the dirt, the Houndoom growling softly.
"Sludge Bomb!" Borlath barked as Damien fired the attack once again at the Tapu, who dashed to the side to dodge and flew right at Borlath. The Cipher Master's eyes widened in surprise and he was suddenly yanked downwards into his own shadow mere milliseconds before Tapu Koko's arm swiped the air before Borlath's head had been before.
Tapu Koko looked around, confused, before it was struck with a Sludge Bomb from behind. The Tapu screeched in pain and whirled around, releasing a Discharge as it did so and blasting Damien backwards. It then saw Borlath standing a short distance away, a Greninja standing beside him.
The Guardian Deity held out its arms and released a Shock Wave towards Damien as Borlath shouted, "Dark Pulse!"
Damien roared as a crisscrossing black beam of energy shot forth from him just in time to connect with Shock Wave, creating an explosion of smoke in the clearing. Tapu Koko bounced up and down on the ground for a few moments as the smoke lingered before shutting its eyes and focusing, using Agility to increase its speed further as well as using a Charge. It wanted this next attack to hurt.
The massive Houndoom lunged through the smoke and released a purple cloud of gas at Tapu Koko, who reeled back as the weak (but still super-effective) Smog attack struck it. It was then surprised by Borlath shouting, "Inferno on the cloud!"
Damien fired off a jet of white-hot flames towards the Tapu right as it broke free from the toxic cloud of smoke, but this wasn't enough for it to be clear of what came next. The searing fire reached the Smog cloud and ignited them, creating a wicked explosion that threw Tapu Koko backwards and made it crash hard onto the ground. Tapu Koko rolled several times into the dirt and came to a stop, shaking slight in pain.
"Sludge Bomb!" Borlath commanded his Partner as the Houndoom launched the poisonous ball of toxic goop at the God of Conflict, but Tapu Koko stood up once again and retreated into its shell, blocking the attack.
"Well played. You're putting up quite the fight. Sunny Day!" Borlath shouted as Damien's eyes flashed white and he fired off a sphere of pure light into the air. It exploded and released a wave of bright warm sunshine around the clearing, which would serve to strengthen him.
"BEGONE!" Tapu Koko cried as it flickered towards Damien, its body bursting into a fiery red aura as it collided with Damien hard, sending the Houndoom flying backwards through the clearing and smashing into a tree hard enough to knock it over. Tapu Koko kicked off of the ground and flew back into the air, wincing as bright red static flickered around its body.
"That was Brave Bird...Seems like it has quite a few interesting moves in its arsenal." Borlath muttered as Damien rose back to his feet, growling softly. "Solar Beam!"
Damien opened his mouth and fired the Solar Beam within the span of a few seconds, thanks to the artificial sunlight beaming down on them. Tapu Koko dropped to the ground and dashed towards Damien, who dodged an electrical swipe of the Tapu's claws at Borlath's command.
Damn...he's good. Really good. Going toe-to-toe with a Tapu ain't anything to sneeze at.
"Fire Blast!" Borlath commanded as Damien let loose the mighty fiery star at the Tapu, who's body flickered and vanished as the star soared towards the Mahalo Bridge and exploded violently. Thankfully, the partly-repaired bridge avoided being immolated by Damien's flames.
"We've got it on the ropes. Just a bit more, Damien." Borlath said to his faithful Partner, who nodded as it crouched low on the ground, prepared for further instructions. Borlath lamented the fact that using Mega Evolution was out of the question right now, thanks to the Mega Crown's condition. The artifact was currently fused to his head right now and had degraded as of late, for reasons he was unsure of.
"It's fine though...Damien is more than enough to bring down Tapu Koko. Using Mega Evolution has always been a dominance thing more than anything else." Borlath thought as he grinned to himself. Borlath didn't consider himself a proud man by any means, but he did take some degree of satisfaction in the strength of his nigh-unbeatable Houndoom.
"Ash, we need to end this sooner rather than later!" Damien barked to his Trainer, causing Borlath to nod and thrust out a hand. As he did so, Tapu Koko let out a screech and formed a sphere of electricity within its hands.
"Then we'll go for broke. Dark Pulse to block, then move up and use Flamethrower!" Borlath calmly instructed Damien, who grinned at the tactic in mind and bounded forward, with Tapu Koko crying out as it hurled the sphere of energy at the Dark Pokémon. Damien fired off a swirling Dark Pulse right at the Electro Ball, causing a massive explosion to rock the clearing as smoke filled the air. Damien fired a Flamethrower off into the flames and smirked upon hearing a cry of pain from the other side, with Tapu Koko flailing in the air as the flames scorched it.
"Now Damien! Use Hyper Beam!" Borlath roared as Damien lunged as Tapu Koko, a flickering black orb of raw energy forming within the jaws of the Houndoom. Tapu Koko tumbled through the air and righted itself just in time for it to see a massive beam of pure power barrel towards it. Tapu Koko screeched as it was struck by Hyper Beam, getting thrown backwards through the air and tumbled off of the cliff and towards the waters below.
"Good shot." Borlath commented to Damien as the Houndoom landed, panting now. He would need a little while to recharge after using the move. A few moments later, Borlath tensed as the wind began to pick up. Soon...it began to howl.
The Cipher Master grit his teeth as he continued to watch towards the cliff. A few moments later, Tapu Koko slowly rose from the cliffside, lightning crackling ominously around it as it breathed hard from the damage it had taken. Borlath then made a decision.
"Puffy, Bruce, back up Damien!" Borlath shouted as he drew two Poké Balls and called out his Wigglytuff and Hitmonchan respectively. Tapu Koko rushed forward as lightning crackled around it.
"Bruce, Bullet Punch! Puffy, use Heal Pulse on Damien!" Borlath shouted as his Pokémon leapt into action. Tapu Koko stopped in midair as Bruce sped towards it, slugging the Tapu in the face with a glowing boxing glove as Puffy released several pink waves of energy at Damien, causing the Houndoom to sigh with relief and relax.
"Bruce, use Agility to dodge whatever comes next. Puffy, Ice Beam! Damien, Flamethrower!" Borlath shouted as his Hitmonchan's body glowed and flickered slightly, allowing him to leap away from the Discharge that erupted from Tapu Koko and avoid major damage. The same could not be said for Tapu Koko, who was struck by both Ice Beam and Flamethrower, which threw the Tapu into the air with a pained screech.
"Damien, Hyper Beam again! Finish it off!" Borlath shouted, grinning with triumph as Damien charged up the attack once again. Borlath's smile vanished as Tapu Koko somehow spun in midair to dodge the Hyper Beam, glaring down at them. It's left claw then glowed white and it swiped at the air, creating a shimmering white and black rift. Within it, a familiar black sphere of energy was charging up and nearly ready to fire. Borlath realized what just happened and felt fear rippled through him.
"That's Mirror Move! Watch out!" Borlath shouted as Damien's eyes widened in horror. The Houndoom had time to fire off a Flamethrower into the air to blast himself out of range as Tapu Koko used Hyper Beam against them, sweeping the attack across the clearing with a wild cry.
Borlath threw himself to the ground while Greninja leapt away as explosions ripped through the clearing. After about five seconds, the beam ceased firing and Borlath looked up to assess the damage. He saw both Bruce and Puffy unconscious, and the clearing itself was completely destroyed. Damien landed on the ground, snarling softly as the Tapu drifted solemnly in the air, beholding the annihilated clearing.
Yeah, you've gotta wake up pretty early in the morning to get the drop on that wily Tapu. Still, this guy's beaten three of them. That's so crazy...
"It's strong...And putting up one hell of a fight. We only have so many of these Max Revives too…Damn it." Borlath muttered as he looked at his fallen Wigglytuff and Hitmonchan, returning the two of them and lamenting how little help they were against an opponent like Tapu Koko. They were strong and talented, but ultimately nothing compared to the Guardian Deities of Alola.
Borlath then looked at the God of Conflict and saw that it was breathing heavily, and a cold smile came to Borlath's lips, the insane gleam of red, black and white returning to his eyes. "But as we've found out as of late...Even Gods can fall."
"Shadow Sneak into Flamethrower!" Borlath shouted as Zorro the Greninja dove into his own Shadow before pulling Damien into the darkness. Tapu Koko looked around, wary of where the possible attack was coming from. What it certainly wasn't expecting was Zorro the Greninja leaping out of the shadows of one of the destroyed trees and throwing Damien towards the God of Conflict, releasing a powerful Flamethrower right into the face of Tapu Koko. The Guardian Deity tumbled backwards through the air with a pained cry before landing painfully on the ground, twitching as Borlath grinned.
"Try as you might, you will fall like all the others." Borlath remarked as he walked towards Tapu Koko, pulling the Master Ball out of his pocket. He was surprised when Tapu Koko suddenly pushed itself upright, with a blast of lightning sending the Guardian Deity into the air.
"I AM THE THUNDER THAT FOLLOWS THE RAIN!" Tapu Koko bellowed as Z-Power suddenly exploded around it, and with it storm clouds began to form above the Ruins of Conflict. Borlath grit his teeth as rain began to fall around them, removing Sunny Day entirely. Tapu Koko drifted into the air as a whirlwind of lightning crackled around the God of Conflict, who levelled a fierce glare at the furious father who had returned for vengeance just like it had foreseen.
"It's him!" a vaguely familiar voice suddenly shouted out from behind Borlath. The Cipher Master glanced backwards and saw a crowd of Trainers running towards them from Mahalo Trail. Borlath recognized Kahuna Hala at the forefront, as well as Professor Kukui and several others.
"STAND BACK! I WILL DEAL WITH HIM MYSELF!" Tapu Koko bellowed from Borlath's Z-Ring, clapping its hands together. To everyone's surprise, a yellow dome of energy suddenly surrounded the battlefield, somehow allowing rain to fall through but not allowing anything else. Hala touched the barrier and yelped as his hand was jolted with a surge of electricity.
Whoa, that nearly fried me! Heh, that being said...I'm glad that no one can interfere in this little showdown. It's about to get real interesting.
"COME MY CHILD...WE SHALL GO TOGETHER!" Tapu Koko roared as it dashed at Damien, who lunged at the Tapu with flames in his maw.
"Fire Blast!" Borlath bellowed as Damien released the burning star at Tapu Koko, who retreated into his shell and slammed through the attack, ramming into Damien and knocking the Houndoom into the air. Tapu Koko emerged from its shell and smacked Damien further into the air, dashing towards him.
"Now!" Borlath shouted as Damien fired a Sludge Bomb into the face of Tapu Koko, blasting the Tapu out of the air as it howled in pain at the super-effective attack. Damien landed on the ground with a snarl as Tapu Koko dropped onto the ground, shaking with pain before its head snapped to Damien. The God of Conflict let out a harsh war cry before swiping both arms through the air, releasing a Discharge that washed over Damien and struck him directly. Damien retaliated with a Fire Blast that Tapu Koko dodged by leaping into the air, hurling a shimmering Nature's Madness at the Dark Pokémon even as Damien bounded forward to dodge.
"Nasty Plot! Brace yourself, and then get close and use Overheat!" Borlath shouted as Damien's eyes flashed purple, a grin coming to the Houndoom as his body glowed for a moment. Tapu Koko dove forward as its body exploded with a fierce red aura, causing Damien to brace himself as the Tapu struck with Brave Bird once again.
Damien was thrown backwards with a whine as Tapu Koko slammed him into a tree, breaking it in half and continuing to drive Damien into the forest before suddenly grabbing him and throwing them back towards the clearing. Damien flew through the air before his eyes snapped open, seeing Tapu Koko soaring towards him.
"Now!" Borlath boomed as Damien opened his mouth and hit Tapu Koko directly with an Overheat, filling the air with a heat so intense the crowd protected by the Tapu's shield flinched from the flames.
"Fire Fang!" Borlath shouted as Damien dashed forward, flames pouring from his mouth as Tapu Koko struggled to its feet. The God of Conflict then let out a defiant cry as its entire body exploded with electricity, with Tapu Koko charging at Damien with reckless abandon. Damien crashed into Tapu Koko and sank his burning fangs into the Tapu as it soared into the air and hurtled right back towards the ground with Wild Charge. Borlath covered his face as a wicked explosion of force rippled outwards from where the two hit the ground.
"Come on...Damien! You've got this! Finish it!" Borlath shouted as a blast of flames ripped through the smoke, revealing Tapu Koko as it flew away from the Houndoom. Damien winced as he slunk forward, bleeding in several places but still plenty able to fight. Tapu Koko landed on the ground and cried out, falling to the ground.
"Excellent...Wild Charge is powerful, but the recoil is as well. We've got it right where we want it." Borlath grinned as he readied his fourth and final Master Ball. This would be the final Tapu, and the last thing he required before finally making things right. He could fix things. All it would cost was his own worthless soul.
"Don't do this! Damn it, boy, there's a better way!" Hala pleaded with Borlath, who glanced back at the Kahuna as his eyes flickered to black. Hala was a man Borlath had known during his days as a child in Alola. Hala had been a firm, but kind, man who had always treated him well. Borlath also remembered how Hala had always been at odds with Roran, never quite trusting him even before his cover as the leader of the Ruby Raiders was blown.
"I'm afraid not, Kahuna Hala. It's fine...I'll make things right. I'll make the world safer. But such desires come with sacrifice. And I'm willing to pay that price to make up for what I've done-" Borlath responded, only for a rumble of thunder to cut him off.
Borlath was surprised when a bolt of lightning came down from the sky and crashed down onto Tapu Koko's struggling form, forcing Borlath to clamp his hands over his ears and making Damien wince as the sound reverberated throughout the area. The Cipher Master watched in awe as the lightning dissipated, but didn't quite go away completely. Tapu Koko, who had been barely able to move mere moments ago, was now standing tall as electricity swirled around it. The Alolan God of Conflict levelled a claw at Borlath, a soft sigh coming from the Guardian Deity.
"It's power went way up after that...It can harness the power of the storm and the lightning at its call." Damien muttered as he stared down Tapu Koko, who stared back at them with sadness in its wild eyes.
"Good. It wouldn't be worth all this trouble if you Tapu didn't put up a good fight. Fire Fang!" Borlath commanded as his smirk morphed into a scowl. Damien rushed forward as flames burst into existence within his mouth. Tapu Koko retreated within its shell as Damien lunged at it, bouncing off of the shell and opening himself up for a point-black Discharge from the God of Conflict. Damien roared in agony as he was sent flying backwards through the air, crashing down heavily beside Borlath.
"Damien, are you okay?" Borlath asked, kneeling down to his Houndoom as the canine slowly got back up, huffing and puffing.
"That...really, really hurt." Was Damien's simple but effective response, causing Borlath to look towards the Tapu as it hovered in the air before them, a nimbus of lightning surrounding it. Despite this, the damage it had taken seemed to remain.
That Houndoom is something else. Like a one-Pokémon army. But it's not invincible, even if it's capable of taking down entire teams on its own. In the end, if it bleeds...You can kill it.
"It gave itself an energy boost with that lightning, but it sure as hell didn't heal itself from the beating it's taken so far. I can work with that." Borlath muttered, his mind racing as he tried to come up with a plan. He then grinned and pointed forward as Damien got back to his feet fully, ready to keep fighting. Tapu Koko screeched and its Z-Power exploded outwards, with the Guardian Deity itself rushing forward to meet its opponent head-on.
"Sludge Bomb into Flamethrower!" Borlath shouted as Damien dashed forward, firing off a sphere of toxic sludge at the Tapu who soared right towards it, dodging at the last second even as Damien fired off a Flamethrower, which Tapu Koko also dodged.
However, the Flamethrower's target wasn't Tapu Koko. At least, not directly. Instead it was the Sludge Bomb that had flown just behind the Tapu, and which ignited and exploded violently as soon as the Flamethrower struck it. Tapu Koko screeched as it was blasted into the dirt and Borlath covered his face as smoke filled the clearing.
Damien cleared away the smoke with a Flamethrower, revealing a downed Tapu in the crater. Borlath grinned and took a step forward, only for another lightning bolt to strike down once again on the prone form of Tapu Koko. The God of Conflict pushed itself up with a scream of fury and dashed forward, swiping at Damien as the Houndoom leapt backwards.
"THE STORM BECKONS!" Tapu Koko shrieked as it charged up two Electro Balls within each of its hands and hurled them. Borlath was pulled into his own shadow as Damien leapt to the side to dodge the attacks, only for Tapu Koko to speed towards him and crash into him with another Brave Bird. Damien whined in pain before releasing a point-blank Fire Blast at the Tapu, sending the Tapu flying away and landing roughly on the ground.
"It's...certainly a lot more stubborn than the others were." Damien huffed, rising to his feet. He'd sleep well tonight, that was for sure.
Borlath emerged from the ground nearby with Zorro, resting a hand on Damien's back for a moment as he looked over at the struggling Tapu. He marveled at the strength of the Guardian Deity, who had almost certainly put up far much more of a fight than the others had. The fact that it was still conscious was incredible. Another lightning bolt reached down from the heavens and struck Tapu Koko once more, allowing the God of Conflict to rise into the air with a cry of defiance.
"Damien, rapid-fire Flamethrower!" Borlath shouted as Damien snarled and attacked, releasing a white-hot jet of flames at the Tapu as it dove to the ground and soared right at Damien. The Houndoom fired his second Flamethrower at the ground ahead of him, creating a wall of flames that the Tapu barreled right through. Damien's eyes widened as the Tapu took aim at Borlath directly, firing off a Shock Wave directly at the Cipher Master. Damien barely had enough time to leap in front of the attack, taking it instead of his Trainer while Tapu Koko shrieked with fury.
"Damien!" Borlath shouted, concern in his voice as the Houndoom landed on the ground, growling as smoke drifted off of his body.
"Ash, I'm fine. Let's tear this thing apart." Damien hissed furiously at the nerve of the Tapu to attempt to attack his Trainer in so blatant a fashion. Borlath nodded, his eyes flickering to yellow for a moment before they returned to their insane gleam, a dark smile coming to his lips.
"I feel like we've got it on the ropes. Just a little more...Flamethrower!" Borlath shouted as Damien let out a Howl, raising its strength for a later attack before dashing forward, expelling a torrent of flames at the Tapu. The God of Conflict twirled in midair as if dancing, dodging the flames once more and hurling an Electro Ball at Damien, who blocked it with a Sludge Bomb, filling the air with smoke again.
"Flamethrower again! Keep up the pressure!" Borlath shouted as Damien growled deeply, firing off a massive blast of raging fire into the smoke as Tapu Koko's body erupted from the smoke, hidden within its shell and tanking the attack directly.
"YOU ARE OUR GREATEST TRAGEDY, MY CHILD...WERE WE BETTER PROTECTORS OF ALOLA, YOU NEED NOT HAVE SUFFERED SUCH HARDSHIP." Tapu Koko spoke as it blocked Damien's Flamethrower with its shell.
"Tell me something I don't know! Flamethrower!" Borlath yelled as Damien dodged another Electro Ball by blasting himself away with more fire. Damien landed on the ground with a wince as Borlath called for Fire Fang, even as the Tapu shrieked overhead. Damien leapt up and sank his burning fangs into the flesh of Tapu Koko as it screeched in agony, a harsh aura of electricity surging around it as it used Wild Charge again and slammed down into the ground. Borlath winced as an explosion rippled outwards from point where the two Pokémon met the earth, but Borlath wasn't going to wait this time.
"Damien, use Overheat!" Borlath shouted to his Partner as Tapu Koko slowly rose from the smoke cloud, shaking as the red static of recoil crackled around it. Tapu Koko looked down in time to see a massive fireball burst out from the flames and smash into it directly, detonating and unleashing a fresh wave of flames through the air as the Tapu fell towards the ground and landed harshly in the dirt.
Damien shakily rose once again, eyes shut tightly as he breathed heavily. He felt a hand on his head and sighed, hoping that this would be the end of it. That finally, the violence would cease and that his Trainer would finally find some sort of peace.
However...a certain Tapu refused to give in. Yet another lightning bolt rained down from above, striking Tapu Koko on the ground and giving it the energy to continue fighting, and that was when Borlath finally felt the frustration set in.
"Stay down, damn it!" Borlath screamed as Tapu Koko slowly rose, shaking in pain as the lightning crackled around it. Damien growled softly in frustration, stepping forward as flames formed within his mouth. He was exhausted from this contest, but he wouldn't be stopped now. Not after everything that they had done, and not so close to the end.
"YOU REALLY THINK...YOU CAN GET AWAY WITH THIS? YOU WILL BE STOPPED...AND THEN WE SHALL JUDGE YOU." Tapu Koko warned Borlath as the Cipher Master clenched his metallic fists. It was then that Tapu Koko held out its hands and fired off a bolt of lightning directly at Borlath, who caught the attack with his right hand this time, drawing it within his gauntlet.
Tapu Koko kicked off of the ground and let loose a second bolt of lightning, which Borlath didn't absorb with his gauntlets. Instead, he dove to the ground with a yelp while Damien bounded forward, growling as flames ignited within his mouth. Damien pounced at the Tapu as it hurled a Nature's Madness at the hellhound, who simply smashed through the attack with a snarl as he leapt through the air.
"Your words mean...nothing!" Damien snarled as he released a Flamethrower at the God of Conflict, who took the attack head-on with a screech of pain. Tapu Koko crashed onto the ground, covered in burns and trembling. The clouds above crackled once again, and Borlath knew he had to act now.
"I was hoping to properly defeat you...But considering our guests, I'll have to break your will later." Borlath hissed as he pulled out his Master Ball, activating it.
"No! Ashton, don't do it!" Kahuna Hala yelled to Cipher Master, who ignored the old Kahuna as his eyes locked onto Tapu Koko's.
"THIS WON'T END...THE WAY YOU THINK IT WILL." Tapu Koko warned Borlath as the Cipher Master scowled at the God of Conflict.
"Maybe so. But it'll end...I will protect everyone. No matter the cost." Borlath responded coldly to the Tapu before tossing the Master Ball at the Guardian Deity of Melemele Island. The Master Ball connected with the forehead of the creature and it was sucked into the capsule, with the sphere landing on the ground and shaking once...twice...three times…
Click.
Borlath directed a thought towards Deoxys, who was waiting nearby, and placed a hand over the Eternity Locket resting just above his heart. It glowed faintly as Borlath reached down to pick up the Master Ball containing the God of Conflict and stuffed it into his pocket before turning around to face the crowd of people who had come to stop them, with Tapu Koko's barrier fading away around him.
Even as he did so, Borlath accepted a Full Restore from his Greninja and began to treat Damien's injuries with it. By the time the crowd had reached him, the canine was healed and Borlath returned him. Zorro stepped back into the shadows as Borlath smiled at the crowd, his eyes bright with madness.
"Hello everyone. I hope that-" Borlath began to say, only to stop when Laura Smiles burst out of the crowd with abject fury on her face.
"Ash, what the hell is wrong with you!?" Laura shouted at Borlath, who's eyes went wide with surprise. He hadn't counted on Laura of all people confronting him right now. She took a step forward, her usually kind face contorted with fury, only to hear a click and see that Borlath had suddenly drawn out a silver magnum and aimed it directly at her. To her horror, she recognized the weapon as the very one her ex-husband had once nearly killed himself with all those years ago.
"Laura. Alola's been kind to you...I'm still amazed at the gall you had to bring Sun here. It was the last place I would've ever imagined you'd take our boy." Borlath remarked, his tone becoming light as Deoxys teleported beside him, the DNA Pokémon humming softly.
Borlath turned towards Deoxys and shook his head. "No, go for now, my friend. No one will be getting hurt tonight besides me, if everything goes smoothly. No more blood will be shed. I have the last Tapu, and soon everything will be okay again."
"And why is that, Ash? Is it because your latest bone-headed scheme is to literally invoke an ancient ritual that is going to do worse than end your life?!" Laura shouted, surprising those who knew her. While Laura was typically a laid-back and cheery woman, this was the most angry they had ever seen her.
"Mom?" Sun asked quietly, but Laura ignored her son and focused on the man that had turned his back on all of them.
"Be quiet, Sun. I need to yell at your idiotic father and keep him from doing something really stupid." Laura said to her child in a tone that brooked no arguments from the boy.
"Are you really going to do this, Laura? Try and talk me down? After everything I've done to you and everyone else?" Borlath demanded of his ex-wife, who crossed her arms.
"I'm trying to keep a stupid man from making a stupid mistake. Despite everything you've done, Ash, I still do love you on some level. I just hate what you've become in your misguided pursuit of world peace by any means necessary." Laura shot back, causing Borlath's smile to fade away.
"I'm doing what I have to do, not what I want to do. If I could've done this without hurting anyone, if there was a truly peaceful way to make people listen to sense, then I would've taken it in a heartbeat. Now...this is the only way." Borlath said quietly, shaking his head.
"So that's it then. After all of the awful things you've done, the people you've hurt and the lives you and your forces have ended, you're just giving up. You really have become someone I can barely recognize now." Laura said to Borlath, who's mouth twisted into a scowl.
"There isn't any hope left in this goddamn world! Not after what the Pokémon League pulled. And not after what Roran nearly did...There's no justice. There's no hope." Borlath grit his teeth as he placed a finger on the trigger of his pistol. "I'm playing the only card left to deal. Now get out of my way before I have to hurt you again, Laura. If I wanted to right now, I could erase all of you from the face of this earth. Do not try my patience."
"Dad...don't. Please don't!" Sun yelled out as Borlath's eyes drifted to his son's terrified face. His eyes quickly went to several others in the crowd, such as Ollie, Hala, Lillie and Hau. All of them looked at him with varying expressions of anger, fear, and strangely enough...sadness.
Borlath wondered how much of the truth they knew about his father by this point. He had, after all, given the information to the press just the other day about what kind of person Ano Aupuni truly was. His gaze finally returned to Laura, who was still fearlessly staring him down.
"You've done enough, Ash...You don't have to shoulder this burden alone. The idea that you would be the one to save this world as some sort of hero was something you always were weirdly into. Now I see how seriously you took that." Laura's voice sounded tired, even as she regarded the man she had once married. The very man she fled from Kanto to escape, fearing what he was capable of. Here Laura was, all these months later, finally giving Ashton a piece of her mind.
"You've proved your point. Please...Don't throw it all away on a plan that might just make everything worse. Just lower the gun, and let us help you." Laura pleaded gently, stepping forward as Borlath's eyes flickered to black, then yellow, to gray.
"You can't mean that, Laura. Not after what I've done. How I've hurt everyone. Ended so many lives...Including Padma's. I'm a monster...Nothing more than-" Borlath was surprised when Laura Smile stepped forward again, her eyes blazing with righteous fury.
"A complete idiot who's been running from his demons for almost two decades! Ash, this world is completely messed up! It's totally broken! Everyone knows that!" Laura shouted at the man who had once been her husband, who had turned against the world in a war for peace. Borlath shrank back, eyes wide as Laura finally let him have it.
"I get that the Pokémon League never listened to you back then, and even when you became Champion, there wasn't much you could do to keep the world as a whole safe. But this...all of this is insane!" Laura yelled out, uncaring of the slightly shaking hand holding a magnum pointed at her. "I was too angry back then to properly talk to you about this, and finding out the hows and whys to your actions these past few years...Ashton, why did you never just talk to me about any of this? About Roran? About Ano? About your plans?"
"Because I didn't want to taint your soul, Laura." Borlath responded, his voice gaining a bit of strength as he faced down the only woman he had ever loved. "I couldn't have ever asked you to share this burden. Team Rocket was never going to go away with the Pokémon League acting as they were. The world was and still is in danger. And I promised myself I would do my duty, as a father and husband, to protect my family. No matter the cost. Even the lives of others...And even now, I'm willing to give up my very soul if that's what it takes to make things right."
"It's insane, Ash-!" Laura tried to say, but Borlath cut her off as his eyes flashed bright red.
"It's insane, but necessary! Just let me do this...Let me end all of this. My soul will make everything the way it needs to be-" Borlath tried to say, but Laura took yet another step forward, throwing down her hands in exasperation as she continued to try and beat some sense into her ex-husband's head.
"No! No, you answer this question right now. How do you know? How do you know that this wish will work?" Laura challenged her ex-husband, who blinked at Laura with surprise on his face. "The Tapu's powers, from what little I've been told after the Ula'ula crisis, are so strange and unique that even they don't have a firm grasp on what they do. Do you really hate yourself that much, Ash? To waste your soul on a wish that might not do what you want? That might make everything else worse?"
Borlath suddenly began laughing, surprising everyone present. It started as a chuckle, and then a laugh and then finally devolved into a full blown cackle of twisted delight. Borlath managed to calm himself down after nearly a full minute of laughing, grinning at Laura with his multicolored eyes of madness.
"Laura...Of course I hate myself. I've longed for death for nearly three decades, ever since I was a kid being beaten by his father for no good reason. If it wasn't my father, it was the Ruby Raiders hurting countless people I couldn't protect. If it wasn't the Ruby Raiders, it was Roran's betrayal resulting in the deaths of my closest friends. If it wasn't that, it was worrying about my family and being unable to protect them against the wacky and demented villains that come out of the woodworks every few fucking years!" Borlath shouted as he began to truly lose control, his smile twisting into something terrible.
"Yes, Laura...I want to die. I want to end my miserable goddamn life, because at the end of the day all I do is hurt. For all my power, money and success all I've ever done was hurt people. In a way, I'm no better than Roran, and I can't live with that. So I have to do what I can to make things right. If that means finally removing myself from this world, then so be it." Borlath breathed harshly, his eyes deepening with madness. "There's no hope left for me now. Only sweet oblivion. I will save everyone using my own worthless soul, because at the end of the day, I still love my family enough to still want to ensure you all have a brighter tomorrow. Mine will never come."
Lillie listened to all of this, feeling a great sorrow within her. She wished that there was a way to truly get through to Borlath before more people got hurt. She then started as a bored voice spoke up from behind her, in response to Borlath's speech.
"It's not like we can actually stop him at this point. The guy has enough Legendaries left to destroy Alola with ease. Especially if he's got the Tapu." Lillie looked backwards in surprise at the sudden familiar voice, and saw that Kahuna Nanu was leaning against a nearby tree with a dull expression on his face. The girl looked back towards Borlath as he swung down his hands, looking frantically around at everyone assembled on Mahalo Trail.
"I genuinely can't believe you people are trying to talk me down. And I can't believe you're even saying these things! You've seen what people like me are capable of!" Borlath shouted, fury pounding through his voice. "If I can't change the world through force, then I'll change it through sheer force of will. And the powers of the Tapu, of course. It's the only way I can make things right."
Borlath adjusted his magnum's aim so that it was again level with Laura's head. "Now then...Are you going to stand aside? Will you let me finally end my life in the only way that'll fix this miserable world? Or will you try and stop me, and force me to get violent? Again? Because you and I both know that at the end of the day, this is the only way to make things right. I won't back down now. Not after how far I've come. "
Laura's lowered her head, regret filling her heart alongside the frustration of knowing that she had been unable to get through to the Cipher Master. She knew full well that trying to fight Borlath at this point was testament to suicide, and had hoped that she could talk him down and convince him to surrender. As angry as she was and as much as she hated what Ashton had done to them all, she didn't want this for him. Laura wanted him to face his sins and atone for what he had done. However, she hadn't realized just how broken her ex-husband had become as a result of the darkness he had surrendered himself to. He wanted to die, and he wanted to fix his mess in a way that was absolutely insane.
Then, to her surprise, someone stepped forward and raised his voice, drawing Borlath's attention away from his ex-wife.
"You don't know that, Bor...Ashton." Hala said slowly, his voice rumbling as the Cipher Master looked to the old Kahuna in surprise. "The world will never change. It will only turn. That much is true...But that doesn't mean it has to always remain true. Through hope and determination we can slowly make it a better place. You were already doing so years ago, before and after you departed Alola."
Borlath grit his teeth, tightening his grip on the weapon as he shifted it to Kahuna Hala. He was surprised when Hau suddenly ran in front of the old man, throwing out his arms with a rare fury on his face.
"Don't you dare try and shoot Tutu! He's right!" Hau shouted, genuine anger in his voice as he addressed Sun's father. "I've been buddies with your son for a while now, and he idolized you, you know? He was crushed when he found out your evil little Cipher secret. You know why he idolized you? Because you were a good person! You helped people, didn't you, with all of that money and power? You made a difference in the world! You were proof that Tutu's totally right!"
Borlath's eyes flickered black for a moment, then to red. "You don't know anything, kid. Not a damn thing. You don't know the hell I've been through. The injustices I've seen, the absolute horror I've witnessed at the hands of evil."
"Really? Were you ever tortured by Roran Rubinara?" Hau asked bluntly, causing Borlath to recoil. Hau grinned, knowing that for all of Borlath's comments, that was something he had over the Cipher Master.
"Mister Aupuni…" Borlath turned towards the blonde-haired girl he had spoken to just days before. Lusamine's daughter, Lillie, who looked at him with visible concern. "The world is a bad place, yes, but there's so much good in it. Even when I was ready to give up, I met people who gave me the strength to keep fighting. You have those people too, even if you've...forgotten. Even now, after all of the hurt you've put everyone through, we don't want you to die. Not like this. Not when it'll just hurt more people."
Borlath remained silent at the girl's words, his eyes flickering black with sorrow. It was then that another voice spoke up, one that wasn't sure he wanted to hear again tonight. Borlath looked down at the ground as his precious little boy spoke to him.
"Dad…" Sun said quietly, stepping forward as well to join his friends. "You have to stop this. Please. I...I don't want you to die!" Sun shouted at the Cipher Master, tears forming in his eyes as Borlath looked up once again at the family who had deserted him. At the people who he had left behind in his pursuit of power and control.
The Cipher Master, Ashton Aupuni, known to the world as Borlath, looked around him at the crowd assembled. To Sun, to Hau and Lillie, to his beloved Laura to Kahuna Hala to Ollie and all of the Alolans who were affected by his actions. He knew that sacrificing his soul to the Tapu would fix everything, and bring him the peace he so desperately wanted. But at the same time…
Sun would miss him. Borlath would be hurting his son, yet again, with his actions. And as Borlath stared into the black eyes of Sun, the father saw himself reflected back in them. Borlath knew then that his child had grown into his eyes at long-last. The very eyes that had made Ano Aupuni try and murder Ashton and abuse him for his entire childhood. It was as if Borlath was seeing into his son's soul, and it was there that he saw the true depths of the regret and sadness in Sun's heart. Despite everything that Borlath had done, Sun still loved him.
The hand holding the gun trembled as these thoughts ran through Borlath's mind.
Because even if Sun had broken his promise to Borlath and had put himself in harm's way, Borlath...no, Ashton would still do anything for his little boy. His precious Sunshine.
Anything...
"First Impression."
Laura Smiles and several of those nearby suddenly let out screams of horror as a massive figure suddenly rushed at Ashton from behind, glowing a faint green color. Ashton had just enough time to turn around in surprise at the calm command, only for a massive claw to suddenly pierce into his stomach, bursting out of his back through and through.
"Dad!" Sun screamed out, tears stinging in his eyes as Lillie and Hau grabbed him to keep the boy from running forward. Ashton looked down in surprise at the blood-soaked claw jutting from his stomach, his body shaking from the shock he was now in.
"Ash!" Laura screamed as she watched her ex-husband get impaled before her eyes, with the Cipher Master himself choking on his own blood as it seeped from his stomach and dripped down his mouth. The massive Pokémon that had done the deed, a Golisopod, snarled softly as it looked down at the man it had stabbed and raised him into the air. Professor Kukui's eyes went wide as he recognized the Hard Scale Pokémon instantly, and knew exactly who it belonged to.
"Greetings, my cowering public!" All eyes turned towards the gray-haired man sauntering out of the shadows towards Ashton and the Golisopod with a wide grin of malice. The Boss of Team Skull moved slowly and deliberately, chuckling at the menacing claw now sticking through Ashton's stomach and out of his back. The leader of Cipher managed to look towards Guzma with some surprise as his body twitched with agony.
"That's right, bitches. Big bad Guzma is here. Here to save all of you ungrateful pricks. So, Borlath. Are you ready? 'Cuz I'm gonna beat. You. Down." Guzma said to Ashton as the Cipher Master was held up above a pool of his own blood, with the Team Skull Boss laughing all the while. The residents of Iki Town watched in horror at the conflict now happening before their eyes.
One of Alola's fallen sons walked towards the other, who's life was now fading before their eyes.
NEXT TIME: A decision is made, and Borlath reveals the true strength of Cipher.
Q & A
From: SolanaLeonhart
Although, now that I think about it, what even did happen to Oliver after Faba took him back in the paradise?
And I see Alastor is still a real piece of work, not a surprise but it sure is annoying, he's so full of it. You've probably been asked something along these lines before but I'm curious, is Sun going to get a new teammate soon? And what exactly happened with Nanu?
Sun will be getting his final teammate fairly soon. I've said it a few times, but he'll have a full team when he arrives at Po Town to confront Guzma. What that Pokémon will be is anyone's guess but mine.
As for Nanu, who responded to Amber's attack and quickly evacuated everyone he could before engaging the Cipher Admin himself. He knocked out half of her team on his own before being shot by her and forced to flee, which was when Hugh and Noah confronted her.
From: Oragonking
Will Tapu Koko have the Telepathy Ability? It will give him a huge advantage against Borlath.
Nope, it has Electric Surge. And does Telepathy really give it an advantage? Telepathy allows a Pokémon to avoid attacks from a teammate that would normally hit it in battle (Surf, Discharge, ect). I'm not sure how that would help it.
From: Baistro334
I do have a fun little question though, dk if you've gotten this before, but what was your favorite hype moment that you've written for this fic so far? Mine has gotta be when Guzma first showed up cause you nailed that, followed closely behind with revealing that the Anomaly was Missingno.
I actually don't think I've been given this question before. Hmm...I've got a few I can narrow it down to, despite the story being so massive. Both of the moments you mentioned were big ones for me. I loved the MissingNo reveal, because Dizz was such a great character and like Amber was one I've been developing for years now.
However, aside from those two moments, I would say Brago's evolution to Arcanine and the battle against Shadow Articuno was (in my mind) such a cool moment that I couldn't wait for you all to read it. It was inspired by the Persona V awakenings and just seemed perfect for his character. I was really happy how well received that scene was by readers. I even got some awesome fanart of it, which makes it even better!
My top moment is the reveal that Ashton Aupuni was Borlath, Sun's father and the new leader of Cipher. I know some people called it over a year before the reveal, but I did still surprise a lot of people and I'm happy that the twist went over so well.
I've also got a few more big hype moments left in the story. The Aether Arc and the Ultra Space are big ones that I'm very much looking forward to, as well as a few awesome moments I'll be keeping to myself for the time being. We all have a lot more to look forward to in the future.
That's all for now, folks. I've got the next chapter already in the works and I'm hoping for another swift update.
In the meantime, please show your support with a review in the section below. It means the world to me and helps the story grow. As always, you can also Favorite and/or Follow the story to stay updated. Feel free to ask questions in the review section as well, or join the Discord for the story. Also, we now have a TV Tropes page!
Take care and stay awesome!
Until next time, FlygonNick out!